NoveLight ™
"Many people misunderstand fashion. They think that tall models walking the runway in strange clothes for F/W or S/S are the beginning and the end of fashion. While it's not entirely wrong, it misses the core of it."
"..."
"At first glance, it might seem odd, but through exaggerated presentation, the key features are dramatically highlighted, inspiring many influencers and artists watching the fashion show. It's actually easier to understand if you know the difference between haute couture and prêt-à-porter, but we'll get to that later."
"I hope you can explain it in a way that even someone like me can understand... ow."
A soft squeaking sound rang out. The scene happening beyond the mirror was quite the opposite of what one might expect. Of course, the reflection in the mirror indicated I was standing in front of it, being touched and adjusted by Olivia's careful hands. In the midst of it, my cheek was being pinched, stretching it out like a cartoonish face, all thanks to this owl.
Anyway, I had never been into fashion, so I simply listened with a blank expression, hearing but not fully processing what Olivia was saying. Luckily, though, Olivia, now with her memories restored, began explaining it in a way even I could understand.
And here’s what she said:
"To put it simply, haute couture is kind of like… NGSW. Remember the Next Generation Squad Weapon project we worked on a few years back? And prêt-à-porter is like a prototype based on those suggestions from the NGSW project."
"Aha. Now I think I understand a little."
"However, don't misunderstand. The relationship between the two fashion shows isn’t as vertical or dependent as the new firearms project. They're both independent shows. But I think you get the general idea, right?"
"Thanks to you, yes."
I think I understood the general concept. It wasn't really a complicated idea once I heard it explained.
Anyway, after hearing all of that, I learned roughly where Olivia was involved... This woman seemed to be doing almost everything. After looking up Icarus Gear, I found out that she had been traveling all over the world in the last couple of years.
By the year after next, she was set to join some association, but I wasn’t sure about that. Personally, I wanted to talk about something more ordinary, but since Olivia was so excited about this, it was hard to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Whether I should be calling it a good thing or not is still up for debate, but the memories that have been added this time will definitely have a huge impact on my work moving forward."
"Are you thinking of showcasing a military look?"
"That could be part of it, but there are plenty of stronger memories. For example, the most common and vivid sight that all operators mentioned during past operations..."
"...The New York covered in heavy snow."
"That's right."
To put it simply, it was the blend of blood and snow.
It was starting to make sense to me. The city that had been destroyed could never shine with any other color. The only color that greeted us was a dull grayish-white, and when snow covered it, the Big Apple, once so grand, became a white desert.
Among it all, what stood out most? We even wore urban camouflage outfits for the operation and painted our firearms in urban camo as well. Always using suppressors to prevent muzzle flashes from escaping.
So, what else could be visible?
Blood.
"White and red. That horrible combination of colors is something no designer could ever pull off, except for me."
"Are you trying to make that memory into a trend?"
"Well, if I had lost, maybe, but after we broke China and Russia’s limbs and won, it became a painful but glorious memory. Isn’t that okay?"
"I suppose that's true."
Anyway, this woman really had a knack for cutting through to the essence of things.
Of course, that wasn’t all.
"By the way, if Jin, Rain, and Maverick were part of the Artemis development design team, I’d have locked that person up in my Paris workshop. Seriously, who made it? It’s such a genius design, isn't it?"
"That was developed using my stolen data!"
"...Then should I pay you the copyright fees, Rookie?"
"Do you want a punch in the face for real?"
She really knew how to get my fists flying.
Sitting in a chair, I couldn’t use my hands, but as always, if I can’t use my fists, I use my teeth. My tail, which had been casually resting behind me, lashed out and struck Olivia’s side, causing her to yelp and jump up. Why do people always think they can make money off my face?
Anyway, despite all this, I was gradually becoming more and more put together. Whether it was because she was a fashion designer or just incredibly skilled at coordinating, Olivia had my long hair, which normally hung carelessly, neatly tidied into a sophisticated style.
While measuring my limbs and other body proportions, Olivia began speaking again.
"In the past, haute couture referred to luxury clothing handmade by artisans. What I’m doing now isn’t handcrafting, but it’s something similar. I’m taking into account your overall body proportions, the length and ratio of your arms and legs, shoulder height, skin tone, neck length, facial features, and even your eye color to find the best clothes for you."
"...This sounds a bit funny, but it feels similar to learning marksmanship."
"Exactly. There are actually a lot of similarities. In both cases, you dig deeper into the details as you go higher, but I think that's true in many fields..."
With that, Olivia seemed to be working hard to analyze my body and created some kind of comparison chart floating in the air. As she mumbled to herself, various outfits began popping up, all seemingly meant for me. And as I thought that, she continued speaking.
"Considering the formal nature of the program you’re about to attend, business casual would be appropriate. The sharper your impression, the better a tighter, dark blue semi-formal pant would be over wide slacks. On top, a white blouse without a collar, with a light beige semi-formal jacket, would be ideal to keep things simple."
"...You’re really getting into this."
"How could I not? Also, with this belt and… the necklace and bracelet you brought from home, it’ll add a great touch. That’s actually the most important part. By the way, this snake-shaped bracelet is really stylish... it doesn’t look like you bought it yourself. Where did it come from?"
"Loren Tina got it with 4.2 million she won from street lifting."
"You're kidding me."
Exactly.
I thought it would just gather dust at home, but somehow, here I am using it. Guess I’m lucky to have a chance to actually wear it.
With my face and hair already set, all that was left was to change into the clothes Olivia had recommended. After changing, I put on the belt, bracelet, and necklace, and as I walked out, Olivia approached to adjust my outfit.
Then came the shoes… I never thought I’d be wearing heels. They weren’t very high, about 5-6 cm, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable to walk in them.
Olivia tapped my shoulder and spoke up.
"Alright, go on now. So everyone can see your transformation."
"I don’t think it’s that big of a change..."
"You’re not debuting in a high society ball or competing in fashion... Oh, it’s not impossible, so just let me know if you need it. I have a black lace dress that shows off your body shape- AHH!"
"Ugh, seriously."
And with that, I successfully got my revenge on Olivia.
Not long after, the program was about to start. After walking around a bit, getting used to the outfit, I went out into the hallway and met Dice and Harmony, who had been waiting for me outside.
The heels were about 5-6 cm, but since both Harmony and Dice were wearing something similar, the height difference wasn’t dramatic.
But these two, despite that, started clapping and celebrating when they saw me.
"You see? When you actually dress up, you look so stylish! Why haven’t you done this before?"
"Yujin, I heard you’re making more than 2 billion a month. Why don’t you just hire Olivia as your full-time stylist and go around with her?"
"...What’s going on? Why are you suddenly throwing compliments at me?"
I couldn’t really tell what had changed by their reaction, but it was clear that I had no real understanding of fashion.
Fashion really was a profound thing.
"Today, it looks like many people are giving enthusiastic support. Could it be because of Yujin, who has been the talk of the town for some time?"
"Well, I don’t usually get this excited… but for some reason, everyone’s really enthusiastic today. I guess I know why, but my usual style doesn’t seem that different, yet everyone’s liking it."
The conversation continued with lots of questions from the audience.
"By the way, with the sniper competition coming up, I suddenly remembered that Dice and Harmony showed great shooting skills in Hawaii. If we assume you trained them, do you think they could get a good result in such a competition?"
"Not with their stamina."
The biggest virtue for snipers is stamina, and it's hard for a woman’s body to handle that. But on the flip side, it meant that other aspects weren’t much of a problem. If Dice and Harmony studied ballistics, field manuals, and sniper training more seriously, they could definitely become formidable marksmen.
It might be interesting to see.
My gaze shifted to Dice and Harmony, who looked a bit uncertain as they looked back at me.
"Why... why are you looking at us like that, Yujin?"
"Oh, nothing, just..."
Then the next words came.
"Do you want to come with us to America?"
"Eh, what are you saying!? What do you mean, come with you?"
"You see? You're not just bothering Kato, you're also trying to recruit us whenever you get the chance."
It dawned on me then, I think I understood Loren Tina’s thoughts about me.
There were only a few days left before departure.