Chapter 4: Rain And Regrets

Held tightly in Lee Jun’s arms, which reeked of every possible foul odor, Bodam struggled to hold his breath.

Even in a normal condition, the stench of blood would be nauseating—but in his current state, it was unbearable. It was as if his gut was telling him: just throw it all up and get it over with so you can focus on guiding.

“You’re not answering.”

“Huh… what?”

Still trying to center himself amid the nausea, Bodam missed Lee Jun’s question.

“Why are you making me sad like this?”

Lowering his arms from the hug to wrap around Bodam’s waist, Lee Jun lifted a thick brow.

“You’re ignoring me now? That’s rude, scrunching your face just because I stink after a hard day’s work.”

Lee Jun kissed Bodam’s forehead.

Just the act of holding in his nausea was overwhelming, and now with energy being drained for guiding, even Bodam’s knees gave out.

“W-Wait—”

“If you’re about to say stop guiding, I might actually get mad.”

“……”

“Endure it. You don’t like it when I’m angry.”

Pecking like a bird at his forehead and cheeks, Lee Jun hugged him tighter.

With their bodies completely pressed together, the stench intensified. Bodam desperately tried to maintain a neutral expression, but all he managed was a twisted grimace—part fake happiness, part pain, part fury.

That’s how bad the smell was.

“You’re such a handful.”

Raising his head from where it had been resting on Bodam’s neck, Lee Jun looked around.

“Hey, overweight esper. No, not you—blondie.”

Pointing out someone in the crowd, Lee Jun gestured just as he had when calling Bodam. The young blond esper quickly came running, obedient to the command of a brat who’d only just become an adult.

“Make it rain hard. Just over us.”

Lee Jun smiled as he gave the order.

He was a rare psychic-type esper who could read the minds of anyone he made eye contact with. Especially with other espers, he could discern their powers and thoughts at a glance.

The weather-controlling esper promptly obeyed. Thick storm clouds began to form above Lee Jun and Bodam.

“Hyung, you really need to work on your patience.”

Bodam, who was now breathing through his mouth to avoid the smell, tried hard to ignore Lee Jun’s nonsense.

Saying the wrong thing might trigger the unstable temperament of the youngest member of Attack Team 3. Bodam feared Lee Jun the most out of all of them.

“I put up with you smelling like someone else. You can endure this too, right?”

Drip. A raindrop fell beneath Lee Jun’s eye.

Just as Bodam was about to compare the droplet to a tear, a full-on downpour crashed down on them.

“H-Hey! C-Could you go a bit softer?!”

Bodam yelped as the sharp rain stung his sensitive skin. The storm cloud was hovering practically over his head, and he’d never felt rain this harsh or cold before.

“See?”

Lee Jun smirked at Bodam, who could barely keep his eyes open.

“You’re already whining over this.”

“It… really hurts…!”

“Don’t moan like that. Are you doing this on purpose?”

Grabbing Bodam’s jaw, Lee Jun’s voice turned sharp. The pounding rain was like a constant barrage on Bodam’s body, and moans of pain slipped out involuntarily.

“I’m doing this to wash off the stink you hate. You should be grateful.”

As Bodam tried to lower his head to escape the rain, Lee Jun forced his chin up.

He was completely insane.

When Bodam let out a soaked cough, Lee Jun even laughed.

“You’re like a drenched little rat.”

“Hrrk…!”

Bodam gasped, struggling to free his jaw from Lee Jun’s grip. His hands flailed uselessly against Lee Jun’s arm.

People are going to think I’m dying here! Cut it out already! he screamed inwardly.

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t die so easily?”

“P-Please…! Just stop—”

“‘I’ll do my best from now on.’ Who said that?”

As water filled his nose and mouth, Bodam began to cry.

The tears were hidden by the rain, but Lee Jun could feel it—his fury and humiliation broadcast through every trembling emotion.

“Hyung said it,” Lee Jun whispered as he forcefully pulled Bodam’s jaw open and pressed their lips together.

He swallowed the rain that had pooled in Bodam’s mouth and even gave him a breath of air.

Bodam’s knees gave out.

Lee Jun held him effortlessly, then signaled the blond esper to stop the rain. The esper raised his arm and cleared the cloud immediately.

Though their lips had separated, the rain hadn’t stopped for Bodam alone. Everyone was watching. Helpless in the arms of a teammate, the whole humiliating scene was exposed. He wished he could just die on the spot.

“Want to?”

Lee Jun asked, gazing down with glinting eyes that were full of curiosity and sincerity—like he might actually end Bodam right here.

Reflexively, Bodam shook his head.

Lee Jun seemed exactly the type to smile and say, “Let me help with that,” before slitting someone’s throat.

“I don’t enjoy killing people.”

Reading Bodam’s thoughts, Lee Jun laughed and brushed back his soaked bangs.

He wasn’t even mad about being called crazy.

“I’m not crazy.”

Adjusting his hold like he was cradling a newborn, Lee Jun slapped Bodam’s rear.

Completely drenched and drained, Bodam had no energy to resist. His condition was so bad, he nearly fell asleep from the comfort alone.

“Gate opening!”

As if waiting for the worst possible timing, a gate burst into existence.

Not just one—dozens opened all at once. Espers and bystanders scrambled into battle mode.

“Ugh.”

Naturally, Lee Jun was no exception. Sensing the danger, he dumped Bodam unceremoniously and stood.

“Hyung, take this with you. No more guiding needed.”

Tossing his soaked jacket at Bodam, Lee Jun bolted toward the fiercest gate.

He didn’t even look back. His attitude screamed figure it out yourself.

Still lying on the ground, Bodam silently cried, his teeth chattering from the cold.

Why the hell am I putting up with this?

Shivering with rage and cold, he activated his wristwatch. After scanning his fingerprint, he pressed the emergency button.

The response time varied—sometimes a minute, sometimes up to five.

Crawling away from the gate with all his strength, he pressed the button again and started swearing under his breath.

I don’t need perfect work-life balance, but can I at least be treated like a fcking human? If I die like this, I swear I’ll haunt those bstards.

Wrapping himself in Lee Jun’s heavy jacket, Bodam once again visualized quitting—cool, detached, and badass. “It’s been hell. Die young, you a*sholes.”

“Haa…”

The fantasy was never enough, but it was all he had.

***

Luckily, an A-rank teleport esper brought Bodam back to HQ. Still, his weakened body couldn’t handle the process.

He couldn’t even make it to the bathroom before pulling out a vomit bag.

“Hrk.”

Bodam always carried one, just in case. Pulling it from his sling bag, he collapsed against the wall.

“Blergh—”

He tried to stay out of everyone’s way, but his knees buckled before he reached the wall.

Other guides and staff passed by indifferently as he threw up, soaked and miserable.

“Guide! Don’t do that here, it’s dangerous. Lean on the wall.”

A staff member accidentally kneed him in the back and barked a warning.

Bodam just nodded and wiped his mouth with a wet tissue.

Feeling like a drunk passed out on the street, he wrapped up the bag, doubled it, and set it aside.

He didn’t even have the strength to walk to the bathroom.

I want to go home.

Finishing off the pack of tissues, he pressed the last one to his puffy eyes.

At least everyone was too busy to notice him like this.

He quietly watched espers and guides hand-in-hand, vanishing through teleportation.

He never had that luxury.

Despite constant field assignments, he was always paired with unfamiliar teleporters.

He’d even asked the staff if they could assign someone he already knew—but it was always someone new.

Even though he belonged to a top-tier team, even though he’d seen countless teleporters, none of them became regular partners.

“I miss Mom…”

Burning with fever, Bodam whispered to himself.

Surrounded by seemingly happy guides and espers, he just kept staring.

He’d call his mom tonight.