In the entertainment industry, there is an expression called ’rotten tomatoes.’


    This term originated from the rumor that when people watch a terrible performance, they throw tomatoes onto the stage. It was used to refer to actors with poor skills, and also to criticize a performance by saying something like, "After watching that show, I felt like searching for rotten tomatoes."


    However, it’s not easy to find records of actual tomatoes being thrown onto the stage. ording to a investigation by a magazine specializing in theatre and circus arts, there has been only one official case of tomatoes being thrown onto the stage in the past 30 years.


    And today, in the town of Luz, there might be another case.


    On the day of the opening ceremony of Circus Grand Prix, the square in front of the Rose Windmill Cabaret was open to performers who were not participating in thepetition. Those who applied to the organizers were allocated space to set up their own stages and perform freely.


    The festival atmosphere was filled with lively songs from all directions, musical instruments ying cheerful melodies, acrobats disying their skills, and actors performing short ys.


    Among them, two men dressed in suits and wearing clown makeup had set up a sign that read "Typical" and were performing aedy act. One of them acted foolish, and the other would p him in a pstickedy routine, a typical two-personedy act.


    However,belling their performance as "typical" only applied to the format. The content was refreshingly bad. The dialogue was nonsensical, the humor was out of ce, and most importantly, the flow of the y didn’t make logical sense.


    How aint about yesterday’s fish stew by a rural vige chief led to a conversation between an airne captain and a co-pilot was something that nobody understood.


    Not only was the script a problem, but the actors performing it were also an issue. Awkward delivery of lines, interrupted timing, and unnatural physicaledy.


    Both of them possessed skills that warranted a shower of rotten tomatoes with no room for excuses.


    At first, the audienceughed out of disbelief, but as time passed, they began to express their irritation and eventually resorted to yelling.


    "Enough! Stop it!"


    "Boo, not funny!"


    "Get off the stage!"


    In the midst of a festival whereughter and apuse filled the air, this was the only ce where shouts and jeers were heard.


    Despite theck of positive response, Allen and Jo continued to perform on stage. They decided to step down when they felt the angry res of the audience intensifying.


    "Haha! Wasn’t I right? That’s your real talent!" Suab, the snake charmer who was standing behind the stage, burst intoughter as she watched the two of them.


    She had been traveling with Allen and Jo since a few weeks ago after a rather unfortunate initial encounter. However, after getting to know each other through conversation, they surprisingly got along well. They ended up sharing amodation and helping each other with their performances.


    However, no matter how close they were, Suab couldn’t honestly say that their performances were entertaining.


    Their scriptwriting skills werecking, their acting abilities were subpar, and theiredic timing was often off.


    Since receiving praise from Wonderstein, it had only gotten worse. They celebrated their talents being finally recognized, and with that, they started moving in even stranger directions.


    They kept rewriting the script, tweaking their performances, and even changing their postures.


    They were working hard, but no matter how you looked at it, it was a fiasco.


    She had advised them countless times that this wasn’t it, but they wouldn’t listen.


    They held onto the belief that the path of art was long and treacherous, even if the audience’s reviews weren’t favorable.


    So, despite their persistence, today, which they had called a turning point, ended up being a humiliation in the middle of the performance.


    Allen and Jo hit rock bottom.


    Their stubbornness had led them to this.


    "Rotten tomatoes."


    E, who had been watching their performance from the audience’s perspective, shook her head in dismay.


    That devil had created yet another set of victims in a bizarre way.


    Allen and Jo.


    E had thought from the moment she first saw them that they were unlikely to seed as actors.


    Still, the reason she hadn’t prevented Wonderstein from inviting them was their incredible swordsmanship skills.


    With such skills, they would be better off training in acrobatics or knife tricks than doingedy.


    Once they joined the circus troupe, E had nned to make them give upedy and focus on that direction.


    So, when they rejected the offer of joining, she felt annoyed.


    She had been eager to see how far they could seed with their skills.


    But seeing thempletely ruined like this was its own kind of pity.


    E looked up at the clock hanging in front of the Rose Windmill.


    It was almost time.


    The opening ceremony would start soon.


    She headed towards the back door of the Rose Windmill Cabaret.


    There was still some time before the opening ceremony, so she wandered around the square in front of the cabaret, watching street performances.


    She could have gone into the theatre and waited, but it wasn’t a good choice.


    The cabaret staff were all working hard for the opening ceremony, and goofing off on the side would be a good way to invite trouble.


    She was no longer just an ordinary acrobat.


    She was the assistant ringmaster of a circus troupe.


    If she misbehaved, not only would she suffer the consequences, but the entire circus troupe might also face criticism.


    Furthermore, the theatre staff who had shown her kindness might not hear good things about her.


    So, she decided to wait outside until the time came.


    E nced back.


    A girl with white hair was following her, like a doll.


    Maya.


    To others, they might not even look like they were together.


    They were several meters apart, hadn’t exchanged a word since their argument yesterday, and their gazes were directed in different ces.


    They hadn’t spoken a word to each other since their argument and the situation had yet to be resolved.


    Of course, in front of Wonderstein, they had pretended as if everything was fine. It was an unspoken agreement between them.


    So, in front of him, they acted nonchntly, but as soon as they were out of his sight, they distanced themselves from each other as if they had never been together.


    E looked at Maya, who was pretending not to care, with an expressionless face and sighed.


    She knew what Maya wanted.


    She probably wanted E to get her in for the opening ceremony as well.


    However, maybe due to pride, she didn’t say a word of request and just quietly followed behind her.


    But was I the same?


    Ah! Then I’ll go alone! It’s actually nice not to have to take care of anyone!


    Although she could have suggested going together, she hinted subtly with the intention that if she really wanted toe, she woulde on her own. It was too damaging to their pride to show open kindness.


    Honestly, deep down, she just wanted toe alone without her.


    But she couldn’t do that.


    Whether she liked it or not, now they were in the same troupe.


    Even if they didn’t show it, if someone found out, and they couldn’t pretend otherwise.


    "E Yang! You arrived just in time. Did youe alone?"


    The side entrance of the cabaret.


    The man who had decided to bring her in today was waiting there.


    It was Paris, one of the cabaret’s performers.


    He greeted E with a friendly smile.


    "Do you have apanion?"


    "Oh, I have one person with me."


    Maya quietly approached behind E.


    They still didn’t meet each other’s gaze.


    He nced at Maya’s appearance, let out a small sigh of admiration, and then cleared his throat.


    "Is she your friend?"


    At the word "friend," E and Maya briefly met each other’s eyes.


    In that moment, they realized they were thinking the same thing.


    "No."


    Under Paris’s guidance, the two girls entered the cabaret.


    asionally, employees were running somewhere, looking for someone, or focusing on something.


    Paris asked Maya a few questions that he would typically ask someone he was meeting for the first time, but Maya’s short, concise answers made him ufortable.


    "Hey, Paris! What are you doing there? You should be moving the equipment!"


    "Oh, sorry! Can you wait here in the lounge for a moment? I’ll be back after I finish this."


    Paris rushed off following a senior calling him.


    The lounge was a small room with enough space for about six people to sit on sofas.


    The two girls sat as far apart as possible and didn’t say a word.


    Awkward silence flowed for a few minutes.


    E was the first to break the silence.


    "Sorry."


    She looked at Maya with a sheepish expression.


    "For saying your magic was weird."


    Silence fell again.


    Maya didn’t react to her apology.


    She still had an expressionless face.


    But E could tell.


    She was flustered.


    Maya spoke after a short pause.


    "Why do you dislike the ringmaster?"


    E, who was considering her response, quickly found a good excuse.


    "…You can’t tell just by looking at what he does?"


    "Ah."


    Maya nodded as if she understood her answer.


    No matter how much she might dislike E, she couldn’t say that E didn’t do much. After all, Wonderstein himself entrusted her with responsibilities and was off having fun with other women. Maya had only been in the circus for a few days, but whenever she saw E, she was always working.


    On the other hand, the ringmaster was leisurely sipping tea with another woman…


    Hmm.


    Thinking about it, Maya felt a little embarrassed about her past actions.


    She hadn’t understood the feelings of the hardworking assistant ringmaster.


    "I’m sorry too."


    A smile appeared on E’s face.


    Maya also showed a slight smile.


    To others, it might not look like a smile at all, but E could tell.


    It was an effort on Maya’s part to show a smile for her.


    Maybe they could be good friends…


    "I should call you Assistant Ringmaster."


    Maya, who had been calling E by her first name until now, brought up the issue of titles formally.


    E responded with a yful smile.


    "It’s okay. Just call me E."


    "Assistant Ringmaster."


    Maya said firmly.


    "It’s fine. I prefer E."


    "That’s not how close we are."


    Her cold response made E smile awkwardly.


    Maybe we’re not a good match…


    But if this level ofmunication is possible…


    "…Can I keep calling you ’Maya’?"


    "Yeah."


    At that moment, the lounge door opened with a loud bang, and Paris entered.


    "Sorry for the dy. Let’s go. The opening ceremony is about to start. I’ve reserved a good seat for you amongst the staff."


    The two girls left the room.


    Their distance had be slightly closer than before.