"Eight years?" Stasis or not it's hard for Shinji to grasp. "That's so long. I was...gone from our Earth for four, but not all at once. I came and went a couple of times after-"

Don't tell him. His hand subconsciously moves to his pocket, clutching at an object inside. Not yet. Or maybe ever.

"-some time passed." There's enough hesitation there to make the hiding obvious to anyone, much less someone like Kaji. Shinji knows it and mentally curses at himself, which honestly feels like the most natural thing he's done all day.

Nothing to but move on. He gives a slight, mostly genuine smile. "And, um, yeah. It's good to see you too." Shinji's capable of believing people have genuine affection for him now, even if he's not sure why. "It's nice to know someone who knows how a world like this works." Yes, he's finally noticed the clothes.