"Is that so?"
In Fred's eyes, even Lacus's smallest expressions carried a hint of playful, mischievous charm.
It made the corners of his lips lift slightly.
"Thank you."
"Thank me for what~"
At Fred's words, Lacus firmly grabbed the young man's wrist.
"What I mean is! Even if you want to retire, you still need to balance work and rest!"
"Otherwise you'll get sick before you even retire."
Lacus's gentle words reached straight into the young man's heart.
"I understand."
"If you understand, then come shopping with me tomorrow!"
"Besides, the design work on those Mobile Suits is done for now, right?"
There was some truth to what Lacus said.
The Freedom was complete, and the remaining technical iterations couldn't be finished anytime soon.
Even though they were now in a relationship, the two of them had never even gone on an ordinary date.
Apart from occasionally holding hands and hugging, things seemed no different from before.
She was still a girl, after all—of course she wanted to go shopping.
While Lacus was grumbling inwardly, Fred nodded along at her words.
"Alright."
"But there's still the Artemis matter..."
Looking at this man who was hopelessly buried in work, Lacus could only say helplessly:
"After this incident, Eurasia has agreed to hand over the relevant technology for the Light Shield to us."
"Though we'll have to give them some MS technology in return."
Eurasia and the Atlantic Federation were not of one mind.
Especially after they discovered that the Atlantic Federation was struggling to save itself.
At the very least, they weren't in a typical superior-subordinate relationship with those Death Merchants—even though most of the time they were the ones taking orders.
Strictly speaking, it was merely a partnership; the Atlantic Federation was simply the stronger partner, which was why they ended up taking orders.
Now, when they suddenly realized that the once-dominant Atlantic Federation couldn't even protect itself, let alone them, their loyalty naturally developed serious problems.
As for the MS technology, given that they already had the Freedom, sharing the Strike Suit's data wasn't unacceptable.
"Mm. Thank you for the trouble."
Fred said earnestly.
"I know, I know!"
Lacus pouted.
Her small hand squeezed Fred's palm even tighter.
"Tomorrow when we're shopping, if you say anything about work, you'll be punished!"
"Punished how?"
Fred wasn't angry at her words—if anything, watching the lively Lacus made him even fonder of her.
"Punished..."
Lacus thought about it, and realized she really didn't know what the punishment should be.
She couldn't exactly say the punishment would be a kiss or something like that.
She was in love, not stupid.
She absolutely could not bring herself to say things like those couples whose brains seemed to melt from love.
"A fine!"
"Five bucks each time!"
"Are we elementary schoolers dating?!"
Fred found it amusing inwardly, but still nodded.
"Then five bucks each time."
As the two chatted, they soon arrived back at their home in April City.
After agreeing on a time to meet the next day, Lacus left—apparently, to have time free tomorrow, she still needed to finish her remaining work.
Not her idol work, of course, but the political work related to the Clyne Faction.
As for Fred, he had action reports and the latest research materials to review.
For now, at least, there was no time to rest.
Time passed as the two worked hard, and soon it was early the next morning.
Fred had just finished tidying himself up and come to the living room when his mother appeared before him.
"Fred, going on a date?"
Facing his mother's teasing words, Fred seemed quite calm.
"Yes."
"Good luck!"
"Uh..."
He didn't know what he needed luck for, but facing his mother's eager gaze, along with a breakfast on the table even more lavish than usual, and with the thought that it was better to go along than make a fuss, Fred nodded.
"Okay."
"Where's Flay?"
Fred changed the subject and asked.
"Who knows where she's off playing already."
"I didn't expect your little brother to be quite impressive, though."
Hearing his mother's approving words, Fred's mouth twitched slightly, and he could only nod along.
They were Ultimate Coordinators—it would be strange if they weren't impressive.
But for now, the two of them seemed to be getting along famously, so there was no need for them to worry.
...
They didn't need to go far to shop. After all, in April City, the heart of PLANT, the shopping districts were already world-class.
There was no reason to go out of their way elsewhere.
The only difference from an ordinary couple's shopping trip was that the two of them—one wearing a mask, the other a face covering—looked rather odd.
Fortunately, it was working hours, so the crowds weren't as heavy as on holidays.
"We look so ridiculous like this."
Walking along the street, Lacus couldn't hold back her laughter either.
"Actually, you don't need to wear that mask anymore. I doubt Blue Cosmos would come after you now."
Lacus's words weren't meant as comfort—she was simply stating facts.
After all, thanks to their efforts over this period, Blue Cosmos's undercover agents in PLANT had dwindled dramatically.
Add to that the fact that Blue Cosmos currently had its hands full with its own problems—even if they discovered Fred's identity, they probably couldn't do anything about it.
"Better to be careful."
"Only by crushing Blue Cosmos completely will we be truly sa—"
Before he could finish, a payment QR code appeared in front of the young man.
"..."
"Pay up~"
Facing Fred's "Are you serious?" look, Lacus lifted her pretty chin.
"Fine."
"But if I remember correctly, you're the one who brought it up first."
"I'll pay, I'll pay~"
Lacus didn't try to weasel out of it. She nodded and, following behind Fred, paid five yuan.
"Let's go~"
After paying, Lacus reached back and grabbed Fred's hand.
"Mm."
Feeling the softness in his hand, Fred's heart skipped a beat, and his hand reacted faster than his mind.
The young man's fingers parted slightly and slipped between the girl's fingers.
The gap between their fingers was quickly filled, and it was as if his heart was satisfied too—a warm feeling welled up from the bottom of his heart like a spring.
Shopping went more or less as Fred had expected.
In this regard, Lacus was no different from any ordinary girl.
They strolled along, stopping here and there, looking at this, trying that.
Though she was a wealthy young lady, she didn't buy too much—it seemed she was simply enjoying the pleasure of shopping itself.
"This bracelet is so pretty!"
In front of an ordinary jewelry shop, the girl gazed with great interest at a four-leaf clover bracelet in the glass display case.
"You have such excellent taste, miss. This piece suits you perfectly."
Fred's lips twitched slightly as he faced the enthusiastic shop assistant.
Lacus was wearing a mask—how could they possibly tell they made a good match?
"Your boyfriend must love it too."