Confined Pheromone

Chapter 01

[10 hours ago]

“Siwoo… senior?”

A girl with long hair tied up in a high ponytail squinted her eyes. She was observing the man approaching from a distance with suspicion.

He was over 180 cm tall, with broad shoulders, light-colored hair, and skin so pale it was almost blinding. His almond-shaped eyes were more slender than round, yet they exuded warmth. His warm brown pupils were beautifully shaped.

“Hey, is that Senior Siwoo?”

The girl nudged her short-haired classmate beside her and asked. At the mention of ‘Senior Siwoo,’ her classmate quickly lifted her head, her eyes wide open.

“Ah! It is! Senior Siwoo!”

“Oh my, senior!”

Just as they had awkwardly crossed the familiar campus entrance, two girls rushed over and surrounded Siwoo. Their small faces were filled with expressions of joy.

“Oh my, senior! Are you allowed to be out of the hospital?”

“How’s your health? Are you feeling okay now?”

The girls chattered excitedly.

“We visited you last month. You probably don’t remember, though. You were sleeping the whole time.”

Siwoo smiled a little awkwardly. He couldn’t quite remember who these excited younger students were.

“Hi. Have you been well?”

So he opted for a cliché greeting. The girls’ faces lit up at his warm voice.

“Of course! We’ve been well!”

“It’s so nice to see you back at school.”

Siwoo smiled gently at their bright voices. Their faces were vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place them.

Siwoo had woken up in the hospital a month ago. He had been unconscious for three months. His body felt light, considering he had been lying there for so long. It was just his memory that was hazy. He had apparently been in a significant accident, but he couldn’t recall anything about it.

Seeing Siwoo’s faint expression, the doctor casually remarked that it was a mild psychogenic amnesia. It was a phenomenon where one forgets the most recent events or those that are shocking or overly stressful, and it was temporary, he explained. Once he returned to his daily life, much of his memory would come back. It might be frustrating for a while… The doctor smiled slightly as he adjusted his glasses. There shouldn’t be any problems.

As Siwoo entered the classroom, warm greetings poured in from all directions. The reactions of the students who gathered around him were generally similar. They asked if he was okay now, how his health was, and expressed how much they had missed him. Accepting their greetings, Siwoo placed his bag at the back of the classroom where his feet landed.

“It feels reassuring to see you sitting here. This really feels like your spot.”

One girl laughed lightly. Siwoo chuckled softly. Had he always sat here? It was true that his body naturally moved to this place.

Siwoo had already decided that it would be best not to reveal too much about his memory. If his daily life was not significantly affected and he could endure some discomfort, he didn’t want to worry others unnecessarily.

“If that jerk hadn’t sat next to me…”

A sharp voice that didn’t fit the cheerful atmosphere suddenly broke in. It was a malicious voice that jutted out like a rusty nail. The male student who had spoken with a somewhat fierce expression realized that all eyes were on him and quickly shut his mouth. The girl standing next to him poked him in the side, scolding him.

“Why would you say that without any awareness?”

When Siwoo looked at them with a confused “huh?”, the girl quickly closed her mouth. “Uh, it’s nothing.” A somewhat awkward response followed. Her stiff smile seemed a bit strange.

“Everyone, please take your seats.”

Fortunately, the awkward moment was brief. As a middle-aged female professor entered the classroom, the scattered students found their seats.

“Oh my, Siwoo, you’ve been discharged?”

The professor’s delighted voice rang out as she spotted Siwoo sitting at the back of the classroom. Siwoo half-rose and bowed in greeting.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, thanks to you, I’m much better.”

Nodding as if relieved, the professor walked to the front of the class. The familiar gait of the professor was unmistakable. Siwoo was not entirely devoid of memory, nor did he remember everything perfectly. It was, as the doctor had said, a frustrating situation. Very much so. But it was okay. His memories would return soon.

Just as the professor was about to speak, the classroom door opened.

“Sorry.”

A male student entered, greeting everyone as he walked in. His cautious bow was so timid that it might have gone unnoticed, but the unique aura he exuded drew attention. Siwoo lifted his head to look at him. It wasn’t just Siwoo; several students turned to look at him, and their faces reflected clear and familiar animosity.

Animosity…?

However, the newly arrived male student seemed completely unconcerned about the gazes directed at him.

“……”

Without hesitation, the male student approached the empty seat next to Siwoo. As Siwoo followed his movements, he heard whispers from a few students.

What a brazen jerk…

What nerve to sit next to Senior Siwoo…

Hearing his name mentioned, Siwoo turned around unconsciously, but the murmurs had already dispersed without a trace. He heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor as the male student sat down beside him.

“Hello, senior.”

As Siwoo surveyed the classroom, he looked at the male student beside him. He had a somewhat pale complexion, resembling a porcelain doll.

“Uh? Oh, hi.”

His small, white face looked smooth. However, his dark hair contrasted sharply with his pale skin, giving him a strangely cold impression. He met Siwoo’s gaze with his pitch-black eyes. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over him.

“Are you okay?”

The next line was ordinary, just like the other classmates asking about his condition after the accident. Siwoo blinked softly, as if coming out of a trance, and smiled.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you.”

The male student stared intently at the crescent-shaped corners of Siwoo’s eyes. His expression was neutral, devoid of any particular emotion.

“Don’t you remember me?”

Siwoo tilted his head at the flat question.

“What do you mean?”

“It seems you really don’t remember.”

Does this kid know that my memory is patchy? Siwoo tried to hide the sudden awkwardness that arose and was about to speak with a calm expression when the boy averted his gaze. His profile, illuminated by the light from the projector, was streaked with brightness. Once again, his flat voice whispered in Siwoo’s ear.

“It’s okay. I remember.”

Though his memory was incomplete, it seemed not all of it was shattered. Siwoo began to recall various places on campus as if they were ingrained in his body. Half of it was due to the students who wanted to move alongside him, and half was perhaps because his body truly remembered.

“Senior, senior!”

It was the girl who had greeted him when he first entered the campus. Her long ponytail swayed playfully. She almost clung to him, starting to chatter excitedly.

“We were planning to drink with the kids from our major today. We didn’t expect you to come back to school.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes! But since you came, it’s perfect!”

“Really?”

“You should drink with us too!”

The girl, who had grabbed Siwoo’s arm and stretched it out, said playfully. Looking into her bright eyes, it seemed she really wanted him to attend. Siwoo glanced at his wristwatch. He had no particular reason to refuse. And he didn’t feel inclined to refuse in the first place. Siwoo nodded and smiled slightly.

“Sure, I’ll go.”

“Wow, really?” The girl exclaimed in excitement. “I need to tell the group chat! Everyone will be so happy!” She quickly took out her phone and started tapping the screen. Watching her, Siwoo slowly opened his mouth.

“If it’s friends from the major… is he coming too?”

“Who? Who are you talking about?”

The girl looked up at Siwoo with a bright smile. Her fingers were still tapping rapidly on the phone screen. Siwoo hesitated for a moment on how to describe the male student who had sat next to him during the major class. It wouldn’t make sense to say he was someone he felt inexplicably drawn to.

“The one who sat next to me in the major class. He’s pale… and smells nice.”

The girl’s fingers, which had been tapping on her phone, suddenly froze. The smile that had been beaming vanished in an instant, like a bulb that had lost its fuse.

“Don’t tell me… you’re talking about Sanho?”

So his name was Sanho. That’s a unique name. Siwoo awkwardly smiled and nodded.

“Yeah. Sanho.”

It seemed better to feign familiarity, so he mumbled. But then…

“Are you still… into Sanho?”

Her voice was tinged with a hint of mockery, a touch of malice, and a significant amount of pity. However, she soon shook her head as if to swat away an annoying fly. With a bright smile again, she fabricated a cheerful tone.

“Of course not! He won’t come.”

“Oh.”

“I’ll text you the location! It’s at eight!”

As she waved her hand and walked away, Siwoo stood there for a moment, feeling something strange. What was that…? It felt odd.

Eight o’clock came quickly. Siwoo deliberately took a stroll around the campus and found a few familiar places. The central library and the smoking area in front of it were among them. The pond, which was quite well-maintained, also felt familiar and lifted his spirits.

[Senior Siwoo, it’s at 00 pub.]

The address that appeared in the group chat was a pub not far from campus. Seeing the kids already choosing the menu, it seemed like a place they frequented. Did I come here often too? Would my memories return if I went to a familiar place? Siwoo brushed his hair away from his eyebrows and moved forward.

As expected, the stairs leading down to the pub felt familiar. It looked narrow and steep, which made it seem dangerous, but for some reason, he felt like he had thought this before. The strange sense of déjà vu was more pleasant than unpleasant.

“……”

Before entering, Siwoo decided to have a cigarette. Turning the corner and reaching a narrow alley, he fumbled in his pocket when someone suddenly spoke to him.

“Are you here to drink?”

It was a shadow against the backdrop of the pouring neon lights. He couldn’t see the face clearly, so he squinted slightly, but it was still blurry. Only when the other person took a step closer did he recognize who it was. It was the person who had been on his mind all day.

“Yeah.”

He answered with a friendly voice. He had said he wouldn’t come. The male student who had sat next to him in the major class. His name was Sanho, right? Siwoo smiled warmly at him.

“Sanho, you came too?”

Upon hearing his name, he tilted his head slightly. His eyes, filled with curiosity, stared intently at Siwoo. It was a rather persistent gaze.

“Your name.”

“…Huh?”

“My name.”

The friendly curve of Siwoo’s eyes straightened out flatly.

“Who told you?”

“What do you mean, who told me?”

“You didn’t remember my name, did you?”

What does he mean? Does this kid know that I’ve lost my memory? How? As he rummaged through his pockets, his fingers found a pack of cigarettes. Instead of pondering what to say, Siwoo put a cigarette in his mouth.

“Can I borrow a cigarette too?”

The male student stepped closer. Siwoo silently watched him for a moment before handing him a cigarette without a word.

“And a lighter.”

What is this kid? It was hard to gauge his actions. As the flame flickered to life on the lighter, the face that held the cigarette drew closer. Suddenly, a damp, sweet scent wafted over. 

Uh…! Before Siwoo could even pull back, a hand grabbed the back of his neck.

With a crackling sound, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck.

And then, everything went dark.

***

[Back to the present]