L*ck Me If You Can-Chapter 35

As they walked together, Ashley let Bill's incessant chatter drift in one ear and out the other. According to Koi, it seemed there were rumors that Ariel had kicked Ashley, but honestly, that didn’t matter to him.

As expected, Bill’s conversation was filled with nothing but trivial details. Eventually, after hearing about how the dog they were walking the previous day had pooped on the street, Ashley nearly stifled a yawn.

“Did anyone come to see you while I was away for training?”

Ashley asked, deliberately trying to change the subject. Bill answered with a simple "No."

"Nobody?" Ashley asked, thinking to himself. Did he completely forget about meeting Koi?

“You told Koi, right? That Ariel kicked me.”

"Koi?"

Bill tilted his head in confusion.

"That small, skinny guy? Why would he do that? Oh, wait..."

He snapped his fingers as if remembering something.

"Yeah, he came by while you were resting and asked why you weren't around. I told him you were resting because you were sick."

Bill hummed to himself, continuing to walk as Ashley frowned slightly.

"...That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it. Why? What's up?"

Bill asked with a puzzled look, but Ashley quickly turned his head, pretending not to know what he was talking about. He hastily began to take off his shirt and changed the subject.

"So, what happened with that dog earlier?"

"What? Oh, right. So, I was going to pick up the poop, but I forgot to bring a bag..."

Bill kept rambling on, and Ashley let the words go in one ear and out the other.

So there was nothing important.

Ashley didn’t bother mentioning that Koi had come to comfort him. Only he and Koi needed to know that.

At that moment, a group of familiar faces coming from the other side waved to him.

“Ash, you’re here!”

“Hey, why can’t you live up to your size? This is like, the fifth time already?”

The big guys, who hadn’t seen him in a while, greeted him enthusiastically, patting his back. After a brief hug, Ashley turned his attention to preparing for class. He had been looking for Koi, and there, in the distance, he saw a familiar head and smiled softly.

Koi.

No matter how many people were gathered, Ashley found Koi immediately. It was a strange and new experience. In the midst of so many people, Koi stood out, shining brightly. He was easy to spot, even with just a small glimpse.

Koi opened his locker. He seemed to be rummaging through it before closing it and turning around. Ashley waited for him to notice him.

Their eyes met.

Ashley.

He could clearly see Koi’s lips forming his name. Ashley’s smile deepened, and Koi also smiled and waved at him.

"I’m heading out."

After saying goodbye to the group, Ashley walked quickly towards Koi. He cut through the crowd, moving swiftly toward one point.

“Koi!”

As he called his name and made his way over, Koi let out a soft groan.

I like you.

Ashley felt a rush of joy as he tightly pulled Koi into his embrace.

*

"You want to join the cheerleading team?"

Ariel, the captain of the cheerleading team, looked at Koi with a shocked expression. Koi offered an awkward smile in response. He had hesitated a lot, but in the end, he had knocked on the cheerleading team's door.

"Are you serious? You do know you’ll have to wear a skirt, right?"

Ariel asked with a frown. Instead of answering directly, Koi diverted the topic.

"I’ll do my best."

"You better do more than just your best. That doesn’t mean anything."

Ariel snapped back. Koi had already expected that they were different from him, so he had no real counterargument. Instead, he just flushed in embarrassment. Seeing his reaction, Ariel spoke again.

"Are you really sure about this? The season’s already started. If you suddenly back out, we’ll be in trouble."

"Please let me in."

Koi pleaded desperately. Ariel crossed her arms and looked him up and down. Her expression was serious, clearly deep in thought. Koi held his breath, waiting for her decision.

With a skeptical look, Ariel suddenly took a large step toward him. Caught off guard, Koi flinched, but then she whispered in a low voice.

"I know you’re doing this for your extracurricular points."

Koi swallowed hard as Ariel narrowed her eyes and issued a warning.

"It’s great that you voluntarily came here to earn points, but if you mess up our team, I’ll make sure you regret it for a long, long time."

A chill ran down Koi’s spine, and he quickly nodded.

"Y-Yeah."

"Good."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Ariel stepped back. She returned to her stern captain persona and addressed Koi, who was still stiff with nerves.

"We’re in a tight spot right now, but that doesn’t mean we’ll take just anyone. If it comes down to it, we’ll just change the routine and finish the season without filling the spot. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"Alright."

Ariel nodded again and handed him a prepared printout. As Koi hurried to take it, she explained.

"These are the basic moves. We’ll test you to see where you’re at, so practice them. If you mess up, you’re out immediately. Stay sharp."

"O-Okay. Thanks."

As Koi hurriedly scanned the printout, Ariel pulled out her phone to check the dates.

"The test will be on this day. Be ready by then. The entire team will be watching and deciding whether you pass."

"Got it. I’ll be ready."

Koi quickly stuffed the printout into his bag and was about to leave the room when—

"Wait a second, Connor Niles."

"H-Huh?"

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. Ariel was staring at him suspiciously.

"Just to check... you know how to skate, right?"

"S-Skate?"

The unexpected question caught Koi off guard, and he stuttered. Ariel frowned.

"Obviously. Do you not know that our school’s ice hockey team is the national high school champion? Of course, the cheerleading team has to support them."

"R-Right."

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He had completely forgotten. No, he hadn't even considered it in the first place.

As Koi’s face stiffened with sudden realization, Ariel's expression changed immediately.

"Are you serious? You can't skate?!"

"N-No! Of course not! I can skate, obviously!"

Panicked, Koi blurted out the strongest denial he could manage. Ariel still looked doubtful, but she didn’t press further.

"Well, no matter how well you can skate, if you can’t do the basic moves, you’re out anyway."

She said it simply before turning around and walking toward the other team members, who were stretching.

Koi hesitated in place for a moment before practically bolting out of the room.

I’m screwed.

The moment he stepped outside, reality hit him like a truck. His face went pale as he grabbed his head in horror.

Skating? I didn’t even think about it. They expect me to skate AND perform a routine?

I don’t even own a pair of skates!

Koi stood there frozen, his mind blank with panic. He had no idea how to handle this situation.

How do I fix this? Should I just say I can’t do it? But then what about my extracurricular points? Should I ask to switch to something else? No, this was my last chance. If I fail this, my GPA... is there really no other way?

As he groaned in distress—

"Koi? What are you doing here?"

A familiar voice came from behind him. Startled, Koi turned around quickly. The moment he saw the familiar face approaching, he felt an immense wave of relief wash over him.

"Ash!"

Calling out his name in excitement, Koi ran toward Ashley and stopped right in front of him. Ashley, who had been waiting, tilted his head in mild confusion but smiled.

Koi swallowed hard before speaking.

"Listen, I... uh..."

Just as he was about to explain, something clicked in his mind. Ashley had dated Ariel. Even if they weren’t together now, the athletes and cheerleaders were always close. He must have known {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} about the vacancy on the team, too.

Wait, then... does he also know about the skirts?

It was bound to come up eventually, but Koi couldn’t bring himself to say it. Especially not to Ashley.

Ashley looked at Koi, puzzled by his hesitation. He was about to ask what was wrong when suddenly, the cheerleading team’s door opened, and the voices of several girls filled the hallway.

Without a word, Ashley grabbed Koi’s arm and pulled him away.

"Let’s go first."