Good Food is Better Than Thinking About Sad Memories

A little after that, a fluffy dumpling scooted near Kazuya.

"Uncle, Uncle, Chiharu is bored!" Chiharu patted her uncle's arms with her lips pouted.

"Do you want to take a nap?" Kazuya subtly shifted his gaze from Himari and looked at the little one.

Chiharu shook her head. She lifted up a hand and pointed toward the lake, "That. Boat. Chiharu wants to ride a boat. Uncle has promised."

Kazuya let out a helpless laugh. He squeezed the little dumpling's right cheek, "Alright. Let's go."

He stood up, wore his shoes and carried Chiharu. Kazuya swept his gaze across the mat.

"We want to go boat riding. Do you guys want to follow?"

"You go. I want to have alone time with my girlfriend," Ryota declared while tugging at Nanako.

Nanako laughed and hammered Ryota's arm, "Haha! Do you want to leave your nephew here?"

Yuuya stared at his uncle, "I will stay here, Second Uncle. Hina wants me to take more photos."

"I'll stay here too," Izumi followed suit.

Kazuya glanced at Himari. Himari looked back at him.

It seemed like, everyone else had their own plans...

"Then, I'll follow you."

Kazuya cocked a brow up, "It's my pleasure."

Himari got her bag. She frowned when she found Chobi was sleeping lazily under the cherry blossom tree.

Sigh... They came here to have a picnic but, this stupid cat only knew to be lazy.

In the end, the three of them walked away from the picnic mat.

Aside from boat riding, there were other activities being held in the park as well. Some were singing, a few were dancing and there were also joggers on the walkways. Everyone was having fun under the assembles of the cherry blossom sky.

On the lake, people were paddling the boats as they enjoyed the scenery around them. With the slightly cold temperature today, the air felt refreshing as the wind blew past them. The surface of the lake was dotted with floating pink petals of the cherry blossoms.

"Do you know how to row a boat?" Himari asked Kazuya as her eyes drifted from one boat to the next. The riders were mostly couples or families.

"I do," He gave her a smile, "Well, consider it as you experiencing my skills in paddling a boat."

Himari let out a chuckle. Her eyes bent into crescents with a shallow dimple appeared on her right cheek.

Kazuya rented a boat, it was white in color. He brought Chiharu on the boat first before offering his palm to Himari. She held his hand, took a leap from the jetty and successfully entered the boat.

While Kazuya took the job to paddle, Himari and Chiharu sat side by side opposite him.

"Wow! Pretty! So pink and pretty~"

Chiharu began to exclaim words of praises as Kazuya rowed the boat away from the canal. Himari felt the same way as Chiharu. Words stuck in her throat at the sight of such a magnificent scene.

As they drifted away from the land, the boat floated in the center of the lake. The cherry blossoms trees at either side of the lake created a soft color of pink clusters as their long branches extending far, hovering above their heads.

"Are you so impressed?" Kazuya asked with his eyes trained on the young teacher's delighted expression.

Himari took her eyes from the cherry blossom trees and looked at the man before her. She laughed, "Yes! It's like I'm in a dreamland instead of the gray city."

Her answer amused him. Kazuya laughed openly. The beauty mark under his right eye appeared vivid under the bright spring sky.

Kazuya stopped in a spot. The two ladies, young and small, were still in awe of the beautiful scenery.

"Pink flowers~ Blue sky~ Blue lake~ Aiya, Chiharu loves all of them!"

The little dumpling's remarks incited laughter from Himari and Kazuya.

"Teacher Kato, does Teacher love cherry blossoms?" Chiharu tilted up her little head and looked at Himari with a beaming smile.

"Who doesn't love lovely things?" Himari lifted up a hand and smoothed the little dumpling's bangs, "Doesn't Chiharu like cute things as well?"

"Love them! Like Chiharu's plushies, love them all~" The little dumpling exclaimed again.

Kacha.

Both Himari and Chiharu looked at where the sound came from. Kazuya was focusing the phone lens on them. His eyes lit up in delight as he found the photo he took as satisfactory. Lifting up his gaze from the phone screen, he smiled at the two ladies.

"Photo-taking time?"

"Okay."

"Photo! Photo!"

The three of them took photos of the appealing scenery with them in the frames. There were mostly Himari and Chiharu who were smiling and laughing at the phone lens. Even though they had just gotten closer, none of them displayed any awkwardness.

"Wow~ Cherry blossoms ride on the water too!"

As the boat drifted on the lake, the floating petals dispersed, giving way for the white boat. The area around the boat was dense with pink petals, offering wondrous scenery to them.

Chiharu leaned forward, one hand on the edge of the boat while the other stretched out to poke on the petals.

"Ah! Chiharu! Be careful!"

Himari quickly held the little dumpling. It wouldn't be good if she accidentally fell.

"Uncle! Go closer! Chiharu wants to pick them," Chiharu looked at her uncle and made a demand.

Kazuya pressed a palm over her head and began to ruffle her soft hair, "Do you want to fall into the lake? Sit properly."

"My hair!"

The little dumpling resembled a squirrel with her cheeks bulged as she angrily stared at her uncle with a pout. Her short hands were busy tidying up her messy twin ponytails.

Himari and Kazuya broke into laughter.

With the cool spring breeze blew past them, the pleasant vibe gently seeped into their hearts.

Kazuya slowed down the paddle. The boat stopped under a cluster of tree branches. Its branches were quite low, they could touch the petals with the tips of their fingers.

Himari looked up. The soft light of the sun pierced through the little spaces between the clusters of the pink flowers.

"What are you doing for Golden Week?"

Kazuya's question surprised Himari for a bit. She looked away from the cherry blossoms to his face.

"I'm going home to visit my mother. How about you?"

"Chiharu wants to go to the zoo. And, maybe I'll bring them to the amusement park next," said Kazuya.

At this time, Chiharu was humming a song. The little dumpling was completely immersed in her daydream as she gazed at the cherry blossom sky.

Her action made both of them laugh again.

"That... are you going home directly?" Kazuya masked his cautiousness as he asked, "Or, would you have another plan before that?"

"Haha, I'm going for a high school reunion," Himari laughed awkwardly, "Not that I anticipate it anyway."

"You don't want to go there?"

Himari shrugged. She smiled yet it didn't appear joyful.

"I'm not that close to my classmates so... En, I'm better off spending time by myself actually. Ah! Chiharu's sleeping."

While they were talking, the little dumpling had already dozed off. Himari picked her up and placed Chiharu on her lap. The little girl kept on sleeping.

Seeing that she looked a bit down earlier, Kazuya smiled faintly, "Go there and enjoy the food. After that, come home for a good night's sleep before you go back to your hometown."

"A great idea!" Himari laughed, "I really want to go there for food since the food at the hotel is delicious. Well, that's what I remember."

Even though she didn't eat what she ordered during the night of her broke up with Jun, Himari went there once with Nanako for a buffet.

At that time, she thought she would be sad to go to the hotel but, Himari still went through with the plan. Nanako was the one who was more worried instead of her.

"Good food is better than thinking about some sad memories!" Exclaimed Nanako on that day to cheer her up.

Well, her best friend was right. The food at the hotel was indeed delicious.

Kazuya picked up the paddle. He began to row the boat again. Since Chiharu was sleeping, it was better to let her sleep on the picnic mat.

"Where's the venue for the reunion?" Kazuya glanced at the back of his shoulders to be careful with the boats behind theirs.

Himari adjusted Chiharu to nestle on her. She answered in a low voice, "Crowne Hotel."

Kazuya froze.

"...Where?"

Kazuya stiffly turned back to look at the young teacher.

"Crowne Hotel," Himari paused, blinked twice before she narrowed her eyes, "Kazuya, you don't look great. What's wrong?"

"Ah, nothing," Kazuya quickly shook his head, "Well, we've gone for quite some time. They must have been looking for us."

Himari didn't point out the way he deliberately changed the subject.

Soon, they returned to the jetty.

By the time they got back to their picnic spot, Izumi and Yuuya were playing with the ball that the latter brought. Chobi joined them as well as he tried to chase after the ball. The area was filled with their joyful laughter.

"Where's your aunt and uncle?" Himari pointed the question to Yuuya.

Ever since Nanako was brought back to the Kashino household to be introduced by Ryota two years ago, the whole family had accepted her as their own. Both families were just waiting for the two to get married.

"Second Uncle said he wants to bring Second Aunt to catch butterflies," Yuuya replied, "At the newly opened butterfly garden section."

"Ha?" Himari was dumbfounded.

Those two... Came here to catch butterflies?

They really matched each other well ah.