Although the resistance organization had settled on a plan to procure supplies, having just clashed with ZAFT... it would be somewhat dangerous to boldly enter enemy-occupied territory for shopping at this moment.
After brief discussions, they decided to rest for a few days before proceeding with the supply procurement—coincidentally, the Archangel needed extensive adjustments for Earth's gravity well, making this break ideal for tackling those tasks without other work interference.
When it came to such specialized work, newcomers like Sai and his group couldn't contribute much, so these student soldiers from Heliopolis finally enjoyed a short vacation.
"Ugh—it feels like forever since we've had such a leisurely meal together after officially enlisting," Tolle remarked, stretching lazily in the Archangel's cafeteria.
With limited entertainment options, their main relaxation method was gathering in the cafeteria to chat over meals.
"Haven't we only been officially enlisted for a short time?" Miriallia responded, somewhat exasperated. They had only joined the military after meeting up with the Eighth Fleet, and barely any time had passed since then.
It was just that the intense Earth descent operation in between created an illusion of time dragging on.
"Eh? Really? I thought it had been much longer," Tolle scratched his head, looking confused. But since it wasn't important, he waved it off and changed the subject:
"Speaking of which, it's rare for Kira to get time off too."
Compared to them, Kira was the real technical expert... Tolle had expected him to help with the Archangel's data adjustments as usual, so it was surprising to see him resting with them.
Hearing this, Kira scratched his head sheepishly and explained, "Actually, I did have work scheduled... but Mr. Lu said we'd be traveling soon for a mission and didn't want me fatigued, so he specially approved this leave."
"The mission... must be that supply procurement plan. How nice, I'd love to see the city too," Katz chimed in with envy. Since Heliopolis's destruction, their living space had been confined to the Archangel, with only the recent addition of the resistance base.
Hearing that Kira could visit a town made him quite jealous.
"Don't be too envious, Katz. Kira has work duties—it's not just a free trip," Sai clarified with a laugh.
"But Mr. Lu is really considerate. He probably knew we were on break and didn't want you left out, so he made up an excuse to grant you leave," he observed, recognizing that Lu Tianming had arranged this intentionally to prevent Kira from drifting apart from his old classmates due to work commitments.
Though Kira was free now, still...
He glanced at the empty seat beside him, where Flay usually sat... But ever since her father's death, her contact with their group had become increasingly sparse. During their "gatherings," this seat remained vacant more and more often.
He assumed her father's death had deeply affected Flay, making her temporarily uninterested in romantic matters and more focused on her career.
Though he understood this rationally, Sai still missed her presence, having not seen her for so long.
As he wallowed in melancholy, Tolle continued the conversation:
"Yeah, Mr. Lu is really approachable and considerate... Not that there's anything wrong with others on the Archangel, but there's a unique sense of relaxation when talking with Mr. Lu."
"No wonder Mr. Lu is so popular with women."
Hearing the term "popular with women," Miriallia grew curious and nudged Tolle with her elbow, urging him to continue:
"Tell us more! How is Mr. Lu popular with women?"
"What's there to elaborate on? Haven't you noticed? Mr. Lu and Captain Murrue have been close since the beginning. When we first met, they seemed to come down from the Strike Suit together."
Tolle looked puzzled—wasn't Mr. Lu's popularity with women obvious? How could she not have noticed?
"If that's the case, Mr. Lu's relationship with Lieutenant Commander Badgiruel isn't bad either. Although he was suspected initially, whenever something happens, the Lieutenant Commander always sides with Mr. Lu. She even took care of him immediately after he was injured."
Katz chimed in. Though usually inconspicuous, he had been quietly observing... Perhaps because Lieutenant Commander Badgiruel's usual stern and intimidating demeanor left a deeper impression on him.
"If we're talking about who Mr. Lu truly cares about, it should be Miss Lacus, right? When she was kidnapped last time, Mr. Lu was uncharacteristically furious..."
Miriallia had a completely different perspective. Tolle and Katz's examples only showed Mr. Lu passively receiving attention. To determine where he invested the most emotion—Miriallia believed it had to be with Lacus.
After all, aside from when Lacus was kidnapped, Lu Tianming's angry expression was rarely seen.
"Kira, what's your opinion? Who do you think Mr. Lu has the best chance with?"
Seeing Kira remain silent, Tolle decided to drag him into the discussion. After all, compared to the others, Kira, who handled maintenance and repairs, had more opportunities to interact with Lu Tianming. His input on such gossip was naturally more valuable.
Instead of answering directly, Kira thought for a moment and said softly:
"Actually... Mr. Lu and that Miss Cagalli seem to have grown quite close recently. I've often seen Miss Cagalli coming to the hangar these past few days..."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. They had only expected Kira to choose from the three options or, at the very least, jokingly say Mr. Lu wanted them all... But instead, Kira presented a fourth possibility?
That couldn't be right. How long had those two even known each other?
But since it was Kira speaking... everyone had to believe him. Firstly, because he spent almost all his time in the hangar, making his witness account quite reasonable. Secondly, Kira didn't seem like someone who would lie at all.
"...Mr. Lu's popularity with women is truly terrifying, don't you think, Sai?"
Tolle sighed with emotion, then noticed Sai had been silent the whole time and immediately directed the question to him.
"Ah... right."
Sai nodded blankly, though his mind was racing with thoughts.
Being more perceptive than the others, he had noticed a small detail.
Whether it was intentional avoidance or genuine oversight, when discussing Mr. Lu's appeal to women earlier, almost every female except Miriallia (who was part of the discussion) had been mentioned as a topic.
Only Flay's name was conspicuously absent.
At first he thought it was simply because Flay had more conflicts with Lu Tianming compared to others, making her not worth discussing.
But after learning more about Lu Tianming's somewhat excessive popularity with women, combined with Flay's unusual recent absences, a troubling thought emerged in Sai's mind.
Could it be... that Flay also has some unclear relationship with Mr. Lu?