Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 7/22
Jul. 22nd, 2010 04:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. growth doesn't always work out the way we think it will
Fumie washed her face, and said to Shigeru, "I think I may be pregnant." Shigeru said, "Pregnant? You mean a baby?" Uraki peeked around the edge of the door, and clapped his hands, lightly.
In the shopping center, Fumie met with the three shopkeepers' wives in Yamada's living room, the wife who got a television. Matsui, the wife who had become a cosmetic's saleslady, said, "A baby?" Miura said, "Your second?" Yamada chimed in with, "When is the baby due?" Fumie laughed. "December, like Aiko." Miura said, "Maybe she'll be born on Christmas eve, like Aiko?" Yamada said, "Or maybe Christmas day?" They chuckled. Miura said, "Say, where is Aiko?" Fumie said, "Oh, the assistants are taking care of her." Matsui said, "The assistants? That company is growing, fast, isn't it?" Fumie nodded. "Say, how did you handle accounting for your stores?" Yamada said, "Oh, that's hard. But you can study it yourself. I think I have a book here somewhere."
Later, Fumie was reading the accounting book as she walked home. When she turned the corner near her house, she looked up as a stream of soap bubbles drifted upwards in the sunshine. Then she smiled at Sugai, the pushy assistant, as he blew bubbles for Aiko to try to catch. "Thank you very much for taking care of Aiko." He shrugged. "I enjoy children, and there really isn't much manga work I can do." Aiko said, "Do it again." He said, "Besides, you have visitors, and I thought it was better for Aiko to play out here." Then he dipped the bubble pipe, and lifted it to blow a stream of bubbles.
As Fumie stepped inside, she said, "Visitors? I wonder who..." As she stepped into the kitchen, she saw Yuichi, Shigeru's older brother, and Sachiko, his wife, sitting at the kitchen table with Shigeru. The other two assistants were in the workroom, drawing at their tables. "Oh, Yuichi." Yuichi smiled, and said, "We heard about your baby. Congratulations!" Then he looked at Shigeru. "And you're starting a new company, too. We'll do what we can to help." Shigeru said, "Thank you." Yuichi frowned. "Of course, I have to work, so I really can't do much. Just my name. But what are you doing about accounting?" Fumie started to lean forward. Shigeru said, "Yes, that's a real problem. Do you know someone?" Fumie started to lift the accounting book. Yuichi grinned. "Well, I suppose... Sachiko could help. She did accounting before we were married, and still knows a lot..." Shigeru said, "But with your children?" Fumie looked at her lap, and pushed the accounting book down by her side. Sachiko said, "Oh, I think I can help. Unless you think it would be better not to have family?" Yuichi chuckled. "Sure, she can help. That's what family is for, isn't it?" Shigeru chuckled. Fumie excused herself, and hid the accounting book in the folds of her skirt as she got up.
Upstairs, Fumie folded clothes. She muttered to herself, "So Sachiko is going to do accounting?" She remembered Kanou saying that in other production companies, the artist's wife was the company accountant. She looked at the accounting book, then shook her head. She stroked her stomach and said, "Right now, the important thing is to take care of myself." She listened to the voices coming up the stairwell, then folded more clothes.
In June, there was a kickoff party for Mizuki Productions. Fumie worked in the kitchen, making platters of gyoza, dumplings. She was holding a gyoza skin, ready to fill it, wet the edges, and fold them together, when Shigeru called from outside. "Could you come and help me?" She grumbled. "Why are interruptions always when you're busy?"
Outside, she found Shigeru with a white board that proclaimed in large black letters Mizuki Productions. He held it up, and she said, "That's looks great." Then she looked at the board again. "That looks familiar?" Shigeru grinned. He flipped the board over, and showed the military history club sign. Fumie said, "Oh, it's that board. That's nostalgic." Shigeru said, "What? Because of that club, the police were investigating us. That wasn't anything good." Fumie said, "Well, but it was something to learn from."
Fumie held the board up against the fence, and Shigeru got a hammer and nails. "About here?" Shigeru nodded. But as he hefted the hammer, a voice said, "No, a little bit higher would be better." Uraki, Shigeru's sneaky friend, waved at the board. Shigeru took the nail out of his mouth and said, "Are you back again? This is a manga production company, you know?" Uraki nodded. "Sure. I think there's money to be made in that, too." Shigeru shook his head. "You never change, do you?"
That evening, Fukuzawa and Kanou looked at the sign on the fence. "Mizuki Productions. We should go in."
Inside, Fukuzawa greeted Shigeru and Fumie. He offered them a bottle of whiskey with a bow on it. "Here's something for everyone. Congratulations." Kanou held out a box. "And here's some sweets for you, too."
The workroom held a long low table, with Uraki, Toyokawa from Shonen Land, Funayama the TV producer, and others sitting at it. Another low table in the kitchen had Komine the long haired assistant, Kurata from Osaka, and Sugai the pushy assistant at it.
Uraki jumped up and came into the kitchen. "Kanou! I came here just to meet you." As he stepped closer, he looked over at Shigeru and said, "Well, and for the new company, of course." Kanou looked past him, and said, "Toyokawa and Funayama! Great to see you again." She walked into the other room. Uraki looked after her.
In the other room, Funayama said, "Kanou! It's our pleasure." She said, "You remembered my name?" He chuckled and said, "Of course, I always remember the name of a beautiful woman." She sat down beside them.
Fukuzawa went over to the table in the kitchen and picked up a bottle of beer. He said, "I'm so glad to see you here, Kurata." Kurata held his glass as Fukuzawa filled it. Then Fukuzawa looked at Komine. "I've seen your manga, Komine." Fukuzawa poured beer for him, too. Then he glanced at Sugai. "And Sugai, too. I'm sure you'll be doing work for us in the future."
There was a sound at the door. Sugai said, "Fumie? I think someone else is outside."
Fumie went into the entryway. Inui was looking in the door, and stepped inside. He held a large paper bag in his arms. Fumie said, "Inui. I'm so glad you could come." She stepped back to the door into the kitchen and said, "Shigeru? Inui is here." Shigeru came into the entryway. Inui lifted the bag in his hands, and said, "Here, I brought these for celebration." Fumie took the bag, looked inside, and chuckled. "Bananas!" Inui looked at Shigeru and said, "Congratulations." Then he stretched out his hand. Shigeru took it, and they shook hands, firmly.
Someone called for Fumie from inside. She said, "Come on inside." She went into the party.
Shigeru looked at Inui. "I'm really glad you could make it. I hoped you would be here early, so that we could talk." inui said, "I really planned to get here early, but there were some things to take care of." Shigeru said, "Well, at least you're here now." Someone came out and grabbed Shigeru. "We need you inside, sensei." Shigeru looked over his shoulder. "Come on in, and have some refreshments."
Inui looked at the people inside, laughing and drinking.
A little later, as Fumie set a bowl of potato salad on the table in the work room, she looked around the people at that table. Then she looked around the table in the kitchen. "Now where is Inui?"
Fumie stepped outside through the front door. She looked down the street, and then glanced around the corner of the house.
A figure sat in the dark, by the side of the house. Fumie stepped around the corner, and said, "Inui? That's where you are." He lifted a cup and sipped from it, then said, "Yes, it was kind of noisy and crowded inside. So I came out here." Fumie said, "There is a nice breeze here." She started to turn back towards the house. "Let me bring you some food..."
Inui said, "I was just remembering. It was a really hot day like today, and you were sitting right here." Fumie looked at him. "You told me that Shigeru worked so hard." Fumie nodded. "We didn't have any publishers. Except for you." Inui sipped from his cup. "And I told you that working from the heart would bring success. And now, here it is." Fumie sat down. "Yes. But... it's been so much work, and now we've got this company. What will happen next? It's really scary." Then she shook her head and stood up. "No, I have to believe. It's just that we've worked so hard to get here."
Inui smiled at her. "It's really just starting. Mizuki productions is just going to grow."
Then he looked at his cup and said, "But I'm not really a party person." Fumie said, "That's OK. We're just happy to have you here." He said, "Go ahead on inside, you should be there."
Inui took another drink from his cup, alone in the dark outside the house.
<to be continued>
Fumie washed her face, and said to Shigeru, "I think I may be pregnant." Shigeru said, "Pregnant? You mean a baby?" Uraki peeked around the edge of the door, and clapped his hands, lightly.
In the shopping center, Fumie met with the three shopkeepers' wives in Yamada's living room, the wife who got a television. Matsui, the wife who had become a cosmetic's saleslady, said, "A baby?" Miura said, "Your second?" Yamada chimed in with, "When is the baby due?" Fumie laughed. "December, like Aiko." Miura said, "Maybe she'll be born on Christmas eve, like Aiko?" Yamada said, "Or maybe Christmas day?" They chuckled. Miura said, "Say, where is Aiko?" Fumie said, "Oh, the assistants are taking care of her." Matsui said, "The assistants? That company is growing, fast, isn't it?" Fumie nodded. "Say, how did you handle accounting for your stores?" Yamada said, "Oh, that's hard. But you can study it yourself. I think I have a book here somewhere."
Later, Fumie was reading the accounting book as she walked home. When she turned the corner near her house, she looked up as a stream of soap bubbles drifted upwards in the sunshine. Then she smiled at Sugai, the pushy assistant, as he blew bubbles for Aiko to try to catch. "Thank you very much for taking care of Aiko." He shrugged. "I enjoy children, and there really isn't much manga work I can do." Aiko said, "Do it again." He said, "Besides, you have visitors, and I thought it was better for Aiko to play out here." Then he dipped the bubble pipe, and lifted it to blow a stream of bubbles.
As Fumie stepped inside, she said, "Visitors? I wonder who..." As she stepped into the kitchen, she saw Yuichi, Shigeru's older brother, and Sachiko, his wife, sitting at the kitchen table with Shigeru. The other two assistants were in the workroom, drawing at their tables. "Oh, Yuichi." Yuichi smiled, and said, "We heard about your baby. Congratulations!" Then he looked at Shigeru. "And you're starting a new company, too. We'll do what we can to help." Shigeru said, "Thank you." Yuichi frowned. "Of course, I have to work, so I really can't do much. Just my name. But what are you doing about accounting?" Fumie started to lean forward. Shigeru said, "Yes, that's a real problem. Do you know someone?" Fumie started to lift the accounting book. Yuichi grinned. "Well, I suppose... Sachiko could help. She did accounting before we were married, and still knows a lot..." Shigeru said, "But with your children?" Fumie looked at her lap, and pushed the accounting book down by her side. Sachiko said, "Oh, I think I can help. Unless you think it would be better not to have family?" Yuichi chuckled. "Sure, she can help. That's what family is for, isn't it?" Shigeru chuckled. Fumie excused herself, and hid the accounting book in the folds of her skirt as she got up.
Upstairs, Fumie folded clothes. She muttered to herself, "So Sachiko is going to do accounting?" She remembered Kanou saying that in other production companies, the artist's wife was the company accountant. She looked at the accounting book, then shook her head. She stroked her stomach and said, "Right now, the important thing is to take care of myself." She listened to the voices coming up the stairwell, then folded more clothes.
In June, there was a kickoff party for Mizuki Productions. Fumie worked in the kitchen, making platters of gyoza, dumplings. She was holding a gyoza skin, ready to fill it, wet the edges, and fold them together, when Shigeru called from outside. "Could you come and help me?" She grumbled. "Why are interruptions always when you're busy?"
Outside, she found Shigeru with a white board that proclaimed in large black letters Mizuki Productions. He held it up, and she said, "That's looks great." Then she looked at the board again. "That looks familiar?" Shigeru grinned. He flipped the board over, and showed the military history club sign. Fumie said, "Oh, it's that board. That's nostalgic." Shigeru said, "What? Because of that club, the police were investigating us. That wasn't anything good." Fumie said, "Well, but it was something to learn from."
Fumie held the board up against the fence, and Shigeru got a hammer and nails. "About here?" Shigeru nodded. But as he hefted the hammer, a voice said, "No, a little bit higher would be better." Uraki, Shigeru's sneaky friend, waved at the board. Shigeru took the nail out of his mouth and said, "Are you back again? This is a manga production company, you know?" Uraki nodded. "Sure. I think there's money to be made in that, too." Shigeru shook his head. "You never change, do you?"
That evening, Fukuzawa and Kanou looked at the sign on the fence. "Mizuki Productions. We should go in."
Inside, Fukuzawa greeted Shigeru and Fumie. He offered them a bottle of whiskey with a bow on it. "Here's something for everyone. Congratulations." Kanou held out a box. "And here's some sweets for you, too."
The workroom held a long low table, with Uraki, Toyokawa from Shonen Land, Funayama the TV producer, and others sitting at it. Another low table in the kitchen had Komine the long haired assistant, Kurata from Osaka, and Sugai the pushy assistant at it.
Uraki jumped up and came into the kitchen. "Kanou! I came here just to meet you." As he stepped closer, he looked over at Shigeru and said, "Well, and for the new company, of course." Kanou looked past him, and said, "Toyokawa and Funayama! Great to see you again." She walked into the other room. Uraki looked after her.
In the other room, Funayama said, "Kanou! It's our pleasure." She said, "You remembered my name?" He chuckled and said, "Of course, I always remember the name of a beautiful woman." She sat down beside them.
Fukuzawa went over to the table in the kitchen and picked up a bottle of beer. He said, "I'm so glad to see you here, Kurata." Kurata held his glass as Fukuzawa filled it. Then Fukuzawa looked at Komine. "I've seen your manga, Komine." Fukuzawa poured beer for him, too. Then he glanced at Sugai. "And Sugai, too. I'm sure you'll be doing work for us in the future."
There was a sound at the door. Sugai said, "Fumie? I think someone else is outside."
Fumie went into the entryway. Inui was looking in the door, and stepped inside. He held a large paper bag in his arms. Fumie said, "Inui. I'm so glad you could come." She stepped back to the door into the kitchen and said, "Shigeru? Inui is here." Shigeru came into the entryway. Inui lifted the bag in his hands, and said, "Here, I brought these for celebration." Fumie took the bag, looked inside, and chuckled. "Bananas!" Inui looked at Shigeru and said, "Congratulations." Then he stretched out his hand. Shigeru took it, and they shook hands, firmly.
Someone called for Fumie from inside. She said, "Come on inside." She went into the party.
Shigeru looked at Inui. "I'm really glad you could make it. I hoped you would be here early, so that we could talk." inui said, "I really planned to get here early, but there were some things to take care of." Shigeru said, "Well, at least you're here now." Someone came out and grabbed Shigeru. "We need you inside, sensei." Shigeru looked over his shoulder. "Come on in, and have some refreshments."
Inui looked at the people inside, laughing and drinking.
A little later, as Fumie set a bowl of potato salad on the table in the work room, she looked around the people at that table. Then she looked around the table in the kitchen. "Now where is Inui?"
Fumie stepped outside through the front door. She looked down the street, and then glanced around the corner of the house.
A figure sat in the dark, by the side of the house. Fumie stepped around the corner, and said, "Inui? That's where you are." He lifted a cup and sipped from it, then said, "Yes, it was kind of noisy and crowded inside. So I came out here." Fumie said, "There is a nice breeze here." She started to turn back towards the house. "Let me bring you some food..."
Inui said, "I was just remembering. It was a really hot day like today, and you were sitting right here." Fumie looked at him. "You told me that Shigeru worked so hard." Fumie nodded. "We didn't have any publishers. Except for you." Inui sipped from his cup. "And I told you that working from the heart would bring success. And now, here it is." Fumie sat down. "Yes. But... it's been so much work, and now we've got this company. What will happen next? It's really scary." Then she shook her head and stood up. "No, I have to believe. It's just that we've worked so hard to get here."
Inui smiled at her. "It's really just starting. Mizuki productions is just going to grow."
Then he looked at his cup and said, "But I'm not really a party person." Fumie said, "That's OK. We're just happy to have you here." He said, "Go ahead on inside, you should be there."
Inui took another drink from his cup, alone in the dark outside the house.
<to be continued>
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