05x09 - A Disconnected World

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MEMBER'S OFFICE BUILDING

Start a support base!
Set up the campaign office!

Create a manifesto! Collect contact info!

Secure a landline!

Secure volunteers!

Get a campaign van! Design PR materials!

Fold the flyers and send them out!
Et cetera, et cetera!

Elections require money,
people, and determination!

Retsuko, you're our official candidate,

so we'll provide financial help,
though it won't be much.

-Thank you.
-Thank you.

Did the news go over well at work?

Yes, everything's fine.

When I went in yesterday,

they'd already created
a company-wide support group.

CONGRATS, AGGRETSUKO

The president told me
to give it my best sh*t.

Perfect!

…is what I'd like to say,

but there's actually
another hurdle in this candidacy.

Hurdle?

The deposit.

You have to pay it to run for office.

This ensures the candidates
take the elections seriously,

because you lose the deposit
if you don't get enough votes.

To be perfectly honest,
we're tight on money.

We were hoping you could pay the deposit.

-How much is it?
-How much is it?

Thirty thousand?

Three hundred thousand?

-Three mill--
-We don't have that!

RAGE

AGGRETSUKO

I'm home.

Hey, you're back.

How'd it go?

Um…

I absolutely forbid you to run!

We don't have money.

There's no way you'll get elected!

We don't have money.

Tell them you won't run!

We don't have money.

Did you tell them it's just a deposit?

I did.

I told them I only need


They said it'd be a miracle if I got 5%.

Jeez, how are we gonna get three million?

I'm researching online donations.

Think it'll work?

Who knows.

You could upload
another Death Voice video.

I won't get paid for it
until the end of next month.

My rate is too low anyway.

I see.

-If only we kept the mon--
-If only we kept the mon--

Tilt your head up a little.

Yes, excellent.

Okay, here we go.

Where the heck am I supposed
to put the party logo now?

You should've told me from the get-go.

Sorry.

Nice to meet you.

My name is Morita.
I'll be your campaign director.

Nice to meet you.

Let's get you across the finish line.

Check it out!

It's our campaign sash!

-Cool.
-Cool.

Really? That's it?

-Yup.
-Yup.

Okay.

How about this?

-Whoa!
-Whoa!

AGGRETSUKO
THE NEW FACE OF RAGE

I guess

we should go with this one, right?

Yeah, gotta be likeable.

Huh?

So you prefer

this one?

-That's the one!
-That's the one!

So, have we found ourselves
a campaign office yet?

It's not easy getting a short-term lease
near a train station.

As soon as I mention the party, it's a no.

What?

Do you happen to have
any wealthy friends who could help?

Someone who owns property near a station?

Hello, this is Tadano.

Did you really buy out that internet cafe?

Yup.

It's super comfy
having the whole place to myself.

You should come hang out some time.

Oh, really?

Can we hang out there for a month?

VICTORY WILL BE OURS

AGGRETSUKO'S CAMPAIGN OFFICE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CANDIDATE
AGGRETSUKO

How's the online donation coming along?

Let's see.

We got 2,000 yen more since yesterday.

That won't be enough.

Yeah.

I'll ask my parents again.

Yes, please.

Alright, Haida.

It's a shame you're leaving,
but thanks for everything.

Oh, no.

I should be the one thanking you.

Here you go.

Your final paycheck.

PAYMENT STATEMENT

TOTAL PAY: 87,650

-What are you doing, Haidee?
-What are you doing, Haidee?

Whoa!

Were you about to leave?

-Without saying goodbye?
-Don't you like us?

Of course I do.

You all seemed so busy
out on the floor, so…

I heard about your girlfriend.

She's running for office, right?

Good luck. I'm rooting for her.

If she loses, you're always welcome here.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

Well, how about a parting gift?

-Bam!
-Bam!

I still have a lot more.

Retsuko's gonna get mad again.

DO YOU EAT PERSIMMONS?

I'LL TAKE THEM IF YOU'RE GIVING THEM OUT

Long time no see.

Way too long.

I sent that message a month ago.

Didn't you notice?

Oh. You're right.

But you still have the persimmons.

It's a long story.

Have you been eating?

Is it good?

Yeah.

I heard about Dokachin getting hurt.

I don't know what happened after that.

You don't have his phone number?

I never asked.

I wonder if he has anything saved up.

Doubt it.

But he said he was saving up
to get his own place.

Probably didn't mean it.

He may look like he has his act together,

but he gambles all his money away.

He told me he pays child support
to his ex-wife,

but he could be lying for all I know.

Anyway, he's barely hanging on.

I see.

Thanks for the food.

It was tasty.

Any time.

What about you?

You can't live in internet cafes forever.

I know you can achieve bigger things
than me if you put your mind to it.

Why not get your life back on track?

What for?

Huh?

Makes no difference where I live.

That's not true.

There's a whole world waiting outside.

You have more freedom.

What kind of freedom?

Well, all kinds.

I'm asking which kinds.

Well…

The freedom to spend all my waking hours
working just to pay rent?

The freedom to doze off
while playing mobile games to k*ll time?

The freedom to binge a show
I don't even like at double speed?

I can do all that in a net-cafe too.

Maybe you think this place is beneath you,

but I like it here
because I never have to fake a smile.

This is the life I want.

Can you say the same about yours?

AGGRETSUKO'S CAMPAIGN OFFICE

The life she wants…

I see her point.

And what did you say?

Well…

I didn't have a good answer.

Look at me, sitting here
fixing a typo on our flyers one by one.

Who am I to judge her?

You're right.

RETSU

We'll have volunteers starting tomorrow.

They'll help us fix the flyers.

But we've got to do something
about the deposit.

Yeah.

It's getting late.

We'll talk to Ikari tomorrow.

Huh?

CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW OFFICE!

CAN WE COME OVER NOW?

Oh my goodness, this is amazing!

It's the campaign office
to end all campaign offices!

No offense,
but why is it so garish and tacky?

We didn't want to break with tradition.

Please, have a seat.

I'll bring out some tea.

Oh, it's fine. Don't worry about us.

Actually, Haida, if you don't mind,

we'd like some privacy.

-Just the three of us.
-Just the three of us.

Yes, exactly.

It wasn't easy getting you
to open up to us back then.

Remember how you turned down
our dinner invitation after yoga class?

"I'm going home to eat the leftovers
in my fridge before they go bad," right?

That's right!

You completely shut us down.

Well, um, yeah…

And look at you now.

Life's a mystery.

You know, I've always wondered.

We barely knew each other then.

Why did you keep inviting me to hang out?

Well, you know how nosy
and stubborn Gori can get.

Me?! You were the one
who said we should invite her to karaoke!

You said you were worried
and wanted to keep her company!

No, it was you who…

-We wanted to be friends.
-We wanted to be friends.

In retrospect, it was rather pushy of us.

Some would even call it
workplace harassment.

It's unbelievable…

…how pushy we can be.

Huh?

What is this?

We came here to give this to you.

Sorry for being so pushy.

Do you know why we're friends now?

It's because you gave us a chance
instead of shutting us out.

So this is a token of our appreciation.

Take it, or you'll hurt our feelings.

-We're BFFs.
-We're BFFs.

REMITTANCE FORM


Here's your remittance receipt.

-Thank you.
-Thank you.

I paid it.

Haida!

I paid the deposit!

Wow, you did it!

Congrats, Retsuko!

Director Ton, you live in Saitama, right?

Yeah.

You must really care to drive all this way
to help put up posters in the morning.

I'm only here
because the president told me to do it!

Who designed this poster?

Are they trying to scare the children?

They're going for the shock factor
instead of trying to be likeable.

No wonder no one
takes their party seriously.

Good morning.

Morning.

Good morning.

Shall we go?

Yeah.

HAIDA

JIRO HAIDA

Good afternoon, everyone.

My name is Jiro Haida.

Those of you who have never heard of me

are probably looking at me and thinking,

"What's this kid doing with a sash?"

JIRO HAIDA

I'll admit I'm still young
and lacking in experience.

However!

I've always aspired
to be like my father, Juzo Haida.

I'm no stranger to politics,
if I do say so myself.

Good luck, junior!

Thank you for your kind encouragement.

That's the spirit.

He's kind of cute.

He has a nice smile.

My name is Jiro Haida.

Jiro Haida.

I'm Jiro Haida!

Jiro Haida!

Thank you for supporting Jiro Haida!

AGGRETSUKO