CHAPTER 20
THE CLIMAX
The freezing rainstorm continued on this unusually quiet and haunting night as Yui Narumi sat in her police car tucked behind an advertisement billboard. She was once again on speed trap duty but her mind was far from catching speeders when she heard the name of the murder suspect over her radio.
Tsukasa Hiiragi.
She knew this girl. She knew her as a good friend of her cousin, Konata. She knew her as the sweet and innocent girl whom she had the pleasure of spending some time during the summer at the beach with. Finally, she also now knew her as the girl who became the poster child for the essence of family tragedy.
Yui shook her head with a shocked expression at the details coming over her radio. She could barely believe it when she heard the early reports stating that Tsukasa attacked Kagami and repeatedly stabbed her with a knife. There had to be more to the story or even a fog of war scenario. Even though Yui didn't know this girl as much as she did Minami-chan because of Yutaka, she was still a cop and knew how to read people. Yui knew that despite everything Tsukasa was put through since New Years, there was still no true violence in her and she didn't have it in her to be a murderer. In Yui's mind, the chances were higher that it was an accident and that's what she believed. More details emerged from the radio saying that it was a single stab wound now and that it was believed to have been accidental.
As she held a cup of steaming coffee in one hand, she saw a car approaching down the street and readied her radar gun. Holding it up, the car passed her at an appropriate speed as the digital numbers projected and she let it pass.
Taking a sip of her coffee, Yui heard the crackling static of her radio again. "Car Two-Five, come in, over."
Yui's ears perked up because she was Car Two-Five, making her pickup the radio and respond, "Car Two-Five here, come back, over."
"Car Two-Five you've been reassigned to Sector 8B. We've got a possible 10-15, suspicious person trespassing at the construction sites. A relief unit is en route now to take over the speed trap, over." The police station informed over the radio.
"Roger, Car Two-Five en route to Sector 8B at this time, out." Yui finished and put her car in gear and began to drive to the assigned area.
With the police car lights spinning and lighting the area, Yui sped to Saitama's Sector 8B. It was a new sector assigned on the police map because it was mostly all flattened land with construction sites everywhere where buildings were being birthed. None of them were finished yet and they were mostly hollowed structures towering over the prefecture.
It only took five minutes for Yui to reach the dark and desolate sight with the rain still falling down on this February night. The towering empty structures were haunting figures with their empty floors and wall-less sides. With every breath of sudden wind, the sounds of tarps snapping in the air made Yui stiffen as she exited her car and pulled out her flashlight.
She began to shine the light around the construction site and navigated her way under an eight story building past the concrete walls and metal support beams. Fighting the urge to shiver in the cold weather, Yui continued to walk and shine her light all across the bottom floor of the building. She suddenly heard something and quickly turned her light to her right and saw the top of a human head. It was covered with frozen black hair that was also littered with dirt and dust. What Yui also wasn't expecting was to hear the sounds of crying as she placed her other hand on her pistol sitting in her holster.
"Police! Standup and let me see your hands!" She commanded and readied herself for anything. Her police instinct told her that anybody could suddenly stand with a weapon and use it, so she wasn't taking any chances.
The mysterious person slowly stood and to Yui's horror, the light of her flashlight met the dirty face of Tsukasa Hiiragi. Tsukasa's face was still covered with runny mascara, dirt, scratches, and her eyes were still throwing tears. She was wearing her school uniform's top and it too had scratches and tears on it. Dirt also stained it, probably from falling in the mud after slipping on the ice.
"Tsu…Tsukasa?!" Yui exclaimed and quickly moved her hand away from her firearm. "Oh my god, are you okay?!"
Tsukasa was too devastated to speak. All she could do was open her mouth and whimper and choke as she continued to cry. Yui could tell Tsukasa wanted to speak in the worst way but it was no use. Her relentless trembling told Yui that Tsukasa was nearing hyperthermia and she needed to be warmed immediately.
"Tsukasa, there isn't much time. You're wanted by the police, but I know something else happened between you and Kagami." Yui hastened her speech, making it nearly inaudible and she began to step forward. "Let me help you. Let me take you to a safe place and get you warmed up and—"
"Stay away!" Tsukasa finally found her voice and it screeched across the construction site as she swung her arm at Yui though they were more than twenty feet apart. "It's over! I murdered my own sister! Kagami's dead!"
Yui feared her radio transmissions weren't lying as she hoped they were, but still, she didn't see Tsukasa as the type to mercilessly slaughter her own sister. Nevertheless, Yui still had a job to do and she took another step forward. She wasn't going to follow the arrest of a suspect by the book this time though.
"I don't know the details of what happened, Tsukasa. But please, I still want to help you." Yui nearly whispered in a calm voice, hoping it would sooth Tsukasa. "Let me get you in a blanket and some hot food in you and we can just talk. No cuffs, no visits to the jail, none of that. Just you and me."
Tsukasa shook her head fiercely. "Let me die!"
In an instant, Tsukasa turned and began to run away. Naturally, Yui gave chase and followed the distraught young woman through the obstacles of the construction site and watched her climb up a staircase. Still giving chase, she continued to call Tsukasa's name and order her to stop and she tried to not let her make the situation worse as Tsukasa climbed up another story and kept going. She kept climbing and climbing and Yui continued to pursue until they reached the eighth floor, Tsukasa realized it was as high as she could go and she entered the desolate floor. Construction tools were scattered all across the concrete floor as the wind continued to blow through the wall-less building.
Tsukasa dashed to the furthest side of the level and neared the edge that overlooked all of Saitama in the distance. In the inky blanket of darkness ahead of her, Tsukasa could see the sparkling lights of the city she had lived in her whole life. It was like a Christmas lights show before her as she neared the edge of the eighth story and grasped a metal support pole. She shifted her eyes down and saw only darkness but knew sanctuary rested at the bottom if she jumped.
"Tsukasa, don't do it!" Yui's voice echoed across the high altitude and Tsukasa turned to face her as the policewoman slowly approached with her arm outstretched. "Please, don't. Think about your mother and father. Think about your other sisters."
"Stop! I swear to god I'll do it! I'll jump!" Tsukasa screeched again, freezing Yui.
Seeing that Tsukasa now had nothing left to lose, it wouldn't take much for her to let go of that metal pole and plunge eight stories to her death. With slow movements, Yui moved her mouth closer to the radio clipped to her uniform and whispered, "Car Two-Five here, I'm going to need some backup, over."
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Once again, the Hiiragi family minus Tadao crashed through the iron doors of the local hospital's ambulance loading bay. The paramedics rushed Kagami in on a gurney, the knife still lodged in her stomach and dripping blood. They were able to revive Kagami but knew they couldn't remove the knife from her abdomen in her current state or without the proper medical equipment. Still, the oldest Hiiragi twin was weak and could flat-line again at any second as the medics continued to rush.
Miki and her remaining two daughters tried to keep up as they panted. This was an all too familiar scene for Miki since it brought back memories of Tsukasa's slashed wrist but now, Kagami was at a severe disadvantage unlike Tsukasa.
"She's lost a lot of blood! Are you sure none of you are a match?!" One of the paramedics exclaimed and monitored Kagami's eye movements to make sure she was still responsive.
Miki nodded with teary remorse. "I'm sure! It's our other daughter who has Type-B blood and we don't know where she is!"
The paramedic's look of dread began to frighten Miki and her oldest daughters as they made it into the hospital and Miki looked around and saw a familiar face. She called, "Dr. Hirukawa!"
Hearing his name, the older man with the white hair turned while talking to a nurse and saw the dire situation. Seeing the gurney accompanied by Miki and her other daughters, he could only think of one Hiiragi name that rested on it and immediately rushed to help. Anyone could imagine his surprise when he arrived and saw Kagami resting on it dripping blood on the white sheets and with a large kitchen knife nestled deep just above her belly button.
"What happened here?!" He exclaimed as the paramedics steered the gurney towards the operating room.
"Tsukasa!" Inori and Matsuri yelled together in tears.
Dr. Hirukawa sighed with deep regret and had a sinking feeling that before the night was over, he would see Tsukasa being rolled into his hospital as well. He only feared that she would arrive in a body bag. What could be going on in her head? Dr. Hirukawa didn't know the details of why Kagami had a kitchen knife sticking out of her, but hoped that for everyone's sake that it was an accident.
"Mama…" a faint voice whispered.
It grabbed everyone's attention and they looked towards the gurney. Seeing Kagami's mouth move brought waves of relief to everyone and Miki quickly grabbed her wounded daughter's hand and held it tight.
"I'm here, baby, I'm here." She whispered with tears in her eyes.
Kagami's grip on her mother's hand was weak and she looked dead already. She had lost a lot of blood and looked as if she could leave them again. Still, Kagami uttered, "Tsu…ka…sa…where?"
"Don't worry about that, Kagami." Miki whispered. "Just rest and let Dr. Hirukawa take care of you."
Kagami slowly shook her head. "Mama…find her…help her…save her."
"Kagami…look what she did to you." Miki whispered back.
Again, Kagami held her weak ground. "For me…please…for me."
Before Miki could respond, Kagami's eyelids closed and she went limp. Dr. Hirukawa quickly checked her pulse and replied, "Don't worry, she's still with us. She just passed out but we need to operate now."
Miki nodded and released her daughter's icy hand and allowed Dr. Hirukawa and the paramedics to continue to the operating room. When they disappeared behind the massive swinging doors off limits to them, Miki felt the embrace of Inori and Matsuri. They played their roles as loyal daughters and escorted their mother to the waiting room while Matsuri made the phone call to their father's cell phone of where to find them.
"I can't believe it…Kagami still wants us to find Tsukasa for her. After she tried to kill her." Miki said, still with trembling anger in her voice.
Inori shook her head. "It was an accident, mom. Tsukasa said she was nearly raped again and when Kagami snuck up on her, she thought the bastard found her. She was scared and she thought she was defending herself."
Miki remained silent. "If Kagami dies, all that's left of me will die with her. I thought I knew Tsukasa. She was my baby. She was, in a way, my best friend. But what Tsukasa did…it reminded me of myself."
Inori turned her head. "Mom?"
"There are things about me, Inori. Things I could never tell you. Things about…my past." Miki choked. "When Tsukasa was raped, I felt I connected with her more than anyone because I know what it's like to be a victim. Everything that has happened here is my fault."
"Wh…what are you saying, mom?" Inori asked as she cupped her hand over her mouth.
"I saw Tsukasa's destructive patterns since day one and I could've stopped it…if I listened to your father. I just didn't want Tsukasa to slip into that kind of darkness because I know what it's like and I thought that if I put Tsukasa away, I would be no better than my mother; abandoning her daughter in her time of need. That's why I fought your father every step of the way." Miki spilled her heart. "I stooped to such low and atrocious levels. I stole from homeless children…and I even said I had no regrets about it. I'm sorry, Inori. I failed you and your sisters as a mother."
Inori wasted no time in holding her mother. "Don't say such things, mom. You didn't fail us, but we all made mistakes. We all should share some blame in what happened to Tsukasa. I read her diary, too."
Hearing the reference to the book made Miki cringe. The first entry was going to haunt every corner of her mind for many years. The grisly details of Tsukasa's rape only made Miki want to vomit again as Matsuri took a seat next to them. They sat together for five more minutes until Tadao suddenly burst into the waiting room, making Miki shoot up like a rocket and she ran to him. The two troubled spouses embraced each other tenderly for others to watch as Miki continued to cry until she pulled away and took her husband into the hallway.
"I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you, Tadao!" Miki exclaimed as she cried while holding her husband's hands. "I never wanted any of this to happen and I can't even begin to apologize for stealing from the charity! You were right when you said Tsukasa is a basket case like me because it's true! I should've listened to you! Kagami would still be with us! Oh god, I became my own mother! I left Tsukasa to fend for herself out there and I didn't help her!"
Even though he had gloating rights, Tadao showed his true nature and instead of showing how right he was, he hugged his wife tighter. As Miki cried in his chest, he simply said, "Please take me back, Miki."
The request ceased Miki's tantrum and she looked up at her husband with her watery eyes. "What did you say?"
"I said please take me back. I still love you and I'll always love you. What you did was wrong but I don't want to leave you or the girls. Whatever has happened or will happen from here on out, I don't want to face it alone." Tadao said, now crying himself. "Please don't divorce me, Miki Hiiragi."
Miki dried her tears and formed a smile on her face. She lifted herself up and kissed her husband, who pulled her tighter and deepened the kiss. Inori and Matsuri watched with affectionate eyes and looked at each other and smiled. There still was at least one silver lining in this awful mess.
Too bad the beautiful sight between Miki and Tadao couldn't last longer. Two policemen entered the hospital and quickly approached the reconciling couple and cut their revelations short. They listened as Tadao still held his wife close.
"Hiiragi-san, we found your daughter, Tsukasa." One of the policemen said.
Tadao gulped, fearing that he would tell him that they found her "body" somewhere, especially after what Matsuri described happened on the phone.
"She's currently at the top of an eight story building and is threatening to jump." The second policeman said. "We need you to come with us now."
Despite everything that has happened, Miki wasted no time throwing herself into the new situation. She had reconciled with her husband and she knew that Kagami was safe in Dr. Hirukawa's care. They still had a chance to save Tsukasa and walk away from this horror storm as they were given immediate rides in the police cars to the unfolding scene.
Inside the operating room, a team of doctors headed by Hirukawa continued to work on Kagami. They had successfully removed the knife but they weren't out of the woods yet. Tsukasa used a lot of force in her panic and lodged it so deep, the tip of the blade penetrated Kagami's stomach and they had to worry about internal bleeding.
Looking down at the unconscious Kagami Hiiragi, Dr. Hirukawa couldn't help but smile and he removed one of his gloves to place his hand on her head. He remembered the day he helped Miki give birth to the oldest Hiiragi twin. As he said before, it was love at first sight for not only Tsukasa, but also for Kagami when he first held them. He remembered how attentive Kagami was for a baby and wanted to investigate every part of him as he held her. She even managed to steal one of his pens from its protector and chew on it. He saw her and the always shy Tsukasa when they were children during their checkups and it never ceased to amaze him how close they were. Releasing an internal sigh, Hirukawa shook his head slowly at this situation.
"Doctor, she's hemorrhaging!" One of the nurses cried, snapping Hirukawa out of his nostalgia, which was also followed by the incessant beeps and alarms of the medical equipment telling them something was wrong.
"Where's the bleed?!" Hirukawa exclaimed in his older voice with a wheeze as he slipped another latex glove on.
"Her stomach, just as we feared!" The nurse replied. "We need to cut her open and drain the blood!"
As the surgeons moved in with their tools, the worst happened. Kagami's heart rate flat-lined again and it became a whole new ballgame. The defibrillator was rolled over to Kagami's body and it was charged as the doctor responsible for its function readied it.
"Clear!" He yelled.
He released the powerful shocks of the electrodes into Kagami's body, triggering a slight jump in the heart rate monitor but it once again flat-lined.
"No good! Again! Charging, clear!" The doctor coordinated the process and once again delivered more shocks into Kagami's system.
Still nothing.
"One more try!" He yelled and readied the electrodes. "Clear!"
Everyone held their breath when Kagami's body bounced up for a third time and their eyes turned to the monitor. The beeping continued and to their distraught, the line was still red and flat on the screen. Silence settled upon the group of doctors until one of them rolled up his sleeve.
Looking at his watch, he announced, "I'm calling it. Time of death…9:27 pm."
As the doctors around him began to take off their gloves and masks, Hirukawa looked down at the now deceased Kagami Hiiragi, her face as pale as a ghost and yet she was still a beautiful young woman, even in her death. His anger burned and his frustration with his fellow doctors peaked as he watched them simply give up on her, but they didn't know her like he did. He suddenly announced, "No, this isn't going to end like this! Not for this girl!"
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The rain and wind continued mercilessly around them as Tsukasa stood frozen at the edge of the building, still gripping the pole. The once tranquil darkness that rested eight stories below Tsukasa's feet was now illuminated by a sea of flashing red and blue police car lights. She shifted her eyes up and saw five police cars and a crowd was beginning to gather as the officers did their best to keep them back.
"I just got off the radio with my supervisor, Tsukasa. Your parents are on their way!" Yui called to Tsukasa from her safe distance.
Her hand beginning to freeze to the pole, Tsukasa only cringed at the thought. "Did…they…say…anything about…sis?"
"All they told me is that Kagami is in the operating room now! She made it to the hospital and is being taken care of right now so what do you say we go back down and wait for your parents?" Yui kept trying to talk the youngest Hiiragi daughter away from her suicide.
Tsukasa slowly turned away again and more icicles fell from her dirty hair. She closed her eyes and listened to the activity continuing to manifest below her and tried to think of a single reason not to jump. So far it was proving to be a losing battle. Tsukasa was expelled from school, she had indulged herself in such sinful behavior, she alienated herself from her family, the memories of the Kagura-den going up in flames by her hands haunted her mind, and she believed that she murdered her own sister.
"Look, Tsukasa, I can tell you're freezing over there!" Yui called over the howling winds. "If you won't come over at least let me bring you something hot to drink!"
Still, Tsukasa shook her head as another tear ran down her frozen cheek, making steam rise from it. "Please, stop being so nice to me! I don't deserve it! I deserve to die!"
"Don't say such horrible things, Tsukasa!" Yui yelled back and suddenly, more police officers arrived at the eighth story floor with her.
"What's the report, Narumi?" One of them asked.
Yui turned back and shook her head. "I can't get her to come back from the edge. She's really lost it, now. What's the story on her sister?"
"I know the same things you know, Narumi. She's being operated on as we speak; that's all we've got." He replied and removed his hat to wipe the stress-induced sweat from his head.
Yui turned her head back to Tsukasa and saw her still standing and shivering while gripping the pole. "If only we could prove to her that Kagami is okay, then we could probably get her to come down."
Another policeman slowly shook his head. "That could be a long shot. From what we've heard from the doctors, the girl was in critical condition when she arrived at the hospital. For all we know she could've passed by now."
Yui immediately shushed him for fear of Tsukasa hearing them and quickly turned back to her. She was still looking away from them and down at the growing mass eight stories below them. Turning back to her fellow officers, she added, "We can't let that slip to Tsukasa. Even if Kagami dies, we need to tell her she's okay. If not, Tsukasa won't hesitate for a single second to jump."
The officers left Yui alone once again to try keep talking to the broken girl. Yui was the only cop that Tsukasa knew and she needed her to be there over some stranger with a badge. The rest of the police meanwhile arrived back down at the bottom level and disappeared into the mosh, where a news team had arrived. Trying to capitalize on the developing story of a Miko's upcoming demise, the camera crew was pushed back by the police as two more patrol cars zipped around the corner and joined the circus.
Before the lead car could stop, the back doors flew open and Miki shot out of the back and she charged into the crowd to the building. Her husband was right behind her as the second car stopped and Inori and Matsuri quickly joined their parents in trying to save their youngest family member. Their hearts leaped into their throats when they saw Tsukasa standing at the top of the building, one step further would send her over the edge and eight stories down.
When they were able to identify themselves as Tsukasa's family, a policeman passed a bullhorn to Miki and allowed her to use it as the rain continued to fall on them. Her amplified voice called, "Tsukasa, its mother! Please come down and let us help you!"
Hearing the familiar voice made Tsukasa slowly open her eyes and shift them to the tone's location. She could barely see her family in the dark and rainy weather as her energy was nearly depleted. Her grip on the pole was beginning to loosen as she leaned closer to the edge and hyperthermia began to set in. Tsukasa tried to vocalize herself and respond to her mother's words but her trembling body and cooling temperature wouldn't allow her.
Inori and Matsuri demanded to be taken to the top floor so they could try their hands at bringing Tsukasa back down. The police were reluctant at first but soon concluded it would be better for the distraught Miko to see her older sisters and they could reassure her that Kagami was okay, at least that's what they hoped for.
When they arrived at the top of the building, they saw Yui holding her ground a good distance from Tsukasa until their approach caught her attention. Yui turned and asked, "Are you two the sisters?"
Inori and Matsuri quickly nodded.
"I've been at it since this began nearly an hour ago, but I couldn't get her to budge. Do your best, girls." Yui commended and allowed them to approach her sister.
The oldest Hiiragi daughters slowly approached their baby sister and when their movements caught her attention, she looked at them and showed her grotesque appearance, a serious step down from her usual plain but still charming and even, in her own way, beautiful appearance. It made them both sick to see their sister like this but they still believed they could save her and took assurance in the fact that Kagami was in Dr. Hirukawa's care.
Inori opened the dialogue by saying, "We're so glad we found you, Tsukasa. We've been worried sick."
"Kagami, too." Matsuri couldn't restrain herself and wanted to bring this crisis to a swift end.
Hearing the name shot a new burst of life into Tsukasa's body. "Sis…sis is…alive?"
Matsuri quickly nodded while Inori remained reserved. "Kagami was awake and talking to us before we came here. She wanted us to find you and take you home so let's get down from here and go see her."
More fresh tears flowed from Tsukasa's eyes. "I'm so sorry…Matsuri. And Inori. I never wanted to take things this far. I never wanted to hurt anybody."
Inori nodded and stepped forward. "We know, Tsukasa, we know. It's been a long month for all of us, but it's never too late to make a fresh start. Listen to Matsuri and let's get down from here."
Sniffling, Tsukasa slowly began to uproot her frozen legs from her spot near the edge of the eighth floor. She had been standing there for so long that the rain had frozen around her boots and crackled and broke as she lifted them. It seemed to be over at long last until Tsukasa turned one last time and looked at the crowd below her and saw a policeman talking to her parents. He had removed his hat despite the rain to deliver the message and it was Miki's reaction that gave it away. She quickly covered her hand over her mouth, turned to Tadao, and collapsed into his chest and began to scream and cry. It could only mean one thing.
Kagami is dead.
Seeing her mother's meltdown and her father also in tears made Tsukasa take a closer step towards the edge of the floor. Inori and Matsuri saw this and began to panic while Matsuri said, "Tsukasa, wait, don't!"
Tsukasa froze again and simply said, "I want a bullhorn."
It was a confusing request but regardless, Yui wasted no time in acquiring one for her and to make sure she didn't jump, she slid it across the wet concrete floor over to her and Tsukasa grabbed it with her icy fingers. She brought it to her mouth and made an announcement for the whole area to hear in the midst of the falling rain.
"My name is Tsukasa Hiiragi…and one month ago, I was raped. I was raped by four criminals at the same time and it turned me into something I am not. It made me angry, paranoid, fearful, and worst of all, I took it out on my family. My family loves me more than anything in the entire world and was willing to move mountains to make me happy again, but I wasn't a good daughter to them. In my senseless aggression and violence, I did horrible things that I regret so much. I burned down my family's shrine where I was raped in." Tsukasa spilled her heart for the world to hear and all eyes and ears across Saitama were on her. "I assaulted my friends and my family members when all they wanted to do was help me. I condemned myself to a life of senseless drug and sex abuse while trying to prove a stupid point that I could handle whatever horrible twist life could throw at me. It only made me crazier and I was so selfish to drag my entire family into it. I cost my father and my mother their marriage and I drove a wedge between me and my beloved fraternal twin sister, Kagami Hiiragi, who I loved with all my heart. Now…she's gone."
Hearing this made Inori and Matsuri exchange looks with each other. Was she right? Did Kagami truly leave this world?
"I stand before you all today to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all I've done. I'm sorry to my mother, Miki Hiiragi. I'm sorry to my father, Tadao Hiiragi, and my older sisters, Inori and Matsuri Hiiragi. I love you all so much…" Tsukasa stopped momentarily and began to cry again. The next part of her speech was nearly inaudible through her weeping speech. "I brought nothing but pain and shame to everyone who knows my name, and to all of them, I too am profoundly sorry for everything I've done to you. I hope this last act I do in this life will be seen as unselfish and if I could trade it for Kagami, I would do it. Please forgive me!"
Matsuri made a mad dash for her sister but Tsukasa anticipated her movements and quickly spun and tossed the bullhorn towards her. Because of her human reflexes, Matsuri instinctively blocked the object from hitting her face and she saw her sister let go of the pole and with a blank look on her face, she began to lean back into gravity's clutches.
With one final dive, Matsuri outstretched her arm and tried to grab her little sister's uniform top as it began to waft in the breeze and her fingertips grazed the scarf at the front. That was the last thing she could touch of her sister as she fell out of reach and shrunk into the darkness and showed a small smile. It was sincere and peaceful.
Speechless, everyone at Sector 8B watched the distraught former Miko fall from the top of the eighth story building and gain speed as she approached the ground. In only three seconds, a violent crash sounded across Saitama when Tsukasa landed on a pile of wooden planks and the rain continued to patter across the land, bringing silence after the crash.
When Tsukasa landed with the violent bang on the construction equipment, all who still loved her screamed her name when they saw it either in person or on the news. Her name echoed all across Saitama that night.