Amagi Brilliant Park: Volume 5

by Shouji Gatou

  “I’d like to be shown to the exit, if you please. And regarding him... I expect you to take appropriate measures.” What Papa Adachi was really saying was, “Fire him, and be prepared for the consequences if you don’t.”

  Seiya and Tricen tried to stop him.

  “Sir, I beg of you...”

  “I hunch over in supplication! He’s a very good employee, really!”

  “Enough,” Papa Adachi said coldly. “Please, don’t waste any more of my time.”

  “You’re a joke, ron.” Macaron hissed out, causing the whole group to go silent. “You think I’m just gonna stand here and let you trash me? Hey, you old geezer... Who do you think you are, ron?”

  “Stop it, Maca—Magiwa,” Tricen tried.

  “Shut the ron up!” Macaron kicked over a nearby stack of traffic cones. “Listen up, jackass... if you weren’t some city council bigwig, I woulda popped you one ages ago! You like bossin’ people around, huh, ron?! You’re just some pain-in-the-ass crapsack I wouldn’t give the time of day!”

  “Stop!” Seiya bellowed.

  “Like hell I’ll stop! This old pissbag wasn’t ever gonna listen, ron! We shouldn’t have wasted our time, ron!” You guys tortured me over and over and over, and I took it! I just took it! But now I’m done!”

  “Magiwa-san. Is this the real you?” Dr. Adachi questioned.

  “Huh? The real me? You stupid or somethin’? This ain’t the half of it! Now hold your punk ass right where it is so I can give you the rest!” He began stalking towards Dr. Adachi.

  Isuzu was about to pull out her musket, but Seiya stopped her. Tricen moved to hold Macaron back, and Seiya quickly joined him.

  “Please calm down, Macaron-san!” Tricen begged.

  “Lemme go, asshole! You—” Macaron struggled, but Tricen held fast. He was surprisingly strong—but then, he was a triceratops.

  While they struggled, Isuzu put herself between Macaron and Dr. Adachi. She was likely prepared to pull out her gun and fire if she had to.

  Shit, I missed my chance, Macaron thought furiously. I shoulda just laid into him from the start, ’stead of talking... “Y-You don’t even care about your own damn daughter! You strut around here like you’re hot shit, ron! But you shoulda been beating down her door to apologize, ron!”

  “What did you say?” Papa Adachi asked incredulously.

  “You piss me the hell off, ron! You started this whole shitshow by sticking Eiko with that spoiled jackass Shuichi! Making that poor girl marry that little brat?! What kind of father even does that, ron?!” Macaron demanded. “You’re a sorry excuse for a dad! I’ve got my own daughter, and I’d die before I put her through that, ron!”

  “Y-You have a daughter of your own, and you still went after Eiko?! You—”

  “I didn’t, ron, and you damn well know it!” Macaron scoffed. “You ever listen to your daughter, puke-for-brains?! Try to think about how she feels, ron!” Then, mid-shout, he realized something. Ah, that’s right. That’s right. Did I ever think about my own daughter’s feelings? I was so upset by her behavior that I never even tried...

  “L-Lalapa... Lalapa... oh... ohhh, roooooon!” Suddenly, tears were forming in his eyes. His body went limp. His daughter was gone.

  It was supposed to be the best day of his life, and it had ended up being the worst. His whole stupid act had left him with nothing, too. Now this rich asshole was going to storm off and take his anger out on the park. There was no telling how low he might sink. The thought that his friends at the park might suffer because of him was one thing Macaron couldn’t bear— He had at least that much nobility.

  He was going to have to leave the park. But he couldn’t quit voluntarily; he had to let the park fire him. If possible, it would be best if Seiya ordered it right now (although for appearances, Tricen should be the one to say it). He cast a glance at Seiya and gave him a small nod.

  “......” It seemed Macaron’s meaning had gotten though. But Seiya also looked conflicted. Was he thinking about the blowback of losing his park’s number two cast member? Or was it his personal feelings coming to bear?

  Either way, Macaron knew what was coming. Kanie Seiya was their acting manager. He was ready to make these kinds of tough decisions. That’s right! If you try to stand up for me now, I’ll lose all respect for you, ron!

  Seiya closed his eyes and swallowed hard, pursed his lips and steadied himself. “Dr. Adachi,” he said at last. “I think Magiwa here is just a little bit flustered. But... after a display like that, I don’t think we have much of a choice. As you requested, I’ll have him fi—”

  “N-No... wait a minute.” Papa Adachi interrupted him.

  “What?”

  “Could I talk with Magiwa-san alone? Just he and I.”

  Evening had fallen over the park. The two fathers, Macaron and Dr. Adachi, sat facing each other inside the great wheel. The sunset sky spread out around them, as far as the eye could see. Beneath them lay the Tama Hills in early summer.

  “...Two old men sharing a ride on a Ferris wheel, huh? How’d we end up like this, ron?” Macaron muttered to himself, swinging his legs.

  Dr. Adachi gazed into the distance for a time. Then at last, he made up his mind and spoke. “Magiwa-san.”

  “Yes?”

  “Listen... I’m trying to open up to you. To talk to you, man-to-man. Won’t you please remove your costume?”

  “I will not, ron,” Macaron, still in his woolly sheep form, declared. He wasn’t going to risk his life in that torture chamber again. On that point, Macaron would not budge.

  “You insist?”

  “I insist,” Macaron said firmly.

  “......W-Well, all right. I suppose everyone has things they can’t compromise on.”

  “I’m grateful for the understanding, ron.”

  Perhaps time had cooled both of their heads. They’d returned to politeness mode, and were conversing awkwardly for now.

  “Magiwa-san,” the doctor began, “was what you said before true?”

  “What?”

  “You really aren’t in a relationship with my daughter... with Eiko?”

  “I’m not,” Macaron told him. “She just works for me, ron. And very hard, at that.”

  “But she said she... er... that she went all the way with you...”

  “Adachi-san.” Macaron said, letting out a sigh. He was basically saying ‘are you stupid or something?’ “Like I told you before, that was just an excuse that she made up on the spot. It should show you how badly she wanted to get out of the engagement.”

  “But... I was told they got along well,” Papa Adachi protested.

  “Did you hear that from him? He was lying. That man was utter scum, ron.”

  “But...”

  “Look. Let me tell you how he was acting that night, ron.” Macaron explained it all. The wrinkles deepened on Papa Adachi’s brow. “I mean, I’m sorry that I lost my temper. I know that I can be abrasive, ron... You saw that. But... honestly, what else can you do about a man like that?”

  “Mmgh...” Papa Adachi groaned.

  “Eiko-san is a good woman, ron.” Macaron said, gazing at the sunset. “She’s never defied you before, has she? But she just couldn’t stand that fiancé of hers anymore. That’s why the first thing out of her mouth was my name, most likely.”

  “......” Papa Adachi didn’t know how to reply.

  “You can’t blame your daughter, ron. She’s really sorry and she’s apologized repeatedly. She also tried to come clean about the lie—you just didn’t believe her.”

  “I suppose I did... have an inkling...”

  “That’s why we decided to go all-in on the lie with that whole performance, ron. We thought if we got you to like me, it would fix everything. But we should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.”

  “Well... er....” Papa Adachi swallowed audibly. “You mean to say... you did all of this for my daughter?”

  “Yes, ron.” Macaron snorted. “We thought it would let
us keep the park running, free Eiko-san from her engagement, and keep her working here, all in one fell swoop, ron.”

  “Ridiculous,” Papa Adachi scoffed.

  “Yeah, I guess it was pretty weaselly of us. But it was the way that would make everyone happiest, ron.”

  “But if you had just explained it all from the start...!”

  “Would you have listened? A man who wouldn’t even listen to his own daughter?”

  “Mmph...”

  “Adachi-san. I can see now that you’re a reasonable person, ron. But that doesn’t seem to be the case when it comes to Eiko-san.”

  “......” Papa Adachi turned his eyes down and remained silent for a while. His face was twisted in agony. The face of a father in deep distress— Not even Macaron could ignore that. “I’m so ashamed,” he finally said.

  “Yeah. You’ve been a real heel, ron.”

  “Ahh... Magiwa-san, you’re an interesting person. I would be angry if one of my workers said these things to me. But for some reason, when you say them, they all make sense.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Macaron told him.

  “Would you hear me out a bit longer? Regarding my daughter...”

  The car they were riding in clanked and shook. It had completed its revolution and returned to the boarding area.

  “Okay, we’ll go around one more time.”

  “Thank you.”

  Macaron made a gesture to the employee about to open the door, indicating him to let them go around one more time.

  “Go on,” Macaron prompted him.

  “All right. ...You were right that my daughter has rarely disobeyed me in the past.” Papa Adachi said. “But it’s not as if I’m especially controlling. I’ve always tried to respect her wishes. I wanted her to be a doctor, but she wanted to go into English literature. I allowed her to do that, and I never once complained.”

  “And her engagement?”

  “Up until now, I thought she was pleased with it. They’d met several times, and I never forced the issue—all I did was encourage her to think about her future. I only formalized it after having several careful discussions with his parents and being sure it was what both parties wanted.”

  “What about making her quit her last job?”

  “I never demanded that of her. All I said was, ‘I’m not sure if the entertainment business is right for you,’ and she quit on the spot. I was a little surprised by it too, to be honest...”

  “I see, ron.” Macaron let out a sigh. “You never gave one thought to her feelings, ron.”

  “What?”

  “You know none of that was how she really felt, right? I’ll bet she was always unsure about the fiancé, but you seemed to like him, so she thought ‘I guess I’d better do it.’ And she quit AVs—er, the talent agency—not because she wanted to, but to give you peace of mind. And maybe you did ‘compromise’ on her major, but I’d wager that’s been weighing on her, too. She’s been holding it all in, but she couldn’t take it anymore, and she finally exploded, ron.”

  “Hmm...” Papa Adachi mused, then paused. “...Wait, what was that you said about AVs?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Ah...” he looked a bit concerned, but nodded.

  “The point is, she’s not always going to say exactly how she feels, ron. That’s just how girls her age are with their dads. So...” In the midst of his lecturing of the man, suddenly, Macaron realized—

  Lalapa... The behavior of his beloved daughter. That indifferent, slightly cold way she’d acted...

  “Ron...”

  That wasn’t how she’d really felt either. Lalapa was a tough girl, but she was also at a sensitive age. Could she have been putting on that front to protect her own feelings? After all, she’d gotten herself dressed up for the occasion...

  “Even if I go to see my dad, he’ll probably just ignore me to focus on work...” Of course she would be nervous about that. And in that case, her behavior would be completely natural, wouldn’t it?

  And yet I... I... Lalapa... He looked down and clenched his hooves.

  “You’re right, Magiwa-san. I think I’ve been an awful father,” Papa Adachi said at last, breaking the silence.

  “No,” Macaron sighed, “I don’t have any right to lecture you. I’m a bad father too, ron...”

  Silence fell once more between them as the Ferris wheel completed its revolution. As the two men slouched despondently out of the car, they found Adachi Eiko waiting for them outside.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “Lalapa-san decided...”

  “Ah, never mind that, ron.” The fact that Eiko was there alone told Macaron everything he needed to know— Lalapa was gone. “You should talk to your father.”

  “But...”

  “I said, it’s all right. Let the third wheel get out of your way, ron.” Macaron said goodbye to Papa Adachi, then slumped away.

  As he left, he heard Eiko call out to him, “Maca... Magiwa-san. You still have a performance to do at the Music Theater.”

  “...?”

  “Please be there. I’ll explain everything later.”

  “Ron. Well, if I feel like it...” Macaron kept walking. Just as he passed through the cast door, then, he turned around.

  Eiko and her father were talking. He was far enough away now that he couldn’t make out what they were saying. It wasn’t something he should be listening to, and he probably shouldn’t be speculating about it, either. From here on out, this was between a man and his daughter.

  As he arrived backstage, Macaron found Seiya, Isuzu, and Tricen waiting for him.

  “How’d it go?” Seiya asked, anxiously.

  “I couldn’t say. But your judgment wasn’t far off, Kanie-kun. The old bastard was pretty reasonable, ron.”

  “Give me the gist.”

  “I’m not sure if I can. I haven’t fully worked it out myself, ron. Well... I think he realizes he was being a jerk, at least, ron.”

  “Hmm...”

  “Is that enough, ron? I’d like to get out of here if I can. You can handle the rest.” He swung his stubby arms as if to work out the stiffness, then headed for the stairs to the underground passage.

  “Macaron. Where are you going?” Isuzu asked.

  “To work, ron. Assuming I’m not fired yet,” he answered. “I hardly got to spend any time with the guests today, so I thought I’d use my last song to vent some frustration.” With a slightly bitter chuckle, Macaron walked down the stairs.

  With this possibly being his last performance, he thought about doing his beloved gangsta funk, but refrained. He decided instead to play it straight with the AmaBri theme song—a bubbly, family-oriented violin melody, perfect for an amusement park. Having made up his mind, he gave his instructions to the staff.

  “Ron! Welcome to my music theater!” he cried as he got up onstage, waving to the customers as the melody started to play. “Sorcerer’s Hill is a land of dreams! But it gets a little dull without my songs! When that happens, the Fairy of Music is here to help! I’m gonna give you all the funnest time I can! Let’s go!” Behold my peerless technique! he thought, and then spinning the violin around like a guitar, began to play.

  Ohh, God of Music... I’ve never played like this before. My bow seems to be racing across the strings. Is this the flavor of loneliness? They say there are things you only discover after a great loss. Is this what they mean?

  Ron, ron, a-rooon... It’s when you feel empty inside that true music smiles on you. And right now, God’s on my side, ron! Move to stage right, move to stage left. Then taxi to victory (whatever that means).

  The guests seemed entranced by Macaron’s soul-searing performance.

  “Ron, ron, roooon!” Hear me, my audience! This is the cry of my soul, ron! “Roooooooooon!” The music ended.

  The audience burst into applause. It was close to closing time, so there weren’t even many people there—only about 60% of the seats were filled, but it was the most thunderous applause he�
�d ever heard. It might have been the greatest performance of his life.

  “Pant... huff...” He held up violin and shredded bow and bathed in the applause. Then suddenly, he saw her. Lalapa was there, sitting in a corner of the spectator seats. “Lalapa?”

  Like the other guests, she was clapping her heart out. She was also beaming with pride. It was as if she was saying to those around her, “See that? That’s my dad!”

  “Lalapa!” Macaron leaped down from the stage and ran to his daughter. The guests stared in shock, but he didn’t care. “Lalapa, I’m sorry. I’ve been so stupid, ron...” he said, hugging her tight.

  “Hey... cut it out,” she protested. “I was gonna leave, b-but Eiko-san stopped me... She said, ‘at least go see your father play’...”

  So that was what it was, huh? Thank you, Eiko!

  “A-And... i-it wasn’t bad,” Lalapa said, cheeks flushing pink.

  “Lalapa.”

  “C’mon, lay off, okay? You’re hurting me. Let me go.”

  “No, ron.”

  “D-Dad?”

  “It wasn’t about white roses and stuff, was it? I just had to hold you tight, ron!” That was right. When she said she was leaving, he should have stopped her. “I love you, Lalapa.”

  “C-Cut it out...”

  “I won’t. I won’t, ron.”

  “Seriously, it’s embarrassing...”

  “Nonsense!” he told her. “I’m not embarrassed, ron!”

  “Oh, please...” After a moment, Lalapa smiled awkwardly. “You’re so stupid.”

  “Yes, I am. Your father is very stupid, ron.” Even as the spectators started filing out, Macaron continued to hold on to his daughter.

  The next day, in the break room during lunch...

  “So? What happened next, mii?” Tiramii asked, while wolfing down his convenience store lunch.

  “Ron...” With a smile of triumph, Macaron struck a pose. “Of course, I showered her with affection. We had Italian for dinner, went to an all-hours cafe with a great atmosphere, then shared a friendly drink. Heh heh heh...”

  “Moffu. You make it sound indecent, fumo.” Moffle said as he chewed on a Saigo-tei croquette.