"It's raining again…" Shinji murmurs to himself, eyes half-lidded. He's seated in the middle of the classroom, slouching in his hard plastic seat. He was the first to arrive today and the room seems quite bleak. It makes him feel cold, and something like a quiet hum fills up his ears to compensate for the deafening silence.
Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
"Stop already," Shinji groans. He reaches into his right pocket to find his SDAT. He tries the left now, and finds nothing. He grimaces, "No way did I lose them again… Misato-san is going to kill me-urghhh!" He collapses onto his desk clenching the now useless device.
Shhfff
Nckk!
Shinji sits up and earbuds plop down onto his desk.
"They fell yesterday," says Rei in passing. She swiftly walks to her desk in the back of the room and sits contently, staring forward but not at him.
"Thank you…" he quietly calls out. She doesn't hear him. "Rei?"
…
She doesn't respond vocally or physically, so Shinji turns around, eyes downcast, and puts in his earbuds with no music.
Class ends.
Shinji turns around and looks right past his newer friends, Touji and Kensuke who are flailing around and yelling loudly. His eyes focus on Rei who's standing up and leaving the room. She's moving with a purpose, he thinks. He shoots out of his own seat, nearly knocking it over and causing a scene.
"Jeeeez Shinji-chan, slow down will ya?" Touji barks, looking offended by almost anything Shinji does.
"Hah, sorry," Shinji remarks, rushing past him. "I have somewhere to be."
"More Eva info you wanna spill?!" Kensuke happily tries, clasping his hands over his chest.
"Um, not that I know," Shinji states, shrugging one tense shoulder. His eyes are looking out the class window checking if Rei was already gone. He didn't see her. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Shinji nearly runs out of the room blowing air into the faces of both boys.
"Jeeeeeez. Who does he think he is dipping out on us like that?" Touji scoffs, crossing his arms.
"Maybe he's looking for Ayanami."
"Gah, why her when he has Misato-san happily waiting at homeeeee?" Touji sweetly sways side to side with his hands knotted behind his back.
"I guess you'll never know," Kensuke remarks, lip turned up on one side.
Shhhhhhhhhhhhh
The sound of rain now fills Shinji's ears. It's just as lonely as the silent buzz. He forgot an umbrella so he gave up on searching for Rei and decided to take the train home. While the train rattled and screeched, his thoughts constantly wander to her. Why didn't she talk to me? Does she hate me? He wasn't in the right state of mind to recognize that such a conclusion was irrational. He found himself hunched over in his tight blue plastic seat clutching his chest pocket. Does she hate me? Does she hate me? Does she hate me?
Shinji slides the front door open to see Misato standing tall, hands on her wide hips. She unexpectedly pulls him into the house by his backpack strap.
"Nyah! Misato-san!" Shinji yelps, stumbling over the doorway. He throws out his hand to brace himself against the closest wall.
"Shinji! Why didn't you tell me?!" Misato asks loudly, making him plug up one ear with his index finger. Her face carries a smile as bright as the sun. One hand of her's is gripping the house phone that's almost as long as her forearm.
"Tell youuu?"
"That you and Rei are friends," Misato sang, waving a hand as if to say obviouslyyyy. "She called the house about five minutes ago asking for you."
"What?!" Shinji smiles bright without thinking and nearly hops out of excitement. "What did she say?!"
"She just asked if you were here and to call her later."
"Oh… ok," Shinji states in a melancholy manner.
"But I decided to have her over instead."
…..
"Really?! Wait-I'm not ready-Um-when?!" Shinji's eyes nearly fall out of his head from how wide eyed he is.
Dingggg-dong
"ARGHHHHHH!" Shinji screams and sprints to his room.
"Shinji?!" Misato shouts, watching him flutter away. "What a weird kid…" she mumbles under her breath. She opens the door to find Rei holding a bent white umbrella in a modest blue dress the same color as her hair.