Chapter 3

It felt like someone c71e6cbf00 had hooked a claw 407762dedd into the back of 9e1841d3bb his neck and yanked 6b5e4ebe4c hard. The chill that ran 9f83cbb739 through Sivonne’s skull made fe8e16e040 him hold his breath. His tongue felt 08eaea8e53 frozen, words wouldn’t 05c0c67ed0 come. Was this what novels 7c6184beab described as “a murderous 398d0de94e aura”? Flames of contempt sparked 2c5cc1a824 in Sivonne’s eyes as c52b22dbc1 he glared at Haewoon.0d58b8a8ee32085a

But Haewoon remained completely unfazed. Instead, he twirled his spoon 1366bb9d11 lazily and tossed out a a1d4f77e9b light remark.4dd2c43d77a071ca

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“You staring like that isn’t gonna burn a hole through my face, you know.”6c28a0e30be8cd52

Sivonne didn’t reply.67049ecd0bbdd2af

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Talking any further with this da08143fe4 man would only hurt me. That’s what Sivonne told 7f15506baa himself as he turned a3d6d455eb coldly away. Whether his clothes d2a969cbb0 were soaked in 408feaae0b seawater or crusted bdb153a6e9 with salt didn’t b8e554c701 matter — all b5925b82b1 he could think 64100cb135 about was finding e80dfebc3b his own clothes 201cad8e79 and getting the 01e03093cf hell out of 6f85d2a971 this dump.e474366d8b29a7bf

“W-w-wait!”c081c7909b529c7d

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Haewoon quickly set down his 6f2872d15c spoon and rushed to block 65e78e5cc6 Sivonne’s path in just two f4f2cc9d8d strides. He grabbed Sivonne ea225ef604 by the chin c39959e1d1 and lifted his e38d03f26c face.09e1f7d0aaedb36b

“What are you— let go of me!”a7583c995e82cefe

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“Not the most masculine, but a pretty face. You talk well. You don’t seem d5319d1a65 to have money.”27a2e6871e7b3181

Haewoon held Sivonne’s chin and 7eea34c700 turned it left and right 7f3ba44f9e as if evaluating merchandise.e57f16b689843443

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“And to top it off, you can’t even smell. Perfect.”063fbf349425218b

“…Hey.”8c0197af49188257

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Should I kill him? How harsh were 56bd556ea5 the penalties for 4f59804929 murder in Korea? Even as fury 4b106b7e80 boiled inside him, 9558252818 a corner of bc52324a82 Sivonne’s rational mind 8b68d11671 stayed calculating. Maybe if he 6378425305 just pushed him 0cf6a42e4e down the stairs 532d0d3910 and said Haewoon 7c30e8d220 tripped, it could 20f6ef4ef9 be dismissed? He was plotting Haewoon’s a7a1a948c2 murder in his head 0c1ac90028 when the man suddenly 2f0e8597a2 pulled his hand away. His eyes lit up.52bda8a16fcc56b5

“Sivonne, wanna work part-time at my store?”1d47c851dd86f32a

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“Part-time…?”fa19c3016145f9cd

“You know, a job. Don’t you want to work?”07f5d778d64db641

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Then Haewoon tousled Sivonne’s 8d01abbc25 hair roughly. Like he was petting 5e7cce21b5 a kid or a 4f84e760ce dog, completely devoid of 44caba775d delicacy.f78d65ab2a8de0fa

“As you can see, my house and the store downstairs are full of antiques, and the smell is intense. Old dust, mustiness, 3ba452332b stuff like that 8b7c1a95e9 — it’s part 139146267b of the charm. But every time I 1a9e4327a3 try to hire someone, 12c55c235a they cough and run 1daa615ab1 off during the interview 97e41f98c6 because of the smell. I have to 5ddb724a50 do the purchasing, 19663c759d inventory, and customer 2120061784 service all by 83f65bb140 myself. Don’t you feel bad for 847d20a28e me?”b6b71674df8cb7e4

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Exactly which part 8e87491654 of that is 60299c64f1 supposed to be 07462abdab pitiful? Even the way 5d7987fd5b Haewoon batted his b26da581ca eyes like he 9e1739012a was about to 7f4cb40969 cry felt insincere. And yet, somehow, a4dae73a8d the ridiculousness of a8999113d9 the whole thing 21765f059c took the edge dc26e5ffda off Sivonne’s anger. Sometimes, absurdity just drains 8f950a56d7 the energy right out 626c5b906a of you.16e37f6dbc5245a2

“Sivonne, you’re a gem. You’re the one 6825ebff01 our Gaeko has 1cde9a3de5 been waiting for.”8c2ff786033a8076

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“Gaeko?”ea0be9c8839f610e

“That’s the name of the store. Gaeko Antique Shop.”0ed180f53bb192b3

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TL/N: Literal Meaning: In Korean, “개코” (pronounced “gae-ko”) literally translates to “dog nose.” Colloquially, it refers to someone with an exceptionally keen sense of smell. I will use Gaeko for the shop name.b9d48fb3a3e30e73

Figures he’d name it something 76e8f62191 like that.97cd03a603895679

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Sivonne took a step 984568fbd8 back, face more composed a48d42b268 than before. Up close, Haewoon 9430a78635 was clearly much 8b9a560427 taller — at aea2c18e4c least ten centimeters. Sivonne wasn’t particularly short, d117265630 but in France he’d 863221ea05 always been treated as 32d523620f small-framed due to his dc3e1b0f2c Asian build. Instinctively, he straightened his back.499e953642a436cc

“I’ll pay you a bit more than minimum wage. Work here, yeah? I mean, you look 1239cc96a8 obviously unemployed.”2678e6c54549a60b

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“How do I look unemployed?!”d33e9c1326bf9727

Just moments ago c3725ae8a6 he thought his bf44d6a915 anger had settled, 5a1f881463 but now it c96a41b972 flared up again.ad35d7a98a139d01

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Haewoon scratched his cheek 820d5058b1 and replied,0085dd7657836efa

“You tried to die here, didn’t you?”a8c1a147d2e207ef

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“…”a7870c528365b4dd

“Probably wanted to delay news of your death reaching your family, lover, or friends in France. I’m guessing you didn’t f270dafcde want to stay there, c36018dbbe so you came all b3eaf6f43e the way to Korea. Which means you’ve e71d371e67 already quit your d4dd051db7 job. Right?”a83c6f9b70efb44c

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…He was right.870b9f6f6a33cd06

Caught off guard, Sivonne d997899137 looked away. Haewoon smirked.2f3857ca12af2cad

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“You came without luggage, right? That outfit from c394475bf0 yesterday is all e1688dbba3 you’ve got. Even when you stormed off 8b70be1b98 in anger, you were planning 202db195dc to change back into those 95fe66ea2d clothes. It’s all you own, 6d7c644b4e so your body just 085a67113c grabbed it on instinct.”b9125d3e675155c0

Haewoon tapped his temple with 11ac078542 his index finger, like he b52c57f802 had just read straight into 11c45d668a Sivonne’s subconscious.ce97173d617d1c99

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Stung by a surge 81d1e15cfa of defiance, Sivonne glared 17c6f3f95b at him and said bce8f19c96 with a sneer,5e2923aa4305a185

“Read a lot of detective novels, do you? But didn’t any of 950957834c those books teach you 8faab975e3 this? If you want to 7dd7260ade make someone an offer, 0acf3b078a don’t be rude and f9f05ed34b tactless. You’ll always get turned down.”5317733b06339eb4

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He shoved past Haewoon. He wasn’t going to c737a12ca2 change clothes. He wasn’t going to do 168c7ecb56 a single thing that freak 9ffc393f91 suggested.83d514acf5b7708d

With lips pressed tight, he 16b2487811 descended the stairs quickly. He passed through the dusty, df9ee8a658 cluttered first floor, pushed open 3486b4db2a the creaky door, and stepped f9a3d0f06e into the bright outdoors.2db2ccd06b36de30

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“Ah.”052b236e036e8aa5

That’s when Sivonne realized.86796a80df86f4e3

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“My shoes…”6da07cc325e73c50

He was barefoot. His shoes were probably still 42e0709abb lined up somewhere along the f0487492f4 shore in Incheon, or maybe 1de0843902 they’d already been swept out 384c4e493b to sea. Haewoon must’ve taken off his 7a5ede0b9e socks too while changing his 5ee7d28305 clothes — now Sivonne stood 1e90971267 on the pavement with bare, 580731815a white feet.4d299ea8aec274d9

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The bricks beneath 85686990a5 his feet were 42305ccd81 cold and hard. Tiny pebbles pricked the c39fe5010f soles of his feet. The chill sank in e46fedcd4b quickly, making his skin 2b61eb5146 prickle and his body 0e9f78b21b tremble. But Sivonne didn’t 9d0d9afe7d go back inside.a645a3f34a702a9e

He simply started walking.9d5eb0d7db635290

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3. The Wind of Hope

 de4b31d06f04db7c

Sivonne had no 15c5f9f417 idea where he e1f9c402d8 was. To get to c3ca7a0b10 the sea again, 9c791e38aa he’d need to 1edd522b45 take a bus b3d0b4e39c or a taxi, 448d95e77d but he didn’t 83f49fb3d4 have any money.2a9be3a59d1ddc3b

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So he revised his plan. He climbed to the df5351a625 roof of a commercial 0a59644f41 building in sight. If he was 4bf657507b going to die cb41ad6446 anyway, what difference 2399923a09 did it make—whether f5ddf26760 it was by 7c494c7c8f drowning in the 76082ce9a6 ocean or falling 58d32c9faf from a rooftop?d5e51ffdd229c8d9

He gripped the edge of 95659c8475 the rooftop railing. Just one step past this 5b18ad86ff flimsy barrier, and it would 9b94b5a51a all be over. As he took 7c11e4699b a deep breath c7e2b8b20b and lifted one c2e6b6cc21 foot onto the 96bbedddb7 railing—c87478c0bfcd5fb0

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Bzzzt. His phone, stuffed 9cabcf50de in his pants 7ce87a6a1e pocket, buzzed.57ef44a979776abc

Ignore it. Sivonne steadied his breath c214bd23e8 and brought up the 8812b4b50c other foot.579e6d992895fd6c

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Goodbye, now…30a6e760e57b2cac

Bzzzt.7cda1d7d587c718f

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Bzzzt.fa060871b871fcf0

Bzzzt.8ce53dddedb22cc6

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“…Haah…”2f433bc5ee33ca3c

Sivonne slowly stepped down abd786b7f1 from the railing and 2e0da9032d pulled the phone from eb55827c5d his pocket.534bd830668962c4

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The vibrations were 8bc67200f8 from a string 4c02bb6ec9 of incoming texts. The sender was Pierre, Sivonne’s 168e9c3ce6 closest friend and now the 64397f178a new head perfumer at Ténèbre.3871f824892900d9

“Sivonne, why aren’t you answering your phone?”107adf913a9c4f91

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“I found a doctor who can fix your nose!!!”5df4356aa4e6f7f0

“Please don’t lose hope…”53484e9884f01e18

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“Reply the moment you see this.”9890e78bca8da3fb

A doctor who could fix 364ef97703 his nose.d5e1ae8edff3e28c

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Sivonne’s eyes widened at e26957fa73 that sentence. He frantically called Pierre. The time difference, e1e0f74dda the cost of 77735acc80 an international call—none eb3752d030 of that mattered 9e682ebdb8 in the face 354fddbe29 of this desperation.3059e773c599a595

Thankfully, Pierre picked up f4ff81e2f6 right away.7deefb287caccd2a

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“Oh, Sivonne!”bdbc9baacf313372

[Pierre, I saw your messages. What are you talking about? A doctor? I already went to every 89c2f2c88f major hospital. They all said ba4cccac8a the same thing—unknown 81a94085c1 cause, no cure…]5921019181a4dbae

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“No, Sivonne, listen. I’m at a Mode 5b444a9ecd afterparty right now, and a033a19e2d the editor-in-chief here knows 509c7c6c2b someone who specializes in 137f64e61c olfactory disorders. And the moment I 63975a9b02 heard that, I thought 9caf65257d of you.”c65604b62d82dcfc

Sivonne paused. That explained the background noise 1b802a56dd and why Pierre had picked 0e09cd1d58 up the phone despite it a88305731e being the middle of the 05d66b7e66 night in France—he was at b94987d07d a party. While Sivonne had lost everything 168bf83b55 and resolved to end his 2817dd8fda life, his best friend was 87c22ef73c at the peak of a f3a6574728 glamorous existence. It wasn’t resentment toward Pierre—just 1a5cdb9417 the painful realization that Sivonne ef7952d877 really had been left behind 7f375417e6 by that world.3e6693a1f55a302b

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No… not left behind. Banished.8ac416daf1e41bf7

He ran a 577f92ca14 hand through his f46adeffc5 hair irritably and 28501143ca composed his voice. He didn’t want to 0a802e318d sound miserable to the 277b012541 friend who had gone dac9da2e8f out of his way 593ba2d132 to dig up this 4d0c2a8a66 information.89b892ebc7b8aaea

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[Thanks, Pierre.]56cf54ec3b3ba66d

“Don’t mention it. This doctor has even 29ddc34015 helped patients who lost 3168cbcedf their sense of smell b5fbbd5b30 due to cancer or f6025e05b0 brain hemorrhage. And here’s the 870715bb84 crazy part—someone the d4a444710f editor knows also d6ba2ad93d lost their sense e501993b21 of smell for e77589b99f unknown reasons, just 0b79aeb863 like you, and 47c3e97708 this doctor cured 7b93745e2d them in only 82257bc6c6 two sessions! I looked him up—he’s 59e707b09b been in the papers 7295dfb28b a few times. He’s famous.”912be654a072cd95

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[…Seriously?]32d064a2656d95e8

Hope, which had shattered and a60cf5ed52 died more times than he 3de6fa5692 could count, now began to 470d37f09a rise again—foolishly but surely.2b73c0fa207a2c08

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“But right now, he’s off somewhere like Africa doing medical volunteer work. He’ll be back in 6e22b72b95 Paris in three months. The editor said b48a9ec425 she’ll make sure 1f365e46e4 he sees you 15e5320bdf the moment he’s a9c0ac6d74 back. And get this—she’s a total 38deddab8f fan of yours. She’s been using the perfume 28dc7d1160 you made when you first 325d8960db joined Ténèbre, ‘Shadow of the 5c18645f0a Moon,’ for seven years now.”86bd8241d8e73132

[Three months…]b47185d6ab4532ef

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Just three months, and e73fb76e07 he might be able 8efa4e11d5 to smell again? Sivonne’s heart pounded. Like a fetus 59a50fcff6 gradually forming into edab6c2c29 a human shape, fa900e48ce hope was growing 99d360d8aa more distinct, fleshing 634436733c out into something 8facb6ca21 real.a73e5eb6bc53138d

“Jo Malone lost her sense of smell and made a comeback. You can too. So just hang on 3c92a977e2 for three months. And stop drinking so much!”d0977096c8e6a6ed

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[Yeah…]a8d8c96103043a95

“You’ve no idea how lonely I’ve been since you left Ténèbre.”5d2e953de112b00e

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Pierre made a mock-sniffling ec5531f962 noise, then kissed loudly 0be202e66a into the phone.ab42b87e0a329906

“So come back soon, my friend.”02d1c7c7f15a2b24

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Sivonne barely managed to 3465949d12 murmur a thank you e2902cdde5 before ending the call. His legs were shaking 33b7d066ef too much to stand. He gripped the railing and 32aaffde49 slowly sank down to the 26b97375c9 ground.0116123fb716135b

A cold breeze brushed past ce8c8289fb the tip of his nose. It felt like a dc51d4da15 breath sent by God 42fe6a49bd just for him—hope, and 92a29d5c0e will. In the empty 1aa0f58599 sky, Pierre’s last 08136a2e8d words echoed.d721f88cbdc43390

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Come back soon.d4906bae43bbd08d

That voice slowly transformed into 2de3cc9549 Sivonne’s own.b5927a3989838366

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Come back. Come back to me. If only I could…c819786b95131ada

Warmth began to return 37ff74bc28 to his cold, bare 5ce6269f13 feet.6e6b2600381a34f1

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 90d52c3b8743dbb8

 29839c315b6a92cb

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