As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

Yuina slowed down the car once she entered the parking lot of a city park. People kept coming and going as they enjoyed walking under the sun. The vibrant colors of spring still surrounded them no matter how late into the season they were currently into.

As usual, Yuina went to one of the cafes to buy a drink. Instead of coffee, she chose freshly squeezed orange juice for her to quench her thirst. 

Ever since she got pregnant, Yuina kept extra care of her meals. She still indulged in her sweet tooth but, she also reminded herself to not take too much sugary food and drinks. Fresh fruits were a must for her especially her favorite apples, oranges and cherries.

While she was walking, Yuina saw a little girl in a princess dress playing with her parents. The child's bubbly laughter floated in the air as she was teased by her father.

The little girl made Yuina thought of Chiharu.

Ah, she couldn't forget about the lovable little dumpling who rode her car earlier.

Chiharu was so cute! How lucky Teacher Kato was to have the adorable little bunny liking her?

Although Yuina mostly didn't butt into other people's personal space, her heart was eager to know about Teacher Kato and the uncle of the Hayashi siblings. There was obviously something happened between them.

"Hehe, I suddenly think of Kanna," Yuina let out a soft chuckle.

The people that Yuina dared to pester about relationships so far were Hiro and Kanna. The first one was her dear younger brother while the other was her best friend.

Kanna won't come back soon. From the occasional texts and phone calls they exchanged whenever the female doctor wasn't busy, it was safe to say that most of Kanna's time was preoccupied with her job.

Yuina walked on the cobbled pathway while sipping the orange juice. Her eyes wandered to the children who were playing happily with their friends and families. 

Some of them were just running around, a few were playing with balls while the others dominated the playground.

Behind that joyful laughter, Yuina couldn't help but wonder how many days and nights their parents waited for them to arrive.

Now, they grew up healthily.

"....Ah!"

"Miss!"

Yuina's heart almost jumped out of her throat. Her eyes widened with fear intensified in them.

The furious pounding of her heart was buzzing in her ears. An orange-colored puddle splashed on the ground, an almost empty cup of juice rolled not far from the mess.

She almost fell.

She had almost fallen.

The hand that was originally holding the cup was now pressed anxiously on her lower tummy. Her body shivered at the thought of what would befall on her if she had indeed been knocked to the ground. 

"Miss, are you okay?"

A man's urgent voice came from behind her, distracting Yuina's thoughts from her chaotic mind.

"Ah, okay... I'm okay..." She answered feebly.

The man carefully pulled her, letting her stabilize her footing before he took his hand from her arm, "Sorry, I just grabbed your arm like that."

"It's okay... Thank you," She smiled faintly at the man.

Yuina kept rubbing her stomach. Her face was ashen with lingering fear. She still couldn't stop her heart from beating loudly due to what might happen.

Everything happened too fast.

The orange puddle could be stained with red.

Once again she shuddered in fear. Yuina unconsciously clenched the hem of her shirt.

"Sister, I'm sorry!"

A boy's voice sounded next to her. Yuina blankly looked at the boy who seemed to be around seven years old. His face was brimming with unspoken panic as both of his hands clasped together.

The boy anxiously said, "Sorry, sister. I chased my friend's ball and... and ran into you."

Yuina's eyes flickered. Her gaze fell on a red-colored ball that was rolling not far from where the three of them were. 

The color of the ball was so vivid in her eyes.

Red...

"...!"

"Miss!"

"Sister!"

Yuina's legs softened in a sudden, making her close to fall once again. The boy and the man were quick to support her. 

"Miss, you should sit down first," said the man.

"Sister, sorry... Sit, sit down," The boy sounded so close to tears.

Yuina was brought to a nearby bench by the man and the boy. Her movements appeared stiff. She didn't let go of her hand from her stomach. 

"Miss, you look awful," Once again the man's voice came from beside her, "Do you want me to bring you to the hospital?"

"Ah, no, it's okay..." Yuina dazedly shaking her head. She blinked her eyes a few times, trying to regain her focus. She looked at both the man and the boy then bowing her head, "Thank you. Really, thank you..."

If they didn't help her...

"Sister, I'm the one who's sorry," The boy's voice still echoed with guilt and concern. He was fiddling with his hands, showing how anxious he was, "If I wasn't careful, I won't run into you and..."

"You're polite, child," Yuina tilted her head, staring at the boy's young face. She smiled faintly, "I'm alright. You should return to your friends. They must have been waiting for you."

"I..."

"Go," The man patted the boy's head. He softened his voice, "I'll take care of this sister, see if she needs anything else. You should go now."

The boy looked up to the man then he stared again at Yuina. Under her encouraging smile, the boy smiled timidly in return.

"I'm sorry again, sister," The boy gave Yuina a deep bow, "I'm sorry and thank you for not getting mad at me."

Yuina was amused by the boy's choice of words. She smiled in helplessness, "Be careful when you're playing next time. Look at the people around you. You and the other people might be harmed if you're not careful."

"I will!"

The boy picked up his ball, waved at Yuina and the man then ran in a direction. From afar, Yuina saw a group of children around the boy's age came running to him. They cast a curious gaze at Yuina and the man.

"Miss, are you sure you're okay?" The man focused again on the lady sitting on the bench. 

Yuina blinked. She had forgotten that the man was still with her.

With a slight lift of her chin, Yuina looked at the man who had helped her from falling earlier. She rose to her feet, adjusted her footing well and smiled vaguely at the man.

"I'm alright. Mister, thank you for helping me. I'd really fall if you didn't help me, so thank you again."

"Do you need me to bring you to a clinic? Or, to a hospital?" The man asked again as he quietly assessed the woman standing in front of him.

"I'm good, really. En, I think I should return home. I can't seem to enjoy this park again today," She laughed feebly.

Suddenly, Yuina was desperate to get out of this place.

She still couldn't forget the chilling sensation that came after the realization that she may indeed be in danger a few minutes earlier. 

"En, yes, I think you should go home," the man agreed with her.

Something flickered in the man's eyes, unknown to Yuina.

"Well, since you're okay, I should leave too," continued the man without waiting for Yuina to give him a response. His lips curled up into a smile, "Miss, you should be careful wherever you go. Especially if you tend to be alone."

"Huh?"

Why did she feel that this man's words had an underlying meaning?

The man slowly walked away from Yuina, showing that he was leaving. He opened his mouth. A few of his words drifted into her ears as he walked past her.

"You don't know if there's someone who's eyeing you without you knowing, waiting for you to be harmed."

Startled, Yuina turned around. Her eyes fell on the man's back.

"Mister, what are you..."

Yuina's words trailed off, left unfinished. 

The man's walking pace was quick. In no time, he got further and further from her before he disappeared in the crowd.

If he didn't stay with her earlier, Yuina might have thought that he wasn't the one who helped her.

"What did he..."

Yuina shook her head. She felt dizzy all of a sudden. Yuina quickly sat down on the bench again. She took a couple of deep breaths, trying to stabilize her emotions.

No, she shouldn't stay like this.

What happened earlier had almost made her fainted in dread. Even though there was no injury happened, Yuina would be uneasy until she did a checkup with a doctor. 

"I should go to a clinic," She mumbled under her breath.

One of her palms was pressed on her lower abdomen as if doing so would ensure her that the child inside her was indeed alright.

Far away from where Yuina sat, a pair of eyes were staring at her.

The same man who helped her before was hiding behind a tree. A smirk hung on the man's lips.

"Heh, lucky~ She didn't remember my face, it seemed like."

He kept standing there until he saw Yuina walked away from the bench.