Detective Saito's voice echoed through the room, his image on the television screen commanding attention.
He stood behind a podium, addressing a crowd of reporters.
And that would've explained why i thought he had a familiar face.
That man was truly a celebrity.
"Good afternoon. I am Detective Saito, and I am leading the investigation into the recent murder cases across the land. We are thoroughly examining all evidence and interviewing key witnesses. Our priority is to ensure justice is served and that the truth comes to light. We appreciate the public's cooperation and patience during this time."
I turned up the volume, my heart pounding in my chest.
This case seemed unrelated, yet seeing Detective Saito again only heightened my anxiety.
He was speaking about lots of things.
"So, what are you going to say about this tragic event, Detective Saito?" Asked the reporter.
"There isn't much to say. This is a tragedy , but i assure that we'll investigate this question as much as we can." He said with a serious and professional tone.
That man truly loved his job, no wonder why he was so famous.
I was still sat at my table , eating some snacks and carefully following the program.
The quiet in my house became somehow unsettling.
After all the things that I've been told , staying alone in my house was an anxiety.
I had the fear that something like what happened to Hiro would've happened to me too.
But if the culprit was really Hina… i still had the doubt if she would've really hurt me.
Except for her little crisis, she always acted like a normal girl… maybe.
Then I started to remember other strange moments during our usual meetings and dates.
"Mmmh…" i said to myself, trying to remember.
Then, some images came into my mind.
When we went shopping together one day, there was a female cashier working there.
Hina paid everything and didn't let me speak to her, not even for paying.
She clearly didn't want me to interact with that girl… but i was too stupid to notice.
She even grabbed me away quickly and was walked out.
Not even a single glance at the cashier.
Then, she wanted to visit a place that sells things for the house.
I didn't notice that back there, but she remained for some minutes to watch all the types of knives that the shop was selling.
It looked like her eyes were lost into another dimension.
When i called out for her, interrupting her daydreaming, she said that it was nothing and that she was only imagining our future kitchen in our future house.
Well, having an overprotective girlfriend with an obsession for knives is pretty normal, isn't it?
I began to unite all the pieces of the puzzle, one by one, and in the end I could say that there surely was a problem in Hina's behavior.
I started to think with my mind and not with my heart.
She was dangerous. A lot.
Then, after my session of overthinking, i decided to change channel on TV.
By surprise, i switched to the one that usually transmits Animes.
Most importantly, the channel was playing an Anime based on one of my father's works: The tale of a vampire slayer.
By far one of his favorite works.
I watched it too many times, but that was the only good thing that I could see, so i decided to leave it playing in background to keep me company.
But suddenly, my phone buzzed.
I felt a big shiver down my spine.
I hoped that it wasn't Hina.
This time, it was a call from Hana.
I let out a sigh of relief.
"Hey, Hana," I answered, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Kai, I can't stop thinking about everything. What did Detective Saito tell you?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
I hesitated, unsure of how many things i could say to her..
"He... shared some background information about Hina. It's complicated and very disturbing. I can't go into details right now, but please, stay safe. I think we should keep a low profile for a while."
Hana sighed on the other end.
"I understand. But Kai, if there's anything I can do to help, please tell me." She said with a very worried tone.
"Just be careful, Hana. I don't want anything to happen to you," I said, my voice trembling slightly.
"Yes, Kai, i promise. Take care, you're way too important for me and I don't want anything to happen to you. It would hurt me a lot." Hana replied, with a tone filled by many emotions.
Her words actually made my heart lighter.
She genuinely worried about me.
We were family, it was obvious that she cared about me.
"Don't worry, Hana. I'll be okay." I said while hanging up the call.
After we ended the call, I felt a heavy weight settle over me.
The reality of the situation was sinking in, and I knew I had to stay vigilant.
I had a big responsibility on my shoulders…
Before putting my phone away, I saw the notification of Hina's last message after I told her that I would've took a shower.
15 minutes were already passed.
For a strange reason, she didn't message me something like "Hey, are you done?".
She always sent messages like this.
Then, i decided to really take a shower, hoping the hot water would help clear my mind.
As soon as i entered and opened the water, my overthinking session started again.
As the steam and the hot water enveloped me, I replayed Detective Saito's words in my head.
Hina's history, her manipulative behavior, the accidents... it all painted a picture of someone far more dangerous than I had ever imagined.
After the shower, I dried off and dressed, feeling a bit more composed.
My phone buzzed again, and I saw another message from Hina.
"Hey, are you done with the shower? I hope you're doing well. Just wanted to let you know that I'm really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. I miss you."
Her words sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more sinister behind her sweet messages.
Maybe it was a coincidence , but her message arrived in the exact moment that I ended my shower.
Too many coincidences.
I had to stay alert and not let my guard down.
"Yes, Hina. I took more time because it has been a stressful day. I visited Hiro at hospital and luckily he's feeling better… and about tomorrow , I'm still fine. I miss you too." I texted to her, to calm her down.
I had to play the part of the super perfect boyfriend who knew nothing about her, otherwise any suspect by her could end in tragedy.
Then, another message came from Hina.
"Oh. So Hiro is okay?" That's what the text said. Nothing more.
"Yes. He's okay luckily. I would've be dead too if something would've happened to him." I texted back.
"I'm very happy about it!!! We can visit him together one of these days." Hina texted me.
I blinked my eyes a few times, thinking that i didn't read the message correctly.
She wanted to see Hiro with me.
She barely had one single contact with him, she didn't have any reason to care about him.
"I don't think that's a good idea, he still needs to recover." I texted.
"Oh. You're right." The text said.
Even if it was behind a phone, I could feel that Hina's tone changed.
She looked deadly serious even behind those texts.
Then I changed topic and talked with Hina about other things like what she wanted to do tomorrow.
I also wanted to meet my friends, so i sent a message to Yuna to ask her about the Karaoke.
She replied after some minutes and told me that it was closed and that they had nowhere to go.
So, I sighed and invented all my fiends to my house.
They all accepted and in 20 minutes I found Hana, Haruto, Naomi and Yuna knocking at my door.
I was happy to spend some time with them
The last time I did something like this was four months ago.
They brought some snacks and table games and we spent the afternoon-dinner together by doing a lot of things and having lots of fun.
One thing that I noticed , was that Hana kept staying close to me, taking advantage of every situation to talk with me about anything.
Yuna and Haruto noticed that and started teasing her by saying some phrases like "you can't do this, Hana. He already has a girlfriend!!" With a giggle.
This only made Hana more and more embarrassed and she and some adorable pouts on her face.
I must admit that we had lot of fun, but still, I couldn't wash off the feeling of anxiety in my heart.
I loved these moments with my friend, and the thing that i had to protect them was the fuel that filled my determination to resolve the situation.
Then, after dinner, my friends waved at me and walked out of my house.
The day was over.
Haruto drove from his house to mine.
I was glad for that since I would've been worried about them walking at night during these times.
Yuna, Naomi and Haruto walked towards the car after waving a goodbye at me.
The last one was Hana.
She asked Haruto to wait for her since she had something to ask me.
Hana looked at me with puppy eyes and a blush was spreading all across her face.
"K-Kai… I have a request…" she said while looking down and playing with her fingers.
"What is it, Hana?" I said while patting her head like a big brother.
She then raised her head up and looked me into my eyes.
"K-Kai, I know that it may sound strange because you're already in a relationship but… can I sleep here tonight? I'm scared to stay in my house." She asked, with a tone full of emotions.
My eyes widened a bit in surprise at her request, not expecting something like that.
I was a little bit embarrassed by that sudden request.
I thought about it for some seconds.
In other circumstances, I would've accepted, but then I remembered that I had to meet Hina the next day.
A voice inside my head was telling that making Hana sleep here was a terrible idea, because I could find Hina at my door in any moment.
Despite me and Hana were like family, my girlfriend would've been very jealous , and knowing about the situation, it was better not to do anything like this.
"Hana… I'm sorry but I must refuse. It's much safer for you to stay in your home, trust me." I said with a worried tone while giving her a headpat.
Hana clenched her fists and teeth , but she calmed down after one second.
She then smiled at me and said:
"It's okay… I'm sorry for asking. Goodnight , Kai…" she whispered while looking away.
"Goodnight , Hana. I'm glad you understood the situation…" I said with a sorry tone.
But in the blink of an eye, Hana gave me a small kiss on my cheek and then ran towards Haruto's car.
I felt someone squeezing my heart from the inside.
Her gesture surprised me way too much and i had no words to explain what i was feeling.
My eyes widened even more and I touched my cheek to be sure that I wasn't dreaming.
"What a surprise…" I said to myself.
Then , I headed to my room to put on a pajama, and then went into the living room to watch some TV.
Ah, of course i sent lots of messages to Hina while my friends were here.
She wanted to know every single detail of what we were doing.
That evening, I tried to distract myself with some TV, but every channel seemed to remind me of the danger lurking around me.
News reports about crimes, dramas about betrayal and deceit—it all hit too close to home.
Then, I turned off the TV and went to bed.
But not before locking all the windows and doors.
Then, i sent a message of goodnight to Hina and went to sleep.
As night fell, I finally managed to get some rest, though my sleep was restless and filled with nightmares.
Another thing that I forgot to do was to show Detective Saito the wounds that Hina caused to me during her crisis.
Maybe there was no need…
The next day loomed ahead, and I knew it would be a crucial moment in uncovering the truth about Hina.
The next morning, I woke up early, my nerves on edge.
I checked my phone for any new messages from Hina but found none.
Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for our meeting.
I had to stay calm and collected, no matter what.
I had to act in the most natural way possible, like the first days of our relationship.
Arriving at the park, I spotted Hina sitting on a bench, looking as sweet and innocent as ever.
Her smile was radiant, but now it felt like a mask hiding something darker.
"Kai!" she called out, waving me over.
"Hey, Hina," I said, forcing a smile as I approached.
She immediately ran toward me and hugged me tightly.
She even gave me lots of kisses, sign that she missed me.
"Oh Kai!! I missed you so much!!! I'm sorry!!!" She said while burying her head on my chest and rubbing it against my chest.
"Mmmh…~ You smell so good…~" she said with a happy tone of voice.
Then, we sat together, and she immediately reached for my hand, her touch sending a jolt through me.
I didn't know what to feel.
The sight of her and her smile made me a little bit happy, but all the voices in my head were telling me to stay on alert.
"I'm so glad you're here," she said softly. "I missed you so much!!!"
"I missed you too, Hina," I replied, though my words felt hollow.
As we talked, I tried to steer the conversation towards anything that might give me clues about her recent behavior.
But Hina was as charming and evasive, dodging my subtle inquiries with ease.
Then, out of nowhere, she asked, "Kai, do you ever feel like someone is watching you? Like, really watching you?"
Her question caught me off guard, and I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead. "What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.
She leaned in closer with her eyes narrowing.
"Just... sometimes I get this feeling, like there's always someone lurking in the shadows. Do you feel that way too?"
My heart pounded in my chest.
Was she onto me? Or was this another one of her mind games?
"I... I don't know, Hina. Maybe it's just our imaginations," I said, trying to downplay the tension.
She smiled, but there was a glint in her eyes that sent chills down my spine.
"Maybe you're right. Or maybe there's more to it than we realize."
The rest of our conversation felt like walking on a tightrope, every word carefully chosen, every response measured.
I knew I had to keep playing my part until I could figure out my next move.
Then, me and Hina walked a bit around the city and had a normal date like we used to.
The tension in the air was palpable, but at the same time, i tried my best at hiding my sense of unease, so everything looked like a totally normal date.
When we arrived at the end of the date, we walked back at the park and when we were about to part ways, she hugged me and then sniffed my neck.
I thought that this was a cute way for her to enjoy my smell, but what she said next made me scared.
"Kai-Kun…" she whispered.
"W-What is it, Hina?" I asked while swallowing some saliva.
"Why do you smell like another woman , Kai-Kun? Why is there a woman scent in you, Kai-Kun?" She whispering with a deadly tone of voice, while tightening her grip around my neck.
I felt her nails digging into my skin, almost hurting me.
I was scared for my life.
Her rapid breaths were touching my neck, and i felt like she could bit it in any moment.
"W-What do you mean…-?" I asked, but her nails pressed further into my skin.
One step and she could make me bleed.
"Don't lie to me, Kai-Kun. I love you but I hate liars… so please tell me the truth…" Hina whispered, again with her scary tone of voice.
My body was trembling.
Hina's grip was too strong and i couldn't break free.
"I'm sorry… Y-Y know that I had friends in my house yesterday…! Hey you're hurting me!" I said, trying to break free, but all my attempts were futile.
"I know this smell… but thanks for telling me the truth…" Hina whispered.
Then, after some seconds, Hina released me.
I took a deep breath and looked Hina in her eyes.
I was scared.
"Hina… what's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing, Kai." She replied with a smile.
"I just wanted to be sure that you aren't a liar. Sincerity is everything in a couple. If there's sincerity, we can resolve everything." She added.
Her tone of voice became normal like it was before.
Seconds earlier, Hina seemed like a totally different person.
I was scared for my life.
"Oh… okay…. But there was no need to be so aggressive…" i said , while still feeling some pain from Hina's nails.
She giggled at my reply.
"Hahaha! It was just a joke, my love. A joke." She said while laughing playfully.
"Just don't lie to me. Ever." She added while gently hugging to me.
All i could do was hugging her back.
"I love you, Kai-Kun…" she whispered into my ears with a tone full of desire.
I shivered at what she said.
I didn't reply to her, due to my shock.
She then broke the hug and looked into my eyes, asking if everything was okay.
I nodded and gave her a fake smile.
We were ready to go home and as soon as we parted ways, Hina gave me another lingering hug, her grip just a bit too tight.
"See you soon, Kai," she whispered in my ear.
I nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, see you soon."
Walking away, I felt the weight of her gaze on my back.
The danger was real, and the clock was ticking. I had to find a way to expose the truth about Hina before it was too late.
I had to secretely gather evidence to Hina.
I had to visit every place that was part of her past.
Anything that could give me answers…
The situation was getting worse by every passing second.