The Scent of the Landlord

Seo Dowoon’s continuous sidelong glances were met with a wide grin from Kim Ajun. “Given this serendipitous encounter, why don’t we head upstairs for a cup of coffee? We just got a new capsule coffee machine a month ago, and the coffee is quite good.”

“Oh, really? Dowoon, go on up and have a chat. You two will be seeing and talking to each other often from now on, won’t you?”

“What? No, I don’t think I should…”

“Go on, go on!”

His aunt’s persistent nudging left him with no choice but to ascend to the second floor with Kim Ajun. Had it been anyone else, he would have simply walked away without a second thought, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that to his aunt. For now, she was still someone he needed.

‘Could Han Gureum be up here?’

That distinct scent, now seemingly etched into his very memory, wafted from the stairwell. It suggested that Han Gureum had either just passed through or was currently somewhere upstairs.

Yet, the office was empty.

Kim Ajun, his voice remarkably cheerful, informed him that he could sit anywhere but the long sofa. While Seo Dowoon didn’t understand why the long sofa was forbidden, the only alternative seating was a single-seater armchair placed beside it.

‘It’s grown even more potent.’

Han Gureum must have lingered in the office for quite some time. His scent permeated every corner, so potent it felt as though he were right beside Seo Dowoon, despite his absence. The tinnitus still hummed in his ears, yet simply inhaling that fragrance brought a sense of profound relief.

However, he was confronted with another issue.

‘Even for an old building, this level of grime inside is excessive.’

To Seo Dowoon, a man who prided himself on neatness, everything appeared utterly filthy. Couldn’t they at least wipe down the coffee machine? The splattered coffee stains, scattered everywhere, were particularly grating.

The office’s untidiness made him yearn to leave at once, yet the captivating scent beckoned him to stay. With such a stark contrast of desires coexisting within him, Seo Dowoon found himself momentarily lost in contemplation.

Should he depart, or should he remain?

As Seo Dowoon surveyed the office and simply remained standing, Kim Ajun posed a question.

“Why aren’t you sitting? Ah, do you wish to sit on the long sofa? That’s typically a designated seat, so it’s usually off-limits… Hmm, but since you’re a guest, I suppose it’s alright. Please, sit there. It’s clean.”

Only when Kim Ajun, discerning the reason for Seo Dowoon’s hesitation, gestured towards the long sofa, did he finally settle down. The long sofa, at least, was covered with a white cloth, making it appear noticeably cleaner than the surrounding areas. However, the immediate sensation of sinking deeply into the cushions revealed it to be an incredibly old sofa merely draped with fabric.

And then, something else.

‘Han Gureum’s spot…’

As the scent enveloped him, his mind gradually began to clear. While he was quietly absorbing the fragrance, Kim Ajun addressed him.

“It seems we don’t have any ice. Is hot coffee alright?”

“Yes, that’s perfectly fine.”

Even the cup Seo Dowoon held bore Kio’s image. These guild members, it seemed, were truly devoted to Kio.

Just as he was about to take a sip of coffee, the door burst open, and a figure clad in a Herbivore Guild robe stepped inside. Seo Dowoon’s dark eyes, which had been gazing at the pitch-black coffee, widened momentarily before he swiftly lifted his head.

A scent that stimulated his nostrils—the fresh, dewy aroma of water infused with morning mist, mingled with the crisp, invigorating fragrance of a forest.

‘It’s Han Gureum.’

Seo Dowoon greeted Han Gureum with an expression of unparalleled gentleness, a smile far softer and more profound than any he had displayed until now.

“You worked hard.”

Kim Ajun took the large sacks from Han Gureum’s hands, peered inside, and then tilted his head in confusion.

“The quantity is less than I expected. What kind of dungeon was it?”

“Golem.”

“The quality must be excellent, then. Did the others head straight home?”

“Yes.”

Han Gureum had just returned from subduing a C-rank dungeon that had manifested in Boramae-dong. The others had gone straight home, leaving him to return to the office alone.

Stepping inside and pushing back his robe’s hood, Han Gureum paused, his gaze falling upon Seo Dowoon seated on the sofa. Until this moment, the only visitor to the office had ever been the landlady, and even she had merely dropped by on moving day to inspect the premises before swiftly departing. Thus, the sight of a non-guild member occupying the sofa struck him as remarkably unfamiliar.

‘……Sadang Station?’

Han Gureum, who had been quietly observing Seo Dowoon’s face from the sofa, soon recalled his identity. It hadn’t been long since their last encounter, and his face was not one easily forgotten, so recognition came swiftly. Though unsure of the reason for his presence, Han Gureum assumed him to be a guest, given his location within the office, and offered a subtle nod of acknowledgement along with a brief eye contact.

As his gaze met Han Gureum’s, Seo Dowoon gently placed the cup he was holding onto the table.

A month had passed since their encounter at the lecture, yet Han Gureum remained unchanged. While people rarely alter drastically, even the length of his hair was precisely as Seo Dowoon remembered. The golden eyes that met his gaze still sparkled with an undeniable clarity.

Rising from his seat, Seo Dowoon strode purposefully towards Han Gureum. The building, an older construction, featured low ceilings, yet perhaps due to an optical illusion, Seo Dowoon seemed to loom even larger than usual.

While the scent permeating the office was pleasant enough, it undeniably paled in comparison to experiencing it directly. A sudden, intense desire to simply take Han Gureum home with him, just as he was, washed over Seo Dowoon.

‘If I only had this fragrance, I could live with a perfectly clear mind forever. Could I perhaps keep him in my bedroom?’

Fearing that his rather dark thoughts might be exposed, Seo Dowoon deliberately softened his gaze, offering a warm, genial smile as he initiated conversation.

“Hello. Thank you for your help last time. Thanks to you, I was able to get out safely.”

“I merely did what was necessary.”

Seo Dowoon’s voice was excessively smooth, as though his vocal cords had been coated in honey.

“Did you get your medical examination? You were exposed to a significant amount of monster poison, so your levels must have been quite elevated…”

While enough time had passed for his levels to likely return to normal, assuming they hadn’t been abnormally high, Seo Dowoon asked purely out of lingering concern.

“Ah, well. It was nothing. I’m perfectly fine.”

Seo Dowoon shrugged his shoulders and gave a conspiratorial wink. It seemed they were unaware here that he had, in fact, bolted on the way to the center. While not a secret he felt compelled to hide, there was certainly no need to disclose it, so he merely deflected with a light laugh.

“That’s a relief.”

Han Gureum offered a faint smile in response. Since the day they had emerged from the dungeon together, Seo Dowoon had occasionally crossed his mind. It wasn’t so much out of concern for his well-being, but rather a subtle hope that he would eventually return the borrowed robe.

“What’s this? You two know each other?”

Baek Heeseong, who had ascended without them noticing, interjected, his gaze shifting between Han Gureum and Seo Dowoon. Though Baek Heeseong had also been at Sadang Station, he had arrived after Seo Dowoon departed by car, so their paths hadn’t crossed.

“The Sadang Station rift.”

“Ah, the rift!”

As Kim Ajun offered the single-word clue, Baek Heeseong clapped his hands and nodded in understanding.

“Wow, what a truly incredible coincidence! The very person we rescued turns out to be our landlord! This is no ordinary twist of fate, is it, my lord?”

“Indeed, it’s certainly no ordinary coincidence. Wouldn’t you agree, my lord?”

Kim Ajun readily echoed Baek Heeseong’s sentiment. Han Gureum, who had been silent until then, finally looked up at Seo Dowoon and inquired.

“You’re the landlord?”

Seo Dowoon found himself wondering what was so remarkable about being the landlord of this decrepit building, which appeared on the verge of collapse. However, witnessing the immediate shift in Han Gureum’s gaze, he nodded in affirmation.

It was the first time he realized that a landlord could be regarded with such fervent admiration. After all, he wasn’t providing the space for free; he collected rent, maintenance fees, and every other charge without fail, so he couldn’t quite fathom their enthusiasm. Nevertheless, to squander such a readily presented opportunity to gain favor would be the height of folly.

“Yes, I am indeed the owner of this building.”

He responded with such a radiant smile that, for a fleeting moment, one might have imagined a halo shimmering behind Seo Dowoon.

“My lord, we humbly ask for your kind consideration.”

“Oh, oh, there’s no need to be quite so formal.”

As Han Gureum respectfully clasped his hands before him and bowed deeply, Kim Ajun, standing behind him, erupted into loud laughter.

“Ahahaha!”

Despite the unmistakable mischievousness in the laughter, Han Gureum’s expression remained utterly serious. Then, as he straightened his posture and offered a subtle smile, Seo Dowoon’s eyes softened in return.

“I am entirely sincere in asking for your kind consideration.”

“Yes, I will certainly treat you well.”

As Han Gureum stepped further inside, Seo Dowoon followed closely behind him.

“By any chance… what perfume do you use?”

“Perfume? I don’t use any.”

“But you have such a wonderful scent… Are you truly not wearing any?”

Han Gureum reaffirmed that he genuinely used no perfume, then removed the robe he was wearing and draped it over a hanger tucked away in the office corner. The hanger swayed precariously under the robe’s weight, yet it held firm, refusing to topple.

Standing parallel to him, Seo Dowoon reached to properly hang the robe, but paused, taking a deep, involuntary breath as the faint scent reached him. Han Gureum’s unique body scent, mingling with the stale odor of the old office, permeated deep into his lungs.

‘……I want to keep inhaling this.’

He had always felt it when he smelled this scent, but it had an oddly calming effect. Had his heart ever pounded faster than average while feeling such profound peace? No matter how he searched his memories, he couldn’t recall such an instance.

‘I want it.’

His grip tightened on the robe.

‘Should I swap it with the one at home?’

The robe on his bed had long since lost Han Gureum’s scent.

‘It would be great if I could swap them out whenever the scent fades. Would that be possible?’

He knew asking for it directly wouldn’t work, and taking it without permission would be a crime. He pondered the best way to acquire it.

Kim Ajun’s expression, as he watched Seo Dowoon standing silently before the robe, was peculiar. He had seen many people who weren’t Awakened yet didn’t seem like ordinary civilians, but Seo Dowoon was strangely different from them. He possessed an unusual, distinct aura that made Kim Ajun wonder if he would achieve a high rank if he were to awaken.

‘Is he interested in Gureum, or in the robe?’

Ever since Han Gureum entered the office, Seo Dowoon hadn’t taken his eyes off him, and now his focus was entirely on the robe. Kim Ajun recalled how Seo Dowoon had refused Park Hayoon’s robe in the dungeon and instead worn Han Gureum’s, finding the entire situation amusing.