EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 69 Girls' Love Tea Party

"Eh, it's okay... The chicken isn't fried again... Stupid Shinji, you've been so lazy... The taste is off..."

During lunch break, in the classroom... Asuka put the lunch box prepared by Ikari Shinji into her mouth and chewed it, while frowning and giving harsh comments.

"Hehe, although you say that...but the expression on your face doesn't say that."

Asuka's friend, Hikaru Tomaki, who was having lunch with her across from her, could empathize with the simple emotions expressed by this innocent girl and feel joy... In today's popular term, it's called "Auntie's smile"?
"Really? Hikaru! Stop teasing me! Speaking of which... that idiot has gone up to the rooftop again... I don't know what's so interesting about this shabby city of Tokyo-3, but he goes up there every day, listening to music and gazing into the distance... I never get tired of seeing him!"

"I'm sorry, Xiang... If I hadn't asked you to have dinner with me, you could have gone with Shinji-kun."

Realizing that although Asuka was there in person, her soul had already flown to the rooftop, Tomu Hikaru apologized with a wry smile.

"It's okay, Hikaru, you don't have to apologize. I wanted to eat with you. Who cares about that idiot Shinji? Come to think of it, you ate bread today, Hikaru. That's rare. Don't you usually make your own bento?"

Her tsundere attitude couldn't be more obvious; even Touki Hikaru could see that Asuka was saying one thing and thinking another.

"Because yesterday there was an emergency... didn't the whole city have a blackout? I usually make lunch boxes with leftovers from the previous night... but yesterday, since our whole family was in the bomb shelter, there were no lunch boxes. Speaking of which, Shinji-kun really loves you, Kaoru. The power was only restored in the early hours of the morning, and yet you were able to make such a beautiful lunch box... Shinji-kun must have been up really early."

"…ah."

Only then did Asuka realize, yes... yesterday she and Shinji Ikari were crawling on the lawn to watch the stars... and didn't return home until after two in the morning... and then as expected, she overslept this morning - and was only woken up by Shinji Ikari when he came into the room, so she hurried to school.

I didn't consider the time and effort required to make a bento at all... Tsk, that idiot... Now that I think about it! Didn't I almost not sleep the whole night last night?
In an instant... indescribable joy and resentment were entangled in Asuka's heart at the same time... She resented this idiot for staying up all night for such a small thing, which was too harmful to his body... He could have just eaten bread like Xiaoguang, but he still made such a time-consuming and laborious lunch box.

Asuka was naturally delighted that a simple mention of hers, so long ago, had actually garnered such devotion from Shinji Ikari. This feeling of being valued made her feel lightheaded, as if her body were light and about to float in mid-air.

“No, no…”

Even though she denied it, Asuka couldn't suppress the bright curve of her lips anymore, even though she knew that -

"It's not just for me... Look, there's a bento on Ayanami's desk too. Stupid Shinji made that too, but she was called away by Professor Akagi for an urgent experiment, and since she was required to be on an empty stomach, she left the bento there uneaten... Huh?"

I looked over there, but the bento that should have been placed on Rei Ayanami's desk had disappeared without a trace.

"Is that so... well, after all, there's Ayanami-san... and, Kaoru, it's not easy for you either. Shinji-kun is truly too good, so it's only natural that there would be competition."

Hikaru Tomoki naturally knew that Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami were just as close as Asuka, and that the three of them lived under the same roof... It would not be surprising no matter who won in the end.

"Alright, alright, stop praising him! He's just an idiot!"

"Sometimes I'm really glad. At first... I thought Suzuhara-san liked you, Xiang-chan... If it weren't for Shinji-kun... I really don't know how I would win you over."

"H--!? Don't be ridiculous! How could I possibly fall for that monkey-like thing... Ah, sorry, Hikaru... I didn't mean any harm."

Asuka was stunned, then realized that she was slandering her relative's boyfriend... and apologized anxiously.

"Oh, it's okay, it's okay... Xiang-chan, you're right. Suzuhara is sometimes... really not very smart, clumsy, and rude... Compared to Shinji-kun, there's a world of difference. Oh, sometimes I don't understand why I fell in love with such a guy. Hehe~"

I didn't expect that Tomoki Hikaru would say such harsh words to her boyfriend, but... even though her words were so sarcastic... Tomoki Hikaru's eyes were shining with a happy light that made Asuka envious.

It's like a married woman showing off her harmonious family life...hiss--could it be... "Hey, Hikaru...could it be...could it be...that you've already done...done...done...done...with that idiot Suzuhara?"

"Do...? Do what...?! Wuuuuuuuu!! Xiaoxiang! You, you, you are saying such shameless things!"

From the initial confusion of incomprehension... to the blushing face of sudden realization... Touki Hikaru's innocent reaction made Asuka sure that her best friend had not become an adult before her.

“How is this possible—!”

"Well, we're in this situation after all... and Suzuhara has to go on a business trip there for half a month, so who knows what might happen. So I thought you should just go along with it before we leave... ah."

Asuka was originally talking cheerfully, but when she mentioned the possibility of an emergency...Honaki Hikaru's expression instantly darkened with fear and uneasiness...she immediately knew that her big mouth had caused trouble again.

"Xiao Xiang... you're so mean. I've tried my best not to imagine it..."

"Sorry, I spoke without thinking—"

"...!"

Domiki Mitsuji looked up in slight surprise. If it was the Asuka he had just met... she would never have said the word "sorry" so fluently. This girl... has become frank.

It's only been a few months, and just living with Ikari Shinji... has changed her personality so much... Ah, come to think of it, that idiot Suzuhara is the same... After spending more time with Shinji-kun, he seems to have become a different person.

Shinji Ikari—this guy really does possess some kind of invisible charm.

"Then, as an apology... Xiang, you need to tell me honestly, do you like Shinji-kun?"

Seeing Asuka so sincere and frank, with a face full of guilt...Homaki Hikaru felt much better...and even started to tease her best friend.

"I, I, I don't like it..."

"Xiaoxiang! Be honest! As an apology! Don't lie..."

"I... I don't know... Maybe... um, maybe... I like him... But this feeling is different from the feeling I had towards Mr. Kaji before... So I don't understand..."

Asuka's voice became smaller and smaller, until it was as thin as a mosquito or fly... Her face was almost bleeding from shame.

"Then - let's go ask Shinji-kun together! He's alone on the rooftop right now! Isn't this a good opportunity?"

"Hah?!?! No! Absolutely not!"

"No way—you said the wrong thing, refutation is useless...Okay! Let's go!"

"ah--!!"

Ignoring Asuka's cute resistance, Mitsuru Torumi simply took Asuka's hand and walked towards the rooftop.

(End of this chapter)