X character file: Karen Kasumi. -- translated by Rika Takahashi (fuu) * Monologue. KAREN I felt like writing a letter all of a sudden, so I grabbed a pen and a pad of paper from work and started writing. I don't know why, but I wanted to write down what happened today. I wonder if this would be a diary. But I have always been bad with diaries. You know, like how you get those picture-diary assignments at school? I hated that so much. I think that has gotten me to hate diaries in general. Because it's not like you have something good happen to you every day. There are bad things that happen, and things that you want to forget about. I don't want to be so masochistic as to be writing such things down. Everything was bad when I was a child. The fear towards the fact that your own daughter was not normal. That's true. It would be scary if your daughter lighted something on fire from nowhere, using nothing but her own body. But. I don't think that is a valid reason to hit her. I don't think physical abuse would solve any of the problems. My mother was not a strong person; by doing that, she was running away from the supernatural phonomena that surrounded her. But. I guess kids with spontaneous conbustion abilities are scary. If I didn't have such powers, I would be scared of someone who did. No, I wouldn't believe such a thing. Because it has absolutely no use. If you want to light a cigarette, you have a cigarette lighter. If you go into the kitchen, there's a stove. In this current world, you can create fire without using your own powers. That's why I've always been wondering. Why I have such powers. When I found out that it was for the Earth. I laughed. Earth. EARTH. I didn't quite grasp the concept because it was so world-wide. {read "worldwide" as "farfetched", that's the context. --fuu} And besides, to a soap-girl, what happens to the earth isn't all that important. Oh, at the soap that I'm working now. There was something good today. That's why I want to write all this down. Something wonderful that happened today. * Drama. The soap that Karen works in. Karen's room. The door opens. KAREN Welcome. Karen answers with a polite smile. The customer at the door, however, looks slightly troubled. It is Seiichirou Aoki. SEIICHIROU U, Uh, hello. KAREN Well, hello. Seiichirou stands frozen at the door. KAREN ........... SEIICHIROU ........... KAREN Do you like standing there? Karen asks, sitting on her chair. SEIICHIROU Uh, no, it's not that. KAREN Then would you like to come here? It's cold if the door stays open, especially because I'm dressed like this. Karen comments mischivously. SEIICHIROU I'm sorry! Seiichirou hurriedly shuts the door. He then trots into the room. KAREN I'm sorry. Unlike you in your suit, lingerie tends to chill your body. SEIICHIROU Cold is a woman's enemy. Suddenly, Seiichirou replies seriously. He takes his jacket off and puts it on Karen. KAREN Oh, your jacket.... draping it on me? SEIICHIROU Girls should keep their backs warm. KAREN I'm not exactly a girl. Karen giggles. KAREN But thanks. Karen stands up. KAREN Well. You look like you're not used to places like this. SEIICHIROU I'm sorry. KAREN Don't apologize. It's not a bad thing. Karen faces Seiichirou. KAREN Did you hear about the system here? SEIICHIROU Uh, yes. KAREN If you're not pleased with me, you can change. Um, Mika-chan in #4 is my recommendation. She's REALLY twenty, and she's cute. SEIICHIROU Not pleased? Not at all. Seiichirou looks fretful. Karen giggles. KAREN Then I'm fine? SEIICHIROU Y, yes. KAREN Why, thank you. Then shall we begin? Karen starts getting ready. SEIICHIROU Oh, no! It's not *that*! Seiichirou desperately stops Karen. KAREN Hmm? SEIICHIROU I, I want to get some information! KAREN Information.....? SEIICHIROU If you excuse me... I think my business card was in the inside pocket of my jacket...... Seiichirou looks around for his card from the jacket on Karen. He seems to find out. SEIICHIROU Here it is. Seiichirou hands a card to Karen. SEIICHIROU I'm Seiichirou Aoki from Kadokawa Shoten. KAREN Kadokawa Shoten.... a bookstore? SEIICHIROU A publishing company. Seiichirou smiles, as if he is finally relaxed. KAREN What from this publishing company? Are you going to make a book about fuuzoku? {fuuzoku == "amusement industry". usually refers to the quasi- prostitution stuff such as soaps. --fuu} Seiichirou shakes his head violently. SEIICHIROU No, no, that's not it. Um..... Seiichirou points to one place on his card. SEIICHIROU One of our shoujo manga magazines, ASUKA, has an author running a series. That author needed some information about soap-lands, so I'm here to ask a few questions instead.... KAREN What does a soap have to do with shoujo manga? SEIICHIROU It's for one of our more, eccentric, authors..... KAREN Hmm. You have a tough job. SEIICHIROU No, not really. You on the other hand must have a tough job. KAREN Hmm? SEIICHIROU Any job that has customer service is a tough job..... Karen looks awestruck from Seiichirou saying something that she wasn't expecting. She then smiles happily. KAREN I'm happy that you think so. Karen stands up. She seems to be preparing something. SEIICHIROU Uh, um! I only need an interview!! KAREN I'm going to make tea. The best thing I have. Karen gets the pot full of hot water. KAREN Do you like tea? SEIICHIROU Yes. KAREN Good. Then let's have tea-time. SEIICHIROU Here? KAREN Boast that you had tea in a soap to your co-workers. The two drink tea. Seiichirou flops his notepad shut. SEIICHIROU Thank you very much. KAREN Was that helpful? SEIICHIROU Very! KAREN (laughing) Next time you go to a soap, do what I just told you. Every girl would love you and say you're the greatest customer. SEIICHIROU Oh, really? KAREN Yes. People who come to this type of place seem to be rather rude at times because they remember in the back of their mind that they're the ones paying money for this. Of course, there are exceptions. SEIICHIROU You have to have respect and caring for people who are paying too. KAREN (laughs again) You're an interesting man. I wish all my customers were like you. Karen brews another pot of tea. KAREN Aoki-san, was it? SEIICHIROU Yes. KAREN Are you single? SEIICHIROU No, I have a wife and a child. KAREN Oh, I'm shocked. Karen serves another cup of tea to Seiichirou from the teapot. KAREN No, I'm really shocked. SEIICHIROU Oh, why? KAREN All the good guys are already taken or gay.... Karen nods. KAREN I guess the world is first-come-first-serve. SEIICHIROU I don't think so. KAREN Oh, I think so. SEIICHIROU Um, would you mind if I asked your name? KAREN Oh, that's right, I haven't told you yet. Karen hands one of her business cards to Seiichirou. KAREN That's my name. SEIICHIROU Karen-san? KAREN Yup, Karen. Ask for me next time. Karen winks at Seiichirou. Seiichirou panics. SEIICHIROU Uh, oh, um, uhhh.... KAREN (laughing) I guess you won't have the need for that because you have a loving wife. SEIICHIROU But you are charming too. Karen looks at Seiichirou, stunned. Seiichirou didn't seem to have ulterior motives. He was serious. Karen, blushing a little bit. KAREN ..... Thank you. Seiichirou doesn't really notice the change in mood. SEIICHIROU Um, about your name.... KAREN Half fake, half real. SEIICHIROU Hmm? KAREN You write 'karen' like this. Here, can I see your palm? Karen takes Seiichirou's hand in hers. KAREN 'ka', then 'ren' from 'rengoku'. {ka == fire. rengoku == purgatory. Yay, fires of purgatory!! --fuu} SEIICHIROU ..... Karen-san. KAREN Yes. You have an interesting name too. Amazing letters. SEIICHIROU Ahahahaha. KAREN You're a fun person to be with. You don't ask anything either. When you work at a place like this, customers and employers both ask you. "Why you're in this business?" You don't ask. SEIICHIROU ..... Because I really shouldn't snoop so carelessly into your precious life. * Monologue. KAREN My precious life. That's what he said. My life. A life that hasn't been too fun. The mother who realized that her daughter could spontaneously combust materials committed suicide. I went to a lot of different places because I never knew who my father was. Because people from various religious groups somehow heard about my powers and came after me. I entered this business because they don't ask much about your background. Because I can quit with no worries. I never thought it was unhappy. There are many more unhappy people in this world. Some said that they felt sorry for me. But he was the first person to say that my life was precious. Today was a good day. The tea was delicious, and the milk candy that he produced magically from his jacket pocket on his way out was also delicious. He gave me two. I ate one, but I'm going to save the other. As a memory of what happened today. With this letter. With wishes that I will meet him again. Karen. --end--