About twenty minutes after my meeting with Rei, the doctor finally showed up. A typical, slightly stooped, elderly Asian with round glasses and eyes red from lack of sleep. Having examined me quickly and professionally, he shared some information sparingly. The fight was yesterday, and I am in a closed NERV hospital inside the Geofront. I was delivered with first and second degree burns on my chest and right side, as well as an extensive soft tissue bruise on my right arm, nothing serious with my head, just a deep scratch. So I can be discharged this evening. After the examination, the doctor quickly left, having managed to please me with the news that breakfast was coming soon. Breakfast was indeed brought to me very quickly, and along with it, clothes cleaned of LCL. The last point amused me quite a bit, well, the medical staff has nothing better to do, as after the Angel's attack and the destruction of God knows what part of the city, than wash the patient's clothes, which cost a pittance, and at night too... By the way, the nurse who brought, or rather rolled all this in on a cart, looked at me rather strangely, with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity, apparently the one with the tail had already managed to spread the rumor.
And now I'm sitting in the hospital's emergency room, leaning my left cheek on my fist, lazily contemplating the space. It was as empty and quiet here as on my floor, apparently the NERV staff suffered only slightly in all this mess, and ordinary patients are not allowed in here. A little more and I'll shamefully fall asleep in this chair, there's nothing to read, and where did they put my backpack? No, come on, huh? It's been six hours since I woke up, and so far I've only seen two doctors and three nurses. Where are the guards? Where are the escorts? Where is Misato, after all? Or will I now live in this chair? Or maybe they lost me? Or is this some kind of cunning plan? Eh... I feel like I'll suffer even more in this world...
- Hello, Shinji-kun! - Rejoice, sinners! She has arrived! Not even a year has passed. I slowly open my eyes and see this contentedly smiling face. - Sorry I'm late! - Misato cutely closed her eyes, making a pseudo-guilty face and brought an open palm to her face, edge to me, as if defending herself. And this is the commander of the Operations Division... - I'm coming for you!
- Hello, Misato-san...
- Shinji, what's wrong?! We agreed, just Misato! - the girl demonstratively pouted and folded her arms across her chest, showing with all her appearance what a bad person I am.
- We also agreed that you would call me Shinji, and not Shinji-kun...
"Yes, I remember," Katsuragi waved her hand, looking away somewhere and frowning slightly. "It's just that after what you did in Eva's hangar... Well, you understand," she finished in a slightly quieter voice, glancing sideways at me.
- What did I do? - I barely noticeably raise my right eyebrow. The beauty was taken aback by this answer and stared at me.
- Well... You kind of...
- Refusal to work for nothing? Heart-to-heart talk with father? Ate an Angel? - I began to list, without removing the impassive expression from my face.
- A-a-a-a... Yes.
- The first two points are quite logical, given the circumstances of my life. And with the Angel, I woke up only when Eva was already stuffing the last piece of that red thing into her mouth, and then the armor began to burst. I managed to regain control only after the Angel exploded, before that I could barely even move. So, claims to your scientists, I did not create this robot.
- And... It doesn't scare you at all?
- It's hard to say. Probably, it's still scary. Although, on the other hand, Eva covered me with her hand back in the hangar, and here, apparently, she saved my life. So don't worry, I won't give up piloting, naturally, until my father breaks his part of the agreement.
"That's not what I meant at all!" Katsuragi was clearly offended by my interpretation of her question. "You...
- Thank you, - the girl choked on air and looked at me in surprise. - I'm really glad that you're worried about me, Misato. Even though we've only known each other for a short time, and I'm hardly a pleasant conversationalist. And let's end it here, I'm a little tired of sitting in this hospital.
- Okay, - the girl nodded seriously and immediately smiled again. - As you say, Shinji! How about a snack?
"With pleasure," I stood up, allowing a slight smile to appear on my face.
- Okay, let's go. I saw a couple of vending machines with sweets and drinks somewhere around here...
- What a great snack...
- Don't be a grump, be thankful that at least they work.
- Thank you, Misato-sa-a-an.
- You bastard! - I just chuckled in response.
There were machines, but only one worked. With beer. I glanced at it thoughtfully, looked at the large sign hanging equally evenly on all the neighboring machines and stating "The machine is not working" and turned my gaze to Misato, slightly raising my left eyebrow.
- Don't look at me like that! I really didn't notice! - the girl cried out desperately, throwing up her hands and making a pitiful face.
"I believe you," I nodded and looked at the signs again.
- SHINJI!!!
We walk down the base corridor, Misato is sulking, I am melancholically silent. So what is she reacting like that to? Who doesn't get it? Well, she only bought beer, what's wrong with that? Well, she didn't notice the signs on the neighboring machines. It's a common thing. Why throw a tantrum right away? I didn't say anything, I even agreed. So what if I did it with a thinking brick expression on my face and a voice that is only good for reading obituaries, does it matter? That's my role. And she puffed up like an airship and began to hang over me like a dark shadow of insulted innocence...
Finally, we came to the right door and Misato stopped playing the offended. However, before the comrade in the brown jacket had time to inform me that I had been allocated a separate apartment, in the sixth block of the residential complex, on the territory of the Geofront, and for some unknown reason, to ask my opinion, Misato, not giving me a chance to answer, butted into the conversation:
"Won't he live with his father?" I barely kept myself from looking sadly up at the ceiling.
"I have not received any such orders," the official immediately responded.
- But is it possible to house him alone? He's still a child!
"Misato, it's okay," I said, ignoring the "child." I didn't really want to watch this whole performance.
-Are you sure, Shinji-kun?
- Of course, I'm used to being alone.
"But to live in the Geofront..." the girl turned again to the official, whose name I still didn't know. "Can't he be settled on the surface?"
- Unfortunately, I can't help here. It's an order. It's simply not within my competence.
- Okay, I see! Shinji, wait here. I'll be right back, - with these words Katsuragi resolutely walked out the door, taking out her phone. I exchanged glances with the official.
"I'll wait in the corridor," the man nodded silently.
Misato returned only an hour later, with an extremely satisfied face and some folder in her hands. I had already managed to doze off a little, stretched out on a nearby sofa. There was nothing else to do anyway, I couldn't run after Misato, really?
- Shi-inji! - Misato made a sly face. - I've been appointed your guardian! You don't mind living with me, do you? Don't worry, I've made arrangements with the boss! - a setup...
"I don't think that's a good idea," I replied dispassionately, continuing to lie with my hands behind my head.
- Nonsense, it's more fun together!
- Maybe, - I closed my eyes. - But I am a selfish, antisocial person with a difficult character. Plus, I am going through puberty, with its inherent hormonal explosion. And since you are a stunningly beautiful young girl, I will harass you and spy on you. As you can see, the idea is unsuccessful, - silence fell on the corridor. I really wanted to see Katsuragi's face, but I clearly understood that then I simply would not be able to hold back the laughter bursting out.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're brilliant at complicating everything?" Misato broke the silence a minute later.
- No, - I opened my eyes, the girl was boring into me with a heavy look. - I just warned you about the problems associated with living together, it doesn't mean that I'm against it. After all, I'm not crazy enough to refuse to live with such a beautiful girl, but you're the first one who will have a hard time from this.
- A-ar-r-r-r!!! - Misato, growling, grabbed her hair and looked up at the ceiling. - You're a monster! Why can't you talk normally?! That emotionless voice of yours... And your face! Do you even know how to smile?!
- Are these rhetorical questions, or should I answer? - the answer was a narrowed, murderous look.
- Okay! That's it! Enough! I bet you're deliberately making fun of your commander...
"A little," I confirmed calmly, without changing my expression. Misato almost choked on such a statement.
- SCUM! - she said distinctly, rapidly turning purple and looming over me, her hands on her hips. - Do you know what I'm going to do to you?!
"I have certain hopes, but the likelihood of them coming true is close to zero.
- What are you... - Katsuragi was shaking slightly. - You... You're... You're just awful!
- You see, Misato, it's just like I said, - I sat down on the couch with a light sigh and, brushing off my pants, stood up. - It's very hard to live with me. And I was only joking a little, - the girl immediately cooled down and, folding her arms on her chest, looked at me thoughtfully.
- But that can't be done.
- It's so convenient.
Misato took a deep breath.
- It doesn't matter. You're moving in with me, period!
- In spite of everything? - I raised my right eyebrow slightly.
- Yes.
- Okay, but on one condition.
"What?" Misato asked suspiciously.
– They will also give me an apartment nearby, so that if anything happens, I can quickly move in and also keep my things there.
- Hmm... Well... I think it's possible.
Misato, for about twenty seconds, fingered her chin with her fingers, thoughtfully looking at the ceiling, and then, without any transition, she perked up and, throwing me an enthusiastic: "Okay, wait for me here, I'll be quick!" rushed off to the office from which we had left an hour ago. I watched her go for a long time. However, I was in no hurry to sit back down. I was right, not even a minute had passed when Katsuragi jumped back out, clutching in her hands, in addition to her folder, also some envelope.
"That's it!" this miracle of nature solemnly proclaimed.
- What's that?
"I've solved the issue with the apartment, and now run, we still have to celebrate!" she rattled off in one breath and, grabbing my hand, dragged me somewhere.
- Misato, it's not that I don't share your enthusiasm, but I still need to pick up my things somewhere and get a pass.
- Don't worry! Your things will be delivered, and here's the pass! - and she waved a yellowish envelope. - And we still need to pop into the store, otherwise I don't have a crumb of food at home, - a disarming smile and a very suspicious look at the envelope.
- Speaking of shopping, I have no money, and I haven't been paid for Angel yet, - I gently try to point out a number of important points, but Misato's lips only stretch into an incredibly satisfied and anticipatory smile.
- You've already been paid, I found out. This card, - she shook the envelope again, with a special gleam in her eyes and a dreamy smile, - is simultaneously a pass to the base, a bank card, a key to the apartment, an identity document and even a public transport pass. In short, in Tokyo-3 it's a universal document, without which you can't go anywhere!
- I see. Well, maybe you'll give it to me after all?
- Yes, here you go, - and her eyes are shining... Will she ask now, or will she wait? No, she decided to wait, good girl.