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Chapter 32- Prologue (3/3)

Date: 04/01/2094 (two weeks later)

Location: the real world; center of NewTokyo, Fukkatsu Square

"My friends! I am happy to see so many different people gathered in one place! Every year I am always looking forward to open the beginning of the Fukkatsu festival!"

Hokori cleared his throat briefly and inspected the crowd.

People from all over the world had come to see this festival. Europeans, Arabs, Russians, and many more. The Fukkatsu festival was known for the dazzling selection of attractions, for the bright colors, for luck, for alcohol, and unfortunately, partly also for drugs. Ferris wheels and other amusement rides jutted out into the sky from the middle of the city. Confetti flew around and the sweet smell of cotton candy hung in the air, candy lay strewn on the floor and in the midst of all the joy was a huge crowd in front of him. The Fukkatsu Festival had already become a millionaire attraction from the very beginning, and the amount of money that flowed into the cash register was unimaginably enormous. The people could enjoy themselves and the state became even richer.

"Even if each of you normally knows what our beautiful festival stands for, it always pleasures me to repeat it"

Hokori looked at his lectern in front of him, which contained his speech that had been prepared by other employees.

He imperceptibly shook his head and avoided looking at the paper. Maybe today was his last day, at least once in his life something from his mouth should come from his heart.

"It stands for the resurrection of Tokyo and therefore Japan after the first great energy war. And I, Japan's President, saw this resurrection with my own eyes, yes, I had received the honor to see it with my own eyes. Thanks to my father and thanks to my mother, I had never missed anything, and I had soon got one of the most important positions in government. I was ... rich and spoiled, a kid who had been adored by everyone since it's birth "

The people looked at him in amazement. There was a murmur, Hokori managed to pick up a sentence with his old ears.

"What is he talking 'bout? That's not the normal boring speech before our fun begins"

He smiled.

"I was rich and became even richer, I've seen people all my life who were doing well. Never, really never, did I take ...

Did I take a look at the old town of Tokyo.

I didn't dare, I didn't want to see this suffering. I thought if I looked away it would go away. I couldn't bear to see this suffering. But I never wanted to do anything about it either ...

I was too spoiled for that, I thought everyone was fine in Japan and that Japan was the best country in the world. The strongest, the smartest, the best. How wrong I had been ...

At least I was the weakest of you guys. The worst of you all ...

The whole time I had just averted my gaze, told myself it would be fine, lied to me shamelessly, and that for a lifetime "

Hokori giggled. Stretched to his full height. With a quick wave of his hand, he picked up the sheet of paper in front of him and held it up.

"Can you see this? Can you see this, my friends? My people? That is the speech I should have present ... But I had never written that speech ...

It had always been the others who had written this speech, a new one every single year ...

It never came from me, you know?