What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

Nozomi looked at it. ‘Adults tend to think Gerob is a gross character, but children love it. The book has pictures of flies and cockroaches in it too. They’re drawn with real affection. It’s a lovely book, I think, because it’s written from a child’s perspective. Children don’t have the prejudices that adults do about insects we usually regard as pests.’

A true professional, I noted admiringly, with a nod of agreement.

‘Manga artists are incredible. I thought illustrating would be a cool thing to do and went to vocational school. Then I discovered I didn’t have what it took to make it as an artist.’

This is the pathetic excuse I give for being unemployed.

Ms Komachi rolls her head around and clicks her neck.

‘Why is that?’ Her head tilts to one side.

‘Because only the chosen few can make a living from illustrating. Not just illustrating either – probably less than one person in a hundred can turn the thing they like doing into paid work.’

Ms Komachi rolls her head again and lifts an index finger. ‘I’m going to give you a maths lesson.’

‘What?’

‘In the case of one hundred people, one person out of a hundred is one per cent, correct?’

‘Yeah.’

‘But in the case of one person doing the thing they want to do, there is only yourself, which means one person out of one, which is one hundred per cent.’

‘Huh?’

‘So there’s a hundred per cent chance.’