Isn't this My Iron Girlfriend?

"I'm home!" Huang Zhetian pushed open the door, lined up his shoes, and called into the apartment.

"Ha! Idiot Zhetian! You're finally back! Something huge happened last night! Want to hear about it?" Asuka had been sprawled over the table watching TV, but the moment she heard Huang Zhetian's voice, she sprang up and abandoned the show.

"What happened? Let me get inside first, then take your time telling me. Oh, get me a glass of orange juice." Huang Zhetian hung his clothes on the rack and plopped down on a cushion.

"Idiot Shinji~ What are you waiting for?! Quit watching TV!" Asuka turned and ordered Shinji around.

"Honestly! If you had even half of Mana's personality, you wouldn't be so willful... Ow! What are you doing?" Shinji hurriedly dodged the pillow Asuka threw at him.

"You sure talk a lot. Just do what I tell you. What's with all the back talk? With the way you act, any woman who fell for you would have to be an idiot," Asuka said through gritted teeth.

The orange juice arrived.

"Who's going first? Hmm?" Huang Zhetian asked with a yawn, propping his cheek on his hand.

He had just left the hospital and felt a little sleepy.

Asuka immediately replied, "Me! Me! Shinji, you can talk about that woman yourself. I don't want to."

"Tch. Who asked you to? I don't need you to." Shinji's face darkened.

Huang Zhetian quickly intervened. "All right, all right. One at a time. Don't rush. Let Asuka go first. Asuka, you're up."

Asuka cleared her throat and began. "After we came home the night we defeated the Angel, Shinji and I saw something happen in the city from the balcony. It was a huge machine, not humanoid. It looked more like a mechanical dinosaur. There was a massive explosion over there, and we saw the Military deploy a lot of heavy weapons, but none of them could stop it. Later, that machine flew off somewhere. That's right, it could fly. Judging by its size, it was even a little bigger than our EVAs. This morning, on our way to school with the Honor Student, Shinji and I saw its giant footprints. Tsk, tsk. It collapsed the road just by walking on it. It must weigh more than our EVAs."

A giant machine? An explosion in the city? Huge footprints? I don't remember this plot in EVA. What's changed this time? No, wait. I didn't cause anything this big. Hold on... Let's hear what Shinji has to say and take a chance. Huang Zhetian thought for a moment, then said to Shinji, "Your turn. Let's compare your story with Asuka's and see whose is more interesting. Hey, Asuka, don't look at me like that."

Asuka glared fiercely at Huang Zhetian and gritted her teeth. "That wasn't interesting enough? What could possibly be more interesting than that? Don't you boys all love machines?"

"Let's hear Shinji out first. We have to be fair. You've finished, so let him have his turn. Let's see whose story is more explosive before jumping to conclusions," Huang Zhetian said leisurely.

"Fine! I'm listening. What's there to say about that woman?" Asuka sat up straight, looking ready to listen.

Shinji hesitated, but finally spoke. "We got another transfer student in our class. A girl. Her name is Mana Kirishima, and she's really cute. She has adorable eyes and a little cherry-red mouth. And... Ah! What are you doing? Asuka, don't you have any manners? You're interrupting me! Hey, stop, stop, stop! I was wrong! I was wrong! Be reasonable, Asuka!" Before Shinji could finish his vivid description, Asuka could no longer resist trying to bash his head in.

"You weren't wrong, so why apologize? Huh?! You cheating scumbag, eyeing another girl when you already have one! Unforgivable! I feel so sorry for the Honor Student!" Asuka viciously hurled the cushion in her hand at Shinji.

Mana Kirishima? Why does that name sound so familiar? Wait! Ah! I've got it! Isn't this the PSP game from my previous life-My Iron Girlfriend? Incredible. Even that storyline is in the TV series now. Honestly, the PSP game's plot didn't have much connection to the TV version, but it could count as a side story, with several endings. Am I supposed to play out one of those endings? Seriously? I get something that good? I'll have to take a look at Mana Kirishima. Even in the game, she was so cute, though she had a bit of that innocent-girl act going on... Tsk. More juicy drama to watch. I'll have to get Kaji in on this...

"I'm not! Mana Kirishima just wants to be friends with me. Nothing's going to happen, so why are you acting like this? Are you my mom? You're so nosy!" Shinji snapped back for once, and predictably received another beating.

"All right, all right. Asuka, come with me tomorrow and we'll take a look. Let's see whether this Mana Kirishima really is as cute and charming as Shinji says... Hey, what are you doing? You're beating me up too?! Stop, stop, stop!" Before Huang Zhetian could finish, Asuka interrupted him with a kick.

"You're all the same, you men. Unbelievable. You're absolutely unforgivable! Idiot Zhetian! Go make dinner! Otherwise, you're not getting off easy tonight! Shinji!! If I hear you mention that woman again, I'll... finish you off!" Asuka's face twisted as she spoke viciously.

"Okay, okay! Shinji, come help me. Hurry, hurry, hurry! I need another pair of hands..."

"Coming, coming, coming! Zhetian, your apron..."

The two ran into the kitchen to help each other, hastily escaping Asuka's pursuit.

"Hmph! I really feel sorry for that Honor Student. Why do I even care about her? Weird!" Asuka shook her head and sat down on the floor to watch TV again.

NERV Headquarters Base

"According to the footage, data, and information provided by the Military, it's an experimental creation of theirs. It's still in the testing stage and has land, sea, and air attack capabilities. It runs on gasoline... Tsk. How much would it take to get something that enormous moving?" Misato reported the information in her hands to Commander Ikari and Fuyutsuki.

"We don't need to concern ourselves with this. Leave it to the Military to handle their own affairs. Our mission is to defeat the Angels. We have no time to deal with human matters. They built it, so they can clean up after it. We have no obligation to do so..." Gendo Ikari immediately delivered his verdict.

"Yes, sir!" Misato replied.

Indeed, human affairs like this really weren't their responsibility. They could leave them to the government and the Military. Their duties didn't extend to this area. NERV's sole mission was to defeat the Angels; that was the reason it had been founded.

Having him deal with this would be like asking a dog to catch mice-meddling in someone else's business.

"Hey, Old Ikari."

"Hmm..."

"The Military's machine pilot has come here... No one knows where the other two went. Did you read the intelligence report from this morning?"

"Yes, I read it. Leave them alone. Let them do as they please, as long as they don't interfere with our interests. If they do, we can take appropriate measures. There's no need to be overly aggressive."

"All right. You're really not going to do anything about your son?"

"Let him be. He has his good friends, doesn't he? Having me around or not makes no difference."

Watching Gendo Ikari rise and leave on the lift, Fuyutsuki sighed helplessly. "Are you still hung up on Yui? Your son... That's not my business either."