Heart of Stone (The Suzuhara Family 3) ✅

Chapter Fourteen

January 1st, 2029

"Kiminiro?"

Itsuki looked up from praying at the Shrine. He looked over his shoulder and he was stunned at who he saw standing there. "...Adachihara?"

Raiga Adachihara, the boy who Koryu dumped Itsuki for, was standing there looking pale and his eyes a little sunken in. Itsuki straightened and turned to face him. "Ah...Are you okay?"

Adachihara shook his head and gestured to the side. "Can I talk to you real quick?"

"Sure," Itsuki said. He looked at Kiminobu, who was still praying. "I'll be right back."

"Take your time," Kiminobu said, not lifting his head from his prayers.

Itsuki followed Adachihara off to the side where there weren't as many people. "You're doing the shrine visit with your boyfriend?" Adachihara asked him.

"Kiminobu's my friend," Itsuki said, though his heart clenched a little when he said it. "Are you alone?"

Adachihara shook his head. "I'm with my parents. They're getting their fortunes read. But..." he looked away briefly before he looked at Itsuki. "I owe you an apology, Kiminiro."

"An apology? For what?" Itsuki said.

"You were right," Adachihara said painfully. "About everything regarding Koryu. You tried to warn me not to date him, but I didn't listen. He..." he exhaled sharply and ducked his head.

"He broke up with you," Itsuki said. "And not kindly."

"I-I didn't even know I was gay until I started dating him," Adachihara said harshly, shaking his head. "But it's like—it's like he only dated me to get me to come out of the closet, and the minute I-I started getting comfortable in the relationship he broke up with me. He laughed at me." Itsuki could see tears in his eyes. "I can't believe—I can't believe I fell for someone so twisted, you know?! I thought I was smarter than that! I-I mean, I placed 23rd on the country's hardest entrance exam! That should mean I'm smart, right? But I still fell into his trap!"

"I did too," Itsuki said solemnly. "We're not the first and we won't be the last."

"I-I just wanted to apologize," Adachihara said. "You were looking out for me and I dismissed you. I should have listened to you."

Itsuki swallowed hard at seeing his pain. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Do you...Do you friends or family to talk to about this?"

Adachihara nodded. "My friends have closed ranks. And I told my aniki—he wants to kick Koryu's ass. I-I have support, if that's what you mean. It's still hard, though."

Itsuki smiled. "And you didn't try to hit him with a car, did you?"

Adachihara barked out a laugh. "I'm on scholarship. I can barely afford the scooter I use!"

"But I'm glad you have support, Adachihara."

Adachihara nodded. "Thank you, Kiminiro."

A hand suddenly reached out and touched Adachihara's arm. He jumped back in shock and both boys were startled to see a teenage girl standing there. She had the look of a Yamato Nadeshiko, but her eyes...they were smoky-blue and had a peculiarity to them. Like she knew everything that was going on.

Itsuki knew who she was. She was Hoshiko Nimura, a creepy psychic girl who attended Shirahime Girl's Academy. Itsuki had heard from Wataru that she had somehow knew where he was the night Koryu dumped him. She creeped him out and he was thankful that they didn't attend classes together.