Chapter 14: There’s Always a First Time

“Why do you think this place isn’t suitable for me?”

“Because you’re always seeking peace.” Claude’s finger pressed lightly against Levi’s chest. It wasn’t forceful, but it felt incredibly heavy. “Your heart is in chaos, so you’ve come to a noisy place—hoping to lose yourself and forget everything.”
“I recall you’re not a philosopher.” Levi snorted—but as he turned to leave, Claude grabbed him.
“If you really take to the skies piloting the ‘Pristine Lady’, you’ll become the most obvious target for the invaders. Will you be afraid?”
“They’re my targets too.” Levi smiled—the curve of his lips seeming to slice through the noise and vibrations around them.

Suddenly—Claude reached out, pulling Levi toward him. Startled, Levi grabbed the railing to steady himself—ready to explode in anger. But before he could react, Claude cupped the back of his head and kissed him fiercely—devouring his lips as if trying to seize some fleeting impulse.
“Such a kiss was far from a joke.”
Even Levi—no matter how dense, had realized that by now. After all, he was a properly trained soldier. With an intent to end this confrontation, his hand shot toward Claude’s neck—radiating a menacing energy.
Sensing the danger—Claude quickly pushed Levi away.
In the midst of the noisy crowd—the two locked eyes. Levi’s fingers gripped the railing tightly, knuckles turning white from the force. Below, the sea of people surged, but in Claude’s gaze—everything seemed to freeze.

“What were you doing just now?” Levi clenched his teeth tightly.
“I kissed you—and it had nothing to do with a joke,” Claude said—his face completely devoid of expression.
“Why?” Levi tilted his head—raising his chin in a gesture of slight disdain, which only made Claude’s expression grow colder.
“You already know why. Why bother asking me? Is Levi Van Pelt really such a hypocritical person?” Claude stepped closer—staring deep into Levi’s eyes. No one else could look with such intensity— pinning Levi in place as if locking him into a crack in time.
“Ridiculous.” Levi turned and descended the stairs—disappearing into the dim, flickering lights, leaving Claude standing alone in the pavilion.

As Levi stepped out of the pub—a cold wind blew against him, making him shrink his neck. The night market’s lights were dazzling—in this city without a sky, the lights looked like stars, though devoid of any spirit.
Upon entering his dorm room—Levi immediately gave an order, “Don’t turn on the lights, Lilith. And don’t say a word.”
On his way to the bed—he tripped over his own discarded pants, kicked an empty beer can, or stumbled over the underwear of the woman who had stayed over last time. He finally made it to the bed, bumping into everything along the way.
“Why am I facing something this absurd? Why did that absurd person have to be Claude?” Levi looked up at the ceiling. He knew very well that he couldn’t return to Z-Zond. Seeing Claude again would be self-torment—and he would never torment himself.
Tomorrow’s problems are for tomorrow! Levi yanked the blanket over himself, not even bothering to shower.

The next morning, when Levi didn’t show up in the training room—Miller was furious. “That guy was always slacking off—but now he’s skipping training too! Does he even care about the ‘Pristine Lady’? He’s probably out messing around with some woman again—forgetting everything!”
The other researchers and staff whispered amongst themselves and even tried calling Levi’s phone—but no one answered. In his rage, Miller broadcast a public announcement: “Lieutenant Levi Van Pelt, report to Z-Zone immediately.”
“You have three minutes to report to Z-Zone, Lieutenant Levi Van Pelt!”
“Urgent notice, Lieutenant Levi Van Pelt, you must report to Z-Zone immediately!”
But all the announcements fell on deaf ears.
Miller was fuming, while Claude sat calmly in front of his computer—as if nothing had happened.
“Major General! Shouldn’t you sign a search order and send someone to check that guy’s dorm?”
Claude made a simple “calm down” gesture. “If he doesn’t want to come—what’s the point of forcing him?”
Miller stood there—dumbfounded for a moment, before finally reacting. “What the hell is going on?”
“Maybe he’s exhausted. Let him rest and figure out what he really wants. If it were me, I wouldn’t want an indecisive fighter pilot either,” Morris—who had been observing coldly from the sidelines, said nonchalantly. But the smile on his lips suggested that the situation was far from simple.
Claude closed his eyes and rubbed the corners of his eyes. When his gaze inadvertently met Morris’s questioning look, he merely smiled inscrutable—leaving Morris slightly disappointed.

That day marked the beginning of something new. Levi’s absence from training dragged on for nearly a week—pushing even Miller to his limits.
“I’m going to drag that idiot back here!” Miller snarled—his temples pulsing as he stormed out of the training room.
“No one is to go looking for him unless he comes back on his own,” Claude’s voice echoed through the space—stopping everyone in their tracks. Even Miller halted—staring at his superior with bewilderment.
Every pair of eyes in the room was filled with confusion.
“That’s an order.” All traces of humor vanished from Claude’s face, and everyone in Z-Zone instantly understood that this order was absolute and non-negotiable.
However, there was one person who didn’t care about that command.

That evening—Morris appeared at Levi’s door with two bottles of beer.
“Open up, kid! I know you’re in there. We’re both men—let’s talk.”
Levi—who had been sitting on his bed in a daze, snapped out of it. For some reason, he couldn’t ignore Morris—maybe because they were the same kind of person.
He lazily opened the door without any pleasantries and slouched onto the sofa.
As the light flickered onh—Morris glanced around the messy room and broke into a big smile. “Kid, your room makes me feel right at home.”
With that, he sat down—carelessly pressing on Levi’s unwashed socks, and handed him a beer. “Have a drink. It’ll clear your head!”
Levi took the bottle and downed two gulps. “So, what do you want? You didn’t come here just to drink with me. Otherwise, you’d have brought two cases—not two bottles.”
“Heh, your brain hasn’t rusted after all.” Morris slung an arm around Levi’s shoulder. “So, why haven’t you been showing up for training? People are starting to think you’ve drunk yourself to death in some woman’s arms!”
“A woman’s arms…” Levi scoffed. If Claude counted as a “woman’s arms,” then sure.
“Did Claude confess his feelings to you?”
“Hey, are you always this blunt?” What surprised Levi wasn’t Morris’s directness but the fact that he knew about it.
“A confession is just a confession. Big deal.” Morris clinked his beer against Levi’s and stared at the ceiling. “Look at you now. You’re acting like a blatant sexist. If a female officer had done what Claude did—you’d have been back in the training room in no time.”
“Is it the same?” Levi took a big swig of beer. “He could’ve chosen to say nothing—to do nothing.”
Morris shook his head in exasperation. “Do you really not understand why Claude said something?”
“Why?”
“Because he needed to make sure that if you ever take the ‘Pristine Lady’ into the sky—his feelings for you won’t cloud your judgment. When that time comes, no one will be able to protect you. All Claude can do is make sure the ‘Pristine Lady’ is in perfect condition for you, design the best training for you, and then, like everyone else, look up and watch you—more afraid than anyone of your fall.”
Levi lowered his head, his hair covering his eyes—hiding his emotions. “The way you’re saying it—t sounds like Claude really loves me.”
“Whether he loves you or admires you, I don’t know. What I need to confirm is whether you plan to give up on the ‘Pristine Lady’. If so—I’ll tell Claude to stop wasting his time waiting for you. We’ll find another suitable pilot.”
Morris placed his hand on Levi’s shoulder. “You’re not a child anymore, Levi. In these times, the moment you became a soldier—you gave up the right to be capricious.”

After Morris left—Levi leaned back against the sofa—laughing softly.
That night, in Z-Zone—Claude sat alone in the research room, working on his notes while looking at the holographic display. The entire room was eerily quiet—as though the air itself had fallen asleep.
In the distance, faint footsteps echoed down the corridor—bringing a smile to Claude’s lips.
The sliding door opened, and a figure stood there with arms crossed. “If I wasn’t planning on coming back, why are you working so hard on this research?”
“For the next pilot.”
“And if he can fly the ‘Pristine Lady’— will you fall in love with him too?” Levi’s tone was probing.
Claude let out a soft laugh. “I consider myself a rational man. I know the difference between loving a person and loving a dream.”
Levi walked straight up to Claude and met his gaze without flinching. “Then listen carefully. Your feelings are your business. But don’t ever let them become an obstacle that binds me.”
“Deal.” Claude extended his hand, and Levi shook it firmly.
“But one thing—I won’t let you kiss me, and no sexual harassment.”
“I’ll try.”
Just as Levi was about to question what exactly “try” meant—the emergency siren blared in Z-Zone.
“All fighter pilots, report to your stations! All fighter pilots, report to your stations!”
Red warning lights flashed, signaling a high alert, and the entire K11 base was plunged into emergency mobilization.
Levi looked up. “What’s happening?”
Claude switched the channel on the holographic display. The starless night sky was lit only by explosions from an ongoing battle. Preliminary estimates indicated that a squadron of fighter jets was being attacked by invaders. Based on the power disparity, without effective support—they would be wiped out in three minutes. In the mere seconds they’d been talking, nearly every fighter jet at the K11 base had scrambled, with even “free-fire” orders being issued.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s E-Squadron from St. Louis. They’re responsible for delivering the X-II to us.”
“The one that’s insanely expensive, and even 0.01 milligrams of it can power the base’s air force engines for three years?”
“Yes, that’s the stuff we want…” Claude frowned.
“And those alien pigs want it too,” Levi said—turning quickly as the doors slid open in front of him.
“Where are you going?” Claude asked, hands in his pockets, following behind, though in that moment—he already understood what Levi was planning to do.
When they reached the vast hangar, both Claude and Levi looked up.
The silver fighter jet stood silent and imposing—poised to launch under the cold lights.
Levi stepped forward, turned beneath the ‘Pristine Lady’, and shrugged with a familiar smile—godlike in his composure.
“There’s always a first time, Claude.”

Proofreader/Editor: meowrii