Chapter 1

0. Prologue

Slowly, I lifted my eyelids 97543bc63a and looked around. I couldn’t immediately recall what 38db2b3074 I’d been doing last.a44f3226bd4244c9

“Oh? You’re awake, Sivonne.”54d7fd0ca49bea8d

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“……”23a0c6987dd6c29b

“Is your body okay?”1226cc1dd8b822da

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“…My body?”ed7f3941d10c7316

When I blankly repeated the c8e113d670 word, the man holding me 45fbbfa9d2 kindly explained.67fd58365f72c3ba

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“Yesterday, my thing went into your thing. Don’t you remember?”9fad2b3b4cb6c5c5

The man—Haewoon—was lying 0da0c80063 on his side 19524c5511 with one hand 3e3cfd68ac supporting his temple, 2a864a57e8 watching my face 6860047d53 grow paler with 3bb7fbe01d what seemed like d2fd4e648f amusement.3be366baf2c70407

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“Sivonne, I experienced a whole new world yesterday. People really do need b64f05dd65 to try new things a86c380dbb to broaden their horizons.”a91109efc61bc13b

“……”d8cdd16369abdbdc

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“So anyway, Sivonne.”984d911e5a35d61e

“……”774c6b9789ec5935

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“Wanna be sex partners with me? S’il vous plaît.”4f2b4d8c9da98fee

Haewoon was grinning ear to 943f5ba2d3 ear. His black eyes radiated confidence, fdba1f76c3 as if refusal wasn’t even ead8434eb2 an option. His whole demeanor—from 46f984c829 posture to expression—was 3dd7a62d86 completely relaxed.804b8807509460f9

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His body was saying cc3923dd73 it all: ‘You enjoyed 498108ef5e it too yesterday, didn’t 6f9d0bc0f6 you?’951006e0d80519d7

“Ugh…”e9a6d8dc258dbd0e

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My vision turned a6e0257a97 stark white, then 49406c2c64 went pitch black. My head flopped backward. I’d passed out from a c7377d146c sudden spike in blood pressure.fe0ce2017033ee50

* * *aa27ba4138af50a7

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“Hey, Sivonne?”265398af5269abaf

Haewoon’s voice sounded distant.b3595851a3288303

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Not long after, I regained 73e1363101 consciousness, only for Haewoon to 6a02863509 pounce and grab me.cc64bb72ca3baba4

“Sivonne, are you awake? You just fainted!”c3ab7033aefd4310

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“I… did? Why…?”36a9a0f477417fc8

“I was in the middle of suggesting we become sex partners, and you suddenly passed out.”d0559d7b90660c63

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“Sex… partners?”e329340f1437c4cc

“Yeah, be sex partn—Sivooone!!”ce07f90284b6e3f6

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My head rolled back again.021cf0918d34395a

That was the 6e8c8737ef second time I 9331574eed fainted.9f0280a9f93281de

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Ah… Where did it all 4e82ac6b17 go wrong?7382841b48f09acf

 d5e5d07038a5bd18

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1. The World of Nothingness

 ba2b23db39ad7d1e

From the age 128fe97a76 of eight, Cha cbeba08f76 Sivonne had lived 208906e3e0 in Grasse, the bdf9fbe755 city of perfume. With a genius sense 42de612202 of smell and an fd65a1d125 exceptional memory, he stood 93502100ce out even in Grasse, e1ffa3617a known as the perfume d47e4a414d capital of the world.81281fb94eb2588d

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At just eighteen, thanks to f2adeb8cd4 his natural olfactory talent and 0a23cb3d35 memory, he became the head b702a65179 perfumer of the luxury brand 4e5b4bc7a5 Ténèbre. For the next seven years, 25f02a60eb Sivonne continued to release new 89f838ae52 fragrances without rest, and each ee5f8468a8 one received worldwide acclaim. Smelling and combining various 8bd175e42f scents, crafting a fragrance 4dbce49268 that would maximize a c5e2ebbe1f person’s charm — it 199f973da5 was an endless source 30c1b56d98 of joy.5d725ad9f6c67468

But tragedy struck one day. Out of nowhere. Truly, without warning.4efc4236850b8f76

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As always, Sivonne woke at 46cd36fa64 5 a.m. and was about to e071c7511d go for a run, 452616c351 breathing in the forest 7d3ff859a8 air, when he felt 5fb848c4ec something was off. The subtle musk scent 2307fe463b that always filled his b5fed2d47c home had completely vanished.c7ca3febf2942f31

Even if a 4facdb8518 diffuser runs out, 9cf1033aeb the scent shouldn’t ab967c5175 disappear overnight. Thinking that, he checked 9b47495c73 the diffuser bottle full 1a3e47d4ad of perfume — and 5fc7e8835b was shocked. With trembling hands, he yanked 47f51ed5ee off the lid and shoved 25669770ff his nose right up to f042ba41dd the mouth of the bottle. Nothing. No smell at all. The fear he felt in 27b781a34e that moment was indescribable.e939b7b1924e25de

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No matter which d5b13b4793 hospital he went a03df81b5b to, no one 3a2b205de3 could determine the 469582d360 cause of his e6d2ce71dc sudden loss of 25fa8adb23 smell. There was no problem with 85f2ba3268 his brain. No sign of cancer. He hadn’t even had so 347eccdbb4 much as a mild cold. No known cause. It had just happened. “Just like that.” That was the only way to describe it.dfe66c5c307996c7

From then on, it be519184e3 was like sliding down 3cb8481ddf a hill already paved 50b484ec29 in advance. The more he struggled, 3b09361f80 the faster he fell, 8ba1bf402f until he lost all 08ddbd82d8 will to keep going 6ef80f50c5 — a constant cascade e5bd81770b of such moments.766337b53c8fc642

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Ténèbre, while expressing regret and 60db05952c sympathy, quickly replaced him as 8a03e521ed head perfumer. He hadn’t been fired, 12cf609374 but staying there felt 04d5e1d5ef meaningless, so he resigned d7a5000157 on his own.92f45dfc4ab04747

Losing his sense of ac053fa00b smell dulled his sense 2d2a95d173 of taste, too, and 09fc6c7cb3 skipping meals became his 95a3e079a9 routine. Drinking seemed preferable to eating, 14ff2ccf06 so he drank and drank 19151d5c50 again. His body withered. With no proper meals, his 0efb8c0064 immune system weakened, and he 0390dbb164 began to fall ill often. His already sensitive and dry 7837eced25 personality grew sharper with alcohol 11daa9cc12 and depression. Friends stopped coming around.c075862be05b1789

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The only person left a8185ca15a in his life was d0aed91087 his mother — and 7622f8e697 even that, Sivonne destroyed 26c2b59ca6 with his own hands f3f843ff27 just a few days 272e54197d prior. Drunk out of fdfa60b1d4 his mind, he’d 44e6c55821 gone to her 6c92f14c4c home. She wasn’t there, but dd42e5e44d her boyfriend was. When he came to his b947fc46dd senses, Sivonne was already lying 786b601b32 underneath a white man with 1e1f9eb9ad a thick patch of golden f5d02ef9b0 chest hair, moaning.0246f1258a2dec32

“You need help, Sivonne!”4cb6586b6ecf9b9a

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His mother screamed through tears. Her boyfriend claimed c0a2298964 Sivonne had seduced b582586fae him first. Sivonne, who remembered nothing, 0fe0996f9a had no way to 1935e9c640 respond.62e58d57b82328a5

“I can’t live like this.”59982719b8fa0299

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Leaving his mother’s last 88771a4e2d words behind, Sivonne ran e55e564622 out of the house. He vomited for a long 2d701446c5 while on the street and a73d0cd444 finally admitted to himself: she d419fedb63 was right. He couldn’t live like this. He didn’t want to c0f202e120 live like this anymore.838d8382fad570e7

He sorted out his affairs e218ec983c and transferred all his assets 9b61828f12 to his mother. Then, using the 350688e4e5 last of his cfd892fbdd money, he bought 89f407590a a one-way plane ff29bd7827 ticket — to 4e6d33acd8 Korea, the country 8871dc2e90 of his birth.6cd1b078e7cf5723

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With no luggage, 51cddbc96b nothing but himself, 578b43a08a he grabbed the 910ae809c6 Korean passport tucked fc218d74c4 away in a a4cbf53898 drawer and boarded 35cce6622a the plane. As soon as he arrived 8f939ff82c in Korea, he went straight a2ea897385 to the closest beach near 9ca02c8cf4 Incheon Airport. And then he waited, holding 64b5d9cefe his breath until the people a2bc37c74c disappeared and night fell. The only thought 1c14616f38 in his mind b362456037 was that he bc95ff05a4 had to end b29c3d7a97 this life.022b54980afd05d4

A world without scent 8f1ec22399 was death. What Sivonne was 7c40c97e61 about to do da23a05051 now was merely 09c4324de1 to make the 69cd9818e7 death that had 78b1e5cb53 already happened — b467207412 real and final.4cbe8bd141ae185d

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He took a step forward. And then another. His feet felt surprisingly light. There was no 014015c7ea messy attachment or 624679d5e8 sadness. If anything, it felt relieving.b6c75ffb80a7c848

He walked faster. The water, colder than he 9eb1793908 expected, soaked his socks and 9fa8749579 the hems of his pants, 19170eaeee but he didn’t stop. The tide reached his b54adcb19f knees, his thighs, then c2e9f47a26 below his navel. He kept going. His chest felt 02c6748c46 tight, and it bd7a6adbb8 became harder to d6b0567cc4 breathe. His head hurt with the 0b97e3f432 cold. But still, he didn’t stop.a013e460b2b688e3

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He had lived his entire 0c824905e1 life praised as a genius. Bathed in waterfalls 6ebbf9af40 of blissful fragrance, 149b0e263a he had basked 57035ea935 in that stream, ba5c7c20a8 truly happy. Waking up each morning 71fa61aa54 had been a joy. He wanted to 9883ecff10 study every scent 467847dc34 molecule in existence. It had really been 12ce090676 a wonderful life.b94bb53c6529fd3c

That was enough. The fact that such cb7671f887 moments had existed — ccb3a3f9c1 that alone gave this 2ed50d31da life meaning.9f569d5ef5d1a79d

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So now, it felt 1a11403bee okay to stop.3aebc5fe1a7bc0fa

Sivonne welcomed the dark water c3135af2b0 that engulfed him to the f9500e02ce crown of his head. His body began to 45eedda5b2 sink heavier and heavier. His consciousness faded. The death of Cha Sivonne 5a56f862ac was nearing completion.b11ca598e8f01230

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Just before he blacked 4e4afb6474 out, a sharp and 6360fb1381 annoying sensation — someone eb8314d5bc grabbing his hair — 78f81c29c0 hit him. But Sivonne dismissed it, thinking c17b061ed5 it was just a fading 8d0d468cf9 hallucination.ef1a1718b5d732b8

 9e6e8387ae553995

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2. There Are Such Guys in the World

 a7d234f27be9650d

If only it had 3e7f3b45c5 been a hallucination.da1019ac58fc8e5d

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Sivonne blinked his dry eyes. A dim wooden ceiling cdac132a75 with a repeating pattern 503d597178 and the harsh fluorescent 9aa01adde9 light casting shadows of e48527f7dd dead bugs filled his b24de2e629 view, tormenting his vision.a77a8820321aafdf

He slowly sat up. He was lying on a aa015d7d64 bed in just his underwear. Judging by the lack of 9e87433f7f any sticky saltiness on his 9f0ce1b49c face or body, someone had 2fd6450769 gone so far as to dd8885916b wash him.c44d474d90b8b8f4

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What a hassle.fe9756a3ce8697a5

Whoever saved him had gone dcd113a064 out of their way for 4d25fa0474 nothing. Sivonne had nothing left anyway. Sure, he’d been a93927de89 rescued for now, db0bb69183 but once he 1a0a27193b got out of 8c5f685039 here, he could 56d642be8e just head straight 743d9f0512 back to the fbf27e3dfc ocean. That was his actual plan.9df24e3d1cf92f03

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Sivonne looked around the ae8ab011fa room for his clothes. Even if he was planning b67f3cd726 to die, wandering around naked 8fe6bcd8e1 wasn’t an option. But the state of the 088d0abc1e room was… strange. It didn’t feel like f705a97002 a room at all c62adc1da1 — more like a e962c15a13 junkyard.6c472251ff15b9ca

“Ugh!”63098907d15340dc

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He was pretty sure 588ad8d0db he just saw a e54704aecf cockroach crawling out from 9c29033b34 a rusted oil drum. Wait — why was there f1b8e72e38 even a drum like that e20a3e4a9e in a bedroom?b2c984fe3463a525

Sivonne’s face went pale. The room was filthy. Aside from the 4ba19c9653 bed, everything was 5b68511394 stacked with junk dbfa8ecfe7 like mountains. Suspiciously bloated and 3f93f71497 stretched plastic bags 1b216692f3 and piles of 52c3791100 old clothes were 2e1f6941c3 scattered about in 978b9ffe4e a dirty, chaotic 78b540291b mess.75d19363b13bc5e0

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As he stared, aghast 3deb4689ed at the state of a963fed37f the room, someone strode 4964d9cbf4 in through the open 742eac351a door. Sivonne quickly pulled 4b8c2a59e0 the blanket up f4abe6bc51 to his neck.c065267a7e9f703d

The person who stepped into b533f49cab the garbage pit was a 294491f009 very tall man. So handsome he’d b631ece9b8 turn heads on 193288f9ef the street, Sivonne 59011bd9da found himself momentarily 97ac96752a stunned, staring. With fair skin e54d4c992c and features that e4a0ad8606 blended gently and 736338ab20 cleanly, he gave 1f2892b177 off a soft f23fe2e1bb and calm impression 55507e3e94 — but his df492b033f sharp eyes, and 6b57d8aa55 hair and irises a8feee79ea as black as 2b0736438a the midnight sea, 353ae9819a made him feel ebb2b53b45 unapproachable despite his 63ec8fa2b3 looks.e7abe49dfef97d2b

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“Oh, you’re up?”3f4f90d3e7b1e27f

The man greeted him casually 6160b2e481 and tossed something onto the a533828fe8 bed — underwear and a 534f0a00ae matching top and bottom.d8055628a4a37a00

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“Stop acting shy and get dressed.”93fc8eb1a6b8b99e

Shy…?126b95a2cab54b3b

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Sivonne’s face crumpled 1706e41889 in distaste at b83cae3e91 the offensive choice 1d36f0c0c7 of words.731e6cc98832c62e

“Hey. I don’t know who you d6fd9b3687 are, but you’re incredibly rude. You pulled me out of 058761fa06 the ocean without permission, stripped 7ecdda838b my clothes, laid me in 11854c240d this dump of a room, d1665bb512 and now you’re saying I’m a249357106 acting shy—”3311ffdc9eb0c998

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“What’s with the way you talk?”01985bac98215eec

“…What?”f01f18b372c19dc1

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“Shoong shoong shang shong sang sasa. You talk like that. Dropping honorifics right 6590d801d0 from the start a6d70d708c and your tone’s d3ca8bdae8 weird too. Are you a foreigner?”4d7a217d5dc595e1

Sivonne’s face flushed bright red. Thanks to his 68b473e2d9 mother, he’d always 26bc8d366c believed his Korean 9507b6e2df was fluent — eea46264f6 this was the 0949e8c199 first time in 85ea9576dd his life someone a8fcf3e27c had criticized it. He snapped back loudly.7464c213b2784285

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“…It’s because I’m from France! And it’s not that weird, d0ce781a56 okay? And you used 9bf451b546 informal speech too—”aa7987f043246b32

“Oh, France. Did you swim here?”f60b5512c8f093ce

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He cut him off 8cdec686a4 with a ridiculous question. Too straight-faced to be a a4ad03946f joke, too lacking in sense e002bb4a18 to be serious.8ee9e138037d0ffa

“…Are you seriously asking me that? I flew here. Are you stupid?”777fad03f717ceb8

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“Really? If you didn’t f6cd2f2dd9 swim here, then 048d72298b what were you ca6f7ee1df doing in the 9ee0c610b3 ocean?”db52f0e58ad34fc0

“……”8546f7fae3adda9a

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Sivonne fell silent, caught 35074d0c4f off guard. He hadn’t met someone this 89bbdbbfb4 bizarre and uncomfortable in ages 791c3cf756 — maybe ever.69304974871202c4

When he said c5f9d74d6c nothing, the man d7c3e27d55 let out a e0276389cc snort and added,114f931edfcec8c0

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“Just get dressed. I’m not into seeing naked de94482c1d men.”92d11e81d0c9f04d

 324d9a564b6ce829

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 dec8f8593f1b298f