Chapter 228 Ugaki's Inner Thoughts

Ugaki’s Inner Thoughts

Ugaki’s PoV

Upon entering the reception room, I found myself alone with a policeman named Furuta. My personal guards had been stationed outside.

“So, what is it you wish to discuss, Furuta-san?”

I spoke as calmly as I could, and Furuta responded with a defiant smile.

“Well, Ugaki-san, why are you so deeply involved in this matter?”

His words felt almost like an interrogation. I replied with a wry smile, aware that if this turned out to be trivial, Furuta might well lose his head. He must have braced himself for that possibility. Yet the man before me spoke with an unsettling confidence. Was it sheer boldness—or plain foolishness?

“I can’t understand why someone of your stature would dive so deeply into a corruption scandal involving a mere city councilor. Even if the Prime Minister asked you to cover it up, it’s strange for you to get directly involved. Isn’t this the kind of work you’d delegate to a secretary or someone behind the scenes? And yet, you’ve chosen otherwise. Why is that?”

“Because acting personally puts my mind at ease. Does that answer fail to satisfy?”

“I see. That does make sense. But isn’t it true that instead of suppressing this issue, you’re actively working to spread it further?”

Hmph. It’s dangerous to approach someone with sharp instincts. Sure enough, Furuta was inching closer to the truth from just a glimmer of unease.

“No comment. If you’re so intent on forcing me to talk, feel free to bring a warrant.”

Of course, there was no way he could do that. My words, tinged with sarcasm, didn’t shake him in the slightest.

“Then I’ll speak freely.”

“Am I obligated to listen?”

I began to rise from my seat, but he ignored me and continued speaking.

“Your goal, Ugaki-san, is revenge, isn’t it? Revenge against the people who stole your wife, inflicted deep wounds on your daughter, and drove the memento of your late best friend to the brink of s🬀🬀cide.”

“…Eiji-kun’s case was entirely coincidental, I’d say. However, thanks to his incident, You were able to advance the clock hands of your plan. Of course, your resentment doubled because of it.”

I said nothing, glaring at him. In that silence, my acknowledgment was clear enough. I lowered myself back into my seat.

“The slush funds from Councilor Kondo flowed into the Prime Minister’s faction, didn’t they?”

“No comment.”

My curt response carried a sharp edge, urging him to continue quickly.

A contradictory performance, indeed.

“And those slush funds originated from the local general contractor run by Councilor Kondo. That company is peculiar. It handles road and tunnel construction and maintenance projects far beyond its scale. Isn’t it because the contractor uses project funds to generate slush money, which is then funneled into the Prime Minister’s faction? And beyond that…”

Furuta’s gaze bore into me as he spoke relentlessly. I clenched the fountain pen in my suit pocket tightly to keep my agitation in check.

“Public works projects undertaken by Kondo’s company have repeatedly faced issues. Eventually, there was even a tunnel collapse. It was a catastrophic accident that claimed lives. Likely, corners were cut during construction to save costs. And yet, for some reason, accountability for these incidents was never pursued. Why? To protect the financial routes tied to powerful figures and to suppress a potential major scandal. Among the victims of that collapse were your wife and daughter. It all connects, Ugaki-san. You pretended to support the Prime Minister, infiltrated the core of his administration, and bided your time for revenge.”

I had never imagined I’d encounter someone this capable. Truly unfortunate.

I went beyond wry amusement, finding myself utterly speechless.

Even knowing my family had been among the victims, those men continued to use me without the slightest change in demeanor. Or perhaps they arrogantly assumed I was unaware. My support was likely vital to their victory in the party leadership election. That’s why they sought to elevate me, even if I was a potential ticking time bomb.

Entrusting me with the aftermath of this incident was a humiliation—but it also presented the perfect opportunity.

“However, there’s one thing… one thing I can’t quite grasp.”

“Your theories are amusing, but entirely unfounded.”

I attempted to cut him off, but Furuta ignored me.

“Yes, perhaps for now. That’s fine.”

“Hmph.”

Something about his strange charm held me in place. I reached for the coffee in front of me. It had gone cold.

“The one thing I can’t understand is this: why did you distance yourself from your daughter? True, keeping her near you as you pursued revenge might have been dangerous. But leaving her alone in such a vulnerable mental state is far more perilous, isn’t it? Witnesses say that during your wife’s lifetime, you doted on your daughter to the point that you couldn’t bear to take your eyes off her. There’s no way you weren’t worried about her. And yet, you deliberately pushed her away.”

“…”

“And after the incident, following your wife’s funeral, you spent two weeks in Keio Hospital under the guise of a medical examination, keeping it hidden from the media. That hospital is renowned for its cardiac specialists. You’re often seen clutching your pen to your chest—a habit even visible on television. But it wasn’t to calm yourself by holding the pen, was it? You were concerned about something deeper within. Most likely, you…”

To think he would trample so far into my private domain. My hand reflexively gripped the pen he referenced.

“…have been living with a ticking time bomb in your heart.”