I own nothing.

New's computer presents...

A product of a really bored mind...

Who doesn't want to do homework...

Or put up with slow internet connection...

And is probably making this crap up just to pad his word count...

Stop punching me, Lina-Senpai...

Oh, for the love of God, it hurts!

Oww...

I think it's bleeding...

Just read the story...

I need a band-aid...

New presents...

Mechas, Evas, and Ramen Stands... Oh my.

Shinji sighed. It was Tuesday. To be more precise, the first Tuesday of the month.

Which meant... Sync rate testing day.

Shinji didn't like to walk all the way up from school to NERV HQ, but it wasn't as if he had a choice.

After all, if he did, he wouldn't be fighting. He would be relaxing in what was left of Florida, drinking punch and getting a back massage.

After all, who wouldn't choose that over fighting giant creatures out for your blood?

Besides Kensuke, that is.

Shinji walked up the steep slope, ignoring the heat that bounced off the pavement. One could fry an egg on the sidewalk. A beggar was frying an egg on the sidewalk.

It was never this hot. Was it a bad omen?

Probably not. Shinji shrugged off the idea, and continued to walk. With luck, he could make it to the GeoFront before Asuka did.

~

Luck decided to slap Shinji upside the head, using Asuka's arm.

"You're late!" Her loud voice echoed in the tech room. "Late! Now we'll have to stay till 10 o'clock, and it's all your fault!" The girl continued her head-slapping onslaught.

She stopped after the 100th "Gomen Nasai!"

"Okay, you two, cut it out." Ritsuko said, giving the two the Look of Utter and Total Death(TM).

The two pilots went "Eep."

"Thought so. Now get in your plug suits and hop in the plugs. Come on, we haven't got all day."

~

Five hours later, Misato, who managed to cream five cars, drove the pair of pilots, joined by Rei, home. All of which were parked in garages.

How drunk is she? Shinji thought, and definitely didn't say. It was not a matter if Misato was drunk, but how drunk*.

The car screeched to a stop in front of a modest ramen stand, with a 27 year old Japanese man idly standing in the... stand... with an apron on. It said, in Kanji, "Ken-Kei-San's Ramen Stand." Evidently, the only person who worked there was Ken-Kei. He was a skinny person, with black hair and eyes, and had an SDAT player on ears, and he was humming along to "Sakura Saku."

"Four normal ramen bowls." Misato's blurred voice said, and dumped 5000 Yen on the counter. The owner of the stand, Ken-Kei, raised his left eyebrow and took the money, and made change quickly. "Here you go." Ken- Kei said, giving the change to Misato.

"How drunk is she, Shinji-San?" Ken-Kei asked bluntly, cooking the noodles in a pot over a stove. The children ate at the stand often, and Ken-Kei had very few customers, and didn't want to lose any. Therefore, he was a friend with most of them.

"I think she was halfway through the fourteenth beer before we left..."Asuka said, ignoring the slurred "Shut up!" from Misato.

"Ahh..." Ken-Kei said, stirring the ramen. "Anyone want an egg in theirs?"

"How did you get an egg?" Shinji asked. "The grocery stores are out."

"Umm..." Ken-Kei said, sweatdropping.

~

Five and a half hours earlier...

"Hey, get back here with my egg!" The beggar shouted, as Ken-Kei ran away, the egg that was just previously frying on the sidewalk as a gag in his hand.

~

"Sore wa himitsu desu!" Ken-Kei replied, getting his composure back. He put on a Xellos face and wagged his finger.

"I hate that character." Asuka mumbled darkly.

"Tough toenails. Ramen is ready." Ken-Kei smirked as he placed the four bowls in front of his four customers. He enjoyed tweaking the redhead. After all, 'One does one's best.'

After the four ate and got up, Ken-Kei tossed a small packet of herbs at Shinji. "Make some tea for Misato-Chan-" Ken-Kei dodged a large rock, "- with the packet. It should take care of the soon to be hangover."

"Oh, shut up." Misato grumbled, as Shinji took the packet and put it away in his pocket.

"Who, dear old me, Misato-Chan?" Ken-Kei dodged another rock.

"Smart ass."

"One does one's best. Have a great evening! Come by anytime!" Ken- Kei waved, expecting no more customers tonight, and started to play "Otome No Inori" on his SDAT player.

~

Maya Ibuki walked to the train. It had taken her hours to do all the paperwork. Even worse, most of it was about the sync tests, and that made her even later. She was about to walk inside the last train of the night, when the door closed, and the train wooshed off. She made a few un- ladylike curses as she almost fell in, and started the long walk home.

~

A man was in a large, dark room. He stood with a tuxedo on, he was white (For no better term to describe) And he was speaking on the phone to another person. With a horrible accent. In addition, he sounded stupid.

That's right, the man was George Bush Jr.

"Weeell, howws thee plaaan goooing?" Bush said, horribly mispronouncing every word.

"It will be ready soon..."

"Guud..."

~

Maya Ibuki finally made it halfway to her house. She saw a ramen stand nearby, and she remembered that she hadn't eaten. She walked to the stand, and looked at the person behind it. "Excuse me, Ken-Kei-San." She said, noting the apron. The man looked up, having been playing "Minesweeper" on his PDA.

"Yes, Ma'am?" Ken-Kei responded, turning off his SDAT player and his PDA. Maya sat down on one of the stools in front of the counter.

"Are you still open?" She asked, taking out her wallet.

"Hai." Ken-Kei said absently, taking out a notepad from his back pocket. "What would you like? Its on the house." Ken-Kei made a wane smile.

"One... err..." Maya looked for a menu, and finally looked up. "Shrimp deluxe...?"

"Ok, ma'am, one Shrimp Deluxe Ramen coming right up." Ken-Kei wrote the order and turned on his stove, taking out two posts and cooking his own dinner along with Maya's.

"Oro?" Maya said, looking at Ken-Kei cooking two ramen meals.

"I gotta eat to, neh?" Ken-Kei said, watching the pots. He then turned to Maya. "What's your name?" He asked, sitting.

"Maya Ibuki." Maya replied, absently.

"Ken-Kei. Nice to meet you, Ibuki-San." Ken-Kei replied, smiling with the ^_^ face. About ten minutes passed, and Ken-Kei had finished making the ramen.

Let's leave the two to their business, and end the chapter here, because I LOVE this job.

{End Of Chapter}

R&R, and Flames will be used as good advice, and afterwards, be used to make a fire for smores. First, they'll be used as good advice. And hurry up and annoy Kenibu & Christopher Magician. I want to read the next chapter of Road Trip and Tales of the Rotten. Go get em!

*- Borrowed (Note: Ripped) From Tales of The Rotten. Go read it.