Chapter 1.4

Momose put her hands on the headrest of her seat and turned around to tell him to get up.

"Get u-"

Aubrey was already watching the interaction between the two.

After looking Momose in the eyes for a moment, he pulled on the handle to the door.

Annoyed again, she said:

"You should've said something, idiot."

Not actually listening to her. due to his music, Aubrey swept his hair behind his ears, before putting on his baseball cap and stepping out.

He put his arms through the straps on his backpack.

Momose had hurriedly got out of the car too, but without any luggage.

After shutting their doors, a small beep resounded through the car.

The doors locked.

Turning their heads, Ikari was waiting over by a pillar with his hand in his pocket.

"Let's get to the apartment already."

Both of their reactions to him were lackluster.

Momose said:

"Coming…"

Aubrey didn't say anything.

Shuffling along, they followed Ikari through the underground parking lot, to an elevator that sat at the center of the space.

All three silently stood around the elevator.

Ikari at the front of the double doors.

Aubrey in the back, to his left.

Eyes closed, he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, tapping his fingers along to a song.

Momose stood to his right, silently waiting for them to go to the second floor above ground.

A silent moment had passed, with the noise from Aubrey's headphones being loud enough to be heard in bits and pieces by the other two.

The elevators small whirring stopped, signaled by a little ding, and the little number counter at the top said:

"FLOOR: 2"

All three quietly stepped off.

Ikari looked to his left and right, before turning right and walking down the hallway with glass windows facing the center of the complex.

Silently following behind, Momose occasionally looked behind her, at Aubrey.

Staring at the windows, out into the pool down below, he didn't notice the suspicious glances Momose snuck.

After walking and turning at a doorway, Ikari stole the other two's attention.

"We're home."

Looking at the door into the three-room apartment, was a metal name placard inserted into a slot next to the entrance.

"IKARI, SHINJI"

Turning the handle, he pushed in the wood door.

Immediately taking his shoes off after taking a step in, Shinji told them:

"Come in, choose whichever room you want."