He Soon Will Be

While Z.A.F.T. Military Academy's training focuses on different areas, they also consciously cultivate students' MS piloting abilities.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Soon, to Noel's complicated gaze, his classmates began slowly moving their MS in the training grounds.

Interspersed were the excited shouts of the pilots.

If it weren't for their own academic performance and physical fitness not meeting the standards, who would want to come here to be an MS mechanic?

"What's so interesting about this?"

"What's the point of mechanics class students piloting MS?"

"I don't get it?"

"What's so interesting about a bunch of guys who can't even fight normally?"

The MS training class students not far away looked in the direction Athrun and the others were staring, their faces filled with confusion.

Some even showed a hint of disdain.

After all, even among Coordinators, not everyone could become an MS pilot.

Therefore, they had reason to be proud.

Athrun and the others were also extremely puzzled. The stiff movements of the MS in front of them... It wasn't that they were arrogant or looked down on the mechanics class, but rather that on their fifth day at the academy, they could already pilot an MS around cones and jump.

Athrun and the others could even perform various difficult maneuvers with their MS, not quite like an extension of their own limbs, but close.

"Huh? Isn't that Athrun?"

"And the white uniform!?"

"Wow, why are they here?"

"Athrun? Athrun Sarra?"

"When did the white uniform get here?"

The students in the MS mechanics class also noticed the few people standing behind them, and immediately began whispering excitedly.

"Silence!"

The teacher lecturing on MS quickly reprimanded them, "Focus on your studies, and you students in the back, recall the key points I explained! Don't go up there looking like fools, not knowing anything!"

"Damn! Why is this guy here?"

Noel turned to look and immediately spotted Cruze in the crowd. It wasn't that Noel couldn't forget about Cruze; it was just that the white uniform was too conspicuous among the students.

Noel couldn't help but notice.

"--"

Cruze's gaze was mainly focused on Noel, and naturally, he noticed Noel's returning gaze. He couldn't help but raise his hand and wave slightly.

"What is that guy Cruze up to again?"

Noel felt a chill down his spine looking at Cruze's smiling face. This guy had already tricked him once; was he planning to do it again?

Last time, because of Cruze, he was surrounded by students as soon as class ended.

All sorts of questions gave him a massive headache.

They had finally calmed down these past few days, and now this guy showed up again!

And honestly, Noel had a strong aversion to Cruze.

The reason was simple: someone who constantly thought about how to destroy the world was acting friendly and trying to get close to you every day. You'd be panicked too!

"That person?"

Athrun and the others followed Cruze's gaze and quickly spotted Noel in the crowd.

Besides Noel being quite handsome, the main reason was his expression.

Everyone around Noel was excited and happy, but he looked like he'd just eaten a fly. It was impossible not to notice him.

"Captain Cruze, is he the one you suggested enrolling last time?"

"Hmm?"

"Where is he?"

Although Athrun and the others didn't know Noel, they had heard about the stir caused by Cruze's appearance.

"It's him, Noel Cassia," Cruze replied with a nod.

"But it looks like he doesn't really like you?" Yzak was someone who spoke his mind.

"Heh," Cruze chuckled, offering no further explanation.

Athrun and the others were confused by Cruze's laugh, and in their exchanged glances, they could see the doubt in each other's eyes.

"Athrun, actually, he's a little bit like you." Cruze looked at Noer, who had turned away and was no longer looking at him, then turned his gaze to Athrun.

"Similar to Athrun?" Nicol and the others looked confused upon hearing this, their eyes darting back and forth between Noer and Athrun.

Athrun, meanwhile, frowned slightly, unsure what Cruze meant.

"Do you know Asya?" Cruze continued to ask.

"Hm?" Athrun's eyes flashed with a spark of understanding. He looked up at Cruze, his expression one of surprise.

How could he not know Asya? Asya's mother and his own mother, Lenoya Sala, had been very close. When they were children, he and Asya often played together.

However, for some reason later on, Asya's parents died in an accident, and Asya was sent to live in an orphanage.

And that orphanage happened to be on Junius 7!

"Asya? Athrun?" Yzak frowned. He felt like he had heard that name somewhere before.

"Athrun, do you have another brother?" Diakka's thoughts leaped ahead, and he couldn't help but ask.

"Athrun has another brother?" Nicol looked at Athrun as well. It wasn't strange for him to think that, given how similar Athrun looked to Asya.

"What are you guys thinking?"

Athrun was speechless. The sadness he had just felt was somewhat dispelled by these nonsensical questions.

"Noel Cassia lived on Junius 7 and was very good friends with Asya."

After speaking, Cruze continued before Athrun and the others could ask any questions, "Due to some accident, he left Junius on Dr. Lenoya's shuttle on the 2nd of February."

"What?"

"Junius 7!"

"Mother's shuttle?"

A look of shock appeared on everyone's faces. Junius 7, the eternal pain of the PLANTs, and the reason countless young Coordinators chose to join Z.A.F.T.

Athrun was the most surprised among them, and he began to understand why Cruze had said he and Noer had some connection.

"Then why is he in the MS maintenance class?" Latis, who was standing nearby, raised a question.

Logically, shouldn't someone whose home was destroyed by the enemy choose to join the MS training class for revenge? Why would he go to the maintenance class?

Of course, this wasn't meant to look down on maintenance workers.

It was just that even if you couldn't become an MS pilot, faced with such deep hatred, wouldn't you at least choose another combat-related profession?

"Latis, not everyone can become..."

"He will be soon."

Before Nicol could retort, Cruze answered the question.

"Next! Noel Cassia!"

At the same time, the line for piloting had reached Noer.