The morning bell at Neo-Verdia High rang with its usual crisp, electronic chime, but the atmosphere inside the classroom was anything but normal. The empty desk near the window hung like a heavy shadow over the room. Aurora was still absent, tucked away in the quiet medical wing of the White Ark to let her fractured neural pathways heal.
Zaki sat at his desk, his chin resting in his palm as he stared blankly at the chalkboard. The math teacher was droning on about equations, but Zaki's mind was stuck in a completely different loop. He kept remembering the gym the heavy thud of the boxing bag, the sting of Augustina's gloves, and the nagging, hollow feeling in his chest.
Maki has the raw connection. Aurora can read minds. Tasya can sync perfectly with her funnels. Even Airis can become one with the system, Zaki thought, his eyes darkening slightly. But what about me? When the neural jammer hit, I was just dead weight.
"Hey, ground control to Zaki. You there, bro?"
A hand snapped in front of Zaki's face, breaking his trance. He blinked and looked up. Gills was standing over his desk, holding a stack of student council documents. Gills looked incredibly sharp today, his dark purple hair neatly combed. Unlike the stereotypical, nerdy student council presidents who hid behind thick lenses. His exposed, piercing eyes and commanding posture gave him a natural aura of a leader, even in a plain school uniform.
"Ah, sorry, Gills," Zaki muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just spaced out for a second."
"You've been spacing out all morning," Gills said, setting a few papers down on the desk. "The final exams are over, but you look like you're preparing for a funeral. Don't push yourself too hard. As the Student Council President, I can't have my top classmates collapsing from exhaustion."
From the seat across the row, Maki leaned over, her face full of concern. "He's been like this since last week, Gills. It's super annoying. He won't even eat his favorite breakfast."
Tasya, sitting quietly behind Maki, looked down at her desk. She knew exactly why Zaki was hurting, but she didn't know how to voice her comfort. The weight of the last battle was a burden they all shared, but Zaki was carrying the heaviest slice of it.
When the final bell of the day echoed through the hallways, signifying the end of classes, the students slowly filed out of the gates. Zaki and Maki walked side by side, the silence between them thick and uncomfortable.
"Zaki, seriously, let's go grab some ramen or something," Maki pleaded, tugging at his school bag. "You're totally bringing down my vibe."
"I'm not hungry, Maki. Go ahead without me, I think I'll just go back to the base and—"
BEEP! BEEP!
The loud, aggressive honk of a car horn cut Zaki off. A sleek, silver rental sedan had skidded to a halt right by the school curb, drawing the attention of dozens of departing students. The driver's side door swung open, and a young woman stepped out.
Zaki and Maki both froze, their jaws nearly hitting the pavement.
It was Feres. But she looked completely unrecognizable from the stoic, uniform-clad pilot they usually saw in the hangar. Her short, snow-white hair was pulled back into a playful, high ponytail. She was wearing a casual, light floral-patterned top that flitted in the spring breeze, paired with a stylish short skirt that showed off her athletic legs. Her dark yellow eyes scanned the crowd before locking onto Zaki with a brilliant, wide smile.
"Zaki! Maki! Over here!" Feres shouted, waving her arm enthusiastically.
"F-Feres?!" Zaki stuttered, his face immediately flushing a light pink as several male students turned to glare at him with pure envy. "What the heck are you doing here? And what are you wearing?!"
Feres marched right up to them, ignoring the whispers of the crowd. She grabbed Zaki by the front of his uniform jacket with surprising military strength and began dragging him toward the passenger side of the car.
"Hey! Wait! Let go of me!" Zaki protested, his sneakers scuffing against the concrete.
"No time to explain! I'm borrowing your brother for the afternoon, Maki!" Feres called out over her shoulder, tossing a playful wink at the twin sister. "Don't wait up for dinner!"
Maki stood perfectly still on the sidewalk, her backpack slipping slightly from her shoulder. Her mouth was open in a perfect 'O' shape. "Did... did my brother just get kidnapped by a beautiful pilot in a floral dress?" she whispered to the empty air.
Inside the rental car, the engine hummed as Feres expertly navigated the bustling streets of Neo-Verdia. Zaki sat stiffly in the passenger seat, his seatbelt pulled so tight it was practically cutting off his circulation. He kept his eyes glued to the dashboard, desperately trying not to look at Feres's exposed legs or the way the casual dress fit her frame.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on now?" Zaki asked, his voice cracking slightly. "You can't just show up at a high school and abduct someone, Feres. It's weird."
Feres kept her eyes on the road, a soft, mischievous smile playing on her lips. "I told you, I'm borrowing you. Augustina was busy with the hangar crews, and the city finally reopened the central district. I figured you looked like a walking raincloud, so you needed some entertainment."
She glanced at him quickly, her dark yellow eyes twinkling. "Just relax, Zaki. Think of it as a date."
"A d-date?!" Zaki practically yelled, his head snapping toward her. His face was now a brilliant crimson. "We're in the middle of a literal cold war with the Colonies, and you want to go on a date?!"
"Even soldiers need a day off," Feres said smoothly, turning the steering wheel into the underground parking lot of the city's largest shopping mall. "And right now, you're not a soldier. You're just Zaki. Now move it, we have a lot of ground to cover."
For the next two hours, Zaki was completely at Feres's mercy. She dragged him through dozens of clothing boutiques, picking out various outfits and pushing him into the changing rooms. Zaki tried to resist, but Feres had an stubborn streak that could rival any heavy mobile suit armor.
Eventually, she settled on a look that made her clap her hands in absolute delight. Zaki stood in front of the mirror, adjusting a simple, crisp white t-shirt, fitted black jeans, and a lightweight, stylish black jacket over it. It was simple, modern, and completely transformed him from a scruffy student into a sharp young man.
"See? I knew it!" Feres beamed, standing right next to him and adjusting the collar of his jacket. Her face was incredibly close, and Zaki could smell a faint trace of vanilla perfume. "You look totally cool, Zaki. I'm definitely buying this for you."
"Feres, I can pay for my own—"
"Nope! My treat," she interrupted, flashing her digital payment card at the cashier before Zaki could even reach for his wallet. "Consider it a reward for cooperating."
By the time they reached the mall's outdoor food court, the sky had begun to bleed into a beautiful shade of orange and violet. Feres spotted a popular street food stall selling fresh, steaming kebabs.
"Oh, those smell amazing! Let's get two!" she said, pulling him by the hand this time. Zaki felt his heart skip a beat at the warmth of her fingers, but he didn't pull away.
They took their food and walked over to a quiet, elevated park terrace that overlooked the Neo-Verdia skyline. The city lights were just starting to flicker on, twinkling like stars against the twilight. They sat down on a stone bench, the warmth of the fresh kebabs keeping the evening chill at bay.
Feres took a bite of her kebab, humming happily. Then, she looked at Zaki's wrap, her eyes widening. "Wait, did you get the extra spicy garlic sauce?"
"Yeah," Zaki said, taking a bite. "It's really good."
Feres pouted, leaning her face directly over his lap. "Let me try. Feed me a bite."
Zaki choked on his food, coughing into his hand. "W-What?! No way! Just take a bite from your own!"
"But mine doesn't have the garlic sauce! Come on, Zaki, don't be stingy," she whined, leaning closer until her white ponytail brushed against his shoulder. Her yellow eyes were wide, practically begging.
Zaki felt his entire neck burning. He looked completely away, staring intensely at a distant skyscraper, as he blindly extended his kebab toward her face. "Fine! Just... just one bite!"
Feres giggled, leaning forward to take a clean, neat bite from his wrap. "Mmm! Wow, that really is better."
Before Zaki could even process his embarrassment, Feres suddenly tore off a piece of her own kebab, holding it directly in front of his lips. "Here, your turn! Open up."
Zaki's face went entirely blank, entering a state of total sensory overload. He looked at the food, then at Feres's bright, expectant smile. Realizing he had completely lost this battle, he leaned forward with a completely deadpan, flat expression, his cheeks completely flushed as he accepted the food from her hand.
"Good boy," Feres teased, chewing happily on her own food.
As the sun finally dipped below the horizon, leaving a deep blue canvas over the world, the playful energy between them slowly began to settle. The cool night wind rustled the leaves of the park trees.
Zaki set his empty food wrapper aside, his hands resting on his knees. He looked down at his new black jeans, his expression turning serious.
"Feres," Zaki said softly, his voice cutting through the quiet rustle of the wind. "Why did you really drag me out here today? You didn't just come to buy me clothes or feed me street food."
Feres stopped chewing. She set her wrapper down, her eyes tracing the glowing trails of the traffic below the terrace. The playful, mischievous girl vanished, replaced by the quiet, observant pilot of the Rook Custom.
"You're sharp," she said quietly, tilting her head up to look at the first stars appearing in the sky. "I was at the gym last week, Zaki. I went to find Augustina because the mechanics needed her authorization for the thruster parts. But when I got to the door... I heard you guys talking. I heard you punching that bag like you wanted to destroy it."
Zaki's breath hitched. He felt a sudden wave of shame washing over him, his fingers tightening against his knees. "So... you heard."
"I heard everything," Feres whispered, turning her head to look at him. "I heard how you called yourself useless. I heard how you blamed yourself for what happened to Aurora, and how you think you're just a passenger because you don't have the Mind Space Communication."
"Because it's true, Feres!" Zaki snapped, his voice suddenly thick with pent-up emotion. He looked at her, his eyes raw and frustrated. "Look at the facts! Every single victory we've had has been because someone else bridged the gap. Maki's sync, Aurora's predictions, Airis's calculations... the White Gundam was built for special people. It wasn't built for a regular guy like me. When the real monsters show up—like Dr. Lena or the Kings—I'm just a liability."
He looked down at his hands, his voice dropping to a bitter whisper. "I'm just a fake hero."
Feres didn't flinch at his outburst. Instead, she did something that completely shattered Zaki's defenses. She slid closer to him on the bench, reaching out to wrap both of her arms tightly around his left arm. She leaned her shoulder against his, pressing her cheek against his arm as she looked out at the city.
"You really are an idiot, Zaki Kimeza," she said softly, her voice filled with a deep, aching warmth.
"F-Feres...?"
"Do you have any idea how cool you look from the outside?" Feres asked, her eyes softening as she spoke. "When the Jupiter fleet attacked, everyone in the command center was panicking. Even Augustina was stressed. But you? You just sat in that cockpit, calculated the risks, and accepted the duel to protect a girl you barely knew. You didn't need a psychic link to know what was right. You just did it."
She squeezed his arm tighter, her white ponytail shifting against his shoulder. "You call yourself a 'regular guy' like it's a bad thing. But to me... you're an inspiration."
Zaki went entirely still, the warmth of her body radiating through his new jacket. "An... inspiration?"
"Yeah," Feres smiled, closing her eyes as she leaned heavily against him. "Before you and Maki showed up, I was completely lost. My sister, Augustina... she's perfect. She has the natural charisma of a leader. She understands every single piece of tech in the hangar, and she can pilot a Mobile Suit like it's an extension of her own body. For years, I was just 'Augustina's little sister.' I lived in her shadow, feeling completely useless."
She opened her eyes, a fierce glint of determination in her yellow depths. "My piloting scores were below average when I started. I used to practice in the simulators until my hands bled and my vision went blurry, just so I wouldn't disgrace her name. But when I saw you pilot the White Bird... when I saw how you fought through sheer instinct and willpower without relying on genetic quirks... it changed something in me. I realized that you don't have to be 'special' to be a hero. You just have to refuse to back down."
Zaki listened, the heavy, suffocating knot in his chest slowly starting to unravel. Her words were like a stabilizer system, catching his drifting soul and locking it back into place.
"The White Gundam might not have been built for a single pilot," Feres continued, her voice dropping to a gentle whisper as she hugged his arm closer. "But you're the only one who can anchor it. Maki and the others provide the wings, Zaki... but you are the heart. You're the one who keeps them from flying into the sun."
She tilted her face up, her lips curved into a beautiful, genuine smile. "That's why you're special to me. You're my hero, Zaki. The real pilot of the White Bird."
Zaki turned his head away immediately, his entire face, ears, and neck turning a violent shade of red. He let out a long, shaky breath, his heart hammering against his ribs but this time, it wasn't from fear or despair. It was from a profound, overwhelming sense of gratitude.
He looked back at his left hand, slowly curling it into a firm, solid fist. The pain from the gym was gone. The jealousy of the Mind Space users was gone. Feres had given him back his true weapon: his resolve.
"Thank you, Feres," Zaki said quietly, his voice steadying as a familiar, sharp glint returned to his eyes. "I... I needed to hear that."
Feres just giggled, keeping her eyes closed as she snuggled closer against his shoulder. "Anytime, partner. Just remember this when we're out there fighting the 2 Gundam. You owe me another date."
Zaki smiled, a genuine, confident smirk finally breaking through his lips as he looked up at the endless stars. The shadow of the Crow was coming, and the Kings were preparing their ultimate trap, but Zaki Kimeza was no longer afraid of being normal. He was the anchor of the White Ark, and he was ready to show the stars exactly what a regular human could do.
To be continued...