Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 25

September was approaching, but the weather was still hot. The scorching sunlight from the high-flying sun hurt his eyes even early in the morning.

Koi rode his bicycle to school as usual. In the past, he couldn’t help but feel depressed every time summer break ended and he had to go back to school. There was nothing enjoyable about school, and all he did was try his best to avoid Nelson’s gang, moving from class to class alone and lonely amidst everyone’s indifference.

But now, it is different.

“Hi, Koi!”

“Hi, Sarah!”

A student in the same class greeted him first. Koi also greeted her warmly. This would have been unimaginable in the past.

He parked his bicycle in the designated spot and exchanged greetings a few more times while heading to his locker. Koi had changed from before. He was much more confident and natural. Of course, all of this was thanks to Ashleigh.

As he was organizing his locker, he felt a commotion from one side. Koi instinctively turned his head and then broke into a bright smile. Ashleigh was walking over with the other ice hockey team members.

The murmuring students, their fervent gazes towards them, and the relaxed team atmosphere were all the same as before the break. But Koi was different. He no longer avoided them or hid in a corner, dwelling on envy. He simply closed his locker door and looked for the right moment to greet them.

Just then, someone must have made a joke, and a burst of laughter erupted. Ashleigh, who had been laughing along, suddenly turned his head. Then his gaze met Koi’s, and Koi subtly raised a hand and waved. Ashleigh’s eyes narrowed further, and his smile widened. Koi also smiled back, then turned away first.

As he walked towards the building for his first class, he heard footsteps running from behind him a moment later.

“Koi!”

“Whoa!”

Koi let out a yelp when someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder. When he looked up, it was indeed Ashleigh. Ashleigh, with his thick arm wrapped around Koi’s shoulder, vigorously rubbed Koi’s messy hair with his free hand.

“Stop it, I said stop!”

Koi shouted urgently, but Ashleigh only laughed.

“That’s what happens when you leave alone.”

At his light accusation, Koi subtly glanced at him.

“We’ll meet in class anyway, since we have the same one. …Besides, you seemed to be having fun with your friends.”

He wanted to hide his true feelings but unconsciously blurted them out. To the suddenly flustered Koi, Ashleigh made a meaningful “Hmm” sound, then explained casually.

“We were just talking about starting practice again.”

Right, talking about that wouldn’t make for good conversation with me anyway.

It was a shame, but he couldn’t help it. Koi accepted it, but then something else bothered him.

“You’re heavy, let go.”

Ashleigh was still walking with one arm around Koi’s shoulder. When Koi deliberately grumbled, Ashleigh chuckled and replied.

“No.”

At the teasing remark, Koi grunted and tried to pull his arm away, but it was too heavy. That wasn’t the end of it. Ashleigh instead tightened his arm, pulling Koi’s neck closer to him.

“Whoa!”

Ashleigh laughed aloud at the strange yelp Koi let out. Koi glared at him but soon laughed along.

From the start of summer vacation, Koi and Ashleigh had grown rapidly closer. Ashleigh often invited him to his house, and Koi gladly accepted. As Ashleigh had said, the wonderful days were just beginning. They drove together, ate hamburgers in the car, and even went to see the ocean together. These sparkling days were a first for Koi.

Ashleigh, who had been walking beside him, suddenly put his arms around Koi’s shoulders from behind and rested his chin on top of his head.

“Ah, I wish it were vacation again.”

“W-wait, just a second.”

Koi shouted urgently, flustered by the weight pressing down on him from above. But Ashleigh waddled all the way to the classroom, matching Koi’s stumbling steps.

“Oh.”

Just as he finally reached the classroom and thought he was free, Koi let out a short exclamation and froze.

“What’s wrong?”

Ashleigh asked, still resting his chin on top of Koi’s head. Koi didn’t answer immediately, hesitating for a moment.

“There are no seats.”

At Koi’s murmur, Ashleigh finally moved away. Ashleigh looked around the classroom once and said.

“There they are.”

He pointed to exactly two empty seats. Not the corner seat Koi always sat in, but seats placed one behind the other right in the center.

Ashleigh looked down at him with a puzzled expression. As if asking what the problem was. Of course, Ashleigh wouldn’t understand. It would be ridiculous to explain it to him. Instead, he raised his hand and pointed to the empty seats.

“You sit there.”

“Where?”

“The back seat.”

Koi said.

“If I sit in the back, I won’t be able to see.”

Thinking back to the time he had been tricked by sitting in the opposite way, he absolutely couldn’t compromise on this. He absolutely refused to have his view blocked by Ashleigh’s massive back again. Even though he had messed up the college entrance exam, managing his internal grades was also important.

Ashleigh, who couldn’t possibly know Koi’s thoughts, tilted his head, then moved and sat in the back seat Koi had pointed to. Only after he had settled did Koi step forward and confidently sit in the front seat. Soon, class began, and Koi straightened his posture.

He was listening intently to the class when Ashleigh suddenly spoke from behind him.

“Koi.”

“Huh?”

He kept his gaze fixed on the front, leaned back as far as he could, and tilted his ear, and Ashleigh spoke in a low voice.

“I can see just fine.”

Koi was dumbfounded and turned around. When their eyes met, Ashleigh grinned. For the first time, Koi wanted to punch that handsome but annoying face.

“Imagine someone as built as you blocking the front, you wouldn’t be able to see.”

When he whispered softly, Ashleigh smiled broadly and said.

“Good thing I’m not tiny.”

“You!”

“Connor Niles, what was my question just now?”

The teacher suddenly asked loudly. Koi, flustered, blinked and stammered.

“Y-yes?”

The teacher then looked at him with a stern face. Koi, at a loss, sweated profusely.

“Um, that, well, you see.”

Seeing his fumbling, the teacher sternly warned him.

“You need to focus in class. Now, everyone look here.”

The teacher once again drew the students’ attention and continued the class. Koi, his face bright red, quickly paid attention. Then he heard snickering from behind him. It was Ashleigh’s laughter.

Ash, you!

Koi immediately turned back, but Ashleigh, completely unfazed by his glare, slyly pointed to the front.

“You need to focus in class, Koi.”

He was annoyed, but there was nothing he could do. Before he got another warning, Koi straightened his posture. Laughter was heard again from behind him.

“Seriously, Ash, you!”

As soon as class ended, Koi pounced on him. He pounded Ashleigh’s chest demonstratively, but Ashleigh only laughed. As if such a soft punch didn’t even tickle. He found him endlessly annoying, but Koi could never truly get the better of Ashleigh anyway.

As Koi turned away with a puffed-up face, Ashleigh soon followed him.

“Koi!”

He heard the call from behind but ignored it and kept walking. Then Ashleigh caught up to him and walked alongside him, asking.

“Are you going to the homecoming party?”

“No, I don’t like those things.”

I don’t have a girlfriend, or money.

Koi subtly asked.

“You’re going, aren’t you?”

Ashleigh had a girlfriend, money, and was the king of the school, so of course he would go. He had probably attended the annual homecoming parties every year before. To Koi’s question, Ashleigh responded unexpectedly nonchalantly.

“Hmm, I don’t know.”

“Haven’t you always gone?”

“I have.”

Ashleigh roughly ruffled the back of his hair.

“Well, I probably will. Since Al will be going.”

“Oh, I see…”

It’s natural for his girlfriend to be his top priority. Koi convinced himself. He nodded, then Ashleigh, who had been walking beside him, suddenly put his chin on top of Koi’s head again from behind.

“Stop it, I said stop!”

Koi struggled with all his might, but Ashleigh put both arms over his shoulders, making him completely immobile.

“Ah, this is comfortable.”

“You!”

It was when Koi shouted again.

“Ash!”

Suddenly, someone called him. Ashleigh, and Koi too, stopped walking. Ashleigh said from above his head.

“Al.”