Cozy Obsession-Chapter 44

“What do you mean?”
“That after all these months, he still hasn’t laid a hand on you. It’s surprising. Ah, but don’t get me wrong—this old man is relieved that he hasn’t forced anything on someone with trauma.”
Cha Iheon, who had once wielded cold logic like a blade and ruthlessly punished those who crossed him, was now showing unexpected patience. It must have shocked Dr. Hwang more than he was willing to admit.
Even the same Iheon who had once exploded in anger, demanding to be addressed as Doctor, had now unconsciously referred to himself as an old man.
“Maybe he just doesn’t want to deal with me because I act too much like a kid.”
“Well... you do act like one. You love sweets, and you ran away from home just because he wouldn’t let you go outside.”
He chuckled, likely recalling the chaos that had erupted when Heemin had disappeared without warning. But as soon as he saw Heemin’s sulking expression, he quickly added—
“It’s not that he doesn’t want to deal with you. More likely, he’s worried about you. You collapsed right in front of him last time—it must have been quite a shock. Look, even now, he’s just standing outside watching instead of coming in. He’s keeping his distance for your sake.”
Sure enough, Iheon remained at the far end of the living room, observing Dr. Hwang like he was aiming a laser gun at him. He made no attempt to step inside. He was deliberately keeping his distance, likely to avoid affecting Heemin with his pheromones.
But rather than feeling reassured by Dr. Hwang’s words, Heemin was struck by something else entirely.
Seo Heemin’s rejection had provoked Iheon’s sadistic tendencies. But {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} his own rejection... seemed only to trigger guilt.
No matter how ruthless Iheon was, he wasn’t like Shin Seungbeom. He never harmed innocent people, women, or children—at the very least, he had that much of a conscience.
Even though Heemin now possessed Seo Heemin’s body, inside, he was twenty-one years old. The nine-year age gap between him and Iheon was too significant to ignore. It wasn’t unreasonable to assume that Iheon might feel uncomfortable interacting with him in certain ways.
Thinking about it that way, it felt like he had completely botched what could have been a valuable opportunity. Instead of earning points, he had just lost them all.
At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to build a new relationship with Iheon—instead, he would be treated like a child for years, wasting time without any progress.
And if the events of the original novel continued without Iheon’s heart ever truly belonging to him...
The final scene resurfaced in his mind—the image of Seo Heemin, sobbing as he cradled Iheon’s bloodstained body, before taking his own life.
Panic drained the color from Heemin’s face as he looked at Dr. Hwang.
“What do I do, Doctor? I have to sleep with Iheon. What if I can never overcome this trauma? Seo Heemin never did. And it’s not like Iheon would agree to that imprinting thing or whatever. Other than exercise and therapy, is there any other way? If this keeps up, something terrible is going to happen.”
As long as Iheon was an Alpha and he was an Omega, they would inevitably have to face their respective rut and heat cycles. Sexual intimacy wasn’t just a possibility—it was an inevitable step in their relationship.
Desperate, Heemin blurted out his thoughts, carelessly spilling spoilers from the novel.
“Heemin.”
Dr. Hwang remained unfazed, his voice steady.
“Calm down and listen to me for a second.”
Fortunately, Dr. Hwang didn’t seem to take his words too seriously. The novel itself had mentioned that some Omegas sought out Alphas to make their heat cycles more bearable.
Since it was a matter of survival, Dr. Hwang probably didn’t find it strange that Heemin was concerned about his ability to engage in intimacy.
Holding Heemin’s left arm steady to prevent movement due to the IV needle, Dr. Hwang continued.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
“I’m a surgeon. If you’re looking for a proper treatment plan, it’d be best to consult with your specialist instead. Psychiatry isn’t like math—you can’t just plug in a formula and get a solution. If I give you the wrong advice, it could just add to your confusion.”
“Well... the thing is, my therapist is a woman...”
Of course, gender wasn’t the only issue.
In the real world, Dr. Eun-kyung was practically family. She had been his mother’s best friend. Even if she was Seo Heemin’s psychiatrist in this world, there was no way he could openly discuss things like kissing or sex with someone who wore the face of a trusted family friend.
Seeing his discomfort, Dr. Hwang crossed his arms and stroked his chin, where a faint stubble had begun to grow. He seemed deep in thought for a long moment before finally giving in and asking—
“You said you were fine until you started kissing?”
“Yes. The pheromones were a little overwhelming, but it was more manageable than before.”
If it had been unbearable, he wouldn’t have teased Iheon for fun. He knew better than anyone how painful false hope could be.
He hadn’t meant to taunt him. He hadn’t meant to mess with him.
He had just wanted to experience that tingling sensation on his skin a little longer.
Dr. Hwang narrowed his eyes, briefly glancing through the glass wall at Iheon. The man stood still, biting his lip anxiously from afar.
Heemin wanted to turn and check Iheon’s expression, but he kept his gaze fixed on Dr. Hwang instead. He didn’t want Iheon to think they were talking about him.
“How have you been dealing with your sexual urges?”
“...You mean... masturbation?”
His eyes went wide at the sudden, unfiltered question. He hadn’t expected something so personal to be thrown at him without warning.
“I haven’t. At all.”
Whether it was the transparent walls or the security cameras, none of that had even crossed his mind. He had been too preoccupied with Cha Iheon to think about anything else.
Had it been because he was in Seo Heemin’s body? It shocked him to realize just how detached he had been about it.
Even in the real world, where privacy was scarce due to his cramped living conditions, he had at least done it occasionally. But here? Not even once in the past few months.
“Heemin.”
Dr. Hwang softened his tone.
“This is just my personal opinion—not a medical diagnosis. If you don’t think it makes sense, feel free to ignore it. Got it?”
“...Okay.”
Sensing the seriousness in his voice, Heemin focused his attention.
“Iheon told me about your past. It’s completely natural for someone who’s been through what you have to develop PTSD.”
“...That’s natural?”
“On top of that, you were just trafficked recently. It’s no surprise that you’d have an even stronger aversion to sex. And given your current living environment, it makes sense that your libido has completely plummeted.”
Dr. Hwang was right. Heemin had always been sensitive, but the anxiety and terror he had felt in the auction cage had pushed Seo Heemin’s body into a state of near mental breakdown.
The mind and body were closely intertwined. Seo Heemin’s deeply ingrained fear was clearly affecting him now.
“But the fact that you were okay with kissing... that means, deep down, you knew you weren’t in danger.”
Heemin nodded slowly.
He had entertained the idea of going further, but he had never seriously intended to go all the way.
In other words, he hadn’t been mentally prepared to face the fear that Seo Heemin harbored.
And, honestly... he hadn’t expected that thing between Iheon’s legs to be that big. Just feeling it through his clothes had been enough to freeze him up.
If he had actually seen it in his current state, he might have passed out on the spot.
“Trust is key. If you establish real trust, your body won’t react like this next time.”
Trust.
It wasn’t just Iheon’s kindness that mattered—his own belief in him was just as important.
Looking straight into Iheon’s dark eyes from across the room, Heemin realized—he had a long way to go.
“...By the way, Heemin. Your pheromones are leaking a lot more than usual. Isn’t it about time for your heat?”