Chapter 46: Dandelion Winds Bring You Back

The familiar figure made her freeze for a moment. Her heart skipped a beat. He was standing outside a restaurant, looking as calm and composed as ever, but there was something different in the way he carried himself tonight. She felt an unexpected thrill at the sight of him. Without thinking, she called out to him, "Haruki—!"

But then, she stopped.

A woman appeared at Haruki's side, walking toward him with a child in tow. 

Tsukiko blinked, confused for a moment. 

The woman spoke to Haruki, her voice warm and familiar, "Brother, you're done?"

Tsukiko's eyes widened. Brother? That was his sister? A feeling of a small relief at the thought. 

But then, something about the woman's face seemed… too familiar. 

It took her a moment, but when the recognition hit, her stomach dropped.

It was the woman. 

The one…

who had been involved with her ex-husband.

Tsukiko's heart tightened as she stared at them. Her treats bought from the bakery fell out of her hand. 

The image of the woman holding a child, standing beside Haruki with the ease of family, was a punch to her gut. 

The realization hit like a wave

This was Haruki's sister, a woman from Tsukiko's past. The woman who had destroyed what was supposed to be Tsukiko's happy family.

Tsukiko's vision blurred. Her legs felt weak, and she instinctively stepped back, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She could feel the familiar panic rising in her chest, a sense of dread clawing at her from the inside out. The laughter, the happiness, the peaceful moments she had shared with Haruki—

all of it felt like a cruel joke in that moment.

She turned away quickly, looking at the ground unable to look at them any longer. Her steps became faster as she tried to distance herself from the scene, her mind spinning, her emotions running wild 

causing her to collide with a passerby. 

"I'm sorry. You're good?" the passerby asked while grabbing her shoulder as she was about to fall.

Tsukiko froze. 

The voice. Sounds rather… 

"Tsu— Tsuki?"

Tsukiko slowly looks up..

As if the universe had a cruel sense of humor, her breath caught in her throat and her eyes slowly lifted, 

It was Kai.

Both of their eyes met. 

For a long moment, neither of them moved or spoke. The silence between them was heavy, filled with unspoken memories, old wounds, and everything that had happened in the years since they'd last seen each other.

Tsukiko couldn't help but stare at his face, his unshaved beard, his eyes that seemed older, more tired. 

His once sharp, youthful features now appeared weathered. His hair, once neatly combed, was now slightly messy, a few strands falling into his forehead. The lines around his eyes were deeper.

She felt a rush of emotions—anger, confusion, a deep, aching sorrow—but most of all, a recognition that the Kai before her now was a far cry from the one she had known. 

But before either of them could say a word, a voice called out from behind them.

"Kai!"

Tsukiko's heart lurched. She couldn't bear to be in this moment any longer, couldn't face this reunion of old pain. Without a second thought, she rushed away from her ex's embrace, her footsteps quickening as she tried to escape the heavy weight of the past.

Kai's voice stuttered but tried to call after her, "Tsu- Tsuki, wait!"

But she didn't stop nor turn around. She couldn't. She kept walking, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to outrun the memories, the pain, and the unexpected weight of everything she'd just witnessed.

It was all too much. She just needed to get away.

This wasn't supposed to happen, she thought. 

I can't let it happen again.