By Zephyria “Right?”
Ashley responded immediately. Koi nodded, saying, “Meerkats are pretty big, too.”
Ashley paused at those words. The reaction wasn’t what he’d expected.
“…Not cute?”
Koi answered the question that came after a pause.
“It’s 50 centimeters including the tail.”
This time, Ashley was speechless. *Damn it, you idiot! Meerkats have tails! They have tails!* He resisted the urge to slap his temples with his palm and said as calmly as possible, “If you only count the body, it’s less than half that.”
“I think you have to include the tail, though?”
“Koi.”
Breaking stereotypes wasn’t as easy as he thought. He’d underestimated Koi. He needed a more elaborate plan. Ashley decided to retreat for now and quickly changed the subject.
“Size doesn’t really matter, does it?”
*Say yes, quickly.*
Koi hesitated for some reason at Ashley’s urging. Sensing something was amiss, Ashley frowned and called his name again.
“Koi, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
*Ash noticed.*
Koi was frightened by his unusual reaction and widened his eyes. His heart pounded again.
“Um, well, that is.”
Koi felt his face flush as he confessed with difficulty, “I also, I bought some, but, well, I think I bought the wrong ones.”
“What?”
Ashley asked again. Koi forced himself to speak, braving the embarrassment.
“I, I bought, condoms.”
There was silence on the other end for a while. Unable to bear the awkward silence, Koi quickly continued, “B-but I think I bought the wrong ones. It’s too late to return them.”
Ashley still didn’t say anything. Koi grew a little anxious.
“Ash…?”
He called his name cautiously, and only then did Ashley open his mouth.
“You bought condoms? You?”
His voice was full of laughter. His usual low voice felt somewhat higher. Koi could clearly tell that Ashley was pleased, so he felt embarrassed and relieved, and nodded slightly.
“Y-yeah.”
“Oh, Koi.”
He muttered something. Koi couldn’t understand what he said, but Ashley barely managed to hold back a curse. *Why am I here right now?* If Koi were in front of him, he would hug him and shower him with kisses right away.
“Koi, you buying those… I can take that as a sign, right?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Koi swallowed hard before answering.
“I was, prepared.”
“Haaa…”
This time, an even deeper sigh escaped. Ashley desperately tried to suppress the urge to rush to the airport right away. As he took repeated deep breaths, Koi continued.
“Um, but I only bought one pack. I didn’t know you needed so many…”
Ashley, who had been smiling again, suddenly realized at Koi’s faltering voice.
“You only bought one pack?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Ashley asked Koi, who answered without much thought, in a voice full of laughter, “And you didn’t buy any for yourself?”
“Oh…”
Only then did Koi realize. Now that he thought about it, why didn’t he buy any for himself?
On the other end, Ashley jeered in a very mischievous tone.
“Koi, you’re so lewd.”
“N-no, I mean, I was, well, I was…”
Koi desperately tried to deny it, but his mind was completely jumbled and no words came to mind. But he couldn’t possibly reveal the truth.
*I was only thinking about touching the anaconda, and didn’t think about myself at all.*
Seeing Koi’s reaction, who couldn’t speak and just stuttered, Ashley barely managed to stop himself from laughing out loud again. Imagining Koi shyly picking out condoms for him made his heart burst with affection.
“What did you say when you bought them?”
Koi couldn’t bring himself to say it to Ashley’s question and mumbled.
“Um, just…”
“Tell me, Koi.”
Koi couldn’t resist Ashley’s coaxing. Eventually, Koi answered haltingly. When he got to the part where he mispronounced “condom,” Ashley barely managed to hold it in, but he finally burst out laughing at the part where he made a mistake while choosing the size. Hearing that laughter, Koi’s face turned bright red and he stamped his feet.
“It’s because you keep calling it an anaconda that I messed up!”
Brainwashing was that scary. As he spoke, thinking of Ashley’s, he had unknowingly called it an anaconda. Thinking back to the weight of the silence that followed, he wanted to run away even now. But that wasn’t all. Koi took the opportunity to ask another question.
“Why do you have so many, anyway?”
Buying just one had been so difficult, how had Ashley bought so many and stocked up on them?
Ashley answered Koi’s question with a question.
“Why do you think?”
Koi paused at his voice, still full of laughter, and opened his mouth hesitantly.
“Did you have that many girlfriends…?”
“You idiot.”
Ashley immediately scolded him when he asked so timidly and without confidence.
“I bought them to use with you.”
Koi’s eyes widened and he shouted without realizing it.
“T-that many?”
Ashley chuckled again and said, “Yeah, now do you know how much I want to sleep with you?”
*I bought them every time I wanted to sleep with you.* He didn’t bother saying the last part. If he surprised Koi any more, he might faint. Ashley didn’t want to put his boyfriend in danger. He had other things he wanted to do with Koi.
“Haa.”
Unable to contain the rising heat, Ashley sighed. Running his fingers back through his hair, he murmured in dismay, “If we were outside, I would have told you to try this and that, it’s a shame.”
“Wh-what?”
Koi asked hastily, and Ashley vaguely trailed off, “Who knows.”
“Next time, let’s go shopping together, Koi.”
He answered before Koi could ask any questions.
“It’s important that you like them.”
In fact, it wasn’t easy to find his size among commercially available condoms. But Ashley really wanted to see Koi shyly struggling to choose one from the many condoms.
Koi wondered why he had to like them when Ashley was the one who was going to use them, but there was no time to ask. He could hear voices around Ashley, and he sensed a busy atmosphere. Sure enough, he heard his voice again.
“Well, Koi, I’ll call you again.”
“Ash, Ash, Ash!”
Koi desperately shouted to hold onto the phone that was about to be cut off. Hearing Ashley say “Yeah” on the other end, Koi asked cautiously, “When are you coming…?”
A phone call wasn’t enough. He wanted to see his face so badly. He’d mustered the courage to buy condoms, but they were going to be useless. As if reading Koi’s frustrated heart, Ashley opened his mouth.
“I want to see you too, Koi.”
Ashley sighed and continued, “I don’t know yet. Anyway, I’ll come as soon as possible.”
“Okay…”
He couldn’t insist any further. Koi nodded obediently, trying to hide his disappointment.
“Alright.”
Ashley changed the mood and changed the subject.
“Koi, are you done with all your work?”
“Yeah, almost.”
Koi answered quickly this time, then asked cautiously, “Wh-what are you doing right now?”
Ashley answered as a matter of course.
“Buying presents.”
“Presents?”
*Christmas presents for his family?* Ashley added to Koi’s assumption.
“I have a present for you.”
“Oh…”
Koi stammered at the unexpected answer.
“You’re buying a present for me?”
“Yeah.”
Ashley soothed Koi in a voice tinged with laughter.
“So even if you’re lonely, just bear with it a little longer. Okay?”
He was as sweet as could be, but that made Koi feel even lonelier.
*I don’t need presents, you’re all I need.*
Koi held back the words that were on the tip of his tongue and instead offered a safe greeting.
“Okay, …I’ll wait.”
That was all he could say. Ashley said gently, “Don’t worry, I’ll be there soon.”
And he added just before hanging up, “Don’t cheat on me, or I’ll lock you up.”
“D-don’t…”
He was speechless at the absurd words, but there was no need to respond. Koi looked down at the cell phone that had been cut off with a laugh and dropped his head in emptiness.
*
“Mr. Miller.”
The manager approached Ashley, who was just staring at the phone with the screen turned off, and spoke to him. He had been waiting for the guest who was sitting alone in the VIP room making a phone call to finish, and he said with a smile, “All the items you requested are ready, would you like to see them now?”
At those words, Ashley put down his cell phone and nodded. Then, as if waiting, the employees lined up and brought in velvet boxes full of jewels. The manager, who had arranged the boxes on the table, asked as if to confirm, “You said you wanted to see wedding rings?”
Ashley looked down at the many rings in the boxes with a very serious expression and answered casually, “Yes.”