Cozy Obsession

It was just a dream.

Maybe it was because he had learned that this apartment was on the same floor as his friend's. His subconscious had taken him back to the first time he visited Iheon's home—playing console games, eating premium pizza, reliving those unforgettable childhood memories.

I wonder how he’s doing over there?

The real Cha Iheon—no, the real Iheon, his twenty-one-year-old friend—had gone to the U.S. for the summer to visit relatives. He had offered to pay for Heemin’s flight as well, insisting he come along, but Heemin had declined.

He couldn’t just accept things without giving back—it made him uncomfortable.

After spending nearly every day together like brothers, being apart felt lonely. Even as he busied himself with part-time jobs and studied for certification exams, there was a lingering emptiness.

Maybe that was why he had clung to books even more, trying to fill the void—just like when he used to skip lunch and hide away in the library.

This is all Cha Iheon's fault.

If Iheon had been in Korea, if he had been by Heemin’s side as always, then instead of reading Crimson Veil, they would have just spent the break playing games.

Heemin placed all the blame on his friend for the ridiculous predicament he was in now.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang, followed by a knock at the front door. The delivery must have arrived.

He started to get up, but Ms. Ahn gestured that she would handle it and headed for the entrance.

The movie had already ended. Heemin stared blankly at the TV, now playing commercials, as the dream still lingered in his mind.

He had grown close to Iheon after they started eating lunch together. Despite their different backgrounds, their thoughts and tastes were eerily similar. They clicked almost effortlessly.

At some point, it had simply become natural for Seo Heemin to be by Cha Iheon's side. Even when they ended up in different classes, Iheon would always seek him out during breaks, sticking to him like glue. It got to the point where Heemin, frustrated at his lack of other friends, sometimes found it a little annoying.

Still, the reason he had never cut ties with him was simple—being with Iheon was fun. Unlike the thirty-year-old Cha Iheon, the crime lord, his childhood friend had always been warm-hearted and thoughtful.

He would photocopy his private tutor’s practice exams and share them without hesitation. If Heemin bought him cheap snacks from the convenience store as thanks, he’d eat them like they were fine dining.

Thinking back, the novel’s Cha Iheon had treated the original Seo Heemin the same way. He had approached the socially withdrawn boy, befriended him, helped him adjust to school. They had studied together, visited each other’s houses, and even spent time together while Heemin practiced his drawings.

Cha Iheon had turned dark because he believed he had been betrayed by someone he loved. But at his core, he wasn’t entirely broken.

He was someone who could return to his former self—there was still potential for change.

Someone he loved...

Even in college, Iheon had never accepted any of the countless confessions he received. He had only ever stuck to Heemin’s side.

Back then, Heemin had assumed it was just because he still preferred hanging out with friends over dating. But looking back now...

That was exactly how someone with a one-sided crush behaved.

"No, no, no. No way."

"What the hell, Seo Heemin?"

"That Cha Iheon and this Cha Iheon are completely different."

How could he even think something that absurd about his own friend? @@novelbin@@

He must have gone insane after being trapped in this BL novel world for so long. Furious at himself, Heemin smacked his own forehead with his fist.

— "Ow!"

Maybe he hit too hard—his forehead stung, and the pain snapped him back to reality.

His drowsiness disappeared completely.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Right now, he didn’t have time to dwell on his friend’s feelings.

The only thing that mattered was targeting the thirty-year-old Cha Iheon, seeing this story through to the ending, and returning to reality.

To do that, he needed to study his target’s behavioral patterns, find the weak points, and exploit them.

There was no room for useless thoughts.

Throwing off the blanket, Heemin got up. His body felt much better after the nap. A good meal would probably help even more.

He headed to the kitchen. Ms. Ahn had already placed the pizza box on the table. The delicious aroma filled the air, making his stomach growl.

— "Thank you."

He sat down as she set the table with plates, cups, and utensils before turning back toward the counter.

She had been preparing food while he napped—peeled onions and diced potatoes sat neatly on the wooden cutting board.

Iheon’s housekeeper used to make braised potatoes all the time, too.

What was her name again?

Heemin wracked his brain but couldn’t recall. He gave up and called out to Ms. Ahn instead.

— "Auntie."

In the novel, the original Seo Heemin had always referred to her as Ms. Ahn. But Heemin didn’t want to keep things so formal. He preferred to be friendly.

She turned around, looking slightly surprised.

— "Eat with me."

[No, it’s alright.]

She quickly pulled out her phone and showed him the screen, shaking her head.

— "It’s lonely eating alone."

Iheon—his real friend—hated doing anything alone.

He had never been the type to enjoy trends like eating alone, drinking alone, traveling alone, or watching movies alone.

Any time he felt lonely, he would drag Heemin out to keep him company. And after spending so much time with him, Heemin had become just as unused to solitude.

[Just one slice, then.]

The same excuse he had used to convince Dr. Hwang worked again.

Grinning, Heemin twirled a long strand of melted cheese around his fork and looked at her.

— "Three slices are fine too."

***

10 P.M. Instead of Cha Iheon, it was Secretary Jung who opened the front door. He had sent Ms. Ahn away and had come to keep an eye on Heemin.

At 3 A.M., Cha Iheon finally returned home, carrying a faint scent of blood. He glanced at Heemin, who greeted him with a drowsy rub of his eyes and a soft, "You're back." But Iheon only cast him a cold look before walking straight into the bedroom.

The next day, and the day after that, Iheon came home only to sleep. Though he no longer returned with bloodstains on his shirt, the dangerous aura clinging to him made it clear he was still involved in something far from legal. Heemin couldn't bring himself to say a word.

Contempt, indifference, disdain. Those were the names of the invisible line Iheon drew between them. He treated this twenty-one-year-old Seo Heemin as if he were worthless—mocking Heemin’s naive belief that Iheon would never truly lose interest in him.

Heemin’s goal had been to slowly close the distance between them, to unlock the gates of his heart and bind him with an eternal vow of love.

But instead, the gap between them widened by the day. The only comfort he had left was the bandages wrapped around his right hand. Without even that, he might have lost all hope, drowning in a sea of anxiety with no way to stay afloat.

“Good evening, Secretary Jung.”

As always, Secretary Jung arrived home before Cha Iheon. In his hands were several bestsellers Heemin had asked for.

Even as he took the heavy bag of books, there was no joy in receiving them. His mind was too consumed with thoughts of Cha Iheon.

If he got ignored again today, he wouldn’t even get the chance to make progress on his keyword-switching project. He’d be defeated before he could even say a single proper word to him.

Tomorrow, Cha Iheon was set to take office as the president of Shinwon Cement, the company once owned by 'Seo Heemin’s' father. It was also the day he would suffer from pheromone congestion and forcibly claim ‘Seo Heemin.’

Although Iheon had obtained the majority shares and management rights to Shinwon Cement, the takeover had been partially funded by Yoon Dae-ho, chairman of Wooshin Group. That meant his revenge was still incomplete.

Iheon had never entered the syndicate for power, wealth, or authority like the other executives.

His sole purpose had been revenge—against those who had ruined both him and his father—and the resurrection of Taeseong Ready-Mix Concrete.

While he secretly prepared for independence, the existing executives opposed him, turning the inauguration ceremony into a bitterly cold affair that grated on his nerves.

In the end, overwhelmed by stress and pheromone congestion, Iheon lost control. Like a raging beast, he devoured ‘Seo Heemin’s’ body. Now that he knew about ‘Seo Heemin’s’ trauma, he wouldn’t be as forceful as in the original plot, but that didn’t mean the consequences would be any less terrifying.

Because every action has a reaction.

For instance, he might end up killing someone.

"Whenever I see you, my sadistic side comes out."

That was a line Cha Iheon had once spat while ruthlessly using violence. Tomorrow night, Heemin feared he might hear those very words whispered into his ear.

Cha Iheon had shown kindness to ‘Seo Heemin,’ but by nature, he was a cruel man.

After being abandoned by the one he loved and losing his father, he no longer had a reason to suppress his instincts.

Even as a child, he had been frightening. He had once beaten his classmates so savagely that he fractured their bones, all because they annoyed him. Instead of remorse, he regretted not being able to hit them more. That incident had gotten him forcibly transferred to another school.

When he committed his first murder under his maternal great-uncle’s orders, he had wiped the blood off the blade with a handkerchief, not even blinking.

I need to talk to him.

Before something irreversible happens.