Storm Read Online Free PDF Page A

nationals,” Tanaka said. He tapped his toes against the floor to fit on his school slippers. “That’s nothing new.”
    “Yeah, but this is Yuuto we’re talking about,” Ishikawa said. “I want to see him beat Takahashi to a pulp.” But he kept looking at me, and I knew he wasn’t talking about kendo.
    “You should be careful, too, Ishikawa-senpai,” Yuki said, pulling on the end of her pink scarf until it tumbled down from her neck into her waiting hand. “I heard you almost got suspended for your injury this summer and the fight outside the kendo match.”
    “That’s none of your business, First Year,” he sneered, and looked at me. “Do I even know this kouhai ?” he asked, hooking a thumb toward her.
    “She’s my best friend,” I said, “and she’s right. You’re treading a fine line yourself.”
    “ Maa , whatever,” he said, running a hand through the white spikes of his hair. “I don’t need to be lectured by juniors.”
    The school bell chimed, and Tanaka and Yuki headed down the hallway toward our class. I turned to follow them, but felt Ishikawa’s warm fingers tug on my sleeve.
    “Hey,” he said quietly, his voice a hot whisper against my neck, his eyes deep brown and gleaming. “Is Yuuto okay?”
    I hesitated. Was he? The nightmare flashed through my mind, and then thoughts of what had happened a few days earlier—fighting Jun in the sky with a rain of ink falling, learning he was linked to Tsukiyomi, that Jun was out for vengeance. I pressed my tongue to my lips, the knowledge of it swirling together in the pit of my stomach. “I don’t know.”
    “Let me know what I can do.”
    “Hanchi’s dead,” I said.
    He looked surprised that I knew, his fingers stiff for a moment before they relaxed their grip. “Yeah.”
    My voice was barely there. “I’m scared it was Jun.”
I’m scared Tomo is next.
I didn’t say it, but Ishikawa looked like he knew, like he was thinking the same thing. His other hand slipped into his blazer pocket. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to bring his switchblade to school, would he? But this was Ishikawa, after all. He
would
be stupid enough.
    “Meet you here after class,” he said, and then he was gone down the hallway, and there was nothing for me to do but get to my homeroom and start the school day. I slid in the door just before the class rose to bow to Suzuki-sensei, my thoughts whirling.
    How could I stop Jun, if it was him? And how could I stop Tomo if Tsukiyomi headed down the same destructive path that Susanou was leading Jun?
    My phone buzzed in my bag, startling me out of my thoughts. When Suzuki- san turned to write on the board, I smuggled the phone up and behind my textbook.
    Still in my pajamas. I think I got the better deal.—Tomo
    I grinned and slid the phone back into my bag. With all the darkness closing in around us, I was glad to see Tomo still shining.
    * * *
    Ishikawa was slumped on the floor, one leg bent with his arm draped over it, the other leg stretched into the hallway, forcing students to step carefully around him. The spikes of his hair were pressed flat against the wall, his eyes closed.
    I stepped forward, kicking at the calf of his outstretched leg. “Rude,” I said, and he turned his head to look at me. “You’re tripping everyone up.”
    He grinned, his teeth as white as his hair, and rose to his feet. “Your fault, Greene. If you’d gotten here sooner, I wouldn’t have fallen asleep waiting.”
    “How’d I get stuck hanging out with you, anyway?”
    He smirked, sliding open the door to the
genkan
so we could put on our shoes and coats. “That would be Yuuto’s fault. As always, he’s the source of all my problems.” He zipped up his dark green coat, the dark fur trim around the collar looking a little ridiculous around his pale face and hair. “What?” he asked, and I realized I was staring.
    “You look like a temaki roll,” I said.
    He rolled his eyes. “Ha-ha. Green coat, white hair, looks