EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 29 Celebration Banquet: Asuka's Favorability Up
"Well then...! Everyone, raise your glasses! Cheers!!!"

Everyone sat around the dining table in the spacious living room, filled with warm noises and joyful bickering.

Even the penguin named Panpan was patting the table with its huge flippers, expressing its anticipation for a feast.

The huge iron plate was sizzling with oil, and there was a mountain of barbecue... The aroma of carbonation and beer filled the entire apartment.

The whiteboard that Katsuragi Misato had originally intended to use to formulate her strategy...was now decorated with a few cute little flowers, and written on it to create a sense of ceremony—

Ms. Misato, congratulations on your promotion!
Asuka, Ayanami, and Ikari! Congratulations on moving in!
Congratulations, Ikari-kun, on being discharged from the hospital
I don’t know about the others, but it seems that the last sentence was written by Ayanami... In sharp contrast to the first two lines of wild and graceful cursive writing, every word written by Ayanami is very neat and rigid, almost like printed text.

But according to Misato Katsuragi herself, when Shinji Ikari was busy in the kitchen, she suggested writing on the whiteboard, and Rei Ayanami was the first to volunteer, especially when it came to congratulating Shinji Ikari on his discharge from the hospital, showing her amazing courage that she would never give in to anyone else.

"Ikari-kun, congratulations on your discharge."

Not only did he write it himself, he also did not forget to congratulate Shinji Ikari again after everyone toasted at the dinner table.

Rei Ayanami maintained her emotionless poker face, and while congratulating, she considerately filled Shinji Ikari's empty cup with drink.

"Oh, thank you."

At this time, Shinji Ikari was still busy turning the grilled meat on the iron plate. He skillfully put the grilled meat aside and then placed new pieces of meat in the empty space.

"Shinji-kun! You should eat too! Don't do it all by yourself!"

Although Misato Katsuragi kept talking, she looked at Shinji Ikari, who was supposed to be the protagonist, but was still busy working, and glanced at Ryoji Kaji who was sitting next to her with resentment.

What I'm saying is—you, the uninvited guy, why don't you just go and help? Are you just going to watch Shinji Ikari work alone?

But Ryoji Kaji remained unmoved. After glancing at Rei Ayanami and Asuka, he leisurely drank his wine while winking at Misato Katsuragi.

What he meant was - idiot, only by letting these kids come on their own can we enjoy the show, Katsuragi, just watch.

"…Ikari-kun."

Instead of offering help, Rei Ayanami seemed to be admiring Shinji Ikari's profile. After staring at him for a while, she obediently took out a handkerchief, soaked it slightly with water, and helped Shinji Ikari wipe the sweat from his forehead caused by the smoke from the cooking.

Seeing this intimacy far exceeding that of ordinary classmates or EVA pilot colleagues, everyone's expressions were a little ambiguous...except Asuka.

"Xiaoxiang..."

Asuka called over and sat between Suzuhara Touji and Asuka, Toki Mitsuru noticed Asuka's obviously ugly expression and whispered in Asuka's ear.

"Xiao Xiang, if you don't take the initiative... Ikari-san will really be snatched away by Ayanami-san. Ayanami-san... may look cold, but her offensive is unusually passionate."

“Who, who… who cares who takes that idiot away…! I…! I don’t have any weird feelings for that idiot!”

Even if it was just a whisper between the two of them, Asuka couldn't be frank in front of others and could only stuff meat into her mouth to show that she didn't care.

"Xiao Xiang, it doesn't matter what you say now. But if Ikari-san really chooses Ayanami-san, you will be the only one who gets hurt."

"No, no, that won't happen! After all, that idiot told me...told me..."

Although Asuka said this, her voice became smaller and smaller, and she became less and less confident.

Looking at Asuka who was becoming more and more depressed, Hikaru Tomura sighed... She knew what she needed to do as a best friend. She couldn't let the good atmosphere between Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami continue to brew.

As he said that, Mitsuru Toki put down the food in his hand, pulled up Touji Suzuhara and Sakura Suzuhara, whose belly was already bulging from eating.

"Ikari-san."

"Hmm? Squad leader? Wait a minute..."

Seeing the solemn expressions of the three, Ikari Shinji knew they were about to discuss something serious, so he politely handed the scissors and grilling tongs to Kaji, letting him grill first. He even took the handkerchief offered by Rei Ayanami and wiped the grease off his face before continuing the conversation.

"What's wrong? Squad leader, and Suzuhara?"

Looking at Shinji Ikari who was very polite and courteous, Tomoki Hikaru and the other two looked at each other, and then bowed deeply to 90 degrees together.

"…Ikari-san! Thank you! You saved us!"

Without giving Shinji Ikari a chance to stop him, Hikaru Tomokazu spoke solemnly.

"I already... found out through Suzuhara-san. That day, when the shelter was attacked by the Angels, the purple robot that stood in front of us—the pilot was you, Ikari-san. Thanks to you, Suzuhara-san, Sakura, and I were saved... I know words of gratitude may be meaningless, but we must—"

As if passing the baton, after Tomoki Mitsuru finished speaking, Suzuhara Touji immediately continued speaking.

"Yes! We must thank you very much! Ikari! Before... before... you always kept to yourself, and I still thought you were a cocky and pretentious guy! I never thought... such terrible and dangerous things... you actually experienced so many times... I, Ikari-kun, I really admire you!"

Faced with this frank gratitude and admiration, Shinji Ikari neither resisted nor accepted it, but spoke calmly.

"Squad leader, and Suzuhara. Excuse me for interrupting—it's true that I was the one who protected the shelter back then, but—the one who fought there just as hard... was Asuka. If you're going to thank someone, you should say thank you to her properly."

"Eh--!?"

Asuka, who was originally just watching with a pale face, did not expect that Shinji Ikari would suddenly involve her.

"Hey! Stop kidding, I have no ability to fight against the apostles! I have no ability to protect them! Back then!... It was you who used your body to protect Xiaoguang and the others! Someone like me is not worthy of..."

Not giving Asuka the chance to continue humiliating him, Shinji Ikari put his finger to Asuka's lips, signaling her to stop talking.

And... Asuka noticed that Shinji Ikari's delicate eyebrows, which were originally as gentle as jade, were now tightly wrinkled together, and there was no smile on his face.

For Shinji Ikari, a young man who always seems to have a gentle smile on his face, such serious anger is extremely rare.

It was Shinji Ikari's heartfelt dissatisfaction that miraculously calmed Asuka's originally extremely irritable mood.

"That's all. Asuka—Eva Unit 02's pilot, Shikinami Asuka Langley—how much effort and dedication she put into the Sixth Angel War... No one knows it better than me, who fought alongside her. She prioritized defeating the Angel more than me, than Misato-san, than anyone else."

So, I don't like to hear anything that denies her efforts, no matter who says it, even if it's her. No one can deny Asuka's efforts... If you keep saying that, I'll really get angry, and then I'll... I'll cry for you, Asuka."

At the end of his speech, Shinji Ikari's face returned to its usual smile, and the atmosphere, which had been a little stagnant due to Asuka's self-abandonment, became warm again with Shinji Ikari's speech.

"So handsome! Shinji-kun! I'm obsessed with you--!"

Ryoji Kaji was in unexpectedly high spirits. He made crackling sounds with the barbecue tongs in his hand and cheered for Shinji Ikari.

And Hikaru Toki and Toji Suzuhara also realized that they only cared about Shinji Ikari's life-saving grace, and actually hurt Asuka's feelings.

The two of them quickly bowed their heads and apologized deeply. Dong Mu Guang even shed tears of guilt. He didn't expect that his negligence would hurt his best friend so much.

"Xiao Guang, you don't have to apologize. I know you meant no harm... I'm not sure about the monkey behind you. Why don't you go and grill some meat and apologize?"

Obviously, being unable to defeat the apostles and having my existence lose its meaning is what I care about most...

But when Shinji Ikari stood up... spoke for her, affirmed her own worth... the pus that had been stagnating inside Asuka for who knows how long... suddenly dissipated like smoke on a gentle breeze...

As expected... Just as Xiaoguang said, I... I feel bad for this idiot...

"Hey, the meat is getting cold! Eat it while it's hot! That's enough serious business. Today, this is just a simple celebration!"

(End of this chapter)