Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/31
Aug. 31st, 2010 01:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. nothing left
In the workroom, Shigeru looked at the blank schedule book. "What is this?" Mitsui walked in. Shigeru looked at him and said, "We don't have anything?"
At the coffee shop, Fumie went in and sat down with Sanae, the wife of Inui, Japan's smallest publisher. Sanae said, "I'm sorry to interrupt like this, but I was in the area and thought I would like to see you again." Fumie said, "No, I'm glad. How long has it been?" Sanae said, "Four years, I think. Is everyone healthy?" Fumie nodded.
Shigeru and Mitsui sat in the visitor's room. Mitsui said, "There just doesn't seem to be anything right now." Shigeru said, "We can't do this. We'll be poor again." Mitsui said, "Well, there's one or two things..." Shigeru stood up and went over to his desk. "I better do some drawing." Mitsui said, "But not today. We've got that television interview." Shigeru shook his head. "I don't like those things." Mitsui came over and held the schedule book open. "But look, this one is important. High school monster spotlight? That's perfect for you." Shigeru frowned. Then someone called, "Mizuki sensei? Are you in here?" Shigeru and Mitsui looked up. Shigeru said, "Well, they're here."
Meanwhile, at the coffee shop, Sanae said, "I'm sorry you had to come such a long way." Fumie said, "No, I needed to get out of the house anyway. There's a TV interview today." Sanae said, "TV! Mizuki is really popular, I guess." Fumie said, "Well..."
Then Fumie leaned forward and said, "What about Inui? How is his work doing?" Sanae said, "He's doing editing, some other jobs. We get by." Fumie said, "What about publishing manga?" Sanae shook her head. "Not right now." She sat back in the seat. "He was really excited a few years ago. He made compact size reprints. He said they'd be cheap, easy to carry and store, he was sure they were going to be popular." Fumie said, "And?" Sanae smiled. "Do you remember when the big manga books came out? There was a big boom in those?" Fumie nodded. "Well, it swept his compact size right off the shelves." Sanai sighed. "He said he wasn't going to publish anything for a while. It's OK with me, but..." She picked up her coffee and sipped it, then set it down carefully. "He drinks too much, and he doesn't seem to be interested in anything." Sanae smiled. "It's like he's deflated or something."
Back at the office, Shigeru stared into the TV camera. "Over here?" The director glanced at the display on the camera that the camera man was holding steady, and said, "That's fine." The director waved at the interviewer, a woman who held out a microphone close to Shigeru. She said, "So tell me, you believe in monsters?" Shigeru nodded. "Yes, our ancestors said to listen carefully and quietly, and you would discover monsters." The woman said, "So there are monsters everywhere, right?" Shigeru said, "Well, you have to go where they are." The woman said, "Maybe you could introduce us? We could have a lottery for winners..." Shigeru shook his head. "That's not how you find monsters." The director put his hand in front of the camera. "Stop." Then he looked at Shigeru. "We know, but we can't just do all this old stuff. We need something gory or exciting."
In the coffee shop, Fumie said, "So Inui isn't publishing manga?" Sanae said, "That's what he says. But... maybe if the right opportunity came along, he might. I mean, manga people have to make manga. And I think a new manga might inflate him a little."
Sanae leaned forward. "He said something odd the other day. He had picked up one of Mizuki's recent manga, and read it. He said he thought something was missing. Is Mizuki OK?" Fumie frowned. "Well... there aren't so many orders right now." Sanae said, "But he's been selling for a long time. Sometimes you don't sell."
Later, Fumie was walking back with her bicycle. The basket on the front of the bicycle was full of groceries. She wondered what had changed in Shigeru's manga that Inui saw something missing. As she turned into the street in front of her house, she saw the television crew coming out. As they walked by her, the director said, "I'm glad we got this done early. All that old talk. We'll cut it down, and fill in with some other stuff this afternoon. I guess Kitaro is just worn out." Fumie walked on past, and into the house.
That evening, Fumie walked into the kitchen. She started to sit down, and realized that Shigeru was sitting in the living room on the sofa in the dark. She said, "Shigeru? What are you doing?" He shook his head. "Nothing."
Fumie sat down and smiled. "I saw Sanae today." Shigeru said, "I haven't seen Inui in a long time." Fumie said, "He might be going to publish some manga soon." Shigeru nodded. "That would be good. He's a good publisher."
Fumie said, "Let me make some tea. How did the television interview go?" Shigeru shook his head. "They're not really interested in monsters. They just want gory stuff."
The next day, Shigeru looked at the blank schedule. He shook his head and went to sit in his office. He pulled out a sheet of paper and set it on his desk. He got a pencil and eraser. He sat there and looked at the blank sheet of paper.
Later, Aiko and Fumie were in the kitchen. There was a thumping noise behind the wall. Aiko glanced at the wall, then said, "Is father cleaning again?" Fumie nodded. "He got a big box of new masks." Yoshiko came in and sat down. "I'm hungry." Fumie said, "There's some doughnuts." Fumie got them out and Yoshiko picked up one. Fumie said, "Do you want to help Shigeru with his collection?" Yoshiko said, "First I need to think about the school trip. They asked me to help. I need some advice." Fumie said, "Sure." Yoshiko said, "What do you think about Kyoto, going to the temples there?" Aiko said, "You could go shopping, too." Yoshiko said, "That would be boring." Then she took another bite of her doughnut and said, "Maybe I'll ask Dad. He's in the office?" Fumie said, "No, he's in with his collection." Yoshiko walked out of the kitchen.
Fumie said, "That's a good thing. If she's helping with the school trip, maybe she'll make some friends." Aiko said, "I doubt it. She'll want to go to all the graveyards." Fumie said, "Now, don't say that. She's..."
There was huge crash in the other room. Aiko said, "What?" They both ran into the other room.
In the room with the collection, Shigeru was hitting the floor with a towel, sweeping out the open door. Yoshiko had a rolled up newspaper, and was swatting the floor. Shigeru said, "It's OK now. I think they're all outside." He leaned against the door frame.
Fumie stood in the doorway and said, "What are you doing?" Yoshiko said, "Bugs! That new box... when dad opened it, bugs came out."
Fumie took a cautious step inside the room. She looked around and said, "You've got more stuff? How are you going to fit it all in?" Yoshiko smiled and said, "Yeah, Dad, where are you going to put all your treasures?"
Shigeru stared out the door. Fumie said, "Shigeru?" He said, slowly, "Treasures? They're all trash."
<to be continued>
In the workroom, Shigeru looked at the blank schedule book. "What is this?" Mitsui walked in. Shigeru looked at him and said, "We don't have anything?"
At the coffee shop, Fumie went in and sat down with Sanae, the wife of Inui, Japan's smallest publisher. Sanae said, "I'm sorry to interrupt like this, but I was in the area and thought I would like to see you again." Fumie said, "No, I'm glad. How long has it been?" Sanae said, "Four years, I think. Is everyone healthy?" Fumie nodded.
Shigeru and Mitsui sat in the visitor's room. Mitsui said, "There just doesn't seem to be anything right now." Shigeru said, "We can't do this. We'll be poor again." Mitsui said, "Well, there's one or two things..." Shigeru stood up and went over to his desk. "I better do some drawing." Mitsui said, "But not today. We've got that television interview." Shigeru shook his head. "I don't like those things." Mitsui came over and held the schedule book open. "But look, this one is important. High school monster spotlight? That's perfect for you." Shigeru frowned. Then someone called, "Mizuki sensei? Are you in here?" Shigeru and Mitsui looked up. Shigeru said, "Well, they're here."
Meanwhile, at the coffee shop, Sanae said, "I'm sorry you had to come such a long way." Fumie said, "No, I needed to get out of the house anyway. There's a TV interview today." Sanae said, "TV! Mizuki is really popular, I guess." Fumie said, "Well..."
Then Fumie leaned forward and said, "What about Inui? How is his work doing?" Sanae said, "He's doing editing, some other jobs. We get by." Fumie said, "What about publishing manga?" Sanae shook her head. "Not right now." She sat back in the seat. "He was really excited a few years ago. He made compact size reprints. He said they'd be cheap, easy to carry and store, he was sure they were going to be popular." Fumie said, "And?" Sanae smiled. "Do you remember when the big manga books came out? There was a big boom in those?" Fumie nodded. "Well, it swept his compact size right off the shelves." Sanai sighed. "He said he wasn't going to publish anything for a while. It's OK with me, but..." She picked up her coffee and sipped it, then set it down carefully. "He drinks too much, and he doesn't seem to be interested in anything." Sanae smiled. "It's like he's deflated or something."
Back at the office, Shigeru stared into the TV camera. "Over here?" The director glanced at the display on the camera that the camera man was holding steady, and said, "That's fine." The director waved at the interviewer, a woman who held out a microphone close to Shigeru. She said, "So tell me, you believe in monsters?" Shigeru nodded. "Yes, our ancestors said to listen carefully and quietly, and you would discover monsters." The woman said, "So there are monsters everywhere, right?" Shigeru said, "Well, you have to go where they are." The woman said, "Maybe you could introduce us? We could have a lottery for winners..." Shigeru shook his head. "That's not how you find monsters." The director put his hand in front of the camera. "Stop." Then he looked at Shigeru. "We know, but we can't just do all this old stuff. We need something gory or exciting."
In the coffee shop, Fumie said, "So Inui isn't publishing manga?" Sanae said, "That's what he says. But... maybe if the right opportunity came along, he might. I mean, manga people have to make manga. And I think a new manga might inflate him a little."
Sanae leaned forward. "He said something odd the other day. He had picked up one of Mizuki's recent manga, and read it. He said he thought something was missing. Is Mizuki OK?" Fumie frowned. "Well... there aren't so many orders right now." Sanae said, "But he's been selling for a long time. Sometimes you don't sell."
Later, Fumie was walking back with her bicycle. The basket on the front of the bicycle was full of groceries. She wondered what had changed in Shigeru's manga that Inui saw something missing. As she turned into the street in front of her house, she saw the television crew coming out. As they walked by her, the director said, "I'm glad we got this done early. All that old talk. We'll cut it down, and fill in with some other stuff this afternoon. I guess Kitaro is just worn out." Fumie walked on past, and into the house.
That evening, Fumie walked into the kitchen. She started to sit down, and realized that Shigeru was sitting in the living room on the sofa in the dark. She said, "Shigeru? What are you doing?" He shook his head. "Nothing."
Fumie sat down and smiled. "I saw Sanae today." Shigeru said, "I haven't seen Inui in a long time." Fumie said, "He might be going to publish some manga soon." Shigeru nodded. "That would be good. He's a good publisher."
Fumie said, "Let me make some tea. How did the television interview go?" Shigeru shook his head. "They're not really interested in monsters. They just want gory stuff."
The next day, Shigeru looked at the blank schedule. He shook his head and went to sit in his office. He pulled out a sheet of paper and set it on his desk. He got a pencil and eraser. He sat there and looked at the blank sheet of paper.
Later, Aiko and Fumie were in the kitchen. There was a thumping noise behind the wall. Aiko glanced at the wall, then said, "Is father cleaning again?" Fumie nodded. "He got a big box of new masks." Yoshiko came in and sat down. "I'm hungry." Fumie said, "There's some doughnuts." Fumie got them out and Yoshiko picked up one. Fumie said, "Do you want to help Shigeru with his collection?" Yoshiko said, "First I need to think about the school trip. They asked me to help. I need some advice." Fumie said, "Sure." Yoshiko said, "What do you think about Kyoto, going to the temples there?" Aiko said, "You could go shopping, too." Yoshiko said, "That would be boring." Then she took another bite of her doughnut and said, "Maybe I'll ask Dad. He's in the office?" Fumie said, "No, he's in with his collection." Yoshiko walked out of the kitchen.
Fumie said, "That's a good thing. If she's helping with the school trip, maybe she'll make some friends." Aiko said, "I doubt it. She'll want to go to all the graveyards." Fumie said, "Now, don't say that. She's..."
There was huge crash in the other room. Aiko said, "What?" They both ran into the other room.
In the room with the collection, Shigeru was hitting the floor with a towel, sweeping out the open door. Yoshiko had a rolled up newspaper, and was swatting the floor. Shigeru said, "It's OK now. I think they're all outside." He leaned against the door frame.
Fumie stood in the doorway and said, "What are you doing?" Yoshiko said, "Bugs! That new box... when dad opened it, bugs came out."
Fumie took a cautious step inside the room. She looked around and said, "You've got more stuff? How are you going to fit it all in?" Yoshiko smiled and said, "Yeah, Dad, where are you going to put all your treasures?"
Shigeru stared out the door. Fumie said, "Shigeru?" He said, slowly, "Treasures? They're all trash."
<to be continued>
