By Zephyria How did this happen?
Koi sipped his cola, looking around. It was the first time he had been in such a boisterous noise.
He knew that the ice hockey guys were noisy. Of course, the Cheerleading Team kids were the same. However, when those two noises were combined, he couldn’t understand what anyone was saying at all.
The only good thing was that no one noticed that Koi was just quietly drinking cola.
After practice, the ice hockey guys ate a tremendous amount. Ashley was surprised at how much he ate, but the other guys were no different. Watching them eat the food filling the table in an instant and immediately devour the newly set food, Koi was convinced, ‘Well, they have to in order to maintain that body.’
He was hungry and his stomach was burning, but there was nothing he could do. Koi waited for the meal to end and the meeting to begin. At this rate, it wouldn’t take long.
Of course, even in the midst of all that, the most concerning thing was Ashley and Ariel. He couldn’t even hear what they were saying right next to him, so it was impossible to eavesdrop on what they were talking about in this noise. But judging from their somewhat serious expressions, it was certain that they were having an important conversation.
〈I can’t wait long.〉
Suddenly, Ashley’s words came to mind. Along with that, he saw Ashley leaning in and Ariel whispering something. In that instant, Koi’s heart sank.
*
“Sorry my sisters are acting up on their own.”
Ariel said in a voice that was quite loud for a whisper. But Ashley was the only one who could hear it.
“Why are your ‘sisters’ doing this?”
Ariel was a little upset at the question, spreading her index and middle fingers into a V shape and wiggling them, but she answered coyly.
“I guess they think you’re the closest to my level.”
“Oh, I’m so honored.”
When Ashley said sarcastically, Ariel punched his side under the table. Ashley, grimacing in pain from the quick jab, curled up. Holding his aching side, he asked with a frown.
“I’m just asking out of curiosity, but did your sisters spread the rumor that you dumped me?”
Ariel snorted and raised her head.
“I don’t know, I just said we broke up.”
Ashley was dumbfounded and let out a short exclamation.
“And that rumor spread on its own?”
She smiled arrogantly and continued.
“To them, me being dumped is as absurd as saying you’re going to marry a pauper and have a string of kids.”
“Why do you think so?”
This time, he couldn’t just brush it off as a joke. In fact, Ashley was seriously considering it. Of course, that pauper is a Beta and a man, so he can’t have children.
Ariel stared at his face and pointed out.
“Because your Father would never allow it?”
Ashley fell silent at the existence he had forgotten, and Ariel laughed in disbelief.
“Your Father was the first man to look at me with such contempt.”Ariel was wonderful herself, but her family was also harmonious, a typical middle-class family without anything particularly special about them. Ashley liked her for that reason, but conversely, Father didn’t like her at all because of it. However, the reason Father let Ashley do as he pleased was because he was still a minor and his relationship with Ariel wasn’t that serious.
Once, when Father came to school to meet the principal, he found Ashley with Ariel. Recalling the expression Father had made at that time, Ariel’s reaction was so understandable. Ashley anticipated the unpleasantness she must have felt and repeated the words he had said back then.
“Sorry, I apologize.”
He had said the same thing to her back then, but this time he added one more line.
“Sorry for having such a shitty Father.”
“You shouldn’t talk about your parents like that.”
Ariel pointed out sharply, then quickly added.
“Well, it’s not like I know the details of your family situation that well.”
“You’re right. It’s not good to talk about parents like that.”
Ashley, agreeing with Ariel’s words, smiled.
“But that man is shitty.”
Ariel also smiled back at him.
“I should have slapped the other cheek too.”
Ashley laughed out loud, extended one hand, and leaned back.
“Have mercy, that really hurt.”
“Of course it should, I hit you to make it hurt.”
Still, as if satisfied with Ashley’s reaction, Ariel smiled and sprinkled dressing on her salad. Watching Ariel pick up a large piece of lettuce with her fork and put it in her mouth, Ashley asked.
“I heard you gave Koi a bike?”
“So?”
This time, Ariel sprinkled cereal and mixed it evenly into the salad as she answered. Ashley continued.
“Didn’t you used to dislike Koi? Saying he was different from us and stuff.”
Ariel readily answered Ashley’s question.
“Of course, I did. I still hate kids with low self-esteem who are always trying to read the room and are depressed.”
She took a sip of calorie-free soda and looked at Ashley.
“But what can I do? He joined our team. Since we decided to work together, he’s my sister. Well, to be exact, he’s a jalapeño, but either way, he’s still on the same team.”
Ashley knew very well how dedicated she was to the work she took on. It was one of Ariel’s strengths that he liked. Moreover, she was more sincere about cheerleading than anything else, so in a way, the temporary member, who was no different from the team’s savior, was definitely precious to her.
Furthermore, Ariel was always honest and often brutally candid. So, her assessment of Koi must be genuine. But there was one thing Ashley had to point out.
“There’s something I need to say. About Koi, what you said.”
He added with a smile.
“The first two are right, but the last one is wrong. Koi isn’t depressed, he’s just timid.”
Ashley thought she might get a rebuttal or a reluctant reaction, but Ariel was unexpectedly nonchalant. She put crushed peanuts on the lettuce soaked in dressing and said.
“Yeah, he’s brighter than I thought. Kind of cute, too.”
Ashley frowned.
“Cute?”
“Yeah,” Ariel said, placing the lettuce on her fork and looking at Ashley.
“Doesn’t he look like that cottontail rabbit that used to come to your house often?”
Wild animals sometimes appeared in Ashley’s mansion garden, and rabbits were the most common. Especially at night, a few would appear and leisurely graze on the grass in the garden, and when they sensed someone, they would scatter in a frenzy. Thinking of them, it seemed plausible.
But the problem was that Ariel had said that. And a cottontail rabbit, wasn’t that too cute of a comparison? Thinking that, Ashley felt even worse. And Ariel added fuel to the fire.
“I always like people who work hard.”
“Like?”
Ashley couldn’t let this pass and sharply retorted, but Ariel replied in her usual tone.
“Yeah. So, Koi is okay too. It’s good for our club that a sincere member, even if he’s temporary, has joined.”
That was the end of it. Ariel devoted herself to eating her salad. Ashley, who had been watching her for a while, also started eating his hamburger. It’ll be okay. Koi is definitely not Ariel’s type.
…Or is he?
His gaze naturally turned to Koi. It wasn’t intentional, but it happened automatically.
Perhaps because he wasn’t used to this kind of atmosphere, Koi was hunched over, sipping his cola through a straw, and looking around. He looked like a hedgehog with its quills raised, which made Ashley laugh. If he were closer, he might have pinched Koi’s cheek.
As he bit into the tasteless franchise diner hamburger instead of Koi’s sweet cheek, suddenly a Cheerleading Team girl sitting next to Koi kissed him on the cheek. The moment he saw that, Ashley froze with the hamburger in his mouth.
“Oh, sorry.”
The team member, who had accidentally brushed her face against Koi’s cheek while trying to pick up a lipstick that had fallen on the floor, apologized. Koi said it was okay and smiled. Following her, who quickly bent down, Koi bent down and asked.
“Did you drop something?”
“Yeah, Chanel. …Where did it go? I can’t see it.”
What’s Chanel? Koi blinked and then crouched under the table. He looked around to tell her if he saw anything, when suddenly someone slammed the table.
Koi and the team member next to him, who were under the table, were startled by the vibration and froze.
What, what is it?
Confused, Koi poked his head out from under the table again. Ashley was standing up and looking at him with a fierce expression.