Asuka & Shinji's Infinite Playlist

Chapter 3: I Wanted to Fix This

The room was silent except for the faint scratching of pencils on paper, a couple of nervous taps, a random cough, and the sounds of erasing. Thirty young students in a confined space is usually a recipe for noise and excitement, but there was none to be found this Monday morning.

The air was stagnant and heavy: barely tossed around by the school's heating system and weighed down by the future of 400 children spread throughout a dozen classrooms. The stress was so tangible it could almost be spotted in the corner, also furiously marking up an exam sheet, second guessing everything it thought it knew.

Shinji Ikari did his best to concentrate on the exam in front of him, but a restless night and a disappointingly uneventful breakfast had half of his mind preoccupied. It wasn't until another adult unexpectedly entered the room that Shinji realized he'd been staring off into space.

Watching the adult whisper into the exam proctor's ear, Shinji grew curious when the seemingly hungover instructor who'd been all but asleep, draped over the desk, perked up and stared back at the messenger.

When the messenger left, the proctor stood up, clearing his throat and speaking in a gentle baritone: "Excuse me, everyone, pardon the interruption," he began, "but I'm going to need all pencils down and eyes on me. Once again, please put your pencils down."

The unshaven man watched around the room, one time making eye contact with Shinji, before clearing his throat again, "I said, 'pencils down'. Please."

Finally, the faint scratching sound completely ceased, and thirty pairs of eyes all watched the proctor walk around the front of his desk, gently sitting against it.

"I've been informed that the Director of Myojo Academy is instructing all potential students to go to the cafeteria after finishing and turning in your exam. Once again, after the test, you are to go directly to the cafeteria and wait."

The tall man paused and watched around the room before turning and walking back behind his desk, "I don't have any more information, so, please, no questions. Get back to your exams, and good luck."

There was a quiet murmur among some of the students, but the gentleman at the front of the room ceased it with one good look, and the room was again filled with the furious scribbling and erasing of the increasingly desperate children.

After what seemed like an eternity, Shinji answered the final question and stood up to turn his test in. Approaching the desk at the front, he handed the gentleman his exam and gave his name, "Ikari Shinji, sir."

The proctor scrolled down his roster and then verified the name on the test before collecting the booklet, "Thanks, Shinji."

The boy stared at the man again, taking in his stubbly face and ponytail, certain he'd seen him before. He realized he was again staring at a complete stranger for a conspicuous amount of time, and turned and quickly left the room, joining a few other kids heading down the hallway towards the main building.

As they all walked, Shinji overheard two teens in front of him discussing the sudden interruption: "I heard they found a body in one of the dorm rooms."

Another boy tried to correct the story, "No, I heard they caught one of the teachers in one of the girls' dorm rooms."

A girl nodded her head: "This redhead girl in my room got up and left in a real hurry! Do you think she's involved?"

Shinji's ears perked up at the mention of the brightly-maned girl. Is she talking about Asuka?

"Yeah, I know that girl, she's on my floor. She was in a really bad mood this morning. I saw her yelling at some of the staff!" a different girl chimed in.

I hope not, Shinji thought.

More excited whispering came from the half dozen students as they continued towards the cafeteria, a wall of noise hitting them as the doors opened. The sudden change in plans seemingly fueled hundreds of junior conspiracy theorists.

Shinji spotted Mana and Hikari chatting at a table towards the front of the room and he sat down to join them.

"Hey, Shinji, do you know what's going on?" Hikari asked.

He shrugged, "I'm guessing I know as much as you do."

"I heard someone got caught cheating and they're going to make everyone test again!" Mana squeaked, nervously. "I can't take this test again, my brain is fried!"

"Well, it wasn't me," Musashi sighed as he joined the table, putting his head in his hands. "If I was going to cheat, I'd at least make sure I passed."

Hikari began to rub Mana's back reassuringly, "I'm sure you both did just fine."

"I probably guessed on half of the questions! Why were they so hard?!" Musashi asked, shaking his head.

The table continued to nervously laugh and joke about the exam for a little longer until Keita joined them, her arms wrapped around her chest.

"I don't know what's going on, but they wouldn't even let me get my coat first!" she exclaimed.

"What?" "That's crazy!" both Mana and Musashi answered simultaneously.

"Yeah, they've got teachers blocking the elevators and stairs."

Musashi stood up and took his sport coat off, draping it over Keita, before sitting close and rubbing her shoulders.

While the three were busy, Hikari turned and looked at Shinji, whispering, "I still haven't seen Asuka. She's supposed to be on my floor, but nothing. You?"

He almost told her the rumors he'd just heard, but stopped himself, knowing what little he'd heard didn't do much to explain her absence. "No, I haven't seen her either…"

Shinji and Hikari scanned the cafeteria again, looking for the most conspicuously colored hair in all of Tokyo, seeing nothing out of the ordinary until an older man entered the room, followed by a couple more adults.

"He looks official," mumbled Mana to the group.

Slowly, the cafeteria began to quiet down, watching the gentleman in a grey suit stop at the front of the room, grabbing a microphone that had been waiting on a stand.

The man cleared his throat and began, "Good morning, Myojo Academy hopefuls."

A generous rumbling of replies was returned, "Good morning."

"I am Dr. Kozo Fuyutsuki, the Director of Myojo Academy. I-" The Director was interrupted by a smattering of applause, but it died down as he held his hand up.

"Please- thank you, thank you. Please, this is important." He paused, ensuring his message was heard by all, "Unfortunately, due to a major change in the weather, we are not going to be dismissing you from campus for the time being."

Some shocked and confused grumbling came about the room, which Director Fuyutsuki silenced again with his hand:

"I know, this is most unfortunate; however, I cannot, in good conscience, allow any students to leave this campus until the blizzard has subsided. Your health and safety is Myojo Academy's top priority, and it would be incredibly irresponsible to allow any of you to leave.

"Your parents and or guardians have already been notified, but they will likely prefer to hear from you that you are safe and secure. In that case, if you have personal cellular phones, you may use them to contact them; if not, there are a few phones located in the main hall, but we request that you keep them open for emergency calls."

The director scanned the room, watching as 400 children listened disbelievingly, "Current forecasts show a break in the storm hopefully tomorrow evening, but we will not make a decision until we are certain it is safe."

Shinji found himself staring at Hikari, jaw slightly agape.

"In the meantime, you are to return to the dormitory until lunch. The staff and I will need to make some adjustments to accommodate you for the uncertain time being. You are free to mingle among the students on your floor, but fraternization between the boys' and girls' floors is currently prohibited..."

There seemed to be a gentle uproar over this policy, but the Director continued, "... until we can appropriately station a chaperone on each floor.

"We are hoping to open the rest of the main building and library tomorrow, once again as we can get personnel assigned to there."

The uproar quickly died down, but some were still unhappy with the sudden change in plans.

"I thank you for your patience and cooperation. Please understand the decision was not made lightly, your safety is our top priority. I will see you all at lunch.

"To start: boys' second and third floors, you are dismissed."

Several dozen teens stood up and left the cafeteria, as the remainder began to talk loudly about the sudden turn of events.

Hikari was the first to break the silence at their table, "Oh my, this is a mess."

"I hope we're not here too long, only have 2 more outfits!" Mana exclaimed nervously.

The rest of the table eyed her, Musashi finally asking, "We were only supposed to be here overnight. Why did you bring four outfits?"

"I brought five outfits," Mana corrected. "You never know what you'll need to dress for."

"Boys on the fourth and fifth floors, you are dismissed!" a different voice called, belonging to the proctor of Shinji's exam room who stood at the front of the room talking with other teachers. Shinji watched as a blonde woman cinched his tie, shaking her head at him, disapprovingly.

Shinji stood and bid farewell to his friends, and followed Musashi towards the elevators, cramming in with six other boys all on his floor. He found himself disinterested in the conversations being held on the elevator and in the hall, deep in thought all the way until he sat on the bed in his room.

Determined to look for a certain girl at lunch, he pulled out his SDAT player and a notebook.

There's got to be something that will explain what happened yesterday, he thought, putting the earphones in. If I can show Asuka I've figured something out, maybe she'll talk to me about it.

As he pressed PLAY, Shinji began writing down the lyrics, pausing and rewinding to confirm what he heard. Still only limited to two songs, the mystery behind them washed out most of the boredom from repetition.

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to an hour of Shinji listening to the same two songs over and over again, making sure he wrote every word down correctly. He was intently looking for a hidden message, a hint to what happened in the cafeteria. But every time he tried to recall the phenomenon, it left him daydreaming about the only other person to experience it with him.

A knock at the door interrupted him, and Shinji found Musashi waiting behind it, "Yo, Shinji, they said it's lunch time. You ready?"

Shinji looked around, watching the other boys head towards the elevators, "Lunch already? Did I miss something?"

"Yeah, they just called everyone down over the intercom," Musashi explained. Standing behind him was Musashi's jock roommate, peering in at the shorter Shinji.

"I must've missed it with my earphones in. Yeah, give me a second."

Musashi and the roommate entered Shinji's small room while he tied his shoes. It was the roommate that first spotted the notebook on the bed, "Poetry?"

Flustered, Shinji quickly gathered his things and stuffed them into his backpack, "It's not a poem."

The tall teen held his hands up, defensively, "Hey, man, no judgment here!" He held his hand out, "I'm Toji."

Shinji took his hand and shook it, firmly, "Shinji."

"Hey, you can introduce yourselves on the elevator," Musashi interrupted, "let's get down there before all the good seats are taken."

The three boys left the dorm room and entered the elevator, sinking down towards the bottom floor where the cafeteria was located.


"Man, it's really coming down," Hikari commented, watching the scene outside. She had secured a table in the cafeteria, close to the large windows.

The six teens spent most of lunch staring out the window, discussing the sudden interruption in plans to return home. Shinji was lost in thought throughout most of it, but every time the cafeteria door would open, he'd find himself suddenly watching for any sign of a certain redhead.

"By the way, Shinji, I already called home and let everyone know what's going on," Hikari interrupted his moment of introspection. "I mean, I told my mom, but, knowing her, that means the entire city will know what's going on before dinner."

Shinji chuckled at the thought. Mrs. Horaki was a well-known gossip: running a restaurant left her mostly in the people-business, and in a country town as small as Otsuki, big to-dos were pretty rare. Even the slightest tidbit of information became the topic of the day for the townspeople, and her helpless children trapped in Tokyo would most certainly be discussed non-stop until they returned.

"Do you need to borrow my phone and call-" Hikari caught herself, but it was too late. This was the first time Shinji had left town since she had passed, meaning it was the first time Shinji had left town on his own. Coupled with his father's sudden disappearance after the funeral, Shinji didn't have much left to talk to back home that wasn't already at Myojo Academy with him.

"Thanks, Hikari, but I'm ok," Shinji answered, still watching the doors.

The pigtailed brunette leaned in closer, putting her hand on top of Shinji's, causing him to look at her for the first time since they met up at lunch, "Hey… I'm sure she's here, somewhere. We'll find her and talk to her and make things right. Ok?"

Shinji couldn't help but force a fake smile; he knew dwelling on it wasn't going to help. He turned his body back to the table and listened to the conversation, hoping for a distraction. But he was mildly annoyed to hear where the conversation had landed:

"Say what? You won't find me doing it. It's no job for a man!" Toji stood, almost shouting at the group.

Mana teased the boy, "Well, Shinji cooks, and he's more than a man: he's a gentleman."

Blushing internally, Shinji could only address the first part: "Yeah, Toji, I cook."

"But I'm sure Shin-man only cooks manly things, like meat and chicken!"

Shinji chuckled, again swiping at Toji's machismo, "Nope, I cook pretty much everything. I actually make really good miso soup."

Now on the defensive, Toji took his last stand, "Well, I bet he doesn't wear a silly little apron or anything when he does it!"

"I do."

"But, I'm sure it's bad-ass and stuff!"

"It's green."

Completely deflated, the tough jock sat down in his seat, "You're killing me, man."

The table laughed at Toji's plight while Hikari rubbed his back, "Don't you worry, I'll cook for you."

The roar of laughter increased, Hikari blushing bright red, realizing the table heard her offer for the Osakan boy. Placing her hands tightly in her lap, Shinji noticed Toji reach over and pull one of her hands out, gently taking it in his.

Before Shinji could comment on it, there was a loud BOP BOP BOP! on the PA system, and the cafeteria turned itself to see Director Fuyutsuki tapping the microphone at the front once again.

"Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," repeated the school's guests.

"As lunch concludes, we will be dismissing you back to the dormitory. Just as before, you are free to move about your floors, but you are not permitted to travel between floors. And, once again, there is absolutely no co-ed fraternization for the time being."

A mild uproar began among the students, to which the Director quieted down with a simple raising of his left hand.

"I understand how it appears, but please be assured we are just making sure we have chaperones on each floor. Myojo Academy is not..." the Director coughed softly, "... prepared for 400 teenagers to be, um, trapped in the building with so little staff."

Shinji noticed a purple-haired woman snickering behind the Director, who then turned and visually admonished her. She stood up straight, having been caught.

"And now," Fuyutsuki said, still staring at the woman while addressing the children, "The Deputy Director has generously agreed to explain our plans for the next few days."

The tall woman immediately glared at the Director, before taking the microphone and taking a few steps in front of the group of adults.

"Hi, uh, good morn- no, afternoon. Good afternoon. My name is Misato Katsuragi and I am the Deputy Director of Operations for Myojo Academy."

There was a little applause, but less than for the Director earlier this morning.

"After lunch we are going to dismiss you back to the dormitory, as the Director explained. Dinner will be served from 6:30 until 8:00, with the cafeteria and main lobby open until 10:00. After then, we are requiring all students to go back to their own dorm rooms until morning."

Misato paused to get confirmation from the Director, who simply nodded. She then continued: "Breakfast tomorrow will again be served starting at 7:30, and after that the lobby, cafeteria, and library will be open for the rest of the day.

"We will have chaperones stationed at each floor of the dormitory, as well, so you may," she cleared her throat and gave a look at the Director, "'fraternize' amongst each other. If students of the opposite sex enter the a dorm room, the door must remain open at all times."

There was a light snickering throughout the room, but it died down quickly as Deputy Director Katsuragi finished.

"For clothing, we will open our laundry room later today, as I'm aware most of you didn't bring more than one or two changes of clothing.

"On behalf of Myojo Academy, I want to thank you all for your understanding during this. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be, your parents or guardians waiting for you while you're trapped in a building with hundreds of strangers. But, like Director Fuyutsuki said earlier: we will not even consider dismissing you until we are sure that it is safe to do so."

The tall purple-haired woman bowed slightly and smiled, "Thanks and I'll see you all around!"

She put the microphone back on its stand and turned to talk among the adults at the front when Shinji found himself already halfway through the cafeteria.

Standing before the teachers, Shinji stopped from gawking at the beautiful Deputy Director standing in front of him. The woman towered over him, her heeled boots adding another inch or two to her already impressive height.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Katsuragi?"

She turned and smiled down at him: "It's just 'Miss' Katsuragi. What can I do for you?"

Shinji found himself nervous in front of the woman, not entirely sure how to ask his question. "Umm, I, uh, I was wondering…"

"Yes?" she leaned forward a bit.

"I, uhh… There- there was a redheaded girl earlier. Asuka. Asuka Langley Soryu. She, uh, she's missing, and I was worried about her."

The woman's mood shifted quite quickly at the mention of Asuka. "Miss Soryu left earlier this morning, despite our warning against it."

Shinji's eyes grew wide for a moment, and then shifted down: he had missed his chance.

"She gave us all quite the tongue-lashing when we tried to stop her from leaving, and, well, apparently she has some connections, because someone called and demanded her release."

He looked up at the woman and thanked her for her time before starting back to the table. But she grabbed his arm for a moment, quietly offering, "I'm sorry, Shinji."

His heart pounded, mind racing the rest of the walk back across the cafeteria. The last 24 hours had become increasingly confusing, but it was this most recent encounter that made it truly unsettling:

I never told her my name.

Sitting at the table, only Hikari noticed how visibly shaken Shinji was. "Hey, is everything ok?"

Unsure of how to broach I feel like I'm going crazy!, he settled for, "The Deputy Director said Asuka forced her way out this morning, after the test. She's gone."

"I'm sorry," his best friend comforted him, confidently putting on a smile. "Hey, let's meet in the library tomorrow. I'm sure they'll have computers with Internet access. Maybe we can look her up?"

Reassured, the teenage boy smiled at the teenage girl. It was a genuine, earnest smile. A loving smile. A smile that could easily be misinterpreted for being romantic, but deep down both children knew that there was nothing more between them than the love of two almost siblings. And that was a love Shinji felt he'd been missing for far too long.

"You always know how to cheer me up," Shinji thanked his best friend.

"I know you'd do the same for me."

He embraced Hikari for a second before turning back to the table, feeling a little guilty about all of the sidebars the two of them had shared.

"Hey, Musashi, do you wanna 'fraternize' with me later?" Keita asked, giggling.

The boy couldn't help but laugh, "Sure!

"I mean, I get it: the situation is awkward, but the way the Director talked about it made it ten times worse. 'Fraternize'. Is that what they called it when he was young?"

More laughing at the table while Mana added, "We'd have to consult our ancestors!"

"I'll grab my history book!" Keita giggled some more.

"Maybe he learned to 'fraternize' in the Feudal Era!"

The table roared with laughter, temporarily displacing any uneasiness Shinji felt a few moments prior. But in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but think about the person missing from the table.

After the laughter subsided, Mana stood up, taking Keita's hand, "Hey, I need to go back to the room. I want to take stock of what clothes I have left!"

"Sounds good, let's go."

The group all joined and headed to the elevators, departing to their dorm rooms for the time being. The three boys exited the elevator on the fourth floor while their female counterparts continued upwards, with a wave and an agreement to meet at dinner.


After dinner, Shinji and the group decided it was time to retire for the night. Fatigued from what seemed like the longest day, beginning with a grueling exam and followed by nothing but endless amounts of free time mostly confined to their rooms, the male trio wearily stepped off of the elevator on the fourth floor.

Bidding the rest of the elevator party goodbye, Shinji, Musashi, and Toji walked down the hallway, Shinji's room 402 coming up first on the right.

"Good night," he said as he opened his door, noticing Toji had nervously lingered behind while Musashi continued down the hall.

"Hey, Shinji, can we chat for a sec?"

"Sure, Toji." Shinji entered the room and sat down on his bed, while the taller boy sat on the opposite, unoccupied bed.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Toji offered.

Shinji looked at him, curiously.

"Tell me, tell me more about Hikari."

Shinji chuckled, sensing the nervousness behind his voice, "That's not a question, but I'll answer.

"Hikari is my best friend. She is the most genuine, wonderful person I've ever met in my entire life. I mean it: beyond my own family, beyond my own parents, beyond even m-" he paused. "The fact is, she'd do anything for me, and she'd likely do anything for anyone. No questions asked. That's the kind of person you're dealing with."

Toji nodded his head, listening intently.

"I'm sure she's told you, though: she has two other sisters, one older and one younger. The older one will give you hell for the rest of your life, and the younger one… Well, let's just say, if Zuz- sorry, Nozomi doesn't like you, it's already game over."

Toji gulped, seemingly to shrink into the mattress.

"And that leaves me," Shinji said, staring directly into Toji's eyes. "I trust Hikari more than I trust anyone, and I know she can take care of herself. But, if you hurt her-"

He paused, watching the jock squirm a little.

"I will crush you."

The mood was tense for a moment, and Shinji suddenly felt a horrifying guilt, as if he'd somehow crossed a line, an unspoken line that he wasn't aware existed before just now. Thankfully, Toji broke the silence and the mood was quickly lifted.

"God damn, Shin-man, that was some speech!" He stood and stretched. "Rest assured, I have no bad intentions with her. She's a wonderful gal, and she speaks very highly of you."

Toji patted Shinji's shoulder and gave a confident smile, "You're a good dude. I can see why."

Shinji returned the smile, and slapped Toji on his shoulder, "I like you, Toji. I think you two are gonna be alright."

The new boy stood and left the room, Shinji following after to see him off. After closing the door, he collapsed on the bed finally allowing his mind to return to his missing friend.

What can I do to fix this, Asuka? he asked the ceiling. I have to fix this…

Shinji wasn't sure how it was possible that a complete stranger could have such an effect on him, but he knew it was more than a childish crush: there was something so compelling about the girl that drew him to her like a moth to a flame.

"What about 'love at first sight' and all that?"

He recalled Hikari's words and turned them over and over in his mind. His feelings for the enthusiastic redhead went beyond 'love at first sight', there was a deeper connection between the two of them. He wasn't sure how to put it into words, and he was terrified to even attempt to discuss the thought with the girl herself, but he was certain she felt it too.

He found himself once again staring at the same stained ceiling, now his temporary prison. He tossed and turned, as he tried to remember the strange sensation he felt the last time a new song appeared on his SDAT. Drifting into sleep, he settled on his side, almost feeling the warmth and weight of a person behind him, sharing his mattress.


Hey Shinji, you idiot, don't you want to be one with me?
To be of one mind and body?
It would be really awesome.
You ought to appreciate your good fortune.
Come on...


Shinji bolted upright in his bed, as if he heard a voice calling out to him. His steel blue eyes scanned the room, searching for the redheaded songstress beckoning his ship to the rocks, but finding nothing but an empty bed with his bag on it.

He slowed his breathing, attempting to calm his racing heart. Unsure of what he had just seen in his dreams, Shinji desperately tried to hold on to any fleeting detail, but they faded too quickly for him to hold on. The boy checked his watch before staring out the window at the still piling snow.

9:41? I overslept breakfast? he thought. I didn't think I was that tired...

Shifting to the edge of his bed, Shinji reached to his backpack and pulled his notebook out, looking at the song lyrics he'd jotted down previously. After a few moments of deep thought, Shinji turned to a new page and began to write everything he knew about Asuka.

Asuka Langley Soryu. 14. Germany.

That's not a lot, he frowned. His eyes then turned towards the large window, watching the snowstorm continue to rage on, I hope the weather's better where you are...

He stared at the sheet of paper, searching his memory one last time for any clue about her she may have mentioned. Finding nothing, Shinji closed his notebook and changed. Mentally preparing himself for punishment for his tardiness, he headed downstairs to the library to meet Hikari.

Shinji eventually spotted the pigtailed brunette waiting impatiently on a bench before the library's doors.

"You're late, mister."

He could only apologize, unable to explain the strange dream that kept him unconscious for so long: a dream so pleasant it could pass for a fantasy, if only he could understand what actually had occurred.

"It's fine, I've only been waiting here for a few minutes. Let's go in and see if we can find Asuka," Hikari forgave and forgot.

The library was a massive three-story building adjacent to the main building. Thousands of books lined the shelves, with banks of computers located in each section, and couches and other seating arrangements set throughout.

Hikari checked in with the librarian and was assigned a computer on the second floor. The duo quietly walked up the stairs, taking in the sights of the library's seemingly infinite collection.

"Wow, this is the biggest library I've ever been in," Hikari whispered.

"It's almost as big as our entire school," Shinji answered.

Sitting down at the assigned computer, Hikari punched in the log-in information and went straight to the web browser.

"Ok, what do we know about her?" she asked.

"Her name is 'Asuka Langley Soryu', she's 14, and she's from Germany," Shinji recalled.

After typing the information in, Hikari looked at her partner, "Really? That's it?"

"What else? We'd only met that morning!" Shinji whispered forcefully. "Wait, wait. Her dad is American."

"'American fath-'" she started typing before glaring at Shinji, "How is that supposed to helpful?!"

He grinned sheepishly and focused on the computer monitor, doing his best to avoid the girl's death-stare. "Ummm… maybe she's from Berlin?"

"Try 'Brandenburg'. She's not from Berlin."

"Yeah, good idea," Shinji answered, watching Hikari type a few more letters.

"'B-U-R-G', not 'B-E'. It's not an iceberg."

The brunette tapped the Backspace key a few times, changing the letters and halting inches from pressing Enter. Both she and Shinji made a sudden realization, turning to see the devil herself standing behind them.

"As-ASUKA!" Shinji leapt to his feet, hearing a loud shush from around the computer bank.

Asuka smiled and curtsied slightly, "I mean, I was born in Berlin, but I've lived in Brandenburg my entire life."

Shinji quickly wrapped his arms around the girl, pulling her close for a hug, until he realized the display he was putting on in front of Hikari and slowly backed away.

The redhead stood still for a second, stunned, watching Shinji intently.

It was Hikari that broke the awkward silence. Having turned off the computer, she also gave Asuka a hug, though not as enthusiastic as Shinji's, "Welcome back!"

She returned Hikari's hug, though her eyes were still watching Shinji, "I missed you."

"Where have you been?!" Hikari loudly asked, before being shushed once again from around the desk. Blushing, she quieted down, "Sorry, where have you been?"

Asuka waved the question off, whispering, "Not here, let's go somewhere we can talk."

Hikari nodded, turned, and led the group down the stairs and back out of the library, to the bench in the connecting hall from earlier.

"Geez, there's only a couple hundred of us here. You'd think they wouldn't shush someone at the library still," Asuka thought out loud.

"I guess it's just habit," Shinji answered.

Hikari ignored the small talk, "So, Miss Soryu of Brandenburg, where have you been?"

Asuka sat down next to Hikari and sighed, "So, yeah… How do I start this: umm, my family is wealthy. Like, very wealthy. And they've already enrolled me at the top schools in Europe and America. But, I don't want that. I really wanted to come to Japan: I felt drawn to this place, which is why I'm testing to come here.

"Yesterday, before the exam, I overheard the Deputy Director talking about the weather issues and that they might not let the students leave. I was, uh… trying to avoid something," she glanced at Shinji for a moment before continuing, "so I called home and let them know.

"He was already upset that I'd come to take the entry exam without his blessing, so my father told me that after the exam I was to take a taxi straight to the airport and a chartered plane would be waiting for me. I tried explaining it to the poor woman, but I may have let my frustrations boil over on her."

"Frustrations? About the exam? Or your father?" Hikari asked.

"Kinda everything," Asuka quickly answered. "Anyway, as soon as I finished the test, I rushed out and got a taxi to the airport. I didn't even get my stuff from my room. Well, the airport isn't allowing any flights out because of the storm, so my father told me to book a hotel and wait.

"But, I figured if I'm going to be stuck in Japan for a few days, I'd rather be here with you-" Asuka paused for a brief moment, her eyes getting wide as she caught what she had said. "-guys, you guys! All of you, haha!"

The redhead chuckled nervously, as Hikari asked, "But how did you get back in the building?"

"Yeah," Asuka smiled sheepishly, "It took a lot of apologizing and a generous donation to the school from the Langley family. Don't tell my dad about that, yet, he'll figure it out later."

Hikari covered her mouth and smiled at the thought, and Shinji spoke up, "Well, I'm glad you're here, too, Asuka."

"Thanks Shinji. Now, I know I just got back, but I need a favor."

"Sure."

"I need to talk to Hikari for a bit. It's… girl stuff."

There was a lot to discuss since he'd seen her last, but Shinji knew rushing the girl when she'd only just returned was unlikely to help their relationship. He smiled again at the two girls and told them to find him in his room when they're done, or he'll meet them at lunch.

"We'll come get you, now that we're allowed to 'fraternize'," Hikari giggled.

Asuka gave the pigtailed brunette a confused look, but she just shook her head, "Long story, I'll tell you later."

Shinji stole one last glance at the beautiful redhead before heading up to his room, finding it difficult to keep from bouncing off the walls with excitement.

She came back. There's still time, he thought.

As he entered the room, he looked out the window, watching as the snowfall seemed to pick up its pace, rapidly piling even higher on the ground. We might have more time than I thought…


A gentle knock at the door brought Shinji out of his trance, as he unfolded his right arm down to his side.

The cello was one of the few hobbies he had, his private tutor becoming a pseudo-therapist after the diagnosis. Shinji would often find himself practicing the instrument to avoid thinking about medical terms like "terminal" and "cancer", but just as often when he needed time to think things over, like his promise to still apply for Myojo Academy.

Being a large instrument unsuitable for travel, Shinji learned to curl his right arm on itself vertically, holding his fist against his left shoulder. He could then practice finger positions on his arm as if it was the neck of the instrument.

Crude, but effective when there was no instrument to be found, it was usually accompanied by a piece on his SDAT player, something now containing two mysterious songs that he'd hoped to discuss with his new guest.

Opening the door, Shinji flinched when Asuka attempted to knock again, falling forwards from the sudden lack of physical barrier.

"Oh! Uh, hi!" the girl said, startled.

"Hi," Shinji replied. "Come on in."

The normally energetic girl followed Shinji in the room nervously, the door slowly shutting when a voice called from down the hall, "402, leave the door open."

Shinji leaned out and waved at the chaperone, an older male with dark hair and glasses. Propping the door open, he sat down on his bed and watched Asuka's eyes dart back and forth, clearly unsure of how to start the conversation.

Sitting directly across from the nervous girl, he decided to make the first move, "Asuka, I-"

But she held up her hand almost immediately to silence him, looking down at his shoes, "I'm sorry."

"What? What are you sorry for?" Shinji was surprised.

The redhead refused to look at him, her usually brilliant blue eyes being hidden by her bangs as she continued, "So many things. For the way I reacted, for what I said, for running away, for... for almost hitting you."

"Asuka…"

But she held her hand up again, clearly not finished, "Shinji, that last one is the one that I'm most sorry for. That isn't me. Yelling at you, talking down to you, trying to hit you… that's not me. It's never been me… or, at least I thought so."

Shinji was starting to become confused, "What do you mean?"

She looked up at him, her stare almost frightening, but he could also see the confusion behind it, "The other day, by the vending machines. It felt so natural. Like, I don't know why, but I just suddenly felt disgusted by you…"

"Oh…" Shinji replied, dejected.

"... and my feelings..."

Now even more confused, Shinji stared back at the girl. Feelings? For me?

"I talked to Hikari. A lot. About you, about the type of person you are. And… before I get into it any more, I want to know what you remember."

"What I remember? About the incident in the lobby?"

"No, before that: in the cafeteria. You know, with the…" Asuka's words trailed off, and Shinji couldn't blame her: he didn't really know how to describe what had happened either.

"You sat down next to me and wanted to listen to that song again. I turned it on and then, I don't know, it… it felt like we were somewhere else. It felt like I was someone else," Shinji described. "And- I don't know, it sounds stupid."

Asuka pressed forward, "What? What else?"

"It felt hot. Like, really hot. Uncomfortably hot."

"Summertime hot."

Shinji looked into Asuka's eyes, happy to know there was someone else he shared that experience with. Two minds were always better than one, and Shinji was grateful that the other mind happened to be attached to someone like her.

"That's not the only difference I felt. It felt like-" Shinji started, but was cut off quickly.

"I think I know where you're going, and that's going to be harder to test. For now, let's stick with the physical.

"I want to head down to the cafeteria and sit at that table again," Asuka explained, standing up off the bed. She looked down at Shinji, and held her hand out to him, "I want to see if there's a vent or something that would cause everything to feel hotter. That would make a lot more sense than… I don't even know what the alternative would be."

Shinji took her hand as she pulled him up, smiling and agreeing, "Ok, let's go. It's almost lunch, so we'll have plenty of time to get a good feel for the room."

"Right."

The two teens were on a mission, a clandestine mission to prove their own sanity to no one but themselves, but an important mission nonetheless. Hoping to find some mundane reason for the suddenly experienced climate change, Shinji and Asuka left the dormitory and entered the cafeteria, both keeping a suspicious eye on the ceiling.

"I think it was this table," the male investigator said, looking around the room for a reference.

But his female partner was quick to correct him, manually rocking the table she was standing at, "No, it's this one. I remember the table wobbled horribly when Mana and them sat down, almost spilling my drink."

"Oh yeah, you're right," Shinji replied, joining Asuka at the table before eyeing the ceiling above them. It didn't add up: what he saw couldn't possibly explain what had happened.

After a few silent minutes, Asuka spotted a janitor working across the cafeteria and called out to him, "Excuse me, sir!"

The older man looked up and started to walk over to the two, "Yes, is everything okay?"

"I, uh, I have a weird question. Umm, is the heat on right now?"

The janitor paused for a second, clearly confused as to why a student would ask that, answering, "Well, of course it is. It's December and there's a blizzard, why wouldn't it be?"

Shinji jumped in, hoping to assist his friend, "It's pretty cold in here, sir. We were just worried about our fellow students' wellbeing."

"Do you see those big windows on that side?" he asked, pointing to a large wall of windows, before sweeping his hand to the opposite wall. "And those over there? And look up, see those big fancy skylights?"

Shinji and Asuka stood still in the chilly cafeteria, staring up at the large openings in the ceiling that were meant to bring in natural light when not covered in snow. Those same skylights were exactly what the two teens noticed when they entered, snuffing out what little hope they had for a rational explanation.

"Well, each of those factors would be a pain to insulate by themselves. But put all three in one room, especially one as large as this one, and you've got the coldest room on campus. I've tried to explain this to the Directors, but they just wave it off as nonsense because it looks so pretty in the summer."

At a loss for words, Asuka and Shinji found themselves standing quietly, silently defeated, while the elderly janitor finished up his rant, "Shitload of windows to clean, too…"

"Thank you for your time," is all Shinji could muster as the janitor returned to his duties. Shifting his focus, he sat down and watched Asuka, "Hey, are you okay…?"

The redhead smiled softly, and sat down next to Shinji, a concerned look in her eyes, "I'm not crazy, right? It was warm, Shinji."

Shinji reached under the table, brushing Asuka's hands reassuringly, "I felt it, too. I wouldn't lie about something like this. Not… not just to spend time with you."

He could feel the girl's hands almost join his when she quickly pulled them back and put on a face, "'Not just to spend time with me'? What does that mean?!"

"That's not- I, that's not what I meant! I meant I wasn't tricking you into being with me!" he stammered back, defensively.

But Asuka relented, an honest smile on her face, as she placed her hands in Shinji's for a brief moment, "I know what you meant, dummkopf. You're just too much fun to mess with."

After a pause, Shinji's eyes lit up, "Hey, I've got an idea."

The redhead raised a solitary eyebrow and watched as Shinji pulled his SDAT player out of his backpack, unrolling the earphones wrapped around it.

"I didn't know you brought that," she commented as he handed one of the earphones to her.

"I almost didn't, but it felt like a good idea. I thought it might come in handy." Shinji took a deep breath, putting his earphone in, waiting for a nod from Asuka before pressing PLAY.

The couple sat alone at the table, silent except for the soft music playing between the two. Occasionally they would steal a glance at each other, unsure of what they were actually looking for in the eyes of the other, but not finding the solution to the most pressing question at hand.

When the song turned over to the next track, Shinji stopped it, standing up, "Hang on, I was sitting on your left last time."

"Do you really think that matters?" Asuka asked sharply.

"I at least want to try."

The annoyed redhead started to grunt out an "Idiot", but caught herself and apologized. "I'm sorry, I don't know where… I'm just frustrated."

Smiling and understanding, Shinji sat down on the girl's left and swapped his earphone to the other side, "It's ok. I am, too."

Once again, he waited for confirmation that Asuka was ready, this time a less confident nod. Pressing PLAY, he closed his eyes, relaxing as the piano of the second track took over.

The song continued for a few verses before Shinji found himself again slowly opening his eyes to look into Asuka's. Two pairs of blue met: one as crystal as the ocean, the other as dark as the night's sky.

But nothing else happened.

"Close your eyes," Asuka whispered. "I have an idea."

At the final chorus of the song, Shinji closed his eyes, hoping that the lack of visual stimulation would somehow open a portal back to that strange moment in time. However, it wasn't a wormhole into another world that surprised him, instead it was a soft pair of lips planted on his right cheek.

He quickly opened his eyes, the song's piano slowing until landing on a solitary key, and found himself staring at the most beautiful girl in the world.

"Oh my goodness!"

The loud exclamation from across the cafeteria instantly snapped both teens back to reality, a bright blush spreading all over their faces. Shinji looked to see Hikari, Mana, and Keita walking towards them, as dozens of other kids entered the cafeteria.

"How long have you been there?" Shinji asked meekly.

"Long enough to see that!" Hikari smiled, standing at the table. "My goodness; we'll go grab the food. You lovebirds just sit back and relax."

Asuka buried her head in her hands, her cheeks almost as bright as her hair. "Mein gott, what have I done?"

As the others left them alone, Shinji looked at the glowing red figure next to him, "Yeah, what did you do that for?"

"I don't know, I thought it would work!" Asuka shouted, exasperated. "I'm sorry!"

Shinji found himself having to correct the girl, "Hey, don't apologize. I, umm, I actually liked it."

Her head still buried in her hands, she turned slightly to look at the boy, "Me too. Sorry to just spring it on you, though."

"It's ok. Did you really think it would work, though?"

"For some reason I did. I felt this… deep urge to just 'go for it'. So, yeah. I did."

Blushing again, Shinji could hardly process what he was hearing, "Well, I'm glad you did. And, I'm sorry it didn't work."

After a few moments in thought, Asuka shook her head, "It's fine. We'll figure it out. We'll try again later."

"Try what again?"

Shinji looked up to see Mana joining them at the table, food tray in hand, "Nothing. Just a little project we're working on."

"Does it have to do with the New Years Eve Dance?" she asked, smiling as Hikari, Keita, and Musashi sat at the table, passing over the extra food trays they brought.

Asuka's eyes opened wide, "The what?"

Hikari joined in, "Well, the latest forecast shows the storm's only going to get worse before it gets better. So, we'll probably be here through New Years. The Academy is talking about holding a dance to keep us all entertained. I thought you knew about it."

"Wait, it's almost New Years? And when did this all get decided?" Shinji asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"Yeah, it's the 29th. We haven't been here that long," Musashi chimed in.

"And it was this morning at breakfast, I forgot you weren't there," Hikari answered. "The Deputy Director was excited about it and asked for volunteers to decorate, create a playlist, all sorts of stuff."

It's the 29th? Shinji pondered.

"Hikari and I volunteered to help decorate!" Mana exclaimed, following up with, "And then Hikari volunteered Toji. Something about needing a 'big, tall boy' to help."

Hikari blushed at the mention, "That is not what I said!"

Almost as if summoned, Toji sat down next to Hikari, smiling wide, "That's pretty close to what you said. But, if a 'big, tall man' is what you need, look no farther. What about you Shinji?"

"Huh?" Shinji bought himself a second to think, "Oh, I think I'll pass. I've got, uh…"

"We've got another project, that, uh, the Director assigned us," Asuka finished, smiling confidently.

"Oooh, some sort of secret mission… of love?" Keita teased, causing the duo to blush again. "We all saw you kissing."

"You did what? Shin-man, I never thought you had it in you!" Toji cheered with a slap on the table.

Shinji tried to correct the group, but gave up, "No, it's not- That's not what happened. Oh, never mind."

The rest of lunch carried on similarly, the group discussing both the upcoming dance and the two new couples at the table. At first both Shinji and Asuka attempted to explain the precarious situation they'd been found in, but they both realized it was futile, especially considering the truth about what they were trying to do was even stranger than any fiction.

After lunch, the group went their separate ways, Asuka inviting Shinji to meet in the library to work on their secret project.

Sitting down at one of the smaller tables tucked away in the corner, Shinji pulled his SDAT player and notebook out and set them in front of him, but Asuka started with another topic: "Did you know today was the 29th of December?"

"No," he answered, "I… I just knew it was late December."

Asuka visibly shivered in front of him, whispering, "Same. Like, I just had this vague idea of when it was, but… nothing more."

Shinji could only nod his head in agreement, unnerved by the sudden thought that he had very few specific memories from before the day prior.

"Do you think that's related to all this?" Asuka asked, nodding at the SDAT.

"I… I don't know. None of this makes sense."

Asuka pressed on, "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Huh?"

"Before we met at the subway, what's the last thing you remember?"

Shinji paused, searching his memory for anything specific, "I… don't know. I… I don't know, Asuka. That's weird."

"Do you think there's something in these songs that explains it?" the girl asked, now holding the SDAT player. She put an earphone in and handed the other to Shinji.

"Hey, please be careful with that," he began to plead as he inserted his earpiece. "It's-"

"Shinji, hey," Asuka said, delicately handling the prized possession, "I promise I'll be careful."

Shinji tried to rebut her, but once again found himself swimming in her eyes while she looked over the object, treading water momentarily before being pulled under the surface. His eyes lingered on hers for what began to feel like an uncomfortably long time, so he turned away and opened his notebook.

As Asuka turned the music on, Shinji took out a pencil and started going over the lyrics of the songs, tapping around words and verses, searching for a pattern, a theme, a clue. Anything.

Asuka reached out and took the pencil from him, and began to write something down, but immediately stopped, as if her thought hadn't completed yet.

"I don't get it," she whispered over the track. "What triggered… that, on Sunday? Just… us listening together?"

Shinji shrugged, reaching back for the pencil, when it was fumbled between the two and rolled onto the floor. Asuka dropped down to pick it up from under the desk where it rolled, starting to offer it to Shinji before she noticed the wad of chewed gum that had stuck to it.

The curious redhead looked at the gummed-pencil for a moment before taking it back into her possession. Shinji watched as she tore a blank piece of paper out of the notebook, scraping the gum off.

Satisfied it was clean, Asuka handed it back to Shinji, the music still adding to the atmosphere between them. At the moment his hand grasped the other end of the pencil, Shinji saw a brief flash of a classroom and a wardrobe change for the both of them.

In that instant they were surrounded by friends and classmates, none of them distinct, all watching the front of the classroom. Shinji was turned to his right, facing Asuka, as she handed him a writing utensil, a mischievous grin on her face.

The fourteen year-old pilot turned his head to read the chalkboard, making out two strange words scribbled on the board. But the flash disappeared as quick as it had appeared, their ears were now filled with something new: a synthesizer, followed by drums and electric guitars:

The cycle repeated
As explosions broke in the sky
All that I needed
Was the one thing I couldn't find

And you were there at the turn
Waiting to let me know

We're building it up
To break it back down
We're building it up
To burn it down
We can't wait
To burn it to the ground

"Shinji..."

The colors conflicted
As the flames climbed into the clouds
I wanted to fix this
But couldn't stop from tearing it down

And you were there at the turn
Caught in the burning glow
And I was there at the turn
Waiting to let you know

We're building it up
To break it back down
We're building it up
To burn it down
We can't wait
To burn it to the ground

Shinji and Asuka again sat together in relative silence, again finding themselves hearing music they've never heard before, again questioning just what was going on.

You told me yes, you held me high
And I believed when you told that lie
I played soldier, you played king
And struck me down when I kissed that ring
You lost that right, to hold that crown
I built you up, but you let me down
So when you fall, I'll take my turn
And fan the flames as your blazes burn

And you were there at the turn
Waiting to let me know

We're building it up
To break it back down
We're building it up
To burn it down
We can't wait
To burn it to the ground

When you fall, I'll take my turn
And fan the flames as your blazes burn
We can't wait
To burn it to the ground

When you fall, I'll take my turn
And fan the flames as your blazes burn
We can't wait
To burn it to the ground

As the song concluded, Shinji stopped the music and turned to Asuka, surprised to see an annoyed look on her face.

"A pencil? That's what triggered this?" she asked.

"I, I don't think it was the pencil. I… don't know what it was. Maybe it was the pencil. This is all so confusing," Shinji began rambling.

She smiled softly at him, turning to a new page in his notebook, "Hey, dummy, focus. Did you… did you see something again?"

Shinji shook his head, clearing any temporary cobwebs that had appeared, "Yeah. It was… a classroom."

"Oh, good, I saw the same thing. You were wearing different clothes," Asuka recalled. "It definitely wasn't winter."

"Yeah, you too. A blue dress…" Shinji agreed. "This is too weird…"

"Let's see if there's something in this new song."

The two teens listened to the song again, stopping and rewinding after every line to take down lyrics in their notebook.

After the lyrics were fully put down on paper, Shinji pressed PLAY a final time and the couple listened as all three tracks cycled on repeat. Flipping back and forth between the lyrics, it was Asuka that reached out and pressed the STOP button a final time.

Shinji looked up from the paper and saw the girl's eyes, once again wide with a slightly terrified confusion.

"Shinji," she asked apprehensively. "Why is everything on fire?"


Song: "Burn It Down" by Linkin Park