Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 36: No Way
『And now… the Tokyo Teens Girl Collection—GalColle—is officially underway!!』
With the host’s announcement, silver streamers shot into the air, and loud music began to play.
The venue, packed with 30,000 spectators, trembled with excitement and energy.
『The opening act is by the overwhelming charisma among middle and high schoolers—Amagasaki Mika-chan! With her non-Japanese figure and dignified looks that exude adult charm, she presents her own brand. The concept is: “Girls exist to bloom beautifully.” Known for its high design quality and excellent materials, the brand is Beautiful Flower! And believe it or not, Mika-chan herself designs the clothes! A model and a designer—how amazing is that! This time’s theme is: A delicate, cute girl trying to act just a little grown-up!』
After the host’s explanation, the brand’s promotional video began playing on the monitor.
We watched from the waiting room.
“Hey, Go-kun… they just said Mika designs the clothes herself. That’s not true, right?”
Asuka asked, clearly unsettled by the host’s comment.
“Yeah, I’ve been the one designing everything until now. So, that’s a lie to raise her and the brand’s image. But I think she believes it’s not a lie—since she gives input on the concept and makes selections.”
“That’s awful. That’s not what you call design.”
Takarazuka said.
“She’s taking credit for everything…”
Himeji added, her voice filled with irritation.
“Then… now that Tsumu-tsumu’s not around, is she designing the clothes herself?”
Keina asked.
“No, I think she probably hired a different designer. I’ve never seen Mika-san do any actual design work from scratch.”
I’ve only been away a short while, and I just can’t imagine she learned to design properly in that time.
She’s almost certainly hired someone.
“Come to think of it, Sakasegawa-kun, those other two models haven’t shown up yet, have they?”
“Yeah, you’re right. Tarumi-san said they took a taxi early this morning to head over here… There’s still time before our turn, but… I hope they’re okay.”
Each brand was supposed to present five looks this time.
Along with Keina, Asuka, and Takarazuka, two other models from the same agency as Keina were supposed to join—but those two still hadn’t arrived.
They had already done the fittings before, so they could walk the show with no issue… but where were they? I was getting worried.
“Everyone! They’re about to come out!”
Asuka’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
While we were talking, the introductory video had ended.
The first model stepped onto the runway and began walking.
A white mermaid dress adorned with golden embroidery. Elegant and delicate, the generous fabric flowed beautifully with each step, forming graceful drapes.
“…Eh?”
We all froze upon seeing the outfit.
Not because the clothes were so stunning…
Then came the second model.
A white suit style—what could have looked overly slick was softened with lace throughout, giving it a feminine touch. It avoided looking too flashy and retained a cute, wearable appeal.
“No way…”
I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought.
The third model appeared.
A blouse with frills, open shoulders, and ribbons on the sleeves. The fluffy miniskirt added a cute touch. Paired with white fishnet tights, it created a trendy “mass-produced girl” look. But being entirely white gave it an elegant tone that kept it from being overly cutesy.
“…This is…”
The fourth model.
A wide-sleeved, collarless jacket worn over wide pleated pants like a modern hakama. A thick leather belt mimicked an obi, blending traditional Japanese elements with a modern update. A high-neck frilly blouse underneath balanced East and West styles.
At this point, I was certain.
“These are… our clothes?”
Yes, they were nearly identical to ours.
It’s understandable for clothes to have similar trends or elements—but this level of resemblance was unmistakable.
The silhouettes, the colors—especially the consistent use of white—everything was the same.
“…So this is plagiarism?”
“Himeji-chan. There’s no mistake. They’re far too similar for it to be a coincidence.”
“That woman!! I can’t forgive her!!”
My heart pounded violently.
“They look similar, but they’re not the same as Tsumu-tsumu’s. The embroidery isn’t as detailed, the drape and silhouette aren’t as refined. And look at the fabric—they used cheap material to cut costs. What’s high quality about that brand? There’s no way I’ll let anyone say these are the same as Tsumu-tsumu’s clothes!”
“Keina… thank you. That means a lot. But you’re able to notice those details because you’ve seen so many clothes. On this big stage… I think very few people will be able to tell the difference.”
While we continued our conversation, the GalColle show didn’t stop.
『The boldness of all-white really stands out! And yet, it avoids monotony—that’s what makes the design so impressive! And now, finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The last look from Beautiful Flower! Please welcome Amagasaki Mika-chan! Everyone, give her a big round of applause!!』
With the host’s hype, the excitement in the venue hit its peak.
Girls in the audience clapped and screamed “Mika-chan!” as they eagerly awaited her appearance.
Accompanied by her introduction, walking with heavy, thudding steps, appeared Miss Mika Amagasaki—her clothes digging into her body, about to burst, her makeup ruined by greasy sweat, melting off her face in a gooey mess.
Her face was shown in close-up on the large monitor at the back of the venue.
The venue fell completely silent.
Comments from the livestream:
“Wait, is that really Mika-chan?”
“Doesn’t her face look different from the photos?”
“That outfit is so tight she looks like a slab of roast pork lol”
“Isn’t her makeup melting?”
“This is bad.”
“She looked thinner when I saw her in person before.”
“Did she gain a ton of weight?”
“She should’ve lost weight before GalColle.”
“Well, I mean… maybe plus-size models are fine too?”
“Maybe if that was the concept, but not this time.”
“Yeah, agreed.”
We couldn’t hear the audience, but the comments from the livestream were scrolling across the monitor in our waiting room, and they were brutal. You could also see the attendees whispering among themselves, clearly sharing the same sentiments.
“As I thought… if she just copied the designs exactly, there’s no way the sizes would fit. I figured this might happen, but… it’s painful to watch.”
Asuka-san said grimly.
“Yeah… this is a problem way before we even talk about plagiarism.”
Takarazuka-san added with a scowl.
“W-Watch out!”
Mika-san’s steps wobbled as she walked.
“Oh no, the heels are too high—she can’t support herself!”
She tried to regain her balance, but then snap—her heel broke.
She collapsed with a loud thud on the runway.
More livestream comments:
“Oh, she fell.”
“She’s flailing around lol”
“She’s too heavy to get up on her own.”
“Is this a fashion show or a comedy skit?”
“Gotta screenshot this.”
“The designs were nice, but this ruined everything.”
“What happened to the ‘delicate and cute slightly mature girl’ theme?”
“Isn’t wearing that outfit with that body type way too ambitious?”
“This is just awful.”
Even after several minutes, Mika-san couldn’t get up on her own and had to be carried out on a stretcher by several staff members.
She seemed to be shouting something as she was taken away, but none of us could hear what she was saying.
Announcer:
“A-Anyway! Just a little hiccup there, but let’s get back on track! Next up is the brand casai! This brand is—”
The host continued as if nothing had happened, but all the comments were still focused on the earlier disaster.
“…Looks like she self-destructed all on her own.”
“Yeah… pretty much.”
“But that doesn’t change the fact that your designs were plagiarized, Sakasegawa-kun. I wonder when she copied them…”
Himeji-san said worriedly.
“I think it was probably back when there was that commotion about someone sneaking into the studio. They didn’t steal the clothes themselves, just copied the designs. If they rush to showcase it first, they can try to claim the designs as their own…”
“Isn’t that something we should do something about?”
Keina asked me.
“Well… with fashion, similar designs often show up because of trends. Unless it’s a signature item from a major brand, it’s hard to claim copyright or design rights. But don’t worry—I’ve made improvements since that version they copied. You all saw during our last fitting, right?”
Even after I created the initial samples, I kept refining them. Everyone saw that during the last costume fitting.
“Yeah, that’s true. No one could ever copy those.”
Asuka said confidently.
“Indeed. At first I was shocked, but your designs are far beyond that knock-off stuff.”
Takarazuka said.
“Tsumu-tsumu’s clothes are way more amazing!”
Keina said.
“Sakasegawa-kun’s clothes won’t lose to some cheap imitation.”
Himeji added.
“That’s why—we’ll just do our very best, together!”
After that, the GalColle show continued smoothly, and the time for our brand’s showcase steadily approached.