Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 1

The road to school was, as always, packed with cars lined up bumper to bumper. They were the vehicles of parents dropping off their children, trying to make it to class on time.

Koi, as always, pedaled hard, passing the cars waiting at the light, and quickly crossed the street. A car approaching from a distance subtly slowed down upon seeing Koi’s bicycle. Koi moved his legs even faster, entering the school grounds immediately. Students arriving at the same time got out of their cars and greeted each other.

“Sara, over here!”

“Did you watch Eternity yesterday? I seriously cried at that scene. How could it end like that?”

“Dad wants to go camping again. It’s totally lame.”

He parked his bike in the designated area and walked towards his locker, passing by the chattering students all around. The kids gathered in their cliques, gossiping, but no one greeted Koi or spoke to him.

It was such a familiar situation that he opened his locker without much thought and took out his textbooks. As he closed the locker door, holding only the books for his morning classes, a sudden stir erupted. Koi, who had unconsciously turned his head at the sudden excited atmosphere, soon understood. The six main players of the ice hockey team were walking over, chattering loudly.

Naturally, they immediately drew all eyes. The six boys who usually hung out together were not only significantly larger than their peers but also remarkably handsome.

Even among them, Ashley Dominic Miller stood out. Walking confidently in the center, he casually ignored the gazes of his classmates, joking and chatting with his friends. But contrary to his reaction to his surroundings, everyone was staring at him, mesmerized. Of course, Koi was one of them.

He looks even better when he smiles.

Koi held his breath for a moment, watching him. There was no one in school who didn’t know him. No, anyone who liked ice hockey would know him. Koi had always thought his nickname was very childish and cringeworthy. But at this moment, much to his chagrin, he had no choice but to concede.

The Prince on Ice.

Ugh.

Koi almost clutched his throat and pretended to vomit. He didn’t want to admit that he had momentarily agreed with that statement. But with his dazzling silver-blonde hair subtly glowing in the morning sun, and even his slightly furrowed brows, he was ridiculously handsome. His deep-set eyes framed by silver-blue irises, thick, wide lips, and a sharp nose bridge that looked like it had never been broken, down to his chiseled jawline. His clearly defined facial features were so sharp that his face could replace a plaster bust.

And what about that sturdy body? Standing nearly 190 centimeters tall, even in a simple T-shirt and jeans instead of a uniform, his broad shoulders, bulging chest, firm thighs, and well-proportioned backside were perfectly evident.

Of course, he’s the captain of the Buffalo High School ice hockey team, who has never missed a championship.

For Koi, who had only the minimum amount of muscle needed to survive, looking at someone so perfect that even aspiring to be like him felt like a pang of conscience, he could only quietly shrink back.

It was then. Ashley, who happened to turn his head, spotted Koi and then smiled brightly, waving his hand. Koi, who had been subtly trying to move aside, widened his eyes in confusion at the unexpected situation and stared at him.

Huh? Me?

Half-doubting, he cautiously pointed to himself with his index finger, and Ashley smiled even wider, his eyes full of mirth.

Ashley Miller knows me?

In fact, they took most of their AP classes together. Of course, Ashley was usually with his friends, and Koi always sat alone in a corner, displaying a faint presence like dust. But this ice hockey star knew Koi? And he even greeted him first.

Well, we do have a few classes together.

Koi looked at Ashley approaching him, making a plausible guess. It was only a few seconds, but that time felt incredibly long to Koi.

The platinum-blonde ice hockey team captain, smiling brightly as he looked at him, was enough to momentarily captivate him, even though they were both men. Moreover, the fact that the most popular person in school greeted him first made Koi even more excited.

“Hi—”

Just as he was about to raise his hand, staring at him with a dazed expression, someone suddenly swept past Koi, creating a gust of wind. Ashley’s gaze, which had been on Koi, naturally shifted to her.

“Hi, Ash.”

The female student, smiling sweetly and kissing him, was Ashley’s girlfriend, and of course, the captain of the cheerleading team. Seeing the typical sports star and cheerleading captain couple found in any school, Koi realized he had misunderstood.

He was smiling at his girlfriend.

His face instantly flushed with embarrassment. He usually self-deprecatingly thought his presence was worse than dust in a corner, but now he was incredibly grateful for it. If not, everyone would be laughing at him by now.

As he fumbled, unsure what to do with his embarrassment, one of the guys in the group passed Koi and grumbled,

“Move, idiot.”

The guy casually pushed him aside for unintentionally blocking the way. He ended up bumping into the locker, but no one paid any attention to Koi. Naturally, everyone’s attention was focused on the group moving away past Koi. Koi rubbed his bumped arm and lowered his gaze in mortification.

Ashley Miller doesn’t know me.

Of course. To him, Koi was just one of countless ordinary classmates. The more he thought about it, the more awkward he felt, and he scratched his head. As he belatedly tried to lock his locker, someone suddenly smacked him violently on the back of his head from behind.

“Ah!”

He screamed and hunched his shoulders, but that wasn’t all. Another guy swatted the books Koi was holding. Koi quickly tried to catch them, but unfortunately, the books only brushed his fingertips and uselessly tumbled to the floor.

“You loser.”

“Snap out of it, you idiot.” Nelson and his gang burst into laughter and walked away. Koi stared blankly at the books scattered on the floor, sighed, and quickly gathered his belongings. Class was about to start.

He hurried down the hallway and arrived at the classroom to find most of the seats already taken. Ashley and his friends, of course, occupied the seats in the middle of the classroom. The usual group that always hung out together was six, but now there were only three, including Ashley, as the other three seemed to be in different classes. Nevertheless, Koi, glancing at their undiminished presence, headed to his usual corner seat. He didn’t intend to, but their conversation naturally drifted into his ears.

“So what happens? Can they put someone new in now?”

“I don’t think they’ll change the choreography. I heard they’re looking for someone decent.”

“Haven’t you heard anything, Ash?”

At his friend’s question, Ashley shrugged and replied,

“They asked me too, but is it easy to find a member who can suddenly join the cheerleading squad and play the season together? It’s better to change the choreography.”

“But Ariel doesn’t want to?”

“She says that choreography is absolutely necessary.”

“How great can that choreography be?”

At another friend’s question, Ashley answered indifferently.

“I don’t know either. Anyway, if the situation doesn’t work out, Ariel will give up too.”

Having said that, he turned his head and looked towards Koi. Koi, who happened to be passing them, also reacted momentarily, but it was the same this time. It seemed Ashley had just turned his head and their eyes met, as he gave a practiced smile and then turned his head away again.

Of course.

Feeling a subtle disappointment, he walked to his corner seat while Ashley and the others continued to chatter about trivial things. Koi prepared for class, letting their endless talk about the previous day’s game results or arguments with siblings at home flow in one ear and out the other.

The teacher entered the classroom shortly after. The classroom fell silent, and she calmly began the lesson as usual. It was a morning no different from any other.