As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

Madam Tokioka brought the three of them for a brief tour of her studio. She showed them the place where her staff worked, the prototype display room, her own workshop as well as the lounge where they could rest.??

Throughout the entire tour, Kazuya and Izumi kept their silence while Chiharu bounced with energy as she kept asking questions to her grandmother.

"Grandma, this red stone is so pretty like a rose!"

"Are those too sharp, Grandma? Do you use them to cut the stones? Chiharu saw on the TV before ah."

"Wow! These bracelets are so tiny oh~ Can Chiharu touch them?"

Everything caught the dumpling's eyes. She didn't stop looking around her every time she saw an object that was new and unknown to her. The little one felt like she had stepped into a whole new world by just touring in the studio.

"Have the tea and desserts."

After they ended the quick studio tour, Madam Tokioka led them to the lounge.??

There were a pot of tea, four teacups and a three-tiered white and floral dessert stand on the coffee table next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. Small cakes, pastel-colored macarons and bite-size sandwiches were served on the ceramic stand.

The tea was still hot. It was brewed by Madam Tokioka's assistant who just kept himself scarce after serving the refreshments.

Kazuya looked down into the teacup, seeing the reflection of his face on the clear brown surface of the tea. He could see how rigid his expression was.

From the moment they arrived here, Kazuya's nerves were tensed. He tried to loosen them but, he couldn't help but keep his guard up. It was like he was in an enemy's territory rather than someone in his family.

Chiharu sat next to her grandmother, looking so much at ease while talking to her.

Izumi chose to sit beside their uncle. He quietly ate the sandwich while staring at his sister and grandmother interacted.

He only came here because their uncle told them to. Izumi won't be in peace if he just let their uncle brought Chiharu here.??

Although so far their grandmother didn't show any hostility toward them, Izumi was still being cautious. He was still young yet until now, he still remembered how indifferent and cold this grandmother of his had always acted with him.

This woman still bore the same frosty expression on her face but, his little heart kept thinking that she had changed somehow.

Let's just observe for a while longer.

Unknown to Kazuya, Izumi held the same sentiment with him.??

While the two men were quiet, Chiharu was bubbling in joy.

In fact, she was the only one who exuded happiness as Madam Tokioka was still collected and cold as usual.

One of her tiny hands held a pink macaron while the other held a sandwich. Chiharu stuffed the macaron inside her mouth, her chubby cheeks puffed up and down as she ate before she swallowed the dessert. Then, she focused on the sandwich next.

"Grandma, Grandma always works here? Where do you sleep?"

"You'd choke if you eat that way," Madam Tokioka pointed out. She put down the teacup onto its saucer, "I work here whenever I need to. My place is just around this area."

Aside from the main residence that was empty saved for the housekeeper, Madam Tokioka owned a house located not far from this studio. She tended to live there unless she had any work that required her in the city.

Even though it might come that way, Madam Tokioka still preferred to reside in any hotel room rather than going to the soulless family mansion.

Kazuya lightly gripped the handle of the teacup.

The main residence was just a place where he lived before he turned eighteen. After that, it was so rare for him to go back there. Even staying inside the vast mansion for a short time would make him so uncomfortable.

"The stones are so pretty~ Can Chiharu make my own tiara? Like the princess in the film?"

The vibrant-colored stones that she saw inside her grandmother's personal workspace kept popping inside her mind. They were bouncing together and even calling her to dance with them.

Chiharu grinned as she pictured herself dancing with the pretties.

Hehehe~ They are so, so pretty!??

If she wore a tiara with the pretty stones, she could even be prettier ah!

"We can make one if you want," Madam Tokioka answered, "After you finished eating, let's go back to my workshop."

"Really? Really, Grandma?" Overjoyed, Chiharu clenched her chubby hands into tiny fists.

"Yes."

Madam Tokioka cast a look at the soft yet cheeky little dumpling.

Maybe because she was still so small and naive, this little one had never felt discouraged in the face of the cold treatment from her.??

Right now, while her elder brother and uncle were quiet, she kept chatting animatedly with her grandmother who didn't show her apparent warmth as if both of them were so close.

Madam Tokioka inwardly laughed, ridiculing her own self.

If not for this little one who only showed a clear and joyful look every time they met, Madam Tokioka doubted she could keep going.

Her youngest son's hatred and suspicions were not unwarranted considering how was their relationship before.

But, the little dumpling's acceptance of her avoided Madam Tokioka from feeling disheartened.

This ordeal was something that she couldn't evade because all of this happened because of how foolish she was in her younger years.

All four of them moved back inside the workshop.??

The room that served as Madam Tokioka's personal workshop was spacious. Although there were many cabinets and equipment inside, the place didn't appear messy at all.

At first, Kazuya was worried when he watched the siblings gathered near his mother when the woman began working but, after some time, his tensed nerves gradually loosened.

Chiharu was totally joyful the moment her grandmother started to show how to inlaid the stones on a tiara while Izumi couldn't keep his eyes away from the process.

The siblings were thoroughly hooked by this new experience.

Before, Madam Tokioka brought out a few tiaras in different styles from one case box. All of them had yet to be adorned with gemstones. The tiaras were in small size, perfect for a little girl like Chiharu.

The dumpling chose one then, Madam Tokioka asked which colored stones would she like.

"Lots of pink and red stones!" The little one chimed happily.

As Kazuya observed that nothing would come into harm on the siblings, he quietly left the workshop. His feet brought him to the yard of the studio, away from the three of them.

Right now, he needed some space to breathe easily.

Kazuya stood under a tree. His gaze was cast on the fluttering leaves above his head. The surrounding area was cool because of the shade provided by the tree.??

With both hands were put inside the pockets of his denim pants, Kazuya lowered his gaze to the ground. The green grass was neatly trimmed. The tips swayed every time the wind billowed.??

After the conversation that he had with his mother at the hospital before, Kazuya could no longer deny his mother's intention on the siblings.

Maybe, it was true.

She was trying to redeem herself.

From all he could remember since his childhood, his mother was not someone who would leisurely entertain people, moreover children who she deemed troublesome.

After years of being indifferent to her own grandchildren, she finally showed that she had started caring for the two siblings.

"Don't tell me that... she began to change after Big Brother..."

Kazuya didn't finish his words. He helplessly shook his head as he inwardly ridiculed himself.

She wanted to change for the better.

But, wasn't it too late already?

Or, maybe not?

Kazuya scratched his head, making a mess of his own hair in the process. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he began to push the useless thoughts away from his mind.

As the sunlight shone on the ground, the shadows of the fluttering leaves were projected before his eyes. Kazuya was blankly staring at them when suddenly, something struck his mind at the moment he felt powerless.

Kazuya fished out the phone from the pocket of his jacket. His finger quickly dialed a number. The phone was brought close to his right ear.

"...hello, Kazuya?"

The moment he heard her voice, a smile finally curved on his lips.

"What are you doing?"

Kazuya moved closer to the tree. He sat with his legs crossed, his back was leaning against the tree trunk. Tilting up his chin, Kazuya stared into the sky through the gaps between the leaves.

If possible, he wanted to be with her right now.

"Just lazying around. It feels good to just lie on the bed, doing nothing. Weekends are meant to be spent like this."

Her cheeky reply incited laughter from Kazuya. The light in his eyes mellowed as the irritation of his heart began to gradually disperse.

"Ah, then, if your boyfriend here wanna meet you later today, you still won't move from your bed?" Kazuya poked fun at her.

"Hurm, since my boyfriend is slightly more important than my bed, I would still make time to meet him," Himari responded with a laugh.

Kazuya softened his smile.

"I wanna see you."

Even though he couldn't see her right in front of his eyes now, the image of her smiling at him was conjured up into his mind.

"Hehe, I wanna see you too," Her pleasant laughter drifted into his ear, making Kazuya smiled more tenderly, "Let's meet later today?"

"It's my pleasure, my lady."

A gust of wind suddenly blew. The breeze gently caressed his skin, making him remembered the time when she gently held his hand.