Subject: [FFML][EVA][revised] Sweet Remembrance (final C&Cs needed for 2nd half)
From: AlphSailor@aol.com
Date: 10/19/1998, 2:00 AM
To: FFML@fanfic.com


A Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfic,
	Sweet Remembrance

Written by Sailor Alpha
<AlphSailor@aol.com>


All rights pertaining to Neon Genesis Evangelion and characters involved 
belongs to GAINAX/Project Eva * TV Tokyo * NAS. However, this fanfic is 
of my creation. It wouldn't be worth it to scold me for this because 
I'll keep on writing. ^_^

I apologize for the delay in revising this fanfic, but I had lot things 
to do. I'm hoping that someone would be kind enough to C&C this fanfic 
one more time (especially the second half of this fic), so I can fix it 
up before posting it. Thanks.
This is the fanfic I've always wanted to write, about Asuka (my favorite 
character) and Shinji. You can guess from my remark about what's going 
to happen.

Don't worry, this fanfic does not contain any spoilers for those who 
haven't seen any of NGE. Yes, you heard me right- *no* spoilers - so 
stop gawking! ^_^
This fanfic may or may not take place inside the continuity of EVA 
series. It's up to you.

-----------------------------


	"No, no, no. It wouldn't work, Hikari- Shinji and Asuka are like 
cats and dogs. They just don't mix."
	"Maybe they do. We just never know, do we?"

				-A conversation between Hikari and her friends



Sweet Remembrance

By Sailor Alpha



	"What is with these idiots, anyway?" Asuka muttered as she tore up 
yet another 'You're beautiful' et cetera card. She had lost count of 
cards she had received, along with occasional gifts which she promptly 
trashed. She let pieces of the card flutter to the ground as she turned 
to Hikari, who was jumping with delight.
	"I can't believe it! Toji actually asked me out for a date 
tonight!" The Class Representant held her card to her heart, smiling 
blissfully before regarding her friend with puzzlement. "What's the 
matter, Asuka?"
	Asuka pulled out the last of cards from her locker, gesturing to 
them as she spoke angrily, "It's these damned cards! They keep on piling 
up on me all the time, no matter what I do with them!"
	"Why? You should be happy! You should consider yourself lucky to 
receive this much attention. I wish I'd gotten as much attention as you 
do. Every girl in this school wishes the same, too."
	Asuka muttered as she dumped the torn remnants of cards into a 
nearby trash, "That's what you can think, Hikari! Boys are all idiots!"
	"But at least Toji's asking me out for a dinner." Hikari smiled 
broadly, hugging the invitation card to her heart. "What should I wear? 
Do you think he'd like the new dress I recently bought? You know, the 
green one with a pink bow?"
	The red-haired female shook her head sadly, "I still don't 
understand how you see in that simpleton..."
	The Class Representant raised her nose a bit, "At least he's 
decent enough to ask me out! You ought open yourself up once in a while. 
You'll be amazed at what happens. I'm going out to see Toji! See ya 
later!"
	She waved at her friend before she left through the exit. As the 
doors closed, Asuka heard a commotion outside. She sighed, it must be 
the boys again. She had been dogged by animals all day without mercy. 
One would think she was leading them on a wild goose hunt. Or to put it 
another way; she was leading a flock of geese.
	Asuka finished putting final touches on her school uniform and 
picked up her school briefcase, heading for the exit. When she opened 
the doors and looked out, she was suddenly greeted with white envelopes. 
More than two dozen boys had stacked up against the girls' locker room 
doors, waiting for her to come out. They waved their cards to Asuka, 
beggin her to accept them.
	Overwhelmed, she quickly retreated into the locker room again, 
slamming the door shut, but not before she kicked out two boys that 
managed to sneak past her. She realized that it would be impossible for 
her to escape boys. She was now trapped with no way out except the way 
she had tried to leave, and the boys knew it.
	Cards began to stack up under the door as Asuka frantically racked 
her brain for a way out. Disguise wouldn't work, the perverts kept track 
of whoever went into the locker room, hoping to catch a glimpse of girls 
at their most vulnerable moment. Thankfully it never happened to her. 
Since the boys knew she was the last one in the room, the idea wouldn't 
work. Besides, she had nothing to hide her auburn hair which flowed to 
her shoulders.
	She even considered waiting for the boys to depart, but gave the 
idea up when she saw how large the pile of  back and forth.
	As she was about give up and face the inevitable, she glimpsed a 
tiny window. An idea popped in her mind and she ran over to the window. 
Pushing it open, she peered out and saw that she was on the third floor, 
above the patch of overgrown weeds and flowers. It would be a tight 
squeeze, and her uniform would certainly get dirty. She didn't mind, 
"Better to have my clothes and hair dirty than go out and meet those 
perverts."
	After making sure that nobody was in the vicinity, she dropped her 
school briefcase to the ground and proceeded to exit the window. She 
decided to exit by feet-first, so she grabbed a nearby chair to assist 
her departure. 
	The window was smaller than she had thought; either that or she 
had grown a bit taller. She had a some difficulty in trying to squeeze 
her hips out of the frame. After few minutes and some grunting, she 
found herself holding on to the ledge, unsure about her choice. She was 
still pretty high and the ground didn't look soft enough. She heard 
something below her and glanced downwards. Shinji was walking below her.
	"Oh no, of all perverts--" Asuka grated when her fingers slipped 
and she fell.
	"Oh damn!"


	"Look out, you idiot!"
	Shinji was confused; there was nobody around him when he heard 
unusual noises. Then a familiar voice rang out. He instinctively glanced 
upwards and saw blue panties heading for him.
	The naive boy's eyes widened for a moment, realizing what he was 
seeing, before the girl landed on him. The force of Asuka's fall 
overpowered Shinji's light frame, driving him to the ground. He saw 
stars when his head knocked against the ground.
	Asuka groaned as she recovered from her fall and rubbed her sore 
ankle. She must've had twisted it when she hit... Shinji?! Her eyes 
snapped open as she realized what had happened and glanced over to 
Shinji's body. Sure enough the pervert had his head under her skirt.
	Incensed, she pulled her skirt away from Shinji's head, and 
screamed at the poor boy, "You pervert! You peeped up my skirt again!"
	Unfortunately (or should it be fortunately?) since Shinji was 
still seeing stars, he didn't hear Asuka's outburst. Still boiling red, 
she crawled over to the Child's face and saw that he was still knocked 
out. This infuriated her even further, "You're not getting away with it 
easily! Wake up, Shinji!"
	With that, she got up and sat over Shinji, pining his body between 
her legs and the ground. The redhead then grabbed his torso and started 
shaking him. She continued to rant even as she banged the boy against 
the ground, "Wake up, you pervert! I knew you were always peeping at me! 
Are you listening to me? WAKE UP!"
	Shinji's field of vision turned red as some object approached his 
eyes. "Whaaaa?" Shinji slurred.
	"Oh great, he's in a coma." Asuka grated and began slapping his 
face.
	"OW!" Jolted to reality with sudden pain, Shinji's eyes snapped 
open. And saw furious Asuka. His mind shifted gears as he began 
stuttering, "I-I'm sorry."
	"Sorry! That's what you always say! You won't be sorry-ing 
yourself out of this mess this time! Not when you keep peeping up under 
my skirt!"
	"What?" Shinji blinked, confused. He felt something else, then 
realized the predicament he was in and his face began to warm; Asuka was 
pinning him to the ground, her legs was hugging to his body warmly and 
her face was close to his face. Very close. Shinji was in a rather... 
unusual position, and apparently Asuka was unaware that she was 
subconsciously caressing him in this way, her hands clutching at his 
chest. He began feeling a tingling sensation somewhere down in his 
crotch...
	"What are you two lovebirds doing?" 
	Asuka snapped up to the source of the voice, dropping Shinji's 
head back to the ground. Somehow Toji and Hikari had stumbled upon them 
while she was grating the idiotic boy.
	"What are you doing here, Hikari?" Asuka asked her friend as she 
sat up.
	"I think I should be the one who should asking that question. What 
are *you* doing?" Hikari smiled mischievously.
	Asuka blinked for a moment, trying to grasp her meaning. She felt 
Shinji fidgeting under her body and looked back at Shinji who was 
blushing furiously and fidgeting, protesting loudly to Toji who was 
laughing.
	Hikari added, "It looks like you've been up to something..."
	"No!" Asuka yelped, realizing what she had been doing and 
scrambled off the boy. Her face burned crimson. She felt nauseated, but 
a part of herself had actually... enjoyed it. She pushed that feeling 
away. "No, that's not what it looks like!"
	"If that's so, then why did you do that?" Toji snickered. "I knew 
you two'd make a nice couple."
	"You've got it wrong!" Asuka got to her feet, protesting and 
gesturing to the third floor window above, "I fell on top of Shinji!"
	"Come on, don't be embarrassed! We know what you're trying to--" 
	Realizing the implications her friend was about to say, Asuka 
quickly clamped her hands over Hikari's mouth with a look of fear in her 
face. She then whispered something into her friend's ear. After few 
moments, Hikari nodded and she let go of her friend hesitantly. Hikari 
only giggled, "Oh you mean--?" Asuka shushed her.
	Ignoring the girls, Toji walked over to Shinji and knelt beside 
him, "So how did it go?"
	Shinji blushed again, stammering, "It's not like that..."
	But Toji continued to press him and Shinji was becoming even more 
uncomfortable than he had been with Asuka few minutes ago. 
	"Oh really? I could've sworn that you were..."
	Asuka chose this opportunity to interrupt the conversation and 
kick Shinji in his shins. Shinji winced in pain and she replied hotly, 
"That's for you-know-what! If you ever do that again, you'll be sorry!"
	Turning around to face Toji, she slapped him across the face. 
Incensed at Asuka's deliberate attack, Toji stood up to Asuka, "What the 
hell was that for?!"
	Asuka only shrugged. "I wanted to." She retorted.
	She gave him a cold shoulder and began pulling Hikari along with 
her from the place. She didn't get far with her friend when Toji accused 
her of being a bitch and something else which would have better left 
unsaid. What followed was repeated sounds of contact between two flesh 
that left Toji with multiple red marks on his face. Asuka then shoved 
him over Shinji, who was still on the ground, and who Toji fell over.
	"Come on! Let's go!" Asuka quickly grabbed Hikari as she ran off, 
leaving a tangle of an angry boy and confused one.


	As usual, Toji was ranting at several boys for lagging behind 
during their clean-up schedule while sitting lazily on his desk. Shinji 
wondered for a moment when Hikari, the Class Representant would realize 
what Toji was doing and order him into his task. He glanced over to the 
Representant, who was still giggling along with several other girls 
while Asuka seemed to be upset over something. Probably about that 
incident few hours ago.
	He resumed mopping the floor, not noticing the group of girls 
splitting up as Hikari realized that several boys were trying their best 
to evade their duties and set out to scold them verbally. He did not 
notice Asuka walking quietly towards him until she tapped on his 
shoulder, catching him by surprise.
	Asuka quickly covered his mouth before he could yelp involuntarily 
and hissed into his ears, "You're off the hook for now."
	She let go of his mouth, "What do you mean?"
	The girl glanced around to make sure nobody was looking at them, 
then whispered again, "Remember what happened this morning? Well, I told 
Hikari that what happened was that I was trying to help you out after 
you ran into me."
	"But I didn't-"
	"Shh! I made her believe that you ran into me while in a hurry to 
someplace and banged your head against the ground. Since it was my-" 
Asuka gritted her teeth as she pushed the words out of her mouth, "My 
fault. Like I said, since it was partly my fault that you hurt your 
head, I tried to help you out."
	"Um, but that's not the truth, is it?"
	Asuka was silent for few moments before she finally replied, "No. 
Well, not entirely."
	"But why'd you tell Hikari a story like that's half a lie?" Shinji 
blinked at her.
	Asuka frowned at Shinji, almost as if she was having some 
unwelcome thoughts to say to him. Finally, she narrowed her eyes and 
whispered harshly again, "Listen, you dumkopf- if I had told Hikari the 
truth, she would have gone off spreading gossip about me and you around 
the school. No way am I gonna let that happen! At least I told her that 
it was *partly* my fault. Satisfied, aren't you?"
	"I don't know. What about Toji? He saw us too..."
	"That stooge? Forget him- he won't remember a thing about it 
anyway. I'd better get started on my work before anybody start getting 
ideas about us again."
	As Asuka was about to depart, allowing him to breathe a sigh of 
relief, she turned back to him abruptly, "But that does not give you any 
excuse for peeping under my skirt, you hentai!"
	Shinji blinked as Asuka strolled off as if their conversation 
never took place. He didn't understand what Asuka was doing. He shrugged 
off the remark, aware that Asuka was only baiting him again.
	But he was also confused; why would Asuka admit that it was at 
least her fault? This wasn't the usual Asuka he knew. She would always 
place full blame on him, which he passively accepted every time. How 
different she was from Rei, he mused as he drifted his gaze to the quiet 
girl who was washing the floor with a cloth.
	He had given up trying to figure out why Rei was so... 
emotionless. She simply did everything she was told to do, and sometimes 
what she did would surprise him. Like she had last month during the 
Valentine's day....
	There was a sudden uproar as Hikari caught Toji gallivanting 
around, "Date or no, you're not getting off that easily!"
	Shinji groaned inwardly and resumed mopping the floor.
	Nobody noticed the boy leaving the class earlier than usual in the 
afternoon.


	Shinji paused outside the door to his apartment, regarding the 
gift he was holding. Was it a good idea to stop by a gift shop and 
purchase a gift box for a girl who frequently picked and took advantage 
of him? He wondered what would happen if he gave Asuka the gift box.
	"She'll probably scream, 'Anta-baka!' and pummel me. If that's so, 
then why did I buy this box?" Shinji muttered as he entered the 
apartment with his usual greeting, "I'm home!"
	He did not expect a reply when a familiar voice rang out, "Oh, 
welcome back, Shinji!" He traced the source to the kitchen where Misato 
was happily gobbling down her instant ramen meal.
	"You're bit late, aren't you today?" Misato asked slyly with a 
glint in her eyes, slowing her food intake so she could take a swig from 
her beer.
	"Um..."
	"Come on, why are you late?"
	"Um, it's nothing, really."
	Misato put down her can of beer and turned to Shinji, relaxing 
slightly with a grin on her face, "Well I'm sure you know what today is, 
right? It's the day when boys give girls..." Misato trailed off.
	"Um, yeah... oh no, wait that's not it!" Shinji held up his hands, 
backing away a bit.
	"Oh yeah? Then what's that box you're holding in your hands?"
	Shinji realized that he had inadvertently held up the box for 
Misato to see as he tried to defend himself. Embarrassed, he quickly hid 
it behind him, stuttering, "N-nothing!"
	Misato grinned like a tiger, "It sure looks like a box of 
chocolates to me. Am I right, Shinji?"
	"No!"
	The boy continued to protest, backing away as Misato pressed on, 
"Come on, don't be shy. Tell me who it's for, it's for a girl, right? A 
girl like..." Misato batted her eyelids slightly, " Rei?"
	"N-no!"
	"Or Asuka?"
	"NO!"
	"Tell me, Shinji- who's it for? Rei or Asuka?"
	Flustered, Shinji screamed, "No, it's not for them! It's- it's 
just a box of pencils! That's it!"
	Misato inclined her head, "Just pencils? If that's so, then why is 
the box gift-wrapped?"
	"Stop pestering me! I've had with this!"
	With that, Shinji turned away and ran out of the room, leaving 
Misato alone.
	She held up her head on her arm while stirring around her beer can 
as she sighed, "Aw, poo! Can't handle a tiny joke?"


	ENTER THE ROOM AND I'LL KILL YOU!
	Shinji ignored the warning on the door and stepped inside Asuka's 
room, aware of the possible implications for his actions. It was fairly 
messy- well, as messy as a girl's room could be for Asuka. He could feel 
his heart beating inside his chest as he closed the door behind him, 
breathing a bit quickly. He supressed an urge to peep in around the 
drawers a bit.
	He was inside Asuka's room, of all rooms! Asuka would be furious 
if she ever found out, and she probably would if he did his task. 
	"A 'task'? So that's what it's to me?" he muttered under his 
breath, "Delivering a gift to a temperamental girl like Asuka? Well, 
maybe not so temperamental, but highly capricious one at that."
	He lowered his voice as he whispered, "Why am I doing this?"
	No answer came to his mind as he held up the gift box in his hand. 
Misato had been right about the box all along, it was a box of 
chocolates. When he left earlier from his school, he made a quick stop 
at a small store and purchased two boxes of chocolates. Delivering the 
first box to Rei was easy enough; he only had to step inside the room 
and place it on her bed then leave. He didn't really expect any reaction 
from Rei, who was as out-of-the-world as a girl could get. Besides, he 
felt he had to repay for Rei's... gradititdue during the Valentine's 
Day...
	Asuka was a different matter, though. He had no idea how she would 
react to his gift. He had seen so many different sides of her that it 
was becoming difficult to predict her behavior, as several recent 
occasions had proven. Like receiving a card from her.
	It had surprised him when he had received a card from Asuka on 
Valentine's day. Oh it didn't say anything much, nothing major, but a 
simple 'Happy Valentine's Day' card signed by her. He was caught 
completely by surprise, even more than when he had received a similar 
card from Rei Ayanami earlier that day.
	He could never figure out the reason why Asuka gave him a card, 
and Asuka had explicitly threatened to kill him if he ever told anybody 
about it. So he kept his mouth shut despite his confusion.
	"So why am I doing this?" Shinji asked himself again. Again, there 
was still no response, and his mixed feelings only served to compound 
his predicament further. He had originally thought of Asuka in not-so 
gentle terms, but over the time his thoughts gradually changed until he 
wasn't so sure about himself. It seemed that he was beginning to like-
	Shinji shook his head rapidly, denying the thoughts. "Why bother? 
It won't change anything."
	However, his actions proved otherwise; when he left Asuka's room, 
the gift box was no longer in his hand.


	Asuka was still furious when she finally returned to her 'home' as 
the sun was about to set. She had only recently left Hikari  and Toji on 
their 'date,' disgusted. They were planning on watching a movie and 
Hikari had suggested that she go on a double date with them.
	"What?!" She had shouted at her friend who didn't flinch.
	"Come on, you've been moping around all day! It wouldn't hurt; you 
should go out and have some fun with a boy, maybe with Shinji? God knows 
he needs some change in his life."
	This was the last straw for her as she exploded, "I. AM. NOT. 
GOING. OUT. ON. A. DATE! Especially with that pervert!"
	Hikari faced her, "It's only fair- you hurt him this morning, 
remember? You should take him out as an apology."
	"No! I'm not going out with anybody, not even with Shinji!"
	"Why?"
	"I don't need anybody! Boys are all perverts, and I don't want to 
do anything with them!"
	"Wait, Asuka!" Hikari had shouted as Asuka ran off.
	And here Asuka was, still fuming as she entered her room, slamming 
her door shut. Misato had overheard her rants and wisely refrained from 
greeting her, choosing to drown herself in beer until her cellphone 
rang.
	"Katsuragi here- oh! Is that you, Kaji?"
	Misato nodded for few moments as she conversed with her 
'boyfriend' before agreeing, "Why, I'd love to. Where? 'Utsukushii 
sakura'? Sure, I'll be there in fifteen."
	She hung up the phone and grabbed her red jacket off the coat 
rack, shouting, "I'm leaving for a dinner with Kaji! You guys be good 
while I'm gone!" With that, Misato left.
	"Hmmph!" Asuka snorted as she heard Misato depart for her dinner 
with Kaji, however she was still too furious to be angry that Kaji had 
chosen to have dinner with Misato instead of her.
	She was laying back on her bed, grumbling in German. "Verdamnt..." 
It did not take long for Asuka to begin trashing her room again. "Damn 
it, why did it have to happen to me, of all the people? Why must boys 
hound me all the time? Can't they see that I am *not* interested in 
anybody!"
	She quickly got up and knocked several things off her table, "Oh 
sure, Kaji wants to go out with Misato, not with me! And Hikari's 
smooching around with that stooge, Toji! And Shinji-- ooh!"
	Suddenly furious, Asuka threw her pillow the shelf across the 
room. It bounced right off the shelf, rocking it a bit and shaking 
several contents off it. A small picture frame fell over flat, revealing 
a small white envelope with Asuka's name on it. The card went unnoticed 
for few minutes as Asuka continued to rant.
	"And if I ever catch that smart-ass Kaji, I'm gonna wipe his 
stupid smile off his face! I'm not going to stand for this any--" She 
suddenly cut herself off as she spotted the envelope.
	". . ."
	With her curiosity cutting in, she calmed herself down unwillingly 
and got up slowly, reaching for the card. With the card in her hand, she 
hesitated. She was afraid of what would be inside, she didn't need 
another one. She just had enough of them, yet her hand slowly opened the 
cover despite her protests.
	The card itself was blank except for few simple designs of 
greenery on the front. When she turned the cover, words were written on 
the blank area inside:

	Asuka-
	Since you were feeling bit -um- moody today, so I thought this 
might help cheer 	you up.

	Asuka stood blinking, staring at the signature, which was signed 
'Ikari Shinji.' It took a while for her to finally register the fact, 
and when she did, it was not a very cheerful thought.
	"W-why, why y-you IDIOT! I don't *need* 'some cheering up'!" Asuka 
flustered angrily, preparing to crumble up the card.
	"I don't need some sympathy from you, idiot!" As she crinkled the 
paper into a ball, she glanced upon a box she had overlooked, 
momentarily startling her, "What the-?"
	The box had been gift-wrapped in red-brownish colored paper with 
simple ribbon. Distracted from the ball in her hand, she eyed the box 
warily before removing it from its resting place.
	Returning to her bed, she sat down and slowly removed the 
wrappings. The wrappings revealed a box of chocolates. She blinked in 
surprise as she recognized the brand- it was one of the most popular 
type of white chocolate and had the best quality in taste. No other 
brand could match its taste- they were poor imitations. However, Asuka 
also knew that the brand had carried quite a price. Because of this, the 
white chocolates she had were usually reserved for a special person or 
as a very formal present.
	On the impulse, she quickly ran over to where she had dropped the 
ball of paper and smoothed it out so she could reread it. She lowered 
the card in shock.
	"You did this...?" She blinked and went over the card again before 
a slight sigh came out of her mouth, then finally a chuckle. "Oh, you 
idiot. Why'd you do that for? You're so gullible..."
	Asuka returned to the box of chocolates and sat down again. 
Plucking out a mound of chocolate, she regarded it silently before 
popping it into her mouth. As she savored the taste, she thought about 
Shinji. "You know, when you think about it, he isn't really that bad..."
	Feelings began to swirl around inside her as her angry thoughts 
abandoned her mind, leaving her in a state of tranquillity. She laid 
herself down on her bed after retrieving her pillow, picked up another 
mound of chocolate and devoured it. How relaxing it was for her!
	Finally when she had consumed nearly half of the chocolate, she 
smiled, shaking her head slowly and whispered, "You knew it, didn't you 
Shinji? Looks like I was wrong about you after all..."


	Shinji kept still, breathing quietly on his bed in dark. He was 
unsure about what to do now that Misato had left for her dinner. He 
settled for listening to Asuka's usual rants and crashing sounds which 
were muffled by the walls until it receded. It took while for him to 
realize that it had ended abruptly.
	"Did she find it?" He wondered.
	After a few minutes of total silence and straining his ears to the 
wall, he shook his head sadly in disgust. He couldn't figure out what 
was going on in the room- for all he knew, Asuka had probably went to 
sleep, exhausted from all of ranting.
	"I'm such a fool." He admonished himself as he covered his head 
with his pillow.


	"SHINJI!"
	Shinji winced as he turned around to face Asuka who was presently 
screaming at him for his attention, "Shinji, wait!" He had hoped that he 
would avoid the confrontation with Asuka for as long as possible, which 
was why he left home earlier. He wasn't looking forward to being chewed 
up again by her. There was also a matter about his 'gift' last night, 
which he hoped that he would avoid...
	"Hey, Shinji! I want to talk with you!" Asuka panted as she slowed 
down, approaching Shinji.
	"So much for that thought." Shinji thought silently, bracing 
himself as he stopped walking. 
	Asuka approached him slowly, "Um, there's something I need to 
say..."
	"What?"
	"Um..."
	Both of them remained silent, avoiding each other's gaze. For once 
they were not interrupted by any unfortunate events which had often 
manifested in form of Rei Ayanamai or Toji and Kensuke. The passerby 
remained oblivious to them as they walked on by while the birds chirped 
happily in cool morning breeze.
	Already uncomfortable with the situation, Shinji attempted to back 
away and turn around so he could leave. However, Asuka quickly grabbed 
Shinji's arm on an impulse, holding him fast. Surprised by her own 
boldness, she hesitated before speaking again, "Um, it's about 
yesterday..."
	Shinji blinked, "What do you mean?"  But inside he dreaded the 
mention of the gift.
	"It's the, uh, gift. You gave it to me,... didn't you?"
	"Uh oh, I'm in for it this time" Shinji thought as he stuttered, 
"Um, y-yeah I did."
	Asuka paused before mumbling something that Shinji quite couldn't 
hear.
	"What did you say?"
	"T-thanks. Thanks, it h-helped me a lot..." Asuka began to redden 
slightly, as she wasn't used to thanking people, especially to a boy. 
But she still felt that she had to do something in return, something 
more than a simple thank-you. 
	"Dumkopf! What are you doing, girl?!" Asuka railed against 
herself, another side of herself almost whined, "But he has been nice to 
me, no matter how badly I treated him. He got me the chocolates..."
	Surprising herself, she moved in closer to Shinji, smiling 
sweetly, "Thank you for the gift yesterday. That was very nice of you."
	Shinji was flabbergasted and didn't quite know how to react to her 
actions, backing slightly and stammering, "Um, you're w-welcome..."
	Once more again sized by her impulse, Asuka quickly gave him a 
peck on his right cheek. Blushing more furiously and still smiling 
timidly, utterly surprised by her own courage (or was it her 
foolishness?), the readhead stepped back a bit, "Thank you, Shinji-
baka," Asuka crossed herself, "No, I mean Shinji Ikari."
	Before Shinji could respond, she ran off. As he watched wind blow 
at  her red hair, he raised his hand to now slightly-warm cheek. Just 
held on to it in wonder.
	"Asuka?"
	Just what is going on?, he wondered. This wasn't the usual Asuka 
he knew. No, the Asuka he saw was different from the Asuka who called 
him pervert only yesterday. She was actually nice to him, no screaming 
or anything like that. She had even kissed him! Only a peck, but a kiss 
nonetheless. This was the special side of Asuka he was seeing.
	Shinji was about to pinch himself, believing that it was all a 
dream, when Asuka shouted some distance from him, "Hey, Shinji-baka! Do 
you want to be late for school? Hurry up!" She then turned around and 
continued running.
	As if he had been snapped from a trance, he blinked at the 
diminishing figure. Slowly, a smile came to his face. "So, if that's how 
Asuka wants it to be..."
	He shook his head to clear away some cobwebs in his mind, mumbling 
something. He kept on grinning, understanding the irony in his 
situation, and broke into dash after his friend.
	It was only a sweet remembrance, after all.


-----------------------------------

Once more again, C&Cs is desperately needed, especially the second half of
this fic.
Send them to AlphSailor@aol.com, thanks.

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