Cozy Obsession

Heemin covered his mouth, just in case he accidentally let out a scream. But luckily, there was no one outside the door.

Checking his surroundings carefully to make sure he wasn’t being followed, he stepped out of the apartment complex, walking briskly toward the exit.

One of the few advantages of this world mirroring reality was that he wasn’t disoriented in unfamiliar surroundings.

This was the same apartment complex he had visited countless times to see his friend. He knew the layout like the back of his hand. Without hesitation, he walked through the complex and headed toward the taxi stand.

"Sir, to XX-dong, XX City, Gyeonggi Province. I’ll give you the exact address on the way, so please just start driving."

As soon as he got into the taxi, he spoke urgently. The driver pressed the meter and replied.

"Toll fees are separate."

"Yes, yes, I’ll pay separately."

"Buckle up."

Heemin fumbled for the seatbelt and quickly clicked it into place. The driver immediately pulled out onto the road.

Keeping his head down as much as possible, Heemin scanned the passersby through the window, making sure no one suspicious was tailing him. Only after the car merged onto the bridge did he finally sit up and exhale.

His hands had been trembling just moments ago from the fear of getting caught. But now that he had safely escaped the neighborhood, he found the situation almost absurdly entertaining.

Like he was the protagonist of a spy thriller.

A small chuckle escaped his lips.

Really, this was just an elaborate game of hide-and-seek.

The seeker was Cha Iheon.

And the hidden one was Seo Heemin.

"Hide well. I can see your hair."

"Is someone chasing you?"

The driver, who had been glancing at Heemin through the rearview mirror, finally spoke up.

"Ah, yeah, something like that... Just please go as fast as you can."

"Alright then. I’ll get you there in record time. Just trust me."

"Thank you, sir."

The moment one of Iheon’s men checked the CCTV and saw Heemin leaving the building, they would immediately report it to him.

And Iheon would, of course, ask Ms. Ahn where Heemin was.

Since Ms. Ahn couldn’t speak, it would take some time for them to figure out the situation.

That delay would buy him some time.

Iheon would leave his office and drive home, then check the browsing history on Ms. Ahn’s phone. That would take about an hour or two.

Which meant Heemin had at most two hours of freedom.

How should he spend them?

The original purpose of this escape was to strengthen his relationship with Cha Iheon.

But now that he was out, he wanted to enjoy himself a little.

After all, it had been so long since he had been outside.

He couldn’t just turn around and go back without doing anything.

But... what was he supposed to do?

He was a homebody through and through.

Aside from reading novels, he had no hobbies.

All night, he had debated whether to go to a PC café, a coin karaoke room, or an escape room.

But none of those were fun to do alone.

If time allowed, he would have loved to buy a book and sit on a bench in the lake park, leisurely reading under the cherry blossoms.

But the hospital and the park were too far apart.

He wouldn’t even have time to sit down before he had to rush back.

"What a shame."

Around this time last year, Iheon had bought a new car.

A Wrangler, big enough to match his massive frame.

He had been so eager to "break in" the car that he had dragged Heemin all around the outskirts of Seoul.

They had visited every well-known driving route and scenic park.

But they had never gotten around to XX City’s lake park.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

It had rained that day, and Iheon had promised they would go next time.

"Maybe I should just go to a snack shop."

Instead of wandering aimlessly, he might as well enjoy some tteokbokki—the food he had been craving.

As soon as he made the decision, his heart felt a little lighter.

Giving the driver the hospital’s address, Heemin turned his gaze to the cherry blossoms lining the highway.

The weather was perfect.

The sun was warm, and the air was crisp.

Even the flowers seemed to be singing along with the birds.

"We’re here."

The driver wasn’t exaggerating about getting him there fast.

He had practically flown down the highway, covering a forty-minute distance in just twenty-five minutes.

"Take my card, just in case."

The driver handed Heemin his business card along with his change.

Heemin had always relied on public transportation.

He doubted he would ever take a taxi again.

But he appreciated the driver’s kindness, so he politely accepted the card.

"You got me here so fast. Thank you, sir."

After bowing slightly toward the driver’s seat, he stepped out and closed the door.

There it was—the Haesong Psychiatric Clinic sign, hanging on the building’s exterior.

I made it.

Arriving earlier than expected meant he had time to wander around before heading inside.

So, with no particular destination in mind, Heemin strolled through the streets, taking in the sights of the unfamiliar district.

A butcher shop, a bakery, an animal hospital, a café, an optician’s office, a traditional medicine clinic, a lunchbox shop, a dentist...

It was just a typical cityscape.

But under the soft spring breeze, simply admiring the colorful storefronts made him feel a little giddy.

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh air.

For the first time in what felt like forever, he could taste freedom.

The sun was high, and the area seemed safe.

And contrary to his worries, no Alphas had picked up on his untrained pheromones.

After wandering around for a while, Heemin eventually returned to the hospital and stepped into the snack shop he had found earlier.

His stomach had started to growl.

"Hello, ma’am. I’ll have one serving of tteokbokki and a tuna gimbap, please. Oh, and a Cool X peach soda too."

After paying, he sat down and waited for his food.

The spicy scent of the tteokbokki made his mouth water.

And yet, as he sat there, a memory surfaced.

"Hyung, are you going to eat too?"

"You don’t like eating alone."

It had been so long since he had eaten alone.

Whether it was Ms. Ahn, Dr. Hwang, or Cha Iheon—someone had always been sitting across from him.

He had never been given the chance to feel lonely.

He had escaped, claiming he wanted to enjoy freedom.

But the joy was fleeting.

The loneliness came crashing in like a wave.

He wanted someone to talk to.

About the weather.

About the reckless taxi driver.

About the lake park he had wanted to visit.

He wanted to tell Cha Iheon.

And strangely enough, he found himself wishing that Iheon would hurry up and catch him.

"Here’s your food."

"Actually... I’m really sorry, but can you wrap this up to go? Something urgent came up."

He shot up from his seat.

This was his only chance.

He could eat tteokbokki and gimbap any day.

But right now, there was something far more important.

Holding the warm takeout bag in his hands, Heemin ran toward the hospital.

As he neared the building, his nerves spiked.

But there was no black sedan waiting out front. @@novelbin@@

No men in black suits standing guard.

Good. He’s not here yet.

He hadn’t planned on getting caught right away anyway.

Relaxing slightly, Heemin stepped inside.

The elevator was already on the first floor.

It didn’t take long to reach the third.

"Hello. I don’t have an appointment, but can I still see the doctor?"

"Your name, please?"

A nurse—different from the one he had seen before—greeted him.

"Seo Heemin. September 4th—ah, I mean, 3rd."

"You’re in the system. Please take a seat and wait."

She checked the patient records and smiled.

"Do you need anything?"

Heemin hesitated, lingering near the desk.

"Um... Has anyone called looking for me?"

"Someone looking for you?"

"Yes."

She tilted her head.

"No, I don’t think so."

He checked the clock.

It had been an hour and a half since he had left home.

By now, at least a call should have come in.

Why is it so quiet?

Something was off.

Was he planning to ambush him inside the hospital?

Iheon did distrust Dr. Eun-kyung...

That seemed possible.

"Excuse me, I left my phone at home. Can I borrow yours?"

The nurse handed him the landline.

He pressed the familiar numbers.

The dial tone barely rang before a low, menacing voice answered.

"Did you find him?"

"Iheon, it’s me."

Silence.

Then—

"...Where the fuck are you? You must have a fucking death wish."

The raw fury in his voice burned through the receiver.

But Heemin had expected this.

So, he calmly replied—

"I’m at Haesong Psychiatric Clinic."