Cozy Obsession

So far, the only people who knew that Cha Iheon was the president of Wooshin Capital were Seo Jae-han and Kwak Yoonseong—the only two who had borrowed private loans.

No one else knew his true identity, but it was obvious that he wasn’t from the same industry. That alone made everyone uneasy about his sudden appearance.

Seo Jae-han may have been an owner notorious for his unreasonable demands and power abuse, but he was also an expert in the field. The rapid growth of Shinwon Cement, from a small business to a mid-sized company, was largely due to his contributions.

Given that, it seemed likely that Iheon had brought Seo Heemin here not only to quell the unrest among the employees but also to justify his acquisition of the company.

"Heemin, what's wrong? You don’t look well. Is it because of the Alpha pheromones?"

Kwak Yoonseong, who had been following behind him, stepped closer and asked in a worried tone. It was an oddly affectionate voice for someone who had knowingly sold Seo Heemin to traffickers despite being fully aware of his Alpha trauma.

This was the first time Heemin had stood in front of such a large crowd since the auction.

Though there weren’t as many Alphas here as there had been back then, the unfamiliar pheromones still made his stomach churn. Before long, Seo Heemin’s body—capable of detecting pheromones ten times more intensely than others—began showing clear signs of distress.

"J-just... a moment."

Iheon, who had been watching him, visibly stiffened. He must not have expected Heemin to react so severely just because a few Alphas were present.

His condition had already been poor from drinking the night before, and now the Alpha pheromones were only making things worse. The tips of his fingers and toes grew icy, and his body trembled from the chills. His complexion rapidly turned pale.

"...Urk."

Even though he had already experienced this once before, the sensation was so unfamiliar—something he had never encountered in reality—that he still couldn’t adapt to it.

Wrenching his hand free from Iheon’s grasp, Heemin urgently covered his mouth and nose, retching.

Kwak Yoonseong reacted first.

"This isn't good. Let’s go to my dad’s office. You should lie down and rest."

During the auction, at least there had been considerable distance between the stage and the audience, allowing him to endure it by drinking water. But this time, the circumstances were different.

The seats were packed tightly together, and the air was thick and stifling.

He had wanted to endure it, at least long enough to watch the inauguration ceremony. But in this condition, even staying seated was becoming impossible.

"Ugh..."

The nausea surged unbearably. Heemin couldn't even muster a response to Kwak Yoonseong’s suggestion, only letting out choked, struggling noises.

Iheon, who had been silently watching him with a hardened expression, finally spoke in a low, firm voice.

"Secretary Jung. Take him to my office."

"Yes, sir."

Heemin had been somewhat looking forward to this—getting an early taste of corporate life long before he even graduated. It was a shame to have to leave like this.

Still, at least the president’s office had all the snacks he had wanted. Given how unwell he felt, he might as well relax, snack on something, and then head home when he felt better.

They had already put on the act of walking into the auditorium hand in hand, so there was no real need to face Do Junyoung directly.

After all, whether in reality or inside a novel, people loved gossip. Those who were curious about the relationship between Iheon and Heemin would undoubtedly chatter among themselves. Once Do Junyoung caught wind of the rumors, he would likely lose interest in Seo Heemin altogether.

With that thought, Heemin pressed his palm over his mouth and gave a brief nod of acknowledgment to Iheon, Kwak Yoonseong, and the staff accompanying them.

Then, without looking toward the audience even once, he turned and walked away.

***

"Would you like some water?"

"Yes, please."

"Just a moment." @@novelbin@@

Leaning back against the sofa, Heemin focused on his breathing. Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, he gradually felt his condition improving.

How had Seo Heemin endured this pain all this time?

He had only ever thought of him as pitiful while reading the novel, but experiencing it firsthand made him feel even more sympathetic. With all the tragic settings stacked against him, it was a miracle that he had survived at all. It was no wonder he had pushed away Alphas—Cha Iheon in particular—with such force.

"Here you go."

Secretary Jung returned, carrying two paper cups—one filled with warm water and the other with cold. He had always been a devoted character, but beyond that, he had an innate sense of consideration. Whether it was playing classical music to lighten the mood or bringing both warm and cold water to offer a choice, he knew how to subtly ease the atmosphere.

"Thank you, Secretary Jung."

"Not at all. I’ll head back to the auditorium now. Please take it easy."

"Alright."

Bowing politely, Secretary Jung exited the office. Heemin listened to the fading sound of his footsteps before bringing the warm cup to his lips.

"Phew..."

Draining the entire cup, he felt significantly better. He sat quietly with his head resting against the sofa for a while before deciding to replenish his energy with a RiX brownie. The rich chocolatey sweetness and chewy texture were satisfying—so much so that he unconsciously reached for the extra one meant for Iheon and ate that as well.

‘It’s fine. He wouldn’t have eaten it anyway.’

In reality, his friend had been the type to constantly snack on candy, gum, and sweets. He could never go without something in his mouth. And yet, despite that, he had maintained a flawless physique—something Heemin had always envied.

But the thirty-year-old Cha Iheon...

A thought suddenly struck him, and Heemin shot up from his seat. He had boldly claimed that he would "change the keywords" but had completely neglected to analyze his target properly.

With plenty of time on his hands, Heemin pulled a pen and paper from Iheon's desk drawer. At the top of the page, he wrote in bold letters:

"Characteristics of the Obsessive Tyrant, Cha Iheon"

Then, he numbered the page from 1 to 30—ready to break down each trait, one by one.

Characteristics of the Obsessive Tyrant, Cha Iheon