The moment consciousness returned, a searing, splitting migraine tore through my skull.
It felt as though a sledgehammer was rhythmically pounding against the interior of my cranium.
'Ugh...'
I suppressed a groan and attempted to force my eyelids open. However, my entire body felt like leaden weights soaked in water; I couldn't even twitch a finger.
'What happened...?'
Through the hazy fog of my mind, I scrambled to gather the fragments of my memory. The abandoned factory in the Ghetto... hijacking the Glasgow... the frantic, visceral dance of mecha combat. And then...
'Ah.'
The final moment resurfaced.
In my desperation to escape, I had yanked a lever—except it had been the manual hatch release.
I had effectively thrown the door wide open myself before promptly blacking out.
'There is no greater fool than a strategic mastermind who forgets his own controls...'
The sheer humiliation that washed over me made me want to retreat back into unconsciousness.
To execute such a brilliant rescue only to finish with such a pathetic display of amateurism.
'How do I even begin to explain this? Do I claim I was just passing by, saw a discarded Knightmare, and decided to take it for a spin? Or do I play the card of being a hidden piloting prodigy?'
Trying to force my sluggish brain to concoct a stratagem only intensified the throbbing pain.
"Uuugh..."
Exhaling a weary sigh, I slowly managed to part my eyes.
What greeted my vision was a dilapidated, stain-streaked concrete ceiling.
This wasn't the elegant architecture of the Student Council room, nor the cozy rafters of the Club House.
'An unfamiliar ceiling...'
Unintentionally, a classic line of anime dialogue drifted through my mind. It seemed that even in such a dire situation, my otaku instincts remained stubbornly alive.
Just as a dry, self-deprecating chuckle was about to escape me, I sensed a presence nearby and tilted my head.
"...."
It was Kallen. She was seated in a chair beside the bed, her head resting against the mattress's edge as she drifted in and out of a light slumber.
Devoid of the razor-sharp edge she usually projected, her sleeping form was that of an ordinary girl her age. Her hands were clenched tightly around the bedsheet, as if she were a frightened child terrified that I might vanish into thin air if she let go.
Seeing her like that caused the tension in my chest to dissipate, and a soft smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.
'Honestly, if you're going to act as a nurse, do it properly. The caretaker looks more exhausted than the patient.'
I reached out, cautiously stroking her ruffled hair. Kallen bolted upright with a start, her eyes widening.
"Mmm—! Wait, Le-Lelouch?!"
She stared at me, her eyes as round as saucers, before her expression crumpled into a tearful mess and she grabbed my hand tightly.
"Are you awake?! Are you okay?! Your head—does anything else hurt?!"
Though I was slightly overwhelmed by the barrage of frantic questions, the sincerity of her concern reached me, sending a sharp pang of warmth through my chest.
"...I'm fine, Kallen."
I offered her a reassuring smile. Only then did she seem to breathe, letting out a heavy sigh of relief while a faint crimson hue dusted her cheeks.
"Thank goodness... truly, thank goodness..."
As I watched her blushing face with a sense of satisfaction, a new worry suddenly surfaced.
'Wait, how much time has passed? I haven't contacted Nunnally to tell her I'd be late.'
Concerned, I tried to sit up, but another spike of agony lanced through my head.
"Ouch..."
"Don't move! They said you need absolute rest!"
Kallen panicked and gently pushed me back down onto the bed. Looking up at her—eyes wide with worry like a startled rabbit—my mischievous side stirred despite the pain.
"Good grief... it feels like my skull is splitting open. This is serious..."
"Is it that bad? Should I get the doctor? Or some medicine—!"
"No, I don't need medicine. I think I'd recover quite well if Kallen gave me a kiss, though."
"...Excuse me?"
Kallen's face instantly deepened into a shade of red that would rival a ripe apple.
"I-In a situation like this, what are you even—!"
She flustered about, paralyzed with indecision, before finally balled her fist and gave my stomach a light, firm press.
"Ack! Hey, that actually hurt...!"
"Quiet! How can a patient talk so much nonsense!"
Kallen snapped back curtly, but the redness had spread all the way to her ears. She hesitated for a moment before slowly leaning down over me.
Peck.
"...Consider us even for now."
Kallen whipped her head away instantly. I lay there dazed, staring at her, completely forgetting the ache in my abdomen.
Creak—
The sound of the door opening made Kallen spring into the air like a coiled coil.
"W-We weren't doing anything!"
She feigned nonchalance, pretending to be deeply interested in the view outside the window. The person who stepped through the door was none other than Kaname Ohgi.
"You're awake? How are you feeling?"
Ohgi approached, tactfully pretending he hadn't seen the intimate display.
"Much better, thanks to you. I heard you provided assistance."
"No, we're the ones who were assisted. Kallen told me everything. You're her classmate from the academy? Not to mention, you're the one who saved us at the checkpoint recently. That makes twice we're in your debt. Truly, thank you."
Ohgi bowed respectfully. I waved him off with a bittersweet smile.
"Think nothing of it. I only did what any friend would do."
'For now, Ohgi isn't quite as unlikable as his later reputation suggests.'
Well, whatever his path in the original timeline, what mattered now was whether he could be molded into a useful ally. Ohgi studied me for a moment before his expression turned solemn.
"I apologize for bringing this up when you're unwell, but could we talk for a moment?"
"Ohgi-san! He just woke up, what could possibly—!"
Kallen interjected, her temper flaring. Ohgi looked conflicted.
"My apologies, Kallen. But this is a matter of great importance. If you're too uncomfortable, Lelouch, I can return later."
"No, it's fine. Speak your mind."
I sat up as I spoke. Ohgi's eyes narrowed with intensity.
"I see. Then... Kallen, would you mind leaving us for a bit? There's something I wish to discuss with him in private."
Kallen looked hesitant, but at Ohgi's gentle request and my subtle nod, she reluctantly left the room. Silence hung in the air for a moment after the door clicked shut. Ohgi gazed out the window as if searching for the right words before asking cautiously:
"I'll be blunt. Do you... love Kallen?"
The sudden, direct inquiry left me momentarily stunned.
'Of all the questions, that's the opening?'
Yet, upon reflection, it made sense. What sane man would hijack a Knightmare with his bare hands and charge into a literal war zone just to save one girl—especially a Britannian?
"...Well, yes. I'm putting in the effort."
I admitted it honestly. Ohgi offered a bitter, knowing smile.
"I see that Britannians like you exist—those willing to risk their lives for someone like Kallen. However..."
Ohgi's face hardened.
"Involve yourself in our affairs no further. And I have one request of you."
"A request?"
Ohgi locked eyes with me, his gaze unwavering.
"Can you persuade her? Convince her to stop throwing herself into these dangerous operations?"
"...."
"That girl... she has a place to return to. A normal life at Ashford Academy, joyful memories with friends her own age... that is the life that suits her. She is too precious a soul to be chained to the ghost of her dead brother, mired in the filth and squalor we inhabit."
Ohgi's voice vibrated with genuine worry and a heavy sense of responsibility. He truly desired Kallen's happiness, even if his methods disregarded her own agency.
I remained silent. Perhaps this was an opportunity to return Kallen to the life of an ordinary schoolgirl. But was that what she wanted? And more importantly... was it what I wanted?
Perhaps if I remained ignorant of the Emperor's grand design, I might have agreed. But so long as Charles zi Britannia's plan to rewrite the collective unconscious proceeded, there was no such thing as a 'normal future' for anyone in this world.
"...I understand your heart, Ohgi-san."
My response was quiet but firm.
"However, that is a decision Kallen must make for herself. It is not something anyone can or should force upon her."
"...."
"I will convey your wishes, of course. But the final choice remains hers."
It was a principled answer, and it was the best I could offer. Ohgi stared at me for a long beat before exhaling a long, resigned sigh.
"...I see. I apologize for the unreasonable request. I've disturbed your rest long enough; please, recover well."
He rose with a melancholy expression. As he walked toward the door, his back seemed uncharacteristically small.
Once Ohgi exited, Kallen, who had clearly been hovering just outside, poked her head back in. She looked at me tentatively.
"What did Ohgi-san... talk to you about?"
"Ah, nothing much. He just asked about various things—how I was feeling, how school was going."
I shrugged it off. If I told her the truth about Ohgi's request, she'd likely erupt in a fit of rage.
"More importantly, have you seen my phone? I need to contact Nunnally."
At my words, Kallen's expression shifted awkwardly. She averted her gaze, fidgeting.
"Well... it just kept ringing so much..."
"Yes?"
"Nunnally kept calling... so I ended up answering it."
"WHAT?!"
I bolted upright, ignoring the protest of my muscles. Aside from Nunnally's inevitable worry, the most critical factor was what Kallen had actually said.
"What did you tell her?!"
"Well, I mean! You care for her so intensely, I knew she'd worry if she couldn't reach you. So... I told her you had a sudden bout of anemia and were resting at my house..."
Kallen's voice trailed off as her face flared red again.
"Resting at... your house?"
I repeated the words blankly.
'Wait. A man... at a girl's house... staying overnight?'
It was a situation perfectly engineered to be misunderstood by anyone.
'Big Brother... at his girlfriend's house...?'
The thought of the wild fantasies that would surely be running through Nunnally's head made a cold shiver run down my spine. Or rather, was this actually a good thing? If Nunnally was rooting for her brother's romantic endeavors, she might actually be delighted, but still...
My mind was a chaotic tangle of implications. As I stared at Kallen with bewildered eyes, she seemed to realize the nuance of her own excuse belatedly, turning the color of a ripe tomato.
"N-No! I didn't mean it in a weird way! I was just telling the truth! You collapsed, and this is our hide—no, I mean, this is where I live!"
Kallen waved her hands frantically, desperate to explain. Her flustered state was so adorable that I set my complex thoughts aside and let out a genuine chuckle.
"Alright, I get it. Thank you for putting Nunnally's mind at ease."
"...Hmph."
Kallen turned away, shy. A peculiar silence returned to the room until—
Whisper, whisper... rustle, rustle...
Faint voices drifted from just outside the door.
"Hey, lean in more. I can't hear a thing."
"Stop pushing! You're going to open the door!"
"Shh! Keep it down!"
Kallen's brow furrowed. She marched to the door and flung it open with a bang.
"What do you think you're all doing!"
"Waaaaah!"
"Oof!"
The moment the door opened, the people pressed against it tumbled into the room like a row of falling dominoes. Tamaki, Sugiyama, Inoue, Minami... the core members of Ohgi's resistance group were a tangled mess on the floor.
"Ow, my back..."
"Tamaki! This is your fault for pushing!"
"What are you talking about! Sugiyama, you pushed first!"
As they grumbled and pointed fingers, they suddenly froze under Kallen's lethal gaze.
"Ahaha... hey there, Kallen."
"We were just... uh... passing by. Yeah. Ha ha..."
Tamaki waved awkwardly. Kallen placed her hands on her hips, looking down at them with pure exasperation.
"Passing by with your ears glued to the door? Do none of you have work to do?!"
"No, no! We just heard our savior had finally opened his eyes and came to pay a visit! A get-well visit!"
Inoue recovered quickly, pointing at me. The others nodded in unison.
"Exactly! A visit! How are you feeling, kid? Or rather, Lelouch, was it?"
Tamaki strode shamelessly to my bed and clapped me on the shoulder. I gave a strained smile.
"Better, thanks. I appreciate the concern."
"Heh, it's nothing. Besides, you were incredible! Snatching a Knightmare like that and trashing two Sutherlands! You were like a hero straight out of a movie!"
Tamaki began recounting the events with dramatic flourish, spittle flying as he embellished the 'epic tale.' The others huddled around with sparkling eyes. However, a chilling voice suddenly cut through the festive mood.
"...But he's still a Britannian."
Instantly, the air in the room turned ice-cold. Yoshida, standing in the corner, spoke with a quiet but jagged voice.
"Tamaki, did you forget? This guy is one of them. He's clearly connected to the Ashford family; he's practically an aristocrat."
Tamaki's face stiffened. A complex mix of emotions flickered across the faces of the others. Gratitude and hostility—two incompatible sentiments were currently at war.
"That's... true, but..."
"I'm grateful he saved us. But... in the end, he's the enemy. We have no idea when he might betray us and sell us out to the military."
"Yoshida! You're crossing a line!" Kallen snapped, stepping forward.
"Lelouch isn't like that! He's known my secret for a long time and never told a soul! Today, he risked everything just for—!"
"That's just your hope, Kallen. Those Britannian bastards are two-faced. Who do you think killed our families? Who took our friends?! It was people like HIM!"
Kallen fell silent at Yoshida's shout. It was a reality she couldn't deny. Hatred for Britannia was the very engine that drove them all. A heavy, suffocating silence descended. Kallen looked at me with a pained, conflicted expression.
Then, the silence was broken by an unexpected voice.
"Hey! Yoshida! Is that how you talk to the man who saved your life?!"
It was Tamaki. His face was flushed with anger as he closed in on Yoshida, looking ready to grab him by the collar.
"Britannian? Who cares! Do you even realize whose help kept your heart beating today?"
"Tamaki, you—!"
"If not for this guy, we'd all be dead! You, me, Ohgi—everyone! We would've been ground into paste under the tread of a Sutherland! You think nationality or race matters right now? What matters is that this guy put his life on the line for US!"
Tamaki's outburst was simplistic, yet profoundly powerful.
"Think about it! What Britannian would open fire on the military just to save a 'terrorist'—a resistance member? He's a student; you think that was easy for him?!"
Yoshida was left speechless, lowering his head. The other members looked at me with solemn faces.
I felt a genuine lump in my throat. In the original series, I always dismissed Shinichiro Tamaki as nothing more than a thoughtless, loud-mouthed comedic relief. But in this moment, he was a man with a heart more passionate than anyone else's.
I quietly rose from the bed and bowed my head toward Yoshida.
"Yoshida-san, you are correct. I am a Britannian. I am a citizen of the nation that has left you with wounds that can never be healed. It is only natural that you do not trust me."
"...."
"But... before I am a Britannian, I am Kallen's friend. And I am simply a student who cannot stand by when injustice is done. My actions today were not for Britannia, nor for Japan. I simply... did not want to see my precious friend die."
The sincerity of my confession caused the tension in the room to thaw. Yoshida coughed awkwardly and approached me with hesitant steps.
"...My apologies. I spoke too harshly. I haven't... quite sorted out my feelings yet."
"No, I understand."
Yoshida hesitated before extending a rough, calloused hand.
"Thank you. For saving us."
I smiled and gripped his hand firmly. It was a hand built of hard labor and struggle—a badge of how fiercely he had survived.
"Heh, see! What did I tell you! This kid is one of the good ones!"
Tamaki slapped me on the back with a hearty laugh.
"Alright! It's a celebration! We're treating tonight! A survival party for Lelouch! Hey, what do we have to eat?"
"There's some leftover oden, isn't there?"
"Oh! That's it! Let's get it out!"
"I'm in! I'm starving!"
"What about alcohol? We have some, right?"
"Idot, you can't give a patient alcohol!"
In an instant, the room transformed into a boisterous festival. Kallen watched the scene with a sigh of relief, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. I sipped the oden broth amidst the commotion, feeling the warmth spread through me, thawing my frozen mind and body.
'This... isn't so bad.'
Though it may have started as a calculated move for my own survival, in this moment... I truly wanted to be their friend. Tamaki threw an arm around my shoulder and shouted.
"Hey, Lelouch! You're an honorary member now! Got it? If anything happens, you call your big brother Tamaki! If those Britannian bastards give you trouble, I'll go down there and bust 'em up myself!"
"Haha, I feel reassured, Tamaki-aniki."
At being called 'big brother,' Tamaki's grin widened from ear to ear as he filled my cup to the brim with juice. That night, in the corner of a derelict factory, I felt a bond born not of 'nationality,' but of humanity.
And I knew that this small tether would become my greatest weapon—my shield in the coming storm of fate.
"Alright, cheers! To our hero, Lelouch!"
"CHEERS!"
The plastic cups clinked together with a cheerful sound. Kallen sidled up to me and lightly tapped her cup against mine.
"...Thank you, Lelouch."
Her soft whisper was sweeter than any grand toast. I smiled back. Our partnership in crime was no longer just a shared secret; it was evolving into a bond forged in fire—the camaraderie of comrades-in-arms, and perhaps, something even deeper.
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