Fixing The Cowshed After Losing The Cow - c126
#13
After completing the checkup, Sowon and Taewoo returned home in a convoy vehicle just like they did when they came to the association. When Sowon arrived at the front door, he stopped when he saw the still broken doorknob, but then pretended not to have seen anything and entered the house.
Sowon crossed the living room, following Taewoo with light steps. I felt at ease because there were no armed Espers. But there was another reason why I felt really good.
Even just a little bit of guidance can have a huge effect.
It seemed like the motivation that had already been building up was overflowing. I was planning to start guiding right away, but when I got home, I felt hungry, perhaps because I was so relaxed. It was almost lunch time. As Sowon was wondering what menu would be on the table today, a sandwich he ate eight years ago suddenly came to mind.
“Mr. Taewoo.”
When Sowon called, Taewoo stopped and looked back at Sowon.
“There was a day when a sandwich was left in front of my door.”
“… … .”
“Did Taewoo make that for you? It was really delicious. thank you.”
Thinking about the sandwich that was left in front of Sowon’s door, I finally expressed the gratitude that I had not been able to express before. Tae-Woo didn’t show much positivity or reaction when he saw Sowon, but Sowon didn’t care much and just smiled.
“… “I’ll make it again if you want.”
Taewoo, who had been silent, spoke. He was surprised by the unexpected answer, but that wasn’t what he needed to focus on now. With wide eyes, Sowon quickly nodded, not missing the opportunity that had come for the first time in eight years.
*
From that day on, I just guided all day. Sowon followed behind Taewoo, held his hand when his hand was empty, hugged him when his eyes met, and when the sun set and night fell, he visited Taewoo and fell asleep while lying in the same bed.
Today too, Sowon woke up in Taewoo’s room when birds were chirping outside the window.
Sowon opened his eyes happily, feeling the sunlight shining brightly into the room. Taewoo was lying next to her, and the blanket she had wrapped herself in was cozy.
It was a perfect morning. Sowon smiled happily for a moment and then snuggled into Taewoo’s arms. When I looked up and buried my face in his warm, wide chest, I saw Taewoo’s face, whose condition had improved significantly.
“It’s gotten a lot better… .”
The bulging blood vessels had noticeably subsided compared to a few days ago. Sowon reached out to touch it, but suddenly found a shiny metal in her hand and it froze.
On your fingers… There was a ring.
“Why is this… .”
Sowon’s eyes shook greatly.
It was a ring with a magic stone embedded in it. Taew personally put it on his finger under the brightly shining moonlight. The ring that Sowon cherished as if it were his own life, as the black magic stone embedded in the center seemed to look into Taewo’s eyes.
Only then did I realize my wish.
Ah, this was a dream. Otherwise, there was no way the ring Taew had put on her finger eight years ago would have been on her finger. This place that I thought was reality was a dream.
Why did I only realize the existence of the ring now? In fact, even though I knew this place was a dream, I didn’t want to wake up, so I may have ignored the ring without realizing it because I wanted to be with Taewu a little longer eight years later. But from the dream, one day he had to wake up, and Sowon had to return to Taewoo, who was waiting for him.
The moment Sowon became convinced that this was a dream, at the same time, the background surrounding Sowon and Taewoo began to gradually change.
Everything became blurred, as if to prove that it was a dream. The scenery outside the window, the furniture, the walls, and the floor were distorted one after another and then scattered as if melting, and before I knew it, I was lying in a blurry space filled with only wishes and burning fog.
Even Taewoo’s body in front of me felt like it would disappear in an instant. Sowon stood up and looked at Taewoo. Tae-Woo, who was obviously asleep, was suddenly looking at So-Won in the same position as So-Won. It wasn’t a nightmare. There was no hole in Taewu’s stomach, and Taewu wasn’t looking at him with resentment.
Sowon opened his mouth, feeling tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
“Taewoo, are you going on like this?”
When Sowon asked in tears, Taewo nodded and answered.
“That’s right. “Have you not been here for a long time?”
“But I don’t want to break up…” .”
Sowon shed tears and lowered her head.
I was scared. I wonder if the dream I had was just a fantasy created to relieve my guilt. In fact, Tae-Woo did not forgive himself, but I was afraid that I had deceived him even in my dreams to make myself feel at ease.
Sowon, who was hanging on Taewoo’s arm, grabbed him and told him not to go. But as if to remind me once again that this was a dream, I could no longer feel the painful waves coming from Taewoo.
“Lee So-won, I really wanted you to be happy.”
“I’m living happily with Taewoo now. I love Taewoo. I will definitely make Taewoo happy for the rest of his life… . So don’t go… .”
Sowon burrowed into Taewoo’s arms and hugged him tightly as if she wouldn’t let him go. But my consciousness kept slipping away. The sensation in his fingertips became faint and then became clear again, tormenting Sowon. As if it was really time to break up.
Sowon raised his head to see Taewoo’s face one last time.
“ah… .”
And when Sowon looked at Taewoo’s kind eyes looking down at her, Sowon realized. This is the last time I see him in my dreams. Now, even in my nightmares, I know that I won’t be able to meet Taewu eight years from now.
“Thank you, Lee So-won.”
side. Taewoo’s lips landed on his forehead.
“Be happy.”
The last time Sowon saw Taewoo’s face, all the blood that had covered his body had disappeared. Beyond his blurry vision, he was clearly smiling.
*
My body shook slightly and my dazed mind returned.
“Mr. Sowon, are you okay?”
When Sowon forced his watery eyes open, he saw Taewu looking down at him with seriously worried eyes. Sowon slowly looked around. Just like when I first opened my eyes in my dream, this was also a hospital.
“Why are you crying? “Where does it hurt?”
“ah… .”
Sowon looked under his eyes. Her face was completely wet with tears, as if she had been crying so hard.
“I had a dream… . “I guess that’s why I cried.”
“Was it a nightmare?”
“No, it was a very happy dream.”
Taewoo did not ask any more questions. Sowon’s happy expression seemed to be a sufficient explanation.
“however… “Why am I in the hospital?”
Sowon asked, looking around. My last memory was of falling asleep at Tae-woo’s house, but I suddenly woke up in the hospital and was confused.
“… “Mr. Sowon has been asleep for the past week.”
“A week?”
Sowon looked at Taewoo in surprise when he heard that it was a week. It certainly seemed like he had slept for a long time, but no matter how much he loved to nap, it was impossible to sleep for a week without waking up even once.
“It seems to be the effect of the gate. “It doesn’t affect espers, but it seems to affect the general public.”
After listening to Taewoo’s subsequent explanation, it seemed that the ordinary investigators who entered the gate were also experiencing similar symptoms. However, while other people usually woke up after three or four days, only Sowon lasted a little longer, at just a week. Sowon seemed to know the reason. I didn’t want to wake up from my dream, so I forced myself to wake up late, thinking that I wanted to be with Tae-woo even a little longer.
After hearing those words, I felt sorry for Taewoo, who must have been anxious seeing himself unable to wake up alone.
“You made me worry again… . sorry.”
“no. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
When Sowon leaned forward helplessly, Taewu immediately hugged her.
Sowon closed her eyes and found stability in Taewo’s arms, feeling the arms that tightly held her and the calm waves. The embrace of Taewu, who hugged him at the end in his dream, was also warm like this.
I wish I had known about Taewoo’s kindness earlier.
Little by little, my heart began to flutter, but soon it overflowed and leaked out of my mouth.
“Taewoo, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Tae-Woo carefully wiped away the tears that had accumulated under Sowon’s eyes, who must have been lost in a dream for a long time. Sowon closed her eyes and quietly received Taewoo’s touch before making a decision.
I decided to tell Taewoo what happened over the past eight years.
He felt that his relationship with Tae-woo could move forward only if he confessed the mistakes he had made by informing him of the time that was the past for him and the future for Tae-woo. Going back to the past? It was an absurd story, but Sowon had no doubt that Taewoo would listen to it seriously.
Sowon got out of Taewoo’s arms and faced him.
“Mr. Taewoo, actually… .”
A long story will begin in the future.
The side story about losing a cow and fixing a guide is completed.