Garden of Light

**Garden of Light** is the side story from Volume 19 about Eiji and Sing after 7 years of the end of Banana Fish.

## Summary

7 years after the ending of Banana Fish, Akira Ibe flies to New York to visit her uncle and Eiji. As she does, she comes to learn about his past involving a young gang leader.

## Plot

In August of 1994, Akira Ibe begins narrating how she is going to New York to visit her uncle, Shunichi Ibe, during his gallery exhibition. She recalls how her father and grandfather were always against Ibe's choice of career but that he continued on and found his success through Eiji Okumura who became Ibe's assistance while in college. Akira remembers meeting Eiji before and found him to be quite nice and playful even though he had first mistaken her as a boy. As she waits at the airport, she reveals that Eiji had received his green card two years prior and that he possibly plans to permanently stay in America.

She suddenly notices someone holding a sign with her name and becomes frightened at seeing an incredibly tall man next to her. She tries to run away but is stopped by the man who tries to confirm her identity through Japanese. He disputes her theory of him being Japanese by explaining he's Chinese-American and his name is Sing Soo-Ling. He explains that Eiji became busy with work and asked Sing to pick up Akira. Sensing Akira is uncertain of him, Sing shows proof of knowing Eiji by providing an embarrassing photo of Akira with Eiji.

After a taxi ride, the duo arrives at Eiji's home. Akira is amazed at the dwelling, comparing it to the one from the movie *Ghost*. Though Sing is amused at her comparison, he notices Eiji arriving. When he appears, they both notice how they've changed in appearance. As Eiji thanks Sing for getting Akira, Eiji announces that an event in question has been approved to take place, a show at a famous gallery.

Akira congratulates Eiji on his accomplishment before he offers to take her sightseeing the next day. After her first two suggestions fail, she announces that she would like to visit the New York public library. When Sing catches Eiji's reaction to where she wants to visit, he offers to take her there himself. After spending the rest of the day together, Akira eventually falls asleep and leaves the two men to talk and confirm that they are still having trouble overcoming the past.

Later, when Sing is working on his studies, he receives a call from someone in Hong Kong. The two speak of how the man, presumably Yut-Lung, is potentially double crossing his own nation and causes him to point out how Sing is sounding similar to *him*. They discuss how Sing is eventually going to take over things in New York and how he has been spending a great amount of time around Eiji despite Sing claiming this is not true.

A few days into her visit, Akira is writing a letter to her parents. She credits them for getting her to visit America and how she has been helping Eiji get ready for his exhibition. She adds how Sing is a student at New York University and has a fancy house in Long Island but spends most of his free time with Eiji and practically lives with him.

One night, Akira is helping Eiji prepare dinner when she asks if Sing will be joining. Eiji states that Sing is currently at a business and president of a trading company who often attends business dinners but still makes his way to Eiji's. He adds that Sing is hoping to attend Harvard for his M.B.A. once he obtains his current degree and causes Akira to see how tough American education can be. At that moment, Sing arrives and voices his displeasure of French cuisine. As they settle to eat, Eiji asks how Akira is enjoying New York so far. She answers that she has grown fond of the city and how she is not confused as a boy because of her name. Eiji points out how her name means dawn and mutters how he knew someone else whose name had the same meaning.

During another preparation for Eiji's exhibition, a teenage Michael pops in for a visit and meets Akira. At hearing her name, Michael outs himself as an otaku when he lists numerous anime series he's watched. Despite his fanboy nature, Akira notices how cute he is before hearing Michael ask Eiji if he will have any pictures of Ash in the show. Eiji somberly answers that he will not with the claim he could not find any good pictures.

While feeling she has heard the name Ash before, Akira returns to Eiji's and looks through an album of photo's Eiji took when he first arrived in America and sees spots labeled "A" with no pictures. This causes her to remember hearing Ibe talking with Eiji about applying for his green card out of belief he was still thinking about Ash.

When Sing is working out, his trainer comments how his left hook still needs work, but his punches and body type are still impressive and is suggested to take up professional boxing when Akira arrives. She reveals Michael told her where to find him and right away asks about Ash. She suspects he knows who Ash is when he hesitates to answer and explains the album with pictures missing. Sing tries to delay answering by stating Ash is the name of his computer.

He tries to prove himself by showing Akira his computer. When she notices its old age, she suspects that it belongs to the person named Ash. Sing does not deny her claim and adds that he now uses it with Eiji's permission. Hearing this, Akira asks if Eiji loved Ash and Sing answers that he did. She next asks what Ash looked like. Sing details how Ash had blond hair, green eyes, grace, and fierce beauty and intelligence. Hearing these details, Akira becomes jealous and leaves to continue helping Eiji. As she leaves, both she and Sing realize that Eiji is still not over Ash. Sing admits to the computer that Eiji forever belongs to Ash and that he hasn't gone anywhere near the public library in seven years. He then wonders how Ash felt during his final hours since he had seen him smiling after he had been found and wonders if Eiji's letter detailing how he would always be with Ash could be the reason behind his smile.

With the letter practically coming off as a love letter and Sing noticing Ash's blood and tears, he figures that it was reading Eiji's pure emotions that distracted Ash long enough for Lao to attack. Although he knows he can never let Eiji know, Sing is aware that he himself has to live with Lao's actions for the rest of his life. Sing then pleads to the computer for Ash to let Eiji go so that they can be happy and promises that he will do what he can to get Eiji back.

At the gallery, Akira attempts to draw a woman based on the description Sing had provided but hides her work when Michael tries to see what she's doing and informs her that Eiji is currently being interviewed. The reporter asks Eiji how he manages to capture the essence of warmth and kindness when he lives in a city like New York. Eiji admits that New York has its ups and downs in terms of both people and environment but confesses he is fond of both the light and dark sides.

As the interview continues, Akira asks Michael if he knew Ash. Michael answers that he does, describing Ash as his hero even to this day and revealing that Ash was a man instead of a woman like Akira thought. She finds Sing and asks him to confirm this new information but instead he takes her to his former home inside a rundown building.

Akira again asks about Ash and who he was to Eiji. Sing explains that Ash was the most important person to Eiji, their love connecting their souls in an unbreakable bond. He provides information about Ash's death by telling Akira that his own older half-brother was the one who killed Ash seven years ago.

Hearing the time frame, Akira remembers this is when Eiji returned to Japan with the gunshot wound but returned to America almost right away before he fully healed. Sing continues on by saying Eiji drastically changed after Ash's death. At that moment, Eiji appears after noticing they had left and followed them to their current location.

When she leaves, Eiji confronts Sing about his change in personality. Sing tries to get Eiji to accept that Ash is gone and must move on so he can be at peace. After a moment of silence, Eiji announces that he'll be going to Cape Cop with Akira and Buddy to take pictures and invites Sing to join them.

The following day, the group travels to Cape Cod. Eiji explains how Ash was from the small town and how they had gone fishing in a river when he nearly mistakes a teen for his lost friend. Later, after she and Sing pose for a picture, Akira takes Buddy for a walk. This gives Sing the chance to ask why Eiji invited Akira to stay with him.

Eiji explains that Akira's parents are currently going through a rough time and Akira feels that it's her fault as she was born a girl and her father did not hide that he wanted a boy. Ibe had written Eiji about the situation becoming worse when Akira began middle school and hit puberty, causing her father to stop returning home as her entering womanhood further cemented her gender in his mind. Hearing this story causes Sing to realize that Eiji hasn't changed at all as he is still able to sense the final call for help from others.

Eiji points out how there was one person's call he ignored, Sing's. He confesses he knew about the letter he had written to Ash and Sing drawing his theories and guilt from it though Sing tries to deny it. Eiji adds that he's asked himself why he didn't go see Ash in person instead of asking Sing to deliver the letter. He admits that he had been so focused on hating Lao as a means to survive that he ignored Sing's call for help. He states that he will never forget Ash and was grateful to have gotten to spend time with him no matter how short that time was.

He then apologizes to Sing for letting him live like this just as Akira returns and they all appear to come to terms with their pasts.

That night, Eiji speaks an apology as he retrieves a box of slide film he's kept hidden away. He begins to look at the various photos of Ash and allows himself to weep.

   Akira narrates how, after they returned from Cape Cod, Eiji placed a special picture of Ash at the back of the gallery and titled it "Dawn". She describes how Ash looked to be in a state of absolute peace in the photo and sees the beauty he was known for. She is joined by Sing in observing the picture and holds his hand as he cries.

As Akira prepares for her trip home, she playfully comments how Sing's Rover Mini is too small for his size. As they wait for Eiji, she suddenly comments how she is glad to have been born a girl as it will allow her to marry Eiji when she's a beautiful woman. Sing teases her about Eiji being too old by the time she becomes an adult. Akira right away mocks him back by saying he will also be old when she is an adult when Eiji joins them, and they begin their way to the airport.

## Image Gallery

*Main Article: Garden of Light/Image Gallery*