Part 3
After bringing out some documents, Sento-senpai walked up and spoke.
“Allow me to explain the basic responsibilities of all cast members. Here are the printouts; please pass them around.”
The briefing proceeded smoothly after that. Kanie-senpai had other matters to attend to, so he left immediately.
Sento-senpai proceeded to walk us through some administrative matters, such as the rules that cast members must abide by, uniform sizing, and greetings. The concept of admin got me all excited! All hail admin!
Through her explanation, I came to understand that she and Kanie-senpai were not merely personnel in charge of the part-timers, but leaders in the upper levels of the the hierarchy—though exactly how high was something I wasn’t sure about. Sento-senpai’s uniform and professionalism in this room made her seem way cooler than she did in school. I’ll be as attractive as her one day!
That aside, I’d like to know her relationship with Kanie-senpai. Those two always have a strange mood going on between them. Perhaps they get all lovey-dovey when they’re alone together? Like maybe…holding hands or something!?
Then again, Sento-senpai was unforgiving and even shot people with her musket, so maybe not…
Hmm, I can’t leave this alone. I ought to observe them when I get the chance!
The orientation ended before noon, and we were assigned to the various departments after lunch. Eiko-san was posted to “Macaron’s Music Theater.” I waved my hands as she left us and made her way to the location. She was a nice person. Please let me call you my sister. Never mind, that’s a bad idea.
“Shiina-san.”
“Y-Yes!”
“You’re assigned to ‘Moffle’s Sweet House’ as an assistant actor. Good luck.”
“I-I’ll do my pest!”
I’m sure she understood what I meant.
But wait a minute…did she just say “Moffle’s Sweet House”? Wasn’t that where Moffle, the hardcore trainer, worked? And me as his assistant!? I almost wet myself at the thought.
“Are there any issues?”
“Erm…no…”
I contemplated escape. I still had time; all I needed to do was apologize to Sento-senpai and quit, return home, and hide under my blanket. That way, I’d spare myself the torture from Moffle.
But no, I will not back out!
After all, I had been a fan of Moffle ever since I was a kid. I greatly adored his cute figure, his big round eyes, and his love for sweets. I remember how he would tilt his head and go “Fumo? Mofu!” which made me want to hug him every time. And whenever I was feeling down, my Moffle plushie would be there to give me support.
This Moffle, however, was violent and vulgar, and looked at us with evil eyes. (Don’t ask me how I could tell what his eyes looked like from inside his suit; I don’t know either!)
This actor had completely ruined my impression of Moffle, turning the meeting room into something like a battlefield for the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War. Utterly disgusting.
But doesn’t this mean I should be fighting, too? At the very least, I could visit his sweet house and confront him. If I could, I’d force him to take off his suit and reveal his true self, and then teach him a lesson. That way, I can hug my Moffle plushie at home in peace. I’d definitely have a good dream then!
So it’s decided. I’ll raid Moffle’s Sweet House and confront the suit actor, for the sake of a peaceful night’s rest!
*
“Hey newbie, you’re 30 minutes late. Are you testing my patience, fumo?”
“U-Ugh… E-Erm…I-I’m shorry…I’m sorry…!”
I nearly cried, despite mentally preparing myself for the face-off! It was my first time backstage, so I got lost and ended up at a completely different place. I was scolded by a robot-like cast member in some space-themed area before getting directions to the sweet house. I finally got there after scrambling around the area. My sense of direction was appalling.
“I-I got lost… Shorry…S-Sor…”
“Tch whatever, just follow me, fumo.”
Saying that, Moffle began to walk off. There was no way I could bring myself to confront him after being so late…how disgraceful of me…
“The preparations for golden week are already so tiring…and now I have to babysit a newcomer? A kid, in fact. Why’d he assign the kid to me anyway, fumo…”
Isn’t taking care of the kids your job!? I suppressed my desire to exclaim my thoughts.
We walked to the back of the sweet house, through the staff entrance, and into the main area, where the sounds of mice could be heard. In a way, it was an honor to be able to enter the area that was for “Authorized Personnel Only”.
The hallway had equipment scattered around, such as puppets, audio equipment, maintenance tools, and machinery. The stench of thinner suggested that the wall was only just airbrushed, though the thing that intrigued me most was the oversized mask. It was big enough to fit a mascot suit’s face.
“There really should be a department dedicated to general maintenance and park improvements, but the job’s been delegated to the respective attraction’s staff because of the shortage of funds, fumo. This is my work space. Don’t touch anything without permission.”
“O-Okay…”
“First, your uniform, fumo. I’m not sure if there are any costumes that fit your size, though…”
Moffle began searching the lockers in the corner of the room, and found a hot pink chef’s costume. It had a simple, yet adorable design.
“This is the smallest I could find, fumo. Hmm, stand over here.”
“O-Okay…”
Moffle aligned the costume to my shoulders and arms. Then, grabbed a tape measure and measured my size, even my waist length!
“T-That’s…s-sexual harassment…”
“Huh? What’re you talking about? I have no interest in kids like you. Come on, raise your arms higher. Higher!”
Moffle’s expression was more of disgust than shock. How disgraceful of me.
“Ugh…”
“I guess it really is too large for you, fumo. And this pair of pants is out of the question… Hmm…”
Moffle thought for a while, before placing the pants to the side and working on the top. Moffle got a safety pin and, without using so much as a pair of scissors, began sewing dexterously. I never knew he could make such precise stitches with such round paws. What kind of style was he using?
“This should do. It’s just a rough baste, but try it out, fumo.”
“Eh? O-O-Over here…?”
“There’s a staff toilet over there; make it quick, fumo.”
Moffle rushed me, seemingly irritated. I hurried to the toilet and changed. Just like he said, I was small, so the top half of the costume alone became a one piece dress that went down to about 10cm above my knees. The length was a little embarrassing, but the dress was really cute! All that was left was to put on the chef’s hat.
Amazing! I’m now an official cast member!
I had my doubts about this dress, but I wearing it made me all hyped up. I spun around and looked into the mirror. This looks great! I ought to snap a picture and send it to Mom! She’ll be so happy!
I took out my smartphone and began fumbling through the confusing menu. Just then, there was a loud slam on the door.
“How long are you going to take? Don’t waste my time, fumo!”
“Fuwaa! S-Sorry!”
Guess I have to save the photo for next time. I quickly opened the door and walked out.
Moffle inspected my costume, making sure not to cross his limits.
“Okay, good. Looks properly done, fumo. Once you finish work, be sure to return it to my work place; I’ll stitch it up properly afterwards. You can place your clothes and belongings in the lockers on the other side. Just pick any one that’s empty, fumo.”
“O-Okay.”
I placed my clothes and personal belongings inside a locker.
As expected, Moffle was really strict, but I never thought he’d bother to tailor the costume for me. Perhaps he’s a nice person after all.
“What’s with that gaze? You aren’t thinking that I’m a ‘nice person after all,’ are you?”
“Huh? E-Erm…well…”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m only altering my precious costume because you’d ruin it if I don’t. Tch…this is such a pain…”
I take that back; he’s a bad person. I must admit that he has good intuition though…
“…I guess you can start by helping at the entrance square today. Follow me.”
*
Moffle and I walked through the underground tunnel and arrived at the backstage of the entrance square. Oh wait, sorry. From today, I will be addressing Moffle as “Moffle-san.” That’s because I’d feel strange associating Moffle (without the honorifics) with my Moffle plushie. If I added the honorifics, I’d treat him as another person and be able to sleep in peace at night. So…Moffle-san it is.
Anyway, it seems like they call the main plaza, the central area that guests first enter when they visit the park, the “Entrance Square”.
“If we continue further, we’ll be going ‘onstage,’ fumo. We’ll be facing the guests, so be careful about what you say and do.”
“R-Roger.”
“I’ll be performing in front of the guests, so you’ll be my assistant. You’re in charge of keeping track of the time. We get a rest after 30 minutes, so when the time’s up, help me get backstage. Also, take care of the equipment while I juggle, and take photos for guests who want commemorative shots. There might be guests who refuse to let go of me; help me pull them away to make room for others. There are a lot of other impromptu duties that might be entrusted to you onstage too. Do you have any questions?”
I don’t even know what I don’t know…
I guess that was bound to happen, given that Moffle-san just info-dumped everything in one go. Nonetheless, he was looking at me seriously. I’d be in deep trouble should I say the wrong thing.
“I-I think…I’m okay…”
“Okay. Then let’s go, fumo.”
Moffle-san took a breath and walked out. I followed behind and observed, nervous to the point of shivering.
So that’s how people walk the nanba style, huh? I’ll take note of it.
As I stepped onstage for my very first time, I was utterly taken aback. There was a stark contrast compared to earlier in the morning, when the plaza was virtually empty.
“Woah…”
A cheerful melody was playing in the background, complementing the bright colors of the attractions brought in by the warm sunlight.
Macaron, Tiramie, and other mascots like Wanipi, were already there, greeting and entertaining the guests. The mascots were each having their own performances, like playing the flute and pantomiming. Their acts were spectacular; these actors were able to perform despite the bulky mascot suits they were wearing.
Amagi Brilliant Park had a reputation in south Tokyo for being a terrible theme park, but that was obviously not the case.
This was, without doubt, a beautiful land of dreams.
“Up until last month, this place was shit, fumo.” Moffle-san whispered. “But everyone did their best; we endured sleep deprivation and resource shortages. Well, I guess you could say these are the fruits of our efforts, fumo.”
Ever since the horrible incident this morning, I believed that I made a bad decision in applying here. But now, as I drank in this landscape—of our guests having so much fun; of the cast members enjoying their work—I felt that perhaps…I could stay for a little longer and see this through.
“Let’s begin the most fun job you’ll ever get, fumo.”
Moffle-san walked forward. I watched as the rays of the sun cast a silhouette on him, and I was overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling.
I felt like…I’ve seen something like this before.
Yes, that’s just like…Dad…
My Dad was a fireman. Whenever he had an emergency call, he’d rush out of the house in a hurry. Seeing Moffle-san’s silhouette must’ve reminded me of Dad’s.
But why? They are two completely different people, with different jobs and appearances, so why am I feeling like this…?
Part 3
After bringing out some documents, Sento-senpai walked up and spoke.
“Allow me to explain the basic responsibilities of all cast members. Here are the printouts; please pass them around.”
The briefing proceeded smoothly after that. Kanie-senpai had other matters to attend to, so he left immediately.
Sento-senpai proceeded to walk us through some administrative matters, such as the rules that cast members must abide by, uniform sizing, and greetings. The concept of admin got me all excited! All hail admin!
Through her explanation, I came to understand that she and Kanie-senpai were not merely personnel in charge of the part-timers, but leaders in the upper levels of the the hierarchy—though exactly how high was something I wasn’t sure about. Sento-senpai’s uniform and professionalism in this room made her seem way cooler than she did in school. I’ll be as attractive as her one day!
That aside, I’d like to know her relationship with Kanie-senpai. Those two always have a strange mood going on between them. Perhaps they get all lovey-dovey when they’re alone together? Like maybe…holding hands or something!?
Then again, Sento-senpai was unforgiving and even shot people with her musket, so maybe not…
Hmm, I can’t leave this alone. I ought to observe them when I get the chance!
The orientation ended before noon, and we were assigned to the various departments after lunch. Eiko-san was posted to “Macaron’s Music Theater.” I waved my hands as she left us and made her way to the location. She was a nice person. Please let me call you my sister. Never mind, that’s a bad idea.
“Shiina-san.”
“Y-Yes!”
“You’re assigned to ‘Moffle’s Sweet House’ as an assistant actor. Good luck.”
“I-I’ll do my pest!”
I’m sure she understood what I meant.
But wait a minute…did she just say “Moffle’s Sweet House”? Wasn’t that where Moffle, the hardcore trainer, worked? And me as his assistant!? I almost wet myself at the thought.
“Are there any issues?”
“Erm…no…”
I contemplated escape. I still had time; all I needed to do was apologize to Sento-senpai and quit, return home, and hide under my blanket. That way, I’d spare myself the torture from Moffle.
But no, I will not back out!
After all, I had been a fan of Moffle ever since I was a kid. I greatly adored his cute figure, his big round eyes, and his love for sweets. I remember how he would tilt his head and go “Fumo? Mofu!” which made me want to hug him every time. And whenever I was feeling down, my Moffle plushie would be there to give me support.
This Moffle, however, was violent and vulgar, and looked at us with evil eyes. (Don’t ask me how I could tell what his eyes looked like from inside his suit; I don’t know either!)
This actor had completely ruined my impression of Moffle, turning the meeting room into something like a battlefield for the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War. Utterly disgusting.
But doesn’t this mean I should be fighting, too? At the very least, I could visit his sweet house and confront him. If I could, I’d force him to take off his suit and reveal his true self, and then teach him a lesson. That way, I can hug my Moffle plushie at home in peace. I’d definitely have a good dream then!
So it’s decided. I’ll raid Moffle’s Sweet House and confront the suit actor, for the sake of a peaceful night’s rest!
*
“Hey newbie, you’re 30 minutes late. Are you testing my patience, fumo?”
“U-Ugh… E-Erm…I-I’m shorry…I’m sorry…!”
I nearly cried, despite mentally preparing myself for the face-off! It was my first time backstage, so I got lost and ended up at a completely different place. I was scolded by a robot-like cast member in some space-themed area before getting directions to the sweet house. I finally got there after scrambling around the area. My sense of direction was appalling.
“I-I got lost… Shorry…S-Sor…”
“Tch whatever, just follow me, fumo.”
Saying that, Moffle began to walk off. There was no way I could bring myself to confront him after being so late…how disgraceful of me…
“The preparations for golden week are already so tiring…and now I have to babysit a newcomer? A kid, in fact. Why’d he assign the kid to me anyway, fumo…”
Isn’t taking care of the kids your job!? I suppressed my desire to exclaim my thoughts.
We walked to the back of the sweet house, through the staff entrance, and into the main area, where the sounds of mice could be heard. In a way, it was an honor to be able to enter the area that was for “Authorized Personnel Only”.
The hallway had equipment scattered around, such as puppets, audio equipment, maintenance tools, and machinery. The stench of thinner suggested that the wall was only just airbrushed, though the thing that intrigued me most was the oversized mask. It was big enough to fit a mascot suit’s face.
“There really should be a department dedicated to general maintenance and park improvements, but the job’s been delegated to the respective attraction’s staff because of the shortage of funds, fumo. This is my work space. Don’t touch anything without permission.”
“O-Okay…”
“First, your uniform, fumo. I’m not sure if there are any costumes that fit your size, though…”
Moffle began searching the lockers in the corner of the room, and found a hot pink chef’s costume. It had a simple, yet adorable design.
“This is the smallest I could find, fumo. Hmm, stand over here.”
“O-Okay…”
Moffle aligned the costume to my shoulders and arms. Then, grabbed a tape measure and measured my size, even my waist length!
“T-That’s…s-sexual harassment…”
“Huh? What’re you talking about? I have no interest in kids like you. Come on, raise your arms higher. Higher!”
Moffle’s expression was more of disgust than shock. How disgraceful of me.
“Ugh…”
“I guess it really is too large for you, fumo. And this pair of pants is out of the question… Hmm…”
Moffle thought for a while, before placing the pants to the side and working on the top. Moffle got a safety pin and, without using so much as a pair of scissors, began sewing dexterously. I never knew he could make such precise stitches with such round paws. What kind of style was he using?
“This should do. It’s just a rough baste, but try it out, fumo.”
“Eh? O-O-Over here…?”
“There’s a staff toilet over there; make it quick, fumo.”
Moffle rushed me, seemingly irritated. I hurried to the toilet and changed. Just like he said, I was small, so the top half of the costume alone became a one piece dress that went down to about 10cm above my knees. The length was a little embarrassing, but the dress was really cute! All that was left was to put on the chef’s hat.
Amazing! I’m now an official cast member!
I had my doubts about this dress, but I wearing it made me all hyped up. I spun around and looked into the mirror. This looks great! I ought to snap a picture and send it to Mom! She’ll be so happy!
I took out my smartphone and began fumbling through the confusing menu. Just then, there was a loud slam on the door.
“How long are you going to take? Don’t waste my time, fumo!”
“Fuwaa! S-Sorry!”
Guess I have to save the photo for next time. I quickly opened the door and walked out.
Moffle inspected my costume, making sure not to cross his limits.
“Okay, good. Looks properly done, fumo. Once you finish work, be sure to return it to my work place; I’ll stitch it up properly afterwards. You can place your clothes and belongings in the lockers on the other side. Just pick any one that’s empty, fumo.”
“O-Okay.”
I placed my clothes and personal belongings inside a locker.
As expected, Moffle was really strict, but I never thought he’d bother to tailor the costume for me. Perhaps he’s a nice person after all.
“What’s with that gaze? You aren’t thinking that I’m a ‘nice person after all,’ are you?”
“Huh? E-Erm…well…”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m only altering my precious costume because you’d ruin it if I don’t. Tch…this is such a pain…”
I take that back; he’s a bad person. I must admit that he has good intuition though…
“…I guess you can start by helping at the entrance square today. Follow me.”
*
Moffle and I walked through the underground tunnel and arrived at the backstage of the entrance square. Oh wait, sorry. From today, I will be addressing Moffle as “Moffle-san.” That’s because I’d feel strange associating Moffle (without the honorifics) with my Moffle plushie. If I added the honorifics, I’d treat him as another person and be able to sleep in peace at night. So…Moffle-san it is.
Anyway, it seems like they call the main plaza, the central area that guests first enter when they visit the park, the “Entrance Square”.
“If we continue further, we’ll be going ‘onstage,’ fumo. We’ll be facing the guests, so be careful about what you say and do.”
“R-Roger.”
“I’ll be performing in front of the guests, so you’ll be my assistant. You’re in charge of keeping track of the time. We get a rest after 30 minutes, so when the time’s up, help me get backstage. Also, take care of the equipment while I juggle, and take photos for guests who want commemorative shots. There might be guests who refuse to let go of me; help me pull them away to make room for others. There are a lot of other impromptu duties that might be entrusted to you onstage too. Do you have any questions?”
I don’t even know what I don’t know…
I guess that was bound to happen, given that Moffle-san just info-dumped everything in one go. Nonetheless, he was looking at me seriously. I’d be in deep trouble should I say the wrong thing.
“I-I think…I’m okay…”
“Okay. Then let’s go, fumo.”
Moffle-san took a breath and walked out. I followed behind and observed, nervous to the point of shivering.
So that’s how people walk the nanba style, huh? I’ll take note of it.
As I stepped onstage for my very first time, I was utterly taken aback. There was a stark contrast compared to earlier in the morning, when the plaza was virtually empty.
“Woah…”
A cheerful melody was playing in the background, complementing the bright colors of the attractions brought in by the warm sunlight.
Macaron, Tiramie, and other mascots like Wanipi, were already there, greeting and entertaining the guests. The mascots were each having their own performances, like playing the flute and pantomiming. Their acts were spectacular; these actors were able to perform despite the bulky mascot suits they were wearing.
Amagi Brilliant Park had a reputation in south Tokyo for being a terrible theme park, but that was obviously not the case.
This was, without doubt, a beautiful land of dreams.
“Up until last month, this place was shit, fumo.” Moffle-san whispered. “But everyone did their best; we endured sleep deprivation and resource shortages. Well, I guess you could say these are the fruits of our efforts, fumo.”
Ever since the horrible incident this morning, I believed that I made a bad decision in applying here. But now, as I drank in this landscape—of our guests having so much fun; of the cast members enjoying their work—I felt that perhaps…I could stay for a little longer and see this through.
“Let’s begin the most fun job you’ll ever get, fumo.”
Moffle-san walked forward. I watched as the rays of the sun cast a silhouette on him, and I was overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling.
I felt like…I’ve seen something like this before.
Yes, that’s just like…Dad…
My Dad was a fireman. Whenever he had an emergency call, he’d rush out of the house in a hurry. Seeing Moffle-san’s silhouette must’ve reminded me of Dad’s.
But why? They are two completely different people, with different jobs and appearances, so why am I feeling like this…?
