Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior – Chapter 69

“Your face… it looks like half of it is gone?”

It was Monday, returning from my two-day trip with Zion.

Mirae, having seen my appearance upon arriving at work, couldn’t hide her surprise as she covered her mouth with her hand.

“I guess it’s not easy being a hero after all.”

“Do I really look that exhausted?”

“Well… you kind of look like an adventurer who’s come for rehabilitation after being defeated by a Demon.”

“That’s a bit much, Mirae.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Teacher.”

Still, there’s nothing she can’t say to Zion.

The fact that Zion and I officially started dating hadn’t been something I boasted about, but I hadn’t hidden it either, so it had gradually become an accepted fact among the center staff, as if to say, “Finally, huh?”

Mirae quickly apologized when I pointed it out, but she didn’t stop talking to me.

Mirae, the head nursing maid, is capable, creative, and outgoing.

With her pink hair tied up and her bright demeanor, she rarely stayed quiet.

“More importantly, why don’t you just take a rest?”

“I can’t do that. Today is the day Zion is being discharged.”

“Discharged?”

“Zion was able to walk over the weekend. I’ve determined that there are no issues with his daily life, so it’s time for his discharge.”

“To be able to walk, then that really means…?”

“I know what you’re hinting at, but let’s not.”

“Okay, Teacher. Then I’ll prepare everything.”

“I appreciate it.”

About to make another joke, Mirae was slightly disappointed when she was preemptively shot down but still smiled innocently in response.

Anyway, since I entrusted the discharge process to her, it was my turn to see Zion.

I knocked and entered Room 104 where Zion was sitting on the hospital bed, organizing personal belongings, while Serin was busily tidying up the hospital room.

“Teacher Hop!”

Zion greeted me happily.

When I entered, Serin paused her work and turned to look at me.

“You’re here… Oh my.”

Upon seeing my face, Serin halted her movements, showing a surprised expression.

“Your face looks like half of it is gone.”

“I’m hearing the same thing from Mirae. I’ve really relied on you, Serin.”

I really had relied on her, in various ways…

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Anyway, it’s finally time for your discharge, Zion.”

“Yeah.”

“How do you feel?”

“How do I feel? To be honest…”

When I asked about his feelings, Zion looked slightly bitter and lowered his head.

“I don’t want to leave this place. It’s close to where you, Teacher Hop, are working every day, and it’s the place I’ve spent almost a year in.”

Though he said he didn’t want to leave, he was a hero.

He soon lifted his head with a smile and continued to respond.

“But I have to leave. To move forward. I’m fine, so don’t worry.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Speaking of which… Serin.”

“Yes?”

“Have you found a place for Zion to stay?”

Even after Zion’s discharge, there weren’t any accommodations yet.

No matter how capable Serin was, she wouldn’t have arranged a place so quickly just after deciding on the discharge yesterday.

“For now, I’m planning to have him stay at my house and look for a place slowly.”

“I see.”

As expected, Zion didn’t have a separate house arranged yet.

In that case…

“Then, if Zion is okay with it… this is just an idea…”

Zion listened intently.

“When you first came to the kingdom, how about staying at my house again? The room you used back then is still available.”

“….”

I wondered if Zion would accept if he didn’t want to be apart from me.

Now that we were lovers, if we lived together again, it would feel much like a married couple.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll have to decline.”

Zion’s response was a clear rejection.

While I had somewhat anticipated that reply, hearing him decline made me feel a bit bittersweet.

“Even though I’d love to spend all day by your side, I can’t be a burden to you forever. I’m going to be independent for a while so I can stand beside you.”

With a confident expression and a firm yet refreshing reply, it seemed there was no point in pursuing the matter any further.

“Alright, Zion. I’ll move my stuff and come back.”

“Okay, see you soon.”

With her belongings organized, Serin left the room. Now that we were alone, it was time to have a deeper conversation.

“Zion. The independence you seek means that after your discharge, the things you need to do over the next year are…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence.

Honestly, I didn’t want it to be that way.

But it was something I couldn’t stop her from doing, especially since it was a task meant for her.

The task was nothing but…

“As you might guess, even after my rehabilitation is finished, I’m not returning to everyday life. The place I’m going back to is the battlefield.”

Zion’s return as Hero Zion.

It had been something I urged her toward.

“Zion.”

“Yes?”

Zion answered, tilting her head slightly, her expression inquiring as she looked up at me.

Was I unintentionally showing a gloomy face?

After being discharged, Zion would continue rehabilitation training for about a month. After that, she would strengthen her skills or be involved in battles whenever demons appeared.

To regain her peak physical condition and sense. Once she reached her full potential again, the Holy Sword would shine once more.

But the reality was that the Demon King wasn’t returning, and war wouldn’t happen.

Therefore, what lay ahead for Zion was nothing but a futile effort. A dangerous endeavor that served no purpose.

In that case, should I just say it…

Just tell her that the Demon King isn’t coming, that she shouldn’t go into battle and should stay with me instead…

*****

“What’s that, just now…?”

Zion was staring directly at me.

She wasn’t angry, nor flustered, and after quite a while, she didn’t ask anything further.

Her eyes blinked not even once, nor was she breathing. It looked as if she wasn’t even thinking.

She just continued to gaze at me straight.

Those eyes were undoubtedly looking at me, with a gaze that said ‘I believe in you’.

Even after hearing my confession of lying, Zion still believed in who I am now.

So she must have already accepted that the Demon King isn’t coming.

Yet her eyes were empty.

Only her gaze was focused on me, with no reality captured behind them.

Inside her, it felt like everything had collapsed, leaving nothing…

*****

“Teacher Hop?”

‘No, Zion, I… I didn’t mean for this to happen…!’

“Teacher!”

“?!”

Startled by Zion calling out loudly, I managed to shake myself back to reality.

Zion’s face revealed surprise, her expression one of confusion.

“Why call me and not say anything?”

“I… didn’t say anything?”

“Right. You just called me and didn’t say a word.”

I see. So what had just happened wasn’t real after all.

Then what exactly was that? Was it just my imagination? Or was I hallucinating?

But it felt too vivid to be a hallucination. It was as if I’d actually experienced that moment.

“Are you okay? Your face is pale.”

“…….”

Had my complexion changed, too? I needed to calm down…

“I’m fine. I must have been a bit tired.”

“Since you’re still tired, maybe you should take it easy?”

“It’s not your fault, Zion, so don’t worry.”

“Actually, that’s one reason I can’t stay at Teacher’s house. If we fell asleep together every day, would you even recover?”

“Ah, that’s true…”

Thankfully, with Zion joking around, we managed to shift the mood to a lighter atmosphere.

I felt myself calming down, and since we’d said what needed to be said, I figured it was time to head back.

“Anyway, let me know once your place is set. You’re staying in the Kingdom Capital, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I won’t be heading out on adventures, but I might go on expeditions occasionally that could take a while. Still, I plan to have my home nearby.”

So it’s finally happening; Zion’s discharge is imminent.

Though I’m relieved to see her recovering, I also feel a little sad that I won’t see the broken version of her I once knew.

But it’s alright. The Zion I love will always be by my side.

Now I can love her no matter what form she takes. That’s enough. That’s all I need…

“Then I’ll get back to work…”

“Teacher Hop.”

As I turned to leave Room 104, Zion suddenly called out, causing me to stop in my tracks.

“What is it?”

“I remember the promises you made me. You said you would send me back to normal life, but because of my stubbornness, you can’t keep it.”

What was she even talking about?

“Please don’t worry about it; it’s not your fault. In reality, my wish is for you to return to everyday life. I’m the one who said you had to go back to the battlefield…”

Perhaps I shouldn’t have pushed her.

Would it have been possible to encourage her rehabilitation without telling her that the Demon King would return?

But… ultimately, the reason Zion was so fond of me was that I gave her a reason to live.

If given another chance, I would make the same choice again.

Let’s not dwell on the past.

As always, I need to focus on what to do moving forward.

“And even if you aren’t returning to everyday life right now, there will be a next time. After the next war is over, then I’ll truly give you a life of normalcy. From then on, we’ll live happily together. Understood? Like the tales of typical heroes.”

In my mind, I painted a picture of everyday life with Zion.

Waking up together in the same bed, sharing warm bread, working together at the center where she’d patiently care for the patients I treated, and returning home to sleep side by side each night.

Days that are both ordinary and special, days that could stretch on forever.

“Of course, that’s how it should be. But Teacher, I think there’s another promise that you might have forgotten; do you not remember?”

“Another promise?”

“Yeah. There was something I promised to do once I recovered.”

What could it possibly be that I had promised to do when she got better?

I had talked so much about the future with Zion that when asked to specify one thing, I didn’t quite know how to respond.

“Um…”

“Ah, don’t tell me you forgot about it?”

“Ugh. Sorry, Zion. I honestly don’t remember what promise you’re talking about.”

“Oh, really…”

Was Zion disappointed because I forgot the promise?

I looked closely and though she wore a somewhat bitter expression, she sighed as if resigned and then shared the promise with me.

“It was about the ball.”

“A ball?”

“It’s because I’ll have a good reason to throw a party once I recover.”

Ah, I remembered now! I had definitely said something like that.

At that time, I distinctly recalled reaching out to Zion, lifting her up…

“Back then, at the ball, you promised you’d hold out your hand for me.”

We had promised to dance together.

Zion seemed to recall it as well when an understanding smile lit her face as she looked up at me.

“Since one promise was broken because of me, I’ll let you slide on forgetting the other. So about that promise…”

She extended her hand toward me as if we were already at the ballroom.

Which meant that what Zion was basically asking for was…

“Will you keep it?”

To hold a ball.

To dance with me at her discharge celebration.