[MashUp] Ch 40: Amagi Park Opening Day

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"I—I'm really going?!"

Anon buried her face into the pillow, kicking her legs in the air to let out all the exploding energy inside her.

Ever since last night, videos titled {We're Not Hiding It Anymore—Here's the Truth}, {Water Tornado Cleansing}, and {Symphony of Water} had completely taken over her feed.

At first, she thought it was just some top-tier CGI promo clip, like everyone else did.

But those apocalyptic waterspouts, that jaw-dropping display of turning ruin into wonder—it was so real it gave her goosebumps.

Her curiosity had pushed her to look up past news about Amagi Brilliant Park.

{Tokyo's Most Neglected Amusement Parks – Amagi Ranks #1}

{Closing Soon? End of an Era for Amagi Park}

{On the Scene: Where Childhood Dreams Go to Die}

One depressing headline after another, one bleak photo after another—but none of it discouraged her.

If anything, it just poured gasoline on the fire of her curiosity.

The bigger the contrast, the more shocking it was!

To turn a dump into that fairy-tale paradise in a single day—

That wasn't "renovation." That was magic.

A miracle.

So, when the official account announced the Dreamland Early Access lottery, she had hit repost without a second thought.

Then came the agonizing wait—hours of pacing, checking her notifications, trying not to get her hopes too high.

She had already prepared herself for disappointment before.

After all, a hundred winners out of millions of reposts? The odds were basically zero.

But now—

"I actually got picked!!"

Anon shot upright, pumping her fist in the air with a triumphant yell.

"Tomorrow I'm going to that— that place with the water tornadoes! That crazy, super, super mysterious park!"

Her imagination was already running wild.

Would she meet that silver-haired man from the video, the one who looked unfairly good-looking even for an anime character?

Would she really get to see magic with her own eyes?

She flung open her closet, seriously debating what to wear.

No, nothing too flashy. She had to look effortlessly cute, like she wasn't trying too hard.

Oh, and her makeup had to be perfect.

She had to be the most dazzling one out of those hundred lucky winners.

Clutching her phone, her bright pink eyes gleamed with pure anticipation.

She had a strong feeling.

Tomorrow, she wasn't just going to see a renovated theme park.

She was going to witness something that would flip her entire worldview—

A real miracle.

---

The next morning.

A warm winter sun. 11:00 AM.

Chihaya Anon stood outside Takamatsu Tomori's front door, practically blazing with excitement.

She had put together the perfect outfit — an off-white cropped coat, a playful plaid skirt, and thick gray tights that hugged her legs just right.

Stylish. Cute. And still warm enough for the season.

She took a deep breath—

Then started hammering on the door like she was about to break it down.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

"Tomoriiiii!"

"Quit playing dead! We're gonna be late for the event!"

Silence.

Anon pouted, not giving up. She unlocked her phone, pulled up that golden invitation page, and pressed it against the peephole.

"See this?" she said in her best little-devil voice. "It says I can bring one guest. That's fate telling us we have to go together!"

From behind the door came a hesitant, muffled voice.

"...There'll be too many people…"

"That's exactly why we have to go!"

Anon's tone softened, becoming earnest and gentle. "Tomori, I know what you're worried about."

"But the lyrics you write — aren't they all about longing for a world like this?"

"A world that shines, like something out of a fairy tale."

"Think of it as… looking for inspiration for our new band, okay? I want to hear you… write a song about a world like that."

Those words were the key that turned the lock.

After a long pause—

Click.

The door cracked open.

Takamatsu Tomori peeked out, still in her simple loungewear, short ash-gray hair tousled from bed.

Her clear eyes, usually darting away from any crowd, were filled with hesitation.

But in the end, her love for music — for her own songs — won out over fear.

She nodded at Anon.

"Yay~!"

Anon let out a triumphant cheer, grabbing Tomori and yanking her out of that tiny, self-contained world she always hid in.

"Let's go! Time to chase miracles — GOGO!"

...

[12:50 PM]

Ten minutes until opening.

The entrance of Amagi Brilliant Park was already packed with people.

Tomori instinctively shrank behind Anon, trembling a little at the noise of the crowd.

The organizers had thoughtfully set up rows of folding chairs near the gate, and the two of them managed to snag a pair of empty seats.

"Hey, you actually believe that promo video?" a boy in a baseball jacket said to his friend. "Those effects must've cost a fortune. Like this dump could ever afford that."

"Who cares? It's free. Worst case, we just came for the memes. Best case, they actually have a water tornado or something."

Not far away, a few middle-aged women were gossiping in hushed tones.

"They said kids get in free, but I bet they'll charge a fortune for the rides."

"If they try anything shady, I'm calling the police."

"Shh, just wait and see!"

A livestreamer holding a phone on a gimbal was already streaming to his audience, shouting loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Can you guys hear me? I'm here live at the most talked-about spot in Tokyo — Amagi Brilliant Park! Look at this crowd!"

"Is it real? Is it a scam? Today, I, Tokyo Adventurer Kaito, will get you the truth! Type 'Kaito Fuji Stream Is The Best' in the comments!"

Anon clenched her fists, her palms damp with sweat.

She felt like a gambler waiting for the final draw — terrified of losing, but so wired with excitement she could barely breathe.

Quietly, she scooted her chair closer to Tomori, using her body to shield her friend from the crowd.

Tomori's shaking eased slightly.

Her eyes, however, stayed fixed on the huge, shut gates. Her reflection in them was a mix of fear and wonder.

When the clock finally struck 1:00 PM—

A gentle, welcoming melody drifted from behind the gates.

The chatter stopped dead.

Creak—

Under hundreds of held breaths, the massive iron gates — the border between reality and dream — slowly swung open.

And the other world exhaled its first breath.

A breeze carrying the scent of dew and fresh grass washed over the crowd, clearing away the dust from everyone's lungs.

The road beyond was paved with glowing stone tiles, so polished they reflected the sky above.

Dewdrops like diamonds clung to the petals of flowers lining the path.

In the distance, the Maple Castle gleamed with rainbow light under the sun, like something out of a dream.

The entire scene was so quiet, so pure, so impossibly perfect it almost hurt to look at.

The plaza outside went completely silent.

Every doubt, every skeptical thought was crushed into dust by what they were seeing.

Kaito's phone camera shook violently, his voice breaking. "I–Is this holograms? What kind of budget do you need for this?!"

The crowd began to stir — not in chaos, but like pilgrims moving toward a miracle.

Anon grabbed Tomori's hand and followed the stream of people through the gates.

The moment her feet touched the glowing path, a strange comfort flowed up from her soles, filling her whole body.

She turned around sharply.

The concrete road outside — the one she had walked for over a decade — suddenly looked gray and lifeless, like a blurry knock-off of this place.

Her voice trembled. "We… really just stepped into a fairy tale, didn't we?"

Tomori didn't answer.

She only reached out her hand.

A butterfly made of pure light just happened to flutter past her fingertip.

For the first time, her clear eyes — the ones that always avoided the world — reflected a sky full of brilliance.

Before anyone could recover from the shock—

The central fountain shot up a column of water, refracting into a radiant rainbow.

And then—

Three tiny fairies in colorful work uniforms leapt out of the rainbow, landing perfectly in front of the crowd in a flawless acrobatic stack.

"Woooaaahhh!"

The kids screamed with delight.

"Welcome, chosen guests, to Amagi Brilliant Park!" The fluffy puppy fairy at the top gave a graceful bow.

"To make sure every one of you gets a unique, one-of-a-kind experience, today's preview event will be guided personally by us three as we take you on a full 'Dream Tour.'"

"Now then, please raise your invitations."

Everyone did so almost without thinking.

The fairy gave a tiny wave of its fluffy paw—

And a miracle happened.

All the phones and tickets in the air suddenly glowed with golden light.

The glow moved like a living paintbrush, elegantly tracing glowing letters.

Anon's eyes went wide.

On her phone screen, her name—[Chihaya Anon]—slowly took shape in gorgeous, flowing calligraphy.

She grabbed Tomori's sleeve in excitement. "Look, look! It's writing your name too!"

Tomori glanced down at the crumpled ticket in her hand, seeing [Takamatsu Tomori] shining just as brightly.

The crowd erupted, gasps and shouts louder than before.

"It wrote my name on its own!"

"This is insane—what kind of crazy high-tech trick is this?"

The puppy fairy nodded, clearly pleased with their reaction. "Your names are the key to entering this dream."

"Now… let the tour begin."

At first, everyone was still stuck in shock over the spectacle.

But soon, they realized this place was way stranger—and more magical—than they'd imagined.

Tomori crouched down, eyes caught by a blade of grass by the path.

A single dewdrop clung to it, reflecting the rainbow light of the castle like a tiny, perfect universe.

Almost without thinking, she reached out and touched it.

In that moment—

A strange, warm ripple, something like "shyness" mixed with "joy," pulsed into her fingertip.

The little blade of grass actually curled ever so slightly under her touch.

It was alive.

Not just alive—aware.

That single realization exploded inside Tomori's quiet world.

She jerked her head up.

Suddenly, everything looked different.

The glowing flowers were breathing.

The soft wind chimes were actually hummingbirds singing.

Even the moss glowing beneath her feet felt like the earth itself was answering.

This world wasn't just scenery. It was a living poem.

Their puppy fairy guide stopped at a small clearing in the woods, where glowing mushroom tables and chairs were neatly arranged.

"Before the first adventure begins, allow us to offer you a little break."

A beaver fairy wheeled out a fancy cart loaded with sweets.

Juice swirling with tiny galaxies, cakes topped with ruby-like berries that pulsed like little hearts, even cotton candy that shimmered with miniature rainbows.

"Please enjoy—everything is free."

The gossiping ladies who had been worried about ticket prices earlier exchanged hesitant glances.

"They do look… kinda tasty."

"They're not gonna trick us and charge later, right?"

"Whatever! They said free!"

The boldest one finally stepped up, carefully taking a rainbow cotton candy.

She sniffed it suspiciously, then—under the curious gaze of everyone—took a tiny bite.

The next second—

Her eyes flew wide open.

A rush of sweetness exploded across her tongue, carrying memories with it.

Suddenly, she was twenty again—A summer afternoon, holding her lover's hand for the first time, sunlight spilling down as her heart pounded like crazy.

"Oh… ohhh…"

Her clouded old eyes glistened with tears, the wrinkles on her face seeming to smooth out as she let out a blissful sigh.

"This is… this is too good…"

Her words set off the whole crowd like a spark hitting fireworks.

"No way it's that good!"

"Let me try!"

"Me too."

In an instant, everyone rushed the dessert cart.

Anon grabbed two nebula juices, dragging Tomori along.

"Here, try this!"

She gulped down hers in one go, grinning with bliss.

"Whoaaa! I feel like all my tiredness just… vanished!"

Tomori sipped hers carefully—

And froze.

The taste wasn't just delicious.

It was a lullaby. A soft song that played right in her mind, washing away every bit of anxiety.

Her lips curved ever so slightly into a smile.

When everyone had finally finished indulging in the miraculous snacks, the puppy fairy clapped its tiny paws together.

"Looks like everyone's energy is fully charged!"

It pointed toward a cute little house made entirely of candy. "Ladies, gentlemen, children—"

"Our very first stop is about to begin!"

"Welcome to—"

"'Moffle's Candy House • Defense Battle!'"

...

Meanwhile, high above the park—

Inside the top floor of the admin building, Takuma stood with one hand in his pocket, watching the crowd below being swallowed whole by the dream he had created.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

He didn't bother looking at the stunned adults or the cheering children.

His eyes went straight to the two girls in the crowd.

One pink-haired and full of energy.

One gray-haired and quietly reserved.

"A cute pinkhead and an innocent little shut-in…"

"What a perfect pair."

.

.

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