no mader how strong the wind blows

chapter 32

Chapter 32: Red Roses

Summary:

As Shorter begins to court him, Eiji discovers a deeper meaning behind three red roses.

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

The next day, Eiji was walking down the hallway towards the classroom for his first period when he suddenly felt a hand tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw that one of his female classmates was standing behind him. There was a giddy smile on her lips as she hid her hands behind her back.
"Hey Eiji, someone told me to give this to you," she said, and before the raven-haired boy could even say a word, she pulled out a single red rose from behind her back and handed it over to him.
"Huh? A rose? Who's it from?" Eiji asked, hesitantly taking the offered flower.
The girl shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. Someone just gave me this rose earlier and told me to give it to you." She gently tapped his back. "I'll get going now. See you later."
Without waiting for his answer, the girl left, leaving the Japanese boy stunned as he stood frozen in his spot. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as his eyes darted between the girl and the rose in his hand. What on earth was that for?
Letting out a sigh, Eiji continued his way to the classroom when another classmate of his, this time a male, suddenly came up to him with a hand behind his back.
"Eiji, I believe this is yours," he said. And just like what his female classmate did earlier, he took out another red rose and gave it to him.
"Another rose?" Eiji asked, his forehead crumpled. "What's going on in here?"
And again, the boy didn't answer, which aroused his suspicion even more. A small smile was all he gave as his reply before turning his back and walking away.
As he once again continued walking down the hallway, Eiji stared at the two roses in a mix of bewilderment and wonder. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't flattered by this odd gesture, but Valentine's Day ended a couple of days ago, right? Why was he still receiving roses now? Whose idea was this in the first place?
And just as things couldn't get any weirder, his confusion intensified when he entered the classroom and saw all of his classmates smiling at him, and it seemed like they were hiding something behind them, judging from the way they stood so close to each other. Their smiles were so wide, he thought that it was almost creepy.
"What's going on, you guys?" he asked. "Why are you all smiling at me like that?"
Without a word, and much to the Japanese boy's surprise, the group of students suddenly parted into two to reveal Shorter standing in the middle, holding a third red rose in his hand.
"S?" Eiji could feel his cheeks burning as he stared wide-eyed at the purple-haired boy. "What's going on? What are you up to this time?"
"Here E, a rose for you."
With a sweet smile, Shorter walked up to Eiji and presented the rose to him. The students began to squeal at the sight, much to the raven-haired boy's embarrassment.
"S, what is all of this for?" he squeaked, his face now beet-red. He knew how sincere the Chinese boy was towards him, but he never knew that he was this sincere to the point of being able to pull such a stunt on him.
"Didn't you notice, E? There's a note attached to each stem," Shorter answered with a chuckle.
And with that, Eiji brought up the roses to get a closer look, and true enough, there were small notes attached to the stems. One by one, he gingerly held the pieces of paper to read what was written on them.
The first note read 'I'.
The second one had 'love' written on it.
And the third red rose had a note that said 'you'.
Realizing this, the raven-haired boy's eyes widened in surprise as his blush deepened. Could this guy get any sweeter than this?
"Do you like it, E?" he heard Shorter ask, the sweet smile still plastered on his face.
"Um, uh, actually S, I---"
"Okay? Like, what is going on in here?" Eiji's answer was cut short when an eerily familiar female voice suddenly asked from behind them.
It was Trixie, and standing next to her was no other than Ash. What were they doing here?
Oh, right. Since the two were already in their 8th Grade, they had to look as soon as possible for a school to eventually attend to once they graduate from Middle School. He remembered his best friend telling him one time that he might go to the same school as him when he starts High School, and of course, wherever Ash was, Trixie would be there as well.
"Trix, come on," Ash gently chided the girl. "We've got to look for the Admissions Office, remember?"
But apparently, Trixie had no intention to listen to her boyfriend.
"Ashy, what's going on?" she asked the blonde-haired boy.
As his answer, Ash glanced over at Eiji, then at Shorter, who was gently holding the raven-haired boy's shoulders as he stood next to him.
"Trixie," he said. "Shorter just began courting Ei-chan recently. And apparently," He looked at the three red roses his best friend was holding. "He prepared a surprise for him."
"WHAT?! That can't be!"
The three boys, especially Ash, were taken aback at the sudden tone of Trixie's voice. Why did she suddenly sound so shocked to hear that Shorter was courting Eiji?
"What's wrong, Trixie?" Shorter asked the Chinese-American girl, a serious tone evident in his voice. "I love Eiji that's why I'm courting him." He smirked.
"But---"
"Trixie?" Ash asked, his expression a mix of confusion and astonishment. "What's the matter?"
And with that, Trixie's eyes widened as she let out a gasp, looking as if she realized something, then frantically grabbed her boyfriend's hand.
"I-It's nothing, Ashy," she answered, letting out a shaky laugh. "It's just that, uh, I'm surprised. Yeah, I...just can't believe it."
Just then, the bell rang, which served as a signal that the first period of the day was about to begin anytime. As the 10th Graders quickly scrambled to their seats, Ash mouthed a quick goodbye to Eiji before continuing down the hallway with Trixie. Eiji, on the other hand, simply just waved back and watched as the two walked away, a single question forming in his mind.
Why was Trixie reacting that way?
***
Later that day, he didn't know why, but Ash found himself secretly following Eiji as he and Shorter walked to the cafeteria. It was lunchtime, and it was a good thing there were a lot of students walking down the hallway, because that way he wouldn't be easily noticed.
Just as he expected, the two were together. Knowing them, they would probably be seated together on a table once they got to the cafeteria. Heck, they might even share a meal on a single tray.
Why was he doing this, anyway? Was he stalking them?
No, of course not. As Eiji's best friend, of course he had to check on him every now and then to see if Shorter was really taking care of him.
The blonde-haired boy felt himself wince when he saw Shorter drape an arm around Eiji's shoulder and pull him closer to him, followed by Eiji leaning his head on Shorter's shoulder. They looked so sweet, they almost seemed like a real couple.
But on the other hand, he still couldn't figure out why Trixie reacted that way when he told her that Shorter was courting his best friend. She was surprised, perhaps? Well, he couldn't blame her. After all, he himself was surprised when he first found out about it.
He lightly shook his head. Why was he thinking of this? He shouldn't be worrying too much. He was confident that Trixie loved him, and he loved her just the same.
And speaking of Trixie, he figured that he should be going back to her by now. She could be looking for him, and from what he witnessed today, from the way Shorter took care of Eiji, he concluded that his best friend would still be safe and happy even without him around.
Because at the end of the day, all he wanted was for Eiji to be happy. That's how much he loved him.
After all, that's what best friends are for, right?
***
After getting his tray of food, Ash immediately headed to the table where he, his girlfriend and another girl were seated. Sitting in front of Trixie was her best friend Veronica, who tagged along with the two after saying that she also wanted to go to the same High School as her best friend. She had blonde hair like Ash that was often held back in a pink ponytail and blue eyes like Trixie.
"Trixie, where's your boyfriend? Shouldn't you be together right now?" he heard Veronica ask.
"I don't know, and I don't care," Trixie answered with a roll of her eyes.
And with that, Ash's eyes widened in shock as he let out a sharp gasp. What did she just say?
But before the blonde-haired boy could even open his mouth to say something, Trixie looked back and realized that he was already standing there.
"Oh Ashy, you're here," she said, suddenly smiling at him.
"Trixie, did I hear it right?" Ash asked, sitting down next to his girlfriend. "Did you just say that you didn't care where I was?"
"What?" The Chinese-American girl's eyes widened in surprise for a split-second, then it quickly changed into a frown. "No, I didn't say anything like that."
"But...I heard you," Ash replied, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Oh, is that so? Um, what I meant to say was, I didn't care because I..." There was a slight pause. "Was only upset because you suddenly disappeared just like that. I've been looking for you all over the place, you know that?" She looked at her best friend. "Right, Veronica?"
"Trixie's right, Ash," Veronica added. "She was worried about you and got so upset that's why she said that."
And just like that, Ash's expression immediately softened. He felt his chest flutter with happiness at the thought that his girlfriend was worried about him. He would definitely have to focus his attention on her this time.
"I'm sorry, Trixie," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "I promise I won't do it again."
Yup, he really loved this girl.
***
The months quickly passed by. It was almost summer break, and today was the last interschool sports competition for the academic year. For the graduating senior students, at least. It was a bittersweet day for them, as today would also mark their last sports event as a High School student.
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Nadia said, sadness evident in her voice. "But this would be my last sports event as a High School student. Let's all do our best, okay? Let's take home the gold one last time!"
"YEAH!" the rest of the Sports Club members answered.
Just then, Mr. Chang came and gathered all the members together for a quick meeting. It was an emotional moment, as he thanked Nadia and all the other 12th Graders for all their efforts and hard work during their stay with the club. He assured them that they will never be forgotten, and that the succeeding batches would do their best to continue their legacy.
After sharing a group hug, all of the members formed a big circle, stacking their hands on top of each other.
"Let's give our all for the last time this year, okay?" Mr. Chang said. "On three. One, two, three!"
"GO, YELLOW GOBLINS!" the members cried out.
And with that, everyone dispersed and proceeded to do their warm-ups. Eiji was busy doing stretches, mentally preparing himself for his pole vaulting event when Nadia suddenly approached him, a big smile plastered on her face.
"Eiji," she said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Look over there."
She pointed her arm upwards, prompting Eiji to look towards the same direction. The raven-haired boy's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Shorter and Ash seated together with Alex, Bones and Kong at the bleachers, but what really left him open-mouthed was the sign that the purple-haired boy was holding high above his head.
"GO EIJI OKUMURA, I LOVE YOU!"
In that instant, Eiji felt his cheeks flare up in embarrassment, while on the other hand, Ash had an irritated and annoyed expression on his face. What was his problem?
"Oh my gosh, Shorter's too sweet!" one of the members cried out.
"I'm so jealous, you guys! I wish I had someone like Shorter to support me in my games. Oh, how romantic!" added another.
"Haha! I know, right?" Nadia answered, playfully wrapping an arm around Eiji's shoulder. "Shorter's the sweetest and most romantic boy to ever exist. Isn't that right, Eiji?" She grinned at him.
"Uh, yeah?" Eiji replied, smiling awkwardly as the other members began to tease him, much to his chagrin.
He once again glanced towards the bleachers, and while he saw Alex, Bones and Kong talked to each other, he noticed that both Shorter and Ash were looking at him. Shorter was smiling at him (seriously, since when did he NOT smile at him?), while Ash looked...sad?
That's when he realized, they haven't been spending much time with each other lately. Ash was always with Trixie during school days, and they haven't been hanging out much either during the weekends. It's been a while since they last talked to each other, and it has also been a while since they visited each other's apartment units despite the fact that they lived next to each other.
"Eiji," Mr. Chang suddenly called, abruptly ending his train of thought. "You're up. Good luck!"
His eyes burning brightly with determination, Eiji headed out into the track field, which was followed by loud cheers coming from both the Sports Club members and his schoolmates in the bleachers. If this was going his last pole vaulting event as a 10th Grader, then he would have to give his very best.
"Eiji boy! Don't let us down, you hear me? Bring home the gold!" Alex suddenly called out, causing the raven-haired boy to look towards them.
"Go, Eiji boy! Do your best!" Bones yelled.
"You can do this, Eiji boy!" Kong seconded.
"WE LOVE YOU---OW!" the two chorused, but was immediately cut short when Ash and Shorter gave both of them a smack to the back of their heads.
And speaking of them, Shorter just gave him a thumbs-up while Ash just smiled at him.
Eiji couldn't help but smile and let out a soft chuckle at the sight, those boys never failed to bring a smile to his face. He was also grateful for their support, now he definitely had a reason to win this event.
***
"And he's done it again!" the announcer's voice boomed throughout the stadium. "Once again, our champion and gold medalist for pole vaulting, Golden Phoenix High School's Yellow Goblins!"
As loud cheers erupted from the bleachers, Eiji felt a variety of emotions when all of the Sports Club members ran up to him and tossed him in the air. He couldn't believe what just happened, he couldn't believe that he'd actually take first place again for the last time this year.
"You did it, Eiji! I'm so proud of you! Thank you so much for winning gold again, you made my last year as the Sports Club leader so fulfilling," said Nadia, who smiled between her tears as she hugged Eiji. Out of all the members, she was the most emotional, as she was the leader.
"It was nothing, Nadia," Eiji replied, becoming emotional himself. "It was the least I could do. After all, the others won gold in their own respective events too, right?"
"Not all though, just most of them." Nadia wiped away her tears. "Now go grab that gold medal, boy. We've got a celebration coming up." Then she looked at the other members. "Guys, party at my place tonight! Woohoo!"
A couple of loud cheers and howls were heard after that.
***
"Congratulations, E!" Shorter cheerfully greeted a few moments later. "I can't believe you managed to win gold again this year. I'm so proud of you."
He wrapped an arm around the raven-haired boy's shoulder and kissed him on the forehead, much to Eiji's embarrassment. He was initially hesitant to come near him because he was still sweating from all the running and jumping, but the Chinese boy didn't seem to mind.
"And I couldn't have done it without your support, S," Eiji answered, blushing bright red and smiling sheepishly at the purple-haired boy. "Thank you."
"So E, did you like my banner?" Shorter grinned at him, making Eiji playfully hit him on the shoulder.
"Really now, S? You didn't have to do that, you know..." The Japanese boy's voice trailed off when he saw Ash standing nearby, staring at the two fifteen-year-olds.
"E? What's wrong?"
But instead of answering Shorter's question, Eiji immediately walked over to where his best friend was standing.
"Hey Ashu," he said, nudging his arm with his elbow. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"Nah," Ash replied. "You already had your congratulations."
"Oh, really now? How about one from my best friend, huh?" Eiji asked, pouting his lips and giving him puppy-dog eyes.
"C'mon Ei-chan, don't give me that look." Ash rolled his eyes. "Congratulations."
"What kind of greeting is that? It sounds fake, do it again." Eiji folded his arms and frowned.
This time, the blonde-haired boy couldn't help but chuckle. "Congrats, Ei-chan," he said, smiling as he draped an arm around his best friend's shoulder.
"There, that's better." The Japanese boy smiled back. "You should come with us Ashu, we're gonna have a party at the Wongs' apartment unit tonight."
"Really? Aw, I'm sorry, Ei-chan," Ash answered. "As much as I want to, I couldn't come. I promised Trixie that we would be going out to the mall after this."
And with that, Eiji's face fell. He should've expected it. Of course his best friend would choose Trixie, his girlfriend, over him, his best friend, when it came to stuff like these. Did he even have a choice?
"Oh, alright then."
"What's wrong, Ei-chan? Why the long face?"
"Nah, it's nothing." Eiji waved a dismissive hand, smiling weakly. "Don't worry, I understand your situation."
"I'm really sorry, Ei-chan." Ash smiled apologetically, then glanced at his wristwatch. "I gotta go now, Trixie might be waiting for me. See you around." He looked over at where Shorter was standing. "Hey Wong! Take good care of my best friend, you hear me? Okay, bye!"
Shorter just gave a curt nod as the blonde-haired boy started his way out of the stadium before heading towards the spot where Eiji stood.
"I see you frowning again, E," he said. "Don't worry, you would still enjoy the party even without him around. You have me, remember?"
A weak smile was all Eiji could give him.
***
Later that night, the raven-haired boy found himself mindlessly swirling the punch in his glass as he leaned on the railings of the terrace, enjoying the cool breeze and the view of the towering city skyscrapers. A few hours have passed since the party began, and while it was held in honor of their gold medals, he couldn't really bring himself to enjoy the night.
He stared at the remaining liquid for a few seconds before taking another sip, savoring the combined taste of strawberry and banana on his tongue. It was his favorite flavor. Actually, it was his and Ash's---
He let out a deep sigh. At the end of the day, he would always find himself thinking about Ash. Again.
"You seem to be really deep in thought, huh?" asked a familiar voice from behind him, prompting him to turn around.
"Oh S, you're here," he answered as Shorter approached him and stood next to him, holding a glass of punch as well.
There was a long, heavy quietness after that. The two boys said nothing as they stood there, taking a few sips of their drinks every now and then.
"You know E, I was looking at you a few hours ago," the purple-haired boy suddenly broke the silence. "You were smiling, but look at you now. You look so sad."
Eiji shook his head, looking downwards. "It's nothing, S. Don't mind it."
"What's wrong, E? Do you have a problem again?" There was a hint of worry in Shorter's voice as he stepped closer to the Japanese boy.
Eiji remained silent for a few seconds before letting out a long, deep sigh. At this rate, it was hopeless. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to get Ash off his mind. How much longer would he have to suffer like this? When would he finally be free of all these hurtful thoughts and feelings?
"S..."
"Hm?"
"Are you willing to wait?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Huh?" From the corner of his eye, he could see the confusion on Shorter's face. "Wait for what?"
"Are you willing to wait, S?" he repeated the question, hoping that the purple-haired boy would get the message this time.
He was expecting for an answer, but to his surprise, the Chinese boy tightly wrapped his arms around him.
"If you're asking me if I'm willing to wait for you," he said. "The answer is yes. I'll be waiting for you, no matter how long it takes. Just tell me when to stop, but until then, I'll never get tired of waiting for you."
He pulled away, and there was a tender smile on his lips as he lovingly cupped Eiji's cheeks with his hands and gently pressed his forehead against his.
"Three red roses. Three words. I love you, Eiji."
And right there, Eiji's eyes were wide and shiny with unshed tears as he looked into Shorter's small, dark brown ones, and pulled him once again into a tight embrace. He could see the sincerity in them, and it was enough to tug at his heartstrings. Here he was again, ready to catch him whenever he felt down.
Oh, how he wished he would eventually learn to love him back.