L*ck Me If You Can-Chapter 72

How did it end up like this?

Koi sipped his cola and looked around. This was the first time he’d been in a place this noisy.

He already knew the ice hockey guys were loud. The cheerleading girls were no different. But when the two kinds of noise were combined, it became impossible to make out who was saying what.

The only small blessing was that no one noticed Koi quietly drinking his cola without speaking.

After practice, the ice hockey guys devoured food like a pack of starving wolves. Koi had been shocked by how much Ashley could eat, but the others weren’t far behind. They tore through the dishes covering the table in no time, and when more food came out, they polished that off just as fast. Watching them, Koi thought, Well, I guess that’s how they keep those bodies.

His stomach was already burning from hunger, but there was nothing he could do. He just wanted dinner to be over and the meeting to begin. At this pace, it wouldn’t take long.

Of course, the thing that kept nagging at him was Ashley and Ariel. He couldn’t even hear the person next to him clearly, so there was no way to eavesdrop on them in all this noise. But judging from their serious expressions, it was clear they were having an important conversation.

I can’t wait long, Ashley had said.

Suddenly, that line popped into Koi’s head. At the same time, he saw Ashley leaning in, and Ariel whispering something into his ear.

Koi’s heart sank like a stone.

*

“Sorry my sisters are acting out,” Ariel said—not exactly whispering, but still only loud enough for Ashley to hear over the noise.

“What the hell is wrong with your ‘sisters’ anyway?” Ashley asked, raising both hands and flicking his index and middle fingers in the air for quotes. Ariel looked mildly offended but replied with a haughty tone.

“They probably think you’re the only one even remotely on my level.”

“Oh, I’m honored,” Ashley said sarcastically.

Ariel punched him in the side under the table. It was a quick jab, and Ashley winced, doubling over in pain. Clutching his sore side, he grimaced and asked:

“Just curious—was it your sisters who spread the rumor that you dumped me?”

Ariel gave a dismissive huff and tilted her chin up.

“No idea. I just said we broke up.”

Ashley let out a short, incredulous laugh.

“And that somehow turned into you dumping me?”

With a smug grin, she continued.

“To them, the idea of me getting dumped is as ridiculous as you marrying a broke nobody and having a bunch of kids.”

“Why do you think that?”

This time, Ashley didn’t take it as a joke. Because in truth, he was seriously considering exactly that—though the “broke nobody” in question was a beta and male, so there’d be no kids.

Ariel stared straight at him and said bluntly:

“Because your father would never allow it.”

Ashley fell silent at the mention of someone he’d forgotten. Ariel let out a dry chuckle, shaking her head.

“He’s the first man I’ve ever met who looked at me with such absolute contempt.”

Ariel was amazing in her own right, and came from a perfectly decent, middle-class family. No wealth, but loving and stable. That was one of the things Ashley had liked about her. But for that exact reason, his father had never liked her. The only reason he hadn’t intervened was because Ashley was still a minor, and the relationship wasn’t serious enough to warrant his interference.

The one time his father had visited school and run into Ashley with Ariel, he’d made a face Ashley still remembered. Ariel’s reaction made perfect sense now. Imagining the disgust she ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) must have felt then, Ashley repeated the words he’d said back then.

“Sorry. I really am.”

He’d said the same thing once before. But this time, he added one more thing:

“Sorry for having a shitty father.”

“Don’t talk like that about your parents.”

Ariel scolded him sharply, then added:

“Though... it’s not like I know your family situation in detail.”

“You’re right. I probably shouldn’t say that about a parent.”

Ashley nodded, smiling faintly.

“But he is a shitty man.”

Ariel smiled back at him.

“I should’ve slapped the other cheek too.”

Ashley laughed aloud, leaning back and holding up a hand.

“Spare me. It really did hurt.”

“Of course it did. That was the point.”

Still, Ariel seemed satisfied with his reaction. She smiled as she drizzled dressing over her salad. Taking a big piece of lettuce on her fork and popping it into her mouth, she chewed as Ashley asked:

“You gave Koi that bike, right?”

“So what?”

She was now sprinkling cereal onto the salad and mixing it as she answered. Ashley continued:

“I thought you didn’t like Koi before. Said he was different from us or whatever.”

Ariel didn’t hesitate.

“Of course I didn’t. Still don’t, actually. I don’t like people with no self-esteem, who are always second-guessing themselves and being all depressed.”

She took a sip of her zero-calorie soda and looked at Ashley.

“But what can I do? He joined our team. Once you’re on the team, you’re my sister. Well, technically he’s a jalapeño, but still—it doesn’t change the fact that we’re teammates.”

Ashley knew very well how seriously Ariel took her role. That was one of the things he’d liked about her—her commitment. Especially when it came to cheerleading, she was dead serious. In a way, Koi, as a temporary but crucial new member, must be important to her.

Ariel was always honest, often harsh. So if this was what she thought of Koi, she meant it. But there was one thing Ashley needed to correct.

“There’s something I want to say. About what you said about Koi.”

He smiled and added:

“You got the first two right, but the last one’s wrong. Koi’s not depressed. He’s just timid.”

He expected her to argue or brush it off, but Ariel was surprisingly calm. Lifting a piece of lettuce topped with crushed peanuts and sauce, she said:

“Yeah, he’s brighter than I thought. Kinda cute, too.”

Ashley frowned.

“Cute?”

Ariel, placing another lettuce leaf on her fork, looked at him and said:

“Doesn’t he remind you of that little cotton-tail rabbit that always shows up at your house?”

Wild animals sometimes wandered through Ashley’s estate, and rabbits were the most frequent visitors. Especially at night, they’d appear in small groups, nibbling at the garden grass and then bolting at the slightest sound. When he thought about it... yeah, she had a point.

But the problem was that Ariel had said it. And calling him a cotton-tail rabbit? That was way too cute. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. Ariel only added fuel to the fire.

“People who try hard are always likable.”

“Likable?”

Now that, he couldn’t let slide. Ashley asked sharply, but Ariel just replied in her usual tone.

“Yeah. So I think Koi’s fine. As a teammate, it’s good to have a reliable temp member.”

And that was the end of it. Ariel focused on her salad again. Ashley stared at her for a moment, then went back to eating his burger. It would be fine. Koi wasn’t Ariel’s type.

...Right?

His eyes naturally drifted to Koi. Not on purpose—it just happened.

Koi, clearly uncomfortable in this environment, had his shoulders hunched up as he sipped his cola and glanced around nervously. Like a puffed-up hedgehog. The image made Ashley smile. If Koi had been closer, he might’ve pinched his cheek.

Instead of Koi’s sweet cheek, Ashley bit into the bland burger from this generic franchise diner. Just then, the cheerleading girl sitting next to Koi suddenly kissed him on the cheek.

Ashley froze mid-bite.

“Oh, sorry.”

The girl apologized, having accidentally brushed her face against Koi’s cheek while bending down to pick up her lipstick. Koi smiled and said it was okay. As she bent down again, Koi leaned over too and asked:

“Did you drop something?”

“Yeah, my Chanel... Where did it go? I can’t see it.”

What’s Chanel? Koi blinked, then crouched down under the table too, looking around to help. Just as he was scanning the floor, someone suddenly slammed their hand down on the table with a loud thud.

Startled by the vibration, Koi and the cheerleader both flinched under the table.

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W-what was that?

Confused, Koi peeked his head up again.

Ashley was standing, glaring at him with a furious expression.