By Zephyria *
“Thank you for the ride.”
As Koi, who got off at the same place as always, greeted him, Ashley, who was standing face to face, tilted his head to the side.
“I enjoyed the hamburger very much too. It was delicious.”
“Okay.”
Ashley, who repeated the short answer this time as well, lowered his head. Koi waited, wondering if he was looking for something to say, scratching above his eyebrows with his thumb.
“Koi.”
“Yeah.”
As he readily answered, Ashley straightened up and asked.
“Earlier, you were jealous of me and Al, weren’t you?”
At the sudden question, Koi’s mind went blank, let alone giving a proper answer.
“N, no, no, no, no.”Koi desperately offered a belated denial. Ashley frowned at his appearance, shaking his head and repeating the same words as if he were broken. Of course, he had no intention of backing down at all.
“Don’t deny what everyone knows.”
“N-No, I told you it’s not! H-How do you know? How do you know that!”
Ashley made a bombshell declaration to Koi, who was brazenly shouting back at him.
“You’re the one who wrote the post on the bulletin board.”
Silence fell once more. This time, Koi froze completely. He couldn’t shake his head or reach out his hand like before, his eyes wide with shock as he was unable to say anything. After a long while, he finally managed to open his mouth.
“B-B-Bulletin, what b-bulletin?”
Ashley replied coldly as he watched Koi barely stammering out words.
“You said you fell for the ice hockey team captain who takes AP classes and got a perfect score on the college entrance exam. The whole school knows, don’t even think about lying.”
Koi didn’t say anything, but his wildly shaking eyes more than adequately conveyed his feelings. “R-Really, everyone knows…?” he barely managed to say in a trembling voice.
Ashley readily gave an answer to his faint voice.
“Well, everyone knows that the person is me.”
“I-I didn’t write it.”
Ashley’s face twisted in displeasure at Koi’s reaction, shaking his head and denying it again as if he had been waiting for it.
“Koi, do you remember what I said?”
He asked in a quiet voice. He continued, watching Koi still shaking his head.
“I can’t wait much longer.”
Koi’s movements stopped. It was a more calm voice than ever before, but it chilled Koi’s heart more powerfully than any words he had said so far. Ashley continued, meeting Koi’s gaze as he looked up at him silently.
“There will be a Homecoming game soon.”
There wasn’t even a passing car nearby. Ashley’s quiet voice entered Koi’s ears with particular clarity in the heavy silence.
“If we win this game, I’ll come to a conclusion, no matter what your answer is.”
Ashley looked down at Koi, who was unable to move.
“Do you understand, Koi? This is the last time.”
And Ashley glanced at Koi once more before turning around. Koi, who had been helplessly watching him walk back to his car, belatedly called out.
“The Homecoming party…”
Ashley, who had opened the car door, turned back to him at the barely squeezed-out voice. Ashley, frowning and giving a bitter smile, said,
“I don’t care about that anymore.”
Koi could only stare blankly as he got into the car. A moment later, he heard the engine start, and then Ashley’s car left.
Koi disappeared from his sight in an instant. As Ashley drove toward the mansion, he mulled over the words he had spoken. He had no regrets at all. Considering Koi, who was always unable to do either this or that, this would be better. Also, the words “this is the last time” were his true feelings.
Either way, he would do it. He would definitely do it.
*
Koi was staring blankly at the traces of the car that had disappeared without a trace. The road was empty, with no shadows of passing cars. A cold wind blew past, and he belatedly came to his senses and hurriedly turned around to head home. He had to finish showering before Father came.
He didn’t know if Ashley had released Pheromones or not. Even if Father beat him up, Koi would never leave Ashley, but it was better to avoid danger if possible.
Just in case, he opened all the windows and doors of the Motorhome and quickly went into the shower booth. He had to finish everything before Father came. He didn’t forget to wash the clothes he had been wearing. Koi, scrubbing the T-shirt and pants by hand under the shower, washed his hair, lathered his body with soap twice more, put on new clothes, and came outside. Only after hanging the T-shirt and pants on the clothesline outside the Motorhome did he feel relieved. Now all he had to do was lie on the bed and hide before Father came.
After finishing the urgent business and lying down, he was suffocated by the silence that belatedly came. Koi closed his eyes and curled up his whole body. His mind was soon filled with thoughts of Ashley.
Koi realized then. The reason he had rushed home, showered, and done laundry was because he wanted to postpone his current thoughts somehow.
But after finishing everything and having nowhere else to retreat, his mind was immediately occupied by Ashley. He inevitably faced the question he had wanted to avoid.
What on earth did Ash’s words mean?
Koi closed his eyes tightly and recalled the earlier memory. Ashley was more serious than he had ever seen him before. Of course, no one would say such a thing as a joke in that situation. But why did he suddenly say that?
Everyone gets tired.
At the thought that suddenly came to mind, he opened his closed eyes.
Is he saying he won’t like me anymore?
He might be tired of the repeated situation. He had said he liked him several times, but Koi didn’t believe him, and there was no progress in their relationship. Besides, he was Ashley Miller. There were plenty of other people to be with.
I was the one who rejected Ash, saying he was mistaken.
Then, when Ashley woke up from his delusion, it was only natural for him to go back to Ariel. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Koi blankly recalled. The image of the two of them looking so intimate came back to life. Then everything made sense.
If he wins the game, Ash isn’t going to see me anymore.
〈If we win this game, I’ll come to a conclusion, no matter what your answer is.〉
Ash’s last words lingered in his mind.
〈Do you understand, Koi? This is the last time.〉
I see. Koi thought. He’s going to tell me he doesn’t like someone like you anymore.
Thinking that far made his heart ache so much he felt like he was going to die. It was certain. That’s why he said he didn’t care about the Homecoming party. Because he now knew how crazy it was to go with Koi.
Koi swallowed his trembling breath and curled up as much as he could. He knew it would turn out like this. That’s why he didn’t believe Ash when he said he liked him and rejected him. Koi covered his mouth with both hands to prevent his breathing from leaking out and closed his eyes tightly.
Knowing it was a delusion, why did I.
Only then did the truth he had buried slowly raise its head. Koi had no choice but to admit it.
Why did I keep believing that Ash would like me?
The tip of his nose tingled and tears welled up. Koi suppressed his sobs, holding his breath.
At that moment, Ashley, who had finished showering, poured Mango Cola into a cup filled with ice and was lost in thought with a serious face.
Which room would be good to lock Koi up in?
*
“You’ve been so down lately.”
During a break in practice, Ariel suddenly pointed out. Koi was startled and blinked, looking at her.
“M-Me?”
“Yes, you.”
She glared at him and gave him a warning.
“Don’t you know what cheerleading is? How can the players get energized if the person cheering them on is so down? We have to be more energetic than the players. Enough to overwhelm the audience!”
Ariel warned, bringing her finger right up to Koi’s face.
“I’m telling you to do it so hard that your paprika shrivels up and disappears, got it?”
“Y-Yes, I got it.”
After confirming Koi’s answer, she turned around and headed to the vice-captain who was resting. Whew, Koi finally sighed and relaxed.
The practice continued, and the name of the vegetable Ariel called him changed each time, but it was never a long, sturdy vegetable like an eggplant, let alone an asparagus.
Today it’s paprika…
Koi thought, wiping away sweat. It was better than broccoli, at least. The first time she called him broccoli, he was confused about what it meant and even missed a beat. Of course, it didn’t mean anything.
Hoo.
Since that day, Ashley hadn’t come to pick Koi up. All he got was a simple text message: [I can’t pick you up because of practice. Sorry. -Ash]. He used to go to and from school alone on his bicycle as a matter of course, but it had only been a few days, and he had already gotten used to it, so Koi felt so lonely on his way to school.
Of course, Ashley’s thoughts were different. He was secretly planning to let Koi be free for the last time in preparation for a situation where he might have to imprison him, but Koi completely misunderstood.
He must not even want to see me anymore.