The Collection of The End

【—2015.8.15—】

Third New Tokyo City, night.

Civic Square.

Different from the usual modern decoration, at this time, the Civic Square has pulled up a strip of colorful flags, red paper lanterns are hung everywhere, and many stalls that look quite retro are open, and half of the pedestrians are on the street. They are all wearing different styles of kimonos.

"Wow, is this the Obon festival in Japan?" Asuka, dressed in a red short-sleeved shirt and jeans, fussed at the pedestrians, decorations, and stalls on the street: "Ugly lanterns! Strange things! And A stage so high that they might fall! Are they wearing kimonos? It looks weird hahaha.”

"Please, please be quiet." Kirishima's real name in a white dress tried to stop Asuka from talking nonsense.

"Uh, am I being a little rude?" Asuka restrained her attitude a little.

Indeed, if it weren't for the fact that you are a girl and a foreigner, someone would probably have come to beat someone.

"If it's an ordinary summer festival or a fireworks display, it doesn't matter if you shout about it," Ikari Shinji, who was also dressed in casual clothes, explained, "But the Obon Festival is a festival to welcome ancestors back to their hometown. If you encounter special respect for ancestors people, may be very angry."

"Huh... Huh?" Asuka's eyes widened: "Isn't the Obon Festival a festival of dancing, lighting lanterns, and burning mountains?"

Although there is nothing wrong with what she said, why did it sound strange? What unreliable website did she search for?

"Obon is a festival second only to New Year's Day. The deceased will return to this world from that world to be reunited with their relatives. People welcome their ancestors back through the 'Obon dance'. On the fifteenth day Heaven reunites with ancestors, and then sends them off by lighting river lanterns or burning the word 'big' on the mountain," said Ayanami Rei, who was still wearing a school uniform and skirt. "So, it is also called...'Ghost Festival'."

Combined with her expressionless face and unwavering tone of voice, she was clearly introducing a ghost story.

"Hey...hey?" Asuka's eyes widened, and she wrapped her arms around herself and looked around: "Well, those stalls..."

Obviously a talented driver who has graduated from college, but afraid of ghosts?

"Because the ancestors rarely come back once, it's not a good idea to let them sit at home, so they will hold a celebration around the venue where the Bon dance is performed, and have fun with the ancestors," Shinji Ikari started talking nonsense: "In this case, even if Ancestors don’t know enough about modern society, and they can see that their children and grandchildren have a good life by watching their entertainment activities. It is very likely that behind someone who is having a good time, his ancestors are following him, right?”

"Yeah!" Kirishima's real name swishly hid behind Ikari Shinji, grabbed his sleeve and refused to let go.

…Um? Am I scaring the wrong person?

Ikari Shinji looked at Kirishima's real name, who looked like a bunny, and turned to Asuka who bowed her head after hearing those words.

"Hum hum hum... Then what's there to be afraid of?" Asuka raised her head suddenly, her eyes bright: "I protect this city, their descendants are protected by me, and I should be thankful!"

That's my line! What have you protected!

"It's started." Ayanami interrupted Asuka's boasting.

Boom boom, boom boom, boom boom boom!

As the drums on the high platform hung with lanterns and red cloth were struck, many men and women wearing red bloomers and black short-sleeved shirts, with colorful pieces of cloth on their backs, gathered around the high platform. They formed a certain formation with each other. Begin to dance with movements that are not uniform but have a certain common rhythm, first jump, spread out, shrug, put hands together, raise above head, then open, point to the sky, point to the ground, point to the left and right, then switch positions with each other, and come again in different directions Once, from time to time during the period, there will be dancers hanging on their shoulders to make different movements from others, or to change positions that make no sense.

"Well... I don't understand, but it seems to be very powerful." Asuka commented succinctly.

"Did I forget what I just said? This is to welcome ancestors from all directions to their hometowns." Ikari Shinji tried to show off his knowledge that he also saw from other places.

"That's not right. The third New Tokyo City was established after the second shock. Most of their hometowns have been flooded, and they won't go back here." Asuka retorted.

What she said was so reasonable that many people in the crowd watching the dance were already glaring at her.

"Forget it, let's go to the festival booth first." In order to prevent any news of EVA pilots beating ordinary citizens, Ikari Shinji decided to take this troublemaker away from the crowd.

"Hmph, it just so happened that I...wait a minute, hurry up and hide!" Asuka followed Ikari Shinji not halfway out of the street, and suddenly grabbed him and Ling Ling Ling with one hand and hid in a side alley.

Kirishima's real name, who was suddenly left behind, was stunned, and then hurried over.

"What's the matter?" "Shh—look who's that?"

Several people probed from the entrance of the alley, followed Asuka's instructions, and soon saw two familiar and unfamiliar figures.

Kaji Ryoji and Katsuragi Misato in kimono.

Under the light of the lights, the two walked hand in hand, chatting and laughing in a low voice, which seemed to be in perfect harmony.

"But... Damn." Asuka took out a handkerchief out of nowhere and bit it there.

I can't see it, she actually treats Mr. Blessing...

"Even if they get married, I won't call you brother!" Asuka said through gritted teeth.

…Do you think guardians are equal to parents?

It would probably be interesting to tell this to Dad.

"It's on fire!" "The fire is on!"

At this moment, the pedestrians on the street began to exclaim, and when Ikari Shinji looked in the direction they pointed, he found that on a low mountain in the distance outside the third new Tokyo city, there was a "big" made of flames. The words are burning brightly.

With a click, Rei Ayanami took out the camera and took a picture of the scene.

【—2015.8.31—】

Literary Society.

"These photos are mine! No one wants to steal them!"

After it was made clear that everyone could choose at will, Asuka went back on her word and took all the photos of "giving fire" on the Obon festival day, but her expression seemed a little toothache.

Because I don't know if it was intentional or not, those few photos included Kaji Ryoji and Katsuragi Miri.

There is also heart gossip, it seems that she is too busy.

"Hey, Ayanami," Ikari Shinji moved closer to Ling Ling, "When is the next apostle attack?"

"Do you want the apostles to attack immediately, or let them wait?" Ayanami asked rhetorically.

"Ah You…"

"can not."

"Uh, I just want to find something for Asuka to do, so that she doesn't always care about the gossip of adults, but isn't it bad to beat the apostle when school starts? We'll talk about it in a few days."

"Um."

【—2015.8.12—】

Gathering Garden, Swimming Pool.

puff.

Rei Ayanami in the dark blue one-piece swimsuit plunged into the water like a weight, and did not float up for a long time.

When Shinji Ikari hurriedly jumped into the swimming pool to look for it, she went ashore along the ladder from the other end of the swimming pool.