Chapter 105: Six Million

‘Hiccup!’

Ji Oh’s shoulders jumped violently as he belatedly discovered the notification that his exclusive guide had been connected.

With a hiccup as loud as anyone’s.

He had checked the empty hospital room upon hearing that Bodam had returned, and after wandering here and there, he had found his way to the new waiting room,

Only to stare with a dumbfounded expression at Bodam admiring the waiting room with Tae Hwan.

Just as Tae Hwan had.

‘…What.’

Ji Oh couldn’t utter a single word to Bodam, who asked with a sullen face.

He just clamped his mouth shut to prevent any more hiccups from escaping.

The hiccups, once started, wouldn’t stop.

Thus, Ji Oh couldn’t even talk to Bodam all day because he was busy ‘hic, hiccuping’, and he even got an earful from Tae Hwan for putting on a show to get guiding.

‘It’s not like I was hiccuping on purpose. Ah…’

“It’s over. One hour.”

Ji Oh, who had received guiding right there on the living room sofa where Bodam was sitting, relaxed his hand.

‘An hour has already passed? Not 10 minutes?!’

“Make sure your wavelength reading doesn’t go above 60%. The more of a glass mentality you have, the more careful you need to be.”

“I get it. I’ll maintain it.”

‘I guess he knows his mentality is weak.’ Bodam watched Ji Oh nod without a word and got up from the sofa.

He was too lazy to move to the room designated as the guiding room, so he gave guiding right where he was sitting.

Just holding hands, and only for the designated time.

This, too, was a working condition set by Bodam.

“Right, six million won!”

Bodam, who was heading to the kitchen to rehydrate after the guiding, turned around.

Ji Oh was still sitting on the sofa, absorbing the lingering feeling of Bodam on his palm.

“Why haven’t you sent your account number? I keep forgetting.”

“…I sent a text.”

Bodam, with a stern expression, briefly rolled his eyes.

‘Ah, I haven’t unblocked him.’

“Wait.”

Bodam immediately took out his phone and unblocked Min Ji Oh from his KakaoTalk block list.

He had already deleted the number along with the block a long time ago.

“Send it through KakaoTalk. I’ll transfer it right away.”

“Just use it yourself.”

“Why would I use someone else’s money.”

“Someone else’s…”

Of course, it was true that they weren’t related by a single drop of blood, but Ji Oh, who had become sullen for no reason, lowered his eyes to his phone.

But he didn’t send a message even as Bodam filled a glass from the water purifier and drank it all.

‘How long does it take to copy and paste one account number.’

Jiiing.

Just when he was about to get annoyed and tell him to send it quickly, a text came.

‘He should have sent it earlier.’

“…Excuse me.”

Bodam, who had read the text from Ji Oh, expressed his annoyance with his face.

[It’s okay to pay me back with a meal]

‘I told him to send his account number, but he’s asking me to buy him a meal instead. How much is this crazy bastard planning to eat for six million won?’

“I’ll just give you the money, so go buy it yourself.”

“I want to buy it for you. Let’s just have one meal.”

“What meal costs six million for one-“

“You don’t have to spend it all. The rest can be the price for eating with me.”

Ji Oh, who clenched both fists to avoid raising his voice, blushed again.

‘It seems he’s embarrassed to say it himself.’

“You choose what you like. I’m not picky with food.”

The guy who looked picky to anyone was now even lying shamelessly.

“I eat cheap food well too.”

“What’s that supposed to mean. That I look like I only eat cheap food?!”

“No! I, I meant that I like cost-effective food too!”

“I happen to enjoy French cuisine!”

“Then let’s eat that!”

Ji Oh, who shot up from his seat, finally raised his voice as usual.

‘French cuisine. I’m even in a good mood because my taste in food matches Yoon Bodam’s.’

Because that was also plainly revealed in his expression, Bodam was dumbfounded.

‘To think Min Ji Oh was this much of a single-celled organism.’

“What are you going to do by eating with me?”

Bodam, with a hardened expression, asked seriously.

No matter how insignificant six million won was to Min Ji Oh, he couldn’t understand why he wanted to eat with him so badly.

‘Don’t tell me he’s going to apologize again throughout the meal?’

“…Because I’ve never, done it.”

“What?”

Min Ji Oh, who answered so quietly that it couldn’t be heard, blushed to his neck and avoided his gaze.

When Bodam said he couldn’t hear, he barely continued in a voice that was barely a whisper.

“I haven’t done anything for you.”

“……”

“I want to at least buy you a meal…”

Ddiririk. Ddiririk-.

Ji Oh’s watch rang with good timing.

Unlike his usual self, he disappeared before the call vibration even stopped.

He had run away before hearing Yoon Bodam’s refusal.

Bodam, left alone, was just dumbfounded.

He wondered what he was supposed to do, but he also laughed.

It was a vague line between a snort and a hollow laugh, but it didn’t contain any displeasure.

Because it was fun to see him fidgeting while being mindful of him.

Bodam, who was unconsciously humming as he took a yogurt out of the refrigerator, looked to be in a good mood.

His appetite had returned so much that he didn’t stop at yogurt and even peeled and ate a banana.

His life back in Attack Team 3 was so comfortable that it made his worries seem foolish, and,

“Eating ramen on top of this would be too much like Yoon Bomi.”

Most of all, it was largely thanks to the connection with Kang Yi Jun fading.

At some point, he felt Kang Yi Jun’s emotions less.

The heavy muscle aches he had been suffering from were now almost gone.

Thanks to that, his body felt light and his mind was clear.

‘Could it be a sign that the natural imprinting is breaking?’

“…Let’s just sleep.”

That being said, his thoughts about Kang Yi Jun did not diminish.

Rather, as the connection thinned, he became more curious about his well-being.

‘He’ll need guiding soon. Is his body recovering?’

‘Anyway, this damn matching rate.’

***

Seung Ho, who had come out of the medical center, turned on his phone, which he had turned off while receiving treatment.

He was on his way out after receiving a painkiller injection in his ‘left arm’, which was everyone’s recent concern.

If it had been Tae Hwan, he would have left the wound as it was, saying it would stimulate his healing ability, but Seung Ho was not used to pain.

The sensation of the severed part opening up as he moved his body interfered with his concentration.

Along with his healing ability, his regeneration ability was also gradually deteriorating.

“Why.”

His phone had been off for 30 minutes, and five calls had come in, but the only number that drew Seung Ho’s interest was Team Leader Kim’s.

The two had not been in contact since Bodam’s personal protection was lifted.

– It seems my fate is deeply intertwined with yours this year.

“The point.”

– I’ve been transferred to Kang Yi Jun’s management team. It’s temporary, so the pay is no joke. They were paying as much as I asked.

“And.”

– I thought of you, Team Leader Han, when I saw Kang Yi Jun, so I called.

Seung Ho, who had stopped dead in his tracks, waited for the next words.

He had only been receiving simple status reports since he had handed Yi Jun over to Team 1.

– He’s gotten much better in that short time. It seems he’s recovered enough to even use his ability.

He had not been informed that his ability use had been permitted.

If so, it meant they had released Kang Yi Jun’s restraining barrier.

There was only one reason to grant freedom to an uncontrollable Esper.

That his usefulness had been proven.

***

Although their innate personalities may differ, the fundamental desire of all Espers was the same.

That is, an imprint with a guide.

Everyone sought the opportunity to form an imprint with a guide with a high matching rate.

But Kang Yi Jun had refused that opportunity.

He had expressed his firm refusal by crushing the mouth of the Director who had offered to make a real imprint with Guide Yoon Bodam happen.

‘Why did he act against his desires? Why did Esper Kang Yi Jun, who lived more freely than anyone else?’

‘Because the guide didn’t want it?’

For a normal Esper, it would have been a sufficient reason to give up on an imprint, but he was Kang Yi Jun.

A young master whose psychology was as unstable as his rare ability and who had lived his entire life looking down on others.

He was by no means a person who would accept a guide’s will.

‘But if so. If his feelings for Guide Yoon Bodam are so sincere that he doesn’t want to take him by force, what conditions should be set?’

Team Leader Baek thought deeply while moving Yi Jun to Attack Team 1’s exclusive annex.

About how to use Yi Jun’s mind-type ability.

It didn’t take long to find the answer.

‘Do you like Guide Yoon Bodam?’

‘Yes.’

Team Leader Baek, who smiled leisurely at Yi Jun’s answer that came back without hesitation, removed the black cloth covering his eyes.

‘If you want to receive affection too, you have to grant what the other person wants.’

She began to release the restraining barriers surrounding Yi Jun one by one.

‘What does Guide Yoon want? I know.’

Team Leader Baek, who had removed even the last barrier, watched Yi Jun’s expression instead of continuing.

He was showing clear interest while being wary.

‘Breaking the natural imprint, and the disappearance of the unregistered. Both are things that require your cooperation.’

At Team Leader Baek’s persuasion disguised as advice, Yi Jun, who had raised the corners of his mouth, just let it slide.

Like a pure Esper blinded by a guide.

He followed along, knowing that she was bringing up hyung to make him work.