Tokyo-3, Shinjuku Kabukicho District, Akasaka Bar.
This bar is not a Western-style bar as usually understood, but a high-end Japanese-style snack bar.
The store always maintains a dim tone, without noisy music and dance floors, only a long bar counter.
The background music is gentle jazz and Bossa Nova, the volume just right, not affecting the conversation of the two women in front of the bar counter.
“How is it?
Living with him.” Akagi Ritsuko asked.
“Hmm…
it’s okay, I’m gradually getting used to it.” Katsuragi Misato answered resting her cheek on her hand, her tone appearing somewhat flat, but her eyes unconsciously revealed a trace of tenderness.
“Are you still nervous?
Is this still that Miss Katsuragi who lured an innocent boy with alcohol?”
Facing her good friend’s teasing, Katsuragi Misato only helplessly glanced sideways at her, absentmindedly looking at the wine glass in front of her.
“Shinji already said he was voluntary, and there is no romantic relationship between Shinji and me.”
“Then I don’t know, don’t you two seem to get along quite well?
You hardly go out during holidays.” The cigarette in Akagi Ritsuko’s hand drifted with curling white smoke, “Shinji also stayed because of you, right?”
“You guy, since when did you start monitoring my private life?”
“Just pull up the surveillance outside your apartment and you’ll know.
You don’t think NERV’s combat commander and ace pilot are nobodies that no one cares about, do you?”
“I didn’t even know I was this important.” Katsuragi Misato took a sip of wine, “Shinji staying seems to be partly because of me, but I feel he…
might like EVA more.”
Akagi Ritsuko’s observation was more detailed: “Indeed, but it’s not EVA, to be more precise it’s Unit-01.
He was completely uninterested in Unit-00’s restart experiment.”
“Sometimes I really can’t figure out what he’s thinking.
Although he looks like he likes Unit-01 very much, and his mouth always says crazy-sounding words, it feels too pale.
If you say everyone has a reason to live, his reason is too pale.”
Katsuragi Misato stared intently at the wine glass in her hand.
Perhaps out of interest from chatting about life ideals, she downed the bourbon whiskey in the glass in one gulp.
“If you say Rei is a piece of blank paper, then I think he is a piece of graph paper, with only well-behaved lines.
Everything is as if it has already been divided.
His words, his thoughts, his life, are all straight lines he drew himself.”
“Perhaps sometimes, your observation skills are more detailed than mine.” Akagi Ritsuko fell silent for a moment, and also downed the swirling gin in her glass in one gulp. Visit novelping . com for the full chapter.
“Piloting an EVA, saving humanity, becoming a god, every mission seems very important or even great.
But those pretty words can’t deceive himself.
That is resistance, that is an anchor, keeping his small boat from being pushed away by the waves.” Katsuragi Misato said.
Akagi Ritsuko fell silent for even longer this time, took a puff of the cigarette in her hand, and exhaled a wisp of white smoke: “It truly is a waste of your talents in the Operations Department, you should have gone to the Propaganda Department.”
“Shinji said the exact same words as you.” Katsuragi Misato revealed a relieved smile.
“Is that so?
Then it seems the harmonic value between the two of us is not bad either.” Akagi Ritsuko smiled faintly.
“Definitely better than Commander Ikari.” Katsuragi Misato’s brows slightly relaxed; perhaps the alcohol was taking effect, she actually dared to complain about her boss.
“Why does Commander Ikari have absolutely no interest in his own biological son?
If he had a different childhood, that child would definitely have grown up to look different.”
“So sure of it.”
“Because I feel he has already changed a bit recently.”
“Oh…” Akagi Ritsuko let out a long and meaningful sigh.
“Alright already, it’s totally uninteresting to keep holding onto this topic.” Katsuragi Misato complained: “You called me out for official business, right?”
Akagi Ritsuko also knew that joking too much would make it unfunny.
She picked up the handbag on the side and placed two cards on the table, printed with half-body photos of Ikari Shinji and Ayanami Rei.
“This is Shinji’s official ID card, and Ayanami Rei’s updated card, please ask Shinji to deliver it tomorrow.”
“Why specifically assign Shinji to deliver it?” Katsuragi Misato shouted in dissatisfaction.
Akagi Ritsuko shrugged her shoulders helplessly: “Perhaps…
there are more common topics between qualified children.”
…
After finishing discussing those so-called official business matters with Akagi Ritsuko, Katsuragi Misato returned home directly as previously agreed.
Opening the door, what she saw was Pen Pen who had just finished taking a shower and walked out of the bathroom, and only Pen Pen.
It greeted Katsuragi Misato and drilled back into its own small refrigerator.
Katsuragi Misato did not feel surprised; she had called home before coming back, and then she found Ikari Shinji in the kitchen.
“It’s sukiyaki, this is one of the perfect matches for beer.”
“One of?
What else is a perfect match for beer?”
“Miss Katsuragi, the pot is already hot, I don’t want to burn myself.”
Feeling Katsuragi Misato leaning against him, the gentle touch transmitted from his back, Ikari Shinji grabbed Katsuragi Misato’s restless hands and said helplessly.
“Alright.” Katsuragi Misato’s alcohol-numbed brain sobered up a bit at this.
She awkwardly stood to the side, “I’ll go get the beer.”
Not long after, looking at Ikari Shinji bringing out the pot, Katsuragi Misato was a bit dazed.
In this scene, she was like a husband who had just returned home from socializing, and Ikari Shinji was her housewife.
However, according to the latest social surveys, over seventy percent of families in Japan choose to have the housewife manage the family finances, while with her economic situation, she couldn’t even afford Ikari Shinji’s pocket money.
Of course, Ikari Shinji never expected to get a single cent of pocket money from Katsuragi Misato either.
Ikari Shinji did not lack money; he had already received this month’s salary, and he had a salary package that far exceeded his actual rank.
Converted to US dollars, he could barely have ten figures every month, and his annual income was almost one ten-thousandth of the global GDP.
This was the treatment only an ace pilot had; the treatment of other qualified children or qualified child candidates was similar to ordinary military officers.
After all, his battle records were right there.
If there weren’t other qualified children and qualified child candidates, his treatment should have been even higher.
He was actually not interested in money; staying at NERV was also because he wanted to be with Unit-01, which was an important step for him to become a god.
Although Ikari Shinji had not yet found the specific method to become a god temporarily, he knew he needed Unit-01.
After piloting Unit-01, his body had long been transformed, so much so that even the AT Field deployed by a human body was stronger than before coming here.
Of course, he could do without a vulgar thing like money, but humans could not not give it.
Whether humans had the god in their hearts, the god knew perfectly well.
“Tastes good, your cooking skills are getting better and better.” Katsuragi Misato sighed with emotion, “Oh right, this is for you, I almost forgot.”
As she spoke, she fumbled in her pocket and took out two black cards.
“Official ID card, giving it to me only now, isn’t NERV’s work efficiency too low?” Ikari Shinji pinched the two ID cards printed with half a fig leaf.
“You got promoted fast.
When you first came, you were supposed to be a Third Lieutenant, but this week you are already a Third Major.” Katsuragi Misato said while putting beef into her mouth.
“The other one is Rei’s new ID card.
You guys have a pretty good relationship, right?
Please help me pass it to her.”
With wine and dishes, whatever life, paper, boat, were all thrown to the back of her mind.
Ikari Shinji glanced at her, and then put away the two ID cards.