EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 167 Ayanami, You're a Cute Girl

"I won't let you sleep tonight..."

With a charming yet assertive smile, Mari bent down, her hands on the ground... like a mother leopard, she crawled towards Shinji Ikari with an overwhelming sense of pressure.

"...Hey!? I meant if?!"

Shinji Ikari grinned. Judging from the aggressive look in this woman's eyes... she didn't seem to be joking at all!

Just as Shinji Ikari was considering whether to use force to resist and protect his chastity, a loud crash was heard...

"You, you, you... what did we send you here for! You molesting cat!"

The door to Shinji Ikari's bedroom was kicked open with great fanfare. Whether it was due to the girl's shyness or her burning anger, Asuka, her face as red as a date, stormed in.

"Meow? This is because the princess asked me to investigate, but just letting Wang-chan talk about it... that's not very credible at all. So, after thinking it over... the safest way is to test it with my own body. I'll know immediately..."

"What the hell do you know?!"

Enraged, Asuka inexplicably slammed the body pillow she was carrying, which she had been running towards, into Mari's face. Then, with the speed of a demon hunter, she charged forward and grabbed Mari's arms from behind, unleashing incredible brute force.

They actually lifted Mari Makinami above their heads and forcibly carried her out of Shinji Ikari's bedroom.

"...What kind of comedy routine are these two clowns putting on?"

With a sigh, after experiencing such a storm of emotions, Shinji Ikari felt that he could at least get a good rest tonight... But just as he was about to go up and close the door, a stealthy figure sneaked in first.

"Ayanami??"

Shinji Ikari looked at Rei Ayanami with suspicion, who had sneaked in like a thief, and even made a point of checking whether Asuka and the others had seen her when she closed the door... There were just too many guests tonight.

"Ikari-kun."

After confirming that no one was watching, Rei Ayanami did not sit in the chair where Mari Makinami had been sitting. Instead, she walked to Shinji Ikari's bedside and obediently sat down next to him.

"...What's wrong? Rei?"

"……I…"

A rare blush flashed across Rei Ayanami's face; it seemed that the child had been showing more and more emotion lately.

"I just asked Dongmu to teach me a lot of things."

"…………Then what?"

Shinji Ikari had a bad feeling.

"I...I asked her what 'loli' means, and what 'lolicon' means..."

"Cough cough—No way, you're here too...?!"

Shinji Ikari realized the situation was getting serious and felt that if he didn't prove himself properly soon, the whole class would know that he was a lolicon by tomorrow.

"...Although I'm much taller than Suzuhara's sister...my size seems rather small compared to others my age...Doragi-kun said I could fit the definition of a loli...If you wish, I can make myself even thinner by stopping eating, and even my height can be adjusted using the lab's petri dishes...If you want me to, I...I will..."

Rei Ayanami continued speaking to herself, but she noticed that Shinji Ikari's expression seemed to grow increasingly serious as she spoke.

That was an expression Rei Ayanami couldn't understand—but Rei Ayanami could sense it… it was definitely not a look of happiness or joy.

"I'm sorry... I don't really understand these things, did I say something wrong...?"

Do you really think so?

"...Hmm?" Shinji Ikari looked at Rei Ayanami's face with a slightly sad expression and asked a question that left Rei somewhat puzzled.

What does "really think so" mean?
"I mean... Rei—do you really think... that I would let you do things that are harmful to your body just for my own personal preferences... and even feel pleasure from it... Rei... do you really think I'm that kind of person?"

"No, Ikari-kun... I... I just..."

Ayanami Rei's voice carried a hint of panic... At this moment, she clearly felt the sorrow in Shinji Ikari's words, which filled her with an indelible sense of guilt.

"I just want to... make you as happy as possible..."

Rei Ayanami's voice trailed off as she realized how incredibly insulting her words had been to Shinji Ikari.

"Sorry…"

"Okay, okay, don't apologize."

Seeing Rei Ayanami on the verge of tears from guilt, Shinji Ikari could only sigh silently, compose himself, and return to his usual gentle smile.

“Ayanami, I’m already very happy that you have such good intentions in thinking of me and wanting me to be happy. So there’s no need to do anything else—especially anything that will harm your body.”

"Yes...I understand...I'm so sorry..."

Rei Ayanami lowered her head and responded dejectedly... there was no spirit in her voice.

Looking at Rei Ayanami like this, Shinji Ikari suddenly reached out and gently cupped Rei Ayanami's face.

"Eh?!"

Rei Ayanami let out a cute moan, and Shinji Ikari cupped her face in his hands, slowly raising his head until their eyes met.

“Ayanami…you know what, in my eyes…you’re already a completely adorable girl.”

"Um... um, thank you... right?"

Being praised so directly and without embellishment left Rei Ayanami momentarily bewildered and at a loss for words, before she remembered what Shinji Ikari had told her before... and she smiled and thanked him.

"You are a lovely girl... a vibrant human being. You have shown your own emotions, living a life of flesh and blood around me—"

"...Ikari-kun?"

Originally, Rei Ayanami seemed to have simply been surprised by Shinji Ikari's praise, which cheered her up... but now it seems... it's not that simple.

"So—don't say things that don't make you feel like a human being...don't do things that don't make you feel like a human being...no matter what my preferences are...no matter what influence I have on you...I hope that you can live by my side as a human being. As long as that's the case, I can feel joy and happiness."

Perhaps, even Rei Ayanami herself didn't realize it...

This body, which would have continued to collapse without the use of medication, has stopped dissipating at some point.

Because... what caused the body named Rei Ayanami to disintegrate... was the instinct to return to Lilith—the soul that was Lilith... was constantly trying to break free from the false body and return to its original nest.

But at this moment, Rei Ayanami... no longer disappeared.

Because she has already made her own choice... not the Second Angel, Lilith... but the girl living around Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami.

The moment she made that choice... was the moment she completely said goodbye to the past and finally achieved her wish... to become an ordinary human being!
So—as long as Rei Ayanami can still live here with a smile, as long as she can still choose her own future according to her own will…

That was Shinji Ikari's greatest happiness.

(End of this chapter)