no mader how strong the wind blows

chapter 34

Chapter 34: Sweet Sixteen

Summary:

On the night of Ash's graduation party and Eiji's sweet sixteen, an unexpected event happens.

Notes:

For everyone's guidance, Ash is 13 and Eiji is 16.
Also, this chapter contains a few songs, so listening while reading is most recommended for more feels.
Anyways, enjoy the update!

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

Chapter Text

It was the night of the big party, and apparently, the grown-ups seemed to have gone all out for the double celebration, as Eiji found himself handsomely dressed in a baby blue tuxedo.
Seeing that his black bow tie was a bit crooked, he reached up and adjusted it as he sat there, staring into his bedroom mirror while Jessica styled his hair from behind him. He initially opted for something much more simpler, but they told him that it was going to be a formal celebration. And since he and Ash were the main celebrants of the night, of course they had to stand out from the crowd.
Just then, a knock was heard on the door, snapping the now sixteen-year-old boy out of his thoughts.
"Come in," he said.
After a few seconds, the door opened as no other than his escort entered the room. In all fairness, he didn't look bad himself in his white tuxedo shirt adorned with a golden-brown tie, dark brown vest and slacks.
"E, are you ready..." Shorter's voice suddenly trailed off, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping open in surprise the moment he saw Eiji.
"S? Are you okay?" asked Eiji, stifling a chuckle at the purple-haired boy's reaction.
"Oh my, looks like someone's mesmerized by you, Eiji! Hahaha! Stunning, isn't he?" Jessica teased, a playful grin forming on her lips.
Shorter continued to stare at the raven-haired boy for a few seconds before blinking, instantly snapping out of his trance-like state. He stepped forward, standing behind the chair where Eiji was sitting and gently placed his hands on his shoulders.
"Gorgeous as ever, my love." Then he smiled sweetly, looking straight into the mirror.
"S!" Eiji squeaked, blood rushing to his cheeks in a fraction of a second. Sweet, sappy endearments like those always caught him off-guard, and he hated the fact that he would always feel like melting into a puddle every single time.
"Hahaha! What's wrong, E? You know it's wrong to tell lies, right?" Shorter's sweet smile turned into a teasing grin.
"Alright, fine! It's just that...I'm not used to compliments, you know. Ugh." The raven-haired boy looked away in embarrassment as he rose from his seat. "This looks good enough, Mrs. Glenreed. Thank you so much."
"Oh, no problem. But in all fairness, you two look good together," Jessica said, smiling fondly at the two boys. "Is he your boyfriend, Eiji? Or suitor, perhaps?"
"Actually---" Eiji was about to answer but Shorter immediately cut him off.
"YES! Well, actually, I'm his suitor but still. I love this boy so much! Right, E?" The Chinese boy's grin widened as he draped an arm around the Japanese boy's shoulder.
Eiji gulped, his face turning redder by the second as he suddenly remembered the decision he made after he and his sister talked. For some reason, he suddenly had this feeling that he wouldn't regret it if Shorter would keep on doing gestures like these to him all the time.
"Oooh." Jessica giggled. "Word of advice Eiji, don't keep him waiting for too long."
"Eh, alright," Eiji replied.
The blonde-haired woman chuckled. "Well, it looks like you're all set. You should get going now, they might be waiting for you outside. I'll be joining you after a few moments."
***
"And now, let's all welcome the men of the night, our birthday celebrant Eiji Okumura and our graduating student Aslan Callenreese! Let's give them a warm round of applause!" the emcee proudly announced, which was responded by a few claps and cheers from the guests.
"That's our cue," Shorter said, offering his arm to Eiji. "Ready?"
Nodding his head in agreement, the raven-haired boy gingerly held his escort's arm as they proceeded to walk down a red carpet heading towards the banquet hall. He let out a soft "Wow" when he saw how elegant the decorations were, as well as how formal the guests looked. It was like they were in a palace, and he was the prince.
He couldn't help but smile when he recognized a few faces from the crowd. On one table, Nadia, Sing and Lao were seated with Alex, Bones and Kong. In another table, he saw Max with Jessica and Michael. Skipper was there too, seated next to his friend.
As he neared the front, he noticed that Shunichi, Eika and his parents were seated nearby, while Jim, Jennifer and Griffin sat on the opposite side. The other Sports Club members and his other classmates were there too, along with Ash's friends from Middle School.
Finally, they reached the front, where two tables awaited them on top of a platform. Eiji eventually released Shorter's arm, and he couldn't help but smile when the purple-haired boy walked up and pulled out one of the chairs, offering a seat to him.
As the two boys sat down, Eiji looked in time to see Ash, who looked equally handsome in his red and black tuxedo, enter the banquet hall. Clinging onto his arm was no other than Trixie, who looked gorgeous herself in a matching red, off-shoulder cocktail gown. The two were smiling as they walked down the red carpet.
The raven-haired boy couldn't help but sigh as he felt his chest constrict. The more he looked at them, the more he realized that Ash and Trixie looked good together as a couple. Trixie was a pretty girl, and Ash never looked happier than he was right now. His smile was so wide and bright, it was as if he was telling everyone how proud he was to be with his girlfriend tonight.
He lightly shook his head, trying to shake off the thought. He shouldn't be feeling this way. Tonight was his night, and absolutely he had no intention to ruin it at all.
***
A few hours later, while dinner was being served to the guests, the two best friends stood up from their respective seats and made their way to the two microphones standing in the middle of the stage. Eiji swallowed, willing his heart to calm down the moment Ash stood next to him. While he always looked good in his eyes, he was sure that he definitely looked better up close, especially in what he was wearing right now.
Letting out a deep sigh, he grabbed one of the microphones from its stand.
"Hey there, guys. How's everything going?" he greeted, causing some of the guests to look up at them. "First of all, I just wanna thank all of you for coming to my birthday party and at the same time Ash's graduation party."
"Yeah," Ash added. "Thanks, everyone. And while you guys are enjoying your meals, let me serenade you guys with a song."
The blonde-haired boy grinned, earning a few howls and cheers from the crowd. Realizing that it was a cue for his best friend to do his intermission number, Eiji quickly placed his microphone back on its stand before going back to where he and Shorter were seated.
"Are you alright, E?" he asked. "You look nervous."
"Huh? Do I?" Eiji answered, a bewildered expression forming on his face.
"Let me guess, it's about your performance later, right?" Shorter smiled, gently placing a reassuring hand on the raven-haired boy's shoulder. "It's alright, no need to feel bad about it. Just do your best, okay? You got this."
A weak smile was all the Japanese boy gave as his answer. Great, NOW he suddenly felt nervous about his own intermission number.
"This song's dedicated to no other than my precious girlfriend, my beautiful escort in red, Trixie Tang," he heard Ash say into the microphone, and Eiji looked in time to see his best friend glance over to where Trixie was seated. "Trix, I love you."
Eiji felt himself wince as a few "Awww"s were heard from the guests, but because he was seated in front of many people, it took almost all of his willpower to maintain his composure. A few seconds later, the soft strums of a guitar playing from the speakers signalled the start of Ash's song.
"Just an ordinary song to a special girl like you
From a simple guy who's so in love with you
I may not have much to show, no diamonds that glow
No limousines to take you where you go"
When the blonde-haired boy began to sing, Eiji found himself staring blankly at his best friend as he once again felt that eerily familiar, numbing pain that began to fill his chest. From the way he glanced over at Trixie every now and then, he could tell that he was definitely happy with her right now. His twinkling eyes and wide smile said it all.
"But if you ever find yourself tired of all the games you play
When the world seems so unfair, you can count on me to stay
Just take some time to lend an ear to this ordinary song"
As his eyes darted between Ash and Trixie, the painful sensation seemed to worsen as it dawned on him that they really did look good together. Trixie must be really lucky, because she had someone like Aslan Jade Callenreese to love her and take care of her.
Oh, how he wished he was in Trixie's place instead.
"Just an ordinary song to a special girl like you
From a simple guy who's so in love with you
I don't even have the looks to make you glance my way
The clothes I wear may just seem so absurd"
It only seemed like yesterday, they were the only ones in their own little world. But now that Ash had a girlfriend, it seemed like their worlds drifted further and further apart. With each look at Trixie, Eiji could see how smitten Ash was. He saw the love in those jade-green eyes, a love that he would never be able to have for himself.
"But deep inside of me is you, you give life to what I do
All those years may see you through, still I'll be waiting here for you
If you have time, please lend an ear to this ordinary song"
Letting out a deep sigh, he slumped on his seat. Seeing how obviously happy the two were with each other, the only thing he could do right now was to wish for Ash's happiness. Trixie would definitely have to take good care of him and love him the way he did.
"Just an ordinary song to a special girl like you
From a simple guy who's so in love with you"
Because he was certain that he wouldn't know what to do if Ash got hurt.
***
Some time later, Ash and Shorter left their respective tables to get food for them, leaving Eiji and Trixie alone in their seats. The raven-haired boy just sat there, his head rested on one hand and rhythmically tapping his fingers on the table with the other as he waited for his escort to come back.
"Wasn't that sweet, Eiji?" asked a familiar, sarcastic voice. He looked over his shoulder and saw Trixie standing behind him.
"Yeah, that was definitely sweet," Eiji flatly answered, turning away. If it happened that she wasn't Ash's girlfriend and if he and Ash didn't share celebrations in one night, she would never have been here in the first place.
"But why the long face, Eiji? Is there something wrong?"
Eiji clenched his jaw and curled his hands into fists at Trixie's taunting tone. What was up with this girl? What was she trying to imply?
"It's none of your damn business, Trixie," he coldly answered, trying his best to calm down. She really knew how to ruin someone's night, didn't she?
"So, you and Shorter, huh?" Trixie asked.
"What about me and Shorter?"
"First my boyfriend, and now Shorter?"
"WHAT?" Eiji couldn't help but raise his voice as he turned around and glared at Trixie. This girl was really testing his patience, huh? And what did she mean by that?
"Seriously, Eiji? Don't lie, I know you like my boyfriend," Trixie said, seemingly unbothered by the Japanese boy's sharp response as she haughtily folded her arms, raising an eyebrow at him.
"What the hell are you saying, Trixie? Ashu's my best---"
"Oh c'mon, quit fooling yourself. Oh well," She placed her hands on her hips. "I'M the one Ash loves, so..." Then an arrogant, devilish smirk formed on Trixie's lips.
"I know that, Trixie," Eiji emotionlessly answered, turning away once again. "No need to tell me that."
"Good. And about Shorter, I'm telling you, stay away from him as early as now."
"And why the hell would I do that?" Eiji's frown intensified.
"Are you seriously asking that, Eiji? You're only fooling him!" Trixie yelled.
"No, I'm not!" Eiji yelled back, spinning around to fully face her.
"You like someone else, Eiji! You're only giving him false hope!"
"N-No. T-That's not true."
But it was. As much as he hated to admit it, Trixie was right. By entertaining Shorter while he still had feelings for Ash, he was only giving the Chinese boy false hope. But there's nothing wrong with giving the guy a chance, right?
"Ei-chan? Trixie? What's going on?" Ash suddenly asked, walking towards the table with two plates of food in his hands. Behind him was Shorter, who also carried two plates with him.
"Oh, it's nothing, dear," Trixie answered, walking over to her boyfriend. "I was just having a little chit-chat with the birthday boy." She clung onto Ash's arm, flashing a shit-eating grin at Eiji.
"E? What's wrong?" Shorter asked, worry evident on his face as he set down their food on the table. "Are you feeling alright?"
Eiji shook his head with a grimace. "It's nothing. Hold on, I'll just use the bathroom for a second."
"You better hurry up, Ei-chan," Ash said. "The two of us would be needed on the stage after a few moments."
Without answering his best friend, the raven-haired boy quickly made his way down the stage towards the nearest restroom. Breathing heavily, he placed his hands on the sink in an attempt to calm himself down, staring intently at his reflection in the mirror.
He clenched his two hands into fists the moment he realized that his eyes were looking so sad. Sure, he did look handsome tonight in his outfit, but deep inside, he's never felt so wasted in his life.
He lightly shook his head, a frustrated grimace forming on his face. He knew he shouldn't be thinking about what Trixie told him earlier, but for some reason, her words seemed to greatly affect him.
Was he being selfish? If he was, he only did this because he wanted to be happy, right? Was it wrong to be selfish, even just for once?
After minutes of contemplating, he decided to walk out of the restroom. And to his surprise, he saw Shorter standing at the doorway.
"S? What brings you here?" he asked.
"I couldn't help but worry about you, you looked so glum back there," the purple-haired boy answered, a serious expression on his face.
"What are you talking about?" Eiji answered, trying his best to sound convincing. "I said I needed to use the restroom, right? So there's nothing to worry about."
"Eiji, please," There was a pleading tone in Shorter's voice as he gently held the raven-haired boy's shoulders. "It's your birthday. Please smile, even just for tonight."
A small, weak smile was all Eiji could muster up.
***
Shortly after the two boys returned to their table, it was time for some of their closest friends to give their messages to the celebrants. Nadia was the first to come up the stage, taking one of the microphones from its stand and facing the two best friends, who were now seated together in the middle of the stage.
"Hey there, guys," she began. "First of all, Happy Birthday to Eiji and a big congratulations to Ash." She first looked at the blonde-haired boy. "Ash, thanks for being a supportive friend. You were always in the scene during every single game we had, and I, on behalf of the Sports Club, truly appreciate it."
Then she diverted her attention to the Japanese boy. "And to our dear Eiji, I can't believe I'm saying this, but the seniors and I are really gonna miss you once we graduate. Be happy always, okay? Because we would never know who would fall in love with those smiles of yours. You could ask my little brother, and he could attest to that. Right, Shorter?"
Nadia flashed a teasing grin over at Shorter, making the younger Wong roll his eyes and making the crowd laugh.
"So anyway, we love you, Eiji. You too, Ash. And I hope you two enjoy your night as much as we do."
And with that, the Chinese girl went over to Eiji and pulled him into a tight hug, the other Sports Club members rising from their seats one by one and following suit.
***
A few moments later, the next person to come up the stage was Alex.
"Good evening, guys. Happy Birthday to Eiji boy and congratulations to Ash for graduating from Middle School," he said. "Before I give my messages, let me just tell you a short story. You see, Bones and Kong were fighting earlier over who gets to come up here on stage. I had no choice but to step up and do it, because we all know that those two would do nothing but fawn over Eiji boy here if they had the chance."
And with that, everyone burst out into laughter, excluding Bones and Kong, who both glared at him.
"Shut up, dude! You know nothin'!" Kong yelled.
"Yeah, what he said!" Bones seconded.
Alex just grinned before looking back at the two best friends. "So yeah, that's how I ended up here." He chuckled again. "Ash, thanks for being a good friend not only to me, but to all of us. Thanks for still keeping in touch with us even though we don't go to the same school anymore. Don't worry though, I know it's only a matter of time before you would eventually attend the same High School as we do."
Then he looked over at Eiji, a big smile slowly forming on his lips.
"And to Eiji boy, the cutest birthday celebrant, thank you for always supporting us during our games. You inspire all of my teammates to give their best during each game, and to be honest, I'm one of them. And just like what Shorter's sister said earlier, be happy always. If someone hurts you, don't be afraid to give any of us a call. We'll be there for you right away. Right, guys?"
"YEAH!" Bones, Kong and the rest of their teammates chorused, making the raven-haired boy smile.
"So there you go, Happy 16th Birthday again to Eiji boy and congratulations to Ash."
***
After a few more messages, it was now Trixie's turn to give hers.
"Hello there, you two," she said, looking at the two best friends. "To Eiji, Happy Birthday. Thank you for being Ashy's best friend. I wish you nothing but the best for you."
She flashed a smile (obviously a fake, plastic one) at Eiji, making the raven-haired boy curl his hands into fists, but the girl paid no attention to him as she turned towards her boyfriend.
"And to my dear Ash, congratulations on graduating from Middle School. Thank you for being my man, I'm sure someone out there's feeling jealous right now because you're my boyfriend."
And with that, Eiji's jaw dropped open in disbelief. Seriously? What was this girl trying to say? And did she just glance over at him for a second there?
"Thank you for taking care of me," he heard her continue. "For being so sweet, and most of all, for loving me. I know we didn't start off in good terms, but here you are, still loving me. I love you!"
With that said, Trixie stepped forward, and Eiji once again felt that familiar pain in his chest when he saw her plant a kiss on Ash's cheek, on the side of his lips to be exact.
"Oh, would you look at that," Shorter suddenly said, making Eiji look over at him. "Guess it's my turn now."
The raven-haired boy smiled weakly. "You're right. Good luck with that."
After Trixie went back to the table where she was seated, the purple-haired boy immediately stood up from his own seat and grabbed the microphone to give his message.
"Good evening, everyone," he said, then looked over at the two celebrants. "To Ash, congratulations on your graduation. I know we don't get along sometimes, but still, thank you for being a good friend. Thank you for also being there for E whenever I'm not around. And now that you have Trixie with you, I wish you all the happiness."
And with a sweet smile plastered on his lips, Shorter looked over at Eiji.
"And to my dearest Eiji," The Japanese boy felt his cheeks beginning to burn in embarrassment as a few "Awww"s were heard from the crowd. "Happy 16th Birthday. First of all, thank you for being a good friend to me, thank you for trusting me. I know there would be days that you wouldn't be happy, but always remember, I would always be here for you."
At that point, Eiji swallowed a lump that formed in his throat as he blinked back the tears that began to well up in his eyes. Who wouldn't fall in love with someone as sweet and sincere as Shorter? Why did his heart go to someone like Ash instead of him?
"And also, thank you for giving me a chance to prove to you how much I love you. Rest assured that no matter what happens, and no matter how long it would take, I would still be here waiting for you. Whenever you fall, I would be there to catch you. And if ever someone would break your heart and make you cry, I would be the first one to beat him up." A few chuckles were heard from the crowd. "But kidding aside, always remember, I love you so much."
Unable to hold it in any longer, Eiji stood up from his seat and pulled Shorter into a tight embrace.
"Thank you so much, S," he whispered. "Don't worry, all your efforts won't be in vain."
"Shhh. Don't rush yourself, E," Shorter answered, gently rubbing Eiji's back. "I'm willing to wait, I promise you that."
"You don't have to wait anymore, S." Eiji pulled back from the hug, looking straightly into the purple-haired boy's now confused eyes. "You see, I---"
He was about to say something when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Ei-chan," Ash said. "It's our turn now."
"Oh, okay," he answered, eventually releasing Shorter and quickly wiping away his tears so his best friend wouldn't see them. "Let's do this."
"And now, let's listen to the men of the night as they give their messages to each other."
"I'll go first," said the blonde-haired boy. "First of all, Happy 16th Birthday, Ei-chan. Well, what else could I say? I've been with you my whole life. Haha! Well, I know that we've been through a rough patch lately," He gently held Eiji's hand. "But I just wanna let you know how grateful I am for everything you've done for me. Thank you for always being there for me, I don't know what my life would have been without you by my side."
And with a small smile on his face, he pulled Eiji into a hug.
"I love you, Ei-chan. I love you so much. I love you...best friend."
In response, the raven-haired boy just smiled as he closed his eyes and returned the hug, relishing the warmth of his best friend's arms around him.
Yeah, best friend.
"Ashu," This time, it was his turn to give his message. "Congratulations also for graduating from Middle School. Thank you also for everything, for being the biggest part of my life. Things would have never been the same without you. I promise, I'll always be here for you through thick and thin. But most of all, thank you for making me realize things."
He stepped back, taking in the confusion that slowly began to spread on the American boy's face.
"Thank you for telling me that you love me, as your best friend. I love you too, Ashu."
Ash opened his mouth and was about to say something when the emcee cut him off.
"And there you have it! Once again, congratulations to Ash and Happy Birthday to Eiji. And so, without further ado, may we now call on our birthday celebrant for his intermission number."
And with that, the blonde-haired boy returned to his seat, leaving Eiji alone on the stage with the microphone in his hands. A few seconds later, the sounds of a guitar playing filled the air, indicating the start of the song.
"What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time"
Not wanting to look at his best friend, Eiji closed his eyes as he sang. He feared that Ash might sense that the song was dedicated to him if he did that, and he didn't like the idea at all.
'"Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you"
He swallowed, using all of his willpower to keep his voice even. How he wished he was the one beside Ash right now, how he wished he was the one Ash was dating, how he wished he was the one Ash was in love with and not that Trixie Tang.
But he had no choice. He had to accept the hard, painful fact that they were only meant to be just best friends.
"All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words, you've got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here"
It was true, he always felt his mind spinning when it came to his best friend. In fact, he thought about Ash so much, he thought he might go crazy.
'"Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you"
He didn't know why, but whenever he was with Ash, everything felt so right.
But at the same time, it felt so wrong.
"There's something about you now, I can't quite figure out
Everything he does is beautiful, everything he does is right"
He suddenly realized how hard it was to pretend that he was okay.
Because in reality, he was not. He was never okay with the fact that they were just best friends.
'"Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you"
And now that he witnessed firsthand how much Ash loved Trixie, as his best friend, he had no choice but to let him go.
"What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive"
When the song ended, Eiji opened his eyes. He took a deep breath and smiled, this time a genuine one. Determination suddenly filled his heart, and for some reason, he felt an assurance that he was now ready to face the decision he made.
"Now that I'm officially sixteen years old," he began. "It's time for me to start anew. A new year has been given to me, and I would gladly face this new beginning with open arms."
His heart beginning to pound in his chest, he walked over to the table where Shorter was seated. Smiling sweetly at him, he took his hand, motioning him to stand up and join him on the stage.
"And I would like to face this new beginning with you, Shorter."
Right then and there, the purple-haired boy's eyes widened in surprise as he let out a soft gasp.
"I can't believe you, E," he said, shaking his head in disbelief as a smile slowly formed on his lips. "I haven't even asked you formally yet but here you are, saying stuff like these. You're so unfair."
Eiji's eyebrows furrowed, slightly tilting his head to the side. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"To make this formal, allow me to do the honors."
And with that, the guests began to squeal in delight as Shorter knelt down on one knee, looking straight into Eiji's dark-brown eyes, much to the raven-haired boy's surprise.
"Eiji, will you be my boyfriend?"
He took one quick glance at his best friend, who couldn't seem to look at him in the eye. There was a dull, bothered expression on his face as he stared into the distance.
But before he could even react to why Ash seemed out of it, he looked back at Shorter, who was anxiously waiting for his answer.
"S, just like what I've said, I would like to face this new beginning with you."
"So does that mean..." The Chinese boy's voice trailed off as he stared at him, his eyes full of hope.
Eiji nodded his head, a faint smile on his face. "Yes, I would love to be your boyfriend."
And with that, Shorter's lips widened into a big smile as he stood up and twirled Eiji around, making the Japanese boy squeal in delight.
"YES! Thank you, E! Thank you so much! I love you!"
"And there you have it, looks like it's game over for us," Alex said.
"No! This can't be happening!" Bones cried.
"Dude, let's face it. Eiji boy now has a boyfriend," Kong added.
"Oh my gosh, Shorter!" Nadia squealed. "My baby brother's now a man! Congratulations!"
"Hey Shorter, you better take good care of Eiji, alright? If you make him cry, I'll beat you up!" Sing hollered.
"Waaah! Eiji! I'm so happy for you!" Eika cried.
Everyone else began to express their happiness for the new couple, including his parents and the other grown-ups.
Everyone except Ash.
Because not even for a second, he never showed up to congratulate him. What was happening to him?
But now wasn't the right time to think about it. Now that he's officially dating Shorter, he now had to try his best to divert his attention to him.
He could only wish that he wouldn't regret this decision in the end.