Chapter 126 - Cruelty is a part of humanity

"Rie gave me this idea." They are sitting in the corner, watching the scene in front of them. It's a gathering of people with the same interests. A sort of entertainment place. The entertainers are human beings who are not treated like one.

"Cruelty is a part of humanity. When she was young, she used to be kind. I always hated her for the kindness in her heart. She was also stubborn. A lot more stubborn than she is now. It took an effort to break her. I liked making that effort. After graduating, I realized that there must be more people like me. That's how the playhouse came to being."

Kiyohira is scanning the people's faces. He recognizes many of them. Some faces... if he hasn't seen them here with his own eyes, he would have never believed that they are these kinds of people.

Who was these young men and women? He wants to ask that question. But Chisa would become alert. Under the table, he touches his wristwatch.

"All the people here have their hands dipped in the underground world. The important ones didn't come to the gathering tonight. There's a special gathering for them at a special time. I will introduce you to them. They are the ones who helped me take over the company," She tells him lazily. 

A man drags a n.a.k.e.d woman by her hair and hurls her to the middle of the hall. The piano piece changes to a lullaby. The woman must be around 25. She's skinny and covered with bruises. She looks around with fear. Under the gazes of people, she shakes violently. 

"Why are you doing this to me?" She screams at them in English. "Let me go home, please."

"She was recently brought by Nishihara." Chisa jeers in her direction. "The quality is... Tsk! She will last only 10 minutes at most."

The men and women are laughing. Some are making bets. Chisa looks at him and says, "Kiyohira, I am going to bring Rie here."

He stares at her expressionlessly.

"She's being stubborn about signing the divorce, right?" She tilts her head thoughtfully. "She offended me a lot of times. In her current state, she will give us a good show. Believe me. She will be broken again. Then, she will sign the divorce papers. Using your methods, you can never make her sign the papers. You are too soft."

Her eyes land on the woman. The man is holding a spiked whip in his hand. He clenches his jaw when the man strikes the weak woman. The people around them are watching and drinking, talking nonchalantly as if it's only a street performance. 

"I can't wait anymore. I will make it look like a kidnapping. Nobody will find Rie again. Until her death, she will live here." She wrinkles her nose. "I hate it that she's still your wife. I don't want to sleep with a man who legally belongs to another."

" I will personally make her sign the papers. Then, she will stay here. She was the first toy. I am sure that everyone would love to see her."

She notices the strange look in his eyes. She mistakes it for anxiety. Kiyohira is new to this. "Are you worried that people would blame you if she's kidnapped from your house? Don't worry about such things. Rie has many enemies because of her past as the hacker. People disappear from the world all the time. Nobody in your family will doubt you. I will take care of her father too. For the special class gathering, I will use her this time."

Kiyohira presses the crown of the wristwatch multiple times. Why is Ren late? At the same moment, there's a loud blast. The guests stand up abruptly. Special division police swarm into the hall and points gun. "Nobody move."

Kiyohira wanted to finish this in one stroke. There should be no room for escape.

"What is going on here?" Chisa yells frantically. "Morikawa, who betrayed us?"

Morikawa doesn't answer her. He already left long ago.

"I did." Kiyohira grabs her by her head. "Hashimoto Chisa, you have been abandoned by your supporters. Your company will go bankrupt in 5 minutes. Your playhouses will get taken away. At this moment, watch your tower of sins get destroyed by me."

The guests can't escape. They are being handcuffed. Nishihara is also caught. None of Chisa's supporters who helped her save her company are here tonight. She was abandoned when she made the second mistake. Because of her anger and desperation, she kept making mistakes. When she got involved with Kiyohira, she lost the last piece of her intelligence. Morikawa knew that her end was near. So, he left instead of warning her.

Kiyohira has already managed to take their supports by offering them something better. Can a mere entertainer like Hashimoto Chisa become more important than joining hands with the Kamiyama Groups? She lost her usefulness when her clean image was tarnished by Rie. Hashimoto Chisa wasn't aware of her imminent end approaching her.

Chisa realizes her mistakes. The rose-colored spectacles are broken. Kiyohira betrayed her. Why did she trust him? "You...played me."

"How does it feel?" He smiles at her viciously. "You like playing with human beings. I did the same. It is still nothing compared to what you did to my Rie. I doubt anything will ever be enough. You are destroyed, Hashimoto Chisa. No one will come to save you. Do you think that this is the end? It's only the beginning."

There's a sharp pain in her heart. This is the first time she has experienced this sort of pain. In the end, she couldn't win this man's heart. She laughs hysterically. She is betrayed by the man she loved for such a long time. For all the men she knew, she has always admired this man the most.

"You also..." She doesn't know why she always thought that Kiyohira was different from other men. He was upright and different. 

"I also had a hidden agenda?" He pushes her head back. "Chisa, do you know how disgusted I was with myself whenever I held your hand? You are not a human being. You are revolting and the people here are nothing less. You deserve to suffer until death."

A policewoman comes to handcuff her. He steps away from her, smiling. Chisa's eyes are wild and hateful. She shouts as she's dragged away.

"You will never find happiness with Rie. I will take her away from you, Kamiyama Kiyohira. You will pay for betraying me. Kiyohira, you and Rie will pay."

"Keep screaming." Kiyohira looks at her like he's looking at something not human. The gentleness has long gone from his face. "You can't do anything. Nobody will listen to you. You are going to pay for each crime. Not only Rie but all the other people who suffered in your hands. Keep screaming like they did and experience what it is like when nobody comes to help you."