By Zephyria He was so surprised that he almost dropped his cell phone. Hearing the voice for the first time in two months, Koi couldn’t control his racing heart and quickly inhaled.
“H-Hello.”
– Yeah.
Barely managing to make a sound, he heard a plain voice from the other end. Still unable to believe it, Koi checked his cell phone again before opening his mouth in a hesitant voice.
“Ash…?”
– Yeah, it’s me.
Even after receiving confirmation, Koi was still dazed. It had been too long, and he couldn’t believe that Ashley was the one calling at this moment.
“But, that’s not your number.”
When Koi pointed out hesitantly, Ashley replied in a nonchalant voice.
– I’m calling from the office. Save this number too.
“O-Oh, okay.”Koi, who was about to save the file without thinking, hurriedly stopped and asked,
“Hey, what’s up? I’m, uh, expecting a call…”
As soon as he said it, he realized he’d made a mistake.
“Ah, no, that’s not it, it’s just, I’m happy to hear from you, really, I’m so glad, but…”
“It’s okay. If the call you’re waiting for is from a lawyer, then I’m the one.”
“Huh?”
Ashley repeated himself when Koi just blinked, not understanding.
“The lawyer you were waiting for is me. Al called, said you were in a lot of trouble.”
“Ah…”
He understood, but his head still wasn’t working properly. Ashley continued, seeing Koi just utter a dazed exclamation.
“What should we do? The sooner the consultation, the better, right?”
“Ah, yeah.”
Koi nodded hastily, then immediately became curious. How much did Ash know about the situation?
“Hey… could you come here? I can’t really go out…”
In truth, Koi should be going to Ashley’s office, but he didn’t even have money for the subway. He barely managed to ask in a shrinking voice, and Ashley answered nonchalantly.
“I’ll head over there now.”
Koi wasn’t relieved by those words; instead, he was startled and shook his head.
“Wait, if you park your car here, it might get stolen.”
“Okay, I’ll take the subway or bus.”
“W-wait a minute.”
Koi stopped him again, muttering,
“That might be dangerous too… what if you get mugged, or shot?”
Just because he was an Alpha didn’t mean he’d be fine after getting shot, he added quietly, and Ashley paused before replying.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself. Just send me the address.”
“Ah, okay.”
Koi nodded hastily.
“Meet me where you dropped me off last time. I’ll come meet you.”
He might get caught up in another crime while searching for the address. Koi quickly added, thinking he needed to minimize the amount of time Ashley spent on the streets. Then, he heard a loud sigh from the other end.
“Koi, I’m not a child. Give me the address, I’ll find it myself.”
“O-okay.”
He felt like Ashley would really get annoyed if he said any more. Koi reluctantly hung up and typed in the address to send in a message. He felt relieved after confirming that Ashley had read it, but he couldn’t waste any more time. Once he came to his senses, reality suddenly hit him.
He hadn’t realized it until now, but his house was literally a mess. It wasn’t just that the space was small; he’d been working non-stop, and he was hungry and exhausted, so he hadn’t been able to clean or do laundry. Seeing the trash and clothes scattered everywhere and the dusty floor, he snapped to attention.
*I can’t let Ash see this place.*
He hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday and was hungry, but he forced himself to get up and move. Ashley would probably want some coffee when he came, but all he had was water.
Koi took out the cleanest cup he could find, washed it again, and wiped it dry. He gathered the clothes that were piling up because he hadn’t been able to go to the laundromat, hid them in the closet, put the trash in a bag and set it aside, and then busily wiped the floor.
He heard quiet footsteps coming down the stairs just as he barely finished cleaning and took a breather. *Could it be?* He tensed up and listened intently, and the footsteps gradually grew closer and stopped in front of his door.
*Gulp.*
Koi swallowed nervously without realizing it and stared at the front door as a thin, high-strung doorbell rang in his ears. Without a second thought, Koi flung the door open.
As expected, Ashley was standing outside the wide-open door. As always, his hair was neatly combed back, and he was wearing an expensive suit and an eye-catching designer coat. In contrast, Koi was wearing a worn and dirty t-shirt and faded jeans that he’d been wearing for days.
Ashley looked surprised for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. Koi thought it was understandable that he’d be taken aback for a moment since the door had suddenly opened, and he spoke with an awkward expression.
“Welcome, you found it okay.”
He stepped back to make space, and Ashley readily stepped inside. The house felt even more cramped with Ashley, who was twice his size, inside. Ashley looked around the house without a word, then fixed his gaze on Koi. Koi endured the awkwardness and tried to act casual as he spoke.
“Long time no see, Ash. How have you been?”
Ashley didn’t answer right away. He seemed to stare intently at Koi’s face, and then finally uttered a single word after a long pause.
“Fine.”
Koi scratched his head at the renewed silence and spoke with difficulty.
“Thanks for coming even though you’re busy. I didn’t know Al would contact you…”
Koi’s voice trailed off. He should have realized it when he said ‘the best lawyer.’ Of course, the most successful lawyer in this city would be Ashley Miller.
But he was also ‘the busiest’ lawyer in the city, and also ‘the most expensive’ lawyer. That’s why he couldn’t even imagine it being Ashley when Ariel told him. But the moment Ashley appeared before him, Koi realized just how obvious their connections were.
*He’s also the most powerful connection.*
“Koi.”
He was trying to calm himself down when Ashley suddenly called his name. He snapped to attention and looked up, meeting Ashley’s gaze, who was still looking at him. Ashley opened his mouth to speak as Koi unconsciously swallowed nervously at the cold gaze directed at him.
“First, I need to confirm something with you. You really want to hire me as your lawyer, right?”
“Uh… yeah, I want to….”
“Just answer yes or no.”
There was no room to say that he couldn’t afford the fees. At Ashley’s relentless demand, Koi hesitated and nodded.
“I’d like you to.”
“Okay.”
Ashley nodded back and asked again.
“Before I take on your case, there’s something you need to promise. You absolutely have to keep it, understand?”
“Uh, yeah. I will.”
*I can’t even pay him, so of course I’ll do whatever he tells me to.* Koi answered with a nervous expression and waited for his words. After confirming Koi’s reaction, Ashley opened his mouth.
“Good. There’s only one thing you need to keep. You have to be honest with me about everything, don’t hide anything, and don’t lie.”
He was surprised that it wasn’t anything more significant than he’d expected. Koi waited, wondering if there was more to it, but Ashley’s request was all. Koi, who soon realized this, promised.
“Of course. I’d never lie to you.”
“Don’t hide anything either.”
“…Okay.”
Koi answered with a slightly flushed face at Ashley’s repeated reminder.
“I won’t.”
Ashley nodded as if that was enough, and then spoke.
“Then I’ll ask the first question, Koi. Don’t forget what you promised.”
“Yeah, I’ll be honest, I won’t lie, and I’ll tell you everything.”
Ashley gave a brief smile as he recited the instructions he had given him, and then finally asked the question.
“When was the last time you ate a meal?”
“Huh?”
Koi’s eyes widened at the unexpected question. But seeing Ashley frown and cross his arms at that reaction, he hurriedly opened his mouth. “Well, I…” Koi hesitated for a moment, then answered with difficulty.
“I had a sandwich last night…”
It was a sandwich, but it was just a thin, cheap patty on a piece of dry bread. As he became aware of his hunger, he was overcome with a desperate feeling of starvation. Koi pressed his hand against his stomach, which was about to make a noise, and avoided his gaze. Ashley said, “I see,” at Koi’s reaction.
“Then let’s go out. I haven’t eaten yet either. Let’s talk while we eat.”
“Huh?”
He was surprised and looked up without realizing it, but Ashley had already turned around and was leaving.
“Oh, right.”
He just stood there blankly, but Ashley suddenly stopped and turned around as if he had remembered something.
“There’s one more thing you need to keep.”
“Ah, yeah. What is it?”
Ashley continued, seeing Koi reflexively stiffen.
“The client must absolutely follow the lawyer’s instructions. Can you do that?”
“O-of course. That’s what you’re supposed to do.”
Ashley waved his hand lightly as if that was enough, after Koi nodded hastily.
“Come on, let’s go eat.”
And then he turned and walked out. Koi, who had been standing there awkwardly until then, belatedly came to his senses and hurriedly ran after him.
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