Masumi Sawa is a reporter for the Maiasa Newspaper, who has just been transferred to the New Chibagasaki City branch. On the way to her new office, she meets a guy by the name of Kunimitsu Muto.
"I've come to this city to become a politician" he says. "I'm gonna work as the secretary for a politician that lives here." He continues, "My dead dad used to say that this guy was the only decent politician around. He's got to be a great man--might even run the country someday!"
Kunimitsu reaches the house of Ryoma Sakagami, the politician he was talking about. The front door is covered with fliers demanding Sakagami to return the money he owes.
"I'm no longer a politician." Ryoma says, still in shock from losing a recent election. His first secretary, Mr. Saruwatari takes care of him in every way he can. On the other hand, Ryoma's daughter Asuka is not so affectionate.
"Without the council badge on your shirt, you're just a coward!" Asuka says to Ryoma.
"Hey, that's no way to talk to your father. Why don't you try and help him out?" Kunimitsu tells her.
"You know nothing about this city, so shut up!" she replies to Kunimitsu.
Later, Asuka takes Kunimitsu to a nearby elementary school. The school building doesn't look that old, but there are plans to tear it down. "They're gonna build a new road" she explains to Kunimitsu, who becomes enraged, when she tells him about the dark connection between the city's politicians and the construction company.
"Why don't the people say anything?" Kunimitsu grabs Asuka's arm and starts walking. He takes her to the Maiasa Newspaper branch, where Masumi is working. The building looks nothing like a "branch." In fact, it looks like an abandoned house, ready to fall apart.
"Sorry, but I can't do anything about it" Masumi explains. The relocation of the school and construction of the road have gone through official procedures, and have been approved by the city council. Kunimitsu is persistent, and does not leave. While Kunimitsu is still there, a man walks into the building.
"I've dropped by to say hello to the new reporter," says the man, Shunichi Fuwa, a member of the council. Shunichi talks in a very calm and polite manner, but when he finds out that Kunimitsu has been talking to Ryoma, he gets a bit disturbed.
Kunimitsu is given Mr. Saruwatari's room to stay in. When Kunimitsu mentions that he opposes the school's relocation, Mr. Saruwatari replies, "Well, we usually start out by collecting signatures."
"That's just a waste of time" says Asuka's brother, Shinsaku who is standing in the hallway listening.
Asuka and Shinsaku lost their mother a long time ago, and both have a very cold attitude toward their father.
Kunimitsu heads back to the elementary school once again. He steps into the fifth grade classroom only to see kids playing mah-jong, cards, ping-pong, and reading comic books. "This is a classroom, for heaven's sake!" he yells. But the students just sneer at him. When one boy, Egashira, starts clearing his desk, the other students follow suit. Kunimitsu senses that Egashira is different from the rest of his classmates.
"Could you please look after the kids in that class for a while?" The principal of the school, Shusaku Tsuta, asks Kunimitsu. He wants Kunimitsu to work as a substitute teacher.
This particular class has always been considered as the rotten apple of the school, and they don't have a homeroom teacher. While most of the teachers ignore this class and look the other way, Sayuri Yoshinaga was the only teacher in the school that thought about even trying to help them.
"If something goes wrong, I'll take responsibility" says Shusaku.
So Kunimitsu ends up taking over the class and begins by saying, "in today's social studies class, we'll be talking about the school's relocation issue." Kunimitsu proposes collecting signatures to oppose the relocation, but none of the students listen.
After school, Sayuri comes to Kunimitsu. "It's no use asking those kids for help" she says. She tells Kunimitsu that there used to be a group of teachers who opposed the relocation, but unfortunately, the mayor wielded his power and forced them to be transferred to the Board of Education.
Kunimitsu is shocked and angry at her comments. "You just stood there doing nothing? Someone who didn't even bother to help their colleagues shouldn't be saying things about the students!"
Kunimitsu is walking down the street at night, still furious about the day's events, when he spots Ryoma Sakagami entering a fancy Japanese restaurant. Kunimitsu peeks into the room, and sees Mayor Gokita, along with Shunichi Fuwa, and other members of the city council, having a wild party.
"Good evening." A geisha girl, Momoe appears. Masumi who came to do an interview, gets mistaken for a worker. She too, follows Momoe in a kimono.
Kunimitsu hears the mayor speaking to Mr. Sakagami. "I'm gonna tell the people opposing the school's relocation that you attended this 'party'."
Kunimitsu, no longer able to hold his temper, bursts into the room...
Synopsis: Fuji TV
