"I feel like... this went a lot more smoothly than we imagined, huh..."
After Yuutenji Nyamu left, Chihaya Anon couldn't help but say to Wakaba Mutsumi.
"I never thought Nyamu would have already refused [NozAK!]'s sponsorship deal, and that she'd think so highly of my brother's brand."
"I didn't expect it either."
Mutsumi shook her head.
"But... rather than saying she thinks highly of Chihaya-san, it's more like she simply trusts what she sees with her own eyes."
Because she saw Hoshino Ai and Uika perform on stage in those outfits, she was able to gauge Chihaya-san's skill. Likewise, it was only after seeing [NozAK!]'s clothes that she sensed the risk and instability behind that brand.
Just as Chihaya Tetsuya had said before, this Nyamu indeed had an exceptional eye for fashion and trends. At the same time, her sharp judgment of the online public opinion environment was a link that was currently lacking in Tetsuya's team.
A shrewdness that didn't blindly chase after immediate benefits and a caution that always kept a distance from crises—these two traits made up this self-interested woman. But by the same token, if she could see a benefit that far outweighed the immediate risk, she would definitely do everything in her power to work for it.
Although it seemed like they had successfully achieved their goal, in the end, it was only because the conditions they offered happened to perfectly match Nyamu's own standards of judgment...
(To manage a person like this, it really has to be Sakiko or Chihaya-san.)
Mutsumi thought to herself.
Meanwhile, with the business at hand settled, Anon immediately thought of the other topic they had been discussing before Nyamu arrived.
"Oh, right, Mutsumi, you just said... that Soyo might be taking this chance while she's alone with my brother to make a move on him?"
"...Mhm, that's what I think."
Mutsumi nodded.
"After all, the combination of you and Hoshino Ai is just too threatening. To confirm Chihaya-san's attitude, she will definitely take some action to secure her own position."
This was especially true for someone as insecure as Soyo, who needed to eliminate the anxiety in her heart through tangible results.
"Eh? So you're saying... that thing with me and Hoshino Ai that night, while it did advance our progress with my brother, it also provoked the others?"
Anon blinked blankly for a moment, then covered her mouth with a look of miscalculation.
"How could this happen?! If my brother is really stolen away by Soyo, wouldn't our proactive attack have been for nothing?!"
"..."
From what Mutsumi knew of Soyo, although she was indeed a person of powerful action, her overly anxious personality probably wouldn't let her actually "sleep with" and take Tetsuya away.
However, there was no need to explain all this to Anon-san. If this incident could serve as a bit of a warning to her, she and Hoshino Ai might slow down their continued assault...
Although the effect might not be immediate, it should at least buy enough time for Sakiko to begin her official offensive.
Just as Mutsumi was calculating this in her head, the extremely anxious Anon took out her phone.
"No way, I'm going to call my brother and ask him what he's doing right now!"
Even if she had already accepted Soyo's importance to her brother in her heart, that didn't mean she could let Soyo sleep with him before she did!
And so, filled with anxiety and worry, Anon dialed Tetsuya's number—
[Hello, Anon? What's up?]
Tetsuya's voice came from the phone.
Anon hurriedly asked:
"Brother... what are you doing right now?"
From the speed at which he answered and the steady, resonant tone of his voice, he probably wasn't doing any "strenuous exercise." However, for some reason, the volume of his reply was a few notches quieter than usual.
On the other end, after hearing his sister's question, Tetsuya was silent for a moment before he spoke.
[Right now... uhm, I guess I'm still drawing designs.]
"Why is your answer so vague? What was that three-second hesitation just now?"
Anon, who knew her brother's speech patterns like the back of her hand, spotted the unnaturalness of his answer in an instant.
"Don't lie to me, brother. You should know that your lying skills can't fool anyone!"
Anon intensified the interrogating tone of her voice.
"Besides drawing designs, were you doing something else... and with Soyo?"
[Eh!]
On the other end of the line, Tetsuya let out an incredibly short gasp. Then, realizing his reaction had already exposed the fact that he was hiding something, he could only sigh softly.
[...That's right. I was in the room with Soyo just now.]
"I knew it!"
Anon shot up, slamming her hand on the table.
Then, under Mutsumi's somewhat surprised gaze, she continued to ask through gritted teeth:
"Well then, could you please tell me... what were you two doing alone in the room?"
[The two of us... talked for a little while first.]
Faced with Anon's continued questioning, Tetsuya could only answer truthfully.
[Then, we talked about what happened on the night the live show ended...]
"!"
Hearing this, Anon's face turned ashen.
This honest man, who couldn't hide anything from anyone, would definitely tell Soyo everything that happened that night. And after hearing it, Soyo might take the opportunity to do the same thing to him!
And sure enough, Tetsuya's next description almost perfectly matched her prediction.
[And then, she changed into a nightgown... and asked that I 'fairly' do the same thing with her.]
"Ghh—"
At this, Anon felt like she was about to grind her teeth to dust.
"So, you really got in bed with her and had... skin-to-skin contact?"
Anon asked, her voice filled with bitterness and regret.
"Just like with me and Hoshino Ai that night?"
However, Tetsuya's next answer was completely unexpected—
[Well... although I did as she said and lay down in bed with her for a little while, but...]
"But?"
[But, I only chatted with her in bed for a bit before she fell right asleep.]
Tetsuya said.
[So as not to disturb her rest, I'm in the living room drawing designs now.]
"...Eh?"