That night kept replaying in her head. The way she'd frozen in Yuuki's arms. The distance that was too close. Those amber eyes. She'd tried to blur it all into something dreamlike, but it hadn't worked. La Cresta Minami-Azabu, 18th floor. Beyond the window, autumn Tokyo sprawled endlessly. Clear skies today too—the cityscape visible all the way to the horizon. Kozue sat at the kitchen counter, elbow propped up, drinking coffee. Black, no sugar. She barely tasted it. Just killing time. The intercom rang before noon. On the monitor: Yuuki. White shirt, a crisp navy jacket. Slightly more casual than usual. Kozue set her coffee cup in the sink, took one deep breath, then opened the door. "[gentle]Could you spare some time? We need to select a dress" "A dress...?" "The social debut is less than a week away. We need to accelerate preparations" Short. Direct. As always. Kozue pulled on her coat and headed for the entrance. ——Minato Ward, Minami-Aoyama. There was a dress shop there, where a stylist was waiting. The shop was called "Van Cloche." From outside, only a sign was visible. But stepping in, the air changed. White walls. Indirect lighting. Dresses lined up in the back, glowing quietly like they belonged to another world entirely. Kozue's feet nearly stopped, but she caught up quickly. The stylist—a woman in her late thirties, hair neatly arranged, the type who looked competent—glanced over Kozue's entire frame and smiled. "You must be Shirakawa. I've been expecting you. I've prepared several options. Please try this one first." She gestured to a deep crimson evening dress placed just outside the fitting room. (Wait... I'm wearing *that*...?) Everything about it was different from anything Kozue had ever worn. The fabric. The way light caught it. Just existing in that space, it seemed to make a statement. "[gentle]I think it will suit you. Try it on" Because Yuuki said so, Kozue entered the fitting room. It took longer to put on than she'd expected. She searched for the zipper—these things were always in the back, right?—and was starting to panic when the stylist called from outside the door: "Let me help." That solved it. She looked in the mirror. (Who...?) It was her face, but it didn't look like her. Crimson fabric flowed from her shoulders to the floor. She'd never worn a dress this long except at her coming-of-age ceremony, and even then—this was completely different. Her shoulders were bare. Her back showed slightly. But it didn't look strange. It looked... proper, somehow. Right. (How embarrassing.) Kozue pulled back the curtain and stepped out. Yuuki stood a little distance away. The moment she emerged, his gaze shifted toward her. That gaze traveled slowly, quietly, from the top of her head to her feet. He said nothing. For about three seconds, he said nothing at all. "[gentle]...It suits you" That was all. Plain words. Brief. Kozue took them in and found she couldn't respond properly. "Th...thank you very much" Her voice wavered slightly. She felt her face flush. She didn't want to look in a mirror. She was definitely bright red. Kozue lowered her gaze to the hem of the dress and looked down. (Why does it feel like...) Yuuki continued. "[serious]There should be no issues for the debut. Let's go with this" His tone was slightly withdrawn, almost like a cough. Different from the warmth of "It suits you" just moments before. Kozue lifted her head and glanced at his face. Yuuki had already turned his gaze toward the stylist. ——His profile, just barely, looked softer than usual. Kozue looked down again. Something spread slowly through her chest. She couldn't quite put it into words. Without managing to, she returned to the fitting room. --- They were back at La Cresta Minami-Azabu after noon. They'd arranged for the dress to be delivered later. The two of them rode the elevator together. 18th floor. Kozue's apartment. Yuuki removed his coat and stood in the center of the living room. "We'll continue with the dance today. You've improved considerably from the last training session" "Yes," Kozue replied, removing her own coat. (We'll be close again.) The moment that thought crossed her mind, she was already tense. Why was she so tense? This was a contract. Practice. Just a rehearsal. A slow waltz began playing from the smartphone speaker. Three-four time. Kozue stood before Yuuki and extended her right hand, just as she'd been taught. Yuuki took it. It was warm. Warm again. His other hand settled on her waist. Just that was enough to make concentration difficult. She knew this was the problem. She knew it, but couldn't do anything about it. One, two, three. One, two, three. Today her body moved a little better than yesterday. Yuuki's lead was careful, attentive—as if he could sense where she was trying to step before she did. Realizing that, she felt some of the tension leave her shoulders. Second time. Third time. "[gentle]Your arm—soften it a bit more" "Like this...?" "Yes. When you tense up, your movements become rigid" Kozue consciously relaxed her arm. Then, just slightly, it felt lighter. Her feet followed. She was riding his movement. (Ah, I'm actually... doing it.) That sensation delighted her, and she started to look up— That's when it happened. Her right foot tangled with her left. Her center of gravity tilted forward. She thought she was falling, and in the next instant, Yuuki's arm caught her firmly against his back. Her forehead bumped against his chest. They stopped like that. She didn't know how long they stayed that way. Yuuki's arm remained around her back. Kozue tried to lift her face, and did. Yuuki's face was right there. Close. Too close. She'd never seen him this close. Those amber eyes looked directly at her. Quiet, but something moving within them. That kind of gaze. Kozue forgot how to breathe. Something pounded fiercely in her chest. Her head went slightly white. Yuuki started to say something. His mouth opened slightly—— Beep, beep. An electronic sound. The front door's auto-lock disengaged. Kozue and Yuuki pulled apart simultaneously. "...?" The door opened. The intercom hadn't rung. The man who entered with a master key wore black-rimmed glasses. Shoichi Hinata. Yuuki's secretary. His usual expression—unreadable. A tablet tucked under his arm, a dark gray suit worn precisely. "[cold]I've come to confirm preparations before the social debut" His voice was quiet, flat. His eyes swept across the center of the living room for just a moment. The distance between Kozue and Yuuki. The waltz still playing. The flush on Kozue's cheeks. He seemed to read it all in a single second. But he said nothing. Hinata approached Kozue and held out a stack of documents. "[serious]Materials on social etiquette. The order of greetings, where to direct your gaze, dining manners, the formal self-introduction format to replace business cards—please review everything" "Thank you," Kozue said, accepting them. The stack was thicker than expected. Hinata turned to Yuuki. "[serious]Additionally, from Monday through Friday next week, I will be managing Shirakawa's morning schedule. Arranging etiquette instructors, hair and makeup rehearsals, advance venue confirmation—measures to proceed with preparations efficiently" "That won't be necessary" Yuuki's voice was quiet, but slightly stiff. "[cold]The debut is one week away. We cannot afford any oversights" "There's no necessity in managing her morning schedule" "[serious]Whether you see it or not, I do" The air between them tensed. Kozue stood frozen, documents in hand. Yuuki and Hinata were colliding quietly. The words were calm, but something beneath them was clashing. That's what it felt like. Then——Hinata's gaze shifted toward Kozue. Just for a moment. It traced quietly along her cheeks. Not angry. Not accusatory. A gaze that couldn't be labeled with any simple emotion—but one that carried warmth. Kozue noticed it, then pretended not to. Hinata looked back at Yuuki. "[cold]I'll share the details via email later" He said it curtly, bowed, and left through the door. The room fell silent. The last notes of the paused waltz lingered faintly in the air. --- Night came. Yuuki left the apartment for work. Kozue remained alone in the room. She sat by the window, watching Tokyo darken. Building lights stretched to the horizon. In her head, today replayed again and again. "It suits you." Plain words. Brief. And yet her face had flushed so intensely. The warmth of being caught during the dance. Those amber eyes at such close range. The moment his mouth had opened to say something, then closed. (This is definitely wrong.) Kozue hugged her knees. (I'm a fake fiancée.) She whispered it aloud. The words echoed slightly in the empty room. Her grandmother used to say it often. "Kozue, don't lose sight of yourself." In a gentle voice, but with a serious expression. Kozue had treasured those words. But now, that phrase and what was happening in her chest were drifting further and further apart. (Yuuki is just a contract partner——) Her smartphone lit up. A message from Yuri. The chat app icon. "How was the lesson today~? Did you manage to dance?" Kozue stared at the screen. After thinking for a moment, she typed back. "...It was normal" The read receipt appeared immediately. Three seconds later, a reply came. "No emoji = definitely something happened lol" Kozue laughed despite herself. The sound escaped her. And somehow, her chest felt a little lighter. (Yeah, something happened. But I still don't understand what.) She pulled her pillow closer and buried half her face in it. Beyond the window, Tokyo's night spread out. Beautiful, she thought. Three months ago, she couldn't have imagined seeing a night view from this high up. But now, those words—"It suits you"—occupied more space in her head than the view. (Starting next week, Hinata will manage my morning schedule.) Which meant less time for training with Yuuki. Kozue realized this, and felt a small pang of disappointment. The moment she recognized that feeling, she buried her face in the pillow again. (Stop it. You have to stop, absolutely.) She understood. She understood, but it wouldn't stop.