The situation in the mess hall was delicate.
It had the air of a prime-time romance drama Roz had seen in his previous life, where the heroine and the supporting female character attacked each other in a fairly public setting.
But in this case, it wasn't clear who the heroine actually was.
Honestly, Roz had been in this world long enough, and having died when a falling space station hit Sydney, he had mostly forgotten the plot of Seed, remembering only key points.
But that didn't matter. The issue now was that as Roz appeared at the doorway, all eyes turned toward him.
"Mr. Roz!" Seeing Roz, Kira called out happily.
"I'm so glad you're okay."
"Yes, child, I'm back."
Roz stepped forward, patted Kira on the shoulder, and gave the same confident smile he often used."But I'm starving—if I don't eat something soon, I'm going to crash."
"All right, just a moment." At that moment, Kira's friend with the center-parted hairstyle went into the kitchen and started packing food for Roz.
"Oh… I remember, you're Kira's friend, right? You're called… Kuzzey?" Roz recalled and said the name. "You have a strong name." (A/N: It's pronounce Kazui similar to Karz.)
"Strong… haha, I wouldn't call myself strong," the boy named Kuzzey laughed and quickly prepared two meals.
"But now you're the one who saved me from death, so I guess you are strong. I'm starving." Roz carried the food over, forming a triangular position with Flay and the pink-haired girl.
"Ah, finally saved." After two bites, Roz's expression showed relief.
Though it might be exaggerated, resonating with the space ghosts at the Junius 7 wreckage was mentally and physically exhausting.
"By the way, I don't think I've seen you on this ship before. What's your name?"
Roz finally shifted the conversation to the pink-haired girl.
"Hello, I'm Lacus Clyne, from the PLANTs," the pink-haired girl introduced herself and extended her hand.
"I believe you're the pilot of the other MS I saw in the hangar. Nice to meet you."
"Sharp observation… Kira rescued you?" Roz took a tissue from his pocket, wiped his hands, briefly shook Lacus' hand, and let go.
"Yes, if it weren't for Kira, I'd probably still be floating in space around Junius 7." Lacus naturally withdrew her hand, but her smile was genuine.
Clearly, apart from Kira, Roz was the second person to show her kindness, which made Lacus breathe a slight sigh of relief.
"I originally came to Junius 7 for a memorial ceremony, but then a series of events happened… luckily, you saved me."
"It's just unfortunate that I sent out a distress signal, yet there was no rescue team…"
At this, Lacus lowered her head, showing a bit of helplessness.
"Rescue team… Mr. Roz, was that the…" Kira recalled the details and suddenly remembered the GINN they had destroyed.
"Yes… that GINN. Kira, you did well this time, didn't blow up their battery pack." Roz confirmed as he took a bite of his meal.
"Since ZAFT was constantly pursuing the warship beneath us, this ship is in a wartime state. Captain Murrue should have told you that."
"But since you're a civilian, even from PLANT, Murrue and the others shouldn't trouble you…"
As Roz analyzed Lacus' likely situation while eating, the atmosphere slightly warmed.
"Enough!" Flay's angry, questioning voice rang out. She glared at Roz, who was about to put food into his mouth. "Why can you casually talk to this Coordinator?! You're a natural, right?!"
The previously easing tension flared up again.
Roz paused briefly while eating, then smoothly continued, chewing and swallowing.
"Ah… I remember, Kira, didn't you immigrate from PLANT to Orb? Old countrymen seeing each other should have lots in common—talk about hometown scenery and development…"
Roz fanned his hand as if it were hot.
"Ah, the mess hall's air conditioning is weak. Kira, take Miss Lacus to your room to chat. Bring the food, otherwise she'll starve."
"Ah? Roz?!" Following Roz's gesture, Tolle handed the prepared meals to Kira, who exclaimed in surprise.
"Ah… so you also lived in PLANT, Mr. Kira?" Lacus clearly understood Roz's intention. "PLANT had many interesting events. Could you help me carry the food?"
"Ah, ah… okay." Thus, Kira clumsily left the mess hall with Lacus.
After they had walked some distance:
"Mr. Roz, he's as kind as Kira," Lacus said.
"Ah… yes, Roz is very kind to us…" Kira, a bit confused, followed Lacus' words.
"Don't you see, Kira… Mr. Roz is protecting us," Lacus said. "He didn't want you and your companions to be at odds, so he used an excuse to get us out safely."
"…I know." Kira fell silent for a moment, looking conflicted. "The mess hall's air conditioning… has been working fine, no power issues."
"So, Mr. Roz really is kind." Lacus looked somewhat puzzled.
"But why… is Mr. Roz so sad?"
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In the mess hall, Roz didn't continue eating. He waited until Kira and Lacus had walked a short distance away.
Finally, in the silence, Roz spoke.
It wasn't in his usual playful tone, but rather calm, carrying a subtle sense of dissatisfaction.
"So, Flay, what are you afraid of?"
"Me? I… I'm not afraid of anything!" Flay turned her head, refusing to look at Roz.
"I just… I just have a natural disgust toward Coordinators. Yes, that's it."
Flay was clearly intimidated by Roz's question.
After all, besides Christina, no one had seen Roz with this expression. Even Kuzzey, who had just joked with Roz, felt a bead of cold sweat form on his forehead.
"Even though there's no disease… they still tamper with genes and attack us. Things like this…"
Flay continued muttering, as if trying to vent all her inner frustration.
"Then, getting angry at civilians like yourself… what does that accomplish?"
Roz set down his utensils and stood up.
"I… but she's ZAFT! Shouldn't you be angrier than me?!"
Flay was startled by Roz standing, but still mustered the courage to retort.
"You haven't answered my question, Flay."
Roz walked to stand in front of her, under everyone's watchful eyes.
"What good does it do to vent your anger at civilians who share your identity, who even approach you with goodwill?"
"I…"
Flay fell silent.
She tried to imagine what anger at Lacus could achieve, but couldn't come up with an answer.
Her hands fidgeted with her dress, trying to relieve her embarrassment.
"Kira is also a Coordinator, also a civilian like you." Roz's tone didn't change, but his hand in his pocket twitched slightly, as if eager to act.
"When you release anger and resentment toward a civilian Coordinator, have you considered Kira's feelings?"
Roz's relentless questioning flustered Flay.
"Answer me, Flay. Kira fights to protect this ship, to protect you—who is he fighting?"
Under Roz's direct gaze, Flay could only stammer an answer.
"It's… Coordinators." The more she spoke, the quieter her voice became, filled with regret and remorse.
"…Kira could have ignored this ship, ignored all of you." Roz sighed, speaking a harsh truth.
"He's the only pilot of the Strike Gundam, and a Coordinator. If he had surrendered the Strike Gundam to ZAFT, he wouldn't have faced any consequences. On the contrary, because he's a Coordinator, he would have been accepted and even rewarded by ZAFT."
"He has no reason or obligation to pilot the Strike Gundam to protect you, his fellow civilians, and his childhood friends." Roz didn't know if his words would make Flay abandon her stubbornness, but if reasoning didn't work, he would have to move to plan B.
"Do you know? The Aegis Gundam, which often fights the Strike Gundam, is piloted by Kira's childhood friend."
"He's caught in the middle, constantly being pulled apart."
Roz sighed, took a sip from the water cup Kuzzey handed him, and placed it on the bar beside him.
At this moment, Flay had lowered her head, her hands gripping her dress tightly, as if she might tear it.
"Gene modification can only change appearance, nerve response speed, and other physical traits, but it can never change a person's character. Kira, because of his inherent kindness, chose to protect you—but you keep pushing him toward ZAFT."
"…I'm sorry."
Flay whispered her apology.
"You're apologizing to the wrong person. It's not me you should apologize to—it's Kira, and that civilian called Lacus."
Roz pointed out the person Flay had hurt.
"Kira… I'm fine with him, but that one called Lacus… what if she's a ZAFT agent trying to manipulate me…"
Flay's mind still resisted the idea of apologizing to Lacus, who had been hurt by her words.
At that moment, she felt a sudden force gripping her collar.
Roz had grabbed her by the collar, and his right hand—already eager—struck her face. The sudden slap made Flay's tears spring out.
Although Roz controlled the strength, the slap still burned her left cheek like fire.
"You… you… you dare hit me?!"
Immediately, humiliation and indignation surged through Flay's mind.
"My father never hit me!"
"Exactly because he didn't, you've become like this!"
Then she felt her collar loosen.
She watched Roz spin his upper body, his right hand moving at incredible speed to strike her face again.
The tremendous force left her mind blank for a moment, and she fell onto Miriallia behind her.
Kuzzey, who had intended to intervene, was frozen in shock.
No one expected Roz to act so suddenly.
"The second time… that's the second time you've hit me!"
When Flay finally reacted, holding her burning face, tears streamed from her eyes.
"I'm not Kira, so I won't coddle you." Roz's expression was cold as he shook off his numbed right hand from the recoil and slipped it back into his pocket.
"You should be glad you're a girl. If it had been Kuzzey saying these things, I would have landed two punches and sent him straight to the medical bay!"
"Huh? Me?" Kuzzey, beside him, was puzzled that the anger had shifted to him.
"At this point, you're still clinging to the hope that my words are just fiction, imagining a future that won't happen, and you think it's right to speak harshly to Kira, to your savior. That's not correct." Roz was clearly getting angry. Though it wasn't directly his business, Kira had been fighting alongside him for a while, and Roz couldn't just stand by.
"You unreasonably project your prejudice and fear of Coordinators onto a civilian Coordinator. This indiscriminate targeting—whether ZAFT or civilians—is no different from the Blue Cosmos you claim to despise."
Only now, under the pain and Roz's rebuke, did Flay begin to reflect on her actions.
Sometimes, you must acknowledge the influence of upbringing. Under her father's guidance, Flay hadn't become as extreme as Blue Cosmos in hating Coordinators, but she still harbored disdain.
Fortunately, Flay wasn't unreasonable; if she were, she wouldn't be able to get along with Kira and the others at all.
After Roz's fierce correction, she slowly began to see her behavior from a different perspective.
"Miriallia, take her to rest."
"…Okay."
Miriallia supported Flay, and as they passed by Roz, he said, "Flay, remember this. If you speak recklessly again, completely disregarding your companions' feelings, I promise next time I'll hit harder."
Hearing Roz, Flay trembled and, supported by Miriallia, quickly left the mess hall.
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"…Does your hand hurt?" Christina sat calmly, watching everything unfold. After Kuzzey had found an excuse to leave, she turned to ask Roz.
"A little numb. It's okay; I didn't hit too hard." Roz finally relaxed his previously stern expression. If he wanted to correct Flay's mindset, joking around like before wouldn't have worked.
Though unspoken, Roz—having executed his "Great Rotational Strike"—felt a subtle satisfaction.
"Soon, news of you slapping Flay twice will probably spread." Christina glanced at Roz's hand in his pocket and picked up the spoon from his tray.
Carrying some food, she brought it to Roz's mouth.
"Open up, ah…"
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When Roz received Murrue's summons to the bridge, the story about him slapping Flay twice had already spread across the Archangel's crew.
It had even grown more absurd in the telling — rumors like "Roz just glared and used ki to send Flay flying" and the like.
So as he made his way to the bridge, he kept feeling people's odd looks.
"Pfft…"
"Never expected it — Roz, you're that kind of person, huh."
When the bridge doors opened, Mu greeted him with that strange smile.
"You won't win any girls over acting like that."
"I'll just stay single then." Roz rolled his eyes at Mu and drifted into the bridge. "Correcting Flay cost me one more bad reputation. Better than Kira being affected."
"Besides, since I suggested scavenging Junius 7 for supplies, I've been cursed at the whole time. One more gripe won't matter."
"Alright, let's drop that for now. We have something to discuss with you." Murrue said with a sigh, unable to hide it even while looking at Roz's proud face.
"Okay, speak." Roz floated over and leaned on the nearby rail.
"Kira retrieved a life pod — you know that, right?"
"You mean that girl called Lacus? I saw her in the mess hall earlier." Roz turned to Murrue. "What's the issue?"
"Her full name is Lacus Clyne, daughter of PLANT chairman Siegel Clyne." Murrue's words froze Roz for a moment.
He quickly caught on. "Our destination is the Earth military's lunar base."
"Right. I can obscure your mobile unit a bit, but Lacus…," Murrue sighed helplessly, "and the civilians helping on board…"
"You mean you're worried the base will make a fuss over Lacus, or take an interest in my mobile suit?" Roz's fingers tapped the rail as he began to think.
"And the Archangel, as I recall, still counts as an Earth Forces military asset. If Kira and the others are helping on this ship…"
"You and Kira should be fine — Captain Murrue will protect you, won't she?" Mu chimed in with a thumbs-up as Murrue gave him a strange look.
"Besides, that Lacus would be very well received there. Given her political position, they'll certainly make use of her," Mu added.
"Sigh…" Murrue exhaled. "I'll try to keep you safe, but given Lacus's political status, I can't promise everything."
"But if possible, I don't want anything to happen to her — after all, she's still a civilian…"
"What about Roz and Kira, then?" Natarle drifted up from the mezzanine and gripped the railing. "Whether it's Roz or Kira and the others, they're civilians too, and some of them are minors on board."
"Everyone's already been dragged into this, civilian or not, minor or not."
"Natarle Lieutenant…" Mu tried to soften her tone after sensing her mood shift.
"Do you want to hear the person involved?" Roz turned to Natarle.
"…Go ahead."
Natarle wanted Roz's perspective.
"Because we're too weak." Roz stated the fact calmly.
"I'm too weak to fully protect the Archangel, so Kira had to take to the battlefield."
"The people on Archangel are too weak, so these boys and girls had to help on the ship."
His blunt words made everyone stop and stare at him in stunned silence.
"We grown-ups are useless. We can't end this war, so it spills over onto civilians."
"Roz…" Even Murrue couldn't help speaking up at Roz's sharp remark.
"In any case, that's my position as someone involved," Roz sighed and shook his head.
"Continue toward the lunar base. I'll handle the Lacus situation." He patted Murrue's shoulder.
"Don't worry — which of my plans has ever failed?"
Roz wasn't joking. According to the Archangel's current course, they would soon reach the activity area of a scrap dealer he knew. At worst, he could use that dealer as an intermediary to get Lacus off the ship quietly; ZAFT probably wouldn't hassle a neutral scrap dealer.
That would be the ideal, quiet solution that wouldn't trouble Murrue.
But Roz also had to consider extreme scenarios, like Lacus's identity being exposed to other Earth Forces.
-----------------------------------
"Anyway, as Lacus's nominal fiancé, even though you should be participating in various mobile suit tests, you're no longer suitable to stay on PLANT soil. At least, for the sake of the Zala family's reputation, you need to go find Lacus."
"Although it's still unclear, according to the reconnaissance report from Yuro's squad's scout-type GINN, traces of the target we're tracking were found in the wreckage area of Junius 7 where Lacus disappeared."
Standing in the lounge, looking at the Aegis Gundam in the hangar, his expression was very serious.
"Still thinking about what Chairman Zala told you?"
At that moment, the lounge door opened.
"Ah… Captain Rau Le Creuset." Athrun instinctively saluted.
"Don't be nervous just yet. At least according to Yuro squad's reconnaissance report, your friend at the time didn't intend to harm anyone," Creuset said, leaning against the lounge glass, his eyes beneath the mask carefully observing Athrun.
"They probably just wanted the supplies from Junius 7. Since we've been chasing them all the way, they should be low on provisions. The report mentioned they were moving ice blocks at the time."
"Hmm… but I'm still worried," Athrun lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.
"Alright, we're almost at our destination. Prepare to sortie and conduct reconnaissance." Creuset glanced at the GINN already ready for deployment, a faint, inexplicable smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
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"Ah… thankfully, this escape pod isn't in bad shape."
In the Archangel's hangar, Roz looked at the escape pod, scratching his head.
Although the hull had some scratches, the overall function was fine — it just lacked fuel.
"So next… what was Lowe's contact info again?"
Roz thought for a moment, planning to ask Christina directly.
The "Lowe" Roz referred to was Lowe Guele, a well-known figure among scrap dealers. His fame came not only from his passion for machinery but also from his almost supernatural "lucky streak."
Moreover, Lowe Guele was known for loving to make friends.
When Roz traveled from Earth to Heliopolis, he became familiar with Lowe Guele. In fact, much of the material in Roz's current Jegan D model came from orders Roz had given to Lowe Guele.
"Beep beep, beep beep…" Roz's communication device in his pocket rang.
"Murrue? I'm inspecting Lacus's escape pod. What's happening now?" Roz saw the name on the communicator, paused for a moment, and then answered.
"Roz, we've received a pulse communication from the 8th vanguard fleet. We'll be safe shortly…"
Compared to Murrue's relief, Roz frowned.
"…Too fast."
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