Preshow ✧ 3

Seeing all the people around with their families, friends and partners would have honestly hurt me, if not for Mimi. I could talk with her anytime I wanted, and her blunt commentary often brought a smile to my face. It was shaping up to be a most wonderful day out. The items we picked during our little shopping adventure, the sights we experienced together… Well, she couldn't exactly enjoy the delicious lunch I had, as the only stimuli we could share were sight and sounds. Things like taste, scents and touch were not exactly able to be “felt” by the dormant one between us. It felt like watching things through a screen.

The lunch of the day had actually included some vegetables and a sauce she despised, so this worked out in her favor. She probably would have hated to eat this dish in particular. Me though, I had enjoyed every little bite of it. Ignoring her constant protests and sounds of disgust at the image of this local delicacy, I filled our tummy with the yummy.

“Wow, rhymes and such. You should get into poetry.”

“You know I try…”

Ignoring her sneaky comment, I replied in a genuine manner. I loved to sing, it was one of the things that truly made me me, in my humble opinion. Thus, I tried to write some lyrics of my own, but I wasn't that good at it just yet.

Lyrics were a sort of poetry, right..?

Putting that aside, my wristwatch revealed the time had passed a bit quicker than I anticipated. Thankfully, the bus terminal was a mere ten minute walk away from here, and we could easily find the vehicle we needed there.

I wondered, would there be a lot of people wanting to see the circus? They were going to be performing in Balamur City for five days, maybe not everyone would go today. Honestly, how many people would be interested in watching something performed by Aberrants anyway? I looked around, trying to guess which of these individuals would have a common goal with us this evening. There was a very high amount of people going all over the street, to the point it was starting to make me feel a bit dizzy.

“Whatever happened to finding work here? Just one day out and you're already wobbling.”

“Mimi, it's not in the bad way, y’know…”

The rush of the city taking them here and there, all the different people, the Regulars and the Aberrants—where were they going? Home? A restaurant? The Circus, just like me? The unstoppable flow of the people was almost breathtaking. The city never stopped walking.

Perhaps right for that reason, a girl standing in a corner of this long street stood out to me. This girl, who was seemingly around my age, kept on looking up and down frantically. She seemed to be holding a piece of paper. Was that an address? Even though I was not a local, I approached to potentially help this anxious looking individual.

“Excuse me Miss, are you lost? Do you need help?” I asked, hoping I didn't have an accent in my delivery of words. It had been a while since I was in this country, after all.

She flinched a little, and when I met her aqua colored eyes, they looked somewhat terrified, and as if she didn't expect anyone to help. Cities could indeed be cruel… I put on a gentle smile to encourage her to speak up, pointing at the piece of paper in her hand. “Do you want to go there? Let me see.”

She hesitantly nodded, making her warm orange colored hair bounce towards her face a little. She quickly pushed them back as she raised the paper. Ah, it was the pamphlet of the Aberrants’ Circus! I couldn't help but smile heartily.

“Well, you're in luck, Miss! I am going there too. We need to get into the bus over there.” I gestured towards the bus that was marked with the number 75 on its front. I stepped forward, and she eagerly followed me. She seemed slightly relaxed now that she knew the correct bus number, and possibly because she had someone else with her.

“You got to be someone’s hero, I bet you're overjoyed now.”

Ignoring Mimi’s remark, I smiled at the girl who was following me. “Are you perhaps not from this city?” She understood my words, so this meant she was from Tamamir Country at least. She furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, as if she were slightly offended with this question. So she was from here, and just happened to be lost…?

I was mad curious why she was avoiding using any words, but I felt like prying would be an improper thing to do. Still, as if to throw in my last chance, I introduced myself to her. “Ah, I see! You live here. Well, I'm actually from another country, but my mother is from here. That's why I know the language. My name is Mirai, by the way.”

She didn't really seem all that interested in what I had to say, but politely nodded along. Still no reply, huh…

We took our seats within the bus, it would depart in a few minutes. Despite my initial expectations, there weren't many people boarding. Other bus numbers seemed more popular at this hour. While I was curious about which destinations the folk of the bus terminal preferred, I had to admit that I was getting more interested in the young lady next to me by the minute. Her lack of response was undoubtedly piquing my curiosity…

She had taken the window seat, and was looking out. This granted me a few moments of observation, as her attention was elsewhere. She had a beautiful complexion, a warm tone decorated with freckles all around. Her hair was long, mostly orange and wavy. I meant the last part a bit literally too, because her flowing hair was resembling ocean waves, turning a light aqua color towards the tips. She was of much smaller stature compared to the lanky me, and kept her hands tightly locked on her lap. She had an enchanting aura to her visuals. I guess her cool demeanor added to the mystery of this young lady I couldn't even get the name of.

After a while, I retrieved my gaze and realized most of the seats in the bus had actually been filled. A quick look at my wristwatch revealed that the time of departure had arrived. Just as I was wondering if there would be any traffic ahead, my thoughts were stopped in their tracks as I heard a mesmerizing sound enter my ears.

It sounded like a gentle day out at the beach. I could almost feel the tiny drops of fresh seawater sprinkling on my face. I looked around with a puzzled expression. What was this about?