no mader how strong the wind blows

chapter 22

Chapter 22: Halloween Heartache - Part 1

Summary:

It's almost Halloween, and it looks like Eiji's about to face his worst fears.

Notes:

For everyone's guidance, Ash is 13 and Eiji is 15.
Anyways, enjoy the update!

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

Chapter Text

October was ending soon, which also meant that it was almost time for Halloween. Along with the leaves changing from shades of green to shades of red, orange, yellow and brown, people all over the city have also begun to hang up spooky decorations in their respective homes. The Callenreeses and Okumuras were no exception to the festivities, as they planned to host a Halloween-themed costume party which would be held at the apartment's penthouse on Halloween night. It was an open event, which meant that the two boys could invite anyone over to the party.
"Ei-chan!" Ash called out one afternoon, barging into his best friend's room like always.
"Yeah?" Eiji asked, lying on his bed as he browsed his phone for costumes to wear at the party.
"Boy, I can't wait for the Halloween party!" the blonde-haired boy exclaimed as he headed straight to Eiji's bed, giggling as he bounced up and down in excitement.
"Yeah, I can see that," Eiji flatly answered, still not looking at Ash. "So, what are your plans for the party? Have you found anything to wear yet?"
"Don't worry, I already found a costume. And guess what, I suddenly thought of something for the party."
Out of curiosity, Eiji looked up at Ash from his phone. "What is it?"
But instead of answering, Ash just beamed from ear to ear as he giggled again. Judging from his facial expression, Eiji figured that he was thinking of something good. At least, for the blonde-haired boy. What could he be up to this time?
He rolled his eyes, returning his attention back to his phone. "Quit stalling, Ashu. Just spill it out already."
"But before I tell you what it is, promise me that you'll help me out, okay?"
Eiji frowned. "How would I help you if you don't tell me what it is?"
"Just promise me you'll help me. Please, Ei-chan? Please?" Ash asked, shaking Eiji's arm while giving him puppy-dog eyes.
"Tsk. Alright, fine! What is it, Aslan?" asked an irritated Eiji, brushing off his best friend's hand from his arm.
"Ei-chan, I think...I'm already serious about Trixie now."
And with that, Eiji froze in his spot.
"Oh. And so?" he asked, trying his best to sound normal. He could feel his chest tighten, his heart pounding harder by the second. He didn't know why, but he suddenly had a feeling that he wouldn't like what Ash would say next.
"And...I plan to court her."
Right then and there, Eiji felt like his whole world stopped. His eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped open, suddenly feeling numb all over as he unconsciously dropped his phone on the bed with a soft thud. He suddenly couldn't hear a thing, except for the sound of his heart thumping hard against his chest.
Please tell me he's only joking. Please tell me he's lying.
"Ei-chan?" Ash waved a hand in front of Eiji's face, but the Japanese boy didn't respond. He just stared into the distance, his mind trying to process what his best friend just said.
This is only a bad dream, right? Please wake me up, I don't like where this is going.
"H-Huh?" was the only thing Eiji managed to say, too shocked to say anything.
"Ei-chan, snap out of it!" Ash gently shook Eiji's shoulders.
"Y-You're...y-you're gonna...c-court...Trixie?" Eiji slowly let the words out in a soft, shaky voice, tears beginning to form in his eyes. His vision began to blur, and he honestly feared that he couldn't hold his tears back any longer if he continued to speak.
The blonde-haired boy nodded his head, grinning happily at his best friend. "Yes, I am. And I'm serious about it."
"B-But...h-how?" Eiji tried to keep his voice even as he struggled hard not to break down on the spot.
"I love her, Ei-chan," Ash answered with a dreamy sigh. "I realized that I've fallen in love with her."
"O-Oh..." Eiji's voice trailed off, biting his lower lip as he choked back a sob. Every word felt like a sharp knife to his chest, and in that instant he felt like his heart stopped beating. The numbness he felt instantly disappeared and was replaced by a sharp, painful sensation in his chest upon realizing that his worst fears was slowly becoming true.
It was no longer a crush. Ash was in love. He no longer liked Trixie, but he has fallen in love with her.
"Aren't you happy for me?" Ash asked, seemingly oblivious to the anguished look on Eiji's face.
Are you stupid, Aslan? Does this face look happy to you, huh?
"O-Of course I am, A-Ashu." Eiji tried to smile, but it turned out wobbly as hot tears began to stream down his cheeks. He tightly shut his eyes as few hiccups escaped from him, and he quickly clamped a hand over his mouth to prevent himself from sobbing loudly.
"Ei-chan?" Ash's smile quickly faded upon seeing the tears on Eiji's face. "What's wrong? Why are you crying? Does something hurt? C'mon, please tell me."
Then Eiji felt Ash's hands on his shoulders then on his face. He couldn't see very well because of the tears blurring his vision, but he could tell that Ash was worriedly looking at him, as if he was checking the part that was causing his best friend's pain.
My heart hurts, Ashu. My heart hurts so much, Eiji wanted to say, but pulled Ash into a tight embrace instead, finally letting out the sobs he's been holding in for so long.
"N-No, i-it's nothing," he tried to speak in between sobs, burying his face into the blonde-haired boy's chest. "I-I'm just...h-happy for y-you."
"Aww. Thanks, Ei-chan," he heard Ash whisper, feeling his hand gently stroke his raven-black hair.
"L-Looks like y-you've found your g-girl, huh?"
"Mmm-hmm. I do hope she's the one." Ash pulled away from the hug. "But Ei-chan, I need your help on this one. Please?"
Eiji just stared wide-eyed at Ash, letting the tears flow freely down his cheeks. Would he really help the person he loved court the person he loved? It would be like committing suicide, but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to say no to his best friend.
"O-Of course I will," he answered, his voice emotionless. Did he even have a choice?
Then Ash tenderly cupped Eiji's cheeks, leaning closer to plant a kiss on the raven-haired boy's forehead.
"Don't worry, Ei-chan," he said, wiping away his best friend's tear stains with his thumbs. "Nothing will ever change between us even if Trixie becomes my girlfriend, okay?"
"A-Are you sure?"
Ash smiled. "Of course. You'll still be my very, very, very best friend, Ei-chan."
A small, weak smile was all Eiji could give him.
***
Two days before the party, the two boys decided to give Max a visit after deciding on what to do during the event. The grown-ups were in charge of different things, Max handled the music and party games while Shunichi was in charge of the photobooth. Jim, Jennifer and Griffin, on the other hand, took care of the food and drinks.
"Um, Mr. Glenreed?" Eiji asked as he and Ash entered the Glenreeds' apartment unit, where they saw Max watching television on the couch. They also caught sight of a little boy playing with his toy blocks on the floor while a woman was busy doing something in the kitchen.
"Oh, Eiji, Ash," Max replied upon seeing the two boys. "What is it?"
Eiji bit a lower lip, hesitant to say a word. Would he really do this for the sake of Ash and Trixie?
From behind him, Ash gently gave Eiji a push, urging him to speak. "Go, Ei-chan. You can do this."
"Um, Mr. Glenreed, Ashu and I actually have a favor to ask regarding the party," Eiji said, sitting next to Max, Ash following suit.
"Sure thing. What is it?"
"Well, I was wondering if we could use a karaoke machine for the party."
"Huh? A karaoke machine?" the middle-aged man asked, surprised at the sudden request.
Ash nodded his head. "Yeah. You know, for extra entertainment."
"Well, that's actually not a bad idea. Sure, I'll rent a karaoke machine for the party." Max smiled, nodding his head in approval. "But if you don't mind me asking, what made you think about it?"
"Um, actually---"
"Well Max, I plan to surprise the person I like with a song," Ash cut Eiji off, beaming excitedly from ear to ear.
Max was about to say something when the little boy suddenly ran up to him, holding a block in his hand as he climbed onto his lap.
"Daddy!" he exclaimed, smiling widely at the man. Both Eiji and Ash smiled as they realized that the boy resembled Max a lot. He was a bright, bubbly boy with his Dad's light brown hair, but his eyes were dark gray unlike Max's cerulean-blue orbs. They were wide and shining in excitement as he looked up at his Dad.
"Hey there, little bear!" Max cooed, ruffling the boy's fluffy hair. He kissed the top of his head before looking back at the two best friends. "Ash, Eiji, this is my son Michael."
"Hi, Michael!" Eiji cheerfully greeted, waving his hand at the boy. "How old are you?"
"One, two, thwee. Thwee!" the little boy beamed, showing three little fingers to his visitors after slowly counting them, much to Ash and Eiji's delight.
"Wow kid, you're good at counting, huh?" Ash commented, fondly grinning at Michael.
"Heh. This is my boy after all," Max answered, grinning back at the blonde-haired boy.
"I have to say, Michael's a pretty smart kid for his age," the woman suddenly said, placing a tray of sandwiches in front of them. She had long blonde hair and dark gray eyes just like Michael's.
"And this woman here is Jessica, my beautiful wife," Max said, fondly smiling at the woman. "Babe, this is Ash, the one I've been telling you about. I used to take care of him whenever Jim and Jennifer were out. And this here is Eiji, his best friend."
The two best friends responded by smiling as well, Eiji giving a slight nod of the head.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Michael started to reach out his arms towards Jessica upon seeing her.
"Well, it's nice to meet you two, Ash and Eiji," said Jessica, carrying Michael in her arms. "You know, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation earlier about Ash surprising someone with a song. I have to say, that person sure is lucky to be serenaded by someone as sweet and good-looking as you."
Ash just chuckled in response, shyly scratching the back of his head as a faint blush spread on his cheeks.
"Who's the lucky person, Ash? Is it Eiji?" A mischievous grin formed on Max's lips as he playfully nudged the blonde-haired boy's arm with an elbow.
"No, Mr. Glenreed. It isn't me," Eiji politely answered as he grimaced, suddenly feeling envious of Trixie because of Max and Jessica's statements. Oh, how he wished he was the one being surprised instead of her.
"And besides," Ash added, draping an arm around his best friend's shoulder. "If the surprise was for Ei-chan, then he shouldn't even be with me in the first place."
Max chuckled. "You do have a point there. So it's settled then, we're having karaoke at the Halloween party."
***
"Oh my gosh, Ei-chan!" Ash cried out in delight once they left the apartment, tightly wrapping his arms around Eiji, surprising the Japanese boy.
"Ack! A-Ashu! I-I can't breathe!"
The blonde-haired boy just laughed as he released his best friend. "Sorry, I'm just so happy that Max agreed to have karaoke at the party. Now our plan is really gonna work! I'm so excited!"
"Well...I'm glad you're happy, Ashu." Eiji smiled weakly.
Ash grinned, slinging an arm around Eiji's shoulders as they began to walk down the sidewalk. "Thanks for helping me to be happy, Ei-chan."
"No problem," Eiji answered. "If only you knew how much your happiness mattered to me."
"Same goes for me." Ash pulled his best friend closer to him. "I want you to be happy as well, Ei-chan."
Eiji, unable to say anything else, just smiled at Ash. If only he knew that he alone was his happiness. Just seeing him smile like that was already enough for him, even though he was painfully aware that he wasn't the reason of his smiles.
As long as his best friend was happy, he guessed it was okay for him to get hurt.
***
"E, how are things going with you? You've been awfully quiet these past few days," Shorter asked Eiji a few days later as they sat in the school cafeteria. It was lunch time, and the Chinese boy was honestly surprised when the raven-haired boy suddenly asked him to eat lunch with him.
"I'm fine, S. Don't worry about me," Eiji answered, an emotionless look on his face as he bowed his head. Originally, he and Ash were supposed to head out to the cafe like they always did, but Ash told him at the last minute that Trixie needed help with an article for the school paper.
"You don't sound fine to me, E." Shorter gently placed a hand on the Japanese boy's shoulder. "C'mon, tell me what's wrong. You know I'm always ready to listen, right?"
And with that, Eiji looked up at Shorter, his eyes beginning to shine with unshed tears. Seeing the sincerity in the purple-haired boy's dark brown eyes, he suddenly had this urge to let everything out. Ever since they met, he always considered Shorter as one of his closest confidants next to Ash. He felt that he could tell him anything, knowing that he was always there to comfort him.
He let out a deep sigh. "It's just that...it kinda hurts me that I used to be the one who made him smile, you know. I was always the one who made him happy. And now..." His lower lip began to quiver. "A-And now, there's someone else who now does the same things I used to do."
Unable to hold it in any longer, Eiji bowed his head as large tears began to roll down his cheeks. He buried his head in his arms, his shoulders shaking as he began to sob uncontrollably.
"I-It just h-hurts me so much, Shorter. W-Why c-can't I accept things? W-Why is it so h-hard for me to a-accept things? I-I always end up h-hurting myself, b-but I d-don't even have a c-choice. I-It's my role as his b-best f-friend to b-be there for him. I-I always s-see him happy, b-but h-how about m-me? I-I'm here, s-suffering while A-Ashu's happy. I-I love h-him, Shorter...I-I l-love him s-so much..."
Eiji just cried and cried while Shorter continuously rubbed his back in an attempt to comfort him. The purple-haired boy hated himself for not being able to ease the pain Eiji was feeling, maybe he really was the one hurting more.
Because while Eiji saw that the one he loved was happy, he saw that the one he loved was hurting.
What happened to the bright, happy, cheerful Eiji? The Eiji that grinned and laughed a lot? The Eiji with the sweet smile that captivated his heart in Middle School? He couldn't see even a glimpse of the Eiji he loved, because here he was, crying his eyes out all because of that stupid Ash Lynx who did nothing but break his heart.
"Just let it all out, E. I'm here for you," was the only thing Shorter could say. If only there was another way to see him smile again.
And with that, Eiji slowly raised his head to look at Shorter. His entire face was blotched red with tear stains all over his cheeks, his dark brown eyes becoming red and puffy from crying. The purple-haired boy felt like he was shot straight in the chest upon seeing this, and he wanted nothing more than to wipe those tears away, comfort him and take out all the pain he was feeling.
Without saying another word, the raven-haired boy immediately pulled Shorter into a tight embrace and continued to cry into his chest. He was so thankful that Shorter was here, he didn't know what would happen to him if he didn't have someone to lean on.
"W-Why are you always here for me, S?" he sobbed. "Y-You're always here for me, e-even though I'm so w-wasted."
Shorter let out a sigh, resting his chin on top of Eiji's head as he tightened the hug. "You already know the answer to that, E."
As Eiji eventually calmed down, the Chinese boy made a mental note that this would be the last and final time that he would see him crying like this. He just couldn't stand it anymore, if ever he would see him cry again, he would have no other choice but to finally confess and make his move on him.
He would do everything he can to make him love him.