You Are Hot Then You Are Cold

Vol 4 (Side Story 1): The second day

Due to the prolonged drinking party, all the guests stayed for one night in the guest rooms. This has been planned from the beginning so Karlyle had called the servants in the early morning to clean the mansion, and  a chef to prepare a delicious breakfast. Since it is a weekend morning and everyone has drank until late night, they all wake up late.

Karlyle wakes up after barely sleeping for about four hours. Although Ash told Karlyle not to drink, he himself drank too much because of the penalty from losing Pyramid, a card-based drinking game.

And as a result, Ash appeared to be quite drunk.

Karlyle had noticed it before, but Ash seemed to be weak in games using cards. Watching the whole process of Ash drinking and grinning, Karlyle quietly decided to play poker when they were alone next time. Just to see him drunk again.

Although he never really thought about seeing Ash drunk, he had changed his mind since yesterday. Drunk Ash was so cute he could hardly put it to words. Seeing it just once was such a waste.

"Where are you going?"

Ash's drunk signs began as Karlyle went to get a glass of water. Sitting next to him and losing all the games miserably, Ash asked as soon as he saw Karlyle standing up. He immediately clutched his hand. So far, he still looked the same as usual. But things started to change after that.

"I'll go with you."

Having said that, Ash quietly followed Karlyle. He  stood solemnly next to Karlyle as he poured the water, and hugged Karlyle from behind. He was acting like a baby bird.

Of course, Ash was too big to be a baby bird, but Ash trailed after him like a new hatchling following its mother. There was no way to describe that cuteness other than that. Not only did Ash follow him with a smile, but he also did what Karlyle told him to.

When he asked if Ash could kiss him on the cheek in a place with no one else around, Ash smiled prettily, bowed down and kissed him with a big wet smack. Karlyle then proceeded to point to different spots on his face several times, and Ash followed him without missing a beat.

Seeing that sight, the confusion that had been hovering over his head all day went away. Maybe it was because he was drunk, too. The strange awkwardness between them that he felt in the garden disappeared, as if it had never been there at all. Karlyle was relieved.

Everything's still fine. Rising to greet the morning of the second day, Karlyle tells himself that things will only get better. But it doesn't turn out the way he has imagined.

It is not until late in the morning that everyone starts waking up one by one. Loud chattering emanates from every floor. He can hear people fussing that bathrooms are too big and getting lost, or how good the beds are. Karlyle walks down the hallway of the guest rooms to see if there is anything they need. But he comes to an abrupt halt in front of Aaron’s voice.

"Did Hazel call you?"

"Yeah. Me and John are good friends with Hazel. He asked what Ash's new number was."

Such a bothersome name, Karlyle tries to go away from the scene. But their next words have him frozen in place. He can't move. His blood goes cold. Aaron is standing behind the slightly opened door and John is sitting on the bed.

"Did you give it to him?"

"He asked me so desperately, I thought something was going on so I gave him the number. But I felt so guilty after meeting Karlyle yesterday. What should I do?"

His stomach hurts at the mention of his name. Karlyle raises his shaking hand and presses it against his eyelids.

"Wouldn't it be okay since it's Ash? He’s such a gentleman to everyone he dates. That’s why everyone wants to be with him.”