Kazuha started to tremble, sweat rolling down his face. "M-my mother said it," he stammered.
"Not just her. Everyone in this village knows. I thought you already knew why you got close to her back then."
He swallowed hard, words spilling out in panic. "I was just messing with you, okay? But the rumor… it's true."
Haruto's gaze sharpened as he studied the trembling man in front of him. Kazuha looked pathetic, terrified, and most importantly, sincere.
After a long moment, Haruto loosened his grip and released his collar.
This was a village where people had too much time and too little to do. Gossip was entertainment here.
A rumor like that could spread easily, especially when Ayaka and Haruto shared similar hair and eye color.
Still, rumors rarely existed without something to fuel them.
Maybe his father really had been close to Ayaka's mother. But cheating? That felt wrong.
