Chapter 9

Aren stepped back inside the house, the metallic scent of blood still lingering in the air. He approached  one of the investigators crouched near the bloodstained floor.

“Give me a short rundown,” he said.

The forensic specialist looked up, adjusting her gloves. “We’ve confirmed it’s a suicide. Only her fingerprints are on the knife and there’s no sign of forced entry.”

Aren’s brow furrowed. “What the f*ck? That’s it?” he snapped.

He gestured toward the room around them. “This place is a f*cking mess, there are signs of struggle! And didn’t we just have a case a few months ago where the killer staged a suicide? Why aren’t we even considering that possibility here? What the f*ck is going on with this team? Where’s the thorough investigation we’re supposed to do?“

The woman shifted uncomfortably. “Uh.. well, the chief actually came in earlier and gave us the go-ahead to call it a suicide,” she said a little hesitant. “He said we should wrap it up quickly.”

Aren’s eyes widened in disbelief. “The chief himself? Why would he even come here?” he muttered.

The chief didn’t usually show up on scenes unless it was a high-profile case or something out of the ordinary. But this? It didn’t add up.

Without another word, he turned on his heel and headed toward his car. He had to meet with the chief.

○○○

When Aren arrived at the station, he went straight inside, pushing through the doors and making his way to the chief’s office. Without bothering to knock, he swung the door open and stepped in.

The chief looked up, startled by Aren’s abrupt entrance, his hand still holding the receiver of the phone he’d been speaking into.

He quickly set the phone down with a click and wiped his hand across his face, as if trying to shake off the tension from the call.

His eyes flickered with unease before he glanced at Aren. “What is it that’s so damn important you can’t follow simple protocol?” he asked annoyed.

Aren’s gaze hardened and he stepped forward. “You know damn well why I’m here,” he said sharply. “Why did you get involved? And why rush to close the case so quickly?”

The chief leaned back in his chair and let out a tired sigh. “I just came down because I didn’t have anything else to handle at the moment. It was a clear suicide, Aren,” he said dismissively. “This isn’t a case worth digging into any deeper. We’ve got bigger cases to focus on, so I told them to wrap it up.”

Aren’s frustration was palpable. “You can’t just ignore what she said, Chief. Aimi told me this morning that if she ever died suddenly, and it looked like suicide, it wouldn’t be! She said it’d be murder! And her last words were ‘Kuroda Dori.’ That’s a direct lead, Chief, not some random name. She was trying to tell me who did it before she died!”

The chief’s expression darkened for a moment, his jaw tightening before he forced a thin smile.

“Listen, Aren,” he began, his tone quieter. “I understand you’re upset, but don’t let your emotions blind you to the facts. You’re reading too much into this. People say all kinds of things when they’re at their breaking point, and Aimi was clearly not in her right mind when she spoke to you. And as for this Kuroda Dori―he has no motive, no history of violence, and the alibi checks out.”

Aren opened his mouth, about to protest, but the chief raised a hand, cutting him off sharply. “I don’t want to hear it, Aren. You need to drop this. The case is closed, and I’m telling you now―if you keep pushing without any real evidence, you could lose your badge.”

Aren fell silent for a moment, his eyes locking onto the chief’s. He noticed the way the chief averted his gaze and the slight twitch of his jaw. It was subtle, but Aren had been in this job long enough to know when someone was hiding something―and the chief was clearly nervous.

Aren’s gaze hardened as the pieces started to fall into place. He stepped closer, his voice dropping low.

“You know, Chief,” he said slowly, “You’re not as calm as you’re trying to seem. You’re nervous, I can see it. You’re trying to cover something up, aren’t you?”

He paused for a beat, letting the weight of his words settle in the air between them.

“I’m telling you now, if this turns out to be murder, and Kuroda Dori’s involved.. if I find out you’ve been protecting him―”

The detective’s voice grew colder, “you won’t just lose your badge, you’ll be arrested for obstruction. You could end up behind bars, Chief.” 

The chief stiffened, clearly uncomfortable. But Aren didn’t budge.

After a moment, the chief sighed and leaned back in his chair. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Aren,” he said, his voice a little too steady.

Aren narrowed his eyes and nodded. “We’ll see about that,” he muttered, before he turned on his heel, walking out of the office without another word.

As the detective stepped into the hallway, he stopped dead in his tracks.

He saw Kuroda Dori being escorted by an officer, walking out of the holding area.

Aren quickly stepped forward and called out, “Wait. I want to talk to him.”

But just as Aren was about to move closer, the chief appeared and blocked his way. “You’re not talking to him,” he said. “I’ve put a restraining order on you, Aren.”

Aren blinked, shocked. “A restraining order? You’ve got to be kidding.”

“I told Kuroda to file it,” the chief continued. “I knew you’d try to do this, and I’m not letting you mess with an innocent man.”

Aren frowned, his mind racing.

His eyes flickered from the chief to Dori, his gaze hardening, and he scoffed, “You’re more corrupt than I thought, Chief.”

His eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped lower. “I swear you won’t get away with this.”

He then looked directly at Dori, his gaze full of hatred.

“And you―I know you’re the one who did it, you sick f*ck. And you’re the reason she..”

His words trailed off as Dori suddenly dipped his head, and burst into wild, maniacal laughter, like he’d lost his mind.

That’s when Aren completely lost it.

He charged forward, his hands itching to grab Dori, but two officers rushed in, dragging him back.

“You won’t get away with this!” Aren shouted, his voice shaking with rage. “You f*cking psychopath!”

He lunged forward again, but the officers held him back. “You piece of shit, you’ll pay for what you did! I swear to God, I’ll make you!”

○○○

Aren has been secretly following Dori since that day, keeping his investigation to himself. 

He’s dug up a lot about him over the past year. Turns out he’s a genius with computers―coding, hacking, all of it. He even helped the police once crack a tough cybercrime case. His skills are unmatched, and he can do things with technology that most people can’t even imagine.

But Dori hasn’t been using his talent for good. Aren has discovered that he’s tied to a gang and handles all their online operations. He sets up their secret communication systems, black-market websites, and payment networks, making sure they stay hidden and untraceable. Thanks to him, the gang runs big scams and illegal deals without getting caught.

Dori also works for Character AI, a company that builds AI systems and virtual characters. He works as a senior developer, but Aren doesn’t get why he has this job. Dori already makes a lot of money from his work with the gang, and he doesn’t need a cover job, since the police are corrupt and on his side anyway.

Now, you’re probably wondering why Aren hasn’t arrested Dori if he knows all this.

Well, he doesn’t have hard evidence yet, and seeing how easily Dori gets released whenever he’s arrested―thanks to his connections―he knows this won’t put him in jail. And apparently it’s not just the chief―there are other powerful people protecting him.

Aren doesn’t know how Dori has these connections or why they help him. Did he bribe them? Blackmail them? He hasn’t figured it out yet.

In the meantime, Dori seems to have become obsessed with Akiyama Yuki. He even moved to Osaka and is staying at a hotel near her place.

Aren has seen him following her around, watching her and even hanging around her house for hours.

But a few days ago, and today as well, the detective witnessed something far worse―Dori sexually assaulted Yuki. Aren didn’t step in, though, knowing that interfering could risk his chance to get evidence that he’s a murderer.

That’s right, Aren is using Yuki as bait..

You’re probably wondering, then, why does he walk her home, ‘protecting’ her?

Well, it’s because he doesn’t want Dori’s attack to happen in complete darkness. It needs to be clear, with enough light so Aren can capture it on camera.

His plan is to broadcast it live, so the whole country can see it. This way, the corrupt system won’t be able to cover it up, and Dori won’t escape the consequences anymore.

Once he has that proof, Aren plans to bring all the other evidence he gathered to light as well, about Dori, the chief and the corrupt system. 

“Are you really gonna do this?”

Aren freezes as he hears the familiar voice of his uncle. He turns around and sees the old man standing there with a disappointed look on his face.

He glances at the board filled with notes, pictures, and red string outlining Aren’s entire plan. “I thought you were better than this, Aren.”

The words hit Aren like a punch to the gut, but he doesn’t flinch. Instead, he stands there, tense and defensive.

“Uncle.. how long have you been here?”

His uncle doesn’t answer. Instead, he steps forward, his eyes lingering on the board before he points to Aimi’s picture.

“You liked her, didn’t you?” he says softly. “I’ve seen the way you talked to her and how you acted around her.”

Aren’s jaw tightens. “What’s your point?”

The old man sighs and takes a seat. “Are you sure you’re not letting your feelings get in the way?” he asks.

Aren frowns. “What makes you think that?”

“You’re willing to let someone die, Aren. Someone innocent. Instead of protecting her, you’re using her as bait,” Uncle points out. “I mean, you could keep digging for evidence instead, you could find another way to expose the truth, but you’re choosing to take the easy way out. You’re clearly letting your anger control you.”

Aren’s gaze hardens, his fists clenched. “Sometimes, you have to sacrifice to get justice! The system won’t change unless it’s forced to. I need hard evidence for that. This is the only way, Uncle.”

The old man stands up and steps closer, his eyes narrowing. “If you care so much, and if you’re so determined to sacrifice someone, why not sacrifice yourself?” 

Aren blinks, caught off guard for a moment. “I’m a detective.. a cop..” he then mutters, his voice low and defensive. “I save lives.. I bring justice.. I’m needed.. but she.. she’s just some..”

Aren’s uncle frowns deeply. “Just some what? Some life that doesn’t matter? Is that what you’re saying?” His eyes bore into Aren’s, filled with disappointment.

Aren stays silent, his jaw tightening as he avoids meeting his uncle’s gaze.

After a long pause, he finally replies, “Yes.”

His uncle’s eyes widen as the sadness quickly overtakes them. He swallows and looks away for a moment, as if the weight of Aren’s reply has physically drained him.

The silence between them feels suffocating.

Finally, his uncle lets out a heavy sigh. “May the Lord guide you back, son,” he says quietly, his voice cracking a bit. 

Without another word, he turns and walks out of the shed, the door clicking shut behind him.

The sound lingers in the air, as Aren is left standing there. With a snarl, he kicks the nearest chair, sending it skidding across the room.

“Dammit!”
 
 
TO BE CONTINUED…

Auhtor’s note: Alright, now you know a bit more about “Worman”. In the next chapter, we’ll go back to Yuki’s pov!