By Zephyria For a moment, he couldn’t say anything. It was only a few seconds of silence, but it gave Koi certainty.
“No, no, that’s not it. It’s a misunderstanding!”
Ashley shouted urgently at Koi’s face, which was quickly distorting as if he was about to cry. He stammered and added hastily.
“You saw it too. I get my Pheromone extracted with a shot.”
“You can’t get a shot like that every time.”
Koi pointed out. He still didn’t seem to trust Ashley, but he had already been living like this for almost a year.
“No, I can.”
Ashley opened his mouth.
“It’s possible to extract it with a shot. It’s just that sex is more convenient, so I extract it that way, and I’ve only been getting shots because of you.”
He told the truth. He didn’t mention the side effects of the shot, but he didn’t lie either. He just didn’t tell the whole story.
“Really, Koi. Don’t you trust me?”
Ashley gave a bitter smile. Koi was silent for a moment at his face, which looked somewhat pathetic, before slowly opening his mouth.
“I trust you.”
Huff, Ashley unknowingly let out a sigh of relief. Koi spoke again.
“I trust you, because you’re my boyfriend.”
“Yeah.”
This time, he showed a genuine smile. Koi’s heart grew heavy at the familiar and refreshing smile.
“Why do you extract it with a shot?”
“What?”
Ashley glanced at him at the returning question. Koi continued in a gloomy voice.
“You said it’s easier to extract it with sex. But why do you extract it with a shot?”
“That’s…”
Ashley had to choose his words carefully so as not to hurt him as much as possible. But Koi already knew the answer. Soon his eyes became moist.
“Can’t I, a Beta, do it?”
He was so flustered that he almost swerved the steering wheel. Ashley gripped the steering wheel tightly, quickly glanced at Koi, and then turned his gaze back to the front. Koi continued to ask.
“Is that it? Can’t you extract Pheromone with me?”
“…That’s.”
Ashley opened his mouth and then closed it again. He had tried so hard not to hurt Koi, but it had ended up like this.
Of course.
Ashley thought. Koi wasn’t stupid, just oblivious. He would have found out eventually. He just hoped that moment would be delayed as much as possible, but it was revealed so quickly.
Ashley barely managed to bite his lip to suppress a groan that he almost let out unconsciously. After exhaling briefly, he barely managed to open his mouth.
“That, it’s not possible.”
He could feel Koi’s gaze fixed on him, even stopping his breath. Ashley continued to avoid him and blurted out quickly.
“It’ll hurt you.”
He didn’t know it then. What it was like to be an extreme Alpha, even though it was his own body.
The scene of them engaging in an orgy in front of his eyes was revived. They did that over and over again, with several people, all night long. He was no different. If he was intoxicated with Pheromone, he could become like that at any time. But they were okay because the other party was an Omega. What if it was a Beta?
He would definitely die.
His heart turned cold when he imagined himself holding a corpse when his heat was over and he regained his senses. If that corpse was Koi’s face.
He would probably go crazy and commit suicide.
It would be better for his brain to melt away from the Pheromone. He didn’t care if his arms rotted all the way. He didn’t mind not being able to hold Koi for the rest of his life. If only they could be together.
…That’s all he wanted.
“Ash.”
Suddenly, Koi’s voice was heard. Koi opened his mouth in a lower voice than usual to Ashley, who had paused.
“I know you love me and want to cherish me. But I don’t want you to cherish me like that.”
His voice was somewhat emotional, but there was no sign of wavering or hesitation. Rather, in a firm tone, Koi declared to Ash.
“I get sad when you’re in pain. Just like you got angry when you saw me getting hit by Father, I get angry when you overwork your body.”
Ashley was somewhat surprised that Koi was conveying his intentions with clear pronunciation without stuttering as usual.
He never knew that Koi, who was always timid and mindful of others, had this side to him. Perhaps Ashley’s expression was different from usual when he glanced at him, because Koi quickly became embarrassed and muttered softly.
“I, I’m your boyfriend too. I want to be a source of strength for you.”
…Ah.
Ashley seemed to realize something at those words. Until now, he had thought that Koi was too small and weak, and that he alone had to protect him. But Koi was also a full-fledged man. It wasn’t just Ashley who wanted to protect the person he loved.
He was also doing his best for Ashley like this. Realizing that, he felt ashamed of himself for thinking that he had to endure it alone, and on the other hand, his heart warmed.
“…Okay.”
A loose smile appeared on Ashley’s lips.
“You’re right.”
“Right?”
Koi’s voice returned to normal as if he was relieved. Koi’s eyes sparkled as he nodded again to confirm.
“Then.”
“Not right now.”
Ashley cut off his hasty suggestion. It hadn’t been long since he had the shot, and his Pheromone levels weren’t bad right now. There was no reason to rush.
Koi, who had heard Ashley’s explanation, lowered his head as if he was quickly discouraged and closed his mouth again. Ashley gave a bitter smile and reached out to stroke his head a few times. As if giving a reward to a good child. But Koi wasn’t a child. He subtly removed Ashley’s hand from his head and said.
“Condoms have an expiration date too.”
“I know.”
“Really?”
I just found out this time…
After being discouraged for a moment at the answer that came back without hesitation, Koi regained his strength and suggested again.
“Let’s use them all.”
His determination was firm. With a stance that he would never back down, Koi added.
“Before they expire.”
Ashley laughed again. With a face full of comfortable laughter, he replied.
“Okay.”
“You have to use them only on me.”
Koi reaffirmed.
“Okay.”
Ashley also nodded emphatically.
“Of course.”
He lowered his hand and took Koi’s hand. When Koi deliberately intertwined his fingers, Ashley also grabbed his hand tightly. The empty, dark road continued endlessly.
It wasn’t even two hours later that a police car came with sirens blaring and pulled them over to the shoulder.
The police dragged Ashley, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, out, roughly laid him on the hood, and handcuffed him behind his back. Koi screamed in fear and tried to stop them, but of course it was no use.
Ashley’s charges were assault and kidnapping.
*
The school was turned upside down. Ashley Miller, who was like an idol in the school, had committed a heinous crime and was arrested, so it was natural that all the students were seething. And it was because of Corner Niles, so everyone was more than shocked. He was an ordinary and insignificant outcast who had no presence in the school.
Everyone whispered as they watched Koi, who had appeared after a few days riding the bicycle Ariel had given him.
He had expected all of this, but he had no choice but to come to school. This was the only way he could meet Ashley.
“Koi!”
He reflexively turned around at the call, and felt a sense of relief and disappointment at the same time when he saw Bill running towards him. Bill, who had quickly approached Koi, who was standing quietly in his place, stopped.
“Are you okay? Um, is everything alright?”
Koi nodded and forced a smile after hesitating for a moment and adding the question.
“I should be the one asking that. …Are you okay?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Bill scratched his head and said.
“Actually, I don’t remember very well. I saw you and Ash together, and when I woke up, I was in the hospital. They said I temporarily lost my mind because of Ash’s Pheromone?”
He joked in a lighter tone than usual, as if on purpose.
“I’ve never smelled Pheromone before, so I didn’t know it was like that… Wow, it was amazing.”
He couldn’t find the words to express himself and continued to speak only with pronouns, tilted his head and asked.
“You seemed fine? I was the only one in the hospital.”
“Oh, yeah. …I was fine.”
Bill casually brushed it off, saying, “Oh, I see,” after Koi vaguely glossed over it. Soon, noticing the gazes around him, he stretched out his arm and put his arm around Koi’s shoulder as usual and said loudly.
“Wow, preparing for college is so hectic, right? When will this end? Huh?”
Bill, who even laughed as if on purpose for others to hear, lowered his voice and whispered.
“I have something to tell you.”
Koi was startled, but soon nodded. And Bill took him to the back of the school, where there were few people, and opened his mouth.
“I heard that Ash is going to leave for the East Coast. Did you know about that?”