ANOTHER LIFE || Banana Fish: Alternative Ending ||

~Banana 50~

"You're awake." Ace tells him, a wavering smile traces on his lips.

"Who were you talking to just now?" Eiji sits up and abruptly holds his temples when the surroundings suddenly flipped and blacked out from his sight.

"Was that Ash?" He weakly croaks.

Ace places back his phone in the side pocket of his pants and makes his way to Eiji. "Why didn't you tell me you couldn't swim?"

Eiji's droopy eyes gains back life as they stare at Ace's. "Are we going back now?"

For a moment, Ace's orbs turn hooded and dark as if he suddenly became a whole different person. But that attitude was quickly whisked out. He inches closer to Eiji, placed his hand behind the boy's head and the other pushing Eiji's body back to bed.

"You need to rest. And yes, that was Ash. He's doing okay and wants you to do the same. Now be a good boy and quit worrying or you'll age faster, dummy." He chuckles at the end of his statement while lightly flicking the visible knots on Eiji's forehead.

The door shuts thereafter. The room suddenly became so cold and the following are the only words Eiji could utter, "You're lying Ace."

"You're good at seeing through people."

Eiji flicks his gaze on his new visitor. The tan man ambles toward him in a carefree manner. Blanca rests down the empty sofa and waits for Eiji to innitiate a conversation but seeing how the teenager still feels uncomfortable around him, he took the honor of doing so.

"You know what," He starts off, successfully capturing Eiji's undivided attention. "That kid... Ash. Do you know what he was like before?"

Eiji's heart skips a beat upon the mention of Ash's name, not to mention he is about to learn a side of him he has not seen yet.

"You better answer me quick 'cause I know you're dying to know." Blanca chuckles, his deep baritone voice ringing in Eiji's ears.

"What was he like?" Eiji simply answers as he tries to hold his curiosity from revealing itself too much.

"I watched him grow and I'd say he was strong, but vulnerable at the same time. He'd never run away from any form of fight, he'd never blink as his fingers pull the trigger, he'd never feel guilty over stealing lives, and he'd never feel fear whenever his knife plunge into his enemy's flesh. He was the devil's spawn to put it simply. "

It was suffocating for Eiji to hear words he wished he never heard. He couldn't bring himself to shatter his precious image of the present Ash and replace it with another. He couldn't fatom how agonizing it was for him to haved lived that dark life. How did he even manage to survive?

"And he would've stayed that way." Blanca supplies with a hint of relief in his tone. "But he changed after meeting you, Eiji. The merciless man everyone feared next to Goldzine vanished as if he never existed. He learned to care for others, he learned to feel fear and he learned to rely on others for help. For the first time, he learned to shed tears when be begged me not to hurt you. I saw him learn to smile. I saw him what he's like when he loves. You gave him the one thing he's been desperately trying to find."

Eiji's tears flow down his cheeks and suddenly, not being able to see Ash aches so much than it ever did.

"You gave him a reason to live, Eiji."

Sobs come out. There's no point of holding back. Even if there was, Eiji couldn't. He misses Ash so badly that it hurts, so badly that he wants to cross miles of water right now, so badly that he wants to be with him and never go away.

"You made him whole. I'm hoping you won't be the one to break him. I don't need to say it because you know better than anyone else how much he cares for you, how much he loves you. So please. Whatever you do, please think of Ash."

Sinking deeper into the sea of guilt, Eiji curls up his knees, hugging himself for comfort. He can't undo his decision and preventing himself from doing so is currently his greatest hurdle to overcome.

"You know what... When all of this ends, Ash will surely stay in this place. Even though every corner of the streets reminds him all bits of horror and tragedy, in the end this is where he belongs. He'll start anew in the same place, with the same good people."

Cocking his head to his side, Blanca hopingly smiles at Eiji. "You'll be with him in that future, won't you?"

Eiji goes numb for a while and is lost for words.

"What? Aren't you looking forward for such a perfect future?"

If only such future can exist.

Forcing the corners of his lips up, Eiji mutters an unsure positive reply. The boy grits his teeth in utter hate for himself, for lying and for wavering.

"Cheer up. You'll meet him soon. I can promise you that much."

Wiping off his tears, Eiji looks up to Blanca as the man stands up. "Thank you." Eiji manages to say between his uncontrollable hiccups.

"Smile. I'm sure Ash would love that." Blanca tells Eiji, patting his head before disappearing from the room.

Seconds and minutes passed and Eiji isn't waiting for hours to do the same.

"Okay. Stop your whining, Eiji. Nothing good will come out of it. Remember why you're here." Eiji tells himself, drying up his face wet with tears. He takes deep breaths as he combs his hair back with his cold fingers.

He jumps off his bed and immediately goes to find Ace. "I'm not gonna mop here all day and wait when they'll send me back to New York."