It had been a week since Aiko last spoke to Makishima. Makishima's silence plus Aiko's stubbornness made the perfect combination to create a fully awkward atmosphere for the two to live under the same roof.
They had been eating separately and pretending that one another didn't exist and breathing the same air as them. To Makishima, he didn't expect Aiko to be this persistent in her boycott. To Aiko, Makishima's a traitor that she didn't expect him to become.
Aiko...
Aiko snapped from her daydreaming when the voice called for her. She didn't know who it belonged to, but that voice sounded so warm and gentle. That voice calmed her down and yet, she couldn't remember a thing about the owner.
Kougami was handling a mountain of paperwork varied from domestic violence to street vandalism – all were small fry compared to Makishima. He looked around out of boredom – paperwork was never his forte, mind you – and saw Tsunemori was diligently typing her reports at 100 words per minute (wpm).
"Oi Inspector." Tsunemori stopped her work and turned to Kougami. "Are you sure you're okay to work?"
After the hunting incident where Kougami fought for his and Funahara Yuki's life – who's also Tsunemori's best friend – which ended with Yuki died in the hand of Makishima, Tsunemori was traumatized by it. She blamed herself for being unable to pull the trigger of a shotgun when the Dominator failed to judge him, even when he held the knife at Yuki's throat before killing her in cold-blood.
He's a rare case of what's known as 'criminally asymptomatic people'.
"Yes." Tsunemori's voice was firm. "His face is now out to the public. We will get him." In order to reconstruct Makishima's face on a piece of paper, Tsunemori went through a photofit picture aka memory scoop.
It's a process that visualizes people's memories by reading directly from their brain waves.
Kougami looked at her with a frown on his face. "You're really something. To go that far just to get his picture..."
"The Chief ordered us not to conduct a public investigation." Tsunemori went back to her work. "And I'm the only one who had seen his face clearly."
The ex-inspector sighed. "I wonder why I'm being more depressed than you are."
"Where are you going?" Tsunemori asked when Kougami got up from his seat and heading out.
"Rooftop."
Makishima Shogo.
Kougami was embedding the name inside his brain. That was the man that killed Sasayama. That was the man that robbed Aiko from him.
That was the man that he'd been hunting for the past three years.
Kougami pulled another cigarette from his pocket when the he finished the one in his hand. As he was indulged in the addicted nicotine, Kougami's mind began calling for Aiko's memories.
Flashback
"Shinyaaaa~" Aiko twirled in front of him with her new dress. "How's this one?" It's a three-quarter dress with side slit until her thigh.
Kougami shook his head in disapproval. "Too sexy."
Aiko pouted. "What!? It's normal for girls my age to wear this!"
"Yeah. They don't have a protective big brother like you, to start with." Kougami chuckled when Aiko was at loss of words, knowing his point was right. "On the bright side, he would stonecold anyone who dared to lay a finger on you."
Aiko stuck out her tongue at him. "That also the main reason I don't have a boyfriend."
End flashback
Kougami was smiling to himself. When Sasayama heard about the 'boyfriend' topic, he almost fainted. He would as far go to send and pick Aiko from college himself. Her friends were filtered to the extent she didn't have any. Sasayama would run background check using Bureau's resources on anyone who came in contact with Aiko.
He seriously had a sister complex – as Aiko stated.
Kougami stopped thinking about the past when his watch rang, signalling there's a job to be done. He went back to the office, unaware of what's waiting for him ahead.
Aiko secretly sneaked out to town without Makishima's permission. This was the first time she had done anything like that. Makishima was the possessive type, but she didn't mind it since he gave her enough freedom that she did not feel like a prisoner of war.
The lass looked around with joy on her face. It was a lively night where civilians out for fun instead of having their beauty sleep. Aiko skipped and hummed while passing them without knowing the trouble she's in.
"Little missy~"
Aiko was startled when she just realized she walked into a dark alley where she was cornered by three thugs wearing a helmet. She frantically looked around looking for an escape while backing away from them.
"Don't be shy~ We'll treat you well~"
Tears began forming in her eyes. Soon, she realized it was dead end with three-meter wall behind her.
"Looks like you're running out of space~"
"Don't come near me..." Her voice was shaking and she found herself to be kneeling on the dirty tar now. "Go away!"
A loud thud silenced her. Before she knew it, the thugs were all lying unconscious on the road. Choe Gu-sung didn't have a smile on his face like he usually did.
Without saying another word, the Korean man took her hand and pulled her out of the alley with force. Aiko could see the street lights again. But this time, it was a road where no one was there. She knew how Makishima did everything in secret so she didn't suspect a thing. After all, she was glad Choe Gu-sung came to her rescue, but that also meant Makishima's going to find out about this.
"I'm going to get the car. Stay here." Aiko just gave him a small nod. Inside her head, she began created excuses to give to Makishima.
Unknown to her, Kougami was frozen when he saw her. He couldn't believe it. He was running to her with thousand things on his mind.
"Aiko!" Aiko couldn't hear him. Too busy with her excuses, probably. "Aiko!" This time, his voice was louder.
Aiko blinked her eyes twice. "Did I just imagining things?" She looked around, hoping to see no one and nothing.
"AIKO!"
Aiko's prayer went unanswered. Kougami was standing in front of her. He was panting. His face was shocked. He was speechless.
So did Aiko. She remembered him. The man from the photo she saw. The man she saw in her fragments of memories.
"You..." Aiko was the first to speak. "Who are you?"
Kougami was stunned. He walked towards her and holding both her shoulder with tight grip. "Aiko! Don't you remember me?!"
"It...hurts." Aiko winced in pain at Kougami's action. Kougami immediately loosened his grip on her shoulder. "Do I know you?"
Kougami ignored her question and took her in his arms. Aiko was shocked but didn't make any effort to let go. It was warm and gentle. It felt familiar and safe.
"Let her go." Kougami let Aiko go when he heard that voice. Makishima was standing not far from them.
"Makishima..."
Kougami's shock became bigger. "You know him!?"
"Come here, Aiko." Aiko slowly made way towards Makishima but Kougami grabbed her wrist first. "Persistent, aren't you?"
Kougami eyed Makishima carefully. This was the first he got a good look at the man. "She's not going anywhere with you."
Makishima smirked at Kougami. "She will. Otherwise, I'll kill you here and now." Aiko's eyes widen at Makishima's blunt declaration.
"Makishima..." The Makishima in front of her right now, although he's smiling and composed, she knew he was dead serious about what he said. There's no hint of joke at all.
"Now, Aiko. Come." Aiko gave Kougami one last look before walking towards Makishima's side. Kougami, who was enraged, charged at Makishima blindly, only to be biting the dust off the ground after being injected by paralyzer on his neck. "You're scaring Aiko-chan~ Now, let's go, Aiko."
Kougami could only watched as Aiko walked away from him helplessly. His questions about how and why Aiko with Makishima remained unanswered. But he was sure of one thing before he passed out.
He was going to get Aiko's back, no matter what.
