Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 143

In contrast to Koi’s talkative demeanor, Ashley spoke indifferently.

“Still small.”

“Small?!”

Koi’s eyes widened in protest.

“How much I’ve grown, more than 10 centimeters…”

Koi’s voice, which had confidently shouted at Ashley, gradually faded and eventually disappeared completely. Koi, who had strained his eyes to meet Ashley’s gaze, hesitated and then spoke.

“Um… did you grow taller again?”

“What?”

Ashley, who had frowned and asked back at the faint mumble, soon understood and nodded.

“About 20 centimeters? I’m not sure exactly.”

Suddenly, Koi felt like a turtle endlessly running but never reaching the finish line. Up close, the difference between Ashley and himself was even more pronounced. He thought he had grown taller, his shoulders had broadened considerably, and he had gained muscle, but standing next to Ashley, he felt utterly insignificant. And no wonder, as Ashley’s height, shoulders, chest size, and even his chest circumference were easily twice his own.

“…Did you continue playing ice hockey in college?”

Koi asked hesitantly, and Ashley replied nonchalantly.

“Sometimes, just to warm up. The states are different here, so you don’t get excluded from teams because of your type. That’s discrimination too.”

“…I see.”

He nodded reluctantly, but in his heart, he had already admitted defeat. It was wrong to think he could ever catch up to Ashley in the first place. Koi completely surrendered to a being who seemed to move three steps further away just when he thought he had taken one step closer.

“You didn’t do it after graduating college, right?”

“I’m not a pro, I don’t have that much free time to do things like that.”

It was an obvious statement, and Koi agreed again. It made him feel sorry again that Ashley, who was so busy, had come all the way to the police station for him at this hour. He was about to apologize and express his gratitude, but Ashley spoke first.

“Well, then, our business is done… Shall we part ways now?”

Koi’s heart sank at Ashley’s deliberate act of checking his wristwatch as if to make a point. He was right. It was already past midnight, and dawn would soon break. It was a perfectly rational decision to part ways now and make another appointment.

However, his emotions were not in a state to follow reason. It was an absurd reunion, but he couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. Koi already realized how difficult Ashley had become to meet. If he let Ashley go now, it was uncertain when they would meet again, or if such an opportunity would even come before he died. Because of that, the moment he saw Ashley turning away, he completely lost his composure.

“W-wait! Just a moment, Ash!”

At his urgent call, Ashley stopped and turned to him. He had only taken a few steps, but Ashley was already that far away. It felt as if it was indicating the distance between him and Ashley, and Koi, anxious, ran up to him in one breath and stood in front of him.

“Um, today… thank you. If it’s okay, would you like to have a meal together?”

If he didn’t make an appointment right now, he felt like he would go crazy with anxiety. He couldn’t meet him even if he went to find him, and leaving a message wouldn’t even get it delivered. Thinking that he had to settle this directly with the person right now, Koi looked up at him with desperate eagerness.

He might refuse.

All sorts of simulations ran through his mind. Ashley might frown and say he had no time, or tell him to relay the message to his secretary, or, in the worst case, simply cut him off by saying he didn’t want to. Whatever the answer, Koi had no choice but to cling to him. If not now, there would never be another chance. He was prepared to do anything. He had been for a long time.

“…Okay.”

“…Huh?”

Koi blinked blankly at the reply. Ashley looked down at Koi and repeated,

“I said okay. Where should we go? There probably aren’t many places open right now.”

“N-now?”

The conversation progressed so quickly that Koi was flustered. He had intended to make an appointment somehow, but he hadn’t planned to do anything right away. He had been determined to book a nice restaurant, talk about everything that had accumulated, and resolve his long-suppressed emotions, but he never imagined such an unexpected opportunity would arise. At Koi’s flustered reaction, Ashley spoke indifferently.

“If it’s troublesome for you…”

“No, no, it’s fine, really fine! I, I’m hungry too, so, good, right now, very good!”

Koi shouted urgently. If he missed this opportunity, there might never be another. He hastily pulled out his phone and searched for nearby restaurants. Of course, no open places were visible. When he finally found one after expanding the radius again and again, Koi opened his mouth happily, then paused.

“Oh.”

At the strange exclamation, Ashley lowered his gaze. He also checked the restaurant Koi had found. Koi hesitated, then carefully raised his head.

“…There’s a Greenbell here too.”

He smiled awkwardly, but Ashley’s expression remained unchanged. Koi hastily continued.

“You haven’t been there recently, have you? There’s one where I live, and I go sometimes… it’s still delicious.”

He was looking for his next words, trying to gauge Ashley’s reaction, when Ashley suddenly spoke.

“You want to go to Greenbell, right?”

Koi was startled and asked,

“How did you know?”

At his reaction, Ashley let out a small, exasperated laugh.

“Otherwise, there’d be no reason to bring it up.”

Koi’s face flushed, but he had no other choice.

“Well, it’s a bit far, but it’s the only place open here… Is that okay?”

Ashley nodded without much of a reply and turned around first. Koi hastily followed him and paused when he saw a Bentayga parked not far away. He had suspected it, and his guess was correct. As Ashley took out his smart key and pressed the button, the car immediately responded, and Koi unconsciously mumbled,

“He drives a van…”

He had naturally assumed that a successful lawyer would drive a luxury sedan. Of course, the Bentayga was also an incredibly expensive car, but a van? He had never imagined it.

However, Ashley, as if to prove him wrong, opened the driver’s side door and got into the car right in front of Koi. Koi, who had been staring blankly, also hastily got into the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt. Ashley turned on the navigation, set the destination, and started the car.

Sitting next to him, Koi felt a strange mix of unfamiliarity and familiarity. He still couldn’t believe Ashley would be driving a van. If this car had been a Cayenne, Koi might have completely misunderstood.

Suddenly, he wondered. If he played music, would that outrageous song come on again?

Unable to muster the courage, the car quietly drove towards Greenbell.

Even though it was well past midnight, there were quite a few people in the restaurant. It was probably because this was the only restaurant open in the vicinity at this hour. Luckily, Koi found an empty seat by the window, picked up the menu, and spoke.

“I’ll pay, since you got me out.”

He forced a smile, but Ashley didn’t smile back. Looking at him examining the cheap, crumpled menu, Koi felt an absurd sense of incongruity.

The old Ashley used to sit here with his friends, eating cheap food to his heart’s content without a care. His current appearance didn’t suit this place at all. Ashley’s tie alone seemed more expensive than all the clothes Koi was wearing combined. And it wasn’t just that. His well-manicured nails, his elegant, long fingers, and his perfectly increased suit all seemed to proclaim,

This man is not someone who would eat a mere hamburger in a cheap restaurant like this.

“Cheeseburger, double.”

As if ignoring the silent cry in his heart, Ashley spoke. Koi, who had been staring blankly at him, hastily came to his senses and ordered the same menu. When he added a carbonated drink, the beverage came out before the meal. He mindlessly sucked on his cola through a straw when he suddenly felt Ashley’s gaze.

“What’s wrong?”

Koi asked, puzzled, and Ashley glanced at his cola glass and said,

“You put ice in it now.”

“Oh? Ah…”

Only then did Koi understand the meaning of the gaze, and he unconsciously smiled.

“I have that much money now, you see.”

Ashley didn’t react immediately. Only after Koi took another sip of cola did Ashley finally speak.

“…What?”

At the short remark, Koi looked up. Ashley was staring at him with a blank expression, as if he had been struck on the head.