As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

"Ahahaha~ Big Brother! Higher! Higher!"

"You would fall, Chiharu!"

"Ah! Higher ah! Chiharu wanna feel the wind!"

The backyard of the villa was filled with Chiharu's continuous bubbly laughter and Izumi's nagging. The two siblings were playing with the swings hanging from a sturdy branch of a tree.

Izumi was in charge of pushing Chiharu. The little dumpling sat on the swing and continued urging her brother to push the swing higher.

"Big Brother, why don't you sing for Chiharu? Like in the movie?" The little girl in a light blue dress asked her brother with clear anticipation in her voice. Her twin ponytails swung as her body moved up and down because of the swing.

"I have no energy!" Izumi said in frustration.

Practicing for the basketball match was easier than swinging his little sister.

"You are not too cool, ah! Humph!" The little dumpling pouted, her cheeks bulged like a hamster.

Izumi, "I'm sorry for lacking in many ways..."

Even though Izumi was sad by his little sister's accusation, he still obediently played with her.

They had just eaten lunch cooked by Aunt Mayu. Chiharu wanted to have them in the backyard thus the family of three as well as Shuichi who came to visit eat the meal inside a garden pavilion near the swing.

While the two siblings were playing together, Kazuya and Shuichi sat in the pavilion, talking to each other.

Well, it was more like Shuichi was lending his ears to listen to his friend's problem.

"Even though you don't want them to meet, your mother would come to you in the end. Just meet her. At least, you are with the children instead of her coming to see them while you're not with them."

Shuichi looked at his friend in concern. Kazuya had just told him about his mother's insistence to meet Izumi and Chiharu.

Kazuya had been able to dodge that woman a few times but, if this kept going on, it was not unlikely for his mother to act on her own.

Madam Tokioka, Kazuya's mother was a career woman. She was widely known as one of the leading jewelry designers in and outside the country. Having established her career at a young age, she was always busy with her career advancement.

Even though Shuichi had just met her a handful of times, he could still say Madam Tokioka was a cold woman who brushed people off easily if they irritated her. The same thing happened to Kazuya's father, Mr. Hayashi Sr. who she still shared a marriage.

The couple's relationship was bad with one going south while the other going west. Yet, Shuichi didn't understand why did they not bother to get a divorce.

"Didn't she always stay abroad? I feel like she often returns to the country ever since... Brother Hiroki in a coma."

Shuichi glanced at Kazuya who was lost in his own thoughts. Although he didn't want to say it, he still had to voice out his opinions.

He and his twin brother were childhood friends with Kazuya and his elder brother, Hiroki. Until now, the good relationship between them was still maintained. He understood how did Kazuya and Brother Hiroki survive in their childhood to adolescent days.

Although Mr. Hayashi Sr. and Madam Tokioka were both cold to their sons, they still provided Kazuya and Hiroki with the best education. Once the siblings reached adulthood, both of them left the cold and unfeeling family home.

The husband and wife always stayed abroad for their own business ventures. But, Shuichi realized that Madam Tokioka came back often since three years ago - ever since the unexpected accident happened to Brother Hiroki.

The famed jewelry designer also tried to meet Izumi and Chiharu, her own grandchildren time and again.

Of course, like now, Kazuya was reluctant to let them meet even though there were times he had to concede.

Why was that?

Did she...

"I'm not sure if she would really tell the siblings about my brother's real situation but, I'm afraid I would really push her to the limits if I continue rejecting her."

Kazuya's voice broke countless thoughts forming in Shuichi's mind.

Shuichi took a careful look at his friend's face. Kazuya appeared so troubled with his brows almost merged together.

"At least, it's better than having her secretly comes to see the children. You could interfere if she wants to say nonsense to them," Shuichi lifted up a hand and patted his friend's back.

As much as Kazuya did not want to, he still had to bring Izumi and Chiharu to meet their estranged paternal grandmother tonight. His mother's voice was firm as she once again called him this morning, saying that she would come to them if he didn't do ask she had said.

"Don't blame me if I reveal something that I shouldn't to them."

Those were her last words before she hung up.

Kazuya ran a hand across his head, messing a part of his short hair. His dark eyes fell on the children who were playing together not far from the pavilion.

Right now, Chiharu had gotten off the swing. She dragged her elder brother to the nearby flowerbed, staring at the blooming petals and a snail that was crawling on the rocks surrounding the flowerbed. Izumi patiently answered his little sister's questions.

"Why Mr. Snail no left his shell home when he goes out? Won't the shell tire him?"

"Big Brother, look! This flower smiles at Chiharu!"

"Aaaa, poor Mr. Flower. Look, Big Brother, his foot is crooked."

The two siblings didn't even realize the downcast look of their uncle who kept on looking at them.

It was as gloomy as the dark sky before the rain fell. How their uncle appeared was a contrast to the sunny and bright spring day.

"Every time she wants to see the children, I don't understand what is her reason," Kazuya murmured in a low voice.

Shuichi was quiet as he sipped his tea. There were still words that hadn't come out of his friend's mouth.

"She wasn't even attentive when the children were born but, now, she always asks me to bring them to see her every time she's here."

Kazuya still remembered how nonchalant both of his parents on the day Izumi and Chiharu were born, especially the arrival of Izumi who was their first grandchild.

"Good, then."

His father was so curt once he received the news.

"I'm busy. Just take care of how you see it fit."

His mother sounded impatient with faint noises of people discussing urgent matters in her background.

Those were what his mother and father said over the phone before hanging up.

His mother only met Izumi for the first time when he reached seven months old while his father's turn was when Izumi had just celebrated his first birthday.

As for Chiharu, it was even worse.

Both of them didn't even bother to see their granddaughter until Chiharu was one and half years old.

It perplexed Kazuya every time he thought of how unfeeling the couple was to their own flesh and blood. He was only comforted by the fact that even though he had their blood running in his veins, he didn't grow up to be as cold as them.

If not, what would happen to the siblings after his elder brother fell into a coma?

"Uncle! Uncle!"

Kazuya and Shuichi's attention was both shifted from their conversation to the little dumpling who was now running at them.

"Do you need something, Chiharu?" Kazuya reached out his long arms as Chiharu kept getting closer to him. Izumi followed from behind.

"Hehe," Chiharu pounced on her uncle's legs. She opened her little palms and showed something to him, "This flower looks like Mr. Sun. Isn't it, isn't it? He smiles at Chiharu!"

Kazuya lowered his gaze to the yellow petals of the flower on Chiharu's palms.

"It's daffodil, Chiharu," Kazuya softened his smile.

A figure of someone in a light yellow dressed flashed in his mind.

Kazuya gave Chiharu a head pat, "Do you see it smiles at you?"

"En! Chiharu smiles back at him!" The little dumpling bobbed her head up and down while grinning.

A part of the heaviness in his heart dispersed at the sight of the little girl smiling happily.

"Do you want to draw daffodils later? Uncle would prepare watercolor and crayons for you," Kazuya came out with a suggestion, "But, you have to change your clothes first."

"Want! Want!" The little dumpling jumped in joy. She looked at Shuichi next, "Uncle Shuichi, want to draw with Chiharu? Don't go back now, okay?"

"Hahaha! Okay, little princess. But, I have to change my clothes too. How?" Shuichi spread out his arms, deliberately looking so helpless.

"Easy, ah," Chiharu blinked, "Borrow Uncle's clothes. Can, Uncle?"

Kazuya clicked his tongue at his friend, "Come. It's better to start early."

"Hehehe~ Go! Go!"

Their conversation ended there as Kazuya stood up and beckoned Chiharu to follow him inside the villa. Shuichi shrugged indifferently. He glanced at Izumi.

"Let's go ah. You have to join too."

Without any words, Izumi followed.

"Uncle, Uncle."

"En?"

Chiharu tilted her chin high, looking at her uncle who was so tall.

"Chiharu wants to show the drawing to Teacher Kato, can I?" Her eyes were bright as she spoke about the female teacher.

Kazuya blinked. Then, he smiled.

"Okay. Let's show it to her, en?"

"Hehehe~"

A faint thought slowly surged up from the back of his mind.

What was she doing right now? She was supposed to already arrive at the resort.

Should he text her first?