"Hey! Ryota Kitazawa! Wait up! Why are you walking so fast? We can't keep up!"
Outside the station, Kensuke Aida and Toji Suzuhara were jogging to catch up to Ryota, who had already moved far ahead of them.
But Kitazawa's pace was relentless, making it nearly impossible for the two to keep up.
Their frantic effort to chase after him had, ironically, already made them forget the strange things Kitazawa had said earlier—those cryptic remarks now pushed to the back of their minds.
"You're the ones walking too slowly," Kitazawa said over his shoulder, flashing them a smile.
"I seriously don't know how your legs even work, Kitazawa-kun. How are you so fast?"
Finally catching up, both Kensuke and Toji were completely out of breath.
"Hey, Kitazawa-kun… that guy from earlier, you called him something… Kaji-san? You know him?" Toji asked, curiosity all over his face now that they'd regrouped.
"Heh, just a coincidence, that's all," Kitazawa replied with a soft smile. He had no intention of explaining further—nor did he need to. After all, recognizing Ryoji Kaji wasn't anything remarkable.
But the reason Kitazawa had brought up the Bethany Base incident from three months ago had only one purpose—to send a warning to Kaji: Don't even think about trying to read me.
The man might act carefree on the surface, but deep down, he was plagued by excessive curiosity and deep suspicion.
As for how Kitazawa knew about Bethany Base? That wasn't hard to explain.
After all, he had been a hardcore Evangelion fan before transmigrating into this world.
---
NERV Headquarters.
A tall figure made his way through the entrance of NERV's main facility, swiping his clearance card with practiced ease. He moved with familiarity, heading straight toward the Technology Division's office.
Inside that office, a young woman was hard at work.
She had golden blonde hair cascading effortlessly over her shoulders, and a small beauty mark near her lips that made her especially alluring.
There was no mistaking her—Ritsuko Akagi.
She was so focused on her work that she didn't even notice when a man entered the room.
The man had a tall, broad frame, piercing eyes, long hair, and a face shadowed by stubble.
It was none other than Ryoji Kaji.
He crept up behind her, gently covering her eyes with both hands. Then, bringing his lips close to her ear, he whispered:
"Long time no see. You seem thinner, Ritsuko."
Hearing that voice, Ritsuko immediately leaned back into him, softly collapsing into his arms, her eyes full of warmth. But her voice remained dry and matter-of-fact:
"Sorry to disappoint, but I've actually gained exactly 1.57 kilograms."
"Is that so?" Kaji chuckled, brushing his hand lightly across her cheek, then leaning in closer to take in her scent.
"Still, I'd like to confirm that with my own eyes."
His tone was laced with playful flirtation—borderline provocative.
"Heh." Ritsuko gave a small smile, replying coolly, "I wouldn't mind… except this room has surveillance. Not the best timing, don't you think?"
"No worries. I've already swapped in a false feed. No one will notice a thing," Kaji replied, smiling warmly as he caressed her face more gently.
"Still as meticulous as ever. Always thinking ahead," Ritsuko said with a light, teasing laugh.
"I don't like losing. So I make sure I'm always prepared," Kaji said smoothly, his entire presence exuding charisma. The atmosphere of the room seemed to change, suffused with an almost electric tension.
"But Kaji…" Ritsuko purred, then smirked, "You've lost again."
"Hm?" Kaji blinked.
"Because someone's watching you with murder in her eyes right this very moment," she whispered, eyes twinkling.
Kaji turned toward the glass window—
And sure enough, Misato Katsuragi's furious face was pressed against the glass, eyes practically aflame.
Those usually soft, gentle eyes now radiated pure wrath.
Misato.
She was staring at Kaji like she could tear him apart limb by limb.
"Oh, it's you, Misato. Long time no see," Kaji said cheerfully, releasing Ritsuko and waving with a grin.
"You… What are you doing here?! I thought you were in Europe! Why are you back?!" Misato shouted, teeth clenched in anger.
"Ah, well, I was assigned a special mission. I came back specifically for it. I'll be stationed at HQ for a while," Kaji said casually, spreading his arms with a big smile. "Isn't it great? The three of us are finally back together—just like old times, back in school."
Ssss!
Misato drew a deep breath through her nose.
The three of us? Together again? Who the hell wants that?
This guy really hasn't changed at all! she thought bitterly.
Misato had been hoping she wouldn't run into Kaji again. And yet here he was—in Ritsuko's office, no less, flirting with her.
Unforgivable!
"No one wants your stupid 'three-person reunion'! Have you no shame?! For your information, compared to Kitazawa-kun, you're not even in the same league!"
Misato practically exploded, shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Oh? You're comparing me to Kitazawa-kun now? That's… interesting," Ritsuko said with a smirk, clearly enjoying herself.
"Ritsuko! You too?!" Misato's face turned bright red as she glared daggers at her friend.
"You mean that boy—Unit-01's pilot? Ryota Kitazawa, right?" Kaji said, still smiling calmly. "Yes, I ran into him earlier today."
"What?!"
This time, both Ritsuko and Misato were stunned.
"You already met Kitazawa?!"
They looked at him in shock.
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