Whispers of Lust in the Countryside

Chapter 156: Chapter 155 : Fear Of The Stormy Night

The dining table had been cleared, Miyu’s mother had gone to the kitchen to wash the dishes, leaving a strange, almost tender silence between the three of them. Haruto and Miyu sat side by side on the long bench, their hands almost touching.The old house finally quiet and peaceful.

Haruto stood up first. He bowed slightly.

"Okaa-san... I have to go home now. It’s already late at night. I have to walk. I didn’t bring my bicycle today."

By hearing Oka-san from Haruto, Miyu’s mother’s face softened instantly. The gentle, kind expression she had worn since dinner suddenly became warmer, more motherly.

"Come," she said gently. "You’re still a child. It’s dangerous to walk alone at this time. Let me give you something."

She walked over to the small wooden cabinet near the genkan and took out a thick blanket and a small bottle of warm water. She pressed the bottle into Haruto’s hand.

"Take this. It will keep you warm while you walk home," she said softly, her voice full of quiet care. "And this blanket. You’ll need it."

Haruto took the things with both hands, deeply moved.

"Thank you, Okaa-san," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Miyu’s mother smiled warmly. She looked at her daughter with gentle eyes, then at Haruto, and suddenly stepped forward.

She hugged both of them at the same time — one arm around Miyu, the other around Haruto’s shoulders. The hug was soft, warm, and full of deep emotion.

"I don’t have any son of my own," she said quietly, her voice trembling just a little with feeling. "But you became a son of mine, Haruto-kun. Whenever you feel like coming here... you don’t need to ask. Our door is always open for you. You’re my son now. Miyu is my only child, but you... you’re my son too."

Haruto’s throat felt tight. He hugged her back, his eyes stinging with emotion.

"Yes," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I will come. This is also my home now."

Miyu’s mother pulled back just enough to look at both of them, her eyes shining with quiet happiness.

"Promise me you’ll come whenever you want," she said gently. "Even if it’s just to drink tea. Even if it’s just to talk. You’re family now."

Haruto nodded, his voice soft and sincere.

"I promise."

Miyu’s mother gave them one last gentle hug before stepping back. She smiled at them both, her eyes full of warmth and understanding.

"Now go home," she said softly. "Walk safely. And rest well."

Haruto bowed deeply once more, then took Miyu’s hand and led her toward the door. As they stepped outside, the cool night air welcomed them. Miyu’s mother stood at the door, watching him with a soft, peaceful smile until he disappeared into the darkness.

Haruto walked toward the main road. The sky was cloudy, and occasional flashes of lightning cracked across it. It felt like a storm was about to begin. Half an hour ago, it had been a full moon, but now the weather had completely changed.

Haruto felt a chill run down his spine. It was late at night now, almost 10:00 p.m. Earlier that evening, Haruto had called his grandfather and told him that he was going to his friend’s house, so his grandfather wasn’t worried.

But that wasn’t the problem.

Walking alone at this hour of the night wasn’t safe for Haruto. The off-guard twin psycho sisters could catch him at any moment. He walked with fear in every step, and the stormy weather only made that fear grow even deeper. He thought he should have stayed at Miyu’s house, but he hadn’t expected the weather to turn into something so terrifying.

Haruto walked alone along the quiet road, his footsteps echoing softly in the night. The full moon had disappeared hours ago, leaving only the faint glow of scattered streetlights and the distant shimmer of the river. The air was cool and still, but the silence felt heavy.

Then the wind changed.

It started as a gentle breeze, but within seconds it turned sharp and fast, slicing through the fields on both sides of the road like invisible blades. The grass and wheat flattened instantly. The sky above Haruto cracked open with sudden, jagged lightning. A deep, rumbling thunder rolled across the valley, making the ground tremble beneath his feet.

He stopped walking.

The rain began almost immediately — heavy, violent, cold drops slamming against the asphalt. The sky opened wide, and the fields turned into a sea of swaying in the storm. Haruto stood there for seconds, soaked to the bone in seconds, his clothes clinging to his body.

He had no umbrella.

He started running.

The road stretched straight ahead, empty on both sides — nothing but endless fields under the storm. Lightning cracked again and again, lighting up the dark landscape like white flashes. Thunder shook the ground. Rain poured down in sheets, soaking him completely within moments.

Haruto ran as fast as he could, his breath coming in heavy gasps, water streaming down his face and clothes. The road felt endless. The fields on either side looked like they were moving, bending violently in the wind. Lightning lit up the darkness again and again, revealing the empty road stretching ahead like a tunnel of light.

He was soaked through. His hair was plastered to his head. His shirt clung to his body. His shoes squelched with every step. Yet he kept running, the storm chasing him.

Finally, he saw it — a small, old phone booth standing alone beside the road, half-hidden by the rain. The glass was cracked, the light inside flickering weakly like a dying star. No one was around. No cars. No people. Just the storm and this lonely booth.

Haruto stopped under the shelter of the phone booth. He leaned against the cold glass, breathing heavily, water still pouring off him in sheets. The rain hammered against the roof like a thousand angry fists. Lightning cracked directly overhead, blinding white light illuminating the empty road and the dark fields beyond.

He stood there, soaked and alone, the storm raging around him.

The night had become violent.

And Haruto was still completely alone.

The storm had become violent.

The rain hammered down in sheets, turning the road into a river of water. Lightning cracked again and again, lighting up the empty fields on both sides of the road like white flashes. Thunder rolled across the valley with a deep, terrifying rumble that made the ground tremble. The wind had grown into a full-blown gale, howling through the pines and flattening the grass and wheat as if they were nothing.

Haruto stood under the shelter of the old phone booth, completely soaked. His clothes clung to his body like heavy wet cloth. Water streamed off his hair and ran down his face. The wooden bench inside the booth creaked faintly under him. The glass panels were cracked and dripping. The small light inside flickered weakly, like a dying star.

He had to walk another thirty minutes to reach home. But Ayaka’s house — the shrine where she lived — was only ten minutes away in the opposite direction. Just a few minutes of stairs and then her home. The storm was getting worse by the second. The lightning was coming closer, the thunder shaking the ground, the rain turning into a violent downpour.

Haruto looked at the dark sky, then at the path to the shrine.

He made his decision.

He took out his phone and called his grandfather.

The old man picked up on the second ring.

"Grandpa... storm is getting worse," Haruto said quickly, his voice calm but urgent. "I’m staying today at a friend’s house. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be safe."

Grandfather’s voice was sleepy but kind.

"Okay, Haruto. Stay safely."

Haruto cut the call.

He stepped out of the booth and stood in the pouring rain for a moment, looking toward the road. The path to the right was shorter, hidden by the thick trees. The idea of running through the storm alone made his heart race, but the thought of being completely alone in the dark made it race even faster.

He decided to wait ten more minutes. Just ten minutes. That was all.

He sat back down on the wooden bench inside the booth, water still dripping off his clothes, and watched the lightning crack across the sky again and again.

Then he saw it.

A single figure was walking slowly toward the phone booth.

The figure was coming from the direction of the riverside bridge, moving cautiously through the rain. The storm was so violent that even the lightning couldn’t clearly show the person’s face. But the silhouette was unmistakable.

A woman.

Haruto felt cold all over his body.

His heart stopped.

The figure was getting closer, step by step, the rain pouring down her face, her clothes clinging to her body.

Haruto didn’t move.

He didn’t dare.

He was trapped.

Completely alone.

And the storm had just gotten even darker.