novelraw Chapter 203: TV Tokyo's Top-Level Decision Meeting! President Shimazu Arrives! The Tokyo City Election!
Chapter 203: TV Tokyo's Top-Level Decision Meeting! President Shimazu Arrives! The Tokyo City Election!
When TV Tokyo officially announced that Nohara Hiroshi's personally adapted live-action drama Midnight Diner would premiere this Friday at 9 PM in the sub-prime time slot—
The entirety of Japan's public discourse detonated like a depth charge dropped into calm waters. All inertia shattered in an instant, sending towering waves crashing outward.
Newspapers still warm with fresh ink rolled off the presses and thrust this news before tens of millions of Tokyo citizens with the most eye-catching, most provocative headlines imaginable.
The Tokyo Daily's culture section led with a measured yet incisive headline, every word pregnant with anticipation for the coming ratings war:
【Midnight Diner Goes Live-Action — Can Nohara Hiroshi's New 'Healing' Chapter Extend His Ratings Legend?】
"Even as Hachiko Monogatari sweeps the silver screen with its heartwarming story and box office numbers continue to soar, TV Tokyo's ace producer Nohara Hiroshi has once again demonstrated his astonishing creative energy and market acumen.
His personally created manga Midnight Diner — already elevated to cult status among urban white-collar readers — has been confirmed for a live-action TV drama adaptation, scheduled for this Friday at 9 PM.
Industry observers widely regard this as TV Tokyo's latest strategic move in the emerging 'heartwarming healing' genre.
Film critic Kurosawa Kazuma expressed cautious optimism: 'Nohara Hiroshi's visual language possesses an almost alchemical power to transform the mundane into the magical. He excels at mining the deepest emotional resonance from the most ordinary moments of daily life. However, adapting a manga into live-action — especially one like Midnight Diner with its massive, devoted readership — is no less perilous than walking a tightrope. The slightest deviation in any detail could trigger a backlash from the original fanbase. Nohara Hiroshi has undoubtedly chosen a formidable self-imposed challenge.'"
...The Yomiuri Shimbun's editorial struck with far more directness, pointing its lance squarely at the other combatant in this duel, its words dripping with gunpowder:
【Tempered Blade vs. Fresh Shield: TV Tokyo's Midnight Diner Meets Tokyo City TV's Heartwarming Bid Head-On — Factional Rivalry Surfaces!】
"It bears noting that Midnight Diner's scheduling was no isolated programming decision.
Just days ago, Tokyo City TV — newly established under the Tokyo City Government's propaganda department and jointly funded by the Kirin Group and several other real estate giants — splashily announced a heartwarming drama called Minamijima Afu and His Beloved Dog, headlined by reigning idol Kamiki Shunsuke.
Two thematically similar productions with overlapping target audiences, clashing head-on in the same period — the implications are self-evident.
Social commentator Professor Yamada Taro observed: 'This has transcended mere commercial competition. It is a direct clash between two major politico-cultural factions. TV Tokyo has established itself as an indispensable media stronghold for Governor Koike's reelection. The newly formed Tokyo City TV, however, is backed by forces whose urban development vision fundamentally opposes the Governor's. The outcome of this ratings war may exert subtle yet far-reaching influence on Tokyo Metropolis's future political landscape.'"
...
The most specialized film journal, Eiga Junpo, approached the coming showdown purely from an artistic perspective, delivering a cool, clinical prognosis:
【'Flawless Recreation' or 'Total Collapse'? The Casting Paradox of Midnight Diner's Live-Action Adaptation】
"Setting aside all commercial and political noise to focus on the work itself — ninety percent of Midnight Diner's live-action success hinges on casting its soul: the Owner. He must be a walking paradox, an 'outsider' who lives amidst the warmth of everyday life. Can Nohara Hiroshi find the man capable of bearing the fantasies of millions of readers? This will be the decisive factor in the drama's ultimate fate.
Meanwhile, the rival production Minamijima Afu and His Beloved Dog has taken an entirely different path, armed with Kamiki Shunsuke — the 'handsomeness trump card' wielding absolute sway over young audiences.
This is unmistakably a direct collision between 'acting depth' and 'visual appeal,' between 'substance' and 'star power.' Will Nohara Hiroshi's profound healing touch move hearts more deeply, or will Kamiki Shunsuke's idol charisma capture more eyeballs? This Friday night will tell."
...
In an instant, newspapers, magazines, television — every media spotlight converged on this Friday night.
A war without visible smoke had already drawn its bow taut.
And the ordinary citizens caught in the vortex? Their discussions were far more direct, and far more entertaining.
"Hey, did you hear? This Friday night, TV Tokyo and that... what's it called... Tokyo City TV, they're going head to head!"
In a packed morning subway car, two young businessmen clung to overhead straps, gossiping with gusto.
"Tokyo City TV? What's that? New? Why does the name sound so similar to TV Tokyo? If you didn't know better, you'd think it was a knockoff!"
"Who knows! Apparently the city government set it up. Serious backing. They hired that Kamiki Shunsuke to shoot a drama about a dog called Minamijima Afu and His Beloved Dog. Sounds like it's going for the heartwarming healing angle too."
"Kamiki Shunsuke? The pretty boy from Tokyo Love Story? He can actually act? I feel like all he's got going for him are his looks — useless at everything else."
"Ha ha ha ha! Don't let your female coworkers hear that, or your lunch bento is toast! But honestly, my girlfriend's crazy about him. She's always going 'Shunsuke-kun is so handsome!' at home — my ears are callused."
"Tch. Can being handsome put food on the table? I'm way more excited for Department Manager Nohara's Midnight Diner! I've followed that manga from chapter one! It's my spiritual sustenance! If the drama captures even half the manga's flavor, I'll be more than happy!"
"Half? Don't underestimate Department Manager Nohara! I'm telling you — anything he makes is guaranteed to deliver! I'll bet five hundred yen that Midnight Diner absolutely demolishes that Minamijima Afu thing!"
"Deal! But seriously — those two station names are way too similar. Better check carefully when you tune in, or you might accidentally boost the other side's ratings!"
"Ha ha, good point!"
Similar conversations played out across every corner of Tokyo.
Curiosity was fully ignited. People were bewildered by this fledgling "Tokyo City TV" — and brimming with anticipation for the king-versus-king showdown.
...
Tokyo City TV. Headquarters building.
This newly completed structure — all glass curtain walls and steel — glittered with a cold, modern sheen in the sunlight. Viewed from a distance, it formed a stark contrast with the history-rich, gravitas-laden TV Tokyo tower standing a district away.
In the top-floor conference room, the atmosphere was solemn and oppressive.
Tokyo City Mayor Tanaka Mikami sat in the seat of honor.
He wore a dark, high-grade kimono. His deeply lined face was composed, but his hawk-like eyes — sharp as the finest radar — swept slowly across every person present.
To his left sat the mountain-sized Chairman of Kirin Group, Sato Tokugawa, flanked by several other real estate magnates who wielded immense power in Tokyo City.
They were the station's largest investors — and Tanaka Mikami's most essential financiers.
To his right sat his core campaign team members, along with the station head, Takahashi — a man who had resigned from Tokyo Metropolis's propaganda division to join this venture.
"Gentlemen." Tanaka Mikami's voice rang like an ancient bell — steady, powerful, instantly commanding the room's gravitas. "In less than two hours, our Tokyo City TV will officially begin broadcasting. The first battle is the decisive battle. This opening salvo must land — and land beautifully."
He paused, turning his piercing gaze to Takahashi. "Takahashi, is the publicity fully in place? I want every citizen in Tokyo City to know that tonight belongs to our Tokyo City TV."
"Yes, Mr. Mayor!" Takahashi bowed immediately, his crispness marking him as a seasoned political operative. "Every publicity channel is fully mobilized. Newspapers, magazines, outdoor billboards — it's all Minamijima Afu and His Beloved Dog. Furthermore, we've partnered with Kamiki Shunsuke's fan clubs for a massive online support campaign. Tonight's ratings are guaranteed to skyrocket!"
"Good." Tanaka Mikami nodded with satisfaction. Yet the gravity between his brows didn't lift.
Something else seemed to weigh on his mind. A barely perceptible shadow crossed his hawk-sharp eyes.
"However, I received some troubling news this morning." His slow words lowered the room's temperature by several degrees.
Every heart clenched.
"The previous station chief of TV Tokyo — Shimazu — is coming out of retirement to run in this mayoral election."
"What?!" Sato Tokugawa's voice exploded first. Disbelief was smeared across his fleshy face. "Shimazu? That old man collapsed into the ICU after losing the last election! How does he dare show his face again?!"
"Exactly, Mr. Mayor!" Another real estate tycoon chimed in, his usually pleasant smile now twisted with deep contempt. "He already lost to you once! Coming back now is nothing but a mantis trying to stop a chariot — bringing shame upon himself! We don't need to give him a second thought!"
"Precisely! What can a broken-down old man accomplish?"
"What's he going to fight us with? In terms of financial muscle, we could grind him to dust! In terms of influence, we have Kamiki Shunsuke! What's he got?"
The conference room filled with contemptuous, mocking voices.
To them, Shimazu's comeback was merely a loser's stubborn last gasp — nothing to fear.
But Tanaka Mikami slowly shook his head. The gravity on his lined face deepened further.
"You are all still underestimating him." His voice was heavy, each word shattering every comfortable illusion in the room. "Last night, I received a call from inside the Liberal Public Opinion Party. The caller told me that Shimazu was never sick. His so-called 'heart failure' was a performance — an elaborate ruse. Its purpose was to lull us into lowering our guard so he could deliver a... fatal blow."
"What?! He faked his illness?!" Sato Tokugawa's eyes went round.
"Is that even possible? The old fox is that cunning?"
"Most critically!" Tanaka Mikami's voice grew heavier still, jealousy and resentment nearly erupting from his body. "The caller also said that just last month, Shimazu secretly traveled to America — with members of the Liberal Public Opinion Party's propaganda division!"
"America?!"
The word detonated like a nuclear bomb in the conference room.
Everyone stood frozen. Every trace of contempt and mockery had drained away, replaced by bone-deep terror.
"What did he go to America for?!" Takahashi's voice trembled.
"What do you think?" Tanaka Mikami sneered, his voice heavy with self-mockery and fury. "Shimazu spent twenty years as TV Tokyo's station chief. Internationally — especially in America — he has connections and influence we can barely imagine! This trip to America was clearly to call in reinforcements! He intends to leverage American power to interfere in our Tokyo City election!"
He slammed the table. His hawk eyes blazed with infernal rage. "That old man would actually invite the wolf into our house — just for power!"
"But Mr. Mayor!" The real estate tycoon pressed, still unwilling to concede. "So what if he has American backing? Times have changed! You're the sitting mayor of Tokyo City! Think of how much you've done for the city's development! The citizens' eyes are clear! They'd never give their votes to a traitor who conspires with foreign powers!"
"Exactly, Mr. Mayor! You can count on our full support!"
"That's right! We have money! Land! People! We absolutely will not lose to that old man!"
Impassioned declarations filled the room once more.
Yet in Tanaka Mikami's heart, the unease clung like a parasite that refused to leave.
"Caution keeps the ship sailing for ten thousand years." He exhaled a long, weary breath.
His gaze settled on Sato Tokugawa, full of warning and expectation.
"Sato, tonight's battle is crucial. Your Kirin Talent Agency's Minamijima Afu and His Beloved Dog isn't merely a drama — it's the bugle call for our counterattack!"
"Victory is the only option. Failure is not. Do I make myself clear?!"
"Yes, Mr. Mayor! Rest assured!" Sato Tokugawa bowed again, his manner both deferential and brimming with confidence. "Kamiki Shunsuke's charm is enough to drive every woman in Japan wild! Tonight, victory is ours!"
"Mm." Tanaka Mikami nodded slowly, finally allowing himself a fraction of relief.
Yet the moment he raised his teacup to take a calming sip, his heart gave a sudden, inexplicable lurch.
It felt as though an invisible hand had seized it in a crushing grip, flooding him with formless dread.
Instinctively, he turned his gaze to the window.
There, in the near distance, the history-laden TV Tokyo tower stood silent in the gathering dusk.
Like a brooding giant, it watched them with eyes full of mockery and disdain.
A bone-deep chill ran through Tanaka Mikami.
Suddenly, he felt his confidence hollow out.
...
TV Tokyo. Production Bureau.
Just as Nohara Hiroshi had finished a phone call with his older brother and was about to savor a moment of quiet, the red internal phone on his desk erupted in sharp, urgent rings, shattering the office's calm.
Nohara Hiroshi's eyebrow twitched. He picked up.
"Hello, it's me."
"Department Manager! It's me, Kitagawa!" On the other end, Kitagawa Yao's voice was taut with barely suppressed tension. "Bureau Chief Sakata just issued a maximum-priority meeting notice! All bureau chiefs, deputy bureau chiefs, and every department manager-level executive and above across the Production Bureau, Programming Bureau, News Bureau, Business Bureau — everyone is to proceed immediately to Conference Room Seventeen on the top floor! No absences permitted!"
Even Nohara Hiroshi's perpetually calm eyes flickered with a trace of surprise.
Every bureau head and key department chief in attendance?
This was no ordinary departmental meeting. This was TV Tokyo's highest-level decision-making assembly.
"Understood." He replied evenly and hung up.
He stood, straightened his simple white T-shirt, and walked out of his office.
The Independent Production Department's vast workspace was already buzzing with speculation and unease.
"Hey, did you hear? The Bureau Chief suddenly called all the executives to a meeting! This is the highest-level assembly!"
"Something big must have happened! I just saw Programming Bureau Chief Fujita — his face was white as a sheet!"
"I heard even the Level One Directors who are always out on location shoots were urgently recalled!"
The moment Nohara Hiroshi's tall figure appeared, every murmur died.
Everyone instinctively rose and bowed respectfully.
"Department Manager!"
Nohara Hiroshi gave a slight nod in acknowledgment and strode straight for the elevator bank.
The elevator rose. Numbers ticked past on the red LCD display.
It stopped at the seventeenth floor. The doors parted.
The corridor was already packed.
Without exception, these were the real power holders of TV Tokyo's various divisions — the core figures who truly kept this massive media machine running.
They huddled in small groups, voices low, anxiety barely disguised, exchanging whatever intelligence they'd gathered.
But the moment they saw Nohara Hiroshi step from the elevator, every conversation ceased with practiced synchrony.
A battery of complex, emotion-laden gazes converged on this impossibly young man.
"Well, well! Hiroshi! There you are!"
Programming Bureau Chief Fujita — a heavyset man who looked to be in his fifties — was the first to approach with a beaming smile.
He patted Nohara Hiroshi's shoulder warmly, his usually shrewd eyes now full of genuine admiration. "I read your Midnight Diner manga this morning — absolutely superb! I guarantee your adaptation will create another ratings legend!"
"You're too kind, Bureau Chief Fujita." Nohara Hiroshi smiled with perfectly calibrated modesty.
"Don't be humble, Hiroshi!" News Bureau Chief Kuroki joined in. His perpetually serious face now carried a note of appreciation. "My daughter's still at university, and she's a hardcore fan of your manga! She told me last night that if the drama doesn't do it justice, she'll organize fans to protest outside our building! Ha ha ha ha!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Good-natured laughter rolled through the corridor.
These men — ordinarily lofty strategists and power brokers — now lavished their goodwill and recognition on Nohara Hiroshi without reserve.
They knew the young man before them was no longer a junior needing their mentorship.
He had grown into someone who stood as their equal — and perhaps someone they now had to look up to.
"Alright, alright, let's not loiter in the doorway."
Asumi's trademark boom echoed from the far end of the corridor as he strode forward, Takada Toshihide's composed figure in his wake.
"Hiroshi, come!" Asumi beckoned with easy familiarity.
Nohara Hiroshi nodded with a smile, threaded through the crowd, and took his place beside the two men.
"Deputy Bureau Chief Asumi. Executive Deputy Director Takada."
"Mm." Takada Toshihide offered only a measured nod, but a barely perceptible weight flickered through his deep-set eyes.
"Hiroshi, do you have any idea what this meeting is about?" Asumi lowered his voice, looking every bit like a spy guarding a state secret.
"No idea." Nohara Hiroshi shook his head.
"I'm telling you, this emergency meeting means something absolutely massive has happened!" Asumi's face radiated equal parts excitement and gossip appetite. "I've heard this is TV Tokyo's maximum-security-level assembly! Aside from the one where they announced Bureau Chief Sakata would assume full operational control — there's never been another meeting this grand!"
A flicker of genuine curiosity crossed Nohara Hiroshi's calm eyes.
Just then, the conference room's heavy wooden doors swung open from inside.
Bureau Chief Sakata's secretary stood at the threshold, expression severe.
"Everyone, please enter."
Every face instantly composed itself. They filed in with measured steps, entering in single file.
Around the massive oval conference table, seats were already filled.
Nearly thirty-plus top leaders from every core division of TV Tokyo sat at attention, expressions solemn.
The invisible pressure solidified the very air.
Nohara Hiroshi followed Takada Toshihide and Asumi to the Production Bureau's designated seats.
"Hiroshi." Takada Toshihide suddenly leaned close, murmuring words only the two of them could hear — quiet yet crystal clear. "Be on your guard. Today... President Shimazu is back."
President Shimazu?
Nohara Hiroshi's body tensed almost imperceptibly.
He knew the name well.
Shimazu Yoshihiro. President of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings. The nominal supreme leader of TV Tokyo.
A figure of legend who had supposedly been "convalescing" in a hospital after the devastating stress of his last failed mayoral bid.
He was... back?
Even as thoughts raced through Nohara Hiroshi's mind, the conference room doors swung open once more.
Every eye pivoted to the entrance.
Bureau Chief Sakata Nobuhiko walked in with deep deference, escorting a slightly stocky man who appeared to be in his sixties — hair gone silver-white, yet radiating vigorous vitality.
The man wore a simple gray suit and a mild smile, but his eyes were hawk-sharp — as though capable of piercing all the world's pretensions.
"Whoosh—"
In near-perfect unison, every person in the room shot to their feet and bowed deeply to the elderly man.
"President Shimazu!"
The chorus — orderly, uniform — was saturated with bone-deep reverence and submission.
Nohara Hiroshi rose with them and offered the legendary "supreme leader" a respectful bow of his own.
"Now, now, everyone — sit, please sit!" President Shimazu waved dismissively with a warm smile, his voice radiating an approachability that instantly softened the room's gravity. "It's been too long. Is everyone well?"
He spoke while Sakata helped him settle into the seat of honor.
"Thanks to your blessings, President, we're all doing well!" came the unified response.
"Wonderful, wonderful." President Shimazu nodded, his hawk-like eyes drifting across every face before settling on Sakata Nobuhiko beside him.
"Sakata." He smiled, his voice carrying the warmth of a mentor appraising a protégé. "You've worked hard in my absence. You've done splendidly — lived up to every expectation I placed in you. Today's TV Tokyo is even more vibrant and dynamic than during my tenure."
"You flatter me, President." Sakata bowed hastily, his manner a blend of humility and deep respect. "You laid the foundation for all of this. I merely followed in your footsteps."
"Ha ha ha ha!" President Shimazu laughed heartily, gazing at Sakata with undisguised satisfaction.
His pleasantries ended there. His gaze swept the room, and his warmth gradually gave way to the commanding gravity of a sovereign.
"Now then, let us turn to business." His voice dropped, stilling the room by several decibels.
He first listened to brief reports from each department on recent performance.
When the News Bureau reported that TV Tokyo's news programming now held the number-one position in the Kanto region's ratings, he nodded with satisfaction.
When the Programming Bureau reported that TV Tokyo's overall viewership had comprehensively surpassed Kanto TV, making them the undisputed "Number One in Kanto," a genuine smile of pleasure crossed his face.
But when the report reached the Production Bureau — when Sakata Nobuhiko began recounting the "glorious achievements" of a young man named "Nohara Hiroshi," detailing them one by one — even the world-weary President Shimazu couldn't suppress a flash of shock in his hawk-sharp eyes.
"Yamishibai... Tales of the Unusual... Kasou Taishou... Seven Samurai... Hachiko Monogatari... and the upcoming Midnight Diner..."
President Shimazu murmured the names. Looking at the personal dossier in his hand, his composed face finally cracked with undeniable astonishment.
"All of these... these phenomenal works... were all created by the same twenty-three-year-old young man?" He raised his head, his piercing gaze finding Nohara Hiroshi across the table, his eyes alive with incredulous scrutiny.
"Yes, President." Sakata Nobuhiko nodded, looking at Nohara Hiroshi with evident shared pride. "Hiroshi is a once-in-a-century genius — not just for TV Tokyo, but for the entire Japanese television industry. The outside world calls him a monster."
"A monster?" President Shimazu chuckled. His appraising gaze landed on Nohara Hiroshi, now warm with unconcealed admiration. "I rather like that term! Young people should act like young people! They should be monsters — charging forward, breaking through, smashing every outdated rule in their path!"
He paused, then beckoned gently to Nohara Hiroshi.
"Nohara, come here."
Nohara Hiroshi rose and walked to the President with steady steps.
"President." He bowed with composure — neither servile nor presumptuous — that pleased Shimazu even more.
"Nohara, I've read your file and heard Sakata's report." Shimazu smiled, his voice carrying a mentor's hopes. "You've done excellently. Truly excellently. Your talent has brought unprecedented honor to our TV Tokyo. On behalf of the station, I thank you."
"You're too kind, President." Nohara Hiroshi replied with his usual calm smile. "The station gave me the opportunity and the platform."
"Ha ha ha ha! Excellent! Not a trace of arrogance!" Shimazu laughed heartily, clapping Nohara Hiroshi's shoulder with a familiarity that drew envious glances from everyone present.
After a few more brief pleasantries, President Shimazu turned his gaze once more across the assembly. The warmth receded, replaced by deeper, more commanding authority.
"Now then, everyone." His voice fell like a precision hammer on every heart. "The primary reason I've gathered you all here today is to announce one thing."
He paused, glancing at Sakata Nobuhiko. Absolute certainty shone in his hawk-like eyes.
"Effective next month, I will officially resign from all positions — President of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings and Station Chief of TV Tokyo."
"BOOM—!"
The announcement detonated like a nuclear blast.
"What?!"
"President! You're resigning?!"
"How is this possible?!"
"President! You absolutely cannot leave!"
Everyone leapt to their feet, babbling incoherently, faces white with shock.
But President Shimazu merely smiled, raising his hand in a gentle, downward motion.
His composure and quiet authority silenced the room almost instantly.
"Everyone, please — remain calm." He smiled, a world-weary wisdom in those sharp eyes. "I'm old. My health isn't what it was. It's time to pass this seat to someone younger and more capable."
He paused, turning his gaze — full of hope and trust — toward Sakata Nobuhiko.
"Effective next month, Sakata Nobuhiko will officially succeed me as the new President of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings and the new Station Chief of TV Tokyo. I hope you will support him and assist him just as you supported me — and together, lead our TV Tokyo into an even more brilliant future!"
His words rang with iron conviction, every syllable laden with power.
The room plunged into absolute silence.
Every eye locked on Sakata Nobuhiko. Their faces displayed shock, envy, and a bone-deep... submission.
They understood: from this moment forward, TV Tokyo officially entered the Sakata Era.
This meeting of power transfer and personnel reshuffling lasted a full two hours.
When it concluded — when everyone was still reeling from the monumental shock and preparing to leave — President Shimazu's warm yet forceful voice echoed once more.
"Nohara, and everyone from the Production Bureau — please stay behind."
The words were quiet, yet they froze every departing footstep in place.
Confused, curious glances ricocheted around the room.
They knew the meeting's true drama was perhaps only beginning.
But it was no longer their scene to witness.
And when they noticed that even Nohara Hiroshi had been asked to remain — surprise flared in every exchanged glance.
But no one spoke. They filed out quickly.
The heavy wooden doors closed slowly, as if sealing off an era.
The exhilaration and restless energy of the power transfer evaporated like a receding tide, replaced by a silence far deeper and more oppressive.
The man who'd been so vigorous and jovial moments ago now slumped against his wide leather chair as though all the bones had been pulled from his body.
He slowly unbuttoned his suit collar and exhaled a long, world-weary breath tinged with undeniable age and fatigue.
His hawk-sharp eyes softened, their edge withdrawn. Only the placid gaze of a man who'd seen too much remained as they swept across the four people before him.
"You were the ones helping with Koike's campaign behind the scenes." President Shimazu's voice was soft, yet each word struck like a precisely placed drumbeat. "That Hachiko Monogatari — beautifully done, enormously successful. I watched it. I wept."
Sakata Nobuhiko, Asumi, and Takada Toshihide all stiffened, instinctively straightening.
Only Nohara Hiroshi remained seated in his usual calm, as though the President were discussing something entirely unrelated to him.
"So..." Shimazu's gaze finally settled on Sakata Nobuhiko. Beneath the surface calm lay an urgency that would accept no refusal. "I would like to ask you to help me, too."
Sakata Nobuhiko's body jolted. Looking at the exhaustion on the President's face, disbelief flooded his shrewd eyes.
"President!" His voice carried the faintest tremor. "You're... you're running in the election?!"
"Why not?" A self-deprecating curve formed at Shimazu's lips — and beneath it, volcanic fury and defiance threatened to erupt. "I've only resigned from my television posts. I never said I was leaving politics! I refuse to accept this! Why... why should I lose to that Tanaka Mikami?!"
"But President, your health—" Asumi finally broke in, his usually cheerful face now creased with worry. "Didn't the doctors say you need rest? That you mustn't overexert yourself?"
"Indeed, President." Takada Toshihide added, concern breaking through his habitually guarded expression. "Elections are grueling. One misstep and you could—"
"Die?" Shimazu laughed coldly. He slowly sat upright, the flames reigniting in his clouded eyes. "I would rather die charging forward than lie in a hospital bed watching that man lord it over our territory!"
He slammed the table. His hawk eyes blazed with unassailable authority. "Do you think he created that pathetic 'Tokyo City TV' for fun?! It's a declaration of war against us! A slap in the face of every person at TV Tokyo! This insult demands retribution! I will crush him — and his so-called station — into absolute powder!"
He paused, his expectant, pressure-laden gaze sweeping each person present.
"So tell me — what ideas do you have?"
His eyes finally came to rest on the young man who had remained silent throughout.
"Nohara."
President Shimazu's voice carried unprecedented gravity.
"What about you? You, the monster — what are your thoughts?"