Tokyo Sound

The Ferris wheel was the latest model, with no radial supports in the center, only the outermost large circle, as if floating in the air. The two of them got into the small box, and the sky gradually expanded in their sight, and the street scene under their feet became farther and farther away.

"Who invented the Ferris wheel?" Kaguya looked beyond the glass into the distance.

When Ma Di heard the question, he thought about it seriously, but couldn't come up with an answer. So he unzipped his backpack and took out a thick reference book.

"It's okay if you don't check, I just said it casually." Kaguya smiled.

With the second zipper sound, the reference book was put into the backpack of the liberal arts student again.

Natsume Kenzo couldn't help but frown, because he noticed that the old man had just glanced at him - did the old man think that his emotional intelligence was the same as the character in the play?

"Xiao Guang really likes what he is doing now. It seems that you are very happy to compile the dictionary." Kaguya's elbows were resting on the window frame, and his cheek was almost touching the glass.

"Actually, there is a sad side to it." Madi paused.

'How to say? '

'No matter how much we collect words and explain definitions, the dictionary will never be complete. When we think it is finished, the words that are not included will emerge from various gaps and hit us in some real form. They are like creatures without substance, like mist dispersing into the void.' Madi thought for a moment and said in a clear voice, 'All we can do is to accurately capture the moment of the endless changes and infinite expansion of words and record them in words.'

"Even so, Xiaoguang will still choose to persevere, right?" said Kaguya.

"Yes." Madi did not hesitate.

"My favorite thing in the amusement park is the Ferris wheel." Kaguya looked at the gradually darkening sky. The small box they were riding in passed the top and began to slowly descend. It would soon return to its original place.

"Me too," said Madi a little later.

The two of them smiled at each other like accomplices.

……

There was a sound of the door being gently opened from the entrance.

"You're back." Ma Di, who had been waiting at the door for a long time, perked up and rubbed the trouser legs on both sides of his thighs nervously.

Kaguya glanced at him, sat at the entrance and changed his shoes. After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "What do you think?"

Ma Di paused, his heart seemed to be beating in his throat.

"It must be written very well, and it was written with a brush." ​​Xiang Juya turned his back to Madi and took out the letter. "It's just that I don't understand as much as Xiaoguang. But most people can't understand it."

"If a normal person received something like this, they would definitely feel strange and like they were being picked on. It's like a special souvenir from a daimyo from the Warring States period, all with beautiful handwriting. But I really don't understand it." Xiang Guya held the envelope, his mood was not as calm as usual.

"I, I'll take it back and rewrite it——!" Ma Di was extremely flustered.

"No, I've finished reading it." Kaguya was afraid that the letter would be taken away, so he held it in front of his chest, "Because I wanted to know what was written no matter what, I asked the store's general to help confirm it, so I came back so late. You must have waited for a long time."

"No, it's okay." Madi lowered his head.

"It's really embarrassing. I received a love letter, but no one wants to show it to others. The master just kept laughing. I called grandma to ask her, but she asked me to ask you directly." Kaguya whispered.

"I'm sorry." Madi used honorifics directly.

'I want you to tell me directly, not in a letter.'

'Eh? ’

"I want Xiaoguang to tell me right now, right now." Kaguya took a few steps forward.

'Now, now. Now?'

'Now means immediately! Do you still want to look it up in the dictionary?'

"Ah..." Ma Di really wanted to turn around and go back to the house.

"I didn't really ask you to check!" Xiang Juya was angry and anxious.

'sorry! ’

'slow.'

"I'm sorry." Madi's hands pinched his trouser legs into deep wrinkles. He was silent for a long time, then slowly raised his head and said softly, "I like you."

'Me too. ’

That answer was something that Ma Diguang had not expected.

Under the warm yellow light of the entrance, the man's expression was mostly hidden in gray. His eyes were blurred by the layers of hair and glasses, but with just a small angle and a movement, his eyes instantly lit up under his dry black hair. Points of light bloomed in his black eyes, like stars, and in the stars there was tenderness, surprise, and uncontrollable joy. The smile kept overflowing from his eyes, and he had to narrow his eyes to contain it.

What is rippling in the eyes is the secret in the heart. One glance is enough to make the spring breeze blow through the sea of ​​​​the heart.

Eyes are actually a very magical thing. They reveal what is in one's heart and can even express one's inner thoughts better than words and body movements.

acting.

Or maybe it's eye skills.

I was impressed by this delicate and restrained performance of Mizuno Nagaharu. What a control and aesthetic sense.

Ma Di already knew the meaning of love.

『Love』——Like a person, yearning for him/her day and night, tossing and turning, and nothing else matters. If two people love each other, why envy the immortals?

And this look is exactly "love".

Haha, it's so complicated. What a pity, I have never been in love, Natsume Kenzo thought.

Chapter 117 Dance!

In the darkness, the clock struck twelve.

The screen dimmed and brightened, and twelve years passed in a flash.

There were incense sticks placed in front of the memorial tablet, and the photo in the frame captured the scene of Grandma Zhu holding a tabby cat.

A man emerged from the pile of paper at the back of the office. He was tall and thin, his shirt was covered with old marks, his messy curly hair was mixed with white hair, and he looked to be about 40 years old. He did not have the dignity of an editor-in-chief, and although his eyes looked sleepy under his glasses, they were shiny black.

In fact, it can be described very briefly - a messy hair with black sleeves.

This is probably the actor's oldest look so far.

Mizuno Nagaharu pondered.

Obviously, the crew has a skilled makeup artist, who, with the help of makeup techniques, reflects the passage of time for the characters. Even so, there is still a kind of temperament that tickles people's hearts. He has become a scholar who cultivates his character in the quiet mountains and comforts his emotions in the moving water.

It takes more than ten years or even decades to compile a dictionary, but the benefits are minimal and there are many variables along the long road. It is more of a vague dream than a career.

The lively Nishioka was transferred to the Publicity Department, the rigorous and calm Aunt Sasaki aged a lot, editor Araki's wife passed away, and he returned to the editorial office with gray hair, and the host of the dictionary, Mr. Matsumoto, had completely turned white hair and became thinner.

The changes in everyone's work reveal the monotony, tediousness, heavy workload and difficulty of this undertaking.

……

"Dictionaries are just a waste of money. They only take in money and never give out anything. It is expected to include 23 entries? The scale is already comparable to the Kojien and Daicilin. How long will it take to compile it? Instead of wasting time, it is better to revise the previous Xuanwu Guoyu Dictionary. Customers will choose the new version over the old one. It is mainly aimed at primary and secondary school students, and its sales are very stable." The department head talked to himself.

'The Great Crossing of the Sea is different from the medium-sized dictionaries on the market now. It is more relevant to life. If it is put into practice, we will definitely have a good life in the future. There are very few publishing houses that can compile excellent dictionaries. It will bring long-term social value to the company, improve the company's reputation and popularity, and definitely lead to a good life for 20 years. Please reconsider! '

"You are really leisurely. At the end of this turbulent century, you have already started to think about what will happen 20 years later." The department head teased.

"Don't people in publishing houses have the courage to look ahead 20 years? Isn't it the responsibility of publishing media to pass on the civilization of this world to decades or even hundreds of years later?"

……

"A dictionary is a commodity after all, so it is important to have a recommender who guarantees its quality. In addition to the supervisor, each author is a reputable scholar carefully selected from various specialized fields," said Aunt Sasaki.

"Writing is very laborious, but the budget for the royalties is too low. Uh, should I play the sentimental card?" Ma Di asked.

"Unfortunately, it's hard to say for sure. It's very possible that the author has passed away before the dictionary is even compiled, and they won't even see the day it's completed." Aunt Sasaki shook her head.

"Then how can I ask for help?"

"There is no such thing as embarrassment in the dictionary of adults, so just go ahead and ask for help. Just like I'm asking you right now."

……

"BL is not okay, I can't accept it, girls' comics are better..." In the fast food restaurant, a group of high school girls were chatting not far away.

"Teacher, what does BL mean?" Madi pricked up his ears and caught a new concept word.

"It seems to be the initials of Boys Love," said Mr. Matsumoto.

"Is that so? I'll collect some data then." Ma Di took out the data collection card and started recording.

"Haha, I know what you mean... Hey, wait, those two people over there seem to be watching us secretly." The female high school student lowered her voice cautiously, "Oh, so disgusting, it's really disgusting."

"Have you collected the word nausea?" Mr. Matsumoto asked.

"Of course," said Madi confidently.

……

"This is the paper our company developed for The Great Crossing of the Sea. It is 50 microns thick and weighs only 45 grams per square meter. The ink will not seep through to the back. This ensures the practicality of the dictionary. A little red is mixed into the slightly yellow paper. We tried repeatedly to finally achieve this warm tone." said the salesperson in charge of the connection.

"It lacks some feel." Madi checked it.

'Um? '

"Take the Kojien as an example. When you turn the pages, the pages stick to your fingertips, but they don't stick together and can't be turned. The pages are clearly separated." Ma Di, whose hair is obviously graying, explained, "Because the dictionary is very thick, it is also important to eliminate the pressure that makes the user feel uncomfortable when turning the pages."

"Indeed... I'm very sorry, we will issue a new paper as soon as possible."

……

"I'm so sorry to have you come all the way here." Mr. Matsumoto, who had lost a lot of weight, leaned on the bed. He cheered himself up and spoke in a cheerful tone. "Actually, a tumor was found in my esophagus. Haha, it's inevitable when you get older. Compared to this, how is the progress of the Otokai?"

Although the teacher's voice reached my ears, it did not reach my brain.

Ma Di on the side took a deep breath and quickly took out the plan for trial printing.

"It's finally going to be printed." Mr. Matsumoto's eyes brightened up. He subconsciously propped himself up and touched the page with his skinny hands covered with age spots, caressing every word. He was as happy as a boy who caught a beautiful butterfly.

Everything, everything is like a marathon whose ending is already known.

In the lively banquet hall, the dictionary writers, paper companies and printing factory personnel were all invited, with hundreds of people in attendance. The president of Xuanwu Bookstore came on stage to give a speech, kicking off the lively and gorgeous banquet.

A waist-high table was set up inside the venue, on which was placed a portrait of Mr. Matsumoto, decorated with flowers, and provided with two bottles of Japanese sake and wine glasses, like an altar.

The man bearing the scars of more than a decade walked slowly over, placed the successfully published "The Great Crossing of the Sea" next to the portrait, stood there, unable to take his eyes off it for a long time.

The old editor Araki quietly accompanied him.

"I feel ashamed of my inability." The man with a few white hairs on his forehead said softly, "I didn't make it in time."

"I know you'll think so. Take a look at this." Araki took out a white envelope from his suit pocket. "It's a letter from Mr. Matsumoto."

"I'm very sorry that I didn't manage to continue my work as a supervisor until the end. I said before that there would never be another editor like Araki-kun, but I made a mistake. Thanks to Araki-kun and Madi-kun, my life is extraordinarily fulfilling. It's great to have met you and to be able to edit the dictionary together. I have nothing to say except thank you."

"Memory is very similar to words. A scent, taste or sound can awaken long-buried memories; and words can awaken those chaotic, dormant feelings and things."

"The only thing that can stir up sparks is words. In ancient times, before life appeared, the ocean that enveloped the earth was a chaotic, slowly moving thick liquid. There was also a similar ocean in the human heart, until the lightning called words struck, and all things began to come into being. Love and heart, both of them have form because of words, and emerged from the dark ocean."

"Words cannot replace sincerity, but they can convey sincerity. We have been looking for the words that can best express our feelings, and give our unique love to the unique people in our lives."

"If there is a heaven, I will continue to collect use cases there - Tomosuke Matsumoto"

The man silently stuffed the letter back into the envelope.

A group photo of the editorial department was placed next to Mr. Matsumoto's portrait.

We sat together, lamenting that time flies and leaves us behind easily.

"Fifteen years? That's a long time." Araki sighed.

'I feel short,' the man said.

"The second edition of Japan's largest dictionary, the Japanese National Language Dictionary, was released 24 years after its publication, and the number of entries has increased from 450,000 to 550,000. The terms are changing. Compiling a dictionary is a process that keeps pace with the times and can never stop," said Araki.

The two of them tacitly took out the vocabulary collection cards in their pockets.

"I have collected quite a lot during this period," said the man.

"It looks like we need to start revising it." Araki nodded.

The two smiled at each other, then turned and walked away slowly, with their hands behind their backs and their shoulders hunched.

"Please give me more advice in the future."

Find the fun and seek the rewards.

The pleasure lies in traveling in the ocean of words, and the reward lies in flying in the world of literature.

The imprint of life is left between entries and between pages, leaving lasting traces.

……