Private Eva Academy! The Class Rep is an Angel, and I'm the 'Protect Shinji Squad'! - The Class Rep Falls in Love

"Ikari-kun, on the rooftop again? No, you can't skip lunch—you have to eat properly!" 　Right after the fourth-period bell rang. Horaki Hikari dashed down the hallway, the class rep notebook still tucked under her arm. 　Her skirt flared out. She didn't even care that her navy knee-high socks were starting to slip down. The very back seat of the classroom was already empty, after all. "Honestly, every single time..." 　When she borrowed the rooftop key from the faculty office, the vice principal had given her a wry smile. "Horaki, you really do take good care of people, don't you?" 　No. That's not it. 　I want people to understand, but I don't want them to know. 　She took the stairs three at a time. 　Her heart was pounding. Was it from running, or— 　She threw her weight against the heavy iron door to the rooftop and pushed it open. 　The early May air softly brushed her cheeks. The wind, not yet fully summer, tickled her hair. 　There he was. 　He was leaning against the fence, earbuds in his ears. Clutching a small music player. Gazing up at the sky. Following the clouds. 　He still hadn't noticed me. 　Ikari Shinji-kun. 　It hadn't even been a month since he transferred here. 　At this school where everyone's eyes are always on you, just being an Eva pilot makes him special. 　Yet the person in question keeps his head down as if he's not even here. 　Hikari steadied her ragged breathing. She clutched the notebook tightly to her chest again. 　Her sailor uniform collar was a little crooked. She had to fix it before she saw him. 　She smoothed back her braids and slowly walked over. "Ikari-kun." 　He couldn't hear her. Lost in his world of music. 　Left with no choice, she waved her hand back and forth in front of his face. 　Shinji-kun looked up with a start. He took out his earbuds. His brown hair, mixed with a few unruly strands, swayed softly in the wind. Our eyes met. 　His dark brown eyes narrowed slightly, looking a little troubled. "Ah... Horaki-san." 　His voice was hoarse. It sounded like the first time he'd spoken to anyone all day. "Here again. Did you eat lunch?" "Not yet... I'm not really hungry." 　Liar. 　He hadn't bought bread from the school store this morning either. Same thing yesterday. 　And the Friday before that, and the Thursday before that. It was all written in the corner of the class rep notebook. Ikari-kun's lunch-skipping record. "That's no good. Especially when the cafeteria curry is 120 yen off today." 　I tried saying it brightly on purpose. But Shinji-kun just looked down, troubled, and wound the player's cord around his finger. "...Someone like me, even if I went..." 　Someone like me. 　Those words stabbed deep into my chest. 　A sharp little prick. It hurt. 　No. That wasn't just pain just now. It was something hotter. 　Something surged up from the pit of my stomach. 　In this classroom, the way everyone looks at him. "He's an Eva pilot," "He's amazing, I hear," "He's hard to approach," they say, keeping their distance. 　The reason Shinji-kun sits alone in the very back of the classroom by the window, head down—that's probably not the only reason. 　The morning he first transferred in, the teacher introduced him. "Ikari Shinji-kun. He's the pilot of Evangelion Unit-01." 　The whole class buzzed. 　Faces that said, Not this again. Resignation. 　This place, Private Eva Academy, is a school built by a secret organization called Nerv. Underneath this city called Tokyo-3, there's supposedly a massive base for operating the Evas. 　So many things I don't understand. But one thing I do understand is that Shinji-kun is a "chosen child," and that alone makes him stand apart from everyone else. 　Hikari thought to herself. 　It's like looking at my old self. 　When my mother died, and my older sister quit school to go to work. 　I kept my head down the whole time, wondering if it was okay for me to be the only one living a normal life. 　I didn't know how to talk to my friends. 　That's why I understand Shinji-kun's loneliness now so painfully well. 　Hikari clenched her fist. "—Ikari-kun!" 　A voice so loud it surprised even me burst out. 　Shinji-kun's shoulders trembled. 　Hikari closed the distance in an instant. She grabbed his right wrist. It was thin and cold. "I'll help you make friends. I'll help you." "Huh...?" "I will assist you in making friends! By the authority of the class rep!" 　Shinji-kun's eyes went wide. "...But someone like me trying to make friends would just be a bother." 　There it was again. 　Denying himself again. 　In that instant, Hikari's vision blurred with tears. 　Why? 　Why do you say things like that? 　A bother? Who decided that? 　I didn't even understand it myself. But my body moved on its own. 　My clenched fist, without hesitation. 　Bonk. 　A small sound rang out. 　Hikari's fist had landed right on top of Shinji-kun's head. 　They used to call it an iron-fist punishment, back in the day. But now, it's something different. "You mustn't say things like that!" 　My voice trembled. "What bother could Ikari-kun possibly be by being here? I... I wanted you to come... I've been waiting in the classroom..." 　Tears spilled down my face. 　This is so uncool. And I'm the class rep. 　But I couldn't stop them. 　Shinji-kun stood frozen, eyes wide open. 　Something flickered beneath his bangs. "It's okay for you to be here, Ikari-kun. I'll vouch for that. So..." 　I sniffled. My voice sounded strange. "Please don't go off alone." 　The wind died down. 　The only sound was birds calling from the direction of Lake Ashi. 　The concrete floor of the rooftop reflected the afternoon light, dazzlingly bright. 　How long did we stay like that? 　Probably not even a minute. 　Shinji-kun's hand slowly rose. He touched his own head, still looking like it hurt a little, but... 　The corners of his mouth relaxed, just a tiny bit. "...Thank you, Horaki-san." 　Shinji-kun smiled. 　It was the first real smile I'd ever seen from him. 　The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly—a genuine face, not a troubled one. 　Thump. 　My heart leaped. 　This is... 　I'm, right now— 　My face flushed bright red. 　I could feel it myself, all the way to the tips of my ears. "Th-This is part of my duties as class rep!" 　I blurted it out like a shout, then spun around. "I'll be waiting... in the classroom again tomorrow!" 　I broke into a run. 　I pushed open the iron door and dashed down the stairs. 　My skirt fluttered. 　My heart was pounding. Nothing like before. 　I realized it. 　That pain in my chest—all of it. 　That I couldn't leave him alone, that it was maternal instinct. 　It wasn't anything like that. 　I had fallen in love with Ikari Shinji-kun. 　After school. 　In her room at home, Hikari had her face buried in her pillow. "Aaaaaah, seriously!" 　She sat up abruptly and sat cross-legged on the bed. 　She hugged her stuffed bear tight. 　She couldn't get Shinji-kun's smile out of her head. "Thank you, Horaki-san." 　The sound of his voice. The way the corners of his mouth lifted, just a little. 　Just remembering it made a gentle warmth spread deep in her chest. "What am I even doing..." 　An iron-fist punishment, of all things. 　That just makes me a violent girl. 　But—at that moment, I felt like Shinji-kun's eyes opened up, just a tiny bit. 　Like I'd caught a glimpse of what was behind the curtain he always keeps closed. 　Hikari got off the bed and stood in front of her bookshelf. 　The very bottom shelf, packed with old books. 　Hidden there was a notebook with a brown cover. 　She pulled it out and dusted it off. 　Her mother's recipe notebook. 　When she opened it, the scent of her old home wafted out gently. Miso soup, soy sauce, and something a little sweet. 　Shortly before she passed away, her mother had given her this notebook in the hospital room. "Hikari, make these for the person you love, okay?" 　Back then, there wasn't anyone she loved. 　But now— "Tamagoyaki... maybe dashimaki would be better. But I wonder if he likes it sweet or salty..." 　Still clutching the notebook, Hikari flopped back onto the bed. 　Tomorrow. 　Tomorrow, I'll make a bento and give it to Shinji-kun. 　If he says he's going to the rooftop again, I'll say let's eat together. 　As class rep, managing nutrition is part of the job, after all. 　But what if it bothers him? What if he says "someone like me" again? 　What should I do? Should I give him a letter first? "No good, I'd probably end up writing a hundred letters alone..." 　Outside the curtains, it was gradually getting dark. 　The sound of the news drifted in from the TV in the living room. "—According to an announcement from the Nerv Public Relations Department, faint waveform patterns have been observed in the atmosphere, suggesting the possible emergence of a new Angel. City authorities are urging citizens to be prepared to respond promptly to evacuation orders." 　Angels. 　The enemies of humanity. Unidentified monsters, said to be eighteen in total. 　Shinji-kun rides an Eva and fights them. 　Hikari stared at the notebook. 　The tamagoyaki page. 　In her mother's handwriting, a note was added at the edge. "If you use a bit more dashi, it stays fluffy even when it cools." 　It's fine. 　Before the Angels come, I'll bring him back to the class. 　So he can eat his bento in the classroom, together with ordinary friends. 　That is my most important mission as class rep. 　But—I'll admit this much to myself. 　It's not just because I'm the class rep. 　Tomorrow, if Shinji-kun eats my bento and smiles, even just a little, that would be nice. 　With just that, I could probably keep going for a whole week. 　Still holding the notebook to her chest, Hikari closed her eyes. 　Outside the window, a Nerv patrol craft glimmered faintly in the distance. 　The night in Tokyo-3 was just a little quieter than usual. 　What should I make tomorrow? The tamagoyaki—I'll go with dashimaki. 　Add some cherry tomatoes for color, and then—.

日本語

What is Novelia? →

Episode 1

Name: Private Eva Academy! The Class Rep is an Angel, and I'm the 'Protect Shinji Squad'!
Author: Novelia

What is Novelia?

Novelia is an AI-powered platform to read original light novels and fan fiction, create your own in just a few taps, and chat with the characters. New, illustrated episodes arrive daily — free to start.

Learn more about Novelia →New sign-ups get 5,000pt