"Kira? Come in."
The sudden intrusion didn't fluster the two. Lacus still wore her spring-like smile as she released Yang Hui—perhaps even hoping someone would witness this scene?
Yang Hui shot Lacus an exasperated glare before landing steadily and motioning for Kira to enter.
"This…" Kira's mind went blank. Yang Hui had already introduced Lacus to him—Athrun's fiancée, a childhood friend of Yang Hui's, and someone he knew was also friends with Athrun.
So… what was this? Giving Athrun free hair dye? Bestowing upon him the power of life?
"What's with that look? Get in."
"Huh? Oh…" Too stunned to think, Kira obediently stepped inside—even forgetting to close the door behind him.
"Here to question me?" Yang Hui asked.
"Uh… yeah. Why did you do this!?" Kira's original purpose resurfaced at the prompt.
But the moment he voiced it, confusion set in again. If Yang Hui and Lacus had a purely platonic relationship, this might make sense—but given what he'd just seen, their closeness was undeniable.
From what Kira knew of Yang Hui, he might use his friends, but he'd never hurt them. So then…
"You've misunderstood, Kira. Yang Hui did all this for me." Lacus answered in Yang Hui's stead.
"Eh? Really? But…" Though Lacus offered an explanation, Kira couldn't reconcile it. Threatening her safety to survive—how was that for her sake?
"Yang Hui said if I fell into the Earth Forces' hands, I'd suffer terribly. He also told me beforehand that he'd find the right opportunity to send me back to PLANT before reaching their headquarters. Maybe this was that moment. So please don't be angry with him."
Lacus spoke partly to clear Yang Hui's name—she didn't want her dear friend misunderstood—and partly because Yang Hui had assured her Kira was trustworthy. Thus, she held nothing back.
But Lacus was no naive fool. She wouldn't blindly trust Kira just because Yang Hui said so. So she pinned everything on Yang Hui, playing the role of an innocent, sheltered noble girl merely following his lead.
"So… that's how it is. I'm sorry, Yang Hui." Realizing his mistake, Kira bowed in apology.
Halfway down, Yang Hui pushed him upright.
"No need. No matter the purpose, the fact remains—I used underhanded coercion."
"How can you say that…? Why not explain everything to the others?" Kira asked, thinking Yang Hui was still upset—especially with everyone misunderstanding him. On his way here, he'd overheard plenty of harsh whispers.
"The Archangel is an Atlantic Federation ship. Murrue, Natarle… they're Earth Forces soldiers. And who am I? Who is Lacus?" Yang Hui replied flatly.
"This..." Kira understood Yang Hui's meaning. On this ship, people from the Earth Forces, PLANT, and Orb were gathered together. Though they had journeyed together and formed bonds, their identities and stances remained different—just like him and Athrun.
"And besides, there's no need for me to explain things to them," Yang Hui added.
This wasn't like Yang Hui's usual character. He deeply cared about his comrades, including everyone aboard the Archangel. Though they hadn't been together for long, Yang Hui already considered them companions—whether they would eventually join Orb as in the original timeline, or whether Natarle Badgiruel would change because of him.
Yang Hui valued his comrades greatly, so whenever problems or disagreements arose, he would always take the time to clarify things for them.
But now, he couldn't. Because their positions were different.
What Yang Hui truly meant was, "I can't explain it to them," not "there's no need."
Because this was about protecting Murrue and Natarle. Soon, the Archangel would rendezvous with the Eighth Fleet. If the crew of the Earth Forces' newest warship were seen as too close to Orb's leadership, what would the Atlantic Federation's higher-ups think?
Duan Halberton might not overthink it, but what about the others? The Eighth Fleet was never his personal domain.
So now, it was necessary to draw a clear line with them as soon as possible. He couldn't let his actions cause trouble for them with the Atlantic Federation's leadership.
Lacus placed her hand on Yang Hui's. The moment he spoke those words, she had already analyzed everything. It pained her—Yang Hui was always like this, willing to endure harm himself to protect his comrades.
Kira couldn't grasp all of this, but he knew Yang Hui wasn't the type to say such things. If he did... it could only mean he had no choice but to bear it alone.
"I'll go check if Flay is awake," Kira said hurriedly before leaving. Staying here, he didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell Yang Hui, "Speak up, we'll share the burden."
But Kira couldn't bring himself to say it. He already felt overwhelmed by everything he was carrying—so much that it was nearly crushing him. He had wanted to vent to Yang Hui, but now... he felt he didn't have the right.
"Why must you do this to yourself?" With Kira gone, Lacus naturally dropped her mask in front of Yang Hui. She sat beside him, resting her hand on his and leaning her head lightly against his shoulder.
"Kira has his own burdens to bear and challenges to face. As for these... they are mine to carry, and my own choice."
Hearing this, Lacus recalled the past, when Yang Hui had once told her: "A man is a lone wolf. When wounded, he can only retreat to his den to lick his wounds in secret."
Yang Hui lived by this principle well. Moreover, as a leader, he naturally had to shoulder more—many things he couldn't vent to others. And...
Lacus could sense Yang Hui's urgency. This urgency wasn't directed at the Earth Forces, PLANT, or even Orb, but toward something greater—something unknown to her.
"You trust him deeply—no, perhaps 'have high hopes for him'? You want him to become your comrade?"
"Something like that. But he still has much to learn."
"If you don't teach him, how will he ever learn?"
"Some things can't be learned just by being taught. You, me, Sumeragi, Liumei, Athrun—who among us didn't learn this way?"
"But it's precisely because humans are weak and flawed that we rely on others, isn't it?"
"...So this is where you were leading me?" Yang Hui shook his head with a bitter smile, giving Lacus no definitive answer as he stood to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm hungry. Going to get something to eat."
"Now that you mention it, I'm hungry too. Could you bring me something?"
Seeing Lacus bat her eyes playfully, Yang Hui rolled his own.
"Cuteness doesn't suit you at all."
"But I like it anyway. What can I do?"
"Nothing. That's Athrun's problem to deal with."
"Ugh, you blockhead."
...
On his way to the mess hall, Yang Hui paused again.
"You... because you're a Coordinator too... you weren't even fighting seriously!? Waaah... Daddy... give me back my daddy... sob..."
The sound of crying reached him before he could investigate. Then Kira burst out of a room, fleeing in the opposite direction Yang Hui had come from.
At the doorway, he saw Flay sobbing violently in Sai's arms while Miriallia stood by helplessly. Yang Hui regarded the scene impassively.
Truthfully, even without his knowledge of the original story or past character analyses, he simply couldn't bring himself to like Flay.
Yes, she was undeniably an innocent victim of this war—her reactions were perhaps the most normal and understandable. But... so what?
Was she the only innocent caught in the crossfire? The only one who'd lost family? Sheltered by her parents, how much of the world's darkness and cruelty had Flay truly experienced?
Tolle, Miriallia, Sai, Katz—weren't they all war's innocent victims too? Kira was no different, yet he'd reluctantly joined the fight to protect them all.
The difference between MS combat and bridge duty was vast—one meant constantly facing life-or-death peril where a single misstep meant annihilation.
Flay couldn't even measure up to Tolle or Sai. What right did she have to hurl abuse at those risking their lives for her?
"Yang Hui! What are you doing here?"
Just as Yang Hui turned to leave, Miriallia spotted him.
"Passing through. Heading to the mess hall."
"Oh, then you—"
"You! It's all your fault! Because of you! Daddy's... Daddy's ship was sunk! It's all your fault! Murderer! Give me back my father!"
"Flay!"
Flay had truly become like a rabid dog now, lashing out at anyone in her path.
Nothing Yang Hui had done was wrong—not for himself, nor for the Archangel's crew. Without him, they wouldn't have survived this long. Without him, the Archangel would already be at the bottom of the ocean.
Yet Flay despised Yang Hui—hated how he'd reprimanded her repeatedly, how he always seemed so composed and certain of victory, how effortlessly he got along with everyone.
Yes! Flay was jealous! That's why she directed all her grief and rage at him.
"..."
Although Yang Hui didn't like Flay, he wouldn't strike her while she was grieving. He simply chose to ignore her.
As for her later descent into darkness... what did that have to do with him? Soon enough, the Archangel would rendezvous with the Eighth Fleet, and he would be leaving the ship.
As for Kira, Yang Hui couldn't control him anymore. A teacher can open the door, but the student must walk through it themselves. The changes had already begun, and how things developed from here wasn't something Yang Hui could—or would—control. He wouldn't sacrifice the entire world for one person.
"By the way," Yang Hui still wanted to remind Miriallia and Sai, especially since Lacus wouldn't be there to comfort Kira this time. "If you still consider Kira a friend, go check on him. He needs you right now."
That was all he would say. Whatever choice they made was up to them, but he believed that—aside from Katz, who was the most cowardly and least steadfast—none of them would abandon Kira.
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