Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart!

Luna nodded. "Yes, musical theater."

"Yourself?"

"Yes, for myself."

"... Seriously?" Chiori asked, her direct gaze meeting Luna's eyes.

"Seriously," Luna replied, pulling up a chair and resting her hands on its back.

Chiori scrutinized Luna from head to toe. Even she had to admit that Luna's beauty was striking, her voice as clear and melodious as a bird's song. If she were to nickname Luna, it would undoubtedly be "Canary."

Her eyes sparkled with the fire of creation. Regardless of the reason, any request for a custom outfit was one she would gladly accept. She was already envisioning the perfect dress for Luna.

As Chiori's mind raced with possibilities, her mouth didn't stop moving. "Do you truly think you can handle it?"

"I can."

"Good!" Chiori interjected, unprompted by Luna's expression.

Luna immediately covered her face in dismay, tears welling up in her eyes.

Chiori's eyes widened slightly. "When did you become such a good actress? Give me a smile."

"Maybe it's because I'm a genius? But what kind of smile do you want?"

"Oh, you know," Chiori replied casually, "the kind a mental patient would give after seeing a corpse."

I'm supposed to act like a mental patient now?

Luna pondered for a moment. She didn't actually have any mental health issues, so how could she convincingly play the part?

After some thought, she mimicked a character she had seen in a film recently. First, she made small gestures, touching her mouth and face, as if barely holding back her emotions. Then, suddenly, she slapped the table, stood up, and burst out laughing exaggeratedly.

"Hee hee hee hee..."

In the next second, she composed herself, returning to normal.

"How was that?"

Chiori praised her, "Surprisingly good... I never knew you had such talent hidden away all these years."

"I only discovered it recently myself," Luna said with a smile.

"To mimic a mental illness so perfectly..."

Luna's voice turned serious. "Just don't say anything like, 'You wouldn't have experienced it yourself, would you?'"

Chiori, seated behind her workbench, began sketching plans with a pen. "I was merely commenting on your keen powers of observation. Of course, if you have truly experienced it, I wouldn't be surprised," she remarked casually.

"What kind of thing is that to say?"

"Like real people talk," Luna grumbled to herself as she circled around to the workbench.

"You're looking to have stage costumes custom-made, correct?"

"It's for an audition," Luna said.

Chiori put down her pen and took a deep breath.

"Could've mentioned that earlier," she said casually,scribing a dot to the side and tapping her temple with the pen.

She lifted her gaze, looking up at Luna, her pale pink lips shifting slightly.

"So you're entrusting everything to my discretion, right?"

"That's right. I don't really know much about these things."

Luna had never been particularly interested in fashion or clothing. Since childhood, she had simply worn whatever was provided, as her childhood sweetheart used to take care of everything for her.

Chiori nodded softly, lowering her gaze.

This was exactly the type of client she preferred.

When it came to the world of fashion, Chiori had absolute confidence in her ability to fulfill any client's needs—provided they didn't try to micromanage her creativity.

"Since it's for an audition, you'll need to dress more formally. And since you're auditioning for a theater troupe... hmm, this slightly masculine design would be more appropriate..." she muttered, her pen quickly bringing the idea to life on paper.

Luna realized she'd likely have to model for Chiori later, so she decided to sit back and relax, letting her mind wander.

Seeming to sense her boredom, Chiori struck up a conversation. "Why do you want to become an actress?"

"I want to become famous."

"Aren't you already quite well-known in the Adventurer's Guild?"

Luna twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "That's not the kind of fame I'm after. Simply put, I want to become a star."

"Didn't realize you were interested in acting. Is this just a sudden whim, a passing fancy?" Chiori glanced at Luna.

"Pretty much."

"That's all?"

Luna turned around, her chest pressed against the chair back, and asked curiously, "Just 'that's all'? Shouldn't you say more in a moment like this?"

"Such as?"

"'Acting is tough work. You should give up this passing fancy and not pursue it'."

Chiori snorted softly. "You know I wouldn't say something like that."

She stood up and began gathering various tools.

"In my opinion, right now, about 50% of Fontaine's actors are third-rate, 20% are second-rate, and 5% are first-rate."

Luna was curious. "What about the remaining 25%?"

"Nobody would watch them, no matter who they are."

"That's so harsh!"

Chiori didn't seem bothered. "I'm just stating the truth that everyone's afraid to speak. Besides, if nobody would watch them, it means they have more potential to make a stunning debut. Whether they become a success or a failure... that can only be decided by themselves..."

"If you're going to do it, make sure everyone gets a taste," she added.

Make sure they get a taste? Luna repeated in her head.

Luna replied helplessly, "I'm not going there to pick a fight."

"In any field, competition is war. If you want to be an actor, be the kind that everyone has to look up to."

Luna propped up her face in one hand and smiled. "Your way of encouraging people is certainly unique."

"Because I know that no one wants to lose... and you're no exception."

"That's true," Luna responded candidly.

As they spoke, Chiori's sketch seemed to be nearing completion. Her hands were always quick and dexterous.

"Come here, let me take your measurements. It's been a while since I've seen you, so you might've gotten a bit plump." Chiori said as she walked towards the fitting room.

"I'm not the type to gain weight easily."

"Most people say that until their clothes stop fitting."

Luna entered the fitting room. Chiori swiftly lifted the curtain and turned on the light.

"Suit yourself."

"Don't say such strange things," Luna said, pulling up the hem of her clothes.

Luna: "....."

Chiori: "....."

"Chiori."

"What?"

"Your breathing is tickling me a bit."

Chiori was expressionless. "Think of it as desensitization therapy. We're both women, so why worry about such things?"

Easy for her to say.

Luna thought about it and asked, "So can I blow air at your face?"

Since Chiori said she didn't mind, Luna wanted to try.

"Although I don't know how your mind jumped to this, the answer is no. I don't like being pranked, even if it's by you."

If pranking was out of the question... Luna smiled and said, "Then can I kiss your cheek? Would that not count as a prank?"

"Gross. No way."

"How is it gross? We're both women."

"Didn't you just say we don't need to worry about such things?"

"I don't remember that."

The measurement didn't take long, and Chiori said with satisfaction, "Great, you haven't gained weight."

"I told you, I will never gain weight!"

Chiori feigned surprise and said, "My mistake, your waist has actually gone up by 1 cm compared to before."

Luna didn't believe it at all and said, "You're just pulling my leg."

Failing to fool Luna didn't surprise Chiori. She gave up on continuing the joke and instead took out suitable fabric from a cabinet.

"Oh right, have you found a theater group yet?" she asked.

"I'll go look later."

Chiori nodded and tossed over a newspaper.

Judging by the date, it was last week's Steam Bird.

"Look at this," she said, pointing to an article tucked away in a corner.

Desperate for a Lead Actor - Dark Moon Troupe

Chiaki unfurled the fabric, her fingers gently caressing it as she murmured, "This troupe seems to be planning a musical at the opera house this month, but fate had other plans—their star performer has vanished."

"Vanished..." Luna mused, her eyes widening with realization.

"...That's exactly it. And whether this is related to the 'Mysterious Disappearances of Young Women' or not, it's certainly an opportune moment. At least, I think so," Luna said. "Thank you; you certainly live up to the name 'Intelligence House Chiaki's'—information as diverse as a scatterbrain."

Chiaki sighed. "It's just that my clients tend to let slip all sorts of random information. I can't help but overhear."