Chapter 211 243: The Kiss Under the Moon

"Why hasn't Shinji come back yet?"

At that same moment, just one wall away, the room next door was packed with people. Chihaya Rin, Hikari Horaki, Ibuki, and even Misato and Ritsuko, who should have been handling the aftermath, were all there.

Everyone was scattered around the room; the coffee table was covered in drinks and snacks, and a few girls were fiddling with musical instruments.

That's right—Astartes do not have the habit of giving up once a mission is accepted. This is why they seamlessly switch from one battle to the next. Since Shinji had agreed to the "birthday party" side quest, he wouldn't abandon it just because the Bird Angel had appeared.

Only he could pull off two completely opposite styles of missions back-to-back.

The atmosphere was quite good. They decided to combine it with the victory celebration as well. Under normal circumstances, Shinji would have refused, saying, "There is no need to celebrate for this intensity of combat," but most people just wanted an excuse to gather and have fun.

Once everyone arrived, Shinji went to the room next door to call Asuka. The result? He had been gone for a full fifteen minutes.

"Asuka is very hard to comfort today. Honestly, this is beyond my expectations. I thought I would have to let the 'Integrity/Psychology Department' step in." Akagi Ritsuko drank her beer, picking up a piece of barbecue from the table with a toothpick.

Because of the Bird Angel, there was no chance of going to a high-end restaurant. In fact, this frozen food was the original specialty of Misato's house.

"Does NERV even have that department?" Misato muttered beside her. She didn't want to call them tax thieves, so she asked in a low voice, "Hey, is it really okay to do this?"

She stared with her eyes at the blue-haired girl not far away. Rei Ayanami was fiddling with an instrument along with her friends, but even a blind person could see that her mind was elsewhere.

Usually, she and Asuka were inseparable; people who didn't know better would think they were the best of friends.

"Of course it's fine. Besides teaching Rei 'mutual benefit,' I also told her what fairness means. It's only been fifteen minutes, what are you panicking about?"

"But I just feel that doing this isn't very good."

"Don't interfere. This is the critical moment for the 'Ikari Shinji Instrumentality Project.' If your conscience gets the better of you, you'll regret it later."

Misato shut her mouth. She knew Ritsuko had bad intentions in proposing this plan, but the result was beneficial to everyone, so she had no reason to intervene.

Thus, she drank her beer while pricking up her ears to listen for any movement from the room next door. However, the boys playing games were too loud, causing her to hear nothing. She rested her chin on her hand, using lip-reading to interpret the conversation of the girls.

"Really? Congratulations, Rei." Hikari Horaki looked pleasantly surprised; she had clearly heard that Rei's confession had been successful that afternoon, and her eyes turned red.

"Thank you, Class Rep, but why are you crying?"

"Wuwu, just think of it as a mother seeing her daughter grow up. It hasn't been easy, has it?"

Not to mention the Class Rep, Chihaya Rin and Ibuki were also about to cry.

'Oh heavens, it finally succeeded. Do you know how hard this was for us?'

If they didn't teach her, Rei would be a blockhead forever; if they did teach her, she was prone to going off the rails. To prevent her from becoming completely blackened, how many strategy meetings did they hold after school?

'Is it that exaggerated?'

Rei tilted her head in confusion. Her growth was linear, not some "deus ex machina" moment where she suddenly turned from a blank sheet of paper into something colorful. She didn't feel much of a change, though she knew her completion was the result of everyone's efforts.

Shinji allowed her to take the first step. The Class Rep, Chihaya, Misato, and even Asuka—everyone helped her in their daily lives. It was this constant collision of emotions that birthed a Rei Ayanami who had never existed even in Kaworu's dreams.

"Thank you all. On this special day, I have finally attained completion." Rei bowed solemnly. Today was indeed very special.

At the age of fifteen, she fulfilled her greatest wish and achieved completion. The current Rei Ayanami had no traces of Lilith left; she was a pure, happy, and satisfied human being.

The others didn't understand what "completion" meant, but they knew Rei was very happy; that passion for life could not be concealed.

"It's so amazing. I can barely remember the Rei from the very beginning."

"Yeah, I remember there was a good half-year where she didn't say a single word to anyone in class."

"She was like an exquisite doll. I invited her to lunch, and she wouldn't even look at me."

"Right, right. I don't think I ever saw her eat lunch. She just took pills whenever she was free."

The Class Rep and the others chattered, digging up old stories. Rei's face flushed slightly. Not to mention them, even she couldn't remember what she used to be like. She only remembered that everything was gray, and the only light was Gendo Ikari.

Living in an abandoned apartment, sitting alone in the corner of the classroom forever, the world having nothing to do with her—she just needed to be a doll, following the script to step onto the altar when the time was right.

That was the life of "Rei Ayanami," a fate decided at birth. It sounded tragic, but what was more tragic was that the original her didn't even understand what "life" was.

"Lilith created humanity, and everyone created the current me." She placed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart beating powerfully. The sound of music and game effects in her ears were so pleasant, and the air was filled with the scent of "life."

Life should be this way. I am no longer a doll, nor should I be a doll. I can now say goodbye to the past, and I am only one step away from eternal happiness.

Everyone watched Rei, who was smiling broadly. No one disturbed her; they could even feel the resonance of that happiness.

It was so beautiful. This was what humans looked forward to most. Why chase after a gray, obscure, and cruel world? For her first birthday, Rei had the perfect birthday.

She could play with her friends in the future, have a lover, and from then on... wait, no.

Chihaya Rin frowned slightly, finding Rei a bit special. She had achieved completion, but she wasn't the only one.

"Hey, Shinji-kun went next door to call Asuka. Why hasn't he returned?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the smile on Rei's face froze, and she felt the angry gazes of the crowd.

'You always have to touch on the sore spot. You really are a jinx.'

"Uh, I was just asking."

"Shut up." Hikari shoved a pile of potato chips into this blockhead's mouth and asked with some concern, "Rei, is it really okay?"

She had high emotional intelligence and could naturally see that Rei had done this on purpose; otherwise, she could have found any excuse to follow him.

"It's fine. Asuka also helped a lot. I don't want to hurt her. Besides, Ritsuko taught me fairness. I have no qualification and no ability to monopolize Shinji-kun's glory."

The expression was strange, but the meaning was clear. They looked at each other, thinking their cute friend must have been fooled by Dr. Akagi, but they couldn't refute her. Having constantly shown Rei harem anime, they didn't seem to have the qualification to refute her anyway.

"Do you feel unwilling?"

"A little bit, but that is Shinji-kun; there's no help for it." Rei seemed very reasonable and added, "I have to look at it rationally. Having one more person to help is good. After the final battle, I must keep Shinji-kun by my side, otherwise, everything will be in vain."

'This self-gaslighting is amazing. She even convinced herself.'

The others didn't know what "the final battle" was, nor did they know Shinji would face a choice, but they knew what kind of world they were in. Don't look at them forming bands, playing games, and traveling—the annoying Angels would always remind everyone of one truth:

This is a cruel mecha anime, not a lighthearted school comedy. The main mission is always monster hunting.

Alright, the situation is indeed special, but the plot is still a bit weird. The girls felt that this was leaving an opportunity for Asuka, though they didn't know if she would be up to the task. But since Asuka was also a good friend, they couldn't say anything. Since that was the case, let's put aside the stomach-churning complex emotional lines and just gossip.

"Rei, tell us, how did you confess?" Chihaya asked excitedly. Now, only this pink-haired girl was left single.

"I just made something, gave it to Shinji-kun, and then at his happiest moment..." Rei opened her mouth with some shame. She was the exact opposite of Asuka; the latter was losing her self-esteem, while she was learning this troublesome thing.

The routine was old, but the process couldn't be learned.

The more they heard, the more they felt something was off. Giving a gift to the boy you like and confessing at the same time was a stale routine, but the process wasn't right. Who had the patience to spend months making a set of power armor, and what the heck is "share your glory"? Is this even a confession line for an earthling?

"Uh, you... no, Shinji-kun needs completion. We can't learn this routine of yours, but you really put your heart into it. That power armor sounds hard to make." Chihaya scratched her head and, under the warnings of her friends, asked:

"And then? What did you do after confessing?"

"Just listened to Shinji-kun tell stories. Didn't I want to share his glory? Then the Angel attacked, and I followed him to fight."

Alright, this didn't follow the script either. It seemed those anime wouldn't have "Angel attacks," but wasn't it a bit wrong to just listen to stories?

The group scratched their heads simultaneously, suddenly remembering they hadn't taught Rei what to do after. But did such things need them to teach her hand-in-hand?

"And the KISS?"

"What KISS?" Rei looked confused.

"Shinji-kun accepted your confession; didn't you take the opportunity to kiss him?"

'Hmm? Isn't it supposed to be "minting coins" after establishing a relationship? How did a middle step appear? And Shinji-kun was wearing heavy power armor at the time; I couldn't kiss him.'

They stared at each other. About three seconds later, Rei stood up hurriedly.

'Crap, I don't understand, but someone else does.'

"What is Rei in such a rush for?" Misato didn't know if she had drunk too much beer, but her cheeks were slightly red. She had read the lips, and she felt ten years younger.

'It's so good. If I weren't still in this uniform, I'd have thought I was in a school romance anime.'

"She learned what is called 'progressive steps,' letting Shinji-kun experience a complete romance. This is also part of the plan." Ritsuko said as if she knew everything, gently lifting her coffee.

"Things in the world are unpredictable. The closer to the cruel ending, the more interesting this great drama becomes. I find it amazing every time I think of it."

Generally, the closer to the end, the heavier the atmosphere—all conflicts have been triggered, everyone has fallen into the vortex of collapse—but the scene before her was the opposite. Nothing else to say.

To life, to Shinji.

To the Emperor.

'I really need to learn.'

Just as Ritsuko was paying tribute to the Emperor, Rei had already hurried to the entrance, wishing she could slap herself twice to correct her behavior.

She truly didn't want to hurt Asuka and needed more "anchors" to keep Shinji by her side, but that didn't mean she was admitting defeat.

It turned out the war hadn't ended; it had just entered a new stage, and everyone was back at the starting line. How could she let Asuka's progress surpass her own? Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel some regret.

'Was I gaslit by Ritsuko? How could I have left such an obvious flaw?

I am grateful to Asuka, and I treat her as a companion, but when it comes to Shinji-kun, we are separate matters.'

She hurriedly put on her shoes and opened the door. Turning right for five meters was Misato's house. Rei stopped in front of the door, her raised hand suspended in mid-air. For a moment, the boomerang she threw actually flew back and struck her own head.

That's right—a few hours ago, a certain orange-haired girl had stood in front of the door just like this, not knowing whether to knock. Of course, Rei was much purer than her; she didn't have a head full of messy fantasies. In a few seconds, she had even thought of what the kids would call her—Auntie.

Just as she hesitated for a moment, her fist moved slightly, but she didn't knock because the door opened by itself.

The night wind blew the long blue hair and also blew the orange twin-tails inside the door. The two girls stared at each other through the open doorway, an unknown amount of information flowing between the blue and red eyes.

Asuka's first reaction was surprise, as if she had been caught doing something shameful. Then, she felt a bit of gratitude; she had already heard from Shinji that everyone was waiting for her next door. Rei had clearly left the opportunity on purpose.

With such complex emotions lingering in her heart, she slowly opened her mouth, not knowing what to say. Finally, her eyes curved like crescent moons, revealing an ambiguous smile similar to a "W".

'Withdraw what I said before. I really do want to kill you.'

This smile immediately ignited Rei's murderous intent. She didn't hope for the twin-tailed loser to be thankful, but this "guess what" expression was extremely infuriating.

She knew clearly that this was the opening move of "German Winning Theory." Asuka wouldn't only mock her; she simply couldn't hide secrets.

"Want to know? Beg me, and I'll tell you."

"Don't want to."

"Don't be like that. Didn't you ask me to guess what happened between me and Shinji in the breakroom before? I have absolutely no interest now."

Rei's eye twitched. Shinji didn't even use the word "idiot" as a qualifier anymore.

"Because, I have already..."

"Enough." A hand pressed on her head. Shinji decisively walked out and glared at her, knowing how annoying this girl could be.

Five hours ago, she was still anxious, afraid to even ask. Half an hour ago, her persona had collapsed, looking hopeless. In the blink of an eye, she became full of energy and arrogant again. Such a fast emotional shift was indeed interesting.

Rei was much more indifferent, just coldly watching Shinji with a pair of scarlet eyes.

"It's a draw," Shinji said flatly, and he saw those eyes close slightly.

'Is that so?' An expected answer. Just like what I said to the Class Rep, even if I feel unwilling, this is necessary. With my power alone, I cannot keep Shinji-kun.

The girl activated her self-PUA program, but someone else couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Draw, my foot! I clearly won; I was the one who confessed first."

"By drawing straws and speaking German?"

"Mind your own business! Confessing is about conveying feelings; does the format matter? Besides, Shinji understood it; what's the difference?"

That seemed to have some truth to it.

Rei was silent, but she didn't care about that. The important thing was whether Shinji responded. In any case, Asuka was hours later than her.

"Aren't you angry?"

"Why should I be angry?"

"Ahhh, you blockhead, you are really boring! Shinji just said it's very interesting being with me."

"Shinji-kun also said he prefers a quiet life; noise and bustle are just a supplement."

"Hey, did you really say that!?" Asuka turned her head bitterly. Seeing Shinji nod lightly, she gritted her teeth. Since you are so indifferent, don't blame me for using my ultimate move.

"Hehe, you don't know yet, I just did this to this guy..."

"Enough. Why can't I stop you when you start acting like this?" Shinji had a headache too. Asuka was clearly getting carried away. Didn't she see that Rei's eyes had lost their luster? "Don't keep everyone waiting. You two are the protagonists today; there are only ten minutes until midnight."

"Uh, okay, I'm starving to death anyway." Asuka took emergency measures, truly feeling a bit scared. But just as she turned around, her peripheral vision caught the blue hair fluttering.

Rei ran toward Shinji like a sprint. The Astartes' strong reflexes made him turn instantly, lower his center of gravity, and use his dynamic vision to predict the attacker's trajectory, but he didn't take action because he had just completed desensitization training not long ago.

Rei didn't have Asuka's momentum of wanting to smash her head against a wall; she just threw herself out without any scruples. Her raised hands hugged Shinji's neck, and the cold face under the moonlight was slightly blushing.

Different fragrance, different touch.

If Asuka radiated heat all over, then Rei was filled with coldness. She didn't cling to Shinji like an octopus; she just brought her slightly red face up.

The petite, exquisite mouth pressed against his. It was because he had just completed the desensitization training that Shinji didn't dodge this "headbutt" attack. Asuka had also done it before, and he had dodged those consecutive attacks with agile head movements like a boxer, until someone let out a roar of "If you dodge again, I'll die," which finally let her have her way.

'It really is different. There's a cool touch. It's not as hot as Asuka, and she isn't as nervous, but my feedback is the same: heartbeat acceleration, logical thinking being interfered with. Even steel shows signs of melting.

Right, this body, without surgical suppression, has started to have instinctive reactions.'

Shinji wasn't like an ordinary boy who would turn red. Even at a time like this, he could rationally examine the changes in his body, just like a scientist observing cell data under a microscope.

Rationality quickly disappeared during this interaction. As a clumsy tongue pried open his teeth, instinctive desires amplified rapidly; his heartbeat accelerated further, his body temperature began to rise, and his willpower was calling to "mint coins for the Emperor."

'No wonder Astartes need surgery to suppress instincts; mortals are indeed too fragile. Once the bonfire of emotions is piled up, it only takes a spark of desire, and even someone as firm as me would be ignited by the fire of minting coins.

No, for ordinary mortals, it seems no emotion is needed; instinct represents everything. If there were no surgical suppression, the Chapter would quickly degenerate. After all, 40K doesn't have a peaceful environment like this.

I actually want to mint coins for the Emperor. Truly... what loyalty.'

Shinji was perhaps the first man on Earth who could observe his body's changes and ponder profound philosophy while a girl offered him a passionate kiss.

Rei's brain was a blank slate. She didn't know what a "KISS" was. Chihaya had sent her relevant study materials, and she had blushed for a long time studying them on screen. Now, she was following the book, only to find that she didn't need to study at all—some things were carved deep into her genes.

Asuka's brain was also blank. From her perspective, the scene before her was absolutely beautiful.

In the dim corridor, the girl threw herself at the boy. Her waterfall-like long hair spread out behind her like ribbons. The bright moon was hanging high behind the two of them, making them look as if they were kissing under the moon. The white moonlight spilled on them, giving them a hazy sense of romanticism.

'So beautiful.'

Asuka widened her eyes. A second later, she woke up as if electrocuted.

'Beautiful my foot! I am the bystander perspective! And when I kissed the blockhead Shinji just now, why was it full of humor? I remember it took four or five attacks to hit the target, which used up all the shame I had accumulated for ten years! And why didn't this blockhead dodge this time?'

Two world-famous paintings were being staged in this ordinary corridor at the same time. The "Kiss Under the Moon" was enough to make magazine headlines, and of course, "The Runaway Twin-Tailed Loser" was equally impressive.

"Both of you, get off!" Asuka stepped forward and pushed them apart with both hands. This made Shinji, who was still savoring it, frown and made Rei, who was immersed in the wonderful feeling, stare coldly.

Caught in a pincer attack—on any other day, Asuka would have hugged her head and crouched in defense, but today, she didn't know how many layers of BUFFs she had been granted; every cell was full of courage.

"You, you, you, you have no shame! I know about someone, turning off the lights—you actually dared to do this in front of me..."

"Is sneaking a head start something glorious?" Rei retorted without thinking, licking her lips by the way. "Besides, we are tied again."

"Nonsense! I didn't use my tongue at all!"

"Huh? You don't use your tongue when KISSING? The study material Chihaya gave me didn't say that."

'Huh? Am I supposed to use my tongue?'

Asuka was stunned. Then she realized that wasn't the point. That stunning scene was flashing back in her mind. She turned her head and looked at Shinji, stepping back, getting ready for a run-up.

"No way. You stand there and don't move; I want to replicate it too."

Shinji took a deep breath. With this troublemaker stirring things up, he couldn't savor it anymore. Asuka was always able to stir up the atmosphere, filling the originally ambiguous, beautiful atmosphere with a joyful taste.

This delayed them for another five minutes.

He turned around and pulled the door open to the sound of Asuka's "Don't you dare run away!" Instantly, a crowd poured out like sardines in a can. This group wasn't deaf; they had long been pressing their ears against the door to eavesdrop, but they couldn't fool Shinji.

Shinji looked at the grinning crowd and then pointed to the sides of the corridor—all the neighbors had come out.

This apartment building was a NERV employee dormitory; the neighbors naturally knew each other, but everyone's expression was surprisingly consistent—all the legendary "auntie smiles."

"Are you sure you want to replicate it? It doesn't matter to me."

Asuka looked around, her scalp tingling. Perhaps she was destined to be socially dead today, but even the strongest BUFF had its limits. Under the moonlight, her face turned completely red. Rei, who was beside her, wasn't any better, also blushing from head to toe.

Under the gaze of such a crowd, only Shinji could remain calm. This was what you call "If I'm not embarrassed, others will be." He could sense that these gazes were full of envy, jealousy, joy, and blessings. Humanity's rich emotions erupted here at this moment.

"There are three minutes left. Aren't you two going to perform the final ceremony?"

"What's the final ceremony?"

"Nonsense, didn't you say the most important thing about a birthday is to make a wish?"

Asuka remembered, but being watched by so many people, she felt so embarrassed. This blockhead Shinji's "efficiency disease" had flared up again. But she looked aside; Rei had already closed her eyes and started making a wish.

"Wait for me, there isn't even a birthday candle here... sigh, whatever."

She lowered her head, hands placed on her chest. In the dark, her wish actually coincided with Rei's.

'I hope it can be like this next year, too. I hope the blockhead Shinji can stay with me forever.'

The hot girl, the cold maiden—Shinji watched them and couldn't help but raise his hands.

"Happy fifteenth birthday."

By the corridor, on the stairs, and in front of the doors, the crowd also clapped. At this moment, there was no need for a cake, nor for candles. The form had become completely meaningless.

"Omedetou, Rei."

"Omedetou, Asuka."

(Omedetou=Congratulations)