Fixing The Cowshed After Losing The Cow - c125

#12

The next morning, Taewoo’s radio rang instead of an alarm.

Sowon, who had been in a sweet sleep, suddenly woke up. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Taewoo holding a walkie-talkie.

– Esper Kang Tae-woo, I am contacting you via radio after hearing that you are not with the association. I have a checkup this morning. I need to submit my results by the afternoon. Can you come right away?

“I’m going now.”

A familiar voice was heard over the radio. The tone was more tired and stiff than 8 years ago, but the doctor’s voice was correct anyway.

Sowon opened his mouth as he saw Taewoo putting down the radio.

“Are you going to get tested?”

“yes.”

“Then can I come with you?”

Sowon asked. I knew that Taewoo’s condition was serious enough that it wouldn’t be surprising if he ran out of control at any time, but I felt like I had to know the exact extent of it so that when I tried guiding again, I wouldn’t faint in front of Taewoo like last time. In addition, I thought Taewoo might lose his temper if he suddenly received strong guidance, so I thought about getting advice from the doctor in charge.

“All right. “Speak when you are ready.”

“I’ll get ready soon!”

Sowon got out of bed and quickly ran to his room.

I somehow found some decent clothes in a room that was dusty because I hadn’t been in for a long time, put them on, and washed my face cleanly. Thinking that I shouldn’t be late, I quickly got ready and hurried back to Taewo’s room. Taewu, who was standing by the window, looked back at Sowon.

Taewu’s appearance in a bright place was very different from his appearance eight years ago. His expression became more rigid, his blood vessels covered his entire face, and his eyes became even darker. Nevertheless, the clothes he wore were the same, so it felt familiar.

Tae-Woo looked at Sowon who came after changing his clothes and said.

“I’ve called a convoy and it should arrive soon.”

“A convoy vehicle?”

Only then did Tae-woo’s tattered car, which he had seen in the yard yesterday, come into So-won’s mind. Well, no matter how positively I thought about it, driving that car to the association was impossible. Sowon just nodded, not even remembering where he parked his own car.

I came down to the first floor and sat on the sofa with Taewu, waiting, when soon a sound came from the radio that a convoy car had arrived. Sowon followed Taewoo outside and stopped as soon as he left the front door.

“ah… .”

Armed Espers appeared. As soon as I saw the gun they were holding, my legs suddenly stiffened.

Seeing Tae-woo looking back at him as he stopped, So-won belatedly said that it was okay and started walking again. Sowon glanced at the armed Espers. They also looked at Sowon for a moment as if they were curious about Sowon following Taewo, but soon they began to watch Taewoo’s actions.

“Esper Kang Tae-woo.”

One of the Espers approached Taew. Sowon asked in surprise when he found the familiar restraint in his hand.

“Do I have to wear that too?”

“Because Esper Kang Tae-woo’s condition is unstable, a safety device is needed in case he runs out of control during transport.”

“Then, if I guide, I don’t have to wear a mask, right?”

“… … .”

Esper did not answer right away. Perhaps this was the first time something like this had happened, and the Espers exchanged puzzled looks with each other. Fortunately, after discussing for a while, they said they understood and backed off without putting Tae-woo in a restraint.

Sowon got into the car with Taewo. The inside is for convoy… Rather, it was more like a transport vehicle for criminals. Moreover, there were two Espers sitting across from him holding guns, which made Sowon feel uneasy and keep glancing at the muzzle of the guns.

Sowon sat down next to Taewoo, holding his hand tightly. Every time the car shook, his arms or legs touched and Taewoo’s waves flowed in. Until yesterday, it was okay to just hold hands, but as the area being touched expanded, it definitely became difficult. As expected, hugging still seemed impossible.

Sowon suddenly felt eyes on him and looked up at Taewoo. Although Tae-Woo didn’t show it, he seemed unable to adapt to So-Won’s sudden change in attitude. But he didn’t ask Sowon anything.

But the thing that couldn’t be explained was the same for Sowon. Because Sowon was still confused about what was reality and what was a dream.

“Im here.”

The convoy vehicle stopped in the association’s underground parking lot. I thought we would now be separated from the armed espers, but they got on the elevator together. I wondered if ordinary people would be surprised to see armed Espers, but seeing as the elevator never stopped even when there were a lot of people, it seemed like they were under control.

Sowon endured the uncomfortable atmosphere and headed to the doctor’s laboratory.

“… … Guide Lee So-won?”

The doctor in charge muttered in surprise when he saw Sowon walking in with Taewoo. Sowon could understand the doctor’s reaction. Until now, the only time Sowon had met her doctor was when she was forcibly brought in, and all the doctor saw was her crying and struggling.

However, Sowon was equally surprised to see the doctor in charge. Her tired, wrinkled face looked very different from the past, and her hair had fallen out a lot compared to eight years ago. I wondered why I didn’t recognize it as soon as I saw it eight years ago, but I think it was because of my hair.

“hello.”

The doctor in charge looked even more embarrassed when Sowon calmly greeted him. Since Sowon must have felt completely unfamiliar to the doctor in charge, Sowon decided not to pay much attention to the doctor’s reaction.

Sowon sat quietly in the doctor’s lab and waited while Taewoo’s test was in progress.

After the armed Espers followed Taewo, Sowon was alone in the lab. However, even after the gun disappeared from before his eyes, Sowon’s heart did not ease.

No matter how much I searched through my past memories, there were no Espers following Taewu as if they were watching him, but now they were with him wherever he went. Seeing that the doctor in charge was acting familiar, it seemed like he was the only one who didn’t know. However, even though Sowon was Taewoo’s dedicated guide, he continued to avoid him, so it was not strange at all if there were things he did not know.

Taewu was late because the test took a long time today. While Sowon was worried that something might have happened to Taewoo, he heard footsteps approaching the lab.

The doctor who soon returned to the lab held a test sheet in his hand. Sowon wanted to quickly check the results, but he couldn’t easily ask for the results because it was clear that Taewoo’s condition was bad because he hadn’t provided guidance until now. As Sowon was nervously looking at the prosecutor, the doctor in charge finally opened his mouth.

“You’ve improved a lot.”

It was the exact opposite of his calm tone of voice. Sowon asked in confusion.

“uh… Is it true?”

“yes. Although it is still unstable, Esper Kang Tae-woo’s condition has improved significantly compared to last time. “If you just keep guiding us like this, there won’t be any danger of a runaway in the future.”

“But we only held hands for a day… .”

“The condition is so bad that even with a little guidance, it improves noticeably. Esper Kang Tae-woo will also feel much more comfortable.”

The doctor in charge answered in a soulless voice, looking through the chart. Sowon felt better for a moment, but quickly became depressed again. I felt sorry again when I thought that Taewoo had to suffer because I couldn’t do this simple thing until now.

But not in the future. I will guide every day, and I will continue to work hard to help Taewoo’s condition improve.

Sowon asked, remembering the question he had been thinking about before the doctor came back.

“Since Taewoo’s condition is bad, it would be best to start full-scale guiding as quickly as possible, right?”

The doctor glanced at me as if he was surprised that Sowon was asking so seriously, but he quickly lowered his gaze back to the chart and continued his explanation.

“If you suddenly perform high-intensity guiding on an Esper who is in poor condition like Esper Kang Tae-woo, he may experience guiding shock. If you are not careful, the esper may lose his temper and attack the guide, so take your time to adapt slowly first.”

Sowon nodded. I didn’t want to cause Taewoo to go into shock, and if I increased the intensity too quickly, my body might not be able to withstand it, so I thought it would be better to slowly increase the intensity while monitoring my body’s condition like the doctor said. And until then, I had to eat a lot and exercise to get my weakened body back to its original state.

As Sowon’s continued questions ended, silence fell in the lab. The doctor in charge just turned over the chart with a tired look on his face, and Taewu also just sat there calmly, as if it wasn’t his story. It was unfamiliar because it was very different from the atmosphere Sowon experienced in her dream. However, Sowon left the lab with Taewoo, thinking that if Taewoo’s condition improved, the awkward atmosphere would ease up a bit.