no mader how strong the wind blows

Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Changes

Summary:

Things start to change between the two best friends when Ash begins spending more time with Trixie, good thing Shorter's there to accompany Eiji.

Notes:

For everyone's guidance, Ash is 12 and Eiji is 14.
Anyways, enjoy the update!

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

Chapter Text

Eiji felt his head throbbing in pain the moment his consciousness returned. His vision was a bit blurry when he opened his eyes, but after a few seconds he eventually realized that he was in the school clinic. He tried to sit up, but it felt like everything was spinning so he had no choice but to lie down again.
Man, how did I end up in here?
Looking to his side, his lips curled into a small smile when he saw Ash sitting next to his bed.
Did Ashu bring me here to the clinic? Awww, he's so sweet.
"Ashu?" he asked in a weak voice.
"Oh, Ei-chan," Ash answered, surprised that Eiji was now awake. There was a concerned look in his eyes as he gently placed a hand on his best friend's forehead. "Are you okay?"
"Mmm-hmm." Eiji nodded his head.
Just then, they heard the door open. The two boys looked to see Nadia enter the clinic.
"Oh Eiji, you're finally awake," she said, sitting down next to Ash. "Are you alright now?"
"Yeah. My head still feels a bit fuzzy, but I'm okay," Eiji replied as he sat up, his back resting against the pillows. "I'm sorry Nadia, looks like I made everyone worry on our first meeting."
"No, don't say that, Ei-chan," Ash said, placing a hand over Eiji's. "You're not weak."
"He's right, Eiji," Nadia agreed. "You're not weak at all."
Eiji smiled weakly. "Thank you for saying that, but what did Mr. Chang say? And the other members?"
"Mr. Chang said that you should get some rest," Nadia replied. "And the others went home shortly after the incident happened, but they were worried about you when you were knocked out cold."
Eiji bowed his head, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Nadia."
"Hey, it's okay," Nadia said, giving Eiji a reassuring smile. "Well, now that you're okay, I guess I'll get going now." She stood up. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
"I will." Eiji smiled sheepishly. "You too, Nadia. Thanks for stopping by."
"No problem. Alright, I'll get going now."
And with that, the Chinese girl went out after smiling at Eiji one last time. Shortly after Nadia left the clinic, the nurse came in.
"Oh Eiji, you're finally awake now," she said, warmly smiling at the raven-haired boy. "You can go home if you want to."
"Sure thing. Thanks," Eiji replied, then looked at Ash. His face turned into a frown when he saw that there was a sad look in his best friend's eyes, his head lowered. What was wrong with him?
"Ashu? What's the matter?"
He held Ash's chin and tilted it upwards so their eyes could meet, but Ash looked away instead.
"Nothing. I'm just...tired," the blonde-haired boy answered, a sad tone in his voice.
"Oh, I see. Well, let's go home then."
***
It was almost dark when the two best friends started their way home. As they walked, Eiji couldn't help but worry when he noticed that Ash was seemingly quiet. He didn't say even a single word, the sad look still in his eyes.
Not wanting to see his best friend like this, Eiji stepped closer and curled his arm around Ash's.
"Is there any problem, Ashu?" he asked. "You know you can tell me, right? Did something happen? Are you happy being a member of the school paper? Come on, tell me what's wrong."
In response, Ash looked over at Eiji, giving him a weak smile. "Nothing's wrong, Ei-chan. It's just that...ugh. Nevermind."
"Are you happy being a member of the school paper?"
"Of course I am."
"If you're happy, then I'm happy. And in case I didn't tell you yet, I'm proud of you for making it into the school newspaper."
And with that, Ash's smile slowly grew. "Well, I'm happy because I made you happy and proud of me, Ei-chan. And also, Trix---"
"I know, Ashu. You made HER happy, too. Yeah, I can totally see that," Eiji cut him off, a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he felt his chest becoming heavy again. Did he really have to insert Trixie into the scene?
With an exasperated sigh, he released Ash's arm and walked ahead of the blonde-haired boy so he could not notice the tears that began to form in his eyes.
Ashu, why can't it be me? Can't you see, she only likes you because you're handsome. She only liked you when you changed. But me, I have loved you even before you changed. I love you just the way you are, Ashu.
There was an awkward silence between the two boys after that short conversation, and it stayed that way until they arrived at their apartment units.
"Ashu," Eiji called as Ash was about to enter his apartment unit.
"Hm?"
"Smile, okay? You'll never know how many people would love you when they see your smiles."
And I'm one of those people, he wanted to add.
Because of Eiji's words, Ash couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Ei-chan. You know, honestly, I don't really know what's bothering me." He chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll tell you right away once I get things figured out."
"Alright, alright," Eiji answered. "Just remember to smile, okay?"
Ash nodded his head. "Sure."
And with that, Eiji stepped forward and planted a small kiss on Ash's cheek before the two finally parted ways. When the raven-haired boy entered his apartment unit, to his surprise, Shunichi immediately pulled him into a tight hug.
"Oh, Ei-chan, thank goodness you're alright," he said, pulling back and grabbing hold of Eiji's shoulders. "You're okay now, right?"
"Huh?" Eiji asked, looking bewildered.
"Ash called me awhile ago, he said that you were knocked out cold when a ball hit you on the head."
"Yeah Ibe-san, I'm fine," Eiji answered.
"You should be more careful next time, okay?" Shunichi gently chided the boy. "Your parents will kill me if something bad happens to you."
Eiji chuckled. "Don't worry, Ibe-san. Being hurt will always be a part of sports."
Shunichi heaved a sigh of relief. "Alright, then. There's an ice pack in the fridge if you need one, just press it against the spot where it hurts."
"Sure thing. Thanks, Ibe-san."
And with that, the raven-haired boy immediately headed to his room, where he changed into his pajamas. He lay down on his bed and grabbed his phone, typing a text message to his best friend.
To: Ashu
See you tomorrow, Ashu. Goodnight. Love you! UwU
A few seconds later, Ash replied.
From: Ashu
Sure, Ei-chan. Love you too! Sweetdreams. :)
Upon reading the text message, Eiji let out a sigh, smiling bitterly. Though they technically said that they loved each other, he was certain that the love they felt for each other were on two different wavelengths.
Ash loved Eiji because he was his best friend, but Eiji loved Ash as him, not as just his best friend.
Just then, his phone vibrated again, indicating that he received another text message again. But this time, it wasn't from Ash.
From: Unknown
Smile always, okay? :)
Sleep tight, dear prince. See you tomorrow. :)
This time, Eiji couldn't help but smile, a genuine one, as he typed a reply. Whoever this guy was, he had to give him credit because his text message definitely made his night after everything that happened today.
To: Unknown
Thank you, you message sure made me smile. :) Who's this, by the way?
From: Unknown
Oh, I'm simply just someone you just met. You'll eventually know who I am, I promise. :)
Upon reading the reply to his message, the Japanese boy let out a soft chuckle. For some reason, he somehow felt at ease with him despite the fact that he didn't know who this mysterious texter was.
Who was this guy, anyway?
***
The next day, because his classes ended earlier than Ash's, Eiji immediately headed over to Ash's school once his last period ended to wait for his best friend to come out. It has been their habit since Grade School to walk home together after school, and the raven-haired boy was delighted that this habit of theirs never changed at all, no matter how many years passed.
Just then, his phone rang. He quickly fished it out of his pocket and saw that Ash was calling.
"Hello, Ashu?"
(Um, Ei-chan...) Ash answered on the other line, his voice sounding a bit uneasy.
Sensing that something was wrong, Eiji's forehead crumpled. "Yes? What is it?"
(Um, Ei-chan, we...won't be walking home together today.)
"Why?" Eiji asked. "Do you have a meeting with the school paper today?"
(No, it's not it. It's just that...) There was a slight pause. (You see, Trixie came up to me awhile ago and asked if we could walk home together from school, so...)
Eiji smiled bitterly, tightening his grip on his phone as he felt like something sharp stabbed his chest. It was quite ironic, to think that he just thought a few seconds ago that this particular habit would never change.
"O-Oh, I see," he said, his voice slightly wavering. "I-It's okay. That's your chance to spend more time with her." He faked a laugh. "Well, see you at home then."
Without waiting for Ash's answer, he hung up. He bit his lower lip, blinking back the tears that started to form in his eyes as the simple contract they made when they were children suddenly flashed before his eyes.
Contract
We, Ash Callenreese and Eiji Okumura, will walk to school together and will also walk home from school together forever.
Signed by
Ash Callenreese, age 7
Eiji Okumura, age 9
He remembered it clearly, they wrote it themselves on a single piece of paper torn from a notebook. They even laughed at each other's signatures, which were actually just a bunch of scribbled lines. But despite that, the two have actually followed what was written in their little contract. Even when they were studying in two different schools, they would always find a way to at least walk home together.
But now, it seemed like his best friend has already forgotten their contract. It was a bit too much for poor Eiji to bear, he wasn't really used to walking home alone because he always walked with Ash.
"Are you walking home alone, Eiji?" a voice asked from behind him.
Before answering the person, Eiji peered inside the school's hallways and hoped that Ash would come out and walk over to him just like what he always did, to no avail.
"I guess so," he dejectedly answered, letting out a deep sigh.
"Well, do you wanna walk home with me?"
And with that, Eiji turned around. To his surprise, he saw Shorter standing nearby.
"Oh, hey there, Shorter," he said, smiling at the purple-haired boy. "Sure, I don't mind walking home with you."
And with that, the two boys started their way home.
"It's a bit surprising to see that Ash isn't with you," Shorter said. "I always see you walking home with him after school. Did something happen?"
"Well, let's just say that he's walking home with someone else," Eiji answered.
"That's too bad for him. He should know that he shouldn't be letting an adorable boy like you walk home alone." Shorter added that last remark with a playful grin.
Eiji couldn't help but laugh a bit. "Nah, it's fine. It's not his loss anyway, since he's also an adorable boy himse---"
"Actually, Eiji," Shorter cut him off. "It IS his loss."
"Huh? What makes you say that?" asked a confused Eiji.
"He doesn't know your worth. I mean..." Shorter's voice trailed off before letting out a soft chuckle. "Sorry, I couldn't really think straight right now. I must be really tired from wrestling with other students today that's why I said such stuff. You know, Martial Arts Club stuff and all."
Eiji smiled back. "It's okay, Shorter. Actually, I find you amusing to talk to. Let's talk more while we're walking."
"Sure," Shorter replied. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Hmmm..." Eiji placed a finger on his lips and paused for a while. "Why don't you tell me about yourself? Your sister told me once that you went to the same Middle School as Ashu and me, but I never really noticed you before."
Shorter chuckled again. "Maybe the reason why you didn't notice me back in Middle School was because you were always with Ash."
"Well, you could say that..." Eiji's voice trailed off and let out a soft gasp when he saw Ash and Trixie walking together on the other side of the street, obviously enjoying their time together.
The raven-haired boy once again felt the familiar pain fill his chest when he saw how wide and genuine Ash's smiles were. He's never seen him smile like that before, maybe Trixie really was the only one who could make his best friend smile like that. They looked so sweet, almost like a real couple.
"Hey, Eiji," Shorter suddenly said, snapping Eiji back into reality. "Are you listening?"
"H-Huh? Um, what was that again?"
"Aw, really? You're not listening to me at all. That hurts, man." Shorter jokingly beat a fist on his chest, pretending to be hurt.
"Hehe. Sorry." Eiji smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
"Nah, I'm just kidding. It's fine," Shorter answered, smiling at the raven-haired boy.
As Shorter began to talk again, Eiji's gaze drifted back to Ash and Trixie. He couldn't help but feel envious of Trixie, because while it may be true that he was always with Ash, he never smiled at him the way he smiled at Trixie.
"Tell me," Shorter suddenly said. "You're jealous of them, right?"
"Huh?" Eiji looked at the purple-haired boy. "With whom?"
"Who else? No other than those two over there." Shorter pointed his arm towards the other side of the street where Ash and Trixie were walking.
"What? No, I'm not," Eiji answered, waving a hand dismissively. "Why would I be jealous of them? I'm honestly getting tired of seeing Ashu everyday, you know."
Tired. Yeah, right. Even if I see Ashu's face everyday, I'll never get tired of him. Ever.
Shorter gently nudged Eiji's arm. "C'mon Eiji, quit lying. You can deny all you want, but those deep, dark brown eyes of yours cannot hide the fact that you're---"
"Alright, alright," Eiji admitted, raising up his hands in defeat. "I AM jealous of them."
Shorter then placed a gentle hand on Eiji's shoulder. "Don't worry, Eiji. Whenever Ash leaves you alone and you need a companion, just call me or approach me, okay?"
Eiji smiled in response. "Thanks, Shorter."
But he also couldn't help but wonder, why was this guy being so nice to him? They just met recently, right? Not that he didn't like Shorter being around him, he preferred to be with someone rather than being alone anyway.
***
After his last morning period ended the following day, Eiji headed out to the cafe as usual, hoping that Ash would actually show up. He may have broken their habit of walking home to school everyday, but at least they would still get to spend their lunch breaks together, right?
"Ei-chan!"
And speaking of Ash, there he was, running towards his best friend as Eiji was about to enter the cafe.
"Oh, Ashu, I'm glad you actually made it," said the raven-haired boy as he the door of the cafe and proceeded to walk inside. "Come on, I'm already craving for some red velvet cake today."
"Actually, Ei-chan," Ash answered. "I just came here to tell you that...I wouldn't be able to have lunch with you today."
And with that, Eiji froze in his tracks. What did he just say?
"I'm having lunch with Trixie today. I hope it's alright with you."
Did he really have to ask permission from him? Couldn't he feel it? Couldn't he feel at least the slightest of the pain that he felt right now?
"Ashu, you don't have to ask for my permission," Eiji, not looking back at Ash, replied in a cold voice before walking inside the cafe.
His appetite now lost from what Ash told him, Eiji just ordered a large cup of iced coffee and sat on a table alone. So much for looking forward to spending lunch break together.
"You're alone again?" Shorter suddenly asked, appearing in front of Eiji's table.
"Yeah, obviously," Eiji flatly answered, taking a sip of his iced coffee.
"Did you forget what I told you yesterday?" Shorter asked again, sitting on the chair in front of the Japanese boy. "If you need someone to accompany you, just call me."
Eiji smiled weakly. "Thanks, Shorter. At least you're here for me, unlike my best friend who kept on ditching me just because...ugh, nevermind. By the way, I heard that you made it into the Martial Arts Club. Congratulations!"
"Heh, it's nothing." Shorter grinned.
"And I also heard that your sister's a good martial artist. No wonder she was chosen as the leader of the Sports Club."
"Huh? You know my sister?" asked a bewildered Shorter.
"Of course I do. I'm a member of the Sports Club too, you know," Eiji answered, his lips slowly forming into a grin as he suddenly remembered something. "And guess what, she told me something."
And with that, Shorter's eyes widened.
"What is it, Eiji? Tell me, what did that witch tell you?"
Eiji laughed. "Really, Shorter? You call your sister a witch? She's a pretty witch then if that's the case. Hahaha! Well, she just told me that..." His grin widened when he didn't continue his sentence, enjoying Shorter's anxious and flustered expression.
"Tell me!" Shorter answered, his voice panicky. "Oh, that woman's so gonna get in trouble when we get home."
"Chill, man! Hahaha! Well, she just told me that you've been mentioning me to her."
"Is that it? What else did she tell you?"
"That's it," Eiji answered. "She just told me that you've been telling her about me. She didn't say anything else other than that."
And with that, Shorter heaved out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, I thought she said something else."
"Why did you react like that, anyway?" Eiji asked. "Are you saying bad stuff about me?"
"Hey, of course not! Why would I do that?"
"But you know what, when Nadia told me about you, the other members of the Sports Club started to tease me."
"How did they tease you?"
"Well, uh..." Eiji's voice trailed off, feeling unsure on what to say next.
"C'mon, don't be shy. You can tell me."
"Um, they said that...youhaveacrushonme," Eiji answered, hurriedly blurting out the last part.
"Huh? I didn't get that last part. What did you say?" Shorter asked, a puzzled expression on his face.
"They said that..." There was a slight pause before Eiji slowly let the words slip out of his mouth. "You...have...a...crush...on...me."
And with that, Shorter's eyes widened in surprise, a bright red blush creeping on his cheeks.
"Hey man, don't take it seriously," said Eiji, trying to lighten up the mood. "They're only kidding! Well, at least I think they are."
"Actually, it's true."
This time, it was Eiji's turn to be surprised. His eyes widened in shock, his jaw dropping open.
"WHAT?!"
"I said, it's true," Shorter answered.
"Uh, w-what's true?" Eiji stuttered, his face slowly turning bright red.
"That I have a crush on you."
In that instant, Eiji felt his cheeks burning. How did this guy manage to say it so casually?
"E-Eh? A-Are you serious?"
Shorter smiled, amused at Eiji's flustered expression. "Do you find it hard to believe? Who wouldn't have a crush on you? You're smart, kind, good in pole vaulting, what else?"
"Wow. You sure do have a lot of adjectives packed, huh, Mr. Wong?" Eiji teased, playfully pushing Shorter by the shoulder, making the two laugh.
"No, I'm only just saying the truth," Shorter replied, stifling a chuckle. "And besides, you're also cute. I find you adora---"
"Who's cute?"
Upon hearing that familiar voice, Eiji and Shorter turned around to see Ash standing near their table, a serious look on his face. Trixie was also there, standing not too far from behind Ash.
"It's none of your business," Eiji answered, scowling at his best friend. "Come on, Shorter. Lunch break's almost over."
He was about to stand up from his seat but Shorter quickly held his wrist and gestured him to sit back down.
"It's nothing, Ash. I was only telling your BEST FRIEND that he's cute and adorable," said the purple-haired boy, a mocking tone in his voice as he emphasized the words 'best friend'.
"Are you kidding me, Shorter? Ei-chan, cute and adorable?" Ash teased, stifling a chuckle.
But Eiji wasn't amused at all. In fact, he was pissed. He and Shorter were already having a good time talking to each other until Ash showed up and ruined the mood.
"C'mon, Shorter," he coldly said, standing up from his seat. "Let's go."
The raven-haired boy held Shorter's wrist and was about to walk away when Ash suddenly grabbed his other wrist.
"Don't believe him, Ei-chan," said the blonde-haired boy, leaning closer to Eiji. "He's only fooling you."
"Let go of me." Eiji tried to remove his hand from his best friend's grip, but Ash held it so tight he thought it was gonna be cut off from his arm. "Ouch!"
"Hey dude, knock it off. You're hurting Eiji," Shorter said, grabbing the younger boy by his shoulders but Ash just shoved him off, pushing him hard on the chest.
"Stay out of this!" he yelled, glaring at Shorter. "I'm just protecting my best friend from being fooled by guys like you!"
And with that, Ash grabbed Eiji's wrist and stormed out of the cafe, leaving Trixie and Shorter behind.
***
Eiji had no choice but to follow Ash as he lead, or more like, dragged him to a nearby alley.
"Hey, Ashu, what was that for?" Eiji asked once they stopped walking. "You left Trixie just like tha---"
"Why are you acting like this, huh?!" Ash suddenly yelled at Eiji, shocking the raven-haired boy. Why was this guy acting pissed all of a sudden?
"What? You're asking me?!" Eiji couldn't help but snap back. "I should be the one asking YOU! What the hell is YOUR problem?!"
"Why are you avoiding me?!"
"I'm not avoiding you, Ash! You just happened to be with someone else!"
"Why the hell are you hanging out with him?! You just met a few days ago! You don't know what's going on in his mind!"
"At least he was with me when I went home the other day! He walked with me, when it was supposed to be YOU walking home with me!"
"I told you that, right? I told you that Trixie asked me to walk home with her that day!"
"I know you told me that, Ash! I know! B-But," Eiji's voice started to crack. "But you forgot something."
"What is it?"
A tear escaped from Eiji's eye, but he quickly wiped it away before Ash could notice.
"The contract! Have you forgotten about it already?"
In a split second, Ash's enraged face changed into a bewildered look.
"I knew it." Eiji grimaced as another tear fell from his eye. "You forgot all about it. Don't you remember? The contract we made when we were in Grade Scho---"
"Ei-chan," Ash cut him off, his voice now a bit softer. "That was a long time ago. We were only kids when we made it."
In that moment, Eiji felt like his heart stopped beating. All these years, he has cherished that simple contract of theirs. He honestly thought that Ash felt the same way about it, but he has said it himself. He simply thought of it as merely child's play.
"Ah, s-so that's it, huh?" Eiji smirked, more tears rolling down his cheeks. "Y-You're right. Ha-ha. I get what you mean, Ashu. It's been a long time, s-so the contract's as good as trash now, right?"
"What? No, that's not what I mean---"
"It's okay, Ashu. You're right, after all. It's TRASH."
Without waiting for Ash's answer, Eiji turned around and ran, leaving the blonde-haired boy alone in the alley. While it was true that they've had fights before, it never reached the point that they would yell at each other like this. What was happening to them? How did they end up like this?
***
Returning back to the campus, Eiji headed straight to one of the tables in the school park, where he buried his face in his arms and cried. Every memory they had together, he cherished them all. He treasured every single thing that they went through, whether it was good or bad, happy or sad. He could remember even the tiniest details of each moment, but why did it seem like they all meant nothing to Ash?
Eventually calming down, he took out a handkerchief from his pocket. It was the handkerchief SW gave to him on his graduation day, and until now he still kept it.
"Eiji, you're being sad again," Shorter suddenly said, sitting next to Eiji.
"Oh Shorter, you're here," Eiji answered, wiping away his tears with the handkerchief. "That's amusing, you seem to appear whenever I'm sad or upset."
"C'mon, don't be like that. We're friends now, aren't we?"
"Hehe. You're right." Eiji let out a soft chuckle. "Do you want to be my best friend too, Shorter?"
Shorter shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to be your best friend."
"E-Eh?" a surprised Eiji asked, pouting his lips in frustration. "Why? Why don't you want to be my best friend?"
"Because if we become best friends like you and Ash, we might end up being stuck in that level."
"Huh? I don't understand. What do you mean?"
Shorter gently patted Eiji's head. "You'll eventually find out, don't worry about it. So, what are you gonna do now that you're fighting?"
"I'll apologize to him," Eiji answered, letting out a sigh.
"Right away?" asked a surprised Shorter. "And you'll be the one to apologize?"
Eiji nodded his head. "I just don't want this fight to worsen, Shorter. At the end of the day, he's still my best friend. I can't stay mad at him. Even though he seemed to change a lot, I guess I have no choice but to accept it if it means that we'll still remain best friends."
"Wow. Is Ash that important to you, Eiji?"
"Yeah. Things will never be the same without him."
Shorter let out a sigh, looking into the distance. "I see."
"How about you, Shorter?" Eiji asked. "Do you have someone like that?"
"I do."
"Eh? Who is it?"
Shorter chuckled. "It's a secret. But I don't know if he feels the same way."
"Huh? Why?"
"Now isn't the right time for him to know. For now, I just wanna get closer to him."
"Right, you do have a point."
Shorter stood up. "Come on, the first period for this afternoon's about to start. Wait, hold on." He picked up the handkerchief placed on the table. "This is yours, right?"
"Oh, this isn't really mine," Eiji answered, taking the handkerchief. "But this handkerchief somehow comforts me whenever I'm sad, just like you."
Shorter smiled, wrapping an arm around the raven-haired boy's shoulder. "I'm always here for you, okay?"
***
Because of what happened earlier, the two didn't walk home together again that afternoon. They feared that they might only end up fighting again once they saw each other, so they decided to give each other space for the meantime.
When he arrived home, Eiji headed straight to the apartment's penthouse to get some fresh air. And to his surprise, he saw a familiar figure leaning on the edge of the balcony.
"Ashu?" he asked.
In response, the figure turned around, letting out a soft gasp upon seeing Eiji.
"Ei-chan?" Ash asked, his expression starting to soften.
"Look, Ashu," Eiji began. "I just wanna, you know, apologize for what happened earlier. I'm sorry if I got all worked up over some contract."
And without another word, Ash immediately walked over and pulled Eiji into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry too, Ei-chan," he whispered. "I never realized that I was already neglecting you."
"Hey, it's alright," Eiji answered. "I'm not your responsibility, anyway. I'm just your best---"
"You're not just my best friend, Ei-chan," Ash cut him off, tightening the hug. "You're like a brother to me."
And with that, Eiji smiled bitterly. Brother. Yeah, right.
"Next time Ei-chan," he heard Ash add. "Tell me right away if you feel something wrong, okay?"
"Yeah, I will," was the only thing Eiji answered. Maybe it would be better if they remained best friends if it would mean that they won't fight like this again.
He just couldn't bear to lose Ash. Ever.