Free Web NovelAt my statement that Daigo Tadashige should be assassinated, Koizumi’s face turned pale.
Apparently, he hadn’t expected me to say outright that I intended to kill someone. The room fell silent.
Only the rhythmic clatter of the shishiodoshi—a bamboo water fountain in the garden—broke the stillness outside.
Clack!
Water trickled, and then the bamboo tube struck a stone with a clear sound—once, twice, three times.
After a long or short while, depending on how one measured silence, Koizumi finally spoke, his voice slightly trembling.
“To kill Daigo Tadashige... Is that even possible? That’s far too extreme. This isn’t what I wanted.”
So he was stepping back now, huh. I let out a short laugh and replied.
“That’s not what you wanted? Then tell me, Prime Minister—what gentle alternative do you have? A way to destroy Daedonghoe’s influence without any blood being spilled? You don’t, do you? You came to me precisely because you couldn’t think of one.”
“······.”
Koizumi said nothing. I already knew as much, but the bitter taste in my mouth lingered anyway.
He was the type to push responsibility onto others when trouble came.
“I like honest people, Prime Minister. So let’s be honest. You want power in Japan, and I want to eliminate anyone who gets in my way. So don’t pretend to pull back now. If you keep doing this, I’ll walk away.”
“······No, that’s not it. I was just startled hearing you talk about assassination so suddenly.”
Typical Japanese—when pressured, they changed tune fast.
He nodded quickly, muttering under his breath,
“Truthfully, that would be the most effective method. But killing Daigo Tadashige won’t necessarily weaken Daedonghoe.”
That part worried me too.
Even if Daigo Tadashige, the current head, was killed, the organization wouldn’t vanish overnight.
Which meant we’d have to strike on multiple fronts.
“How’s your relationship with Abe?”
“You mean Abe Shinzo?”
I nodded slightly and brushed a finger against the cooled teacup.
“When I first heard the name Kishi Nobusuke, I assumed the current head of Daedonghoe was Abe Shinzo. But apparently, he’s still part of the group—just sidelined politically.”
In my previous life, Koizumi had stepped down, and Abe succeeded him as Prime Minister.
At first, I thought Abe had ridden Daedonghoe’s influence to power, but Jessica’s documents told a different story.
Abe’s actual reach was far smaller than I had believed.
“······Abe is an inscrutable man. I only learned he was a Daedonghoe member after I became Prime Minister. Before that, he bowed his head like a loyal subordinate. Even now, his behavior hasn’t changed much. But I don’t trust him.”
“There are rumors, though, that he’s your political successor.”
“If not for Daedonghoe, I might have endorsed him as my successor. But that’s out of the question now.”
So he really did despise Abe. I lifted my hand from the teacup and sighed lightly on purpose.
“Surely not...”
Koizumi’s eyes widened as he trailed off.
He must have realized what I was implying when I mentioned Abe’s name. I smiled thinly.
“Yes. Let’s make Abe the head of Daedonghoe.”
At that shocking declaration, Koizumi let out a sigh of disbelief.
“If we can’t eliminate the group completely, isn’t it better to have it under your control?”
“But... Abe doesn’t have the power base to rise to that position. Without the name of Kishi Nobusuke, that fool couldn’t even set foot in politics.”
“That’s exactly why I’m choosing him. Because he’s a fool. A puppet that’s too clever is never good, right? Wasn’t that why you once considered him your successor—to play the role of kingmaker behind the scenes?”
My words hit the mark. Koizumi fell silent.
“You’ve been saying ‘it’s difficult,’ ‘it’s impossible’ for some time now. If you’re going to give up without even trying, then fine—be their puppet. I’ll just find another partner.”
He arrogantly thought he’d chosen me.
How laughable. As if someone like him could ever choose me. My indirect tone hardened his expression instantly.
“I have no interest in Japan’s internal politics. Whether you hold power or someone else does—it doesn’t matter, as long as no one touches my territory.”
“······.”
“Are you... afraid of Abe?”
“What nonsense is that!”
His pride flared the moment I mentioned Abe’s name.
His sudden burst of anger was almost amusing.
“That man and I are worlds apart! Even with Daedonghoe behind him, he could never match me!”
“Well, perhaps. But seeing you so timid doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.”
Koizumi’s pale face flushed red in an instant.
He ground his teeth so hard I could hear it. When he finally spoke, his voice was trembling with fury.
“Mr. Kim Muhyuk, don’t you think you’re going too far? I am the Prime Minister of Japan! Even the President of Korea wouldn’t speak to me this way!”
“Really? I’m just clarifying the order of things. You’re the one who came to me because you needed me—not the other way around.”
While he burned with rage, I remained calm. Koizumi glared, eyes blazing.
“If not for me, would you even know about Daedonghoe? Would you know that certain generals in Korea and members of the Self-Defense Forces are colluding? And yet you dare insult me—!”
“You seem overly excited.” free𝑤ebnovel.com
A thick vein bulged on his forehead. They said he had a short temper—seems they were right.
I picked up the teapot Haruki had left and poured the cooled tea into Koizumi’s empty cup.
“Have some tea, Prime Minister. Think carefully about why I’m saying this—and about what choice you should make.” frёewebnoѵēl.com
I filled his cup, then poured some for myself.
Lifting mine to my lips, I watched him quietly.
Seeing that my composure didn’t waver, Koizumi finally raised his cup too, sipping to calm himself.
Once his ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) emotions had settled, he slowly spoke.
“Is there a scenario where Abe could seize control of Daedonghoe?”
“No.”
“······.”
“That’s something you could craft better than I could. You’d know whom to remove to clear the way for him.”
I wasn’t going to let him dump everything on me. We both needed to hold leverage over the other—mutual vulnerability prevented betrayal.
I had claimed I could arrange assassinations, but that only applied to Daigo Tadashige himself.
Even then, Abe’s foundation was too weak to immediately take over afterward.
Kishi Nobusuke’s legacy had faded with time, while Kodama Yoshio’s faction completely dominated Daedonghoe.
When Kodama died, his power passed wholly to Daigo Tadashige, and Kishi’s side weakened further.
Abe remained a legitimate descendant of the founder—but only a minor member.
However, if Daigo Tadashige and his inner circle—the core of power—were to disappear?
“Who exactly needs to die?”
“······.”
“Moving the Self-Defense Forces against Korea can be delayed by killing Daigo Tadashige. You know that.”
Koizumi nodded slowly.
“But that’s not what you truly want, is it, Prime Minister? You want to hold complete power over Japan. Then just tell me who needs to be eliminated—I’ll take care of it.”
“······If things go wrong, I’ll be—”
“High risk, high return. The greater the danger, the greater the reward. The choice is yours, Prime Minister. I’m only here to help.”
He wanted to reap the fruit without touching the dirt. I set my teacup down with a click and stared at him coldly.
“So, what will it be?”
Clack!
The bamboo fountain outside struck again, its crisp sound echoing twice before Koizumi finally spoke.
“Then....”
* * *
After my meeting with Koizumi, I returned to the hotel.
The moment I entered, I opened the door to the room where Han Kyungyeong was working.
He was staring intently at his laptop. I smiled faintly.
He’d once called me a workaholic, but he was worse.
“The U.S. market’s open, right?”
He was so focused he didn’t even notice me come in.
“Ah... you’re back?”
He glanced up briefly at my voice.
“How’d it go with the Prime Minister?”
I nodded lightly.
“So-so. We’ll need another round of discussion, though.”
“Why?”
“He’s a politician—Japanese at that. How could I trust him? I tossed the bait, but he’s too sharp to bite easily. You know how I hate people who catch on too fast.”
Han Kyungyeong chuckled. Apparently, the idea of me disliking perceptive people amused him.
“Heh, really?”
“How’s the U.S. market?”
“Slightly down, but it doesn’t seem to be a major concern. Everyone’s too fixated on tomorrow’s final match in Korea. Even the media’s barely writing about the naval clash.”
“Can’t be helped.”
The World Cup fever had swallowed everything.
Even the recent deaths of two girls crushed by a U.S. tank, and the soldiers killed today in the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong—both had faded from public concern.
“Once the fever cools, they’ll start paying attention again. We’ll see it reflected in the market then.”
I patted Han Kyungyeong on the shoulder.
“Keep working. I’ll contact Korea before turning in. I need to watch the final tomorrow.”
“Got it.”
Leaving him to his work, I went to wash away my thoughts and fatigue in the shower.
As soon as I came out, a knock sounded at the door. Manager Ma stepped in.
“Boss, a call from Korea.”
“The President?”
He nodded and handed me the phone. I began the conversation.
“Yes, Mr. President.”
― We’re in an emergency meeting. Because of the clash in the West Sea.
“What’s your plan of response?”
― If there’s no further provocation, we’ll just monitor the situation. I’m scheduled to fly to Japan tomorrow morning, after all.
“Don’t go.”
― What!?
My firm tone made Kim Hakgwon raise his voice.
“You know as well as I do, Mr. President—when the North is provoking, the Commander-in-Chief shouldn’t leave the country.”
― That’s true, but it would be a diplomatic insult! No—this is exactly what Kim Jongil wants, to stop me from going to Japan!
“Maybe so. But even knowing that, you should play along.”
Kim Hakgwon fell silent. A low groan came through the receiver.
“I’ve already spoken with Prime Minister Koizumi. Even if you go, there won’t be a summit meeting.”
― What? What did you just say!?
His voice rose in anger. Getting treated like this so often near the end of his term must have been eating at him.
“Just as I said. If you go, there won’t be a meeting. You’ll be humiliated.”
― ······.
Only his rough breathing came through the line.
“Don’t go. It’s the best choice for you—and for Korea.”
― Can you give me a reason?
As expected of a veteran politician—he quickly calmed himself and asked why.
“If you move, we don’t know how the military will respond. So please, stay put.”
― ······You know something.
“You know it too, don’t you, Mr. President?”
― I have no idea what you mean.
“Right. Keep pretending not to know. It’ll serve you well in the end.”
He stayed silent for a long while. I waited patiently.
― There’s no justification for canceling outright...
“The Japanese government will inform you tomorrow morning that the summit is canceled. With the current domestic situation, it’s perfectly reasonable for you to stay and attend to national matters. That should be enough. The Centrist Party’s spokesperson will also release a statement supporting your decision.”
After swallowing audibly, Kim Hakgwon finally agreed.
― Very well. If Koizumi’s side cancels, I’ll comply.
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
― No, I’ll attend the soldiers’ funeral tomorrow. It’s only right. They died defending our country. I must go to them.
“Yes. I’ll contact you once I return to Korea.”
The call ended. Nearing the end of his term, Kim Hakgwon had softened a bit—though who knew what blade he still kept hidden.
“Everything settled?”
Manager Ma, there to retrieve the phone, asked quietly. I nodded.
“Yes. I’m going to bed. I’m tired.”
Dealing with people so easily swayed by emotion was exhausting enough in itself.
Letting out a soft sigh, I rose and went into my room.
