no mader how strong the wind blows

chapter 19

Chapter 19: True Colors

Summary:

Trixie shows more of her true colors on Eiji's first day as a High School sophomore.

Notes:

For everyone's guidance, Ash is 13 and Eiji is 15.
Also, this chapter may contain bits of swearing. Reader discretion is advised.
Anyways, enjoy the update!

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

Chapter Text

After the basketball game, nothing much has happened. Days eventually turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months soon turned into a year. During the summer break, the two best friends hung out as always, and sometimes Shorter would even come over to visit.
The next thing they knew, it was the first day of school once again. Eiji would now be entering his 10th Grade while Ash would be entering his 8th Grade, his final year in Middle School.
"Good morning," the raven-haired boy politely greeted upon entering the Callenreeses' apartment unit. Trailing behind him was eleven-year-old Eika, who was now in her 6th Grade.
"Oh, isn't it my adorable little Eiji and Eika. Hello there!" Jennifer cooed, warmly smiling at the siblings.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Okumura kids," Jim added. "Let me guess, you're here to fetch Ash, right?"
"Hehe. You got that right." Eiji smiled sheepishly. "Since Eika-chan would be going to the same Middle School as Ashu, I figured that it would be better if the three of us walked to school together."
"Eika's in Middle School already? Oh, where did the time go? Have you eaten your breakfast?" Jennifer asked, offering a seat. "Come, sit with us."
"It's fine, Mrs. Callenreese," said Eika. "We just ate an hour ago."
"How about you, Eiji? I'm sure you must be hungry. C'mon, we have omelette here if you want."
"No thanks, I'm good." The fifteen-year-old offered a shy smile, dismissively waving a hand. "Thanks for the offer, though."
"Now, now, Ei-chan, I won't take no for an answer," Ash said, grabbing Eiji by the arm. "You should eat some more, you're starting to get skinny these days."
"Really, Ashu? Skinny?" Eiji asked, sitting down next to his best friend. "I'm actually gaining weight, you know."
"Oh, really?" jeered the thirteen-year-old. "Then why aren't you eating? Are you on a diet or something?"
"If eating two cups of rice along with bacon and eggs is considered a diet, then yes, I definitely am on a diet." Eiji grinned back at him.
"C'mon Ash, don't be like that," Griffin suddenly said, a teasing tone in his voice. "Eiji's just maintaining his sexy figure."
And with that, Eika couldn't help but cackle. "Seriously, Griffin? Eiji, having a sexy body? Hahaha! Are you kidding me?"
"Yeah, Griffin," Ash agreed. "Ei-chan only has a straight body, not a sexy one."
Eiji rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
"Oh really, Ash?" Jim asked his younger son. "Then why were you drooling over Eiji's body when he wore swimming trunks at the beach during Eika's graduation celebration?"
WHAT?
"Oooooh, I remember that one!" Eika exclaimed, giggling. "You should've seen the look on Ash's face, Eiji! It was totally priceless! Ash's jaw literally dropped the moment he saw you in those swimming trunks!"
"E-EH?! Are you serious?!" a flustered Eiji squeaked, his cheeks beginning to burn in embarrassment.
"Wha---HEY!" Ash yelled, his entire face turning red as well.
Delighted upon seeing the reactions of both boys, Eika and the rest of Ash's family began to laugh and mercilessly tease the two, much to their chagrin.
"Ugh. Whatever, I'm going to school," an annoyed and embarrassed Ash announced, quickly standing up from his seat and grabbing his school bag.
"Oh, yeah." Eiji stood up as well, looking at his younger sister. "Eika-chan, come on. We're leaving now."
"Good luck on your first day!" Jennifer said as the three headed out the door. "And good luck on your first day of Middle School, Eika!"
"And especially you, Ash," Jim added. "You're gonna graduate from Middle School soon, so you better do your best this year."
***
Just like what they did the previous year, Eiji decided to accompany Ash to his school before going to his own. This year would be different though, as Eika would be tagging along with them, too.
After taking the younger Okumura to the 6th Grade classroom, the two boys noticed a few students whispering to each other as they walked down the hallway. Eiji couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle as he noticed some of the female students staring at his best friend with stars in their eyes.
"Wow, Ashu," he whispered to the blonde-haired boy with a grin. "From a girly boy to a total heartthrob real quick. Guess you're famous now, huh?"
"Me, famous? Wow, look who's talking," Ash scoffed. "It's been two years since you graduated from here but some of the students and teachers still recognize you."
Eiji chuckled again. "I guess it's probably because of pole vaulting that's why they still know me. And besides, you're more famous than I am because you're currently studying here. I'm just an alumnus."
"That's my point, Ei-chan. They still know you even though you're already an alumnus of the school, so therefore you're more famous than me."
As Ash and Eiji continued their mini-debate on who's more famous than who, they couldn't help but hear a few side comments from a group of students nearby.
"I always see Ash with that guy. Who is he?"
"He's Eiji Okumura, he graduated here two years ago. My brother happened to be a classmate of his when he was in Middle School, and he told me that he was a really good pole vaulter."
"Oh, I see. Is he Ash's boyfriend? Are they dating?"
"I don't think so. As far as I know, they're just best friends."
"Really? Aw, that's too bad. I personally think they look good together, you know."
"I know, right? But I also heard that Ash and Trixie Tang have mutual feelings."
"Boo. Ash and Eiji look better together as a couple."
"Yeah, they should totally date each other."
"I know! Eiji's way better than Trixie, honestly. I've seen Eiji for only a few times but I think he's a nice person compared to Trixie who just thinks of nobody but herself."
From the corner of his eye, Eiji watched as Ash suddenly became quiet, a blank expression on his face. His jaw clenched as he tightened his grip on the straps of his backpack, obviously trying his best to keep his cool.
There was no doubt, he was affected by what the students were saying.
"Ashu," he whispered, leaning closer to Ash. "Just relax. Don't mind them."
"Hold my hand, Ei-chan," Ash said, his voice emotionless. "I don't want my first day of 8th Grade to be ruined by something as lame as this."
Without any hesitation, Eiji tightly held his best friend's hand and walked faster as they continued down the hallway. He could feel the tension in Ash's grip, and he could clearly tell that he was slowly losing his patience. Why did the 8th Grade classroom seem so far away, anyway?
"Maybe Ash's only using Trixie so he could become more famous. You know how popular she is, right?"
"Yeah. They say that she's the prettiest girl out of all the 8th Grade students, but I personally don't like her attitude. I wonder what Ash saw in her."
"I think he must be a social climber. You know, he wants to become close with the popular people in order to get popular himself."
Right then and there, Eiji stopped in his tracks, suddenly feeling aggravated. He wouldn't really mind if they talked trash about Trixie all day long, but it would be a completely different story if they talked trash about his best friend.
Letting go of Ash's hand, the raven-haired boy walked over to a part of the lockers, where he saw a girl and two boys talking about the three of them.
"Um, excuse me?" Eiji tried to sound as polite as he could.
"Oh, you're Eiji Okumura, right? It's nice to meet you!" said the girl, trying her best to look innocent.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I want you guys to know that I didn't like what I heard just now," Eiji said.
"What are you talking about, Eiji?" asked one of the two boys. "We just said that you and Ash look good together."
Eiji shook his head. "You know very well what I'm talking about. Please refrain from saying such things about Trixie, and most especially about Ash."
Though he didn't show it to the group of students, the Japanese boy felt himself cringe inside at his own words. He seriously couldn't imagine himself defending Trixie for his best friend's sake. The things he had to do for love.
Just then, Ash stepped forward, holding Eiji by the arm. "C'mon, Ei-chan. I'm gonna be late for class."
"We're sorry, Eiji," the other boy said.
"Tell that to Ash, not me," answered Eiji.
"Sorry, Ash," the three students apologized.
"It's alright," the blonde-haired boy replied. "But don't ever, ever say those things about Trixie. I know her, she's not what you think she is. You could talk trash about me, but never talk trash about her."
Eiji's eyes widened at the tone of Ash's voice, he recognized this kind of tone before. It sounded calm, but he could sense the anger hidden beneath it. It was an indication that Ash was definitely ticked off, but he was only doing his best to keep his cool.
"We're sorry," he said, gently holding Ash's shoulders in an attempt to pacify him. "We just don't want rumors spreading around, that's all. We hope you understand."
Without waiting for their answers, the two best friends left. The raven-haired boy felt his chest tighten as he suddenly remembered a similar incident that happened when they were in Grade School.
***
Arthur leaned closer towards Eiji, a devilish grin on his lips. “Can I have your number, Eiji?”
Eiji’s glare turned into a surprised look, taken aback by Arthur’s sudden statement, but he immediately reverted back to his serious look, folding his arms in the process.
“And why should I?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, nothing. I just wanna be friends with a cute boy like you,” Arthur replied, wiggling his eyebrows.
Eiji smirked. “Thanks for the compliment, Arthur. I know I’m cute, but being friends with you? Hmmm…” He put a finger on his lips and pretended to think. “Nope! After treating my best friend like that?” He wiggled his finger. “Na-ah!”
Horror quickly crept into Eiji’s face when Arthur suddenly raised his hand to touch his cheek, but before he could even lay a finger on the Japanese boy, Ash suddenly yanked Arthur’s hand away from Eiji, which was followed by a quick, solid punch to the blonde boy’s face.
“You can bully me all you want, Arthur.” Both Eiji and Arthur were surprised at the tone of Ash’s voice, it sounded low but at the same time dangerous. “You can hurt me and call me all the names you want, but never, and I mean NEVER touch my best friend like that.”
Holding the part where Ash's fist landed, Arthur stepped back, surprised by the boy’s sudden move. “Why, you little—”
He was about to lunge forward in an attempt to fight back, but Ash quickly dodged him and pushed him hard on the chest, causing him to fall on the floor.
“I’m warning you Arthur, KEEP YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF EI-CHAN!” he yelled.
***
Eiji couldn't help but grimace upon realizing that the tone Ash used awhile ago was exactly the tone he used against Arthur before, that the way Ash defended Trixie was exactly the way he defended him all those years ago.
It could only mean one thing, Trixie really meant something to Ash now.
And speaking of Trixie, here she was, bounding over to the two best friends when they finally arrived at the 8th Grade classroom.
"Ash! I missed you!" she exclaimed, suddenly throwing her arms around Ash.
"Hey, Trixie. I missed you too," the blonde-haired boy answered.
Eiji was about to say goodbye to his best friend, but he seemed to be invisible as Trixie quickly pulled Ash inside the classroom, leaving the raven-haired boy standing alone in the hallway.
Letting out a sad sigh, he turned around and started his way down the hallway. He didn't wait for Ash to come out anymore because other than the bell already rang, he was with Trixie. And he knew very well that once Ash saw Trixie, it would be as if he wasn't in the scene.
Just as he made it outside the school, he was surprised when he saw Shorter with a young Chinese boy. The boy had short navy-blue hair and small black eyes, and he seemed to be close with the older Chinese boy, basing from the way he grinned at Shorter.
"Shorter!" he called out.
"Eiji?" Shorter's face instantly lit up with joy the moment he saw the raven-haired boy. "What brings you here?"
"It's Ashu and Eika-chan's first day, so I accompanied them to school," Eiji answered. "How about you?"
"I was just about to accompany Sing to school," said Shorter, pointing to the young boy beside him. "He and his brother live in the same apartment unit as Nadia and I."
"Oh, I see." Eiji smiled at the young boy. "What's your name, little boy? It's nice to meet you."
But the young boy, whose name was Sing, pouted and crossed his arms instead of answering Eiji.
"I'm not a little boy," he huffed, looking away from the raven-haired boy.
Shorter couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry about that, Eiji. Sing might look a bit younger than his age, but he's actually ten years old. In fact, he's already in his 5th Grade this year."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that. Silly me." Eiji let out a soft chuckle, once again looking at the younger Chinese boy as he extended out his hand. "My name's Eiji. What's yours?"
"I'm Sing Soo-Ling," the boy answered, shaking Eiji's hand.
"So Shorter, I guess we'll walk to school together?" Eiji asked.
"Sure thing, but I have to take Sing to school first," Shorter replied. "Is it okay with you? His school's not that far, it's just a couple of blocks away."
"Eh, I don't mind." Eiji shrugged his shoulders. "We've got plenty of time before our classes start, anyway."
***
It was lunch time, and the two best friends decided to spend their lunch break in the cafe like they always did. Eiji was expecting his sister to be with Ash, but to his surprise, and much to his dismay, Trixie was with him instead. Ash told him earlier that Eika was supposed to come with him, but apparently she told him that she preferred to stay in the cafeteria, so he had no choice but to take Trixie with him.
Apparently for Eiji, it wasn't the best idea, as he found himself absently stirring his iced coffee while Trixie and Ash talked. He has never felt so out of place before. In fact, he felt that things would be a lot better if Eika was here instead of Trixie. He'd rather hang out with his younger sister anyway, if not his best friend.
"Oh my gosh, I still can't believe you defended me, Ashy!" Trixie exclaimed. Ash was currently filling her on what happened earlier, on how he defended her from nasty rumors, much to the girl's delight.
Wait. What?
Right then and there, Eiji froze in his seat, his entire body tensing up as he felt an unpleasant sensation in his ears for some reason. Since when did Trixie start calling him that? And above all, it almost sounded like his nickname for him.
Ash, who seemed not to mind Trixie's new nickname for him, scratched the back of his head as he grinned from ear to ear. "Of course, Trixie. You know I'd do---"
"W-What did you call him?" Eiji cut his best friend off, an anguished expression on his face.
"Oh, I called him Ashy," Trixie bluntly answered. "What's wrong with that?"
"It's just that..." Eiji's voice trailed off. "Ashy almost sounds like Ashu, and I'm the only one who calls him that."
"Oh yeah," Ash said. "Ei-chan's right, Trixie. We're kinda protective when it comes to our nicknames. We're the only ones who call each other that."
"So nicknames are only exclusive for you two?" Trixie asked, raising an eyebrow at the two boys.
"What?" Eiji's eyebrows furrowed. "It's not like that, what I mean is---"
"So if it's not exclusive, then that means I get to give you a nickname as well." Trixie faced Ash, pouting her lips. "Can I, Ashy?"
"But---"
"Trixie's right, Ei-chan," Ash said. "It's okay for her to give me a nickname. It's just a nickname, anyway."
That very moment, Eiji curled his hands into fists as he saw a smug look on Trixie's face. There was a snide look in her eyes as she curled her arms around Ash's and leaned against his shoulder with a proud huff.
What the actual fuck?
"Alright," he said, letting out a dejected sigh. He could feel that he was losing his patience by the second.
"Lunch is on me, you two." Ash stood up from his seat. "What do you guys want?"
"I only want a sandwich and water, Ashy," Trixie answered, her voice sounding a bit exaggerated. "I'm on a diet, you know."
Eiji rolled his eyes. Could this girl get any more annoying than this?
"Okay, Trixie." Then Ash turned to his best friend. "How about you, Ei-chan?"
"Oh, you definitely know what I'm gonna order, Ashu." Eiji smirked.
"Let me guess, you want the usual cheesecake. Am I right?"
"Yup, you got it!" Eiji's smirk turned into a grin.
Ash chuckled. "Alright, alright. Wait for me, okay? I'll be right back."
"Sure, Ashy!" Trixie giggled, much to Eiji's annoyance.
There was an awkward silence between Eiji and Trixie when Ash left the table. The raven-haired boy quickly took a sip of his iced coffee in an attempt to calm himself down, it took a lot of his willpower to stop himself from splashing his drink on her.
"So you defended me, huh?" Trixie suddenly asked him. "I heard it from ASHY."
Eiji tightened his grip on the glass he was holding as Trixie gave emphasis to the word 'Ashy'. She was really testing his patience, huh?
"Yeah," was all he could answer. He tried his best to keep his voice calm, though deep inside he felt he was already this close to losing his cool.
"Oh, really?" There was an insulting tone in Trixie's voice. "Are you sure you didn't do that just to look good in everyone's eyes?"
Okay, that's it. I've had it with this girl!
"Listen here, Trixie." Eiji gritted his teeth in anger, slamming his hands on the table as he stood up. "If you're just gonna sit here and insult me like that, I'm gonna---"
"I'm sorry to but in, but Eiji isn't the type to do things just to look good in front of everyone."
The two looked towards the direction of the voice, and Eiji felt a wave of relief wash over him when he saw Shorter standing near their table.
"S-Shorter..." The raven-haired boy smiled weakly.
"Is there something wrong with what I said, Shorter?" Trixie asked. "Because knowing him, he definitely wouldn't do it for me."
Shorter shook his head. "No Trixie, Eiji wouldn't do things for you either."
Trixie frowned. "Then what?"
"I would do it for Ashu," Eiji answered, his anger eventually cooling down at the sight of the purple-haired boy.
"Oh, so you did that for Ashy, huh?" Trixie sarcastically asked. "Why is he so important to you, Eiji? Do you like him?"
"Use your common sense, Trixie!" Shorter suddenly bellowed. "Ash is Eiji's best friend! Of course he would be important to him because that's what being a best friend is all about! Did you seriously forget that, huh?!"
Eiji's jaw dropped open, his eyes widening in shock at what he just saw. He's never seen Shorter so angry before, he usually saw him as a gregarious, level-headed person who had really long patience with things. Looks like the saying was true after all, that nice people could be really scary when angered.
"Well, if that's the case, Eiji should know what his position is!" Trixie yelled as well.
"You really wanna know what Eiji's position is, Trixie?" Shorter asked, a smirk forming on his lips. "Eiji's position is not just being a best friend. His role in Ash's life is not just something. Remember this, Eiji is like Ash's other half."
"And how did you know that?" Trixie raised her eyebrow.
"I know, because I've witnessed it," Shorter coldly replied, his face becoming emotionless.
"Huh?" a puzzled Eiji and Trixie simultaneously asked. How on Earth did Shorter witness their friendship?
"Remember this, Trixie." Shorter glared at the Chinese-American girl, ignoring the bewildered looks on their faces. "Never mess with Eiji. You'll never know who'll hate you if you do that."
Afraid that Shorter might cause havoc in the cafe if this argument continued, Eiji grabbed the purple-haired boy's arm. "Shorter, that's enough. You're making a scene in here."
"Wow, so scary." Trixie rolled her eyes, folding her arms. "Like I care. Hmph."
"I gotta go." Shorter turned away, his voice still cold. "See you after lunch, Eiji."
And with that, the purple-haired boy left.
"Why are you like this, Trixie? Why are you acting like some stuck-up jerk whenever Ashu's not around?" Eiji asked, suddenly feeling drained from the argument. He never knew that being angry could actually be so tiring.
"Because honestly, I don't like you," Trixie simply answered.
"I don't like you either," said Eiji. "But I'm trying my best not to show it, for Ashu's sake."
"Well, sorry if I do show it." Trixie smirked.
Eiji was about to say another word when he saw Ash approaching the table, holding a tray containing their food. He suddenly felt bad for his best friend, as he seemed oblivious to Trixie's true colors.
"What did I miss?" the blonde-haired boy asked, sitting next to Trixie as he sat the food tray down. "Did you guys talk? What did you talk about?"
"Actually---"
"Oh, nothing," Trixie cut Eiji off, clinging onto Ash's arm. "We just talked about school and all."
A glare was all Eiji could give Trixie.
Fake bitch.
***
"Don't mind her, Eiji," Shorter told the Japanese boy as the two 10th Graders walked down the sidewalk. Their classes just ended and Eiji was heading to his old Middle School to pick up Ash and Eika. Shorter, on the other hand, would be picking up Sing from school as well.
Eiji let out a sigh. "Guess I now know her true colors, huh?"
"Why don't you tell Ash about it? Don't you think he deserves to know?"
"I know he deserves to know, but what if he won't listen?"
"Well, it never hurts to try." The purple-haired boy placed a gentle hand on Eiji's shoulder. "Just let me know if you need any help, okay?"
"Okay. By the way, what did you mean when you said that you witnessed our friendship?"
"Oh, that? It's nothing. Forget what I said."
"C'mon Shorter, tell me," Eiji pleaded, clinging onto Shorter's arm. "Please?"
And with that, the Chinese boy couldn't help but chuckle. "It's nothing, really. I just noticed the way he cared for you ever since we were in Middle School. You know, since you two were always together."
"Oh, that makes sense." Eiji chuckled as well. "Anyway, that's just normal between us. And I hate to admit it, but Trixie was somehow right. I should know where I stand, I'm just his best friend."
"C'mon, don't underestimate that position." Shorter draped an arm around Eiji's shoulder. "Not everybody gets to be somebody's best friend, you know."
"I just don't wanna expect, Shorter. I could get hurt if I get disappointed."
"Yeah, I get your point. But don't ever allow Trixie to do that to you again, okay?"
"Of course I won't." Eiji looked up at Shorter with a smile. "You know me, right?"
"That when it comes to Ash, you'll do everything for him even if it's against your will." Just then, Shorter stopped walking. "Oh look, guess I'm already here. You can go ahead Eiji, I'll be waiting for Sing here. See you tomorrow!"
"Take care, okay?" Eiji smiled, waving his hand.
"Same goes for you."
Leaving Shorter behind, Eiji continued walking down the sidewalk towards his old Middle School, where an excited Eika suddenly ran up to him and engulfed him in a big hug, much to his surprise.
"Whoa! Hey there, Eika-chan! How's your first day in Middle School?"
"I'm having fun so far, Eiji!" Eika beamed. "I made tons of new friends today!"
Eiji smiled, hugging Eika back. "Good for you, Eika-chan. Where's Ashu?"
"Oh, Ash? I think he's right over the..."
Eika's voice trailed off mid-sentence as her eyes widened in shock. His eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Eiji directed his gaze towards the direction where his sister was looking at, then his eyes widened as well at what he saw.
Trixie just kissed Ash's cheek.
"Oh my gosh, I never knew Ash had a girlfriend!" Eika exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me that, Eiji? Huh? Eiji?"
Eiji was unable to answer, his jaw dropped open and eyes still fixed on the two. He suddenly felt numb all over as he watched a stunned expression form on Ash's face, followed by a bright red blush creeping on his pale cheeks. Trixie, on the other hand, waved goodbye to Ash before walking away.
He curled his hands into tight fists, blinking back the angry tears that began to form in his eyes. Trixie was being too much, he couldn't believe that she already took a lot from him in just a single day. First she took Ash's attention, then she took his nickname for him, and now she actually had the audacity to kiss him on the cheek like what he did?
What else could she take away from him?