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0.
Mingyu would whine like a five-year-old if he could. If he weren't in a hospital with a doctor staring at him like his elementary teacher did when he broke five plates in a row during culinary class, he would.
"Please don't cry."
Wow
In aw, the man looks up, mind-reading doctor. What is this? The Mentalist?
"I'm not going to"
"You look like you will."
"No, I promise," He assures, telling himself to save a good sob for later.
The doctor just finished explaining to him that he got Anosmia, a temporary one, and now everyone in the room is waiting for the truth to sit in.
Lucky for the medical crew it's temporary because if it's chronic or permanent, Mingyu will literally faint. His chest is the size of a bed itself, mind you.
"Well, it couldn't be that bad. Except for this, everything else is fine. You're perfectly healthy."
The doctor's right, but only half.
Mingyu's a perfumer.
.
1.
A number you have dialed is not in the service right now, consider...
He looks at his phone, fingers brushing through the contact list.
A break could be good. Yes. Mingyu could take this chance to reflect on what he had done with the business.
But it's high season, and he's rather pay extra for the phone bills than miss the opportunity to capitalize on tourism season.
To make matters worse, his friends are either out of town or home on the other side of the country, and the only chance he has left is...
The big man groans and stares at his phone for minutes before finally hitting a call button.
As expected, the first thing he hears is something along the line of "I told you not to call."
"Yes, good morning. Thank you"
"I'm hanging up."
"Wait, wait, wait, Seungkwan! "
"What"
"Help me out"
"help you out? me?"
"yes"
"What is it?"
"Can I borrow your nose?"
"What"
"I have Anosmia."
"What?"
"It's a medical condition where I can't smell properly."
"Oh, is Seungkwean must care a symptom?"
"I'm still not done with some formula, and you know it's a high season."
"And why are you reporting this to me."
"You're the only one in town right now"
"Still not answering the question"
"Your nose, I need it."
"Gosh, you sound like a serial killer."
"So, yes?"
Mingyu can feel his sworn enemy roll his eyes on the other side of the telephone line.
"Let me borrow your truck next month. I need to pick up stuff."
"Deal!"
Seungkwan showed up wearing an overall, replicating the stereotype of literally every florist that ever exists in the media. But he looked goddamn good, so who would have the heart to comment? right, not Mingyu
"You look.."
"Shut up. Give me the perfume"
"Okay, okay, wow, slow down, mister."
Under no circumstances can Seungkwan imagine cooperation with this giant man.
However, there are thousands of other verbs to choose from, like charity.
Ah, yes, charity! He thought as he eyed the man who stumbled on the way into the shop. Seungkwan strolled behind him at a distance, far enough not to get hit by anything if Mingyu were to knock off stuff on his way because, knowing Mingyu, he could.
Seungkwan begins doing charity for his frenemy using his ability to profoundly describe scents, like "Pomelo," "Ovaltine," "Cocaine."
"Like the rain."
"What type of rain" Mingyu interjected.
"Just rain. Salty rain"
"K got it," he said, handing him another.
"This one"
Took Seungkwan 30 seconds to come out with the comment
"ew"
"Okay"
Mingyu determines to get to one that Seungkwan has a little positive thing to say about
"Uh hideous"
Okay, he thought, not this one, next.
"Like my ex"
"Which one?"
"The latest one, of course; you think I'd remember the man's smell from ages ago?"
"Like your ex, absolutely descriptive."
"Something you used to be so into, but not anymore."
"Again, clear as glass"
"Have some imagination Mingyu"
"I'm a perfumer, not Shakespeare."
"Like saying I'm an artist but don't know Pablo Picasso, next."
Mingyu would love to bicker but proceed to the next one nonetheless.
"It smells like you," Seungkwan said.
Now the perfumer stared at him like the world poops stars. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, It smells just like how you smell. Isn't this your perfume or something?"
"You know what I smell like?"
Seungkwan looks at him just enough for it to be an insult of some kind. "How can I fight my enemy if I don't know their smells."
"Seungkwan"
"What"
"I don't think you need to know your enemy's smell to fight."
"Well, you are wrong."
"Seungkwan"
"What- stay still! I tryna see if it's the same smell."
He comes closer, hand lightly brushing against the waist, bringing himself closer without losing his balance.
Seungkwan, no, he wants to say, but he's afraid his voice will shake. How much worse would this be if his voice shook? How much worse would this be if he could smell the other?
Let's say Seungkwan's soft hair brushes his cheek.
"This is definitely your perfume or something very similar."
"Do you.." does he perhaps "like it?"
Mingyu has no idea what use that information would be, but his mouth is way quicker than his brain, so there it goes.
"What a stupid question! How can I like my enemy's smell."
Also expected considering the nature of their frenemyship, yet it hurts him a little. Maybe he holds pride in that. It's what he does for a living, after all.
In an attempt to make things better, then, Seungkwan added.
"But It's not bad"
"I know, right."
"It's like this faint sweet smell."
"Sweet?"
"yes"
"I was going for a mysteriously cool."
"You Fail"
"Thanks"
"Any more"
"No, that's all the season's new aroma. Thanks for your service."
"Great, I'm going to go outside and sneeze now."
2.
Mingyu shows up the following week in front of Seungkwan's shop, smelling so fucking good that it's unfair. Standing in the middle of the flower?, Suengkwan criticizes the audacity.
Seungkwan has no words for him. The florist was holding a massive box of, guess it, flowers.
"I'm free from the nose-block disease." The newcomer announces
"Congratulation, now move."
"Let me smell you a bit."
"what"
"Can I smell..."
"Again, what the fuck"
"Can I smell your perfume?"
"You come all the way here to smell my pits?"
"Fuck you. You're the one saying one cannot fight the enemy being unaware of their smells."
"Yes, but that's because you were in front of me. Situation-wise. Not me driving all the way to where you at just to sniff."
"Yours is a green apple, "He said, ignoring all the comments and testing the newly reacquired ability of his nose, "and I can smell your lipstick."
"Shut up bitch"
"'kay"
He does...for 20 seconds, then he unmutes himself.
"It's strawberry. You smell like fruit salads."
"Thanks, that's exactly what I aim for."
"A bowl of fruit salad. You think that's attractive?"
"Shame for a perfumer! How are you going to run business with that attitude?"
"No, but I think that's attractive."
"I thought fruity meant for cute."
"Didn't know you want to be cute."
"None of your business."
"Whatever"
"Done?"
"yeah, I guess."
"Move!"
Mingyu helps Seungkwan with the box instead.
3.
"Got a date?"
When Mingyu sees Seungkwan again at the coffee shop downtown, he can't help but notice...
"Is this a mock?"
"No?"
"Date with whom? Not a single decent person in this neighborhood."
Seungkwan looks at himself. His face is completely bare. He's wearing a loose t-shirt that says 'beware,' a pair of short ripped jeans, and a pair of sandals. Is this the trendy outfit for a date now
"What gives you the idea."
Mingyu hesitated for a bit before revealing the answer.
"you smell sexy."
"what"
"your perfume, I mean, change?'
"Yeah"
"um"
"I don't wanna smell like a bowl of fruit salad all the time."
"Why, it's not bad."
"Mingyu"
"Yes?"
"What the hell is your problem."
"None! just.. uh, you want to have dinner together or something"
"WHY"
"You helped me lots the other day, and I haven't been very nice about it."
"You didn't do anything bad; that's nice enough. And you promised me your truck."
"I can drive"
"I can drive too. Don't worry. I guarantee no scratch on your car. Just picking some flowers, jeez."
"no, I mean. I can drive you there... out of courtesy."
"huh"
"Freebie limited time"
"Is this a joke?"
"I can also get you dinner as a thank you."
"Mingyu"
"yes"
"Something's wrong. Go see a doctor again. The thing in your nose the other day gets to your brain now."
"No, I mean it."
"Uh," Seungkwan judges him for a while but finally makes a comment, "Okay, but just once."
"Definitely once"
"Good"
"Good"
"Thanks"
"Ahhhh..welcome?"
"Cool"
"Great"
Seungkwan forgets to ask which perfume is better; but not like he will believe Mingyu.