BCGWR Chapter 19 Part 2

Han Ji-su, Guide. Your breathing is perfectly fine right now. You’re just anxious. Let’s try to calm down a little. Now, slowly inhale again. Yes. Now, slowly exhale.

Ji-su trembled as he inhaled, following the hand that slowly moved up from his waist, gently pressing his skin, all the way to just below his neck.

The moment he took a deep breath, enough to slightly straighten his hunched back, the hand began to slowly descend his spine, soothing him all the way down to his waist.

“Now exhale again. Slowly. That’s it.”

Ji-su tried to follow the instructions given by the calm voice, slowly exhaling in time with the gentle descent of the warm hand on his back.

But this time, too, it didn’t feel like he was breathing properly. His chest still felt constricted, and his body continued to tremble subtly.

Just as fear began to spread again, feeling like not enough oxygen was reaching his lungs, the large hand once more moved up his spine. Ji-su unconsciously took a deep, slow breath, then began to exhale, following the hand as it went up to the back of his neck and then descended.

As he repeated the breathing exercise according to the hand’s guidance several times, he felt something that had been tightly pressing down on his chest dissipate ever so slightly.

Like a massive, solid block of ice slowly melting, the overwhelming pressure gradually, slowly faded away.

“Hooo… haaa…”

“You’re doing well. Keep doing this. Alright. Let’s breathe again. Slowly. That’s it.”

“Hngh… Ugh…”

As Ji-su nodded, still with his eyes closed, Toto, who had been restlessly standing on the floor, opened his mouth as if to call Ji-su.

But Jung Ha-jin again brought his index finger to his lips, giving a quiet “Shhh.” He then shook his head, as if to say, “Not yet.”

Toto, understanding perfectly again, pressed his lips shut and climbed up Jung Ha-jin’s pant leg. Standing on his thigh, Toto twitched his mouth, gazing at his master who was trembling with his eyes closed, trying desperately to breathe.

Unaware that Toto was looking at him with such a pathetic gaze, Ji-su squeezed his eyes shut and tried to regulate his breathing, following the hand moving up and down his back.

Jung Ha-jin, who had been continuously soothing his back at the same pace, spoke in a low voice.

“Han Ji-su, Guide. Open your eyes.”

“Hoo… haaa… Ugh…”

“Open your eyes. Slowly, find exactly five white objects in this room and tell me what they are. Can you do that?”

Ji-su didn’t know why he was suddenly being asked to find white objects, but he nodded anyway. He felt like he could do something that simple.

Ji-su, struggling to open his eyes to slits and scan the living room, tried to regulate his breathing and spoke in a small voice.

“Hoo… hooo… Over there… a vase…”

“Yes. Well done. Let’s find four more.”

“Ugh… hnghh…”

His breathing was still labored, but Ji-su slowly inhaled with the soothing hand on his back, then exhaled deeply as he spoke.

“Haaaa… My… slippers…”

“Yes. You found them well. Now, find three more.”

“Ugh… ugh…”

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