>>280528464
Asuka hates seeing Shinji self-improve and wants him to be below her because she’s threatened by his success. Proof she does not love him.
Asuka compliments Kensuke for being a go-getter and likes how productive and a savior he is to the village. Proof she genuinely respects and loves him.
The biggest tell is how she calls him. "Kenken", it carries respect, affection and intimacy, if you compare to the other people she was around, you realize how much of a big deal it is.
Kaji who she was chasing after got "Kaji-san", she calls him by his name and add honorifics, there's respect but no intimacy.
Shinji got "Baka Shinji" in NGE and "Gaki Shinji" in the second half of RoE, she's looking down on him and has no respect for him.
Rei got "Eko Hikii", she refuses to even call her by her name, Asuka rejects the existence of Rei who reminds her of the condition of a doll she turned hersef into but refuses to see.
Mari got "Kone Megane", despite the years they spent together, Asuka refuses to connect with her.
In light of all this, Kensuke is actually a very big deal to Asuka, and Anno only needed to use the way she calls him to to convey the idea to the audience. "Show, don't tell."
