EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 33 A Boy More Beautiful Than Flowers

“Ahhh!!! Be careful!!”

Accompanied by a delicate scream, Shinji Ikari looked at the beautiful girl who fell from the sky speechlessly.

She was wearing a white shirt and a crimson plaid skirt, cute glasses that exuded a girlish charm, and brown twin ponytails.

Every gesture and movement is filled with the youth and vitality of a girl... This is a fragrance that is completely different from Asuka and Ayanami Rei.

But... this girl was frantically adjusting the angle in mid-air, trying desperately to land on the roof of the teaching building, and finally landed on her buttocks, making an emergency landing in front of Shinji Ikari.

“It hurts so much…”

Shinji Ikari deliberately took a few steps back, because according to the landing trajectory, if he didn't step back, she would sit on his face.

"Really? A beautiful girl landed right next to you, and you didn't even try to catch her! That's why they say the Japanese are so cold and indifferent...ah, glasses...glasses?"

Because the other party's origins were unknown, Shinji Ikari did not take the initiative to catch the girl's delicate body... However, when she fell in front of him, Shinji Ikari, who was wearing glasses, instinctively grabbed her because of inertia.

"A normal person would just run away if they suddenly saw a paratrooper attack, not try to catch it... Here, your glasses."

"Ah! Thank you!"

The energetic girl with glasses rubbed her butt while cutting the parachute rope with ease and then put on her glasses again... Only then did she see the face of the boy in front of her clearly.

"Eh... I think I've seen this face somewhere before..."

In an instant, the smile that was originally just one of pure gratitude turned into a playful one... Not only that, she also took the initiative to walk towards Shinji Ikari, and under Shinji Ikari's suspicious eyes, she put her head close to Shinji Ikari's neck, her little nose twitching, and sniffed hard.

"You taste really good..."

Then, he smiled as expected.

"What a coincidence... Ah! Could it be... that you got the news of my arrival in advance and are here to greet me, NERV's little dog?"

——As expected, another NERV-related person... As expected, normal transfer students would not parachute into school.

"Are you the new pilot...the backup?"

Shinji Ikari also guessed the other party's identity... The hairpin on his head is exactly the same as the device he needs to wear on his head when driving EVA... It should be the connection port of A10 nerve.

In addition, she knew she was a NERV employee by smelling her own scent. If there was any characteristic smell of NERV... it was the water of life - LCL solution, which made her feel like it was being burned by fire every time she took a bath.

The only one who meets both the A10 neural connection requirements and is familiar with the taste of LCL solution is the driver.

"Reserve, that sounds really harsh~"

The bespectacled girl gave a wry smile. She could sense Shinji Ikari's wariness towards her. So, to break the ice, she put on a bright and cheerful smile and extended her hand to him.

"Don't be so wary of me! I'll be sad. Your name is... ah! Oh, right! According to Japanese etiquette, you need to introduce yourself before asking someone's name, right? Yes, I know! Japanese Bushido! My name is Makiba! Makiba Mari Elantrias! Thank you for your guidance!"

A typical foreign name... plus he's an EVA pilot who's familiar with the situation here... could he be Asuka's friend?
Although he wasn't sure, he was the first to show his affection... In this nerdy, closed-off NERV world, he seemed to be the first person to open up to Shinji Ikari. So he couldn't help but continue testing the waters.

"Ikari Shinji, as you expected, it's EV..."

"Ikari!! As expected! It's Ikari!"

I originally wanted to openly introduce myself as the pilot of Unit-01, but this girl with glasses who calls herself Makiba seemed to focus not on the latter part but on her last name... Could she be an acquaintance of my father?
"Excuse me, is there anything strange about my last name?" "Of course, let me tell you..."

Makiba seemed to be enjoying Shinji Ikari's bewildered look, puffing out her chest and humming cutely, though I had no idea what she was proud of.

Just like the protagonist in a detective anime announcing the truth, he was about to speak with a smug look on his face.

Detective Makiba's mystery show was interrupted by a rapid ringing of the cell phone.

Makiba didn't try to hide her displeasure and uttered a loud sigh, but she still took out her cell phone and was about to answer the call. However, before pressing the call button, she glanced at Ikari Shinji with a hint of reluctance.

Then she suddenly stretched her neck and leaned over to whisper in Shinji Ikari's ear.

"...I know... Although the expressions are quite different, you look exactly like your mother... I can't believe... that your face matches this heroic expression so well... Please get along well with me from now on, Ikari Shinji-kun~"

Without giving Shinji Ikari a chance to react, he picked up the phone and spoke to the person on the other end of the phone in fluent English. At the same time, as if not wanting Shinji Ikari to hear the content of the conversation, he ran towards the stairs and disappeared around the corner of the corridor in a flash.

…………Is it someone my mother knows?
This is really an unexpected development.

Shinji Ikari did not try to keep her or chase her, but just let Makiba disappear from his sight.

"…Why don't you catch up and ask for clarification?"

"…If you hadn't shown up—perhaps I would have caught up."

Then, a male voice, as beautiful as a blooming flower, came from behind.

There is no doubt that when he was talking to Makiba... there were only Shinji Ikari and Makiba on the entire rooftop.

But the third voice that sounded at this moment... was so natural that people did not feel any incongruity... It was as if this young man was supposed to appear here.

Turning around——I saw the boy.

The same white shirt as Shinji Ikari, the same black trousers as Shinji Ikari...silver-gray hair, crimson eyes.

A handsome man with an unfathomable smile on his face stood abruptly on the fence at the edge of the rooftop.

Even though one step back would bring humans to the brink of life and death, where gravity would cause them to fall and die... he stood there naturally, like a wheel tomb separating life and death.

Eye contact——

The moment Shinji Ikari and the silver-gray-haired boy's eyes met, they both knew it for sure, without any need for any reason or evidence.

They both knew it well and tacitly...

He realized that the other person was not human.

——At least, definitely not a pure human.

"...This time, perhaps, is even more exciting than any other. With so many unexpected guests, there's no script at all... I hope those old folks enjoy improvisation."

The young man had a happy smile on his face and jumped lightly... His whole body floated as if defying gravity, and then landed next to Shinji Ikari.

"... Kaworu Nagisa. This is my name. If you can remember it... I'd be very happy. This time it's going to be completely different... Ikari Shinji-kun."

(End of this chapter)