Cozy Obsession

When Heemin mentioned his own name as if he was addressing someone else, Iheon briefly tilted his head. Perhaps recalling the day he was brutally abandoned without warning by his unrequited love, someone he had never dared to touch even with the tip of his finger, someone who was his best friend, his gaze sharpened intensely.

"Speak."

“I was sexually assaulted in elementary school by a lutheran alpha.”

Cha Iheon’s face remained rigid. Inside the car, silence engulfed them, broken only by the occasional hum of the engine. Even the sound of breathing was absent. Seo Heemin spoke again.

"I have Alpha trauma. Seo Heemin does."

The life of Seo Heemin was nothing short of misfortune. Born at the cost of his mother’s life, he was raised by a nanny within the suffocating walls of his father’s overprotection.

After entering elementary school, instead of spending time with his nanny, Seo Heemin was enrolled in various academies—piano, art, English, math, and essay writing. Though he had a natural talent for painting, he preferred the essay academy because there was always a kind teacher who would listen to his stories.

But the man he trusted used his rut as an excuse to lay hands on Seo Heemin, who was still just a child. His words were like a curse:

"You’re such a commendable child, destined to manifest as an Omega."

Fortunately, the academy director discovered the incident, and the man was arrested by the police. However, Seo Heemins’ wounds never healed. To him, Alphas became beings who could turn on him at any moment, capable of harming him without warning. And as if proving the man’s words to be an actual curse, he was later classified as a Prime Omega. From that moment on, he could never shake off his trauma, even going as far as abandoning the friend he had been closest to.

That was why, when Eunkyung had been captured by Iheon, Heemin’s first question had been whether she had suffered any sexual abuse.

"I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret."

Seo Heemin and Cha Iheon had always traced the same tragic parabola. Heemin spoke to him with sincerity, despite Iheon sitting as still as a marble statue.

The desire to see the ending safely unfold was, in essence, the same as wishing they could survive together and find happiness. Rather than returning to reality alone, Heemin wanted to leave only after witnessing Iheon’s survival—after seeing him find his own happiness.

Iheon bit his lower lip, his previously perfect, expressionless face fracturing like a cracked surface. Lowering the car window with the press of a button, he gazed at Heemin with narrowed eyes.

"You—"

As a section of the heavily tinted glass receded, a beam of light poured in over his shoulder. When Heemin simply stared at the light in silence, Iheon spoke again.

"Do you feel the same?"

He was asking if Heemin, at twenty-one years old, carried trauma of his own.

"...I don’t know yet."

Even without conscious thought, his body reacted to Alphas first. Regardless of his will, his body exhibited a physical aversion. It seemed there were memories engraved into him—ones that existed outside his control.

Iheon habitually reached into the inner pocket of his jacket for a cigarette pack, but at the sight of Heemin, he put it back. Instead, he turned his head away, fixing his gaze on the swiftly passing scenery outside.

As their conversation came to an end, Secretary Jung, who had been driving in silence, turned on the music.

Debussy’s piano piece, Reflets dans l’eau—Reflections in the Water—filled the quiet car with its gentle, rippling melody.

The piece captured the wavering movements of water, the interplay of light and shadow. To Heemin, it felt strangely similar to Cha Iheon—unpredictable, shifting, impossible to grasp.

***

When he returned home, a pair of small-sized shoes was placed by the entrance. They belonged to Ms. Ahn, the housekeeper.

[You’re back.]

A woman approached, her hair neatly tied back in a single knot, an apron wrapped around her. She held out her phone, showing a message on the screen.

She was someone who could understand speech but could not speak herself. Because of her discretion and the immense trust Cha Iheon placed in her, she was one of the people who made “Seo Heemin” uncomfortable.

"Stay until I’m off work today," Iheon instructed.

[Understood. What would you like for lunch?]

Iheon glanced at Heemin, who was lingering hesitantly nearby, before turning to Ms. Ahn.

"We’ll eat out. Just order something kids like for him... Pizza. Yeah, just get him a pizza."

"Can I get a Black Angus Steak pizza? Triple cheese burst edge, large. And three extra packets of hot sauce."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Heemin was obsessed with pizza. It was too expensive to eat regularly, but if given the chance, he would have it every single day.

At the mention of pizza, his ears perked up, and he seized the opportunity, rattling off the most expensive option he could think of. Iheon stared at him, his expression unreadable, as if he had just spoken in some alien language.

"...If that’s too much, I’ll order something cheaper."

He should have just said, Thank you, hyung! and taken the offer graciously. Instead, he got too excited and ended up running his mouth. When Heemin’s expression fell, looking dejected, Secretary Jung and Ms. Ahn exchanged awkward glances, subtly watching for Iheon’s reaction.

But, like the high-ranking criminal he was, Iheon didn’t even blink under their scrutiny. Instead, he clenched the fingers of his bandaged hand. Heemin instinctively hunched his shoulders, thinking he might have angered him. But then, in a detached tone, Iheon said,

"Order whatever."

It didn’t matter if it was Black Tiger Shrimp or Black Angus Steak, whether he added three packets of hot sauce or ten—he couldn’t care less.

"Really?"

Heemin’s head snapped up, his eyes sparkling as he stared at him.

"Are you serious? I can order whatever I want?"

Still standing stiffly, without so much as a twitch, Iheon moved only his lips to reply.

"Yeah."

His gaze remained firm, but as Heemin met his dark blue, night-like eyes, the soft piano melody from the car seemed to play in the back of his mind once again.

For a brief moment, the image of his only friend overlapped with the man before him. He had thought the only thing they shared was their appearance—but maybe not.

Both were rich, generous in their own way, surprisingly easy to convince, and... they both bought him pizza.

It felt a little sad. If Seo Heemin and Cha Iheon had set aside their pride and compromised just a little, the ending of Silence might not have been a tragedy.

Heemin had no intention of repeating the same disaster caused by a lack of communication. No matter how the other person responded, he decided he would be honest about his emotions and thoughts.

"Thanks. I’ll eat well."

For an instant, a faint glimmer passed over Iheon’s stiff, wooden face. The subtle shift in his facial muscles changed his overall expression and demeanor.

But just as quickly, he reverted to the cold, unyielding "Cha Iheon, the mobster" expression, startling Heemin instead. He really was a man who wouldn’t so much as flinch, even if stabbed.

"Secretary Jung. Let’s go."

"When will you be back?"

He called out as Iheon turned away. Unless there was a special occasion, the Seo family had a rule of eating dinner together. Now that they were living under the same roof, Heemin wanted to have dinner with him.

"We’ll see."

"Just an estimated time—"

"I don’t know, so don’t mess around. Stay in your room."

"Do I have to stay in my room? I was planning to watch TV in the living room."

Even though the living room had glass walls, he figured the angle would make it difficult for Iheon to see the TV screen clearly. Heemin put on his best abandoned puppy expression, looking up at him pitifully. @@novelbin@@

One of Iheon’s eyebrows twitched again. He scanned Heemin with cold, assessing eyes before giving Ms. Ahn an order.

"Report to me in real-time about what he’s watching and doing."

[Understood.]

She swiftly tapped a reply on her phone screen. If it was an order from Cha Iheon, she would obey, no matter what it was.

Ms. Ahn was, in fact, the mother of Kim Minseok, the man who would later become Seo Heemin’s handler. She had been a victim of domestic violence, suffering under an alcoholic husband. Kim Minseok had killed his own father to protect her, and by chance, Cha Iheon had been the one to stumble upon the aftermath, covering up the incident.

Whether it was because Iheon had erased her son’s crime or because he had provided her with a job, Ms. Ahn considered herself deeply indebted to him. Though she worked under the condition of repaying her debt, she devoted herself to serving him.

She was quick-witted, spoke only when necessary, and followed Cha Iheon alone. Now, Heemin understood why Seo Heemin had felt uneasy around her. Like Secretary Jung, she was one of Iheon’s perfect people.

"Let’s go."

"Yes."

"Take care."

Heemin waved at Iheon and Secretary Jung. Secretary Jung gave a quiet nod, but Iheon, as expected, didn’t even say yeah—he simply turned and walked out.

So cold.

Clang.

The front door shut, and the sound of the lock engaging followed. The thick musk that had been stifling the air dissipated.

Whether it was from the release of tension or because of Seo Heemin’s frail body, dizziness suddenly washed over him. It felt like a chilling breeze brushing against his skin. He was probably coming down with something.

[Are you alright?]

Noticing how Heemin had stopped, bracing himself against the wall without moving, Ms. Ahn lightly patted his back to check his condition.