Standing Ovation for Tsukiji Circus School

Akio, Shinji and Hana navigated to the central theatre, an amphitheatre-style venue with a big stage. Thanks to their VIP passes, they were allowed right up to a reserved section in front. Hana plopped down in the first row, clutching her plush panda as if it needed a perfect view too. Shinji and Akio took seats beside her.

Despite himself, Akio’s pulse quickened with anticipation. The stage was set with various props: trapeze bars, a tightrope overhead, stacks of colourful boxes, and hoops. Kids were wearing balloon hats; vendors walked around selling cotton candy. One such vendor passed by and Hana’s eyes lit up. Shinji immediately bought a cloud of pink cotton candy for her (spoiling his little sister seemed to be Shinji’s favourite hobby).

As the sweet smell of spun sugar reminded him of Amaya. He caught himself scanning the crowds for a flash of white and pink hair, but for the moment, Amaya was out of sight, likely prepping backstage.

Soon, upbeat music started and the show began. Juliya trotted out, introduced the circus school and their performers, and a series of acts unfolded in rapid succession.

A clown car puttered onstage, defying spatial logic by ejecting an alarming number of clowns and even more helium balloons. Akio spotted the gothic clown, who kept tripping over props and handing black and white balloon animals to toddlers. Akio still couldn’t tell if the guy was acting or just cursed from birth.

Then came the muscle squad, including Mio, who rolled around the stage in cyr wheels like giant coins while unicyclists spun past them while spinning plates on long, thin sticks.

Akio had no idea what was happening anymore, but Hana applauded furiously for each act; Shinji too, whooping especially loud when Naomi appeared, doing an energetic acrobatic dance with two other girls.

The blue-haired daredevil flipped and cartwheeled across the stage in a shimmering black leotard. At one point, she held a handstand on canes while one girl lit an arrow on fire and the other handed her a bow, which she shot with her feet. Akio physically recoiled, grabbing the edge of his seat.

“Someone’s going to die,” he muttered.

The arrow hit the balloon target with a pop. Shinji nearly flew out of his seat cheering. Naomi bowed dramatically, soaking in the applause.

Akio clapped hesitantly, relieved that no one needed an ambulance.

Then, the lights dimmed slightly, and the final act was announced: Amaya van der Windt.

Akio sat up straighter, suddenly unable to tear his eyes from the stage. The music swelled into a dreamy melody. From the side of the stage, Amaya emerged – and Akio’s breath caught.

She wore a leotard in hues of sunset orange and gold, with glittering sequins that sparkled in the afternoon light. Her long braids were wound with ribbons, and her face was adorned with stage makeup — red lips and tiny jewels at the corners of her eyes that made her already bright expression positively radiant. She looked magical.

Two long rivers of silk hung from a rig high above. Amaya stepped forward, barefoot, her toes curling against the stage. She took hold of the silks, then looked out at the audience with a beaming smile. Even from the distance, Akio could see the excitement blazing in her eyes. She gave a little salute in the direction of the VIP seats.

Was that meant for them? For him? Akio felt a jolt in his chest, and without thinking, he raised a hand in a tiny wave back. Immediately, he flushed and yanked his hand back like he’d just reached for a hot stove, hoping no one noticed his lapse in composure. Shinji most certainly did, but mercifully he kept his teasing smirk to himself.

Amaya began her routine, she danced around the silks, letting the music tease the tempo up, before climbing the silks with practiced grace. She climbed, and climbed.

The music picked up. High in the air, wrapped in sky-blue silks, Amaya flipped upside down, suspended by one leg, the other stretched out like a brushstroke. She twirled down in a sudden drop only to catch herself inches before the ground.

Gasps and applause rippled through the crowd. Children were literally standing on their seats, shrieking with delight (Hana included).

Akio’s heart pounded with each of Amaya’s daring drops. Part of him instinctively worried for her safety. He always worried, it was second nature. But another part of him was entranced by the sheer skill and beauty of what she was doing. All of him was focused on the girl dancing with the sky.

The afternoon sun backlit her figure as she spun and danced in midair. In the middle of all the flips and drops and spins, she made it look easy. Like she belonged up in the clouds.

In that moment, Akio understood why Amaya lived for this. The faces of the children watching were shining with awe. The adults too were mesmerized, transported out of their ordinary lives for a few minutes into a world of whimsy.

Amaya had that power, to weave wonder out of thin air. And by the enraptured look on her face as she gracefully floated down, in a final descent from the silks, she felt it too. She loved this. She was born for this.

Akio found himself standing when she finished – he didn’t even recall rising from his seat. The applause was thunderous. Hana was cheering at a pitch that could break glass, Shinji was whistling appreciatively, and Akio’s hands were together, clapping hard, a strange heat behind his eyes that he quickly blinked away. You’re amazing, he thought, as if sending the message telepathically to her. Absolutely insane but amazing.

Amaya took a bow, then, ever the extra showman, she blew a dramatic, red-lipped kiss to the crowd. A cluster of teenage boys in the back straight-up collapsed. Akio heard one of them yelp “I’m in love!”.

Akio hoped his face wasn’t as red as it felt.

After the grand finale (all the performers returned for a final group bow), the show concluded and the audience began to disperse, chattering excitedly about their favourite acts. Hana was practically levitating with happiness. “She was like a princess! Or a superhero! Did you see, did you see, Akio-oniisan?!”

“I saw,” Akio replied with a soft smile. “Hard not to, she was right in the spotlight.”

He was still processing the afterglow of what he’d witnessed. Pride? Was that pride swelling in his chest? It was, as if he had any right to feel proud of her. Maybe it was admiration, plain and simple.

A few minutes later, Naomi bounded up to them from the stage area, a bit sweatier than before, but grinning ear to ear. “So? How’d you like the show?” she asked, though her eyes were clearly on Shinji.

“You were fantastic!” Shinji said, and Hana eagerly agreed. “Especially your handstand thing, oneechan! And Amaya-oneechan was sooooo cool!”

Naomi laughed, her earrings jingling as she tilted her head. “I nearly lost my balance because I heard you cheering, Hana-chan. It was that loud!” Hana giggled, hugging her panda.

Then, like a small hurricane, Amaya herself bounded into view, still in her costume, a towel around her neck. She had evidently run straight from backstage because she skidded to a halt in front of them and struck a pose.

“Tada! So? How was I?” she asked, looking like a slightly winded magical girl who had just finished saving the world.

She looked between Akio, Hana, and Shinji, as if seeking a report card. Strands of hair were escaping her braids, her cheeks were flushed with leftover adrenaline, and she was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, unable to stay still.

Hana launched herself forward and Amaya caught the little girl in a tight hug. “You were the best, oneechan! The BEST!” Hana squealed. Amaya laughed, swinging Hana around once before setting her down.

Shinji gave a mock-salute. “Truly impressive, van der Windt.”

Amaya gave a theatrical bow. “Why thank you, thank you. I’ll be signing autographs shortly.”” Then her gaze slid to Akio. She cocked her head, eyes twinkling mischievously. “And what did you think, Akio? Did my dear roommate enjoy the show?”

For a moment, Akio couldn’t find his words. Up close, she was even more dazzling. She was all sweaty and dishevelled from the performance. And yet, to him, she’d never looked more beautiful.

Realizing the silence had stretched a beat too long, Akio cleared his throat. He considered giving a tepid answer to avoid inflating her already galactic ego. But the truth was too powerful to downplay right now. “It was… incredible,” he said, sincerity breaking through. “You were incredible.”

Amaya’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. Perhaps she’d expected a snarky comment. She was momentarily speechless, then that bright smile returned. “Hehe, you hear that? Akio praised me,” she teased the group, but her voice was warm. “Quick, someone record this for posterity!”

Akio rolled his eyes, face warm. “Don’t make me take it back.”

Before Amaya could bounce over and hug the life out of him, Shinji intervened by thrusting cold water bottles in front of Amaya and Naomi’s faces.

“Before you two collapse from glory,” he said. “Hydrate.”

“Sir, yes sir!” Amaya and Naomi saluted like cadets before grabbing their bottles.

Amaya took a long gulp, then sighed dramatically. “Ahh, I needed that. You taking lessons from Akio on how to worry like a mother hen?”

Shinji smirked. “Someone has to keep you guys alive.”

Amaya and Naomi stuck out their tongues in response.

Amaya wiped her forehead with the towel. Despite her teasing, she clearly appreciated the gesture, because after a moment she added sincerely, “Thanks, Shinji.”

Akio watched the exchange with a faint smile. Shinji’s natural big-brother instincts clearly kicked in. He saw the same dynamic with Hana now extending to Amaya.

It was nice… and a bit weird for Akio to see someone else worrying about Amaya before he could. Usually, that role fell to him by default, given how often he had to curb her reckless impulses at home.

Hana was tugging on Amaya’s arm. “Amaya-oneechan, are you done performing for today? Can you come on rides with us now? We did the Thunder Dragon and the carousel and games and—”

“Whoa, slow down!” Amaya laughed, crouching to Hana’s level. “I’m done with shows, yes. The rest of the day is free. But first—” she put her hands on Hana’s shoulders and looked very serious, “I need to get out of this costume and wipe off all this glitter before Akio has an aneurysm.”

“What?” Akio sputtered, caught off-guard. “I—I don’t care. I mean—okay fine, she has a point.” The group burst into laughter as Akio resigned himself to being the butt of the joke.

Amaya grinned at him. “I’m just being considerate of my roommate’s delicate sensibilities. Can’t have him twitching every time I sparkle near him.” She stood up and stretched, the movement highlighting the toned lines of her arms and legs.

Akio looked away, ears burning. “I don’t twitch.”

“You twitch,” she replied sweetly.

Naomi wiped a smudge of mascara from under her own eye. “I could use a shower too, honestly. We’ll meet you guys by the big fountain in say, twenty? Then we can all grab a late lunch.”

“Sure thing,” Shinji agreed. “C’mon Hana, let’s get you a popsicle while we wait.”

Hana cheered at that idea, skipping ahead like her shoes were powered by sugar.

The little girl had to have burned a thousand calories in excitement alone today, and her energy was still boundless.

Naomi jogged off to change, leaving Akio and Amaya alone for the first time all day.

Or, as alone as two people could be with a thousand theme park-goers surrounding them, but in their little corner, it felt like just the two of them.

Akio suddenly felt awkward, not sure what to do with his hands. Pockets? Crossed arms? Tuck one in the other? Nothing felt natural.

Amaya wiped the back of her neck with her towel, then gave him a sly look, like she was peeking through a keyhole into his brain. “So, you really liked the show, huh?”

Akio groaned lightly, though a smile tugged at his lips. “Don’t fish for more compliments. You’ll get a swelled head.”

She gasped. “Rude. I’m trying to have a tender bonding moment, and this is the thanks I get?”

She laughed and stepped closer, nudging his arm with her elbow. “Come on, say it one more time. I want to make it my ringtone. ‘You were incredible,’” she mimicked in a surprisingly deep tone, trying to imitate him.

He rolled his eyes, face warming. “I do not sound like that.”

Amaya clasped her hands. “Pleaaase, Akio? Pretty please? I’ll go one whole week without glitter-bombing the bathroom.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, pretending to consider. “Hmm, a whole week?”

“Scout’s honor.” She did a solemn two-finger salute with such sincerity he almost believed her.

He shook his head, but his resistance was play-acting at best. Truth was, seeing her this happy did something warm and fluttery to his insides.

She nodded eagerly. He chuckled and finally gave in. “Fine. One more time.” He met her eyes, hoping she could see he meant it. “Amaya, you were amazing out there. Truly.”

For a moment, she didn’t respond with a quip or a laugh. She just looked at him, her bright eyes making his heart skip. Never one to stay serious too long, Amaya broke the moment by pumping a fist in the air victoriously. “Yes! High praise from Akio-sama! And I have witnesses! This moment lives forever!”.

Akio shook his head, unable to suppress his smile. “Alright, drama queen, go change. We’ll meet at the fountain.”

“Aye aye!” She flashed him a salute and then to his surprise, she reached out and squeezed his hand. “Thanks for coming today. It… meant a lot.”

Akio felt that warmth creeping up his neck again. He gave a short nod. “Of course. It was… worth it.” He hoped she understood all the things he wasn’t eloquent enough to say right now.

Amaya seemed to, because she flashed him one more of those disarming, brilliant smiles. Then, cartwheeled off towards the performers’ tents to change, leaving behind a soft cloud of glitter in her wake.

Akio ran a hand through his hair. He felt strangely light. The morning that began with him dreading this outing had transformed into something unexpectedly wonderful. Who would have thought? Me, having fun at a theme park. He almost wanted to laugh at himself.

Akio made his way toward the large fountain in the plaza, weaving through clusters of wandering toddlers, balloon swords, and an alarming number of people wearing matching panda hats.

The fountain was a popular meeting spot, with a statue of a giant panda in a pink tutu spouting water from its outstretched paw.

Akio sat on a bench in the shade of a maple tree where he had a good view of the fountain and scanned for Shinji and Hana.

They soon came into view, Hana joyfully licking a blue popsicle as Shinji led her by the hand. Shinji raised an arm in greeting when he spotted Akio. “Where are the ladies?” he asked as they walked up.

“Changing out of their costumes. Should be here any minute,” Akio replied.

Hana had a turquoise stain around her lips from the treat. “We got you one too!” she said, presenting a second popsicle, this one a neon green, proudly to Akio.

Akio blinked at it, mildly alarmed by its glow, but Hana’s face was so hopeful. He accepted it with a small bow of thanks. “You didn’t have to.”

“You looked like you could use something sweet,” Shinji teased, waggling his eyebrows. “What with all that gushing you did over Amaya.”

Akio almost dropped the popsicle. “I was not gushing,” he retorted, ears burning. Hana giggled, not fully understanding but amused by Akio’s flustered reaction.

Shinji just chuckled. “Hey, no shame in it. It was kind of sweet, genuinely. Made me wonder if you’d been replaced by a clone.” He elbowed Akio. “Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”

Akio grumbled into his first tentative lick of the popsicle (sour apple flavour, as lurid as its colour). “I give plenty of compliments…”

“Uh huh,” Shinji said in a tone that implied sure, keep telling yourself that. Before Akio could come up with evidence of his supposed compliment-giving tendencies, Shinji’s face lit up, looking past Akio’s shoulder. “Here they come.”

Akio turned to see Amaya and Naomi approaching, now in fresh clothes. Amaya had changed into a breezy, pink sundress, though she still sported a few stubborn flecks of glitter in her hair and on her collarbone. Naomi was back in her previous outfit, looking markedly more relaxed now that the performance was over.

“Yooo!” Naomi called, waving both arms. “We’re back, did you miss us?”

“Terribly,” Shinji played along, striding forward. In a dramatic show, he handed Naomi a pretend bouquet (snatching a couple of clover flowers from the grass by the fountain) and said, “For mademoiselle, post-performance.

Naomi accepted the tiny bouquet with equal gravitas. “Why thank you, kind sir,” she said in an over-the-top posh accent, then promptly doubled over laughing. “Okay, I’m starving. Can we please find lunch?”

Amaya, however, was not paying attention to the banter. The moment she spotted Hana, she gasped. “Hana-chan! Your tongue is blue!”

Hana stuck out her tongue proudly, which was indeed bright blue. “Popsicle!” she declared and pointed to Akio’s half-eaten green one.

Amaya’s eyes went wide with longing. “You got popsicles and didn’t get me one? Betrayal! I trusted you!”

Akio held out his own. “Want mine? It’s melting anyway.”

She shook her head vigorously. “No-no, I want blue tongue like Hana-chan.” Without hesitation, Amaya leaned down and took a big lick of Hana’s popsicle. Hana giggled at the shared treat. Shinji and Naomi both made noises of mock scandal.

“So bold, stealing a child’s candy,” Shinji tsked.

“It’s called taxation,” Amaya shot back, tongue already turning blue, “Grown-up tax. Learn your laws.”

Hana protested, though she was laughing, “Here’s your tax!” she squealed, and before anyone could stop her, Hana took a swipe at Amaya’s cheek with her sticky, half-melted popsicle, leaving a smear of blue on her face and a shriek of laughter in her wake.

Amaya gasped in mock horror, scooping Hana up. “Oh, you wanna play like that, huh? Come here!” She nuzzled her cheek against Hana’s, intentionally smearing the blue onto the little girl as well. Soon both of them had blue-stained cheeks and were cackling uncontrollably.

Akio watched, half-appalled, half-amused. “Good grief, you two…” he muttered, but he couldn’t stop a small laugh from escaping. Amaya’s joy was contagious; even after a full performance, she had energy to spare – now being channelled into entertaining Hana.

Shinji snapped a photo of the sticky, giggly duo on his phone.

“Alright, my circus duties are done, and my stomach is demanding payment in yakisoba or something equally greasy.” Naomi declared.

They decided on a nearby food court area for lunch, one of those open-air setups with too many choices and not enough napkins. There was a variety of stalls that sold everything from noodles to burgers. 

After some healthy bickering, they pushed two picnic tables together. Shinji and Naomi ended up in a surprisingly intense conversation about amusement parks, of all things (with Naomi describing one with an indoor ski slope, which had Shinji fascinated).

Hana and Amaya focused on demolishing a plate of cotton candy-covered waffles with rainbow syrup and sprinkles – truly a monstrous dessert that looked like it had been summoned from a unicorn’s fever dream. Akio opted for a simple okonomiyaki and quietly enjoyed the lively scene around him.

At one point, as he refilled everyone’s water cups from a nearby cooler, Akio caught his reflection in the drink machine’s surface and realized he was smiling.

I haven’t felt this at ease in ages, he realized. It was as if the strict lines of his normally ordered life had been redrawn today in bright crayon squiggles. And at least for today… he was okay with it.

The next half-hour passed in a blissful, messy lunch break. Afterwards, they all strolled leisurely through the park. 

Hana started to drag, the day’s excitement catching up with her, so Shinji gave her a piggyback ride. 

They decided to do one last activity before heading home. Hana voted for the Ferris wheel, the giant red one at the edge of the park that offered views of the city. Everyone agreed that would be a nice end to the day.