Chapter 66: Chapter 66: A bitter situation
Kai, Hina, and Yuna stood frozen as the helicopter's dust cloud settled around them.
The tension between them was palpable as Yuki Nakamura's figure approached, her silhouette sharp against the horizon.
Every step she took toward them seemed to heighten the electric charge in the air, an unspoken battle of minds playing out in the silence.
Yuki's eyes quickly scanned each of them, lingering on Kai for just a moment too long.
Her concern for him was obvious, but equally clear was her thinly veiled disdain for Hina.
Yuki's sharp gaze betrayed her real feelings.
In fact, it seemed like her eyes were full of hatred for Kai's girlfriend.
A bloody tension was enveloping everyone as Yuki finally saw her enemy: Hina.
She stopped a few feet away, with her presence dominating the space around everyone.
"A patrol car is on its way," she said, her voice calm yet authoritative. "They'll be here to take you to the station. We need your statements... and soon." She addedm, with a sharp tone, while looking at us.
Kai tried to speak but it seemed like words were struck in his throat, maybe by anxiety, maybe by fear... who knows.
Kai was guilty.
He had killed a man, so the presence of the absolute police commander was enough to make him worried for his life.
More than that, every words that he would've said could be used against him, and that was also the reason of why he, Yuna and his girlfriend were staying silent.
Then, Yuki's eyes flicked toward Hina again, and something glinted in her gaze: disdain, perhaps, but more likely a calculated assessment.
But you could notice a strange thing in Yuki.
Trough her veil of professionalism, you could feel that deep down she was happy to have caught Hina.
She would've done her best to put her in jail.
But Kai's girlfriend is not a joke.
She's a very cunning and intelligent girl.
The tension between the two girls was palpable.
Hina, who had maintained an air of calm up until now, stiffened slightly under that scrutinizing stare.
She perfectly knew who Yuki Nakamura was, and her gaze was only confirming that.
Hina had an empty expression on her face.
Not a smile, not even a frown... nothing.
But Kai felt that deep down Hina was laughing mischievously, like she was mocking Yuki Nakamura.
The story between those two is full of murders and blood, but it's too long to tell.
Yuki had seen her husband dying from Hina's hand, but she never found any evidence to accuse her.
Judging from Hina's reaction, she had no remorse in doing what she did.
Then, she spoke.
"Understood," Hina replied, her voice soft but steady. "We'll do everything we can to help with the investigation." She said in a very formal tone before bowing her head.
Yuki smiled slightly, but it was a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm sure," she said. "Everyone does their best... at least when it's in their own interest." She said with a formal but aggressive tone.
She probably meant that she would've done her best to bring her to justice.
The remark, thinly veiled with a friendly tone, hit Hina like an open challenge.
Their minds were already at war, each aware that the other wouldn't back down easily.
But while Yuki's focus was trained on Hina, her true concern was clearly with Kai and Yuna.
Then, Hina's lips curved into a very formal smile.
"Thank you, Miss Nakamura. You saved us." Hina said.
"There's no need to thank me. It's my job to save innocent people and bring criminals to justice." She replied, with a smile.
Kai, meanwhile, couldn't shake the growing discomfort inside him.
He knew that Yuki Nakamura was concerned for him—it was written plainly in her eyes, in the way she examined him as though searching for signs that he was truly okay.
But it was just as clear that she was hiding something else, something deeper.
His body still felt numb with fear and exhaustion, and his clothes--now further dirtied and rumpled, stained to cover any traces of blood--reeked of sweat, grime, and tension.
Hina and Yuna were in the same state, their clothes now nearly unrecognizable beneath layers of dirt.
It had all been calculated to throw the police off track, to confuse the investigation, but they knew Yuki would be looking much deeper.
It was probably a clever move.
Their clothes were so dirty that the traces of blood on them actually disappeared.
Finally, Yuki broke her gaze from Hina and turned back to Kai, her tone softening. "Kai," she said, almost affectionately, "I'm glad you're okay. You need to know... we're doing everything we can to protect you." It looked like she was speaking with her child in a motherly way.
But she was probably doing that to piss off Hina.
In fact, the sweet tone of voice towards her boyfriend seemed to have bothered her.
Kai nodded, but the unease gnawed at him.
He could sense that there was more left unsaid.
And although Yuki was trying to convey trust, her ambiguous manner only increased the pressure on him.
Hina, on the other hand, never took her eyes off Yuki.
Her mind raced, trying to unravel the detective's true intentions.
It was obvious that Yuki didn't consider her like a normal person.
She was literally facing her husband's murderer and she was trying her best to remain calm.
Finally, the sound of sirens broke the tension.
Red and blue lights flickered in the distance, drawing closer as a police Jeep sped toward them.
Yuki took a deep breath and turned toward the approaching vehicle.
"Good. The police will take you to the station. We'll have time to go over everything in detail there." Don't worry, just a few questions.
Kai swallowed hard, knowing that the "discussion" ahead would've been far from easy.
Every second that passed tightened the knot in his throat.
He wasn't ready to explain everything, but he had no choice.
Yuna still clung to his arm, her face pale with fear.
Hina, meanwhile, appeared ready for any confrontation that might come.
The difficult situation seemed to have turned her on as she tightened her grip on Kai's hand.
She wasn't about to let Yuki Nakamura undermine her.
As the police cruiser pulled to a stop in front of them, Yuki opened the back door with a decisive gesture.
"Get in, let's go," she said, and with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, added, "Don't worry, Kai. You'll be safe... as long as you're with me."
The young man didn't reply, but Hina gave a deadly look to the police leader.
Then, Kai climbed into the vehicle, followed by Hina and Yuna.
The tension inside the car was thick.
The road to the police station would be just the beginning of a battle waged not only with words but with minds, and Kai knew that he couldn't afford a single mistake.
Inside the patrol car, the air was thick with tension.
Kai sat between Hina and Yuna, the weight of Yuki's presence pressing down on him.
His clothes, now further soiled to mask any traces of blood, clung uncomfortably to his skin.
He could feel Hina's subtle glances toward him, filled with an intensity that made it clear she was on high alert.
Yuki Nakamura, sitting in the front seat, seemed relaxed on the surface, but her eyes reflected a sharp awareness of the game that was now underway.
She leaned back, glancing at them through the rearview mirror as the car pulled away from the grassy field.
"I must admit, Hina," Yuki said, her voice smooth yet laced with hidden barbs, "you've handled yourself impressively. Keeping up with a situation like this isn't easy. You must be... very resourceful." She said in a teasing tone, not leaving her gaze even for a second.
Hina met Yuki's gaze in the mirror, her expression calm but her eyes unyielding. "I do what I can," she replied evenly. "We all do."
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken tension, a battle of wits playing out between the two women.
Kai could feel the mental chess match happening above his head, and though he didn't understand the full scope of it, he knew that Hina was fighting for more than just herself.
Yuna, meanwhile, sat quietly, her hand gripping Kai's arm.
She hadn't spoken much since they'd left the bunker, her fear still palpable.
But there was a determination in her eyes now, a quiet resolve that mirrored the tension between Hina and Yuki.
As the police cruiser sped toward the station, Kai knew that whatever awaited them inside would be far from simple.
The battle had only just begun.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone