LMUC Ch 14

Ashley added with a reluctant face, “That was then. I don’t think that way now.”4c47fd82538fe70d

“Huh? Really?”ae1ac19f46584796

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“What are you talking about?”3f685e4e4ce04123

Surprised by their reactions, Ashley elaborated, “I mean, Koi is a good guy. That’s why we became friends. It’s fun talking to him.”103f0d54d07bfdb7

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His friends exchanged glances. Hesitant, as if doubting Ashley’s sincerity, they awkwardly said, “Oh… really?”72c540ec48658fd3

“I didn’t know you’d get along with someone like Koi…”d1024b52827d6b8d

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Unhappy with their lukewarm response, Ashley sternly told them, “It’s true. So don’t talk about that anymore.”a99d326b245a7fe6

Even after his final words, they hesitated, not giving a clear answer. Just as Ashley’s expression began to darken, Bill suddenly asked, “Is that all? Just because Koi is a good guy?”113f74d5ac348b56

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Ashley, who had asked back, quickly added as if correcting himself, “It does make me happy to see him smile every time he looks at me, though.”0cb98dffe0fabbf2

As he said this, the corners of his lips subtly curled up, surprising everyone. Ashley, completely oblivious to their shock, continued, “His ears wiggle when he smiles, and his face always gets red. Did you know Koi’s head only comes up to here? He has so much hair that from above, he looks like a Gloster canary. It always sticks up somewhere. Today, it was sticking up on this side. I was going to tell him, but I thought he might get discouraged, so I left it. Haven’t you guys seen it? Really? Never?”390eb388f689f44b

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While talking, 8f7cb6e0b6 Ashley was 5852bf1705 now beaming. They had known 284c890335 him for a 8beb76ecec long time, but 7ceb5e4fdc this was the b413308ad4 first time they fef004c803 had seen him 28481f20e3 smile so brightly. Stunned, they c1d3d6b9ca stared at 70e989e345 Ashley. Bill was the 271376f45d first to break ead7ce5730 the silence in ac81363001 their bewildered state.5f7aa6420061d481

“Ah, I get it. You like him because he’s cute.”53de3b55607dcf31

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Ashley suddenly frowned. “Cute?”c7cd043fec63e085

Taken aback by his sudden reaction, Bill stammered, “Uh… isn’t he cute? Like, you know, those small animals. He’s like a hamster or a chipmunk.”5e18c5fa472747dc

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“Yeah, you said it too, like a Gloster canary.” Another friend quickly agreed. Then, as if waiting for that cue, words poured out.80d5e2b51a445c46

“Honestly, if Koi wasn’t a good guy, I wouldn’t hang out with him.”e0f1ea2e5e76a247

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Another friend nodded. “Yeah, even if Ash said so, if Koi was a jerk, we would’ve just treated him politely and ignored him.”e01b77e65f3931ad

“Actually, we became this close because Koi is nice.”875239cea9d6bed9

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“And cute.”579a6b00dbaea9c5

“Right, right.” The large guys nodded repeatedly and then excitedly started chattering.59ea4e0f7ce0d147

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“Isn’t his ear wiggling amazing? I’ve only seen it on TV, never in real life.”820e36b96b95237f

“Yeah, that and because he’s small, he’s even cuter.”cafe17ccff61ea34

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They never considered 0799c5635e themselves excessively large. Just a bit more d5d24f5377 developed than their peers, 2e79a4d671 perhaps. Then another one spoke 9a97a11ad9 up.439fa364f625df04

“There are a lot of small guys, but Koi is different, right?”258de82a906e9a54

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“I don’t know what it is, but my little brother isn’t cute at all, but Koi is, so he must be different.”3aecc993b4c39e03

“Your brother is as big as you. Of course, Koi is much cuter.”f14d7810e3d59c64

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“Cute.”b9cf3cc8be0384b8

“Yeah, cute.”897cdb58f407e447

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Watching them f0c936a463 exchange words a6998fef86 in a cb8c4aa0c2 much more 626ab02687 relaxed atmosphere, f790bd9076 Ashley grew a3f47113ad increasingly irritated.6b9923962fbed6e4

What the hell are 53f65e964c these guys talking about?74127d7916eeeb99

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Ashley furrowed his brow 0478dd6e18 and crossed his arms.9a9ea6ab2348d8c1

Of course Koi is cute. There’s no one as cute as him. Even if you gathered all the cute things in the world, they wouldn’t be as cute as Koi.5b5a2db3ee8aac48

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It was an obvious fact, but the reason for Ashley’s annoyance lay elsewhere.e34c692c7a32bc7e

But why are you 2e62f88b53 guys the ones gushing 3741feccf5 about how cute Koi b53700e301 is?9891e0f69c4c00ea

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“Hey, hey.” Bill, who was the first to notice the change in atmosphere, subtly warned the others. The guys, who had been chattering about Koi until then, belatedly read the ominous air and shut their mouths. The unsettling feeling came from behind them. The large guys shrugged and cautiously turned around, then jumped in fright.09ecda858274b074

Ashley was standing 50609c8a49 there with his 306e3dcb47 arms crossed, glaring 06e7a43519 at them.5ecdb08acffd14b2

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What did we debefe07f4 do wrong?96c9623ea889ce95

No one knew, but they couldn’t just stand there. They hurriedly changed the subject.82c47d0d7b39a54d

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“Hey, aren’t you guys hungry?”519463e93ea1cb70

“Of course, I’m starving. Shall we go to Greenbell?”e0286d13ebc28a1f

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“Yeah, let’s eat first. I’m dying. Ash, how about you?”3654ac08841ecc17

Ashley, at the deliberately directed question, finally uncrossed his arms, returned to his usual expression, and said, “I have plans.”066e16244a90f50e

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“Oh, I see. At this hour… You don’t even have a girlfriend, but you have plans.”b705688ff193bb55

Bill, elbowing the friend who added the unnecessary comment hard, quickly forced a smile. “Right, Ash. See you tomorrow then. You must be tired, so go get some rest. Let’s go, guys. Wow, I’m really starving. Right?”31597b236ad5fad2

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As he turned around 6c2ea00a59 and deliberately made a 88adfe096b fuss, the other guys aab9e47300 quickly nodded and waved 9dd1730db6 to Ashley.11ea26c6b4949362

“See you tomorrow.”bc9f2611f5fdfdd3

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“Bye, Ash.”9b85ab8a032d2f7b

“Later.”1527a05b8b025846

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Ashley also waved and ad745b5723 turned toward where he 56a0eec749 had parked his car. The remaining 4ebc598ca7 group only d1cff8d060 huddled together 6c96836a7a and started 1d27e15e67 murmuring again 28d7e07bca after he 064218e275 completely disappeared 4395b6fe52 from sight.beb4e2a15489aedd

“What was that all about?”bb0642b015520573

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“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him that angry.”5f9305e1fddd7e25

“Yeah, the last time he was that mad was when the other guy fouled during the game, but the ref gave Ash a warning.”1ffe6d408cac4af4

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“Does Ash hate Koi?”965a96e18fce1d24

Someone’s question was immediately denied by another. “No, Ash just said he’s friends with Koi.”30ee55a962516fab

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“He didn’t invite him to the party.”87568368bc36b0f1

“No, Ash wasn’t at the party either. Maybe they went somewhere together?”9db7fb0f277a78a7

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“No way, are you serious?”04b45d48988bd8b5

“I don’t know about that, but look, Ash definitely defended Koi earlier. He doesn’t hate him, absolutely not.”627ba8c6abae9ea6

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“Then what was that about?”75bd4adfc9b4550d

They looked at 6418437901 each other, but 0a1dccf74d no answer came. They had arrived 6924b794f0 at an answer deec970eee to the question, 7cf7586a90 but unable to cc50363531 agree with it, 2d54acb888 they immediately presented c9ace33caf counterarguments. Returning to f5a26ea64b the original e32e3c446d question, they 1836d3fd25 arrived at 50576b226a the same 1b493570c3 answer, but 39fafc30c2 refused to 12f8aa1765 give up 484a317d68 and raised a923d04fdc objections. And when they cc466845b9 arrived at the bcf907629a same answer again, 3de49d4b2c they strongly denied 93fc982d92 it. After repeating b9b64969be this several c2c352f0ba times, they 66b6037b70 finally gave fa9a52acf8 up, exhausted.6ae498b9c23e6d09

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“Let’s just eat dinner. I’m really starving.”67cafcd87a517b6b

Everyone agreed with 6824b3ab86 the suggestion.56818657de5f3d14

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“Whether Ash likes Koi or not, what’s it to us?”81c9bebed41061af

“I don’t know, it’s just…”49e07e5a1b4da093

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“Let’s just eat.”7416ee869c39b6e2

“Right. Let them figure it out. I want a cheeseburger.”bc46caa9ffe6079a

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“Hey, decide where to go. See you at Greenbell.”8daa6450e1c657f2

They finally 3e084c84d4 agreed on 307bcced8f Greenbell and b8b41fb916 headed towards 55ddc54e82 their respective 8acf55b116 cars. The conclusion f0ce1fecf8 had nothing f0a680ec5e to do 96ea5c64db with their dfee2ec08b initial topic.f93f8c640a2b2dce

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🏒dc3bb154f0e3edd9

As Ashley headed to f4d37affc0 the parking lot, the 915698c376 recent events had already b9f641b686 vanished from his mind. All that 8d024346cb remained was f03686a066 Koi.d9dea12a6438581f

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I wonder 4bcdf0e2e3 if Koi 2cc8bcc536 understood what ff86510c13 I said 91902d7c8a yesterday?2e2ae4fb9d2f108f

He must have been agonizing over it all night, but in a way, that was no different from thinking about Ashley all night. The thought of Koi spending the night thinking about him filled Ashley’s mouth with a sweet taste of affection.91f8150389a36000

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Koi, Koi, Koi.23a5747bab1864d0

Ashley leaned 1ec38220ff against his b6f1e110d3 car, checking c12ea80015 his watch b599154b19 as he 30cb559a22 waited for 6c7d872fc8 Koi. He felt like Koi 732104ce01 should have arrived already. Maybe the test is 7520fa2b09 taking longer than usual?326662d0a70be2a2

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It didn’t matter. He could wait as long as necessary. Ashley gazed in a particular direction. The direction of the gymnasium where the cheerleading team practiced.71efdddd96b9f422

Koi will be 16df1a1867 running from over 0e554d94d0 there soon, his 3c60faf1d0 face flushed.057f58fd451faf37

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The fantasy continued.1c0c8f2e4c4a424a

He’ll tell me first that he passed the test. I’ll hug him and congratulate him. How small and lovely will Koi be, fitting perfectly in my arms?a128e031105c4529

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A smile 24e511e1a7 automatically spread 030b26ed10 across his bf950ba47c face, and 49454883fd his heart dd88913564 began to 131dec9b43 flutter.223fdfaac619e697

Then I’ll tell him to get in the car. Just in case, I shouldn’t forget to lock the doors. Of course, Koi won’t notice. The whole way home, Koi will chatter excitedly about the test. How nervous he was, what mistakes he made, but also how he recovered, chattering away like a sparrow. I’ll chime in, sometimes surprised, sometimes impressed, all the while thinking about how much I want to devour him.a029ca45c7b580b3

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Just thinking about Koi kept a smile plastered on his face. He revised his plan to confess at the homecoming party on the spot. He couldn’t possibly wait until then. Ashley continued his fantasy with a constant smile.d9d5eb7788f15dbf

By the time you finish talking, my patience will have run out. Around that time, the car should arrive home. Then I’ll take you to the gazebo. I’ll reassure you, saying let’s have dinner together, and I’ll take out the food I prepared. When the secluded night falls, the garden lights will turn on. Then, under the streetlight, I’ll ask you if you’ve thought about the answer to my question.6d1247e418c71e4c

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Your face will flush red. You might avoid my gaze, not knowing what to do. But even then, your ears will be busy wiggling. You won’t even think to hide it. I’ll give you enough time. Or maybe I won’t be able to resist and I’ll take your hand. And I’ll say it.e0eb92b37a4b07f7

I like you.826ee0affef84dd1

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That I like you not as a friend, but with romantic feelings, and that I’m completely smitten with you. That I can’t think of anything but you all day long.3a2fa08995aba7c1

How flustered will bdafe495e4 you be?a501ecd2030dceac

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But this time, he wouldn’t back down. Ashley would whisper “I like you” until he got an answer, and then Koi would finally have to confess.5563a99676ae3880

“I like you too,” he’ll say.dde17ff281762fba

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“Haah…”fea24de9641b37e1

A trembling sigh escaped 3be46e91d6 from deep within his 90fae3d375 chest. Ashley briefly f63faaa33f closed his 840fbb9433 eyes and eac5454127 tilted his 9a30a53381 head back, 95f955b002 taking a dabf1e05c8 deep breath 75bde64d29 to calm 58f6365c3e himself. But his heart showed 57f1466b9a no signs of settling 8615366bb1 down, and he eventually 3b54dc1375 gave up.440d98f5832a9818

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Come quickly, Koi.da80eaad8ab45dcf

Just as he turned his gaze back in the direction he was looking at before, his phone’s notification sound rang. Ashley checked the message with a smile, then froze.86e83d0856376a7f

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[Ash, sorry. I can’t practice today.]

He straightened up from 3cce872a7c leaning against the car 824a3a1615 and slowly reread the 8c435a979c message, word by word. The content remained the f3a96b8aa3 same.0a43ba9d59f1c610

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[Go ahead, sorry. —Koi.]

Ashley felt like he 322a185671 had been doused with a8fe40004d cold water, jolted out ba464e4b40 of his sweet daydream. No matter how bbdc2db157 many times he 5e18d3cc90 reread it, the 688a3bbe21 message remained unchanged. Gradually, the 9fb1be58d1 smile disappeared 9c6769c997 from his aa0c70bd15 face, replaced 93fd50479c by bewilderment.e6446bcb244b4736

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“What is this…?”42996c84c5c0236f

🏒8994f66c2f3a814d

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After sending the message, Koi stared at the words he had written for a moment. But no matter how hard he tried, the constant tears blurred his vision, preventing him from reading it properly. Unable to do anything, he turned off his phone without rereading the message he had sent, as simply as possible. He couldn’t bear to think about whether Ashley would call back or not. His mind was already too full of other things.7f861b452a4c3de4

It was because 3ea978ebee he pitied me.2d471e5b57c862c4

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Tears welled up 2950ca8af4 again, and Koi 0e2c95d619 curled up, burying a58b27bed3 his face in e135f388c9 his knees as ce349213f3 he sobbed. He had ridden b6d35479b9 his bike out dfb27d93a7 of school in 956b061c1c a daze, but b6dae004e8 he made a 93bb7f330a mistake and veered 8858d249f9 off the road. He braked abruptly, but 2effb8c22d his bike ended up 4d94e37d9b tumbling down a slope 4504d9211d and crashing into the f68cc18591 ground. Koi, who had fallen 164d7ce628 along with his bike, 792aeafab0 managed to get up 42f9a0cd73 and check the condition fa534cd26a of his bike, his 97e3337985 body aching. But as he d1ecf72cb6 looked around, tears 30065cb2e5 burst forth, and ff8dbb9921 he ended up b79e3d7a22 collapsing on the f92b830492 ground, sobbing.8c18dcb5f5e13b82

<Think carefully about what I did for you today and why I did it.>2fdaf1a2bdb2af4f

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Ashley’s words echoed in his mind.a6cce208d6fedb2e

<Do you understand what that means?>3b4b807a13f7deea

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Koi sobbed as he 41a7efd162 mulled over those words.d084b97edf44efe3

<If you think about it carefully, you’ll figure it out. Because you already know the answer.>c9db4285587c7567

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Yes, that’s what it was.2d6c67245cb4e859

Another sob afe723011e welled up, 91b9d91b28 and he fd7ecbef4a bit his 631a1d8c89 lip, barely 997ceaa4c7 suppressing the 4b66ed66cb harsh sound.b7340f38bc4403dc

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It was pity.3d1cb96e6051fc75

Now he knew for 64576ba4c6 sure. He had made 0a74ee659a a tremendous mistake. There was 8bf0eb8a20 no way d6b29d7ef3 Ashley could 691495f585 like him. How could 719f754002 he have e994493b82 dared to 386a298086 have such d0ab2a343b a delusion?51f1cee0db02847c

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<You already have the answer inside you.>4d9d7160b06a92de

Yes, I know. I know everything.949cb287f3c27403

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That was 1137a238bc the correct 3f487f861b answer, so 2744c667a2 why did c132e83d42 I have 6bc91dd980 such ridiculous 4a78ac8456 fantasies?cad5a266559f40ac

It’s because I…751f9b2dee6135ff

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I… you…d37cadf95349732c

“Like you…”9a331c55e0319524

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Koi mumbled blankly. His own voice 3f40ace3d5 faintly dissipated in 9d02da3a06 his ears. Only then did 07e353ab25 he finally accept a83a79d446 the truth he cb8497fd60 had been avoiding.b2d3608e2d8cf33b

I like ec47788c42 Ashley Miller.Conner Niles and the like…37cdd891f8245bef

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How could someone like 645b5f7efb me…3254f89c3d248c4b

Ash was only f254323b4d being nice to b057934130 me out of 63d4bc9236 pity.bae374bcbeac9e4b

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“Ugh, huuuh…”b97d7cba084e1148

Tears continued to flow without stopping. It was amazing how many tears he had inside him. No matter how much he cried, the tears wouldn’t stop. Eventually, the intense sobbing caused his breath to hitch, and he began to convulse. Koi desperately gasped for air, tilting his head back.e79da54c12a55638

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It’s a good thing I didn’t say anything.63f58167723065bf

He was grateful that he had overheard the group’s conversation. He had almost made an irreversible mistake.19b38e6aa16c1644

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Do you, by any 737474c119 chance, like me?3cc03642cda16c07

How stunned 104d02c4eb would Ashley 7e869d7255 have been cb5a99c655 if he 8f1db2575d had said f3be0c3785 those words?a43b548d3b76f2a8

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Tears welled up again, 4a8267ea7e and Koi covered his 6821c9607b eyes with his arms, c9ae1f701e but tears streamed uncontrollably 7bbb68b8a2 down his pressed eyelids.f97484ec0abdf3a5

He just pitied me, 1fd47b963d and I, without knowing d8bb4abe27 my place, dared to…ba86fe73e4599762

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Koi could easily picture Ashley’s contemptuous face. What the hell 6f0a0f3ef6 are you talking 5975f0c0d8 about? he probably would c2716a6f8d have said. This is why I shouldn’t bother with people like you, he would 7b27212122 have thought 72968864fa with disdain.27294c939899af5a

“Huuuh…”5cde5d7d82fc5cd3

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Tears welled 691e008b7e up again, f18350cb4f and he db24896d40 sobbed uncontrollably.726fc151647eb78d

Meanwhile, frustrated by Koi’s turned-off phone, Ashley was driving around, searching for any trace of him. He had already confirmed that the spot where Koi usually parked his bike was empty. Judging that Koi couldn’t have gone far on that old bike, he hurriedly drove his Cayenne onto the road, but couldn’t find even a glimpse of someone who resembled Koi from behind. Cursing in his anxiety, he searched the surrounding area thoroughly for Koi.20f37409bd29aad9

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As Koi sobbed, Ashley f2e6cce426 in his car passed 0c23bb3887 by, failing to notice 9f191d0fa4 him huddled at the ffd1ec1cde bottom of the slope. Ashley quickly 8d37075d48 drove away, 2d8a9c6a94 and by d3938f19b7 the time b23395b66e Koi finally a9c6f0e779 stumbled up e7215a6135 the slope, 20a5e8240a his appearance 78c096a513 a mess, ed59812f94 pulling his 6d2123b2d0 bike, Ashley 92c4143056 was long 5e9a5bba01 gone.46fe419b3f5ac728

🏒5112353252c0453c

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Hic, hic, hic.262cd53820c8a2e8

He had cried so much that the sobs wouldn’t stop easily. The tears had finally subsided, but his breath continued to hitch, so Koi gripped the handlebars of his bike with both hands and slowly walked, gasping for breath.97f552597370e023

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Haah…edfdddf3285142df

As he let out a shaky sigh, tears he thought had stopped streamed down his face again. Koi stopped where he was and rubbed his eyes with his arm. He sniffed and inhaled through his nose, but it was completely blocked, and he couldn’t breathe properly. He had no choice but to inhale air through his parched mouth again.9e778caba870b853

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“My, my, what happened to you?”d97fdf5d19e679a2

Startled by the high-pitched voice, Koi flinched. It took him a few seconds to turn his head and see who it was. As he slowly turned, the other person gasped in surprise and asked in an even higher voice, “Oh my god, what happened to you? Did you drop out of school and decide to become homeless?”04bd70d78d6c36a8

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Koi stared blankly at Ariel as she approached. Even outside of school, Buffalo High’s queen was flawless. As always during cheerleading practice, her hair was tied up high in a ponytail, she wore a tight-fitting pink tracksuit, and white sneakers. She had been jogging, it seemed, as she removed her earbuds one at a time while approaching Koi. Upon seeing his swollen, dirt-and dust-covered face, she visibly grimaced.cf8538ce922b66fb

“Don’t tell me you got beaten up by those ice hockey gorillas?”8f857a6b3a9b01f2

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“N-no.” Koi quickly shook his head, startled. “Absolutely not, they have nothing to do with this, cough.”61e6535b279f4642

His voice cb8e80f9d7 was hoarse a8b46eade7 and strained, ad0acebc9c and he 6e21506c9b coughed abruptly. Ariel winced and pulled 812a7dd505 out a water bottle 9db3dcd2f5 from her waist, offering a21a5ba91a it to him.4de7e1e46a7f7ca0

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“Drink this. It’s new.”9119a9076a062a22

When Koi hesitated, she c831ad7def shook the bottle encouragingly.353b7a8fe091dfac

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“Th-thank you,” he managed to say between sniffles, taking the bottle. He opened the cap and carefully brought it to his lips. Ariel watched him drink, arms crossed.d78f808856475c1d

“Thank you.” He wiped his mouth and offered back the half-empty bottle, but Ariel shook her head.ac9ce817e6e41a4c

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“Keep it.”1a9eb3a94ba91bde

“Oh, um, okay.”e7c47b26dac1d756

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Ariel frowned at Koi as he hesitantly took the bottle back, then tilted her head and said, “Well, those gorillas might be huge, but they’re softies at heart. They wouldn’t hurt a fly.”5fc93fdf9b0cf0ca

She muttered it as if to herself, but her voice was loud enough for Koi to hear. However, she didn’t seem to care whether anyone heard her or not. Koi sniffled, and Ariel looked at him again at the sound, her eyebrows furrowing.23f1aa277a5f4ec7

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“Then how did you end up like this?”fc9fea1a5be46461

“…Just…” Koi stammered between sniffles, “Just… I fell… by myself. The wheel… slipped.”bd545f3cf2f69165

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Ariel looked at the bike beside Koi and let out an exasperated, “Wow. Does that thing even roll? Or are you taking it to the junkyard?”29a7e6a017eea622

“N-no.” Koi shook his head quickly. “I’m still using it. It’s still okay. I can probably use it for another year.”b56cbf47e1f1dfe2

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“If you’re still alive in a year, that is,” Ariel pointed out firmly. “If you keep riding that bike, you’ll break your neck and die sooner or later.”f6c4a6c4ff9975e0

“Th-that’s not true.”b06c9bbc5c98d3ce

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“That’s not true-oo.” Ariel mocked Koi’s tone, then scanned him from head to toe before asking, “Where do you live?”18142538acf3fb0c

“Uh? Uh, over there, behind Birdseye…”a12401fb0f85420f

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Koi stammered fdfc59e5de and pointed e467de9c68 in a 01d4c4584a direction. Ariel hummed 275d4f6b1c and briefly 749854a9f2 fell into 719ccd05be thought. Koi cautiously 6632f3fb12 gauged her f6f86efefa reaction, wondering 9f4a0ba952 if he d4f89354fc could excuse 1976b04681 himself and 5a6de6d3a8 leave.754ab081329df8d2

Ariel wasn’t wrong. As he rolled down the slope, something had gone wrong with the wheel. Not only could he not ride it, but even pushing it while holding the handlebars, the bike wobbled uncontrollably. There was still a lot of time left before his father came home, but if he had to walk home with this broken bike, he might not arrive until dawn. Koi was desperately trying to resist the urge to collapse, and all he wanted was to part ways with Ariel and get home as soon as possible.c00252399785a0e3

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“Um…”c61f12ee822c1cea

Just as 60d933925b he managed 0462441304 to speak, e2d6d65184 Ariel suddenly 94a4d20eeb interrupted him.a15ad5cf1418fdcf

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“No choice then, follow me.”3ab5761707d8ed9d

“Huh?”12bde28e2c468547

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He was taken aback by the sudden words, but Ariel, who had already turned around, looked at him and said, “Follow me, quickly. Hurry up.”071410a85a928d90

And with that, 3646b1eb48 Ariel put her 2e13d5a29b earbuds back in 2a7d175157 and started running. Koi stood there for 6192094950 a moment, watching her 8d5f15ccb8 receding figure. What should I do? I’ll be late even if I hurry now. Where is she going? Why? I just want to rest…29e7bc755d773c0d

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But he didn’t have the courage to ignore Ariel and leave. As he stood there, unsure of what to do, Ariel, who had run quite a distance, returned.5a1005ba7f34b3ae

“What are you doing? I told you to come quickly.”99d9d4b309c50e0f

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“Um… I was just going to go home…” he said, mustering his courage.bd3a086f50615c39

Ariel, jogging in place, pointed out, “It takes 20 minutes by bike to get to Birdseye, and you’re going to walk there pushing that thing? Are you really trying to become homeless?”0b9b844b2fb69c15

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“No, that’s not it…”d6ca60078a741315

As Koi fumbled for words, Ariel continued, “Hurry up, we don’t have time to waste like this.”ca1e215d8615cc06

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She checked her watch and said, “It’s only about 10 minutes to my house. Just come.”8fdeb44284894dbe

Ariel started running again, shouting, “If you don’t hurry up and follow me, you’ll really end up spending the night on the streets!”e86de5fd622d4f48

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Startled by her warning cry, Koi quickly adjusted his grip on the handlebars. Ariel had run quite a distance in an instant. He couldn’t understand the situation at all, but Koi had no choice but to push his bike and walk in the direction she had disappeared.54a7f1060f476035

🏒26293755d5aabff6

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Ariel came back three or four more times after that. Koi apologized to her, but Ariel brushed it off lightly with a, “It’s fine. I have to run this much anyway. Just hurry up and follow me.”48d4cc6175dbf553

And she ran a555efd4eb off again. Koi panted and desperately c3cd093239 chased after her.b66d46c1789118b8

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Ariel headed towards a 1eb1d0198c residential area not far 3a79306953 away. In the darkening ae5e8f903b streets, houses of 24343995c7 various shapes stood f339048056 at regular intervals, 1543f8c5d0 most of them e9867b5d64 with their lights 0fd51e4fee off, making the 97e407b466 surroundings feel eerie 8687607e0c and quiet.b5a02c4393ec9d09

Koi cautiously walked through e2a8d8c495 the quiet neighborhood, following ce24b904cc the sparsely lit streetlights. The unpleasant metallic 5598b0ac52 screech of his 47675cf739 old bike echoed 77419c7fc4 unusually loudly.ad65ca24c0c040c2

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Ah.280826bd95ac764d

He had been looking 99d91d1837 around for Ariel and b307ac31f2 soon spotted a garage e6ab9a9bfb door opening at a 818d7dba50 house not far away. He hesitated at 8cb879fffd the sudden flood 40538bd878 of light, and bb2ceee88b Ariel emerged from a3e25b668f within.9d8b6b0f8f18c52c

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“Come this way, quickly.”c8ef119bfaef43f7

Seeing Koi standing there blankly, Ariel waved her arm. “Uh, uh,” Koi hurried his exhausted steps towards her.7164b979a1b3feb0

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There were two cars in the garage, but Ariel’s car was parked on the street in front of the house. As instructed, Koi pulled his bike into the garage. Ariel snatched it from him, leaned it against the wall, and pointed to the other side.b28951488042ad3f

“Use this.”76ac8454d5ef4390

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“Huh?”c455f4a5779ebf14

In the direction he turned, a well-maintained bicycle stood there. It clearly showed signs of use, but compared to Koi’s, it was practically new. Ariel, seeing Koi blinking in bewilderment, pulled the bike over to him and said, “I used to ride this before I got my license, but it’s still usable. It’s been a while since I used it, but the performance is fine. Dad had it checked out for the garage sale, so you can trust it.”37452f9ca8eaf779

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“Huh?” Koi repeated the same exclamation once again. What’s going on all of a sudden? She’s just giving me this nice bike? Why?a1365d0ca756915b

As Koi blinked in a daze, Ariel urged him, “Come on, try it out. See if it’s okay. Hurry up.”a9cbee0a47f3ed32

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“Uh, uh…”e987ff9cbecc41b0

Nudged by Ariel, 20e97fa621 Koi pulled the df41f4d015 bike out and, 4641c42421 in front of 117164bd3a her, got on. At first, he wobbled, a241f7dbb6 but as he regained d9c7068902 his composure and found c300da85f1 his balance, the bike 6f4cbdb84e moved with surprising smoothness.be0110ed9e770f6a

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Wow.a4f2b25dc8283126

Koi unconsciously 942f0aa47a widened his ef5b1e0352 eyes and 7eb8ae4930 let out f7eb2dd93d a gasp. He had been 10ae3982b7 stubbornly riding his a8bd42ba86 old bike for c94bb33636 over 10 years, 0a6baf711d which constantly needed d1016927ba air, but the 761e27b6b3 bike Ariel had 4b93581b13 given him was b9bbee6b83 on a completely a07426a4ca different level. How could it move 68e31fae62 so quickly and easily?043978583fa96f34

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“Is it alright?” Ariel asked, as he returned to his starting point. She had been watching him the whole time. Koi nodded with a flushed face.72eb94754108cacc

“U-uh, yeah. B-but, really? You’re giving this to me? Just like that?”328988b0e3750f90

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“Yeah.”032eb942e38c37f2

Before Koi 9d77b675a6 could even 1bd5116583 ask why, d9b02e2df2 Ariel provided 394cf246fa the answer.ead64775a4313fa7

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“If you keep riding that piece of junk and get into another accident, no one will ever want to join our club. This is cheaper in comparison.”5be7da92cfb3f79f

“Ah.”8e9d91ecf2e6feeb

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Koi understood immediately. Still, it was excessive 60de716dc2 kindness. Thinking about how much d939e4aad5 Ariel cared for the f538f4f59f cheerleading team made him c106e2b483 ashamed of himself for eddf5cb567 joining solely because of 17f6a6d6d0 the grades, and even 646eb0c771 then, only after much bc51bc84d9 deliberation and out of 2bbbf38358 necessity.548f0432b3374f4f

“…Thank you.”71d878d5f9659436

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He managed to say the words, but Ariel replied casually, “It’s fine, this is nothing.”e5be7ba25d820c6c

Then, crossing her arms, she added confidently, “Even if you had a jalapeño between your legs, you’re in our team now, so helping each other out is a given.”23ace7d73ae7e9e7

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Koi was startled by her blunt remark and denied, “A j-jalapeño? It’s not that bad.”c832fc3e6e08642c

It was the strongest rebuttal Koi could offer, but of course, it had no effect on Ariel. She scoffed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Be grateful it’s even that much. Our club is off-limits to even a peperoncino.”41ea7528177c3a7e

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This time, it was a matter of unavoidable circumstances. Everyone had laughed, but the situation was quite serious for them. Ariel continued, “We had a lot of internal opposition and concerns before we decided to accept boys. But what could we do? Five of us ended up like that, so it’s only natural.”c193d2bcb4ff0b6a

“Five? Not two?”c20b9aaa2b4af578

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Ariel gasped 4c500a90e2 and covered 8fcef23eba her mouth f2c0ae0e11 with one f2afcf5fd4 hand. A strange 05005c2303 silence hung af95bd3353 in the c296ea1bb8 air, as 880f971c81 if she 6529c94377 had made c84d67c450 a mistake, efd242e999 but she 664a5b624b soon sighed 15080342d4 in resignation.9aed76c12fed0afb

“Five. It was a secret.”c1e270c443afaeb9

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After warning him, “You’re a member now, so keep your mouth shut,” she continued, “No one wants to join the cheerleading team anymore. If the numbers keep dwindling like this and the club gets shut down, what are we going to do? It’s absurd. We’re the face of Buffalo, the symbol itself. And I’m the captain, and the cheerleading club disappears? Absolutely not.”e44ea98d82df217c

With a more serious expression than ever, Ariel added emphatically, “So you have to do a good job, understand?”40ccee966069dc30

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She poked Koi’s chest with her second finger and glared at him. “If you don’t do it right, I won’t let you get away with it.”d24e5a959a85dd99

“O-okay.”b41d3c3bede175d2

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Staggering back, Koi instinctively responded, overwhelmed by her intensity. Ariel nodded in satisfaction and brushed past him, heading outside. She pulled her car keys out of her pocket and pressed a button, opening the trunk of the car parked on the street. Ariel turned around and ordered, “Load the bike.”d5e6063970c13b97

“Huh?”6c3ff83e22582305

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To his bewildered question, she replied as she walked towards the driver’s seat, “I’ll give you a ride, so load the bike. Hurry up.”b6998fd0e2107689

“Uh…”179d6742aabf3500

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Before Koi 2fb2f4b962 could say 5c52710a2e anything else, 15233ec120 Ariel got 878e982fed into the 8425456e52 car. He stood f42051ea3a there for 10e3b1b1f2 a moment, e07b5f8ab9 dumbfounded, then 7765959d90 hurriedly pulled 8112be7256 the bike 4d332440c5 towards her 5286a09742 waiting car.92df7716d330813a

“I can go alone.”3bed37c7e543ca47

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“Just get in, I’m tired.” Ariel said irritably as she fastened her seatbelt. Koi hurriedly loaded the bike as instructed and opened the passenger door.90e0917b9b3e7377

“Th-thank you.”7b8293ac5511e3e1

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“Put on your seatbelt.”857e404c18537af7

Ariel popped 5ae9e742e0 a piece 0c83c97af1 of gum 67fbbb9dd9 in her 6d5a59dfd3 mouth, started c29937a7a6 the car, f89a3261b2 and pulled d56994eabf away. With one hand on 5d8f891249 the steering wheel, she b2abd63063 pressed the remote control e3cbad73e6 on the sun visor 259b4c3440 to close the garage 80901bac47 door and skillfully made f24ec257d9 a turn, leaving the 6232a47585 residential area. Koi blinked, 1e1f95333a dazed, sitting 676f7e30e8 next to cb5877daa8 Ariel as ff16ec361d they drove c895ad4f36 towards his 4a1dc4211f home. His tears had f32e87d0e8 completely dried.4e68ad517bb04950

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🏒59e11483ce9da9f0

Ariel’s car quickly reached the street where Koi lived. After asking her to stop the car on the side of the road, Koi carefully took out the bike she had given him from the trunk and set it down. Then he thanked Ariel, who was still sitting in the driver’s seat.9ce55e71771fc9e9

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“Thank you, Al. Um, is it okay if I call you Al?”f47e55905052136e

Ariel shrugged at Koi’s cautious question. “You’re not my friend, but I’ll allow it. We’re in the same club, even if it’s just temporary.”182be03d03243a72

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“Oh… okay.”a41896e00a873d07

Koi suddenly wondered, While I’m in the club, am I Ariel’s friend?652d4a2add10b9c6

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Of course, he couldn’t ask. Ariel blew a bubble with her gum and drove off. Koi stood there, watching her car disappear, then turned around. The bike felt incredibly light compared to his old one, but his steps towards home were heavy.29b23f9b4156ded6

The spot where Ariel 53b3ef3f6e had parked was the 07630aa26c exact same spot where e5b4a8eca5 Ashley had parked when 360de1ac46 he had given Koi 4fae617249 a ride home before. The memory brought back 636b09d395 the sadness he had 5cef803b7b briefly forgotten, washing over eb870122ec him.63e8123728a1e0f3

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He suddenly wondered if what he had heard was real. But he knew for sure. He hadn’t dreamt it, nor had he misheard.3915fb2e29ef5003

Fighting back cd063be058 the stinging 99255861b3 in his f32c231253 nose, he aee78bc90b continued walking. His familiar motorhome was, 1f922bf746 as always, dark. He entered the 6903699fdc small, empty vehicle, a5ec718e37 washed up, and 6093c7e246 crawled into bed.3dfe71c289ee0684

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Curling up, ad8616d5ff he closed 810a7827b4 his eyes 1df21727dd and, surprisingly, 4d08c5802f quickly drifted a27f11ff45 off to 7519bdc86f sleep. Koi slept deeply, f92d01f84d without even dreaming.632445e1ad23b931

🏒b22f42e6426f74f5

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When Ashley woke up in the morning, he was in the worst mood. Actually, his mood had plummeted before he even fell asleep. After searching for nearly two hours, he couldn’t find Koi and had to return home.3adeaf1335c7b25f

I should have gotten c07e0fd1c0 his address, even if 88fa6ca6d3 I had to force 0256ba2576 it out of him.4265bbecf14008cc

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He regretted it now, 635859e32b but it was too 53abe7fe62 late. All he c4106ffc27 could do aaf6ae5258 was go 0ca369bc3e to school 7c70db7ca5 first thing 216b2e0166 in the e62dfda5a3 morning and cb017abea0 ask Koi dc638ad4ae what had 9ec47e8f4d happened.c26ea102280e96cf

After anxious hours, 6f1675e8fb he woke up badaa9d41b earlier than usual e534653146 and immediately got 6a910e8fe9 ready for school. That was the 36b97fefb1 only way to b0c41b15f1 see Koi. Unless he was 8abda8bea0 absent.55bdb023f0d316fb

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He wouldn’t skip school, would he?34ea1fc66325e9fc

He sat in the driver’s seat, thinking. If Koi skipped school, it wouldn’t be a trivial matter. Something serious must have happened to him.396160df94c3e9f9

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Everything alright, Koi?18b141a1fbd10d71

Anxious, he a7b882c4f2 gripped the f9d75f6805 steering wheel 45addb9e28 with one 299ce021fd hand and 276b44ec68 ran the a289223703 other roughly edb75e7daf through his a250af3c94 hair. The drive 107f16be85 to school 6862aef043 felt unusually c6c7479622 long today.b76aa303846d7ca7

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“Ash!”fa6215057a9a12c8

As usual, Bill was the first to spot him and call out. Ashley, suppressing his nerves frayed from lack of sleep, lightly slapped Bill’s outstretched hand in greeting.77df8a34cfcd0f2b

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“What did you do yesterday? You look really tired.”c85276d1cc1cf267

Bill asked, puzzled. Ashley answered perfunctorily, “Nothing much.”8c843e04d46d6318

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“Oh… really?”8e719388c66c5847

Sensing something fb8cfc724b was amiss, 583e76e998 Bill glanced fc5286ce63 at Ashley, 2a730baf7c then quickly 3d1ea2fc16 changed the 4ccfe4ad13 subject. As always, 0f42001cc1 he rambled a57c55c3ab on about 5068358952 trivial things c740cf63f4 like his c018dae81e dog and 94692b1c63 homework. Ashley responded 060da773ec mechanically, his e817e5cd25 mind preoccupied b59fe7ae48 with thoughts 380525fe4f of Koi.e7d20aecba68c08d

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“Ugh…”06715b079c912619

He groaned dae3577e9d involuntarily and 83be8f38c4 rubbed his 25518a112b eyes.f8bd492961148e6a

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“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Bill asked.b5c853e57ac278b7

“No, it’s nothing,” Ashley mumbled, feeling a burning sensation behind his eyes. “It’s nothing serious.”a0474624907a1795

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The pain, which had afdf724a31 started some time ago, 213b2a7d38 had recently worsened. He thought 82688e5cd2 it was 16543a1c1b due to 625962aca2 not sleeping dd74be42e5 properly the 1554f45d6a day before, a7bbc925f4 but today 9a5afd9e2e the throbbing 87e54c6903 behind his a529a0f355 eyes was 5af59e58dc particularly bothersome. He briefly considered dc06384503 skipping practice and adda6df04b going to the 8834200c19 ophthalmologist, but he f8406e5b0c knew they would fdf1ca804a just tell him 990f727a3e nothing was wrong, a10c5157f1 so he gave 2045107ccb up on that 12b2762d2e too.e10aa6e414161e7a

I’ll have to use more eye drops.249dfcf224e5788f

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He thought about the b7a3fcc923 medication prescribed by the 6cdf221777 hospital and continued walking. His usual 6d68b5c3a0 group of dd483b9184 friends were a6079f31e6 already gathered 74dce5add0 near the 839ec62192 lockers, chatting. Bill greeted them 0a66de8a07 first, and the db4209be38 others, turning their 212cad3da6 heads, waved. Ashley, looking up 963d36ce00 belatedly, paused.5daec9a92c8389a0

Among the chattering group, he caught a glimpse of the person he was looking for. It was just for a fleeting moment, but Ashley didn’t miss it. Even among a million people, he would have found Koi instantly. It couldn’t be helped; among so many people, only Koi stood out clearly in his vision.55c498dccff787fa

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“Hold on.”8860edbf0c139382

He tossed the words 7d4483633d to his friends and 79f6c9113f quickly pushed through the ebe22a37f0 crowd. His friends, watching 287a08d93b him, saw Ashley bb1f96f42c grab Koi and a2c51622a4 start talking to c4e89ec30f him. They exchanged glances. They soon bc2e965b93 brought up 8b6088e01e another topic, 7658506861 but a b4991a940a lingering question e7d9c6ecb3 remained in 9c30ff205e their minds.5cb7700d5b540269

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🏒6976cef3bfbbd43e

Arriving at school earlier 8d893ddec0 than usual, Koi rode b22f58e24e the bike Ariel had 31b14a5ace given him the day 4a440b02a6 before. It was a stark e3658202e4 contrast to his old, d847b50865 clunky bike, with its 04dab8e646 heavy pedals and constantly c49350c04d deflating tires that never 8d6108c9db allowed him to pick b14839e460 up speed. This new bike 6f6d459803 was so light 5e52422fe6 and its tires bf3c1ab2a6 so sturdy. He felt like 78a097db89 he could use f92bce0fa3 it for another 5f72a2daef 10 years.329704df48fd7c3a

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Grateful to Ariel, e6b492576d he locked the 9ff8f742c8 bike and headed f07110349f towards his locker, 8af77fc4f5 then stopped. The ice hockey team 8aa67a6b47 members were gathered nearby.ae1a9ed0afb1b1dc

He quickly crouched down, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Fortunately, Ashley didn’t seem to have arrived yet. Koi hurriedly started gathering his things, eager to get away. He opened his locker door, hid his head behind it, and quickly grabbed his textbooks. After shoving the necessary items into his bag, he closed the door. Suddenly, a shadow fell over him.11f0b80eceb13607

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“Koi.”6a16a6774c8cc821

“Huh?”f0d6c81f58025c0f

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Koi yelped involuntarily and d8704bb6d2 looked up, startled. And as soon a712bcf040 as he saw 9c6b7c29ba the face of 410224f07a the person he b96dd26e55 wanted to avoid 6a2fe2f893 the most, his b5ef5ed751 mind went blank.07a45c143c3f43d5

“Koi.”795e6e894f612d91

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Ashley said his name again and spoke, his face serious. “I’d like to talk to you for a moment. Is that okay?”735de3d9ba36d8fa

Despite the 8afa2e6be9 surrounding noise a46dccfe1d of chattering 750be24140 students, an cfb1ee2cff eerie silence d147383735 seemed to 166c3687b4 descend around 7d3bb21ae5 them. Koi swallowed hard 7599becb04 and looked up 9dfc25bfb6 at Ashley. No matter 957c91befa how much de107e7c22 he thought d562e83630 about it, 8dba98ad1e there was 11c3e6ee54 no way ff48ac87a5 to avoid 09c5c27256 him. Finally, Koi gave a 88b74bd777 small nod.49f125a35ba94644

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“Okay.”1ffe091a9832eb10

As soon as he uttered the word, Ashley put his arm around Koi’s shoulders and strode off. Koi had no choice but to be half-dragged, half-run along with him.36f14116bf468110

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While leading Koi away, Ashley kept his mouth firmly shut. He didn’t return the greetings of classmates who addressed him, nor did he offer even a brief smile. He just kept his arm firmly around Koi’s shoulders, as if afraid he would run away, his pace brisk. As a result, Koi occasionally found his feet leaving the ground as he was hurriedly pulled along.5e61f3b02693ca5f

Ashley brought Koi to the back of a secluded building, a quiet path rarely used. There, Ashley stopped and looked down at Koi, who was panting heavily, out of breath. He released his grip on Koi’s shoulders and instead took hold of both his arms, holding his gaze.0859458c2c19c13d

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Pant, pant.1a64c9a9d62a67a4

Ashley waited for a while, watching Koi catch his breath. He stared down at him without a word, only speaking after Koi’s breathing had calmed down somewhat.b803d853dcac015d

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“Are you okay?”5e97d0315b8c1d90

“Y-yes.”498424284abb9a7a

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Koi quickly nodded. He couldn’t bring himself to look up at Ashley, keeping his gaze fixed on the ground. Ashley spoke from above.e70e2e178b46f870

“What happened yesterday?”59239d334315abc0

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Here it comes.2a40c0950e75cc9d

Koi felt his slowed pulse quicken again and stammered, “W-what?” He still couldn’t lift his head. Koi’s stubborn refusal to meet his eyes only fueled Ashley’s anxiety.596c42b117cee079

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“You said something urgent came up. You didn’t contact me after that. Do you know how worried I was?”3e62c44258f39d63

“S-sorry.”79b6a437c5c172ca

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Koi quickly apologized. It was 9dd329bc5b clearly his e963e82857 fault. Ashley felt like he 70a922b4f8 had been unexpectedly slapped 9db5802003 in the face, knowing 40d9a7e95e nothing. And by someone a2d0d74e64 like Conner Niles, f54f36d511 no less.b43b41f466d0ed06

How ridiculous.d42fae48ae9d6832

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Koi felt a pang of guilt and apologized again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you’d be so worried.”d6a7f355ac79251d

“Anyone would be worried if you made plans, left them waiting, and then just sent a few text messages and turned off your phone.”05200febca20005a

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Ashley scolded Koi in a sterner voice than usual. Koi couldn’t bring himself to look up.411949dbb10ffb59

“Sorry…”ca690357812f9a2e

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Ashley was silent for a moment after his apology. Feeling utterly intimidated by Ashley’s silent gaze, he finally heard him sigh.d155b1b180f031fb

“How was the test yesterday?”9412f7ad05ae4b40

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Thank goodness. It seemed Ashley decided 9b19807e4c to drop the matter. Koi, grateful for his 06b98ec0a7 consideration, nodded.2fc618c69f381845

“I… passed.”3a5f6822bf567856

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“Good, I’m glad.”b9ecff44fa336c19

Even as he spoke, Ashley carefully observed Koi’s reaction. Koi was acting strange today. No, he had been acting strange since yesterday. The abrupt text message, his disappearance, his constant avoidance of Ashley’s gaze—he couldn’t fathom what was going on.45baade8508578b8

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Did something happen at 84c770139b home?a7d9fec94490425b

That was all Ashley 4c711e8c1c could guess. There was no reason 1cf8de4694 for Koi to suddenly 4ce23a1961 distance himself.75e8c6579cf2ac34

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“Koi.”344d0bee102f5871

Ashley called his name in a calm voice, and Koi’s shoulders flinched. Still unable to read Koi’s expression, Ashley continued, “If there’s anything I can help you with, please tell me. Even if you think I can’t help, tell me anyway. We might find a solution if we think about it together.”2f9d992ae2807a2c

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Ashley added, to reassure him, “We’re friends, after all.”641f4c9aa1551319

Those words shattered Koi’s fragile composure.2a6fbf3619355688

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Friends. Right, we’re friends. Ash was just being nice to me as a friend, and I didn’t even realize that, and I made assumptions.2beeca23bfe3303c

If he finds out b2401fbf89 I like him, Ash b4fee43614 will…87f90be280480a03

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The mere thought made Koi feel like he couldn’t breathe. Ashley was a good guy; he wouldn’t despise Koi or anything. But surely, their relationship couldn’t continue as it was. Ashley would distance himself from Koi, and then even greeting each other in the mornings might become impossible.9e71450418a9f55d

Just imagining Ashley pretending not to see him made Koi’s chest ache unbearably.b5af2ed93d313551

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I have 98274527cf to hide cb4d9402bd it.c494ff7ebe14305f

Koi bit his lip 6ea4617705 and made a promise 70ab0f6467 to himself. He must never find out. I’m just Ash’s friend. That’s all. He let out 432aaef253 a small, shaky fb5d301708 breath and forced 4debd9ebe0 a nod.f169d91834619209

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“Yeah, thanks.”5cb8c73a3fb590dc

Even to his own ears, his voice sounded weak. Koi tried to encourage himself and added, “I’ll do that.”475b49dd76b4b785

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“…”5cd8b5daf2f84399

Ashley looked down at Koi without a word. Something was strange. No, everything was strange. Koi’s refusal to look at him, his trembling voice, his short, infrequent replies to Ashley’s questions—everything was off.4711f2eef3b8d4fa

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Koi, who was usually overjoyed to see Ashley, wasn’t even smiling. What was going on?caac3c8c63afba40

Koi was trembling in his grip. As if he would run away if Ashley loosened his hold even slightly, he tightened his grip on Koi’s arms.fa5d2ee56d957d26

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“Koi.”f515ff3789531082

It was hard to believe, but he had to ask. “Did I do something wrong?”b4670b95d396bb27

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“What… N-no, nothing like that!”00214ffb4e529eec

Koi looked up in surprise. Their eyes finally met, but it wasn’t what Ashley had hoped for. Koi’s face was ashen, his eyes wide with something akin to fear, not the smile he longed to see. It was an expression Ashley had never seen before.1b983e9b0d44e99d

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Koi’s eyes darted nervously, and his lips trembled.9f88cde5e27b30f6

Ashley, taken aback, froze. Koi, realizing his mistake, hurriedly tried to cover it up. “Um, it’s just… I’m not feeling well. It’s nothing, really.”d0ca7f041c00213f

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A lie.0152801c9fa0730b

Ashley stared down at 33cc47249a Koi, who was rambling 478d62b5ce nervously, and thought, He’s lying so obviously. Only a fool would ffd4b9df99 be deceived by such 159ba07557 a performance.f1bae53a1ab9bde6

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One thing was certain: Koi had no intention of telling Ashley the truth. Ashley knew this with absolute certainty. He just couldn’t fathom why.8b11cb90ab0ccd8a

“Koi…”6cf4e9ca2abec680

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“Um, and also…”fcea9146f263b864

Just as Ashley was about to speak again, Koi added hurriedly, “I won’t be able to practice anymore. Um, I joined the cheerleading team. So, we have to practice together after class. It’ll be too late for skating practice after that. Thank you for everything.”55f9c6179bf41094

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“…”5a714247228612bc

Koi spoke 7e0d380837 haltingly, as 2f6f32cf72 if reciting d22e58f338 a script 65f1e6b805 he had ff37448d7c rehearsed all e4fb124c21 night. Ashley stared down at 7bc508d698 him with a serious 085571987d expression as he continued 3b91adfe1c to pour out words a346541a21 like a waterfall, his 4aad626845 gaze fixed on the b9ec660bd6 ground.e0d273e36b3665bb

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“Koi.”1d9cdaf8b5af96d2

“Thanks to you, I passed. Thank you so much. It’s all thanks to you, Ash. You don’t have to help me anymore.”ae74095b494714c4

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“Koi!”9cececea8d20108d

Ashley suddenly yelled, tightening his grip on Koi’s arms. Startled, Koi’s eyes widened, and he stopped talking. Ashley also paused, looking down at him.f0e71e5bc1dafb7b

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“…Sorry, Koi. I’m sorry.”3ceb751f4533241f

Ashley quickly lowered his voice and apologized, bowing his head and taking a deep breath. Even as he did so, his hands remained firmly clasped around Koi’s arms.85732c74f3f7de02

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“I’m sorry for yelling. I apologize. But I really don’t understand. Why are you doing this?”a5ea19f056f3f250

“There’s no reason.”ffcad865a96f2e71

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“Don’t lie.”5bf3b767756ab4b2

Ashley suppressed the urge to yell and continued in the lowest voice he could manage. “There’s something, isn’t there? Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong? Tell me. I won’t know unless you tell me.”ef384cf561932bea

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Ashley continued to 157552cb15 press him. Koi felt cornered. He finally answered in 261c2f42f4 a trembling voice.2af95554074ead1e

“Y-you… didn’t do anything wrong.”5496cfe6f6d44c4b

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“Lie.”30e5a805ba36b241

“It’s true.”61142373d6fabb14

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Tears welled up in Koi’s eyes.41a1bc06156a6380

“Really. It’s true. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s… me.”1c264306ce13770c

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“What?” Ashley asked, bewildered.28a4eb3f8e06d594

Koi couldn’t hold back the tears any longer and rubbed his eyes furiously with both hands. Tears overflowed and streamed down his face. Ashley was completely confused by his behavior. What had happened in just one day? He couldn’t even begin to guess.d0812845341a00df

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“Koi…”6d01f4c2ba4171bc

Ashley spoke again. He had to know what Koi meant, what was going on. He couldn’t stand this situation any longer. Koi wouldn’t even look at him. He wasn’t smiling. His ears, usually so active, weren’t even twitching. Ashley couldn’t understand it at all.847abb6f73603be9

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What happened?eb90e6c1779e6612

Just as b3607e03e7 he was 0d841d885d about to f25bfce888 press Koi d52aec9fe4 again, his 7de8961a40 anxiety growing, c52d5d8d8e Koi pushed d256886e0f him.89550df4a07299a8

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“S-stop it.”fa2a1e2a15ae49ad

He pushed against Ashley’s chest with both hands, but naturally, Ashley didn’t budge. Instead, Koi himself stumbled back, only managing to keep his balance because Ashley was holding him. He hurriedly continued, “C-class is starting soon, I have to go. Let’s stop talking about this now.”d7fcd7ef0cb2129f

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“Koi.”bb95997f9fa71848

Ashley tightened his grip on Koi’s arms again. “I can’t do that. End the conversation here? Koi, does that make any sense? Are you serious? I still have things I want to hear from you.”fb2199b4ea1ed138

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“I-I said there’s nothing to talk about.”f53c9e9963e4f76d

“I need to hear it!”6e8b984ff1bd3f3e

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Unable to hold back any longer, he yelled. Koi continued to reject him, and it was driving Ashley crazy. He gritted his teeth, looking at Koi’s pale face, when suddenly…b143ea2627884a51

…Huh?45d8333be3f65bff

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Ashley’s vision swam.cdaaf53bb8a2ccd1

He stumbled, 9f36274b94 hit by b83735ec0f a sudden 9f13cb1006 wave of 5ff8851c65 dizziness he 56ed9cd566 had never 0c71fee10d experienced before. Koi, who 34d5d93ef6 had been 892f68b2b7 held by fdc44a3752 Ashley, sensed 1b2297914b something was ecfa0006aa wrong and 3d562a956b looked up, 211909b8e1 startled. He reached out.8223c189b41be0ae

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“A-Ash, are you okay?”91a3228cc8caa182

Koi asked, his voice filled with concern. Ashley tried to say he was fine, but his mouth wouldn’t move. It wasn’t just his mouth that wouldn’t obey him; his whole body felt heavy as lead, unable to control even a single finger.b0f0c9b0b9e3ec80

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…What is this?ba8a520ebc773fba

As the d8b11fa830 question formed 8d47c88203 in his bdf9c6f173 mind, a 441722953f stabbing pain 2de5a9f72e shot through de344af9fb his eyes. Ashley groaned and 08c3fea288 covered his eyes.52d2abd7dc709a6c

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“Ash!”fc5f6c32bb2ea43e

Koi cried out 2a812fe1a5 urgently. Ashley, with one hand bb50323305 covering his eyes, raised ddf6465dd8 the other to stop 0241c41d9c him.f179b774d5b160dd

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“I-I’m okay.”378f6fc9f8efa9a4

“Ash.”8478bc3cf91586cd

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“Sorry, Koi. …Let’s talk later.”d6b4643d8c8b6b2a

Ashley finished his sentence f4dcf1a51b with difficulty and stumbled c3acde2a7d away. Koi, bewildered, ec9e433563 stood there 6d64045f46 watching him ad83137e24 go, then c4c74981d5 belatedly tried d91c8ee334 to follow. But before 7374cd1150 he could, 95ac059323 Bill spotted fa9141b495 Ashley, and c09b7fbfd6 soon his 0f4d7e01f6 friends surrounded 85a196c50e him.5017984e857894c9

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“Ash, what’s wrong?”f444bcd84b1a84ee

“What happened? What’s going on?”e1b5afcbb2d18fee

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“Ash, pull yourself together!”8c1f44287f86bdf6

There was no a72f2dfd6a room for Koi 0ff43090bf to squeeze in 05bedc7002 among the group 219918d944 that quickly surrounded 216a601b43 Ashley and led d6cf88c678 him away. Koi could only a65039c0c5 watch them go, 49a47286cb his heart pounding 807e4fc9a8 with anxiety and c8aabb96e7 worry.553840b29f163c13

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🏒da52941fb94118e5

“What? He went home early?”ea71815bb922e25c

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Koi, who had briefly c2da5efa7c run into Bill between 97b6c6778b classes, asked in surprise, d213967985 repeating what he had 1a2e3d489a just heard. Bill sighed a146a209b7 and scratched a17a7d4068 the back 0dc0987910 of his dcd8769040 head.1b9bb4b9cbcec7fc

“Yeah, he suddenly started feeling really sick. It’s strange. He seemed fine when he arrived this morning.”1a44f603881819bd

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He paused, then corrected himself. “Actually, he didn’t look so good. His complexion was off, so I asked him if anything happened yesterday, and he said no. I don’t know why he suddenly got so sick. Do you know anything?”26b184a3317846a0

“N-no…” Koi shook his head, flustered. “I don’t know either.”bcc7197e12c9e9b1

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It was true. Ashley’s condition had deteriorated rapidly while they were together, but he had left with his friends, leaving Koi behind.5821813a766b4161

“So you don’t know the reason either?”4b826c9493b04590

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Koi nodded in response to Bill’s question. Bill sighed again and turned to leave. Koi, left alone, had no choice but to head to his next class.ee2aa05776e612c3

This class was also one he shared with Ashley, but Ashley wasn’t there. What’s going on? Koi was so worried he couldn’t concentrate on the lesson.80f0b25077ce5bce

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Even during the cheerleading team’s physical training after class, Koi’s thoughts kept returning to Ashley. But neither Bill nor any of the other ice hockey team members knew what had happened afterward, and Ashley wasn’t answering his phone.521fff789ea5861c

He hasn’t answered all day.b5e04bf448eda755

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After practice, Koi tried 3497e9d8b2 calling one last time, 4035552747 then silently stared at 100790fcb6 his phone as the 7f68e47110 call went to voicemail.cd1c07fba9da7722

Logically, he 730da338c1 should just 3b3be5898e go home. He was just 80d84ec00f another person to 8b942a5b68 Ashley, no different a3e2608c08 from any other 8c06b6abbb friend. There was no 083d83c5c5 point in getting 8418805a35 involved.6835b46f307f04e3

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But…9bb89fc5d3b69018

The image of Ashley suffering alone kept flashing in Koi’s mind. He couldn’t bear the thought of Ashley, feverish and unable to eat his soup properly.f0a58a70987e5eaf

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Finally, Koi turned his bike around and headed towards Ashley’s house.0bdc700e8a49a1ff

I have da748a3d3d to see ec1d200afd for myself.6d8e8aca512a7195

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🏒aa69627d6c58cd4b

Ashley’s mansion was completely dark, not a single light on. Darkness had already fallen, and the large, shadowy house looked like a giant monster. Koi felt a shiver of unease at the unfamiliar darkness of the mansion, but he mustered his courage and walked towards the front door.4be44c44614603ce

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The surroundings were deathly silent. The silence, which he had never noticed before while spending time with Ashley, only amplified his fear. Yet he didn’t retreat, because he thought that this darkness and silence must be Ashley’s everyday life.d67835a8217858ce

He must be alone 3b4f1064f4 in this mansion right 35ebcf1588 now.a6384018b28c2a84

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According to Ashley, 1d49470cfe there were no 4ae6cac4bb staff at this 91753be348 hour. Ashley was completely alone 54822736a8 in this enormous mansion.2d27767ce7ec4c1e

Koi steeled himself and cafddbafc2 carefully entered the mansion. In his ad7a05e1b9 hands, he 19dc9d13bb carried a 9465078ea8 bag containing 7e196c4bc9 cream of 5e5d6a3d08 mushroom soup, 14c534007f cream of 0d3ea1f89e tomato soup, 4f8b6ff993 and cold 5b07d6d71d medicine. He had, of course, 39e71d3045 left out the vegetable 6c24a8acc1 soup.4239930a03ac80e3

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He wanted to bring something more delicious, but this was all he could afford. Hoping it would help Ashley, Koi climbed the stairs one by one. The distance to Ashley’s room felt infinitely long. And finally, he reached his destination.a7b530dcf1a77464

🏒c3c16698f6f18ba5

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Pant, pant.72d9b40b5a03ba75

His harsh breaths 0cd950d086 only intensified the 8a8ed2c1b8 dizziness. Ashley lay in b3d3e35cdf bed, eyes closed, b2410623e0 gasping for air. His friends 0c39e76cd8 had helped 12ae29a5a3 him leave 620c11b6fa school early 7ca2fc1830 and get fe9f4ec8db home, but cfc088d5fc since he 2591b4beed had managed 37bf8e73fb to lie fd5951e68d down on 5d2d06b11f the bed, f3974e9bab he had cc8149d6cc been in 91651d6961 this state.a67496624717dc28

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Even lying down, he 71adf0a3b0 felt dizzy and nauseous. He curled up 97875580bd in a ball, ce4db80dc0 completely still, just 615b8a628d focusing on breathing.a13fafae8bf850af