Story Reader / Festival Event Story / White Wishes / Story
The celebration is nearing its end, but people are still brimming with excitement. The vibe in the market continues to become more lively.
The vibrant lights along the winding streets and alleys are like fireflies along the riverside late at night, complementing the glorious sky above.
Having been brewing all day, the atmosphere of White Day has finally reached its climax.
Food, handicrafts, daily necessities... countless stalls are lined up row after row in a dazzling display. Although neither the quality nor the quantity holds a candle to Babylonia, their rugged and primitive nature made with a humble and genuine "attitude" is uniquely their own.
People even earn a number of Star Tickets while shopping in the market. Organizers have gone through a painstaking effort to bring festivity to the celebration.
Even at this time, the streets are still lined with street performers or people setting up street-side games. Of course, interacting with them or playing games will also reward Star Tickets.
Come one! Come all! Don't miss the show!
Step right up! Three balls, two bowls, and one chopstick! Just one star to put your eyes to the test!
A loud hooting and hauling come from a vendor off in the distance.
He's a man from Kowloong dressed as a street magician. There are two broken porcelain bowls, three plastic balls, and a chopstick in front of his stall. A big man stands opposite him, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
The magician covers two of the balls with the porcelain bowls, grabs the chopstick, then gently taps the bowls. With a shake of his wrist, the ball in his hand disappears.
Two on the right, one on the left! It must be right. I saw it!
The magician lifts the bowls, revealing the exact opposite of the man's guess. There is only one ball in the right bowl, while the other two rest quietly in the left bowl.
What?! How... How'd you do that...
Unfortunately, dear customer, you guessed wrong. The Star Ticket is mine, hahaha!
After that, several eager people step forward to challenge the magician, but none of them guess right.
Everyone knows that the magician is doing tricks, but no one can catch him in the act despite such a simple game.
Caught up in the festive scene, you can't resist it any longer and decide to challenge the magician.
Greetings, dear customer. Care to take a guess?
Very well. Don't blink!
Hearing this, Lee's eyebrow twitches subconsciously.
Once again, the magician's hands fly at lightning speed. This time, he moves his chopstick to the bowl on the left, and the ball in his hand disappears in a flash.
The magician lifts the bowls. Unfortunately, you have guessed wrong. There is only one ball in the left bowl and two in the right bowl.
The magician lifts the bowls. Unfortunately, you have guessed wrong. There are two balls in the left bowl and one in the right bowl.
Much obliged, dear customer. Care to try again?
What a pity, dear customer. Care to watch from the side?
Unfortunately, you lose your two remaining Star Tickets from incorrect guesses.
Just relying on your quick eyes, you cannot see through the magician's superb sleight of hand.
Luckily, you have a "secret weapon"…
Lee has been quietly observing the magician up until you call upon him, and he just nods.
He has been carefully observing the magician's movements up until you interrupted him with your "cry for help."
Quiet.
It's an ancient form of magic called "acetabula et calculi".
It looks simple, but it's incredibly difficult to master—it takes years of practice to reach his level.
Yes... but it's a secret.
Magicians never reveal their secrets. This is basic etiquette among magicians.
And would it still be interesting if you knew the secret?
After all, I've never been able to see through a magician's tricks.
Everyone understands that magic is just smoke and mirrors.
Magic is just a trick. If you look at it from a different angle, you can see through the act.
You're not wrong.
That's the goal of a magician... That's it.
...Before I became a Construct, I would use it to hone my reaction time and concentration.
I started taking more interest in it after I was getting the hang of it. I can teach you some simple techniques if you like.
Why not? It's not much trouble.
(But didn't you say a magician never reveals his—)
Right as you're about to ask Lee this, you hear a child's voice nearby.
No.
Right as you're about to ask Lee a question, you hear a child's voice nearby.
Hey, Mister! Aren't you the magician from earlier today?
It's him. It's him. He's so awesome... He can make all sorta things come out of his hat!
Really?! No way... Is he really that awesome?
It is the child from earlier today and several new faces who must have noticed Lee when they were playing.
They immediately swarm him with looks of adoration and anticipation.
Mister! Mister! Can you do another trick for us? I wanna see more!
Yeah! Yeah! Show our friends a trick! Pretty please! They don't believe me!
But...
Huh? A fellow magician? How fortuitous. Care to show me what you have up your sleeve?
Hearing the ruckus, the street magician seems to have taken an interest in Lee's tricks as well.
He leaves his booth and gestures with his hands in invitation.
Our art brings happiness to others. You don't want to disappoint them, do you?
Shut up!
Despite saying that, Lee has no choice but to walk up to the street magician's stall
Fine...
Perhaps he has been caught up in the festive atmosphere or moved by the children's adoring eyes, his look of frustration is replaced with a soft smile.
Lee has no choice but to walk up to the street magician's stall.
I'll need you as my assistant, Commandant.
You make up your mind and stand beside Lee.
Do you have anything I can borrow, Commandant?
Lee takes the coin, puts it in his palm, and shows the audience before him. He then covers the other palm of his hand and blows softly. Slowly, he opens his palm—
But the coin remains in his palm as before.
Just as you have the same look of confusion as the audience, Lee flips his palm over. Gravity takes hold of the coin, and it begins to fall—
But it stops five centimeters away from his hand.
The whispers around stop. Everyone stares at the coin, forming a pocket of silence in the festivities.
Suddenly, everyone bursts out in applause and cheers.
Again! Again!
Again! Again!
The child's voice is like a bugle, and the crowd of men and women, young and old, perk up.
The noise attracts passers-by. They stop and stand on their tiptoes, trying to peer over the wall of people.
At this stage, rejection is not an option for Lee. He puts the coin back in the palm of his hand, then presses down, signaling everyone to be quiet.
He turns his gaze once more, then extends his left hand toward you.
Next, Commandant. Would you please...
Seeing the expression on your face, Lee furrows his brows faintly.
This gentleman here. Would you please inspect these cards?
Lee takes out a deck of cards and hands it to the audience member. After carefully inspecting it, he confirms that it is a normal deck.
Please shuffle the deck, Commandant.
Upon receiving the cards, you see that Lee is going to perform a card-guessing trick.
After confirming the deck one more time, you shuffle the cards and hand them back to Lee.
Lee places the stack of cards on the table and covers them with the palm of his hand. He pushes down, causing the cards to unfold in a perfect fan.
He pulls out a card from the pile with his forefinger, then looks into your eyes and says:
Name a card, Commandant.
You calmly reveal the card that was already determined when the deck was being shuffled, and Lee responds with an expression of "as expected".
You have chosen this card specifically because you have quietly pocketed it in your sleeve.
As you think that, your heart is filled with anticipation to see how Lee will react.
You watch Lee's face as he slowly reveals the card—
A three of hearts appears before your eyes.
Ignoring what might happen, you pull out the card secretly stuffed in your sleeve—
It is an ace of hearts.
Looking up, you meet Lee's teasing glare.
No matter what you're thinking, I'm two steps ahead of you.
The audience erupts into applause, obviously thinking it is a declaration of victory, but you know what he is really saying...
What should I perform next?
Although he still wears an approachable smile on his face, hearing the tone of his voice fills you with a tinge of regret.
Under the mottled glow of the lanterns, Lee bows to the audience.
People throw their Star Tickets to Lee. The glittering paper reflects the glow of twilight and lanterns, like the end of a grand celebration.
Just like earlier, Lee lifts his hat among the rain of stars, then throws it high into the air.
"Boom!" The hat explodes.
The flurry of pink swirls in the night sky, then slowly flutters back down.
Looking more closely, you see that the cloud is composed of white origami roses.
The crowd reaches out, each grabbing the white origami roses.
Young couples gaze up at the miracle created by Lee, then proceed to gather up roses to give to their significant other.
This marks the end of Lee's performance. While the audience is still enchanted by the rain of flowers, he quietly salutes and leaves the booth.
Lee withdraws out of the light and into a corner so as to avoid anyone catching up to him.
Just trying to avoid trouble.
Recalling the wall of people just now, you nod in agreement. It's only human nature to want to explore the unknown. That's precisely what draws people to magic and stops them in their tracks.
You think about what happened and suddenly have a boost of confidence.
Oh? What is it?
Lee raises his eyebrows in anticipation as you begin to explain his magic tricks.
The coin seemed to be levitating, but it was just a thin piece of string that tied it to the palm of his hand.
Guessing the card in the deck was him switching up a card he had secretly prepared.
Bending the spoon was actually just him holding a very short handle between his forefinger and thumb.
...
During every performance, the assistant can always see how the tricks are done.
From the reaction of the audience, Lee adjusted the angle to a position that only you could see. This kind of precision is far more magical than magic itself.
Guess you're smarter than I thought.
Well, do you think magic is not so magical now?
After all, you can follow all the steps.
What makes you say so?
Magic is not a cheap "trick." It is a "miracle" exchanged by magicians with hard work and time.
You grab his silver-white hands that were conjuring items out of thin air.
Cut it out.
Lee takes his hands out of yours and turns his wrists slightly.
And these hands aren't "miracles."
Although he maintains his indifference as always, having known him for so long, you see the slight torment in his brows.
Noticing your attention on him, Lee does not end the conversation as quickly as he normally would.
Remember how I said this coating was for a banquet before joining Gray Raven?
Lee nods.
It's often said that magicians are just "con artists." They don't create miracles. They merely deceive others with vanity.
Lee laughs at himself.
This statement is closer to the original meaning of this coating.
I did...
Whether that be you or those around you.
The last time you held Lee's hands, he tried to pull away. But this time, you hold his hand tightly, giving him no chance to let go.
Of course, with the strength of a Construct, he could easily make you let go with just a little force.
But he chooses not to.
These brushes with death are not fake. They are real.
We all know how hard you have worked.
...
For magicians, even greater "miracles" require even more blood, sweat, and tears.
In other words, "miracles" come at a "price."
But even so, there are some "miracles" that magicians can't achieve in their lifetime.
Even if they give their everything, they are still powerless in achieving them.
If the magician's power is not enough, an assistant can help make up for it.
The price of "miracles" shouldn't be left for one person to bear the burden.
...
If that's what you think, I'm sure you will become an excellent magician one day... Can't say the same about dancing.
Only that one?
Take a look at the rose.
You take out the origami rose from your pocket. Lee uses this opportunity to free himself from your grasp.
This origami rose was one of the flowers on the ground you randomly picked up.
But it has changed completely without your notice.
It was only just a flower bud. But now, it is in full bloom. The pure white color is now a vibrant red. In the center rests a small piece of chocolate.
So, is that really the only trick you don't understand?
What is it? Want me to teach you?
What do you mean...
He furrows his brow more tightly than normal as if thinking of something.
Do you think the other roses did this, too?
I just grabbed one at random.
...
Hah...
Lee quietly rubs his temples.
Over his shoulder, you can see a couple passing by not far behind him.
They were holding several origami roses in their hands, smiling happily.
The rose is still as it was before—pure white, waiting to bloom.
What is it?
Lee's eyebrows still remain tightly knit.
Since this is a gift meticulously prepared by Lee, you think an expression of gratitude is more appropriate than an apology.
Since you did not realize it was a gift meticulously prepared by Lee, you feel an apology is in order.
...
Hah...
Suddenly, Lee's smiling face is lit up.
Countless streams of light streak through the night sky above.
Like countless stars soaring into the sky, the Milky Way lights up in a constant barrage of explosions.
Let's get going. I bet Lucia and Liv are waiting for us.
With his back illuminated by the fireworks, he seems more at ease than usual. He appears to have put down a burden for the time being and has finally begun to enjoy the celebration.
Seeing him this happy…
...you have decided to keep your lips sealed about having accidentally caught him practicing magic and origami at the base.
Commandant, get your head out of the clouds.
Picking up the pace, you catch up to Lee and stand beside him.
