After Chihaya Tetsuya informed everyone of his departure from [KaZoKu], the first person to contact him was the head maid of the Sakura Mansion, Yamabuki—
[Please come to the Sakura Mansion tomorrow evening.]
[Regarding the next phase of your work, we have a proposal we would like to discuss with you.]
Although he didn't understand what important matter required him to go to the Sakura Mansion for a face-to-face discussion, considering the head maid's meticulous character and trustworthy professionalism, Tetsuya agreed without hesitation.
...
The next evening, Tetsuya arrived at the gates of the Sakura Mansion at the appointed time.
To his great surprise, he was not the only one who had been invited—
"Togawa! You're here too!"
Seeing Togawa Sakiko, whom he hadn't seen for a few days, a smile appeared on his face.
"I was thinking of calling you over after I finished preparations for the new studio. I didn't expect Yamabuki-san to have called you here directly."
"About that..."
Hearing his words, Sakiko quickly explained:
"Actually, I'm not here because I received an invitation from the head maid. In the time since I finished composing the song for Uika, I've been coming to the Sakura Mansion every day... to receive supplementary lessons from the head maid along with Lady Luna."
After that, Sakiko told him about her plans to enroll in [Filia Girls' Academy] with Sakurakouji Luna as her companion student.
"I see. That is indeed a win-win proposal..."
Upon hearing this, Tetsuya also nodded thoughtfully.
"But this way, the amount of time you can work with me will inevitably be reduced."
"...That's true."
Although Sakiko's expression was a little downcast, she had now completely made up her mind.
"But, in order to keep up with your pace in the future, and to go further on the path of a designer, this is an incredibly valuable opportunity for me! So... I'm sorry, Chihaya-nii. Even though I swore before that I would be your first employee, I haven't been able to serve you with all my heart!"
"Eh? You don't need to apologize at all, Togawa!"
Seeing the incredibly guilty expression on her face, Tetsuya quickly said:
"It's not like you're refusing to join my brand because of this. You're just reducing your working hours a bit; there's nothing to apologize for! Besides, you agreed to this proposal for my sake too, right? How could I possibly blame you? On the contrary, your ambition is very moving to me!"
"But..."
"No buts. In short, I think this is a great decision! I support you!"
Tetsuya gave the girl a thumbs-up.
"I'll be looking forward to the day you complete your studies and surpass me!"
"If that's the case, then it would be best for you to witness the process yourself. After all, the reason we invited you here today was to discuss this very matter..."
Head Maid Yamabuki's voice suddenly came from behind the mansion gates.
Then, to Tetsuya's somewhat puzzled expression, she said:
"We would like you to join [Filia] with us next year as a teaching assistant."
...
"Although I know that for you, who is about to launch a personal brand, this decision may take up a significant amount of your work time. But please believe me, this proposal will absolutely have more pros than cons for you—"
"Um, please wait a moment!"
In the drawing room, before the head maid could analyze the pros and cons of the proposal, Tetsuya first raised his question:
"I can understand the reason for inviting Togawa, but why invite me as well?"
"Well..."
The head maid hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"There are two main reasons for inviting you. One is that the young lady herself greatly admires your design philosophy and talent, so she is very interested in you. The second is due to my own personal wish. As you know, Lady Luna is a child who is not very good at interpersonal relationships. Although several other young ladies with whom she has a good relationship will be enrolling with her next year... I still hope that through you, she can have a few more opportunities to interact with the opposite sex."
At this, a worried expression appeared on her face.
"Lady Luna is still young now, so it may seem unnecessary for her to interact with the opposite sex. But in the future, she will eventually have to step out of the Sakura Mansion and engage with the outside world herself. If she remains as she is now, I truly cannot rest easy. Before she graduates from Filia and enters society, I believe she needs to undergo further resocialization."
"..."
Faced with this very "guardian-like" statement, Tetsuya fell into deep thought.
From the head maid's perspective, this proposal was indeed very well-reasoned. Not only would it secure a teacher for the young lady who aspired to be a designer, but it would also allow her to cultivate her social skills.
But the problem was his own position.
He was about to establish his own brand. In order to quickly gain influence in this industry full of unknowns, he had to fight for every second to secure his space to survive! If he really agreed to her proposal, he would inevitably have to devote a portion of his time to working as a teaching assistant, which would conflict with his own plans.
So... although it was a pity he couldn't accompany Sakiko to school, he could no longer afford to give up his time so casually.
Thinking of this, Tetsuya raised his head, preparing to refuse the head maid's proposal.
But just then, as if seeing right through his intentions, she suddenly took out a document—
"In this document is a list of the students I have currently investigated who will be enrolling at [Filia] next year, along with their family backgrounds. Before you make a formal decision, I would like you to look it over."
"..."
Tetsuya took the list and began to read it carefully.
Soon, his sharp mind immediately understood the head maid's intentions.
"Fabric mills, textile supply factories, and even logistics and major department stores..."
Tetsuya instantly realized that what he was holding was not an ordinary list, but a huge treasure trove called "network resources"—
"Now, let me formally analyze the pros and cons for you."
Yamabuki Yachiyo said.
"Would you... like to become a nationally renowned fashion brand within a year?"