As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

"Meet your friends?"

"Well, I've delayed the meetup a few times already so... Shuichi kept nagging me. How about tomorrow night? I could book a place for dinner with them."

Himari giggled seeing Kazuya's dejected look. She nodded, "Sounds good."

The events for today had ended at 1:30 PM. The children had mostly followed their parents home, leaving the teachers and other staff behind. Right now, Himari was standing next to Kazuya before the man and the siblings going home.

Chiharu and Izumi were already sitting inside the car, waiting for their uncle to finish talking with Teacher Kato.

The car was parked under a tree, providing shade from the hot sun. The shadows were cast on them from the light that poured down from the gaps between the green leaves.??

Kazuya wanted to give Himari a ride home but, unfortunately, she had to stay at school for a meeting. Teacher Goda announced that they had to assemble and talk about the first day of the sports festival as well as if there were last preparations needed for tomorrow.

"Well, he has indeed complained about this matter," Tilting her head, Himari let her eyes wandered to the leaves above their heads before her gaze fell on the man's face again, "When I brought Chiharu to Shuichi the other day, he mentioned about meeting me formally."

Kazuya frowned, "Shuichi? You're already on a first-name basis with that rascal?"

Himari laughed seeing his reaction, "He insisted. I found it impolite because we're not that close but, he said I should get used to it soon."

Kazuya made a mental note to interrogate that damn Shuichi later. How dare he forced his lady to call him by his first name already? Wasn't he ashamed of himself?

Because of him, Sayuri knew about Himari.

Why couldn't he just go against her instead of wavered under the pressure? What did Sayuri do to Shuichi that made the latter spilled the beans about Himari?

Unaware of Kazuya's thinking, Himari poked his arm, gaining his attention again.

"Go home now. I see that Chiharu and Izumi are so tired already," Himari gestured at the car with a lift of her chin.

She could see the silhouette of the siblings inside the car, showing their heads tilted down due to them sleeping uncomfortably on their seats. Even the ever-energetic Chiharu was napping in her child seat.

"Are they more important to you than me?" Kazuya drooped his lips.

Himari laughed once again at the sight of Kazuya looking like a puppy being scolded by its owner.??

"En, I'm thinking to ask you out on a date this weekend. But, it's only if you get decent rest after your business trip and this sports festival," Himari gave him a side-long glanced, wanting to see his reaction.

Kazuya perked up yet he still showed he was sad.

"...okay, I'll go home first."

Although Kazuya was reluctant, he still adhered to Himari's words.

His lady asked him to go on a date, okay? Of course, they had to go! He could just leave the two rascals at home this weekend.??

Kazuya slowly walked away from her, took three steps, stopped then turned around to once again facing his lady.

Himari raised up her brows, "What?"

Kazuya rushed on his feet to her, dropped a kiss on the corner of her lips before he straightened his body. With a smirk, he said, "I shouldn't go home before doing this."

"...you're really..."

Himari was at a loss for words. Her face reddened instantly. Although it was a quick kiss, the residual warmth from his lips still lingered on her skin.??

Kazuya laughed seeing her reaction. While she was still in a daze, he squeezed her right cheek tenderly before his thumb moved to her lower lip, implying something suggestive.

His voice was so low and husky as he whispered, "This is not a suitable place for this."

Himari instantly pressed her lips together, another shade of red was smeared on her cheeks.

Kazuya smirked, "Are you shy?"

"No ah! Shoo, go home now," Himari deliberately pouted. She waved at Kazuya as if she wanted him to begone now.

Kazuya's laughter floated out in the car. After getting inside the car, he slowly drove out of the parking spot, gave Himari a wave of his hand before the car steadily left the schoolyard.

Himari stood in the same place for a moment longer until the dark gray car vanished at one intersection. Only after that did she walk back to the administration building.

"...!"

Himari was inwardly surprised the second she glimpsed upon someone standing not far from where she and Kazuya stood earlier. Upon a closer look, it was Chiharu's kindergarten teacher that she met this morning. The teacher was playing with her phone under another tree.

As their gaze met the moment the teacher raised up her eyes, Himari gave her a light nod as a greeting before she rushed to the building.??

Without knowing why, Himari was uncomfortable facing the kindergarten teacher. Even though she wanted to attribute her discomfort to the probability of being seen kissed by Kazuya earlier, Himari secretly felt it was not the entire case.

Since this morning, she only got a bad feeling from this young kindergarten teacher.

With Himari's feet were quick to bring her back to the administration building, she didn't notice the frown on Teacher Hirano's face.

"...she's really with Brother Kazuya?"

No matter how reluctant she was, the image of the man gave the woman a kiss kept flashing in her mind.??

What she saw this morning between the two of them only made her assumed their relationship but, the kiss had cemented what she kept thinking right now.

"Sister Sayuri has just returned..."

Teacher Hirano shook her head, chasing away the uncomfortable thoughts.

Thinking back, she admitted that she had been childish by reporting the couple to Sister Sayuri as well as secretly taking a photo of the teacher having lunch with Brother Kazuya.??

She felt sorry for her cousin sister but, as she carefully thought about it, it seemed like her sister had been one step too late. Brother Kazuya and the English teacher should be in a relationship way earlier than this.??

Sister Sayuri had broken up with that man for three years.

It was not impossible for him to move one and found another love for him.

"Forget it. It's not like I could break them apart," murmured Teacher Hirano.

Still, she felt so regretful.??

She knew how much that Sister Sayuri loved that man even after being away for three years.

Teacher Hirano finally moved away from where she stood. With a heavy heart, she went inside the administration building.??

Tens of miles away from the school, a woman was walking inside an airport. She wheeled the white suitcase beside her, following every one of her steps. As she maneuvered her path, her eyes kept looking at the screen of her phone.

A photo was displayed on the screen, showing two adults and a child happily eating together.

Inside the photo, the same man who coldly ridiculed her in the cafe a few days ago was smiling warmly at the woman sitting next to him. A little girl sat between them yet, the distance between the man and the woman was just a short one.

While the woman was smiling as she ate her food, the man turned around just so he was able to see the woman's face. His body language was enough to tell how comfortable he was with the woman.

"Is this her? Your new girlfriend?"

Sayuri remembered how her hopes soared up when Shuichi mentioned that Kazuya had actually known the woman for three months before they got into a romantic relationship. Knowing Kazuya, Sayuri knew he wasn't the type of man who would easily fall for a woman at first sight.

It should mean that Kazuya actually wasn't in love with the woman yet although he might be fond of her already, just enough for them to establish a relationship together.

Sayuri smiled bitterly.??

Perhaps, he was just looking for a mother-like figure for his nephew and niece? After all, his brother still hadn't regained consciousness even after so long.

As she tried to reassure herself with the assumption, Sayuri quietly thought of what should she do to win him back. She had to admit that the man was thoroughly hurt by her departure three years ago.??

Shouldn't she right the wrong thing she had done?

"Just put them in the orphanage. You can't take care of them anyway."

"Are you sure you want to do this? You're backing away from your dreams!"

"Ha, so annoying. Do everything you like."

"Why can't you choose us? Have you ever loved me?"

Those words were harsh yet she disregarded his feelings by throwing them to his face.

Sayuri was really disappointed when Kazuya said he would bear the responsibility of his brother's children and company, letting go of what he actually wanted to achieve.??

Since then both of them started to fight every time they met, unable to reach the common ground.

The same thing happened until the day she gave him an ultimatum, either her or his brother's family. Kazuya's choice shook her to the core because Sayuri thought he would definitely choose her.??

The end result?

She left.

Until now, the heartwrenching look in his eyes from that day haunted her mind, clawing her heart out with deep guilt.??

"I was too hot-headed," Sayuri smiled self-mockingly, "If not... I'd be the one with him right now."

Tossing the phone inside her handbag, Sayuri continued walking out of the airport. She called for a cab, gave the address and remained quiet throughout the journey to her new place.

She would start a new journey back to the city.