Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/4
Aug. 4th, 2010 03:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. take another look
Fumie unwound a garden hose into the street. She smiled and said, "Good morning," as Kurata, the intense assistant, walked by. He didn't even pause. She looked at him and said, "Kurata?" He blinked and turned. "Oh, good morning." He walked into the house, head down. Fumie wondered what was wrong.
Inside the house, Kurata opened a manga to a list of names, and looked at it. Then he closed the manga and told himself, "No matter how many times you look, your name isn't going to be there." He leaned forward and gently banged his head against the wall. Komine, the serious assistant, and Sugai, the clumsy assistant, walked in the door and looked at him. Sugai said, "What are you doing?" Kurata opened his eyes and stuffed the manga inside his shirt. He said, "Nothing. Let's get to work." He pointed into the other room, and then stalked off. Komine nodded. "He didn't win the contest." Sugai said, "Is that what's bothering him?"
Meanwhile, in the family room, Izumi, Fumie's sister, was on the telephone. "Yes, I understand. But I'm very busy here. I don't know when..." She shook her head. "I'll let you know as soon as I can." She hung up the telephone. Fumie said, "Who was that?" Izumi said, "Genbee, our father. He wants to know when I'm coming back, when am I going to make a decision." She looked at Fumie. "Could you tell him that I really need to stay here?"
Fumie said, "Why don't you tell him what you're planning?" Izumi shook her head. "I would but he hasn't said..." Fumie said, "He? Who?" Aiko called from the other room, "Izumi!" Izumi said, "I better go help Aiko."
In the workroom, Kurata sat at his desk, a manga page in front of him, staring into space. Komine walked over and tapped the page. "I think this needs some work here." Kurata blinked and sat up, then looked at the page. "Yeah, you're right." He picked up a pen and started to dip it in ink. Sugai walked over and said, "Cheer up. I've never won a contest." Komine shook his head. "Fool." Kurata laid down his pen and stood up. Sugai said, "What?" Kurata pulled at the towel around his neck. "I'm going to go outside and get some air."
Kurata sat outside beside the door. He mopped at his neck with the towel. Then the door pushed open beside him, and Izumi stepped outside. She had a wire basket in her hands. She looked at him and walked over to the nearby clothes drying in the sunshine. She said, "Are you resting?" He glanced up and said, "Just enjoying the breeze." Izumi nodded, then they both said, "Well..." They stopped. Then Kurata stood up and said, "Maybe I better get back to work." Izumi said, "Have you been thinking? About my present?" Kurata scratched his head. Izumi started to pick clothes off and drop them into the basket. "Because, you know, I might not be here too much longer." She glanced at Kurata, then back at the clothes. "Genbee, my father, wants me to come home soon." Kurata bit his lip, then said, "Well, I guess I could send you a present by mail." Izumi pulled the last cloth off the washing and tossed it into the basket. She said, "Maybe it is a good thing that I'm leaving." She opened the door, went inside, and slammed it behind her.
Kurata slumped against the stairs. He dropped his head in his arms. "What am I supposed to do?"
Inside, Fumie saw Izumi come in and slam the door. Fumie said, "What are you upset about?" Izumi said, "Nothing." She ran up the stairs. Fumie open the door and went outside. Kurata jumped to his feet, bowed to her, and went inside to the office. Fumie thought to herself, "Him? Is he the one that she's interested in?"
Upstairs, Izumi started to fold clothes. Then she stopped and cried into a towel warm from the sunshine.
Later that day, Nakamori, the upstairs guy who had left, came to visit. He sat down with Fumie, Izumi, and Shigeru. Shigeru said, "It's good to see you again. What are you doing now?" Nakamori said, "Oh, I've got work. A regular job. And the family is fine." Shigeru said, "But what about manga?" Nakamori shook his head. "No, I laid down my brush. I think for me it's better." He picked up a copy of Shonen Land sitting nearby. "But Kitaro is doing well! That's good."
Kurata came in, and said, "Sensei? I'm sorry to interrupt but one of the publisher's assistants is here? He wants to talk to you about a deadline?" Shigeru shook his head. "Excuse me, but I need to take care of this." Nakamori said, "No, no, work comes first. Go ahead."
After Shigeru left, Fumie said, "I'm sorry. He has so much work." Nakamori said, "No, that's fine. A big office with assistants and lots of work -- that was the dream, wasn't it?" Then he looked at Fumie and said, "But aren't you still helping?" Fumie shook her head. "No, I was never much help." Nakamori said, "Now that's not true. I remember, in the middle of the night, I used to hear pens scratching. And if I peeked into the workroom, I'd see Shigeru and you sitting there working together. Even when you had hard times, drawing by candlelight."
Fumie said, "But you had hard times too. You didn't have money for the train..." Izumi said, "You didn't have money for the train?" Nakamori grinned. "Well, I went to the publisher, and they didn't give me an advance, so I couldn't ride the train back. I had to walk. And then I collapsed in the doorway with Fumie and Shigeru, because I hadn't eaten in so long."
Nakamori looked at Fumie. "I really think that it was your help that let Shigeru keep going. You were always there." Izumi looked at him, then at Fumie.
In the street, Nakamori looked at Fumie and Izumi. Then he bowed. Fumie and Izumi bowed. He straightened up, and started to turn away.
Shigeru came out of the house. "Wait! Nakamori, please stay well." He waved to Shigeru. Nakamori turned and waved to him. Then he smiled, and left.
Later, in the kitchen, Fumie was washing dishes. Izumi came in and said, "I'm sorry for what I said before." Fumie said, "What you said?" "About life as a housewife. I thought it was easy and safe. I never knew." Fumie shrugged. "It wasn't that special." Izumi said, "I couldn't have done it. I would've left and gone home." Fumie smiled. "But it wasn't all bad. I mean, when I worked in the kitchen, I used to hear Shigeru in the next room drawing. It was hard, but we were together." She looked around the new kitchen and living room. "Sometimes, I think those times are what make us really appreciate what we have now."
Izumi said, "I guess that's what being the wife of a manga artist is really like." Fumie nodded. "Yes. And if Kurata..."
Uraki walked in the door. Fumie said, "You!" He smiled, and fanned himself. "Of course. It's awfully hot here. You should buy a cooler." Then he turned and said, "Well, I'll go visit Gege in the workroom." Fumie quickly walked around the table and grabbed his shoulders. "No, not today. They're very busy." She let go of him and said, "Nakamori was here today." Uraki looked puzzled. "Nakamori? Do I know him?" Fumie said, "Nakamori. He lived upstairs here?" Uraki shook his head. "No..." Fumie said, "You introduced him to us." Uraki said, "Ah, well. I just automatically forget poor people."
Then Uraki picked up a copy of Zeta. "Talking about poor people, have you heard about the problems that Zeta is having?" Fumie said, "What? Is Fukuzawa having problems?" Uraki set the magazine down. "Well, I don't know the details, but I've heard rumors."
<to be continued>
Fumie unwound a garden hose into the street. She smiled and said, "Good morning," as Kurata, the intense assistant, walked by. He didn't even pause. She looked at him and said, "Kurata?" He blinked and turned. "Oh, good morning." He walked into the house, head down. Fumie wondered what was wrong.
Inside the house, Kurata opened a manga to a list of names, and looked at it. Then he closed the manga and told himself, "No matter how many times you look, your name isn't going to be there." He leaned forward and gently banged his head against the wall. Komine, the serious assistant, and Sugai, the clumsy assistant, walked in the door and looked at him. Sugai said, "What are you doing?" Kurata opened his eyes and stuffed the manga inside his shirt. He said, "Nothing. Let's get to work." He pointed into the other room, and then stalked off. Komine nodded. "He didn't win the contest." Sugai said, "Is that what's bothering him?"
Meanwhile, in the family room, Izumi, Fumie's sister, was on the telephone. "Yes, I understand. But I'm very busy here. I don't know when..." She shook her head. "I'll let you know as soon as I can." She hung up the telephone. Fumie said, "Who was that?" Izumi said, "Genbee, our father. He wants to know when I'm coming back, when am I going to make a decision." She looked at Fumie. "Could you tell him that I really need to stay here?"
Fumie said, "Why don't you tell him what you're planning?" Izumi shook her head. "I would but he hasn't said..." Fumie said, "He? Who?" Aiko called from the other room, "Izumi!" Izumi said, "I better go help Aiko."
In the workroom, Kurata sat at his desk, a manga page in front of him, staring into space. Komine walked over and tapped the page. "I think this needs some work here." Kurata blinked and sat up, then looked at the page. "Yeah, you're right." He picked up a pen and started to dip it in ink. Sugai walked over and said, "Cheer up. I've never won a contest." Komine shook his head. "Fool." Kurata laid down his pen and stood up. Sugai said, "What?" Kurata pulled at the towel around his neck. "I'm going to go outside and get some air."
Kurata sat outside beside the door. He mopped at his neck with the towel. Then the door pushed open beside him, and Izumi stepped outside. She had a wire basket in her hands. She looked at him and walked over to the nearby clothes drying in the sunshine. She said, "Are you resting?" He glanced up and said, "Just enjoying the breeze." Izumi nodded, then they both said, "Well..." They stopped. Then Kurata stood up and said, "Maybe I better get back to work." Izumi said, "Have you been thinking? About my present?" Kurata scratched his head. Izumi started to pick clothes off and drop them into the basket. "Because, you know, I might not be here too much longer." She glanced at Kurata, then back at the clothes. "Genbee, my father, wants me to come home soon." Kurata bit his lip, then said, "Well, I guess I could send you a present by mail." Izumi pulled the last cloth off the washing and tossed it into the basket. She said, "Maybe it is a good thing that I'm leaving." She opened the door, went inside, and slammed it behind her.
Kurata slumped against the stairs. He dropped his head in his arms. "What am I supposed to do?"
Inside, Fumie saw Izumi come in and slam the door. Fumie said, "What are you upset about?" Izumi said, "Nothing." She ran up the stairs. Fumie open the door and went outside. Kurata jumped to his feet, bowed to her, and went inside to the office. Fumie thought to herself, "Him? Is he the one that she's interested in?"
Upstairs, Izumi started to fold clothes. Then she stopped and cried into a towel warm from the sunshine.
Later that day, Nakamori, the upstairs guy who had left, came to visit. He sat down with Fumie, Izumi, and Shigeru. Shigeru said, "It's good to see you again. What are you doing now?" Nakamori said, "Oh, I've got work. A regular job. And the family is fine." Shigeru said, "But what about manga?" Nakamori shook his head. "No, I laid down my brush. I think for me it's better." He picked up a copy of Shonen Land sitting nearby. "But Kitaro is doing well! That's good."
Kurata came in, and said, "Sensei? I'm sorry to interrupt but one of the publisher's assistants is here? He wants to talk to you about a deadline?" Shigeru shook his head. "Excuse me, but I need to take care of this." Nakamori said, "No, no, work comes first. Go ahead."
After Shigeru left, Fumie said, "I'm sorry. He has so much work." Nakamori said, "No, that's fine. A big office with assistants and lots of work -- that was the dream, wasn't it?" Then he looked at Fumie and said, "But aren't you still helping?" Fumie shook her head. "No, I was never much help." Nakamori said, "Now that's not true. I remember, in the middle of the night, I used to hear pens scratching. And if I peeked into the workroom, I'd see Shigeru and you sitting there working together. Even when you had hard times, drawing by candlelight."
Fumie said, "But you had hard times too. You didn't have money for the train..." Izumi said, "You didn't have money for the train?" Nakamori grinned. "Well, I went to the publisher, and they didn't give me an advance, so I couldn't ride the train back. I had to walk. And then I collapsed in the doorway with Fumie and Shigeru, because I hadn't eaten in so long."
Nakamori looked at Fumie. "I really think that it was your help that let Shigeru keep going. You were always there." Izumi looked at him, then at Fumie.
In the street, Nakamori looked at Fumie and Izumi. Then he bowed. Fumie and Izumi bowed. He straightened up, and started to turn away.
Shigeru came out of the house. "Wait! Nakamori, please stay well." He waved to Shigeru. Nakamori turned and waved to him. Then he smiled, and left.
Later, in the kitchen, Fumie was washing dishes. Izumi came in and said, "I'm sorry for what I said before." Fumie said, "What you said?" "About life as a housewife. I thought it was easy and safe. I never knew." Fumie shrugged. "It wasn't that special." Izumi said, "I couldn't have done it. I would've left and gone home." Fumie smiled. "But it wasn't all bad. I mean, when I worked in the kitchen, I used to hear Shigeru in the next room drawing. It was hard, but we were together." She looked around the new kitchen and living room. "Sometimes, I think those times are what make us really appreciate what we have now."
Izumi said, "I guess that's what being the wife of a manga artist is really like." Fumie nodded. "Yes. And if Kurata..."
Uraki walked in the door. Fumie said, "You!" He smiled, and fanned himself. "Of course. It's awfully hot here. You should buy a cooler." Then he turned and said, "Well, I'll go visit Gege in the workroom." Fumie quickly walked around the table and grabbed his shoulders. "No, not today. They're very busy." She let go of him and said, "Nakamori was here today." Uraki looked puzzled. "Nakamori? Do I know him?" Fumie said, "Nakamori. He lived upstairs here?" Uraki shook his head. "No..." Fumie said, "You introduced him to us." Uraki said, "Ah, well. I just automatically forget poor people."
Then Uraki picked up a copy of Zeta. "Talking about poor people, have you heard about the problems that Zeta is having?" Fumie said, "What? Is Fukuzawa having problems?" Uraki set the magazine down. "Well, I don't know the details, but I've heard rumors."
<to be continued>
