Tokyo: Are you even a proper lawyer?

A week flew by.

The second court hearing took place as scheduled.

There were more reporters outside the court than last time, but the questioning and clamor were noticeably less.

As Masashi Akiyama and Rio Arimura walked through the crowd, although cameras were still following them, the sharp questions were much less frequent.

Kenichi Nakajima was still dressed in a suit and tie, with a calm expression.

His younger brother, Representative Kohei Nakajima, was not present in the gallery this time.

The procedure proceeded smoothly.

Masashi Akiyama, representing the plaintiff, presented the case in a clear and organized manner, outlining the timeline, relationships between the individuals involved, and the key points of the charges.

He then submitted a supplementary chain of evidence, including further verification of the testimony of former convenience store employees, an expert analysis report on the office environment, and... a technically processed audio recording that obscured Aoi Onishi's true identity, but contained key conversations and crystal-clear audio.

When the recording was played in court, although the names were obscured, the elicited screams and slamming sounds from Kenichi Nakajima still caused an uproar in the courtroom.

Kenichi Nakajima's face turned deathly pale instantly, and his body trembled almost imperceptibly. He looked at his lawyer for help, then subconsciously glanced at the door, as if expecting something.

However, this time, although the judge looked serious, he did not interrupt abruptly as he had last time.

The prosecution's attitude has also become noticeably more cautious.

After the evidence examination session concluded, it was time for cross-examination of the defendant.

Masashi Akiyama stood in the witness stand once again.

Everyone assumed that he would use rhetoric and psychological pressure, targeting the recordings and evidence, to launch a fierce attack on Kenichi Nakajima and force him to confess to his crimes, just like last time.

However, Masashi Akiyama's first words stunned everyone.

"Before we continue with the details of the case, Mr. Nakajima, may I take a moment to tell you a short story?"

The defense attorney immediately raised his hand: "Objection!! Your Honor, this is irrelevant to the case!"

Masashi Akiyama remained calm and looked at the presiding judge.

"Your Honor, this story may have a deep connection to the defendant's psychological state, motivations, and even some of the core facts of this case. I assure you, it will not stray from the main point."

The presiding judge pondered for a moment, glanced at the tense-faced Kenichi Nakajima, then at the calm but determined Masashi Akiyama, and finally nodded.

"Objection overruled. Plaintiff's attorney, please control the time and content."

"Thank you, Your Honor." Masashi Akiyama bowed slightly, then turned his gaze back to Kenichi Nakajima.

"This is... a story about brothers."

Upon hearing the word "brother," Kenichi Nakajima's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

"Once upon a time, there was a family with two sons. The older brother was kind and honest, even a bit dull, and was just an ordinary person in his studies and work. The younger brother, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He was clever, quick-witted, sweet-talking, and sensible. From a young age, he was the 'model child,' praised by his parents and neighbors."

"The older brother tried very hard to gain his parents' approval, but no matter what he did, it seemed to be no match for a casual remark or a simple action by his younger brother. Little by little, without realizing it, all of the parents' attention and the family's resources were tilted towards the younger brother. The older brother became the one who had to give way to his younger brother, help his younger brother, and be the eldest son who was seen as someone the family was counting on to succeed."

Masashi Akiyama's voice was calm, but the story made Kenichi Nakajima's breathing gradually quicken, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

This story... is so familiar...

"My younger brother is very promising. He went to prestigious schools, entered a respectable large company, and later entered politics. With his outstanding abilities and smooth tactics, he quickly rose to prominence, becoming the pride of the family and the joy of his parents. As for my older brother? He barely runs a small shop and lives an ordinary, even somewhat impoverished life. At family gatherings, he always sits silently in a corner, listening to his parents and relatives praise his younger brother and their hopes for his future. Occasionally, someone mentions him, but only with pity or perfunctory remarks, saying that the boy is not bad either, and is honest and hardworking."

"Be honest and conscientious..."

Masashi Akiyama repeated those four words, "But who knows how much resentment, how much grievance, how much... anger of not being seen and recognized is hidden in the heart of this honest and unassuming older brother?"

"He's the eldest son! Why does all the attention, all the love, all the importance go to his younger brother? Why is he treated like an outsider, an appendage, in his own home? Why, despite all he's given, can he never compare to everything his brother receives so easily?"

Masashi Akiyama spoke faster and faster, his gaze fixed on Kenichi Nakajima's increasingly pale face.

"What kind of person will this accumulated repression, humiliation, and imbalance turn into? Perhaps, in front of outsiders, he will still be the honest, kind, and profitable shop manager. But deep down, at certain moments, when facing those who are weaker and less able to resist, yet who can give him a brief sense of control and power... will those long-suppressed, distorted desires and destructive urges finally break free from their cages?"

"Objection!" the defense attorney shouted again.

"Your Honor! The plaintiff's lawyer is making malicious speculations, fabricating stories, and attempting to insult the defendant's character and psychologically manipulate him!"

Kenichi Nakajima seemed to have his secret exposed. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and stared intently at Masashi Akiyama.

Kenichi Nakajima's lips trembled. He seemed to want to say something, but it was as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat.

Masashi Akiyama ignored the defense attorney's objections and continued speaking while looking at Kenichi Nakajima.

"That seemingly perfect, all-controlling younger brother may never know that the love and care he inflicts on his older brother is a deeper and more unbearable humiliation for him. Because it is a constant reminder to his older brother that he is a failure, that he cannot live without him, and that everything about him, including the troubles he causes, needs to be sorted out by him."

"Shut up! Shut up!!"

Kenichi Nakajima finally lost control, slamming his fist on the witness stand railing with a loud bang.

He roared, his face contorted with rage, "What do you know?! You know nothing! Kang Ping... he's not... he's not..."

"What isn't he?" Masashi Akiyama pressed immediately. "Not a good younger brother? Not a perfect politician? Or... is he not the savior you imagine at all, but rather someone who might push you into an even deeper abyss...?"

"Enough!!"

Someone couldn't help but roar out in anger.

This outburst did not come from the defendant's lawyer, nor from the judge, nor from Kenichi Nakajima.

Instead, it was a figure from the back row of the audience who had quietly entered at some point, wearing sunglasses and a hat to completely conceal himself.

That voice was all too familiar to Kenichi Nakajima.

Masashi Akiyama also stopped speaking and slowly turned his head to look at the figure.

Inside the courtroom, there was a deathly silence.

All eyes were focused on that person, and on the ashen-faced Kenichi Nakajima.