Cozy Obsession-Chapter 34

"Stop reading and get dressed. We're going out."

Cha Iheon spoke to Heemin, who was leaning against the headboard, absorbed in a book. It was strange to see him home instead of heading out to work, whether on weekdays or weekends, but it seemed like he had business to attend to.

"I'm coming with you?"

"Yes."

"Where are we going?"

"Get dressed first."

Taking the clothes Iheon tossed at him, Heemin made his way to the dressing room connected to the bathroom. Where exactly was he planning to take him?

After the chaos of the inauguration day, it definitely wasn’t the company. And they had already visited the hospital a few days ago, so that was unlikely too. He couldn’t quite figure it out. Heemin tilted his head, slipping his arms into the sleeves of his shirt.

No way...

A sudden thought struck him, and his fingers froze on the buttons. A long-forgotten scene from the original novel resurfaced in his mind.

In the story, Cha Iheon had tracked down Seo Heemin—who had stolen Ms. Ahn’s money and run away—to a coastal town. When Seo Heemin refused to cling to him, Cha Iheon broke his ankle without hesitation.

Then, as Seo Heemin passed out from pain and shock, Iheon implanted a tracking chip in his body, ensuring he would never escape his grasp again. Of course, Seo Heemin remained unaware of this and attempted to flee once more.

No, that can't be it.

Since their hospital visit—or more accurately, the trip to the lake park—their relationship had improved significantly. Although Heemin had often glared at him with suspicion, Cha Iheon had started coming home earlier, even taking Heemin on nightly walks around the apartment complex and nearby parks.

It was as if he had realized that, just like a dog that might exhibit abnormal behavior if it wasn’t walked, Heemin needed these outings to stay balanced.

Thanks to that, Heemin had been able to fully enjoy the city lights casting a glow over cherry blossoms at night. It was a different kind of beauty from the sunlit lake park, one that delighted both his eyes and his heart. He found himself eagerly waiting every evening for Cha Iheon to return.

Even holding hands had become second nature to him. To Cha Iheon, it was no different from handcuffing him to prevent escape, but Heemin didn’t particularly mind.

After all, nothing strengthens a relationship like physical contact.

Simply holding hands, feeling that warmth seep through his palm, gave him an odd sense of reassurance. He was beginning to understand why couples insisted on holding hands even in the hottest weather.

If even he, who had no romantic feelings, felt this way, how much stronger must Cha Iheon’s emotions be?

So rather than physically harming or assaulting him, the protagonist of this supposed dark novel was leisurely taking him on walks. Which meant the only logical place he could be taking him now was...

A phone store?

It made sense. He must have decided Heemin needed something that would allow them to communicate in real-time—and track his location via GPS.

Heemin, in the middle of dressing, mentally cheered.

He had never considered himself phone-obsessed, always believing he was more the type to have his nose buried in books. But now that he had been without a phone for so long, the frustration was unbearable.

If Cha Iheon really was getting him a phone, he’d finally be able to access the internet freely. He wouldn’t have to keep asking Secretary Jung to find books for him. He could even log his thoughts on the books he read and look up drawing tutorials.

Yes—he had been seriously considering self-teaching art.

Even if he couldn’t match Seo Heemin’s level of talent, he figured that if he practiced diligently while watching YouTube videos, his muscle memory might kick in.

His goal?

To paint a portrait of Cha Iheon.

He had promised to show his sincerity through actions rather than words. If he worked hard and gifted him a drawing, maybe the ice around Cha Iheon’s heart would melt, just like spring snow.

Just as warmth in the soil allows trees to sprout leaves and bear fruit, maybe Cha Iheon, moved by the gesture, would finally confess his love.

Maybe the ending wasn’t far off after all.

Heemin, giddy with anticipation, imagined what Cha Iheon’s texting style would be like.

Twenty-one-year-old Cha Iheon had been an emoji hoarder. He had so many that he probably didn’t even remember half of them. But somehow, he always used the perfect one at just the right moment, making their chats genuinely fun.

Thirty-year-old Cha Iheon, on the other hand?

He seemed like the type to text without a single emoji, keeping things brutally short and to the point.

Something like: "Come out." "Where?" "Going." "What time?"

Heemin tried to suppress his laughter as he straightened his clothes and stepped out of the dressing room, heart pounding at the thought of browsing the latest phone models.

Just as he was briskly making his way to the living room—

"Good morning, sir!"

A deep voice boomed through the space.

Standing beside Secretary Jung was a man in a sharp black suit, bowing at a full ninety-degree angle. Unlike the refined, elite air of Secretary Jung, this man looked like a genuine gangster.

The type of guy who could slam someone into the ground without breaking a sweat.

Heemin, bewildered, looked at him in confusion.

Raising his head, the man introduced himself.

"I'm Kim Minseok, sir! I’ll be accompanying you from today. Please take care of me!"

Only then did it click.

Kim Minseok—Ms. Ahn’s son.

He had been the one assigned to keep an eye on Seo Heemin when he attempted to escape to a seaside town.

In the past, Minseok had been a promising judo athlete. Despite growing up in poverty, he had trained relentlessly, winning medals and becoming the pride of his mother, Ms. Ahn.

However, after an injury forced him to quit judo, he clashed with his abusive father and ultimately ended up working under Cha Iheon as a gangster.

Why exactly was a guy like him coming along to a phone store?

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Were the salespeople in this world such scammers that they needed muscle to negotiate contracts?

Heemin nodded in greeting, taking in Minseok’s features—he had a resemblance to Ms. Ahn, with surprisingly cute facial features upon closer inspection.

It was slightly awkward to be called "hyungnim" by someone who was twenty-six, but since Seo Heemin was officially thirty, it made sense.

"Put this on."

Cha Iheon tossed his own jacket at Heemin, who had been standing there absentmindedly.

"Is it cold outside?"

He had deliberately only worn a shirt, thinking it would be warm. Was the wind stronger than expected? He turned toward the window, but then—

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"Just put it on. You stink."

"...I stink?"

Heemin blinked, baffled.

"But I just showered after working out..."

He had always been particular about hygiene. Even when money was tight, he made sure to stay clean. It was one of his strict rules, instilled in him by his older sisters.

He prided himself on being impeccably tidy—so what was this about a smell?

"...Ah."

Then it hit him.

It wasn’t sweat.

It was pheromones.

Just as strong perfume could overwhelm those around you in real life, in this world, excessive pheromones in public spaces were considered a social faux pas.

Betas, who lacked pheromone glands, were unaffected, but Alphas and Omegas had to control their pheromones for their own safety.

And yet, Heemin—still unfamiliar with regulation—constantly leaked far more than normal.

If he couldn't suppress his scent, the best alternative was to cover it with a stronger one—an Alpha’s pheromones.

Obediently, he slipped on the jacket.

It was loose on him, too big, making him feel like a kid wearing his dad’s coat.

"Let’s go."

As he adjusted the sleeves, Cha Iheon turned toward the front door.

With Secretary Jung and Kim Minseok following closely behind, Heemin trailed after them, stepping into the elevator.

Maybe it was just the three large men crammed inside with him, but the space suddenly felt a lot smaller.

"Where exactly are we going that we need to take the car?"

There was a phone store right across the street from their apartment complex. But instead of heading there, they descended into the underground parking lot.

That meant they weren’t just going to any phone store—they were going somewhere else entirely.