By Zephyria In contrast to Koi, who spoke garrulously, Ashley said nonchalantly.
“You’re still small.”
“Small!”
Koi widened his eyes and protested.
“I’ve grown so much, more than 10 centimeters…”
Koi’s voice, which had been confidently shouting at Ashley, gradually faded away and eventually disappeared completely. Koi, who had raised his gaze to meet Ashley’s eyes, hesitated and opened his mouth.
“Um… have you gotten taller again?”
“What?”
Ashley, who had frowned and asked back at the small, mumbling voice, soon understood and nodded.
“About 20 centimeters? I don’t know exactly.”
Suddenly, Koi felt like he had become a turtle that could never reach the finish line, no matter how hard he ran. Seeing him up close, the difference between Ashley and himself was even more obvious. He thought he had grown taller, his shoulders had become quite broad, and he had gained muscle, but standing in front of Ashley made him feel endlessly pathetic. That was because Ashley was at least twice his size in height, shoulders, chest size, and even chest circumference.
“…Did you play ice hockey in college, too?”
When Koi asked hesitantly, Ashley replied casually.
“I just warm up sometimes. The states here are different, so you don’t get kicked off the team because of your type. That would be discrimination.”
“…I see.”
He nodded reluctantly, but he had already admitted defeat in his heart. From the beginning, it was wrong of him to think that he could catch up with Ashley. Just when he thought he had taken one step closer, he had moved three steps away. Koi had completely surrendered to a being who had moved three steps away.
“You haven’t done it since you graduated from college, have you?”
“I’m not a professional, so I don’t have enough time to do something like that.”
Koi agreed with this obvious statement as well. Ashley was so busy that he had come all the way to the police station for him at this hour, and he felt sorry again. He was about to apologize and thank him when Ashley spoke first.
“Well, now that we’re done here… shall we part ways?”
Koi’s heart sank at Ashley’s action of deliberately checking the watch on his wrist. He was right. It was already late at night, and dawn would be breaking soon. It was a very rational decision to part ways now and make another appointment.
But his emotions weren’t in a state to follow reason right now. It was an absurd reunion, but he couldn’t miss this opportunity. Koi was already realizing how difficult a person he had become to meet. If he let Ashley go now, he didn’t know when he would be able to meet him again, or if he would even have such an opportunity before he died. Because of that, he completely lost his mind the moment he saw Ashley turning away.
“W-wait a minute! Wait a minute, Ash!”
Ashley stopped walking and turned to look at him at the urgent call. He had only taken a few steps, but Ashley was already so far away. It seemed to be telling him the distance between himself and Ashley, and Koi ran to stand in front of him in a frenzy.
“Um, thank you for today… If you don’t mind, would you like to have a meal together?”
He felt like he would go crazy with anxiety if he didn’t make an appointment right now. Even if he went to see him, he wouldn’t meet him, and even if he left a message, it wouldn’t be delivered. With the thought that he had to negotiate with the person in charge right now, Koi looked up at him with a desperate heart.
He might refuse.
All sorts of simulations were running through his head. Ashley might say he didn’t have time with a frown, or he might tell him to tell his secretary, or, in the worst case, he might simply cut him off with a curt “no.” No matter what answer came, Koi had no choice but to beg. There would never be another chance if it wasn’t now. He was prepared to do anything. He had been for a long time.
“…Okay.”
“…Huh?”
Koi blinked blankly at the answer that came back. Ashley, who was looking down at Koi, said again.
“Okay. Where should we go? There probably aren’t many places open right now.”
“N-now?”
Koi was rather flustered by the story that had progressed so quickly. He was thinking of making an appointment somehow, but he didn’t have the intention of doing anything right now. He was determined to make a reservation at a nice restaurant, talk about what had happened in the meantime, and resolve the emotions he had been holding back, but he had never imagined that an opportunity would come so suddenly. Ashley opened his mouth nonchalantly at Koi’s flustered reaction.
“If you’re having trouble…”
“N-no, it’s okay, it’s really okay! I’m, I’m hungry too, so okay, right now, it’s very good!”
Koi shouted urgently. If he missed this opportunity, there might never be another one. He shouted in a hurry and quickly took out his cell phone to search for restaurants nearby. Of course, there were no places open. When he widened the radius and widened it again and barely found one place, Koi opened his mouth happily and then stopped.
“Oh.”
Ashley lowered his gaze at the strange exclamation. He also checked the restaurant that Koi had found. Koi, who had been hesitating, carefully raised his head.
“…There’s a Greenbelt here too.”
He gave an awkward smile, but Ashley’s expression still didn’t change. Koi hurriedly continued.
“You haven’t been there recently, have you? There’s one in the place where I live, so I go there sometimes… It’s still delicious.”
As he looked around for the next word, Ashley suddenly opened his mouth.
“You’re saying we should go to Greenbelt?”
In an instant, Koi was startled and asked.
“How did you know?”
Ashley snorted as if he was dumbfounded by his reaction.
“If that’s not the case, there’s no reason to bring it up.”
Koi’s face flushed, but there was no other choice.
“Um, it’s a bit far, but it’s the only place that’s open… Is it okay?”
Ashley nodded without any particular answer and turned around first. Koi hurriedly followed him and stopped when he saw the Bentayga parked not far away. He thought it might be, but his prediction was correct. When Ashley took out the smart key and pressed the button, Koi inadvertently muttered at the sight of the car responding immediately.
“He drives a van…”
He thought that he would naturally drive a luxury sedan as a successful lawyer. Of course, the Bentayga was also an outrageously expensive car, but a van? He couldn’t have imagined it.
But Ashley opened the driver’s seat door and got into the car as if to show Koi. Koi, who had been staring blankly, also hurriedly got into the passenger seat and fastened his seat belt. Ashley turned on the navigation system, entered the destination, and started the car.Koi sat beside him, feeling a strange mix of unfamiliarity and familiarity. He still couldn’t believe Ashley was driving a van. If this car had been a Cayenne, Koi might have completely misjudged the situation.
He suddenly wondered, if he turned on the music, would that awful song come on again?
Unable to muster the courage, the car quietly drove towards Greenbelt.
* * *
Even though it was well past midnight, the restaurant was quite crowded. Probably because this was the only decent place open nearby at this hour. Koi, lucky enough to snag a vacant window seat, picked up the menu and began to speak.
“I’ll pay, since I got sprung thanks to you.”
He forced a smile, but Ashley didn’t return it. Watching him pore over the cheap, dog-eared menu, Koi felt an absurd sense of alienation.
The old Ashley used to sit here with his friends without a care, devouring cheap food. The current him seemed completely out of place here. Ashley’s tie alone looked more expensive than all the clothes Koi was wearing combined. And it wasn’t just that. His well-groomed nails, elegant, long fingers, and the impeccably tailored suit all seemed to be saying in unison:
This man isn’t the type to eat burgers in a cheap restaurant like this.
“Cheeseburger, double.”
As if ignoring that inner cry, Ashley spoke. Koi, who had been staring blankly at him, quickly snapped back to attention and ordered the same thing. When he added a soda, the drinks arrived before the food. He absentmindedly sucked on his cola through the straw when he suddenly felt Ashley’s gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
Koi asked, puzzled, and Ashley glanced at his cola glass.
“You’re using ice now.”
“Oh? Ah…”
Only then did Koi understand the meaning of his gaze, and he chuckled without thinking.
“I can afford it now.”
Ashley didn’t react immediately. Only after Koi took another sip of his cola did Ashley finally speak.
“…What?”
At that short word, Koi looked up. Ashley was staring at him with a dazed expression, as if he’d been struck on the head.
※ The rights to this work belong to the copyright holder. Copying, reproducing, modifying, or distributing this work may result in criminal penalties and civil liability.
(143)============================================================