Japanese morning show 6/9
Jun. 9th, 2010 01:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. paper dolls
Shigeru fingered the model battleship in its tin can. Uraki said, "You made this? I can't believe that. One-handed?" Shigeru said, "I did make it. I made the Yamato too. Do you want to see?" Uraki shook his head.
Shigeru closed the lid of the can. "Oh, I've got to work. Sorry, but I need to finish it for Inui." He started to get up. Haruko said, "Could I help? I really don't have anything else to do today." Uraki looked at her and said, "Well, if you're free, maybe we could go have dinner together." Haruko dug into her bag. "Look, I brought my pens just in case." She held up a pen case. Shigeru said, "I really can't pay you..." She shook her head. "No, no. If I am learning, that's more than enough. Please let me help?" Shigeru looked at Fumie. "It really would help." Fumie said, "I have to take care of the baby, so I can't help."
Uraki grumbled. "Why are you doing this? If you stick around here, bad luck will come to you. You know what they say, no money, no luck. And Gege is really poor." Shigeru grabbed him. "If all you can do is complain, then you don't need to stay in this poor house. Get out of here." Shigeru pushed him out the door. Uraki said, "Wait! My camera..." Fumie and Haruko looked at each other and laughed.
Outside in the street, Uraki sprawled, although he kept the camera carefully raised in one hand. Shigeru tossed his bag into the street beside him, then turned and went back inside. Uraki twisted and jumped to his feet. He picked up his bag, and dusted himself off. "Huh. Well, what about my date with Haruko? What does she see in that guy, anyway?"
Inside the workroom, Haruko looked at the draft pages. "Are these for Inui?" Shigeru nodded. "Yes, he's going to produce another series for me." Haruko started to read the pages, and laughed. "These are really funny."
Late in February, Shigeru put his bag over his shoulder in the entryway. Fumie asked, "Where are you going?" He said, "It's another book for Inui. I think we'll soon be able to pay the mortgage, or at least some of it."
Fumie went back into the kitchen, and pulled an envelope out of her apron pocket. She looked at it, and held it up for Aiko, the baby to look at. "It's money from your grandparents for you. We'll put it away for now, okay?" She opened a drawer, and started to lay the envelope in it. Then she picked up an envelope in the drawer, with a large red URGENT written across it. "I wish we could do something about this. I don't even need to open it to know that the realtor wants his money." She sighed, and put the envelopes in the drawer.
As Shigeru walked up to Inui's office, a delivery man walked out. From inside the office, Inui called, "Thanks!" Shigeru stepped into the office, and looked at three stacks of books. "What's this?" Inui said, "Oh, it's just returned books. When you're starting, it always happens. But sit down and I'll get some tea for you." Inui moved the books out of the way. Shigeru picked up a card from the desk and looked at it. It was a complaint about his manga being too scary for children. Inui saw him frowning at the card and said, "Don't let that upset you. There are always letters like that."
Shigeru sat down with Inui. "Do I need to change what I'm doing?" Inui said, "No, no. You're doing fine. Although, I've got a much worse problem." Shigeru looked concerned. "The publisher that I sell my stories to? They told me they aren't going to buy any more of my stories. I've been cut off. They told me to publish it myself. I think their idea is that they don't want any competition, they want all the publication business in their hands." Shigeru said, "So you don't have any other income now?" Inui said, "Well, no. But that's not your problem. Let me get your payment." Inui got up and rummaged through his desk.
Later, at the realtor's office, the realtor lifted a 10,000 yen note up and looked at it. He frowned. "Just one note? Shigeru, I need 200,000 yen." Shigeru nodded. "I know, I know, but I wanted to show you that I really am trying to pay." The realtor shook his head, slowly. "Every month, you say the same thing, but... when will you have money?" He got up, and put his arm on Shigeru's shoulder. "Now tell me the truth. Should I just foreclose, and make you move out?"
At the house, Shigeru walked into his workroom as Fumie asked, "Are things really that bad for Inui?" Shigeru said, "Well, right now he's taking money from this hand to pay that hand. It's really hard with a small business to keep everything balanced." Shigeru looked at his bookcase. "Maybe I could sell some of my books to get some money for the realtor?" Fumie said, "But you need those to draw, don't you?" Shigeru nodded. "Well, yes. But the realtor... I don't know what to do about that."
Fumie stepped closer. "Um. Otosan? Should we borrow from Aiko?" (Otosan is father -- daddy?) Shigeru looked at her. "What?" Fumie said, "Well, there's money from her grandparents. They sent it to buy hinamatsuri dolls for her." She got the envelope out of the drawer. "But, you know, hinamatsuri comes every year, right? And at least we could pay the mortgage this year?"
[Hinamatsuri is the Girls' Day festival, March 3. Traditionally, a set of dolls are displayed representing the Emperor, Empress, and attendants from the Heian period. The doll collections are prized possesions.]
Shigeru hesitated, then said, "Well, I guess there's no choice." He took the envelope, and went into his workroom. He shut the doors.
In his workroom, Shigeru laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. Then he saw the ghost of poverty sitting crosslegged on his bookshelves, grinning at him. Shigeru said, "How long are you going to hang around here?" Then he turned his back on the ghost and looked at his desk.
Later, Shigeru was drawing. He stopped and rubbed his stomach. "I'm really hungry." He got up and went into the kitchen. Fumie had fallen asleep at the table. She had left folded paper dolls on it. Shigeru looked at the dolls, and picked them up.
On March 3, Fumie was coming home from the market with her bicycle. She shook her head, looking at the small bag of treats that she had bought. "We can only afford this for Hinamatsuri?" She sighed.
As she stepped into the entryway, Shigeru came out, carrying Aiko. He said, "There, Aiko, your mother's back." Fumie said, "Was she any trouble?" He said, "No, she was very good. And you're just in time, because the preparations are ready for hinamatsura." Fumie said, "What do you mean, preparations?"
He grinned, and led her into the kitchen. Then he had her hold the baby. He slid one of the doors out, revealing a large paper poster covering most of the door. At the top were the folded Emperor and Empress, now carefully hand-colored. And below were rank on rank of attendants and their belongings. Fumie stared. "Are those the paper dolls I folded?" He said, "Yes. And look, a full seven levels. Truly deluxe."
With Fumie and Aiko sitting nearby, Shigeru carefully painted the red flames on the lanterns of the poster. Fumie said, "See, Aiko. Your father is very skillful." Shigeru laughed. "Of course I am. A manga artist should be." Then they laughingly enjoyed having a drink with the attendants -- and poor Shigeru got dizzy from the strong sake. He enjoyed eating a bite of the piled cake. And even Aiko smiled at his antics as they enjoyed hinamatsuri with the paper dolls.
<to be continued>
Shigeru fingered the model battleship in its tin can. Uraki said, "You made this? I can't believe that. One-handed?" Shigeru said, "I did make it. I made the Yamato too. Do you want to see?" Uraki shook his head.
Shigeru closed the lid of the can. "Oh, I've got to work. Sorry, but I need to finish it for Inui." He started to get up. Haruko said, "Could I help? I really don't have anything else to do today." Uraki looked at her and said, "Well, if you're free, maybe we could go have dinner together." Haruko dug into her bag. "Look, I brought my pens just in case." She held up a pen case. Shigeru said, "I really can't pay you..." She shook her head. "No, no. If I am learning, that's more than enough. Please let me help?" Shigeru looked at Fumie. "It really would help." Fumie said, "I have to take care of the baby, so I can't help."
Uraki grumbled. "Why are you doing this? If you stick around here, bad luck will come to you. You know what they say, no money, no luck. And Gege is really poor." Shigeru grabbed him. "If all you can do is complain, then you don't need to stay in this poor house. Get out of here." Shigeru pushed him out the door. Uraki said, "Wait! My camera..." Fumie and Haruko looked at each other and laughed.
Outside in the street, Uraki sprawled, although he kept the camera carefully raised in one hand. Shigeru tossed his bag into the street beside him, then turned and went back inside. Uraki twisted and jumped to his feet. He picked up his bag, and dusted himself off. "Huh. Well, what about my date with Haruko? What does she see in that guy, anyway?"
Inside the workroom, Haruko looked at the draft pages. "Are these for Inui?" Shigeru nodded. "Yes, he's going to produce another series for me." Haruko started to read the pages, and laughed. "These are really funny."
Late in February, Shigeru put his bag over his shoulder in the entryway. Fumie asked, "Where are you going?" He said, "It's another book for Inui. I think we'll soon be able to pay the mortgage, or at least some of it."
Fumie went back into the kitchen, and pulled an envelope out of her apron pocket. She looked at it, and held it up for Aiko, the baby to look at. "It's money from your grandparents for you. We'll put it away for now, okay?" She opened a drawer, and started to lay the envelope in it. Then she picked up an envelope in the drawer, with a large red URGENT written across it. "I wish we could do something about this. I don't even need to open it to know that the realtor wants his money." She sighed, and put the envelopes in the drawer.
As Shigeru walked up to Inui's office, a delivery man walked out. From inside the office, Inui called, "Thanks!" Shigeru stepped into the office, and looked at three stacks of books. "What's this?" Inui said, "Oh, it's just returned books. When you're starting, it always happens. But sit down and I'll get some tea for you." Inui moved the books out of the way. Shigeru picked up a card from the desk and looked at it. It was a complaint about his manga being too scary for children. Inui saw him frowning at the card and said, "Don't let that upset you. There are always letters like that."
Shigeru sat down with Inui. "Do I need to change what I'm doing?" Inui said, "No, no. You're doing fine. Although, I've got a much worse problem." Shigeru looked concerned. "The publisher that I sell my stories to? They told me they aren't going to buy any more of my stories. I've been cut off. They told me to publish it myself. I think their idea is that they don't want any competition, they want all the publication business in their hands." Shigeru said, "So you don't have any other income now?" Inui said, "Well, no. But that's not your problem. Let me get your payment." Inui got up and rummaged through his desk.
Later, at the realtor's office, the realtor lifted a 10,000 yen note up and looked at it. He frowned. "Just one note? Shigeru, I need 200,000 yen." Shigeru nodded. "I know, I know, but I wanted to show you that I really am trying to pay." The realtor shook his head, slowly. "Every month, you say the same thing, but... when will you have money?" He got up, and put his arm on Shigeru's shoulder. "Now tell me the truth. Should I just foreclose, and make you move out?"
At the house, Shigeru walked into his workroom as Fumie asked, "Are things really that bad for Inui?" Shigeru said, "Well, right now he's taking money from this hand to pay that hand. It's really hard with a small business to keep everything balanced." Shigeru looked at his bookcase. "Maybe I could sell some of my books to get some money for the realtor?" Fumie said, "But you need those to draw, don't you?" Shigeru nodded. "Well, yes. But the realtor... I don't know what to do about that."
Fumie stepped closer. "Um. Otosan? Should we borrow from Aiko?" (Otosan is father -- daddy?) Shigeru looked at her. "What?" Fumie said, "Well, there's money from her grandparents. They sent it to buy hinamatsuri dolls for her." She got the envelope out of the drawer. "But, you know, hinamatsuri comes every year, right? And at least we could pay the mortgage this year?"
[Hinamatsuri is the Girls' Day festival, March 3. Traditionally, a set of dolls are displayed representing the Emperor, Empress, and attendants from the Heian period. The doll collections are prized possesions.]
Shigeru hesitated, then said, "Well, I guess there's no choice." He took the envelope, and went into his workroom. He shut the doors.
In his workroom, Shigeru laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. Then he saw the ghost of poverty sitting crosslegged on his bookshelves, grinning at him. Shigeru said, "How long are you going to hang around here?" Then he turned his back on the ghost and looked at his desk.
Later, Shigeru was drawing. He stopped and rubbed his stomach. "I'm really hungry." He got up and went into the kitchen. Fumie had fallen asleep at the table. She had left folded paper dolls on it. Shigeru looked at the dolls, and picked them up.
On March 3, Fumie was coming home from the market with her bicycle. She shook her head, looking at the small bag of treats that she had bought. "We can only afford this for Hinamatsuri?" She sighed.
As she stepped into the entryway, Shigeru came out, carrying Aiko. He said, "There, Aiko, your mother's back." Fumie said, "Was she any trouble?" He said, "No, she was very good. And you're just in time, because the preparations are ready for hinamatsura." Fumie said, "What do you mean, preparations?"
He grinned, and led her into the kitchen. Then he had her hold the baby. He slid one of the doors out, revealing a large paper poster covering most of the door. At the top were the folded Emperor and Empress, now carefully hand-colored. And below were rank on rank of attendants and their belongings. Fumie stared. "Are those the paper dolls I folded?" He said, "Yes. And look, a full seven levels. Truly deluxe."
With Fumie and Aiko sitting nearby, Shigeru carefully painted the red flames on the lanterns of the poster. Fumie said, "See, Aiko. Your father is very skillful." Shigeru laughed. "Of course I am. A manga artist should be." Then they laughingly enjoyed having a drink with the attendants -- and poor Shigeru got dizzy from the strong sake. He enjoyed eating a bite of the piled cake. And even Aiko smiled at his antics as they enjoyed hinamatsuri with the paper dolls.
<to be continued>
