Huang Zhetian held up the Oil-Paper Umbrella, while Asuka hugged his arm close to her.
Neither of them spoke along the way. Yet the atmosphere was better than any conversation, and they both had the same thought.
If only this moment could last forever.
Every character in this series was lonely and insecure. Huang Zhetian was no exception.
In the two years since he had crossed over, he had never trusted anyone. Back when he had no help from the homeland he had known before,
even China's military at the time could not be trusted completely. (This was a parallel world, and the protagonist could not reveal his true purpose.)
That had been the best way to protect himself back then: quietly keeping a low profile. Later, however, he had been able to trust them completely and send some of his intelligence back to China's senior leadership.
But now he finally had someone he could rely on and trust. (This author absolutely trusts and loves his homeland. Don't doubt me. Just heading off any controversy here.) If asked whom he trusted most, his answer would ultimately still be Asuka.
As mentioned before, Asuka was the most genuine and straightforward person in the entire series.
"Hey, Zhetian, you idiot. I'm a little thirsty. I want a drink..."
"Ice-cold, right?"
"Mm-hmm (๑＞＜๑)! You really do get me, idiot!"
"I do know what you like to eat and drink."
"Let's buy tickets and go in! What should we ride?"
"The carousel or the Ferris wheel?"
"The Ferris wheel! I want to ride it three times! Morning, noon, and evening-I'm not missing any of them."
"As you wish, Your Highness."
The two chatted happily back and forth, orange juice in hand, as they bought their tickets and entered the amusement park.
Even after Second Impact, humanity still had all the same forms of entertainment.
The only thing that had changed was this scorching summer. The season had been frozen in place fifteen years ago. There had been three parties behind the human causes of Second Impact.
The first was the expedition team led by Misato Katsuragi's father, Dr. Katsuragi. A reminder: Gendo Ikari and Yui had also been involved in the incident at the time.
But their involvement had only been indirect. Everyone directly involved had died, leaving just one survivor: Misato Katsuragi.
The second was the United Nations, which had assisted the expedition team at the time. It could also be counted among those who had helped bring about Second Impact.
The third was the final boss-SEELE.
That organization had single-handedly orchestrated the eventual outcome of Second Impact. Even then, it had wanted humanity to return to Lilith's Egg and carry out the Human Instrumentality Project. Unfortunately, its calculations had ultimately been wrong, and the plan had failed.
This had triggered Second Impact, wiping out half of humanity. The seasons had begun to change, and contamination by the fluid of life had begun spreading from Antarctica.
Although the oceans had been contaminated by the fluid of life, some rivers in the continental interior remained uncontaminated.
Even a small country like Japan had escaped contamination.
Now that he and Asuka were spending more and more time together, both SEELE and Gendo Ikari of NERV had taken notice of them, especially Huang Zhetian.
He knew the plot inside out. Both organizations would surely end up using him.
Whichever side used him, the outcome would be bad. If they threatened him with the person he cared about most, that would expose his greatest weakness.
"What are you thinking about? Did you zone out? Unbelievable! Zhetian, you idiot, you're on a date with me, and you dare let your mind wander!" Asuka complained, disgruntled with Huang Zhetian in front of her.
Huang Zhetian immediately snapped back to attention and gave an awkward laugh as he apologized. "Sorry, I zoned out. I was thinking..."
"Thinking about what? Tell me the truth!"
"About you..."
"Ugh! Are you an idiot?"
"If that's what you want, I'll always be one. Come on, my princess. It's our turn..." Huang Zhetian smiled faintly, took Asuka's hand, and led her into the Ferris wheel cabin.
The Ferris wheel began turning, lifting them into the air. Asuka was rather happy as she watched the people below slowly shrink.
She liked the feeling of being above everyone else, but ultimately, she simply liked being high up in the air.
"Huang Zhetian..."
"What is it?"
"You won't leave me, will you?"
"What's this silly talk, princess?"
"To be honest, you're the second man who's made me feel safe. The first was Kaji, and the second is you."
"What are you trying to say?" Huang Zhetian knew the answer, but asked anyway.
"We're best friends, aren't we?"
Huang Zhetian felt a little disappointed, as though something were missing. Friends? Why not lovers?
That wall of the heart was still difficult to break through, after all. Even this initial trust was already a good start. Getting any closer would take more time.
Asuka stood up and looked at the distant scenery through the window, her hands resting on her hips.
She gazed out, a little captivated. "Japan may be a small country, but the scenery surprises you everywhere you go." Asuka had to admit that picture-perfect scenes could be found all over Japan.
"You haven't been to China yet. If we get the chance, I'll take you there. China's huge, with far more beautiful sights than this place, and there's plenty of delicious food..." Huang Zhetian was a little dismissive.
"If we defeat all the Angels, I'll go with you."
"Sure... But how long should we stay once we get there?"
"What do you think?" Asuka turned back with a faint smile, the sunlight falling perfectly across her delicate face.
Her smile was so gentle that she seemed like a different person. That one smile
made Huang Zhetian understand-even if this world was false, his love for her was real.
That smile could rival Rei Ayanami's.
Meanwhile, over with Shinji,
Shinji sat shyly across from Mana at a dining table aboard a ship, the atmosphere between them gradually growing more intimate...
Before you continue