Chapter 02 - Aversion and Attraction
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My life becomes hell the moment the lunch bell rings. The smiles… those false, empty smiles… I'm going to lose my patience sooner or later.
"Sorry, but I'm heading out first," I say, standing up and bolting from the classroom before the crowd can form.
I can't really blame the other students for wanting to build connections for their future—but still, their constant networking and fake friendliness just get under my skin. Ugh… when did I turn into a boomer? I really hope not.
Still half lost in that thought, I march onward to the cafeteria. This place is huge—like, really huge. I'd actually enjoy studying here if it weren't for the child politics running rampant in every corner.
"Oof!"
Someone slams into me, hard enough to make me take a step back while they crash straight onto the floor.
"Are you okay?" I hold out my hand to the assailant. From the scarlet bush of hair covering her head, I can already guess who it is.
She quickly stands up—smacking my hand away with her head in the process—and starts bowing and apologizing nonstop. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Huh… that's Suletta Mercury, isn't it? What are the odds?
"I'm fine, actually," I reply, rubbing my wrist. "I just transferred to this school today, so I've been wandering around without looking ahead. My apologies," I add.
"No way!" Her expression instantly brightens. "I transferred here not too long ago too!"
"Huh," I huff. "Then mind showing me around? I've got a student guidebook, but this place is still a maze."
"Of course!" she beams.
That smile… it's too bright. Too earnest. A real smile—the kind I've been searching for ever since I got here.
And before I know it, I drop to one knee.
Holding her hand, I look up and say, "Marry me."
"Eh?!" Suletta tilts her head, clearly unable to process what I just did. "EH?!" Then she suddenly lets out a scream that echoes across the corridor.
I stand up and let go of her hand. I don't want to scare her off—not yet—so I reel it back a bit. "Just kidding," I say casually.
But between us, I'm not kidding. That smile of hers… I want to protect it. At all costs. Maybe even enough to justify pressing the Moonlight Butterfly button. Consequences be damned.
"I saw that duel earlier," I add, trying to steer the conversation away from the proposal I totally meant. "So I thought I should try that out myself—just to know what it feels like."
"P-Please don't do that!" she stutters, flailing her hands a little.
How cute. Yes, tanukis are cute. Japanese raccoon dogs are cute. Raccoons are cute. Suletta Mercury is cute.
"You wouldn't happen to know where I can find a vending machine that sells coffee, would you?" I ask. "I'd prefer a proper brew, but a canned one will do for now."
…Yeah, maybe this mood swing thing is because of my drawback. Nah, can't be.
"Oh, please follow me!" she says, smiling brightly again.
Ah~ there it is. That pure smile. So precious.
After getting a can of coffee from the vending machine, I tag along as Suletta gives me a quick tour around the school. The place looks even bigger when someone's explaining every corridor and lab.
Now that I think about it, I should be in the same class as her, right? I saw the student roster before transferring in.
"You should be in the same class as me, right? Did you bump into me while heading back there?" I ask.
"Um!" She nods quickly. "Miorine said we were getting another transfer student, but we had something to do, so we missed the first half of the day."
"Oh yeah, I haven't introduced myself yet." I hold out my hand with a small grin. "Name's Cadell Cromwell. I hate fake smiles, but I doubt you'd have to worry about that. You've got the brightest and most honest smile I've ever seen," I add, probably sounding way too smooth for my own good.
Suletta blinks, clearly not used to being complimented so directly. Still, she reaches out and shakes my hand. "My name is Suletta Mercury! I don't know much about smiles, but… thank you!"
Ah~ there it is again. That genuine, sunshine-like smile. So blissful it almost hurts to look at.
After walking around for a while, we finally arrive at… a garage? No—too big for that. The air smells faintly like oil and metal, and I can hear the distant hum of machinery. There's enough space in here to fit a mobile suit, easy. Maybe… Earth House?
"This is where I keep my family member!" Suletta announces proudly, practically glowing as she looks toward the mobile suit sitting in the hangar.
Ah, Aerial. Seeing it in person hits different. Sleek, elegant, and somehow alive. Yeah, this must be Earth House.
"And these are my friends!" Suletta adds before introducing each of the Earth House members one by one. I try to remember their faces—mostly so I don't embarrass myself later—but I can already tell this group's got personality.
"Huh?! Suletta! Why the hell are you bringing a Spacian to our House?!"
The angry voice cuts through the room, and all I see at first is a puff of pink hair bobbing toward me like an angry cotton ball. I lower my gaze and meet the furious glare of a small girl standing her ground like she's ready to punch gravity itself.
Hello there, Chuchu.
Please… never change.
"Chuchu-senpai!" Suletta gasps, startled by the sudden outburst.
"Huh, first time meeting and you can already tell I'm a Spacian, huh?" I grin, leaning slightly toward her. "Please don't be racist. And by the way, can I touch your hair? This is my first time seeing this kind of hairstyle."
Honestly, I can already tell I'm going to have so much fun teasing this little firecracker for the rest of the school year.
"Like hell you can!" she snaps, glaring daggers straight into my soul. "Suletta! Tell me why he's here!"
"H-he just transferred, so I'm showing him around," Suletta stammers. "And I thought I should show him Aerial too."
"Haah…" Chuchu lets out a long, tired sigh, clearly losing the will to argue. But before she can say anything else, another girl steps forward.
"Calm down, Chuchu," the girl says softly, offering a gentle smile.
My attention locks on her instantly. That smile…
"You," I say before I can stop myself.
"Yes?" she tilts her head, still smiling.
"What's your name?" I know it sounds rude, but something in me just needs to confirm it.
"It's Nika Nanaura," she replies without hesitation. "And you are?"
Her tone is polite. Her smile steady. Too steady.
Ugh. That smile.
It's disgusting.
It's worse than the kids back in class. Too polished, too careful—like it's something she puts on instead of something that comes from her soul. She might be kind, sure, but kindness and sincerity aren't the same thing.
"Cadell Cromwell of Venus Globe," I answer coolly. "And please, drop the smile. I'm not trying to be rude, but seeing that kind of smile makes me… irritated."
The room freezes. The air thickens as a wave of glares hit me from every direction.
I lift my hands in mock surrender. "Look, I'm not trying to be rude. It's just… I can tell whether a smile's real or fake. Comes with my background. And fake ones—well, they piss me off."
"Venus Globe, Venus Globe…" the guy with the beanie mutters, scratching his chin. "Wait! Isn't that the company that released the SU-Cord OS?" He pulls out a tablet and shows something to the others.
"Got it in one," I grin, a little smugly.
"What's SU-Cord OS?" someone else asks.
"It's an operating system for mobile suits," I explain. "Designed to make piloting easier—especially for beginners. Right now, it's one of the most popular OS on the market. Barara made sure it couldn't be reverse-engineered, so the other companies are still scratching their heads trying to catch up."
"I don't know if I should be impressed by your ability to toot your own horn or how casually you're talking about your CEO," the tall, dark-skinned guy sighs.
"Why should I be formal?" I shrug. "I own that company, after all."
Every single head in the room turns toward me in unison.
"What?"
The silence stretches for a moment before someone mutters, "Guess I can't blame you for hating the business smile then."
"Tch," Chuchu clicks her tongue, clearly annoyed.
"Come! Let me show you my family!" Suletta exclaims, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward Aerial. She must be relieved the tension's fading, even if just a little.
I let her pull me along, watching her expression light up with every step.
Somehow, despite the chaos, I can't help but smile myself.
Looking at the mobile suit in front of me, I can't help but marvel at its design. To be honest, Aerial's one of my favorite Gundams. Seeing it up close… it's beautiful.
Then suddenly, a sharp flash of light hits my head. My whole body tenses instinctively. I glance around, scanning the area—no threats, no movement. So why the hell did my senses flare up like that?
Ah. This must be how NewTypes feel when their intuition kicks in. That sudden, eerie clarity.
And then I see it—right there, in front of Aerial. A small child floating, looking eerily similar to Suletta.
"It's nice to meet you, Ericht," I say, staring at her.
"Mou, Cadell! Her name is Aerial! Not Ericht!" Suletta pouts beside me, puffing her cheeks.
"She doesn't know yet?" I ask, still looking at the child. She shakes her head.
"I see." I nod once, lowering my gaze slightly. "Sorry, Suletta," I say as I turn to her—the girl who gave me the brightest, most genuine smile I've seen since coming here. "I won't get her name wrong again."
"Y-you better," she stammers, cheeks pink. God, that's adorable.
"Now that you've shown me your Aerial," I grin, "how about I show you my personal mobile suit?"
"Can I?!" Suletta's expression lights up instantly like someone flipped a switch.
"Yup!" I nod. Then another flash passes through my mind, like a gut feeling—or maybe my NewType senses being annoying again. "Oh, and your fiancé can come too," I add.
As soon as I say that, a white-haired girl bursts into the hangar.
"Suletta!" Miorine storms in, heading straight for us. "Didn't I tell you not to talk to strangers?!"
Wow. The mommy energy is strong with this one. Kinda toxic, kinda hot.
"I was just about to show Suletta my mobile suit," I say casually. "You can come with us if you don't trust your fiancé with me," I add, smirking. Though I'm totally going to try to steal her away from you.
Miorine glares at me, and up close, I finally get a better look at her. Yeah… definitely beautiful. Not the kind that makes my heart skip like Suletta's smile does, but undeniably gorgeous.
Oh, I'm absolutely NTRing you, Mio-Mio.
"I think I will," she huffs, crossing her arms.
We leave the Earth House after saying our goodbyes. I try to make small talk with Suletta along the way, but Miorine keeps cutting me off like some kind of jealous security bot. My desire to NTR her fiancé only grows stronger with every step.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, we reach my personal hangar. Since I'm not affiliated with any of the Houses, I had to rent my own dorm and storage for my mobile suit.
"Ladies," I say, walking toward the towering frame in the center of the room. "I present to you—Gundam G-Self."
"Gundam?!" Both of them shout at once.
Well, yeah. In this world, just owning a Gundam is enough to get you in deep shit.
Standing tall under the floodlights, G-Self gleams in all its glory. The eight C-Funnels—four big, four small—are folded neatly around its hips like a metallic cloak. Four smaller ones in the middle, two large ones resting on each side.
"Do you even realize what you're implying?!" Miorine suddenly grabs my collar, yanking me down to her eye level.
"Hmm? Why?" I feign innocence, staring her dead in the eyes. "Isn't Suletta's mobile suit a Gundam too?"
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"And he said, 'Isn't Suletta's mobile suit a Gundam too?' He even called Aerial the wrong name, Mom," Suletta complained through the call, her voice cheerful and animated.
On the other end, Prospera Mercury smiled faintly. Her daughter's voice always softened her heart. "Oh? And what did he call Aerial, dear?" she asked, her tone light — amused more at how talkative her daughter sounded than at the mysterious boy she mentioned.
"He called her Ericht," Suletta pouted.
There was a sharp thud.
"Mom? Are you okay? Mom?" Suletta's voice rose, tinged with concern.
But Prospera didn't respond. Her expression froze — eyes wide, color draining from her face. For a moment, she forgot to breathe.
Then, hastily picking up the phone, she forced her voice steady. "Mom will call you back, okay? Something urgent just came up."
"Eh? But—"
Click. The call ended.
Prospera stood in silence for a long second before whispering a single word, low and trembling.
"Huh."
Her face hardened, mask slipping back into place. Without another thought, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.
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Author's Note;
Suletta: Harem?
Cadell: Our Harem.
On a serious note, Chuchu is my second favorite character, right below Guel. My third favorite is 5lan. Surprisingly, neither Suletta nor Miorine made it into my top three!