The Hoshino Ai who put on the headphones felt completely different from her usual self.
The girl who normally cared for nothing besides Chihaya Tetsuya was now listening intently to the track in the headphones, occasionally even closing her eyes to focus more deeply on the details within the music.
Three and a half minutes passed by quietly as Ai listened in silence...
"I see."
After listening to the entire demo, Ai placed the headphones back on the table.
"I don't really get it, but it seems like a pretty 'amazing' song."
"Eh? That's your only thought?"
Togawa Sakiko couldn't help but be astonished.
"But you looked so serious listening to it just now!"
"Well, it wasn't long ago that I just finished catching up on the basics. It's a bit much to ask me to pick out the nuances of this song."
Ai confessed without a shred of shame.
"In fact, it's already a big accomplishment for me to be able to distinguish between 'good' and 'bad'!"
"Sigh..."
Faced with Ai's frank and nonchalant response, Sakiko pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
"So, is something you barely understand really enough to influence your decision?"
"It is."
Ai replied in her usual tone.
"It's like with the lyrics that girl Takamatsu Tomori wrote. Even though I never went to school or read much, I could still tell those lyrics were great... and the only thing I wanted to confirm was this."
As she spoke, she looked at Sakiko.
"Whether the song Uika and I will be singing is worthy of Tetsu's clothes."
"!"
Hearing this unexpected answer, Sakiko was stunned for a moment before immediately asking:
"Worthy of Chihaya-nii's clothes? Wait, what does that have to do with the 'idea' you changed?"
"..."
Faced with Sakiko's question, Ai briefly considered whether to explain it to her, then finally said:
"Ah, whatever. You're Tetsu's apprentice, after all. Just consider this my way of repaying you for helping him out during this time."
Then, under Sakiko's slightly dissatisfied gaze, Ai spoke.
"A while ago, Uika and I received a work request from [NozAK!]..."
...
Ever since she first saw that guy named Ko Ogino (T/N: 狄野清 is the name used here. I do not know if it's related to Love is War, but I will presume so. But just in case it never gets mentioned, I am warning) at the television studio, Ai had gone online to research the company that had once plagiarized Tetsuya, as well as the person involved who disgusted her so much.
And this investigation led her to capture something very crucial:
"Geika Institute of Fashion, same entering class, and what's more, the timing of this guy's award perfectly matches the time Tetsuya joined [KaZoKu]."
Ai didn't know anything about clothing, so she couldn't see anything suspicious in the award-winning work itself.
However, because she already knew the other party was a plagiarist, Ai, relying solely on her own judgment and limitless affirmation of Tetsuya, arrived at the correct conclusion without any basis in evidence—
"So, this guy is the main culprit who caused Tetsu to drop out of Geika, isn't he?"
As she said this, there wasn't the slightest hint of a smile in her expression or tone.
"Tetsu probably never told anyone, but back at the orphanage, he really admired the kids outside who could go to school. If it wasn't for some special reason, there's no way he would have dropped out on his own. And the only reason I can think of for him dropping out is this guy."
"..."
Sakiko could hardly believe her ears.
This person knew nothing about fashion and was completely ignorant of Chihaya-nii's specific academic history, yet through a subtle overlap in timing, her understanding of and fanatical belief in him, and a reverse-engineered cause-and-effect link, she had reached this incredibly correct conclusion!
Recalling how she had previously deduced Chihaya Anon's personal history just by observing her SNS, Sakiko's impression of this person as a "stalker" was further deepened.
"...My guess was right after all."
Seeing Sakiko's dumbfounded expression, Ai let out a soft snort.
"Since you knew about this, why didn't you tell me?"
"Eh?"
Suddenly being questioned, Sakiko froze.
"...Why are you asking that?"
"If you had told me about this earlier, I definitely would have gone to get revenge on this bastard who hurt Tetsu. And that would have, in a way, stopped me from exposing everything at the May live. A simple attempt like that is something a mind like yours or Uika's could definitely come up with, right?"
Ai stared intently at Sakiko and said:
"Why didn't you do it?"
"..."
Hearing the very idea she herself had once personally abandoned being brought up by the person in question, a very strange feeling welled up in Sakiko's heart.
She had always thought that there was a fundamental difference between herself and Ai, but after hearing about the same thing, their thoughts had turned out to be so similar...
Did that mean she had come dangerously close to becoming someone as extreme as Hoshino Ai?
At this thought, she couldn't help but sigh with a wry smile.
"I did think about it, but... if I had really done that, what would I have been treating Uika's idol career, and Chihaya-nii's clothing and future, as?"
"Uika didn't choose to become an idol to help me get close to Chihaya-nii, and Chihaya-nii didn't become a designer to get revenge on Ko Ogino. As an outsider... I didn't want to use such a malicious method to influence your future and Chihaya-nii's. After all, what Chihaya-nii has always believed in and yearned for is the possibility for everyone to find happiness. The moment I used you for my own selfish reasons, it would have been the same as betraying both of their feelings at once."
Sakiko raised her head, meeting Ai's gaze without flinching.
"The Chihaya-nii I admire would never do something like that, so I absolutely won't either."
"..."
After hearing Sakiko's heartfelt words, Ai stared at her in surprise for a long while before finally speaking.
"Well, that's a shock. I thought that since you also like Tetsu, you'd definitely stop at nothing to get in my way..."
At this, a dangerous smile appeared on her face.
"But it's a good thing you didn't. Because the thing I hate most is people interfering in my relationship with Tetsu. If you had been the one to tell me this, even if I did decide to get revenge on that Ogino guy, I would have never given up on the exposure at the May live..."
Ai said, spreading her hands.
"Just to get revenge on everyone who tried to interfere with me and Tetsu."
"Ehh..."
Faced with Ai's sharp eyes, which were filled with a desire for destruction, Sakiko instantly realized that everything she had just said was no empty threat. If she had presumptuously told Ai about this, she too would have been seen as an obstacle for meddling...
Did that mean her decision to turn back from that path not only led to the creation of this song but also allowed her to dodge a truly terrible bad ending?
But then again, since Ai's series of dangerous statements seemed to be based on that "if"... what about now?
"Anyway, I know what your and Uika's song is all about now. Let's leave it at that for today."
Just as Sakiko was feeling utterly confused about Ai's current stance, Ai had already put her disguise cap back on.
"For the time being, at least, let's work hard together for Tetsu's sake, Togawa Sakiko."
With that, without waiting for a reply, Ai walked straight out of the recording studio, leaving Sakiko alone to stare blankly at her departing back.
"'Together'?"
What did "together" mean? Was this person still planning to expose herself at the May live or not? And had she given up on getting revenge on Ko Ogino?
"I really have no idea what's going on in that girl's head... ahem."
But while she said that, the thought that she had almost achieved ideological synchronization with her made Sakiko give a guilty little cough.
"I should just get back to composing..."
In order not to become a dangerous person like Ai, she had to keep working hard.
And...
"A song worthy of Chihaya-nii's clothes?"
Recalling those words, Sakiko suddenly felt a fighting spirit inexplicably ignite in her heart.
And just at that moment, a message came from Uika.
[Sakiko, I have a new idea for the song!]
"Perfect timing."
In order to make this live the first step toward realizing Chihaya-nii's dream, she too decided to offer a fervor no less intense than Hoshino Ai's.
...
In a certain sense, Togawa Sakiko and Hoshino Ai were indeed very similar.