As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

A few hours earlier, at Sakuya Residence.

Yuina sat on the long couch with both legs curled sideways on the soft cushion. She propped one elbow up onto the armrest to support her head while the other was lying aimlessly on her thighs.

The sun was setting. The afterglow shone on the horizon in the shades of purple, gold and red.

Nighttime will fall sooner, enveloping the city under its darkness, only to be brightened by the countless neon lights. 

After battling with Hiro a few times, Yuina managed to persuade him to go back to his rented room. Her brother stayed here until past mid-afternoon, worrying about her.

"Sister, are you sure you'll be okay alone? Tomorrow is Saturday ah! I won't have to work!"

Hiro kept asking Yuina the same questions even when he was pushed to the door by her.

"Instead of staying with your sister, you should go out and meet more friends. If not, how would you be able to meet your potential wife?"

Yuina wasn't swayed by Hiro's puppy eyes as he still tried to persuade her otherwise.

"We didn't spend much time together recently ah! Do you already get bored of me?"

"Go home."

With another push, Hiro was thrown out of the duplex. Yuina closed the door before he could have a chance to sneak in again. She just covered her ears when Hiro rang the doorbells a few times.

Hiro finally left after fifteen minutes passed, sending a message to her, asking her to immediately contact him if she ever needed it.

Yuina let out a sigh. She weakly massaged her throbbing head.

Ever since this morning, Hiro was being cautious with her.

It was evident that he wanted to ask her why did she have a breakdown last night but, that foolish brother of hers still knew to hold back instead of straightforwardly asked her that.

Yuina feigned ignorance as she dodged from giving in to Hiro's hints.

She also brushed off the hundreds of missed calls and messages from Ryuu. She still didn't have the energy and courage to talk to him after her emotions exploded last night.

"How should I face him?"

Yuina rubbed her face with both hands, feeling so low in spirits.

All this time, she tried so hard to disregard what she really felt all because she didn't want to form any cracks in her relationship with Ryuu. She also wanted to play a role of a wife who understood her husband's high-profile profession. 

But, by doing so, the cracks were manifested onto her heart instead. The pent-up feelings gradually surged up from the cracks.

"Haa... I'm so tired."

Yuina sat in a crouch position, resting her forehead on both of her knees. She closed her eyes, a weak attempt for her to escape reality. 

Once again, she cried silently, letting her tears fell from her face, dripping onto her loungewear.

Her lower abdomen was still in pain yet it wasn't as terrible as the early days of her miscarriage. But, the pain in her heart had yet to subside. 

Her behavior last night would undoubtedly surprise Ryuu. She had never done that before.

Really, how should she face him once he returned?

She hadn't got a single clue on how to do that.

Click!

Tap tap tap.

Alerted by the sudden sounds that broke the silence of the ever-quiet duplex, Yuina abruptly raised up her eyes. They widened in surprise.

"...Ryuu?"

Her voice was so hoarse, echoed feebly in the living room.

In front of her, the husband that she hadn't seen for months was breathing heavily. His face was flushed red, beads of sweats dotted on his forehead. The black face mask and bower hat were messily covering his face.

"Yuina, you... What's wrong? Last night, you... Ha!"

Ryuu tore off the mask and the hat, throwing them on the ground. With anxious steps, he rushed to where his wife was sitting. His footsteps fell heavily on the floor.

After leaving the hotel in secrecy, Ryuu immediately went to the airport. No matter what Yousuke and Riku tried to say to persuade him, all of them were meaningless. 

He just wanted to arrive home as soon as possible. He couldn't get Yuina's sorrowful cries out of his head.

But, Ryuu didn't expect to see the sight of his wife crouching on the couch, looking so weak to welcome him home.

The moment she raised up her chin, he saw tears streaming down her face.

A pang of heartache spread all over his body.

"Yuina, you..."

Getting so close to her, Ryuu reached out a hand, wanting to touch her face, wanting to dry her tears away, wanting to tuck her stray strand of hair behind her ears.

But, Yuina dodged.

Ryuu froze, his hand was suspended mid-air.

"...Yuina."

As if she had just realized what she had done, Yuina shivered in panic. She rose up to her feet, both of her hands moved awkwardly at her sides, her watery eyes were staring at her husband.

"What are you doing here?"

Her tone was laced in confusion and anxiousness. She didn't even look happy to see him.

Her eyes darted here and there before they fell on his face again. Yet, she appeared to be frightened by his sudden arrival. 

"What do you mean? I'm back... You cried last night so... I came back."

A laugh escaped her lips, sounding cynical.

Ryuu pursed his lips.

He was frustrated because he couldn't even comprehend what was transpiring right now. He lowered his hanging hand, not knowing where to put it when the desire to just embrace her ran so deep within him.

Yuina opened her mouth, asking weakly, "You returned... just because of it?"

Just because he heard her cries, just because she didn't return his calls nor messages, he came back?

Why did she find it so laughable at this time?

"Yuina, what's wrong? What happened when I'm away? What made you..."

Ryuu felt like he was walking on a thin shell, just waiting for it to crack then swallowed him down into the abyss.

He didn't need to see clearly to notice that Yuina had grown thinner. Her complexion was pale, almost resembling the white throw pillow on the couch behind.

Yuina lowered her face, her conflicted expression was concealed by her long bangs. She rubbed her eyes, the remnants of her tears felt sticky on her face. The sound of her sobs faded.

While she was wracking her brain on how to face her husband upon his arrival later, he unexpectedly appeared right in front of her at this time.

She wasn't prepared even at the very least.

What joke was this?

After she managed to hold back her tears from continued to fall again, Yuina slowly lifted up her chin. A part of her long hair framed her flushed face. This time, she properly peered at her husband through her swollen eyes.

Seeing him from the video calls they often made was different from seeing him standing right in front of her.

The traces of exhaustion lined his face, slightly haggard. His eyes were intently looking at her as if they wanted to pierce into her soul, searching whatever the answers he sought after.

This was her beloved husband, Ryuu.

On the outside, he was a figure that was adored by millions of fans.

While, on the inside, he was the man who always handled her tenderly as if she was a flimsy piece of glass that could break with the slightest harsh touch.

Ishizaki Ryuu, the love of her life.

This was the face of the husband that she held so dear within her, the face that was both carved into her eyes and heart.

But, ironically...

This was also the face of a husband that made her drowned in loneliness no matter how much she tried to deny it.

Another wave of tears pooled inside her eyes yet, Yuina refused to shed them again. 

"...Ryuu, welcome home."

Once again, her hoarse voice filled the space between them.

Ryuu rolled his throat, felt a lump clogging inside. 

Without him seeing it, he knew his own eyes started to redden as to how Yuina's eyes were.

Every time he returned from his job, she never forgot to say those words to him, joyfully welcoming him back to their abode.

But, this time, he couldn't hear even the faintest fragment of happiness from those familiar words.

Ryuu clenched and unclenched his fists a few times, his jaw became rigid. Cold sweats began to drench his back even though the temperature inside the duplex was already low. 

An unspeakable fear was looming inside his mind like the dark clouds before a stormy night.

"...I'm back."

He breathed out the words, alongside a repressed sigh.

Both of them stood facing each other, unmoving. 

Yuina painstakingly coerced herself to not waver under Ryuu's conflicted gaze. Her mind kept telling her that she should not back away now, not when everything had reached this point.

Clasping her hands together, her right one was pinching the back of the left, urging Yuina to remain firm although the desire to run into his arms almost weakened her resolved.

Her slightly parted lips, shivering with an unsteady breath, let a few words flowed out.

"Ryuu, I need some time away from you."