Showtime - Chapter 3

Natsume

Before you start, can I say something?

Wataru

Right before I perform my magic? What kind of mood-killer is this? Natsume-kun can be real harsh sometimes. *Sob*

Natsume

How about you stop with the crying act..... Anyway, Wataru-nii-san, you said that the magic show will take place on the underground stage, right?

Natsume

But you also said that the stage is not fit for large-scale performances.

Natsume

But when you came asking me to be your assistant yesterday, you said you were thinking of doing a large-scale performance.

Natsume

What happened there? There’s no way you could have missed such an obvious contradiction like that.

Wataru

Right. Plus, that was just yesterday’s today. I can't just say I forgot what I said, either.

Wataru

It's just as I said earlier, the underground stage we're using is not made for large-scale magic performances. So I decided to go with parlor magic, instead.

Wataru

I'm still planning to do a big flashy magic show someday. But for this event, we can do things like the dove magic I'm teaching Sora right now.

Wataru

So it will be a little different from the large-scale show that I was going to have you be involved in.

Wataru

But, no matter what kind of magic show we're having, it's going to be a lot of fun right up to the real event.

Wataru

Anyway, I'll tell you the secret to the tricks after you've seen them first-hand and witness their amazingness first.

Wataru

Magic's no fun if you know the secret before seeing the trick. It'd be like knowing the plot twist to a mystery story before you even read the book.

Wataru

There's no way we can bore our audience like that! Bringing new, fresh surprises to others is the pinnacle of joy to me....☆

Natsume

How very Wataru-nii-san-like.

Natsume

Me, on the otherhand, I'm a fortune-teller. I can't just tell all my customers that everything will turn out sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows. Sometimes I have to tell them devastating predictions about their future, too.

Natsume

Then they ask me, "Why are you telling me such depressing things," or, "Why don't you predict a happier outcome for me".

Wataru

Somehow my customers are mixing up fortune-teller and counselor and then complain about the fortunes I predict.

Natsume

I'm becoming more well-known as a fortune-teller recently, and of course, there are people who have do happy, lucky fortunes. But I'm also seeing an increase on a lot of weirdo customers.

Natsume

There's always a price to pay with fame, I guess. Mommy has to deal with even more clients than I do. Must be tough for her.

Natsume

I need to learn to overcome this impediment if I want to be like her. Otherwise, I'll never be able to reach mommy's status as a fortune-teller.

Natsume

*Shakes head* Well, I went off on a tangent there. Sora, you must be bored.

Sora

Hihi~, I'm fine! I love listening to Master~'s voice. I can listen to it for~ever and not get sick of it.

Natsume

I also love listening to Sora's voice, too. No matter how tired I am, once I hear Sora's voice, my exhaustion just flies away.

Natsume

And it's not just me, you know. There are tons of people ou there who are rejuvenated by your voice, too.

Wataru

Natsume-kun, Sora-kun. Will you two stop being so lovey-dovey with each other. You're totally leaving me out!

Wataru

Don't forget about me over here~!

Natsume

Wataru-nii-san, I know you're feeling left out, but you don't need to throw roses everywhere.....Oh, what's this?

Natsume

It's our little Kitten-chan. Are you okay? You've fallen on your butt there. Should I help you up?

Natsume

No need to thank me. You must have been surprised and fell since there's flowers everywhere suddenly on the floor.

Sora

Huhu~. It looks like Anzu fell 'cause she was not to trying step on the flowers on the floor, Master~.

Sora

Okie dokie. Sora will also be careful not to step on the flowers~. I love flowers, their colors are beautiful ♪

Wataru

Huhuhu. You look awfully puzzled, Anzu-san. If you're not busy, why don't you stay and watch?

Wataru

I was just about to have a petit magic show and we don't have much of an audience anyway.

Wataru

So please sit down on the bench and revel in my magic tricks....♪

Wataru

Let's get started! What I'm taking out my pocket are some coins. Coins- nothing but plain, ordinary, mundane coins.

Wataru

You probably think there must be something about these coins. Why don't I let you inspect them? You can inspect them from top to bottom, inside out.

Wataru

Alright. All done inspecting them, Anzu-san?

Wataru

As you can see they're nothing but ordinary, mundane coins and I'm going line them up one by one. One coin, two coins~....♪

Wataru

Okay. Now I'm going to take these coins in my hand one by one. One coin, two coins.......Finished! All the coins that were lined up are now in my right hand!

Wataru

Now I'm going to open my hand~.......Oh, what's this?

Sora

Hoho~? That's not the right number of coins. One's missing!

Wataru

Oh, it seems that a hungry little creature must have eaten one of our coins!

Wataru

Sora-kun, why don't we tell the creature, "Coins are not food," and ask for it back. We can say it together!

Sora

Haha~, Sora will do it! Creature-san, coins are not food, we would like you to give it back~

Sora

If you're hungry, Sora will buy you a snack! Snacks are sweet and they're also the color of bliss~♪

Wataru

Fuhuhu. Looks like your message got through to Creature-san~. Look, the coin appeared in my left hand! Applause please,~!

Sora

*Clap*Clap* Sora's gonna buy some snacks now to say thank you to Creature-san, Grand-Master~!

Wataru

I'm delighted you enjoyed it~! Within the realm of magic tricks, this one was a very simple one and I'm gonna teach it to you, Sora-kun!

Wataru

Now let's reveal the secret to the trick! From the very beginning, I used the thumb-palm technique and concealed a coin in my left hand.

Wataru

As you nimbly pick up the coins with your right hand, you conceal one in the right hand between thumb and palm, too.

Wataru

Here, if I show you the other side of my right hand, you'll easily see what I mean.

Wataru

In this way, as you line the coins up again, it looks like there's one missing, but it's actually just sandwiched between thumb and palm.

Wataru

At the end of the act, you open up the left hand and reveal the coin that was thumb-palmed all along, making the audience think that the coin was moved from right hand to left.

Wataru

What do you think? If you got something out of watching me perform magic, that would mean utter bliss to me ♪