Chapter 76: He’s Awake

Bodam, who was in bed, fiddled with his phone.

He had just hung up with his mother, reassuring her that he would be home soon in response to her call asking if he was doing well.

She was very worried that her son, who had resigned, had returned to the Center without any luggage.

She even asked her son, whose only luggage was a backpack packed for a trip to Busan, if he was changing his underwear.

It seemed Bomi had told her to ask to tease him.

“Haa—I miss Mom.”

He couldn’t fall asleep right away and tossed and turned on the wide bed.

His body was sleepy, but his mind was uneasy.

He kept thinking of Jo Yeon’s back as he left for work without even eating chicken.

He also wondered what he had been trying to say.

“Jo Yeon must be hungry…”

If he had his way, he wanted to pack a lunchbox and head out to a Zone 3 gate.

Bodam, who used to be called to Zones 1 and 2 as if it were a daily meal, wasn’t even afraid of Zone 3.

However, since he was no longer a guide, he gave up the thought of going to a gate.

Yoon Bodam was no longer a guide.

‘Then what am I now?’

“…Someone who won the lottery.”

Bodam chuckled lightly to himself, muttering, and rubbed his full belly.

Since he hadn’t eaten much since being hospitalized, even half a chicken made him feel bloated.

‘Was it because I ate a lot of the sticky rice?’

He briefly recalled Charles, the PT trainer with round eyes, and imagined doing the ab exercises he learned in class.

With a full stomach, Bodam, who finished his workout just by imagining it, merely dangled his legs.

Even though his stomach was full of food, a corner of his heart felt empty.

It didn’t seem to be solely because of Kang Yi Jun.

This was an emotion Bodam was feeling.

“Yoon Bodam, Guide.”

He repeated the title that naturally followed his name.

He had lived as a guide for six years.

It was his first job and the one where he poured all his passion as a newly turned adult.

Above all, even if he left the Center, once a guide, always a guide.

Just like an Esper dies as an Esper.

He was becoming a guide who lived among ordinary people.

“……”

He lay on his side, curled up like a shrimp, repeatedly closing and opening his eyes.

Since resigning, he had been learning about himself, one thing at a time.

There were quite a few things he hadn’t known when he lived a busy life.

The most surprising thing was,

“What should I do now…”

Bodam had no dreams other than money.

Because he had lived only for money, there was nothing he wanted to do.

Suddenly, his mind went blank.

Ziiing.

He blinked his narrowly opened eyes, then suddenly grabbed the ringing phone.

It was the most welcome text message.

[Yoon Bodam-ie, are you asleep?]

It wasn’t past midnight yet.

Instead of replying with a text, he called immediately.

It wasn’t time for work to end, but he wanted to talk.

“Jo Yeon, are you busy?”

– You weren’t asleep?

As soon as the call connected, they both asked each other simultaneously.

When Bodam replied first that he wasn’t asleep, Jo Yeon said he was taking a breather.

“And you, did you eat?”

– I had something simple. Did you enjoy the chicken?

“Yeah. It was really delicious. Let’s eat together next time.”

– With Lee Tae Hwan?

“No. Just the two of us.”

As he abruptly sat up in bed and replied, Jo Yeon spoke again.

– I asked if you ate together.

His voice was full of laughter, as usual.

Bodam, mouth agape and rolling his eyes briefly, scratched the back of his head.

“It was too much to eat alone… but I ate almost all of it.”

At Bodam’s insistence that Lee Tae Hwan only gave him legs and wings, Jo Yeon chuckled and told him he did well.

He felt relieved that Jo Yeon didn’t seem upset.

“What were you trying to say earlier?”

He wondered what that important but not serious thing was.

‘No way… is he dating?’

“Ehh.”

– Huh?

Bodam, whose inner thought had slipped out, quickly urged him to speak.

He said he felt like he could only sleep peacefully once he knew the answer, and waited.

Seeing him not speak immediately, Bodam thought it might actually be dating news.

Until now, they had hung out every day, so there was no time for dating, but now Bodam wasn’t at the Center.

During his intermittent free time, Jo Yeon might have found a new connection.

– Bodam.

“Traitor.”

Bodam, gaining certainty from Jo Yeon’s serious voice, showed a response full of disappointment.

He had always joked about buying him a refrigerator for his wedding, but the thought of him actually having a girlfriend truly made him feel left out.

‘Who am I supposed to hang out with now!’

– What did you say?

“Keep talking. Go on and say it. Jo Yeon.”

– Do you want to come back to our team?

At Bodam’s urging, who seemed to be misunderstanding, Jo Yeon immediately spoke his mind.

He had thought about asking more indirectly and gradually but just asked it all at once.

“…Your team?”

– Yeah.

At Jo Yeon’s utterly unexpected question, his wide, rounded eyes forgot to blink.

– I wish you would come.

Jo Yeon, waiting for Bodam’s reply, added one thing at a time.

A surprised Bodam listened intently, replying to each point.

– Our team was fine, wasn’t it? All the team members are nice, and they all miss you.

“Oh… it was good. I miss them too.”

– Do you know there are more unregistered cases these days? They say it’s more dangerous outside the Center. Not forever, but for now.

“Yeah, I heard.”

– Still want to leave?

Jo Yeon must have known.

There was no way he didn’t know Bodam wanted to leave the Center.

But to ask like this…

– I’m worried, Bodam.

‘Did it mean the external situation was that bad?’

‘Even from inside the Center, civilian areas seemed more dangerous for guides.’

– Stay with me.

Jo Yeon, finishing with, ‘Just until it’s safe,’ waited for a reply again.

His voice was as full of sincerity as anyone’s.

“What about your team’s guide?”

Bodam, recalling Jo Yeon’s younger cousin, Yeon Yeok, the guide, asked.

Just by hearing about him, he could tell that the rookie guide was diligently and affectionately committed to the team.

– Yeon Yeok will continue too. If you’re okay with it… how about coming as a backup guide?

‘Ah, backup guide.’

Bodam’s mouth, which had widened in so much surprise today, now only shrank as it couldn’t get any wider.

His previously still eyes blinked rapidly.

– You don’t have to answer right away. Take your time to think about it.

As if knowing his complicated feelings, Jo Yeon spoke first.

Bodam, scratching his forehead, replied that he would think about it.

Just moments ago, he had texted his mom that he would be back soon.

He had never even considered returning to the Center and being part of a team.

– Tell me comfortably. Whatever you want to do.

“Yeah. Thanks. For worrying about me.”

– But I hope you come.

To Jo Yeon, who was saying things that made one’s heart soften, Bodam couldn’t decide on an answer and just put his finger in his open mouth.

‘Backup guide. A backup guide.’

It was something he had never considered before, due to the part-time level salary.

The team Bodam was exclusively assigned to had never needed a backup guide.

– Don’t feel pressured. But I’m going to draw water and pray.

“Hey…”

At the playfully laughing voice, saying he would only do it very occasionally, Bodam also started to laugh.

‘Backup guide. A backup guide.’

He also wondered if life at the Center wouldn’t be so bad if he was with Jo Yeon.

Bodam’s greatest misfortune had been Attack Team 3 after all.

– I’ll hang up. Sleep well.

“Yeah. Take care of yourself.”

– There’s nothing to be careful about, our team is safe. We always pick only easy jobs, you know.

“I was your team’s dedicated guide, though.”

– Right. Sleep well.

Bodam, recalling Jo Yeon’s team, which had a considerable workload, chuckled and hung up.

He held his now silent phone, rolling it around in his hands, lost in thought.

“Backup, guide.”

It was a word that didn’t quite roll off his tongue.

But it was enticing.

He didn’t have anything he wanted to do, but what he was good at was guiding.

Although there were plenty of Espers he disliked, he had always felt that restoring them was his calling.

If he were to have a job, he wanted to do something that helped heal sick people.

It seemed to be influenced by his own frequent illnesses and his deeply sick father.

To prepare for medical school, he felt he’d have to be reborn, so since he was born a guide anyway, he might as well continue—.

Thud.

The phone, which had been rolling in his hands, dropped onto the blanket.

“Oh…”

Bodam, looking down at his palms, made a faint sound.

The hand that couldn’t grasp the phone was trembling violently.

“W-what is it? Why…”

At the sudden symptom, he lifted his head towards the door, trying to call for help.

At that moment, his mind went blank.

Everything around him was too dark.

His limbs, which wouldn’t move as he wished, felt stifling.

Bodam, who had started to gasp for breath, couldn’t get off the bed and collapsed with a thud.

“Ka, Kang… Yi…”

Repeating a name that wasn’t even in front of him.

***

“What in the world.”

A barrier Esper, newly assigned to the civilian area dispatch team from the barrier department, muttered.

He was in charge of controlling civilians in central Seoul, near Attack Team 1’s base.

He was on his way back after setting up safety barriers and placing ‘Beware of Abilities’ signs everywhere.

It was late, so there weren’t many people.

He finished his work quickly and came to investigate the problematic phenomenon.

It was unbelievable, even to hear about it.

“A real gate…”

A gate had appeared in a civilian area.

A hole over 3 meters in diameter had appeared in a civilian area where Espers didn’t even frequent, and what’s more, in a place referred to as a safe zone.

“Rookie?”

Someone spoke to the Esper watching from a distance from the extinguished gate.

It was a team leader-level Esper standing right in front of the gate, which seemed to be of a very high danger level.

“Ah, no. I’m a third-year. I was just assigned today.”

“Don’t you know me?”

The Esper, whose mind had been preoccupied with the gate, belatedly looked properly at the owner of the voice.

‘Ah, it was the former team leader of Barrier Team 3. His name was Kim—.’

“Shut your mouth and come here to watch and learn.”

“Yes! Thank you!”

Team Leader Kim, who allowed the Esper, whose mouth was agape in surprise, to observe the gate removal site up close, smiled gently.

A junior who worked quickly was always welcome.

It was almost the final stage, so he was loosening the concentration he had pushed to its limit.

Team Leader Kim rotated his neck, relaxed the tense muscles in his shoulders, and pointed to and explained each of the layered barriers one by one.

Team Leader Kim’s role was to set up an unyielding barrier while the gate analysis was completed and the removal team detonated the gate.

The larger the gate, the more solid and dense the barrier had to be maintained.

Because of this, many barrier Espers at gate removal sites became more exhausted than ever.

“Team Leader! You have a call.”

Just as he was about to pass on barrier tips to a junior who seemed to have a lot of work ahead of him, a barrier Esper approached and handed him a phone.

Unless it was urgent, they didn’t take calls during gate removal missions.

It was a task that required that level of deep concentration.

“It’s Team Leader Han Seung Ho.”

Team Leader Kim, receiving the phone, gestured to the surrounding barrier Espers to keep the barrier in place.

“Oh, what is it?”

– Go to Yoon Bodam.

Team Leader Kim’s brow furrowed at Seung Ho’s voice, which got straight to the point as soon as he answered the phone.

His quick intuition made him let out a short sigh.

“He’s awake?”

‘Kang Yi Jun is awake.’