Cozy Obsession

Heemin was pushed firmly against the wall while in his embrace. He expected to feel pain from the impact, but Yiheon’s arm cushioned him, sparing him from any discomfort.As Yiheon frantically kissed his nose, forehead, cheeks, and lips, he forced his knee between Heemin’s legs, spreading them apart. Their bodies pressed closely together, and Yiheon’s solid thigh intruded deeply into the gap.The weight pressing through the thin fabric was palpable. Rough, wild pheromones invaded his senses. The dangerously intense desire was evident.Suddenly, an inexplicable fear surged down his spine. Moments ago, he thought he could handle it, but feeling the presence of the aroused alpha and his erect member against his skin completely shattered Heemin’s resolve.Cold sweat drenched his body in an instant. Shivering like someone with a fever, Heemin finally lost control and his legs buckled.His clasped hands fell apart, and as his body crumpled, Yiheon caught him. Flinching at the rough breath against his cheek, Heemin was then lifted and carried to the bedroom.“…You must be doing this just to mess with me.”After provoking someone and then showing a strong adverse reaction, it was only natural for Yiheon to be furious. Yet, he moved carefully, ensuring his erection didn’t touch Heemin’s back as he walked.“…I’m sorry.”His impatience to improve their relationship had been the issue. He shouldn’t have insisted on pushing further, ignoring the signals from ‘Seo Heemin’s’ body. His impatience had ruined everything.He was laid on the bed. Though he hoped being back in his room would calm him down, his body felt suffocated by the pheromones as if under a spell. Heemin curled up like a shrimp, wrapping his arms around his shoulders.“Where are you going?”He called out to Yiheon, who was turning away without hesitation after covering him with a blanket. Yiheon stopped and answered briefly, only turning his head.“To call Dr. Hwang.”He hadn’t meant it seriously when he said it was okay to get an IV. He hadn’t intended to provoke him to this extent, and now he felt nothing but guilt. Calling Dr. Hwang at this late hour was an inconvenience. Feeling down, he saw Yiheon speak in a soothing tone.“Heemin.”“…Yes?”“Just relax and rest. I’ll get Dr. Hwang.”He hadn’t even realized he was crying due to his intense trembling. Heemin lifted a finger to wipe his eyes in bewilderment. Sure enough, his fingertips were damp with tears.It should be Yiheon who wants to cry, not him.The sight of Yiheon’s front, bulging as if it might burst from his pants at any moment, lingered in his mind. He hadn’t intended to take things all the way but had suggested drinking with some intention.Yet, he hadn’t expected his body to react so sensitively just to the touch of another’s erection. He had underestimated ‘Seo Heemin’s’ trauma.The lingering pheromones in the room infiltrated his senses. The heavy musk scent that frightened ‘Seo Heemin’ simultaneously reassured him.Heemin recalled Yiheon’s voice, softly calling his name, “Heemin.” Despite the confusion and panic, it seemed he wasn’t entirely furious. Even though he didn’t say “Heemin-ah,” the fact that he used his name without the surname was telling.With tear-blurred eyes, he stared at the spot where Yiheon had stood. It seemed more challenging than he had thought to build trust with someone filled with distrust and mixed emotions.Trying to act hastily out of good intentions might only hurt Yiheon unnecessarily. He needed to approach Cha Yiheon more cautiously to avoid causing him pain.Clinging to his barely conscious state, Heemin waited for Dr. Hwang to arrive, resolving to first recover his health for the sake of both their happiness.Knock, knock.He turned at the sound of light tapping on the glass door. Confirming the visitor, he straightened up from his curled position. A well-built old gentleman with graying hair entered. It was Dr. Hwang.“You’re here, Doctor?”“You seemed to be doing fine for a while. What happened that you’re feeling unwell again?”“Well…”It appeared Dr. Hwang had been called here urgently without any explanation from Yiheon. Heemin glanced between Dr. Hwang, who was preparing an IV pack and tube, and Yiheon, who stood watching from a distance.Despite Dr. Hwang’s grandfatherly appearance, his medical skills were top-notch. Being honest about the cause and symptoms seemed the best way to find a proper solution.After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Heemin spoke in a calm tone.“I had a panic attack while kissing the boss because his erection touched my body. I started trembling all over, had trouble breathing, felt dizzy, and got chills. I was fine until then.”Dr. Hwang’s hand paused momentarily as he hung the IV pack on the stand, taken aback by the direct response. Glancing at Yiheon through the glass wall, Dr. Hwang cautiously confirmed.“Was it forced?”“No. I initiated it. I also suggested drinking. The boss did nothing wrong. It’s my fault for pushing things and testing my limits despite him wanting to stop.”Worried that Yiheon might get blamed, Heemin vigorously shook his head and denied any wrongdoing on Yiheon’s part. Sighing at Heemin’s earnest attempt to protect Yiheon, Dr. Hwang finally hooked the IV pack and approached him, readying the needle.“Give me your arm.”Heemin extended his arm as instructed, feeling the cool touch of an alcohol swab on his skin. The familiar sting of the needle pierced his inner elbow vein.After securing the needle with tape and adjusting the IV flow, Dr. Hwang pulled a chair to the bedside and sat down, ready to discuss further.“I didn’t want to pry into your personal life, but… have you two not had sex yet?”“Sex?”“Y-Yes, that,” Dr. Hwang responded.“I haven’t done it before. We’ve only held hands a few times. This is only our second kiss,” Heemin replied honestly, causing Dr. Hwang’s eyes to widen in surprise. It seemed unbelievable to him that Yiheon, suffering from pheromone congestion, had left an Omega he was living with alone.After all, Seo Heemin was a dominant Omega bought for a hefty sum at an auction. Although Dr. Hwang didn’t know the full details, he surely understood the purpose behind bringing Heemin here and keeping him confined. He had even warned Yiheon on the first day not to touch Heemin as he could collapse at any moment.“President Cha is quite something,” Dr. Hwang remarked.“What do you mean?” Heemin asked.“It’s just surprising that he hasn’t made a move after all these months. But I’m glad he didn’t force anything on someone with trauma. Don’t get me wrong,” Dr. Hwang added, quickly clarifying his statement.Despite Yiheon’s ruthless demeanor, it seemed even he was confused by the unexpected kindness he was showing. The man who insisted on being called Dr. Hwang was now referring to himself as an old man.“Maybe he didn’t want to deal with me because I’m too childish,” Heemin speculated.“Childish? You do like snacks and even ran away when you weren’t allowed outside,” Dr. Hwang chuckled, remembering the panic when Heemin had disappeared. Noticing Heemin’s gloomy expression, he quickly added, “Maybe he was worried about you. You fainted and collapsed in front of him before. It must have been quite a shock. Look, he’s watching from outside, but he isn’t coming in. He’s trying to respect your space.”Indeed, Yiheon was keeping his distance, watching from the end of the living room, probably to avoid affecting Heemin with his pheromones. However, Dr. Hwang’s attempt at reassurance only made Heemin feel worse. Seo Heemin’s resistance had provoked Yiheon, but Heemin’s had only caused guilt.No matter how ruthless Yiheon was, unlike Shin Seung-beom, he didn’t harm innocent people, women, or children. He had some sense of morality. Though Heemin inhabited Seo Heemin’s body, he was twenty-one years old inside. With a nine-year age gap, it must have been uncomfortable for Yiheon.Realizing he had missed a chance to improve their relationship, Heemin worried he might be treated like a child for years, wasting time without progress. If he failed to win Yiheon’s heart and the story proceeded as it originally did…Heemin recalled the final scene where Seo Heemin, sobbing uncontrollably, clutched Yiheon’s bloodstained body before ending his own life. Turning pale, Heemin looked at Dr. Hwang.“What should I do, Dr. Hwang? I need to be with the president, but what if I never overcome this trauma? Seo Heemin never did. I doubt the president would even consider bonding or whatever it’s called. Isn’t there any other way besides exercise and therapy? This can’t go on. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”Given their roles as an Alpha and an Omega, sexual interaction was essential for developing their relationship, especially during their rut and heat cycles. Panicking, Heemin accidentally revealed spoilers.“Heemin, calm down and listen to me,” Dr. Hwang said, fortunately taking Heemin’s outburst lightly. He might have thought Heemin’s concern for sexual relations was typical for an Omega, as described in the story.Securing Heemin’s left arm to prevent movement, Dr. Hwang continued, “I’m a surgeon, not a psychiatrist. Discussing the exact treatment with your psychiatrist would be better. Psychiatry doesn’t have fixed formulas like math. My advice might confuse you more.”Heemin replied, “It’s just… my psychiatrist is a woman, and it feels awkward.”Although gender was one issue, the main problem was that Eunkyung in reality was like family to Heemin. Despite being Seo Heemin’s psychiatrist here, she resembled his mother’s close friend, making it impossible to discuss intimate topics like kissing or sex.Seeing Heemin’s discomfort, Dr. Hwang rubbed his chin thoughtfully before asking, “You said it was fine up until the kiss, right?”“Yes. The pheromones were a bit overwhelming, but it was bearable compared to before,” Heemin confirmed.If it had been too difficult, Heemin wouldn’t have teased him. The sensation of tingling skin was something Heemin wanted to experience more.Dr. Hwang glanced over at Yiheon through the glass wall. Recalling Yiheon’s anxious expression earlier, he asked, “How do you usually relieve your urges?”“Relieve my urges? You mean… masturbation?” Heemin asked, eyes wide.“I haven’t done it at all,” Heemin admitted, shocked by the personal question.With Yiheon constantly on his mind, Heemin hadn’t even thought about it. Borrowing Seo Heemin’s body might have contributed to his lack of interest, surprising himself with how indifferent he was.“In the crowded house I lived in, privacy was scarce, so I rarely did it. But I wasn’t completely uninterested,” Heemin reflected.Dr. Hwang said, “Heemin, this is just my opinion, not a professional diagnosis. Ignore it if it doesn’t feel right, okay?”“Okay,” Heemin agreed, focusing on Dr. Hwang’s serious tone.“I heard from President Cha about your traumatic past. PTSD is common for someone with your experiences.”“Common…” Heemin echoed.“Recently, you were even trafficked, which likely worsened your aversion to sex. Given your environment, it’s natural your sexual desires are minimal,” Dr. Hwang explained.His words rang true. Although always sensitive, the fear and anxiety in the dark cells had driven Seo Heemin to a nervous breakdown.The mental and physical aspects influence each other closely, so it’s certain that Seo Heemin’s instinctive fear and aversion are affecting his current self as well.“But the fact that you were okay with kissing might be because, unconsciously, you were confident that the situation you fear wouldn’t occur, don’t you think?”He was right. Although there was an expectation of trying something beyond a kiss, there was no intention of going all the way from the beginning to the end. In other words, a moment ago, Seo Heemin wasn’t mentally prepared to overcome the situation he feared.Moreover, he hadn’t expected that the member hidden between the legs would be so big. It was just touching it through the pants, but the size and hardness were unmistakably felt, and it was impossible not to be surprised. Even if it wasn’t Seo Heemin’s body, his own body would have frozen just the same. If he had seen the real thing in his current state, he might have lost consciousness altogether.As Heemin slowly nodded without any sign of disagreement, Dr. Hwang spoke again. He said it was his personal opinion, but he had the face of a doctor giving a serious diagnosis.“You need to cover painful memories with new ones. If a trust relationship is established where you believe I won’t harm you, reactions like today’s won’t occur. Of course, you must continue making progress to ensure you don’t lose immunity to alpha pheromones.”“Trust relationship…”He whispered softly. It meant that for a happy ending, not only Yiheon’s kindness was necessary, but also his own trust in him. Having no dating experience and being hesitant at first because Cha Yiheon looked exactly like his friend, the hesitation had long vanished as the desire to see thirty-year-old Cha Yiheon happy grew stronger.He still wasn’t confident in feeling intense and affectionate emotions like love. However, saying he wanted to like him was no lie. He wanted to become the closest person to protect him from unhappiness. He wanted to reach a happy ending together.Turning his head the other way, he met eyes with Yiheon, who was staring intently at him. The dark eyes, reminiscent of a forest in the night, shook Heemin’s heart. Even from a considerable distance, the intense gaze pierced through.It felt strangely reassuring to see that despite the nine-year age difference, he couldn’t let go of his attachment. The plan to quietly enjoy a leisurely life in confinement seemed to be falling apart. There were unexpectedly many things to do: hospital treatment, exercise, practicing drawing, overcoming the age difference, and building trust.“By the way, Heemin, your pheromones are leaking more than before. Isn’t it about time for your heat?”He moved his head slightly to look at Dr. Hwang. He made a gesture as if trying to hold back a smell by wiping his nose with his index finger. He immediately raised his right hand and sniffed. Naturally, he couldn’t smell the peach-scented pheromones from himself.“What date is it today?”“May 3rd.”“Oh, then there’s still time. My heat will come on the 15th.”Unlike alphas and omegas who have regular rut and heat cycles every 2 to 3 months, Seo Heemin’s cycle wasn’t consistent. However, Heemin already knew from the book when Seo Heemin would go into heat. On Teacher’s Day, May 15th, Seo Heemin, cursing his body that went into heat against his will, would embrace Cha Yiheon. It was such a ridiculously precise date that it felt almost too much.“You don’t have any suppressants, right?”“No, I don’t. They said I need a prescription to get them. Can’t you bring them, doctor?”In the current situation, it seemed like there wouldn’t be any major problems even if the heat came. Still, since it was his first time experiencing it, it would be difficult to adapt to the heat, so it seemed better to prepare suppressants in advance.“I have to visit the chairman’s house tomorrow, so it will be difficult to drop by. I’ll bring the suppressants the day after tomorrow morning. In the meantime, control your pheromones well so they don’t leak.”Everything was fine except for controlling the pheromones. It was something he could never get used to. The human body doesn’t come with a switch that you can turn on and off, so how was he supposed to control it? Anyway, Ms. Ahn, Minseok, and Secretary Jeong were all betas. Only Yiheon was an alpha, so it seemed like he could just take the suppressants from around the 13th and get by as usual.“The consultation is over. Go to sleep now. President Cha is glaring so hard that it feels like he’s going to bore a hole through my head.”Dr. Hwang stood up, throwing a light joke. Heemin glanced briefly at Yiheon, who was glaring angrily outside the glass wall, then adjusted his posture and closed his eyes. Thanks to the IV drip or Dr. Hwang’s advice, the chill covering his body gradually disappeared. He heard the door opening and closing through his drowsy consciousness. Along with it, he heard Yiheon’s impatient voice asking Dr. Hwang about his condition.* * *A cool breeze brushed against his skin. In the calm air of dawn, soaked with night dew, his consciousness, which had sunk beneath the surface, was forcibly pulled up like a fish caught in a net.He was definitely on an IV drip. However, it was strange that he didn’t feel the foreign sensation of the needle in his inner elbow at all. It seemed he had fallen asleep and greeted the morning as it was.Dr. Hwang, who had visited late at night, provided treatment, consultation, and even promised to bring suppressants the day after tomorrow. He felt a bit sorry for not expressing his gratitude and just letting him go.Even when the tape on his arm came off, he was sucked into his dreams without waking up. Although he couldn’t remember well as his consciousness returned, it seemed he had a very longing dream. He didn’t want to open his eyes, trying to grasp even a faint trace of the fading dream.Rustle, rustle.The breeze ruffled Heemin’s hair. It seemed he should get up from the bed and close the window that Dr. Hwang might have left open. Just as he was about to lift his heavy eyelids, someone pulled the blanket that had slipped to his chest up to his neck.There was no sign of presence, and since only the lingering scent of pheromones remained, he thought he was alone in the room. He was so startled that he squeezed his eyes shut and pretended to sleep.Holding his breath, he focused all his senses on his nose. A faint musk scent wafted through the breeze. It was a subtle fragrance that was hard to detect unless he paid attention.The Yiheon Heemin knew was someone who always emitted dense pheromones that clutched at the chest. He didn’t seem to have a cold, but his scent was weaker than usual as if his sense of smell was numbed.Could he have taken an alpha-only pheromone suppressant?When congestion worsened, he became ferocious like a wild beast. Despite that, he carried suppressants to prevent himself from killing someone in a fit of rage. Only once, on a whim, did he take the medication and embrace Seo Heemin. On that night, when he melted away like spring snow under the heat that enveloped his whole body, Seo Heemin mentioned it felt oddly sad not to experience the miserable sensation of having his head plunged underwater.He could somewhat understand why Seo Heemin felt that way. Despite having Cha Yiheon right beside him, he had no trouble breathing. It wasn’t possible that he took the wrong medication while drunk. Maybe Dr. Hwang had suggested he take the medication temporarily. The window was undoubtedly left open to prevent him from being affected by the faintly leaking pheromones.It was hard to believe that he would follow Dr. Hwang’s suggestion so obediently, but it was clear he had taken the medication.“Seo Heemin.”A low voice reached his ears, perhaps noticing he was awake. He hesitated, unsure whether to respond or continue pretending to sleep, when he whispered again.“Heemin-ah.”The voice calling his name was gentle. The sound rippled from deep within his heart, resonating through his entire body. His chest felt like it was about to burst. Heemin had to clench his fists tightly under the blanket, worried the wild beating of his heart might be heard.“Don’t be sick.”He liked the touch of the hand carefully sweeping the hair stuck to his forehead. Every time the rough, calloused, large hand touched him, it tickled not his skin but deep inside his chest.How nice it would be if he were always this gentle. Heemin was always dissatisfied with him, who would armor himself with pheromones that snatched away one’s breath the moment he approached, and stare menacingly with eyes as sharp as a sword. While pheromones were a genetic factor that couldn’t be helped, he wished he could ease the intensity in his eyes a little.‘But I’d prefer if you didn’t take the medication.’It’s like offering tough, dry meat instead of a digestive aid to someone with acute indigestion. It was certain that the pheromones, unable to be released, would accumulate in his body like poison and cause suffering.He wanted to tell him, ‘Hyung, don’t be sick either. I’m fine now.’ But the desire to observe the rare sight of the usually stoic man’s inner feelings outweighed his need to express his own. Suddenly opening his eyes at this moment seemed like something out of a horror movie, like a zombie.