X character file: Seiichirou Aoki. -- translated by Rika Takahashi (fuu) * Monologue. SEIICHIROU To my dearest Shimako-san and the cutest Yuka-chan. How are you doing? I haven't seen you for three days... I hope everything has been fine. I am still at the author's workplace. I don't think I'll be returning for a while, as this month's manuscript is not going to be ready for a while. I got worried about you two and so I am writing you mail using my Zaurus. {that be the Newton-like thing that Sharp (or some company around there) released in Japan. --fuu} I must say that e-mail is very convenient. I mean, I feel that it would be rude to be calling home right next to the author who is working so diligently... If it's e-mail, I can write you two a letter from a cellular modem, like this. Oh, that's right. Is the concept of e-mail too hard for you, Yuka-chan? You are only in your first year of kindergarten. {In Japan, you have two years of kindergarten. --fuu} Um.... Do you remember the small black thing that looks like a daily planner, that I always have in my briefcase? I connect that with a cellular phone, and then I can send letters back instead of voices. Like how your mother is showing you this on the computer. I'll get you an e-mail address later, Yuka-chan. Then, we can e-mail each other. Shimako-san, I hope there are no changes. I haven't slept for three days, but I am fine. The fact that I have been able to deal well with sleep deprivation from my days in school have paid off again. Maybe this one aspect of myself is fit to be a magaine editor. I have been working at Kadokawa Shoten for eight years now, but I have never been troubled pulling an all-niter.... I have gotten fairly used to my new position. I have been with the novels for all this time, so I wondered if I could make it as an editor in a shoujo manga magazine; but don't worry, I am surrounded with the greatest editorial staff here. Although working in a monthly magazine makes less days that I can be home. I do get worried leaving Yuka-chan with her fear of ghosts, and you with your fear of cockroaches, all alone in the house.... It's our ninth year of marriage this year. Next year, it will be our tenth anniversary. I had promised that I would take you to Atami. We will definitely go. You had said from before our marriage that you had wanted to go to Atami for our tenth anniversary. Where we went on our honeymoon. I wonder if things have changed in the past ten years. Or if it is still the same. {Atami? Hey, that's where my dad's from... although there really isn't much besides hot springs there.... --fuu} Oh. By the way. Daisuke-kun will be coming over to our place next week. Daisuke Saiki. My one and only nephew. I remember that you and Yuka-chan both like him. But, Yuka-chan... I will not let you get married so soon. And, even if you wanted to get married, he seems to be busy doing many things. I met him last week. That is, I met Daisuke-kun. He was well. Although he seemed to have many worries, as usual.... * Drama. Cafe. Seiichirou and Saiki sit across from each other. Seiichirou is smiling, and has an air of comfort, compared to the worrysome look on Saiki's face. SEIICHIROU You seem to be rather apathetic, Daisuke-kun. SAIKI .............. Saiki, in deep thought, does not answer. Seiichirou continues to eat the parfait in front of him. SEIICHIROU The Special Chocolate Parfait here is delicious. Seiichirou takes another bite. SEIICHIROU Don't just drink coffee. Would you like a bite? I know you like sweets. Seiichirou continues smiling. SEIICHIROU My family has many people with sweet teeth. Oh yes, when you were little, we always ate bucketfulls of vanilla ice cream together. Saiki looks annoyed that his childhood stories were being rehashed. SAIKI Seiichirou-san.....! Seiichirou nonchalantly replies. SEIICHIROU Yes? Saiki regains composure. SAIKI ..... another Kekkai has been broken. Saiki looks serious. Seiichirou finally gets rid of the goofiness. SEIICHIROU .... It seems that way. SAIKI This is the sixth time this month. If we include the small things, like small shrines and such, there have been more than twenty. SEIICHIROU There have been a lot of earthquakes lately..... Especially this month. Saiki looks up at Seiichirou. SAIKI .... Hinoto-hime wanted me to relay you a message. SEIICHIROU Hinoto-hime did....? SAIKI "Kamui will return." Seiichirou quietly closes his eyes. SEIICHIROU ...... KAMUI will....... Then it is going to start. The last battle risking the whole world. Seiichirou seems to be in deep thought for a while, with eyes closed. He stands up. Saiki is surprised at Seiichirou's sudden movement. SAIKI ..... Seiichirou-san? Seiichirou smiles at Saiki. SEIICHIROU Let's go outside. It's nice out today. Outside. A sunny park. A soft breeze blows. Children running around happily. Seiichirou and Saiki walk along next to each other. SEIICHIROU It's warm today..... Seiichirou stretches. Saiki looks slightly bothered, not knowing how to deal with Seiichirou who is still looking absentminded after telling him something very serious. SEIICHIROU It's still winter, but it's very nice weather today. SAIKI ............. Saiki looks like he wants to say something. But he keeps quiet, not konwing what Seiichirou really is thinking. SEIICHIROU What about school today? SAIKI I didn't go. SEIICHIROU If you ditch too much, don't you start getting confused in class? SAIKI I'm fine. Seiichirou, nostalgic. SEIICHIROU I did tutor you a bit when you were preparing for the high-school entrance exams, but you're really intelligent so you shouldn't have any problems. Saiki tries to ask, getting annoyed that Seiichirou is still not wanting to talk about the real business. SAIKI ..... Seiichirou-san.... Seiichirou, as if he noticed something. SEIICHIROU That is...! and runs off. Saiki is surprised. He starts to run, too. SAIKI What is wrong!? Saiki frets, wondering what happened. But Seiichirou stops in front of the vending machine. SEIICHIROU It's pudding-juice! See! I didn't think I would see this here! Shimako-san loves this. Seiichirou chuckles merrily. SAIKI ..... Se, Seiichirou-san...... Saiki is dumbfounded. Noting his nephew's shock, Seiichirou buys two pudding-juices from the vending machine. SEIICHIROU Here, for you. Saiki accepts. He looks up seriously at Seiichirou. SEIICHIROU Oh. Yuka-chan was pouting that you haven't played with her in a while. She was saying that she had a mame-daifuku, your favorite, at the house. {mame-daifuku: red bean paste (with real red bean chunks) wrapped in well-kneaded extra-glutinous rice. --fuu} SAIKI I'm sorry about that time.... SEIICHIROU I know. That earthquake..... It must have been a large Kekkai breaking. Saiki has a serious look. SAIKI Seiichirou-san. At this rate, Tokyo....! SEIICHIROU I know. Seiichirou cuts Saiki off with a soft smile. SEIICHIROU ... I know. If the Kekkais are broken at this rate, Tokyo... no, the whole earth, will shatter. Seiichirou continues, as if convincing himself. SEIICHIROU But. This pudding-juice is more important to me than the Earth, or Kekkais, or other abstract things like them. SAIKI Seiichirou-san..... SEIICHIROU The pudding-juice that is my wife's favorite. Being able to buy something that the person you love likes. The person you love being able to stay happy. That is more important to me than anything else. SAIKI ............. Saiki understands how Seiichirou feels, and stays quiet. SEIICHIROU Please tell Hinoto-hime. I still do not realize that I am involved in the fight for the end of the Earth. But still, I will fight. Not for the Earth.... but to protect my loving wife and child. Saiki understands how Seiichirou feels about his family. SAIKI I understand..... I will tell her. The wind gets stronger around them. * Monologue. SEIICHIROU Shimako-san, Yuka-chan. I value you more than anything else. My father passed away when I was a little child, like Shimako-san knows. So, my only family members are you two. Shimako-san. I have always wondered from when we met in college, to when we were dating, to when we got married. If I could protect you. If I would make you unhappy. Shimako-san. I still remember what you told me that day. "The person who ultimately makes you happy or unhappy is yourself. I am saying that I want to be with you, so believe me when I say that." When I told the editor-in-chief about this, he laughed at me, saying, "You mean your wife proposed to you?" He laughed harder when I told him that I replied, "Well then, my best regards for the future." But he complimented you, saying that you were a good wife. I am very happy about that. Yuka-chan's birthday is coming up soon. I have already bought a birthday gift. Please look forward to it. Oh, and about next Sunday. I think I can take a day off somehow. The three of us should go to Sanrio Pyuro Land, as we promised. {It's an amusement park. --fuu} I wil make the lunch. It's been a while. The sandwiches that are Yuka-chan's favorite. I'll make chicken nuggets too. We can eat outside. I hope it's a sunny day. Shimako-san, Yuka-chan. If something happens to me.... No, that's right.... My first and foremost job is to stay healthy and unhurt, and come home cheerfully and energetically. I promised you that. You two have both kept that promise with me, so I can't break it either. I will do my best. I wish that my valuable family will always be happy. Oh. The manuscript seems to be done. That's good. Now I can go to the printers. I will contact you again, with a guess as to when I'll be home. Until then. To Shimako-san and Yuka-chan that I love. From Dad. --end--