Days passed one by one. For Shinji Ikari, these two weeks felt like a new lease on life.
Under the guidance of Teacher Hansen, his body visibly became stronger and tougher.
He was no longer the weak-willed boy who would fall over with a gust of wind; his gaze became resolute, and he seemed to possess an invisible spine within his body.
Suzuhara Toji and Aida Kensuke's attitude toward him also shifted from initial hostility and curiosity to genuine recognition and friendship.
They would walk arm-in-arm to the convenience store to buy popsicles, discuss which ramen shop was better, and talk about games and girls in their class, just like all ordinary high school boys.
At the center of all these changes, Hansen, the physical education teacher, became the school's most popular figure.
His handsome appearance, tall stature, and a teaching style that was both witty, humorous, and absolutely authoritative.
In just a few weeks, he captured the hearts of nearly all the girls in the entire school.
Every day, his desk was piled high with love letters and lunch boxes of all kinds.
During breaks, girls always found various excuses to coincidentally run into him.
"Teacher Hansen, this basketball seems flat. Could you take a look for me?"
"Teacher, I think I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much..."
"Teacher, these are cookies I made myself. Please, you must try one!"
"..."
Facing the passionate and direct advances of these adolescent girls, Hansen always handled it with practiced ease, maintaining his teacherly authority while politely declining with grace.
This result only made the girls more obsessed rather than disheartened.
Until one day.
During the break, two more fashionably dressed female students, blushing, blocked the entrance to the Physical Education office and handed a beautifully packaged pink envelope to Hansen.
"Teacher Hansen... this... please accept it!" The girl leading them blushed and offered the pink letter with both hands.
The cheers and teasing around them grew louder.
Just as Hansen was about to speak, a petite figure had quietly appeared beside him.
Rei Ayanami.
She was still wearing her slightly oversized school uniform, and her light blue hair looked especially soft in the sunlight.
She said nothing, only raising her head and staring calmly at the older girls with her pure, crimson eyes.
Yet, that calm gaze carried an invisible, suffocating pressure.
The two girls, who had been full of shyness moments before, stiffened when that gaze swept over them, and the blush instantly drained from their faces.
They felt like two noisy sparrows disturbing a lioness that was feigning sleep.
The chirping discussion came to an abrupt halt.
"W-we suddenly remembered we have something to do! We're leaving now!"
"S-sorry! Excuse us!"
The older girls practically fled in panic.
The office doorway instantly became quiet.
Hansen turned his head with interest, meeting the girl's upturned crimson eyes.
The girl's Eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she stated a fact in a completely flat tone: "They were too noisy. I dislike it."
A smile played on Hansen's lips.
This little sapling he personally nurtured was finally beginning to grow its own emotional branches.
She was no longer a tool that merely followed orders, but had begun to instinctively protect what she deemed important.
The transition from the 'Three Nos' Girl to an Ice Queen—a path he hadn't anticipated, but one that was exciting to contemplate.
Just then, a sharp, piercing alarm suddenly tore through the tranquil sky of Tokyo-3.
"Warning! The entire city is entering First Combat Readiness State! Citizens, please proceed immediately to the Underground Shelters!"
"Warning..."
The city's broadcast system began cycling cold instructions; this was the alarm for the highest state of emergency.
On the playground, everyone's smiles instantly froze.
The students, who had been laughing and playing, scattered in terror, and the entire campus descended into chaos.
Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami's bodies tensed almost simultaneously, and they looked at Hansen in unison.
The smile on Hansen's face slowly faded. He looked up toward the center of the city, his gaze calm and profound.
"It seems peaceful days are always brief."
He turned and looked at Rei Ayanami beside him and Shinji Ikari, who had rushed over immediately, displaying exceptional tactical awareness. His voice remained steady.
"Playtime is over."
"Come on, it's time to go to work."
The boy and the girl exchanged a look. "Yes!" x2
...The alarm, like an invisible behemoth, instantly swallowed all the peace and clamor of the city.
Laughing students, shoppers, busy employees... everyone's movements halted at that moment, their faces etched with panic.
The next second, the entire city seemed to come alive.
"Buzz—Buzz—"
Amidst the dull roar, skyscrapers slowly sank underground, replaced by cold alloy armor plates and densely packed turrets.
Roads cracked open, exposing massive armories and transport rails underneath.
Tokyo-3, the Fortress City built to intercept the Angel, shed its peaceful disguise and revealed its fearsome wartime configuration within minutes.
Amidst the chaotic crowd, the three of them stood still, like rocks in a torrent.
"You two, go to the entrance of Shelter Passage Number Three in the east. A special vehicle will be waiting for you there." Hansen's voice clearly reached Shinji and Ayanami, whose faces were pale with tension. "Never panic. Follow what I taught you during training: adjust your breathing and stay calm."
His calmness was like a powerful tranquilizer, instantly soothing the agitation in the hearts of the two teenagers.
Shinji and Rei Ayanami exchanged a look. "Yes!" x2
"Shinji! You can do it!" Suzuhara Toji shouted loudly at Shinji's retreating back.
"You must win!" Aida Kensuke also waved his fist.
Shinji looked back, nodding forcefully at his two friends, his eyes filled with unprecedented resolve.
He was no longer acting on his father's orders, nor was he being blindly pushed onto the battlefield.
This time, he was fighting to protect the vibrant lives behind him.
Immediately afterward, he didn't hesitate for a second, turning to follow Rei Ayanami's steps.
The two moved through the crowded masses with superhuman agility, sprinting toward the designated direction.
Watching the sprinting figures of the boy and girl, Hansen unhurriedly took out his phone and dialed Misato Katsuragi's number.
"It's me."
Misato's hurried but orderly commands came through the phone, with the background noise of loud alarms and rushing personnel.
"Mr. Hansen? What's the situation on your end? Shinji and Ayanami with you?"
"They are heading to the Rendezvous Point. Send me the real-time image of the Angel."
"Understood!"
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