Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/21
Aug. 22nd, 2010 03:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. and they all fell down?
The next morning, outside the front door, Aiko had her red schoolbag on her back, and cheerfully said, "Goodbye." Fumie looked after her as she walked the street.
Kinuyo came out the door, and glanced around. She said, "Oh, uh, is the mail here yet?" Fumie chuckled. "You know the mail doesn't come this early." Kinuyo shrugged. Then Fumie said, "Thank you." Kinuyo said, "What for?" Fumie said, "For yesterday. Aiko told me what you said." Kinuyo tilted her head. "Oh, she just needed some advice." Then she smiled. "That's what old people are good for, I guess. We always have lots of advice." They both chuckled.
At school, the girls clustered around the new girl, Akagi. They were all talking about the party. Aiko was in the back, putting books away. She glanced at the girls, then reminded herself to leave it alone. As she reached for more books to put away, Tomomi picked them up and slid them into the bookcase. Aiko looked at her. Tomomi said, "I'm sorry about yesterday." Aiko said, "That's okay. How was the party?" Tomomi shook her head. "Not very good by myself. But I guess Akagi is really upset with you." Aiko nodded. Then she said, "But I am the daughter of a noble samurai family." Tomomi looked at her and said, "What does that mean?" Aiko shrugged. "I don't know, but grandmother said it would help." They both laughed.
At the house, Fukuzawa, Zeta publisher and long-time friend of Shigeru, came into the living room with Fumie. She said, "It's been a long time since you came yourself to pick up a manuscript. You could've asked us, we could've sent it with an assistant." He smiled, and said, "I wanted to talk to Shigeru." Then he looked around and said, "Your house has really changed." Fumie nodded. "Yes, Shigeru had it rebuilt so that there's the working area, and our family area." Fukuzawa smiled. "Shigeru is really lucky." Fumie said, "Well, yes, he's got lots of work now. But you gave us the start." Fukuzawa shook his head. "I wasn't talking about work. He's very lucky to have such a wonderful wife."
Kinuyo wandered into the room, looking around. "Fumie? Have you seen my health insurance notebook? Shuhei put it somewhere, and I can't find it, and I think I should go to the hospital..." Then she saw Fukuzawa, and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had a visitor." Fumie said, "This is Shigeru's mother. And this is Fukuzawa, who helped Shigeru so much." Kinuyo said, "Fukuzawa! Oh, I've heard so much about you." She bowed deeply. "You were such a big help to Shigeru." Fukuzawa smiled, and said, "No, no. He helped me..."
Shuhei wandered in. He had a duster in one hand, and a towel on his head to keep dust out of his hair. In his other hand, he held a small notebook. He said, "Kinuyo, I found your notebook. It was right where you always put it." Kinuyo waved at him, and said, "This is Fukuzawa." Then she turned to Fukuzawa again and said, "Thank you so much for your long support of Shigeru." Shuhei put the duster on the table, and swept the towel off his head. Then he said, "Yes, thank..." Kinuyo interrupted him and said, "It's been your advice that guided Shigeru in his career." Then she swatted Shuhei's arm and said, "Why don't you say something?" He shook his head. "You've already said it all." Fukuzawa laughed.
In the hallway, as they left, Kinuyo said, "I know. I'll get some eel for him to eat!" Shuhei said, "Wait, what about the health insurance? Aren't you going to the hospital?" She looked at him. "No, I don't think there's anything wrong."
Meanwhile, in the living room, Fukuzawa chuckled. "I'm glad I met Shigeru's relatives.But I'm not sure they would be happy with me today. I have to tell you that I don't have the advance for the next manga." Fumie shook her head. "I guess your company is having hard times?" He nodded. She said, "Let me make some tea."
Shigeru came in, and greeted Fukuzawa. Shigeru handed over a manuscript. Fukuzawa started to look through it, and said, "Excellent, as usual. But... I don't have an advance that I can pay you. I'm sorry." He started to hand the manuscript back. Shigeru pushed it back into his hands. "If it gets published, that's enough."
Fukuzawa took the manuscript and said, "Well, maybe sooner or later..." Shigeru nodded, and said, "Yes, maybe sooner or later..." Then they looked at each other and said, "What?" Shigeru said, "Oh, I was talking about a manga. I think maybe I'll call it Another War Story." Shigeru got out the old pictures, and explained to Fukuzawa that he wanted to write a story about the other men in his outfit. Fukuzawa looked at the pictures and said, "I didn't know that you had these." Shigeru said, "It's not heroic. Some died of malaria, some fell in the river and drowned, but... sooner or later, they all died. I want to tell their stories, the real stories of war." He shook his head. "That's the next one, but it's going to take some time to write."
Fukuzawa looked at the pictures and said, "It sounds good. But I'm not sure I'll be publishing anymore." He set the pictures down and looked at Shigeru. "The truth is that I can't pay advances, and I may go bankrupt. The world of manga is changing, and I'm not sure what to do." Then he looked at the pictures again. "But this is the kind of thing that makes me want to keep going." He got up and looked out the window. The sunset was setting the clouds on fire, and he looked at them and smiled. "There's so much yet to do."
Later that evening, Shigeru was drawing panels for the other war story by himself in the darkened work room. Fumie came in, carrying tea. She glanced at him, and set it down quietly on the table. She watched him for a long moment. He was intent on the drawing. His face worked, and his nose was sweaty. Fumie left, quietly.
Out on the patio, Fumie sat with a bucket of water, Aiko, and Yoshiko. She had a package of colorful twists of paper, and a lit candle. She lit one of the twists, and waited with it held down until a drop of fire formed at the end. Then she handed it to Aiko. Soon all three were holding these simple fireworks.
Shigeru came out, and said, "Can I have one, too?" Fumie looked up, and said, "Of course." She lit one for him, and he waved it, gently. Then as he sat down, he looked at them and said, "Maybe next year, we'll move to the southern islands?" Aiko said, "Dad!" Fumie said, "Oh..." Yoshiko said, "Yeah!" Shigeru chuckled. "Hah! I win. You believed me. Right now, I'm too busy, but some day, maybe."
He sat and burned fireworks with his family. The pages of the war manga lay, unfinished, in the work room. Fumie thought that was the first time he had left a manga unfinished to spend time with his family.
This episode ended with a set of bits from next week's show. Fumie saying that she has bad feelings about something. Uraki, the sneaky friend, with a moustache. Several bits of Fumie's family. Michiko, the bookstore owner. Fumie hugging Aiko and Yoshiko.
The next morning, outside the front door, Aiko had her red schoolbag on her back, and cheerfully said, "Goodbye." Fumie looked after her as she walked the street.
Kinuyo came out the door, and glanced around. She said, "Oh, uh, is the mail here yet?" Fumie chuckled. "You know the mail doesn't come this early." Kinuyo shrugged. Then Fumie said, "Thank you." Kinuyo said, "What for?" Fumie said, "For yesterday. Aiko told me what you said." Kinuyo tilted her head. "Oh, she just needed some advice." Then she smiled. "That's what old people are good for, I guess. We always have lots of advice." They both chuckled.
At school, the girls clustered around the new girl, Akagi. They were all talking about the party. Aiko was in the back, putting books away. She glanced at the girls, then reminded herself to leave it alone. As she reached for more books to put away, Tomomi picked them up and slid them into the bookcase. Aiko looked at her. Tomomi said, "I'm sorry about yesterday." Aiko said, "That's okay. How was the party?" Tomomi shook her head. "Not very good by myself. But I guess Akagi is really upset with you." Aiko nodded. Then she said, "But I am the daughter of a noble samurai family." Tomomi looked at her and said, "What does that mean?" Aiko shrugged. "I don't know, but grandmother said it would help." They both laughed.
At the house, Fukuzawa, Zeta publisher and long-time friend of Shigeru, came into the living room with Fumie. She said, "It's been a long time since you came yourself to pick up a manuscript. You could've asked us, we could've sent it with an assistant." He smiled, and said, "I wanted to talk to Shigeru." Then he looked around and said, "Your house has really changed." Fumie nodded. "Yes, Shigeru had it rebuilt so that there's the working area, and our family area." Fukuzawa smiled. "Shigeru is really lucky." Fumie said, "Well, yes, he's got lots of work now. But you gave us the start." Fukuzawa shook his head. "I wasn't talking about work. He's very lucky to have such a wonderful wife."
Kinuyo wandered into the room, looking around. "Fumie? Have you seen my health insurance notebook? Shuhei put it somewhere, and I can't find it, and I think I should go to the hospital..." Then she saw Fukuzawa, and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had a visitor." Fumie said, "This is Shigeru's mother. And this is Fukuzawa, who helped Shigeru so much." Kinuyo said, "Fukuzawa! Oh, I've heard so much about you." She bowed deeply. "You were such a big help to Shigeru." Fukuzawa smiled, and said, "No, no. He helped me..."
Shuhei wandered in. He had a duster in one hand, and a towel on his head to keep dust out of his hair. In his other hand, he held a small notebook. He said, "Kinuyo, I found your notebook. It was right where you always put it." Kinuyo waved at him, and said, "This is Fukuzawa." Then she turned to Fukuzawa again and said, "Thank you so much for your long support of Shigeru." Shuhei put the duster on the table, and swept the towel off his head. Then he said, "Yes, thank..." Kinuyo interrupted him and said, "It's been your advice that guided Shigeru in his career." Then she swatted Shuhei's arm and said, "Why don't you say something?" He shook his head. "You've already said it all." Fukuzawa laughed.
In the hallway, as they left, Kinuyo said, "I know. I'll get some eel for him to eat!" Shuhei said, "Wait, what about the health insurance? Aren't you going to the hospital?" She looked at him. "No, I don't think there's anything wrong."
Meanwhile, in the living room, Fukuzawa chuckled. "I'm glad I met Shigeru's relatives.But I'm not sure they would be happy with me today. I have to tell you that I don't have the advance for the next manga." Fumie shook her head. "I guess your company is having hard times?" He nodded. She said, "Let me make some tea."
Shigeru came in, and greeted Fukuzawa. Shigeru handed over a manuscript. Fukuzawa started to look through it, and said, "Excellent, as usual. But... I don't have an advance that I can pay you. I'm sorry." He started to hand the manuscript back. Shigeru pushed it back into his hands. "If it gets published, that's enough."
Fukuzawa took the manuscript and said, "Well, maybe sooner or later..." Shigeru nodded, and said, "Yes, maybe sooner or later..." Then they looked at each other and said, "What?" Shigeru said, "Oh, I was talking about a manga. I think maybe I'll call it Another War Story." Shigeru got out the old pictures, and explained to Fukuzawa that he wanted to write a story about the other men in his outfit. Fukuzawa looked at the pictures and said, "I didn't know that you had these." Shigeru said, "It's not heroic. Some died of malaria, some fell in the river and drowned, but... sooner or later, they all died. I want to tell their stories, the real stories of war." He shook his head. "That's the next one, but it's going to take some time to write."
Fukuzawa looked at the pictures and said, "It sounds good. But I'm not sure I'll be publishing anymore." He set the pictures down and looked at Shigeru. "The truth is that I can't pay advances, and I may go bankrupt. The world of manga is changing, and I'm not sure what to do." Then he looked at the pictures again. "But this is the kind of thing that makes me want to keep going." He got up and looked out the window. The sunset was setting the clouds on fire, and he looked at them and smiled. "There's so much yet to do."
Later that evening, Shigeru was drawing panels for the other war story by himself in the darkened work room. Fumie came in, carrying tea. She glanced at him, and set it down quietly on the table. She watched him for a long moment. He was intent on the drawing. His face worked, and his nose was sweaty. Fumie left, quietly.
Out on the patio, Fumie sat with a bucket of water, Aiko, and Yoshiko. She had a package of colorful twists of paper, and a lit candle. She lit one of the twists, and waited with it held down until a drop of fire formed at the end. Then she handed it to Aiko. Soon all three were holding these simple fireworks.
Shigeru came out, and said, "Can I have one, too?" Fumie looked up, and said, "Of course." She lit one for him, and he waved it, gently. Then as he sat down, he looked at them and said, "Maybe next year, we'll move to the southern islands?" Aiko said, "Dad!" Fumie said, "Oh..." Yoshiko said, "Yeah!" Shigeru chuckled. "Hah! I win. You believed me. Right now, I'm too busy, but some day, maybe."
He sat and burned fireworks with his family. The pages of the war manga lay, unfinished, in the work room. Fumie thought that was the first time he had left a manga unfinished to spend time with his family.
This episode ended with a set of bits from next week's show. Fumie saying that she has bad feelings about something. Uraki, the sneaky friend, with a moustache. Several bits of Fumie's family. Michiko, the bookstore owner. Fumie hugging Aiko and Yoshiko.
