Psycho Pass: Colorful World

6

"Man loves freedom, even if he doesn't know he does, and is always striving for it and running away from places where there is none. Something about the lakes and the buildings... fascinates me. Like, I can find myself here. The sound, the smell... it's just so relaxing and inspiring."

Yashiro's voice was so soft and pleasant to listen to, it seemed to blend in with the sound of the lake water below them. She was still wearing the same black suit and pants, white dress shirt and dark purple tie. With her head stretched out and leaning against the soft back of the couch, she looked younger and graceful as a statue, yet she had that confident, almost dreamy look that left some people gaping and motionless before her.

"This is what I wanted. To have you here with me," his voice was much deeper and calmer.

"We're always back where we began. Me speaking with you," she responded with ease.

When Yashiro finally turned her head towards the white-haired man, she caught a glimpse of Makishima Shougo looking her up and down. He was sitting with one leg over the other, his left arm on the back of the couch and his other hand on his thigh. His eyes narrowed with a genuine, barely visible smile all over his face. Yashiro looked at him for a while with a natural, serene expression, then picked up the whisky and her glass, a slow movement that he mirrored with his white wine.

"You are not a cop tonight. I want you to forget about your job."

His messy white hair fell down his chest, but Yashiro narrowed her eyes as she realized it looked a bit longer. Several strands of bangs tumbled over his face. While Yashiro looked more like an aristocrat with her straight brown hair falling down her back and chest, he was dressed very casually and friendly with a yellow jacket and a white shirt underneath. Anyone would say they were a rather peculiar pair, but Yashiro liked his natural, ordinary style.

"This will do nicely," she tilted her head at him, as her silver eyes focused on how the drink fell into her glass. "Like a tiny, calm island in the middle of a rough sea."

"I must warn you that I am a ruler on my island. If you mention a case, I will drown you in the sea."

The corners of Yashiro's lips curved involuntarily, as if she were about to smile, but she raised her glass and took a sip.

"Don't tempt me," she narrowed her eyes for a second. "Still better than being drowned by my own thoughts."

"It must be greed," he confessed with a dreamy expression, looking up. "I am a miser with respect to two people in this world—you and Choe. I could be immensely rich and yet own nothing. I keep my most important treasures right here. That is what I always demanded as a quality in the people I like. I always recognized it immediately, like the first time I laid eyes on you reading in the library. It is the only quality I value and admire in people. I choose my friends based on it. Thanks to you, now I know what it is."

Their eyes met for a moment as they both took a sip of their own drink, and they looked to the side again, gazing at the buildings and skyscrapers. There were no holograms or neon lights. It was not a fancy restaurant, but they went up for the view and sat down together to face the world. They were outside, without a roof, and the surrounding tables were empty. It was not a cold night, and from there they could hear and smell the lake.

"I never thought... you would admit that about yourself to anyone else. And I'm glad you say you have friends."

Yashiro did not need to raise her voice. They were so close that they could simply hear each other, like two people waiting for a movie to start at the theater.

"I even admit that I love them. But I couldn't if they were my main reason for living, or my purpose, my end. I am. I think. My mind is my property. It cannot be taken from me. Freedom and independence of thought are non-negotiable. They are the most valuable possessions of every human being worth living for. We must never lose them, sell them, or give them away. Much less allow anyone to take them away from us.