Chapter 1: Part 1
Levi Wright has a disorder(sci-fi bit no.1) which doesn't allow him to feel love or happiness or joy. This led him to approach life with a clinical detachment to people and appear as insensitive. He literally gets sick when he gets happy or close to people so he pushes most people away because of their scents. Iris, however, is an orphan girl who was ditched by her bursary and needed money for tuition to finish her education. She picked up odd jobs but that wasn't working. After winning in a competition held by Levi's mother for a wife who can thaw her son, she had him pay for her tuition in exchange for hugs. Iris' pheromones contain a special(sci-fi bit no.2) substance which acts as immunosuppresants on everyone she gets close to. This had led to her failing in relationships because she made all her partners sick. But for Levi, she's a special cure that broke his worldview into pieces.
For Levi Wright, it was yet another bland Friday night reserved by his mother for meetings with Bella, his girlfriend of six weeks. He dragged his feet as he walked into the restaurant like it physically weighed upon his shoulders. Some of his mother's employees had already arrived for a Friday night banter and were drinking and talking without a care in the world right at the door. The restaurant he had agreed with Bella to meet at was quiet with a subtly romantic atmosphere that made Levi almost want to puke. Bella was already waiting when he arrived, posting stories about her love life on social media. Some called him to join them but he only spared them a single glance and walked into the far corner where Bella was sitted. Bella waved enthusiastically and stood up to greet him but he just sat down instead of returning the embrace. As soon as he sat down and adjusted his suit, a waitress brought him a bottle of wine.
"Isn't that Levi Wright? What's a millionaire doing in a place like this?","I don't know. But who even is that girl he's with? I can already tell she's only after money." People continued to whisper and point at him and Bella, but he didn't retort.
"Bella, I can't do this anymore. Let's break up. I'll transfer to you the money my mother promised to pay you." Levi said with a blank face, covering his nose with a handkerchief. He neither smiled nor showed any form of hatred or anger as he spoke to her which infuriated her to no end.
"How dare you insinuate that I'm only after your money? I've come to love you, you jerk! You think throwing money in my face will make you feel better about dumping me faster than a hot potato?" Bella screamed, banging the table.
The restaurant went quiet instantly. People took out their phones to take videos of the scandal unfolding right in the middle of the restaurant. The manager got called to intervene by the part-time waitress but neither Bella nor Levi paid her any mind. Bella continued hurling insults in Levi's face but he remained unfazed, refusing to let her anger break his composure.
"Bella, it's not you, it's me. Objectively speaking, you're beautiful. Not so smart but that's okay. Not everyone is gifted with an IQ of 140. I just can't find your scent tolerable. You literally make me sick." Levi said calmly and stood up.
Bella's face turned a ghastly red, and she caught his hand to stop him from leaving.
"Without me, no one will ever put up with you and your… condition!” Bella screeched angrily before catching her breath to scream some more. As Bella continued shouting at Levi, people in the restaurant whispered and pointed at the commotion. Bella grabbed his collar and forced him to look at her, shaking him in the process, but Levi was busy trying not to puke to even listen to her laments. His eyes remained impassive as if he was in too much of a hurry to listen to her whining. Levi simply removed her hands and brushed off her scent off of his jacket. People screamed in outrage at his gestures, bashing him for being heartless.
“Please keep your distance. Your presence is nauseating enough without you in my face." He said, pushing her face away from him. "And for your information, I do know you're only after my money. But I honestly couldn't care less if your mom had cancer or even the Black Death. It's fate, not my fault. Now just take the money and disappear from my life."
The restaurant instantly went quiet at his words. Bella's eyes closed shut as she tried to stop the welling tears from falling onto the ground and she caught herself on the edge of the table to stop from collapsing. Iris, the part-timer, told him to leave instantly and he turned to face her. His eyes widened slightly but he shook his head as if to dispel a thought. The tension in the air filled the restaurant like thin smoke, people holding their breaths to see how Levi would respond to such an audacious command from a part-time waitress. He turned around and left Bella standing there, crying silently. Levi simply ignored her as he drank his wine and placed the glass back on the table with a loud thud. Everyone watched and whispered as Levi left Bella high and dry and walked out. The waiters offered her a cup of relaxing tea on the house, and she refused, taking her bag and storming out with a huff. Bella then went to the bathroom and finally let the tears fall. A notification chimed in. "
"Cecil, do you know any place interesting enough to make me feel anything other than this grey weight in my mind? I want to get Bella off my mind for the night...and that anomaly" Levi asked gruffly.
"Sir, with all due respect, you are simply incapable of appreciating the interesting bits of communicating with other people. Just read another article on the Nature of omnipotence topic." Cecil said before he burst into laughter.
Levi, however, was not impressed at Cecil's attempt at humor. He adjusted his collar with an almost clinical detachment and leaned forward. Cecil realized that his attempt wasn't appreciated and started the car.
"Where to, sir? The usual?" Cecil asked, backing out of the parking lot.
"Yes, the usual. I want to knock myself out. But don't change the topic. Are you suggesting that i'm the problem when I find human interactions to be subpar?" Levi said defensively.
"You find everything subpar. You even told Bella that she is mid to her face." Cecil commented, shrugging slightly. "You wouldn't even notice a blessing if it slapped you in the face. But what do i know? Let me just focus on driving."
Levi didn't respond to that.
3 things to consider:
- I'm a beginner so it might not be very good. My concepts are though.
- I'm lazy so i might be posting at 3-day intervals if i'm lucky. I'm also in university so i'll be busy most times.
- I'm not going to change the original concept because you ask or criticize enough.
