CH 68

After that, So-Won, who had been walking silently, murmured while looking around carefully.

“It’s kind of quiet today.”

As So-Won said, the hotel was so quiet. It was difficult to find other people even in places where there were usually many people. Perhaps they were stuck in the room like So-Won and were just guiding all day.

“It’s always this atmosphere when the espers come back from the gate. By the way, guide Lee So-Won, did you do a good job guiding?”

“Oh! I survived thanks to the guide. If it weren’t for strength supplements, I would have collapsed long ago.”

“It took you four days to guide. As expected, the S-class Esper is different.”

The guide joked and laughed mischievously. So-Won felt his ears heats up and he pulled up his collar to hide the marks on his neck. It was fortunate that he could cover himself with thick clothes because it was winter.

The massage that So-Won is about to get would be for loosening the knotted muscles. The guide confidently explained that it is effective for the body tired of guiding because it is supported at the national level for the guide.

So-Won arrived at a place he had never been to while listening to the guide’s explanation. There was a separate place to get a massage because it was a dispatched accommodation. Here, like other places, it is well-managed, so it is clean and has good facilities.

Arriving in front of the entrance, the guide stopped.

“Then go ahead.”

“What about the guide?”

“I already received it two days ago. I think everyone else got it too?”

So-Won nodded and tried to go inside. However, there was a warning sign at the entrance that said, “No Esper.”

Why? It would be nice to receive it with the espers since they’ve been to the gate. Come to think of it, Tae-Woo tried to follow but was stopped.

“Why is Esper off limits?”

So-Won stopped at the door and went inside while asking curiously. As soon as So-Won’s words were finished, a painful sound was heard from the inside .

“Ack!”

A voice filled with pain was heard.

The guide reassured when he saw So-Won surprised and scared.

“It’s for such a reason.”

“What?”

So-Won tilted his head at the vague answer. The guide pushed So-Won’s back saying, “If you get a massage you’ll understand” So-Won had no choice but to see the answer himself.

“Argh!”

So-Won was screaming just like the sound he heard from the next room.

It seems that he is massaging gently, but his muscles, which had been overworked for several days, screamed for help. Whenever the physical therapist pressed his body, a sharp scream leaked from So-Won’s mouth. Even if he bit his lips hard because he was afraid that a grown-up adult would think that he was exaggerating, it popped out reflexively.

So-Won now understands why Esper is off limits. It was clear that if Esper heard this sound, he would come in thinking that something had happened to the guide. The guide was also concerned about Esper waiting for him outside, so he would not be at ease throughout the entire session.

His whole body seemed to be torn, but So-Won held back. If he starts guiding again in this state, he won’t be able to move his body for days. He had to endure to live.

Still, was it true that the effect was good, and the more he received the massage, the lighter my body became. After an hour of massage he felt much better. So-Won thanks the physical therapist in a clumsy foreign language before leaving the room.

The guide who was waiting for the So-Won in the waiting room welcomed the So-Won.

“What do you think? It’s okay, right?”

“It’s really the best.”

“If you come to Canada, you can get it every day. Every guide center has something like this in every guide center.” To So-Won’s serious answer, the guide answered with a proud smile. He is not kidding, the massage he just received was perfect for So-Won. It was very regrettable that he could never receive it again when he went back to Korea. So-Won wished Korea had something like this.

On their way back to the room together, the guide asked So-Won.

“Guide Lee So-Won, do you have any thoughts of meeting the president of the CanadaAssociation? He happened to be here, and he said he wanted to meet Kang Tae-Woo and the guide.”

So-Won pondered deeply. Now that he is feeling better, he was going to go back to the room and rest. Now that fatigue accumulated, So-Won wanted to rest rather than meet someone. However, when he heard that the president of the association came in person, he couldn’t decide immediately.

“Well… I’ll ask Tae-Woo first.”

He said he would ask Tae-Woo for now, but probably the same was true of Tae-Woo. He came here on business, and Esper’s overseas dispatch activities also affected diplomacy to some extent, so an association employee or executive could have refused, but if the president of the association came himself, he had to go. It was even harder to refuse because the president is already here.

The guide took So-Won to the front of the room and left, before telling him to ask Tae-Woo and contact him again. When So-Won returned, Tae-Woo, who was sitting on the sofa, rose and approached So-Won.

He could feel Tae-Woo checking So-Won’s physical condition without saying a word. It seemed to be like that because he was limping out of the room earlier. So-Won emphasized the fact that he is fine by straightening his waist.

“How are you feeling?”

“It’s much better. It would’ve been nice if Tae-Woo got it too.”

“I’m fine because Lee So-Won guided me.”

So-Won came inside, taking off his shoes. The living room, which had been cluttered with traces of guiding, had turned neat. So-Won was quietly surprised at the sight, and soon remembered what the guide said and asked Tae-Woo.

“Tae-Woo, the president of the Canada Association wants to meet us. What should we do?”

“Does he want to meet us now?”

“Yes. I think he is already here.”

Tae-Woo seemed to be agonizing for a moment and nodded.

“Okay. Lee So-Won can rest a little longer.”

“No, I’ll go with you. I’m here as Tae-Woo’s guide.”

He said that, but talking about work was just an excuse. So-Won just didn’t want to be away from Tae-Woo.

When So-Won contacted the guide that he would go to see the president of the association, he rushed to him.

“The president of the association is waiting inside. I hope you have a pleasant conversation.”

The guide who took So-Won and Tae-Woo to the front of the small meeting room stopped at the entrance and lowered his head as if he could only guide them up to here.

Inside the conference room, the president of the association, who arrived first, was waiting for So-Won. When So-Won and Tae-Woo showed their faces in the meeting room, the president of the association stood up and welcomed them with a bright expression.

So-Won forgot, this was Canada, and the president of the Canadian Association couldn’t speak Korean.

“Well…”

Hearing the association president speak in english he could only gulp down in worry. So-Won understood the greeting, but he didn’t know what the rest of his words meant.

As So-Won rolled his eyes awkwardly next to Tae-Woo, the president of the association ordered something to another employee next to him. They acted mysteriously for a moment, and the president of the association, who looked back, spoke.

“How is it now?”

So-Won doubted his ears when he heard Korean. When So-Won was puzzled, the president of the association smiled kindly and continued.

“This is the Esper’s ability to be next to me. Esper, who has the ability to interpret, is really rare, so it’s understandable that you’re surprised.”

After seeing that, the shape of the association president’s mouth and words were different. So-Won knew it was rude, but he stared at him in wonder. Apparently, he sounded Korean to So-Won. The president of the association seemed to speak Korean fluently.

So-Won sat next to Tae-Woo, who was sitting down. And the conversation began.

“Did you have any inconvenience coming to Canada?”

“No. We came really comfortably because you sent a private plane.”

“I’m glad you came comfortably. It is a private jet used by S-class Esper in Canada to travel abroad, and we sometimes send it to them when they are dispatched from abroad.”

Formal conversations came and went with a simple welcome. Most of the time, So-Won answered, and Tae-Woo quietly added one or two words next to him, leading to a conversation.

“Do you like Canada?”

So-Won answered the president’s question right away without even considering it.

“I liked it. What about you, Tae-Woo?”

“I liked it, too.”

Tae-Woo nodded, too. No one recognizes Tae-Woo as monster, and no one is scared of him. It was undeniable that Tae-Woo was also more comfortable than when he was in Korea.

When So-Won and Tae-Woo both seemed satisfied, the president of the association carefully brought up the subject.

“Then, do you have any thoughts of staying in Canada?”

As soon as he heard what followed, So-Won recalled what an association employee had asked before leaving Korea. Before So-Won could think deeply, the chairman of the association opened his mouth again.