Third Chapter
24th July 2025. 18:30 PM
The sun was setting over Neo-Tokyo 3, once again. A few cars were slowly
crossing the main streets of the town, while some over-heated passers-by
were walking on the sidewalk, in the summer sultriness.
As a rule, Neo-Tokyo 3 registered the hottest temperatures in Japan.
There was a desolate path in suburbia, where one could only hear the birds
twittering over the cherry trees, reddened by then, and the bell-tower
of a little church in the neighbourhood slowly tolling. And still, that
path wasn't as desolate as it seemed at first sight. There were some girl-students
from the First Junior High School in Neo-Tokyo 3, the place where many
persons had underwent unforgettable emotions, during their teens. They
were "glued" to the church threshold.
"Ooooh…did you see him?He's has come today, too!!", whispered one of the girls, blushing, then covering her cheeks in her hands.
"Yeaah..he's so lovely..", answered an other next to the first girl.
"He has the look of person being cultured!He's always spending time reading very difficult books, everyday", the other went on speaking.
"It's true. But there's something worrying me: that he's coming to the church, everyday, at the same hour. Won't he have intentions of taking vows?"
"Oh, no!!!", chorused the four girls, finishing their daydreaming.
"Don't dare repeat that again, Miaka!!It would be a sheer tragedy", exclaimed one of them in a worried tone.
"Sure..he's such a nice boy! If he became a priest, he would throw his handsomeness to the winds!", Miaka went one, looking again at the interior of the church,where the boy in question must be, in all likelihood.
"Come on, girls! We gotta think positively! Maybe he's been spending his afternoons here, so that he could read peacefully in such a quiet place as a church."
"Nadeshiko!You're always so optimist!Let's hope you're right", Miaka went on.
"Ooohh..he's so lovelyyy!", chorused the girls.
But they were not the only one to be interested in that person. Not any girl had the courage to show one's interest in him while being in front of the other girls. One of them was sitting on a bench, hidden behind a tree. The bench where she sat on was the last of the row of many other seats, and the nearest to the church. She was a girl of about seventeen, and she didn't wear the uniform of the First Junior High School of Neo-Tokyo 3; she wore a different one. Probably she attended a school which wasn't even placed in Neo Tokyo 3.
Despite it was the same old sailor-suit, the uniform was much more elegant and formal than the other girls' one. It was bright orange, with a velvet black ribbon under a white green-stripped collar, which was coloured the same manner as the cuffs.
Even from her features, she didn't look like a japanese girl. The hair
of the people in Japan is usually not so light, unless they dyed it, as
Mrs. Akagi did. And yet, her hair had not looked dyed.
It was very long and had been tied in two plaits, decorated with violet
ribbons, which hung down to her cheeks. Her eyes had not been the typical
kind of Japanese persons too; instead they had european look to them, being
light green and almost transparent. Inside them one could read all her
shyness in approaching other persons. Infact the girl was spending all
her time gazing at the church, and at the other girls continuing to chat
about their idol. She was clasping in her hands something like a letter
closed inside an envelope, while leaning her hands on her knees.
"Ehm…sorry..". A male voice, probably a young man's one, made her suddenly turn, because she was frightened. She turned towards the direction where the voice came from, and found a boy standing in front of her. He was Shinji Ikari.
"Sorry! Have I made you scared?!", Shinji asked, noticing the girl's sudden reaction.
The girl blushed and shook her head. "No..don't worry!", she answered.
One could notice from her voice that she pronounced Japanese with difficulty.
"Thanks. Listen to me! Would you mind telling me the time?", asked Shinji. "My watch has stopped..", the young man explained shyly, while showing her his wristwatch.
"Wh..what!??", the girl answered, not succeeding in fully understading what Shinji had said.
Finally Shinji made out the girl had trouble understanding Japanese. "I had asked you if you could tell me the time", the young vice-commander went on with a bit of embarrassment, saying his words so that they were easy to understand.
"Oh, I see..". She suddenly stood up, embarrassed for not grasping why she had been addressed, while carelessly making the letter slip from her hand onto the ground. "It's..it's half past six..", the girl answered, unsure of her pronunciation.
Shinji caught her uneasiness about the whole situation. "Thank you very much! Sorry for bothering you", replied the young man, while picking up the letter that had fallen from the young woman's hand.
"No problem!", the girl answered in her turn.
"This seems to have just fallen from your hand", Shinji exclaimed, handing the letter to her.
As the young man returned her the envelope, she blushed and answered with a clumsy bow: "Do..domou Arigatou" (*)
Shinji smiled. "It's all right..see you around."
"Wait, please!" the girl exclaimed, stretching out her arm towards Shinji.
"Sorry!?", Shinji replied.
"Sorry for interfering you..but ..are you going into the church, by chance?", whispered the girl, wondering whether to speech or not.
Shinji nodded. "Yes. Can I help you?", he asked.
She blushed furiously, while her hand was nervously trembling, still holding onto the letter. After a few seconds of hesitation, the girl suddenly handed him the letter with both her hands, trying not to show her face blushing.
Shinji was dumbfounded by it. "Eh?!"
Could you please deliver this to the boy who's inside the church, please? It's only been a few weeks since I've moved here from Russia, and my Japanese is not that good. I'm a bit too shy to talk to him in person!!He does not know me at all!!", exclaimed the girl, confiding to Shinji anything that was on her mind in that moment.
The young man was astonished by the girl's words, and still he took
the letter with a smile.*He must be my friend the one who she's talking
about.* , Shinji thought.
"Sure..don't worry. I'll give this to him… Is Nagisa the name of who
I have to give this letter to?"
Once Shinji pronounced that name, the girl turned to look at him again, astonished. "Do you..do you know him?", the girl asked shyly.
Shinji nodded. "Yes. Circunstances made us be known to each other.", Shinji answered, smiling. "So, don't worry! I'll deliver it to him in person!Then I'll let you know anything that he told me about it. Is it good for you?"
The girl blushed, even more surprised, then she nodded, smiling joyfully.
"Thank you very much, Sir!"" exclaimed the girl with recognition.
Shinji smiled again. Nothing, it's my pleasue! Who is this letter from?",
he asked, inviting the girl to tell him her name.
"My name is Kristina. Kristina Krusciov", the girl answered sweetly.
Some minutes after
Shinji had just into the church, fighting his way through the "human
wall", which the girls on the threshold had formed. Kaworu wasn't out of
suitors, for sure. After all, it had been a lot of years since they had
seen each other for the last time.
That time, they couldn't even greet each other.
The young man made the sign of the cross as he entered the church, after he had dipped his fingertips into the holy water.
Then he looked around himself. The church had been almost empty, except
for a few old women, who were sitting on the pews, at random.
Kaworu was there, giving him the shoulders, holding a book in his hands.
Despite all the years that had passed since they met for the last time,
he had not changed at all. Same old silver hair, thiny shoulders…and he
resembled Rei so much that, if Shinji had not known Kaworu, he could think
of him as Rei's brother. Shinji had drawn nearer, being rather embarrassed,
while holding in his hand the letter Kristina had asked him to deliver.
As he was moving towards the pew where Kaworu had been sitting, he
could hear the girls murmuring from behind about him heading towards Kaworu.
According to Shinji's percerption, his friend had not changed at all. He
was always the same introvert person, who liked to stay apart
from anyone, feeling at ease with loneliness.
Shinji was slowly advancing, being a few paces away from Kaworu.Once he was near enough, he almost hesitated in asking for his attention. He was caught by an incredible sense of embarrassment, whose meaning not even he could understand. As if something inside himself restrained him form going on. He was not scared of his friend, despite he knew Kaworu was the seventeenth Angel, Tabris, one of the most powerful Angels; still, in that moment , he was only Kaworu Nagisa, a young man like him. A frale Angel, who had succeeded, ten years ago, in confiding to Shinji what he had never confessed to anyone. He was the first one to know Shinji intimately. He knew that Shinji loved Rei more than anything, before the same even Shinji became aware of it. But now it was as if someone had interposed a partition wall between them, so that they couldn't approach as they did ten years ago. This wall had been raised, as the same day Kaworu had been killed by him, at Nerv Base.
Maybe Shinji was scared to come closer to him because of this memory.
Nobody knew it, except Shinji's heart. At any reate, he couldn't
force himself to take another step closer to Kaworu. He relaxed only when
he saw the silver-haired man turning his face towards him slowly, then
glancing at him with a focused look.
At that sight, Shinji was startled, being almost frightened by the
peaceful glance of Kaworu, whose eyes were similar to Rei's ones.
The young man went on staring at Kaworu for some seconds, in silence. Their locked eyes were broken only when Kaworu closed his ones, smiling towards Shinji spontaneously. "Hello, Shinji", the Angel boy had welcomed him at once, ending the infinite silence which hung over the church.
Shinji blinked with surprise, then regained his composure, shyly returning Kaworu's smile, shyly. Kaworu's glance was the same as ever: it seemed to be finding his way to human heart and penetrating into his emotions, whatever they meant. It was impossible for Shinji to camouflage his astonishment in front of that strange guy.
"Have you noticed my presence?", Shinji asked, leaning his elbows
over his knees, whil gazing at his shoes'tip moving nervously, so that
his eyes did not meet Kaworu's again. Probably he was feared that
his friend could dig into his thoughts. He had been wondering why he had
come to talk to Kaworu about what he had not been able to tell anyone.
Why to Kaworu, who frightened him so much?
The Angel-boy nodded, looking up at the church ceiling, where
some wonderful frescoes had been painted. "Yes..it's difficult not to perceive
you. You're the most silent person I've ever known. Except for Ayanami."
Shinji did not answer, he just smiled unawares, as he used to, anytime
he heard someone pronouncing his beloved woman's name or surname. He got
up, leaning against the back of the bench, looking up to the church ceiling
in imitation of Kaworu's attitude.
Kaworu casted a glance to Shinj's face, then he returned to look at
the frescoes.
"Shinji…I noticed a light shining in your eyes..Was it because I've
mentioned the name of Rei?"
Shinji blushed at those words. …Just as he had thought..Kaworu succeeded
in reading into his human mind. After all, he shouldn't be so surprised
by that.Even ten years ago, Kaworu had proved that he could get to the
heart of souls.He had proved that to Rei, too, being the first person to
understand Rei's true feelings towards Shinji, which not even Ayanami had
confessed to herself yet. And still, he already knew of them.
"Er..I..", Shinji said, stuttering.
Kaworu leant his own hand over Shinj's shoulder, so that he suddenly
turned.
"You've always needed someone to talk to. I'm here, as always.", the
boy answered in a resolute, but reassuring tone.
Shinji unleashed from his own body's rigidity, and inhaled deeply.
"Yes. It's true. I wanted to talk to you about Rei.", Shinji said, while
Kaworu took his own hand away from his shoulder. "Sometimes we don't realize
how wonderful it is to talk about what makes us happy. Maybe I didn't like
to talk in the past, because I had only sad thoughts in my mind.", the
young man exclaimed, gaining self-confidence again.
"Are you happy, now?", asked Kaworu., feeling interested in Shinji's
monologue.
Shinji bowed his head. "I don't know..", he answered, sighing. "I have
got the impression that my happiness won't last for long".
Kaworu turned his eyes up again, towards the ceiling. "Your speech
is a bit contradictory, isn't it? Your eyes show happiness and sadness
at the same time. Lilim's emotions are often colliding."
Shinji didn't answer to Kaworu's words, he only confined himself to nodding and bowing his head, gazing at the floor. Silence reigned again over the church, but it didn't last more than a few seconds.
"Did you know that me and Re are going to have children?", Shinji said, lifting his glance from the floor, and looking towards the altar which was placed not distant from them.
"This is the kind of happy news for you, Lilim's sons.."
Shinji nodded, while smiling sweetly. "Yes. This is true. It's a good
news.But..", the boy contiuned while shaking his head, "as you know, she
has always been very frale. And this pregnancy is an hard experience for
her. She's expecting two babies. Despite it all, she didn't look to be
suffering that much. Except for the usual illness of the first three months
of pregnancy, it looked like the critical phase had passed by", Shinji
narrated with a sad look.
Kaworu listend to him, standing still. "So, the critical phase has
passed, then?", asked Kaworu, once he saw that Shinji had stopped to talk.
"No, unfortunately. Two days ago, a little time while before I came
back home from work, Rei was suddenly taken ill, and she fainted. And I
wasn't with her." In that moment, one could see the first tears forming
into Shinji's eyes, then slowly sliding down his face, in silence. "I had
promised to her that we'll have faced any trouble together. And whn she
needed my presence more than ever, she found herself all alone. Only in
company with Faye, who had been barking continously. All this happened
while I was at work! I considered myself an idiot!Why did I leave her alone,
when she's carrying our babies in her womb?" After he exclaimed thos words,
which echoed through the chapel walls, the young man burst into tears,
hiding his face between his knees, whilr giving vent to his rage by crying.
Despite Shinji's weeping being silent, still his sobs echoed through the
church. Kaworu was saddened by his friend's crying and ceased to smile.
The silver-haired man took a deep breath, that melted in Shinji's sobs.
"In the Book of Genesis, God had said the woman will have given birth
to one's sons among pains and troubles, while the man will have worked
with discomfort and distress. Not even you can escape this law, engraved
ont the Bible. Not even Rei and you…"
Shinji popped his head up from his knees, while tears were still streaming down his face. He quickly wiped them away. "Excuse me..", the young man whispered, trying to hide his tears from Kaworu , with a big effort.
"And…how is she now?", Kaworu asked again, after a pause of silence,
without looking away from the church ceiling.
Shinji sniffed before he answered, trying to show a smile. "Now she's
good. Doctor Tsukishiro and Doctor Akagi said that it was due to a sudden
fall in blood pressure, and there's nothing to be worried about..But
I can't help but being worried for her!!"
Shinji was trembling with rage and concern, while pronouncing those
words. It was evident that the occurrence had upset him very much.
Kaworu was immediately aware of it. Shinj's concern wasn't about the
possibility that Rei could feel bad again. It was about a more definite
question.
"Are you scared your sons' birth will take Rei away from you?!", Kaworu asked , hesitating a bit in saying such outspoken words.
Shinji did not reply at all. It was evident that Kaworu had hitted the centre of Shinji's fear, and now the vice-Commander couldn't admit it, founding himself face to face with the cause of his apprehension. All at once, Kaworu assumed a tone of firm determination. "Shinji..Rei will not die.", the young man abruptly answered. He had exclaimed his answer in a tone which not even a person who knew something with absolute certainty would have used. As if hs convinction was so strong making him sure about it.
Shinji looked at Kaworu in astonishment. "How can you be so sure about
it?", Shinji asked with a surprised tone.
Kaworu glanced at Shinji and smiled at him, leaning his hand over his
friend's shoulder again.
"Shinji. Lilim's son are a gift. If you and Rei really believe you
can have those sons, nobody can hamper this will of yours. Remember Shinji!
The most precious thing in Lilim's nature ist the power of overcoming any
trouble thanks to one's will. You gotta believe in yourself, Shinji!
You gotta believe in future, and try to open the future doors with firmness
and bravery, without hesitating for a moment. If you'll be resolute enough,
everything will be all right.."
Shinji did not fully understand Kaworu's words. The Angel was used to
speak metaphorically, and his speech often seemed to be non-sense; just
like a poem irrationally written. At any rate, those words had somehow
filled him with self-confidence. Why ? At first sight, Kaworu's words looked
like being said at random. Ritsuko and Yukito's ones should have reassured
him much more, because of their clear thinking. Both of them were aware
of the situation, since they had examined Rei when she had fainted.
What a odd thing..still Shinji felt more reassured with Kaworu's affirmations.
"Thanks, Kaworu!", Shinji said, while smiling at him lovingly, without
even knowing what he was thanking him for.
Kaworu returned Shinji's smile. "Just quieting down, Shinji. Your babies
will be born. And Ayanami wil be always next to you. Nothing will change."
The young man nodded. "Let's hope!", he answered, then he reminded
himself of the Russian girl's letter.
"Ah…listen to me! A girl out there asked me to give you this!", Shinji
told Kaworu, giving him the letter, which he had been holding in his hands
for the all time they spent talking.
Kaworu took the letter in his hand, then he smiled once he noticed
it was a love letter; one coluld have known it just by looking at its envelope,
which had been sealed by a heart-shaped sticker.
"Unbelievable..The way hwo Lilim confuse me with one of their descendants..", Kaworu said, surprised by it.
Shinji smiled, trying to encourage his friend. "Yeah. I guess it's a good thing, isn't it?", she asked, in order to know Kaworu's thoughts.
Kaworu sighed. "Who knows? Angels never think about such relationships."
"You should start thinking about it. There's nothing wrong with it.", Shinji replied with a smile.
Kaworu nodded. "We'll see."
Shinji looked up at the huge clock, which was Louis XII style and had hung on the chapel wall.By then, the hands pointed at 19:45. The young man stood up, saying: "I have to go now. Rei'll be waiting for me, and I won't let anything happen again like what happened two days ago. I could never ever forgive myself is something even close to it would happen to her again."
Kaworu remanied seated, holding in his hand the envelope, which had
been still sealed.
" I see. Give my best regards to Rei. And promise
me you won't have a fear anymore to open the door on the future threshold.",
he whispered once again.
"And you promise me you won't disappoint the sender of this letter. She's a very sweet girl. Give her a chance, at least!", Shinji exclaimed, smiling. "She's not like the other ones you can see down there!", the young man went on, ironically, while turning to look at the group of girls, who were still besieging the huge entrance-door.
Kaworu turned his look towards where Shinji was pointing, and the girls' emotions froze, once they became aware that the Seventeenth Angel was staring at their side. Then he turned towards Shinji again, with a smile.
"I promise you."
*
Shinji's wristwatch pointed at eight o' clock when he finally found himself turning the handle of the door to his house. The young man hesitated to into. No noises came from inside the habitation, so that nothing testified to someone living there. Shinji recalled to his mind what had happened two days ago. But he tried to convince himself that it couldn't be that way, this time.
"No, it would be impossible! Faye shoud have been barking.", Shinji thought, in order to encourage himself. "After all, Rei has never been a noisy person. Why should I hear noises from inside?", the young man said to himself.
"Yes, I'm sure it's all right", he repeated to himself once again. Then he sighed and inserted the key into the lock.
He slowly entered. A dim light was hanging over the entrance. Shinji
looked out of the window, while taking his shoes off on the landing. The
sun had set, night was falling.
An other day had passed, making it one less day before January arrived,
the month when Rei will have given birth to their sonsi, according
to their expectations.
Shinji silently entered the kitchen. As a rule, Hoshi was walking feline up and down the apartment, chased by her three kittens, who still couldn't but stepping clumsily, stumbling and tumbling down. But Shinji didn't mind about Hoshi. The young man carefully looked around him, but nobody seemed to be at home. Thinking of where Rei could be just upset Shinji more, despite he tried to keep his head cool. The young vice-Commander quickly but unsteadily headed towards the stairs leading to the top floor, then climbing them in a hurry.
"Rei-chan!?Are you here?", exclaimed Shinji, when reaching the top of the stairs.
No one replied. Shinji was worried of what happened some days ago could be repeating itself again. His right temple started to throb, at the thought he might find his young wife laying unconscious on the floor. Panic overwhelmed him, and he continued running along the top floor corridor towards the nearest door, which was the living room.
"REI-CHAN, ARE YOU HERE?", Shinji yelled, flinging open the door, frightened.
But the scene he saw pleased him. Rei was asleep on the couch; she
had a open magazine leaning over her knees, which had probably slipped
from her hand when she had fallen asleep.
"Bau!Bau!", Faye barked in a low tone, at the foot of the couch, standing
up at once in surprise.
After he realized it was is master Shinji, he calmed down, then
returned to lying on the floor.
Shinji drew nearer, a little frightened, then he became aware that she
was just asleep, and quietened, smiling tenderly. The image which showed
to himself touched him terribly: Rei, his young wife, dressed in a lilac
summer dress which reached her ankles, with a blue shirt under it, a little
darker than the colour of her hair, which perfectly matched the tone of
the living-room, bathed in dusk, of the curtains, and of the sky, whose
dim light filtered through the shutters of the windows. The young man ,
trying to mimic Hoshi's pace as he advanced towards her wife, finally arrived
near to her, and caressed her face tenderly. Then Shinji turend his look
to her womb.
Rei's belly was big , by then. After all, she was at her fifth month
of pregnancy. Shinji leant his hand over Rei's womb. If he had laid his
hand on her womb long enough, he could have felt the babies' movements.
Shinji closed his eyes for some moments. Who knows which thoughts were
running his mind? One could argue from his smile that they were positive
ones. Anytime Shinji went so near to Rei, all his troubles faded, making
room for good feelings.
"Shinchan", Rei whispered all at once, in a sweet tone of voice, almost imperceptible by a human ear. The young Ikari suddenly openend his eyes, and soon afterwards he could feel Rei's hand clasping his own, which was still leant over the woman's womb.
Rei closed her eyes again and leant her head over Shinji's shoulder, while he was continuing to caress her. After some time, she opened her eyes, and slowly stood up. "It's late, by now. I had better go and prepare dinner", she whispered , trying to sustain her belly's wheight without showing Shinji her discomfort. But Shinji noticed it anyway, and he stood up, restraining her. "No, Rei-chan! You have got to stay here and take a rest!", Shinji exclaimed, very worried, placing himself in front of Ayanami, and taking her by hands. "Ritsuko-hakase told you that you have to stay completely in rest!"
"But…dinner..", Rei's speech was stopped by her husband who quickly
replied: "Don't worry, sweetheart! I'll prepare dinner for you", Shinji
exclaimed with a smile, while keeping on clasping Rei's hands.
The young woman looked at Shinji astonished, then she softened, lifting
on her feet, and sweetly kissed Shinji, who returned her kiss, as a rule,
and finally embraced her wife delicately.
"Thank you, Treasure", Rei whispered after the kiss, while smiling.
"Thanks for nothing, Rei-chan!", Shinji went on by her turn. "Now return to sit down, please! I'll prepare dinner for us, and bring it to you at once. Do you agree?", Shinji exclaimed.
Rei nodded. "Good!", she smiled, while continuing to caress her womb. Shinji was on the door's threshold, when he heard the bell's ring.
"The bell?", Rei exclaimed in surprise. "Yeah, it is! Who might be at this hour?" Shinji exclaimed, slowly moving downstairs.
Once Shinji was downstairs, he drew near the entrance door, chased by Faye who started to bark as he used to, whenever someone rang the bell.
"Shh…Quieting down, Faye! Down!", Shinji exclaimed, getting ready for restraining the dog from jumping over the incoming guests. It was not that Faye was bad, he only wanted to play.
The young man opened the door. "Who is it?", he asked, half-opening the door.
"Hellooo!", exclaimed the person who was ringing the bell. She was a young girl, very tall, with long brown hair down her hips, and freckles on her nose, which was common in Horaki family. She wore a blue tailleur, with a white shirt under it, a sunny smile on her face. She was just like the girl Shinji had seen on the photograph which Kensuke had shown him two months ago.
Despite Shinji had never seen her in person, he recognized her at once. "Nozomi. Are you Nozomi Horaki?", asked Shinji, dubiously.
Nozomi happily took Shinji's hands and kept on shaking them."Yeah! That's right! Nozomi Nakuru Horaki! You are Shinji Ikari, aren't you? I'm so happy to meet you, at last! I've just come back from Kyoto, where I work, or better, where I worked! AH AH AH! Since I've just resigned! Those idiots won't ever see me there anymore! I found a new job here in Neo-Tokyo 3! So that I can spend everyday next to my dear Kensuke-chan, and my little treasure Musashi!! Anyway, I'm really happyyyyyyyy to meet you!", exclaimed the wild girl all in one breath, while keeping on clasping the hand of Shinji, who was staring at her with a sweatdrop over his head.
"It's all my pleasure..", Shinji said, very surprised by the woman's exuberant personality. "Please..come into!" , he went on.
"Waaa! Thank you very much, Shinji!! I found myself in these parts by chance, because I had gone to the Base in order to take Kensuke dinner, since he's got to work night-shift, and I prepared something for you too!",she exclaimed brightfully, coming into.
"Who was it, Shin-chan?", Rei asked, staying at the top of the stairs. She had rushed out of the living-room, once he had heard the girl's shrill voice.
Nozomi looked up towards Rei. "ARE YOU REI?" , she exclaimed, while climbing the stairs quickly, taking two steps at a time.
Rei was really dumbfounded. "Yes..", the young woman whispered.
The girl with freckles took Rei's hands, shaking them, as she did before with Shinj's ones. "So nice to meet you!!"I'm Nozomi! Nozomi Nakuru Horaki! I bet you have already heard my name!?"
"Ehm..yes..You're Kensuke's fiancè, aren't you, Miss Horaki?",
Rei asked, while a sweatdrop was hanging over her head.
Nozomi lifted her forefinger "NO-ZO-MI!!", the girl yelled. "Just call me Nozomi! Or Nakuru, as you prefer, it's the same for me! That's right! I'm Kensuke's fiancè. Even if one can say that Kensuke is my dear husband, by now! We've already had a baby. Do you know, we like to hurry along!AHAHAH", the girl burst out into laughing, puzzling both Shinji and Rei.
Nozomi finally regained her composure. "Oh, don't pay attention to it!
I'm always this way! World looks pink to me! I just can't help but think
positively!", continued the girl, while ransacking through her back, which
was a totally mess.
"Just a moment! Since I'm here, I want to give you our wedding
invitation! It'll be officiated on 1st December, here in Neo-Tokyo 3.",
she exclaimed joyfully, while keeping on rummaging her disordered bag.
"Where did I put it?Aahh! Here it is!!", she yelled all at once, while
pulling out of her bag an envelope containing their wedding invitation,
and delivering it to Rei.
"Thank you.." Rei said with a smile, still puzzled.
"Oh..Thanks for nothing..Ah!!As I've already told Shinji, I prepared a good dinner for you! Yesterday Kensuke told me that you had felt unwell some days ago, then I thought you would appreciate a good dinner prepared by myself! I'm good enough at cooking!", she said joyfully, while pointing to the bentou which she had handed to Shinji.
"Yes…You've been very kind, Nozomi!", Rei answered, thanking her.
"Come on! Come on!It' only a trifle!", Nakuru went on, while gesticulating."I hope you'll like it! My little Kensuke's crazy for it!"
"Being good at cooking seems to be a talent of Horaki family, isn't it?", Shinji said, recalling old school times, when Hikari Horaki used to prepare delicious lunches for both Touji and herself. It was the time when Touji returned to attend school, after his terrible accident on board of Eva 03
"Yes, it is true!As from tomorrow, Kodama, Hikari and myself will work together in Kodama's restaurant. I'll prepare dinner for anyone!!HAPPY!AHAHA!"
"^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;", Rei and Shinji couldn't accostum themselves to the girl's silly attitude.
Then Nozomi glanced at Rei's womb. "Ahhh..I almost forgot it!!So you're really in the family way!!"
Rei smiled. "Yes. It's my fifth month of pregnancy."
"WONDERFULLLLLL!!", the young woman exclaimed. "This is the best phase
of a pregnancy! Pregnancy is absolutely FANTASTICCCCC!!", she went on,
literally yelling, then leaning her hand over Rei's belly. "Are they shooting
for goal?", Nozom said, ironically.
"What'", Rei answered, not grasping the meaning of Nozomi's joke.
"I wondered if they kicked!", answered Nozomi, making her meaning clearer.
"Oh, yes. Very often", Rei answered.
"MMMM! KAWAIIIII! It's so amusing to feel their kicking!!", she continued,
still yelling and jumping like a child at Xmas.
"I don't think so", Rei answerd, not totally agreeing with Nozomi.
"I'm looking forward to these babies' birth! The labour is a wonderful moment!"
"Do you think?", Shinji said by his turn, while slowly climbing up the stairs towards Rei and Nozomi.
"They told me it's a critical phase!", Rei answered.
"Oh, sure! It's a bit critical phase, but it's an uniqueeeee experience!!
Just think that Kensuke and I have the intention of having
another child. But we've got to put it off after the wedding. The priest
says that he couldn't officiate at our marriage ceremony, if my belly was
in public eye.
LET'S HOPE SHE'LL BE A FEMALE!!But I don't mind the baby's sex! The
only important thing is that he has got to have all our enthusiasm and
joy of lifeAHAHAHA! We have already started to think about the baby's name!
They'll have an important name, for sure! As their elder brother, our Musashi-chan!"
"But..why are we standing here? Come in, Nozomi!Make yourself at home!",
Shinji exclaimed, inviting the girl to follow him in the living-room.
"Oh, no..no..Sorry! I can't stay longer with you! It's too late, and
I gotta go home, because in half an hour the babysitter is leaving
away!", said the girl, in a sad tone. "Understood? By the way, I've been
so happy to meet you!!You're so nice!!!", she continued, greeting the newly-weds
by clasping their hands endlessly.
"It was all our pleasure, Nozomi!! Come to visit us anytime you wish!You're really a nice and witty girl! Thanks a lot for invitation and dinner!", Shinji and Rei chorused, while showing her to the door.
"Nothing..It was all my pleasur! Thanks to you for your hospitality!I'll come to visit you soon , don't worry! Do you think I'm a witty girl? You' ve got reason!Many persons say that I talk too much! But, what can I do? I'm this way! Everything looks pink to me! My mother said I started to talk when I was of five months! I could become a speaker, don't you think?Who knows? I'm still in my prime!!One can never know what is gonna happen! Sorry! I'd like to stay with you any longer to chatter , but I gotta go now! See you soon! Give my regards to everybody!Ciao Ciaoooo! GOOD BYEEE! Auf Wiedersehen!Ni-hao!", Nozomi closed the door by herself, after this last spate of words, then she went outside , jumping and singing happily.
"She's a very strange girl, isn't she?", Shinji said. "I've never seen such a cheerful girl!"
"Yes, it's true! But she's nice! She exudes happiness from every pore!", Rei answered.
"Just like Kensuke, after all!They are a nice pair! Just think that she also has a mania for cameras and military models", Shinji answered.
"Incredible!", Rei answered, looking again at Nakuru who was happily getting into her car. As soon as Rei turned, she felt Shinji touching her shoulder with his hand, tenderly. He had drawn near to her, without Rei noticing it. Shinji smiled. Rei smiled as well, whil Shinji embraced and kissed her. They stood that way for a long time, carelessly abandoning themselves to each other.
End of the Third Chapter.
********************Author Notes************
- Domou Arigatou means "Many thanks"
- Very much thanks to Nega-Verse for the correction of this chapter, and the same thanks also to Fabychan for the translation ^_^
- Would you like to have a picture of Kristina? Just ask me!^__^
- The same as above for a picture of Nozomi Nakuru Horaki (Nakuru if you don't know, it's a character of CCSakura second serie. She's called also RubyMoon)
- You're just thinking to ask me why Kaworu was there? Well, feel free to imagine it how do you want!^__^ I didn't explain it on the chapter 'cause I wanted just let the reader imagine it by his theories. ^__^
- Send critiques ( Istructive ONLY) and comments to reichan@inwind.it