ANOTHER LIFE || Banana Fish: Alternative Ending ||

~Banana 30~

"Hey you don't need to do that." Ace skips his way to Eiji and holds the broom. Eiji looks at Ace curiously when he began to check if someone else was near them.

Ace crouches over to Eiji's ear to whisper. "They have servants to do this so why're you doing the cleaning?"

Eiji sighs as he looks around the vast landscape of green printed by other different colors of flowers.

"Ash asked me to."

"Asked? Ordered, you mean."

Eiji flicks his head back to Ace with a big awkward smile on his lips. "But I didn't do it because he asked me to. I-I just thought cleaning this garden would be a change of pace. I've been cooped up in that mansion for a while now."

"Okay." The life of the environment is draining away drastically and Eiji is now panicking for words to say. Lucky him, Ace saves him from the trouble when Ace suddenly steals the broom from him.

"Then let me help you." He declares and begins to do volunteer work. Eiji wasn't given time to voice out his thoughts.

"I'll get another broom."

"What? No. Just stay still." Eiji halts on his tracks and pivots back with a sweet smile.

"I can't let you do my work, Ace. I'll help."

"I know your arm hasn't fully recovered yet. It must hurt a lot." Ace smile fades away and is replaced by worry as his eyes land on Eiji's arm.

Eiji strides his way back to Ace and while his guard was down, he gives him one painful pinch on the cheeks.

"I'm not weak so it doesn't hurt." Eiji clarifies as he pats his arm gently.

**

"Are you going to make me wait all day?" Ash grumbles in a low voice, sending shiver down his members' spines.

"Uh... B-Boss? We've repeated saying our reports for like three times already."

"W-We think you're not the one listening Boss."

"Huh?!" Ash turns his head to them having the face of someone who could eat a human being whole. "What did you say?" His follow up question causes his members' soul to leave their bodies.

"You've been looking outside for a while now, Boss. Is something wrong?" Alex asks without fear he might be glared at, after all he is the one second in command not to mention he's way older than Ash and has treated him like his own little brother.

"Nothing." Ash brusques dismissively and quickly retires to his swivel chair, the object lumping down by the sudden weight. "You may now go." Ash commands as he spins around with the chair, trying to ward off any further questions.

"Oh... I understand." Alex nods his head while having the expression like he was trying to analyze things.

"You two. Come over here." Bones and Kong look at each other, both exchanging questioning looks before coming over to Alex.

Ash eyes them suspiciously and all he could hear is 'ss' spraying all over the air. When he couldn't stand people talking and excluding him on it right in front of him anymore, he finally stomps to them.