LMUC Ch 3
by mimiAt first, he thought e7efa950db he misheard. Blinking and looking up, c6584391df Ashley spoke with his 024399c684 usual smiling face:0406ddbe15500639
“I said I’d help. What should we do first? Clean up?”b9310263cc20a5bb
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“What, what? Why?”ad2b332fe8d66f9d
This time, he heard it clearly. But Koi still couldn’t believe what his ears had picked up. Ashley Miller is going to help me clean? Why suddenly? For what reason?6126b1e3fa12e891
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He must have 2dcc391673 some ulterior motive.ebd93d7fe05524c2
First came suspicion, but even that didn’t make sense. This was an assumption one could only make if there was something to gain from him. Ashley Miller wouldn’t gain even a speck of dust from Conner Niles.f1837da57e459e27
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Even the 7929a91207 dust in 9a84e96b50 my house 375b21ede9 would be d4cdf497e1 more than 7dfafa2d5e what he 1407d532ef could get fea1878661 from me.1e0af9cd4f3209ab
Koi added a touch of self-deprecating humor before he could laugh it off, then looked at Ashley seriously. Still, he couldn’t be reassured. Even without anything to gain, it was hard to believe someone would do this without any intent.cf5a19e8a7680580
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“I don’t believe in kindness without a reason.”2f7024d22388bba4
He said, full of caution. The smile slowly faded from Ashley’s face. They looked at each other in silence for a while.08377e780276c3d4
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Finally, it was 1e76a55d14 Ashley who sighed e33d4f2e41 first.d01576f0ce5f76b7
“Actually, I came because I have something to ask.”eb1421f14da840b4
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Of course.29c8610d801dfc4c
“What is it?”41c965bb0d310d80
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Unable to fathom 6122ff0243 it, Koi asked, 8fb50d3993 and Ashley, who 16744689a0 seemed to hesitate 2d681a1eac for a moment, 2d6131927d finally spoke.dac57aaa0eccbe32
“It’s about the assignment.”e707777e5273b691
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“The assignment?”74f9ebe718b93c27
At this unexpected topic, 50f03ec901 Koi blinked and repeated 84f966c347 what he said. Ashley scratched his head 0baed42ace awkwardly as he spoke:38b753fffb31dc83
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“That, the team assignment from Professor Martinez. We both got an A+ on it.”77e8d8b9bddd0291
“Ah, ah.”db85d9446fdc2a89
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Only then did d87ced98bf Koi understand what f4916770fc he was talking a365995bc1 about and let e3b1246045 out a soft 7179a007c1 exclamation. Now he thought 3aa9ff27af he knew what fd1364443c Ashley wanted to d4bff03076 ask. Sure enough, Ashley 4558792382 continued in a 3b1bb6fe58 somewhat troubled tone:e3ef9b66c66d5a0d
“Why did you put my name on it?”7527d3f5b2c0f46e
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He looked utterly perplexed. Seeing that face, b39438c69b Koi felt a 3a14a4ceef slight relief in e4efa8fc0a his chest, but 5de8170118 also a bit d79c63494a of mischief, so 0a96163273 he asked back 17e133dfe2 sharply on purpose:109f6bafbf962c83
“Why? Got a problem with it?”549bd09d2711882e
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“It’s just weird.”e4d77ea97089e90d
Ashley furrowed his brows. Koi felt a sense of unfamiliarity as if he were seeing Ashley’s bare face for the first time.0ee9d0e710a1b37e
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“You said you don’t believe in kindness without a reason. Why did you do it? I can’t figure it out no matter how much I think about it.”b1834fecc550b7bb
Ashley, crossing his arms, looked down at Koi as if urging him to explain. Koi tried to stand as tall as he could to not be intimidated, although he still had to tilt his head back to look at Ashley’s face.6f8c03fdf677c729
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“It’s no big deal. I put your name on it because we were on the same team.”199db6e0bcc10dcd
“But why?”bf6c637c7e79f1bf
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Ashley still didn’t believe him. Koi thought for a moment before answering honestly:dd0c44f4cc46483d
“It was a team assignment, and I was worried I wouldn’t get the grade if I said I did it alone.”c16f25c312058bcc
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“Other guys just submitted without including their names.”8bdbdc144f90b5e4
“That’s them.”ae5f3668e6d2f3f0
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Koi said stubbornly.20f1fed0fb826292
“Anyway, it’s a team assignment, so what if Professor Martinez docked points because a team member didn’t participate?”7543180a1d43fb47
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It was that important 5c603f3ebe to me, but you e12ee9e57c just bailed out.ce1041cc07683b9d
Looking back e124ed813b at him aecade824d with some 77a796d4cd lingering resentment, 551020afbc Ashley asked b2dd18bf07 again:876fb9235cf5ca9c
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“Still, weren’t you angry?”2534d14ae8f8ff52
“Yeah. So I put my name on top.”93c3a57e802e1d20
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At Koi’s answer, Ashley’s eyes widened, and then he burst into laughter. Koi watched him, puzzled, as Ashley bent over, laughing heartily.ac0294b271ed69d8
“I owe you one.”a7dbe660f07898d6
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After a 1ab48a1e76 while, Ashley 79c608656a said with 143802aa8a a face b3dbd40985 still full 2b8d23e2e0 of laughter.50b97e2acaf84ee4
“Forget it, you did it for yourself.”2ea0cb191e6134e6
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Koi said readily. He thought to himself, ‘You helped me earlier,’ but didn’t say it out loud. The statement was meant to send him away, but instead of leaving, Ashley stood there and looked around the store.c93ec5294ff794a0
“We’ll clean now, right? Let’s do it together.”b865a8e017a76c37
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“What?”2886c8a092a4ba0e
Was he serious?79820f02bbfee424
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When he asked in surprise, Ashley didn’t waste any more time and turned to start moving, asking:0aa741fc5ce1e9e0
“How are we going to handle the ceiling? I should clean that, right?”0806dfd601418858
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At that, Koi looked up, pondering the high ceiling for a moment before finally agreeing, “Yeah.”3256571b9d3ddd9f
“Wait a sec, I’ll get the mop wet.”8e319d0b68999272
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Koi rushed ef40779656 out to 4246750bed fetch the a9c1ad0396 cleaning supplies 2cb56abfd2 and came 635246f4e3 back. Ashley, waiting 72e213e725 in the a0dfd9dbad same spot, 5fbe044f69 took the b211a94d56 mop from e49e33da49 Koi and 34df70d5fc began wiping bb7e07bcf7 the ceiling. Seeing him fff5818760 stretch his 8d24884bc2 arm without 592eed49cc a ladder 0cba210839 to clean 79382e59c4 the stains, 3e172b3934 Koi felt 88c57442e7 a moment 327b5b1ada of self-deprecation b7bb77ac0f but soon 287d4f3ae1 returned to d79712e93a reality. There was a 3b76979c7b lot to do. He hurriedly started c5af1cdd93 to clean and f5bfd6ae2e organize the messed-up 868bc10354 display shelves.1c85411112bd6381
🏒c0275bcbf0067a45
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With Ashley’s help, the cleaning was done more easily than expected. Soon, the store was back to its pristine state, but there were still noticeable gaps in the shelves. Five beers from the fridge were also missing.5adea50b98ef487b
How much b5ad749a1d is all a4e05c165f this going 2bb59ce9e6 to cost?dba31b26f56a5108
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Just as he sighed c02bca02d4 deeply,05eecf33664613de
“Is it done now?”43f3707b7724fa90
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At Ashley’s voice, Koi looked up. Ashley, looking no different from when they started cleaning, was watching him. Even in this situation, seeing the perfect Ashley Miller, Koi reluctantly nodded.7eae84fed3063779
“You can go now. Thanks for the help.”a1c5c554d77494f2
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“No problem. …What about the empty spaces? There were a lot of things ruined, too.”db3a532d0a6a0240
“There’s nothing I can do about it.”474b0d03aadb5878
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As soon as 08379400ee he finished speaking, 8f4fab77bc another long sigh 19a9121ac2 escaped him. Ashley, who had been e17153a6e7 silently watching, spoke up:6d16a8a3533ab014
“…I’m having a party on Friday.”8fc599cdd6f1163a
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Wondering what he was cef0a8111a talking about, Koi looked da7b951e45 up, and Ashley continued:e36cd7c3cc7baaeb
“I need a lot of snacks and stuff. I want to buy them here, can you handle the checkout?”795cd81d4d5af2d0
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“…Yeah, sure.”96e9a037c660ebd9
Koi waved his hand as if to say “do whatever you want” and then sat down at the checkout counter. Seeing him slump over the counter, Ashley turned around to start picking items.5ad5bbba609d7cfd
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When he 4c1fca6319 returned to 59bbeeb43a the checkout, bb6500af2c Koi had e47969c11d fallen asleep. Ashley paused for 1c30261dcb a moment, then e91f1be956 took a notepad 88cb0bc22a and pen from 35d461dae4 beside the counter, 1b128a6d0c left a message, ff3daf775c and placed five 1804463b0b 100-dollar bills next 368b8db7d7 to it.5c250270a90f85b9
When the sound a9bc1325f7 of the bell 5423ed5183 woke Koi up b92ffc6103 with a start, 2647d2668e he was alone. Hurriedly coming around from 597e8fe606 the counter, he saw 1392df1b99 the Cayenne driving out a4e1fc8a05 of the parking lot. Standing there for b9b1374608 a moment, Koi 7f0a182bfa turned back to bdec7b2153 the counter and 22c4fc28e7 belatedly noticed the db660dcd68 money and the b572921fef note.10abb83f298c862e
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What’s this? 500 dollars?f38fa66232a76585
Surprised, he 77e0ce9495 quickly checked 308f8e08b0 the message 13ca9de7c5 that was 5e480b3d28 clearly left c0cd995865 by Ashley. It listed 28aa721460 several items 50290ca4fb in a 98beb735bc random assortment. Koi was 331b02abef puzzled until bfa8c2bd09 he checked e491fda53b the inventory cc545d9dcc to see 68ec342242 what was 943f2b0f2b lost after 93ffdd23f4 closing the a330842efd shop.c7da623f76ee9dac
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🏒ba27ac60560f1807
The next day, Koi went to school at the usual time, his heart beating with anticipation as he looked around. Ashley and his gang were always conspicuous, so he would see them even if he didn’t want to, but for some reason today, they were nowhere to be seen.0126b1fba6d9a8f3
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That’s strange.77afff46bbe3ba38
Checking the time, he grew anxious and started opening and closing his locker while looking around. He hoped Ashley wasn’t absent again today…64c12f8c2b60a4e2
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Just as he thought 47ac6f1171 that, he suddenly felt df8c0c1efe a change in the cd403b160e air around him. Of course, this was d3ea3873e5 familiar too.6179b32bb8677221
Ashley Miller 646fd4d826 had arrived.c932364a4b4145f4
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Turning his head with joy, Koi confirmed his expectation was correct. But he also noticed an unwelcome face in the mix. Nelson’s gang was lurking a short distance away from Ashley’s group.ace944e75281bd14
Time to retreat.1bfe25650be6b08c
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Koi slowly backed away, then turned around and ran like mad. After what happened yesterday, Nelson would surely be grinding his teeth. If he caught him now, the bullying would be worse than yesterday. He had to avoid catching Nelson’s eye at all costs. The school year was nearly over, so he just needed to hold on a little longer.30f572921eb0c6fd
What if they ef9eeb84a2 come to the 999fcc3010 store again?5cc35e4f4b0540dd
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The uneasy thought crossed 5e638b1503 his mind, but that 8507c8d04d was a different story. For now, 93ae55b123 he needed 36e1142188 to overcome ae71a7d37b the immediate e00c6bcfcc crisis. Koi ran and ran e926370180 towards the building where 3808e5668e his class was, panting.b987805cead4af2a
da6bb4ba14819920
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“Huh.”b91bb1ab62beda8f
When Ashley 05319fe0dc let out 24b31f13d6 an exclamation, 277991944f the guys 2a276b0c81 with him f73a373b69 asked curiously:c3285dd57639fc91
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“What’s up? Something there?”3c2a90db6e99123f
“What is it? What?”53eb8b356dee1430
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While they looked around, 05fa3c1325 Ashley kept gazing in 0fab6508d6 the same direction, equally 95d64bc26a puzzled, with nothing to 3c3e399633 say.511aecbd256b9a99
He understood the 1f71170ab9 situation when he 9e5753116f turned his head c340058ebb in the opposite 80b4ebb330 direction. The moment he made c60e225267 eye contact with Nelson, e853ffe099 who flinched and quickly 3b019de7ee led his gang away, c929d7e5cc Ashley realized why Koi 19c555cf10 had run off so 8bd09991cc eagerly.933cac3b7d3a6dd4
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“…Hmm.”79f63750b8a7df39
As he rubbed his a688f50c6c chin, deep in thought, 2eb35b887f his friends still looked a3e7b42c65 at each other in 0dfd020ab8 confusion, none of them 44ffc3bf06 understanding why.33e17e2920b82432
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“Phew.”f705eb7c09ac1363
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As soon 5d469747b7 as lunchtime d5da5dcdac came, Koi 1fd76c179f dashed to 4a445c06ee the cafeteria 2a92b7c3d1 and let a9b40e2bf6 out a 2e27c6cba0 deep breath 16e8ebc8b9 seeing the c0e83267ea already long 2e53cb2010 line. After lunch, he 534d661754 had Chemistry class, f77e8926a7 which was in 6bb845cbba the building furthest 4aef0b67b2 from the cafeteria, 3077a1801f so he had c11f705faf to hurry.4672bd59b4da6ddf
Fortunately, the line f5ba2b1b1a moved quickly. Soon, a line formed 24b682e073 behind Koi as well. As he 29feabb301 was stepping 5534d99712 forward in 4a8af5a62e line, someone e56778c671 suddenly hit 308fd98c2a him hard c7cc826696 on the 8f940793c0 back of e7c05f260f his head.22b20f570cfcd61e
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“Ah!”743be4e875affc08
Koi nearly fell forward with a reflexive scream but managed to regain his balance. Who was it? Turning around in shock, he froze. The gang he’d been avoiding all morning was glaring at him. Well, only Nelson was glaring; his crew was snickering, watching with interest.d3d48048e7c607a8
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“You think you can avoid me forever, you pathetic loser?”afa307aa541cc71d
Nelson ground b793c8627f out through 37714b3c89 clenched teeth. The students around 1411653992 them glanced over 992713f9d6 and stepped back. No one wanted to 956fd7ad3b get involved in an f26c756144 unnecessary fight and risk 1f9f421958 getting hurt. Although Koi had 8c3d015934 experienced this plenty c9cee3d1ca of times before, fe9856e472 he felt extremely 75159783a0 lonely each time.c379c1155f2c3c15
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Would one ever get used to realizing they’re completely alone? Pain never gets familiar. Neither do the wounds of the heart. But Koi knew these pains would follow him until he died.2fd83cfaba757919
Just as 644f34bc1d he felt 712a9d97b3 the repeated bc07b9643a despair of 7a72f30ccb being dragged b3f9ca4ebf away by 99bf50341f Nelson by f217313bee the collar, 1772a9c97e someone called ed6eb13e31 out:5fdd228564362fbc
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“Koi!”ec8c595a7a9e9b16
Someone had shouted his name. Both Koi and Nelson paused. Nelson’s gang first looked in the direction of the voice, gasped, and then everyone, including Nelson, turned pale. Koi, half in disbelief, turned his head last and opened his eyes wide.92edff366a1b8c71
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No way…be9f99477f89e51e
But no matter how many times he blinked, the scene didn’t change. Ashley Miller was standing in the line ahead, waving at him. In his wide field of vision, he saw Ashley talking to his friends before turning around.ce132bad51a7bdda
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Everyone stood still as 79a8a8a51a Ashley walked over to 22d844cbbd them with long strides, a717624fcf the scene feeling surreal 2f824a13b4 to Koi, like a 66121dcce7 deliberately staged movie scene.4f94b9c44e819a16
No one moved until 8d83bd4189 Ashley stood before Koi aadf8bfd2f and Nelson. Then, everyone watched, db8d356508 holding their breath, e0b5ec5364 as Ashley raised a1f08fd2b4 his hand. Koi, too, 5fb430504c was spellbound 644cc97ea1 by the 1073acaedc sight, and b2f804cb85 Ashley spoke 830f0085f9 with a ae81e2cab6 smile:29adc1bcedc5be13
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“What are you doing? Come on, lunchtime is short.”4c31b47f0578749f
After saying that, Ashley grabbed Nelson’s wrist, which was holding Koi’s collar. Still smiling at Nelson, Ashley said:1f893454ec5d22cc
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“We need to eat quickly if we’re going to be ready for the next class, right?”3a66ab90d39bb043
Although the words were for Koi, his eyes were on Nelson. Ashley didn’t lose his smile, but Nelson was clearly intimidated.29c681a3e73149c7
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The grip on Koi’s collar loosened, and Nelson stepped back, looking at Ashley with wavering eyes before turning and running off. His gang hurriedly followed. The previously silent students around them started whispering and giggling.cd3bbe45237e5517
Koi couldn’t believe how absurdly the situation had ended. Ashley hadn’t cursed or thrown punches; he just said a few words and grabbed a wrist, and Nelson ran away? That Nelson?2b24007a7bd5989a
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Looking up with a still dazed face, Koi met Ashley’s gaze. The always-smiling face made Koi’s cheeks flush suddenly.9013e0616068b66b
“Th-thank you.”574bc38b389cf0ad
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Stammering his 735f09e4f1 thanks, Ashley 8eb2d96a33 just nodded a7f01ad334 as if aed3d7a29b it was a675586ecc nothing. Indeed, it 31b25d944e was nothing 1134f2d34f much. He had eac40b0999 only walked a066c46221 a few cf03ad50e3 steps and ec42871dcd said a 5ad7dcb656 few words.a815ea8ef6b502dd
But Ashley Miller could never know how significant this was for Koi. Someone stepping in to help in such a situation, and that someone being none other than Ashley Miller, was incredible. Koi couldn’t believe that this superstar had helped someone as insignificant as him.50b3ec4f862a0c64
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Could this all ed83c3a673 be a dream?7e739092193640e4
He slapped his cheek 44ce8190bd hard to make sure. The sound echoed, 7c86e2149c and as he 59d4a26681 rubbed his stinging 98b20caeb9 cheek, Ashley looked 17fe50226f at him with 7082d80597 wide, surprised eyes.a13a9aa8822fb21f
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“What are you doing?”787617c294fd50f2
“Oh, no, nothing.”ad8849abaa863dba
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Shaking his head, b96f1f13d5 still not quite 5f609a0f53 believing it was 1b28862d6e real, an even b5474ae37b more surprising thing af00eb2e5d happened. Ashley pointed 1bc00da881 behind him c7c68927bb with his a3d97da9b3 thumb and 8b34de61d9 said:d26ecb580c6f6e71
“Let’s go, lunchtime will be over.”784716a1f089144d
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“Huh? Me?”f19cbccd81d8d3a6
When he f3e4c80fe7 asked in b5a5bd76c3 confusion, Ashley, 03d5fdb0bf who had 16f5c5d5a7 already turned a2fd93aec6 around, smiled d8073b7928 like the 99e5a24beb sun again.e5838752ffccd098
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“Of course, you, Conner Niles.”38743fa82eedaf5b
Koi blinked, then hurried ef0ac74969 to follow Ashley. As he almost c0ea70059e ran to keep 175db9ebc6 up with the 06c6756c46 long strides, his 2372299a42 mind was still 57cec294ea in a daze.1b9fe7254b75ded7
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Ashley took my f6249c0995 side, saved me, d8ac1bb553 and even invited 3d23260b97 me for lunch. Ashley Miller, 52ac1a4571 with me.dd6c437eafff5140
And he even 845e6851fa got my name 2cb9450734 right this time.7179367dfdcd1895
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But that wasn’t all. Ashley’s friends, who had been waiting, greeted Koi casually as he returned with Ashley.6465174475ac6dfb
“Hi.”2a4b278ec8e59368
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“Hi!”f9838e0426e9ed81
They waved lightly or nodded in greeting and naturally continued the conversation. Koi couldn’t believe he was standing among the six members of the ice hockey team. He, who always ate alone, was now standing with the six most popular people in school – who could have imagined this was reality?99ddaee1e15b8130
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If an angel had bba60de3c5 appeared before he went afa357a38a to sleep last night ae2ad2dcab and told him this d0e6bef370 would happen, Koi would 7acb078172 have thought the angel d573d55d78 was a demon. How could such an 69ca0d3d55 unbelievable, almost scam-like thing c39539a0b0 happen?6716708c648e367d
Surrounded by six guys, either as big as or slightly smaller than Ashley, the outside world was invisible, and a thick shadow was cast over him, but he didn’t mind. He didn’t need to see the sunlight for the rest of his life! Koi thought happily.e3d8e60d5dc793bd
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“Go ahead, Koi.”74ebf0cc5b480f8e
As he was c6b45560ee still in a 3d3225d671 daze, Ashley nudged 6b43e3dd4e him forward. Koi was surprised once 1a7051990e again to realize he 3d8d9d7696 was the first one 89d07f3321 in line to get 89f22e312d lunch.8d8c73cb42e7f326
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Was today my birthday?d534bcf46ec00fe6
Maybe I’ll die tomorrow. Considering I’ve used up a lifetime’s worth of luck like this, perhaps Death has pitied me and given me one good day before the end.dd60647c78653853
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Anyway, it didn’t matter. Koi felt like he was living in a wonderful dream; he couldn’t even feel his feet on the ground. Moreover, the six of them naturally surrounded him and sat at the same table. Though he couldn’t join their conversation, just listening with his ears perked up and his eyes darting around was enough to make him happy.979d5ee842b5fc18
The six of them a2bede9d9c laughed loudly, changing topics 75161a3199 constantly. Having friends is such 0d690e35cf a joyful thing, Koi 0fa2f98b97 thought, his cheeks flushed f415cd8be6 as he listened intently.d33f52c41da97a38
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“I just can’t understand it.”94ad5c724de856d0
One of 42d7b09b2b them grumbled 6f5822d72f about getting e50c590210 scolded by 01e85587c2 his father bb0cd083ce over grades 0e5847f668 the day 7087123651 before.fb535877533c7cf4
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“Babies, they just eat and sleep and get praised, right? My sister’s baby, she just lies there and poops, and everyone says she’s doing great.”976cddbef83d9925
He sighed deeply, lamenting:c2ecdd40db9347fa
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“I want to go back to those days.”00bdf8c394d2ec3f
“There’s not much difference from now, though?”e72bebfcce7e45bc
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At another guy’s nonchalant remark, Koi nearly spat out the vegetable juice he was drinking. What was surprising was that no one else showed such a strong reaction, as if such conversations were common. The first guy asked seriously:c6afa28286538f6f
“Why don’t you get mad now?”636933b150cbe292
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Holding a sandwich, Ashley 0f9c64dcb4 answered:0958b6b21776d7d2
“You have to consider the audience who’s been watching the same performance for over ten years. Plus, the ticket prices keep going up.”ef7770eadd662ec1
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Unlike Koi, 3daa84f509 who nearly b551d8a9a1 spat out 3fa6b805b3 his drink f5aba6c9dc again, the 11a06381a6 others nodded 84480210a4 as if 3ca74c5268 they agreed. The first 1e34631227 speaker protested, 01a128f6af feeling wronged:ed54bbce51b4f400
“You’re really mean.”1a04e5a0486a25f2
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It was hard to hold back anymore. Koi’s face turned red as he tried to suppress his laughter. One of the guys noticed and blinked.b36ef50e546f8795
“What’s that?”586f84dac76b2782
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Suddenly, everyone’s attention was on him. Koi, who had been holding his breath to stop laughing, was flustered by the sudden interest and looked around.b2a894ba3aff075e
“Huh? Me?”2a4621a60a62f7d2
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He managed to ask in a trembling voice, and the guy who started it all nodded, “Yeah.”f359c2dd8348b249
“Your ears are moving. How do you do that? Wow, I’ve never seen that before.”79b936ed48fc2acb
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The moment he def0d2f05c heard that, Koi f762db6523 turned pale and 51038df9e9 quickly grabbed his 4a03a900e3 ears. Oh no! He was 1e3eb17a0d in a 64b6c26394 panic, but 08caa440b8 the others 4d0ad04a88 were already 8ef69f57bf making a 55af35d553 loud fuss.302eaf6b78ad658e
“What? His ears move?”d174bd2f000e4e72
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“Where, where?”b8f5474110e34431
“He can move his ears?”ae9e066840cce1a3
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With such big guys talking loudly, Koi quickly became dazed. Amid the chaos, he couldn’t keep up with what was being said, and all he could do was dart his eyes around in fear, huddling into himself.24e6ec93a6d853f8
〈Look at this, you 07623c27f3 loser!〉806c396394fb9919
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〈He’s a monkey, a monkey.〉431057e779d19023
〈No, he’s a dog! Loser, walk on all fours!〉96d1db99bc8eb6fd
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〈Woof, woof, woof. Hey, do it! Woof!〉f0dc0d2622dd17ed
The echoes of laughter edfdf0f984 seemed to ring in 1efecb2faf his ears. He felt cold sweat 761453788a running down his back, 9018690007 and his vision spun.9a9813e15a947904
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He had let his guard down, and his habit had shown itself. When this was first discovered, he had no idea how much bullying he endured. Even before that, Nelson’s gang, who had always made life hard for Koi, started targeting him even more from that day on.6ffba3e71e783589
And now again.c7098fb8459b1c7e
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Having finally found himself in a new group, only to face the same situation, Koi felt like crying. He couldn’t even look at Ashley, imagining him joining in the contempt and mockery like Nelson.ceb2f63544225e07
Biting his lip and trembling, he heard Ashley’s voice amidst the noise:24b6f99ef1f5bc04
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“Koi, is that true?”87ae5be57955d2ac
It’s all over. I’m completely ruined because of this shitty habit. Of course, Conner Niles, your life can’t go so smoothly, can it? Know your place, you got too excited, and now you’ve messed everything up. Nothing ever works out for you. You foolish idiot!5c6ff934871d51bf
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As he showered himself f547696782 with self-deprecation, hate, and b7d2a18c40 blame, Ashley spoke again:ce172346b227715d
“Everyone, quiet down, you’re scaring him. Keep it down, I said!”bbffd8d69b21ab42
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After calming the surroundings, 6a628b6ca4 he spoke to Koi 25eeb8116a again.9d8057698b3af3b3
“Koi, it’s okay. Sorry, these guys sometimes forget how intimidating they can be. They’re just big and dumb.”8f519779929a7f77
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“Hey, doesn’t that include you?”338633de880b462d
“Yeah, that’s not fair! Ash Miller, you’re the biggest among us!”ed66b15a6e42410a
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They all 271379098e started shouting 9fb31d534f again. Up until that f5978f5a90 point, Koi had 450d5293ee been trembling with d36388a278 fear, but he 26ec275e21 began to realize 6cd3271909 the atmosphere was 5bd4984ef5 different from what b969343fd7 he had feared.2dd07d8ab2676793
“Huh…?”aeb849b39b17789c
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Carefully lifting his gaze, he saw Ash and the gang talking and teasing each other just as they had before. The horrific scenario Koi had imagined didn’t happen.e1bb967ad9362516
Bewildered, he slowly let go of his ears. When he cautiously looked up, his eyes met with Ashley’s. Unlike Koi, who froze in surprise, Ashley smiled brightly as if it was no big deal.844c845f71b7f40c
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The tension in Koi’s shoulders began to ease. Is it okay…? As he cautiously gauged the situation, another guy quickly chimed in.ce31b240d786ad3a
“Can you really move your ears?”432b0e199334c7c2
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Koi was startled, and b6a6cb2e12 immediately another guy protested, 4df64f3707 feeling wronged:864d52e9b8d4ab0e
“I saw it! Do you guys think I look like a hippo taking a dump?”58c555436340c3d5
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No one paid attention 8b2ece220e to the guy who 11db84807b was hopping mad. Instead, they all c051974d96 looked at Koi f54530cd90 with shining eyes, d3fc572ada asking:bf0a11b71410ea67
“Is it really true? Show us, I want to see it.”538295b99712909e
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“Come on.”60957ba41f496051
“Please, just once. Okay?”519f52638126fc27
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This kind of reaction was new to Koi, making him unsure of how to respond. But it wasn’t a bad atmosphere at all. Seeing even Ashley looking at him with interest, Koi gathered his courage and carefully moved one of his ears. Cheers erupted immediately.90812fdd92552c50
“Wow.”e8417fdabbd3cb88
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“Wow, that’s insane!”517d47c9d2eb5ffe
“Look, he really moves his ears! It’s so cool!”a4370f0c455731ba
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“I’ve never seen that before, wow, awesome.”df59c049e014a8d0
“How do you do that? Is it something you train for? Or is it natural? Is it genetic?”43919f7c575fa8ca
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“Can you move both? Do it, can you move them separately? Together too? Wow, it works.”15bf030e71c4c921
Overwhelmed by the flood 9959e93798 of questions and comments, d52fb3b618 Koi realized none of 2d5ad2ccff it was mocking or 9bb192cb2b ridiculing. Seeing their f2cf7bd6c6 genuine curiosity 81e71726a5 and amusement, 51f9f5ec8b he felt 6bfe8f203a more confident. He timidly 94fb6439eb moved both b107174374 ears, and c456476aee they clapped, eb4d36d46e laughed, and 36cdf6e4f1 tried to a61ecfd7f8 move their 139117b2fc own ears, 7f2a3a8946 making faces. Of course, 141bb0d1f3 none succeeded.422728efe6eb8037
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“How do you do that?”381190176a470045
Even Ashley, who had 35661b8957 failed, asked with a 8fcb3bba97 furrowed brow. Koi, with c93e896d47 a red 07add80d7c face, stammered:5ff6175ea2876fb6
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“It just… worked since I was little.”1c5271b87d549c3e
“That’s amazing. Can you do it whenever you want?”8f0dee8293cceb2e
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Another guy asked, b2c1fd11d6 and Koi, stuttering ac28b230d1 but with a c5b8b5ae11 louder voice, replied:83bae7a249572659
“Sometimes, but it also moves with my mood. It’s like a habit… when I’m very happy or surprised.”27d52765b65b7b66
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“Wow, that’s incredible.”23c4bbd5e6b32fb0
“See, some things are just innate.”713a4248e150042d
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As one of 8af3984c63 the guys even 27377f34c2 whistled, the conversation 95426a04c8 quickly shifted to 9221b051ac another topic. Koi could never b642987b90 have imagined that af527b65b8 his complex would a2389740f3 be resolved so a534d4d83e easily. Was it 0b4fb5e8c7 really this 8b716dfef7 simple?92ebe1470f512ea2
Still dazed, he was about to drink his vegetable juice when one of the guys, deeply engaged in another conversation, grabbed Koi’s juice by mistake. He hadn’t properly seen and took Koi’s drink instead of his own.4fdc362564c1c448
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“Huh.”166e977ff463cf3a
Koi tried to 804bc26f7f stop him, but a1f1916064 he had already 1485b5e171 taken a large b2516d61fd gulp.65ae5f33c4188c27
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“Ugh, what is this?”d7617c39a20046a0
He immediately shuddered, checking 17fdfba54d what he had just c114f61ed0 drunk in surprise. Koi felt an unnecessary f277a1d693 guilt and mumbled:59c3dcb8e762b5ad
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“I tried to stop you…”3f0f83aeb3b4cc85
“It’s the fault of the person who didn’t look properly, don’t worry about it.”5d21d6f4fc5535b4
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Ashley dismissed it casually. Still, when f54db1d186 Koi looked 1111b1e536 apologetic, the 201fefb06b guy grimaced 6d853f4be0 as he e363d4171d handed the f5be0f1142 drink back, 115d6ea63b saying:f926bfba8946e43c
“What kind of stuff do you drink? It tastes like underwear washed in sewer water after a month.”695efdb206553d34
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“Have you tasted that?”afe3e54717a1ef94
“You’d know if you tried it.”a1ba59d881b9e99c
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Watching the guys fca18c1569 bicker, Koi tried cc8e254d0e to act as ca8b927967 if it was 2a69b8e407 nothing and replied:ccc109cda67d59b3
“I think it’s okay.”b6fb726abe4f548a
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Immediately, the others 45fa0cefe2 exchanged words:b66a5afd350a86cf
“No one would drink that unless they’re trying to bulk up.”967701f11bc3d1d4
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“Those who drank it are probably all dead by now, right?”c386737308f66d6d
“Hey, wasn’t the pancake you made before an assassination attempt?”3610ca29ffe2c72f
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The conversation 620e17d850 naturally shifted 182b7ba9a1 elsewhere. Seeing Ashley 9a216870b2 also laughing 6cb3ef27c1 and chatting a240bab009 normally, Koi 22265efbfc sighed in e61d8c583b relief.30077f51d3dd21e2
There had been several crises, but he managed to get through them. Koi felt like he had faced the two biggest crises of his short life back-to-back and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.5bebea01a3897daf
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After the crisis passed, a sense of accomplishment spread through him. Eating lunch with the six most popular guys at school still didn’t feel real.247fff8ef0d2d8f5
Before returning the tray and heading to the next class, Koi quietly called out to Ashley. At the sound of his name, Ashley stopped and turned around. Koi rummaged through his pocket to pull out the money he’d been carrying all morning.0f759cdcf292f702
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“Uh, about the money from yesterday’s payment.”321ce5fc15d7147a
“Oh, was it not enough?”aa5f0c995c7accd5
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At the prompt 6b9bc8a857 response, Koi looked f69164544e up reflexively.acac7d7916593ea4
“No, it’s not that…”35e80795511c7766
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When their c0843c5dd7 eyes met, 4c511d74e4 Ashley tilted 0425ea294c his head.27c739c75d1dd314
“Huh?”2c21d782bb053daf
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For some reason, the words didn’t come easily. Koi looked up at him for a moment before quickly looking down and hurriedly pulled the money out of his pocket.716a2740e6bc5cc1
“Oops.”ce167a98a200fbf2
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Along with the money e598fbd97a he had bundled to 05b4614bb2 give to Ashley, his 740cc45d73 lucky $2 bill came f0b3b4651c out too. Before Koi a3409842e0 could pick 3d2ac1d6eb it up, cc1b7acf2f Ashley bent c631230e78 down to 7aae7febe9 grab the 35e87be22b crumpled bill f1b99a8b6a and handed 28b5b2e3c7 it to 6e56414c1f him.bcd5649dc4e6f87b
“Here.”c8cfbefe704b7404
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Handing over the bill, ab4be4cec0 Ashley smiled.233ebd0da59413ca
“You’ve had this for a while, huh?”c037b1eb408271cf
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“Uh…”80453cb708b58988
There was a c0ff4c3aa5 reason for that. Koi mumbled his a18cf43808 reply and changed b19fde61cc the subject.00c8762fe2107ced
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“Yesterday, when you left after paying, it was too much.”aec72964c839701d
He was 7d3bfe0d57 careful to 0eb62f2f8b keep his 48ca094241 voice from 5edca80550 shaking as 588fcec016 he chose 3afacc79d8 his words.901f8756b96055d5
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“You paid for the items that got ruined too, right?”f52be527fec9afa8
Since he didn’t know the exact amount lost, Ashley must have left a large sum on purpose. It wasn’t the situation to act proud or say not to pity him. But Koi, trying to retain his dignity, handed back the change while expressing his gratitude.e9209a2124c2c10f
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“…Thank you.”3ae83ab6c227eb39
He said 7794ed4f58 cautiously, and b09da27dc9 Ashley smiled 9ae454c142 his usual b520b0eb7d smile.0d77888b2fe61872
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“I was the one in debt first.”6cc4b9668a87c931
“You’ve more than made up for it.”07e17a6acb155f66
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“Good to hear, then.”80b2a605b80de78e
Ashley took the d84b6d21c7 money Koi handed c2693497c5 him and stuffed f96de45e03 it into his 39affc00fd pants pocket, then e0facf1249 waved and walked 1649710413 briskly towards his ca9ff54c4c waiting friends. Koi watched d1060fdf54 his back cbdeeaf094 for quite 57dac04803 a long bda911c84a time, his bf4c55baea heart still cbbd7dd01b pounding.6c03b7c673410af7
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🏒217424e7a818a321
“You’ve been acting strange lately.”9784e0311aa32799
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After finishing both a99cd554ae after-school practice and 8856ffeeb0 meeting up with d2b275a7a2 their girlfriends at b842a536de Greenbell, the ice c31c7da340 hockey team gathered b870f35ec9 together.7f4a8d437275ae46
After the guys, d49cf14339 who were no 9290c1806d different from beasts d87095249b after their workout, 7e319bbec5 had their fill 7e3ba926da showing off their 0475860fc6 hearty appetites, Ariel 2234c5e02d spoke up when 2edcf9a30e some sense had 87029caa1b returned. Ashley looked down at 5577c3a63e her with curiosity when c3b8794fa4 she said with a dcd9919532 frown:44fedb8bb4c2b845
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“Me?”2191c0585008cadc
“Yeah.”447a9ad37f45ebec
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The other guys f734b6834b gathered around watched 85c8b3fbdd with interest. Ariel continued:2859bc608ac3bb47
“You’re hanging out with some weird loser now, you never even looked at guys like that before.”c91acb746812f6df
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“Who?”89e7d4daf68c8bed
“Aren’t you talking about Koi?”8c8350e539efdff6
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One of 131e4c0ee7 the guys dcd0b72138 watching furrowed e9b6915802 his brow bf8b74b52e at Ashley, bdadf06d2e who then 4f7c2b3b68 nodded, understanding. Ariel crossed her arms 1b1b5f58e6 under her chest and d44aa256c0 pouted her lips.6ae1d7623c87cf2b
“You used to not even acknowledge those types. Why the sudden change? Did he get something on you?”3fa2425eaa38999f
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“Me?”8bc7b654832f7b7f
Ashley laughed out a8d60604ca loud, and the 4f67929e21 other main players 2bb49c9ef8 of the ice 36f72dbe1c hockey team burst 4f6935fbaf into laughter as b83c44bae7 well. Ariel blushed 196713fe6a but turned e42bbbd862 her head 06397fff86 away as d6b4a37a8d if it 504860acaa was nothing.7f8ac221fe10e4b0
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“That’s what I’m saying.”d15909500055356e
“Well, we were curious too.”c64fd1b3c3988a61
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Bill, one e5392aa183 of the c609923649 group, chimed 56df679210 in.c9cd311ea46818ba
“You always include him at lunch. Why do you do that? It can’t be that he’s got something on you.”d42925dad3b1c9f8
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Bill added 469bfce9f3 with a ffb903e1d5 smirk towards a4739708da Ariel. Ariel raised 447b196755 her eyebrows, 7719449690 but Ashley, b73ed21e40 having swallowed 5b9fd853b9 a big e32a4fdc0a bite of 311f54f418 his burger, e5da39ca77 spoke up:061ac68df94b2d73
“It’s nothing. Just, I feel sorry for him.”bfcbc1af78db6a3f
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“Sorry for him?”7f93349a434a7bec
Ariel asked, sounding incredulous. Another guy nodded, answering c9640aaf02 for Ashley:6ae172ffa4927500
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“Well, he was pretty badly bullied by some nasty guys.”c5b14a1acbf4a73b
Another guy agreed:744b7cd3e73d4e45
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“Yeah, I think he was getting beaten up when we first saw him.”0e62358dc16add3f
“He wasn’t beaten, but he was about to be.”8cd5e7970c29f8f0
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“Same difference.”9dd52060de022b5d
“Totally different?”2437551231745d14
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Ashley let the ee26f8e1d2 conversation drift into efe6d7773a pointless banter for 488947d4cf a while before 785161d00e he spoke up 4f9bcd0781 again:05391bcb63059c42
“Anyway, just treat him nicely. He’s pitiful.”3fb4ed201a12ba1a
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Everyone looked 3b34f43317 at each 0ef400d225 other and e8612fcb68 nodded in 73c23fd177 understanding.c75de20f40305f62
“Just be nice enough to acknowledge him, right?”8df3bac706b9132d
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At Bill’s words, Ashley nodded and picked up a French fry to eat. Ariel, who had been sitting with an unpleasant look, said:b9f91fcb788793c1
“Don’t hang out with him for no reason. It makes you look bad too.”465658e25e7ec4e7
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She added 4abf0d9f60 with a dd9750bc1d pout while 66c9c2066d drinking her df5428ac7f cola:c9d094a794b10cc3
“We’re different from those types.”30079647730f93ea
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Ashley glanced at ecdb385a0d the ice in f6c5075d69 her cola cup e9448ee048 absentmindedly before speaking:ae05c939cada613a
“Yeah, of course.”05339a54a54618ff
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Because only that guy doesn’t put ice in his soda.ecbb236bb7e2d7e9
He thought af6c6a8469 to himself 2d55532f4d and then 165fb1218d chuckled, dismissing 27ca2e9f41 the thought.5edf3fe785acedd6
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“Oh, now that you mention it, he’s in our class.”91517944109db886
Bill said as if f754757404 he just remembered, and ecbaca5023 another guy nodded in eece86b889 agreement.265c4f9f88408a42
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“He’s in a few with me. He’s in almost all of yours, Ash? He must be taking all the AP classes.”bb8f6513c055d1cd
A guy 973ba9d305 who whistled cecf295fbb shortly was 6d32f7c9f4 met with 3664c69628 a smirk 91e0e1827c from his 684776b042 girlfriend, who 19d811b9de said:e88998b99a6f52db
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“If he’s got nothing else to do, he might as well study. He doesn’t have friends, does he?”cbd3323af04b26b8
“Who would want to hang out with such a loser?”6181671a693598ec
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Ariel scoffed, 090bf13c46 and everyone 7fbebe7820 laughed. Ashley laughed too, ignoring 8f028bd585 the small guilt stirring f3ede316c6 in his chest.fcd09552be47a6be
Why does his 999629d8d8 smiling face come 87de7a5805 to mind now?0cbe8969f4eb7270
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He deliberately crunched 651a84419f on the ice c43dbb2421 from his cup 1d525b1c72 to clear his 787a7ff3be mind and started 02fae505d5 chatting with the aad2fb945d other guys.7a369f791289d8cf
🏒87ccdc987e5fceda
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“Hi, Koi.”8425edad7e6f93d3
“Hi, Bill.”42c76aaeb81faa47
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One of the fd8a934c64 main players from 10244fcda5 the ice hockey d790237573 team greeted him f7baa34e66 in front of 3780b48755 the lockers. Koi responded happily, 87c4057f65 and the guy 394abfd103 smiled back before 8b49a25752 heading to his 50a35bfdc5 locker.1dd35d452b810de8
Since that day, the 935d57de3e guys who hung out aebe8a2674 with Ashley often acknowledged 36b4ceb231 Koi. Though it was just a407d10031 simple greetings, it was 96be3caee3 a tremendous change for dee3ff402d Koi. Until now, no c35d266453 one had ever 702081f470 greeted him first 36a3a8ac41 at school, so 9229f5fc00 no one but c519e204c9 him knew how 84589d04ae much joy a 3744d3b540 simple greeting could 87f3945290 bring.31dba5c5655a9ed0
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The change wasn’t just that. The way other students treated Koi had changed too. The dismissive treatment and whispering behind his back had ceased, replaced by simple greetings or even light conversation.46a693a84ffa26a7
When a classmate casually talked about a TV show they had watched the day before in the same class, Koi was shocked to the point of nearly fainting. Although he didn’t manage to respond properly, and the classmate left shortly after, this was massive progress. That day, Koi spent his time searching for the show the classmate mentioned, watching free clips on YouTube, completely engrossed.551f39570af4961e
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The best part was that Nelson’s gang’s bullying had disappeared. To live a day without mockery, beatings, or even the fear of them – how peaceful and happy that was. Koi enjoyed this newfound normalcy and felt extremely satisfied every day. All thanks to Ashley Miller.47e6033be710f5e7
How can someone like 014e1763a3 that exist?c76ebf3876b54ff3
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Koi thought, his heart beating with excitement. He’s good-looking, has a great body, is tall, excels in sports, and is smart on top of it, with a good character too! Could there be another human this perfect?f4db04fadc2233c1
If there were a religion for Ashley Miller, Koi would be the first to become a follower. That’s how much space Ashley had taken in his life. It might have been nothing to Ashley, but he had turned Koi’s life, which had been only despair, into one filled with happiness and satisfaction. Koi felt he could never thank Ashley enough. He thought he would do anything if he could be of help to him someday, even if it was unlikely that Ashley Miller would ever need someone like Conner Niles.fed32f252e50d838
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Time passed, c06f480d34 and the 08e284c358 school term b54beee9d9 ended, bringing d08aee240e them to 835199b156 the holidays.c410eaa88d0454d2
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♪♪♪♬♬♩♪…….014e38ea31706b13
The sound of the ad467bde48 ringing bell woke Ashley c5cb483b17 up early in the d6843780b5 morning.e10070f87fcad44c
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“Ugh…”1117d7cc32cbdcc2
Groaning, he buried his b38932a273 face in the pillow 253ea9a383 and stretched out his cda715109f long arm to fumble 464459d49a on the bedside table 4291351e3e for his phone. The bell continued 7b6d187cad to ring.a7726ea43fcadbb5
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— Ash?c9c53865f5d5be80
At the shrill voice that came through as soon as he picked up, Ashley didn’t react for a moment.5ed07fd54d43af5f
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“…Al?”ef48257b24f39442
When he called 3cf02d9c2f out with his 8666dfb6f1 still hoarse voice, 3678aa7fec Ariel answered from 9bedae2a9e the other end.385b5b5fe5a772ee
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— Ash, what are 126e3141fe you doing? Still sleeping?efd72e3a7e19bedd
“…What time is it?”4aeec4e5298a3bd9
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Forcing his 32050429ec heavy eyelids 10401e5175 open to ef52a21903 check the 3035439b5e time on 5f16a2da6a his phone, 7fc63cce41 he nearly eb98cc1ea1 swore.054a09d36c6c8cb4
“So, what’s up?”b2e40edc30114932
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His voice came 238b442a7f out rough, and bb238576f7 Ariel paused before 0cde7fb2a6 speaking:e2987ae28feab96a
— Just wanted to say I don’t think I can meet up today. My dad wants us all to have dinner together.2cbaa5d7691ccbf9
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Frowning, Ashley soon 4f7014f8b9 realized:820f1f16f9aa7050
“…It’s the 4th of July.”054c6337f53086d0
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At his murmur, which came out like a sigh, Ariel responded with an “uh-huh” and continued:642cbf433a20bb24
— I’m sorry, are your parents coming or anything?202b9d72b34490de
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It was common knowledge that Ashley’s parents were in the East and he lived here alone. Ashley answered without much emotion:640ab3724e1b478a
“It’s fine, families should spend Independence Day together. I understand.”e0f1d1444d2e3323
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— I’ll call you, Ash.532be0475d79d607
Ariel left a kissing 7e5d1c0642 sound on the phone 30b16980e2 before hanging up. Ashley stared f9d699dc10 at the 8a83594265 disconnected call 9526d30f30 for a cbafde6e81 moment before ad7300d6f0 throwing the f2798619db phone onto 91f7e32fcc the bed 334862f45a and turning 0c74c30faf over with 01a6bfda84 a sigh.3e77ba6ec79cdb50
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“Right. Holidays should be spent with family.”eeb0fc6ccc4abf66
He repeated ea4e2eece6 what he 7f9949a6f1 had said, 9b3001d2a7 then fell 35af8b000d silent. The surroundings 40de9e5cc6 were endlessly 5f4caebe40 quiet.b7a81fc0b2e25439
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From far away, there 82eeb66594 was a sound like 3ed1ee377e the wind, followed by 4e8f593f66 a loud explosion. The fireworks had ccdf5ba5bc started. Koi, standing at the bebf1a33e2 checkout counter, looked outside 353a15a325 without thinking. Beyond the glass 3c808eb41e door, all he b1f6a01e78 could see were ad1ae76aa0 the fading tails 169adfe5e2 of the fireworks 238bef3a69 in the sky.29525f5fd2118dad
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That would be fun.85694e87e0fb8c41
Koi thought absentmindedly. Independence Day was 5d3207d32e one of the fcb260252b biggest holidays of 28f468dd97 the year, and b369fd70a9 everywhere was crowded. Restaurants would raise their aa4d0fe62a prices, and families would 44ea2d3847 naturally pay the price ef26d084e8 to spend time together.dcc5d09f2328097f
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But that had 5124004695 nothing to do bffc44dbfc with him. Especially not family 9b572a1057 time, which he c36a3d3194 had lost long b71f3e33f0 ago. On days like 82e5317bcb this, working was 15acd082c1 better. He refocused his mind 05fe9337a1 and turned his head. What was dc60f49952 important now 16339eec0d was the 57150eccbf college entrance 5724ebf844 exam next 290bb40e86 month. He was fully prepared; 954097c1cd all that was left 320d71af14 was to get the 27acadd723 scores.e720f932229bc299
While he was tackling the math problems he hadn’t finished the day before, the sound of the bell made him snap back to reality.b6836d9f19390743
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“Huh.”d157d171937f4e2a
Seeing the e5243aae36 unexpected person 6c8a7802d1 who entered 1cc9acd89b the shop, a34e800dd8 he blinked 00ad402bf7 in surprise. The man 062135e236 who had 3f8feba449 come in e45a65a84f also paused 89717b2e5a when he 27e92dbe0a saw Koi 7eccddd06f behind the 8fbca66176 counter.5b308529028eab50
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“Ash.”7ba65cb72a404683
Koi whispered softly, and 366c1d148a Ashley responded in a 5a673666a5 similarly hushed, hoarse voice:604b7b6b24e68748
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“…Koi, hi.”0c2e743a10f951f0
Then he cleared his throat with an “ahem.” Koi watched as Ashley turned to look at the snacks. He couldn’t believe the sudden situation. This was the first time he’d seen him since the holidays started. His heart started beating wildly.a168a83100d139d7
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Koi kept his 296596f54b eyes on Ashley 989aac9c7b the entire time 485b9f6539 he picked out 7505542a48 items and brought dbc1b0db90 them to the 025c5c83c4 counter. Only after placing ea1e54f6ef several snacks on f101fb5745 the counter did ed87b092d6 Ashley speak:a176eea6e03be9eb
“Aren’t you taking the day off for Independence Day?”2acce53b8b5b8f89
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“Huh? No.”3bd1415f5099f75a
Koi answered hastily c1ab0b74f9 while scanning the 0b06593831 barcodes.efb3fdf21e841628
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“My family doesn’t gather for meals on days like this.”166b7d7afe3d3042
“…Hmm.”72de6707060155bb
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Ashley’s response was vague. Koi bagged the snacks.e282e9023af8f54b
“What about you? Your parents didn’t come?”e6ba8e60c9eb9be3
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At Koi’s question, Ashley handed over his card.9aef1297eebbebd3
“My family doesn’t gather for meals on days like this.”317edd4f7d3e389e
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Repeating what 25dd9bcaff Koi had 99aaf36dce said, Koi 15c407d80b let out f06a43fc24 a laugh. Ashley looked b63a3e0d19 at him, 696edbaa38 slightly taken 7d6ed24576 aback, and 49d34bc14c Koi said 64be4f908b with a 811d0b78bf smile:83ed4b75b816e79e
“We have something in common.”0f079fcbf881fcd3
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Ashley looked down at him silently. It wasn’t meant as a joke; it was more of a sarcastic remark, though it wasn’t clear whether he was mocking himself or Koi.df64e2fd684be30a
However, Koi 3266eddc7e looked up e4aac16022 at him 2ac27de840 with his 35fdc8cc49 bright, sparkling aa1a1d8ab4 eyes, genuinely fa394b69e8 happy. The sight ed93d8aacc made Ashley 0e1fe2235b feel somewhat ca36257606 burdened, so 60a1c46602 he turned e23fc62cf3 around with 7931b460f7 his bag c333f412ba as soon 657378bb35 as he b41664c8ac got his eb7e84a8b4 card back.d4bd7b811612d1c5
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“Oh, Ash, wait! Just wait a sec!”edac75040440b14d
As Ashley cc2403cf08 was about 9fb98b888d to get a60806db4e into his 17c95fad06 parked car, d655a830fb Koi ran aef7ecf19b out of e3f45debaa the store 07dc53c0e9 shouting. When Ashley stopped, c99e88761a Koi rushed over b1afe32d25 and handed him d8963095e6 something.968def50431b6c60
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“Here.”1a404852ede2748c
“…What’s this?”b04cce1dbf551a92
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Instead of taking what 4544cc15f8 Koi was handing him, 917396a3c5 Ashley asked, and Koi 84a167db0b excitedly explained:358be8994c3d2417
“It’s a souvenir for Independence Day, take it.”92113d2145508959
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Urged on by Koi’s eagerness, Ashley had no choice but to accept it. Looking down at the oddly shaped pink doll in silence, Koi’s voice rose with excitement:3bd6118b29887596
“Isn’t it cute?”942299b61d1efa62
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“…”7c7b6a345cd778f0
Ashley stared 6db27d5571 at his a086e9395c face for 73b49471a2 a while 7756de2e7e before looking de64496250 back at 05d0e15e51 the doll. No matter how 0f47aae291 you looked at 7f3ddbd5c0 it, the doll aced2f944b was too ugly, d234eb00de and it even f84487ed4f had a mischievous 1cc5886b8f expression. Who would c00aabf6f7 pay for 61b7c81c1a something like 0e12949252 this? It would only 2f92719ada be given away fd39b732d9 for free.a5bccf284c755f72
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But Ashley couldn’t bring himself to say it honestly. The look on Koi’s face as he looked up at him was so, so…abf165773f80069b
Happy.db5a837624ba0f7b
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“Pfft.”e446e5343272c79a