Chapter 16
1 week later…
School…
"Take that back!!" yells Toji.
"Why should I, stooge? It's true!" retorts Asuka.
"I may have only one arm, but I can still beat you back to hell, demon!!"
"Let's see you try it!"
Off on the other side of the classroom, Kensuke and Shinji hunch over a desk, watching the fight before them.
"Looks like things are back to normal, eh, Shinji?"
"Yup."
3 days later…
Shinji reclines on the couch in Misato's apartment.
"No school today," he mumbles.
Asuka creeps up behind the couch. She peeks over the top and rests her head at the top.
"Shinji…" she coos.
"Huh?"
He opens his eyes and looks up at Asuka.
"What is it, Asuka-chan?"
"I'm bored…"
A mix of fear and worry comes over Shinji.
"Er, um, what would you like to do?" he asks nervously.
"Well, since you asked so nicely…"
Rei sits up on her bed as she hears knocking at her door. She stands up and heads over to the door. When she opens it, she finds Asuka and Shinji outside.
"Pilot Soryu, Ikari-kun."
"Um, hi Ayanami."
"What is the purpose of your visit?"
"Well, Wondergirl…"
"Asuka…" hisses Shinji.
"Oh, fine."
She turns to Rei.
"I'll make a deal with you. If you stop with all the formal-stuff and just call me Asuka, I'll stop calling you Wondergirl. Is it a deal?"
Rei looks at Asuka. She glances over at Shinji who nods slightly at her.
"Ok, Asuka. I agree."
"Great! Now let's get going!"
"What are you talking about, Asuka?" asks Rei.
"We're going shopping!!"
"'We'?"
"Yup! You, Shinji, and me!"
"I am not in need additional clothes."
"C'mon, Rei. All you ever wear is your school uniform and your plug suit! You need more clothes!!"
"It'll be fun, Rei," says Shinji.
Rei looks at the two for a moment.
"I will accompany you."
"Great! Let's get going then!"
3 hours later…
Asuka and Rei head through the mall. Behind them, Shinji tries to keep up with them with his arms full of bags. Asuka turns around.
"Hurry up, Shinji! We still got half of the mall left before they close!!"
"Hai," he weakly replies.
The three of them continue their trek through the mall.
"Ooooooo! Look at that!"
Asuka runs over to one of the stores.
"C'mon Rei!"
Asuka and Rei head into the store. Shinji looks around and finds a bench. He sits down and sets the bags on the floor.
"How much can two girls buy?"
He slumps on the bench and watches the two girls shop through the window. After a few minutes, they both disappear into the changing rooms. Shinji's eyes begin to wander around him. His attention is caught by a jewelry store behind him. He picks up the bags and heads over to the windows at the store.
"I don't remember this place being here before," he thinks.
His eyes gaze over the various pieces of jewelry in the store's window. They stop at the center of the window. In the center of the window sits a gold ring with three fiery rubies set on it. The rubies are arranged with a large one in the center and two smaller rubies on either side of the large one. Small diamonds line the ring. Shinji looks at the ring for another second then enters the store.
"May I help you?" asks the jeweler.
"Um, I was wondering about that ring in the window, the one with the rubies?"
"Oh, yes! That's one of our latest additions. It makes a great engagement ring. "
"Engagement ring?"
The jeweler nods. Shinji thinks for a moment. The jeweler pulls out a key and opens one of the drawers behind him. He takes out a red ring box and places it on the counter.
"Is this the one you are referring to?"
He opens the box, revealing the same ring Shinji was gazing at in the window.
"Yes, that's the one."
"I presume that this ring is for a very special lady?"
Shinji blushes slightly.
"Yeah."
"So will you be purchasing this ring?"
"Um, how much is it?"
"Well, its 87,000-yen (~$650)."
Shinji's eyes go wide with shock. HE pulls out his wallet and begins to count his bills.
"Only got 85,000-yen," he thinks.
"I'll tell you what," says the jeweler, "I'll let you have the ring for 80,000-yen."
"Really?"
The jeweler nods.
"I can tell that it's someone special."
"Wow, thanks."
"Now, do you know her ring size?"
"Her ring size?"
Shinji panics for a moment, then remembers something and reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a small, simple red ring.
"That's right! Asuka asked me to hold this for her," he thinks.
He hands the jeweler the ring.
"Ok, give me a moment."
The jeweler walks into the backroom. Shinji starts to pull out the money from his wallet.
"It's expensive, but she's worth it," he thinks.
The jeweler re-appears with a red ring box.
"Here you are."
He hands Shinji the ring as he hands him the money.
"Thank you. Please come again."
"I will."
Shinji exits the store and sits back down on the bench. He opens up the box and gazes at the ring.
"An engagement ring. It's perfect for her," he thinks.
He closes the box and places it in his pocket. Just then Asuka and Rei head out of the store, with two bags. Shinji groans.
"What did I do to deserve this torture?" he thinks.
3 hours later….
Asuka and Rei had gone off to get some ice cream, leaving Shinji to watch their stuff. Shinji slumps down in the chair in the food court. He places the bags down around his chair. Soon, the pair returns with two cups of ice cream. Shinji watches as they sit down and begin to eat. He leans back and closes his eyes.
"Shinji-kun," says Asuka.
Shinji opens his eyes and sees Asuka holding a spoon full of ice cream in front of him. He blushes slightly and accepts the ice cream. Asuka smiles sweetly at him. She eats another spoon full and then gives Shinji a spoon full. They repeat this until all of the ice cream is gone. During this time, Rei glances up and watches the events before her. She glances from Asuka to Shinji, and then back to Asuka.
"What is this feeling?" she thinks.
Rei glances at Asuka.
"Is this jealousy? Am I jealous of Asuka?" she thinks, "Is it because she is with Shinji-kun?"
She continues to eat her ice cream, pondering the question and her new emotion.
30 minutes later…
Asuka, Rei, and Shinji stand outside of Rei's apartment.
"I hope you had a good time, Rei," says Shinji.
"It was an interesting experience."
Shinji turns to Asuka.
"Well, guess we had better get going."
"You can head back. I'm gonna stay and help Rei set up her new wardrobe. Just tell Misato I'll be home late, ok?" says Asuka.
"Ok, I'll see you later."
Shinji picks up Asuka's packages and heads for Misato's apartment. Asuka turns to Rei.
"C'mon, let's get going."
Asuka walks into Rei's apartment and closes the door behind her.
Later that evening…
Rei lies on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She reviews the events of that day. Out of the experience, one thought comes to her mind.
"Shopping is fun," she thinks.
A smile forms on her face as she falls asleep.
1 week later…
School…
"Take that back!!" yells Toji.
"Why should I, stooge? It's true!" retorts Asuka.
"I may have only one arm, but I can still beat you back to hell, demon!!"
"Let's see you try it!"
Off on the other side of the classroom, Kensuke and Shinji hunch over a desk, watching the fight before them.
"Looks like things are back to normal, eh, Shinji?"
"Yup."
3 days later…
Shinji reclines on the couch in Misato's apartment.
"No school today," he mumbles.
Asuka creeps up behind the couch. She peeks over the top and rests her head at the top.
"Shinji…" she coos.
"Huh?"
He opens his eyes and looks up at Asuka.
"What is it, Asuka-chan?"
"I'm bored…"
A mix of fear and worry comes over Shinji.
"Er, um, what would you like to do?" he asks nervously.
"Well, since you asked so nicely…"
Rei sits up on her bed as she hears knocking at her door. She stands up and heads over to the door. When she opens it, she finds Asuka and Shinji outside.
"Pilot Soryu, Ikari-kun."
"Um, hi Ayanami."
"What is the purpose of your visit?"
"Well, Wondergirl…"
"Asuka…" hisses Shinji.
"Oh, fine."
She turns to Rei.
"I'll make a deal with you. If you stop with all the formal-stuff and just call me Asuka, I'll stop calling you Wondergirl. Is it a deal?"
Rei looks at Asuka. She glances over at Shinji who nods slightly at her.
"Ok, Asuka. I agree."
"Great! Now let's get going!"
"What are you talking about, Asuka?" asks Rei.
"We're going shopping!!"
"'We'?"
"Yup! You, Shinji, and me!"
"I am not in need additional clothes."
"C'mon, Rei. All you ever wear is your school uniform and your plug suit! You need more clothes!!"
"It'll be fun, Rei," says Shinji.
Rei looks at the two for a moment.
"I will accompany you."
"Great! Let's get going then!"
3 hours later…
Asuka and Rei head through the mall. Behind them, Shinji tries to keep up with them with his arms full of bags. Asuka turns around.
"Hurry up, Shinji! We still got half of the mall left before they close!!"
"Hai," he weakly replies.
The three of them continue their trek through the mall.
"Ooooooo! Look at that!"
Asuka runs over to one of the stores.
"C'mon Rei!"
Asuka and Rei head into the store. Shinji looks around and finds a bench. He sits down and sets the bags on the floor.
"How much can two girls buy?"
He slumps on the bench and watches the two girls shop through the window. After a few minutes, they both disappear into the changing rooms. Shinji's eyes begin to wander around him. His attention is caught by a jewelry store behind him. He picks up the bags and heads over to the windows at the store.
"I don't remember this place being here before," he thinks.
His eyes gaze over the various pieces of jewelry in the store's window. They stop at the center of the window. In the center of the window sits a gold ring with three fiery rubies set on it. The rubies are arranged with a large one in the center and two smaller rubies on either side of the large one. Small diamonds line the ring. Shinji looks at the ring for another second then enters the store.
"May I help you?" asks the jeweler.
"Um, I was wondering about that ring in the window, the one with the rubies?"
"Oh, yes! That's one of our latest additions. It makes a great engagement ring. "
"Engagement ring?"
The jeweler nods. Shinji thinks for a moment. The jeweler pulls out a key and opens one of the drawers behind him. He takes out a red ring box and places it on the counter.
"Is this the one you are referring to?"
He opens the box, revealing the same ring Shinji was gazing at in the window.
"Yes, that's the one."
"I presume that this ring is for a very special lady?"
Shinji blushes slightly.
"Yeah."
"So will you be purchasing this ring?"
"Um, how much is it?"
"Well, its 87,000-yen (~$650)."
Shinji's eyes go wide with shock. HE pulls out his wallet and begins to count his bills.
"Only got 85,000-yen," he thinks.
"I'll tell you what," says the jeweler, "I'll let you have the ring for 80,000-yen."
"Really?"
The jeweler nods.
"I can tell that it's someone special."
"Wow, thanks."
"Now, do you know her ring size?"
"Her ring size?"
Shinji panics for a moment, then remembers something and reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a small, simple red ring.
"That's right! Asuka asked me to hold this for her," he thinks.
He hands the jeweler the ring.
"Ok, give me a moment."
The jeweler walks into the backroom. Shinji starts to pull out the money from his wallet.
"It's expensive, but she's worth it," he thinks.
The jeweler re-appears with a red ring box.
"Here you are."
He hands Shinji the ring as he hands him the money.
"Thank you. Please come again."
"I will."
Shinji exits the store and sits back down on the bench. He opens up the box and gazes at the ring.
"An engagement ring. It's perfect for her," he thinks.
He closes the box and places it in his pocket. Just then Asuka and Rei head out of the store, with two bags. Shinji groans.
"What did I do to deserve this torture?" he thinks.
3 hours later….
Asuka and Rei had gone off to get some ice cream, leaving Shinji to watch their stuff. Shinji slumps down in the chair in the food court. He places the bags down around his chair. Soon, the pair returns with two cups of ice cream. Shinji watches as they sit down and begin to eat. He leans back and closes his eyes.
"Shinji-kun," says Asuka.
Shinji opens his eyes and sees Asuka holding a spoon full of ice cream in front of him. He blushes slightly and accepts the ice cream. Asuka smiles sweetly at him. She eats another spoon full and then gives Shinji a spoon full. They repeat this until all of the ice cream is gone. During this time, Rei glances up and watches the events before her. She glances from Asuka to Shinji, and then back to Asuka.
"What is this feeling?" she thinks.
Rei glances at Asuka.
"Is this jealousy? Am I jealous of Asuka?" she thinks, "Is it because she is with Shinji-kun?"
She continues to eat her ice cream, pondering the question and her new emotion.
30 minutes later…
Asuka, Rei, and Shinji stand outside of Rei's apartment.
"I hope you had a good time, Rei," says Shinji.
"It was an interesting experience."
Shinji turns to Asuka.
"Well, guess we had better get going."
"You can head back. I'm gonna stay and help Rei set up her new wardrobe. Just tell Misato I'll be home late, ok?" says Asuka.
"Ok, I'll see you later."
Shinji picks up Asuka's packages and heads for Misato's apartment. Asuka turns to Rei.
"C'mon, let's get going."
Asuka walks into Rei's apartment and closes the door behind her.
Later that evening…
Rei lies on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She reviews the events of that day. Out of the experience, one thought comes to her mind.
"Shopping is fun," she thinks.
A smile forms on her face as she falls asleep.