“...Kanie-kun. You’re feeling disappointed that you couldn’t get blackmail material on me, aren’t you?”
“W-Wait... you don’t have that power too, do you?”
“No. It just seemed likely, given your behavior in our previous interactions.”
“Grr...”
I really hate acting, Seiya thought bitterly. It’s a little late for it now, but—
“F-Fine... Let me test it a little more.” Trying it on one person wasn’t positive proof.
He tried the power out on a middle-aged office worker walking beside them on his way to the station. It was just a man he’d seen around from time to time—it wouldn’t be a problem to never read his mind again.
He heard the man’s voice. «Ahh, I’m so tired. I got out of the house late, and I’ve probably missed my usual train... Which means I won’t see that pretty clerk today. She’s my one point of light in a hellish commute...»
Whatever. He then read the mind of a middle-aged woman in a suit, who was walking behind the man.
«...Did I program the DVR right? If I call now, maybe I can get Takeshi to check it before he goes to school. But Takeshi hates Korean dramas, which makes it so awkward to ask him... What will I do?»
Seriously whatever. He then tried an ordinary-looking boy behind her. He was dressed in a uniform for another school, his eyes glued to a notebook as he walked—
«...Congress of Vienna, 1914. Congress of Vienna, 1914. Congress of Vienna, 1914. Congress of Vienna, 1914...»
Not whatever at all! The Congress of Vienna was 1814 to 1815! It was a crucial conference between the nations of Europe after the Napoleonic Wars! How could you mistake it for 1914? That’s a century off! That’s World War I! He ground his teeth, longing to object. Longing to point out the boy’s mistake...
After choking down the urge, he tried using his “magic” once more on the same subjects—the office worker, the older woman, the student—but he couldn’t read any of their minds any more.
“...It seems you’re correct, Sento,” he finally admitted. “I only get one try per person, and I can only read their minds for a short time.”
“The Maple Land records speak of people in the past who had that sort of power,” she answered briefly.
“Hmm.” If he had learned one new thing from all this, it was that the power didn’t allow him to actually see people’s names. He didn’t know the kanji behind the woman’s (probable) son, Takeshi.
In other words, the magic didn’t let him literally “read” the person’s mind; he was just hearing their thoughts. And he only got one shot per person. With limitations like that, it would be a difficult power to abuse.
They were getting close to Yanokuchi Station; the area around it was badly run-down, with almost no shops. There was a cleaners and a green grocer, plus a pub and a yakitori bar aimed at the local men. To the south of the station was undeveloped mountain forest.
These were the outskirts of the Tokyo commuter town Amagi, right on the border of Kanagawa Prefecture. Although they were a mere 30 minute ride to Shinjuku, it would be a stretch to call it part of the city; It was a suburb.
After passing through the ticket gate, Seiya spoke up again. “I still have a lot of questions. What’s this ‘Maple Land’ thing?”
“It’s a magical realm that lies on the threshold between the sea and the land,” said Isuzu.
“So I’ve heard,” he replied pointedly. “Now tell me the truth.”
“That is the truth.”
She’s apparently going to insist on this whole ‘magical realm’ line, then. Fine, whatever.
“But all you need to worry about, for now, is coming back to Brilliant Park with me after school,” she said. “The fact that you passed out meant we weren’t able to discuss our plan of action.”
Seiya protested her suggestion, naturally, but when he found a musket pointed at him on the station platform, he decided that agreeing with her was his safest bet.
After arriving at school, Seiya spent all day in class biting back his anger. Things were further exacerbated by the fact that someone, somehow, had leaked a rumor about him and Isuzu. He’d been eating his lunch in a lavatory stall when he overheard some students come in who were talking about it.
The account was that a first-year girl had witnessed Kanie Seiya and Sento Isuzu meet up in front of Amagi Station and get on a bus together. The report was that the bus was the one that went to Hotel Alamo. The fact was that the next morning, the two had walked to school together, looking “awfully friendly”—
You’ve got to be kidding me!
He wanted to burst out of the stall and yell at them, but he was stymied by the fact that he was eating his lunch in a bathroom stall. If he wanted to preserve any scrap of his reputation, he couldn’t afford to come out now.
You know, THE Kanie Seiya... With no friends! All alone!! In a toilet stall!! Eating curry bread!!—The thought was unacceptable.
After a few more teeth-gritting hours, Seiya ended up at Amagi Brilliant Park once again. Isuzu had been waiting for him outside school after class, and had mercilessly pulled him along with her.
“So?” Seiya asked after they’d passed through the cast entrance next to the gate. “Where are you dragging me off to today?”
Rather than answering, Isuzu was wordlessly pecking at her cell phone. She seemed to be checking her email, and typing out a short reply to someone. Her style of typing was incredibly slow and clumsy.
“Hey.”
“......”
“If you’re going to check your email while someone’s talking to you, you could at least say you’re sorry. Didn’t your parents teach you anything?”
“......”
“No response, huh? I think I’ll go home, then.” Seiya turned on his heel and was proceeding towards the exit when he felt an iron hand on his collar. “Hey!”
“How do you create ‘emojis?’” Isuzu showed him her cellphone screen.
Re: They’re here, fumo
Understood. I’m at the first gate.
I’m bringing Kanie-kun.
From: Moffle
To: Sento Isuzu
The Amagi Development guys are here, fumo.
I’m sending them to conference room three, fumo. Get there ASAP
It was an email that raised quite a lot of questions, Seiya thought.
First, there was the fact that the email was from Moffle. That was the mascot he’d had the fight with the day before. Why was someone sending business emails under the mascot’s name? “Amagi Development guys” was an odd set of words, too. And that speech tic... “They’re here, fumo.” Why?
Shelving his various questions for now, though, Seiya decided to address hers. “...I don’t really understand any of this,” he told her, “but are you trying to put an emoji after ‘I’m bringing Kanie-kun?’”
Isuzu nodded.
“What kind of emoji?” he asked.
“I want one that looks like I’m smiling and waving.”
“Okay...” he told her, “hand it over for a minute.”
I’m bringing Kanie-kun. :)
“Will that do it?”
“Hmm... it’s passable,” she decided.
What kind of reaction was that? Seiya wondered. What kind of emoji would be better than “passable,” then?
But all that aside—
“So, where are you taking me?” he wanted to know.
“You saw the email, didn’t you? To conference room three.”
“Why?”
“To meet with the people from Amagi Development,” Isuzu explained.
“And Amagi Development is...?”
“Our enemy.”
There was a squat building on the other side of the amusement park.
Conference room three was on its third floor, and was a plain-looking room, with no distinguishing features. It housed a faded conference table, which was surrounded by folding chairs, and a dingy-looking whiteboard.
The so-called “enemy” Isuzu mentioned had already arrived.
There were three of them: Two unremarkable older men, with a younger man standing in between them. The attractive young man in the middle seemed to be in his mid-twenties, and was probably around the same age as Seiya’s aunt Aisu.
All three were wearing matching, tasteful gray suits that appeared to be very expensive. They carried themselves less like businessmen, and more like a squadron of soldiers who had just deciphered their enemy’s plan. The smiles they wore were smug and imperious.
The young man gave Seiya a glance, then introduced himself: “I’m Kurisu Takaya from Amagi Development,” he said as he held out his business card. It was a simple one.
Unfortunately, Seiya didn’t have any business cards. He introduced himself and bowed politely.
Kurisu’s smile remained firmly in place as he sized Seiya up. “Nice to meet you. What’s this student doing here?”
“He’s an intern. He’s here to take the minutes,” Isuzu explained.
“I see,” Kurisu said. “...An intern, eh? Where’s your manager, Latifah-san?”
Isuzu was the only park representative in the room. There was no one else there. Seiya had assumed that the (guy inside of the?) high-and-mighty mascot Moffle would be there, but it seemed he wasn’t.
Isuzu responded politely. “As I mentioned in our email, our manager is feeling ill and won’t be here today. As acting manager, I will be humbly standing in for her.”
“I see,” Kurisu said coldly. “Very well.”
Seiya was surprised to see Kurisu Takaya agree to this so readily—it wouldn’t have been out of line for him to complain about coming all the way out here, only to be forced to deal with the likes of Isuzu and Seiya. The other two men did seem to be thinking something along those lines, but one glance from Kurisu and they swallowed their grievances.
Kurisu seemed to be the one in charge, and after a moment’s pause, he spoke: “...So, acting manager Isuzu-san. I believe you’re aware of the circumstances that bring us here today? If you can’t meet the attendance quota within the next two weeks, ownership of Amagi Brilliant Park will transfer to Amagi Development.”
“...Yes,” Isuzu responded without a fragment of emotion.
“According to the contract our interests signed back in 1982, if you have five years with a park attendance below one million, the park’s management rights transfer to Amagi Development. Accordingly—”