As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

Still, even though Himari said she was fine, Kazuya still felt guilty. 

Even when she smiled and said all those words earlier, it was hard to shake off the guilt from his heart.

How surprised and unpleasant she felt to suddenly have to face her boyfriend's previous lover?

"Does the restaurant has strawberry shortcakes? I'm craving for some."

After finishing a little bit of his job, Kazuya brought Himari to the restaurant that he had made a booking for before. He just wanted to spend the rest of his day with her although he had to work overnight later.

The temperature outside was too high. Hopefully, the air-conditioned private room might be able to chase away the heat.

"I'm not sure but, I heard its latest dessert is mango cheesecake. Do you wanna try it?" Kazuya gently brushed her bangs as they walked inside the mall, feeling the tips tickling his fingers..

"Sounds delicious~ Okay!"

Himari brightened as she started imagining the dessert.

Mangoes were delicious but, they were hard to find here. Even when she was lucky to meet one, the price was usually high.

The couple spent lunch talking with each other, mostly about random things. They didn't have to be too mindful of their voices since the private room was soundproofed. 

Halfway through lunch, Himari complained about being bored because she didn't know what to do during summer break. 

"Usually, I'd just go home but Mom is on vacation with Uncle Yoshiro," Himari poked on the fish bites that were smeared with special sauces, "They said they'd go to a mountain resort for a few days but, maybe they would extend their trip."

During Himari's phone call with Akemi last night, it seemed like her mother was having so much fun. Akemi's voice was jovial as she described what would she experience during her trip.

"How about this? Why don't you come to the villa? Either to live there for a few days or just simply visiting it?"

Kazuya's suggestion surprised Himari.

"You mean... go to your villa?"

Kazuya nodded, lips smiling.

The children would also feel dull by just playing at home, especially Chiharu who couldn't go anywhere without the adults' supervision. Izumi hadn't gone to the river with his friends. The boy said they planned to go there sometime later.

"If you're bored staying alone at home with just Chobi, at least there are the siblings and Aunt Mayu at the villa," explained Kazuya gently. He carefully cut out the chicken breast and put some on Himari's plate, "If you wanna do things outdoor, you can visit the flower field at the north of the city."

His suggestions were good but, the idea of visiting the flower field alone didn't appeal to Himari.

What people tended to enjoy during summer break was camping, hiking, playing at the beach, barbecuing, going to the summer festivals, watching fireworks and, there are so many more.

But all of them should be done with companions.

Himari dropped the subject as she began to enjoy her mango cheesecake. Even though she was quiet, her mind was thinking of what Kazuya had said.

After lunch, both of them went for a stroll in the mall's garden. The garden was built in the center of the mall. It was an open space where people could enjoy seeing the fountains and neatly cared-for flower beds.

"Let's sit down," Kazuya tugged on Himari's hand, "I wanna talk to you."

Himari just followed along. They sat on a bench that was sheltered by a shady tree.

There were still people outside even though the weather was hot. The children were playing nearby the water fountain.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry for earlier."

Stunned, Himari looked at him with confused eyes.

Why did Kazuya suddenly apologize to her?

"What do you mean?"

Kazuya felt so helpless to see her reaction.

"About... Sayuri. Even though you said you're okay, I still want to apologize for not telling you sooner."

No matter either because he forgot or delayed in telling her, Kazuya felt so bad.

Himari pursed her lips, eyes bent gently.

It seemed like her man was still troubled by that matter. 

Although it was not Kazuya's fault that the woman wanted to pursue him back, Himari understood that it was also hard to bring up such a subject.

"Kazuya, honestly, at first I was a bit upset because you didn't tell me about her but, it's true when I said I didn't know either to be mad at your or not."

Himari was unsure if there was something wrong with the way she was thinking but, she didn't want to make a fuss about the unnecessary thing.

"Let's stop talking about it, en? I just wanna spend my time with you. I don't want to think of people who make me unhappy."

Even though Himari was caught off guard when she met Sayuri, she was glad the face-off happened.

If Kazuya brought up the subject before, telling her that his ex-girlfriend was currently pestering him, Himari didn't know if she could really calm down.

She had a feeling that she wanted to see the woman face to face as soon as possible just for the sake of her mind's peace.

Himari was certain that even though she said she was alright to Kazuya, once she was left alone inside her little apartment, she would start thinking about the woman.

She would try imagining the woman's face, the times that she was together with Kazuya, what else did they have experienced together before and so many more questions.

It was like the time when Himari wondered if Kazuya had ever lived together with his previous lover at his own condominium.

Since Himari had already seen Sayuri face to face, it saved her the hassle of wondering about such things then led to overthinking.

As Kazuya saw that Himari was being serious, he could only relent to her.

If she didn't want to talk about it, let's just do that. 

As to how Himari said, he too just wanted to spend their time together without thinking of anything unpleasant.

"Then, let's talk about something else."

"En?"

Kazuya looked at their intertwined hands. He put his thumb over her palm then gently pressed the skin.

Until now, he still loved doing so.

"About coming to the villa, either for a visit or to live there, my offers still stand."

Himari was quiet. 

"So, sweetheart, my suggestions earlier weren't complete. Actually, I wanna ask if you want to move in with me."

Kazuya still remembered what Chiharu asked him when they went camping the other day. 

Once again, Himari was surprised.

She didn't expect to hear this right after they stopped talking about the woman. 

"...move in with you?"

Kazuya nodded.

"It's all up to you. Spend a few days living at the villa or just move in there properly. What do you think?"

This was something that Himari had never thought of.

Even when she was together with Jun, they had never lived together. At most, either she visited his place or he came to hers.

A chuckle escaped his lips.

"Your niece-to-be asked me that once. So, I think, why not? Even though I know Chiharu would try to monopolize you. Yet, it's all up to you, sweetheart. I won't insist if you don't want it."

Although the idea was so tempting, Kazuya didn't have any intention to force Himari if she was reluctant. He understood that there were couples who avoided living together before they got married.

If she rejected it...

Should he just go ahead with the proposal and get a marriage certificate with her?

Kazuya inwardly laughed at himself for thinking of the option.

"En, about that... Can I think some more?"

In the end, that was what Himari replied to Kazuya.

Really, she had never thought of receiving such an offer.

If she lived together with him and the siblings, wouldn't it mean that she won't have to be alone with just Chobi?

"Okay. Give me the answer whenever you want," Kazuya smiled.

Let's just see if there were changes this summer or not.

While Himari and Kazuya were enveloped in their own pink bubbles, Yuina and Ryuu were also in the same state. 

Ryuu had stopped receiving interviews or any other programs. He was currently on a short break thus he just wanted to spend his time with his wife.

Even though it was just a short one, Yuina was more than happy. Just being able to rise in the morning and see him sleeping next to her made her so blissful. 

"Ryuu, are you really, really alright with me going with you?"

The couple sat on the couch, both in their matching short-sleeved T-shirts and short pants.

They were currently munching on the newly sliced watermelons. The juicy and sweet fruit was perfect for a summer afternoon.

"I'm really okay with it," Ryuu brought a slice of watermelon to Yuina's lips, letting her took a bite, "It's just, you have to be really careful. Even though the crew would clear the site from dangers, since it's deep in the forest, we still have to be vigilant."

Ryuu could only have two weeks of break. After that, he had to join the filming crew of Director Aoyama's film in the deep forest.

The renowned director could only push back the scenes involving Ryuu until then. Since he was the male lead, his screentime was more than the other supporting characters.

But, Ryuu made a change in the plan. 

Something that he had never done before.