Chapter 12: Small Pepper

“What do you mean, bullsh*t? That’s harsh.”

“He just did it? That Han Seung Ho performed that healing?”

This time, Jo Yeon, who emphasized the ‘that’ instead of ‘son of a b*tch’, shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it.

To the incredible question of whether Han Seung Ho had healed him, Bodam could only nod his tiny face in response.

If this news were to get out in the main building’s first-floor cafeteria, it would be a big story that would reach the ears of the Center Director sitting on the top floor in less than half a day.

He grabbed Bodam, who acted as if he had nothing more to say after answering that he had received it, and asked.

And the answer he got was that he just did it.

Just like that.

“What do you mean, just like that? Just like that. Isn’t that on the same level as me giving you a first-place lottery ticket I found on the street for no reason?”

“Why are you comparing it to a lottery ticket? It was just for curing a cold.”

Bodam spoke as if it were no big deal, but in reality, his inner thoughts were different.

It might not have been a first-place prize, but it was on the level of being handed a second-place lottery ticket.

Nothing about Han Seung Ho’s abilities, aside from his rank, was known to the public.

Bodam, who had thought the Center’s internal security was extremely thorough when he was mixed in with the public, realized after becoming an insider that it wasn’t that they were hiding things, but that they simply didn’t know anything.

No one had ever witnessed Han Seung Ho’s healing abilities.

He even had his rank evaluation done in the United States, so even the researchers hadn’t seen it, which said it all.

Han Seung Ho, who would warn an Esper covered in blood in front of him not to block his path, had never once revealed his abilities.

Even though he used his freely controlled barrier as often as he ate.

The only ones who had witnessed his healing powers with their own eyes were big shots who were not on a level to chat with a mere Center employee.

They would summon Han Seung Ho very quietly and leave, secretly and completely cured.

Hearing such rumors, it seemed his ability was not something to be dismissed as just B-class.

Well, Team Leader Han was a figure who could exert power beyond his rank.

Given the solidness that filled his very presence and his suffocating perfectionism, if he were to say, “I’m actually an S-class, not just a B-class,” the only reaction would likely be, “Of course.”

“No. Bodam. That can’t be right.”

“He did cure my illness. My fever went down completely, and all signs of the cold disappeared. Look. It’s really amazing.”

Bodam pulled out a wet wipe and, after wiping Jo Yeon’s hand that was stained with chicken radish juice, had him touch his cheek.

“See. The fever’s gone, right?”

“Yeah. It’s soft.”

“Ah, get lost.”

Jo Yeon, who pulled his lukewarm cheeks with both hands, made a serious face.

“No matter how much I think about it, there’s no way he would have done it for no reason. Do you know how much Han Seung Ho charges for each use of his healing ability?”

“…He probably gets a lot.”

“Don’t you find it strange that he provided that expensive service to you for free?”

“…It is strange.”

Bodam, who also adopted a serious face, hardened his expression, becoming a squashed glutinous rice cake.

He had just been happy that his cold was gone.

He hadn’t recovered enough energy to scrutinize and think about this and that.

“But would that b*stard have anything to gain from me?”

At Bodam’s serious question, Jo Yeon, at a loss for an answer, stealthily shifted his gaze to his beer glass.

“First, since your cold is gone, let’s start with a toast.”

“Sounds good.”

Their hands smoothly moved to their glasses, and they mixed somaek in a clear 1:1 ratio.

Jo Yeon would pour the beer, and Bodam would wait his turn to pour the soju.

They were a perfect match, like true drinking buddies.

“To the Center!”

“May it fall!”

Cheers-!

They shouted their fixed first toast loudly and clinked their glasses.

With a refreshing clinking sound, they downed the holy water mixed at the perfect ratio.

If one of them didn’t finish the first glass in one shot, the other would get serious and say they were going home.

Bodam liked to drink, and Jo Yeon liked seeing Bodam happy while drinking.

“So, tell me.”

“What now?”

“Hey, Bodam Yoon. What do you think your hyung is curious about?”

Jo Yeon, who put a cheese ball into the mouth of Bodam who was skipping the appetizers and immediately filling the next glass, urged for an answer with an exaggerated foreign gesture.

“Tell me the story of how you received the healing ability.”

Bodam, who already looked like he was holding cheese balls in both cheeks, shrugged his shoulders while stretching the cheese.

There wasn’t much to say.

“Report to your hyung in detail. Do you hold hands? Or does the healing work just by making eye contact? Hmm. His rank is low, so I doubt he has a skill of that level.”

“It’s just… after the guiding was over, my body didn’t hurt anymore.”

Sorry to Jo Yeon, who showed his disappointment at the lackluster review, but there really wasn’t much to it.

All they did was kiss with smacking sounds.

Bodam, whose mouth had melted away by the kiss expert, came to his senses to find himself lying on the bed.

Team Leader Han, whose wavelength had sufficiently stabilized from the sticky mucosal guiding, had laid Bodam down neatly and left the room without a backward glance.

Without a single word about how he had so graciously used his healing ability on him.

“Did you say you were sick?”

“Are you crazy? To Team Leader Han… to say something like that… you eat the leg, the leg.”

Bodam, whose memory was hazy from all the things he had blurted out while crying uncontrollably, changed the subject.

“This is really something. For Team Leader Han to use his ability for no reason.”

Jo Yeon, who took the leg and gathered the dry meat that Bodam liked, made a series of ‘hmm’ sounds.

No matter how much he thought about it, the reason narrowed down to just one.

That Han Seung Ho had given their precious, unparalleled beauty, their adorable Bodam Yoon, special treatment.

‘Why now, of all times?’

“He must have had some energy to spare.”

Bodam, who pressed cheese powder firmly onto a large piece of chicken breast and dipped it generously in the white sauce, spoke as if it were someone else’s business.

It didn’t feel real that he had received that rare ability, which even high-ranking officials had to wait for just to get a chance.

Or maybe the cold virus had fallen off because he cried too much?

‘Hey, that sounds more plausible.’

“Ah, wait a minute. No, that’s not it.”

Bodam, who took a bite of the heavily sauced chicken and was in high spirits, suddenly shouted.

Thinking about it made him angry.

It was also partly because the alcohol was getting to his tired body quickly.

“What’s so surprising about it? They can cure their dedicated guide’s cold, who takes such good care of them! Do you know how sick I was!”

At the sudden loud noise, Jo Yeon, who was nibbling on a chicken neck, widened his surprised eyes.

Then he put down the chicken and immediately apologized.

It was a sincere apology, not a joke.

“I’m sorry, Dama. I didn’t think about how you would feel. I said it because that son of a btch is such a son of a btch.

If he has an ability like that, of course he should use it on you and more. What’s so great about a healing ability? Your health is more precious.”

“Of course! I’m such a valuable asset.”

“Even if you weren’t a guide. You’re f*cking precious.”

Jo Yeon clinked his glass, gave a gentle smile, and downed his drink.

Bodam, infected by that warm smile, laughed brightly and emptied his glass as well.

With a friend who cherished him, alcohol, and chicken, he felt like the happiest person in the world.

Bodam was someone who could feel the simple joys of daily life so greatly.

‘These Attack Team 3 sons of b*tches who stole his laughter—’

“Should we watch a movie? The one we stopped watching last time.”

To cut off his negative thoughts, Bodam downed the soju without beer and looked for the remote.

There was a movie they hadn’t finished because Bodam had fallen asleep in the middle.

Now, he was in a good mood, and tomorrow was Saturday, more precious than gold, so it was the perfect time to stay up all night.

Jo Yeon just smiled and watched the white face contemplating whether to start a short new miniseries instead of the movie.

It had already been two years since he started watching over Bodam.

Perhaps because his good skills became well-known, Bodam, who had difficulty adjusting due to frequent team transfers, opened up his heart the fastest in the team where he met Jo Yeon.

The team that Jo Yeon had led was the place where Bodam had worked with the most passion and sincerity in the entire six years he had been a guide.

It was also the team he was in charge of right before Attack Team 3.

How nice would it have been if he had stayed there with Jo Yeon.

He earned less money, but his heart was at ease.

This was something Bodam often said when he was tipsy.

Bodam’s complaints about his life never went past the first verse.

He would sigh a little, then laugh, and after crying alone somewhere, he would whine that he was hungry.

He was sparing with his words even to Jo Yeon, who could curse the Attack Team 3 guys with him all night long.

When work was over, he would focus on delicious food and only show interest in fun stories.

It seemed he was trying his best not to bring the stress from work home.

‘I’m worried that you’ll just let it pile up.’

Fifteen days ago, Bodam, who had almost been sucked into a gate without a safety barrier, suffered from lack of sleep for a whole week.

After nagging the half-dead-looking Bodam, Jo Yeon found out the reason, and his own neck grew stiff.

‘Those fcking bstards, I swear, there was nothing I could do, f*ck.’

‘Just talk to me. Even if you say the same thing a hundred, a thousand times until you feel better, I can react like it’s the first time I’m hearing it.’

It was hard to understand why he kept such things to himself and let them fester.

Of course, the biggest thing was worry.

‘I forget easily. Because I have a bad memory.’

Bodam, who let out a big yawn with his small lips, answered nonchalantly.

His voice was full of resignation, as if the dark circles under his eyes were beyond his control.

‘What’s wrong with your memory? Is memorizing the team members’ profiles in one day a normal brain?’

‘Yeah. I started memorizing a week ago. I got the profiles in advance.’

‘Hey, is memorizing in a week easy?’

‘I got them in advance because they told me to memorize them in three days.’

‘So, you’re this sincere and kind, so why do those fcking bstards torment you!’

‘Thanks, my friend.’

To Jo Yeon, who was about to continue tearing into the atrocities of Attack Team 3, Bodam drew a line, saying he just wanted to rest his mind comfortably when he was resting.

As if trying to separate Yoon Bodam, the dedicated guide of Attack Team 3, from the human Yoon Bodam, very firmly.

‘It’s only at that time. When I come home, I don’t even think about it.’

‘Haa— our kind Yoon Bodam. What if you really get sick from this? Your hyung can’t sleep from worrying about you.’

‘Do you know why you’re Jo Yeon?’

As if mocking Jo Yeon’s ever-growing worries, Bodam, who joked and laughed, really did look fine sometimes.

The way he thrashed about, trying not to be intimidated among Espers twice his size, was really cute.

No, he looked full of life.

“Drink in moderation.”

Bodam was surprisingly strong.

The expression ‘a small pepper is spicy’ came to mind, even though Bodam hated that particular compliment.

Even now, he was drinking much faster than Jo Yeon, who was an Esper.

“You haven’t eaten properly for two days. It’s not good to chug alcohol like you usually do.”

Jo Yeon tried to calm down Bodam’s tension, who was about to drink straight from the bottle, saying it was too much trouble to pour the soju.

Although he did end up drinking straight from the bottle with him without a squeak after Bodam pointed to the front door and said he could leave through there if he was going to say such things, he did try.

“Let’s drink till we die today!”

“Just drink. Don’t die.”

“Who’s going to die! I’m going to live until I have a hundred candles on my birthday cake!”

“Okay, okay. Lie down if you’re sleepy.”

“I’m not sleeping! Turn off the lights!”

Bodam’s ambitious fiery Friday ended with the overwhelming sleepiness that came after one in the morning.

But he was just happy.

The time with delicious food and a comfortable person allowed him to overcome today and live for tomorrow.

This is how he had endured for half a year.