Chapter 57: A Short Walk

So-won checked Tae-woo’s neck the moment he opened his eyes.

The faint bite mark So-won had left there the night before was nowhere to be seen.

Even the strange tension that had lingered between them had vanished.

“Did you sleep well?”

Tae-woo, who had already woken up and was checking the weather outside the window, noticed So-won stirring and greeted him.

The bloodshot veins at the corners of his eyes had faded noticeably overnight.

It must have been thanks to the guiding Tae-woo had asked for last night.

Comparing Tae-woo’s condition to his own, So-won pouted and grumbled,

“My waist hurts.”

“…I’m sorry.”

So-won looked down at his body, once again mottled with marks.

It was unfair.

The traces So-won left on Tae-woo disappeared in less than a day, while So-won had to carry the marks Tae-woo left on him for days.

Still, since he had bitten Tae-woo first, he couldn’t exactly complain.

Instead, So-won muttered softly,

“It’s because of you, Tae-woo.

So take responsibility.”

“What kind of… responsibility are you referring to?”

“Massage me.”

And then So-won saw it.

Tae-woo looking down at his own hands, deep in thought.

It looked as though he were seriously considering how to massage So-won’s waist without breaking it, which made So-won hurriedly backtrack.

“Ah—no, no, I was joking!

You don’t have to massage me!”

When Tae-woo’s gaze returned to him, So-won let out a sigh of relief.

Phew.

He’d almost lost his waist trying to get a massage.

Tae-woo’s condition had improved so much lately that he no longer broke things unintentionally, thanks to better control of his strength—but still, there was a big difference between hard objects and a soft human body.

“Then… can we stay like this a little longer?”

“Understood.”

For the moment, So-won felt completely drained, like a deflated balloon.

Using that as an excuse, he clung to Tae-woo and rolled around on the bed for a while, only leaving the room much later.

As he washed up, he carefully checked every mark left on his body, then chose one outfit from the now-growing selection of autumn clothes.

To hide the marks Tae-woo had left, he put on a black turtleneck that covered his neck—unintentionally making it look like they had coordinated their outfits.

So-won hesitated, wondering if he should change, but after checking the time, he left the room as he was.

He’d woken up later than usual, and on top of that, he’d lounged around in bed before getting ready, so their departure time had already passed.

But a few days ago, So-won had learned that Tae-woo didn’t have a fixed start time for work.

Thanks to that, he didn’t feel rushed or self-conscious.

When they went down the stairs, Tae-woo was waiting for So-won on the lower floor.

Standing close, their outfits looked almost identical, making it feel as though they were wearing couple looks like any other lovers.

But it seemed only So-won was bothered by it—Tae-woo merely looked at him calmly before leaving the house together.

On the way to work, they pushed through congested roads and barely made it to the Esper Association parking lot.

After getting out of the car, So-won headed toward the elevator with Tae-woo and asked,

“Tae-woo, do you have any special plans today?”

“No.”

That meant So-won would probably spend the entire day lying on the sofa again.

He liked commuting with Tae-woo, but once they reached the private room, there was nothing to do, which made him bored.

The only time the hours seemed to pass quickly was when Tae-woo had some breathing room and they did a bit of guiding together.

What should I do to pass the time today?

Lost in thought as he walked, So-won noticed someone approaching from the opposite direction.

That flashy blond hair and overwhelming presence—Choi Si-hyeok.

So-won stopped in his tracks instinctively.

Si-hyeok was coming from the direction they were headed, and he wasn’t alone.

His guide was walking beside him.

“Tae-woo, maybe we should go that way—”

There had been that tense confrontation between Si-hyeok and Tae-woo just days ago, and Si-hyeok was someone So-won found uncomfortable to face as well.

He tugged lightly at Tae-woo’s arm, trying to detour, but Si-hyeok noticed them faster.

Si-hyeok waved at them cheerfully.

So-won frowned.

They’d already made eye contact, but he desperately wanted to pretend he hadn’t seen him and just walk past.

“Long time no see.

Have you been well?

If you’d grown tired of Kang Tae-woo, I’d tell you to come be my dedicated guide… but judging by your matching outfits, I guess you’re still doing just fine.”

Si-hyeok said with a smile as he approached.

So-won tried to offer a quick greeting and move on, but Si-hyeok’s curious gaze flicking between Tae-woo’s clothes and his own made So-won flush red.

He hurriedly glanced at Tae-woo, gauging his reaction.

“Kang Tae-woo, you look even better than before—wait, what?

You took that thing off your neck?”

Si-hyeok’s eyes widened when he noticed Tae-woo’s now-bare neck.

From his reaction, it was clear he knew that whatever had been there was no ordinary device.

Only then did Si-hyeok take note of how much the discoloration around Tae-woo’s eyes had faded, letting out a low sound of admiration.

Even to him, Tae-woo’s condition clearly looked much improved.

So-won watched his reaction with quiet pride—until their eyes met.

“Well, this works out nicely.

Since we ran into each other anyway, how about you give me some guiding?”

Si-hyeok said softly, his eyes curving as he stepped toward So-won.

He reached out an arm—but before his hand could touch So-won, Tae-woo stepped between them and blocked it.

“Do not behave recklessly.”

So-won quickly ducked behind Tae-woo.

He’d let his guard down and nearly gotten swept up by Si-hyeok.

From behind Tae-woo’s solid back, he saw Si-hyeok’s expression twist slightly.

“It’s not like he’ll wear out from a bit of guiding.

Aren’t you being overly protective?”

A dangerous exchange of glares passed between the two men.

Watching them silently, So-won suddenly met the eyes of Si-hyeok’s guide, who had been observing from beside him.

He vaguely remembered failing to respond properly when she had greeted him before.

So-won bowed his head slightly first, and Si-hyeok’s guide returned the gesture with a small nod.

“Who was it that dragged me out of the gate when I was practically dying the moment the raid ended?”

“I did not ask you to.”

“That’s cold.

I even transferred you to the Association.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t recall.”

Si-hyeok spoke sarcastically, Tae-woo replying calmly, and their conversation dragged on longer than expected.

At some point, So-won seemed to have faded out of their awareness entirely.

Watching them with a bored expression, Si-hyeok’s guide finally spoke up quietly.

“Bored?”

So-won turned at the sound of her voice.

When their eyes met, she spoke again,

“Could you push my wheelchair for a moment?”

“M-me…?”

Startled, So-won looked to Tae-woo.

When Tae-woo sensed his gaze and turned his head, Si-hyeok’s eyes followed as well.

“Where are you two going?

I’d appreciate it, honestly.

I actually had something to discuss with Kang Tae-woo anyway.”

After hearing that, Tae-woo nodded.

It was a clear request for some space.

“I’ll come get you once we’re done talking.”

“Okay.

Then we’ll take a short walk outside.”

So-won pushed Si-hyeok’s guide’s wheelchair toward the elevator.

But his steps felt heavy, and he kept glancing back.

It felt like he was abandoning Tae-woo behind, and guilt tugged at him.

Reaching the first floor, So-won exited the building with Si-hyeok’s guide.

A cool breeze blew, but the sunlight was warm, so it wasn’t too cold.

When So-won asked, “Where should we go?” she replied that they could just walk around nearby.

Nodding, So-won followed the path around the Esper Association grounds.

After a short while, Si-hyeok’s guide spoke first.

“Choi Si-hyeok keeps trying to receive guiding from you, doesn’t he?”

“Huh?”

So-won echoed in surprise.

It was extremely rude for an Esper with a dedicated guide to seek guiding from someone else.

Knowing that, So-won darted his eyes around and tried to avoid answering.

When he stayed silent, unsure how to respond, she continued,

“You can be honest.

If anything, I’m the one who should apologize.

Everything he’s doing is because of me.”

“You knew?”

“Yes.

It was on the news recently.”

“Ah…”

So-won trailed off as he recalled the report.

The exact details of what had happened between Si-hyeok and So-won hadn’t been fully covered, but seeing it, she must have grasped the situation immediately.

“As you can see, I’m a patient.

My condition worsened a few months ago, and it’s been quite a while since I could guide Si-hyeok.

Even when I want to, my body just won’t cooperate—guiding itself doesn’t work anymore.”

So-won found it hard to respond.

He’d heard that a guide’s illness could reduce guiding efficiency, but he’d never heard of guiding becoming impossible altogether.

Just how bad must her condition be?

Aside from her pale complexion and the wheelchair, she looked relatively fine, making it impossible to judge at a glance.