Hand running through her short hair, Akane closed her eyes, blocking out the sight of the cigarettes, fending off the painful memories.
At a year and a half, she should be healed right? Time healed all wounds right?
Then how come she couldn't look at cigarettes or even have the smell around her without thinking of him. Of them. The ones she had lost.
Kougami. Kagari. Masaoka. Yuki.
Their faces appear one by one as the smoke rises into the air, just as their souls have.
She knew that Ginoza worried about her. His eyes portray it all the time, but especially when the therapist suggested cigarettes. Her composure barely holds up at work with the stench of smoke leaving a foul taste in her mouth and pain in her heart.
Honestly, she thought she was moving on as she focused on work, and over the person behind WC marks.
But in reality all she was doing was ignoring her pain. Now with her room smelling of cigarettes, the sight of them right before her eyes, she could feel herself breaking into pieces.
Her psycho pass wouldn't rise enough to demote her, she knew this after the whole ordeal with Yuki murdered in cold blood right before eyes. Not to mention going after Kougami, trying to stop him, trying to save him, because she loved him but never had time to confess, only to fail and see his lifeless body.
Now all she could do was release all the pain in her heart, embedded in her soul. Shimotsuki questioned her leaving early, but she felt like shattered glass, and being the head inspector, she couldn't fall apart in front of everyone.
Sleepless nights dreaming of Kagari teasing her, Yuki's bright laugh, Kougami's rare smile, and Masaoka's fatherly advice haunt her nearly every night. Now in the comfort of her home, she could cry her heart out, hopefully releasing all her built up pain turned into stress.
Leaning down onto her desk, she lets her first tears impair her vision, that is if her helpful jellyfish hadn't come out. Now she had WC carved into her wall, more stress, less free time, and a job to return too.