EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 57 Dong Zhi is really lucky
"Shinji-kun..."

Dong Muguang's voice was a little choked and fearful... He was in a very low mood, and one could even detect a hint of crying.

Looking at the little girl's face, Shinji Ikari knew what had happened without even having to think about it.

As expected, before Shinji Ikari could even open his mouth...Mitsuru Holmaki rushed in front of Shinji Ikari with his emotions on the verge of collapse, and his knees went weak and he was about to fall down.

"Please! Shinji-kun, please...eh?"

Shinji Ikari, who had long anticipated that Hikaru Tomokazu would perform such a great ceremony, naturally would not make the situation troublesome and embarrassing. Before Hikaru Tomokazu knelt down... he took a step sideways to her side and behind, and did not accept her ceremony.

With quick hands and eyes, he reached out and grabbed the collar of Dong Mu Guang's school uniform, lifting the slender body in the air like a cat.

"Don't do that. Kneeling, begging, begging... won't bring anything."

As he spoke, he exerted force on his wrist and swung it hard, forcing the girl to stand in front of him.

Shinji Ikari frowned. His experiences and enlightenment so far made him very resistant to this kind of behavior... where he completely gave up his subjective initiative and just went with the flow, praying and relying on others when encountering problems.

——It was like seeing my past self, which was unpleasant.

"Captain, please speak up if you have anything to say. I can't guarantee I can help you, but I'm willing to listen... But if you insist on speaking on your knees, I'm leaving. Kneel here."

Dong Mu Guang was stunned for a moment, then nodded blankly... Dogeza was just her way of expressing her sincerity... She didn't expect that Shinji Ikari would be so disgusted.

But since the other party is willing to listen to me...just ignore these trivial details.

"Shinji-kun! Please... please, help me persuade Suzuhara. Tell him not to become a NERV pilot. As long as you are willing to help me... I will do anything!"

"I knew it…"

Shinji Ikari held his forehead speechlessly. It turned out to be this couple's trouble again... Why is it never-ending?

"Didn't I tell you last time on the phone that you and Sakura... should have a good talk with Suzuhara together? Let me make it clear, I wasn't the one who persuaded Suzuhara to become a driver, it was..."

"It was his own decision, I know! Last time... after talking to you, Shinji-kun... I found a free time for Suzuhara and had a good chat with him on the phone... and the result... the result..."

Dong Muguang couldn't continue speaking and sniffed a few times in aggrieved manner.

"Did you two end up arguing, or did you say something hurtful to him?"

“… Both.”

The overly classic plot development reminded Shinji Ikari of the prime-time urban soap opera that he was forced to watch with Asuka and Misato last weekend.

"Shinji-kun! You know... Suzuhara is neither as mature as you... nor as outstanding as Xiaoxiang... He is clumsy and rude, has poor learning ability, and is bad at dealing with people... How could such a person possibly pilot an EVA!"

"Team Leader, you wouldn't deliberately take up his break at work to call and scold him, would you? I asked you to have a good chat with him, not to disgust him..."

“—I’m really going to die!!”

A scream, accompanied by tears, finally revealed the girl's true feelings.

"Piloting an EVA and fighting an Angel... You're really going to die... The last time, Shinji-kun, you fought that square Angel in front of us... It becomes a nightmare to me every night... Suzuhara, he's really not as strong as you - he's really... going to die!"

Her body trembled uncontrollably... tears as big as beans fell down... expressing the love that the girl named Doraki Hikaru had for the man she admired.

Unconsciously... the impatience deep in Shinji Ikari's heart at the beginning has disappeared... At this moment, the only emotion in his heart is a little bit of... sigh for Suzuhara Touji.

"Really, that guy Touji... is really lucky..."

Because—whether it was myself, Rei Ayanami, Asuka…or Makiba, or Kaworu Nagisa…

It is natural for any EVA driver to be asked by others to sit in the EVA and fight the apostles.

Only Suzuhara Touji——

There was a person named Tomoki Hikaru who, after realizing how dangerous it was to "fight with the apostles"... something he had taken for granted, would cry out to him... not to go.

Perhaps, this is also the reason why Asuka tried so hard to bring together Hikaru Tomokazu and Touji Suzuhara...

When I was about to go on a dangerous mission... there was no one in this world who would cry and worry about me and tell me not to go...

This is the happiness I can never get no matter how much I wish for it... So, I hope they won't become like me. "Suzuhara... now, he said... he wants to be like you, Shinji-kun! So, Shinji-kun is the only one he listens to... That's why I'm begging you! Please tell him not to go... Okay?"

"That idiot is still saying that kind of thing—"

Shinji Ikari recalled the night of the celebration party... Suzuhara Touji's serious expression... asking him to rely on his own heart to make a decision, whether to become an EVA pilot...

"I want to be an EVA pilot! Because I want to be a man like you!"

Well...that idiot must have said that.

...But if it were me, I wouldn't argue with my girlfriend over the phone from hundreds of kilometers away, causing her to burst into tears! You still need to practice, winter treatment.

"Alright, squad leader... I roughly understand the situation. I'll go talk to Suzuhara."

"real!?"

Hikaru Tomoki was overjoyed. Considering Shinji Ikari's personality... and the words he had advised her before, Hikaru Tomoki hadn't hoped Shinji Ikari would agree to her at first. Unexpectedly...

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not trying to persuade Suzuhara not to become a pilot for you, and of course I wouldn't try to persuade him to become one either... The only person who can make the choices for Suzuhara Touji's life is himself. That's the unshakable premise. I'm just... saying what you left unsaid."

"What did I not say?"

Hikaru Tomoki wondered, "Is there something I haven't said yet? I've already made it clear to him not to drive the EVA..."

"Ah...why don't you understand?"

Shinji Ikari waved his hand.

"You're too stupid to drive an EVA. Doesn't that mean I'm worried about you and afraid you'll die, so don't drive an EVA.

You can't do anything in Matsushiro alone, which means you're leaving me alone in Tokyo-3 in Matsushiro. I'll be lonely and miss you so much that I don't want to be separated from you..."

Before he could finish his words, Dong Mu Guang's face turned red with embarrassment and he interrupted him by dancing around.

"What are you talking about! Shinji-kun, I didn't..."

"Dong Muguang——!"

The sudden shouting of the full name, coupled with the serious face with a restrained smile, instantly overwhelmed Doraki Hikaru with the courage of Shinji Ikari... He fell silent and listened carefully.

"...You must understand that what you are doing now is interfering with the life of a man named Suzuhara Touji. He is at a crossroads in his life, and he is deeply confused... He doesn't know which path is right - and you, whether you are dependent on him or attached to him, you are influencing his judgment. You are making him abandon another path and choose to spend the rest of his life with you."

"..."

On ordinary days, Hikaru Tomoki would have definitely retorted, "It's too early to talk about spending the rest of our lives together!" But the serious atmosphere didn't allow her the courage to offer a joke, so she could only listen to Shinji Ikari's teachings.

"I won't criticize you for doing the wrong thing... but when you interfere with others, at least you should face your own heart and your own feelings. If you are still shy and not frank at this time, Suzuhara will really... go to a place where you can no longer reach her."

Can't argue with that... can't argue with that at all.

Perhaps, I really took this matter too lightly... I thought that as long as I avoided the apostles and avoided danger... I would be doing good for Suzuhara Touji.

But he never considered that he was depriving Suzuhara Touji of another possibility in life.

Unilaterally declaring the topic over, Shinji Ikari shouted towards the rooftop door.

"I'll call Dongzhi when I have time and ask him to stop arguing with you and have a good talk again... That's all I can do—Hey! Enough of eavesdropping! Still eavesdropping! Still eavesdropping! It's become a habit, huh?"

Following Shinji Ikari's call, Asuka walked out somewhat awkwardly... After all, she had just been scolded by Shinji Ikari for eavesdropping last night, and she was caught red-handed again today.

However... what surprised Shinji Ikari was that there was a second eavesdropper... who appeared right behind Asuka.

"Ayanami, how come you like this too?"

[Author’s words:
Because it will be released this month, but I haven't saved any drafts yet, so the update volume in the next few days will not be as large as before.

But 2000 points for one chapter is too short in the morning and afternoon. I'll see if I can finish both chapters before I die of sleepiness at midnight.

I'll just post both chapters together so it's easier to read.]

(End of this chapter)