Irie: "I'm sorry for being late for the meeting. I was tied up with lots of patients today."
Tomitake: "Thanks for coming, Lieutenant Colonel Irie!
Tomitake suddenly jumped up and saluted as Irie came into the room.
Irie: "Oh no, no, please stop with that Lt. Col. thing...! I'm just a doctor. I can never get used those rank prefixes like the military. Would you mind settling for calling me director (of the clinic) instead...?"
Tomitake: "No problem, Director Irie. Ahahahaha...!"
Tomitake and the rest chuckled as they knew that Irie disliked being called a Lt. Col. On the other hand, Takano was fed up by this lame joke. She grew tired of the same joke over and over again, and she sincerely wanted to snap at Tomitake to quit that Lieutenant Colonel bit. However, she hand a feeling that Tomitake's feelings might get hurt, so she didn't say it all this time.
Also, due to Tomitake's slurred pronounciation, his way of saying "Lt. Col." (pronounced "Nisa" according to Japanese SDF rank), it sounds like he's actually saying "Lisa." Ever since then, all she could hear was Tomitake calling out "Irie Lisa," "Irie Lisa." She once told this to Irie, and he got a great laugh at this...
Anyhow, today was just a formal greeting. The actual meeting was to be held tomorrow. Although Tomitake is here today, more auditors were to arrive from Tokyo tomorrow to attend the meeting where we are to explain the progress of our research in this facility.
Tomitake: "Changing the subject though, it seems the village is all up and arms with this dam construction project."
Irie: "Oh, you've only seen the tip of the iceberg! I attended the local project meeting as a member of this community, and the hall was filled with roars and profanity. It was quite a spectacle."
The residents of Hinamizawa all burst in anger when they first heard about the Hinamizawa Dam Project. The government quickly retracted their compromise and decided to go up against the locals. It seems the government didn't want the locals to take advantage of them by showing signs of weaknesses through compromise.
However, the government underestimated the residents of Hinamizawa. The people are here are historically tied strongly with their land. Such an act by the government only lead to strengthening the bonds between the community to form a league of their own. Both the government and the village were at a complete deadlock as neither wanted to back down.
Takano: "*chuckle chuckle chuckle* The people of Hinamizawa are quite short-tempered. Maybe they do have demon's blood in them."
Irie: "It's nothing to joke about... You should've been at the spot where I had to be in. I stayed at the meeting all night with all the shouting and the bawlings."
Tomitake: "I feel sorry for you. Hahahaha...!"
Irie: "No, this is serious, Tomitake-san. How is the Dam Project going on? Will this village really go underwater beneath the artificial lake from the dam?"
Tomitake: "Well, pressure is being put at Tokyo as we speak. Even though it seems that the project is still intact from the outside, the foundations of the proposal should be starting to crumble by now."
Irie: "...I do hope that pressure works really soon. The village is very raucous night and day, and the villagers themselves are starting to show signs of discontempt. It's not unusual for an elderly person to come into my office for a simple check-up, all in the while I have to subject to listen to their thoughts on the dam project."
Takano: "*chuckle chuckle* Director Irie is just too kind. Why don't you just quit putting up with them then?"
Irie: "I can't do that. Even though I am a researcher, I'm also a doctor to begin with. Listening to them is an essential part of mental care."
Tomitake: "Well said. I hold high respect for that."
Irie: "Even though we know that the people in Tokyo are putting pressure so that this project will be gone away, the villagers don't know that. They live in constant fear that they'll have to relocate leaving behind this beautiful place where they have lived for generations."
Takano: "Even if they are forced to leave, many are old and have no money to do so. Perhaps some of them might've wanted to have the government increase their compensation. ...But the government immediately reversed their stance and became all out war. ...I don't think they are going to resolve this matter easily."
Irie: "There were some people who supported the proposal with the just compensation, but the gosanke Sonozaki family was firm in their cause against it. They took became the de facto leader to fight against the government. Now you see blaring announcement vans everywhere. Poster and flyers even comes attached to the circulation notices."
Tomitake: "Their actions are understandable. It's their homes they are talking about."
Irie: "...Whether or not what everyone's care is about, we sincerely desire to have this dam project withdrawn as soon as possible, for the sake of the residents in this area. As soon as the project is called off, this place will become the peaceful village it once was."
Tomitake: "I understand. We are trying very hard along with Tokyo on this matter, so please let us take care of this."
Takano: "...I heard a rumor from Tokyo that you guys are having some trouble in making connections to place pressure onto the Minister of Construction?"
Tomitake: "Well...hahaha... A low officer like me wouldn't know the details, but I have heard that they are snagged in fine-tuning certain things..."
The people supporting Takano are very powerful indeed, but they do not control all of Japan. There are certain places where they are strong at, yet there are also sections in which they cannot touch as well. ...And it is assumed that they aren't well established in being able to place pressur onto the areas under the Ministry of Construction.
Takano: "This isn't a joke. Are you certain that we're not going to have to relocate because a dam is going to be constructed, right...?"
Tomitake: "Of, of course. You have my word on that. We're just taking a little bit of time, so please don't let any of this bother you and continue with your research. And, if things can't be worked out peacefully, there are also opinions where drastic measures might have to be taken."
Irie: "Drastic measures...? What do you mean by that, Tomitake-san?"
Tomitake: "That is part of our domain. You don't have to a worry a thing, Director Irie. Let us handle this."
Irie: ".......Fine. ...I understand. Thank you for your help."
Takano: "It's okay, Director Irie. The dam project will definitely be withdraw. ...It's already been laid out. ...chuckle chuckle."
Takano chuckled and Tomitake put on a slight smile along with her. ...Only Irie couldn't understand what was funny, and he felt left out.
.......It was only when Irie was called to the outskirts of the town check on the condition of a young boy that he hasn't seen from this area, did he realize what they meant about "drastic treatment."