Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, Cessna, Boeing, Airbus, MacDonell Douglas (Boeing), Tupolev, or any other aviation company/manufacturer mentioned in this fic.
No matter how innocent this may look at first sight, remember this will contain lime/lemon content.
This fic is supposed to be comedic, so don't be surprised to read something ridiculous. Also, some of the names of places I simply made up for convenience.
Chapter 2: It's just a start…
Monday Morning
Shinji sat quietly in the classroom that was too small compared to the normal ones, like where he came from. Aside from the fact that the room was so compact to the extent that Shinji started to doubt it could induce claustrophobia, the constant roaring of the jet engines spread from Haneda Airport only contributed to his anxiousness even more.
From the looks of it, he was the first one to come to the class – Shinji took the time to examine the surroundings carefully. There were devices and equipment he could name and could not, which made sense since he didn't really have much knowledge in the subject of aviation. Moreover, only a dozen seats existed in the room; obviously, the initiator didn't expect many people to partake in the program.
What was it like to be an airliner pilot? Shinji wondered. He had seen advertisements featuring captains who wore stylish suits and cool sunglasses – they always seemed in control of everything, their hands dancing around the compact panels and controls like an elegant ballet.
Just as Shinji's imaginations wandered all the way to the sky, distinct sounds of high heels clattering against the tiled floor caught his attention. Moments later a lavender-haired woman strode into the classroom with a pile of documents and a laptop held in between her arms.
"So…" The woman scanned around the room, a visible disappointed expression on her face, before directing her eyes at Shinji. "Only you arrived? Have you seen anyone else?"
"No," he made a short reply.
"Talk about punctuality…" The woman sighed. "I assume you're Shinji Ikari, right?"
"Yeah," Shinji said. "So… you're going to be our instructor?"
"Right. And I'm Misato Katsuragi."
"Um…Katsuragi-san, may I ask how do you know my name?"
"Nah, Misato is fine," she made a professional smile and waved her hand. "As for your question - I'm told there are only two students in this class, and the other name is clearly a girl's. So I made an educated guess."
"A girl?" Shinji's expression turned slightly confused. "Why would…I dunno, a girl be interested in flying planes?"
"That's some prejudice right there," Misato huffed. "Not only you boys are interested in big machines, and I am a shining example!" She took out a small ID for Shinji to see.
An Airline Transport Pilot license.
Shinji suddenly felt stupid he even asked. The very presence of Flight Instructor Misato said louder than any words. "Well…" He scratched his head. "But only two of us?"
"Yeah, to be honest I'm also surprised. I'll explain the details later after she comes here." Said Misato, who took a glance at her wristwatch. "Her guardian said she might be late for the class. She just landed in Japan yesterday, and apparently, jet lag is not letting her have enough rest."
This made Shinji raise an eyebrow. "Jet lag? Where did she come from?"
"Germany."
"Huh?" Shinji frowned, unable to make sense of it. "Why would-"
"You're just full of questions, aren't you?" Misato cut him off before switching into a playful tone. "Say, why don't you ask her later by yourself? Since you'll be studying together in the foreseeable future, some…bonding activities would be certainly helpful, don't you think?" She winked at him.
Shinji didn't like the full-swing teasing tone Misato used. He had had many people tease him about girls before – mainly because he seemed never to have interests in them. It wasn't because he's homosexual, but he just didn't deem himself worthy – or, in other words, competitive enough when compared to other boys in school.
Still, he had to admit that Misato made a point here. If they were to learn how to pilot together for a while, they should at least establish a working relationship. Friendship would be nice, but he doubted the girl would want something like that from him.
"Ich bin so verdammt! Scheisse!" An agitated young female voice echoed through the hallway, spreading into the classroom. Hearing the voice, Misato's expression turned like she had just eaten a mouthful of dust, and even though Shinji couldn't understand the literal meaning behind the words, he still put two and two together and figured out who that person might be.
Seconds later a red-headed storm burst into the small room. Shinji's first impression of the girl was surprise – perhaps it was because of the red-haired waterfall the flowed down her head, or there was something familiar about her – like a subtle connection across time-space.
He shook the thoughts off, seeing the girl put on her coat – probably due to the low temperature produced by the A/C - and look around the classroom. "So, I can sit wherever I want, right?"
"Technically yes, but since there will be only two of you in this class, I'd suggest you sit close to each other."
"Wait, what?!" Asuka exclaimed, her voice leaving no doubt of how she felt about the arrangement. "Why would I want to sit with him?"
"You sound like I want to sit with you," Shinji countered, his tone harsher than he intended it to be.
Misato waved her hand, shoving all of Asuka's imminent angry retorts back into her throat. "I'll explain later. For now, just accept it. Pick a seat and sit down so I can get started." Misato said, temporarily ignoring the fact that Asuka was late for the class.
Asuka huffed and eyed around the classroom once more, and chose a seat one column away next to Shinji. They were both in the first row, though.
From her expression, it was clear that Misato wanted them to sit next to each other, but she said nothing and walked over to the podium. "Now, welcome to the official start of program Soaring Young Eagles. I assume you already know what this program is for, so I'm not wasting time on big pictures. First and foremost, let's introduce ourselves to the class…" Seeing Shinji and Asuka glance at each other and sensing the embarrassing environment, Misato let out a cough, "ahem, introduce yourselves to each other, I guess. And make sure to include your reason to participate in the program," she added as an afterthought.
"Sure, I guess I'll go first," Asuka started. "I am Asuka Langley Soryu, charmed to meet you. My hobby is to delve into stuff I'm unfamiliar with. I just finished learning Quantum electrodynamics last year. You know, the theory we use to predict quantities like the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron and the Lamb shift of the energy levels of hydrogen," seeing Shinji's 'I recognize every single word you said but I don't understand at all when you put them together' expression, Asuka couldn't help but let a proud smirk show up on her face. "Even though it was challenging, I still finished the courses, and I decided to try something new. That's why I'm here."
Shinji gulped. "Well, I'm Shinji Ikari. I came here because…" He pondered for a moment. What was he supposed to say, though? That he came here to dodge the high school curriculum since his grades were terrible? "Because my grandpa was a fighter pilot during World War 2." He quickly made up a reason.
"Oh?" Asuka's voice gained a note of curiosity in it. Suddenly a vengeful idea came up to her mind. "Did he…kamikaze American ships?"
"Soryu, that's not funny," Misato eyed the girl. "And…Shinji? I can make her apologize if it offended you."
"Hey, I'm just curious," Asuka protested.
"No, he didn't," Shinji rolled his eyes. He wasn't a nationalist in any sense, however, such a sensitive topic being brought up still put him off a little. His first impression of the girl – aside from the fact that she certainly looked pretty – was mildly annoyed. "Why did you choose this particular place, Soryu-san? Shouldn't you be staying in your lovely country?"
"Because I wanted to, got any problem with that?"
Two children glared at each other in deadly silence.
"Um, how about we start talking about some of the logistics?" Smelling the distinctive gunpowder smell in the air, Misato hastily partook in the damage control. Seeing that she – thankfully – got both children's attention, she continued, "As you should've known, being a pilot takes time and practice. A lot of practice. So you guys are to abandon your schoolwork. It was clearly stated in the contract you signed. However," Misato cleared her throat, taking out a piece of paper from her pile of documents, "this doesn't mean you'll be stuck here 24/7."
"You still need to take standard STEM courses – mostly with Tokyo Municipal High School students. The exact schedule is posted on the course site."
"I thought I got rid of them," Shinji whispered, clear disappointment written on his face.
"In a sense, yes," Misato followed. "It's just that your grades won't be counted anymore, since most likely you'll be transferred directly into airline companies after the program. There will be risks, yes, and those are written clearly in the contract."
"But why do we still need to take them?" Shinji scratched his head.
"First, you definitely need some common knowledge to be a pilot, as well as math skills. We can't let you fly planes when you don't even know what vectors are," Misato explained. "Second, you guys certainly need some social interactions with other people – I was hoping to have more students so the class won't be boring, but…" she gestured around the classroom, "yeah, you see my point." Before neither of the children could respond, a mischievous grin appeared on her face. "Unless you want to make it work between just the two of you?"
"Gah, don't sass me!" Asuka made a fake horrified expression. "As if I'd ever be interested in little boys like him!" It was nothing personal, though. Simply because the idea of having a boyfriend still sounded strange – no, she had wanted Kaji to be her boyfriend, but now that option was already out of the question.
Shinji made a slight disapproving scowl but said nothing.
To her surprise, Asuka found no traces of disappointment on his face. That particular jab was mainly just to get a reaction out of him – she would sometimes enjoy the dejected, even defeated looks on boys when they learned that they would never have a chance with her.
And this particular reaction…intrigued her.
"How did he get chosen to be a student pilot, anyway?" Asuka pointed a finger at Shinji. "Is there some kind of secret test?"
"You are actually correct," Misato replied, eliciting raised eyebrows from both Shinji and Asuka. Her hidden agenda was unbeknownst to both of them, though. "From what I know, after you sighed the contract, EVA Air conducted some sort of background check, and…other stuff, including your health conditions, to determine your eligibility as a potential pilot."
"It means that you guys are chosen," Misato finished with a smirk. "So, feel a little proud of yourselves."
"Will we ever get to know what the criteria were?" Asuka probed.
"Nah, the company decided it's to be classified."
Nevertheless, the redhead couldn't help but let a prideful smirk creep up her face. She should've known that not just anyone could be chosen as a candidate for airliner pilot. She was special.
Turning to look at Shinji sitting not far away from her, Asuka huffed. Did this mean he was special as well? If the answer was yes, then perhaps she should treat him with more respect.
"I see," said Shinji in a voice that just gained a little bit of confidence in it. Maybe, after all, he was not as useless as he had thought.
"Are we good here?" After receiving small nods from both children, Misato continued, "alright. Let's not waste any more time and head straight into course materials."
XXXXXX
Some ten minutes later
The course syllabus was straightforward, to say the least. Essentially, there were no scheduled written quizzes or exams – there might be pop quizzes, but they were more of helping the students see what they lack instead of giving grades.
The final exam of phase 1 was just a solo flight in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk – not practical in real life, but doable in simulation chambers.
"Before we get into actual planes, I'd like to teach you some physics first. It's important to know the mechanics behind flying. Understanding how planes work will help you understand how to control it more precisely." Misato said as she clicked open a slideshow that had the title 'Airfoil and Lift' on the first slide. "Before we get started, do you guys know anything about lifting force?"
"Yeah," Shinji hastily responded, hoping to maybe show off in front of the arrogant girl. "It's the Bernoulli's principle, isn't it? The air flows faster on the top side of the wings and slower on the bottom side because the top side is more curved. The difference in air pressure creates lift."
"Tch, I knew you were gonna say that. It looks like you are an idiot, after all," Asuka smirked condescendingly. "If that's really the case, have you ever thought about how planes could fly upside-down?"
"Well…"
"The Bernoulli's principle contributes, yes, but it's not the major factor," Asuka let out a disapproving sigh, shaking her head. "It's about the conservation of momentum. In laymen's terms, the airfoil shape of wings redirects airflow downwards, so that air 'pushes' the wings upwards."
"Asuka's correct here, even though the actual situation is much more complicated," Misato agreed with a small smile.
Shinji suddenly felt stupid that he dared to challenge someone who knew how to do Quantum electrodynamics with physics. "Um…okay."
"Git gud, boy," Asuka scoffed, tasting her small victory.
Misato rubbed her forehead and continued her lecture on classical mechanics. Needless to say, Asuka didn't even put the slightest of her attention on it since she had already learned all of the knowledge. Shinji, on the other hand, put an unforeseen amount of effort into learning this time. Being defeated, and taunted by a girl at his age – embarrassment was one thing, the hurt on his long-gone pride was another.
As for the first class, they didn't learn anything too complex – everything starts from basics, such as radio phonetic alphabets.
"…So that's about everything you need to know about mechanics. For now, at least." Misato took a glance at the clock mounted on the wall, "you guys are free to go, have lunch or something. The cafeteria is on the second floor of the north tower, and there are local restaurants if you walk 10 minutes down the streets. This afternoon we'll get into a real plane and teach you some basic stuff, safety procedures and all that. Come back before 2 pm, you don't want to be late."
"Finally!" Asuka jumped from her seat and stretched her limbs, almost tipping over her chair in the process. "Time to eat!"
Shinji cringed. Up until now, the redhead's behavior could be said as the complete antithesis to what he expected from girls. "Well, I'm just gonna go to the cafeteria." He said as he swiftly stood up from his seat, grabbed his bag, and headed to the door, hoping to finally have some peace with himself.
XXXXXX
Monday Noon, EVA Air Personnel Cafeteria
Shinji picked a spot at a quiet corner of the vast dining hall, unzipping his bag, and then took out a small bento box from inside. He didn't order anything; making his own boxed lunches had long become his habit ever since he learned how to cook.
Not to mention the food in the school's cafeteria had always been bad – he didn't want to test his luck with the cafeteria here.
Today he simply made some octopus sausages and broccoli to put into the lunch along with white rice. Typical Japanese lunch, and Shinji was sure he would enjoy it immensely.
He really thought he could - until red flashed before his eyes.
"Hey, idiot, got a spot?"
Shinji almost jumped from his spot as a pair of fingers snapped in front of his face. He raised his head to see Asuka standing across and leaning over the dining table where a tray of Japanese food was placed on. It was apparent that she wanted to have lunch with him – or at least, sit close to where he was at.
At the moment, his reflex was telling him to say 'no' right away. On one hand, he didn't exactly like the girl – her attitude was harsh and arrogant, not to mention the inappropriate political joke she made earlier really did irritate him a little. On the other hand, the very primary purpose of him choosing this spot was to avoid people – something he had been doing for the most of his life.
However, something stopped him right before the word came out of his throat. Perhaps it was just his hidden hormone-driven part refused to reject such an innocent request from a girl, or maybe he simply wanted to not make their – unfriendly was a bit of understatement - relationship worse than it already was, even though he didn't know why would she come to him.
"Sure," Shinji replied briefly before digging back to his meal.
Unbeknownst to him, Asuka took his trademark attitude as a sign of coldness. She sighed and sat down on the bench across the dining table, "look, I'm sorry about earlier, okay?"
Shinji raised an eyebrow, "earlier? What for?"
"About the…kamikaze remark," Asuka said with visible effort. "I shouldn't have asked that question."
"Oh," Shinji said as realization struck him. "Apology accepted, I guess." He replied with a small smile. Now that he started to actually feel guilty about it himself – it was a lie in the first place.
Maybe she was not so bad as he had thought?
Asuka's lips twitched, barely holding back a smile of her own. "Don't think too much about it. It's just that I thought about what I would do if you were to ask me 'did your grandpa escape the Auschwitz' or something like that."
"That is?" Shinji probed.
"I would've strangled you."
Shinji gulped, feeling a chill run down his spine. Perhaps it was because of the matter-of-fact tone she used, or maybe the sharpness in her sapphire eyes did the trick.
Seeing the dreadful look on his face, Asuka chuckled and dropped her serious face, "anyway, why do you Japanese put so much fish in your food? It's absolutely disgusting. I'm never gonna get used to it. European food is so much better."
'Can't last long, can it?' Shinji sighed internally. "Well, I'm okay with Japanese food. It's just a cultural thing." He gave a typical straight man answer.
It was clear that Asuka wanted him to say something else as she kept stealing glances at Shinji's food. The redhead chewed on the fried fish nuggets like chewing rubber while she watched Shinji enjoying sausages and rice.
After seeing Shinji licking his lips again, Asuka couldn't take it anymore. "Where did you get this?" Ashe asked, pointing at Shinji's boxed lunch. "I didn't see anywhere in the cafeteria."
"Um, I made them myself?" Shinji replied, not really looking at her as he continued to eat his food.
The expectant looks in Asuka's eyes faded, replaced by genuine surprise. "Wait, you mean you cooked them?"
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, just never thought boys at your age can cook."
'Yeah, and I never thought girls at your age could be so headstrong and-' Shinji quickly shoved the thoughts off to prevent the thoughts from slipping through his mouth, which would likely put him in an ICU at record speed. "Maybe you're right. The school's cafeteria food is indeed bad. Some of us bring our own lunch to school every day."
"Hm," clearly Asuka had something else on her mind. "So…could I have some?" The way she said it gave an impression that she was forced to admit that she was the one who denied Adolf Hitler into the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.
Shinji tried not to let his frown show. With his acquaintances all at school, he was feeling a bit lonelier than usual. Now this brash – even though her last request was much more modest than usual - foreigner was forcing her way into his quiet routine.
Still, Shinji was nothing if not polite. "Sure…if you want."
Asuka wasted no time and eagerly attacked Shinji's lunch box with a pair of chopsticks, leaving the boy no room to use his own. 'Not even a thank you…' Shinji let out a silent sigh. 'But… she's eating my food…' The hormone-driven part of his brain soon added, eliciting an almost invisible blush on his face.
Thankfully, the redhead was too focused on the meal to notice anything. For the first time since they met, Shinji could take his time to examine the girl carefully without afraid of being discovered and suffering subsequent physical violence.
Saying the girl was pretty was a bit of an understatement – Shinji could very well categorize her as 'exotic and beautiful'. Her red hair certainly was a bonus since he had never seen anyone with red hair before.
She wore the student pilot uniform that EVA Air assigned them – Shinji had to admit that the old-fashioned uniform wrapped around her slender body pretty well. He wasn't sure whether she could make it to the first place, but Asuka was definitely one of the prettiest girls in the school.
"That was good!" Asuka exclaimed as she used Shinji's unused napkin to wipe her mouth clean, feeling satisfied, utterly unaware of the fact that she had just given a compliment. The very reason she came here in the first place was to try to reconcile with her learning partner – no matter how much she didn't want to admit, they would likely be stuck together doing things in the foreseeable future. So Asuka thought at least they should have a working relationship.
Maybe friends.
It turned out that things went better than she imagined – the boy was modest, even submissive – at the moment, Asuka couldn't decide whether it was good or not. He certainly wasn't a real man like Kaji, but the food he cooked was delicious, helping her save money on diet coke.
"I'm glad you like it?" Said Shinji cautiously. "But…I don't have things to eat now."
"You can take mine. It's Japanese food, so you should be more okay with it." Asuka pushed the tray of food forward to him. Seeing the hesitant expression on his face, Asuka pouted, "Hey! Don't gimme that grossed-out look! I put up with the food you ate! Besides, it's not like I have a bad breath or something!"
"It's not that! It's…" The denial was more of a reflex; it was only then Shinji found himself speechless – he didn't even know why he hesitated in the first place himself.
"'It's' what?!" Asuka hissed, this time her voice carried a hint of real anger, unlike the fake one she used before. "I swear to God, Ikari, you won't see tomorrow's sun if you can't come up with this 'what'!"
"It's…a cultural thing!" Shinji hastily replied, making up a reason to avoid the imminent threat. "It's inappropriate for boys and girls to exchange food, unless they are…you know…"
"Hm, never heard of that. Stupid cultural shock…" Asuka remarked, her voice calmer. "Anyway, this doesn't really mean anything besides the obvious, at least for me. You shouldn't think too much about it."
'Of course you haven't,' Shinji sighed in relief, happy that he somehow defused the nuclear bomb. 'Because it doesn't really exist…'
Nevertheless, the boy took the tray and began eating. He had to admit that the cafeteria food tasted like rubber – but considering its price, Shinji felt he couldn't expect any more.
And the way the redhead kept stealing looks at him when she thought he couldn't see didn't help things.
XXXXXX
Monday Afternoon
"I hope you guys had a nice lunch," came Misato's cheerful voice. Shinji groaned; Asuka smirked in response. "Anyway, I think you guys had enough of theoretics. Let's get straight into the real stuff. Follow me." Said Misato, waving her hand and gesturing the children to tag along.
The moment the trio stepped outside the man building and onto the field, the hot burning sun shined on them. Asuka's coat was off her body instantly, leaving only a thin shirt – it was only then Shinji noticed how shapely her breasts were. Not that he intended to find out, or anything – it's simply because they stood out too much.
The landing field they headed had a fairly short runway surrounded by grass. Only a few propeller planes and a small jet parked on the tarmac – neither of the two children could recognize any of the aircraft, which was probably the only even playing field for them as of now.
Haneda Airport couldn't even be seen at the place – only the constant roaring of jet engines and planes flying over them marked the existence of the airport. It was logical, though. An airfield used for tutorial purposes shouldn't interfere with the scheduled taking off and landing of commercial airliners – you don't want a lost small aircraft to accidentally get in the ILS approach route of a Boeing 747.
"So, she will be the plane you'll be dealing with this quarter," Misato walked in front of a small propeller plane that had 'NS0102' printed on it. Patting on the right side wing of the aircraft, Misato continued, "you guys are lucky. This is the newest model of Cessna 172 Skyhawk equipped with G1000 avionics. Trust me, it will make your life much easier." Seeing the lighten-up faces of Shinji and Asuka, Misato quickly threw a wet blanket on them, "don't mean to discourage you, but you will have to learn how to read and use mechanical instrument panels. It's a must."
"I'm sure it will be nothing," Asuka held her head high.
It was always good to see confident people. Misato couldn't help but smile a little. "Good." She opened the plane door, showing the interior of the aircraft to the children.
Even though Shinji had seen many film productions depicting airplane cockpits, it was still a dazzling sight when he saw the crowded dashboard, switches, flight control units, and more – yet they were only on a small plane, not the international airliners.
"Are we supposed to…learn all these?" Shinji pointed at the panels, asking nervously.
"What are you, stupid?" Asuka scoffed. "We have to learn all of them."
"Yes," Misato agreed. "Every single switch and panel have its own purpose. Trust me, if you're gonna take a career in piloting, you will have to use nearly all of them. Even though some switches can be only used at most once."
"At most once?" Shinji let a small frown show, almost catching the dark hidden meaning behind those words.
"Yeah," Misato remained calm and collected, "for instance, the switch to pull out your life vest."
Shinji's expression said louder than any words about how he felt about Misato's statement. Even Asuka made a face of 'Are you serious?!'
Flight Instructor Misato chuckled, "relax, it's very unlikely to happen. And you paying attention to my lectures will certainly help reduce such possibility, don't you think?" She smirked as she saw both children nodding vigorously. "Besides, since this aircraft will take two people to fly, it's very likely that one day-"
"Oh God no!" Asuka cut her off with a fake horrified expression. "With him? I'd rather jump off the plane and still have a higher chance of survival."
"Bruh," saying Shinji was exasperated was like saying photons are 'fast'. Ever since their strange, yet somewhat pleasant encounter during lunch, Shinji thought maybe the girl was changing into a better direction.
Now though, it seemed a miscalculation on his side. He wanted to be at least acquainted with her, he really did. But if everything she did was to scold him and put him down…
"Oi, idiot!" His unhelpful train of thoughts screeched to a halt as an irritable voice reached him. "Pay attention to the safety procedures! I don't want to die flying with you!"
"Huh?" Shinji raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you don't want to fly with me." His voice sounded a bit hurt.
"Gott, you're really an idiot, aren't you?" Asuka rolled her eyes. "Even if I don't, what choice do I have? Besides, you can't really think that I don't-" She stopped talking just in time to prevent her true thoughts from slipping, her face gaining the slightest shade of pink.
"You don't what?" Shinji asked, completely oblivious as he always had been.
Asuka's face turned normal, "forget about it." She waved her hand, returning her attention back to the lecture about how to put on the safety belt.
Shinji let out a small sigh and did the same.
Misato, however, having the advantage of a third-person view and abundant experience on the subject of matter, immediately noticed something was going on between the two. Unfortunately, it didn't fit any relationship model she had, so she had no idea what it was or what to make of it.
Misato shook the thoughts off. It was not time or place for her to worry about it right now. "Now, if you take a look at the right side of the captain's seat…"
XXXXXX
Three Hours Later
Asuka made a pout as another minute passed while she waited for the commute train from the local airport to downtown. Even though this particular platform at this particular station wasn't crowded – this airport wasn't open to the public – the trains that passed through here were always full of people, day or night.
Tapping her foot impatiently, Asuka couldn't help but let a prideful smirk show up on her face as she thought about her performance today during class. It seemed like the course materials were relatively easy to deal with – much more than particle physics - at least on the surface. She could understand it – physics is more theoretical, while piloting is more experience-based.
Asuka's smirk turned into a slight frown, seeing Shinji sitting on the bench with his ears plugged in. Why would he rather stay in his own world instead of, say, talk to someone as beautiful as her, or something. Not that it would make any difference; she was just bored, and the fact that he was the only person she knew on the platform didn't help things.
Even though she held many things against him – such as his submissiveness – she had to admit that Shinji could be serious when he wanted to. During today's class, Asuka couldn't help but notice how focused and hard-working he was. She'd rarely seen other people do it in college lectures.
Raising her head looking at the train timetable, Asuka sighed since she couldn't even recognize half of the alien characters displayed on the screen. Thankfully she got the name of the station she needed to go remembered photographically.
But the problem was she couldn't identify it on the timetable…
Asuka stomped her foot on the floor before walking to the bench where Shinji sat on. "Hey, idiot," getting no reactions from him, Asuka rolled her eyes and waved her hand before his eyes. "Hello? Are you still alive?"
"Hmmm?" Shinji raised his head, taking off the earplugs. "Um, Soryu-san?"
"Do you know when the train to…'Tanachi' is to arrive?" Asuka asked in a flat voice.
"Well, there are many different types of trains actually, with different operators. The most common one would be the JR trains, which is what I'm going to take. It's arriving in 30 minutes."
Asuka tilted her head, "30 minutes?!" She exclaimed incredulously. "And…you were just going to sit there and listen to…whatever you were listening?!"
Shinji frowned. No one really cared about what he did on his own ever before, which he was glad since it meant no disruption. "Yeah, since I don't really have anything else to do."
"You-" Asuka choked as she found herself at a loss for words. She could literally think of a million ways to have fun, from kicking the sleeping dog on the sidewalk to making a pig nose in front of the surveillance camera.
Maybe it's the innate difference between boys' and girls' thinking models which she couldn't help with. "You know, why do I even care." She shrugged and headed off.
"Erm, where are you going?"
Asuka turned her head back at him, raising an eyebrow as she saw him stand up and shove his music player into his pocket. At first, she wanted to tell him to screw off, however the action of him stop doing what he had been doing for the past half hour – most likely for her – made her change the decision. "I'm just going to get some snacks and drinks." She pointed at the vending machine across the whole platform.
"Wait a second, I'm coming with you. I'm also feeling a bit empty."
"Sure."
As they walked toward the vending machine in awkward silence, Asuka noticed several times Shinji reaching for his pocket but forced his hand away from it. He was making an effort! Asuka had to hide her smile. "What were you listening to, anyway? With that…black box of yours?" She started, keeping her eyes looking ahead.
"Mostly classical music, like Ode to Joy," Shinji replied, looking in her way. "By the way, it's an SDAT, not 'black box.' I'd rather never use a 'black box' if it can be helped," he added, recalling today's lecture content.
Asuka chuckled, "right. Still…classical music? I would never have guessed."
"It's a hobby I picked up when I was four." Suddenly Shinji's face visibly fell.
Asuka decided to ignore it; she wasn't a close friend, nor was she a psychologist with endless curiosity. Not to mention, it was a time period she didn't really want to bring up herself. "Good for you." She clasped her hands behind her head as they approached the vending machine. "Hmm…any recommendations? I'm new here, can't tell which one tastes good. Oreo and Lay's are only things I can recognize."
"Well, I don't eat snacks that often, so I don't know much about them," Shinji scratched his head. Before Asuka could even articulate her scoffs in her head, he continued, "you could never go wrong with Lay's potato chips, though. It's just that they contain a lot of fat and it's unhealthy a little. This Sudachi flavored fried seaweed is one of my favorites, and it won't add weight to you. This one, Riska Umai wa, it's cheese-flavored rings. The cheesy rings are crunchy but get pretty sticky as you chew them, so they annoyingly get stuck in your teeth. They taste good, though, and fill up your stomach pretty easily…"
As Shinji kept going, Asuka couldn't help but be amazed by how conside-meticulous he was. The level of details he would go into was outright outrageous – she couldn't decide it was good or not, but she had never met another person, so…this. Perhaps Kaji was better, but he was her guardian, it was kinda his job description. Shinji, on the other hand, only met her for one day – not to mention it was a day full of conflict.
Does he do this to just everyone? Asuka thought. What if I'm…different?
She shook the thoughts off as quickly as a rabbit who saw the biggest juicy carrot far away – she didn't want to be delusional. "I'll get this rice cracker, then."
"Sure," Shinji said and chose his own snacks, punching the selections into the panel, and then took out a ¥500 coin from his pocket.
"Wait, what do you think you're doing?"
Shinji's eyebrows raised. "Um…paying?"
"We're splitting the bill on this," Asuka huffed, taking out her own money. "I'm a big girl."
Big girl? Indeed, she had a big brain, big brilliant eyes, big bust, big-
Asuka took a handful of snacks and put them in her mouth, "emm…great suggestion. Guess you'll be my personal living adviser for now," she remarked after chewing on the food. "You know, to quickly get me used to this country and its culture."
"Okay, I guess…"
Asuka shot him a glare, making it clear that denying, or non-committal attitude would get him murdered, his body never be found.
"Sure, I'll do my best!" Shinji hastily corrected, even though this option was almost equally dangerous.
So, I have to push him, and it will work out! Asuka giggled internally, happy that she came to the first step of cracking the Ikari Code. "Good. Now recommend me a few drinks. I'm soooo getting grossed out by cherry coke in America…"
XXXXXX
Two Hours Later
"The next station - Tanachi. Tanachi Station. Passengers for..."
"Finally! Time to get off this can of sardines!" Asuka exclaimed in German, not wanting to let the Japanese squeezed around her to understand her words. The train car was more crowded than the Camp Nou during the finals of the UEFA Champions League. She was forced to be stuck between Shinji and the glass isolation board - this place was chosen only because of its proximity to the door. Asuka twisted her body, turning around and trying to squeeze past the boy.
Shinji saw her intentions and tried to move away - but unfortunately, the density of people proved his idea undoable. The only thing he could do was to turn his body as well and allow Asuka to get past him like a pair of rotating gears.
Just as Asuka shifted the final part of her body, suddenly she could feel an unmistakable sensation of pressure on her back. Or more precisely, on her butt.
She turned her head, just to see the panicking face of Shinji Ikari. Apparently, he also realized what kind of landmine he had just stepped onto.
"Hey idiot, watch where your hands are at!" Asuka barked on reflex, a blush crept up her cheeks. It was so embarrassing and unacceptable! She hadn't even let other boys hold her hand yet!
"I'm sorry! I really am!" Shinji hastily apologized, trying his best to move his hands away, but failed since there was no room to maneuver.
Asuka's failure to contain her volume immediately attracted a lot of unwanted attention from the crowd. Whispers rippled through the train car, and people started throwing disgusted and angry looks at Shinji. Some people even tried to take out their phones and maybe record the situation, but found themselves unable to due to the crowd.
With a harsh screeching sound the doors slid open, finally allowing Asuka to get off the train with Shinji following closely behind. At first, she was angry and confused - this wasn't his station to drop off, nor did she demand him to follow her. Perhaps he wanted to apologize more? She wasn't going to forgive him that easy, though. Not with not enough pay-off.
"Yo, is this sucker the groper?"
Asuka raised her eyebrows and turned around - it was only then she realized that Shinji did not get off the car under his own free will - he was pushed off by a chunk of a man, and what kind of social conundrum Shinji was thrown into.
It wasn't really Shinji's fault, though. There was practically no room for him to put his hands away. What's more, he wasn't really touching her in any sense - his fingers were curled up as much as possible to avoid making it worse than it already was.
However, the new situation he faced could very likely get him injured...because of her stupid reflexes.
"Em, no, he's actually my good friend," Asuka walked over and snatched Shinji's arm, dragging the frozen-in-fear boy away from the man. "It's none of your business, really. I'll make him pay in our usual way."
"Hm. Suit yourself." The man eyed them one more time before shaking his head and turning away from them.
Asuka let out a sigh of relief before kicking Shinji's lower leg, "idiot, how much do you think you owe me for this?"
"T-thank you, Soryu-san," Shinji said ten seconds later as he came down from the panic attack.
Asuka shook her head. "Stop calling me Soryu-san. You helped me before, I also helped you. I guess you can just call me Asuka."
"Thank you, Asuka."
"Hm, I like that pronunciation," the redhead said, pulling out her phone. "As a treat, I get to call you whatever I want. Stupid Shinji sounds good enough...what's your LINE ID? I forgot to ask you today."
"Um...It's SI1234576."
"Good, friend invitation sent," Asuka smirked and put her phone back in her pocket.
The silence lasted longer than both of the children were comfortable with. "Errr...about the incident in the train...I'm sorry, really, I didn't mean to-"
"Stop," Asuka's near-command went effective instantly. "I know you're sorry, but it's not the words that matter. It's what you do in the future," she added in a more serious tone. "You still owe me big one for this, and I'll be waiting for you to reciprocate."
"Erm...I'll think of a way to pay you back," Shinji scratched the back of his head.
"You better!" Asuka made a small smile and headed off. "See you later!"
"See you!"
XXXXXX
Monday Evening
Tired as the dickens, Shinji slowly dragged his feet back to the dorm room. It was a school-owned standard dormitory – lucky or not he got a single room so that no one was there to interrupt his private times, perverted or not.
Today, he had been feeling a bit more exhausted than usual – the forceful redhead and the challenging course materials, he couldn't decide which one of the two contributed more.
Why would she force herself into his quiet routine, anyway? Never had any girls – or people, in a general sense – before would disrupt his life, much less in such a forceful way. He wasn't a doormat who would just let people step past him – polite yet solid rejections to other people's advances were a skill he had already mastered. However, this new girl he met today, the way she made the requests - mixed with merit and a level of underlying threat he doubted would waver bedrocks – made it particularly hard for him to reject her.
Perhaps foreigners have different ways of doing things… Shinji let out a small sigh, walking to the dorm door. "Fuyutsuki-san?" He made a slight frown as he saw the familiar silhouette of his silver-haired guardian. "What are you doing here?"
"The flight school had informed me of your change of accommodations," Fuyutsuki replied with a small smile. "Pack up. You'll be living in a new place starting from tonight."
XXXXXX
AN: I know having your school near an airport sounds irrational, but both my high school and college are only one bus stop away from the local airport. You don't get to know where, though.
I don't really know how flight schools work and what they teach, but that's not the point of the story, is it?
Also, I apologize in advance that some of the political jokes that will be included in this fic may be offensive to some people, I'm just here to say that they don't represent my personal political views.
Appendices: Soaring Young Eagles Entrance Background Check
1. Does the subject have a communicable disease of public health significance? Communicable diseases of public significance include: chancroid, gonorrhea, granuloma inguinale, infectious leprosy, lymphogranuloma venereum, infectious stage syphilis, active tuberculosis, and others diseases as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services.
2. Does the subject have a mental or physical disorder that poses or is likely to pose a threat to the safety or welfare of yourself or others?
3. Has the subject ever been a drug abuser or addict?
…
27. Has the subject ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, even though the subject is subject to a pardon, amnesty, or other similar action?
28. Has the subject ever violated, or engaged in a conspiracy to violate, any law relating to controlled substances?
29. Is the subject participating the program to engage in prostitution or unlawful commercialized vice, or has the subject been engaged in prostitution or procuring prostitutes within the past 10 years?
30. Is the subject a spouse, son, or daughter of an individual who has violated any controlled substance trafficking law, and have knowingly benefited from the trafficking activities in the past five years?
All Subjects:
Ikari, Shinji
Soryu Langley, Asuka
All Eligible Participants List: (Answers no to all questions)
Ikari, Shinji
Soryu Langley, Asuka
