L*ck Me If You Can

Chapter 205

Ariel, who had been reading on the living room couch, sprang to her feet at the faint chime of the doorbell and walked toward the entrance.

"Hey, welcome back. So, how’d it go today? What did Julie say...?"

Her voice gradually trailed off. Koi walked past her without a word and headed straight into the living room. The smile that had been on her face—part anticipation, part curiosity—vanished. Alarmed, Ariel quickly followed after him.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

She watched nervously as Koi poured himself a full glass of water in the kitchen and chugged it down. After wiping his mouth, he finally spoke.

“Elle, I need to ask you something.”

“Y-yeah. Go ahead, I’m listening.”

Ariel stammered unusually, frowning as unease set in. Koi asked in a low voice.

“Did you know Ashley was engaged?”

Ariel was visibly startled and froze. Her eyes went wide, mouth opening slightly as if to say something—but nothing came out. Koi muttered, almost defeated.

“So you did know.”

Ariel tried to speak but gave up and lowered her gaze. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye as she spoke hesitantly.

“I never got the chance to tell you.”

“You should have told me. You knew!”

Koi, unusually emotional, raised his voice.

“You knew I’ve been obsessed with Ash for over ten years. You knew, and still...”

He trailed off and buried his face in both hands. A harsh, shuddering breath escaped him before he spoke in a broken voice.

“I’m sorry.”

His words were muffled by his hands, barely audible, but he kept going.

“I know this isn’t your fault. I’m the one who came this far even knowing Ash might have someone else. ...Even if I’m alone now, I should’ve understood that things could’ve been different back then.”

His breath trembled, and he practically spat the words out.

“Ash told me—he said I was the only one.”

“Koi...”

“He said it was only me. That he only loved me. That I was the only one. And I... if he hadn’t said that, I wouldn’t be like this... like this...”

“Koi.”

Ariel, now frantic, pulled him into a hug and quickly confessed.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you earlier... but you looked so happy. I couldn’t. It was so long ago, and I didn’t think you’d ever find out like this. I knew Ash was hiding it from you, but... I thought maybe he’d changed, that his feelings were real this time... I’m sorry, Koi. I’m really sorry.”

Koi didn’t respond. He simply panted, his face still buried in his hands. Ariel could do nothing but hold him. After a while, Koi seemed to calm just enough to speak.

“Is there more?”

His voice was hoarse and strained.

“More things you know about Ashley lying to me?”

Ariel couldn’t answer right away. She swallowed and hesitated before finally letting out a sigh.

“Ashley doesn’t love you.”

There was no reaction from Koi. He ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) remained frozen. Slowly, he lowered his hands and looked at Ariel. Shock and confusion were plain on his face.

“...What?”

He barely whispered, voice cracked. Ariel continued honestly.

“When I found out you were seeing him again, I went to confront him. I wanted to know what he was really after. He told me himself—he said he wanted you to be happy... because the more you climbed, the harder you’d crash when you fell. ...That’s what he said.”

Ariel took a breath and repeated it word for word.

“‘The higher you climb, the more it hurts when you fall.’”

Koi stopped breathing. He froze, staring blankly. Ariel, now shaking herself, finally let out everything she’d kept in.

“Koi, he told me he loved you too. But I don’t believe someone who truly loves another person would ever think like that. That’s not love.”

Still, Koi didn’t move. Ariel stared at his dazed face and spoke clearly, firmly.

“He might still be obsessed with you, Koi. But obsession doesn’t always come from love. People get obsessed with the ones they hate too.”

A long silence fell. Then Ariel carefully added,

“Koi, if I hurt you...”

“What... what kind of person was he engaged to? Do you know?”

Koi cut her off with an urgent question. Ariel hesitated.

“Not much, just...”

She paused to gather her thoughts, then sighed.

“She was an omega. But her scent was so faint, she was basically like a beta.”

Of course. He has seizures when he smells omega pheromones.

Koi processed the thought mechanically. Ariel continued.

“Her father runs an oil company. They’re insanely rich. She’s an only child and apparently very cherished. I’m guessing Ashley’s family liked her for that reason. People like them always arrange marriages amongst themselves.”

Ariel’s face twisted slightly as she remembered the way Ashley’s father had looked at Koi back in high school.

“You can date whoever you want, but when it comes to marriage, it’s all about status.”

Realizing too late how her words sounded, Ariel quickly shut her mouth. She looked like she wanted to take it back, but it was already out there.

“...Got it. That’s how you see it.”

Koi finally spoke, his voice dull and heavy.

“I’m gonna lie down. Thanks—for telling me.”

“Koi...”

Ariel called after him, but he didn’t answer. He walked to his room and shut the door. Alone in the living room, Ariel sighed and ran a hand roughly through her hair.

Koi lay on his bed, staring blankly into the dark corner of his room.

“The higher you climb, the more it hurts when you fall.”

“People get obsessed with those they hate too.”

“You can date anyone, but marriage is about status.”

Ariel’s words looped in his ears, tangled with Ashley’s whispered declarations of love. His mind was in chaos. Unable to do anything, he closed his eyes.

He stayed up all night in that haze. Only when dawn broke did he finally start to think clearly.

*

He waited nervously until he figured everyone had gone to work. Then he called Ashley. Just in case, he allowed himself a sliver of hope—but, as expected, there was no answer. In the end, he decided to go to Ashley’s apartment—but he didn’t make it past the entrance.

“Mr. Miller isn’t in at the moment.”

Of all days, the doorman who usually let him in wasn’t working. The man at the desk wore a stern expression, blocking Koi’s path. No matter how much he begged, he wasn’t even allowed into the lobby, let alone near the elevator.

Resigned, Koi tried his last option—he called Bernice, squeezing his memory to recall her number. He wasn’t confident, but when the cold voice answered, he nearly collapsed in relief.

—Yes, this is Bernice.

Exhaling shakily, Koi forced himself to speak.

“Hello, um, this is Connor Niles.”

His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat.

“I... I just wanted to ask how Ashley is. The apartment was empty, and... do you know when he’ll be back?”

Bernice didn’t respond right away. It wasn’t likely, but it felt like she was choosing her words. Then, she spoke.

—He’s undergoing testing. I can’t say more.

“Testing?”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Koi echoed in surprise before he could stop himself. Bernice responded in her usual flat tone.

—Yes. I told you before, didn’t I? His memory’s compromised. You understand what that means, don’t you? There’s brain damage.

Koi instinctively tensed up.

“Is it... serious?”

Could an extreme omega’s pheromones really be that harmful to an extreme alpha? He was suddenly terrified. Bernice said,

—He needs more tests. I can’t tell you anything yet.

Koi wanted to ask which hospital—but he knew she wouldn’t tell him. He bit his lip. After a pause, Bernice added,

—You should be prepared. Junior might be very different from the person you knew.

“...What do you mean?”

Koi asked, but Bernice only replied vaguely.

—In any case, I’ve warned you.

Her cold tone made Koi stiffen.

“I’m not going to leave Ashley. No matter what happens.”

Saying the words out loud made his body tremble. Bernice replied without hesitation.

—I have no intention of stopping you. I have no right to.

Her indifference, in contrast to his fierce determination, left Koi feeling strangely empty. She added,

—Whether you two part ways again is up to you. If that’s all—

“W-wait!”

Koi cut her off desperately. When he was sure the call was still connected, he added quickly,

“Please let me know when Ashley wakes up. Please.”

—...I will.

She hung up. Koi stared at his phone, then realized his fists were clenched. His palms were sweaty.

Exhaling hard, he tried to relax. He returned to the front desk and begged the doorman again, slipping him a crumpled $10 bill, asking him to let Ashley know when he got back. The man smiled politely, declined the tip, and nodded.

That evening, Koi thanked Ariel and returned to the basement room where he used to live. Thankfully, he’d been paying rent, so the room was still his.

He cleaned the dusty space, showered, and fell asleep. The next day, he threw himself into part-time work, keeping busy.

Eventually, the test results came back from the hospital Ariel had taken him to. As expected, his trait was beta. His pheromones hadn’t leaked once.

Doesn’t matter. No matter what my trait is.

Koi pushed himself to work, trying to stay positive.

If I’m really a beta, maybe that’s better. Ashley reacts badly to omega pheromones anyway.

He kept telling himself that.

Time passed. It had been nearly two weeks since he’d last seen Ashley.

Next time we meet, I’ll be the one to propose.

Even while working, his mind was always on Ashley.

They loved each other. It didn’t matter who proposed first. And since Ashley hadn’t done it yet, he couldn’t complain if Koi beat him to it. Now that he was saving money for a ring, it even felt like fate.

Every night, Koi fell asleep with his phone in hand, waiting for a call that never came.

Huff, huff.

Koi ran through the streets, breath ragged. Bernice’s voice echoed in his head.

“Junior has been discharged. He’s going home today. You can wait for him to call, or go to his place—it’s your choice.”

That same emotionless tone—yet Koi couldn’t help but shout,

“Thank you!”

“Why did you call me?”

He had stopped in his tracks, asking cautiously. Bernice had replied just as coolly.

“Because I keep my promises.”

And that was it. The call ended, but Koi wasn’t going to hesitate anymore. He canceled his shift and transferred from subway to bus, heading straight to Ashley’s apartment, unable to sit still.

Is Ashley okay?

Bernice hadn’t said anything worrying—but he couldn’t shake the unease.

Why didn’t he call me even once?

Whether Ashley had just woken up or not, Koi didn’t know what to think. Either possibility scared him.

It’s fine. I’ll see him soon.

Koi realized he’d forgotten the ring, but it didn’t matter. He could buy one later—or even go with Ashley to pick it out. The important thing now was seeing him.

Taking a deep breath, Koi stepped off the bus—and ran toward the towering, luxurious building overlooking the park at full speed.