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 - Episode 7
——It was quiet.
Morning light slipped through a gap in the curtains, thin and pale. Dust danced slowly in the beam.
The sound of sewing, the sound of crying — neither could be heard anymore.
Asuka's room was overflowing with junk. The Unit-02 costume, the one that should have been broken, sat propped against the wall.
Its arm stitched back on. Its head reattached. The crooked seams left just as they were.
But — it wasn't just a scrap of cloth anymore.
"[gentle]...It's done."
Asuka's voice was hoarse.
The shadows under her eyes had grown darker. Her fingers, already covered in bandages, were now wrapped around fresh wounds.
But — there was a smile on her face.
"[surprised]That's amazing, Asuka."
Shinji, beside her, looked just as worn out. Needle marks dotted his fingers. They had failed over and over, and started again just as many times. Crying together, yet never letting their hands stop.
All night long.
"[tsundere]Obviously. I'm a genius, after all."
A front of bravado. But it lacked its usual sharp edge.
Instead, it sounded almost... relieved.
—That was when it happened.
*Knock, knock.*
Someone rapped on the door.
Asuka and Shinji exchanged a glance.
No one came to visit this early in the morning. Misato was at school. This was the hour Gendo holed up in the kitchen making sweets.
"[whispers]...Who is it?"
No answer came.
But — there was a presence beyond the door.
Shinji stood up. He approached the door quietly.
He unhooked the chain and opened it, slowly.
The fluorescent lights in the hallway hummed and flickered.
Standing there was—
"[gentle]...Ayanami."
It was Rei.
Blue hair. Pale skin. Crimson eyes.
The same quiet face as always.
But — in her hand, she held something.
A small, star-shaped piece of felt.
The very one Asuka had finally succeeded in making during their first practice session together, the three of them.
The same shape. The same color.
"[gentle]This."
Rei held it out to Shinji.
"[surprised]Rei... how did you—"
"[gentle]It was on the floor that day."
That day — the day of the midterm presentation.
The day Asuka and Rei had argued so fiercely in the hallway.
"[gentle]I picked it up. I kept it."
Her voice was flat, matter-of-fact.
But — her eyes were fixed directly on Shinji.
"[gentle]I always meant to return it. But I didn't know when."
"[sad]Rei..."
Shinji accepted the felt star.
It was warm.
As if it had been held tightly in someone's palm all this time — that kind of warmth.
"[serious]Rei."
Asuka rose to her feet.
Her crimson eyes stared straight into Rei's crimson eyes.
"[serious]...What did you come here for? You're on a different team now, right?"
Barbed words.
But — her voice trembled, just slightly.
"[gentle]We withdrew."
"[surprised]Huh?"
"[gentle]The contest. My team withdrew."
Rei spoke quietly.
"[gentle]There's no reason. I just — felt it was wrong."
"[angry]Wrong... what's wrong?! You could've won first place and gotten the prize—"
"[gentle]I don't eat instant ramen."
"[surprised]...What?"
"[gentle]Tofu alone is enough for me."
Silence.
Asuka's mouth hung open, dumbfounded.
Shinji was at a loss for words too.
"[laughing]...Pfft."
Shinji was the first to laugh.
"[laughing]What is that... 'tofu alone is enough'..."
"[tsundere]D-Don't screw with me!"
Asuka shouted too, her face caught somewhere between anger and laughter.
"[tsundere]Don't tell me — you withdrew from the contest for a hundred-yen block of tofu?!"
"[gentle]That's not it."
Rei tilted her head slightly.
"[gentle]But — I wanted to do this with you again."
A quiet voice.
But — those words melted softly into the morning air and spread throughout the room.
"[sad]...What's that supposed to mean?"
Asuka's voice was shaking.
"[crying]You went totally viral... you were the most popular one online... you had the win locked up... so why now..."
"[gentle]Because I was wrong."
"[angry]About what?!"
"[gentle]I hurt you. That was wrong."
"—!"
"[gentle]It wasn't that I wanted to win. I just—"
Rei looked down, just a little.
"[gentle]I just... enjoyed making something together."
Silence.
Asuka's fists clenched tight.
Her bandaged fingers trembled inside them.
"[crying]...Idiot."
A tiny voice.
"[crying]Idiot... every single one of you... why do you have to say stuff like that..."
Tears spilled from Asuka's eyes.
"[crying]Because of you... I ended up hating you so much... and yet... why now...!"
"[gentle]I'm sorry."
"[crying]Don't apologize! If you apologize... it makes me look like the bad guy!"
"[gentle]You are not the bad guy."
"[crying]Shut up! Be quiet! Idiot!"
Asuka threw her arms around Rei with all her strength.
"[crying]Don't... ever do something like that again...!"
"[gentle]...Okay."
Rei stood there, looking a little lost.
But — it seemed like her cheeks relaxed, just a fraction.
Shinji simply watched the scene unfold.
(*Thank goodness.*)
He felt it from the bottom of his heart.
After that, the three of them sat down on the floor.
The broken Unit-02 costume leaned against the wall, looking down at them.
"[serious]So — what do we do now?"
Asuka pointed at the costume.
"[serious]The final day is tomorrow. Our costume is a wreck. Rei's team withdrew. Which means—"
"[gentle]We start over. From zero."
"[surprised]Huh?"
"[gentle]We remake the Unit-02 mascot. The three of us."
Rei took out a sewing kit.
The keepsake set that had belonged to Shinji's mother.
"[surprised]That... why do you have that, Rei?"
"[gentle]I brought it from the next room just now."
"[excited]Hey, don't just walk into someone else's room without asking!"
"[gentle]The door wasn't locked."
"[tsundere]That's not the point!"
"[laughing]Ahaha..."
Shinji laughed.
From the heart, for the first time in a long while.
"[gentle]Alright then — shall we?"
"[serious]Obviously. I'm the leader here."
"[gentle]This fabric is better."
"[angry]I'm telling you, that's orange, not red! Unit-02 is red!"
"[gentle]But this fabric is easier to sew."
"[tsundere]Ngh... well... that's... true, but..."
Their three voices filled the room.
Drowning out the cicadas, the distant murmur of the marketplace — everything.
The sound of sewing. The tiny sound of a needle passing through cloth.
Clashing opinions. Laughter.
All of it, returned.
—By the time the sun set.
"[sad]It's done..."
Asuka murmured.
Before them — a new Unit-02 mascot.
Red and orange felt. The crooked seams were nowhere to be seen now.
Rei's precise technique, Asuka's design, and the reinforcement stitches Shinji had learned through sleepless nights.
A costume packed with the combined effort of all three of them.
"[surprised]Wow... this is amazing."
"[gentle]Yes."
"[tsundere]Obviously... it's only natural..."
Asuka's voice trembled.
But — this time, they weren't tears of frustration.
—Outside, the sunset blazed.
Orange light streamed through the window, illuminating the Unit-02 mascot.
Asuka gently hugged the costume.
"[whispers]...I want to win."
A small voice.
"[whispers]I want to be number one. I want the prize too. But — more than that."
She lifted her face and looked at Shinji and Rei.
"[serious]I want to stand on that stage with you two."
"[gentle]...Yeah."
"[gentle]Me too."
*Knock, knock.*
Another knock at the door.
"[surprised]Now who is it?"
She opened the door.
Standing in the hallway was—
"[laughing]Looks like you're all gathered here."
It was Misato.
A can of beer in one hand, grinning broadly.
"[surprised]Misato-san... what are you doing here?"
"[sarcastic]I was watching from the rooftop. You three holed up in here with the lights on until morning. It was completely obvious."
"[excited]Peeping?! Stalking?! You're the worst!"
"[laughing]A school nurse watching over her students is just part of the job."
Misato looked past Asuka at the Unit-02 mascot.
"[gentle]...It's got a much better face now, hasn't it?"
"[surprised]Huh?"
"[gentle]When I first saw it, it was just a combat weapon. But now — it looks like it actually wants to make someone smile."
Misato raised her beer can.
"[excited]Tomorrow's the final day. As the head judge, I'll say this — I'm looking forward to it."
"[serious]...We're not going to lose."
"[gentle]I'm counting on it."
Misato turned on her heel and walked away.
Footsteps echoing down the hallway.
The faint fizz of a beer can.
Night fell.
The fifth floor of Comfort 17.
Tonight, the lights were on in all three rooms.
501. Rei's room.
502. Asuka's room.
503. Shinji's room.
Right in the middle — beneath the humming fluorescent lights of the hallway — the three of them sat side by side.
Leaning against the wall, gazing at the completed Unit-02 mascot.
"[gentle]Do you think we can win tomorrow?"
"[serious]We'll win. Absolutely."
"[gentle]First place seems difficult."
"[angry]Don't say stuff like that! We're a team!"
"[gentle]...Team."
Rei repeated the word.
"[gentle]Yes. Team. Is it alright if I use that word too?"
"[tsundere]...Obviously. What are you even saying at this point?"
"[gentle]Okay."
The corners of Rei's mouth softened, just barely.
Seeing that, Shinji smiled again.
(*Ayanami smiled.*)
Such a small thing, and yet it made him absurdly happy.
"[serious]Hey, Shinji."
"[gentle]Yeah?"
"[serious]Why did you stick with this?"
Asuka's voice was earnest.
"[serious]You're not particularly good at sewing. You've got no reason to enter the contest. You don't even care about the prize — the instant ramen, right?"
"[sad]That's..."
Shinji thought for a moment.
—How should he put it?
"[gentle]I just—"
Misato's words surfaced in his mind.
*'A place where you can laugh together — maybe you can make one.'*
"[gentle]I think... I just wanted to be together with you."
"[surprised]...Huh?"
"[gentle]I always thought being alone was easier. If I never got involved with anyone, I'd never get hurt. No one would hate me. But — if I did that, nothing would ever begin."
Shinji pointed at the Unit-02 mascot.
"[gentle]When we were making this, I had fun. Fighting with Asuka, getting scolded by Rei, pricking my fingers with the needle. It hurt, it was frustrating — but it was fun."
"[sad]...Are you stupid?"
Asuka turned her face away.
"[tsundere]You stayed up all night for a reason like that? Seriously, I don't get it at all."
"[laughing]Yeah. I don't get it either."
"[gentle]But."
Rei spoke up.
"[gentle]I feel the same."
"[surprised]You too, Rei?"
"[gentle]I was good at sewing. But — making things alone was boring."
"[sad]What is this... all of you..."
"[gentle]Asuka too."
"[angry]I'm different! I just wanted to win first place and show everyone up! The people online, the ones who laughed at me, and you too!"
"[gentle]But what about now?"
"[sad]...!"
Asuka fell silent.
Then — in a tiny voice, she murmured.
"[whispers]Now... now I don't care about any of that anymore."
"[whispers]Because you two are here. We're a team. And somehow, that alone feels like... enough."
"[gentle]...Asuka."
"[tsundere]What, got a problem?"
"[gentle]No. I was just thinking... I feel the same way."
It was a quiet night.
The sound of the cicadas seemed to have faded, just a little.
The season wouldn't change. An eternal summer.
But — people's hearts kept moving forward, all the same.
The next morning.
The final day's venue — the Wunder Arena.
The vast gymnasium, capable of holding three thousand people, was so packed that people were standing in the back.
From the audience seats, handmade fans and support signs were visible.
Voices cried out, "Sachiko (pseudonym)-chan is so cute!" and shouts of "The age of the *yuru-chara* is here!" filled the air.
In a corner of the venue, Asuka pulled on the Unit-02 mascot costume.
"[angry]...Why do I have to be the one wearing this?"
"[gentle]Because you're the tallest."
"[tsundere]That's not a compliment at all!"
"[laughing]But it looks good on you."
"[angry]Shut up! You put on that weird goggle thing!"
Shinji pu
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