To become Jean's student, and after that, to travel overseas with him... to witness more excellent clothing cultures and knowledge.
It was less a condition and more of a complete privilege.
For Chihaya Tetsuya, whose goal was Jean himself, there was naturally no reason to refuse such a generous offer.
If it weren't for the work he still had at the joint exhibition, he would have immediately given an affirmative reply.
However, Hoshino Ai and Togawa Sakiko, who learned of this at the same time, were not nearly as happy as he was.
"...You heard him, didn't you, Hoshino Ai?"
While Tetsuya was attending to another group of customers, Sakiko suddenly called Ai over, pulling her aside.
"For the next week, Tetsuya-kun is going to Paris with Jean-san."
As a fellow designer who understood his personality and dreams very well, Sakiko had no doubt about the choice he would make.
The problem, however, was the sentence Jean had added before he left.
"It won't just be him and Jean-san... there will be a lot of top fashion models from Paris."
The light instantly drained from Ai's eyes.
Ever since she began studying modeling, she had come to deeply understand just how unfathomable the world of fashion models was. Even a beautiful girl of her caliber had to admit that in front of those models with perfect figures, even she would feel an unavoidable sense of awe and admiration...
"If it were the past, I might not have worried too much, because Tetsuya-kun isn't the type to have a change of heart just because of looks and a figure. The problem is, what happens if they are the ones who actively approach him?"
Sakiko continued her analysis.
"The Tetsuya-kun of today is not only a genius designer who has his own brand at the tender age of nineteen, but he is also the student of the world-class designer, Jean-san. On top of that, he has this frank and honest personality, one that makes him seriously respond to whatever anyone says. If you really throw him in front of those models..."
"..."
The emptiness in Ai's eyes deepened.
Recalling the mature and experienced modeling instructors she had met, she could already picture a scene of Tetsuya being toyed with in the palms of those older sisters' hands before being eaten alive.
"Chihaya-san should have already told you before, right? About what we're planning to do next."
Sakiko brought up the plan that Ai had previously shelved.
"The three of us could carry it out on our own... but without you, he would never accept it so easily."
Even Sakiko had to admit Ai's importance to Tetsuya, as the person who had stood by him and shared his hardships during his most difficult years.
"I'll agree to let you have the first time. So... please, join us. Before an outsider gets their hands on him, we need to make him understand his position completely."
Faced with a more severe external threat, Sakiko was willing to make this necessary concession.
Hearing Sakiko's declaration, Ai's eyes widened in slight surprise. After a long moment, she asked in a tone of disbelief, "You... you're really willing to make such a huge concession?"
"It's better to compromise now than to constantly worry about outsiders... Besides, you've certainly earned the right," Sakiko said. "Back during your live show in Yokohama, you had a chance to make your move, didn't you? But you held back for his sake... The old me might have taken that for granted, but the me of today can only admire your self-restraint."
"..."
Hearing this, Ai gave Sakiko a long, deep look before saying, "It seems we're going to get along very well from now on."
"I think so too... So, about that plan?"
"When are you planning to act?"
"!"
No more words were needed; the counter-question said it all.
"The original idea was to hold a celebratory party after the joint exhibition, but we no longer have the luxury of time to plan one."
Seeing that Ai had agreed, Sakiko immediately laid out her intentions.
"To prevent that whimsical Jean-san from whisking Tetsuya-kun off to Paris the very next day, I plan to make our move on the very night the joint exhibition ends."
"That same night... What's the specific plan?"
"About that, to be honest, I haven't thought it through yet."
When it came to the actual deed, Sakiko's expression became slightly hesitant.
"We could use our numbers to take a more forceful approach, but if possible, I'd really rather not be so crude..."
It was a memorable first time, after all. Even though they weren't asking for his opinion at all, she still wanted to preserve even a shred of romantic atmosphere.
"Then let's just drug him."
"Hiss..."
Ai's brazen criminal declaration made Sakiko gasp. Even though she was now on the same side as Ai, she still couldn't so easily challenge her own moral compass.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about that kind of dangerous drug, but a sleeping aid."
Seeing Sakiko's hesitation, Ai shook her head and explained, "Tetsu's sleep schedule is definitely going to be short during these few days of the exhibition. As long as we give him a small dose of a sleep aid before it ends, he'll definitely be exhausted. As for what to do after that, I shouldn't need to say more, right?"
"Ah..."
Sakiko let out a sound of dawning realization.
"I see, a sleeping aid... If it's just to that extent, then there's no problem, but... there's still one more issue."
"What is it?"
"When a boy is asleep... can he do that kind of thing?" Sakiko asked, full of curiosity, her knowledge of the sexes being only the most basic.
Ai simply smiled.
"Of course he can. I can guarantee that."
"Eh... How can you be so sure?"
"Because back at the orphanage, I touched it while he was sleeping."
"..."
If she remembered correctly, when the two of them lived together at the orphanage, Ai had only been nine years old...
Faced with this overly precocious and dangerous individual, Sakiko was, for a moment, at a loss for words.
However, since Ai had reached a consensus with her and a concrete plan had been formulated, all that was left was to wait for the joint exhibition to end.
"Sakiko, Ai, can you get me a few more order forms?"
"Right!" The two girls who had reached an agreement exchanged a look, then returned to their respective posts as if nothing had happened.
—Two days until the plan's execution.