Heart of Stone (The Suzuhara Family 3) ✅

Chapter Ten

November 24th, 2028

"Would you like to go to the UK?"

Itsuki looked up from his dinner. Rensei and Gaya had stopped eating and were looking at him. Itsuki himself had barely touched the dinner on his plate. "What?" he asked.

"The United Kingdom Itsuki," Rensei said. "You know, in Europe. Your English is good, Itsuki—"

"Very good," Gaya added with a smile. "Our son had been fluent since his first year of middle school, Rensei."

This was true, but before Itsuki could say anything Rensei continued. "Would you prefer to take one of the study abroad programs and do a year in the UK? Or even finish high school there. What do you think, Itsuki?"

Itsuki's chopsticks slipped out of his hands and clattered to the table. "Why would I want to go to the UK?" he asked numbly.

"We thought you could use a change of scenery," Gaya said calmly, her smile slipping a smile. "There's been so much...drama happening around you recently Itsuki, and despite our best efforts the drama keeps coming to you. Perhaps you need to...get away for a little while—"

"To the UK?!" Itsuki demanded incredulously. "That's on the other side of the world!"

"We have family there—" Rensei said.

"But why the UK?! If you want to get rid of me so bad that you want to throw me out of the damn country, why not send me to Nepal?! We have family in Kathmandu!"

"Don't take that tone with us Itsuki," Gaya said harshly.

"Do you know any Nepalese, Itsuki?" Rensei asked. Itsuki stared at him silently, but they all knew the answer was no. "The UK is a more realistic option, given that you are fluent in—"

"Then send me to Australia, or New Zealand, or even the American Samoa!" Itsuki snapped, jumping to his feet. "Why do I have to go to Europe to escape the "drama" that's here?!"

"You will be comfortable there," Gaya tried to pacify him. "Your father's cousin can have a room ready in his house, and he knows a lot of friends—"

Friends. Itsuki's heart dropped into his stomach and he collapsed into his chair. "This isn't about my wellbeing," he realized out loud. "You're setting me up for an omiai."

Rensei and Gaya exchanged a look of discomfort for an uncomfortably long moment of silence before Rensei looked back at him. "Eizan has an old friend," he said slowly. "A very wealthy friend who has a daughter enrolled in one of the best boarding schools in the country. We have her picture, and her—"

"I'm not doing it," Itsuki interjected harshly, gritting his teeth and clenching his hands. "I'm not going to the UK, and I'm not entering an omiai!"

"Itsuki you shouldn't make your final decision so quickly," Gaya said, raising her hands slightly. "Give it a few days, and then—"

"I'm not going!" Itsuki shouted. "I'm not finishing high school in the UK and I'm not getting married! That's final!"

"Itsuki you have caused a great amount of embarrassment!" Rensei said harshly, standing up as well. "Because of your privilege you haven't been expelled and you haven't gone to prison! Because you SHOULD have gone to prison for trying to kill that boy! But your mother and I worked hard to ensure that your future wasn't ruined, but despite this you are still getting into trouble! We cannot pull you from Yukinaga because it will reflect badly upon us! And your behavior has already costed you two potential omiais because the other families were not impressed with your violent outbursts! We need to save face! We need to get you out of here to a new place where you won't cause us any trouble any more! Eizan's friend is willing to give you a try as a potential future son-in-law, and this is not an opportunity that will come by again!"