As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

The estranged pair of mother and son didn't go too far from the ward. They just walked out of the private ward and sat at one of the long benches lined in the hallway. In between the seats where they sat, there was quite a distance between them.

"I won't beat around the bush," Kazuya said without looking at the woman next to him, "Mother, all the things that you've done until now, no matter how noticeable are they, are you actually trying to redeem yourself?"

There were no fluctuations on Madam Tokioka's face even when her own son was using such extreme words.

"Do I have to redeem myself?" She asked him back, "What makes you think like that?"

Kazuya pressed down the uncomfortable feeling from overtaking his mind. He let out a faint sigh.

"When Brother and I were young, you and Father didn't even give us another glance but, now, when it comes to the children, you act as if you're a good grandmother to them. Paying attention to their activities, giving them gifts. Do you want to make up for all the loss during our times before?"

For the first time, Kazuya verbally questioned his mother's actions instead of just having those thoughts warring in his mind.

No matter how reluctant he was to believe Shuichi's assumptions, he still had to make clear of them.

And, directly asking the person involved was the quickest way to do it.

Madam Tokioka let her gaze lingered on the closed door of the private ward in front of her. She quietly read the nameplate on the wall beside the door.

Hayashi Hiroki.

The nameplate didn't change for more than one thousand nights. And, it might not be changed in the near future.

"I just do what I want to do," answered Madam Tokioka after a long stretch of silence, "If you think that way, it's all up to you. There's no right or wrong in the way you think."

Kazuya almost lashed out in the face of his mother's answer. He abruptly turned his head, finally looking at the woman's side profile.

"Then, if one day the children finally getting attached to you but, you stop caring for them because you only do what you want to do, won't that hurt them?"

If not for his self-control, Kazuya really wanted to scream right now. 

It was as if all the hardship he endured until now swirled dangerously with the painful memories of the past, waiting to erupt like hot lava gushing out of the volcano before destroying everything lying on its path.

Her son's outburst didn't faze Madam Tokioka. She was calm as she looked back at him.

"Why must I hurt my grandchildren?"

Her answer made Kazuya laughed sarcastically.

"I know you, Mother. Even though I've just lived for thirty years, you and Father only view me and my brother as nothing more than two unimportant additions in your lives. Aside from giving us shelter, food and paying for our education, there's nothing more. You two acted just like sponsors to us, not parents."

Kazuya slowly rose to his feet. His gaze fell on the cold expression of the woman in front of him. Gritting his teeth, he tried to not say something he would regret but, he failed.

"It's good if you finally come to your sense and start to treat the children right but if you ever hurt them by your indifference like how you did to us brothers, I won't stay still. The siblings are my family, my brother's children while you..." Kazuya let out a suppressed breath. His entire face turned rigid, "...are nothing more than someone who only shares the same blood with me."

Once he finished his words, Kazuya took a few steps back before he turned around and entered the private ward again. He didn't wait to hear his mother's response. He just simply let all of those heavy words oppressed the silence of the quiet hallway.

Madam Tokioka lightly pressed her lips. The faint emotion of hurt flashed in her eyes before once again, she appeared cold and collected as if nothing could stir her. The only thing that betrayed her was the clenching of her fists on her knees.

Although her son's words were harsh, she didn't have the ability to refute him.

All of them were true.

Madam Tokioka got up from the bench. She was quiet as she continued looking at the closed door. From the small window panel on the door, she saw the silhouette of her youngest son. 

Without saying anything, Madam Tokioka left the hallway. Her movement was quiet before she disappeared as if she was never there.

Inside the ward, Kazuya was still tending to his elder brother.

Although there were so many words he wanted to pour out, he didn't do it. Even if his brother couldn't hear him, Kazuya still didn't want to say the unnecessary upsetting words in the presence of his brother.

"Once you wake up, you've to exercise more to regain your muscles," Kazuya smiled faintly, "There's only so much I can do by massaging your limbs, Brother."

There was no movement coming from the man on the bed. If not for the warm vapor hitting the oxygen face mask in a rhythm, one must think this pale-looking man wasn't even breathing.

Kazuya stayed in the ward until half-past six, the time Mr. Okuma came for the night shift. He thanked the older man for taking care of his brother until now. 

As the moon gradually rose up to the sky, Kazuya quietly walked into the hospital garden, heading to the parking lot.

Although the merriment of the city kept his surroundings far from quiet, what his heart felt right now was dark and endless loneliness.

Kazuya sat inside his car. He just silently sitting on his seat without the intention to drive the car out of the hospital yard. Time continued turning yet, he appeared as if he stood still against time.

With a slight lift of his chin, Kazuya threw his gaze out of the car window.

The neon lights of the city were too bright. They drowned the beauty of the moonlight and the stars carpeted on the night sky.

It was different from how dazzling they were when he was driving away from her hometown two nights ago.

Kazuya fished out the phone from the pocket of his jacket. After a few taps on the screen, a call was made to her.

Soon, the call was connected.

"Kazuya, hello~ Are you at home now?"

The suffocation of his heart eased a little the moment he heard her voice. The corners of his lips raised up, softening his entire face.

"Not yet. Are you busy now?" Kazuya kept his voice gentle. He didn't want his lady to catch something that was amiss from him.

"Hehe, no ah. I've just finished doing the dishes. I and my mom have early dinner tonight. Eh, have you eaten? You said you're not at home yet. Were you so busy today?"

Her words incited laughter from him. Kazuya gently shook his head even though she couldn't see him right now.

"Not that busy. I have some task to do outside the office," He masked the real reason he was out at this hour instead of going home straight.

"Hurm, you sounded busy tho. Go home ah. After dinner, you can rest well. Don't only focus on your work."

"Hehe, okay."

Kazuya smiled. Tenderness gleamed in his eyes. Although the luster wasn't as vibrant as the moonlight, the fondness carried by the shine was only for her.

"What did you do today? You're not working today, Teacher Kato."

A peal of soft giggles gently transversing from the end of the line, lightening his mood further.

"I bickered with my mom. She kept on asking me to go back to the city sooner. Aye, did she think I didn't know her real intention? She must find me an eyesore, a lightbulb because she couldn't be alone with her secret lover. En, I said I won't go back now. She could only deal with it."

Her story made him laughed in helplessness.

"How could you talk like that about your mother? You've even called the man her secret lover? This is not a family drama on TV."

"Hehehe, my mom still won't admit to it. I have to get more stories from Granny Saichi. It seems that Granny knows about my mom and Mr. Hori."

Kazuya spent the time listening to Himari's silly stories. He kept on laughing as his lady continued her cheeky antics regarding her mother's love life. Unknown to him, the lingering gloominess in his heart dispersed as if it was brought away by her liveliness.

"Himari."

After some time, he called out her name. His voice was imbued with tenderness and longing.

"En, have something to say?" Himari stopped gossiping as she waited for her boyfriend to speak.

Kazuya laughed, "Just wanna say that I miss you."

There was a pause from her side. Kazuya was amused because his mind was already conjuring the image of her looking so flustered before her cheeks reddened due to his sudden words.

"En, en, it's good that you miss me," Himari coughed awkwardly. It was obvious that she didn't expect to hear such words from him, "If my boyfriend doesn't miss me when I'm away from him, I should seriously consider changing to another one."

"Hey," Kazuya chided her, "That's what you think? So, how about you?"

"How about me, what?"

Kazuya laughed angrily at her playing dumb.

Before he could nag at her, Himari's voice echoed from the phone.

"En, I think I miss my boyfriend too, even for a bit. Just teeny tiny one."

Her cheekiness made him laughed. 

"Kazuya..."

Sometime later, his lady sounded so aggrieved thus amusing him.

"En?"

She sighed as if she was met by trouble, "How good it is if we can go on a beach date as you've planned before?"

Once again, he laughed. The joyful laughter spread in the car, like how it spread to his heart.