Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 148

“Th-The pants are too short, I can’t wear them.”

He quickly made an excuse, but Ashley’s expression didn’t change.

“Then the shirt?”

To the sharp question, Koi hesitated and answered,

“It’s short-sleeved, so…”

He had bought it quite loose when he first got it, so he could still wear it. Of course, it was a bit, no, quite small, but the only nice clothes he had were the ones Ashley had bought him over 10 years ago, so he had no choice. He had been busy saving every penny he could get his hands on whenever he had a little extra.

Thanks to that, he had finally achieved his goal of coming to the East Coast to meet Ashley, but he had no intention of mentioning that. He didn’t want to burden Ashley.

Though I seem to have upset him enough.

“Hah,” a sudden sigh was heard. Koi, startled, looked up and saw Ashley frowning, looking elsewhere.

“I gave them to you, so it’s up to you how you use them.”

Then he chuckled and muttered to himself,

“I really don’t understand why you still have clothes that don’t even fit.”

“But.”

Koi hesitated, then mumbled in a trembling voice,

“How could I throw away something you bought me…?”

Ashley fell silent again. After a long silence, he sighed deeply again and mumbled in a choked voice,

“You really are…”

Ashley stopped what he was about to say again. Koi waited anxiously for his next words, then couldn’t bear it and opened his mouth.

“Ash…”

“Alright, Koi. You can go now.”

Koi hesitated, but Ashley urged him on with a frown.

“Get out quickly. I’m tired.”

“Oh, yes… I’m sorry.”

Koi reluctantly apologized and got out of the car. As soon as he closed the door and took two steps back, the car immediately drove off. Koi stood there for a while, watching the car disappear, and only after it was completely out of sight did he finally trudge home.

I didn’t even have high expectations.

He turned the key and opened the door, a loud creak echoing. The small room in the building’s basement was a converted storage space, with no windows and a strong, musty smell of mold. But Koi didn’t notice it, as he couldn’t smell anyway, and he thought it was fine since he got enough sun while working outside. For the rent he could afford, this was more than enough.

Poverty had followed him his entire life. It was nothing new. He just regretted meeting Ashley again like that.

I wish we could have met properly.

He belatedly realized he hadn’t thought about what “properly” meant. He fell asleep without coming to a conclusion, even after showering and lying in bed.

He woke up long past lunchtime. The sudden ringing of his cell phone woke him, and he rubbed his bleary eyes, answering the phone without much thought.

“Yes, hello…?”

He mumbled with a yawn and slurred pronunciation, and after a pause, a voice came from the other end.

• Koi?

“Uh…”

To Koi, who responded blankly with his consciousness still hazy, the other person spoke again.

• It’s me, Koi. Haven’t you woken up yet?

It took a few more seconds for him to realize who it was. Koi, whose mind belatedly snapped awake, unconsciously tried to spring up from the bed, only to tumble onto the floor. Thud! After a loud noise, Koi hurriedly clutched his cell phone.

“H-Hello.”

• Are you okay? I heard a tremendous noise.

“I-It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Ash, Ash? Is that right?”

Ashley’s frowning face appeared vividly before his eyes, even without seeing it. As he stammered and belatedly confirmed, a voice mixed with laughter came through.

• Isn’t that a bit too quick to confirm?

“U-Uh-huh.”

At the mischievous voice that reminded him of old memories, Koi’s face unconsciously softened. Koi chuckled along, and Ashley continued.

• How’s your body? Are you very tired?

“Oh, no. I’m fine. I slept well. Um, what’s up? Suddenly…”

He hastily shook his head and asked, and Ashley’s voice, still laced with laughter, came from the other end.

• You told me to call.

Of course, he had. But he hadn’t expected him to contact him so quickly. Koi, though happy, answered honestly.

“I thought you were mad at me…”

At that, Ashley didn’t answer readily. Instead, he nonchalantly changed the subject.

• You said the appointment is tomorrow, right? If you’re free today, would you like to have dinner together?

“T-Today?”

Hearing the unexpected offer, Koi’s voice unconsciously rose. Ashley continued in his relaxed tone.

• Yes, I happen to have time, and you also said you’d buy dinner.

Of course, that was true. But Koi had never dared to imagine that Ashley would call him first to make plans, so his mind wasn’t working properly. Ashley, unaware of Koi’s gaping reaction, said from the other end.

• If you don’t really feel like it…

“N-No! Of course not, I was just surprised. Really, I’d love to. I’d love to!”

After pouring out his emotions, Koi collected himself and hastily added,

“Thank you for contacting me so quickly.”

He felt his face flush hot. As he awkwardly expressed his gratitude, Ashley replied with a voice still tinged with laughter.

• You’re welcome. You’re buying dinner, so I’ll choose the place. I know a suitable restaurant.

“Oh, ah, okay.”

The only restaurants Koi knew were cheap ones like Greenbelt or that level. A place that suited Ashley’s standards would surely be incredibly expensive. Koi thought, but then hardened his resolve. He would just take all the cash he had. Would he ever get another chance like this? As he secretly made up his mind, Ashley asked,

• So, should I pick you up at 6? How about that?

“Uh…”

Koi, who was about to say it was fine, paused. The company truck was at Nelson’s mansion, and he usually took the subway or bus. He would need a car to go to the restaurant Ashley recommended. Should he rent one? Could he find a suitable car if he looked right now?

All sorts of thoughts swirled in his mind when Ashley said,

• You’re buying dinner, so I’ll take care of the transportation. Is that okay?

“Ah… yes.”

Koi thought for a moment, then nodded. This much would be fine. They were no longer dating, and sharing responsibilities was perfectly normal between friends. In fact, him borrowing a car to pick Ashley up might be crossing a line. His relationship with Ashley was different from before, so he had to be even more careful. Koi made up his mind and opened his mouth.

“Then I’ll leave it to you. At 6 PM, where we parted yesterday.”

• Good.

Ashley answered readily, then added,

• A light suit will do, so a shirt and tie are fine. Be sure to wear dress shoes.

“Oh, yes.”

Koi briefly glanced at his old sneakers, then nodded. As soon as he hung up, he hurriedly prepared his clothes. The only decent clothes he had were the ones Ashley had bought him a long time ago. Ashley already knew that, so he wouldn’t be surprised. Although cheap, he also had a tie and a pair of dress pants.

He also took out the dress shoes he had put away. He had only worn them a couple of times, so they were still new, but he could see dust on them. He quickly took out a brush, shined his shoes, showered, and changed his clothes. By then, the appointed time had already arrived.

Ashley’s car arrived exactly on time. Koi, who had been standing on the street waiting, quickly got in as soon as the Bentayga stopped and locked the door himself.

“Let’s go, it’s dangerous here.”

Ashley chuckled at Koi’s habitual glance around, then started the car. Only after Ashley’s car left the neighborhood and entered the main road did Koi finally relax his body.

Next time, I should suggest meeting somewhere else.

Every time Koi saw Ashley’s shiny car, he felt uneasy. The thought that they might encounter robbers and Ashley might get shot already filled his chest with guilt. Such a thing must never happen. Koi, who had resolved himself, deliberately spoke brightly to change the mood.

“Thanks for picking me up. Where are we going?”

Ashley spoke briefly, but Koi didn’t understand. To Koi, who just blinked blankly, Ashley spoke again.

“It’s French. M, O, N…”

Koi hastily typed the spelling Ashley called out into his cell phone and soon understood the meaning.

My pleasure.

“Why did he specifically use French?”

“Because it’s a French restaurant.”

Koi was momentarily flustered. He knew nothing about French cuisine. He had once heard about eating snails, so were they going to eat that now?

He quickly searched for the restaurant but couldn’t even find a website. Unlike the anxious Koi, Ashley drove, looking straight ahead without much reaction. The car weaved through the bustling weekend traffic towards its destination.