Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 5/21
May. 21st, 2010 02:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkeraka tying up threads...
Shigeru was making small drawings and handing them out at the signing. Fumie was ladling drinks. Genbee, Fumie's father, watched the crowd, and looked amazed. Michiko, the store owner, said, "Why don't you wait inside?"
He nodded and walked inside with Michiko. He said, "Parents worry about their children, you know?" Then he looked at Michiko and asked, "Do you have children?" Michiko took a deep breath. "One son, but..."
Fumie came in, and said, "It looks as if Shigeru will be busy for a while. Why don't I show you the shopping center while we're waiting?" Genbee agreed and stepped outside. Fumie asked Michiko, "Have you seen Taichi?" She shook her head. "No. I don't think he's coming."
The theme ran at this point.
Genbee and Fumie walked through the shopping area. Genbee said, "I think our town has better shopping." Fumie nodded, and said, "Maybe. But once you get used to it, this is a nice place too. Next time you visit, i should take you to the temple." Genbee said, "Temple?"
Just then, Taichi walked across the street ahead of them. Fumie looked, and called to him. He turned and walked off, quickly. Fumie started to follow. Genbee said, "What are you doing?" Fumie turned, and quickly said, "Just wait here. I'll be back soon." She ran off, and Genbee said, "What is she doing?"
Fumie soon caught up with Taichi. She said, "I'm glad I saw you. We've been wondering how you were doing. I've been worried." His face twisted, and he said, "Don't. Too much sympathy, too much worry. You just keep saying it, and you don't worry at all. I'm just a catastrophe." He turned and started to walk away. Fumie stepped in front of him and pushed him back. "What?"
She stood in front of him and said, "I'm too tall. When I was young, everyone called me the telephone pole. I never got wedding interviews, I was a disaster at work -- I know all about thinking that the world is a catastrophe. But you aren't one. You've got friends, who worry about you."
After a moment, she said, "Now please come to the signing? Michiko is waiting."
In the coffeeshop, Genbee sat and watched out the window. He was still wondering what had gotten into Fumie. The pawnshop owner came in, carrying a signed picture from the bookstore. He greeted Michiko's husband, who was sitting at the counter. "Hey, look, I've been to your store." Michiko's husband looked at the picture. "Yeah? Since when did you read that stuff?" The pawnshop owner laughed. "I don't. But... anyone who went to the signing got one of these, too." He brandished a coupon. "One free book from the bookstore! Now that's a good reason to go, right?" The pawnshop owner looked at the picture, then offered it to the coffeeshop owner. "Do you want this to decorate your coffeeshop?"
Then he lifted the coupon over his head in his hand. "Yeah, your wife went running through the shopping center saying that anyone who goes to the signing gets one of these. And lots of people..." He stopped as Genbee grabbed the coupon out of his hand and read it. The pawnshop owner turned and looked at Genbee. "Who are you?" Genbee looked out the window, and crumpled the coupon in his hand. His eyebrows stood up and the muscles in his jaw tightened. The pawnshop owner said, "Wait a minute."
Meanwhile, at the signing, Shigeru and Inui looked around. No one was waiting. Michiko came out and looked. Shigeru asked, "About done, I think?" Michiko said, "I think you're right. No more coming." Kiyo, the old womand, said, "I don't think he's coming today."
Michiko walked in front of the tables with the two men and said, "Thank you so much." They muttered, "No, thank you." Shigeru said, "WIll your store be okay?" She said, "What?" Inui held up one of the coupons. "We heard from some of the people about these." She looked worried. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that you wouldn't bring people, but I thought..." Inui said, "No, no, it was a good idea. It helped get people here, make if more effective."
From the corner he had just turned, Genbee said, "Right. Made the lie that much better." They all turned and looked at him. "So where's Fumie?"
As they all went into the store, Fumie walked around the corner just in time to see Genbee walking into the store. "That's where he went? I told him to wait, but he came back here?"
She walked down the street and stepped into the store. Genbee glared at Inui, Shigeru, Michiko, and Kiyo. Fumie said, "What happened?" Genbee turned to her and said, "You lied to me. You gave out free tickets to get people to come to this signing. No one is interested in his book, are they? And I suppose the letters are lies, too. Hard work? Ha! How can anyone work hard and still be poor?" Michiko said, "Wait, I did this. I gave away free tickets. Shigeru-sensei came for free, and I just thought it was a good way to get people." Kiyo said, "Yes, blame us." Inui said, "Well, actually, I talked Shigeru into doing this." Genbee looked at him. "Who are you, anyway?" "I'm... Inui. I'm a manga author." Genbee looked around. "Another manga author? And you're a manga store owner? Wait, that publisher, he does manga, too. It's a conspiracy. I don't know what to believe."
Genbee looked at Shigeru. "I really thought you were better than this." Shigeru looked down. "I'm sorry." Genbee said, "I thought you were a good man. Did I make a mistake?"
Fumie said, "Don't say that." Everyone turned to look at her. She pushed past Genbee and stood by Shigeru. "You don't know him. I do. I'm his wife. You haven't seen... he sweats and polishes those stories. He inks, and corrects, and works so hard." She took Shigeru's arm. "He's a real manga author."
As Genbee looked at her and Shigeru standing together, Kiyo looked past his shoulder. "Taichi?" Michiko pushed past Genbee and went outside. She said, "I'm glad to see you. I was worried about you. Please, come in." He pushed her hands back and said, "What, worry, worry? Every day you talk about being worried about me. But why? I came to Tokyo, I've got no friends, my work is boring and bad, I'm a catastrophe." Michiko said, "Don't say that." He snorted. "Why not? I know what a disaster is. Now just leave me alone." He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm going." He started to walk away.
Michiko said, "I want to worry about you. I worry about you because you're alive. Sure, things may be bad, life may be hard, but at least you're alive." Taichi turned and looked at her. "What are you saying?" Kiyo came out and put her hand on Michiko's shoulder. "Her son... he would have been about your age. He died, not too long after the war, when there wasn't enough to eat." Michiko said, "That's why I want you to have good food, to work hard... I worry because you're alive."
Michiko started to cry, holding her apron to her face.
<to be continued>
Shigeru was making small drawings and handing them out at the signing. Fumie was ladling drinks. Genbee, Fumie's father, watched the crowd, and looked amazed. Michiko, the store owner, said, "Why don't you wait inside?"
He nodded and walked inside with Michiko. He said, "Parents worry about their children, you know?" Then he looked at Michiko and asked, "Do you have children?" Michiko took a deep breath. "One son, but..."
Fumie came in, and said, "It looks as if Shigeru will be busy for a while. Why don't I show you the shopping center while we're waiting?" Genbee agreed and stepped outside. Fumie asked Michiko, "Have you seen Taichi?" She shook her head. "No. I don't think he's coming."
The theme ran at this point.
Genbee and Fumie walked through the shopping area. Genbee said, "I think our town has better shopping." Fumie nodded, and said, "Maybe. But once you get used to it, this is a nice place too. Next time you visit, i should take you to the temple." Genbee said, "Temple?"
Just then, Taichi walked across the street ahead of them. Fumie looked, and called to him. He turned and walked off, quickly. Fumie started to follow. Genbee said, "What are you doing?" Fumie turned, and quickly said, "Just wait here. I'll be back soon." She ran off, and Genbee said, "What is she doing?"
Fumie soon caught up with Taichi. She said, "I'm glad I saw you. We've been wondering how you were doing. I've been worried." His face twisted, and he said, "Don't. Too much sympathy, too much worry. You just keep saying it, and you don't worry at all. I'm just a catastrophe." He turned and started to walk away. Fumie stepped in front of him and pushed him back. "What?"
She stood in front of him and said, "I'm too tall. When I was young, everyone called me the telephone pole. I never got wedding interviews, I was a disaster at work -- I know all about thinking that the world is a catastrophe. But you aren't one. You've got friends, who worry about you."
After a moment, she said, "Now please come to the signing? Michiko is waiting."
In the coffeeshop, Genbee sat and watched out the window. He was still wondering what had gotten into Fumie. The pawnshop owner came in, carrying a signed picture from the bookstore. He greeted Michiko's husband, who was sitting at the counter. "Hey, look, I've been to your store." Michiko's husband looked at the picture. "Yeah? Since when did you read that stuff?" The pawnshop owner laughed. "I don't. But... anyone who went to the signing got one of these, too." He brandished a coupon. "One free book from the bookstore! Now that's a good reason to go, right?" The pawnshop owner looked at the picture, then offered it to the coffeeshop owner. "Do you want this to decorate your coffeeshop?"
Then he lifted the coupon over his head in his hand. "Yeah, your wife went running through the shopping center saying that anyone who goes to the signing gets one of these. And lots of people..." He stopped as Genbee grabbed the coupon out of his hand and read it. The pawnshop owner turned and looked at Genbee. "Who are you?" Genbee looked out the window, and crumpled the coupon in his hand. His eyebrows stood up and the muscles in his jaw tightened. The pawnshop owner said, "Wait a minute."
Meanwhile, at the signing, Shigeru and Inui looked around. No one was waiting. Michiko came out and looked. Shigeru asked, "About done, I think?" Michiko said, "I think you're right. No more coming." Kiyo, the old womand, said, "I don't think he's coming today."
Michiko walked in front of the tables with the two men and said, "Thank you so much." They muttered, "No, thank you." Shigeru said, "WIll your store be okay?" She said, "What?" Inui held up one of the coupons. "We heard from some of the people about these." She looked worried. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that you wouldn't bring people, but I thought..." Inui said, "No, no, it was a good idea. It helped get people here, make if more effective."
From the corner he had just turned, Genbee said, "Right. Made the lie that much better." They all turned and looked at him. "So where's Fumie?"
As they all went into the store, Fumie walked around the corner just in time to see Genbee walking into the store. "That's where he went? I told him to wait, but he came back here?"
She walked down the street and stepped into the store. Genbee glared at Inui, Shigeru, Michiko, and Kiyo. Fumie said, "What happened?" Genbee turned to her and said, "You lied to me. You gave out free tickets to get people to come to this signing. No one is interested in his book, are they? And I suppose the letters are lies, too. Hard work? Ha! How can anyone work hard and still be poor?" Michiko said, "Wait, I did this. I gave away free tickets. Shigeru-sensei came for free, and I just thought it was a good way to get people." Kiyo said, "Yes, blame us." Inui said, "Well, actually, I talked Shigeru into doing this." Genbee looked at him. "Who are you, anyway?" "I'm... Inui. I'm a manga author." Genbee looked around. "Another manga author? And you're a manga store owner? Wait, that publisher, he does manga, too. It's a conspiracy. I don't know what to believe."
Genbee looked at Shigeru. "I really thought you were better than this." Shigeru looked down. "I'm sorry." Genbee said, "I thought you were a good man. Did I make a mistake?"
Fumie said, "Don't say that." Everyone turned to look at her. She pushed past Genbee and stood by Shigeru. "You don't know him. I do. I'm his wife. You haven't seen... he sweats and polishes those stories. He inks, and corrects, and works so hard." She took Shigeru's arm. "He's a real manga author."
As Genbee looked at her and Shigeru standing together, Kiyo looked past his shoulder. "Taichi?" Michiko pushed past Genbee and went outside. She said, "I'm glad to see you. I was worried about you. Please, come in." He pushed her hands back and said, "What, worry, worry? Every day you talk about being worried about me. But why? I came to Tokyo, I've got no friends, my work is boring and bad, I'm a catastrophe." Michiko said, "Don't say that." He snorted. "Why not? I know what a disaster is. Now just leave me alone." He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm going." He started to walk away.
Michiko said, "I want to worry about you. I worry about you because you're alive. Sure, things may be bad, life may be hard, but at least you're alive." Taichi turned and looked at her. "What are you saying?" Kiyo came out and put her hand on Michiko's shoulder. "Her son... he would have been about your age. He died, not too long after the war, when there wasn't enough to eat." Michiko said, "That's why I want you to have good food, to work hard... I worry because you're alive."
Michiko started to cry, holding her apron to her face.
<to be continued>
