Why Can't They Smell My Son's Stench?

When my son, Leonard Chester, breaks his leg, I rush over to take care of him. I catch a strong, rotten stench the moment I walk through the door and offer to tidy up the place for them. Leonard's roommates immediately looked displeased. "Where's this smell you're talking about? There's no smell! If you think this place is too shabby, then have Leonard move somewhere else. You shouldn't pull your seniority and try to gross us out! We won't fall for that stuff!" Leonard limps over and shoves me impatiently. "You should just come visit me if you want to! Why do you have to stir up trouble and embarrass me?" It's just a bunch of university roommates sharing an old apartment in an aging residential complex. They're all eating and drinking together, with smoke filling the room. I notice that the room is filled with smoke, but even that can't mask the awful stench. Is something wrong with my sense of smell? Yet, when I go to sleep that night, the smell is so overpowering that I can't fall asleep. I finally realize that the odor is coming from Leonard. I quickly take him to wash himself and scrub him repeatedly, but the stench remains just as intense. I have no other option but to hire a cleaning lady and have her disinfect the house inside and out. Leonard's roommates feel offended and start arguing with me. In the ensuing chaos, I'm pushed to the ground, and my temple strikes the sharp edge of the coffee table. I die on the spot. I open my eyes and realize I've returned to the moment when it all begins, standing at the door for the first time. I'm greeted by the overwhelming stench once again. Chapter 1 The foul, decaying odor made my stomach turn instantly, but everyone else acted as if there was no smell at all. How could Leonard Chester, my son, not even notice it? Leonard asked, "What brings you here, Dad? You see, my roommates have been looking after me just fine. I'll be returning to university in a few days anyway, so there's really no need for you to come see me." I was still in a daze when Leonard came up to me and took my bags. He said I didn't need to visit, but I could see the emotion in his eyes. I'd always been too demanding of him, which had strained our relationship, but I knew he desperately wanted me to acknowledge him. His roommates were also very welcoming and invited me to join them for pizza-and-beer night. I knew that if I kept quiet about the foul odor coming from Leonard, I could avoid offending them and keep things good with everyone. I'd died accidentally after an argument with them in my past life, so I decided to be patient this time and investigate the smell without provoking any disputes. The next morning, I went straight to the hospital for a checkup, which showed my sense of smell was perfectly normal. I even conducted several more tests to make sure I could smell the same things as everyone else. In other words, the odor had to be real. I was the only one who could smell the odor, while Leonard and his roommates couldn't smell it at all. I decided to test their sense of smell, so I immediately bought perfume, fermented herring, ripe blue cheese, and a few other strong-smelling things. I placed each of them in a separate corner of the house. I soon realized, however, that Leonard's odor had already spread throughout the room and covered up all the other odors. There was no point in continuing the test. They wouldn't notice anything I'd hidden, even with normal senses of smell. Just as I was about to retrieve the items and arrange them all in one place, Leonard suddenly rushed out of his room. "What's that awful smell, Dad?" I was instantly overjoyed. "Can you smell it too, Leonard?" Leonard furrowed his brows. "It's so bad I can hardly breathe. How could I not notice the smell? I quickly grabbed Leonard by the shoulders, intending to take him to the hospital to find out the source of the odor. I'd reached an age where I no longer dwelled on many things. I just wanted to make peace with Leonard and repair our relationship. Leonard suddenly shoved me aside, marched over to the corner, and pulled a box of ripe blue cheese from behind the curtains. He shot me a reproachful look and said, "You know how much my roommates care about hygiene! Why did you hide a box of ripe blue cheese here? Do you want to attract some mice?" I hadn't even had a chance to reply when Leonard's roommates returned from their classes. They covered their noses and grimaced in disgust as soon as they entered. They found everything that I had hidden within two minutes. "We've been respectful toward you, so we'd appreciate it if you'd do the same for us. If you want to stay here and look after Leonard, then stop bringing these awful-smelling things into the house!" I was instantly overcome with unease. What on Earth was happening? How could they not smell the foul odor, no matter how strong, yet smell a jar of fermented herring that hadn't even been opened? Chapter 2 If our senses of smell were all normal, then the problem had to be the smell coming from Leonard. This bizarre situation was so unsettling that I couldn't stop worrying about his health. The next day, I ordered an extravagant meal from a steakhouse, uncorked a bottle of pricey vintage bourbon, and gave each of Leonard's roommates an expensive gift. Once I'd completely won them over, I brought up the matter in a friendly way during dinner. "I bought those smelly things today because I found traces of rats and wanted to draw them out and eliminate them. If it's okay with you, I'd like to hire a cleaning service to clean the entire place from top to bottom tomorrow while you're at classes. "I'll pay the full bill myself, and I'll cover everyone's food expenses for the next month too—" I hadn't even finished when one of Leonard's roommates slammed his fork down. "If you have something to say, just say it. There's no need to put on this act." In that instant, the other roommates' expressions grew colder, too. "I know, right? I know you're from a well-off family and think this place is beneath your standards, and that you feel like your son is suffering by living here, but we didn't force him to stay. You're free to move out whenever you like! "We may be poor, but we keep our place clean! Why would we need the whole place cleaned?" In response to his roommates' cutting remarks, Leonard flushed angrily and rushed to clarify. "I don't look down on any of you! I'm not planning on moving out, either!" He then turned to me and yelled, "If you think this place isn't good enough, then leave! I'm not as picky as you are! I really do like it here! I'm happy living with my roommate, Dad!" I was utterly confused. I had no idea why they were reacting so strongly. I'd been friendly the whole time and had even prepared gifts for them beforehand. Under normal circumstances, they shouldn't have confronted me so openly, even if I'd genuinely looked down on the place. I had even used the rats as an excuse and didn't mention the foul odor at all. I couldn't shake the strange feeling that something was wrong. I had to consider the possibility that Leonard and his roommates were intentionally concealing something. "Why did you all overreact when I suggested a thorough cleaning? Please tell me the truth! I'm your father, and no matter what has happened, I'll be understanding." I planned to have an honest, heart-to-heart conversation with Leonard once I returned to the bedroom. In my past life, the awful smell coming from him hadn't improved at all after he took a bath, which was why I'd hired a cleaning service to thoroughly clean the place. Yet, they'd reacted as if they'd lost their minds and killed me on the spot. Having lived through both lifetimes, I was almost certain they had hidden something in the house that they didn't want anyone else to find. "What are you talking about? Do you think we're hiding something from you? Is that why you think we won't let you bring in a cleaning service, Dad?" Leonard gave a furious, mocking laugh. "You've developed a prejudice against me since I didn't get into a prestigious university and disappointed you, huh? I know I'm not smart, but I've done my best! If you don't like having me around, then just go. Leave me alone and stop interfering with my life! "You see, my roommates may be average university students you look down on, but we get along really well! Please stop making them uncomfortable and ruining my friendships!" I never expected Leonard to react so strongly. His words cut deep, stabbing me in the heart. I'd set high expectations for him and been too strict in the past, which had affected his personality, but I'd already recognized my mistake and was doing my best to make things right. How could I possibly look down on him? I was just about to explain myself when a sudden chill ran down my back. I cried out, "What exactly happened to you, Leonard?" Chapter 3 I finally noticed a detail I'd been ignoring all this time. Leonard had repeatedly told me how well his roommates treated him, but in both lives, I had never seen them come to his aid, support him, or even help him up once. Did that cold attitude look like they had a good relationship in any way? Had they spotted Leonard's personality weaknesses and gaslighted him? Could that strange odor coming from him have been one of their methods of control? I was trembling uncontrollably as I thought about it. I could no longer control my emotions. Leonard looked at me, clearly annoyed. "What exactly are you trying to say, Dad?" I shook my head, not daring to share my suspicions for fear of damaging my relationship with Leonard even further. I needed evidence first. I knew my sense of smell was fine, so the odor coming from Leonard was definitely real. If everyone else claimed they couldn't smell it, there was only one explanation—they were pretending they couldn't. Leonard had been subjected to serious psychological manipulation, so his mental state and judgment might have been affected. He might also have lost his sense of smell. A simple way to confirm my theory was to take him outside. The odor coming off him was so overpowering that people on the street would definitely catch a whiff of it. "You're almost fully recovered, Leonard. Why don't I take you out tomorrow? I'll buy some things for your roommates to maintain your friendships, Leonard." I suggested taking Leonard out early the following morning. I realized that wherever he went, the foul odor coming from him seemed incredibly strong. But strangely enough, not a single person looked our way as we walked out of the residential complex. Could they not smell it, or did they not know the stench came from Leonard? I began to feel increasingly anxious and uneasy. I stopped a young man who passed by and asked, "Do you notice any strange odor?" The young man looked at me strangely and said, "I don't notice any strange odor around!" How could that be? That young man had been standing right next to us. How could he not notice the odor? I anxiously led Leonard farther down the street and stopped another person, but even after asking ten people, every one of them claimed they couldn't smell a thing. There was something seriously wrong here—and my sense of smell wasn't the problem. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you acting so strangely, Dad?" Leonard couldn't take it anymore and stopped me. Embarrassed by my behavior, he turned and left. I felt like I was losing my mind here. What on Earth was going on? Chapter 4 I had planned to get passersby to help Leonard realize that there was a smell coming from him. That way, he'd agree to go to the hospital with me and find out what was causing it. Yet now, he was convinced I'd gone mad and was determined to go home. He wouldn't come with me anymore. I had no idea why random people couldn't smell it, but one thing was for sure—his roommates were dead set against me hiring cleaners because they were definitely hiding something. Plus, whatever it was had to be causing the odor coming from Leonard. In my past life, I called in a cleaning service when Leonard's roommates were away. They rushed in to stop me whenever they heard about it from Leonard. In this life, I would decide to hire a cleaner without telling Leonard. I would find the truth and save him, even if it cost me my life again. "It's all my fault. If you don't feel like going out, just have this glass of milk and rest at home." Leonard soon passed out after drinking the milk that had been mixed with sleeping pills. I rushed to open the door and let the cleaning lady in, telling her to scrub every single room and corner from top to bottom. If she found anything, she would be my witness. Leonard's roommates wouldn't escape justice, even if they beat me to death. But the cleaning lady's first words after stepping inside hit me like a thunderbolt. "Why bother cleaning a place that is already this clean?" Upon seeing the cleaning lady's unbothered expression, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Do you not smell that terrible odor?" The cleaning lady cast me a brief glance. "What's wrong with your nose? What odor are you talking about?" In that instant, every suspicion I'd had crumbled. The people on the street couldn't smell the odor coming from Leonard, and the cleaning lady couldn't smell anything in the house either. It was as if no one could smell that overpowering odor. Could the problem really lie with me? It wasn't possible. If I had a problem, the hospital would have discovered it. "Get cleaning quickly! I'll help alongside you! Check every inch of this place, including the cabinets and under the bed. Don't miss a single spot! If you find something out of place, let me know immediately! I'll pay you ten times your normal rate!" I couldn't think about anything else anymore. I had to uncover the strange secret hidden in the apartment. I rushed into Leonard's roommates' rooms as if I'd gone crazy. I didn't care about their privacy or that I was breaking the law. I opened every drawer and bottle, determined to find the source of the foul odor. Yet, even after an hour of searching, the cleaning lady and I hadn't found anything strange in any of the places we'd checked. I looked at the mess scattered around us and collapsed onto the floor, too exhausted to stand. Did it mean that they did nothing wrong? Did it mean that I was the one who'd gone mad? Had the foul odor I'd been noticing all along been nothing but my imagination? Just as I began to wonder if I was the problem, Leonard's four roommates stormed back, looking ready for a fight. "Who told you that you could enter our rooms and mess with our belongings without our permission? I've put up with you long enough! Just because you're Leonard's father doesn't mean you can violate our privacy! Get out of here! You're not welcome here!" They rushed toward me, roughly grabbing me and trying to shove me outside. In my past life, I'd been accidentally pushed over during the struggle and died a miserable death. I couldn't let history repeat itself. I fought to get away from them, moving toward the couch as I explained, "I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't mean to violate your privacy. I smelled a strange odor and wanted to find out where it was coming from—" I hadn't finished explaining when the cleaning lady, who had been watching the whole commotion, interrupted me. "What nonsense are you talking about? Your place is clean! There's nothing wrong here. Where's this supposed smell coming from?" Upon hearing the cleaning lady's words, Leonard's roommates seized me by the collar and dragged me outside. "Did you hear what she said? There's nothing dirty about this place. There's no room here for a filthy person like you! Get out right now! Otherwise, we'll report you to the police and let the whole world know that Leonard has a madman for a father!" They didn't even bother hiding how much they despised and hated me. But rather than getting angry, I simply laughed coldly. I'd finally figured out where the foul odor on Leonard was coming from. "There really is something dirty in this house, but it isn't me…"