Shinji picks up the phone. It is about 11pm and he was just getting ready for bed when the phone started ringing.
"Hello?"
"Hi Shinji... it's Hikari. You... you said I could come to you if I needed help?"
'She sounds like she's been crying' "Of course. What's wrong Hikari?"
"Well... it's...... It's just, I've been thinking... about Touji." The words seem to come hesitently, as if she were fighting something inside her.
"What about him?"
"I'm... I'm scared. What could've happened to him?"
"Don't worry, don't worry. Nerv is working on it, it's one of their top priorities. Don't worry."
"But... but... but what if I don't get him back? What would happen to me then? I don't know if I could live with that. I love him so much." The dam breaks.
"Shhhhhh, don't worry. Don't worry yourself, Touji's a pilot. They're going to bring him back."
"What if they can't? What if he's... he's not THERE to bring back?"
"He'll be there. He's strong, he'll be there."
"What if he's not? What if he's dead? I don't know if I could go on if Touji were dead."
"He's not dead, and he's not going to die. They're going to bring him back, and he'll be fine. You'll see."
"Shinji... could you... could you come over? I just need to be with someone." He hesitates, then remembers Rei is asleep and his parents are working late at Nerv.
"Of course, I'll be right over."
"Thank you, Shinji"
Gendo walks into Fuyutski's office and takes a seat across from Fuyutski. The commander of Nerv looks up at his old student.
"Yes?"
"We've made progress in recovering the Third Child."
"Stop."
"Excuse me?"
"Stop researching that. It is a waste of funds."
"But sir, we need to recover the pilot."
"Shinji is a suitable replacement. Indeed, a supereor replacement."
"My Shinji? He can't be a pilot. He WON'T be a pilot."
"He can be, and he will be."
"I will NOT force my son to pilot against his will."
"You won't have to. He will pilot of his own free will."
"I doubt that."
"Have faith in me, Gendo."
"I try. But even if Shinji is to be a replacement, why can we not still retrieve the Third Child? He would be a valuable backup, and indeed, when the next unit arrives he can pilot it."
"Gendo, have you forgotten what happened the last time we tried to retreive a pilot? Dr. Akagi, I believe you were friends with her."
"... Yes, we were. But Dr. Akagi has come up with a new theory, which has an estimated 43.000001% chance of success."
"That is still failure. Stop the development, we do not need the Third Child."
"... Yes sir."
Shinji is sitting next to Hikari. Again. They're laughing and having a good time.
'How could she do that? This is the guy who probably got Touji shipped away, and she's making friends with him?' After lunch he meets up with Hikari.
"Hello Kensuke."
"Don't hello me. How could you do that?"
"Do what?"
"THAT! Make friends with Ikari."
"Shinji is.... a great friend, and he's helping me. He's a great help..."
"He's also the reason Touji got sent away."
"What do you mean?"
"He's the subcommander's son. He got Touji sent away, and he's gonna replace him. I'm sure of it."
"You're wrong, Shinji told me what's happened to Touji."
"And he wouldn't lie?"
"Shinji's a nice person. He doesn't lie."
"Bull shit."
"Mr. Aida. Watch your language in the school."
"You should watch yourself Hikari. Shinji is trouble. Stay away from him."
"You don't own me."
Kensuke walks up to Shinji after school is out and shoves him. Shinji turns and looks to see who it is, and is amazed to see Kensuke.
"What're you doing?"
"Something I should've done before."
"What do you mean? What's your problem."
"YOU'RE my problem. First you get Touji reassigned, then you start putting moves on Hikari. What kind of sick person are you?"
"Whoa, I'm not putting moves on Hikari."
"That's bull shit. I saw you two at lunch. You're putting moves on Hikari."
"I'm not. She wanted help. I'm giving it to her."
"I don't believe you."
"That's your own loss." Shinji starts to walk away.
"Hey. Hey! HEY!" Kensuke runs up and punches Shinji. He just takes it and continues walking. Kensuke turns around and heads toward his house.
Rei sees her brother and Kensuke fighting, and runs after him. She catches up and matches her pace.
"What was that about?"
"Nothing."
"It seems a little serious to be nothing."
"It was seriously nothing."
"C'mon, I'm your sister. You can tell me."
"It's really nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Shinji?"
"Yes?"
"You're a terrible liar."
"I know."
"Wanna tell me the truth?"
"Maybe later, I have to think about it."
"Okay, I'm hear to listen if you need it."
"Thanks."
"All I ask in return is that you cook lunch from now on. The instant stuff we have is terrible." Shinji laughs.
"You've got a deal."
"Hello?"
"Hi Shinji... it's Hikari. You... you said I could come to you if I needed help?"
'She sounds like she's been crying' "Of course. What's wrong Hikari?"
"Well... it's...... It's just, I've been thinking... about Touji." The words seem to come hesitently, as if she were fighting something inside her.
"What about him?"
"I'm... I'm scared. What could've happened to him?"
"Don't worry, don't worry. Nerv is working on it, it's one of their top priorities. Don't worry."
"But... but... but what if I don't get him back? What would happen to me then? I don't know if I could live with that. I love him so much." The dam breaks.
"Shhhhhh, don't worry. Don't worry yourself, Touji's a pilot. They're going to bring him back."
"What if they can't? What if he's... he's not THERE to bring back?"
"He'll be there. He's strong, he'll be there."
"What if he's not? What if he's dead? I don't know if I could go on if Touji were dead."
"He's not dead, and he's not going to die. They're going to bring him back, and he'll be fine. You'll see."
"Shinji... could you... could you come over? I just need to be with someone." He hesitates, then remembers Rei is asleep and his parents are working late at Nerv.
"Of course, I'll be right over."
"Thank you, Shinji"
Gendo walks into Fuyutski's office and takes a seat across from Fuyutski. The commander of Nerv looks up at his old student.
"Yes?"
"We've made progress in recovering the Third Child."
"Stop."
"Excuse me?"
"Stop researching that. It is a waste of funds."
"But sir, we need to recover the pilot."
"Shinji is a suitable replacement. Indeed, a supereor replacement."
"My Shinji? He can't be a pilot. He WON'T be a pilot."
"He can be, and he will be."
"I will NOT force my son to pilot against his will."
"You won't have to. He will pilot of his own free will."
"I doubt that."
"Have faith in me, Gendo."
"I try. But even if Shinji is to be a replacement, why can we not still retrieve the Third Child? He would be a valuable backup, and indeed, when the next unit arrives he can pilot it."
"Gendo, have you forgotten what happened the last time we tried to retreive a pilot? Dr. Akagi, I believe you were friends with her."
"... Yes, we were. But Dr. Akagi has come up with a new theory, which has an estimated 43.000001% chance of success."
"That is still failure. Stop the development, we do not need the Third Child."
"... Yes sir."
Shinji is sitting next to Hikari. Again. They're laughing and having a good time.
'How could she do that? This is the guy who probably got Touji shipped away, and she's making friends with him?' After lunch he meets up with Hikari.
"Hello Kensuke."
"Don't hello me. How could you do that?"
"Do what?"
"THAT! Make friends with Ikari."
"Shinji is.... a great friend, and he's helping me. He's a great help..."
"He's also the reason Touji got sent away."
"What do you mean?"
"He's the subcommander's son. He got Touji sent away, and he's gonna replace him. I'm sure of it."
"You're wrong, Shinji told me what's happened to Touji."
"And he wouldn't lie?"
"Shinji's a nice person. He doesn't lie."
"Bull shit."
"Mr. Aida. Watch your language in the school."
"You should watch yourself Hikari. Shinji is trouble. Stay away from him."
"You don't own me."
Kensuke walks up to Shinji after school is out and shoves him. Shinji turns and looks to see who it is, and is amazed to see Kensuke.
"What're you doing?"
"Something I should've done before."
"What do you mean? What's your problem."
"YOU'RE my problem. First you get Touji reassigned, then you start putting moves on Hikari. What kind of sick person are you?"
"Whoa, I'm not putting moves on Hikari."
"That's bull shit. I saw you two at lunch. You're putting moves on Hikari."
"I'm not. She wanted help. I'm giving it to her."
"I don't believe you."
"That's your own loss." Shinji starts to walk away.
"Hey. Hey! HEY!" Kensuke runs up and punches Shinji. He just takes it and continues walking. Kensuke turns around and heads toward his house.
Rei sees her brother and Kensuke fighting, and runs after him. She catches up and matches her pace.
"What was that about?"
"Nothing."
"It seems a little serious to be nothing."
"It was seriously nothing."
"C'mon, I'm your sister. You can tell me."
"It's really nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Shinji?"
"Yes?"
"You're a terrible liar."
"I know."
"Wanna tell me the truth?"
"Maybe later, I have to think about it."
"Okay, I'm hear to listen if you need it."
"Thanks."
"All I ask in return is that you cook lunch from now on. The instant stuff we have is terrible." Shinji laughs.
"You've got a deal."