Chapter 8
"Are you absolutely sure you're okay with this, Shinji-kun?"
"Misato-san, that is the third time you have asked. And for the third time, my answer remains the same: I don't see any problem with it," I replied, continuing to methodically rotate the device, pressing the required symbols in turn.
It was a curious little trinket provided by Doctor Akagi to give me something to do with the excess free time resulting from the canceled tests. There was nothing supernatural about the device itself: a simple cube with a different shape on each face. The task was incredibly straightforward: there was a vibration and a color indicator. A specific color required pressing one symbol. A vibration combined with that same color required another. Two vibrations meant yet another. The more often you guessed correctly, the smaller the "window" and the less time you had to think about what to press. One mistake, and you start over.
It was an engaging activity, perfect for tuning out extraneous thoughts and focusing on a single point. I had been hooked for three days now, playing whenever I had the chance.
Katsuragi, slowing down at a red light, yawned and rested her face on her arms folded over the steering wheel, watching my movements from the corner of her eye.
"It's just strange that a teenager your age would agree to attend school without a single complaint," drawled the woman, who had managed to return late last night and fall asleep right in the middle of the hallway while taking off her shoes.
Luckily, I had just stepped out to get some juice (orange, of course) and noticed her. I had to play the role of a porter again, dragging the Captain onto her futon.
In the last two weeks of living together, this wasn't the second or even the third such instance. I'm starting to get the sneaking suspicion that Misato finds a certain pleasure in it. Not that it was difficult or unpleasant to handle a soft female body (within reason!), but still...
Losing my rhythm, I missed the required symbol, causing the cube to blink a couple of times and go dark.
Still, I am only human.
"Why should I refuse?" Putting the device back into my backpack, I turned to her. "School is a necessary social institution through which young people develop the ability for social interaction with others."
Katsuragi sighed heavily, peeled herself off the wheel, and slammed the gas pedal as we started moving again.
"Shinji-kun, if you just want to say you're bored sitting inside four walls, then say so. Don't go playing God-knows-who with me," she finished with a harmless smirk.
Locking my hands behind my head, I leaned back in the seat.
"I won't argue; the element of boredom is certainly present. Nevertheless, my thesis stands. School often plays a role that isn't educational so much as..."
"Shinji-i-i..." Katsuragi groaned piteously, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Keep it simple, just keep it simple! I have enough with Ritsuko as it is!"
"Simple, like Rei?" Noticing how the woman's expression contorted, I smirked contentedly.
"Don't you go giving me that grin!" Misato pouted slightly, jerking the steering wheel excessively hard to throw me off balance, but having anticipated her maneuver, I managed to grab the handle in time. "Brat."
Well, what can I do if the Captain practically baits me into acting this way with her reactions? Nevertheless, I didn't cross any lines, keeping everything at the level of friendly ribbing.
As for school...
Well, it was school. Why weep and wail over it? No one was mandating that I graduate with honors; the primary goal was to evaluate my psychological stability within a group. And to keep me occupied while Doctor Akagi sifts through the results of the synchronization test. Apparently, I'll need to participate in another one soon, but Ritsuko hadn't voiced any specific dates, settling for a vague "soon."
Additionally, the suggestion to resume my education came directly from my father, which only solidified my positive response. As practice had shown, Gendo was not the kind of man to do something for no reason.
For instance, establishing a separate school directly sponsored by NERV. There was clearly something important there that I wouldn't mind studying in passing.
And as the final weight on the scales—Ayanami went there too. Though, according to Akagi, she had started skipping classes frequently and, it seemed, her relationships with her peers weren't exactly sunny.
Personally, I was deathly curious to see how Rei interacted with people her own age.
"What are we having for dinner tonight?" Misato inquired, stopping at yet another of the many traffic lights.
"Options?" I propped my head up with my fist, lazily watching the passersby.
Tokyo-3, despite its size, couldn't boast a large population. Most of the citizens either worked for NERV-associated organizations or were otherwise involved in the industrial facilities. Of which, to my surprise, there were quite a few scattered around the area.
And Tokyo-3 knew how to transform.
I learned about this very simply—during one of the drills, I saw with my own eyes how the city literally retreated underground, leaving behind a portion of the buildings that formed thick "walls."
There wasn't much point in guessing the reasons for such a mechanism. Especially not for me, the person who was supposed to pilot a giant robot in a struggle against certain invaders.
"I'm tired of nuggets," the woman scratched her thigh under her skirt. "I don't want noodles. Sushi even less so. Hmm..." Thinking it over, she narrowed her eyes, and then, struck by an epiphany, nearly jumped in her seat. "Shinji, how about pizza?"
Raising an eyebrow, I looked at the Captain.
"Are you sure? Last time, you swore you'd never eat it in my company again," I reminded her of the time Katsuragi had the bright idea of ordering an Italian classic to the house.
Misato frowned slightly, losing a few degrees of her initial enthusiasm.
"Maybe, just this once, you won't..."
"No," I cut her off cold, knowing what she was about to ask.
"But, Shinji," she was forgetting to add the "-kun" suffix more and more often, which was nice. I wasn't going to tell her that, of course. "This is really overkill!"
"In what way?" I protested weakly. "People put pineapple on pizza, right? Right. So what's wrong with oranges?"
Katsuragi's lower eyelid twitched and, with a defeated groan, she slammed her forehead against the steering wheel, causing several pedestrians to jump in surprise at the sound of the horn.
"I am prepared to accept pineapple on pizza, which is already a sacrilege against food. But oranges?.." the woman whispered, shaking her head.
"Either I put oranges on my pepperoni, or I won't eat pizza at all," I delivered the ultimatum.
Hearing a couple of honks behind her, Misato remembered we had been sitting at a green light for about five seconds.
"Kami-sama, why am I being punished like this..." Katsuragi said with an air of defeat, closing her eyes for a moment. "Fine. Violate the pizza however you wish. But if the Italian mafia comes for us, I don't know you!"
Satisfied with the victory, I nodded.
"Don't worry," I smiled slyly. "I'll just tell them how you pour ketchup and mayonnaise on Carbonara."
"You wouldn't dare!" the Captain gasped with feigned horror.
"Oh, believe me, you have no idea what I'm capable of..."
---
Tokyo-3's First Municipal Middle School was unremarkable. A typical three-story building in a classic Japanese layout with separate blocks for clubs and the gymnasium.
After dropping me off at the gates, Misato thrust the papers I needed to give to the Principal into my hands and sped off into the sunset, citing urgent business.
Waving her off, I shrugged and walked through the open gate, near which a security guard was peacefully dozing. Or rather, sleeping in his booth—he didn't even stir at our arrival, continuing to sit with his head bowed.
As I passed him, I paused for a moment, feeling a gaze on me. However, looking at the guard, I didn't notice any change in his posture; he was still dead to the world, the brim of his cap pulled down to his nose.
I hadn't arrived at the best time; the first period had already begun, so the schoolyard was empty. Better for me, fewer prying eyes.
Adjusting the strap of my backpack, I calmly entered the main building and, stopping by the school map posted on the wall, figured out exactly where I needed to go so as not to wander the corridors in vain.
Right, third floor, the last office on the left. Noted.
Double-checking the note clipped to the papers (the Principal's name was Tanaka-san), I strolled leisurely toward the stairs, listening intently to the sounds coming from behind the classroom doors.
Quiet. Too quiet, even.
At my previous school, it had been much noisier. Though, it was probably a matter of student numbers, as logically, there should be far fewer here.
As I walked toward my goal, I habitually noted small details: traces of dirty streaks on the windows (apparently, the students here also handle the cleaning themselves), partially empty classrooms confirming the theory of a small contingent, and the approximate location of the fire exits. Maps are one thing, but it's better to see everything with your own eyes.
On the way, I ducked into the boys' bathroom and splashed water on my face, shaking off a slight drowsiness (I had gone to bed quite late, having gotten carried away with the cube).
Looking at my reflection, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a couple of seconds.
The smell of bleach was masked by the persistent stench of cheap deodorant used to hide the smell of cigarettes. That meant one of the students was messing around with nicotine. Or perhaps a teacher couldn't wait until they got to the smoking area (though an adult clearly wouldn't resort to such a method of camouflage).
Not that I judged, I just... didn't understand. Not only are cigarettes hard to get when you're a minor, but the question remains: what for? You won't gain a reputation by puffing on a cig with forced gravitas these days. Schemes like that were more popular twenty years ago.
Like, to feel like an adult? For that, you're better off getting a six-day job with a twelve-hour schedule and eternal overtime, while saddling yourself from head to toe with loans and a mortgage. Add a couple of kids and an unemployed wife to the set...
Shuddering at the thought, I inwardly thanked my father once more, because of whom I certainly won't have to think about that for the next twenty years or so, and after that... after that, I can take an early retirement. Or get a job somewhere, but for the soul rather than in an attempt to scrape together a hundred or two yen to continue an existence, because one could hardly call such a thing "life."
Drying my hands, I stepped out into the hallway and nearly witnessed an amusing scene: the door to one of the offices in the distance swung open, and an elderly man appeared, pointing a finger toward the exit for someone.
"I will not tolerate such an attitude in my class! Get out and think about your behavior!" he shouted shrilly.
"Okay," a painfully familiar voice replied, followed by its owner with her thick mop of blue hair.
"And be sure to report your behavior to the Principal!" With those words, the teacher slammed the door shut again, leaving Rei standing in the middle of the hallway with a melancholic expression.
After shuffling in place for a bit, she turned and noticed me.
"Oh, normie," the girl waved her fingertips feebly.
Coming closer, I chuckled, taking in Ayanami's appearance.
To be honest... I expected a punk lover to be more "flashy" in her choice of school attire. But the only way she chose to stand out was with rolled-up sleeves and a spiked bracelet on her wrist that slightly clashed with the rest of the look.
Catching my interest, Rei tilted her head and pressed a finger to her chin.
"You got kicked out too?"
"No, I didn't get kicked out. On the contrary, today is my first day," I smiled weakly, showing her my enrollment papers.
"I see..." Ayanami drawled, then gave a luxurious yawn. "Didn't get enough sleep."
"Why?" Remembering the building layout, I started walking toward the stairs leading to the third floor.
"Got sucked into a game," the girl matched my pace without issue. At first, I didn't understand why she was coming along, then I remembered she had also been sent to the Principal, albeit for a different reason than mine.
"Do you have a computer?"
"No," Rei slid her hand under her shirt, the top buttons of which were undone, and fished out a small gaming console. "Cool?"
Blinking, I tried to imagine exactly how she was storing it. Either the girl had a dedicated pocket dimension under her clothes, or... or I was missing something.
"Here, look," without waiting for my answer, Ayanami turned on the device, which, after flickering a couple of times, displayed a colorful menu with a bunch of critters running across the screen. "Pet collector. You're a trainer; the goal is to catch the rarest beasts, train them, and then use them to fight other trainers."
I shifted slightly to the side and, reaching out, pulled the girl by her shoulder toward me, preventing her from walking into a wall.
"Stupid game, but it's addictive. I've collected almost all the pets; there are only three left that are very hard to get," Rei began clicking the buttons rapidly, completely immersed in the gameplay. "And I almost managed to do it last night."
"Almost?" Although such things had never appealed to me, I decided to keep the conversation going. "What stopped you?"
"School."
"You don't like it?"
Ayanami, breathing through her nose, muttered grimly:
"I hate it."
Whoa, a rather "strong" word, considering her character.
"And what exactly causes such negativity?" I slowed down slightly, as the girl had noticeably lost speed, holding the console at eye level.
"Everything," Rei replied succinctly and went quiet, apparently having no desire to go into details.
I didn't push: sometimes you need to know when to stop and not pry where you're not wanted. Don't I want the same for myself? I do. Consequently, it's necessary to treat others with the same understanding.
As a result, the rest of the way to the Principal's office was spent in complete silence, broken only by the clicking of buttons from the blue-haired girl.
Stopping before the door with the "Principal" sign next to it, I gently tapped Ayanami's shoulder with my index finger.
"We're here."
"Yeah, one more minute," she murmured, not even planning to look away from the game.
Shaking my head inwardly, I leaned my back against the wall, closing my eyes to give Rei time to finish her business. Of course, nothing prevented me from leaving her standing here alone while I went to settle my pressing matters, but still...
What's the rush? The school isn't going anywhere, and five or ten minutes of won time won't make a bit of difference to the essence of the universe. Well, in these circumstances, it won't. Sometimes a couple of missed seconds can lead to a catastrophe...
"Oh. Got it. Look," Rei shoved the console in my face, forcing me to snap out of my thoughts.
I looked at a purple hedgehog with four arms doing a breakdance. I don't know what the developers were on, but it clearly wasn't just two lines.
I noticed that the creature had a second mouth full of sharp teeth located in its backside.
Okay, even five wouldn't be enough.
Nevertheless, already imagining what answer was expected of me, I smirked.
"Cool. I'm jealous."
Rei, smiling faintly (causing a barely noticeable blush to appear on her cheeks), turned off the console and tucked it back into the depths of her clothes.
"Be jealous," saying this with unhidden pleasure in her voice, Ayanami added softly: "Lamer."
Resisting the urge to pat the cutie on the head, I peeled myself off the wall and, approaching the office, knocked on the door.
"Yes, yes, come in."
Casting one last glance at Rei, who had stepped up behind my shoulder, I was the first to enter.
The man sitting at the desk, wearing a suit and with a bald spot on his head, scanned us searchingly from head to toe and, with a sigh, pointed to a small sofa sitting near a table in the center of the room.
Waiting until we were seated, Tanaka-san sat across from us and reached out to take the documents Misato had asked me to deliver.
Quickly flipping through them, the Principal let out a quiet sigh and set them aside.
"Before we begin our introductions, Ikari-kun," he removed his half-moon glasses and, after wiping the lenses with a cambric cloth, returned them to his face. "Ayanami-chan, who was it this time?"
"Matsumoto-san," Rei replied indifferently.
Closing his eyes for a couple of seconds, the man shook his head.
"Ayanami-chan, let me guess, you showed him that indecent gesture again?"
The girl nodded calmly.
"I see. You can stand outside and wait for Ikari-kun there. I will tell the teacher that I have had a disciplinary talk with you."
"Thank you. You aren't as much of a buzzkill as he is," with a grateful nod, the blue-haired girl wasted no time getting back to her feet and leaving the office, throwing back at me as she left: "Don't sit here too long, lamer."
When the door closed behind her, I looked at the Principal, and he looked at me.
"Class 2-A, same as Ayanami-chan," Tanaka-san pulled a card with my already-attached photo from his jacket pocket, placed it on the desk, and pushed it toward me. "The password for the school computer is on the back. Don't lose it; it serves as your pass."
Turning the new "ID" over in my hands, I put it into my backpack.
"Free attendance has already been processed, but try not to miss too many lessons if possible."
After waiting a bit longer, I clarified with slight surprise:
"Is that all?"
"Yes, Ikari-kun, that is all," Tanaka-san gave a forced smile. "Welcome to Tokyo-3 First Municipal Middle School. I hope you find your place here."
No, I expected the process to be fast, but... this fast?
"Thank you," coming to my senses, I bowed and stood up from the sofa. "Then am I free to go?"
"Yes, you are free, Ikari-kun."
Confirming once more that he wasn't going to add anything, I slowly left the office, where I immediately ran into Rei patiently waiting for me.
"Well, then, lead me to class," I smiled at her. "Now we're not just neighbors, but classmates too. Are you happy?"
Ayanami, measuring me with an unreadable look from her ruby eyes, nodded silently.
And she didn't even show me the middle finger?
What rapid progress...
---
The initial introduction to the class passed unnoticed under the banner of the second period; besides, Rei and I returned right as it was starting (the break turned out to be quite short).
I walked in, fell under the crosshairs of twelve people's gazes, was called by my first and last name by the teacher, and sent to pick a seat. Fortunately, there were no issues with the latter; the desk next to Rei was empty.
"Now, regarding the question of the start of the Second Impact," drawled the teacher monotonically, standing at the board and looking somewhere into the void. "In fact, its interpretations..."
Listening to him with half an ear, I put my bag on the floor and opened the school laptop, which was bolted into the tabletop.
The blue-haired girl, doing the same, pulled out her console and, using the laptop screen as cover, returned to her game, no longer paying attention to anything else.
Not only a punk, but a gamer too. An... interesting combination.
Connecting to the local network, I entered my login and password, but before I could get used to the interface, I already received half a dozen notifications appearing in the corner of the monitor.
Right, so there's a class chat function here.
Entering it, I quickly scanned the list of participants. Ten girls, among whom one was the Class Representative (the name "Hikari Horaki" was highlighted in red and had a star at the end), and two more boys—Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida. Not a great ratio, honestly. Looking at it from the perspective of social interaction, it stands to reason that I'll eventually have to join the only pair of male representatives. Try to establish contact with them beforehand?
Propping my head on my fist, I looked around surreptitiously, searching for Suzuhara and Aida.
There they were.
The first—in a tracksuit with a buzz cut, sitting there rocking on the back legs of his chair, spitting at the ceiling. Next to him sat the second—scrawnier, with unruly cowlicks and huge glasses. Feeling my gaze, he adjusted his frames, looked at me, and then quickly typed something on the keyboard.
"Hi, Shinji-kun." The sender was Kensuke Aida. Therefore, the buzz-cut one in the tracksuit was Toji.
"Good afternoon, Shinji-kun," Hikari Horaki joined in, the local Class Rep.
Her message seemed to serve as the starting signal, after which greetings showered me from all sides. In general, everyone said hello except for one person currently busy catching critters in a computer game and Suzuhara.
"Hi everyone," I replied, not highlighting anyone specifically. "Glad to meet you all."
After a bit of thought, I went all-in and added:
"If there are any questions, I'll be happy to answer. But nothing too personal," scratching the scar on my wrist, I wedged a smiley face at the end of the message.
With this action, I started a veritable "avalanche."
Apparently, the class hadn't had a new student or any news in a long time, given the enthusiasm with which they latched onto my persona. Nevertheless, most of the questions were duplicates, so by answering one, I satisfied the curiosity of several people at once. It was also lucky that there weren't that many people; twelve is not thirty.
Providing a vague account of where I was from, what my parents did for a living, and what my hobbies were was no problem. I have experience in speaking while essentially saying nothing at all.
"What's your relationship with Ayanami-chan?" was the most frequent question, asked by several girls (including the Class Rep) and Aida as well.
You could say this falls into the personal category, but by making a scene of it, I would only create ground for rumors and various kinds of speculation.
"Ayanami," I whispered under my breath. "Are we friends?"
Rei, without looking away from the game, flipped me the bird.
"We are friends," I answered honestly in the general chat.
A cough came from Kensuke's direction. Wiping his glasses, he elbowed the sleeping Suzuhara, who jerked and nearly fell off his chair. Straightening up, Aida began whispering something fiercely into his ear. Blinking his eyes clear, the tracksuit lover suddenly sat up properly and opened his laptop.
Ping.
"Ikari, are you completely nuts to be hanging out with that crazy girl?" The message was written with errors and clearly in a rush.
Considering the conversation was in the general chat, everyone saw his remark. And the first to react, of course, was the Class Rep.
"Suzuhara-kun, don't you dare talk about your classmates like that!"
"And where am I wrong? She's got bats in the belfry!"
"Suzuhara-kun, stop it!" several more girls joined in, standing up for the blue-haired girl.
Smirking inwardly, I scratched my chin, looking at Rei's concentrated expression as she poked the tip of her tongue out, actively battling another trainer.
Crazy, then? With bats in the belfry?
In that case...
"Correct. I'm completely unhinged," I interrupted the brewing conflict. "Is there a problem with that? :)"
For added effect, I purposefully turned to Toji and Kensuke and smiled softly, closing my eyes. Or rather, I made it look like I was smiling, being perfectly aware of how it looks from the outside. Thanks to my uncle, Saya, Misato, and everyone else who never missed an opportunity to reproach me for scaring people that way.
Suzuhara cringed slightly and was the first to break eye contact, whispering "psycho" under his breath. His companion, meanwhile, immediately lowered his head, pretending he had nothing to do with it.
Satisfied with the result, I returned to my original position, pretending to listen intently to the teacher's lecture.
I am, of course, all for socialization and a friendly group, but I am obligated to state my position beforehand. And if someone isn't happy with it...
Then that's strictly their problem.
---
"Do you think Shinji's doing okay?"
Ritsuko, flicking ash from her cigarette, looked tiredly at Misato, who had decided to spend her lunch break in her friend's company. It was obvious that the friend's opinion on the matter wasn't being taken into account.
"Him? I'll be surprised if he has any trouble at all," Akagi yawned, saving the latest report and closing the program. "He's more flexible than Rei, after all, and capable of adapting to the situation."
"Or making it adapt to him," Katsuragi added, slurping up a portion of instant noodles.
Why the Captain preferred to consume this chemical soup instead of grabbing a bite in the cafeteria remained an insoluble mystery to the doctor since their university days.
"I see you have a very high opinion of him now," the blonde noted, stubbing out her cigarette and standing up to brew a cup of coffee. Which one was this? The fifth? Or sixth?
"Live within the same walls as him for a bit; we'll see how you change your tune," Misato snorted, drinking the last of the liquid and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Shinji is a total brat, but unfortunately, he has some kind of inexplicable charisma. Sometimes you want to strangle him, and the next moment, you want to give him a big hug."
Pouring boiling water over four spoonfuls of black powder, Ritsuko sighed.
"Careful with the hugs; he's only fourteen."
Choking on air, Katsuragi fixed an indignant glare on her friend's back.
"Ritsu!"
"What, 'Ritsu'?" Akagi mimicked her, falling back into her chair and taking a sip of the life-giving sludge. "I have nothing against it myself, but the elder Ikari might misinterpret your attempts..."
"One more word and I'll throw something at you," the Captain threatened.
Despite the fact that Misato actually might do it, the doctor only laughed.
"Alright, alright," leaning back, she took off her glasses and closed her eyes. "As for how he spent his time at school, you'll find out from the report."
"Did you rope Hiroto into this again?"
"Yes. After all, he wasn't given the principal's job for nothing; let him work," taking another sip, Ritsuko crossed her legs. "And I think after Rei's antics, he'll see Shinji as a gift from heaven."
Misato smirked and stretched.
"You're right. I still remember when you were called to school because of your daughter's behavioral problems..." Noticing her friend frown, Katsuragi grinned maliciously.
"I agreed to that for the first and last time. If it weren't for my debt to the Commander... if he weren't here..." Akagi muttered, massaging her nose bridge, not specifying exactly who "wasn't here": the Commander or the debt.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic. You were the one proudly puffing your chest out that evening, saying Rei acted just as you would have," the Captain crossed her arms under her breasts.
Akagi wanted to dispute her words, but after a sigh, she smiled faintly and shook her head.
Of course, the role of foster mother had almost never suited her and, given the chance, she would gladly shed the burden.
It's hard to see the upside of having a "child" when, essentially, you never had parents yourself, leaving you with no understanding of how to raise someone.
Nevertheless, when Ritsuko found out that Rei had broken the nose and jaw of a peer who spoke poorly of Akagi...
It was unexpectedly pleasant.