Episode 5: The fifth day
Undeterred by Kanbayashi’s warning to stay away from Kaburagi, Shoko goes with him to a hotel. While Kaburagi is in the shower, she hurriedly rummages through his jacket pockets, but is caught in the act. Kaburagi regards her in silence as he walks over and lights a cigarette to smoke. He was waiting for her to shower he tells her. In response, Shoko nervously moves toward the bathroom, but he grabs her arm and demands to know her real name.
In a stroke of good timing, the door bell rings. It is room service. Shoko gratefully pulls away from Kaburagi’s tight grip and rushes to open the door. Sensing the danger to her life, she snatches her belongings and the cigarette that Kaburagi had stubbed out in the ashtray and flees the room while he is distracted by the presence of the hotel room service staff. Once she is in the safety of the streets, she contacts Kanbayashi who chides her for doing something so silly. He orders her to stay put so that he can come and get her.
On the other hand, Suzuki learns from Daisuke that Yuda had driven Sakunosuke to his death. As a doctor, Suzuki feels that he cannot let Yuda continue to get out of control. He intends to expose the truth about the dangerous side effects that his unauthorised treatment has had on Yuda’s thoughts even if it results in his medical license being revoked. Yuda warns that chaos will ensue if confidence in him plummets for Japan needs a hero with the strength to lead the country. Suzuki scoffs at Yuda’s delusion of grandeur and calls him an imposter. But the two men immediately stop trading barbs when they realise that their raised voices have woken Daisuke up.
Remembering the exchange that he overhead in the garden at his grandfather’s residence, Daisuke shrinks back as Yuda walks over and crouches down so that he can look the boy in the eyes. Yuda explains to Daisuke that Sakunosuke’s death was due to a long-term illness. Nevertheless bad things will inevitably be said about Yuda because the important nature of his work for the country has made him enemies. He asks for Daisuke’s trust and the boy readily gives it. The two of them hug as Suzuki watches on with the feeling that Yuda has taken everything from him.
At that moment, Maichou Shimbun and other media outlets have just received a message from Matsunaga who claims responsibility for the bombing of the villa in Nasu. Tachikawa finds this odd for a man who has just been released from prison after 15 years … … Then, he receives an unexpected phone call from Suzuki, requesting to see him. All Suzuki will tell Tachikawa at this point is that he wishes to disclose something about the Chief Cabinet Secretary even though it will be detrimental to his own interests. Tachikawa suggests that a press conference will make the most impact, but declines to help if Suzuki will not give him the details. Suzuki informs him to meet in the evening when the notes for the press conference will be ready.
Matsunaga makes use of Kae to incite the start of riots in the streets as tensions run high between the police and youth. She gets up on a police car to address the crowd.
“You’re the ones using violence
because they’re the ones bleeding.
The police doesn’t regard us as human beings.
They think we’re trash.
We need to teach them that
we’re people with blood flowing through us.
Look, they’ve taken out their weapons.
It’s ok if we take out ours too!
Go on! Beat them all down!!!”
Kanbayashi and Shoko overhear passersby talking about the fight off with the police. At the scene, Kanbayashi enters the melee and tries to pull the parties apart while a stunned Shoko watches the chaos unfolding before her. Kae gets knocked down trying to attack a police officer. Recognising her as the homeless girl from a previous occasion when they met in the streets, Kanbayashi takes her home with Shoko.
In the midst of this, Yuda makes contact with Kaburagi to accept an earlier proposal he made to join hands to change the country.
“I wish to transform this country.
I truly mean it.
But in order to do so,
sacrifices have to be made sometimes.
I sent my father to his death.
But I’ve no regrets.
People are born to be of use to someone.
My father had lived with the sole purpose of making money.
That he could die for the country,
was ultimately the right thing to do.
More considerable sacrifices will have to be made.
Like you, I believe that to create a new country,
we need to have our own defence capabilities.”
Yuda asks to be entrusted with the scheme of Kaburagi and his collaborators. While Kaburagi is not willing to trust so easily, he agrees to put his faith in Yuda if he carries out their next operation: a scandal involving Prime Minister Saegusa to trigger a loss of confidence in politics. He takes out a thumb drive and hands it over to Yuda. In exchange, Yuda wants Kaburagi to get rid of Suzuki who stands in his way.
Yuda shows up at the prime minister’s official residence, where Prime Minister Saegusa reminds him that his father’s last request was that he step down as Chief Cabinet Secretary. However, Yuda mysteriously asks if he remembers what happened on 27 July 1976. Before Prime Minister Saegusa can reply, Yuda informs him that it was the day when the sitting prime minister was arrested on suspicion of corruption and violating the foreign trade control law. History repeats itself, he adds.
With a slight smile, Yuda raises the topic of the next generation of fighter jets, the F-36. Laying out documents proving that Prime Minister Saegusa had received bribes from the aircraft manufacturer and related domestic corporations regarding the introduction of the F-36, Yuda offers three options to him: disclose it to the police, prosecutors and media; step down to take responsibility; or … …
That afternoon Suzuki meets Eriko at a cafe to tell her of his intention to make his treatment of Yuda publicly known if Yuda refuses followup treatment to replace the chip. Eriko reminds him that it is not just Yuda, but also Daisuke that will be affected by his actions. However, Suzuki feels that this disclosure is necessary for Daisuke’s sake too. So Eriko points out that the boy’s circumstances will be harmed. Suzuki calls her out for using Daisuke as the excuse when it is really her own self interests that she is worried about. “You’ll just have to start over again,” he tells her matter-of-factly and leaves.
Eriko frantically calls Yuda to tell him about Suzuki’s intention, and pleads with him to accept the treatment. But Yuda tells her that he has an important press conference to attend and hangs up. Her fragile composure shatters and she has a sudden outburst of emotion. She wonders aloud if things turned out this way because she left Suzuki for Yuda? All she wanted was for a man who would be tender to her and hug her.
At a press conference, Yuda announces that Prime Minister Saegusa will not be able to govern the country as a result of a sudden illness. This takes the media by surprise.
Tachikawa tells Suzuki about this as they travel to Maichou Shimbun’s head office to read his notes and get approval for the press conference the next day. Suzuki wonders if the illness is a certain fact. This comment catches Tachikawa’s attention, but before he can find out what Suzuki means, a car suddenly swerves into his lane and pulls to a stop. Tachikawa is forced to brake hard. The moment he steps out of his car, he is approached by men in black suits who assault him and take Suzuki away with them.
Results of the DNA test on the cigarette butt supplied by Shoko shows that it belongs to a Kaburagi Kotaro of the Maritime Self Defence Forces. Kanbayashi takes a look at Kaburagi’s file photo and immediately recognises him as the man he had seen walking out of the Yuda residence. Then, he receives a call from Tachikawa … …
Kanbayashi arrives at the scene to find Tachikawa nursing a bleeding head injury. He learns that Tachikawa had been with Suzuki, the neuroscientist and Yuda’s former university schoolmate, at the time of the incident. This time, Kanbayashi takes an interest in the connection between Yuda and Suzuki because he has a hunch that the relationship holds the key to tying all the events together.
Suzuki is taken to Matsunaga’s hideout by Kaburagi who says that they have brought Suzuki here to change his mind. Kaburagi attempts to reason with him, making the case that present day Japan needs reforms and a leader like Yuda to save the people. Suzuki remains firm about taking responsibility for his actions and makes it clear that he will not be cowed. Kaburagi informs him that he will not be able to leave until he changes his mind, and lets Matsunaga take over. Suzuki bluntly calls their activities, egocentric and narcisstic. Events in history suggest that a revolution brought on by the use of force will not last long so they should not waste their energies. This all-knowing attitude irks Matsunaga, earning Suzuki a hard blow that knocks him off his wheelchair and onto the floor.
Meanwhile, Kaburagi arrives for a meeting with Yuda. Eriko comes in to serve the two men drinks, but refuses to leave, having overheard them talk about Suzuki. Yuda firmly orders her to tend to Daisuke. As Eriko turns to go, she blurts out that it is scarier not knowing anything. She fears something horrible will happen because everything around her has changed. When Yuda tries to hold and comfort her, she pushes him away, muttering that he is no longer the man she knows. It appears that the day’s events have agitated her so greatly that she has become high-strung.
Kaburagi steps in to explain the situation to Eriko. He says Yuda is trying to save the country from the difficult problems it faces, but Suzuki is obstructing him. All they are doing is to appeal to Suzuki’s reason to convince him of their cause. This does not have the effect that Kaburagi intended for Eriko questions how they are going to go about it and what will happen if Suzuki refuses to listen. She draws her own conclusion when Yuda and Kaburagi remain silent. “You’re going to kill him like you did your own father? After Suzuki, will it be my turn?!!?”
Eriko blindly grabs a club from a golf bag in a corner of the study and holds it out in front of her in defence. She hysterically scoffs at Yuda for being a fool to love Japan which to her is no more than an intangible. She wants his love, she declares, and takes a swing at him. “How can you love a country and not love your wife?” The next swing smashes a glass vase near Yuda, forcing him to back away into a chair. With a crazed look in her eyes, Eriko advances on Yuda, telling him that he should die. She raises the club above her head as he stares at her, defenceless. Then the world goes black … …
At the next press conference, Yuda announces the government’s decision on Prime Minister Saegusa’s sudden illness is to appoint him, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, to serve as acting prime minister until the next Diet session is convened.
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