Shinji Ikari, the pilot of Unit-01 during the Spirit Awakening Era

"Hello, Eikichi Onizuka! I've heard so much about you." Shinji Ikari smiled and extended his hand to Eikichi Onizuka, a warm smile on his face.

"Oh, you've heard of me?" Onizuka Eikichi looked at Shinji Ikari in surprise. His eyes showed some astonishment, while the other's calm expression didn't seem fake.

"There's a motorcycle shop not far from my apartment, and Uncle Danma has been very kind to me," Shinji Ikari said with a smile. To be honest, when he first shared a drink with this uncle, the handsome man who ran a fairly successful motorcycle shop almost surprised Shinji when he introduced himself. But later he thought it was probably just a coincidence of names, and there's usually a difference between the manga and the real person. But today he finally realized that it was him.

However, now that he has settled down and started a family, Uncle Danma has regarded this crazy past from his youth as a memory of youthful recklessness, letting it settle into the depths of his heart. He didn't say much about it. But if Shinji Ikari had been there a few days ago, when Danma picked up a hammer and pointed it at a group of NERV employees to drive them away, he might have understood a little more.

"Oh! Ryuji! I haven't seen him for a while since he opened a shop in some weird place! Hahaha! Since you know Ryuji, you're one of us! Come in with me!" Onizuka Eikichi immediately put his arm around Shinji Ikari's shoulder and pulled him into the classroom.

"Hey! Onizuka! Do you even know who's in front of you?! How can you be so casual with yourself..." Uchiyamada pushed up his glasses, his whole body practically emanating black smoke. Shinji Ikari raised an eyebrow. At this moment, Uchiyamada... probably wouldn't be thinking of burying someone in the mountains.

"It's alright, it's alright! A good student like Kikuchi, plus a boy with a strong physique like me! Hey, do you want me to teach you karate? After all, baseball, soccer, basketball and such are not always useful later on, since your future is definitely not that of a professional athlete!"

"Onizuka!" Uchiyamada roared, drawing the attention of everyone in the classroom. His anger had reached its peak, on the verge of exploding (though it seemed pointless...).

"Director Uchiyamada, I think it's fine. Thank you for your help." Shinji Ikari smiled, gave Uchiyamada a brief bow, and gently closed the door, leaving Uchiyamada outside stunned! He could only strode away, seething with anger! Undoubtedly, on the first day of school, Shinji Ikari! This star student from another school, was already an incurable problem in Uchiyamada's mind! He was actually in cahoots with their school's stain, the golden-haired cockroach! In cahoots!

"Ah! Welcome to my class. Hmm? What's this?"

"It's from Cuba. Someone gave it to me as a gift last time. I forgot to take it out of my bag. Here, take it."

"Shinji Ikari, you actually brought this to school?!"

"$1000 a box, 5 vials."

"I can't accept this, you've gone to so much trouble!"

Chapter 16 Murai Kunio Peeks into the Bush

"Ah, that trash teacher accepted an expensive gift from a student!" The classroom erupted in chaos, with shouts and screams filling the air. Judging from the reaction, Shinji Ikari realized something. It probably wasn't the early part of the manga. Although he hadn't seen the blond devil, it seemed that more than half of the students in the class had a very good relationship with Eikichi Onizuka, which was quite telling.

"Idiot! This is something I confiscated from Shinji Ikari for violating school rules!" Onizuka Eikichi almost immediately found a plausible reason, crossed his arms, and shouted at him with a righteous expression.

"So where am I supposed to sit?" Shinji Ikari watched Onizuka Eikichi, who was stuffing an expensive cigar into his pocket, yelling at the students below, somewhat speechlessly. He found it quite amusing; he'd never seen a teacher like this in his entire life. Well, never. Including the two teachers who had killed him. He wondered if that stubborn old man, Dongfang Bubai, had taken the medicine he'd prepared for him after he died. That old guy had practically driven him to develop lung disease; no one else could do that.

"As a good student, you have the right to choose your seat. Whether it's the front row reserved for the strong students or the back row seats reserved for the gods and kings, it's all up to you, Shinji Ikari!" After shouting a few words with his henchmen, Eikichi Onizuka turned to Shinji Ikari and noticed that Shinji seemed a little distracted.

"Shouldn't he introduce himself first?" said Yoshito Kikuchi, who was sitting in the front row, with a smile.

"Yes, indeed!" Perhaps because he had just received a generous gift from Shinji Ikari, Eikichi Onizuka suddenly spoke in a tone like a nightclub DJ, "Next, let's welcome our transfer student, the superstar student! The Demon of Nakiri! The future pride of Seirin Academy! The invincible athlete who wins every battle on the court, Shinji Ikari! Everyone, give him a round of applause!"

"Oh?" Shinji Ikari, looking at Eikichi Onizuka acting as the atmosphere-setter, felt awkward the moment he came to his senses. Of course, all the students in the class were also awkward at the same time, staring speechlessly at their homeroom teacher. "Hello everyone... I'm joining this class today, and I'll be spending a year of school life with you all. Please take care of me. Oh, and by the way, don't be surprised if you suddenly see me jump out of the window. I have some strange jobs, and earning a living isn't easy."

"Huh?" Shinji Ikari's words shocked many people present. Jump out the window? Even the people sitting by the window looked outside. They weren't on the first or second floor, but on the fourth floor. Jumping straight down? Even if they didn't break their legs, they would basically be half dead.

"As for seats, I see there's an empty one by the window, I'll sit there, it won't bother anyone too much." Shinji Ikari pointed to the seat in the far corner of the classroom, the legendary protagonist's seat. He should be considered a protagonist in this life, so enjoying such treatment isn't too much to ask.

"Oh! Okay, sit there!" Onizuka Eikichi gave him an "I understand, I understand" look, having no objection to Shinji Ikari's choice. He even thought it was the best choice. After all, what kind of kid is he? Daydreaming in class and getting such good grades? Is he planning to laugh at the teacher? "Go sit down, and then let's continue with the lesson."

Shinji Ikari took a deep breath, carrying his backpack and wearing his Nakiri school uniform. Under the watchful eyes of a group of students from Seirin Academy, he walked down the corridor, sat down in his seat, and after a quick check to make sure there was nothing strange left behind, he put his backpack aside, took out his textbooks and pencil case, placed them on the table, and then watched Eikichi Onizuka begin to write crookedly on the blackboard.

Shinji Ikari, resting his chin on his hand, realized he hadn't brought his social studies textbook. Scratching his head, he glanced at the lecturer on stage, who was occasionally putting on his headphones. He then pulled out a math workbook and started working on it. "Back then, I was a terrible student, but now I'm a top student. The joy of doing problems lies in being able to solve them. If you're just staring blankly at each other and end up mentally broken, it's better to switch to another subject as soon as possible."

"Hey! Good student! You're daydreaming and doing math problems in class!" Shinji Ikari, engrossed in the world of mathematics, didn't seem to notice the ringing bell because he was wearing headphones, until someone kicked his desk.

"Mother-crazy boy, what's wrong (in Russian)!" Shinji Ikari looked up at the person next to him. To be fair, there are always a few stubborn kids in every class who like to venture into the bushes, and this guy was probably one of them. He didn't know if it was because he was listening to a Russian radio drama, but Shinji just blurted out this.

"Foreign languages? I know a few too! Ikes Q Smith! Kanyou Hisi Bike Jepannis!" Murai Kunio said in a strange, Japanese-accented English.

"Your pronunciation is excellent. I reckon the British and Americans wouldn't understand (German)." Thanks to my time serving in the Hell Paratroopers, although there was a common language in the team, you'd almost certainly learn their native languages ​​after spending a lot of time with your teammates, especially if there was a beautiful Russian or German girl in your team.

"Hey, you bastard, this is Japan, do you even know how to speak Japanese?" Murai Kunio was a little annoyed, feeling that Shinji Ikari was looking down on him.

"If you're Japanese, please show basic Japanese manners and etiquette. Don't act like a caveman." Shinji Ikari tilted his head slightly, looking at the guy in front of him. Although in the manga and anime, this guy seemed to have quite a few good points, in reality... this kind of simpleton was a complete delinquent, thinking that what he was doing was cool, completely unaware of how much his current behavior was lowering his own standards.

"You bastard!" Murai Kunio roared.

"Murai, you'd better not do anything stupid." A group of people pushed open the door to Class 3-4 and walked in. Seeing this scene, the leader shouted at them, then bowed to Shinji Ikari, "Shinji-kun, I'm the captain of the soccer club..."

"I'm sorry, but I made a promise with the Nakiri guys that I would fight alongside them in all the middle school tournaments," Shinji Ikari said softly.

"Didn't you transfer to our Seirin? How come you can still play baseball with the Nakiri baseball team?" The boy had an incredulous expression. For the past three years, Nakiri Private Middle School had been almost unparalleled in the junior high school, all because of the existence of this invincible demon king in sports. Every nickname he had was a testament to his terrifying achievements!

When the news of Shinji Ikari's transfer came the following year, the soccer clubs of various schools, who originally thought they would be crushed by this demon king for three years, cheered when they learned that he was going to wreak havoc on the basketball club! Then the basketball club did the same thing the following year, and this year it was the baseball club's turn to be devastated.

However, if they knew that Shinji Ikari originally wanted to join the kendo club, but found that the opponents were so weak that he lost interest, and after a day trip, he switched to the club next door, his cool style of beating up the Nakiri kendo club and then running away would be so satisfying.

"The principals and directors on both sides communicated, but I'm not entirely clear on how it all works out." Shinji Ikari shrugged. The way things were going on left him somewhat bewildered. All he could say was that the Totsuki Nakiri Foundation was incredibly powerful and influential.

"Is that so? Isn't that a waste of your talent? After all, compared to baseball, which is only popular in Japan and the United States, soccer is a global activity. With your talent, you could absolutely reach the world stage," the minister said with a regretful expression, making a final effort.

“The problem is I’ve already won the MVP award for middle school soccer! It doesn’t mean much to me. Thank you for the invitation,” Shinji Ikari stood up and said to the soccer captain who had invited him, “If possible, please tell the basketball and baseball teams that I’m sorry, but thank you very much for their invitation.”

"Okay, I'd be very willing to bring them, but if possible, I hope Shinji Ikari can give us some pointers." The soccer captain said very politely. Without a doubt, after Nakiri's turmoil, Nakiri Middle School's soccer and basketball teams... are now strong teams. The basketball team, in particular, considers their failure to reach the top a great disgrace, and their training intensity is close to that of professional athletes. Even if Shinji Ikari leaves, these teams can still make other local teams wear masks of pain in the Tokyo junior high school district preliminaries.

"If there's a chance, training together is no problem." Shinji Ikari nodded. Was what happened after that his skill? Impossible! Nakiri was rich; he'd hired professional youth coaches directly from Europe and America… and even provided extra meal allowances for full-time members! Their academy's chefs could cook a banquet for tens of millions without haggling…

"Thank you very much!" The soccer captain was very happy with Shinji Ikari's agreement. He bowed to Shinji Ikari and left. When he turned around, he glared at Kunio Murai, clearly warning him. After leaving, he obviously said a few words to someone and made a fuss at the door for a while.

"You're really good at soccer?" Although Kunio Murai knew that Shinji Ikari was a star player, as a regular member of the "Homecoming Club," he genuinely had no idea about it.

"I wouldn't say I can hit exactly where you point it, but I'm pretty famous for my set pieces." Shinji Ikari shrugged. For a young player, the goal can sometimes be too big. If you misjudge the ball after it's launched, it's basically game over! So while Shinji Ikari has decent shooting skills, what left a deep impression on everyone watching the game was his set piece.

"And Kunio, he's also really good at basketball, and he's currently the starting pitcher and fourth batter at Nakiri Academy! A super starter, you know! Even if he gets a zero on his exams, there are still plenty of good schools begging him to go."

"you shut up!"

"So, shall we be friends, Kunio Murai?"

"Uh...ok!"

Chapter 17 He is an exorcist!

"Uncle Ryuji..." Because he had been given a hard shove by Murai Kunio, who came up with a somewhat provocative attitude, Shinji Ikari's first day after transferring schools was still quite peaceful. However, he didn't expect that as soon as school ended, Onizuka Eikichi would drag him to use the landline in the teachers' office to call Danma Ryuji.

"Yo! Ryuji!" Onizuka snatched the phone from Shinji Ikari's hand and immediately greeted his old buddy, "Haven't heard from you in a long time! I didn't expect you to be hiding in a small town running a motorcycle shop."

"Eikichi?" I was just thinking about how two idiots in uniforms tried to take my GSX1300R motorcycle a couple of days ago and I chased them away, but I didn't expect the voice to change immediately and become my best friend's, "How come you're with Shinji Ikari?"

Although it was still daytime, Ryuji felt a chill run down his spine. This was a bit of a nightmare, because most encounters with Shinji Ikari were never good. He wanted to warn Eikichi Onizuka to leave immediately and stay away from Shinji Ikari, because wherever that brat went, it meant something deadly had happened.

"Oh~ Shinji-kun's at my workplace!" A bolt from the blue! Ryuji took a deep breath, about to yell at his best friend, when Onizuka Eikichi continued with a smile, "I'm a priest now, Ryuji! I'm a teacher now!"

"Eh..." Danma Ryuji, who was known as the "Oni-Baku" duo back then, felt like he'd been struck by lightning. What the hell? Didn't we beat up enough teachers back then? You actually... became a teacher? After hesitating for a moment, this shouldn't count as Shinji Ikari being away on business, but he did seem to have heard from Nakiri Academy that they hadn't seen Shinji Ikari for a few days. Ryuji subconsciously said, "Ah, I see. Well then, congratulations, Eikichi! You'd better do this job well."

"Of course! Ryuji, when are you coming over to play? Let me tell you! I'm a very popular teacher who's very popular with the students now." As he spoke, Onizuka Eikichi glanced at Ikari Shinji a few times. Ikari Shinji gave him a speechless sidelong glance. "Oh dear, Shinji-kun is such a shy good boy."

"Write down my phone number. We can talk on the phone later. Would you like to give the number to Shinji? I have something I want to talk to him about." Danma Ryuji shook his head. He could already imagine Shinji rolling his eyes over there. This kid was definitely capable of embarrassing others, but once he considered you a friend, he would help you with anything you needed without you even having to ask.

He had been discussing with Nagisa about not having enough money to stock up on inventory at the shop when Nagisa overheard them while he was waiting for his motorcycle to be repaired. Before his motorcycle was even finished, Nagisa arrived carrying a package. “Uncle Ryuji, this is 3 million yen. You never charge me for repairs, so consider this a little help. I’ll pay you back when I have the money, or just consider it as repair costs!”

I was thinking of refusing him, but then this brat flashed a cool smile and said, "Aren't we partners?! As my supporter, you can't do without money." To be honest, I was completely fooled by this rascal, and I have to admit I was incredibly touched!

"Hello, Uncle Ryuji?" Onizuka Eikichi didn't seem to care and handed the phone directly to Shinji Ikari. He figured his colleague probably had something important to tell Shinji. Anyway, there was still plenty of time. He had already memorized his colleague's phone number and could use the office phone to chat later.

"A couple of days ago, some government officials came to pick up your motorcycle. What happened? I sent them away first." Danji Long Er took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and said slowly. He was quite happy to hear news about his brother. After all, it was a pleasant surprise that this old rascal had found a decent job.

"Oh, yes." Shinji Ikari replied simply. "That's true. I've added a new department, NERV, and they're paying me a salary, which is pretty good. Oh, by the way, they seem to want you to move your shop here. They'll provide the shop or maybe they'll pay the rent for you." Shinji Ikari said this briefly on the phone. This was what Maya Ibuki had told him on the way here.

"Oh! Great! Ryuji's coming too? Really? We haven't seen each other in ages! Lots of people still enjoy riding motorcycles around here! I'll take him for a spin around the neighborhood." Onizuka Eikichi said with a grin, but to be honest, he was quite surprised that a special agent from a special department had come to his class.

Chairman Sakurai instructed Eikichi Onizuka that Shinji Ikari's academic performance was already good enough for direct admission to St. Lin High School, so there was no need to worry too much about Shinji. Just make sure the other students didn't bother Shinji, since... Class 3-4's situation was a bit special.

"I'll probably contact you, Uncle Ryuji. I've arranged for you to operate a Suzuki motorcycle dealership and a designated repair shop at my workplace. You might need to go for further training then," Shinji Ikari continued. According to Maya Ibuki, Vice Commander Fuyutsuki thought that Shinji's friend dared to stand up to a gun and refuse to hand over Shinji's belongings, which was commendable. Helping him out was only right, since NERV wouldn't be short of income anyway.

"..." Ryuji was stunned. Then he looked back at his shop, which had been renovated about a year ago, and then back at the telephone receiver. "Shinji, what's your opinion? You're part of this business too."

"Me? I suggest you come and take a look first. You can meet some friends and also check out the market here. Just walk around a few times at night, and you should be able to tell if you can make money. Besides, franchising and designated repair shops must be a bit difficult to get." Shinji tilted his head. This was something outside his area of ​​knowledge. For professional matters, you should ask the professionals.

“That’s absolutely true. Normally, even if I run a small business like this for twenty years, I still wouldn’t be able to get a franchise or designated repair shop.” Long Er gritted his teeth. He probably wouldn’t make much money even if he transferred this shop, but as a franchise, there are definitely requirements for inventory, manpower, shop size, and decoration! Even if NERV provides the shop, he still has to bear the cost of decoration and inventory himself. This is a huge opportunity, but the risk is very high.

"Don't worry too much about the money. As long as you sign a document, NERV can lend you initial funds without interest. But as for manpower... you must hire a designated person, do you understand?" Shinji Ikari curled his lip. There's never a free lunch; this is the price.

"Is it a dispatch, or their people?" Danma Ryuji quickly tapped his hand on the table, calculating this deal. There was no doubt that once he accepted it, it wouldn't be so easy to back out. But if he missed this opportunity, Danma Ryuji himself would never forgive himself.

"They say it's the employees' family members, but I can't verify it," Shinji Ikari said simply.

"It's worth it. Okay, I'll finish my work in the next couple of days and then come over here. I'll also ride the GSX1300R over for you. I guess you need it too."

"That's true, it's been so peaceful last night that I haven't been sleeping well!" Shinji Ikari said with a smile. "Do you need me to book a hotel for you?"

"No need, I can't afford to stay at the Suzuki Hotel. If it's convenient, I'll just stay at your place or Eikichi's. If not, I'll just find a small hotel. You can help me find one." As Shinji Ikari's friend, Ryuji Danma rented a mansion that was known as a haunted house for a very cheap price. He opened a shop on the first floor and lived on the second floor.

Shinji Ikari stayed for two nights, and supposedly killed quite a few things. He also had Ryuji plant some trees in the backyard, moved the kitchen to a different location, and the two of them dug a well in the yard together. Then he pointed out a spot for Ryuji to pile up his tools. As a result, Ryuji has been living comfortably ever since, and hasn't encountered any strange occurrences in the past few years. Moreover, the shop's business is doing well, otherwise he wouldn't be thinking about renovating and expanding the shop.

However, this also brought a side effect: Ryuji Danma started to believe in these superstitious things, and even helped Shinji Ikari get a few exorcism jobs. Some were genuinely haunted by ghosts, and some witnessed cursed spirits being marked, but most were just people who were too unlucky and were just overthinking things!

When you tell these guys you're fine, they not only won't believe you, but they'll also scold you for not being good enough. Shinji usually just says, "Ah, right, right! It must be because I'm not good enough."

Then they were made to go to the Onmyo-ryo (the Yin-Yang Bureau) and the Izumo Taisha (an organization that deceives outsiders), pay a sum of money, and bring back a Tranquilizing Talisman to burn and drink.

While it's true that you can't change your luck, it's a kind of comforting therapy that makes many people feel like it really works. Shinji Ikari, having received his commission, smiles silently, thinking, "Whatever makes you happy! I'll never lose out anyway."

"Okay, let me know when you're coming. You know my phone number." Shinji Ikari glanced at the unscrupulous teacher next to him, who was staring blankly at the word "franchise." This guy was also a motorcycle enthusiast, and he clearly knew exactly what benefits Ryuji Danma had received. This was not something that could be solved with just a few million.

“Okay! Give the phone to Eikichi!” Danma Ryuji said with a smile.

"Hey, Ryuji! You're about to strike it rich!" Onizuka Eikichi said with a look of surprise as he took the phone. Although he didn't know what kind of power Shinji Ikari was backing, a power that could easily grant franchise rights that ordinary people could never even dream of in their entire lives must be a powerful force that they looked up to.

Looking back, Shinji should have already left.

"Hey! He's very fast!"

"Shinji... stay away from him if nothing happens, but you can absolutely trust him if something does happen!"

"Ryuji...why do you say that?"

"He is an exorcist."

Chapter 18 Izumo no Okuni's Orders

Shinji Ikari slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out of the school gate. He looked left and right, because either the students in the home club had already gone home, or the students participating in club activities were sweating profusely in their respective clubs. So the gate of Seirin Academy was empty, which brought a simple problem: he couldn't even ask for directions.

"Ring...ring...ring..." Shinji Ikari's phone rang. He reached into his bag and pulled out his flip phone. Yes, flip phones were super popular around here. When Shinji went into the mobile phone store run by the service provider, the only phones on the package he bought were flip phones. Shinji didn't want to seem too strange, and besides, he didn't really have any particular issues with phones.

"Shinji-kun!" A pleasant female voice came through the earphone.

"Okuni-nee! What good news do you have for me?" Shinji Ikari's lips twitched. Izumo Okuni, seemingly an old monster, was the top shrine maiden of Izumo Taisha, the external branch of the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang). Her naginata dance, which should have been quite heroic, could make any male creature tremble. But if you thought this woman was just a pretty face, then you're doomed! Because in reality, this woman was a kind of information broker from the underworld. She didn't seem to be very strong in combat, but she was definitely very... well, you know.

As he spoke, Shinji Ikari quickly shook his head. Distracting thoughts! All distracting thoughts! What did this woman's age have to do with him? Did he really want to have something happen with an old woman old enough to be his grandmother? Evil thoughts, all evil thoughts!

"Oh~ Shinji Ikari transferred schools without telling me~ I'm so sad." Izumo Ikari said sweetly on the phone. She was extremely dissatisfied that her irresistible charm had failed to please Shinji Ikari. After meeting Shinji Ikari for the first time at Izumo Taisha, she originally planned to tease the seemingly shy Shinji Ikari. It would be even better if she could get some information out of him, since everyone was very curious about this young man who had suddenly appeared.

After sneaking into Shinji Ikari's room, they heard him muttering something on the roof beam: "Grandma! Grandma! Grandma, seventy or eighty-year-old grandma..."

Very well, from that day on, Izumo no Okuni felt that she and Shinji Ikari had a deep-seated grudge! "I'm in the prime of my life, and you're imagining me as an old woman! This isn't over until you kneel at my feet and apologize!"

However, this also drew special attention to Shinji Ikari. His terrifying mission completion rate and speed, as well as his ruthless attitude towards mission execution, were remarkable. After all, it was the first time Okuni had ever witnessed a boy who could approach a disheveled, tearful, pitiful girl disguised in human skin and then kill her with a single punch without hesitation. Many exorcists who had reached middle age and experienced countless battles had fallen because of these seemingly insignificant details.

"Get to the point! Can you, Okuni-nee? I didn't really transfer schools. My student status is still at Nakiri Private Middle School." Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes. He didn't want to chat with this woman too much. After all, who knew if she was hiding somewhere, secretly watching him with her phone? If his expression was off, he would definitely see a photo of her the next day. Information brokers, none of them are good people.

"Alright, alright, Shinji-kun doesn't even want an old, faded woman like me anymore. I'm so heartbroken..." Izumo no Okuni sighed. "You're in Hakone right now, right? There's a minor E-rank mission near Mount Kintoki. The mission has been assigned to you, but according to the description, it could escalate into a D or even C-rank encounter with an evil spirit at any time. At your little motorcycle's speed, you should be able to get there quickly."

"From E to C? What happened?" Shinji Ikari was extremely curious. Although he often encountered junior officers who made mistakes in classifying cases due to unfamiliarity with their duties or insufficient rank, Shinji immediately understood why Okuni, the top shrine maiden of Izumo Taisha, had come looking for him. There was no other reason; his commission was the lowest, and he was one of the few people in the vicinity who had handled high-level paranormal cases…

"Someone witnessed the spirit of the deceased, and then several people went missing, including one who drove away. The car has been found, but we don't know if it was a prank or if there really were some bored evil spirits who left a circle of bloody handprints on it," Izumo no Okuni said casually. But Shinji Ikari could just imagine the little policeman who almost wet his pants in fright and then rubbed salt into his wounds.

"Alright, let's make it clear first, it's the same as before, right?" Shinji Ikari nodded, a smile playing on his lips. Although Izumo no Okuni was a very difficult woman, and indeed gave Shinji a lot of headaches, ... this Izumo no Okuni was now Shinji's partner!

"I'll help you, you help me~" Izumo no Okuni said with a smile. Although these words came from Shinji Ikari's mouth, Izumo no Okuni felt that they had a Zen-like truth to them, so he used them as his own catchphrase. "See you in half an hour~"

"So fast!" Shinji Ikari said in disbelief. It's not a short distance from Izumo Taisha to here. Can this woman really fly? But why don't I feel curious at all?

"Oh~ because I originally came to give Shinji-kun a big surprise! I left a little surprise in your new little place~ You're welcome!" After saying this, Izumo no Okuni hung up the phone, and Shinji Ikari suddenly felt a headache coming on.

"What the hell is this?!" Shinji Ikari stared at the phone in his hand. This assignment came very suddenly, and he needed to go and check it out. He had already agreed with Misato Katsuragi that he would go home and tidy up his room after school today, so Shinji could arrange his own things tonight and didn't need to report to the NERV base. After that, he would have to report to NERV every afternoon after the two classes unless there were special circumstances.

"Eh... there's no car..." Shinji Ikari frowned. This wasn't Tokyo, where taxis were everywhere. He'd probably have to figure out how to get home first and then see if he could borrow a bicycle from someone downstairs. Otherwise... Shinji thought for a moment. It didn't seem too far. Should he run there?

I hope that when Uncle Ryuji comes over, he can ride his motorcycle over first, so that I can move around more easily and avoid this awkward situation. I should have just let Misato Katsuragi take my luggage and ride back by herself.

As for how Izumo no Okuni got into his house, and whether the NERV intelligence point below would discover anything, ha, he's still far from his former peak. He can already easily evade their eyes and ears. For them to discover Izumo no Okuni, who even Shinji Ikari finds elusive, is going to be extremely difficult...

The last time he planned to bring his girlfriend home, Izumo no Okuni was cooking for him in an off-the-shoulder shrine maiden outfit. Then his girlfriend smiled and turned away... He sighed and walked back, unable to coax her back no matter what he did, only to find Izumo no Okuni stirring a pot of boiling water with a spoon. That damn woman! But when he opened the door, her domestic demeanor stunned him! If it weren't for that time Izumo no Okuni gave him a commission to upgrade from E to C rank, he definitely wouldn't have let it go so easily!

"Shinji!" Someone called Shinji Ikari's name. Shinji turned around and looked in the direction of the school. Eikichi Onizuka walked over excitedly. "Exorcist? Jujutsu master?"

"Ah...yes!" Shinji Ikari had some expectation that Ryuji Danma would tell Eikichi Onizuka about his identity. He wasn't particularly concerned, but knowing that Eikichi Onizuka knew some things would be beneficial for him in the future when he needed to respond to emergencies.

"That's so cool!" Onizuka Eikichi handed a bunch of keys to Shinji Ikari. "Here, Ryuji asked me to lend you my treasure first! By the way, is your line of work profitable? If it is, remember to take me with you! Back in the day, I was known as the powerful exorcist who would make Kichijoji's demons tremble!" Onizuka Eikichi said happily, while showing off his arms and striking a pose with his well-developed biceps.

"So you really want to see the truth of this world?" Shinji Ikari laughed. Although there weren't many troubles at St. Forest Academy because of its strict school spirit, sometimes, in this era of spiritual energy revival, people's bad imaginations, coupled with a little resentment, could lead to some troubles.

"The key is making money?! I heard from Ryuji! You're making a lot of money here!" Onizuka Eikichi laughed and tightened his grip on her arm. "Private First Class Onizuka Eikichi is ready to serve you at any time!"

"Not bad, but... never mind, I'll take you to see it sometime, and you'll understand. Being able to live a peaceful life in this world is an absolutely wonderful thing." Shinji Ikari shook his head. Your salary as a teacher is already quite high; normally, you could easily settle down and start a family in Hakone! In a sense, you can see this from Eikichi Onizuka's rapidly expanding fortune on the rooftop. Clearly, this money wasn't being used for good.