Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 82

“What on earth is going on?”

At Ariel’s voice, Koi flinched and turned his head. She was frowning, looking back and forth between Koi and Ashley. Behind them, seeing the cheerleading team kids and the ice hockey gorillas standing blankly, all the color drained from Koi’s face. Ariel, startled by Koi’s expression, looked behind her. Confirming the countless eyes watching the three of them, she opened her mouth.

“Everyone, go change. We’re going to the after-party.”

At Ariel’s command, the vice-captain blinked, then quickly looked around.

“Alright, let’s go. The after-party is Green Bell, right?”

“How about Red Bell today?”

“There’s a Red Bell too?”

“I was just kidding, you idiot. Just go along with it.”

“How about Rainbow Bell? Hahaha.”

“Oh my, that’s so funny. Rainbow Bell. Hahaha.”

“Hahaha.”

“Hahaha.”

They laughed and chattered exaggeratedly as they headed for the locker room. Even amidst that, they couldn’t hide their furtive glances and whispers. After confirming that the cheerleading team had hastily left, Ariel turned her head back to Koi.

“You and I need to talk.”

“Uh, u-uh?”

“Wait a minute.”

Ashley stopped Ariel, who was grabbing Koi’s arm and trying to pull him away. Ariel looked up at him, her brows furrowed. Koi, caught between them with an arm held by each, could only look back and forth helplessly. Ashley looked down at Ariel and spoke.

“Where are you dragging Koi? Do it here.”

“Why? Do you think I’m going to hit Koi?”

At Ariel’s sarcasm, Ashley narrowed his eyes instead of answering. At this reaction, more telling than words, Ariel didn’t hide her displeasure and retorted,

“Ashley Dominique Miller, I think it’s better if I talk to Koi first, don’t you? Or I’ll give you 30 minutes to finish talking? Then I’ll have Koi indefinitely.”

Ashley silently looked down at her, then shifted his gaze to Koi, as if asking if he was okay with it. Koi hesitated, then nodded.

“I, I want to talk to Al.”

Ashley looked at Koi without a word, then slowly loosened his grip. As soon as Ashley completely let go of his arm, Ariel, as if she had been waiting, dragged Koi out of the dugout. Watching them, Ashley shouted from behind,

“I’ll wait here, Koi!”

Koi instinctively looked back at Ashley. But he immediately followed Ariel around the corner, so he couldn’t properly see Ashley’s expression.

*

The place Ariel dragged Koi to was the end of the corridor, opposite the locker room. The emergency exit connected there, and it was sparsely populated, making it suitable for such a conversation.

“Alright, tell me.”

Once they were alone, Ariel finally spoke.

“What happened?”

Koi looked down at her, flustered. Ariel, with a frown and her arms crossed, looking up at him, didn’t seem angry. But she certainly didn’t look happy either. Koi managed to stammer out the words he had thought of while being dragged there.

“Um, well… actually, I don’t really know either.”

The creases on Ariel’s forehead deepened further. Koi hastily continued.

“It’s true. Um, I thought Ash would get back together with you if he won the game…”

“Get back together with me if he wins? Ash said that?”

“Uh…”

At Ariel’s pressing, Koi just blinked, then belatedly realized.

“…No.”

He mumbled in a small voice.

“He… didn’t say that.”

“Then?”

Ariel asked with a frown.

“Why did you think that?”

Koi was speechless. He didn’t know where to start. Seeing him hesitate and look helpless, Ariel sighed, then arrogantly tilted her chin up.

“Just tell me roughly, I’ll listen and judge.”

“Um,” Koi dragged out his words again. He needed time to collect his thoughts.

“Ash… told me he… liked me…”

Ariel paused when he finally managed to get the words out. Koi couldn’t bring himself to look at her face and continued to stammer, his head bowed.

“It couldn’t be true, so I… told him I was mistaken. And… Ash said he would… make a decision… after this game…”

His voice gradually faded, eventually disappearing. He belatedly realized. Ashley had never once talked about Ariel. Koi had just assumed it. He thought that once Ashley realized his mistake, he would naturally go back to Ariel.

“B-but it’s natural to think that!”

Koi said urgently.

“Because he was dating you, even though I don’t know why you broke up…”

He liked someone else.

Suddenly, a forgotten memory resurfaced.

Huh?

Koi stopped speaking and his eyes widened. Come to think of it, he had said something like that. That meant it wasn’t Ariel. Why had I mistaken it for Ariel?

If it wasn’t Ariel, then who was it?

A tremendous silence fell between Ariel and Koi. Ariel slowly opened her mouth. Koi held his breath, unable to speak, until her voice came out. No way, no way, no way.

Finally, Ariel whispered.

“It was you.”

At that moment, all forgotten memories resurfaced.

I like you.

That day at the restaurant.

I like you, Koi.

That day at the pool.

Koi.

The moment Ashley’s expression and eyes, calling his name and saying “I like you” countless times, came to mind, Koi was speechless. No way, that’s impossible.

Ash is just pitying me.

Reality blocked the small glimmer of hope that arose. Koi adamantly denied his feelings. There’s no way that’s true.

“Why?”

He seemed to have blurted it out without realizing. At Ariel’s voice, Koi snapped back to reality. He blinked in confusion, and she was looking at him with a serious face.

“Why is there ‘no way’?”

At her quiet voice, Koi couldn’t answer readily and hesitated for a moment.

“That’s, because…”

Because I’m Connor Niles.

Ashley had told him never to belittle himself, but it wasn’t that easy. Because Ashley didn’t know how shabby and pathetic Connor Niles was. Compared to himself, wasn’t Ashley too perfect? How could he possibly think that Ashley liked him?

“Koi, only Ash knows Ash’s feelings.”

Ariel spoke.

“Neither you, nor I, nor anyone else knows. If Ash says it’s true, then that’s his feeling.”

“…”

“You shouldn’t deny that.”

Ariel’s calm voice continued.

“You just need to be true to your own feelings. Don’t deny other people’s feelings; that’s disrespectful to them.”

He had no such intention. Koi hastily shook his head, and Ariel, as if she understood everything, asked,

“So, what are your feelings?”

“…”

“Whether Ash likes you or not, that’s not important. Just tell me your feelings. Do you like Ash? Or do you dislike him?”

When Koi still didn’t answer, Ariel added,

“You just need to go and be honest with your feelings. Don’t judge whether Ash likes you or not. That’s not your job.”

“Got it?” Ariel asked. A wave of embarrassment washed over Koi as he looked at her neat face. He bowed his head and mumbled softly,

“But, you’re here.”

“What?”

Ariel frowned again. Koi couldn’t bring himself to say the next words, and she asked clearly and distinctly,

“Did Ash confess to you when he was dating me?”

“N-no… probably.”

He hastily shook his head, and Ariel tilted her head to one side.

“He confessed after we broke up, right? So what’s the problem?”

Koi couldn’t answer. How could he say that he felt like he was betraying her? To a hesitant Koi, Ariel sighed and then spoke.

“Koi, I heard something once.”

She continued in a very calm voice.

“They say there are two things in the world that can’t be reversed. One is a river that has flowed away.”

She extended her index finger, then her middle finger.

“And the other is a person’s changed heart.”

Koi stared blankly at her. Ariel, as always, clearly stated her position.

“Ash and I are over. I don’t know why you and my sisters can’t accept it, but we’re completely done, and we have no feelings for each other.”

Koi still couldn’t say anything. She simply concluded.

“So, if you’re not being honest because you’re worried about me, you don’t have to be. In fact, it’s a nuisance.”

As if she had said all she needed to say, Ariel stepped back.

“I’m going to the after-party with my sisters. You can come with Ash or not, whatever you want.”

She added one last thing and turned away. Koi stared blankly at her retreating figure as she walked away briskly.