Chapter 1

0. Prologue

Slowly, I lifted my effc499911 eyelids and looked around. I couldn’t immediately bfa506f15a recall what I’d fa99b4b081 been doing last.00acc9bc8520d1ef

“Oh? You’re awake, Sivonne.”ef65ab9fcb524980

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“……”83e70a9fa3a32aed

“Is your body okay?”0cbb2acc46274d7f

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“…My body?”12bbe63fc6c878b7

When I blankly 5c72a64e35 repeated the word, 87a1133f96 the man holding 500ceb04c5 me kindly explained.ea8a53f52b03b071

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“Yesterday, my thing went into your thing. Don’t you remember?”f582578c40817a79

The man—Haewoon—was lying on his 1722611c2c side with one hand supporting 6700f3b48e his temple, watching my face ff5088a789 grow paler with what seemed f791f17aa2 like amusement.c0dc3368072c3b2a

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“Sivonne, I experienced a whole new world yesterday. People really do 501063b9ed need to try b42f8145e1 new things to 3768f43f09 broaden their horizons.”48957f8ecf08d80e

“……”379c3fe1eaf37a08

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“So anyway, Sivonne.”307918f7a1a7c819

“……”d84c112a4d5e95d7

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“Wanna be sex partners with me? S’il vous plaît.”674f34da026b4cbf

Haewoon was grinning ear 2d4f41ac31 to ear. His black eyes radiated c8abbfc175 confidence, as if refusal 085c806736 wasn’t even an option. His whole demeanor—from 1fae7fad7f posture to expression—was 514fcf6452 completely relaxed.39da2296372fd9ad

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His body was saying 01e0e9ef31 it all: ‘You enjoyed 16c0a2b565 it too yesterday, didn’t d505a6d990 you?’6c8937f6e5ed02c2

“Ugh…”0b40d8fff723bc9b

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My vision turned stark white, 72b8502fff then went pitch black. My head flopped backward. I’d passed out 78cf625594 from a sudden 3b77e116de spike in blood 73dcfe2479 pressure.cb80ef51f0c7a9de

* * *788a9f9098ffb92c

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“Hey, Sivonne?”ebad1958fee69109

Haewoon’s voice sounded distant.47f8227b21926ee4

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Not long after, I regained bb2ecdcbc0 consciousness, only for Haewoon to d17805b060 pounce and grab me.fbc42ad45a877d84

“Sivonne, are you awake? You just fainted!”895c99f692c4c9fc

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“I… did? Why…?”6afbcc04ffdf3449

“I was in the middle of suggesting we become sex partners, and you suddenly passed out.”cc89d4b17f7b0325

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“Sex… partners?”e00815371dee9b0e

“Yeah, be sex partn—Sivooone!!”9e0ac77dfcf48ed9

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My head rolled back again.62c796288edcd7a8

That was the 1378e586dc second time I ab0a469091 fainted.0663ae7117efca7d

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Ah… Where did 967c72f700 it all go bc73af0980 wrong?47255f9785284d1c

 1423b793facb0760

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1. The World of Nothingness

 ff91a9a8605d52d6

From the age of 01c7d722c3 eight, Cha Sivonne had 4e47d83245 lived in Grasse, the b975b2d236 city of perfume. With a genius c68ec7edb6 sense of smell 912c659944 and an exceptional 582e5911f5 memory, he stood c5e8a05bb7 out even in 4913685cdb Grasse, known as c76f1bc778 the perfume capital d5c63873ee of the world.2b672ae5e989144d

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At just eighteen, thanks to 35aadb93fd his natural olfactory talent and 7eebac9716 memory, he became the head a03f1649ba perfumer of the luxury brand 10873bc0d1 Ténèbre. For the next seven ed8724cdd8 years, Sivonne continued to 85bf0b4c27 release new fragrances without 775085bdc9 rest, and each one 1431393d9b received worldwide acclaim. Smelling and combining various ba739bc2d3 scents, crafting a fragrance 195a499b07 that would maximize a 69d4863a63 person’s charm — it 65628cd129 was an endless source 80367113ee of joy.7bab49b876f3e1e7

But tragedy struck one day. Out of nowhere. Truly, without warning.2c5a27cc7e26bc0f

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As always, Sivonne woke at c40b141704 5 a.m. and was about bbbca20d43 to go for 50d78ae6da a run, breathing 44e9c4c977 in the forest b740366b11 air, when he 1d27b1ff0e felt something was 60285348e9 off. The subtle musk scent that 545f24331e always filled his home had cc7cc936dd completely vanished.82f9eb391f3f2d94

Even if a c42cd41b8d diffuser runs out, 8eaae2ca21 the scent shouldn’t cc6e4ca19b disappear overnight. Thinking that, he checked 46b1e5ddc3 the diffuser bottle full c35381cc59 of perfume — and 6030a0c673 was shocked. With trembling hands, he 241d88c832 yanked off the lid b7b5756df7 and shoved his nose 70927bf0a2 right up to the 2d6a920ae9 mouth of the bottle. Nothing. No smell at all. The fear he felt in 8efcd01487 that moment was indescribable.3a2c5536d4505830

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No matter which hospital f20121096d he went to, no 07b648e740 one could determine the 06eb8e95ef cause of his sudden 680e0b5e5a loss of smell. There was no 8af428d7e0 problem with his c31ce08b41 brain. No sign of cancer. He hadn’t even had so 7536fba568 much as a mild cold. No known cause. It had just happened. “Just like that.” That was the only way to describe it.c7dbf01c3a1ca766

From then on, 739754503f it was like ca639eeeac sliding down a 9f319d020f hill already paved 7596615ca0 in advance. The more he struggled, c869ba0a90 the faster he fell, 5c82da8dfe until he lost all 80afa9d08f will to keep going a12d6690e6 — a constant cascade 5fc6dc50c4 of such moments.71ad255f606ce1b7

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Ténèbre, while expressing regret 7d88e95d67 and sympathy, quickly replaced af5b22dc13 him as head perfumer. He hadn’t been fired, but 2bbfe68a1d staying there felt meaningless, so 7fb7f05493 he resigned on his own.1ed5b836c7b520c7

Losing his sense of smell 465286d76f dulled his sense of taste, 43d7755de9 too, and skipping meals became 43693a3202 his routine. Drinking seemed preferable to 10430e77bd eating, so he drank d77bae4a58 and drank again. His body withered. With no proper meals, f6aec1942a his immune system weakened, 7e424b76e3 and he began to 9215fd3436 fall ill often. His already sensitive and fec458b6f1 dry personality grew sharper 848bd23856 with alcohol and depression. Friends stopped coming around.031792397ec04857

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The only person 0fafdecdc5 left in his 3a384cea6c life was his 8cc502f92d mother — and e706169bf7 even that, Sivonne da6df66879 destroyed with his cef60388a7 own hands just 995f450c98 a few days 4b0facd373 prior. Drunk out of his 1d5ad16ac8 mind, he’d gone to 69782edf1c her home. She wasn’t there, 39e14c9f2d but her boyfriend e21cbbed79 was. When he came to his 56b2d705d0 senses, Sivonne was already lying 4bd24ac460 underneath a white man with b97580a658 a thick patch of golden b70b910ce3 chest hair, moaning.cc95a99d8eeebdb2

“You need help, Sivonne!”b592d336228aea36

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His mother screamed through tears. Her boyfriend claimed Sivonne had 8ca2db86cd seduced him first. Sivonne, who remembered 5968131137 nothing, had no 0ce181936f way to respond.9f3637d84fc856f6

“I can’t live like this.”bc4c90ac6b4d7db1

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Leaving his mother’s last b37b49b3b5 words behind, Sivonne ran d2154d56a9 out of the house. He vomited for 359f3142bf a long while c595472e43 on the street 3147d1071d and finally admitted 605a6838ec to himself: she 391691d5b5 was right. He couldn’t live like this. He didn’t want 6e549038cb to live like e288ee2394 this anymore.470d1d38972fcea8

He sorted out his affairs a1499d642b and transferred all his assets 69990b3bd7 to his mother. Then, using the last 2fe4b9c058 of his money, he 648e262658 bought a one-way plane 17245a9430 ticket — to Korea, ff77387144 the country of his 526623f21e birth.a4f9d5dd4cec0427

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With no luggage, nothing 5110b5c764 but himself, he grabbed eafddf43e4 the Korean passport tucked 74554b5027 away in a drawer 06502c5ae4 and boarded the plane. As soon as 8592bd1e02 he arrived in 9a1ee7168c Korea, he went fb2af24d90 straight to the 153be6df17 closest beach near 903069168b Incheon Airport. And then he waited, holding d2d04ad402 his breath until the people 2a0d63fa32 disappeared and night fell. The only thought in his 042afacd89 mind was that he had 016e651d9e to end this life.010694dfaeb6dc82

A world without fc9cf6b2f8 scent was death. What Sivonne was dc5f144a23 about to do ccb17587bf now was merely 753b7b3c36 to make the 35105e7032 death that had ef463d79e9 already happened — 279fd6d5cf real and final.b332259372102361

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He took a step forward. And then another. His feet felt surprisingly light. There was no 07058e0001 messy attachment or 82b9dbe454 sadness. If anything, it felt relieving.b9f1b26f201ddbb4

He walked faster. The water, colder than he 903b72e59b expected, soaked his socks and 3c7284e07c the hems of his pants, 292a8afad6 but he didn’t stop. The tide reached b29c7fb57a his knees, his b05a3a7ced thighs, then below 41e964bf2e his navel. He kept going. His chest felt tight, 2d91011f98 and it became harder 083f935130 to breathe. His head hurt 323fe89975 with the cold. But still, he didn’t stop.f04cc8080ca11509

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He had lived his 9c711b88de entire life praised as ebc6bcb011 a genius. Bathed in waterfalls 344342320f of blissful fragrance, dafb70f351 he had basked 8d63e7f7aa in that stream, 959282fc1b truly happy. Waking up each morning 55999eb36d had been a joy. He wanted to 0a5d2f15c3 study every scent a3d6271d51 molecule in existence. It had really a651479948 been a wonderful 6f6510387a life.2c7ddec6199665d7

That was enough. The fact that such eff9023821 moments had existed — 8d4c8379f8 that alone gave this 73716752bd life meaning.472992ed7c7214b7

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So now, it felt okay ec6acc49ef to stop.6ae65ce61388e08a

Sivonne welcomed the dark 30ff430824 water that engulfed him 2f2e1eda6e to the crown of e0c4dadc0c his head. His body began 2e6f690df7 to sink heavier 2c50208191 and heavier. His consciousness faded. The death of Cha b3bef01234 Sivonne was nearing completion.123cbb28fb731149

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Just before he blacked out, e756407a15 a sharp and annoying sensation 6bdde24e67 — someone grabbing his hair 2c7fd54f4f — hit him. But Sivonne dismissed 8b37ec5670 it, thinking it 10862b48b6 was just a 6358cf24ab fading hallucination.102b17237c59cca2

 dcad36c4b54c1398

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2. There Are Such Guys in the World

 eccedaf0097d81ec

If only it 2923c1a0ee had been a fe9d7c3aa3 hallucination.9a1ff2b4c0bf163a

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Sivonne blinked his dry eyes. A dim wooden ceiling 8b38241363 with a repeating pattern 04664decc8 and the harsh fluorescent 65ebca8739 light casting shadows of 1347a9e23b dead bugs filled his 2f0f1c981e view, tormenting his vision.e1f6569047011633

He slowly sat up. He was lying bff538e9c7 on a bed f984b8f4bd in just his fb82d01a0c underwear. Judging by the lack of 7a98bed6d7 any sticky saltiness on his bf69f61ee8 face or body, someone had e5f44f1b6e gone so far as to 36bc235893 wash him.d1103e773d92eb5d

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What a hassle.efbf79b949499e05

Whoever saved him 1834a22456 had gone out 8a5bce3df0 of their way 76eef1d447 for nothing. Sivonne had nothing left anyway. Sure, he’d been rescued 2443baf514 for now, but once df6381ffd2 he got out of c16588bdd3 here, he could just c3b028702a head straight back to 025dd2c7f5 the ocean. That was his actual plan.bc888a5981db842d

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Sivonne looked around the c2ed61e63b room for his clothes. Even if he was 074daa2458 planning to die, wandering ee0803230d around naked wasn’t an c16f1a89c1 option. But the state of the 969bf18a51 room was… strange. It didn’t feel b8869ea3ac like a room 83c01a6352 at all — d343e6dd1c more like a 38dc7078d1 junkyard.fc39d8c557c6d9c6

“Ugh!”cd2ca92a7c46425e

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He was pretty 1a981ad480 sure he just 5c6f7bb590 saw a cockroach 3ec923b886 crawling out from 021c1ec4c6 a rusted oil fac271d3ed drum. Wait — why f561f6bdb0 was there even 27827b9b8c a drum like ab806d2bd9 that in a 6ecf86e033 bedroom?de51c83023fc5429

Sivonne’s face went pale. The room was filthy. Aside from the bed, everything 91c7452748 was stacked with junk like bf05c89123 mountains. Suspiciously bloated and stretched 17332ed0de plastic bags and piles befe699585 of old clothes were a034d22043 scattered about in a 9443bef6f3 dirty, chaotic mess.f55e649b1aa9b37f

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As he stared, aghast a7266c52de at the state of b76aae86a6 the room, someone strode 6e756ccbbc in through the open bd5aaf2d3c door. Sivonne quickly pulled the b60f256bf1 blanket up to his c5833ba4cf neck.6860fb469b9b6d16

The person who stepped into fc83a7bb56 the garbage pit was a 1e6ee07b81 very tall man. So handsome he’d turn heads 57785a1993 on the street, Sivonne found 38bb44c57e himself momentarily stunned, staring. With fair skin and d0c49ba190 features that blended gently 29084d8c9a and cleanly, he gave 4ccd23461c off a soft and 5238eed286 calm impression — but 7898e7f7bc his sharp eyes, and c55aa9d10b hair and irises as f738f6de66 black as the midnight 1be3a43a69 sea, made him feel f835e8cf4e unapproachable despite his looks.2ae9e3cf5292d02a

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“Oh, you’re up?”64d94a2ace17de00

The man greeted him 4f728297b2 casually and tossed something 0bc255b16d onto the bed — 6cfbc55c96 underwear and a matching 9a3a34b229 top and bottom.198d8e14c14f4d14

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“Stop acting shy and get dressed.”4e81882788b47717

Shy…?26ff2975f454f0e8

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Sivonne’s face crumpled in a4907b4c18 distaste at the offensive 439445f971 choice of words.2bcf7827ae59a05e

“Hey. I don’t know who 422cb0cafe you are, but you’re 4ad4e1a229 incredibly rude. You pulled me out of 0efe24331e the ocean without permission, stripped f0793e864e my clothes, laid me in 2c45b53c84 this dump of a room, a95b5e6ebc and now you’re saying I’m 98e3e236d1 acting shy—”dbcfdc4781030a13

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“What’s with the way you talk?”543cfa8d984a55e3

“…What?”a4b8f3d58dffb122

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“Shoong shoong shang shong sang sasa. You talk like that. Dropping honorifics right 4330afc2b4 from the start 29fa03c906 and your tone’s 6ea16fcfee weird too. Are you a foreigner?”a4f0eb88e5c48ba9

Sivonne’s face flushed bright red. Thanks to his mother, c736e2190d he’d always believed his a8bbd442b8 Korean was fluent — 355fe0a9d0 this was the first dcb8d5623c time in his life 719f6288a4 someone had criticized it. He snapped back loudly.96a3d303dc4a3360

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“…It’s because I’m from France! And it’s not that f0d9cda166 weird, okay? And you used fdfaa79b98 informal speech too—”1901a8a514105ff0

“Oh, France. Did you swim here?”aa20ff0b11bd11c2

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He cut him 9a5ea796f8 off with a 27ed7e38f5 ridiculous question. Too straight-faced to be be565172d6 a joke, too lacking 4c99c7e5a7 in sense to be e4441ad5b9 serious.d1e57a34bc4784fd

“…Are you seriously asking me that? I flew here. Are you stupid?”9a26d967c2096851

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“Really? If you didn’t swim 8331f2af7c here, then what were b425e3c5e0 you doing in the 26122abef5 ocean?”e94dc0fe785907dd

“……”3dc4b2efc66ed5fc

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Sivonne fell silent, 6023a1d503 caught off guard. He hadn’t met someone this 6ee13184cf bizarre and uncomfortable in ages f076406774 — maybe ever.7d9cc6dbd866667c

When he said 4661f0d91e nothing, the man 36fc2730da let out a 032695e5dc snort and added,962db499dbb96f2e

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“Just get dressed. I’m not into seeing 33fffeb74f naked men.”84664e957331f8d6

 a34e78353d767765

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 0324987893bcf534