George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 178

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Modern houses, whether in the East or West, are like money-eating monsters; it’s no exaggeration to call them symbols of wealth.

A rare sake filled the glass, and accompanied by the sound of insects, the *shishi-odoshi* [a type of Japanese water fountain] regularly tipped and emptied, making a clear, echoing sound.

What made this possible?

“Money!”

In a room designed to capture the feeling of East meets West, a white-haired old man slammed the desk. He was long past his ‘following his heart’ years, now between eighty and ninety, but his eyes were sharp, like a young man’s.

This old man was none other than Yasuhiro Nakasone, who once wielded immense power as one of Japan’s most influential Prime Ministers.

“Money is the driving force behind the world today.”

Nakasone calmed himself and sat cross-legged, saying,

“However.”

He rested his chin on his hand with a nonchalant expression.

“That’s why, while I believe in money, I don’t really trust it. Why do you think that is?”

However, the excitement seeping out from under his nonchalant expression couldn’t be hidden. The alcohol, heating his body regardless of his will, created a slight crack in Nakasone’s carefully maintained facade.

That’s why Shinzo Abe didn’t answer, even though he knew the answer. Nakasone was the most senior figure Abe knew, both in politics and in age. Of course, Abe had built his own political career and could hold his own, but here, playing it safe was the best option.

Especially when the opponent was a monster who was considered to be active duty for life.

Abe’s steadfast silence eventually became a disappointment, clouding Nakasone’s eyes. But the disappointment wasn’t because he ‘couldn’t answer,’ but because he ‘didn’t.’ He might be old and his eyesight failing, but his judgment of people hadn’t faded.

“Humility is good, not like those Kyoto people. Maybe you’ll be next after Koizumi.”

He said that distantly and took a sip of sake as if he was out of breath. Just because his heart was burning passionately didn’t mean his body was. His body was clearly in its twilight years, slowly approaching death.

“I served four Emperors and experienced two world wars. Once, I just watched, but once, I fought directly as an Imperial Navy soldier with a gun and sword.”

A moderate amount of alcohol is a medicine that makes you forget the pain of the body and easily excites people. There’s a reason why the term ‘medicinal wine’ exists. Nakasone drank, filling his glass with memories from his time at the naval base.

“At that time, Japan and I experienced defeat. At that time, a lot of money became worthless overnight. Of course, it soon recovered.”

He said that and filled Abe’s glass with sake. Abe bowed his head as if he was grateful for that alone.

“Money is good. I like money. I’m probably the person who has wielded the most wealth in Japanese history.”

At this moment, he chuckled like a senile old man. The golden age of his life flashed through his mind, stirring nostalgia. But this was only for a moment. Nakasone soon returned to reality.

“But, only if you have the power to protect it.”

“That’s right.”

“Abe, do you think you can protect Japan now?”

“Why wouldn’t I be able to?”

A flash of interest flickered in Nakasone’s eyes at that answer. He thought that maybe Abe would fulfill his lifelong wish: the constitutional amendment he had even made a song to sing about.

His mouth was thoroughly denying it, but his true intentions were already perfectly understood. Perhaps it was to deny that the current Japan, inherited from Nakasone, had weakened, and it wasn’t unreasonable for Abe to hesitate to make bold remarks since this was somewhat directly related to Nakasone’s legacy.

However, Shinzo Abe was definitely a radical. Even without Nakasone’s unwavering trust, Nakasone was convinced that Abe had a strong interest in constitutional revision based on his political actions so far.

“I see. Let’s leave it at this and move on to another topic. Do you think the party’s reform measures are possible? I mean, I’m asking if you can secure 51 seats. As Secretary-General.”

Abe’s eyes lit up at these words.

“I think it’s possible. More than enough.”

Nakasone barely suppressed the laughter that was about to explode from within with superhuman patience. He took another sip of sake as if trying to hide it. Perhaps it was because Abe, the *anju* [food served with alcohol], was so stimulating, but every time he swallowed, there was a new feeling, and the taste of the sake was one that he never got tired of, no matter how many times he enjoyed it.

“Not bad. Not bad.”

He didn’t specify what wasn’t bad, but Abe sensed it wasn’t a compliment.

‘You told me not to act like a Kyoto person at some point.’

But no matter how much he grumbled inwardly, nothing changed. Nakasone was still chuckling to himself, wondering what was good, and Abe had to ensure his glass never ran dry.

“Good! You’ll be able to do it.”

He stopped laughing and faced him with serious eyes.

“I heard your popularity is soaring these days, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh! You admit it willingly.”

Nakasone looked truly surprised. How could he not be surprised that a man who had only denied it like a machine was finally showing a positive attitude?

“That’s the biggest reason why I was able to become Secretary-General.”

‘Is this the result of being sharpened in the *bokmajeon* [chaotic political world]? There are some immature parts here and there, but if you mature it for a few more years…’

“Three terms in the last 10 years. I’ve finally learned to distinguish between what to say and what not to say.”

“I’m really satisfied. But don’t overuse it. Popularity has an expiration date.”

Nakasone’s evaluation is being cut down now that the bubble economy has burst, but he was the most popular prime minister at the time of his administration. He appropriately used all kinds of information media, including television, for his popularity. The words he said were never light. Even if the words were the same, the meaning contained was different, and even if the meaning was the same, the depth was different. That’s why Abe decided to ask one more time, even though he had a hunch.

“What do you mean by expiration date?”

“Isn’t your popularity a North wind (北風)?”

“That’s right.”

Abe did not deny it. It was such a public fact that even a middle school student could know.

“I’m also thinking of distracting the public’s attention to Korea, China, and the United States.”

“Isn’t that the basics of politics? That’s the same for other countries’ politics. Even in the United States, they’re turning the public’s eyes to the Middle East and Africa. More than half of Americans probably don’t even know what’s going on in the White House, let alone the *sanghawonuiwon* [members of Congress].”

“That’s right. That basic skill has an expiration date. When I see it, you’re destined to be in power for a long time. It might be okay once or twice. If you keep using it alternately, you’ll collapse without even knowing it.”

Abe’s popularity came from his tough stance on North Korea. It was because he was angry at North Korea’s attitude of kidnapping five innocent civilians and nonchalantly ignoring Japan’s willingness to return them. However, he wasn’t really angry based on emotions, but rather based on political judgment.

Since then, he had publicly preached a hard-line policy against North Korea several times, and this was the same even after Prime Minister Koizumi visited North Korea directly and released the five hostages. As a result, he was able to gain great popularity that even a mid-level lawmaker could not enjoy. This provided Abe, who had a solid foundation but no springboard to jump on, not just a springboard, but a trampoline-level jumping power.

With that jumping power, he gained the trust of Prime Minister Koizumi. It would be more accurate to say that their interests coincided rather than gaining trust, but politics was originally about interests. In the first place, it was very unusual for a mere three-term lawmaker to become Secretary-General just because he had gained some trust. This was truly unexpected for Abe as well as other lawmakers.

In fact, he was pretending to be calm on the outside, but he was very burdened on the inside. A mere three-term lawmaker is the Secretary-General. Anyway, since he had a short career, he needed a political weapon that could resolve the distance as much as the short career. Now that was North Korea. Just shouting ‘North Korea *gaesaekki* [son of a bitch]!’ would make his popularity grow, so it was no exaggeration to say that North Korea was a *myeonggeom* [master sword] of politics.

“Then how?”

“Hahaha! That’s naturally a task for you to solve.”

He didn’t know how strong the old man was, but he laughed confidently. When you’re over 80, you avoid laughing out loud because your bones might break, but this old man just kept laughing so much that Abe felt embarrassed, whether he was okay with breaking them or there was no fear of breaking them.

“I understand. Thank you for your insights, former Prime Minister.”

Abe drank the last glass. He didn’t know if it was because the hot energy had started to circulate, or because of the political discussion. Or maybe it was both, but his body was burning up. Abe couldn’t control his burning body and got up from his seat.

“Shall I see you off myself?”

Abe was horrified to hear those words, even though he knew it was a joke. For a young lawmaker to assist Nakasone, who is over 80 years old, would be an act that would be criticized by society. It was such a shock that the intoxication disappeared at once.

Nakasone, who was watching the scene, chuckled once again as if he had been caught.

“I’m not going far.”

Abe came out of Nakasone’s house and got into his car. And only then could he feel relieved. He wondered what was going on when he suddenly called him. Drinking alcohol wasn’t a very good choice. There was a lot of work left.

‘Expiration date.’

Abe replayed the conversation he had with Nakasone several times. It seemed that there was nothing more to be found in that conversation. This was partly because he was immature, but also because it was difficult to know his true feelings.

‘Good! Not bad. Not bad! I really don’t know. What the hell is he up to?’

However, apart from the hidden meaning in the conversation, Abe personally had something to gain. That *geomeol* [big shot] evaluated him as the next after Koizumi. He didn’t know what he saw in him to evaluate him as the next prime minister after Koizumi, but whether it was lip service or to make fun of him, it wasn’t a bad feeling.

Today, he kept wanting to grab a cigarette that he had quit in his younger days. In fact, it wasn’t just cigarettes, but Abe wasn’t a person who enjoyed alcohol very much either. This time, he only drank it as a political judgment.

Then suddenly, something came to mind.

“The Middle East and Africa?”

In the past, the Koizumi Cabinet expressed its intention to dispatch troops to Afghanistan to the United States, but it was rejected. The rest was monopolized by the EU, so it became really difficult for Japan to exert *him* [power] in the Middle East. The same goes for Africa. It’s a place he doesn’t want to get involved in, but if it’s stable, it’s definitely a very attractive place.

“Yes?”

The driver reacted to Abe’s murmur.

“It’s nothing.”

Abe came to only one conclusion from today’s conversation.

He’s sick and tired of politics now.

“Go home.”