"Flay, be careful not to get separated..."
Kira, watching from the side, was equally excited.
After all, he could somewhat be considered one of them.
Having witnessed the miracle brought about by his brother Fred up close, his previous admiration had now grown into worship.
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Flay turned her head and smiled. The girl's bright, flame-like smile shone directly into Kira's heart.
"This way we won't get separated~"
Flay said as she took Kira's hand.
"Eh... wait..."
Looking down at their joined hands.
For a moment, Kira's super-powered Coordinator brain short-circuited.
"Kira, tell me more about what happened yesterday~!"
Flay was also somewhat embarrassed, but soon smiled again.
She quite liked this boy. Although he often tried to avoid work, they shared many topics when it came to praising his brother in various ways.
He was completely different from that cold-faced Athrun.
"Alright!"
Sure enough, upon hearing Flay's words, Kira momentarily forgot the warmth of the girl's gentle grip on his hand. Amid the bustling crowd, he began recounting the events of that time in meticulous detail.
Just as the two were chatting animatedly, Fred on the other side had just finished his bowl of noodles when another visitor arrived at his home.
"Teacher."
Fred opened the door, looked at the young woman before him, lowered his eyes and greeted her.
"Fred, we owe you thanks this time."
Lenore looked at the boy before her. The sunlight from the window illuminated his face, making him appear even more handsome.
Though only thirteen, there was no doubt he would be devastatingly charming in the future. Even if he claimed to be a Coordinator, perhaps no one would doubt it.
"Ah, Miss Lenore is here~"
During Lenore's silence, Heather picked up the conversation from the side.
"Yes... Miss Heather"
Lenore turned her head upon hearing this, looking at the other woman with complicated feelings.
Now that their abilities were exposed, was there still need for such pretense?
It felt rather awkward.
Quickly setting aside her internal complaints, Lenore asked seriously.
"I'd like to speak with Fred alone, if that's alright?"
Because of recent events, Lenore didn't underestimate either of them in the slightest.
Or rather, she never had, but now she was even more respectful.
"Alright."
After giving his mother a look, Fred nodded in agreement.
"Then you two talk."
Heather rolled her eyes at both of them and headed upstairs.
Watching Heather leave, neither spoke first. Lenore was gazing intently at Fred, while Fred was looking at the teacup before him as if there were flowers painted on it.
"Fred."
Finally, Lenore broke the silence.
"Yes, teacher?"
Fred had roughly guessed Lenore's purpose. As he raised his eyes, he felt unusually nervous.
"Why did you save us?"
When Lenore said "us," she wasn't referring to herself and Athrun, but to the Coordinators throughout the city.
"First, because my family is here too, and..."
"And?"
Lenore's eyes narrowed slightly.
Though the movement was small, as her student Fred recognized this as a sign of his teacher's heightened concentration.
"Moreover, there's no difference between Naturals and Coordinators - both die when killed, and both grieve when their loved ones perish. That's all there is to it."
"..."
As Fred's words faded, the room sank into silence once more.
This wasn't the first time she'd heard such arguments. Many moderates within PLANT held similar views.
But pretty words were easy to speak - only a handful could truly act on them.
Most Coordinators who advocated this were merely those with Natural family members seeking greater benefits.
Beneath the idealism lay naked self-interest.
Yet this boy was different.
There was no personal gain for him in saying these words.
Moreover, he wasn't making declarations - even after working together for so long, he'd never voiced his views, only acted according to his principles.
In this alone, the boy had already surpassed many.
"Then why did you come here as a student?" Lenore continued her questioning.
"Because Blue Cosmos is gaining influence within the Atlantic Federation."
"I don't want to become an accomplice."
Fred's words could be described as utterly candid.
His expression matched his sincerity.
Without waiting for further questions from Lenore, he continued.
"PLANT will never accept agricultural blockades willingly, and trade fairness keeps deteriorating."
"For PLANT's Coordinators, they're merely livestock to the Council Nations - livestock raised with exorbitantly priced food."
"So I speculated there might be PLANT operatives hiding here."
"..."
After hearing Fred's analysis, Lenore found herself momentarily speechless.
Calling them livestock had torn away the last veil of decency.
If such statements were made publicly, most Coordinators would likely erupt in fury.
Yet this was the reality.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have come here either.
"So you don't want to be an accomplice, yet you plan to help PLANT?"
Neither denying nor confirming her PLANT affiliation, Lenore posed the question.
"I just want peace. I want a world where my family won't have to worry about Battleships, Space colonies, or nuclear weapons falling from the sky."
"And how do you plan to achieve that?"
"I don't know. I'm just a thirteen-year-old kid."
"...Ahem"
Hearing Fred's words, even the well-composed Lenore choked on her own saliva.
He actually said it - as if some thirteen-year-old hadn't become Copernicus's hero.
If Fred's address hadn't been kept confidential, protestors would likely have surrounded them by now.
Still, Fred had a point.
How to achieve lasting peace between Coordinators and Naturals - probably no one in the world knew the exact answer.
"I want to find the answer, so I want to see PLANT for myself."
Fred smiled.
His words held partial truth.
With people like Lacus there, if he wanted peace - even hard-won peace - PLANT was indeed the only starting point.
As for the false part, of course he also wanted to research MS.
If he'd had an MS during recent events, even just a GINN, they wouldn't have been so passive.
That is the power to protect one's family, and also the power to create or destroy the future.
Of course, it's still best to keep it under my control as much as possible.
Otherwise, it would be quite troublesome if a space colony suddenly appeared overhead while I'm enjoying retirement.
However, I can't directly mention wanting to participate in MS development, or I might really get killed.
The current MS research should still be in a top-secret stage, and it's unclear whether the name GINN has even been established yet.
I'll need to find an opening after going to PLANT.
It's still too early to think about this now.
"I understand what you mean."
"Come to my house in two days."
Lenore stood up as she spoke.
"Remember, come alone."
"Alright."
Seeing the seriousness on Lenore's face, Fred felt somewhat surprised.
Generally speaking, Lenore's rank in PLANT should already be quite high, sufficient to directly recruit him.
He had thought it would directly progress to discussing how to break away and go to PLANT.