Hey hey!!! New chapter coming throughhh
****
Fortunately, Ash doesn't hold his hand when they get into the taxi. The black cap drops them off at their destination in less than 20 minutes. Karlyle is about to pay the taxi fare, but Ash stops him and pays it. Karlyle's receiving things from Ash again. He feels a little embarrassed. He doesn't know everything about giving and receiving, but he wonders whether such one-sided favor could exist.
Since today is a private exhibition, there are far fewer people at Hayward Gallery than usual. In Waterloo, where the city is dyed in a gloomy gray color, the sculptures in this gallery are the only presences that light up the monotonous scenery.
Ash goes to the entrance of the gallery, which has one side made of glass, and walks to the closed automatic door. 'Excuse me', he says, then takes his phone out to call someone.
"Good morning, Vanessa. Uhm, I just got here. I'm at the entrance."
Perhaps that kind way of speaking is Ash's nature. He's talking on the phone with a relaxed face. Ash looks forwards, raises his hand and waves to someone.
"Ash!"
A tall woman runs to his place while waving. She's an impressive beauty with scarlet hair tied in a braid. Wearing big glasses, she gets to their place in the blink of an eye. Her eyes bulge wide when she sees him.
"Is this ridiculously handsome gentleman the one you mentioned? Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Vanessa Lord, Ash's friend!"
Vanessa hurriedly introduces herself. Her eyes dash between Ash and Karlyle.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Karlyle Frost."
"Nice to meet you. It's such an honor to have a wonderful person like you at the exhibition."
Vanessa seems friendly. It makes him wonder whether everyone around Ash Jones is also the same.
"Thank you for having me."
Karlyle smiles faintly. It's the smile he wears like a mask to people he meets outside. Ash's eyes are fixed on his smile, the smile he has never shown in front of Ash. Karlyle looks up at him. Ash is staring at him with eyes bulged wide.
"I'm sorry for asking this at the first meeting, but....are you a nobleman?"
Just as Ash is about to ask him something, Vanessa asks him first. She looks very curious. It's been a while since he heard this question. When he lived abroad, there were few people who knew about nobles in England. And when he returned, he rarely met commoners.
"It's just, I have only heard about noblemen in dramas and movies. I asked because you looked so cool."
If he introduces himself as a nobleman right now, will it be too funny? He has no idea since the class system has long disappeared in the eyes of the majority of ordinary people.
"He's a noble and he's also cool. Okay, why don't we go in first?"
But Ash answers instead. Looking intently at him, Ash answers Vanessa, then he takes Karlyle's hand. Vanessa watches the scene in astonishment, then she bursts into laughter.
"I heard that you met someone last weekend. So it was a date?"
"That's right."
Ash holds Karlyle's hand and pulls Karlyle towards him. Vanessa smiles mysteriously and gestures that she's understood.
"I almost didn't recognize you, Ash Jones. Are you already on guard?"
"Vanessa."
Ash and smile always go with each other. But today, another unexpected expression appears on his face again. Ash looks gentle as usual, but he isn't really smiling. He only stares at Vanessa. Getting the hint, she nods and leads the way. She heads to the gallery, the guards at the door let Karlyle and Ash in.
Vanessa excuses herself and walks back into the exhibition hall at a brisk pace. Seeing a group of people already arrived before them, Ash whispers in his ears.
"Everyone here is talkative like Vanessa, so you don't need to answer them all. I didn't bring you here to make you feel uncomfortable."
"Will it be okay?"
"Of course. You are a rare handsome man, Karlyle. They don't get to meet people like you often, you are also an aristocrat. They may bother you."
Ash, with that unfamiliar interpretation, laughs as he watches the people gradually approaching them. Before entering the exhibition hall, Ash tells him again.
"Stick close to me. I didn't bring you here for other people to flirt with you."
What Vanessa Lord said earlier crosses his mind. She said Ash was on guard about him, and that matches with Ash's action just now. However, he quickly shakes that idea off. No matter how hard he thinks about it, Ash has no reason to do that.
****
Today's exhibition is quite interesting to him, who has never made acquaintances with any artists. This private exhibition, which is opened ahead of the officially public one, is attended only by critics, collectors, the artist's acquaintances, and museum officials.
Time passes by faster than he thought. The experience of hearing directly from the artists the motif, process, and interpretation of their works is surprisingly fun. It feels different from simply hearing or learning about them. Oh, and it's also thanks to Ash who plays a major role in this unexpected pleasure.
Ash knows a lot, at least in this field. Karlyle can't compete with him in this. Ash explains to him not only Vanessa's works, but also about the artists she is influenced by. To make sure Karlyle doesn't feel awkward, Ash stays by his side and never leaves him alone for a moment.
After 12 o'clock, finger foods and drinks prepared by the gallery are served. With music played in the background, the gallery turns into a small party. Drinking alcohol at lunch is not that unusual for British people, so there's a variety of cocktails among the served drinks.
"Do you drink, Karlyle?"
After touring around the entire exhibition hall, they sit down at a table near the entrance. Looking at the menu to choose a drink, Ash asks him.
"I do. What about you, Mr. Jones?"
"I tend to have something sweet. I'm not a heavy drinker."
That's unexpected. He's always thought that Ash could do anything.
"What type of alcohol do you like?"
Ash seems to be curious about what he likes to drink. Ash was the same when they went around the exhibition. He asked him many trivial questions, such as which artist he liked, or whether he often went to exhibitions, as if they were very important things.
Maybe it was because he had never shared his preferences with anyone for so long. But for over an hour, he shared trivial things with Ash. And it was somewhat comfortable.
"I usually go for wine or hard liquor."
"Then how much can you drink?"
Ash rests his chin on his hand and fixes his eyes on him. He wonders what is so funny that Ash's smiling the whole time.
"I don't remember ever being drunk."
"There's nothing you can't do, Karlyle."
"I'm not that great."
"You said you had no interest in art, but you know a lot about it. You are the most wonderful person I've ever met."
....Such an unfamiliar compliment. For a normal Alpha, who can never compete with dominant Alphas, he doesn't deserve that compliment.
"You are overestimating me. Compared to Mr. Jones, I know nothing."
"You are perfect, except for one thing. You are too humble." Ash continues his compliment, seriously. "Oh, there's one more thing."
One more thing? Karlyle's a little concerned about that. Hesitating, he asks.
".....What is it?"
"You smile at everyone except me."
Ash says an unexpected thing. When he looks at Ash to see what he means, Ash gives him sad puppy eyes. And they look so pitiful.
"I never thought you would smile since you never smiled at me."
Ah. Is that why he is giving me that look?
"Why do you smile at everyone but me?"
Ash turns sullen. How should I explain this? He gets why Ash feels that way. Karlyle didn't do it on purpose, but he did smile every time Ash introduced him to someone. It must have become his habit.
"I don't....usually smile in private. I smiled at them because they were your acquaintances, Mr. Jones."
"So unfair. People got to see your smile but not me."
It isn't anything worth seeing, but Ash speaks as if he just missed something very important.
"Then do you tend to be like this when you're with other nobles?"
Since they only meet for official reasons, he guesses he does smile at them.
"It's for work."
"I don't know whether this is unfortunate or fortunate."
"I can smile if you want."
"It's not that...."
Ash lets out a sigh and shakes his head.
"Your smile is prettier than I expected, but you don't have to force yourself. I don't want to force you to smile when you don't want to."
Ash is so kind that Karlyle has no idea how to react.
"Unless you are smiling from joy, other things are useless."
It has been so long since Karlyle truly experienced joy. Blinking, he unconsciously averts his eyes a little.
"Okay, so now, I should start by feeding you something delicious. I'll find a drink that you might like, Karlyle."
"I can do that myself."
"You are my guest so you should stay here and relax. I'll be right back."
Ash stands up like someone who's about to enter an important mission. Before leaving his seat, Ash seems to have something in his mind. He goes to Karlyle's place and bows down. Then he holds his chin. Karlyle takes a breath at his unexpected action.
"Wait here, okay?"
His voice sounds so soft, like he's speaking to his lover. Ash looks down at him for a moment with loving eyes, then he slowly retreats his hand. Ash must have held his chin with a light force. Even after Ash has stepped back, that feeling still lingers on his chin.
Unconsciously, he watches Ash go to get a drink. Only when Vanessa talks to him does he come to his senses.
"Ah, Mr. Frost! You are here. What about Ash?"
Vanessa cheerfully greets him as she sits down in Ash's empty seat.
"He just went to get a drink."
"Let me tell you this. Ash Jones takes terrible care of his lover."
Vanessa's eyes light up with joy. Karlyle's lips twitch at the word "lover".
"....I'm not his boyfriend."
"Oh, you haven't officially dated?"
To be exact, they are going to break off their engagement after meeting a few times. But Karlyle doesn't say that for now.
"Then may I ask how many times you have met?"
Vanessa looks like she's dying of interest in their situation. The strange guilt he had when he lied to his father about Ash springs in his heart again. He doesn't like it when he lies and pretends that they are going out.
"We have met twice."
"Ash usually doesn't go on with the second date, but I guess he really likes you, Mr. Frost."
They have a fixed number of meetings, so....
"He hasn't gone out with anyone for some time, so some people here are eagerly targeting Ash. But when they saw that there was a great competitor like Mr. Frost, they were all crying and saying they couldn't beat you."
Since the beginning, Karlyle has had a vague idea that Ash is popular. It turns out to be true. With that kind of appearance and personality, there's no way people don't like him.
"It seems that there are a lot of people who like Mr. Jones."
He just says that to confirm the fact, but Vanessa seems to misunderstand it. She gasps and immediately waves her hand.
"Oops, my bad. Forget about it! Anyway, what I want to say is that you are really cool, Mr. Frost."
"It's fine."
"Ash, he's a really good guy. When he dates someone, he truly has eyes for that person only. So you don't have to worry about what I said! Oh my god, are you perhaps offended by it? I have no clue. I didn't mean anything bad, please forgive me!"
Pushing her glasses up, Vanessa claps her hands together and apologizes to him.
"Mrs. Lord, you don't have to do that."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"So you forgive me, right? We'll see each other often in the future. After all, I'm one of Ash's few close friends."
That's unexpected.
"I always thought that he had a lot of friends."
"He may seem like the type to hang out with many people, but actually, he's only close to some. There are too many people who approach him with purpose, that's why." Vanessa squints her eyes.
"Sometimes, people judge him by his looks, so he gets into trouble a lot. Anyway, you two look great together."
Why is Vanessa so excited? She keeps saying that they look great together. At that moment, Ash, with drinks in both hands, returns to his seat. Vanessa's eyes widen as his shadow casts from behind her. She quickly stands up.
"Ah, you're back!"
"Karlyle, is this Vanessa person bothering you?"
Ash asks him while gesturing towards Vanessa. Karlyle looks back and forth between them, then he shakes his head. He doesn't feel bothered since he was able to hear many new stories.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course he's sure. I completely believe Mr. Frost. Ah, people are calling me. I have to go now. Mr. Frost, see you next time!"
Vanessa hurriedly returns the seat to Ash and runs towards the exhibition hall like a child who doesn't want to be scolded. Karlyle can see her stumbling a few times while running like a rocket. She is the type of person he has never met.
Rather than saying he doesn't like it, this whole situation just feels like a whole different world from his.
"I was a little late since I had to choose drinks. Sorry."
Ash puts down a martini in front of Karlyle. It's a pink cocktail that seems to be sweet. Karlyle stares at it for a moment. He didn't expect to have a drink during the day in such a small place. Usually, he only drinks in meetings or official parties.
"What do you think? Did I do a good job?"
Ash asks like a puppy wanting to be praised. The moment Karlyle sees it, an unfamiliar feeling passes through his heart. It isn't a clear feeling, but maybe....
He must have thought that Ash looked kinda cute.
"You did a good job."
"What a relief. I was so nervous, I was afraid that I made the wrong choice "
"I'm fine with any alcohol."
"Still, it's better if you like it, Karlyle."
Ash looks greatly relieved. A pretty smile blooms on his lips, even his eyes smile as well. Ash then picks up his own cocktail and holds it out to Karlyle.
"I hope you have had a good time today, Karlyle."
Ash's gentle voice is even sweeter than the scent of the cocktail wafting out.
*****
After having a light meal at the exhibition hall, they arrive at a pub in a secluded area only a short walk from Waterloo. Despite its appearance, the interior of the pub is decorated with style. Even though it's lunchtime, it's crowded inside.
Sitting on the patio, they have Sunday roast. Karlyle doesn't have many memories of eating Sunday roast, but it tastes so delicious despite the fact that it isn't the type of food he usually eats. Ash has a few glasses of cider while he has a glass of wine. This is his first time drinking from morning till noon for no particular purpose. But he doesn't hate it.
By the time they finish eating, it's already late afternoon. He doesn't do anything special, but strangely enough, Karlyle himself is surprised at how fast the time passes. It's time to go back since they each have their respective schedules for tonight. Karlyle has to prepare for tomorrow's meeting, and Ash also seems to have work to do at home.
On the way back, they decide to walk instead of taking a taxi like in the morning. Even though walking down the main street full of loud honking, big crowds and dusty roads isn't Karlyle's preference, he agrees with Ash's suggestion.
While returning home, Ash talks about various things. They hold their hands the whole time. Blending in the flow of people, they walk down the street like a true couple.
Although they have only met twice and they have a contract to end their relationship, they seem to be affectionate lovers in the eyes of passers-by. Karlyle even unintentionally hears some people whisper that they look good together.
Those whispers follow them until they arrive at his house. Whenever he hears those whispers, the image of Vanessa calling them lovers appears in his head.
Finally, they stop in front of the main gate of his mansion. As the sun is slowly descending, the sky takes on a faint red tint. A gentle spring breeze blows through Ash's bangs. His softly fluttering black hair, mixed with the light of sunset, transforms into a warm woody color.
"Thank you for taking me home."
"It's my pleasure. I had fun today. I hope the same goes for you, Karlyle."
Ash whispers. Looking up at the man slightly taller than him for a few seconds, Karlyle answers.
"I had fun as well."
Today was really amazing.
"Then I'm glad."
The time with this man felt so pleasant. He thought it was a nothing special day, but looking back, it was full of things he had never experienced before. The people around Ash were the types that he had never met. Also, their cheerfulness and friendliness with no need for dry formalities were marvelous.
Today is the first time Karlyle has learned that small talk without any benefit or loss calculation really exists.
"Well then, see you later."
Ash says and slowly lets go of his hand. The feeling of Ash's hand, which was obviously awkward and unfamiliar in the morning, has become familiar to him in just half a day. As Ash's warm and soft body temperature disappears, his hand feels so empty.
"I'll contact you later, Karlyle."
Their fingertips brush together then fall apart. Unconsciously feeling empty, the feeling he has been burying deep inside reveals itself a little on his face.
"....I'll wait for your call."
"Have a good rest, Karlyle."
After saying goodbye, Ash turns around. On the contrary, a strange feeling remains somewhere in Karlyle's heart. Watching Ash's back as he's walking to the other side, Karlyle stands still, losing himself in his thoughts. In the mansion behind him, there are works waiting for him.
Although he knows time is running out, Karlyle only moves after Ash has walked into the alley and entirely disappeared from his sight.