Cozy Obsession

Chapter 39

Heemin folded the paper listing Cha Iheon's characteristics in half and tucked it between the pages of his book before stepping out of the study.

Minseok was already standing at the entrance, car keys in hand, waiting for him.

"Shall we go?"

Today was another hospital visit. At first, undergoing therapy while hypnotized had left him uneasy, but now he viewed it as an opportunity—a way to better understand Seo Heemin. A journey through his past, one he had come to appreciate in its own way.

"Mom, I’m heading out."

[Take care of him.]

"I’ll be back, Auntie."

[Have a safe trip.]

Heemin bowed slightly to Ms. Ahn, who had come to see him off, then stepped out with Minseok.

This was a kind of warmth that Seo Heemin had never experienced—a household filled with concern, like that of a cherished youngest son rather than someone being kept under surveillance.

He would have been perfectly content in this life if it weren’t for Cha Iheon, who treated him with the emotional warmth of a winter storm.

Thinking of him again, Heemin felt his shoulders sag. No matter how much he turned the problem over in his head, he had no clue where to even begin.

Bastard. Absolute garbage.

...No, wait. He was a bastard, but maybe not absolute garbage. Compared to Seo Jae-han, Kwak Yoonseong, and Shin Seungbeom—who had thrown others to their deaths for their own gain—Iheon was practically a saint.

Heemin quickly revised his thoughts. He had been about to curse him until his ears burned, but at this rate, all he’d gain was a guilty conscience. He sighed, unable to contain his frustration.

"Hah..."

"Hyung, something on your mind?"

"Hm?"

"You were just smiling to yourself, then suddenly looked down, then got teary-eyed, and now you’re sighing. Did something happen?"

Minseok was surprisingly perceptive. Maybe it was his instincts as a fighter—he could read the flow of a situation even without pheromones.

"It’s your boss. He’s been pissing me off."

Lying wouldn’t work, and honestly, Heemin wanted to vent to someone.

"Ah... the boss is..."

Minseok trailed off awkwardly, hesitant to say anything. Understandable—both he and his mother practically worshiped Cha Iheon. It wasn’t exactly easy for him to badmouth his superior.

Ding.

Just then, the elevator arrived.

As they stepped into the tiny sky-blue compact car that seemed hilariously mismatched with Minseok’s broad frame, Heemin slid into the backseat out of habit.

"Uh, Hyung?"

Minseok hesitated after entering the destination into the GPS. His gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, meeting Heemin’s eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he raised a thumb.

"Nothing patches things up like drinking together."

A thin stream of golden liquid trickled into the teacup with a soft sound.

The color reminded Heemin of Iheon’s favorite liquor, and without thinking, he mumbled to himself.

"Whiskey tastes like crap, though..."@@@@

"What was that, Heemin?"

Dr. Eun-kyung set down the teapot, blinking at him in curiosity.

Seo Heemin and Cha Iheon had been in the same class until their second year of high school.

That meant... this was a memory from when they were still friends.

But what was so regretful about this moment?

Wasn’t Cha Iheon by his side back then?

"Is the regret linked to something that happened at school? Can you tell what time of year it is?"

"It’s... winter."

The sight of the thick school uniforms confirmed it.

This was around the same time as the last memory he had seen—the one with the floral blanket draped over a chair.

And if that was the case...

An uneasy feeling crept over Heemin.

The unfocused gaze of Seo Heemin lowered. His trembling hands folded a piece of paper in half.

His fingertips shook. His heart pounded, the sensation bleeding over into Heemin’s own body.

"That concludes today’s homeroom. Don’t forget to take your genetic test results home to show your parents."

"Yes, teacher!"

As the homeroom teacher left, the classroom erupted into chatter. Most of the students were Betas, casually sharing their results with each other.

Among the noise, Heemin could hear the excited voices of their classmates.

"Whoa, no way. Iheon’s a Prime Alpha!"

"Prime Alpha?! Are you serious?"

"So he’s gonna be in the Alpha class next year?"

In this world, students were separated by genetic traits in their third year.

Class 1 was for Alphas.

Classes 2 through 8 were for Betas.

Class 9 was a special class for Betas and the few Omegas.

The school had kept the Alpha and Omega classes at opposite ends of the building, as a precaution.

But for Seo Heemin, the distance wasn’t the problem.

His heartbeat skidded to a halt.

Cha Iheon was an Alpha.

Not just an Alpha—a Prime Alpha.

Their shared hope—that they were both Betas—had shattered like broken glass.

A single day of happiness had passed.

Then misfortune had struck like a cruel joke.

"Ugh..."

As cold sweat beaded on Heemin’s skin, Dr. Eun-kyung gently placed her hand over his.

If it was too much, she would wake him up.

But Heemin forced himself to speak.

He needed to see what happened next.