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—Lies of Today—

Shinn was used to hearing Lunamaria gossiping about something, anything, but he usually didn't pay much attention. So he almost missed it when she mentioned a rumor about him.

She had been chattering about the FAITH pilot who had just joined the Minerva, but suddenly changed the subject, saying with a grin, "Hey, by the way, I heard you got...intimate with a pretty girl?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" he asked back, confused.

"Oh, don't pretend you have no idea! Everyone knows you were with a girl in a cave doing stars know what." She gave him a meaningful look.

"Wh—what?!" he nearly shouted, this time fully understanding what she was talking about, and unfortunately what she was implying.

"She's not—we didn't—who said that?! Athrun?!" He asked furiously, balling his hands into fists. How could they think such a stupid, and inappropriate, thing about an innocent, fragile girl like Stellar? They should be ashamed—no, disgusted with themselves.

Lunamaria looked at him as if he was the one saying a stupid thing. "Do you really think Athrun says something like that? He doesn't even joke! It's Tim."

"Who?"

"Tim from the Security Department. Didn't you recognize him? I heard he sailed the boat Athrun used to pick you up."

He frowned. He couldn't remember the man's face, but he was determined to find him and make him pay for spreading a displeasing rumor about Stellar and him.

"So what really happened?" Lunamaria lifted an eyebrow.

He realized she had not believed the rumor and been only teasing him, which made him a little relieved, and very irritated.

He briefly considered leaving without saying anything, which would surely disappoint her. However, he decided against it. Telling her what had actually happened was probably a good way to dispel the rumor, in addition to punching the man who had started it.

"I just saved her when she was drowning in the sea."

"That's it?" She looked disappointed. "Didn't she say anything? Like she'll write a letter to you or something?"

"Well...I promised to go see her."

"I see." She grinned, and he instantly regretted having told her.

"Are you gonna visit—oh, no, you can't. There's no way you can have a day off again. You're gonna call her before we leave here? Wait, is she from here?"

"I...don't know."

She raised her eyebrows. "Don't tell me you don't know where she lives." He remained silent. "But you at least know her number, right?" He still refused to open his mouth.

She shook her head, exhaling a long, dramatic sigh. "Seriously? You're so stupid, Shinn. How can you see her again if you know nothing about her? She could be a traveler from somewhere far."

Annoyed, he spat, "Shut up, Luna. It's none of your business."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't take it out on me. I'm not the one who forgot to ask her for her address or her number."

He angrily turned around and walked back to his room, stamping his feet.

He was disappointed to find Rey wasn't in their room. He wanted to vent to someone. Grumbling, he roughly took off his red coat and threw it on his bed.

Then, his eyes fell on a seashell on his desk. The seashell Stellar had given him.

He stared at it, feeling guilty. He had to admit Lunamaria was right, which was one of the reasons why he was angry. He didn't even know Stellar's family name, though maybe she couldn't have answered anyway even if he had asked. But he could still have asked her "brothers." Yet he hadn't, and now he had no idea how to find her. How could he fulfil the promises he had made to her then?

It felt like he had lied to her. But I didn't mean to, he defended himself. It was the intention that counted, right?

He had meant it when he had told her he would protect her and come to see her. Well, maybe he had not meant he would always protect her, but he had truly wanted to keep her safe and make her feel safe, even for a short while.

He knew what it felt like. He knew the fear of death, the fear of watching someone die, someone you loved.

He took the seashell, holding it in his hand protectively.

I may not see you again. But I'll protect people like you…and Mayu. And…me.

The promise made him feel good, and a smile played on his lips.

Stellar was suffering. She was hurting, every part of her body. She was suffocating, and those belts binding her didn't help.

She wanted to see Neo. She wanted to go somewhere else. She didn't like it here. People here weren't nice, worse than those scientists and soldiers she had known. Except for Shinn.

The only thing that comforted her was that he was with her. He had come to see her. And she knew he would take her somewhere not scary, because he had promised to protect her.

She remembered that. He did, too. He had the seashell she had given him.

"Let's get you home." He smiled at her, and made the same promise.

She gave back a smile, relieved.

While they were on a mobile suit, heading somewhere, he talked to her. "It'll be all right. I'm gonna get you somewhere safe, okay? I promise, Stellar. You'll go back to a beautiful and peaceful place. There'll be no more fighting, no more scary things, and...and you'll be fine. You will. I'm sure you will."

She couldn't see his face, but he sounded sad, almost crying. She didn't understand why. Was it because of the promise he had just made? She vaguely remembered Neo had looked sad when he was talking about some promise she had not understood about.

Is a promise sad?

She couldn't understand it. She liked a promise. She felt relieved when Neo promised everything would be all right and so she didn't have to be scared. She had been happy when Shinn had promised to protect her, and when he had come to see her as promised.

A promise isn't sad, Shinn. She wanted to tell him so, but she was too weak. She could only say his name.

They got out of the cockpit and Shinn talked to someone. She recognized the voice. It was Neo, who said in a gloomy tone, "I...promise."

Hearing it made her sad and more confused. Neo's sad, too.

Shinn placed her in Neo's arms and put a jar in her hand. The pink seashell in the jar was as pretty as it had looked when she had given it to him. She liked seeing it.

"Don't forget me."

She wanted to say she promised. She wanted to promise to not forget him. She liked a promise and wanted to make a promise to him, which should make him as happy as his promises, and Neo's promises, had made her.

However, she was really confused. It seemed like both Shinn and Neo didn't like a promise. She didn't want them to be sad. So she didn't make a promise. She only smiled weakly at him.

He turned around and walked back to his mobile suit.

She stared at his back. She watched him go, walk away and fly away from her.

Shinn said...he'll protect Stellar...

She didn't understand why he was leaving her. Was it because he was so sad due to a promise? Did he hate a promise? But he was the one who had made a promise to her before, wasn't he?

With sad eyes, she watched his mobile suit become smaller and smaller...and then gone. She looked down at the seashell. She hoped that it was a sign of a promise. That he had given it back to her as a promise he would come back.

But Shinn doesn't like a promise...

Feeling heartbroken, she whispered his name once again. But he was nowhere to be seen, not coming back to her, not protecting her.

*posted 05/21/16*