When Makoto woke up, the atmosphere in the room was somewhat strange.
Because at that moment, completely naked, Makima was sitting by the bedside. She lit a cigarette, took a light puff, and exhaled a cloud of hazy smoke.
'Come to think of it, wasn't this the reverse? Logically, shouldn't the man be the one smoking after the act?'
But it had to be said, beautiful women looked good even when smoking.
Regardless, Makoto had hated the smell of cigarettes from his previous life to this one. He couldn't help but show a look of disgust and fanned the air with his hand.
"Cough, cough, cough... Cough, cough, cough!!"
After two puffs, Makima couldn't help but cough. Clearly, she wasn't used to smoking either.
"Sorry, you don't like this smell?"
Noticing Makoto's gaze, Makima immediately extinguished the cigarette.
"It's nothing. It's just my first time seeing you smoke."
Makoto said.
Makima tilted her head. "I just heard that many people light up after doing this kind of thing, so I wanted to give it a try."
'Many people… you mean humans, right?'
To be honest, Makima was very beautiful.
But the experience she gave Makoto last night wasn't particularly good.
Because from beginning to end, Makima had an expression full of question marks, as if she was constantly asking Makoto: 'What's so enjoyable about this?'
It made Makoto feel like he was doing it with an inflatable girlfriend.
And from last night until now, Makima's expression had hardly changed.
Actually, when doing this kind of thing, psychological factors played a huge role… if you didn't genuinely consider it something worth enjoying, the pleasure you derived would be greatly diminished.
And Makima fundamentally didn't understand why humans found such behavior pleasurable.
She didn't even possess the full range of human emotions, so naturally, she didn't find any joy in it.
The reason she did this with Makoto was purely because it was a demand from the Chainsaw Devil's contractor.
To be honest, the only reasons Makoto could last so long were Makima's beautiful face and her truly Devilish figure.
Makoto didn't say anything more. He simply raised his hand, cupped Makima's cheek, and examined her face carefully.
"What is it?"
Makima asked softly.
Makoto smiled in response, got up, and went into the bathroom to rinse off and get dressed.
Even with his omniscient perspective, changing this woman was an impossible task.
The two of them ending up on opposite sides was practically inevitable.
'What a pity, Makima.'
When Makoto came out of the bathroom, Makima had just put down the phone. Her tone was as calm as ever. "The Bureau just called. The Devil who assaulted Kudo-kun has been caught. Shall we go together?"
Makoto nodded, and the two left together, though they didn't hold hands this time.
Makima was a bit puzzled but didn't say anything more.
She didn't see what was so special about holding hands anyway… humans were truly strange.
"Y-You guys!"
As soon as Makoto and Makima exited the apartment building, they suddenly heard a woman's cry of surprise from nearby.
Turning to look, they saw Yukiko staring wide-eyed at them, her face full of shock.
"Mrs. Yukiko, long time no see."
Makoto smiled.
Yukiko looked at them in shock, her astonishment undiminished, 'They had come out together, hadn't they?'
With a calm expression, Makoto introduced them to Yukiko. "This is Makima. She holds an important position in the Public Security Bureau. She's your husband's direct supervisor."
Hearing the words 'your husband', Yukiko felt an inexplicable twinge in her heart.
But she immediately remembered something else and said hurriedly, "I just received a call from the Bureau saying something happened to Yusaku. Is that true?"
Hearing this, Makoto was also taken aback. He turned to look at Makima.
Makima nodded. "Yes. Apparently, there was an accident while he was acting as bait to lure out the Devil. But such things happen often in the Bureau. I didn't think it was a big deal, so I didn't mention it to you, Makoto-kun."
"Let's go."
Makoto didn't say anything more and gestured for the two women to follow.
Looking at this woman beside her who inexplicably exuded a dangerous aura yet was filled with a strange charm, Yukiko bit her lower lip secretly.
She knew Makoto didn't live here, yet he came out of the same building with this woman early in the morning.
'They must be… no, they definitely were in that kind of relationship.'
Just as Yukiko was lost in thought, she suddenly felt a large hand playing mischief on her rear!
Yukiko's eyes widened instantly as she looked incredulously at Makoto, who was smiling at her sideways.
'Have you lost your mind? Your girlfriend is right here, and you're doing this to me?'
Then, Yukiko felt Makoto's finger tracing patterns on her rear.
After a moment, Yukiko realized… he wasn't just groping randomly, he had a purpose.
The guy was writing words on her butt with his finger: She's not as good as you.
Feeling these words, Yukiko's heart trembled violently.
'She's not as good as me?'
'What did that mean?'
'Was it that she wasn't as gentle as me? Wasn't as beautiful as me? Or didn't perform as well as me in that area?'
Instantly, Yukiko's heart became even more unsettled.
But soon after, Yukiko suddenly snapped back to reality, 'Damn it, you're even making comparisons? Isn't this just classic scumbag behavior?'
"We're here. Let's go in."
Makima's voice brought Yukiko's thoughts back to reality. Looking up, she realized the three had unknowingly arrived at the Bureau.
They made their way to the floor where Makima's office was located. As soon as they stepped off the elevator, they heard the sound of Yu's anguished wailing coming from the direction of the office:
"Yusaku-san!! You died so tragically! I've failed you! Waaah!"
Makoto: "???"
'Why did those lines feel somewhat familiar?'
Hearing Yusaku's name, Yukiko, who had been lost in thought along the way, turned pale and rushed into the office.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw a stretcher bed in the center of the office covered with a white sheet, clearly with someone lying underneath.
Yukiko stepped forward, her trembling hands gently lifting the white sheet.
The next second, she stumbled back in shock at the sight of Yusaku's dead body… his wide-open eyes were bloodshot, and even in death, his gaze betrayed extreme unwillingness.
Just as Yukiko was about to fall to the ground, Makoto timely stepped forward and steadied her.
Seeing Makoto and the others arrive, Himeno, who was standing beside Yu, said with a troubled expression, "Th-The hospital said they did everything they could."
Makoto, supporting Yukiko, asked, "How did he die?"
"It was this beast, all because of this beast..."
Yu, with tears and snot running down his face, pointed to a corner. "He was so forceful that he literally churned Yusaku-san to death."
Makoto, Yukiko, and Makima turned to look.
The expressions of the first two changed instantly.
Though there were dramatic changes from ten years ago, they still recognized him immediately.
Ito Makotou!
Seeing his nemesis appear before him again after ten years, Ito Makotou felt not so much resentment and hatred as fear.
"Waaah... don't... please don't kill me..."
At this moment, Ito Makotou had only one thought: Survive.
He no longer harbored delusions about obtaining a top-tier beauty like Kotonoha. Just having the power of a Devil and being able to enjoy the pleasures of sex was enough.
Makima asked, "He must have made a contract with a Devil, right?"
It was impossible for Ito Makotou to have done such a thing with his own strength.
Just as Yu was about to answer, Shinichi's near-collapsing scream suddenly came from outside the door: "Father!!!"
Before anyone could turn around, a wheelchair rushed quickly to Yusaku's bedside.
"No! No! Father! Why? Why?!"
Shinichi's eyes were nearly bulging out of their sockets as he stared in disbelief at his father's corpse.
Yukiko looked on with reluctance, wanting to comfort her son, but suddenly felt her hand being held.
Yukiko glared at Makoto, 'What are you doing? My husband just died!'
However, what Yukiko saw in Makoto's eyes was a protective gaze, as if saying: 'I'll protect you.'
Instantly, much of Yukiko's anger dissipated, replaced by an inexplicable sense of security.
For ten years, it could be said that Yukiko had carried this family on her own.
Her feelings toward her incompetent husband were no longer as close as they had been in the real world.
And now, while Shinichi certainly needed comfort, didn't she, Kudo Yukiko, need it too?