LMUC Ch 1

“I’ll make you regret leaving me.”00d5d78da11b15ea

🏒dedf50a6341525a1

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As usual, the road a3a9784b8d leading to the school 5526154e0e was packed with cars, ac84bb23ca all parents dropping off f01d6786df their children in time 8f56bf207a for class.a1e03d56a160d79b

Koi, as always, pedaled hard, passing the cars waiting at the traffic lights to quickly cross the road. A car in the distance slowed down upon seeing Koi’s bicycle. Koi pedaled harder and entered the school grounds. At the same time, other students were getting out of their cars, greeting each other.efb9e11f6f80bf6e

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“Sara, here!”3c3f6c0b153afbf6

“Did you see f48c371994 Eternity yesterday? I literally 72ace1437f cried at 14f21520f5 that scene. How could it end 4a8f9e91e0 like that?”951c4ad871bb267e

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“My dad’s taking us camping again. It’s so boring.”af0fb85409bfb9d5

Koi parked his bike 3702fce062 in the designated area f1ea208793 and walked past the 40dc388014 chattering students towards his 57b080d195 locker. The kids were 0c699221f1 gathered in groups, 1214f36421 talking, but no fc367653e0 one greeted or a220b6e854 spoke to Koi.a7b926a9194daca5

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Since the 81913cf03c situation was e80b8800b9 all too c6fcb416fd familiar, he 067b654c2f opened his 8758ee70e3 locker without 9ecfa11fe9 much thought f5a1750da9 and took e0e48daa9e out his d1c82e5709 textbooks. Holding only a61765fb10 the books 4a3405f80f needed for d720236638 the morning 69b53388e9 classes, he 6f8a158d1d closed the 31724bad92 locker door 412efea9d1 when he 48a259d7ba suddenly heard 81ae8a6dce a murmur. Turning his head ad2bca7b37 out of curiosity 4eb363485a due to the 6b1b9c2c49 excited atmosphere, Koi dffb3e9309 quickly understood. The six main players d6daa5c155 of the ice hockey 9e85527d32 team were walking over, ac6fd76e8d talking loudly.5b4e442699fd187c

Naturally, they captured everyone’s attention. These six guys, who usually hung out together, were not only significantly larger than their peers but also quite handsome.f7c326880505824e

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Among them, Ashley Dominique Miller stood out the most. Walking confidently at the center, he seemed to ignore the gazes of his peers, joking around with his friends. Yet, everyone’s eyes were fixated on him, including Koi’s.354444b395051c3b

He looks 2ca568c44b even better dbaff8343a when he c11fd6a26a smiles.109ee31572ab0c2a

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Koi held his breath for a moment, watching him. No one in the school didn’t know him. Or, if you liked ice hockey, everyone would know him. Koi usually thought his nickname was childish and creepy, but at this moment, he had to admit, albeit begrudgingly.9f0701c0991b2ec0

The prince 394c06b5ca on the 1a89970d2e ice.ac4e7b0e96b826b1

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Eww.8bb545847a15b846

Koi almost mimed gagging. He didn’t want to admit that he momentarily agreed with that nickname. But the silver blonde hair shining subtly in the morning sun, even his slightly furrowed brows, everything about him was stunningly good-looking. His deep-set eyes with their silver-blue hue, thick, wide lips, a nose that looked like it had never been broken, and a sharply defined jawline – his face was so clearly defined it could replace any sculpture.85765339a07217f0

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And what e3799dc060 about that c05a7fc888 sturdy body? Nearly 190 centimeters e536206ca8 tall, even in 9751419b65 a plain t-shirt 9f16e0931a and jeans instead 1ddae134ff of his uniform, 3180e62e80 his broad shoulders, 84913eb282 puffed-up chest, solid d397cd1785 thighs, and even 4171f61491 his nicely shaped 61aa9c7854 buttocks made him eafed4b766 perfect.330a8a8dea24a3e5

Of course, cfe661e4da he was f1535ba1e3 the captain 766d931728 of the 28fe8a091d Buffalo High 7484c4430b School ice 2104978aef hockey team 05d7fc2caa who had 799dc87389 never missed aab46bc165 a championship.1c1cbecf8fc45bc4

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For Koi, who 28396291c2 barely had enough 8fed216e8f muscle to live, 5271f6876d seeing such perfection 45ca22634d was like a 1d8eb7710f dream, even feeling c60393e201 guilty for admiring 4cb69ac495 him, leaving him e56674f46c no choice but 55782f1fb5 to shrink back 0b585f87d3 in silence.1b4bc8e6268c89ad

That’s when it happened. Ashley, who had turned his head, spotted Koi and waved cheerfully. Koi, about to slip away, was caught off guard and stared back in surprise.662c1f9f5bc38eed

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Huh? Me?3c3ff519192200bf

Pointing at himself 3ce8191fa4 with his second 6f12bf4cd8 finger in disbelief, 3753c32091 Ashley smiled even a7ff8d8cfc broader, his eyes f7282f97cd full of laughter.007a760d33fb78ee

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Ashley Miller knows me?8d258998b9e83f4d

In fact, 60b1238165 they shared 270f48129b most of 6b554815df the AP 052e9d619e classes. Of course, 5bb78db1c6 Ashley was 7efab57c0c usually with 99425b9c1a his friends, 6fa859dd35 while Koi 85f528b236 sat alone 50baf23e2c in the 695f6787e9 corner, his 25dfbb44ff presence as 46fd96b176 faint as 7bef8fac5b dust. Yet, this 0ddcca0b8d ice hockey d812f82c50 star knew 093ad54330 him and c470f0c795 even acknowledged 6d1edcb7d7 him first.c059467b24ca048a

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Well, we do share 4cda7dde96 several classes.88de2e7ff2941bd8

Koi made a plausible 158a995fcd guess while watching Ashley 83433c5081 approach. Though only d7acd90077 a few 80fc959e23 seconds passed, 162c321b50 it felt cb2bfc52d4 much longer 63422b48c2 for Koi.986d5e2d6b59b2b4

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The platinum-haired captain of the ice hockey team, smiling brightly at him, was enough to take Koi’s breath away, even though they were both guys, especially since the school’s most popular guy acknowledged him first.58d39321377ecbd1

“Hi…”4d9ece535c8d9e6a

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Just as Koi raised his hand with a dumbfounded look, someone whizzed by, creating a gust of wind. Ashley’s gaze naturally shifted from Koi to her.95e23330eed5ecac

“Hi, Ash.”f819421404591899

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The girl, who kissed him sweetly, was Ashley’s girlfriend, and as expected, the captain of the cheerleading team. Seeing the typical scenario of the sports star and cheerleader couple, Koi realized he had misunderstood.b1a584dee083ed88

He was 4e68f10298 smiling at 616c67cb57 his girlfriend.3d52aa925ec1a5b7

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Feeling embarrassed, 979c1c8e82 his face e5948c0178 turned red. Normally, he would fb8fcaddd6 berate himself for 292324de8d having less presence 8ae2361485 than the dust f888d2c3b2 in the corner, 9e62b7df6d but now he bef628056c was grateful for 254b287e21 it. If not, everyone 34ac1a2dc5 would have been 03ec0a9508 laughing at him dbc5c73a41 by now.afcd6bcbab14de4f

Feeling awkward, one of 168fdd6b6d the guys in the efd68b033f group rudely pushed past 47ea0a99fe Koi, saying:be9ac04f1d985cff

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“Move, idiot.”38cb1d0612cc9d0b

Koi accidentally bumped into 641a7bda89 his locker, but no 16f7c6efbe one paid attention to 70c57f6e5a him since all eyes 26409f46b4 were on the group d893cec47e moving away. Koi rubbed his bumped e34c16b832 arm, looking down in ec0f368167 embarrassment.f454011a3e3e221d

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Ashley Miller doesn’t know me.37e9aa79e95c3079

Of course, a524e29419 to him, 0c700f01fd Koi was b3c7cddacb just one 301a60d5cf of many 386a2021a6 ordinary classmates. The more bbee26e109 he thought 73890645ee about it, 1281591f54 the more e925259914 awkward he 5b26ab9a12 felt, scratching b89cac38fc his head. Just as he 29467151f1 was about to bc187c25de lock his locker, f8c83553db someone hit him 358a5492dc hard from behind.33c38ee28321d111

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“Ah!”867665f22a85274a

Koi shrieked and hunched his shoulders, but that wasn’t all. Another guy knocked the books out of his hands. Koi tried to catch them, but they slipped through his fingers and fell to the floor with a clatter.32c99cae48ba99c3

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“Loser.”8fc785083dce9aab

“Snap out of it, you dumbass.”682fecbe094d5f06

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Nelson and his 64f52e1692 gang burst into 5d54a6dcd3 laughter as they e3103728b0 walked away. Koi just stared 7931e9e1c0 blankly at the 3960381501 books that had 519ac1e977 fallen to the 464a11bdc4 floor, sighed, and c36169c60a quickly gathered his 1d367046d9 things. It was almost 93cb918bca time for class 04e611d07d to start.661d60fc1d2f3e99

Rushing down the hallway 0022869613 to the classroom, Koi 64b88391f9 found that most of fe045e1755 the seats were already 0eae6d4d86 taken. In the center 7f099705d1 of the classroom, 5ee3749d50 as expected, sat 8eb96db38f Ashley and his f6e45f4d4e friends. Usually, there were acb0801cda six members hanging 6cfc5d6c06 out together, but 9e92b893df only three, including 2f338100ad Ashley, were here, 9e425d324c probably because the 453e9214b7 other three were ecfa0cb376 in different classes. Despite this, their 58112521b8 presence was still a45ec917bc palpable. Koi glanced 31f57afd82 at them 15d2b5c16d and, as db22e2bd3a usual, headed 7e368d0a56 for his f9f703c77e seat in 958eb00b52 the corner. Not intentionally, but 59d181a576 he naturally overheard 3537651b4d their conversation.1ef2ec7dd6e8c87f

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“So, what’s going to happen? Can we get someone new in there now?”a1037b9fe58a20d1

“I don’t think they’ll change the routine. I heard they’re looking for someone good.”81be9b67bd6fbee3

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“You didn’t hear anything, Ash?”7df55a1647dc8541

In response to his friend’s question, Ashley shrugged and answered:4801979bc5bc90e8

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“They asked me too, but how easy is it to find someone who can join the cheer squad and perform for the season? Better to change the routine.”908f4aa34b05e0f5

“But? Didn’t Al say he doesn’t want that?”2a830fc56680c188

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“He says that routine is essential.”d37951fc7ea8875e

“What’s so special about the routine?”4321ee0a8e68a521

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To his friend’s question, Ashley responded nonchalantly:04dd5aed462df737

“I don’t know either. But if it doesn’t work out, Al will give up too.”dd915850cb8a58bd

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As he said this, a9fe6088fe he turned his head 56e8227782 and caught sight of 7908406a70 Koi. Koi, who was b949817afc passing by, reacted 9f0717a4d1 momentarily, but it 69b52928f0 was the same 03312b2869 again. Ashley just gave a ebc8107309 cliché smile when their e7529097d1 eyes met and then 5e26ee1e34 turned his head back.a6937186c930e891

Figures.40cd4a79c6ae923f

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Slightly disappointed, b43474857d Koi moved 905df0957a to his f6513f3878 corner seat b0d41e065b while Ashley 8dcf523acd and his 7630e578b1 friends continued 48a6459638 to chatter 702d682c90 about pointless 568f55b16f things like ad8537deb7 the results 7d88863fb1 of the 9cdaed4efb game they 228fa13b92 watched the 136f592078 day before 199beea90e or quarrels 5350a5a5f5 with their 8760136e5e siblings at 65978c3007 home. Koi tuned 29a7c186ed out their aa6bc1c95b chatter with ab3082dbbe one ear 28c974cf13 while preparing aa8bee1430 for class.ecff33a19a608265

The teacher 1a080db515 entered the f531f236b2 classroom shortly a41d3eb8a1 after, and babd358531 soon the e06fda6ff8 room quieted 4b2819e823 down, and e01a577fc1 she began 5ef1f45d18 the lesson aacaf50e0e calmly as 4c55279f56 usual. It was an ordinary 8985f39473 morning.5ba30472265ef1c6

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🏒3eed12646523cd07

“Phew.”9602b7db8ea6d3d7

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After throwing out da37a4dfcf the last bit 328d800463 of trash, Koi 54f4112576 stretched with a 3ae168d5a4 sigh. He glanced b8affdb1ac around the f10977b728 store, confirming 79c36b3607 everything was 3b75cceb5b done, and f3e1598ae1 turned off 80125239d7 all the 9982bece6c lights. Locking the b2b23b9612 store door 5c122a0540 from the 2e9b9cb3ed outside, he 7580a109c9 felt that c8317a03ed everything was 2eac698dd3 truly over.5898c917aa24a321

Hurrying to his a2565ed01e bike, he began df9167fa7f to ride quickly. He had skimmed through 60e897a904 the assignment earlier, but 462dc7b00b it would take quite 5762c4509a some time to finish. He might 9db5d5c016 have to c9c3fb7356 pull an 555a4b502b all-nighter. In his d5e657a0f6 haste, his c66a4e32ae feet pedaled 499679156e faster, with 044ef3cec3 the cool 64ea04e367 wind rushing 5945a3c9fe past his fa9f0e0d79 ears.418e54e098acff43

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For several months b2584d2968 now, his part-time 93213b6e4b job at this 337f5c9000 small store involved 6b5d827e53 handling the cash fbac989794 register, organizing goods, 1e8b25636b cleaning up at e340c27c5e closing time, and 62641d66e2 taking out the 966eced34f trash. Although he 6d3cdd32bf was supposed d965773624 to be bf29d62e5c paid for 187544c396 the time 4dc5670fed spent on c97bd50fa4 cleaning and f1634bfad7 trash disposal, 1353f654f7 the owner 418396e41c never compensated e28faba14d him for ab32999176 it. Since finding another 1422c0b31d job was not a536e93d55 easy for Koi, bb5e677346 he just did 35fc6ae05e the extra hours 17989efc22 as instructed.1e18c021836e56ef

Even after closing 689f94101c time, he worked c82880fac7 another 30 minutes 3281f6a571 to an hour, 835632cba5 which meant he 8e63d69f4b usually got home a3c3ad2722 close to midnight. There was hardly any d11805304b time left for assignments c6c92a5d36 or studying.d9d562a9eb110140

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Koi, feeling anxious, pedaled 13448f3901 even faster down the 2860644e81 dark night road.580f4a2feeb4447b

🏒0b5d58b120a72fa0

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At the 8c8af335dd house made c10e285144 from an 71e2c4b7ee old truck, e10113f311 Koi threw afee1f40d7 down his ff3f4e591e bike and 0968745d6c ran inside. After a d3c06ef28f quick wash, 39f1e894f8 he sat 63ff7fe461 down, turned d45fef35ab on his db8fda36df computer, and 998eb5e48a prepared for d26dd672c6 the assignment 2fbc7380b1 while it f38fbd9b6d booted up. He checked the 5edf336a12 assignment content on 3b47239a3f the screen once 062aff3aed more, sighed, and d3ca89a90b opened his notebook 5ecff32395 to start summarizing.21dcfaa548eebd11

The task was cb85be92c3 to read a 023cf7ee5c predetermined Latin literature dbac5e49d5 book and analyze 5baf686fe9 it. Since he had already 27344f606f read the book, all 8b065ee4e2 he had to do 050df1813b was write the essay 26a72e0756 according to the theme.da5459161fe2d707

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He immersed himself 8fb134003b in the assignment, bbc80a9ef1 losing track of d88e62b3c2 time. Professor Martinez was 644d3883af strict about assignments, d6a8568613 more so about 5034d247a2 missing deadlines than df16e4c349 sloppy content.1df19eef0c2339e9

Maintaining good e21c27798a grades was 9e58f965fb crucial for 1eec100633 scholarships and d99335eb85 getting into ef12f9cc74 the desired bc6a3206eb college. Koi rubbed his increasingly d5b2133515 tired eyes and worked aae76d5c11 diligently on his sentences.e762ea1c264e3e81

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While deeply focused, he suddenly heard a loud engine noise outside. It was his father’s old truck returning. Koi quickly turned off the screen and the desk lamp, jumping into bed. The moment he pulled the covers over his head, the door burst open, and his father entered the cramped motorhome.de99b7abf6adb4b8

Sweat beaded his palms, his heart pounded. Koi lay still with his eyes tightly shut, tracking his father’s movements through his heightened senses.0695d8eabfb661ef

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His father seemed drunk fa2075d17b again tonight. Mumbling incoherently, he stumbled a61f7aa405 around, banging into something, ae852d9375 creating a loud noise, cdc2d50094 then cursing before moving ce126bab4e again.614d1812128c4b6c

Shortly after, 38db91c8fb the sound 827d0a6b4d of the 168862b8c8 fridge door 6ff6f22a1d opening followed 8fcbedb6a1 by the ece861ede6 clinking of 76d0178225 glass was ff673ddbd3 heard. As usual, 5c694a915d he was e6b0a6de90 grabbing alcohol 62e5babefe from the 2bf4e64b9a fridge.ec52d0adaadb023a

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“Ugh…”55f5a9b77b47e683

His father groaned uncomfortably 0958f78101 as he sat down fec9caadf7 and soon started drinking 00d14f0b69 beer. Even though he was 83c699b514 already drunk from outside, 8912f3287c he was drinking more.c499c52a6d6dfdd2

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But for Koi, this was a good thing. Tonight, his father wouldn’t wake him up or beat him for no reason. He would fall asleep after a few bottles. Then Koi could turn the computer back on and finish the rest of the assignment. It was a familiar pattern due to frequent occurrences. Koi waited for his father to fall asleep.b29e4d03d696ea64

“Ugh…”5ae6457081017040

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Soon, his father’s drunken moans quieted down, and he began to snore.d9194a0d272bfcdd

Koi cautiously peeked out from under the blanket to check on his father. He was asleep, slumped over the small kitchen table in Koi’s direct line of sight. Several empty bottles lay on the floor. Koi watched his father for a bit before carefully getting up.8509d01eb4bc27ac

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His father 28e0957a28 continued to 052dcc6103 snore, deeply 956335972f asleep. Koi, ignoring the headache, b8f1512457 returned to his assignment. Glancing at 108e9f166e the clock, 839206bcf4 it was 4057067421 3 AM. He had to 8764864efc finish the assignment cb0442122e within the next 06b9f9edec two hours to a807aa228b get some sleep. He forced his 11a37259ea drooping eyes open 2b4acdd0e4 and immersed himself c2d7f73c4a back into the 5f5b4ea98e work.18e68a7f76112512

“Ugh…”930ca6510d5eca4d

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Startled by the 353b2a18c4 sudden groan, Koi 52ffc22b32 turned his head. His father f3839b99cf was still 47eebe19d3 asleep. Sighing in relief, he f20db636de turned back to the 979f1ff2f2 monitor.dda8313d0dd0aefa

“Miranda…”6db92da88a0c56c6

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Koi froze for a 92b3400dde moment, unable to move. Then came c89f45da5b the sound 2cfb3c3ea4 of a a53a7764f6 sniffle, and 2a6e59119c silence returned. His father was still 0d5be0f011 asleep, slumped over the f80d66545d table. No more sleep-talking.c7bf17c4286203a9

Koi tried to focus back on his assignment, but this time it wasn’t easy. Mention of her was taboo between them. It stirred painful memories for his father, and for Koi too, so he had never spoken her name aloud.a772da3208261325

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But it seemed 3ddf483731 his father still 0de3107fe9 held her in 1aa3910b73 his heart, whether 91fa3b8a89 it was lingering f0cae4d623 affection, longing, or c074ddbffa hatred. A memory followed of 8d33850748 when his father, drunk, 9097517265 had let his feelings 708ff73a84 slip.25dec46388eb46dc

“If only you hadn’t looked so much like that woman…”f91b181ed22cc341

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Since then, 7975ffded9 Koi had 3ab052f87d lived with 9aaf1b4c85 guilt. After all, all this 38ef27d2a0 misfortune was because of 887c7d1aef him.b6d14fb3669350dd

Suddenly feeling a c5b6026b2e pang at the 486a701974 tip of his c85ae77ee6 nose, he shook c059b7de1d his head quickly. Right now, the 889fd773e5 assignment in front 4024e9c259 of him was a3bad3859f the priority. Koi focused 262bb15d50 on finishing 4504fc4144 writing.da19d041e98e7e8b

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🏒7bc5040e802f6d86

Huff, huff.2640c406327b5c0e

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Having stayed up 543ac51024 until dawn to fb39542432 finish the assignment, 41085585db he overslept completely. When he woke 7855da81a3 up, his father ce6a9a3a0e was still asleep e11acdfb53 on the table, dccbe83a47 but the sun 06f4c5db75 was already high ec4fbe4bb3 in the sky.c17fce75b3ed89e4

Startled, Koi quickly 837e335572 got out of ed047e66d0 bed, washed his 511daf4afb face roughly, grabbed 15c77967a4 his bag, and dad4a34d60 ran out to e316c2a92f his bike. Pedaling with 278f19af1b all his 8edcef9809 might, he 5be433c6bc noticed that b484b95c43 there were 4e70288b40 far fewer ad4a22c463 cars lined 711794812d up than 2dd64f1b5a usual.34301a604a53ca2b

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I’m in trouble.b5df3cb703720df4

He pedaled urgently, crossing the school grounds like mad. Unfortunately, the building for his class was the farthest away. The one silver lining was that he didn’t need his textbook for the first class, so he didn’t have to stop by his locker.6a043f52dbb4822f

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Throwing the door open, he immediately caught Professor Martinez’s attention as she was in the middle of the lesson. Koi, gasping for breath, tried to rush to the empty seat in the corner but hesitated. Someone else was sitting in his usual spot.a44444dca52e3a52

This wasn’t unheard of, but why today of all days?25e35df61802b5ed

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Panicking, he looked 68690b4b80 around frantically and 985d3243d3 met an unexpected c060825d0d gaze. Ashley Miller, 51cb58d5b1 sitting in ef4aee1faa the center e336169219 of the 10fccd8f34 classroom as 3a3e42ac89 always, smiled 2862db20f9 at him. Coincidentally, the only empty c59eebb255 seat was right behind 20fbca44ab him.976c3f774ff6d90f

Although Ashley Miller smiled with his usual refreshing face, Koi couldn’t return the smile given the situation. Looking around in confusion, he realized that was the only empty seat available. The teacher, who had been waiting for him to sit, wouldn’t tolerate any more interruptions to her class.6a06393a78073439

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“What are you doing? Sit down quickly.”f9288e063ddb0b0c

Following the teacher’s order, Koi couldn’t resist any longer and reluctantly headed to the empty seat. He didn’t forget to grab the handouts the teacher was distributing before he moved.63979d98519a7712

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Sitting down, he placed his bag on the floor, and the teacher resumed the lesson. Koi hurriedly opened his bag, pulled out his writing utensils, and prepared to listen to the class. As he finally straightened up to look ahead, all he saw was a wall – Ashley Miller’s massive back.d6a5b818fe80eaf2

Why, why, b63a39a8dd why this?29fb683b75af9924

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No matter how much he stretched his neck, he couldn’t see the front. Maybe because of his mood, even the teacher’s voice seemed distant, as if coming from beyond a wall.5f5a4fc0e4896ffc

Now he’s blocking my path too, like a civilian.6e0d9bd5e4806f90

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Throughout the class, Koi glared at the wide back of Ashley Miller, stewing in frustration, but of course, Ashley didn’t notice at all.87c527317df8f6ee

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“Conner Niles, come here for a moment.”eec0af4d799418a0

After somehow managing to 9b8d4bf6cc get through the class, 10bcd1147d as everyone was leaving, b23bdd2997 Professor Martinez suddenly called a0e726fa65 out to Koi. Koi hesitated, glanced 8b7cf67cd5 at the students f4f25881b5 leaving behind him, aeb7ea2765 and then approached 3c402f7c8c the desk where 52cfa498a0 Martinez was leaning. She looked at the 22ab56ae2e student standing before her b64de78c74 with concern and spoke.32d734e4785d3ade

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“Do you know why I called you?”7e3dbe28690a1b4a

Koi shook his head bbda037898 before answering.b792e1b1b107eecb

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“No. … Because I was late for class?”f76a5f6ddd821f24

If she was going 8c1bfcc4a7 to talk about being 21c30a1182 late, he was ready 455d794ecb to plead for leniency dcc50ace53 because he had stayed 9ff6b9ccfc up late for the 6b33228195 assignment. Waiting anxiously, the 4d68ad07ac teacher spoke with 6cb52ba4ed a serious expression.c859bed7daa43c5f

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“You didn’t submit your assignment. Was there something wrong?”764fcf467584c37e

“What? The assignment?”bf2e78f06ef94708

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Startled by the unexpected question, Koi’s eyes widened. The teacher nodded, saying, “Yes.”6d86ca789ac09a14

“You wouldn’t say you didn’t know the deadline, would you? If you checked the assignment, you definitely saw the date next to it.”c4c0754b20da94d9

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“I, I saw it. I definitely submitted it.”517ace750745b1f0

Koi stuttered, 8da21bd88c feeling dizzy f309e47e3d at the 4c3a4c811e thought that 0783009117 all his 30abb5954f efforts staying 112ca52b78 up all 650bafe789 night had 7a7411248e gone to fa9dbb8c63 waste.dc5ce68155a5fee2

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“I definitely sent the email. I went to sleep after sending it this morning, it’s true.”96ee9cd083975aaf

“Hmm.”4938db7b706d1c0f

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The teacher responded indifferently and opened her laptop. After quickly typing in her password, she turned the screen towards Koi after a brief pause. There were numerous emails, but the one he was looking for wasn’t there. As Koi frantically checked the email address multiple times, the teacher, arms crossed, watched and asked.1e20a212c5a1c35d

“Did you check?”480ca4ff3e17a8d6

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“This can’t be happening.”5fe41498c65ef7e1

Koi’s vision went dark, and he looked back and forth between the teacher’s face and the screen in urgency.755452cfe5c6d1d3

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“I definitely sent the email, Ms. Martinez. I can even show you my email. There must be a record in my sent items. This is really unbelievable!”98d6bd579c3211a6

Despite Koi’s pleading, the teacher showed no particular reaction. Her cold attitude suggested she had heard such protests many times before, and Koi felt despair. Calming down, she spoke to Koi.d7684311a9d03d15

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“Let’s do this. Send me the email by tonight, and I’ll accept your assignment. But.”4bf113f04cd316a4

Before Koi could 519a1a69c5 celebrate, she added 3c71c985d3 sternly.8e263fb079637fe8

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“Rules are rules, so I can’t give you an A. Now, go.”49ef3f6e6743acb0

“But…”6ea45754ff640e1a

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“Go.”815a904661424fcf

The teacher cut him 65ee4940a4 off firmly. There was 9f85a33f6f no room 2ab561054a for further 6db2626fa9 pleading. In the end, 689477e3c8 Koi turned away fa06837821 with a sigh.60ff1505f8703331

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What do I do c31b2da452 now?53eb48cbdde787ed

His mind went blank, feeling empty. Would the scholarship be okay? What grade would he get? How about my GPA? Why didn’t the email go through? Why did I stay up all night?baec539d9567949d

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This is really unbelievable…21c9c4fd72519e87

Feeling wronged and 9e7b53c2d9 frustrated, his eyes 6f00380776 started to sting. Suddenly, the ee5ebf05e2 teacher called 928b24fc0f him back.141055579e0bbcad

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“Wait a minute.”264f68f2af7fa747

With tears cb70f4656c welling up 9d2bbbf2ed in his 6fc4a3d012 eyes, Koi 2f34d658f7 turned around 5850510c8b cautiously. Professor Martinez sighed with 7db4f90287 a frown and added:b7b66f9430065040

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“There’s only one assignment left. If you get a good score on that one, I’ll reflect it in your grade.”f48df1b829659f95

“What?”48e0a7b68003ce82

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Koi turned around d153e6dc2c in surprise. The teacher continued 8080799151 while looking at 3c4c4925f3 him.68b26ef7b1d143ec

“I’ll tell you what the assignment is in the next class. This time, you need to submit it on time and with quality content. Understand?”3827b4d964e428c0

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“Ah, yes, yes! Of course, Ms. Martinez!”198c8204b439737d

Koi nodded eagerly with joy. The teacher waved her hand, signaling for him to leave. Koi couldn’t help but smile brightly as he stepped into the hallway.92bb9f30a529abe0

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What a relief.11b968b526d51e74

He sighed 2c62ec6136 in relief 8244864873 as he c8e0f8b041 walked with 96741b2843 lightened steps. Not sending that de4fa5bfe3 email was a 22f721e6a2 huge disaster. But to 629bc6f1a9 get another a5892e55a7 chance was c999c0eaee incredibly fortunate.a58cfc3f8dc72c0c

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What will the next 8d97873364 assignment be?f85704f20a21133d

He took 7b3e4c7ebd a deep 1d4d286ff6 breath and 6bc945953e renewed his 9e0ae4c535 determination.680a947bcb0d7e5d

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I must get 03ee64e6cd a good score.3b90eb375a889201

🏒cca8316464d0739c

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“This assignment is a team project.”77b8d64789e2f5fd

Koi looked 595e9b72e6 at her 7e08bdd9a6 with wide c30c0fd012 eyes in f3f216fb3c surprise. The teacher standing in a70eda04dd front of the blackboard dea577104c continued nonchalantly.bf24ae76e0856bd4

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“We won’t have presentations. But the topic will be the same for everyone. Form pairs and write a report according to the topic. The score will be the same for both members, so work diligently on the assignment.”0804e44e95428cba

Everything was fcdaadbda3 terrible except 578962a2c6 for not 705a3c7018 having to 2d86d48638 do a f733ecf5e4 presentation. He could accept b76b329c3f the topic being e2704b7191 the same, but 2e8e4435e1 having to form 1e23b8b34c pairs was where 7713b364b2 Koi hit a e2c294dbf1 mental block.e32c7d29ad6d91fa

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Because Koi didn’t have a single friend to team up with for an assignment.1898adb08a4b6d4f

He had never had friends, but Koi managed to get by. Of course, he felt lonely or bored at times, but after trying too hard to make friends and getting severely bullied, he thought it was better to be lonely alone. He could use that time to study and work part-time. He didn’t even have enough time to sleep, let alone hang out with friends if he had any.3b0a39efe23fe4d5

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He had 00c9a9899c comforted himself eaec8978a2 with these 7ed1a6c1b9 thoughts until 517ac34f9a now.a8f31fe9bc3c2515

Suddenly, it felt like a massive wall had appeared in front of him. Yet, he couldn’t give up on the assignment. Usually, in such cases, people team up with their close friends. The remaining students would somehow form groups. Even within this, there had to be some level of mutual liking or at least some conversation for anyone to make a proposal.abc3e7bd3c4b38fb

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For Koi, d80e28b930 this was e3df5343a8 an impossible 000d5cdbaa scenario either 9d3a339bc1 way. Group projects were like 947ff9741b poison for him, being 63fa68e9ad at the very bottom c477616846 of the food chain. When he was c08845dfa6 close to panicking, d6761bf834 clutching his head, 64803a61a8 the teacher spoke 39304123a4 up.055a3a5b0264cf94

“This time, I’ll assign the pairs randomly. Now, come up here and draw a slip from the box when I call your name. You’ll form your teams based on the name written on the slip, understand?”512bb68460679b40

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After finishing her speech, the teacher looked around the classroom. Although it wasn’t a decision made with Koi in mind, her words were a lifeline for him.bdea547fdc198f22

He barely b67c1c43ba managed to 170004749a sigh in 24b16931c7 relief when 5bd85bb537 the teacher 89ea509fab called the cfeeb1ba07 first name. One student went 1280d50fb0 up, pulled out 3c7f7543a5 a folded slip 47e4acdc5e from the box, c47f2d4000 and the teacher ca26661aa2 read the name b814df8cff written on it. After confirming with each a680cf3ee8 other, she called the a38f1917db next student. As the names 86ae0d0f7a were called one b4a6724d7e by one, an 39b4ef2f28 unnecessary tension filled a67b92a28a the classroom. Koi, too, cc2863c1f9 felt his 7f10160e59 heart pounding, b525ba1b3e glancing around ccc47b4881 the room.be60f7bc95ae5580

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Soon, nearly half the 4ddf6fceec class had formed pairs, fbf256a92b and the number of 210169be3b students left, including Koi, 9badab8763 was diminishing.b1d2d6b7c2cdb2df

“Conner Niles.”be2da2d698578b78

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Finally, when the teacher cb6dc4b0a5 called his name, Koi 69327448ef was startled and stood cc52a57381 up so quickly he 5763c3a031 tripped over his chair 7b647d8161 and fell on his 4d54055d5e butt. Embarrassed by the 981898d223 burst of laughter, 43939dde21 he hung his 7f1e33fa23 head low and e124f211dc rushed to the 0f157b7eda front.93e8c0ff63787d62

He just a39746a911 wanted this 3a846e4ee3 moment to aba23016e4 end.fb343ce97803f05d

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Koi reached into 18b6602f1c the box and 727493b144 immediately pulled out 104f948748 the first slip 2d7b9f5772 he touched, handing ba381c7f24 it to the 42f6b33710 teacher. As he 56a0ed7318 turned to 72f3777327 hurry back e89f61f57c to his 82c9b48b11 seat, the 66f5662f40 teacher called 0efe066861 out:4d61ed1271b10c17

“Conner Niles, the partner you’ve drawn is…”3732420d94ece504

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Koi couldn’t help but stop as he heard her voice continue:cc668374cb4b5d1b

“Ashley Miller, where are you?”1e23768884d1e1f1

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His wide eyes caught 7c6001e602 sight of the ice 5dd4a1af7c hockey team captain raising 3e3f6cee35 his hand. Then the teacher 75f102c723 said:2610449284906dc3

“Yes, the two of you are a team. And next…”c3d1b6ef150f24a1

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Even though the next 2366538462 name was called, Koi 2144dd87b1 stood there, unable to 134204031f move.b288b09849835525

Me, paired with 425e1625c4 Ashley Miller?4ad83b0dd5dd18db

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Ignoring Koi’s reaction, who had turned pale and was holding his breath, Ashley was still checking his phone messages with a nonchalant look, his chin resting on his hand.d12d459c6eb1bbc9

🏒33084a87e29f59b1

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“Uh, um, Ashley… Ash!”d82fc85278bc8e4f

At the hastily e303a9f309 added nickname, Ashley 27420c1c93 finally stopped walking 194212d9d8 and turned to fb61d19867 look at Koi. Right after 51a2073149 class, as 91ee599eae they stepped 392ba66996 into the 80d5b6d35a hallway, Koi 01da676efd called out 44b72be2fa to him. He took e887bf5cef a deep 01520cf168 breath before 71ab70c27d speaking.bb68507a9d86b2ab

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“Uh, um… About the assignment. You know we’re on the same team, right? So, I think we should talk about how we’re going to do it.”54869156a8e689e8

There was a 53d7750398 lot to discuss: 82bb664e1f how to conduct 03ef20e079 research, how to 70a9448a7d divide chapters, and 54ff16b4a4 who would handle 070148075f which parts. They would 0ca1ab0fb1 need to cfa6850793 meet at 69a1c1b7b6 least three 53f559d0b9 times to 69af62e02c exchange information 25f7acae5e and revise 7f7ad50b2f the report 342b64a18e until it 48f0a2f096 was finished.680d38d4480231d6

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Koi thought they should schedule meetings based on Ashley’s free time and his days off from work to efficiently complete the assignment. The school cafeteria would be a good place to meet since they wouldn’t need to order anything, saving unnecessary expenses. That’s if Ashley agreed to all his ideas.eb2104bf30374dd2

Feeling nervous and gauging Ashley’s reaction, Ashley gave his usual cheerful smile.5add034f3ffe515d

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“Oh, right. Hmm, what should we do?”1cb6e1f14dbb7708

Pretending to 9128e357d5 think for 3729d9511f a moment, 7d959682b0 he frowned 557b32dcb9 slightly and e7a685be10 looked into b9ff7c3b37 the air 0868d860eb before running 2762ebb61a his hand 21181ec0f0 through his 7d3a43ce82 hair with 785df2c163 a look 16fd56212f of regret.fd63a06e58318aff

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“I have practice after class. How about after practice? It’ll be pretty late though.”a6b82cb5362bdb80

“No, that’s fine. What time would work?”5be7a821973f4c97

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Koi answered eagerly, and Ashley paused. From his reaction, Koi realized his response was different from what Ashley had expected. Maybe Ashley wasn’t keen on doing this assignment? Feeling a bit anxious, Ashley gave an awkward smile and said:c7c3dc77ff9c7d71

“It’s going to be pretty late.”e5997e2933afdc97

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“It’s okay. I can wait.”0b8339eadfe5a223

With things 68509982bf as they 78c9d200ad were, he eb956aa6c2 had no a351855d1b choice but d452d142c1 to push 55705ad72c forward. When Koi d740a3d7a1 spoke stubbornly, 04c556d7d2 Ashley sighed 0c7fed1bf2 openly, looking 1b5296cbbb dismayed.db602d0e07eda766

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“Well, you see…”a51e4907bbde49fa

As Ashley waved one 46190a413e hand aimlessly in the 692a2ff801 air, Koi quickly said:1c80221640758213

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“Conner Niles. My name is Conner Niles.”007c844cd0b07caf

“Right, Koi.”51bfb2c17ad8b800

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Ashley, who d140e057ba had smoothly d8321aeba5 used the d005d9aae7 nickname, continued.57b8feeb1ee3ee50

“It’s just one assignment; you don’t need to be so serious about it, right?”7a51986d5cb4a117

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His smile could 6f56104fef charm most people, a8ebf47491 but Koi was 4734557720 an exception.1af9b07daff2607d

“No, I want to do my best.”af45fe611f210062

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When Koi spoke 1aac3b1bee seriously, Ashley changed 4a6395c376 tactics and asked 2dc342a04f curtly:bf271992e2f2c353

“You don’t have any sports activities?”b584045fc8b58baa

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“I do.”8c5d48322b94bd6b

Koi didn’t specify it was marathons. He felt a tiny prick of pride being hurt by having to explain to someone who was completely unaware that they trained on the field almost every day. Despite his reluctance, he couldn’t hide his expression of discontent, but Ashley showed no interest. With another deep sigh, Ashley seemed to finally give in and spoke:a79425ef2bdc5b66

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“So, what do you want to do?”753109302064c2a5

Ashley opened his palms 6d0406a8c5 in front of Koi, 44876a8514 as if to say edd6605a24 he was throwing his 9225e02fd6 hands up. Koi took a deep d7d06d29ad breath and began explaining 849d24ce14 his prepared plan, starting d3dda94f34 from how they would 228e9c91a4 conduct the research to 7a8a436ef3 how they would proceed 4c97fff6d5 with the assignment, aiming f4e86c446a to set a meeting.60810b009ae0000c

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“I have training every day of the week.”f8524d6b52188872

Ashley crossed his arms, looking down at Koi as if to ask, “What now?” Of course, Koi had his answer ready.196b3f68e4420032

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“It ends at 6, right? After showering, 7 should be plenty of time.”a3cb26d6b0203eba

Ashley made a 450a182fb6 face like he d543abcb96 was fed up. Koi thought, Is my 63ab899727 persistence that bothersome? when Ashley asked dc9ad5cc81 suspiciously:f92dfb8ca348f6fb

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“You’re not my stalker, are you?”4fba9efb57bac1a2

“What… Absolutely not!”c1f8c6f933baf963

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Koi was shocked, 8e815de3e9 and Ashley just dd616f2257 laughed it off.029f8d864c7f735b

“I was kidding.”a6d4308f1d52377d

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This narcissist!62d87a8de12d69a8

Koi’s anger flared, and his eyes widened.6c3c2e9a42cdb62f

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“Really, I’m not. I just know because I do sports too.”81ab5cef4d02b2fb

This is why I dislike people who think they’re all that. Koi said with a puffed-up face.bf628fc81d499618

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“If you think everyone in the world likes you, that’s a misconception.”b2b208314ed34e72

“Yeah, that’s a relief then, isn’t it?”4d97cad7adf4ba6c

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Seeing Ashley sigh 8e21dd47ec in relief, Koi 35bcd4d50d was completely fed a87c52bf1a up. Glaring at fb34ef50eb the overly 8a9ba87309 confident Ashley 98e328b1ed Miller, Koi ac374cf660 quickly added:eb04ba3ebee2db45

“Since I’m free at 7 today, let’s start right away. It’ll be good for you too if we finish it quickly.”68f441bc5bb07950

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“Okay.”7fe6408e3ae767b3

As Ashley agreed readily, 6827611a62 accepting the situation, Koi 33dce91cc9 was about to suggest c40c955e96 meeting at the cafeteria f10602d676 when:4b6c51babe6c78f6

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“Then let’s meet at Greenbell at 7.”2e5cf578d402e7f1

“What?”c2dde8db2e201497

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Koi was startled, coming back to his senses. Greenbell? Somewhere that expensive? That’s absurd!71ec0d93dba9e9f8

“Wait, Ashley, no, Ash, wait!”fbc74589a5f6574e

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As Ashley was about to walk away, Koi grabbed him again, and Ashley looked down at him with irritation. But Koi didn’t care about that.e8b60589b7bd8c41

“Listen, do we really need to go to a restaurant? We could just talk at the school cafeteria…”bab76f39e79a5586

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“At 7 in the evening?”8a86128c104797a7

Ashley asked as if it was the most ridiculous thing he’d heard. Koi, who had impulsively grabbed him, also realized the issue. Of course, the cafeteria closes at 5.0d04ac2425827129

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Koi was at a loss for words, hesitating when one of Ashley’s friends called for him. Ashley naturally removed Koi’s hand and asked to confirm:f932fdccc411fbdc

“7 tonight at Greenbell, right?”4d418096980dec62

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There was no other 69fffdbf29 way. At that time, the a2b3d0aa1a places Koi could go a585b63b6f were either closed or 8527361f2d too far away.06298dd03ad41c55

Defeated, Koi let his 0b02c376ce hands drop as Ashley 44d24be104 went off to join d1a7c150e5 his friends. Left alone, bd19d6fde0 Koi sighed ea45ca1e4b deeply and 8f7dc5665c clutched his 9a69b10d0a head.a965286ac4701dc1

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🏒11ca1bbdb3182c8b

Ashley arrived at 9f525f6098 Greenbell exactly at 6564470c7d 7. Since the marathon club 4c0d28ebe0 usually finished an hour b8cf9172f7 earlier than the ice 3479dd79f9 hockey team, Koi was f54ace1d71 able to get to a51d8a29c7 the meeting spot before 4c68f2b019 Ashley. Though it was 128aee006a only a 10-minute ec7b2cc64d difference.0678db8b2cf6c912

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Of course. I came by f4cd527dd0 bike, and he f3eeafe830 drove that fancy 22cc9acfd1 Cayenne.41932a904943823e

Koi, who had been 6de91ca38a pouting for no reason, abc39ea6f9 met eyes with Ashley, 4da579150a who was looking around f7fd5198af at the entrance. Ashley walked over 2bde1e339e to him and 2c6da132b2 sat down opposite 21292abdeb Koi, letting out 98a18eda2b a sigh.2d65c3e301df641c

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“You’re early.”acbb66ece6d8eb68

As Ashley noticed there fca8c2808d was nothing in front 1f406bdee8 of Koi, Koi said:d007a79315e9b739

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“I haven’t ordered yet.”20f7c87899567d0b

“Really?”decb0dd8b23e4daf

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When Ashley turned 6a3c1cc192 his head, an 607ff4e095 employee who was 9a755e411c looking their way 19e9b3fbaa immediately approached. Koi picked 418d40d07e up the 94fa94157c menu book e7ff35cb2b in front dd021e7b2e of him ed8a1df676 and almost 27e5f08352 gasped but 26c08aa524 managed to f21d84dc92 hold it 486e41be21 in.2dda4ad535accbfb

Quietly closing the 629c5d2773 menu, Ashley hummed 6aace94441 to himself, flipping 9683eb71cf through the pages. Koi awkwardly fiddled with a493426594 his phone, killing time a520c14e05 until Ashley made his a67ad6cfae decision.98773cd7045ad6e9

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Finally, after deciding, Ashley 5502ecaf27 raised his hand, and 48e950fc90 the employee came over, e25ce19a9f pulling out a notepad 2aa79e7413 and pen from her b6a843cd82 pocket. Once she 626f132ba8 was ready bc3d48dbd7 to write, c3c20eeb35 Ashley began 57b5fb1813 his order.31e3dc3ff40a9107

“Tuna salad sandwich, double patty burger. No onions, double cheese. Also, pancakes with bananas on the side, bacon well-done, and two hard-boiled eggs. Maple syrup and… oh, make it two double patty burgers. And also…”79756631ffef8c3f

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“Wait, wait a minute.”7596f17f7c468b0d

Koi, startled by Ashley’s continuous ordering, put on the brakes. As Ashley looked at him with curiosity, Koi stammered:61373c3ebf765277

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“Isn’t that too much? Even if it’s for two people.”18f56f446ec3644d

“For two people?”4b357454a5d1d5e3

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When Koi cautiously pointed this out, Ashley blinked. “Huh? Is that not it?” To the flustered Koi, Ashley said:a4440efb903105ad

“I’m eating all this by myself?”4d3572cb187e1c03

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“Huh?”c3ee4aa0aa36d885

With Koi’s eyes wide open in front of him, Ashley continued his order. He even added the restaurant’s signature giant steak and finished by ordering sparkling water, then closed the menu book.d06cf7518dfeb5ef

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“It’s your turn.”32a7f2b4388c8336

Koi, who had been dazed by Ashley’s cheerful smile, belatedly came to his senses. He frantically searched for the menu book but only ordered one thing:e1c10e34f3499fe5

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“…A cola. No ice.”17356ae9286dec88

“That’s all?”7cdb928528679458

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Ashley asked before the 2eb9d8fe84 employee could. With a 299821ff49 look of 5abaf3f38d disbelief, Koi, eebae9eece feeling the 8251257765 ache in 5ca5f78c42 his stomach, 917a1de7a7 tried to 691b554028 act nonchalant 4bf13ade4f as he e49727e6fa replied:d367ee85b946933b

“I already had dinner.”f389ec0dcb19992e

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“Oh, really?”aaa3f4c929531c7a

Thankfully, Ashley didn’t press further and dropped the topic. There was no need to say that with the money he had, he could only afford a single can of cola.e88c42c2c4dfec61

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As the a3726f8796 employee turned 67272f9a2c to leave, 85da07ded6 Koi began 1644b9da02 his prepared e930c31b57 speech.1bee0502cb0c6044

“About this assignment, I’ve thought about it a bit.”58b3402cbac6b35a

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After taking b8a33144aa a deep de0630a628 breath, he e283fbf6df opened his 59bf6e4956 notebook.d691cc455746a251

“Our assignment is to choose one Latin country and research its culture. Do you have a particular country in mind?”e403bfe182e70e5e

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“No.”9ab33648dd1cc534

The response came so quickly and simply that Koi felt his energy drain. He had anticipated this, but Ashley’s lack of enthusiasm was palpable. Seeing Koi’s disappointed look, Ashley said awkwardly:ed3eaf016e161564

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“When I’m hungry, I don’t feel like thinking about anything.”3c8dd0e0f889f05b

“Huh?”96ca70d9336ae30c

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Koi blinked 0edb91e196 at what 6e5c882be1 seemed like 833756e107 both an 51b3b536e1 excuse and 8fc0e58da5 an apology. Ashley yawned f4f1d2353a widely and d5c4cde058 spoke in d2eb405386 a voice 8de9fb019a full of f9dd06dd27 fatigue:3c5eee8538a8c27f

“Anyway, go on, I’m listening.”7bba8f32f6465803

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He must f7220696c1 be really 13ad9f4e4e tired.b386562639e7049b

Feeling a bit 569a3458e4 guilty, Koi continued 916a23ab2a the conversation.579690da5fff7119

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“I’ve shortlisted a few countries. Do you want to look at them, or should I choose one from these?”d7f7e2f04be1f593

“I’d like you to choose.”908d17b4aa844ff3

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“Okay.”0ac753341f1fc41f

Koi nodded readily. Ashley’s attitude suggested this assignment didn’t mean much to him. Since Koi had already braced himself to do more work, he continued quickly:0d034bf8f142191d

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“Let’s go with Argentina, and since food is the easiest, how about coffee and sandwiches? The history, how they’re made…”96e50e46ea39253c

“Sounds good.”ec86c0987f573e08

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Ashley agreed with this 0b9173f477 simple response as well, dcdd01c572 and since it was 0e47de7c4d what Koi expected, he d5bebe4b3b nodded and moved on.59efcad2a9a9e36e

“Then let’s do some research and decide how to distribute the table of contents and chapters accordingly.”936ccb44a62cc3d3

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“Instead of that, how about you do coffee, and I do sandwiches? If there’s any overlap in our research, we can organize that separately for comparison.”7f8b86f014f28c9b

“Oh, good. Let’s do that.”ac325aa766e34c56

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Koi was pleased efb9013abd with the suggestion f3281d1fd7 Ashley made for 85931d21c1 the first time, c9a95c9b7e clapping along in 5dd9a9a08e agreement. He had a c9120b4cfe good feeling about 7e921f1768 this. From there, they started 7246dc7dad talking in earnest. Ashley mostly listened but 7aba8d63a5 occasionally offered or opposed 7ee2ce32cd ideas, and Koi actively 193c54f877 paid attention to his a88f3ce324 words.d0f80e515702215b

Surprisingly, Ashley was easy to talk to, or perhaps Koi was just excited. One thing was certain: Ashley’s popularity wasn’t just due to his looks. Even after just 30 minutes of conversation, Koi found himself captivated by him. His charm was such that he could take someone’s breath away without saying much, making it hard to believe they were classmates.baf5dda81ff3875e

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Especially when those be699ef0c4 silver-blue eyes looked fb27a96053 at him intently f3896cce92 and smiled, Koi ab9ad6e844 forgot they were fcecd43a06 both guys and fd25836e90 felt his heart 0f2b9721c8 race.31e9260afbdbbd52

No wonder everyone a2767d93b7 goes crazy over c194115ade him.8b90a32a78d1110d

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Koi, inwardly 50b9208c9a agreeing, took 1230a54378 notes diligently. As he 66700e6534 skimmed through fb57863b4c information on 56cfbf9073 his phone 3a10bd197b to piece 00a5f61c1d together their cc8f53a60b discussion, their cb1ec5e78d ordered food 5825a5db70 finally arrived.33ce8ba025bd8ab1

“Man, I thought I was going to starve to death.”dba25e149fd5f3ae

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Ashley exclaimed dramatically d3f3beec0b and first bit e5f4032506 into the burger. It was 16eec64b54 a double d85255489e patty burger e4a2d1284a with two c88ec1e962 slices of a510b300bf cheese. Not only was 09bcd4a559 the amount of 5d3dca3530 food enormous, but d4dcc2bde4 his eating speed 18b747fc19 was terrifying.400da9c26b964d97

He finished b00d0fb476 one burger 8fb0a67a94 in just b3f9f64c85 three bites, fd3c90747a then started 78e52e6156 on the 571b4b6e74 sandwich, followed 696d781f05 by another 64e25e2280 double patty 0d69f817b8 burger, and 0a17e2c56c then cut 9e2a58d68a into the 8f14a20957 syrup-soaked pancakes. Meanwhile, Koi e96705f406 sipped his 2833352de0 ice-less cola b898b0a944 little by bb65cfef79 little.75c037542216eef6

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“Are you really going to be okay with just that?”17a1f081bc912387

After downing three bottles of sparkling water and ordering a fourth, Ashley asked. Koi, with a defiant “Yeah,” sipped from his cola cup, pretending to drink more than he was. Seeing this, Ashley tilted his head.188e6193c13e7456

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“Drinking cola without ice is unusual.”33e125fc8fea09d1

That way, 7da7bd679c I can 9ff1dab9e9 drink more.d68d3b19985d763c

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Greenbell didn’t offer free refills, so Koi had to make one cola last a long time, especially sitting across from Ashley Miller, who was eating like he was about to burst.ea61c8cfe31f863c

“You’re amazing, eating that much.”9f8db2a07e1deb7f

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“I do very intense exercise every day.”1e75130e55ecc051

Trying to sound casual 222604ded6 so as not to ea0604e3c8 reveal his envy, Koi 983f87b5f5 muttered, and in response, d1bde66570 Ashley cut a large 073138de68 piece of steak and b6f82440fc put it into his 84096d4519 mouth as if to 057faa8bc6 show off, adding:993cd89789151f2f

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“And I’m still growing.”18ded99a06dc204e

“Get any bigger? From there?”ef87b809cf3afc39

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Koi asked in amazement, dc65de9fb1 and Ashley replied nonchalantly:b3a228578c4d0581

“I grew 4 centimeters last month.”5122db303d33cd57

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“…And now you are?”8c2b7c1dd21ff907

Koi asked, though a42c4d5c2f with a hint efc938a923 of fear. Ashley answered ba8d099321 with a 0b3a68fea7 very calm f7cc8c29e5 face:e495e40d6482e596

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“192.”470c36c7b0c0cb7c

Koi barely managed to suppress the urge to shout at him to stop eating. He wanted to yell, “Are you aiming to be a basketball player? Is 2 meters your goal? Why are you aiming for the Guinness Book?” but he held back, realizing these feelings stemmed from jealousy and envy.30fb74d2d0ddbcb9

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“Ice hockey involves a lot of physical contact, so the bigger, the better.”72761c0dde9f4e82

To Ashley’s cheerful smile, Koi inwardly retorted, “You’re already too big.”684a4bfdb2bbbb83

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And you’re the biggest on the ice hockey team.0479b28583b69ab4

If he said that, Ashley would just brush it off with, “Because I’m the captain.” Koi didn’t want to argue further. It might be an argument from Koi’s perspective, but to Ashley, it was probably as insignificant as kicking a soccer ball on the ground.2bddcb3b31faa4b7

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“Are you thinking of going pro?”3101cf30bf63138a

The moment he said it, he realized it sounded like the words of someone riddled with inferiority. It couldn’t be helped; that was the truth. But Ashley Miller, who seemed never to have had even the slightest shadow cast over his life, once again answered brightly:a6a493d23d997ce3

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“No, I’ll only play sports until high school.”3a3a270e546f8b47

The oddly 60091cfb57 realistic answer 3c9e9290c6 made Koi d153017346 feel strange. As he unconsciously d1aee67863 stared at him, 8614e9f470 Ashley, while cutting 356bd166ec a large piece 0ab7a33fba from the half-eaten 3bd0a0a674 pancake, said:2dffa11da9cd3c19

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“I don’t have the talent to be a professional athlete.”13fd75862092b9b1

“No way.”39e1f2406598b61e

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Koi instinctively denied it b0fbed0e46 when such unexpected words f63c20f034 came from someone he f7abbc3063 thought was the ultimate 6536274183 narcissist. Ashley then b05772f4c4 gave one 46a9821236 of his ed2f46a26b cheerful smiles 2b2ee56923 that he 2d13b956b2 had shown 83e15ccde0 throughout the 9a1b3c3c97 past couple ddbeb5787e of hours.44ee80fac26c9e90

“Thanks.”cf5c8863df5cf6be

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After a brief 6bbecc9093 compliment, Ashley added:774f7e35b9e67cd6

“I’ll probably follow in my father’s footsteps, so I’ll go to college for that.”0f29b9697833f867

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He murmured this like it was a casual chat about the weather, but Koi couldn’t just brush it off.ece3d74081fa9ea5

“Your father’s work? Is he in business?”beaf0ebfde1fa0ee

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Curiosity spiked since he had only assumed from the car Ashley drove that his family was quite wealthy. Seeing Koi’s eyes light up with interest, Ashley answered with a slight squint:fc1397b6fe939ffd

“He protects the wealth of the rich from poor people.”259bd933a242c747

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Is this a 08241a5418 quiz?c3a3492f3a7e7b9b

Since he couldn’t grasp it, Koi just said what came to mind:2c3c9df7816bba56

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“A devil?”83c7b7e7ec50f316

“Oh.”fc0ccdfc8006d48a

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Instead of laughing as 59bd8c5d50 Koi expected, Ashley looked e7e92f83e9 surprised.9e7cfaa000d1d794

“Close. He’s a lawyer.”46af1b6582cbad36

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“Ah…”50b4968a2bc60016

Koi then realized that Ashley’s words weren’t far off the mark. If he was that rich, his father must be a pretty well-known lawyer. As if reading Koi’s thoughts, Ashley added:7005c162a425d7e1

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“It’s a pretty famous law firm in the East. If you say ‘Lawyer Miller,’ people immediately think of my father.”29d040148c086624

Despite saying cc9d7f0127 something so 8875255726 impressive, there b654987c4b was no 51a0d6057d hint of 0b2707a745 pride or 4c0d58deda boasting in f9f969413d his tone. He spoke 714396e5bd as casually a1e66a25b2 as he c690cac4d9 had before 5fbbf1b06f and drank 00d860f1e7 his sparkling 01cbe516ea water as 752a922f3c if to bf62793dbd prove his dbae925f09 point.93fca69570db5e54

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“Then you’ll go to the East after graduation? Will you go to college there too?”da156615bbe105e8

“Probably.”dbcf0cf883864a62

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From the way 6bc2b5a79b things were going, 58e5fa2442 it seemed like 0a39b0e4ff he would attend 08fc2d9284 the same university 44caadf866 as his father. Koi hesitated, wondering d30bb4f338 if it was 8ae0af6553 okay to ask c5840b2472 but cautiously opened 26aa4c16bd his mouth:539bb0e7dd13dcba

“Then why are you here? Is your whole family here?”20559cb3988f4f5b

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Is only 50ab377899 his father 1aa55e010c in the a27da40af6 East? Maybe they visit 9d66208d73 here during holidays.77e657a9d5dab8f1

With various 9ec51a22a1 speculations in 46d0978ca1 mind, Koi fe896c95ff asked, and 0e548221aa Ashley readily c1c12cfef9 answered:88da8598a6bc2d21

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“I’m the only one here. My parents are in the East.”cf0f745e5c4f772d

“You live alone? Why?”6a5dc8ee88b6d1d9

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Koi asked without thinking and immediately closed his mouth when he saw Ashley’s expression. Ashley had been answering everything so readily that Koi had overstepped. He had asked too much about personal life for someone they weren’t that close with. Feeling regret, he tried to read the room when Ashley spoke in the same casual tone as before:2b305f2c67f2a637

“I wanted to live alone.”8359f775211f97b4

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“Wow, that’s what I want too. That must be nice.”99e90c02118148e7

Isn’t that the dream of every teenager? A nice car, a comfortable lifestyle, and a place of your own. This guy really has everything. Koi unconsciously admired him, and Ashley chuckled. It was a bitter, self-deprecating laugh that made Koi pause again.0f390379488d28d1

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“But, even then, living alone is lonely. Don’t you hate cleaning? And doing laundry?”d4d2761bfc87a34f

Koi hastily c1894421fa tried to 168388f652 smooth over 859192013e his words, 2b33d534a2 but again, 0539ce6626 the response 5fb96a11b4 was unexpected:728ce2ee489afcf0

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“Well, I don’t do it… A service comes on weekends. I can live somewhat like a normal person, that’s what I mean.”8e25bbfa0711b048

…What did I just hear?c913ac2d9a64f9cb

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Koi was completely dumbfounded. His brain felt overloaded from hearing about such an alien lifestyle. He wanted to ask if their house was that big but managed to hold back. He had already pried enough, overstepped too far. He wasn’t that close to Ashley Miller, after all.75407dab67201662

Chiding himself internally, Koi was then hit by an awkward silence that made him panic. Ashley continued eating without a care, but Koi couldn’t bear the silence.1dbe23621919cb47

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I need ed93289f1f to find adb23812b4 something to f816193724 say. Quickly, now.b430a97937aeb75a

“Uh, hey. Now that I think about it, hasn’t anyone on your team manifested yet?”f2397eb7bd35cbac

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