ANOTHER LIFE || Banana Fish: Alternative Ending ||

~Banana 54~

Eiji flutters his lids open and wakes up seeing a familiar ceiling and smelling the familiar faint scent of the salty breeze. His throat is parched dry, making him barely utter a word. He swallows his saliva to ease the pain a bit and it somehow worked. Eiji could also feel stinging pain on his cracked and chapped lips. The boy leads his weak gaze to the window as the memory from yesterday resurfaces in his mind.

"Ah." Eiji clutches on his head when his system was invaded by unbearable pain that threatened to split his head into two.

The pain slowly fades away. Eiji trails the bondage on his head with the tips of his fingers. I must've hit my head hard when I blacked out, he guesses as he takes one deep breath to let not a single tear drop.

Two consecutive knocks fill the air and Eiji sat alarmed and erect by it.

"I'm glad you're up now."

Ace waltz in, in his hands is a tray containing Eiji's food. His smile is his usual one and his voice is too. Plopping by Eiji's bedside, Ace places the tray on Eiji's lap and urged him to eat. Feeling bad to turn down Ace's effort, Eiji starts to energetically dig in.

"Thanks for the food." The Asian mumbles.

"I'm getting you another ticket and your flying back tonight." The words the suddenly came did not surprise Eiji yet it poured cold water on him, flushing away every ounce of energy he had tried to display just a little earlier.

Eiji shifts from his position and faced Ace more properly. Locking eyes with him, he calmly asks. "To Japan?"

Ace solemnly nods. "To Japan." He repeats. "Good thing you are not surprised. It'll save me from the hassle of explaining everything." Ace grins as he pats Eiji's leg. "And don't bother insisting to say your farewell to that guy. We both know the outcome if you tried."

You knew everything. You let me meet Ash on purpose knowing this would happen.

"I know." Eiji whispers and smiles, the most broken smile he had ever made. "I'm going back to sleep." He brusques at Ace and immediately pulls his blanket over him and simultaneously turns to the other side.

"Okay. Rest well." Ace tells him before leaving him alone.

"Ash."

The sun slowly made its way to the opposite side of the globe as if it was the one orbiting around the planet, just staring at Eiji who remained in bed completely immersed in his own sea of thoughts. The black circles that tell of how weary he is are just becoming more vivid every passing second. Eiji had tried to force himself to sleep but every time he did, Ash's face would come flashing and his tears would come raining down.

"I'm sure you had your reasons. You wouldn't do that. I know you won't." 

"There has to be a reason for that. Ash would never---"

"Never do something like that? That's something I forced myself to believe but I can't stay blinded forever.

The past conversation he had with Ace surges through his mind and he can't help but waver by the words he received.

Trust him. Just trust him, Eiji. He silently pleads to himself, trying to keep the image of the Ash he knew that he was able to establish after going all sort of experiences.