"Hump! This is all YOUR fault" Asuka muttered later at dismissal time. She was wiping the blackboard clean. Her stokes were swift and fierce hinting her anger.
"How is this my fault?!" Shinji cried indignantly. He squeezed the rug he was holding and wiped the floor with gentle strokes, foam forming over the places he wiped.
"You run TOO slow!"
"I do not!"
"DO TO!"
"DO NOT!"
The two shut up and continued wiping and wiping. The sun cast shadows in the classroom as the two moved about.
Suddenly Asuka stopped wiping, "Hey Shinji!"
"Yeah?"
"What do we do on the talent show?"
"I dunno, what can we do anyway?"
Asuka thought for a moment. She dumped her rug in the broom closet and help Shinji on the floor.
"Well…" he asked glancing at her.
"Well, what?" she stared at him and asked.
"Maybe we can act a play or something," Shinji suggested
"IDIOT! How many plays have only TWO cast in it huh?" Asuka said mockingly
"Do you have a better idea?" he asked quietly.
"Yes I do, BAKA! You play the Cello right?" She asked
"I jam a little…" Shinji admitted. He got his bag and started to walk beside Asuka. The setting sun cast playful shadows of the two as they walked home.
"Little or not you still play…Well maybe we do a little Concerto…." Her voice trailed off and she stared in front of her thoughtfully.
Shinji stared at her for a moment. Asuka was silhouetted at the setting sun behind her and she looked quite…stunning.
"What are you staring at!?" Asuka's angry voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Maybe… Misato keeps her old tapes, we… can… get some ideas there" Shinji suggested to change the topic.
"And while were at it, let's get some snacks! C'mon!!!" Asuka grabbed his hand and both ran to the grocery store.
"Wow Shinji, the room's spotless" Kensuke adjusted his glasses and observed the floor of the room 2-A the next day. It was still a little too early for classes to start so the gang was just hanging around.
"You should get punished more often" Touji joked and he laughed.
"Really funny," Shinji replied dryly and glanced at Asuka who was humming the tune of Fly me to the moon.
"Which reminds me, what are you gonna present for the school concert?" Touji asked.
"Ha! It's a surprise" Asuka gave him an evil grin. "We're gonna present the BEST performance in the concert, ALL those performing would be blown away in a tornado!"
"You're pretty confident about it" Hikari walked beside her.
"You bet!" She smiled at her.
"But that third year guy Murasaki Tetsuya's gonna perform too"
Asuka's smile faded. Shinji, Kensuke and Touji's mouth dropped open.
"Mu-Murasaki Tetsuya?!?" They all exclaimed in unison.
"Uh hu, I heard him brag to his classmates when I passed their classroom" Hikari told them "He said that whoever gets to have the best performance and please the teachers would have some additional points in the exams and receive a high award from the Principal herself."
"I could use some of those additional points," Shinji said.
"And my talent needs to be recognized" Asuka agreed.
Touji and Kensuke rolled their eyes behind her.
"Well do your best then" Hikari said then walked on to check the other students.
Asuka was following behind her.
"No matter what happens, well to in your side Shinji, right Kensuke?" Touji said
"YEAH!" Kensuke agreed nodding.
"WHAT?!?! 'WONDER GIRL' WILL PERFORM IN THE CONCERT!?!?!?" Asuka exploded in shock "HER!?! AS IN REI AYANAMI THE LITTLE…"
"Yes, the commander requested her to join you two" Misato told her that night" She needs to boost her grades if she wants to continue studying."
"Oh great!" Asuka whined exaggeratedly "First I get partnered with the 'wonderful' Shinji-sama, then the stupid Tetsuya joins and now THIS!!!" she went ballistic and started swearing in German.
"Seriously Asuka, I think it would be fun" Shinji agreed with Misato.
"FUN?! You CALL that FUN!?" She gave him a glare as cold as liquid nitrogen.
"It would be really boring if we were the only ones presenting" he explained.
Asuka gritted her teeth "You only want WONDER GIRL to be your partner, not me"
"At least she's nicer" he replied
"N-Nicer?!" Asuka repeated the words repeating and repeating in her head. She lowered her head and she started quivering.
"A-Are you c-crying Asuka??" Shinji asked worriedly. He couldn't imagine her cry at all.
Asuka looked up smirking "Of course not you MEGA-DORK!! I'm tired, nobody disturb me okay?"
"Sure Asuka" Misato replied stuffing herself with stew "Mmmm… Shinji-kun this is GOOD!!"
Asuka did a fake yawn and walked to her room. Shinji looked down and saw that the carpet has teardrops marked on them.
Asuka remained sitting on her desk for the rest of the evening just staring into nothingness.
"At least she's nicer…" Asuka heard Shinji's voice repeat in her head over and over again.
"Shut up!" she yelled internally.
"At least I'm nicer…" she heard Rei said in her head
"Shit, why don't you two just shut up OK?" she yelled aloud and laid her head on the desk in front of her.
She started singing a few lines of the song she was supposed to sing in the concert "Cause every breath that I take, I breathe it for you. I couldn't face my life without you. And I'm so afraid. There's nothing to comfort us. What am I, if I can't be yours…"
And soon Asuka drifted off to sleep.