"This... this is a rookie actor? No way! Absolutely not!" someone shouted in disbelief.
"This script... this pacing... these storyboards... there's no way a rookie could've made this!"
The Fuji TV producer's face had gone deathly pale, his voice trembling.
"How the hell is Seiji also a master of TV drama production!?"
Everyone froze.
A chill ran through the entire room.
They simply couldn't believe it ... this debut project from Genesis Productions didn't just hold its own; it completely outclassed the network's own flagship prime-time dramas.
Then, the second episode began to play.
If the first episode had left them in awe and fear, the second filled them with nothing but regret and despair.
They could already see it clearly ... this show was destined to become a nationwide phenomenon.
And they had personally turned it down, handing away not only the hit of the year but all the massive profits that would come with it.
Worse still, they had now made an enemy of the man behind it.
"Damn it!"
The conference room filled with the sound of gritted teeth and muttered curses.
Meanwhile, in the president's office of a major talent agency.
The president and several executives were also watching Legal High.
Their expressions looked like they had just lost both their parents.
"Bakayaro!!"
The president slammed his tablet to the ground, roaring,
"Who was it?! Who was the idiot who said we should listen to those fools at Toho and reject Genesis' offer?! WHO?!"
Elsewhere, the actor who had once been slated for the lead role sat on the floor at home with his agent.
On the screen, the character that should have been his was now brilliantly portrayed by another man.
He looked utterly hollow.
"It's over..." he murmured, collapsing where he sat.
His agent's face was ghostly pale. "That was our ticket to the top... and we threw it away."
As for the investors who had pulled their funding early, they could only stare at the screen, dumbstruck.
Watching a show that was clearly destined to explode in popularity, they had only one thought left...
No matter the cost, even if it means losing money... we have to reestablish ties with Genesis!
Genesis Productions – Film Division
That night, the office was ablaze with light.
Every employee had gathered in front of the big screen to watch the fruit of their labor.
From the very first minute, the place was electric with excitement.
"Ha ha ha! Arima-san's acting is god-tier!"
"These lines are brilliant! The president really is a genius!"
"This camera work... wow, I've learned so much just watching it!"
When the two episodes finished, thunderous applause and cheers shook the entire floor.
Faces flushed with excitement, everyone felt an overwhelming pride at being part of such an incredible project.
Then the department head's phone rang.
He picked up, listened for a moment... then suddenly leapt to his feet, eyes wide with excitement.
"Ratings! The ratings are out!!"
He turned to the team and shouted at the top of his lungs,
"Legal High's first episode has officially surpassed every prime-time drama across all networks tonight!!"
"Wooooooo!!"
"And that's not all! The second episode just broke the national five-year record for single-episode TV viewership!"
The office erupted.
People screamed, hugged, jumped, cried.
They had done it... they'd made history.
In the corner, Megumi sat beside Seiji, having quietly watched both episodes with him.
She had been completely absorbed by the story.
Now, hearing the record-breaking numbers, she turned to him in astonishment.
... He wrote that script.
... He discovered that actor.
... He rewrote the rules of the industry.
... He created this miracle.
And he did it all... in just a few days.
For the first time, a spark of awe lit up Megumi Kato's usually calm eyes.
Is this man... a god?
Seiji felt her gaze and looked back with a teasing smile.
Standing up, he clapped his hands for silence.
"Good work, everyone," he said coolly. "Tonight's snacks are on me. Also... triple bonuses for the entire project team. Everyone else in the company gets a share too."
Another roar of cheers shook the room.
"Long live the president!"
"Alright," Seiji waved them down. "Department head, I'm leaving the wrap-up to you."
Under a flood of admiring stares, he left the office with Megumi Kato at his side.
That night, Legal High exploded across the internet.
"A masterpiece! Show of the year, hands down!"
"Holy crap, that story was insanely satisfying!"
"Seiji... eternal god! Just how many surprises does this man have left?!"
Every social platform, forum, and comment section overflowed with praise for Legal High and its creator.
A new era had begun.
Legal High's arrival hit Japan's entertainment world like a Category-12 superstorm... obliterating everything in its path.
In the weeks that followed, its ratings climbed higher and higher, each episode outdoing the last.
Lines from the show became viral catchphrases, endlessly quoted across the country:
"This is the culture of mutual pity that's rooted deep in our nation. People who've been domesticated too long become parasites. You've been cast aside... discarded citizens. The state swept you into a corner and tossed you a sweet so you'd stay quiet."
"You're kind-hearted parasites feeding off corporations."
... "So what?"
"You want pity? Comfort? You get happy when someone treats you kindly? Don't you feel ashamed before your ancestors, or guilty toward your descendants? If you want pride in how you live, then face the ugly reality head-on. That's what it means to fight.
Complain? Do it in your graves!
Money isn't everything? Money is the weapon you use to reclaim your dignity and strike back. Nothing else does that."*
... "You chase money yourselves, yet adore corrupt politicians who preach purity. You cheer them on, then complain politics is hopeless. And capable leaders vanish while fools multiply."
Genesis capitalized perfectly, launching a line of tie-in products:
Komikado's Expression Pack
Komikado Kensuke "Victory" Office Series ... "You fool!" desk ornament, pointing pen, "Victory Is Justice" notebook, Komikado-style folder
Mayuzumi Machiko "Morning Drama Heroine" Series ... "Unyielding Justice" sticky notes, "Rookie Lawyer" tote bag, magnifying-glass keychain
Uncle Hattori's Everything Goods ... "Hattori's Winning Recipes" cookbook, "Today's Proverb" calendar
Everything sold out instantly.
Factories were buried under backorders, flooding Genesis with staggering revenue.
Competitors looked on, green with envy and fury.
The show's lead actor, Takuya Arima, went from a small-theater nobody to Japan's hottest star overnight.
Endorsements, ads, talk shows, movie offers... he was drowning in them.
His market value multiplied a thousandfold in just one month.
Yet despite his meteoric rise, he stayed humble.
In every interview, he openly credited Seiji and Genesis.
"Without Fujiwara-sensei, I wouldn't be here. He gave me a second life."
"I'll always be part of Genesis. No matter where I am, if Fujiwara-sensei calls, I'll come back immediately."
Privately, he even told the department head that all his future contracts would give Genesis first rights... at the lowest possible rate.
His loyalty impressed the entire company... and earned Seiji's approval.
Meanwhile, every drama airing in the same slot as Legal High suffered catastrophic rating drops.
Advertisers pulled out en masse, inflicting massive financial losses.
Actors' fees plummeted.
Their marketability collapsed.
The executives who had orchestrated the joint campaign to "bury" Genesis became the laughingstocks of the entire industry.
At their next board meetings, furious shareholders tore into them.
By the end, all had resigned in disgrace, ending their careers in humiliation.
Setagaya, Tokyo
Inside a modest villa, actress Minami Mori sat with a face mask on, watching a news feature about Legal High with her husband... comedian Takafumi Wakaba.
"This is terrifying," Minami said softly. "Seiji Fujiwara is practically tearing the industry apart. One web drama turned the whole TV world upside down."
"It's more than that, Minami," Takafumi said grimly. "He changed the rules of the game. From now on, more studios will abandon TV and move to streaming. The industry's about to change forever."
As they spoke, a teenage girl in a school uniform... expressionless, doll-like... walked out of her room and headed toward the fridge.
Their daughter, Mutsumi Wakaba.
Uninterested in her parents' conversation, she quietly grabbed a pouch of mango juice... her favorite drink for guitar practice.
But as she passed the living room, the announcer's voice caught her ear:
"...and the genius behind it all, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium talent... Seiji Fujiwara!"
"Mmm? Seiji... Fujiwara?"
Mutsumi paused.
The name tugged at her memory... vaguely familiar somehow.
She tilted her head, eyes briefly clouded with curiosity.
Then she shrugged, took a sip of juice, and went back to her practice room.
Still, the name Seiji quietly imprinted itself on her heart.
Genesis Productions – Legal Department
Ken Sakaguchi, the ever-precise, impeccably dressed chief lawyer, issued orders briskly to his teams.
"A-team, file the defamation suit against Weekly Bunshun. Don't settle for less than fifty million yen."
"B-team, compile a list of online accounts spreading false rumors about Legal High. Send cease-and-desist letters... either they apologize publicly or see us in court."
"C-team, gather all the false statements made by TV commentators. Contact their stations, demand public corrections, and compensation for reputational damage."
His department operated like a finely tuned war machine... efficient, relentless, and merciless in punishing every media outlet that had once kicked Genesis while it was down.
Given Legal High's massive influence, no one dared challenge them in court.
Settlement agreements piled up, each worth tens of millions, bringing in yet another wave of profit.
And that wasn't all.
The show's success made Genesis' film division a household name.
Directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, actors... everyone wanted in.
The company grew explosively, while the old guard could only fume and curse Seiji as a "reckless barbarian."
The three partner streaming platforms were also rolling in profits.
User numbers and subscriptions skyrocketed, sending their valuations soaring.
One platform's president quietly gave Seiji a heads-up, letting him buy a chunk of stock early.
When prices soared, he cashed out... netting around three billion yen.
Naturally, no one would ever hear about it.
Though the media hailed him as a once-in-a-millennium genius and the man steering a new era, Seiji turned down every interview invitation.
To him, Legal High's first season was just a detour... an accident.
The project now had a strong team, a loyal audience, solid funding, and a stable platform.
It didn't need him anymore.
He could finally step back into the shadows.
Just as he turned his gaze toward the maid kneeling on the floor... diligently polishing the floorboards, waiting for him to resume a "training session" interrupted earlier... his phone vibrated softly.
He picked it up.
A message from the security company.
Subject: Follow-up on Megumi Kato's parents' estate
Seiji frowned and opened it.
Line by line, the report unfolded before him:
"Boss, our investigation shows that the insurance company handling Kato-san's parents' plane crash compensation... Daido Life Insurance Company... has been attempting to minimize payouts due to the massive total liability.
The company's executives have secretly joined forces with the Kansai yakuza group Yamaguchi-gumi to intimidate and underpay victims' families. They've been forcing families to sign 'settlement agreements' at a fraction of the legal compensation, surrendering all rights to further claims."
"Several families have already given in under pressure. The next target will likely be Megumi Kato-san."
Seiji slowly set down his phone.
Insurance company... working with the yakuza?
Threats? Under-the-table settlements?
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Lately, Megumi had been resisting further "development." That had been bothering him.
So... this might be the perfect chance to make her yield.
He smiled faintly.
After all... how could he possibly let such an opportunity go to waste?