Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 47

“That’s impossible!”

Ashley flinched at Koi’s immediate and stern outburst. He was secretly agitated because he hadn’t expected such a strong rebuttal.

“…Why?”

His voice, which emerged after a pause, was different from usual, but Koi didn’t notice at all and shook his head repeatedly.

“It can’t be. I mean, that friend is a guy. My friend is a guy too. They’re both guys, so how can they like each other?”

Koi, who had given a reasonably logical and textbook answer, fell silent. He thought Ashley would agree with him now, but he was wrong. Ashley opened his mouth.

“It must be that the person they happened to like is a guy.”

“Uh…”

At the completely unexpected answer, Koi was speechless. He cautiously checked Ashley’s expression, but there was no hint of a joke. Rather, seeing his extremely serious face, Koi fell into confusion.

I didn’t expect Ashley to react like this. What should I do? What should I say? Should I say Ashley’s right? No, but that’s not it. There must be something, something, something.

Koi fidgeted and hurriedly blurted out,

“They’re not an Omega or an Alpha. We, no, they’re both Betas.”

Koi, who had hurriedly corrected himself, watched nervously. He didn’t find out, did he?

Ashley just looked down at him silently. There was no hint of disgust or surprise. As Koi secretly felt anxious, Ashley opened his mouth.

“Why is that a problem?”

“What?”

At the unexpected words, Koi stammered, his mouth agape.

“No, they’re both Betas, you know. If one was an Omega or an Alpha, maybe, but they’re Betas, it’s weird.”

“So why is it weird?”

Ashley continued to press. Koi was fumbling, speechless, when Ashley continued.

“What’s the reason it’s okay if they’re an Omega or an Alpha, but not if they’re a Beta? Because Omegas and Alphas can have children? So you can only like someone if you can reproduce? What’s so great about those pheromones anyway, going crazy over them and having relations is just instinct. Is that really genuinely liking that person? Sleeping with anyone during rut, and that’s natural and okay, but liking someone of the same gender is weird if you’re not an Alpha or Omega?”

No.

Koi, lost in Ashley’s words, could only think of one thing. This is impossible. It can’t be.

Ashley suddenly took a step forward. As the surprised Koi quickly retreated, Ashley stopped in his tracks and opened his mouth.

“Koi.”

He continued.

“I don’t think that’s strange at all.”

Ashley was looking at Koi with a more serious expression than ever before. There was even a hint of desperation in his eyes, even though there was no reason for it.

“Gender is not important. Liking someone happens very naturally…”

“W-we’ll be late for class.”

Ashley tried to persuade Koi again in a serious tone, but Koi urgently cut him off.

“Koi!”

Ashley called him, but Koi didn’t stop. He immediately turned around and ran towards the classroom building, constantly thinking the same thing.

No, not these feelings.

Ashley was just being kind because he thought it was someone else’s problem. He wouldn’t imagine it was about himself.

Besides, think about it, how could someone like me like Ashley Miller?

Omega or Beta, the issue of secondary gender comes after that. The biggest problem is that he is Connor Niles. So this time, Ashley was wrong. Koi absolutely does not like Ashley with such feelings. He just admires him, looks up to him. That was all. It could never be more than that.

Never, ever.

*

Ashley watched Koi’s retreating figure running with all his might. Koi might be running, breathless, but he could catch up in just a few steps.

But instead of grabbing Koi, Ashley slowly moved his feet. Considering Koi’s reaction just now, he had to rethink things.

I didn’t expect such a strong denial.

Ashley reflected that he had underestimated Koi too much. Since Koi always smiled and said he liked him, Ashley had expected him to readily admit his feelings once he realized them, but he was completely off the mark.

A deep crease formed between Ashley’s brows as he recalled Koi’s face, which had instantly turned pale. For some reason, Koi’s wall was higher and more solid than he had thought. To make him acknowledge his feelings, Ashley needed much more careful consideration.

A passing student greeted Ashley, but he ignored them and walked past. Only one thought was in his mind right now.

I need to change my approach.

*

Haaah.

Sitting alone in the cafeteria doing his homework, Koi unconsciously let out a long sigh. His head ached from being tense all day. Fortunately, Ashley’s attitude was normal afterward. Koi, who had been nervous that Ashley might bring up the conversation he had abruptly cut off earlier, was exhausted by the time the last class ended.

But that wasn’t the end of it. Skate practice remained. While Ashley trained, Koi usually waited in the cafeteria and did his homework, but today he couldn’t concentrate at all.

Finally, startled by the alarm he had set, he quickly packed his bag and went outside, hurriedly finding his bicycle and getting on it. He had planned to wait where Ashley had parked his car, but on the way, he encountered an unexpected face.

“Oh, Koi.”

Bill, who had come out after evening practice, greeted him first. It wasn’t just Bill. Everyone, including the main players of the ice hockey team, was pouring out. It seemed practice had ended a bit early today. Koi stopped, looking for Ashley with his eyes, when Bill and his group approached and spoke.

“What are you doing here at this hour? Homework?”

“Huh? Uh, uh.”

It wasn’t wrong, so he nodded in a daze. Another guy immediately chimed in.

“Did you do Mr. Martinez’s homework? Dude, isn’t it too much?”

“That teacher always gives a lot. He must think we only do his homework.”

“Isn’t this something we should report to the human rights committee?”

He just watched them chatter among themselves, unable to interject, when suddenly the face he was waiting for appeared in his sight.

“Ash.”

Bill, who had turned around following Koi’s gaze that had unconsciously softened into a goofy smile, said, “Oh!”

“Why are you so late today? What were you doing before you came out?”

Ashley, who playfully hit Bill’s head (not hard) as if knowing what he was imagining, asked,

“What are you guys doing here? All gathered and not leaving?”

Come to think of it, all the other guys had disappeared. Koi was startled to realize that only the main players of the team, who always hung out together, were left. It must have been quite a while already.

Another guy instead of Bill said to Ashley,

“We saw Koi leaving when we came out, so we were talking to him.”

“Koi stayed until now to do his homework. Isn’t that amazing?”

It was when he smiled awkwardly, listening to the noisy, innocent chatter. Bill suddenly spoke to Koi.

“Koi, you’re coming too, right? To Ash’s party.”

“Uh…”

As Koi blinked at the sudden mention, Bill smiled playfully with his freckled face, as if it was obvious that Koi would be among them. Happy with that smile, Koi was about to open his mouth to answer when Ashley cut in before he could say anything.

“Koi can’t come, he always works part-time on weekends. Right?”

“Uh…”

Koi was speechless for a moment. Ashley was right. Instead of practicing skating during the week, he had to work at the store all day, from morning to evening, on weekends.

Everyone’s gaze focused on him. At their expectant looks, Koi hesitated and then nodded.

“U-uh… yeah, I can’t.”

“See? Let’s go then. Bye, Koi. See ya.”

No sooner had Koi finished speaking than Ashley said goodbye. Again, before Koi could react, he turned and walked away. The other guys also said their goodbyes and turned around.

“Bye, Koi.”

“Have a good weekend.”

“See ya!”

To the various goodbyes that flew his way, Koi just stood there blankly, only answering with “Uh, yeah, okay.” Ashley and the others left Koi behind, looking at their phones, laughing, and chatting among themselves as they walked away. Left alone, Koi watched them blankly, then suddenly felt a stinging sensation in his nose and quickly took a deep breath.

It’s okay, I was going to say I couldn’t go anyway.

It was a relief that Ashley had refused him in advance. It’s because I was hesitant and didn’t answer clearly. Next time, I’ll speak clearly.

“Hoooh.”

He deliberately took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling audibly. Koi, left all alone, stood there for a while without moving. There was no one around. In the suffocating silence, Koi finally realized.

He left, Ash did too.

He hadn’t even asked about skate practice today. He had stayed until now for that, but of course, he could guess the reason.

He probably didn’t want to be caught spending time alone with me.

Ashley clearly wanted to keep it a secret. It was certain, seeing that the other guys in the group had no idea. Ashley might be kind to Koi, but he would still be embarrassed if others found out he was close to him.

Thank goodness I didn’t say we were going to practice skating at Ash’s house.

His eyes welled up for no reason, and his nose tingled. He pulled his bicycle by the handlebars with both hands and walked with slumped shoulders, sniffing. His eyes quickly became watery.

Koi held the handlebars with one hand and wiped his eyes with the other. It was strange that he was crying over something like this. Why did his heart ache so much?

He just told me not to come to the party.

Koi suddenly realized. Is my heart aching like this because he told me not to come to the party, or because Ash is embarrassed of me? Both were true, but also wrong. He had a clearer reason.

Ash left me.

Alone.

That’s when it happened.

“Koi!”