Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 21

Ashleigh’s car arrived at the school, the examination venue, a full fifteen minutes earlier than the scheduled time. Koi, who had been sitting in the passenger seat, pale-faced and gasping for breath, only came to his senses when Ashleigh snapped his fingers right in front of him.

“We’re here.”

“Oh? Oh, right.”

Koi blinked belatedly and spoke in a rush.

“Th-thank you. You really made it in time…”

He felt a sense of admiration mixed with worry.

“Are you okay? I mean, you know.”

He was cautious, wondering if Ashleigh had overexerted himself because of him. As if seeing through Koi’s thoughts, Ashleigh joked.

“My body? Or the car?”

“Both.”

To Koi, who answered seriously, Ashleigh responded with a nonchalant, “Well.”

“I might get a few tickets.”

“What about your body? You’re still not fully recovered from your cold, are you?”

Ashleigh subtly dodged the hand that tried to touch his forehead and said.

“Just go in for now. I’ll wait here.”

“You’ll wait?”

“Yeah.”

Ashleigh added casually.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll just be killing time.”

“Okay…”

Koi hesitated before getting out of the car. His cell phone was still with Ashleigh.

“Um, will we meet here later?”

“Yeah. See you after it’s over.”

“Okay.”

After hearing Ashleigh’s reply, Koi quickly turned and ran towards the examination hall. Soon after, a horn blared from behind him, and Ashleigh drove off.

…Looks like his fever is rising again.

As soon as he was alone, a sudden wave of fatigue washed over him. The medicine seemed to be wearing off. It had, after all, been over twelve hours since he’d taken the medicine Koi had given him. He drove slowly, looking for a nearby pharmacy. He needed to take some medicine and get some sleep.

Ashleigh, who had thought that far, soon realized. He was still in his pajamas.

“…Haa.”

After a deep sigh, he changed the car’s destination. First, he’d go home and change.

As he drove, more and more tasks piled up. First, a shower, then change clothes, eat something, check if there was any over-the-counter medicine at home…

The more tasks there were, the heavier his body and mind felt. He wished someone were by his side, if only at times like these. They didn’t have to do anything for him. Just being there would be enough.

Suddenly, Koi’s face came to mind, and he quickly shook his head. This was just because the memory of Koi nursing him the day before was still fresh. It had no special meaning. He gripped the steering wheel and vowed to himself.

Never.

I’m screwed.

Koi walked out, his mind blank. He couldn’t even remember what he had seen. Throughout the entire exam, his mind had been filled only with thoughts of Ashleigh.

Is he okay? His cheeks were flushed. Was he still feverish? Come to think of it, his eyes seemed a little unfocused. I should have just told him to go home and rest. I could have walked home after the exam.

Ah, snap out of it. This isn’t the time to be thinking about that. You need to focus. Ashleigh endured his illness to bring you here, what if you mess up the exam? Get it together!

…He’s not still outside, is he?

Get it together, Connor Niles!

What if he collapsed or something?

Connor Niles, take the exam first!

Ashleigh, just go home and rest.

Connor Niles!

All day, his two divided selves fought, tearing at each other’s hair, until the exam was over. Koi walked out, feeling utterly burnt to ashes.

Outside, cars were packed. Parents had come to pick up their children who had finished the exam. According to plan, Koi should have cycled past them and gone home. As always, alone.

But this time was different. Koi walked, looking around at the cars lined up, a mix of anxiety and excitement swirling within him.

Is Ashleigh not here?

Then a feeling of disappointment would creep in.

It’s better for him to rest if he’s not feeling well.

Then a feeling of relief would follow.

It’s okay, you’ve always been alone.

Then a lonely feeling would emerge.

Ash will be waiting for me when I get home, right?

Then a happy feeling would burst forth.

His constantly fluctuating emotions were like a rollercoaster. It was the first time he had felt such a variety of emotions all at once.

But that unfamiliarity was only a small part of it. The moment he spotted the familiar Cayenne among the densely packed cars, Koi’s heart swelled with an indescribable emotion.

Ah.

The gloom of having messed up the exam flew far away. His mind was filled only with thoughts of Ashleigh.

Ash, Ash, Ash.

He repeated his name over and over in his mouth, quickening his steps. His busy pace gradually sped up, soon turning into a run. His heart pounded wildly at the thought of seeing Ashleigh. His fluttering heart made him unable to stop. Even though the distance wasn’t far, he couldn’t bear the impatience.

Panting, Koi finally reached the car, but hesitated for a moment, unable to open the door.

What if it’s a different car?

He fumbled with unnecessary worry, then carefully leaned his face against the car window and froze. He wasn’t wrong. It was indeed Ashleigh’s car. But Ashleigh was sitting in the driver’s seat, head resting against the headrest, fast asleep.

Koi stood there, watching him for a moment. An inexplicable, complex feeling swirled in his heart. Pity, apology, gratitude, and…

…Love.

Huh?

It was when that sudden thought made him pause. Ashleigh stirred as if startled, then opened his eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck tiredly, sighed, and turned his head. That’s when Koi, who had been watching through the car window, met his gaze.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Ashleigh gazed blankly at Koi. He realized what was happening a few seconds later.

“Ah.”

Ashleigh let out an exclamation and reached out to open the passenger door. Koi, now fully awake, quickly got into the car.

“Did you wait long?”

He asked as soon as he got in, and Ashleigh replied, “A little.” He was wearing a comfortable shirt and jeans. Seeing him, Koi smiled and asked.

“Did you go home?”

Ashleigh started the car, preparing to leave, and replied.

“I realized I was wearing pajamas.”

“It’s okay, you still look cool.”

When Koi said it sincerely, Ashleigh burst out laughing.

“You really like me too much, don’t you?”

Koi felt embarrassed but didn’t deny it. In truth, Ashleigh always looked cool, but even in just a simple T-shirt and jeans, he was incredibly handsome. Perhaps because he was sick, his hair, which was usually perfectly slicked back with wax, was now disheveled and fell casually over his forehead, but Koi liked him either way.

“How was the exam? Did you do well?”

Ashleigh asked as he drove onto the road. Koi vaguely mumbled a reply.

“Well, so-so…”

He quickly changed the subject.

“More importantly, how are you feeling? Has your fever gone down?”

“Well, so-so.”

Ashleigh repeated Koi’s words exactly. Koi remembered a time when this had happened before and laughed.

“Why do you keep imitating me?”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

Ashleigh also laughed at Koi’s laughter. His cheeks were still flushed, but he looked better than the day before. That’s a relief, Koi thought.

Before they knew it, the car arrived at the Country. If Koi had come alone, he would have had to cycle among countless cars, wait for a long time, finally call Ashleigh to confirm he was a visitor, and then barely get in. But coming together in Ashleigh’s car, entry was absurdly easy and simple.

Koi gasped in admiration as they sped past the cars lined up next to them and entered the grounds directly through the resident-only gate.

“It’s over so fast?”

“Because I live here.”

Ashleigh said it casually, as if it were obvious, and continued driving.

Not only when they drove around the mountain last time, but even this morning, he was too preoccupied with the exam to properly look around. But now, driving slowly through the grounds in Ashleigh’s car, he saw that each mansion, scattered here and there, was full of unique character and grandeur. The mansions were so large that sometimes, when he saw a slightly smaller one, he even thought it was quite quaint.

But even so, the largest one was still the mansion where Ashleigh lived. To buy such a massive house to live in alone, Koi thought, Ashleigh’s parents must truly dote on him.