A/N: This fanfic is almost drawing to a close and I find writing it has been an adventure. There were ups and downs and there will still be, even after this story ends (especially considering the global situation we are all in). I will be writing another major writing project after this one. However, as I mentioned before in a previous chapter, I won't be able to update as often. But because this fanfic is nearly done, I decided to just finish it as soon as possible since I'm still only in the first week of my semester.

Chapter 20: An Attempted Murder

Everything turned on its head as time froze. Even the world seemed to have stopped revolving. For what felt like a thousand ages, though it was really only a minute or two, three individuals stared with wide eyes at a girl crouching over an inert body. A girl whose hands were stained dark with blood...

"H-Hiyori-chan?"

Her body cold and shivering, Kanami's round eyes were filled with horror at the sight before her. This couldn't be possible! Hiyori, who appeared to be trying to staunch the flow of blood coming from Yukina, was as aghast as her girlfriend was.

"I'm calling for medical emergency," Inspector Etou said, once he recovered his wits.

Nobody seemed to have heard him though. They were all too shaken by what was happening. Sounds of running feet approached and within seconds, screams and exclamations of horror started to fill the drawing-room.

"Yukina-san!" Akane cried, rushing next to the injured Renpu president.

"My God, what has happened?" Sana cursed. "Who did this?"

Yuzuki, the collected woman she was, didn't lose her head for a second. Not wasting a moment, she whipped off her grey blazer, putting it over the wound immediately.

"Hold it for her. Try to stop the bleeding as best you can," she instructed Hiyori, before backing away, looking greenish.

"She's not dead, is she?" Iroha asked, her hands clasped tightly together. "Yukina-chan is not moving or breathing..."

As much as she despised the purple-haired woman, Ema's kind heart prevailed. Putting her resentment aside, she knelt down next to Yukina before performing quick CPR, trying to blow back air into the woman's lungs. Stunned motionless, everyone else watched, waiting anxiously for any sign of success. The longer time went on, the bleaker things started to get. Until a short dry cough hacked out of Yukina's throat, along with a small spray of blood.

The Renpu president's piercing purple eyes flew open, almost bulging out of her head as she gasped for breath. Fighting for her life, Yukina's vision blurred spasmodically, taking in everyone's distressed faces. Till her line-of-sight landed on the clouded form of the Heijou Toji next to her. With a sneer, she grabbed Hiyori's arm with a vice-like grip, causing the ebony-haired girl to recoil in pain. Her eyes as wide as ever, the Renpu president spitefully choked out something with venom.

"You..." she coughed, splattering more blood and letting out incoherent garbles, "...killed Yuka...ri!"

The ambulances that Inspector Etou hastily called for arrived at the mansion, not long afterwards. The Renpu president was carefully put onto a stretcher, before being hurriedly driven to the nearest hospital. In the courtyard, everyone watched with trepidation as the emergency vehicles drove away.

With a straight face, Suzuka said to Maki, "Although I never liked that bitch, I also can't bear to see her have to go through something so terrible."

The two Elite Guards looked at Sana and Iroha, who were huddled together, trying their best to comfort Akane. Having already been subjected to the horror of her sister dying, painful recollections once again started tormenting the Origami woman's mind. Her forehead creased together, Yuzuki stood to the side with a cigarette between her teeth, while spinning the sapphire ring around her finger repeatedly.

At the large entrance of the mansion, observing the spectacle in the courtyard, Hiyori clenched the fabric of her uniform tightly in her now-clean hands. The Heijou Toji had scrubbed her palms with such vigour earlier, trying desperately to get the gory liquid off of them. Even so, no matter how hard and well she cleaned them, the stains were still etched deeply in her mind. On the edge of traumatization, Hiyori didn't dare look at the two men next to her in the eye.

Frowning at the piece of paper the Heijou Toji just gave him, Inspector Etou reread the bold words written on it: I KNOW YOU'RE A MURDERER.

Her eyes deadened of life, Hiyori said, "I got an anonymous text when we were talking in the library, telling me to go to the drawing-room alone. I assumed it was the blackmailer, so I did. That's when I found President Takatsu and now, she's spilled everything... The truth is out either way."

"Why didn't you alert me about this earlier?" Inspector Etou asked, sternly.

"I was afraid," Hiyori said, looking down.

"So, Hiyori-chan was responsible? No way," Sergeant Tanaka exclaimed.

"I believe Juujou-san can speak for herself," the inspector said.

Hiyori paused, before saying, "I didn't kill Origami Yukari. But I was being blackmailed."

Inspector Etou only narrowed his eyes at her. He was now making her desperate.

"Please, Inspector Etou. You have to believe me. It's the truth!"

Kanami's father made no response to this and only looked at the blackmail note again, this time more closely. All of a sudden, he had a double take and pressed his nose directly to the paper, sniffing it to be sure.

'My God…'

With weird looks, his colleague and Hiyori stared in confusion. However, Inspector Etou took no notice of this when raised his head up, looking around.

"I have another question on my mind," he said, abruptly.

"What?" Sergeant Tanaka asked.

"Where are President Hashima and my daughter?"

In Yukari's room, Kanami was looking down at the shogi board in front of her with curious eyes. She picked up one of the kings, before addressing the woman standing next to her.

"And it was this chair that Yukari-sama was sitting in when you saw her that night?" She pointed to one of them and Ema nodded.

A satisfied smile crept up Kanami's face. "Thanks, President Hashima. You just helped me solve the last piece of the mystery."

At that moment, Inspector Etou, Hiyori, and Sergeant Tanaka came running in.

"There you both are! Why are you two here? What's going on?" the inspector demanded.

Her eyes shining with triumph, Kanami squared her shoulder, saying, "Gather everyone in the library, Father. There's something I need to tell them."

A/N: At last, Kanami knows who the culprit is and the next chapter will be the big reveal! Do you guys know who the murderer is? Who do you suspect? Is it Akane, the victim's younger sister? Or one of the school presidents, fueled by their dark motives? And what about Hiyori? Was Yukina telling the truth when she said Hiyori killed Yukari? Once again, feel free to leave your thoughts in the reviews! :D