The morning of eighteenth day, Ash has became seventeen years old.
Eiji wake up from the sunshine through the slight opening of the curtain.
He cried too much yesterday, so his eyes swelled. It was already noon time.
And Ash already left the bed room.
(Ash isn`t here….Did he wake up already?) Eiji thought himself.
EIji stood up slowly but he was still sluggish. And his body felt heavy. Then he went to the living room.
Ash already woke up and he was watching the scenery out of the window…the skyscraper in NY.
(Mm…What is he thinking about? ….And how much has he remembered from his memory?) Eiji thought to himself.
When Eiji saw the back of Ash who is thinking something, he had complicated feeling. He wasn`t sure about what to ask him, but he didn`t let Ash alone and called his name.
"Hi, Ash…"
Actually, Eiji was afraid of Ash may cry because of his terrible memories.
Ash faced to Eiji and smiled calmly. He looks better and his smiling face is pretty bright and handsome.
He noticed that Eiji has bloodshot eyes.
"Oh, Eiji. Your eyes are swelling." Ash said.
He went closer to Eiji and touched his eye.
"Sorry, EIji. I asked you too much yesterday. You must be in pain, right? "
Ash asked Eiji seriously. But Eiji was shaking his head and he said no.
"…By the way, Have you recalled your memory?" Eiji asked to Ash.
"Sure….I just recalled my whole memory…everything….and you…. Skip, Griffin, and Shorter died….then I also remembered that I killed Shorter." Ash said.
"…I wasn`t able to do anything and I regret about it…." Eiji said and he cries again.
Why do you say that? I really don`t care about it. You`ve done a lot of things already for me!
Ash clearly said with a firm voice. Eiji was surprised and faced to Ash.
For Ash, To recall all his memories means to repeat the terrible experiences again.
Eiji was sure about these memories, especially the death of Shorter, made him feel bad and hurt. If Eiji were Ash, he would have wanted to kill himself.
Ash said with a self-deprecating smile. " I was certainly sad and agonizing when I recalled my memory. Because the man who killed Shorter was me. But I asked you who he is. That`s awkward! "
His words made Eiji suffer.
Ash stared at the floor for a little while but he face to Eiji and said.
"When I remembered the truth when I shot Shorter, I felt like I fell down at the bottom of the deep dark cliff. I was scared, nervous, and alone… but I felt "a ray of light" in the darkness. I mean it`s you…Eiji."
"…"
Eiji didn`t say anything and he looked at Ash. His tears already stopped.
Ash smiled gently and said. " The existence of you saved me from my agonizing pains. It mean not only from the moment we met but also from the moment I was born. I was sure you saved my sad memories in my childhood."
"Ash… It`s true, right?"
Eiji asked to Ash. Ash calmly nodded and said.
"Yeah. When I was raped in my childhood, Nobody protected me….my brother Griffin was in Viet Nam. And when I also left home, I met Marvin and Dino in NY, and was working at the club Cod, Nobody gave me the true love without return…"
"Ash…."
Ash looked sad. Eiji put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"You accept me…both present and past. I felt like I could start my life again and you hid my loneliness and pain ….Thanks so much." Ash said.
Ash hugged and kissed to his head. He wanted to express his appreciation. And Eiji hugged too.
"I am happy to hear it. Thanks. You, too. …Well, I cried too much and I am thirsty. I will get something to drink." Eiji said.
Because he feels embarrassed a bit, so he left quickly and went to the kitchen.
( I`m really glad….I can`t believe he said anything like that…)
Eiji thought himself.
***
-Ten minutes after-
Eiji was in a good mood and he returned to the living room with two glasses on the tray.
"Sorry to keep you waiting….Do you want to drink iced coffee? I will drink iced tea, though."
Eiji said and put the straws into their glasses.
"Thanks" Ash picked up his glass.
He drank it and looked at the glass. It reminded him something.
"By the way, Eiji…. You let me drink a terrible drug! "
It was the rejuvenating drug the scientist Halliwell gave to Ash and Ash said about the case but Eiji misunderstood as honey syrup and poured it into the iced tea.
"What? What was the drug?" Eiji asked Ash.
"It was the iced tea" Ash replied angrily.
"The iced tea? I don`t know what you mean."
Eiji looked at Ash strangely.
(Oh, so Eiji didn't know about the rejuvenating drug….) Ash understood so he asked to Eiji.
"…Eiji, Was there a small glass bottle in the study room?"
"Yeah, Is that the one?"
Eiji replied and gave it to Ash. But it was empty.
Ash was really surprised and asked again.
"Oh my! Are you sure, Eiji? There should be half of the liquid inside the bottle, right? How did you use the remaining liquid?"
"Why do you ask me? Well, I used it because I wanted to drink the iced tea with honey syrup." Eiji replied with the smile face.
"Are you kidding? You used that…Hey, Did you drink it? And are you okay?"
Nothing happened with the body of Eiji.
"Hey, Ash. What are you saying? Actually I just poured all the remaining honey syrup in my iced tea because I was little tired."
EIji said and he drank the iced tea which has the rejuvenating drug mixed in front of Ash.
"No! Stop it, Eiji!" Ash shouted.
Then he took the iced tea from Eiji, but everything was too late.
"Ummm….What is this? It tastes terrible….Oh? By the way…I think my clothes are too big for me. " Eiji said.
The body of Eiji is becoming smaller. Ash was really surprised when he looked at Eiji.
(I can't believe it…..Finally I just recovered my body and memory and then you will get younger next?) Ash thought to himself.
"Well…You look much bigger, huh? Hey, you must get taller…..I envy you, hahaha…."
Eiji was smiling in an easygoing way, Ash was so shocked and couldn't say anything.
"Eiji, Are you gonna get younger like me? Well… should I take care of you? You know, I can`t speak Japanese! In addition, you are twenty years old. So I have to take care of you longer because you are older than me !"
Ash shouted.
The clothes Eiji was wearing fell down from his body, and he got younger and his body got smaller like a little child. And he said with a tiny voice.
"Oni-chan, Darenano? Asobou!" (You…Who are you? Play with me!)"
He speaks in Japanese but unfortunately Ash doesn`t understand a thing.
"Oh my god! Tell me you are kidding Eiji-!"
While Ash was upset, he was shouting loudly, The body of Eiji was getting smaller. Finally a baby was crying in the room.
"No kidding!
There must be something wrong! Am I supposed to take care of him like a father? And should I let him drink milk and change a diaper? "
The boss of the gangs, Ash, couldn`t imagine the situation.
Then Ash needed to take care of him for "twenty days" , which was 2 days long more than the days Eiji took care of Ash.
He shouted.
"No! Eiji-, Come back! Return to normal-!"
fin
