The Knights Himura

#2: Ice Cubes in the Drink

Shortly after the ambulance arrived, Tsuki was shoved into a police car and taken to the station. They didn't put her in handcuffs, but the treatment was cold nonetheless.

Not a soul spoke to her. No one even bothered to look at her as they shoved her inside of a cold interrogation room. They left her alone, sitting on an uncomfortable chair at a scuffed table.

Mirrors lined the walls. It was clear that the room's purpose was to break down the will of whoever entered it. Fluorescent lights hung above, bathing the room in a bluish white light.

The constant buzz of the old bulbs drilled into Tsuki's brain. The clock hung over the door and clicked over and over in an unbreaking rhythm. Every minute spent in the room felt like an eternity.

A policeman entered the room. He was sharply dressed, even for someone of his position. He walked in, then closed the door behind him. He then ran his hands down his shirt and pants, straightening himself out.

The officer's attention then turned to Tsuki. He stared at her for a second, then narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side. Tsuki stared back, a sense of dread settling in.

The officer sat down and sighed, clipboard in his hand. "So, you're... Himura Tsukiko, correct?"

"Yes." Tsukiko answered formally, even bowing her head.

"...haven't heard that name in a while." The officer muttered under his breath.

"Huh?"

"Your friend got stabbed, huh?" His voice was cold and disinterested.

"...yes." Tsuki tried her best not to let her emotions get the better of her.

"Nakano... Fumiko? That her?" The officer didn't even bother to look away from the clipboard.

"Uh huh."

"So, do you know who did it? Did you see his face?" The officer asked rather bluntly.

"No, I couldn't. He was wearing a mask. Didn't I already tell you guys this?" Tsuki replied.

The officer neared. "So a masked man stabbed her in the middle of the street."

Tsuki nodded. "...Yes, sir. It was a man in a white mask and robes. He pulled out a knife and tried to mug us."

The officer leaned forward and moved his head past the bulbs. Deep, dark shadow obscured his face. The bulb gave the rest of his head an otherworldly glow.

The only detail Tsukiko could make out was the man's narrowed eyes and look of cruel contempt. The man's intentions were already clear. In his mind, she was guilty

"How do I know this isn't some big ruse? You kids nowadays have got great big imaginations." The man replied without care.

"What, you think I'm making this up?" Tsukiko looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "Who the hell stabbed her then?"

"I can think of plenty of reasons not to believe you."

"Then why don't you ask Fumiko? She was there too, y'know!" Tsuki grit her teeth.

"So you're saying I should throw your ass back into a cell and hope this girl gives me some real answers?" He spoke with an inhumane coldness.

Tsukiko shivered. "Y-you really think I did it?"

A moment of silence before his response. "You seriously think I'm going to take some high school girl's word? You had more blood on your blouse than she did on hers."

In the middle of the chaos, yes, Tsukiko had gotten blood on her own clothes. Still, she knew that it didn't matter.

The accusation made Tsukiko very, very angry. She struggled to keep her emotions under control. She wouldn't dare show it.