yasmin

Character leak I'm working on—everyone, welcome Kenan! ✨

He appears to be Columbina's true love... at least according to her. 👀

Yep, you read that right—Columbina! Because this wonderful girl deserves someone to love her. 💖

Well, Harlequin originally wanted to do something worse than just rearranging TT’s room in a different way, but MC inspired him to go with this idea so that it wouldn’t end with Bill losing his mind or facing a harsh punishment.

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Don’t worry, everyone—Jester has an extra pair of socks for emergencies like this, and he’ll make sure the culprits pay the price… especially the one who came up with the idea

MC is having a session with the consequences of her actions 🙂💔🔪

Today, you went out with Harlequin on a stroll around the city for his birthday. Exploring markets and different little shops, playing adrenaline-pumping games at a half-abandoned amusement park, and afterward stopping by local restaurants to try all kinds of street food.

What truly made this day special wasn’t that it was his birthday, nor that it was the first birthday he spent away from his family but with you… it was the fact that Pierrot was not part of this day. Not only that, it had been your condition. You wanted all your focus and attention to be his and his alone today.

Seeing the heartbreak on Pierrot’s face when he heard that, the tears and whining when you removed his star pin to replace it with Harlequin’s little heart-shaped one… Harlequin’s happiness in that moment was indescribable. It was so overwhelming that he genuinely feared happiness this intense had to be dangerous, some kind of bad omen.

You were never really someone who liked going out. You always preferred staying home and enjoying your hobbies, so the fact that you stepped out of your comfort zone and exhausted yourself with an outing you weren’t even used to, just for him… that was something he would never forget.

After a long day full of fun, food, beautiful sights, and happiness, it was finally time to return to the circus. He felt like a prisoner who had been granted his final wish before execution. He didn’t want this day to end. He would’ve kept making excuses to visit more places, wander into other districts, keep walking beside you longer… if your tired appearance hadn’t made it painfully obvious how badly you needed rest.

The end of this day meant giving you back to Pierrot. It meant being alone again. The dull, repetitive days would return once more.

He truly wanted to refuse. To scream and tell you how badly he wanted you beside him, how badly he wanted to feel this way every single day.

But in the end of the day , he was Harlequin. He didn’t know how to ask for what he wanted, so he hid behind silence and sarcasm instead.

At the entrance of the circus, he let go of your hand and started walking toward his tent, but you grabbed him before he could leave.

“Actually… there’s one last thing I want to give you before this day ends.”

The two of you climbed on top of the tent together. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, beautiful fireworks suddenly burst across the sky. The sight was breathtaking.

“Harlequin, I don’t want you to think I love Pierrot more than I love you. I don’t need to put in any effort with Pierrot because he’ll love me no matter what. But with you… it’s different. You’re different.

With you, I always think carefully before I speak. I pay attention to everything I do. I want to leave the best impression possible. I want to know more about you. I want to feel like I’ve gotten closer to you… like I’ve earned that closeness.

To me, you are the bitter truth I need, while Pierrot is the sweet lie I want.

What I’m trying to say is… I love you as much as I love him. Yes… I love you.”

...

“…That was painfully cliché, you know~ Just what kind of movies do you even watch?”

“Ughhh, I should’ve expected this reaction from you. Why am I even surprised… Listen here, you arrogant idiot, this is my confession. Accept it or reject it.”

Outwardly, he laughed and mocked you as always, but inside, it felt as though an earthquake had shattered the deepest parts of his heart.

This was everything he had ever wanted to hear.

You pulled out a small cake with a single lit candle.

“Come on, hurry up and make a wish before your special day ends.”

“Oh, darling, don’t tell me you actually believe in childish little superstitions like this. My God, you really are a child trapped inside the body of a gorgeous woman~”

“Shut up and wish for something.”

“But there’s nothing I wa—”

“Just wish for something, for the love of God!”

He stared at the flickering flame for a moment before finally closing his eyes and blowing the candle out.

“So? What did you wish for? Tell me, tell me!”

“No, no, dear. Don’t you know wishes won’t come true if you tell someone?”

“You’re seriously… sigh Whatever. Here, happy birthday.”

In your hands was a small decorated bag, no bigger than a fist, tied with a bright green ribbon.

When he opened it, he found a perfume scented like night-blooming jasmine.

“I was honestly struggling with what I should get you as a gift. I wanted to give you something that reminded me of you… and somehow I ended up remembering our first meeting. One thing I remember very clearly, besides your shameless attitude, was how nice you smelled. And don’t you dare call me weird, I can already see the accusation in your eyes.

Anyway, I figured you might like perfumes, so I chose this one. I hope you like it…

...

Harlequin, I wish you happiness this year and every year after that. And I hope your mysterious wish comes true too.”

He stayed silent. He genuinely didn’t know what to say, so instead he distracted himself by taking a bite of the cake despite hating sweets—only for his eyes to suddenly water and his throat to burn.

" this cake...it's spicy?!!"

You kept laughing while explaining that it had been specially made to suit his tastes, and that you refused to eat any of it because, in your opinion, it looked like a food poisoning disaster. But as long as he liked it, that was all that mattered.

The two of you continued staring at the horizon while Harlequin thought about his ridiculous wish—the one he would never say out loud.

He wished every day could be his birthday…

If it meant spending every day with you like this, having all of you to himself alone, feeling this happiness, feeling seen, feeling like he wasn’t second to Pierrot for once…

Then even if it cost him his lifespan, reducing it to ten—or even five—years, he would gladly accept five happy years over centuries of pain.

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Bonus!

To prevent Pierrot from following the two of you, Jester had to ask Doctor to knock him unconscious using the emergency supply of pink sedatives. Getting him to take it had not been an easy task, and Jester would make sure you regretted this dearly.

I’ve been working on this comic for two weeks 🙂✌️! And I forgot to post it because of exams 😭

After working on it, I truly sympathize with all comic and manga creators now. I’m never going to rush them again 💀

Hello dear 😆👋🤍

Today was supposed to be a special day — it’s the first birthday of Pierrot that I’ve ever celebrated. But unfortunately, it happened to coincide with my first final exam🥲💔, and with so little time and energy, this is the best I could come up with.

Dear Pierrot deserves far better than this rushed and messy drawing, but seeing everyone else’s works and the way they’re celebrating him honestly makes me happy. Everyone created such amazing pieces, each beautiful in its own way👏❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥.

For his next birthday, I’ll start preparing his drawings a whole month in advance ✨

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Summary:

The only dull day off turns into a journey into the past—a journey back to the day of their first meeting.

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The sun sent its first golden threads, heralding the beginning of a new, fruitful day for the freak circus. The first signs suggested that it would be a calm and pleasant day. Not only that, but today also happened to be the only day off for the circus members. One day to rest and enjoy personal activities.

As for Ticket Taker, he had done an excellent job organizing and completing his tasks for the week. Budget check? Done. Prioritizing essential purchases? Done. Dividing salaries? Done. Setting aside a reasonable emergency fund? Also done. There wasn’t much left to do, so he simply took advantage of this rare moment of free time by enjoying a warm cup of coffee and some accounting papers—for entertainment, of course.

Jester, too, found himself free from urgent duties, so he relaxed in his tent, planning for the coming week. If he finished—or grew bored—he would move to his library to pick something more engaging. Lately, he seemed particularly interested in the works of Sigmund Freud.

The Doctor watched his plants grow beautifully. He had put considerable effort into caring for them, and this particular plant was very special. He had, in fact, fallen in love with it. After all, one doesn’t get to care for a beautiful belladonna plant every day, does one?

As for Harlequin, it was just a dull and boring day. He had designed new puppets, repaired the old ones, and practiced his performances for the coming week. What could he do now?

And is that even a question? Of course, he would go to his first and favorite target—Pierrot—to see what he was doing and, of course, to annoy him. After all, Pierrot had the best and most entertaining reactions.

With excitement and a playful look, Harlequin entered the kitchen where Pierrot was preparing lunch for the day.

“Ooooh, Pierroo~ Are you preparing food? Why don’t you let me handle the stove? You know how skilled I am at dealing with it. Don’t you remember last ti—”

Harlequin swallowed the rest of his sentence when he noticed what Pierrot was cooking. What was going on in that red clown’s mind for him to cook this particular dish, after all this time? There, on the pan, lay a large fish cooking over low heat.

Harlequin’s mind drifted far, far away, leaving reality—and Pierrot’s annoyed voice ordering him to get out of the kitchen—behind. This sight had taken him back decades, to gray days when Harlequin was still a child wandering this vast land. All that land had been his—it was all his home. Now that he had no home, no family.

For the sake of his younger siblings, and so that his parents could take care of them under harsh and difficult circumstances, the contract had to be undone, and some beads had to be allowed to fall apart. Harlequin was not stupid—he was fully aware of the reasons behind this fateful decision. But there was still that bitter taste at the back of his throat, that feeling as though he were trying to swallow a stone.

Out of everyone… out of all his siblings… why was he the one chosen for sacrifice? Excuses like “he is smart,” “he is clever,” “he knows how to handle difficult situations” were no longer enough. They were like stones thrown into a pond, sinking into the muddy bottom and allowing other thoughts to splash upward. Thoughts like:

Do they not need me?

Am I the first option to get rid of?

Am I really that worthless?

To get rid of such disturbing and useless thoughts, Harlequin roamed the land back and forth, distracting his young mind with its beautiful scenery. He watched it change its seasons as if it were trying on a new outfit each time. He lay on the ground and covered himself with the night sky, studded with stars like pearls. He walked for days and days without direction or plan—only wherever his feet and fate led him—until he reached a shore of breathtaking beauty and a golden sunset. A scene as if it had been taken from Paradise, the one he had only ever heard about—how it is something no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor heart imagined.

And as he gazed at the distant horizon, he saw another creature at the boundary between sand and water.

Quickly, Harlequin activated his defense and caution. Was this a human? It would be a problem if it were human—he would have to leave before being noticed. But wait… were those… horns? Three of them, actually?

Harlequin felt that sudden exhaustion that comes after a strong moment of fear, followed by relief. Fortunately, it seemed that this silver-haired monster had not noticed Harlequin—either because Harlequin had been very careful, or because the monster was simply too lost in his thoughts to notice him.

Harlequin approached slowly and cautiously so that the monster would not see him. He seemed to be around his age? No… perhaps a bit older. It had been a long time since he had last seen a monster, and curiosity was going to kill him if he didn’t take a closer look.

With each step he took toward him, his features became clearer. What was he doing? He was just standing there. Suddenly, the monster stood up and, with tremendous speed that gave Harlequin no time to think, jumped into the water, splashing it up nearly a meter high. It was hard to follow him underwater as he moved quickly and erratically. Was he chasing something? A fish?

Finally, the monster emerged from the water, crowned with success. Around his jaws lay its defeated prey.

There was one thing that crossed Harlequin’s mind after witnessing this display:

How dramatic!

This was the worst hunting strategy he had ever seen. Even his youngest siblings could do better.

Harlequin’s train of thought was cut off by a sharp sound that made his heart stop for a second, as the creature began tearing into his prey as if it had personally insulted him. He raised his head high, then brought it down forcefully onto the prey, sinking his fangs into the torn flesh…

All of this monster’s actions were unnatural. They were frantic—as if it were releasing suppressed emotions within itself. It did not seem that the goal of this hunt was to satisfy hunger, as he stopped and stared at what lay in his hands, whispering words Harlequin could not make out, while pulling at his own hair.

Finally, the other monster noticed Harlequin’s presence. Despite his frantic behavior, he simply looked at him with those eyes that resembled embers, reflecting the last rays of the sun, as they gazed into Harlequin’s emerald ones. The two remained staring at each other for a while, until Harlequin decided to break the silence.

“What exactly… are you doing?”

...

“…fishing.”

"Well, what a method. Didn’t your parents teach you something more effective?”

…On that day, Harlequin almost swore he heard the sound of heart shattering in that moment—a sound like breaking glass.

The monster did not respond, but instead showed a face—a face filled with sorrow, sadness, longing, and nostalgia.

Ah… now Harlequin understood what was going on. This sad monster lost his family. Was that why he was behaving like this? If it continued this way, death would be the most likely outcome.

_

Several days passed with Harlequin watching this yellow-eyed monster, and his observation did nothing but confirm that it could not be left alone. This creature simply wandered here and there without purpose, going days without food, and when it decided to hunt, it did so in the worst way possible. If not for Harlequin’s interference—without being noticed, of course—he would have failed miserably.

On a beautiful and quiet night, when the moon hid itself, allowing the stars to show off their light, and on that same shore, the yellow-eyed creature stood looking at the distant horizon, while Harlequin watched from afar. Harlequin had finally reached a decision: this creature could not be left alone. It needed guidance, it needed companionship. And if that creature was hungry for a companion on his path, then Harlequin was hungry to be needed—to be someone that someone else depended on. If so, then they completed each other… so why not walk together?

His expressions were still etched in Harlequin’s memory—that glimmer in his eyes, that smile, that happiness at not being alone anymore. He asked, as he looked at that sweet smile:

“What is your name?”

—

“Hey, Pierrot, don’t forget table manners. We don’t sink our fangs into fish and bury our faces in it—we use a fork and a knife. Do you even know how to use them, or are you going to cry and pull your hair again~?”

“Harlequin… just remember that I’m holding a knife, and I’m not afraid to use it on you.”

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Author’s notes

Belladonna is a highly toxic flower that can cause intense hallucinations. It was used in the past to dilate the pupils, giving a strikingly beautiful appearance, but it can definitely lead to blindness if used in excess.

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Summary:

Piero is having yet another bad day, so Jester takes it upon himself to open Pierrot's eyes to the truth—and to comfort him as well during a quiet hair-brushing session.

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On a warm afternoon, away from prying eyes, inside a vast circus tent, Pierrot sat lost in thought while Jester gently played with his silver strands, tidying his appearance.

It wasn’t like Jester to do this—to dedicate time just to fixing pierrot's hair—but it seemed he was in a good mood today.

For Jester, styling Pierrot’s hair was a chance to remember warmer days long gone, when worries weighed heavily on his young mind—how his mother’s touch, as she combed his hair, could chase away even the darkest thoughts. This hair was a symbol of his pride… and how much he loved Pierrot's hair. When he looked at it, he saw a piece of himself. Unfortunately, Pierrot didn’t care for this treasure properly—and that was something Jester would never allow.

Only God knows how many times this is that Pierrot is having a bad day. His mind is clouded, his heart heavy. Since he vowed silence, it has become difficult for him to express what’s inside him. What’s the point of speaking? Would it solve anything? No. Pierrot knows for certain that speaking would only make things worse… so he simply waits for the storm inside him to pass.

What Pierrot is going through does not go unnoticed by Jester. Of course not. Jester knows exactly what lies in his heart—as if staring into the bottom of a well. As the leader, as the head of this family, it is his duty to deal with this… even if Pierrot won’t like the method.

“Pierrot, humans are vile creatures—selfish, arrogant, with nothing to stand on. They are willing to cross every line, every boundary, just to satisfy their greed and pride. Creatures that show no mercy even to their own flesh and blood… so what about the rest of us?”

Jester paused for a moment to observe the effect of his words. Pierrot remained silent, perhaps giving a slight nod to show he was listening. Jester watched him for a while before continuing:

“Have you ever wondered why humans hold the upper hand, even though they are physically weaker than us? Why do we stay silent and accept humiliation when we could crush their skulls in our hands and place what remains of them on the dinner table?”

Pierrot simply swallowed dryly as Jester continued in a calm, low, yet steady voice—each word carving itself into his soul:

“This creature has the ability to manipulate… to deceive. An ability that never fails to impress me—to twist truth, events… emotions. Don’t let their soft, fragile appearance fool your insight, Pierrot. These creatures are ready to burn each other with weapons without blinking. Ready to watch their own kind rot and starve without offering help—despite having the ability. And the finest touch? They decorate their ugliness with the medal of ‘protection’ for those they claim to care about.”

At that exact sentence, Jester stopped. Pierrot turned to look into his eyes, searching for the truth—trying to see into his soul.

“Wouldn’t you do the same? To protect our home? To protect us… to protect me?”

Jester’s smile widened as he hummed softly:

“Do you see how vast this world is? How its resources are enough for every creature that breathes upon it—not just humans? But their greed… their arrogance… makes them believe everything on this earth belongs to them. Every creature is merely a tool. Humans will only see you in two ways: either as a threat, and they kill you… or as a pet, something lesser—convincing you they love you while they cage you and fasten a collar around your neck.”

Pierrot continued staring into Jester’s eyes. What he said wasn’t an answer—not really. But Jester isn’t someone who tells you what he’ll do… he shows you. He lets his actions speak—and let’s just say… his actions scream.

Pierrot took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He knew Jester wasn’t wrong… but a part of him also felt he wasn’t entirely right. In truth, Pierrot resembles her in the way he thinks, in how he sees the world—and that is exactly what disturbs Jester’s sleep. If Pierrot continues this way… his end won’t be much different from hers.

Jester also took a deep breath before continuing:

“I know exactly what you’re thinking. And yes, Pierrot —you’re right. Not all humans are that bad… not all of them are that cruel. But… even in the kindest, the noblest among them, you will find darkness. You will find greed, pride. A human would not be human without these traits. Yes, there are good humans… but as you can see, their numbers are decreasing. And I will not risk dealing with such creatures on the hope of finding light within them. So, Pierrot —do not let your interactions with them cross the boundaries. Do you understand?”

Jester’s words still echoed in Pierrot’s ears, but he only nodded. That kind of response wasn’t enough for Jester, so he repeated firmly:

“Do you understand?”

“Yes, Jester… I understand.”

“Good boy.”

Deep in his heart, Pierrot knows that Jester wants nothing more in this life than to see his family safe and happy. He wants Pierrot to be at peace—to have a calm heart and a clear mind. He would never say it out loud… but his actions speak volumes. Pierrot can feel it in the way Jester’s fingers move through his hair—in the gentle touch on his scalp. For Pierrot, that alone is enough to ease some of the bitterness of the day. To know that someone cares about you… in this vast, cold, and cruel world.

Now that Jester finished fixing his hair, he asked:

“Well? I’m done. What do you think?”

His tone didn’t sound like a question—it was the tone of someone certain he had done a perfect job… perhaps even expecting praise.

“It looks wonderful. Thank you, Jester.”

“That’s what I like to hear. That’s the spirit. So smile—and hold your head high. Don’t let those miserable, short-lived creatures ruin your day.”

Author’s Note: