デミ人間 (Demi Human)

Chapter 4 : The Liar

(At Hiroki Studios...)

Hiroki : (arrives at the studio room) Aah! Mi-chan!
Minami : Uncle!
Hiroki : (looks at the set-up) I knew you were the right person to do the set-up. It's beautiful!
Minami : Yokatta! But I couldn't have done it without Keisuke's help.
Hiroki : (looks at Kei) Oh! Keisuke-kun! Oh my! You've grown to be a fine, young man, I see!
Keisuke : (bows) Hisashiburi. (smiles)
Minami : I thought he would be helpful around here so I brought him along.
Hiroki : Sou ka. Well, I hope you're enjoying.
Keisuke : Very much. I haven't been really into a real studio lately so it's a great experience.
Hiroki : Really? Too busy at work?
Keisuke : Uh... sort of...
Hiroki : What's your work?
Keisuke : (pauses) I... um... I work in magazine production...
Hiroki : Sugoii! What magazine?
Keisuke : ... well...
Minami : (interrupts) Uncle. (giggles) Are you going to start interview him? Is he hired?
Hiroki : (laughs) I just wanted to chat. (looks at the clock) Oh! They'll be arriving pretty soon. I better make the last preparations.
Minami : Uh, uncle.
Hiroki : Un?
Minami : Is it okay with you if we stayed here until the shoot is done? Maybe we can help clean
up afterwards. (looks at Kei)
Hiroki : Hmm... oh sure! Fine with me. (smiles)
Minami : Yatta! Arigatou!
Hiroki : You've got lots of stories to tell me after my work, okay?
Minami : Un. (nods) But for now, maybe Keisuke and I can go see the view outside. What do say,
Keisuke?
Keisuke : Sure.
Minami : (smiles) So uncle... Ganbaru!
Hiroki : O. (smiles and leaves)
Minami : Iku ka?
Keisuke : Un.

(Minami and Keisuke goes out to the back of the studio where there is an open land and you can see the mountain view.)

Keisuke : Sugee na!
Minami : Yeah. (breathes) Ah! (thinks of something) I know!
Keisuke : Eh?
Minami : Iku! (takes his hand and leads him a rock she saw) Sit there.
Keisuke : What's this about?
Minami : Hayaku! (lets him sit and runs a distance) (looks)
Keisuke : What's she trying to do?
Minami : (smiles and gives a thumb) Yoshi! (runs back to him)
Keisuke : What?
Minami : (giggles) You stay there and don't move.
Keisuke : Eh?? Nande?
Minami : You said you wanted me to paint you, right?
Keisuke : Huh?? Don't tell me...?
Minami : (nods)
Keisuke : Cho-chotto. haha. You mean right now? But I thought it takes time for you to paint?
Minami : (expressions changed) ... Sou desu ne......
Keisuke : (chuckles and pokes her) Ba-ka.
Minami : Ooi! (laughs and pokes back) I know!
Keisuke : What is it this time?
Minami : I can take your photo with the scene. And then I"ll paint it.
Keisuke : Seriously? You're really going to paint me??
Minami : Mochiron! Once I've decided... I'll do it. So you wait here for a while. I'll just go back inside
to borrow a camera from uncle!
(runs back to the studio)
Keisuke : O-ooi! Mi-chan..! (looks at her leaving) ... (sighs) Such an enthusiastic girl. (chuckles)

Voice : You like her, ne?

Keisuke : (turns and gets mega shock to see Ryushiferu) UWA!! (gets away)
Ryushiferu : And again we meet. (smiles)
Keisuke : (blinks his eyes to see if it was just hallucination)
Ryushiferu : You really seem to admire that girl.
Keisuke : O-omae...!
Ryushiferu : You seem surprised? Is it because of my blonde hair?
Keisuke : (speechless)
Ryushiferu : I like to try wild things, you know. (laughs) Who knows... I might have it blood red
tomorrow.
Keisuke : Ryu...Ryu...
Ryushiferu : Ne. She's talented... enthusiastic... confident... admirable.
Keisuke : ...
Ryushiferu : Too bad. She's too different from you.
Keisuke : What's your point?
Ryushiferu : I'm just saying... with your condition now... (looks at him pitifully) being jobless and
hopeless... I only see a very... very... little chance.
Keisuke : (get irritated and looks away) I'm not trying to pursue...--
Ryushiferu : (interrupts) Oh and why not? tsk tsk. It would be such a wast to let her go... ne?
Keisuke : She's my friend, alright? And she's very nice to me. I don't want to ruin the friendship, if
even.
Ryushiferu : That's what they all say. (sits on the rock) All those people who don't find the guts to admit
there true feelings for the person they like.
Keisuke : What? ... Don't you even pretend you understand humans and their feelings.
Ryushiferu : oh but I do. Back in the Underworld, lots of souls cry out because of regrets.
Keisuke : Regret?
Ryushiferu : Regret of not doing what they truly wanted to do... Regret for being just too chicken to
do what they ought to do... I'm so sick of it.
Keisuke : ...
Ryushiferu : That's why I came here. To at least open the eyes of those... (looks at Kei) pitiful
creatures.
Keisuke : Iya... uso!  You came here to play a game... you wanted entertainment, you said. And you
want to involve humans.
Ryushiferu : (laughs) Oh you... that's so judgmental.
Keisuke : Whatever. (turns his back)
Ryushiferu : But smart! You're really interesting.
Keisuke : I'm leaving. (walks away)
Ryushiferu : (appears in front of him) Have you decided yet?
Keisuke : (shocked and almost jumped) WHOW! Hey! Would you stop doing that? Disappearing... and reappearing.
Ryushiferu : Have you?
Keisuke : (tries to get pass by him) Look... I... I don't know... it's just that... Uh! Would you just
leave me alone for now? ... I'll give you an answer once I've decided, right?
Ryushiferu : That's demanding.
Keisuke : ... (pauses) Please?
Ryushiferu : (rolls his eyes) Alright. I'm patient enough... Suit yourself then. Jaa! (blinding light occurs
again and he disappears)
Keisuke : (blinks and looks around) ... that... (thinks) Ryushiferu...? So he wasn't a dream... yabe...

(From the rooftop of the studio stands Ryushiferu looking down below at Keisuke)

Ryushiferu : (wearing an evil grin) Warui ne, Kei-chan... yappari ore wa usotsuki ne... (My bad, Kei-chan... after all, I am a liar.)  I am indeed... impatient. (chuckles) I won't allow any delays in my game. (disappears)