By Zephyria 〈Ash doesn’t truly love you.〉
Even while running, Ariel’s words echoed in Koi’s head.
〈Why else would he deny it so strongly? Can’t you see why he won’t acknowledge that you’re a dominant Omega? He can’t stand you being above him.〉
〈Ash has always looked down on you.〉
〈Can you call that love?〉
His frantic steps gradually slowed. Standing in the middle of the road, panting, Koi hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and started running again. Finding Ashley comes first. He’d think about it later.
If that’s what Ash wants…
Looking up at the familiar building in the distance, Koi thought.
I can do that for you as much as you want.
He gritted his teeth and ran into the building. The doorman looked at him in surprise, but he ignored him and strode straight across the wide hall to the elevator.
So, just don’t run away from me.
*
“Haa, haa.”
Barely managing to get out of the elevator, Koi staggered, gasping for breath as if he were about to collapse. As he passed through the double doors of the entrance and stepped inside, a heavy silence fell over him. Koi took a deep breath and headed to the second floor. Unlike before, his steps were slow as he walked towards the bedroom, his heart pounding restlessly in his chest.
Opening the bedroom door, he saw the same desolate interior as before. He walked straight across the room to the dressing room. He opened the door to the connecting room, but it was empty as well. So far, it was the same as before.
But this time, he felt something different. Standing still, he focused his senses, and a chill ran down his spine, causing him to shiver slightly.
He’s here.
Koi knew it instinctively. He couldn’t smell it, but his whole body was reacting sensitively. To Ashley’s pheromones.
Hoo, taking another deep breath, he took a step forward. One step, then another, and it became a certainty. Finally, he grabbed the handle of the closet and pulled it open with all his might, and Koi froze on the spot.
Ashley was there. Just as Bernice had said, alone in the closet.
“Ash…”
Koi, who had hesitated, hurriedly called out to him and reached out his hand, when something else caught his eye. The moment he realized what the objects scattered around Ashley were, Koi stopped moving altogether.
The towering man, known as the best lawyer in the East, a heartless and ruthless figure, was surrounded by unsightly dolls and had lost consciousness. Cheap and ugly dolls that didn’t suit a man at the height of wealth and power at all. And the moment he saw the pink elephant doll he was holding so dearly as he slept, Koi burst into tears.
Ellie-phant.
〈I want to give it to you, take it.〉
〈This, it was an elephant?〉
〈Here, this is an anteater.〉
All the dolls he had given him were there. He had thought he had thrown them away. The empty mansion from that day came back to his memory. Back then, he had collapsed and cried, thinking that everything was over and he was alone.
But he was wrong. Koi wasn’t the only one who was alone. And he was the one who had made Ashley like this.
“Ash.”
Koi barely whispered, his voice choked with tears. Slowly bending down, he grabbed Ashley’s shoulder with a trembling hand and opened his mouth, trying hard to hold back his tears.
“Why are you here alone like this…”
Ashley still didn’t open his eyes. Bernice’s words, that Ashley would be here, came to his mind. He didn’t know if he was asleep or unconscious, but one thing was certain. Whenever something like this happened, Ashley would have been left here alone like this.
Quickly wiping away his tears, Koi hurriedly called Bernice. She would know. What to do in this situation.
-Leave him alone.
She answered simply when she picked up the phone.
-He’s just intoxicated by pheromones. He’ll regain consciousness in time.
When would that be? Bernice added to Koi, who was anxious.
-If you have anything you want to ask Junior, ask him. He’ll answer you now.
Koi hung up the phone and looked down at Ashley again. He was still unconscious. Koi hesitated and carefully called his name.
“Ash.”
He cleared his throat and spoke in a louder voice, which had been very low.
“Ash, it’s me. It’s Koi.”
His voice kept trembling, so he had to take a deep breath in the middle.
“Open your eyes.”
Ash, he called again and gently shook his shoulder, and after a few seconds of silence, Ashley miraculously opened his eyes. Koi watched him with bated breath as he slowly blinked his half-raised eyelids.
“…Koi?”
Ashley mumbled in a drunken, languid voice. Koi held back his tears again and hurriedly nodded.
“Yeah, it’s me. Are you conscious?”
He asked hastily, but he didn’t answer for a moment, then mumbled in a low voice.
“Koi came…? Really?”
“Yeah, I’m here. I really came.”
Koi hurriedly grabbed Ashley’s hand and brought it to his cheek. Ashley, who had dropped the doll he was holding, slowly raised his eyes. Their eyes met, and they looked at each other. After looking at Koi for a while, a smile slowly spread across Ashley’s face.
“…Koi, you came.”
Ashley reached out his arms, and Koi immediately bent down and hugged him. Haa, Ashley took a deep breath and mumbled as if he were talking to himself.
“I waited, always.”
“I know, I’m sorry.”
Koi quickly apologized, but Ashley continued in a still dazed voice.
“I had a strange dream… I was waiting at the train station, but you didn’t come. I waited, and waited, and waited…”
Koi’s eyes widened and he froze. Ashley, who was hugging Koi’s waist, closed his eyes and continued to whisper.
“It’s strange, you wouldn’t abandon me. You came like this, right? Now we’re leaving together, right? Just the two of us.”
Ashley asked, but Koi couldn’t answer easily. Feeling something strange in his hesitant reaction, Ashley raised his head.
“Koi?”
The moment he saw his still dazed eyes, Koi realized. Along with what Bernice had said.
Memory impairment.
Ashley was mistaken now. He was waiting for Koi at the train station, and finally the two of them had met. How many times had Ashley gone back to that day 10 years ago? Waiting, waiting, and waiting again.
Waiting only for Koi, who would never come.
“…Yeah, that’s right.”
Koi barely answered.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Ash.”
I’m sorry for coming so late.
I’m sorry for abandoning you.
This was what Bernice had meant. If he experienced this kind of memory confusion every time he was intoxicated by pheromones, it would be the same when he woke up. When he opened his eyes, Ashley might not remember this moment. No, it’s not just this that he doesn’t remember. He’ll lose even more than that. Every time, every moment.
Always going back to that day.
Koi bit his lip and took a deep breath. Cupping Ashley’s cheeks with a trembling hand, he tilted his head and kissed him. Cold lips met. Ashley closed his eyes and hugged Koi’s waist again, burrowing into his arms. Koi hugged his head and gently patted himself.
“Ash, I have something to ask you.”
Ashley would tell him honestly now.
Koi took a breath and spoke with difficulty.
“Why can’t I be an extreme omega?”
He waited anxiously for an answer, but Ashley, who was breathing regularly as if he were asleep with his eyes closed, opened his mouth.
“Because it can’t be.”
“Why?”
Koi asked hastily in a sleepy, subdued voice.
“Ellie said you’re denying it because you want to be above me. Is that not true?”
“What?”
Still in a languid tone, Ashley replied as if he was dumbfounded.
“Koi, I’ve never been above you.”
Then why.
Koi couldn’t help but urge him.
“Tell me honestly, Ash. What are you afraid of?”
He could feel his heart pounding. Ashley said why, as if whispering.
“If you’re an extreme omega, you’re deliberately not releasing your pheromone scent.”