ANOTHER LIFE || Banana Fish: Alternative Ending ||

~Banana 10~

"I can't believe you fainted just by that." Ash rolls his eyes and begrudgingly hands Eiji a glass of water.

"Well at least I think it's more reasonable than being afraid of pumpkins." Eiji smartly counters putting Ash in a daze.

"How'd you know that?"

Eiji coughs and chokes on his drink, all making him even more suspicious in Ash's eyes.

"Well," Eiji inwardly chants a calming spell to himself. "Sing happened to tell me." He lies through his teeth.

Please believe. Please believe. Please believe.

"Oh? So you two are that close? I wonder what other things he said about me." Ash looks Eiji straight in the eyes with searching ones but Eiji is also determined not to get caught.

"Hahaha. No, we're not. He just happened to open the topic."

There you go again. Keeping me in the dark. This is what I hate about you, Eiji.

Silence came. Silence stayed.

"Ouch. What was that for?" Eiji whines as he checks whether his nose is still attached.

"I'm sorry. It just happened to slip from my hand." Ash sarcastically replies while flipping his hand, pretending as if he was checking it.

Eiji picks the pillow Ash threw at him and quickly counterattacks but it was a piece of cake for Ash to dodge without breaking a sweat.

"What a wonderful 'slip' you have there." Eiji hisses.

They both exchange electrifying gazes but Eiji smartly backdowns first, not really wanting to tear his apartment down.

"Let's go?" Eiji suggests as he springs off the bed and  puts on his jacket.

"Hold on." Ash calls out causing Eiji to turn to him. "There's no "going" anywhere and there's certainly no 'us'." Ash declares with superiority, darting Eiji a serious look.

"But Ash--"

"No." Ash firmly says with finality, leaving no room for Eiji's thoughts.

For a moment, Ash didn't let his eyes leave Eiji's. Then regret having ever done that floods him the next moment after.

Reluctantly admitting defeat, Ash lets  out a loud groan while massaging his temples. He turns to Eiji and forces himself to smile.

"Of course you can come with me. Otherwise how can I call myself a man after leaving a helpless stray dog?"

"D-Dog?"

"Why? You hate it?"

"No I... Woof?"

Ash disappointingly shakes his head in disbelief of Eiji's gullability. "Seriously. How can someone be this stupid?" He whispers to himself.

"Listen," Ash pauses as he advances to Eiji. "You'll be my dog. You'll follow anything and everything I say, got it?"

"Ye-- Woof."

You might be of use.

Stop the lame excuses, Ash. Are you sure you simply don't want him to leave your side? A tiny voice from the deepest part of Ash suddenly comes in.

"Let's go, Pochi."

"Pochi?"

"Your new name. And that's the last time I allow you to raise a question."

Ash sighs. And where did all my sanity go?

**

"Boss!" The crowd greets in chorus and comes to flock around Ash. Eiji stands a good distance away from them, not able to hide a smile of satisfaction at this small yet fleeting happiness. Ash's eyes then glances at him which made his body suddenly go stiff.