The Lingering Scent
"Mmm…"
I furrowed my brow as consciousness returned.
The moment I opened my eyes, still groggy, someone was quietly looking down at my face.
Startled, I tried to sit up, but the person let out a soft laugh.
It was Yuna.
She had already showered and changed into loungewear.
"What are you doing?"
I asked, incredulous. Yuna rested her chin on both hands and smiled lazily.
"Just… watching your face."
"Is that fun? Staring at a guy’s face?"
"Yeah! I never get tired of it. I like it so much I want to keep looking."
A sweet answer came back.
For a moment, it felt like we had gone back to being a gentle couple again.
I pushed myself up and looked around.
We were still in Yuna’s place.
After we finished, I must have passed out beside her while she was asleep.
Fortunately, sunlight was still pouring through the window. It was still daytime.
Not much time had passed.
That realization brought an awkward embarrassment.
Scratching my head, I glanced at Yuna.
Unlike me, she was beaming, clearly in a great mood.
"What’s got you so happy?"
I asked with a small laugh. Yuna rolled around on the bed as she answered.
"I finally told you the secret I’d been holding in, so my heart feels so light. And even after hearing that crazy story, you didn’t push me away. I feel like I could fly."
"Pfft…"
Her bright smile eased the tension in me too, and I let out a small chuckle.
That was when I felt her gaze leave my face and drift downward.
I was naked.
The blanket only half-covered me, but a very obvious tent had formed because of a certain physiological reaction.
Yuna’s clear eyes, fixed on that spot, suddenly began to lose focus.
"Yuna?"
I called her name uneasily, but she didn’t answer.
Like someone under a spell, she just stared blankly and obsessively at the silhouette pushing up the blanket.
"Kim Yuna!"
When I raised my voice, she finally startled and looked up.
"Huh…? Ah! D-did you call me?"
Yuna quickly averted her eyes.
Worry washed over me.
A beautiful woman like Yuna wanting me first, craving me, opening herself up?
Honestly, as a man, there was no reason to refuse.
But if that desire was nothing more than a beast-like obsession that had stolen her reason, the story changed completely.
If she became addicted to this relationship and threw away everything else just to chase it, the ending would never be good.
I wanted Yuna to return to a normal life.
I straightened my posture with a serious expression.
"Hey, Yuna."
"Yeah…"
"When you’re alone… you can imagine me and do that. From now on, it’s okay."
It was embarrassing to say it myself, but I held it in and looked her straight in the eye.
"I understand your situation now, so don’t force yourself to hold back and suffer like last night."
At my permission, Yuna’s face turned bright red in an instant.
She nodded silently.
"And about us… ahem, doing that."
When I continued, Yuna’s ears perked up.
"Let’s limit it to once a day."
"…Huh?"
Yuna’s face stiffened at my suggestion.
Anxiety and worry quickly surfaced on her expression.
"Do you… not like doing it with me? Or did I do something wrong? If you don’t like it, I’ll try harder! I’ll do whatever you tell me to!"
Yuna asked carefully, but urgently.
I smiled weakly and gently patted her head.
"No. That’s not it at all. If anything… it’s too good. That’s the problem."
"Really?"
Her face lit up again at my honest answer.
But then she tilted her head, puzzled.
"But if it feels that good, why only once a day?"
"Because… I’m scared I’ll fall as deep into this as you have. If we chase desire without any brakes, we might end up somewhere we can’t come back from. Especially since we still don’t even know why this is happening to you."
At my sincerity, Yuna’s expression also turned serious.
She nodded carefully, agreeing with me.
"You’re right… Just thinking about being with you makes me sink so deep I lose all reason… like I’ve become someone else…"
"So let’s hold back until we figure out why this is happening and find a solution. I think we need that kind of training."
After my persuasion, Yuna finally nodded.
"Okay. I’ll do what you said."
Just as I felt relieved after getting her promise, Yuna fidgeted with her fingers, looking reluctant.
"Then… is today over already…?"
"Huh?"
I blinked, not immediately understanding.
Then the memory of our intense, animalistic sex from just a few hours ago came rushing back.
"I-I guess so…?"
Yuna’s shoulders slumped, disappointment written all over her face.
She seemed to think deeply for a moment, then her face flushed so red it looked ready to burst.
"U-um, then… Dohun-ah."
"Yeah?"
"Could you… maybe lend me that…?"
Her voice was so quiet I could barely hear it.
When I looked at her in confusion, Yuna couldn’t meet my eyes and dropped her gaze to the floor.
Her eyes landed on my underwear lying on the floor beside the bed.
I stared blankly for a second, not understanding.
Then it hit me—she was asking to borrow my underwear—and my mouth fell open in shock.
"Hey, Kim Yuna! Are you seriously—!"
When I shouted in disbelief, Yuna frantically waved both hands.
"I-I know! I know how perverted it sounds! B-but…!"
Yuna protested, face flushed.
"When I smell you, that crazy feeling goes down a little—"
"In heat?"
I asked bluntly. Yuna shook her head hard.
"N-no! Don’t use such a crude word! A-anyway! That unbearable thirst fades a bit!"
Even while squirming with embarrassment, Yuna kept emphasizing that it was a necessary measure.
"Ugh…"
I pressed a hand to my forehead, speechless.
Never in my life did I imagine I’d end up donating my underwear to my ex-girlfriend.
"Fine. Given the situation, I’ll go home and bring you a fresh pair."
As I tried to get up, Yuna’s face turned crimson all the way to her ears.
"No…"
She glanced again at the underwear on the floor and muttered in a tiny voice.
"That one… the one you were wearing…"
"……"
I froze on the spot.
Yuna buried her face in shame and couldn’t say anything more.
A heavy, awkward silence filled the room.
But after everything I’d already learned about her bizarre secret, giving her one pair of underwear didn’t seem like a big deal anymore.
"Haha…"
I laughed in resignation, picked up the underwear from the floor, and held it out to her.
"Yeah. It can’t be helped. Take it."
Yuna accepted it with a startled expression and quickly bowed her head.
"Th-thank you!"
Then, with the gentlest touch, she carefully placed my underwear in the corner of her vanity drawer like a precious treasure.
It was the most surreal sight I’d ever seen, but a more urgent problem had already appeared for me.
By giving her my only pair, I was now forced to go commando.
Yuna gave me an apologetic look when she realized.
"What do we do, Dohun-ah… I’m sorry. Should I give it back?"
"It’s fine. My place is right next door anyway. I can just throw on some pants and run over."
I answered coolly while picking up my clothes from the floor.
"I’m really sorry…"
"I was getting hungry anyway. I needed to go home to make lunch."
At my words, Yuna’s eyes sparkled.
"Then how about we order delivery?"
"Delivery? Is there something you want?"
I asked, puzzled. Yuna answered in a voice full of guilt.
"I feel bad that you cook for me every day. I keep getting fed for free."
Yuna fidgeted with her fingers.
"Plus, after I told you everything and you’re taking care of me… ordering food on top of that just feels shameless."
Making a little extra food for her wasn’t a bother, but I nodded brightly to ease her heavy heart.
"Okay. Let’s order something."
Yuna’s face lit up at my agreement.
"Really!? What do you want? We can get something super expensive! I’ll pay for everything!"
Excited, Yuna opened the delivery app on her phone.
Then she suddenly looked at me like she remembered something.
"You’ve always loved jajangmyeon, right? And the old-style sweet-and-sour pork. Should we get that?"
I stared at her, slightly surprised.
Even after years apart, she still remembered my favorite food.
In that moment, I realized again that I had never once been erased from her memories.
"What’s wrong?"
Yuna tilted her head when I just kept staring blankly.
"Huh? Ah, nothing. Yeah, let’s get jajangmyeon."
I forced a smile as I answered.
"Great! I’m excited to eat jajangmyeon after so long! I couldn’t even dream of it while managing my diet as an idol. Hmm~ I wonder which place is good~?"
Yuna hummed a little tune as she happily tapped on her phone screen.
While I was watching her innocent expression with a warm feeling, it happened.
Beep—
A messenger notification sounded on my phone.
"Hm?"
I casually checked the screen and froze in place.
The blood drained from my face in an instant.
A message from one of my ex-girlfriends was clearly displayed.
A chilling sense of déjà vu washed over me, as if the curse I had forgotten was tightening around my throat once more.