Chapter 27: Memories

“…….”

Min Ji Oh was speechless at the sudden talk of the toilet.

‘Why did I break it?’

The memory he had been avoiding flashed before his eyes, holding his phone with the cracked screen. That day, when he first recognized the remarkably pale and weak guide as Yoon Bodam.

The memories of that moment were still vivid. As f*cking vivid as hell.

‘Where did it go, this?’

Ji Oh, who had returned to the waiting room after finishing the Gate operation, immediately looked for the guide.

Normally, he would have called the guide to the field, but it just so happened to overlap with the team leader’s guiding time.

It was still before sunset, so the guide, who couldn’t possibly have gone home, must have been in the waiting room, waiting to pass the time.

However, the guide, who usually sat in the living room with a gloomy and vacant expression, was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey.”

Ji Oh, who walked into the living room, thinking the small body might be hidden by the sofa, scrunched up his face.

He wasn’t at the dining table, nor had he fallen under the sofa. And yet, he felt the guide’s aura in the waiting room. It was a soft, gentle, irritating aura.

Ji Oh, with a scrunched expression, nervously turned his head, searching for the brown head.

His sense of smell and hearing were dulled from overusing his ability.

His right ear couldn’t hear anything at all.

He needed guiding quickly.

The Esper’s gaze, craving guiding, was drawn like a magnet to the bathroom door.

Among all the closed doors, he was certain the guide was in there.

Ji Oh’s legs, with even his scent and hearing blocked, walked as if possessed towards the bathroom door.

‘F*ck, he should be on standby.’

As he got closer to the door, he could faintly hear the sound of the shower.

Amidst the sound of water, he could also hear humming and a few curses.

Listening closely, it seemed like he was singing with curses, which was so absurd it made him let out a hollow laugh.

‘Ha.’

He leaned against the wall, his body losing strength, and listened closely to the lyrics.

Now that he heard it, this guy cursed as impressively as he did.

Incessant curses flowed smoothly to the rhythm.

It was so surprising that he wondered where he had accumulated and hidden so many curses.

He thought, ‘He must have accumulated a lot.

Really a lot.’

Ji Oh, whose already ruined mood began to feel even more annoyed, clenched his fist and was about to knock on the door.

He had no time to wait for the guide to finish showering.

‘Mr. Min Ji Oh?’

Just before the fist, masquerading as a knock for his anger, touched the door, the guide inside called his name.

Thanks to the cut-off sound of water, the voice clearly heard by his left ear asked again.

‘Is that Mr. Min Ji Oh?’

‘How did he know immediately?’

Min Ji Oh, who had been an Esper for seven years, still often forgot the range his wavelength affected.

He easily forgot that a sharp wavelength, close to a dangerous level, could be transmitted even through a wall, as it was now.

Perhaps it was because he had lived more of his life as an ordinary person than as an Esper.

‘Just a moment!’

Just hearing the guide’s voice, his blocked senses, which had been frustratingly numb, began to slowly come alive as if pierced by needles.

It was ridiculously strange. Ji Oh, his breath restored, inhaled air.

Then, his throat tightened again at the clamorous, noisy sounds and weak groans mixed with curses coming from inside.

‘Hey! What is it?!’

‘Ah….’

‘What?! What’s that noise?!’

‘Please wait. Just a moment…!’

Min Ji Oh, who was born without patience, flung the door open.

He naturally broke the locked doorknob and opened it. He couldn’t help but open it out of curiosity because of the loud noise.

His hand moved on its own, not going through his brain.

For no particular reason.

‘Ah, I told you to wait!’

The guide, who had been sprawled on the floor, was startled and yelled, forgetting his honorifics.

He seemed to have fallen while trying to grab a towel to cover his body, which was still covered in soap suds.

He could tell by the hand outstretched towards the towel rack and the pale white naked body still covered in foam.

Pale white naked body.

His insides were even whiter.

‘Don’t look!’

The guide, who only covered his front, shrieked, pressing himself flat against the floor.

Even though what was clearly exposed were two plump blocks of tofu, he only thought of covering his front.
He thought, ‘Despite looking like a child, he must still be a man.’

‘What is there to see that you’re making such a fuss about?’

Ji Oh, who picked up the towel the guide had failed to grab and casually handed it over, sneered.

The guide’s ears, flushed pink with embarrassment and shame, stood out particularly.

Compared to his inner self, which was whiter than his face, the color stood out even more.

‘Does this b*stard never see sunlight?’

‘Is it very bad?’

The guide, covering his lower body with the towel, cleared his throat with a ‘ahem, ahem’ and sat up.

It was his habit to check the Esper’s condition, not to ask out of concern.

His face, flushed even to his round cheeks, gradually hardened.

That meant Ji Oh’s condition was quite bad.

‘You’ll be in danger if you keep this up. When I’m not around, calm it down with medicine first.’

The guide, accustomed to rudeness and not listening to others, spoke in a perfunctory tone, mimicking Ji Oh.

His attitude showed that he knew well that even if he spoke, it wouldn’t be heard. Still, he wondered what the point was of constantly giving warnings.

‘Stay close to me.’

Ji Oh, who was watching the guide’s wet face, unable to wipe off the water, blurted out.

It was a statement that came out without going through his brain.

‘Stay close to me.’

He got goosebumps even from his own words.

‘…Ah, it’s going to bruise.’

The nonsense was easily dismissed thanks to the guide, who naturally ignored his words and shifted his gaze to his knees, which were pressed against the floor.

This b*stard subtly ignored what people said very well.

‘Get up.’

Ji Oh, who was eager to receive guiding and gestured towards the door with his chin, turned to leave.

He wasn’t the type to engage in useless conversations with a guide like Lee Tae Hwan.

Nor did he persistently deal with a weak guide whose entire knees were starting to bruise, like Kang Yi Jun.

Simply put, Min Ji Oh treated people rudely.

He did it to everyone.

Especially to guides whose matching rate was as low as his height, his words and actions were even harsher.

He consciously ignored them and didn’t even call them by name.

He mostly called them ‘Hey!’ and ended conversations with a chin gesture.

Just like now, pointing to the outside of the door with his chin and leaving first meant for them to obediently follow and guide him.

Then, the guide, who knew how to act on cue, would silently follow with a disgusted face.

But this day.

‘Let’s just do it here.’

‘Let’s do it here.’

He had a composed face, as if annoyed by everything and not wanting his aching legs to be noticed, and even grabbed Ji Oh’s hand that was reaching for the door to stop him.

‘No. It’s dirty.’

Ji Oh refused immediately without hesitation.

He had never simply followed someone else’s words.

He had long been accustomed to rebellious acts mixed with curses.

‘What?’

‘It’s dirty.’

‘What, what’s dirty? We’re just doing guiding.’

The guide, whose face turned red from the incomprehensible insult, widened his eyes.

He wondered why he was acting so tough, then, ah.

It was Monday.

Whatever he did on the weekends, the guide’s self-esteem, which always hit rock bottom, was running rampant on Mondays.

Even when he was trampled upon, begging him to just quit, he would stubbornly recharge his broken mental state.
He wondered if he had a girlfriend who was good at comforting him.

‘Mr. Min Ji Oh.’

The sharp Esper wavelength filled the bathroom.

The guide, burdened by the sensitive wavelength that caused thirst, grimaced.

Tiny red veins that had burst in Ji Oh’s white eyes, fixed on that pale face, extended downwards.

At the same time, two watches, signaling danger, vibrated together.

The vibrations of the same intensity loudly rang on Ji Oh’s and Bodam’s wrists.

‘What’s dirty? Let’s sit down and talk.’

The guide bit his teeth, speaking as if trying to reason with him.

He tried to get up from the floor but let out a groan due to his throbbing knees and merely sat back down.

He looked quite struggling.

‘Would I receive guiding in a bathroom? And on the floor—’

Ji Oh’s upper body, which was being unnecessarily prideful, dropped downwards.

It was because the guide, who had risen on his aching knees and outstretched his arms, had placed his hands on Ji Oh’s neck and put his weight down.

Ji Oh’s head, which was pulled down by the light weight, overlapped with soft lips.

His long legs, losing balance, gave way as guiding was instantly absorbed through the mucous membranes.

‘Ugh!’

The guide, who was pinned to the floor by the heavy Esper’s body, squeezed his eyes shut.

Even amidst that, he didn’t let go of his lips and continued to release guiding.

Blood from Ji Oh’s nosebleed was mixing into his mouth.
Ji Oh didn’t even realize he had a nosebleed.

Like an Esper forgetting his awareness, he didn’t quickly recognize even the physical reactions appearing due to his unstable wavelength.

It was the guide who, seeing the bleeding Esper, involuntarily reached out first.

‘If he goes into a rampage like this….’

The guide, pinned to the floor by Ji Oh’s body, muttered, pulling his lips away.

More energy was consumed to calm the rough wavelength.

Even with short mucous membrane guiding, his plump lips, stained with red blood, had turned pale.

‘Mr. Min Ji Oh isn’t the only one in danger.’

The pale hands that had been pulling Ji Oh’s neck wrapped around both his cheeks.

The touch, implying ‘act your age,’ pressed firmly on his cheekbones.

‘Take your medicine before it hurts.’

With only their breaths exchanging in the narrow space between them, Ji Oh couldn’t take his eyes off the pale brown pupils.

All his attention was focused on the words he uttered softly.

Upon closer inspection, his round eyes, as if he were wearing lenses, had a beautiful color like poured latte.

The voice, when he listened closely, had a soft aura that made even curses sound pleasant.

He was just f*cking beautiful.

“What?”

Ji Oh, who had blurted out a question from his own thoughts, blinked.

The round eyes, which seemed to think he was being questioned, smiled beautifully, silently cursing.

A voice that said, ‘Yeah, do whatever the f*ck you want,’ naturally resonated.

His insides tingled.

‘Heugh.’

Ji Oh widely spread his long arms and pulled the thin body into an embrace.

He inhaled deeply, filling his tingling insides with air.

In an instant, his chest, where Yoon Bodam, not just a guide, was firmly lodged, became full.

Even recalling all sorts of curses, the deeply rooted Yoon Bodam kicked at his heart, showing no intention of leaving.

“Are you hurt?”

Bodam, surprised by Ji Oh’s intensified heartbeat, looked up and asked.

He found Ji Oh strange, as he didn’t curse or deny anything, but just held him tightly.

He squirmed and pulled out his arm, which was trapped in Ji Oh’s embrace, then even stroked his broad back.

‘Mr. Min Ji Oh.’

Bodam didn’t force another kiss on Ji Oh, who, unlike the team leader, didn’t object to contact but also lacked enthusiasm for mucous membrane guiding.

He merely patted his back with leisure, as if comforting a child he wanted to smack.

‘Let’s make sure to take our medicine from now on.’

His lips, checking the Esper’s condition and gauging his mood, gently touched his cheek.

Seeing his heartbeat accelerate, perhaps as a counter effect, Bodam was flustered and recalled his six years of guiding experience to find a solution.

He wondered if he should hit his solar plexus before he rampaged, but it was clear that only his own hand would hurt if he did.

‘I…’

‘Shut up.’

Ji Oh, who had been keeping his mouth shut, suddenly lowered his head and bit Bodam’s lip.

Seeing Ji Oh’s flushed face for the first time, Bodam obediently continued guiding.

He thought Ji Oh must be in a really bad state today.

He wasn’t the type to actively rush into mucous membrane guiding like this.

‘Don’t, get too close.’

Bodam, embarrassed by the body overlapping him since he had no clothes on, turned his head and spoke.

It was a position where they couldn’t help but touch, even if they tried to avoid letting their pride meet.

At least the good quality towel was thick, which was a relief.

“It hurts.”

Ji Oh, who placed his lips on Bodam’s cheek as Bodam turned his head to the side, whispered.

He kissed Bodam’s cheek, following him, and slowly approached his lips.

He didn’t want to let go.

Bodam, judging Ji Oh’s unusual clinging to guiding as a serious condition, let him do as he wished.

Even though he tried his best to calm the rampaging wavelength, his unnaturally fast heartbeat wouldn’t settle, which worried him.

Even when he hugged him tighter, rubbed his bare skin, and kissed him more deeply, his heartbeat only grew louder and more frantic.

He didn’t know how many minutes had passed.

His body, touching the tiled floor, was cooling down along with the cold moisture.

His finely trembling body, due to the drop in body temperature, burrowed into the Esper’s much hotter body temperature.

Ji Oh, who no longer attempted mucous membrane guiding with an exhausted Bodam, simply confined Bodam’s cold body within his arms.

He felt an incomprehensible sense of relief at Bodam’s reaction of not rejecting his warm embrace.

The overlapping bodies, the feel of soft bare skin, even the faint breathing against his chest.

He didn’t want to lose any of it.

He wanted to cling to this place, filled with himself and Yoon Bodam’s wavelengths, all entangled.

He intentionally didn’t teleport to the bed, which would have taken only a moment.

In a warm place, Yoon Bodam would never have been clinging to him.

– Answer me.

Ji Oh swallowed hard at Yoon Bodam’s calm voice, which urged an answer.

He frowned at the metallic taste in his mouth and wiped his philtrum, realizing a nosebleed, he didn’t know when it had started, was flowing.

He opened his mouth, looking at the red blood on his hand, then closed it again, recalling the pale white hand that had wiped away the dark red blood.

Since that day, every time he saw the living room bathroom, Yoon Bodam came to mind.

He was on the verge of going crazy at the sight of that flesh color on the cold tiled floor, which even appeared in his cursed dreams.

He couldn’t understand it.

He didn’t want to admit that an unfamiliar emotion was gnawing at him.

“…I don’t f*cking know.”

The result of his uncharacteristic worries was, in the end, only his usual curses.

No matter which way his heart inclined, his words and actions burst out as if the first button had already been fastened in that manner.

Bodam, leaning against the wall, lightly chuckled as he listened to Ji Oh’s perfunctory answer.
It was the answer he had expected.

He concluded the conversation, hoping the watch on his throbbing wrist would no longer vibrate.

The barrier Esper, who the Barrier Team had coordinated with, had just arrived.

“Right. What else would you know besides getting angry?”

He continued speaking in the most sarcastic tone he could manage, preparing to hang up.

He no longer had the heart to curse.

“Live like that forever.”

Their last conversation, which would never truly blend, came to an end.

The call disconnected with Bodam’s plain curse.

Just throwing away one of the burdens accumulated inside made him feel light as if he could fly.

The barrier Esper, who introduced himself as Team Leader Kim, was a dual-ability user who could even teleport.

Bodam, having gained the world’s most reliable backup, immediately knocked on the HR department door.
Very lightly and cheerfully.