LMUC Ch 11

Bill couldn’t hide his excitement and continued to press, but Ashley just stared at the screen, saying nothing. Bill looked at him puzzled. He thought Ashley would brush it off or laugh, but his reaction was entirely different.

“Ash, hey.”

Bill called him again. Ashley, who had been glued to the screen, was startled and looked up. Bill was surprised once more. Ashley’s face was noticeably flushed.

“Hey, you.”

“There are lots of hockey team captains.”

Ashley interrupted, handing the phone back to Bill before he could speak. Bill, puzzled, quickly followed him.

“But look. It’s not just that.”

Bill insisted, pushing the phone towards him.

“Look here, it says he takes all AP classes and is incredibly handsome. And he’s popular.”

“There are lots of guys like that.”

“But he also scored perfect on the entrance exams, just like you? There may be many hockey team captains and perfect scorers, but how many have all these traits overlapping?”

Bill exclaimed, feeling frustrated. Since Ashley couldn’t deny his words, he chose to avoid the issue entirely.

“Stop talking nonsense. Have you finished your assignments? Even if you play hockey, if you don’t keep your grades up, it’ll be hard to get into college.”

“You’re so encouraging.”

Bill grumbled, feeling upset, then changed the topic. Walking side by side, Ashley barely listened, his mind preoccupied with the post he had just read.

My heart races and my face flushes whenever I see him.

Recalling the most thrilling line, Ashley covered his mouth to hide his smile. He knew instantly that the person who posted it was Koi. If he had been alone, he would have cheered and run across the field.

Koi likes me!

But he couldn’t do that now. If this got out, Koi would be teased endlessly and could even be bullied. The best course of action was to let this die down quickly. He had to act as if he knew nothing. Controlling his excitement, he suppressed the urge to run to Koi and shower him with kisses, confessing his feelings.

I can’t rush.

Ashley calmed himself and thought deeply. The most important thing was that Koi liked him, but Koi hadn’t realized it yet. Posting on a site filled with nonsense was proof enough. If Koi understood his feelings, he wouldn’t have done such a thing.

How can I help Koi realize?

He pondered. But such happy thoughts were always welcome.

“Ah.”

Forcing his mouth shut, he saw someone trying to hide. Of course, Ashley noticed.

“See you later.”

“What? Hey, Ash!”

Bill shouted, confused as Ashley lightly patted his shoulder and ran off.

Huff, huff.

Koi leaned against the wall, panting. He didn’t see me, right? He felt uneasy but couldn’t peek to check.

He hadn’t slept a wink, trying to remember his password. When his father returned, he hid under his covers, furiously typing in the darkness but ultimately failed. The view count kept rising, and comments flooded in, but he couldn’t bring himself to check.

What do I do!

He gave up and went to school, his mind solely on the mistakenly posted message. He flinched at every passing student, wondering if they visited the site, read the post, or even commented.

His mind was a whirlwind, and his heart felt like it would burst from anxiety. As he nervously made his way to his locker, he spotted the last person he wanted to see.

Gulp.

Seeing Ashley’s unmistakable figure, Koi instinctively hid. He hurriedly ducked behind the nearest building, panting, trying to calm his racing heart. But he knew he couldn’t avoid him forever. Though he wanted to delay it as much as possible, their first class together was less than 30 minutes away.

“Haaa…”

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his heart.

“Boo!”

“Ahh!”

A sudden voice startled Koi, making him scream. Laughing, Ashley hugged him from behind.

“A-Ash.”

Turning around, Koi saw Ashley grinning at him. Struggling for words, Koi stammered, and Ashley spoke.

“What are you doing here? Our class is in that building, isn’t it?”

“Y-yes.”

Koi stuttered, trying to think quickly. He needed to say something, but no words came. As he frantically thought, Ashley, still smiling, said.

“You’re not avoiding me, are you?”

“N-no, no, never! I wouldn’t do that, why would I!”

Unaware that his strong reaction was actually a powerful affirmation, Koi shook his head vigorously. Seeing this, Ashley narrowed her eyes.

“Koi, do you remember what I said?”

“Huh? Uh-uh?”

When Koi stopped and looked up, Ashley whispered.

“You can never escape from me.”

Hearing those words, Koi unconsciously held his breath and looked at him. Ashley added sweetly.

“I told you I would never let you go.”

“Uh, uh-uh.”

Koi stammered in embarrassment. He was constantly aware of Ashley’s thick arms hugging him tightly. The heat from Ashley’s body pressing against his back and the breath on his face was overwhelming.

Scary.

His heart raced, and his breathing became shallow, making him feel dizzy. The intense excitement and thrill made him fearful.

Why.

Koi stared at Ashley’s face in a daze.

Does this happen whenever I see Ash?

At that moment, he recalled the post he had uploaded the previous day, and suddenly, he snapped out of his trance.

“Wait, wait!”

Koi shouted urgently, flailing his arms. From Ashley’s perspective, it was just a futile struggle, but seeing him desperately try to escape made him reluctantly let go. At the same time, he felt an urge to hug him tighter and immobilize him completely.

But in the end, he chose to respect Koi’s wish. As he relaxed his arms slightly, Koi quickly escaped from him. Although one step should have been enough, Koi took three steps back, which made Ashley feel bad.

To resist the urge to hug Koi back and trap him in his arms, he deliberately shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

“So.”

Ashley casually spoke.

“Why did you run away this time? Is it because of puberty again?”

“N-no.”

Koi shook his head but couldn’t bring himself to look up. Of all times, he had to run into Ashley. He wasn’t ready yet and didn’t expect to get caught so quickly.

His heart kept pounding. As he sneakily glanced at Ashley, who had just taken his hands out of his pockets and crossed his arms, he turned pale.

What to do, he must be mad at me. Of course, who would like someone who runs away as soon as they see them?

Feeling utterly downcast, Koi lowered his head. But Ashley, looking down at Koi, had a completely different thought.

I want to hug him.

Even though he had his hands in his pockets, he crossed his arms to stop them from reaching out to Koi. But this emergency measure wouldn’t last long. He had to end this situation quickly.

“Koi.”

Ashley called his name again. When Koi flinched and hunched his shoulders, a deep breath was heard from above. Not knowing what to do, Koi rolled his eyes nervously when Ashley’s face suddenly came into view.

“Eek!”

“Where.”

Ashley laughed as he grabbed Koi’s arms, preventing him from backing away in shock. Trapped and unable to move, Koi looked at Ashley’s face. Contrary to his fears, Ashley didn’t seem displeased. In fact, seeing Ashley smiling at him like usual slowly eased Koi’s anxiety.

Is it… alright…?

Blinking, he looked up at Ashley, who began to speak.

“I’m not mad. So don’t worry.”

Ashley’s gentle voice seemed sincere. To the still-worried Koi, Ashley smiled again.

Thank goodness.

Only then did Koi’s face relax. And as his tension faded, another feeling of joy took its place.

It’s Ash.

The moment he thought that, he realized his twitching ears and hastily grabbed them. His face soon turned red. Despite his resolve not to move his ears yesterday, his habit came out again. Seeing Ashley’s face made him so happy that his ears moved unconsciously.

What should I do?

Mortified, Koi saw Ashley laugh out loud. Though Koi looked like he was about to cry, Ashley found even that expression so endearing that he wanted to hug him and shower him with kisses right away.

Why are you so cute, Koi?

Ashley thought, looking at Koi, who was fumbling with his ears in confusion.

I like you, Koi.

It felt like his heart would burst. It was the first time he felt his heart race like this. He couldn’t do anything in front of the person he liked.

I want to hug him. I want to nibble on those ears. How sweet would it be to kiss those lips?

Ashley clenched his teeth to suppress a sigh. Instead of taking deep breaths to calm himself down, he gently moved his hands to hold Koi’s wrist. With a flushed face, Koi looked up at him, and a dangerous impulse formed in Ashley’s mind.

Oh, I want to take Koi and lock him in my room like this.

“We’ll be late for class, Koi.”

Barely escaping becoming a criminal, Ashley spoke in a seemingly affectionate voice. Only then did Koi blink and respond with an “Ah.”

“S-sorry.”

Ashley, who quickly caught up with him with his long strides, asked as they walked side by side.

“Did you get home alright yesterday? No issues?”

“Uh, yeah.”

Ashley asked casually, but Koi’s heart pounded again. Does Ash check out the posts on that site? Could he have seen my post? No, I’ve heard that popular guys like Ash don’t do that kind of stuff. He has a lot of friends, has to study, and is even the captain of the ice hockey team. Where would he find the time to hang around on such sites?

If he had seen it, he wouldn’t be talking to me so casually like this.

Koi concluded, somewhat convincingly and close to the truth. But the anxiety didn’t go away. Eventually, Koi couldn’t hold it in any longer and spoke up.

“Um, Ash.”

“Hmm?”

The immediate response made Koi speak cautiously.

“Um, how do you do your assignments? You know, like, do you go on sites where you ask questions and stuff? Do you look at those?”

Am I conducting a leading question here?

Ashley found it amusing and laughed, but kept a straight face as he replied.

“No, I only go to professional sites.”

“R-really?”

Koi’s face lit up, but he still looked worried as he asked again.

“Then, you know, those forums where people post their troubles and stuff. Do you go to those?”

“I don’t.”

Ashley responded without hesitation. It was true, so there was no need to lie.

“I don’t go to those sites. Reading that stuff isn’t fun.”

“Oh, I see.”

That’s a relief. Koi sighed in relief. Asking was the right thing to do. Now he could finally relax. Phew, he exhaled the breath he had been holding. Suddenly, he heard a sound like birds chirping. It was Ashley whistling. Koi looked up at Ashley, who was whistling as he walked, and asked.

“Something good happen? You seem happy.”

“Huh? Nah, it’s the same as always.”

Ashley said with a big smile. Koi was puzzled but let it go, although he still felt a bit curious. Why does Ashley always smile, but today he seems especially happy?

Was I mistaken? Koi thought, tilting his head. Suddenly, he felt curious. He had been too scared to check the comments so far. As a result, his worries remained unresolved, and he still had no one to consult, except for the person involved.

What would Ash say if I asked him?

Koi looked up at Ashley again. Even without speaking, Ashley looked down at him. When their eyes met, Ashley smiled again. Koi, unable to speak, flinched and turned his head away.

I can’t do it, absolutely not.

Koi thought, blushing bright red.

How could I ask about that? To the person himself, no less. It’s absolutely impossible.

I should be grateful that Ashley didn’t see that post. Asking him myself is out of the question.

Please make sure Ash never sees that post.

As he prayed in his mind, Ashley walked beside him leisurely and thought.

I want to devour him.

🏒

As expected, the school was buzzing with talk about the post. It was only natural. The content of the post might have been trivial, but the subject was the problem. A confession of a crush on the school’s superstar was irresistible gossip for the energetic high school students.

“Hey, did you guys see that post? The one on the forum?”

“Ugh.”

As soon as Bill brought it up during lunch, Koi, who was drinking water, choked.

“Koi, are you okay?”

Ashley looked at him curiously. At the same time, everyone’s attention turned to Koi, who waved his hands hurriedly while coughing.

“I-I’m fine, just, water, cough.”

The group watched Koi cough for a while before continuing their conversation.

“You saw it, right? It’s Ash, right?”

“Yeah, you think so too? Me too!”

“It’s Ash, no doubt. The post even boldly mentioned ‘Ashley Miller’.”

“Who could it be? Do you know anyone close to Ash who might have done it?”

Koi nervously unwrapped his hamburger. He was too focused on the conversation to feel hungry. Just as he tried to ignore it and act nonchalant, someone suddenly shouted.

“Could it be Koi?”

Koi almost stopped breathing for a moment. His face turned pale, and his heart raced, but suddenly Ashley spoke up.

“Do you guys want to come to my place tomorrow?”

“What?”

“Tomorrow?”

The topic of conversation quickly changed. Koi blinked in surprise, looking at Ashley. Ignoring Koi, Ashley spoke to the ice hockey team members.

“It’s the weekend. No practice, what do you say?”

“Sounds good!”

“Of course, sounds great!”

“Hey, can I bring my girlfriend?”

Voices of excitement erupted from all around. Ashley continued to look at them and suggested.

“Why not just invite everyone who wants to come? What do you think?”

“Huh? Can we do that?”

“But your house has a gate.”

It was a reasonable question, but it wasn’t a problem for Ashley.

“There’s a communal area on one side of the country estate where we can hold a party. It has an outdoor pool, so we can use that space. The entrance there has simple access procedures.”

“Oh, that’s great.”

“Then a lot of people can come.”

“How should we inform everyone? Just tell our friends?”

Ashley handled the issue simply, with a smile.

“How about posting it on the forum?”

Everyone, including Koi, was surprised by this unexpected suggestion. Ashley casually picked up his hamburger and said.

“Isn’t that the surest way? If we post it, everyone will see it.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

Bill agreed.

“But don’t you dislike that kind of thing?”

Ashley dismissed Bill’s casual remark easily.

“Regardless of whether I like it or not, it’s the most efficient system, isn’t it?”

He then pointed at Bill and added.

“Plus, you’ll be the one posting it.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Bill started to say something more, but the others cut him off.

“Ash is right.”

“Yeah, let’s post it there. Everyone will go crazy.”

“You’re the best person to post it since you check that site frequently.”

“I’ve never actually posted anything.”

Despite feeling wronged, Bill opened the forum and started typing the post. He quickly typed it out, posted it, and put down his phone.

“Let’s see the response.”

No sooner had he said that than Bill’s phone vibrated. Another person checked his phone and exclaimed with wide eyes.

“Hey, there are already comments. Wow, the views are going up fast.”

“Let me see.”

“Oh, here it is.”

Others also took out their phones to check and started laughing.

“Everyone’s going nuts. Is the whole school coming?”

“Wow, the site’s getting really slow.”

“Wait, what’s this? Why isn’t it working?”

“Uh, me too.”

“Mine’s not loading either.”

All around the cafeteria, kids were swearing and exclaiming in frustration as they tried to refresh the unresponsive forum. The only ones not looking at their phones were Ashley and Koi.

Koi looked around with wide eyes and then turned his gaze to Ashley, who was calmly chewing his unappetizing cafeteria hamburger.

After that moment, no one talked about Koi’s anxious post anymore. On the forum and in real life, everyone was abuzz with talk about Ashley Miller’s party.

🏒

Before lunch ended, everyone left the cafeteria to head to their classes. They put their trays away and walked in groups. Someone called out to Ashley.

“Ash, thanks for inviting us to the party!”

Ashley looked over and casually waved in response. Koi glanced around, noticing how everyone’s attention seemed focused on them whenever they passed by, but today, Ashley was receiving even more admiring and envious looks.

Despite this, Ashley acted as usual, joking and laughing with his friends. Koi marveled once again at how he had ended up in this group.

Since that day, Nelson’s gang had stopped bothering him, and what had been a torturous school life had become enjoyable. Everyone, including Bill, was cheerful, didn’t play nasty pranks, and most importantly, they were all very kind to Koi.

“See you later.”

They waved as they parted ways for their respective classes. Koi also waved and turned away.

His next class was with Ashley. They walked side by side toward the classroom. As they walked, passing kids kept talking to Ashley. While this was common, today it was particularly frequent, likely because of the party. Koi thought this as he silently stared at the ground.

Ashley spoke to Koi once the passing kids had thinned out and the surroundings grew quieter.

“Koi.”

“Yes?”

He responded instinctively as Ashley placed a hand on his head. Blinking, Koi stood still, feeling Ashley’s long fingers brush through his hair, then withdraw. In Ashley’s hand was a small leaf.

“It was stuck.”

“Oh, right.”

As Koi quickly brushed his hair, Ashley laughed out loud.

“It’s gone now. I removed it.”

Ashley’s cheerful laughter made Koi feel both embarrassed and amused. Today, Ashley was laughing a lot more than usual.

Koi thought, He must be really happy. What happened, I wonder? Although curious, he was glad that something good had happened to Ashley.

As he smiled, thinking it was great, his heart started pounding, and he felt a tickling sensation in his chest. Oh. Koi paused, feeling flustered. However, the pounding didn’t stop; it only intensified.

Suddenly, Ashley stopped laughing and looked down at him as if to ask what was wrong. Koi found himself staring blankly at Ashley’s face, which still had traces of a smile. His mouth felt dry, his fingertips tingled, and his entire body pulsed with a dull thud, leaving him in a daze. He couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Uh, um, A-Ash.”

“Yeah.”

Ashley responded immediately. Despite his confusion, Koi quickly racked his brain for an excuse.

“Well, this is about a friend of mine.”

Seeing Koi struggle to begin, Ashley raised an eyebrow and asked.

“A friend besides me? Who?”

“Wha-? Uh, um.”

Caught off guard, Koi was flustered. Ashley, noticing Koi’s twitching ears for a different reason this time, smiled broadly and said.

“Just kidding. Of course, you have other friends.”

“Oh…”

Koi blinked rapidly in bewilderment. Ashley added with a hint of amusement.

“A lot of them.”

No, Ash, you’re my only friend. Koi swallowed the words that hovered in his throat. But Ashley seemed to think Koi had many friends. Though it was far from the truth, Koi didn’t want to shatter Ashley’s illusion that he was a social butterfly. He quickly conjured a small boast and mumbled.

“Yeah, so, one of my many friends has this issue.”

His voice cracked and stuttered midway, but Ashley didn’t react. If Ashley had kidnapped Koi to his room earlier, he might have laughed heartily at this moment, but unfortunately, they were still at school.

Phew, Koi let out a small sigh of relief and mustered the courage to continue.

“He said he’s been struggling with something lately, and I didn’t know how to help, so I wanted to hear your thoughts, Ash.”

“What is it?”

“Well, um, so, he said he’s made a close friend, but lately, he feels strange whenever he sees them. He used to just think they were nice, but now, his heart races, his hands shake, and he even feels this tickling sensation here.”

Ashley silently observed the crown of Koi’s head. He found Koi’s determination to avoid eye contact both irritating and endearing. Ultimately, the endearing aspect won out, and Ashley asked with a smile.

“A friend?”

“Y-yeah! A-a friend!”

Startled, Koi nodded vigorously. Ashley had to take a moment to compose himself, resisting the urge to ask if he was the person in question.

Did I say something wrong?

Koi grew increasingly anxious watching Ashley. What if he says this isn’t a normal feeling between friends? What if he’s disgusted or angry?

“Koi.”

Finally, Ashley spoke. Unexpectedly, his voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. Koi froze, staring at him intently. Every second until Ashley responded felt like an eternity to Koi. Finally, Ashley’s voice reached him.

“Koi, maybe your friend likes this person.”

“Huh?”

Koi’s eyes widened in surprise. Without realizing it, he looked up at Ashley but wasn’t aware of doing so.

“Of course he likes them. They’re friends.”

Ashley pointed out.

“But it’s different, isn’t it?”

Ashley continued to ask as Koi hesitated.

“Do you feel your heart race and get all tingly and nervous around other friends? Do you even need to worry about such feelings? They’re friends, right?”

I don’t know. You’re my only friend.

Sensing Koi’s thoughts, Ashley spoke.

“For example, I spend a lot of time with my teammates, having lunch, training, and hanging out. You know that, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I think of them as friends, but I’ve never felt my heart race or felt shy around them.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Ashley stated firmly. He frowned slightly and added.

“In fact, it’d be pretty gross to feel that way about those big, hairy gorilla-like guys.”

“Oh…”

Koi responded with a dazed sound. Ashley looked straight at him and said with utmost seriousness.

“That means your friend likes that person, Koi.”

Figure it out.

Internally, Ashley wished desperately.

Understand your own feelings, Koi.

A cold breeze blew between the two as they stood facing each other. They just stared at each other, with Koi’s heartbeat echoing slowly and heavily in his ears.

Me, liking Ash?

That’s impossible!

Koi’s immediate and stern reaction took Ashley aback. He hadn’t expected such a strong denial and felt a pang of unease.

“…Why?”

Ashley’s voice, though different from usual, went unnoticed by Koi, who continued shaking his head vigorously.

“That’s impossible. You see, that friend is a guy. My friend is a guy too. How can two guys like each other?”

Koi, feeling he had given a reasonable and textbook response, closed his mouth, expecting Ashley to agree. But he was wrong. Ashley spoke up.

“Maybe he just happened to like a guy.”

“Uh…”

Koi was left speechless by the unexpected answer. He glanced at Ashley’s face, but there was no sign of joking. Seeing Ashley’s serious expression only made Koi more confused.

He didn’t expect this reaction from Ashley. What should he do? Should he agree with Ashley? No, that can’t be right. There must be something, something, something.

Koi, anxious and fidgeting, hurriedly spoke up.

“But they’re both betas, not omega or alpha.”

Quickly correcting himself, Koi nervously watched Ashley’s reaction. He hoped he hadn’t been found out.

Ashley simply looked down at him, showing neither disgust nor surprise. After a moment of tension, Ashley spoke.

“Why is that a problem?”

“What?”

Koi stammered, caught off guard by the unexpected question.

“No, I mean, they’re both betas. If one was omega or alpha, it might make sense, but they’re betas. Isn’t that strange?”

“And why is that strange?”

Ashley continued to press. Koi stuttered, unable to find an answer, so Ashley went on.

“If it’s okay for omega or alpha, why not betas? Is it because omega or alpha can have children? So, you can only like someone for the sake of reproduction? What’s so special about pheromones that people go crazy and engage in relationships purely out of instinct? Is that truly liking someone? If you’re in heat and sleep with just anyone, is that okay? But liking the same gender is weird if you’re not an alpha or omega?”

No.

Amidst the confusion, Koi could think of only one thing. This doesn’t make sense. It can’t be right.

Ashley suddenly took a step forward. Startled, Koi quickly retreated, prompting Ashley to stop and speak.

“Koi.”

He continued.

“I don’t think it’s weird at all.”

Ashley looked at Koi more seriously than ever. There was even a hint of urgency in his eyes, though there was no reason for it.

“Traits don’t matter. Liking someone is a natural…”

“We’re going to be late for class.”

Ashley tried to persuade Koi seriously again, but Koi urgently cut him off.

“Koi!”

Ashley called out, but Koi didn’t stop. He immediately turned and ran towards the building where their class was, thinking the same thing over and over.

No, these feelings aren’t okay.

Ashley only answered kindly, thinking it was someone else’s issue. He would never imagine it was about himself.

Besides, think about it, how could someone like me like Ashley Miller?

Whether they were omega or beta, the traits weren’t the main issue. The biggest problem was that he was Conner Niles. So, this time, Ashley was wrong. Koi couldn’t have feelings for Ashley. It was just admiration, nothing more. It couldn’t be more than that.

Never, ever.

Ashley watched as Koi ran with all his might. He was likely out of breath, but Ashley knew he could easily catch up in just a few steps.

But instead of catching Koi, Ashley walked slowly. Reflecting on Koi’s strong denial, Ashley realized he needed to rethink his approach.

He hadn’t expected Koi to deny it so strongly.

Ashley regretted underestimating Koi’s feelings. He had thought that once Koi realized his feelings, he would easily admit them, but he was completely wrong.

Recalling Koi’s face turning pale, Ashley’s brow furrowed deeply. For some reason, Koi’s barriers were higher and stronger than he had thought. Overcoming them and making Koi acknowledge his feelings would require much more thought.

A passing student greeted Ashley, but he ignored them, lost in thought.

I need to change my strategy.

🏒

Haa…

Koi sighed deeply, sitting alone in the cafeteria working on his assignments. The tension from the day had given him a headache. Fortunately, Ashley had acted normal afterward. Worried that Ashley might bring up their interrupted conversation again, Koi had been on edge all day and was exhausted by the last class.

But it wasn’t over yet. He still had skating practice. While Ashley trained, Koi usually waited in the cafeteria doing assignments, but today he couldn’t focus.

Eventually, he was startled by his pre-set alarm, quickly packed up, and rushed outside. He found his bike and rode to the spot where Ashley had parked his car. On the way, he unexpectedly encountered a familiar face.

“Hey, Koi.”

Bill greeted him first as he stepped outside after the evening practice. It wasn’t just Bill; the entire main ice hockey team poured out. Today’s practice seemed to have ended early. Koi, looking for Ashley, stopped, but Bill and his group approached him.

“What are you doing here this late? Assignments?”

“Huh? Uh, yeah.”

Though it wasn’t wrong, Koi nodded absentmindedly. Immediately, another boy chimed in.

“Did you do Mr. Martinez’s assignment? Man, isn’t it a lot?”

“That teacher always gives too much. He must think we only do his assignments.”

“Shouldn’t we report this to the Human Rights Commission?”

As they chatted among themselves, Koi couldn’t get a word in and just watched them. Suddenly, he spotted the face he had been waiting for.

“Ash.”

Koi’s face lit up involuntarily, and Bill, following Koi’s gaze, said, “Oh.”

“Why are you so late today? What were you doing?”

Ashley lightly hit Bill’s head, seeing his smirk, and asked, “What are you guys doing here? Why haven’t you left yet?”

It suddenly occurred to Koi that the other team members had already left. Realizing it was only the main team left, he was startled. It must have been quite a while.

One of the other boys spoke to Ashley on behalf of Bill, “We saw Koi on our way out, so we stopped to chat.”

“Koi stayed back to do assignments until now. Isn’t he amazing?”

Listening to the boys’ loud, harmless chatter made Koi shyly smile. Suddenly, Bill turned to Koi and asked, “Koi, you’re coming to Ash’s party, right?”

“Uh…”

Surprised, Koi blinked, and Bill’s freckled face broke into a playful grin. It seemed natural for Koi to join them. Just as Koi was about to respond, Ashley intervened.

“Koi can’t come; he always works part-time on weekends. Right?”

“Uh…”

Koi was momentarily at a loss for words. Ashley was correct. Instead of practicing skating during the weekdays, he had to manage the store from morning till night on weekends.

Everyone’s attention was on him, waiting for his response. Hesitantly, Koi nodded.

“Y-yeah… I can’t.”

“Alright then, let’s go. Bye, Koi. Take care.”

Before Koi could react, Ashley had already bid farewell. The others followed suit.

“Bye, Koi.”

“Have a good weekend.”

“See you!”

To their various farewells, Koi could only reply with a simple “Uh, yeah.” Ashley and the boys laughed, chatted, and showed each other their phones as they walked away, leaving Koi behind. Watching them leave, Koi suddenly felt a sting at the tip of his nose and took a deep breath hurriedly.

It’s okay, I was going to say I couldn’t come anyway.

Ashley preemptively declining on his behalf was a relief. He had hesitated to give a clear answer, and Ashley had stepped in. Next time, he would answer firmly.

“Hooo.”

Koi let out a loud, deep sigh intentionally. Standing alone for a while, he finally realized.

Ash left too.

He hadn’t even asked about today’s skating practice, for which he had stayed behind. The reason was evident.

He probably didn’t want anyone to know he was spending time alone with me.

Ashley must have wanted to keep it a secret. Judging by the fact that none of the other boys knew, it was clear. While Ashley was kind to Koi, he would be embarrassed if others found out they were close.

It was a relief that he hadn’t mentioned practicing at Ashley’s house.

His eyes burned, and his nose tingled. Dragging his bike with slumped shoulders, he sniffled, and his eyes soon stung.

Koi wiped his eyes with one hand while holding the handle with the other. It felt strange to cry over something like this. Why did his heart hurt so much?

It was just being told not to come to the party.

Koi pondered. Is it because Ash didn’t want me at the party or because he’s embarrassed by me? Both were true but also false. There was a more precise reason.

Ashley left him.

That’s when it happened.

“Koi!”

Huh?

Startled by the unexpected voice, Koi sniffled and looked up. A shadow appeared on the empty campus. Blinking rapidly, he focused and saw someone running towards him.

“Ash?”

Surprised, Koi shouted unintentionally. Ashley didn’t seem to have run fast, but within a few steps, he was right in front of Koi. Looking up at Ashley with wide eyes, Koi saw him smile.

“Thank goodness. You’re still here.”

What am I seeing right now? Still feeling unreal, Koi just stared. Suddenly, Ashley frowned.

“What’s wrong? Were you crying?”

“Huh? Uh, no. Just, some dust got in my eyes.”

Koi rubbed his eyes vigorously with his arm and looked back at Ashley.

“What about you? What’s going on?”

“What do you mean, what’s going on?”

Ashley repeated Koi’s words playfully.

“We need to practice skating, remember?”

“Huh? Uh.”

Seeing Koi stammer again in surprise, Ashley chuckled. He tapped Koi’s nose playfully with his finger and said with a broad smile.

“I thought you were waiting for me. Was I wrong? Was it another friend?”

“No, it’s you. It’s you.”

Koi was still in a daze.

“And your friends?”

“Oh, I told them I forgot something and just came here.”

Hearing that, Koi thought his sad assumption was correct.

So Ashley didn’t want to say we were together…

“I wanted to be alone with you, but if they knew, they’d try to tag along.”

“What?”

Unexpectedly, Koi made a foolish sound. Most people would understand if spoken to directly, but unfortunately, Koi wasn’t one of them. Knowing this, Ashley didn’t expect him to understand. Taking Koi’s bike without explanation, Ashley slung it over his shoulder, as usual.

Koi reached out in surprise, wanting to say he could handle it, but Ashley suddenly grabbed his hand.

This time, Koi couldn’t even make a foolish sound, just inhaling sharply. Holding Koi’s hand, interlaced fingers swinging back and forth like a swing, Ashley walked.

As they walked side by side, holding hands unexpectedly, Koi’s mind was flooded with questions. What did Ash just say to me? Did I hear it right? Is there something wrong with my ears? Maybe my head is messed up. This must be a delusion. What should I do? I don’t even have insurance. Wait, I’m walking with Ash right now. He’s holding my hand. So, was what happened earlier not a dream? Did Ash really say that to me? That he wanted to be alone with me? Why? Why?

“Koi.”

Ashley’s voice broke through Koi’s mental war. Looking at Koi’s dazed eyes, Ashley asked.

“What time does your part-time job end tomorrow? Is it 6 o’clock?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

Nodding without thinking, Koi saw Ashley smile.

“Then I’ll come at 6:10. That should be enough time, right?”

“Huh? Enough time for what?”

Koi looked up, confused by the sudden question. Ashley continued to smile as he spoke.

“After your part-time job tomorrow, let’s go somewhere together.”

“What?”

Koi could only react the same way again. He didn’t understand what Ashley was talking about.

“You have a party tomorrow…”

Remembering that he wasn’t invited, Koi felt a pang in his chest. Ashley spoke as if it were nothing.

“That’s for the guys to hang out. We can have our own fun.”

What does he mean?

Koi’s eyes widened in surprise. Amused by Koi’s reaction, Ashley narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously.

“Or would you rather go to the party than spend time with me alone?”

“No! Of course not! Never!”

Koi hurriedly shook his head, then mumbled with a flushed face.

“I’d rather spend time with you alone, Ash…”

“Good.”

Seeing Koi’s ears start to twitch again, Ashley smiled broadly.

“That’s settled then. 6:10 is good? I’ll come pick you up.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

Koi nodded quickly, then tilted his head in confusion.

“But where are we going tomorrow?”

“You should ask that before agreeing.”

Ashley playfully warned, with a mischievous expression.

“If you agree so quickly, you might get taken by a bad person.”

Koi laughed, as he always did, blushing and smiling brightly at Ashley.

“I only do this for you, Ash.”

He didn’t seem to realize Ashley could be that “bad person.” Ashley suppressed the urge to break Koi’s infinite trust and instead gave a gentle smile. Koi’s ears twitched continuously as he laughed along.

At that moment, Ashley felt grateful for enduring the rigorous training of the sports team. If not for that, his patience might have already run out.