Page 17 of The Oni's Heart

I felt my chest tighten. That was it. The words. The way they said it.

They knew.

My hand instinctively went to my side, to the knife I kept hidden in the folds of my jacket. I wasn’t stupid. I knew how to protect myself, how to survive. But there was something about these men in how they were circling me, as if my time was running up.

“You should get out of here,” I said, my voice low but firm. My mind was racing, looking for an escape, but the narrow street left me no room to maneuver.

The first man laughed again. "Oh, I don’t think you get it, sweetheart." He took another step closer, his breath stinking of alcohol. “We know who you are. And you’re not leaving until we get what we want.”

My pulse quickened, panic surged, ice water flooding my veins. But I forced myself to stay calm, to think through every step. Panic was a luxury I couldn’t afford. I had to keep my head clear, or else this would end before I could even make a move.

I glanced at the two men, sizing them up. One was stockier, his body built like a wrecking ball, the kind that relied on bruteforce. The other was leaner, quicker, probably the type to fight dirty.I can take them,I thought.I have to.

My fingers tightened around the hilt of the knife tucked in my jacket. It felt solid in my grip, a comforting old friend. But I didn’t want to use it. Not yet. The streets were crowded, people were around, and making a scene would only draw attention. I had to be smarter, get them away from my apartment first—away from any place I could get cornered.

I could lead them toward the alley on the right. It’s narrow enough to trap them for a second, giving me just enough time to slip past. But they might catch on.They might.I could lure them toward the park, too—there’s an abandoned shed behind it. It’s dark, isolated, but it’s risky. I’d have to move fast, too fast for them to react.

I clenched my jaw. There was always the option of running, trying to lose them in the crowd, but I wasn’t sure I could outrun these two. They were already closing the distance. Every second mattered.

Focus. Think.The familiar adrenaline surged through me, sharpening my senses. I had to use their overconfidence against them. They were too sure of themselves, too relaxed as if they thought I was just going to crumble in front of them. That would be their mistake. That would be their downfall.

If I could get them just a little further down the street, a little farther away from my place... then I could make my move. The knife would be my last resort. I’d only pull it out if I had no choice. But if they didn’t follow me into the right spot, I would be ready.

I took a breath, feeling the weight of the knife, the weight of the situation, pressing down on me. I couldn’t let fear take over. Not now. Not when I had a plan.

10

Fruits Are Good for You

MOMOI

"Get away from me," I said again, my voice steadying, but the fear was still there, burning in my gut.

The second man stepped closer, his eyes cold and calculating. "You think you’re untouchable? You think we don’t know what you really are? You’reYakuza, aren’t you? The illegitimate daughter of some big shot in the city, just a broken-down whore’s kid who thinks she can escape. Well, guess what?" He smiled, the grin spreading wide across his face. "No one escapes the past. No one."

I didn’t wait another second.

I pulled the knife from my jacket, the cold steel heavy in my hand. The first man lunged, thinking he could overpower me, but he underestimated me. I stepped to the side, and with a swift motion, I slashed the blade across his arm. He yelped in pain, stumbling back, clutching at the blood pouring from the wound.

But I didn’t stop there. I couldn’t. Not with them. Not with how they looked at me as if I was on the menu for tonight.

The guy from the bar lunged at me, and I leaped back, swinging my grocery back into his skull. He stumbled butquickly recovered and threw a punch at my shoulder, sending pain up my neck. I gritted through it and swept my feet under him while pulling out an orange and throwing it directly at his partner’s head.

The second man’s eyes widened in shock, but it was too late. While the stranger from the bar was still getting to his feet, I jabbed the knife forward into his stomach. He gasped, his hands instinctively reaching for the wound. He staggered back, clutching at the blood, but I was already moving.

I didn’t look back, but I could hear their footsteps behind me, heavy and determined. I turned down an alley, ducking into a small convenience store to lose them in the maze of shelves and tight aisles. My heart pounded in my chest, but I didn’t slow down. I couldn’t. Not now.

The store was small, cramped, and the fluorescent lights flickered overhead as I darted through, knocking a can off the shelf with my shoulder. The sound of it hitting the floor barely registered as I rushed past rows of snacks and drinks, trying to find an exit. I burst through the back door into another narrow alley. The air was thick with the stench of the city, but the momentary escape from the chase didn’t last long.

I heard their voices now, closer, angrier. “You think you can run forever?” the man from the bar shouted, his voice cutting through the night.

I didn’t answer. My pulse raced faster than my feet could carry me. I turned another corner, weaving between dumpsters and old boxes, desperate to shake them off. Every breath was sharp in my chest, but I pushed harder, ignoring the ache in my legs and various places.

It didn’t escape my notice that the locals weren’t even batting an eye at what was unfolding. It was as if this kind of chaos, this violence, was just another part of daily life in the slums of Japan. They were all so used to it.

I thought I’d lost them. I really did.

But then, they were there. The first man, blood still dripping from the gash I’d given him, stepped into the alley ahead of me, blocking my escape.

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