Chapter 40: Late Night Snack

“I’ll do well. Please. Just give me one more chance.”

“Bullsh*t. Then you should have done well from the start!”

“Don’t give in! Oh, he’s crying. Don’t cry! Don’t even smile, you b*stard!”

“Oh dear. You shouldn’t accept him. The kid is too kind.”

The aunts and Geun Young, engrossed in the popular weekend drama ‘The Esper’s Obsession,’ stopped peeling melon and made pterodactyl-like noises.

They clicked their tongues, watching the guide whose eyes reddened, following the Esper who was kneeling and begging for forgiveness.

Then they also admired the Esper actor, who looked exceptionally good on screen today.

“It’s pitiful, though.”

“He is trash, but if you listen to him again. Right?”

The aunts’ hearts wavered for the Esper who was confessing his heartfelt love with a flawlessly handsome face.

Bodam, lying on the sofa eating melon, couldn’t sympathize at all.

Neither face nor personality was proportional, and once an Esper’s obsession was triggered, it was extremely difficult to root out.

The damage from that obsession entirely fell to the guide.

“What do you mean, ‘right?’ How cruelly did that b*stard behave?!”

Geun Young, who handed Bodam another melon, shouted.

Viewers with a guide in their family would not easily be swayed.

They were the ones who beat their chests at the atrocities Espers committed against guides and were angrier than anyone else.

Geun Young was one of them.

“Bodam. Did you end things well with your colleagues?”

Geun Young subtly asked her son, who never spoke about work.

It happened to be a commercial break for the drama.

In that short interval, the youngest aunt went to see the children sleeping in Bomi’s room, and the eldest aunt joined Geun Young in her interest.

“Did the Espers just let you go?”

“What do you mean, ‘let go?’ If I say I’m leaving, I just cut ties and walk out!”

Bodam, emphasizing his words by making exaggerated motions with his hands and feet in the air, replied confidently.

The eldest aunt laughed heartily and pinched his plump cheeks.

His cheeks, swollen from chewing melon deliciously, were easy to grasp.

“Were your relations not good?”

Geun Young asked.

Still, he used to talk about being in a good team until last year.

The first time her son, who had never mentioned his colleagues, even introduced one by name, it was an Esper named Jo Yeon.

She hadn’t actually met him, but she had seen many pictures. He had an Esper-like appearance and a large build, but his smiling face looked kind, which she liked.

It did bother her that he drank alcohol with her son, who was a guide. No matter how close and good a person he was, he was still an Esper. It was an unavoidable parental worry.

“It was just okay. We just worked together.”

Bodam took a bite of the cool melon and naturally avoided Geun Young’s eyes.

Geun Young, meticulously watching her son, had a slightly worried expression.

Bodam, who had frequently visited hospitals since he was a baby, still felt like a child left by the water’s edge, even as an adult.

Conversely, Bomi, the youngest, was sturdier and destined for a long, healthy life, so she was less worried about her.

“Be careful when you go out. You know, right? If anything happens, call Bomi immediately.”

“Mom. I’m the older brother.”

“Yes, Bodamie. Listen to your auntie. Look at the news about unregistered people these days. Espers walk around without wristbands, it’s so scary. Guides, especially, are told to be careful and not go out late at night.”

Bodam replied, “Understood,” and pulled the blanket covering his chest up to his chin.

He felt a chilling sensation from the talk of unregistered people, something he hadn’t paid much attention to within the Center.

Currently, he was under the protection of the Barrier Team, so there wouldn’t be a problem, but having to live his entire life in civilian areas, being careful of unregistered people, felt a bit daunting.

While guide kidnapping incidents by unregistered people weren’t numerous, they weren’t non-existent either.

“Are you cold? Do you want more blankets?”

Geun Young, who carefully covered Bodam’s feet with a blanket, tried to get another one.

Bodam, who was already covered with two thick blankets and lying on a warm heating mat, smiled, saying he was fine.

Despite Geun Young telling him to rest comfortably in his room if he was sick, he had come out because he wanted to play with his aunts.

Perhaps thanks to his body being warm, his cough had subsided a lot.

“Yeong-ah—it’s starting. Leave the kids to sleep and come out.”

As the commercial ended, the eldest aunt called the youngest aunt.

“I can’t live like this. These kids aren’t sleeping; they’re eating bread with Bomi.”

“That one just eats proper meals. She always eats only greens during the day and then acts like that at night.”

Geun Young clicked her tongue and sighed, saying she was just like her.

Bodam chuckled; it was what he expected.

As Bodam was about to concentrate deeply on the uninteresting drama with his aunts again, his phone vibrated on his stomach.

[What are you doing?]

It was a message from Jo Yeon, whose contact had been cut off three hours ago.

He seemed to have just finished one Gate operation. Bodam took a picture of the melon he had bitten into and replied.

[Late-night snack time]

[That’s new kind of snack, what’s the real late-night meal?]

[lol Uncle is bringing chicken]

[Wow]

Jo Yeon, who sent a clapping emoji, praised Bodam for eating chicken every other day.

Because the whole family was truly passionate about chicken, they often sought chicken. Even when eating late-night snacks with Jo Yeon, Bodam would naturally scan the chicken menu.

It was Bodam’s comfort food.

Bodam, who got up from the sofa after Jo Yeon said he was available for a call, went into his room.

Lately, their timings hadn’t aligned well, so they hadn’t had a proper call.

Bodam, who had been busy resting and eating well, even felt unnecessarily sorry for the especially busy Jo Yeon.

– Is our hyung-nim resting well?

Bodam, who jumped onto the bed, was relieved that Jo Yeon’s voice was, fortunately, as usual. Even though he was busy with work, he didn’t seem to be having difficulty managing his condition.

As he had been Jo Yeon’s dedicated guide, he could gauge his physical state just by his voice and tone.

“I rested so well that I’ve already gained 2 kilograms.”

– Your cold hasn’t cleared up yet?

Jo Yeon asked about Bodam’s still hoarse voice.

Jo Yeon, who took good care of his team members, was also quick to notice the condition of his dedicated guide.
Now, they were just friends, but his habit of taking care of Bodam remained.

“What do you mean, it hasn’t been long?”

– Hasn’t it been over a year since you left? No, two years? It feels like three.

Bodam chuckled at the increasing numbers, cleared his throat, and continued the conversation.

He wanted to meet Jo Yeon soon and have a drink. He hadn’t even had a resignation celebration drink yet. For a heavy drinker, it was absolutely unheard of.

“So, when do we meet?”

– I was just about to tell you. How about next Sunday?

“How? It’s great!”

Bodam, excited by the finally set appointment with Jo Yeon, rolled around on the bed.

He was happy at the thought of playing with Jo Yeon, and ecstatic at the thought of drinking with him. Bodam, who used to drink neat soju instead of water, loved alcohol.

He enjoyed it alone, but indeed, alcohol tasted better when drunk with others.

“I want to drink soon. And see you too.”

– Let’s hang up. I’m getting upset.

Comforting Jo Yeon, who showed his displeasure that Bodam was looking forward to alcohol more than meeting him, they talked for over an hour.

It was such a fun and comfortable conversation that he couldn’t even remember what they talked about.

Whether he was sad or happy, talking to Jo Yeon always made him feel better. Jo Yeon was like chicken to Bodam.

“Let’s eat chicken!”

With the sound of the front door opening and closing, his uncle appeared and called the children together.

Bomi, who had been eating bread, was the first to rush out the door and pounce. Yul Ri and Yoon Seok also followed Bomi out.

The youngest aunt, who repeatedly smacked her husband’s shoulder for being noisy when the children should be sleeping, exchanged secret glances.

While Bodam was distracted setting up the chicken, the adults secretly signaled each other with their eyes.

They even looked at Bomi for cooperation, but she was only looking at the chicken.

Click.

“Huh?”

Bodam, startled by the sudden dimming of the indoor lights, looked up while tearing open the chicken radish packaging.

Just as he was about to stand up, thinking the power had gone out, a song was heard.

“Oh, what is it?!”

Geun Young walked from the kitchen, holding a cake with lit candles.

The aunts and uncle clapped beside her, changing the birthday song to a resignation celebration song.

Yul Ri and Yoon Seok also clapped hard with them, and Bomi neatly placed chicken sauce on a plate.

“You even got a cake?”

It wasn’t a regular cake but a custom-made one.

On a square bread sheet spread with white cream cheese, the words ‘Resignation Letter’ decorated with strawberry-flavored cream stood out.

The youngest aunt, beside him, pinched her uncle’s arm, saying, ‘I told you to get a pretty one!’

“What’s prettier than a resignation letter in this world? Don’t you agree, Bodam?”

“It’s so pretty. I just want to throw it.”

His uncle, who had been working at one company for over 10 years, patted Bodam’s shoulder, saying he also wanted to throw his resignation letter.

Everyone congratulated Bodam on his resignation.

Even without showing it, they expected Bodam, who had left home and suffered far away, must have had a very hard time.
That’s why he had thrown his resignation letter without any warning.

“Hurry and blow out the candles. The chicken’s getting cold.”

Bomi, who had finished setting up all the chicken, urged him. Actually, the resignation celebration cake was Bomi’s idea.

“You have to make a wish before blowing out the candles. A wish. May you quickly find your next job, argh!”

His uncle’s arm, who was spoiling the resignation party, was pinched even harder. The eldest aunt also glared at him with narrowed eyes, annoyed by his insensitivity.

But Bodam, whose heart was at peace, regardless, clasped his hands together and tightly closed his eyes.

He made a short wish, then blew out the candles with a puff. He didn’t greed for wishes, as he was already filled with miraculous happiness.

He was happy even just breathing, with nothing to do.