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Are You There?

It's 2027. Born in 2007, the main character K has no girlfriend and is part of a cultural minority with few friends. In a paperless age with no books, magazines and newspapers, K collects the old media of the 20th century. His little dream is to "make a book" with his friend 21LO! But it goes against the law to make books in the age when the distribution or even printing is impossible and severely restricted without an official government emblem...


EPISODE 34

2027 - Are You There?2027 - Are You There?

First of all, I’m not too eager to see Nomura-san as he is intimidating and scary. So, it’s been 2 years since I visited the broadcasting room. I don’t want to see him outside of work, but I can’t help it. I push the buzzer fearfully. It’s all for the promotional activity…

Ding Dong.

K “Are you there, Nomura-san?”
2 “He won’t come out until he hears the buzzer 10 times."
K “Yeah, he is jackass.”
2 “He is a nominal superior.”
K “Hey, what if he hears that!”

Ding Dong.

K “Isn’t he home?”
2 “Don’t know.”

Ding Dong.

K “Nomura-saaaan.”
2 “Lolita Nomura-saaan.”

Ding.

N “Ummm. Who? I was sleeping… Wow, what’s going on you guys.”
2 “Uh…”
N “What? Can’t lend you money.”
K “No, it’s not. Could we talk in your room?”

A short pause.

N “Don’t you guys have any goodies, dickheads?”
K “Of course we do. Hey, take out that book.”

21LO slowly takes out the book from his bag.

Are You There?
Graphic Design: amgdo

N “Wow! Let me see it closer to the camera! It’s that one! Wow! ●×*+=☐◆~!”
2 “Your favorite ‘loli’.”
K “The withdrawn final issue.”
N “Hey you guys! Come on in ♥”

The entrance lock was released.

Are You There?

K “It’s a nice room.”
2 “It’s cool.”
K “You got all the equipment.”
N “Right? You know I poured all the club fee into them.”
K “Nice. I’m jealous.”
2 “Only the 8th-year college student could do it!”
N “Shut up! So, what’s your purpose?”
K “Well, well, let me tell you straight. Well, 21LO will tell you. Go on please.”
2 “(Why me……) Well, you know, we’d like to go on the audio network……”
K “We made a book. And we want to advertise it……”
N “Ho, you wanna do it on the radio.”
K “Is the network called a radio!?”
N “You don’t know radio. Yeah, it’s a dead word.”
2 “Sorry. I guess we have more to learn.”
N “No problem.”
K “Well, is it easy to operate it, the radio?”
N “Yes. Easy. See this.”
K “What? It’s small like this?”
2 “It’s palm-sized!”
N “So, the book is illegal, right? Are you guys sure it cannot be traced? There’s no way to be arrested one after another, you know. I don’t know about the god damn book, neither be interested.”
2 “That’s why we have this ‘loli’ for you.”
N “Yeah, right. You guys are the best. Proud of you guys.”
2 “Really? Is the autograph on the wall real?”
N “Yeah. Cool isn’t it? Magic Dyktra’s. I got it when he did a lecture the other day.”
K “Wow.”
N “And, of course it’s unexpurgated, because it’s art. Heehaw!”
2 “I’m jealous.”
N “Do you guys like Dyktra’s photo?”
K “No…… Actually I hate it.”
2 “No, it’s like we don’t understand it well.”
N “Why? (looks cranky)”
K “First of all, we wonder if he is a real pioneer of Pportunism…… I guess Missy Bahn is before him.”
N “He is the pioneer. What the heck you guys are talking about? You have never learned art, dick.”
2 “What? Do you really like Dyktra, Nomura-san?”
N “Yeah sure I like him. That’s why I have all those things displayed. Huh!?”
K “Oh yeah. That’s right…… Sorry……”
2 “It’s not my opinion, but, well, in a critical book I read something like “the little girls’ nudity is antithetical to love & peace. It’s actually on the theme of violence””
K “Oh, I read it, too.”
2 “Ha ha. But Nomura-san doesn’t care about the part ‘peace’, does he? Then I think I can get it.”
K “Hee hee hee… That’s right. That sounds understanbale, little girl love.”

Oops! This is not good. We were way out of line. Nomura-san looks serious.
The next moment what I saw was……


Text and images: Kurando Furuya, Hitoshi Odajima, Tomoki Kurokawa
Translation: Mariko Takei

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