Afterward - BananaFish (ONGOING)

Part One - Suffocating.

Dear Ash

Ash —
I'm worried to death because I haven't been able to see you doing well.

You said we live in different worlds. But is that true?
We have different colored skin and eyes. We were born in different countries.
But we're friends. Isn't that what counts?

I'm really glad I came to America. I met lots of people.
And more than anything, I met you.

You asked me over and over if you scared me. But I never feared you, not once.
What's more is you're hurt much more than me. I couldn't help feeling that way.
Funny, huh?

You're way smarter, bigger, and stronger than me. But I always felt like I had to protect you. I wonder what it is I wanted to protect you from.
I wanted to protect you from fate.
The fate that tries to carry you away, drifting futher and futher.

You told me once about a leopard you read in a book. How you believed that leopard knew that it couldn't go back.
And I said you weren't a leopard, that you could change your destiny.

You're not alone. I'm by your side.
My soul is always with you.

— Eiji Okumura

I guess that's technically the last thing he said to him.

-

"What?"

Unfathomable pain. That's one way of describing how he felt. Unfathomable pain tearing at the surface of his chest, his heart throbbing, beating so hard it was about to burst from the cage it was locked in.

Did you know that heartbreak isn't just a metaphor? People call it "broken heart syndrome," and it's real. Losing someone you loved so deeply is draining, so deeply, and emotionally draining. It's a rare case, but overwhelming loss has been known to effect physical health; including the heart. Thankfully, doctors can treat most cases, or at least help stop the never ending endurement of pain.

Thats what was happening to Eiji. Or... at least that's what he thought was happening.

At first everything was stood still, silent, yet he was aware of every little movement and undetectable sound in the room. Aware of his own pulse beating in his ears. Aware of the hair stood up on the back of his neck. Aware of Ibe-San's watery eyes, searching for his own.

Everywhere was swimming, and suddenly Eiji Okumura was drowning. Someone was forcing him deep under the ocean, allowing the salty water to scratch at his widened eyes that had somehow forgotten how to close. The air was closing in on him, his lungs compressed. Suffocating. Eiji was suffocating.

He was surrounded by all this water yet... his throat was so dry.

"Sick." The young boy finally managed to muster out, "I'm going to be sick."

Chest heaving, shoulders rocking up and down. "Cant breath." His hands were at his throat, clawing down his neck as though it would help him draw his much needed breath.

Ibe-Sans lips were opening and closing, his hand reaching forwards and resting on Eijis shaking shoulder. He could tell the older man was speaking, but Eiji couldn't hear anything other than the ocean crashing against his ears.

"...2....3....1....2....3"

His head was still submerged underwater but the soft words leaving Ibe-Sans lips were finally audible. "Breath Ei-chan. You can do it. Just... breath."

Their faces were merely inches away, eyes threaded through one another's as Eiji listened closely to Ibe-San's words of comfort, until alast, his breaths had returned to a steady pace, caught in the lump at his throat.