Chapter 139: Side Story – Monday Blues Have Disappeared (9)

“Beautiful. Beautiful.”

Bomi admired, looking around the long dining table.

She applauded repeatedly, showering endless praise on Bodam and Geun Young, who were preparing the food.

Every dish suitable for a housewarming party was on one table.

Neatly scored grilled butter abalone, soy sauce marinated crabs full of roe, large braised fish, spicy braised chicken, and various side dishes.

“Mom, is the galbijjim done?”

Among them, the moment she smelled her mom’s signature galbijjim, which she was crazy about, she said she would gladly die from an Esper’s wavelength and eat with them.

Even after practically having a meal while tasting the food next to the mother and son throughout the cooking process, she was still drooling.

“Hurry up and get ready to go. Here. Take this. Quickly. Pig, out.”

Bodam, who had slipped Bomi some allowance, waved his arms, telling her to stop touching the food.

Geun Young, who had shown off her cooking skills, and Bomi, who had diligently helped with the cleaning, had decided to leave the house for the day for Bodam’s colleagues.

“I want to play too. There’s a barrier ability user, right? Can’t we just put up a barrier and eat together? Mom, let’s eat together too.”

“Aigoo. Why are you trying to join in when your brother’s company people are playing.”

Geun Young patted her daughter’s bottom and covered the dishes to keep them from getting cold.

“Son, if it gets cold while you’re eating, heat it up once more. Don’t move the dishes, just eat as they are. And on top of the japchae-.”

“I know, I know. I’ll sprinkle some sesame seeds. Madam, you should hurry up and get dressed too!”

“Already?”

Geun Young, who had lost track of time while preparing the food, rushed to the dressing room.

Bomi also followed her to help her mom choose clothes and headed to the room in the back of the hallway.

Left alone in the kitchen, Bodam wrapped the bowl of seafood pancake batter, which he would fry later as a side dish for drinks, and put it in the refrigerator.

He had also prepared the tofu hot pot in a large pot so it could be boiled right away.

The boiling beef and radish soup was ready once it was ladled into bowls.

And this goes like this, and that goes like that- okay. This is excellent.

Bodam had learned a lot of cooking over his shoulder while spending the weekend with the resting Geun Young at home.

He was the type to follow along well whenever he learned something and had a knack for it, so he was now quite good at cooking.

“Ha. Yoon Bodam is so perfect.”

Bodam, in high spirits, clapped for himself and hummed, regardless of whether Bomi, who had come out after changing, was glaring at him.

He was used to playing like this by himself.

“Ah, I bought tonkatsu too. And shrimp tempura.”

Even though there was no more space for dishes on the table, he prepared new food.

Since most of the guests were Espers, he was worried that the amount might not be enough.

He quickly took out a household fryer, poured in oil, and preheated it.

He was planning to make more as he watched the amount decrease in the middle of eating.

‘I hope they eat well.’

“Is Ji Oh-oppa coming too?”

“What oppa?”

Bodam, who had his palm spread over the oil to check if it was hot, almost dropped his hand.

J-Ji Oh oppa?

“Wow, damn. You’re going to fry things too? Ah, but I ate all the shrimp tempura in the freezer.”

“Hey, you, when did you get so close- you ate all the shrimp tempura?”

After being shocked by “Ji Oh oppa” for a moment, Bodam choked up, focusing on Bomi’s misdeed of eating all the shrimp tempura.

‘I ordered two bags, knowing that pig would eat them.’

“I told you to ask before you eat! How many times does oppa have to tell you that I bought it for the housewarming food!”

“You said it once. Once!”

“Do I have to say it two or three times for you to get it? Is all food yours?!”

“Dam. Your mom gave one bag of those shrimp to your aunt. I’m sorry.”

Geun Young, who had come out wearing a pearl necklace, intervened between the siblings who were on the verge of a fight.

Bodam immediately said it was fine and that there was a lot to eat.

Strangely, he only became sensitive to Yoon Bomi when it came to food.

‘Is it because Bomi had snatched his food whenever she had the chance since they were young?’

“If there’s nothing to fry, fry this.”

When they were young, even if they got a little angry at each other, they wouldn’t see each other for two days, but after becoming adults, one of them would speak up first.

Even now, Bomi, who had been rummaging through the freezer, took out the frozen menbosha she had bought instead of the shrimp tempura.

Bodam, satisfied with the famous restaurant’s logo, said, “Looks delicious,” and accepted the truce.

Trururung trururung trururung

“Ah! They must be here.”

A call came even though he hadn’t finished cleaning the kitchen.

At the name on the lively phone screen, Bodam hurriedly pressed the call button.

“Yes. Team Leader-nim! Are you at the front?”

– …We’re almost there.

Bodam, who was relieved that they weren’t on the first floor, caught his breath and calmed his ragged breathing.

Next to him, Geun Young and Bomi quickly helped clean up, wiping the used ingredients and washing the dishcloths.

“Come slowly! Team Leader Kim is with you too, right?”

– Yes, I’m next to him. We’ll go slowly!

Bodam, who brightened up at Team Leader Kim’s cheerful voice, told them to come carefully.

He had also talked to Team Leader Kim-nim yesterday to confirm the schedule, but it was even nicer to hear his voice today.

It was also funny that, as expected, Seung Ho had come the earliest.

He had asked him to please come on time, but he had been expecting him to come even earlier.

‘Anyway, the Team Leader-nim.’

“If it’s the Team Leader-nim, don’t tell me it’s Han Seung Ho?”

Bomi, who had wiped the water from a kitchen knife and put it in its holder, had her eyes lit up.

Her eyes, which she had put full makeup on to go out and play, sparkled.

Bodam’s shoulders went up, seeing Bomi who was surprised anew even though he had already said he was coming, and he nodded his head.

It was an expression that said, “The guide in charge of that famous Esper Han Seung Ho is none other than your brother.”

“Mom. Han Seung Ho is coming, Han Seung Ho. He’s right in front.”

“That healing ability user? The one you two liked?”

Within the Center, only a very few knew that Seung Ho’s healing ability had been lost.

Even though the general public’s interest in Seung Ho had almost disappeared, the title of the nation’s only healing Esper was firmly imprinted.

“You two can’t just talk about abilities and stuff. You know that, right?”

“Of course I know. Mom has good manners.”

“I’ll watch my mouth. Just introduce me, oppa.”

“Well. An introduction is fine.”

Bodam nodded, fanning his flushed face from moving around busily.

The Team Leader-nims would be the first to arrive anyway, and since they were all Barrier Espers, it was fine for his mom and the pig, who were ordinary people, to meet them.

Because Barrier Espers can completely hide their wavelengths.

“Son. Be careful.”

The agile Bomi caught Bodam, who had almost tripped and fallen while walking.

It was not a one or two-time occurrence, so everyone’s reaction was calm.

Bodam, who lived completely relaxed at home, often bumped into things and fell over.

Strangely, getting hurt at home didn’t hurt, and the scars disappeared quickly.

Outside, even a slight bump had been sad and painful.

Bodam, who was almost ready to greet his guests, combed his hair and washed his hands in the bathroom.

Thanks to having swept and wiped the entire house since last night and even thoroughly cleaning the bathroom, the whole house was sparkling.

‘The Team Leader-nim will be satisfied with this.’

“This is going to be fun.”

Even though his body was tired, an excited smile remained on his lips.

He couldn’t even remember the last time he had invited a friend to his house.

It still didn’t feel real that someone, and on top of that, work colleagues and a best friend he had met in society, were coming to his house.

Perhaps because he had only ever worked, it felt particularly special.

The only disappointing thing was, Lee Tae Hwan wasn’t here.

“It would have been really nice if we were all together…”

‘It’s really not easy to all get together.’ As one person was filled, another was missing.

The saying that it gets harder to gather as you get older really hit home.

Though the situation was quite special.

***

Ding

The door of the even-the-sound-is-luxurious elevator opened.

It was the elevator Seung Ho and Team Leader Kim had taken down.

In fact, the two had arrived at the front door and called, but had come back down after hearing Bodam’s flustered voice.

“I told you, Team Leader Han, let’s come on time. You’re not supposed to go to a housewarming party early.”

Seung Ho, who ignored Team Leader Kim’s light scolding, just checked the time.

There were still 10 minutes left.

“We have nothing to do, shall we put up a barrier around? Min Ji Oh doesn’t control his wavelength well.”

“Save your strength.”

Seung Ho, who had taken out his phone, was opening his email, as if planning to work even in that short time.

Team Leader Kim, who was used to such a Seung Ho, leaned his back against the wall and continued the conversation.

“That’s right. We have to keep a barrier up today, so you should save your strength.”

“You don’t have to do it too.”

“You told me to save my strength. Weren’t you suggesting we put up Kang Yi Jun’s barrier together?”

“I meant don’t waste your ability.”

“Then I’ll put it up, so you rest, Team Leader Han.”

Team Leader Kim, with his characteristic light smile, told the workaholic Seung Ho to rest a little today.

Since it was a day when they couldn’t not use a barrier, he said to leave it to him and just give him extra pay, grinning slyly.

“Is he really coming? Kang Yi Jun.”

Because of him, a barrier was needed.

So that the ordinary-person-turned Kang Yi Jun would not be affected by the Espers’ wavelengths.

“He said he would come, so he probably will.”

“I’ve completely forgotten his face. How many months has it been.”

“You can see him to your heart’s content today.”

One corner of Team Leader Kim’s mouth went up deeply at Seung Ho’s words, which he had spat out with an indifferent voice.

“Why.”

“It’s nothing. I’m just happy.”

Team Leader Kim showed an even bigger smile in Seung Ho’s face, who had asked why he was laughing.

Somehow.

That Han Seung Ho had brightened up very slightly.

Though it was on a level that was barely noticeable.

“But Team Leader Han, you’re empty-handed? No housewarming gift?”

Team Leader Kim shook the gift box he was holding and wore a “don’t tell me” expression.

No matter how Han Seung Ho he was, a gift was a basic.

Team Leader Kim’s puzzled gaze turned towards the hallway connected to the lobby entrance.

The presence of people could be heard from a distance.

Giggle giggle.

The voices of children were also heard along with the hearty laughter.

Team Leader Kim pressed the elevator button so they could go up right away.

He himself was one thing, but he thought ordinary people would ask if Han Seung Ho, with his noticeable physique and unusual visuals, was an Esper, so he tried to send them up quickly.

If they were a little older, the probability of them talking to Han Seung Ho just by his appearance was also high.

Asking if he wasn’t that actor so-and-so.

“Oh my. Let’s ride together, together. Thank you-!”

“You should say thank you. Yulri, Yoon Seok.”

The shy little kids just bowed their heads at Seung Ho and Team Leader Kim.

A woman, flamboyantly dressed in a red lipstick and red manicure, came carrying a container as big as her own body with a grunt.

“Unni, I told you to let me help you carry it.”

“It’s fine, you just carry your kids. This is my child.”

“What’s there for them to carry.”

Team Leader Kim, while pressing the button, discreetly peeked at the transparent container the woman was holding.

It was an infused liquor with all sorts of things in it.

Judging by the ingredients and color, it seemed like a pretty good liquor.

‘It must be as precious as a real child.’