Annabelle laughed quietly as she watched her brother perform his strange dance.
She was surprised by the strange change in the circus, of course, but as long as her brother was happy, she couldn't ask for more.
As always, she watched him shine. That's how it was, how it is, and how it will be.
Next to Annabelle, in Elion's place, a clown sat down and smiled at her.
"Haha! How do you like the show, young lady?"
At first, Annabelle didn't want to answer, but when she looked at her brother dancing happily, she couldn't help but mumble back with a smile.
"That's... Kinda fun."
"Haha! There couldn't be better praise for me!"
"I can't remember the last time Elion found something this funny. It seems he's found his dream," She said, smiling brightly.
"Haha! If this boy becomes a clown, I'll seem second-rate compared to him! Hehe," the clown laughed.
"I'm sure his jokes would shake the worlds itself..." He muttered quietly, but Annabelle didn't hear him.
"Oh yes! Since we have this opportunity, let me give you a little advice, milady."
The girl glanced at the clown and listened silently.
"The only thing you need is to want it with all your heart, and your wish will come true!" The clown said with a broad smile.
Annabelle looked at the smiling clown for a few seconds, then nodded.
"Haha! Then I hope your wish comes true!" The clown laughed cheerfully and joined the madness.
Annabelle thought silently for a few seconds, then looked at Elion, and her previous smile returned to her face.
It was a same warm smile.
The smile that had always been there and always would be.
...
The performance continued. The lights shone brighter, the games became crazier, the dances were more energetic, and the smiles were wider.
Still dancing merrily, Elion ran up to the chief clown and shouted joyfully,
"Mr. Clown! This is so beautiful and fun! How can I become a clown like you?"
"Haha! Who do you think is a good clown?" The clown shouted while dancing.
"Someone who makes people smile! Someone who brings joy. Someone who takes away sadness and despair. Someone who saves others from sadness!" Elion shouted without hesitation, waving his arms as he danced.
"Haha! I see you know more about being a clown than I do! Every clown has their own reason for being one, and that reason determines what kind of clown they will be! Every clown has their own reason for being one, and that reason determines what kind of clown they'll be. Hehe! So I won't tell you my reason for being a clown!"
The boy listened attentively, absorbing his words.
"You have a wonderful reason to be a clown, so there's no need to look for ways to become the best. Just be yourself, and you can already be considered the best!"
"That's how it is..."
"But I must warn you of something that applies to every clown. You may lose your smile and forget what it looks like and what it means. Even if it seems gone, it's always deep inside you. Reach out your hand for it when you're ready!"
"Reach out my hand...for a smile?" Elion said thoughtfully.
"That's right! You'll understand when the time comes. But remember one thing forever: Never break your smile. What is lost can always be regained, but it's much harder to put back together what's broken. Don't forget that!"
Elion listened silently, then smiled brightly and exclaimed,
"Thank you, Mr. Clown!"
"Hahahaha! There is no better reward for me than that smile! Now, go to your seat and watch the end of the performance!"
"Yes!" Elion shouted, running to his seat.
"Sis, catch me!" Elion jumped into his sister's arms.
Annabelle caught him, giggling, and leaned back in her seat.
"Belle, what do you think? It was really fun and cool!" Elion spun around in his sister's arms, still full of joy.
"Hehe. Yes, it was really fun," Annabelle said, laughing sweetly, and hugged her brother tightly.
"Haha! Yes! So Fun!" Elion clung to her without embarrassment.
The final part of the performance was ready to begin. The applause died down, the music stopped, and the clowns quieted. The chief clown stepped to the center of the stage, and the others gathered just behind him.
A bright smile lit up his pale, masked face as he cheerfully exclaimed,
"Haha! We thank all the audience members for their wonderful smiles and hearty laughter! Haha! Finally, behold our grand finale! And... Music!"
*Snap!*
A snap sounded, solemn music began to play, and the puppet audience started buzzing with excitement.
Elion watched the performance with enthusiasm. In his opinion, no book hero could compare to this clown.
Clapping his hands, the boy watched his new idol.
To the solemn music, all the clowns gathered and began climbing on top of each other to form a large tower of dozens of clowns.
*Snap!*
With a click, all the clowns merged into one huge clown. The sight was simply inexplicable yet mesmerizingly incredible.
"HAHAHAHA" The huge clown laughed hollowly with his wide mouth.
Accompanied by this laughter, the giant pulled all the colorful lights from the hall toward him, gathering them into a small white dot in his hands.
"Hahahaha! Open your eyes wider so you don't miss the trick!"
Elion opened his eyes wide and watched, as the clown warned him.
The clown spread his arms wide and released the lights, creating a beautiful display of color.
It was as if a new universe were born from a small dot before the boy's eyes, reflecting in them.
"Wow..." Was all the boy could say as he watched this imitation of the birth of a new universe.
"Hahaha!"
"And the last trick!"
*Snap!*
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
With a click, the huge clown exploded into millions of tiny sparks of every color, shining brighter than the stars.
It was...
"So beautiful..."
Elion etched this beauty forever into his memory.
...
"..."
"Belle, that was so cool!" I've never seen anything more wonderful!"
On the way home, Elion wouldn't stop talking to his sister about the circus. He was so impressed that he couldn't find the words to express it, so he just kept talking.
"It was just mind-blowing! Did you see the tricks they did?! Some of them jumped higher than any acrobat. Others danced in the air. Still others... They were on fire and dancing!" The boy couldn't stop replaying the performance in his head.
"And then... Then... I don't even know what it was! Just boom, and... Soar, and— It was the coolest thing ever!"
Annabelle kept her eyes on her brother. Sometimes she giggled sweetly. Sometimes she was amazed by his descriptions. But mostly...
Walking along and holding her brother's hand, she enjoyed these happy moments, even if they weren't quiet.
"It's just a pity that Mr. Clown disappeared at the end. I would have liked to thank him again. But he said smiles are the best thanks, so it's okay."
After his stunning finale, the clown disappeared, and all they could do was go home. When they left the circus, they turned around, but the tent was already gone. However, after what they had been through, this did not surprise them too much. After all, the clown himself is a mystery, so it's no surprise that he leaves more mysteries behind.
"By the way, Elion, haven't you forgotten something?"
"Hmm, what could I have forgotten?" Elion ran through some options in his head, but only strange ones came to mind.
"Well, for example, you're forgetting that you'll be getting presents on your birthday. Oh, and I tried so hard..." Annabelle feigned disappointment.
"Right! Come on, I'm really looking forward to your gift! Let's hurry home!" Elion said, pulling his sister along and quickening his pace.
"Hehe," Anabel laughed quietly and mischievously.
She will definitely shock him with her gift.