Chương 69: Chapter 69: Hina against Yuki
The silence weighed heavily on the room after Yuki left, like the oppressive calm before a storm.
Hina's sharp eyes never wavered from the door, anticipating Yuki's return.
The detective's subtle game of psychological warfare had only just begun, and Hina was more than ready to meet it head-on.
Judging from her look, she already found the perfect plan to escape from Yuki's obsessive grip.
Yuna shifted uncomfortably, her breath shallow, and her nerves still visibly frayed from Yuki's interrogation.
Kai, too, felt the pressure, though he masked it better. His hand grazed Yuna's shoulder in reassurance, but his mind was elsewhere.
He was thinking about what would happen when Yuki turned her full attention to him and Hina.
Moments passed like hours before the door swung open again.
Yuki Nakamura entered, her demeanor cold and calculated, followed closely by another officer.
She gave a brief nod to her subordinate, who positioned himself near the door, creating a sense of entrapment.
Yuki's eyes locked onto Hina, and the shift in energy was palpable.
The air crackled with unspoken tension as the two women squared off mentally, the stakes higher than ever.
Hina leaned back slightly in her chair, her expression neutral, but beneath her calm façade, her mind was sharp, already anticipating Yuki's moves.
More than that, it still looked like she had an invisible smile on her face.
Then, the police leader turned her gaze towards Yuna and finally spoke.
"Excuse me, Yuna. Could you please go out for a moment?" She said, with a softer voice.
Yuna's then snapped back to reality while she was daydreaming.
She looked at Yuki and then nodded her head.
"O-okay…" she said while getting up and walking outside the room.
Kai's soul started to tremble even more.
Now that he and Hina were alone, Yuki could ask every kind of question to them.
He swallowed some saliva and looked at Hina, hoping that she could save him.
After Yuna left, Yuki didn't waste time.
She stepped forward and sat down across from Hina, her gaze piercing.
"Now, Hina," she began, her tone deceptively light, "I think it's time we discuss what really happened in that bunker."
Hina smiled softly, her eyes almost amused as they flicked to Kai for a brief moment before settling back on Yuki.
"Of course, Detective Nakamura," she replied in a silky voice. "I'll help in any way I can. You can trust me~" she added
Yuki's lips twitched slightly, but it wasn't a smile.
"You've been so lucky to get out alive, don't you?" Her voice dripped with faux sympathy. "First, you find Yuna held captive. Then, you manage to rescue her alongside Kai... without any assistance. Quite impressive."
Hina's smile didn't waver.
She shrugged lightly.
"We did what we had to do. Luckily, everything turned out okay."
Her tone was deliberately casual, as if the whole situation was no more than a minor inconvenience.
Yuki leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing.
"Is that really how it happened? So easy? You're basically saying that you walked out from a bunker full of dangerous criminals just by pure luck?" she asked softly, her voice now a sharp blade cutting through the air.
"Because, from where I'm sitting, it seems like more than just luck. It seems like you were prepared, almost as if you knew what was coming…" Yuki said, with a sharper voice.
Hina's eyes gleamed, but her expression remained unreadable.
She didn't flinch under Yuki's accusation, instead tilting her head slightly in thought.
"Detective, I'm afraid I don't follow. Are you suggesting we had some kind of prior knowledge of Yuna's kidnapping?"
"Not at all," Yuki replied smoothly. "But I do find it curious that you were able to navigate such a dangerous situation with such... ease. And there are some questions I'd like to ask." She said, with a sigh.
Her gaze flicked briefly to Kai before returning to Hina.
"Especially given the circumstances. One would almost think you had experience with these kind of things."
There it was—a direct challenge, a probe into Hina's past.
Yuki was trying to lure her into a misstep, to get her to confess to something, anything that could be used against her.
But Hina was no fool.
She met Yuki's gaze head-on, her smile deepening ever so slightly.
"I suppose desperate times bring out hidden strengths in all of us," she said calmly. "But I wouldn't say it was easy. We were just lucky to have survived, especially after what happened to that poor officer who tried to protect us. He literally sacrificed himself to give us to save Yuna. He should be celebrated as a hero."
Hina's words were deliberate, a calculated move to shift the conversation, and Yuki knew it.
The mention of the fallen officer was a subtle jab, a reminder that despite everything, someone had died in the line of duty.
It was a move designed to deflect suspicion, to paint Hina as a victim of circumstance rather than a perpetrator of violence.
That was an intelligent move , but Yuki was going to ask some difficult questions.
She was just setting up the territory , waiting for the perfect moment.
She perfectly knew the officer last words, but when he died, the gunshot also destroyed his radio, so they didn't hear anything after that.
Yuki's eyes darkened slightly, the subtle manipulation not lost on her.
"Yes," she murmured, her voice lowering. "The officer's sacrifice was... unfortunate."
Her eyes bored into Hina's, searching for any crack in her armor.
"But that still doesn't explain how you managed to fight your way out so effectively. Two normal students wouldn't be able to do something like this without a scratch." Yuki said.
"So please, tell me the truth. I promise that there will be no consequences. I have the power of cover everything." She added, with a fake but sweet tone of voice.
Hina's smile never faltered, instead , she perfectly knew where the conversation was leading.
Kai was carefully listening Hina and Yuki conversation, thinking about any possible answer he could give.
The thing that surprised him the most was the fact that Yuki was completely ignoring him.
"Like I said, we did what we had to do. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, you surprise yourself… but let me explain what happened." She said before cleaning her throat.
"We sneaked behind the criminals, taking advantage of the officer's sacrifice. We freed Yuna and then ran away from there." Hina said, with a direct and cold tone.
"Is that so?" Yuki leaned back, a small, dangerous smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Yes, Detective." Hina replied.
"Then , you should explain me some things." Yuki said, with a mischievous tone.
"Everything." Hina said, implying that she would've been collaborative.
"First of all, how did you know that they were taking Yuna exactly in that place?" Yuki asked, while crossing her arms.
That was… a really good question.
Kai was still being silent but anxious.
Hina, on the other hand, was still being calm.
"Well, the answer is very simple, Miss Nakamura." Hina said with a malicious tone, like she was waiting for that question.
"During my time in the Tranquil Pines Asylum when I was little, I was often visited by Detective Saito. He always used to tell me his stories and how criminals used to work. And he also told me about that mysterious building and all the stories around it… so, considering the circumstances and rapidity of events, it was the first place that came up in my mind... and he used to take me there for visits a lot of times… I was just… Lucky." Hina marked her last word "Lucky.", like she wanted to say "try again."
Yuki didn't seem satisfied, and she asked another question.
"Where have you been during these days?" She asked, still with a cold voice,
"I've been in school, and then with Kai. You can contact everyone and ask for any kind of information you need." Hina said, with a formal tone of voice.
Kai silently nodded his head in agreement.
Yuki couldn't contest her answer since she also saw Kai, and he already said that Hina was being a good person.
There was also another thing.
Hina was the one guiding Kai and the officer in that building.
For some strange reasons, Yuki didn't ask her that.
That could put Hina in difficulty.
Yuki then leaned back on her chair and uncrossed her arms.
"You know, Hina, I've seen people in similar situations… people who've faced life-or-death choices and come out alive. They tend to have... certain qualities. Resilience, quick thinking... and often, a history of dealing with violence." Her words hung in the air like a noose.
The room felt smaller, the walls closing in as Yuki tightened the psychological grip.
That was the point.
But Hina was not so easily cornered.
She let out a small, almost musical laugh, breaking the tension with a carefully timed exhale.
"Detective," she said, her voice dripping with feigned innocence, "are you trying to imply something?"
Yuki's smile faded, replaced by a cold stare. "You tell me."
For a long moment, the two women stared each other down, neither willing to give an inch.
It was a silent battle of wills, one that Yuki intended to win.
But Hina was an expert in this game… she had been playing it for far longer than Yuki could ever imagine.
Kai watched nervously from the sidelines, fully aware that the stakes were higher than they appeared.
He could feel the tension radiating from Hina, though outwardly she remained composed.
He knew that if Yuki pressed too hard, the situation could explode.
Finally, Hina spoke, her voice soft but firm.
"Detective Nakamura, I understand your need for answers. But perhaps you're looking in the wrong direction. If it weren't for that officer's bravery, I might not be sitting here today. His sacrifice is what saved Yuna… and me."
Yuki didn't blink, her eyes still trained on Hina.
"You're very good at deflecting, Hina," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "But sooner or later, the truth will come out. And when it does, all those criminals will be arrested and brought to justice.."
Hina's smile faded into something more serious. "I'll be as collaborative as I can to arrest all those criminals, Detective."
"I'm sure you will, Hina." Yuki whispered.
The two women stared at each other for a moment longer before Yuki asked her final question.
"Hina, do you know that there was a literal massacre where you have saved Yuna?" Yuki said.
Hina faked a very surprised and scared expression.
"W-w-what? What are you saying, detective ? I mean… we heard some gunshots while running away… but…" She said with a scared tone after swallowing some saliva.
Her body even started to tremble.
"Oh, some of the victims' throats were slit , some of them had knives into their ribs, and others died by gunshots… didn't you know?" Yuki asked, with an aggressive tone.
"I'm… sorry… I'm sorry… I didn't know… we were just running… and… we were all scared… we ran as fast as we could…" Hina said with a shaky voice , while gently holding Kai's hand.
Hina was way too good at acting…
Kai started to play the part along her and caressed her head and hand.
"Hey… Hina… calm down… it's okay… it's over…" Kai said with a reassuring tone.
Hina then covered her face with her hands and "cried" while Kai was gently comforting her.
Yuki didn't seem touched, but all she could do was nothing more than believe her words.
She had no proofs, nothing.
Hina claimed to have seen literally nothing.
Kai then turned his head towards Yuki and decided to take advantage of her trust towards him.
"I'm sorry, Nakamura-San… she's saying the truth. I swear… we all ran away with adrenaline in our veins…" Kai said, with a calm voice.
"…she's-not-lying-" He then mimicked with his mouth to her, to make sure to be as convincing as he could.
Then, with a sigh, Yuki realized that she couldn't press them further, she she changed the subject.
"Any idea on who's the culprit, Kai?" She then asked.
"Yeah… we heard the name Haruto… a friend of mine is named Haruto… but it seems like he's another one… I don't know anything else." Kai said, while still comforting the crying Hina.
Yuki also realized that she would've talked to Kai in another situation.
He couldn't say too many things while being in Hina's presence.
She then nodded to the officer beside her, signaling that the interrogation was over for now.
Hina then raised up her head towards Yuki, to make her see her red eyes from crying.
But as Yuki turned to leave the room, she paused by the door, glancing back at Hina one last time.
"I'll expect your help." she said quietly.
Hina's eyes gleamed with a quiet intensity. "Yes, Miss-Nakamura…" she whispered.
Then, after Yuki left the room, they remained for some other minutes inside until an officer showed up and told them to follow him outside.
Kai and Hina then met Yuna again.
The three of them were then escorted outside by the same officer.
And then, they finally left the police station.
Once they were outside, Kai saw two people who he never expected him to see.
His eyes widened in shock after noticing who was it.
"Kai!!!" A beautiful long-white haired woman with blue eyes and an elegant man with short brown hair and blue eyes in front of him said with a very worried tone of voice.
Yuna and Hina looked at them and Kai in a curious way.
Then, the two people walked close to him and the woman hugged him, with some tears in her eyes.
Hina looked at her with a deadly look, ready to kill her… but…
"Mother…!" Kai exclaimed…
Hina and Yuna's eyes widened after the revelation.
"M-Mother…?" Hina and Yuna thought…
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