Chapter Nineteen

"First of all, I think you'd better wash up." Tae-Woo said.

Tae-Woo's eyes turned to So-Won's body.

So-Won followed Tae-Woo's gaze and looked down at his body.

There is something strange on the white T-shirt.

It was black and green, and it seemed to be mixed with red.

It wasn't just clothes.

It was also buried here and there in the arms and legs.

"What is this?" So-Won asked

So-Won tilted his head.

"It's the blood of a monster." Tae-Woo replied.

"The monster's blood?"

So-Won's face turned pale.

Come to think of it, Tae-Woo's body was also covered with a lot of liquid that looked sticky.

When So-Won saw it in the dark, he thought it was Tae-Woo's sweat, but it seemed to be the blood of a monster.

When So-Won found out the smell he smelled yesterday was this, he felt uncomfortable.

So-Won suddenly felt sticky and wanted to wash it all away.

"It can be dangerous because it is toxic. Wash in the bathroom over there." Tae-Woo said.

Tae-Woo pointed to the bathroom on one side of the private room.

So-Won nodded, saying he understood.

"I'll get you a change of clothes."

'I… What about Tae-Woo?' So-Won thoughts.

So-Won looked at Tae-Woo.

Unlike So-Won, Tae-Woo's body was covered with monster blood.

Looking at the appearance, it was Tae-Woo, not So-Won, who had to wash first.

"I'm fine. First, wash up and come out."

So-Won glanced at Tae-Woo's body as if he was worried, and reluctantly nodded.

So-Won, who was about to go down from bed, found pieces of glass scattered all over the floor and found shoes.

So-Won came up to the bed with his shoes on yesterday, but he could only see white socks on his feet, perhaps because he took them off and threw them in his sleep.

So-Won was looking around for shoes when he saw the condition of the room that he couldn't see all yesterday.

The appearance of the room, which was only witnessed after the sun rose, was disastrous.

The furniture was thrown out at random, and there were dents and cracks on the floor or the wall.

There are broken bottles of alcohol around the bed.

So-Won thought it was a good thing that he didn't turn on the light yesterday.

So-Won forgot that it was a spur of the moment .

Although there was a big hole in Tae-Woo's stomach the day he died, Tae-Woo was actually famous for having skin that could not be pierce by anything.

Even if the monster's blood was on it, it would have no effect at all.

While chasing Tae-Woo's back, So-Won found himself staring at Tae-Woo's body.

So-Won felt like a pervert.

He looked away coughing for no reason.

So-Won, who found the shoes hidden between the guiding machines and wore them, went into the bathroom.

He could see a clean bathroom that was neither narrow nor spacious.

He roughly took off the monster's blood-stained clothes and went into the shower booth.

When So-Won poured warm water, the stickyness was washed away with the monster's blood.

The rising haze of water clouded So-Won's thoughts.

So-Won closed his eyes as he was hit by a stream of water.

As his vision disappeared, he remembered his devastating appearance last night.

Tae-Woo has endured such pain for 8 years even after having a guide.

No, he himself endured such pain for eight years.

So-Won's heart was heavy.

So-Won knew too well that he could not turn back the past eight years or erase the pain Tae-Woo would have suffered.

So So-Won felt more sorry for Tae-Woo, and he regretted his past actions.

Nevertheless, So-Won thought it was a good thing that he came to meet Tae-Woo.

It was fortunate to know his condition after going to the gate.

If So-Won had known a little later, Tae-Woo wouldn't have to endure the pain alone.

Now that shouldn't have happened.

As much as he had a miserable life in the future, Tae-Woo had to live a comfortable life now.

So-Won, who washed up quickly for Tae-Woo, who would be waiting outside, slightly opened the door with a towel around his waist.

"Tae-Woo?" So-Won's voice flowed through the faint gap of the door, but there was no answer.

"Did he go out?" So-Won peeped through the door and checked.

Tae-Woo was nowhere to be seen, but instead, a well-organized clothes was placed at the entrance of the bathroom.

So-Won came back inside with his clothes.

The clothes that he opened roughly were very big just by looking at them.

It seemed to be Tae-Woo's clothes.

However, since he cannot wear clothes with monster blood on them, So-Won decided to try them on even if the clothes were big.

Even after So-Won came out dressed, Tae-Woo was not seen.

Instead, unlike before, So-Won could see a room that was somewhat organized.

The recessed walls and floors remained helpless, but no broken furniture or pieces of glass were visible, because the sofa also disappeared.

So-Won sat on the bed with the silver sheet off and looked inside.

Gloomy weather and empty rooms, it felt empty to So-Won and he literally felt lonely.

So-Won looked around the room and began to pay attention to this and that.

Looking at the notes on the table, So-Won wondered what Tae-Woo wrote down, and he imagined Tae-Woo's handwriting that might be written in it.

Looking at the drawer where Tae-Woo's business card came out, So-Won expressed his curiosity about what would be inside, but he never touched it.

After looking around the room for a long time, So-Won heard a heavy knock.

So-Won's gaze shifted.

Tae-Woo came in after opening the door.

He was wearing something similar to So-Won, in a clean state that he had washed elsewhere.

Tae-Woo paused when he saw So-Won as he came inside.

Only then did So-Won think of himself and avoided looking.

As expected, the clothes were too big for Tae-Woo to see.

"Do you have any other clothes?" So-Won asked.

"?"

So-Won was only about 25 centimeters shorter than Tae-Woo, but it was a difference that made So-Won feel completely out of touch with the clothes's size.

No matter how much So-Won wore a top, he couldn't let go of his pants.

Some fabric was folded up at the bottom, and the waist was too big. He needs to hold it , so it won't fall down.

"…I'll look."

Eventually, Tae-Woo had to leave as soon as he returned to his private room.

The clothes Tae-Woo brought back were light green top and bottom, which he had sometimes worn while being examined at the center.

When So-Won wore both the top and bottom, he felt like he was a patient, so he changed only his pants.

Unlike Tae-Woo's clothes, it fits So-Won's body perfectly.

When So-Won changed his clothes, he felt sorry for how far Tae-Woo went to get this.

So-Won was worried that Tae-Woo might have encountered other people and received another hateful look.

"I'll take you home." Tae-Woo said

But So-Won couldn't figure anything out from Tae-Woo's expression, which was always blunt.

Maybe there are not many people in the association because it's a weekend morning, but So-Won didn't meet any people while he was going down to the parking lot.

So-Won, who was nervous thinking about the situation when he rode on the elevator with him a few days ago, was able to come down comfortably thanks to Tae-Woo.

Tae-Woo's car started smoothly as So-Won climbed into the familiar black sedan parked in the corner of the parking lot.

Dark gray clouds were still raining in the sky.

The wind was stronger than yesterday, so when So-Won looked at the branches shaking out of the window, his mind seemed to shake with the wind for no reason.

"A typhoon is coming."

"I guess so."

The wipers busily pushed the thick raindrops off the windshield.

Just in time, the car stopped at the traffic light.

As the movement stopped, the sound of raindrops tapping the car and the regular sound of wipers moving became louder.

Tae-Woo stared straight at the wheel.

So-Won sat comfortably leaning back and looked out the window with his hands neatly placed on his knees.

"How are you feeling?" So-Won asked.

"Thanks to you, I've gotten a lot better.".

So-Won opened his mouth first in a quiet atmosphere.

It seems a little late, but So-Won asked about Tae-Woo's condition.

Then So-Won looked up at the dark clouds that filled the sky.

The rain is getting heavier.

"What are you going to do today?"

"I don't have a specific schedule."

If so, So-Won was glad.

So-Won remembered what he thought in Tae-Woo's empty house.

When Tae-Woo returned home, So-Won would try to guide Tae-Woo properly this time.

So-Won has been hugging himself all night, but when he thinks about Tae-Woo's condition yesterday, he doesn't think that's enough no matter how much he's improved now.

"Then I'll go home and guide you more."

'I wasn't tired today, so I was confident that I wouldn't make the same mistake as last time. I told him in advance. That way, I thought I wouldn't be able to delay the guide when I got home.' So-Won thought.

Tae-Woo didn't answer.

"But…" So-Won trailed off.

So-Won, who suddenly noticed something strange while looking out the window, looked at Tae-Woo.

"Isn't this the opposite direction?" He asked.

The way is not heading to Tae-Woo's house but rather they are heading to So-Won's house.

Tae-Woo's expression hardened.

'You were right, we're on our way to your house.' Tae-Woo thought.

Naturally, Tae-Woo thought that he should take So-Won to his own house.

Tae-Woo had no idea that So-Won was thinking completely differently.

"I'm sorry." Tae-Woo said.

Tae-Woo turned around after being silent for a while.