The time they agreed to meet was one in the afternoon.
Since Nagasaki Soyo had already moved in upstairs from Chihaya Tetsuya, it was only natural that the two of them would set out together.
When Tetsuya opened his front door and saw Soyo already waiting, he subconsciously paused, casting a rather surprised look at the girl before him.
A white, floral-print chiffon off-the-shoulder blouse, while exuding a coolness unique to summer, also flawlessly accentuated the alluring curves of her body. Adorned with ruffled edges and lace embroidery, the top could be said to possess both a sense of lightness and high quality. The light green, high-waisted skirt she wore further enhanced her aura, which was already a bit more mature than that of her peers.
At the same time, the slight curl at the ends of her hair, her delicate, light makeup, and the faint, woody scent of her perfume all spoke to the amount of thought and effort the girl had put into her look for the day.
On the other hand, when Soyo saw Tetsuya's outfit, she too was left frozen on the spot.
This time, he had not chosen his usual mature style of a fitted shirt and dress pants, but a rather loose, high-collared white shirt and dark, wide-legged, cropped trousers. Although it was still a simple style, it allowed Soyo, who was used to seeing his formal side, to feel a sense of leisure and youthfulness appropriate for his age for the first time. Not only that, while both pieces of clothing were very loose and covered most of his body, the exposed wrists and ankles from the three-quarter sleeves and trousers were all the more eye-catching.
"Your clothes really suit you today, Soyo."
Tetsuya gave his praise frankly.
Hearing this, however, Soyo turned her face away, looking somewhat "annoyed."
"Same to you... you're still so aware of your own strengths."
If the formally dressed Tetsuya had at least allowed Soyo to feel the subtle distance between a high school student and a working adult, then the current Tetsuya had, without any defense, shed this final "safeguard."
It was no exaggeration to say that if the two of them were to walk down the street together, they would absolutely be mistaken for a pair of university-aged lovers!
"What is this... I had already resolved to treat today as a normal outing..."
Feeling her cheeks flush involuntarily, Soyo squeezed out a troubled voice from her throat.
"At this rate, it's impossible not to be conscious of it!"
With that, she shot another fierce glare at him.
Tetsuya, who was looking down at his phone, completely failed to notice the "resentment" from the person beside him and said to himself:
"Togawa has left her house too. Let's get going, Soyo."
"..."
If the usual Tetsuya had called her by her first name, Soyo wouldn't have felt anything special. However, in today's situation, where the usual sense of distance had completely broken down, she simply couldn't control the delusions in her mind or the corners of her mouth that were constantly threatening to curl upwards!
(What am I so happy about? He's just calling me by my name like he always does!)
Soyo silently cursed her own uncontrollable feelings.
(Aargh, I'm a lost cause!)
"? Why did you turn your head away?"
"Oh, just don't mind me."
Soyo said, taking a small step back.
"Anyway, you walk in front!"
"Oh... alright."
Tetsuya, who was used to walking ahead of girls anyway, had no objection. Besides, Soyo's outfit today kept making his gaze drift towards her. To avoid making her uncomfortable, walking in front was indeed a very effective solution.
However... he could probably ask Uika about Soyo's strange reaction later.
And so, the two of them, both avoiding eye contact, with completely different amounts of information and different feelings, set off on the road to the shopping mall...
...
Although it was a shopping trip, the destination for Tetsuya's group was not a typical clothing store, but a "select shop" that catered to various malls and clothing distributors.
These places would typically purchase seasonal fashion in bulk from various brands and display them for buyers from different malls to choose from. By observing the placement of the fashion and the general composition of the types of clothing, one could easily determine the season's best-selling brands and styles, and even predict upcoming trends.
And this was precisely the reason he had come here.
"Not only that, but you can also occasionally find new fabrics or textiles from overseas in select shops. Like the 'luminous fiber' I used in Uika's skirt. The first time I saw it was here. I never would have thought back then that I'd be able to incorporate it into my designs so quickly."
Tetsuya's tone and expression were full of anticipation.
"I wonder if I'll see anything interesting today!"
"...What a simple guy."
Although Soyo was always teasing him for his one-track mind, she didn't actually dislike this purity of his. In fact, it was the opposite. This clarity and transparency—having a clear goal and working hard to achieve it—made her feel a great sense of security.
And she wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but compared to when she had stayed over at his house, his views on making clothes seemed to have changed significantly. Before, he had said that making clothes didn't bring him any special feeling, yet after he got his own brand, his attitude had clearly become much more positive.
That's how it should be.
As long as he was happy, then she too would find her own satisfaction in it.
Soyo quickened her pace slightly and gazed at his side profile, a smile involuntarily appearing on her face.
...
Before long, the two of them arrived at the designated meeting spot ahead of time.
However, they didn't expect that Togawa Sakiko would have arrived even earlier than them, who had been a full ten minutes early.
What they expected even less was her style for the day—
It was the simplest, most classic summer combination: a pure white dress and sandals. Yet, these two simple pieces created an incredibly stunning and harmonious picture.
Sakiko's elegant and graceful posture perfectly complemented the elegance and purity of the collared dress. As the gentle summer breeze rustled the hem of her skirt, she looked up as if hearing the wind's whisper, her gaze landing in the direction of Tetsuya and Soyo.
For a moment, Soyo even felt like she had gone back to the first time she met Sakiko in middle school.
At the same time, when Sakiko saw Soyo's outfit for the day, a flash of surprise crossed her face before it melted into a slightly resigned smile.
"Completely opposite 'approaches', huh."
At this rate, even the most professional judge would probably be unable to decide a winner between the two of them.
It could make one feel more mature, and it could also make one instantly return to the past.
Such was the magic of summer.
In today's clash, no one lost