Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/14
Jun. 14th, 2010 07:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. amusement or compulsion?
Fumie raised her kitchen cleaver and brought it down with a whack. She split the fish head on her cutting board. Then she looked around. Aiko was sitting by the table, watching Shigeru work on a model. He was chuckling as he worked. Fumie said, "Are you helping your father make the Nagata?"
Shigeru looked up. "Don't be silly. I finished that one. This is the Yamato." Fumie said, "What difference does it make?" He said, "What difference? They're completely different." Fumie said, "But they're both models. When are you going to start working on the second book of Devil Boy? If you don't work, we won't have money, and they'll turn off the electricity again."
Shigeru looked at the model, and picked up a small piece with his tweezers. "I've decided to build a fleet. And I'm going to work on it for as many years as it takes."
Fumie stood up. "What do you think I'm doing? I've got fish heads that I begged from the fish market, I've got radish leaves and pumpkin seeds that the vegetable stand was throwing away, and I'm making food for us. You've got to do your part."
Shigeru frowned. "You're going to bring the ghost of poverty back. Don't you understand, you have to enjoy things sometimes. Every day, you need to enjoy something. And right now, building models is my work."
Fumie slapped the table. "That's nonsense. You can't make money making models." Aiko started to cry, and Fumie picked her up and patted her. The white ribbon in the sketch on the wall held its head and shook it back and forth.
Meanwhile, Haruko watched Uraki putting sugar in his coffee at the coffeeshop. He said, "It's great that you have time to meet with me today. I've got lots of time today." Haruko said, "Well, actually, I'm going to have to hurry off."
Outside, the construction work started banging. Uraki saw her mouth move, but only heard the end, "...give me?". He said, loudly, "What did you say?" She said, "I really want your..." The construction work drowned out the word. Uraki turned away, and muttered to himself. "Did she say body? Or maybe my heart?" He turned back, and saw that she had stretched her hand out across the table. He grabbed it, and held it.
She pulled her hand back. "On the telephone, you said you had the pictures?" He let go, reluctantly, and pulled a picture from his pocket. He handed it to her. She looked at Shigeru, Fumie, Aiko, and her in the picture. "Oh, that's very good." Uraki muttered, "But I'm not in the picture." Haruko slipped the picture into her bag. "I'll take it." Uraki said, "Where? Why would anyone want a picture of a poor artist like that?" Haruko said, with a frown, "You shouldn't talk like that. Mizuki-sensei is great, and he's going to be famous. I want the picture so I can remember when I worked with him."
Uraki said, "Wait, do you like him?" Haruko shook her head. "You're jealous again, aren't you? Look, he's my teacher." She stood up. Uraki quickly jumped up. "Do you really have to go?" She looked at him, and said, "Have you taken the pictures to Mizuki-sensei?" He glanced away, then back at her. "Well, actually, no." She smiled at him. "You really should. Why don't you do that now?" She turned and walked out of the coffeeshop. Uraki blinked, and said, "She smiled at me!"
Because of the construction for the upcoming Olympics, it was noisy everywhere. As Uraki passed a construction site, the pounding grew more noisy. He frowned, and stepped inside and down the stairs to the floor of the construction site. "What is all this noise? Can't you keep it quieter?" No one paid any attention to him. He turned, and started back out. Someone yelled from above, "Watch out!" He stopped, and a wrench fell in front of him. The voice called down, "Sorry." He shook his fist at the worker above him, then started to step out of the construction tent. As he stepped out, someone pushed a wheelbarrow past his nose. Startled, he took a step back onto the stairway down into the construction site, and fell.
Fumie was sewing a pair of men's pants. Uraki fumed in front of her, a towel wrapped around his waist. He said, "I'm sorry to bother you like this." She smiled, "No, it's no problem. But isn't it lucky that you didn't get hurt, and just tore your pants?"
Uraki paced, then stepped into the workroom. He looked at the shelf with several battleship models. "What's this? I don't remember Shigeru having these before." Fumie said, "Well... no." She sighed.
After Fumie explained, Uraki sat on the floor near her. He nodded. "Yeah, he's like that." Fumie said, "What do you mean?" Uraki said, "Well, let's see. Once, he started collecting newspaper banners." "Newspaper banners?" "Sure, you know how each newspaper has a big headline with their name? He cut those out, and made up a scrapbook full of them." Fumie looked puzzled. "What did he do with them?" Uraki shrugged. "Nothing. He made other collections, too." Fumie looked into the workroom, at a set of scrapbooks lined up on the bookshelves. "Oh, that's what those are. I wondered where they came from." Uraki said, "But it isn't just paper. I mean... one time, he collected animal bones. He had piles of them." "Animal bones?" "Yeah. But his collections used to be of things that didn't take money. Models, now..."
Shigeru walked in, carrying a new model kit in his hand. Fumie looked at him, and said, "Uraki brought us this picture." She held up a picture of Shigeru, Fumie, and Aiko. Shigeru looked at it, then grinned at Uraki and said, "Well, those are funny clothes you're wearing." Uraki pulled the towel tighter. Then he asked, "What's that?" Shigeru raised the model kit. "This? It's my next model. The Kongo!" Uraki said, "You should quit doing models. You're worrying your wife. You should do like I do." Shigeru said, "What?" Uraki pulled a coin out of his shirt pocket, and raised it in his hand. "Look, here's 10 yen. And I'm always thinking about how to make 10 yen into a 100 yen. That's what makes me great." He tapped the 10 yen against his head. Shigeru laughed, and Fumie smothered a chuckle. Uraki turned and glared at them. "What's so funny?" Shigeru said, "Well, while you're thinking how to become great, you dropped your towel." Uraki glanced down at his white boxer-style underwear, then grabbed the towel off the floor and wrapped it around his waist again. He looked at Shigeru. "So what are you doing for money?" Shigeru walked into the workroom and pulled out a copy of the first Devil Boy book. "Here! I've got a series, and we'll make plenty off it." Uraki took the book, and flipped to the back. "Wild Boar Publications? Oh, Inui. But... is this selling?" Shigeru frowned. Uraki said, "I just don't know whether he can do the advertising. I mean, TV is the big thing now, and you could do something like tetsujin 28. Now that's selling..." Shigeru pushed Uraki back. "Get out of here. I've got work to do." Uraki jumped when Fumie pushed him from the other side. Then he saw that she was handing him his pants. "I'm done. Here's your pants." Shigeru pushed him out into the entryway, where he hopped and pulled his pants on.
Fumie watched Shigeru go back into his workroom. "You know, he did bring us a picture." Shigeru sat down, and started working on a model.
Later, at the bookstore, Michiko laid out a tableful of food. Kiyo and Taichi looked at Fumie and AIko. Michiko said, "It's only been a little while, and she's changed so much." Fumie laughed. "She eats a lot, and sleeps, too." Michiko said, "Like her father, eh?" They all chuckled. Taichi said, "I've already read Devil Boy." Michiko said, "You've checked it out several times." He laughed. "Yes, it's really good. Complex. You can tell that Mizuki-sensei worked on it, and really put his heart into it. Will there be more?" Fumie said, "Well, there are four more books in this set. And the publisher says if it does well, there will be more after that." Tiachi said, "Wow. So you're really doing well." Fumie said, "Sort of..."
<to be continued>
Fumie raised her kitchen cleaver and brought it down with a whack. She split the fish head on her cutting board. Then she looked around. Aiko was sitting by the table, watching Shigeru work on a model. He was chuckling as he worked. Fumie said, "Are you helping your father make the Nagata?"
Shigeru looked up. "Don't be silly. I finished that one. This is the Yamato." Fumie said, "What difference does it make?" He said, "What difference? They're completely different." Fumie said, "But they're both models. When are you going to start working on the second book of Devil Boy? If you don't work, we won't have money, and they'll turn off the electricity again."
Shigeru looked at the model, and picked up a small piece with his tweezers. "I've decided to build a fleet. And I'm going to work on it for as many years as it takes."
Fumie stood up. "What do you think I'm doing? I've got fish heads that I begged from the fish market, I've got radish leaves and pumpkin seeds that the vegetable stand was throwing away, and I'm making food for us. You've got to do your part."
Shigeru frowned. "You're going to bring the ghost of poverty back. Don't you understand, you have to enjoy things sometimes. Every day, you need to enjoy something. And right now, building models is my work."
Fumie slapped the table. "That's nonsense. You can't make money making models." Aiko started to cry, and Fumie picked her up and patted her. The white ribbon in the sketch on the wall held its head and shook it back and forth.
Meanwhile, Haruko watched Uraki putting sugar in his coffee at the coffeeshop. He said, "It's great that you have time to meet with me today. I've got lots of time today." Haruko said, "Well, actually, I'm going to have to hurry off."
Outside, the construction work started banging. Uraki saw her mouth move, but only heard the end, "...give me?". He said, loudly, "What did you say?" She said, "I really want your..." The construction work drowned out the word. Uraki turned away, and muttered to himself. "Did she say body? Or maybe my heart?" He turned back, and saw that she had stretched her hand out across the table. He grabbed it, and held it.
She pulled her hand back. "On the telephone, you said you had the pictures?" He let go, reluctantly, and pulled a picture from his pocket. He handed it to her. She looked at Shigeru, Fumie, Aiko, and her in the picture. "Oh, that's very good." Uraki muttered, "But I'm not in the picture." Haruko slipped the picture into her bag. "I'll take it." Uraki said, "Where? Why would anyone want a picture of a poor artist like that?" Haruko said, with a frown, "You shouldn't talk like that. Mizuki-sensei is great, and he's going to be famous. I want the picture so I can remember when I worked with him."
Uraki said, "Wait, do you like him?" Haruko shook her head. "You're jealous again, aren't you? Look, he's my teacher." She stood up. Uraki quickly jumped up. "Do you really have to go?" She looked at him, and said, "Have you taken the pictures to Mizuki-sensei?" He glanced away, then back at her. "Well, actually, no." She smiled at him. "You really should. Why don't you do that now?" She turned and walked out of the coffeeshop. Uraki blinked, and said, "She smiled at me!"
Because of the construction for the upcoming Olympics, it was noisy everywhere. As Uraki passed a construction site, the pounding grew more noisy. He frowned, and stepped inside and down the stairs to the floor of the construction site. "What is all this noise? Can't you keep it quieter?" No one paid any attention to him. He turned, and started back out. Someone yelled from above, "Watch out!" He stopped, and a wrench fell in front of him. The voice called down, "Sorry." He shook his fist at the worker above him, then started to step out of the construction tent. As he stepped out, someone pushed a wheelbarrow past his nose. Startled, he took a step back onto the stairway down into the construction site, and fell.
Fumie was sewing a pair of men's pants. Uraki fumed in front of her, a towel wrapped around his waist. He said, "I'm sorry to bother you like this." She smiled, "No, it's no problem. But isn't it lucky that you didn't get hurt, and just tore your pants?"
Uraki paced, then stepped into the workroom. He looked at the shelf with several battleship models. "What's this? I don't remember Shigeru having these before." Fumie said, "Well... no." She sighed.
After Fumie explained, Uraki sat on the floor near her. He nodded. "Yeah, he's like that." Fumie said, "What do you mean?" Uraki said, "Well, let's see. Once, he started collecting newspaper banners." "Newspaper banners?" "Sure, you know how each newspaper has a big headline with their name? He cut those out, and made up a scrapbook full of them." Fumie looked puzzled. "What did he do with them?" Uraki shrugged. "Nothing. He made other collections, too." Fumie looked into the workroom, at a set of scrapbooks lined up on the bookshelves. "Oh, that's what those are. I wondered where they came from." Uraki said, "But it isn't just paper. I mean... one time, he collected animal bones. He had piles of them." "Animal bones?" "Yeah. But his collections used to be of things that didn't take money. Models, now..."
Shigeru walked in, carrying a new model kit in his hand. Fumie looked at him, and said, "Uraki brought us this picture." She held up a picture of Shigeru, Fumie, and Aiko. Shigeru looked at it, then grinned at Uraki and said, "Well, those are funny clothes you're wearing." Uraki pulled the towel tighter. Then he asked, "What's that?" Shigeru raised the model kit. "This? It's my next model. The Kongo!" Uraki said, "You should quit doing models. You're worrying your wife. You should do like I do." Shigeru said, "What?" Uraki pulled a coin out of his shirt pocket, and raised it in his hand. "Look, here's 10 yen. And I'm always thinking about how to make 10 yen into a 100 yen. That's what makes me great." He tapped the 10 yen against his head. Shigeru laughed, and Fumie smothered a chuckle. Uraki turned and glared at them. "What's so funny?" Shigeru said, "Well, while you're thinking how to become great, you dropped your towel." Uraki glanced down at his white boxer-style underwear, then grabbed the towel off the floor and wrapped it around his waist again. He looked at Shigeru. "So what are you doing for money?" Shigeru walked into the workroom and pulled out a copy of the first Devil Boy book. "Here! I've got a series, and we'll make plenty off it." Uraki took the book, and flipped to the back. "Wild Boar Publications? Oh, Inui. But... is this selling?" Shigeru frowned. Uraki said, "I just don't know whether he can do the advertising. I mean, TV is the big thing now, and you could do something like tetsujin 28. Now that's selling..." Shigeru pushed Uraki back. "Get out of here. I've got work to do." Uraki jumped when Fumie pushed him from the other side. Then he saw that she was handing him his pants. "I'm done. Here's your pants." Shigeru pushed him out into the entryway, where he hopped and pulled his pants on.
Fumie watched Shigeru go back into his workroom. "You know, he did bring us a picture." Shigeru sat down, and started working on a model.
Later, at the bookstore, Michiko laid out a tableful of food. Kiyo and Taichi looked at Fumie and AIko. Michiko said, "It's only been a little while, and she's changed so much." Fumie laughed. "She eats a lot, and sleeps, too." Michiko said, "Like her father, eh?" They all chuckled. Taichi said, "I've already read Devil Boy." Michiko said, "You've checked it out several times." He laughed. "Yes, it's really good. Complex. You can tell that Mizuki-sensei worked on it, and really put his heart into it. Will there be more?" Fumie said, "Well, there are four more books in this set. And the publisher says if it does well, there will be more after that." Tiachi said, "Wow. So you're really doing well." Fumie said, "Sort of..."
<to be continued>
