Amagi Brilliant Park - Volume 6 - Chapter 1

1: Hard Working Man 

Guests poured through the new entrance gate; families, couples, groups of friends. Nearly all of them were smiling in delight. 
The front plaza, Entrance Square, had undergone a complete transformation. It was now a wide-open, breathtaking space. There was a grand fountain that resembled the Trevi Fountain, which was surrounded by carefully-textured cobblestone paths. All around, chalk-white buildings shone like the villas over the Aegean Sea, standing out brilliantly against the cobalt July sky. It was a perfect portal from the everyday to the wondrous. 
The instant they passed through, everybody forgot that they had come here by bus or car and bought an entry pass in yen. They truly believed they were in a magical realm. The guests familiar with the old Entrance Square were especially dumbfounded by the sight: This is that AmaBri? they seemed to think. Amagi Brilliant Park, the poster child for crummy amusement parks? 
The cast met the guests with pride and confidence. Fairy of Sweets Moffle, Fairy of Music Macaron, Fairy of Flowers Tiramii—all put on magical performances. A live drum and fife band played. Mascots took souvenir photos. The stalls were no longer “Treat Stand” and “Gift Shop”— they had been redesigned to match the setting, bearing more fabulous titles like Concessions Stand and Souvenir Store. 
After bathing in the magical mood around the entrance, the visitors would filter out into the five areas: the magic-themed Sorcerer’s Hill; the adventure-themed Wild Valley; the ocean-themed Splash Ocean; the scifi-themed Astro City; and Etceteland, with its miscellaneous fun. 
None of these areas could be seen from Entrance Square; the new white buildings were designed to block them from view, which meant that guests couldn’t see the attractions until they entered the appropriate area. In other words, you wouldn’t have one area’s theme ruining the fantasy by intruding on another. It was unlikely that most guests would notice, outside of fanatics and industry types, but it was still an ingenious design. 
Seiya sat in a small room on the second floor of Entrance Square, looking down and reading the guests’ minds, one after another: 
«I don’t know what they did, but it’s impressive.» 
«Wow... is it based off of Santorini?» 
«I haven’t been here in ten years. Was it always this great?» 
«Wow! Wow! Wow!» 
«What construction company did this? I’ll have to look it up later...» 
«The kids are so excited. I hope they don’t trip and fall...» 
«Maybe I’ll bring a date here some time...» 
«What’s this? What’s this?» 
«Wow! But I kind of liked the atmosphere of the old version...» 
It was about 90% positive reactions. There were inevitably dissenting opinions here and there, but people were definitely overwhelmed by the view from the entrance. Yes! A success! Seiya thought exultantly, and found himself pumping his fist. 
Sento Isuzu was standing beside him. “Are you using your mind-reading magic?” she asked, perhaps having taken note of his gesture. 
“Yeah,” he admitted. “It’s more reliable than a survey... I took a random sampling of twenty or thirty, and the response is very positive overall. Of course... you hardly need magic when you see smiles like those.” 
“Well... I’m glad to hear it.” Isuzu let out a sigh of relief. Her concern was only natural; the Entrance Square revamp had cost a lot of money. 
Thanks to the maniac speed and tireless work of the Mogute Clan, they’d finished construction in only a week (though it had been inconvenient for the guests in the meantime, having to use a seedy-looking makeshift gate). But of course, it hadn’t been free. They’d managed to keep labor costs down significantly, due to the speed of construction and using their own construction workers, but the fees for the building materials and machinery rentals were considerable. It had literally cost hundreds of millions of yen. 
“If the renewal failed,” Isuzu said, “it would have been a bad blow.” 
“It was never going to fail. It was my idea!” Seiya bragged. 
Most of it had indeed been Seiya’s idea, from the overall concept to the layout, color choices, and lighting. Taramo, Dornell, and Wrenchy-kun had applied themselves to the execution of his vision, taking into account his every request. This planning portion had actually taken longer than the construction. 
“Did you expect me to come up with anything less than perfection?” he scoffed. “From the flow of traffic to the sight lines, it’s all just as I planned it!” 
“Still, it took you a lot of time to settle on the overall concept,” she commented. 
“Mm.” 
“Back in April, you said that you wanted to renovate the entrance, but it took you until the end of May to finish the proposal,” she pointed out. “And you only completed it here, at the end of July. You kept us waiting for quite a long time.” 
“I... I was busy with other things!” Seiya said defensively. 
“You should really have left the task to someone else,” Isuzu told him. “Isn’t your job to worry about the park as a whole?” 
“For important things like these, I should be in charge. I’ve told you that many times.” 
“Yes. And I’ve argued against it many times.” 
“Mm.” 
For some reason, Isuzu was extremely strict when it came to things like this. Perhaps, as his secretary, she didn’t like him taking time away from administration to do an art director’s job. 
“But...” Isuzu hesitated for a moment, then continued. “I do think it’s a wonderful design. Almost professional. Where did you learn to do this kind of thing?” 
“Heh. The library,” Seiya admitted. “I read several books about it. And I already knew the basics, so things went quite smoothly.” 
Isuzu’s eyes widened. “Really?” 
“Of course. I know, to accomplish such a masterpiece after reading a few books... my genius terrifies even me.” 
“You would be perfect if you didn’t brag like this,” she told him. 
“What choice do I have? I really am that amazing! Bwahahaha!” he cackled. Seiya was feeling a bit inflated by the guests’ positive reception, but Isuzu didn’t share in his laughter. 
“Yes. You truly are amazing,” she whispered. Isuzu didn’t sound impressed; there was something sorrowful and guilty in her tone, a sigh lingering around the corners of her words. 
“Why can’t you just be happy?” he asked, sounding exasperated. “The renovation’s going great. Stop being so suspicious.” 
“Perhaps you’re right,” Isuzu admitted. 
“What, do you have a problem with it?” 
“No, I don’t... but...” 
“......” Seiya couldn’t imagine what Isuzu was thinking. Was she worried? Concerned? Regretful? He didn’t even know what she thought of him. 
He probably should have just let it go, but in that moment, Seiya wanted to know what she was feeling. He focused on Isuzu’s melancholy profile. He wasn’t really trying to use his magic— he’d heard that the magic Latifah had given him, the ability to read minds, could only be used once per person. He’d read Isuzu’s mind already, the day after he’d gotten the magic, so he couldn’t use it on her again. Or so he thought. But... 
«...Of course I don’t have a problem with it. But I rely on him all the time... and I’m ashamed of myself. I wish I could be more help to him...» Seiya heard her thoughts. 
“...Seiya-kun?” she asked him, looking puzzled. He just stared at her, too shocked for words. “What’s the matter?” she prompted further. 
“Mm? Ah... well...” he stammered, trying to keep up appearances. Seiya couldn’t figure out what had just happened. He had definitely read her mind with his magic. He’d used it countless of times before, on a variety of people, after all— he knew just what it felt like. Yes, it definitely wasn’t his imagination... But wasn’t the magic one use per person? 
She peered a bit closer at him, looking more confused than concerned. “Are you feeling ill?” 
“No. I’m just... fine.” It must be a mistake, he thought. He gazed at her and used his magic once more, this time, more consciously. 
«...I wonder what’s wrong. He was in full-steam arrogance mode a minute ago. Now, suddenly he seems despondent... He really must be tired from working so hard every day. I’m worried...» 
“......!” There was no question that time; his magic had worked. He’d been told he could only use it once on each person, but that no longer appeared to be the case, as he’d just used it a second and a third time on Isuzu. Could the limitations have simply come from his initial lack of experience with magic? Of course, the only reason he’d assumed it was one use per person was because that was what she had told him, based on precedent. 
Seiya waffled on whether he should tell her about it immediately or not. What would Isuzu think if she found out that he could use his mind-reading magic more than once? It would put her on her guard, wouldn’t it? Of course it would, and he didn’t want that. It would be a lie to say that selfish thoughts didn’t still linger in a corner of his mind— the desire to know what she really thought of him, for example. Besides, he was still confused about the situation, and he wanted some time to work out his feelings. 
“Ah, ahem.” Seiya cleared his throat and forced a cheerful expression onto his face. “Nothing, it’s nothing. ...At any rate, the renovation was clearly a success, so just calm down and follow my lead. All right?” 
“...Really?” Isuzu asked. 
“Yes! Listen to me, er... Er...” With a jolt, Seiya realized it. The girl in front of him— This girl with the ponytail, dressed in the red sleeveless royal guard uniform that hugged her curves. The girl he knew so well, who had supported him as his secretary for so many months... He knew so many things about her, and yet... he couldn’t remember her name. 
He remembered all kinds of things they’d done together. He even remembered the sight of her bare butt when he’d accidentally caught her changing early on in their relationship. He remembered all the times they’d butted heads trying to save the park since then. And yet... for some reason, despite her importance to him, her name escaped him. This wasn’t just a momentary lapse; he genuinely didn’t know her name. 
And it wasn’t just her name; there was another memory he was missing. He remembered that the time he caught her changing was shortly after they’d first met, but he couldn’t remember how the first meeting had happened. He was sure it must have had a lot of impact, but... It was in a classroom, right? And then there was a date... no, what was it? He didn’t know. 
What he did know was that there were two things he couldn’t remember—that he’d forgotten—about her. Two. Exactly the number of times he’d used his magic on her just now. 
“Seiya-kun?” Isuzu said. “Are you all right?” 
“Y-Yeah...” As he answered, he felt disoriented. He even remembered the context in which she had first called him Seiya-kun, yet he couldn’t remember her name or how they had met. “Just a minute...” he told her. 
Seiya took out his phone and checked his email. She was his secretary, after all, and they corresponded daily, so it came up right away. Sento Isuzu: that was her name. But he felt no sense of recognition from seeing those words on the screen. It was more like... I see. So it’s Sento Isuzu, is it? He wasn’t recalling the name; he was learning brand new information. 
So when he said her name, the words hung unnaturally on his lips: “I’m fine, Sento Isuzu. I’m... I’m just fine. So don’t look at me like that...” Seiya repeated, trying to force down his own anxieties. “...Sento Isuzu.” 
“......? You’re acting very strangely,” she commented. “Are you sure you’re all right?” 
“Sento...” he trailed off. 
“......?” Isuzu waited for him to continue. 
“...Nothing. I’m just feeling a little light-headed.” Seiya turned away from her and walked up to the window. The glass was both polarized and smoked, so the guests below couldn’t see him. 

“Seiya-kun. Maybe you should take some time to—” Just then, Isuzu’s smartphone rang. “It’s Tricen.” 
“Ahh. Go on,” he told her, “answer it.” 
She did so. The call was from their head of administration, Tricen; he’d been head of PR before, but recently they’d promoted him to head of administration. His duties hadn’t changed in practice, but this job title seemed to fit him better. It was true that what he did was more like admin than PR. Seiya was hoping to find someone to be the new PR chief so he could reduce Tricen’s burden soon. 
“He wants us to come to the parking lot,” Sento Isuzu said after a short phone conversation. 
“The parking lot?” Seiya questioned. 
“We have a visitor,” she answered. “From the sky.” 

When Sento Isuzu had said “from the sky,” Seiya had assumed it was a dragon from a magical realm, like Rubrum, or something similar. 
But they were actually arriving in a helicopter. It was a Bell 429; a kind of business helicopter that went for 500 or 600 million yen apiece. It had a showy flower pattern, punctuated by a picture of a mouse mascot near the door. 
It wasn’t a mouse like Moffle, though. It was three heads tall, done up in white, red, and blue, with spindly arms and legs like pipe cleaners. One of his large eyes was winking, and he was smiling the most cheerful smile in the world. Yes, it was a champion smile— This was the headliner mascot of Digimaland, Mackey Brown. 
There was no one on the planet who didn’t know Mackey’s name. He was the world’s greatest mascot. He was also the wealthiest resident of any magical realm, raking in billions of dollars per year. He had luxurious mansions all around the world and hopped from country to country on a private jet. It was said that his personal assets rivaled those of Bill Gates. He’d even been interviewed by Forbes multiple times. 
The turboshaft engine of Mackey’s private business helicopter roared as it set down in AmaBri’s parking lot. 
“Is... Is Mackey on that thing?” 
“What?!” 
“Mackey! He’s on that thing, right?!” 
“I can’t hear you!” 
Seiya and Isuzu shouted to each other. The booming engine and rushing air currents made it impossible to have a conversation. 
This wasn’t a heliport; it was an employee parking lot. Was it even legal to land a helicopter in a place like this? Didn’t it violate air traffic laws? 
The helicopter touched down neatly. The door opened, and Tricen got out first. His expression was stiff with anxiety. 
The helicopter’s engine must have shut off, as the turbine sound died down immediately. Soon, it was quiet enough to have a proper conversation. 
“K-Kanie-san!!” 
“Tricen,” Seiya greeted his employee. “What’s going on here?” 
“I’m sorry. I was at a TV station in the city—you know, about the late night commercial? I’d gone to take care of arrangements but...” Tricen spoke, wiping sweat off his brow. 
“And?” 
“And... I ran into him in the hallway. He said he wanted a look at AmaBri... I, the unworthy Tricen, told him that it would be difficult to arrange without an appointment, but...” 
“Hey, there! I’ll explain the rest myself! Haha!” said a high-pitched voice. The great star of Digimaland, Mackey Brown, stepped out of the helicopter. He had a body in the colors of the French flag, and a smile that radiated (perhaps excessive) charm. 
He looked just like the picture on the door. And that presence! He was bursting with the vitality of life! This was the air of a superstar! Like Moffle and the others, he was clearly a “real fairy.” 
“Ladiiies aaand gentlemeeen! Haha! Thanks for comin’ out to see me today! Haha!” Mackey proclaimed. He spun around and snapped his fingers. 
Seiya heard the sound of applause echoing from all around them, as paper confetti and ticker tape fell. This must be Mackey’s magic in action, he thought. 
“Well hey, I see a pretty girl!” Mackey immediately homed in on Isuzu, produced a red rose and offered it to her. 
“Th-Thank you...” she stammered. 
“Haha! Just my way of sayin’ hello!” Mackey told her. “Now listen up, fellas! It’s time for that famous song, I Feel Good! Hit it!” 
Before anyone could object, a funky melody began to play: 
Waaaaoh!
I feel good! (Pa-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra)
I knew that I would (Pa-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra)
I feel good! (Pa-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra)
I knew that I would (Pa-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra)
So good! (Cha, cha!)
So good! (Cha, cha!)
I got you! (Cha, cha, cha, cha!)
Waaaaoh! 
There was a brass and drum stinger, and then the music stopped. The applause rang out again. Mackey stood among multicolored spotlights with a disco ball glimmering over his head. 
He was also surrounded by dancers who had appeared out of nowhere. They were standing in a parking lot in broad daylight, yet somehow, the whole place had been transformed into a stage for Mackey. Was this also Mackey’s magic at work? 
“...Whew! Not bad, if I do say so myself! Thanks for listenin’!” Mackey gave them a sweeping bow, while Seiya and Isuzu just stood there, dumbfounded. At some point, the dancers and the disco ball had disappeared. “Haha! You must be Kanie Seiya, huh? I’ve heard all about ya!” 
“Ah. I’m flattered...” 
“I was appearin’ as a guest at the station today! It was a pretty typical variety show segment! It was all boring and the other entertainers were waaay too casual with me, but what can ya do! Keepin’ your name out there is important, even for a big star like me! Plus I got the anchor with the big rack to agree to dinner with me!” Mackey winked. “Haha!” 
“More of this...” Seiya found himself muttering as he slumped over. Why is everyone I meet like this? he wondered with irritation. What kind of places are those magical realms?! 
“By the way, I was filmin’ in studio two! It’s got that old-fashioned air conditioner and gets real hot this time of year! I bet you remember that, huh, Kanie-kun? Haha!” 
“Yes. Well... erm... so studio two is still like that, is it?” He’d been in that studio a lot as a child actor. It would be easy for a man with Mackey’s connections to find that out with a little digging. 
Seiya found himself feeling a little nostalgic about it all. But the moment after the thought left his lips, he realized Isuzu and Tricen were looking at him, and he snapped back to attention. Oh, no! I thought I hated talking about my child star days... The mouse’s damned charisma caught me off guard! he realized. That ability to infiltrate a person’s mind like this... Mackey is indeed formidable. The world’s most popular man is formidable! 
Ignoring Seiya’s fear and alarm (if he’d even noticed it), Mackey continued. “So after I got out, I ran into this guy in the hall! Um, your name was... Um... er...” 
“Ah! I am AmaBri’s head of administration, Tricen!” Tricen responded, rubbing his hands together. 
Mackey clapped and pointed at Tricen. “Yeah, what you just said! And I was like, wow, how often do ya see someone from Rexland in a Japanese TV station? So I said, ‘hey!’” 
“Hahh... I was forced to hunch over from the thrill!” Tricen gushed. “I’ll be telling this story all my life!” Rexland was Tricen’s home country— As the name suggested, it was a land of dinosaurs. Apparently the people born there were particularly popular in America. 
“Then I asked him why he was here, and wow! It turned out he worked at AmaBri! And suddenly I thought, I oughta have a look at the place! Haha! So I dragged him onto my helicopter and we flew on down! Haha!” 
“Ah... excuse me for a moment.” Seiya said cautiously, preserving his formal speech as he prepared to ask his next question. He hated having this fishy rat parking his helicopter on his turf, but he was still a top star; he had to pay him his due respect. Besides, someone with Mackey’s means could have his whole park torn down on a whim. “Mackey-san,” he continued, “I know a great deal about you as well. You’re by far the most talented person in our industry.” 
“Yeah! Wow, you know your stuff! Haha! I’m honored!” 
“But... why visit a nothing park like ours? Surely we’re far beneath your notice...” 
“Aw, c’mon!” Mackey twisted that big mouth of his into an abashed smile. Seiya had seen a lot of superstars in a lot of media in his time, but he’d never seen an expression like that. “You were s’posed to close up this March, but you managed to pull through! It even caught me by surprise, so I wanna know your secret! Haha!” 
“Well... We got lucky, that’s all,” Seiya told him. 
“Haha! What’s that, humility?” 
“No, it’s the truth.” It was indeed; Seiya truly believed that they’d only made it this far because of luck. Despite his frequent expressions of arrogance, that was one thing he couldn’t deny. They’d had any number of close shaves up to now. If the cards had fallen just a little bit differently, the park would be an abandoned ruin by now. (Although he could take solace in knowing that if some ordinary fool had been here in his place, they’d have been dead before they even came to the table!) 
“Haha! What an interesting choice of words! Though I don’t think you really mean ’em!” 
“Ah,” Seiya replied delicately. 
“By the way, where’s that headliner of yours?” 
“Er... are you referring to Moffle?” 
“I sure am! Haha!” Mackey spread his arms wide. “What, ya didn’t know? I’m Moffle’s best friend! Of course, I’ve got 100 best friends all around the world! He’s the only best friend who makes less than $30,000 a year, though! Haha!” 
“Mackey. What do you want, fumo?” 
Seiya heard the new voice, turned, and saw that Moffle had just arrived in the parking lot. He must have heard the commotion over the helicopter and come running. He didn’t look at all like a man happy to see an old friend, though. 
“Hey, General Moffle! I missed ya! Haha!” 
“I didn’t miss you, fumo.” 
“Aw shucks, don’t be that way! I send you a Christmas card every year! But since ya never reply, I thought I’d better come by personally! Haha!” Mackey’s disposition remained sunny and cheerful. 
Moffle clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Moffu. Darn it... Hey, Tricen.” 
“Y-Yes?!” 
“Show that fatcat rat whatever he wants to see, fumo. I need to talk to Seiya.” 
“Y-Yes sir!” 
“He’s got a powerful Lalapatch Charm (Celebrity Version), so it should be fine to let him onstage. But send Isuzu with him just to be safe, fumo.” 
Isuzu’s brow furrowed at Moffle’s comment. “...? But I...” 
“Haha! Sounds great to me! I love me some big-tiddy girls! How about it, Miss Secretary? Wanna spend the night with me? Oh, but don’t tell Munnie!” Munnie was Mackey’s official girlfriend. In reality, they were married; nobody knew about his other relationships. It was a sensitive enough subject that even the Western paparazzi refrained from prying. 
Still feeling slightly dazed, Isuzu bowed courteously. “Allow me to show you around, Lord Mackey. Although I’ll pass on spending the night...” 
“Aw, too bad. Haha! But that’s life! Let’s go!” 
“All right. Right this way...” 
“See you later, Moffle, Kanie-kun! Haha!” 
Tricen, Isuzu, and several black-clad bodyguards led Mackey onstage. 
“Best friend? What a crock, fumo.” Moffle spat as they were en route from the parking lot to the general affairs building. 
“What was he talking about?” 
“It’s from when I was part of the Maple Land special forces, fumo. Before my promotion to general.” 
Seiya had heard the story of Moffle being a general in the magical realm of Maple Land, and that he’d been a captain in their special forces before then. That must be the time period they were talking about. 
“...There was a terrorist attack, see, fumo. A group of Communist radicals opposed to the Maple Land monarchy—” 
“You guys have radicals?” Seiya interrupted. 
“Moffu (affirmative). So these radicals occupied the USD embassy, fumo.” 
“The USD” referred to the United States of Digima, the magical realm from which most of the Digimaland cast, including Mackey, hailed. Perhaps the term “magical superpower” was more appropriate; Maple Land was a large realm in its own right, but it was dwarfed by the USD in terms of power and influence. 
“The radicals had holed up inside with hostages... my squad was sent to neutralize the situation, fumo. It was a tough operation, but we managed to rescue the civilians and beat up all the terrorists, fumo.” 
“Hmm...” Seiya was curious about the “beat up” part, but inquiring would probably derail the story, so he decided against it. 
“The operation was a success,” Moffle went on. “But then the Maple Land State Department stuck its nose in, fumo. ‘Say it was a joint operation with the Digimans,’ they said. But what they meant was, give them all the credit, fumo.” 
“Credit, huh?” 
“That meant Mackey got declared a big damn hero, fumo.” He explained how Mackey had had a long career in the military as a first reservist, serving as a bomber pilot in hostile territory long ago... The long and short of it was that, for political reasons, Moffle and the others were swept under the rug, and the official story pushed that it was Mackey who had saved the day. Maple Land was also blamed for failing to stop the radicals in the first place, and was forced to concede to several of the USD’s demands. “He didn’t even do much of anything, but the king even gave him a knighthood, fumo. ...And ever since, he’s acted like we’re ‘best friends.’ It’s not as if I wanted credit, so I don’t exactly hold a grudge, fumo. I just don’t like the man, fumo.” 
“I see,” Seiya commented. “But it didn’t look to me like there was any real animus there.” Moffle had clearly been annoyed earlier, but not quite to the point of hate— It looked more like Mackey got under his skin than anything. 
“Moffu. Well, you know...” Moffle sighed. “He’s shallow and annoying, but there’s one thing I can say about Mackey, fumo.” 
“What is it?” 
“He’s a first-class entertainer, fumo.” 

After touring the park for about an hour, Mackey Brown arrived in the rooftop garden of Maple Castle. It was rare to host visitors in the rooftop garden, but taking him to the dreary meeting room in the general affairs building didn’t seem right. Besides, their manager, Latifah, had said she wanted to offer her regards. While helping Latifah rush through the preparation of tea cakes, Seiya checked the work SNS and found that the park’s cast was beside itself: 
It’s Mackey! It’s really Mackey!? 
Mackey talked to me! He said “keep up the good work”!? 
I thought he’d be a real jerk... but he was actually really nice.? 
Mackey shook my hand! I’ll never wash it again!? 
This is a great sign, pii! I bet he’s here for secret talks with Moffle!? 
I got a picture with him, but I guess I’d get in trouble if I shared it on Twitter, huh?? 
Pathetic! Look at them, losing their heads over a business rival! Seiya thought. (Though actually, their park was so insignificant the term “rival” didn’t quite seem fitting.) To Salama’s final message, he replied, “No, don’t tweet about this. Don’t tell anyone, either.” While he did that, Mackey knelt reverently in front of Latifah and kissed her hand lightly. The gesture seemed smooth and practiced. 
“I cannot thank you enough for coming, Lord Mackey. Though I can offer little in the way of hospitality, I invite you to make yourself at home,” Latifah said amicably. Of course, as the first princess of a magical realm, she showed no signs of nervousness or intimidation. Even in the presence of the world’s biggest star, her comportment was immaculate. 
“Gosh, Your Highness! I’m honored! Haha!” 
“Is your wife well? I am told that she sends me a Christmas card every year. I am grateful for the consideration.” 
“Haha! She sure does! Munnie’d love to come see you, Your Highness! Plus... wowee, you’re pretty! We got a lot of cast members who play princesses in our park, but they sure can’t stack up to you!” 
“Oh, you flatter me,” Latifah giggled. 
“‘Why, she is a pearl, whose price hath launch’d above a thousand ships, and turned crown’d kings to merchants...’ That’s from Shakespeare! Haha!” 
“I had never heard that before, Lord Mackey. How knowledgeable you are.” 
“Aw, it’s nothin’! Haha! Haha!” 
Moffle, standing on the sidelines, clicked his tongue. “Oh, please. Shakespeare my eye...” he grumbled, among other things. 

Tea with Latifah commenced. Mackey never seemed to stop talking— He complimented the flowers, and spoke eloquently about the tea. Most importantly, he never forgot to inject bits of humor here and there. Even Seiya was astonished by Mackey’s conversational skills. 
As the ones who had shown Mackey around, Isuzu and Tricen had joined them. Tricen seemed dazzled by the superstar, and even Isuzu seemed much less defensive than she’d been at the start. She didn’t seem to like him, exactly, but her words and gestures now indicated respect. 
“Now, if I may...” Once the ice had been thoroughly broken, Latifah picked herself up. “I really must be going. There are many things to which I must attend.” 
“Oh, gosh! You probably should!” Mackey agreed. “Sorry to drop by all unannounced!” 
“Not at all. You are always welcome here... Next time you come, you really must bring your wife.” 
“Haha! You bet I will!” 
Latifah smiled radiantly. Just before she turned to leave, she said, “Kanie-sama, do handle the rest.” 
“R-Right...” he agreed nervously. 
“And Tricen-san. Might I ask you to join me?” 
“Ah? Yes, of course! I shall hunch over in providing you aid!” Tricen rushed to his feet and left the rooftop garden with Latifah. 
“Haha. Aw...” Once the first princess of Maple Land was out of their sight, Mackey put a hand to his chest with an enraptured sigh. “She sure is the best! I think so every time I meet her! That elegance, that grace! She’s like a flower bloomin’ on the lakeside, I tell ya!” 
Seiya’s brow furrowed at the mention of multiple meetings. “You’ve met her before?” 
“Haha! Sure I have! A buncha times!” 
“Moffu. He drops by unannounced every so often, fumo. He knows about Latifah’s curse too, fumo.” 
Does he, now? Seiya wondered. 
While Seiya sat there in shock, Mackey gave him a sidelong glance and let out a gloomy sigh. “It’s one sad story, huh? If not for that curse, she’d be a beautiful lady by now! Haha!” 
“So what, fumo? She’d still be out of your league, fumo.” 
“Haha! Just kidding, just kidding! After all... ya can’t go through life without humor!” 
“Moffu...” Moffle slumped over. 
But Mackey didn’t seem inclined to joke about the subject anymore (the restraint was another sign of a keen mind), and said, “She’s not just beautiful, but considerate, too! The way she took the dinosaur guy and left at just the right time... perfect! Bravo! Digimaland ladies don’t have that kind of grace! Haha!” 
“Yeah...” Seiya had noticed that, too. Mackey hadn’t come to AmaBri to shoot the breeze; he had something he wanted to talk to Seiya or Moffle about. Latifah must have sensed that, too, which was why she had bowed out and taken Tricen with her. She had probably sensed that it was something he was hesitant to say in front of them, even. “That consideration of hers has been a great asset.” 
“I’ll bet, haha!” 
Just then, Moffle started tapping his paw on the marble table, wearing his annoyance openly. “Moffu. Then let’s drop the formalities and get to brass tacks, fumo. You wouldn’t have come to AmaBri if you didn’t want something.” 
“Aw, don’t be like that! Like I told Kanie-kun earlier, I care about how this park turns out! Haha!” 
“That’s not true and you know it, fumo. Parks like ours are a dime a dozen to you.” 
“Haha! But lookin’ at this dime-a-dozen park sure cheers me up a lot! It makes me feel better, remembering there’s a bottom to our barrel, ya know?” 
“......” 
“I mean, c’mon! I’m the best in the world! You know how much pressure there is, staying at the top all the time? It gets pretty lonely, ya know? It’d crush most fairies! Sometimes I start to lose faith in our attractions, and I tell myself, ‘C’mon, Mackey! Look at AmaBri! Compared to that lousy amusement park, you’re doin’ just fine!’ That lets me build up my courage again! I can work hard and endure my wife’s splurging, too!” 
“I... I see, fumo...” 
“I’ve tried thousand-dollar-an-hour psychotherapists, medicines from neurologists, and all kinds of things! But none of it works quite as well as that! AmaBri is my panacea! Haha!” 
For some reason, Seiya couldn’t muster up any rage about this; the thought of the pressures of being the world’s best sent a strange chill through him. “...Also, Mackey sees a psychotherapist?” he whispered to Isuzu. 
“Everyone in the business knows about it,” she whispered back. “And about his wife’s splurging, too.” 
“It does sound pretty bad...” 
Ignoring their whispered conversation, Mackey continued on with exaggerated gestures. “...But right now, I’ve gotta say, I’m real disappointed in AmaBri! Haha!” 
“...?” they waited for him to explain. 
“You’ve gotten way too good!” Mackey exclaimed. “Especially that renovated entrance! Things’re on an upward curve, and that’s not the AmaBri I know!” 
“I’m not sure what to say to that...” 
“I just sure did love the old park’s seediness! And now you’ve got all this thought put into the guests’ sight lines and walking lines and sounds and smells! Just who’d you hire to come up with all that?” 
“Funds were limited, so I did it myself,” Seiya told him. 
Mackey’s eyes went wide and he blinked. “Yourself, huh?! Haha! What a shock! Kanie Seiya-kun, I’m ready to hire you at Digimaland, for my sake and yours! You can start at three million dollars a year!” 
“Three...?! Er... well...” Three million dollars! Close to 400 million yen! Of course, he couldn’t possibly accept, but his mind was so blown that it took him a moment before he could respond. “I’m sorry, I appreciate the offer... But I’m not doing this for money...” 
“Haha! I thought ya’d say that! How about five million? You’re worth at least that much! Haha!” 
“Seriously, it’s not about the money...” 
“Moffu! That’s enough, fumo!” Moffle released his pent-up anger. “Trying to buy Seiya out while we’re sitting right here? It’s that arrogance, that depravity that I—“ 
“Haha! Haha! Haha! Now, now, Moffle, it’s just a little capitalism! Hooray for capitalism!” Mackey did a spin and then posed. Confetti and ticker tape went flying, and applause seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. “Hey, let’s have a song! What’s a good one for a moment like this? I know, my favorite song! Let’s Have Fun at Digimaland! Hit it, guys!” 
A funky brass melody began to play. Dancers appeared, moving in time with the rhythm. 
Great attractions from wall to wall!
You can get there from everywhere!
Fly across the land with all your luggage in tow!
Get on a cart and you can go anywhere!
How’s that feel?
Even without a destination, no matter how far...
You can come here and you can find your real self! 
(*)Let’s have fun at Digimaland!
Whether far away or right around the corner!
Let’s have fun at Digimaland!
We can hold hands all across the world!
Let’s have fun at Digimaland!
Come here and find blessings from heaven!
Are you looking for the promised land?
Because this is where you’ll find it!
In this place that feels like home! 
New Tomorrow! (New Tomorrow!)
Toon City! (Toon City!)
Coo-ritter! (Coo-ritter!)
Western PA! (Western PA!)
Fantasy City! (Fantasy City!)
Aschenputtel! Adventure! Bazaar! And CA! 
Wow!
Let’s have fun at Digimaland!
Hit me! (HIT ME!) 
(*Repeat) 
Let’s have fun at Digimaland!
Wow!
Feels so good! 
There was another round of applause and cheers. Mackey flashed a thumbs up and a saucy wink. 
While this was all going on, Seiya and Moffle tried to make comments like, “No, you don’t have to sing. Let’s keep talking,” but something was stopping them. No matter how hard they thought the words, they couldn’t manage to speak them aloud. 
“Is that part of Mackey’s magic, too?” Seiya whispered. 
“Yeah, fumo. It’s a spell called ‘Unstoppable Musical’... Once he starts singing, no one can stop him, fumo...” 
“Sounds like a massive pain in the ass...” 
Ignoring their whispered conversation once again, Mackey spun his microphone around and stuck it in his pocket, still on a post-performance high. “Whew! Haha! Well, how’d you like that?” 
“Not a bit, fumo. ...Anyway, er... what were we talking about again?” 
“Oh, I remember! Capitalism! If I offer enough money, Kanie-kun’s as good as mine! Haha! That’s what I was tryin’ to say, you know?” 
“I turned you down, though...” 
“And that’s a foolish decision! Haha!” Mackey folded his arms and peered into Seiya’s face. “I mean, I know there’s no way you guys’ll hit three million guests! I can see the future! Haha!” The moment he said that, Seiya and Isuzu went pale. 
“Three million people? ...What are you talking about, fumo?” Moffle looked at him dubiously. 
Three million was the number of people AmaBri had to bring in this year. Last year, the quota had been 600,000, and they’d just barely managed to clear that. But starting this year, three million was their goal— It was a number they’d had to agree to so that they could sell the second park grounds earlier in the year. The threat was the same as the year before: If they didn’t reach three million, AmaBri would be shut down. 
Three million was a lot. AmaBri was doing its best; if they kept up this pace, they might just reach two million. But three was a pipe dream— an unthinkable number. That’s why Seiya had been keeping it a secret from most of the cast; He knew that hearing it would just demotivate them, and he couldn’t afford to have morale tanking now. 
The only ones who knew about the situation were Seiya and Isuzu, Tricen (who had been present for the negotiations), and their head of accounting, Ashe. He hadn’t told Moffle; he’d planned to do it at some point, but simply hadn’t gotten around to it yet. 
Moffle’s shock was understandable. “Seiya. What’s he talking about, fumo? Three million people?” 
“I’ll explain later.” 
“...Moffu.” He must have grasped the seriousness of the situation, because rather than pressing further, Moffle fell silent and watched the conversation unfold. 
Seiya stared straight into his face of Mackey, who had been guffawing through the entire exchange. “Mackey-san. Could I ask how you knew about that?” There was no point in denying it; knowing Mackey, he had his ways of finding these things out. 
“Haha! C’mon now, it’s everywhere! Ya sold the second park, remember? And ya sold it to Malmart! Everyone was gonna be wondering about it!” 
Malmart was the world-renowned superstore that had bought AmaBri’s second park, so that they could erect a large shopping mall on the land. He’d told the AmaBri cast about that part— that several years down the line, they’d have a shopping mall opening up in their backyard. This would likely lead to a major increase in AmaBri’s attendance due to a symbiotic effect, and the thought gave the cast hope for a bright future ahead. 
“I can see how you would know about Malmart...” Seiya concluded. “But how did you know about the three million quota?” 
“Oh, plenty of ways! You know the saying, use a thief to catch a thief! Haha!” 
“......” 
“Don’t get me wrong, Kanie-kun! Haha! I didn’t come here to tease you or nothin’!” 
“I don’t know, I have my doubts about that...” Seiya decided to drop the formality; fawning politeness wasn’t going to change the man’s attitude. Besides, he wasn’t quite sure if Mackey was on his side or not. 
“Okay! Then I’ll put it all on the table!” Mackey clapped his hands together. “Who forced the outrageous three million attendance goal on you during the Malmart negotiations?” 
“Amagi Development,” Seiya answered shortly. 
Amagi Development was a third sector company, built on investment from Amagi City and several other companies. One would expect them to be on the park’s side, but they were hostile to AmaBri at the moment, and causing trouble for Seiya at every turn. 
“Sure! But hold on a minute! Wouldn’t they profit off of AmaBri selling the second park, too?” Mackey asked. “Having that big shopping mall open up would be great for the city and their partners! It’s a sweet deal! There’s no way Amagi Development’d be against it!” 
“True.” 
“So why would they tack that unreachable goal on the sale? Haha! It’s pretty weird, don’t ya think?” 
“That’s true. It is strange.” Of course, that had occurred to Seiya as well. It made no sense for them to go to such lengths just to shoot themselves in the foot over a simple grudge. 
“The answer is... because there’s a conspiracy! It’s another big company at the heart of this, not Amagi Development!” 
“A request by Malmart?” Seiya guessed. 
“Haha! Close, but no cigar! Malmart’s neutral in the whole thing! They just want as popular an amusement park next to their new shopping mall as they can get! It’s not Malmart that would encourage Amagi Development on to ask for that unreasonable three million demand. It’s...” 
“Moffu. I think I get you, fumo. Cosmic Group, right?” 
“Haha! You said it, Lord Moffle!” Mackey pointed at Moffle and whispered “Bingo!” softly. 
Cosmic Group was a massive entertainment conglomerate. They were involved in movies, video games, streaming video, and music. With a finger in every pie in the entertainment industry, they were the only entity that could truly be called a rival to Digimaland. The Kansai theme park Cosmic Studios was world famous, and they’d also been duking it out with rival theme parks in Florida, originally Digimaland’s home turf. 
“Cosmic Group is lookin’ to open a park in Tokyo! They’re schemin’ to siphon guests off from my... my very own Tokyo Digimaland! Haha!” 
“I see...” Seiya frowned. It was true that AmaBri’s location was good. One could call it ideal, even; the park was less than an hour by train from Shinjuku, and only 15 minutes off the highway. It was on a large plot of land, about the same size as Mackey’s Digimaland, and surrounded by undeveloped hills, which meant no trouble from the local residents. Someone with enough funds could easily overhaul the content and produce a new theme park there— in other words, tear AmaBri down and build a Tokyo Cosmic Studios. “That would be a threat even to you, I guess?” he asked. 
“Haha! Well, I wouldn’t go that far! My park’s ready to take on all comers!” Mackey laughed. Was it a real laugh or a feigned one? Seiya couldn’t tell. “It just really gets under my skin, thinkin’ they’d crush the lousy theme park that got me through my toughest times! That’s why I came here to tell you about it!” 
“We appreciate it,” Seiya thanked him smoothly. 
“Haha! Now, a proposal! I’m gonna solve your attendance problem!” 
“...How?” 
“I’m gonna let you guys join my Digima Group!” 
Seiya, Moffle, and Isuzu all went silent. 
“We’ll add our intellectual property to your attractions! Figure Story! Trains! Fighting Ammo!” 
“......!” The others sat there in shock. Those were all world-famous animated movies, and Mackey was saying he would let AmaBri run attractions based around them. 
“And I’ll license you limited-time merch exclusives! Haha! How about... a plush doll of me cosplaying Lord Moffle! Boy, do the diehards get worked up for that stuff! My fans’ll flock to AmaBri then, for sure!” 
“Urgh...” 
The roar of a turboshaft engine drew nearer. Mackey’s helicopter was descending on the rooftop garden. 
“Of course... haha. If you join us, you’ll have to start doing things our way... In a lot of ways. Yessir, in a whole lot of ways.” Mackey’s expression was still cheerful, but his tone was far from friendly. 
The downwind from the rotor blades pounded hard on the flowers that Latifah had worked so hard to raise. 
“Of course, that’ll all come out in negotiations! But I’d say it’s a good deal for both of us! Haha! Get back to me when ya can! See ya later!” The hovering helicopter lowered a rope ladder. Mackey jumped onto it like it was the easiest thing in the world and flew away, waving to Seiya and the others. “G’bye for now! I gotta get to dinner with that anchor with the nice rack! Haha! Think about my offer, okay? Until then... byeeeee!” 
The helicopter gained altitude and flew off to the horizon. Mackey the Rat had left the park like a character in a phantom thief anime— it was hard to argue that it wasn’t the coolest departure possible. 
The second Mackey was gone, Moffle laid into Seiya. “Three million? Three million, fumo?! What in the world, fumo?!” 
Seiya and Moffle hadn’t been coming to blows often lately; despite their natural enmity, they had established something of a bond of trust. Yet he still found himself grabbed by the lapels from time to time. 
“I was going to tell you eventually,” Seiya said. “But I thought that if I revealed it too soon, it would tank morale. Once the three million goal was in sight, I was going to explain—” 
“It’s not going to be in sight! It’s never going to be in sight!” Moffle said, his voice cracking. “It’s three million, fumo! Don’t you realize how impossible that is, fumo?!” 
“I do,” Seiya said. Three million was a number achievable only by a select few amusement parks in Japan. Mackey’s Digimaland was one; Cosmic Studios, which was currently conspiring with Amagi Development, was another. Then there were two or three others— at most, five or six parks in total. 
It wasn’t all about popularity, either. Most parks just couldn’t even accommodate that many people. Take, for instance, their recent problems with the wait times at Moffle’s House of Sweets the other day—Japan’s best amusement parks would have had facilities to accommodate all those people from the start. They were set up to accommodate 10,000 each day. 
AmaBri wasn’t like them. They had never been expected to bring in more than one million people per year at most, and their construction had reflected that, both in terms of facilities and the employee hierarchies. They were currently on track to bring in 1.5 million, and that alone already had them straining at the hinges. Guests fainting from heat stroke in lines were just one sign of that— soon, more problems were going to start popping up. Equipment breakdowns, cast exhaustion, facility shortages... The lines at the women’s bathrooms were already getting to a point that couldn’t be ignored. 
Now they needed to bring in three million people? It was unthinkable that they could get that many to come—and even if they did, they couldn’t accommodate them. Moffle’s fury was entirely natural. 
“Why did you accept that condition, fumo?!” he fumed. 
“We had no other choice,” Isuzu answered in Seiya’s place. “We had expected to sell the land to Malmart under the original contract. But the day of the final negotiation—the day we added Rubrum and Taramo to the team—Amagi Development suddenly changed their conditions. If we’d refused them... the deal to sell the second park would have fallen through.” 
“Moffu...” 
“AmaBri would have folded within the next three months. Completing the sale meant more money from Maple Bank, which allowed us to make the renovations we needed. Seiya-kun’s decision was correct, in my opinion.” It was Isuzu’s first time sharing her thoughts about the sale. Before now, even in front of Seiya, she had only expressed concern and anxiety. “Do you remember what he said at the start?” she continued. “When you’re drowning, you can’t be picky about what shore you wash up onto. Our park has managed to make landfall on an unfamiliar beach; no more.” 
“...Fine, fumo.” His anger must have relented, because Moffle let Seiya go. “So, what’s the plan, fumo?” 
“About what?” 
“You know what— Mackey’s offer. If we join their group and get their support...” 
“Right...” Seiya fell into thought. He had to admit it; Mackey’s proposal had appeal. Given the situation AmaBri had found itself in, one could even call it a godsend. After all, Digima Group had massive capital, and their IP was some of the most valuable in the world. Joining them would immediately solve their money problems, and as for attracting visitors... if things went well, they could reach the three million they needed within the next six months. The things Mackey had been talking about before—tie-ins with popular movies, the sale of rare goods—those alone would be incredibly appealing to tourists. They’d probably also have ideas about how to accommodate the increased numbers. One could even say that AmaBri’s survival depended on them accepting Mackey’s help. 
“It might... be worth considering.” Seiya chose his words carefully. One of many possibilities to review— a plan he wasn’t immediately enamored with, but one worth considering. 
But the other two still seemed unsettled. 
“Mo—” 
“Are you serious?” Moffle seemed to be about to say something, but Isuzu interrupted. “Don’t you realize what that would lead to? You’ve been acting manager for five months, so you must realize that it means that AmaBri would stop being AmaBri.” 
“If you’re worried about the park name, I can’t imagine they’d care,” Seiya said. 
“No, it goes beyond that,” Isuzu argued. “There’s no reason to think Lord Mackey would be lenient if we join his group. We’ll be forced to make many changes, including the park’s name— We might, perhaps, be ‘Amagi Digima Park.’ Or something even worse.” 
“But why does that matter,” Seiya frowned, “if it means the park survives?” 
“It depends on what you think the park is,” Isuzu’s tone was barbed. “To begin with, there is one thing I can say for sure— If we join Digimaland, they will fire most of our cast. Tricen, Wanipii, Kodain, Mirai-kun... do you think Mackey will consider them vital personnel? Of course not. Muse and the others will be jeopardized, as well. They work hard, but there are better dancers out there. More professional ones, too.” 
Digimaland’s dancers were some of the best in the world; some were even hired from Broadway. AmaBri’s girls were clumsy and made mistakes. They were as charming as could be, but only on a “local celebrity” level. There was no way they could beat Mackey’s hand-picked elites. Out of all of them, Sylphie might compete on dancing alone, but even then, there were tons of dancers on her level. 
“Similarly, Macaron and Tiramii would be in trouble,” Isuzu went on. “They’re our headliner mascots, but they’d likely be expelled. Digimaland has strict standards regarding its employees’ histories.” Macaron had a history of delinquency and divorce, and Tiramii was a criminal who’d done time. None of their mortal guests knew about these things, but Digimaland would still consider them disqualifying. 
“Lord Moffle would likely be allowed to stay; his history is clean. But... they would likely put severe restrictions on his behavior,” she said grimly. “He wouldn’t be able to speak as freely with the guests, and he wouldn’t be able to visit his usual bars, even with a Lalapatch Charm. He might even be forbidden to interact with the rest of the cast.” 
“You’re kidding...” It did indeed feel unreasonable, and Seiya found himself grimacing. He knew they would want to run a tighter ship, but he wasn’t expecting it to be that bad. 
“Isuzu’s right, fumo,” Moffle said. “Digimaland’s rules are just that strict. Of course, that’s because they’re the best in the world— Most of us wouldn’t measure up, anyway.” 
“But—” 
“It’s the truth, fumo.” Moffle said sternly. “Let’s be honest, fumo. They’re the major leagues, and we’re high school ball... Well maybe not quite that bad, but it’s something like that, fumo. If I tried to get hired at Digimaland tomorrow... I might not even reach the lowest rung of their ladder.” 
“Hmm...” Seiya pondered this information. 
“And that’s to say nothing of Macaron and the others...” Isuzu trailed off. “You can imagine what would happen to them, can’t you?” 
Isuzu was right. Seiya knew that Digimaland’s cast were popular and renowned, many on the level of Hollywood celebrities. Their mascots simply couldn’t compete. Of course, they all had their regular customers, their own unique flavors of popularity— But it was all at a niche level. Popularity with enthusiasts didn’t necessarily translate to the wider world. 
“And there’s more,” Isuzu went on relentlessly. “We wouldn’t be able to maintain our current management structure, either. They’ll fill our departments with their own representatives and begin dictating things— from the content of our shows to the menu in the employee cafeteria. They will even dictate with whom we can do business; we won’t be able to work with the merchants who have treated us well in the past.” 
“Wait,” Seiya interjected. “You and Moffle are talking like they’d do this out of spite. Digimaland is a large corporation; of course they’re going to be a little strict.” 
“Yes, and I completely respect that,” Isuzu agreed. “Those policies are what makes them the world’s leading park. But they aren’t right for AmaBri.” 
“We don’t know that yet,” Seiya argued. “We can negotiate to get more things on our terms.” 
“Unlikely, fumo. Their lawyers are first-rate, and they know we’re desperate. They’ll shake us down for all we’re worth, fumo.” 
“I won’t let it happen!” Seiya said sharply. “And anyway... I haven’t decided to accept the offer yet. I’m just considering it.” 
“Seiya-kun...” 
“Are you saying there’s another way?! If I could think of one, I wouldn’t—” Seiya began to speak, then stopped himself. I wouldn’t have to torture myself like this! wasn’t the kind of thing a leader should say. It was a good thing it was just Moffle and Isuzu here; if the others happened to overhear it, it would just spread anxiety. 
“No... forget it.” He took a deep breath. “Anyway... let’s leave the question for another day. We still have today’s meeting to get to...” 
But Seiya couldn’t bring himself to focus on the meeting, or his office work. He was having to keep Mackey’s proposal a secret, not to mention his new discovery about his magic... 

The cast were thrilled over the success of the renovated entrance, and they were apparently going to hold a drinking party that night. “Why don’t you join us for once, Kanie-san?” Muse, the Spirit of Water and leader of Aquario, asked him. It was after work, by the bicycle rack near the general affairs building, and she was dressed in plain clothes. Muse was apparently the organizer for the party tonight. 
“No, I...” 
“Aww. Take a little time off work with the gang, for once!” Muse coaxed. “I’d like to get to know you better, too.” 
“Ah, I’m grateful for the sentiment, but... I have homework, and I need to finish it tonight.” 
“I see... well, maybe next time.” 
“Sorry.” 
Muse gave him a bow, then took off running for the bus station. 
“You’re not coming?” Isuzu asked him from behind. She must have been watching. She had changed into street clothes, too; she must be intending to join the drinking party. “You were lying about having homework. Muse didn’t believe you, either.” 
Seiya hardly ever did school homework; he typically just finished it in class on the days he attended. Besides, summer vacation was coming up— There was no way he had any work he had to finish up by tomorrow. 
“Probably not,” he agreed with a sigh. “...Look, I’m glad everyone else is having a good time, but they wouldn’t be able to complain about work if I were there.” 
“...I suppose you’re right,” Isuzu admitted. 
“I want them to be able to let off steam.” Besides, he wasn’t sure if he could face their smiling faces today. 
“Then I won’t go, either.” 
“Why not? I thought you always went to these things.” 
“You deserve to let off steam, too. I found an excellent ramen shop the other day— Why don’t we go there together?” 
Seiya was taken aback for a minute; Isuzu rarely invited him anywhere. “A ramen shop?” he ventured. 
“Yes. It opened last month on Amagi Avenue. Its specialty is cucumber ramen: Thick, rich tonkotsu soup with three whole cucumbers in it.” 
Seiya balked at the image of a steaming bowl of broth with three cucumbers plopped next to the char siu. “Is that... good?” he asked cautiously. 
“Yes. Very good.” 
“I could imagine diced cucumbers, as an extension of hiyashi chuka, but... whole?” 
“Yes,” she affirmed. 
“And... three of them?” 
“Yes. Doesn’t it sound amazing?” 
“Not a bit.” 
“...I see.” The light went out in Isuzu’s eyes and she slumped over, so Seiya had no choice but to agree to go to the ramen shop with her. It was rare for her to invite him anywhere outside of work, after all... 

Riding together on his bike, it took them 15 minutes to get there. When they arrived, they saw the shop was closed. The “Notice of Closure” posted outside suggested it had remained open for merely a month. 
Isuzu looked shaken. “This... this can’t be...” 
“Well... it stands to reason,” Seiya said. “Cucumber ramen? It’s absurd.” 
“The world is absurd, if it can’t appreciate that ramen.” 
“I don’t understand your taste at all.” 
They ended up going to the gyudon chain across the way, and ended the day there. Isuzu spent the whole time complaining about the ramen place, so they didn’t talk about much worthwhile— not even about Mackey’s visit. 
Although, given how Seiya was feeling at the moment, that was actually a load off of his mind... 
Suzuran Shopping Street, Dining Bar Gutami 
“Mii! Okay so, so... I meet up with this MILF, and it’s crazy! She’s all inked up! Her back is tattoo-rama! She looks like Dominique from Cobra, mii! She could get together with her two sisters and gain the last weapon of ancient Martian culture!” 
“Moffu... Not sure the youngsters’ll get that reference...” 
“Who cares, mii? The point is, she’s a yakuza wife! A! Yakuza! Wife! No public baths or swimming pools for her, mii!” 
“Oh-ho... that’s dedication. You don’t see much of that these days, eh, ron?” 
“Hmm, Yakuza Wives, fumo... Those movies really were great. Especially... which one was it again? The one were Shima takes the submachine gun and rips through the bad yakuza? I loved seeing that beautiful woman in a kimono walking just like a member of the special forces, fumo. Her upper half didn’t move at all. It even shocked the former Hollywood Navy SEALs they had serving as advisors, fumo.” 
“I’m more shocked to hear someone watched Yakuza Wives for that, ron...” 
“Mii! Quit changing the subject, mii! I’m talking about this yakuza wife I met, mii!” 
“...Ah, right, fumo. What then?” 
“So we get to her apartment, mii... We’re about to get down to our first real puff, and just then, her husband comes home, mii.” 
“Oh? That’s a death sentence for sure, ron.” 
“I make it to the closet, mii, but it was a close call.” 
“So what happened then, fumo?” 
“So the husband starts getting hot and heavy with her, mii. And would you believe... They were doing baby play, mii! When they get to his wife changing his nappy, I can’t hold it any longer and I start to crack up. So of course he immediately realizes I’m there, mii.” 
“Hmm...” 
“So I’ve got this yakuza guy furious with mii! I’m here groveling, and he’s talking about breaking my fingers, mii!” 
“With the diaper on?” 
“Mii! With the diaper on! Otherwise buck naked, drool crust on his face... So he says, ‘You got anything to say to me?’ And so I... I... I know it’s suicide, but I just can’t help myself...” 
“What did you do?” 
“I say ‘I’m vewwy sowwy,’ mii!” 
“Bwahahahaha!” 
“Gyahahahaha!” 
Moffle and Macaron fell over laughing. 
Tiramii pumped his fist in the air. “Well, mii? Funny, huh mii?!” 
“Puff! I just imagined it, fumo! Gahaha!” 
“Damn... I can picture the whole room just freezing over, ron! Hee hee hee...” 
“Well, since you laughed, that’ll be 500 yen apiece, mii. C’mon. Pay up, mii.” 
“You got me there, fumo. Here, 500 yen.” 
“You win this round, ron... here.” Moffle and Macaron each ponied up a 500 yen coin to Tiramii. 
“A pleasure doing business with you, mii! ...Of course, Muse-chan didn’t take the bet, so she’s exempted, mii!” 
“Thanks... hahaha.” Muse, who was at the same table and listening in, was forcing her laughter. They’d had a bet going: If you laughed at Tiramii’s story, you paid 500 yen; if you didn’t laugh, he’d give you 500 yen. Muse had opted out, but thinking back now, she could have gotten 500 yen from Tiramii if she’d taken the bet (not that she wanted it). She didn’t find the story funny at all, and it was a little crude for her liking. 
Hmm... At another table not far away, her comrades from Aquario—Spirit of Fire Salama, Spirit of Earth Kobory, and Spirit of Wind Sylphie—were teasing a fellow member of the cast, Wanipii. They were joking about Wanipii’s ideas about women (specifically, his favorite idol singer), and Salama in particular was needling him with comments like, “There’s no way she’s really like that”... To which Wanipii dug his hole deeper with such desperate rebuttals as: “But she is, pii! She’s... she’s a really good girl, pii!” Then they all laughed again. They seemed to be having so much fun. If only she could be at that table instead... 
There were about forty people attending the drinking party that Muse had arranged. That was too many to fit in their usual room at yakitori bar Savage, so she’d made reservations at a nearby chain restaurant. But the drink ordering turned out to be overly complicated, and Mirai-kun had gone off-menu to order himself a bottle of wine... On top of that, the pirate Ironbeard had brought his fur seal retinue, which put them far over their reserved seating and had Muse in a panic over how to deal with it. Fortunately, the very considerate dolphin Kenjuro took ten of the fur seals, the part-time “ABC trio,” and the shark Jaw off to another restaurant nearby, which got them just down to their reservation limit. 

The man responsible for all the trouble, Ironbeard himself, quickly got drunk and started hitting on accounts manager Ashe. Of course, she’d probably be fine... Ashe knew just how to deal with men like him. She just smiled and nodded while pouring more and more cheap booze into Ironbeard’s cup; he’d probably pass out soon enough. 
Tiramii continued with his story, but Muse had grown so focused on monitoring the other tables for trouble that she completely missed how he got the yakuza man to forgive him. Of course, knowing Tiramii-senpai, he probably used some kind of strange magical item to bail himself out. She was more interested in what was going on at Salama’s table. 
“Okay, so... If you had to choose one of the four of us, which would it be, Wanipii?” Salama was asking. 
She was half-teasing, but Wanipii began thinking hard, seeming to take the question in earnest. “Pii... Pii... Well... hmm... That’s a tough one, pii... I’ve sworn my eternal love to Miiya-chan, see...” Miiya-chan must have been the idol he was talking about earlier. 
“Oh, who cares about that?” Salama scoffed. “It’s all hypothetical. C’mon, c’mon.” 
“You’ll feel better after you tell us. Have some katsudon.” Sylphie slid a small appetizer bowl under Wanipii’s nose, playing the good cop. 
“Pii... Pii... Um... In that case...” Wanipii cast a glance in the direction of Muse, sitting at her separate table. 
What, seriously? I hope not... Muse thought. 
Just as she thought it, Wanipii spoke: “Umm... Out of the four Aquario girls, Kobory-chan is most my type, pii.” 
“Hahaha! I knew it! Long black hair! Long black hair!” Salama cackled, while Sylphie pointed accusingly at Kobory, like a detective naming a suspect. 
Kobory just said, “C-Come on, don’t try to flatter me...” and waved her hands with an awkward smile (the correct response). 
Ugh. Muse felt a bit pathetic for entertaining the notion that she’d be picked. It wasn’t so much about Wanipii; she just hated her self-obsession at times like these. The thing with Kanie-san is that way, too... 
While Muse was drifting off in thought, Macaron addressed her: “By the way, is Kanie-kun not coming, ron?” 
“Huh?” 
“Kanie-kun. You said you were gonna invite him, ron.” 
“Ah... y-yes. But he passed,” Muse explained. “He said he had homework, I believe.” 
“Mii. Kanie-kun never comes to these things. I’ve invited him to Savage a few times, and nada, mii.” 
“Moffu... Being acting manager is all the more reason to keep his distance, I’d say,” Moffle said, as he drained his mug of Hoppy. 
“Is it?” 
“Yeah. He feels a certain sense of responsibility, fumo. And he likely feels that leadership should be a lonely thing, fumo... he probably thinks it makes him seem cool. And, well, that’s about what I expect out of Seiya.” 
As the person in charge of tonight’s drinking party, Muse could understand a little bit of what Moffle was saying. Of course, a single night of leadership couldn’t tell her everything, but she could at least imagine the shape of it. Muse found herself feeling very sad that Kanie Seiya wasn’t joining them. “Still, I wish he’d come by every once in a while...” 
“Maybe he will, some day. But it wouldn’t be tonight at any rate, fumo.” 
“Why not?” she wanted to know. 
“Something’s come up about the park. He’s probably off gnawing away at it on his own, fumo.” 
“Ahh...” 
“Wait a minute, mii! You said he’d be on his own... but Isuzu-chan didn’t come either, mii! What does it mean, mii?!” 
“Ah, that’s right... Isuzu-san... she canceled today, too. She said she had some homework for school.” 
“Isuzu-chan’s also using homework as an excuse, ron? At this time of the school year? Seems fishy to me...” 
“Mii... You think they’re sharing a night at the Alamo, mii?” 
Macaron and Tiramii exchanged suggestive grins. 
“Stop it, fumo,” Moffle interrupted with a grimace. “But, well, it’s very possible they’re having a discussion. You know how damn serious the two of them are, don’t you?” 
“Mii,” Tiramii agreed. “But, but... being serious and indulging your passions don’t have to be mutually exclusive, mii.” 
“They really are two of a kind, ron. They should hook up already.” 
“Moffu. Honestly...” 
From there, the three mascots moved to a different subject: They were talking about a recently released war movie, which left Muse totally in the dark. But Macaron’s words, “They’re two of a kind, ron,” lingered in her mind and sent her stomach fluttering with unease.