April 6, 2013

The One [Chapter 100]

Congratulations for The One had reached its 100th chapter. Special interview with Nicky Lee. [I’ll just write the main idea:]
Q1: What do you feel regarding your long series, ‘The One’, reaching chapter 100? 
A1: 100 is a good number, so happy. This is the longest story that I’ve written and the one that really put my endurance to the test. At that time, I’ve experienced laziness but to be able to keep on drawing until now, it’s really a celebration [of success]! I think it is the love for the characters that supported me, and of course, the readers’ support that I was able to continue on drawing. I’m really grateful from my heart!! 
Q2: Do you have any characters that you specially like? 
A2: My favorite is naturally the main characters, Lele and Yin. After all, I’ve been in contact with them for a longer period of time! (laugh) Yin pretty much satisfies my male fantasy. (After all, in real life, there is no such person?) Lele has the courage that I don’t have! There are things that I would want to learn from her! Aside from them, I also like Leo! While drawing him, I feel this special relaxing happiness! (laugh) 
Q3: After Lele’s road to become a model, whether her casual clothes or fashion clothes, it’s quite astonishing. Where did you get your inspiration? 
A3: At the start of the story, I’ve watched a lot of fashion shows and magazines. Regarding any fashion style that I like that has left a deep impression [on me], I will draw it in accordance to what I like and re-design the style to fit[/suit] the drawn character’s clothes. For example, more than half of Lele’s clothes have the concept of being surrounded with butterflies, crown, flowers, when I design them! I hope to bring out the feeling of romantic and gorgeous look. 
Q4: Andre had expressed his feelings for Lele, and it can be said, it is to become a true man. Later on, will there be a chance to see him as a man, a very man[ly] Andre? 
A4: I hope that I can draw up to that stage, so let us all anticipate it together! (laugh) 
Q5: What can we anticipate in the plot later on, or your plans for it? 
A5: Later on, I hope that I would be able to handle well the twins and Lele’s love dispute~ This is actually quite troublesome! Haha.. --||| 
[Q6 seems to be something about Nicky’s previous series, Youth Gone Wild, regarding some confession and she said something about starting to write it but it didn’t progress as she wanted and hopes everyone anticipate it.] 
Q7: These two years, sensei had participated in a different manga exhibit in France, what’s her experience in these two exhibits and what she thinks of it? 
A7: The Europe market is more diverse! I also feel that the manga there is livelier and more independent! There are exhibits that can be seen everywhere. Too bad that because of the language, I couldn’t understand the French stage dialog. But I really like the mood of the whole town that is lively celebrating the manga/comic festival. And, I hope that one day Taiwan will also have this kind of mood. Of course, I also anticipate that our manga can get into the market there. This time, I’m very happy to truly meet my manga readers [face-to-face]. But in the end, they saw my manga through the internet. So, if one day, my work can be officially translated into French then I would be more thoroughly happy! (laugh). End interview. A picture below is an avid fan giving Nicky her drawing of Eros. The pictures below are of Nicky-sensei at Angoulême’s anime-manga festival 2013.
Top 4 of popularity character poll: 1. Lele 2. Yin (Eros) 3. Andre and 4. Leo. In Eros’ hotel room, Lele’s clothes are neatly folded on the bed[/sofa]. The water in the tub is running. Eros is already in the bubble bath and Lele is standing in front of him with only a towel. Eros teases her that she looks like she wants to run away. Embarrassed Lele denies it. She thinks that she is just shy about taking a bath together with her boyfriend for the first time. <- But actually, she is anticipating it. He asks her up to when she is going to stand there and the water will quickly become cold. “Come!” So, she lets go of her towel, takes his outstretched hand and, joins him in the tub. She asks him about her performance today. He tells her that didn’t he gave her a thumbs up. Lele says that it isn’t enough, for she wants him to say more praises to her and she needs his approval. Eros asks if she came to there to hear some nice words. Lele bites him on the neck and tells him to say it. Eros pulls her away and says that she’s quite violent. He hugs her and tells her that he’ll tell her. Eros tells her that her ‘riding on the horse’ brave/heroic appearance is the most beautiful he had seen. She asks what else. He tells her that for her to have a phobia, yet she would let go and have that confident smile. It made him feel proud of her. Lele happily asks what else. He pinches her nose and says that she’s quite greedy. He tells her that at that moment, he felt that he truly loves her. He asks if she was always looking at him because she believes that he absolutely don’t let anything happen to her so she isn’t afraid. She kisses him and says that those praises are worthy for her to spend the night here. He tells her that she better not regret it for she ought to know what the consequences of staying there. They kiss and make love. And the consequence of staying there overnight is-- The next morning, Lele is screaming. The photographer and staff are screaming over how fast Yin is and it is quite romantic for a famous model to fall for a worker. Their relationship has already been exposed when everyone found out that Lele came out from Yin’s room. Yin tells her that he warned her this morning. The photographer holds the hand of lifeless Lele and tells her to relax, they won’t tell the paparazzi and properly go steady with Yin who is a good man. At the lounge, Lele is quite embarrassed and asks why Eros didn’t wake her up earlier so that perhaps, she won’t be seen. Eros sweatdrops and says that she wouldn’t wake up. Leo appears and asks what this beast [Eros] did to her yesterday that she cannot get up. Eros just casually greets him a good morning. The other people are hanging around to listen to gossip. Eros apologizes that he won’t satisfy their curiosity for he has resigned so that he won’t interfere with Lele’s work. Standing up, he tells them since they’ve already made up so he doesn’t have to hang around her and pretend to be a worker. The photo shoot will be over soon and there won’t much difference if he isn’t around as an odd jobs man. He kisses her on the head and tells her that he’ll go around the streets of Spain as a happy bum so good luck to her.
As he leaves, Leo complains that Eros is no longer keeping a low-profile that he deliberately made everyone know of their relationship. Taylor says that it is quite unusual since he is usually careful. Leo comments that even with Feidna before, he won’t publicly admit it so don’t even mention his past flames[?] and it seems that Lele has fixed that ‘freak’. Leo urges Lele to tell him what did Eros promised to her. She tells them that Eros told her about going to Taylor’s ranch to meet with Berry and other beautiful horses. This made Taylor happy. Leo happily hugs Lele and says that he feels happy for her. Soon, Eros is walking around in the streets of Spain when his cellphone rings. Angus says that he wants to meet him. Eros asks where he is. After finishing a photo shoot, the director comments over how manly Andre had become and he is a match with Lele. Andre says of course because he aims to be in the top 10 male models within 3 years. Lele gets a message from Eros to meet him at 1pm at the lake behind the restaurant/hotel and they are going boating. The photographer asks where she is going. Lele happily says that she is going to meet with someone so they go ahead and eat first. Just when the photographer is commenting about it being nice to be young and in love, he notices that Andre is also gone. Following Lele, Andre thinks that for her to be so happy, she ought to be meeting up with Eros. He laments over acting like some pervert who is stalking someone when he is Andre but just by looking at her, he felt happy. In front of the camera, she is his lover but outside the camera, she belongs to some other guy, a man whom he couldn’t reach. Three years makes him feel fretful and uneasy so he can only use this method to protect her. Lele sees Eros by the boat. Eros is still wearing his ‘Yin’ earring and sunglasses. She happily waves at him and he helps her in the boat. Andre can only be jealous over how dazzling Eros is and his first love is also quite sad. While Eros is rowing the boat, Lele asks how did he find this place and it is quite beautiful. Holding up a small plastic bag, Lele says that she bought some snack on the way and he definitely hasn’t eaten yet. She asks him as a bum, where did he go today and did he get to encounter some fun stuff. Then, she asks him how come he won’t talk. She had a feeling of dread as she looks at Eros. “You are..” She drops her plastic bag. A scene of the real Eros fast asleep = most probably drugged after drinking some beer. Removing his sunglasses, Angus says that she can really tell them apart. “Long time no see, Lele!” He apologizes to surprised Lele for using this method to get her out. He only wants to find a place where no one would disturb them, a place where they can chat. Lele nervously asks what he[/Long] wants to talk about. Angus asks why she is nervous and isn’t he happy to see him. He tells her that only people close to him would call him, Long. So, for her, is she considers herself as someone close to him?
Thinking that something is very wrong with Angus but she must calm down, she asks him if he is also in Spain, and what about Yin, did they meet. Angus says of course, he is his most beloved older brother. He asks her if she also loves Eros like he does, and he knows that lately, the two of them ‘got along well’. Lele nervously asks if that made him unhappy. Angus asks, unhappy, how can that be, for he would like whoever is good with his brother, so does she also like him. Lele says of course, she likes him. Angus says that he knows for they have the same face so it is impossible for her not to have feelings for him. Reaching out and touching Lele’s face, Angus tells her that he always feels that there is a connection between them. Also, when they collaborated for the advertisement, they’ve easily pulled a very deep feeling from each other. And when they kissed, her heart is beating wildly and intense. Flustered Lele holds on his hands and calls his name, Long. Angus says that perhaps, that the ones who should truly be together are them. Angus forcefully kisses her and Lele felt through the kiss his intense hatred towards her. As she mutters his name, Angus pushes her down the boat. She tearfully shouts for him not to do this. Watching with binoculars, Andre angrily complains that Eros is too impatient to do this in broad daylight, and can’t they return to the hotel to go lovey-dovey again. Then, he notices something wrong when ‘Eros’ seems to be holding something down with both hands. As deranged Angus puts his hands on crying Lele’s neck to strangle her, Angus forces Lele to admit that she is also attracted to him. Breathing in difficulty, Lele wonders who’ll save her but she ends up saying what Angus wants to hear that she is attracted to him. Angus says, see, he knows that she’ll come to his side. “Abandon Yin, and come to my side!” Back at the shore, Andre curses that ‘Eros’ is strangling Lele and what kind of game are they playing. Meanwhile, Eros finally wakes up. He sits up and looks at the two cans of beer by the table. Eros remembers that after they toast, Angus said that he really wanted to kill him [<-joking way at that time] and Ulysses brought him along to Spain for a trip and he didn’t thought that he is also there. Soon, Eros rushes to where Leo and Taylor are eating. He frantically asks if they had seen Lele. Puzzled Leo asks wasn’t he together with her. Taylor says that Lele said that she is meeting someone after work and took off. Eros looks really nervous. Then, Leo’s cellphone is ringing. It is Andre who shouts for him to quickly come for ‘Eros’ is quickly going to kill Lele. Leo is shock-nervous. And, Angus is still strangling Lele. Blurb: Long has lost his senses[/reason], Lele faces a great crisis..! Next chapter will be out on May 5th in Taiwan. Blurb for the next chapter: “Long attempts to harm Lele. Yin promptly faces Long who has lost his senses and [Yin?] felt hurt and blames himself.. And, Andre is quite furious at Yin for making Lele fall into this kind of risky situation..
Comment:
The first thing on my mind after reading this is if I were Andre, the first thing I would do is to save Lele and not call someone to inform them about it. ^^; Of course, maybe he cannot swim but he can shout and call other people’s attention to it, right? Hm..well, Angus did say that no one would be around there and Andre seems to think that it is some sort of ‘lovers game’. Oh well, I’ll just dismiss this as a way to leave the readers on a cliffhanger. =P I really wonder what’s going in Angus mind to make Lele say that. Is it some way to prove that she isn’t loyal to Eros? Well, given a life and death situation, I cannot really blame Lele especially since she is dealing with a mentally unstable person. Another theory is maybe Angus is projecting Lele as their mother so he wants her to say that. I don’t really think that he loves her especially since Lele felt otherwise from that kiss. So much for thinking that Eros would disown Angus or something like that, if he hurts Lele. ^^; Eros cannot do that to someone slightly mentally ill and hopefully, he does something soon or else, Angus might end up like their mother in the hospital. Of course, this also destroys any hope of Andre teaming up with Angus because Andre will most probably never do that with someone who tried to hurt/kill Lele. So, we’ll anticipate whether this is enough to break up the couple again like in Manatsu no Eden or not. Scans by Icy_Chrisy for baidu.

Word of the day:
Harboring hatred in the heart will not lead to success; But following truth and love and grace will lead to blessedness. ~ Hess from Our Daily Bread.