Chapter 41: Baby Bird

Click.

Click.

The sound of a mouse clicking played amidst highlight reels of a drama.

Bodam was the kind of viewer who, once they started a drama, would watch it to the end, even while complaining.

“They say I’ll die without you now.”

“What?”

“If you want to kill me, go.”

With well-chosen background music playing, the Esper, whose lips were pale, knelt.

Bodam slammed his desk, shaking his head, wondering if that was how someone who wanted him to leave should act.

Yet, his right hand was diligently clicking the mouse cursor.

He disliked the background music that tried to wring out emotion, so he quickly skimmed the comments section.

‘Hmm.’

As the drama progressed towards the latter half, there were quite a few opinions expressing pity for the Esper.

The sentiment was that it was understandable for an Esper, destined to live their whole life inside the Center, to become obsessive over the only Guide they felt affection for.

Some even went as far as to say this was why unregistered Esper issues arose.

Bodam pressed the dislike button on that comment, then put down his phone, which was displaying the video, and focused on his laptop screen again.

“Haa.”

He leaned back slightly in his chair and let out a sigh.

He rubbed his eyes, which felt stiff from staring at the laptop for too long.

After rubbing his eyes, Bodam swept his hand over his face and then buried his face in his arms on the desk.

Bomi, who was heading to the kitchen, heard her brother’s sigh from in front of his door and opened it, pulling the doorknob at the same time.

“Why?”

Bodam asked Bomi, his face still buried in his arms, as she opened the door.

Bomi silently watched her brother, who seemed deep in thought, then asked if he needed something to drink.

Bomi was about to make coffee in her tumbler before heading out for her Sunday afternoon appointment.

Bodam’s voice, softened by his sister’s kindness, asked for citron tea.

His throat felt rough, and he craved something sweet.

While Bomi made the citron tea, Bodam turned his eyes back to the laptop screen.

He was so engrossed in his serious thoughts that he didn’t even hear the footsteps of her bringing the mug.

Bomi, whose mood also turned heavy, wore a serious expression.

She thought her brother, who had just left his job, must have a lot on his mind.

Curious about what he was thinking, she peeked at the laptop screen he was looking at.

Whack!

“Ack! Why did you hit me?!”

Bomi’s palm landed heavily on his slender back.

Startled by the sudden attack, Bodam pushed his chair back and slumped to the floor.

His back hurt so much that his legs gave out.

“Snap out of it.”

Bomi sighed deeply, then grabbed his thin shoulder and pulled him back into the chair.

She wondered what he was looking at so seriously.

She clicked her tongue, seeing the list of flashy cars on Bodam’s laptop screen.

“Is this the time to buy a car, huh?

Huh?

Seriously.

Huh?”

His only younger sister, worried about her brother who had become jobless overnight, pretended to throw a threatening punch.

While buying a car was his own business, she was flabbergasted by the car models Bodam was looking into.

It was as if he suddenly became a millionaire; where did he learn such pretense?

“Save your severance pay. I might just turn you into car parts.”

Bodam, thoroughly intimidated, leaned his sore back against the chair and blew on his hot citron tea.

He still didn’t answer.

***

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

Before he knew it, the week was over, and Sunday had arrived.

Jo Yeon, who had collapsed without even showering after finishing his night shift, showered immediately upon waking up.

Today was a very special day.

He took out his casual clothes for the first time in a while and even styled his hair.

On his way, he stopped by Yeon Yeok’s dorm, woke up the sleeping man, and didn’t forget to receive guiding.

Yeon Yeok, roused from sleep, grabbed Jo Yeon’s hand roughly with a face full of annoyance and provided guiding.

He glared disapprovingly at Jo Yeon, who was clearly dressed up to go out and have fun.

“Take me too. Buy me food.”

“The cafeteria serves good side dishes on weekends.”

“Aren’t you going to meet Guide Yoon Bodam? You could introduce me. Let me meet the talk of the town.”

Jo Yeon, having received sufficient guiding, pulled out two 10,000 won bills from his wallet and sternly told him to order whatever he wanted.

Since he still had some time, he opened Yeon Yeok’s closet to see if there were any better clothes.

“Oh, seriously, Hyung. Isn’t your mouth heavy? If it’s that heavy, you won’t even be able to carry it around. Just tell me anything, please.”

“You’re dead.”

Yeon Yeok grumbled, saying it was no fun because Jo Yeon wouldn’t say anything about Guide Yoon Bodam, no matter how much he pried.

The closest confidant of the hot topic was right beside him, yet there was nothing to gain.

Everyone was intensely interested in Bodam, who had not only beaten up the young masters of Attack Team 3 but also thrown his resignation letter in their faces before leaving.

Not everyone was full of admiration, though.

“Hyung, do you know that a lot of people are cursing Guide Yoon?”

“What?”

Jo Yeon, who had been interested in Yeon Yeok’s newly bought navy shirt, spun around.

“They’re cursing Bodam?”

“Oh, come on.

Honestly, that’s not a surprising reaction, is it?

Who do you think caused the vacancy in Attack Team 3 and messed up the gates?

Everyone’s working overtime to fill the void.

Our team, too.”

“Are you saying that’s all because of Bodam, you f***?”

Jo Yeon’s expression crumpled into a fierce scowl.

Yeon Yeok, knowing his cousin, who had been full of loyalty since childhood, quickly backed down.

“No…

I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t say it, but you agree with it, huh?

Is that it?”

Jo Yeon suddenly stripped off the sweater he was wearing and asked.

“What part of a Guide, who left to save his own skin after being tormented by Espers, deserves to be cursed?”

“Hyung… calm down….”

“It’s not like the dedicated Guide position for those Attack Team 3 b*stards has been vacant for a day or two. You know perfectly well how Bodam was treated, and yet they curse him.”

“Hyungnim… let’s talk with our clothes on. Come down, Esper.”

“That’s not how it should be.”

Jo Yeon folded the removed sweater neatly and placed it on the floor, then calmly continued.

“Don’t follow along with easy talk of slandering others. Don’t even pay attention to it.”

Yeon Yeok looked up at Jo Yeon, who was speaking with a serious gaze, and nodded, closing his mouth.

Soon, his mouth opened again at Jo Yeon’s action of putting on his newly bought navy shirt.

“And I’m borrowing this.”

Leaving Yeon Yeok screaming that he couldn’t, Jo Yeon went out to enjoy his special day.

His mouth tasted bitter, but it was a day that should only be enjoyable.

***

Jo Yeon parked his motorcycle in the restaurant’s exclusive parking lot, took off his helmet, and tidied his hair.

His expression kept darkening because of Yeon Yeok’s pointless words.

It made him want to smoke, something he rarely did.

“Ah. This is really sh*t.”

Jo Yeon, who had been tidying his hair, scratched his head vigorously and mumbled.

It was true that the Center situation was a mess.

With Attack Team 3, who had been doing the work of a hundred men, no longer working, they naturally had to prioritize quantity over quality.

They were barely maintaining gate management by mobilizing every able-bodied Esper.

The Gate in Zone 1, especially, which had the highest concentration of Red Code threats, was in even greater chaos.

They desperately needed the power of S-class Esper Lee Tae Hwan.

And S-class mind-type Esper Kang Yi Jun was essential.

At twenty years old, Kang Yi Jun, who surpassed the abilities of most veterans, was just as formidable as Lee Tae Hwan.

Even setting aside his rare abilities, Kang Yi Jun was a monster.

Eventually, Jo Yeon took out a cigarette.

Although he didn’t pay attention to the circulating rumors, he naturally came to know them because he had ears.

Talkative Yeon Yeok kept bringing him information from various places.

‘Is Team Leader Han Seung Ho really that terrible?’

Just the other day, he had brought up a story about Han Seung Ho, who was usually a celebrity that new recruits found most fascinating.

‘When they asked about Attack Team 3’s return schedule, he just gave a curt ‘undecided’ answer.

And he even lectured them, saying they should create a system that can function even without Attack Team 3.

Seriously.

Does that make any sense?’

Whoosh-.

Jo Yeon exhaled a long stream of cigarette smoke, then extinguished the long cigarette stick, which he had only smoked a few puffs of, and tossed it.

After Bodam left, Attack Team 3’s attitude was highly displeasing.

After tormenting him so much, now.

“They’re really crazy b*stards….”

Unlike the countless Guides they had seen off before, they were acting as if they felt Bodam’s absence.

It was completely incomprehensible.

They had abandoned all work, like Espers who had lost their will to live because their beloved Guide had run away from home.

Attack Team 3, which had been relatively stable for six years without major trouble, was violently shaking.

They should have treated him well.

How could they make Bodam, the victim, receive insults, you f**ing bstards?

The thought that bad words were reaching Bodam, who was the victim, made his sighs unstoppable.

It was also annoying that his mood had dampened on what was finally a hard-earned holiday after being tormented by work.

Riiing.

As if sensing the Esper’s sinking energy through telepathy, a call from Bodam came at the perfect timing.

Jo Yeon chuckled, and the wrinkles on his brow quickly smoothed out.

Today was the long-awaited party to celebrate Bodam’s resignation.

It was a day good enough to drink himself to death.

– Are you nearby?

Just hearing his voice, Bodam’s heightened spirits were conveyed.

He was panting, seemingly running.

“I just arrived. Why are you running? You could’ve just walked.”

– I’m hungry.

Jo Yeon burst out laughing at the sincere answer and chuckled, telling him to come slowly.

It was still before their appointed time.

– Go in first.

I made a reservation under my name.

“Wow.You made a reservation?”

Bodam chuckled at Jo Yeon, who was impressed simply by the fact that he had made a restaurant reservation, then brought the phone closer to his lips and whispered.

Shh.

Look forward to it.

My big baby bird.