[ATTENTION PLEASE. THE TRAIN BOUND FOR TOKYO-2, MATSUMOTO CITY, IS NOW ARRIVING ON PLATFORM 3. PASSENGERS ARE REQUESTED TO STAND BEHIND THE YELLOW LINE.]
I held onto my bag and looked up. The train was already there. I didn't remember when it arrived… only that it was suddenly in front of me.
The only thing I remember clearly is that he was standing beside me the whole time. We had been waiting together, and when the train stopped, he said, "From today onward, you will be living with your teacher. Your arrangements have been made."
"Huh? Wh…what?
"Your teacher is a nice person, you'll be fine. He is waiting for you inside the train. You should go now."
He said it without looking at me. He was looking at the big, silver train. I wanted to grab his hand. I wanted to pull on his coat until he had to look down at me, but my hands wouldn't move. They had started shaking.
"Daddy? I don't understand."
I really didn't. I just stared at him, waiting for him to say something more.
[ATTENTION PLEASE. THE TRAIN FOR TOKYO-2 WILL BE DEPARTING SHORTLY. PASSENGERS ARE REQUESTED TO BOARD.]
People started moving around us, stepping past heading toward the open doors. I stayed where I was. Then, without looking at me, he turned around.
"Farewell, Shinji."
He started walking away, his coat swaying with each step, never once turning back to look at me.
"Daddy! Wait! Please don't go!"
He kept going.
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING? Don't leave me alone!"
I tried to move, tried to chase him, but my legs wouldn't listen. They were shaking. I was scared. I didn't know why—I just was.
Tears blurred my vision, and before I knew it, I was crying—loudly, helplessly. My chest hurt as I called out again, "Daddy! Please… stay! I'll be good—I promise! I won't cause any trouble! So please… don't leave me alone! DADDY!"
But he disappeared into the thinning crowd. Everyone else had already boarded. The platform grew quiet, empty except for me and the sound of my own crying.
The train doors remained open, waiting.
"Don't go…"
[ATTENTION PLEASE. THE TRAIN AT PLATFORM 3 IS READY FOR DEPARTURE. ALL PASSENGERS, PLEASE FINISH BOARDING IMMEDIATELY. THE DOORS WILL BE CLOSING SHORTLY.]
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I used to wait…
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I used to wait for something.
I'd check the phone. No message from him.
I'd open the post box. No letter from him.
The phone rang once. I looked at the caller ID. No call from him.
Not that it happened every day. That would've been silly. But often enough that it became part of how my days went.
After a while, I started noticing the signs without really thinking about it. The soft sound of paper sliding through the slot, easy to miss unless I was already listening for it.
I always was. I'd stop whatever I was doing. Mid-step. Mid-page. Mid-note.
Maybe this time.
I never said it out loud. Never even fully thought it. It just… happened.
Maybe this time.
I lived with my teacher, mostly because there was nowhere else for me to go. He made sure I was fed and told me when to go to sleep or go to school, but he didn't ask questions I couldn't answer, and I didn't offer more than I had to.
We existed in the same house for practical reasons, and since we never really pushed each other's boundaries, we got along fine.
It was enough for me.
Except that one time when he told me that I should learn the cello, and that he'd teach me, so I did. It wasn't like I was interested in it or liked it—I just did it, mostly because he told me to. But I didn't hate it either, so I was fine with it.
It worked and so my days kept going.
School. Cello. Reading. Music.
Then the next day and the next. I didn't really think about it.
I didn't really have friends. Sure, there were people I talked to sometimes, but no one who stuck around. No one whose absence would've mattered if they stopped showing up, and I don't think I tried to do anything to change that. Trying always felt scarier than it was worth anyway.
So, I just… didn't.
School. Cello. Reading. Music.
Repeat.
Every time the mail arrived with that sound, the pattern repeated. I'd walk over, pick up the envelope, and see a name that wasn't his. It was always advertisements or official notices for someone else.
I would look at them for a moment, wondering if I'd misread the name, and then I'd tear them up. I wasn't even angry about it anymore I just wanted them gone so I could go back to my routine.
And then I'd go back. School. Cello. Reading. Music. Repeat.
Each time I told myself I wouldn't react. Next time, I wouldn't check right away. Next time, I wouldn't expect anything.
But when the sound came again, I still stopped. I didn't really think much about why.
Then one morning, my teacher called out, "There's a letter for you and It's addressed to you."
I froze for a moment, because every time before, any letter that came was for the house or for my teacher. But this time, it was for me. I walked over more slowly than usual and took it. It looked cold and official, with the name "NERV" and a long string of serial numbers printed across the top. I almost set it aside the way I set aside everything else.
But what caught me off guard was my own name written on it, because it wasn't printed like the rest. It was handwritten.
I thought I recognized the handwriting. I wasn't sure enough to trust myself, so I went and found my Walkman, opened the back, and looked at the label on the tape inside. It was a hand-me-down, not really mine, but the writing on the label matched the writing on the envelope.
That's when the frustration hit me. Why now? Why after so many years? Why send this at all? I didn't want to deal with it. I didn't want to care.
In a moment of frustration, I tore the envelope in half, and then into smaller pieces, without even opening it. Just like always. I let the scraps fall to the floor.
But almost as soon as I did, the anger left me, and I felt a heavy sense of regret. I sat down on the floor and stayed there for hours, surrounded by the mess.
I started picking up the fragments and carefully taping them back together, bit by bit. It was slow work, like trying to fix something that was never meant to be whole again.
While I was doing it, there was this sense of dread forming inside me, as if once everything was whole, I wouldn't like it… like it would break my comfortable routine, and I wouldn't be able to go back to the way things were.
And when those thoughts came, my hands would stop. I'd leave it there. But after a few hours, because of that same strange feeling, I'd come back and start putting the torn paper together again from where I left off.
Once I had most of it reassembled, I finally read what was inside.
[COME TO TOKYO-3, SHINJI]
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"Tell me Shinji-kun why did you come all the way here?"
"Don't run away now! Don't run away now! Don't Run away now!"
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"GET IN THE EVA, SHINJI."
"Now, I can't do this. This is crazy Because there's no way someone like me can do this. I can't I can't."
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"I'll do it. I'll be the pilot."
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I don't understand what is this?
Suddenly, it felt like my entire vision had been swallowed, and all I could see was orange.
Everything felt warm and heavy. A thick liquid pressed against my skin, filling my nose and my lungs. I knew I was breathing, but the sensation felt wrong. It was a constant struggle against the weight of the fluid.
"Aaaahhh… ackh —"
Out of nowhere, pain tore through my body. I didn't understand what was happening.
"It hurts…"
"It hurts… make it stop…"
I couldn't even tell where it hurt anymore. It was everywhere. My whole body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside.
"Stop… please… stop…" I couldn't breathe properly. I couldn't think properly. Every time I moved, the pain got worse.
"Why…?"
I tried to focus my eyes, searching for where the noise around me was coming from, but my vision stayed blurred until a flash of green suddenly cut through the orange.
At first, I thought it was a light.
But it wasn't. It was an eye. A massive green eye staring directly at me through the darkness.
Then I heard it. A loud shout.
"SHINJI-KUN! RESPOND."
________________________________________
Shinji's body shuddered against the hospital bed.
His eyes snapped open as he suddenly coughed a little, as if trying to force liquid out of his lungs. For a moment, all he could hear was the distant sound of cicadas outside, blending together with the steady rhythmic pulse of the monitors nearby.
As he looked around, a slow wave of relief began to spread through him. Everything around him was mostly white, with the faint smell of disinfectant and medicine lingering in the air.
He lay there for a long time, his breathing gradually slowing to match the steady, rhythmic pulse of the monitors nearby. He didn't turn his head to look for an exit or a nurse instead he simply stared blankly at the ceiling above him before quietly muttering,
"…I don't know this ceiling."
________________________________________
—crrrk— —tzzz…. Yesterday— tzzz—a state of special emergency—
By the following morning, Tokyo-3 had already begun cleaning up the remains of yesterday.
—tzzz—has been declared for the Tokai region and surrounding Mid-Kanto areas following a large-scale disaster—
A massive temporary barricade had been erected around one of the worst-hit districts.
[DANGER: KEEP OUT]
Large sections of the battle zone remained sealed off as cleanup crews moved through the destruction.
"What unit is that from?"
"Left shoulder armor from Unit-01."
The younger NERV worker stared at the damaged plating being hauled onto a transport carrier. "That much got ripped off?"
"That's nothing, newbie" the first one said, pointing up. "Look at the head."
A loud whistle echoed across the district as several workers began clearing a path.
Above them, a specialized heavy-duty crane slowly lifted the head of Unit-01 from a crater.
"WATCH THE CLEARANCE!"
The massive head swayed slightly in the air as workers carefully guided it forward. The purple armor was burned in several places, and its broken jaw hung open while heavily damaged sections had been wrapped in protective cloth.
"MOVE IT SLOWLY! MOVE IT SLOWLY!"
"…How the hell are they supposed to repair that? Just look at the damage."
"Don't think about that, newbie. Just be glad that's someone else's problem," the older worker replied. "All we can do is feel bad for them."
—crrrk—
—tzzz—government official—crrrk—ntinue to assess the large-sca—tzzz—amage caused by yesterday's disaster—
Neither of them looked like they were listening anymore.
________________________________________
Further away, in a secure conference room buried deep beneath NERV Headquarters, heavy gates opened, and Gendo Ikari, the supreme leader of NERV, entered the dark room and stepped onto a metal plate in the center of it.
Five great black monoliths materialized in a circle around him. Each one was numbered SEELE 01 to SEELE 05 and emblazoned with the words "AUDIO ONLY".
Gendo kept his attention focused directly in front of him, on SEELE 01. He stayed silent and waited for one of them to say something.
Finally one of them spoke, "The Angels have returned far sooner than anticipated."
The voice echoed through the room without direction, as if it came from everywhere at once.
"It is just like fifteen years ago… a calamity never announces itself before it arrives," another followed.
A short pause lingered before another voice spoke, "In a way, this may be considered a blessing. It proves our previous investments were not made in vain."
"That remains to be seen," another interrupted. "If Evangelion proves ineffective, then all of it was simply wasted money."
"Indeed."
"The spread of information regarding yesterday's incident has already begun," one of the monoliths continued. "Containment will not be easy."
"A proper disinformation campaign must be implemented immediately."
Gendou adjusted his glasses slightly as he spoke. "Those concerns are already being addressed. Rest assured."
An amused response followed. "Well, that is certainly reassuring."
"Ikari, can you manage NERV and the Evangelions more efficiently?" one of the monoliths to his right wheezed.
"First Unit-00 was rendered inoperable and now Unit-01 requires major repairs immediately after its first deployment." the one directly to his left chimed in.
"These repair costs alone could bankrupt many nations."
A dry voice followed, "Will it be ready for the next encounter, Ikari? If it can fight and annihilate the upcoming Angels, then these costs are tolerable to some extent."
A brief silence passed before Gendo spoke up again.
"There is no need for such concern. Deployment will continue as scheduled. Unit-01 is already under repair and will return to full combat status shortly. Unit-00 is also fully repaired. Once the First Child has recovered from her injuries, it will return to active duty. Furthermore, Unit-02 and its pilot in Germany are currently undergoing deployment qualification exams."
"The construction of Unit-03 is also progressing as planned," one of the monoliths added.
"And what of the 'Autonomous Evangelion Intelligence Program'?" another voice asked. "How is that coming along?"
"It is proceeding well. The acquisition of the Zeroth Child has allowed us to accelerate the progress of the Advanced Dummy System. It is nearing completion. We plan to integrate it with Unit-04 as soon as the necessary conditions for Unit-04 are fulfilled."
A faint pause followed before he continued.
"If all proceeds smoothly, we may soon have the first autonomous Evangelion with human-like cognition at our disposal."
"Then we are counting on you not to disappoint us, Ikari." one of the monoliths responded. "It is your duty to ensure that NERV and the Evangelions are utilized properly for our ultimate goal."
SEELE 01 spoke next, its voice heavier than the rest.
"THE HUMAN INSTRUMENTALITY PROJECT… our ultimate goal. That should be your top priority."
"I understand," Gendo said. "Everything will go according to SEELE's scenario."
"Alright. Now, the rest of this meeting concerns only us. Your presence here was appreciated, Mr. Ikari."
One by one, the monoliths disappeared, their forms dissolving into darkness until only SEELE 01 remained. Gendo kept his focus on it, waiting.
"Ikari," the monolith spoke, "You do understand there can be no turning back, don't you?"
Then it vanished as well, leaving Gendo alone in the dark room.
"I know," Gendo said quietly to the silence. "Mankind has no time left."
________________________________________
Back on the surface, a UN military transport truck pulled up near the wreckage site. From it, NERV's Chief Tactical Officer Katsuragi Misato and Head Scientist Akagi Ritsuko stepped out, squinting against the sunlight. They were dressed in standard NERV field suits, light protective gear suited for hazardous zones.
The truck radio continued buzzing in the background: "This morning at the Prime Minister's office in Tokyo-2… the government held a press conference, assuring all citizens that everything is now under control. Officials claim UN forces were—"
Before it could continue, Misato reached in and switched it off. She let out a quiet sigh as she looked over the destruction.
"So, they went with Scenario B-22, huh? Once again, the facts get buried."
Ritsuko, who had already turned her attention toward the far end of the site, replied calmly, "At least the Public Affairs Office is happy. They say they finally feel useful now."
Misato gave a short laugh, "Well, I sure do appreciate that kind of optimism."
"To be honest, I think they're more scared than anything."
Misato's eyes narrowed as she scanned the horizon. "Yeah… they have very good reason to be."
Before either of them could say anything else, a man hurried toward them, drawing their attention.
"Captain Katsuragi! Dr. Akagi! You need to see something. Now."
"What is it?"
"We found someone. In the outer perimeter, near Access Route 7. He was—" The man hesitated, glancing back in the direction he came from. "Just… come with me and see."
They followed him through the checkpoint and along the outer perimeter of the recovery zone, moving past cordoned sections and scattered debris until they reached a building near Access Route 7.
"Up there," the man said, pointing to an external emergency ladder that was still clinging to the side of the building.
Misato didn't wait. She grabbed the side rail and started climbing, Ritsuko followed after her, while one of the workers below held the ladder in place.
The wind picked up slightly as they reached the top. A few personnel were already on the rooftop, standing off to the side. They shifted back as Misato and Ritsuko stepped onto the surface and walked toward the edge.
About twenty meters away, a figure sat against the central concrete pillar of the building's ventilation unit, seated at the edge of the roof with one leg hanging loosely over the drop. Its clothes were shredded and darkened with blood, and a thick layer of grey dust coated its hair.
"…That's him," one of the workers muttered.
Ritsuko's eyes instantly widened with recognition. "That is Hikigaya…"
Misato's expression turned alarmed as she muttered, "Why is he in this condition…?"
Neither of them waited for an answer and moved instantly toward him. Up close, there was a cigarette hanging loosely between his lips, already burned out. His hand lay in his lap, fingers loosely curled around the charred, blackened remains of a NERV ID card.
"He's alive," one of the workers said from behind them. "Found him like this about twenty minutes ago. Pulse is there."
Ritsuko immediately crouched down beside Hachiman, her hands hovering uncertainly as she tried to assess his condition.
"Get emergency medical assistance up here, now!" Misato called out sharply, already turning toward the others. "Bring Field Ambulance as soon as possible!"
Turning back, she demanded, "How is he, Ritsuko?" But there was no reply.
"…Ritsuko?"
"Hey, Ritsuko!" When she still didn't answer, Misato knelt on the other side of him. It was only then that she saw it. Hachiman was completely unresponsive, his left eye shut tight, but his right eye was partially open. It wasn't a blank stare; the pupil was tilted sideward, fixed in a cold, glassy gaze that was staring directly into Ritsuko's eyes.
"W…what a weird kid… who sleeps like that?" Then she shook Ritsuko's shoulder lightly. "What's the matter, Ritsuko? It's not like you to freeze up like this."
Ritsuko blinked, snapping back like someone had flipped a switch. "I was… just thinking what could've caused this kind of trauma," she said, while avoiding looking at him directly. She stood quickly, brushing off her gloves. "I'll grab the first aid kit from the truck and patch him up until the field ambulance gets here."
She hurriedly left the area, her pace faster than usual. Yet, even as she moved away, Hachiman's right pupil drifted in its socket, following her retreating form with mechanical precision. His gaze didn't flicker toward Misato or the other workers even once; it remained anchored solely on Ritsuko.
Misato sighed and reached out, gently closing his eyelid with her thumb. "You're going to have some serious redness and irritation later if you keep that up,"
The wail of sirens cut through the heavy silence a moment later. Emergency medical staff rushed onto the roof lifted him onto a stretcher, and carried him off toward the field ambulance without wasting a second.
As the stretcher disappeared into the back of the field ambulance, Misato's eyes lingered on it for a moment before shifting to Ritsuko. On the surface she looked as composed as ever, but Misato caught it a faint trace of paleness in her face, subtle enough that anyone not paying close attention would have missed it.
"You alright? Ritsuko" Misato asked.
Ritsuko gave a quick glance back, "Of course I am. Why are you asking that? Is there something wrong?"
Misato shook her head lightly. "No, It's nothing. Maybe it was just me."
________________________________________
Shinji stood in the middle of the hospital corridor, not quite sure of what he was suppose to do.
A thin IV line was still taped to his wrist, and the metal stand rattled awkwardly against the floor every time he shifted his weight. Even though the fluid bag had been empty for a while, no one had come to tell him he could leave, and he didn't have the courage to pull the needle out himself.
So he just stayed there, half-tethered to the stand as he slowly turned toward the nearby window. Below the hospital grounds, a wide stretch of forest spread across the landscape. The constant sound of cicadas drifted in faintly from outside, filling the quiet corridor with their endless noise.
Past the trees, far off in the distance, Tokyo-3 rose against the horizon. From this far away, the city almost looked peaceful. But Shinji still remembered what it had looked like yesterday the ruined streets, the collapsing roads, the massive craters torn through entire sections of the city during the battle. And yet, even after all of that, much of Tokyo-3 still looked strangely intact.
Many of the buildings were still standing, towering quietly over the damaged streets below. It felt strange to see it looking so still and quiet now.
"How odd."
He had only just spoken when the silence was suddenly broken by the sound of rushing footsteps. Medical staff hurried past him, moving with an urgency that caused him to shrink back against the window.
Shinji watched as they wheeled a stretcher by, carrying a strange boy who looked slightly older than him. The boy was pale and unconscious, with gauze wrapped over his right eye, and before Shinji could properly process what he was seeing, the staff had already carried him away without a word.
He stood there for a moment longer before he slowly lowered himself to the floor. The IV line pulled tight as he sat, forcing his arm into an awkward, raised position, but he didn't bother to adjust it. He just sat there with his knees drawn inward and his eyes unfocused, finally letting his mind drift back to everything that had happened yesterday.
'Release final safety lock. Evangelion Unit-01, lift off.'
'Shinji! Can you hear me? You have to hurry—you need to get up!'
'Ghhhnn—ahhh—stop!'
'Stay calm, Shinji! It only feels like your arm is hurt. You'll be alright!'
'Nnghh—ahhh—hurts hu...rts.'
'LEFT FOREARMS DAMAGED. CIRCUIT BREAKTHROUGH.'
'Uhhhhhnnn—AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!'
'THERE'S A FRACTURE IN THE CRANIUM. The armor won't be able to take much more damage.'
'Pilot vital readings have been lost.'
'SHINJI-KUN! RESPOND.'
He suddenly flinched as something touched his shoulder.
"Hey."
He blinked a few times at the sound of the voice before slowly looking up.
Misato was crouching beside him in the corridor, one hand still resting lightly on his shoulder while the other balanced against her knee. She looked at him for a moment before letting out a small sigh.
"What are you doing sitting on the floor in the middle of the corridor, Shinji-kun?"
He stared at her blankly for a second, as though he was still trying to separate the present from the memories in his head.
"…I don't know."
Misato stared at him for a moment longer before giving a small shrug.
"Well… if you say so."
She slowly stood back up and brushed a few wrinkles from her jacket.
"The doctor said you're alright now, so they're discharging you. Which means it's finally time for us to leave this place."
"…Alright."
Misato reached over and tapped the empty IV bag hanging beside him, her eyes flicking to the line still taped to his wrist. "First, we should probably get someone to take this thing off you before you accidentally drag the whole stand home with you."
Shinji looked at the IV line still taped to his wrist as if he had forgotten it was even there. Then Misato's expression became just a little more serious.
"Also, before anything else, you'll need to come with me to NERV Headquarters. They're going to decide your living arrangements and everything else there."
Later, after being discharged from the hospital, Misato and Shinji found themselves standing on the vast gridded floor deep within NERV Headquarters.
Misato crossed her arms as she looked toward the suited man responsible for NERV's logistics, who stood across from them in the massive chamber.
"So, Shinji is going to live alone?" she asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice.
"Correct. His quarters will be a room in Block Six nearby." He paused briefly before adding, "The room has already been prepared. If there are no objections, he can move in immediately."
Then his attention shifted toward Shinji.
"Is that acceptable for you?"
Shinji stood quietly for a moment before giving a small nod.
"Yes, sir."
Misato's eyes searched his face, her brow faintly furrowed with concern. "Is that really okay, Shinji-kun? Being by yourself?"
Shinji's eyes drifted away from hers. A small, forced smile appeared on his face.
"It's fine, I prefer being alone. It's all the same to me."
But Misato didn't seem convinced as she continued looking at him with a silent expression. 'It's all the same to me.'
Only fourteen years old, and already saying things like an exhausted salaryman. It didn't sit right with her. Not right at all.
As soon as she could pull away from the formal proceeding, Misato grabbed the nearest secure telephone and dialed her friend's direct line.
"I've decided, Ritsuko! Shinji is going to live with me."
From the other end of the line came a surprised voice.
"…Excuse me? What did you just say?"
"I said, instead of him living all alone by himself, it's better if he lives with me. And before you say anything, I already got permission from the top brass."
A long sigh echoed through the receiver. "Misato… are you serious?"
"Oh, relax! It's not like I'm going to try any funny business with a kid," She joked.
"OF COURSE NOT!" Ritsuko practically shouted. "How can you even say something like that?! Honestly, sometimes I really can't believe you."
Misato pulled the phone away from her ear for a second, wincing at the volume.
"Geez… you seriously need to learn how to take a joke, Ritsuko."
She could practically hear her friend pinching the bridge of her nose on the other end. After a moment, Ritsuko calmed down. "So, you're his guardian now, then?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"I assume you didn't just call to tell me about your new roommate. Right?"
Misato's smile faded a little.
"Yeah… you're right." She leaned lightly against the nearby wall. "I also wanted to ask how he's doing now. Hikigaya-kun, I mean."
There was a brief pause before Ritsuko answered.
"He was injured pretty badly, and it also looks like he was involved in some kind of accident before we found him. But he's stable now. It'll probably take a few days before he can return to his normal routine."
"…That's good. I'm really glad to hear that." Then her expression slowly tightened with confusion.
"But seriously… what the heck was he even doing in the middle of all that? From what I read in the reports, he isn't a pilot candidate, right? His synchronization with an actual EVA was heavily unstable. So, there shouldn't have been any reason for him to be anywhere near NERV, especially during an Angel attack."
"Yeah, you're right. He shouldn't have been there. We weren't planning to use him at all," Ritsuko replied from the other end. "But from what I can tell, there seems to have been some kind of miscommunication on both sides that led to all this."
"Miscommunication… huh." Misato frowned slightly. "That's unfortunate, but it's still strange how nobody from NERV had any idea that—"
Then suddenly, she froze as a look of realization slowly spread across her face, her mind drifting back to yesterday.
After the N² blast had destroyed her car, she and Shinji had been speeding through the outer ring road trying to reach Headquarters.
And during all of that—
Didn't they pass something on the side of the road?
No…
Someone.
"MISATO-SAN! There's a zombie on the side of the road!"
"AH! YOU'RE RIGHT! DON'T LET IT BITE YOU, SHINJI!"
Then she had immediately stepped harder on the accelerator.
'…Uh,'
'Uh oh.'
'…Uh, damn. Don't tell me that was Hikigaya-kun. No way.'
She had only seen him for a split second, but the appearance of that zombie like person and the way she found Hikigaya-kun on roof. An intense wave of guilt surged through her chest. She tried to push it down. 'Maybe I'm overthinking it. Who knows…'
"…Misato?" Ritsuko's voice called out through the receiver. "Why did you suddenly go silent?"
"U-Uh? N-Nothing, I was just thinking about something."
Ritsuko didn't sound convinced, but Misato pressed on quickly. "So, he's awake, right? Can I visit him?"
"Well… you can try," Ritsuko answered carefully. "But things are a little complicated at the moment."
"Complicated how?"
"Although he isn't showing it outwardly… from what I heard, he's pissed. Apparently, he doesn't want to see anyone from NERV other than medical staff right now. He specifically requested that nobody from the organization visit him. Even the people who ignored that request and tried to investigate got completely shut down."
"Wait… really?" That clearly wasn't the answer Misato had expected.
"Yep, not only that he's even demanding to be transferred to a normal hospital, and he insisted on paying for his own treatment because he 'doesn't want to accept charity from NERV for something he himself is responsible for.'"
"You still want to see him, right?" Ritsuko asked. "Considering his attitude right now, you should probably wait a few days. Who knows, maybe you'll be able to get through to him later."
"Yeah, yeah... I understand," Misato sighed. "Thanks for the update, Ritsuko. I gotta go now."
She hung up and stared at the telephone for a long moment, quietly processing everything she had just heard.
"Are you done, Misato-san?"
She turned around to see Shinji waiting behind her. She quickly forced a smile back onto her face. "Yeah! Go on ahead, Shinji-kun. I'll catch up in a second."
Once he walked away, she took a deep breath and dialed the medical department's internal extension.
"NERV Medical department," a voice answered.
"This is Captain Katsuragi. I'd like to speak with one of your patients, Hachiman Hikigaya."
The person on the other end hesitated. "I'm sorry, Captain, but he's currently not accepting any calls."
"Please, just ask him. Tell him it's important."
"Fine. Please hold."
Misato waited in the silence of the hallway, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. After a few minutes, the voice returned, sounding even more uncomfortable than before.
"Um… Captain Katsuragi? I gave him the message. He told me he's in the middle of drafting a very long, very specific list of complaints against a certain reckless driver, and he asked that you don't interrupt his flow."
"Yeah… I figured. Thanks."
Misato slowly lowered the phone, the dial tone buzzing in her ear like a headache. She didn't need to guess who that "certain reckless driver" was.
Well, in the end, that pretty much confirmed her suspicions. That zombie really was Hikigaya-kun. Realizing that only made her mood sour even further.
________________________________________
A blue sports car moved through the quiet streets of Tokyo-3 as the evening sun slowly began sinking toward the horizon, casting long orange shadows across the city. All around them, emergency crews were still working on the damage from the previous day's battle. In the distance, large cranes moved slowly, looking like giant machines cleaning up a massive mess.
Misato kept one hand lazily on the steering wheel as the city passed by outside the windows. Every now and then, she glanced toward Shinji from the corner of her eye.
He sat stiffly in the passenger seat with bandages wrapped around his hands, staring out the window as if he expected the city to disappear.
"Alright! Shinji-kun" Misato declared loudly, breaking the silence with far more energy than the atmosphere probably needed. "Tonight, we are gonna have an amazing paaaarrrrttty!"
Shinji blinked and slowly turned toward her. "…Party? For what?"
"A welcome party, obviously! For the arrival of my new roommate," Misato replied with a grin.
Shinji looked back at the mountain of shopping bags stuffed into the rear seats overflowing with snacks, beer cans, juice cartons, and other household supplies and asked hesitantly,
"Is that why you bought this much stuff in advance. Misato-san? Just how many people are coming? It doesn't look like something just the two of us can finish…"
Misato let out a small laugh, "Yeah, you've got a point. Well, there's going to be a third person joining us. To be honest, I wanted it to be four of us, but things didn't work out with the other person, so it'll just be the three of us for now."
"Who is the third person, then?" Shinji asked.
"Just an old friend of mine, and don't worry, she's pretty cool. Well… most of the time."
That didn't really explain much, but Shinji nodded anyway. The car continued down the road for another few moments before Misato suddenly spoke up again.
"Oh, right. Before we head home, we're gonna take a little detour first."
"A detour to where?"
"Somewhere very special."
Eventually, they arrived at a high overlook and stepped out of the car. From where they stood, Tokyo-3 stretched across the valley below them as far as the eye could see. Shinji slowly walked over to the railing and leaned against it, quietly watching the long shadows spreading across the streets below as the sun continued to sink toward the horizon.
"For such a huge city… it feels kind of desolate, doesn't it?" he said softly.
Misato checked her watch and looked toward the horizon. "Look, it's time."
Suddenly, a loud siren began to echo through the valley. Deep, mechanical sounds rumbled from beneath the earth, and the ground itself seemed to move. Shinji watched in awe as massive buildings began to rise slowly from underground. Hydraulic systems hissed and metal plates clanked together as entire city blocks emerged into the sunset.
"Oh! Wow, the buildings are sprouting from the ground!"
The city was transforming right before his eyes, changing from a flat landscape into something that looked like a massive mechanical fortress rising out of the earth.
Misato stood beside him, watching the city take its final shape. "You know, most people don't really bother coming up here to look at the city from above. Do you know why that is, Shinji-kun?"
"Um… uh…" Shinji hesitated awkwardly. "Maybe it's because fuel is getting more expensive?"
"Yeah. Maybe a little, but not entirely."
She rested her arms against the railing as she looked down at the city below.
"It's because when your life feels like it's full of problems, it's easy to forget the bigger picture. We all have our own struggles. But when people join together and fight back, amazing things can happen. This city only exists because everyone came together and refused to give up."
Her voice became a bit softer as she looked down at the valley. "After the Second Impact, most people thought that was the end. They thought civilization was over and humanity was done for. But people decided to rebuild anyway."
She gestured toward the skyline. "And you see, this entire city was created as a fortress specifically designed to face and defeat the Angels. This is Neo-Tokyo-3… and this is our city."
She then turned to look at him, her expression becoming more serious, yet gentle at the same time.
"And what's more… it's the city that you protected, Shinji-kun."
Shinji stayed silent, looking down at the massive towers he had fought to save. The rumbling of the machinery finally stopped, leaving the city standing tall and strong in the fading light of the evening.
________________________________________
By the time they finally reached the apartment complex, night had already settled over the city. The bright noise of the city had faded into a distant hum as Misato and Shinji walked down a long sterile hallway lined with gray concrete walls and dim ceiling lights. Their footsteps echoed faintly through the corridor while Shinji quietly carried a few of the shopping bags in his bandaged hands.
"Looks like they already moved your stuff here, Shinji-kun," Misato said as they approached a door marked M. KATSURAGI. "Also, to be honest, I recently moved—"
"Misato, you're late." A voice suddenly interrupted her before she could finish.
Misato jumped slightly and looked toward the door. Standing right by the entrance was a woman with long black hair, wearing a white lab coat over a black vest and a dress shirt. She was crossing her arms and looking at Misato with a very annoyed expression.
"You're almost half an hour late, don't you think it's a bit rude to invite someone over and then show up late yourself?"
Misato laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head. "Shizuka-chan! I'm really sorry about that. There were circumstances! Very complicated circumstances! After everything that happened yesterday, things have been completely chaotic."
"And to make up for it, I also brought some really good donuts." Misato raised the bag slightly as if presenting a peace offering.
Shizuka let out a long sigh, some of the irritation leaving her expression as she looked at Misato more carefully. It seemed she understood there was probably more truth behind those words than excuses.
"…They better be chocolate."
"They are."
"Fine, fine… Let's just get this so-called party of yours started then."
Shinji stood behind Misato, clutching the grocery bag and looking at the woman in confusion. This must have been who she was talking about earlier.
She shifted her gaze toward Shinji. Her eyes softened a tiny bit, though she still looked tired and a little grumpy. "And I assume this is the new transfer student you told me about?"
"Oh, right!" Misato stepped aside and gestured toward him. "Shinji, this is Shizuka Hiratsuka. She's a teacher at your new school and a colleague of mine. Shizuka, this is Shinji Ikari."
Shinji bowed quickly, feeling a bit awkward with his hands full of groceries. "Nice to meet you."
Shizuka sighed, her annoyance seemingly fading into exhaustion. "Nice to meet you too, kid. Now, are we going to stand in the hallway all night, or are you actually going to open the door?"
"Right, right! Coming through!" Misato fumbled with her keys for a moment before finally unlocking the door and pushing it open.
"Uh, thanks for having me…" Shinji muttered quietly as he began to enter.
Misato stopped and looked back at him, "Shinji, this is your home too."
Shinji took a slow breath and stepped over the threshold into the darkened entryway. A small blush crept onto his face. "I-I'm home."
"Welcome back,"
A faint smile had appeared on her face without her even realizing it as Hiratsuka watched the awkward exchange between the two of them. Misato looked equally surprised for a second before her expression softened into a satisfied grin.
"See? You're already getting the hang of it."
A little while later, the three of them were gathered around the low table in Misato's absolutely messy apartment. Misato and Shizuka each held cans of beer in their hands while Shinji sat across from them with a large glass of orange juice.
"Alright then!" she declared loudly. "To humanity's first victory against the Angel!"
"Cheers!" they all said together as they clinked their drinks together.
At the exact same time, both Misato and Hiratsuka tilted their heads back and chugged their entire cans in one go. They slammed the empty cans back down on the table simultaneously, letting out a long sigh of relief.
Shinji stared in mild horror as both cans were emptied within seconds.
"Ahhhhhhh… after a day like this, this is what makes life worth living."
"You're soooo damn right, Misato." Hiratsuka replied while wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
Misato laughed and draped an arm around Shinji's shoulder, pulling him a bit closer.
"And you, Shinji-kun, are extremely lucky! because from now on, you're gonna be under the guidance of the amazing Shizuka-chan!"
"Misato, stop introducing me like I'm some legendary martial arts master."
"Even though she's technically a high school teacher, she's still going to look after you." Misato continued while pointing at Hiratsuka.
Shinji looked between the two of them, sounding a bit confused. "But... isn't I supposed to be in middle school? If you're a high school teacher, how are you going to be involved with my classes?"
"That's usually how it works, but things are a bit different here in Tokyo-3. Most of the schools here are combined Junior-Senior high schools." Hiratsuka explained while opening another beer can. "It's more efficient that way, especially after everything that happened following Second Impact. Middle school and high school divisions are usually managed together."
"Oh, I see," Shinji replied.
"So if you run into any problems at school, or if you need help with anything, you can come talk to me whenever you want."
Shinji lowered his head politely. "Thank you very much."
Hiratsuka waved it off casually, but after a moment, her expression gradually became more serious as she looked back toward Misato.
"Misato, you already know why I really wanted to talk to you tonight, right? I've been waiting for a report all night."
Misato's smile faltered. "Yeah... I'm well aware. That's why I asked you to come over."
"More than anything, I want to know where the heck Hikigaya is, what happened to him? Where did he go? I can't get a hold of him, and I have no idea where he disappeared to after he ran away from the shelter."
A nervous smile slowly spread across Misato's face as she instinctively leaned back a little.
"Wellllll… I'll tell you everything," Misato said, her voice a bit shaky. "But first, you have to promise me something. You have to promise you aren't going to use that 'annihilating bullet' punch of yours on me once I'm done. Okay?"
Hiratsuka said nothing and simply stared at her in silence. Misato's nervous smile twitched.
"…Shizuka-chan?"
"Y-You promise, right?"
Misato slowly shrank back further into her seat.
"…Right?"
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Author's Note
Hey everyone, Chapter 6 is finally complete. With this, the second arc of the story has officially begun.
This entire chapter was mainly meant to explore NERV's side of the story a bit more while also putting more focus on Shinji Ikari's character, since he's going to be one of the most important characters in this story alongside Hachiman. We really hope we managed to capture Shinji's characterization well.
Starting from the next chapter, we'll be returning to Hachiman's side again, and the Oregairu cast will properly start coming back into the story as well. There's still a lot left to cover, but honestly, we're really looking forward to writing those upcoming parts.
That's all for now. Thank you very much for reading and for sticking with the story so far. We truly appreciate the time and support you've given this project.
As always, feel free to share your thoughts below. We really enjoy hearing from you all.
Stay tuned for more.
—CacciaFulmini & Raijinmaru_K2