Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 5/28
May. 28th, 2010 10:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkeraka Good news, bad news...
When Fumie and Shigeru ran into the entryway to see what had happened, they found the upstairs guy collapsed on the floor. He looked up at them and said, "Am I really home?" They helped him into the kitchen, where he told them that his latest manga didn't sell. In fact, the publisher told him that he didn't ask for that manga. And the other publisher that he thought might buy something was closed. Fumie poured him a cup of coffee.
The upstairs guy took a sip of the coffee, and said, "Oh, that's so good." Then he said, "I didn't have any money for the train, so I walked. And walked. And I haven't eaten." He made a face. "Actually, I can't pay the rent now, too. I'm so sorry. When do you think this will get better?"
During this period in Japan, highway construction was up, and the economy was booming. This meant that magazine manga were doing well, but the rental manga market was suffering.
A month later, Shigeru was walking around, visiting publishers, trying to sell the kappa story. It was cold, and he stopped in a covered area and sat on some boxes. He muttered to himself, "I don't know if I'm ever going to sell this." Then he took a deep breath and sat up. "I can do this. I'm sure someone wants it." A nearby man in a ragged coat folded a newspaper, and said, "I wish I had a book to sell." Shigeru looked over and said, "What, are you in the publishing business?" The man looked at Shigeru, and said, "Mizuki? Is that really you? It's been a long time!" Shigeru looked again, and said, "Tomita? But your hair is all messed up." Tomita, Shigeru's former publisher, finger-combed it, hastily. They stood and started to greet each other, then Shigeru suddenly said, "Wait a minute. You still owe me..." Tomita nodded. "I think it was destiny that we meet here. Look, come with me." He dragged Shigeru off.
Tomita pulled Shigeru into his old office, roughly restored. The door glass was a sheet of paper, with the company name on it. But it was recognizably the same old office. Tomita shut the door, and bowed deeply to Shigeru. "Look, I was wrong. But... could you come back?" Shigeru frowned. Tomita said, "I see you have your bag. Can I see the drafts?" He started to pull at the army bag, and Shigeru pulled it back. Tomita said, "What? I heard about Fukuzawa, he's in the hospital and his company is bankrupt. And I heard you in the street, saying you wanted to sell this. Well, why not sell it to me?" Shigeru said, "What about your other books? The war stories?" Tomita pulled the curtain from the shelves where he kept books The shelves were empty. "I don't have anything right now. I'm trying to build a new company, and you could be the main author. Doing what you want to do."
Meanwhile, back at home, Haruko, the cute girl, was visiting. She wore a red shirt, with check pants held up by wide black suspenders. Haruko held the new book in her hands and looked through it. She pointed to a part of a panel. "See that? I drew that!" Fumie smiled, and said, "I'm glad you came to visit. Shigeru should be back soon. But what happened to you? Did you go home?" Haruko shook her head. "Back to the country? I'm never going back there. No, I've got a job in a pachinko place. All day long, ching-ka-ching. But it's good money." Fumie said, "What about manga? Aren't you drawing now?" Haruko said, "Every night and days off." Fumie said, "Wow! But is that a life for a woman?" Haruko smiled. "I'm happy. It's hard, but... it's just hard work. And I'll do it. I'll be a manga author someday." Fumie said, "You've got your pride." Haruko said, "It's things I want to do."
Later, Shigeru returned. Haruko had left, and Fumie told him that it was too bad he missed her. But Haruko had left her new address. Shigeru took the address, and put it in his pocket. "Uh, Fumie, I found a new publisher. In fact, I sold the kappa story." Fumie said, "Oh, who bought it?" Shigeru said, "Tomita." Fumie looked puzzled. "Tomita? You mean the same one?" Shigeru said, "Yeah. He's starting a new company." Fumie said, "Well, I guess that's good. What about the advance?" Shigeru looked down, then pulled a paper out of his bag. "Here's what he gave me. It's 20,000 yen -- in three months." Fumie looked at the elaborate sheet. "What?" Shigeru said, "It's a promise on the company. If the book sells well, and Tomita gets money, we get paid." Fumie said, "But no money now?" Shigeru shook his head. "No money now."
In his workroom, drawing kappa, Shigeru wondered. Can I really trust Tomita? He remembered Tomita looking at the draft sketches and saying, "This is really good. This series can be great." But Shigeru noticed that the corner of the office was still shrouded in spiderwebs and dust. Then he shook his shoulders and said to himself, "I don't have to trust him. I just have to keep drawing, I guess."
In the kitchen, Fumie looked at her household budget. "Three months with no money? What are we going to do?" She looked over at Shigeru drawing in the workroom. Then she thought about the nasty publisher who had sneered at her, saying "You don't work? My wife works, even with a baby." She nodded, slowly. "I should work. I can. I'm sure I can."
<to be continued>
When Fumie and Shigeru ran into the entryway to see what had happened, they found the upstairs guy collapsed on the floor. He looked up at them and said, "Am I really home?" They helped him into the kitchen, where he told them that his latest manga didn't sell. In fact, the publisher told him that he didn't ask for that manga. And the other publisher that he thought might buy something was closed. Fumie poured him a cup of coffee.
The upstairs guy took a sip of the coffee, and said, "Oh, that's so good." Then he said, "I didn't have any money for the train, so I walked. And walked. And I haven't eaten." He made a face. "Actually, I can't pay the rent now, too. I'm so sorry. When do you think this will get better?"
During this period in Japan, highway construction was up, and the economy was booming. This meant that magazine manga were doing well, but the rental manga market was suffering.
A month later, Shigeru was walking around, visiting publishers, trying to sell the kappa story. It was cold, and he stopped in a covered area and sat on some boxes. He muttered to himself, "I don't know if I'm ever going to sell this." Then he took a deep breath and sat up. "I can do this. I'm sure someone wants it." A nearby man in a ragged coat folded a newspaper, and said, "I wish I had a book to sell." Shigeru looked over and said, "What, are you in the publishing business?" The man looked at Shigeru, and said, "Mizuki? Is that really you? It's been a long time!" Shigeru looked again, and said, "Tomita? But your hair is all messed up." Tomita, Shigeru's former publisher, finger-combed it, hastily. They stood and started to greet each other, then Shigeru suddenly said, "Wait a minute. You still owe me..." Tomita nodded. "I think it was destiny that we meet here. Look, come with me." He dragged Shigeru off.
Tomita pulled Shigeru into his old office, roughly restored. The door glass was a sheet of paper, with the company name on it. But it was recognizably the same old office. Tomita shut the door, and bowed deeply to Shigeru. "Look, I was wrong. But... could you come back?" Shigeru frowned. Tomita said, "I see you have your bag. Can I see the drafts?" He started to pull at the army bag, and Shigeru pulled it back. Tomita said, "What? I heard about Fukuzawa, he's in the hospital and his company is bankrupt. And I heard you in the street, saying you wanted to sell this. Well, why not sell it to me?" Shigeru said, "What about your other books? The war stories?" Tomita pulled the curtain from the shelves where he kept books The shelves were empty. "I don't have anything right now. I'm trying to build a new company, and you could be the main author. Doing what you want to do."
Meanwhile, back at home, Haruko, the cute girl, was visiting. She wore a red shirt, with check pants held up by wide black suspenders. Haruko held the new book in her hands and looked through it. She pointed to a part of a panel. "See that? I drew that!" Fumie smiled, and said, "I'm glad you came to visit. Shigeru should be back soon. But what happened to you? Did you go home?" Haruko shook her head. "Back to the country? I'm never going back there. No, I've got a job in a pachinko place. All day long, ching-ka-ching. But it's good money." Fumie said, "What about manga? Aren't you drawing now?" Haruko said, "Every night and days off." Fumie said, "Wow! But is that a life for a woman?" Haruko smiled. "I'm happy. It's hard, but... it's just hard work. And I'll do it. I'll be a manga author someday." Fumie said, "You've got your pride." Haruko said, "It's things I want to do."
Later, Shigeru returned. Haruko had left, and Fumie told him that it was too bad he missed her. But Haruko had left her new address. Shigeru took the address, and put it in his pocket. "Uh, Fumie, I found a new publisher. In fact, I sold the kappa story." Fumie said, "Oh, who bought it?" Shigeru said, "Tomita." Fumie looked puzzled. "Tomita? You mean the same one?" Shigeru said, "Yeah. He's starting a new company." Fumie said, "Well, I guess that's good. What about the advance?" Shigeru looked down, then pulled a paper out of his bag. "Here's what he gave me. It's 20,000 yen -- in three months." Fumie looked at the elaborate sheet. "What?" Shigeru said, "It's a promise on the company. If the book sells well, and Tomita gets money, we get paid." Fumie said, "But no money now?" Shigeru shook his head. "No money now."
In his workroom, drawing kappa, Shigeru wondered. Can I really trust Tomita? He remembered Tomita looking at the draft sketches and saying, "This is really good. This series can be great." But Shigeru noticed that the corner of the office was still shrouded in spiderwebs and dust. Then he shook his shoulders and said to himself, "I don't have to trust him. I just have to keep drawing, I guess."
In the kitchen, Fumie looked at her household budget. "Three months with no money? What are we going to do?" She looked over at Shigeru drawing in the workroom. Then she thought about the nasty publisher who had sneered at her, saying "You don't work? My wife works, even with a baby." She nodded, slowly. "I should work. I can. I'm sure I can."
<to be continued>
