Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 79

Thump, thump, thump, thump, the loud drum sound from the broadcast, followed by the pouring cheers, made his head spin. Koi gasped for breath and cautiously looked around. From the stands, loud cheers mixed with applause. He was so embarrassed that he completely emptied his mind and focused only on not breaking formation, and somehow, he seemed to have managed it.

After bowing to the stands in a line, Koi quickly headed to the dugout first. Thanks to everyone’s consideration, he was placed to appear last and leave first. Because of this, Koi moved frantically. He felt like he couldn’t bear it if he didn’t run away quickly.

He rushed into the dugout and was finally trying to catch his breath when someone suddenly grabbed his arm.

“Ah!”

Koi, who had cried out without thinking, looked up and froze. Ashley was looking down at him with a fierce expression he had never seen before.

What is it? Did I do something wrong?

Koi blinked in confusion. Even he, dull as he was, could tell. Ashley looked utterly furious, as if he couldn’t stand it.

“You, what is this?”

“…Huh?”

He barely managed to let out a confused, dazed sound when Ariel’s voice suddenly cut in from behind.

“What do you mean ‘what’? Can’t you tell? It’s the cheerleading uniform.”

At that, Ashley turned his head. Ariel, who had entered last, was looking at them with a frown. The ice hockey team guys, who had been waiting to say things like “Good job, everyone,” “Cute,” “New uniforms look great,” to the cheerleading team, widened their eyes and looked back and forth between them. Ashley, still holding Koi, this time spoke roughly to her.

“What kind of uniform is this? Why did you choose something like this!”

“What?”

Ariel’s voice also rose.

“What do you mean ‘something like this’? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Can’t you tell? How could you choose something like this!”

“Then you should have been at the meeting too! Who was it who skipped out saying they had homework?!”

“What?”

“What about you?!”

The rest of the kids were flustered, not knowing what to do as the two faced each other, growling.

“Why is Ash like that?”

Bill asked anxiously, and then shook his head.

“I don’t know either. He didn’t say anything when he saw you guys leave earlier, but then he suddenly got angry.”

Bill, who had whispered in a small voice, reluctantly stepped between them.

“Uh, listen…”

Ashley and Ariel simultaneously turned their heads. Bill flinched at the four terrifying eyes but bravely continued.

“I don’t know what the problem is… but, uh, we all chose the uniform together.”

“Right?” Bill looked around. The ice hockey team guys, who had been watching them, nodded as if they had been waiting for that.

“Right, we chose it together.”

“Back at Green Bell, right?”

“Yeah, I think everyone looks good…”

“Me too.”

“Me too, everyone’s cute. And it suits them.”

Ariel put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin, as if to say, “You’re the only one spouting nonsense,” as they all agreed, “Right, right.” Ashley was fuming, but it was difficult to continue his argument alone when no one was taking his side. Ariel pressed Ashley, who was frantically searching for something to say.

“What on earth is wrong? What don’t you like about this uniform?! Tell me, you have to give a reason for me to even consider it.”

Everyone’s gaze focused on Ashley. He had to explain. Why this uniform was a problem.

“It’s too…”

Ashley finally managed to speak.

“It’s too short! All his legs are showing!”

Silence instantly fell over the surroundings. Only the faint noise from the stands lingered between them. After a long moment, Ariel asked with a distorted face.

“Did you eat something bad?”

As Ashley paused for a moment, Ariel continued angrily.

“This is a uniform! What’s wrong with legs showing? To look at it with such a sexual gaze, are you a pervert?”

“Watch your mouth.”

“You watch your mouth! How dare you criticize a uniform, talking about legs and whatnot?!”

Ariel was truly angry. At her strong reaction, Bill and the other guys cautiously agreed.

“Uhm, Ariel’s right. Ash, you’ve crossed a line here.”

“Yeah, it’s just a uniform. What’s the problem with it?”

“The skirt isn’t even that short. Everyone wears this much.”

“Hey, why do you sound like our dad…”

No one was on Ashley’s side. Of course. Ashley had never been like this before either. He had dated cheerleaders, but he had never said anything about their uniforms or legs like this—it was unimaginable. In fact, Ashley had been watching the cheerleading team go out onto the rink just moments ago as if it were someone else’s business.

But that was before Koi’s bare legs were clearly exposed before his eyes.

The thought that everyone in the dugout, and everyone in the stands—everyone in this stadium—was seeing those legs made him feel like he was going crazy. Why hadn’t he thought of it? The reason the cheerleading team accepted Koi in the first place was because they needed a “cross-dressing male.” In that case, it was only natural that Koi would wear that uniform.

No, he knew he would wear a skirt, of course. He had expected it to some extent. But he never imagined he would be this cute. And what about those legs? Koi had such dazzling legs.

The thought of Koi sitting there in black stockings with those legs made him feel like he would collapse. He even wondered if imprisonment was too lenient. What kind of parents did Koi have? How could they send such a cute and provocative guy out on such a rickety bicycle?

That wasn’t all. Audaciously, Koi even had a pin in his hair. Coincidentally, it was a cherry. This, he simply couldn’t tolerate. Ashley pointed directly at Koi with his finger and raged.

“What’s that pin? Why a cherry, of all things?!”

Of course, Ariel didn’t back down.

“What’s wrong with a cherry! It’s just cute!”

Don’t you know what the problem is? A cherry on Koi, it’s too suggestive!

But Ashley was still the only one who recognized the problem. Seeing him stubbornly insisting, the cheerleading team members who were watching began to whisper among themselves.

“What? Why are they fighting?”

“Isn’t it like, ‘my girl, I don’t want to show her to others’?”

“Possessiveness? Jealousy? Something like that?”

Another voice joined in someone’s comment.

“If that’s the case, Ash, that’s really disappointing. I didn’t see him that way.”

Soon, voices of agreement followed.

“Yeah, I didn’t know he was so narrow-minded.”

“My dad doesn’t even say things like that to me, how can he be like that?”

“Maybe that’s why Ariel dumped Ash?”

At the last remark, they suddenly had an epiphany. They looked at each other with wide eyes, and one person cautiously spoke.

“Uhm, did we make a mistake?”

They had been deliberating for a long time about getting Ashley and Ariel back together. Now, that foundation was shaking. Someone whispered, watching the two still bickering.

“Isn’t it problematic to hand Ariel over to someone like that?”

“Problematic? It’s utterly ridiculous!”

“Right, it won’t do. Ash is out.”

“What do we do? Ariel’s standards are so high, it’s hard to find a suitable guy.”

“It can’t be helped. Ariel’s wishes are more important.”

Koi looked at Ashley and Ariel again, bewildered by the girls’ serious whispering. They’re fighting because I’m so unsightly. Koi bowed his head deeply in shame and guilt. He couldn’t lift his head, grateful to Ariel for defending him and sorry to Ashley for his anger.

As the argument continued, the horn signaling the second period sounded.

“We have to go, Ash.”

Bill, who had been watching, interjected. Ashley looked down at Koi once, then let out a low curse and released him. As Koi stumbled back, he put on his helmet and went out onto the rink. The rest of the guys followed in a rush. Bill, who was leaving last, looked back and forth between Ariel and Koi and said,

“Sorry, Ash seems a bit sensitive today.”

“It’s fine, just go.”

Ariel replied curtly and turned her head away. Koi, seeing Bill’s gaze on him, quietly said, “It’s okay.”

The players from both teams faced each other across the center of the rink. The referee threw the puck into the air, and with the face-off, the game began.