Sumbisori

Paris.

The 19th arrondissement.

A seven-hour time difference from Seoul.

The weather was a little chillier than Seoul.

"This building has a certain charm because it's a rare Haussmann-style structure in the 19th arrondissement. It even has an elevator. Though it is quite cramped."

The real estate agent smiled and pressed the elevator's close button. Liu, who had been following her with his hands tucked into the pockets of his trench coat, nodded silently. The elevator ceiling seemed just about to touch the crown of his head.

"Within the range you specified, this is the closest property to The Hands. It only came on the market Wednesday, but it's already very popular. It took some effort to hold it for you until your visit."

The real estate agent shrugged, speaking with a slight air of boastfulness.

It had already been a month since Liu began touring apartments to secure a place in the 19th arrondissement, where The Hands was located. Although he was viewing three or four places per visit, a property that truly suited him had yet to appear.

The conditions Liu had set were, in a way, simple.

It had to be as close as possible to The Hands. However, the building directly across the street was excluded.

That was all.

The elevator stopped on the sixth floor. There were three front doors lining the hallway. The agent rummaged through a large bunch of keys and unlocked unit 601, which faced the elevator directly. An agent carrying a whole ring of keys — quite different from what he was used to in Korea.

"The area around the canal has been Paris's new hot spot for a long time now. There are many stylish cafés and restaurants, and supermarkets like ALDI or Monoprix are nearby, as are bakeries, so it will be quite convenient to live here."

"I won't be living here permanently, so a little inconvenience is acceptable."

At Liu's curt reply, the broker managed a slight upward curve of her lips.

After turning the key in a complicated manner, the broker opened the door. Unlike the hallway, which admitted no light, the space inside was flooded with daylight. This made the interior look somewhat larger.

"What do you think? It's not exactly small for a studio in Paris."

"The size of the apartment doesn't matter. Location is more important to me."

There was little to look around; the entire apartment consisted of the two spaces visible from the center. Its special features were its elongated horizontal shape — which allowed for some degree of spatial separation despite being a studio — and the fact that most of the long wall was comprised of windows, ensuring ample light.

After briefly inspecting the kitchen and bathroom occupying the north end, Liu asked with a rigid expression,

"What about Monsieur Dupont's apartment? Does he still have no intention of selling?"

Another apartment in the 19th arrondissement, where an elderly couple nearing seventy resided.

That apartment was what Liu desired most; it was situated in the most perfect location. It was on the same street as The Hands, though not directly across from it. Positioned diagonally and around a corner from the main entrance, it was also well-suited for staying hidden from people coming and going at The Hands.

What was more, Monsieur Dupont's apartment was on the same floor as Yeehyeon's unit.

If one stood by the bedroom window, they might even be able to see Yeehyeon's silhouette moving around inside the room.

The problem was that the apartment wasn't actually on the market. Only Liu was coveting it. The broker shook her head with a helpless expression.

"It didn't work even after I offered the purchase price you mentioned. Honestly, I thought he'd be tempted at that price… but he hasn't budged an inch. I was quite surprised. It might be best to give up on that place."

"Hmm, what a shame."

Liu slipped both hands into the pockets of his trench coat and shrugged slightly. It was hard to hide his disappointment. He walked over to the window and looked out at the building opposite. Just as he had noticed on the way in, a famous supermarket occupied the ground floor of the pale sky-blue building.

"They said they bought this house after years of renting when they were newlyweds, and they've lived here for thirty years since then."

"……"

Liu, who had been peering out at the people going in and out of the building across the way by pulling back the thin sheer curtain, turned to the agent.

"Their children have all moved out now, and it's quite large for just the two of them to manage… but they say they can't leave because it holds all the years they spent together as a married couple."

She shrugged, indicating that there was likely nothing that could be done.

Liu watched her for a moment before turning his gaze back out the window. Two men who appeared to be around his age were just exiting the supermarket. The taller of the two was wearing a baby carrier, while the other had a shopping bag slung over his shoulder. They looked like a male Alpha and male Omega couple.

The man with the baby carrier fiddled with the feet of the baby inside, which were clad in thick socks, and reached out to take the other man's hand.

The shorter man, who had been pointing at something across the street, turned to look at his partner. After a brief kiss, the two walked slowly down the Parisian street on a leisurely weekend afternoon.

Seeing these oblivious strangers, his heart clenched as if it were being torn apart.

Such a happy daily life could have been his and Yeehyeon's portion. What had ruined and shattered that was none other than his own madness.

"Did you dream of a day when you'd have a child through me?"

"……"

"Is that why you tried to make me… an Omega?"

He remembered the look in Yeehyeon's eyes and face when he said those words. Even at that moment when he had tried to wound Liu with the lie that he was pregnant, his face had been sorrowful and despairing.

"I don't need a child. I never even thought that far!"

That desperate cry had been genuine. If he had wanted a child, the partner wouldn't necessarily have needed to be Yeehyeon.

Liu had been out of his mind back then. So desperate that he had been willing to use the pheromones he so despised just to keep Yeehyeon by his side. Whether it was an Alpha's pheromone or the Ghost's pheromone, it wouldn't have mattered.

If I had gone as far as getting Yeehyeon pregnant back then….

That child would have been no different from a hostage to keep Yeehyeon by my side. Despite being mine and Yeehyeon's child.

He felt a chill run down his spine. The sheer abnormality of his state back then vividly struck him.

Liu covered his entire lower face with his large hand, rubbing his skin as if crushing it. He nodded while watching the two men walk away peacefully toward the south.

"Thirty years in the same house as a married couple… That makes sense. I wouldn't have sold it either."

After saying that in a thoughtful voice, Liu moved away from the window. When he turned toward the realtor, his expression suggested he had made up his mind.

"I'll give up on that house. I'll sign the contract here."

"That's a wise decision. Since it's vacant, you can move in as soon as the sale is finalized."

The apartment hunt, which had lasted nearly a month, was finally over. The realtor also looked relieved.