Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 7/17
Jul. 17th, 2010 08:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. Congratulations
Shigeru looked at Fumie. "TV Kid won this year's manga prize. Can you believe it?"
He picked up the white suit that he had just unwrapped from the pawn shop. "I guess I'll have to wear a suit." Fumie looked at him and said, "I... I always dreamed that this day would come, sometime." Then she bowed, and said, "Congratulations."
Later, Shuhei, Shigeru's father, and Kinuyo, his mother, stood in their living room and cheered. "Bonzai!" They lifted their arms up, and yelled, "Bonzai!" The telephone lay on the floor, with Fumie saying, "Are you there?" She could faintly hear them cheering.
Kinuyo dug into a drawer, and pulled out the postcard that Shigeru had drawn long ago. It showed a man in a military uniform, clutching an empty sleeve. She looked at it, with tears running down her face, and said, "You've fought a long, hard battle."
Genbee, Fumie's father, hung up the telephone. Miyako, her mother, said, "What's happened?" He said, "It's great news. Shigeru has won a manga prize!" Then he looked at Kumiko, the first son's wife, and said, "Get the best sake, and send it to Tokyo, right away." Miyako said, "Wait, Shigeru doesn't drink sake." He said, "That's right. Well... call everyone and let them know!" He paused, and remembered Fumie furiously telling him that Shigeru was a real manga artist in the bookshop. He smiled at the memory.
Inui sat in his office. He stared at the telephone. Sanae, his wife, came in from the other room. "What's wrong?" He turned. "Nothing. Mizuki called." Then his face worked. "He won a prize. TV Kid won the top manga prize!" He grinned, suddenly. "Top prize!" Sanae said, "Whiskey!" He said, "What?" She smiled at him. "I'm going to buy you some whiskey. And we'll drink a toast to Mizuki."
Back at Shigeru's house, Fumie shook her head as she stepped into the workroom with the white suit jacket in her hands. "It's really too wrinkled to wear, and I don't think they'll come out." Shigeru shrugged. He looked at a stack of records sitting on his worktable, and picked up several. "I haven't heard these in so long." He picked up the selections, and slid a cabinet in the workroom open. Then he sat down. "The ghost of poverty!" Inside the cabinet, a very small ghost stood. Shigeru and Fumie looked at him. Shigeru said, "You've shrunk." The little ghost suddenly dashed out of the cabinet, through the kitchen, and outside. Shigeru and Fumie followed him. "Quick, he's getting away."
In the street, the little ghost ran to the corner. Shigeru and Fumie stood near the gate of the house. At the corner, the little ghost turned. He smiled, a little, and waved. Then he vanished in a cloud of sparkles. Shigeru smiled. "Well, I guess at last he's gone."
Fumie nodded, then glanced up at the sky. She looked around, and said, "Look at the stars. They are so beautiful." Shigeru looked up. Fumie pointed. "Look, there's a shooting star!" It quickly vanished. "Drat, I forgot to wish on it."
Shigeru squeaked with gas. He grinned, and said, "There. A comet just whooshed by." Fumie frowned at him. Then he pointed up. "There's another shooting star!" Fumie looked up. "Where, where?" He laughed. "Oh, I'm just teasing."
The day of the award presentation, Fumie tried to tie the tie around Shigeru's neck. He wore a blue suit that he hadn't worn in 10 years. Fumie pulled the tie up, then down. And stepped back, to see that the bottom part was far longer than the top. Shigeru pulled at it. "Why don't I just leave it off?" Fumie pushed his hands away. "No, you're going to be dressed for the meeting." She adjusted the tie. Then she walked with him into the street.
In the street, Fumie looked over Shigeru once more. Then she smiled. He said, "What?" She shook her head, gently. "Just realizing that you look good. Very nice." He smiled. Then he turned and left for the meeting.
As Fumie went back into the kitchen, she nodded. "Yes. I'll make a celebration feast for dinner."
At the meeting hall, Inui signed in. As he turned from the table, Fukuzawa walked up. Kanou was beside him. Fukuzawa said, "Ah, Inui. Good to see you. Mizuki did it!" Fukuzawa shook Inui's hand, and they smiled at each other.
Uraki pushed past some other people. "Inui! Oh, and Kanou, too." Fukuzawa looked at Kanou. She said, "That's Uraki. He's Mizuki's high school friend." Fukuzawa said, "Oh. Good to meet you." He started to shake Uraki's hand.
Toyokawa came out of the meeting room. He greeted Fukuzawa, and then looked at Inui. "You must be Inui. Thank you so much for coming." Toyokawa shook his hand. Then he said, "Come on in, I have seats for us up front." Uraki pushed forward, his hand out. Toyokawa looked at him. "I'm sorry, who are you?" Uraki shook his head. "What do you mean, who am I?" Toyokawa and the rest went on into the meeting room, leaving him standing in the hall.
In the meeting, they invited Shigeru to give a speech. He stood up to the microphone, and said, "Thank you very much for this award..." As Toyokawa, Inui, Fukuzawa, and Kanou listened, Uraki walked behind them, holding a glass of wine in one hand and a skewer of cheese in the other hand. "TV Kid is not just for small children, but for older children and adults, too. I think that's part of what this prize says."
As Toyokawa and Shigeru walked out of the meeting room, the press stopped them. They flashed cameras and asked, "What is your next manga project?" Toyokawa quickly said, "Mizuki is working with Shonen Land right now. We're doing Hakaba no Kitaro."
Fukuzawa, Kanou, and Inui watched. Fukuzawa said, "At last, he's getting recognized." Uraki said, "43 years old? That's a late start." Fukuzawa said, "No, actually, that's when you have lots of power."
In the kitchen, Fumie looked at the full table. She had a large platter of chirashi sushi, mixed sushi. A plate of gyoza, dumplings, steamed gently. Another plate held chunks of roasted sweet potatoes. But... where was Shigeru? She glanced at the clock, then looked outside at the dark. She muttered, "He's late. And I suppose they fed him at the meeting, anyway." She picked up a stack of dishes and set it on the sink. "I wonder if he did okay?"
There was a clatter in the entryway. "'I'm back." Shigeru walked in, shaking off his coat. "I'm so hungry." Fumie caught the coat, and hung it up. Shigeru sat down, and picked up chopsticks. "This looks great." He picked up a gyoza. "Big, fat, and green!" Then he ate it. He said, "Delicious!" Fumie said, "Didn't they have food at the meeting?" He said, "Oh, I think so. But it wasn't much, and they didn't let the prize winners have any." He gestured at the food on the table. "Now with this, I can get some work done."
Later, Shigeru sat at his worktable. He put a blank sheet of paper in front of himself, picked up his pencil, and said, "This is where it starts."
In the kitchen, Fumie looked at the award for TV Kid. Then she looked at the closed doors of the workroom. She remembered Shigeru bent over his worktable, drawing. And sitting beside him, filling in background. Him announcing that he was going to quit manga. And his description of being lost, bicycling in the dark, pouring rain, going around and around and getting nowhere. Him yelling at the tax people, saying, "This is my life!" And Shigeru sweating as he drew... As she looked at the doors, a tear ran down her cheek. She said, "Congratulations."
This episode ended with a bunch of bits from the upcoming week. "You want to put Kitaro on television?" Another baby? Fumie's mother saying she is going to Tokyo. Three new faces. Shigeru looking at the men and yelling "This is noisy!" And the men at several worktables, drawing.
<to be continued>
Shigeru looked at Fumie. "TV Kid won this year's manga prize. Can you believe it?"
He picked up the white suit that he had just unwrapped from the pawn shop. "I guess I'll have to wear a suit." Fumie looked at him and said, "I... I always dreamed that this day would come, sometime." Then she bowed, and said, "Congratulations."
Later, Shuhei, Shigeru's father, and Kinuyo, his mother, stood in their living room and cheered. "Bonzai!" They lifted their arms up, and yelled, "Bonzai!" The telephone lay on the floor, with Fumie saying, "Are you there?" She could faintly hear them cheering.
Kinuyo dug into a drawer, and pulled out the postcard that Shigeru had drawn long ago. It showed a man in a military uniform, clutching an empty sleeve. She looked at it, with tears running down her face, and said, "You've fought a long, hard battle."
Genbee, Fumie's father, hung up the telephone. Miyako, her mother, said, "What's happened?" He said, "It's great news. Shigeru has won a manga prize!" Then he looked at Kumiko, the first son's wife, and said, "Get the best sake, and send it to Tokyo, right away." Miyako said, "Wait, Shigeru doesn't drink sake." He said, "That's right. Well... call everyone and let them know!" He paused, and remembered Fumie furiously telling him that Shigeru was a real manga artist in the bookshop. He smiled at the memory.
Inui sat in his office. He stared at the telephone. Sanae, his wife, came in from the other room. "What's wrong?" He turned. "Nothing. Mizuki called." Then his face worked. "He won a prize. TV Kid won the top manga prize!" He grinned, suddenly. "Top prize!" Sanae said, "Whiskey!" He said, "What?" She smiled at him. "I'm going to buy you some whiskey. And we'll drink a toast to Mizuki."
Back at Shigeru's house, Fumie shook her head as she stepped into the workroom with the white suit jacket in her hands. "It's really too wrinkled to wear, and I don't think they'll come out." Shigeru shrugged. He looked at a stack of records sitting on his worktable, and picked up several. "I haven't heard these in so long." He picked up the selections, and slid a cabinet in the workroom open. Then he sat down. "The ghost of poverty!" Inside the cabinet, a very small ghost stood. Shigeru and Fumie looked at him. Shigeru said, "You've shrunk." The little ghost suddenly dashed out of the cabinet, through the kitchen, and outside. Shigeru and Fumie followed him. "Quick, he's getting away."
In the street, the little ghost ran to the corner. Shigeru and Fumie stood near the gate of the house. At the corner, the little ghost turned. He smiled, a little, and waved. Then he vanished in a cloud of sparkles. Shigeru smiled. "Well, I guess at last he's gone."
Fumie nodded, then glanced up at the sky. She looked around, and said, "Look at the stars. They are so beautiful." Shigeru looked up. Fumie pointed. "Look, there's a shooting star!" It quickly vanished. "Drat, I forgot to wish on it."
Shigeru squeaked with gas. He grinned, and said, "There. A comet just whooshed by." Fumie frowned at him. Then he pointed up. "There's another shooting star!" Fumie looked up. "Where, where?" He laughed. "Oh, I'm just teasing."
The day of the award presentation, Fumie tried to tie the tie around Shigeru's neck. He wore a blue suit that he hadn't worn in 10 years. Fumie pulled the tie up, then down. And stepped back, to see that the bottom part was far longer than the top. Shigeru pulled at it. "Why don't I just leave it off?" Fumie pushed his hands away. "No, you're going to be dressed for the meeting." She adjusted the tie. Then she walked with him into the street.
In the street, Fumie looked over Shigeru once more. Then she smiled. He said, "What?" She shook her head, gently. "Just realizing that you look good. Very nice." He smiled. Then he turned and left for the meeting.
As Fumie went back into the kitchen, she nodded. "Yes. I'll make a celebration feast for dinner."
At the meeting hall, Inui signed in. As he turned from the table, Fukuzawa walked up. Kanou was beside him. Fukuzawa said, "Ah, Inui. Good to see you. Mizuki did it!" Fukuzawa shook Inui's hand, and they smiled at each other.
Uraki pushed past some other people. "Inui! Oh, and Kanou, too." Fukuzawa looked at Kanou. She said, "That's Uraki. He's Mizuki's high school friend." Fukuzawa said, "Oh. Good to meet you." He started to shake Uraki's hand.
Toyokawa came out of the meeting room. He greeted Fukuzawa, and then looked at Inui. "You must be Inui. Thank you so much for coming." Toyokawa shook his hand. Then he said, "Come on in, I have seats for us up front." Uraki pushed forward, his hand out. Toyokawa looked at him. "I'm sorry, who are you?" Uraki shook his head. "What do you mean, who am I?" Toyokawa and the rest went on into the meeting room, leaving him standing in the hall.
In the meeting, they invited Shigeru to give a speech. He stood up to the microphone, and said, "Thank you very much for this award..." As Toyokawa, Inui, Fukuzawa, and Kanou listened, Uraki walked behind them, holding a glass of wine in one hand and a skewer of cheese in the other hand. "TV Kid is not just for small children, but for older children and adults, too. I think that's part of what this prize says."
As Toyokawa and Shigeru walked out of the meeting room, the press stopped them. They flashed cameras and asked, "What is your next manga project?" Toyokawa quickly said, "Mizuki is working with Shonen Land right now. We're doing Hakaba no Kitaro."
Fukuzawa, Kanou, and Inui watched. Fukuzawa said, "At last, he's getting recognized." Uraki said, "43 years old? That's a late start." Fukuzawa said, "No, actually, that's when you have lots of power."
In the kitchen, Fumie looked at the full table. She had a large platter of chirashi sushi, mixed sushi. A plate of gyoza, dumplings, steamed gently. Another plate held chunks of roasted sweet potatoes. But... where was Shigeru? She glanced at the clock, then looked outside at the dark. She muttered, "He's late. And I suppose they fed him at the meeting, anyway." She picked up a stack of dishes and set it on the sink. "I wonder if he did okay?"
There was a clatter in the entryway. "'I'm back." Shigeru walked in, shaking off his coat. "I'm so hungry." Fumie caught the coat, and hung it up. Shigeru sat down, and picked up chopsticks. "This looks great." He picked up a gyoza. "Big, fat, and green!" Then he ate it. He said, "Delicious!" Fumie said, "Didn't they have food at the meeting?" He said, "Oh, I think so. But it wasn't much, and they didn't let the prize winners have any." He gestured at the food on the table. "Now with this, I can get some work done."
Later, Shigeru sat at his worktable. He put a blank sheet of paper in front of himself, picked up his pencil, and said, "This is where it starts."
In the kitchen, Fumie looked at the award for TV Kid. Then she looked at the closed doors of the workroom. She remembered Shigeru bent over his worktable, drawing. And sitting beside him, filling in background. Him announcing that he was going to quit manga. And his description of being lost, bicycling in the dark, pouring rain, going around and around and getting nowhere. Him yelling at the tax people, saying, "This is my life!" And Shigeru sweating as he drew... As she looked at the doors, a tear ran down her cheek. She said, "Congratulations."
This episode ended with a bunch of bits from the upcoming week. "You want to put Kitaro on television?" Another baby? Fumie's mother saying she is going to Tokyo. Three new faces. Shigeru looking at the men and yelling "This is noisy!" And the men at several worktables, drawing.
<to be continued>
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