Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 73

“Huh? What’s going on?”

Koi, bewildered, slowly got up from under the table. Koi wasn’t the only one confused. Everyone had stopped their boisterous chatter and was looking at Ashley. Even Ariel looked up at him, puzzled, and asked,

“What’s wrong?”

The other kids also had question marks all over their faces, waiting for Ashley’s answer. But right now, only one thought was in Ashley’s mind.

I have to get Koi out of here.

“Ah, well, that is…”

Ashley, uncharacteristically stammering, hastily added,

“I suddenly remembered an assignment. I missed a few classes, so I have to make it up with an assignment.”

“…So?”

Bill spread his hands to the side and scanned the surroundings. Everyone was equally unconvinced. Ashley gave an awkward laugh and continued,

“Ah, so I can’t be doing this right now. I have to finish my assignment to maintain my grades. Grades are important for college, right?”

“Uh… yeah… but…”

“Come on, let’s go, Koi.”

Ashley ignored Bill, immediately turned, and blurted out. Everyone’s gaze now shifted to Koi. Koi, still unsure what was happening, blinked and pointed at himself with his finger. Ashley didn’t say much and approached him in three or four long strides, grabbing his arm.

“Ah!”

Ariel belatedly stood up and shouted, seeing him drag Koi out without stopping.

“What are you doing! We have a meeting!”

“You guys can decide on the cheerleading uniform yourselves and just tell us the result later, right, Koi?”

Ashley shouted as he opened the door and left, looking down at Koi and asking. Koi looked up at Ashley, bewildered. If I stay now, Ashley might be embarrassed…

“Ah, yeah. I will.”

Unlike usual, he responded quite tactfully.

“I, I also missed class… so I have to do my assignment. Sorry, Al. I’ll agree to any design. Sorry…”

While speaking, Koi was dragged away by Ashley. Everyone left behind stared at the closed door, blinking with bewildered expressions. But it didn’t end there. Suddenly, Ashley returned, waved several hundred-dollar bills at a staff member, placed them on the counter by the entrance, and left again.

Silence fell over the remaining table. They exchanged glances, unable to comprehend the situation, when one of the ice hockey team members broke the silence with a sigh of relief.

“…Thank goodness. I thought he was just going to leave without paying.”

The other guys nodded in agreement.

“Me too.”

“Me too, I really ordered everything I wanted to eat.”

“Wow, that’s a relief.”

“Ash is loyal, after all.”

“He’s a man, a real man.”

And they happily started eating again. The girls, including Ariel, frowned in exasperation, but of course, it was no problem for them.

“This is why you guys are called gorillas, you know?”

At Ariel’s light accusation, Bill, who had just finished his hamburger, grinned.

“Call us happy gorillas.”

The ice hockey team members, who followed with wide smiles, all looked incredibly happy. Seeing no point in further conversation, Ariel just shook her head and addressed her elegant sisters.

“Now, let’s discuss the new cheerleading uniform. Is everyone okay with that?”

She glanced around once, then frowned and commanded,

“Everyone gathers here, except for the gorillas. Just the humans.”

Ashley, who had casually thrown down cash and left the restaurant, immediately locked the car door as soon as he got in. Because of that, Koi, who was waiting for him in the passenger seat, flinched and looked around nervously.

He locked the door again.

Earlier, after pushing Koi into the car, he had immediately locked the car door and returned to the restaurant. Koi, seeing the door just rattling and not opening, had given up early and waited for Ashley.

Finally, Ashley sat in the driver’s seat and started the car without a word. Koi had no idea why Ashley was acting like this, so he just looked around nervously.

It was a while after they were on the road that Ashley finally spoke.

“Who was that earlier?”

“Who…?”

When Koi asked cautiously, Ashley was silent for a moment, then suddenly gritted his teeth. Koi flinched at the rough sound and instinctively pressed himself against the door, but Ashley glanced down at him. After confirming the door was properly locked, he spoke again.

“The one who was sitting next to you, she seemed very close to you.”

“Oh…”

Koi pondered for a moment, then tilted his head. Which one of the two sitting on either side is he talking about?

“The one on the right.”

At Ashley’s blunt words, Koi quickly realized.

“Ah, Whitney? The one I cheerlead with.”

That’s strange. Doesn’t Ash know Whitney?

He had heard that the cheerleading team and the ice hockey team were close and knew each other well, so Koi wondered if Ashley was an exception. But before he could ask, Ashley spoke first.

“You haven’t been cheerleading for long, but you’re already that close with the other girls?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Koi blinked, then answered honestly.

“I’m pretty clumsy… but everyone teaches me well and treats me kindly. They’re all good people, so…”

As he spoke, a smile naturally appeared on his face. The faces of the cheerleading team members, who always encouraged him and told him he could do it, came to mind, and the anxiety he had felt moments ago calmly subsided. Of course, Ariel was among them. Even though she had a stern expression and was shouting, “Not enough muscle!”

Recalling that scene, he chuckled softly without realizing it. That, in turn, bothered Ashley.

“You must be happy just thinking about her, huh?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Koi replied without much thought.

“You know, I’ve never been this close to girls before… When we practice together… I get to see them up close, you know. I didn’t know girls were like that, I mean, I didn’t know anything about girls at all.”

Koi’s voice, adding unnecessary explanations, gradually brightened. Unlike usual, he wasn’t stammering and words flowed out smoothly.

“They’re kind, cute, and have amazing camaraderie. Isn’t that incredible? You knew all along, didn’t you? I’m so glad I know now…”

He turned to Ashley, his eyes sparkling, when Ashley suddenly swerved the steering wheel sharply. Startled, Koi couldn’t finish his sentence and let out a scream. Even with his seatbelt on, his body swayed. Ashley then pulled over to the shoulder and turned on the hazard lights.

Haa, haa.

In the blink of an eye, Koi couldn’t even think about what had just happened. He just clutched his chest in surprise, when Ashley unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to him.

“And you kiss her? Right in front of me?”

At the rough voice, Koi, who had only been gasping for breath until then, flinched and involuntarily raised his voice.

“Kiss? Me? Why? With whom? When?”

He couldn’t believe it. His first kiss was stolen without him even knowing. Who was it with? When did that happen? Ashley glanced at the pale Koi, then looked straight ahead again and spat out,

“The girl who was sitting next to you, she kissed your cheek.”

“Who? Next to me?”

“Whitney!”

Ashley finally yelled. Koi flinched for a moment, then belatedly swallowed his breath.

“Kiss, what are you talking about! That never happened, we just bumped into each other a little!”

“I saw it.”

“No, you didn’t! You saw it wrong!”

Ashley looked at him with an angry expression. For some reason, he didn’t seem to believe him at all. Koi, unable to bear the injustice, said urgently,

“Really, she dropped something on the floor, and her face just brushed mine while she was picking it up. A kiss, that’s ridiculous.”

Koi strongly denied it, but Ashley’s expression didn’t change at all. He still had a reason to be angry.

“And you went under the table with her?”

“Huh?”

Koi paused for a moment, then gaped in disbelief. Seriously!

“I told you, she dropped something! I just tried to help her pick it up. Why are you getting angry about that!”

He was so indignant that the tip of his nose tingled. Ashley still glared at him, unconvinced, and asked,

“You weren’t thinking anything? You just went in to pick it up?”

“Yes!”

Having said that, Koi suddenly flared up and shouted without realizing it.

“You were laughing and talking with Al too! Why are you only like this with me!”

For the first time, Ashley flinched.