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.

"Oh, nothing."

Afraid she might think he was complaining about the tea, Heemin hastily lifted the cup to his lips.

Too hastily.

"Ah—hot!"

He should have blown on it first. The scalding liquid burned the roof of his mouth, making him wince.

"You okay?"

"I think I burned myself a little, but I’m fine."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Seeing her concerned gaze, Heemin felt an odd sense of embarrassment. He was not like Seo Heemin—not poised, not graceful. Maybe that was why Iheon kept treating him like a kid.

Awkwardly, he took small sips this time.

"You’ve adjusted well to hypnosis, so today we’ll take the next step. I want you to face the painful parts of the past head-on. If you’re not feeling up to it, we can reschedule—don’t force yourself."

The tragic past of Seo Heemin.

Born only to lose his mother. Violated by the only adult he trusted. Cursed by fate, awakening as an Omega—something that drove him apart from his closest friend. Sold off to human traffickers like a commodity.

To cope, Seo Heemin had buried his trauma, avoiding anything that caused him distress. But that very avoidance had ultimately built a wall of thorns, pushing people away... and creating the monster that was Cha Iheon.

To understand and heal that trauma, to even have a chance of unraveling Iheon’s heart, he needed to fully grasp Seo Heemin’s past.

Even if that past was a nightmare.

"I’ll do it."

Dr. Eun-kyung’s brows lifted slightly, impressed by his resolve. She smiled faintly.

"Alright. Before we begin, I want you to focus on the feeling of regret."

"Okay."

"Regretful memories, memories that left wounds, and memories of unbearable pain. We’ll go in stages. Today, we start with regret. Can you think of anything you regret?"

Following her instructions, Heemin let his body relax and took a deep breath.

His mind immediately landed on the moment he had called Cha Iheon absolute garbage.

"Now focus on that emotion. Pay attention to any colors, sounds, or sensations that come with it. And as I count to three, allow yourself to return to your most regretful memory. One, two, three."

A hypnotic melody whispered through his ears, then faded.

Heemin felt himself being pulled backward, beyond the river of darkness, standing now at the entrance of memory itself.

He exhaled.

He wasn’t sure what Seo Heemin’s greatest regret was.

But he was about to find out.

"Are you there, Heemin?"

"...Yes."

The blinding light gradually dimmed. Shapes and colors formed, the surroundings taking shape.

He had expected to see the entrance of a debate academy—Seo Heemin’s first misstep.

But instead, he found himself inside a high school classroom.

"What do you see?"

"A schedule... for class 2-3."

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.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

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.