I'm making an artbook, and as I was sorting my best drawings, I realized... my drawings of Shinji don't tell any story. So I buckled down and started working on a piece that actually tells a story, instead of just a boy posing in front of a white background.
Jumping on this trend because itās the perfect excuse to post Colin Ritman! :D Huge thanks to zcheriez2311 for the scene pack!
Character: Colin Ritman (Black Mirror: Bandersnatch). This was an interactive Black Mirror spin-off on Netflix, but sadly they've taken it down since then, making it very hard to find.
Disclaimer: Chapter 7 is the TRUE finale of the story. This is just a little bonus, a sort ofā¦ OVA?
(Two years have passed since the events of Chapter 7. Although Tenjiku was never revived in its original form, something entirely different, something far more monumental rose in its place: Bonten. This was no ordinary, run-of-the-mill street gang. Bonten pulled the strings heavily from the shadows, evolving into one of Tokyo's most influential criminal syndicates. Yet, to the outside world, they appeared to be nothing more than an average, upscale corporation operating out of a massive corporate high-rise.)
(To Puppy, however, it was simply a cozy home, a second family of sorts where he went to work every single day. He started every morning by cleaning out the expensive espresso machines in the lounge, which certain executives (Ran, Rindou, Sanzu, Kakucho, Muchoā¦) always left in absolute disarray. Power had gone to their heads so much that they couldn't even bother to empty the used coffee pods into the trash.)
(But Puppy did it all gladly. He looked at those little espresso machines as if they were small pets that needed to be cared for.)
(Right now, he was at METRO, buying supplies for Bonten out of his own pocket. Thanks to Kokonoi enrolling him in an evening school two years ago, he had successfully learned how to read Kanji and navigate the city. Because of this, he could handle grocery shopping without a single hitch when needed, and even assembling a new piece of office furniture was no obstacle for him. In truthā¦ he was always the one tasked with these "facilities assistant" chores, even though no one had ever officially appointed him to the role. He had appointed himself as Bonten's unofficial facilities assistant. To him, this wasn't work, it was taking care of his "family.")
(Puppy bought a whole pallet of coffee pods, sodas, and toilet paper, carefully stacking and securing everything onto the luggage rack of his pink Vespa, which was completely covered in dinosaur stickers.)
Employee: Excuse me, sir! You dropped your METRO card!
Puppy: Oh, thank you so much!
Employee: Wait a secondā¦ that's not even you in the photo.
Puppy: I know, because heās my husband, Hajime.
(The employee read the name printed on the METRO card and took a closer look at the ID photoā¦)
Employee: Kokonoi Hajime, the treasurer of the Bonten Corporationā¦ is your husband?
Puppy: Uh-huh!
Employee: The METRO card is non-transferable. You need a supplementary card to shop here! Please, unload the packages from your vehicle.
(Puppy didn't argue. He didn't pull the "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?!" card like anyone else in his position would. Obediently, and without a single word of complaint, he simply began unloading the items from his Vespa.)
(Meanwhile, the aforementioned treasurer was in the middle of a highly high-stakes business meeting on the top floor of a rented skyscraper. He was dressed in a striking red tang suit, his lips and nails painted blood-red, with heavy gold jewelry draped around his neck and wrists. Instead of his old curly black locks, his hair was now sleek, straight, and silver. Though his temple remained sharply shaved on the side just like before.)
Kokonoi: (with absolute, deadly calm and a smug smirk) Gentlemen, let us not waste each other's time. I have laid out my offer clearly and explicitly. I am offering 30 million yen for a 25% stake. If that is not to your liking, then we shall part ways.
(All at once, the members of the rival organization drew their firearms. The whole thing had been a setup. However, from the roof of the adjacent building, Shinji picked them off one by one with his AWP sniper rifle.)
(Kokonoiās face didn't even twitch.)
Kokonoi: Excellent work, Shinji. I love you.
(Shinji couldn't hear a word, but from the roof of the neighboring building, he looked through his scope and playfully formed a heart with his hands.)
THE NEXT MORNINGā¦
(Around 7:00 AM, Kokonoi walked into the Bonten headquarters lounge and spotted Shinji from behind, standing by the espresso machine. He wrapped his arms around him from behind and whispered into his ear:)
Kokonoi: You were incredibly sexy yesterday-
(The figure turned around. It wasn't Shinji. It was his father, Amit.)
Kokonoi: WAAAH! Amit-sanā¦ whatā¦ what on earth are you doing here?!
Amit: Good morning, Kokonoi. I start working here today.
(Kokonoi froze for a split second, then stormed furiously through the entire building until he finally located the REAL Shinji. He grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him close.)
Kokonoi: Shinji! Are you seriouslyā¦ hiringā¦ YOUR FATHER to work here?!
Shinji: (shrugs with a chill smile) The driving school where he worked as an instructor closed down.
Kokonoi: SO YOUR FIRST INSTINCT IS TO HIRE YOUR FATHER TO WORK IN OUR SHADY EMPIRE THAT CONTROLS JAPAN FROM THE SHADOWS?!
Shinji: My dad is a discreet man, Hajime. Plus, he's amazing with Excel spreadsheets. And he's totally young-looking, so he doesn't stick out among us.
Puppy: Hi, Dad! Want me to make you a cappuccino? (sparkling eyes, rosy cheeks)
Amit: No thank you, son. I already made some coffee for myself.
(Rindou walked in, throwing himself onto the lounge couch.)
Rindou: KOKONOI! There's no toilet paper in the entire building!
Kokonoi: Get the hell off my back, Rindou! Besides, you're all grown men! Buy your own damn toilet paper!
Puppy: I went to METRO yesterday, but I didn't have a supplementary card, so they made me put all the merchandise backā¦ that's why there's no toilet paper right nowā¦ but I'll go get some from Lidl!
Kokonoi: Don't you all think it's pathetic that Puppy is the one doing the shopping for you?! And out of his own pocket, nonetheless?!
Shinji: Actually, he does everything around here. He cleans, catches pests with DIY traps, cleans and repairs the coffee machines, assembles furniture, tends to the garden, buys cleaning supplies, handles the trash collection, and even orders our lunchesā¦ If it weren't for him, the entire Bonten would be a literal landfill.
Amit: Kokonoi, my son-in-law. I would like to request a copy of my job description.
(Kokonoi took a very deep breath, exhaled slowly, and carefully considered his next words.)
Kokonoi: Amit-sanā¦ we don't have- ā¦ugh, whatever, who cares. Shinji, write a job description for your father.
Shinji: Hey! Why am I being punished just for giving a job to my own beloved father?
Amit: Kokonoi, I have a general idea of what goes on here. But for everything to truly function properly, we absolutely need job descriptions for every single employee. Even for Puppy. If you don't pay attention to the details, you will fail sooner than you thinkā¦ if you catch my drift.
LATER, A FANCY DINNER AT A HIGH-END CHINESE RESTAURANT:
(We are inside an incredibly upscale, fancy Chinese restaurant. The rest of the Bonten executives are also present. Naturally, Kokonoi is footing the bill for the entire dinner.)
Shinji: This pork is really good.
Amit: Indeed.
Sanzu: Aren't these Jew-
Amit: (interrupts him before he can even finish) We have abandoned those traditions. Long story.
Rindou: (reading an article on his phone) Damnā¦ did you guys know that even K-pop stars are forced to enlist in the military? And every recruit is required to enter a tear gas bunker and endure it for 5 minutes without a gas mask! That is brutal!
Shinji and Amit both burst out laughing.
Shinji: Rindou, you seriously didn't know that? It's no big deal, I've been in one of those bunkers myself.
Amit: As have I. But not just once, five times. I was in there alongside the recruits to keep them calm.
Kokonoi: Would you all mind shutting your traps while eating? Thank you.
Amit: This is a business dinner. I believe conversation is quite appropriate. Perhaps film history isn't so foreign to such a fancy crowd.
Shinji: Ah, āBicycle Thievesā. I loved it. The message of that movieā¦ everyone protects the criminal, but the moment you stand up for yourself, everyone jumps you and beats you down.
Amit: It truly was a captivating film, and timeless. Very timeless indeedā¦
Shinji: And the craziest part is that they didn't even use real actors! They just brought in random people off the streets!
Amit: That is correct.
Shinji: By the way, has anyone seen "An Andalusian Dog"?
Amit: Ah, the masterpiece of Salvador DalĆ and Luis BuƱuelā¦
Shinji: They actually expected everyone to hate their movie. They were waiting behind the curtains with pockets full of stones, planning to pelt the audience back if they got booed! But everyone loved it!
Amit: Because it is indeed a masterpiece. It was packed with symbolism.
Shinji: Well, I highly doubt people back then realized that the man riding the bicycle was actually a symbol for masturb-
Kokonoi: SHINJI! One: Shut your mouth! Two: Is it absolutely necessary to talk about THAT while eating?!
(Although Kokonoi snapped at Shinji out of pure embarrassment, it was incredibly endearing to watch and to realize that Shinji and Amitā¦ weren't really that different at all. In fact, they were practically identical. It was just that Amit was a disciplined, icy, and stoic father.)
Amit: By the way, when and where should I go for my occupational health and safety medical checkup?
Kokonoi: ā¦.
Amit: Does Bonten not have a company doctor?
Sanzu: I swear to God, I'm going to shoot this guyā¦
Puppy: NO! (he snapped childishly, effortlessly flipping Sanzu over, chair and all, without breaking a sweat)
Amit: Listen to me, children. Because mentally, that is exactly what you still are, I can see that. Everything in Bonten must function 100% like a REAL corporation. But then again, how could you possibly know how things work in a real company? Don't worry, though, you have me now.
Rindou: Shinji, your dad is very based. Honestly, what he's saying actually makes sense.
Kokonoi: Rindou, get the hell away from Shinji. Oh, and where exactly are we going to get a company doctor, Amit-san? Oh, let me guess! Schizo Dominik is going to be our company doctor, right?
THE NEXT DAYā¦
Kokonoi: THAT WAS NOT A SUGGESTION! (he screamed the moment he spotted Dominik standing in the Bonten office)
Ran: Is Bonten turning into some kind of family business now, or what?
Puppy: You guys are already my family anyway. (he said innocently, with pure affection)
Kokonoi: Puppy, don't say things like that to this rabble. They don't deserve it. (he muttered, instantly shifting into protective mode)
Dominik: (grinning like a madman and spreading his arms wide) Alright thenā¦ gentlemen, please head over to your locally designated X-ray clinic, the ophthalmologist, and Synlab, and come back to me once you have the results.
Kokonoi: WE ARE NOT GOING TO A GODDAMN THING! What the hell are you even here for, then?!
Dominik: This is pure bureaucracy. I am a psychiatrist and an occupational health physician. I can approve your lab results, but I have neither the specific qualifications nor the authorization to actually perform those medical examinations myself.
Kokonoi: Everything was going so fucking smoothlyā¦ until you brought your father here, Shinji!
Shinji: Hey! Don't hate me, hate the system!
THAT NIGHT, AT BEDTIMEā¦
(Kokonoi pulled on his most expensive black lace stockings, garter belt, and bra. Not that his male chest had any actual need for itā¦ it was purely for the aesthetics.)
Shinji: Oh, you are beautiful. Come here-
Kokonoi: Don't touch me. I am fucking furious.
Shinji: Then why did you even put that on?
Kokonoi: Because I like sleeping in this.
Puppy: Can I still hug you, though?
Kokonoi: You can anytime, darling. I love you.
Shinji: Chill out, Hajime. My dad isn't just talking out of his ass. He knows exactly what he's doing. He's incredibly grateful that we gave him a job, and he's doing everything he can to secure us and keep theā¦ ācompanyā safe.
Kokonoi: I knowā¦ it's just that this whole ordeal is still obnoxious. But Amit is actually rightā¦ it would be a massive embarrassment to go down over such trivial nonsense. But how come he is so chill about our shady business?
Shinji: (shrugs) I don't know, I don't really know him that well. We didn't talk much until two years ago.
Puppy: (completely ignoring the serious conversation, snuggling up to Kokonoi with all his might) Hajime! What should I cook for you guys tomorrow? Would a cold platter be good?!
THE NEXT DAYā¦ SETAGAYA, SHINJI'S OLD APARTMENTā¦
Rindou: It's unbelievable that this apartment is still sitting completely empty.
Shinji: I'm not surprised. Like I said, demons live here. Outside of me, there isn't a single person stupid enough to actually live in this place.
Rindou: Oh, come off it! Demons? Yeah, right.
(Right then, Rindou suddenly broke out into goosebumps as a cold chill ran down his spine. He spotted a hole in the ceiling, and looking down from it was a grinning creature with a human-like head, contrasty brown-and-black skin, and stark white eyes. It didn't moveā¦ it was just thereā¦ staringā¦)
Rindou: Whatā¦ what the fuck is that thing?!
Shinji: That? That's the Toyol. (he said completely casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world)
Rindou: IS THAT REAL?!
Shinji: Yeah, it is. But imagine this: it's actually terrified of Hajime. (he offered a chill smile)
(Rindou wanted to leave immediately, but when he opened the door, he saw Shinji's uncanny valley, motionless, grinning doppelgƤnger standing at the very end of the hallway. He darted his eyes back to his side, where the REAL Shinji was just standing there with a thoroughly bored expression.)
Shinji: Don't panic, that's just the āother Shinjiā. Honestly, it doesn't pose that much of a threat. It just stares, and that's it. Just maintain eye contact, otherwise it comes closer.
(Rindou looked back down the exit hallway, and the "other Shinji" had indeed crept closer. He immediately started dialing Ran on his phone, begging him to come pick him up right this second.)
(But right then, the demonic entities completely evaporated as the sound of clicking high heels echoed down the corridor, drawing closer and closer. Kokonoi was walking down the hallway.)
Kokonoi: Shinji! You said you were just going to grab a box and come right out! What the hell are you guys even doing here?! Staring at the wall or what?! Let's go already!
THE NEXT DAY, AT BONTEN'S PRIVATE MORNING BRIEFING:
Dominik: I received your lab results. Oh dear, oh dearā¦ (nodding his head) Sanzu, your bloodwork is an absolute catastrophe. You really need to stop using so much gear! I am not renewing your work contract.
Sanzu: ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!
Kokonoi: (bored, rolling his eyes) Sanzu, seriously, you need to tone it down with the drugs. Just use them like, once a month instead of twice a day. And Dominik, don't take your job so damn seriously. Just stamp the paperwork and be done with it!
Dominik: Well, fine. At the end of the day, I couldn't care less about you guys. I'm only here for the paycheck anyway.
(Puppy appeared carrying a beautiful, handmade cold platter and placed it neatly on the conference table.)
Puppy: Look at the delicious food I made for you! Please eat! (sparkling eyes, rosy cheeks)
Kokonoi: Great job, Puppy! Thank you! (gentle, affectionate voice)
Shinji: I wonder if this cheese is kosher.
Kokonoi: As if you actually give a damn! Just appreciate Puppy's hard work and eat!
Shinji: By the way, I brought someone else in to work here.
Kokonoi: Let me guessā¦ another member of your family!
Shinji: No. He's not family. Dave, come on in!
(Right then, a Colombian guy walked in, wearing a garter belt, high heels, and painted nails, and immediately started speaking in Spanish.)
Kokonoi: WHO THE HELL IS THIS AND WHY IS HE STEALING MY LOOK?!
Shinji: Heās going to be our receptionist and secretary. We need someone to actually answer the phones all day. They ring non-stop, but nobody ever picks them up!
Kokonoi: (faceplants onto the table) Shinjiā¦ give me some of your SSRIsā¦
Shinji: Ask Dominik to write you a prescription.
Dominik: Don't you go recommending me, cousin! I hate working! Dealing with my own mental illness is enough. I don't want to handle even more idiots!
Shinji: Then why on earth did you become a psychiatrist?
Dominik: Well, obviously so I could prescribe medication to myself!
Amit: (slams his hand on the table) ENOUGH! What do you think this is?! Are you in a kindergarten?! Kokonoi is your boss! Show some respect!
Kokonoi: (exhausted, but chuckling a little) It's kind of you to stand up for me, Amit-san, but I'm not the boss. Mikey is. I'm just the treasurer.
Amit: And where is this gentleman named Michael currently located?
Rindou and Ran both burst out laughing.
Kokonoi: Mikey. And he's currently vacationing in Uganda. Totally oblivious to the fact that we are restructuring everything here right over his headā¦ he might just end up killing us all.
Puppy: I WON'T LET HIM! (he yelled, throwing his arms around Kokonoi in a tight hug)
Dave: (speaking half in English, half in Spanish) "Ā”Kokonoi! Ā”The Yamaha corporation wants to speak with you! ĀæLe digo que se espere on the line, o que llame mĆ”s tarde?"
Kokonoi: Shinji, if you insisted on hiring this person, the least you could do is teach him Japanese. I can barely understand half of what he's saying!
Shinji: Yamaha wants to talk to you.
Kokonoi: What the hell does a motorcycle manufacturer want from me? Ah, whatever, I'll take itā¦
(Kokonoi picked up his sleek smartphone, sighing heavily as he pressed it to his ear, leaning back in his chair with his silver hair catching the office lights.)
Kokonoi: This is Kokonoi. Speak.
LATERā¦
(Bonten HQ, Executive Office. Amit is sitting rigid as a statue in front of a massive, beige CRT monitor. Kokonoi stands beside him, staring at the operating system.)
Kokonoi: Amit-san, why the hell are you working on this piece of junk? This is Windows 98!
Amit: (typing with mechanical precision, not looking up) It suits my requirements perfectly.
Kokonoi: Iām pretty sure if you try to connect to the modern internet, this thing will literally explode.
Amit: I have no necessity for the internet. I only require Excel and a functional printer.
Shinji: (leaning against the wall, flipping through a tortoise magazine) Itās 2008, Hajime. Win98 isn't even that old.
Kokonoi: (snapping his head toward him, veins popping on his forehead) Shinji, shut the fuck up. Where is Puppy?
Shinji: Heās playing with the Djungarian hamsters. He tamed them so well, they just sit in his palms like little cotton balls.
Kokonoi: (pinches the bridge of his nose, takes a deep breath, and exhales slowly) ā¦Shinjiā¦ tell Puppy that we do NOT play with hamsters during working hours! That is an after-work activity! There is a brand-new IKEA bathroom cabinet over there that needs to be assembled!
Shinji: (bluntly) He already finished it.
Kokonoi: ā¦.šļøššļøā¦ Thenā¦ tell him to check every single printer in the building! Verify the ink percentage and refill the cartridges where necessary! He needs to find actual work to occupy his time during this 8-hour interval!
Amit: (staring at the screen, a rare, faint hint of pride in his dry voice) My strong little boy. He lifted me off the ground using nothing but his bare hands earlier.
Kokonoi & Shinji: ??? šļøššļø
Amit: (instantly switches back to his ice-cold, stoic military tone) I am playing snooker with JenÅ later.
Kokonoi: Where? Somewhere in Roppongi?
Amit: On jojatek.hu.
Shinji: I'm sorry, Dad, but I already stole JenÅ from you. He is my gaming partner now.
Amit: He is merely practicing on you, my son. I am his true adversary.
Kokonoi: (slamming his hands onto the desk, completely losing his mind) WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL TALKING ABOUT?! Shinji, why are you stealing your father's online friends in a stupid flash game?!
Shinji: To pay him back for taking away my childhood.
Amit: You're starting to get cheeky, Shinji. (He continues working on the computer, his face completely expressionless.)
Puppy: (Appears in the room, gently cradling the hamsters in his palms.) Dad! Can we build a life-sized Brachiosaurus at home?
Amit: Of course, son. We are making up for the lost years. It will be dinosaur-sized.
Shinji: Can I join?
Amit: No. You just go play-play with JenÅ, since youāre bragging so much about stealing him from me. But you won't have the same luck with Butterflycatcher. He hasā¦ standards, requirements that a rookie like you simply cannot satisfy.
Kokonoi: WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT ONLINE SNOOKER PARTNERS AS IF THEY WERE ROMANTIC PARTNERS?! THIS IS EMBARRASSING AND DISGUSTING!
Browse maevedino's artwork on DeviantArt. 12 works of art across all galleries.
logged into my wattpad after a literally thousand years and somehow stumbled upon my ancient deviantart profileā¦ i had completely forgotten it even existed.
I'm not used to reblogging anything, but this drawing is so beautifulā¦ I've just been staring at it for minutes and I can't take my eyes off it! This is the life I long forā¦. no work, no rushing world, no hustleā¦. just running around happily in the sunshine and living for the momentā¦.
