A guide to survival in a heavy girl's world

……

"By the way, Xiangzi, do you need a new suit?"

"No, I'd rather make the band's performance clothes first than the formal wear."

"Want me to help?"

"No need, this time, I will do it all by myself, from design to proofing!"

Whether he was discussing things with himself or deciding his own affairs, Xiangzi was always so fearless and confident.

(When will I be able to make all decisions on my own, just like Xiangzi?)

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko's profile, Wakaba Mu's heart was filled with yearning and sighs.

——There are still 10 days until the Wakaba family banquet.

19

Chapter 19: Dating is a Necessary Condition for Growth (Part 1)

Being proactive means being uninfluenced by others, acting on one's own will, and without relying on any external forces. In other words, to be proactive, one must first possess the intention that drives one to act. For Ruoye Mu, this was precisely why she had been unable to be proactive.

After all, ever since she could remember, her life had always been controlled or constrained by others, such as her parents, who were celebrities, and such as... Toyokawa Shoko, whom she had always trusted the most. The control from her parents was self-evident, and on top of that, Shoko's presence and leadership also, to a certain extent, freed her from the need to make choices.

Until the day came when Xiangzi left his family due to family changes and disbanded [CRYCHIC].

For a long time after that, Wakaba Muto lived in contradiction.

Although he was worried about Xiangzi, he was unable to take action because he did not want to hurt her self-esteem.

Although he knew he should reject Su Shi, he didn't want to sever their connection and was always in a dilemma.

Although he wanted to break free from his mother's control, he hesitated because he lacked the necessary courage.

Wakaba Mutsu, who has never made any important decisions of his own, has been living his life drifting with the flow, holding on to many thoughts that have been pent up for a long time.

However, since she contacted Xiangzi one night, her life suddenly ushered in an extremely important turning point.

As Xiangzi's voice suddenly became more energetic, a man named "Chihaya Tetsuya" also entered her sight. After that, not only Xiangzi, Suyo, Deng, and Riki, but also she herself were caught up in this sudden change. Under the influence of this man, they all ushered in a happy ending.

So, in the eyes of a girl who has always been extremely lacking in initiative and has always felt guilty about her immaturity, what kind of image should a person who always does the right thing and saves her and everyone she cares about appear to be?

……

"For a private party like this, and considering Miss Ruoye's temperament, a small dress should be sufficient... Considering the occasion and the status of the guests, too many decorations might even backfire..."

Chihaya Tetsuya muttered to himself as he repeatedly screened through the racks of various dresses in front of him, while Wakaba Mutsuwa, the clerk who had been planning to help with the introductions, could only stand aside, silently waiting for the professional to make his choice.

"No, there are simply too many types of dresses that would suit Wakaba-san. Even if we take all factors into consideration, we can only roughly narrow the list."

Chihaya Tetsu also shook his head in annoyance. He couldn't be blamed, though. After all, Wakaba Mu's quiet and elegant temperament was too much in line with the overall style of the dress. Even from a fashion designer's perspective, he couldn't guarantee that he could choose the most suitable one.

In this case, the wearer's opinion is particularly important.

Thinking of this, Chihaya Tetsuya immediately turned around and looked at Wakaba Mu and asked her:

"Miss Ruoye, how about I point out a few dresses that I recommend, and then you can choose one from them?"

"……Eh?"

Ruoye Mu, who thought he didn't need to provide any opinions on this trip, was slightly stunned after hearing this, and then nodded slowly in response:

"I see……"

"Well, then... Miss, please help me take this one out, and this one... and this one out... The mannequin should be in the warehouse, right? Let me help carry it out!"

Having experienced joint exhibitions and Paris fashion shows, Chihaya Tetsuya skillfully gave instructions to the clerk in front of him, and the clerk nodded hurriedly after hearing it.

"I, I know!"

Because Chihaya Tetsuya is so professional and familiar with the operation of the clothing store, the clerk even feels like he is the customer.

And then, when she displayed the five small dresses he selected on the mannequin with the help of Chihaya Tetsuya, she once again realized Chihaya Tetsuya's vision and professionalism.

"...Really, every piece is perfect for this child."

The clerk's eyes repeatedly fell on the mannequin and Wakaba Mutsu. Just by imagining what Wakaba Mutsu would look like wearing these clothes, she couldn't help but nod slightly.

Just as Chihaya Tetsuya said, because Wakaba Mu's temperament is perfectly consistent with the positioning of the small dress, coupled with her delicate and beautiful appearance like a doll, all the dresses in front of her are very suitable for her. At least for this clerk, even she, who has been in the industry for many years, cannot guarantee whether there is a "most suitable" option among these five pieces.

As for Ruo Ye Mu, she had no professional knowledge and was extremely lacking in the ability to choose, which put her in an unprecedented dilemma.

White, light green...

Tutu skirt, tube top skirt, tight skirt...

Chihaya Tetsuya never disappoints people, and the clothes in front of him are also very much in line with Wakaba Mutsu's taste.

But the problem is that some of them are too consistent.

With all five dresses very satisfactory, it was extremely difficult for Wakaba Mu to choose from them, especially when she thought that she would wear the dress she had chosen to meet her mother with Chihaya Tetsuya on the day of the banquet, her heart was filled with invisible pressure.

Which one is the best for her? Which one can best prove to her mother how much she has grown during her time away from home? And which one can make her a proper lady who will not embarrass Mr. Chihaya when she is traveling with her?

So many chaotic and distracting thoughts made Ruoye Muqing involuntarily clench the corner of his clothes, and his already wandering eyes began to gradually lose focus.

"...?"

On the other side, looking at Wakaba Mu's increasingly reserved posture and his eyes gradually filled with anxiety, Chihaya Tetsu was stunned for a moment, and then immediately thought of something -

"Hmm, for Wakaba-san right now, it's really hard to choose?"

"..."

Although Ruoye Mu did not reply, his slightly depressed expression had already given his answer.

Facing Wakaba Mu's silent frustration, Chihaya Tetsu thought for a moment and then said:

"It's just as Xiangzi said. In that case...Wakaba-san."

"?"

"To help you make a smooth choice, how about we try going on a date?"

"...???"

20

Chapter 20: Dating is a Necessary Condition for Growth (Part 2)

…the night before…

"Mu... has become a little different from before."

"……kindness?"

Chihaya Tetsuya, who was about to turn off the lights and go to bed, looked back at Xiangzi with some confusion.

Although Chihaya Tetsuya didn't have much direct communication with Wakaba Mu, he did observe her quite a bit during their time together. At least in his eyes, Wakaba Mu's change was at most a shift from being reserved around strangers to becoming more natural once she became familiar with the surroundings. Beyond that, Chihaya Tetsuya hadn't noticed any changes in this quiet girl...

"What do you mean?"

"In the past, Mu would never easily express her thoughts unless you proactively asked her. Sometimes, when faced with questions that made her feel a little embarrassed, she would even need you to ask her several times before she would open her mouth..."

Toyokawa Shoko said:

"Although she's still as expressive as before, she'll occasionally speak her mind! This is a huge improvement for her!"

"Hey... is that so?"

Chihaya Tetsuya pressed the switch and then returned to bed.

"Maybe it's because I don't communicate with Ruoye-san that much. At least I've never seen Ruoye-san take the initiative to speak."

"Ah... that's not surprising. After all, to Mu, Tetsuya-kun is basically the same as my past self."

"What does it mean?"

"Well, this has to start with how I and Mu have always gotten along."

Toyokawa Shoko hugged Chihaya Tetsuya's arm and told him:

"As you know, Mu has always lived in a very high-pressure environment before this. Not only at home, but also at school."

For children of this age, their main areas of activity are only these two places.

If the pressure at home came from her extremely controlling mother, then the pressure at school... came from Shoko Toyokawa.

"Although this wasn't my intention, for a child like Mu who lacks initiative, my existence is the perfect excuse for her to avoid expressing herself."

Toyokawa Shoko sighed.

"Just let me make the decisions, let me be the master of everything... As long as I'm around, she doesn't have to decide anything herself. I was too immature at the time to notice this, but now that I think about it, I'm actually one of the culprits who caused Mu's lack of proactive thinking."

At least for Wakaba Mutsu at that time, the all-round, positive and highly motivated Toyokawa Shoko could be said to be the most ideal target to follow. And indeed, at least before Shoko's family tragedy, Wakaba Mutsu followed her and lived a very relaxed and happy school life.

"After the incident in my family, Mu suddenly lost someone to rely on. She had to face those difficult problems alone, and had to face the further discipline from Ms. Minami after entering school alone..."

Although Toyokawa Shoko and Wakaba Mutsu did not communicate much during this period, she could imagine that when she left the Toyokawa family and tried to find a way to survive alone, Mutsu's life would definitely not be easy.

Facing such a contradictory problem before she has developed the ability to think independently will not make Ruo Yemu grow instantly. Instead, it will further discourage her courage and enthusiasm, and make her subconsciously look for the next person to rely on.

That person could be Su Shi who went to extremes, or the mother who tried to control her...

Naturally, it could also be Chihaya Tetsuya who gave help and guidance to everyone.

"Because you are so reliable and so gentle. For that child, even if it's just out of inertia, you will be her most trustworthy and dependent person. That's why she doesn't express her opinions too much when she's with you. Because according to her habit, as long as she is with you, she only needs to follow your ideas and instructions."

"Hey, so that's how it is..."

Chihaya Tetsuya nodded in understanding.

"So, my existence has become an obstacle to Mu's growth?"

"That's not what I meant. Actually, after leaving home, Mu herself realized her shortcomings and has been working hard to overcome them. The silence she shows in front of you now is just the old habits that still linger deep in Mu's consciousness. But it is precisely this last bit of habit that has prevented her from truly becoming proactive..."

At this point, Toyokawa Shoko suddenly raised her head and said to Chihaya Tetsuya:

"Tetsuya-kun, you and Mu are going dress shopping tomorrow afternoon, right?"

"Yes. I have already chosen a specific dress shop."

"In that case... could you give Mu a little training when we go dress shopping this time? For example... let Mu order something she likes while you're dining out, or let her choose her favorite dress from among several."

"Well……"

After hearing Toyokawa Shoko's suggestion, Chihaya Tetsuya thought for a moment before saying:

"Of course I can, but if that dress shop truly has a dress that's perfect for Ruoye, then I'll still recommend that one to her... After all, this party is quite important to her, and I want her to attend fully prepared. But if there are multiple dresses that would suit Ruoye, then I'll let her choose... What do you think?"

"Well, that's fine."

Toyokawa Shoko nodded.

"Ms. Minami must have asked her to come back for the banquet this time because she wanted to see the changes that had taken place in Mu over the past few months. If she could satisfy her, perhaps Mu would be completely free from now on."

"Don't rush to think about the future... According to what you just said, Xiangzi, Mu is not used to making choices on her own yet, right? What if she can't make a choice within the range I gave her?"

Chihaya Tetsuya asked:

"We can't let her be in such a difficult situation forever, right?"

"Well... this..."

After hearing this, Shoko Toyokawa fell into deep thought.

Based on her understanding of Wakaba Mu, the scenario Chihaya Tetsuya just described was very likely to happen. Especially in front of this person she currently trusted the most, she would become even more hesitant about her own vision and choices...

So, let's move our thinking forward a bit.

If you want someone to become proactive...the first thing you should do is to give her the intention or motivation that can drive her to make a choice.

So, how can we help Mu gain this motivation?

"Well……"

After a brief thought, memories of her first meeting Chihaya Tetsuya suddenly emerged in Toyokawa Shoko's mind, and then a slightly bold plan surfaced.

Although doing so might cause some irreversible impact on Mu's future, for her right now... this is probably the most suitable method for her—

"Tetsuya-kun."

"kindness?"