CH 16

It is the third day since Tae-Woo did not return home.

It’s been a long time since the room was organized, which he thought would never end.

So-Won had a monotonous routine every day.

So-Won ate the meal made by the person who came at the set time, sat for a long time looking at the yard to relieve his boredom, and then took a rest after receiving washing in the bathtub when the sun went down.

So-Won, who was lying on the sofa on the first floor without doing anything, hurriedly found his smartphone when the phone rang. He was very disappointed when he saw someone else’s name, not Tae-Woo, on the screen he checked.

In the first eight years, he had never been called, and So-Won felt pathetic about himself knowing and expecting it.

“Yeah… Mom…” So-Won answered.

“What’s wrong with your voice? So-Won, did something happen?”

“No, it’s because I had a nightmare.” So-Won still had a nightmare.

The only day So-Won came to Tae-Woo’s house and didn’t have nightmares was the first day he fell asleep next to Tae-Woo.

When Tae-Woo disappeared, a nightmare came again.

In the late night, So-Won was always afraid.

Whenever So-Won closed his eyes, he saw Tae-Woo dying.

So-Won was covered in a blanket alone in a house where no one was and suffered from fear all night.

“Did something really happen? Why aren’t you calling me?” So-Won’s mother asked.

“Nothing really happened. Tae-Woo doesn’t even come home well anyway…” So-Won answered, looking at the empty house.

Eight years ago, Tae-Woo didn’t come home at alot.

So-Won didn’t expect him to come in often this time, but So-Won felt mixed up when Tae-Woo didn’t really show his face without contacting So-Won.

So-Won even thought that Tae-Woo would have returned a little faster if So-Won hadn’t been afraid of him.

So-Won looked back on his actions.

Even though So-Won returned, nothing changed from eight years ago.

So-Won praised himself for not being very nervous when he saw Tae-Woo. Saying hello first and visiting him first, but each time So-Won was still scared of him.

What did Tae-Woo think when he saw his guide shaking while looking at him?

So-Won tried not to see him as a monster in his own way, but in his eyes, So-Won would have looked the same as everyone else, he saw him as a monster

No wonder Tae-Woo didn’t come home.

When So-Won’s voice became gloomy, So-Won’s mother asked as if he was worried.

“Can you just come back home? Can’t you just pretend to live there? ” So-Won’s mother asked.

“No, Mom. I’m really fine.” So-Won replied.

“Ugh…. Call your dad, too. If anything happens, please tell me.” So-Won’s mother said.

So-Won hung up after hearing a lot of nagging mixed with worries.

Then he lies down on the sofa again.

So-Won’s face, who had a nightmare again today, was very pale.

He is scared in the quiet house, so he played the TV to break the silence.

A few hours ago, it must have turned on a noisy program, but the screen turned into news before So-Won knew it.

A neatly dressed announcer was sitting at the news desk.

So-Won wanted a noisy atmosphere, so he tried to change the channel. When he heard a calm voice with little change, So-Won left it alone because he thought it wasn’t too bad.

So-Won lay on the sofa and while looking at the high ceiling.

He hasn’t slept for a few days and he’s out of his mind.

If it was night now, So-Won would have trembled with fear even in the middle of the night, but he was only dizzy and drowsy because the sun was up.

However, even if So-Won fell asleep now, he couldn’t sleep because it was the same as having nightmares.

So-Won was afraid of the night that would come soon.

“..Yesterday…..   Kang Tae-Woo….” The Tv announcer said.

So-Won’s ears, who was handling the announcer’s voice as white noise, managed to catch Tae-Woo’s name.

“Tae-Woo?”

So-Won jumped up.

So-Won felt dizzy when the blood suddenly turned downward.

He staggered with his eyes closed tightly and hurriedly looked at the TV again as his vision became clear.

It was too late when So-Won looked at the screen.

The news that told Tae-Woo’s news as if it had passed by really briefly was already on another topic.

So-Won quickly found his smartphone.

When So-Won searched Tae-Woo’s name, there were dozens of new articles.

So-Won was looking for an article that didn’t contain the modifier monster, but he just clicked on any article because it all contained the word monster.

It was seen that Tae-Woo cleared the B-class gate in Gangwon-Do.

While So-Won suffered from nightmares because Tae-Woo did not return home, it seems that he went to the gate.

So-Won was in a bad mood for no reason.

Originally, it was common for Esper to share the schedule with the guide when he went to the gate.

As per the grade of the gate to which the Esper was dispatched, there was an obligation for the guide to wait near the gate to assist him.

There is such a thing, but even if it was not. Esper could be called in a hurry and he needed a guide.

Of course, Tae-Woo had never informed So-Won that he was going to the gate in the past, but So-Won was disappointed for some reason.

Since then, So-Won has searched and read several more articles, but he could not find any good information.

It was all about the same stuff.

Monster Kang Tae-Woo cleared the B-class gate in Gangwon-Do and returned last night.

Nothing like his condition out of the gate was found in any article.

So-Won looked through his old memories.

The only memory of Tae-Woo’s injury was after visiting Incheon Gate on the last day of his death.

So-Won was confident that Tae-Woo would have come out of the gate without any injuries this time.

However, even if he was not injured, he needed a guide after using his ability.

So-Won sat still and began to worry.

Though Tae-Woo would return home one day.

However, it was the first gate to So-Won since Tae-Woo died in the future eight years later.

So-Won knew that Tae-Woo wouldn’t die today, but he couldn’t help feeling anxious.

So-Won was worried while crouching down for a while.

In the end, he decided to contact Tae-Woo if he needed a guide.

So-Won plucked up the courage to call.

The beep went off for a long time and then went over to an automatic response.

So-Won lowered his eyes for a moment.

His expression was dark.

[I saw on the news that you went to the gate. Please contact me if you need a guide.]

So-Won barely texted after rewriting the sentence several times. He is acting like he and Tae-Woo is ex-lover full of lingering feelings.

After that, So-Won did nothing and looked at his smartphone for a long time.

It’s quiet.

Despite So-Won’s long wait, Tae-Woo never replied.

It was not until the sun, which had been floating, disappeared and the moon shining a faint light, that So-Won put down his smartphone.

Does Tae-Woo not reply because he does not need a guide, or does he intentionally ignore the contact?

So-Won had all kinds of thoughts.

He skipped meals today because he didn’t have an appetite.

So-Won’s hands trembled when he thought he had to spend the night suffering from nightmares again.

So-Won eventually decided to visit Tae-Woo.

Even if he sit still and wait for a call that won’t even come, the only thing that comes to So-Won is a terrible nightmare.

Tae-Woo may not welcome So-Won, but he would not kick out So-Won, who came to the association to guide.

So-Won arose from his seat.

He lightly prepared to go out and checked the time.

The bus with the worst dispatch time was already the last bus even though it was not late at night.

So-Won turned on the taxi app.

Eight years ago, the design felt rough, but not to the point where it could not be used.

So-Won grabbed his phone and called a taxi, he managed to catch a taxi passing nearby.

A glow bloomed on So-Won’s face.

As soon as he came out of the house, a car approached him from afar.

Unlike the humid and hot outside, the taxi was cool.

The ride was not good, but he had to endure it because he didn’t have his own car.

“Please go to the Esper Association headquarters.” So-Won was sure Tae-Woo would be at the Esper Association.

Tae-Woo always stayed in the Association’s private room, not at his house, on the day he went to the gate, or on the day he didn’t.

Tae-Woo would still be in his private room these days when he didn’t return home before being sent to the gate.

It will be the same today.

The scenery passed quickly.

The more they headed towards the Esper Association, the more colorful the picture outside the window became.

Even on the road he started seeing different cars.

Seeing people walking down the street, the loneliness from living alone faded a little.

The fear disappeared at the same time.

After that, So-Won started to think more and more.

If Tae-Woo says, ‘Did you come out for nothing?’, So-Won may feel worse.

So, even if Tae-Woo narrows his forehead, he will not run away.

It is natural for So-Won to think that his impression might get worse.

As So-Won was spending time alone in the private room, So-Won began to regret going out recklessly, fearing that Tae-Woo would get angry at him.