As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

"Uncle~ Do Chiharu's hair!"

Kazuya had just put up the watch around his wrist when a dumpling suddenly barged into his room. 

With a helpless gaze, he looked at Chiharu whose hair fell behind her tiny shoulders. For dinner tonight, she wore a lilac-colored dress. The dress was newly bought by Kazuya during one of their recent shopping trips.

"Come here. How do you like your hair?" Kazuya picked a brush from the vanity table and beckoned at Chiharu to come closer.

"Hehehe~ In buns. Make two buns~"

Chiharu giggled as she made her way to her uncle. She climbed on the stool in front of the vanity table and sat still. Her short legs dangled from the stool. Her hands handed two purple-colored hair ties to the man sitting behind her.

Kazuya parted the dumpling's hair into two after brushing the dark locks. His fingers deftly working to make sure two cute and neat buns popped on the dumpling's head.

He still remembered the first time he tried to do his niece's hair. At that time, the twin ponytails looked so disastrous. The two years old Chiharu almost cried before she was persuaded with a box of cookies.

Since then, Kazuya vowed to learn how to style a child's hair. After countless attempts, he finally had the skills and Chiharu would often ask him to do her hair.

Kazuya smiled faintly at the old memory. 

Soon, Chiharu had transformed into a little girl with buns on her head.

"All done," Kazuya announced while squeezing the hair buns. He put the comb back on the table.

"Thank you, Uncle!"

Chiharu blinked her eyes cutely. She was all smiles as she looked at her own reflection in the mirror in front of her.

"Are you that excited to go out tonight?" Kazuya asked the dumpling. 

He reached out a hand to grab the black jacket hanging inside the closet. For the dinner tonight, he just chose to wear a V-neck T-shirt with denim pants paired with the jacket. Not too casual nor too formal.

"Grandma always brings gifts for Chiharu, of course, Chiharu is happy," The girl answered with a bright smile. She was already anticipating what kinds of gifts she would receive tonight.

A bitter smile curved on Kazuya's lips as he heard the clear hope in the little girl's voice.

Chiharu didn't know that her birth was not celebrated by her paternal grandparents. So did her brother's.

Only Izumi understood that their grandparents were cold to them. That was why only Chiharu would be happy whenever Madam Tokioka asked to meet while Izumi still kept his distance from their grandmother.

But...

Kazuya's mother's action ever since his brother fell into a coma puzzled him greatly.

Despite all the cold words that she used to threaten him, Madam Tokioka would bring gifts to the children. She showered Izumi and Chiharu with lots of gifts as if they were in the best of relationship.

"Maybe, your mother actually wants to bond with the children? She might realize the wrongs she and your father have done to you and your brother before so, she doesn't want to repeat them again?"

That was Shuichi's assumption at one time after Kazuya voiced out his concerns to his friend.

Not only Shuichi, but his twin brother also agreed with him.

But, Kazuya brushed them off. Decades of being let down by his parents made him unable to accept the twins' conjectures.

If his mother really wanted to mend her relationship with her grandchildren, it would be great yet, Kazuya chose to be careful. It was hard for him to accept the idea when he himself experienced the icy coldness of his parents' treatment of him and his brother before.

What if, all of this would crumble in the end and disappointed the children terribly?

Kazuya didn't want the siblings to be scarred for life as to how he was.

"...cle! Uncle!"

Two soft and small hands were tugging on the jacket.

Kazuya blinked, regaining his thoughts before he lowered his eyes to the dumpling who was clinging to his long legs.

"Do you need anything else, Chiharu?" 

The dumpling pouted and eyed her uncle with an unhappy expression.

"Perfume. Chiharu wants to smell good too," The girl deflated her mouth.

Kazuya almost laughed. He reached out a hand and patted the girl's head.

"How could you like my perfume? Uncle's perfume is for men, alright?"

Kazuya didn't know when did it exactly start but, his niece suddenly grew fond of the perfume that he used. Although the scent of his perfume was mild, just enough to exude a pleasant yet faint scent to his close surroundings, a little girl like Chiharu wasn't supposed to like it.

"Uncle smells good!" The little girl honestly answered.

The dumpling didn't understand that it was due to her feeling safe and secure whenever she smelled her uncle's familiar scent. 

It made her felt protected.

"Yeah, yeah. As you wish," Kazuya laughed again.

He extended a hand to grab the bottle of the perfume and sprayed a bit to the little girl. Chiharu giggled as the scent began to envelop her.

"Hehe~ Thank you, Chiharu's handsome uncle," The dumpling didn't forget to flatter her uncle while blinking her round eyes cutely.

Kazuya rolled his eyes. Shaking his head in helplessness, he placed the perfume back on the table and took his phone and purse.

"Come out now. We'll be late," He ushered the dumpling to follow him out of the room.

"Oh~"

As they left the room, Kazuya habitually checked his phone. His eyes wandered to his LINE app. With a few taps, he opened the private chat between him and Himari.

She sent him a message as a reply to his last one.

[Himari: If you want Chiharu to jump around excitedly in a strawberry farm, you can come here]

Kazuya glanced at his niece. Chiharu was humming a happy tune beside him. 

Shaking his head, Kazuya rejected the idea even though it was a tempting one.

This was enough. 

Strangely, he felt comforted just to be able to read messages from her after having to dread meeting that woman tonight.

Ever since he confessed the truth of the night of three years ago, Kazuya felt more comfortable interacting with the young female teacher. Despite how weird their first encounter was, he didn't feel repulsed whenever he thought about it.

He truthfully hoped it was not only him who felt that way. 

While the uncle and niece walked down the staircase, Izumi was already waiting in the living room. The boy almost dressed like his uncle; a black T-shirt, a denim jacket and a pair of dark-colored pants. 

"Big Brother, where's Chiharu's bag?"

The dumpling rushed to her elder brother once she stepped on the floor. 

Izumi handed her a white sling bag with a cat face embroidered on its flap. Chiharu happily accepted it and wore it over her small body.

At this time, only she was brimming with happiness while her uncle and brother weren't even joyful to meet her grandmother. Despite that, the two men, big and small, didn't say anything to dampen the little girl's spirit.

They arrived at the hotel at half-past seven in the evening. The sky had completely darkened by now, giving way for the bright neon lights to illuminate the city.

"Welcome, mister. Have you made any reservations?" The receptionist at the entrance of the restaurant greeted Kazuya once he entered with the children.

"We're supposed to meet Madam Tokioka's here," Kazuya reported his mother's name.

"The guest has already arrived. Let us show you the way," said the receptionist after making a check in the list.

Next, a waiter was tasked to bring Kazuya and the children to the private room where Madam Tokioka had reserved.

Kazuya thanked the waiter before he solemnly faced the closed door. Izumi just quietly looked at him while Chiharu was still smiling happily at the thought of getting gifts tonight.

"Okay, let's enter," Kazuya mumbled quietly.

He twisted the doorknob and slowly pushed the door open, revealing the inside of the private room to him and the children.

At the sound of the door being opened, a middle-aged woman who was sitting at the table lifted up her chin. Her appearance was meticulous with a black dress that hugged her slender body. Her black hair was tightly pulled to the back where the locks gathered into a neat bun.

Despite already reaching her early 60s, she looked younger than her actual age. Her pair of eyes carried indifference to anyone seeing her.

"Kazuya, Izumi and Chiharu," The woman's voice was chilly as she opened her mouth, "Come inside."

Kazuya suppressed the uneasiness that overflowing from his heart. He assented with a hum before looking at the children, "Go inside."

Izumi pursed his lips then nodded curtly. Chiharu already ran inside with a bright smile. She wasn't even affected by how cold the woman was when she greeted them. 

"Grandma, Chiharu is here~ How are you, Grandma?"

Chiharu was well-behaved as she placed both of her small hands over her tummy and gave Madam Tokioka a bow.

"Good," Madam Tokioka nodded. With a slight lift of her hand, she pointed at the seat around the table, "Now, sit down."

Kazuya took another glance at his mother before he went to help Chiharu to sit on the chair. Izumi quietly pulled up a chair next to his sister and sat down. He just greeted his grandmother with a nod. Madam Tokioka ignored his cold behavior.

"Order whatever you want," She pushed the menu board to the children.

This would be a long dinner.