no mader how strong the wind blows

Chapter 3 First Crush

S

ummary:

When Ash reveals that he has a crush on someone, Eiji feels something different about it.

Notes:

For everyone's guidance, Ash is 10 and Eiji is 12.
Anyways, enjoy the update!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The years quickly passed by, but nothing has changed between Ash and Eiji. If anything, their bond simply just became tighter.
In the past, it has become their routine to walk to school together, see each other during recess and lunch time, then walk back home together. The people at home have been asking them if they don’t get tired of seeing each other’s faces everyday, and they would gladly answer them that no, they never get tired at all.
The boys have also developed different interests through the years. Eiji picked up Shunichi’s interest in reading novels and books, and he developed an interest in photography as well. Not only that, pole vaulting has also become one of his hobbies. Ash, on the other hand, has become interested in martial arts and target shooting.
“Ashu, you’re in my room again?”
Eiji, now twelve years old and in his 7th Grade, was lying comfortably on his bed while reading one of his many novels when Ash suddenly went inside his room. Not that he doesn’t like it though, he’s used to it anyway. They would go to each other’s rooms every now and then, and sometimes they would even have sleepovers on some nights.
“I’m bored,” Ash flatly answered, lying down on the bed next to Eiji. “Dad and Jennifer’s not around again and Griffin’s at work.”
“What about Max?” Eiji asked, still not taking his eyes off the book.
Ash shrugged his shoulders, placing his arms behind his head. “Must be busy as well.”
“Alright, Ashu,” replied Eiji. “Do whatever you want. If  you need me, I’m just here reading.”
The ten-year-old 5th Grader rolled over so he could lie on his stomach, his eyes darting between Eiji’s face and the book.
“You haven’t been looking at me since I came here.” He chuckled. “What book are you reading, anyway? You look so engrossed in it.”
As his answer, Eiji closed the book, putting his thumb between the pages so he wouldn’t lose track of what he was reading, and showed the cover to his best friend.
“Banana Fish,” he said, reading the title printed on the book’s front cover. “It’s about two teenage boys who get involved in a gang war all because of a drug. It’s actually pretty dark in nature and it could get pretty sad too, but all in all the story’s good. The feeling when you read it is like knowing something that will crush you in the end but you still go for it anyway because it has drawn you into it.”
The raven-haired boy was expecting a positive response or even the slightest bit of interest in the story, but instead Ash just laughed at him.
“You’re really fond of reading those kinds of stuff, huh?”
Eiji rolled his eyes, opening the book again and returning his gaze to the page where he left off. “I don’t tell you how to live your life, Aslan.”
Ash just chuckled again, though deep inside he was already cringing because Eiji called him by his real name again. He’s used to it anyway, since Eiji would only call him that if he’s annoyed or angry at him.
“Alright, alright,” the blonde-haired boy answered, sitting up. “But you know Ei-chan, the truth is, I’m here because I have something to tell you.”
“Yeah, Ashu? What is it?” Eiji asked.
“Um, the thing is, uh, I have a crush on someone.”
Eiji let out a gasp as eyes widened upon hearing those words. He looked up from his book to see a bright red blush creep on the blonde-haired boy’s cheeks.
And for some reason, why doesn’t he feel good about this?
“Wow Aslan, you have a crush, you say?” Eiji tried to tease his best friend, but deep inside he was feeling something…different. And not in the good kind of way.
Ash blushed harder. “H-Hey!” he stuttered and looked away. “You know what Ei-chan, forget it. Pretend that I didn't say anything.”
Eiji closed the book, setting it down on his bed and scooted closer to Ash. “Hey, I’m just joking. C'mon, who’s the lucky girl?”
“Ummm...” Ash bit his lower lip in hesitation, scratching the back of his head. “My classmate since 3rd Grade, Trixie.”
Eiji frowned. “Huh? Who’s Trixie?”
“Her real name’s Beatrix, but her nickname’s Trixie.”
And again, Eiji’s eyes widened. “What? Beatrix? As in, Beatrix Tang?”
“Yeah, Trixie Tang,” Ash answered, the corners of his lips slightly curled upwards at the mention of the girl’s name. “She’s really pretty and she’s also a great cheerleader.”
Eiji couldn’t believe his ears. Out of all people, it had to be Beatrix Tang, or Trixie, one of the most popular girls in school. He remembered seeing her one time during his 5th Grade, she was only in 3rd Grade that time but even some of his male classmates had a crush on her. She was this Chinese-American girl who always wore her long black hair in a purple headband, which complemented her sky-blue eyes.
You only like her because of that? Eiji mentally asked. I’m much more better-looking than her! And she may be a cheerleader, but she can’t do pole vaulting like I do.
“Oh, really?” Eiji said instead, trying his best to sound enthusiastic. “So, when are you gonna ask her out?”
“Huh? No, I don’t intend on asking her out yet,” Ash answered, chuckling. “It’s just a simple crush anyway.”
Eiji couldn’t help but sigh as he picked up his book once again and resumed reading it. He knew he should either be happy because his best friend found someone he likes, or laugh at him because he’s not used to seeing Ash acting all shy and bashful, but why was he feeling this way instead?
Why was he feeling so…uneasy?
***
The next day, Eiji was busy putting on his socks when he suddenly heard a soft knock on his bedroom door. Shortly after that, the door opened to reveal his little sister.
"Eiji, I think there's someone at the door," said Eika, who was now eight years old and in her 3rd Grade. She was all dressed up, ready to go to school.
“Ei-chan!”  yelled a familiar voice. “Are you ready? Let’s walk to school together today!”
Eiji let out a gasp when he realized that Ash was the one calling him. He quickly put on his shoes and ran towards the dining room where Shunichi was eating his breakfast.
“I’m not taking the school bus today, Ibe-san,” he said, grabbing his school bag by the door. “Ashu and I are walking to school together today.”
“Wow, it’s been a while since you and Ash walked together to school. Sure thing, Ei-chan,” Shunichi answered. “You sure get pretty excited when it comes to Ash, huh?” He grinned at him.
Eiji’s eyes widened, his face slowly turning red. “H-Huh? No, I don’t! What are you talking about?”
"Oh my gosh, your face is turning red!" Eika gasped. "Do you like Ash, Eiji?"
"No, I don't!" Eiji retorted. "What makes you say that?"
Shunichi’s grin widened. “Don't try to hide it boy, I can see it in your eyes. They tend to sparkle like stars when it comes to Ash.”
The raven-haired boy rolled his eyes in response. “Whatever, Ibe-san. I gotta go, Ashu could be waiting for me. See you later. You too, Eika-chan.”
Without waiting for Shunichi’s answer, Eiji went out of the front door where Ash was waiting for him. Ever since Eiji started Middle School, there has been a slight change in their daily routine. On a normal day, Eiji would go ahead to school because his classes started earlier than Ash’s, but today was totally different. It seems that Ash woke up earlier than usual to the point that he even offered to walk with Eiji to school. What’s going on?
“What took you so long, Ei-chan?” the blonde-haired boy asked as he and Eiji began to walk down the sidewalk.
“I should be the one to ask you, Ashu,” Eiji answered. “You seem a bit early today. What’s going on?”
“I have something to do.”
“What is it?”
“I’m gonna confess to Trixie.”
Eiji’s eyes widened. “What? Seriously? Are you sure about this, Ashu?”
“I asked Griffin about it, and he said that I should man up and tell Trixie about my feelings,” Ash confidently answered.
“What? You told Gri—” But before Eiji could say another word, Ash bolted off towards the main door. He didn’t notice that they already arrived at Ash’s school.
“Well, my school’s already here,” the blonde-haired boy said, turning back to face Eiji. “See you later, Ei-chan!” He flashed a cheeky grin before proceeding to go inside.
***
Once inside, Ash gripped the straps of his backpack as he walked down the hallway towards the 5th Grade classroom, his palms becoming sweaty out of nervousness. He noticed that there were only a few students coming in, which was a good sign for him. He really wanted to make sure that nobody else was around before talking to Trixie.
Am I really gonna do this? Ash thought. What if I mess up? What if I say the wrong thing? What if she doesn’t like me?
He suddenly remembered the conversation he had with his older brother the other day.
***
“Griffin, how do you talk to your crush?” Ash asked, his arms behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. It was the weekend, and Ash decided to hang in his brother's room that day. The two were already having a good conversation when he decided to bring the subject up.
“Oh my, you have a crush already?” a surprised Griffin asked, scooting closer to his little brother. "Who’s the girl? Is she pretty?”
Ash rolled his eyes, sitting up. “Of course she is. Why would I choose someone who isn’t pretty?”
Griffin chuckled, clapping a hand on Ash’s shoulder. “That’s my little man, you’re growing up pretty fast!”
“Whatever, Griffin. Just answer my question already,” Ash impatiently answered.
“Hahaha, getting a little impatient now, aren’t we?” Griffin grinned widely as he wrapped his arm around Ash's  shoulder. “Okay, here’s the thing. If you got a crush on somebody, you have to be straightforward. Tell her what you feel right away, otherwise someone else will.”
Ash’s eyes widened in surprise, taken aback by his brother’s statement. “What?! Tell her right  away? What do I say? Something like ‘Trixie, I like you’?”
“Wow, you’re a fast learner, man!” Griffin grinned at him. “But, for a little more effort, say it with chocolates. That way, she would see how sincere you are to her.”
“That’s crazy!” Ash nervously answered. “What if she won’t like it? What if she doesn't like me?”
“What are you talking about, Ash? I’m sure she’ll like it! Girls love chocolates! And if she rejects you, it's okay. It's all part of being a man. After all, it's better to be rejected than to regret not saying anything at all." Griffin paused, suddenly realizing something. "Wait, who’s this  Trixie girl anyway? Is she your classmate?”
Ash nodded his head. “Yes, why?”
“I’m just asking. But what about Eiji?”
“Huh? What about Ei-chan?” asked a bewildered Ash. Why did his brother suddenly bring his best friend into the picture?
“I honestly thought you had a crush on him, Ash,” Griffin answered. “Well, that is, until you told  me that you have a crush on someone named Trixie.”
Ash chuckled, dismissively waving his hand. “Nah, Ei-chan and I are just best friends.”
“But who wouldn’t have a crush on someone like Eiji?” Griffin added. “He’s already cute at his age now, how much more if he grows up? I'm sure he'd be a total heartthrob when he reaches High School."
“Wait Griffin, why are you suddenly telling me this? Do you like my best friend?” Ash asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
Griffin laughed, patting his brother’s head. “Silly boy, of course I don’t. It’s just that, I honestly like him for you. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you would tell me that you like him because he’s really a cutie, but apparently you like someone else.”
“Heh, I’m not denying that part, Griffin,” Ash replied, a fond smile on his lips. “I would be lying if I  said that Ei-chan didn’t look good. He’s actually adorable and handsome at the same time.”
Griffin gently tapped Ash’s shoulder. “So anyway, when you go to school, remember what I told you, okay? Man up and tell Trixie what you feel, alright? A true Callenreese is never afraid to tell his feelings.”
Ash nodded, a determined look on his face. “Got it!”
***
After a few minutes, he finally reached his classroom. He felt a lump in his throat when he saw that Trixie’s the only student inside.
It’s now or never, Ash. You can do this!
Taking a deep breath and mentally reassuring himself over and over again, he went up to Trixie.
“Um, good morning, Trixie,” he said, smiling sheepishly at her, trying his best to sound confident.
“Uh, okay? What’s good in the morning?” Trixie answered, raising an eyebrow at Ash.
Ash gulped, trying his best to maintain his composure. His felt his body tense up as his cheeks began to burn in embarrassment. He never knew talking to his crush could be this hard.
Okay Ash, remember what Griffin told you. Man up and tell her what you feel. A true Callenreese is never afraid to tell his feelings. 
“What’s good in the morning, you say?” Ash replied. “Um, you are? Hehe.”
Right, the chocolates!
And before Trixie could say another word, Ash quickly opened his backpack and brought out a small box of chocolates. Attached to it was a small ribbon and a note that said, 'For Trixie’.
“Trixie, um, I have a crush on you,” he said, trying hard not to stutter as he tightly held the box with his two hands. “And this is for you, I hope you like it.”
Trixie smiled at Ash as her response, much to the blonde-haired boy’s surprise.
“Thank you, uh, Ash,” she said, taking the box from him.
Ash, on the other hand, felt like he was on cloud nine as he smiled widely at the girl. He couldn’t believe that his crush just smiled at him and accepted his gift. It was the happiest day of his life.
But that smile quickly faded when Trixie headed to the trash can and threw the box in it.
“Are you seriously kidding me, girly boy?” she said, placing her hands on her hips and looked at the other children who just came inside the classroom. “Hey everyone, look at this girly boy. He said that he has a crush on me. Hahahaha! Funny, right?” She looked back at Ash. “And most of all, disgusting. Sorry, but I don’t like someone as girly as you.”
And with that, Trixie turned her back and walked away.
Ash just stood there, his lower lip quivering as tears began to fill his eyes. Eiji would’ve loved the chocolates if he gave it to him instead of Trixie, but it was too late.
He has never felt so humiliated in his life.
***
Later that day, Eiji stood outside the main door, patiently waiting for his best friend to come out. Since Eiji’s classes ended earlier than Ash’s, he always made it a point to wait for Ash after school so they could at least walk home together.
“Hey, did you hear? Girly boy has a crush on Trixie!”
“Huh? Really? That’s crazy! They don’t look good together, you know.”
“I know! Girly boy, with the most popular girl in school? I can't believe this!”
“Wait, how did you know that he has a crush on Trixie?”
“I heard that girly boy confessed to Trixie before the bell rang.”
“Trixie's pretty and popular, as if she would like someone like that girly, sissy boy.”
Girly boy. That’s Ash, right?
That’s when he remembered, Ash told him this morning that he would man up and tell Trixie about his feelings. So if the two girls who just passed by knew about what Ash did, then that would mean that the whole school knew about it as well. And basing from the comments of the girls who just passed by, it looks like things didn’t turn out so well.
Sensing that something went wrong, Eiji went inside the building and ran down the hallway just in time to see Ash being cornered by Arthur again.
“Did you really tell your feelings to Trixie, sissy boy? Are you kidding me? Who do you think you are, huh?” the tall, blonde boy asked, a threatening tone in his voice. “There’s no way Trixie would notice someone like you.” He mockingly held up a few strands of Ash’s hair. “Just look at you, you look like a girl. An ugly, sissy girl.”
Ash, on the other hand, didn’t respond. There was a mixture of pain and anger in his jade-green eyes as he stood there, his two hands clenched into fists.
“I didn’t know she would reject me,” he said, sadness evident in his voice. “I thought boys were supposed to man up and tell their feelings.”
“Hahahaha!” Arthur cackled at Ash’s answer. “While that may be true, it’s pointless if the confession would be coming from someone like you. Face it, sissy boy, nobody’s gonna li—”
That’s it, this is the last straw. Eiji thought, his own hands curling into fists. I can’t just stand there and let Ashu be bullied like that!
“Hey Arthur, you stop that right now!” he yelled from across the hallway, making Ash and Arthur look at him.
“Well, well, well,” Arthur said, leaving Ash behind and slowly walking towards Eiji. “You’re Eiji Okumura, aren’t you? I remember you, you’re sissy boy’s best friend.” He smirked. “You surely look different now, you’re no longer the bowl cut-headed boy from Grade School.”
Arthur wasn't wrong at that part. Before he started Middle School, Eiji decided to ditch his bowl cut look and let his hair grow into short, soft curls. It turned out to be the best decision he made so far, because he realized that his new hairstyle suited him well.
Eiji glared at Arthur. “Yes, I am Eiji Okumura. What’s it to you?”
Arthur leaned closer towards Eiji, a devilish grin on his lips. “Can I have your number, Eiji?”
Eiji’s glare turned into a surprised look, taken aback by Arthur’s sudden statement, but he immediately reverted back to his serious look, folding his arms in the process.
“And why should I?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, nothing. I just wanna be friends with a cute boy like you,” Arthur replied, wiggling his eyebrows.
Eiji smirked. “Thanks for the compliment, Arthur. I know I’m cute, but being friends with you? Hmmm…” He put a finger on his lips and pretended to think. “Nope! After treating my best friend like that?” He wiggled his finger. “Na-ah!”
Horror quickly crept into Eiji’s face when Arthur suddenly raised his hand to touch his cheek, but before he could even lay a finger on the Japanese boy, Ash suddenly yanked Arthur’s hand away from Eiji, which was followed by a quick, solid punch to the blonde boy’s face.
“You can bully me all you want, Arthur.” Both Eiji and Arthur were surprised at the tone of Ash’s voice, it sounded low but at the same time dangerous. “You can hurt me and call me all the names you want, but never, and I mean NEVER touch my best friend like that.”
Holding the part where Ash's fist landed, Arthur stepped back, surprised by the boy’s sudden move. “Why, you little—”
He was about to lunge forward in an attempt to fight back, but Ash quickly dodged him and pushed him hard on the chest, causing him to fall on the floor.
“I’m warning you Arthur, KEEP YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF EI-CHAN!” he yelled.
Eiji’s jaw dropped open at what he just saw, he’s never seen Ash so angry before. His teeth were gritted, his jade-green eyes burning with intense rage as he glared at Arthur. He suddenly became afraid of what he would do, so he quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from Arthur.
“Let’s go, Ashu. It’s not worth it,” he whispered before walking away, leaving Arthur lying on the floor, still trying to process the fact that the boy he was bullying actually fought back.
***
“Hey Ashu, thanks for what you did earlier,” Eiji told his best friend later that day as they sat down on one of the penthouse benches. “I really appreciate what you did.”
Ash smiled weakly, his eyes gazing into the distance with a sad look. “It’s nothing, Ei-chan. I didn’t want to see Arthur touch you like that, you know.”
The blonde-haired boy’s smile quickly faded after that. He then turned around and wrapped his arms tightly around Eiji, surprising the other boy.
“Ashu?”
A few sniffs were heard, making Eiji frown.
“Ashu, what’s wrong?”
He pulled away for a bit so he could look at Ash and saw that tears were now rolling down his cheeks.
“I-I’m so dumb,” Ash sobbed, burying his face in the crook of Eiji’s neck so no one else could see him crying despite the fact that they were the only ones in the penthouse. “I shouldn’t have confessed to Trixie, she rejected me and now she hates me.”
Eiji, unable to say anything, just hugged Ash back. In all the years they've been together, it was his first time seeing his best friend cry like this. He’s never seen him so hurt before, and the thought of it made Eiji sad himself. He always saw him as a bright, cheeky boy who smiled a lot, but here he was, crying because he got rejected by his crush. His first crush.
Of all people, why did it have to be Trixie? Eiji thought as he gently rubbed Ash’s back in an attempt to comfort him. She’s mean and snobbish, and above all, she’s only gonna reject you…unlike me.
And that’s when he realized.
If Ash’s first crush is Trixie…
…then Eiji’s first crush is Ash.