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The business was booming. We had shows every other day and twice on Sundays. People from towns I'd never even heard of came to visit my spectacular display, and I was relishing in the fact that finally I was doing something right for myself and for my name. Finally, I wasn't the son of a general, I was my own person.

As I paid off the bank with ticket sales, I also kept a firm profit for myself until I had saved up enough for a surprise for Adam.

"Where are we going?" Adam asked lightly, touching his fingers lightly to the blindfold over his eyes.

"It's a surprise, silly," I told him. "No peeking."

"I'm not," he reassured me. The car bumped and rattled along the gravel road and I felt the anticipation build in my chest. Adam and I had always lived frugally. I mean, it's not like we had much money to spend, but we never splurged or did anything for ourselves, really. I wanted this gift to be more than just an object. I wanted it to symbolize the new life I was building for us. I wanted it to be a promise.

"Almost there," I murmured, looking out the window as I drove.

When we arrived, I helped Adam out of the car, then led him forward until we stood before the surprise.

"You can take the mask off."

Adam eagerly pushed up the handkerchief and, after blinking a few times to get used to the sudden brightness of the afternoon sun, his eyes went wide. "Shiro... you didn't."

The building that stood before us was a gorgeous house of our childhood. It was a place that, as kids, we had stared at in wonder, just out of reach beyond the wrought iron gate which had been overgrown with vines.

But now, the gates were thrown open and the house was sparkling clean, the windows repaired, the hinges new, the floors swept and scrubbed. I had done a great deal of the cleaning- I had just enough to buy the house, so I didn't want to spend too much on housekeepers or the like.

Adam stepped forward, his jaw slack. I couldn't read his face. "Do you... Do you like it?" I asked hesitantly.

Adam turned to look at me. For a moment, my heart stopped. What if this wasn't what he wanted? What if I had messed everything up?

But then, his lips broke into a smile so beautiful it made my heart sing and he launched himself into my chest, hugging my fiercely as I did my best to hug him back. "

"Come on!" I took Adam's hand and led him towards the huge white mansion, my pulse thumping in my ears. I had so much I wanted to give him. Finally, I could.

...

"Well... that was two hours of our lives we'll never get back again," I told Adam dully. He punched my arm lightly.

"Don't be so harsh. I liked it," he said matter-of-factly.

"You like watching people stand on a stage and recite lines? No excitement? No thrills?"

Adam rolled his eyes. "There was excitement."

We were walking down the stone steps of the local theater after a play Adam had wanted to go to. He looked dashingly handsome in his new navy suit, and, as frugal as he was, I knew that he liked it. I, myself, wore a charcoal grey suit, tailored without the right arm so that I didn't have an empty sleeve hanging off my shoulder.

The summer night's breeze was warm and damp, reminding us that we had the whole hot season in front of us. Summer would bring more customers as the kids in school were able to open up their schedules.

A figure surrounded by a group of people caught my eye. "Who's that?" I asked.

Adam followed my eyes. The man was young, probably no older than some of my performers. He wore a velvety black suit with a red tie, his hair, which matched the color of his suit, slicked back underneath his hat.

Adam looked at me with an odd expression. "Did you not see him introduce the play? Darling, that's the playwright."

My eyes grew wide. "He's so young, though," I said doubtfully.

"And rich," Adam added. "Let's go meet him. You two might get along."

"Me? Getting along with a playwright? Who do you think I am?" I joked as we walked down the stairs to greet the group of people. As soon as we entered the small group of people, I heard someone call Adam's name. Turning, I recognized a cadet with dark skin and a messy dreadlock-crew cut mix of a haircut walking towards us.

"Kinkade!" Adam said happily, hugging the young man tightly. "It's been too long. What're you doing here?"

I drifted from Adam's side as he and his friend caught up and walked towards the playwright. He was just finishing up a conversation with a few older attendees. "Thank you for the show, Mr. Kogane," I heard one of them say as the waved and walked away. He waved back with a small smile.

"Mr. Kogane, did you produce this play?" I asked lightly. The young man's eyes searched my face to see if he recognized me and when he didn't, he nodded.

"Yes, indeed I did. Refunds are available at the front box office."

I laughed. I didn't want to insult his work, but it seemed like he wasn't too psyched with it either.

"Takashi Shirogane," I introduced, sticking out my hand.

Mr. Kogane's eyes widened in surprise. "From the circus?"

"Yes. You've been?"

It was Mr. Kogane's turn to laugh. "God, no. But I have seen the crowds." He paused. "People leave your shows a great deal happier than when they came in. That's much more than I can say for my play."

Without missing I beat, I continued, "And yet you have no problems selling tickets."

The young man hesitated, searching for the right words. His dark eyes glinted in the streetlights. "It's because I'm selling virtue."

I gave him an odd look. What the hell? Looking back at Adam, I saw that he and Kinkade had sat down on the steps and were avidly discussing something, Adam's hands moving quickly as he talked. I bit back a grin. Adam was to-the-point in almost every way, but once you got him talking about something he loved, he wouldn't stop. And that attribute would buy me just enough time for the idea I had forming in my mind. "Can I buy you a drink?"

...

The bar we chose was the closest to the theater- it was dark and cozy, and, aside from the bartender, we were the only patrons. When we walked in, the bartender gave us an 'are you serious?' kind of look. "You have ten minutes," he said dully before going back to wiping down tables. Works for me, I thought.

We sat down on the stools and ordered a few shots. After a few slams, I turned to the playwright.

"You see, Mr. Kogane, I want to expand my appeal- go after the snobs like you."

"If you only knew how suffocating they are," he sighed.

"So come join the circus," I urged. This was my idea. My grand plan. "You obviously have a flair for show business."

The young man looked at me like I'd regrown my arm.

"Teach me how to appeal to the highbrows!"

Mr. Kogane took another shot, like my proposal was that far-fetched. I followed with another as well.

"Are you serious?" Mr. Kogane asked.

"Mhmm." I smiled pleasantly.

"Mr. Shirogane-"

"Call me Shiro."

"Mr. Shirogane, I can't just run off and join the circus."

"Why not? Sounds thrilling, doesn't it?"

Mr. Kogane rolled his eyes. "Let's just say I find it much more comfortable admiring your show from afar."

I scoffed. "'Comfort'- the enemy of progress."

Mr. Kogane shook his head in disbelief. "You understand that just associating with you could cost me my inheritance?"

I grinned. "Oh, it could cost you more than that. You'd be risking everything."

"You're not helping your case, you know. Can you hear yourself?"

I shrugged. "But, on the other hand, you might just find yourself a free man."

"A free man?" Another shot from each of us. I felt fuzzy.

"Right here, right now, I put the offer out. I don't want to chase you down but I know you see it." I stared Mr. Kogane down encouragingly.

"See what?"

"Your youth is fading away! You're trapped in the drudgery and walls you keep in."

"Who're you to assume what I do with my youth? You don't even know me," Mr. Kogane said sharply.

"I can see past those walls, Mr. Kogane," I said knowingly.

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm asking you to trade in that typical for something colorful," I explained plainly.

"What you're asking me to do is crazy," he amended in turn.

Exasperated, I continued. "If it's crazy, live a little crazy. Don't you want to get away from the same old part you have to play?"

Mr. Kogane raised his eyebrows at the pun.

"Because be my guest, you can like you do," I gestured to the obviously pricey watch on his wrist, "or you can do like me." I pulled out my rusty old pocket watch to compare. "The circus will take you to the other side."

Keith sighed. "Okay, I get it, you want to cut me in. Well, I hate to tell you but it's not gonna happen. So thanks, but no- I think I'm good to go. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy the life you say I'm trapped in." He got up to leave, smoothing back his hair.

"I'll give you this- the circus is somethin' else, really. But I'm okay with this uptown part I get to play. I don't need to 'see the other side'." I sat, at a loss, at the bar, watching him chide me.

"So go and 'do like you do'- I'm good to do like me." Mr. Kogane tapped his watch. "Can't you see I'm doing fine?" He turned to leave but I grabbed his wrist, almost pleading.

"Now is this really how you like to spend your days? Whiskey, misery, parties and plays?"

I saw Mr. Kogane flinch.

"I could give you a chance to live a little, laugh a little, to allow you to break down those rich-boy walls." I let go of his wrist and turned away, biting my cheek. "But, I guess it's up to you."

Mr. Kogane stood there, stoic still, for a few seconds, thinking. When he turned to look at me, his face held a sly grin.

"What percentage of the show are you offering?"

I frowned, confused.

"If I were to join, what's my pay?" he clarified.

I didn't actually think we'd get this far. I hadn't thought about it. But Mr. Kogane's eyes held a promise in them that I couldn't ignore.

"Let's start with 7?" I proposed.

Mr. Kogane laughed. "I wasn't born this morning, Mr. Shirogane. 18 will do."

My eyes nearly popped out of my head. "Are you serious?"

"15?" the playwright asked.

"I'd do 8," I said firmly.

"12?"

I clenched my fist. "Maybe 9."

Mr. Kogane crossed his arms. "10," he said coolly.

I thought for a few moments. It wasn't a bad deal. Shaking my head, I gave in and shook his hand.

"You can call me Keith, boss," he said with a grin.

...

hey yall,,,

first off i want to say im sorry for taking so long to update, i know its been a while and i'm sorry. i hope you like the new chapter anyways

i hope yall are doing well :) each and every one of you means so much to me