Chapter 42: Full Course Meal

“Brother!”

“Sit down.”

Jo Yeon, who was already seated in the room reserved under Bodam’s name, sprang to his feet.

Bodam, clearly having rushed over, tidied his split bangs and pretended to be dignified.

One collar of his crisply ironed white shirt was even standing up.

“How have you been?”

Jo Yeon, bowing his head respectfully, approached without listening to Bodam’s instruction to sit.

It had been almost half a month since they last met.

Bodam, with whom he used to have chicken and beer every weekend and chat at cafes whenever they had a break during work, had been unreachable for nearly half a month.

“Ugh!”

Jo Yeon, spreading his arms wide in extreme joy, tightly embraced Bodam’s still small frame.

Bodam, held tight in a sturdy Esper’s embrace after a long time, instinctively stepped back, then quickly opened his own arms.

Because he was hugged head-on, his face was pressed into Jo Yeon’s chest, almost suffocating him.

Instead of struggling, Bodam chuckled, responding to his friend’s enthusiastic greeting.

Bodam, no less than Jo Yeon, had been eagerly awaiting their meeting.

“How many kilos have you gained? You feel different when I hug you now.”

Jo Yeon, remembering Bodam at his thinnest, lifted him up just as he was hugging him.

Bodam exclaimed “Ack!” as his feet left the ground, dangling in the air.

Seeing him a bit heavier, it seemed certain he had gained weight.

Jo Yeon was happy that Bodam, who had been pitifully losing weight, had put on some flesh.

At Bodam’s playful grab at his collar, telling him to put him down, Jo Yeon smiled and released his embrace.

“I gained back all the weight I lost. How about it? Looks good, right!”

Bodam, trying to equate fat with muscle, flexed his arm, showing off his soft, plump bicep.

The 5 kg he had lost in half a year since joining Attack Team 3 had returned in half a month.

It was the proud result of eating as soon as he woke up every day, and finishing two bowls of rice until three hours before falling asleep.

“Well done. Well done. You look so much better.”

Jo Yeon, who had straightened Bodam’s collar, replied, unable to take his eyes off Bodam’s rounder cheeks.

He wanted to pull those mochi-like cheeks.

He held back, as Bodam disliked that action.

“Let’s sit down now. It’s modest, but enjoy yourself to your heart’s content. My comrade.”

In the private room, easily accommodating eight adult men, Bodam elegantly gestured towards the long table, a smile playing on his lips.

The dark, matte wallpaper and subtle lighting added to the luxurious atmosphere.

In the center of the rectangular table, fresh flowers of understated colors were neatly arranged.

In a word, it exuded an expensive aura.

Knock, knock.

As soon as Bodam and Jo Yeon sat down, a staff member knocked at just the right time and entered.

He had calmly waited outside the door for their joyful greetings to conclude.

This was the same staff member who had guided Bodam when he first visited this restaurant.

He, a paragon of diligence who went to the gym every morning, offered a gentle smile.

Bodam also smiled brightly, following his lead.

“Thank you for visiting us again.”

The staff member, who bowed moderately in greeting, had already had a brief conversation with Jo Yeon.

Jo Yeon, who had been guided to his seat earlier, offered an apology he hadn’t been able to give that day.

The staff member replied that he was glad the two were friends, laughing off the misunderstanding-filled incident.

“This is the dinner course menu you reserved for today.”

Jo Yeon, receiving the long menu, seemed slightly awkward.

Nothing was properly registering in his rapidly moving eyes.

It was all unfamiliar food terminology.

Bodam’s lips twitched as he pretended to be natural, despite this being only his second time here at most.

‘Jo Yeon, this guy, he’s nervous.’

Bodam, chuckling at Jo Yeon reading the menu with a serious face, also quickly scanned the menu and put it down.

Even though there was clearly a Korean translation below the curly foreign script, it felt like another language.

It was full of words he couldn’t understand even if he read them.

Cooked mero?

Entrée…?

“Hmm. It looks delicious.”

Jo Yeon, who had diligently read the menu while the staff member poured lemon water into the glass, said this.

The staff member kindly replied that he would do his best to ensure their satisfaction.

The staff member helped guide them through the course in detail so they could enjoy the food as comfortably as possible.

“Would it be alright if we prepare the special requested menu with the dessert?”

“Yes! Please do that.”

Jo Yeon, overwhelmed by the atmosphere even before eating, felt as if his hunger had been satisfied.

He just grinned, watching Bodam nod his head rapidly.

Just seeing Bodam, who was even more excited than himself, made his accumulated fatigue melt away.

The shadow that always hung over his friend’s face had completely disappeared.

Now, that fair face was filled only with bright smiles.

The staff member, who had left the room to prepare the menu, felt relieved.

Upon closer inspection, the Esper had only been intimidating in his first impression, and his smiling face looked kind.

The staff member, deeply engrossed in dramas, was fantasizing that the two were new, fresh lovers.

He thought he should offer an additional dessert popular with couples.

***

‘Ah…

I used to raise snails.

Can’t I skip this?’

After the staff member left, Jo Yeon, who re-read the menu, pondered seriously.

Bodam, who belatedly confirmed there was a snail dish, replied.

“You should’ve asked earlier.”

“I was worried it would seem like my first time here. They say it’s a representative French dish.”

“Aww-. I’ll eat it for you then.”

Bodam also didn’t have the courage to ask.

For the two, who had only experienced casual restaurants where they drank soju in a boisterous atmosphere and grilled meat on a hot plate, the ambiance was utterly awkward.

Still, it was fun and exciting.

His heart beat faster at the thought of tasting a luxurious course meal that surpassed Bodam’s past monthly living expenses.

They decided to indulge in such luxury at least once a year.

“Jo Yeon-ah. Are you not feeling well?”

“Me?”

Jo Yeon, who had been drinking lemon water and admiring the fresh flowers, tilted his head at the sudden question.

Bodam narrowed his round eyes and scrutinized Jo Yeon.

“Did you lose weight? You look gaunt.”

“I guess I’ve been a bit busy lately. I’ve received enough guiding. You don’t have to worry.”

“Is something happening at the Center? Why did the work suddenly increase?”

“It’s always been a lot, always.”

Jo Yeon chuckled lightly and put down his water glass.

Bodam, who was about to ask more, snapped his head around at the sound of the appetizers approaching.

He was so hungry he felt dizzy.

Seeing Bodam swallow hard, Jo Yeon also suddenly felt hungry.

***

“Ah…. This is really upsetting.”

Bodam, having tasted dozens of course dishes he couldn’t possibly remember, let out a deep sigh.

With wines perfectly paired with each dish throughout, he felt as if he had settled down in heaven.

However, he was too full.

The small portions, which made him wonder if they were even enough for a nose, surprisingly filled him up.

It was largely because they had added extra cost and doubled the portions to match Jo Yeon, an Esper.

It was practically like eating two courses at once.

The sheer volume of food seemed endless, as if it would keep coming until they were completely full.

“Is this the end?”

The staff member, no longer setting down elaborate dishes in large bowls, placed a modest-sized sherbet.

He wondered if the course meal was coming to an end.

The staff member smiled as he replied to Bodam, who was still sipping wine despite being full.

“This is a yuzu sherbet, a palate cleanser prepared for you before the main dish.”

Bodam, shocked that the main dish hadn’t even come out yet, looked at Jo Yeon.

As expected of an Esper, Jo Yeon seemed eager to taste the next dish.

Bodam, who ate a lot but still less than Yoon Bomi, shook his head in disbelief at the upcoming main course.

In the end, he had to put his fork down.

“What are you doing?”

Jo Yeon, surprised, asked Bodam, who was showing a passive attitude towards the food.

“Just watching you eat makes me full.”

Bodam’s protruding belly line was noticeable under the short-sleeved knit vest he wore over his shirt.

“This is just the beginning, Bodam.

It’s the main dish, they said.

Quickly, pick up your knife.”

“I… I can’t eat any more….”

“Don’t talk like you’re weak.”

Jo Yeon, who had cut a juicy duck steak into bite-sized pieces, pushed it towards Bodam.

“The more you eat, the more your stomach expands. We’ve always been like that.”

“No more. I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“You have to taste everything. Think of the money, Yoon Bodam. You can do it.”

Their naturally started role-play flowed smoothly.

With expressions as poignant and tense as those in a disaster movie, the two exchanged dramatic dialogue about eating or not eating.

As they joked and ate, the large amount of food rapidly diminished.

“We won.”

Bodam, who had finished the full-bellied battle, clapped his hands.

In the end, they completely emptied all the main course plates.

Although Jo Yeon had mostly devoured everything, Bodam had also contributed.

The well-matched pair, with satisfied looks having enjoyed both the taste and the fun, patted their full stomachs.

They even wore proud expressions for the jokes they had exchanged.

Again, with perfect timing, a staff member knocked and entered, clearing the empty plates and introducing the dessert.

Jo Yeon expected that Bodam, who had already overeaten, wouldn’t be able to eat dessert.

‘Packing isn’t allowed, right?’ he thought to himself, listening to the unfamiliar dessert names.

“Excuse me. Is it possible to change the additionally ordered Jambong sandwich to takeout?”

Bodam asked as the staff member’s explanation finished.

He had additionally ordered an a la carte item when making the reservation over the phone.

He really wanted Jo Yeon to taste the sandwich he had tried for the first time.

He thought it would be best to pack it, as it would taste best when hungry.

“Yes, of course. We will prepare it for takeout.”

The staff member, who had been about to correct the name “Jambong sandwich,” held back his words at Bodam’s proud, shrugging expression as he looked at his partner.

Jo Yeon laughed, looking at Bodam, whose face seemed to have gotten even plumper in that short time.

“Your stomach must be bursting, right? It would be great if the rest could be packed too.”

“Why?”

Bodam’s brown eyes widened in surprise at Jo Yeon’s comment, which was made with Bodam’s bulging stomach in mind.

“I’m going to eat it.”

Bodam, with a face like a squirrel whose nut had been stolen, said firmly.

Jo Yeon had underestimated Bodam’s stomach.

He had forgotten that there was naturally a separate stomach for dessert.

“Please prepare it.”