Two People Healing the Past - Guardians Connection #1

Blog Introduction

Sometimes, what seems impossible alone can miraculously happen when we work together with someone else. This is especially true when it comes to healing wounds of the heart.

This story depicts the process of two ability users meeting and collaborating for the first time, each having worked in their own domains until now. For a patient trapped in traumatic memories, the ability to peer into the past and the power to reverse time unite to explore new possibilities for healing.

Through the realistic issue of medical malpractice and the deep wounds it causes, along with humanity's will to overcome them, we discover the true meaning of cooperation. Join us as we follow the story of synergy created when two different abilities meet, and the trust and friendship that blooms in the process.

The first story of Guardians Universe Season 2, with an estimated reading time of 25-30 minutes. Have you ever experienced accomplishing something through cooperation that you couldn't achieve alone?

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Two People Healing the Past

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Meeting

April 2031, Seoul's spring was still chilly. In the counseling room of Seoul National University Hospital's Department of Psychiatry, Lee Han-gyeol sighed deeply as he looked over a patient's chart.

Han-gyeol: "Park Jun-young... This is really a difficult case."

34-year-old pediatric surgeon Park Jun-young had been suffering from severe PTSD since an 8-year-old patient died during surgery six months ago. Although it was a sudden complication that no medical staff could have predicted, Jun-young blamed himself endlessly and had completely stopped practicing medicine.

Han-gyeol: "You're trapped in your memories."

When Han-gyeol lightly touched Jun-young's hand, vivid scenes flowed into his mind. The cold lights of the operating room, the suddenly silent heart monitor, and the desperate cries of the parents. Jun-young was reliving that moment dozens of times every day.

"The surgery went wrong... It's all my fault... I killed that child..."

Jun-young's voice in the memory was filled with endless self-blame. Han-gyeol carefully withdrew his hand.

Han-gyeol: "Jun-young, the memory of that day seems to remain so vivid that it's difficult to distinguish from reality."

Jun-young: "Doctor, you're a physician like me, so you know. When a doctor can't save a patient..."

Han-gyeol nodded. However, trauma this deeply entrenched had limitations with conventional memory therapy. While he could peer into memories, he couldn't change the memory itself or alleviate the pain of that moment.

Just then, there was a knock on the counseling room door.

Jung Su-jin: "Han-gyeol, could you come out for a moment?"

It was Jung Su-jin from the police special response team who had worked with Han-gyeol to solve a case in Episode 1. She was currently also working as a coordinator for ability user cooperation programs.

Han-gyeol: "Jun-young, please wait just a moment."

Su-jin spoke to Han-gyeol as he stepped into the corridor.

Su-jin: "Difficult case?"

Han-gyeol: "The traumatic memories are too deep for my abilities alone to handle. I can see the memories, but I can't do anything about the pain those memories cause."

Su-jin: "Then you might need someone's help. I happen to have someone I'd like to introduce you to."

Su-jin made a phone call.

Su-jin: "So-ra, are you at the hospital now? Could you come up? There's someone I'd like you to meet."

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Thirty minutes later, the counseling room door opened again. A young woman in a clean white coat entered. It was Kim So-ra.

So-ra: "Hello, I'm Kim So-ra from Emergency Medicine."

Han-gyeol: "I'm Lee Han-gyeol. I'm a memory... I mean, trauma specialist counselor."

Su-jin looked between the two and said.

Su-jin: "So-ra, you might have heard about her in Episode 2. She has the ability to reverse time. And Han-gyeol here is an ability user who can read memories."

So-ra: "Ah, I saw you on the news. The detective who reads memories..."

Han-gyeol: "And Dr. So-ra was called the miracle doctor..."

The two looked at each other with curiosity. Though they were both ability users, this was their first time meeting.

Su-jin: "Jun-young's case requires both memory therapy and physical healing simultaneously. I thought there might be new possibilities if we combine your two abilities."

So-ra: "That's interesting. What kind of patient is he?"

Han-gyeol explained Jun-young's situation. So-ra listened intently, occasionally nodding.

So-ra: "PTSD isn't just a mental issue. It involves physical changes in the brain too. If I could reverse the brain's state from that moment..."

Han-gyeol: "And if I could enter the memory to understand exactly what happened then..."

Both their eyes lit up simultaneously.

Su-jin: "Shall we give it a try?"

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Chapter 2: Exploring Abilities

The next day, the first attempt took place in the newly installed ability user collaboration treatment room at Seoul National University Hospital. It was a spacious area equipped with the latest medical equipment and monitoring systems.

Hospital Director Yoon Sung-ho observed personally.

Yoon Sung-ho: "I've experienced Dr. So-ra's abilities before, but this is the first time two ability users are collaborating. Please pay special attention to safety."

Jun-young lay on the treatment bed. Han-gyeol and So-ra looked at him from either side.

Han-gyeol: "Jun-young, may I first look at the memories from that day with you?"

Jun-young: "...Yes."

When Han-gyeol took Jun-young's hand, his consciousness was pulled into the operating room from six months ago. Every moment from the start of surgery to the child's death was vividly recreated.

Mechanical surgical progression, sudden blood pressure drop, panicking medical staff, and the heart that stopped beating...

Han-gyeol: "So-ra, can you see this now?"

As Han-gyeol also held So-ra's hand, So-ra was able to enter that memory as well.

So-ra: "I can see it... so clearly."

So-ra analyzed that moment as a doctor.

So-ra: "Jun-young, this was an acute allergic reaction that no one could have predicted. It wasn't your fault."

But in Jun-young's memory, the voice of self-blame could still be heard.

"I should have noticed sooner... I should have been more careful..."

So-ra: "Han-gyeol, let me try reversing this moment."

When So-ra used her ability, the time in the memory they were watching began to slowly reverse. But something felt awkward.

Han-gyeol: "Something's strange. The memory and time seem to be moving separately."

So-ra: "My ability only reverses physical time... Since memory is a mental realm, they might not be completely synchronized."

The first attempt was a failure. Jun-young was confused and seemed to suffer even more.

Yoon Sung-ho: "Let's stop here for today."

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As they left the treatment room, Han-gyeol and So-ra walked in silence.

So-ra: "It's more difficult than expected."

Han-gyeol: "Since our abilities operate in different dimensions..."

Just then, a nurse in the corridor spoke to So-ra.

Nurse: "Dr. So-ra, there's a patient in the emergency room..."

So-ra: "I'll be right there."

Han-gyeol: "Could I come with you? I'd like to understand your ability better."

So-ra: "Of course."

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The emergency room was, as always, a busy battlefield. A severely injured traffic accident victim had been brought in.

Medical staff: "Blood pressure keeps dropping!"

So-ra immediately rushed to the patient. Han-gyeol watched from a distance.

So-ra: "I'm going to reverse time now."

When So-ra's hand touched the patient's injured area, something amazing happened. The torn wounds slowly healed, and color began returning to the patient's face. However, Han-gyeol noticed another wrinkle appearing on So-ra's face.

That cost... So-ra is consuming her own time instead.

After stabilizing the patient, So-ra turned to Han-gyeol.

So-ra: "You saw my ability directly."

Han-gyeol: "Amazing. But... you pay such a heavy price."

So-ra: "I'm used to it by now. But I can only use it twice a day, so I have to be careful."

Han-gyeol fell into deep thought.

Han-gyeol: "What if I found the exact timing in the memory for you, and you precisely reversed only that moment..."

So-ra: "That could be more efficient!"

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Chapter 3: Beginning of Cooperation

Two days later, the second attempt began. This time, they completely changed their approach.

Han-gyeol: "Jun-young, this time I'll first analyze the memory from that day in detail."

As Han-gyeol went deep into Jun-young's memory, he carefully observed the surgical process. Rather than making professional medical judgments, he analyzed the emotional and cognitive processes of that moment as a memory specialist.

20 minutes into surgery, the child's temperature rose slightly. But it was still within normal range.

30 minutes in, blood pressure became somewhat unstable. Still not a concerning level.

35 minutes in, sudden allergic reaction. A moment no one could have predicted.

Han-gyeol: "So-ra, it's exactly at the 35 minutes and 12 seconds mark. Please reverse only that moment."

This time So-ra used her ability more precisely. Instead of reversing the entire memory, she targeted only that one moment.

So-ra: "Jun-young, at that moment you did your best. It was a situation no one could have predicted."

This time something was different. The voice of self-blame in Jun-young's memory began to fade little by little.

"Still... I should have..."

Han-gyeol: "Jun-young, let me also show you the reactions of other medical staff who were in the operating room at that time."

When Han-gyeol expanded the memory, Jun-young was able to see objectively for the first time how his colleagues looked that day. Everyone was confused, and no one had predicted that situation.

Anesthesiologist: "This kind of acute reaction is really rare. It didn't show up in the pre-surgery allergy tests either."

Nurse: "Dr. Jun-young did everything he could. It's nobody's fault."

So-ra: "See, all your colleagues think the same."

Tears flowed from Jun-young's eyes for the first time. But this time they weren't tears of self-blame.

Jun-young: "Really... wasn't it my fault?"

Han-gyeol: "Yes, I'm certain."

So-ra: "That child would have known you did your best as a doctor."

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In the third session, an even greater change occurred.

Han-gyeol: "Jun-young, this time let's look at the expression that child showed at the end."

A moment Jun-young hadn't seen in his memory was revealed. Even as the child was losing consciousness, there was a moment when he smiled faintly at Jun-young.

So-ra: "This child trusted you until the very end."

At that moment, the voice of self-blame completely disappeared from Jun-young's memory. Instead, gratitude took its place.

Jun-young: "Thank you... for knowing that I did my best..."

Han-gyeol and So-ra looked at each other and smiled. It was the moment when their two abilities achieved perfect harmony.

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Chapter 4: Perfect Synergy

A month later, Jun-young had become a completely different person. Returning to pediatrics wearing surgical scrubs again, he had become an even warmer and more careful doctor than before.

Jun-young: "Dr. Han-gyeol, Dr. So-ra, thank you so much. For making me a doctor again..."

Han-gyeol: "All we did was help organize your memories. The real healing was something you accomplished yourself."

So-ra: "Please continue being a good doctor for your patients."

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As they left the treatment room, Han-gyeol and So-ra talked about their collaboration.

So-ra: "It's really amazing. Accomplishing something together that we couldn't do alone."

Han-gyeol: "My ability is seeing the past, and Dr. So-ra's ability is changing the past. It was a perfect combination."

So-ra: "Could we work together again if there's another patient like this?"

Han-gyeol: "Of course. But... could we perhaps meet other ability users too?"

So-ra: "I was thinking the same thing. Su-jin mentioned there's an ability user who deals with emotions..."

Han-gyeol: "Really? Then if three of us worked together..."

So-ra: "We could solve even more complex cases!"

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That evening, Hospital Director Yoon Sung-ho called the two of them separately.

Yoon Sung-ho: "Your collaborative treatment method is becoming a big topic in the medical field. The government is also showing great interest."

Han-gyeol: "The government?"

Yoon Sung-ho: "They want to expand the ability user cooperation program. Not just in medicine, but in other fields as well."

So-ra: "Other fields?"

Yoon Sung-ho: "Social safety, crime solving, environmental protection... They're considering having ability users form teams and work in various fields."

Han-gyeol and So-ra looked at each other.

Han-gyeol: "That's interesting."

So-ra: "We could help even more people."

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Epilogue: Beginning of New Cooperation

Two months later, Han-gyeol and So-ra's collaborative treatment method received the official name "Memory-Time Synchronization Therapy." Hospitals nationwide, not just Seoul National University Hospital, requested its implementation.

Han-gyeol was meeting a new patient at his counseling center together with So-ra.

Patient: "Are you both really going to treat me together?"

So-ra: "Yes, more effective treatment is possible when we handle memory and time together."

Han-gyeol: "Don't worry. We'll solve this together, step by step."

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That afternoon, Su-jin visited.

Su-jin: "Han-gyeol, So-ra, there are more people I'd like to introduce you to."

Han-gyeol: "More?"

Su-jin: "Choi Yu-na, an ability user who deals with emotions, and Park Jin-woo, an information gathering specialist. Both are working alone, but I think they could create greater synergy together."

So-ra: "Really? What kind of people are they?"

Su-jin: "Yu-na is a psychotherapist, and Jin-woo has... well, special information gathering abilities. I heard he recently solved a corporate abuse case by himself."

Han-gyeol: "Interesting. Memory, time, emotions, information... that would cover really diverse areas."

So-ra: "When could we meet them?"

Su-jin: "How about next week? Let's have all four of you meet and talk."

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That night, Han-gyeol looked out the window and thought.

Just a month ago, I was a counselor who only looked into memories alone...

Now I can help so many people together with So-ra...

If I work with even more ability users in the future...

His phone rang.

So-ra: "Han-gyeol, were you sleeping?"

Han-gyeol: "No, I was awake."

So-ra: "I couldn't sleep either. I'm excited about what's to come..."

Han-gyeol: "Me too. Being able to accomplish things together that were impossible alone..."

So-ra: "Thank you so much. Thanks to you, I can use my ability more meaningfully."

Han-gyeol: "I should be thanking you. Now I can truly heal people completely."

So-ra: "What do you think Yu-na and Jin-woo will be like?"

Han-gyeol: "I don't know. But I'm sure we'll make a good team."

So-ra: "Yes, I have that feeling too."

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And so the ability user who deals with memories and the ability user who reverses time became perfect partners who filled each other's gaps. And this was only the beginning of greater cooperation.

Under Seoul's night sky, the two ability users were dreaming the same dream in their respective homes. A dream of a bigger team that could help even more people...

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Reader Engagement

What kind of ability user would you like to collaborate with? Have you ever experienced solving a problem together with someone that you couldn't solve alone?

As Han-gyeol and So-ra's collaboration showed, sometimes true miracles happen when we acknowledge each other's shortcomings and extend our hands. Please look forward to seeing what kind of cooperation Yu-na, who deals with emotions, and Jin-woo, who gathers information, will show in the next story!

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Thank you for reading this story. Please leave comments about your cooperation experiences or expectations for the next story! 🤝💙