GROW UP SHOW -Sunflower Circus- (グロウアップショウ ～ひまわりのサーカス団～)

Mizuka.

Look around, Mizuka!

Everyone's smiling ear to ear!

See how the circus brings everyone so much joy?

And someday soon you'll be taking the stage

at the circus, too!

I'd rather die.

That Paramecium.

GO HERE

- The circus collection's happening again this year, huh?

Yes! Of course.

That fancy event wouldn't have anything to do with our troupe.

- Not sure if you should be cheerful about that.

Right?

- The Sumeragi Group dominates the competition

for another year.

Hmm? Hold on.

Someone's on the road.

Hmm?

Where?

Take a look, Ms. Rin.

- Uh, well, looks like she's got a pulse,

but she's severely dehydrated.

Our place is pretty close by.

Let's go ahead and take her there.

Cicadas! -

Noisy.

Cicadas?

- Here, I made you barley tea. -

- -

I'll take another glass!

[coming right up.

Thanks so much for all your help.

Mm?

Hold on a sec. Who even are you?

My name is Rin Mamiya.

Ms. Mizuka,

we found you collapsed in the middle of the road

so we brought you here.

Uh, here?

Um, are we at a circus?

Yes.

This is the Sunflower Circus.

We're a troupe based in Odawara and we travel all around--

- I'm Mizuka Tsurumaki. I am 16 years old.

Thank you for caring for me. I will be forever in your debt.

Goodbye now. We'll likely never see each other again.

Thank you very much for your time.

Hey, hold on a second!

- Here I go! - Okay!

Huh?

That's Ouka Kawasumi.

She's the star of our troupe.

Ouka was with me when we found you on the road.

She pointed you out.

What a beautiful spin.

She looks so graceful and elastic.

And well-trained, too.

- You must like circuses, don't you?

- Can't stand 'em. - Oh, ah, uh, ah...

- Lovely, Ms. Ouka! - Amazing.

You're finally awake!

How are you feeling?

I'm fine!

I just wanted to thank you for saving me.

But I'm supposed to be somewhere by now.

So I have to go!

The spot marked on your map?

- Yes. I'd like to get there by the end of the day.

- That spot is right here with our circus troupe.

She seems pretty surprised.

- He got me!

Looks a little evil, too.

- Rin! Is this the girl you talked about?

- Is that your daughter or something?

No, she is not.

Let me introduce you

to Sunflower Circus's ringmaster, Maria.

Nice to meet--

- This little kid's the ringmaster?

Well, as a reasonable adult,

I'll choose to ignore that question.

- You're an adult? Whoa!

Welcome, Ms. Mizuka Tsurumaki.

You know, your father's told me so much about you.

Hold on.

You talked to my paramecium?

- I did. He's told me lots about you.

Is he doing well?

- I wouldn't have the faintest idea.

He travels all over the world and doesn't contact me.

I see.

Sounds like we have lots to catch up on.

Why don't we sit down for dinner?

- No, thanks. There's not much to say.

I'll be heading home now.

- Imari! Why don't you get dinner started for our guest?

Oh, will do!

Dinner.

Nah, I'm good.

Like I said, I'm heading out. - It's fine.

We don't have a lot of money so don't get your hopes up

about tonight's menu, all right?

You can follow me, Mizuka.

- I just wanna go home. -

- But I'm so hungry. - All right!

Everyone else give one more push!

Thank you for the meal.

Looks like you were hungry.

- Yeah, I sort of ran out of funds

and couldn't buy any food for three days.

Three days?

- Mm-hmm. For the last two-ish months,

my paramecium--'scuse me--

my completely worthless biological father

stopped sending me any money.

For two months?

- Then he wrote me a letter telling me to come here

and that he'd made arrangements for someone to look after me.

- That's why you walked all the way here?

- Yep. From my home in Ohmori. - Ohmori?

That's at least 100 kilometers out!

Mm? - Enough about me.

So your troupe's mainly young girls, right?

What? Oh.

You see...

It's made up of girls with no families.

Some grew up in foster homes.

Including me.

Ms. Maria decided to take us all in.

Really?

But she looks like a kid herself.

- Being in a traveling circus means switching schools a lot.

But at least we still get to go.

Thanks to Ms. Maria,

the girls in our troupe have hope for the future!

Oh, yeah?

How old's Ms. Maria, anyhow?

I'm not sure.

- Is that girl I saw on the trapeze an orphan, too?

Yes.

Isn't Ms. Ouka incredible on the swing?

She's the hardest-working, most talented performer

in our troupe. With skills like hers,

you've gotta wonder why she's in a small troupe like this.

Wow.

Wow!

Sorry about this.

I've just gotta do my post-dinner stretches.

- Oh, no. Don't worry about it.

- It's a part of my daily routine.

Stretching after dinner?

Do you play a sport or--

- No, I'm not really into sports.

- Creepy. I mean, wow.

Mizuka, you are a human being, right?

- I'm positive I'm a human, yeah.

- But you can bend just like an octopus!

- You know I can see your undies.

That girl.

Welp, I think it's time for me to head home.

Huh? But it's so dark outside.

I'm out.

Did you have enough to eat?

- Uh, yes. Thank you so much for dinner.

Why, yes, of course.

Now, in return, you're gonna help us with our work.

I will do no such thing.

- You see, it's just that we're so short-staffed.

I said I'll do no such thing.

Ever heard of gratitude

for a night's lodging and a meal?

- I don't owe you for any lodging.

Let's not split hairs.

- I mean, there's nothing I can possibly do

to help out a circus. - Oh, yes there is!