The Fire Walkway

The big day had arrived. From the giant screens in Shibuya to the small televisions in cafes, the only thing anyone was talking about was the Shibuya Grand Parade. It was the Super Bowl of Japanese beauty.

At Happy Burger, the atmosphere was intense. Sara and Kenji had tuned the restaurant's television to the event channel. “ It's coming! It's today! ” Sara said as she nervously wiped down a table. Mio had told them about the event and shyly asked them to support her, even if only from afar. Sara and Kenji took that request as a sacred mission.

At first, customers were a problem for the boys. “ Hey, can you give me my burger? I've been waiting ten minutes. ” complained a man in a suit. “ Just a moment, sir! ” replied Kenji without taking his eyes off the screen. “ Our girl is about to come out! ”

But as the minutes passed and the music from the catwalk filled the venue, the tension between the Pink Bunny and the Queen became so contagious that even the customers forgot they had come to buy food. The man in the suit was now standing next to Sara, shouting: "Come on, girl in pink! Show that foreigner! The fast food restaurant turned into a makeshift stadium grandstand.

Meanwhile, in the distance, at the event, the air was thick. Mio was in her private dressing room, completely nervous. Her hands trembled as she looked at the closed garment bag hanging in front of her. Days earlier, Kaguya and her new friends had given her that dress. It was her secret weapon. She couldn't take it out yet; she had to wait for the final moment, but she reached out and touched the fabric through the cover. The texture was strange, powerful.

As she touched it, a thought struck her. Seraphine's words. What would your parents say if they saw you like this? Mio lowered her head in disappointment. Doubt gnawed at her. Would they be ashamed to see her exposed, judged, turned into a product?

Then something happened. Mio felt a weight on her shoulders. It wasn't physical, but it was real. She felt as if two large, warm hands were resting on her. For a second, she could smell her father's tobacco scent and her mother's lavender perfume. She didn't hear any voices, but she felt the message in her heart: We are here, Mio. We have always been here for you. Lift your head up.

Mio felt her spirits and strength rising, filling the void Seraphine had tried to create. Mio wiped away her tears and smiled at the mirror. “ You're watching... aren't you? ” she whispered. “ So I'll give you a good show. ”

The mourning had begun.

In the show, Mio and Seraphine were not alone. Other models from prestigious agencies walked the runway first, beautiful and talented girls, but the audience barely noticed them. They were just the opening act for the main event.

Round 1: Charisma

Seraphine Laurent came out first. She wore an avant-garde, aggressive, modern outfit. She walked with absolute perfection. Every step was measured, every turn was a lesson in precision. The audience applauded, impressed. She was perfect. Untouchable. Like a marble statue that had come to life. But she was cold. She didn't look at anyone.

Then Mio came out. She wore a colorful outfit, designed by her team to highlight her vitality. At first, Mio stumbled slightly (for a microsecond), and the audience held its breath. But instead of panicking, Mio remembered her parents. And thanks to that, she smiled. Not a model's smile. It was the unique smile that only Mio could give. She waved to a girl in the front row. She did a playful spin. The stadium roared. Mio didn't have Seraphine's technique, but she had heart. People didn't want to admire her; they wanted to be her friends. Round 1 went to Mio. The applause was deafening. Seraphine, from backstage, gritted her teeth in courage.

Round 2: Elegance

This was Seraphine's territory. She came out wearing a black and silver evening gown with a long train. Here, experience weighed heavily in her favor. Seraphine dominated the runway like an empress. Her queenly gaze froze the audience in reverential silence. She turned, and the fabric obeyed her commands. It was a demonstration of absolute power. Mio came out next, wearing a beautiful dress, but it was clear that haute couture was still a new language for her. She did well, incredibly well for a novice, but she couldn't overcome Seraphine's overwhelming presence. Round 2 went to Seraphine.

The score was tied. Everything would be decided in the final round with the “Secret Dress.”

Far from the noise and applause, in the silence of Ryoma's office in the Shinomiya Mansion, the family watched everything. Ryoma stood with a glass of whiskey in his hand, staring at the giant screen that took up an entire wall. His eyes were fixed on Mio.

“ That girl... ” he muttered. “ Why is she so hard to crush? There's something about her... something that really bothers me. ”

Ryōma narrowed his eyes. There was something about her face, now that he could see her more clearly, now that he could see her smile and move, that was irritatingly familiar. Not as a model, but as... a problem. He put down his glass and opened a locked drawer in his desk. He took out an old, dusty folder. The folder from the private investigator he had hired some time ago, when he suspected Ren was distracted.

Ryōma opened the folder. Inside were blurry photos taken from a distance. One photo showed two people behind the counter at Happy Burger, and in that photo, there was a girl with pink hair wearing cheap hamburger restaurant work clothes. She was a girl with messy hair and a scruffy appearance.

Ryōma held the old photo in one hand while watching the giant screen where Mio greeted the audience with the other. His eyes darted back and forth between the photo and the screen multiple times. From the hamburger girl to the supermodel. The pink hair. The big eyes. The smile.

At that moment, the pencil Ryōma was holding in his other hand snapped in two. The puzzle came together violently in his mind.

“It can't be,” Ryōma whispered, his voice trembling with anger. “ He didn't meet her at the gala. It's not a coincidence. ” He stood up abruptly, knocking over his chair. “ He's been seeing her for months. She's the damn maid! Ren has been lying to me this whole time! ”

Ryōma stared at the screen in fury. Now he understood Ren's rebellion. Now he understood everything. “ So that's your weakness, Ren... ”