"Are you okay?"
Though many thoughts raced through his mind, Fred only smiled gently.
"N-no, I'm fine, but..."
But you're the one in trouble!!!
Kira was still somewhat dazed, but he grabbed the young man's hand and started running.
"Hurry, brother! Otherwise, those constables will catch up!"
Kira didn't know the other's identity, but running was definitely the right move.
"Hah..."
The young man, still reeling from the shock of being called "brother" by Kira, chuckled awkwardly.
He hadn't expected Kira to call him brother,
and he felt warmed by Kira's concern - after all, he had gained Kira's friendship.
This was the Ultimate Coordinator, after all.
But Kira's worry was unnecessary.
Although his father hadn't yet become Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was already the director of the Atlantic Federation's International Cooperation Department with considerable power.
His apparent weakness in the main story was mainly because that was a battle among titans.
Here, the father of a mere Copernicus Constable couldn't compete with his father.
After all, Copernicus was just a neutral city.
"He just left like that!"
Back at the scene, the girl who had wanted to get to know the handsome young man pouted in dissatisfaction.
That was probably a Second-Generation Coordinator - and so handsome!
Never mind his family background, his abilities must be impressive.
He just radiated reliability.
"Give it up. Let's see if he can escape those rats' pursuit first,"
the boy said sourly, watching the girl's reaction.
He regretted not making a move earlier.
But... if he had stepped in, could he have kicked that person away like that?
Probably not...
"Did you see how calm he was? I'm sure he'll be fine,"
the girl said matter-of-factly, hands on her hips.
"You only saw him once..."
the boy muttered, watching how the girl's thoughts were completely occupied by the other.
Meanwhile, Fred, being pulled along by the younger version of Kira, only stopped after running quite a distance, when he felt his physical stamina had improved slightly.
Where Kira had brought him wasn't anywhere special - it appeared to be his home.
"I'll tell my mom! She should have a solution!"
The eight-year-old Kira couldn't think of any other way, looking sincerely into his eyes.
"Actually, that's not necessary."
Though he appreciated the well-behaved Kira's concern, he wanted to return to training - after all, he had been on his way to the gym earlier.
If he hadn't intervened with that kick, he would already be making progress by now.
His current abilities were decent, but only at the level of ordinary Coordinator veterans at the gym.
Time waited for no one - it was already 63, with only seven years left, and he needed to become stronger.
Success required persistence.
As for getting close to Kira - his sister had been very close to Kira, and hadn't that pervert Creuset shot her dead?
His own strength was the true foundation for protecting others.
Ultimately, this was an era of chaos where strength ruled.
Only with power could one have a voice and do what they wanted, whether retirement or anything else.
"No!"
Afraid that Fred might be captured, Kira tightly gripped his savior's sleeve.
"...I'm really fine, my father holds a high-ranking position."
Though he felt ashamed to say it and found it completely unimpressive, the young man still spoke up when faced with Kira's relentless persistence.
Otherwise, he feared he wouldn't be able to leave tonight.
And it wouldn't be right to let others worry needlessly.
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Kira didn't relax but grew even more tense.
His fingers gripping the boy's shoulders turned pale from the pressure.
"But most people here hate PLANT!"
"...My father is from the Atlantic Federation."
"What!?"
This time Kira was utterly shocked.
His small mouth hung wide open as if he'd been struck by lightning.
"The Atlantic Federation... hires Coordinators now?"
A Coordinator with an Atlantic Federation official for a father.
How extraordinary.
It was almost as rare as a panda.
No, pandas were quite common these days - it was rarer than those alien whales.
"They don't. My father is a Natural," Fred said calmly, showing no intention of hiding his identity.
He wasn't from here anyway. On the contrary, he was born in an inclusive and open country, considering himself a youth of the new era.
He didn't care about his identity. While he understood the conflict between Coordinators and Naturals, he didn't support it, simply living by his own principles.
But before he could reveal that he was also a Natural, familiar light footsteps reached his ears.
"Fred? What are you doing here?"
The woman's calm voice seemed to carry an innate elegance.
"Professor Zala."
Fred turned around, momentarily surprised before understanding when he saw the cabbage in her hand.
Lenore Zala, Athrun's mother, was also his mentor.
Though the woman here was using a pseudonym - Lenore Zard.
It sounded similar enough.
As for why he was her student - it was simple. He was studying abroad at Copernicus, majoring in cosmic agriculture.
After all, with the Starlight Propulsion System enabling future space travel, food supply would be a crucial area to ensure.
As an ordinary young man from the 21st century, he remained passionate about space colonization.
Life wasn't just about the terrifying future, the shattered Sydney, or the collapsed Julius - there were hopeful futures too.
Besides, he needed education alongside training.
The two complemented each other, a lesson he'd learned when he first arrived.
Back then, he'd focused solely on training, only to find his special ability's effects weakening.
He gradually discovered that no one could do the same thing twenty-four hours a day.
Balancing work and rest was most important.
So exercising both body and mind, maintaining that balance, would maximize his special ability's effectiveness.
Beyond agriculture, he excelled in many subjects - twelve years plus his special ability had given him solid foundations across numerous disciplines.
His specific choice of this major had deeper intentions -
Like wanting to follow Lenore to PLANT to learn MS technology, and with good intentions, perhaps prevent a nuclear explosion or similar catastrophe.
That's why he needed to rapidly improve his capabilities.
"Aunt Lenore~ Do you know each other?"
Poor Kira had been struck by several thunderbolts in quick succession.
"Oh yes, Fred had a hand in growing what you're eating. He's quite remarkable."
Reyna held up the perfectly developed cabbage in her hand, smiling affectionately at Kira.
"You flatter me, teacher. It's only because of your excellent guidance," Fred replied.
"You're still saying that."
"As a Natural, being able to rank among the top students in a class full of Coordinators isn't because of my teaching skills."
Reyna rolled her eyes, but being beautiful, even her eye-rolling carried an elegant charm.
"Brother is a Natural...?"
You're telling me that twelve-year-old boy who just kicked the bully flying is a Natural?!?!
At this moment, a deeply ingrained belief in Kira's mind began to develop some cracks.