Cozy Obsession

Chapter 31

The scent of a gentle spring breeze brushed against his skin, its touch so tender it felt like a caress. Watching this unfold, even Heemin’s heart wavered slightly.

Perhaps because they wore the same school uniform, the boy overlapped even more with his real-life friend. His way of speaking, his expressions, even the way he treated Seo Heemin—it was all so similar. Memories of his school days and a deep yearning surged like a rising tide.

— “Iheon-ah.”

— “Hm?”

— “Nothing.”

— “Why? What is it?”

The hand that had been ruffling his hair pulled away, urging him to speak. Just as Seo Heemin, who had been hesitating for a while, parted his lips to speak, the warning bell rang, signaling the start of the next class. His slightly open lips pressed together firmly.

I wish we were both Betas.

Heemin heard Seo Heemin’s thoughts with absolute clarity. He could feel the desperation of someone who never wanted to be at the mercy of pheromones.

If he recalled correctly, the next day was when the genetic test results had come out. Seo Heemin was revealed to be a Prime Omega, while Cha Iheon was identified as a Prime Alpha. From there, their relationship had spiraled into ruin.

“Ugh...”

Like a movie fading out, the scene before his eyes gradually darkened. A faint groan slipped from his lips—not out of pain, but from an overwhelming sense of regret.

“The music will start now, and you will wake up from the hypnosis.”

Eunkyung turned on the music. The beautiful sound of a violin’s melody swirled around his ears.

“One, two, three. Open your eyes, Heemin.”

The darkening classroom scene disappeared in an instant, as if it had been sucked into a black hole. Regaining awareness, Heemin wiped the cold sweat beading on his forehead with the back of his hand and took a deep breath.

“How was it?”

“It was... fascinating.”

Truly, that was the only word for it. Seeing memories play out before his eyes like a film, experiencing the past of Seo Heemin rather than his own—it was all incredibly surreal.

“That’s it for today. Next time, we’ll delve deeper into your past. Thank you for following along so well, especially for your first session. You did great.”

Heemin blinked several times, trying to shake off the lingering haze in his mind. Outside the door, the man waiting for him was undoubtedly growing impatient.

Leaving behind the bittersweet memories that still clung to him, he rose from his seat. At least he hadn’t said anything strange while under hypnosis—that was a relief.

“Thank you for your time.”

After bowing slightly to Eunkyung, he picked up the plastic bag holding kimbap and tteokbokki, then stepped out of the consultation room. The moment his gaze lifted from the doorknob, the sight of a tall figure, dressed in black and facing the window, burned into his vision.

His back, rigid and unyielding, was like the edge of a sheer cliff—unapproachable. The young boy from the painting and the man before him overlapped, creating an odd feeling in Heemin’s chest.

That man, who would not shed a single drop of blood even if stabbed, had once known how to smile. He used to joke and tease just like a normal person. Like the Cha Iheon from his real-life memories.

His tightly sealed lips, the veins pulsing on his forehead, his narrowed eyes—Iheon was utterly livid.

And yet, he didn’t lash out. He didn’t grab Heemin by the collar or explode in fury like before. He simply leaned against the elevator wall, his eyes still burning with barely restrained rage, and remained silent.

If he had started yelling, Heemin had been prepared to argue back. He would have complained about being locked up indoors on such a beautiful day, insisted that he just wanted to enjoy the flowers outside with him.

But this wasn’t the reaction he had anticipated. His plan to act shamelessly, like when he had called earlier, had completely fallen apart. Now, he couldn’t even bring up going to the lake park.

The crinkling of the plastic bag in his hand was the only sound breaking the silence between them. Stealing glances at Iheon’s expression, Heemin followed him to the underground parking lot.

A black sedan, parked at a slanted angle near the entrance, immediately caught his eye. It was a clear sign of someone in a hurry—unlike Secretary Jung, who always handled things with meticulous precision.

And yet, the secretary was nowhere in sight.

Something felt off.

Had Iheon driven here himself? Alone, without any subordinates?

“Where is Secretary Jung—”

As he started to ask, he abruptly remembered what Iheon had said earlier: Don’t say a word. He clamped his mouth shut.

Iheon, noticing his halted words, cast him a glance before opening the car door without a word. The headlights flickered on, illuminating the dim parking lot.

As Iheon made his way to the driver’s seat, Heemin hesitated. Should he sit in the back, where he usually did, or in the passenger seat next to him?

Just as he reached for the back door handle—

“Are you the boss?”

“...Huh?”

“Are you the fucking boss? Sit in the front.”

“...Ah. Okay!”

Heemin had assumed Iheon didn’t even want to look at him, which was why he had tried to sit in the back. It had been a misguided attempt at consideration, but all it did was stoke Iheon’s anger even further.

Shoulders slumping, Heemin obediently opened the passenger-side door. As soon as he settled into the seat and buckled his seatbelt, Iheon finally climbed in as well.

“...Hah.”

But instead of starting the car, he leaned his head against the headrest and let out a long, exhausted sigh. The dark shadows under his eyes made him look utterly drained, as if he hadn’t slept in days.

It wasn’t surprising. He had been running around frantically, playing an unwilling game of hide-and-seek, chasing after Heemin all day. He had every reason to be exhausted.

Iheon had told him to stay quiet, but Heemin couldn’t just sit there doing nothing. Carefully, he opened his mouth.

“...I’m sorry.”

Iheon, who had been pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, slowly opened his eyes and fixed Heemin with a stare sharp enough to pierce right through him.@@@@