The Urban Legend Killer

CHAPTER 5

Case Number: 824335/Hanako

Name: Iwa Kimura

Age: 17 years old

Cause of Death: Drowning

Classification: Homicide

_____

The body was splayed over the toilet, arms limp at its sides, head deeply buried in the bowl, black hair fanned about the seat.

"What a shitty way to go "

"Hyung." Jimin sighed.

Yoongi looked up from the body to his fellow agent, face neutral, "What?"

Jimin shook his head at the unintended pun before addressing the coroner, "I take it, drowning is the cause of death?"

"Yes, there's some bruising on the front of the neck, likely from being repeatedly slammed against the bowl itself, but it's not enough to cause any life threatening damage. I'll confirm once back at the med lab."

_____

The principal exhaled a deep sigh as detective Tanaka walked into his office. Mr. Sato stood at his entry, "Detective," he greeted, shaking the man's hand.

"I take it, school will be canceled today."

"Yes, possibly tomorrow as well. I've already sent the message through the student bulletin board as well as to parents via email and text."

Tanaka nodded before he passed a slim folder to him. 

"What's this?" the principal asked, opening the folder.

"A court order. I need the contact information for a student by the name of Cho Sasaki."

_____

The apartment door opened revealing a woman in her forties, "Can I help you?"

Detective Tanaka flashed his badge at the woman, "I'm detective Akiro Tanaka, this is Agent Kim Namjoon," the agent showed his badge, "We'd like to speak to your daughter Cho."

The woman pierced the detective with her eyes, her brown orbs now clouded with anger and sorrow, "My daughter is dead, detective."

_____

The teens sat nervously at the table in the meeting room, their parents standing at their backs as they faced the agents across the table.

"I'm going to ask you again, do you know Cho Sasaki?"

The teens shook their heads in the negative.

Agent Jeon laid out autopsy photos of each victim in a straight line before the teens, "Your friends are dying, you're being targeted one by one and you could be next. Now is not the time to lie."

_____

Yua Sasaki didn't bother looking at the photos of the victims, her face uncaring. She rose from her seat and walked toward a wall shelf behind the men. They watched as she circled behind them, taking a picture frame from its surface before returning to her seat, "Cho was a beautiful, special girl," she said, staring at the photo before handing it out for them to take, Namjoon doing so carefully. A young girl smiled back at him, she had a heart sticker on one cheek and glittery rainbow colored ribbon in hair styled in two ponytails.

"They bullied her for being a special needs child. Called her a retard. I would be called to pick her up almost everyday. She'd be crying and covered in flour and eggs. They loved tormenting and scaring her. They'd lock her in dark closets or storage rooms, tell her those urban legend stories of ghosts and monsters, then wear scary masks or makeup, chasing her until she cried or wet herself from fear, spit in her food or drink and force feed her, or they'd take her food and throw it on the floor, leaving her hungry. They stole her clothes once during gym, leaving her in nothing but her underwear, pushed her head in the toilet and told her to drink the water if she wanted them to let her go," Yua cried as she recounted her daughters bullying, angry tears escaping her eyes, "They killed her," she said venomously as she gestured angrily at the photos, "They killed her, they threw her in the pool and let her drown. She couldn't swim, they would've noticed her distress, instead they turned out the lights and just left her to die."

She looked accusingly at the detective, "None of you cared. Ruled it an accident, said she must've fallen in because of her "mental illness", spoke of her like she was some poor stupid handicapped girl who brought her death upon herself. My daughter is dead because of them, they deserved to die, I'm glad they're fucking dead and I hope they burn in hell. I hope their parents feel the same pain I feel every goddamn day."

_____

 They knew she was bullied, but they didn't know the extent of it. It was disgusting what those kids put that girl through, and for what? Because of their prejudice of her mental disorder, because they thought "people like her" didn't have feelings, because they thought it was cool or funny?

Whatever their reason, it became the motive for murder. 

"Cho Sasaki isn't our suspect after all, but she is definitely our catalyst." Tanaka said.

"Our suspect is definitely taking revenge for her bullying and death," Namjoon stated.

Jin nodded, "It fits the profile."

"What about mom, could she be a possible suspect?" Jimin asked.

"She's angry, but I don't believe she's who we're after, doesn't match what we know of the suspect."

"Knowing what we know now, our suspect is likely someone very close to Cho, to the point that they'd avenge her death," Jin stated, "did she have any siblings or best friend?" he asked the room.

Namjoon shook his head, "She was an only child, as for a best friend, I don't know. We can talk to mom again, see if she knows."