Imperfect Simulacrum [Angelica/Komachi]

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

Mobility, durability, aesthetics. In that order? And what about capacity?

Ever since her best friend Yuki tasked her with making that jacket, Komachi wrestled with that mythical concept. It was her holy grail, her raison de etre. And in a simple paper box carried gingerly in her hands was the twenty-ninth attempt. Though it was just loosely sewn-together scraps of fabric and faux leather, the way Komachi walked through the central courtyard would have given the impression that the boxes contents were fragile.

But the reason why Komachi walked so slowly and deliberately was that she was busy scanning each of her classmates around her. In each iteration of the jacket, the designs were patterned off of her friend Yuki, which present problems when it came down to testing. Yuki was in her own academy back in Tokyo, and Komachi couldn't use herself as the tester, being a good ten centimeters taller and with a stronger build. No, what she needed was someone who was both similar to Yuki's size and was willing to help out.

It was that latter qualification that was the more difficult part. It was the end of class, so naturally, there were clusters of students busy chatting who were immediately ruled out. Some students were on their own but were moving as if they had a purpose. With every step Komachi took, she would mentally strike someone off the list. Until...

With a blink, Komachi froze, putting the box beneath one arm and putting her hands up, making a square with her thumbs and forefingers to capture the image of a red-haired girl with pale skin, seemingly walking aimlessly. No...this girl was a bit on the shorter end, but her proportions was similar enough. But at this point, it was better than nothing. A grin spreading across her face, Komachi sprung into action, walking swiftly.

"Hey! Excuse me!" Komachi called out, realizing that her first action was possibly a bit rude. As she closed the gap, the volume of her voice reduced, but not it's enthusiasm. "Hey. Are you busy? If you don't mind, I do need some help with a small project. Fashion design stuff. I'll be upfront here, I can't really pay you much, but...I'll try make it worth your time." A good saleswomen she was not, but Komachi didn't want to come off as some sort of swindler.

Angelica Duerr ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

"There's no need for you to worry aunt Athyra, as I said, school has been going well and I do enjoy it here." Angelica once again reassured who she was talking to or at least trying to do so; despite not using video call this time, the red hair girl can feel the stress and hint of exhaustion in her aunt's voice. With her caretaker Rui finally settled in with her aunt and their adopted daughter, things should have been better but the girl knew there was something else taking a toll on her dear aunt. "The board asked for my appearance at the annual ball again didn't they ?" And a tired sigh from her aunt was the confirmation Angelica needed, this was why she didn't want to involve with the family business ; those people never gonna know how to give up! No matter how many times she clearly stated and even signed the contract letting aunt Athyra taking over everything, others still refusing to accept the truth and kept pestering Angelica herself every year to reconsider; pressuring her aunt to follow ridiculous demands they made. "Can you send me where the ball gonna be held this year ? If it doesn't affect classes schedule then I will be there. I'm not gonna let you face those wolves alone, I love you." Waiting for her aunt to hang up first, the red hair girl put away her phone, easily avoiding walking into fellow students while her mind wondered how she could put an end to all her and her aunt's troubles once and for all. Next year would be when she could just fly to Germany and take her place as heiress officially; but even if she did, Angelica's lack of interest in doing that over the years would come back to haunt her because the red hair had no idea what her family business was actually about. You can call her ignorant all you want but for Angelica, there has always been something else more important than her inheritance.

Lost in her thought, she barely missed the energetic looking girl running, well walking to be correct towards her if not for the girl calling out first. "Pardon me, you said a fashion project ?" With her everyday polite look, Angelica offered a hesitant smile while taking in the girl's words. She wasn't really free but between her daily after school piano session and what seemed to be an important project given how eager the girl was, it was never a choice for Angelica. What made her hesitate though was that the red hair girl wasn't in fashion design course; although she could give some basic advices and her opinions, Angelica wouldn't be able to help much. Well, if the black hair girl was looking for a model the whole time then that's something she could do quite well. All Angelica had to do was imagine being at those dreaded balls, greetings, acting with that 'elegant good girl' act on.

"How about telling me more about your project then ?" Spotting the box the girl was carrying did perk Angelica's interest even more. "And you don't have to worry about money or anything like that, it's just I'm quite sure my fashion sense isn't up to par for a serious project if yours is one."

Komachi Ikezawa

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

As Komachi approached, she could hear the girl talking to someone the tailor could not hear, but the shape in her hand was unmistakable. How could Komachi have missed that the girl was on the phone? Bad angle, distance, that's what was blamed. But as the distance closed, Komachi patiently waited for a response, fully expecting to need to repeat herself.

Something about a board and ball. Whether it was fortune or misfortune, that fact that Komachi could make a guess made the seamstress lean towards the latter. Komachi absolutely hated such events. The facade of politeness, the tacky outfits, the weak veil of pomp, the inability to move well in those dresses, and did she mention the disgustingly tacky outfits? Whoever this girl was, Komachi had her deepest sympathies, and for a moment, she entertained contacting her best friend to see if she could concoct one of her imfamous 'jailbreak plans'. But the time was short and the other girl ended her call.

That smile that was returned was a hesitant one, and Komachi scaled back her usual wild grin she gave, as not to scare off the other girl. At least not too much. "Well, it's not really fashion sense I'm looking for." Komachi started, showing the other girl the box and taking the lid off to reveal the unglamourous prototype within.

"Basically, custom order. Got a few pockets and loops, some padding against blunt force, and a compartment for electronics. But the girl it's for, she's over in Tokyo, not exactly easy for her to test drive it. So, I need you to try it on. And what I'm looking for...is mobility." Komachi explained, rotating her shoulder and arm as an example. "Let me tell you, the prettiest coat in the world turns might as well be a cage if you can't move it in. So. What say you?"

The control over Komachi's grin faded a bit as she grinned proudly, and it stayed even as she added, "Oh, at any time, you can walk away if you're not happy. I won't judge, I won't be mad."

Angelica Duerr ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

Looking at the rather unique jacket in the box, Angelica can't help getting interested in the girl's work. It might look a bit normal at first glance but would surely be useful for someone who enjoyed outdoors and with padding for safety as well. "You're right, for me it's really not worth looking pretty if you can't do anything at all." Her mind cast back to the dresses the red hair ruined by accident doing what the girl in front of her was doing, it wasn't her fault that those typical dresses chosen for her couldn't handle the strain of her just moving her arms. "And I won't mind being your model and test your work for you. Still how much mobility are we talking about here ? Is it just moving, turning easily or something more strained like parkour or self-defense ?" The girl's eagerness and her cute devious-looking grin seemed to push Angelica's interest in the jacket even more, and the best thing was that her fashion sense wasn't needed in the first place. Who knows, the jacket sure looked useful enough that the red hair also wanted one for herself, well, provided that this one wasn't a one time deal.

But before she could go on asking any further, Angelica mentally smacked herself shaking her head; how unbecoming of her lately whenever she wasn't in class. "Right, Angelica Duerr at your service, you can call me Angelica if you want." A friendly smile graced her lips. It was only fair for her to return such eagerness and honestly, at least that was Angelica's first impression about the other girl was, with her own friendliness. "And I just transferred here for piano course so I'm afraid I don't know if the designer course has rooms for us to do this or not."

Komachi Ikezawa

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

My my, a kindred spirit. That free-spirited grin became more and more pronounced as the other girl (and now Komachi had a name too) seemed to magically pick up on the nature of the project. And with permission to continue, Komachi smartly replaced the lid of the box and spun it around her finger before tucking it under her arm and bowing in greeting.

"Ikezawa Komachi, a pleasure to meet you, Angelica," the tailor said in introduction, adding on. "And likewise, you can just call me 'Komachi'. I get the feeling that you're not exactly the type who is a big of fan of formality. Anyways, follow follow, and I'll fill you in." Pivoting on her heels, Komachi faced the Fashion Design wing of the academy's main building, gesturing for Angelica to follow.

"Now, you've got the gist of the design from the get-go, and not gonna lie here, I'm surprise, but it's a good surprise," Komachi said, looking back to Angelica with a grin, adjusting her pace to make sure she did not leave the redhead behind. "As you guessed, this is for a girl who...isn't a traceur, but she might as well be one. She is track team captain at her school though. And while we've had to pull her back and make sure she doesn't get into any more fights, and for the most part she really hasn't, well..." The seamstress gave a 'it couldn't be helped' kind of shrug before turning sharply around a corner to where a small workshop was.

Swift motions snapped the light switches into place, illuminating a small room where a sewing machine, a table, and various other tools were strewn about, hastily returned to their places by the last occupant. With gusto, Komachi set the box on table and spread the jacket out over it so that Angelica could get a better look. The prototype really was very patchwork, each piece a different colour to make it easier to know what went where.

"Here she is, in all her glory," Komachi said proudly, opening her arms out as if to proclaim it. "Iteration Twenty-Nine. Not much of a looker." She turned to Angelica. "Go ahead, try it on. See if it restricts your movement, any."

Angelica Duerr ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

Following the taller girl, Angelica had no trouble keeping up the pace as they went to what she assumed was the Fashion Design wing. Now to think of it, she hasn't had the chance to fully explored the entire Academy ground ,just sticking to Music wing for most of her free time. "Well the paddings and your focus on mobility kinda gave it away." With some quick steps she easily caught up to Komachi as they turned a corner. "Your friend sure seems like a lively spirit much like yourself Komachi. And sometimes you can't really stop troubles from coming your way; maybe she was just...unlucky. Trust me, I did have experience with that." Giving a teasing shrug herself and small chuckle, Angelica walked into the small workshop muttering an 'excuse me' under her breath by habit.

One quick look at the place and the red hair can see how different the designer's haven was compare to her own yet both did feel kinda the same, maybe it was because how cozy the workshop looked to the red hair. And Komachi's confident, easy going attitude only lured in Angelica's interest even more as she looked over the proudly presented jacket. At first glance it really could be mistaken as some kind of joke given how...colorful it was but as she ran her hands over the different color parts, Angelica could vaguely see the other girl's idea.

"You really did put much thoughts into designing this I'm sure. Well, here goes nothing." Picking up the jacket, the red hair pushed in her right arm then her left before pulling up the jacket's shoulders and adjusting the collars. "There we go, for shoulders and arms this does fit me." Angelica moved back a bit before doing some stretching with her arms and shoulders. "And it doesn't hinder my movement thus far but this is with the jacket only though. You need anymore testing Komachi ?" Standing with her hands on her hips, the red hair looked down at the jacket all over and wonder what color would fit her if she ever wore a jacket like this rather than her favourite sundresses.

Komachi Ikezawa

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

Though she still smiled, Komachi's focus shifted into a more serious stance, crossing her arms as she analyzed how Angelica moved, even how she put the jacket on. Once the jacket was on and after some streatching, the seamstress put her hands up to make the square with her fingers again and nodded. Despite the mismatch in height, it seems like the proportions had enough tolerance. That was good if she ever wanted to take the design and make a "generic" version for her family's clothing line.

"Well, being the twenty-ninth iteration, it's good news that I didn't mess up and make something worse than before. And trust me, there's been times where I try something out and it got worse." Komachi said as she started to walk in circles around Angelica, quite a bit of relief in her voice. If it was not for the context of testing clothing, the way she was looking all over Angelica would hae been seen as flirtacious, albiet innocently so. "Admittedly, I do have a bit of a checklist of things I want to make sure of but...this is hardly the best place for a five kilometer run," Komachi continued chuckling and grinning before stepping away again to pull out a notebook from the bottom of her box.

"Actually, now that I think of it, the fact that you don't fit my 'client's' stature exactly is a good thing," Komachi said as she started to jot down notes, looking down into her hands even as she spoke. "Ideally, this kind of thing will fit like a glove, such that you neither feel it resisting your movement nor is too loose. But not everyone has the luxury of tailored outfit and not everyone's hand is the same. Well, body is the same." Komachi looked up and pointed at Angelica. "Bad metaphor, anyways."

Komachi put the notebook back down and turned to Angelica one more time. "In the interest of time and...space..." Komachi started, waving her arms around and letting them lightly tap against the walls and various tools littered about the room. "...I think the only other pertinent thing is to test how reachable the pockets are. And...how obvious they are to the wearer." A grin started to crawl over the tailor's face. "That means...look for the pockets and...tell me how hard or easy they are to use them, and what you think each one of them are for."

Unfortunately, Komachi was never a good bluffer and her eyes pored over where the locations of the pockets, inside the sleeves along the forearms, the shoulders, the breast pockets, and the side pockets. But there was one more on the back.

Angelica Duerr ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

Standing and turning around slowly in place, Angelica found it kinda strange that the jacket actually fit her a bit too well at the moment. Oh right, if it wasn't for Komachi reminding her then Angelica would just forget that the jacket wasn't made for her but for another one instead. "While I don't sport anymore, I do have my daily jog and keeping fit for long piano performance so that could be why this jacket fits me." Then a thought just came up on her mind made the red hair let out a chuckle herself. "Now you mention it, maybe I could wear it for tomorrow jog to see how it would fare against strenuous activities." Angelica herself wouldn't mind it as long as Komachi let her do it of course, there was always risk letting others borrow your work.

"The pockets you say ?" Returning Komachi's grin with a confident smile of her own, Angelica easily slid her hands into either side pockets before reaching to the ones on the other side. "Well those seem to be easy to reach as well as these ones too I think." True to her guess, Angelica reached up to the pocket over her chest and shoulders with ease too. "Still, I think it depends on what you put in those pockets that matter the most, espcially the ones on shoulders and oh-" Only when pulling back her right hand from her left shoulder that the red hair notice there was another pocket that ran alongside her forearm, a quick check and of course there was another one on her other arm too. "Those are pretty neat; but as I said before, the mobility you are looking for might be tied to the content of these pockets."

Pulling back and letting out her right arm as an example, Angelica studied the new pocket carefully before running her left hand from her right shoulder, along her arm and stopped at the pocket. "For the body pockets I would just anything I want or feel the need to carry with me and they won't affect my movement much as long as they're not too heavy. But for shoulders and forearms, I'm sure more weight could either help or ruin the arms movement." With her interest has been foccused ont he rather unique design and Komachi wanting her thoughts, Angelica surely would return in kind with her opinions. "For how to use them, maybe a small phone or communication device would fit in there given they also can survive the impact when you use your forearm to block something." Holding her arms to form an X in front of her to show, Angelica moved to strike forward with her right arm, swinging her right forearm out from the X. "Or when you strike something with it as well. Then again it's just my opinion only, who knows maybe the best is to put for paddings in them to lessen the force on impact on your body." Chuckling, the red hair tried to reach her back from both wither side to see if the sleeves could stand such stress only to shake her head finding another, this one rather bigger on the back of the jacket; how could she have missed it in the first place. "You really did go all out on the pockets didn't you, want to tell me what this one is for then ? A well hidden taser or some kind of small weapons for emergency ?" Humoring the thought of a street fighter using the jacket, Angelica asked half-hearted. "Who knows what kind of danger you might have to face right ?"

Komachi Ikezawa

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

Wanting to take it out for a jog? Komachi had to chuckle and raise an eyebrow. That would be a good idea in terms of field testing, but due to the prototype being made of myriad-coloured cloth, it was aesthetically ridiculous, too ridiculous for public viewing.

Thankfully, it seemed like the pockets were obvious enough that Angelica was able to notice them without issue and access them with just as much ease, though the tailor still took more notes. But once Angelica started talking about the forearm pockets, Komachi froze. Deep in thought, she started to grind her teeth. Angelica was right, weight and shape of the objects may be a hindrance, not the pocket itself. Why were they there in the first place? An experiment, perhaps, inspiration from another design that looked cool. What a fool, Komachi chided herself, to chase a fad so senselessly.

Angelica's question brought Komachi's mind back to Earth, though the answer forestalled Komachi's usual return to cheer. "The back pocket? No weapons," Komachi said, shaking her head. Her voice suddenly solemn as she continued to explain. "It's hard to reach back there in a pinch. So, at least in Yuki-chan's case, that pocket was for medical supplies. Nothing bulky, bandages, gauze, some cremes, most of it all already pre-packaged and flattened. It was a request for interation seven, somewhat jokingly. In the sense that Yuki-chan said she'd rather carry the weight of bandages than the weight of regret of being unable to help someone. And...well." Komachi sighed and pointed to the jacket. "Fortune favors the prepared. That pocket's been used before, so it's not going away."

A few awkward moments later, Komachi blinked, returning to her normal self rather quickly. "Oh, yeah, sorry, Yuki-chan. Right. I call her my 'client', in the sense that I'm designing it for her, but she's a childhood friend of mine." Komachi explained, her voice clearly showing how much she missed her friend. To change the subject, Komachi pointed at Angelica's arms. "Now, the arm pockets, that was thrown in for iteration...twenty-one? It's in my notes. I thought it'd be cool, but...you're right. It may be counter-productive. That I might take out."

There was a pause as Komachi leaned back against the wall, nodding in thought. Then she simply said, "Yeah. Thanks Angelica. You've been really helpful. I do mean it."

Angelica Duerr ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

It was hard not to miss the change in Komachi's tone when she talked about how the back pocket should be used. Folding her arms in front, Angelica can easily make the connection that this Yuki-chan was who the jacket was for and should be someone who was close with the tailor the red hair dared guess. "It makes sense still, too much offense isn't good and it's best to always prepare for anything, or at least trying to." It seemed like Yuki had got herself into real trouble before for the medical supplies to be used but it wasn't Angelica's right to probe for more at the moment. Maybe it was just a fight went a bit too...extreme, who knew; the red hair mind flashed back to what happened last year before those thoughts slowly disappeared with a shake of her head. There were things that you wouldn't be able to change no matter what, just like no matter how prepared you thought you were, there would always be something that could take you by surrpise.

"Your friend seems to be a good person and you two must be close I'm sure" Smilling, Angelica tried to see whether it was for her to reach the back pocket or not before turning her attention back to the arm pockets. "I don't think these pcokets are totally useless, you just need to find the right use for them depends on who was earing the jacket." Despite how colorful the prototype jacket looked, she can clearly see how useful such jacket can be and it fit Angelica was another bonus point. "And don't mention it, I'm glad it worked out and I had fun being a model for you even just for a small bit like this." Taking off the jacket, Angelica put it on the table before looking at it over again while the gears in her mind turning. "Say Komachi..." With her hands still on the jacket, she looked up at the black hair girl before her. "....I know it could be too sudden and a bit rude coming from me but did you plan to make more than one of this jacket ? Because I would love to have a jacket with this design for outdoor activities. I fully understand for your friend, this iteration could be imperfect and you have every right to refuse given the design is your hard work after all." Letting out a sigh, Angelica stood straight up with her arms folded before her chest, there were times for business talk and now could be one of them "To be honest, I would like have you finish this iteration for my jacket. Just think of it as a side project beside the one you've been doing for you friend; time isn't a problem as well so take as long as you need to finish it. Don't worry, the design will always be yours and I have no intention of sharing or making a profit out of it anyway. And in return if you agree, I trust you to come up with a reasonable price and the best thing is you're gonna get a model for all the later iteration of the jacket right here...I think." Angelica mentally smacked herself of how her words turned out, she simply really liked this design and wanted to have a completeed one as her own but there was no way Komachi would just agreed with that only as they were complete strangers till about now anyway.

Komachi Ikezawa

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

"Girl...you have absolutely no idea."

Eyebrows raised almost to comical levels as Angelic spoke about Yuki. A close friend, yet somehow a distant, unreachable presence, as if Komachi lacked...something to be able to be at Yuki's side. A flash of sorrow seemed to run through Komachi's eyes that peered towards the jacket.

Just why did Komachi keep going? Was the answer really relevant anymore? Sure, it was because Yuki asked for it, then wanted improvements, and things snowballed from there. Angelica's proposition did not go unheard even as the tailor wallowed in meditive melancholy, slowly shifting her gaze to the girl wearing the prototype. Komachi's foot tapped five or six times against the ground. She never had the deep, introspective capacity of her friends, but even so, she was busy mentally trying to pull her mind together.

A jacket for Yuki-chan...and a jacket for Angelica-san...

Komachi spoke her thoughts out loud. She looked down to the ground, then nodded. As her head tilted upwards, there was that grin on her face again.

"Alright, I'll make you a jacket," the seamstress said, but her grin widened as she added, "But, I'll do it under two conditions."

Sharply and with gusto, Komachi raised a finger up.

"Number one, and this is going to be a big one. Now, I suck at sugar-coating things, so do bear with me, so here goes." She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I got a few friends here who were with me in middle school. I love them to bits! But, and call me greedy, I'd like to meet people in Fukui too, make friends, for lack of a better word. So condition one is going to be... well be my friend?"

The grin on Komachi's face faded slightly, seeming almost pained. Yet, it was a far more earnest expression. Then, Komachi raised a second finger.

"Now if that's going to be okay with you, then condition 2 is far simple: I need to take your measurements," Komachi said, her voice far more calmer, almost...nervous. And that nervousness seemed to be enhanced as she spoke further. "That is...if you want me to custom fit it for you. So...it's not really a condition that's mandatory, more optional. So...loop back and go to number 1. I don't mind making stuff for friends, so...be a friend?"

Once more Komachi tried to push that energetic smile, but it didn't work. Instead, she sighed, putting her hands at her side and speaking as earnestly as she could.

"I told you. I suck with words. I'm a tailor, not a writer. Still. That's my request from you. Is that okay?"

Angelica Duerr ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

Catching what Komachi said and seeing the nod brought hope to Angelica before the red hair braced herself for any condition the other girl was going to ask for. What else could she give though ? Maybe more funding ? Or something else ? Thus nothing can prepare Angelica for Komachi's words. That forced smile and the nervousness in her voice clearly shown how honest the black hair girl was about everything and that honesty was a mental smacked to Angelica. "Pff-" And she just couldn't stop a a small giggle escaped her lips. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you. I just...totally didn't see that coming". All Komachi wanted was for Angelica to be her friend and getting her measurements and that was it! There was no other catch and that just casually broke through the walls around Angelica that she's never noticed herself. She should be more skeptical but how could she do that with the taller girl before her eyes right now.

"There's no need to worry, I'm more than happy to be your friend...Komachi-chan ?" Angelica slowly tested out her new friend's name with a sincere smile on her face. "And I have no trouble letting you take my measurements for the jacket; I'm sorry again about laughing like that, after dealing with people having hidden motives all the time I'm just so used to it you know." Look like applying to this academy was the right choice after all, the red hair quickly thought while shaking her head a bit before looking at Komachi with a hint of excitement. "To be honest, you're my first real friend ever since I transfered to the Academy Komachi-chan!" The red hair wouldn't call her dear Producer a friend yet given how Theora-ish ? Theora was if it even made any sense. "Oh right! I forget but do you mind me calling Komachi-chan ? We literally just met after all. I'm getting so ahead of myself aren't I..." Her smile turned to be more sheepish as Angelica trying to reign in her excitement; if she was honest with herself then the red hair would give Komachi anything she wanted right now.

Komachi Ikezawa

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

"Hehe...ahaha...oh, good grief..."

Angelica's laughter was infectious and was just the thing to break the tension. Out of all reactions, that was probably one of the better ones that Komachi could hope for. The nervous smile on Komachi's face turned into a satisfied grin, nodding in acceptance.

"Hey, if you were going to laugh at me, I would have gone, 'ah well, your loss, I ain't making you a jacket then," Komachi said, rotating her arms to loosen the tension that was building up in them and then taking a deep breath the shake off that last stubborn bit of anxiety. "Anyways, 'Komachi-chan' is okay with me, as long as it's okay for me to call you Angelica-chan in return. Honestly, I'm really not a stickler for politeness rules and such. Now, if you don't mind, gonna take some measurements really quick and don't worry, I know to do it without being creepy."

There a bright skip in Komachi's step as she walked over to a drawer and pulled out a measuring tape with animated force, as if she was wrangling some unruly creature. With tape in one hand and notebook in another, the tailor strode up to Angelica, looking rather determined. Rapidly yet careful to not touch Angelica, Komachi wrapped the measuring tape around Angelica's arms, shoulders, and chest, and waist for only fleeting moments. Yet somehow, despite the focus and dexterity on display, the seamstress managed to still be able to chat.

"Now, my trade has been made plainly obvious, so I hope you don't mind me asking what brought you over to this wonderful place," Komachi said, starting to scribble notes into her notebook. Under her breath, she recited her measurements, looking between the notebook and Angelica at the same time. While it could give off the impression of inattentiveness, Komachi still was all ears.

Angelica Duerr ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

"As I said, I don't mind you doing one bit. We're friends so go head and call me that too, I myself not that big on rules when it comes to friends." Referring to have her measurements taken, Angelica can see the slight change in the other girl and the efficiency when it came to work. "And what brought me to this Academy you say ?" With her arms folded before her chest, the red hair realised she's never really thought about other reasons why she transferred beside it seemed to be the most suitable place for her to run away to back then. "At first, the Academy was a suggestion from my aunt; my last year at my old school wasn't all that great so she thought it'd be better for me to continue my study somewhere more...peaceful. And I actually didn't want to go you know." A chuckle came from Angelica when she remembered how stubborn she was, locking herself in her room just to protest. "Until my aunt pointed out how Fukui would be a perfect place for me to honed my piano skill and my love for the piano refused to let my skill rot away thus I found myself on a plane here with promise of a comfy life. So far, have to say I really do enjoy it here."

Smiling, Angelica looked at Komachi's notebook curiously, wondering what kind of note a designer would take; she herself only wrote random story ideas and doodles in her own journal. "You plan to have a fashion brand of your own after graduation Komachi-chan ? I've yet to have a solid plan for what I want to do in the future; there's always family business I'm expected to take over from my aunt but all I want to do now is playing the piano and becoming a full time pianist sounds more interesting than being some CEO don't you think ?" Our Angelica actually wanted to know whether all or most of the students here already had a solid plan for what they wanted to do in the future or not because the red hair herself still didn't have such plan...for now.

Komachi Ikezawa

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

"Peaceful..." Komachi echoed as she kept filling her notebook. There was really no denying that Fukui was far more laid-back and quiet compared to her old school in Tokyo. In a way, Komachi missed the energy and excitement, but in a moment of introspection, the tailor recongized it was her friends that made it worth it. With a smile, she looked up to Angelica and nodded. At least in Fukui she had a friend again.

The rest of Angelica's story was similarly peaceful, though in a ways Komachi was disappointed that Angelica was not a musician first and foremost. But to hear about her family's business put in context the phone call from earlier, and the tailor feel a strange bond of familiarity and kinship over it. With a sigh, Komachi finished pencilling in her notes into the notebook, all written in a shorthand that might as well be a different language. There were no secrets in there; so Komachi made no attempt to hide or angle away the pages from. anyone who wished to take a peek, even laying the notebook down spread open as she started to help Angelica out of the jacket

"Well, I didn't want to bring it up, but I did hear a bit of your phone conversation earlier. If it means anything, you have my fullest sympathies as a fellow CEO's daughter." Komachi leaned to the side and gave Angelica a wink and a grin before starting to fold the prototype jacket. "To be honest, I really don't like to be totally public about who I am, we're friends now, so...I guess it's still not being public about it, right?"

Now that the jacket was folded, Komachi had time for another cheeky grin as she boxed up everything again.

"My family owns and runs BrightWeave corporation, part of the Ikezawa AgriBusiness Group. We sort of take the niche near to Uniqlo's: inexpensive clothing but eschewing utilitarian designs for something more fashionable instead. I'm not that much of the savvy or cutthroat business-woman type. But as you can see, my talents lie here." Proudly, Komachi held her arms out and spun in place, gensturing to the room around her. "Now, business is pretty much down to making the product and selling it. My dad is good at the selling part, not so much the making. So the deal was struck - I'll still be in line to take over the business, but through the product side. And this...a jacket like this is probably going to be the flagship of a sub-brand, targeting the more active and tool-based types."

Angelica Duerr ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

"Fellow CEO's daughter ?" Angelica can't stop herself from asking back right away with the jacket finally slid off her body with Komachi's help. And judging from that grin she can feel the black hair wasn't joking at all; and given the Academy's reputation it shouldn't come as much of a surprise for Komachi to be in kinda the same boat as Angelica about their family background but it was still a surprise but a welcomed one. "Don't worry, if you want to keep it a secret then I wouldn't tell anyone." Giving her friend a reassuring smile, Angelica quickly thought back to her call with her aunt earlier. She herself wouldn't mind people know who she was because her attending here wasn't a secret anyway but with the coming ball Angelica wouldn't want any annoying familiar faces popped up around here and she could totally understand why Komachi didn't want to be that opened about her family.

"BrightWeave corporation and Ikezawa AgriBusiness Group..." The red hair was sure her aunt did mention about either of those names before when either talking about her new wardrobe or giving Angelica's a crash course of who did what before every meetings she's attended. Listening to the black hair girl talking about her family business, how she was just like Angelica being expected to take over it but the similarity just stopped at that. While Komachi found her calling in being a designer and was sure to take over the company even just on production but compared to that Angelica has never been interested, at first she didn't even bother to look into what her family's business and legacy actually was before pushing everything onto her aunt. "It should be nice having things worked out like that, meanwhile I still don't really know whether I could handle such responsibility." A chuckle came from Angelica as she continued. "Duerr Corps specialises in developing and applying nanotech to everyday life and more yet my knowledge on that barely touches the surface; but getting people interested in a project or a product for more investment ? That's the only thing I'm good at when it comes to business."

Angelica's phone ringtone, the familiar chorus of Take me home contry road easily cut off the red hair's words as she muttered a quick "Excuse me." before turning away to answer her aunt's call. "Rui ? Is something-oh she didn't tell me to call you after getting the email, not like I've read it anyway...I'm helping my new friend with her project...wait, of all places they chose Tokyo to hold this year ball ?...as long as noone shows up at my school then I have no problem with it. Okay then, please take care ~" Shaking her head lightly after hanging up and put away her phone, Angelica turned back to Komachi with a hesitant smile. "Sorry about that, it's my caretaker making sure I'm okay with the latest news. Duerr Corps annual ball this year gonna be held in Tokyo and I'm expected to be there like every year before. I wonder what kind of dresses my aunt would pick out for me to choose as well."

Komachi Ikezawa

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

Komachi nodded as Angelica echoed Komachi's status. It was honestly rather refeshing to be with someone in a similar situation, an heiress who didn't let their position get to their head. As Komachi finished boxing up the jacket, she listened to Angelica explain her own background. In a ways, the business world was rather small, and Komachi was familiar with the Duerr Corps at least in passing, albeit in the notion of far-flung proposals regarding improving the AgriBusiness' throughput via nanotechnology. Still, she sympathized with the redhead's plight; the compromise Komachi made with her parents still felt like a shaky one, even though her parents fully support her.

Just as Komachi smartly lidded the box, Angelica's phone went off again. "Country Roads" was a song that Komachi had heard enough to recognize, and found it always amusing how popular that song was. Taking a few steps back and leaning against the wall, the tailor quietly listened to the conversation. From context, it was that ball that she had overheard Angelica talking about earlier, and that for reasons unknown, Tokyo was the site for it. Given what she knew, Komachi would be surprised if this wasn't an attempt to get name recognition in the Japanese market before a Chinese or Korean company did. It was unlikely that anyone in the Ikezawa Group would be in attendance, but it was still something to be wary of.

"Hey, don't worry, I get it. I don't have a caretaker who checks in on me, but I'm familiar with all the sudden business calls," Komachi said, relaxing her stance and smiling back. "There are more than a few people in the Ikezawa Group who think that I am a shortcut to pitching ideas to my father." With a sigh, Komachi rolled her eyes in contempt, her expression getting more and more wry as she spoke.

"Now, I don't mind helping the business out. And I told them that. But when I do it, I do it my way. Isao Ikezawa didn't build the Ikezawa AgriBusiness by being conventional, so you can bet that his daughter isn't going to always be so traditional either. If you've seen some of the pictures of me showing off BrightWeave's clothes, I'm not doing the usual shy and coy poses. Nope. I'm standing tall and proud and..." Komachi trailed off and took up a very...action-y pose. Then she leaned back against the wall once more.

"Anyways. Ballroom attire is outside BrightWeave's wheelhouse. But if you need alterations, repairs, and so on..." Komachi enthusiastically punched her own palm. "I'm right here. Would love to do them for you."

Angelica Duerr ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

"Tall and proud and confident I would say." Angelica let out a small giggle while clapping at her friend posing before her. She was no stranger to people using her to gain favors with her aunt or even trying to influence her view and she's always ignored or turned them down out right. If the red hair was honest with herself, she would say that she admired Komachi with that confidence and how the girl willing to take part in the family business made Angelica herself want to invest more of her time looking into her own family's as well.

Despite already having Komachi agree to make her that jacket, Angelica still felt a bit disappointed, not that she showed it on her face, when knowing her friend wasn't keen on ballroom dresses. But that disappointment quickly disappeared when the taller girl let it be known she was eager to help with making dresses Angelica already had better. "You would help me with my dresses too ?" She just couldn't hide her excitement anymore as Angelica took hold of Komachi's hands and smiled at her friend. "I have this dress which used to belong to my mother and I really like it but time did take its toll on the dress itself. With you should still be busy with your project though, how about taking a look at the dress and give me some pointers on how to repair it Komachi-chan ?"

The logical part of Angelica's mind kept reminding her not to bother her new friend this much but she just couldn't help but jump at this chance, just like how she wanted the jacket custom made for herself. The red hair has thought about having her mother's dress looked at and returned to its old beauty but she just couldn't trust anyone enough for such important task. Because beside skills and efficiency at the craft, Angelica believed, no, she knew only passion one putting into their craft would get Angelica the result she's always wanted.

Komachi Ikezawa

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

"Heh, time-worn, huh?" Komachi asked, clearly undaunted by that aspect. She tilted her head and flexed her fingers as if she was mentally pumping herself up for starting to work on it immediately. Even if it wasn't going to be her getting hands-on with the dress, a project was a project, and projects is what was the biggest motivator for Komachi.

"Well, learning how to mend it yourself is not a bad idea. Actually, it's a really good idea, but..." Komachi trailed off as she started to wave her hands about as if she was going to give a warning far more dire than it really was. "I gotta give a caveat, sorry for not telling you earlier. Like...anything directly related to dresses, I either learned from here at school, or picked up from my parents when it came to showing up and looking pretty at company events." Komachi explained, her eyes growing comically fearful at the mention of 'company events' before returning to her more calmer gaze. "And admittedly, this is also for me to like...learn how to do more than just jackets you know? Sure, it's a bit selfish that way, but still. I do want to help"

After a final huff to clam herself down, Komachi pulled out her phone, rapidly tapping on it in impatience as she tried to bring up her calendar, looking downwards as she scrolled through her digital planner.

"Anyways, how soon you need that thing fixed up? Pretty soon, right? It's probably too late for me to give you a good rundown today, and doing it over dinner is, well, don't bring work over to the dinner table, but...what's your schedule? Let's see if we can't work out a time to get it done." A sly grin quickly came to the tailor's face as she looked up from her phone and into the red-eye's eyes. "Or...if just to find a time when we can hang out too, I'm totally up for that too, you know? Not everthing has to be business between us. Please, no, I really don't want a pure business relationship, leave that to our parents."

Angelica Duerr ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

Angelica can't stop a giggle escaping her lips seeing the brief fearful look on her friend's face. Maybe both her and Komachi did think a bit too much about things but she really appreciated her friend's honesty. "It's always good to learn about new things once in awhile. And having a friend to do it together would be much better for sure." Smiling, the red hair quickly took out her own phone and looked though her own schedule as well while listening to Komachi's words. "Maybe I can cut my daily piano session short if you don't have time later in the day, maybe it'd be best for us to wait till the weekend, let's see..."

Too caught up in organising her time for Komachi, Angelica was caught completely by surprise meeting the sly look on her friend's face and almost, yes just almost jumped backward a bit. "How about we meet and hang out together this weekend ?" Easily put away her phone, the red hair girl clapped her hands together then gave her friend an eager look on her face in return. "I can bring the dress here so we can look over it together then maybe we can talk about it over a meal or you know, a short shopping trip if you want to." The red hair didn't mind being alone by herself but it there was a chance to be with a friend or just someone she knew, Angelica would hold onto that chance dearly, she just didn't let it show that easily. "What do you say ?"

Komachi Ikezawa