"Haha. It's been far too long, Assemblyman Takeshida."

"Congratulations on winning the general election after the presidential one. Please give my regards to the VIP, too."

"It's all thanks to you, Assemblyman."

"I heard things got noisy a while ago. Was it resolved well?"

"Of course. A bunch of commie lefties stirred up by North Korea threw a tantrum over nothing. What era is this, that they'd take up candles and try to drive out a VIP born of the people's support? Dig the five rivers, and you solve the peninsula's logistics, flood control and economy all at once... Anyway, young people don't think. They ought to listen to elders of society like us if they want anything good to come their way..."

"Exactly. You worked very hard. We have to stay healthy and live long for the sake of those young, inadequate lives, don't we~"

"That's right, Assemblyman~ Heh heh."

Choe Sang-deuk, elected 2008 chairman of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union, chatted with Assemblyman Takeshida, the Japanese chairman.

The press would have made a fuss if it found out, so they'd met in secret at a hotel in Hawaii.

Takeshida Noboro, a senior Liberal Democrat in Japan's House of Representatives, was called the party's invisible power broker.

Quite a few prime ministers, the current one included, owed their jobs to him.

That was why his political power was enormous.

"My brother would like to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor... but it looks like it'll take some time. Once we've muzzled the leftist press, we'll come to call. Please tell His Majesty."

"I had an audience not long ago. He was very interested in friendship between Korea and Japan. The Takeshima and comfort women issues had pained him."

"Oh dear! I had no idea. I can only apologize to His Majesty the Emperor."

Choe Sang-deuk bowed his head.

Japanese operations and money had helped make his brother president.

Unlike him, his brother had been born on the Japanese mainland.

Their father had decided it, believing Japan would last forever.

Knowing that, Japan hadn't held back its support either.