As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

The two of them left the parking area. Slowly, as their feet brought them to the street that was filled with lights, little by little the merriment of the area lifting up their moods.

Aside from the visitors who were either talking to their friends and partners or even taking photos to commemorate their time there, there were also booth vendors who set up small stalls at the roadside. Music blasted in the air, passing down the street.

The vendors were selling handcrafted items, spring clothes, toys and even food. The acceptance of the visitors toward the stalls was great as they kept stopping from one stall to the next.

Both of them continued walking yet no one said a thing.

Himari silently looked at Kazuya beside her.

He kept pressing his lips together. His brows almost knitted together from time to time. Both of his hands were put inside his pockets, the moving bulges appeared as if he was clenching and unclenching his fists.

All of his little actions showed that he was having something troubling him right now.

"Kazuya, didn't you say you want to talk to me about something?" Himari took the first step to disperse the silence between them, "What it is? You look restless."

The lady's words brought him back to reality. Kazuya paused his steps, lowering his gaze to her yet he still said nothing.

Himari stopped walking too. She patiently waited for him to speak.

"I do have something to talk to you about," Kazuya opened his mouth after a long expanse of silence, "It's just... I do not know how to say it."

"It is about Chiharu and Izumi?" Himari made a guess.

Kazuya lightly shook his head. He exhaled a long sigh. Darting his eyes left and right, his gaze finally fell on a place.

With one hand pointed to the direction, he said, "Why don't we sit down first?"

There was an empty bench placed under a lamp pole, a bit far from the twinkling cherry blossom trees.

Himari just agreed with him. The man and the woman walked again.

They sat on the bench. Once again, Kazuya appeared listless. Even so, at this time, Himari didn't push him with more questions. She just let him took his time.

She couldn't help but wonder, what made this man who had always look carefree and confident to be at a loss of words?

As Himari was thinking with her eyes drifted from one place to the next, they settled on one of the booths located on the other side of the street.

"Kazuya, wait here for a moment."

Himari stood up, threw the words to him and ran to the booth before Kazuya could say anything. He ended up watching her stopping at the booth that was selling beverages.

Was she thirsty?

Unknown to what Kazuya was thinking, Himari queued at the booth. There were two more people in front of her. After some time, it was finally her turn.

"Please give me two cups of cherry blossom tea," She made her order.

Soon, the seller placed two small spoons of pickled cherry blossom petals inside two paper cups each. He brewed the tea, letting the floating petals spread out in the hot water before he covered the cups with the lids.

Himari quickly paid for the tea, thanked the seller and rushed back to Kazuya.

Kazuya was stunned when he saw the lady ran to him with both her long hair and her dress billowed out around her.

Himari reached out a hand, lightly shaking the cup in her hand, "For you, cherry blossom tea. Ah, if you do not favor the salty taste, the seller gave me a spoon to remove the pickled petals."

Her words made him smiled.

"I don't mind. Thank you."

The cup got transferred from her hand to his. One of his fingers brushed her pinkie, discerning the softness of her skin.

Himari sat down next to him. Both of them savored the tea. The warmth of the cups seeped into their hands, warming them in the cool spring night.

Drinking this tea reminded Himari of her mother. Her mother always pickled cherry blossom petals once the flowers bloomed in spring. She couldn't wait to go home tomorrow.

"Himari, I actually want to ask you about something personal."

After drinking half a cup of cherry blossom tea, Kazuya finally let the words came out of his mouth.

He shouldn't delay it any longer. It would just make him anxious as well as confusing her.

"Something personal?" Himari raised her brows. With both hands holding the cup, she moved her chin toward him to see his side profile, "What it is?"

Never did she expect Kazuya would ask questions about something personal from her.

What was wrong?

"Before, you said that you broke up with that man at the hotel three years ago. I wonder if something else happened on that night, inside the same hotel?"

The man's words baffled Himari.

Why did Kazuya suddenly mention it?

It was true that she herself told him about her breaking up with Jun in the hotel, but, why did he extend his question to what else she experienced there?

Did she ever mention something else when she told him about it during their picnic last week?

Yet, his question made her mind inevitably recalled that night.

That sad yet strange night.

Himari retracted her gaze from Kazuya, lowering her eyes to the paper cup that was held firmly in between her palms.

"That night, I stayed at the hotel. Nanako told me it's better to nurse my broken heart in a five-star hotel room instead of returning to my small apartment. So, I did."

If not because of Nanako's encouragement and the voucher that she specially gave to her, Himari would really return home.

Her real intention was to soothe herself in the hotel room.

But, something else happened.

Himari suddenly broke into a laugh.

Kazuya lifted up his brows, feeling weird when she laughed.

How could she laugh?

Wasn't that night made her sad and afraid?

Or, did she really not remember it?

Soon, her words dispelled his worries.

"Hehe, do you know, I encountered a strange event on that night," Himari's lips curled up. She looked up, turned toward him and continued.

Her voice was soft, sounded carefree, "Someone barged into my room. I knew it's dangerous but, I was really panicked at that time to think about what I should do. In the end, I just let him stay. Ah! But, nothing happened between us! Really!"

Himari quickly added the last sentence, afraid Kazuya would misunderstand.

She rarely recalled that night but, once she did, she would laugh by herself.

"Weren't you really scared about that man? How could you just let him be?" Kazuya lowered his voice.

Himari tilted her head, thinking back of that uncanny night.

"Well, I think he was drugged, intoxicated. He spent most time inside the bathroom. When he finally came out, his whole body was wet with cold water all over. He asked if I could let him hide inside the room so, I did. He has even apologized to me for causing a disturbance."

Kazuya was in a complicated mood.

This girl! How could she let a stranger stay inside a hotel room with her? Didn't she has any sense of danger?

Well, even though she had actually helped him by hiding him, but, Kazuya was still distressed.

He wanted to erupt in frustration but, he held himself back.

The scene of her crying in her sleep slowly floated in his mind before the image gradually became clearer.

At that time, did it happen because her feelings were in disarray due to the breakup? After all, it was the man that she loved for years before she initiated the separation.

How could she not feel sad?

No matter which party brought up the breakup in the first place, it was still a sad thing.

Kazuya pursed his lips, thinking of his resolve to admit that man was him.

He wanted to be truthful but, he was afraid she would feel scared of him later.

Yet, he couldn't be peaceful as long as he didn't admit to it.

That was why he strengthen his heart and asked her out for a meeting.

The longer he delayed the matter, the more he would feel guilty whenever he saw her smiling and laughing beside him.

"That man... Have you ever thought who is him?" Kazuya's voice got a little lower than before. He tightly held the paper cup, almost crumpling it.

Himari didn't immediately answer his question. She pondered in silence before letting out a soft 'En."

"He left me his business card and a note, saying that I should reach out to him if I ever needed his help," admitted Himari.

"...Did you throw those out?" Kazuya was startled at the mention of the name card and the note.

Himari shook her head, "I didn't throw them out. I remember I put them inside a book but, I couldn't remember which one. En, is it my old planner or a random novel?"

While Himari was thinking, Kazuya didn't know either to laugh or cry.

He had always thought that she had tossed the card and note inside a dustbin as early as three years ago.

"Then, why haven't you contacted him? It is because you're not in trouble?" Kazuya cautiously asked another question.

But, instead of having an answer, Himari stared at him with confusion written all over her face.

Her eyes right now appeared as if she was contemplating what was wrong with him.

Kazuya gulped, "...Himari?"

Did he has exposed himself before admitting to her first?