It happens often, for Jae Hwan specially, to smell something nobody can describe and that you can’t truly find anywhere. Jae Hwan smelled that when he was in his middle school at first, and whenever he followed the smell it took him to an empty rooftop.

He feared heights so he never stood there to check where the smell came from and gave up looking for it most of the time. It smelled good, and he enjoyed it, but that was it.

“How does it smell like?” Asked him suddenly Taek Woon, the usually silent friend of his in high school, while Jae Hwan was relating how the smell is strong in the cafeteria.

“I don’t know how to describe it. It smells heavy like deep musc or lavender oil but it doesn’t smell like musc or lavender though… I don’t know.” Jae Hwan told him while his eyes trailed in the cafeteria. “Who can have such perfume, I wonder?”

“We smell nothing like this, Jae Hwan.” Hak Yeon stated with a scoff. “I must be your imagination. It happens when your emotions end up translated into smells in your brain.” Jae Hwan was offended. “I didn’t mean you are crazy, trust me. I read an article saying that people can taste music because their brain convert the sound to a taste, or that they see colors around people because their brain convert their first impression about them. It happens. It’s not a disease or something.”

“I think that too.” Taek Woon stated suddenly, as he patted on Jae Hwan. “Maybe the smell is related to your emotions or perhaps you smell this because you are with an annoying person like Hak Yeon.” Jae Hwan chuckled as Hak Yeon yelled at Taek Woon for being mean and kept his smile on for the day.

It was by the end of his last high school year that Jae Hwan realized that the smell belonged to a kid. He was playing with Hak Yeon when he bumped on someone. The smell was so strong that his nostrils went on fire; he managed to see the kid’s flat chest, and then he fainted before he could see anything else.

He couldn’t explain what happened to his friends, and fortunately the doctor said that Jae Hwan was under stress. It was the exams period so it was normal. However, the smell persisted in his hospital room, during the night he stayed in. He guessed the kid came to his room in his sleep, and hoped he could meet him again and smell him again.

Yet, He didn’t manage to. Busy with his university acceptance exams, he didn’t truly have time to think of the mysterious kid with the mysterious smell. He worked hard on joining a prestigious university, following Taek Woon steps on double majoring AT and Business management. The idea of having Taek Woon around was relieving even if they rarely talk a lot, contrarily to him and Hak Yeon.

“You finished the exams?” Taek Woon made him jump as he was walking aimlessly in the corridors, by the last day of exams. “What? Did you smell it again?” Jae Hwan frowned.

“No. I never smell it in the first year… .” Jae Hwan slammed his mouth in shock. “He is one year younger than I.”

“He? Who?”

“The kid I bumped into few weeks ago.” Jae Hwan exclaimed in horror. “He  was the smell. The smell was strong when I inhaled it that my nostrils were hurting me for days…”He didn’t truly notice Taek Woon horrified expression. “But, I never smelled him around in the first year which means he is in a year below me.” He looked at Taek Woon who by then had a neutral expression. “What do you think? Why does he smell like that and why am I the only one smelling him?”

Taek Woon blinked for few moments before shuddering. He pulled Jae Hwan along, since they had to go home and prepare for another university’s exams. In the entire walk to Jae Hwan’s place, Taek Woon seemed tense and pensive and once he faced Jae Hwan in the last’s place, he spoke in a serious manner.

“What if… you smell your soul mate’s scent?” Jae Hwan gave him a curious look. “I read stories about soul mate finding themselves through hints, and I wonder if you didn’t just found yours through smell.”

Jae Hwan didn’t toss the idea and frowned. “You think the kid is my soul mate?” Taek Woon nodded. “How can I know?”

“Meet him up. You can smell him around, so I’m sure you can find him.” Taek Woon suggested as he stepped back. “See you.” Jae Hwan just nodded, his mind already filled with things he couldn’t control. He inhaled the air, lost, and realized that the smell was there, faint but there. He noticed that he didn’t smell it when they walked here, so he rushed to Taek Woon’s side.

“Hyung! I’ll walk you home.” Taek Woon frowned at him. “You always walk me home, let me walk you home once.” Jae Hwan smiled and held on Taek Woon’s shoulders. “I wonder if I did well in the exams but I worked hard for it.”

“You better be. I don’t want to be there on my own.” Taek Woon smirked at Jae Hwan’s pout.

“How do you even know you are going to make it in the university?” Jae Hwan got a flick in the forehead as an answer, and a chuckle. “You are so mean, Hyung.”

They walked in silence, Jae Hwan smelling soundlessly around, while Taek Woon was too tired to open his eyes. He thanked Jae Hwan for it when they parted in front of Taek Woon’s building. “You look so sleepy hyung. Come.” Jae Hwan didn’t think much about it, and held Taek Woon until he covered him in his bed, and wished him a good night.

“Thank you for holding our Taek Woonie. He pulled off a full night of revision yesterday. I wonder how he did in the exams.” Jae Hwan smiled to her.

“He was so sure about winning the exams. He worked hard for it, I wonder why he is applying in other university; he is the smartest kid I know. I am sure he will make it.” Taek Woon’s mother laughed at it, patting on Jae Hwan’s head.

“He loves to be precautious.” Jae Hwan nodded, he had the same mind set too.

“I understand!” Jae Hwan said cheerfully. “I’ll leave now. Good bye, Mrs. Jung.”

“Good bye, Jae Hwanie. Be careful on your way back.” Jae Hwan just nodded and walked to the elevator when the smell hit him as soon as the door opened.

“He was in the elevator.” He didn’t know what to do so he got in and inhaled a fistful, before pushing the button to the entry’s floor. He had closed his eyes, enjoying that smell when kids opened the door on a floor before his destination, he didn’t realize at first but the smell got stronger. The kid was with him. He looked up to the kids who were each holding their phones, busy about something.

“I got Sung Jae ready to meet us.” One of them spoke to the others as the door opened and none of them looked at Jae Hwan before leaving the elevator. Jae Hwan followed them, trying to figure out who owned that smell.

His phone rang suddenly and he looked down still walking before bumping into someone. He didn’t have to look up; he knew it was the kid. He stepped back and tried to dodge him as he walked ahead when the kid held his hand. His heart which was beating fast stopped as soon as he met the kid’s eyes. That expression of realization in the kid’s eyes scared him. He was scared of something he couldn’t name.

“Aren’t you the kid who fainted the other day?” His voice was nothing like Jae Hwan expected but it fit the smell so well. “Are you ok?”

“I am.” Jae Hwan’s voice was broken and he blushed at it. “I am just… going home.” He looked away, avoiding the man’s eyes noticing that he was indeed near home. He instinctively pointed at his home’s door. “I live there.”

“Oh. I never noticed you around before though.” At the remark, Jae Hwan blushed and looked at his ringing phone.

“I just dropped my friend because he was tired. He lived in the building I came from.” Jae Hwan smiled politely while the kid’s tense eyes made him uncomfortable.

“I live there too.” The kid said with a smile. “I’m Kim Won Shik, by the way.”

“Lee Jae Hwan” they exchanged a brief hand shake but Jae Hwan dreaded letting go. Meanwhile, Won Shik never felt such smoothness in someone’s hand and the man seemed even more beautiful than the time he held him from falling with his flustered and bashful expression. “Nice to meet you. See you.”

Jae Hwan basically ran away, blushing madly at his reaction. He didn’t know how he managed to use his keys since his hands were shaking but he was inside his room, looking outside and trying to see if Won Shik was there or not. Obviously the kid wasn’t where he left him, and Jae Hwan was a little disappointed. “He left.” He sadly lied in his bed, tossing his clothes away in a tired manner. He was too tired to change clothes anyway.

Joining a university was a thing but living up to it was another thing. The whole thing was overwhelming, despite his parent’s support. Taek Woon and he managed to pull off and get to be roommate at the dorm. Luck, coincidence, or pure machinery from the Jungs, Jae Hwan cared less about it, he was just glad he had Taek Woon by his side.

The first year was tough, but he got used to it to the point it was weird for him to be free. Working as an accounting assistant by the nighttime in a nightclub, he had already few reasons to enjoy it. Free drinks, free VIP access, and discounts on the boots, he was really enjoying his position. His nights were never boring, as he had great company some nights, got laid in some, and the pay managed his expenses.

“You should stop that job.” Taek Woon disagreed with it the whole way, despite the fact he got used to it by then. “You should get enough rest in order to make it for the next semester.”

“I work on it. The accounting manager allows me to revise if I have exams, or just when there is nothing to add to the books.” Jae Hwan was thankful for that, honestly. The manager was kind to him in many ways.

“That is too kind of him.” Jae Hwan smirked at the sarcasm, but didn’t bite back. “So, no breaks this semester too? Maybe you will meet the owner of the smell this time.” It brought memories to Jae Hwan, memories he brushed off easily because of how overwhelming it felt.

“That kid is still in high school by now. I don’t truly think I’m up for a high schooler.” Taek Woon frowned at him for a moment before nodding, agreeing. “Besides, if I take a break, it will affect my pays. I can’t afford losing my part of the dorm rent and the bills.” Taek Woon glared further.

“You know that I can pay it off for you if you need it; I didn’t ask you for splitting.”

“I don’t want to live on your expenses.” Taek Woon sighed and nodded absently, as he left the dining table. Jae Hwan knew he offended his Hyung but he had his ego and he couldn’t just let Taek Woon pay.

However, somehow whenever Taek Woon mention the kid he shows up, as he did in the nightclub that night. Jae Hwan recognized him in a brush, before even smelling his scent all of sudden from the window of the VIP room. He walked out of it, heading to where the kid was when the kid in question looked toward him, as he expected him to show up. “Hi, Jae Hwan.”

The fact he remember his name was something Jae Hwan couldn’t dream off. “You remember.” He said in a hush voice while the expression in Won Shik’s face seemed to read him off. “HI! Follow me!”

He walked ahead to an unreserved boot, before pointing them to sit. Won Shik sat but his friends were too incredulous to sit in. “It’s expensive to use the boot in this nightclub.” Jae Hwan chuckled.

“I got you a discount. I think you can afford it if you split the boot tip.” They looked at him for a moment before beaming, one even went to kiss his cheek, which earned him a punch from a pissed Won Shik.

“Hands off him.” Won Shik yelled before pulling his friends. “Sorry, they are so obnoxious.”

Jae Hwan blushed at it as he laughed, surprising the man in front of him. “It’s ok. I knew worse friends.” Won Shik smiled to him and held his hand, trying to pull him in. “No. I’m still on my shift. See you later.” Jae Hwan dared to wink and ran almost to his office, dying in the spot. He banged his head on the wooden table for few times before working on it. He made sure that the bartenders and the waiters knew the boot was taken by his friends, of course. He hoped it was enough to tell Won Shik that he was interested in him without looking too obvious.

“… who get discounts for strangers? Who? I’m so stupid.” He hissed to himself many times that night, peaking through his window to see if Won Shik was in the dance floor; it seemed that yes, he was dancing there, and that he was a good dancer. “Damn boy…”

“You set your eyes on someone?” The voice of his manager made him freeze and he looked with shock at the man before bowing many times. “Relax. I never saw you so worked up before. You didn’t stop peeking since the start of the night.”

“He is someone I have strange memories off and I tried to be friendly but I don’t know… I think he think I’m an idiot or a sort of ert.” the managed laughed at Jae Hwan’s pout.

“Well, you are an idiot indeed.” He got an offended gasp but still brushed it off. “Why didn’t you give him your phone number and made a date with him?”

“Oh… I… it is not what you think… I just…” Jae Hwan sat down in his office before facing an amused manager. “I just smell something weird whenever he is around. It is something only him have and that no one can smell except me… I don’t know how to explain it.”

“I see. You smell your soulmate in other words.” The managed smiled to him. “Which make you a bigger idiot, go for the guy. You will regret it if you don’t.” Jae Hwan seemed hesitant. “Go! We have almost nothing tonight.” Jae Hwan wasn’t asked twice, he made his way to the dance floor, ordering a drink, before heading to dance floor where Won Shik was dancing aimlessly.

“Here.” Won Shik froze before noticing Won Shik.

“Jae Hwannie! I missed you. Did you miss me?” The man seemed drunk. “You are no longer around. I missed you in high school specially. Nothing seems the same without you around.”

“So you noticed me?” Jae Hwan was shocked, as Won Shik screamed it in his ears. Won Shik laughed, drinking from his cup before pulling Jae Hwan to the half empty boot.

“Of course I’ll notice you, dude. Whenever I’m around, you sniff loudly like you smell something and I noticed that you don’t do that to other people, just when I’m close.” Won Shik admitted. “Do I smell that bad?”

“No.” Jae Hwan blushed, looking away. “I just… never smelled something so special before.” Won Shik had no idea what the man meant and that night he was too drunk to even think, so he slept on Jae Hwan’s laps. In the morning, he woke up in someone’s arms, , and lost. He never saw that ceiling before, neither had someone cuddling him like that. Not that he hated cuddling, but who the hell was that.

“Oh, finally up.” A man got in, glaring deadly at Won Shik before waking the man hugging him. “Jae Hwan, wake up! You are late.” It was enough to wake the man up, as he jumped up and looked at the clock.

“Damn it hyung, stop scaring me like this. I still have time.” Jae Hwan was about to sleep back when he noticed Won Shik’s wide eyes. “Oh. I will bring you some painkillers.”

“Why? What happened? What did you do to me?” Won Shik panicked and in his panic, he could swear he felt that he offended Jae Hwan.

“You puked on me and you when I took you home, so I undressed us and slept because I was too damn tired. Satisfied with the explanation?” Jae Hwan looked like he was teasing but Taek Woon’s shocked expression said otherwise. “Get to the shower, before you miss school.”

“School? It’s Saturday morning… we don’t have school.” It paused Jae Hwan who glared at Taek Woon, who laughed loudly.

“I’m sorry. I can’t stop doing that every weekend. Go to your bathroom, I’ll handle him.” Jae Hwan went to the showers while Won Shik got offered a pill and a cup of water. “Get well, ok? I got some spare clothes, so shower first.” Taek Woon nearly left the place when he paused. “Your phone is by your side and you better call your mother, she didn’t stop calling.”

Won Shik rushed to his phone, noticing fifty five notifications from his mother, and he cursed loudly. He left the bed, and fetched the clothes set for him, before going out in a rush. Taek Woon wasn’t even surprised about him running like that but Jae Hwan’s sadness as he found nobody when he left the shower was surprising.

“Are you ok?” Jae Hwan nodded at that, smiling forcibly. “Let’s take a breakfast and head to the library. We have few exams to get ready for.” For once, Jae Hwan nodded eagerly at Taek Woon plans. Meanwhile, Won Shik was suspended, locked in his room until the end of the scholar year. He truly hoped he got Jae Hwan’s phone number but he had no idea what happened that night.

“I’m an idiot.” Won Shik sighed to himself. “I bet he won’t like to see me again.” Little he knew that his absence for the following three months affected Jae Hwan’s heart badly. His marks didn’t drop, much to Taek Woon’s relief, but that didn’t wash off the sensation of heavy sadness the kid buried inside. Taek Woon worried sick for his friend, and had nothing to do for him.

The year ended, and the first thing Taek Woon did was to find Won Shik in their old high school, the kid seemed more worked up than Jae Hwan and too happy to see Taek Woon. “Hi! You are… the man with Jae Hwan.”

“I’m his friend. Here is his number.” Taek Woon left the place without a second word, hoping the kid was enough mature to at least call Jae Hwan’s number and excuse his behavior. He truly hoped for it.

Jae Hwan in other hand didn’t expect the call, he answered it lifelessly only to get “I missed you” as an answer.

“Won Shik?”

“I am sorry for not showing up… I was suspended. Technically, I’m still suspended, and my phone is confiscated so I’m using my friend’s phone.” Won Shik explained himself while Jae Hwan listened with bitterness. “I truly wanted to have your number before but I freaked out because mom called me too many times and I promised to be back home before midnight… I just had made mistakes and I didn’t know how to fix them, with you, with my family… I’m sorry.”

“I understand.”

“Thank you for helping me out and sorry for my behavior, I have no memories of the night in the nightclub.” Won Shik admitted. “I don’t even remember what I did the whole day before going to the nightclub. It was like I just left school and woke up in your bed. You know what I mean? I freaked out, for real.”

Jae Hwan chuckled at Won Shik’s awkward explanation. “I get it, no need to explain yourself further. Last day of school?” He got a hum as an answer. “I hope you did well.”

“I’ll definitely do well and join your university.” The determination was enough to pull Jae Hwan’s blood up to his cheeks. “I want to be able to see you as often as before.”

“Why?”

“Well, maybe because I know that I can’t live without you around.” Won Shik admitted.

“You didn’t see me for days before we met in the nightclub.”

“I did. You take the bus number four every day.” Won Shik’s detail made Jae Hwan’s heart skip beats. “My bus passes by your stop all the time and I see you getting in the bus, but that is it, and I want to see more in the future.”

“You do?” Jae Hwan’s shy tone was natural and Won Shik beamed at it. “I want to see you often too.”

“How about we go to a coffee shop near your university, tomorrow? I know they serve the best coffee there.” Happiness filled Jae Hwan’s heart as he heard Won Shik ask him out.

“Sure! I’ll call you once I’m free and we will go there.”

Won Shik beamed even further, ignoring his friends shocked expression. “Call you later, Jae Hwanie.”

“Sure.” Jae Hwan ended the call and danced up his bed, surprising Taek Woon who got in to see him floating in happiness. He smiled at that, hoping to see further from that relationship.

“Soulmates… I wonder how I’ll find mine.” Taek Woon mumbled as he prepared the food with a dreamy smile as Jae Hwan’s happy singing filled the dorm for the first time ever.