EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from the Dragon Clan

Chapter 257, Section 255: The New Chosen One (Part Two)
"Hum..."

As you get closer, you can hear a clear, melodious song being hummed on the night breeze.

The person sitting by the lake is humming a tune.

There are no lyrics.

Only the beat.

Shinji Ikari listened for two or three seconds before recognizing that the person by the lake was humming "Ode to Joy," a world-famous piece. Only the rhythm was clear, so the person's age couldn't be discerned, but the stranger's voice was pure and in tune. He simply hummed the tune, relaxed and carefree, as if he could hum from dusk till dawn, and then from dawn till dusk again, if no one disturbed him.

He glanced at the stranger from a distance.

That person appeared to be an elderly man.

Silver hair.

Sitting by the lake this late is dangerous, especially considering it's an era before advanced surveillance. Nighttime is a peak time for serious crimes. Most residents of Tokyo Third have moved out, and those who remain generally stay home this late.

Shinji Ikari only did so because he had the confidence to go out on his own.

"Let's ask the elderly person if they need any help."

he thought.

Shinji Ikari descended the dilapidated concrete stairs beside him, getting closer and closer to the stranger. He had initially intended to ask the old man if he needed help, since he was sitting there all alone late at night, and there were no fish in the desolate Lake Ashi; he couldn't possibly be there to fish. But gradually, he could make out things beyond the blurry colors. Shinji then realized that his initial assumptions had been somewhat hasty.

The person sitting by the lake was not an old man.

Judging from his back view, he was actually a boy about the same age as him.

The boy was wearing a white shirt.

It looks like a student, but I don't know which school they're from.

But why would this boy have silver hair? Was it due to an illness? Was it dyed? These thoughts popped into Shinji Ikari's mind. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he stood still, staring intently at the hair. The luster and color of the hair were definitely not one of the two reasons he had guessed. For a moment, Shinji Ikari thought he was seeing things.

Perhaps it was the moonlight tonight that caused the misunderstanding.

That silver-gray hair.

It appeared extremely white under the refraction of moonlight.

On the dark lakeside at night, the darkness was dispelled by the faint light reflected from the lake's surface, like a small candle flame—not large, but enough to make everything vaguely visible. At one moment, perhaps sensing that someone was watching him from not far away, the boy sitting by the lake suddenly turned his head, revealing a face that was half-hidden, as serene as the moon emerging from behind clouds.

Shinji Ikari unexpectedly recalled an oil painting about the moon.

That's a work from almost two centuries ago.

The water shimmered under the moonlight, and a boat with candles lit hid behind the reeds. The firelight couldn't illuminate their faces; their faces were hidden in shadow. This was Dresden, a famous German city, bathed in moonlight. The moon, veiled by a hazy veil of gray clouds, appeared on the horizon. Someone was walking alone on a moonlit bridge, heading into the distance… Shinji Ikari was somewhat surprised, wondering why he had thought of these things.

When I came to my senses, I saw a pair of red eyes.

"Lilin." When the moonlight saw him, it suddenly seemed to smile warmly, "I've finally met you."

"..."

Shinji Ikari remained silent.

He merely observed the stranger's appearance: silver hair, red eyes, a straight nose, soft eyebrows, and thick, long silver bangs that almost reached his ears. He looked like that artsy student in his class who always performed piano pieces, exuding an artistic air. The stranger emanated an indescribable aura; Shinji Ikari couldn't quite put his finger on it, only feeling a sense of familiarity.

It's hard for a person to harbor malice towards someone who is smiling at them.

"Finally...? Do you recognize me?"

"of course."

The person in front of him smiled and nodded.

Everyone at headquarters recognized him. Shinji Ikari had felt a little out of place when he first arrived in Tokyo-3, but he was used to it now. He didn't take the answer to heart; instead, he was more bothered by the strange way the other person addressed him.
"Who is Lilin?"

"you."

“That’s not my name. My name is Shinji Ikari.”

"I know," the stranger smiled. "Nobody doesn't know, right?"

This makes it sound like Shinji Ikari is some kind of big shot—but being the pilot of Unit-01 certainly makes him a big shot, right? If it were an ordinary teenage boy, he would definitely feel embarrassed by such praise, but Shinji Ikari had long been aware of his own importance.

He didn't dwell on this, but simply asked:

"You are the fourth Child, aren't you?"

The person in front of me looks exactly like the new chosen one.

While out for a walk late at night, I unexpectedly encountered the fourth person Miss Misato had mentioned during the day.

Could it be a coincidence?
Shinji Ikari's fate is uncertain.

"Yes, you are the Fourth Child... I'm not as famous as you, so let me introduce myself."

The young man in front of me smiled and said that if someone else said "you are so famous", it would probably feel like mockery, but when he said it, it always made people feel that he really thought so. His voice was clear and calm, and it always gave people a feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze.

"smoke."

He introduced himself as "Chu Xun".

“Like you, I am a child whose destiny was predetermined. I am the Fourth Child…Nice to meet you.” When he said “Nice to meet you,” Chu Xun paused, a look of amusement on his face, and his smile deepened. “Shinji Ikari, the Third Child, nice to meet you.”

Shinji Ikari returned the greeting.

One is standing and one is sitting.

It seemed a bit impolite to speak like that, so Shinji Ikari found a slightly cleaner rock to sit on. The two of them sat by the lake, enjoying the cool breeze. All around was silent, save for the whispering wind. After a while, Shinji finally spoke first:

"Chu..."

"Just call me Kaoru, Ikari-kun."

“…Then you can call me Shinji too,” Shinji Ikari said. The title “Ikari-kun” felt somewhat uncomfortable to him now. Seeing Kaoru nod with a smile, he continued, “…”
"Xun, what are you doing here?"

"Just came out for a walk to clear my head," Chu Xun said, stretching. "Shinji-kun, you're doing the same, right?"

"Ah."

Recalling this, Shinji Ikari relaxed slightly, leaning back and bracing himself against the rocks, letting the night breeze ruffle his white collar. He comfortably squinted his eyes. He had originally decided to turn back, but encountering a new pilot made him decide against returning immediately; they could chat. Since they were both pilots, unlike Kensuke and Touji, they could discuss EVA-related matters without much need for secrecy.

Even at their first meeting, Shinji Ikari could sense that Kaoru was quite different from his classmates at school. Talking to him was like talking to a mature adult... Shinji Ikari began to understand a little more about how others felt when they talked to him.

Perhaps those who are qualified all possess some extraordinary qualities.

"Could I ask when you arrived in Tokyo?" Shinji Ikari asked casually.

"Today."

"If you are a qualified candidate, which machine will you pilot?"

"They haven't decided yet."

"..."

Shinji Ikari didn't say anything more.

Should he ask offensive questions like, "Are you a clone?", "What is your purpose in coming to headquarters at this time?", or "Who is the original you cloned?"? But Shinji Ikari only thought about it in his mind and didn't say anything.

Perhaps we'll have the opportunity to ask each other questions once we're more familiar with each other.

As for now.

Let's enjoy the night breeze first.

The two stood two or three meters apart in the darkness, gazing at the distant lake. Far from the city, there were no neon lights, only the calm surface of the lake. The world was silent, and their hearts were at peace as well. They didn't know how much time had passed, but the night deepened and the wind grew colder. Neither of them spoke; they just sat there, not knowing how long they would stay.

"If you've come out for a walk, is something bothering you, Shinji?"

"Yes, there are a few."

"Would you mind talking about it? I've heard that when people are troubled, talking to others can always help them relax. You seem very lonely."

"Are you lonely...?"

Shinji Ikari looked at the horizon where the lake met the sky, and after a moment of silence, said:

"Perhaps a little, but there's no need to confide in anyone."

"so…"

"Those troublesome things must be solved one by one. Even if you complain to others, it won't help."

"You're more interesting than I imagined."

The atmosphere calmed down after they finished talking.

It was only scheduled for one hour.

As I chatted with this new eligible candidate, I didn't realize that I was about to run out of time.

"Huh...huh..."

Suddenly, Chu Xun started humming a song again.

This time it was Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, "Fate." A sudden sound in a quiet environment always seems to disrupt the atmosphere. But his humming didn't sound out of place in the wind; the volume was just right, the singing seemingly blending seamlessly with the sound of the wind. It seemed this new chosen one quite liked Beethoven. Shinji Ikari listened quietly.

When the symphony ended, Shinji Ikari finally stood up in the darkness, stretching his body after sitting for so long. The surroundings were a blurry, dim light, but he could still see the path beneath his feet by the bright moonlight. He began to speak:

"I'm going back now, goodbye."

Chu Xun was still sitting by the lake.

Even after Shinji Ikari stood up, he remained gazing into the distance over the lake, just as Shinji had when he first saw him, motionless, as if there was something particularly interesting at the end of Lake Ashi. Only when he heard Shinji's words of departure did Kaoru turn around and try to persuade him to stay:
"Aren't you going to stay a little longer?"

"No, someone's waiting for me." Shinji Ikari shook his head and turned away. He wondered if Rei Ayanami was awake in the apartment; she had gone to bed early and hadn't even eaten dinner yet, so she might wake up once in the middle of the night. Just as he was about to leave, he thought for a moment and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

Chu Xun said.

The sound was so soft it seemed like it would be blown away by the wind.

(End of this chapter)