"Ash didn’t do anything wrong."
Koi, pale-faced, shook his head.
"I’m the one at fault. I... I hurt Ash."
"You an ten years ago. Then what’s the reason you couldn’t even kiss Julie and backed away? If that bastard didn’t do anything to you—"
Ariel stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes slowly widened, and Koi flinched when he saw her expression. Seeing his reaction, Ariel spoke again, now certain.
"Oh my god... You t with Ash, didn’t you?"
Unable to lie, Koi simply lowered his head. Ariel let out a deep sigh, running her hand roughly through her hair, then opened her mouth again.
"What happened? How did you et him?"
"Well..."
Koi hesitantly began to recount what had happened. Ariel listened with a serious expression, and only once he finished did she speak.
"So that’s it with Ash? You’re just going to stay friends?"
"Y-Yeah."
Koi nodded, and Ariel furrowed her brow, staring at him.
"...Are you okay, Koi?"
"Huh?"
When Koi blinked at her, Ariel continued seriously.
"You spent ten years driven by nothing but your desire to see Ash again. Are you really okay with it ending like this?"
"Uh..."
Seeing the genuine concern in his friend’s face, Koi hesitated before answering.
"W-Well... it can’t be helped. Like you said, it’s been ten years. Ash didn’t even get mad at , and he said we could be friends again... I should be... grateful..."
"Koi."
His words trailed off, and he couldn’t finish the sentence. Alard, Ariel quickly pulled out several napkins and handed them to him. Only then did Koi realize that he was crying again, and he hurriedly dabbed his eyes with the napkins.
"Sorry."
"It’s okay."
Ariel responded without hesitation. She stared at him for a mont, then flagged down a passing server and ordered another beer.
"You want anything?"
She asked, but Koi just shook his head. After the server walked away, Ariel spoke again.
"Did you tell Ash? That you worked yourself to the bone for over ten years just to see him again?"
"Why would I say that?"
Koi looked startled and quickly denied it. Ariel’s voice imdiately rose with frustration at his response.
"Of course you should’ve told him! Ash deserves to know how hard you worked."
"There’s no need to..."
"You should have told him."
Ariel spoke firmly to Koi, who kept retreating from the idea.
"If you’d told him, he’d know you still had feelings for him. Then maybe he wouldn’t have co up with that whole friends bullshit."
Her tone was fierce, but Koi felt differently.
"That’s not right."
For once, he replied with unusual certainty.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"Even if it took years, coming here was my decision—my choice. Ash doesn’t owe anything for that, and I don’t want him to feel responsible. Think about it. If soone you broke up with long ago showed up after ten years just to see you, after saving money for that long, wouldn’t you be creeped out? I would."
Koi shook his head again, as if just imagining it made him anxious. But Ariel didn’t back down.
"Still, if he knew you still liked him, Ash might—"
"He must never find out."
Koi once again strongly denied it.
"Ash has no romantic interest in anymore. If he knew I still had feelings for him, it’d just make him uncomfortable."
"Koi."
"Even if there’s no one publicly confird, maybe there’s soone Ash likes now... and if that’s the case, I’d just be in the way."
Before Ariel could respond, he added,
"I know you’re saying this for . And I really appreciate it, Al. But being friends is enough. I’m thankful to Ash for even saying that much."
Koi smiled sincerely, but the corners of his eyes were still red. Seeing that, Ariel fell silent. An awkward stillness settled over the table—until the server returned with a new beer. Ariel took a swig of the cold drink and then slamd the empty bottle on the table with a sharp clink.
Unforgivable.
Ariel stared at Koi with a furious expression. How dare he make my sister cry?
And there was sothing else that made it even worse. Sothing she hadn’t told Koi yet.
Ashley had been engaged—back around the ti he graduated college. It ended in a broken engagent, but still, it ant the relationship had been serious. She didn’t know how deep the connection had been, but Ashley had tried to marry soone after breaking up with Koi.
anwhile, Koi had only ever had Ashley. Sure, in high school it was understandable, but even after graduation, all he’d done was work to save money. His appearance had definitely changed since then—there must’ve been won interested in him, but he hadn’t noticed a thing. Just look at how he totally botched his date with Julie. He must’ve done sothing clueless.
Of course. You can’t read people if you’ve never experienced anything.
Koi had made it to this age without ever going on a proper date, while Ashley had done everything he wanted in the ti they’d been apart. The thought made Ariel’s blood boil.
"Koi."
"Y-Yeah?"
He flinched at the sudden call and responded imdiately. Ariel looked more serious than ever as she t his gaze and said,
"I have a favor to ask. Will you hear out?"
Koi’s face brightened at once. This was a first. Ariel, asking him for a favor?
"Of course. Anything, just say it."
He answered right away, looking as if he’d jump onto an operating table if she told him she needed a liver right now. Ariel felt an intense urge to shake him and yell, “Don’t be such a pushover!”—but instead, she suppressed it and offered a kind smile.
"Thanks. First, contact Julie and apologize. You do know you were being rude, right?"
"Ah, yeah. Of course. I was already planning to."
Koi nodded and answered honestly. He was about to apologize to Ariel too, but she beat him to it.
"You didn’t dislike Julie, right? You knew it was a date?"
"Uh... yeah."
Koi hesitated, then admitted,
"I didn’t realize it at first, but... Ash told it was a date."
And he even bought clothes to wear for it.
As Koi ntioned Ashley again, his eyes filled with tears. Ariel quickly handed him another ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ napkin, then muttered under her breath.
"What the hell are you up to, you bastard..."
"T-There’s nothing like that."
Sohow catching the insult to Ashley, Koi quickly defended him. Seeing Koi still taking Ashley’s side even in that state, Ariel’s expression twisted.
"Let be honest. Ashley Dominique Miller is a venomous snake. You never know when he’ll stab you in the back."
"No, Ash doesn’t lie or betray people. He wouldn’t do sothing like that."
Unbelievable.
Ariel finally lost her patience. She gritted her teeth and glared fiercely.
"Koi, that bastard dumped while we were dating because he fell for you."
Koi’s tears vanished in an instant. His eyes widened, and he turned pale as a sheet, stamring a desperate apology.
"I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Al."
"You’re not the one who should apologize."
Ariel snapped. The fact that Koi was apologizing when he’d done nothing wrong made her even angrier.
She let out a deep sigh, calming herself, then spoke again.
"Anyway, fine. Now for my next favor."
"Y-Yeah."
Koi straightened up quickly, ready to listen. He looked like he was prepared to agree to anything she asked. Seeing the tear stains still clinging to the corners of his eyes, Ariel smiled faintly.
Ashley Dominique Miller... I’ll make sure you shed blood for those tears.
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