13. Circus Charlie (2)

Among the theories Charlie's group had developed was the possibility that Ella was being blackmailed or controlled by someone. Yet, strangely, they had never once properly discussed that particular topic among themselves.

Whenever one of them broached the subject, someone else invariably shot it down, and the conversation would fizzle out. It was never the same person doing the objecting. They'd all, in turns, played both sides of that argument at least once.

They were afraid that if they allowed themselves to pity or worry for her, their will to track her down would falter. Whether their aim was rescue or revenge, they had to catch her before they could uncover the truth.

Charlie recalled the man who had just held Reina in his arms. If he was using some kind of magic to control Reina, could he have done the same to Ella?

His mind replayed the scenes he'd just witnessed, only swapping out the characters.

Ella kissing Wonderstein's cheek, Ella nestling into his embrace, Ella confessing she liked him.

Charlie felt a hot surge rise in his chest. Obviously, none of that had actually happened. It was all just his own delusion. But the mere act of imagining it was enough to roil his emotions.

What had he done to Reina? He must have used some filthy trick. Dark magic, drugs, sorcery. Yes. Definitely...

Charlie considered bringing this up with his friends, then stopped himself. His only real evidence was the oddity of Reina liking him and throwing herself at him. If he voiced his thoughts, they'd just say jealousy had blinded him.

He needed more information to back up his claim.

Fortuitously, that very day Wonderstein and Ella vacated the villa for about two weeks because of the "Illusory 13th." That allowed them to get much closer to the Monster Circus troupe members.

But no matter how much they investigated, the troupe members showed no sign of being involved in the village massacre. Their appearance was fearsome, but their behavior was indistinguishable from ordinary folk.

"It really doesn't seem like the others are involved."

"Yeah. Looks like we only need to catch Ella."

His comrades said so, but Charlie couldn't accept it so easily. He might not know about the members, but he believed the troupe leader, Frank Wonderstein, at least, had a hidden side.

"It's still too early to draw conclusions. Let's watch a little longer."

Some time later, when the Illusory 13th was revealed to be a fake, Wonderstein and Ella returned to the villa.

Charlie decided to use his animals to observe him. He was raising two creatures.

One was a monkey with blue fur, a companion since childhood after he secretly hid the creature that had escaped from some merchant's cage. The other was a snow-white owl, a gift from the acrobat who had recommended him for admission to Yeterinpurk, as a celebration of his enrollment.

"Ella must not spot you under any circumstances. And no contact with Gudol and Jjiksun."

At Charlie's command, the monkey stared at him with a look that said this was the most absurd order he'd ever received. To the monkey, those two had been his closest friends since childhood. Their owner, Ella, was the same. So why was he supposed to hide and spy on them?

"Ukaaaak!"

The owl, who hadn't met Ella much, accepted the order obediently, but the monkey pounded the floor with his fists for a long while in protest. Charlie offered him his favorite, an expensive banana, but the monkey refused it. In the end, the task fell to the owl alone.

He sent the owl soaring towards the villa and opened his notebook. Its pages were densely filled with drawings and writings on all manner of acrobatics. He flipped to the back and stopped at a section he'd noted recently.

Spirit Link.

Charlie closed his eyes and called the owl's name in his mind three times. Instantly, the scenery of Yeterinpurk's distant skies appeared before him, and the harsh sound of the wind battered his ears.

This was an Inspira that shared the senses of a tamed creature.

This is my specialty.

That was a phrase the professors at Rekachev often repeated.

Students at Rekachev focused so intently on raising the level of their techniques that they neglected to develop something uniquely their own. Because of that, even top-ranking graduates often found themselves outshone in the field by acrobats with real individuality.

So the professors constantly urged their students to develop their own special skill — their "this is my specialty."

Charlie had fretted over that a great deal once, too. His prodigious talent allowed him to pick up any skill swiftly. He could replicate complex feats easily after observing them just once or twice. But he was clumsy when it came to devising new programs.

His notebook was the proof of his effort. He filled it by recording, analyzing, and reproducing the acrobatics of others, striving to create something of his own from them.

Had Kirkeus been impressed by that effort? One day, he received an Inspira.

It was the ability to borrow the Inspira another person possessed.

The day the revelation descended, the remaining pages of his notebook filled themselves with knowledge of others' Inspiras. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Each entry contained the name, characteristics, and method of use of an Inspira, with detailed diagrams and explanations.

A thing most acrobats were lucky to obtain once in their lifetime, he could activate simply by opening his notebook.

His Inspira was not all-powerful, however. Once used, an Inspira vanished from the notebook, and new ones appeared randomly. Worse, the notebook had been nearly full to begin with, so there were few pages left. No matter how short the description, he'd never had more than ten registered at a time.

The Spirit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Link was one he'd registered months ago. It looked immediately useful for surveillance, so he'd saved it.

The owl hid among the trees and monitored Wonderstein's movements.

He knew Ella had an uncanny ability to sense animal presence since childhood, but there was no worry about the owl being spotted. Charlie had already learned that she'd led reporters to the opposite side of the city. She probably wouldn't return until late tonight or tomorrow.

Wonderstein, having apparently been injured somewhere, lay in bed all day. He showed no particularly suspicious behavior. Charlie had wanted to catch some proof before the competition started, but he had to pick now, of all times, to get hurt.

The morning hours slipped by in idle surveillance. Then someone opened Wonderstein's door and entered. The moment Charlie saw that person, his heart nearly stopped.

A girl with black hair and a red tailcoat stood there.

Ella... It was her. After a full year and two months, Charlie was seeing her again.

***

Charlie, having finished his second-year courses, returned to his hometown for summer break. His professors offered to write letters of recommendation so he could apprentice with a famous circus troupe during the holiday, but he politely declined them all. He gave the professors various excuses, but his real reason was, as always, to see Ella.

After getting off the carriage, he didn't head to the school first. Instead, he went straight to the alley where she performed. There was a girl in a red tailcoat, showing off tricks with a pigeon and a rat to a handful of village kids.

Charlie stood quietly in the corner, waiting for her show to finish. Her ability to structure a program was remarkable. With just a stick and a single hoop, she coaxed the absolute limits of performance from one pigeon and one rat.

After studying at Rekachev, Charlie's theoretical eye for a performance had sharpened considerably. He now understood that even the smallest glance or flick of Ella's wrist carried meaning, and he was awed by it.

Before long, the show ended. The village children rummaged through their pockets to pay for the performance. Most of the payment was leftover food from their homes.

Honestly, it was less a payment and more a chance to feed them. The kids loved playing with Gudol and Jjiksun, who were so tame and friendly.

Charlie stood before her, spinning his hat on his fingertip.

"Long time no see, Ella."

"Who... Oh. Charlie? Hey, when did you get here?"

"Just now."

"A year— no, ten months, right? Come here. You've grown so much!"

Ella rushed over and threw her arms around him. In that instant, his face burned bright red. He felt a soft pressure against his lower chest.

"Y-you've grown quite a bit yourself."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Charlie winced internally. He felt like he'd just brazenly revealed how acutely aware he was of her body.

"Yeah? Well, I did have to get new clothes fitted."

She just shrugged nonchalantly. Charlie felt relief, and, at the same time, a pang of disappointment.

"Alright, let's go. The master will be waiting for you."

She grabbed his hand as casually as she always used to. The tickle of her fingers against his palm made Charlie flinch again, but Ella paid it no mind.

Am I the only one who sees us as a man and a woman now?

Charlie forced his disappointment down and smiled.

"Sure."

His old school friends welcomed him warmly. But not all of them did. A few boys openly displayed their discomfort. They glared at him with disgruntled expressions for sticking so close to Ella.

When they were younger, you could dismiss it as simple rivalry between boys. But as they grew older, Charlie recognized the true nature of the animosity forming between them.

This was closer ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the jealousy of romantic rivals.

Charlie found their jealousy utterly ridiculous.

You guys are with her all year long. Do you know how much I seethed when I heard she splashed around in the stream with you wearing just a sleeveless shirt and shorts? How I felt when I was told you practiced Ground Acrobatics tangled together, holding each other's waists and legs, rolling around on a straw mat? My stomach turned inside out imagining her laughing at one of your jokes.

Every letter from home churned Charlie's heart. Ella only meant to let him know they were all doing well, but the thought of her being so chummy with her male friends made him feel like his insides were rotting.

There wasn't a day he didn't regret enrolling at Rekachev.

Hadn't he fallen into the same trap most men did? Leaving a woman's side to prove you're a great man. In the meantime, did he give some slightly less impressive guy the chance to swoop in and snatch her away?

Charlie imagined her showing her face as a 'woman,' nestling into someone else's arms. The idea alone was dreadful.

The one fortunate thing was that she remained utterly clueless ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about romantic feelings. Her attitude towards boys, which had been a little disheartening earlier, now seemed like the most reassuring thing in the world.

Time passed, and the day came for him to return to school. He had resolved to do one more year, but the thought of leaving Ella behind again depressed him beyond words.

Seeing his turmoil, she approached him with genuine concern and asked,

"What's got you so worried about?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing... just graduation project problems."

Charlie lied. Ella smirked and poked him in the waist.

"You're getting top marks, aren't you? What's there to worry about?"

"Ah, I'm weak at putting together new programs. But I'm the top student, remember? I can't exactly show something half-baked."

"Really? Want me to help?"

Ella began throwing out various ideas based on the concepts scribbled in his notebook. Separately from the affection he held for her, Charlie felt his admiration for her soar.

"That's brilliant! Honestly, your ability to conceptualize is on a whole other level."

"Heh, who's the one flattering who here? The top student of an elite school?"

"I'm serious. If you'd just give up on taming, you could join any first-rate circus troupe right away."

"I'm never giving up taming."

She shook her head stubbornly.

"Yeah, I know... Alright, how about this? My one real weakness is putting programs together... Ella, what do you say, after I graduate, the two of us start our own circus troupe?"

"What?"

Charlie sucked in a sharp breath when he saw her frown.

Caught up in the mood, he'd blurted out the wish he'd secretly harbored in his heart.

Creating a circus troupe together meant living together, sleeping together, laughing and chattering every day. It was a proposal as good as a confession.

What the hell was I thinking?

Charlie squeezed his eyes shut. If she said 'no' here...

He held his breath and waited, still as a statue, for her verdict.

But her answer didn't come. When he cautiously opened his eyes, he found her staring at him with a bright, exhilarated face.

"Start a circus troupe together?"

"Uh, ye-yeah..."

Charlie nodded, his expression frozen in a stiff mask. Ella seemed to mull it over carefully, then nodded back.

"Hmm, I know exactly what you're capable of... and if I compensate for your weak spots... Alright! If I haven't gotten an offer from another troupe by then... I'll do it."

Charlie stared at her with eyes that couldn't quite believe what they were seeing. The dream he'd played out only in his head had just happened.

"Really? You mean it, Ella?"

"Aren't you getting a little too excited? I said *if* I don't get any other offers. Wait, don't tell me you think my taming is hopeless too?"

Ella looked slightly offended.

Charlie quickly shook his head.

"No! That's not it, haha, I just, I'm just so glad that you, with the abilities I lack, will be with me..."

Charlie didn't even know what he was saying anymore. He was just babbling nonsense, elated that his accidental confession had been accepted.

The next day, he promised to send her a set of the famous pastries sold in Yeterinpurk as a birthday gift and set out for school.

Top graduate of Rekachev.

Right. A title like that would be enough to bring her with me, he thought.

And the day after he left, a magician clad in a black suit and black cloak came looking for Alamo.