Chapter 235: Eiji Sets His Plan in Motion and The Prime Minister's Machinations

Eiji Sets His Plan in Motion and The Prime Minister’s Machinations

I compile everything I heard from my mother and Uncle Minami into my notebook. There’s so much I need to investigate. I may never grasp the full truth, but I want to get as close as possible—to my father’s reality, to the true nature of his relationship with Uncle Ugaki.

The only thing I can do is write—a novel, a human drama inspired by the bond between my father and Uncle Ugaki. How did my father truly see him? What emotions lay beneath the surface? I want to capture it all as faithfully as possible, to give shape to the truth in words.

By reliving their experiences through my writing, I hope to get closer to understanding Uncle Ugaki’s feelings.

That’s why I’m gathering as much information as I can about the incident that entangled Ai-san. I’ve combed through newspaper archives and pieced together a timeline of the trial, which is still ongoing. I’ve collected posts from social media, fragments of public sentiment from that time. I will reconstruct it all within my story.

After the extraordinary Diet session, I have a promise to meet with Uncle Ugaki again. My research tells me that these sessions typically last around seventy days. The exact duration depends on the deliberations, but at best, I have two months.

And with school in the mix, my time is even more limited. Midterms are coming up, too.

I have to research, write, and finish everything before the deadline. No exceptions.

This could change lives—maybe even all of our lives. That’s why I have to give it my all.

No amount of time will ever be enough.

I submerge myself in this world, dive deep into my thoughts, and surrender to the overwhelming flood of information.

In a state of complete immersion, I refine the structure of the story, over and over again.

And then, on paper, I begin carving a new story into existence.

Prime Minister’s Office – Prime Minister’s Perspective

“That little b🬀🬀tard!”

I slam the phone down with all my might, seething with fury as I sink into the Prime Minister’s chair.

This chair—this throne—is the proof of my victories. The symbol of every battle I’ve fought and won in the brutal world of politics. I won’t let some upstart snatch it from me.

Ugaki may be young, but he is sharp. Brilliant, even. He must have something up his sleeve.

But I am the highest authority in this country.

Once this extraordinary Diet session is over, that man will step down as Secretary-General. And his entire inner circle? They’ll all be purged, cast out to eat cold rice in political exile.

I’ve always loved saying this to the losers:

“I’m not angry anymore.”

To the untrained ear, it sounds like an act of magnanimity. But in politics, those words carry a far crueler meaning.

“I’m not angry anymore. So as the loser, you’d better come crawling to apologize.”

Refuse, and your political career is dead.

I’ve seen it happen time and again—former rivals, trembling with humiliation, bowing their heads before me. Just thinking about it makes me reach for the sake bottle beside me, taking a slow sip.

And even if a scandal does break, I will never be arrested.

As a sitting member of the Diet, I am protected by parliamentary immunity. During a session, I cannot be detained without the assembly’s approval. And even outside of session, I can pressure the Minister of Justice, invoke my authority, and forcibly shut down any investigation.

That approval will never come. Because I am the leader of the ruling party.

“Power comes from numbers. The great leaders before me knew that well.”

The majority rules over the minority. That is the fundamental principle of politics. And the one who commands the majority is the victor. The victor alone dictates what is right.

To protect myself, I will do anything. To preserve my throne, I will go to any lengths. That brat has underestimated my hunger for power. That’s why he dares to play such a reckless game.

Perhaps he seeks revenge for the tunnel accident.

But… a naive fool who can’t see others as mere stepping stones to his own success won’t last long in this world.

Kondo was a useful pawn, but he’s outlived his purpose.

I’ve already prepared everything to pin all the blame on him. Even if Ugaki sets off the scandal like a bomb, Kondo will take the full hit.

I will never lose.

I will crush Ugaki’s dreams, shatter his ambitions, and drive him to his knees in apology.

Now, let the political war begin.