They had already discussed the differences between their timelines, so there was no sense in beating a horse about it. He didn’t want Shinji to know exactly how much that notion bothered him, caught between wanting to move forward, or… keep standing still. All because he couldn’t let go of the most important people in his life.

For Akihiko, who focused more on the present and future, he couldn’t help feeling apprehensive this time. There wasn’t a need to return to the past, but he found himself mentally digging his heels into the present on occasion. Not that it would matter in the end, because the ultimate decision wasn’t up to him. Were they going to keep people here just long enough for others to get attached, and then yank them away?

“…Hey,” he spoke up in an attempt to get his friend’s attention, after noticing his somber demeanor. “What’s wrong?”