"You mean I'm not pretty?"
Upon hearing her brother's agreement, Flay immediately crossed her arms and retorted indignantly.
"...You said it yourself."
So... girls change a lot as they grow up. Perhaps because she had been around Lacus for too long, she always rebutted him from tricky angles.
"Hmph~! I don't care, you said it!"
Flay pursed her lips.
"What do you want..."
Fred's lips twitched slightly, and he asked directly, feeling speechless.
Flay wasn't really a little fool; confronting him like this clearly meant she wanted something.
"As expected of my brother~"
Flay felt a bit embarrassed and smiled, then continued.
"I want to go with my brother to pilot Powered Armor!"
Flay spoke softly, avoiding her parents.
Since becoming familiar with Lacus, she had learned many things about her brother, including Powered Armor.
"Flay might not be able to handle it."
Fred didn't refuse outright but paused before asking.
Flay was a Natural. Although she was more special than ordinary Naturals, judging from her physical fitness, she indeed couldn't handle it.
"I still want to try!"
Flay's eyes were bright, filled with a compelling light.
"...Alright."
Based on his understanding of Flay, if he didn't agree now, she probably wouldn't give up.
Moreover, although he feared his sister might be discouraged, seeing her determined eyes now, Fred felt he might have been mistaken. Perhaps Flay wasn't as fragile as he thought.
Perhaps a small setback might even motivate her more.
Although he believed his sister could rely on him as her big brother, he didn't want to turn Flay into a useless person.
If his sister wanted to try, then let her try.
There was no harm anyway.
"Great!"
Upon hearing her brother's agreement, Flay happily smiled again.
It seemed the momentary seriousness earlier was just a misconception.
Fred shook his head and chuckled bitterly.
...
A week passed quickly, and now Fred brought his sister and Athrun to the backstage of April City's opera hall.
Although the main venue was bustling, the backstage appeared rather quiet.
In this era, various equipment had high automation levels, requiring fewer people.
The venue he was now in was the same place where Lacus questioned Athrun in the storyline.
Of course, the venue now looked splendid and golden, without any hint of the gloom Fred remembered from the storyline.
Under the permission of Lacus's agent, the two quickly arrived at the door.
"Miss Lacus, the guests are here."
The agent spoke respectfully at the door.
"Please come in."
Lacus's clear voice sounded, carrying a rare tension compared to usual.
Of course, it was just a slight emotional change, and Fred wasn't sensitive enough to detect the difference.
"Please come in."
Upon hearing this, the agent politely repeated the words and opened the door.
Behind the door, the once youthful girl was now dressed in an elegant aqua-blue gown, her face adorned with rare touches of makeup that lent her an air of unexpected maturity.
Fred was momentarily taken aback.
The present Lacus was increasingly aligning with the image he held in his mind.
Yet, this sight stirred a sense of urgency within him.
While others might look upon the growth of Athrun and his peers with pride, for Fred, who knew the plot all too well, it felt like a grim countdown.
A reminder that a harsh future was fast approaching.
Fred's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Standing before him, Lacus noticed his seemingly more serious expression, and her plan to impress him with a stunning reveal was completely dashed.
Did he not like this look? She had spent two hours preparing it!
He was the one who said she should become an idol!
But why should she care so much about what he thought?!
With that, Lacus shot Fred a glare before rising to perform a graceful curtsy.
In her determination to outdo him, her gesture was executed with exceptional elegance.
"Thank you for coming~"
"Not at all."
Fred quickly snapped back to attention, blinking at her delicate demeanor.
What was up with Lacus? Was she turning mischievous?
With that thought, Fred spoke up.
"Lacus looks beautiful."
Though unsure why she seemed upset, praising her appearance was always a safe bet.
"Hmph~"
Though his reasoning was off, he had stumbled upon the right answer. Hearing this, Lacus's smile grew more genuine.
Just as Fred finished speaking, the young man stepped forward and handed her the bouquet of flowers.
"Lacus, congratulations on your debut. Do your best."
"Thank you~!"
The girl accepted the flowers, but her gaze remained fixed on his face.
"Fred, you promised to be my first fan."
Though she didn't know why he had frowned earlier, it only made her more curious.
"...I will."
Meeting Lacus's innocent, sparkling eyes, Fred brushed his nose and nodded repeatedly.
Behind Fred, Athrun, Yzak, Nicol, and the others watched the scene, their eyes shifting back and forth between the two.
"Doesn't the atmosphere between these two seem a bit off?"
Nicol's gossip-loving spirit was burning brightly.
"Surely not..."
Athrun, holding a Haro as a gift, twitched the corner of his mouth.
With no engagement between them now, Athrun regarded Lacus purely as a friend, and Fred was his brother.
If the two were to get together, Athrun wouldn't have any strong objections in principle.
The issue lay in their identities.
As one of the few aware of the truth, Athrun knew Fred's background.
So while Nicol watched with amusement and Yzak remained indifferent, Athrun felt it was unlikely.
If they truly fell for each other, they would likely be star-crossed lovers.
After all, their identities were vastly different.
Of course, if his brother stayed here permanently, there wouldn't be much of a problem.
With that thought, Athrun's eyes suddenly lit up.
Now that Kira has run off somewhere, at least having my brother stay here is a good thing.
Besides, Fred's abilities are outstanding—staying in PLANT would only bring benefits.
Should he try to set them up...
But this thought only flickered in Athrun's mind for a moment before fading away.
No other reason—he wasn't very good at talking to girls.
Asking him to play matchmaker? He'd rather just make a few more Haros.
Haro... Maybe he could start from that angle?
He could teach his brother how to make them.
With that thought, Athrun's spirits lifted once again.
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