Chapter : 08
The Physical Therapy Room.
If there’s a place where sweat and pain coexist, it’s definitely the physical therapy room. Under the glow of fluorescent lights, various rehabilitation machines stood in long rows. Enduring the horrific pain coursing through my stiffened legs, I grabbed the bars fixed to the wall and pulled myself up from my wheelchair.
Uuuugh! Crack!
“Aaaagh!”
I clutched my legs and let out a scream. Cold sweat poured from my entire body.
“Patient Kang Do-sik, you mustn’t overdo it. If you tear a muscle, you won’t be able to receive treatment for a while.”
The physical therapist, startled, rushed over to support me.
“I’m fine,” I replied through gritted teeth.
“You are not fine. Your face has turned pale,” the therapist said with a worried expression.
“I can handle this much,” I answered stubbornly.
“No, you don’t look okay at all.” She shook her head.
“I can do it. No—I have to do it.”
With those solemn words, I tried to take a step.
“Wait a second!” she shouted urgently.
Stagger! Thud!
My knees buckled, and I tumbled to the floor. Since I was in a state where I couldn’t use mana, my legs were no different from mere blocks of wood.
“I told you it’s dangerous. Walking alone is too much for you right now. You could damage your muscles. Working hard at rehab is good, but doing it without overstraining is the priority. Start with what you can handle, step by step.”
The therapist, Park So-eun, knelt on one knee to help me up as I struggled on the floor. Beads of sweat were forming on her forehead as well.
“Let go. I can do it myself. I must do it myself.”
I stubbornly tried to stand on my own.
“No, you’ll get hurt like this,” Park So-eun said firmly.
“I said I’m fine!”
“You are not fine!” she raised her voice. She used her whole body to support me as I lay collapsed on the floor.
“Mph.”
In that moment, my head was involuntarily buried against her soft chest. The faint scent of shampoo wafted past the tip of my nose.
“Just bear with it for a moment. I’ll get you back into the wheelchair,” So-eun said calmly.
“No, that’s not it!” I shouted, flustered.
“What is it?” she asked, sounding puzzled.
“I can’t breathe because of your chest, therapist. I’m dying here, I’m dying!” I exaggerated.
“Pardon?”
So-eun froze. Her movements stopped for a moment.
“I’m saying, please move back a bit.”
“Oh! I—I’m so sorry!”
Startled, she quickly pulled away from me.
“No, what is there to be sorry about?” I waved my hand dismissively.
“Still, I’m sorry,” So-eun said, her face flushing red. Even her ears were stained crimson.
“I must have saved a country in my past life. Did I save Joseon? Or maybe Goguryeo?” I cracked a joke to change the atmosphere.
“What?” She tilted her head and looked at me.
“Burying my nose in such a nice chest like that,” I said shamelessly.
“W-what on earth are you talking about?” she stammered, flustered.
“I don’t know who it’ll be, but whoever becomes your boyfriend must have saved a country in his past life for sure. Hahaha!” I laughed heartily at the sight of the shy Park So-eun.
“Are you going to keep joking around?” she asked, knitting her brows.
“You’re mixing casual speech and formal speech now?”
I glanced at her. She avoided my gaze, looking embarrassed.
“Forget it. Stop joking,” she said shortly, waving her hand.
“It’s not a joke, it’s a compliment.” I grinned.
“It doesn’t feel like a compliment,” she said bluntly.
“I’m being serious.”
“Enough.”
She shook her head and, refusing to let go, finally managed to settle me back into the wheelchair. The wheels creaked as they turned.
“Therapist, what perfume do you use?”
Unlike her, I used formal speech for the first half of the sentence and dropped into casual speech for the end.
“What? What are you talking about now?”
“That perfume you’re wearing is giving me a headache. I thought I was going to die from dizziness.” I said slyly.
“I’m not wearing perfume,” she replied, frowning slightly.
“Then is it your natural scent?” I tilted my head.
“Are you going to keep teasing me?” she asked, sounding exasperated. She sighed, resting her hand on her forehead.
“How could a patient tease a therapist? It’s just an observation. It’s a compliment, a compliment!”
With that, I stood up from the wheelchair again.
“What are you doing?”
As I stood up once more, So-eun jumped in front of me, startled.
“I’m going to walk.”
“I told you, you can’t yet!”
“I will walk with my own strength. As fast as possible!” I said, as if making a vow to her. I clenched my fists tight.
“It’s too much right now,” she advised, sounding frustrated.
“The word ‘not yet’ isn’t in my dictionary. I have to walk!”
When I spoke with a somewhat heated voice, So-eun stared at me. Her eyes wavered for a moment.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” she asked softly.
“I have no choice but to hurry,” I answered seriously.
“Why?”
“I made a promise.”
“What kind of promise?”
“A promise to live like a human being.”
A brief silence fell over the physical therapy room.
“I’m sorry,” I said, bowing my head to offer a sincere apology.
“For what?”
“For snapping at you suddenly.”
“I understand,” she said.
“Do you really understand me?” I stared intently at her.
“I’m sorry. That is…” She lowered her head slightly, her voice trailing off.
“You probably won’t understand. I have to live like a human being. That’s why I have to walk.”
“Like a human being…” she muttered under her breath.
“That’s right. To live like a human, I have to walk as soon as possible.”
I nodded and continued.
“Did something happen?” she asked cautiously.
“It’s hard to talk about.” I shook my head.
“I see…”
She didn’t pry further. She just nodded quietly. I took another step forward.
Wobble!
This time, I started to fall backward.
“It’s dangerous!”
So-eun screamed and grabbed my collar, pulling me forward.
Thud!
“Ouch!” she cried out.
“Ugh!”
I groaned too. So-eun was sprawled on the floor, and I had collapsed right on top of her. I could hear her breathing right next to me.
“See! I told you you couldn’t do it yet!” she scolded, mixing her speech levels again.
“It’s cozy.”
The nonsensical words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.
“W-what?”
She was flustered, her face turning bright red again.
“No, it’s nothing.” I quickly changed the subject.
“Hurry up and get off me.”
“I want to, but I have no strength in my body,” I said honestly.
“Really?” she asked suspiciously.
“Really.” I nodded.
“Fine, then I’ll push you up,” she said with a sigh.
“Thank you.”
She pushed my shoulders with both hands.
“Listen to me from now on,” she said as she pushed me off.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Really?”
“No.”
“What?” She looked at me with her mouth agape, utterly dumbfounded.
“I won’t stop until I can walk.”
“You really are incredibly stubborn.” She sighed.
“That’s one of my strengths.” I smirked.
“It’s a weakness, not a strength.” She shook her head.
“Depends on how you look at it.” I shrugged.
“Phew…” She sighed again, resting her forehead in her hand.
“You’ll help me, right?” I asked, looking at her.
“Of course I have to help. It’s my job.”
“Thank you.” I said it with all my heart.
“Don’t thank me. I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do.”
“Still, thank you.”
“Just get well soon.” So-eun gave a small smile. It was the first time I saw a truly sincere smile on her face.
“I definitely will.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” She nodded.
And so, partly because of her, my rehabilitation progressed rapidly. Within a month, I was able to stand using crutches. As the sunset filtered through the windows of the physical therapy room, everything around me felt like a series of miracles.
End Of Chapter : 08
