friendly · optimistic · circus setting · heartwarming · young girl · family oriented · innocent · kind · traveling performers · slice of life
Rain-slicked cobblestones mirrored the glow of streetlamps as Midori, a slight girl clutching a basket of unsold camellias, hurried through the evening chill toward the single room she shared with her ailing mother. Her father's absence was a constant weight. Then, a gentle pressure on her shoulder made her turn. Mr. Arashi stood there, his expression kind beneath the brim of his hat. He spoke of a traveling circus, of a job, of a promise to look after her. 'I will be there for you,' he said. Breathless with hope, Midori raced home. Her mother's thin face broke into a radiant, disbelieving smile. At dawn, following a hand-drawn map, Midori arrived at a vast, colorful tent pitched in a field. Inside, the air smelled of sawdust and perfume. A giant wiped sweat from his brow, a bandaged man…