Аннотация: Visiting the school and talking about Rei with Kensuke and Aida.
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Chapter 17
So, the first pair... that is, the first lesson was social studies again. Something happened to my memory... Okay, it doesn't matter, in short, bullshit. Once again, this grandfather started muttering to himself, reading an impressive pile of printouts, but, in my opinion, it's the same as last time. And once again, all my classmates started doing all sorts of nonsense - chatting, reading, and so on, so on, so on...
I also wanted to listen to the music from the player and reached into my pocket, but I remembered that I hadn't recorded anything there (because there was no music on my computer at all), and I left the cassette player at home... Ugh, the infection!..
Ida abruptly turned to me, squinting his eyes like a cat overeating sour cream:
"Crack up."
"I don't want to," I replied phlegmatically.
"Crack up, I'm telling you!"
"What's there to say?" I started fooling around.
"Shinji, did they teach you how to behave during interrogations in NERVE? You know exactly what I mean!.."
"Nope," I smiled brightly.
"Grm!" growled Kensuke. "Well, have it your way. What's up with you and Ray?"
"Nothing," I answered quite honestly.
"But you don't have to lie", He wagged a finger at Kensuke. "Can I give you the facts?"
"Go ahead."
"First of all, yesterday you were seen walking Ayanami home, carrying her briefcase and chatting sweetly with her..."
"Have you seen it?" I chuckled skeptically.
"Okay, I saw it," admitted Ida. "But this only makes your fate worse, my son, because I also filmed it all on camera..."
"What a talent is disappearing, what a talent..." I wailed falsely.
"Don't talk my teeth out of it! And today you're dragging yourself back with Ayanami, again carrying her briefcase, and again chatting sweetly with her, and most importantly, she answers you!!! She is! For you! He's responding! And you can't get anything out of her by torture, but here!.."
"Calm down, calm down, Ayda!" I raised my hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Well, I helped Ray, so what's the big deal? Did you see her injuries? And she lives next door to me..."
"I shouldn't have said that."
"Yeah!.."
"Not aha, but just helped!"
"Ha ha! Tell me stories!" Ayda looked at me sarcastically. "You don't look like a knight on a white horse or a complete altruist... By the way, since you're so familiar with Ayanami, can you tell me where she's been so captivated? You can't get a word out of her..."
"Don't you know that? She's the same..." I stopped short.
Do I have the right to disclose information that Ray is also a pilot? And even more so to say that she got her injuries in training?
"What is she?" Kensuke asked eagerly.
"This is classified information." I snapped, thinking about the situation. Should I talk or not?..
"Wait a minute... Are you trying to tell me that Ayanami is also connected to NERV?" Kensuke spoke slowly.
Oh, she wasn't! Anyway, I didn't give you a non-disclosure agreement, but at least they'll treat Ray more humanly...
"Ray Ayanami is also an Evangelion pilot, just like me. She received her wounds during the trials... secret weapons, but I really have no right to disclose the details - it's a matter of national security..."
But Ayda was already sneezing at all my explanations - only my first words stuck in his memory: "Rei Ayanami is the pilot of Evangelion."
"Damn..." He said softly, slowly clutching his head. "Holy shit, that's news..."
Kensuke turned away from me, stared at Rei, and didn't bother me for the rest of the lesson, digesting the stunning news.
***
I managed to sit on the sidelines safely for the first few days, but I'm afraid I won't be able to do that anymore...
The second lesson is biology.
"...So, class, let's get to the last topic of this year - the simplest living organisms," a plump, smiling teacher strolled between the rows. I couldn't figure it out in this lesson. This is a kind of transitional form between plants and animals - the difference here is not so great... Who can tell me what this means?"
"I know everything, but I won't say anything."
What was still missing was rushing forward in my studies! Seventh grade? Ugh! Yes, I can already take everything up to high school as an external student, even without really preparing. No, of course, if someone asks me now, I will certainly answer...
"Let's ask the new guy! Ikari, right?"
Like a jinx, damn it...
"That's right," I got up from my seat.
The teacher looked thoughtfully at the kid, who was buttoned up to the last button, in the shape of a NERVE and with a regular brick-like expression on his face. That is, my beloved.
"What are the features of the simplest organisms that unite them with both animals and plants?"
"They use both autotrophic and heterotrophic nutrition." I said it automatically. "For example, such a simple organism as euglena zelenaya receives energy and necessary substances in the light through photosynthesis, and in the dark..."
"Enough," The teacher stopped me in surprise. "Ikari, have you already gone through the materials from the high school curriculum? You probably went to school with a major in biology?"
"No way, ma'am," I said. "Self-study."
"Amazingly... And to what extent?"
"Up to the college level" if I understand correctly, this roughly corresponds to the first couple of courses at the institute.
A gasp of astonishment went through the class.
The distance between me and the other students increased by some more distance.
***
The third lesson is English.
"We're starting the homework survey. Get the transfers ready for everyone," The tall and even stern-looking teacher adjusted her glasses and opened the class magazine.
"Shinji... Shinji!" They whispered to me from behind.
I turned slightly to Toji.
"Did you translate the fucking text? Can you give it to me?"
"No, Toji, I didn't translate that stuff."
"And if they ask? Aren't you afraid to get a deuce?"
"Nope," I waved my hand nonchalantly. "We'll break through."
"... Ikari!" the teacher's voice rang out.
"Here," I got up from my seat.
"I see that you are here. Are you ready to respond?"
I shushed back:
"Text!"
Toji, happy that it wasn't him who was asked, quickly handed me a notebook with a text requiring translation. Ugh, it's fucked up! Yes, we learned more by heart at uni!..
I started to drum the text cheerfully, but then I was interrupted again.:
"That's enough, that's enough, Ikari..." The teacher drawled slightly mockingly. "Leave some time for others to read and translate only the first two sentences."
That's it?!
"I'm sorry," I corrected myself, and quickly translated a not too complicated text about the nature of Japan, trying to literarize the translation as much as possible.
"That's great, Ikari" The teacher said in surprise. "Just fine... You probably studied English in depth? However, it doesn't matter - I'm happy. But you have a rather interesting pronunciation... If I hadn't known, I would have thought that your native language was German or something like that...
"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter." I smiled slightly and added softly. "Nichtwahr" (approx. (German) Isn't it)?
***
Lunch break - students take out small portions of food prepared from home. As they used to say at our institute about such snacks at recess - "healing", but here they say - bento, so it seems. Okay, I can heal up too...
He took out an apple and began to nibble it with gusto... Damn, everyone is looking at me again - not only is my food atypical (everyone has rice and colorful stuff unknown to me), but I also eat as I used to, meaninglessly and mercilessly. They just stared at me like a barbarian when I realized that the trash can was at the other end of the class from me, I was too lazy to get up... and he ate the tail. Ida and Toji looked at me piteously at the same time and even offered to share their food, which, of course, I indignantly rejected.
But while most of the people were looking at me, I was watching Rei (out of the corner of my eye, I noticed how understandingly Suzuhara and Kensuke exchanged glances). I was very curious about what she would eat - from the bento it would be possible to get a general impression of how the First One eats in general...
It didn't work out.
She didn't eat at all. Why? But because, strictly speaking, she had nothing. Very, very revealing... Considering how she lived, I'm afraid to even imagine what she ate-even Misata's food would seem like the height of perfection. No, we don't need such a Ray! Pale, thin, with only eyes on half her face - we urgently need to fatten the girl! And I will do it in the very near future.
Okay, stop. And what does she like? For some reason, I have such a strong feeling that Ray is a vegetarian, and all my favorite and not so good dishes will not work. No, we're in Japan, which means there should be soy meat here, even if it's a rough ersatz, but it'll do for us. But as I remember, to make something out of it, you need to stuff a lot of extra stuff, otherwise it looks more like rubber without any seasonings and other ingredients. Brr, it's a hassle with these food-taste preferences - it's also good that Ray probably doesn't know the terrible word "diet". Okay, she's coming to tutoring today, and I'm going to need to feed her. Maybe even by order - we need a healthy pilot, not a half-starved skeleton. That's it, I've had enough of dorm food - you're giving me normal food! And not just for me - normal food for everyone and a lot, and let no one leave deprived!..
***
In the fourth lesson, I sat extremely quietly, despite the fact that people were already looking at me expectantly. It was all because, although I know history quite well, I don't know the history of Japan. The twentieth century has not gone anywhere yet, but the earlier periods are not in any way... The Shogun Wars, the Meiji Revolution, the Divine Wind in Japanese, it sounds like "kamikaze"), who saved Nippon from the Mongols, the invasion of Korea, when the Japanese were attacked by the world's first battleships-kobuksons - and that is very superficial... And if the long skinny teacher took my slurred answers even with some understanding, then my classmates definitely thought I was being a jerk.
No, guys. If we were talking about Russia, then always, please! Well, or, at least, if we were talking about the history of various military conflicts, as it were...
The fifth lesson was physics.
That's when I got nervous again-I never knew her very well, and we just didn't have a teacher in terms of knowledge at school. But it turned out to be not so terrible - the initial course after all, so I grabbed the "excellent" grade again.
Hmm, I'm starting to turn into some kind of nerd... Scary... I've never been like that. Always a polymath with a lot of small but very diverse knowledge in various fields, but also to shine at school or institute... No, I've always been a pain in the ass in basic subjects, even though I've been studying for "fours" and "fives" - well, I wasn't interested in all this nonsense, even if you cut me off! I was more interested in rifles, tanks, ships, as well as astronomy, paleontology, and history...
Hmm, but I was right to be interested in such things. That's why such disciplines as marketing, small business management and management are not helping me now...
***
"How's physical education?" I panicked a little. "And I don't even have a uniform, I didn't even know..." A clear logical chain began to form in my head. There is no uniform, they will not be allowed to attend classes, they will put in absenteeism, and absenteeism is an "encore", which automatically means working out in the amount of a one-and-a-half-kilometer time run or an hour and a half jogging in the gym... Fuck!
Uh, stop the car. I'm not at my university anymore! And here, for sure, the orders are completely different! Saved! Saved?..
"What's the problem, Sin?" Toji was surprised. "They'll give us a school uniform, why are you worried? Or was that not the case in your last school?"
"Nope, not like that," I breathed out in relief. "And what do you focus on here - athletics, game sports?.."
"Swimming for the girls, basketball for the boys, and all kinds of jumping and running for everyone."
"Do they drive hard?" I asked. Oh, I don't like all these physical exercises, but now it looks like you'll have to get used to it - the pilot must be well prepared...
"No, not really!" Toji waved his hand. "The main thing is not to talk too much and not to miss lessons, and everything will be top-notch."
"Okay, let's see what kind of physical education you have here..." I grumbled as I walked with Suzuhara and Kensuke to the locker room.
"By the way, Aida's face was a model of calmness and innocence right now..." What was extremely suspicious was that as far as I managed to get to know my dear fellow in interest, he was constantly in constant motion and activity, so...
"Aida, why are you so thoughtful, huh?" Sin, you seem like a reliable kid... Kensuke began from afar.
"Well... No one has complained so far." I noticed with curiosity. I wonder what he's getting at?..
"Listen, can you help us with something here?" I have vague doubts...
"Shoot someone?" I asked bloodthirsily, stroking the butt of the pistol. "I'm happy to do that!.."
"No, Sin, you don't need to shoot anyone", Touji chuckled. "For now. But you just have to..."
"Stand guard," Aida finished cunningly.
Considering Kensuke's outstanding achievements in the field of paparazzi, how can he have a tasty goal at school? Ha, just one, just one...
"Who are we "taking"?" I inquired matter-of-factly. "Come on, old man, don't let me down..."
"You'll see," Kensuke squinted.
Is this revenge for my morning misunderstandings? Heh, well, well...
"The women's locker room, or what?"
Toji and Aida choked and blurted out at the same time:
"Where are you from..."
"Who to you..."
"Brothers, you are not the first, you are not the last," I replied condescendingly. "Is there a plan?"
"Yeah. Toji is distracting attention, I'm setting up the camera, you're covering for us. Then we'll "send" the photos and videos to interested parties, split the money in half. Do we have a deal?"
"It's a deal," I grinned. "But you can keep the money, I have enough of my own."
"Then why are you involved in this?" Toji marveled.
"And why did you call me?" I asked a counter question.
"It was my idea," Aida interjected. "I just thought that since you've already done this and that with Ayanami, you probably don't need "special materials". And since you can't make money off of you, you need three people to be faithful..."
"And I'm not doing anything with Ray." I asked indignantly.
"So why do you agree then?" Toji continued to push.
"And out of a sporting interest! I want to have fun!"
By the way, I answered them quite honestly - since I had the chance to actually start my life (and what kind of life) anew, then why not break away, realizing something that I had never dreamed of before (although I secretly dreamed of it). I need to get distracted from my main job somehow, otherwise I'll just go crazy...
"I want to have fun," Aida grumbled. "And that's what the Evangelion pilot says..."
***
...Yes, Junior, I see that you, too, like me, were not particularly fond of sports... How do I know that, you ask? And because, damn it, it's a little hard for me to run!
Shinji really wasn't that athletic, unlike Touji, although to be honest, I was even worse at his age. As it was, considering that the institute even managed to make something useful out of me, things were generally going well... A hundred-meter workout as a warm-up and the main distance of half a kilometer. The main thing is not to take my breath away, otherwise I had a breathing tube there, but my heart wouldn't take it out. The Younger's body turned out to be more balanced, so the main thing now was to breathe properly: three steps - inhale, three steps - exhale, three steps - inhale. Quite effective, in my opinion.
...A short rest while everyone takes turns passing the long jump.
I looked for Ray.
Yeah, she's sitting on the sidelines on a bench and reading some kind of textbook - not surprising, given her unsuitable physical education condition...
"What are we looking at, Mr. Pilot, huh?.." they cooed softly in my ear. I almost jumped in fright and instinctively reached for the gun... But I remembered that I had given it to the physical education teacher during the lesson (God, what eyes he was looking at me with!..), spat and turned to the source of the sound.
I saw the rather grinning faces of Suzuhara and Aida.
"..Toji, do you happen to know?" Kensuke continued in a honeyed voice, turning to his friend, but squinting at me.
"No, Aida, I don't even know..." Suzuhara drawled thoughtfully. "But if you think about it carefully..."
"Yes, it's good," Kensuke agreed.
"That's probably all..."
"On..."
"Ayanami Rei!" the two clowns finished in unison, prayerfully folding their arms on their chests.
"Shut up."
"What legs!.."
"What a chest!.."
"And her face is very nice..."
"Just a little unsociable..."
"A little creepy..."
"I said shut up."
"But actually, on the whole, it's pretty good." Toji concluded authoritatively. "Not a bad choice, Sin you've got a good eye..."
"Although you certainly have taste, old man... Mdaa..." Aida scratched the back of his head thoughtfully.
"What freaks!" I asked indignantly. "And what do you all want from me? Leave me alone, damn it..."
"Sin, come on..." Suzuhara boomed good-naturedly. "And why are you so embarrassed?"
"And really, Shinji?" Kensuke supported my friend. "And what's the big deal, huh? Ayanami is also a human being... It seems to be."
And why am I really reacting so violently? Is it really me... No, no, and no again! I didn't even think about it! Ray is absolutely not my type. In my opinion, my future girlfriend, despite some points of contact, should complement me rather than be the same. Unfortunately, I am very similar to Ayanami in a normal situation - calm, correct, executive, and unemotional... It just knocked me out of my rut, so much so that I still can't get back to my normal state.
But how would I get rid of at least these two ghouls? What's the big deal, huh? We need something that would completely discourage them from making such jokes... Should I tell you that Ray is not my type? Then how do you explain all these back-and-forth escorts? Affa-airs... Should I tell her that I just care about her as a person and a colleague? They won't believe it - I've already tried this version on Aida, but it didn't work out...
Well, well, well... What if you remember some of your thoughts and slightly develop them in the right direction? I treat Rey more like a friend or a younger sister, and I intend to keep things that way from now on...
Hey! But now we are genetically related to the First One! Yeah, I figured it out!..
"No, guys, you just don't know what you're talking about," I shook my head. "A couple of me and Ray is impossible in principle."
"Why is that?" Aida perked up again.
"Do you have anything else in mind?" Toji nodded understandingly. Or... Or does Ayanami have someone? Damn, what am I talking about..."
"Not really!" I smiled. "Everything is much simpler here. It's just that Ray is my stepsister."
"Ho-ho! Shock is our way!"
Toji and Aida's faces instantly fell.
"What do you mean?.." Suzuhara asked, stunned.
"How so?.." Kensuke supported him, equally surprised. "But that's how it is!"
"You don't even look alike!.."
"We have one mother, but different fathers." I started composing on the go. "I took after my dad, and Ray took after his mom. We've never seen each other before, so I'm trying to establish contact with her now, and you've all started spreading gossip and fantasies..."
"Hmm..." Toji coughed in embarrassment. "Well, you, Sin, then excuse us - we didn't mean to... I would have said right away that yes, we would have closed this topic..."
"Yes, Shinji, please excuse us," Aida joined his friend, blushing visibly. "We're fools, what can you take from us?.."
"Come on, guys!" I laughed, slapping them on the shoulders. "Bullshit question!"
"Come on, if anyone else is going to bother you about this, tell me", Touji declared. "Let's go and stuff our faces together!"
"Fuck them, the rest of them!" I waved my hand. "The main thing is, don't talk about it too much, just in case..."
"Sin, the grave!.." Suzuhara thumped his chest.
"Of course, of course," Kensuke interjected.
"That's how I believed you, bro," I chuckled to myself. "It seems like you can't keep secrets purely physically. Look, you've got sly, sly eyes!.. Like Lenin's. But you're talking like a real Trotsky, right and left.
But it's even for the best.
I can't find a better source for getting useful information, and therefore for draining disinformation - Aida is out of competition here. If I loudly beat my chest and declare in front of crowds of people that Rey is my sister, and there is nothing between us, and it can't be, they won't believe me again! The crowd effect, yom! But if "absolutely reliable information" appears from "the most reliable sources" - it's a completely different matter!
Tek-S... Let's see, let's watch Kensuke more, and if he also performs well in the future, then we will definitely take him to our team... If they don't take him on as a pilot, then I'll be in charge of the technical and information part..."