L*ck Me If You Can-Chapter 29

“Be more careful next time.”

“Ah... yeah.”

Koi nodded, though he still looked longingly at the bread now sitting in the trash.

What a waste. If I had just cut off the moldy part, I could’ve eaten it.

Regret lingered for a moment, but it was too late. His thoughts quickly shifted elsewhere.

“Aren’t you hungry? You must be starving.”

He was right. Ashley was so hungry it felt like his stomach was caving in, but there was something he needed to do first.

“More importantly, what are you doing here? ...At this hour.”

He needed to just buy his ticket and leave, but his mouth spoke something else instead.

Koi, completely unaware of Ashley’s inner turmoil, answered without hesitation.

“It’s the start of the semester, so I’ve been really busy. I still need extra activity and volunteer hours, so...”

His voice trailed off, as if embarrassed.

Ashley simply nodded. “I see.”

He hadn’t expected to run into Koi at school this late, and it threw him off. He wasn’t sure how to react. Maybe it was just the hunger.

But instead of making him more irritable, it had the opposite effect—he felt strangely at ease.

In fact, he almost smiled without realizing it. He had to force his lips into a firm line to stop it.

Focus. Just buy the ticket and get out.

That was the best plan.

“Two tickets.”

“Huh?”

Koi blinked up at him.

Ashley slowly and deliberately repeated himself.

“Tickets. For. Homecoming. Party.”

“Oh—oh!”

Koi finally got it and nodded.

Ashley expected him to hurry off to the register, but instead, Koi hesitated, shifting uncomfortably.

“Uh... Sorry, but we’re sold out.”

“What?”

This time, Ashley was the one who didn’t understand.

Koi took a deep breath before clarifying.

“They’re all gone. We don’t have any left.”

Ashley stared at him in silence.

Noticing his frozen expression, Koi started to feel uneasy.

“The tickets are gone?”

Ashley finally spoke, his voice low and rough.

He sounded like he was barely holding back frustration.

Koi flinched but managed a small nod.

“Y-yeah... The last two were sold about thirty minutes ago.”

He started explaining in unnecessary detail, as if trying to fill the tense air.

“They were tenth graders, I think? They said they were going with their first girlfriend and—anyway, I should’ve put up a ‘Sold Out’ sign earlier, but I figured no one would come this late. I thought I’d put it up before closing... I’m really sorry. If I had known you’d come, I would’ve saved you one. I didn’t think you hadn’t bought yours yet. I’m sorry.”

He kept apologizing, but it was useless.

Ashley didn’t need an apology—he needed a ticket.

The ticket that would put everything back on track.

But his plan had already crumbled.

His vow to avoid Koi, his intention to buy the ticket—none of it had worked out.

And on top of that, he was starving.

How did this even happen?

Ashley let out a pained groan and covered his face with one hand, tilting his head back.

Why the hell am I this upset over a stupid homecoming party?

“...Haah.”

After a few more seconds, he accepted reality.

There was no point in denying it anymore.

He was screwed.

Dropping his hand, Ashley adjusted the strap of his bag and prepared to leave this damn school.

“Bye, Koi.”

His voice was flat as he turned to go.

“W-wait, Ash!”

Koi, who had been nervously watching him, suddenly called out.

Ashley turned back with an exasperated look, expecting him to offer some expired milk next.

But instead, Koi was rummaging in his pocket.

“Here.”

“...What?”

Ashley asked warily.

Koi didn’t answer, just pushed the object toward him again.

Still suspicious, Ashley took it.

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It was a piece of paper, folded tightly.

He unfolded it one crease at a time.

The first word he saw was party.

Then the date.

Then home.

With each unfolded section, Ashley’s expression changed.

Koi watched him closely, smiling as his reaction unfolded just like the paper.

When he finally saw the full ticket, Ashley’s head snapped up, eyes wide.

“What the hell? How did you get this?”

Koi just grinned proudly.

“You said they were all sold out. What is this? Were you messing with me?”

Ashley forced down his irritation and demanded an answer.

Koi, still smiling, replied simply.

“It was a gift.”

“A gift?”

Ashley frowned.

Koi nodded. “Yeah. Mr. Bacon gave it to me.”

“Your teacher?”

“Uh-huh. He was grateful I helped out at the store, so he gave me this.”

“That means it’s yours.”

Ashley stated flatly.

“Well, yeah...”

Koi admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

“But I don’t have a girlfriend. Or even anything nice to wear.”

He shrugged casually before adding lightly,

“So it’d be way more meaningful if you took it.”

“Wait. Hold on.”

Ashley lifted a hand, trying to process what was happening.

“You’re telling me you got this as a gift... and you’re just giving it to me? For nothing?”

“Yup. Of course.”

Koi nodded like it was obvious.

“To me, giving it to you doesn’t feel like a waste at ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ all.”

“...”

Ashley stared at him in silence.

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Koi, growing uncomfortable under the weight of that gaze, nervously reached up to rub his ear and mumbled,

“Um, I really didn’t know the bread was bad. Sorry about that.”

“That’s... whatever.”

Ashley muttered the words, forcing them out of his throat. But nothing else came to mind.

Of course, he never once thought that Koi had given it to him on purpose. Koi had simply wanted to give him something.

Something with no strings attached.

Ashley opened his mouth again. Koi’s eyes sparkled as he waited for whatever he was about to say.

“...Do you like doing things for me that much?”

“Of course.”

Without hesitation, Koi answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Why?”

Ashley asked again.

This time, too, Koi answered immediately.

But for some reason, time felt like it slowed.

His bright eyes, the way his whole face lit up in a wide grin, the way his cheeks flushed with happiness—

And then he said,

“Because I like you.”

Ashley felt like he’d been struck by something.

His heart plummeted to the ground—only to shoot back up again.

His pulse pounded wildly.

His face burned.

Fireworks exploded in his ears.

And even his fingertips trembled.

In that moment, he felt like his feet had left the ground.

Ah.

The realization hit him.

He could deny it no longer.

I like him.

It had started as pity.

At least, that’s what he’d told himself.

But at some point—when had it changed?

Ashley thought about it.

Maybe... maybe he still pitied Koi.

But he knew that was a lie.

Because pity wouldn’t make his heart race like this.

A quiet, breathless laugh escaped him.

He had been so determined to stay away from Koi.

What a ridiculous idea.

Everyone knew Koi was a guy.

That was an undeniable fact.

But so what?

When his heart pounded like this—when his breath felt so light—when his gaze trembled only for him—

“...Koi.”

Ashley finally spoke.

Koi responded instantly.

“Hm?”

His whole body seemed to tense, ears practically perked as if he wouldn’t let a single word slip past him.

Ashley couldn’t help but smile.

“Want to go to homecoming with me?”

“W-what?”

Koi yelped in shock.

Even if Ashley had just confessed to being a serial killer, Koi wouldn’t have looked more surprised.

His eyes went comically wide, and he jumped back—only to step forward again, as if making sure he’d heard right.

“You want to go to homecoming? With me?”

“Yeah.”

Ashley nodded.

“Unless you already have someone else to go with—”

“No! Of course not! Why would I?! I’m Connor Niles!”

“I know.”

Ashley burst out laughing.

Koi’s face turned bright red, but he still stubbornly continued.

“If it was Ashley Miller, sure, but Connor Niles will never have a date in his life.”

“Great.”

“What?”

Koi blinked, dumbfounded.

For a second, he thought he must have misheard.

But Ashley was still smiling as he said,

“Then I’ll be the only one you’ll ever need.”