"Something happened?" Suzuki Sonoko's gossip radar went off. "What?"
Only then did the three magicians remember there were others nearby. They turned to look at her, hesitating to speak.
Suzuki Sonoko belatedly realized she was an outsider, while they were discussing gossip from within their circle... But that was no problem. All she had to do was find some common ground and join in.
She quickly found a point of contact between them. "When my family's conglomerate held its sixtieth-anniversary cruise celebration, we received a notice from Kid. My mother invited Mr. Sanada to impersonate Kid and perform a magic trick that stunned the audience. If nothing too serious happened to their school, I might be able to ask Mr. Sanada whether he has time to join your joint magic performance."
"..."
Conglomerate, sixtieth anniversary, impersonating Kid...
Being in the same circle, the three magicians pieced together the keywords. They exchanged a glance and immediately realized who she was.
She had successfully fit in.
"Well, it's neither a big matter nor a small one." Iida Tsutomu rubbed his chin and lowered his voice. "Two days ago, Sanada's teacher—the famous Mr. Kujukuri Motoyasu—committed suicide in the Basement of his home."
Suzuki Sonoko: "..."
...And that wasn't a big deal??
Seeing her expression, Iida Tsutomu laughed. "The dead are gone, but the living still have to move forward. The joint magic performance will need at least a month or two of preparation anyway. By then, Sanada will surely have emerged from his grief. Besides, we aren't that close to him, so he may not accept our invitation. If you're willing to help, that would be wonderful."
Suzuki Sonoko scratched at her Hairpin. "I-I'll do my best."
"Fine, even if we're going to look for him, it definitely can't be now." Iida Tsutomu