As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

To be honest, Ryuu was a bit skeptical of the possibility Yuina purposely left the bread and milk there for him. But, because he was so hungry after waking up from his nap, he finished them in minutes.

The bread and milk felt sweeter to him who was enduring hunger. 

The second time Ryuu saw Yuina was when a group of school hooligans surrounded her one evening. He got a few injuries before Hiro, Yuina's cousin came and chased the hooligans away.

"Well, take it as me paying you back for the bread and milk."

That was Ryuu's response when Yuina anxiously asked him to treat his wounds. 

Both of them didn't get close instantly but, over time, the invisible wall between them collapsed bit by bit. Hiro also got closer to Ryuu despite the former being a reckless student too.

There was a time when Ryuu asked why did Yuina leave the bread and milk for him on that day? 

In the third year of high school, Ryuu found that his life was more vibrant than ever. 

He still worked part-time but, under Yuina's persuasions, he didn't push his body over the limit and started attending classes regularly. 

Even though Ryuu was still with his decision to not continue his study, he also thought that it wasn't bad if he graduated from high school with good grades. At the very least, he wanted to be on par with Yuina who was an excellent student.

"You'll get the scholarship! I believe you would! I'll also work hard for you."

Ryuu had always known that Yuina wanted to leave her aunt's house.

Even though Yuina managed to safeguard a little bit of money from being misused by her aunt and her husband, the amount wasn't enough. She needed the scholarship to sustain her life in the next level of education.

As their relationship got deeper, Ryuu desired to be the support that would elevate Yuina to new heights, something that she lost with the death of her parents.

And...

One of the memories that Ryuu treasured was the day Yuina stayed with him when he finally lost his grandaunt due to her illness, the kind old lady that took him in during his helpless childhood.

Only a few people came to the funeral. Gloominess lurked in the air, suffocating the people who were grieving.

Yuina remained by Ryuu's side even until late, even when it was clear that no one else was coming. She persuaded him to at least have a sip of water because he didn't eat since the morning.

"Ryuu, you're not alone. Just cry. I'm here."

Yuina was also there when she gently embraced him and patted his head, lending him her shoulder to cry on.

Her warmth dissipated the sharp cold air that was strangling him the moment he thought he had lost his only family. 

How could he forget that even though he didn't have blood ties with her, she was now his family?

So many things happened from the first day they met until the day he proposed to her. They had weathered countless storms before brighter days came to them.

Ryuu didn't regret anything. He was genuinely grateful that he met Yuina.

Shaking his head, Ryuu let the memories of his youth return to the back of his mind. His gaze remained on the closed door of the private ward, waiting for his wife to come back.

If not for avoiding suspicions, Ryuu really wanted to run out of the ward to go to Yuina. He also had to adhere to his wife's request; for him to take better care of himself especially when he was injured like this. 

Outside the ward, Yuina was fidgeting with the thermos flask. She was silently berating herself for suddenly pulling both of them into an awkward situation.

"Get a grip, Yuina," She patted one hand over her face, "This is not the time for this."

Yuina was mournful when she realized that there were times she still felt inferior regarding Ryuu. She didn't know exactly when the feeling started to sprout but, it might happen as Ryuu continued soaring high because of his career.

Yuina wanted to let go of such negative feelings but, it wasn't an easy task. 

Whether it was good or bad feelings, they accumulated slowly as time passed. 

To disperse them also needed time and courage.

She wasn't like the fictional overpowered characters that she read in novels, the ones that didn't struggle much with obstacles. 

Yuina quietly approached the ward. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the shadow of one of the bodyguards that were responsible to guard Ryuu. The bulky and tall man wore ordinary clothes instead of the usual black suits.

Riku was still attending to the tasks in her hands. The young yet skilled assistant was busy handling the matters that were entrusted to her. 

Yuina really hoped Ryuu could be transported to the city as soon as possible. The longer they stayed here, the deeper her worries would get.

For now, it was fortunate that the news regarding Ryuu's injuries hadn't been leaked.

Still, she thought this was the time to speak about what she had been thinking all night. 

Yuina politely knocked on the door before she reentered the ward. Her heart was pounding loudly against her chest but she still lay her eyes on the man sitting on the bed.

The door was closed behind her. 

Ryuu gave his wife a soft smile. With a slight lift of his chin, he gestured for her to come closer.

Yuina quietly approached her husband. Both of her hands kept holding to the thermos flask.

Instead of sitting on the bed or the chair, Yuina remained standing. Her brows furrowed as she was contemplating what words should she use. 

At first, she herself insisted Ryuu rest without thinking of something burdening but, now, she was the one who would bring up the subject.

Nevertheless, Yuina had to admit that by keeping her silent, she might not know what to do if the need arose. 

"Ryuu, I have something to discuss with you."

Ryuu raised up his brows. He had a feeling that his wife wanted to speak of something important with him.

"Sit here," Ryuu patted on the bed. He jokingly said, "You make me feel like a bad student being reprimanded by a teacher if you keep standing like that."

Yuina finally smiled faintly.

She put down the flask on the bedside table before she sat on the edge of the bed, facing her husband who was patiently waiting for her to speak.

"Ryuu, what do you think if I want to reveal my identity as your wife?"

Yuina straightforwardly asked the question. The lingering hesitation disappeared right after she opened her mouth.

Taken aback, Ryuu was speechless.

Yuina kept her gaze on Ryuu's surprised face. Seeing the unwavering look of his wife's eyes, he knew she wasn't playing.

"...have you really thought about it properly?"

Instead of asking Yuina what made her think of that, Ryuu focused more on the important aspect; what would happen after Yuina's identity got revealed.

There were lots at stake.

Once people knew which lady occupied the heart of their beloved film emperor, they would try to know more about Yuina.

Things like digging into her background and history were to be expected. She also had to compromise with losing her freedom. 

Ryuu didn't want Yuina to carelessly make such a decision. 

To Ryuu's concern, Yuina only had one answer.

"I've thought things through. It's really the time to stop hiding, moreover when we still don't know if that person would strike again or not."

Ryuu was unconvinced. His brows furrowed in worries.

"But, about that incident..."

Yuina reached out both hands to hold her husband's. She smiled as warm as the sun hanging in the sky.

"Honey, we've talked about this before. I can't deny that I'm still afraid and... having people to know about it scares me but, nothing would change if I just sit still like this."

What happened that year still gave nightmares to Yuina. Although she generally appeared fine on the surface, her fear was still huge.

When Aunt Shigeko viciously said she was waiting for Ryuu's fans to know how filthy his wife was, Yuina was drowned in fear. 

Some people might pity her once her dirty past was exposed yet, Yuina also understood there was a fair share of people who also loved to blame the victim.

Yet, she guessed she had had enough of running away. 

As she thought like that, Yuina felt her heart settle down, rhyming gently in her chest. She softly caressed Ryuu's calloused hands. 

"I feel so useless when I couldn't act like how a wife should be when her husband is sick. Like asking the doctors about your condition from my position as your spouse and even to be able to freely stay with you, I couldn't do that."

Those might seem like little things but, to Yuina, they were all important.

Just because Ryuu was indispensable to her.

"My love, are you really, really sure about this?" Ryuu asked again. He clenched Yuina's hands, pressing his thumbs on the center of her palms.

Yuina was still smiling, eyes twinkling softly.

"Yes."

Yuina wanted to take another step forward.

Even though people might scorn her and say that she didn't deserve Ryuu, she still wanted to try.

Yuina had always known that it wasn't her fault that her body was almost tainted by a group of garbage.

It wasn't also her fault that she almost got sold to a brothel.

Injuring the scum that was responsible for all this also wasn't her fault. She just wanted to defend her dignity. 

But, the world always tried to put the blame on the victim like her, spinning lies from the truths.