As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

At the hospital, Kazuya parked the car inside a roofed parking lot. Both of them walked together to the hospital lobby, heading to Yuina's ward. 

Halfway there, Himari paused her steps and asked, "I wanna have a private talk with her, but it might take longer. Wanna wait at the cafeteria? Or, do you wanna go to see your elder brother?"

She might haven't seen Kazuya's elder brother but, she knew how much he cared for him.

Kazuya had said that, if he didn't have his elder brother who often looked out for him, he might have turned out into a bad version of himself.

Because he grew up in a family where both parents disregarded him, Himari understood his reasonings.

"I'll go and see my brother," Kazuya smiled faintly. Squeezing her hand in his hold, he spoke softly, "Do you wanna meet him?"

Ladened with anticipation, he asked her the question.

Himari squeezed his hand back. She returned his smile, "I'd love to."

"Okay," Pleased, Kazuya's smile deepened, "Tell me once you've finished talking to your colleague."

"En."

Thus, both of them parted ways. 

In less than five minutes, Himari arrived at the door of Yuina's ward. She cautiously knocked on the door, heard the faint response from the inside then she opened the door.

Instead of the bed, Yuina was currently sitting on a long couch. She was holding her phone in her hands.

The moment Himari entered the ward, Yuina lifted up her gaze, looking at her.

"You're here," Yuina smiled yet it didn't reach her eyes.

Himari frowned, "Teacher Masuda... Did you cry?"

It was rude to point it out but, Himari couldn't resist asking. Seeing the woman's pale face reminded Himari of yesterday when Yuina had just regained her consciousness. 

Her eyes were red, so red as if she had been crying for long.

Himari faltered. Another thought crossed her mind.

And... She must have been crying alone.

Himari took a seat on the long couch where Yuina sat. She was quiet as she assessed the latter's hollow expression.

She really, really looked worse. 

"Just a bit. From where did you come from? You've come here twice in a day," Shaking her head, Yuina changed the topic.

"Ah, I just went out for a moment. Have you contacted the school? Saying about your condition?" Seeing that Yuina didn't want to talk about it, Himari just went along with her.

When Yuina was hospitalized yesterday, Himari had informed the school to avoid the other teachers panicking because Teacher Goda had told them of Teacher Masuda's disappearance.

She just vaguely said that Teacher Masuda suddenly collapsed, the doctor hadn't said anything about the exact cause.

Himari didn't think it was a good idea to tell the school about Yuina's miscarriage when the latter had kept quiet about her pregnancy.

As Monday was approaching sooner, Yuina had to immediately inform the school regarding her condition. It was important to swiftly arrange for the teachers to fill her absence. Her recuperation time might take a week at the very least.

"I'll tell the headteacher about my situation. My status in the school information is marked as married so, it's not weird to hear that I... miscarried."

Yuina paused at the end of her sentence, one of her hands unconsciously touched her lower abdomen. Her action didn't go unnoticed by Himari who understood her pain.

Parting her lips, Himari spoke in a low voice. 

"Don't think too much about school. You have to recover well, either your body or mind. Take this time to focus more on yourself. Take this time to grieve. Do everything that could make you happy. It's not... bad to grieve but, don't put all the blame on yourself."

Hearing the earnest words, Yuina was baffled.

The English teacher held her gaze on her, making Yuina's nose soured as she was touched by her worries.

The sincerity in Himari's voice was apparent. This woman, a colleague of hers, was really concerned about her weakened condition. 

From yesterday until now, what Himari had done to her was vividly imprinted in her mind.

"...why?"

Yuina choked into a sob.

"What do you mean?" Himari cautiously asked her back.

"You have helped me a lot yesterday. You know that you don't have to come running here every time you could," Yuina tilted her head, once again her eyes were layered with unshed tears, "You've done more than you should, Teacher Kato."

Himari stiffened. Forcing a smile on her face, she replied quietly, "...just think that it's something I should do to my colleague in help."

She wasn't ready to tell Yuina about her own experience. Even after opening up to Kazuya, Himari still found it hard to talk about it.

For now...

Let Kazuya be the only one to know, saved a very few strangers from three years ago.

As Yuina saw Himari's complicated eyes, she let out a laugh, ridiculing herself, "Thanks to you, I've been thinking a lot, Teacher Kato. It's the first time I did it. If I was truly alone without anyone, without you, I think I'd still be deceiving myself."

While she was wallowing in self-pity, Yuina found that she began to think of the matters that she often brushed off as nothing. 

One by one, they surged forward from the deepest depth of her mind, making her see things from a different perspective.

No matter how unwilling she was, Yuina had to finally confront them. 

She could no longer blind herself in the face of these messy thoughts that had her happiness at stake.

Puzzled by what Yuina said, Himari looked at her with confusion.

What did she mean by that?

"Hehe, it's nothing serious but, can I ask for your help if I needed it?" Laughing, Yuina's face eased up despite her complexion was still as pale as a white sheet.

She was being vague with her own words yet Himari quickly nodded, agreeing with her.

"Anytime you need me," answered Himari resolutely.

Yuina smiled. 

"Thank you. I really need support right now," replied Yuina.

She was being honest.

Among all the things she needed, support was the most desirable for her.

Before Himari texted her earlier, asking if she could come and visit her again, Yuina was contemplating on what should she tell Ryuu. 

It was time to really confront him, bringing up everything she had kept suppressing in her heart all these years.

Her mind was in a mess as her inner self kept battling words with words; some sounded vicious while the other wasn't tainted by the harshness.

In the end, Yuina didn't contact her husband yet. She wanted to do it after she was discharged from the hospital, giving her enough time to rearrange her turbulent mind. She also was afraid of lashing out at him thus further complicating the matters. 

Fifteen minutes later, Himari bid Yuina goodbye, saying she would come to visit her again. Yuina just accepted her goodwill but, she also reminded Himari to not push herself if she had a more important thing to do.

"I'm really grateful to you, Teacher Kato."

The few words carried the immense sense of gratitude she had.

Himari's smile was soft, "Just remember that you can count on me. Don't think that you're alone."

"Hehe, I'll remember that."

Unknown to Himari, the moment she walked out of the ward, Yuina's eyes held a flicker of resolution. 

She was still sad but, her hope for a new change had just begun to burn within her.

Outside the ward, as Himari was leaving, she brought out her phone and called Kazuya. 

"It's okay. Just tell me the ward number," said Himari after Kazuya asked her to wait somewhere, "I can ask the nurses if I didn't know the way."

"Then, come to..."

Once Himari got the answer, she quickly rushed to the elevator. 

Truth to be told, she was actually nervous at the idea of meeting Kazuya's elder brother even though the man wasn't conscious. 

After all, it was the brother that Kazuya greatly cared for.

To Himari, everything that happened was still so surreal.

She opened the chest of her dark secret, letting a part of it out to him. She did it while dreadfully anticipated that his fondness toward her changed into loathing. 

But, he did not.

He embraced her when she was having a breakdown, crying nonstop in his arms. His gentle whispers drifted into her ears as he was patiently coaxing her. Never once did he say something unpleasant regarding her situation.

Yet...

Himari shuddered as chills ran down her spine.

He still didn't know the entirety of what she had kept hidden inside.

"Keep it to yourself if you're afraid to tell me or anyone. Please, just remember that your past won't define who you are. I won't leave, I won't hate you because of your past."

Those were his words after he sensed that there was more to her secret. 

Himari bit her lip. Lowering her gaze, her eyes trembled in fear. She clasped her hands together, feeling how cold they were.

Won't he really hate her, found her disgusting once the darkest truth went out?

Please...

Himari silently chanted prayers, digging her fingernails deep into her palms.

Give me strength.