Chapter Seventy-Three: Lost

"Then, let's replace me as Shinji's back."

"Huh?" Shinji was stunned.

"Because didn't Shinji just say it, if it's a relative, then even the party in charge of wiping the back will just be happy." Leigh said with a flushed cheek.

"That's right." Shinji understood Rei's thoughts. That's what I'm saying.,Maybe that's how it is between lovers.,It's just that Shinji hasn't found out all the time.。 "I see, then, I'll leave it to you, Leigh." Without further excuses, Shinji handed the washed towel into Rei's hand, and then slowly turned around himself.

Rei, who took the towel, followed Shinji's example when he wiped Misato's back, applied body soap to the towel, then kneaded a lather and gently patted Shinji's broad back.

Closing his eyes and feeling the gentle rubbing of the boneless little hand behind his back, the joy in Shinji's heart is self-evident. Unfortunately, time passed so quickly, in the blink of an eye, five minutes had passed, and Shinji sat in the water and stretched out after Rei rushed through the water for his back.

"Haah~~ I feel like my whole body is relaxed, thank you, Lei." As he spoke, Shinji turned his back to Rei and reached out to hammer his shoulder, hoping to knock away the last vestiges of exhaustion from this morning's long drive.

"Shinji, what's wrong with your shoulder?" Rei, who sat in the hot spring again, looked at Shinji's movements and was slightly puzzled.

"Ah, it's nothing, it's just that I'm a little tired after a morning of driving, and my shoulders are sore, but I've just wiped my back, and now I'm completely relaxed. It's all due to Li. Shinji turned around and smiled at Rei, although Rei had sat in the water from the beginning, but the distance between the two was not far, through the mist, Shinji could still see the beauty on the other side, and the shiny memory on the girl's chest. But compared to the embarrassment just now, Shinji has relaxed a lot now.

“…… If it's still sore, let me give you a shoulder rub. Leigh was amazing.

"Huh? Leigh, do you still rub your shoulders? "Shinji's surprise." Who taught you this? ”

"It's Sister Misato, when you're away, she occasionally asks me to rub her shoulder." Leigh thought for a moment and replied. "A few days ago, when you were still injured and hospitalized, Sister Misato often complained that Shinji was not there, there was no one to cook, so she had to cook it, and then she was always tired and had back pain. Just let me learn to rub her shoulders. So, it will be. Leigh replied lightly.

"Uh...... That's right. Sister Misato, she really enjoys it. The corners of Shinji's mouth twitched. If that's the case, then Asuka isn't ......"

"She's in charge of thumping her legs."

"Sure enough......" Shinji narrowed his half-moon eyes. Where is this a parent who takes care of people, obviously a big lady who enjoys life. Shinji thought unscrupulously.

"Shinji?" Seeing the young man's unscrupulous appearance, Liz asked softly.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Hehe, a little distracted, then, please, Leigh. After that, Shinji, who had just turned around, turned his back again.

"Hmm." After a brief reply, Rei sat up and put her hands on Shinji's shoulders. Knead it gently.

Feeling Rei's hands on his shoulders, an unparalleled sense of happiness suddenly surged to Shinji. It turns out that being rubbed on the shoulder can also be such a comfortable thing.

"Is the strength okay? Shinji. ”

"Well, very comfortable force, thank you, Leigh." Shinji closed his eyes and replied with a smile. Under Li's gentle rubbing, the last trace of fatigue was also driven away. With a faint smile, before he knew it, Shinji's consciousness became blurred, and eventually, without anyone disturbing him, that touch of consciousness gradually faded, and Shinji's body leaned back......

"Huh!?"

With the girl's exclamation, Shinji's head fell on Rei's shoulder, and her broad back landed on Rei's chest. For the first time, the two of them made pure physical contact, without the cover of clothes, without the barrier of objects, the first intimate contact between skins, even though Shinji had already fallen asleep.

Rei was startled by Shinji's actions, and when she looked over, she realized that the boy had fallen asleep from the exhaustion of the journey. Rei didn't bother him, just put her hands around the boy's neck with a touching smile. Gently resting on the boy's chest, looking at Shinji's sleeping face with a faint smile, Rei smiled knowingly. Ruby eyes were filled with joy. Yes, this moment Li is happy, she feels, the person she loves is leaning on her arms and sleeping, there have been many times, Shinji likes to let his back against his chest, it turns out, this feeling is really amazing, to be able to see each other's appearance up close, and to be able to feel each other's hearts for the first time. Looking at the blue crystal necklace on Shinji's chest, Rei also put the necklace around her neck on the boy's chest, looking at the two crystals of the same color, but one mysterious and one pure. Rei's eyes were filled with indescribable peace and tenderness.

"It's not what the book says." Rei smiled softly. "My heart didn't beat as fast as the book says, and now I feel very calm and warm."

The boy and girl snuggled quietly in the pool without a trace of emotion. Time seems to stand still for this. Until that moment. The appearance of another girl, who also longs for warmth, breaks the quiet breath in the hot spring......

"Ayana, Misato take your bath...... Towel. ”

When Asuka returns to the hot springs again, she sees nothing else, but Shinji and Rei snuggling up in the spring. Although the surrounding fog was filled, it did not affect Asuka's ice-blue eyes to see the scene in front of her. Seeing the two people in the water, smiling sleeping faces and happy smiles. For some reason, a sour feeling instantly welled up in Asuka's heart. But soon, this sadness disappeared, and in place of that sour feeling was a bleak burst of self-deprecation and sadness.

Placing the bath towel on the edge of the pool, Asuka didn't bother the two of them and left the hot spring with a miserable smile.

"Sure enough, I really shouldn't like him...... He's Ayana. ”

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Back at the hotel, Asuka's condition still hasn't eased in the slightest. It walked forward like a puppet.

"Huh? What's wrong Asuka, why do you look listless? In the hallway, after lighting a cigarette, he saw Asuka walking towards him with her head down.

"Huh? Bless the seniors. Asuka looked up and saw that the blessing was smiling at her not far away. Asuka, who was about to go up and ask for a hug, hadn't taken the first step when her ice-blue eyes shrank suddenly. After that, his body did not move half a step.

"What's wrong? Did something happen? Asuka. Seeing that Asuka was acting a little strangely, the blessing stepped forward and asked kindly.

"Ahh No. Seeing the blessing approaching, Asuka subconsciously took a step back. And after taking a step back, Asuka was stunned, and then hurriedly explained to the blessing. "I'm sorry, bless the seniors, it seems that I went a little too far in the hot spring just now, and my head is a little dizzy."

"Is it because you've been doing it for a long time? Let's go get something to eat, the owner's craftsmanship here is not bad, and Katsuragi has been eating since just now. ”

"No, I don't have much appetite right now, I just want to find a place to rest." Asuka turned her head and didn't dare to look at the blessing. For fear that he would see something in his face.

"Is that so? Then go back to your room and get some rest. Blessing said lightly, and then pointed to the location of the room. Your room is over there, and you're sleeping with Misato and Ali tonight. ”

"yes, I see. Then I'll go back and rest first. "There are no more words, Asuka and blessings are staggered.

"Hehe, are you upset?" Looking at the back of Asuka leaving, he blessed himself lightly. Sighing slightly, he put the cigarette into his mouth and took a deep breath.

After a long time, a cigarette burned out. Throwing away the cigarette butt, the blessed face was a little solemn.

"Asuka, if you have to survive it, the days after that will change a lot. But I'm sure you can. Leaving a very difficult sentence, he stepped on the cigarette butt that was still burning, turned around and walked into the room where he had just been drinking with Misato.

The words are divided into two ends. Asuka who returned to the room didn't do anything, and fell heavily on the bed on one side, and her whole body fell deep into the soft quilt, but Asuka was not attracted by the softness of the quilt. On the contrary, the Asuka powder on the bed clenched her fists, and her body was constantly trembling.

"Why...... Why do I no longer have the same heartbeat after seeing the blessings of my predecessors? Why do I retreat when my predecessors come near me...... What the hell is wrong with me? ”

At this moment, Asuka's heart was upset. No, it's not so much messed up as lost. In the past, the first thing she did when she saw the blessing every day was to say a sweet "blessing senior~" as a greeting, and occasionally she would affectionately hold the blessed arm and be coquettish, but today, even she herself didn't know why. Why do you have a rejection of blessings? The previous sentence of blessing seniors just can't be spoken. Even if the blessing takes the initiative to approach him, he has to subconsciously retreat. She couldn't understand why these things were happening. Closing her eyes, Asuka struggled to recall every bit of her and the blessings, from the first day of understanding, life in Germany, graduation from the Air Force Academy, and after coming to NERV, she participated in the Tanabata fast food event with the blessings. And also...... And also......

Also, the first meeting with Shinji on the aircraft carrier on the way to Japan, a separate conversation with Shinji in the engine room, and a physical touch with Shinji in the second plane. Living alone with Shinji when he loses a battle, he trains in dance with Shinji in the same place. Sleep in the same bed with Shinji in the room. Fight alongside Shinji in a duel with the Seventh Apostle. When the Eighth Apostle lost the battle, he was saved by Shinji strongly. And...... When Shinji was injured, he guarded day and night.

The memories of "......" were full of Asuka, and she found that the blessed image in the memories was slowly fading, and the boy who was full of sunshine gradually appeared in her mind. Lingering.

"Thoroughly...... Has it fallen? Asuka opened her beautiful eyes, and a crystal tear slipped down her face.

"Asuka...... You're terrible! ”

ps:Today is the Lantern Festival Valentine's Day double festival adventing,Xiaofeng is here to wish you a happy double festival,The short fifteen-day holiday has passed,After that, Xiaofeng has to start working,Time is getting less and less,So the days of breaking off may also increase,But rest assured,As long as Xiaofeng has time, he will step up the creation of the article,I hope you can bear Xiaofeng's delay in updating the time for personal reasons。 Thank you here.