By Zephyria As they walked together, Ashley half-listened to Bill’s enthusiastic chatter. According to Koi, rumors had apparently spread that Ariel had dumped Ashley, but he didn’t care.
As expected, Bill’s story was just about trivial things going on around him. After hearing about how the dog he was walking the day before had pooped on the street, Ashley almost yawned.
“Did anyone come to see me while I was out of training?”
Ashley asked, trying to change the subject on purpose, and Bill replied no.
“No one?”
Oh, Ashley thought inwardly. Did he completely forget that he met Koi?
“You told Koi that Ariel dumped me, right?”
“Koi?”
Bill tilted his head and asked.
“That small, skinny guy? Why would he? Oh, come to think of it.”
He belatedly snapped his fingers.
“He did come to ask me when you were resting, why you weren’t around. I told him you were resting because you were sick.”
Ashley frowned at Bill, who was humming and walking.
“…That’s all?”
“Yeah, that’s all? Why? Is something wrong?”
Ashley pretended not to know at Bill’s puzzled question, turned his head, quickly took off his shirt, and changed the subject.
“So, what happened to that dog earlier?”
“What? Oh, right. So, I was going to pick up the poop, but I didn’t bring a bag…”
Ashley just ignored his noisy chatter.
Nothing special happened.
Ashley didn’t bother to mention that he had come to comfort him. It was enough that only Koi and he knew that.
At that moment, a group of people walking from the other side recognized him.
“Ash, you’re here.”
“Hey, why can’t you live up to your size? How many times is this?”
The big guys greeted him happily, who had returned after a long time, and bumped into him here and there. After giving each other a light hug, Ashley prepared for class. He was looking for Koi with his eyes, and he smiled slightly when he spotted a familiar head on the other side.
It’s Koi.
No matter how many people there were, he found Koi at once. It was a strange experience he had never had before. Among so many people, only Koi shone brightly. He could recognize him with just a small part.
Koi opened his locker. He seemed to rummage through the inside, then closed it again and turned around. Ashley waited for him to look at him.
Their eyes met.
Ashley.
He could clearly see the shape of his mouth calling his name. Ashley’s smile deepened, and Koi also smiled and waved.
“I’m going.”
Ashley said goodbye to the group and walked away with quick steps. He pushed through the jostling kids and ran towards only one point.
“Koi!”
Koi groaned as he called his name from behind and ambushed him.
I like you.
Ashley felt a heart-filled joy and hugged him tightly.
*
“You’re going to join the cheerleading team?”
Koi smiled awkwardly at Ariel, the leader of the cheerleading team, who was looking at him with a surprised face. There was a lot of hesitation, but he finally knocked on the door of the cheerleading team.
“Are you serious? You know you have to wear a skirt, right?”
Ariel asked with a frown. Koi changed the subject instead of answering.
“I’ll do my best.”
“You have to do well, what’s the point of doing your best?”
Ariel retorted sharply. Koi also thought that they were different from him, so he had nothing to say. Ariel said to his embarrassed and blushing reaction.
“Are you really okay? The season has started, so it’ll be difficult if you run away saying you can’t do it after all.”
“Please let me join.”
Koi desperately clung to her. Ariel crossed her arms and scanned him once. Koi waited for the result without saying a word, holding his breath, with a serious expression that clearly showed she was worried.
Ariel, who was looking at Koi with an unpleasant gaze, suddenly approached him with large strides. Koi was startled and flinched, and she whispered in a small voice.
“I know you’re doing this for extra-curricular points.”
Koi swallowed, and she glared at him sharply and threatened him.
“It’s good that you came voluntarily to get your points, but if you ruin our team, I’ll make your life miserable.”
Koi’s spine tingled and he nodded urgently.
“Y-yes.”
“Good.”
Ariel stepped back. Returning to her original strict leader’s appearance, she said to Koi, who was frozen stiff.
“It’s true that we’re in a hurry right now, but that doesn’t mean we’ll accept just anyone. In the worst case, we can change the choreography and finish the season among ourselves. Got it?”
“Yes, I got it.”
“Good.”
Ariel nodded this time and handed him a pre-prepared printout. She explained to Koi, who quickly received it.
“These are the basic moves. I’m going to test how good you are, so practice them. If you get them wrong, you’ll be eliminated right away, so keep your head straight.”
“O-okay. Thank you.”
As Koi quickly checked the printout, Ariel took out her cell phone and checked the date.
“This day would be good for the test. Prepare by then, and our whole team will decide whether you pass after seeing it.”
“Yes, I got it. I’ll do that.”
Koi was about to leave the club room after quickly putting the printout in his bag.
“Wait, Corner Niles.”
“Uh, uh?”
When he paused and looked back, Ariel looked at him suspiciously and asked.
“I’m asking just in case, but you can skate, right?”
“S-skate?”
Ariel said with a frown at Koi, who stuttered at the unexpected words.”Isn’t it obvious? Don’t you know our school’s ice hockey team is the national high school champion? Of course, the cheerleading team has to support the ice hockey team.”
“Y-yeah, right.”
He’d forgotten. Or rather, he hadn’t even thought about it. Ariel’s expression quickly changed at Koi’s belatedly flustered reaction.
“Are you serious? You can’t? Skate?”
“N-no, no, of course not, I can skate, obviously.”
He vehemently denied it in his panic. Ariel still looked skeptical, but she didn’t press the issue and backed down.
“Anyway, no matter how well you skate, it’s over if you can’t even do the basic moves.”
She said simply, then readily turned and walked towards the team members who were stretching. Koi hesitated for a moment, then hurried away as if fleeing.
This is a disaster.
Stepping outside, reality immediately hit him. Koi’s face paled, and he clutched his head. Skating, he hadn’t even thought about it. Skating? And doing choreography while skating?
He couldn’t even skate, let alone own a pair of skates!
Koi stood there blankly, his face devoid of all emotion. He had no idea what to do.
How am I going to handle this situation? Should I just say I can’t do it now? Then what about the extracurricular points? Should I ask them to find something else for me? No, this was the last one. If I can’t do this, what about my grades? Is there really no other way?
Ugh, he groaned.
“Koi? What are you doing here?”
Koi was startled and turned around at the familiar voice behind him. The moment he saw the familiar face walking towards him, he cried out in relief, without even realizing it.
“Ash!”
Delighted, Koi ran and stopped right in front of Ashley. Ashley, who had been waiting for him, smiled but tilted his head, looking puzzled. Koi took a breath and opened his mouth.
“Hey, I…”
Koi stopped, about to speak. Something suddenly flashed through his mind. Ashley was dating Ariel. Even if he wasn’t, the sports teams were usually close to the cheerleading team and would know the inside scoop. He must have known that the cheerleading team was in a serious crisis because of a vacancy.
Could he also know about the skirt?
It was bound to happen eventually, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Not to Ashley, anyway.
Ashley looked down at Koi, who had stopped mid-sentence, with a puzzled expression. He was about to ask what was wrong, but just then, the door to the cheerleading team’s room opened, and the voices of the girls could be heard. Ashley quickly grabbed Koi’s arm and pulled him away.
“Let’s go for now.”