The Guide Is Fixing His Regrets

No matter how much he whines and get angry, nothing will change. 

When So-Won was matched with the monster Kang Tae-Woo eight years ago, even when he tried so hard to invalidate the match, nothing could be changed.

Kang Tae-Woo. 

The three words had a huge impact on him. 

So-Won’s mother finally cried due to So-Won’s stubborn will, and So-Won’s father sighed while pressing down on his temple. 

The bright and cheerful atmosphere before had completely disappeared. 

So-Won’s heart ached because he felt like he was being unfair to his parents, but all So-Won could say was an apology.

Just a few days ago, Tae-Woo died earlier than So-Won’s parents. 

So-Won couldn’t even close his eyes. 

His body was pierced and was covered in blood. The blood poured out in front of So-Won and he could only watch him turn cold as he died.

So-Won’s expression became darker.

He felt sorry to his parents, but he had to take responsibility for Tae-Woo’s death this time. 

In the end, So-Won couldn’t stand the heavy atmosphere and ran away to his room.

So-Won sat down on the ground after the door closed with a small sound.

 So-Won expected it his parents’ severe opposition, but he had to convince them somehow.

Because of the Mandatory Guide System, So-Won had to be Kang Tae-Woo’s guide. So-Won can’t change the result.

밖은 어느새 어둑해져 있었다. 소원은 침대에 누워 태우의 이름을 검색해 보려다 그의 이름을 치기도 전에 실시간 검색어 에서 태우의 이름을 발견했다. 소원이 고개를 갸웃거리며 실시간 검색어 속 태우의 이름을 터치했다. 곧이어 떠오른 화면 속에는 어제 보지 못했던 새로운 기사들이 가득했다.[괴물 강태우, 매칭률마저 괴물]소원이 기사의 제목을 보고 눈을 찌그렸다. 괴물이라니. 물론 자신도 그렇게 생각했지만, 아무리 그래도 사람 보고 괴물 이라니 너무했다. 항상 괴물 취급을 당했을 태우를 생각하자 측은한 마음이 몰려왔다. 과거의 소원에게도, 하나뿐인 가이드 에게도 그는 괴물로 취급당했다. 이번에는 그렇게 되지 않을 것이다. 소원 자신만큼은 그를 괴물 강태우가 아니라 인간 강 태우로 대하겠다고 다짐했다.그나저나 놀라웠다. 결과가 나온 지 얼마 되지도 않았는데 소식이 그렇게 빠른지 벌써 기사가 떴다. 가장 위에 있는 기사 를 눌러 읽어 보니, 태우가 100%의 전례 없는 매칭률을 기록하며 가이드가 생겼다는 내용이었다. 아직 태우의 가이드가 소 원이라는 것은 알아내지 못한 듯, 가이드에 대한 정보는 적혀 있지 않았다. 다른 기사 몇 개를 더 골라 읽어 보았지만 대부분 비슷한 내용이었다.소원이 핸드폰 화면을 끄고 천장을 보고 누웠다. 며칠이 지났지만, 여전히 지금 상황이 현실 같지 않았다. 아니면 자신이 8년짜리 꿈을 꾸었든가. 로또 번호라도 외워 둘 걸 그랬나? 실없는 생각이 꼬리를 이었다. 이렇게 될 줄 알았으면 뉴스라도

So-Won did not realized that it became dark outside.

So-Won was lying in bed trying to search Tae-Woo’s name and he found Tae-Woo’s name in a real-time search before he even typed his name. 

So-Won tilted his head and touched Tae-Woo’s name in the real-time search term. 

The screen that soon came up was full of new articles that So-Won didn’t see yesterday.

“Even Monster Kang Tae-Woo’s matching rate is a monster”

So-Won frowned when he saw the title of the article.

 Monster. 

Of course, So-Won thought so himself, but it was too much to be called a monster by everyone. 

When So-Won thought of Tae-Woo, he felt sorry for Tae-Won who have always been treated like a monster

Tae-Woo was treated as a monster by both his past and his only Guide. 

It won’t be like that this time. 

So-Won himself vowed to treat Tae-Woo as a human, not a monster.

‘It was amazing.’ So-Won thought.

It hasn’t been long since the results came out, but an article has already appeared. The news really travelled fast.

So-Won pressed the article at the top and read it. Tt was said that Tae-Woo had an unprecedented matching rate of 100% with a Guide. 

There were no information about Tae-Woo’s guide, it looks like they haven’t discovered his identity yet.

He chose a few more articles and read them, but most of them were similar.

So-Won turned off the cell phone screen and lied down while looking at the ceiling.

A few days later, things still didn’t seem real. Maybe he had an eight-year dream? Should he had memorized the lottery numbers?

 So-Won’s stupid thoughts followed.

‘If I knew this would happen, I should have taken a closer look’

So-Won has been living in a room doing nothing for the past eight years, so he didn’t even know about the big events. 

After becoming Tae-Woo’s guide, So-Won have no memories of the early and middle years. 

He only remembered that Tae-Woo didn’t come home for a long time or the most recent Incheon Gate incident. 

It seemed that the only way So-Won could help Tae-Woo was through guiding.

So-Won sighed deeply.

So-Won opened his eyes with a cold face. 

Every night before going to sleep, he closes his eyes.

It was hard for So-Won to sleep in bed every night. He was afraid that if he closed them he would return back to the operating room once he opened his eyes.

After So-Wom managed to soothe his eyes and he managed to close his eyes for a while, he would see images of Tae-Woo vomiting blood and dying. 

The smell of blood and Tae-Woo’s cold hands bothered So-Won.

 So-Won always had a nightmare when he fell asleep. 

This was happening every night.

“Ha…”

 So-Won, who had a nightmare again, woke up early in the morning. 

Obviously, So-Won fell asleep long after midnight, but he woke up even before the sun rise up.

So-Won thought he could count the hours of sleep with his fingers these days.

His blanket must have fallen on the floor after he struggle in his dreams.

His clothes were damp with cold sweat all over his body. Even when he opened my eyes, he could vividly remember the scene in his dream.

So-Won’s hands trembled.

 So-Won always searches for Tae-Woo’s name after having a nightmare.

He can only be relived after making sure that there was no article about his death.

So-Won stayed at home for the past week.

 It’s already been a week since the guided test, but he haven’t met Tae-Woo since. 

At first, So-Won also tried to contact Tae-Woo, but there was a problem. 

So-Won didn’t even know Tae-Woo’s number because he hadn’t even contacted him in the past eight years. 

So-Won didn’t give up and called the Esper Association to try and contact Tae-Woo.

“Sorry, I can’t give you an Esper’s phone number to protect his privacy, even if you are a guide.”

So-Won was embarrassed after hearing the answer. 

However, So-Won was convinced that it’s the rules, so he asked wanted to exchange numbers.

“Esper Kang Tae-woo does not accept phone exchanges from outsiders.”

 It was an answer that seemed to have been made in advance to make fun of So-Won.

So-Won eventually had to hang up in vain without getting anything.

There was only one thing So-Won knew about Tae-Woo.

 However, Tae-Woo’s house has never been opened to the public, so it was clear that if So-Won suddenly visited, Tae-Woo would think he is strange. 

Therefore, even the only thing So-Won knew was useless.

 Still, it doesn’t mean that nothing had happened in the meantime.

 So-Won finally succeeded in persuading his parents and quit his university. 

Unlike eight years ago, he was thinking about going to college this time, but he applied for a leave of absence after thinking it would be in the way of guiding Tae-Woo.

 By this time, he still had some close friends at university, but to the current So-Won, they were out of touch for eight years.

Even the low-quality and childish clothes were completely changed to suit that matches with the 30-year-old So-Won’s taste.

He didn’t have much money in his bank account because of his regression. Still, he managed to buy clothes, because a lot of money came in right after he became Kang Tae-Woo’s exclusive guide. 

So-Won, whose way of contacting Tae-Woo disappeared, became lax. 

So-Won who can’t contact Tae-Woo became lax.

It was peaceful as if So-Won went back to the days before he became Tae-Woo’s Guide. Everything feels like a nightmare. 

So-Won was going to lie in bed in the cool air conditioner today. 

If it wasn’t for the mail that arrived  in the morning from the Guide Association.

So-Won opened the envelope and took out the mail. It was a small white card. It was a Guide Registration Card, which can also be called a guide’s ID. 

A sparkling idea came to So-Won’s small head, he alternately looked at his face in the card and the name of Esper Kang Tae-Woo he is in charge of.

Tae-Woo almost lived in his private room in the Esper Association. Even before living together with So-Won, he left a good house and stayed at the Esper Association, which allowed him to breathe a little in the stuffy house. It was clear that Tae-Woo would be in his private room today, if there were no special circumstances.

So-Won admired himself for his intelligence.

The lobby of the Esper Association, just past lunchtime, was crowded compared to the last time So-Won came.

Feeling the tension of meeting Kang Tae-Woo, So-Won gulped before bravely walking to the information desk.

“How may I help you?” 

“Where is Esper Kang Tae-Woo’s private room?” So-Won asked.

“I’m sorry. We cannot inform outsiders of Esper’s private room.” The Esper Association’s  employee said. 

‘It was an expected answer.’ So-Won thought.

 So-Won took out the guide registration card from his pocket and handed it to the employee. 

The employee who confirmed Tae-Woo’s name in the guide registration card that So-Won proudly handed over, looked at So-Won. The employee looked at the registration card two or three times with disbelief.

 In the end, the employee couldn’t believe it and typed in the guide registration number of So-Won into the computer system. 

It was true. 

The employee wanted to believe that it was a computer system error, but So-Won and Kang Tae-Woo’s picture were floating side by side on the computer screen.

The employee who had encountered Kang Tae-Woo’s terrible appearance once said,

“I didn’t want to go near that area, but I had no choice but to guide you. Since you are not an outsider, but a dedicated guide I’ll lead the way…”

The staff’s steps were heavy.

So-Won, who followed the staff in the elevator, peeped at the number of floors he pressed.

 [10th floor.]

So-Won had to remember that, it might come handy later.

The floor that followed was quieter than elsewhere. 

There was no one walking around the hallway, no number was attached to each room, and the number of rooms was significantly smaller than the large structure. 

Only the footsteps of the staff guiding him  and So-Won’s, were heard in the quiet hallway.

 It was rather weird because it was so silent.

“This is it.”

Before So-Won knew it, the employee stopped and pointed to the tightly closed door.

 As So-Won bowed his head, the staff left the place in a hurry. 

So-Won looked around while looking at the employee disappearing quickly. 

Tae-Woo’s private room was at the end of the hallway.

There was no other room nearby, and it was quiet inside. 

So-Won didn’t feel any movement.