Chapter 24: "Hope" Delivered!

Chapter 24: Delivery of 'Hope'!

Iwanami Shoten.

Koki Mitani arrived very early—before the bookstore had even opened its doors. He hadn't slept a wink the night before; he and Yutaka Matsushige had talked incessantly, unable to stop. As a screenwriter, pulling all-nighters was routine, but Matsushige was juggling multiple part-time jobs and had finished off a round of drinks, eventually collapsing from exhaustion. One couldn't blame Mitani; Matsushige had been so excited that he had steered the entire conversation.

It looked like he was going to miss out on today, the poor little mushroom.

Although Mitani was somewhat fatigued, it didn't hinder his ability to judge a film; if anything, he was eager to try. Having heard so much about *Violent Cop* from Matsushige the previous night, he truly wanted to see if it was as good as promised.

The bookstore opened quite late. It wasn't just the staff arriving early, but also the special "judges" invited for the day.

"Pardon me, are you the young and currently very active screenwriter, Mr. Koki Mitani?"

"You're too kind. Just 'Mitani' is fine, Third Generation."

"Indeed, a man of great talent. Very good, very good."

"You are too modest, Third Generation."

The presence of Ichikawa Ennosuke III at Iwanami Shoten this early meant, without question, that he was there to serve as a judge.

In terms of current film criticism, the American Hollywood model was the standard, where test screenings were held before a film's official release. One should not underestimate these "test screenings"; the feedback from audiences and critics often determined a film's distribution schedule and licensing prospects. Of course, major big-budget productions were an exception to this rule.

Now, Iwanami Shoten was conducting a preliminary evaluation of a new film by a rookie director, and they were taking it seriously.

As for Ichikawa Ennosuke... well, there was no issue there; after all, he had publicly declared that he did not recognize Teruyuki Kagawa as his son.

Shortly after, Mitani spotted Akio Jissoji. As the person who had recommended the film, this famous director was naturally in attendance.

Soon, two reporters arrived: Mika Ando from *Kinema Junpo* and Ryoko Kobayashi from *Eiga Geijutsu*. Truth be told, their joint appearance was enough to surprise anyone in the industry. *Kinema Junpo* was famous for its annual "Top Ten" list and awards. *Eiga Geijutsu* wasn't against ranking films—after all, Japanese magazines loved a good list—but its most famous list was the "Ten Worst Films of the Year."

That’s right—a list of the ten worst movies! The founder of *Eiga Geijutsu* was Kihiko Ohashi, the uncle of the well-known actor Masahiko Tsugawa. One shouldn't be fooled by the different surnames of Tsugawa and Ohashi; they were all one family, tracing their origins back to Shozo Makino, the man known as the Father of Japanese Cinema. When people like that compile a list of the ten worst... who would dare complain?

With the Top Ten and the Ten Worst together, the set was complete! Who had invited these judges?

Before long, two people emerged from the staff entrance. One was Akira Yamaguchi; the other, upon appearing, began chatting warmly with everyone. It was Sei Shimotani, a middle-manager at Toho who was highly regarded by outsiders. He was a smooth talker with a sharp eye for film, and a radical reformer within Toho. He always insisted that cinema must adapt to the changes of the era and not be constrained by tradition.

Such was the "jury" for the day. But then, a problem arose.

"According to our agreement, the screening should start at 9:00, but the film reel hasn't arrived yet. Could there be a problem?" Shimotani’s question was valid.

Jissoji was also scratching his head. Since he had recommended the film, if something went wrong, he would be in a difficult position. Takeshi Iwata had seemed so reliable. According to the original plan, because Iwanami Shoten didn't open until 10:30 AM, the theater would start its operations slightly later. Therefore, the viewing had to be completed before 10:30. The film was exactly ninety minutes long, so the original plan was sufficient.

It was almost nine o'clock. Why hadn't it arrived?

...

A taxi was making its way through the streets of Tokyo.

"That uncle of yours..."

"Don't say it! He’s a good person!"

Miho Nakayama felt a mix of helplessness and guilt toward her sister. After all, she had agreed to take this role, and she was the one who had insisted on keeping their identities secret. Now, with Takeshi Iwata’s identity exposed right before her sister's eyes, this...

Did she really trust that guy that much? Miho felt a strange sense of jealousy, unable to distinguish whether she was jealous of Takeshi Iwata or her sister.

Shinobu hadn't expected the day to turn out like this. She had been happy, but she remained firm: the uncle was absolutely, definitely a good person! Her sister didn't know it, but the sight of Takeshi Iwata leading the Kiyoshi Cat-Fish gang to stand in front of them was something that would stay with her sister for a lifetime.

Kagawa had hailed a taxi to take the two sisters, clutching that large iron box in his arms. And this object...

"This is hope!" He announced without anyone even asking.

Kagawa could never forget the words Takeshi Iwata had spoken at the izakaya the night before. It was hope! Iwanami was hope, and the film reel was hope! The complications of the day had indeed been foreseen by his boss. The more difficult things became, the more Kagawa felt the weight of his responsibility. And inside, something seemed to be burning—as if his once-dull life had suddenly ignited.

No, even more intense was Takeshi Iwata! If they could overcome this hurdle, his life would truly be the most searing one of all!

Just then...

"Give it to me!"

"Huh?"

Shinobu snatched the iron box away, clutching it tightly to her chest. He had just shouted that it was "hope," and now it had been taken? He felt a strange sense of comfort, thinking it wasn't so bad that Shinobu had taken it. The girl had a look of absolute determination on her face, as if delivering the film to Iwanami Shoten was the most important mission of her life.

Miho watched this, then looked at Kagawa.

Kagawa raised a serious concern: "Boss... *cough*, Mr. Iwata cannot appear at Iwanami Shoten in person. How are we going to explain that?"

That was true! It was incredibly impolite! The three of them looked at each other...

...

It was nearly nine o'clock. The jury was ready, waiting for the film reel to arrive. The waiting made everyone restless. Mitani found it amusing—typical Yakuza. Jissoji, however, was genuinely starting to get angry. As for the Third Generation, the magazine reporters, and Shimotani...

"It’s here!" Akira Yamaguchi ran in. He, too, had been under immense pressure.

Had the reel arrived? Following him were three others. The first to react was the Third Generation, who let out a cold snort. He was clearly dissatisfied with that guy, Kagawa.

The unassuming Kagawa felt extremely awkward, but Shinobu stepped forward first.

"Respected ladies and gentlemen, I am so sorry. The director of *Violent Cop*, Mr. Iwata, cannot be here today."

What?!

This was enough to make anyone angry. Being late with the reel was one thing, but the director wasn't coming? The work of such a man...

However, despite their irritation, the one speaking was a very lovely, ethereal young girl, and standing beside her was the famous beauty Miho Nakayama. It was hard to stay angry.

Shinobu continued, sounding very well-behaved: "I haven't finished. There is a reason for this. Director Iwata made this decision specifically so as not to influence the results of the evaluation."

Hm? Hearing this, the judges felt a bit more at ease. But why would the director’s presence influence the results? It was a natural question to have. Even Kagawa was breaking out in a cold sweat... the excuse they had come up with was just a delaying tactic; they had no idea if Takeshi Iwata would even make it!

But then, someone whispered: Akira Yamaguchi leaned over to Sei Shimotani and whispered, "Director Iwata has a rather... unique appearance."

Shimotani nodded. "Very well. Let us begin the evaluation."

Had they really gotten away with it? There was no time to lose. *Violent Cop* flickered onto the big screen. Moments later, Shimotani smiled. *Oh, so that’s it. He looks too vicious, and he’s afraid of scaring these intellectuals?*

Shimotani had no idea that every judge present was pondering the director's absence in their own way.

...

Kitaoji was very confident. He had prepared over a dozen men to deal with Takeshi Iwata and his group—it was more than enough. Of course, the old rule remained: no guns. Even though the Yakuza were very active, if they used knives or clubs, the police were easy to handle. If they used guns, the police would have to pursue them to the end. The Yakuza had to provide an explanation to maintain face for both sides.

However, he was certain he could wipe out the Iwata gang this time. So, when Kitaoji walked into the room prepared for Big Sister Takenaka, he was in a fantastic mood.

But...

"I really did see a good show." Big Sister Takenaka left only those words before walking away.

What had happened? Kitaoji rushed to the window to look, and...

Nani!? All his men were down!

He rushed down as fast as he could, only to find all his men curled up on the ground, clutching their groins.

"That guy... he’s like a demon," his men groaned in agony.

Kitaoji was left completely stunned. From that day on, "Demon Takeshi" became known as "Demon Bakugan" (Exploding Balls)...

(End of Chapter)