Do you remember?
The store in the Yattobi shopping street.
The shutters were closed.
Yeah.
When I got that report from Kishimoto Takuro,
I got goosebumps immediately.
I remembered...
In the first place...
Who are you?
To be honest, at that time...
That man
was staring at me
making me unable to move my body at all.
What is it? That man's name.
Akira. Honjo Akira.
Honjo Akira.
Look into him. Huh?
This Honjo Akira person,
I have a strong feeling about him.
Is he that suspicious?
I'm sorry.
I don't have any proof at all. It's just a hunch.
But I want you to look into it.
I understand.
Since Asakawa-san wanted to go that far,
I imagined he had to be a very suspicious man.
How should I put it?
He had a creepy look.
He looked like he could be the culprit.
However...
As they say nowadays, someone with a "good-looking aura"?
Ha ha ha.
How do you say it? He's a little shady.
But he always greets me properly.
What a nice feeling.
I know right?
A guy who's popular with the ladies.
Do you know him?
No, I don't know. Who are you talking about?
Honjo Kentaku's oldest son.
That company boss often comes to this store.
Oh, that's his second son. There is another son older than him.
Eh? Is that so?
Uhm... that eldest son...
Well... he seems to be in the shadows...
does that mean he's suspicious?
I wouldn't say suspicious...
Well... how should I put it?
A sense of danger?
You mean he seems dangerous?
Hahaha, that's silly!
You're not popular, are you?
What?
However, you're attractive.
Well, in short.
I mean he has a sex appeal that a little boy like you doesn't have.
Hey!
Ah, yes.
But that's strange.
I've never heard about this eldest son much.
That's right. I wonder where he's been.
That's right. He went abroad.
Abroad?
Which foreign country?
I don't know, but...
I just heard a rumor.
He's the eldest son of the Honjo family.
He went abroad, after all.
- Seriously? - Yes.
From 2009 to 2017,
he went to Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, etc.
I don't know why, but it seems that
he was supposed to be studying abroad.
Ah, I'll send you the results of my research.
On top of that, Honjo Kentaku is
one of Daimon-san's biggest supporters,
but it's a very gray area.
So it looks like it's a hush-hush relationship.
Wow, that's some seriously great research.
I'm very grateful.
No one's helping me now,
and progress has been slow.
That's right, it's hard for Asakawa-san
to do this kind of work anymore.
Your'e telling me. She's super popular now.
N-n-no way!!
What's wrong?
I'm sorry.
Between 2009 and 2017,
he wasn't in Japan, right?
Yes, that's right.
Between the Igawa Harumi case and the Nakamura Yuka case, it was about 12 years.
His absence fits this gap.
You mean he was on the run overseas?
- Kishimoto-san. - Yes.
Asakawa-san's hunch may be not too far off.
I have a feeling we should look into him too.
Is that so...
Is something bothering you?
Somehow...
Apparently he has a good reputation. Even among the ladies in the shopping street.
- Huh? - He seems like the popular type.
That's exactly why.
You don't know anything, do you, Kishimoto-san?
Mayumi said...
The culprit may be a very attractive guy.
That's why all these girls
were willing to go up Mt. Hattobi together with him.
- But why? - What?
Why did everyone, knowing he was dangerous,
still followed him so easily?
That's what makes him so attractive.
No, no, you wouldn't follow someone like him.
However, there are moments when the attraction is overpowering.
Especially for girls of this age.
It's so bad, I gon't get it.
What is this?
I don't understand women at all.
The Iwaya clan actually surveyed the site
and listened to the opinions of outside experts
and would revise the documents as a result.
Why are you replacing something that was already decided at the last minute?
- That's why... - It was pressure, wasn't it?
It wasn't pressure.
But you're being coerced, aren't you?
Excuse me.
Hello?
Yes.
Yes, I'm with Asakawa-san about that very matter.
Yes, somehow.
I am going to ask for more information about Honjo Akira. I will share more information as soon as I get it. I don't understand women. Please help.
Yes. Excuse me.
As I said, it's not pressure, we're just considering this carefully.
In the Information and telecommunications industry,
there was definitely a lot of pressure being exerted.
So, in other words,
that's how astonished the U.S. is.
So, therefore, in this high-tech industry
the U.S. wants to continue its supremacy in the future.
That's why this time....
If that's the case...
I don't understand the female mind.
But I have to consider it.
If Honjo Akira fled overseas after killing Igawa Harumi,
and returned to Japan in 2017 to open this store.
How would a middle school student
like Nakamura Yuka meet Honjo Akira?
In the list of Nakamura Yuka's clients I got from Detective Hirakawa,
Honjo Akira's name was not on it.
There are no pictures of him in her cell phone either.
There's no way to tell.
Okay, time to ask around.
Nakamura-san and I were in the same class in the first year,
but we never spoke.
She didn't join this school until the second year, right?
Do you know Nakamura Yuka who passed away last year?
- I don't know her. - Hey, wait...
Sensei, there's a strange man over there.
She went to this school up until last year.
Do you know her?
- It doesn't matter what you say, but... - I don't know her.
Excuse me.
N-nakamura Yuka, right?
There's a girl named Takaoka who lives near my house.
She used to go there often.
Takaoka? Takaoka who?
Her name is Takaoka Hikaru.
They've been friends since elementary school.
She's a shut-in now.
Oh...hello.
I'm Kishimoto, I called earlier.
Elpis: Hope or Disaster
This drama is fiction based upon real events.
Uhm...
When did you start getting along with Yuka-san?
No, it's not like that.
We don't get along.
But she used to come here often, right?
Well...
She used to come here when she didn't have anywhere to go.
Then you're not best friends...
Not at all.
Oh, please come in.
Oh, thank you.
Do you advise her about her problems?
Not at all.
For example, about a bad customer at her part-time job.
Part-time job?
What kind of part-time job did she have?
Oh, no, I'm sorry. It's nothing.
I didn't...
I didn't think she thought of me as her best friend.
You know...
I'm now a 26-year-old guy working at a TV station.
Honestly, when it comes to what middle school girls are thinking,
I have no idea at all.
Huh...
So even if it's something I shouldn't be asking,
I have no choice but to ask frankly.
Hikaru-san...
Is there
anything you dislike about Yuka-san?
It's not that I don't like her...
She betrayed me.
Betrayed you?
Well...
I liked
this person.
She took him away from me.
Does that mean Yuka-san had a boyfriend?
Wait... do you know his name or something?
- I don't know. - I swear I won't tell anyone.
No, I really don't know.
- He was a very mature person. - Mature?
That person,
knows a lot about novels and stuff.
He told me all kinds of stories.
There wasn't really anyone else I could talk to.
But...
I told Yuka about it.
Then she went to his store by herself.
At that time, she said
that he was a seriously older guy.
After a while...
she was wearing some kind of black scarf.
I asked her what it was.
That person gave it to her.
and she said she was really happy about it.
I thought, "What?"
Don't come to my house again!
We had a huge fight.
I told her not to come to my house again.
Ten days later...
Yuka...
died.
That's the last time I saw her.
I never apologized
for the terrible things I said.
You know...
Uhm...
I'm sorry.
There's one thing,
I really want to ask you about.
Earlier, you said this person had a store, right?
Yes.
By any chance,
that store...
is in the shopping street in front of the station?
Eh?
How did you know?
Nosebleed.
No, this is not the time for nosebleeds.
I have unexpectedly
found a very important witness right now.
What the hell am I supposed to ask her?
A friend of hers was killed.
I'm sorry.
And the person that she likes might very well be the murderer.
I'm sorry.
Thank you very much.
It's been bothering me for a long time.
I'm glad I went.
Uhm...
Yuka.
We went drinking bubble tea together.
We went to festivals together.
You know...
To have a friend die,
is a really hard thing...
Uh, no...
Actually,
I've experienced it too,
when I was your age.
So I totally understand.
I know that saying something like this
won't really help you or anything.
Cheer up,
for Yuka's sake too.
Oh, sorry, maybe I shouldn't have said that.
Well then.
This person.
Yuka took these hidden photos.
She sent them to me.
And this too.
Yuka was really good at taking hidden photos.
Hello.
Thanks for your hard work.
So, what is it?
Let's get this over with quickly.
Are you mad about something?
I'm sorry, but...
I don't want to be seen with you too much.
Well then, let me get straight to the point.
You have these pictures, don't you?
Huh?
The photos from Nakamura Yuka's cell phone.
That's not all of it, isn't it? You hid some, didn't you?
- No, I didn't. - Don't lie to me.
- Give me all the photos. - I didn't keep any.
Honjo Akira.
Wow.
Exactly.
You already knew it, didn't you? So do the police.
Honjo Akira is the real criminal.
That's why you hid his photos, right?
You didn't think it was a good idea to give he his pictures, did you?
I understand.
But I've already tracked him down, and I want the photos,
please.
I don't understand what you mean.
Well then...
do you want to listen?
You don't want to listen to this.
When you received the 500,000 yen from me,
and blew the whistle on the Yattobi Police Department.
I recorded it.
If your bosses hear any of this...
You would be in trouble.
Oh, is that a threat?
Well, if that's what you think, then that's what it is.
Urgh!
On the condition that I provide you the original data.
I'll send it to you tonight.
Understood.
If you betray me,
I'll take appropriate measures.
I'll be waiting.
I look forward to it.
Thank goodness, I wasn't exposed!
The recording was all a lie.
There's no way I could have thought ahead that far.
In any case, Detective Hirakawa believed me.
So I stayed awake and waited.
Here it comes.
The files that Detective Hirakawa sent to me
did indeed contain the photos that Takaoka Hikaru showed me.
And that's not all.
My teacher got mad at me for trying to pick up the paper.
Yeah, hurry up, hurry up.
I beg of you.
Please...
Please listen to what I have to say.
Asakawa-sama.
Thank you very much.
Your neck, shoulders and back are very stiff.
And your lower back too.
Ah...
Ah, I'm already exhausted.
You're very busy, aren't you?
You can take your time.
Thank you very much.
Inside the cardboard box with Nakamura Yuka's belongings,
was the black scarf.
Here.
Thank you. It's fine.
Excuse me, ma'am.
Do you have a plastic bag?
Oh, Yuno, get one for him.
- Here. - Thank you.
So have you found the culprit?
No.
I don't know.
But I'll do what I can.
I'm counting on you.
The next day, I requested DNA analysis from three research institutes.
If it was used for a long time,
saliva, hair, and facial hair may have adhered to it,
DNA might be able to be extracted.
If the DNA found on the scarf,
matches the pattern from Harumi's skirt.
it would prove that Matsumoto-san was not the murderer.
And if it matches Honjo Akira's DNA,
then we can at least confirm that Honjo Akira really murderered Igawa Harumi.
Kishimoto-sama, thank you for waiting.
Yes.
All three research institutes have confirmed
the DNA found on the scarf
and DNA found on Harumi-san's skirt matched perfectly.
My excitement was precipitous.
I immediately reported it to Asakawa-san...
I never thought the Washington Post would publish an article like that.
- That's right. - Asakawa-san. Are you all right?
I'm sorry. I'm fine. Please continue.
The interview was well filmed,
so we'll go with 5 minutes.
Asakawa-san's reaction was strangely sluggish.
What are you going to do about it?
A few days later when I brought this scoop to "News 8",
I found out the real reason behind it.
Come in.
- Good work. - Good work.
Well, let me begin.
So, for now...
thank you very much for the story.
We just had a meeting about this at our program.
We were discussing whether we could include this
as a news item in our program.
The conclusion was...
We can follow up on it,
but not as a scoop, as it stands.
- Why not? - Well, the biggest problem is that
it's not an official police report.
- It's a credibility issue. - No,
but I had DNA tests done at three different places.
There's no doubt about it.
That's why, I'm not doubting the results.
I'm sure that Matsumoto-san is not the murderer.
And the real culprit is probably Honjo Akira. I think so too.
It's just that the police still haven't
admitted to something as serious as this.
But if we disclose something as serious as this,
we're unable to do it, considering the weight of responsibility.
Even if we brought it to the police, they would never admit it.
It would be as good as announcing their mistakes.
If we don't this, Matsumoto-san will never be released,
and the real culprit is still out there.
So as I said, we can follow up on it.
What?
It's a very risky way of reporting a scoop like this.
However, if someone else covers this,
and we observe how the government and police react to it.
If there are no problems, we can follow up,
and we'll cooperate with you on this.
Are you okay with that, Asakawa?
I think it's realistic.
The fact that you got all this on your own is
really impressive.
And the fact that you brought it to us first,
I'm sincerely grateful.
But I'm sorry.
What "News 8" is trying to do...
is not to get ratings with flashy scoops.
But rather to provide solid
and careful reporting
to gain the viewers' trust.
You mean you want to just do the usual stuff?
- Huh? What? - Fine, whatever.
You're trying not to damage your own position,
just by calling it "being steady and polite"...
I see how it is.
No wonder Murai-san called it a shitty news station.
Hey!
Yes, what is it?
To what do I owe this unusual call, old woman?
Murai-san, uhm...
Actually...
I'd like to ask you for some advice.
How are you?
Nice to meet you.
I'm Saeki from "Weekly Trends". Hello.
I'm Asakawa. Pleased to meet you.
I'm Kishimoto. Pleased to meet you.
I've been
friends with Murai for 20-years now.
Yes, I've heard about that.
We started at the same level,
he made it all the way to editor-in-chief,
while I'm buried alive in a subsidiary.
It's still good.
Don't complain about being Asakawa Ena's subordinate.
It's no big deal. Look at her up close.
She's already an old lady.
That's not true... right?
This is amazing. It's a huge scoop.
- Yes. - And the DNA test?
Yes, we got a match.
DNA taken from this scarf
we believe belongs to Honjo Akira
and the DNA found on Igawa Harumi's belongings
matches the murderer's.
At the very least, we can be certain that in Igawa Harumi's case,
Honjo Akira is definitely the culprit.
Oh, seriously?
So where is Honjo Akira now?
He is probably on the run overseas.
Eh?
This isn't the first time.
Even after Matsumoto's arrest, actually one
18-year-old woman went missing in Mt. Hattobi.
Right after that, from 2009 to 2017,
Honjo Akira was out of Japan.
No incidents occurred during that time.
But when he returned to Japan, just one year later,
another incident occurs in 2018.
So he left Japan again.
The son got into trouble,
and the father hushed it up to let him escape.
Meanwhile, Daimon
is receiving tremendous support from Honjo behind the scenes.
It's a bit of a tricky story that the eldest son is a murderer.
And he's been doing the same thing every time.
Wait a minute.
To arrest him, we need to match the DNA on this scarf
with Honjo Akira's DNA.
Yes.
That's something only the police can do.
He'll have to be called back from overseas
and his DNA must be collected voluntarily.
Ah I see.
So?
Are you sure you want to do this? Letting my magazine report the scoop.
Please do.
Taiyo's news department can't do it.
Is that so?
They really don't care about it.
We wold like "Weekly Trends" to cover it.
Well, they just don't have the guts.
They'll only do whatever is opportunistic.
Well, it's the same everywhere now.
For such a real scoop like this,
it's too risky, so people don't want to do it.
It's only when someone else starts talking about it,
and it looks like they can do it,
then everyone jumps on board.
If we put this out there this time,
there's a chance it'll get a big boost.
Yes, by all means.
"Straight to what you want to know."
I'm really sorry.
Well...
I guess it can't be helped.
Even if you publish it in a weekly magazine like "Weekly Trends",
it'll just go away again anyway.
You're already in a position where you have to protect the "News 8" program,
over than telling the truth.
I guess that's the priority over there.
I'll do my best to persuade my superiors
to let me do the follow-up.
There is no way that the truth is unimportant.
It's just that the situation is really
not that simple. It's complicated.
But we do the best we can.
"We do the best we can."
That's what everyone says.
Driver, please drop me off at the next corner.
You just want to say "I said it couldn't be done".
Total bullshit.
You... you don't have to say it like that!
Because it's not just my show.
I can't let it get shut down.
Everyone has livelihoods.
They're all doing the best they can within reasonable limits.
I have a responsibility to those staff members.
I understand!
And I know you're going through a tough time too.
But is anything going change? Is the world going to be better place?
All because you want to make yourself feel better.
You can say that,
because you're rich.
What does that have to got to with it?
You don't have a family to take care of.
You don't have to worry about finances.
That's why you can talk about ideals like that.
But the rest of us don't have that luxury.
There are times when we have to compromise.
I thought she would come after me.
But she didn't.
Since then, Asakawa-san.
hasn't contacted me at all.
But I refused to give up.
Please correct the subheading.
Yes, yes, yes... OK, fine.
I'm sorry for interrupting you.
By the way,
Are you sure? Putting your name out there.
It makes it more credible.
Well, that's true,
but isn't your position at the station pretty bad?
Ah........screw that.
I refused to give up.
I've done interviews
where I've had to use my real name and face.
I can't just run away.
I didn't say all that to sound cool.
It's because I still believed,
and I was willing to lose everything.
Everything's been proofread.
Ah... Thank you very much.
All we have to do now is wait for it to hit the shelves.
- Good work. - Yes. Thank you very much.
The suspect Kimura used minors under 18 years old...
Ah! Eh?
- We're screwed. - What? What is it?
"News 8"!
Last year, working for this call-girl service
and found dead on Mt. Hattobi last year
was Nakamura Yuka, who was 14 years old at the time.
The police suspect Nakamura-san's murder
and the call-girl service run by Kimura
could be related to each other,
and investigations are in progress.
Next on the news....
The 161st Akutagawa Naoki Prize...
Asakawa-san read it. The news was short, but...
The timing was perfect.
It had great destructive power.
Hey Wada. Yes.
Replace the article. Call the printers!
- Now? - Yes, now!
Right before the article in Weekly Trends was published and could gain momentum.
Hurry up and call them!
In the blink of an eye, public opinion went the other way.
Coinciding with the article's publication date,
was the press conference by the victim's family association.
We're just one step away. I'll find a way to get it published. So...
I'm sorry.
But if they start to say that Harumi was connected
to the other victim who worked in the sex-industry....
Harumi
was also working in the sex industry...
is what everyone will start to believe.
The efforts we took to clear her reputation,
would come undone, and she would be tarnished once again.
Everyone has already agreed to this.
The press conference will be canceled.
And a few days later.
I was notified of my dismissal.
The reason for my dismissal,
was my allegedly threat to Detective Hirakawa.
Whoever came up with that strategy,
it was a brilliant move.
I tried to figure out who it was,
but I couldn't make out his face.
If you betray me,
I'll take appropriate measures.
If you come across something like that...
I'd like you to talk to me about it first.
I don't know how long I've been doing this.
Before I knew it, I had made a large number of enemies...
I don't think anyone else could understand.
Even so, even though I've been so isolated,
I wasn't lonely or scared at all...
It was because I believed with all my heart.
No matter how confusing the world was,
no matter how we much we don't understand other people,
Asakawa-san...
made it seem so easy.
The things I don't want to swallow,
I'm not swallowing them anymore.
You just have to live a normal and proper life.
If you become a good person, your voice will sound good on its own.
But as long as you're doing the right thing
your allies will come to you on their own.
A path will open up.
There's no way we can win.
- Are you stupid? - You're one to talk!
Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
...you've grasped the most powerful truth.
Let's do it.
You don't know anything!
You know nothing.
Such simplicity
has saved me all my life.
Until it wasn't,
that I finally realized.
On my last day at work,
I was walking down the hallway.
Oh! It's you!
Takeda Shingen came running.
Takeda Shingen was a pre-eminent daimyō in feudal Japan. Known as the "Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyō with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.
Kishimoto Takurou-kun.
Yes.
Shake my hand.
Ah...yes.
I saw it... "Bonbon".
I never thought you'd turn out to be such a fine guy.
I apologize for my rudeness the other day.
Oh, Katsuragi-san?
You know what? I'm supporting you. I believe in you.
No matter where you are or what you're doing,
you're a first-rate journalist.
I wish you good luck.
Bye.
Ha ha.
Seriously, the world is a strange place.
♪ [Mirage] ♪
♪ Can't stop the fire ♪
♪ A profile struggling to reach the moon that will never be reached ♪ ♪ 届きはしない月に手を伸ばし もがく横顔 ♪
♪ Building in the shape of desire, it's a distorted waltz ♪ ♪ 欲望の形をしたビルディング 歪なワルツだ ♪
♪ There are things that no one can say, and they're blocking it out ♪ ♪ 誰にだって口に出せないことがあって 塞いでいる ♪
♪ The beast bit off the lead that I managed to get ♪ ♪ 自分で着けたリードを噛み切った獣 ♪
♪ Finish me off with a heart that's aching for you ♪ ♪ あなたに焦がれる胸を仕留めてくれ ♪
♪ Let's make vows in a place where it's lit ♪ ♪ 灯された場所で誓い交わそう ♪
♪ The heathen who destroys himself in a fire that's too strong ♪ ♪ あまりに強い火に身を滅ぼす異教徒 ♪
♪ Do not answer to fate. ♪ ♪ 運命に返事はしないでよ ♪
♪ There will be a judgment ♪ ♪ きっと下される裁き ♪
♪ Can't stop the fire ♪
♪ I want to believe. ♪ ♪ 信じたいんだ ♪
"Straight to what you want to know."