In a certain Japanese town, Third New Tokyo City, middle schooler Shinji Ikari wakes up to find things a little strange. After all, the comrades he fought alongside to save the world last year are all living peacefully in his neighborhood.
First, red-haired Asuka barges into Shinji's room in the morning, yelling 'Are you still sleeping?!' It seems she's ended up living with him. Shinji's father, Gendo Ikari, while saying 'Everything is going according to plan,' is baking sweets in the kitchen w
Nerv's Shinji-kun, Awaiting Retorts Today Too - Ayanami Rei Descends — Prelude to Virality and Jealousy
The sound of a sewing machine echoed through the living room.
A steady rhythm of clatter, clatter, clatter.
"[sad]Ugh, why can't I sew a straight line…?"
Asuka slumped over the table. Her long red hair was tied back in a single bundle. Spread out before her was a piece of felt with stitches that veered wildly off course.
Beside her, Shinji stared at his own practice cloth. He'd somehow managed to figure out how to tie a knot. But he still couldn't sew straight. His fingers trembled every time he pushed the needle through.
"[gentle]It's just a little at a time, but you're better than you were yesterday."
"[angry]I don't need your pity! You're just as bad as I am!"
Asuka's voice rang through the living room. Outside the window, the cicadas kept on crying as always. The eternal summer of Tokyo-3 clung damply to the skin.
(She's right. I am bad at this.)
Shinji murmured to himself. But he remembered the face Asuka had shown him last night in the home economics room, streaked with tears. Since that day, Asuka had become just a little more honest. Just a little.
*Ding-dong.*
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
"[surprised]Who could that be?"
Shinji headed for the front door. When he opened it, Ayanami Rei was standing there.
Her short, blue-tinged bob shimmered silver in the fluorescent light of the hallway. Her clear crimson eyes, impossible to read any emotion in, looked straight up at Shinji. A simple white ribbon was tied around her left wrist. In her arms, she was holding some kind of large mass.
"[gentle]Good evening, Shinji."
"[surprised]R-Rei…? What's going on, what is that…?"
Shinji couldn't stop himself from asking.
The thing Rei was holding was a sphere made of dark-colored felt. It was about fifty centimeters in diameter. The surface was smooth, with no eyes or mouth. But several long, slender felt tentacles hung limply down to the floor.
(That's… no way.)
A memory from a year ago resurfaced in Shinji's mind. A jet-black sphere. Countless whip-like tentacles extending from it. The Angel that had torn the EVA to shreds — Zeruel.
"[serious]May I come in?"
"[shocked]W-Wait just a second, Rei! What is that?! What the hell is that?!"
Asuka came flying out of the living room. The moment she saw the bizarre sphere in Rei's arms, her fiery red eyes widened in an instant.
"[serious]Round Piece. My entry for the *yuru-chara* contest. I made it."
Rei stated it matter-of-factly. Then, she deliberately placed the sphere on the floor and gently stroked its back.
"[gentle]It is very comfortable to sit on. Would you like to try?"
"[scared]Sit on it?! On that?! Hey, wait, wait!"
Asuka took a step back.
Shinji just stood frozen.
(*Yuru-chara*…? That thing…?)
The retort in his head was screaming at maximum RPM. But he couldn't voice it. Rei's expression was utterly serious. She genuinely seemed to think this thing was "cute."
"[serious]There are twelve tentacles in total. Each one has a different color of felt sewn into it. I want you to see."
"[sad]Wow… that's really intricate…"
That was all Shinji could manage to say. The sewing was certainly meticulous. The stitches were fine, and each individual tentacle was properly stuffed with cotton.
But — no matter how you looked at it, it was an Angel.
The very same Zeruel that had tormented them relentlessly, destroyed the city, and scared them half to death.
"[sarcastic]You… what is this…? A *yuru-chara* isn't supposed to be like this…"
Asuka's voice was trembling.
"[serious]Why? I think it is cute. This child is very comfortable to sit on."
"Th-That's not the point!"
Rei tilted her head. There was absolutely no malice in her. That, more than anything, grated on Asuka's nerves.
"[gentle]Well then, I will take my leave."
With that, Rei picked up Round Piece again and disappeared into the neighboring room, Apartment 501. The door closed with a soft click.
Silence fell over the living room.
"[whispers]…That's just wrong. In so many ways."
Shinji couldn't say anything. He just felt a bad premonition spreading deep in his chest.
— Something is going to happen tomorrow.
The sound of the cicadas seemed unnaturally loud.
The next day. The moment he arrived at school, Shinji sensed something was off.
A crowd had gathered in front of the bulletin board in the hallway. Students were making a commotion, smartphones in hand.
"[excited]Did you see it?! That thing!"
"[laughing]Isn't that insane?! What the hell is that!"
"[excited]It's one of those 'gross-cute' things!"
Shinji peered at the bulletin board through a gap in the crowd.
His breath stopped.
There, blown up large, was a photo of Rei's Round Piece. Inside a dark room, the jet-black sphere sat ominously. Around it, the twelve tentacles sprawled out grotesquely—.
"[scared]W-Why is this here…?"
"[excited]Shinji! Did you see this?!"
Kensuke jumped on him from behind. His eyes behind his glasses were gleaming with curiosity.
"[serious]Did you take this…?"
"[excited]When I went to hang out in Rei's room yesterday! She was making something hilarious, so I snapped a pic! I put it up on social media, and it went totally viral! Over three thousand retweets overnight!"
"[scared]Three thousand…?!"
Shinji felt dizzy.
From the other end of the hallway, Rei was walking towards them. Her face was as expressionless as ever. But the eyes of the surrounding students all focused on her at once.
"[excited]Rei-san! That thing is amazing!"
"[excited]You're definitely gonna win the *yuru-chara* contest!"
"[excited]Even the Nerv staff were reacting seriously! They said, 'Turning an Angel into a *yuru-chara* — we're impressed!'"
Rei tilted her head.
"[gentle]Everyone is praising Round Piece. I am happy."
At those words, the surrounding students erupted.
"[laughing]Rei-san really is the best!"
"[excited]Is this what they call *gap moe*?"
Watching the scene from a distance, Asuka bit her lip hard. Her red hair, tied up in twintails, swayed with anger.
(I won't forgive this.)
Asuka's hands were trembling. Fingers covered in band-aids. She'd pricked them with the needle so many times, drawn blood, practiced while crying — and she still couldn't sew a straight line.
"[whispers]…Don't screw with me."
Shinji didn't miss that small voice. Asuka's back was trembling slightly.
(This is bad.)
But it was already too late to stop it.
After school.
The air was heavy. The fluorescent lights in the hallway buzzed with an unpleasant sound.
Asuka called out to Rei, stopping her. A crowd of onlookers was gathering at a distance.
"[angry]Hey, Rei! What the hell are you thinking?!"
Her voice echoed through the hallway.
Rei slowly turned around. Expressionless. But her crimson eyes stared straight at Asuka.
"[serious]I do not understand what you are trying to say."
"[angry]That thing isn't a *yuru-chara*! A stuffed doll of an Angel?! It's just creepy!"
The gathered students buzzed.
Asuka's voice was shaking. Anger, frustration, jealousy. She knew her own emotions were tangled into a messy knot. But she couldn't stop.
"I am! We are! Every single day, pricking our fingers with needles! Drawing blood! Practicing while crying! So why are you the only one! All by yourself! Getting attention so easily!"
Shinji looked at Asuka's hands. There were even more fresh band-aids.
(She was practicing until late last night too…)
His chest ached.
"[serious]I did not make it by myself."
Rei's voice was as flat as ever.
"[serious]I designed Round Piece. I chose the felt. I stuffed the cotton. I sewed it. I did all of it. It was not 'easy.'"
"[angry]That's not what I meant!"
Asuka's voice grew even louder.
"[angry]In the first place, a *yuru-chara* is supposed to be! Bright! Cute! Something that makes everyone smile! But you — making something that digs up the trauma of battle! What's fun about that?!"
A brief silence.
Rei tilted her head.
"[serious]Asuka. The battle is over. Now is different. Round Piece does not fight. It just exists. I do not understand what is wrong with that."
"[angry]Fine, if you don't get it! I don't care! I won't accept yours! I absolutely will not accept it!"
Tears were starting to well up in Asuka's eyes.
Shinji couldn't stand it anymore.
"[scared]Asuka, calm down…"
"[angry]Shut up! Stay out of this, Shinji!"
The brunt of Asuka's anger turned towards Shinji.
"[crying]You're on her side anyway, aren't you, Shinji! I know it! You think Rei is amazing, don't you! You're just making fun of me!"
"[surprised]N-No! I never—"
"[crying]Then why aren't you defending me?! You're not on my side! You're not on anyone's side!"
Those words pierced Shinji's chest.
(I'm — not on anyone's side.)
It became hard to breathe.
Rei quietly opened her mouth.
"[gentle]Shinji is just kind. I think that is fine."
"[crying]Shut up! I've had enough! Do whatever you want! I hate you, Rei! And you too, Shinji!"
Asuka screamed that, then turned her back and ran off.
The sound of her sobbing echoed through the hallway. The onlookers whispered amongst themselves. Their curious stares stabbed into Shinji.
Rei gazed intently at Asuka's retreating figure.
"[sad]Asuka has come to hate me."
She murmured.
Was it just his imagination, or did her voice sound like it was trembling, just a little?
"[sad]That's not true, Rei…"
"[gentle]It is all right. I do not hate Asuka."
Saying that, Rei turned around. And then, she slowly began walking in the opposite direction from Asuka.
"[whispers]…Rei."
Shinji stood rooted to the spot.
He couldn't chase after Asuka. He couldn't stop Rei.
(Why am I always like this?)
He couldn't help anyone. He couldn't be on anyone's side.
He couldn't help but feel pathetic, able to do nothing but stand there.
Evening. A heavy atmosphere hung over the living room of Comfort 17.
On the dining table, three madeleines that Gendo had baked were neatly arranged. But no one touched them.
Asuka had shut herself in her room and wouldn't even come out for dinner.
In his own room, Shinji sat on his bed, hugging his knees.
(I just wanted to be together with everyone.)
A heat gathered behind his eyes.
(Why can't I ever help anyone?)
From just beyond the wall. In the neighboring room, Apartment 501, he could hear the sound of Rei's sewing machine. Clatter, clatter, clatter. A steady, unwavering sound.
Even though Asuka was hurting that much. Rei had already started on her next project.
— The team had split clean in two.
Shinji hugged his knees tightly.
The cicadas sang of a summer that would never end. The setting sun streamed through the window, dyeing the room orange.
That light, for some reason, looked terribly lonely.
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