Classmates

Tokyo-3, Frontline Sixth District.

This was Shinji Ikari's second visit to Rei Ayanami's home. The doorbell still made no sound when he pressed it, so he could only knock. A few crisp knocks rang out, followed by silence.

This time, at least, someone answered. Two seconds later, the dormitory door was gently pushed open, as though following a mechanical routine. Rei Ayanami stood in the doorway in her blue-and-white school uniform.

The wreckage of a huge metal block was still embedded in her balcony. It had torn the balcony apart, leaving the room exposed to the sunlight.

Only the girl before him could consider a place in this condition habitable.

Even if NERV dumped her somewhere out in the wilderness, he was sure she could settle down without needing a thing and feel perfectly at ease.

"Ayanami, the approval came through. Pack your things. We're taking you home," Shinji Ikari said.

When he stepped inside, the room was no longer as pitch-black as it had been on his first visit. After all, the balcony had been violently demolished, and the curtains that had blocked out the sun were now scraps scattered across the floor.

The metal block, as tall as a person, had crashed down and lodged itself in the room like a tombstone. Yet the building hadn't collapsed. It clearly wasn't as fragile as it looked.

Patches of sunset light lay scattered across the bed like drifting flower petals. The bed was covered with personal clothing, all in the same plain style. It looked as though she was sorting through them.

"Still packing?" Shinji Ikari asked. "I wouldn't have guessed you had this much luggage."

"This is all of it. MAGI just sent me the notification, so I started getting ready." Rei Ayanami held up her phone.

Shinji Ikari glanced at it. MAGI's notification had arrived just one minute earlier.

Those believers of his were almost too efficient. They had brought him the approval ahead of MAGI, letting him know before even the person who had been granted it.

"Need a hand? Misato's waiting downstairs. That lazybones doesn't like cleaning rooms, so she didn't come up," Shinji Ikari explained.

Rei Ayanami paused for a second, tilting her head as if considering it, then nodded gently.

With the purr of the little sports car's engine, the blue Renault pulled into the garage of NERV's senior staff dormitory.

"Is this really all Rei has? Commander Ikari really doesn't know how to raise a child."

Misato Katsuragi looked at the small box in Rei Ayanami's arms. It was so small that even a young girl could carry it upstairs without any trouble.

She couldn't help frowning. The things Rei Ayanami had been able to take from that frontline dormitory were pitifully few.

"Do you dislike Mr. Ikari too, Second Lieutenant Katsuragi? Why does everyone dislike him?" Rei Ayanami didn't get angry. Her words were simply full of bewilderment.

"You haven't met enough people. Once you've spent time with more of them, you'll realize there's nothing likable about that guy," Shinji Ikari said with a shrug, as blunt as ever.

Misato Katsuragi wasn't quite so direct about bad-mouthing her superior. Officially, she wasn't a member of the commander's family, though she still nodded in agreement.

The three chatted as they walked upstairs, the atmosphere perfectly friendly. Ritsuko Akagi had already been waiting for some time outside the apartment with Misato Katsuragi's nameplate on the door.

Tonight was a small private gathering, both to celebrate Rei Ayanami's move and to toast Ritsuko Akagi's latest victory in her scientific showdown.

"That's Shinji for you. In such a short time, you've accomplished what Misato couldn't manage in years."

Ritsuko Akagi put a piece of fried tempura into her mouth, freely expressing her appreciation for Shinji Ikari's cooking.

"I can't help it, Ritsuko. Cooking takes talent too, and I'm just not cut out for it."

Having found herself an excuse, Misato Katsuragi popped a piece of wagyu sushi into her mouth, then took a long drink of beer and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Shinji's one of those talented people. Just like when he pilots an EVA."

"So are you raising Shinji, or are you being his goddaughter?"

Ritsuko Akagi gave her a disdainful glance, then turned to Shinji.

"Shinji, living with someone like this is a waste of your life. I suggest finding somewhere else."

"What do you mean, someone like me? That's so mean, Ritsuko. I wanted to help, but Shinji Ikari wouldn't let me," Misato Katsuragi protested.

"That's because you make a complete mess of the kitchen every time," Shinji Ikari interjected.

Only now did he understand that Misato Katsuragi had been protecting this home by living on convenience-store meals. Otherwise, she would surely have blown the apartment up long ago.

"When did you two start ganging up on me?" Misato Katsuragi puffed out her cheeks in displeasure.

Of course, she wasn't actually angry. The three of them were famous throughout NERV for how close they were.

Their coworkers had even started a strange rumor that the three had formed a clique and were working to strip the commander of his authority.

That was just a rumor, of course, but it did show how close they really were.

For Shinji Ikari, Misato Katsuragi, and Ritsuko Akagi, bantering like this was simply part of everyday life.

"Are Dr. Akagi and Second Lieutenant Katsuragi close?" Rei Ayanami asked. "Second Lieutenant Katsuragi isn't unhappy, even though someone said unpleasant things about her."

Anyone else could have seen the answer, yet coming from her, the question somehow felt perfectly natural.

"Rei, just call me 'Misato' at home. You don't have to be so formal," Misato Katsuragi said. "Ritsuko and I were classmates in college, and we've been friends ever since. So yes, we're very close."

"You haven't been to college, have you? It's a wonderful place for young people to throw themselves into life and enjoy their youth. You can hang out in bars every day, and nobody stops you."

"That was just you. College is a place to learn and improve yourself. Don't go teaching children bad habits, you ignorant slacker," Ritsuko Akagi snapped, cutting off Misato Katsuragi's nonsense.

But when her gaze fell on Rei Ayanami, her eyes suddenly shifted away. She fell silent and simply picked up her glass to drink.

Misato Katsuragi caught it immediately and hurried to smooth things over. "Speaking of college, that guy joined NERV too, didn't he?"

"I think so. I'm not really sure either," Ritsuko Akagi replied casually. As though she had suddenly lost interest, she drained the beer in her hand.

Misato Katsuragi tried hard to liven things up, but the gathering never quite recovered the mood it had begun with. After dinner, Ritsuko Akagi got up and said goodbye.

Watching Rei Ayanami head toward the bathroom, Misato Katsuragi frowned. "Do Ritsuko and Rei not get along? That doesn't make sense. They seem perfectly normal together at work."

"You really are perceptive, Misato. But I'm not the one you should ask. I don't know any more about either Ritsuko or Rei than you do." Shinji Ikari spread his hands.

"Actually, after Ritsuko and I went our separate ways after college, there was a while when we didn't see each other. I only recently found out that her mother had died," Misato Katsuragi said with a sigh.