Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 20

Koi spoke as if to a child, then carefully placed his head on the pillow. In contrast to Ashley’s momentary feeling of regret, Koi did not leave him. As Koi pulled the blanket up to his neck and gently patted his chest over it, Ashley realized his own sense of relief.

“Yes, I’ll stay here.”

Koi said. Only then did Ashley realize he had whispered something to him.

Don’t go.

It was something he had never said to anyone. Not to his girlfriends, not to his friends, not even to the parents who gave birth to him.

Because he thought it was meaningless.

Ashley blinked blankly, looking at Koi. Through his blurry vision, he saw Koi’s smiling face.

…Because everyone would leave even if he held onto them.

Ashley slowly raised his heavy hand and grabbed Koi’s hand, which was gently patting his chest. Unlike his own feverish hand, Koi’s hand was cool. Haa, Ashley sighed in relief and fell asleep. This time, he didn’t wake up once in the middle.

Koi looked at Ashley’s sleeping face, who was breathing evenly, and sighed with relief. When he first found Ashley, he almost called an ambulance. He looked that critical, and Koi even felt a sense of crisis that something big might happen.

I need to stay calm.

Suppressing his fear, Koi calmly assessed the situation as much as possible. When did Ashley start getting sick? It was clear there was no one else in the house. Until now, Koi hadn’t even encountered anyone, let alone felt any presence.

First, let’s do what I can.

He made up his mind and carefully left Ashley’s room. From what he had seen on his way in, there was a snack bar or a simple kitchen on the second floor. All he needed was a pot to boil soup, a plate, and a cup for medicine, so there was no need to go all the way to the dining kitchen.

Koi closed the door behind him and quickly retraced his steps. The kitchen, coincidentally, was on the opposite side.

He walked for a long time again until he reached the kitchen and started boiling the instant soup he had brought. Opening the door again seemed to have woken Ashley up, but at least he had given him medicine, so it was fine. Koi thought, looking down at Ashley’s sleeping face.

First, let’s see how the medicine works.

He had just picked it up at the store, so he was anxious about its effectiveness, but he had done everything he could for now. He wiped Ashley’s sweaty forehead with the napkin he had brought and adjusted his posture.

When Ash wakes up, I’ll reheat the soup…

Koi, who had been thinking that, inadvertently yawned. The fatigue hit him belatedly. Ashley was deeply asleep. Holding Koi’s hand. Koi looked down at it for a moment, then just left it there and lay down on the bed. Sleep instantly enveloped him, and Koi also fell asleep, breathing softly.

Somewhere, birds were chirping. The cool breeze of early morning awakened his mind, and fresh air lingered around him. Ashley frowned for a moment at the sunlight streaming through the window and the cold air, then slowly opened his eyes.

“…”

At first, he was just blank.

Lying down and blinking, Ashley suddenly felt a strange sensation and checked his hand, then widened his eyes. He shifted his gaze to confirm the owner of the hand, which he must have been holding throughout his sleep, and then froze.

Koi.

His empty mind slowly began to work again.

How?

As he gasped for breath and looked at Koi’s face, who was sleeping soundly, memories resurfaced one by one. Koi, who had suddenly visited Ashley, who had boiled four kinds of soup to feed him, had bought a handful of medicine and given it to him with water.

And finally, the promise to stay by his side, holding Ashley’s hand.

Koi kept his promise. He had pulled a chair next to the bed and was sitting there, holding Ashley’s hand and sleeping with his head down. His face, half-buried in the bedsheet, was deeply asleep, looking as if nothing could wake him.

Ashley watched Koi like that for a while without moving.

He could have just left.

He couldn’t believe that Koi was sleeping so uncomfortably, listening to something he had said in a feverish state. He himself would have left long ago.

Why?

Ashley thought.

Why didn’t he leave?

Just as that thought came to mind, a monotonous alarm suddenly blared. Startled, Ashley sat up to identify the source of the sound. After confirming it wasn’t his own cell phone and looking around, he soon realized. It was coming from Koi’s cell phone.

Ashley carefully rummaged through Koi’s clothes, who was still snoring softly, found the cell phone in his jacket pocket, and opened the screen to turn off the alarm. And the moment he saw the schedule on the screen, he snapped to attention.

“Koi, Koi!”

Ashley urgently grabbed Koi’s shoulder and shook him. Until then, Ashley was still holding his hand. He didn’t want to let go, but he had no choice. Ashley, with a great effort, let go of Koi’s hand, and instead grabbed both his shoulders and forcibly pulled him up.

“Koi, wake up! It’s morning!”

“Huh… Uh-huh?”

Koi mumbled, barely opening his eyes. He stared blankly at the face in front of him, then smiled foolishly.

“Ash, are you all better?”

“Snap out of it!”

Ashley shouted urgently.

“It’s the exam, you! The college entrance exam!”

At Ashley’s shout, Koi only blinked his sleepy eyes. It took him a few seconds to react.

“What?”

Koi, who screamed as loudly as Ashley, suddenly jumped up from his seat.

“Wait. Hold on, Koi!”

Ashley, who was about to follow Koi, who was running off, pale-faced, suddenly swayed with dizziness and closed his eyes.

Damn it.

His fever hadn’t gone down yet. Although he was much better than the day before, he still felt his head heavy, and he quickly moved.

“Koi, wait!”

Ashley called out to him, still with a hoarse voice. Koi, who was rushing down the stairs, looked back. Seeing him pale, Ashley leaned against the railing and said.

“I’ll take you to the exam site. Did you pack everything you need? Check that first!”

“Huh? Uh-huh.”

Koi stopped there and rummaged through his bag, which he had haphazardly brought down.

“My, my phone!”

“Here it is.”

Ashley clutched his own phone and Koi’s phone in one hand and went down the stairs.

“I’ll hold onto them.”

“Thanks.”

Koi quickly thanked him, then checked his preparations again. Fortunately, most of them, including his exam ticket, were in his bag. Except for one thing.

“Wait a minute, I’ll give you my calculator.”

Before Koi could scream, Ashley quickly spoke and ran back up the stairs.

“Get in the car first!”

Ashley, who shouted with a hoarse voice, disappeared from view in an instant. Koi watched the direction he had disappeared in, his heart pounding with anxiety, then quickly went down the stairs.

Ashley’s car was still parked exactly where he had seen it the day before. Koi secretly worried that an alarm might go off as he touched the car, but no sound was made.

The passenger door opened easily. When he got in the car, he saw the smart key casually placed on the dashboard.

“Here.”

Ashley, who had already thrown the calculator before sitting in the driver’s seat, started the car.

“Where’s the exam site?”

Koi answered with a trembling voice as Ashley asked, leaving the mansion.

“That’s a relief, it’s close.”

“Yeah.”

The problem was that it was rush hour. If he didn’t get there within the designated time, taking the exam would be impossible. Koi clasped his hands together as if in prayer and squeezed his eyes shut. Please!

“Shouldn’t you be praying to me?”

Ashley suddenly asked. Koi answered with his eyes still closed.

“I’m praying to you and your car. Please get me there on time.”

“What will you do for me and my car if we succeed?”

His voice was still hoarse, but better than the day before. Koi realized that Ashley was continuously trying to ease his tension.

“Just say the word, I’ll do anything I can.”

When he spoke with sincerity, Ashley laughed.

“Didn’t you learn not to say things like that carelessly?”

He was joking, but Koi was serious.

“It’s okay, I can do anything for you.”

Ashley took his eyes off the road and looked at Koi. Koi said again.

“Thank you, really.”

“Say that when we arrive on time.”

Ashley said with a hint of laughter in his voice, then immediately turned the steering wheel and merged into the next lane.