A guide to survival in a heavy girl's world

Sanjiao Chuhua is undoubtedly an excellent girl.

Beautiful, mature, intelligent and strong.

Excellent business skills, strong musical accomplishment, and impeccable appearance and figure.

Even though she was only sixteen years old, both the people in the agency and other staff who had worked with her were very sure that this child already had all the necessary qualities to become a star.

However...only in the eyes of Chihaya Tetsuya, there is still a final unresolved contradiction in Sankaku Hatsuka——

"I like your expression now better than the way you looked when you just walked out of the locker room."

Chihaya Tetsuya clapped his hands.

"How is it, Chuhua? You should like the clothes I made, right? Otherwise..."

He pointed to the corner of his mouth:

"You probably won't smile so contentedly anymore."

"..."

After hearing this, Sanjiao Chuhua immediately turned his gaze to himself in the mirror again.

Just as Chihaya Tetsuya said, even she herself didn't realize when she started to have this expression.

A smile that is bold, satisfied, and full of confidence.

What on earth is going on——

"I remember I told you before, Chuhua, that as a creator, you need a strong sense of self-assertion that allows you to ignore everyone else."

Chihaya Tetsuya said:

"Although you did try to make some changes compared to the past, but...ever since Fengchuan decided to participate in the arrangement, you seem to have 'let go' of yourself once again."

After hearing this, Sanjiao Chuhua opened her mouth to say something, but after a while she swallowed her untenable rebuttal and asked in return:

"……Why do you say that?"

"Of course it's because you gave the leadership of your work to Toyokawa."

Chihaya Tetsuya shook his head:

"That won't do, Chuhua. For a creator, this is an absolute taboo."

"The reason why I gave the arrangement work to Xiangzi is simply because her talent is indeed superior to mine!"

Hearing this, Sanjiao Chuhua finally had a rebuttal:

"In order to stabilize Ai's emotions and to make her truly realize her own value, this song must be of the highest quality and completeness! Moreover, what Xiangzi has considered is indeed in line with my ideas, so even if I give her the leadership, the result will not change—"

"I'm not just referring to your work, but also your own position as a creator, Chuhua."

Chihaya Tetsuya interrupted Sankaku Hatsuka's "defense" for himself...or rather, for Toyokawa Shoko.

"You must be very happy to compose music with Xiangzi, right, Chuhua? Happy enough to make you give up something that originally belonged to you."

"!"

Sanjiao Chuhua was stunned when he heard this.

She really wanted to refute what Chihaya Tetsuya said, but she knew that the smile she showed when the lights dimmed and the stars shone was enough to overturn all her lies.

"That won't do, Chuhua. Fengchuan may indeed be excellent, and may even be someone you admire, but that's not enough reason for you to retreat to a 'foil'."

Having said this, Chihaya Tetsuya hesitated for a moment before saying:

"In our fashion design industry, there's a type of person known as a 'celebrity wannabe.' Most of them enter the design field out of admiration for a particular renowned designer, and they continue to emulate their 'idol's' style. While they may have indeed achieved remarkable success by standing on the shoulders of giants, they are completely unable to express their own ideas and opinions. They are destined to be unable to create works that are uniquely their own, and they are also destined to never become truly top-tier designers... even if they truly possess sufficient talent."

"As your friend and senior, I don't want you to become like this."

Chihaya Tetsuya's tone and expression were extremely serious.

"You possess a charisma that shines on its own, and a personal voice that forms the core of your work. Even if the person you've always admired appears before you, it doesn't mean you have to give up everything to please them. On the contrary, only by remaining true to yourself can you truly approach the person you admire."

"..."

Sanjiao Chuhua is a very smart person, so smart that she can clearly recognize the excellence and strength of the people around her.

It is also because of this that she respects Shoko Toyokawa and Ai Hoshino even more.

They all possess talents and abilities that are beyond the reach of ordinary people, and they also have their own egos and opinions that far exceed their own expectations.

But the problem is that Sanjiao Chuhua is also an overly gentle person.

So gentle that she is willing to slightly conceal her own brilliance for these shining stars.

Since Hoshino Aiken became an idol in order to find the person she has always missed, she doesn't mind becoming the night sky that makes her shine brightly.

Since Toyokawa Shoko wanted to make her contribution to Chihaya Tetsuya through this composing opportunity, she didn't mind giving her this opportunity.

After all, compared to them, I really don't have any particular ideas that I need to stick to or ambitions that I must achieve...

……

Is this really the case?

If she really didn't have this ambition, how could she explain that smile just now?

If she really has no personal opinions that she wants to uphold, then why does she want to be a singer?

"Chuhua, do you know why I want to make you a dress of 'haute couture' specifications this time?"

At this moment, Chihaya Tetsuya suddenly asked Sankaku Hatsuka a question.

After hearing Chihaya Tetsuya's question, Sankaku Hatsuka immediately replied in a matter-of-fact tone:

"Isn't it to make the May Live even more exciting, so that Ai can realize how precious everything she has is?"

"Not really."

Chihaya Tetsuya decisively rejected Sankaku Hatsuka's answer.

“It’s simply because I want all the children who wear the clothes I design to be the protagonists on the stage. Now, whether it’s love, [MyGO!!!!], or you who are about to wear this tulle dress.”

"……Eh?"

This answer was completely beyond Sanjiao Chuhua's expectations, and she couldn't help but let out a sound of extreme surprise.

"The protagonist?! But, I never said I wanted to be the protagonist in this live—"

"A starry sky with only one star shining alone isn't the kind you long for, right? I remember you saying you didn't like Tokyo's starry sky much, because you could only see a few stars bright enough to stand out against the city's neon lights... Maybe you can't change the entire sky right now, but at least you have become a part of the starry sky you long for. Of course, this is just my opinion; the choice is yours."

Under Sankaku Hatsuka's extremely shaken gaze, Chihaya Tetsuya asked again:

"So, please tell me, Chuhua, after wearing the clothes I made for you, are you still willing to be a foil to Hoshino Ai and Toyokawa Shoko?"

"Or... do you want to become a Summer Triangle that shines as brightly as them, or even more dazzlingly?"

54

Chapter 54 The reasons given by him.

For Sankaku Hatsuka, a resident of a small island, Toyokawa Shoko was once the most beautiful girl in her dreams.

The talent and intelligence that far surpassed the rest of his peers, the grace and elegance in his every move, and the outstanding talent in music, all of which made Sanjiao Chuhua feel extremely envious.

It was this yearning from childhood that became the starting point for her to embark on the journey of music.

After that, she left the island and entered a wider world. As she began to encounter more and more things, the simple longing she had in her childhood gradually became a reality as she grew up.

Until the day she debuted with Hoshino Ai.

The appearance of Hoshino Ai not only brought her to a bigger stage, but also made her realize that there are such natural idols with unique talents in this world.

The appearance of Chihaya Tetsuya made her realize that she did not yet have the self-awareness and persistence that a creator should have.

This time, her collaboration with Shoko Toyokawa again made her feel the sense of admiration that she had felt in her childhood.

In the eyes of outsiders, Sanjiao Chuhua is indeed an excellent and perfect idol. But for herself, she has always been in a state of "catching up".

She never considered herself the protagonist, nor did she show overly strong desires and ambitions. However, it was precisely because of this low profile that she received a series of evaluations that she had never sought:

Calm, mature and conservative.

Everyone has become accustomed to seeing such a triangle, and the gentle Chu Hua is willing to continue to "play" such a role to satisfy others' imagination of herself.

For her, who is always on the chase, this is enough.

Therefore, even if I am not the protagonist, there is no question at all——

[After all, I also want to have a set of exclusive clothes like Ai~]

Why did she envy the dress that Chihaya Tetsuya made for Hoshino Ai?

【From the beginning, there is only one thing that stars can do, and that is to emit their own light.】

Why did she accept Chihaya Tetsuya's encouragement so easily that day?

[As long as I can have a reason to wear them and someone who is willing to appreciate and identify with them, then I will definitely be happy to wear them.]

What exactly was the reason she needed?

[Your current appearance is exactly the perfect state I envisioned when I designed this dress.]

The way she looks now...

Sanjiao Chuhua looked at himself in the mirror again.

The skirt, which had not yet completely faded, was still emitting a gentle fluorescence.

No matter what others think, what Chihaya Tetsuya always focuses on is the truest self.

It was Chihaya Tetsuya who saw her own desire to express herself from her own ideals, it was Chihaya Tetsuya who captured her sincere desire to merge into the starry sky from her few words, and it was he who personally created this magnificent scene that even she had never seen before.

It had nothing to do with what others thought, and it had nothing to do with the role he had been playing. He simply wanted to shine with a light that even she herself had never imagined.

In a trance, she seemed to see in the mirror again the smile that could only be revealed in the dark.

if it is like this.

Then her answer seemed to be self-evident.

……

"That's too much, Mr. Tetsuya."

Faced with Chihaya Tetsuya's repeated "questioning", Sankaku Hatsuka couldn't help but complain:

"If you hadn't suddenly turned off the lights without warning, I wouldn't have let you see me like that."

"Even if not now, you will realize it sooner or later."

When Chihaya Tetsu heard Sankaku Hatsuka's complaints about him, he simply said calmly:

"Your excellence and strength will eventually transcend your current role as a supporting role. You are destined to become a star that others can only look up to. I am simply letting you experience this in advance."

At this point, he couldn't help but smile and asked:

"Well, could you please tell me again what you think of this costume?"

"Perfect."

This time, Sanjiao Chuhua no longer pretended to be modest, but answered without hesitation in a confident tone:

"As long as I wear it, I'm confident I won't lose to love on stage. And... thanks to the effect after turning off the lights just now, I also have some other ideas for the new song."

"That's good."

After hearing Sankaku Hatsuka's answer, Chihaya Tetsu also nodded.

In this way, the effect he expected was achieved.

"Well, I'm going to adjust some details next. Please Chuhua, please perform a few movements according to my instructions."

"……kindness."

Sanjiao Chuhua nodded first, then she suddenly thought of a question that concerned her greatly:

"Mr. Tetsuya."

"kindness?"

"Is the reason you made this dress for me really just because of the reason you just mentioned? The one about 'I hope all the children who wear the clothes I designed can become the protagonists on the stage' or something like that..."

"Yes."