Arthur looked at his notebook, reading the manuscript of the novel Kitchen.
A story about loneliness and the human connections that arise from loss. The protagonist, Mikage, loses her loved ones and finds herself searching for a place to belong. The kitchen becomes her refuge, a space where warmth, food, and memories bring her comfort.
Through her encounters with Yuichi and his mother Eriko, Mikage learns that family is not always defined by blood, but by those who choose to care for you and be present in your life. The narrative blends moments of sadness and melancholy with intimate, everyday moments, showing how small gestures and rituals can fill the void left by loss.
To me, Kitchen isn't just about cooking or eating; it's about how people find solace in routine and in the company of others when the world feels cold and unfair. Every meal, every small gesture, is a way of staying connected to life and to those who still matter.
With his hand cramped from so much writing, Arthur let out a sigh and began composing the song Plastic Love. Though a danceable song could help more people hear it, he remembered that it was sung by Mariya Takeuchi. "It would be good to find her to perform it," he thought, planning to tell his uncle later.
Before he realized it, someone knocked on the door and entered. Arthur, surprised, looked up to see his uncle Masato entering his room. Masato saw the manuscript and the other papers and felt happy.
"Arthur, it's good that the company needs new works to make a name for itself. I came for that, but it seems you already have everything in order," Masato said.
Arthur nodded, looking over his desk at everything he had written, including the draft of Mario Bros. Holding his manuscript and the Mario Bros draft, Arthur looked at his uncle with some anxiety.
"Uncle, all of this… I've created for now," he said. "Remember to put everything under CAPCOM's name."
Masato smiled and sat beside him, looking at the papers with pride.
"Arthur, look, this is important. I know the Yakuza wants it to seem like ATOM is the company getting all the credit," he explained, pointing at the documents. "But legally, CAPCOM will retain all the rights."
Arthur frowned.
"So ATOM is just… a front name?"
"Exactly," said Masato. "For them, ATOM is the 'distributor,' giving them a sense of control. But in reality, everything you develop, all your ideas, will remain under CAPCOM's name. This means that when the time comes for you to detach from the Yakuza, CAPCOM will already have everything protected. No one will be able to claim anything from you."
Arthur nodded, processing the explanation.
"So… even if the Yakuza wants to appear as the owner of my ideas, CAPCOM is still the true owner."
"Correct," Masato placed a hand on his shoulder. "You create; they only see what they want to see. This way, your ideas are safe, and CAPCOM can grow without relying on ATOM. It also protects you, Arthur."
Arthur smiled slightly, relieved.
"I understand, uncle. So we can move forward, and no one can steal what I've created."
"Exactly," said Masato. "Now, let's look at your Kitchen manuscript and your Mario Bros concept. Everything has potential, but first, we must make sure CAPCOM has everything properly registered before showing it to anyone else."
Arthur looked at his papers with renewed determination, aware that, with Masato guiding him, his ideas could survive even in a world as dangerous as the one surrounding him.
"Well, uncle, it's good to hear that. Now I want to ask you something about love," Arthur said, showing him the song Plastic Love. "I want Mariya Takeuchi to sing this."
Masato nodded. "I'll contact her through her agency. Love, Arthur… aren't you too young to think about that?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Maybe, uncle, but I've had a problem with a friend who behaves strangely indifferent and hits me on the shoulder."
Masato looked at Arthur seriously. "Don't tell me you like being hit."
Arthur shook his head. "It caught me by surprise and I just let it happen. But I don't like it, uncle."
Masato nodded. "Good to hear. The best advice I can give is to see what upset her and fix it somehow—but not too obviously. If she sees she can control things, it will be much harder for you. I'm telling you this from experience: I've had three marriages, all ended in divorce. But that doesn't mean love is bad."
Arthur nodded and looked at his uncle seriously. "Thank you," he said, bowing. This surprised Masato. "You're so formal, Arthur. Without your ideas, you wouldn't have the opportunity to become my own boss."
"Oh, uncle, what happened with the Tetris arcade?" Arthur asked.
Masato looked out the window. "It's late. I would have liked to take you to see the game, but your mother would scold me. Anyway, you can play it like many others do—it's a success. If you pass by a commercial area, you'll find it. There's usually a line for it."
Masato chuckled. "The Yakuza makes sure no one mistreats the game, since competitors almost destroyed several Tetris arcades. But it's been fixed."
Arthur nodded. "Then I'll leave it all to you, uncle."
Masato smiled. "By the way, Arthur, do you want me to sell this manuscript since we don't have a publisher?"
Arthur realized that they only had CAPCOM as a video game developer. "I hadn't thought of it… but if possible, we can buy a publishing company."
Masato nodded. "We have the funds, so I'll see if I can get one."
Arthur nodded. "Also for the song, buy the discography. I want all the rights in my name."
Masato agreed. "That can be done, don't worry, Arthur. I know what I'm doing is a lot, but you'll get 10% of the shares of those companies."
Masato laughed. "Arthur, we're family, and your father helped me a lot to support you, so I have no problem."
Arthur shook his head. "What kind of person makes their family work without profit? Blood is thicker than water."
Masato was astonished and nodded. "Sometimes I forget you're only fifteen, Arthur."
Arthur gave a smile. "Well, uncle, I'm going to sleep."
Masato smiled. "Oh, almost forgot, here's something for you." He pulled some manga from his bag. "Dr. Slump by Akira Toriyama. I don't know what kind of manga you'd like, but I've heard this is very good."
Arthur looked at the title and realized it was a manga and anime.
"Uncle, also get a manga publishing company," he said.
"Don't worry, Arthur. I'll talk to people who have knowledge about that," Masato said, then left the room.
Arthur looked at the manga for a moment, but since he couldn't read some Japanese words, he got confused and put it aside. "Better sleep with that thought," he said, lying down, and quickly fell asleep.
He dreamed of being awarded a prize for his works, but suddenly Emiko appeared, took the prize, and struck him on the shoulder. This woke Arthur up, and he saw that it was already morning. Looking at the calendar, he realized it was:
Thursday, April 10, 1980
Another day begins. With that thought, he got ready to go to high school.