By Zephyria At school, Ashley didn’t cling to Koi or make silly jokes like he used to. He talked to him and ate with him along with the other groups, but Koi felt a different sense of distance than before.
“U-Um.”
It was lunchtime, and they were eating together. Koi plucked up his courage and spoke to Ashley, who was laughing and talking with the other guys. Ashley still looked at him with a smiling face, as if asking what was wrong. The only time of day that Koi could talk to Ashley and spend time with him was lunchtime. He couldn’t meet him on the way to and from school at all, and Ashley didn’t move with Koi during class like he used to.
Taking advantage of the opportunity he had barely caught, Koi barely managed to put the topic he had been racking his brains over all day into words.
“We, we have cheerleading uniforms, you know. We’re getting new ones as a group this time… I had my size measured yesterday.”
“Oh, I see. It’ll look good on you.”
Ashley said that and rejoined the conversation with the other guys. Koi looked at his profile and slowly put a sandwich in his mouth.
You didn’t even look at me…
Ashley pretended to laugh and talk, glancing at Koi’s expression. He looked so dejected as he fiddled with his sandwich, like a puppy in the rain.
Koi is feeling down because of me.
He thought he was really a bad person himself, but he couldn’t help but feel thrilled. He had never imagined that he would have this side of him. It made him angry to think that he had Father’s blood after all, but he couldn’t help but feel his heart race when he saw Koi like that.
His dejected appearance was so pitiful and lovely, but he desperately ignored it. He would have many more days waiting for him in the future. He was determined to pour out all the emotions he had been holding back on Koi after the game.
It’s okay, I’ll make sure to make Koi happy.
From that day on, Koi’s ears didn’t move even once. He wanted to see Koi smiling happily at him and moving his ears like he used to. But this time, he really had to make a decision.
Thinking that, Ashley, who was chiming in on Bill’s silly jokes, was looked at by Koi with a wounded face.
I’m nothing to Ash anymore…
Of course. He would be dating Ariel again, so his relationship with Koi would definitely be a past he wanted to bury.
You knew it would turn out like this and rejected him. Don’t be sad for nothing, you idiot.
Just as his nose was tingling and he sniffled, Bill suddenly spoke to Koi.
“Are you okay, Koi? Do you have a cold?”
“Huh? Oh…”
Koi inadvertently raised his head and looked up at Bill, who was sitting next to him, at the sudden question. He looked genuinely worried, which made Koi feel a little comforted. The guys on the ice hockey team were sometimes ridiculed as gorillas because of their large size, but they were very kind and gentle gorillas. At Bill’s words, the other guys, who had been laughing and talking loudly, widened their eyes and all looked at Koi.
“Are you sick? Where does it hurt?”
“Oh, now that I see it, your face is red.”
“I have a fever reducer. Do you want it?”
“Do you have a fever?”
Koi hurriedly shook his head at the attention pouring in from all directions.
“N-No, I’m really okay. It’s nothing.”
He couldn’t bring himself to look at Ashley and lowered his head.
“I just think I have some rhinitis. I’m okay, thanks for worrying about me.”
“Oh… I’m glad if that’s the case.”
As they were withdrawing their attention one by one, one guy added.
“Tell me if you need anything, I’ll give you medicine.”
“Hey, wouldn’t it be better to just go to the nurse’s office?”Another guy chimed in, asking. Following him, the remaining guys nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“True, there was a nurse’s office.”
“I should’ve gone at least once in my life. I don’t even know where it is.”
“Isn’t it in Building A?”
“Building B, maybe?”
“It’s Building C, I know it.”
“It’s Building D, I saw it.”
“It’s Building C, I’m telling you.”
“It’s Building B.”
Their interest quickly shifted to the location of the nurse’s office. True to their gorilla nickname, it was a simple and innocent progression. And unfortunately, they were all wrong.
It’s in Building F…
Koi almost corrected them, but stopped himself when the right answer never came. They’ll probably never need to go there anyway.
In the meantime, lunch break ended, and everyone got up and headed to their respective classrooms. They never reached a conclusion about the location of the nurse’s office.
After everyone dispersed, Koi followed Ashley from a distance of a few steps. Ashley, who used to walk side-by-side with Koi, matching his pace, or even leaning on him, no longer did such things. Koi would’ve preferred it if Ashley was still riding on his back. Koi felt a hollowness in his chest and walked with his head down.
I need to get used to it.
Koi resolved to himself.
This kind of life will continue from now on. Think of everything that happened until now as a dream. It’s okay, I always lived like this before. I’m just going back to how it was.
…It’s okay.
Before entering the classroom, Ashley glanced back. Koi was following behind with his head bowed. Why is he being so stubborn? Ashley couldn’t understand. He just needs to admit that he likes him, but why can’t he do that? It didn’t make any sense.
Well, whatever.
Ashley readily sat down in his empty seat and put down his bag. There are only a few days left now. Ashley suppressed himself, reasoning.
Soon, I can make Koi mine.
And finally, the day before the Homecoming game was fast approaching.
*
“Buffaloes!”
Everyone shouted together in response to Ariel’s cheer. And after practicing the choreography one more time, the practice finally ended. Today was the day before the game, so the ice hockey team only did light physical training, and instead, the Cheerleading Team used the empty ice rink. Until now, they had been constantly rushed, splitting their time, but today, for once, they were able to focus on training comfortably.
Koi, who had finished the last move and was exhausted, turned around when Ariel called out from behind.
“Koi.”
“Huh?”
When he turned around absentmindedly, she skillfully skated and stopped in front of him.
“You stay behind for a bit. I need to check if the costume fits.”
“Costume? Ah.”
Koi’s face paled as he belatedly realized. But Ariel nonchalantly brushed past him and even gestured for him to come over.
“Oh, just give me the clothes and I’ll try them on at home.”
Koi said as he quickly exited the rink, but Ariel, who was already walking down the hallway, frowned and waved her hand.
“What are you talking about? We need to check it now and get it repaired or exchanged if there’s anything wrong. The game is right around the corner.”
“W-Well, that’s true.”
Before Koi could say anything more, Ariel spoke first.
“Just wait 10 minutes. We’ll change our clothes first and come out, so you can change in our locker room. Call us when you’re done. We’ll come in and take a look.”
“W-Wear clothes in the girls’ locker room?”
Ariel, taken aback by Koi’s loud exclamation, replied as if it were obvious.
“The boys’ locker room is far away. It’s already very late. Let’s change quickly, take a quick look, and finish up, okay? The repair shop said they’d wait for us, but we can’t take too long.”
Having said that, Ariel stood in front of the door and knocked. Then she turned to Koi and said,
“Wait here, don’t move.”
Ariel emphasized again, pointing to the floor with her finger, and went inside. Koi belatedly realized that he had followed her all the way to the girls’ locker room.
“Haa.”
He sighed deeply and leaned against the wall, resigned. Ariel was right. The game was just around the corner. Today was the only day to check the costume. Sigh, he sighed again.
Suddenly, Koi turned his head at the sound of footsteps and froze. The man he had been longing to see was walking down the hallway from the other side.
Ashley Dominique Miller.
Koi held his breath and watched him approach. He hadn’t expected this situation. He had been struggling so hard to have even one more conversation with him, but now this opportunity had suddenly appeared.
What should I do?
Koi tried to calm his racing heart and watched the approaching ice hockey team captain.
With padding attached to various parts of his body in preparation for the final practice before the game, he walked with exaggerated gestures that seemed a bit boastful, befitting his large frame. Of course, Ashley never walked like that normally. On the contrary, he even gave the impression of being agile, unlike his physique, but wearing his uniform for the game made his already large body even more massive.
Koi stuck to the wall, only moving his eyes, and waited for him. He suddenly wondered. If I hold my breath like this, will Ash even know I’m here?
His presence was always less than a speck of dust in the corner. Considering Ashley’s recent behavior, it might be a natural thing.
And that’s what he thought would happen.
Ashley, who had been walking while looking at his phone, suddenly raised his head. Immediately, he made eye contact with Koi, who had been watching him until then. In that instant, Koi’s existence went from a faint speck of dust in the corner to an awkward classmate standing against the wall.
“Oh.”
Ashley tilted his head and gave a faint smile. Smiling when making eye contact with someone was something that came naturally to him. It didn’t have any special meaning. But despite that, Koi’s heart fluttered and his face turned red. Despite Koi’s awkward reaction, Ashley approached with the same smiling face and spoke to him without any change.
“What are you doing here?”
“Uh…”
Koi barely managed to move his parched lips to answer.
“I’m, uh, waiting for someone.”
He realized that he had said something grammatically incorrect afterward. As he blinked in embarrassment, Ashley smiled playfully.
“Who?”
“Uh…”
As he couldn’t continue his sentence, Ashley suddenly leaned in. He whispered in Koi’s ear, who hadn’t even had time to back away.
“Could it be, me?”
His heart literally sank. It had been so long since he had felt Ashley’s breath this close. Hadn’t Ashley been treating Koi like he didn’t even exist for the past few days? No, he was treating him the same as everyone else, but that’s how Koi felt. But suddenly, like this, when they were alone in the hallway, he was doing this.
Koi couldn’t even breathe and closed his eyes tightly. His heart was pounding so hard it hurt.
I like you.
Only one thought filled his head.
I like you, Ash.
“I…”
He was about to open his mouth as if possessed when suddenly the door to the girls’ locker room burst open and Ariel appeared. At the same time, Ashley and Koi turned their gazes to her, and Ariel stopped in her tracks, frowning.
“What are you two doing?”