"The next stop is Nagao Pass, Nagao Pass. Please exit through the doors on the right."
The female announcement rang through the subway car. Once Shinji Ikari boarded this train, he stopped caring where it was headed.
He did not want to go back anyway. The farther away, the better, as long as he could leave this place.
At that thought, his finger instinctively pressed a button on his Walkman, skipping to the next song.
The chatter around him, the clatter of the tracks, all the different sounds inside the car...
Were all shut out. Gradually, the passengers in the car dwindled.
When the last passenger left, the train reached its final stop, and the music ended too.
After getting off, Shinji Ikari wandered aimlessly.
Neon lights and signs of every kind lined the streets and alleys, filling them with the lure of entertainment and spending.
He reached the edge of the city's middle district. His next problem was finding somewhere to stay, but Shinji Ikari did not care about that at all. Nothing mattered.
Not far away in the crowd, Huang Zhetian watched Shinji Ikari wander blindly along the opposite street. He did not linger, though. Pretending not to see him, he bought his late-night meal and left at an unhurried pace.
Late that night.
Misato lay on her floor bedding, staring up at the night-light on the ceiling.
She could not sleep. Shinji had not come home all evening.
Finally, Misato got up, went to Shinji's room, and opened the door. No one was inside.
The bedding was neatly folded, and the room was clean and simple.
Just then, Huang Zhetian came home and asked, "Misato, what's wrong?"
Misato answered expressionlessly, "That idiot Shinji Ikari isn't planning to come back."
Huang Zhetian nodded, set the food he had