EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from the Dragon Clan

Chapter 253, Section 251: The Disappearance of Little Rei Ayanami (Part 5)
apartment.

It was a bit dim inside, so Shinji Ikari turned on the living room light.

He changed his shoes in the entryway, but Rei Ayanami was still standing there, looking lost. As he shuffled into the living room in his slippers, Rei, still wearing loafers, followed behind, bewildered. Seeing that she was about to follow and step onto the clean floor, Shinji Ikari had no choice but to turn around, squat down, and help her take off her leather shoes and black socks.

The girl's fair feet were on women's slippers, revealing her pearly toes, which were so perfectly shaped they didn't seem human.

He stood up, and the two were very close; Rei Ayanami's hair brushed against the tip of her nose.

...It's the smell of LCL's blood.

Even though he had gotten used to the smell over the past few months, it felt like Shinji Ikari was smelling it for the first time.

It was already dusk outside, and it wasn't yet dinnertime, so Shinji Ikari instinctively turned on the living room television and tuned it to his usual program. The once quiet apartment instantly became lively, with a touch of homey warmth.

But soon after, he turned off the TV.

Rei Ayanami followed behind, watching his somewhat contradictory actions. Although she didn't ask anything, Shinji Ikari still offered an explanation.

There's something I want to do.

He smiled apologetically.

Shinji Ikari walked to the corner of the living room.

…That's where the cello is. He hadn't played the cello for a while. Since living with Rei Ayanami, with this beautiful girl by his side, and since Shinji Ikari isn't the type to be obsessed with music, he even fell behind in his biology studies, not to mention other subjects. Naturally, he spent most of his time with Rei Ayanami, only playing the cello occasionally.

Take the instrument into your hands.

Shinji Ikari glanced at the cello strings.

Rei Ayanami usually helps maintain the cello at home, so the instrument is in good condition and can be played directly without any adjustments.

"Ayanami, do you want to listen to this?" he asked.

"..." Rei Ayanami looked bewildered.

Shinji Ikari scratched his cheek: "I feel like you've lost your memory. You've been acting strange today. So, I was thinking of trying to help you regain your memory by doing some familiar things. I read in the books that this is how people with amnesia are dealt with: go to familiar places and do familiar things."

There aren't many residents near the apartment, so there's no need to worry about disturbing the neighbors.

Although it was to ask for her opinion.

But after asking, Shinji Ikari had already picked up the harp bow.

Flowing notes filled the apartment, the piano music soothing. Shinji Ikari held the bow in his right hand, sliding it back and forth across the cello. Although it was the same piece as usual, it sounded somewhat somber and oppressive. Each note was clear and distinct, resonating continuously in the apartment, compelling one to listen intently.

Like dark clouds gathering from all directions before raindrops fall, a bitter shadow, like an itch in the throat, makes the sunlight in the sky retreat into the background.

His skill remained unchanged, as fluid as ever. From beginning to end, it was a seamless performance, his gaze fixed on every string of the cello, seemingly oblivious to Rei Ayanami standing beside him. Finally, all the emotions in his heart vanished in the instant the final note was played, leaving only a lingering echo in the corner of the apartment.

The long song came to an end.

Shinji Ikari suddenly turned to Rei Ayanami in silence.

If it were Rei Ayanami from before, the girl would have applauded politely at this moment, but the girl just stared at the cello in his hands without blinking, seemingly curious about how the music had just come from it, completely unaware of the stories that had happened in the past.

Is it really amnesia?

But why didn't Ritsuko mention this yesterday? And, most importantly, after Unit-00 suffered such serious injuries, Shinji Ikari was already prepared for Rei Ayanami to be injured, but seeing her completely unharmed, he should have been hospitalized for a while no matter what.

Even clones cannot...

No, there is actually another possibility, a certain guess suddenly arose in Shinji Ikari's mind.

He put down his bow and looked into Rei Ayanami's eyes. He saw those still pure red eyes. If it were him when he first arrived in Tokyo, he would probably have been defeated by those eyes very quickly. But this time, Shinji Ikari kept his eyes fixed on the girl.

After a long silence, he finally spoke and asked:
"Which number are you?"

"..."

The girl looked puzzled.

That's right, Rei Ayanami probably wouldn't understand what he's saying.

Yes, there is another possibility—that the "Rei Ayanami" in front of him is not the one he knows, but another clone. If Rei Ayanami were a normal person, Shinji Ikari would definitely think that her completely unfamiliar behavior today is due to sudden amnesia, even if there are other strange symptoms.

But she is a clone.

The emergence of other clones is also a possibility.

Then.

Where did the real Rei Ayanami go?

Death… No, Shinji Ikari immediately dismissed the thought. Unit-00's injuries shouldn't be that serious, since the cockpit wasn't damaged much; at most, it was just extreme mental pain. Besides, Rei Ayanami's voice wasn't particularly weak when he piloted Unit-01.

To say that the girl's life had come to an end would be far too early.

...I'll have to ask Ritsuko. Shinji Ikari thought rationally, suppressing the surging emotions within him.

In the brief moment he was stunned, "Rei Ayanami" blinked and continued to look at his black eyes with colored contacts. The girl was probably still wondering about his inexplicable question from before.

"Feel sorry."

Shinji Ikari shook his head, trying to remain calm, and said, "Pretend I didn't say anything."

He tidied up the cello, returned to the living room, and turned on the television. The girl's eyes immediately fell on the television, and she watched the images on it with curiosity.

The sky outside finally darkened.

He went into the kitchen alone.

I absentmindedly packed the ingredients, and a steaming hot dinner was quickly prepared.

When he brought dinner to the table, the girl was still engrossed in watching TV, like a child watching cartoons. Shinji Ikari couldn't help but wonder if she would automatically pick up and eat potato chips if there were any nearby. He called her twice before she finally turned her attention away from the TV and came over to follow him.

"time to eat."

Shinji Ikari gently pressed her into her seat.

The girl stared down at the food on the table. One second, two seconds passed. Shinji Ikari sighed inwardly. Did she not even know how to eat? Fortunately, she seemed to know how to use chopsticks and other utensils. After a while, at Shinji's prompting, she quickly picked up some rice and put it in her mouth. But after chewing for a few seconds, she suddenly stopped.

"Ayanami, what's wrong?"

He asked subconsciously.

That was just ordinary rice.

It wasn't a gourmet dish, nor was it any rare delicacy, but she seemed to be savoring the taste, as if it were the first time she had ever eaten food. However, Shinji Ikari didn't pay attention to such details; instead, he was hesitating about other things.

What should I call her?

“Your name is… no, let’s continue calling you Ayanami.” He wanted to change the way he was addressed, but after thinking about it, he gave up. What else could the other clones in the Ayanami series call him besides Ayanami? Then Shinji Ikari pointed to himself, as if introducing himself, and said, “I am Ikari, Shinji Ikari.”

“…Shinji Ikari?” She looked up at Shinji Ikari and asked in a babbling voice.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"...Ikari...kun?" Rei Ayanami suddenly asked again.

"...Ayanami?"

Shinji Ikari was taken aback, wondering if he had guessed wrong, or if she really had just lost her memory.
But Rei Ayanami didn't say anything after that.

She ate her meal silently, each bite slow and deliberate.

The night is getting darker.

Shinji Ikari cleared the table and watched television with Rei Ayanami. Time passed by unnoticed. In the past, that beautiful girl would always lean lazily against him, but today the distance between them was quite far. He was lost in thought, while Rei Ayanami was focused on watching television.

It was time to sleep, but Shinji Ikari wasn't very sleepy. However, after looking at Rei Ayanami's tired eyes, he decided to turn off the TV.

The two of them used to sleep together.

But we can't do it the usual way today.

"Ayanami, you can sleep in the bedroom tonight, I'll sleep on the sofa."

Shinji Ikari said.

He then went into the bedroom, and Rei Ayanami naturally followed.

How to put it... like an AI teammate in a game, always following behind. Shinji Ikari helped her take off her school uniform and skirt, placing them aside to prevent them from getting wrinkled while she slept. The girl's fair body was exposed to him in the moonlight, but he wasn't embarrassed at all, not even blushing.

"Sleep here."

He pointed to the bed.

Just as she understood the instruction to "eat," Rei Ayanami obediently lay down on the bed after Shinji Ikari said "sleep," and the girl with red eyes fell into a deep sleep within seconds of closing her eyes.

Turn on the air conditioning in her bedroom and cover her with a blanket.

Shinji Ikari entered the living room.

He covered himself with a thin blanket, turned on the air conditioning in the living room, and lay down on the sofa.

Looking at the dark ceiling, Shinji Ikari had already decided on his schedule for tomorrow. Although he wanted to go to headquarters to ask Ritsuko Akagi right now, it was already late at night, and besides, he didn't know where Ritsuko Akagi lived. He could only see the refreshed head of the Technology Department in the office at headquarters, so he could wait until tomorrow.

Shinji Ikari tossed and turned in the darkness for at least two or three hours, staring blankly into space. He didn't know what time it was before he finally fell asleep, and when he opened his eyes, it was already the next day.

The Sun Also Rises.

Although he didn't sleep soundly, he was still full of energy.

Should we take Rei Ayanami directly to headquarters?
(End of this chapter)