Kino no Tabi:Volume5 Author's Notes
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-claim Kino: “Sorry for not introducing myself. I am Kino”
Sigsawa: “… I don’t get what you mean.”
Self-claim 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-claim 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-claim 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-claim 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-claim Kino: “I ran into Shizu and Hermes was having a duel with his dog.”
Sigsawa: “… a duel with Riku? How?”
Self-claim 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 Shizu?”
Self-claim Kino: “Someone on the forum said Shizu is pedophilic stalker of Kino, that man went to get any explanation out of them. It will take sometime cause there is a number of them.”
Sigsawa: “… what about Master?”
Self-claim 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-claim Kino: “Fu--- you are something.”
Sigsawa: “What do you mean by that?”
Self-claim 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-claim Kino: “Because I am Kino.”
Sigsawa: “…”
Self-claim Kino: “I know a lot about you. For instance, ‘Even a Dog Doesn’t Eat’ was edited from a rejected short story from second volume. 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-claim 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
