"Katsuragi-san, here's the thing! That damn Kitazawa Ryota—why the hell did he have to butt in for me?! It was just a scuffle I could've ended in three punches and two kicks, and he jumped in like some hero! What am I supposed to do now—where does that leave me, Captain Shikinami?"
At this very moment inside NERV Headquarters, Asuka was venting furiously to Misato Katsuragi, who wore her usual charming smile—what she was really thinking, however, was anyone's guess.
The second she left school, Asuka had gone straight to NERV to find Misato.
And now, throughout her tirade, Asuka was practically exploding with rage—she genuinely seemed to hate Kitazawa Ryota to the core.
"Hehe… If you're that upset with Kitazawa Ryota, why not just let him suffer a little this time? Could be a good lesson for him," Misato said, smiling pleasantly.
"Hmph! And if that idiot gets himself seriously hurt over it, what then? What happens to my reputation as Captain Asuka Shikinami Langley?"
Asuka lifted her chin high, feigning utter disdain and giving a dramatic pout.
"Hmm… could it be that you actually like Kitazawa Ryota?" Misato suddenly asked, casually, her eyes narrowing with amusement as she observed Asuka closely.
Hearing this, Asuka practically jumped: "Wha—W-What are you talking about?! Me? Like him?! That arrogant, self-absorbed, violent maniac?! As if!"
"Oh, I just thought you were acting really nervous, so maybe—" Misato nodded nonchalantly, though her sharp gaze said she already saw through it. After all, no one understands a woman better than another woman.
"Katsuragi-san, don't go saying weird things! If I ever liked that guy, it'd be because I went blind!"
At that moment, an image flashed in Asuka's mind—the scene of Misato entering Kitazawa Ryota's room that night. Her face turned bright red instantly.
Panicked that Misato might notice something, she quickly turned around and said, "Anyway, I'm going now. I'll leave this matter to you."
"Alright."
Watching Asuka's retreating figure, Misato shook her head and sighed.
"Kitazawa-kun… you really are reckless. First the military, now the Speaker of the House—you've managed to offend some of the most powerful people in all of Japan. Bold move, Kitazawa-kun, very bold."
"But… the opponent this time is Speaker Hattori? This might actually get tricky…"
After Asuka's figure completely disappeared from view, Misato muttered to herself, falling into deep thought.
---
Meanwhile…
"AAAHHH—Dad! It hurts!"
Inside a luxurious villa, a heart-wrenching scream pierced the air. A woman's soft sobs followed: "My poor son… look at you! Just look at what they did to you! You've been beaten half to death and your father's just standing there doing nothing!"
At this moment, a middle-aged man stood silently by the bed, his expression dark as he looked down at the heavily bandaged Hattori Narumi. Around him stood Moriba, Yamanoki, and other bodyguards—all wearing grim faces and not daring to utter a sound, afraid that the man might unleash his anger on them.
Seated at the bedside was a finely dressed woman, her eyes red with tears. She looked heartbroken as she gazed at her son, wrapped in thick bandages.
"This brat… going around harassing women in public like some thug. Of all the people to mess with, you picked an EVA pilot! Do you have any idea who those kids are? None of them are pushovers!"
The middle-aged man's tone was cold and furious—he looked like he was about to explode with rage over his son's stupidity.
"Oh, now you think it's shameful? Look in the mirror! You have women all over the place but my son isn't allowed a little love life of his own?" the elegant woman snapped back angrily. "I don't care. If you won't do anything, I will. My son won't be beaten for nothing. That brat Kitazawa Ryota—he's going to pay for this!"
"You—!"
This man, no doubt, was Hattori Kojiro, father of Hattori Narumi, the current Speaker of the Japanese Diet and a candidate for the next Prime Minister. Which made this whole incident an enormous political liability—and understandably, he was furious.
This was blatant sabotage of his campaign!
Hattori Kojiro was seething, breathing heavily as he slumped down into a chair in silence.
"Mom… it hurts… it really hurts…" Narumi whimpered again from the bed, partly from real pain, but mostly for dramatic effect—hoping his parents would step in and avenge him.
"Enough! Quit your damn whining!"
Hearing Narumi's moans, Hattori Kojiro's irritation boiled over. These two—mother and son—had always acted out of line, emboldened by the woman's influential family. And now, they were calling for vengeance against a NERV pilot? Shouting and screaming without thinking about the consequences?
He needed the support of that powerful family to become Prime Minister, and he was well aware of what kind of person Gendo Ikari was. The timing couldn't be worse—with the election looming, nothing could be taken lightly.
All of this made his head throb with frustration.
But his sudden outburst did the trick—Narumi immediately shut up, though his eyes sparkled with hope.
Narumi knew his father well. Every time he used that tone, it meant he was about to "handle things behind the scenes."
"Fine. I'll take care of it. But from this moment on, you'd better not cause me any more trouble. Got it?" Hattori Kojiro said coldly.
"Yes, Father! I understand completely! I just… I just can't swallow this humiliation!" Narumi continued to groan pitifully.
"Bring in Captain Kishimoto."
Having made up his mind, Hattori Kojiro gave the order.
Narumi and his mother exchanged pleased glances. Captain Kishimoto was with the military. Sending a man like him to teach those NERV kids a lesson would be easy—too easy.
Before long, Kishimoto Ishiki arrived at the Speaker's sprawling residence.
"Heh… I wasn't expecting the Speaker himself to summon me. To what do I owe the honor?" Kishimoto asked with a polite smile as he stood before Hattori Kojiro.
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