"Tetsuya said... he's going to be focusing on the designs for the August exhibition for a while, so unless it's something important, we shouldn't disturb him in his room."
Nagasaki Soyo said to Chihaya Anon and Wakaba Mutsumi, a worried look on her face.
Although Tetsuya had always been very serious about his work, the state he was in this time seemed to have gone beyond seriousness and was bordering on pathological...
"Is that really going to be okay?"
"Umm... it should... be fine... right?"
Anon gave a completely unconvincing answer, her voice full of hesitation and uncertainty.
"After all, it's just a joint exhibition, and according to Soyo, the results of this exhibition can only be a small win, a medium win, or a huge win. If that's the case, there shouldn't be anything to worry about."
"That's true, but..."
Soyo still found it hard to be at ease.
If this were before, she would have definitely increased her observation time at the Chihaya household to better judge Tetsuya's condition.
However, she had other things to do now—
"[MyGO!!!!!] is preparing a new song and a street performance, and [Ave Mujica] asked me to be the string player for their first original song... I have absolutely no free time."
"It's the same for me. Besides practicing, I'm also planning to record a few short promotional videos for our band's official account before the joint exhibition... I've already bought a camera!"
Anon placed her hands on her hips.
"As the leader of the band, I want to spend some time focusing on managing our band's account!"
"..."
Mutsumi also shook her head.
Even for someone of her skill level, the new [Ave Mujica] song required a lot of practice. What's more, the new band members were still in a state of having no chemistry whatsoever. She, too, had to focus on the band.
And the only one who wasn't a band member, Hoshino Ai, seemed to have completely thrown herself into her idol work recently...
"So, that means everyone's going to be busy from now on."
Soyo sighed.
"It's not a bad thing, but something feels strange..."
But as she had told everyone before, this upcoming exhibition was not like the first time he designed a concert outfit for Ai, where failure would have meant a lifetime of regret. It was no exaggeration to say that just being invited to participate in this exhibition was already a victory worth celebrating for Tetsuya.
So... it should be fine, right?
Ding!
Just then, Mutsumi's phone chimed. When she saw the message, she immediately looked up at Soyo.
"It's almost time for the [Ave Mujica] meeting. I have to go."
"Mhm. Got it."
Ding!
Anon's phone rang as well.
"Ah, I also arranged to go take landscape photos with Tomori..."
Ding!
"...And I have an appointment with a friend from the Tsukinomori orchestra to go pick out a violin."
With that, the three of them looked at each other, then all revealed helpless expressions.
It seemed that no matter what, they would have to let Tetsuya work hard on his own for a while.
...
"Ugh... so in a few days, I'll be meeting that real behind-the-scenes boss..."
Looking at the repeatedly marked date on her phone's calendar, Yuutenji Nyamu muttered with a conflicted expression.
"I should probably greet him before we officially meet. Uika, that Chihaya-san is a really easy person to get along with, right?"
"Don't worry. Although Tetsuya-san is the true core figure connecting [Summer Zodiac], [Starry Sky], [MyGO!!!!!], and [Ave Mujica], he is also a gentle and understanding gentleman."
Misumi Uika deliberately introduced him in this mischievous way.
"Nyamu-san will be absolutely fine."
"That's not a very reassuring answer at all..."
Nyamu let out a deep sigh.
But that being said, as a proper member of society and an experienced video blogger, she had at least that much basic sense and resolve.
So, before the official meeting, she really should contact him for business purposes first!
With that thought, Nyamu finally steeled herself, opened her contacts, and dialed the number Togawa Sakiko had given her.
Then, after a ringing tone that was unnaturally long, the terrified Nyamu finally heard the call connect—
[Hello, this is Chihaya Tetsuya.]
"Ah..."
The incredibly deep and cold tone made the already nervous Nyamu subconsciously freeze up. However, she quickly pulled herself together and spoke into the phone with a perfectly standard and cheerful voice.
"Hello, Chihaya-san. I'm Yuutenji Nyamu, the drummer who was invited by Togawa-san and Wakaba-san to join [Ave Mujica], and I'll also be in charge of promoting your brand."
[...Mhm, hello, Yuutenji-san.]
On the other end, after hearing Nyamu's introduction, the voice softened slightly, but the tone remained completely flat.
[Is there something you need?]
"Eh? Ah... since I'll be officially meeting with you this weekend to discuss the business collaboration, I thought I'd greet you in advance..."
Under the pressure of his cold tone, Nyamu's voice became more and more unconfident.
"If I'm disturbing you... I'm very sorry..."
[Next weekend?]
For some reason, Tetsuya's questioning tone made Nyamu subconsciously feel as if she had said something wrong.
Fortunately, his next words immediately dispelled her doubts.
[Sorry, I haven't been checking my phone much recently, so I didn't see Sakiko's message... Well then, we can discuss the specific details of the collaboration this weekend... Is there anything else?]
"N-no, that's all!"
Nyamu quickly shook her head.
"I'm very sorry for disturbing your work. I wish you the best!"
Beep, beep, beep...
As the final dial tone sounded, Nyamu slumped onto the table, completely drained.
"Whoa... his voice is so intimidating... Hey, Uika, is this what you call 'easy to get along with'?"
Nyamu couldn't help but complain.
"His tone and attitude were way too cold, weren't they? I almost thought I had done something to offend this Chihaya-san before..."
"...How could that be?"
Uika, who had been listening to the entire conversation, also had a puzzled look on her face.
"Tetsuya-san isn't usually like that..."
Did something happen that I don't know about? Or did Nyamu really just call at an inconvenient time?
Uika was completely stumped.
And before she could think any further, two people walking into the cafe interrupted her thoughts—
"Good afternoon, Yahata-san, Shiina-san."
Uika smiled at her two classmates.
"Sakiko and Mutsumi are still on their way, so please wait here for a moment."
The final piece of the [Ave Mujica] puzzle had finally arrived.