Kino no Tabi:Volume10 Chapter5

Some day, some month, in the year 2001. A phone rang in Keiichi Sigsawa’s apartment.

Sigsawa: [pick up the phone] “Hello, who is this?”

Mysterious man: “Is this the Sigsawa residency?”

Sigsawa: “I don’t deny that, but who are you?”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “Sorry for not introducing myself. I am Kino”

Sigsawa: “… I don’t get what you mean.”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “I said I am Kino, the same Kino in your novel. Nice to meet you.”

Sigsawa: “… sorry but I am going to hang up now.”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “Don’t do that, I hardly got the chance to speak with you! Isn’t that very rude!”

Sigsawa: “Well… sorry but you sound too old to be Kino.”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “Yes, I am already fifty four years old. I work as a lecturer in a university for economics, I am quite popular with the students and received a lot of chocolate on valentine.”

Sigsawa: “I didn’t ask for that! How did you get my number anyway?”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “I could still find out even if no one told me, I am Kino after all.”

Sigsawa: “… if you are Kino, then where is Hermes?”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “I ran into Caesar and Hermes was having a duel with his dog.”

Sigsawa: “… a duel with Hun? How?”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “They have been insulting each other for three days and three nights, they say they are going to settle it with a 50 meter back stroke. Hermes has left for the sea with a pair of diving goggles, but he hasn’t returned yet, he could have been swept out to open sea.”

Sigsawa: “… what about Caesar?”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “Someone on the forum said Caesar is pedophilic stalker of Kino, that man has went to get any explanation out of them. It will take sometime cause there is a number of them”

Sigsawa: “… what about your master?”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “She’s been charged under the Fire Arms Act and is in police custody at Shibuya station. I bet she will escape in no time. She will be more then a match for the police, maybe they will need to mobilize the armed forces.”

Sigsawa: “… you don’t talk like that in my works”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “Fu--- you are something.”

Sigsawa: “What do you mean by that?”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “Of course I meant ‘For His Safety’ being rejected again. Will it ever be used in a novel?”

Sigsawa: “Wait! How did you know that? Only my editor and that spider that I talk to in my room know.”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “Because I am Kino.”

Sigsawa: “…”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “I know a lot about you. For instance, ‘Even a Dog Doesn’t Eat’ was edited from a rejected short story from book 2. The version of ‘Avenger’ you submitted to Denki Games Novel prize has a scene where I was wounded and lying half-naked for treatment, not to mention sewing up my jacket. My name was taken from a male character from another story, you were worried that the name would fail after the first chapter.”

Sigsawa: “Wow!”

Self-proclaimed Kino: “Wow’?”

Sigsawa: “Yea! … Wow! I never thought Kino really did exist! You are Kino right?”

Kino: “I already told you that… Just because you are the author doesn’t mean you have to be suspicious all the time.”

Sigsawa: “Sorry! I shouldn’t have doubted you… ”

Kino: “I will be leaving now.”

Sigsawa: “No wait! Don’t go! Please! Let’s chat a bit more! Tell me which country is the most memorable, please tell me so I can write it down.”

Kino: “Sadly… my three days are up.”

Sigsawa: “… please five more minutes!”

Kino: [Loud engine noise]”Come on, Hermes. Let’s go. Goodbye.”

Sigsawa: “No wait!”

Kino: [Voice getting distance]“Hermes, is that seaweed?”

Sigsawa: “Ah… Wait! Please don’t leave.[tears flowing]”

[Do---Do—Do---]

Keiichi Sigsawa Jan 2002