Festival

Ordinarily, Miyori didn't dislike festivals. They were pleasant, even exciting. And even when they weren't, it was always nice to be surrounded by people having a good time. 

But she preferred it when at least some of the people around her were people she knew—and here, Shizuka was her only companion. 

Shizuka seemed to be having a great time—dragging Miyori to look at wares she couldn't afford, shelling out to play festival games for odd prizes. She won a notebook and a magic stylus that looked cheaply made at one booth, and at another she signed her name on a silent auction for a set of earrings. 

This was an event for rich people, basically. Miyori really should have seen that coming. 

"Come on," Shizuka said, wheedling. "You don't have to actually bid on anything, but isn't it fun to see what's popular? Like, look over there! What do you think that is?" 

Miyori looked. A line was forming around a table that looked, from a distance, to be empty. Two staff members stood on either side of it, chatting up the people in line. 

"A…cruise, maybe?" she guessed. "Some kind of experience." 

"Ooh, maybe." Shizuka sounded excited. "Let's check it out." 

Miyori didn't really care, but she followed after Shizuka anyway. They edged around the line to the table itself, where a placard sat innocently. On it was written, Garden Installation—appraisal and quote.

Miyori craned her neck, getting a peek at the clipboard as one patron handed it over to another. "It's a sign-up sheet. Some kind of appointment...?" 

"Can I help you ladies?" 

Miyori jumped. 

A young man had walked over from another table. He looked to be about Miyori's age, or maybe a year or two older. He had turquoise hair and a smile that showed too many teeth. 

A name tag on his chest read Nagasawa — Iseki Conglomerate.

Shizuka stepped forward. "I'm sorry if we're in the way," she said. "We were just wondering what this was all for." 

"Well," he said, "this is a consultation for property owners interested in partnering with us. But there are sign-ups to participate in Iseki's programs in other ways as well. Would you like me to show you?" 

"Yes, please," Shizuka said. She stepped around the table and didn't even flinch when the young man took her gently by the elbow. 

Miyori would have tugged her hand away or smacked him, she thought. Something about his impression just seemed…off. 

She followed behind them, watchful, as they moved to a table closer to the entrance. 

"This is registration for those who might be interested in participating in our project in a variety of roles," Nagasawa said. "There are a number of entry-level and volunteer positions available. Now, if I may ask—how did you hear about us?" 

"One of your recruiters spoke to me," Shizuka said. She pulled the brochure from her yukata. 

"Excellent," Nagasawa said. "If I may be so bold as to assume—do you have quite the skill in magic, perhaps?" 

"Ritual magic, mainly, but…well, I shouldn't brag." Shizuka was actually blushing. Miyori tried to hide the look of disgust on her face. Surely a girl like Shizuka got hit on all the time—and by people with more subtlety than this sleazy employee? "Oh, but my friend Miyori-chan is, too. That's why I asked her to come with me." 

Miyori was suddenly subject to Nagasawa's attention. She bowed under his scrutiny, looking up at him and keeping her expression politely blank. 

"I see," he said, but his gaze pulled away from her very quickly. "Well, I'm afraid there's a bit of a process involved in joining us, but for two young ladies such as yourselves, I think you'll find it very much worth your time to make the attempt. All you need to do is sign up here for the programs you're interested in and pick the time to attend our intake session…" 

Miyori watched over Shizuka's shoulder as she examined the options on the clipboard. Spell design. Networking. Power scaling. All of these were words that related to magic, but she wasn't quite sure what exactly they meant. 

Shizuka barely hesitated before circling spell design and signing up for a session the Saturday after next. 

"What do you think, Miyori-chan?" she asked. 

Miyori considered the clipboard that Shizuka had handed her. 

Signing her name, she put a circle around networking. 

"Well chosen, both of you," Nagasawa said, smiling at them. "I'm afraid I'm involved in the Power Scaling program most directly, but I suspect you'll see me around at the Iseki complex regardless. Hopefully, if the program is a good fit, we'll get a chance to work together." 

"That would be nice," Shizuka said. She was still smiling, but Miyori was more than ready for the interaction to be over. She wanted to know what on earth Shizuka thought she was doing, looking at Nagasawa that way. 

As they left the booth, though, she found herself wondering. Power scaling sounded a little like something Noa might be interested in…though if this project was somehow related to the symbols he'd seen, he'd likely want to be signed up for any of their programs, just for the chance to learn what was going on. She wondered if she might be able to bring him along with her somehow. 

They circled the rest of the event area. Shizuka stopped to gather a few more business cards, and they drew ever-closer to the food trucks. Miyori's wallet was burning in her skirt pocket—she was sure that the food here would be as overpriced as everything else—

Her eye caught two people in the distance—a familiar figure following an unfamiliar one. 

"Noa-kun…?" 

"Hm?" Shizuka turned. "What was that, Miyo-chan?" 

Miyori watched, half-ready to dash across the venue. That was Noa, wearing an apron and gloves and following after a woman in a suit that looked like that Nagasawa boy's. But before she could try to call out to him, he vanished into one of the staff tents. 

He'd said he was busy, and hadn't wanted to admit to her what with. Had it actually been this…? 

But she didn't want to disturb him if he was working, and she doubted he wanted to have a conversation with Shizuka anyway. So she let him go for now—though she was more determined than ever to gather hints about what was going on here, so they could compare notes later. 

"It's nothing," she said to Shizuka. "I just thought I saw someone I—"

"Ladies and gentlemen," came a voice booming over their heads. Miyori jumped and shrank instinctively, but Shizuka straightened, looking behind them. On the stage area was another person in a dapper suit. 

"The fireworks will be starting in approximately five minutes. The show will be visible throughout the event venue. Please prepare yourselves for a magical spectacle!" 

Miyori and Shizuka exchanged looks. "I guess food can wait," Shizuka said regretfully. "I think there were seats this way. Come on!" 

Miyori followed, peeking vainly towards the staff tent as Shizuka pulled her over to a nearly-full set of benches. 

The whole five minutes, she kept looking, waiting for Noa to reemerge, but he never did. 

Then the show started, and she suddenly had plenty of things to look out for.