As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

The temperature of the night getting lower yet the street was still bustling with people. People came and went, enjoying the beautiful night scenery of the street.

While most visitors were joyfully spending their time with their friends and loved ones, a man and a woman were still sitting on a bench under a lamp pole.

The man spoke again.

"I'm telling you the truth because I don't want that, once you remember who am I, you'd feel as if I'm playing with you. I know that our first encounter three years ago wasn't something pleasant."

Kazuya's voice gently filled the close space between them. He made it clear that the incident from three years ago and their encounter at the home accessory store were a coincidence.

"I understand what do you mean by that," Himari reassured him with a smile, "And when I think again, my decision to help you that night is a good one."

Kazuya silently bore his eyes on her smiling face.

Himari continued talking.

"Kazuya, I'm glad that I was able to be a help to you before. I didn't exactly know how dire your situation was but, listening to you today, if I didn't open the door on that night, I might feel guilty meeting you again."

It was fine if they were just strangers but, after becoming friends with him, Himari couldn't ignore the truth of that night.

If Kazuya was successfully trapped by those ruthless men and got thrown to jail because of that, what would happen to Izumi and Chiharu?

They might be sent to a foster care home if no one else in the family could take care of them.

Himari felt distressed as soon as she thought of the possibility.

"It's alright. After all, all is well," Kazuya curved a smile for her, trying to comfort her.

Himari smiled faintly, "Yes. You're right."

Kazuya rose up from the bench, crumpled the empty paper cup and thrown it inside a garbage can nearby. He offered a palm to Himari, eyes on the paper cup in her hand.

"Ah, I haven't finished it," Himari quickly downed the last bit of the already cold tea.

Kazuya laughed softly.

After she was done, Kazuya did the same to her paper cup.

"It's already late," His wristwatch was showing that it was already half-past ten o'clock. Looking at Himari, he smiled, "Let me send you home. Didn't you say you would go back to your hometown tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'll be there until the last day of Golden Week," Himari slowly stood up, straightening her legs then walked beside Kazuya.

Tilting up her chin, she looked at him, "When would you bring the children to the zoo and the amusement park? I think Chiharu has been pestering you about the visits now, isn't it?"

Kazuya shook his head in helplessness, "We're going to the zoo tomorrow. I have to lock the door of my room tonight. If not, that girl would barge into my room as early as six to badger me about going there."

"Hahaha! She could knock on your door. The noise would wake you up too, right?"

Himari could already picture the scene of Chiharu hounding her uncle until Kazuya relented to her. It would be a funny sight.

"I have earplugs for sleeping," answered Kazuya straightforwardly.

Himari, "..."

Did he have to guard against his own niece like that?

The traffic was quite heavy even though it was almost late at night since tomorrow was the start of the week-long holiday. It took Kazuya almost twenty minutes to send Himari home.

Most of the apartment units were already in the dark, showing that the residents might have already been sleeping at this time.

"Thank you for giving me a ride home," Himari gave Kazuya a smile. She unbuckled the seatbelt, "And, for telling me about that matter as well."

Kazuya rested his arms over the steering wheel. His eyes were quietly staring at Himari who was checking her bag, afraid if she had mistakenly left something in the car.

"You're welcome," His eyes were soft as he spoke, "So, are we still friends?"

His question incited laughter from Himari.

"Don't be silly. Of course, we are still friends," said Himari who found the question funny.

Kazuya just smiled.

While Himari got out of the car, he did the same. Himari walked a few steps, turned back and smiled at him who was now leaning his back against the body of the car.

"You still have the liberty to stay here? Quick, go home. It's already late."

Kazuya shrugged, "I'm being a gentleman here to see you safely entering your home. Couldn't I?"

Himari curled up her lips.

Somehow, a small part of her heart was fluttered by his words.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll go upstairs now. Happy holiday! Bye-bye! Ah, be careful when you're driving!"

Himari waved at him, quickened her feet while her head occasionally turned around to look again at him.

Kazuya waved at her back.

"Happy holiday too."

May you have a good and enjoyable holiday.

Kazuya was still downstairs when Himari reached her apartment unit. After she entered her home, locked the door and changed her shoes, the sound of a car engine drummed from the road before leaving.

When Himari peeked through the window, the dark gray car was no longer there.

Her smile deepened.

"Meow! Meow! Meow~"

"Ah! Chobi!"

Chobi suddenly appeared from no one knew where. He circled Himari's feet, rubbed his furry face against his Mama's calf then continued mewling.

"Are you hungry? Okay, okay. You could have wet food since your Mama, I have eaten a delicious meal tonight."

"Meow~ Meow~"

Himari settled Chobi's food first before she went to take a bath. It was refreshing to have a warm bath on a cold spring night.

After she was done, Himari changed into a nightdress. Then, she entered the small room beside her bedroom, the one that she used as a storeroom.

There were just boxes inside with papers stuck on them. Most of the items inside the boxes were out-of-season clothes, books as well as pots and pans that she hadn't used.

Himari spent quite some time checking all the books inside the boxes.

"Found it!"

After almost thirty minutes, she finally found the name card that she put in between one of the books. It was placed inside her old planner from three years ago.

The black name card was still sturdy since it was rarely taken out. Kazuya's full name and his number were printed on the card.

Hayashi Kazuya.

"No wonder, sometimes I'd think that his name is familiar," Himari mumbled to herself.

It was so peculiar to have this kind of matter linked them together.

When Himari thought back, she could never associate the cold man from three years ago with the warm and considerate Kazuya she knew now.

But, as she recalled the memory of that night carefully, Himari had to admit that despite it was scary to have him barged into the hotel room like that, followed by how he weirdly behaved by locking himself in the bathroom for long, there was a few instances where he showed his considerate side.

Like when he said sorry for scaring her.

And, the one scene when he thanked her in the morning.

Hayashi Kazuya.

He was really that man from three years ago.

Her fingers unconsciously traced the name printed on the card before she realized what did she do.

Himari froze. A sense of faint heat spread from her cheeks to her neck.

"Let's go to sleep. Tomorrow, I'm going home. Yes, yes," She mumbled to herself, sounding a little flustered.

Himari put the card back inside the planner, closed the book and hesitated for a moment. Her eyes remained on the old planner in her hands.

In the end, Himari took out the card again before she tidied up the boxes and returned to her bedroom.

The bedroom was illuminated in the pinkish glow of the crystal lamp beside her bed.

It was the lamp given by Kazuya to her.

"Chobi! Let's sleep! We're going home tomorrow!"

Himari yelled at her fat cat son in an attempt to distract herself. Chobi meowed lazily from the living room, not even wanting to move from the strawberry couch.

"Up to you!"

Himari threw her body and pulled the soft quilt to cover herself. She reached out a hand and put the name card under the crystal lamp. After that, she switched off the lamp.

In an instant, her room was filled with darkness.

The black card remained motionless on the bedside table.

Himari didn't even realize that she hadn't been thinking of Jun who she met at the reunion a few hours earlier. All the words of pleading that he said were thrown to the back of her mind, having no space in her heart.

While Himari was sleeping peacefully with no hard feelings weighing her down, the same couldn't be said to a certain man who was in another part of the city.