Evangelion: Yui
The reason I wrote this was because I think that Yui and Fuyutsuki don't get much written about them though much of what they do and know are very close to what the series is about. Also I felt a need to define the type of woman who would fall for Gendo.
Also, I'm curious to see if people think that Fuyutsuki loved Yui like a woman or like a daughter.
Or maybe I'm just a sucker for love stories or stories about love that never quite happens. Well, read on.
P.S. Whatever is inside ( ) is a translation of the Japanese phrase in front of it.
Yui
When she came in, I was surprised how young she was, such an air of naivete and freshness. I told her, "This is an excellent report though I don't agree with everything you said."
"Thank you, Fuyutsuki-sensei."
"What are your plans? Do you plan to teach or do research?" I was thinking it would be nice to see a pretty young face around then the same grumpty old men that dominated the faculty.
"Well, I was thinking of a third option. If there's a guy good enough, I'll marry him."
That surprised me and saddened me a little. I'd seen this situation a number of times. A young bright woman would drop out to marry and raise kids. It was incredibly hard to catch up. Sometimes, she ended up little more than an office lady in a big biotech corporation rather than get the front page of newspapers for a new discovery. I knew a woman named Naoko Akagi who had managed to remain a scientist by putting her job first, but ended up getting a divorce. Still, I wasn't one to second guess Yui's decisions. After all, a few managed to combine the two.
"Are there any candidates?"
"None so far."
"Well, whatever you do, make sure he's worth it."
Yui just quietly chuckled.
I saw her around campus once in a while. During one conversation, I said, "Do you like hiking?"
"Yes."
"I know a place where the leaves turn red and gold; it's a very quiet place with nobody around."
"Is this a date?" she said with a cute little half-smile.
"I wouldn't call it that." I said hastily. "It's just been a long time since we've had a talk and the campus is always so distracting."
"I was just joking, Fuyutsuki-sensei. Yes, I would like that."
"Ah, how are studies going?"
"I'm managing." she said modestly. I knew from the other professors that she was on track to getting her doctorate summa cum laude.
"Any candidates for the 3rd option?" I always asked her this as a joke whenever I saw her.
She made a non-commital sound. "Still looking."
"I was wondering. . ." Then I forgot what I was about to say.
"Wondering. . ."
"What kind of onigiri (rice balls) you liked," I said. "For the hike."
"Oh, I can pack my own lunch. Is there any tabemono (food) you like?"
"If you can pack your own, I can pack my own."
"How about this Saturday? I'll see you at your office at 10."
"Sounds good."
We ended up going hiking every other weekend. Kanojo wa hontoni atama ii hito data (She had really good head on her shoulders). It was good talking with someone who didn't need me to simply things when it came to science. She had so much enthusiasm and optimism about the future. I told her, "You see the good in things."
"You sound disapproving."
"It's just that sometimes you don't see the bad."
"Fuyutsuki-sensei?"
"What?"
"Why don't you have an okusan(wife)?"
I was caught off guard by that question. Was she suggesting something?
"Gomen (sorry), I didn't mean to make you that nervous."
"No, I was just surprised. I never had the knack of really talking to people. I'm OK as long as it's in a class. Why do you ask?"
"I was just surprised that such a nice person like you never got married."
"Is that right?"
My friend who had introduced us kept pushing me to ask her out. I told him that what I felt was more a fatherly thing than romance. After all, I was much older than her and though I didn't teach any of her classes, she was still a graduate student. He told me that if I wasn't careful some other guy would snatch up such a catch. I told him that he should keep his dirty mind to himself.
One day, I got a call out of the blue when the police asked me to bail out Gendo Rokubungi. I had no idea how he'd gotten my number. I was bit uneasy since he had such a bad reputation. He'd getting into fights, getting drunk. Quite a bright guy, but surly, hostile and arrogant. Still, I needed to know how he'd gotten my number.
I went down there and released him. He didn't look too hurt. He must be a very experienced fighter, I thought. "Getting thrown into jail because you got drunk and had a fight. . ."
He insisted that he didn't start the fight, that they'd jumped him. I can't say I was very convinced at his statement.
"I'd been wanting to meet you. You're just like I thought."
I found him pretty distasteful. "Where did you get my no.?"
He smirked a little and said, "I got it from a friend."
I turned around and said, "Don't ever call me. I won't come and bail you out."
"Ai, wakata (Yes, I see). Thank you very much, Fuyutski-sensei. I'll see you around campus." He walked away.
That Sunday, Yui and I took our customary hike. "So," I said, asking her the same question I said everytime. "Any candidates for the 3rd option?"
She seemed to hesitate then said, "I've been dating Gendo Rokobungi."
I can't tell you how much that flabbergasted me. "I can't see you two walking together."
"He's really sweet. It's just nobody knows it."
I glanced back and saw eyes that were full of innocent love.
"I told Rokubungi-san about you. Do you mind?"
"No, he's smart enough, but I can't seem to like him." I tried to understate my disliking of Gendo. "Is that how he got my number? I had to bail him out this week because of a fight."
She seemed a little unhappy at that piece of news. "Yes, he told me afterwards. He didn't call me because he didn't want me to scold him and worry about him. I'm sorry he got you involved in this."
"Maybe you should try dating other men. I'm sure that you could do better."
I wondered briefly if I should say this as this was none of my business, but I felt concerned that her optimism could blind her to his faults. "He could get you involved in some nasty business and I'd hate to see your career damaged by such a man."
"Fuyutsuki-sensei, I can take care of myself. But it is very sweet of you to worry so much."
"Some guys can't change. Some women marry bad boys, thinking that they can work miracles; but often the miracles don't happen."
"The Gendo I know wants to change. Whatever his faults are; they're outweighed by his virtues. Now lets talk about something else. Got any Pocari Sweat (a light, somewhat grapefruit flavored, non-carbonated drink)?"
"Yes." I pulled a can out of my backpack. She opened it up and took a sip.
"I've been offered a job."
"Oh."
"A really good job as one of the head researchers of their new project. The foundation read my paper, you know the one you read, and they were so excited."
"Well, it was a good paper. What kind of project is it? What's the name of the company?"
She lifted a finger to her lips and said, "I'm not supposed to tell. In fact, you're the only one besides Gendo I've told about this."
"I see. So, you'll be leaving this semester."
"Yes."
"I'll be sorry to see you go."
"I'll miss going hiking with you, Fuyutsuki-sensei." Her usual happy face was quite sad. I was surprised when she gave me a hug because she was so reserved and polite. I gently put my hands on her shoulders and gave her a reassuring pat on the back..
"Don't worry, we'll go hiking again soon." I had no idea then that this was the last year that everything would be normal; the last year before 2nd Impact."
* * *
"It's a lot like old times."
I looked at her. She still looked much like the graduate student I'd known even though she was pushing a toddler in the stroller. "Yes, except that there aren't any more red and gold leaves. Not in this perpetual summer."
"It's still a beautiful day." We both stared out at the surface of the lake which shimmered in the afternoon sun. I didn't get to see her very much as we were both busy working on the project, but in different departments.
"Are you sure that what we're doing isn't terrible." I said.
"It's the only way," she said. "Mankind finds it easier to destroy rather than create." She took Shinji into her arms and he playfully patted her face. "Everything I do is for Shinji's sake."
We sat down at a nearby bench. "I thought Gendo would be here." I said.
"He says he has to do some work with Dr. Akagi."
I frowned at that statement. He'd been doing a lot of work with Dr.Akagi, the kind he used to say would upset my sense of the pristine. I briefly wondered telling her about it, but I knew that she wouldn't leave him now that she had Shinji.
"Why are you frowning?"
"Nothing."
"It's about Gendo, isn't it. You still don't care for him."
"I don't think I'll ever truly like him. All those hours, he spends working with Dr. Akagi. . ."
"Yes."
"He. . ." I faltered.
"Yes, I've been wondering the same thing, too."
"Oh, really."
"He's been working much too hard to be a good father to Shinji."
Again, she flabbergasted me. She stared at me and said, "You know, Gendo really respects you."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, he wouldn't have asked you to join if he didn't believe in you. I know Gendo is a bit rough, but you should see him smiling down at Shinji when he's asleep and musing what a great man he's going to become. At the hospital, he wept with joy when Shinji was born. He's been hinting that he'd like us to have another child, a daugher next time around. He's grown up a lot, he's not the same man you had to bail out. He's still grateful for that, you know."
"Really?"
"Yes. Fuyutsuki-sensei, do you believe in fate?"
"Not especially, why?"
"I don't know. Occasionally, I just wonder what would've happened if I had turned down this job. I couldn't knowing what I know now, but if I had said no."
"I don't know. Maybe you'd be doing some other type of research. I've learned not to think too much like that."
"Why?"
"Because it fills you with regret over what you could've said or done at the time. In your thoughts, anything is possible."
"Do you have any regrets?"
"A few."
"Well, I believe that as long as you have the sun, the moon and earth, you can be happy anywhere." Then she put her head down bashfully and said, "You must think I'm be foolishly optimistic again."
"No, I think you're right." I said, thinking to myself, As long as you have someone to share it with.
THE END
