Cozy Obsession-Chapter 43

He hadn’t passed out like before—he was just a little startled. The trauma engraved into Seo Heemin’s body wouldn’t be uprooted so easily, so he thought he could just brush it off and move on. After all, wasn’t Cha Iheon the one who had once forced himself onto Seo Heemin, no matter how desperately he begged and sobbed for him to stop?
Besides, it felt unfair that he was being dragged ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ around like this after boldly declaring that he would seduce him. He had been trying to reclaim some control little by little, but now, for him to stop so suddenly without warning—it was simply frustrating.
Heemin grabbed Iheon’s sleeve as he turned away and subtly urged him.
“I... I don’t mind going further.”
Ha. A low sigh escaped his lips. Iheon scoffed in disbelief, then spoke to Heemin in a voice that had cooled to ice.
“You freeze up just from a little touch, so what exactly do you think you can handle? Just go to sleep, baby.”
“I don’t want to. I’m not sleepy.”
The only thing that lingered in his vision was a pair of sensual lips, slick with saliva from who knows whose mouth. Strangely, he felt parched. His head was filled with nothing but the desire to touch those reddened lips, leaving no room for any other thoughts.
“Are you really not going to do it?”
Since the mood was already set, he wanted to use this momentum to take things a step further. This time, he wanted to be the one leading.
He rose onto his tiptoes, laced his fingers behind Iheon’s neck, and gave him a bright, innocent smile. Iheon bit down hard on his lower lip. His gaze sharpened, piercing through him.
“If you pass out, that’s on you. You brought this on yourself.”
“I’ll just get an IV.”
It wasn’t like he had a part-time job to get to or classes to attend at school—so what if he ended up bedridden for a few days?
Iheon had cracked the door open with difficulty, and Heemin couldn’t just let it slam shut again. He absolutely didn’t want to miss this chance to slip through.
As soon as those daring words left his lips, Iheon crushed their mouths together. He sucked on Heemin’s tongue, yanked him close by the waist, and pulled him forward with such force that he nearly lost his balance. Heemin had to grip his interlocked hands even tighter just to endure it.
Forget leading—just trying to keep up with the way Iheon’s tongue ruthlessly entangled with his was overwhelming. Apparently irritated by the dining chair that stood in the way like an obstacle, Iheon shoved it aside without care. The chair wobbled for a moment before crashing to the floor.
“Mm—!”
Still wrapped in his arms, Heemin was slammed against the wall with force. He expected to feel pain from the impact, but Iheon’s arm had cushioned him, preventing any discomfort.
Iheon’s lips trailed recklessly across his nose bridge, forehead, cheeks, and lips, kissing him feverishly. His knee forced its way between Heemin’s legs, prying them apart. Their bodies pressed together completely, and through the narrow space between them, a firm thigh dug deep between his own.
The heavy weight pressing through the thin fabric, the rough and untamed pheromones invading his airways—his desire was swelling dangerously, growing to the point of bursting.
Then, out of nowhere, an inexplicable terror shot down his spine.
Just moments ago, he had thought he could handle it. But now, his body was completely betraying his will. The sensation of an aroused Alpha—of a rigid, pulsing heat brushing against his skin—shattered him completely.
A cold sweat drenched him in an instant. His entire body trembled violently, as though he had been struck with sudden chills. Heemin’s legs gave out beneath him before he could stop them.
His fingers unlatched, his body crumpling like a puppet with its strings cut. Iheon caught him just in time. He flinched at the rough breaths ghosting against his cheek, then suddenly, Iheon lifted him into his arms and carried him toward the bedroom.
“...You’re seriously trying to fuck with me.”
After all that teasing, after provoking him like that, he had ended up having such an extreme reaction. Anyone would be livid. And yet, even in his anger, Iheon was careful—holding Heemin so that his own erection wouldn’t press against his back.
“...I’m sorry.”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
His impatience had been the problem. He had been too eager to improve their relationship, ignoring the signals Seo Heemin’s body was sending him. He shouldn’t have stubbornly insisted on pushing forward. His rashness had ruined everything at the last moment.
Iheon laid him down on the bed. Now that he was back in his room, he thought the suffocating tension might ease—but instead, the lingering pheromones strangled his senses, leaving him paralyzed. Heemin curled up into himself, wrapping his arms around his shoulders like a frightened shrimp.
“Where are you going?”
After tucking him in, Iheon turned away without hesitation. Heemin called out to stop him, and without fully turning, Iheon answered curtly.
“I’m calling Dr. Hwang.”
Saying he’d be fine with just an IV had been nothing more than bravado. He hadn’t meant to provoke him with any real intention of following through, and yet things had escalated to this point. Now, he just felt guilty. And thanks to the late hour, even Dr. Hwang was being dragged into the mess. Heemin pouted, disheartened. Iheon spoke again, this time in a soothing tone.
“Baby.”
“...Yes?”
“I get it, so stop crying and just rest. I’ll bring the doctor.”
He had been so out of it, shaking uncontrollably, that he hadn’t even realized he was crying. Heemin, dazed, raised a finger to wipe at his eyes. Sure enough, his fingertip came away damp.
If anyone should be crying, it was probably him.
Even now, the strained fabric at the front of his pants loomed in his peripheral vision, threatening to burst at any moment. He hadn’t planned on taking things all the way tonight, but he had deliberately provoked Iheon by drinking, at least partially knowing what could happen.
Still, he hadn’t expected Seo Heemin’s body to react so severely just from feeling another man’s arousal against him. He had underestimated the depth of his trauma.
The pheromone-laced air lingered in his lungs, its scent burrowing into his senses. That rich, musky fragrance—one that simultaneously terrified and reassured him.
Heemin recalled the way Iheon had murmured, Baby, in that low, almost pained voice. Though laced with confusion and frustration, it didn’t seem like pure anger.
With vision blurred by unshed tears, he stared at the spot where Iheon had just stood.
Seeking trust from someone consumed by distrust and hatred... turned out to be far harder and more exhausting than he had thought.
Rushing in with nothing but good intentions might only end up hurting Iheon in the end. If he truly wanted to protect the person Cha Iheon was, he needed to approach him with more care.
Clinging onto his consciousness as it flickered like a candle in the wind, Heemin waited for Dr. Hwang to arrive.
For both of their happiness—he needed to regain his health first.
***
Knock, knock.
At the light tapping against the glass door, Heemin turned over from where he had been lying and straightened his posture. He looked toward the person stepping into the room—a broad-shouldered elderly gentleman with graying hair. It was Dr. Hwang.
“You’re here, Doctor?”
“You were doing fine for a while. What happened all of a sudden?”
“Well...”
It seemed Cha Iheon hadn’t given him any explanation before urgently calling him over. Heemin glanced between Dr. Hwang, who was preparing an IV pack and needle, and Iheon, who stood a good distance away, watching in silence.
Even though Dr. Hwang had the kind and familiar presence of a neighborhood grandfather, his medical skills were exceptional. That was why it was best to be honest—explaining the cause and symptoms clearly so that he could find the right solution.
After briefly organizing his thoughts, Heemin spoke in a calm, steady tone.
“I had a panic attack after Iheon’s erection touched my body while we were kissing. My whole body started trembling, my breathing became erratic, I felt dizzy and cold. I was fine until then.”
The IV pack in Dr. Hwang’s hands froze mid-air. For a moment, he seemed thrown off by the direct answer. He stole a quick glance toward the man standing outside the glass wall before cautiously asking, as if to confirm—
“Was it forced?”
“No. I was the one who wanted to do it. I was the one who suggested drinking, too. Iheon didn’t do anything wrong. I was the one who wanted to test my limits and ended up clinging to him, even when he tried to stop.”
Worried that Iheon might get blamed, Heemin vigorously shook his hands in denial.
Sigh.
Seeing Heemin working so hard to defend Iheon, Dr. Hwang let out a thin sigh. After fully securing the IV pack on the stand, he approached Heemin and removed the cap from the needle.
“Give me your arm.”
Heemin obediently extended his arm. A cotton swab soaked in alcohol brushed against his skin, leaving behind the sharp, cool scent of ethanol. A brief sting followed as the needle slid into the vein inside his elbow.
After taping the needle in place and adjusting the IV flow rate, Dr. Hwang pulled up a chair and sat by the bed, signaling that he wanted to continue the conversation.
“I was trying not to pry because I figured it was personal... but you two still haven’t done it?”
“Sex?”
“...Yeah, that.”
“No, never. We’ve held hands a few times. And today was only our second kiss.”
The moment Heemin answered honestly, Dr. Hwang’s eyes widened in shock. It seemed hard to believe that Iheon, who suffered from pheromone congestion, had been living under the same roof as Seo Heemin and had done nothing.
After all, Seo Heemin was a Prime Omega that Iheon had purchased at an exorbitant price from an auction. Dr. Hwang might not have known the exact details, but he was surely aware of why Iheon had brought Heemin here and kept him locked up.
Hadn’t he even warned Iheon on the first day, telling him not to lay a hand on Heemin because his body was too fragile?
“...That Chairman Cha sure is something else.”