A World Without You

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

The house was vast but it was not because the owner was a fan of luxurious furniture nor elegant decorations. He loved simplicity and when Sybil dominated the country and citizens, Makishima had paid the most heed to bigger mission. The interior design of his place was not in the priority. All mattered to him was it was deserted, comfortable and he could stuff as many books as he could.

After finishing a novel, it was the perfect time for him to watch news while sipping his favourite tea.

It was double perfect when the news just happened to update Kasahara Aimi's murder case. Every time her name was mentioned or her face was shown on TV or he happened to read about her on his tablet...

Makishima could not help but smile. His Psycho-Path and crime coefficient had always been his shield from the street scanners. Even he hated how people were always observed by Sybil system but he was happy with the fact that Sybil's principle had backfired. Instead of preventing him from killing people, it indirectly allowed him to cause endless destruction as much as he wanted.

No one could stop him including the capable Kougami. Instead, not only Sasayama's murder case was not solved yet, the man was demoted which would restrain him more to haunt and kill Makishima.

What a sick world we live in, Kougami. I killed your friend but Sybil protected me, he thought. Don't you think it's unfair? Why would you still work with the shitty government?

And you, Ginoza Nobuchika...

"I have your most anticipated news of the day, Makishima," Gu-sung's nonchalant voice broke his internal thought. Makishima turned, looking at his partner with a calm smile.

"What is it?"

"The former inspector who you killed his father... he was discharged from the rehab centre and assigned back as an enforcer."

Good, he thought.

"Ginoza Nobuchika... make sure you remember his name," Makishima said, putting his cup of tea on the small table opposite him. "Thank you for the news, Gu-sung. It really made my day, more than any book could offer."

"More than any book could offer... are you sure?" Gu-sung asked, already took his spot on the brown sofa. Despite he enjoyed hacking any sort of devices, he never enjoyed it when his neck and back decided to protest and cause him sore. "I thought that you aim more to that Kougami Shinya. Plus, what I have found still proved me that Kougami is smarter and more capable than that Ginoza."

"Kougami is more capable after we killed his enforcer. Back to the days when he was an inspector, he is... naïve, reckless and stupid. It's the pops who always ensured that he never went astray," Makishima stated. "It only took one enforcer to bring up the hidden power and sense out of him. The same goes with the pops. That Masaoka was more competent after he was demoted as an enforcer. What does it say other than the Sybil system is sick? It produces a bunch of weak inspectors who only hide behind that talking guns and enforcers. When those incompetent inspectors finally understand what criminals want, they were called latent criminals. Quite 'fair', is it?"

Gu-Sung did not reply instantly. He stared at his comrade for seconds before blurting out, "I can see why you want to know what happened to Ginoza after he lost his father. The reason is the same as Kougami but more extreme, right?"

"Exactly."

The door was breaking open from outside, revealing a mid-30s guy, wearing all black from head to toe. Anxiety written over his face.

"Great timing. I was thinking about you, Matsuda," Makishima remarked.

"What? Are you going to order me to kill again? Don't we have to wait for a while since the bureau are actively investigating?" Matsuda said. It bothered him how Kasahara Aimi's murder case caught so much interest when he thought it was just a cliched-way of killing an innocent girl.