Cozy Obsession
Author: 유성화
Chapter 49
"Ah. I have something to do in the morning tomorrow."
Dr. Hwang was supposed to bring the suppressant in the morning. When Heemin hesitated, showing his discomfort, Kwak Yoonseong replied as if there was no issue.
"Then come in the afternoon. Just come whenever it's convenient for you."
"But, Father, it's not just for a day. A whole week would be difficult. I have to paint and also go to the hospital for therapy."
His heat cycle would come soon, and as long as he found the ledger, there was no need to help him for an entire week.
More than anything, even though he had rashly agreed to help with the intent of using the situation to his advantage, he still wasn’t in a position where he could move around freely.
If it was just escaping for half a day like last time, it might be doable, but a few days? That was impossible. Iheon would never allow it.
"Then just come for at least a day tomorrow. Take a look at the atmosphere, and I’ll figure out the rest."
Kwak Yoonseong nodded as if he had no choice. However, despite his regretful expression, he seemed quite satisfied with having achieved his goal of pulling ‘Seo Heemin’ in.
Heemin sipped his barley tea, contemplating how to convince Iheon. If he openly admitted that he had agreed to help Kwak Yoonseong, he would undoubtedly get scolded, asking if he had lost his mind. He needed a plan.
'Is there a good way?'
He recalled ‘Seo Heemin’s second escape attempt—where he had given up all resistance, pretended to obediently surrender his body, drugged Iheon with sleeping pills, and slipped away without a trace.
Believing that ‘Seo Heemin’ had fallen in love with him, Cha Iheon had awakened filled with uncontrollable rage and betrayal, screaming in madness.
In hindsight, if ‘Seo Heemin’ hadn’t escaped the second time, he might not have been caught, lost his baby, driven Cha Iheon to destroy Shin Seungbeom’s entire organization in an uncontrollable frenzy, or ultimately led Shin Seungbeom to stab Iheon in the back.
Heemin slowly shook his head. He had never considered using such an extreme method to escape. However, he felt that his current emotional situation was similar enough to the past that he shouldn't recklessly try to run away again.
Only now was Iheon starting to trust him, little by little. No matter how well-intentioned his actions were, deceiving and betraying him would be like shutting the door he had barely managed to pry open and locking it shut again.
He decided it was best not to take out the taxi driver’s business card hidden inside his book. He had returned all the loose change to Iheon and had no money for cab fare. He also didn’t want to drag someone else into this mess and cause unnecessary harm.
Maybe he should jokingly mention something about having a workplace romance fantasy—say he wanted to kiss secretly in the CEO’s office... Oh, wait, they had already done that.
‘This is difficult. Really difficult.’
Unable to come up with a good solution, he felt his throat dry up. He gulped down his barley tea, when suddenly, a sharp voice sliced through the air in the living room.
"Do you have any idea where you are? How dare you come here uninvited without the owner’s permission?"
Even with medication suppressing it, his pheromones carried a heavy, overwhelming presence. His face was completely unreadable, leaving no openings, and his black eyes, burning like blue flames, seemed ready to devour everything in sight.
The moment Heemin met his gaze, he felt suffocated. had described him as someone who had calmly gone insane, and that wasn’t an exaggeration.
Heemin looked up at Iheon with anxious eyes. Since he had been meeting with the chairman, he had assumed Secretary Jung would be sent home first. He never expected him to rush over immediately after receiving a call. His chest pounded with alarm.
Surely he hadn't heard their entire conversation.
Frozen stiff in fear, his eyes darted around nervously. Meanwhile, Kwak Yoonseong brazenly lifted his chin and raised his voice.
"I'm here to see my son. What's wrong with that, President Cha?"
Their gazes clashed fiercely. Kwak Yoonseong maintained a relaxed smile, acting unfazed, but a faint twitch in his cheek betrayed how much he was being crushed by Iheon’s sheer presence.
"We're heading out for dinner. We need to leave soon to make our reservation, so please go home."
Ignoring the question entirely, Iheon extended a hand toward Heemin. Since they had never gone out for a meal before, Heemin hesitated, unsure, and his hesitation made Iheon’s dark brows subtly lift.
A silent pressure weighed down on him—telling him to hurry up and stand. Having no other choice, Heemin took his hand and got up from the couch.
"Go change your clothes."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
His tone was surprisingly gentle compared to his cold expression. Since Kwak Yoonseong was there, Heemin wondered if this was just an act. However, knowing Iheon’s personality, he wasn’t the type to hold back his temper even when busting in on a situation like this, so Heemin felt somewhat relieved.
If he had actually overheard their conversation, he would have snapped, shouting, "Who gave you permission to decide on a job?" Instead of simply twisting his lips into a smirk and glaring.
"It's already this late. I should hurry and change. Goodbye, Father."
"Alright. Have a nice dinner."
Matching the mood, Heemin responded appropriately. Kwak Yoonseong gave him a subtle glance, as if to say See you tomorrow, before standing up. His face showed that he was swallowing his pride for the sake of achieving his goal.
"Take care."
After giving a slight bow, Heemin headed toward the dressing room. He had been nervous that things would spiral out of control, but surprisingly, it had wrapped up smoothly.
Thinking he could just change back into his pajamas later, he threw on something random and walked back out. By then, Kwak Yoonseong had already left, and Iheon was standing in front of the couch, holding his car keys.
Iheon’s gaze traveled slowly up and down Heemin before he spoke in a strangely gentle tone.
"Put on a hat."
"A hat? Are we really going out?"
"What, did you think I was joking?"
"Yes. I thought you just said that to chase him away."
"I was trying to chase him ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ away."
A soft chuckle escaped through his lips. Despite the fact that Kwak Yoonseong’s unexpected visit had completely disrupted his plans, he seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood, which puzzled Heemin.
Had something good happened? Like maybe getting praised by the chairman or something?
"I’ll hurry and put it on."
He wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was a relief for him. If the timing had been worse and a deal had fallen through because of a misplaced phone call, Kwak Yoonseong might not have left this house alive.
Heemin rushed into the dressing room and grabbed a hat. He adjusted the brim as he put it on, when suddenly, Iheon draped his jacket over Heemin’s shoulders again, as if the loose short-sleeved T-shirt looked too cold.
"I'm not cold."
"Just wear it."
"Is it because my pheromones are leaking again?"
"Yeah."
Summer was approaching. Constantly masking his scent with Iheon’s clothes had its limits, so Heemin thought he should quickly learn how to control his pheromones as he slipped his arms into the sleeves.
Once he properly put on the jacket, Iheon finally turned away and opened the front door.
"Ah! My BurX waffles!"
They had just stepped out into the hallway, about to take the elevator, when Heemin suddenly remembered the six untouched BurX waffles. He let out a lamenting sigh before he could stop himself.
If left out in the open, they would turn soggy and be ruined. He should have ignored Kwak Yoonseong’s presence and at least eaten a piece.
"Judging by the way you’re fussing over snacks, I guess you’re fully recovered."
Iheon scoffed as he watched Heemin smack his lips in regret.
"It’s wasteful, that’s all. They’re the result of a farmer’s sweat, a cow’s tears, and a machine’s careful oiling, all coming together in harmony."
"I can just buy you more."
"How many will you get me?"
"As many as you want."
"No take-backs?"
"Alright."
Iheon placed his hand gently on top of Heemin’s hat, ruffling it as if petting a child. He had been treated like a little kid, but oddly enough, it didn’t annoy him. Maybe it was because he had gotten a promise out of him. His heart swelled like an overinflated balloon.
I must really love BurX waffles.
"Thanks in advance for the treat."
"Sure."
Iheon’s deep, resonant voice sent tremors through Heemin’s chest. Clutching at his wildly thumping heart, he fixed his gaze on the elevator panel, pretending to focus.
Maybe it was a reward for all the stress he had endured over the past few weeks. Things were falling into place strangely well.
Just days ago, he had felt surrounded by gray storm clouds, drowning in gloom. But starting yesterday, that heavy, sinking feeling had vanished completely, as if the clouds had parted, and the sun had finally emerged to shine brightly upon him.
Embracing both his lingering unease and newfound joy, Heemin followed Iheon to the parking lot. He had expected to see the sleek black sedan they always rode in parked at the entrance, but neither Secretary Jung nor the black car was anywhere in sight.
Then, in a shadowed corner, the headlights of a bulky Wrangler flashed to life.
"...Huh?"
"What?"
"N-Nothing."
He had almost blurted out, Did you drive this car too, hyung? But he swallowed his words at the last second, afraid the use of "too" might be misinterpreted.
Dr. Hwang was supposed to bring the suppressant in the morning. When Heemin hesitated, showing his discomfort, Kwak Yoonseong replied as if there was no issue.
"Then come in the afternoon. Just come whenever it's convenient for you."
"But, Father, it's not just for a day. A whole week would be difficult. I have to paint and also go to the hospital for therapy."
His heat cycle would come soon, and as long as he found the ledger, there was no need to help him for an entire week.
More than anything, even though he had rashly agreed to help with the intent of using the situation to his advantage, he still wasn’t in a position where he could move around freely.
If it was just escaping for half a day like last time, it might be doable, but a few days? That was impossible. Iheon would never allow it.
"Then just come for at least a day tomorrow. Take a look at the atmosphere, and I’ll figure out the rest."
Kwak Yoonseong nodded as if he had no choice. However, despite his regretful expression, he seemed quite satisfied with having achieved his goal of pulling ‘Seo Heemin’ in.
Heemin sipped his barley tea, contemplating how to convince Iheon. If he openly admitted that he had agreed to help Kwak Yoonseong, he would undoubtedly get scolded, asking if he had lost his mind. He needed a plan.
'Is there a good way?'
He recalled ‘Seo Heemin’s second escape attempt—where he had given up all resistance, pretended to obediently surrender his body, drugged Iheon with sleeping pills, and slipped away without a trace.
Believing that ‘Seo Heemin’ had fallen in love with him, Cha Iheon had awakened filled with uncontrollable rage and betrayal, screaming in madness.
In hindsight, if ‘Seo Heemin’ hadn’t escaped the second time, he might not have been caught, lost his baby, driven Cha Iheon to destroy Shin Seungbeom’s entire organization in an uncontrollable frenzy, or ultimately led Shin Seungbeom to stab Iheon in the back.
Heemin slowly shook his head. He had never considered using such an extreme method to escape. However, he felt that his current emotional situation was similar enough to the past that he shouldn't recklessly try to run away again.
Only now was Iheon starting to trust him, little by little. No matter how well-intentioned his actions were, deceiving and betraying him would be like shutting the door he had barely managed to pry open and locking it shut again.
He decided it was best not to take out the taxi driver’s business card hidden inside his book. He had returned all the loose change to Iheon and had no money for cab fare. He also didn’t want to drag someone else into this mess and cause unnecessary harm.
Maybe he should jokingly mention something about having a workplace romance fantasy—say he wanted to kiss secretly in the CEO’s office... Oh, wait, they had already done that.
‘This is difficult. Really difficult.’
Unable to come up with a good solution, he felt his throat dry up. He gulped down his barley tea, when suddenly, a sharp voice sliced through the air in the living room.
"Do you have any idea where you are? How dare you come here uninvited without the owner’s permission?"
Even with medication suppressing it, his pheromones carried a heavy, overwhelming presence. His face was completely unreadable, leaving no openings, and his black eyes, burning like blue flames, seemed ready to devour everything in sight.
The moment Heemin met his gaze, he felt suffocated.
Heemin looked up at Iheon with anxious eyes. Since he had been meeting with the chairman, he had assumed Secretary Jung would be sent home first. He never expected him to rush over immediately after receiving a call. His chest pounded with alarm.
Surely he hadn't heard their entire conversation.
Frozen stiff in fear, his eyes darted around nervously. Meanwhile, Kwak Yoonseong brazenly lifted his chin and raised his voice.
"I'm here to see my son. What's wrong with that, President Cha?"
Their gazes clashed fiercely. Kwak Yoonseong maintained a relaxed smile, acting unfazed, but a faint twitch in his cheek betrayed how much he was being crushed by Iheon’s sheer presence.
"We're heading out for dinner. We need to leave soon to make our reservation, so please go home."
Ignoring the question entirely, Iheon extended a hand toward Heemin. Since they had never gone out for a meal before, Heemin hesitated, unsure, and his hesitation made Iheon’s dark brows subtly lift.
A silent pressure weighed down on him—telling him to hurry up and stand. Having no other choice, Heemin took his hand and got up from the couch.
"Go change your clothes."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
His tone was surprisingly gentle compared to his cold expression. Since Kwak Yoonseong was there, Heemin wondered if this was just an act. However, knowing Iheon’s personality, he wasn’t the type to hold back his temper even when busting in on a situation like this, so Heemin felt somewhat relieved.
If he had actually overheard their conversation, he would have snapped, shouting, "Who gave you permission to decide on a job?" Instead of simply twisting his lips into a smirk and glaring.
"It's already this late. I should hurry and change. Goodbye, Father."
"Alright. Have a nice dinner."
Matching the mood, Heemin responded appropriately. Kwak Yoonseong gave him a subtle glance, as if to say See you tomorrow, before standing up. His face showed that he was swallowing his pride for the sake of achieving his goal.
"Take care."
After giving a slight bow, Heemin headed toward the dressing room. He had been nervous that things would spiral out of control, but surprisingly, it had wrapped up smoothly.
Thinking he could just change back into his pajamas later, he threw on something random and walked back out. By then, Kwak Yoonseong had already left, and Iheon was standing in front of the couch, holding his car keys.
Iheon’s gaze traveled slowly up and down Heemin before he spoke in a strangely gentle tone.
"Put on a hat."
"A hat? Are we really going out?"
"What, did you think I was joking?"
"Yes. I thought you just said that to chase him away."
"I was trying to chase him ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ away."
A soft chuckle escaped through his lips. Despite the fact that Kwak Yoonseong’s unexpected visit had completely disrupted his plans, he seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood, which puzzled Heemin.
Had something good happened? Like maybe getting praised by the chairman or something?
"I’ll hurry and put it on."
He wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was a relief for him. If the timing had been worse and a deal had fallen through because of a misplaced phone call, Kwak Yoonseong might not have left this house alive.
Heemin rushed into the dressing room and grabbed a hat. He adjusted the brim as he put it on, when suddenly, Iheon draped his jacket over Heemin’s shoulders again, as if the loose short-sleeved T-shirt looked too cold.
"I'm not cold."
"Just wear it."
"Is it because my pheromones are leaking again?"
"Yeah."
Summer was approaching. Constantly masking his scent with Iheon’s clothes had its limits, so Heemin thought he should quickly learn how to control his pheromones as he slipped his arms into the sleeves.
Once he properly put on the jacket, Iheon finally turned away and opened the front door.
"Ah! My BurX waffles!"
They had just stepped out into the hallway, about to take the elevator, when Heemin suddenly remembered the six untouched BurX waffles. He let out a lamenting sigh before he could stop himself.
If left out in the open, they would turn soggy and be ruined. He should have ignored Kwak Yoonseong’s presence and at least eaten a piece.
"Judging by the way you’re fussing over snacks, I guess you’re fully recovered."
Iheon scoffed as he watched Heemin smack his lips in regret.
"It’s wasteful, that’s all. They’re the result of a farmer’s sweat, a cow’s tears, and a machine’s careful oiling, all coming together in harmony."
"I can just buy you more."
"How many will you get me?"
"As many as you want."
"No take-backs?"
"Alright."
Iheon placed his hand gently on top of Heemin’s hat, ruffling it as if petting a child. He had been treated like a little kid, but oddly enough, it didn’t annoy him. Maybe it was because he had gotten a promise out of him. His heart swelled like an overinflated balloon.
I must really love BurX waffles.
"Thanks in advance for the treat."
"Sure."
Iheon’s deep, resonant voice sent tremors through Heemin’s chest. Clutching at his wildly thumping heart, he fixed his gaze on the elevator panel, pretending to focus.
Maybe it was a reward for all the stress he had endured over the past few weeks. Things were falling into place strangely well.
Just days ago, he had felt surrounded by gray storm clouds, drowning in gloom. But starting yesterday, that heavy, sinking feeling had vanished completely, as if the clouds had parted, and the sun had finally emerged to shine brightly upon him.
Embracing both his lingering unease and newfound joy, Heemin followed Iheon to the parking lot. He had expected to see the sleek black sedan they always rode in parked at the entrance, but neither Secretary Jung nor the black car was anywhere in sight.
Then, in a shadowed corner, the headlights of a bulky Wrangler flashed to life.
"...Huh?"
"What?"
"N-Nothing."
He had almost blurted out, Did you drive this car too, hyung? But he swallowed his words at the last second, afraid the use of "too" might be misinterpreted.