Chapter 83

Short Summary
Tokuchi’s poor attitude regarding the car crash turns the public against him. Saikawa visits the motorcyclist and pays him 25 million yen for faking the accident, but at the League Commissioners’ meeting the next day, testimony from the accident-faker proves Tokuchi’s innocence and he’s only given a five day suspension.

Long Summary
Tokuchi’s punishment for hitting the motorcyclist will be decided in two days’ time. Several witnesses confirm it was Tokuchi driving the car and the affair is a major story all over the media.

The League Commissioners hold a public meeting to question Tokuchi about the incident. Tokuchi says he’s not sure what happened as it was too dark, and states they should wait for the motorcyclist to file a complaint before they decide anything. The watchers criticise him for his lack of remorse. Saikawa is pleased with Tokuchi's now poor image.

Saikawa visits the supposedly injured motorcyclist, Nakamori Hisatake, at the hospital. He’s unharmed, but says he’d pretended to be unconscious so the ambulance would assume a head injury. Saikawa asks him how he set up the incident.

Nakamori says he waited in a dark, hidden entrance at the parking lot where Tokuchi had left his car, and rushed out as soon as he saw him coming. He’d wrecked his bike beforehand and had made skid marks on the road to make the collision look much worse than it was. Saikawa pays him 25 million yen for his work, 5 million more than they’d agreed upon. Nakamori says he’ll be sure to play up Tokuchi as a villain as a thank you for the extra.

On Saikawa’s way out, he bumps into Oikawa. Oikawa discovered the Owner had booked his bullet train tickets for the hospital two days ago, before the accident, and tries to accuse him of having a hand in the collision. Saikawa interrupts and tells him if he wants to enjoy his pension, he’ll stay out of things that aren’t his concern.

The League Commissioners hold another televised meeting to question Nakamori the next day. Saikawa's Secretary predicts that the negative media attention Tokuchi’s bad attitude has generated will increase his suspension to two months, which would incur a loss of 17 billion yen. Oikawa hangs his head, feeling bad that he knows the truth but can’t help him.

The meeting starts and, to Saikawa’s horror, the commissioners announce they’ve received new information suggesting Tokuchi didn’t hit anyone with his car. Nakamori sent in an official statement saying he’d fallen off his poorly-maintained bike, and it was already lying on the floor when Tokuchi hit it; the pre-existing damage led witnesses to believe the accident was more serious than it was. Saikawa and the Secretary are both shocked. Tokuchi is cleared of all charges in regards to the accident, but still given a five-day suspension for breaking the League’s rules about driving.

Saikawa is outraged, and tells his Secretary to contact Nakamori, but Tokuchi appears from the doorway and tells him he’s already fled the country. He says it was an exciting game and admits he was nearly caught in Saikawa’s trap.

The Owner furiously asks him what he did, and Tokuchi reveals he'd paid a visit to the accident-faker as well. Saikawa is angry at his easy betrayal, but Tokuchi tells him it’s his fault for being ‘too stingy’, only paying him 25 million yen when there was over 4 billion on the line.

Tokuchi’s five-game suspension incurs a loss of 2.5 billion yen. His salary is now 1.86 billion.

Characters

 * Tokuchi Toua
 * Saikawa; Owner of the Lycaons
 * Saikawa's Secretary
 * Oikawa: Public Relations Manager
 * Nakamori