“It seems you’re not enthusiastic about the Yumi Kurihara promo.”
He must have heard from the staff at the meeting. I could imagine the details of the slander. “That’s not true. I’m trying my best to come up with ideas.”
“The idea to have ten similar-looking people isn’t bad, I agree.”
I smiled with just my mouth. He was flattering me out of pity, and that made me feel more miserable than angry. Since when had I become such a loser?
“You’re with me from three o’clock. I have a place I want you to visit with me.”
“Where would that be?”
“Nissei Automobile HQ.”
I stared back at Kozuka’s face. He was avoiding eye contact. “That’s strange, isn’t it? They pushed me out of the team, but they keep summoning me. What’s their deal?”
“To be honest, I don’t know. The attendance request list had your name on it, and that’s why I’m asking you.”
“On whose whim, I wonder? Can’t be Mr. Katsuragi’s.”
“Who knows. It seems Mr. Katsuragi will attend, too, so you can ask him.”
“Mr. Katsuragi? You’re kidding.”
“No, there’s no mistake—I assume. I just got the fax.”
Even so, I couldn’t help but think it was impossible. What was the man thinking? His daughter had been kidnapped, and with the ransom exchange looming, he had the nerve to casually attend a meeting? Or was he betting that it would take place earlier in the day than that anyway? Even so, I thought.
“What’ll you do? If you don’t want to, I won’t make you. There’s no problem with declining and saying that you have some other important business. They were the ones who pushed you off the team, after all.”
“No, I’ll come,” I said. “Seeing Mr. Katsuragi’s face wouldn’t be bad.”
I didn’t know how he took those words, but Kozuka grinned and smacked me on the back.
When it was past three in the afternoon, I headed towards the Nissei Automobile Tokyo headquarters with Kozuka and several of the new car campaign staff. Sugimoto was ignoring me. He must’ve been thinking, Why is this guy here?
Traffic was light, so we arrived earlier than planned. Sugimoto and the others started preparing in the meeting room, but I didn’t have anything to do. I left the room for a moment, bought instant coffee from the vending machine, and went to a smoking area that was lined with plants. Kozuka was there smoking a cigarette.
“Sugimoto and the others were saying that something’s the matter with Nissei,” he told me.
“Which means?”
“I guess you’d say it’s directionless. It’s losing focus, ever so subtly. It seems even the great Nissei is teetering thanks to the prolonged recession.”
I silently nodded, but I thought it might not be just the recession. What may have been teetering was Katsutoshi Katsuragi’s mental state.
When I was about to ask for specific examples, Kozuka trained his eyes behind me and his face stiffened. Just from that, I knew who was behind me. I turned around. Katsutoshi Katsuragi was standing there with one hand in his pocket.
Chapter 13
“Sorry for bothering you at such a busy time.” Katsutoshi Katsuragi approached us. He looked sharp in a dark blue double-breasted suit. His smile was relaxed, too.
“No, it’s nothing at all.” Kozuka remained standing at attention.
“I had several things I wanted to check on a plan from you that came up the other day. That’s why I suddenly had you come.”
“Then today’s meeting is by your instruction?”
“Well, yes. I become restless when something catches my attention.” Katsuragi looked at his wristwatch. “It’s almost time. Shall we?”
“Excuse me, but I brought him, too.” Kozuka looked at me.
Katsuragi faced me so I lowered my head. But then he immediately took his eyes off me. “What about him?” he asked Kozuka.
“No, there was an instruction in the document from your side that Sakuma should attend.”
“Hmm.” Katsuragi tilted his head. “I wonder why. I have no idea. The point person might have looked at an old list and automatically sent it. Well, it doesn’t matter. Let’s get to work,” he said, then started walking ahead.
Kozuka spoke close to my ear. “What do you want to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“It seems that Mr. Katsuragi doesn’t really have any business with you. Attending might just be unpleasant for you. You can just go back if you want.”
I did feel like splitting, but I didn’t say that out loud. “I came anyway, so I’ll at least listen. Anyway, even if I went back to the office, I don’t have any big project.”
No doubt hearing the poison in my voice, Kozuka nodded with a slightly irritated look.
I pretended to go to the bathroom and left Kozuka. I found a place with no prying eyes and took out my cellphone. I called Juri.
“Hello, what is it?” It might have been because she hadn’t thought that she would be contacted this soon, but she sounded puzzled.
“Change of plans. We’ll go through with it thirty minutes from now.”
“In thirty minutes? Wait a second, don’t tell me that suddenly.”
“Whether we do it in thirty minutes or five hours, what you’re doing won’t change.”
“I’m saying I need to prepare myself for it mentally.”
“That’s why I’m saying in thirty minutes. Finish preparing yourself mentally by then.”
“Wait. What should I do about the last part? Should I do it like how we were saying? If they don’t trust me, then what?”
“They’ll trust you. There’s no reason not to.”
When I said so confidently, Juri relented. I heard a big sigh. “It’s definitely going to be okay, right?”
“Don’t worry. I haven’t fumbled at this kind of game before.”
“Okay. If you’re that sure, I’m going to get ready. In thirty minutes.”
“Yup.”
“What are you going to do? You’re at the office, aren’t you?”
“I’m at your papa’s company. I have a meeting coming up with him.”
“Wha-”
“I’m leaving it all to you. All of this is hanging on your acting skills.”
Haah—a huge sigh. “I got it. I’ll try. But if it doesn’t seem like it’ll go well, I’ll stop immediately.”
“It’s okay. It’ll go well.”
I hung up and headed to the room where, in thirty minutes, the man I would confront with a different game was waiting.
The meeting was about a project using an internet camera. They would equip one to the announced new car and drive it around town. Customers thinking of buying the car could use the internet to see that video. The video wouldn’t merely show what lay beyond the windshield, but also the car’s interior, the dashboard, each mirror, and so on—everything the driver could see would be captured. If they clicked with a mouse, they could freely change the camera. They would be able to take a test drive without leaving home, so to speak. It wasn’t a bad idea, but it wasn’t fundamentally different from what informational programs on new cars did. True, it was significantly cheaper than my automobile park project.
“There are limits to the transmission rate, so conveying velocity will be a challenge, I think. What will be very relevant is what street to drive on, and making the scene overseas will certainly increase the appeal, we think.” It was just the staff from our company nodding at Sugimoto’s explanation. Of course, I didn’t nod.
Katsutoshi Katsuragi raised his hand. The tension rose instantly. “We’re not trying to introduce our car on a late-night program.”
I was slightly surprised by his remark. It seemed Katsuragi shared my impression.