My Knife Pointing At Your Heart

CHAPTER 27

Chapter 27: The Ultimatum

Midori’s House - The Safe House

The silence in the living room was heavy after Mrs. Hanada finished her story.
Midori sat back, her eyes wide with a mixture of horror and awe. "I can't believe Yurika would do all that... stage a murder, frame herself, risk prison... just to save you and expose the truth."
Mrs. Hanada nodded slowly, adjusting the blanket on her lap. "Yurika may appear cold and emotionless to the world, but deep down, she has a heart capable of great sacrifice."

Midori smiled gently, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "I know. I’ve always known. Yurika would never truly hurt anyone."

Euro, who had been leaning against the doorframe, stepped forward. He placed a hand on Midori’s shoulder. "She defended me when no one else would. I owe her everything. And now, we have to make sure her gamble pays off."

The Hospital - Three Days Later

Yurika sat on the edge of her hospital bed. Three days had passed since the "murder." That meant she had only two days left before Principal Turo’s deadline expired.

"I can't stay here much longer," Yurika murmured, her mind racing. "If I'm stuck in this room when the clock runs out, Turo will release my secrets. I need to move."

She stood up to pace the room, but the door handle turned. Yurika froze.
The door swung open, revealing a tall, imposing figure in a tailored suit.
"Principal Turo," Yurika said, her voice dropping to a chill. "What are you doing here?"

Turo chuckled darkly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. "You know exactly why I'm here, Yurika."
He walked closer, invading her personal space. Yurika stepped back, her back hitting the cold window glass.

"I must say," Turo sneered, looking her up and down. "I didn't think you’d actually kill someone. Getting yourself arrested? Is this part of some desperate plan to escape me?"

Yurika’s heart hammered against her ribs. I can't let him know Mrs. Hanada is alive. I have to play the villain.

She gulped, forcing a look of defiance. "I don't know what you're talking about, Principal. Maybe you were the one who framed me. Maybe you wanted me locked up so the whole country would see my face plastered on the news."

Turo laughed, a sound devoid of humor. He leaned in, his breath smelling of stale coffee and mints. " careful what you say to your elders, Yurika. Especially your Principal. Remember your place. You are just a student. I am the institution. You will never beat me."

Yurika narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharpening. "Do you think you're above everyone else? I see the look in your eyes, Turo. You're nervous. You didn't expect this media circus. You're vulnerable."

Turo’s expression shifted from arrogance to annoyance. His jaw tightened. "Vulnerable? Don't insult me. You're the one in a hospital gown facing a murder charge."

He checked his watch, then glared at her. "Don't forget the deadline. That necklace—the proof of your other crime—is still in my safe. You have two days. If you aren't back in Tokyo to beg for it... I release the evidence."

Yurika remained silent, but her mind was screaming. Koka said she would get the necklace. Why hasn't she called?
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Turo buttoned his jacket. "I guess I'll see you in school. If they ever let you out."

He turned and walked out, leaving a suffocating tension in his wake.

The Call

The moment Turo was gone, Yurika grabbed her phone. She dialed Midori immediately.

"Midori," Yurika whispered urgently. "Do you know where Koka is? Has she been to school?"

"Yurika!" Midori sounded relieved to hear her voice. "About Koka... I saw her yesterday. She was talking to Mino near the drama club equipment shed."
"Mino?" Yurika’s grip on the phone tightened.

"Yeah," Midori continued. "Mino was acting weird. He was trying to get Koka to follow him somewhere private. I excused myself to go check on them, but by the time I got there... they were both gone. No one has seen Koka since."
"Thank you, Midori," Yurika said, her stomach dropping. "Stay safe."
She hung up, her knuckles white. Mino led her into a trap.

Flashback: Two Days Ago

Yurika sat in the hospital bed, holding the phone to her ear.

"I need you to help me," Koka’s voice came through the speaker, serious and devoid of her usual playfulness. "And in return, I'll help you."

"What do you need?" Yurika asked.
"Principal Turo was involved in my parents' disappearance years ago," Koka revealed, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "I saw him in my living room the night they vanished. The next morning, they were gone without a trace. The police never even questioned him."
Yurika listened, stunned.

"I enrolled at Shizuku to get close to him," Koka continued. "I want to avenge them. I want to find where he buried them." She paused. "Yurika... I want you to kill Principal Turo for me."

The request hung in the air like a guillotine blade.

"Koka..." Yurika replied firmly. "I will not become a murderer. I will bring him down, I will expose him, but I will not shed blood. I refuse to become a monster."

Koka sighed on the other end. "Fine. Then help me destroy his life. I threatened Turo today. I told him to give me your necklace, or I'd expose his corruption."

"You did what?" Yurika gasped. "That's dangerous!"

"I know," Koka said softly. "Listen to me, Yurika. If I stop answering your calls... if I disappear... it means he got me. It means I'm vulnerable. If that happens... don't wait. Finish him."

The Present

The memory faded. The words "Kill Principal Turo" echoed in Yurika's mind.
"I need to find Koka quickly," Yurika whispered. "She played her hand too early, and now she's paying for it."
The door opened again. Two police officers entered.

"Ms. Saisho," the lead officer said. "We have a few more questions about the night of the incident."

Yurika composed herself instantly. She looked up, her face a mask of innocent confusion. "I've told you everything I know," she lied perfectly.

Location Unknown
Darkness.

Koka Binata woke up to the smell of damp earth and mold. She tried to move, but her arms were wrenched behind her back, tied tight to a heavy wooden chair. A gag was strapped across her mouth, stifling her scream.

She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the gloom. It looked like a basement, or perhaps an underground storage room beneath the school.

Panic rose in her chest, but she forced it down. She scanned the room.

In the corner, there was a small, rusted cot. Someone was lying on it. A girl, curled into a ball, reading a book by the light of a small electric lantern. She looked like she had been there for a long time.

Koka squinted. The girl turned a page, her profile illuminated.

Koka’s muffled gasp vibrated in her throat.

It can't be.

The girl on the bed turned her head, hearing the noise.

"You're awake?" the girl said softly.
It was Pippi. Mrs. Hanada’s granddaughter. The girl who was supposed to be missing. The girl whose mother, Lenka, was claiming had been kidnapped.

TO BE CONTINUED