My Knife Pointing At Your Heart

CHAPTER 23

Chapter 23: Framed

The gravel dug into Yurika’s skin, but only for a moment before the darkness took her.

When she woke, the cold, sterile smell of antiseptic filled her nose. She was lying in a hospital bed, her body aching with a deep, throbbing bruise from where she had hit the wall. Her face felt swollen, the skin tight.

"Now... What do I do? The only person who was telling me the truth is gone..." Yurika whispered to the empty room. Her voice was devoid of emotion, cold as ice. "I just need to be strong... I still have Principal Turo's deadline to worry about..."

The silence was broken by the vibration of the phone on the bedside table. It was Midori.

"Hey girl, are you okay?" Midori’s voice was frantic, trembling with worry. "I heard you’re in Akita... the news is saying a person was murdered there. Please tell me you’re—"

"Yeah, I know. I was—"

Bang!

The door to the hospital room flew open, slamming against the wall. Before Yurika could react, a woman stormed in. It was Lenka.

She crossed the room in two strides and slapped Yurika across the face with a resounding crack.

Yurika’s head snapped to the side, her cheek burning crimson.
"Is this how you cross the line?" Lenka screamed, her eyes wild with grief and rage. "To kill my mother?! You sick child! I can't believe you! People like you don't deserve to live!"

Yurika slowly turned her head back, meeting Lenka’s gaze with a chillingly blank stare.

Doctors and security guards rushed into the room. "Miss! You cannot be in a patient's room! Step away!"
Lenka shoved a doctor aside. "Patient? You call this monster a patient?! She’s the monster who killed my mother!"
"Guard, escort her out immediately!" the doctor ordered.

As the guards grabbed her arms, Lenka thrashed, screaming, "What?! No! I still need to talk to that bitch! Let me go! She killed her!"

Her screams faded down the hallway as the heavy door clicked shut.
Once the chaos settled, two police officers approached the bed. They didn't look sympathetic.

"Ms. Saisho," the lead officer began, clicking a pen. "Do you remember what happened last night?"
Yurika touched her bruised cheek. "I do... but it's very blurry. All I remember is a black silhouette... someone very tall tried to kill Mrs. Hanada. I tried to protect her, but the intruder overpowered me instantly."

The officer narrowed his eyes. "Can you describe the intruder?"
"Tall. Maybe six feet. Wearing all black—a black face mask and a black hat. I couldn't see a face."

The officer exchanged a look with his partner before turning back to Yurika. "We found the murder weapon at the scene. A kitchen knife." He paused, letting the silence hang. "The fingerprints on the handle were yours."

Yurika’s eyes widened, though inside she remained numb. "I told you, I was protecting her! I tried to stop him. He must have used my unconscious hand to grip the knife... to frame me!"
"We have to consider all possibilities," the officer said, his tone flat.

"We will take your statement into account, but for now, you are a person of interest. We have to place you in protective custody until further notice."

Yurika sighed, looking down at her hands. "Mrs. Hanada... is she really dead?"

"She had no pulse and had lost a significant amount of blood when we arrived. She was pronounced dead on the scene."

Arrived? Yurika’s mind raced. Who called the police? I didn't have a phone. Mrs. Hanada was dying.

Suddenly, the memory clicked. The silhouette holding a phone to his ear while standing over the body.