Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 7/24
Jul. 25th, 2010 12:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. guess who's coming
One morning, Sachiko, Shigeru's brother's wife who was doing accounting for Mizuki Productions, sat with Shigeru and Fumie in the kitchen. Sachiko grumbled, "I hate to say it, but Sugai..." Fumie said, "What happened now?" Sachiko said, "This morning, he dumped a cup of coffee over a page. And the other day? He put a finished package of manga in the trash! If the publisher's assistant hadn't found it, we would have lost a whole job! I mean, is his drawing worth it?" Shigeru said, "Well..."
Sugai knelt in the living room behind the door. He shook his head. "They're going to fire me." He turned and quietly sneaked away.
In the kitchen, Fumie said, "But he has a real nice personality. And he helps with Aiko." Sachiko said, "We're talking about work." Fumie sat back. Shigeru said, "Actually, he helps with work too. He's very patient. And the best thing about him is..." Sachiko looked at Shigeru. He chuckled. "The best thing about him is that he's funny to look at."
In the new workroom, Sugai stood behind Kurata, the man from Osaka. Kurata continued drawing, but said, "I really don't like people looking over my shoulder." Sugai said, "I just wondered if there was anything I could do to help." Kurata looked up. "Why don't you ask sensei?" Sugai said, "Well, you know..." Kurata said, "Okay, quit bothering me. I will go ask him." He stood up and walked out.
Sugai sat down in Kurata's chair and looked across the worktable at Komine. "Do you think they're going to fire me?" Komine looked at the manga he was working on. "Well, you did spill that coffee this morning. We really can't afford that kind of mistake."
Later that morning, Fumie was bringing the mail into the workroom. She handed one card to Komine, then set several pieces of mail on Shigeru's desk. She turned to go on, and glanced at Sugai's desk. Then she went over and picked up the piece of paper on it. She read, "I am leaving. I hope everything goes well for you." She glanced around the room, then hurried out.
In the street, Sugai trudged a few steps away from the house, then looked back. "I guess no one even noticed that I had left. Oh, well..." He turned and started to walk away, his head down.
A cheerful voice asked, "Excuse, but is Mizuki Productions somewhere around here?" Sugai jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Just that way. You can't miss it. I used to work there." The voice said, "Are you... Sugai?"
He looked up. Izumi, Fumie's younger sister, stood there with a backpack. She smiled at him. "You must be Sugai." He said, "How do you know?" She laughed. "I read every letter Fumie wrote, and looked at the pictures."
Fumie came running out of the house, holding Sugai's note in her hand. She glanced at the two, and said, "You? Izumi, what are you doing here?" She stuffed the note in her pocket and hugged her sister. They turned and went back into the house.
Sugai watched them go. "Now why did she remember me?"
In the house, Izumi sat in the kitchen with Shigeru and Fumie. She pulled a bottle of honey, cookies, jam, and dried vegetables out of her backpack. "I brought all these for you." Shigeru opened the honey, stuck his finger in, and licked it. Then he gathered up the honey, cookies, and jam and said, "I'll just take these to the work room for everyone." He left.
Izumi said, "He really does like sweets, doesn't he?" Fumie chuckled and said, "But why didn't you let us know you were coming? I could've met you at the station." Izumi said, "It was pretty sudden."
Aiko came in and stopped. Fumie said, "Aiko? This is your aunt Izumi." Izumi said, "Well, sister Izumi is better. I've got a present for you." She pulled a large doll out of her backpack. Aiko took it, and went to play in the living room.
Izumi looked at Fumie. "It was one of Genbee's sudden decisions. Mother wanted to come to Tokyo, but then he told me that I should come help. He explained that you have Aiko now, and soon will have two children, and helping you with them would be good training for a teacher. Besides, he thought I could probably get some work in a school here. But when he suggested I come in a couple of weeks, well, I explained that I should come soon because school starts soon. So... I'm here to stay a while, if that's okay?" Then Izumi said, "Let me take the tea to the workroom, and I'll introduce myself."
As Izumi carried the serving tree of tea out of the kitchen, Fumie pulled Sugai's note out of her pocket. "I wonder what happened to Sugai?"
In the work room, Sugai sat at his desk, wondering why Izumi knew him. Then she walked in and he grabbed a cup of tea from the serving tray. He stared at her for a long minute. She said, "Isn't that hot?" He suddenly realized that his fingers were burning, and set the tea back on the tray. Izumi smiled at him. Then she looked at the room and said, "Hello. I'm Izumi, Fumie's little sister. I'm going to be helping here for a while."
Kurata looked up, and said, "Set the food over there on that table." Izumi took it over and set it down. Then she turned and said, "So... you must be Kurata." He nodded. Then she looked at Komine. "And you're Komine. I recognized you from the pictures." Sugai slumped in his chair. "Oh, it isn't just me she knows."
Izumi looked at Shigeru's desk and picked up a manga page that was laying there. "So this is what a draft manga page looks like? I never saw one before." Kurata said, "Put it down! Don't ever touch draft pages, they get dirty very easy." Izumi said, "I just washed my hands, they're very clean." She held out her hands to him. He pointed to the serving tray. "You were just carrying the food. The oils on your hands are enough to make the draft dirty." She frowned. Komine said, "Besides, someone dropped a cup of coffee this morning, so we're being extra careful." Izumi said, "Was someone Sugai?"
Meanwhile, in the Shonen Land offices, Toyokawa, the publisher, and Funayama, the television producer, sat at a table. Funayama held a letter. Toyokawa said, "So the sponsor doesn't think it's right for television?" Funayama shook his head. "They're looking for too much right now... they haven't got any idea about it." Toyokawa said, "So you're giving up?" Funayama said, "No. Kitaro is really good, and will help both of us." He stood up and tapped a poster saying "800,000 readers!" Funayama said, "Do you want to reach 1 million readers?" Then he frowned. "We just need to show the sponsor what this kind of show can do. But maybe... is there somewhere else to start?" Toyokawa said, "Wait a minute..."
Toyokawa went to his office, then brought back a copy of Devil Boy. Funayama looked at it, then smiled. "Yes... I think we can do that." Toyokawa said, "You think the sponsor will like that?" Funayama grinned. "Trust me."
That night, Shigeru was drawing in the work room. In the family rooms, Fumie pulled a blanket over Aiko and her doll, sleeping together on a futon. Izumi sat nearby, and asked, "Does Shigeru often work late?" Fumie nodded. "Always." Aiko said, "But he's got plenty of work now, can't he slow down?" Fumie shook her head. "We don't really know what will happen. It's... well, I worry sometimes, but... whatever happens, you have to keep going. Shigeru is a fighter, and I do it with him."
Izumi glanced at the picture of their grandmother sitting nearby. "Do you remember... how grandma used to tell us that if we stayed awake, ghosts would tickle our feet?" Fumie laughed. "Yes, and then she'd tickle them!" Then Fumie said, "Grandma's stories were always a little scary, but fun. That's a lot like Shigeru's manga." Izumi nodded.
This episode ended with bits from the next week, including various people reacting to Devil Boy, a group of people watching the television, and several different groups clapping. The final scene was Fumie on the floor in the kitchen, with Izumi asking her what was wrong...
<to be continued>
One morning, Sachiko, Shigeru's brother's wife who was doing accounting for Mizuki Productions, sat with Shigeru and Fumie in the kitchen. Sachiko grumbled, "I hate to say it, but Sugai..." Fumie said, "What happened now?" Sachiko said, "This morning, he dumped a cup of coffee over a page. And the other day? He put a finished package of manga in the trash! If the publisher's assistant hadn't found it, we would have lost a whole job! I mean, is his drawing worth it?" Shigeru said, "Well..."
Sugai knelt in the living room behind the door. He shook his head. "They're going to fire me." He turned and quietly sneaked away.
In the kitchen, Fumie said, "But he has a real nice personality. And he helps with Aiko." Sachiko said, "We're talking about work." Fumie sat back. Shigeru said, "Actually, he helps with work too. He's very patient. And the best thing about him is..." Sachiko looked at Shigeru. He chuckled. "The best thing about him is that he's funny to look at."
In the new workroom, Sugai stood behind Kurata, the man from Osaka. Kurata continued drawing, but said, "I really don't like people looking over my shoulder." Sugai said, "I just wondered if there was anything I could do to help." Kurata looked up. "Why don't you ask sensei?" Sugai said, "Well, you know..." Kurata said, "Okay, quit bothering me. I will go ask him." He stood up and walked out.
Sugai sat down in Kurata's chair and looked across the worktable at Komine. "Do you think they're going to fire me?" Komine looked at the manga he was working on. "Well, you did spill that coffee this morning. We really can't afford that kind of mistake."
Later that morning, Fumie was bringing the mail into the workroom. She handed one card to Komine, then set several pieces of mail on Shigeru's desk. She turned to go on, and glanced at Sugai's desk. Then she went over and picked up the piece of paper on it. She read, "I am leaving. I hope everything goes well for you." She glanced around the room, then hurried out.
In the street, Sugai trudged a few steps away from the house, then looked back. "I guess no one even noticed that I had left. Oh, well..." He turned and started to walk away, his head down.
A cheerful voice asked, "Excuse, but is Mizuki Productions somewhere around here?" Sugai jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Just that way. You can't miss it. I used to work there." The voice said, "Are you... Sugai?"
He looked up. Izumi, Fumie's younger sister, stood there with a backpack. She smiled at him. "You must be Sugai." He said, "How do you know?" She laughed. "I read every letter Fumie wrote, and looked at the pictures."
Fumie came running out of the house, holding Sugai's note in her hand. She glanced at the two, and said, "You? Izumi, what are you doing here?" She stuffed the note in her pocket and hugged her sister. They turned and went back into the house.
Sugai watched them go. "Now why did she remember me?"
In the house, Izumi sat in the kitchen with Shigeru and Fumie. She pulled a bottle of honey, cookies, jam, and dried vegetables out of her backpack. "I brought all these for you." Shigeru opened the honey, stuck his finger in, and licked it. Then he gathered up the honey, cookies, and jam and said, "I'll just take these to the work room for everyone." He left.
Izumi said, "He really does like sweets, doesn't he?" Fumie chuckled and said, "But why didn't you let us know you were coming? I could've met you at the station." Izumi said, "It was pretty sudden."
Aiko came in and stopped. Fumie said, "Aiko? This is your aunt Izumi." Izumi said, "Well, sister Izumi is better. I've got a present for you." She pulled a large doll out of her backpack. Aiko took it, and went to play in the living room.
Izumi looked at Fumie. "It was one of Genbee's sudden decisions. Mother wanted to come to Tokyo, but then he told me that I should come help. He explained that you have Aiko now, and soon will have two children, and helping you with them would be good training for a teacher. Besides, he thought I could probably get some work in a school here. But when he suggested I come in a couple of weeks, well, I explained that I should come soon because school starts soon. So... I'm here to stay a while, if that's okay?" Then Izumi said, "Let me take the tea to the workroom, and I'll introduce myself."
As Izumi carried the serving tree of tea out of the kitchen, Fumie pulled Sugai's note out of her pocket. "I wonder what happened to Sugai?"
In the work room, Sugai sat at his desk, wondering why Izumi knew him. Then she walked in and he grabbed a cup of tea from the serving tray. He stared at her for a long minute. She said, "Isn't that hot?" He suddenly realized that his fingers were burning, and set the tea back on the tray. Izumi smiled at him. Then she looked at the room and said, "Hello. I'm Izumi, Fumie's little sister. I'm going to be helping here for a while."
Kurata looked up, and said, "Set the food over there on that table." Izumi took it over and set it down. Then she turned and said, "So... you must be Kurata." He nodded. Then she looked at Komine. "And you're Komine. I recognized you from the pictures." Sugai slumped in his chair. "Oh, it isn't just me she knows."
Izumi looked at Shigeru's desk and picked up a manga page that was laying there. "So this is what a draft manga page looks like? I never saw one before." Kurata said, "Put it down! Don't ever touch draft pages, they get dirty very easy." Izumi said, "I just washed my hands, they're very clean." She held out her hands to him. He pointed to the serving tray. "You were just carrying the food. The oils on your hands are enough to make the draft dirty." She frowned. Komine said, "Besides, someone dropped a cup of coffee this morning, so we're being extra careful." Izumi said, "Was someone Sugai?"
Meanwhile, in the Shonen Land offices, Toyokawa, the publisher, and Funayama, the television producer, sat at a table. Funayama held a letter. Toyokawa said, "So the sponsor doesn't think it's right for television?" Funayama shook his head. "They're looking for too much right now... they haven't got any idea about it." Toyokawa said, "So you're giving up?" Funayama said, "No. Kitaro is really good, and will help both of us." He stood up and tapped a poster saying "800,000 readers!" Funayama said, "Do you want to reach 1 million readers?" Then he frowned. "We just need to show the sponsor what this kind of show can do. But maybe... is there somewhere else to start?" Toyokawa said, "Wait a minute..."
Toyokawa went to his office, then brought back a copy of Devil Boy. Funayama looked at it, then smiled. "Yes... I think we can do that." Toyokawa said, "You think the sponsor will like that?" Funayama grinned. "Trust me."
That night, Shigeru was drawing in the work room. In the family rooms, Fumie pulled a blanket over Aiko and her doll, sleeping together on a futon. Izumi sat nearby, and asked, "Does Shigeru often work late?" Fumie nodded. "Always." Aiko said, "But he's got plenty of work now, can't he slow down?" Fumie shook her head. "We don't really know what will happen. It's... well, I worry sometimes, but... whatever happens, you have to keep going. Shigeru is a fighter, and I do it with him."
Izumi glanced at the picture of their grandmother sitting nearby. "Do you remember... how grandma used to tell us that if we stayed awake, ghosts would tickle our feet?" Fumie laughed. "Yes, and then she'd tickle them!" Then Fumie said, "Grandma's stories were always a little scary, but fun. That's a lot like Shigeru's manga." Izumi nodded.
This episode ended with bits from the next week, including various people reacting to Devil Boy, a group of people watching the television, and several different groups clapping. The final scene was Fumie on the floor in the kitchen, with Izumi asking her what was wrong...
<to be continued>
Tags:
