Before we knew it, Asuka's summer break had come to an end, and a new semester at her school was beginning today. This left me alone for the day, but I didn't mind this time. I took a step out onto the walkway, and before turning to lock the door behind me, I took a breath in, thoughtfully smelling the air. I was on the way to take care of a few errands in the city, though I just wanted to take a moment and appreciate where I was right now.

The feeling of existing without the weight of my past on my shoulders was still something I was getting used to, slowly, one day at a time. I think Asuka could tell too. In just the past couple days, she's been helping me out around the apartmentment with things, and through that, we've begun talking more. Still just small talk, but it was more than we ever had before, and I think that was important to her.

Kaji called my cell phone last evening. Apparently he was going to be around town in the next couple days, and offered to take the two of us out for dinner. Before I could answer him, however, Asuka snatched the phone and started talking away, walking just out of earshot. After a few minutes she came back and quickly handed me the phone with a smirk on her face, and I just flatly apologized for her. He was used to things like that happening, I guess, because he didn't pay it much mind. Their bond was stronger than I had realized. In any case, we made the plans and that was that.

A couple hours passed before Asuka let me know what they had talked about in private. She triumphantly told me that Kaji was going to take her swimsuit shopping afterwards, calling the whole thing her "date" with him. Almost like that information was supposed to get a bigger reaction out of me, she almost looked a little deflated when I told her simply that I didn't mind. She puffed her cheek out in seeming annoyance and sulked back to the den. I had no business looking for swimsuits with a teenager… although, on that note, Kaji certainly didn't either. Though, it was no skin off my back who she hung around with, and Kaji knew how to look out for her, so that was all the thought I gave it.

I stood in the department store with my handbasket filled with a multitude of odds and ends I had been meaning to pick up. From food stuffs to batteries, to writing utensils, I was glad that these stores existed, and so close to my apartment as well. As I was preparing to leave, I happened by the clothing section. Something on a jutting rack caught my eye. A sweater. It was thin, and looked to be a similar yellow to the sundress she had worn during our first encounter.

I don't really buy her gifts often, and she has helped me out a lot recently, so even if she doesn't like it, it shouldn't be a big deal if I pick this up for her. I giggled to myself at the absurdity of me, of all people, buying clothing for a young lady. It looked stylish enough to me, a man with the same sense of style as an apricot, but I digressed, quickly tucking it under my arm and taking my bundle of goods to the check-out.

I arrived back at the apartment just a few minutes before Asuka returned home from school. Like always, she tossed her school bag on the nearest chair and began yanking apart the ribbon at the front of her uniform, wanting to escape its clutches after a long day. Disappearing into the hall, before even greeting me, she called out. "Hey, I'm gonna jump in the shower!". I shouted back for her to go ahead, and the bathroom door slid shut. Before I started making supper, I picked up the nearby bag with her sweater in it and took the item out, holding it before me.

In the light of the apartment, even I had to admit, it wasn't nearly as nice looking as I thought it had in the store. Laughing nervously at the purchase as I turned it side to side to try and get a better angle on it, I prepared myself for her to turn up her nose at the sight.

After she exited the shower, she dressed and strutted out into the kitchen to grab a drink from the fridge. I was just preparing the ingredients for tonight's katsudon as she downed a glass of milk in one gulp. Looking over at her, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Good?" I asked with a smile.

"H-Huh? Oh, yeah, cold milk always hits the spot after a hot shower!" She stretched and sat back on the couch. "I guess by the bags, you went shopping today?"

"Yeah, I had a couple things to pick up…" Purposefully trailing off, I reached over to the bag with the sweater in. She stared at me with a concerned look as I dropped it next to her on the sofa. "...like this."

"...this?"

"Uh, a thank you gift, of sorts. Nothing too fancy, but it's the least I could do for your help lately."

A crafty smile slid across her face as she looked inside the bag, but the contents evaporated the enthusiasm almost immediately.

"...a sweater?" She took the yellow pull-over out of the bag and held it out from her, examining it closely. "Why does it look like that?"

"I… guess I just remembered the dress you had on when I first met you. It was yellow, right?"

She tugged on its fabric slightly. "Well, yeah, but why this color of yellow? Don't you think it looks… gross?"

I couldn't deny its sickly hue, but I kept quiet.

"Also, it's like three sizes too big! Not to mention, with the weather we have here, wearing this outside could give me heat-stroke. It's also kinda ugly..." She continued examining it for a moment before walking into the hall with it still held out. I kinda felt a little hurt, but it wasn't a big deal. Not much I could do if she didn't like it, I mean, far be it from me to have an eye for what she would like. At least it's the thought that counts, and all that jazz.

However, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, tossing me a smirk over her shoulder. "Oh, now I get it."

My head tilted to the side. "...you get what?"

"You're jealous that Kaji is taking me on a date, of course!" She giggled. "Trying to buy back my attention with a sweater is a very you idea, Lieutenant, I must say!"

Confusion encased my brain. "What? N-No. Why would I mind that Kaji is taking you on a… date? It was just a silly gift. I saw it in the store, it caught my eye, so I just picked it up for you. That's all."

Her face started turning red for a second and she looked away, going back to examining the sweater, almost in embarrassment. She brought the sweater closer to her and spoke in a hushed tone. "...it's fine. Even if I never plan on wearing it, I appreciate the gift, I guess." She walked quickly into her room and slid the door softly behind her.

I sighed. That girl, she knows how to keep me on my toes, I'll say that much. Going back to the kitchen, I tossed washed rice for supper into the cooker and turned it on. Running some water over my hands, I figured I may as well go tell her when the food will be ready, if she plans to stay in her room for the evening.

It didn't really cross my mind to knock, but I really should get better at that.

I slid her door open a small ways, enough to poke my head in. "Hey, s-"

She was standing in the middle of the floor, having just been looking at herself in her mirror, wearing the yellow sweater. It was quite long on her, much like the shirts she usually wore to bed, it almost stretched to her knees. Funnily, in the moment, I thought it looked quite cute on her, the color contrasting nicely with her hair… and her blood red face.

She was frozen, like a deer in headlights, staring at me as if I were a monster.

I eventually managed to get out what I had intended to say. "...supper will be ready in an hour."

"...get out."

I slid the door shut without another word.

As I walked back to the kitchen, I snickered. The sweater on it's own really did look terrible, but on her? Maybe I wasn't as awful at picking things out as I thought.

An irritated, visibly embarrassed Asuka poked her chicken absentmindedly while glaring at me.

"So, how was your first day back to school?" I tried to lighten the mood a little.

Her glare didn't let up. It took a few seconds before she answered, but when she did, she let out a soft groan. "Same old teachers, same stupid classmates. That's it really."

I swallowed a bite of food. "I see. Do you still find it hard to concentrate on Japanese?"

"...not as much as before. Well, until I have to write things myself."

"Hmm." While I chewed I thought about anything I could do to help her out.

Oh right, duh. I have a teaching license.

"Well, if you didn't mind, I could always tutor you." She raised a questioning eyebrow and smirked.

"I do not need a tutor! I can do it all fine by myself… eventually."

It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, I guess if you're sure." She started eating quickly, likely to get herself away from the conversation.

Cleaning her plate, Asuka stood up from the table, dropping her used items into the sink with a light clatter. "I can deal with school stuff on my own. I'll prove it with my next report card, you'll see." With a flourish of her hair, she disappeared into the hallway, leaving me and my half eaten meal a tad bemused.

She really didn't like talking about school, though I wondered if it was because of her pride, or if it was because she was hesitant at opening up to me in that way. Would she talk about school with Kaji, given the chance?

"You know, it's really nice to have a chauffeur to bring me to my date."

Asuka sat proudly in the passenger seat, excited to see Kaji again, even if it had only been a couple weeks. She kept putting emphasis on the word date, and I still didn't really understand why. Was she… trying to make me jealous or something? What a strange girl. I tapped my thumb on the steering wheel as we drove to the mall where Kaji said he'd meet us for dinner, his treat.

"Kaji invited both of us, you know."

She turned up her nose. "I'm aware." She started in a slightly miffed tone, becoming more haughty with the next sentence. "However, I expect you to kindly disappear for an hour or two afterwards so I can enjoy my date in peace." I felt my eye twitch.

I pulled the car into the crowded lot. It was a beautiful Sunday, so there were plenty of people around, enjoying the weather, not to mention this particular mall was a popular destination for many a person, solo or group alike. Asuka had already left the car in search of Mr. Kaji, though as I stepped out of my side, I decided to give him a call to make sure we were on time.

The line clicked. "Hey, great timing. We just got a table. How's the firestarter treating you?"

I chuckled, locking the car door and heading towards the entrance. "She's been great. Excited, understandably. So what restaurant did you choose?"

Wait, did he say "we"?

"A little diner called Big Apple's. Heard their pizza was pretty damn good, so figured now was a good time to have a taste." I heard a female voice in the background speak something I couldn't pick out. Was that a waitress, or the other member of the "we" he mentioned. In either case, Kaji responded to them with something else I couldn't hear, before returning to me. "Well, we're gonna have a look at the menu, so you two hurry up or I'm just gonna order you both kiddie meals. Ciao." The line clicked closed.

I wondered how Asuka was going to feel when she finds out Kaji brought a date of his own…

Speaking of her, she stood at the top of the escalator, just through the entrance, her hands on her hips, looking down at me. "About time, Lieutenant! Do you know how long I've been waiting!?"

Reaching the top of the escalator, she resumed her smile and briskly walked ahead of me. "I was talking to Kaji."

"Good, so he's here already?"

I kept the info about the potential guest to myself. "He is. At Big Apple's."

"Oh, weren't we there before?" I remembered bringing her there for pizza after the supplementary classes last month. It really was good pizza too, so Kaji is in for a treat if he orders that.

"We were." She nodded in understanding and picked up her pace.

We entered the diner a few moments later. It only took a second to track down Kaji, luckily. What neither of us were expecting, however, was to meet Misato sitting next to him in the booth. Upon making eye contact with her, Asuka slowed her pace to a crawl. Misato looked quite embarrassed, but Kaji was beaming.

"Hey guys, wondered when you were getting here. Have a seat!" He called, motioning his hand for us to come over. I walked to their booth, and was about to take my place beside Kaji when I noticed Asuka hadn't come closer at all.

"Asuka?"

She was glaring at Kaji. "Wh-Why is she here!?"

Misato turned her face away. It almost sounded like she said "I don't know" under her breath but it was hard to make out. I cleared my throat. "Don't be rude, Asuka."

"Shut up, Lieutenant!" Her voice was far more aggressive than I anticipated and it caught me off guard, stunning me silent.

Kaji's face softened into a smirk. "Oh, I just thought a double date could be a fun idea." The joke didn't quite land with her. Asuka was having a lot of trouble keeping her annoyance under wraps in this public setting, so Kaji tried to diffuse it a bit more. He leaned forward onto his clasped hands and spoke gently. "I'm sorry Asuka, I'm just dating Katsuragi right now, but we can still go shopping together afterwards." Misato shot him a look, but then sighed, taking a sip of her drink in silence.

Asuka closed her eyes and let out a long, pent-up breath.

"Are you two in love?" She spit the words out like they were acid.

There was silence for a moment, and people around us were starting to look over from their meals.

"Asuka, I-" Misato started, but was cut off by Kaji.

"It's really not very nice to ask two people what they think of each other, out of the blue." The softness in his face had disappeared, and he looked quite different compared to how he usually did. "Life is more complicated than just loving or hating, but be that as it may, right now, Katsuragi and I are dating."

The young redhead thought over his words in her head for a moment before speaking again. "Adults make no sense. I don't get you at all!"

Trying to calm her down, Kaji stood up, preparing to walk around the booth. "Come on, Asuka, don't say that. We can still have a nice meal together, and then I'll take you shopping like you wanted." His smile had returned again, realizing that his sudden shift probably unnerved her more.

She shook her head.

"You can keep playing around with your confusing adult circumstances all day long if you want to. I'll go find a swimsuit on my own." With that, she turned and stormed out of the diner.

Kaji sat back in the booth. "I knew she wasn't going to like that I brought you along, but she was going to find out eventually." He took a sip of his drink as Misato stirred her straw.

"We could've handled it better than that, all the same."

"Yeah." Kaji looked up at me. "Luckily, picking up the pieces is your job, Matsuo."

I gave him a short smile. "I figured it'd end up being something like this when I heard Misato on the phone."

He raised his hands in defeat. "She's gonna call me a bad guy here, and you let her, okay?" He chuckled. "It'll make things a lot easier."

I think I understood what he meant. "I'll take my leave, then. Enjoy your pizza, you two." I began walking away from the table. "Oh, and your date!" Misato's cheeks turned red.

"Hey! I didn't say this was a date once, you got that! Don't get it confused, Matsuo!"

Snickering to myself as I walked out of the diner, the mouthwatering smells of food fading quickly to the outside air polluted by the smell of crowds, I set forth to find the nearest floor map, so I could try and guess where Asuka had run off to.

Strolling into a women's clothing store, trying to look as casual as I possibly could, it was easy to tell that I guessed right. I heard the sound of clothing hangers sliding aggressively from the front of the store.

As I approached, I could hear her muttering under her breath in German. I still had no clue what she was saying, but it was obvious she was trying to blow off steam. I stood a few steps behind her and spoke.

"What did the clothing rack do to deserve this assault?"

She jumped and tossed a look over her shoulder at me, her face red.

"O-Oh, it's you."

"Yeah, it's me."

She went back to sifting through swimwear, a bit more slowly this time.

"You didn't want to stick around the adults table?" She was trying to sting me with that irked tone, but I just laughed it off.

"Not really. I just let them to their own." Asuka stopped moving hangers.

"...why was he such a jerk about it?"

I sighed. "I think he just wanted you to move on, that's all. He took a hard path to get there, but…"

Asuka moved her hand down slowly across one of the swimsuit's fabric. "He's looked out for me for a long time. We have a connection. I knew he hung around with a lot of women, but I just thought he'd always have eyes for me…" She had a wistful look on her face, belying how aggressively she was clenching her jaw. "...but the way he looks at Misato, I could tell. It's different with her."

Not really knowing how to respond exactly, I scratched my neck nervously, trying to find something to say. "I suppose... adults usually think that tough love is the best way to teach, so by showing up with Misato like that, he was forcing you to learn what he wanted to show you on the spot."

"Right, so he's a jerk!" The hangers were moving aggressively again.

"Well." I placed a hand on the rack, stopping the hangers from moving at all. "How about we just focus on picking up what you wanted to, and forget about Kaji right now. That sound good?"

She scowled for a bit before relaxing slightly. "Ugh, I guess that works." She walked to another rack. "You'll buy me anything here, right?" I felt my stomach drop a bit at the thought of agreeing to "anything", but I ignored it and nodded affirmatively. She smiled. "Alright! Time to find the hottest bikini I can get my hands on!"

Oh dear.

We exhausted the next two hours going from store to store, on Asuka's seemingly never-ending journey to find her perfect swimsuit. I was still a little befuddled at her choice anyway. She had her entire summer break to pick up a swimsuit, but never mentioned it once, why was it suddenly her most wanted item? I had already agreed to it, so not much point in worrying now, I told myself, and put it out of my mind. I threw a glance at my watch. Surely Kaji and Misato had left by now, and I was getting hungry myself. Asuka had slowed a bit, but the prospect of finding the perfect beach outfit was keeping her trucking nonetheless.

"I FINALLY FOUND IT!"

Walking up to her side, I looked at the hanger she held, just off from her body, her eyes shining like she had struck actual gold.

It was a relatively simple two-piece, but even I had to admit, it kinda screamed Asuka's name. A red and white striped top, with a white bottom; not too showy, but a pleasant design for sure.

"Perfect, I guess we'll go pay for it now, huh?"

"Oh, not yet, I have to try it on!" I was dreading this moment. I couldn't think of a more awkward situation, but she obviously wasn't bothered, she just grabbed my wrist and yanked me back towards the changing rooms.

Without a word, she popped into one of the stalls. Some quick rustling, and then the door slid open.

"Ta-da! It's the perfect size too, aren't I gorgeous?" She posed and flicked her hair back like some kinda supermodel.

"You look… very nice." I wasn't lying, it just came out that way because of how awkward it felt.

She puffed out her cheek. "Kaji would've showered me with compliments." Her face started looking down and she reached for the stall door. I panicked.

"I-I'm serious! You look great, Asuka. Anyone on the beach would uh… stop to take a look at you." I had no idea how to compliment women.

But she giggled. "Heh, of course they would!" The door slid shut and I let out a terrible sigh. At least that was over.

The swimsuit cost nearly thirty thousand yen. Apparently, despite its simple design, it also happened to be a designer brand.

Though I had to admit. The smile on her face as she held the bag in her lap as we drove home made me not mind quite as much.

I locked the apartment door and stretched. We had picked up some fast food on the way back, and after she packed her swimsuit away in her room, we both sat on the couch together and ate some surprisingly decent Chinese take-out while making small talk and watching a dumb movie on TV.

During a commercial break, after tossing the food containers in the bin, I sat back on the couch and I decided to ask a question that had been bothering me over the last couple hours.

"Any particular reason you wanted to pick up a swimsuit today?"

Without looking away from the TV, she spoke flatly. "Oh yeah, uh, there's supposed to be a school trip happening in the next week or so. The class is going to Okinawa for a couple days."

Silence.

"...what!? How long have you known about that?"

She turned to me, visibly confused as to why I was asking for some reason. "Uh… I don't know, since the first day back to classes, maybe?"

I scratched my head. "I just… you're only telling me now?"

"Well, yeah, I didn't think you'd mind, right?" That wasn't really the point, but whatever.

Sighing, I laid back on the couch a bit more, pinching my glabella. "So, Shinji and Rei are going too, then?"

"Duh, they are in my class, I guess." I shouldn't be surprised she gets annoyed when the two of them are brought up.

"Well, hopefully you all can have a good time. Oh, and try not to let the boys hit on you too much with that expensive swimsuit you now own."

She let out a hard guffaw. "Yeah, right. Like I'd accept any compliments from the absolute losers that populate school. I'm not interested in them in the slightest."

I laughed with her.

It's really too bad I already knew she wasn't going to be allowed to leave Tokyo-3 like that. Her job was severely important. Maybe in the back of her mind, she knew this too, but we still sat there and laughed together anyway.

Soon, another Angel would rear its head.