Stage 35 - "Hikari (Light), and Shadow"
(Note: This title is a clever play on words using Hikari's name. Hikari
means "light", so the title can be read as "Light and Shadow". However,
whereas "Shadow (kage)" is written using the kanji, "hikari" is written
in katakana which makes it Hikari's name.)

Cover: Touji dressed in his usual track suit with his school bag slung
over his shoulder, sitting/leaning on a guardrail, looking calm and
maybe even respectable, for lack of a better word.

Scene: Bird's-eye view inside the Geofront
Fuyutsuki: The Eva-04 accident... how did you report it to the
Committee?
(Shift to Gendo and Fuyutsuki sitting inside a linear railcar traveling
toward NERV HQ)
Gendo: I simply told them the truth: "Cause unknown".
Fuyutsuki: But it's a great loss, after having come this far.
Gendo: Eva-04 and the 2nd Branch don't matter. Even though we lost the
S^2 engine sample, the data remains in Germany. As long as we still have
HQ and Eva-01, that's enough.
Fuyutsuki: But the Committee was livid.
Gendo: Because it was an unanticipated accident. 
Fuyutsuki: SEELE must also be frantically revising their action plan.
Gendo: Sometimes events not recorded in the Dead Sea Scrolls occur. It's
good medicine for the old men.

Scene: New Tokyo-3 1st Municipal Junior High School
Touji (hands pressed together, pleading): SENSEI!!
(Note: literally "teacher", but also used when talking to someone with
knowledge or someone you are asking for help.)
Touji: PLEASE! Let me see your Math homework!!
Shinji (disparaging look): You didn't do yours again? You've been
relying on my homework an awful lot lately, haven't you? (hands notebook
to Touji)
Touji (abrupt change in demeanor - snatches Shinji's notebook): Don't be
such a tightass and just let me see it, okay? (starts copying Shinji's
homework) I have to make a few mistakes on purpose -- after all, I'm not
as smart as you...
Shinji (thinking): The guy's a pro...
(Shinji notices Hikari looking back over her shoulder at them - Hikari
immediately averts her gaze, embarrassed)
Shinji (thinking): I wonder if she's always watched Touji like that. I
never noticed until now...
Shinji: Hey -
Touji: Yeah?
Shinji: Why don't you copy from someone else's homework sometimes -- the
Class Press, for example...
Touji: Are you an idiot!? (looks at Shinji, but points finger at Hikari)
There's no way Miss 'Priss' would ever show me her homework!
Hikari (standing/angry): Who are you calling Miss 'Priss'!?
Touji: I didn't say it was you!
Hikari (shouting): But you were pointing straight at me when you said
it!
(Touji and Hikari clash verbally -- Shinji looks on)
Shinji (thinking): Fine, fine -- just be that way... *sigh*
(Teacher enters classroom)
Teacher: Suzuhara! Is Touji Suzuhara here? You're wanted in the
Principal's office at once.
(Touji and Hikari freeze in mid-fight)
Hikari: What did you do this time?
Touji: Nothing you idiot - I'm innocent. Well, I don't know what they
want me for, but I guess I'd better go.
(Hikari worriedly watches him leave)
Asuka (claps Hikari on shoulder from behind): Hi-ka-ri... That's no
good. You're never going to make any progress with him if you keep on
like this.
Hikari (shocked): Wha-!?

Scene: School rooftop
Asuka: I can't believe you kept it a secret from me. Why didn't you come
to me for help sooner?
Shinji (thinking): Why did they have to drag me along?
Hikari (nonchalantly): I haven't the faintest idea what you mean...
Asuka (shouting): Oh, stop playing the innocent! You like him, don't
you?
Hikari: Not really... We're fine just the way we are...
Asuka: That's not good enough! Think about the times we live in -- Sure
everything's fine and dandy for now, but who knows what tomorrow might
bring? If you have some feeling you want to convey, you'd better tell
him!
(Shill shots of Hikari and Shinji thinking)
Asuka (turns abruptly): Shinji!
Shinji (startled out of his reverie): Yes!
Asuka: You think, too. You're friends with Suzuhara, so you should know
-- How can Hikari get that hot-headed idiot to like her?
Shinji (cowering/thinking): How should I know? But if I don't say
something she'll verbally abuse me.
Shinji: Well, how about making him a box lunch? After all, he's always
just eating pastries or something. He'd probably dance for joy if you
fixed him a home-made box lunch.
(Asuka stares expressionless at Shinji)
Asuka: ........
Shinji (sweating/thinking): I knew it -- here comes the abuse...
Asuka: Motion accepted!! And I might add that it's not a bad idea, even
coming from you! It's simple and old fashioned, but it just might work
on that idiot.
Shinji (somewhat relieved/thinking): Was that praise...?

Scene: Principal's office
Ritsuko: You're Touji Suzuhara, correct? I am Ritsuko Akagi, of the 1st
Technology Section at NERV Headquarters. (hands Touji her name card)
It's a pleasure to meet you.
(Touji looks on in puzzlement)

Scene: Vending machine corner inside NERV HQ -- Kaji is about to insert
some coins, when Misato suddenly reaches around from behind him and
inserts some coins for him.
Kaji: Wha-? Katsuragi?
Misato: I'll buy. Is coffee okay?
Kaji (surprised): ... Is the world coming to an end?
(literally: Is there a storm tomorrow?)
Misato: The disappearance of the 2nd US Branch... I suppose that had
something to do with the Angels?
Kaji: Why are you asking me?
Misato: I just thought you know a lot about various things. You know the
Marduke Agency's secrets, don't you?
Kaji: That's not like you to rely on other people.
Misato: I don't have time to be picky now. The convenient discovery of
the Fourth Children -- What's behind it?
Kaji (pauses, then answers): Try checking code 707.
Misato: 707? Shinji's school?
Kaji: The Marduke Agency doesn't exist. Pulling the strings from behind
the scenes is NERV itself.
Misato: NERV itself...? You mean Commander Ikari?
Kaji: ...Did I say too much? (notices Maya entering the break room -
changes expression) Oh? Break time for pretty Maya? Why don't you come
on over here and have some tea with me?
Maya (evasively): I still have some work to do.
Kaji (energetically): You can do that later. (puts arm aound Maya's
shoulders) I know -- why don't we go and get some really good coffee in
the lounge? (leads Maya off)
Maya: Are you sure you want to do that? Miss Katsuragi's glaring...
(Misato is lost in thought and not paying attention.)
Kaji (fading): No problem, no problem!

Scene: Shinji and Kensuke walking home from school
Shinji: I wonder what happened to Touji. He never came back from the
Principal's office...
Kensuke: Maybe he did something really terrible this time... By the way,
I came across some rather interesting information. Eva-03 -- you know,
the one that they were building in America -- it's been completed,
hasn't it?
Shinji (thinking): He peeked at his father's data again...
Shinji: Eva-03? I haven't heard anything about that.
Kensuke: It's rumored that the activation test will be conducted at the
No. 2 Test Site in Matsushiro. You really don't know?
Shinji: No...
(Kensuke grabs Shinji by the lapels and speaks frantically)
Kensuke: I know you have to keep this information secret, but tell me!
Has the pilot been decided yet?
Shinji: I said I didn't know.
Kensuke (releasing Shinji): Aaahhh- I wonder if Misato will let me pilot
it. You ask her for me, Shinji. I really want to pilot Eva!!
Shinji (rubbing neck): ...Even if what you say is true, I don't think
she'd let you pilot it just because I asked...
Kensuke (crestfallen): Yeah, I guess you're right. But it's the chance
of a lifetime. After all, there isn't going to be a Unit 04.
Shinji: ? - What do you mean?
Kensuke (stares at Shinji dumbstruck): You really don't know, do you?
(overhead shot of giant crater) It got blown to bits together with the
2nd Branch. My father's office was in an uproar over it.
Shinji (seriously): ...I haven't heard anything from Misato.
Kensuke (realizing that he has said too much): Ah- Well- I guess it
doesn't concern you pilots. I mean, if they don't tell you, then you
don't need to know, right? (hurries off) Sorry for asking you strange
things -- See you tomorrow.
(Shinji watches Kensuke walk away, then turns and walks silently)
Shinji (thinking): I don't know what it is... but I've got a bad
feeling. Like some powerful, giant force is churning away in some place
I don't know of. So far I've almost died, and had some pretty bad
situations, but this time...
(Shinji looks up to see Touji sitting/leaning against the guardrail in
front of him with a serious look)
Shinji: Touji...?
Touji: Shinji...
Shinji: Why are you sitting here? Don't you live the other way?
Touji (standing): ...There were some things I had to buy.
Shinji: You didn't come back to the classroom, so we were a little
worried.
Touji: Oh, that. It was nothing serious. I just didn't feel like going
back to class. (pauses) Shinji- would you come over to my place?
Shinji: Huh...?
Touji: To tell the truth, I was actually waiting here for you. I have
some things I want to ask you.

- End Stage 35