Page 98
(Kouji)
Page 99
| Shizuku | Ah . . . um . . . I mean . . . . |
| I'm sorry. Please excuse me. | |
| sfx | peko [humbly] |
| Kouji | Huh? |
| Seiji | Tsukishima? What's up with you? |
| sfx | fura fura [shakily] |
| Seiji | Hey! |
Page 100
| sfx | ki--n ko--n ka--n ko--n |
| sfx | boh-- |
| Shizuku | Huh. |
| sfx | Hey, lunch is here! |
| sfx | wai wai gaya gaya [chatter] |
It had really turned out to be a wreck of a day, what with Yuuko skipping class and all.
| Kinu | What's up, Shizuku? You're really looking down. |
| Shizuku | Oh, hi, Kinu-chan. I'm guess I'm kind of tired of life today. |
| Shizuku | At least it's finally lunchtime. |
| Kinu | Why don't we go down to Kousaka Sensei's office? |
| Boy | Hey, Tsukishima, you in here? There's some guy who wants to talk to you! |
Page 101
| Shizuku | Huh? |
| sfx | shi--n |
| Seiji | H-hello? |
| Shizuku | Good grief! |
| Kinu | Shizuku! |
| Isn't that Amasawa from Class 3? Since when did you--? | |
| Class | Look everybody, Shizuku's got a BOYFRIEND! |
| Shizuku | J-just a minute--! |
Page 102
| Shizuku | This ISN'T happening! |
| sfx | da da da da da da |
| sfx | pyu-- |
| sfx | Go for it, Shizuku! |
| Sugiyama | Who was that guy? |
| Nishino | Are you even reading that book, Sugiyama? |
| sfx | mogu mogu |
| Sugiyama | Say, Nishino, do you know that guy? |
| Nishino | You mean, Amasawa? |
| sfx | mogu mogu |
| What, you got a thing for Shizuku? | |
| sfx | ni ha ha ha ha |
| Sugiyama | Yeah, right. |
Page 103
| Shizuku | What were you THINKING? |
| With all those PEOPLE around! | |
| Kouji | You can quit pretending to be so self-conscious about it, okay? |
| sfx | kaaaah-- |
| Shizuku | P-pretending? |
| Kouji | Yeah, how weird would it be for me if I had to hang around outside your homeroom until you decided to leave? |
| Shizuku | Yeah, I suppose . . . |
Page 104
| Shizuku | . . . perhaps. |
| What do you want, anyway? | |
| Seiji | I was wondering, did you know my brother from before? |
| Shizuku | I didn't know him. We just met. |
| He helped me out at the Earth Shop. | |
| Seiji | You've been to the Earth Shop? |
| How do you know about the Earth Shop? | |
| Shizuku | What's the big deal about the Earth Shop? You would have found all this out if you'd just asked your brother. |
| Or were you too embarrassed about what you thought he'd think to ask? | |
| Seiji | You know, you're not very cute when you say things like that. |
Page 105
| Shizuku | Same to you! |
| sfx | beeeh--! |
| Seiji | I'd still like to know what was going on with you yesterday. |
| You were acting kind of funny. | |
| sfx | butsu butsu [annoyed] |
| Shizuku | Oh . . . that. Sorry about yesterday. And it's not that I don't appreciate your concern-- |
| --but I was wondering, talking with your brother, did he mention me or our meeting at the Earth Shop? |
Page 106
| Seiji | I haven't talked at all to my brother about you. |
| Shizuku | But yesterday, Seiji knew my name! |
| Seiji | You didn't tell him? |
| Students | Idiot! |
| Well, excuse me! | |
| Now what's she doing? | |
| Boy | Hey, you dummies, she saw us! |
| Well, them's the breaks! | |
| Kinu | Heh heh heh. |
| Shizuku | Kinu-chan! I don't believe this! |
| Seiji | Hey . . . um . . . . |
| And off she goes again. |
Page 107
(Shizuku chases her classmates down the stairs)
| Shizuku | What is GOING on? |
| Kinu | Sorry, sorry, but the curiosity was killing me! |
| Students | She's coming! |
| Run away! |
It was nice that Seiji was so concerned about me.
But--
--he didn't get how surprised I was when his brother knew my name!
| Kousaka | You mean, Shizuka's got a boyfriend? |
| Kinu | That's right, Sensei! |
| Shizuka | I do not, I'm telling you! |
| Kousaka | And where is Yuuko today? |
| Kinu | She's out (sick) today. |
Oh, yeah, that's right. Yuuko's got her reasons for not showing up, too.
| sfx | ki--n ko--n [school bell] |
Page 108
| Shizuku | School's out! |
| Girl | Bye-bye. |
What wonderful weather!
I wish the way I feel right now could go on forever--like a perfect autumn sky.
Well, so it turns out that Seiji Amasawa isn't such a bad guy after all.
| Seiji | There's no such thing as fairies . . . . |
We didn't exactly start off on the right foot, that's for sure. And I guess I'd be happy no matter who it turned out to be . . . .
Even somebody like Kouji?
Yeah, he's pretty cool. Even if he is kind of a strange one.
So why do I always act like such a klutz around him?
Page 109
(bottom panel: Shinto shrine steps)
When I think "Seiji Amasawa," though, I don't get quite feel the same way.
| Sugiyama | Hey! |
| Shizuku! | |
| Shizuku | Sugiyama. |
| Sugiyama | Look, all I wanted to do was get an answer for Yamazaki Senpai and she bursts out crying! |
Page 110
(top panel: Shinto shrine steps)
| Sugiyama | I've been trying to think what I did wrong . . . . |
| Shizuku | Hey, Sugiyama, didn't Yuuko want to know why you were asking her that question? |
| Sugiyama | Yeah. |
| Shizuku | And you haven't figured out what she meant when she said it wasn't a question she wanted to hear from you? |
| Sugiyama | Not a clue. |
ANOTHER . . . COCKY . . . KNOW-NOTHING . . . JOCK!
| Shizuku | Good grief, you sure are slow! Haven't you figured it out that Yuuko's got a crush on you? |
| Sugiyama | A what? What are you talking about? |
Page 111
| Sugiyama | W-what am I supposed to do about that? |
| You-- | |
| -- you're the one I like! | |
| Shizuku | D-don't joke around about stuff like that! |
| Sugiyama | I'm not joking! |
Page 112
| Sugiyama | You're the one I'm in love with! |
| Shizuku | Stop saying that! |
| Sugiyama | You mean you're already going steady with somebody? That guy you were talking to during lunch period? |
| Shizuku | It's not that at all! I'm not going steady with anybody! |
| No, I'm sorry! | |
| Sugiyama | Wait! |
| Shizuku . . . . |
Page 113
| Shizuku | I do like you, Sugimura. |
| But that doesn't mean I'm in love with you . . . . | |
| I know I'm not putting this very well-- | |
| --but we've always been friends before. I don't see why we can't go on just being friends. |
Page 114
| Sugiyama | Forever? |
| Shizuku | Sure, forever. |
| Sugiyama | Okay . . . I guess. |
I'm really sorry, Sugimura.
And then he . . . left without saying another word.
Page 115
(top panel: Tsukishima residence)
To tell the truth--
--between the two of us Sugiyama wasn't the only one running around with his eyes shut tight.
| Sugiyama | Hey Shizuku! |
How could I have been so dense?
How did I get myself into this mess?
| sign | The Earth Shop |
Page 116
(top panel: Shizuku and Kouji)
| Kouji | Welcome to the store, Shizuku-chan! |
| Shizuku | Hi, Kouji-san. |
| Shizuku | I came to see Sir Cat. |
| WHAT? HE'S NOT HERE? | |
| Where did he go? | |
| Seiji | The cat? Oh, he took off with that girl. They just left. |
| Shizuku | Wait--wait up! |
| Cat | Adieu. |
| Shizuku | WAIT, DON'T GO! |
Page 117
(top panel: Shizuku waking up)
What an awful dream.
| Yuuko | Good morning, Shizuku! |
| sfx | hatsu ratsu [vigorously] |
| Shizuku | Oh, g'morning, Yuuko. |
| You're sure in a good mood. | |
| Yuuko | What about you? |
| Shizuku | |
| sfx | tobo tobo [trudging along] |
Page 118
| sfx | battari! [unexpectedly] |
| Good . . . | |
| Good morning! |
Page 119
| sfx | niko [smile] |
| Yuuko | Um . . . . |
| Shizuku | Go on, Yuuko. You'll thank me later. |
| Yuuko | S-Sugimura? |
Sugimura did a good job pretending he didn't know how Yuuko felt about him.
| Yuuko | Sorry about that the other day. |
| Sugimura | Hey, no big deal. |
I got the strange feeling that I was watching one part of my life end and another one begin.
Page 120
| Yuuko | Sometimes you're just unbelievable, Shizuku! |
But now everything up till yesterday was different. And nothing after tomorrow would be the same, either.
| Shizuku | Ah ha ha. |
| Boy | Ha ha ha. |
| Boy | What a bunch of idiots. |
| Teacher | And that is what we understand of Ushiwakamaru as an historical figure. |
| Yuuko | Hey, Shizuku . . . . |
| I just heard from Kinu-chan about that guy you were talking to the other day--what's up with you and him? | |
| Shizuku | Not you, too, Yuuko. It's not what you think! |
Good grief! I've only got to put up with this nonsense for 75 more days!
|
Mimi o Sumaseba The following incident took place about the time I started drawing Mimi o Sumaseba. While I was out on a walk with my cat I ran into a businessman coming home from work. "Ah, is that a red panda [ressa panda]?" he asked. "Or a raccoon [araiguma]? To tell the truth, I've got six cats at home. As you can imagine, they're quite a handful . . . . " For a guy he sure could chatter on . . . about not much. "Oh, and here's my apartment building!" I said. (I was lying, of course. My apartment was in the next block.) "I see," he said. "Well, if you don't mind . . . . Here, take this postcard. My address is on the back." "Um, thanks," I replied. It was a picture I'd seen somewhere at an exhibition recently. "I took the photograph on that postcard," he said. And I thought: Laying it on a bit thick, isn't he? I mean, do guys like that really exist? The cats, the photograph, and those glasses . . . it was all quite unbelievable! |
| Cat | Adieu! |
What a strange thing to think about now. Though I'll hardly be surprised when he's sold.
I'd buy Sir Cat myself, but I know I can't afford him.
Page 121
(Shizuku running to the Earth Shop)
| sfx | ta ta ta ta ta |
| sfx | ha-- ha-- tatta tatta tatta |
| Page 122 | |
| Old man | Welcome-- |
| Shizuku | Do you still have the cat? |
| sfx | haa haa |
| He's here! | |
| What a relief! | |
| sfx | hoh-- |
| Old man | What this all about? |
| Shizuku | It was in a dream I had. |
| I dreamed he got sold! |
Page 123
| Old man | Ha ha ha. Is that right? That's what you were upset about? |
| You've nothing to worry about. The cat is not for sale. | |
| Shizuku | He isn't? |
| Old man | I wouldn't sell him for all the money in the world! |
| Not while he's still waiting here for his sweetheart to return. | |
| Shizuku | Why? |
[Old man] The story goes back over fifty years. At the time I was working at an import-export company. I often traveled back and forth between Japan and Europe.
Page 124
One day, in the corner of a coffee house, I discovered this cat. I spent the next three days begging the owner (to sell it to me). Finally he gave in.
On one condition . . . .
The cat was to be part of a set. He was working on the cat's companion, and asked that I hold off selling him until he had completed her (so they could be sold together).
I agreed to wait until the cat's companion was sent to me, and returned to Japan with only Sir Cat here.
But in the meantime the war broke out and the cat's promised companion never arrived.
My company went bankrupt as well. After the war I was only able to return to Germany once.
Do you see here, on the soles of his shoes? The doll maker inscribed his name.
With that information in hand, I searched high and low for him. But he was nowhere to be found.
And yet-- --I still have to believe that one day Sir Cat's sweetheart will finally arrive.
Page 125
Until the day comes, here is where he will stay.
| Shizuku | Yes, I understand. |
| Old man | Watch this! If you place Sir Cat over here-- |
| --you will see something wonderful. |
Page 126
| Old man | Too much time in the sunlight will damage him, so I don't do it very often. |
| Now, look into his eyes . . . . |
Page 127
His eyes brimmed over with light!
| Old man | I heard it called the "Room of the Angels." |
| The doll maker, when he was stretching the fabric (over the frame), scratched the glass. He created the effect quite by accident. |
Page 128
That brilliant sound--
--that I thought I had forgotten, there it was again!
| Shizuku | Thank you, sir. |
| sfx | koh-ton [like cotton] |
| Old man | Come again any time. |
Page 129
(top panel: painting of the griffin)
| Shizuku | Over there . . . . |
| Old man | Oh, the painting, you mean? It's something my grandson did. |
| Every since he was a child he's loved fairy tales and fantasies, | |
| and has been equally devoted to his art as well. | |
| Recently, he has really produced some fine canvases. I thought this one would add to the decor. | |
| His older brother, on the other hand, is enamored of photography. Even though their personalities are quite different-- | |
| Shizuku | I don't believe it! |
| Old man | --their tastes in art are much the same. |
| Shizuku | His grandsons! |
Page 130
Se - i - ji. Seiji. It was him, all right.
Come to think about it, the first time we met--
--he was reading a fairy tale book, and his eyes were all lit up.
| name | Amasawa Seiji |
| Seiji | Hi. |
| Fact is, I don't know much about you. | |
| We just keep passing by each other like this, two ships in the night. | |
| Shizuku | At the library we must have done it dozens of times. |
| Um . . . . | |
| You're really a good artist. | |
| Seiji | Oh, you saw it . . . . |
Page 132
| Seiji | Last year, quite out of the blue, my dad said to me: |
| "How long are you going waste your time on those silly books?" | |
| He said the same thing to my brother when he was my age. But my brother's not the kind to take something like that lying down. The two of them have been at loggerheads on the subject ever since. | |
| But that's not my way. So lately I've been doing my painting, well, behind his back. | |
| Still, it feels like I'm doing something wrong. | |
| Shizuku | It is unusual, I guess. |
| But what else can you do? You'll just have to keep doing your painting at your grandfather's place. | |
| Seiji | You know, I am thinking of becoming a doctor. |
| Shizuku | But I think it's wonderful, the way both you and your brother-- |
Page 133
| Shizuku | --have the talent to express yourselves so well. |
| The way you don't accept defeat no matter what you're up against-- | |
| --and no matter what anybody says, you don't give up on your dreams. | |
| Seiji | When you put it that way, it's kinda embarrassing. |
| Shizuku | So what if it is! |
| sfx | buh-- |
Though I could understand where he was coming from.
Blurting out things like that was more a way of hiding my own shyness.
| Shizuku | Whenever I read books--whether it's something silly or something deeply moving--I experience all different kinds of feelings. |
Page 134
| Shizuku | At times like that, I hear this sound. |
| Seiji | A sound? |
| Shizuku | Yes, a sound. |
| A sound. | |
| I've never really understood what it means. | |
| But when I'm in the Earth Shop, listening to the story of Sir Cat, or looking at your painting-- | |
| --I think I begin to understand a little what it means. | |
| Recently, though-- | |
| --I've haven't heard it at all. |
Page 135
| Shizuku | For some reason, it seems that just reading stories just isn't enough. |
| Seiji | So why don't you write them yourself, then? |
| Shizuku | What? |
| Seiji | Yeah, you ought to write your own stories. |
Of course! For some reason it hadn't ever occurred to me before.
Page 136
So my simple reply was as follows:
| Shizuku | Thank you! |
