Neon Genesis Evangelion Higher Learning Strike Fiss, 2000 Fifteenth Lesson: New Disguise "Back when I was a child..." Kaoru said as he handed Shinji a cup "...I didn't really have anything else except my music." They stood alone in the cafeteria, helping themselves to some of the vending machine drinks and snacks. Luckily, they were always open, even on Sunday. Both of them agreed that talking over food would be a nice change. Asuka and Rei would probably just go home. Shinji filled his cup up with water and they walked over to one of the empty tables. He had only eaten here two days out of the year, often when the classroom had been busy, so the whole room had an unfamiliar, empty feeling. He sat down, content to listen, though, ignoring the odd state of mind he was in. "You know, Shinji..." Kaoru took a sip of coffee. "One thing every teacher is told is where to draw the line with a student's personal life, and school life. However, I'm a little concerned how you never seem to talk much about the earlier in your free-writing assignments." he paused. "Do you like doing those?" Shinji perked up and nodded quickly. "I do, Sensei. They're a lot of fun, actually." "I enjoy reading them." Kaoru smiled back. "But most of the students talk about the usual stuff..." he shrugged, waving his hand around. "What they did for summer, how much they hate sitting at home or hiding out when the angels attack, blah blah blah." he smiled. "Not that it's a bad thing, just compared to what you and Asuka write, it's a whole different class." "Asuka-chan?" Shinji blinked, turning slightly pink. "What does she write about?" "Shinji..." Kaoru sighed. "I really shouldn't tell." he took a quiet sip from his cup and shook his head. "Really, you and Asuka spend enough time together, if she wanted you to know what she writes about, I'm sure she'd tell you." "You make it sound like that's a bad thing." Shinji said quietly, staring into his cup. "Quite frankly, it is, Shinji." Kaoru said suddenly. "Did you know that three of the stories I've received so far involve you getting murdered and then a big mystery springing up...eventually showing that Asuka was your killer?" he shook his head. "How you two can live together is a point of amazement for me." "If you actually got to know her..." Shinji grumbled under his breath. Kaoru blinked like he had been shot. Shinji looked up. "What?" "...nothing." Kaoru sighed, shaking his head. "No, you're right. I'm out of line." he smiled. "Though I must say, Shinji, you have the patience of a Saint to put up with her. From what I've been told, you always have." he shook his head. "I'm just scared it might not be in your best interests." "What do you mean?" Shinji frowned. "Shinji..." he sighed. "You two are both only fourteen years old, in the world's most dangerous profession, and have to deal with that lovely awkward time called Adolescence. The last thing either of you need is to..." "What?" Shinji interrupted. "Be NICE to each other?" Kaoru stopped himself in mid-sip. "Pardon?" "For the first time Asuka's been in my life I can actually talk to her." Shinji explained. His voice was still coming on strong, though, not letting up for a moment. "She knows things about me and piloting Eva that you could never HOPE to understand! I can finally talk to her, and now everyone thinks that it's some horrible bad thing!" he glared up at Kaoru. "Some even think that they might have a chance at her now that they know she's not a complete bitch. How does that sound, Sensei?" Kaoru blinked, completely unable to do much more. "Asuka is my music, Sensei." Shinji sighed, settling down slightly. "I don't know if she knows that, or wants to be any more, but when I am around her, and I hear her, and she talks to me, I feel better. She can be yelling at me, but I still enjoy it. I like that she isn't afraid of anything, Sensei. I like how she fights everything she doesn't like. Sometimes I think I can be like that, even just a little bit, when I'm around her." There was a long silence. Kaoru slowly finished his coffee as Shinji stared into his water. "I didn't know..." Kaoru sighed finally. Shinji looked up, surprised to see him looking away. "I thought I knew you, Mister Ikari." he sighed, shaking his head. "But to tell you the truth, I'm still learning as well. You, Asuka and even Rei. You're all nothing like what I expected." he let loose a small chuckle. "One can learn about a student only so much from the records, I guess." Shinji nodded quietly to himself. "I guess so." "It's a compliment, I can assure you." Kaoru smiled, turning back around. He took off his glasses, to Shinji's surprise, and wiped his eyes with a napkin. "...Are you okay, Sensei?" "I'm fine." he nodded sternly, sliding back on his glasses. "I promise you I won't bring up this subject again. But if you need any help on the matter of Miss Langley, or anyone else for that matter, you know you're free to talk to me about it, right?" Shinji nodded with a shy smile. "Okay." "Good." Kaoru sighed. "Sorry..." he added after a pause. "I'm no good at this kind of thing." "Really?" Shinji blinked. "You're probably the best teacher I've had." "You're still not getting an A on that last report, Mister Ikari." Kaoru smiled. "So just forget it." They chuckled for a moment, then relaxed and finished their lunch. Asuka was bouncing. Well, that wasn't quite the correct term, but she wasn't exactly behaving normally anyway. Not that Shinji considered her to be very normal to begin with, but she normally walked back home behind him. Today, as they walked back to the apartment, Shinji found himself being glared at from all angles. Asuka would be beside him, then suddenly on his other side, circling him like a shark with her sharp eyes and pursed lips. He let it continue for as long as he could stand, but finally broke down. "WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he yelled, coming to a stop. "What were you two talking about?" Asuka demanded, glaring at him. "You." Shinji smirked. Asuka's face went into a panic. "Just kidding." he sighed, a split second before she launched into a barrage of questions. "Not funny." Asuka frowned. Her face softened slightly. "I saw you crying." "I'm better now." Shinji blushed considerably. Even redder than usual. He picked up his pace and passed her on the sidewalk. "I just had a lot on my mind." Asuka smiled. "You always have a lot on your mind." she raised her finger in a scolding manor. "You should learn to talk to someone so it doesn't keep building up." "And since when have you told anyone anything???" Shinji countered. Asuka blinked and shook her head. "I don't count. You see, I'm a genius, so obviously, my brain can handle pretty much anything!" she said proudly. "How do you expect me to tell you anything if you don't tell me anything?" Shinji said as he walked. "If you wanted me to say something, that might be a good way to start." Asuka blinked then shrugged, catching up to him. "Okay. What do you want to know?" "It doesn't work like that." Shinji sighed, keeping his eyes forward. He paused for a moment, then looked at her. "Is there anything you want to tell me about?" She actually seemed to consider the idea...before huffing in frustration. "What could I possibly have to tell you?" "I don't know." Shinji said dryly. "That's why I asked." Realizing she wasn't about to sneak out of the situation so easily, Asuka sighed and gave Shinji a long, steady glare. "Very well. I don't like being asked personal questions. How's THAT for an insight into my mind??" Shinji shrugged. "I suppose it's a start." Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Now it's your turn." "I heard you and Sensei Kaoru talking." Shinji said quietly, never slowing down. Asuka, however, suddenly found it hard to walk. "W...WHAT?" she gasped. "He seemed really upset about something." Shinji said. His voice was a little more tense than before, but didn't seem to be ready to crack. "I guess with the school's views on student-sensei relationships it would be pretty..." "WHAT!!!!!!!?" Asuka suddenly found speed again, and she raced up to in front of Shinji, stopping him with a look. "What are you TALKING about?!?" despite her exasperation, though, her blush betrayed the fact she knew exactly what he meant. "Oh...I'm not mad." Shinji said, walking past her like she wasn't even there. "I mean, I was...but I thought about it. I don't want to hate Sensei just because of this...and well, I suppose I'm used to you and Kaji...I don't see why I should be all worked up about this." "Shinji!" Asuka gasped. Something about that statement hurt a lot, and it threw her off guard. "Wh...well, what about us!?!" Shinji blinked and turned, surprised to hear that. The moment he did, Asuka turned bright red and turned away. "Us?" "I mean..." she coughed. "...Nothing's going on with me and Kaoru, so there's no reason for you to be worried about it." "You can stop pretending." Shinji shrugged calmly. His eerie smooth demeanour was beginning to worry Asuka. "I told you. I'm used to it." To Asuka, Shinji seemed almost tired. Like he had been putting way too much thought into it and finally accepted this 'situation' he had in his mind. As she ran over the events of the last few days in her mind, she began to feel very guilty. "Stop all this crap, Shinji!" she demanded. "There is NOTHING going on between Kaoru and I!" He just shrugged and kept walking. Asuka growled as she watched him walk away. "Dammit, Shinji!" she ran up to him. "Fine! You want to know what's in my head? You scare me to DEATH!" Shinji blinked, not quite expecting it. "W...what?" "When you were inside that damn Angel, I thought I had lost you." Asuka said, grabbing his shirt and spinning him around. "Misato had the NERVE to send Rei and I for a BREAK as they tried to figure out the best way to blow you to Kingdom Come!" a tear slid down the side of her cheek and she shook her head. "Kaji wasn't home. I needed someone to talk to." she chuckled softly. "I even considered talking to Wondergirl," her scowl returned "but she went SWIMMING!" He stayed quiet, watching her eyes for any sign of treachery, but found none. "So I ran to our Sensei's apartment, Shinji." she sighed, pulling him closer. "I bawled like a little baby for ten minutes before I finally passed out on his couch." she sighed, pausing only to wipe a tear from her nose. "And when I woke up, I gave him a kiss and thanked him for listening." All of Shinji's brain did a double take. Images of some raunchy, deprived moment of passion were swept away. Hours of adolescent over-analyzing were destroyed. All replaced with the simple image of a little Asuka leaning over and giving her teacher a simple kiss on the... "Cheek or mouth?" Shinji asked suddenly. "Mouth." Asuka admitted with a blush. "But it was just a touch." ...A simple kiss on the mouth, then she rocked back on her heels and ran off to save the day, leaving the poor teacher blushing something terrible. After all, it wasn't socially acceptable for a teacher to be kissed by a student...at least not on the mouth. Maybe a cheek. Shinji slumped. The sound was almost audible. His entire body releasing the breath he had been holding for the last 3 days without his knowledge. "Oh..." he said simply, looking up at her with apologetic eyes. Asuka raised an eyebrow. "You thought I did something perverted with him...DIDN'T you?!?!?!" Of course she knew...but this was her revenge now. She wasn't about to pass it up. "H...hai..." Shinji turned stoplight-quality red all over his body. "BAKA!" she smacked him on top of the head. "And you FORGAVE HIM?" she crossed her arms. "But you still hated me for it!???? I would have expected you to avenge my purity for such a perverted thing!!!" "Gomen!" Shinji cringed, now completely under her mercy. He would have probably passed out from the sudden tension release, but luckily, Asuka was around to keep him on his toes. "I'm so sorry, Asuka-chan! OW! Really! I'm sorry!" Asuka sighed and stopped smacking him. "Shut up and kiss me before I change my mind." she grabbed him by his shirt and hauled him in before he knew what was happening. "Gom...mmmmph!" To be continued. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Forgive the ending. I just wanted to end on the first real 'light note' I've had in a while. For anyone interested, yes, this basically wraps up Shinji's little dilemma...for now...about Asuka and Kaoru. And now, I have a few little things to point out. Kaoru is NOT Angel-Boy. Look at the facts, people. He does not have red eyes. He does not have white/gray hair. You wouldn't believe the confusion the name has caused. And trust me...it's goinna get worse. Hahaha! I DID choose the name for a reason...but still, he is not Angel-Boy. Sorry. (of course, he could be an angel, but that's me just screwing with your minds. hahaha!) And finally, this "Concert" bit of the story is taking place before Toji's little 'incident' with his Unit 03. Obviously, that will be coming up. The reason there is time to have a concert is because in the series, it's actually quite a nice long break in between Zebra- Angel-Ball and Toji-smashing. At least, in my opinion, since they all have time to kinda 'reset'. I'd also like to apologize for the interruption of story and quantity these last 3 weeks. Due to major vacation needs, my time, and ability, to update Higher Learning on time had been used up completely. Everything should be smooth sailing, however, for a few months now. Enjoy! And I'd like to thank everyone's wonderful support of Holding Hands. (too many titles with H in it...oh well). If you're mad I did skip Easter weekend, read Holding Hands and you should at least forgive me enough to get over it. ^_^ Poor peeps have to wait EVERY WEEK! Egads! (spoiled bastards. ^_^) No Omake tonight, cause it's late and I'm tired. I wanna get this done. Ja na! Stay keen everyone! Till next week! ----------------------------------------------- e-mail : strikef@bigfoot.com homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9110 Strike Fiss, Ninja Crowbotics 2000. Khattam-Shud, EOF.