Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior – Chapter 58

“Serin.”

“Yes, Zion.”

After the workday, in Room 104 with just the two of them,

Zion wore a serious expression that suggested something was on his mind.

Noticing the tense atmosphere, Serin waited for Zion’s next words.

“Is it common to have someone like a secretary or caregiver follow along during a date?”

“Huh?”

As he contemplated what Zion meant,

Only Serin, Naou, and Hanamana knew the truth that Zion and Hop had developed a romantic relationship.

“It’s rare. Most people want to be alone.”

“Right? That’s what I thought.”

In an instant, Zion’s face broke into a big smile.

After three years of caring for Zion, Serin found the sight of him laughing uncontrollably quite unfamiliar.

For the past six months at the center, Zion had mostly just sat there blankly, showing no expression.

“Well then, Serin. About our food adventure this weekend…”

“You want me to skip it, don’t you?”

“Wha—skip it?! I didn’t mean it that way!”

“I can read you well enough. You can say it comfortably.”

Zion, clearly flustered but unable to hide his happiness, made Serin think, ‘Wow, he can make that cute of a face too.’

“Well, it sounds like there’s a lot of preparation to do. I’ll buy some clothes and find a special place for us.”

“You don’t have to worry too much about it, Serin. We do this every week anyway…”

“Zion, since you called it a date, this will be your first date. Are you okay with it feeling like a regular outing?”

“Ah, does it become that way?”

Zion’s eyes widened in shock.

As he talked about the date, Zion’s previously cheerful expression began to grow serious.

“If that’s the case, I need to be fully prepared…”

“Of course! Tomorrow, I will get a nice outfit and a full-length mirror.”

“Thanks, Serin. Ugh… It’s been so long since I’ve dressed up…”

“You can leave it to me, and it’ll be fine.”

“Well, that’s a relief. It feels like I have a good friend.”

“…”

Seeing Zion smile brightly while calling her a friend, Serin felt that Zion had indeed changed since coming to the kingdom.

She never expected to hear the word ‘friend’ from him.

Back when Serin first arrived in the kingdom, she had already felt Zion was a completely different person after just three weeks, and now he felt even more transformed.

Hop Harvey… the person who changed both Zion’s body and mind. Serin thought there must be a reason Naou constantly praised him as amazing.

****

“Did you come alone today?”

It was another weekend food adventure. A long-term project to visit the countless restaurants scattered across the vast Kingdom Capital, one each week.

The key person in this project was none other than Serin, the one who had the inside scoop on the best places to eat in the capital, enabling them to decide where to go.

“Serin won’t be here starting today.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Why? You wish Serin was here?”

When Zion glared at her with a chilly expression upon hearing the question of why Serin was absent, she quickly understood the reason.

Ah right. They were dating now.

“It’s not that; I’m just curious. It feels nice being just the two of us.”

“Oh, you’re quite perceptive.”

“Of course~ I wondered why you were so dressed up.”

“Well, I don’t think I’m overly dressed up…”

Zion lowered his head, embarrassed.

So far, Zion had only worn a hospital gown, sportswear, or casual clothes, but today’s outfit definitely screamed ‘date attire.’

Zion’s long, flowing hair framed a neat style with a pretty flower brooch on a small baker’s hat, a bright scarlet dress that was elegant and not too revealing, paired with a shoulder-cover for a modest touch.

The circular shoulder warmth, which would easily get messy while walking, and the decorative details of the skirt clustered below her knees showed a delicate fashion sense considering Zion spent most of his time sitting.

“Out of all the times I’ve seen you, this is the second most beautiful.”

“The second? When was the first?”

“When I saw you at the hot spring.”

“N-No way?”

“Ever heard the saying, ‘The end of tuning is the original state’?”

“Ugh…”

I was just expressing my honest opinion, yet Zion held her hands over her chest, gazing up at me with an expression like I had just described something scandalous.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“I think it was when I first realized I liked you; it was probably when I saw you looking like that.”

“You said you didn’t hear it, but why do you keep bringing it up… Wait, is that a lie?”

“What do you think?”

“Please just tell me it’s a lie, even if it is false.”

“Was that such a shocking story?”

“Talking like that makes it sound as if I seduced you physically!”

When I think about it, I did kind of seduce him physically, right?

Though not with a naked body, but a broken one.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“There’s a holy and stern image of a hero in that.”

“I think being willing to do anything for a good cause is also fitting for a hero.”

“So, you’re saying seducing Hop is your current righteous cause, huh? You’re putting that out there?”

“Yep, so take your time and work hard to win my heart.”

“I don’t like that notion…”

“Anyway, since Serin isn’t here, where should we go?”

Without a guide for finding restaurants, should they just wander around aimlessly today?

Or maybe they should search for a suitable spot for a date?

“There is a place in mind. I got a list of restaurants from Serin beforehand.”

“Good! Then shall we head that way?”

“Sure. I’ll guide you.”

It was a leisurely lunchtime, perfect for exploring restaurants.

Zion led the way to one of the kingdom’s finest high-end restaurants.

Known for its fine-dining courses that accept only a limited number of guests each day, this place had a notoriously tight reservation policy, requiring bookings four weeks in advance just to get in.

“Mr. Zion Laurel and Mr. Hop Harvey, we’ve been expecting you. Please, come this way.”

As they entered the restaurant, the waiter politely escorted them to a private two-person room at the back.

Inside was a meticulously clean and orderly special room designed for focusing solely on the dining experience, just as expected from a high-class establishment.

“I can’t believe we actually came here… How did you get a reservation?”

“I used my name.”

Certainly, anyone would be willing to give up their reservation for a hero’s request…

“Zion, you’ve changed a lot.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You never liked getting priority before.”

When Zion was hospitalized, he was adamant about following the reservation order, causing a lot of trouble, yet now he was the one pushing for this challenging reservation.

“Today is a special day, so I just went for it. Like the teacher said, it’s for a good cause.”

“A special day?”

Oh no, what kind of day is it now?

After receiving a gift for our 100-day mark, I thought about keeping track of anniversaries like the 200-day mark or the first-year mark, but I ultimately got too busy to remember.

“This is our very first date.”

“Ah… right. It really is.”

Phew, when he called it a special day, I wondered what it could be; I never thought he meant such a thing.

So it’s true; now that it’s just the two of us hanging out, it’s officially a date.

I mean, we’re dating now after all.

The first date…

“It’s a creamy brown soup flavored with four types of mushrooms, perfectly heated so you can enjoy it right away.”

As expected from a top-tier restaurant, the food started coming out with long descriptions.

Zion settled comfortably into the fine chair at the table, brushed his hair back neatly, spooned some of the dish into his mouth, and opened his eyes wide in delight as a smile spread across his face.

“Wow! This is incredible! You have to try it too, teacher!”

As Zion gushed, I had to taste it myself, and sure enough, it was quite the delicacy.

The umami was strong, and it was a wonderfully warm appetizer, just right for the occasion.

“What do you think? Tasty, right?”

“Yeah, I can see why reservations are so hard to come by.”

“Exactly! I really feel like we made a great choice coming here.”

Zion, dressed so elegantly and happily eating wonderful food in this pristine, high-end restaurant, was indeed a joy to behold.

If Zion’s happy, then that’s all that matters, but…

“Mr. Hop?”

“Yes?”

I was silently enjoying the food, but Zion tilted his head and looked at me with a worried expression.

“Is the food not to your liking? Like, not tasty or something…?”

“No, I wouldn’t say that. It’s delicious.”

“Then, phew, that’s a relief, but…”

“Why the sudden concern? Is something bothering you?”

Just a moment ago, Zion was excited about the food, but now he seemed somewhat glum.

“Well, Mr. Hop, you looked really bored. Almost like you weren’t enjoying it at all.”

“Me?”

“Yep.”

Did I really come off that way?

Oh no, please tell me I didn’t lose interest just because Zion was too poised?

“If there’s something you don’t like, just let me know anytime.”

“Uh, okay…”

In an instant, the mood turned icy, and awkwardness hung thick in the air.

Oh no. If it keeps going like this, our first date…