The morning sunlight streamed through the window, gently falling on the boy lying in bed. Zero Two sat quietly at the bedside, her hands resting on her lap, her head tilted slightly as she watched the sleeping Hiro. His breathing was steady, and there was a healthy flush on his cheeks—clearly, he had slept well the night before. Zero Two smiled softly, reaching out to brush his forehead. After confirming his temperature was normal, she withdrew her hand in relief.
“Darling…” she murmured, her voice filled with tenderness and peace.
Hiro’s eyelashes fluttered slightly before he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Zero Two’s face. Their eyes met, and for a moment he blinked in surprise before smiling. “Morning, Zero Two.”
“Good morning, Darling.” Zero Two leaned in a little, her gaze gentle. “How are you feeling today?”
Hiro took a moment to assess his body. He felt more energized than the day before, especially his legs—still a bit stiff, but no longer as weak. “Much better. My legs feel stronger than yesterday.”
“That’s great!” Zero Two’s eyes lit up as she grabbed his hand, a hint of excitement in her voice. “That means we can start practicing walking today, right?”
Hiro chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I want to give it a try.”
Just then, a nurse entered the room to do the routine check-up. Seeing how energetic Hiro looked, she smiled. “You’re looking really good today. At this rate, you might be discharged sooner than expected.”
“I think so too,” Hiro replied confidently.
After the nurse confirmed Hiro’s condition, Zero Two wheeled him to the rehab area, staying by his side to begin the walking practice.
All morning, Hiro worked hard to walk. From stumbling steps to gradually standing on his own, every bit of progress made Zero Two’s heart swell with pride. She patiently supported him, always nearby in case he lost balance, and offered steady encouragement: “Darling, take it slow. Don’t rush.”
Gritting his teeth, Hiro took a deep breath and moved—one step, two steps… Still unsteady, but he was moving forward.
Zero Two watched his effort with a proud smile. “That’s my Darling.”
Through continuous practice, Hiro began to find his rhythm. His steps weren’t steady yet, but he was walking forward on his own.
Zero Two never left his side. Every time he swayed, she caught him immediately, her eyes full of both pride and concern. “You’re amazing, Darling. Just a little more. I’m right here.” Her voice was soft and reassuring.
Hiro nodded, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead, but he smiled—he could feel himself slowly recovering.
By midday, the room was filled with warm sunlight. Hiro leaned against the bed, faint traces of sweat still on his temple. His body was a little tired from rehab, but his expression carried a quiet resolve.
“Zero Two, I want to try eating by myself today. Is that okay?” he asked, turning to her as she was opening the bento box.
Zero Two paused, folded her arms, and narrowed her eyes slightly. “No way. Darling’s not fully recovered. You can’t just do things yourself.”
“My hands are fine now, and even though my legs aren’t fully healed, I’m sitting. It’s okay,” Hiro said with a sheepish smile, trying to charm her.
She stared at him for a few seconds, then sighed and sat down beside him. “Fine… Half and half. I’ll feed you the first half, and you can eat the rest yourself. Deal?”
“What kind of weird compromise is that…” Hiro muttered with a wry smile, but nodded anyway.
Zero Two carefully scooped a spoonful of rice, cooled it slightly, then brought it to his lips. Hiro took the bite, and in that moment, he didn’t just feel the warmth of the food—he felt the warmth of her heart. He smiled. “It always tastes better when you feed me.”
“Of course. I’m your Zero Two,” she said, pouting slightly, her voice a mix of pride and playful affection.
After he had eaten half, she finally handed him the chopsticks. His movements were still a bit slow, but compared to the weakness from a few days ago, there was a clear improvement. As he ate, he glanced up at her. “Thank you… for staying with me these past few days.”
Zero Two looked at him with a soft smile. “What are you thanking me for? You’re my Darling. What else would I do but stay with you?”
The room was filled with quiet warmth. Sunlight draped gently over the two of them, like a soft veil wrapping their sweet, peaceful moment in light.
The afternoon sunlight had grown softer, with a faint hint of early spring in the air. Zero Two pushed Hiro’s wheelchair out of the hospital, following the familiar path toward the park. They had walked this route several times over the past few days, but this time, Hiro looked more relaxed, his eyes calmly gazing ahead.
“The wind feels different today,” he said softly, a glimmer in his eyes.
Zero Two smiled and gently pushed him to a bench in the park, stopping beside it. “An afternoon like this is perfect for a walk, don’t you think? You still can’t go too far, but I’ll stay here with you.”
Hiro nodded, his gaze sweeping over the flower beds in the center of the park. A few early blooms swayed in the breeze, children’s laughter echoed in the distance, and a few other patients and their families sat nearby chatting. The scene brought a long-lost sense of peace to his heart.
“This past while… it feels like a long time has passed, but also like it just started,” Hiro murmured, turning his eyes toward Zero Two. “Thank you so much, Zero Two. I couldn’t have made it this far without you.”
Zero Two turned to him, gently resting her forehead on his shoulder. “I told you I’d be with you, Darling. You’re my everything.”
Her tone was soft, but the conviction behind it sent a tremor through Hiro’s heart. He turned to look at her, their eyes meeting, no words needed between them.
He reached out and gently held her fingers. Though he still lacked strength, the warmth he felt was real and steady.
The two of them sat quietly in a corner of the park, watching the everyday scene unfold before them. The sunlight poured down, and the air seemed filled with a gentle happiness, wrapping their tranquil moment like a cocoon, as if the world had shrunk to just the two of them.
As evening approached, a soft knock sounded on the hospital room door.
“Hope we’re not intruding~” Kenta stepped in with a grin, holding a bag in one hand, while Misaki followed behind carrying several notebooks.
“You came!” Hiro greeted them with surprise, looking more energetic than the previous days.
“Of course we did!” Kenta waved the bag. “We brought your favorite honey milk tea, plus today’s literature and art homework.”
Misaki placed the notebooks on the table and smiled. “The literature assignment is a short essay, and the art one is to draw ‘My Healing Space’. We thought it’d be fun to bring it here—maybe being in the hospital will give you a unique perspective.”
Hiro took the notebooks with a wry smile. “I’m not good at drawing… I usually just scribble something to get it over with.”
Zero Two raised her hand in protest. “Darling’s being too modest! He just isn’t good at drawing people! I’m really good at it now, so I’ll teach him—he’ll definitely get it!”
She puffed out her chest confidently, speaking like a teacher excited to help a student.
Kenta couldn’t help but laugh. “Wow, now you’re even an art teacher?”
Zero Two replied proudly, “Of course! He’s my Darling, after all.”
Hiro’s ears turned red as he muttered under his breath, “I never said I wanted to learn…”
The four of them gathered around the small table in the hospital room. They started by reading their short essays aloud, laughing at some of the exaggerated phrases. Then they opened the sketch paper and paints—Misaki began sketching her layout, Kenta frowned in frustration over his drawing, and Zero Two took a fresh sheet to demonstrate how to draw proper proportions.
At first, Hiro simply watched in silence, but eventually, under Zero Two’s encouragement, he picked up a pencil and began sketching a few lines.
As the sunset gradually painted the sky red, the hospital room was filled with laughter. Homework, paints, and joyful voices blended into a warm, everyday scene, turning this day into something beautifully ordinary and precious.
When night fell, the room was lit by soft lights. After seeing Misaki and Kenta off, Hiro and Zero Two didn’t go straight to bed. Instead, they remained at the table, finishing the remaining assignments together. Zero Two helped him draw and organize materials. They whispered and shared quiet smiles, the room filled with a cozy atmosphere.
Before long, the doctor knocked and entered with a gentle smile.
“Today’s test results are great. You’re recovering faster than expected,” he said, flipping through Hiro’s chart. “If things stay stable, you could be discharged the day after tomorrow.”
“Really?” Hiro’s eyes widened.
Zero Two’s face lit up in delight. “That’s wonderful, Darling!”
The doctor gave a small nod, left a few instructions, and departed, leaving the two of them gazing at each other with excitement on their faces.
“Do you remember the literature assignment? ‘Healing Space’…” Hiro said with a soft smile. “I think… it’s something like this, right now.”
Zero Two’s eyes softened as she rested her cheek in her palm and looked at him, a gentle curve forming at the corners of her lips.
Late at night, only the bedside lamp remained lit. The two of them lay quietly on the hospital bed, leaning on each other.
“Darling,” Zero Two said softly, “remember how we once said we’d see the world together after the war? The stars, the ocean, the forests… there are so many places we haven’t been to yet.”
Hiro looked at her quietly, his voice low but firm. “I haven’t forgotten. I’ve kept that promise in my heart. Even if we were apart for a while… we still found our way back to each other, didn’t we?”
Zero Two gently nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. “Yeah. So once you’re better, we have to go. Together.”
“We will, Zero Two. I’ll hold your hand, no matter where we go.”
The hospital room fell silent again, the only sounds their whispers and shared breaths. In that moment, time seemed to pause in this peaceful and happy space—something neither of them wished to break.
To be continued…
