A loud honk pierced Ashley’s ears. He swerved the steering wheel just in ti and blinked rapidly, breath hitching in his throat without even realizing it.
Stay calm. Stay calm.
He repeated the words to himself like a mantra and eased his foot off the gas. He had nearly died just monts away from the destination. The thought of Koi arriving at the station only to find his corpse—just imagining it made his stomach churn.
He slowed as he pulled into the station parking lot, quickly parked, and grabbed his things. He’d have to ditch the phone soon too, but eting Koi ca first. Without it, contacting him wouldn’t be easy.
Once inside the station, he scanned the interior, sat down in the first seat that caught his eye, and imdiately pulled out his phone to search for train tickets. The one he’d checked earlier still had seats left. He purchased two tickets on the spot.
There was only about an hour left until the agreed eting ti.
Nervous energy surged through him—part fear that his father’s people might arrive at any mont, part excitent at finally reuniting with the person he loved. He kept glancing around the station, unable to stop himself. Ti crawled.
*
Koi stood pale and speechless, facing his father. He couldn’t understand what the man was saying—no, he did, but he couldn’t make sense of it. Why was his father suddenly acting like this?
Seeing the confusion on Koi’s face, his father let out a heavy sigh. He opened his mouth, searching for the right words, then shut it again, clenching his eyes shut.
“...Koi.”
His voice trembled slightly as he finally managed to speak.
“Koi, I know I was wrong. I treated you terribly... but don’t leave like this. Can’t you... just give one more chance? Just once?”
His words grew faster, more desperate. He gripped Koi’s arms tighter, causing Koi to frown reflexively. But his father didn’t stop—he was pouring out everything he had.
“I swear I’ll do better. I’ll do anything... Koi, please.”
“L-Let go.”
Koi’s voice shook as he barely managed to speak. Ashley was waiting for him. He didn’t have ti for this.
He was leaving. With Ashley. No matter what his father said now—it was too late.
Far too late.
Koi looked at him with resentnt.
If only he’d said this earlier.
“Let go. I have to go... Ash is waiting for , so—”
“Koi!”
His father cried out in panic—but that only gave courage to Koi, who had been frozen in fear until now.
“Don’t yell at !”
His father froze. Koi looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears.
“You say you want to change, but look at you—you’re still yelling at . How am I supposed to believe you? You want one more chance?”
Everything he’d bottled up ca spilling out. This ti, Koi didn’t stamr. He spoke clearly and directly.
“You’ve had so many chances... and you threw them all away.”
His father looked stunned, at a total loss for words. Koi saw the despair and regret twist across his pale face. But he couldn’t hesitate. Koi pulled away with all his strength, finally slipping out of the corner.
“Koi!”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
His father lunged for him in desperation, but Koi dodged him, swung the door open—
And the outside world flooded in. Just one more step. One step away from this miserable place, and into a new world.
With Ash.
“Kuhk...”
Just as he was about to bolt outside, a harsh coughing sound erupted behind him.
That should have been the mont to run. He should’ve ignored it, kept going, never looked back.
“Kuhk, kuhk, kuhk... kuh-HUH!”
But the awful, choking coughs made him stop. He turned around—he couldn’t help himself. And ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) the sight that t his eyes froze him in place.
His father had collapsed on the floor, hunched over, one hand clamped over his mouth. But blood spurted between his fingers, pouring onto the ground with every wrenching cough.
“Ko... i...”
His father gasped his na, trying to say he was okay—but what ca next was another fit of bloody coughing. Koi clutched his mouth in shock, watching his father’s pale body slump forward.
He watched as the man collapsed in a puddle of blood, helpless and pitiful.
“...Dad!”
Koi scread as he rushed back inside. The dim light cast a grim shadow across the floor, now soaked with dark red.
*
Ashley thought he heard Koi’s voice and jumped to his feet. He scanned the station in all directions—but there wasn’t even a shadow of anyone approaching.
Feeling awkward, he sat back down and checked his watch. The eting ti was almost here. He glanced again at the train ticket, then looked toward the station entrance, bouncing his leg anxiously.
He wanted to call—but if Koi was biking here, he wouldn’t be able to answer. Worse, the call might distract him on the road.
Ashley took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. The minute hand on his watch ticked forward again.
*
The paradics rushed Koi’s father to the ER.
Koi sat inside the ambulance, staring as the dical staff transferred his blood-soaked father to a bed and began attaching equipnt.
It didn’t feel real. None of this felt real.
...I need to get to the station.
Ashley must be waiting. Koi’s chest ached with panic, but he couldn’t move. How much ti had passed? It was probably already too late. Ash must be worried. Should he call? No—he couldn’t just stand here like this. He had to go. His dad was in the hospital now—he’d be okay. There was nothing Koi could do by staying.
I need to go.
“Are you Victor Niles’s family?”
Just as he was about to move, soone spoke. Koi turned to see a man in scrubs—likely a nurse. He hesitated, then nodded.
“Anyone else with you? A mother, a sibling?”
“No.”
Koi answered.
“It’s just... us. Just the two of us.”
Referring to himself and his father as “us” made his stomach twist. He forced the words out.
The nurse made a slightly awkward face and told him to wait before heading back to the others. He seed to be discussing sothing with the dical team. Koi stood frozen, unsure what to do. Maybe they needed a guardian. He wasn’t sure how much help a minor like him could be.
He clenched the strap of his bag tighter.
Ashley’s waiting. I can’t just stand here.
He braced himself to leave—but then, one of the dical staff turned and looked straight at him. Koi froze.
The man—clearly a doctor—walked straight over and extended a hand.
“Hi. I’m Gerald. What’s your na?”
Koi hesitated, then quickly shook his hand and released it.
“C-Co—Connor Niles. But everyone calls Koi.”
“Nice to et you, Koi. ...You’re Victor Niles’s son, right? And you’re the only family he has?”
Koi nodded and replied.
“...Yeah. Just .”
Gerald sighed, rubbing his chin. His face didn’t look thrilled—but he spoke with a sense of grim necessity.
“Koi, what I’m about to tell you might be a shock. But I need you to listen carefully, okay?”
The ominous tone made Koi tense up instinctively. He looked up at the doctor, waiting.
“Did you know your father has cancer?”
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