Fun for the Family - Chapter 4
Written By: RadinRMZ TaxEvasionIsFun
The living room of the Katsuragi household transformed into a haven of tranquility, enveloped in the enchanting melodies emanating from Shinji's cello. As the room lay empty, Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G Minor took center stage, the focal point of Shinji's tireless practice. A persistent determination propelled him, playing the composition repeatedly, each iteration a step closer to achieving mastery.
Unbeknownst to him, an audience of one silently observed his performance, applauding in appreciation as he concluded. The sound of clapping filled the silent room as he finished playing, looking back to see where it was coming from, he was greeted with a ...satisfied?…no, an impressed-looking Asuka Langley Soryu.
"That was very nice, Shinji. I didn't know you played!" remarked the fiery German girl as she made her way into the living room.
"I started when I was five, but I'm still not very good… I have no talent at all," Shinji humbly confessed.
"Well, this is way more impressive than your gaming skills. So I guess you should be proud of that at least," Asuka complimented as she settled on the couch, her eyes shifting between the cello and the neatly placed gaming console.
"Speaking of…" She added as she fixed her eyes on it with a grin on her face.
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"I told you! You have to JUMP there! Are you deaf?"
"This level is just way too hard, there's no way to dodge all those, fire, things. You should play this one yourself."
"No, you are NOT quitting until I say so! This is the easiest bossfight in the entire game. A toddler can beat this in no more than 2 tries! Are you better than a toddler, or are you that much of a baka that you're not even trying?!"
"I am trying! It's just... I- I just still don't exactly know how this works."
"Well now's a good chance to learn it from a professional. 'Cause I'm not letting you get out of this until we beat this thing."
"Well you haven't been exactly teaching me any of this, unlike Misato-san."
Asuka was almost shocked to hear the reply but quickly retorted with a snarky comment to maintain her usual teasing banter.
"Oh so you need me to treat you like a toddler and hold your hand and guide you through it just as Misato does?"
"That's.. not what I meant" Shinji replied as a small frown appeared on his face.
"Man up a bit! The brilliant EVA pilot Shinji Ikari can finish off a freaky double-angel with a dropkick in almost perfect synch with me, yet he needs Mama Misato to teach him how to play a videogame" She replied as they retried once more, shifting her focus from the TV to look at Shinji with a grin. He attempted to concentrate on the game, but her usual complaining added a layer of distraction. Her remarks not only failed to contribute to their success but also hindered his ability to focus, making the learning process more challenging and frustrating for him.
"Can you stop it, please?"
"And what if I don't? What, are you gonna tell Mama Misato? You're gonna go up to her and complain about how I've been such a meanie towards you?"
"Don't call her that." He replied as they lost the level once more.
"Why not? You love relying on her so much just because you think she treats you so nicely. As if she's your real mother or something. I bet you expect her to caress your hair and-"
"Can you drop it?! This has nothing to do with her!" Asuka was almost surprised to hear the sudden unexpected reply. But that only made her keep going.
"Yeah, right. Don't expect me to believe that, third. The heated rambling between you two last night was so loud I bet everyone in the whole building could hear it."
"Fine, But what does that have to do with me learning how to play right now? How is you yelling at me going to help with any of this?"
"You expect everyone to do everything for you. That's why I'm pushing YOU, giving YOU a chance to show something from yourself! You should be thanking me for doing this! I've been wasting my precious time with you for an hour, and we still haven't beat this dumb, stupid, damn level! Mein Gott, you're such a baby!"
After that, the two of them just stayed silent for a while as the sound coming from the TV filled the room with a tense ambiance. As they sat on opposite ends of the couch, the weight of the unresolved tension lingered between them. Shinji's gaze was fixed on the TV screen, but there was a subtle unease in his posture, leaving Shinji feeling somewhat like an inexperienced child, just like the one Asuka compared him to.
.
.
"Hey… Do you remember our synch-training?"
"Yeah… what about it?" Shinji replied they both still kept their eyes on the TV.
"Well, guess what. We're gonna do it again, this time however, we're doing it with two controllers, and a Flatscreen TV. Since I think there's no other way I can get a baka like you to get good at this."
"Alright…"
"Keep following me, and repeat my steps.
Use the power-ups when I tell you to.. and try not to die"
Shinji just replied with a nod as he focused on the screen.
The first few tries weren't all that successful, however, they were way more impressive than the failed tries before, as each subsequent try showcased a more synchronized effort, hinting at a growing understanding between the two teenagers. The subtle progress spurred them on, motivating the two teens to persist.
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Just as the boss was defeated, the cheerful victory theme started playing with Toad and Mario jumping up in excitement, Shinji's face filled with satisfaction as his expression turned into one of happiness.
Asuka leaned back on the couch and put the controller down as she felt somewhat satisfied with the fully in-synch cooperation that they had with each other throughout the level, it wasn't all that big of an improvement from the eyes of a more experienced gamer as she was, but for an inexperienced newcomer like Shinji, it surely was.
"There, was that so hard?" She said as she shifted her gaze toward Shinji, and her expression, a subtle mixture of satisfaction and pride, adorned her face in what could only be described as a "semi-proud" smile. It was a rare moment where Asuka's competitive spirit softened into something akin to acknowledgment.
"W-Well, at first maybe, but now I think we've got the hang of it." Shinji replied as he scratched the back of his head with a nervous, yet somewhat cheering smile of his own.
"You mean, you've got the hang of it?
Because I sure as hell could beat it all on my own without your help either. Hell I can even speedrun it. But nonetheless, I'm glad my student has learned a little something from his brilliant teacher today." She replied, her expression adopting another one of her usual grins, the kind that usually accompanied her jokes or half-sarcastic comments.
"Oh, so I'm your student now?" Shinji replied back with a somewhat sarcastic comment of his own.
"Of course! And a very stupid one as well."
"Oh, well now you're acting like a meanie."
"Oh yeah? Well you better suck it up, cause' your mama's not gonna be home until midnight."
Shinji just rolled his eyes at the usual snarky comment. It seemed like she had just found something to abuse and exploit whenever she wanted to complain or mess with him from now on.
"They must be having a lot of fun I guess."
He replied as he stared at the ceiling.
"Of course everything would be fun when
Kaji's around them."
"Mhm... By the way, how was your date today?"
"Hm, my date? Oh it was even more boring than you usually are. I'm glad I decided to come home. At least I could a get a free front-row ticket to Shinji Ikari's cello performance."
"You really liked it? I don't think it was that
good"
"You seriously need to be more proud of your work. For a baka you certainly have a lot of talent, I wonder why you keep whining and whining about how you're 'not good enough' or you have 'no talent at all', have some pride, baka!"
"'I'll.. try" And with that, silence filled the room once again.
.
.
.
.
Only for it to be broken by a very sudden, and unexpected question.
"Hey Shinji, let's kiss."
"Hu- What?"
"I said, let's kiss."
"I-.. Why?"
"Because I have nothing better to do."
"W-Well I'm not sure."
"Oh come on, you're too afraid of getting a kiss from a beautiful girl like me?"
"What?! N- No it's not that!" That reply only made the smug look on Asuka's face more visible.
"Come on then, kiss me."
"Asuka, this is... how... Wh-"
"Oh come on baka, what, are you scared mama's gonna suddenly come in and witness us kissing each other?!"
"What?! No! No, fine.. let's do it."
"Ooo, are you sure?! You can chicken out if you don't want to, after all, you're mama's innocent little boy."
"I said I'm doing it! So bring it on!"
"Alright then, let's see how brave you are." And with that, she slowly started making her way towards him on the couch.
"Here I come." As their faces got closer to one another, Shinji only tensed up more.
.
.
"Have you brushed your teeth?"
".. Y-Yes." Shinji said as he nervously held his breath.
And then..
.
.
.
It had been 2 minutes, and they were still in the same position, their lips still locked and their eyes closed. The TV was still on, and the game was on pause. As Shinji slowly breathed, the feeling of nervousness still hadn't left him, but there was also a feeling that told him to not stop.
That was, until the doorbell rang. With the buzzing sound that echoed in the living room, the both of them quickly openned their eyes in shock and... fear? They quickly parted their lips away by instinct. Shinji quickly got up and went to open the door. He was not aware of the deep red blush that had formed on his face.
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"Well, she's pretty tired, we should let her rest for a while." Said Kaji as he closed the door to Misato's room right after he and Shinji had helped her get to bed.
As the tall man turned around he noticed Asuka silently sitting on the couch, focusing on the game she was playing, she looked.. oddly quiet. Usually she'd never lose a chance to get his attention.
Shinji on the other hand was also standing next to him, staring at the TV... no, staring at her... He looked confused... worried.
Something was up.
"Do you wish to stay tonight, Kaji-san?" Shinji replied as he turned his head to look at him, for once turning his attention away from the redhead.
"…Oh? Hmm, well, I don't have anything important going on tomorrow, so I suppose I could stay the night. Plus we need to take care of Katsuragi as well. She's been very exhausted tonight." He replied as he looked back at the girl sitting on the couch.
"Oh really?! This is definitely going to be a wonderful night then!" Asuka's gaze briefly shifted toward Kaji, accompanied by a fleeting smile that seemed to lack its usual vigor. However, she swiftly returned her attention to the game, her focus more intense on Mario's digital adventure than on the usual playful advances she attempted towards Kaji. She usually tried way harder to get his attention. Something was definitely up.