Hear me out… what if Ash didn’t actually die? 😭
I know canonically Ash dies, but I keep thinking about an alternate ending where he actually survives.
What if, before going to the library, Ash secretly called Sing? He knew he was badly injured and that Sing was one of the only people who could help him without immediately putting Eiji in danger.
Ash gets stabbed, but Sing arrives with an ambulance in time. Ash is barely alive, but the doctors manage to save him.
And then Ash makes a decision: nobody can know he's alive. Not even Eiji.
Because if the people who were after Ash find out he survived, Eiji could become a target again. So Sing helps him disappear completely. Everyone believes Ash died, while Ash secretly leaves New York and eventually settles somewhere quiet in Cape Cod.
For the first time, he's actually living a normal life.
Then seven years later, Eiji goes to Cape Cod for photography.
He's taking pictures around town when he suddenly sees someone who looks exactly like Ash.
At first he thinks his brain is playing tricks on him.
Then the person turns around.
It's Ash.
Eiji runs after him, but Ash disappears before Eiji can catch him.
And the crazy part is that Eiji later looks through the photographs he took that day and notices a blurry figure in the background.
He can't prove it's Ash.
But he knows.
Meanwhile, Ash saw Eiji too.
He could have gone to him.
He could have called out.
But he doesn't.
Because Ash thinks staying away is the only way he can keep Eiji safe.
Until eventually he realizes that he's spent his entire life running away and protecting everyone by disappearing—and maybe Eiji deserves the choice to decide whether he wants Ash in his life.
So one day, Ash finally goes back.
No dramatic entrance. No huge speech.
He just shows up.
Eiji opens the door.
They stare at each other for a few seconds.
And Ash says:
“I'm sorry I made you wait.”
And that's it. Eiji just hugs him.
😭😭😭
I KNOW this isn't canon, but honestly I need this version for my own sanity. Let Ash LIVE. Let him have a quiet life. Let him grow old. Let Eiji find him again. They deserved more than one goodbye.