The Morning of First Standing
Sunlight filtered gently through the curtains into the hospital room, soft and warm.
Hiro slowly opened his eyes, feeling lighter than he had the day before. Most noticeably, his legs—though still weak—no longer felt completely numb. He moved his fingers and arms slightly; the motions were more fluid, and even the soreness in his shoulders had eased. The sensation of “recovering” brought a quiet smile to his face.
He turned his head to the side—Zero Two was sleeping with her head resting on the bed’s edge, a strand of red hair falling across the pillow. Her breathing was soft, her eyelashes gently trembling in the light. Looking at her familiar and comforting face, Hiro felt a wave of warmth in his chest. He lifted his hand and gently touched her cheek.
“Mm…” Zero Two wrinkled her nose slightly, as if sensing something, and slowly opened her eyes.
“Morning,” Hiro said softly, smiling.
She stared at him for a few seconds, her sleepy gaze gradually lighting up with surprise and joy. “Darling! You look so much better today!”
“Yeah, my legs feel like they’re coming back. I don’t think I can walk yet, but… I feel like I can stand.”
Her eyes lit up, and she immediately sat up, grabbing his hand. “Then let’s try it later, okay? I know you can do it!”
Just as they were laughing and chatting, the nurse pushed the door open with a cheerful greeting. “Good morning, Hiro. You’re looking much better today.” She opened his chart and began the routine check. “Your vitals have improved quite a bit—very stable recovery. If you keep this up, we might be able to start some light movement tomorrow.”
“Can’t we do it today?” Zero Two asked, eager.
“If he’s feeling strong enough, we can move the schedule up a bit and have the physical therapist assess him.”
With that, the nurse gave a smile and exited the room.
Zero Two turned back to Hiro immediately, her eyes bright. “Get ready, Darling. I’ll be right here with you.”
Seeing the encouragement in her eyes, Hiro nodded. “Yeah. I’m going to give it my best.”
Within thirty minutes, the physical therapist arrived and did a brief examination to confirm Hiro had the basic ability to stand.
“As long as we don’t push too hard, we can try standing next to the bed,” the therapist said encouragingly.
Hiro nodded, took a deep breath, and—with Zero Two supporting him on one side and the therapist on the other—carefully slid his legs over the edge of the bed. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he froze. That unfamiliar yet familiar sensation nearly threw off his balance.
“I’m right here, don’t worry,” Zero Two said softly, tightening her grip on his hand.
Gritting his teeth and focusing, Hiro slowly pushed himself upright. Though his legs still trembled, he managed to stand.
At that moment, he looked down at his feet, surprise and emotion flickering across his face.
“How does it feel?” Zero Two asked, her voice full of pride and encouragement.
“…I almost forgot what standing felt like,” Hiro said with a smile, his tone carrying both nostalgia and newfound determination.
After finishing the brief session, Zero Two wheeled Hiro out of the room and along the hospital garden path. Sunlight bathed them gently, and the air carried the faint scent of grass.
Hiro tilted his head back, taking in the blue sky with a deep breath, a rare sense of peace settling in. “The air out here… feels amazing.”
“Yeah, so nice I almost don’t want to go back in,” Zero Two said with a laugh, stopping the wheelchair. “But once you can walk again, we’ll go even further together.”
Hiro looked up at her, a quiet warmth in his gaze. He didn’t say anything, only nodded—but inside, he made a silent promise.
They sat there in the garden for a while, enjoying the rare tranquility and sunlight.
As the sun rose higher and the air warmed, Zero Two pushed Hiro back to the room and stepped out to get lunch. Not long after, she returned with two bento boxes, the aroma quickly filling the room.
“Today’s something different—this place has great reviews,” she said with a smile as she unpacked the food.
Looking at the neatly arranged bento, Hiro’s cheeks flushed slightly. As usual, he muttered, “I can feed myself…”
“I know, but today I’m feeding you. Saves you some strength, right?” Zero Two replied nonchalantly, sitting at the bedside and gently offering him a bite.
Though still not used to such intimacy, Hiro didn’t protest. He ate slowly while watching her focused expression, and couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips.
“Slow down. Don’t choke,” she reminded gently.
After the meal, Zero Two packed up the boxes and tucked the blanket around him.
“Get a little rest. If the sunlight’s too bright, I’ll draw the curtains.”
“Mm… Thanks, Zero Two.”
Hiro leaned back into the pillow, soon drifting into a peaceful sleep. Zero Two remained by his side, quietly holding his hand, her lips curved in a soft smile.
The room fell into silence, golden afternoon light draping over the two of them as if time itself had slowed down.
Afternoon Visitors and Problem-Solving Time
The hospital room was quiet and warm in the afternoon, golden sunlight slanting across the bed. Zero Two and Hiro sat side by side, their faces close as they whispered to each other, gentle affection glowing in their eyes. The peaceful, tender atmosphere made time itself seem to slow down.
Standing at the doorway, Misaki and Kenta had already arrived unnoticed. Watching the scene before them, Kenta gave a deliberate cough, clearly trying to break the mood.
“Ahem—are we interrupting something?”
Startled, Hiro snapped back to reality. His face flushed crimson as he hurriedly ducked under the covers, leaving only his eyes peeking out.
“When… when did you guys get here?”
Misaki tried to hold back her laughter. “Seems like we always show up at just the right moment, huh?”
Zero Two only chuckled softly, clearly unfazed by the situation.
Kenta took out their math assignment from the day before. “No need to be embarrassed—we came for help, remember?”
With a sheepish grin, Hiro sat up. “Alright, alright. Let me take a look.”
The four of them gathered around the hospital bed, diving into the set of infuriating math problems. Though Zero Two didn’t quite understand the questions, she occasionally tossed out creative (if incorrect) ideas, lightening the mood and drawing laughter from the others. Hiro gradually found his rhythm, pointing at the problems and explaining step by step, while Misaki jotted notes and Kenta occasionally nodded, eyes lighting up in realization.
Sunlight continued to pour over them, and the room filled with warm laughter and cheerful conversation.
?
Doctor’s Update and Nighttime Glow
When the last of the math problems was finally solved and their laughter had settled, a gentle knock came at the door. The doctor stepped in with a kind smile.
“Looks like it’s a lively afternoon in here.”
Hiro quickly straightened up and nodded. “Having friends around definitely makes recovery feel faster.”
The doctor flipped through Hiro’s chart, speaking in a warm tone.
“Your condition has indeed improved a lot. You even managed your first standing exercise today—this is a great sign for your physical therapy. If everything continues smoothly, we might be able to consider a short home leave in a few days.”
Everyone’s faces lit up at the news. Misaki and Kenta smiled brightly.
“That’s great! We’ll be waiting for you back at school!”
After reminding Hiro of a few things to watch out for, the doctor left, and the room returned to its light and relaxed atmosphere. As dusk began to fall, Misaki and Kenta said their goodbyes. Zero Two walked them to the door, then turned to see Hiro resting against his pillow, his eyes filled with warmth as he looked at her.
Night settled in, and stars began to twinkle outside the window. Only a single soft yellow lamp illuminated the room. After tucking the blanket around Hiro, Zero Two lay down on the narrow companion bed beside him. The two talked in hushed voices about their childhoods, school life, and small dreams for the future, their quiet laughter echoing gently in the room.
“With you here, everything just feels easier,” Hiro murmured.
“Silly, I’ve always been here,” Zero Two whispered back, reaching out to take his hand, their fingers lacing tightly together.
The room was still and warm, and under the calm, ordinary night sky, the two slowly drifted off to sleep, wrapped in the peace of a shared moment.
To be continued…
