LMI 63

Koi’s eyes gradually widened. Ashley smiled self-deprecatingly as he looked at him.

“Yeah, that’s right. You understand now, right? If this goes on, I might turn you into an Omega. Get out of here right now.”

“Ashley…”

“Get out!”

Ashley shouted again. His head went blank again and his vision blurred. He couldn’t guarantee how long he could maintain his reason. If he lost his reason again, he wouldn’t be able to stop this time. Then, then I, I.

Really to Koi…

Suddenly, Koi raised his knees and hugged Ashley. Ashley stopped breathing in surprise. Koi whispered from above.

“It’s okay.”

He hugged Ashley’s head tightly and continued.

“It’s okay, Ashley. I’ll be okay. Because I, I…”

He bit his lower lip. He had to say it. He opened his mouth again, but his voice was terribly trembling.

“I can’t smell.”

“…Huh?”

A voice that sounded foolish even to himself flowed out. Koi continued to speak to Ashley, who was belatedly gasping for breath and blinking his eyes.

“I can’t smell anything like that. Your Pheromone scent, I can’t smell it at all…”

Koi carefully released his arms and bent down to meet Ashley’s eyes. Koi, who finally faced him, hesitated and raised his hand. Ashley just let his hand, which was ridiculously small compared to his, stroke his cheek. Koi said to Ashley, who was just looking at him.

“So it’s okay, I’ll be by your side.”

He even managed to smile, but Ashley still couldn’t believe himself.

“…Go, I’m going to lose my reason again.”

He forced himself to suppress his breath and spat out as calmly as possible, but Koi didn’t back down.

“It’s okay.”

“I might rape you.”

“It’s okay.”

Koi said again.

“I want to be by your side.”

“Ha…”

Eventually, Ashley gave up. He rubbed his face with one hand and muttered powerlessly.

“Why aren’t you leaving…”

He no longer had the confidence to maintain his reason. But he didn’t want to hurt Koi either. Just when he felt like he was in a dilemma, Koi opened his mouth.

“If I leave, you’ll be alone.”

Ashley stopped moving. He slowly lowered the hand that had been covering his face and looked at Koi. His face was full of disbelief. Koi smiled awkwardly and hugged him tightly.

“Let’s be together, Ashley.”

Ashley couldn’t say anything for a while. He couldn’t even move. His head was hazy and his mouth was burning endlessly. In the constant thirst he felt, the only thing he could feel was the body temperature that the small body hugging him was conveying. That was all Ashley could know.

He slowly raised his hand and carefully hugged Koi’s body. As if responding to it, Koi also hugged him tightly. At that moment, the tip of his nose tingled and Ashley’s vision blurred. He slowly hugged Koi back. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. After hesitating several times, he finally confessed.

“I like you, Koi.”Tears that had welled up streamed down. Ashley closed his eyes and hugged Koi even tighter.

Ah, finally.

He thought. Finally, now I’m not alone anymore.

This small being in his arms was his whole world. He would never, ever let go. Ashley vowed again and again.

Koi, I like you.

I like you, you.

So.

Tears streamed down again.

Don’t ever let me go.

*

A cool breeze blew in from outside the window. Koi, who had dozed off lying next to Ashley in his bed, opened his eyes at the sudden presence he felt. Ashley frowned and mumbled like a groan.

“…Koi?”

Koi, who hurriedly grabbed his hand, replied.

“I’m here, Ash.”

Ashley sighed in relief and fell back asleep. Koi watched him take another deep breath, stroked his chest, and laid his head back on the bed.

It was only violent on the first day. Throughout the Manifestation period, Ashley often lost consciousness, and each time, he looked for Koi from time to time, as if muttering to himself. Then Koi would immediately answer him with a yes and hold his hand.

While he was asleep, Koi diligently searched the house for first aid supplies, disinfected the wound on his arm, and bandaged it. He was surprised and bitter that the simple emergency medicine he had learned at school was helpful in times like these, but anyway, he stayed by Ashley’s side, except for very brief moments when he left to get drinks and food.

He was vaguely aware that he wasn’t going to school and hadn’t contacted home, but he didn’t care. Ashley was more precious to him than anything else right now.

Peaceful…

Koi thought as he lay in bed with Ashley, watching his sleeping face. From outside the window, birdsong could be heard from time to time, and bright sunlight flooded the room. The cool breeze that blew in cleared his mind and made him feel endlessly uplifted. Koi carefully brushed the hair off Ashley’s face and thought.

I wish this time could last forever.

There’s no Father drunk, no grueling part-time jobs, and no staying up all night to do homework. How wonderful would it be if only this peaceful time could continue.

But that didn’t happen. Two days later, Ashley, who had suddenly fallen into a deep sleep without losing consciousness, finally opened his eyes after nearly ten hours.

His head was clearer than it had been before he lost consciousness. Ashley slowly lifted his eyelids and was momentarily bewildered by the unfamiliar sensation. Not only his head but also his body felt as light as a feather. He had never felt so uplifted.

But what made him happiest was something else. Ashley couldn’t help but smile brightly at the sight that came into view as soon as he opened his eyes. Koi, as if noticing the presence, also woke up. Ashley smiled and whispered at Koi’s face, who was blinking his still sleepy eyes and looking at him.

“Koi.”

“Ash…”

He didn’t even have time to ask, Ash, are you okay? Ashley immediately hugged Koi tightly. Completely trapped in his arms, Koi only blinked his eyes. He vaguely knew that Ashley, who had woken up this time, was different from before.

Is the Manifestation over?

Just as Koi was about to open his mouth to ask, Ashley suddenly showered his cheeks, nose, and lips with kisses. When he lifted his face again, Koi was blinking his eyes in a daze.

Ashley laughed again. The affection he felt for Koi overflowed from his heart. Ashley firmly believed that there could be no more certain confirmation of each other than this.

*

After showering, they headed to the dining room. Ashley ate as if he were going to empty the entire refrigerator, and he actually did. Koi tried his best, but he only managed to finish one hamburger and half a plate of salad.

Ashley took care of Koi’s school and home problems. In fact, all he had to do was make one phone call, and the secretary, who already knew that Ashley had Manifestation, had taken care of it in advance. However, he had not anticipated that Koi would be with him, so Koi’s attendance, grades, and contacting his father were added.

• Is your friend okay? He was with you throughout the Manifestation period…

Ashley readily answered the secretary’s suspicious question.

“He’s fine, he didn’t Manifestation as an Omega either.”

• I see, that’s a relief.

The secretary added.

• If your friend had gotten caught up in it and Manifestation as an Omega, Mr. Miller wouldn’t have been very happy.

This time, Ashley hung up without answering. He didn’t bother to mention that Koi couldn’t smell either. He didn’t know why, but he decided that there was no need for anyone else to know about Koi. It was enough for Ashley to know.

“Ah, Ash.”

When he went out to the garden, Koi, who was already swimming in the pool, turned around. He had thrown away his ruined shirt and was wearing the T-shirt and swimming trunks that Ashley had given him instead. The T-shirt was too big to wear, but he had somehow found the swimming trunks he had worn in elementary school, so they fit reasonably well.

“Was it fun?”

Ashley, who followed him into the water, quickly caught up with him and asked. As if it were natural, Ashley hugged him around the waist, and Koi, pulled by him, put his hands on his arms and opened his mouth.

“Uh, uh-huh. Um… did the phone call go well?”

Ashley answered gently to his cautious question.

“Yeah. You don’t have to worry about school or home.”

He rubbed his nose against him in an Eskimo kiss and chuckled briefly.

“Isn’t your boyfriend’s ability amazing?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Koi hesitated in confusion, but Ashley didn’t notice. He felt like he was flying to the sky right now. Heaven was waiting for him after the shitty Manifestation was over. If this kind of happiness was waiting for him, he thought he could do Manifestation ten times over.

Ashley, who grabbed Koi’s waist in the water and lifted him high, burst out laughing again. Ugh, Koi screamed without realizing it and hurriedly put his hands on his shoulders. Ashley smiled at him and said.

“I like you, Koi.”

Koi’s eyes shook wildly. Ashley looked at him with anticipation, waiting for the same answer from him. Say it, Koi. Hurry.

Tell me you like me too.

“I…”

Koi’s mouth opened with difficulty. Ashley felt as if he could hear the sound of his heart pounding like crazy right next to his ear, and he didn’t even blink as he stared at his mouth.

“I…”

Koi said something. At first, Ashley didn’t understand what he was saying. Ashley, who was just staring at him, asked again with a still smiling face.

“What? I didn’t hear you clearly.”

Koi looked down at him with a tearful face. A voice full of trembling flowed from his mouth.

“I don’t like you.”