no mader how strong the wind blows

chapter 1 Ei-chan and Ashu

This story doesnt belong to me i just post it here so ppl can read it so the maker of this story is
                                    
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pinkpandacutie

Summary:

Ash and Eiji have known each other their whole lives. They grew up together as children, and since then they have been inseperable. But when Middle School and High School came, some things seemed to get in the way of their unbreakable bond.
Will Ash and Eiji remain best friends forever? Or will the painful reality of growing up separate the

Summary:

After almost being attacked by a dog in the park, 8-year-old Eiji Okumura meets a certain 6-year-old blonde-haired boy.

Notes:

So yeah, this is my first-ever Banana Fish fanfic. This AU has been stuck in my mind ever since I saw those pictures of smol baby Ash and Eiji on Twitter and Tumblr, and I'm a total sucker for best friend-themed stories, so somehow I had to get this out of my system.
Don't worry though, as the events here are completely unrelated to the canon Banana Fish storyline, there are no spoilers here.
And also, this fanfic is based from another online story I read years ago. Some major changes had to be made, of course.
Anyways, enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Hello, Eiji!” Ash happily called out as he started to run towards his best friend, but was stopped short when he accidentally tripped on one of the toy blocks scattered on the floor. “OUCH!”
His best friend, Eiji, who was busy doodling on the floor, immediately stood up upon hearing Ash groaning in pain.
“Why don’t you cut your hair, Ash?” Eiji asked as he helped the six-year-old boy up. “Your hair is so long and it’s starting to cover your eyes that’s why you trip a lot, you’re starting to look like a girl.”
The blonde-haired boy just rolled his eyes and folded his arms in response. “Shut up, Eiji. If my hair looks like a girl, then your hair looks like a bowl. Bowl cut boy.”
The eight-year-old Japanese boy just chuckled, since he’s already used to this. Eiji insults Ash, Ash insults Eiji back. Sometimes Ash would insult Eiji first, then Eiji would insult him back. There’s nothing new about it. After all, they’ve been having this kind of conversation for quite a while.
How did their friendship start, anyway?

*** 
It all started on the last day of the school year, when Eiji decided to head to the nearby park from school to unwind and celebrate the end of his 2nd Grade. His little sister Eika was with him, as well as his guardian, Shunichi Ibe, since it was a habit for him to pick the boy up from school. He sat down under a tree, reading his favorite novel and at the same time keeping an eye on Eiji. The four-year-old girl sat next to her guardian as she played tea party with her toys.
Eiji, on the other hand, was happily running around with his ball, throwing and tossing it around. Shunichi told him earlier not to stray too far from him, so he looked around every now and then to see if Shunichi was still there.
Everything went well, until the ball accidentally bounced a bit farther away from him. Of course Eiji had to run and chase it before it disappears from his sight, and luckily, he caught it just in time.
But just as when he managed to catch his ball, he heard a low growl. To his horror, he turned around and saw a big, black dog glaring at him. Its growls seeped through its sharp teeth, looking as if it were to tear him to pieces anytime.
Eiji slowly backed away, clutching tightly onto his ball, but with each step backward, the dog stepped forward. He feared that if he ran, the dog would start running after him too, so he took small steps backward instead.
Unable to handle his fear any longer, the poor boy started to cry, feeling lost and helpless as he continued to back away. His  felt his knees starting to wobble, and he struggled hard not to stumble down. His hands were  becoming shaky as well, but he tried his best to tighten his grip on his ball.
Then, all of a sudden, he heard a voice call out.
“Tommy, no! Come here!”
And in an instant, the dog's angry look suddenly became gentle before it turned away from Eiji and instead ran towards a man and a little boy standing nearby. Eiji just stood there in amazement as he watched the man attach what  seemed to be a rope-like thing on the dog’s collar.
“You’ve been a bad boy, Tommy,” the man said, scolding the dog. “You can’t just run off like  that. What if you get lost and we can’t find you?”
“Griffin, I told you not to let Tommy go! Not only did he run off, but he almost ate him, see?” said  the little boy, pointing at Eiji while glaring at his older brother.
But the man, whose name was Griffin, just chuckled and ruffled the little boy’s hair before  directing his gaze towards Eiji.
“I’m so sorry little boy, did Tommy scare you?” he asked as he sat down in front of Eiji.
“I-Is this your dog, mister?” Eiji timidly asked, slightly hiding his face behind the ball.
“Oh, this isn’t our dog actually,” Griffin replied as he gently stroked the dog’s fur. “A family friend of ours asked us to take care of Tommy while they were away for vacation. I’m really sorry, I didn’t know he scared you like that. Guess he’s not really used to strangers.”
“Oh, o-okay,” Eiji responded.
“I’m Griffin Callenreese, by the way. And this is my little brother, Ash,” Griffin pointed to the little boy standing next to him. “He looks mean at first glance, but don’t worry, he’s actually nice once you get to know him. He’s just a bit shy, that’s all." Griffin then turned to his little brother, a fond smile on his lips. "Go ahead Ash, introduce yourself.”
It took a few seconds before Ash’s expression softened, then he extended out his hand. The same went for Eiji as he brought down his ball, showing himself to the boy in front of him.
“My name’s Ash.”
“And my name’s Eiji,” the raven-haired boy answered, shaking Ash’s hand. “Nice to meet you!”
“Are you alone, Eiji?” Griffin asked. “Who is your companion?”
“I’m with Eika-chan and Ibe-san, they're right over there,” Eiji answered, pointing his arm towards a nearby tree.  Good thing he still didn’t stray too far despite what happened earlier, just as Shunichi instructed  him. 
And speaking of Shunichi, his companion was already lying down on the blanket and the book he was reading earlier was now covering his face. Eika, on the other hand, seemed to be lost in her own little world as she played pretend with the doll she was holding.
Griffin chuckled. “Looks like your friend’s resting right now. Why don’t you stay with us for a  while, Eiji? Don't worry about your sister, I'll keep an eye on her for you. And besides, Ash would be delighted to have a new friend to play with. Isn’t that right, little man?”
“Yeah,” was the only thing Ash answered, earning another chuckle from Griffin.
“Don’t worry Eiji, Ash is just really a man of few words. He’ll warm up to you eventually, I’m sure  of it. Just keep talking to him.”
And true enough, it took a while before Ash eventually warmed up to Eiji. Soon, the two boys were running around the park, their loud laughs filling the air.
***
“Where are your parents, Eiji?” Ash suddenly asked Eiji later that day. They decided to sit by the  park’s fountain after running around for quite a while.
“My parents are working in a faraway place,” Eiji replied. “Eika-chan and I are staying right now with Ibe-san,  he’s my Mommy and Daddy’s friend. How about you?”
But instead of answering, Ash just looked away, a sad expression evident on his face.
“My Daddy is at home right now with Jennifer, but I don’t know where my Mommy is,” he answered. “Right now, I’m staying with Griffin, Jennifer and Daddy. Sometimes Max takes care of us  while Daddy is away.”
“Huh? Who’s Max? And who’s Jennifer?” Eiji asked.
“Max is Griffin’s friend, he takes care of Griffin and me when my Daddy is away. Jennifer is Daddy’s girlfriend.”
“Huh? Your Daddy has a girlfriend? I thought Daddies are supposed to be with Mommies?” Eiji  asked, his forehead crumpled in a mix of worry and confusion.
“Mommy and Daddy stopped living together,” Ash continued. “And Daddy said that my Mommy lives in a different house now. Daddy also says that Jennifer is my new Mommy, but I don't  wanna have a new Mommy.”
“Why don’t your Mommy and Daddy live together anymore, Ash?” Eiji asked again.
But Ash just shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know.”
The two boys were silent after that, the atmosphere between them a bit tense and awkward. The only sound they could hear right now was the sound of water running endlessly from the fountain they were sitting on, mingled with the chattering voices of the people around them.
“Eiji?” Ash broke the silence.
“Hm?”
“I’m your friend now, right?”
“Yeah,” Eiji smiled at him. “You’re my friend now.”
Then without another word, Ash slipped his hand into Eiji’s. It was soft and warm, and it seemed to fit into his own hand, just like a glove.
“You’re my friend now, too.” The blonde-haired boy smiled, a warm, sincere one.
***
Since that day, Ash and Eiji became closer than ever. They eventually found out that they were neighbors, living in the same apartment building, much to the two boys’ delight. And not only that, they also found out that Max, Ash and Griffin’s family friend, and Shunichi were close friends.
The two boys were inseparable, it was as if they were each other’s shadow, or there was an invisible handcuff between them. Wherever Eiji was, Ash was also there and vice-versa. If either one of them said that he couldn’t live without the other, they weren’t exaggerating.
“C'mon, Ash,” Eiji said. “Let’s go to our secret place!”
At the mention of their “secret place”, Ash’s jade-green eyes lit up with excitement. 
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
And without another word, the boys immediately headed over to their “secret place”, which was a playroom situated between their apartment units. They went here everyday during the summer, and they would play to their hearts’ content until either of them got tired or either of them needed to go home. Sometimes Eiji would bring Eika along with him, but the little girl often told him that she preferred to play in her room instead. 
“Woooosh! Air Lynx preparing for take off!” Ash called out as he ran around, holding a toy airplane in his hand.
“Choo-choo! All aboard the Okumura Express! Chuga-chuga, choo-choo!” Eiji, on the other hand, was on the floor, moving a toy train around. “Hey Aslan, your airplane’s no match for my choo-choo train!”
“Hey, I told you not to call me Aslan!” Ash yelled, his pale face slowly turning red in embarrassment. He always hated it whenever someone would call him by Aslan, his real name.
Eiji laughed. “Hey, it’s not my fault your name’s Aslan, Aslan Jade Callenreese!”
“I hate that name! Don’t call me that!” Ash answered. “You make me sound like a girly, old man!”
“But I like your name, Aslan! It sounds cool!”
“NO! SHUT UP! MY NAME IS ASH LYNX!”
Eiji just laughed while Ash continued to glare at his best friend. Why did his parents name him Aslan Jade anyway? He didn’t like it at all. According to him, Jade is a “girly girl” name, and Aslan’s an old name. So whenever someone would call him either Aslan or Jade, he would immediately correct them by saying that his name is Ash, or Lynx, since Ash always loved that name.
Ash Lynx. Why didn’t his parents name him that instead? It sounded way more cooler and manlier compared to girly and old Aslan Jade.
“And also, MY airplane’s no match for your choo-choo train. Boogsh!” Ash brought his toy airplane down, making it crash into Eiji’s toy train.
“Hey! I was playing with that! Hmph!” Eiji pouted his lips as he folded his arms.
“That’s what you get for calling me Aslan, Eiji!” Ash answered, a devilish grin on his lips.
***
Later that afternoon, Ash and Eiji soon got tired of playing with their toys. Good thing their apartment units were located close to the penthouse, and it also happened that the penthouse was open, so they decided to go there to relax. A cool breeze started to blow as they enjoyed the view of the towering New York skyscrapers in the distance. The sun was also starting to set, giving the sky a warm, orange glow.
“Ash, summer’s almost over,” Eiji said, excitement evident in his voice. “Which means school will be starting soon. I’m gonna be in 3rd Grade! And that makes you 1st Grade! I hope you’ll go to the same school as mine, Ash!”
“But I’m not excited,” Ash answered, his voice soft. His head was buried in his knees and his arms were wrapped around his legs.
“Huh? Why not? School’s fun!” Eiji asked, scooting closer to Ash.
“What if they don't like me? What if they bully me and take my lunch?” Ash replied, sighing sadly.
“Nah, that’s not gonna happen,” Eiji confidently said, trying to encourage Ash. “When they take your lunch, I’ll share mine with you. And if they bully you, I’ll help you fight them and I’ll tell the teachers. I won’t let anything happen to my best friend!”
And with that, Ash looked up at Eiji, his lips slowly curled into a smile. He moved closer and wrapped his arms around Eiji’s waist.
“Thank you, Eiji,” he said. “You’re always helping me, that’s why I love my best friend.”
“I love my best friend, too!” Eiji squeaked, hugging Ash back. “So don’t worry about school anymore, okay? I’m always here for you, and Ibe-san and Max and Griffin told us to always help each other.”
The two boys just sat there as they continued to watch the sunset, enjoying each other’s company. But little did Eiji know, Ash’s hand was slowly moving up from Eiji’s waist to his head and suddenly ruffled his hair, making the raven-haired boy squeal in surprise.
“Your hair’s a mess now, Eiji! Hahahahaha!”
“YAAAAH! ASH!” Eiji cried, quickly removing Ash’s hand from his head. “I spent a lot of time combing my hair, you know!”
“It’s all messy now, so you’ll have to comb your hair again! Bleeeehhh!” Ash playfully stuck his tongue out before quickly getting up and running away, Eiji following suit.
“Waaaah! You’re so mean!”
And once again, the two boys ran around the penthouse, chasing after each other in an impromptu game of tag.
“Eiji! Ash! Dinner’s ready! Time to go home!” Shunichi suddenly yelled. The boys were so immersed in their game that they didn’t notice Shunichi, who was holding Eika's hand, standing at the entrance of the penthouse.
Upon hearing Shunichi’s voice, Ash and Eiji stopped chasing each other and ran towards Shunichi instead.
Shunichi couldn’t help but smile as he looked at Eiji, it’s been a delight watching the boy grow up before his very eyes. Five years have passed since the Okumura family migrated from Japan to New York City, but everything felt like it was just yesterday.
He remembered seeing little Eiji and his parents at the airport when the family first came to the United States. Eiji was only three years old and his mother was pregnant with Eika that time. The boy spoke nothing but pure Japanese and bits of broken English, but now? Though he would speak in his native language every now and then, Eiji was now very fluent in English, and he seemed to have adapted the American accent in his speech as well, Eika too.
Then one day, when Eiji was in 1st Grade and Eika was only two years old, both of his parents were suddenly transferred all the way to San Francisco by the company they were working under. Because school has already started during that time and it was already difficult to transfer Eiji in the middle of the school year, they had no choice but to leave both siblings under Shunichi's care.
2nd Grade came, his parents asked him if he wanted to come with them to San Francisco, but the boy responded that he didn’t want to go to a new school. He didn’t want to leave his friends from school behind, and he admitted that he has also grown attached to Shunichi, so he remained in New York City.
“Ei-chan, dinner’s ready.” Shunichi then turned to Ash. “Ash, you should head back home as well. They could be looking for you already.”
“Ei-chan?” Ash asked.
“Yeah, that’s what my Mommy and Daddy and Ibe-san call me,” Eiji replied, smiling sheepishly upon hearing his nickname.
“Really? Then from now on, I’ll call you Ei-chan as well!” Ash said, grinning widely at his best friend.
And for some reason, the young Japanese boy blushed. Why did it somehow sound different when Ash called him that? Probably because it was his first time hearing it from his best friend.
“Really? Well, if you’ll call me Ei-chan, I’ll call you, uh, um,” Eiji placed a finger on his lips and paused, trying to think of what to call Ash. “Ah! Ashu!”
Ash’s grin quickly turned into a bewildered look. “Huh? Ashu? Where did that come from?”
“Ibe-san couldn’t say your name at first,” Eiji explained, shyly scratching the back of his head. “He kept on saying ‘Ashu’ instead of 'Ash’. But now he can say your name right. Hehe.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Ash,” Shunichi suddenly told the blonde-haired boy, chuckling. “We Japanese couldn’t really pronounce foreign names that much, that’s why it took a while before I could finally say your name right.”
“Ei-chan!” Ash cheekily called out, completely ignoring Shunichi’s explanation.
“Ashu!” Eiji happily responded.
And so, on that very day, their nicknames were formed.