Chapter 67: Aftercare

Only now did So-won finally understand why they were given about a week to remain in Canada even after the Gate suppression had ended.

“Out— ah!

Tae-woo…!”

After Tae-woo returned, So-won hadn’t been able to take a single step outside the bedroom for several days.

Except for eating and showering, all he did was Guide nonstop.

He barely slept at all, only passing out for brief moments as if losing consciousness.

Because of that, So-won deeply realized why the escort guide had told him about the stamina supplements.

He had been standing on the brink of collapse.

Just a few hours into Guiding, he felt like he might fall over, so he had to take one stamina supplement—no, two.

“Just a little more… just a little more, please.”

Even though Tae-woo’s waves had stabilized significantly, he still behaved as though he required further Guiding.

Was Tae-woo really that exhausted from the S-rank Gate?

If I just Guide him a little more, he’ll be fine soon.

Thinking that way, So-won accepted every request Tae-woo made for Guiding.

Yet no matter how many kisses they shared or how closely their bodies tangled, the Guiding never seemed to end.

He was reaching his limit.

But whenever he looked at Tae-woo, breathing harshly in arousal, So-won’s resolve softened little by little.

Repeating ‘just once more, just one last time’ over and over, So-won ultimately failed to escape Tae-woo’s grasp.

The act that repeated for four days straight only came to an end after So-won started bleeding from his nose.

“Are you all right now?”

“Yes, the bleeding has stopped.”

So-won, who had been sprawled out on the bed like a soaked piece of laundry for a long while, slowly sat up.

His head spun, but it was better than before.

Turning his head, he saw Tae-woo watching him with concern.

“Do you still need more Guiding?”

“No.

I’m sorry for demanding Guiding beyond reason.”

Seeing how pale So-won looked, Tae-woo spoke under the weight of guilt.

Having only seen So-won flushed and gasping, the sight of his bloodless face now made his heart ache belatedly.

He should have stopped Guiding sooner.

Instead of pretending he still needed it just because he wanted to spend more time with So-won.

“Tae-woo, how were the foreign Espers?”

“It felt well organized.

They were cooperative, and their individual abilities weren’t bad.”

“That’s a relief.

I was worried since you were dispatched without any combat training beforehand.”

“Have you been well, So-won?”

“Yes.

It was cold, so I mostly stayed in the room.

Thanks to the escort guide, I wasn’t bored.”

Only after the Guiding ended were So-won and Tae-woo finally able to talk about the things they hadn’t shared.

Not heated moans or ragged breaths, but a proper conversation for the first time in a while.

Leaning against Tae-woo’s arm, So-won quietly examined his body.

The veins that had once surfaced on his face had faded to faint traces, but elsewhere there was no noticeable improvement.

The area around his heart, where the veins had been most severe, was still dark.

Still, his waves were impeccably calm.

The fact that Tae-woo—once the most unstable of all—had returned from an S-rank Gate with enough composure to carry another injured person spoke volumes about his condition.

“Shall I help you wash?”

“Mmm… yes.”

“I’ll carry you to the bathroom.”

Tae-woo lifted So-won with practiced ease.

Having grown used to being carried around by Tae-woo over the past few days, So-won relaxed his body and nestled quietly in his arms.

Burying his face into Tae-woo’s solid shoulder, he felt a comforting sense of stability.

Though he said he would only carry him to the bathroom, Tae-woo didn’t leave until he had filled the tub with warm water and lowered So-won into it, only stepping away once he seemed reassured.

“Ah… I’m saved…”

So-won went limp as he soaked in the hot water.

His entire body felt heavy and drained of strength.

He wanted to melt away into the warmth like this.

Submerged in the water, So-won hugged his knees and curled his blotchy, flushed back inward.

There wasn’t a single place on his body that Tae-woo’s hands hadn’t touched.

Even now, closing his eyes brought back vivid memories of those gentle fingers caressing him, and the soothing kisses pressed against his skin.

Slowly rubbing his lower abdomen, So-won secretly flushed red.

It still felt as though something remained inside him.

Whenever So-won’s body stiffened, Tae-woo would rub his weak spots to ease the tension.

And then So-won would collapse into his arms without resistance.

A thought suddenly crossed his mind.

At this point… doesn’t Tae-woo know my body better than I do?

Blub-blub.

Small air bubbles continuously rose from the water as So-won dipped half his face beneath the surface.

Maybe because his stamina had dropped after days of nonstop Guiding, even indulging in a slightly lewd thought made his head spin.

Feeling like his stopped nosebleed might start again if he stayed like this, So-won finished his bath quickly and stepped out.

In the meantime, the once-messy bed had been neatly made.

The sheets looked freshly changed as well.

After confirming that So-won had finished bathing, Tae-woo closed the window that had been wide open for ventilation.

“Tae-woo, dry my hair for me.

I can’t move a finger.”

As soon as he saw Tae-woo, So-won plopped down on the edge of the bed and whined.

Tae-woo was the one who had returned from the S-rank Gate, yet So-won, who hadn’t slept properly due to Guiding, felt as exhausted as if he had fought monsters himself.

Seeing how worn out So-won looked, Tae-woo nodded and took the towel.

Afraid he might change his mind, So-won hurriedly adjusted his posture.

“Mmm…”

The soft towel carefully ruffled through So-won’s hair.

The unfamiliar hands only rubbed gently, as if unsure what to do, but So-won’s chest slowly warmed.

“Is this all right?”

“Yes.

Please keep going.”

His touch was so careful that it felt like his hair would never dry even after hours.

But So-won smiled softly and said nothing.

He liked the clumsy movements.

It felt as though Tae-woo was petting his hair, and that alone made him happy.

Even if time passed like this and night fell, So-won thought he wouldn’t mind at all.

After basking in the peaceful atmosphere for a while, he suddenly remembered the escort guide’s request to be contacted immediately once the Guiding ended.

Instead of calling, So-won sent a message, and as if he had been waiting, a reply came right away.

[On my way now.]

“Huh?”

So-won panicked.

He hadn’t expected him to say he was coming immediately.

Snapping to his senses, So-won hurriedly typed out a polite message saying he was exhausted and asking him not to come, but before he could press send—

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang.

Already?

He wanted to believe it wasn’t true, but familiar sounds could be heard outside.

So-won’s face turned pale.

After So-won hesitantly explained the situation in response to Tae-woo’s question, Tae-woo stood up.

“I’ll handle it.”

“Please tell the escort guide I’m sorry…”

So-won was in no condition to meet anyone right now.

Leaving the guest to Tae-woo, he wriggled back under the blankets.

After Tae-woo left, voices could be heard conversing briefly outside before falling silent.

Soon, the bedroom door opened.

Thinking it was Tae-woo, So-won peeked his head out from under the covers—only to see the escort guide, whom he thought had left, entering the room.

Startled when their eyes met, So-won hastily straightened his disheveled clothes.

Thankfully, he was wearing a bathrobe.

Otherwise, he might have greeted the guide with his body bearing unmistakable traces.

“Guide Lee So-won, get up quickly and get ready to go out.

There’s somewhere we need to go.”

“Huh?

Where to?”

“We’re going to get a massage.

If you don’t loosen up now, you’ll suffer from muscle pain for at least a week.”

At those words, So-won forced himself upright.

Even now, his body ached like this, and he knew all too well how horrific it would be if muscle pain set in.

It would be at least ten times worse, to the point where moving would be impossible.

After changing and stepping out of the room, Tae-woo approached So-won and apologized.

“I’m sorry.

When he said that you’d suffer if you didn’t get treated right away…”

“It’s okay.

Tae-woo, I’ll go get a massage with the escort guide for a bit.

He even made a reservation already.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“Ah, Esper Kang Tae-woo, could you please wait here for a moment?

The place we’re going doesn’t allow Espers to accompany us.”

As Tae-woo tried to follow, he was stopped at the entrance.

Standing there blankly, he stepped back only after So-won reassured him that he’d be back soon.

In the hallway beyond the room, the escort guide’s Esper was waiting.

When their eyes met, So-won examined his condition.

The last time he’d seen him, the man could barely stand, half-conscious, but now he looked relatively fine.

“Are you feeling better now?”

At So-won’s question, the Esper stiffened.

After glancing nervously past So-won’s shoulder toward Tae-woo, he bowed his head without a word.

Did I do something wrong?

Puzzled by the meaningful reaction, So-won tilted his head.

They parted ways with the Espers in front of the rooms.

Once they were far enough away, So-won quietly asked the escort guide if he had made a mistake.

“In Canada, Espers aren’t supposed to casually talk to Guides who already have a pair.

Like I mentioned before, conflicts often break out over Guides.”

“Does that apply to Guides too?”

“Well… people don’t make a huge fuss, but most still restrain themselves.

And as far as I know, this is an unspoken rule in other countries too.

Isn’t it like that in Korea these days?”

…He hadn’t known.

Come to think of it, the escort guide’s Esper had kept his distance since arriving.

So-won had assumed he was just shy or quiet, but that wasn’t the case.

Looking back, So-won reflected on his behavior.

With Si-hyeok, and even with the S-rank Esper he’d met here, he’d greeted everyone openly without thinking.

He hadn’t known the latter was an Esper, but considering this was a dispatch lodging, he should have noticed.

No one had ever told him these things after he awakened as a Guide.

But So-won knew that ignorance wasn’t an excuse.

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