Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Practice ❯ Curly and Moe ( Chapter 9 )

“Ohayo, Misato-san!” Kensuke greeted as the Major opened the door.

“Ohayo, Kensuke-kun, Toji-kun.” Misato said before turning and calling “Shinji!” over her shoulder.

“I'm coming, I'm coming.” Shinji said around a mouthful of something, and the sound of a chair being scraped across the floor could be heard.

“Take your time, Shin-man, we're not going anywhere.” Toji called out.

Misato smirked at the boy's veiled attempt to stay in her presence some more. “So what's going on at school these days?” Misato said, making small talk.

“Just the same old stuff... Rumour has it there's a new student in our P.E. class.” Toji answered.

“Oh? Who's that?”

“A gymnast, I think it was.” Kensuke piped in. “What was her name... Shimano something or other.”

“Shimano Motowa?” Misato asked, the smile on her face broadening with each passing second.

“That's it. How do you know her name?”

Shinji burst into the hallway at that moment, clutching his briefcase in one hand and still eating a piece of toast with the other. “I'll let Shinji explain that one to you.” Misato said, shifting her gaze to Shinji.

Shinji stopped in mid-bite, the piece of toast hanging from his mouth. “Whhph?” He said.

“Don't worry about it, Shinji. Have a good day at school.” Misato said, getting out of the doorway and squeezing by Shinji to head back to the kitchen.

“O-okay, `bye, Misato.” Shinji said in a wary tone before walking out the door. “What...?” Shinji began, turning his attention to the second and third parts of the Three Stooges.

“We're not exactly sure either.” Toji said, casting a confused look in the general direction of the kitchen before Shinji closed the door.

The three turned and walked to the elevator. “You heard the rumour about the new student in our P.E. class?” Kensuke asked.

“No, who is it?” Shinji said.

“She's a gymnast, from what we've heard.” Toji explained. “Her name is--”

“Shimano Motowa.” Shinji finished, making the other two blink.

“Yeah, that's her. You know her?”

“You could say that.” Shinji said with a smirk.

“So what's she like? Is she pretty?” Kensuke asked.

“Down, boy.” Shinji teased. “Yeah, she's pretty. She almost looks like she's related to Misato.”

Kensuke and Toji both raised their eyebrows. “Wow...” Kensuke said, hearts practically in his eyes already.

“I also have it on good authority that she's also taken.” Shinji said, and watched Kensuke and Toji deflate like a balloon.

“Whose authority is that?” Toji asked.

“That would be mine.” a familiar voice said in front of them.

Shinji looked ahead to see that Motowa was leaning against the wall beside the elevator. “And who are you?” Toji asked.

“The Shimano Motowa you're talking about.” Motowa replied.

“...Oh. Hello, Shimano-san.”

Shinji laughed. “You know, if you backpedal any faster you're going to go right through my apartment's door.” He said, making Kensuke and Motowa laugh.

They all got into the elevator and Shinji, being the closest one to the panel, pressed the button for the ground floor. “So, go ahead and introduce me.” Motowa said to Shinji.

“Huh? Oh, right... Motowa, this is Suzuhara Toji, and Aida Kensuke.”

“Nice to meet you.” They both chorused.

“Thanks, it's good to meet you two.”

“Shinji's right, you do look like Misato-san.” Kensuke commented.

“Motowa blinked. “Who's that?”

“Shinji's babe of a guardian.” Toji piped up, earning a dark glare from the Third Child.

“Oh... um, thank you very much.” Motowa said, a delicate blush coming across her features.

“Now look what you've done,

you've embarrassed her.” Shinji said.

“No no, I'm not embarrassed...” Motowa reassured Shinji. “It's just that I'm not used to such compliments...”

“You're not? I was just thinking, you must get them all the time.”

“No, back when I was in elementary school I was one of the biggest bully's favorite targets. He always used to call me the “ugly duckling”, and everyone else started to as well...” Motowa trailed off, her eyes downcast.

Oh, no... Shinji thought. That's why she reacted how she did when I told her she was beautiful in the practice room. Shinji walked over to Motowa and wrapped her up in a hug. “It's alright, Motowa. The ugly duckling grew up into a beautiful swan... don't ever forget that.”

Motowa nodded. “I know. I know... it's just hard sometimes to keep from dwelling on the past.”

The ding of the elevator reaching its destination startled everyone in the elevator, and Shinji broke the embrace. The four walked out, Shinji giving Kensuke a withering look as he passed. “So,” Shinji said, trying to change the subject, “shall we tell him who your boyfriend is?”

Motowa shook off the worst of her lapse into depression and laughed. “You mean you haven't yet? They must be dying of curiosity.” She replied.

“Well, we didn't want to be rude.” Toji said. “Do we know him?”

Shinji grinned like the cat that ate the canary while Motowa said “You could say that,” glancing at Shinji.

Toji and Kensuke looked at Shinji, then at Motowa, then at Shinji again before their shoulders slumped in unison. “Oh, say it ain't so, Shinji!” Kensuke said.

Shinji mimed playing the violin, attempting to put on a soulful expression and failing miserably. “I'm afraid it is.” He said.

“You're breaking my heart, Shin-man!” Toji said as they walked out of the lobby of the apartment building and onto the street.

“Better me than her.” Shinji offered. “Wow, is it ever hot today.”

“Yeah, isn't it great?” Motowa said, shielding her eyes with one hand while looking up at the sky.

“You like weather this hot?” Toji said, already wilting under the harsh glare of the sun. “It must be forty degrees out!”

“Ah, a little sunlight never hurt anyone.”

“Except skin cancer victims.” Kensuke muttered to himself.

“So get a parasol. Vitamin D's good for you, you know. Oh, speaking of outside, Shinji, since I've got my gym uniform with me, I can show you some of the finer points of parkour after school.”

“Per what?” Toji asked confusedly.

“Parkour. It's...” Motowa thought about how to explain to Toji and Kensuke, and for that matter, Shinji, what parkour was. “...something you kind have to see to understand.”

“Sure, I have nothing to do after school today.” Shinji said.

“You're welcome to come and watch as well.” Motowa offered Toji and Kensuke.

“Sure...” Kensuke said warily, not exactly sure what he was agreeing to.

“I've got nothing better to do.” Toji added.

“Great.” Motowa said, a little eager to show off her athleticism. “So--er, um, never mind, I forgot I was transfered into your P.E. class last period today to we don't need to arrange to meet anywhere.”

“Right.” Shinji said, only just realizing that point himself. “So what kind of stuff do you do when you do parkour?” Shinji asked, knowing that it would give Motowa a chance to enlighten the Three Stooges on what parkour was without sounding like she was bragging.

“I'd thought you'd never ask.” Motowa said with a grin. “Where to begin...”

---

Thanks to JErosion for reminding me that these two exist.

Thanks also to darkfriend for planting an idea in my head that will eventually shape most of the series that moves parallel to the anime plotline. Your point about Shinji's state of mind is a very good one, one that I hadn't even considered until I read it.

And finally, thanks to the readers for putting this fanfic over the 5,000-hit mark. You like me! You really like me!

Alright, I'll stop hamming it up and get to work on Chapter 10, tenatively titled “Pilots and Parkour II”.