EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from the Dragon Clan

Chapter 227 225. Katsuragi Misato in the embrace

Concussion.

Plus severe pain in the brain nerves.

Asuka is in the hospital.

I guess I'll have to stay for many days this time.

She is still in a coma, lying unconscious on the hospital bed. The doctor said it would take a long time for her to wake up. The girl seemed to have had a nightmare in her sleep and was not sleeping well. Shinji Ikari, who was accompanying her in the ward, looked at her sleeping face for a while, thought for a while, and held her hand. Asuka seemed to be able to sense his presence, and the fear and anxiety between her eyebrows dissipated a lot. The young lady in her sleep had a rare tranquil temperament.

She won't be able to wake up in a short time.

Shinji Ikari decided to go to the watermelon field to get something first.

Although he wanted to continue to accompany her, Asuka woke up and saw him by the bedside, with the sun shining brightly outside the window. This affectionate scene was very touching, as touching as a cheesy TV show, but Ikari Shinji also had his own things to do. Besides, if this young lady woke up and found that she had to be hospitalized, she would probably yell that she was bored again and would pester him to not let him leave. She was such a terrible and lovable character.

He slowly pulled his hand away.

Fortunately.

Asuka didn't react in her sleep because he pulled her hand away. But looking at the girl's sleeping face, Ikari Shinji still said sorry softly, and then carefully closed the door of the ward.

He walked out of the hospital.

It was almost dusk outside.

Shinji Ikari looked up and saw that the sky was covered with layers of clouds, blocking the sunlight. A ray of light was visible in the haze. It might rain in the next few days. He made a note of this and decided to bring an umbrella with him when he went out in the next few days. While thinking about going to the watermelon field, he noticed a problem.

…There are no more taxis in Tokyo.

Who is not afraid of death and dares to drive a taxi in this city that is often invaded by apostles?

It's a bit difficult now.

There is no tram stop there and it is very remote.

If he walked there, it would probably take a long time. It would take until late at night to go back and forth, so he had to find a car to go there. Shinji Ikari could drive, but there was no car for him to drive here. Is there anyone who can drive him there? Shinji Ikari thought about it and soon thought of a candidate.

Misato Katsuragi.

And her Renault sports car.

Having just annihilated the fifteenth angel, Katsuragi Misato, the head of the operations department, must still be staying in the headquarters. The underground city and the hospital are not far away, so Ikari Shinji quickly returned to the underground city. The staff in the headquarters were busy, shuttling back and forth from time to time. When they saw him, they were too busy to say hello.

He found Misato Katsuragi busy in her office.

"Ms. Misato."

"Shinji-kun, what's going on?"

Misato Katsuragi asked in confusion.

In the past, after the apostles were annihilated, the subsequent events had nothing to do with the pilot.

It was the first time that a pilot came to see her at this time. Did something unexpected happen? For example, did Shinji sense where the Angel was? Fortunately, it was not what she thought.

Shinji Ikari told Misato Katsuragi that he was going to the watermelon field.

"Take you there? Okay."

Misato Katsuragi agreed without hesitation.

In the recording Kaji left for her, he asked her to take care of the watermelon field. This man's wish before his death was so simple, but it was in line with his dissolute character. So far, only Ikari Shinji knew where the field was, and she would have to go there sooner or later.

"Wait for me a moment." She whispered.

"Ah."

Misato Katsuragi quickly finished her work, leaving some non-urgent tasks for tomorrow, and took Shinji Ikari out of the headquarters and found a parking space.

Her Renault sports car was among them.

The two got into the car.

The scenery outside the car window flew by quickly and became blurry. It was such a long journey and we couldn't just stay silent.

Katsuragi Misato was the first to ask:
"Shinji-kun, do you have any thoughts on the information he left behind?"

"..."

No... Ikari Shinji thought that he still didn't know what Kaji Ryoji had left behind. Katsuragi Misato also noticed this. Shinji-kun said he was coming to get something, which meant that he hadn't seen the information yet. She was too impatient. She showed an apologetic expression.

"Then let's talk tomorrow."

"...Ms. Misato." He asked after a long pause, "Do you know the spear today?"

"That gun?" Katsuragi Misato knew he was talking about the Spear of Longinus. "I didn't know about this gun before. It should have been delivered to the headquarters recently."

"So..." "What?"

"I just thought that if I had this gun before, the battle might have been much easier."

"Maybe there are other considerations." Katsuragi Misato thought for a moment and said, "However, if this gun is lost, it will not be able to suppress Lilith's recovery."

"Lilith?"

"The name of the white apostle."

Is her name Lilith?

Shinji Ikari wrote down the name. It seemed pointless to continue talking about this. It would be quicker for Miss Misato to just look at the things Kaji Ryoji left behind than to waste her time explaining. She obviously thought of this and stopped talking about this. But what else could the two of them talk about?
The atmosphere inside the sports car was quite depressing.

The two were silent.

The reason for the silence was naturally because Ryoji Kaji could not come back. Ikari Shinji remembered what Asuka had complained about, that Miss Misato cried loudly last night, and he didn't know what to say. Those words of comfort were too pale and powerless for the person involved. It was rare for Misato Katsuragi to be quiet. Usually when she was driving, she would always want to say something to relieve her boredom.

However, the matter of Kaji Ryoji was still weighing on her mind.

She had no interest in talking, but the scenery outside was so monotonous. After more than ten minutes, when Shinji Ikari felt a little sleepy, Katsuragi Misato suddenly spoke:
"Shinji-kun, do you remember the question you asked me when you first came to Tokyo?"

"...?"

"Have you reconciled with your father? Actually, my father has been dead for many years."

"Feel sorry."

Shinji Ikari said hurriedly.

No wonder Miss Misato looked so strange at that time. The person has been dead for so many years, how can they reconcile?

"It's okay. You may not know that my father was actually the head of the experiment at the Antarctic research station a long time ago. He abandoned me and my mother when we were young. I thought that he only cared about research and was very heartless to me, his daughter. Unexpectedly, during the impact explosion, he left the only lifeboat to me. It's strange that the father who I once hated and thought would never love me sacrificed his life to save me."

Ikari Shinji listened in silence.

He knew that Misato Katsuragi just wanted to find someone to talk to.

"I met Jiazhi when I was in college. Don't be fooled by his frivolous appearance now. He was not like this when I was in college. I always thought that I chose Jiazhi because I was looking for the shadow of my father. At that time, I just felt empty, tired and self-contemptuous. But now it seems that maybe I am wrong about Jiazhi..."

She didn't say the rest.

Misato Katsuragi lowered her eyes and looked at the road blankly.

She didn't cry, perhaps she had shed enough tears last night. It is very difficult to get over a sad experience. The invasion of the fifteenth angel temporarily distracted her attention. But after the angels were annihilated, she would have to face this matter again. Shinji Ikari, who was sitting in the co-pilot seat, didn't know what words of comfort to say.

Life is like the road outside the car window, it has an end.

"…Ms. Misato, we're here."

The Renault sports car stopped.

Watermelon field.

Shinji Ikari led the way in front, a path trampled by people.

It was like a farmer in the countryside carrying a load on his shoulder passing by here every day, and over time, a path like this was formed. There are countless such paths in the world, and I wonder how long it took Kaji Ryoji to open up this farmland. He has a good memory and quickly found the watermelon field he visited last time.

The plants here are growing well.

A piece of green watermelon leaves will have a good harvest in the future. But the owner of this piece of land can no longer come back. Ikari Shinji did not rush to find something, but helped to water the land, weed and drive away insects. Katsuragi Misato occasionally helped and occasionally looked at the land absent-mindedly.

It was almost night, and he didn't sweat much after doing all this.

He will come here regularly in the future, or leave the watermelon field to Miss Misato to take care of it, but he doesn't know if he will be able to see the day when the watermelons are ripe.

The weather in New Tokyo 3 is terrible.

The watermelons must taste good.

Then, following Kaji Ryoji's instructions, he found a hidden tape recorder, wiped the dust off carefully and held it in his hand. Katsuragi Misato was sitting on the edge of the field at this time, with her head lowered. Perhaps she was thinking of something sad again, and suddenly she sobbed softly. The first tear overflowed from her eyes, slid across her face, and fell on the soil, making a loud noise.

Then her crying became uncontrollable.

She had cried last night, but seeing this watermelon field reminded her of her last words. Katsuragi Misato could no longer suppress her emotions. She pressed her hands on the soil, bent her body, and cried as if she was vomiting. She even coughed while crying. It was the first time that Ikari Shinji saw Miss Misato cry like this. Asuka was not lying.

"It's okay, Miss Misato."

He put down the recorder temporarily, and reached out to pat Miss Misato's back so that she could breathe more smoothly. Her shoulders were shaking constantly, and she half leaned over as if she had lost support. Ikari Shinji subconsciously wanted to move away, but stopped where he was. So Katsuragi Misato half leaned in his arms, and the woman's tears soaked his shirt. He kept patting her back gently with his right hand, as if he was coaxing a child in a cradle to sleep, and his left hand was a little unplaced.

Remember not long ago.

He also comforted a crying Asuka.

Shinji Ikari maintained this posture, waiting for Misato Katsuragi to stop crying.

(End of this chapter)