As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

"What? You're going to leave tomorrow?"

Himari walked into the living room with both hands were busy drying her hair with a towel. She let her eyes linger on Yuina who had just said she would go somewhere else tomorrow morning.

While Himari was concerned, Yuina looked so much at ease.

Chobi was curling on her lap, acting so cozy with his mama's guest. The feline even let Yuina stroked his chubby tummy. From time to time, he let out a satisfied purr.

"I can't possibly stay here for so long, am I?" Yuina smiled teasingly at the lady who was dressed in sleeveless loungewear. 

Himari had just gotten out of the washroom.

The rain fell heavily to the ground right after their car left the farm. It was also raining in the city. Once they arrived, Himari and Yuina had to dash out of the car, running under the rain before they got covered by the eaves of the apartment.

Afraid that Yuina would suffer from the cold because of her recent health issue, Himari pushed her to go and have a warm bath first. The former had to relent under her strong urging. 

While Himari was bathing, Yuina prepared a pot of hot tea. It's perfect to sip some floral tea while watching the rain outside the windows.

"I don't mind if you want to stay longer here. There's no one else using the guest room anyway," said Himari as she walked to the strawberry couch.

Sitting there, Himari poured herself a cup of tea then she refilled Yuina's empty one. She picked up her cup, leaning her back against the couch and took a sip of the tea.

"It's okay. I could stay at my family's house even though it's quite far from the school. And, I think I have too..."

Yuina didn't finish her words as her gaze turned unclear. She absentmindedly stroked the back of Chobi's ears, making the feline mewled softly.

Himari was quiet. She watched the Mathematics teacher from the side, silently wondering what was she thinking right now.

"Himari?" 

Startled because of the sudden call, Himari just answered with a gasp. Yuina laughed helplessly, she gave the younger lady a smile.

"Relax. I just wanna ask you something." 

"Ask me something?" Himari raised her brows.

"Yes," Yuina gently lifted Chobi up from her lap then cradled him like a baby. One of her hands supported his fat bum while the other kept caressing his soft fur. She smiled at Himari, "This morning, my husband came and talk to you, didn't he?"

Wide-eyed in surprise, Himari didn't immediately answer the question. She blinked a few times, staring at Yuina with a trace of panic in her eyes.

Yuina just laughed as if she didn't ask anything shocking to Himari.

Lowering her gaze to the feline in her arms, Yuina said in a quiet tone, "I saw you talking to a man before you returned from the market. Even from afar, I knew that the man was my silly husband."

Himari opened her mouth, wanting to say something but, no words came out of it.

"...I didn't expect to see him actually." 

In the end, that was all Himari could say.

Yuina slightly tilted up her chin, throwing her gaze out of the windows.

The rain pattered against the glass, trickling down before the droplets disappeared from the view.

"He has always been so foolish, that husband of mine. Well, so do I."

Seeing the continuous rain made Yuina recalled a memory that happened more than a decade ago. At that time, she and Ryuu were still in high school, a pair of naive lovers.

"I want to ramble. Do you mind being a listener?"

Pulling her gaze back from the window, Yuina let her eyes settled on Himari's cautious face.

"I'm all ears," Himari gave her a nod.

Until now, Himari still remembered how Yuina emphasized having someone to support her. It was hard to resist thinking that whatever Yuina wanted to tell her now was something related to it.

Yuina pressed her lips, trying to rearrange the burst of words in her mind.

There were so many things she wanted to let out. All of the thoughts jumbled inside her, entangling with each other until it was hard for Yuina to sort them out.

"Actually, I don't really know how to say it. I've been... suppressing my own feelings for years but, I think I should stop doing that anymore."

As Yuina opened her mouth and began to speak, Himari too opened her ears wide, not wanting to miss anything. Her expression changed from confusion to bewilderment as the story went on.

The gloomy sky that accompanied the falling rain outside perfectly aligned with the mood inside the apartment.

"...I knew that I was just lying to myself but, I only thought that this was how I should act since his world is certainly different than mine."

Neither Himari nor Yuina noticed how much time had passed from the moment the latter began disclosing her hidden story. The intonation that flowed out with the words was calm yet, they were merely masking the turmoil that was brewing inside Yuina.

"Because of him... the days I have to depend on my aunt's family became bearable. He has even done so many things just to make me feel safe and happy so... I thought that this time, it's my turn to do the same for him."

Yuina stopped. She unconsciously bit her lower lip. Her hand paused from stroking Chobi that was still sleeping in her arms.

Beside her, Himari was clasping her hands together. Her brows were furrowed, signifying her complicated expression right now.

Throughout the time, Himari's sympathy for Yuina grew as she couldn't imagine what it was like being in the latter's shoes.

Yuina didn't exactly tell Himari the ordeals that she had to overcome with Ryuu during their early years together but, she secretly assumed they were not something simple.

Having both of her parents died in a tragic accident, Yuina's adolescent days were not pleasant. From her words, she might not be treated well by her aunt's family, resulting in her feeling secure with the youth version of the film emperor.

"I didn't bother to tell him what I truly felt while he thought he could compensate the time he was away with luxuries that he could offer me. Both of us are at fault."

Time and again, Yuina chanted the same words inside her heart.

The passionate love that they shared more than a decade ago might have its fire extinguished as long as this problem wasn't solved.

Laughing in self-ridicule, Yuina inwardly shook her head.

It took years for her to hide everything yet, when the time for her to face them came, everything poured out in an instant.

Seeing that Yuina stopped talking, Himari carefully parted her lips to say something "This morning, he asked me to take care of you."

Without feeling surprised, Yuina weakly tugged the corners of her lips into a faint smile, "Knowing him, I think he couldn't get a decent sleep last night."

Although Ryuu was exhausted by the long hours in the flight, Yuina doubted that he could rest properly after their fight. Moreover, it was something that hadn't happened before.

In the course of seven years of their marriage, Yuina and Ryuu had their fair share of disagreements but, all of them were resolved in an instant. 

Neither she nor he used to leave their home because of any fight before.

"Yuina, I don't really know what should I say to you but... the most important thing right now is for you to be happy, to see which path that could lead you to happiness."

Himari was ashamed to think that she didn't have any better advice than this one. She also did it because it was what she had experienced three years ago.

It was painful for her to ask for a breakup from Jun but, she still went along with the plan because she wanted to be happy even without him anymore.

As for Yuina, either she chose to continue to be together with the film emperor or not, it was a decision that should solely come from her own self.

Every individual's definition of happiness was different.

Like how a person enjoyed the warmth of the sun, another person would be more in comfort to be enveloped by the coolness of the rain.

To Himari's advice, Yuina gave her a grateful smile.

"I'm going to see him later. We couldn't talk properly last night because I left home," Yuina gently lowered Chobi to the cushion on the floor, letting the feline slept there, "Before making any decision, we should have a talk between us. Only then... could I think more of what should I do next."

Himari smiled, she agreed with Yuina's insight.

Lifting up an arm, she gently pressed her palm on the back of Yuina's hand.

"Go and shove some sense to your husband. Let him know everything that you've hidden from him. Don't let him think that he could settle it easily by giving you gifts!"

Yuina burst out into laughter. She rubbed the corner of her teary right eyes, amused by Himari's choice of words.

"Haha, he won't be forgiven easily. I even think to let him kneel all day long. He really needs to have more common sense slammed into his head."

Himari laughed along. She was pleased to see Yuina's mood that turned brighter compared to yesterday.

During Yuina's short stay in the hospital, she put on a calm mask every time Himari came to visit. The only times that she cried with painful sorrow were only the earlier days.

Losing a child was like losing half of the mother's soul. That was what Himari experienced herself three years ago. 

No matter what, Himari hoped Yuina could share her heartache with her dear husband, unlike her. 

That night, a text was sent to Ryuu by his wife, asking to meet at a place. 

A place that was so dear to them.