By Zephyria They walked together for a while, sometimes laughing and talking aimlessly.
Soon the road disappeared from view, and the weeds and trees that grew haphazardly gradually increased. There wasn’t even the sound of insects, let alone people, around them. After walking for some time on the quiet and desolate land where there was no proper road, as if it had been abandoned, Koi finally stopped.
A chilling wind swept through the area. Ashley stopped walking, following Koi, and looked at the Motorhome standing a few steps away.
Koi couldn’t bring himself to look up at his face, and he worked his parched mouth hard, trying to squeeze out saliva to moisten his throat. Trying to act as casual as possible, Koi put on a light tone and opened his mouth.
“The house is a bit small, isn’t it?”
He was anxious that his voice might be trembling. What was Ashley thinking?
Gathering all the courage he had, Koi raised his head. He squeezed the hand that wasn’t holding Ashley’s and looked up at him, and Ashley, who had been silent until then, lowered his gaze.
The sun had already set, and the moon, which had taken its place, shone brightly on them. Koi could see Ashley’s face illuminated by the bright moonlight very clearly. He smiled at Koi. Just like always.
“Then I guess I should say goodbye here.”
“Uh… yeah.”
Unexpectedly, Koi stammered with a blank face at the ordinary reaction. Ashley put the bicycle he had been carrying on his shoulder down on the ground and stood facing Koi.
“I don’t want to say goodbye.”
Koi hesitated before answering him, hearing him say it with a wry smile.
“Me, neither.”
Ashley smiled again and lowered his head. Koi tilted his chin up and closed his eyes without even thinking. Ashley’s arms naturally wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer, and they kissed, holding each other tightly.
Koi felt like his waist was melting at the skill of the tongue that gently caressed the inside of his mouth. He tried his best to follow his movements, and he could feel Ashley’s lips smiling against his. He was embarrassed by his clumsiness and tried to pull back, but Ashley held him even tighter.
“It’s okay, Koi. You’re doing great.”
Ashley kissed the tip of Koi’s nose playfully and smiled. Koi blushed and smiled shyly, confirming that he wasn’t teasing him at all. Seeing that face, Ashley kissed Koi’s lips briefly again before letting him go.
“Go inside, Koi. You need to wash off the Pheromone.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Ashley’s Pheromone must be all over his body. Thinking that he had to wash and do laundry before Father came back, Koi reluctantly turned around first.
“Then, see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah. I’ll pick you up.”
Ashley replied to Koi’s greeting. And he hurriedly leaned his bicycle against the Motorhome and watched Koi’s back as he opened the door. Before closing the door, Koi turned around to look at Ashley first. Ashley had one hand in his pocket and waved the other, smiling. Koi stood there for a moment, hesitating and looking at Ashley.
I don’t want to say goodbye.
Ashley’s heart was the same, so he could see right through him, but he couldn’t keep dragging it out.
“Go in.”
Ashley said again, and only then did Koi reluctantly wave back and close the door of the Motorhome.
…Haa.
Koi, now alone, exhaled the breath he had been holding and relaxed his shoulders. Ashley had brushed it off so casually that he felt foolish for hiding and concealing himself all this time.
Ash isn’t that kind of guy.
How rude of him to think that he might be disappointed or dislike Koi. Thinking that, he even felt sorry for Ashley.
But there was no time to hesitate. Father would be here soon, and he had to wash and finish the laundry before that. Koi quickly turned on the lights and hurriedly moved his body. As he entered the narrow shower room and washed his body, he thought that he hoped tomorrow would come soon. So he could see Ashley again.
*
Ashley stood there and watched the Motorhome for a while even after the door closed. After a while, the interior lights turned on, and a dim light flowed out through the window with a broken corner. Seeing the shadows of the paper cups lined up on the windowsill, Ashley recalled what Koi had said.
That must be the dandelion.
He couldn’t laugh anymore as he imagined Koi carefully watering the paper cups. He couldn’t bring himself to leave, but if his father came back and ran into Ashley, it would be a major disaster. Ashley left first before making things difficult for Koi, and he was lost in thought with a serious expression.
Koi was living in a place like that.
Koi was right. It really made Ashley’s worst imagination look ridiculous. He couldn’t have imagined that people could live in a place like that. He felt like he knew why Koi had been so adamant about hiding it from Ashley.
I didn’t act strange, did I?
He was still anxious that Koi might have seen his agitation. Looking back on Koi’s reaction, it seemed like he had gotten through it well enough. In fact, he had a hard time suppressing the urge to snatch Koi up right there and take him back home. How can you live in a place like this, do you even have a room, how can this small, run-down Motorhome be a home?
There were many things he wanted to say, but he barely held back. Koi, who had been ashamed and tried so hard to hide it, had bravely revealed a part of himself. If Ashley had made a fuss and reacted like that, he would have been hurt.But deep down, he couldn’t bear the thought of Koi, more precious than anything, living so shabbily in such impoverished circumstances. The dilapidated Motorhome, worth less than one of his cars, kept flashing before his eyes. He felt terribly sorry for Koi, but he couldn’t help thinking that Koi’s life was barely better than that of a homeless person.
〈You should have just played with him for a while and then thrown him away.〉
Dominic Miller’s cold voice echoed in his ears. Ashley understood why he despised Koi so much. He must have known about Koi’s living conditions. When Ashley had his Manifestation, his father’s secretary would have met with Koi’s father to resolve the issue, and he would have reported everything back without fail.
That’s why he despised and humiliated Koi so much.
〈I didn’t have you so you could mate with a mongrel.〉
Ashley bit his lip, suppressing his anger. What was so great about money and family? He couldn’t stand the way his father treated Koi like trash just because of that. But what he found even harder to bear was his own powerlessness.
〈There’s nothing more foolish than believing that teenage love will last forever.〉
The secretary was right to mock him as an immature teenager. Look at him now. He couldn’t do anything.
Ashley, sitting in the car bought with his Father’s money, slowly exhaled a simmering sigh.
The ring he had commissioned in the East wasn’t finished yet. It took a long time to customize an item to one’s liking after ordering it. Waiting a year, or even several years, was common. Ashley had asked them to finish it by graduation, but now he had changed his mind.
I absolutely won’t rely on that man’s power for the wedding ring.
If it was unavoidable, he couldn’t help it, but he wanted to get the ring made with his own strength as much as possible. And that was the right thing to do. He couldn’t give Koi a ring bought with the money of the man who called him a “mongrel.” Absolutely not.
What kind of face would Koi make when he received the ring?
Just imagining it made him feel better. A faint smile unconsciously spread across Ashley’s face, and a little confidence began to revive within him.
I can go back.
He gripped the steering wheel, making a firm resolution.
I can be like I used to be.
I’ll make it happen.
*
“Hey, Ashley Miller, you bastard!”
As soon as the guys from the ice hockey team saw Ashley arriving at school with Koi, they went wild.
The burly guys came rushing from all directions, and Ashley staggered backward each time they pounced on him. Koi watched them from a short distance away with a pleased smile.
“What happened? You haven’t contacted us in so long!”
“Did you like the East that much? You damn bastard!”
“Do you know how much we suffered without you? You bastard, you bastard!”
Ashley just laughed and mumbled, as the guys ruffled his hair, slapped his back, and even stomped their feet, making a fuss. But even amidst the chaos, this commotion made him feel at ease.
If he stayed like this, it felt like all the awful memories from the East would disappear. And the same went for his fears about the future.
“We were going to protest to the coach, but you had to be there.”
Bill’s grumbling made the other guys nod in agreement.
“The season just ended without anything happening.”
“How could you not show up for so long? We really thought something had happened to you.”
His friends’ faces were a mixture of curiosity and concern. Ashley decided not to hide it any longer and took a deep breath.
“Something did happen, and that’s why I couldn’t play in the games.”
The guys fell silent in an instant. Ashley looked around at their tense faces and finally opened his mouth.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you until now. I had my Manifestation.”