Misumi Uika: "[NozAK!]'s..."
Hoshino Ai: "Costumes?!"
The two idols cried out in astonishment.
Tsukimi, however, spoke to the assistant outside the door with an unchanged expression.
"Bring them in."
Then, at her command, the assistant immediately pushed a clothing rack into the dressing room—
"Is it okay to put it here?"
"Mhm, thank you for your hard work."
Tsukimi replied without looking up.
"Later, help me tell the people from [NozAK!] that their shoes are not up to standard. I'll be using our own."
"Understood."
The assistant nodded and then left the dressing room.
The moment the assistant was gone, the two idols spoke at the same time:
"Tsukimi-san?!"
"This isn't what we were told before!"
They both questioned her.
"Why... are they costumes from [NozAK!]?!"
Uika asked, completely bewildered.
"Weren't our costumes for this event all being handled by the agency and Tetsuya-san?"
"...If they're from [NozAK!], I'd rather die than wear them."
Ai's expression and tone grew increasingly grim.
"I believe I told Higuchi-san and the President that I will never forgive what they did to Tetsu—"
"You two, calm down."
Seeing their intense reaction, Tsukimi simply paused her work with a calm expression.
"Take a closer look and see who these costumes are for."
"..." x2.
Then, when they both turned to look at the clothing rack that had just been pushed into the room, their expressions froze:
"These are... for the backup dancers?"
"That's right."
Tsukimi nodded.
"So you can rest assured. These costumes aren't for you."
"B-but... before, wasn't the commission for the backup dancers' costumes already given to [KaZoKu]?"
Uika pressed on.
"Why has it suddenly changed to [NozAK!] now?"
"Regarding that question..."
Tsukimi turned her head to look at Chihaya Tetsuya.
"Chihaya-san, why don't you answer them yourself?"
"...Mhm."
From the moment the rack was pushed into the dressing room, his gaze had been locked on it.
Then, at Tsukimi's suggestion, Tetsuya walked directly over to the rack and began to carefully inspect the clothes from the rival brand...
...Ten minutes later...
"...I see."
After placing the last garment back on the rack, Tetsuya sighed softly.
"So [Watanabe Productions] wasn't just a one-sided commission this time. They were hedging their bets."
"That's only natural. It's our right as the 'buyer'."
Tsukimi said.
"So, after seeing [NozAK!]'s performance outfits, what are your thoughts?"
"These costumes... are indeed superior to the ones provided by [KaZoKu]."
Tetsuya stated his opinion honestly.
"Whether it's the workmanship, the details, or even the overall design sense... they are clearly better than [KaZoKu]'s. Especially the decorative details and variety of clothing, [NozAK!]'s use of materials is nothing short of luxurious."
"And there you have it."
Tsukimi said to the two idols.
"I did hear from Higuchi-san that you two have some history with [NozAK!], but that has nothing to do with [Watanabe Productions], or with me. As the stylist for this live, my professional ethics require me to choose the superior costumes. And as you've heard, the result is that [NozAK!] won."
"..." x2.
The two idols were speechless.
Although they really didn't want to share the stage with costumes from [NozAK!], it was just as Tsukimi-san said. Their dispute had nothing to do with the agency. Especially for a stylist like her who valued professional ethics, her choice would not be swayed by such factors.
"This industry is cruel, Chihaya-san."
Tsukimi said as she picked up her makeup tools again.
"Connections, resources, skill. Although everyone values different things, if you want to go far on this path, all three are indispensable. Just like this time, the reason you were entrusted with these two children's performance outfits is because of your connections and skill. And the reason [KaZoKu] lost to [NozAK!] is because of their own lack of skill."
"I truly admire your designs, Chihaya-san. Whether it was the exclusive outfit you designed for Ai last time or the luminous gauze skirt you designed for Uika this time, both are enough to convince me that you are a genius designer with a boundless future. But even so, I still have only one standard for my choice: the quality of the clothes I receive. You did win this time, but who can guarantee that you'll keep winning in the future... And in this industry, there are quite a few dedicated and single-minded stylists like me."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"In order to maintain your collaborative relationship forever, please be sure to continue working hard."
"...Yes."
Gazing at the large clothing rack before him, Tetsuya nodded slowly and heavily.
...
Perhaps things had been going too smoothly for him lately, to the point that he had almost forgotten what kind of enemy he was facing.
As a sub-designer, he was well aware of [KaZoKu]'s capabilities. While it might not be very competitive against high-end brands, as a subsidiary studio, [KaZoKu] had always been an excellent boutique brand for the general mid-to-low-end market. The lead designer, Hasegawa Kokoro, was even a famous designer who had held a fashion show in New York...
And yet, this time, they had lost to [NozAK!]. What made Tetsuya even more vigilant was the thought that even if he himself had been involved in designing the backup dancers' outfits, the result probably wouldn't have changed.
[NozAK!] was not some small fry that could be easily defeated. If he remained complacent in his original field of [RealClothes] (everyday wear), then that name would likely shadow his entire professional career, a constant rival.
Just as Tsukimi-san said, even if Ai and Uika would unhesitatingly stand by his side, the environment of this industry was not so simple.
To truly become a support for these girls, to become a top designer, there was still so much he had to do, so much he had to learn...
...
(Looks like this trip to Yokohama is about to come to an end.)
Thinking of this, Tetsuya took out his phone.
He first found "Manager Higuchi"'s phone number, and then began to type a message—