Chapter 59: Hungry

Kukhwa-ppang? Bodam’s eyes, which were about to close, widened a little.

Now that he thought about it, he had fainted on the train without even getting to eat the kukhwa-ppang.

It was a rare snack, so he had been excited and bought ten thousand won’s worth, but he hadn’t even tasted it.

“Esper Lee Tae Hwan sent them.”

Bodam’s upper lip unconsciously curled up in a pout.

At that clear expression of his will, Team Leader Kim asked.

“Shall I throw them away?”

Bodam hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

Food was innocent.

Moreover, it was kukhwa-ppang, rarer than bungeo-ppang.

“Team Leader-nim, you can have them.”

Still, he didn’t want to eat anything Lee Tae Hwan had bought.

Team Leader Kim, who went to turn off the light, suddenly said, unprompted, that he didn’t eat as much as he looked.

He didn’t know why the tall, slender man was making such an excuse, but he just went to sleep.

Everything was bothersome.

Everything.

***

Today, the common waiting area in Sector 3, reminiscent of a flea market, was again a fierce battle for empty seats.

Because the waiting areas were divided by the sector of the assigned gate, Sector 3, with its many applicants, was always full.

“Jo Yeon Hyung! Over here!”

Jo Yeon easily found a seat, guided by Yeon Yeok’s booming voice, and walked towards his team members.

Fortunately, Jo Yeon’s team had seats today too.

It was all thanks to Yeon Yeok, who always found an empty table, even in a corner, and reserved it.

His dedication as a dedicated Guide, making every effort for the convenience of his Esper, was commendable.

“What’s that?”

“Bread.”

Jo Yeon, who had visited Bodam in the hospital, placed a white shopping bag on the table.

Beneath the kukhwa-ppang, which tasted good even when cold, was a luxurious-looking gift set of pastries.

“Whoa. What is this? I’ll eat it well.”

Gabi, excited by the snacks, got permission and tore open the pastry set.

The beautifully packaged pastries were so colorful it almost seemed a shame to eat them.

“These are from an expensive bakery. Where did you get them?”

“Eat a lot. If there’s any left, take it home for your sister.”

“Oh, there’s yuzu marmalade too. Anyone want some? Yes. Me.”

Gabi, her lifeless energy revived by the pretty gift set, stuffed three kukhwa-ppang into her mouth.

Thanks to the other team members, who weren’t particularly fond of bread or snacks, everything was hers, except for Gabi herself.

Jo Yeon also had no interest in desserts.

“Hyung. Are you not feeling well?”

Yeon Yeok asked Jo Yeon, who was rubbing his eyes.

Na Woon, who was sleeping with his head on the table, and Jin Beom, who was looking at the snacks with him, also observed Jo Yeon.

“Yeah. Your complexion doesn’t look good.”

“Sleep. You’ll feel better if you sleep.”

Jin Beom, who was worried, and Na Woon, who leaned back on the table, asking to sleep together, spoke to Jo Yeon.

Jo Yeon waved his hand, saying he was fine, but a visible aura of depression hung about him.

Naturally, there was only one reason.

“How is Guide-nim doing?”

Yeon Yeok carefully spoke, deliberately not mentioning Bodam’s name.

The story had already spread throughout the Center.

Rumors were rampant that Guide Yoon Bodam, seriously injured, had been rushed to the medical center, spewing blood.

“He’s fine. He’s recovering.”

“Ah, what a relief.”

Jo Yeon’s team members, who had a connection with Bodam, all let out sighs of relief.

Because of Jo Yeon, who was more downcast than anyone, they hesitated to ask the reason for Guide Yoon’s injury.

According to circulating rumors, the most plausible theory was an attack by an unregistered Esper from outside.

“Living as an ability user is disgustingly tough. Who’d dare to go out alone as a Guide?”

Jin Beom picked up a pastry that didn’t look sweet and clicked his tongue.

In the past few years, the tyranny of unregistered Espers had been rapidly increasing day by day.

The outside of the Center had actually become more dangerous for Guides.

“Where does Guide Yoon live again? There are more dangerous areas depending on the region, right? And there’s a limit to deployment personnel.”

“Safe areas have expensive land. If it’s a place directly managed by Attack Team 1, safety is guaranteed, but not just anyone can live there.”

Gabi, who clicked her tongue along with Jin Beom’s words, added.

If Guides without money wanted to live in civilian areas, they had to protect themselves.

That’s why many Guides endured even if they met a bad team and stubbornly remained at the Center.

Even if not as bad as Attack Team 3, ill-tempered and bad-quality Espers were everywhere.

“Hyung. Are you okay?”

Yeon Yeok, observing Jo Yeon’s mood, enthusiastically offered his guiding services anytime if needed.

Seeing his disheartened Esper made his own mood gloomy.

Yeon Yeok was adapting to the Guide profession faster than anyone.

“What’s there for me not to be okay about?”

Jo Yeon, who had patted Yeon Yeok’s head as he burned with passion, shook his hand and smiled.

Yeon Yeok, slightly reassured by that smile, also brushed the hair where his hyung’s hand had touched and said.

“Our Guides aren’t as weak as you think, Hyung. We’re not ordinary people, we’re ability users.”

“Bodam is weaker than ordinary people.”

“Oh, come on. How could a weak person throw a resignation letter in Attack Team 3’s faces and beat them up until dust flew on a rainy day? He’s probably much stronger than you think, Hyung.”

He told Yeon Yeok, who was trying to encourage him with some saying he’d picked up about how even plants needed to be told they’re pretty to bloom vibrant flowers, to be quiet.

It was good advice, but it didn’t register well.

His head was heavy, filled with worries about Bodam’s health.

“Yeon Yeok.”

“Yes, Hyung.”

Jo Yeon, facing Yeon Yeok, who had excellent qualities as a Guide, rubbed his temples.

One more concern weighed heavily on his mind.

“Do you want to leave the team?”

***

It was nearing midnight.

Even though it was the perfect time for a late-night snack, Bodam’s vanished appetite still hadn’t returned.

The small happiness of ending the day with a can of beer and a bag of chips felt like something from a distant, different world.

He didn’t crave alcohol or food.

Not even chicken.

After talking with Jo Yeon, he closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to find the sun had set.

Bodam, whose body was not in full condition, fell asleep in an instant, like someone with narcolepsy.

Even then, it wasn’t a deep sleep, leaving his body endlessly fatigued.

Because of this, the vicious cycle of falling asleep more easily kept repeating.

Grumble.

“Be quiet. You said you weren’t hungry.”

Bodam, lying on his side, grumbled, talking to his noisy stomach.

He had refused the porridge Jo Yeon painstakingly fed him, and now he was hungry.

He scolded his rumbling stomach, which refused to be subdued by his stern voice, hitting it.

Grumble-rumble-rumble.

Moving his body for no reason only made him hungrier.

“Haa.”

He sighed deeply and glanced at the door, which was only visible when he lifted his head from the bed.

Since Bodam had regained consciousness, Team Leader Kim had been guarding the room from outside.

It was his judgment that even as a barrier user, it would be uncomfortable for an Esper and a Guide to be in the same space for a long time.

Bodam said it was okay, but he had no choice but to follow Team Leader Kim’s firm attitude.

He was grateful for anything as long as he was protected.

Looking at the clock, which hadn’t yet passed midnight, Bodam finally got out of bed and opened the refrigerator.

There was nothing to eat, only vitamin drinks.

With his mouth bored and his stomach hungry, Bodam wanted something like bread.

His favorite food after chicken was bread.

He plopped onto the sofa, then clutched his hungry stomach.

Then, his head naturally tilted towards the table.

“……”

On the table was a snack box that, apart from the disadvantage of being sent by Lee Tae Hwan, had no flaws.

That one flaw was so significant that Bodam agonized over it for quite a long time before finally getting up from the sofa.

When he was hungry, he particularly craved carbohydrates.

Dragging his feet, Bodam walked to the table and angrily slapped the paper bag.

With a fierce punch, the paper bag rustled and fell, and a beautifully packaged cookie box popped out.

Unfortunately, there was no kukhwa-ppang.

His round eyes narrowed sharply as he pressed the cookie box.

He wanted bread, but it was hard cookies.

“How annoying.”

He punched the innocent cookie box fiercely, venting his frustration.

He was irritable because he was hungry.

Even hitting the pretty paper box until it was crumpled didn’t release his anger.

He opened the box, picked up a cookie, and poured the broken pieces into his mouth.

He chewed them as finely as possible and swallowed them without a trace.

He ate three cookies standing there.

As his hungry stomach was filled, his anger subsided.

Most importantly, it was delicious.

Bodam, whose noisy stomach had quieted down, went back to bed.

He had somehow grown accustomed to lying down.

His endlessly sluggish body kept seeking the bed.

If his fitness trainer Charles saw his lifestyle, he’d grab him by the nape of the neck.

He had a silly thought that all his muscles might have wasted away, turning his body into soft bread.

‘But when am I going back?’

He looked up at the ceiling without even wiping the cookie crumbs from around his mouth.

He admitted it himself.

Bodam was currently just killing time, day by day, without any thoughts.

He had only sent a text message home, reporting his survival by saying he had briefly entered the Center.

He hadn’t contacted his counselor at all.

He had already missed two mandatory Friday counseling sessions without permission.

He had become too scared.

Currently, Bodam was terrified, despite his seemingly calm face.

He was afraid that if he left the Center, his nose would bleed again, or he would throw up blood.

What he feared most was that Kang Yi Jun and his senses were connected.

Natural imprinting? What kind of bullshit was that?

‘You probably haven’t heard of it before. There are few cases, and it’s not an officially known phenomenon yet.’

When Bodam was able to stay conscious for a long time, Team Leader Kim began to explain natural imprinting.

Jo Yeon, who was drying Bodam’s hair after his shower, also listened to the explanation.

He trusted Jo Yeon.

Han Seung Ho had ordered silence, but Team Leader Kim thought differently.

He believed Bodam needed to know, as it was an unstable phenomenon that could break at any time.

It had been several days since he had heard of this unprecedented phenomenon.

During that time, Bodam’s mind had become surprisingly slow, and his thoughts were blocked.

He didn’t know how much weight he had lost, but his cheeks had hollowed out.

‘Ah. Has everything returned to normal?’

‘I can’t escape from here, can I?’

‘f*ck, really?’

Bodam glared at the empty ceiling, clenched his fist, and slammed it hard onto the blanket.

Thud. A rather dull sound.

This situation, where the happiness he had so preciously gained was temporarily cut off, made him so angry that his mind went blank.

Fire blazed within him.

Instead of being consumed by black flames, an unquenchable fire was raging wildly.

‘Let’s see who wins.’

Bodam muttered incessantly to himself.

He warned the bastard who was toying with his life.

He didn’t care who it was, just that someone should hear it.

“Let’s do it.”

He uttered the warning aloud, calming his burning heart.

He didn’t try to extinguish the fire.

He needed to rage just to breathe.

He had no intention of dying, nor of killing anyone.

He closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath, as was his habit.

Then, suddenly, he remembered a short wish he had made.

The wish he made while blowing out the candles on his resignation celebration cake was, amusingly, for everyone’s happiness.

‘Please let everyone be happy. So that no one gets hurt.’

Yoon Bodam had wished for that.