"Proactiveness" should an acting solely on one's own intentions, unaffected by others and without relying on any external forces. In other words, to beco proactive, the first thing one needs is the intention to drive oneself to take action. And for Mutsumi, this was exactly the reason why she had never been able to beco proactive.
After all, ever since she could rember, her life had always been directed or restricted by others—for instance, her celebrity parents, or... Sakiko, the person she had always trusted the most. The control from her parents goes without saying, but on top of that, Sakiko's presence and leadership had also, to a certain extent, spared her from the necessity of making choices—
Until the day Sakiko left her main family due to unforeseen changes and disbanded [CRYCHIC] arrived.
For a very long ti after that, Mutsumi lived in a constant state of contradiction.
Although she worried about Sakiko, she hesitated to take action because she didn't want to hurt her pride.
Although she knew she should reject Soyo, she couldn't bear to sever the connection between them, leaving her constantly caught in a dilemma.
Although she desperately wanted to break free from her mother's control, she hesitated and stalled due to a lack of the necessary courage.
Having never made any important decisions of her own free will, Mutsumi simply drifted along day by day, harboring all these long-accumulated thoughts.
However, ever since she proactively contacted Sakiko one night, her life suddenly welcod an incredibly important turning point.
Accompanied by Sakiko's suddenly energetic voice, a man nad "Chihaya Tetsuya" also entered her field of vision. And after that, not only Sakiko, but Soyo, Tomori, Taki, and even she herself were swept up in this sudden turn of events, each welcoming what could be called a perfect ending under this man's influence.
Then, in the eyes of a girl who had always severely lacked proactiveness and harbored guilt over her own immaturity, what kind of image would a person hold—soone who was always doing the right thing no matter the ti, and who had saved both her and all the important people around her?
...
"A private banquet, combined with Wakaba-san's aura, ans a cocktail dress should be fine... Considering the occasion and the identity of the guests, excessive decoration might actually backfire..."
Tetsuya muttered to himself while repeatedly sifting through the racks displaying various dresses in front of him. anwhile, Mutsumi and the shop assistant—who had originally intended to help introduce the dresses—could only stand to the side, silently waiting for this professional to make a choice.
"This won't do. There are simply too many types of dresses that suit Wakaba-san. Even taking all factors into account, I can only roughly narrow down the scope."
Tetsuya shook his head in distress. However, he couldn't really be blad for this. After all, Mutsumi's quiet and elegant aura was simply too compatible with the overall style of cocktail dresses. Even from a fashion designer's perspective, he couldn't guarantee that he could pick out the absolute "most suitable" one.
Under these circumstances, the wearer's own opinion beca especially important.
Thinking of this, Tetsuya imdiately turned his head to look at Mutsumi and asked her:
"Wakaba-san, I'm going to point out a few dresses that I highly recomnd. How about you pick one out from them yourself?"
"...Eh?"
Mutsumi, who had thought she wouldn't need to provide any opinions on this trip, froze slightly upon hearing this, then nodded sowhat sluggishly in response:
"I understand..."
"Mhm, then... miss, please help take this one out, and this one... and this one too... The mannequins should be in the storage room, right? I'll help bring them out!"
Tetsuya, having experienced the joint exhibition and the Paris fashion show, very skillfully gave instructions to the shop assistant in front of him. Hearing this, the assistant hurriedly nodded and said:
"I-I understand!"
Because Tetsuya's professional literacy and familiarity with clothing store operations were simply too high, the shop assistant almost felt as if she were the custor instead.
And soon after, when she displayed the five cocktail dresses he had selected on mannequins with his help, she once again realized his eye for fashion and level of professionalism.
"...Really, every single one suits this child perfectly."
The shop assistant's gaze fell repeatedly on the mannequins and Mutsumi. Just imagining what Mutsumi would look like wearing these clothes made her involuntarily nod her head.
Just as Tetsuya had said, because Mutsumi's aura was a perfect match for the target aesthetic of cocktail dresses, coupled with her exquisitely beautiful, doll-like appearance, all of these different styles of dresses suited her remarkably well. At least to this shop assistant, even with her many years in the industry, she couldn't guarantee if an absolute "most suitable" option existed among these five.
As for Mutsumi, who already lacked professional knowledge and severely lacked the ability to make choices, she fell into an unprecedented level of conflict.
White, light green...
A puffy dress, a strapless dress, a form-fitting dress...
Tetsuya's eye never disappointed, and the clothes in front of her perfectly matched Mutsumi's tastes.
But the problem was, they matched a bit too well.
With all five dresses being so to her liking, trying to make a choice was practically as difficult as ascending to heaven for Mutsumi. This was especially true when she thought about how she would be wearing the dress she chose to et her mother alongside Tetsuya on the day of the banquet, which filled her heart with an invisible pressure.
Which one was truly the most suitable for her? Which one would best prove to her mother how much she had grown since leaving ho? And exactly which one would allow her to beco a proper lady who wouldn't embarrass Chihaya-san, who was accompanying her?
A multitude of chaotic thoughts made Mutsumi involuntarily grip the hem of her clothes tightly, and her already sowhat shifting gaze gradually began to lose focus.
"...?"
On the other side, watching Mutsumi's increasingly stiff posture and her eyes that were gradually being overtaken by anxiety, Tetsuya froze for a mont before suddenly realizing sothing—
"Mmm, I suppose it really is impossible for you to choose right now, Wakaba-san?"
"..."
Although Mutsumi didn't reply verbally, her slightly downcast expression had already given the answer.
Faced with Mutsumi's silent dismay, Tetsuya pondered for a brief mont before saying:
"It really is exactly as Sakiko said. If that's the case... Wakaba-san."
"?"
"In order to help you make a choice smoothly. Next, why don't we try going on a little date?"
"...???"
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