After Evangelion
Chapter 13: The brewing storm
"Finally, bed ahead"
Misato saw the house up ahead with mixed satisfaction and exhausted surprise, her vision however wasn't so bad to not see the car parked outside and the lights upstairs on, which even for just after midnight felt odd. Misato was drunk; no nose within 15 feet of her could mistake that fact. But Misato wasn't as far out of it as Riksuto was. Their dinking binge had been one of celebration for Rei's recovery, Riksuto's job and basically Misato and the doctor's excuse to see who could last the longest before passing out. Misato felt like getting Shinji to pick her up, but the house was only a kilometer or so away. That one kilometer felt like a hundred or more, considering that they accidentally walked to the school first.
Some three hours after, and dragging Riksuto around like a dead pig on her back, they finally found the house. Misato wondered If Shinji left the light on for her or if Shinji was still up. His window wasn't on, so she thought it wasn't a concern. Without further problems Misato heaved through the side door, slowly and found the door, 'all without crashing into anything' Misato thought to herself proudly. Opening the door like a falling pillar of drunken mess, Misato looked up to find the kitchen and meals area were sit lit up.
"Man I feel like crap" Misato spoke to herself before yawning, "time to crash"
"Welcome back" spoke the most unexpected voice at the top of the stairs, just beyond Misato's gaze.
"Rei?" Misato spoke curiously. She walked up the stairs and spotted Shinji and Rei sitting at the table. Shinji was looking over to his drunken mother, carrying a more intoxicated medical professional on her back.
"You alright?" Shinji got out of his seat, ignoring the chess game on the table for a moment.
"Yea, just have to carry this all the way"
The usual disruptions followed as Shinji took custody of the doctor while Misato got her bearing worked out. She wondered where and why Shinji was awake, but she first wanted to get herself refreshed. Shinji agreed mostly out of his desire for Misato to drown her head in a tub of cold water.
"Shinji, I hate to ask you…" Misato said as she and he finally put her on the futon "but can you…"
"You're joking aren't you" Shinji said,
"Please… ill go have a shower while you do it" Misato clapped her hands together and prayed for Shinji to do it. Her drunken impression and the frankness of the request only made Shinji's demeanor sink into the ground faster. But Shinji was use to this treatment of being used, so he could only sigh again and nod.
"Thanks a bunch" Misato nodded approvingly before getting up unsteadily and walking to the bathroom, Shinji wondered what Rei was doing and she found her still in the kitchen.
Rei was staring, Shinji assumed at the chess board, still trying to figure out a way to save her queens knight from a 3 way trap Shinji created.
"You might want to save the game for later" Shinji said "when Misato is done, we have to tell her" Rei nodded and folded the bored in half and tipping the pieces into a bag, erasing her problem with the black horse once and for all. Shinji returned back to his new problem.
'You know, if a psychologist ever asked me what I did for as a teenager, you know what I will say?' Shinji ranted in his mind as he started remove the shirt and blouse of Dr. Riksuto Akagi, MD. 'I'd say "I lived in a house the 3 girls, one apparently has died twice now, one of them can drink any Irishman under the table, and the last one was involved in trying to get me killed dozens of times. And one of my jobs was to make sure I changed their clothes every time they came home drunk". I wonder if that would classify me as mentally warped in some perverted way.'
"Shinji, have you finished changing her nappy?" Misato called out in the hallway. It surprised Shinji somewhat. The procedure of restoring dignity to and changing Riksuto into some sleepwear took over 10 minutes, which was fine because Misato usually took ages in a shower and usually had to be reminded when time was up.
"Please tell me you're dressed" Shinji muttered silently, "she's okay now"
Having lived with Misato long enough, Shinji could guess accurately the percentage of times Misato lowered her barrier of dignity when she was at home, even if people were around. At that; Shinji got up, turned around, closed his eyes, and walked out of the room and left and directly towards his room, correctly assuming that Misato, with lacking common sense was wrapped in a towel and still tipsy.
"Rei" Shinji said, once the door closed behind him, "if I ever start to enjoy this, can you please hurt me in some way?"
It was then that Shinji realized the mistake he made with Rei, who had been standing around doing nothing the whole time. And he could already feel the headache coming on.
"I don't understand"
'Yep' Shinji thought, stressed already with the previous days events,
"Why would you enjoy having to undress the doctor because of instructions to do so?"
"Because anywhere else, it would be considered moldy perverted and immoral to a weird extreme"
"Performing nursing duty is considered perversion?"
Shinji sat down and sighed, wondering if he should brew some coffee for himself.
"Not exactly… nurses are required to do certain things like that, but there is a difference between what I do and what a nurse does"
"But you did do the task on request without question, and you have done this before, Misato also appears to entrust you to do it greatly"
"Let's remember that there is a difference between what mistake considers okay"
Rei was silent for a minute, Shinji sighed because he could feel it coming on
"So why are you worried about what Misato considers okay?"
"Because it's not normal anywhere else" Shinji said, begging from the bottom of his soul that Rei would just be satisfied with that.
"But I've read that nursing people back to health, in on personal and family levels that it's quite acceptable to undress the subject"
Shinji's eyebrow cocked and his mouth dropped in an expression of disbelief and complete and utter confusion, in the open where the whole universe could hear it; Rei just disregarded common sense on a level that Shinji couldn't even discover words for. If Shinji could have a heart attack now would be an excellent time.
"What in hell are you reading?" Shinji said "Remind me to look at them later on will you"
"Understood?"
"Rei… listen, have Riksuto explain it, I think she can figure out the proper words for you to understand"
"How is it going kids?" Misato said unsteadily walking into the meals area, Shinji sighed and got up as he noticed her wearing a nightgown which she seemed to have great difficulty putting on. Misato had given up on the front buttons and didn't seem to care, in fact smiling as Shinji got up and helped his guardian to a seat.
"Lets sit on the couch; I'm too tired for a chair" she turned, almost unbalancing Shinji and her for a graceful fall to the floor. Shinji caught her instead and kept her upright. Shinji sighed again and started to walk towards the couch in the living room. Before doing so he stopped and looked to Rei who was following him.
"Rei, if you want to go change and go to bed, its okay" Shinji asked, "go and get some sleep and I will to tell Misato what happened"
"I understand" Rei nodded and walked back to his bedroom.
'Why did Shinji make her go away?' Misato wondered, her mind now clicking into motion wondering why Shinji was up and why he seemed concerned all of a sudden. Misato quickly tried to summarize what she knew she last saw Shinji in the afternoon, okay he went out and trained with Rei, that's all, the car was intact, and that was fine. Shinji was too chicken to do anything with Rei, fine. Rei wouldn't have played along in any case, fine. So what had changed since this Misato had to find out?
Shinji let her drop onto the couch; comfortable enough that was instantly comfortable, Shinji sat down next to her and lay back sighing.
"Tell me Shinji" Misato putting an arm around him and pulling Shinji into a hug, almost resting his head close to her chest, somehow to Shinji's exhausted embarrassment "what's on your mind?"
Misato liked to feel like his mother, he was a good kid, an intelligent kid, and he never had put a foot wrong, lied, and since he moved her, he had ever really argued with Misato over anything, obeying her faithfully like any son. Even as an adoptive mother, Misato felt like he was blood related now. She rubbed her cheek in his black coarse hair and waited for Shinji to reply.
"We've been found out" was the only four words he spoke in a strained and quiet whisper. Shinji could feel the chill on his mother's usually warm body, and the tight grip on him relieve for a moment, he released himself and sat upright to explain further, "Ryosuke approached us during practice, he hinted that he knows the true identity of all of us; me, Rei, the doctor… and you"
"Are you serious?" were all the words could think of saying. She knew the words were vain, but her lips moved on their own. Misato's mind ordered and instant flush of the booze and was starting to go stone sober in a hurry; Shinji wouldn't dare joke, or lie about this. Before Misato asked, Shinji started to explain in a strained whisper,
"This morning, Tonya and Lahaska said that Ryosuke was looking for me to race, and it's because Ryosuke said he knew who I really was…" Shinji continued without breathing "He approached the whole group, including Kazama and Naoko, explained to me that he is willing to wager the secret if I race him and defeat him"
"Oh my…" Misato said, but Shinji cut her off
"he hasn't reviled anything, just that he knows me" Shinji continued, momentarily starting to shake "I don't know how he exactly came to know us, but he has singled me and Rei out already in class and the attack on Mt Akira doesn't sound like he is bluffing. He knows Hikari and everyone are from Tokyo-3, he knows who we are… and if I don't meet him and beat him in a race, he threatens to uncover our identities"
Misato turned to look at Shinji who was just staring into space now, saying in a whispered monotone the news that she never wanted to hear.
"I think you will have to confront the doctor tomorrow and tell her that we are about to be exposed, she is a wanted criminal if they discover that Rei is still alive, and we'll have our lives turned upside down if we stay here"
"Shinji…" Misato whispered; her feeling to just wrap her arm around Shinji and pull him back to her embrace was a lot harder now. Four simple words made it harder and Misato had to think fast now what to do. Shinji felt colder then ice now, he just explained everything to his mother and there was nothing he could do. The silence in the room was amazing, Shinji could identify the sound of Rei changing in his room and the sound of Riksuto turning in her sleep and mumbling something incoherently.
Misato thought at a mile a second trying to figure out a solution, a cocky and effective answer to this, there always was one, but the only solution was to irrational for considerations.
'Run away'
Misato shook her head quickly when her mind even imaged the word on a blank piece of paper. But what choice did she have? There were plenty of things that could be said right now, she needed to think about the motive, the reason, everything. She needed another mind, Riksuto.
"Shinji… what are the chances that Naoko and Kazama know now?"
"That I'm a retired evangelion pilot?" Shinji replied "unless Kensuke cringed and submitted, I don't think so, Toji wouldn't talk about, Hikari wouldn't talk about it, Kensuke is the most likely and he knows by now that it's not a good idea.
"Shinji…" Misato asked painfully "I know this might sound harsh but…"
"Did I tell anyone?" Shinji said "No damn it! Nobody knows, only everyone we knew already! Naoko doesn't know, Kazama doesn't know….Asakura doesn't know"
Misato looked down at the floor feeling rejected for insulting Shinji's integrity. Misato knew she didn't tell anyone, even when drunk, she didn't tell Sousuke either, non of the road racers even came close to knowing anything about her name before anything else. Her mind weaved from the lack of sleep and she worried about what Shinji would do for tomorrow. Finally she had the courage to put an arm around him and embrace Shinji again.
"We'll try to settle this problem in the morning" Misato said, "I want you to get your sleep, and I want you to not worry about it"
Shinji pondered quietly about the possibilities that presented themselves now. But he decided to follow his mother's advice and leave it for the daylight hours. He had today off from work, so he didn't have to confront anyone.
"Okay" Shinji gasped the word out; he took a moment to get the energy to get out of bed. When he did he heard Misato moan for him, he turned around and saw her hand up. Shinji sighed reluctantly as he held on and helped Misato to her feet, and then guided her back to heavily intoxicated body back to bed
"Sometimes I feel like I help you out way too much" Shinji whispered with some dried humor
"Be quiet" Misato replied,
As much as he promised himself not to go out that day, Shinji ended up doing so. Not because he had to or anything, but because Shinji couldn't spend all day at home bored. He had gotten up only several hours after he went to bed after his brief discussion with Misato, after which he drove his Sunday morning shift, racing home only in time to give Riksuto the car and let her drive to work.
He slept all morning, forcing Rei to abandon her only pastime of reading, instead trying, with all the effort possible, to keep the kitchen clean as Misato occasionally came to get a snack or a beer or both. But after midday he was wide awake and wondering what to do.
Shinji realized then that he didn't really go to town a lot, apart from work and occasionally to go to the supermarket to buy something Misato forgot. Cherry blossom Avenue practically was the centre of town and he never really went around looking at the sights. It was a small town, but it was on a lake, because of which, he decided to head that way.
"Shinji, where are we going?" asked the voice behind him,
"I don't know Rei, I felt like exploring for once, get out of the house, you know?"
Because of the fact she too had nothing to do, and at Misato's insistence, Rei ended up tagging along, merely to let her get out of the house. Shinji wondered if maybe Misato did it so she could conduct some more serious investigating without him knowing, or a mild and pointless attempt to get Rei to socialize more. Shinji didn't care; just that he had time to spare and no objective.
"Its 1 in the afternoon, how about we go to one of those cafes at the boardwalk" Shinji pondered "my treat"
"Understood" Rei nodded and walked ahead of Shinji at a uniform pace. Shinji examined her roommate again. Her attire wasn't anything close enough to indicate something like an outing. Reid's choice of outfits in fact were simple household things, it looked more like she was out doing errands. Shinji wondered if it would be wise idea if they went by a clothes shop on the way home...
'No, first I would have to teach Rei how to shop like a girl, and then she would have to be taught female fashion sense… I have to ask Hikari one day' Shinji pondered how he could accomplish that. In any sense, Shinji decided that for his own benefit, just a juice or ice cream would suffice.
That resolve ended quickly by the voice of someone
"Shinji-kun!"
Shinji paused in his spot and did a quick check of his surroundings. He couldn't locate the voice at first. Rei stopped as well wondering who called for Shinji, her looking more careful. Before Shinji could locate her, Naoko jumped onto his back. Shinji's fall onto the wooden planks was expect and received.
"Shinji-kun" Naoko said again, still on top of him.
"Naoko-san" he said slowly, his face planted into the boardwalk planks. "You mind?"
"Gomen" Naoko got off "I felt like surprising you!"
"It's alright" Shinji said as he got up and dusted himself off
"So what are you two doing here?"
"Shinji said a few minutes ago that he would go to the boardwalk and look for a café to have lunch at, he invited me to join, promising to pay for me as well"
"So a date?" Naoko instantly got excited
"No!" Shinji replied with some anger "I have the day off today and Rei ran into me just before"
Shinji still had the lagging problem of telling Naoko and Kazama, in an organized sense that they lived with each other. It was difficult for him now, and it was only going to get harder, trying keeping a secret for such a long time was considered a sin by these two, and it wouldn't exactly take very long before he faulted and she did learn the truth. Shinji was confident however that Naoko wouldn't find out yet; after all he had successful covered up his previous identity as a highly profiled member of NERV.
Naoko was clearly dressed to go out for some reason. Shinji knew she had a part time job in town, but he hadn't in the time since he met her ever attempted to find out. Shinji shrugged and started to walk to towards the cafes before Naoko asked
"So what are you two doing?"
"Lunch" Rei replied "I'm not exactly sure what else, but the objective was to 'get out of the house' as it were"
"Mind if I tag along?" Naoko asked "I've got today off too!"
Shinji's mood sank like a stone and his face showed it. First he wondered why Naoko was done here in the first place. Then he wondered how he now could talk to Rei without her doing something stupid; and if that wasn't enough, Naoko was probably going to try making Shinji shout her lunch and get away with it. But what froze his mind even more is that without a plan, he had no way of defending himself if Naoko decided to inquire about the reason why Ryosuke showed up.
"I suppose its okay… do you know anywhere that'll accept us dressed like this?"
"Nani?" Naoko stopped and gave both her friends a quick lookdown, "well you aren't exactly dressed for a date, but since when does that ever matter?"
"Some cafes have dress codes…" Shinji said somewhat blankly "that's why"
"Oh Shinji" Naoko laughed and bopped him on the head "you still think like a Tokyo-3 boy don't you? Come on" She walked on towards the corner.
Shinji rubbing his head and sighed, following their classmate in whatever direction his wallet would certainly end up suffering for it, Rei just didn't know what's going on and complied because Shinji was walking in that direction. A few minutes and a block later they came up to a large café that came with a view of the lake and the small public beach before it.
"Wow, I didn't know this was even here"
"Shinji, how long have you lived here again?" Naoko asked confused
"2 years"
"Well now you know why I said you seriously should get out more often, all work and no play make you too serious" Naoko said with a chuckle
"Gomen" Shinji replied with a sigh and started following Naoko to the café his mind already thinking about something else. Shinji took some time to observe the place; he rarely went anywhere to eat or anywhere that was considered a social setting, besides school and work.
'This place looks sort of like a family place… but I feel like its sort of upscale too… so much for my money'
"Hey Naoko-Chan!" replied the woman at the counter,
"Hey Rin-tan" Naoko smiled; all Shinji did a double take and looked at Naoko,
"You forgot I worked here didn't you?"
'You didn't tell me!' Shinji yelled in his mind,
"Let me guess, you want to grab a free meal off us?" Rin smiled "Sorry, ill give you half price, nothing better though"
"Thanks alright" Naoko cheerfully replied and grabbed Shinji into a headlock "Shinji here is going to pay for me!"
"Shinji?" Rin looked at the young man "is he the Shinji you keep on talking about?"
'Hey! What have you been talking about?' Shinji screamed in his mind, he ruffled and got out of the headlock.
"What's going on Naoko?"
"I'm so sorry" Rin bowed gently "I haven't introduced myself; my name is Rin Hitotose, I'm Naoko's boss"
"I see…" Shinji bowed in reply "Shinji Ikari"
"And your friend?" Rin looked at Rei standing behind both teenagers
"Rei Ayanami" Rei bowed, only because everyone else seemed to do that while greeting"
"So Shinji…" Rin turned her attention back to the male of the trio "is what Naoko said true?"
"What exactly might that be?" Shinji asked, faking laughter. In his head he quickly wondered 'What is true? What did she say about me? Don't tell me Kenesuke spilled the beans!'
"You're the driver for the 86 at Katsuragi tofu shop right?"
"Oh…" Shinji sighed relief "yes I am"
"Amazing!" Rin replied cheerfully, "and here I am thinking that Naoko was making up another one of her tall stories"
Naoko laughed and scratched her neck in an embarrassing way. Without anything else further to say, Naoko, Shinji and Rei went to get a table looking out over the lake. Shinji decided to just have soda and sandwiches, Rei ordered lemonade, Naoko ordered chess cake and a strawberry cream milkshake, much to the pain Shinji said,
"So Shinji" Naoko said "How long have you and Rei being meeting up like this?"
"Excuse me?"
"You didn't just bump into her while you were down here didn't you?" Naoko said with a sly grin,
'Naoko, for once in your life, can you stop assuming everything we do is suspicious!' Shinji thought, he looked over at Rei with a concerned look, he just prayed that she wouldn't open her mouth and says something stupid, his wishes however wouldn't be granted.
"No, Shinji and myself did come here with the specific purpose of 'getting out of the house' at the same time" Rei said, sipping her drink
'Rei, thank you…. For ruining my life' Shinji dropped his head in ashamed disbelief,
"Shinji, why don't you ever tell the truth" Naoko said with a sly grin "now I need to know how; many times you've been doing this?"
Naoko swore that Shinji's skin went pale at that comment, and his sprits were visible as they left his body.
"Shinji and I have only met once under these circumstances" Rei answered truthfully "however there are other times where he asked me to accompany him"
'Rei, come on… what are you trying to do to me' Shinji whimpered mentally,
"Oh really? I suppose that makes sense" Naoko grinned evilly "you are teaching her how to drive aren't you Shinji? How cute…"
Shinji wanted to escape, to wake up and discover this was all some sort of sick joke his mind was playing on him, something that wouldn't be as humiliating as having Rei sell him out on the street without her even knowing what she was doing. It was just too painful now to even imagine a way out of this.
"Please…." Shinji said with brittle tremors "don't misunderstand me… Rei tagged along with me after she just bumped into me... it's just a coincidence"
Naoko hummed amusingly, not really buying Shinji's story but none the less nodding, only because that was what one did to someone who was clearly lying to save his own life.
"That part is true" Rei said
"What?" Naoko cocked her head to look at Rei. She still didn't have a clue on how to tell if Rei was lying or telling the truth, her whisper like monotone made defying anything impossible. She also didn't know anything about Rei, which made it harder, she remembered a rumor that the two were living together, somewhat confirmed by the incident
"I came here on my own purposes"
'Thank you…' Shinji sighed, 'now please don't screw up by saying anything else'
"Why did you come into town then Rei?" Naoko asked, further sealing off Shinji's hope to survive this torture.
"I believe I've already answered that question" Rei replied
"I suppose I can live with that" Naoko sipped her tea with a look of defeat on her face. Shinji noticed the look and sighed relief, with some sort of miracle he didn't see coming, and Rei had just defeated the gossip queen at a round of interrogation. However with most conversations of this nature, it didn't end with just one round. Shinji was about to relax when round two commenced.
"So Shinji, you never did tell us how you and Rei started practicing together"
Shinji spluttered in his drink, feeling the invisible knife hit his back.
"What do you mean?"
"Yesterday, we weren't just on Mt. Akira Rd to give the guys a thrill ride in your car were we? And that wasn't your usual car yesterday, is it Rei's?"
Shinji sighed and dropped his head at the table, his feeling of safely now cold and dead. What came next was frightening to Shinji.
"I agreed to be taught drifting technique and high speed car handling controls by Shinji" Rei started"
"You agreed?" Naoko was surprised, Shinji was shocked
"Shinji was not intending to offer me tutorage of this certain discipline of driving originally, but my mother… managed to convince him and the owner of the tofu shop to have me taught… providing I have mo own vehicle"
Shinji was gulping breaths now, his heart was beating faster then the engine in his Trueno and his skin was as white as the FC. He couldn't tell it, it was impossible for him to begin imagining it, but Rei was not only speaking, normally, well more lively then he had ever known Rei to talk, but was somehow, In a very unlikely way, was defending Shinji and herself, and it was working. Naoko had seen the look on Shinji's face and wondered if his tea had made him ill all of a sudden. It was the color of suspicion, Naoko knew then to keep her attack up.
"Your car?"
'Oh crap… Rei isn't going to be answer that one' Shinji sighed 'and she might even say she is living with me now!'
"My mother is the original owner of the car; she has given it to me permanently on the condition that I only use it for the purpose of training"
Shinji was confused and scared at the same time, when you asked Rei a question, she normally answered honestly, which of course was a concern all the time. But for the first time, Shinji heard Rei lie…. Well exaggerate, if not quite exactly speak a complete lie. For a moment, Shinji's skin color returned to its normal completion.
"I see?" Naoko replied, continuing the attack, still assured that there was something fishy going on "so why did your mother suddenly ask Shinji?"
'Oh crap' Shinji said 'doesn't answer, don't answer' he was not entirely trusting of Rei's social abilities just yet.
"I believe the idea sparked during race between the blue cars a few weeks ago" Rei started
'Why is Rei answering for Shinji?' Naoko asked herself, 'and why does he look so white every time she even talks? Something is just not right'
"Shinji?"
"Yes?" he replied almost as a gasp, almost missing her call for him
"Is this true?"
"Yes it is" Shinji said "Rei's mother is an old friend of my mother, she recently moved to town to become a doctor"
"So I think I've heard" Naoko said "why was she at the race?"
"I believe Ms. Katsuragi invited my mother to the race" Rei replied, surprising Shinji as she took control again, still answering that honest monotone that rarely people could doubt. Shinji felt like he was in the passenger seat of the worlds fastest drift car and that Rei was blind going down Mt. Akira at full speed and performing a world record time on the pass. He felt more fear then his first battle on the mountain and quite possibly the most recent time he was at the controls of an evangelion. What scared him the most was that Rei was handling Naoko quite well.
"It's sort of like this" Shinji said "she was impressed or something with my skills and asked me to train Rei… I don't know the motive, but I can't exactly object to my mother"
"What possible motive would you suspect?" Naoko asked, throwing a curve ball at Shinji now seeing if anything would off balance him, since he had just passed close to blowing it. It left Shinji speechless trying to rack an answer quickly enough to, if he didn't soon, Naoko would have that opening and it would be all over
"I believe I can answer that" Rei said
'You can?' Shinji almost said
"Oh?" Naoko said, annoyed that someone answered in the defensive tone,
"My mother… on arriving to this town… asked me to socialize with the local population and to immerse myself in a hobby or sport, she believes this to be a sort of answer, therefore she enquired to Shinji about lessons"
Shinji felt like he just saw the ultimate blow in whatever sort of sport he could think of, Rei, the beginner, take on the skilled professional and just beat her at it. His shock was hard to hide, but what amazed him was that Rei was both lying and exaggerating her position on the matter in his favor which was starting to make absolutely no sense in how she was keeping up with this fight.
"I suppose that makes sense" Naoko sighed "Shinji, man even with everything, you are sort of boring when it comes to gossip, you too Rei"
"I apologies that I couldn't be more interesting" Rei said
'Wow' Shinji said, "that's going to hurt' Shinji was about as confused as Naoko was on this shocking skill that Rei picked up almost overnight,
'Why the hell was Shinji so worried about this girl, she can certainly take care of her'
"I don't know what you two are worried about, especially you Shinji" Naoko said "its not like you two are sleeping in the same room or something is it?"
"That possibility wouldn't exactly be plausible, my mother doesn't entrust Shinji that much" Rei replied "that much is certain"
It wasn't the answer that caught Naoko's attention, she had quickly learnt to look at Shinji's reaction… which was comical enough given his color had gone back to a ghost white.
"Shinji… is there something you're not telling me?" Naoko said grinning, again on the attack,
"She was joking Naoko!" Shinji rebutted "Rei's only been to my place once and what would you think if my mother would do if she saw that?"
"She lets you complete in street races" Naoko giggled "she isn't exactly as strict as I'm led to believe
"I'm serious…" Shinji said, trying to control the topic, steering towards the escape.
"I know…I know…" Naoko calmed down "it's not like you'll be that lucky!"
Naoko had a good laugh at Shinji's expense; Rei didn't understand and continued to sip at her drink. A few minutes later, they finished and headed out of the café and really wondered down the street, and headed the beach by the lake; here there was a large park that backed the beach front. Without noticing it herself Rei had wondered ahead curiously, really not paying attention to the fact that Shinji and Naoko had slowed down.
"So Shinji" Naoko said "I suppose I've bothered you two enough anyway"
"That's alright" Shinji sighed "but did you have to be that persistent before?"
"Sorry" Naoko giggled "I just had to get a few questions of mine answered"
"What do you mean?"
"I only want one question I want you to answer" Naoko turned to block Shinji's path "and I don't want Rei to save your behind again this time"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't you worry about that Shinji-kun…?" Naoko winked, in a tone that positively flowed to Shinji something ironic and altogether disturbing "I trust you with her"
"What…"
"Shinji…" Naoko started, her tone changed entirely "What did Ryosuke-sensei say to you yesterday?"
"What do you mean?"
"I know you Shinji, you're not the type to just back out and run away"
"Naoko, Ryosuke was…"
"He said 'I know why you moved here' Shinji-kun" Naoko worried that her punch wouldn't get the right affect, but she had her thirst to know "Shinji, what does he know that I don't know about you?"
Shinji was worried stalling in his mind, he couldn't think fast enough to sound confident, Shinji resisted the urge to fault and come honest, that thought had only the chance to live for a few nanoseconds, he was not as foolish as to consider it a full second. It was only a 2 second thought process that decided the reply and when he replied, his voice was broken,
"Naoko… I can't talk about it"
"Why cant you Shinji? Is it that bad?"
"No!" Shinji almost shouted, making heads around them turn for a second "Listen… its something important that I cant tell you right now, I promise I will some day, but I cant tell you now, not yet"
Naoko and Shinji came and stopped under a tree next to a bench.
"Shinji… I saw it in your face alright" Naoko said "what was it about?"
"Naoko… do you trust me when I say I will tell you one day?"
"Yes…"
"Then please… wait" Shinji said, loosing control fast "it's very hard for me to tell you, but I want to wait until I'm ready to tell you… and it's important that you don't misunderstand"
"Shinji…." Naoko could feel in her air around Shinji the stress of lying to a friend about this,
"I'm sorry… I know what it is about, but I can't tell you… not yet anyway"
"Shinji… I'm sorry I was insensitive…" Naoko looked down, her hair covering her eyes "I trust you… but please" she looked up again "don't make me and everyone else worry again, you did that a few days ago… don't do it again"
With that, Naoko left Shinji to himself, paused in space and time with his thoughts for a few minutes. Shinji felt the awkward sticky strain of the mess that he had left at the foot of his life. Shinji knew that from this point onwards, Naoko would never trust him ever again and there would be no forgiveness when he would… he would? Well he had to now, he just promised it and Naoko was particularly good at remembering that. He could only hope now that day wasn't too soon in the future.
"Shinji, why did you stop here?" Rei asked, having realized the two hundred meter distance she had opened with her roommate.
"Oh…Rei" Shinji said "come on, let's go home"
Rei nodded in agreement, mainly because she didn't have the thought then to ask why he was going home. Shinji felt a little bad for that private discussion with Naoko, but he couldn't just tell right there and then who he was and why he was hear, not yet anyway, hopefully never, but Shinji was pessimistic that he could hold such a secret forever. Even when he hoped never to return to it, Shinji also knew that it would drag around his neck until the day he died.
"Shinji, where did Naoko go?"
"Home" Shinji replied simple, returning his attention to going home himself.
"I see"
"Can I ask a question" Shinji said, now thinking about it for some reason,
"Of course"
"Before in the café, when Naoko was asking the questions, you lied in some answers… why?"
"I didn't lie once" Rei replied "but I did learn to slightly exaggerate my answers"
"Why… that's not like you at all"
"I learnt from a book that people like Naoko are bound to relieve the information, I was told by you and our guardians countless times that I must not revile the true nature of our history or the present living arrangements. I believe that was the logical approach to deny, if not alter the answer to apply that her understanding was false" Rei explained, somehow giving Shinji a headache "was I suppose to do this?"
"You were" Shinji scratched his head, feeling his headache that finally arrived "but you surprised me back there"
"I'm sorry if I made you worry"
Shinji wondered if Rei was being sarcastic, but her monotone was still making every word she said hard to understand. Maybe he thought that was the trick… it was hard to tell what Rei was thinking.
"So what do you plan to do?" Riksuto said, sober and very much serious and aware of the brevity of the situation
"It's very simple" Misato said "the question really matters about what we're all going to do"
Shinji, Rei, Misato and Riksuto were all at the table, Penpen would've had a seat too if could speak English, but everyone was here. Misato explained the situation to Riksuto earlier and said that there would be this meeting tonight, so far, everyone had come to the conclusion that backing out now would be impossible. Everyone at the table had to assume that Ryosuke was both aware of their past identity and that he would be serious in blowing the cover that each of them had enjoyed. Shinji and Misato were the most at risk, they were the most socially connected of the four, especially now that Shinji had entered the street racing world.
Misato had summarized that it was only a matter of time before someone but the math together, but she didn't expect it to come in the form of a threat, her entire investment and asset count lay in her business and this house, she had no savings of any nature, further Reinforced by the sudden expenditures from two extra bodies living at the house, and a unprecedented pinch for repairing the 86 and FC. Despite all of this, Shinji was the most worried out of the group, he alone had the greatest to loose.
His money was more secure then Misato; something thankfully possible from years of working and saving. Right now he could just pick up the keys, jump in the 86, and run away. But to where? Too many people knew who he would be in the major cities. What about to another small town? Somewhere that nobody would've heard of him from the street races, or from his time in NERV… but where in Japan was that exactly? Not a lot of people just forgot the angel attacks.
"My best conclusion" Riksuto said "this guy will tell no matter what; our best solution is too run"
"No!" Misato shouted "If we run, all he's going to do is follow us wherever we go?"
"And what do you suggest we do? Fight this idiot?" Riksuto said "can Shinji even defeat a R34?"
"I don't know…" Misato said with no confidence, she couldn't just assume that Shinji was able to perform magic on the race course, two races had taught her that it wasn't anywhere near possible to just hope for the best.
"There it is then" Riksuto said "it's too heavy a gamble to stay and then to run"
"Riksuto…" Misato snarled, "you coward… where the hell do you think we can run too!?"
"There had to be someone that we can…."
"There isn't anyone!" Misato shouted "we're all that's left, if we go down, it's all over!"
Shinji remained quiet, closing his eyes and praying this part of the meeting would get over already. Shinji didn't like to be this useless in something of this matter, but what could he do? There was no solution expect to defeat this guy… and only if it was certain he could. The 86 was no match for a R34; there was too much a power difference in the two cars.
"Cant we move to another town?" Riksuto said
"For what point? This shop is all we have; this and the car… your promise of money had failed to arrive… I have nothing to setup fresh again"
"What about Shinji, doesn't he have money?"
"Don't bring him into this!"
"Why should I" Riksuto fumed "he's the one who started this damn thing"
The slap from Misato almost echoed throughout the house. But it silenced the argument once and for all.
"Shinji… is not…. At fault" Misato snarled "do not dare blame him again!"
"Then what do you suppose we do" Riksuto said calmed down, rubbing her cheek.
The reply came as a surprise to everyone at the table, and it surprised everyone more because it was Rei who said it.
"We stay… and we ignore it"
"Rei…" Riksuto turned with renewed anger "have you lost your mind?"
"No…" Rei said "I am not crazy"
"Shinji?" Misato turned to him "what do you think?"
"Rei's right" Shinji said plainly,
For the second time, now only Misato and Riksuto were surprised and quietly shocked.
"Misato has a point, where do we run to?"
"We can go north" Riksuto replied
"No, he can just find out where I moved to" Shinji said "and we're unable to setup elsewhere, we have no finances to permit that, we could sell this property, but that takes time, by then he can just tell everyone anyway"
"Shinji?" Misato asked,
"We are too tied down here to do anything" Shinji said "and I personally don't want to run away anymore, I don't want to start over" Shinji looked over to Rei who nodded approvingly.
Misato was both pleasantly surprised and pleased that Shinji had just held his ground and even convinced herself to stay put. Up until then, Misato felt like running away, as irrational and impossible that decision was. Riksuto on the other hand was annoyed; she was now one against three in a debate about their future. What changed the thoughts was she remembered 'her' car wasn't in the repair shop now. Riksuto had decided then that she alone would run away.
"Fine then" Riksuto, "I personally don't want to be left holding the bag so if you will excuse me… Rei, we're going"
Misato's eyes were widened when she picked up the FC's car keys and proceeded to pick up the suitcase, not with clothes, but the one she left in the hall full of hard drives and her research data, something of a joke in less tense times that Riksuto prioritized data she couldn't even access over the bare essentials a woman her age needed.
"Misato, Shinji, I hope you can settle this… but I wont stay here when it fails"
"Riksuto you coward!" Misato screamed
Riksuto turned to Rei who hadn't gotten up yet. Shinji hadn't even the slightest where this would go next, but he couldn't have psychically prepared himself for what happened next.
"I won't go" Rei mouthed the words simply
"What do you mean?" Riksuto said "I'm your guardian!"
"Riksuto, while I believe I have acquired the same feeling of fear as everyone else… I am not as yet afraid of this man to see retreat as an option"
"Fine then" Riksuto said stating to sound irrational "you want to suffer?"
"No…" Rei said simply "but you haven't got enough money to last 4 days, and there isn't enough gas in your car to go 80 kilometers"
Riksuto grudged at the realization that she couldn't. Misato was white in surprise wondering how Rei suddenly had just acquired a rough ability to stand a debate. It frightened her that she had just put Riksuto in her place. Shinji wasn't surprised, already seeing it a few hours before.
"Shinji is right" Rei continued "if we run, he can follow us, and he only had to look 80 kilometers down the freeway for you if we fail"
Riksuto was the least bit calm or rational, but the off balance from being told by Rei that she couldn't run away was enough to trigger a headache of megaton size. Riksuto's brain slipped gears and finally her mind came to a halt, freezing the idea of running away and her in course planning for that.
"Fine…" Riksuto said, sighing defeat "I don't know what the hell you were taught… but this isn't some fantasy, he will tell someone eventually"
"We can prevent it" Shinji said "Ryosuke said he has to beat me at a race before that happens"
"Hang on…" Riksuto and Misato said I alarm, but only the latter continued "Shinji, are you seriously going to try?"
"What choice do I have?" Shinji replied.