Cozy Obsession

Chapter 20

So far, the only people who knew that Cha Iheon was the president of Wooshin Capital were Seo Jae-han and Kwak Yoonseong—the only two who had borrowed private loans.

No one else knew his true identity, but it was obvious that he wasn’t from the same industry. That alone made everyone uneasy about his sudden appearance.

Seo Jae-han may have been an owner notorious for his unreasonable demands and power abuse, but he was also an expert in the field. The rapid growth of Shinwon Cement, from a small business to a mid-sized company, was largely due to his contributions.

Given that, it seemed likely that Iheon had brought Seo Heemin here not only to quell the unrest among the employees but also to justify his acquisition of the company.

"Heemin, what's wrong? You don’t look well. Is it because of the Alpha pheromones?"

Kwak Yoonseong, who had been following behind him, stepped closer and asked in a worried tone. It was an oddly affectionate voice for someone who had knowingly sold Seo Heemin to traffickers despite being fully aware of his Alpha trauma.

This was the first time Heemin had stood in front of such a large crowd since the auction.

Though there weren’t as many Alphas here as there had been back then, the unfamiliar pheromones still made his stomach churn. Before long, Seo Heemin’s body—capable of detecting pheromones ten times more intensely than others—began showing clear signs of distress.

"J-just... a moment."

Iheon, who had been watching him, visibly stiffened. He must not have expected Heemin to react so severely just because a few Alphas were present.

His condition had already been poor from drinking the night before, and now the Alpha pheromones were only making things worse. The tips of his fingers and toes grew icy, and his body trembled from the chills. His complexion rapidly turned pale.

"...Urk."

Even though he had already experienced this once before, the sensation was so unfamiliar—something he had never encountered in reality—that he still couldn’t adapt to it.

Wrenching his hand free from Iheon’s grasp, Heemin urgently covered his mouth and nose, retching.

Kwak Yoonseong reacted first.

"This isn't good. Let’s go to my dad’s office. You should lie down and rest."

During the auction, at least there had been considerable distance between the stage and the audience, allowing him to endure it by drinking water. But this time, the circumstances were different.

The seats were packed tightly together, and the air was thick and stifling.

He had wanted to endure it, at least long enough to watch the inauguration ceremony. But in this condition, even staying seated was becoming impossible.

"Ugh..."

The nausea surged unbearably. Heemin couldn't even muster a response to Kwak Yoonseong’s suggestion, only letting out choked, struggling noises.

Iheon, who had been silently watching him with a hardened expression, finally spoke in a low, firm voice.

"Secretary Jung. Take him to my office."@@@@

"Yes, sir."

Heemin had been somewhat looking forward to this—getting an early taste of corporate life long before he even graduated. It was a shame to have to leave like this.

Then, he numbered the page from 1 to 30—ready to break down each trait, one by one.

Characteristics of the Obsessive Tyrant, Cha Iheon

Poker face. Only smiles when mocking others.Doesn't snack—only smokes.Wears only monochrome suits.Drinks alcohol without any snacks.He started to put a period at the end of the fourth point but hesitated before striking a line through it. Last night, he had eaten while drinking. That meant Heemin’s influence was already working. Of course, one instance wouldn’t completely change years of habit, but still...

Beneath number four, he added:

"Drinks only Exang. Doesn't drink barley tea."

Characteristics of the Obsessive Tyrant, Cha Iheon

Poker face. Only smiles when mocking others.Doesn't snack—only smokes.Wears only monochrome suits.Drinks alcohol without any snacks. Exang only. No barley tea.Only drinks black coffee. No sugar, no cream, no milk.Lives in a dreary, all-black house. (Needs a brighter color scheme for emotional stability.)Cannot stand seeing Seo Heemin with other Alphas.Even with someone like Dr. Hwang—his supposed superior—Iheon hadn’t hesitated to make threats. His possessiveness toward Seo Heemin was practically his life force. No matter how much effort Heemin put in, number seven was unlikely to change.

In that sense, avoiding Do Junyoung at the ceremony had probably been a wise choice. No harm, no casualties—he had managed to shake him off cleanly.

Sighing in relief, Heemin pondered what to write next.

Just as he was scribbling number eight—"Doesn't do housewo..."—the office door suddenly flung open with a loud click.

"Heemin!"

Startled by the sudden intrusion, Heemin instinctively tossed his pen aside and hastily crumpled the paper, shoving it into his jacket pocket.

"W-who are you?"

The person standing in the doorway wasn’t Cha Iheon, nor Kwak Yoonseong, nor Secretary Jung. It wasn’t even the employee who had brought the snacks.

It was an unfamiliar man—a face he had never seen before.

"It's me. Junyoung hyung."

Junyoung hyung.

Do Junyoung.

The sub-gong of the original novel.

For him to boldly storm out of the ceremony and stride straight into the president’s office... Heemin must have underestimated him.

"Ah, hello... Do Junyoung... sunbae. What brings you here...?"

He rose to his feet awkwardly. The moment Heemin put up a wall between them, Junyoung's expression faltered, his disappointment plain to see.

Do Junyoung had the kind of face that adults would adore—kind and charming, with an affable smile. The type of guy who would walk into a job interview and have the panel clapping before he even spoke.

Now, however, his gentle eyes brimmed with unmistakable sadness.

Unlike Cha Iheon—whose face seemed incapable of bleeding even if you stabbed it—Junyoung looked as though he might burst into tears at any moment.

"You’re alive, Heemin... I thought... I thought you were dead...."

His voice choked, unable to finish the sentence. He stared at Heemin with desperate eyes, hesitant to step any closer.

For all his confidence in bursting through the door, he couldn't bring himself to close the distance.