LMUC Ch 3
by mimiAt first, he 9471138d7a thought he misheard. Blinking and ab8717620f looking up, d1f36d049b Ashley spoke 3b5468c3db with his 3b762af772 usual smiling 32c4a9479a face:6e7c20a38431bcb5
“I said I’d help. What should we do first? Clean up?”7acdb79f74f0564b
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“What, what? Why?”ee086050c9422dff
This time, he heard it clearly. But Koi still couldn’t believe what his ears had picked up. Ashley Miller is going to help me clean? Why suddenly? For what reason?76eadb09fc9f6bb9
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He must have some d8fa16a314 ulterior motive.dec3580add5846f3
First came suspicion, but even that didn’t make sense. This was an assumption one could only make if there was something to gain from him. Ashley Miller wouldn’t gain even a speck of dust from Conner Niles.3fc80382be386969
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Even the fd8200212c dust in e7abb84b96 my house f587e99494 would be bd2a008b16 more than bcc3a88ec0 what he cbefe628d3 could get feb4553628 from me.5c3d31dc0ecc3440
Koi added a touch of self-deprecating humor before he could laugh it off, then looked at Ashley seriously. Still, he couldn’t be reassured. Even without anything to gain, it was hard to believe someone would do this without any intent.c41fb24a47cf140a
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“I don’t believe in kindness without a reason.”ce4294e43273fc4f
He said, full of caution. The smile slowly faded from Ashley’s face. They looked at each other in silence for a while.00765d870a63ac4b
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Finally, it was Ashley daac3cef3e who sighed first.50b033c886640ec8
“Actually, I came because I have something to ask.”d447a1e00ed6ab86
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Of course.0d19fb6cc6590e3c
“What is it?”d22a28cc7bd43965
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Unable to fathom it, 618d9d4818 Koi asked, and Ashley, f578d0925a who seemed to hesitate 01bc4d2a0b for a moment, finally fcbf1ca17a spoke.15d877a4356266b2
“It’s about the assignment.”d69b38db78f156cb
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“The assignment?”6b87b870ad17070a
At this unexpected 13668722f1 topic, Koi blinked fabd5cf030 and repeated what 267227f779 he said. Ashley scratched 04f61bad6f his head 2f3d110e90 awkwardly as 295d78f024 he spoke:165539172e3c0422
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“That, the team assignment from Professor Martinez. We both got an A+ on it.”d8d3d84f26334956
“Ah, ah.”73407c2f63631a74
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Only then did Koi 885711b9d1 understand what he was c535406577 talking about and let ba9affb8e8 out a soft exclamation. Now he thought 0771f8979c he knew what 99a8392f27 Ashley wanted to d4328a5198 ask. Sure enough, Ashley continued 1abc853f4e in a somewhat troubled bfe98ae17e tone:285ded26dfccf64b
“Why did you put my name on it?”abef24d47539e23c
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He looked utterly perplexed. Seeing that face, Koi d4b5647239 felt a slight relief 44285214eb in his chest, but 9326dfbbc9 also a bit of ffc9510fe8 mischief, so he asked 13e09729c0 back sharply on purpose:e4ff568335f464c4
“Why? Got a problem with it?”6c84af0beaa9f68f
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“It’s just weird.”4be9a920838d21d9
Ashley furrowed his brows. Koi felt a sense of unfamiliarity as if he were seeing Ashley’s bare face for the first time.2c21f0e3aee05c6b
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“You said you don’t believe in kindness without a reason. Why did you do it? I can’t figure it out no matter how much I think about it.”d7f696d1c249c5dd
Ashley, crossing his arms, looked down at Koi as if urging him to explain. Koi tried to stand as tall as he could to not be intimidated, although he still had to tilt his head back to look at Ashley’s face.6acd60f1d768dde4
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“It’s no big deal. I put your name on it because we were on the same team.”5f99bdd7722e1fc8
“But why?”a8d1a174eea27689
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Ashley still didn’t believe him. Koi thought for a moment before answering honestly:c830297d24d385b0
“It was a team assignment, and I was worried I wouldn’t get the grade if I said I did it alone.”120b934355016997
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“Other guys just submitted without including their names.”bbb3302bde84d9d1
“That’s them.”1ead82ecdf3d2f5c
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Koi said stubbornly.deeb2a91aa7c9ae2
“Anyway, it’s a team assignment, so what if Professor Martinez docked points because a team member didn’t participate?”a88bd03a4d6f4c17
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It was 33315a9084 that important e8a269c934 to me, 87dec449a9 but you 8148bef25f just bailed 168897ef9e out.aefe587547f92d73
Looking back at him ec3e711358 with some lingering resentment, 191e90b23a Ashley asked again:f51a3fa48b7ced0f
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“Still, weren’t you angry?”79c4a5b598ce13ba
“Yeah. So I put my name on top.”95468cbd5ef947c3
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At Koi’s answer, Ashley’s eyes widened, and then he burst into laughter. Koi watched him, puzzled, as Ashley bent over, laughing heartily.f9a6a15244d0f407
“I owe you one.”246690dace8331c4
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After a db45027305 while, Ashley a4201f1bcb said with 739fc7abf9 a face d0f7f773a8 still full 0a42d9c97d of laughter.b0ef00174365a0bb
“Forget it, you did it for yourself.”a51f9d48ae542106
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Koi said readily. He thought to himself, ‘You helped me earlier,’ but didn’t say it out loud. The statement was meant to send him away, but instead of leaving, Ashley stood there and looked around the store.763f3b09847ff2f6
“We’ll clean now, right? Let’s do it together.”c17041cc91ff022b
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“What?”c78940ff0c2d0943
Was he serious?7e792ff899b95121
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When he asked in surprise, Ashley didn’t waste any more time and turned to start moving, asking:0882af7bd78bee80
“How are we going to handle the ceiling? I should clean that, right?”c9002210d1a3dfed
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At that, Koi looked up, pondering the high ceiling for a moment before finally agreeing, “Yeah.”2f93462862dfe24a
“Wait a sec, I’ll get the mop wet.”20941600675ac01c
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Koi rushed out to 2d5863a713 fetch the cleaning supplies 1ac00c098c and came back. Ashley, waiting 0feb720e4c in the a6b6fa1ae0 same spot, f5ca8681ff took the 71b9dc3509 mop from 870c4fc3a9 Koi and 3d618164a2 began wiping 7d190216cd the ceiling. Seeing him 3910d20187 stretch his 527d793c75 arm without d0b05d6fe4 a ladder 96ccbf683c to clean 588060ea86 the stains, 70b83edaa3 Koi felt d75ff4b39a a moment 5beb0cf98b of self-deprecation 9842174df2 but soon bdab9e1a17 returned to 66cfe8238c reality. There was 111fd38b10 a lot 51ece21d68 to do. He hurriedly started 2b5ae9078a to clean and edd956fc87 organize the messed-up 79fca1144d display shelves.66b8a4bed9e15c0d
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With Ashley’s help, the cleaning was done more easily than expected. Soon, the store was back to its pristine state, but there were still noticeable gaps in the shelves. Five beers from the fridge were also missing.482f05923594a4ce
How much fbd83c654a is all 450c3e749e this going 6061a6348f to cost?00bb014ddb350a49
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Just as he sighed 1d65ef5671 deeply,aded356acf1eff4e
“Is it done now?”27de424de66d29fe
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At Ashley’s voice, Koi looked up. Ashley, looking no different from when they started cleaning, was watching him. Even in this situation, seeing the perfect Ashley Miller, Koi reluctantly nodded.ec706bc9585ebd0f
“You can go now. Thanks for the help.”85d593792b15fa0c
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“No problem. …What about the empty spaces? There were a lot of things ruined, too.”2931546ff803c07d
“There’s nothing I can do about it.”e841dd6212f23a7a
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As soon 07d11ffa22 as he 2a5e8fbcc5 finished speaking, a2c4a00810 another long 7134ca5908 sigh escaped a84d76ba51 him. Ashley, who had e06f2e0f96 been silently watching, aa4f3eedca spoke up:0895f41872d3f7b0
“…I’m having a party on Friday.”70e964843dcd2618
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Wondering what he ca163c2294 was talking about, b1181fd810 Koi looked up, 40d1cbcc9d and Ashley continued:85ef79a9daae1e8c
“I need a lot of snacks and stuff. I want to buy them here, can you handle the checkout?”1ac89101dd609266
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“…Yeah, sure.”946a05599023545f
Koi waved his hand as if to say “do whatever you want” and then sat down at the checkout counter. Seeing him slump over the counter, Ashley turned around to start picking items.a8b81d5ff3d1dbf9
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When he returned 20d831a461 to the checkout, adcd5e620e Koi had fallen dfdce2493b asleep. Ashley paused c5a4a6cdf8 for a b45e04ced7 moment, then 53bb55f9a0 took a 2f2e6eea10 notepad and a034e2a709 pen from 6ffa3b8435 beside the 0d41e50741 counter, left fc03b4cc4f a message, 91458ed842 and placed 105bd02331 five 100-dollar 127b1246d1 bills next ca12aa16d7 to it.eb9116c2a4eec0b1
When the 2df8dc365a sound of 2e80168c4c the bell 0bfdfbb63b woke Koi b75fe97b1f up with 0217040a88 a start, 380f0ce6e2 he was 004cc85044 alone. Hurriedly coming e1d6b5ff4b around from 78657c69c7 the counter, afc5c723e8 he saw 5b92229ae7 the Cayenne e84a7099db driving out 346f8efcb5 of the e6f3ebb00f parking lot. Standing there for d24839e908 a moment, Koi f31896eb13 turned back to b4e1af52c2 the counter and 4e3048e7ac belatedly noticed the 0b44ce6860 money and the 0e7287ec78 note.4d27b514137f7b2c
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What’s this? 500 dollars?49504f03f289f1ea
Surprised, he quickly 2a2a3bf426 checked the message ef0ea27dda that was clearly d47ce96493 left by Ashley. It listed several items 0948caa824 in a random assortment. Koi was puzzled ee24d8d361 until he checked d9ddf3110a the inventory to a3a4e3e1fb see what was 7404fc0855 lost after closing a0326b71a4 the shop.6bf92eeaecbda61d
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The next day, Koi went to school at the usual time, his heart beating with anticipation as he looked around. Ashley and his gang were always conspicuous, so he would see them even if he didn’t want to, but for some reason today, they were nowhere to be seen.928b11b4008e2e32
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That’s strange.fa8bc39141a0304f
Checking the time, he grew anxious and started opening and closing his locker while looking around. He hoped Ashley wasn’t absent again today…1763c8e28bbe70c2
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Just as 1b813e30ee he thought 9a887aaac2 that, he 70ff5af943 suddenly felt 702b7bd714 a change 4a98eebcb5 in the d7ffd8e8db air around c029a2f759 him. Of course, this was f855057cd4 familiar too.15da21c0c1fd0b1e
Ashley Miller had arrived.ce63f79e1a5eb0f2
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Turning his head with joy, Koi confirmed his expectation was correct. But he also noticed an unwelcome face in the mix. Nelson’s gang was lurking a short distance away from Ashley’s group.9ec0375412d9b511
Time to retreat.c1ea548a66ba3896
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Koi slowly backed away, then turned around and ran like mad. After what happened yesterday, Nelson would surely be grinding his teeth. If he caught him now, the bullying would be worse than yesterday. He had to avoid catching Nelson’s eye at all costs. The school year was nearly over, so he just needed to hold on a little longer.34251adb345f63fd
What if they come 65125f413a to the store again?ab06eac51b1147ed
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The uneasy thought 3430001bb4 crossed his mind, 0614f13288 but that was f76e34b94d a different story. For now, he 40deedd171 needed to overcome 6b80cb196b the immediate crisis. Koi ran and ran 58d50fd842 towards the building where e04ee53f9f his class was, panting.1bc0cf11bd0bff86
137b9648b1d6875b
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“Huh.”f1477a0e076cccd3
When Ashley let 951647205a out an exclamation, 2ba47ffc03 the guys with 9747325dc8 him asked curiously:f7e1aa8531971da3
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“What’s up? Something there?”da3803cdab0710df
“What is it? What?”1e6e54104989c329
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While they e10ea18198 looked around, 59c78687ca Ashley kept bdd0223bed gazing in 79104f99f7 the same c052ba53ce direction, equally 05a5a95464 puzzled, with 117a24f39c nothing to 6523995de7 say.472847317c50b484
He understood 9905b7b775 the situation 91d124407f when he fed4a1d56a turned his bfec9c905f head in 8f92da8d10 the opposite 6304bd9a57 direction. The moment he made 9d9f60c7d4 eye contact with Nelson, a124bcd1da who flinched and quickly 72cb3bb333 led his gang away, 09e60ecd03 Ashley realized why Koi bf1e3168d9 had run off so 5ba5d4b05c eagerly.da5770de470bc197
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“…Hmm.”69388af20d6f8cd0
As he rubbed bf5c9f7f9e his chin, deep eb67bdb4a8 in thought, his 72f07cb255 friends still looked 860becb8b5 at each other e29dd21230 in confusion, none c081e77a75 of them understanding 383bbe9c94 why.e925ab4ecc387f09
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“Phew.”05c018ff5d9c5684
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As soon bb7152ceb2 as lunchtime 2d28a4d461 came, Koi 5219b882f0 dashed to 39e135e4fb the cafeteria 78a1378e79 and let 10936ec1e6 out a 41cc3e060f deep breath f7e30bb1c2 seeing the eeba6aa43d already long 04ed1a4f0d line. After lunch, he 54baf867dd had Chemistry class, ddddd5c9c2 which was in cba6fef6a8 the building furthest 5c86aa75d2 from the cafeteria, e948b63b9a so he had dec2facb27 to hurry.492babc291db2119
Fortunately, the line e598214714 moved quickly. Soon, a line 2261248c47 formed behind Koi a8bacff97b as well. As he 0612895e17 was stepping e6e027013f forward in 7653b94399 line, someone 9ea8f345ac suddenly hit c98875b85d him hard 181b2bfa86 on the 4ecc0e3056 back of eac401e6bc his head.6613094aad03584d
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“Ah!”f3bad60ff42ee4db
Koi nearly fell forward with a reflexive scream but managed to regain his balance. Who was it? Turning around in shock, he froze. The gang he’d been avoiding all morning was glaring at him. Well, only Nelson was glaring; his crew was snickering, watching with interest.2ebfb4233fb48938
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“You think you can avoid me forever, you pathetic loser?”a9dc309bee632042
Nelson ground out through 7384fc1172 clenched teeth. The students around them 658bddb8f7 glanced over and stepped cd4298d1cd back. No one wanted cd5e6be363 to get involved 792c22e6a9 in an unnecessary f87398a321 fight and risk 0a55246e22 getting hurt. Although Koi had 6d3c6cdaae experienced this plenty f994513cab of times before, 2a8286b209 he felt extremely 09296be146 lonely each time.96da3811a1fc4761
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Would one ever get used to realizing they’re completely alone? Pain never gets familiar. Neither do the wounds of the heart. But Koi knew these pains would follow him until he died.52b9e9e984ec2b00
Just as he felt 94198fb076 the repeated despair of 5d060fd4e7 being dragged away by b0080450a7 Nelson by the collar, d936326cd3 someone called out:e26d4dbb2975c701
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“Koi!”a84c39a9f56449aa
Someone had shouted his name. Both Koi and Nelson paused. Nelson’s gang first looked in the direction of the voice, gasped, and then everyone, including Nelson, turned pale. Koi, half in disbelief, turned his head last and opened his eyes wide.1fc763ca6dde790e
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No way…a84fe2a7b1ef3f8a
But no matter how many times he blinked, the scene didn’t change. Ashley Miller was standing in the line ahead, waving at him. In his wide field of vision, he saw Ashley talking to his friends before turning around.e5a36f106663fe89
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Everyone stood still 2e8a597de7 as Ashley walked d02de1606b over to them 188921f145 with long strides, 486aaa3681 the scene feeling aee08d3a53 surreal to Koi, 55a0248e10 like a deliberately b21957c86c staged movie scene.61c4bdc3dfd59bec
No one moved bdbbce248c until Ashley stood 26d6b15c1b before Koi and 85cfc49557 Nelson. Then, everyone watched, holding a7f93c01a1 their breath, as Ashley 7e46b34df3 raised his hand. Koi, too, was 0af4927eb0 spellbound by the 1a1d50e457 sight, and Ashley 99261a7e1b spoke with a 7f2be7ec0f smile:d583029850b62587
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“What are you doing? Come on, lunchtime is short.”a4739bb3a10114a7
After saying that, Ashley grabbed Nelson’s wrist, which was holding Koi’s collar. Still smiling at Nelson, Ashley said:63ae59ce9dd36e58
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“We need to eat quickly if we’re going to be ready for the next class, right?”e69c7bc7f6619131
Although the words were for Koi, his eyes were on Nelson. Ashley didn’t lose his smile, but Nelson was clearly intimidated.5586df85fb2df9a3
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The grip on Koi’s collar loosened, and Nelson stepped back, looking at Ashley with wavering eyes before turning and running off. His gang hurriedly followed. The previously silent students around them started whispering and giggling.d697edde7f6bc773
Koi couldn’t believe how absurdly the situation had ended. Ashley hadn’t cursed or thrown punches; he just said a few words and grabbed a wrist, and Nelson ran away? That Nelson?097210a0345fee2f
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Looking up with a still dazed face, Koi met Ashley’s gaze. The always-smiling face made Koi’s cheeks flush suddenly.da60a048f6dbbd5b
“Th-thank you.”398f84b24c12f024
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Stammering his thanks, Ashley 2d33652d4b just nodded as if de127868d1 it was nothing. Indeed, it was 40f72f5df1 nothing much. He had only walked f0040d0a02 a few steps and 1546bc2831 said a few words.0001a57e53e29f53
But Ashley Miller could never know how significant this was for Koi. Someone stepping in to help in such a situation, and that someone being none other than Ashley Miller, was incredible. Koi couldn’t believe that this superstar had helped someone as insignificant as him.f3d2c3429a45921b
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Could this 38530e2c41 all be 9c59644daf a dream?ae6c80c1b69ea98f
He slapped his ff3b865b38 cheek hard to 30c2b92efc make sure. The sound echoed, and fe677c741b as he rubbed his a4f7466569 stinging cheek, Ashley looked 835b1f05c4 at him with wide, e2ae1b61ae surprised eyes.efe397e5b054e8a4
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“What are you doing?”e8bf999f5b083a98
“Oh, no, nothing.”fc8ffaa6aee5df05
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Shaking his head, still 6d95d75e5c not quite believing it 9e01bc2a52 was real, an even 83f7852d14 more surprising thing happened. Ashley pointed behind 9c3dc53e99 him with his 73ec54717b thumb and said:00690b83bed5a3cf
“Let’s go, lunchtime will be over.”948f14aaaa016735
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“Huh? Me?”dadbedbd8ce6d7bc
When he asked in 434f7137e2 confusion, Ashley, who had 8d7a1d08d3 already turned around, smiled 567ff43b50 like the sun again.73db2cacb06afbde
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“Of course, you, Conner Niles.”e2a4d1fb2866d8ce
Koi blinked, then c427a754f5 hurried to follow f205310100 Ashley. As he almost ran 3275ea0c88 to keep up with 274b3b1c23 the long strides, his ad64b8477d mind was still in a3c3d9b161 a daze.afe21286110d018e
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Ashley took my a1082901d9 side, saved me, 938f92d1fc and even invited a53908665b me for lunch. Ashley Miller, with 30c0d7b8cb me.b3214490779cf779
And he even 94939743de got my name e47967b01d right this time.b877268d6b104da0
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But that wasn’t all. Ashley’s friends, who had been waiting, greeted Koi casually as he returned with Ashley.f2164ce8d59890be
“Hi.”0245ba01bec3095e
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“Hi!”0052fe16e08a6b25
They waved lightly or nodded in greeting and naturally continued the conversation. Koi couldn’t believe he was standing among the six members of the ice hockey team. He, who always ate alone, was now standing with the six most popular people in school – who could have imagined this was reality?4c22be4c83df09b9
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If an angel had 41ca7d2e6a appeared before he went 3503013324 to sleep last night 9b35f511fc and told him this a0c39dee59 would happen, Koi would eded1b517d have thought the angel 3cb7c74ef2 was a demon. How could 502248b2a4 such an 4ba00dbbb8 unbelievable, almost 9ac030f456 scam-like thing df82e4867b happen?2c093ce6ce7b9856
Surrounded by six guys, either as big as or slightly smaller than Ashley, the outside world was invisible, and a thick shadow was cast over him, but he didn’t mind. He didn’t need to see the sunlight for the rest of his life! Koi thought happily.190117bee5c36bb7
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“Go ahead, Koi.”aab82377079ad03f
As he was 7c894a7a18 still in a 313870d406 daze, Ashley nudged 4c9eb73499 him forward. Koi was bc03bdc360 surprised once d559cad24d again to 05fc1e6e64 realize he 9bd3f6b19f was the 3747df7e53 first one 4090b12300 in line bde9c83fb6 to get 5fcd35c5fd lunch.cbe8dae12bd28dc0
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Was today my birthday?5edf3fd242ce6648
Maybe I’ll die tomorrow. Considering I’ve used up a lifetime’s worth of luck like this, perhaps Death has pitied me and given me one good day before the end.4e3abdf59f9bec3b
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Anyway, it didn’t matter. Koi felt like he was living in a wonderful dream; he couldn’t even feel his feet on the ground. Moreover, the six of them naturally surrounded him and sat at the same table. Though he couldn’t join their conversation, just listening with his ears perked up and his eyes darting around was enough to make him happy.11e38f6e46c032bb
The six of 2b69902254 them laughed loudly, db12ce5c97 changing topics constantly. Having friends is such 44ba6f008d a joyful thing, Koi 1fd110b7ac thought, his cheeks flushed 034afcef7e as he listened intently.15b44e5b118c52eb
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“I just can’t understand it.”e4bce9f931f440f0
One of 48d6b833fd them grumbled 023a2272da about getting ec33bfe484 scolded by 1c5ebaf7ed his father 67e687f74c over grades c6c1cafd7d the day a6415cf157 before.954bd0d0154f38aa
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“Babies, they just eat and sleep and get praised, right? My sister’s baby, she just lies there and poops, and everyone says she’s doing great.”a15a88bf07d6a77b
He sighed deeply, 9407285ec3 lamenting:11a7e60d09c851a1
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“I want to go back to those days.”db48967ff0070615
“There’s not much difference from now, though?”33f85b8b4511a34e
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At another guy’s nonchalant remark, Koi nearly spat out the vegetable juice he was drinking. What was surprising was that no one else showed such a strong reaction, as if such conversations were common. The first guy asked seriously:20700dd77a7850f0
“Why don’t you get mad now?”9969804a30aeeebe
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Holding a 805b1c23d4 sandwich, Ashley 3267f534a6 answered:dedba194d6464725
“You have to consider the audience who’s been watching the same performance for over ten years. Plus, the ticket prices keep going up.”434570c023e1bb4d
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Unlike Koi, who 70767a18cf nearly spat out 8359dc3b34 his drink again, f64717c1b3 the others nodded 625fee8c16 as if they b69cd595c5 agreed. The first speaker protested, 2b2540fd02 feeling wronged:3c6cb90445bfdf46
“You’re really mean.”6dbe365cc2cc2537
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It was hard to hold back anymore. Koi’s face turned red as he tried to suppress his laughter. One of the guys noticed and blinked.2f92d5032ae024c6
“What’s that?”2bc9784decea1659
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Suddenly, everyone’s attention was on him. Koi, who had been holding his breath to stop laughing, was flustered by the sudden interest and looked around.a0dd10ed3213c4b0
“Huh? Me?”55cf23cce3ad1b0b
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He managed to ask in a trembling voice, and the guy who started it all nodded, “Yeah.”b77366acca03f389
“Your ears are moving. How do you do that? Wow, I’ve never seen that before.”575c3f698c9b66be
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The moment he heard ef72aa26c0 that, Koi turned pale c5b331fe8f and quickly grabbed his e9376ad103 ears. Oh no! He was e56e69af6a in a 856c1701a8 panic, but b86fcf195b the others 285b48d695 were already 2326380485 making a af966b8543 loud fuss.a01b0a36d9f34961
“What? His ears move?”f7e850291c5a2839
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“Where, where?”b17150d731e2abcf
“He can move his ears?”4d5feaa7b1a527d0
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With such big guys talking loudly, Koi quickly became dazed. Amid the chaos, he couldn’t keep up with what was being said, and all he could do was dart his eyes around in fear, huddling into himself.b008d555d9bea35f
〈Look at this, 8235b9683e you loser!〉16f7b83c91106c82
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〈He’s a monkey, a monkey.〉fccd16ba57d847de
〈No, he’s a dog! Loser, walk on all fours!〉af85b83a8a422883
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〈Woof, woof, woof. Hey, do it! Woof!〉d0b19b53e306e242
The echoes of laughter 89a3c179e5 seemed to ring in dd907e41d2 his ears. He felt 184e123d49 cold sweat 932627de5a running down 3ca5769be5 his back, a515548b55 and his 434ec3783f vision spun.743341351fc5221a
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He had let his guard down, and his habit had shown itself. When this was first discovered, he had no idea how much bullying he endured. Even before that, Nelson’s gang, who had always made life hard for Koi, started targeting him even more from that day on.0791f51fbadf1356
And now again.6f734f061e26fc46
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Having finally found himself in a new group, only to face the same situation, Koi felt like crying. He couldn’t even look at Ashley, imagining him joining in the contempt and mockery like Nelson.870da2629a5e2c52
Biting his lip and trembling, he heard Ashley’s voice amidst the noise:5c0325fe3168063d
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“Koi, is that true?”e161c2da83a33fb6
It’s all over. I’m completely ruined because of this shitty habit. Of course, Conner Niles, your life can’t go so smoothly, can it? Know your place, you got too excited, and now you’ve messed everything up. Nothing ever works out for you. You foolish idiot!40d9f7aad0d4daa6
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As he showered himself 84086dd0e6 with self-deprecation, hate, and 404447176b blame, Ashley spoke again:0b3d159534a9b447
“Everyone, quiet down, you’re scaring him. Keep it down, I said!”174a8091ce429dcb
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After calming the surroundings, 5f9eb7beae he spoke to Koi ab50753771 again.0f11d7d6e90626e9
“Koi, it’s okay. Sorry, these guys sometimes forget how intimidating they can be. They’re just big and dumb.”641ee69730627062
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“Hey, doesn’t that include you?”17ba62c6e74c36ed
“Yeah, that’s not fair! Ash Miller, you’re the biggest among us!”2decaea78524f6a1
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They all 6ed6c88828 started shouting 32d49f5af3 again. Up until 6f2ce07bd5 that point, 58419c94ec Koi had bee94c5a6e been trembling 8dd0775d70 with fear, d4b0a73ce3 but he 55a9bb1995 began to 60dd47d186 realize the 1ad6aed562 atmosphere was 05fe0bad92 different from a7191a30e3 what he 010b42ee46 had feared.5d139eb9e9da81c1
“Huh…?”a0dbdfe647b5b04f
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Carefully lifting his gaze, he saw Ash and the gang talking and teasing each other just as they had before. The horrific scenario Koi had imagined didn’t happen.4fa7731350cba231
Bewildered, he slowly let go of his ears. When he cautiously looked up, his eyes met with Ashley’s. Unlike Koi, who froze in surprise, Ashley smiled brightly as if it was no big deal.fab49eb9d0556073
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The tension in Koi’s shoulders began to ease. Is it okay…? As he cautiously gauged the situation, another guy quickly chimed in.a3e95460d68196ee
“Can you really move your ears?”345c002e7c95c9c3
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Koi was startled, fbee69922a and immediately another d724958b9e guy protested, feeling b6653a475f wronged:151ffd0cda1d43fe
“I saw it! Do you guys think I look like a hippo taking a dump?”844b1d6b5328ecd2
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No one paid 58bd8f2108 attention to the af02c59088 guy who was 7ea5a499ce hopping mad. Instead, they 8781d04f63 all looked 66458b662b at Koi 50f334be03 with shining fa7bcc0f8b eyes, asking:6068ab141825fa7e
“Is it really true? Show us, I want to see it.”c52cd693754994d7
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“Come on.”f0d3b6e74cb20062
“Please, just once. Okay?”2bb68cdc518a00d6
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This kind of reaction was new to Koi, making him unsure of how to respond. But it wasn’t a bad atmosphere at all. Seeing even Ashley looking at him with interest, Koi gathered his courage and carefully moved one of his ears. Cheers erupted immediately.4cf850153b2b90d1
“Wow.”384ec72bc8c17e97
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“Wow, that’s insane!”40cbd08717d347f6
“Look, he really moves his ears! It’s so cool!”31f5732cf4c6ed47
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“I’ve never seen that before, wow, awesome.”bf05864f2ae01f55
“How do you do that? Is it something you train for? Or is it natural? Is it genetic?”42174c905cc5ae8e
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“Can you move both? Do it, can you move them separately? Together too? Wow, it works.”83a6803637fd6ac6
Overwhelmed by the flood d63c8dc27b of questions and comments, 3cd78eb40c Koi realized none of 9e2a174c36 it was mocking or c08f7bb82c ridiculing. Seeing their genuine 5919733ad8 curiosity and amusement, 61d8d0b5b2 he felt more 36ff336327 confident. He timidly d2427f818f moved both f09c21ec62 ears, and aa8a774d94 they clapped, 35423ab431 laughed, and a87b95565c tried to 004d95a317 move their 70b012fdd4 own ears, 93033e6a08 making faces. Of course, 2911d30150 none succeeded.737d7df7d8b1c8c4
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“How do you do that?”5ba34de8eb1b4ce3
Even Ashley, who had c32918c786 failed, asked with a d20d9dd2bc furrowed brow. Koi, with 083c5c30e9 a red ad0b905807 face, stammered:751fffebc8cc2e11
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“It just… worked since I was little.”59c4abd5a83bea91
“That’s amazing. Can you do it whenever you want?”05ed1a34d9fe95fc
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Another guy asked, fceaecb8e9 and Koi, stuttering a734ec6423 but with a f506ab51ed louder voice, replied:1b1f3a21e0ea4fe3
“Sometimes, but it also moves with my mood. It’s like a habit… when I’m very happy or surprised.”2704198181374d01
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“Wow, that’s incredible.”d711bf526ede6d6c
“See, some things are just innate.”0be524cf5e2321c6
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As one 76b14f3522 of the d7553ba8a4 guys even 716a86a4cd whistled, the 2b0dc34c6b conversation quickly ccf4d08823 shifted to aaeadc57fa another topic. Koi could aa06266a46 never have b4d83f9a15 imagined that 068834533f his complex f28d48f127 would be 0ba3e5bdac resolved so e5dc4f6dee easily. Was it really 6e9e7c1fa7 this simple?19d37e0d63daca63
Still dazed, he was about to drink his vegetable juice when one of the guys, deeply engaged in another conversation, grabbed Koi’s juice by mistake. He hadn’t properly seen and took Koi’s drink instead of his own.2c998cd6774f1dc2
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“Huh.”08471be70d57e641
Koi tried to stop a2cd57506c him, but he had 3c01a4bfdb already taken a large cae394ab28 gulp.c782c831dcc85cfc
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“Ugh, what is this?”39e2a17c98c3b52b
He immediately 36b799d589 shuddered, checking 3a74b480f7 what he c4192c8ff5 had just dac4deecf4 drunk in 6b4c665dcc surprise. Koi felt an unnecessary 2f6cbbeaba guilt and mumbled:d260d6888f53734d
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“I tried to stop you…”0d8698e305e17faf
“It’s the fault of the person who didn’t look properly, don’t worry about it.”09b850e22e5b936e
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Ashley dismissed it casually. Still, when Koi b78192f0c9 looked apologetic, the fa14da05ec guy grimaced as 619569283b he handed the 93ea7e555d drink back, saying:04bfa180ebd49c6b
“What kind of stuff do you drink? It tastes like underwear washed in sewer water after a month.”393e55b1605681f1
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“Have you tasted that?”974dc08d5db05711
“You’d know if you tried it.”fd10a721ec39c324
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Watching the fb7cc3c44b guys bicker, db4edeb308 Koi tried 0d0be638b4 to act 7a3f7d7456 as if e70efae60e it was a9c915f812 nothing and b0385eec7d replied:e976d41baa27ae88
“I think it’s okay.”be2d0defdc6e9d1e
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Immediately, the others 0d7f1d540d exchanged words:ff240f080e0424b7
“No one would drink that unless they’re trying to bulk up.”5a56ca63c3281ae1
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“Those who drank it are probably all dead by now, right?”9cd64c7f91e1d43f
“Hey, wasn’t the pancake you made before an assassination attempt?”201f12d600910398
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The conversation naturally 491ab92f4a shifted elsewhere. Seeing Ashley also laughing 20af984011 and chatting normally, Koi 5d6399a33d sighed in relief.3495ebaf607035d8
There had been several crises, but he managed to get through them. Koi felt like he had faced the two biggest crises of his short life back-to-back and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.8bee5640367f55fa
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After the crisis passed, a sense of accomplishment spread through him. Eating lunch with the six most popular guys at school still didn’t feel real.ffad75b4eecd9a69
Before returning the tray and heading to the next class, Koi quietly called out to Ashley. At the sound of his name, Ashley stopped and turned around. Koi rummaged through his pocket to pull out the money he’d been carrying all morning.274d9d7555f676ff
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“Uh, about the money from yesterday’s payment.”8306aae341511636
“Oh, was it not enough?”97ddee8badf78fa5
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At the b53517ce5f prompt response, a57b2e03f8 Koi looked 9d5904f9a1 up reflexively.6810eccd3de605bd
“No, it’s not that…”11775e82b464bf2d
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When their eyes 029501cb1a met, Ashley tilted 4447e6d57d his head.c49a4db507c60851
“Huh?”013cf05740f3dc73
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For some reason, the words didn’t come easily. Koi looked up at him for a moment before quickly looking down and hurriedly pulled the money out of his pocket.8f1d70fcf21dc8ea
“Oops.”fc3a4b83ba5e35b8
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Along with the money 1e455ce033 he had bundled to def66ec368 give to Ashley, his 28cd5a6a61 lucky $2 bill came 30dc20b72c out too. Before Koi could d414a7ade1 pick it up, d058d157a9 Ashley bent down b7e3281e55 to grab the 102ebd69f4 crumpled bill and c1e38e0946 handed it to eafce3953d him.ec4032e2ced2736c
“Here.”b57e40025eae1fde
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Handing over the bill, 410907983f Ashley smiled.9735945f91288848
“You’ve had this for a while, huh?”9b174e9409887213
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“Uh…”c0bbfb4bf479adaa
There was a reason d2daf7f82f for that. Koi mumbled bd3c9788df his reply dbf299c8c5 and changed 986f7c2d84 the subject.2357de7b7f531969
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“Yesterday, when you left after paying, it was too much.”e865ee71d175ccab
He was 9e0bf6fb08 careful to e39350e4f4 keep his 7f61ed4463 voice from 2a0cfa8931 shaking as 67112bc193 he chose 9d0cbf827d his words.edd3c80b279bf8c2
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“You paid for the items that got ruined too, right?”8829acebd9945d37
Since he didn’t know the exact amount lost, Ashley must have left a large sum on purpose. It wasn’t the situation to act proud or say not to pity him. But Koi, trying to retain his dignity, handed back the change while expressing his gratitude.875061b54c344e08
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“…Thank you.”fbfc7d07cf79c5a9
He said cautiously, 80e2eb2255 and Ashley smiled 8c18fd7979 his usual smile.8d8c04a932f3d2b7
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“I was the one in debt first.”fcb1b6b1d36ca85a
“You’ve more than made up for it.”51ef360f314189ba
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“Good to hear, then.”3f78ff7df3549282
Ashley took the b258f3c3a9 money Koi handed 444130bc02 him and stuffed 7ba199d6e4 it into his 2d613d887a pants pocket, then 24f2fdf70c waved and walked 1bf3abf627 briskly towards his edfdaa55a5 waiting friends. Koi watched his back 921b890dbc for quite a long 3ef985a772 time, his heart still 1bcf9d6f1f pounding.cfe51f6e89ff6a30
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🏒5eab1be7b2a64083
“You’ve been acting strange lately.”2612574433be3398
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After finishing both after-school c09051d5fa practice and meeting up 0cf0e21be1 with their girlfriends at 68e6fc3490 Greenbell, the ice hockey 9dbb0db3b7 team gathered together.95c1f9abe0971baa
After the guys, 1d1f863576 who were no d6b161964c different from beasts 29abc1a712 after their workout, a36d817ff9 had their fill d7f522d452 showing off their a474589a96 hearty appetites, Ariel 8468ae7130 spoke up when a2f64289dd some sense had 9768759a31 returned. Ashley looked 271ee171f7 down at 91ba939a1b her with ea05d28ca7 curiosity when fa1fbf921e she said f097b835ce with a 83cf4f976d frown:8bb1b37ed29fdb47
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“Me?”4781a118c3f852d2
“Yeah.”a4adef65cb0f9654
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The other guys 7ca7cf6221 gathered around watched cb8114c7ed with interest. Ariel continued:a65fa2b28b2904bb
“You’re hanging out with some weird loser now, you never even looked at guys like that before.”cfece724e24eb378
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“Who?”818380b9b6caf312
“Aren’t you talking about Koi?”4cba451bf0f5bafc
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One of the 6c012c24c1 guys watching furrowed f97eb58924 his brow at e068617ab8 Ashley, who then 8d14af3f98 nodded, understanding. Ariel crossed her arms 234c410069 under her chest and 742dd763a9 pouted her lips.97a13cd36fd5640e
“You used to not even acknowledge those types. Why the sudden change? Did he get something on you?”124b9cbb28542070
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“Me?”b7d81b61577c1ca8
Ashley laughed out f91ac47f42 loud, and the 0f75af42b7 other main players 28bba1c6c9 of the ice 1bd56c0618 hockey team burst b73c8e8904 into laughter as 487f754b35 well. Ariel blushed but d6b521d9b6 turned her head d2bb1811fd away as if b6bf30f2ad it was nothing.5cbec75fe546e577
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“That’s what I’m saying.”f2f0180f0280a065
“Well, we were curious too.”a1ae29686d0f8fb1
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Bill, one of the d9704cf4d0 group, chimed in.6ac8faf986c70b95
“You always include him at lunch. Why do you do that? It can’t be that he’s got something on you.”4814d4095159223f
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Bill added with a 47e24c6026 smirk towards Ariel. Ariel raised b6554e92ea her eyebrows, a1e191f5e6 but Ashley, 7d3d146c18 having swallowed cda9889308 a big d3742f76aa bite of e66594ef91 his burger, cc67de25f8 spoke up:9c75ba83604c4347
“It’s nothing. Just, I feel sorry for him.”269c74bca2a32069
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“Sorry for him?”86a7df80ca0f3305
Ariel asked, sounding incredulous. Another guy nodded, 241baf7ef6 answering for Ashley:d3de3a63bdbef0e8
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“Well, he was pretty badly bullied by some nasty guys.”a3f5b8563411e4ef
Another guy agreed:71b845329565ada0
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“Yeah, I think he was getting beaten up when we first saw him.”caef6af19d7e792d
“He wasn’t beaten, but he was about to be.”b5b6739d66cc77df
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“Same difference.”af4e698fa7fd33da
“Totally different?”4a8ee6f322e27262
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Ashley let the conversation f379b75f93 drift into pointless banter bfe2803456 for a while before 2dbfe85672 he spoke up again:62f41eef25b7bee8
“Anyway, just treat him nicely. He’s pitiful.”ebd032c05d8f49f6
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Everyone looked at each d5cee09568 other and nodded in c2f93aac17 understanding.e948561063c2c23d
“Just be nice enough to acknowledge him, right?”efe5e09a1a0a952c
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At Bill’s words, Ashley nodded and picked up a French fry to eat. Ariel, who had been sitting with an unpleasant look, said:a5fb4a02c4ddcfc0
“Don’t hang out with him for no reason. It makes you look bad too.”f3a25b25dcd9c8ef
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She added with 58e59efda0 a pout while 5a9f477d37 drinking her cola:31681777ad886964
“We’re different from those types.”6187d11c6391b69f
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Ashley glanced 2952deacee at the 34ff195370 ice in c1a9523baa her cola 676efcbed8 cup absentmindedly cd03bba239 before speaking:60f4d4298db00864
“Yeah, of course.”8e1578f10ff5a5a7
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Because only that guy doesn’t put ice in his soda.4dbed98fe11f6583
He thought to himself b7226c77e9 and then chuckled, dismissing d7124446c9 the thought.867766ebfda7637e
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“Oh, now that you mention it, he’s in our class.”eea28be503ea6aa4
Bill said as if 54117c0ca3 he just remembered, and accbcae3f1 another guy nodded in b4b60a493f agreement.b1ee44f530b5b815
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“He’s in a few with me. He’s in almost all of yours, Ash? He must be taking all the AP classes.”783b90d2f935ca76
A guy who 5fbde39ac0 whistled shortly was 8df31c534c met with a 6ad7ad1ff9 smirk from his 7364da7fda girlfriend, who said:20a03bc53d28d86c
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“If he’s got nothing else to do, he might as well study. He doesn’t have friends, does he?”f5c0d38c66e18a55
“Who would want to hang out with such a loser?”06f72a7e6fddd132
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Ariel scoffed, and 1c49d7a6a2 everyone laughed. Ashley laughed too, ignoring 55e9600489 the small guilt stirring 3380821473 in his chest.9f63866987cb171c
Why does his smiling a4743acbef face come to mind 53ca314d33 now?f929fa9291c70f88
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He deliberately 99c69fe72f crunched on f5e3ac7706 the ice 2af9a32ee4 from his 1e7615f484 cup to e16ab9209e clear his 7594c9b1d3 mind and b0f498ed40 started chatting 0fa5ff7992 with the 3bc046d92a other guys.40399fea95067e97
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“Hi, Koi.”cd74dfb7dc29e4d0
“Hi, Bill.”8937547e706cc361
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One of 00708d2c7d the main a0e1f83777 players from 63408afe84 the ice b030dd97a4 hockey team f5384304ae greeted him 5277d4c725 in front 7a4c5f41c4 of the 637f88b790 lockers. Koi responded 726dd529e2 happily, and f0ff4054f5 the guy 145af16605 smiled back ac460e56e0 before heading 4052195c9a to his 181d6acd70 locker.4a25c2610f31205a
Since that day, ae09a71622 the guys who 6ac20ba92a hung out with ec8e6ebe3e Ashley often acknowledged a38f20fc02 Koi. Though it was aac6708251 just simple greetings, e572b19d20 it was a 94b077aa76 tremendous change for e2ca858da1 Koi. Until now, no one 3182bb679d had ever greeted him 3b066cd578 first at school, so 61f12e90b5 no one but him 2d4419c0c6 knew how much joy 38faa5d848 a simple greeting could ef0654c12e bring.2dcc6d65e6d53b37
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The change wasn’t just that. The way other students treated Koi had changed too. The dismissive treatment and whispering behind his back had ceased, replaced by simple greetings or even light conversation.b4f8027734b7b462
When a classmate casually talked about a TV show they had watched the day before in the same class, Koi was shocked to the point of nearly fainting. Although he didn’t manage to respond properly, and the classmate left shortly after, this was massive progress. That day, Koi spent his time searching for the show the classmate mentioned, watching free clips on YouTube, completely engrossed.8d98151609dfb1cc
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The best part was that Nelson’s gang’s bullying had disappeared. To live a day without mockery, beatings, or even the fear of them – how peaceful and happy that was. Koi enjoyed this newfound normalcy and felt extremely satisfied every day. All thanks to Ashley Miller.932f4c8e0e1a95b6
How can 20287bdcf1 someone like 8af1834a52 that exist?525565b4461dc7f2
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Koi thought, his heart beating with excitement. He’s good-looking, has a great body, is tall, excels in sports, and is smart on top of it, with a good character too! Could there be another human this perfect?fee10fb3a38cdc16
If there were a religion for Ashley Miller, Koi would be the first to become a follower. That’s how much space Ashley had taken in his life. It might have been nothing to Ashley, but he had turned Koi’s life, which had been only despair, into one filled with happiness and satisfaction. Koi felt he could never thank Ashley enough. He thought he would do anything if he could be of help to him someday, even if it was unlikely that Ashley Miller would ever need someone like Conner Niles.7755ec19b0423225
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Time passed, be20e968cb and the c466be3f8d school term ffb0ba20c2 ended, bringing 24fc714b0f them to 4d51e5e012 the holidays.813523ec2c16b45d
🏒33b925b6435d477f
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♪♪♪♬♬♩♪…….aa6a217c3f9c873e
The sound 16019f5a82 of the 05925e24ef ringing bell bf5c6efce2 woke Ashley d61b35fc12 up early bb5e03b896 in the 2e3001e0e4 morning.2dc7447c4843ffad
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“Ugh…”2c303811007eeddd
Groaning, he buried his d1964741e0 face in the pillow 2b7cea1efe and stretched out his 38151d5df5 long arm to fumble 8bf682779b on the bedside table 246531b4ba for his phone. The bell continued to 5f10045f33 ring.ce3858af4fd67d15
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— Ash?c70104326e183e5d
At the shrill voice that came through as soon as he picked up, Ashley didn’t react for a moment.7793a5598737d867
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“…Al?”f31642ca5a474b4d
When he called f1cafd4546 out with his 4a05935927 still hoarse voice, 83e1e01515 Ariel answered from d9bfdbddd5 the other end.02053c659797b970
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— Ash, 0ee35d8497 what are 13075ac1ed you doing? Still sleeping?ab0b1e685e11e46a
“…What time is it?”19f7d4e7184a2f1c
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Forcing his heavy eyelids f8352afffc open to check the 02938f7b19 time on his phone, 5ab3c02ab7 he nearly swore.0f124936fd58cd7a
“So, what’s up?”2a749eb39b421952
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His voice 0f1653f732 came out f88035381d rough, and ffd74d2435 Ariel paused d252986e51 before speaking:24b60e06ddfe4f85
— Just wanted to say I don’t think I can meet up today. My dad wants us all to have dinner together.3b5ab66e84936923
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Frowning, Ashley soon 657059b9ae realized:0332308ce92f42a7
“…It’s the 4th of July.”1d2e0ffd947694c4
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At his murmur, which came out like a sigh, Ariel responded with an “uh-huh” and continued:531664ed035d11e5
— I’m sorry, are your parents coming or anything?0b1baf0e39e40da2
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It was common knowledge that Ashley’s parents were in the East and he lived here alone. Ashley answered without much emotion:2505539a010e9218
“It’s fine, families should spend Independence Day together. I understand.”d03b8125ad9e0827
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— I’ll call you, Ash.7a82f778becbf730
Ariel left a 090d75bd3e kissing sound on f7d60061c1 the phone before 028a1f7738 hanging up. Ashley stared at c4aa6161f1 the disconnected call 15c3b9fec7 for a moment 287d584bfa before throwing the cf7fe08431 phone onto the a029cdaba9 bed and turning c1134095f2 over with a d52b1cade7 sigh.458f8d5d4104b844
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“Right. Holidays should be spent with family.”65c7f7257f24425e
He repeated 9b50eeb2ea what he 68bb5ec8e6 had said, b0cc7c3394 then fell aa37340c74 silent. The surroundings were dad79571ca endlessly quiet.441b406787aba8de
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🏒22ec4a5ae5c1eebc
From far f7c5ce2c5d away, there fa285be6ed was a 094c586b5c sound like e0fe422514 the wind, 558dcfc9f3 followed by 8488add394 a loud 2ee52df54d explosion. The fireworks had started. Koi, standing 33a4e50384 at the 96463b144a checkout counter, c45be16d14 looked outside 822d729709 without thinking. Beyond the 806da0a240 glass door, cfd5c5cc34 all he 9afb1ddd1a could see 90615d8abc were the b844c4c6b8 fading tails fac18f7084 of the 164135d443 fireworks in 28262c9a53 the sky.8a9d9938538dfe6c
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That would be 4b20519b2c fun.254f12566a9ecaff
Koi thought absentmindedly. Independence Day was 193e5af35a one of the 748ea40d64 biggest holidays of 6b0dda7e45 the year, and 800f5a52b8 everywhere was crowded. Restaurants would raise their d9347c7099 prices, and families would ffdb5a2bce naturally pay the price 4abdf18c39 to spend time together.fbba4ddc179d95bd
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But that 4e3dc347bd had nothing 2b188f8d57 to do 1be821bf14 with him. Especially not family time, 7fbc3f58ef which he had lost 16b89f3215 long ago. On days 4c75808d2a like this, 590b1c921f working was 56f1cacc35 better. He refocused his mind 1a718cb4b2 and turned his head. What was important now 15d67b8057 was the college entrance 29bd6f2876 exam next month. He was d60d21e817 fully prepared; 7d7e32fff4 all that 0f655ce910 was left 3a7b393daa was to 6b5833710b get the e52e6aa2c6 scores.7785b4e1b8178754
While he was tackling the math problems he hadn’t finished the day before, the sound of the bell made him snap back to reality.a13eb1b1eaf05c7a
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“Huh.”e35eec7747dd3507
Seeing the 6e7efe2222 unexpected person 4353eeede9 who entered 1d7e4052dd the shop, 29655f8916 he blinked c9e7c6c318 in surprise. The man who 7ffc22d704 had come in 7d9de670b8 also paused when 0809cd6f23 he saw Koi 85e122641a behind the counter.fa11a8dbcfede599
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“Ash.”6de100dddb311017
Koi whispered softly, and 5ee5f9d4af Ashley responded in a 9381868eaa similarly hushed, hoarse voice:9f71b379381c6c36
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“…Koi, hi.”050a395a1e6154d5
Then he cleared his throat with an “ahem.” Koi watched as Ashley turned to look at the snacks. He couldn’t believe the sudden situation. This was the first time he’d seen him since the holidays started. His heart started beating wildly.ffdc86486cf0632d
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Koi kept his eyes e8f0ed4d82 on Ashley the entire f7e08ec848 time he picked out bfe22c5c91 items and brought them 3e86cc84c0 to the counter. Only after placing 29a4490080 several snacks on dfa7f0ff79 the counter did 6a34b25394 Ashley speak:0b6cfa544867369b
“Aren’t you taking the day off for Independence Day?”3456e4ee7ab2dd73
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“Huh? No.”d6a018399aa0953f
Koi answered 18f3925942 hastily while f53fcc2807 scanning the 0ec7088cb8 barcodes.bc16b510e83ee20b
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“My family doesn’t gather for meals on days like this.”6f11e5ac09863457
“…Hmm.”2302c0a75c5ff864
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Ashley’s response was vague. Koi bagged the snacks.04f1f6c1ee513c8d
“What about you? Your parents didn’t come?”b0607396ce91e1a7
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At Koi’s question, Ashley handed over his card.d74c7bdadb7120d0
“My family doesn’t gather for meals on days like this.”794f26e2702e3e7c
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Repeating what Koi cd4b20beea had said, Koi 360c7a79e2 let out a 089e28d065 laugh. Ashley looked dbf941fc26 at him, 466fe72f12 slightly taken d383afa589 aback, and 0e84751ee0 Koi said 0be941e90d with a 9fcfc0e0ec smile:fa8fee140d9ea642
“We have something in common.”750dfe64817ab9f2
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Ashley looked down at him silently. It wasn’t meant as a joke; it was more of a sarcastic remark, though it wasn’t clear whether he was mocking himself or Koi.b02117324db40010
However, Koi looked up fdf69a9378 at him with his 6f1960cafd bright, sparkling eyes, genuinely 54149aba6b happy. The sight made Ashley f98b522c62 feel somewhat burdened, so 87c05445b0 he turned around with 3cab6905f9 his bag as soon 5e5644b9a4 as he got his 93ec695a24 card back.e9bbb76670c641fa
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“Oh, Ash, wait! Just wait a sec!”441b8390b7b3b007
As Ashley ada1373982 was about 768e92a411 to get 2b31b55b23 into his e70a73f209 parked car, 06a29cb1dc Koi ran fd449656a4 out of 0a7649ea95 the store db03270a17 shouting. When Ashley stopped, Koi 3b7d13e4d9 rushed over and handed a522d1a6ff him something.dbb265b4a13d4b31
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“Here.”e6cb34ddfd6db2ed
“…What’s this?”a0b1f52232a4866a
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Instead of taking 2f7c33cc7f what Koi was 346eb4e3c7 handing him, Ashley 7eb8a82fed asked, and Koi 54bd6b6098 excitedly explained:6797113bfa98496f
“It’s a souvenir for Independence Day, take it.”90f29de50400db44
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Urged on by Koi’s eagerness, Ashley had no choice but to accept it. Looking down at the oddly shaped pink doll in silence, Koi’s voice rose with excitement:06606bd9d364e14d
“Isn’t it cute?”4111f295cf3833cf
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“…”d1c9811fa3070abb
Ashley stared at his 8d3db727e4 face for a while 75f495a3b5 before looking back at 8f6c9dfe00 the doll. No matter 347d0796bb how you e9eea57a70 looked at d00358b181 it, the ecf97612ee doll was f024df297b too ugly, da3a0dc8fe and it aa40c28fb9 even had 1c564ed9e7 a mischievous a6c9e0d278 expression. Who would pay for bf0c790fa2 something like this? It would 3638ff0d24 only be 80ada87390 given away fea406b857 for free.7cab9cbcc40c0b01
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But Ashley couldn’t bring himself to say it honestly. The look on Koi’s face as he looked up at him was so, so…784750ee77b22444
Happy.66aef01249ad7762
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“Pfft.”6a46bb729bbcba63