Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 9/22
Oct. 6th, 2010 09:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. What if I don't want to?
Kitamura, the former Shonen Land assistant, now a lead editor, looked around at Sugai, Aikawa, Mitsuo, Fumie, and Shigeru. He smiled. "Well, I wasn't going to ask everyone, but I guess... my big favor is, I'd really like to have Kitaro in the weekly magazines, too." Shigeru said, "What about the monthly?" Kitamura smiled. "Both! We'd like Kitaro in the monthly AND weekly magazines. What do you think?"
Shigeru looked at everyone, too. Then he said, "We'll do it."
Kitamura pulled several sheets out of his briefcase. "In that case, here are some ideas we've had for a debut. Obviously, it depends on you, but..." As Kitamura and Shigeru leaned over the sheets, Sugai shook his head and walked back into the workroom. Fumie looked after him.
Sugai sat at his desk, staring at the window. He muttered, "Kitamura is a lead editor? Well..." Fumie came up behind him, and said, "Sugai? Is something wrong?" He turned around.
Shigeru's voice could be heard in the other room. "Sugai? Really?" Aikawa stepped in from the other room and said, "Sugai? Quickly." AIkawa waved his hand at him, and Sugai and Fumie went back into the visitors' room.
As Sugai stepped in, Shigeru looked at him. Shigeru said, "You did it!" Sugai said, "What?" Kitamura smiled at him, and said, "Shinjin manga." Sugai looked confused. Shigeru said, "They want your manga. When did you draw it, anyway?" Sugai gimaced. "At home. I draw at home, sometimes. But... my manga?" Kitamura said, "Yes. Evening Wildflowers, Cool Breeze. It's reallly nostalgic, and we like it." Sugai's chin dropped. Kitamura said, "Please? Sugai sensei?" Shigeru said, "All right! You did it!"
At dinner, Yoshiko, Fumie, Shigeru, Kinuyo, and Aiko sat at the table. Kinuyo said, "So he draw a manga called Evening Wildflowers, Cool Breeze? It sounds like a patent medicine!" Shigeru chuckled. "He was a druggist for a couple of years, I guess. That was... 20 years ago, though." He looked thoughtful. "It has been 20 years, hasn't it?" Kinuyo said, "Well, if he goes, will the company be okay?" Shigeru said, "Yes, we'll manage. It will be rough, with the new business and him leaving, but..."
In the workroom the next day, Aikawa turned around and said, "Sugai? Are you going to be nearby?" Sugai looked at him, and shrugged. Aikawa said, "I just wondered, because I might have questions."
Mitsuo was talking with Shigeru in his office. "So, we need to get some more assistants, I guess." Shigeru nodded. "Probably three more. But at least one soon." Sugai was in the hall. He grimaced and walked away.
Outside on the patio, Fumie and Aiko were folding clothes. Aiko said, "So will we have the going-away party for Sugai soon?" Fumie laughed. "I think it's too early to talk about his going-away party. Let's think about a celebration party, instead." Then she shook her head. "It's going to be awfully lonely without him."
Inside the house, Sugai shook his head, too. He turned and walked away.
The next day, Shigeru was in the workroom drawing. Mitsuo came in, and said, "That was Sugai. He's going to take today off. He's got a cold." Then Mitsuo glanced at the clock. "He really should have called earlier." It was almost noon.
Shigeru frownd. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it." Aikawa looked over and said, "That's really unusual. I don't think he ever takes a day off." Shigeru said, "Well, he hasn't been his usual self recently. He's made mistakes. I told him about one the other day." Aikawa said, "Yes, and he made a mistake drawing the other day." Mitsuo said, "He's been moping, too."
Later, Shigeru came into the kitchen and said, "Fumie, have you heard anything from Sugai?" She shook her head. Shigeru said, "I just called his home, and he's not there. This isn't like him."
The telephone rang, and Fumie picked it up. "This is Murai. What? Oh, we'll be right there." She hung up.
Fumie and Aikawa rushed through the doorway of the coffeeshop. Sugai was sitting on a stool at the counter, asleep on one arm, stretched out across the counter. Fumie said, "I'm so sorry." The coffee shop man stood behind the counter. He smiled. "It's okay. But he came in drunk, and just passed out here. I didn't know what to do." Fumie and Aikawa started to wake Sugai up. Fumie patted his shoulder and said, "Sugai?" Aikawa pulled at his arm and said, "Come on, Sugai. Let's go."
Sugai wobbled erect, and turned to look at them. He grabbed the counter with one hand, and pointed with his other hand. "No. My home is that way." Fumie said, "Let's go to our house for now." He pushed Aikawa's hands away. "Leave me alone." Then he slumped. "Nobody cares. Nobody wants me. I've been there 20 years, and nobody cares." Fumie looked at him. ""What?"
At the house, Shigeru sat across the table from Sugai. There was a tall glass of water on the table in front of Sugai. Fumie watched from the side. Sugai said, "I wasn't ready. I don't want to leave. But everyone expects me to, since I've sold a manga. I guess I have to."
Shigeru said, "Idiot!" Fumie gasped. Shigeru said, "I thought you wanted to leave. So I was willing to try. But, if not... Sugai, no one can replace you here."
Sugai opened his eyes wide. "Seriously?" Shigeru nodded. He said, "Who else can do dots like that?" Sugai said, "I can stay here?" Shigeru said, "Please. As long as you want." Sugai stared at him for a long moment, then bowed. "That makes me so happy."
Later, Fumie handed Shigeru a cup of coffee at the table. As he sipped it, she said, "Actually, we're the happy ones." Shigeru said, "Yes, he's helped us through good times and bad."
Fumie got up and started to wash dishes. Shigeru tilted his head. "Say... let's have a party." Fumie turned and said, "A party?" Shigeru nodded. "Yes. A celebration of 20 years of Mizuki Productions!" Fumie said, "That sounds good."
Shigeru said, "It's for you, too." Fumie said, "What?" Shigeru said, "You help, too. In fact, when I'm not there, everyone turns to you." Then he shook his head. "Nobody can replace Sugai, but you also make the business run." Then he grinned. "Let's get everyone who's been involved."
Fumie looked worried. "How many is that? I mean, we can shift the tables around, but... how can we get all those people in here?" Shigeru said, "It would be tight. So we won't do it here. We'll get a hotel party room." He nodded for a moment, then said, "Yes. Let's do it."
He stood up and started walking into the dark workroom. "Mitsuo? Where are you?"
Fumie said, "I guess we're going to have a party."
<to be continued>
Kitamura, the former Shonen Land assistant, now a lead editor, looked around at Sugai, Aikawa, Mitsuo, Fumie, and Shigeru. He smiled. "Well, I wasn't going to ask everyone, but I guess... my big favor is, I'd really like to have Kitaro in the weekly magazines, too." Shigeru said, "What about the monthly?" Kitamura smiled. "Both! We'd like Kitaro in the monthly AND weekly magazines. What do you think?"
Shigeru looked at everyone, too. Then he said, "We'll do it."
Kitamura pulled several sheets out of his briefcase. "In that case, here are some ideas we've had for a debut. Obviously, it depends on you, but..." As Kitamura and Shigeru leaned over the sheets, Sugai shook his head and walked back into the workroom. Fumie looked after him.
Sugai sat at his desk, staring at the window. He muttered, "Kitamura is a lead editor? Well..." Fumie came up behind him, and said, "Sugai? Is something wrong?" He turned around.
Shigeru's voice could be heard in the other room. "Sugai? Really?" Aikawa stepped in from the other room and said, "Sugai? Quickly." AIkawa waved his hand at him, and Sugai and Fumie went back into the visitors' room.
As Sugai stepped in, Shigeru looked at him. Shigeru said, "You did it!" Sugai said, "What?" Kitamura smiled at him, and said, "Shinjin manga." Sugai looked confused. Shigeru said, "They want your manga. When did you draw it, anyway?" Sugai gimaced. "At home. I draw at home, sometimes. But... my manga?" Kitamura said, "Yes. Evening Wildflowers, Cool Breeze. It's reallly nostalgic, and we like it." Sugai's chin dropped. Kitamura said, "Please? Sugai sensei?" Shigeru said, "All right! You did it!"
At dinner, Yoshiko, Fumie, Shigeru, Kinuyo, and Aiko sat at the table. Kinuyo said, "So he draw a manga called Evening Wildflowers, Cool Breeze? It sounds like a patent medicine!" Shigeru chuckled. "He was a druggist for a couple of years, I guess. That was... 20 years ago, though." He looked thoughtful. "It has been 20 years, hasn't it?" Kinuyo said, "Well, if he goes, will the company be okay?" Shigeru said, "Yes, we'll manage. It will be rough, with the new business and him leaving, but..."
In the workroom the next day, Aikawa turned around and said, "Sugai? Are you going to be nearby?" Sugai looked at him, and shrugged. Aikawa said, "I just wondered, because I might have questions."
Mitsuo was talking with Shigeru in his office. "So, we need to get some more assistants, I guess." Shigeru nodded. "Probably three more. But at least one soon." Sugai was in the hall. He grimaced and walked away.
Outside on the patio, Fumie and Aiko were folding clothes. Aiko said, "So will we have the going-away party for Sugai soon?" Fumie laughed. "I think it's too early to talk about his going-away party. Let's think about a celebration party, instead." Then she shook her head. "It's going to be awfully lonely without him."
Inside the house, Sugai shook his head, too. He turned and walked away.
The next day, Shigeru was in the workroom drawing. Mitsuo came in, and said, "That was Sugai. He's going to take today off. He's got a cold." Then Mitsuo glanced at the clock. "He really should have called earlier." It was almost noon.
Shigeru frownd. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it." Aikawa looked over and said, "That's really unusual. I don't think he ever takes a day off." Shigeru said, "Well, he hasn't been his usual self recently. He's made mistakes. I told him about one the other day." Aikawa said, "Yes, and he made a mistake drawing the other day." Mitsuo said, "He's been moping, too."
Later, Shigeru came into the kitchen and said, "Fumie, have you heard anything from Sugai?" She shook her head. Shigeru said, "I just called his home, and he's not there. This isn't like him."
The telephone rang, and Fumie picked it up. "This is Murai. What? Oh, we'll be right there." She hung up.
Fumie and Aikawa rushed through the doorway of the coffeeshop. Sugai was sitting on a stool at the counter, asleep on one arm, stretched out across the counter. Fumie said, "I'm so sorry." The coffee shop man stood behind the counter. He smiled. "It's okay. But he came in drunk, and just passed out here. I didn't know what to do." Fumie and Aikawa started to wake Sugai up. Fumie patted his shoulder and said, "Sugai?" Aikawa pulled at his arm and said, "Come on, Sugai. Let's go."
Sugai wobbled erect, and turned to look at them. He grabbed the counter with one hand, and pointed with his other hand. "No. My home is that way." Fumie said, "Let's go to our house for now." He pushed Aikawa's hands away. "Leave me alone." Then he slumped. "Nobody cares. Nobody wants me. I've been there 20 years, and nobody cares." Fumie looked at him. ""What?"
At the house, Shigeru sat across the table from Sugai. There was a tall glass of water on the table in front of Sugai. Fumie watched from the side. Sugai said, "I wasn't ready. I don't want to leave. But everyone expects me to, since I've sold a manga. I guess I have to."
Shigeru said, "Idiot!" Fumie gasped. Shigeru said, "I thought you wanted to leave. So I was willing to try. But, if not... Sugai, no one can replace you here."
Sugai opened his eyes wide. "Seriously?" Shigeru nodded. He said, "Who else can do dots like that?" Sugai said, "I can stay here?" Shigeru said, "Please. As long as you want." Sugai stared at him for a long moment, then bowed. "That makes me so happy."
Later, Fumie handed Shigeru a cup of coffee at the table. As he sipped it, she said, "Actually, we're the happy ones." Shigeru said, "Yes, he's helped us through good times and bad."
Fumie got up and started to wash dishes. Shigeru tilted his head. "Say... let's have a party." Fumie turned and said, "A party?" Shigeru nodded. "Yes. A celebration of 20 years of Mizuki Productions!" Fumie said, "That sounds good."
Shigeru said, "It's for you, too." Fumie said, "What?" Shigeru said, "You help, too. In fact, when I'm not there, everyone turns to you." Then he shook his head. "Nobody can replace Sugai, but you also make the business run." Then he grinned. "Let's get everyone who's been involved."
Fumie looked worried. "How many is that? I mean, we can shift the tables around, but... how can we get all those people in here?" Shigeru said, "It would be tight. So we won't do it here. We'll get a hotel party room." He nodded for a moment, then said, "Yes. Let's do it."
He stood up and started walking into the dark workroom. "Mitsuo? Where are you?"
Fumie said, "I guess we're going to have a party."
<to be continued>
