Cozy Obsession

"Did you almost have an accident on your way here?"
"......"
The man's expression, which seemed reluctant to answer, was terrifying at first glance. If someone who didn’t know him looked at him, they might have thought he was angry. But,
"You’re just worried, right? It’s not that you’re going to lose your mind because you hate me."
Heemin wasn’t unaware of the true side of his cold demeanor hidden beneath the mask of indifference. The side of him that had suffered from a feverish love all his life and, in the end, was willing to throw his life away for 'Seo Heemin.'
Noticing the faint crack only he «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» could detect, Heemin met Iheon’s gaze squarely, then asked again. If he kept hiding his feelings with cruel words, Heemin would just read them for him.
"You’re not just buying me pizza to avoid doing something silly, but because I was quick to call your brother and made sure to say the right thing, right?"
"......Yeah."
Only then did Iheon nod slightly. Heemin noticed how the heavy emotions that had clouded his face began to lighten as the shadows faded away.
"Well, you should have explained it like that from the start. You went on and on saying it’s all because of me and made me misunderstand. From now on, don’t just think things in your head, say them out loud. If you don’t tell me, I won’t know anything."
Heemin could figure out the plot developments and each character's personality from reading the novel, but he couldn’t tell what the man in front of him was thinking right now.
If he hadn’t directly asked him, they likely would have been caught in a war of misunderstandings. A big fight, eating pizza until they felt sick and never wanting to smell it again—such a terribly sad and horrible thing might have happened.
But to his surprise, instead of acting like he expected—squinting his eyes and saying, "Who are you, kid, to give orders like that? Don’t be so cocky," Iheon had quietly agreed to his request.
"I’ll try."
Strangely enough, with that one word, the frustration that had been tightening his chest loosened. A smile appeared on Heemin’s face, which had been full of dissatisfaction.
"......Sorry for getting angry."
The phone and pizza weren’t tools of persuasion but could be seen as rewards he was receiving. It was his mistake for not accepting the goodwill with pure sincerity and immediately doubting it. He had no right to scold him.
"Forget it, let’s go eat."
Iheon’s blunt response was followed by him pressing his hand against Heemin’s head, as if pushing the brim of his hat down. When his firm and rough hand touched Heemin’s head, warmth spread across his face, and his heart began to race.
He was happy, then disappointed, then angry, then embarrassed, and then happy again.
Why was he feeling all these emotions just because of one word from him, one small gesture? It felt like riding a roller coaster.
Unable to hide his surprise, Heemin fiddled nervously with his fingers under his sleeves, when suddenly, Iheon bent down and met his gaze.
"Are you okay?"
"......Huh? What’s wrong?"
Iheon scanned Heemin’s face thoroughly with eyes that lacked any hint of laughter. He looked at him seriously, almost as if he were a doctor examining a patient.
"Your face is all red. You don’t look well."
This time, Iheon’s hand touched Heemin’s forehead beneath his hat. He flinched as the palm covered his eyelids, and the musky scent of Alpha pheromones, which even the suppressants couldn’t cover, filled his nose.
Maybe it wasn’t too strong. The Alpha’s pheromones, mixed with a gentle spring breeze, felt surprisingly calm.
Why is this happening? This is strange.
There was an odd, tickling sensation deep inside his stomach. He hadn’t felt his heart race like this even when holding hands or kissing before.
Maybe it was because of yesterday’s kiss, when he was swept up in sexual curiosity. But now, as Iheon’s hand pressed his forehead to check his temperature, why did his body react like this?
Perhaps it was because he had been comforting himself with memories of him, and the physical presence of 'Seo Heemin' was making his emotions and thoughts become strange as well. Despite the fear and disgust towards Alphas, 'Seo Heemin' had liked Iheon. Heemin tried to tell himself that it was his feelings for Iheon that were being influenced by 'Seo Heemin’s' body.
"U-uh, it’s probably just the darkness making it look that way. I’m completely fine, so let’s go inside quickly. I’m hungry. Ah, I’m starving."
Flustered, Heemin pushed Iheon’s hand away and pulled his hat down tightly. He didn’t want his flushed face to be exposed under the bright lights.
"If you’re feeling bad, say so. Don’t stubbornly push through."
"......I will."
Even though his hand was suddenly rejected, Iheon didn’t show any signs of discomfort. Instead, he seemed to care even more.
Heemin could still feel his gaze on him, but he lowered his head and pretended not to notice as he walked toward the building’s entrance.
‘What should I do... tomorrow?’
He didn’t want to deceive him in the same way as before. He didn’t want to break his own promise of never going out without permission again.
The fact that someone who had no connection to 'Seo Heemin' other than sharing his name and appearance was now playing a role in a play inside 'Seo Heemin’s' body might be a deception in Iheon’s eyes.
But his desire for a happy ending hadn’t changed. No matter what, tomorrow he had to go to work and steal Kwak Yoonseong’s ledger.
Iheon’s role was always to hide his thoughts and emotions, to act without caring about the other person’s feelings. But now, it felt as if that role had completely reversed. It was as though another writer had rewritten the novel.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
‘For now, let’s eat and think things through calmly. I need to think of a way other than sneaking out.’
When he was hungry, his mind didn’t work well. Since they were already at such a nice place, Heemin had to make sure to enjoy the meal, so it wouldn’t be a waste for Iheon. He clenched his fist tightly as he walked through the garden filled with light purple lilacs and entered the restaurant.
"Good evening. May I have the name of the reservation?"
When Iheon gave his name to the approaching staff, they were guided to a private room with a stunning view of the night skyline of Seoul.
Whether it was because of his unresolved worries or the reactions from his body, Heemin couldn’t focus on the breathtaking view outside. All he could see clearly was Iheon’s figure, and everything else seemed blurred.
"Take a picture."
Heemin blankly stared ahead when Iheon turned the menu toward him and spoke again.
"If you want, go ahead and take a picture."
"Ah."
It seemed that he thought Heemin was hesitating because he wanted to take a picture. He had never planned to do it, but somehow, he had become fixated on taking photos.
It was ironic, really, considering how often Iheon would make him take pictures of the food, not letting him even pick up a spoon without snapping a shot. Heemin had been the one cursing at him, begging him to just let him eat. The situation was so absurd that Heemin couldn’t help but laugh.
Still, he fumbled to take his phone out of his pocket and, like a professional food blogger, snapped pictures of the interior, the menu, and the view outside the window. Of course, he secretly took a picture of the man staring intently at the upside-down menu on the table with his arms crossed.
“Did you choose what you want to eat?”
He asked as he closed the camera app. Only then did Iheon look up and speak.
“Anything’s fine. You choose.”
Heemin wanted to ask why he had stared so hard if that was the case, but given Iheon’s imposing demeanor, it felt odd to blurt out a list of what he wanted to eat. Heemin put the phone down on the table and began to examine the menu properly.
“Can we order three main dishes and a salad? If there’s anything left over, I’ll take it home.”
“Do as you wish.”
Though the portion sizes seemed like they’d be pretty big, Heemin wanted to order things that Iheon would usually never try, hoping to open his eyes to new flavors.
“Let’s go with shrimp cream pasta, and for the pizza... how about a classic combination... and the steak...”
Despite the weight in his chest from tomorrow’s looming concerns, the thought of enjoying dinner peacefully with Iheon made Heemin’s mood lift again.
What was he doing, flipping back and forth like this? His mood swings were so extreme today that Heemin couldn’t help but laugh to himself, hiding his face behind the menu.
“Are you done choosing? Put it down.”
“I still haven’t decided on the salad.”
“Don’t hide your face.”
Iheon snatched the menu from Heemin, holding it vertically before slamming it down onto the table. The sudden action could’ve easily made Heemin upset, but for some reason, seeing him act that way felt oddly comforting.
This was more like Cha Iheon.
“The font’s too small, I couldn’t read everything.”
“Go with the salmon salad.”
“You said anything’s fine, but you actually wanted that, didn’t you?”
“No, I thought you’d want it.”
Heemin had been about to pick the salmon salad himself. He felt a little startled when it seemed like Iheon had read his mind, but he showed no outward sign of it as he reached for the call button.
Someone had once told him to worry about tomorrow when tomorrow came.
There was still time left. He’d think things over tonight, and a good solution would come to him. A solution that could solve the problem without anyone getting hurt.
Heemin ordered Italian dishes and fruitades from the staff, looking forward to the meal they would share.
Right now, he just wanted to enjoy this time without thinking about anything. This was his reward for bringing him here, for being obedient.