Koi ni inochi o

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Kiyoshi Kanô becomes a journalist for *Jiyû Seijisha*, a right-leaning political magazine run by his father's friend, Hanada. When a marriage proposal arises with Hanada's daughter, Izumi, Kiyoshi is conflicted. Not only does he feel no love for Izumi, but he also harbors doubts about the magazine's extremist direction. Meanwhile, his father, Yoshitsugu, has gone missing. Kiyoshi unexpectedly encounters Mikoto, the daughter of a tea house owner, and is drawn to her. One night, a woman named Shizuko Takebayashi informs Kiyoshi that his father is with her, urging him to meet on the last train to Kôfu. Onboard, Kiyoshi finally finds his father-only to see him shot by Taisuke, a drug-addicted man who turns out to be Mikoto's father. Shizuko reveals that Yoshitsugu was murdered for attempting to leave a drug ring led by Hanada. Determined to avenge his father, Kiyoshi marries Izumi to infiltrate Hanada's organization, while Mikoto becomes a geisha to assist him. As Kiyoshi rises to vice president of the struggling magazine, he pressures Hanada to save it. Hanada's plan involves a dangerous drug deal with a Chinese broker, Li Yutang, who demands Mikoto as part of the arrangement. The fateful exchange takes place at Mikoto's family tea house, *Saruwaka-en*.