From the author: It's been few months since Asuka met Shinji , and both of our heroes are facing their own demons and feelings towards each other , let's switch the perspective and see our story from Asuka's eyes
don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion and Akira
Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Studio GAINAX and Hideaki Anno
Akira belongs to Kōdansha and Katsuhiro Ōtomo
"this" is speech
'this' is thought
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION HIGHWAY STAR
Chapter 19 : Do I love you ? Or do I simply like you ?
"Why do these lessons get longer everyday ?"-Asuka thought to herself as she watched their teacher miserably attempting to put knowledge inside their heads. As a child prodigy she knew that school was not necessary but according to Misato , "You are not Shinji who can send 20 adults to a hospital with just bare hands ,and you can keep an eye on him". And so Asuka stared at Shinji in his trademark "I dont give a shit" position with his legs laying on his desk . It was the math lesson as Teacher asked Shinji
"Ikari , Ikari , IKARI !"-The teacher raised his voice as Shinji took off his earbuds
"What ?"-Shinji said as he stared down the teacher and the board
"Go do the task"-The teacher said as Shinji closed his eyes
"Its 3 square roots of the 4th degree out of 3 , Satisfied ?"-Shinji said as he returned to his old position
"He is right !"-One of the girls said as she showed her notebook to the teacher
"Ok , Miss Horaki , what about example c ?"-Teacher asked as Asuka stared at Shinji with a stunned expression . She opened her laptop and started typing a message
SENDING MESSAGE TO :
WAITING FOR ACCEPTANCE
ACCEPTANCE GRANTED
ASUKA L.S : WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT ?
SHINJI I : WHAT WAS WHAT ABOUT ?
ASUKA L.S : THE STUNT YOU PULLED OFF RIGHT NOW ?
SHINJI I : REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU ? I DON'T CARE SHIT . I AM A TECHNO BOSOZOKU , BUT I KNOW THAT EVEN WITH MECHANICAL SKILL I NEED A DUMB PAPER TO START WORKING . SO MY STRATEGY IS TO AT LEAST PULL THROUGH THE HIGH SCHOOL AND IF I WOULD NEED THE PAPER GO TO A LOCAL COLLEGE . AS SOMEONE WHO HATES RULES AND PREFERES USING EITHER FISTS OR A GUN , SO THAT'S HOW THIS AND I WORK , SCREW THE RULES AND BASIC HUMAN MANNERS
ASUKA L.S : YOU KNOW THAT ONE DAY I COULD BACKFIRE AT YOU , ONE DAY YOU END UP DEAD AND WHAT CAN YOU DO ? NOTHING
SHINJI I: I SIMPLY LIVE A DAY AFTER DAY , USING EVERY DAY AS A THRILLING CHANCE TO DANCE WITH DEATH . IT'S AN EXCITING ECSTASY
ASUKA L.S : SO EVEN AFTER ALL THE ANGELS AND THINGS YOU PULLED THROUGH YOU STILL LIVE LIKE EVERYDAY IS YOUR LAST ?
SHINJI I : YEP
Asuka stared at her screen as she thought about what Shinji wrote , she thought it was a stupid way of living like a dumb anime character , and her mind returned to the last weekend and that event they went together . And to the crashed 10 year-old , after that event they made a stop at a gas station to get some food . As Shinji ordered their food Asuka sat and stared at the window as she took a look at his SDAT with a tape inserted . 'ah who cares ? I can listen to one song . Its a digital model and i can simply rewind it'-Asuka thought as she pressed play and the Track #6 of Megamix #2
Love without gamble is boring.
You got to make me excited and nervous all the time.
If you make me bored, I will go with other guys.
My naughty mind won't stop.
Come over to the secret casino tonight.
Get wild with reckless games once in a while.
Once you get used to the feeling of indulgence, you'll be in trouble.
It's an addictive ecstasy.
Russian, Russian roulette.
You need to make up your mind right now.
Every time I hold a dull, shiny magnum,
I get an electric charge in the thin line.
For all or nothing, until I make you become my captive,
I'm going to play a dangerous Russian roulette.
Nervous, excited, Dance Dance
Cheerfully, thrilled, Chance Chance
Nervous, excited, Dance Dance
Cheerfully, thrilled, Chance Chance
Make up your mind.
Come over to the secret casino tonight.
Get wild with reckless games once in a while.
Once you get used to the feeling of indulgence, you'll be in trouble.
It's an addictive ecstasy.
Russian, Russian roulette.
We've come this far, there's no turning back.
Hold your dull, shiny magnum,
The lovely elfin is a little frightened.
Until I make you my captive,
I will risk my life in a dangerous Russian roulette.
Russian, Russian roulette.
You need to make up your mind right now.
Hold your dull, shiny magnum,
The lovely elfin is a little frightened.
Until I make you my captive,
I will risk my life in a dangerous Russian roulette.
Nervous, excited, Dance Dance
Cheerfully, thrilled, Chance Chance
Nervous, excited, Dance Dance
Cheerfully, thrilled, Chance Chance
Make up your mind.
Nervous, excited, Dance Dance
Cheerfully, thrilled, Chance Chance
Nervous, excited, Dance Dance
Cheerfully, thrilled, Chance Chance
Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-chance
The song wrapped up as Asuka took off the earbuds and reversed the track back, noticing the little buzzes . Shinji came back with a tray and noticed Asuka and SDAT
"Wow , the food is so expensive . You listened to my SDAT ? , i think i need to buy a new analog-digital tape converter"-Shinji said as he sat with the trace and started eating his food , Asuka finally swallowed air and got the courage to ask him the question she wanted to ask since they left that meeting spot . Asuka was always open minded with her mouth , always saying what she wanted and not caring what anyone said . But with this situation it was weird , like she couldn't get words out of her mouth
"Shinji ?"- Asuka asked as she took a sip of her drink
"Ye ?"-Shinji asked as he as he swallowed his rice balls
"I wanted to ask you again about that kid"-Asuka said as Shinji took a sip of his drink and showed a frown on his face
"I thought you hated kids ?"-Shinji asked as Asuka looked at him with an 'you won't push away that topic' expression
"I said I don't want to have kids , but that kid looked like he won't eat normal food for a long time ?"-Asuka said as Shinji closed his eyes
"It's pretty normal , if i would get into a crash like that i would simply put out the bike and fix it"-Shinji said as Asuka's eyes widened
"You know that you can die if you get in a crash like that ? You don't care ?"-Asuka asked as Shinji chuckled
"I live everyday like it's my last , let's say that the calendar is a revolver and the day is a magazine , chance to die is a bullet and the empty socket in a survived day . Life is like russian roulette"-Shinji replied as Asuka looked for contradiction
"But have you ever thought about acting differently , you said that you live by the rule of 'Kill or be killed' ? Doesn't it contradict itself ?"-Asuka asked as Shinji opened his eyes
"I do , but I cannot be lucky forever , yes . I do kill , one day I'll run out of it . I simply want to survive to that day . The only thing I'm actually searching for aside from revenge is love , since I want to meet someone like me . Someone who also takes the thrill and loves the danger"
"Asuka , Asuka ? ASUKA !"-Hikari snapped Asuka out of her flashback as she woke up from her flashback
"Yes ? What happened ?"-Asuka asked
"Lesson is finished , and i asked you if you and Ayanami want to eat lunch together"-Hikari said as Asuka got up took her things
"Fine , hey Rei ! We're going to eat ! Are you going with us ?"-Asuka asked as Rei took her bag
"I can agree on that"-Rei said and three girls left the classroom to find a good eating spot , as all the student they chose the location outside as they sat near the wall separating school from the parking lot , Asuka noticed that couple meters away Shinji was sitting along side Kensuke and Toji and surrounded by Shinji's fangirls. Asuka felt tingles of jealousy going in and out of her skin as she stared at other girls getting wet from just his plain of existence
"You're jealous ? Am i right ?"-Hikari asked as Asuka snapped out of her looking-onto-Shinji session
"S-Shinji and I are just friends . I'm just looking to see if he does how I told him to drive away the girls ?"-Asuka asked
"Well , i don't see it that way , aside from Ayanami you are the only girl he talks to"-Hikari said as Asuka looked upon her with a crimson blush that caught even Rei's attention
"Asuka always acts a bit differently when she is around my brother"-Rei said as the blush became even more crimson
"Traitor"-Asuka said as she started hearing some voices from the other side of the wall
"Is that Ikari's bike ?"-one of the voices said as Asuka lifted her head from behind the wall to see three final year students with two of them having baseball bats . 'Oh fuck , this cant end good'-Asuka thought as she decided to listen to their conversation .
"Damn right it is , maybe if he will lose his dear bike he will finally know his place"-Another one said as Asuka jolted to the parking lot leaving stunned Rei and Hikari . Asuka runned like crazy before she jumped in front of the bike
"Would you maybe use those bats to mash some brains in your head instead ?"-Asuka said as she got into her stance
"Look guys , a hero . Move aside girl , we have something to do"-One of the boys said as he tried to get closer . Asuka replied with a punch to the jaw as the boy flew away from the bike and her
"D-Damn , guys . Grab her by the arms and hand me over the bat"-one of the boys said as she felt her arms being restrained. Shinji meanwhile was getting bored of numerous questions asked from his harem.
"Hey Shin-man , someone is hanging around your ride"-Toji said as Shinji got up as he looked upon the scene happening in the parking lot . 'Oh shit ASUKA !'-Shinji thought as he rushed down from their spot and runned to the nearest wall before jumping across it and noticing Asuka
"Are we tired ?"-one of the boys said grabbing Asuka by the chin which resulted in spitting in face by Asuka
"HANDS OFF !"-Shinji raised his voice as he took out his pistol
"The girl or the bike ?"-Another one asked as Shinji sended 3 shots in the air
"both"-Shinji replied as one of the boys rushed in front of Shinji with a bat . He suckerpunched the agressor blocking the bat before taking him out with a chin blow
"Anyone to dance ?"-Shinji asked as he took off his jacket and noticed another aggressor rushing at Shinji , Asuka meanwhile finally broke out of older students' custody and took him out with a kick as Shinji took out the last one.
"You're ok ?"-Shinji said as he helped her get up
"Yeah, but i'm more worried about this"-Asuka said as she pointed at a dent in the bodywork
"Oh shit"-Shinji said as he touched the dent
"Relax we will f-fix it"-Asuka said as she spat out a bit of blood
"Crap , i think i should call Misato , damn that section 2 should do its job properly , just because i can defend myself doesn't mean every pilot can"-Shinji said as he studied Asuka's wounds
"Damn , all fashion batting . Ah reminds me of the good days . We were playing football , and the Clowns would come and we had to run to not get batted and phoneless"-Shinji said as he studied Asuka's stomach , Asuka pushed away Shinji's hand with a blush on her face
"I'm perfectly fine"-Asuka said as she could feel pain in her stomach
"Well , i'm going to pull you out for today"-Shinji said as he started to walk away
"Well ? Come on"-Shinji said as Asuka sprinted to him as they walked the stairs up to the group
"Class rep ? We are bailing out"-Shinji replied as he took Asuka's hand to get out of the viewing sight
"But you can't just leave School ! you need to call your guar-"-Hikari was cutted off
"Fuck the rules ! Rei , I'll come pick you up after school !"-Shinji said as they entered the school building and made their way to the locker rooms
"You have no idea how much i missed this , finally my little remains of freedom are given back to me"-Shinji said as he took out his books and shoes
"Are you sure we can simply bail out like that ?"-Asuka asked as she grabbed her things
"I did that almost everyday , since i would get good or passable grades"-Shinji said as he and Asuka made their way with the parking door that was a few meters away from his bike , Shinji and Asuka got on and made their way back to the apartment . This time actually riding according to the road traffic code , Asuka thought it was weird as Shinji always was breaking or extremely bending the traffic laws . But this time it felt odd and surprisingly slow , the last few weeks they spent on the bike as they finally got rid of the air choking so the mark 3 was finally complete and the duo focused more on racing and less on the bike , after 45 minutes of riding the duo was finally back as they entered the elevator and rode it to their floor , as Shinji opened the door Asuka made her way to her and Rei's room to change into a loose t-shirt and shorts . As she left her room she noticed Shinji already in the kitchen preparing lunch so she decided to retrieve to the nearest bean bag as she sat in front of the tv as she scrolled through channels to see what japanese Tv had to offer , an hour passed as Shinji brought Asuka a plate
"Here you go , we had a lot of salmon so i spent it for your recovery meal"-Shinji said as Asuka grabbed the plate from him and started eating , even if she grown tired of fish she did accept a home cooked meal
"Well , enjoy it . I'll go pickup Rei"-Shinji said as he left the apartment and made his way to the parking lot before riding off . Asuka meanwhile finished her salmon and she kept thinking about the last few months . Before coming here she only could rely on herself and the only romantic interests were towards Kaji , who rejected her and her body when she offered herself to her . Saying that "She was just a child" , and the next day she met this boy who would always give snazzy complements while being completely uninterested in getting in her bed , who would always put up with her behavior and even with some breakdowns he would always comfort her and even allow himself to be used as a bodypillow . and who would call her and friend and save her from loneliness . But she still couldn't press herself to think about it . The school trip to Okinawa would be a great occasion to finally talk to him about her feelings . 'Oh , it could be so romantic . We would walk, eat dinner , Kis-Whoa whoa whoa hold there hotshot ! You are not even sure if you like him , or if he likes you . He is a person who saw way more in life than you . What can he possibly see more in me than just a friend ? Or the girl next door ? He grew up with tons of oddly colorful personalities . What do I add to his table ? Well , I am an Eva pilot , and he is also a pilot . Here we match . But in the end we are completely completely different. I'm from a 'normal' home while he is from a pathological city . I grew with the privileges from NERV as he struggled from himself . I had to train to earn my skill while he received it from the get go . The worst thing he can say is that he only likes me as a friend , or if he - he would perish ?'-Asuka finished her train of thought as she decided to return to watching tv before finally drifting away to slumber
The evening rain was setting a dark shade over the Neogoyan slums , Asuka wore a simple gray coat and jeans with a brown cap . Her humor was getting more and more getting down as she remember the frantic call from Shinji who told her to come to the 8th district church
"Damn , now that idiot has to have an excuse to leave me mid-coitus and walk to a church ? He is an atheist for gotts sake !"-Asuka thought as she heard the sound of shattering glass as she noticed what was the cause of the sound, her heart sinking as she noticed Shinji wearing a suit falling through the window . Asuka rushed to take Shinji out of sight . Shinji had several broken ribs and few of his bones broken with many external and internal bleedings
"Shinji ? SHINJI ! WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED ?"-Asuka asked as Shinji tried to get some words out of his mouth
"s-see ? t-told you i w-would run out of l-luck one d-day"-Shinji said as Asuka started to cry
"We will get you to the nearest hospital and you'll be put together !"-Asuka screamed as Shinji smiled and caressed her cheek
"Come here"-Shinji said as he brought Asuka's face close to his before giving her his last kiss as he pushed all the rest of his life force into it before his dead body fell on the street as Asuka broke and fell crying
"Shinji ?! SHINJI ! NO NO NO NO NO NO !? Come back to me ! You promised !"
Asuka jolted out of her dream as she woke up . 'Oh , it was just a dream . But it felt so real '-Asuka thought as she heard Real Folk Blues on the tv , 'Oh that's why it looked like it did' . Asuka thought as she got up and walked over to the calendar , Asuka checked the day of the Okinawa trip as she touched the day with her finger
"There , then I will decide if I love him !"
A/N : Hello after the Christmas and New Year break . New chapter is up and this is our final chapter before Sendalphon ! Next time our crew takes a trip to Mount Asama
Tracks for megamix 2
Track #6 : Ru Ru Ru Russian roulette performed by Meiko Nakahara