By Zephyria “You still haven’t met him?”
Ariel asked, frowning at Koi’s confession when they had lunch together on the weekend. Koi blushed in embarrassment and muttered.
“Uh, no… I’ve been busy.”
“Didn’t you come here to meet Ash? What could be more urgent than that?”
Just then, an employee came with the drinks and meals they had ordered. After the setting was finished and he waited for him to leave, Ariel opened her mouth.
“Tell me honestly, after hearing and seeing things in person, you thought it wouldn’t work out, right? It’s okay, even if you give up. It’s understandable, it’s natural to be disappointed. I’d actually welcome it.”
“No, it’s not that.”
Koi shook his head in confusion.
“Why would I be disappointed if I haven’t even met him? It’s just that I’ve been busy finding a place to live and working…”
“You know that’s an excuse, right?”
Ariel hadn’t changed from before. She still didn’t tolerate running away or making excuses. Koi hesitated and opened his mouth with difficulty.
“To be honest… I don’t have the courage.”
“After coming all the way here?”
“I know.”
Koi gave a bitter smile and fiddled with the french fries on his plate for no reason.
“Now that I think about actually seeing Ash, it’s not easy. Maybe Ash has forgotten me, and even if he remembers me, it would be a nuisance if he was dating someone…”
The last words faded away without confidence.
He knew that he wasn’t married yet. Ashley Miller was the most famous lawyer in the East, and one of the richest men in the United States. Articles were constantly being published and news about him was never-ending. Ashley Miller’s private life was easy to find out. Koi had already checked Ashley’s current appearance, as well as photos of his Father, Dominique Miller.
Dominique Miller had retired several years ago and handed over the company to his son, after which he had been reclusive. Even in the few photos that must have been taken long before that, it was clear that Ashley resembled him. Above all, his platinum blonde hair, almost silver, and purple eyes were especially similar.
But it’s different.
Koi concluded. He admitted that Ashley wouldn’t be the same as before. But he didn’t agree with the saying that he was ‘just like Dominique Miller’s son.’ Even more so with the appearance that everyone called ‘a carbon copy.’ They looked similar at first glance, but in Koi’s eyes, the more he looked at them, the more different they seemed. Above all, how could Ashley resemble Dominique Miller, whose face was as cold and ruthless as a snake? Everyone’s eyes were terrible.
That was because Koi still had a clear image of Ashley’s face smiling at him. That’s why he couldn’t believe his current reputation and didn’t have the courage to see it with his own eyes.
What would happen if he met Ashley again? He had imagined it countless times, but now that it was becoming a reality, he was overcome with fear.
He might not want to see me…
Ariel was silent for a while with a frown at his gaze that was dropping without confidence, and eventually changed the subject. In any case, it was their problem. It wasn’t something for others to interfere with, and she had no intention of doing so. Meddling in other people’s relationships and gossiping about them was something teenagers did. They were adults now, and they had to make all the decisions themselves. The responsibility for the results was also solely theirs.
It would be better if he gave up.
That’s what she was thinking as she bit into her sandwich.
“Oh, Al.”
At the sound of someone calling, she raised her head and saw a familiar-looking woman looking down at her. Al, who had been holding the sandwich, put it down and greeted her happily.
“Julie, hi. Long time no see. How have you been?”
After a light hug, she straightened up again and continued with a smile.
“It’s lucky to meet you like this. I wanted to see you sometime.”
Julie said that and glanced across the table. Ariel, who noticed her glancing at Koi, opened her mouth.
“Julie, this is my high school classmate, Koi.”
“Hello, I’m Julie. Nice to meet you.”
Julie’s face lit up as she readily offered Koi a handshake. Ariel knew this situation well. It was clear to anyone that Julie was interested in Koi. And Ariel didn’t miss the opportunity.
“Do you want to have lunch with us? Do you have company?”
Julie immediately responded to Ariel’s suggestion.
“No, would that be okay? I was about to leave because there were no seats.”
Their eyes turned to Koi at the same time. Of course, Koi had no reason to refuse.
“Thank you.”
As soon as he agreed, Julie pulled out the chair between Ariel and Koi and sat down, smiling. Ariel raised her hand to the employee to ask for a menu book and carefully looked at Koi.
After graduating from high school, Koi suddenly grew more than 10 centimeters. His shoulders had also become quite broad, and his pretty face, which had been good for cross-dressing, had become quite masculine. In fact, no one had expected him to change like this. Perhaps his high school classmates would never recognize Koi now. Not even Ashley.
Well, I didn’t expect Koi to become such a handsome man either.
He was a fully grown man, but Koi still had a boyish charm that even gave him a refreshing feeling. In high school, he had a thin and weak atmosphere, and even a dark atmosphere, but now you can’t even guess that he was like that at all. Koi would be quite popular now. Just like the woman in front of him was showing interest.
It’s just that Koi is too clumsy.
Rather, that point could be his charm. And it was a plus for his youthful image like a boy.
Julie also seemed to like Koi, and the smile never left her face. Ariel drank her drink with satisfaction as she watched Koi being swept away by Julie’s skillful conversation and answering vaguely. She was thinking of slowly finding an opportunity to slip away.
And by the end of the meal, Koi had exchanged contact information with Julie.
* * *
It was on a Friday afternoon that Koi went to a large mansion in the suburbs on the president’s instructions. He barely got out of the traffic jam and drove for a while on the forest road, which was relatively quiet. He had been adapting quite well, even though he was having hectic days. He was going to see a movie with Julie on the weekend. It was the first time he had made an appointment with someone other than Ariel since coming to the East. The fact that the other person wasn’t Ash weighed heavily on one corner of his heart.But it couldn’t be helped. Last week, he finally mustered the courage to visit Ashley. He whipped himself up in front of the fancy building housing the law firm, feeling utterly intimidated, and went inside, but as expected, he was stopped by security. The moment he mentioned wanting to see Ashley Miller, he was kicked out. They treated Koi like a vagrant or a terrorist.
“Too obvious.”
Ariel said firmly after hearing the situation from Koi.
“Now you see? Ashley Miller has become someone you can’t even deliver a simple message to.”
Koi was aware that he had been too naive. But that didn’t mean he could just back down. He needed a different approach than simply showing up and leaving his name. While driving, lost in thought, he arrived at his destination before he knew it.
The lavish mansions lining the road were set far back, creating an eerie silence. Seeing the expensive cars parked in front of the mansion, Koi gathered his equipment from his old truck and headed for the front door.
His job was to inspect a kitchen sink that wasn’t draining properly. The boss had told him that when the original owners bought the house, his company had handled the entire interior design and construction, and they continued to provide maintenance from time to time. In short, they were a regular customer.
Koi cleared his throat and rang the doorbell. Recalling the boss’s warning, “Don’t engage with the client any more than necessary, they’re bad news,” he heard footsteps inside, and the door soon opened.
“Hello…”
Koi, about to offer a canned greeting with a smile, froze in surprise. The man standing before him was wearing pajama bottoms and a dressing gown, as if he had just been rolling around in bed, his hair sticking out in all directions. His bleary eyes and pale complexion made him look like he was ill, but it wasn’t his appearance that shocked Koi.
Even though it had been well over a decade, Koi recognized him instantly. How could he forget? The face of the perpetrator who had turned Koi’s life into hell before Ashley had saved him.
Nelson.
Koi stared at him, his face paling.
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