The first step in discerning fashion trends is to cut, separate, and abstract everything you see—
"..."
Chihaya Tetsuya's eyes were vacant as he stared at the clothes before him.
To an onlooker, he was simply observing the outfit intently. But if one were to look closely at his eyes, they would find that the target of his gaze was far more distant than the mannequin just inches away.
In his eyes, the fashion before him was no longer a piece of clothing, but a combination of different symbols and shapes.
The overall aura of the garment, the function of the details in its pattern, the style and culture reflected in its print, and the feeling of the wearer when putting it on.
As if shattering a complete puzzle, he was currently breaking down these best-selling outfits into the basic units of design: abstract concepts. The next step was to classify these fragments of abstract concepts and summarize their patterns.
This process sounded simple, but for a designer, it was the greatest dividing line between genius and mediocrity.
To be able to conceptually deconstruct and summarize a piece of clothing with just a moment's observation, and to identify the commonalities and differences hidden within their respective design philosophies... this was the reason Tetsuya was able to capture fashion trends ahead of time.
In addition to his own rich imagination, this was also influenced by his past.
"What would it feel like to wear those clothes?"
"What determines whether clothes are comfortable or not?"
"What does 'good-looking' actually mean?" "How can I make clothes more comfortable?"
A limited view of the world had brought him a strong curiosity and a desire to explore.
And this long-standing desire had now finally become the advantage that allowed him to stay ahead of others.
"...I see. Soyo, help me note these down."
"Mhm!"
Soyo deftly marked the trench coat he had pointed to on the order form.
Then, he continued to look at the next garment with a blank expression.
This process would be repeated dozens more times.
Perhaps for an onlooker, following him as he stopped and waited at each item would seem a bit tedious. But his two companions for the day, in addition to the tasks they had been assigned, clearly had their own ways of passing the time—
"Those glasses... I feel like they would really suit Chihaya-nii."
Togawa Sakiko looked at the display case of decorative glasses in the select shop and whispered to Nagasaki Soyo.
"What do you think?"
"Eh... wouldn't that be a little too cunning?"
Soyo couldn't help but shake her head just from imagining it.
"If his already gentle and introverted aura was combined with an intellectual attribute, the damage would be a little too great."
"And paired with his current serious expression..."
Sakiko hesitated for a long while before whispering:
"How about we buy them for him under the pretext of 'protecting his eyesight'? We can say they're for blocking blue light..."
"Good point."
Soyo agreed to the proposal decisively.
After all, as his consultant and secretary, she would definitely be spending a lot of time with that version of him in the future...
Just the thought of it was exciting!
"And that vest over there, if paired with the shirt he wears to work..."
"Ah, that would be great too! It would have the impact of a man who was forced to go on a blind date, who had no intention of accepting, but suddenly has a change of heart the moment he sees his date!"
"Soyo..."
This overly specific fantasy left Sakiko a little dumbfounded.
"What on earth have you been watching lately?"
"...Nothing."
Realizing that her innermost fantasies had accidentally slipped out, Soyo quickly looked away. Just then, Tetsuya's next order arrived just in time, giving this delicate topic a much-needed reprieve—
"Soyo, note this one down too... I need to order three different sizes. I want to go back and study how it's expressed on different body types."
"Yes!"
"..."
Whether it was Hoshino Ai or Nagasaki Soyo, they both seemed to display a boldness and proactiveness that far exceeded her imagination.
Sakiko suddenly realized that she, who had always been too shy to even place him in her fantasies, might have been a bit too conservative...
While she certainly wasn't in a position to confess to him yet... just showing a bolder side of herself should be fine, right?
Following behind the two of them, Sakiko fell deep into thought.
...
As Tetsuya moved forward, she and Soyo continued to pick out clothes that would suit him.
At the same time, the two girls, whose fashion sense was also top-notch, experienced the subtle distance between cutting-edge fashion and everyday life during this novel shopping trip.
And so, after four fulfilling and intense hours, Tetsuya finally completed his research and procurement.
The time had already reached evening. The sky, stained crimson, and the select shops gradually packing up their displays, were testament to how long the three of them had been there.
"Thank you for your hard work, Togawa, Soyo."
Tetsuya, now out of work mode, looked at the two of them with a hint of apology in his eyes.
"You must be tired too, right?"
"? Not tired at all."
"You underestimate girls a little too much, Tetsuya."
The two girls, who had also thoroughly enjoyed themselves, both refuted his statement.
Especially Soyo. In addition to the order form under the name of [StarrySky], she had also secretly kept a personal order form of gifts she planned to give him.
In order to naturally and unobtrusively integrate herself into his life, she planned to give them to him bit by bit during their work in the future.
On the other hand, Tetsuya, unaware of the thoughts of the two girls, was still only thinking about rewarding his companions. And so, he proceeded with the next step of his original plan:
"I've made a reservation at a high-end restaurant. Ah, since I don't really know much about Western cuisine, I specifically asked Chief Hasegawa to recommend one of her favorites."
He said.
"It's almost time for our reservation, so let's head out now."
So this was what he meant by 'making it up to them tonight'.
Faced with this completely unsurprising plan, Sakiko and Soyo naturally accepted with pleasure.
"Oh, right, let me guess... Anon will be coming too, right?"
"Ah... yes. I can't just leave her at home alone, after all."
"Hmph, I knew it."
Although there was no romance to speak of, this thorough thoughtfulness was also something Soyo liked about him.
And so, the three of them headed to the endpoint of their date—one that was unsurprising, but thoughtful enough.
At the same time...
...
"It's been a long time since we've gone out to eat together, hasn't it? I'm sorry, Mutsumi."
"...It's okay."
Wakaba Mutsumi shook her head, not dwelling on her mother's long-overdue concern.
On the other side, Mutsumi's mother suddenly thought of something and said:
"Oh, right. Speaking of which, I heard from the butler that you seem to be in a very good mood lately. Did something good happen?"
"..."
Mutsumi was silent for a moment before replying:
"I met a very kind-hearted boy."
"...Hm?"
Hearing the word "boy," Mutsumi's mother was taken aback for a moment before saying with a hint of surprise:
"A boy... that's unexpected. Did you meet him at a live house?"
"Something like that."
"...Well, that's certainly intriguing."
Mutsumi's mother was naturally curious about this member of the opposite sex, whom she was hearing about from her daughter for the first time.
However, despite her curiosity, she probably wouldn't have the time or opportunity to meet this boy her daughter had described as "kind-hearted." If she had the chance, she would ask the butler to find out a little more.
As for now, she would just focus her time on Mutsumi for a change...
Sitting in the car on the way to the high-end restaurant, Mutsumi's mother thought to herself