Beneath the Surface: Secrets of an Obsessed Heart
Chapter 117 - 116

Chapter 117: Chapter 116

Hiro nodded absently, not really absorbing Shoji’s words. He got out the car and stood there in the parking lot, his mind stll reeling with what he had discovered.

"Raiden..." he whispered, the name sending a painful ache through his chest. He really didn’t want to believe what he had seen but he couldn’t deny it either. To think he developed feelings for Raiden who was just using him made him feel angry and pathetic.

He dug his phone out of his back pocket, his hands trembling slightly. He nearly dropped it when he saw the screen light up with a lot of missed calls. Twenty from Michi, eight from Han the driver, and a few from Raiden. His heart constricted at Raiden’s name an a fresh wave of tears came over him.

His thumb hovered over Raiden’s contact, torn. Should he call back or shoud he ignore? What would Raiden say if he called? Would he keep lying about being in America? The thought made his stomach churn. He shook his head. No. He couldn’t handle any more lies at the moment. His heart felt heavy, like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand.

With a shaky breath, he scrolled down and tapped Michi’s name instead.

The phone barely rang once before Michi’s voice exploded through the speaker. “Hiro! Where the hell are you?! How long does it take to use the bathroom?! Are you giving birth in there or something?!” His voice was frantic but the sharp tone carried a strange comfort for Hiro who smiled despite being scolded.

“Do you know how worried I am?!" Michi continued. "Your boyfriend even called me, saying you weren’t answering your phone! I had to keep lying to him! Where the fuck are you?!”

Hiro couldn’t help laugh despite everything.

Michi on the other hand, was livid. "Laughing?! You’re laughing?!!!"

"N-No." Hiro sniffled a bit, wiping his face with the back of his hand. Michi always had a way of lightening his mood, no matter how dark the situation. But the smile faded quickly. “I-I’m at the parking lot. Something came up and...I’m not okay, Michi.”

There was a pause on the other end, and then Michi’s voice softened, though still urgent. “Stay near the car. I’m on my way.”

The call ended, and Hiro found himself staring at Raiden’s contact again, his thumb brushing over the screen. He wanted to call, wanted to demand answers but how would he even start? He didn’t even want to look at Raiden at the moment. He felt he should have listened to Shoji from the beginning. Raiden was a scumbag.

Deciding to ignore Raiden, he slipped his phone back into his pocket. He would only talk when he was ready. He walked around and found their car in the parking lot then leaned against it with a sigh, waiting for Michi to arrive. Hiro was a timid soul. He hated confrontation and conflict. On occasions like this, he always ran to his brother for help but this time, Sora was nowhere to be found so the only thing he could do was run away from the problem himself, thinking he’d deal with it when he was ready.

Moments later, Michi came rushing across the parking lot, his eyes full of worry. Without a word, he threw his arms around Hiro, pulling him into a tight hug. Hiro immediately melted into Michi’s embrace, his body trembling as the tears he had tried to hold back began to spill over.

They got into the car, and as soon as Michi closed the door, Hiro burst into tears. The weight of everything came crashing down, and he sobbed uncontrollably as he poured out the entire story. How he met Shoji a month ago at the ice cream shop, how Shoji cornered him in the bathroom, how they went to the warehouse, and how they saw Raiden with Ginro.

Michi listened quietly, his brow furrowed as he carefully wiped Hiro’s face with a handkerchief. “Oh God, Hiro, that’s awful,” he said softly, his voice laced with concern. “I know it hurts, but please stop crying. You’ll get a headache.”

“I already have one,” Hiro mumbled, sniffling, still trying to catch his breath between sobs.

Michi couldn’t help but smile at how cute and innocent Hiro could be, even in such a difficult moment. But then he grew serious again. “How are you sure that what Shoji said is true?”

“I saw him, Michi!” Hiro’s voice broke with desperation. “I’m telling you, I saw him with my own eyes. He collected the money from Ginro! And it was the same bag! It was big brother’s bag!”

“But what if what you saw isn’t exactly what it seems?” Michi replied gently. “I mean, you only saw him take the bag. You didn’t actually see what was inside. For all you know, it might not have been money at all. Even if it were, it might not have been your money. For all we know, Ginro might have been owing Raiden money. And think about it—Shoji is the one who’s suspicious here. He has a motive. He wants Project Aegis. You told me yourself that Raiden refused to give his own best friend access to your parents’ greatest work. Doesn’t that say something about Shoji? According to you, back in high-school, they were thick as thieves. Why would Raiden refuse to give or at least include Shoji in the project? If you think about it, it doesn’t make sense. Raiden must have his own reasons. After all, the project doesn’t fully belong to him. It belongs to your parents. Maybe he’s holding on to it for you. You did say that he was buying up all your parents properties to return them to you.”

Hiro sat there in silence for Michi’s words hit him hard. Michi was right but he didn’t know what to think anymore, and his mind felt even more scrambled. “I don’t know...” he whispered, his voice barely audible as he rested his head in his hands. "I can’t think like this."

Michi let out a sigh, rubbing Hiro’s back soothingly. “You know what? Let’s not think about it too much right now. Let’s go to my place. You can rest, have something to eat, and then we’ll figure it out together. Is that okay?”

Hiro nodded slowly. “That’s fine,” he mumbled. He didn’t want to see or talk to Raiden at the moment anyway. His heart was too heavy, his mind too clouded with doubt.

********

The ride to Michi’s home was smooth, the quiet hum of the car’s engine the only sound as they navigated through the streets. Hiro stared blankly out the window, lost in his thoughts, while Michi kept glancing over, concerned. Eventually, they pulled into the driveway of Michi’s cozy house which was located at the back of their restaurant and he led Hiro inside.

“Take a hot shower,” Michi suggested with a soft smile as he showed Han where to place the things he bought. “I’ll make us something to eat.”