Perhaps Sixx should have been more proactive in comforting Corbin. Honestly, Malon’s presence always distracted him, so lately Sixx couldn’t focus on anything else. Moreover, whenever the siblings talked about Malon, they categorically labeled him as a dangerous person and recited news about the heinous crimes committed by the organization he belonged to. Consequently, Sixx couldn’t engage in deep conversations with them like before. No matter how much Sixx defended Malon, their reactions remained the same. To the people of La Cosa Nostra, Malon was a shadow of the city, spreading evil behind its back. Sixx didn’t know much about them, so he couldn’t deny it. However, in truth, Sixx didn’t care who Malon was. He firmly believed that Malon wouldn’t be as fake as he appeared to himself. Even if the siblings heard shocking stories, they didn’t need to bring up the topic of Malon in front of them. But the problem was that Sixx’s mind was so filled with Malon that he couldn’t help but talk about Malon when he opened his mouth.
As he continued to make excuses, Corbin seemed to be getting more and more cornered. Suddenly feeling remorseful, Sixx sighed. I should have been a support… What a useless bastard.
“What we fundamentally have to do won’t change. We steal. Do you have anything complicated to consider?”
Leticia spoke. Steal? Startled by the unexpected word, Sixx involuntarily twitched. Right where Sixx’s foot had landed, there was a small twig. The sound of the dry twig snapping echoed in the eerily quiet field. It was such a trivial sound, yet its aftermath was immense. As the conversation between Leticia and Corbin abruptly halted, Sixx’s heart pounded wildly as if it were going to burst.
“…Corbin, someone’s here.”
Sixx swallowed hard. If he got caught, it would be over. Even if he tried to pass it off as just listening to music alone, it would be difficult to escape questioning from the point of eavesdropping behind the trees. And Leticia already dislikes him… He hasn’t even told Corbin that he received a radio as a gift yet. While Sixx was trembling with anxiety, thankfully Corbin nonchalantly remarked as if it were trivial.
“Probably just a rat. Who would come all the way here in the middle of the night? And nobody saw us on the way here either.”
“But still… I have a bad feeling about this. Let’s just go in.”
The footsteps of the two slowly faded away. Phew… Relieved, Sixx placed his hands on his chest and took a deep breath. But seriously, what was all that about? What are Leticia and Corbin plotting? He felt uneasy. Normally, it wouldn’t bother him, but Corbin wasn’t in the right state of mind at the moment. In his desperation to save Andy, he might do something reckless. I should talk to him properly tomorrow. With that thought, Sixx hugged the radio tightly to his chest and headed back to the barracks.
***
Sixx woke up to a commotion. The noise outside was so loud that he couldn’t possibly sleep anymore. Someone was shouting angrily, some were arguing, and most were murmuring loudly. What’s going on? Unable to ignore it any longer, Sixx finally got up. It didn’t take long to find the source of the commotion. Standing out in the center of the crowd like a cloud was Dancer Greta, who had lost something before. Those who seemed to be her friends surrounded her protectively, glaring around with vigilance. It didn’t feel good. Upon closer inspection, Sixx could see that the crowd was split into two factions. Naturally, it was Part 1 and Part 2.
“Call the ringmaster!” someone shouted sharply. Then someone behind Sixx sneered, “These guys always cry for the ringmaster!”
“What’s all this commotion from early morning?”
After stirring up the crowd, the ringmaster finally appeared. Greta seemed relieved by his arrival and finally raised her tear-streaked face. As her friends rushed forward as if they had been waiting for him, the ringmaster couldn’t understand any of them properly because they all started talking at once. He frowned and waved his hand.
“Enough, enough. Since you’re all agitated, let one person speak. You, explain, Karen. What’s going on?”
“Last night, another thief appeared! They stole a necklace this time, after the ring last time!!”
“A thief? Another thief, you say?”
The ringmaster narrowed his brows. Despite the shouts from the Part 1 members, the previous theft incident remained unresolved. Neither the thief nor the stolen items had been found, and there were no clues to solve the case. The ringmaster had suspicions about the Part 2 members, but due to the explosive anger that had built up, the Part 2 members were more sensitive to the suspicious glances directed at them than ever before. So, for the time being, the ringmaster had to back off and examine the situation carefully. But then, another theft occurred. While it couldn’t be confirmed that it was the same culprit as before, now that the incident had recurred, delaying the resolution was no longer an option. It seemed like everyone present realized this fact, and it seemed obvious who would bear the blame. Instinctively hunching their bodies, the Part 2 members murmured quietly, accusing that foolish one of carelessly losing something somewhere and deliberately causing a disturbance.
However, the Part 1 members were not staying silent either. Shouts erupted from all over.
“Ringmaster, it’s not hard to guess who the culprit might be. Why aren’t you apprehending them!”
“That’s right, I can’t live with thieves. There’s a limit to patience, isn’t this too much? We’ve been tolerant enough!”
“How long do we have to just take it without retaliation!”
The Part 1 members urged the ringmaster collectively. They were convinced that one of the Part 2 members was the thief. Yet, they also believed that the ringmaster was not trying to catch the thief because he was wary of the Part 2 members. Those monstrous bastards. Finally, someone from Part 1 muttered in frustration. They despised the Part 2 members terribly and did not treat them as equals. In the eyes of the seemingly normal Part 1 members, most of the Part 2 members appeared as wicked monsters. Even if they tried to control them, they barely listened. Threats, coaxing, and appeasement could only get them to listen reluctantly. Unlike animals that don’t listen, those creatures were not only disgusting but also vile. Even without saying it aloud, they all seemed to share the same thoughts. While it was true that the audience was more enthusiastic about the Part 2 performance, it was because they were in the position of ‘audience.’ A thick fence separated them, and the time spent with those monsters was only a few minutes. Perhaps if they lived with the monsters like I do, their opinions would change. Disgusting and filthy monsters! That was the universal opinion of the Part 1 members regarding the Part 2 members. Hans shivered. It was already unbearable to stay in the same space, and now they had to endure theft too! Karen pressured the ringmaster with her gaze. Greta sobbed again. Maria spat on the ground. Tucker crossed his arms and glared at the Part 2 members. The thief was among them.
“Damn it, those damn Part 1 bastards. Suspecting us again!”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
It was Jonah. His voice was filled with dissatisfaction, but it was small enough to be heard only by a few nearby people, including Sixx. However, it wasn’t because Jonah was particularly cowardly. First of all, they were outnumbered. Part 1 often filled the stage with multiple members, while Part 2 mostly performed solo, so it was natural that there were three to four times more Part 1 members than Part 2 members. Even passing children know that the number of heads is most important in a group fight. Moreover, they were subtly demoralized by the repeated theft incidents. Continuously being suspected, they started to suspect their colleagues even if it wasn’t them. So, they harbored dissatisfaction with the situation but couldn’t step forward to protest and instead withdrew into the corner. The ringmaster, as if contemplating deeply, slowly stroked his chin with his index finger.
“Qfii, klat qeyilm bqlclbc ilxf atlr, atfgf’r cbatlcu kf mjc vb. Qf tjnf ab lcrqfma atf yfibculcur bo atf Ujga 2 wfwyfgr. Po atfs’gf cba uelias, atfgf’r cb gfjrbc ab bqqbrf, gluta? Pa mjc kjrt jkjs rerqlmlbcr jcv tfiq lc gfrbinlcu atf mjrf.”
“Qtja? Lbiv bc, glcuwjrafg! Po sbe’gf ublcu ab lcrqfma, sbe rtbeiv vb la obg atf Ujga 1 uesr abb! Gjwc, atlr lr ecojlg!”
“Of course, if the innocence of the Part 2 members is proven, we’ll do that. But there are priorities.”
“That’s precisely what’s unfair!”
The murmurs spread like wildfire. There was no positive reaction to inspecting personal belongings. Some turned pale and fidgeted with their feet. After all, everyone had a couple of things they didn’t want others to see. Some might even possess something that, if seen by others, could ruin their social reputation. And the situation wasn’t much different for Sixx either. Under Sixx’s pillow was a radio, and there were also a few items received from Malon. Malon had remembered everything Sixx had casually mentioned and gifted them without forgetting. Sixx didn’t know that Malon had listened to Sixx’s stories so attentively. So, Sixx liked those items, but more than anything, he felt greater joy in the fact that Malon had given them as gifts. He had thought of giving the snow globe to Andy, but those items were undoubtedly Sixx’s possessions. However, the problem was that Sixx didn’t know how the ringmaster would react to them. Would he believe Sixx’s words? Would he think Sixx stole them from somewhere?
Perhaps in the worst-case scenario, the ringmaster might suspiciously confiscate those items. Sixx nervously chewed on his lips.
“What we fundamentally have to do won’t change. We steal. Do you have anything complicated to consider?”
Then, a voice brushed past Sixx’s mind.
Come to think of it, Leticia had said that last night. That there were things to steal… And the next day, a thief appeared in the circus. Was this just a coincidence? Could the culprit be Leticia? If the culprit were revealed now, maybe I could safely keep my belongings… The impulse of suspicion suddenly seized Sixx’s mind. Just as he was about to blurt out her name, another person present intervened. That’s right. Corbin, Sixx’s friend, was also there. If Leticia’s name came up, Corbin wouldn’t be safe either. Although I didn’t want to believe it, maybe Corbin and Leticia teamed up to steal things. Corbin wouldn’t steal others’ belongings… But, Sixx had also worried about whether he might cause trouble due to his concern for his sister. What should I do, what should I do… At that moment, as Sixx was torn apart, someone raised their hand.
“Ringmaster, I actually saw someone sneaking out of the barn last night.”
The owner of the voice was Clay. Always glaring fiercely at me and spitting after a little shoulder bump, that was Clay. All eyes were on him. The ringmaster also lightly gestured as if to say, ‘Go ahead, speak.’ His eyes, like a hyena searching for prey, swept around him, and soon met Sixx’s. Astonishingly, he chuckled. …Wait, did he just laugh? Before Sixx could even guess the reason for that smile, Sixx’s name popped out of his big mouth.
“Sixx. He sneaked out last night. I don’t know what he did after that, but that much is certain. I pretended to sleep and watched.”
Clay’s bombshell declaration caused an instant uproar. People gasped.
Sixx? Sixx went out at night? Come to think of it, I think I saw it too! Oh, then could it really be that Sixx stole something?
Someone said so. Sixx felt like lightning had struck from the sky. Whether it was actually an electric shock or not, not even a common excuse came to mind in his blank, whitened mind. All the eyes of everyone present turned to Sixx, trembling like aspens. Dozens of eyeballs, if not a hundred, rolled towards Sixx. Cold sweat poured down Sixx’s back.
No, I’m not the culprit. I didn’t steal anything.
He wanted to say that, but he couldn’t speak because his breath was caught in his throat.
“Sixx, is that true? Did you sneak out last night?” the ringmaster asked.
To not look suspicious, he had to answer immediately. But what should he say? In a situation where there were already witnesses, he couldn’t deny going out. However, if he admitted going out, suspicions towards Sixx would deepen, and worse, that question was inevitable. So, just—
“Why did you go out? Did you have someone to meet in the middle of the night?” It would have been great if he could answer like that. However, in this situation, there was no one to suddenly come to his aid with words, and dragging Andy or Corbin into it forcibly would only arouse suspicion if the lie was revealed. In the end, even though he knew it sounded like a cliché excuse, Sixx had no choice but to say it.
“Uh, well, I just couldn’t sleep… I just went out for a walk to clear my head.”
“If that’s really the case, why would you sneak out while being so cautious? You were being extremely careful.”
However, even that was cut off by Clay’s testimony. Sixx panicked. It was a daunting situation for his small head to handle.
What should I do? Do I have to bring up the radio?
But… even though it was a situation where he had to be calmer than ever, Sixx was gradually losing his composure. Tears seemed to burst out at any moment. The ringmaster, who had been quietly observing Sixx, clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“If you have nothing to hide, then you wouldn’t mind a search of your belongings, right?”
“Um, wait… I-I’m really not a thief. I don’t care about other people’s stuff…!”
“Can you believe there’s someone who says, ‘I’m the thief’?”
Someone mocked Sixx. As if that wasn’t enough, they mimicked Sixx’s stuttering. Although the members of Part 2 looked at Sixx with pity, no one stepped forward to defend him willingly. It seemed they were afraid of defending Sixx and then ending up being searched themselves. Moreover, there might have been a shrewd calculation mixed in there, thinking that if Sixx was sacrificed, the rest could avoid the search. In other words, Sixx was like a sacrificial lamb to them. However, there was one person who didn’t join in this consciousness. Someone grabbed Sixx’s shoulder and stepped forward.
“Wait, sir. Even if Sixx is suspected of being a thief, isn’t it too rash to search him without confirmation? Just because we live in the circus doesn’t mean we don’t have privacy. This doesn’t seem right.”
It was Andy. Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to defend Sixx, uncertain whether he was a thief or not.
Encouraged by her dissent, other members of Part 2 began to chime in, saying things like, “Yeah, where’s the justice in this?” However, the ringmaster didn’t seem to sit back and watch the counterattack unfold. He immediately launched a counterattack. A command was issued from the ringmaster.
“Everyone, quiet! Sixx, you answer. If you’re not a thief, why would you object to being searched?”
“W-Well…”
“Or is there someone else suspicious? You’re the only one under suspicion right now.”
The names of Leticia and Corbin rose to the surface. It wasn’t just Sixx who had snuck out of the tent last night. If Sixx also mentioned what he had overheard while sneaking out, the blame would surely fall on them, and he would be able to protect his precious treasures. He knew that. But Sixx couldn’t bring himself to do it. Andy had stood up for him, and he couldn’t betray her trust. As Sixx bit his lip and remained silent, the ringmaster turned away, as if he had expected this.
“Clay, Tucker. Come with me and search Sixx’s belongings.”
“Sir!”
Despite Sixx’s protests, the ringmaster walked towards the tent where Sixx stayed. Other members followed suit. When they arrived at the tent, the ringmaster ordered the others to wait outside.
“Wait a minute!” Sixx grabbed the ringmaster’s arm and pleaded, but the ringmaster shrugged him off as if annoyed. “If there’s nothing to hide, what’s the problem?” With that, the ringmaster, accompanied by the others, entered the tent.
Andy gently patted Sixx’s shoulder, which had stiffened like a statue. “Sixx, it’ll be okay. They won’t find anything anyway.”
But Sixx knew that they would find something, at least. They came out in less than five minutes. It was obvious. All Sixx had was a small bag, a pillow, and a thin blanket. The last to come out, the ringmaster stepped forward as if conducting an execution and called out Sixx’s name.
“Sixx, come forward!”
At the ringmaster’s command, Sixx staggered forward. The ringmaster’s eyes were tinged with faint annoyance and mockery. Their meaning was still unclear. The cold gaze of the jurors behind him could be felt.
“We were just trying to find stolen goods, but we found something unexpected. Can you guess what it is?”
“…”
“You have quite interesting items. Under your pillow, there was a portable radio worth a price you could never afford, and in your bag, there were toys and clothes. Where did you get them?”
The moment Sixx saw the dark green radio clenched in the ringmaster’s hand, anger surged strangely within him. Perhaps because of this, Sixx, who would never have dared before, spoke out boldly.
“That’s my stuff. You have no right to touch it.”
“You insolent brat! Where did you get it?”
“I got it from a guest.”
“Oh, really? A guest gave you a gift? Then why didn’t you report it to me?”
“Because it was given to me.”
As soon as Sixx finished speaking, a sharp shock struck his cheek. His head snapped to the right. It took a moment for everyone to realize that the ringmaster had slapped him across the face in front of the many onlookers. Someone screamed, probably Andy. The spot where the ringmaster’s palm had landed grew increasingly warm. Sixx gasped for breath and clutched the stinging area.
“Where did you learn such impudence, Sixx? Do you think you’ve become someone great just because a guest treated you? Huh? Do I look like a joke to you?”
“…It’s just that—”
“And how do I know if what you’re saying is true? Do you have anyone to confirm your words?”
“…No.”
“So, you sneaked out every night with this radio just to play with it, huh?”
The ringmaster chuckled as he examined the radio.
“Bring out something else.”
When the ringmaster gestured, Clay took out items one by one from Sixx’s bag and handed them to the ringmaster. The ringmaster accepted them and pretended to observe them carefully before dropping them on the ground as if they were worthless trash. The same fate befell every item, including the snow globe Sixx intended to give Andy. Without hesitation, the ringmaster tossed the snow globe aside. As it hit the ground with a dull thud, it rolled all the way to Sixx’s feet. There was a crack in its surface, and a little transparent liquid oozed out. Sixx felt as if someone was dragging his soul to the ground.
Why? He couldn’t understand. The ringmaster must have known that some members received gifts from guests.
What did I do so wrong? Was it because I didn’t answer as politely as usual? Because I dared to have something of my own?
Now, only one thing remained in the ringmaster’s hand: the radio.
“Whether that brat or you think I look like an idiot, it doesn’t matter. Did you really think I’d stand by and let you order me around in my own circus? Don’t delude yourself, Sixx. You belong to me. Do you think some thug will come to your rescue if you whine? Wake up, you worthless brat!”
The ringmaster sneered. It was incomprehensible, yet somehow understandable. Maybe he—
“He’s just playing with this monster that he has never seen before! Do you think he’s taking care of you because he bought you some trinkets? Huh? This damn radio!”
As the radio fell from the ringmaster’s hand, a forceful kick came flying towards it. The sound of plastic shattering sounded like the radio was screaming in Sixx’s ears. Pieces of debris flew in all directions. Before Sixx could think deeply, he rushed towards the ringmaster. But what met Sixx was Clay’s fist, as hard as iron. The world flashed before his eyes like a firework. Sixx! Someone screamed sharply as they caught the fallen Sixx. Blinking a few times, Sixx saw Andy, her eyes filled with tears, looking down at him. There was a salty taste somewhere in his mouth. It hurt. The pain in the spot where he was hit was painful enough, but what hurt more was his heart. His precious treasure was crushed under the heel of a shoe without mercy. Laughter erupted from behind. What a pathetic sight, that guy.
That ringleader is going to get what’s coming to him!! Who the hell does he think he is to be messing with a mob boss???
I wish sixx would just bite them on the spot
I’m burning with anger aahhhhhh!!n
Thanks for the chapter!❤️❤️❤️