18. Magic

The Athletic Festival was a season everyone got really excited for Class Battles. You may be wondering why time passes by so quickly in this story-- or perhaps, it's too slow for your liking, but your lovingly lazy author references the manga too much to revise anything.

All that aside,

Ninomiya Rei was a student that had nothing to do during this time. To be frank, people would scream bloody murder if he so much as touches a basketball. He didn't want to see what would happen if anyone saw him participating in sports.

Every day was a half day for him during this season, because everyone's frantic and busy for preparations. Classes are stalled, and Rei's not allowed to help either.

I think you're getting tired of that third person by now, but to sum all that up-- I'm free!

-

Pulling up the bow of my green tailcoat, I tucked my hat into my head. Picking up the shining green mask from the desk, I laid it at the bridge of my nose.

My hair clipped up with the hair pins that contrasted my theme colour, I looked in the mirror and my lips curled into a movie smile.

Clown Shows were my thing-- they were Drew's thing. The Athletics Festival Season was akin to my Magic Show Marathon, an annual special event. This was a job and I should have been accustomed to it-- but each time, I felt the jitters of stage fright tickle my senses.

"The show must go on," I reminded myself of something Drew once loved to say. 

This was something I had to do, as Ninomiya Rei and as the reincarnation of Drew Cite.

My right thumb trailed across my left wrist, feeling the faint different where my skin was scarred with a pale design. Bringing it closer, I closed my eyes and touched my forehead.

"Please watch over me, brothers," I whispered to myself.

-

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the camera flickered to life, and I sat on my bed, waving with a smile. "Welcome to Cite's Circus. This is Rei on scene, and I hope you enjoy the show!"

Bouncing out of the bed, I spun to my back and produced a wand from my wrist, tossing it to my back and catching it with my other hand-- multiplying it to ten and held each one in my fingers.

"Now, my little listeners," I grinned, "what do you wanna see today?"

Cute comments flooded the video screen-- magic, what else? C'mon, hurry on. Just get it on, kid. We're waiting, and I couldn't resist the giggle that rumbled from my throat. With a flick of my hand, the wands in my hands blurred out to two-- one in each hand.

"I think everyone would love some puppies," I suggested, swirling the wands in circles at each hand.

"Eins, Zwei-" I began, and at "Drei!", the wands morphed into two stray kittens, leaping from my hands and landing gracefully on the ground.

I acted surprised.

"Oops," I scratched my cheek bashfully. The cats pawed at the screen, mewing softly.

I produced a black cloth from the fourth dimensional pocket at my chest-- and threw it over the kittens. Removing the cloth, there the were-- two adorable puppies.

"Are you a dog person? Or a cat person?" I asked through the screen, and got a bunch of complicated answers that couldn't be read just yet.

The black cloth ran over the puppies once again, and this time, they were gone.

Standing back up, I sighed as if I was tired, "well then guys, let's get the show started, shall we?"

The screen turned black.

-

The screen blinked. 

The lively jingle of music began playing. Legs crossed I sat on my bed, I beamed. 

Pulling my cape over my front, the screen was obscured and I was out of sight. When I emerged on the screen again, I had turned the size of a seven-year-old.

Running forward with my now tiny legs, I pulled my hat down and laid it over the camera.

The hat was removed, now by a full-grown woman. A seductive wink and blowing a kiss at the screen, I placed a finger at my lips in a shh-- 

Covering the camera with my hand, the light opened and I was male again. But this time-- I looked like a middle-aged adult.

Bowing lowly, head down and hat at my chest, I lifted my head as a teenager again.

Putting my hat back on, I grinned. I grinned. I grinned.

Now, there were three of me, standing side by side. 

We noticed each other, and feigned surprise in varying degrees of exaggeration. Laughing as if someone made a joke, we took off our hats and bowed at each other.

Then, one of me tripped over air and crashed into the other two. I came back up as one person again, my clothes disheveled.

I laughed at myself.

I crossed my legs in a comfortable position on the floor. I took off my hat, reaching into it and pulling out-- to my utter surprise-- An infant in a suit, wearing a fedora.

Huh?

I put him down carefully by the side, reaching into the hat again. This time, I picked out what looked like a cow child with an afro.

I was dripping with cold sweat now.

I carefully placed him on the other side from where Reborn was, and reached into the hat again. This time, I pulled out what looked like a purple, corroding cake.

I put it back in.

I put the hat aside, putting on a BIOHAZARD sign on it.

When I did that, Reborn jumped on my shoulder and Lambo on my lap, laughing. The video was muted, so no one could hear us aside from the music.

We spoke for a long moment-- then they began fighting with grenades and violence. I grabbed them both by the scruff, on opposite hands, an angry expression on my face.

And in the next instant, they disappeared into pink smoke, replaced by a large number of rabbits that buried me under.

I snapped my fingers, and the bunnies disappeared. I gave an obvious sigh. I turned to the camera, grinned, and snapped my fingers one more time.

The screen went black.

-

-

"Sorry about that, Reborn-kun, Lambo-kun," I apologize to the kids that opened my room door again right as the camera stopped filming.

"Rei, how did you do that!" Lambo was fascinated, "I just suddenly POOFed and I was downstairs in front of the TV!" he jumped on my and gripped at my shirt.

"Magic," I explained, "It's magic."

"OOOH! Teach me magic, Rei! Teach me!" he made a fuss now.

"It's not Magic if I teach it to you, Lambo," I explained, "honestly, I was surprised when I pulled you out of the hat! I nearly freaked out!" I whine, "Reborn-san, did you meddle with my magic?"

The infant just smiled.

"Seriously?" I had to ask. I was half-joking just now, though.

I changed out of my costume into a casual shirt and pants. It didn't really matter if Reborn and Lambo were in the room, right?

"Okay, let's get some breakfast from downstairs!" I smile at the two infants.

"Food!" Lambo cheered, getting on my head. I picked up Reborn and we walked downstairs. It was barely 10am now, so the girls weren't coming home for another six hours or so.

I boiled some water for coffee and hot chocolate, then I turned to the fridge. What should I make for breakfast? Since Reborn and Lambo were both Italian, I guess we can lay off the Japanese breakfast for once...

-

"Woah! Pancaakes!" Lambo cheered, "Yahoo!"

I placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of him, and a mug of espresso in front of Reborn. I put down normal Coffee in front of my plate, and placed a small jar of maple syrup on the table.

"Thanks fer the food!" Lambo yelled, picking up his utensils and already digging in.

"Thanks for the food," Reborn spoke up to me.

"Enjoy," I tell them. I take off my apron and hang it up, cleaning up the dishes in the sink quickly. By the time I got to my food, it wasn't as hot as before, but still mildly warm.

The pancakes turned out pretty okay, I guess. Not the best I can do... I took a sip of the coffee that wasn't exactly hot. It was warm, but not hot. Lukewarm, perhaps. But that's just how I preferred my coffee. My tongue can't handle hot drinks well.

-----

"That was the first time I've seen your live show," Reborn mused.

I chuckle, slightly bashful. "That's a little embarrassing," I say, "I usually just go with the flow, though," I say.

"It was interesting," Reborn said. "But I couldn't figure out a few of your tricks." he admitted, "Were they optical illusions? Or actual illusions? I've seen it personally, so I know it's not Computer-generated."

Illusions... Mist Flames. There is, in fact, a similarity between illusionists and magicians. I chuckle lightly. "It's magic, Reborn-kun." I say, "It's magic."

"Magic?" Reborn inquired.

"To be a clown and to be a magician," I smile, "I guess you could say that it's my legacy," I gulped down the last of my coffee, and traced the rim of the mug. "It's my inspiration," I say, "even if I'd die, this is one dream I won't let go."

"You're being strangely serious about it," Reborn commented. "You're already doing your dream, aren't you?" he asked, "there's not a single one in Namimori that doesn't know of you, the Clown, Rei."

"I am," I grin wider, "but even if I can do it now-- there's no guarantee I can do it forever. We can never know the full extent of what's gonna happen in our lives. That's why I'm living in the moment. I'm trying to treasure all that I have now- and do all that I can now, in the present."

Because that is what the Void gave me this life to do.

"If I told you all my tricks and secrets, I wouldn't be a Magician anymore, would I?"