Chapter 76
At school, Ashley no longer clung to Koi or made careless jokes like before. He spoke to him while sitting with other groups and even shared meals with him, but Koi felt a distance that wasn’t there before.
"Hey, um..."
At lunch, while Ashley was laughing and talking with others, Koi mustered up the courage to speak. Ashley looked at him with a smile, as if asking what was wrong. The only time Koi could talk to him and spend time with him was during lunch. They never met on the way to or from school, and during classes, Ashley no longer walked with him as he used to.
Seizing the opportunity, Koi nervously started a topic he'd been thinking about all day.
"Our cheerleading uniforms... we’re getting new ones for the team... I measured for the size yesterday."
"Oh, right. They'll look good on you."
Ashley replied with that, then seamlessly joined in the conversation with the others. Koi stared at his side profile for a moment before slowly taking a bite of his sandwich.
You didn’t even look at me...
Ashley, still pretending to laugh and joke around, glanced at Koi’s expression. The way he was listlessly nibbling on his sandwich, looking like a wet puppy, made Ashley's heart flutter with a mix of emotions.
Koi looks down because of me.
Though Ashley felt guilty about it, there was a strange thrill she couldn't suppress. She never imagined she’d have this side of her, but seeing Koi like this, looking so down and pathetic, made her heart race.
His pitiful, loveable look was too much, but she tried her best to ignore it. There would be more days ahead for him. After the match, she planned to pour all the emotions she'd held back into him, and she was ready for it.