I participated in the development of EVA

She didn't think there was anything wrong with everyone gathering here because of their belief in saving the world.

I couldn't help but ask back.

"Is there anything wrong with my understanding? Aren't we gathered here to work hard to save the world?"

"Saving the world is just a highlight in my life. Only a little girl like you would consider saving the world as the whole of your life."

Ritsuko Akagi put away her smile and stood there in a daze, obviously shocked by the courage revealed in Ikari Fumihiko's words.

"Why did you stop? Are you shocked by what I just said!?"

"No, just now, just now..."

Ritsuko Akagi stumbled and couldn't find a suitable excuse. She noticed a roadside vending machine out of the corner of her eye, and her eyes suddenly lit up.

"I was just wondering if I should bring some Coke over for Li."

Fumihiko Ikari directly exposed Ritsuko Akagi without mercy.

"If you're impressed by my handsomeness, just admit it. We're all adults now, there's no need to hide it."

"Ah……"

Akagi Ritsuko chuckled weakly.

"Well, if I had just replaced 'a brilliant achievement' with 'a resume not worth mentioning', wouldn't that be more domineering!?"

"No, it will only make others think that you are out of your mind."

"If you really put it that way, it does seem a bit exaggerated."

Looking at the frivolous and unserious Ikari Fumihiko, the heavy pressure that Akagi Ritsuko had felt before because of the words "human beings have no choice" completely disappeared at this moment.

"Do you want to bring some Coke back for Li?"

"No need. The refrigerator at home is already full of Coke. She usually drinks Coke as if it were water."

Ritsuko Akagi frowned.

"You'd better ask her to drink less Coke on a daily basis. Even if she likes it, she can't indulge too much, otherwise her body will easily have problems over time."

After hearing this, Fumihiko Ikari realized one thing: Ritsuko Akagi still didn't know the identity of Rei Ayanami's clone.

"It's okay. I have a plan in mind."

"Why do I feel like you don't look like you have any idea at all? To be honest, you just go along with her in everything, which is not a good thing."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Ikari Fumihiko didn't care.

"I'm not joking, take it seriously."

"I am now relying on her private medical team. If there is any problem, the higher-ups will definitely intervene."

Ritsuko Akagi only reacted after hearing this.

I just thought of Rei Ayanami as an ordinary little girl and forgot that she was an EVA pilot.

He said nothing more.

The two of them had already arrived in front of Fumihiko Ikari's dormitory.

When I opened the door, I saw Saori Hashimoto arranging decorations in the living room to add to the birthday atmosphere, and there was a three-layer cake on the coffee table.

Ikari Fumihiko was very satisfied with this, and at the same time said to Akagi Ritsuko, "Look, my four assistants, each of them is very capable! I didn't even ask her to decorate the room, I just said it was Rei's birthday today, and she prepared everything I didn't expect."

Ritsuko Akagi didn't respond, but just stared at Saori Hashimoto.

However, Saori Hashimoto ignored Ritsuko Akagi.

"Minister, everything is ready."

"Yeah, well done."

At this time, Ritsuko Akagi also withdrew her gaze.

"Li, when will you be back?"

"almost."

"Then should we turn off the lights in advance and give her a surprise when she comes back?"

Fumihiko Ikari felt that this was meaningless. Ayanami Rei had no concept of birthdays at all. Without expectations, there would be no surprises, only confusion. However, he still did not reject Ritsuko Akagi's kindness.

Saori Hashimoto didn't say anything, just stood quietly aside.

In fact, even if Ritsuko Akagi didn't say it now, she would bring it up later, and even prepared more than a dozen plans for Fumihiko Ikari to choose from. The reason why she gave Ritsuko Akagi the performance space and didn't compete with her was that she had a clear positioning of her identity, and competing was not something she should do.

Ritsuko Akagi couldn't see this and was still satisfied with her performance.

"When she comes in, we light the candles and sing birthday song in front of her, how about that?"

"okay."

Although Ikari Fumihiko agreed, he felt that it was completely useless. Ayanami Rei would only look confused when faced with such a scene.

Saori Hashimoto walked to the door before speaking.

"Minister, please call me when dinner is ready."

"Ah."

Ikari Fumihiko did not try to persuade him to stay.

After Hashimoto Saori left, as Ritsuko Akagi, who was immersed in the birthday atmosphere, turned off the lights in the living room, the room became dark. The two hid behind the sofa in the living room. At this moment, Fumihiko Ikari realized that after Hashimoto Saori left, the room was really a single man and a single woman. He should have let Hashimoto Saori stay, which would not only avoid this atmosphere of a single man and a single woman, but also make it more lively later. However, it is too late to regret now.

18:08:17

457. Children are easy to fool

In the silent room, the only thing the two could feel was each other's breathing. Fortunately, the sofa was not small, so the two did not get too close, avoiding some embarrassment.

Even so, they could both feel each other's heartbeat quickening.

After a long time, when both of them were almost numb from squatting, the door of the room finally opened.

Rei Ayanami did not show much abnormality about the darkness in the dormitory. She walked in calmly, and when she reached out to turn on the light, she noticed a fire behind the sofa. Faced with this sudden fire, Rei Ayanami still did not show the panic that a normal person would have. She just walked to the side calmly and picked up the fire extinguisher with the help of the fire.

The two of them were holding a cake with lit birthday candles. As soon as they appeared from behind the sofa, before they started singing the birthday song, they saw Rei Ayanami holding a fire extinguisher towards them.

Fortunately, Rei Ayanami reacted quickly, otherwise the fire extinguisher would have already sprayed up.

Ritsuko Akagi was stunned.

Ikari Fumihiko was stunned for a moment before he reacted.

"Li, put down the fire extinguisher quickly, there is no fire."

Rei Ayanami put away the fire extinguisher, her expression still calm, without surprise or confusion.

This was beyond Ikari Fumihiko's expectations, but after thinking about it, he realized that Asuka had no concept of birthdays and could not feel surprised, nor would she feel confused. She only treated birthday cakes as everyday foods such as ramen, stir-fried dishes, rice, and steamed buns. If there was any confusion, it was probably that she was curious about whether the birthday cake tasted good.

“Birthday cakes should be made to look like Coke.”

Hearing what Ikari Fumihiko said, Akagi Ritsuko came back to her senses, wondering why Rei Ayanami didn't react at all when the birthday atmosphere was so intense! ?

"Are you still singing the birthday song?"

"Let's continue with the process."

The two continued to sing the birthday song, and Ayanami Rei looked at them calmly, indifferent.

Akagi Ritsuko was even more confused. They had already sung the birthday song, but why didn't Ayanami Rei react at all? ! It was as if she had no concept of birthdays. Uh... Could it be that she had never celebrated her birthday since she was a child? ? After figuring this out, another idea popped up in her mind.

How come Rei Ayanami hasn't changed much in these years? She still looks like she's about ten years old, as if she has stopped growing.

She had some contact with Rei Ayanami in the past, but most of her attention was on Fumihiko Ikari, so she never noticed the abnormality in Rei Ayanami's body.

"Happy birthday, Li."

Different from Ritsuko Akagi's blessing, Fumihiko Ikari spoke out the theme of today.

"Li, today is your birthday."

When Rei Ayanami heard what Fumihiko Ikari said, a look of confusion appeared on her face.

"Today is my birthday?"

Ikari Fumihiko patiently explained, "Yes, a birthday is the date a person is born into this world. This day every year is a day worth celebrating for a person. I had too many things to do before, and I didn't have the conditions to celebrate your birthday, so I never celebrated your birthday."

"Oh."

Rei Ayanami was very calm and had no reaction. It was obvious that she just knew the concept of birthday.

Ikari Fumihiko was not surprised by this.

Akagi Ritsuko felt sympathy for Rei Ayanami who didn't know that birthdays were worth celebrating at such an age, and at the same time, a bad thought came to her mind. Although she had been here for a long time, she didn't know much about what was being researched in the base. She only understood more after becoming an intern, and it was because she knew more that a bad thought came to her mind.

Could it be that Rei Ayanami is the product of some cyborg project?

Seeing that Rei Ayanami was still standing there unmoved, Fumihiko Ikari explained the situation.

"Now you should make a wish and blow out the candles."

"Make a wish?"

"Well, blow out the candles on the cake after silently reciting your wish in your heart."

Ayanami Rei was not interested in her birthday, but she still followed Fumihiko Ikari's instructions.

As the candle went out, the whole room fell into darkness again.

Ritsuko Akagi turned on the light.

Then he took out his gift from the sofa. The huge gift box was almost as tall as an adult.

"Li, happy birthday, this is the birthday present I prepared for you."

Fumihiko Ikari placed the cake on the coffee table and took out the same gift box according to the procedure.

"Happy birthday, Li."

Faced with the gifts from the two, Rei Ayanami accepted them expressionlessly, and it was obvious that she was not moved at all by receiving the gifts.

The atmosphere became a little tense for a moment.

Ritsuko Akagi looked at Fumihiko Ikari a little bewildered, obviously not knowing what to do because of Rei Ayanami.

Ikari Fumihiko had anticipated this and said it calmly.

"There's unlimited Coke tonight, Li, drink as much as you want."

Only Coke can touch Rei Ayanami's calm heart and bring joy to her face.

"Really?"

"Ah."

Fumihiko Ikari looked at Rei Ayanami and sighed in his heart, it turned out that children are easy to deceive.

Normally, his attitude towards Ayanami Rei drinking Coke is no different from now, he lets her drink however she wants.

As Rei Ayanami's face blossomed with a surprised smile, the dormitory was filled with a birthday atmosphere.

After guiding Rei Ayanami to cut the cake, the three of them ate more or less. For the three of them, this three-layer cake was too big and they could not finish it at all. Led by Ritsuko Akagi, a lot of cake was smeared on the faces of the three of them. It was mainly because Fumihiko Ikari and Ritsuko Akagi attacked each other, while Rei Ayanami just sat aside and passively accepted the smearing of cake on their faces.

Drinking Coke with a happy face.

When Ritsuko Akagi saw this scene, she sighed while wiping the cake off her face.

"I should have listened to you and prepared two boxes of Coke as gifts."

The same is true for Fumihiko Ikari.

"She is only interested in Coke and food, and of course the thing that can touch her the most is Coke."

"I have never understood, is this thing really that delicious?"

"Try it, and you'll understand."

Ritsuko Akagi took a sip tentatively.

“I think the taste is okay, not as good as I imagined.”

"That's normal. Different people have different tastes."