BEFORE Haneul could even lift his head, someone had already sat down beside him. Then the smell of rain mixed with fresh earth surrounded him. It was so strong that it made him dizzy. His body tensed up on instinct, and he had to grip the edge of the table to steady himself. This level of rejection was even worse than when Haru tried to hug him earlier. At least with Haru, it was just discomfort. This felt like his whole body was screaming at him to get away.
It's not like it smelled bad. In fact, under normal circumstances, it should have smelled good. It was the kind of scent that would usually make someone want to lean closer, not pull away. But right now, Haneul just couldn't bear to smell it. His body was reacting like it was the worst thing he'd ever smelled, and he didn't understand why. Just what was happening?
"Haneul-ah?" said the source of the scent. It was the same familiar voice that had called him. "Are you okay?"
