Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/2
Aug. 2nd, 2010 08:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. Who's chasing who?
While the baby was sleeping, Fumie sat in the kitchen. On the floor was a sheet of paper with outlines of three pedals, and she held a large pot lid in her hands. She looked at the manual open on the table beside her, then turned the lid in her hands. She pressed her foot down on one of the pedals, reached into the air beside the lid and shifted an imaginary gear shift lever.
Shigeru stepped into the kitchen and said, "What are you doing?" Fumie pulled the lid to her chest. "You mean with this lid?" He nodded. "Oh, nothing, really, just playing."
Outside, Izumi carried a bag of groceries and the shopping basket in her arms as she came in. Kurata, the intense assistant, stepped out of the door carrying a large envelope, and they dodged each other. Then they managed to run into each other. The envelope fell to the ground. Kurata caught the basket, and juggled it for a moment. Izumi looked inside it, "Wow, you saved the eggs. Thanks!" Then she bent over and picked up the envelope. "New Artists Manga?" Kurata grabbed the envelope. "Nothing, really. I need to go now." He handed the basket to her.
As he started to walk past her, Sugai came out the door. "Wait! Sensei was looking for you. The Asahi manga needs to be done tonight." Kurata turned. "What? That was supposed to be tomorrow evening." Sugai nodded. "They called. They got the day wrong. So we'll have to rush it." Kurata frowned, then shook his head. "Work comes first. Let's go." He pushed inside, carrying the envelope.
In the kitchen, Fumie told Izumi, "Shigeru almost caught me. He saw me driving the pot lid." Izumi said, "Why don't you take a driving class?" Fumie said, "They cost a lot of money." Izumi said, "You are so serious." Fumie laughed, "Sure, driving pot lids?"
Izumi looked at the clock. It was about 4:30. "The post office will be closing soon, won't it?" Fumie said, "Yes, but why?" Izumi said, "Kurata had an envelope he was taking to the post office. Something about new artists manga?" Fumie said, "Oh, that would be the Asahi manga contest. Talk about serious -- he works here all day, then he goes home and draws at night. But I think... that contest has a deadline today."
In the workroom, Shigeru was busily drawing. Kurata handed him a page, and he glanced at it. "That's good. Now work on this one." Shigeru handed Kurata another page. Kurata went to his desk and sat down. He slid the desk drawer open, glanced at the envelope inside, and shook his head.
Izumi came into the workroom with a platter and four glasses of cold tea. She set it on the table, then glanced around. Komine was looking at the bookshelves and Shigeru was drawing. She walked over and said to Kurata. "I'll take it." He glanced up. "What?" She said, "The envelope."
Moments later, she got into the car and set the envelope beside her. She drove away.
That evening, Fumie was driving a smaller pot lid over the kitchen sink. Kurata came into the kitchen behind her and said, "Excuse me?" She fumbled the lid onto the pot, and turned around. "Yes?" He bowed to her. "Thank you." She said, "What for?" He smiled. "You told Izumi about the contest, so she sent the letter for me." Fumie frowned. "You should've told us earlier." He shook his head. "It's not work. I couldn't just ask you." Fumie said, "Well, anyway, you should thank Izumi. She did the driving. I can't drive yet." She picked up the pot lid and turned it in her hands. "Or at least, I can just drive pot lids." Kurata chuckled.
Izumi was walking with Aiko, looking through the rooms. Izumi said, "Where do you suppose she is?" Aiko pointed into the room. "There she is." Then she ran and picked up her doll. Izumi stepped into the room. A moment later, Kurata stepped in and bowed to her. "I wanted to thank you for today." Izumi shrugged. "I'm supposed to deliver things, I'm the driver." He shook his head. "Thanks, anyway. But I don't want to just say thank you, I want to get you something. What would you like?" Then he held up his hands. "Not too expensive, I don't have a lot of money."
Aiko said, "Izumi? I'm sleepy..." Izumi said, "Okay." Then she looked at Kurata. "I'll leave it up to you. You decide. Something pretty, but not expensive." She smiled at him, and led Aiko off to bed. He frowned. "Pretty?"
Another day, Toyokawa, the Shonen Land head editor, and Kitamura, his assistant assigned to work with Mizuki Productions, ran up the street in the hot sunshine. Toyokawa sat down with Shigeru. "I need to talk to you about Hakaba no Kitaro, Kitaro of the Graveyard." Shigeru said, "Are they going to put him on TV, at last?" Toyokawa waved his hand back and forth and shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, not that. But Shonen Land is going to put out an LP of songs about our manga." Shigeru said, "An LP? Songs?" Toyokawa said, "Yes, they are really popular right now. And we want to include Kitaro. Here's the lineup." He handed Shigeru a list. Shigeru glanced at it. "What we'd like you to do is to write lyrics like you did for Devil Boy." Shigeru closed his eyes and dropped his head. "Lyrics? Again?" Toyokawa said, "Yes, those were great. But we really need three verses." Shigeru shok his head. "On top of drawing. I don't know when I can do it. But... I guess I'll try."
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Kitamura opened a large box. Izumi looked at it. "Oh, yokan, sweet jelly. That's great." Kitamura smiled. Fumie looked at him smiling at Izumi and nodded. Then she said, "So they want to make a record of manga songs? But are those popular?" Kitamura smiled. "We expect it to be in the top 10."
Sugai, the clumsy assistant, came into the kitchen and frowned at Kitamura. "I thought I'd find you here. Toyokawa is looking for you." Kitamura said, "Oh, all right." He waved to Izumi and Fumie, and walked out of the kitchen.
Izumi looked at the platter of glasses of tea, and set several of the sweet jelly servings on it. She looked at Fumie and said, "I'll take this into the workroom, then." Sugai jumped forward and picked up the platter. "I'll take it. You don't need to bother right now." He picked it up and left.
That evening, Fumie, Aiko. Izumi, and Shigeru ate dinner together. Shigeru shoveled his food down, barely chewing before he shoved more into his mouth with his chopsticks. He gulped the last mouthful, picked up his glass and drained it, and stood up. Fumie said, "I guess you're busy tonght?" He said, "Yes, they want lyrics again." He started to turn away, and Fumie said, "What about some hot tea?" He said, "Just bring it into the workroom, later. I'm too busy right now. No time." He turned and left.
Izumi said, "I guess he's really worried." Fumie smiled. "I think it's good to be busy. But he does forget everything but work." Then Fumie looked at Izumi. "By the way, what do you think about Kitamura and Sugai?" Izumi shrugged. "I don't know. Why?" Fumie said, "Well, their fighting is starting to get in the way of work, don't you think?" Izumi said, "I guess. But I really haven't done anything to encourage them." Fumie said, "Just be careful." Izumi said, "I guess I could tease them a bit." Fumie said, "No! Don't do that." Izumi laughed. "I was just teasing you."
In the coffeeshop, Sugai and Kurata sat, with cups of coffee. Sugai said, "I just wanted to ask you, what do you think about Kitamura?" Kurata looked puzzled. "What do I think about him? About what?" Sugai looked at his coffee. "Well, he's been pretending to bring presents to Aiko. But I think he's really interested in Izumi." Kurata said, "What? You really think so? So what?" Sugai looked at him. "I don't think he's right for her. I mean, I've been interested since I first met her."
Kurata said, "What!" Then he held his forehead. Sugai leaned forward. Kurata dropped his hand, glared at him, and said, "No school, no money, and we aren't famous manga artists. She deserves a lot better." He shook his head, and glanced around the room. He had spoken loudly enough that several other customers were looking at them. He grabbed his bag. "I can't talk about this. I'm going home." He stood up and walked out.
Later, as Aiko slept, Fumie studied the driving manual. She wondered whether Izumi really understood how much trouble having Sugai and Kitamura fighting over her could be. Then she pushed that worry aside. "I have to study." She looked at the driving manual again.
<to be continued>
While the baby was sleeping, Fumie sat in the kitchen. On the floor was a sheet of paper with outlines of three pedals, and she held a large pot lid in her hands. She looked at the manual open on the table beside her, then turned the lid in her hands. She pressed her foot down on one of the pedals, reached into the air beside the lid and shifted an imaginary gear shift lever.
Shigeru stepped into the kitchen and said, "What are you doing?" Fumie pulled the lid to her chest. "You mean with this lid?" He nodded. "Oh, nothing, really, just playing."
Outside, Izumi carried a bag of groceries and the shopping basket in her arms as she came in. Kurata, the intense assistant, stepped out of the door carrying a large envelope, and they dodged each other. Then they managed to run into each other. The envelope fell to the ground. Kurata caught the basket, and juggled it for a moment. Izumi looked inside it, "Wow, you saved the eggs. Thanks!" Then she bent over and picked up the envelope. "New Artists Manga?" Kurata grabbed the envelope. "Nothing, really. I need to go now." He handed the basket to her.
As he started to walk past her, Sugai came out the door. "Wait! Sensei was looking for you. The Asahi manga needs to be done tonight." Kurata turned. "What? That was supposed to be tomorrow evening." Sugai nodded. "They called. They got the day wrong. So we'll have to rush it." Kurata frowned, then shook his head. "Work comes first. Let's go." He pushed inside, carrying the envelope.
In the kitchen, Fumie told Izumi, "Shigeru almost caught me. He saw me driving the pot lid." Izumi said, "Why don't you take a driving class?" Fumie said, "They cost a lot of money." Izumi said, "You are so serious." Fumie laughed, "Sure, driving pot lids?"
Izumi looked at the clock. It was about 4:30. "The post office will be closing soon, won't it?" Fumie said, "Yes, but why?" Izumi said, "Kurata had an envelope he was taking to the post office. Something about new artists manga?" Fumie said, "Oh, that would be the Asahi manga contest. Talk about serious -- he works here all day, then he goes home and draws at night. But I think... that contest has a deadline today."
In the workroom, Shigeru was busily drawing. Kurata handed him a page, and he glanced at it. "That's good. Now work on this one." Shigeru handed Kurata another page. Kurata went to his desk and sat down. He slid the desk drawer open, glanced at the envelope inside, and shook his head.
Izumi came into the workroom with a platter and four glasses of cold tea. She set it on the table, then glanced around. Komine was looking at the bookshelves and Shigeru was drawing. She walked over and said to Kurata. "I'll take it." He glanced up. "What?" She said, "The envelope."
Moments later, she got into the car and set the envelope beside her. She drove away.
That evening, Fumie was driving a smaller pot lid over the kitchen sink. Kurata came into the kitchen behind her and said, "Excuse me?" She fumbled the lid onto the pot, and turned around. "Yes?" He bowed to her. "Thank you." She said, "What for?" He smiled. "You told Izumi about the contest, so she sent the letter for me." Fumie frowned. "You should've told us earlier." He shook his head. "It's not work. I couldn't just ask you." Fumie said, "Well, anyway, you should thank Izumi. She did the driving. I can't drive yet." She picked up the pot lid and turned it in her hands. "Or at least, I can just drive pot lids." Kurata chuckled.
Izumi was walking with Aiko, looking through the rooms. Izumi said, "Where do you suppose she is?" Aiko pointed into the room. "There she is." Then she ran and picked up her doll. Izumi stepped into the room. A moment later, Kurata stepped in and bowed to her. "I wanted to thank you for today." Izumi shrugged. "I'm supposed to deliver things, I'm the driver." He shook his head. "Thanks, anyway. But I don't want to just say thank you, I want to get you something. What would you like?" Then he held up his hands. "Not too expensive, I don't have a lot of money."
Aiko said, "Izumi? I'm sleepy..." Izumi said, "Okay." Then she looked at Kurata. "I'll leave it up to you. You decide. Something pretty, but not expensive." She smiled at him, and led Aiko off to bed. He frowned. "Pretty?"
Another day, Toyokawa, the Shonen Land head editor, and Kitamura, his assistant assigned to work with Mizuki Productions, ran up the street in the hot sunshine. Toyokawa sat down with Shigeru. "I need to talk to you about Hakaba no Kitaro, Kitaro of the Graveyard." Shigeru said, "Are they going to put him on TV, at last?" Toyokawa waved his hand back and forth and shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, not that. But Shonen Land is going to put out an LP of songs about our manga." Shigeru said, "An LP? Songs?" Toyokawa said, "Yes, they are really popular right now. And we want to include Kitaro. Here's the lineup." He handed Shigeru a list. Shigeru glanced at it. "What we'd like you to do is to write lyrics like you did for Devil Boy." Shigeru closed his eyes and dropped his head. "Lyrics? Again?" Toyokawa said, "Yes, those were great. But we really need three verses." Shigeru shok his head. "On top of drawing. I don't know when I can do it. But... I guess I'll try."
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Kitamura opened a large box. Izumi looked at it. "Oh, yokan, sweet jelly. That's great." Kitamura smiled. Fumie looked at him smiling at Izumi and nodded. Then she said, "So they want to make a record of manga songs? But are those popular?" Kitamura smiled. "We expect it to be in the top 10."
Sugai, the clumsy assistant, came into the kitchen and frowned at Kitamura. "I thought I'd find you here. Toyokawa is looking for you." Kitamura said, "Oh, all right." He waved to Izumi and Fumie, and walked out of the kitchen.
Izumi looked at the platter of glasses of tea, and set several of the sweet jelly servings on it. She looked at Fumie and said, "I'll take this into the workroom, then." Sugai jumped forward and picked up the platter. "I'll take it. You don't need to bother right now." He picked it up and left.
That evening, Fumie, Aiko. Izumi, and Shigeru ate dinner together. Shigeru shoveled his food down, barely chewing before he shoved more into his mouth with his chopsticks. He gulped the last mouthful, picked up his glass and drained it, and stood up. Fumie said, "I guess you're busy tonght?" He said, "Yes, they want lyrics again." He started to turn away, and Fumie said, "What about some hot tea?" He said, "Just bring it into the workroom, later. I'm too busy right now. No time." He turned and left.
Izumi said, "I guess he's really worried." Fumie smiled. "I think it's good to be busy. But he does forget everything but work." Then Fumie looked at Izumi. "By the way, what do you think about Kitamura and Sugai?" Izumi shrugged. "I don't know. Why?" Fumie said, "Well, their fighting is starting to get in the way of work, don't you think?" Izumi said, "I guess. But I really haven't done anything to encourage them." Fumie said, "Just be careful." Izumi said, "I guess I could tease them a bit." Fumie said, "No! Don't do that." Izumi laughed. "I was just teasing you."
In the coffeeshop, Sugai and Kurata sat, with cups of coffee. Sugai said, "I just wanted to ask you, what do you think about Kitamura?" Kurata looked puzzled. "What do I think about him? About what?" Sugai looked at his coffee. "Well, he's been pretending to bring presents to Aiko. But I think he's really interested in Izumi." Kurata said, "What? You really think so? So what?" Sugai looked at him. "I don't think he's right for her. I mean, I've been interested since I first met her."
Kurata said, "What!" Then he held his forehead. Sugai leaned forward. Kurata dropped his hand, glared at him, and said, "No school, no money, and we aren't famous manga artists. She deserves a lot better." He shook his head, and glanced around the room. He had spoken loudly enough that several other customers were looking at them. He grabbed his bag. "I can't talk about this. I'm going home." He stood up and walked out.
Later, as Aiko slept, Fumie studied the driving manual. She wondered whether Izumi really understood how much trouble having Sugai and Kitamura fighting over her could be. Then she pushed that worry aside. "I have to study." She looked at the driving manual again.
<to be continued>
