Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/29
Jun. 30th, 2010 06:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. what's your focus?
Masashi, the husband from the rental bookstore, looked at Uraki. "Humph. If you love what you're doing, that's enough. So do what you love."
After a moment of silence, Fumie said, "Oh. Taichi? Did you really go to the jazz coffee shop? Michiko is worried about you. Is it safe?" Uraki said, "Oh, just ignore her. I've been there, and it's no problem. Actually, there's one... maybe I'll take Haruko there..." Taichi said, "They're really safe. I met... well, there's a writing group, and I'm doing that. That's why wanted to go to the racetrack, so I could write about that." Then he looked at Fumie and said, "Please don't tell Michiko. I... I want to surprise her." Fumie smiled and put her finger in front of her mouth, then said, "It'll be our secret." She looked across the table at Masashi, Michiko's husband. He said, "I won't say anything."
Taichi said, "It's really exciting. They're not just working on stories. We're doing television dramas, too." Fumie said, "Television drama? Have you heard of those, Shigeru?" He shook his head. "I don't know anything about them." Uraki sniffed, loudly, then said, "No, I don't smell any money here." Taichi said, "Television dramas are like radio dramas, but for television. They're going to be popular, I think."
Fumie was hanging wash when Shigeru came home. He held up a copy of the new magazine, and said, "Look, it's Zeta! It's out already. Come inside and look." They went inside, and sat down. Shigeru looked at the front and back, then flipped through the magazine... and stopped at his manga. He looked, chuckled, and slid it in front of Fumie. "Here, that's mine." She looked at the first page. One panel had nezumi otoko, the rat man, in his rumpled robe. She looked at the picture again, and then remembered Uraki sitting, squinting in almost the same way. She said, "Is that... that isn't Uraki, is it?" Shigeru grinned. "I got it just right."
Inui called from the entryway, and then came in. He held a copy of Zeta in his hand. "It's out!" He lifted a bundle with his other hand. "And I brought food for celebration." They unwrapped the bundle on the table, revealing two bunches of bananas. Shigeru lifted one and said, "Very good bananas." Fumie look at the yellow bananas and said, "It's been a while since we had bananas that weren't brown." Inui said, "What?" Fumie just said, "Oh, nothing."
Inui lifted the copy of Zeta. "I bought this in the shopping center this morning. It's really good." Shigeru said, "Did you see my manga? I drew that in three days." Inui said, "What? Three days?" Shigeru chuckled. "Well, Fukuzawa wanted to include me, but he was in a hurry to publish the first issue. So I only had three days." Inui shook his head. "That sounds like him." Shigeru said, "Oh, do you know Fukuzawa?" Inui nodded. "Yes, I used to draw for him." He looked at the magazine. "This is really good. He's going to grow. But it's going to be hard on the rest of us. I may not be able to keep publishing."
A breeze in the window made the glass wind chime ring. Inui looked up. "A wind... yes, that's it. He's a wind, pushing us all forward. That's what this magazine is."
Meanwhile, Haruko, the cute girl, was at the bookstore. She found one of her books, and pulled it from the shelf. Then she walked up to Kiyo, the old woman, at the counter with it. Kiyo smiled. "If you want to rent that, you'll need to register..." Haruko said, "No, no. Uh.. I just wanted to ask, do you know if this is popular?" Kiyo took the book from her and looked it over, then said, "No. It's not very popular." Haruko looked puzzled, and Kiyo held it up. "Look, it's too clean. The edges are still white, the corners aren't bent, and the cover is clean. Here..." She picked up another book from behind the counter. "This is a popular book. Look at the edges, almost black. And the cover -- look at that hole. And I'll have to use alcohol to clean it, and it still won't be really clean."
Then Kiyo leaned forward and looked at Haruko. "You're not one of those people trying to close the store, are you?" Haruko pulled her head back. "No, no. Why would you think that?" Kiyo smiled. "Well, you're well-dressed, and asking questions about what's popular. But...don't worry about it."
Haruko took her book back to the shelf. She pulled out the rest of her books from the shelf, and looked at them. They were all clean.
Back at the house, Inui was leaving. Shigeru said, "I'll finish that manga for you by next week." Then Fukuzawa greeted them all in the street. Shigeru asked, "What are you doing here?" Fukuzawa said, "I came to celebrate. And I brought this." He held up a wrapped bottle of sake. "And since I know you don't drink, I had Miyako get you something, too." Miyako stepped forward and held up a box. "Cakes! I think you'll like them."
Inui said, "Well, I should go on." Fukuzawa looked at him and said, "Oh, don't leave. Please, come in and drink with us?" Inui smiled. "Okay."
Inside, Fumie heated sake, and Shigeru enjoyed the cakes. Shigeru swallowed and said, "Inui complimented Zeta a little earlier. He said Zeta was the wind." Fukuzawa laughed. "The wind blowing everything apart?" Inui said, "No, no. The wind pushing us all forward."
Fukuzawa smiled. "Say, while I'm thinking about it, Inui, would you draw for me again? I'd like to buy one of your thrillers for Zeta." Inui took a deep breath, and said, "No. I've quit drawing." He shrugged. "I'll leave the drawing to the artists, like Mizuki sensei. I'm going to focus on publishing. And having Japan's smallest publishing house, I've got lots to do." Fukuzawa poured their cups full, and lifted his. "Yes! Let's fight on, together." Inui and he drank.
At the coffee shop, Uraki pushed a draft manuscript across the table to Hrauko. "Here. This needs illustration. And there's quite a bit more work that I can get for you too. Maybe next week we can go to the jazz coffeeshop, and..." Haruko shook her head. "I want to quit." Uraki jumped. "What? But I didn't even tell you where..." She frowned. "I need to stop doing these illustrations." Uraki blew out his breath. "Oh, you want to stop business. Why?" Haruko looked very serious. "Have you seen Zeta?" Uraki shrugged. "Yes." Haruko said, "Mizuki sensei has a piece in there, mostly because he could draw very quickly. I want to be in Zeta, I need to be fast. So I just don't have time."
Later, Uraki stretched across the table by himself and groaned. "If she isn't interested in this work, how am I going to meet her anymore?"
Just then, Masashi, the husband from the bookstore, walked in with another man. They sat at the counter behind Uraki. He sat up, and leaned backward. The other man asked about a letter, and suggested that Masashi should open an electronics store, like the old one. He urged Masashi to consider opening it with him, in place of the bookstore.
In the workroom, Fukuzawa and Inui looked at the model battleships, with Shigeru pointing out details. Miyako wiped the table, while Fumie washed dishes. Fumie looked around and said, "Why don't you go ahead and join the others?" Miyako stood up and laughed. "Model battleships? I really don't understand them." Fumie said, "Oh, if you build one, then you can understand it." Miyako said, "You build them?" Fumie said, "Well, no, I just help." Miyako said, "You're a very special person." Fumie said, "No, no. Actually, you're very special. You're the first woman I've known who had her own business card. That's unusual. I hope Izumi can do as well." Miyako said, "Izumi?" Fumie said, "Oh, sorry. My little sister. She wants to come to Tokyo and work in a company." Miyako grimaced. "That may not be the best." Fumie said, "I thought you enjoyed business."
Miyako dried a dish. "But so much of it is no name business. That's what I did before. No name work. I was in a big company, with a nice desk, and the pay was so so. But no one knew anyone's name. Just the vice president, and the secretary to the vice president -- no names. Anybody could be in those places. And if you got married, you became someone's wife -- no name. So I got out of there. And now I have a name."
Just then, Inui called from the other room. "Shigeru's wife? Did you help make these?" Fumie looked at the model battleship in his hand, smiled, and said, "Yes." [Note: the phrase Inui used is very polite, but it translates literally as wife or housewife.]
Fumie wondered, "How can I get my own name?"
<to be continued>
Masashi, the husband from the rental bookstore, looked at Uraki. "Humph. If you love what you're doing, that's enough. So do what you love."
After a moment of silence, Fumie said, "Oh. Taichi? Did you really go to the jazz coffee shop? Michiko is worried about you. Is it safe?" Uraki said, "Oh, just ignore her. I've been there, and it's no problem. Actually, there's one... maybe I'll take Haruko there..." Taichi said, "They're really safe. I met... well, there's a writing group, and I'm doing that. That's why wanted to go to the racetrack, so I could write about that." Then he looked at Fumie and said, "Please don't tell Michiko. I... I want to surprise her." Fumie smiled and put her finger in front of her mouth, then said, "It'll be our secret." She looked across the table at Masashi, Michiko's husband. He said, "I won't say anything."
Taichi said, "It's really exciting. They're not just working on stories. We're doing television dramas, too." Fumie said, "Television drama? Have you heard of those, Shigeru?" He shook his head. "I don't know anything about them." Uraki sniffed, loudly, then said, "No, I don't smell any money here." Taichi said, "Television dramas are like radio dramas, but for television. They're going to be popular, I think."
Fumie was hanging wash when Shigeru came home. He held up a copy of the new magazine, and said, "Look, it's Zeta! It's out already. Come inside and look." They went inside, and sat down. Shigeru looked at the front and back, then flipped through the magazine... and stopped at his manga. He looked, chuckled, and slid it in front of Fumie. "Here, that's mine." She looked at the first page. One panel had nezumi otoko, the rat man, in his rumpled robe. She looked at the picture again, and then remembered Uraki sitting, squinting in almost the same way. She said, "Is that... that isn't Uraki, is it?" Shigeru grinned. "I got it just right."
Inui called from the entryway, and then came in. He held a copy of Zeta in his hand. "It's out!" He lifted a bundle with his other hand. "And I brought food for celebration." They unwrapped the bundle on the table, revealing two bunches of bananas. Shigeru lifted one and said, "Very good bananas." Fumie look at the yellow bananas and said, "It's been a while since we had bananas that weren't brown." Inui said, "What?" Fumie just said, "Oh, nothing."
Inui lifted the copy of Zeta. "I bought this in the shopping center this morning. It's really good." Shigeru said, "Did you see my manga? I drew that in three days." Inui said, "What? Three days?" Shigeru chuckled. "Well, Fukuzawa wanted to include me, but he was in a hurry to publish the first issue. So I only had three days." Inui shook his head. "That sounds like him." Shigeru said, "Oh, do you know Fukuzawa?" Inui nodded. "Yes, I used to draw for him." He looked at the magazine. "This is really good. He's going to grow. But it's going to be hard on the rest of us. I may not be able to keep publishing."
A breeze in the window made the glass wind chime ring. Inui looked up. "A wind... yes, that's it. He's a wind, pushing us all forward. That's what this magazine is."
Meanwhile, Haruko, the cute girl, was at the bookstore. She found one of her books, and pulled it from the shelf. Then she walked up to Kiyo, the old woman, at the counter with it. Kiyo smiled. "If you want to rent that, you'll need to register..." Haruko said, "No, no. Uh.. I just wanted to ask, do you know if this is popular?" Kiyo took the book from her and looked it over, then said, "No. It's not very popular." Haruko looked puzzled, and Kiyo held it up. "Look, it's too clean. The edges are still white, the corners aren't bent, and the cover is clean. Here..." She picked up another book from behind the counter. "This is a popular book. Look at the edges, almost black. And the cover -- look at that hole. And I'll have to use alcohol to clean it, and it still won't be really clean."
Then Kiyo leaned forward and looked at Haruko. "You're not one of those people trying to close the store, are you?" Haruko pulled her head back. "No, no. Why would you think that?" Kiyo smiled. "Well, you're well-dressed, and asking questions about what's popular. But...don't worry about it."
Haruko took her book back to the shelf. She pulled out the rest of her books from the shelf, and looked at them. They were all clean.
Back at the house, Inui was leaving. Shigeru said, "I'll finish that manga for you by next week." Then Fukuzawa greeted them all in the street. Shigeru asked, "What are you doing here?" Fukuzawa said, "I came to celebrate. And I brought this." He held up a wrapped bottle of sake. "And since I know you don't drink, I had Miyako get you something, too." Miyako stepped forward and held up a box. "Cakes! I think you'll like them."
Inui said, "Well, I should go on." Fukuzawa looked at him and said, "Oh, don't leave. Please, come in and drink with us?" Inui smiled. "Okay."
Inside, Fumie heated sake, and Shigeru enjoyed the cakes. Shigeru swallowed and said, "Inui complimented Zeta a little earlier. He said Zeta was the wind." Fukuzawa laughed. "The wind blowing everything apart?" Inui said, "No, no. The wind pushing us all forward."
Fukuzawa smiled. "Say, while I'm thinking about it, Inui, would you draw for me again? I'd like to buy one of your thrillers for Zeta." Inui took a deep breath, and said, "No. I've quit drawing." He shrugged. "I'll leave the drawing to the artists, like Mizuki sensei. I'm going to focus on publishing. And having Japan's smallest publishing house, I've got lots to do." Fukuzawa poured their cups full, and lifted his. "Yes! Let's fight on, together." Inui and he drank.
At the coffee shop, Uraki pushed a draft manuscript across the table to Hrauko. "Here. This needs illustration. And there's quite a bit more work that I can get for you too. Maybe next week we can go to the jazz coffeeshop, and..." Haruko shook her head. "I want to quit." Uraki jumped. "What? But I didn't even tell you where..." She frowned. "I need to stop doing these illustrations." Uraki blew out his breath. "Oh, you want to stop business. Why?" Haruko looked very serious. "Have you seen Zeta?" Uraki shrugged. "Yes." Haruko said, "Mizuki sensei has a piece in there, mostly because he could draw very quickly. I want to be in Zeta, I need to be fast. So I just don't have time."
Later, Uraki stretched across the table by himself and groaned. "If she isn't interested in this work, how am I going to meet her anymore?"
Just then, Masashi, the husband from the bookstore, walked in with another man. They sat at the counter behind Uraki. He sat up, and leaned backward. The other man asked about a letter, and suggested that Masashi should open an electronics store, like the old one. He urged Masashi to consider opening it with him, in place of the bookstore.
In the workroom, Fukuzawa and Inui looked at the model battleships, with Shigeru pointing out details. Miyako wiped the table, while Fumie washed dishes. Fumie looked around and said, "Why don't you go ahead and join the others?" Miyako stood up and laughed. "Model battleships? I really don't understand them." Fumie said, "Oh, if you build one, then you can understand it." Miyako said, "You build them?" Fumie said, "Well, no, I just help." Miyako said, "You're a very special person." Fumie said, "No, no. Actually, you're very special. You're the first woman I've known who had her own business card. That's unusual. I hope Izumi can do as well." Miyako said, "Izumi?" Fumie said, "Oh, sorry. My little sister. She wants to come to Tokyo and work in a company." Miyako grimaced. "That may not be the best." Fumie said, "I thought you enjoyed business."
Miyako dried a dish. "But so much of it is no name business. That's what I did before. No name work. I was in a big company, with a nice desk, and the pay was so so. But no one knew anyone's name. Just the vice president, and the secretary to the vice president -- no names. Anybody could be in those places. And if you got married, you became someone's wife -- no name. So I got out of there. And now I have a name."
Just then, Inui called from the other room. "Shigeru's wife? Did you help make these?" Fumie looked at the model battleship in his hand, smiled, and said, "Yes." [Note: the phrase Inui used is very polite, but it translates literally as wife or housewife.]
Fumie wondered, "How can I get my own name?"
<to be continued>
