As The Wind Blows Your Scent To Me

Having no other choice, Himari had to follow Jun's demand. She didn't dare to continue ignoring him when it was evident that he withheld something important from her.

"...fine, let's talk."

A faint joy flickered in Jun's eyes. It was a stark contrast to how sullen Himari looked.

Himari rose up to her feet, the hem of her dress fluttered above her knees. 

"Himari! You don't have to go!"

Nanako grabbed Himari's wrist, eyes brimming with concern..

She didn't know what made Himari succumb to Jun's pressure but, like hell that she would allow that man to toy with her friend.

Himari glanced at the hand enclasping her wrist. She slowly pushed Nanako's hand, "It's okay. I won't go that far."

"But..."

"Really," Himari answered firmly.

Seeing that Himari was adamant, Nanako could only relent to her friend's wish.

"...okay," She suppressed herself from sighing. In the next second, Nanako threw a fiery glare at Jun, "Don't think that you can escape if you harmed her!"

Unperturbed, Jun replied in a flat voice, "Relax. We're just going to talk."

Nanako sneered. She was really tempted to throw sand at Jun's face.

Did he really think that she believed that lie? If they were just having a mere talk, why did Himari look awful?

In the end, Nanako could only watch Himari following Jun from behind. Each of her friend's steps was slow as if she was trying to create more and more distance between her and that man.

"Ugh, this can't do!"

Nanako kept an eye on Himari's retreating figure before she jumped out of the beach chair. She ran to the shore. The sand scattered around her feet before the splashing of water followed next.

"Mr. Hayashi! Mr. Hayashi!"

Nanako's sudden shouting made all of them turn to look at her. 

The group stopped playing. The ball that was thrown by Yuuya fell on the water yet no one caught it.

Kazuya looked up from Chiharu. He kept holding to the float yet his eyes fell on Nanako's panicked face.

"What's wrong? ...! Where's Himari?"

Kazuya didn't see Himari anywhere nearby. 

Judging from how Nanako looked, it was something unpleasant.

"Nana, calm down," Ryota let Yuuya take care of the small Hinako, "What's wrong?"

Nanako ignored her fiance. She stared at Kazuya.

"Himari's taken away!"

At the same time. Himari was still following Jun.

Once she saw that he didn't have any intention to stop even after they went so far from the shore, almost entering the pine forest, her frown deepened.

Most people gathered in small groups nearby the shoreline. Not many went inside the pine forest. The slightly dense forest gave off an eerie feeling as the sunlight blended in with the shadows of the leaves.

Himari stopped.

"How far do you wanna go?"

Jun glanced behind his shoulders, looking at Himari's uncomfortable face.

Why must she show him such a look? 

Jun halted his steps. He turned around, facing Himari who kept a distance from him.

"Do you have to be so wary of me like that?" Jun asked her back.

Himari bit her lower lip. 

"I won't go to any secluded place with another man."

Unless she was with her man. 

Her answer struck a blow to Jun's pride. His composure cracked as he sensed how high on alert she was with him.

Just how low was her trust in him?

"You're really... I didn't expect you to be so cautious..."

Jun heaved out a sigh. Lifting up an arm, he scratched his head, messing with his hair.

Himari clenched her fists hard, waiting for whatever Jun wanted to tell her about. The beating of her heart was so loud as if a mallet was pounded heavily on her chest.

From the first time Himari saw Jun in the banquet yesterday, she just treated it as seeing someone that wasn't unrelated to her. Because Jun didn't approach her, Himari just assumed he had learned to let everything go.

But, not only did Jun look down on Kazuya last night, but he also came to her by saying that he knew what was concealed three years ago.

What did he know?

And...

How far did he know?

The sounds of people chattering blended in with the rustling of the leaves above.

Although the distance between the pine forest and the shoreline where people flocked wasn't too huge, for some reason, Himari felt as if she was so far away from them.

An unpleasant, otherworldly sensation ensnared its vines into her heart.

"Speak. Don't waste my time."

Her voice was shaky despite Himari forcing herself to stay calm.

Jun darted his eyes behind Himari before he quickly focused his gaze on her again.

"Three years ago, you found out that you're pregnant after I went abroad."

Flustered, Himari's body shivered.

That was not a question.

Jun was stating it as a fact instead of conveying those words as a question.

"...yes."

Since the truth had been revealed, Himari knew it was a futile attempt if she wanted to deny it. Furthermore, she had yet to know the extent of Jun's knowledge.

A sinister laugh escaped Jun's mouth. His lips were smiling yet his eyes were so cold.

Since she won't treat him warmly, why must he keep doing the same?

He also knew how to vent his anger and dissatisfaction.

"So. where's the child?" His intonation got heavier, "Was it true that you aborted him just because we broke up?"

Once again, Himari got flustered.

"Do you think I really aborted the child?" She asked back.

"Was it not?" Jun gnashed his teeth, "Did you really want to have nothing to do with me? Not even when a child was involved?"

A layer of frost veiled Himari's eyes. Her lips curled into a sneer.

"So?"

The last thread of Jun's composure snapped. In his eyes, her expression didn't show any remorse.

He lurched forward and grabbed Himari's shoulders. His nails dug deep into her skin.

"How heartless were you, Himari? How dared you abort the child?" Jun shouted ferociously.

Himari took a step back, trying to push Jun away.

"It hurts! What on earth...!"

Her words stuck in her throat when a huge shadow abruptly appeared in front of her, blocking her vision from glowering at Jun.

The grip on her shoulders vanished, only leaving the tingly feeling of pain. 

The next thing Himari saw was an image of a man's muscular back facing her, the inky black tattoo on his back glimmered under the sun. 

"...Kazuya?"

Kazuya turned around. 

"Himari! Did you get hurt?"

The confused Himari blankly stared at the man's anxious face before she lowered her gaze to the ground.

Not far from them, Jun was lying on the sand. He rubbed the back of his hand on his lips. A streak of red blood dirtied his skin.

"...Kazuya, you..."

"Sweetheart, it's fine," Kazuya brought Himari in his arms. His heart sank once he felt the trembling of her body, "Sorry, I'm late."

Himari shook her head, eyes stung with tears. Both of her hands held on Kazuya's right arm, showing her dependency on him.

She was still shaken by what occurred earlier.

Jun's angry voice kept blaring inside her mind, twisting her gut until she had no choice but to remember that night of three years ago.

"Why do you butt in our affair?"

Jun jumped on his feet. He eyed Kazuya with contempt. The right corner of his lips bled.

"Why do you keep appearing in front of her?"

Kazuya loosened his arms around Himari then pushed her to his back, shielding Himari from Jun.

Until now, she was still frightened. Her body didn't stop shivering.

"We have things to resolve between us. You don't have a place here," retorted Jun.

Ignoring the man's icy cold stare, Kazuya glanced at Himari who stood behind him. Both of her hands were still holding to his arm.

A deep sense of vexation swept inside Kazuya at the sight of her pale face.

He had heard what this scum man questioned her earlier.

It seemed like he had unexpectedly found out about the lost baby.

"Sweetheart, do you wanna talk to him?"

Kazuya softened his voice in an attempt to soothe Himari. 

"...no. Let's just go," Himari answered tiredly.

The moment Jun lashed out at her, asking why did she abort the child, she knew that he had misunderstood something.

But, no matter how shocked and hurt Himari was due to the accusation, she didn't feel the need to clarify what he had mistaken.

She also didn't want to ask how and from who did Jun know about the lost child.

Their tale had ended for so long.

Kazuya sighed inwardly. He dropped a kiss on her head and put one arm around her shoulders, "Okay, let's go."

He would just follow what his lady wished for, no question asked. 

Both of them turned around, paying no heed to Jun's contorted expression.

"You haven't answered me!" Jun scowled, "Where's the child? Did you really abort him?"

Himari pursed her lips. She tugged on Kazuya's arm before she stopped walking. Kazuya paused his step beside her.

"If you think that I'm someone who'd abort a child because of a breakup," Himari laughed cynically, "It means that you've never known me properly."

If not...

How could you sentence me with such accusations?

Jun was stunned.

"What do you...

Kazuya's bitterly cold glare silenced him.

"Stay away from her. You don't know how to treasure her but I do."

In the end, Jun had forgotten about his own wrath as he helplessly stared at Himari's back. She didn't even give him a single glance as she walked away with the man. 

What had just happened?

Jun knocked on his forehead, inwardly berating himself for acting out of control because of his pent-up anxiousness.

Himari's last words overlapped with the voice inside his head.

"What did she mean..."

Horrified, Jun's gaze on her disappearing figure froze.