Afterward - BananaFish (ONGOING)

Part Four - Reminders

"Are you ready EiChan?"

Jessica was at the wheel, Max in the passenger seat beside her. The two were getting on better these days, I guess after the events of everything that had happened they finally realised you should hold onto those you love.

Eiji didn't have such a privilege.

The woman wore her hair down, blonde locks tumbling past her breasts that were covered over in a tight black dress that reached just passed her knees. Her makeup was subtle, covering up the dark creases that rested beneath her eyes.

Max had a black suit on, a matching tie around his kneck, and he'd clearly taken his time to brush back his hair for once. Eiji had seen Max in many clothes, even the orange jumpsuit the prison had forced him to wear, but never a suit such as the one he wore now, with a soulless expression.

Eiji gulped, peering out of the tinted windows towards where the small church was stood. "Yes."

Again Eiji had lied, but it wasn't as though Ibe didn't know that. No one could possibly be ready to see the one they love being placed six feet under the ground. Never to be seen again.

"Is uhhh, is Michael gonna be okay with your sister?" Max asked hesitantly, peering over at his wife who's fingers were tapping the leather wheel in her grip. He was still avoiding any thought of Ash's death.

It was weird. He had a son, his little Michael whom he was finally reunited with, yet it felt like he'd lost one...
Fatherly instincts can eat shit.

"He'll be fine, Max." Jessica said, offering a smile as she cupped his hands in her own. "Don't worry about him."
The four of them exited the car, a winter breeze instantly caressing Eiji's face as his eyes darted to the ground; he couldn't bare to look at those who stood calmly infront of the large building.

"Eiji!" A voice rang out from the distance, "Eiji, you're here!"

Eiji's eyes darted at the sudden recognition of his own name. He knew most of the men here, they were gang members who'd come to pay respects to their old and beloved leader. 
"Eiji, I'm glad you showed up." Sing Soo-Ling greeted warmly, a tired smile at his lips. "It feels like ages since I've seen you." He claimed, over exaggerating the word ages with exasperation.

The Japanse boy stared down at the fourteen year old, wondering how he could act so content in a time like this. But as he did, he realised that Sing was used to losing people around him, everyone here was. Gang members died nearly every day, meaning these people mourned a new loss each week of their very existence.

Eiji offered a smile back, nodding his head slowly in agreement. This poor young boy, only fourteen and lost his own brother and friend at the same time. Eiji felt selfish feeling they way he did, but after all; he'd blamed himself for the two passings completely.

"How have you been?" Eiji asked bluntly, knowing that Sing clearly couldn't be doing well after the previous events.

"Ohhh you know." The young Chinese-American shrugged, "being a gang leader was obviously gonna be tiring but at least Chinatown respect me, or else this was would be a whole lot harder."

Eijis eyes widened at the statement, of course, he'd completely forgotten that this boy, this boy who was practically only just a teenager, was running a whole gang. When Eiji was fourteen he was worrying about his grades and which girl would go on a date with him; certainly not this.

Suddenly, a strong weight was physically being placed upon Eiji's shoulder. Out of instinct, he ducked, flinching away at the sudden contact as though he was being attacked out of the blue.

"Hey man, it's just me." Said the recognisable voice of Bones. "Did ya miss me?"
"Oi bones, give him some space or you'll crush him." Kong demanded, easing an eyebrow at his friend who had suddenly bombarded the Japanese boy.

Eiji recoiled himself from his flinched position, staring at the two boys in awe. They were dressed in scruffy suits that had clearly been handed down from a charity shop of some sort; but of course that couldn't be helped, at least they'd put in the effort.

The Japanese boy was suddenly feeling panicked, Sing by himself was okay, but if everyone started speaking to him....
There was no way he could handle all of that.
Each person he saw from the time he'd spent from America, it only reminded him more of Ash. It was hurting his chest, pulling at his lungs and swarming his head..

"Come on EiChan." Ibe hummed as he walked over from his stance by the car, noticing the younger Japanese boy turning an even paler colour than previous. "We should go inside."