no mader how strong the wind blows

chapter 17

Chapter 17: Amusement Park

Summary:

After all the drama and tension that happened between them, Ash and Eiji spend a day together at the amusement park.

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

Following the interschool sports competition was fall break, which meant a week-long period of no classes. Eiji was delighted by this, because this also meant that he could finally get to rest from all the physical and emotional stress he's been through these past few weeks.
While Shunichi was making their lunch, Eiji was busy watching TV with Eika when they heard a knock on the door. The raven-haired boy's eyes widened as he quickly got up from the couch, thinking that it might be Ash. Honestly, he was still upset that his best friend wasn't able to witness his moment of victory yesterday, and as much as possible he didn't want to talk to him.
"Eika-chan, if Ashu happens to be at the door, please tell him that I'm not around. And don't tell him that I said that," Eiji told his sister before he ran off to his room, quickly shutting the door as he hid inside his closet.
"Oh Eika, it's you. Have you seen Ei-chan?" he heard a familiar voice ask a few seconds later. As he expected, it was Ash.
"I'm sorry Ash," Eika answered. "But, um, Eiji's not here."
"Huh? He's not here? Where is he, then?"
"Uh, he went...um, somewhere."
He heard Ash sigh. "I know he's hiding from me because I made him upset yesterday. But I know where exactly to find him."
"Ash, wait!"
Eiji felt his heart began to pound hard, holding in his breath when he heard footsteps approaching. He was definitely sure that Ash was about to head to his room, he wasn't kidding when he said that he knew exactly where to find him. When they were kids, Eiji would always run to his room whenever he was upset with Ash and didn't want to talk to him.
The raven-haired boy swallowed a lump in his throat when he heard his bedroom door open. This guy really knew him so well, huh?
"I'm telling you Ash," he heard Eika say. "Eiji's not in his room."
"Ei-chan?" Ash called out. "Ei-chan! I know you're here, please come out. I'm really sorry, okay?"
As much as he wanted to come out to see Ash, Eiji didn't say a word as he remained hidden in the closet.
"See, Ash? I told you Eiji's not here," Eika said.
"Alright, then." There was a hint of sadness in Ash's voice. "He'll eventually return, so I'l just leave this here." He let out a deep sigh. "Eika, if ever you see Ei-chan, tell him I'm really sorry. Tell him that I miss him and I hope he talks to me soon."
"Oh," Eika answered. "Sure."
Footsteps were heard after that, then almost a minute later he heard a knock on the closet door.
"Eiji, Ash just left. You can come out now."
And with that, Eiji finally emerged from the closet.
"Thanks for covering me, Eika-chan," he said, ruffling his sister's hair.
"Did you guys really fight, Eiji? That's too bad," she answered. "By the way, Ash left something on your bed. I think it's a letter or something. Don't worry, I didn't open it."
Eiji smiled. "Okay. Thanks again, Eika-chan."
"No problem, big brother."
After Eika left his room, Eiji walked over to his bed, where he saw a folded piece of paper lying on top of the pillows. He gingerly picked it up out of curiosity and read the very first thing he saw.
To Ei-chan
He immediately recognized the handwriting at first glance. Without a doubt, it belonged to Ash. Seeing that it was for him, he opened the paper, where a letter was written inside.
Ei-chan,
I'm really sorry if I didn't keep my promise to stay until the end of your event. If only you knew how guilty I was when I left, but I really didn't have a choice. Trixie was getting bored that time that's why we left early.
I know I've been losing time for you these past few weeks, that's why I wanted to apologize. I honestly miss you, Ei-chan. I heard how you won the event by jumping really high, and that was really awesome of you. I'm so proud of you because of it, you really didn't let me down.
But in the end, I felt bad because I didn't get to witness your winning jump. I envied the people who got to watch you because I'm not used to not witnessing important highlights of your life. I know you know that, right?
I know you feel upset right now and I know you don't want to talk to me, but I'm really sorry. If you're feeling better, you can always find me at home. I'll make it up to you, I promise.
Love,
Ashu
Eiji's heart began to pound in excitement after reading his best friend's letter, a wide smile forming on his lips. Finally, the apology he wanted after what happened yesterday.
Without another word, he quickly ran out of his apartment unit and headed over to Ash's place. He knocked on the door, and after a few seconds Griffin opened it.
"Oh, Eiji," he said, surprised to see the raven-haired boy's delighted expression. "What brings you here? And why do you look so excited?"
But Eiji didn't seem to notice Griffin. He quickly ran inside the apartment unit once the door was opened, heading straight to his best friend's bedroom. Knowing Ash, he would definitely be in there around this time of the day.
"Ashu?" he asked once he opened the door, but to his surprise, there was nobody inside.
"You're looking for Ash?" Griffin asked, suddenly appearing behind him. "He just left."
"What?" Eiji answered. "But he just came from our apartment. Isn't he home yet?"
"He was here a couple of minutes ago, but he left after a quick change of clothes."
"Where did he go?"
"I'm not sure." Griffin then looked over to Max, who happened to be watching TV in the living room. "Hey Max, do you know where Ash headed off to?"
"Who, Ash? I'm not sure where," Max replied. "But he did say that he was gonna go somewhere. He even mentioned that he was gonna meet someone, what was the name again? I think it was Trixie or something."
At the mention of Trixie's name, Eiji felt like something stabbed his chest.
"I-Is that so?" he said, numbness slowly coursing through his body. "I guess I'll get going then."
Feeling dejected, Eiji hung his head as he walked out of the apartment. He went back to his bedroom and picked up the letter Ash wrote for him, his eyes lingering on the last sentence written at the bottom.
If you're feeling better, you can always find me at home. I'll make it up to you, I promise.
Just then, Shorter's words suddenly rang in his mind.
"Promises are meant to be broken, Eiji."
The raven-haired boy let out a sigh. Maybe Shorter was right after all.
Maybe promises were really meant to be broken.
***
Two days later, Eiji decided to finally talk to Ash. He's been thinking a lot during those days, then he eventually realized that he couldn't stay mad at his best friend. He also realized that he needed to patch things up between them before fall break would end, before they would be busy with studies once again.
And he had to admit, he missed bonding with his best friend.
"Oh Eiji, you're here again," a surprised Griffin said after the raven-haired boy knocked on the Callenreeses' apartment door. "Come in, come in."
"Griffin, is Ashu here?" Eiji asked as he entered the apartment unit.
"You're in luck, Eiji boy," Griffin answered, grinning as he ruffled Eiji's hair. "Ash is in his room as usual. You know he always sleeps in late during breaks, right?"
"Don't worry, I'm used to it. Thanks, Griffin."
The raven-haired boy immediately headed to Ash's bedroom, and just like before, he found his best friend still asleep on the bed. After all this time, despite all the changes that happened between them these past few weeks, Ash was still the boy who loved to sleep in late whenever there were no classes.
Letting out a soft chuckle, Eiji sat on the bed next to Ash, watching him as he slept. He was about to wake him up when Ash suddenly stirred in his sleep, murmuring something as he shifted in his position.
"Mmm...Ei-chan...I'm sorry..." he mumbled as his forehead crumpled, but he still didn't open his eyes.
The raven-haired boy let out a gasp, his heart beginning to pound in his chest. Was Ash actually thinking of him in his sleep? If he was, then that would mean that Ash has been thinking of him during the times they didn't speak to each other.
Realizing this, Eiji's lips instantly formed into a smile. Now he really couldn't stay mad at his best friend. If he had known about this sooner, then he would've made up with him earlier.
Careful not to disturb Ash, the raven-haired boy lay down next to him and wrapped his arms around him from behind. He let out a contented sigh as he snuggled closer to his best friend, it really felt good being next to the one he loved.
"I forgive you, Ashu," he whispered.
After a minute in silence, Eiji eventually released his arms around Ash and decided to wake him up.
"Ashu," he said, sitting up and leaning closer to the blonde-haired boy's ear.
"Mmmm..." Ash murmured, slightly turning his head away from Eiji.
"Ashu," he said again, his voice lowering into a whisper.
"Mmmm, what do you want?" Ash asked in a sleepy, annoyed tone before turning around to face the raven-haired boy, his eyes still closed. "I'm still sleepy."
"Ashu, wakie-wakie," Eiji answered, gently touching the tip of Ash's nose with his finger.
And with that, Ash's eyes slowly opened, revealing a familiar pair of jade-green orbs. They instantly widened in surprise when he saw Eiji lying next to him.
"Ei-chan?!"
Eiji nodded, a wide smile on his lips.
"EI-CHAN!" Ash happily exclaimed as he sat up, throwing his arms around his best friend in a tight embrace.
"Ack! A-Ashu, I c-can't breathe!" Eiji tried to speak, his breath hitching as he felt the weight of Ash's arms tightly wrapped around his body.
Realizing that his hug was slowly crushing the life out of his best friend, Ash eventually pulled back, but he still firmly held onto Eiji's shoulders.
"It has only been three days since we last saw each other but it felt like a year! Man, I missed you so much, Ei-chan!" he said, pulling Eiji into a hug again.
"I missed you too, Ashu," replied the raven-haired boy, returning the hug.
"Are you still mad at me, Ei-chan?" Ash asked once the two broke away from the hug.
Eiji shook his head. "I'm not really mad, Ashu. I was just upset."
"I'm sorry Ei-chan, okay?" Ash offered an apologetic smile.
"It's okay, Ashu. Don't worry about it," Eiji answered.
"But is it true that you came here the other day?" Ash asked. "Griffin and Max told me yesterday that you were looking for me."
Eiji's smile slowly faded, suddenly remembering the day that he first read Ash's letter, the day that he broke his promise because of Trixie. Again.
"It's true, but you weren't around. They told me that you and Trixie went somewhere."
"Oh right, I remember now. It was the day we went to the mall together."
"Well, what did you do?"
"Oh, the usual," Ash answered. "We watched a movie, played in the arcade, had snacks."
"Ahh," was all Eiji could say. Obviously, his best friend had fun on their date.
Just then, Ash suddenly got up from his bed and changed from his pajamas into a plain white shirt, ripped jeans and red sneakers.
"Let's go, Ei-chan," he said, putting on his favorite blue jacket.
"Huh? Where are we going?" asked a bewildered Eiji.
"You can ask later, just come with me." Ash smiled widely, grabbing Eiji's wrist and pulling him out of the room.
Eiji, on the other hand, didn't answer as he let his best friend drag him along with him. He was all dressed up anyway, wearing his signature look of a red v-neck sweater on top of a white and blue checkered polo shirt and jeans.
He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt excited of what would happen next.
"Where exactly are you taking me, Ashu?" Eiji asked once the boys were out of the apartment. His best friend, on the other hand, was busy calling a taxi.
"You'll eventually find out, Ei-chan," Ash answered, holding out his hand as one of New York City's iconic yellow taxi cabs pulled up in front of them. "Just don't let go of my hand."
Grinning in excitement, Eiji held Ash's hand as they entered the taxi. He had to admit, he really missed hanging out with his best friend, spending the day with just the two of them.
***
"Ei-chan, wake up. We're here," Ash said, lightly poking Eiji's cheek.
"Mmmm, where are we?" Eiji asked in a sleepy voice, rubbing his eyes the moment they opened. He winced when he realized that he fell asleep during the thirty-minute ride to their destination.
Ash didn't answer, he just held Eiji's hand again and pulled him out of the taxi after paying their fares.
"Oh my gosh," the raven-haired boy gasped upon realizing where they were.
It turned out that Ash took him to Luna Park, one of New York City's well-known amusement parks. It was located in Coney Island, a part of Brooklyn. Eiji felt a wave of nostalgia as he remembered the last time he and Ash went here, it was during his 5th Grade and Ash's 3rd Grade. They went here in celebration of his Grade School graduation. He never expected to be here again after four long years.
"It's been a while, huh?" Ash asked as they entered the amusement park. "We were only kids when we last went here."
Eiji nodded his head in agreement. "I know, right? But it looks like Luna Park's still the same after all those years. I feel like I'm in Grade School again." He let out a sigh. "I suddenly miss those times."
Ash turned to Eiji, grinning at him. "Ei-chan, are you thinking what I'm thinking? We're going to..."
"WILD RIVER!" the two boys chorused, bursting into laughter when they realized that they were thinking the same thoughts. Even after four years, the log flume was still their favorite amusement park ride.
"What are you waiting for, Ashu? C'mon, let's get our tickets!" said an excited Eiji.
"Oh, we don't need to head to the ticket booth, Ei-chan," Ash answered.
"Eh? Why? How else could we get on the rides if we don't buy tickets?"
"I already bought some." Ash brought out a bunch of tickets from his pocket, grinning at his best friend. "I bought this a couple of days ago."
"Well, why didn't you say anything? Let's go!" Eiji exclaimed.
And with that, the two best friends ran towards the line.
***
"Ei-chan, hold on tight, okay?" Ash asked when the two were already seated on a log. Eiji was seated in the front while Ash was right behind him.
Eiji just nodded his head yes, holding onto the metal bar in front of him as the log started to move down the channel of water. The ride started out smooth as it left the platform, the log calmly floating on the water as it inched its way towards a lift hill.
Just then, he heard Ash giggle from behind him. "We're going up, Ei-chan. Hang on tight!"
And true enough, the log started to move upwards, the raven-haired boy's heart beginning to thump with a surge of excitement mixed with a little rush of adrenaline. Little by little, he could see the entire amusement park from where he was seated, much to his amazement.
"Ei-chan?" Ash suddenly asked. The log eventually reached the top of the lift hill, and the boys once again found themselves on calm waters.
"Hm?"
"Don't ever do that again, okay?"
Eiji looked back at Ash. "Huh? Do what, Ashu?"
"Don't ever hide away from me whenever you're upset," Ash replied.
"Why?" Eiji asked.
"If only you knew what I felt during the days I didn't see you." Ash let out a deep sigh. "I don't know why, but I feel like my day isn't complete without seeing you. It just seems so empty without talking to you, without being with you."
"R-Really?" Eiji asked. It was a good thing he was seated in front of his best friend so he wouldn't notice the bright red blush forming on his cheeks. "Am I that important to you, Ashu?"
"More than you could ever imagine, Ei-chan."
Eiji looked around, and his blush deepened when he saw Ash fondly smiling at him.
"Me too, Ashu," he said, smiling back at the blonde-haired boy. "More than you could ever imagine."
I love you, Ashu. More than you could ever imagine, he mentally added.
"Alright, this is it!" Ash suddenly yelled, breaking the romantic (for Eiji, at least) atmosphere when the log turned towards a ramp. "This is our favorite part, remember?"
"Ooooh, I totally remember this part!" Eiji giggled in excitement. "I can't wait!"
Then after a short pause, the log tilted downwards, much to the two boys' surprise. The next thing they knew, they found themselves screaming to the top of their lungs, throwing their hands up in the air as the log rushed towards a water-filled trough at the bottom.
"I'M SORRY, EIJI!" Ash screamed.
"APOLOGY ACCEPTED, ASH!" Eiji yelled back.
"WHOAAAAAAAA!" both boys shrieked as the log crashed into the trough, the water splashing all over them and drenching them.
***
"Hahahaha! That was awesome, Ashu!" Eiji exclaimed as the two walked out of the ride, wiping his hair with a towel on one hand and carrying his shoes on the other. It was a good thing Ash brought towels with him, otherwise they would end up walking around Luna Park soaking wet.
"I know, right!" Ash replied, running his own towel on his lemon-blonde hair. "Man, I feel like I'm back in 3rd Grade again. Where do you wanna ride next, Ei-chan? We still have a long day ahead of us."
"You know, as much as I wanna ride again," Eiji answered, handing his towel over to his best friend. "Let's go grab some snacks. Wild River sure made me hungry, and I would also want to dry my clothes first. Haha! Silly us, why didn't we bring extra clothes?"
Ash chuckled, placing their towels inside his backpack. "I was thinking the exact same thing, Ei-chan. We're really best friends." He wrapped an arm around Eiji's shoulder. "C'mon, I'm up for some hotdogs. I heard Coney Island serves the best hotdogs in New York City."
Eiji shrugged his shoulders with a smile, wrapping his own arm around Ash's waist. "Well, I couldn't say no to that. Let's go."
As the two best friends started their way to the nearest hotdog stand, they couldn't help but hear a few side comments from the people around them.
"Awww, look at that cute couple!"
"Are you sure they're a couple? They look so young."
"He looks a little young, but that blonde boy sure looks hot for his age!"
"Awww, the Asian boy looks adorable! Just look at those large, brown eyes of his."
"Did you see that couple that passed by? They look so good together!"
Eiji couldn't help but blush as soon as the comments reached his ears, but at the same time he couldn't stop himself from smiling. Did they really look like a couple?
"Do you hear that, Ei-chan?" he heard Ash ask, stifling a chuckle. "It's kinda amusing that people think we're going out or something."
"Hehe. Yeah," Eiji replied, astonished by the fact that his best friend was actually amused by what people were telling about them. Would that mean that Ash actually liked the idea of them being a cou---
"They may think that we're dating, but they don't know that we're only best friends."
Best friends. Okay, scratch the last part.
"Yeah..." Eiji's voice trailed off.
Just then, Ash removed his arm from Eiji's shoulder and held his hand instead.
"C'mon, let's pretend that we're dating," he said, flashing a playful grin.
Can't we be dating in real life instead, Ashu?
"Alright," Eiji answered with a sigh, then his eyes lit up when he saw the hotdog stand nearby. "C'mon, Ashu. The hotdog stand's already here."
This time, it was Eiji's turn to pull Ash along with him as they walked towards the surprisingly crowded hotdog stand. Looks like Ash was right when he said that Coney Island's hotdogs were famous, as apparently there was a long line of people leading to the hotdog stand. A lot of people were also seen walking away holding the aforementioned food.
"Aww," Eiji whined, pouting his lips. "There's a lot of people here."
Just then, Ash's hand reached out to pinch Eiji's cheek as the blonde-haired boy chuckled. "You're too cute when you pout like that, Ei-chan. Hahaha! The hotdog must be really good if there's a lot of people here."
"You're probably right, Ashu. Let's wait."
***
Ash and Eiji weren't disappointed when they finally got to taste the famous hotdog after waiting in line for a while. The ground beef toppings tasted good with the hotdog itself, blending well with the spice of the yellow mustard and white onion, which was balanced with the creaminess of the cheese. It was served hot, perfect for the cool autumn weather.
After eating their snacks and realizing that their clothes were already dried up, the two immediately headed off to the other rides. They had their fair share of adrenaline rush when they rode the roller coaster and drop tower, and they felt like they were children again when they went on the swing ride and the carousel. They raced each other at the bumper cars, and finally they went sightseeing on the Ferris wheel.
It was already dark when they eventually got tired of the rides, so the two decided to walk to the nearby pier to rest for a while. They leaned against the wooden railings of the pier, enjoying the sound of the waves and feeling the cool sea breeze blowing against their skin.
Eiji couldn't help but smile in delight as it dawned upon him that Ash never said a single word about Trixie that day. Finally, an entire day with just the two of them. It was about time he spent quality time alone with his best friend.
"Did you have fun, Ei-chan?" Ash asked, fondly smiling at his best friend.
Eiji nodded his head, smiling back at Ash. "I sure did, Ashu. Thanks for this day."
The raven-haired boy curled his arm around Ash's, leaning his head on the blonde-haired boy's shoulder. Ash, in response, moved closer to his best friend, his head resting on top of Eiji's.
This night is so perfect, I wish it would never end. Someone freeze the time, please?
Eiji's train of thought was abruptly ended, his body jolting in surprise when he heard loud explosions coming from behind him. And sensing that his best friend was afraid, Ash quickly grabbed Eiji's hand, holding it tightly.
"Relax, Ei-chan," he said. "As long as you're with me, there's nothing to be afraid of."
And with that, Eiji smiled at his best friend, his dark brown orbs staring into Ash's jade-green ones, his fears quickly melting at the warmth of the blonde-haired boy's smile. It was true after all, there was nothing to fear as long as his best friend was there for him.
Their eye contact was instantly broken when another explosion was heard. Curious to see what was going on, the two boys turned in time to see the amusement park's fireworks display.
"Wow," Eiji uttered, his eyes twinkling at the sight of the fireworks.
"What a way to end the night, huh?" Ash asked, looking at the colorful night sky as well. "You know, I honestly wanted this day to be special, and it looks like the fireworks made it even more magical."
And with that, Eiji looked over at Ash, his heart thumping. "Really, Ashu? You wanted this day to be special? Why do you say so?"
He felt Ash tighten his grip on his hand, looking over at him with a smile so tender that the raven-haired boy felt his chest constrict.
"I told you that I'll make it up to you," he said. "Just like what I promised."
Suddenly remembering the letter written to him, Eiji's chest fluttered with happiness when he realized that what Shorter said was proven wrong in this case. He couldn't believe that Ash actually kept his promise to make it up to him.
With a wide smile on his face, the raven-haired boy looked back and enjoyed the rest of the fireworks, Ash following suit. He enjoyed the fireworks exploding, coloring the night sky above the towering New York skyscrapers with various hues, the cool breeze coming from the Atlantic Ocean behind them, and above all, the warmth of Ash's hand holding his. In his fourteen years of existence, he could say that this was one of the best days of his life.
He could only wish that this night would never end.