"Feels like Kira's been sleeping in the cockpit these last few days." Roz stood in the hangar and looked up at Kira, who was still adjusting systems on the Strike.
"How long has he been like that?"
"Since we landed on Earth — it's been several days. He even brings his food back into the cockpit." Murdoch, who was helping Mu adjust the Skygrasper, answered. "No idea what's wrong with the kid."
"Probably can't accept his situation?" Mu stuck his head out of the Skygrasper cockpit and stretched. "While landing on Earth you went so hard in the Jegan, and in the end the frame got destroyed. And at that time even that kid Flay almost got killed by Rau Le Creuset."
"Realizing your own helplessness, so you go crazy wanting more strength?" Roz parsed Mu's words and guessed at Kira's likely reason.
"Ambitious guy — not like I used to be," Roz added.
"Oh? You had something like that too?" Mu climbed down from the Skygrasper cockpit and walked over to Roz. "How come you never told me?"
"There's nothing much to tell." Roz waved a hand, his thoughts going back to the first time he trained in the Jegan A-type cockpit. "When I first trained in the Jegan simulator I picked a very strong opponent."
"The first time I piloted an MS, I was taken out within one second of starting the training. That result repeated all day, and I was down for two or three days after." Roz looked down at his right hand as he spoke.
The calluses from wrenches, the calluses from cockpit grips, the calluses from pistols — all mixed together, telling the story of what Roz had been through.
"The first time I took the Jegan out, my survival time in front of that opponent was one minute thirty seconds. Now I can trade blows with him."
"Piloting skill grows through battle — Kira will get stronger too; maybe he'll surpass me."
Roz looked up, intending to end with a bit of uplifting advice.
Instead he saw Mu holding a notebook and scribbling.
"Hm… Roz couldn't beat the simulator AI, suffered a breakdown… new material obtained."
"…You jerk!" Roz saw the notebook and felt a nerve snap.
He saw the words clearly written on the page: The Roz Chronicles — Mu was clearly planning to record Roz's embarrassing history again.
"Take this!" Roz reached out to give Mu a friendly punch to the face.
"Hey, hey, hey, calm down! Don't hit the face!" Mu put the notebook away, dodged Roz's fist, and started running toward the hangar exit. "If my pretty face gets ruined, it's a loss for the world!"
"Don't run — it won't hurt!" Roz chased Mu, feeling his punch had only gotten harder.
"But it might kill!" Mu yelped.
The two of them tussled and ran out of the hangar.
-----------------------------------
"…I see. Kira's recent condition really is a bit off." Murrue nodded after hearing Roz describe Kira's situation.
At that moment, on the observation deck, Roz, Mu, and Murrue were casually chatting.
"What do you guys think about this matter?" Murrue felt a bit troubled talking about it. "My bad—I forgot that Kira was just a civilian before. The things he's gone through have had too much of a psychological impact on him."
"Don't look at me. My approach doesn't suit him," Mu immediately shrugged in refusal when he saw Roz and Murrue's gazes. "Kira's only sixteen, right? He can't even go to a bar."
"If it were me in this situation, I'd probably just get drunk at a bar and then sleep it off," Mu said, explaining his method.
"True, your method isn't really suitable," Murrue sighed and looked at Roz. "Roz, what's your take?"
"At Kira's age, a night of passion can solve most worries," Roz joked.
But immediately, he was met with Murrue's death glare and Mu squinting, giving a strange smile as if he wanted to pull out a notebook of black history.
"…Just kidding." Roz quickly corrected himself as the mental alarms in his head blared wildly.
"As for me, I don't really have a good solution either," Roz shook his head after thinking for a while. "When I was in his situation, my circumstances were more dangerous and time was tight, so I forced myself to come out of despair—that's all."
"Though, he has been cooped up on the ship for quite a while," Roz thought carefully and came up with an idea. "Isn't that Cagalli familiar with Kira? Let them go to the city for a walk; it might help change his mood. Plus, Natarle is going with those Dawn Desert people to buy ammo and supplies anyway—Kira can just go along with them."
"…Fine, I agree." Murrue thought for a moment and sighed. "Roz, you should go too."
"Huh? Me?" Roz pointed at himself in disbelief upon hearing this. "What does that have to do with me?"
"Natarle is going to the Desert Tiger-occupied area this time," Murrue explained the reality. "They also have other objectives there, and you know Kira and Cagalli's personalities."
"Roz, you're tactful. I want you to look after the two of them and at least make sure they return safely."
"Then… what about the ship?" Roz asked.
Mu patted Roz on the shoulder.
"The ship? Isn't it fine as long as I'm here?" Mu smiled, showing his teeth. "The Skygrasper has already been calibrated. Besides, your Jesta has an automatic combat function, right? No problem."
"I'm a mature man, so just go and leave it to me."
"…I'll find it hard to believe you if you don't put that notebook down."
-----------------------------------
Though the ZAFT-occupied area seemed large and the towns small, a jeep alone would take a long time to travel.
But with the local Dawn Desert person driving, the jeep was surprisingly fast, and they even knew some little-known shortcuts. By the time they reached the target city, it was only 10 a.m.
"From here on, I'll leave it to you," Natarle said, wearing her casual outfit she used to wear in Heliopolis, putting on sunglasses after a long time. "Please… be careful."
"Don't worry. We'll finish buying everything," Roz said, giving Natarle a thumbs-up after getting off the jeep behind Kira and the others. "This is a shopping street; there's no danger. You should be the careful one."
"Uh… thanks," Natarle replied, somewhat uncomfortable with Roz's sudden concern.
After seeing Natarle drive away in the jeep, Roz adjusted his plaid shirt.
Roz was wearing a white T-shirt, a plaid shirt over it, jeans, and sneakers—he gave off the vibe of an IT programmer.
Unfortunately, his thick hair probably only added to the impression of him being a young programmer.
"All right, let's get moving, boys and girls," Roz patted Kira and Cagalli on the shoulders.
Roz naturally scanned the surroundings like a young city newcomer but had secretly noted several areas that caused slight mental discomfort.
Among them, he sensed a man in beachwear at the corner of the street observing them, or rather, curiously watching Kira.
Strangely, the beachwear man didn't radiate hostility; instead, the area Roz had felt alarmed about seemed to direct the hostility toward the man in beachwear.
"…Interesting."
Roz followed Kira and Cagalli toward a grocery store.
To be targeted for an assassination in Desert Tiger territory meant either a high-ranking officer of the Desert Tiger or… the Desert Tiger himself.
"So… who could you be?"
-----------------------------------
After spending some time shopping, Roz and Kira were carrying several paper bags full of items, playing the role of porters.
Cagalli, having picked a random restaurant, had just opened a seat outside and immediately started complaining about being tired.
"You're a girl, yet you get tired from shopping?" Roz put down what he was holding and casually pulled over a chair to sit. "Even Kira has more stamina than you."
"Shut up!" Cagalli scratched her head, rebutting Roz. "Looking for the items on the list is hard work, okay? How can you compare yourselves, just acting as porters, to me!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're the best," Roz replied calmly to Cagalli and called over a waiter. "Kira, what would you like to eat?"
"Ah… anything's fine," Kira replied. After spending the entire morning shopping, his mood had visibly improved compared to his time in the hangar.
"Then three servings of kebab, I guess we'll head back afterward," Roz glanced at the menu and made the decision.
Although the restaurant seemed busy, the food arrived quickly.
When the waiter placed two bottles of sauce on the table, Cagalli, as a "local," was ready to demonstrate the "proper way" to eat.
"Listen, this kebab goes perfectly with chili sauce!" Cagalli said, picking up the red-capped bottle to recommend it to Roz and Kira.
"Wait, wait!" At that moment, a stranger's voice sounded. A man in beachwear picked up the white-capped sauce bottle nearby, looking utterly dismayed as if Cagalli were ruining his favorite dish. "Chili sauce on kebab? Are you serious? Yogurt sauce is common sense!"
"Oh, calling it common sense isn't exactly right. In any case, not using yogurt sauce is a desecration of this dish!"
"Tch… why should I listen to a stranger dictate how I eat?" Already tired and hungry, Cagalli ignored him. She skillfully squeezed on the chili sauce and, amid the beachwear man's shocked and incredulous expression, bit into a roll of kebab.
"No! Why!" The man reacted as if the sky were falling.
"Delicious." After swallowing, Cagalli held the chili sauce up and recommended it again to Roz and Kira. "See? Chili sauce is common sense."
"…Since you ate it with chili sauce, I'll try the yogurt sauce," Roz said after looking at Cagalli's bottle, thinking for a moment, and offered his plate to the incredulous man in beachwear. "I really prefer a sweet-and-sour taste."
"Life is already hard; eating something sweet is good for the body and mind," Roz said with a smile toward the beachwear man. "Please help me add some yogurt sauce."
"Didn't expect… after all this time, finally another yogurt sauce supporter," the man in beachwear said, wiping under his sunglasses with a voice like he was about to cry, helping Roz squeeze some yogurt sauce.
Roz rolled up the kebab and took a bite.
"Hey! You're taking my spotlight!" Cagalli almost slammed the table.
"So you really are just a little kid," Roz leaned back comfortably, casually scanning the people at the table, but his attention was mostly on the man in beachwear. "…Even while eating, worrying about face—just eat whatever flavor you like. No one's stopping you."
"Damn it, I didn't expect you, Roz, to betray the chili sauce faction," Cagalli said, shifting her focus to Kira. "Kira, you must be a chili sauce supporter too, right?"
"Ah? Uh…" Kira looked at Cagalli, confidently recommending chili sauce, Roz chewing his yogurt sauce kebab, and the man in beachwear now trying to recommend yogurt sauce to him.
Kira had a strong feeling that no matter what choice he made, there would be a problem.
......................