As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

After lunch, Himari brought her mother to the strawberry farm. Chobi was left inside the room as he was busy basking under the sun on the armchair. The mother and daughter changed into casual clothes to ease their movements.

Himari wore a beige crew-neck short-sleeved T-shirt with a pair of ankle-length dark-colored loose pants. Akemi just followed her daughter's outfit. The only thing that differed was she wore a floral shirt instead of a plain one like her daughter.

"Look at how ripe this strawberry is," Himari exclaimed while gently touching a big and juicy strawberry hanging from its vine, "Mom, let's make some strawberry shortcake later?"

"Okay. Today, let's just pick some for us to eat and before we go back, we'll pick another one," Akemi agreed.

Since both mother and daughter shared the same love for culinary, Akemi didn't have any objections when her daughter suggested making desserts using strawberries.

The indoor farm was filled with people coming to experience strawberry picking. Some of them stayed at the resort while the other part came here as day visitors only. The children who came with their parents and guardians were brimming with happiness as they were awed by the countless ruby red strawberries.

"Mama, Papa, look at these! Aren't Nana smart? Nana picked the big ones!"

"Well done, Nana. Here, let's wash them and dip them with chocolate, okay?"

"Papa wants some too!"

"Hehe, Papa, give Nana yours~"

Not far from where Himari and Akemi were, a family of three were talking to each other as the daughter showed the strawberries that she picked to her parents.

The daughter wore a light pink dress with her long hair tied into a high ponytail. A red strawberry hair clip adorned the top of her head.

The girl's bubbliness reminded Himari of a certain dumpling even though the girl named Nana looked a bit older than Chiharu.

If the little dumpling was here, she would surely be brimming with high energy once she looked at all these ripe and ruby red strawberries.

"...ri? Himari?"

"...Eh? Mom, did you say something?"

Himari quickly turned her attention to her mother. It seemed like her mother was telling her something earlier but she didn't hear it.

Akemi showed the basket that the staff provided for them to her daughter, "I think these are enough already. Do you want to eat them or go to the workshop to make something?"

Besides strawberry picking, the farm offered the experience of making homemade jams and any other desserts by using the fruits chosen by the visitors. The workshop was open from eight in the morning to six in the evening.

"Why don't we pick another batch tomorrow and go to the workshop at noon?" suggested Himari after glancing at her wristwatch, "Mom, I want to go and ride the horse."

"Do you dare to ride one?" Akemi gave her daughter a meaningful smile.

"Hehe, let's just try it~"

"Ah, before that I want to buy strawberry milk. Your mother here is thirsty!" Akemi slowly straightened up her back as she held the basket.

"Alright, alright. Whatever my mother wants, ah," Himari's laughter floated in the air as she teased her mother.

The mother and daughter went to weigh the strawberries first before setting out to the nearby ranch. Outside the enclosed strawberry farm, a row of shops serving the fruits-related desserts could be found. There was also a cafe among them.

"Mom, do you only want the milk?" Himari handed the bag full of strawberries to her mother after Akemi sat on a vacant bench, "Anything else?"

"Just milk," Akemi glanced at the beverage shop in front of her, "I want to save some space for dinner."

"Got it."

Himari turned around and went to join the queue of the beverage shop. There were two couples and one family ahead of her so it would take time before she could make her order.

While waiting for her turn, Himari browsed the Gallery app. She selected a few photos taken inside the strawberry farm and uploaded them to her LINE Timeline.

[Life is short. Make it sweet like strawberries!]

As Himari tried to see anything new on Timeline, she came across photos of a certain dumpling happily painting on a canvas.

The photos were uploaded by Kazuya.

"Hehe, they are painting today?"

Chiharu wore an old T-shirt and a pair of short pants. Her long and curly hair was tied into a bun on top of her head. While grinning widely, she was photographed busy painting yellow flowers on the canvas.

Izumi was seen beside her as well as a man who Himari recalled as Shuichi, the one who came to pick the children up the time Chiharu followed Chobi to her home.

Kazuya wrote a caption under the post.

[Painting daffodils]

Ah, it turned out Chiharu painted daffodils. No wonder they were yellow flowers.

"Hurm..."

Tilting her head, Himari thought for a moment. Then, she sent Kazuya a message.

[Himari: Didn't go out today?]

The trip to the zoo yesterday surely had made Chiharu's happiness index soared up to the sky. If Kazuya brought the children to the amusement park as to how he said before, Himari could already picture how livelier Chiharu would be.

There was no reply until Himari's turn to make her order arrived.

LINE~

Himari glanced at the lit-up screen for a second. She proceeded to order the beverages first.

"Welcome, miss," The teenage-looking girl greeted her with her smile, "What would you like to have?"

Himari's eyes darted on the menu board, "Your bestseller is strawberry milk?"

The cashier was brimming with energy as she introduced the shop's best-choice of beverages.

"Our bestseller is our strawberry milk. It has newly harvested chunks of strawberries inside paired with fresh milk from the ranch. If you want, we could add chocolate in your milk as well, letting the chocolate chunks mixed with the strawberries."

The idea of having a cold glass of strawberry milk with chocolate chunks almost made Himari drooled.

"One plain strawberry milk, please add chocolate in another one."

"Right away, dear customer."

Himari made the payment and stepped away from the counter. She sat on a stool provided by the shop to the waiting customers. With her head lowered, she read the text from Kazuya.

[Kazuya: Have to bring the children out tonight]

[Kazuya: Maybe go to the amusement park tomorrow]

[Kazuya: Having fun picking strawberries?]

Ah, no wonder. They had another plan tonight.

[Himari: The strawberries are so ripe! Chiharu would love them!]

[Himari: RedStrawberry.jpg]

[Kazuya: Ergh... She pestered me bringing her to a strawberry farm]

[Kazuya: She remembered the phone call with you yesterday]

[Kazuya: Luckily I could persuade her with a bowl of strawberries in the fridge]

[Kazuya: I hope she would really forget about it]

"Hahaha~"

Himari still remembered how energized Chiharu was once the dumpling heard that she would go to a strawberry farm. The idea of running around the farm as well as picking the red and plump fruits must have incited interest in the little girl's mind.

"Ms. Kato, your order is here!"

A voice called out for her from the counter. Himari quickly looked up and saw two tall cups of strawberry milk were placed on the pick-up section.

Himari stood up, thanked the staff and grabbed her order. She put the cups on a table and snapped a photo.

Even without tasting it, the appearances of both cups were both aesthetically pleasing. 

[Himari: I'm pretty sure Chiharu would pester you again if she sees these]

[Himari: StrawberryMilk.jpg]

Without waiting for his reply, Himari took the cups again and left the shop. She almost stopped in her tracks when she realized her mother was looking at her intently.

"Mom, why are you staring at me like that?" Himari gave a cup of strawberry milk to her mother while she sipped hers.

The taste of fresh milk coupled with bits of strawberries and dark chocolate chunks burst flavors inside her mouth.

En, so tasty!

Akemi drank the milk first before questioning her daughter, "Who did you text with that made you grinning like a fool? I don't think it's Nanako. A guy?"

"...!"

Himari almost choked. Wide-eyed with surprise, she looked back at her mother, "Who... Of course, it's my friend!"

Akemi snickered, "Hehe, why do you look so flustered?"

From the first moment when her daughter was holding the phone until she sat waiting for the drinks, Akemi saw that Himari was happily texting someone. It was different from how she was when she chatted with Nanako or saw cat videos on the Internet.

How could she not ask? Her motherly instinct told her something or someone had caught her quiet daughter's attention.

"No, ah. I'm fine, not flustered at all."

Himari shut up. She tore her gaze away from her mother and silently drinking her milk. She didn't realize how red the tips of her ears were.

Akemi just let her be. She would just wait if her daughter wasn't willing to come clean with her now.

Suddenly, an image flashed in her mind.

Akemi remembered the photos Nanako uploaded when that girl went on a picnic trip with her daughter last week.

Didn't Himari take a photo with a man with two children?

That man was supposed to be an uncle of the student that she taught.

Hurm...

With a flicker in her eyes, Akemi wondered if her daughter's heart was inclined to that man actually.

To avoid her mother's suspicion, Himari didn't read Kazuya's reply until they left the ranch after a few hours later.

Her cheeks unknowingly flushed red once she saw the message.

[Kazuya: If that happens, I'll go to you]