Cozy Obsession

A raspy breath emerged from deep within his throat, to the point where he couldn’t finish his sentence. Yiheon turned his body and exhaled smoke with an annoyed expression.However, the disrupted airway didn’t calm down. Heemin struggled to suppress his cough by covering his nose and mouth with his palm. Tears streamed down his cheeks again.“This is driving me crazy.”Yiheon, who had been deeply inhaling the smoke, suddenly put out the cigarette butt against the wall. With a hissing sound, the red dot floating in the air was crushed and disappeared under his ruthless hand. The rough, rising breath gradually subsided.Could it be that he is actually showing me consideration right now? As expected, this man truly cares deeply for ‘Seo Heemin.’“Secretary Jung.”“Yes, President.”“Take him home. Call Dr. Hwang to neutralize the drug effect. I’ll go meet President Park.”“Understood.”Secretary Jung, who responded politely to Yiheon, made a call on his cellphone. It was probably Dr. Hwang, whom Yiheon had mentioned.Secretary Jung. He was a character that the author didn’t even bother to name, and Heemin felt he was the second most pitiful character in Silence after ‘Seo Heemin.’How could a person work day and night without a single day off? Heemin, who had taken up another part-time job during winter break, eagerly waited for his days off. For him, rest was like a life-saving elixir, and he couldn’t even imagine such a life.As for Cha Yiheon, he could do so because he was the president of Wooshin Capital. However, Heemin couldn’t understand Secretary Jung’s loyalty to Cha Yiheon, even to the extent of acting as a human shield. He couldn’t help but wonder how much Secretary Jung was earning.By the way.“Why don’t you hit me?”In the original story, Yiheon had called Dr. Hwang after slapping the begging ‘Seo Heemin’ unconscious with twenty blows.A frosty doubt settled in his firm eyes. He seemed to think Heemin was spouting nonsense again due to the drugs. Yiheon looked at Heemin with narrowed eyes and asked.“Do you want to be hit?”“No! I mean, no!”Cha Yiheon, standing in front of twenty-one-year-old Heemin, was nine years older. ‘Seo Heemin,’ who had been using formal language without thinking, switched to informal speech upon realizing they were the same age. Yiheon grumbled in an irritated voice.“That bastard President Park. How much of the drug did he use?”His swelling anger mixed with pheromones and reached Heemin’s nose. He seemed ready to commit murder if he wanted to. For the first time, ‘gangster Cha Yiheon’ instilled fear in him.“……Haa.”Eventually, the two left, leaving Heemin alone in the container. His legs gave out due to the continuous series of unreal events, and he slid down against the wall.‘Not anyone can endure this.’Fortunately, he escaped without getting slapped this time, but there was no guarantee for next time. No matter how much Cha Yiheon loved ‘Seo Heemin,’ he had treated him brutally based on hatred in the early stages of the plot, so he couldn’t let his guard down.He would frequently raise his hand to slap, treat him worse than a street prostitute, demand humiliating acts, and when Heemin kept trying to escape, he even broke his ankle.He had claimed ownership over ‘Seo Heemin,’ insisting it was natural since he had paid a lump sum in cash. He crushed ‘Seo Heemin’s’ wings and free will. Trapped in a cage, ‘Seo Heemin’ became a tool to alleviate pheromone overload and a sexual toy, surrendering his body to Cha Yiheon whenever possible.‘I’ll give you anything, my cornea, my organs, whatever it takes to repay my debt to you. Please… please let me go, Yiheon.’‘Ha, really? You have to calculate it correctly. Even if your body’s worth covers that, what about the life of my father?’Cha Ilmoon, Cha Yiheon’s father, had his company taken over by ‘Seo Heemin’s’ father, Seo Jaehan, and ended up committing suicide. The betrayal was a heavy blow since the families had been close, helping each other in difficult times. It was enough to make him abandon his family and take his own life.The incident occurred after ‘Seo Heemin,’ who had been like a brother to Cha Yiheon for five years since middle school, unilaterally declared their friendship over upon being diagnosed as a dominant alpha.However, even when his mother collapsed and became comatose, Cha Yiheon wanted to believe in ‘Seo Heemin’ until the end. That’s how much he loved ‘Seo Heemin.’He had to wear the mask of friendship towards ‘Seo Heemin,’ who followed him innocently like a baby bird that had just hatched, but he never doubted that someday ‘Seo Heemin’ would be his.He believed that it was all a misunderstanding, and even if Seo Jaehan had indeed destroyed his family, the one he loved would be innocent.But ‘Seo Heemin’ neither appeared at Cha Ilmoon’s funeral nor acknowledged Cha Yiheon at school, treating him as a stranger.On the day before he was forcibly transferred due to a student assault case, Cha Yiheon clung to his last hope and begged ‘Seo Heemin’ for a meeting. However, it was the thugs hired by the victims who showed up at the promised place.Despite being beaten to the point of breaking several ribs and bleeding profusely from a torn eyebrow, making him barely conscious, he waited all night for ‘Seo Heemin’ who never came.Until the moment when the dawn broke, and his love turned into hatred.Cha Yiheon’s wish to become the one and only person for ‘Seo Heemin’ never came true. Instead, he was betrayed and deceived, losing everything and being driven out onto the streets. His deep love turned into endless hatred, becoming a tangled mess.Even while crawling through the filthy underworld in his great-uncle’s organization for several years, the only thing that kept him from collapsing was his anger towards ‘Seo Heemin.’ He climbed to his current position, earning the nickname “the Chairman’s dog,” fueled by his obsession for revenge against ‘Seo Heemin’ and Seo Jaehan.“I don’t want to get hit….”Unlike the only child ‘Seo Heemin,’ Heemin had three older sisters. After their father died in an accident right after Heemin was born, their mother naturally became the head of the family, and his sisters took on the role of his mother.Their family situation was very difficult, but it gradually improved as his first and second sisters got jobs at large companies. Once they had some leeway, they started to engage in hobbies. Unfortunately, those hobbies included reading novels and webtoons about men loving other men.At first, Heemin felt left out when they would pass around books among themselves, so he asked to join in but was met with harsh rebukes for no apparent reason. Feeling wronged and determined to uncover their secret, he began sneaking their books. Looking back, that might have been the problem.Surprisingly, the hidden books were interesting, and when he asked if there were any more, his sisters, initially flustered, began openly discussing explicit stories. He soon became well-versed in the related terminology.His strong-willed sisters would lock him in his room and give him a stern lesson with the “Good Child” song playing whenever he misbehaved. Once, he tattled to their mother, but she defended his sisters, saying it was his fault for causing trouble and that he should become a better person first.Endurance didn’t improve by getting hit. If anything, it only taught him to be more cautious.Heemin sighed as he recalled Yiheon’s long, rough, hardened hands, which seemed capable of killing multiple people.At the start of the vacation, his friend Yiheon had gone to a relative’s house in America. With no one to play with, life quickly became dull. His days were spent working part-time, returning home, and studying for certification exams.In the midst of this routine, visiting an illegal auction house and seeing what could be his friend’s future was a novel experience. However, he preferred to wake up to reality rather than a world from a book. He didn’t want to suffer just for the sake of fun.According to the original story, in a few days, ‘Seo Heemin’ would have a relationship with a half-crazed ‘Cha Yiheon’ due to pheromone overload. No matter how different Cha Yiheon was from his friend, that was something he couldn’t accept.Heemin had never liked anyone before. He hadn’t even experienced his first love properly, let alone a relationship. He couldn’t let himself be forced into something so unfortunate.‘Maybe if I lose consciousness, I can return to reality?’He recalled a novel where a character connected with a parallel self through dreams and traveled freely between different dimensions.Lying down on the hard floor of the container, Heemin stared blankly at the ceiling, recalling the vulgar lines Cha Yiheon had spoken.‘Isn’t it disgusting if my classmate is a guy who gives his ass to anyone for chump change?’‘I’ll deduct five thousand, no, a billion for a single fuck. Try to be worth fifty billion to me.’‘Ugh, so vulgar.’If he were in ‘Seo Heemin’s position, he would have been chilled to the bone upon hearing this story, but as it had nothing to do with Heemin, it only made him cringe.When Yiheon came back to Korea, he might make him recite the lines from Silence as a form of punishment. It would surely be hilarious.It was a bit regrettable that he couldn’t check ‘Seo Heemin’s face in the mirror right now. Nevertheless, it was fascinating to smell pheromones and see the face of the gangster ‘Cha Yiheon.’Since the auction scene had changed, he thought he should check the original text to see if the narrative had also changed once he returned to his own body. With that thought, he slowly closed his eyes.‘Seo Heemin’ was a sensitive person who suffered from anxiety and sleep disorders. It seemed to be a mental issue rather than a physical one because as soon as he closed his eyes, he started to doze off. Heemin fell asleep within less than a minute of lying down.***“Are you awake?”Startled by the voice of an elderly gentleman, he opened his eyes. The ceiling he saw from the bed was different in color and pattern from the yellowed wallpaper of his room. The cherry molding that should have been around the edges was also missing.“…Gasp!”He hadn’t returned to reality. He was still in the world of Silence. Heemin, in shock and despair, stared at the man who was checking on his condition. Since he had been told to move to a house and clear the drugs out of his system, this man was probably Dr. Hwang.“Just lie down. There’s still a bit of IV left.”Dr. Hwang pressed down on Heemin’s shoulder with his index finger as he tried to sit up. Looking down, Heemin saw the IV needle inserted into the back of his hand.“Where is this…?”“This is Chairman Cha’s house.”“Where is… Secretary Jung?”“He went to pick up Chairman Cha.”Heemin, with a blank face, looked around the house. The room, with glass partitions instead of walls for surveillance, was surprisingly modern and stylish.Although ‘Seo Heemin’ hated this room and suffered a nervous breakdown because of it, Heemin thought that the house described in the novel as ‘Cha Yiheon’s house’ perfectly matched his taste. It was spacious and free of clutter, unlike his cramped home with stuff piled everywhere, without cherry moldings or gaudy floral wallpaper.To Heemin, this house, which might seem desolate to someone else, was very appealing. He even wanted to trade his real house for this one.“How did you end up getting caught by human traffickers and ending up like this… tsk tsk.”Dr. Hwang clicked his tongue as he looked at Heemin’s scrawny arm. As the personal physician of Yoon Daeho, the chairman of Wooshin Capital, and Cha Yiheon’s dedicated doctor, he was someone ‘Seo Heemin’ confided in.Maybe that’s why, despite seeing his face for the first time, Heemin felt a liking for the doctor with his white hair. His pheromones, unlike other alphas, were kind and comforting.Moreover, having grown up without a male adult in the house, Heemin had always subtly wished for a dependable person like Dr. Hwang to be around. Heemin watched him remove the IV needle from the back of his hand and then spoke up.“Um… Grandpa.”“Hey! You brat. What do you mean, Grandpa! Call me Doctor!”“Oh, yes. Doctor.”Startled by Dr. Hwang’s sudden angry voice, Heemin drooped his shoulders sullenly. Dr. Hwang, perhaps thinking he had shouted too loudly, cleared his throat and then asked Heemin,“What is it?”“I’m hungry. Can we make some ramen?”“Strange. The drugs should be out of your system, but you’re still talking nonsense. How many fingers do you see?”Dr. Hwang held up his index and middle fingers in front of Heemin’s eyes.“Two. I’m perfectly sane.”As they say, even the sight of Mt. Geumgang is better on a full stomach. The IV drip wasn’t enough; he needed carbs to think straight. He needed to eat something to objectively assess this enormous situation.“There’s no one to cook at Ms. Ahn’s house after we get back.”“I can cook it. I make really delicious ramen.”“Sick people should stay put. Anyway, I wonder if there is any ramen in this house?”Dr. Hwang said as he cleared away the empty IV bag and tubing. It was doubtful that there would be ramen in the refrigerator of the gangster Cha Yiheon, who only had expensive imported water in his fridge.“I don’t like Evian… it’s too greasy.”Once, he had been eating cup ramen and triangle kimbap with his friend Yiheon at a convenience store and took a sip of Yiheon’s water because he was thirsty. It was an expensive imported water, but to Heemin, who was used to drinking barley tea made from boiled tap water, it tasted off. It was greasy and slippery, ruining his appetite.“What did you say?”“Nothing.”With his hands now free, Heemin jumped out of bed, opened the glass door, and went to the living room. Thanks to the detailed description of Cha Yiheon’s house in the novel, he had a rough idea of the layout and purpose of each area.He headed to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. As expected, there were only neatly lined bottles of mineral water inside. Very disappointing, but Heemin didn’t lose hope and searched the auxiliary kitchen used mainly by the housekeeper.“Found it!”Inside one of the cabinets, there were two cup noodles. Even if Yiheon didn’t eat them, the housekeeper apparently did. After all, even in a novel, people can’t live by work alone; they need to eat.“Doctor, please have some too.”“No, thank you.”“It’s lonely eating alone. Please join me, okay?”Before he even got permission, he tore off the plastic wrapping and opened the lid. Dr. Hwang, looking exasperated, watched him before finally nodding in reluctant approval.He poured hot water from the water dispenser and waited. Unlike his home, where everything was old and outdated, all the appliances and electronic devices here were the latest models he had seen in TV commercials, and he was thrilled.“It’s done!”After three minutes, he completely removed the lid. The spicy seasoning’s aroma was delightful, and he closed his eyes to take a deep breath.“Eat quickly. Chairman Cha will be here soon.”“Enjoy your meal, Doctor.”He picked up the cooked noodles with his chopsticks and slurped them up. Maybe because ‘Seo Heemin’s body had been starved for days after being captured by the human traffickers and injected with pheromone suppressants, the savory broth’s flavor exploded in his mouth.It was delicious. It felt like eating something warm after waking up from sleeping in a freezing room without heating.“Ah… I already finished it.”“You don’t look like it, but you eat well. Want more of mine?”“No, it’s okay. I’ll just drink the broth.”There was nothing left to pick up with his chopsticks. Hiding his disappointment, he smiled at Dr. Hwang, but then he locked eyes with Cha Yiheon, who had just walked into the house with long strides.“What is this now?”His disheveled shirt and tie were stained with blood. Real, dark red human blood.There wasn’t supposed to be a scene where he harmed someone in this chapter. Startled, Heemin froze.The person Cha Yiheon had met was Director Park of Samho Personnel Agency. Despite the fancy name, it was a human trafficking ring that kidnapped Omegas and sold them to the upper class or put them up for illegal auctions.Samho Personnel was also connected to Bukseong Group. Bukseong Group, a corporate-type organized crime group based in a major provincial city, was Wooshin Capital’s rival. Director Park was a key executive in Bukseong Group and a cousin of Shin Seung-bum, the construction company president.The problem was that Shin Seungbum was the main villain of Silence and the person who would later stab Cha Yiheon in the heart. Even knowing that this would reach Shin Seung-bum’s ears, Cha Yiheon had attacked people from Samho Personnel. Despite being rivals, they maintained a superficial friendly relationship.In the novel’s mid to late stages, using the unpaid bond collection issue of Shinwon Cement and the casino interests dispute as an excuse, Shin Seung-bum would stage a knife fight at Woo-shin Hotel.Under Cha Yiheon’s protection, ‘Seo Heemin’ would escape the hotel safely, but a vague sense of unease crept into Heemin’s mind. He was terrified that he might end up dying in this virtual world.“Get up.”Lost in thought, Heemin didn’t realize Cha Yiheon had approached until he grabbed his hair. He was lifted off the ground involuntarily.“It hurts… it hurts!”Tears welled up from the sheer force. It felt like my hair would be ripped out from the powerful grip.“Ridiculous.”He made Heemin lift his head, locking eyes with dark, blazing pupils. Yiheon’s eyes, in his excitement, resembled those of a beast that had tasted blood. His shoulders instinctively tensed as he held his breath. Chaotic emotions surged, scattering Yiheon’s pheromones everywhere. ‘Seo Heemin’s’ sensitive body reacted spasmodically to the pheromones.“I never thought the guy who treated all Alphas like dogs in heat would be sitting happily having a meal with one. Were you planning to sweet-talk Dr. Hwang into helping you escape, just like the old days?”Yiheon seemed to think Heemin had tried to seduce Dr. Hwang to escape from here. There couldn’t be a greater misunderstanding.Despite beating, imprisoning, and even breaking ‘Seo Heemin’s’ ankles, Yiheon had always ensured he had nutritious food. He had gone crazy if Heemin lost even a little weight, saying there was no pleasure in holding him if he got too skinny.Who knew a single cup of ramen would lead to this? It was unfair and terrifying. He knew well enough how dangerous Yiheon’s jealousy-fueled anger could be, making this situation even more frightening.The cold killing intent hidden beneath his smile pierced his heart. Heemin looked desperately at Secretary Jung standing silently behind Yiheon, begging with his eyes, ‘Please stop Cha Yiheon, please.’“Don’t look away.”“…….”“Look at me, Seo Heemin.”In the novel, Cha Yiheon was described as a violent storm, reacting fiercely to any glance or gesture from ‘Seo Heemin.’ It was a fitting description of their relationship, but experiencing it every time he moved his eyes or twitched his fingers was driving Heemin insane. He looked at Yiheon with eyes full of resentment.“……Damn it. Do you want to die?”A rough curse escaped his dry lips. Just as Yiheon’s bloodied fist, with scraped knuckles, approached Heemin’s face and he squeezed his eyes shut,“I did!”Dr. Hwang, who had remained silent, shouted.“I asked him to eat with me. I couldn’t let him take medicine on an empty stomach. Besides, I was feeling a bit peckish myself… This boy did nothing wrong.”At Dr. Hwang’s fervent defense, Heemin cautiously opened his eyes and looked at Yiheon. Thankfully, the fist that had frozen him in fear was now suspended in mid-air.“I didn’t know someone who frequents hotel restaurants would enjoy such cheap food.”“When you get older, you sometimes crave nostalgic food. I used to eat it often when I worked in the emergency room.”Yiheon twisted his lips into a smile and spoke to Dr. Hwang.“Next time, I’ll make sure to treat you to a bowl of ramen at a snack bar instead of a hotel.”After his mocking comment, he finally let go of Heemin’s hair. Heemin rubbed his stinging scalp and discreetly signaled his thanks to Dr. Hwang with his eyes.“But what about your hand? It needs to be treated…”“No need.”“But at least disinfect it…”“Secretary Jung.”In an extremely dry tone, Yiheon called Secretary Jung.“Yes, Boss.”“It’s late. Escort him out.”“I’ll get his bag.”Secretary Jung went into the room and brought out Dr. Hwang’s bag from the nightstand beside the bed.“Chairman Cha, don’t touch that child for a while. His health is fragile.”“Thank you for your advice.”“Well then, I’ll be going.”“Doctor.”Yiheon called out to Dr. Hwang just as he was about to leave for the front door.“What is it?”“Don’t do anything unnecessary from now on.”