krystalkatzficz | The Tightrope part 11

“Good morning, Sho-chan…” Masaki said sliding into the table and looking at the food in front of him. He was actually happy by the morning greeting from Jun. It was the first time that it had happened and he hoped that it was a good sign like Jun was actually warming up to him. The older man flashed him a troubled smile his eyes still holding onto the sadness from last night. Masaki still couldn’t understand what had happened last night and he didn’t think that it was right to ask. Sho let out a sigh starting to eat his meal slowly before mumbling;

“I’m sorry for last night and Mari…She can be a little bit of a pest sometimes…”

“…It’s okay…Um is she okay now?” Masaki asked after swallowing down his food and sipping on the freshly squeezed orange juice positive that if Jun did end up leaving the tightrope he could make a good living with his own restaurant. The meals he made were always simple but mouth-wateringly delicious and he could see why Sho had never bothered to learn to cook. It was even better than the stuff that had been served in the restaurant…Masaki blinked a little and pushed that thought away quickly with a shake of the head.

“She is, she’s with Nino and from the sounds of it she had his undivided attention all night…” Sho grinned before adding ruefully “…Jun is really jealous but hiding it well…”

“Mari-chan really likes Nino ne?” Masaki said through his chuckles easily imagining the brooding man having fits of jealousy over a tenacious little girl and he was almost disappointed that he couldn’t see it for himself.

“Most people do, he’s the right sort of cocky/charming…And he’s so affectionate to people that he does like that it’s impossible not to like him…Rather like a human shaped puppy…” Sho chuckled at his own joke while Masaki was convinced that that was the best description of Nino that he had ever heard. He didn’t know him very well but he knew that he was very loving and loyal to those he liked…Including him. Masaki knew that if he had had a friend like that before he would never have gotten into the situation that he was in…He wouldn’t be here now either though and that would have been disappointing. It might night have been the life he had always dreamed of but it was an incredible life. …I’m sorry…That she bugged you about your scar…And for what she said…”

“It’s okay…I guess…You’re curious about it too, ne?”

“I am…But I’m older and wiser than my little sister...Your past is your own Masaki…Whatever the reason that brought you here…I am very glad that it did…” Sho smiled his voice dripping with sincerity that Masaki hadn’t heard in so long that it made his eyes prickle with tears of happiness. “This is your home…Not a single one of us will question your place here…”

“Thank-you…And the same with you…About what Mari-chan said…I won’t question it…”

“It’s alright if you did, everyone knows the story anyway…My dad wasn’t only a gambler he also cheated on my mum…Mari and my brother were the result of that…And when their mum died they came here…” Sho let out a sigh and Masaki knew that this probably wasn’t going to be happy. He had never known the man personally but from all the stories that he had heard the former ring master didn’t seem to be the kind of person that would happily take in two young children even if they were his own. A shadow formed in Sho’s eyes and he ran his fingers through his salt and pepper hair “…My dad wanted nothing to do with them...My mum was upset; I mean she loves them now of course but at the time it hurt so I adopted them…I did my best…But obviously I wasn’t good enough…”

“Idiot!” Masaki huffed bringing his arms up to fold over his chest and shooting him a hard stare “I think you probably did too good of a job! If Mari-chan didn’t think so she wouldn’t want to stay with you! Anybody can see that she loves you!”

“…Maybe you’re right…She said time and time again that she would rather be travelling with the circus…But it’s easier for her to stay with my mum…So she can go to school…” The older man hummed and Masaki gave a little shrug saying;

“It’s summer now right? Why don’t you take her with us when we leave? Let her have the summer holidays with you…Isn’t that what your parents did? Cause otherwise you’d never been together…”

“True…Thank-you Masaki…I’ll talk to Mari and my mum about it later…So what have you got planned for today?”

“…Nothing much…” He shrugged though he was hoping that he would meet up with Satoshi later. Nino would be out of commission for a day or two while his leg healed up and he wanted to go on some of the rides that he could hear running. He would have asked Sho if he wanted to go on them with him but he had already been told that the older man was afraid of heights. Of course he imagined that Satoshi had already been on them before now but he hoped that he would be able to convince him. “I have to feed the animals and wash down the elephants…But after that I’m pretty much free today…”

“Then you should find Satoshi…” Sho smirked a little as though he had been reading his mind and Masaki flushed brightly eating more of the breakfast before asking;

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah…Is there anyone that you like?”

“…Actually there is…Her name is Maki…” Sho admitted with a goofy smile and a shrug his cheeks growing a little pink “I…I haven’t actually asked her…I mean…We talk a lot when we’re all together like this…”

“Eh! You should ask her!” Masaki enthused excitedly and Sho chuckled at him before saying;

“I had already been planning on it...I mean this time…I promised myself that I would…I should get on with work first I have to go pay some money into the bank…”

“…Ne…Sho-chan…How much does the circus owe?” Masaki whispered suddenly feeling nervous again for asking but Sho didn’t tell him that it was none of his business just fixed him with a stare and muttered;

“Around fifty thousand…”

“That’s a lot ne…”

“Yup…I don’t even know how he got such a debt…” Sho sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose with a fingertip and Masaki got up from the table and then went to his bedroom. He didn’t have many belongings with him but he did have his bank book and he brought it back to the table. “Masaki…What…”

“This…This is all I have…Um…But I want to help…Anyway I can…” He said pushing the bank book over the table so Sho could read the figure of 25 thousand yen. It was everything he had been given when…When the incident had happened. He had sworn to himself that he would never touch it but now. If he could just help a little, then he would gladly give it. Sho blinked at the bank book and then gasped before pushing it back towards him.

“Masaki…I…Don’t know where you got that much money…And I’m not going to question it…But…I can’t accept it…”

“It’s mine…I didn’t steal it or anything…” Masaki said pushing the bank book back at him “I don’t need it and I don’t want it…I want to help you…So please…Take it, I know that it’s only half of what you owe…but...Please…”

TBC
A/N: I promise that the incident will come out and OhBa will get on with things soon…