The excessive workload had drained every last bit of his energy away, and he was too exhausted to even take off his suit jacket.

But at the moment before his consciousness completely disappeared, a scene like an illusion suddenly appeared before his eyes -

He saw Hoshino Ai wearing the performance costume he made, standing on the stage where everyone was paying attention.

The dazzling light fell only on her, causing the golden star embroidery on her body to shine with an incomparable brilliance.

The girl who once had nothing and was all alone has now truly become a "first-class star" on this stage.

His applause was drowned out by the tsunami-like cheers, and his vision was gradually obscured by the increasingly dazzling lights.

(This way, my thoughts and apologies to her... should be fully conveyed, right?)

With this thought in mind, Chihaya Tetsuya's consciousness gradually sank into darkness.

However... he didn't know if it was his illusion, but he always felt that on the gradually receding stage, those sparkling purple eyes seemed to still be staring at him closely.

But at this moment, he no longer had the extra energy to think about these things. The overwhelming fatigue swept through his entire consciousness in just an instant.

In this way, Chihaya Tetsu finally had his first good sleep in a week.

........................

[After becoming a designer, what ambitions do you have?]

[…I hope to bring warmth and comfort to more people.]

Is this just your "design philosophy"? What I'm talking about is the force that compels you to keep moving forward in this industry.

[Forced? If I don't have ambition, I won't be able to persevere?]

Indeed, after all, human passion and love will eventually wear thin under the weight of reality and time. To maintain your power in this industry, you only have two choices... One is "compromise," and the other is a "reason" that drives you to never give up. This reason is generally called "ambition."

Compromise and ambition...

So, Tetsuya-kun, let me ask you again. After becoming a designer, what are your ambitions?

【…】

[Okay, as a newbie you may not be able to find the answer so quickly, but at least I hope you can find it before you compromise with reality.]

Find the ambition that belongs only to you and that keeps you going.

........................

"..."

As if urged by Director Hasegawa's words in his dream, Chihaya Tetsuya's consciousness gradually awoke from the chaos.

When Chihaya Tetsuya tried hard to open his eyes and looked out the window, he was surprised to find that the sky outside was almost the same as before he closed his eyes...

(Could it be that I didn’t sleep for long at all?)

This thought just came to mind for a moment before it was immediately dispelled by the almost splitting pain in my throat.

Then, he took out his phone to check the current time, but found that his phone was completely turned off due to lack of battery...

(Oh… by the way, my phone ran out of battery a while ago when I was in the studio… This is the umpteenth time I’ve forgotten to charge it.)

Looking at the sleepy, disheveled "savage" on the phone screen, Chihaya Tetsu couldn't help but sigh:

(Apart from making clothes, I really can’t do anything well…)

Anyway, I should go charge my phone first... or should I go drink some water first?

Just like that, Chihaya Tetsuya hesitated as he turned over and got out of bed, then subconsciously sat down at the workbench...

……

(No, that’s definitely not it.)

This overly stupid conditioned reflex actually made Chihaya Tetsuya's mind clear up a lot instantly.

At the same time, he also discovered that his suit had turned into a set of pajamas without him knowing when...

(When did Aine change it for me? And I didn’t even notice it during the whole process…)

How soundly did he sleep?

Come to think of it, Aine must be quite angry about him not coming home for three whole days...

No, you have to apologize quickly!

Thinking of this, after quickly connecting his phone to the charger, Chihaya Tetsuya immediately took a step forward, wanting to complete the preparations before apologizing.

However, the moment he pushed open the door, Chihaya Aine's voice immediately came from the living room.

"Hey...you finally woke up?"

On the sofa in the living room, Chihaya Aine, holding a guitar in her arms and a wet tissue in her hand, looked at him expressionlessly.

"You've been sleeping all day. I thought you'd never wake up again!"

"……one day."

Thanks to his sister's strange and auspicious words, Chihaya Tetsu finally determined his sleep duration...

No wonder the sky outside the window was exactly the same as before he went to bed. It turned out that he slept all day.

No, my throat hurts even more now that I know the exact duration...

"There's warm water in the kettle."

At the same time, as if she could see through her brother's thoughts at the moment, Chihaya Aine raised her hand and pointed at the kettle on the table.

"There's some toast and fried eggs in the fridge that I prepared for you this morning... but they probably won't taste good even if I reheat them now."

"..."

At this moment, no matter how slow-witted Chihayatetsu was, he should have been able to hear the dissatisfaction in his sister's tone.

In order not to further irritate Aine, he'd better maintain the most basic vital signs first, and then think about how to comfort his uneasy sister next.

Thinking of this, Chihaya Tetsu stopped talking nonsense and walked straight into the kitchen...

........................

"Thank you, Aine."

Not long after, after hastily finishing all the food in the refrigerator, Chihaya Tetsu, who was revived with little health, also sat next to Chihaya Aine.

"If you weren't at home, I would probably die alone at home."

"..."

In response to Chihaya Tetsuya's thanks, Chihaya Aine seemed not to hear it, and just quietly wiped the guitar with a wet tissue.

Faced with such deliberate disregard, Chihaya Tetsu couldn't help but straighten his sitting posture in embarrassment.

"Well, I'm sorry. I've been so focused on work these days that I haven't been home much... I'm sorry for making you feel lonely."

"..."

Chihaya Aine's hand movements gradually slowed down.

Seeing this, Chihaya Tetsuya continued:

"But at this stage, all my work has been completed. Plus, the director is very satisfied with my design this time. I don't think I will need to go back to the studio during the entire Golden Week."

In other words, even if they did go, they would most likely be sent back home...

Recalling Director Hasegawa's unsmiling look at that time, Chihaya Tetsuya couldn't help but shudder.

"……real?"

Chihaya Aine finally stopped being silent and glanced at Chihaya Tetsuya doubtfully.

"You won't leave me alone at home again and not see me for three whole days?"

"Absolutely not!"

Facing his sister's doubts, Chihaya Tetsuya assured her in a very serious manner.

No matter what the reason, the fact that he left Chihaya Aine alone at home would not change. Chihaya Tetsu had no intention of making excuses for his "crimes" of the past three days.

He preferred to take practical measures to make compensation rather than make useless excuses.

"As compensation for these three days, I can agree to any condition within my ability!"

Chihaya Tetsuya said very seriously:

"Anything is fine as long as I can do it."

"...Anything is possible?"

"kindness."

"That's what you said."

Hearing this, Chihaya Aine finally stopped pretending to be angry. As if she had long expected her brother to make this promise, her face instantly bloomed with her usual cheerful smile, and she stated her request without hesitation:

"Then, during the entire Golden Week, you have to stay home and practice piano with me!"

In Chihaya Tetsuya's somewhat surprised eyes, Chihaya Aine announced:

"Because soon, I'm going to form a band with my classmates!"

Chapter 19: Love in the Style of a Costume Designer

"I see. Because the school has a strong music scene, bands have become mainstream. Therefore, you want to become a top school star by taking on the role of guitarist and vocalist..."

After listening to Aine's explanation of the reasons behind her idea of ​​forming a band, Chihaya Tetsuya nodded in understanding.

"That is to say, you are not interested in the band, but you want to gain more recognition and attention through this method."

"Goo-"

Hearing Chihaya Tetsuya's straightforward statement, Chihaya Aine hesitated for a while while holding her guitar, and then sighed slightly.

"Well, that's actually the case. If this school focused on sports, I would probably just join the sports club... Well, in my opinion, this reason is really too childish, isn't it?"

"Hmm...? Not really."

Chihaya Tetsuya shook his head decisively.

"It's perfectly normal to want to attract attention and gain recognition. Otherwise, why do you think the concept of 'fashion' exists in this world?"

And... putting others aside, didn't Ai, who once hated lies, choose to become an idol out of the same desire?

……

"I don't intend to deny your motives and goals. However, there is one thing I must remind you of."

"Well, what's the matter?"

"Since your school has a strong music scene, it's relatively difficult to stand out with your music... It's like students in a fashion school always buying the latest fashions from fashion magazines to show they're trendy. Forming a band will only help you blend in with the atmosphere, not make you popular."

"!"

After hearing these words, Chihaya Aine's eyes suddenly widened unnaturally.

Obviously, she hadn't thought about this issue before.

In junior high school, she had received a lot of praise and recognition for her beginner-level guitar playing, so she subconsciously believed that she could easily replicate her junior high experience.

But the truth is just as Chihaya Tetsuya said, the more people there are in a band, the harder it is to become the best among them...

"It seems that you haven't thought about this problem."

Seeing his sister looking dumbfounded, Chihaya Tetsuya sighed.

"If this happens...wouldn't we be repeating the mistakes made by Britain?"

Without any hesitation, Chihaya Tetsuya directly revealed the scar in his sister's heart that had not yet healed.

"This, this is different!"

On the other side, after hearing her brother's question, Chihaya Aine's movements suddenly stopped unconsciously. Then, as if eager to deny something, Chihaya Aine replied very quickly:

"I just formed a band with my classmates for fun, just like following the trend. It's not as difficult as studying in the UK—"

"Before you went to the UK, you didn't expect to encounter so many difficulties there, right? But what is the actual situation?"

Chihaya Tetsuya interrupted Chihaya Aine directly.

"Although I don't know much about music or bands, I do know about your guitar skills, Aiyin... After all, I've rarely seen you practicing guitar at home."

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