Achoo—!
"What's wrong, Ayanami-san? Did you catch a cold?"
In the activity hall, the music stopped instantly as everyone looked at Rei Ayanami with concern. During this ti, they had beco true friends. Perhaps they had been jealous of her looks before, or thought she was too eccentric and difficult to deal with, but after truly spending ti with her, they realized she was quite a nice person.
Soft-spoken, gentle, and a great singer—though she was occasionally a bit too "airheaded."
"No, my nose just felt a bit itchy suddenly. Let's continue." Rei rubbed her nose. She could sense the pure kindness coming from these people. It was a kindness that sought nothing and carried no ulterior motives.
"Rest if you're tired. We've been practicing all morning anyway. I made so fruit tea; would you like so?" Ibuki Yu smiled as she brought over a thermos.
"Thank you."
"Oh, don't ntion it. Her sister takes it from NERV anyway." Chihaya Rin put down her guitar and sat on a desk, swinging her legs lightly. She watched Rei sip the tea in small gulps, a smile spreading across her face.
"Ayanami-san is so cute, just like a kitten. It's all thanks to the Class Rep's ddling; I totally misunderstood you before."
"This had nothing to do with ! I used to get ignored by Ayanami-san too." Hikari Horaki waved her hands quickly. She didn't have that kind of influence.
"The first step of breaking the ice is always the hardest. As long as soone is willing to take that step, everything follows naturally. As for who broke the ice..."
"It was Ikari-kun!" the others chid in simultaneously, then burst into giggles. Rei's face flushed a soft pink.
"Alright, Ayanami-san is getting shy. But I'm still curious—how did Ikari-kun convince you?"
"Yeah, yeah! Tell us!" Everyone looked at the girl. Rei had truly been an emotionless doll before, with cold eyes that could scare away anyone who tried to approach.
"I don't know... but what Ikari-kun says makes sense. And being by his side feels very... peaceful."
"I get it! Maturity and a sense of security!" Ibuki Yu clapped her hands, teasing, "Who knew Ayanami-san preferred fatherly types? Usually, you have to find an 'old man' for that kind of vibe."
"Listen to you. No 'old man' is as reliable as Ikari-kun. He's the one protecting the world."
"I heard his father is the Commander-in-Chief of NERV. My dad's unit in the Self-Defense Force thinks incredibly highly of him too. They say as long as Unit-01 deploys, the Angels will definitely be destroyed. But most importantly—"
"Ikari-kun is also very handso!" The girls shouted in unison.
Girls this age are always energetic, chirping away endlessly. Rei drank her tea quietly without joining in, but for so reason, hearing them praise Shinji made her very happy.
"By the way, are you and Ikari-kun dating?" The pink-haired Chihaya Rin suddenly crouched in front of Rei, her eyes sparkling.
Rei reflexively leaned back, then shook her head dully. "I don't know."
"Huh? How can you not know?" Seeing the clueless girl, the others started jumping around in frustration.
"Don't you live with Ikari-kun?"
"No, I live next door."
"Aren't you two inseparable? And you're always holding hands."
"What does that prove?"
"Don't tell Ikari-kun hasn't confessed to you yet."
Rei blinked, tilting her head.
"What is a 'confession'?"
The three girls looked at each other and slapped their foreheads simultaneously.
'Ga over. She's so airheaded she doesn't even function like a normal person.'
The conversation hit a dead end. Class Rep Hikari wanted to smooth things over and tell them not to give Rei a hard ti—looking at her, she was worried the girl might "crash" like a computer. But the two girls who were more impulsive and truly viewed Rei as a friend refused to admit defeat.
"Do you or do you not like Ikari-kun?"
"I... don't know." Rei continued to blink. Seeing their despairing looks, she added one more sentence: "But I do feel very at ease being near Ikari-kun."
'That ans she likes him! Ayanami-san's romantic IQ is lower than a grade-schooler's. How did she grow up?'
The girls' biological CPUs ran at full speed, frantically thinking of how to guide this girl who was like a blank sheet of paper. As they thought, their expressions suddenly changed.
"Oh no! Why didn't Soryu-san co today?"
"Asuka has a cold. She's resting at ho."
"So it's just her and Ikari-kun alone at the house?" Chihaya Rin thought for a mont. She couldn't quite untangle the relationship between the three of them, but she suddenly had an idea. She grabbed Rei's fair hand.
"Answer one question honestly. Close your eyes and visualize this carefully."
Rei didn't understand, but she followed along obediently. The girl's voice sounded like a chaotic whisper: "Right now, Soryu-san and Ikari-kun are alone in the house. Tell —what do you want to do right now?"
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Rei snapped her eyes open. Her red pupils were filled with determination.
"I want to go back. Now!"
-
-
-
'Ah, that was a good sleep.'
Asuka opened her eyes groggily. After her "big win" earlier, she had been in such a good mood that she'd fallen asleep instantly. The room was quiet, with the heavy curtains blocking out the sunlight. She didn't know what ti it was. She stared blankly at the ceiling, and for so reason, her heart felt light.
'That idiot really didn't pay any attention to . That's for the best. I've always relied on myself to get this far; I don't need anyone.'
The image of her mother hanging from a rope flashed through her mind like a nightmare. Asuka clutched her head. Ever since her mother's suicide, she hadn't needed anyone's help or pity. On the contrary, she had felt a bit weak lately.
'I actually felt a total sense of security from that idiot. I let my guard down completely and gave up so easily.
How is that possible? Is it because the gap between us is so large that I've despaired? No, I should be working even harder to surpass him.
Why? How?'
She thought and thought. In the end, it was Shinji's sincere gaze, acknowledging her importance and sharing the praise with her. It was the peaceful daily life—though they argued, everyone got along well, and on the battlefield, they covered for each other with everything they had.
"This is so stupid. I've never needed anyone's charity. I should be the only one under the spotlight! Who wants to play house with that idiot? (said in German)"
"You're awake?"
"Aah!?" Asuka nearly jumped out of bed in fright. Following the voice, she saw a young man step out from the shadows. He had clearly been there from the beginning.
"What are you doing lurking in the shadows?"
"I wasn't lurking. You were asleep; there was no need to disturb you by turning on the light. Also, I've put lunch on the bedside table."
Asuka turned her head and indeed saw white porridge and so side dishes. Because of her congested nose, she hadn't slled it earlier. Her gaze instantly softened.
'So he just didn't want to wake up. This idiot is actually quite thoughtful.
Wait!'
"Did you hear all that just now?"
"Yes. I heard you start cursing the mont you woke up."
As Shinji spoke, he saw Asuka's face turn bright red, like an overloaded Dreadnought engine.
Rembering Misato's instructions before she left, he added: "But I don't understand language you were speaking. It just sounded like you were cursing."
'Huh? Oh, right! He doesn't understand German! Thank goodness—saved by his lack of culture.'
Asuka instantly regained her composure. She fanned herself lightly with her hand and huffed, "Who told you to suddenly appear and scare like that?"
"So, what were you calling ?"
"Nothing! Just saying you have no gentlemanly manners. Am I wrong?"
'You're definitely wrong. You seed to be narrating an internal monologue.'
Shinji sighed lightly and didn't press the issue. He knew Asuka had deep-seated psychological scars, but just like Rei, a crack was slowly forming in her AT Field. Things would get better eventually.
He didn't think too much of it and pointed to the bowl. "Eat up. You can leave it there when you're done; I'll co back to clean up."
"Wait!"
Shinji had just pushed the door open. He turned back in confusion and saw Asuka hesitating for a long ti. Finally, as if giving up on herself, she looked up.
"Just... wait here until I'm finished. It saves you from walking back and forth."
"Sure."
Shinji stepped back into the room and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, adopting a posture that said, "I'm waiting."
The girl froze for a mont.
'The atmosphere is already here! According to a normal script, shouldn't you offer to feed , then I'd decline a few tis, and finally it would be romantic like in a TV drama?
What's with this 'work supervisor' vibe? Soften your gaze a bit! Am I eating dinner or serving a sentence?
Shinji no baka!'
Asuka began to eat angrily. Expecting anything from this idiot was a massive mistake; he wasn't a normal human being at all. But as she ate, her movents slowed down. She occasionally stole a glance at the boy by the wall. He was hidden in the shadows, his silhouette barely visible.
"What's wrong? I asured your temperature while you were asleep. You have a high fever, but not so high that you lack the strength to eat."
"Shut up! Idiot!"
This ti, Asuka had no excuses. She was so frustrated she was nearly moved to tears.
'Ugh! I finally manage to act a little vulnerable, and you give zero feedback. I don't believe it—am I, the Great Asuka, really that unattractive?'
'She's angry again. But it's not my fault.'
Shinji read the emotion. Asuka was indeed harder to understand than Rei. He shook his head and, seeing she had finished, went over to clean up.
"Wait."
Just as he grabbed the empty bowl, his hand was caught. Perhaps due to the fever, her hand was scorching hot—the exact opposite of Rei. One was like fire, the other like ice.
Asuka pouted, her eyes looking ready to emit sparks. She asked directly, "Why have you changed so much today? Why are you taking care of so patiently?"
Shinji looked at her quietly. She was indeed different from Rei. Her deep blue eyes were filled with a kaleidoscope of emotions. If Rei was a sheet of pure white paper, the girl before him was like an oil painting with intense, vivid colors.
After a mont of silence, Shinji didn't ntion Misato's instructions, nor did he explain that Chapter brothers should look after one another.
He spoke with an extrely serious expression.
"Because... I need you."
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