L*ck Me If You Can-Chapter 17

Instead of asking a question, Ashley picked up the plastic bag Koi had packed for him. Then, his gaze landed on the textbook nearby, and he spoke without much thought.

"Are you taking college entrance exams?"

"Oh, yeah. Next week."

Koi nodded, then asked, "Did you take yours already?"

This was an easy question to answer. Everyone knew the answer anyway.

"Yeah."

"That’s nice. I’m so nervous."

Letting out a deep sigh, Koi ran a hand over his chest as if to steady himself. Ashley said,

"If your scores aren’t good, you can always retake it."

But then you'd have to pay again.

Koi swallowed the words that reached the tip of his tongue and forced an awkward smile instead.

"You did well, right?"

"Well, just..."

Ashley trailed off vaguely, but Koi pressed further.

"Can I ask what your score was?"

Ashley shrugged, unfazed.

"It’s a common score."

"So? How much?"

Koi insisted. He wasn’t particularly desperate to know Ashley’s score—he just wanted to keep the conversation going for a little longer.

Ashley rubbed the back of his neck before finally answering.

"Perfect score."

"What...!"

Koi’s voice shot up involuntarily, his eyes widening in shock. They were already big, but now it looked like they might pop out of his head. Seeing that, Ashley couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Unless you make a huge mistake, it's not that hard."

"That may be true, but..."

It wasn’t unheard of among students taking the same AP classes, but for Koi—who was about to take the exam—it seemed like an unbelievable feat.

"I’m jealous. I hope I do well too."

"You’ll do even better."

Ashley reassured him.

Koi tilted his head. "How do you do better than a perfect score?"

He wasn’t being sarcastic—he was genuinely curious.

If it had been anyone else saying that, he would have just laughed it off. But coming from Ashley, it almost sounded like there was some hidden truth behind it.

Of course, Ashley was just a high school student like him. Nothing about him was particularly extraordinary.

Instead of answering, Ashley dodged the question.

"Anyway, I’m heading out."

"Ah, wait! Ash!"

Koi hurriedly called after him, rushing around the counter. Ashley paused, waiting, and Koi beamed as he held something out.

It was the ugly plush toy from earlier.

"You almost forgot this."

He looked completely unaware that Ashley had intentionally left it behind.

Ashley glanced between the toy and Koi’s eager face before giving in and taking it.

"...Thanks."

"You're welcome!"

Koi was beyond delighted. His ears twitched nonstop, making it obvious how happy he was.

"Alright, I’m off. Do your best."

"Yeah, see you! Come again!"

Ashley gave a final nod, and Koi, standing behind the counter, waved enthusiastically.

After getting scolded last time for leaving the register unattended, he could only see Ashley off from his post. Leaning as far over the counter as he could, he waved with all his might as Ashley pushed open the door.

"Cough, cough."

A sudden fit of harsh coughing escaped him.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Ashley hunched his shoulders slightly, then looked up to see Koi staring at him with wide eyes.

Raising a hand, he signaled that he was fine before making his way to his parked car.

He tossed the plastic bag Koi had packed into the passenger seat without much thought. Then, looking down at the plush toy in his hand, he let out a long sigh.

Finally, he walked around, opened the back door, and, just like before, placed the new ugly plush toy in the backseat.

With the rest of them.

And buckled them in.

*

Koi watched as Cayenne drove away from the store.

Whenever Ashley visited, Koi always felt a mix of satisfaction and loneliness, but today, something felt different.

Is he sick...?

He recalled the time Ashley had caught a cold while they were working on a group project. He had been sick for days. Maybe Ashley was more fragile than he looked. Some people were just prone to catching colds.

Now that he thought about it, Ashley's face had seemed flushed today.

Koi frowned, lost in thought.

*

"Cough, cough."

It’s a cold.

Ashley, feverish and coughing, came to this conclusion.

He had always prided himself on being healthy—except when it came to colds. The respiratory issues he'd struggled with as a child had become less frequent over the years, but not a single year passed without at least one.

And this year, this was already his second.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

Haa... haa...

His breathing was rough as he reached for the side table. Pouring water from the kettle, he tried to drink, but his throat was so sore that swallowing was painful.

With no other choice, he set the cup down after barely wetting his lips. Then, curling up tightly in bed, he wrapped himself in blankets like a cocoon.

He’d get better in a few days.

Taking medicine would speed up the process, but he didn’t have the energy to go looking for any. His housekeeper had chosen the worst possible time to be on vacation. She had prepared meals in advance before leaving, but none of that mattered when even swallowing was a struggle.

Haaa...

His fever made his mind hazy, and his eyelids slowly drooped shut.

♪♪♬♩♩♪......

A faint, familiar sound reached his ears.

It took a while before he realized it was his phone ringing.

The sound grew clearer.

With great effort, Ashley forced his eyes open and looked toward the side table. He wanted to ignore it, but the ringing was too loud.

With a groan, he pulled an arm out from the warmth of his blankets and grabbed the phone.

"...Hello."

His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.

From the other end, there was a sharp intake of breath, as if the caller had been startled.

—Ash, are you okay?

The voice was quick and concerned.

It took Ashley a few more seconds to recognize who it was. Blinking his half-lidded eyes, he murmured,

"...Koi?"

—Yeah, it's me! Ashley, why does your voice sound like that? Do you have another cold? Are you really sick?

Koi's words tumbled out at high speed.

Ashley, on the other hand, couldn’t respond.

His mind was too foggy to form words.

"...I'm fine."

It took a long time for him to say just that.

But the harsh coughing fit that followed probably didn’t make his words very convincing.

Predictably, Koi’s voice became even more worried.

—Are you really? You're coughing so much. You're actually sick, aren't you? Are you in a lot of pain? What should I do? Have you taken medicine? Did you eat?

There were too many questions.

Ashley barely managed to say just one thing.

"I’ll get better soon."

—But you’re sick now!

Koi retorted immediately.

Then, he suddenly fell silent.

Ashley, lost in a feverish daze, vaguely heard the sound of Koi’s breathing over the phone. For some reason, it almost sounded [N O V E L I G H T] like a lullaby.

His eyes began to close again, but then Koi spoke.

—Ash, can I come to your place for a bit? I just want to check on you.

What is he talking about?

Ashley’s brain wasn’t functioning well enough to process the meaning.

He just stared blankly, and Koi continued.

—You live alone, right? You probably haven’t taken any medicine or eaten anything... Or is someone with you?

The last question came hesitantly, uncertain.

Ashley, not fully comprehending the rest, only reacted to that part.

"No, I’m alone."

—Then I’m coming over.

Koi declared firmly, unusually decisive.

The seriousness in his tone made Ashley’s mind clear a little.

"...What?"

His feverish breathing still uneven, he asked again.

—It’s harder being sick alone. I won’t bother you—I’ll just bring medicine and leave. ...Can I come?

Koi hesitated slightly at the end.

Ashley’s mind was too hazy to think.

So, he barely muttered,

"Do what you want."

—Alright!

The excitement in Koi’s voice was immediate.

He was about to hang up when Ashley weakly called out,

"Wait."

—Huh?

"You won’t be able to get in anyway."

Getting onto the property required security clearance—either an identity check or the homeowner’s approval.

And Ashley was in no condition to handle any of that.

Understanding what he meant, Koi spoke with confidence.

—It’s fine. If it’s the house you told me about before, I’ll manage.

Ashley once again only responded to the last part.

"Yeah."

—Got it. So... I can come, right?

Koi asked again.

But Ashley had already fallen into a deep sleep.

*

It is a cold.

Koi stared down at his phone, which had gone silent.

He had called because it felt strange that Ashley hadn’t been to the store for days. His hunch had been right.

What if it gets worse?

Koi knew all too well what it was like to be sick with no one to take care of you.

It was lonely.

Tomorrow is my college entrance exam.

It was an important day for him.

But there was no way he could leave Ashley like this.

He wanted to help somehow.

And maybe, this was his chance.

Just bringing some medicine and food wouldn’t take long.