📖 [Short Story] "Petrichor"

(Synopsis)
Mio Sato senses the end of a romance whenever she smells that unique scent that rises from the ground before it rains—petrichor. For her, having experienced heartbreak time and again, the sweet, damp smell of earth is a harbinger of separation. From the summer she was seventeen until now at twenty-five, Mio has fallen in love several times, only to foresee the end the moment she smells petrichor, leading her to distance herself first or be told it is over by her partner.
Her relationship with Takuya, whom she is currently dating, also quietly faces an impending end one night, six months in, when that scent drifts by again. It hasn't rained yet. But Mio knows. Every time this scent appears, love inevitably ends. And she will be alone once more.

Short Story "Petrichor"

Before it rains, I always notice. The scent of damp soil and concrete. A sweet, heavy smell, as if the dry ground is slowly waking up. Petrichor—the smell of the earth before the rain. The moment I smell it, I know that love is coming to an end. I first realized it the summer I was seventeen. He was the ace of the basketball team, and his back teeth would show when he laughed. I would ride on the back of his bicycle every day, telling him, "I love you." But one night, on the way home, I held my breath at a scent that suddenly passed through my nose. The asphalt began to grow damp, and the smell of earth rose up. In that moment, I was certain. Ah, this person doesn't love me anymore. Three days later, he said, "Sorry, I'm a bit tired," and broke up with me. I didn't cry. I just felt as if the scent of petrichor was still lingering deep in my nose.

Since then, the same thing has happened many times. When I was twenty, I dated a kind college student. His hands were always a little sweaty when he held mine. The day before it rained, I smelled it again on the way home from a date. The smell of damp earth, as if the ground were taking a breath. That night, I told him, "It's okay now." He was surprised, but I just wanted to break up before the rain fell.

In the winter of my twenty-third year, I dated a slightly older man I met at work. He often told me, "You're cute." But one morning, on a pedestrian bridge on my way to work, petrichor drifted by with a cold wind. That night, I sent him a message on LINE to break up. There was no reply. I can distinguish the premonition of heartbreak by the smell of rain. It's not some special ability. It's just that the sensation I've tasted repeatedly has become ingrained in my body.

Now, I am twenty-five.
My name is Mio Sato. I live with Takuya, the man I've been dating for six months.
He says he likes the miso soup I make, and every morning, he kisses my forehead lightly. Each time, it makes my heart flutter a little. Yesterday, I smelled it again. It was in the middle of the night when I woke up and went out to the balcony. It hadn't rained yet. But the concrete floor and the soil in the planters were giving off a damp, sweet scent.
I took a deep breath.

Petrichor. No doubt about it. Takuya is breathing steadily in bed. A peaceful sleeping face. I stared at his profile. Tomorrow, or the day after. He will surely say, "I want some space," for some small reason. Or perhaps I will be the one to say, "It's okay now," first. I leaned against the balcony railing and smelled the ground once more. A sweet, earthy, and slightly painful scent. Heartbreak always arrives with the harbinger of rain. I cannot stop it. I can only begin to prepare my heart slowly from the moment I notice the scent. Takuya turned over in his sleep. I returned to the room and quietly got into bed. I pressed my forehead against his back. It was still warm. I closed my eyes. It hasn't rained yet. But it surely will soon. And I will be alone again. I felt as if the scent of petrichor was quietly spreading through the room.

"Scent"
Lyrics by 🐟

A tightly closed box
Swimming through memories
An old diary
Looking back
Immersed in melancholy

It's like you're still in my heart
Did you talk to me next to my bed last night?

I felt like I was being gently stroked
Even though that shouldn't be possible...

I feel you
Even if you're not by my side..
Close your eyes
Feeling the invisible

You're not by my side now
You've gone to a far-off place
But I feel you near
You are by my side..

When I touch the air
I feel like I understand you
The feeling I cherish
Let me believe in this sense of touch
Isn't that the case for you too?

I want to hide the things I cherish immediately
Because they might be taken away
I locked them away inside my heart
No matter how much hearts may change
Memories are pearls
I can live on protecting them

I feel you
Even if you're not by my side..
Close your eyes
Feeling the invisible

You're not by my side now
You've gone to a far-off place
But I feel you near
You are by my side..

Call my name
Because I call your name...