Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 7/7
Jul. 8th, 2010 02:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. what are you doing?
Fumie dressed Aiko in her best red dress, and carried her down stairs. Shigeru got up and said, "So you're off to meet my parents?" Fumie put a red cap on Aiko, and nodded. "Yes, they said they wanted to go out with us. Do you think I should take money?" Shigeru said, "Better take it, just in case." Fumie got her purse out, and looked inside. "I could leave..." He shook his head. "No, I'll just be here. You better hurry, though, you don't want to be late." Fumie glanced at the clock, and picked up Aiko. "You're right, we better hurry."
Outside the gate, Fumie set Aiko down, and looked up at the blue sky and bright sunshine. Then she put her hands over her head, stretched up, and spread them to the sides. "What a beautiful day!" Aiko mirrored her stretch. Fumie took Aiko's hand and said, "Let's run!" They ran together down the street.
At Shonen Publishers, the planning meeting for Shonen Land, one of their weekly manga magazines, was noisy. The seven young editors lounged around the table, while the head of the department stood near a blackboard. Then the head of the department slapped the blackboard. "Our competition is hard." One of the group said, "Let's remember that every week, we've got the majority of sales." The head of the department frowned. "We need something new, something exciting to keep that lead. What have you got?"
Toyokawa, the young man who had been reading Shigeru's manga, said, "Here's what you need. Shigeru Mizuki." He laid a rough page layout on the table. The head of the department picked it up. "That rental manga artist you like? Our readers aren't interested in middle school stories." Toyokawa said, "That's not what he does. Look at his story in Zeta. That's not a light story. Scary, but interesting -- that's something for adults, too." The head of the department nodded. "Okay, see if he can do a space story for us. A science fiction story. We'll see if he's ready."
As the meeting broke up and the men streamed out into the office, an editor from Girls Garden, another magazine, grabbed Toyokawa. "Hey, can you help?" He waved at Haruko, sitting in front of his desk. "This is Haruko Kawai. She brought this in for us. You're really familiar with rental manga, could you take a look?" He handed Haruko's draft to Toyokawa. While Toyokawa started to look at the pages, the editor picked up a copy of Girls Garden and handed it to Haruko. "This is our magazine." Toyokawa said, "How long have you been drawing rental manga?" Haruko smiled and said, "Three years." The editor said, "Have you done a lot of work?" Haruko said, "Rental manga doesn't pay very much, so you have to draw lots."
Toyokawa laid the draft on the desk. "The drawing is good. But it needs... sizzle." Haruko nodded, then look puzzled. "Sizzle? What does that mean?" The editor said, "It needs to grab people. I tell you what, why don't you take a look at the magazine, and try again?" Haruko got her pocket notebook out, and said, "Okay. I can do that." The editor said, "When do you think you'd have something else for me to look at?" She said, "Three days." He smiled and nodded. "I'll see you in three days, then." Haruko set her notebook down, and picked up her draft and slid it into a large envelope. Then she stacked the copy of Girls Garden on it. She picked up the stack and got up, bowing. She walked outside.
In the hall, she smiled and hugged the stack of paper. "At last! I've got a chance!"
Back in the office, Toyokawa picked up her notebook. "Oh, she forgot this. Maybe you can give it to her when she comes back." Then he looked at the editor and said, "Do you really think you'll buy her work?" The editor shrugged and said, "Not really. But there's that assistant position helping over in layout that she'd be good at..."
Haruko stepped up to the desk. "I think I forgot my notebook." Toyokawa lifted his hand. Haruko said, "Yes, that's it." She took the notebook, and said, "I'll be back in three days, then." The editor nodded. As she walked away, he looked at Toyokawa. Toyokawa shrugged.
Haruko squeezed the red notebook hard in her hand as she walked out of the office.
At a table outside under a tree, Fumie and Aiko sat across from Shuhei and Kinuyo. The table had several plates of Japanese sweets, and the waitress had just brought another plateful. Shuhei picked up one of the new cakes, filled with sweet red beans, and took a big bite. "Excellent!" He chewed and swallowed. Fumie muttered, "I see why he's called the strong stomach." Kinuyo said, "What?" Fumie waved her hand, "Oh, nothing, nothing." Kinuyo laughed. "Our neighbors are always surprised to see him eating so much. Just chomp, chomp, chomp." Shuhei smiled and took another bite, then said, "Noodles, sweets, it's all good food."
Kinuyo looked around and said, "This is a very nice place." Shuhei said, "Yes, really good cakes." Kinuyo chuckled. "That's all he thinks about, is the food."
Meanwhile, Shigeru was drawing in his workroom. A voice called from the entry, "Sensei?" He said, "Oh, you're back." Haruko walked in and said, "Mizuki sensei?" She was still carrying the envelope with her draft. He looked up, and said, "Oh, it's you." Haruko glanced around and said, "Where's Fumie?" He said, "Fumie and Aiko are gone, for a little while." Haruko said, "Oh, I wanted to apologize to Fumie. The other day I said some very rude things." Shigeru said, "Well, if you have time, you can wait. They should be back soon." Haruko said, "No, that's OK. I'll come back later." She started to walk away. Shigeru turned back to his drawing. Then he glanced up. Haruko was standing in the kitchen.
Moments later, Haruko put down the tray with tea for Shigeru and her. She knelt. "I hate to disturb you while you're working." Shigeru picked up the tea and said, "No, actually I was about to stop and get something to drink. So this is a good time." He took a sip of the tea, and then said, "The other day, Uraki was very worried about you. Him being upset isn't a problem, but he said something strange." Haruko asked, "What?" Shigeru said, "You said you were out of time? Is... is something wrong?" Haruko looked at her teacup. "Really, I'm out of time. I had three years to succeed at manga. I promised." Shigeru said, "And when is the three years over?" Haruko said, "At the end of this month."
Shigeru said, "But you've drawn lots of manga?" She shook her head. "Not recently. And the pay has been getting less. I quit working at the pachinko parlor, so I could focus on just drawing, just like you. But it didn't help." She took a deep breath. "I went to see a publisher today. A last chance. But they didn't really want me." She fingered the envelope. "I guess I'll go back home. It won't be too bad. But I won't see you anymore..." She leaned forward and said, "Sensei? I..." Then she shook herself. "No..."
She jumped up. As she did, the envelope fell, and her draft pages slid out. They knocked over the tea cup, and tea spread across the pages. Haruko stood in horror.
Shigeru grabbed the pages and laid them across his leg. Then he dried them with his sleeve. After a moment, Haruko turned away. Shigeru picked up the pages and stood. "Wait, wait. I think the pages are okay. Just a little damp." He walked across the workroom and held out the pages.
Haruko looked at him. Then she crumpled against his chest, crying. "Oh, sensei."
Shigeru stood there, pages in one hand, Haruko crying on his chest.
From behind him, Kinuyo barked, "What are you doing!" Shuhei, Fumie, and Aiko stared.
Minutes later, after Haruko ran out, Kinuyo stood in the doorway to the workroom and glared at Shigeru. "So what was that?" Shuhei, standing in the kitchen, said, "Now, relax. I'm sure Shigeru is going to explain." Shigeru wrinkled his nose. "She's a manga artist. She's been drawing for three years. And she came to tell me that she was quitting. Which made her very sad." Fumie gasped. "Haruko is going to quit drawing manga?" Shigeru nodded. "She promised if she wasn't a success in three years, she would quit." Fumie said, "That's why she was out of time." Kinuyo said, "So there was nothing strange between you and her?" He shook his head. Kinuyo looked at Fumie and said, "And you know this person?" Fumie nodded. Kinuyo said, "Well, I don't see what everyone's getting upset about, then."
Shuhei looked thoughtful and said, "It is odd, of course. A young girl crying on the chest of a handsome man... maybe she likes him?" Kinuyo said, "Be quiet. We've already finished." She waved at Fumie. Shuhei said, "Oh. Of course." He sat down.
Fumie remembered the picture that fell out of Haruko's pocket before, with Shigeru, Fumie, Aiko, and Haruko in it.
<to be continued>
Fumie dressed Aiko in her best red dress, and carried her down stairs. Shigeru got up and said, "So you're off to meet my parents?" Fumie put a red cap on Aiko, and nodded. "Yes, they said they wanted to go out with us. Do you think I should take money?" Shigeru said, "Better take it, just in case." Fumie got her purse out, and looked inside. "I could leave..." He shook his head. "No, I'll just be here. You better hurry, though, you don't want to be late." Fumie glanced at the clock, and picked up Aiko. "You're right, we better hurry."
Outside the gate, Fumie set Aiko down, and looked up at the blue sky and bright sunshine. Then she put her hands over her head, stretched up, and spread them to the sides. "What a beautiful day!" Aiko mirrored her stretch. Fumie took Aiko's hand and said, "Let's run!" They ran together down the street.
At Shonen Publishers, the planning meeting for Shonen Land, one of their weekly manga magazines, was noisy. The seven young editors lounged around the table, while the head of the department stood near a blackboard. Then the head of the department slapped the blackboard. "Our competition is hard." One of the group said, "Let's remember that every week, we've got the majority of sales." The head of the department frowned. "We need something new, something exciting to keep that lead. What have you got?"
Toyokawa, the young man who had been reading Shigeru's manga, said, "Here's what you need. Shigeru Mizuki." He laid a rough page layout on the table. The head of the department picked it up. "That rental manga artist you like? Our readers aren't interested in middle school stories." Toyokawa said, "That's not what he does. Look at his story in Zeta. That's not a light story. Scary, but interesting -- that's something for adults, too." The head of the department nodded. "Okay, see if he can do a space story for us. A science fiction story. We'll see if he's ready."
As the meeting broke up and the men streamed out into the office, an editor from Girls Garden, another magazine, grabbed Toyokawa. "Hey, can you help?" He waved at Haruko, sitting in front of his desk. "This is Haruko Kawai. She brought this in for us. You're really familiar with rental manga, could you take a look?" He handed Haruko's draft to Toyokawa. While Toyokawa started to look at the pages, the editor picked up a copy of Girls Garden and handed it to Haruko. "This is our magazine." Toyokawa said, "How long have you been drawing rental manga?" Haruko smiled and said, "Three years." The editor said, "Have you done a lot of work?" Haruko said, "Rental manga doesn't pay very much, so you have to draw lots."
Toyokawa laid the draft on the desk. "The drawing is good. But it needs... sizzle." Haruko nodded, then look puzzled. "Sizzle? What does that mean?" The editor said, "It needs to grab people. I tell you what, why don't you take a look at the magazine, and try again?" Haruko got her pocket notebook out, and said, "Okay. I can do that." The editor said, "When do you think you'd have something else for me to look at?" She said, "Three days." He smiled and nodded. "I'll see you in three days, then." Haruko set her notebook down, and picked up her draft and slid it into a large envelope. Then she stacked the copy of Girls Garden on it. She picked up the stack and got up, bowing. She walked outside.
In the hall, she smiled and hugged the stack of paper. "At last! I've got a chance!"
Back in the office, Toyokawa picked up her notebook. "Oh, she forgot this. Maybe you can give it to her when she comes back." Then he looked at the editor and said, "Do you really think you'll buy her work?" The editor shrugged and said, "Not really. But there's that assistant position helping over in layout that she'd be good at..."
Haruko stepped up to the desk. "I think I forgot my notebook." Toyokawa lifted his hand. Haruko said, "Yes, that's it." She took the notebook, and said, "I'll be back in three days, then." The editor nodded. As she walked away, he looked at Toyokawa. Toyokawa shrugged.
Haruko squeezed the red notebook hard in her hand as she walked out of the office.
At a table outside under a tree, Fumie and Aiko sat across from Shuhei and Kinuyo. The table had several plates of Japanese sweets, and the waitress had just brought another plateful. Shuhei picked up one of the new cakes, filled with sweet red beans, and took a big bite. "Excellent!" He chewed and swallowed. Fumie muttered, "I see why he's called the strong stomach." Kinuyo said, "What?" Fumie waved her hand, "Oh, nothing, nothing." Kinuyo laughed. "Our neighbors are always surprised to see him eating so much. Just chomp, chomp, chomp." Shuhei smiled and took another bite, then said, "Noodles, sweets, it's all good food."
Kinuyo looked around and said, "This is a very nice place." Shuhei said, "Yes, really good cakes." Kinuyo chuckled. "That's all he thinks about, is the food."
Meanwhile, Shigeru was drawing in his workroom. A voice called from the entry, "Sensei?" He said, "Oh, you're back." Haruko walked in and said, "Mizuki sensei?" She was still carrying the envelope with her draft. He looked up, and said, "Oh, it's you." Haruko glanced around and said, "Where's Fumie?" He said, "Fumie and Aiko are gone, for a little while." Haruko said, "Oh, I wanted to apologize to Fumie. The other day I said some very rude things." Shigeru said, "Well, if you have time, you can wait. They should be back soon." Haruko said, "No, that's OK. I'll come back later." She started to walk away. Shigeru turned back to his drawing. Then he glanced up. Haruko was standing in the kitchen.
Moments later, Haruko put down the tray with tea for Shigeru and her. She knelt. "I hate to disturb you while you're working." Shigeru picked up the tea and said, "No, actually I was about to stop and get something to drink. So this is a good time." He took a sip of the tea, and then said, "The other day, Uraki was very worried about you. Him being upset isn't a problem, but he said something strange." Haruko asked, "What?" Shigeru said, "You said you were out of time? Is... is something wrong?" Haruko looked at her teacup. "Really, I'm out of time. I had three years to succeed at manga. I promised." Shigeru said, "And when is the three years over?" Haruko said, "At the end of this month."
Shigeru said, "But you've drawn lots of manga?" She shook her head. "Not recently. And the pay has been getting less. I quit working at the pachinko parlor, so I could focus on just drawing, just like you. But it didn't help." She took a deep breath. "I went to see a publisher today. A last chance. But they didn't really want me." She fingered the envelope. "I guess I'll go back home. It won't be too bad. But I won't see you anymore..." She leaned forward and said, "Sensei? I..." Then she shook herself. "No..."
She jumped up. As she did, the envelope fell, and her draft pages slid out. They knocked over the tea cup, and tea spread across the pages. Haruko stood in horror.
Shigeru grabbed the pages and laid them across his leg. Then he dried them with his sleeve. After a moment, Haruko turned away. Shigeru picked up the pages and stood. "Wait, wait. I think the pages are okay. Just a little damp." He walked across the workroom and held out the pages.
Haruko looked at him. Then she crumpled against his chest, crying. "Oh, sensei."
Shigeru stood there, pages in one hand, Haruko crying on his chest.
From behind him, Kinuyo barked, "What are you doing!" Shuhei, Fumie, and Aiko stared.
Minutes later, after Haruko ran out, Kinuyo stood in the doorway to the workroom and glared at Shigeru. "So what was that?" Shuhei, standing in the kitchen, said, "Now, relax. I'm sure Shigeru is going to explain." Shigeru wrinkled his nose. "She's a manga artist. She's been drawing for three years. And she came to tell me that she was quitting. Which made her very sad." Fumie gasped. "Haruko is going to quit drawing manga?" Shigeru nodded. "She promised if she wasn't a success in three years, she would quit." Fumie said, "That's why she was out of time." Kinuyo said, "So there was nothing strange between you and her?" He shook his head. Kinuyo looked at Fumie and said, "And you know this person?" Fumie nodded. Kinuyo said, "Well, I don't see what everyone's getting upset about, then."
Shuhei looked thoughtful and said, "It is odd, of course. A young girl crying on the chest of a handsome man... maybe she likes him?" Kinuyo said, "Be quiet. We've already finished." She waved at Fumie. Shuhei said, "Oh. Of course." He sat down.
Fumie remembered the picture that fell out of Haruko's pocket before, with Shigeru, Fumie, Aiko, and Haruko in it.
<to be continued>
