Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/3
Jun. 3rd, 2010 06:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. who can you trust?
Later that year, three volumes of kappa stories had been published. Tomita, the publisher, had paid off on the first one, and the second one. But...
Shigeru stared at Tomita. "What do you mean, you don't have any money?" Tomita shook his head. "It's just... well, the money got tied up in this and that, and right now, I can't pay you. I'm very, very sorry. I just need a little time." Shigeru said, "You must be joking. How can I trust you?" Tomita got up, and dug into his desk drawer. Then he brought back a fancy sheet of paper. "Look, here's a promissory note from the company. Take it, and I'll pay you as soon as I can." Shigeru looked at the sheet. Tomita bowed. "Seriously. I'm standing behind this." Shigeru shook his head, but took the note and walked out of the office.
Outside the office, he looked at the note. "What am I supposed to do with this? Can I buy food with it, or pay the mortgage?" As he turned to leave, a ghost briefly appeared behind him, ghastly hands outstretched, hair a matted mop. She stood under the cobwebs in the hall outside Tomita's office, and she glared at Shigeru.
A couple of months later in the fall, in the kitchen of Shigeru's house, Haruko, the cute girl, held a skein of wool while Fumie wound it into a ball. Fumie said, "It's just one of Shigeru's old sweaters, but I can use acorns to die it, and it will make clothes for the baby." Haruko said, "That's clever. How did you learn to do that?" Fumie laughed. "Poverty is the mother of invention." Haruko sneezed, and Fumie said, "Are you cold? We weren't going to light the heater until December, to save money. But it is chilly today." Haruko said, "Oh, no. I'm fine." Fumie said, "Let's get some tea." They laid down the wool and the ball.
Haruko took a pair of tiny knitted white booties out of the basket. "Oh, they're so cute."
Then she looked at the workroom and asked Fumie, "Where's Mizuki-sensei?" Fumie paused in making tea. "Shigeru left early today to talk to the realtor about our mortgage. It's funny, too, this isn't the regular time to pay." Haruko said, "Well, I wanted to show him this." She got out a new book. Fumie looked at it and said, "You've got another new book out! Congratulations." Haruko shook her head. "Well, yes, but it's like other books I've seen. I just keep imitating. I wish I had my own ideas. I wish I could be like Mizuki-sensei." Fumie laughed. "Maybe you need to be poor! Seriously, though, I don't know much about manga, so you had better ask him."
Haruko sighed. "I wanted to talk with him, but I've got to go to a meeting with Uraki. About work." Fumie looked puzzled. "Uraki? You mean Shigeru's friend?" Haruka said, "Yes. Ever since we met here, he's been giving me little jobs. They're not much, but they help."
At the coffeeshop, the pawnshop man watched Uraki stand up and pace, then sit down again. Uraki's shoes were shined, and he was wearing a good suit and a tie. Uraki called the coffeeshop man over, and used his silver tray as a mirror to comb his hair. The pawnshop man asked the coffeeshop man, "Who is he, anyway?" The coffeeshop man said, "I don't know, but he's been here for an hour, standing up walking around and sitting down again." Uraki got a small squeeze bottle of cologne out of his pocket, and sprayed himself liberally with it. The pawnshop man sneezed and said to the coffeeshop man, "Stinky!" Uraki said to himself, "She'll be here soon!"
When Haruko walked in, Uraki jumped to his feet. Haruko said, "I'm sorry I'm late." Uraki smiled at her, and said, "Oh, no, I just got here myself."
He handed her a thick manuscript, and said, "Read through it and pick out some parts you like. Draw those pictures. About 10, maybe." Haruko carefully wrote in her notebook. "10 pictures. How big do you want them?" Uraki said, "Oh, whatever you like. You decide." She looked at him. "That's a problem. It's better if you tell me what size you want to fit the book." He said, "Okay, 10 cm." She wrote that in her notebook. "And when do you need them?" He smiled and said, "As soon as possible so that we can meet again." She looked thoughtful. "Well, I've got work at the pachinko parlor. How about next Monday?" He shrugged, "That would be fine." She said, "I can mail them to you..." He shook his head. "Oh, no, we should meet. Anywhere you like." She said, "Okay, how about the pachinko parlor?" He nodded. "I can do that." Then he looked around. "Incidentally, why did we have to meet in this crummy place today? It's not near either of us."
In the background, the pawnshop man quieted the coffeeshop man.
Haruko smiled. "Oh, I went to talk to Mizuki-sensei today." Uraki said, "What? You've been out at that dump? What for?" Haruko said, "Well, I wanted his advice." Uraki jumped up and spread his arms. "You don't need to talk to him! You can always get my advice." She shook her head. "No, I needed advice about manga." Uraki took a step forward. "And you went to talk to Gege? I am a manga producer, and I can give you good advice. I made his career, you know."
Haruko looked at her hand. "Well, I do like..." Uraki started to smile. "Kappa." Uraki said, "What?" Haruko turned to him. "The kappa stories. They have humor, they're interesting -- where does he get ideas like that?" Uraki stepped back to his side of the table. "Um, well..." Then he glanced at the coffeeshop man. "Say, bring her a piece of cake, okay?"
Haruko looked at Uraki. "You know, I'd like you to tell me about your childhood." Uraki rubbed his neck. "Oh, shucks, I didn't think you cared. My childhood was..." Haruko said, "Well, you knew Mizuki-sensei when he was young. And I think his kappa stories came from then. So what do you know about Mizuki-sensei as a child?"
Uraki looked sour. "Mizuki-sensei?"
Meanwhile, Shigeru was at the realtor's office. The realtor looked at him, and said, "That note you gave me? I took it to the bank. It's worthless. That company is bankrupt." Shigeru said, "What? It can't be." The realtor handed him the promissory note from Tomita and said, "If I thought you gave me that knowing that the company was bankrupt, I'd have to take you to court." Shigeru said, "But... wait, I didn't know. It's worthless? What do I do now?" The realtor looked at him. "You're going to have to pay me, that's what you're going to do. 200,000 yen. Cash. Or I foreclose on your house." Shigeru said, "No, you can't. I mean..." The realtor said, "Look, it's cash or foreclosure." Shigeru said, "I can't right now. Just a little time..." The realtor shook his head. "I can't wait forever, you know."
Shigeru stamped out of the office. He clutched the note in one hand. He grumbled as he walked. "Tomita! Bankrupt! And I'm going to lose the house? With a baby coming?"
Shigeru climbed the stairs to the hallway outside Tomita's office. The door flew open, and Tomita crashed to the floor as if tossed from inside. A moment later, he was dragged back into the office. Shigeru followed, curious.
Inside, three authors with notes just like the one in Shigeru's hand chased Tomita around the office. They pushed him into a corner, yelling about him owing them money. He spread his arms and bowed. "There's no money. Not one yen." One of the authors hit Tomita, and he crashed onto the sofa beside Shigeru. Shigeru said, "Wait, wait, violence isn't going to do anything." He pushed the angry authors back. Tomita cowered behind him.
After the others left, Shigeru looked at Tomita. Tomita sat on the floor, his head in his hands. "I'm ruined. The bank won't give me any more credit, and there's just no money. What do I do now?" Shigeru tossed his crumpled note on the table. "Why did you do this? I took this to the realtor, tried to pay my mortgage with it, and now they're going to foreclose on my house!" Tomita hung his head. "I made mistakes. I know that. But... I just wanted to make a book." Shigeru shook his head. "I just wanted to make a book, too."
Back at the house, Fumie was knitting. She stopped, and rubbed her bulging stomach. "Oh, you kicked again! You're really healthy."
<to be continued>
Later that year, three volumes of kappa stories had been published. Tomita, the publisher, had paid off on the first one, and the second one. But...
Shigeru stared at Tomita. "What do you mean, you don't have any money?" Tomita shook his head. "It's just... well, the money got tied up in this and that, and right now, I can't pay you. I'm very, very sorry. I just need a little time." Shigeru said, "You must be joking. How can I trust you?" Tomita got up, and dug into his desk drawer. Then he brought back a fancy sheet of paper. "Look, here's a promissory note from the company. Take it, and I'll pay you as soon as I can." Shigeru looked at the sheet. Tomita bowed. "Seriously. I'm standing behind this." Shigeru shook his head, but took the note and walked out of the office.
Outside the office, he looked at the note. "What am I supposed to do with this? Can I buy food with it, or pay the mortgage?" As he turned to leave, a ghost briefly appeared behind him, ghastly hands outstretched, hair a matted mop. She stood under the cobwebs in the hall outside Tomita's office, and she glared at Shigeru.
A couple of months later in the fall, in the kitchen of Shigeru's house, Haruko, the cute girl, held a skein of wool while Fumie wound it into a ball. Fumie said, "It's just one of Shigeru's old sweaters, but I can use acorns to die it, and it will make clothes for the baby." Haruko said, "That's clever. How did you learn to do that?" Fumie laughed. "Poverty is the mother of invention." Haruko sneezed, and Fumie said, "Are you cold? We weren't going to light the heater until December, to save money. But it is chilly today." Haruko said, "Oh, no. I'm fine." Fumie said, "Let's get some tea." They laid down the wool and the ball.
Haruko took a pair of tiny knitted white booties out of the basket. "Oh, they're so cute."
Then she looked at the workroom and asked Fumie, "Where's Mizuki-sensei?" Fumie paused in making tea. "Shigeru left early today to talk to the realtor about our mortgage. It's funny, too, this isn't the regular time to pay." Haruko said, "Well, I wanted to show him this." She got out a new book. Fumie looked at it and said, "You've got another new book out! Congratulations." Haruko shook her head. "Well, yes, but it's like other books I've seen. I just keep imitating. I wish I had my own ideas. I wish I could be like Mizuki-sensei." Fumie laughed. "Maybe you need to be poor! Seriously, though, I don't know much about manga, so you had better ask him."
Haruko sighed. "I wanted to talk with him, but I've got to go to a meeting with Uraki. About work." Fumie looked puzzled. "Uraki? You mean Shigeru's friend?" Haruka said, "Yes. Ever since we met here, he's been giving me little jobs. They're not much, but they help."
At the coffeeshop, the pawnshop man watched Uraki stand up and pace, then sit down again. Uraki's shoes were shined, and he was wearing a good suit and a tie. Uraki called the coffeeshop man over, and used his silver tray as a mirror to comb his hair. The pawnshop man asked the coffeeshop man, "Who is he, anyway?" The coffeeshop man said, "I don't know, but he's been here for an hour, standing up walking around and sitting down again." Uraki got a small squeeze bottle of cologne out of his pocket, and sprayed himself liberally with it. The pawnshop man sneezed and said to the coffeeshop man, "Stinky!" Uraki said to himself, "She'll be here soon!"
When Haruko walked in, Uraki jumped to his feet. Haruko said, "I'm sorry I'm late." Uraki smiled at her, and said, "Oh, no, I just got here myself."
He handed her a thick manuscript, and said, "Read through it and pick out some parts you like. Draw those pictures. About 10, maybe." Haruko carefully wrote in her notebook. "10 pictures. How big do you want them?" Uraki said, "Oh, whatever you like. You decide." She looked at him. "That's a problem. It's better if you tell me what size you want to fit the book." He said, "Okay, 10 cm." She wrote that in her notebook. "And when do you need them?" He smiled and said, "As soon as possible so that we can meet again." She looked thoughtful. "Well, I've got work at the pachinko parlor. How about next Monday?" He shrugged, "That would be fine." She said, "I can mail them to you..." He shook his head. "Oh, no, we should meet. Anywhere you like." She said, "Okay, how about the pachinko parlor?" He nodded. "I can do that." Then he looked around. "Incidentally, why did we have to meet in this crummy place today? It's not near either of us."
In the background, the pawnshop man quieted the coffeeshop man.
Haruko smiled. "Oh, I went to talk to Mizuki-sensei today." Uraki said, "What? You've been out at that dump? What for?" Haruko said, "Well, I wanted his advice." Uraki jumped up and spread his arms. "You don't need to talk to him! You can always get my advice." She shook her head. "No, I needed advice about manga." Uraki took a step forward. "And you went to talk to Gege? I am a manga producer, and I can give you good advice. I made his career, you know."
Haruko looked at her hand. "Well, I do like..." Uraki started to smile. "Kappa." Uraki said, "What?" Haruko turned to him. "The kappa stories. They have humor, they're interesting -- where does he get ideas like that?" Uraki stepped back to his side of the table. "Um, well..." Then he glanced at the coffeeshop man. "Say, bring her a piece of cake, okay?"
Haruko looked at Uraki. "You know, I'd like you to tell me about your childhood." Uraki rubbed his neck. "Oh, shucks, I didn't think you cared. My childhood was..." Haruko said, "Well, you knew Mizuki-sensei when he was young. And I think his kappa stories came from then. So what do you know about Mizuki-sensei as a child?"
Uraki looked sour. "Mizuki-sensei?"
Meanwhile, Shigeru was at the realtor's office. The realtor looked at him, and said, "That note you gave me? I took it to the bank. It's worthless. That company is bankrupt." Shigeru said, "What? It can't be." The realtor handed him the promissory note from Tomita and said, "If I thought you gave me that knowing that the company was bankrupt, I'd have to take you to court." Shigeru said, "But... wait, I didn't know. It's worthless? What do I do now?" The realtor looked at him. "You're going to have to pay me, that's what you're going to do. 200,000 yen. Cash. Or I foreclose on your house." Shigeru said, "No, you can't. I mean..." The realtor said, "Look, it's cash or foreclosure." Shigeru said, "I can't right now. Just a little time..." The realtor shook his head. "I can't wait forever, you know."
Shigeru stamped out of the office. He clutched the note in one hand. He grumbled as he walked. "Tomita! Bankrupt! And I'm going to lose the house? With a baby coming?"
Shigeru climbed the stairs to the hallway outside Tomita's office. The door flew open, and Tomita crashed to the floor as if tossed from inside. A moment later, he was dragged back into the office. Shigeru followed, curious.
Inside, three authors with notes just like the one in Shigeru's hand chased Tomita around the office. They pushed him into a corner, yelling about him owing them money. He spread his arms and bowed. "There's no money. Not one yen." One of the authors hit Tomita, and he crashed onto the sofa beside Shigeru. Shigeru said, "Wait, wait, violence isn't going to do anything." He pushed the angry authors back. Tomita cowered behind him.
After the others left, Shigeru looked at Tomita. Tomita sat on the floor, his head in his hands. "I'm ruined. The bank won't give me any more credit, and there's just no money. What do I do now?" Shigeru tossed his crumpled note on the table. "Why did you do this? I took this to the realtor, tried to pay my mortgage with it, and now they're going to foreclose on my house!" Tomita hung his head. "I made mistakes. I know that. But... I just wanted to make a book." Shigeru shook his head. "I just wanted to make a book, too."
Back at the house, Fumie was knitting. She stopped, and rubbed her bulging stomach. "Oh, you kicked again! You're really healthy."
<to be continued>
