LMI 68

“Ash!”

“Ash, you!”

As soon as Ashley appeared, all hell broke loose. Koi watched from a few steps away as the ice hockey team swarmed Ashley.

“What happened? Another cold?”

“Can you really get sick this often? What are you doing with all those muscles?”

“Wow, you look fine for someone who’s been resting for a few days? You didn’t just skip out because you didn’t want to come, did you?”

“No, you idiot.”

Ashley laughed and lightly tapped the chin of the last guy who spoke. The guy pretended to fly away with an “ugh” before returning to his spot, and the group chattered noisily. Watching them, Koi felt a strange feeling.

Is that what friendship is?

He had eaten with them and hung out occasionally, but it was only for a short time. It was nothing compared to the time they spent together, and it would continue to be that way. After all, their relationship had been built up thickly before Koi came along.

I’m a little… envious.

Just as he was feeling a sense of loneliness at the weight of a friendship he could never have, Ashley turned around and held out his hand to Koi.

“Come here, Koi.”

Huh?

All eyes focused on Koi at once. Koi, who had been standing awkwardly, looked around in confusion before looking back at Ashley. Ashley smiled and beckoned him over with a flick of his finger.

“Ah… okay.”

Koi nodded dazedly and quickly approached him. Ashley naturally put his arm around Koi’s shoulders and pulled him close, then leaned his face against his head, looking at his friends. His weight was all on him, and he staggered for a moment, but Ashley’s arm around his shoulder caught him and he quickly regained his balance.

The silly jokes continued. Koi still didn’t say anything among them, but he was no longer an outsider. Koi was now listening to Bill’s jokes with a flushed face.

*

“You didn’t reject me because you like Bill, did you?”

Koi shook his head in horror at Ashley’s question as soon as they were alone.

“What… no, absolutely not.”

Koi shook his head so violently that he nearly gave himself whiplash, and he waved his hands frantically before finally stopping, dizzy and out of breath. Ashley stood with his arms crossed, looking down at him with a displeased expression before finally uncrossing his arms.

“If not, then it’s fine.”

“Absolutely not.”

Koi emphasized once more before turning his head. The one I like is you.

I can’t say it though…

Ashley rested his chin on Koi’s head, who had become dejected, and draped his arms over his shoulders.

“I-It’s heavy!”

“I like it.”

Koi struggled, trying to grab Ashley’s arms and pull them off, but they were too heavy to lift one in each hand. His arms were so thick, and the weight was considerable. Koi changed tactics and tried to lift one of Ashley’s arms off with both hands, but eventually gave up, exhausted.

“Eek, eek.”

Ashley pressed down on Koi, who was staggering forward, almost knocking him over, and moved slowly. Just then, a classmate who took the same class greeted him, and Ashley, leaning on Koi, raised one hand and waved lightly. Even as he did so, Koi was groaning and walking desperately. He had carried quite a few heavy loads while working part-time, but this was heavier than anything he had ever carried. Of course. This was almost 100 kilograms of person.

But even though it was definitely very, very hard, his heart was slowly becoming more at ease.

We’re back to how we used to be, aren’t we…?

It felt like they had gone back to the time before Ashley confessed to him, before Koi had feelings for him that were more than friendship. Ashley was just as unreserved as ever, and Koi had forgotten the awkward atmosphere. It seemed possible. If they continued to live like this, as they used to, it would pass as if nothing had happened.

“A-Ash.”

Koi spoke first. He was out of breath from the effort. Ashley replied from above.

“Yeah, what is it?”

Koi asked, groaning.

“The ice hockey team, what happened? Are you still, doing it?”

“Um… I don’t know.”

Ash paused as if trying to recall, then replied,

“I still don’t know. The teachers know, and I’ve talked to the coach, but I guess they need time to think. Even if I play, it doesn’t violate any rules…”

Each time Ashley spoke, his chin tapped and bumped against the top of Koi’s head. Koi endured it and listened to him. Ashley continued to speak in a nonchalant tone.

“It hasn’t been long since I manifested, so I don’t know anything about rut cycles or anything, so it’s hard to make a decision right now. But I think they’ll give me an answer within a week?”

“I see.”Koi said, panting. Was it still a secret from the others? Judging from the conversation they’d had earlier, everyone seemed to think Ashley had just caught another cold. Maybe they’d announce it after deciding on Ashley’s future, or maybe they’d keep it a secret until graduation. Either way, whether or not someone manifested didn’t have to be made public, and it was an individual’s choice whether to reveal it or not. Even if he played in the games, he’d only be a risk factor for their team, not a big influence on the opponents. All that was left was the coach’s decision.

Anyway, the team would be in just as much danger without Ash…

As he thought that, a memory he’d forgotten suddenly surfaced. If he’d manifested, he’d naturally emit a pheromone scent, but the others didn’t seem to notice anything.

What’s going on?

Koi couldn’t smell, so he had no idea if Ashley was emitting a pheromone scent. But the others would smell it and surely react, so had he taken a suppressant? Ashley readily answered Koi’s question.

“I can control it to some extent. It’s not perfect, but I brought a Suppressant just in case.”

“I see…”

Koi dragged Ashley along, shuffling his feet, and carefully broached the subject.

“Hey, Ash.”

“Yeah?”

Ashley responded immediately. Koi checked that there was no one around before continuing.

“Um, I didn’t know yesterday… but I guess I smelled like Pheromones. Was that your scent?”

“Well…”

Ashley hesitated before answering.

“Yeah.”

He didn’t really want to say it, but he had to. Ashley reluctantly detached himself from Koi, who he’d been clinging to, and instead walked beside him. Ashley frankly confessed to Koi, who was dazed by the sudden loss of Sarah’s weight.

“It can’t be helped while we’re at school, but I have to release Pheromones when I get back to the mansion. Pheromones are bad for the brain if they build up.”

“Yeah, I see.”

The day before, Koi had tried to gain as much knowledge about extreme Alphas as possible online, but it still wasn’t enough.

“Hey, you Manifested as an extreme Alpha, right? Your Father’s secretary told our Father that. Saying it was lucky I didn’t become an Omega because of it.”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

Ashley answered with a little distance, unlike before. Koi, who had been about to look up at his face, suddenly noticed something was off. He soon realized the difference.

“Your eyes.”

“Huh?”

Koi stared into his eyes and asked.

“Um, your eye color looks a little different, is it because you Manifested as an extreme Alpha?”

He remembered reading that the eye color of extreme Alphas turned purple, and when he asked, Ashley readily replied.

“Well, yeah, for now. I’m wearing colored contacts right now.”

“Ah…”

So that’s why they were that color. Koi, who had readily accepted it, frowned.

“Didn’t your friends think it was weird?”

Seeing his worried expression, Ashley chuckled.

“No one cares about someone else’s eye color anyway.”

Ashley then added in a light tone.

“Do you remember my eye color before I Manifested?”

He naturally assumed he wouldn’t, but Koi replied as if he’d been waiting for the question.

“Of course. How could I forget such a pretty silver-blue!”

“Uh…”

This time, it was Ashley who was flustered. He looked at Koi’s face, but became embarrassed by his unexpectedly serious expression and averted his gaze.

“Most people don’t pay that much attention to other people’s eye color.”

He said it lightly, but Koi thought differently. That can’t be true. That no one remembers Ashley’s pretty eyes? No way!

Ashley doesn’t seem to realize how much the other kids admire him.

Koi thought so and looked up at him earnestly. Would he understand even a little if I told him?

“Why?”

Ashley looked down at him and smiled.

“Am I too handsome?”

“Uh…”

Hearing his jest, Koi accepted that his previous thought was wrong. Ashley Miller knew very well how great he was.