He Soon Would Be

While Z.A.F.T Military Academy trained its cadets with different focuses,

it also deliberately developed their MS Piloting abilities.

Bang!

Bang!

Before long, under Noer's complicated gaze, his classmates slowly began moving their MS around the practice grounds.

Their excited cries rang out now and then.

If their grades and physical abilities had met the standards, who would willingly become a mecha mechanic?

"What's so interesting about this?"

"What's the point of watching the Mecha Maintenance Class drive MS?"

"You don't get it?"

"What's worth watching about a bunch of people who can't even fight properly?"

The MS Training Class cadets nearby looked in the direction Athrun and the others were watching, their faces full of confusion.

Some of them even showed a trace of disdain.

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

They had every reason to be proud.

Athrun and the others were equally puzzled. Looking at the stiff movements of the MS before them—

It was not that they were arrogant, nor that they looked down on the Mecha Maintenance Class. It was simply that by their fifth day at the academy, they had already been able to pilot MS through obstacle courses and make them jump.

Athrun and the others could even make their MS perform all kinds of difficult maneuvers. They were not quite at the level of moving them like their own limbs, but they were close.

"Hm? Isn't that Athrun?"

"And the White uniform!?"

"Wow, why are they here?"

"Athrun? Athrun Sarra?"

"When did the White uniform get here?"

The Mecha Maintenance Class cadets also noticed the people standing behind them and immediately began whispering excitedly.

"Quiet!"

The instructor explaining MS hurriedly barked, "Focus on learning! Those of you at the back, review the key points I explained! Don't go up there and stand around like idiots who know nothing!"

"Damn! Why's this guy here?"

Noer turned around and immediately spotted Cruze in the crowd. It was not that Noer could not stop thinking about Cruze—his white uniform simply stood out far too much among all the cadets.

There was no way Noer could have missed him.

"—"

Cruze had been mainly watching Noer, so he naturally noticed Noer looking back. He raised a hand and gave a slight wave.

"What the hell is Cruze up to now?"

Seeing Cruze's smiling face sent a chill down Noer's spine. That guy had already screwed him over once. Was he planning to do it a second time?

Last time, because of Cruze, Noer had been surrounded by cadets the moment class ended.

The endless stream of questions had given him a pounding headache.

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

And honestly, Noer felt an intense aversion toward Cruze.

The reason was simple. If someone who was always thinking about how to destroy the world kept smiling and trying to cozy up to you every day, you would be scared too!

"That person?"

Athrun and the others followed Cruze's gaze and quickly spotted Noer among the crowd.

Aside from the fact that Noer was somewhat handsome, the main reason was his expression.

Everyone around Noer looked excited and happy, while he alone looked as though he had just swallowed a fly. It was impossible not to notice him.

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

"Hm?"

"Where?"

Although Athrun and the others did not know Noer, they had heard about the commotion caused by Noer—or rather, by Cruze's appearance.

"That's him. Noer Cassia," Cruze replied with a nod.

"But it looks like he doesn't like you very much?" Yzak was the kind of person who said whatever came to mind.

"Heh heh." Cruze merely chuckled and offered no explanation.

Cruze's laughter left Athrun and the others utterly confused. They exchanged looks and saw the same puzzlement in each other's eyes.

"Athrun, actually, he has something in common with you." Cruze watched Noer turn away and stop looking at him, then turned to Athrun.

"Something in common with Athrun?" Nicol and the others looked confused, their gazes shifting back and forth between Noer and Athrun.

Athrun frowned slightly, not knowing what Cruze meant.

"Do you know Asya?" Cruze continued.

"Hm?" A sharp glint flashed through Athrun's eyes. He looked up at Cruze, his expression stunned.

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

But later, for certain reasons, Asya's parents died in an accident, and Asya was eventually sent to live in an orphanage.

And that orphanage happened to be on Junius 7!

"Asya? Athrun?" Yzak frowned. Why did that name sound so familiar?

"Athrun, do you have a brother or something?" Diakka's thoughts jumped ahead, and he could not help asking.

"Athrun has a brother?" Nicol also could not help looking at Athrun. It was not strange for him to think that way; Athrun and Asya sounded far too similar.

"What are you guys even thinking?"

Athrun was instantly speechless. The sadness that had just risen in him was dispersed somewhat by that absurd question.

"Noer Cassia had always lived on Junius 7 and was a very good friend of Asya's."

After saying that, Cruze continued before Athrun and the others could ask anything. "Because of an accident, he left Junius aboard Dr. Lenoya's shuttle on February 11."

"What?"

"Junius 7!"

"My mother's shuttle?"

All of them showed a trace of shock. Junius 7 was PLANT's eternal pain, and also the reason countless young Coordinators chose to join Z.A.F.T.

Athrun was the most shocked of all. He also roughly understood why Cruze had said that he and Noer had some connection.

"Then why is he in the Mecha Maintenance Class?" Latis asked from the side.

Logically speaking, if the place where he had lived his whole life had been destroyed by the enemy, should he not have joined the MS Training Class to seek revenge? Why had he gone to the Mecha Maintenance Class instead?

Of course, this was not to say that mecha mechanics were beneath anyone.

It was just that even if he truly could not become an MS pilot, faced with such a deep blood feud, he should at least have chosen some other combat-related profession.

"Latis, not everyone can become—"

"He soon will be."

Before Nicol could argue, Cruze answered first.

"Next! Noer Cassia!"

At the same time, it was Noer's turn in the line to pilot the MS.