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Karen stood outside of Hikari’s office. Well, Karen had been standing outside of Hikari’s office for about fifteen minutes. From the small window in the door, she could see Hikari leaning over her drafting table, and didn’t want to disturb her in case she was intensely focused on a new design.
But really, that was just an excuse.
She was afraid.
Karen had been an intern at HANA for six months, and then was hired on as a full time employee about two months ago. She had spent much of that time with Hikari. In that time, she could see the change in Hikari, and she wanted to offer her support, but she wasn’t sure if her words would be the words Hikari needed to hear. She wasn’t sure if they were close enough yet for that, or if someone like herself could understand the struggle of a creative genius like Hikari. Plus, there was that other matter she wanted to ask about…
She shook her head, steeling herself. No, it didn’t matter how much Karen was uncomfortable. Hikari was struggling and Karen could try to offer support. As for Karen’s curiosity, well, that took a backburner to Hikari’s concerns.
With a slow exhale, Karen knocked on Hikari’s office door.
“Come in,” Hikari said, not turning away from the large sketchbook propped up at her drafting table. It was well after dark, and well after most of the design staff had left for the evening. Hikari had been working on a design over a sketch of a model that looked like Claudine, the dress still incomplete but already striking.
Besides Hikari’s drafting table was a large bookshelf with all sorts of reference materials: books on design and fashion, but also on military history, rock and roll music, and samples of various fabrics and accouterments. Hikari sat mostly in the dark, just a lamp lighting her desk and sketchbook.
“Hikari-chan, it’s Karen,” Karen announced herself. Entering the office, she was standing behind Hikari’s back, and Hikari hadn’t bothered to turn around since allowing Karen to enter. Hikari hadn’t been bothering with much of anything lately, aside from work, and the occasional (or not occasional) trips to the bar afterwards.
“You can sit on the couch,” Hikari said, waving a lazy free hand toward the small couch in the corner, half-piled with garments and magazines.
“No, Hikari,” said Karen, clenching her fists. “I’m here to talk to you.”
Hikari put down her pencil, only then, finally, turning around.
Hikari nodded her head, geturing Karen follow her to the small door on the far side of her office, past the second, low bookcase that held potted plants and an electric kettle, out onto a tiny balcony, overlooking a small side street in Ginza, several stories below. The other large corporate building across the street looked so close that Karen could touch it, though of course that was an illusion. Hikari leaned against the rail and lit a cigarette, and Karen spied an ashtray that indicated Hikari’s habit was on the upswing lately. Hikari took an inhale from the cigarette, blew out the smoke into the calm night air, and then looked at Karen as if to say, ‘Well?’
“Your plants are dying,” said Karen. She honestly wasn’t sure where to begin this conversation, and this was just something she noticed as she was following Hikari out to the balcony.
Hikari nodded, acknowledging this fact. “I don’t have time to take care of things like that,” she said.
“Hikari-chan, what’s wrong?” Karen watched the way Hikari pulled on the cigarette in desperation, and had been watching the way her already lean form seemed to be whittling away. People might call Hikari a genius, but that title came with pressure, Karen came to understand, and a tremendous amount of work. Her designs didn’t just produce themselves from thin air.
“Nothing is wrong,” Hikari said. “I just need to get these submissions to Kaoruko before the deadline next week.”
Karen dug her nails into her palms harder. It was hard to speak up to someone who highly outranked her, but… it was Hikari. “I know I’m new this year, so I don’t know how things usually go in the fall, but I spoke with Mahiru, and she said that you seemed unusually stressed, even for the busy season.”
There was a twinge of annoyance detectable in Hikari’s sharp jaw when Karen mentioned that she had spoken with Mahiru. Hikari put out the butt of the first cigarette and reached for a second, but Karen grabbed her wrist, finally meeting her eyes properly. Instead of frustration, Karen thought she saw fear for a moment.
Finally, Hikari relaxed her wrist, and Karen let go. Hikari seemed to have lost all of her fight, and sat on the ground of the small balcony. Karen sat beside her, and with both of them sitting, they took up nearly all the space, aside from the small table that held an ashtray and another dying plant. Mesh grates held up the rail, but it was hard to see out of them now that it was after dark. Karen wondered if anyone would ever find them if they just stayed sitting out here.
“My designs were rejected,” Hikari said slowly, after a long silence. Her voice was hollow, but then she laughed a little. “I think that’s the first time I told anyone. I took care that none of the design staff found out, so I think only Kaoruko, who rejected them, and probably Futaba, who knows everything, know.”
“Rejected?” Karen asked. She wanted to understand, but she couldn’t imagine anything Hikari designing being bad.
“My designs for the fall runway are all things I had ready, they’re good to go, but the final selections for the winter lines, several of my submissions were rejected. I need to redo them by next week.”
“And that’s why you’ve been here every hour you can?”
Hikari smirked. “Well, aside from when I can drag someone to the bar, yeah.”
“But Hikari, you have no problem coming up with ideas, what’s going on?”
Hikari turned away, looking at the dead plant on the table. “We have the theme set for winter. We’re continuing with the ‘cosmos’ theme set by Eclipse in the fall, with the winter catalogue is called ‘Life on Mars’, so we will be using earth tones mixed with water, or vice versa. The problem is I’m having somewhat of a block… I can’t create anything, let alone anything good.”
She turned back to Karen, and Karen was unprepared for the vulnerability in Hikari’s expression. She looked close to tears. “What if I’m finished?” she asked. “What if a few years of good designs were all I had in me?” she asked, clutching on to Karen’s hand. “They’ve all been ripped off now, anyway, sold at the fast fashion places for bargain prices. I have no legacy.”
Karen smiled gently, trying to calm Hikari down. “Of course you’re not finished,” she assured her. “You have plenty of years of designs ahead of you. And the fact that those companies copy you means that you do already have a legacy, Hikari-chan. But we need to get you past this block. When did it begin?”
Hikari tried to calm down her breathing, and closed her eyes, as if trying to recall when her designs began to struggle. “Before we began this campaign, before we hired the new models. When… oh god. When Akira left.”
“Oh, Hikari… was Akira your muse?” Karen could see this theory as making sense, as Akira looked stunning in Hikari’s distinct velvet/punk/military regalia combination standark sort of designs in the same way that Liu Mei Fan and Shiori always looked incredible in Kaoruko’s designs of traditional Japanese elements reworked into modern and cleanly tailored designs.
But Hikari just shook her head, looking rather shocked, as if she had just made a revelation that perhaps she should have made months ago. “It’s my rule,” she said quietly.
“What?” asked Karen, wanting to understand, but falling behind.
“Keeping the models in-house, on contract, it’s my rule. It’s how I do my best work. We used to use agency models, but I asked Kaoruko to change it, so I could have a consistent reference for my designs. But I- I- wonder if my stupid rule was the reason Akira and Kaoruko got in that spat and the summer line was ruined.” She did take out another cigarette now, lighting it up from where she sat on the ground. “And even so, Kaoruko still respected my wishes and got two more models in-house for this year.”
Hikari held her forehead up with her hand, slowly puffing on the second cigarette. Karen wasn’t sure how to respond. She had been around when the models left for the Edel agency, certainly, but she was just an intern then, and wasn’t privy to the details of the conflict. Still… to see Hikari struggling like this - Karen had to do something to help, and well, to save the winter line.
“Don’t worry,” Karen said gently. “I’ll fix this. You just focus on getting your designs ready, and I’ll do the rest.”
Hikari looked up at Karen as if she had grown a second head. “What is there to fix?” she asked. “What’s done is done. I ruined our last contract, and I’m likely going to ruin this one.”
To be honest, Karen didn’t know how she was going to ‘fix’ anything, so she didn’t answer. “You know, Hikari,” she said. “This is really silly, probably, but I wanted to ask you a question.”
“Ok,” Hikari said, sounding defeated, but like nothing would really bother her after the realization she just had.
“Well… when I was a kid… I had a neighbor who moved to London…”
Hikari looked at Karen like she was saying something strange, but Karen continued tentatively. “I mean, I was only about five when this happened, but my neighbor, she had your eyes and hair, and I was really shy… the girl I was thinking of would always be drawing new fashion sketches like you, though.”
Hikari seemed to be in her own world, or perhaps she was trying to remember. Finally, after a moment, she mumbed a few words that Karen had to struggle to hear. “Pretty… rhythm… handheld…” Hikari said, and Karen nodded, then blushed.
“I think most girls want to become idols after playing Pretty Rhythm,” she said. “But for me, it was always fashion.” She smiled. “Ah, so it was you. I’m glad I found you again, Hikari-chan. Please, give me a day or two, I promise to help.”
The next day Karen got up, remembering her promise to Hikari, but unsure of how she was going to make good on it. She felt that the answer had to do with Yukishiro Akira, so she felt like she needed to get to Siegfeld Fashion House, where she was most likely to run into Akira. She had a feeling that Kaoruko wouldn’t appreciate Karen skipping a day of work just to talk to a former employee she had an issue with, so this mission would have to be done in secret. It was very much to her luck when she overheard Claudine say she would meet Tsuruhime Yachiyo that evening.
“Kuro-chan!” called Karen, greeting Claudine who was reviewing some notes in a meeting room while drinking a coffee, a half-eaten pastry beside her.
“Karen, good afternoon,” she said, looking surprised to see Karen there. And perhaps it was strange, as Karen’s work usually only connected them when Claudine was actually modeling something.
“Hi, this is… sort of strange, but I have a request,” she said, sliding into a seat near Claudine’s.
Claudine closed the packet of papers she was reviewing, giving Karen her full attention.
“I need to get to Siegfeld to talk to Yukishiro Akira, or well, whoever is in charge of the company, or in charge of the Edels. I’m not sure really. I just need to get there. And well, I heard you were going there to talk to Tsuruhime-san, and I thought maybe you could help me get in…” Karen’s cadence of speaking slowed down towards the end, her voice growing higher in pitch as she watched the skepticism on Claudine’s face grow.
“You want me to help you sneak into Siegfeld so you can accost their top model or maybe their creative director for god knows what reason? Did you think about what kind of press that would bring HANA?” she asked. “Thank god you came to me instead of just trying this yourself…”
Karen felt her face redden. Hearing her ‘plan’ laid out, it was just plain embarrassing. There was no way that she would be taken seriously. Claudine was right, she would just bring trouble to HANA. But of course Claudine was right, she had over ten years of experience in the industry. She must understand the subtle intricacies of what Karen was trying to help Hikari with. And so Karen told Claudine everything, ending with a bow that slid her chair back several inches, and a “Please!” that she hoped sounded as sincere as she meant it.
With a sigh, Claudine pulled out her phone, gesturing for Karen to get up from her bow. Lazily she flipped through the contacts with perfectly manicured nails. “You really care about your friend, don’t you?” she asked Karen, as she brought the phone up to her ear. “I can appreciate that.” She waited for the other person to pick up, then continued. “Yes, Yachiyo, it’s me. …What? No, I’m fine, honestly you worry too much. I’m calling for a favor, actually. …The coffee date we have tonight, can you see if you can bring Michiru? I’m bringing someone from my company as well. Aijou Karen. …Yes, thank you. Alright, 5:30. Bye.”
“Michiru?” Karen asked, trying to see if saying the name would trigger any memory. Siegfeld was an extremely large and well-known fashion house, but still, the name didn’t ring any bells.
“She knows everything. You want dirt, she’s got it,” Claudine assured her.
And so, under the premise of accompanying Claudine to her afternoon interview for social media purposes, they set off together. Karen learned that the papers Claudine was reviewing were questions she was liable to be asked in the interview, and some reasonable answers, and the two of them turned up in a small studio just outside of Ginza. Karen was allowed to wait in the studio while the interview took place, and watched as Claudine ‘transformed’ once the cameras turned on, and once the interviewer began recording her responses.
“Well, we are certainly glad to see you back again,” the interviewer said, straightening his suit as he compared his appearance to Claudine, who today wore a teal tunic dress and suede boots. “What brought you out of retirement?”
Claudine smiled, as if thanking him for the question. “After my childhood, I took some time off to enjoy with my family. I wasn’t sure if I would ever come back. But the right opportunity came to me, so I am very excited to work with HANA and Tendo-san this year.”
“Yes, we are very excited to see the Eclipse show next month! The ads for the ready-to-wear clothing have us all excited already, what can we expect from the couture?”
“Well I can’t spoil anything,” said Claudine, “But it will be a show full of contrasts. If you are familiar with Hanayagi-san and Kagura-san’s designs, the fundamental elements will be there, but instead of more of the same, the Eclipse element brings in a new factor: two opposing forces. In a way, it becomes Hanayagi’s traditional yet modern elements vs. Kagura’s edgy yet historical elements.”
“I know you haven’t given away much, but I am already on the edge of my seat. Tell me a little bit about your partner, the newcomer Tendo Maya.”
“Of course. Tendo-san is a professional in all aspects of the word. I could not believe that she had never held a professional contact before. In the ‘Eclipse’, she represents the ‘light’ concept, and she is truly radiant. As someone just coming back into the industry, she challenges me to be my best and to reach higher every day.”
The interview continued for a while longer, but after the questions and the photographs were completed, Claudine and Karen continued a short walk west of Ginza to a coffee shop just next door to an art museum. Purchasing their drinks, they walked up to the second floor seating area, which was both much quieter, and had better viewing of the street below. Selecting a table in the very corner, Karen sat with Claudine, waiting for Yachiyo and hopefully, Michiru.
After about ten minutes, both girls arrived, Yachiyo wearing a navy sheath dress and Michiru wearing a black trench coat, despite the relatively mild temperature. It was Karen’s first time meeting her, and she admired the bold fashion statement she made between her coat, her bobbed haircut, and her rather diminutive stature (though this was likely less of a fashion statement and more of a fact of nature).
They exchanged introductions, and Karen learned that Michiru was a fashion designer at Siegfeld, much like Yachiyo was. Claudine blushed. “I thought you were an Edel manager or something,” she said, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” said Yachiyo, “That’s the impression she likes to give. She’s one of those designers who likes their designs to remain anonymous, it’s annoying.”
“Are… are you close with the Edel models then?” asked Karen, suddenly feeling shy as the person at the table with, by far, the least industry experience.
“I’m friends with Akira, Liu Mei Fan, and Shiori” Michiru offered, “And I am friends with other Edel models as well.”
“I hope I’m not imposing, but the reason I asked Claudine to ask Yachiyo to ask you here today, well, it’s about Akira and my friend Hikari.”
An amused sort of smile crept onto Michiru’s face, and Karen had a feeling it was not due to Karen’s poor sentence structure. “Ah, the ‘genius designer’.... Sure, what can I help you with?” she asked.
“Well, I just wanted to find out the truth. About why Akira and the others left HANA. Was it because of HANA’s policy of not wanting agency models? Or was it something else? Please, the answer is really important.”
Michiru took a long sip from her drink, leaning over the table to peer at Karen more closely. “It’s really important? Like, if I don’t tell you, then HANA won’t be able to finish the winter line because this answer is plaguing Kagura-san so much it’s causing an artistic block?”
Karen felt the blood draining from her face. How did this girl garner all of that from the small amount that she had said? She nodded, just subtly, just once.
Michiru smiled, like a cat. “Then perhaps I shouldn’t say a thing, because that would be good for Siegfeld.”
“Come on, Karen, we’re leaving. This little imp is just playing games.” Claudine stood up, but Karen stayed seated. Yachiyo looked back and forth between Claudine and Michiru as if unsure whether or not to intervene.
“Even if she’s playing games,” Karen said slowly, forcing herself to meet Michiru’s eyes, “Even so, I need to play the game. I need the answer. I made a promise.”
Something seemed to soften in Michiru’s eyes upon hearing the word ‘promise’, and Claudine sat back down with a small huff.
“I made a promise, too,” Michiru said. “To Akira, when we were just kids. That she would be the top of Siegfeld. And I would get her there with my designs.” Michiru sighed. “But things got in the way. First her ballet lessons got more serious than I think she intended. That’s how Akira is - she just excels at anything she tries. So she was busy with ballet our whole childhood, performing all over the country with her company. Then she switched to modeling in her late teens, but I was still training then, I was powerless to help her. By the time I got to Siegfeld, I had to work my way up. It was only last summer when I got in a position where I could select the models I wanted for our campaigns. So I chose her. I stole her. It has nothing to do with contracts or agencies or anything. Akira was just fulfilling a promise we made almost fifteen years ago.”
“Aijou-san, are you crying?” asked Yachiyo, handing her a handkerchief.
Karen used it to dry her eyes, unable to contain her tears. “I’m sorry, it’s just, Michiru, that’s so lovely! I’m so glad you two could make the promise come true!”
Michiru laughed lightly. “Yeah, try explaining that to Hanayagi.”
They changed to lighter topics then, like Yachiyo harassing Claudine for looking too tired during their coffee date. “I have had the worst sleep schedule lately,” Claudine complained.
“I never sleep well,” Yachiyo agreed, “But I’ve been using these lately. Good for a pick-me-up, but you can’t take too many at once or you’ll get too jittery.” She held up a bottle of caffeine pills for inspection.
“Honestly I might need to pick up a bottle, I’m pretty wiped every time I do a shoot,” Claudine complained, taking a picture with her phone. “And runway’s going to be even worse…”
After the coffee date, Claudine and Karen walked back to the company headquarters, Karen to meet with Hikari, and Claudine to meet with Maya. “Can we stop in here? I’ll be five minutes!” asked Karen, as they passed a small flower shop. Claudine shrugged, acquiescing, and Karen dashed in.
About twenty minutes later, she found herself outside of Hikari’s office once again. “I’m coming in,” she said, knocking and then pushing the door open herself. This time she found Hikari on the couch, flipping through a book somewhat listlessly.
“I got you a present,” offered Karen, setting the fertilizer packets and new watering can on the shelf beside the listing plants.
“Thanks,” said Hikari, her voice dull.
“And I got you good news. I talked to Otori Michiru today.”
Hikari’s eyes lit up. “Hierophant?” she asked. “You met her?”
“Hier-o-phant?” asked Karen.
“She’s an elusive designer said to be the genius of Siegfeld. Well… Tsuruhime is up there, too, now. But I’m a personal fan of Hierophant. I can’t believe you met her. She never goes out in public!”
“She hangs with the Edel models a lot. Kuro-chan knows her.”
Hikari’s eyes widened, as if taking in this new information. “I might have to spend more time with Kuro-san…”
“But that’s not why I’m here!” Karen said, “When I talked to Michiru, I learned the truth about Akira’s departure.”
Karen explained about the promise, watching as Hikari’s eyes widened in surprise, and then understanding. “So it’s like that,” she said, smiling softly. “I’m relieved.”
“Yes, you don’t have to worry,” Karen said. “You can work on your designs with Kuro-chan and Maya-san, and not worry.”
“You know, suddenly, I’m really hungry,” Hikari said, laughing a bit. “Why don’t we water my plants, and then call Mahiru and see if she wants to get curry?”
“Teppanyaki!”
“Mahiru is deciding vote.”