Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 7/2
Jul. 2nd, 2010 04:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. maybe it's over
Fumie found Fukuzawa's office and went inside. Fukuzawa sat down and read through the draft from Shigeru. He stood up, holding the pages, and said, "This is a masterpiece."
Fumie smiled, and said, "I love his work. I read it, laugh, and think. But I thought maybe it was only me." Fukuzawa set down the pages on his desk, and picked up a stack of mail. "It's not just you. These are cards and letters from readers about Mizuki." He handed her the stack, and she pulled out one and read it. It was glowing praise. When she looked up, Fukuzawa said, "I really think Zeta is a success because of him."
Fukuzawa picked up the cash box, and dug in his pocket for a moment. Then he said, "Could you wait a little? Miyako will be back soon, and I think she has the key. She takes care of everything for me."
He sat down, and Fumie said, "Isn't it unusual to have such an assistant?" Fukuzawa said, "Yes, but I don't have to keep everything in my head. Besides, if I should die..." Fumie leaned forward. "What?" He smiled. "No, no. But when I was in the hospital, staring up at the ceiling, I had a lot of time to think. I decided that if I lived, I wanted to make great books. That's Zeta. And there was one other thing..."
Someone knocked hesitantly on the door. A young man opened it, and said, "Fukuzawa?" Fukuzawa said, "Yes, that's me. How can I help you?" The young man came in, and held up an envelope. "I've drawn some manga. Could you look at them?" Fukuzawa smiled, and held out his hand. "Please, give them to me."
Fukuzawa sat behind his desk and looked at the manga. The young man stood and watched, anxiously. Fukuzawa said, "It's a little hard to follow, and your drawing... your drawing needs to improve. But basically, it's interesting and funny." He handed the stack of sheets back to the young man, who said, "I'm a real fan of Zeta." Fukuzawa smiled at him. "Thank you. Which manga do you like best?" The young man said, "Mizuki Shigeru. You should put him in every issue." Fukuzawa glanced over at Fumie, still sitting on the couch.
Fukuzawa shook hands with the young man. The young man said, "I'll be back, with another manga." Fukuzawa smiled. "I'll be happy to look at it."
Back in the office, Fukuzawa said, "That's the other thing. Working with young artists. It doesn't pay anything, but I really enjoy it. Of course, it would be good if we had a bigger place, maybe downtown, so I could meet them easier."
He picked up some more letters from his desk. "I get lots of advice on how to run Zeta, too. Like this one -- he's really good." He pulled out an envelope and laid it on the table. Fumie looked at the return address and said, "Taichi?" Fukuzawa looked at her. "Is it someone you know?" She said, "Well, yes, I met him at the rental manga store." Fukuzawa said, "He has some real insights into manga." She nodded. "Yes, he told me that it needed to be scary, but nostalgic. And that things that are too happy aren't really believable."
Miyako came in. Fukuzawa said hello, and asked her to get out money for Fumie. She nodded, got the key, and opened the cash box. She said, "I think I might have a bigger place for us to move downtown. And I got a good deal on the price, too." Fukuzawa grinned at Fumie. "See, she takes care of everything."
Later, Fumie walked into the bookstore. There were no customers. Kiyo and Michiko didn't seem to be there, so Fumie started to go into the back. The rental agent was sitting with Michiko. He said, "I hate to say this. I'm really sorry. I think rental manga is having real trouble. Is there any way you can improve your business?" Michiko shook her head. He fanned himself, and said, "I'll ask around, but..." He got up and walked out.
Michiko sat down with Fumie in the empty store. She looked around and said, "There no children coming. I don't know... it's not good."
Masashi, her husband, came out of the back and asked, "Where's Kiyo?" Michiko said, "She went to the hospital for some rheumatism medicine." He said, "Oh. Well, I'm going out." Michiko stood up and asked him, "What do you think we should do?" He said, "About what?" She said, "You heard the rental agent. How can I keep the store?" He said, "Just quit. Sell this stuff, and we'll move into an apartment, somewhere."
Michiko winced. "Why would you say something like that? How can you say it so lightly? If we leave, what's left?" He stood, looking out the door. Michiko said, "This is where we met. There so many memories here." He shrugged. "Bad memories. Leave them behind." Michiko said, "I built the store for us. And for... I thought it was in our hearts."
Masashi said, "I'm leaving." He walked out.
Michiko stood in the doorway. She put one hand to her face. Then she covered her face with both hands and sobbed. She said, "Well, I guess it's over. The store. And us."
Fumie sat in the store, with tears trickling down her cheeks.
That evening, with the brilliant golden sunset, Fumie stood in the kitchen, cooking. Aiko was on the floor behind her, playing with blocks. Fumie stirred, and worried about what would happen to Michiko. Was there something she could do?
Dogs barking outside made her look around. "Aiko?" She wasn't sitting there with her blocks. Fumie ran into the hallway and looked up the stairs and around. She called, "Aiko!" Shigeru came out of his workroom and said, "Where's Aiko? Fumie shook her head.
A baby screamed outside, and the dogs barked louder. Fumie and Shigeru ran outside, where Masashi stepped through the gate, carrying Aiko in his arms. He said, "I got her, she screamed, but they didn't bite her." Fumie grabbed Aiko. Shigeru looked at Masashi and said, "What are you doing here?"
Meanwhile, back at the bookstore, Kiyo came in. She looked around the empty store and called out, "Michiko? Are you here?" There was no answer.
In the kitchen, Fumie bowed to Masashi one more time. He shook his head. "Please, no more thanks. I'm just glad I could help. But children that age like getting into things, you need to be careful." Fumie nodded.
Masashi looked at her and said, "This afternoon, you heard..." Fumie said, "Michiko, you mean? Yes." He said, "I've been walking around thinking. I was going back, but then I thought..."
Masashi turned to Shigeru and said, "Sensei, you said do what you love, that's why you draw manga, right?" Shigeru nodded. "Well, what if... what if someone was forcing you to draw manga?"
<to be continued>
Fumie found Fukuzawa's office and went inside. Fukuzawa sat down and read through the draft from Shigeru. He stood up, holding the pages, and said, "This is a masterpiece."
Fumie smiled, and said, "I love his work. I read it, laugh, and think. But I thought maybe it was only me." Fukuzawa set down the pages on his desk, and picked up a stack of mail. "It's not just you. These are cards and letters from readers about Mizuki." He handed her the stack, and she pulled out one and read it. It was glowing praise. When she looked up, Fukuzawa said, "I really think Zeta is a success because of him."
Fukuzawa picked up the cash box, and dug in his pocket for a moment. Then he said, "Could you wait a little? Miyako will be back soon, and I think she has the key. She takes care of everything for me."
He sat down, and Fumie said, "Isn't it unusual to have such an assistant?" Fukuzawa said, "Yes, but I don't have to keep everything in my head. Besides, if I should die..." Fumie leaned forward. "What?" He smiled. "No, no. But when I was in the hospital, staring up at the ceiling, I had a lot of time to think. I decided that if I lived, I wanted to make great books. That's Zeta. And there was one other thing..."
Someone knocked hesitantly on the door. A young man opened it, and said, "Fukuzawa?" Fukuzawa said, "Yes, that's me. How can I help you?" The young man came in, and held up an envelope. "I've drawn some manga. Could you look at them?" Fukuzawa smiled, and held out his hand. "Please, give them to me."
Fukuzawa sat behind his desk and looked at the manga. The young man stood and watched, anxiously. Fukuzawa said, "It's a little hard to follow, and your drawing... your drawing needs to improve. But basically, it's interesting and funny." He handed the stack of sheets back to the young man, who said, "I'm a real fan of Zeta." Fukuzawa smiled at him. "Thank you. Which manga do you like best?" The young man said, "Mizuki Shigeru. You should put him in every issue." Fukuzawa glanced over at Fumie, still sitting on the couch.
Fukuzawa shook hands with the young man. The young man said, "I'll be back, with another manga." Fukuzawa smiled. "I'll be happy to look at it."
Back in the office, Fukuzawa said, "That's the other thing. Working with young artists. It doesn't pay anything, but I really enjoy it. Of course, it would be good if we had a bigger place, maybe downtown, so I could meet them easier."
He picked up some more letters from his desk. "I get lots of advice on how to run Zeta, too. Like this one -- he's really good." He pulled out an envelope and laid it on the table. Fumie looked at the return address and said, "Taichi?" Fukuzawa looked at her. "Is it someone you know?" She said, "Well, yes, I met him at the rental manga store." Fukuzawa said, "He has some real insights into manga." She nodded. "Yes, he told me that it needed to be scary, but nostalgic. And that things that are too happy aren't really believable."
Miyako came in. Fukuzawa said hello, and asked her to get out money for Fumie. She nodded, got the key, and opened the cash box. She said, "I think I might have a bigger place for us to move downtown. And I got a good deal on the price, too." Fukuzawa grinned at Fumie. "See, she takes care of everything."
Later, Fumie walked into the bookstore. There were no customers. Kiyo and Michiko didn't seem to be there, so Fumie started to go into the back. The rental agent was sitting with Michiko. He said, "I hate to say this. I'm really sorry. I think rental manga is having real trouble. Is there any way you can improve your business?" Michiko shook her head. He fanned himself, and said, "I'll ask around, but..." He got up and walked out.
Michiko sat down with Fumie in the empty store. She looked around and said, "There no children coming. I don't know... it's not good."
Masashi, her husband, came out of the back and asked, "Where's Kiyo?" Michiko said, "She went to the hospital for some rheumatism medicine." He said, "Oh. Well, I'm going out." Michiko stood up and asked him, "What do you think we should do?" He said, "About what?" She said, "You heard the rental agent. How can I keep the store?" He said, "Just quit. Sell this stuff, and we'll move into an apartment, somewhere."
Michiko winced. "Why would you say something like that? How can you say it so lightly? If we leave, what's left?" He stood, looking out the door. Michiko said, "This is where we met. There so many memories here." He shrugged. "Bad memories. Leave them behind." Michiko said, "I built the store for us. And for... I thought it was in our hearts."
Masashi said, "I'm leaving." He walked out.
Michiko stood in the doorway. She put one hand to her face. Then she covered her face with both hands and sobbed. She said, "Well, I guess it's over. The store. And us."
Fumie sat in the store, with tears trickling down her cheeks.
That evening, with the brilliant golden sunset, Fumie stood in the kitchen, cooking. Aiko was on the floor behind her, playing with blocks. Fumie stirred, and worried about what would happen to Michiko. Was there something she could do?
Dogs barking outside made her look around. "Aiko?" She wasn't sitting there with her blocks. Fumie ran into the hallway and looked up the stairs and around. She called, "Aiko!" Shigeru came out of his workroom and said, "Where's Aiko? Fumie shook her head.
A baby screamed outside, and the dogs barked louder. Fumie and Shigeru ran outside, where Masashi stepped through the gate, carrying Aiko in his arms. He said, "I got her, she screamed, but they didn't bite her." Fumie grabbed Aiko. Shigeru looked at Masashi and said, "What are you doing here?"
Meanwhile, back at the bookstore, Kiyo came in. She looked around the empty store and called out, "Michiko? Are you here?" There was no answer.
In the kitchen, Fumie bowed to Masashi one more time. He shook his head. "Please, no more thanks. I'm just glad I could help. But children that age like getting into things, you need to be careful." Fumie nodded.
Masashi looked at her and said, "This afternoon, you heard..." Fumie said, "Michiko, you mean? Yes." He said, "I've been walking around thinking. I was going back, but then I thought..."
Masashi turned to Shigeru and said, "Sensei, you said do what you love, that's why you draw manga, right?" Shigeru nodded. "Well, what if... what if someone was forcing you to draw manga?"
<to be continued>
