[War] Japan: "Tragedy and Scandal"

[Ian Martell]

"Tragedy and Scandal"
Prime Minister Shunichi Sato
Japan
2 August 2014
----

Akira and one of Jonouchi's aides Ryusei waited in the PM's outer office 
while they watched the latest news updates from NHK, on Akira's Blackberry. 
The story was of course the death of

"The Foreign Minister is pissed," Ryusei said as the story finished. "He 
swears the Chinese witch poisoned him herself, just to mess with our 
scheduling."

Akira chuckled. Sato had been somber when he heard the news but Akira agreed 
with Ryusei's assessment. "I heard things were on the rocks," Akira said. 
"Now we're going to have to hear her moan about how much he'll be missed."

Ryusei snorted.

Yurika, the matronly, private secretary to the Prime Minister looked up at 
the two young men in her part of the office and scowled. "You two are 
horrible."

"What? It's true it's all hypocrisy, even the Prime Minister would have to 
say nice things about his ex-wives if they died," Ryusei reasoned.

"After dancing on their graves," Akira assured them.

Ryusei chuckled but Yurika shook her head and was about to object when the 
doors to the inner office opened and the words died on her lips as the Prime 
Minister and Jonouchi exited together.

"Akira," Sato called to his assistant who was hurriedly putting away his 
phone. "We're going to be going to Beijing for this funeral."

Akira nodded. "Will it interfere with the other trip?" he asked.

"I hope not," Sato said. "We might need to go to Beijing on the way back, so 
make sure we're ready for more than just the three days."

"Right," Akira said, knowing that by we, he meant, get my things ready for 
more than three days but such was the job.

Jonouchi turned to Ryusei. "I'll need you back at the office; we need Public 
Affairs to draft remarks for the cabinet, and remind them to be politic, we 
don't know how good relations between the President and her husband were 
before the attack."

"Yes sir, should letters and correspondence draft a note to the President."

"No, the Prime Minister will do that himself."

Ryusei nodded. Sentimental old coot.

Their orders given, the two aides were about to leave when Akemi Sato 
entered the office. She was dressed casually, and jeans a light coat and 
T-shirt, and Akira had remembered the Prime Minister mentioning she was in 
town with friends today.

She took one look at the group and nodded. "You heard?"

"Yes," Sato said and Akira made way for him to go to his daughter. However 
she held up a paper as he came close. It was one of the giant-sized English 
language things. "All of it?" she asked.

Sato took the paper from his daughter and put on his glasses, he read to 
himself, but from his ever darkening expression Akira could tell it was not 
good news.

"We will need to make extra sure of the language now," he remarked when he 
was done and handed the paper to Jonouchi.

The Foreign Minister read it and frowned. "This is disgusting," he said 
looking down.

"If I might ask."Ryusei ventured.

"The President's husband was sleeping around," Sato said bluntly.

Akira nodded but frowned. "How did that come out?"

Akemi looked over. "He was, sick," she said delicately.

Sick. Oh! Sick.

He nodded a little and looked down as if feeling the Chinese President's 
shame by proxy.  The others were quiet too for a moment, the natural 
Japanese discomfort with things like taking over until Sato cleared his 
throat.

"Alright, let's get things organized."

The others nodded and as Akira made for the door to the hallway with 
Jonouchi and Ryusei when Akemi called out to him.

"Yes Miss Sato?" he asked as he came back to her, while the Prime Minister 
went inside his office.

"Pass the word around the Kantei, the Sun is in the dog house," she said. 
"Do you understand?"

"Is this from him or you?"

"Who do you think?" she replied.
"I understand," he replied.

Akemi nodded and went into the PM's the office, closing the doors behind 
her. Akira shook his head and followed the others out of the PM's outer 
office, he had work to do.

Actions:

1>	Sato will write a personal note to the Chinese President.
2>	The Prime Minister will be going to Beijing.
3>	Foreign Affairs Public Affairs department is to distribute appropriate 
remarks to the cabinet, god help any of them that snicker.
4>	Until rescinded reporters from the Sun will be on the receiving end of 
the displeasure of the Kantei, missed meals on trips with the PM, 'random' 
security checks that make them late for press conferences, officials 
constantly too busy for interviews etc.