Chapter 24

They were brothers, after all. If he could be utilized as an ice pack, he could naturally be utilized as a pillow too. There shouldn't be any absolute difference.

Furthermore, their relationship right now could be described as fairly decent, right?

Asher calculated seriously for three seconds, his frame already initiating a shift to adjust his posture.

But during the fourth second, a wave of ghostly wailing put a violent stop to his attempt.

"Ash! Dad! Dad Asher! I beg you to save your child!!!"

Mason materializing out from nowhere, throwing his arms around Asher’s thigh.

Sebastian: "..."

Asher: "..."

Mason prostrated himself against the earth, clamping Asher's thigh. "Dad, teach me how to execute target shooting, alright? Do you have any idea that for yesterday’s assessment, I ran a full three kilometers?!"

"He failed to hit the inner three rings for ten consecutive rounds. The instructor even generously waived the remainder for him; it was truly catastrophic."

Asher: "..."

Where the hell did Caleb materialize out from now?

Squeezing the bridge of his nose with a massive headache: "Even if you relied entirely on raw luck to blindly guess, it shouldn't reach this extreme, right?"

"No, Ash. My stomach has too much fat; I can’t press myself flush against the earth!"

"..."

What a thoroughly packed justification.

Asher lifted his leg slightly, signaling Mason to release his grip. Mason released his hands compliancely, squatting down to the side to silently wipe his tears, looking exactly like a pitiful, chubby mushroom.

Asher couldn't bear the view. "I told you to lose weight a long time ago. If you simply peeled a sliver of that fat off your frame and handed it to Eugene, wouldn't it look perfect?"

Mason looked aggrieved. "I want to, too."

In truth, Mason was also over six feet tall, and weighing a hundred and sixty pounds wasn't excessively fat. But his skin was pristine white and his flesh lacked tight resilience, making him appear remarkably expanded, exactly like an over-fermented white flour bun.

The white flour bun genuinely felt a wave of profound grievance. "I know you and Boss Seb treat this Exemplary Student title with absolute contempt, but you also know that every year, the top national universities only grant our school a handful of early-admission slots. My grades can't secure rank one in the grade, so I can only rely on this front to add a few extra points."

"With your current grades, it’s not as if you can’t get in through the standard university entrance exam anyway."

"Securing a safety net brings peace of mind after all. When it comes to performance on the day, no one can guarantee anything. What if a catastrophic error occurs when the time comes, and I turn out to be short of exactly these early-admission points?"

Asher could see that Mason was genuinely distressed, and he possessed no reason to refrain from helping him, letting out a lazy yawn. "Fine, then. During the afternoon training, I’ll offer you a few pointers."

"Thank you for saving my life, Ash!"

Mason broke into a smile through his tears, instantly pulling a deflated inflatable pillow out from his uniform. Puffing his cheeks, he blew a few intense breaths, turning it into a plump, bouncy cushion.

Dropping to a single knee, he offered it up with both hands. "Your Majesty’s royal frame is exceptionally valuable; we subjects must ensure everything is meticulously prepared. May Your Majesty rest well, safeguarding your sacred health."

"Uh, you are dismissed."

"Thank you for the profound grace, Your Majesty!"

The silly giant retreated alongside the chubby mushroom.

Asher placed the soft pillow right near Sebastian’s thigh. Shifting his body horizontally, he dropped onto the bench, resting his head against the cushion while bending his legs. Closing his eyes, he initiated his morning nap.

The broad shoulder and solid thigh had clearly been completely forgotten.

Sebastian crossed his ten fingers, pressing his knuckles to let out a relentless series of sharp cracks.

Fine. Mason, is it? Consider it recorded.

Deep within a barren mountain forest, the foliage was dense and the air damp, leaving a catastrophic plague of insects and mosquitoes. Winged pests arrived in a relentless cycle to covet the little rose’s beautiful face, causing the little rose to show faint signs of exploding his thorns.

Sebastian covered Asher’s face with the cap, subsequently undoing his own uniform cuffs. Rolling the sleeves up past his elbows, he exposed two segments of tensed, slender forearms, before loosening his collar to reveal the pale, thin skin near his neck.

The pests, catching sight of the little rose being meticulously covered up, swiftly shifted to a fresh location. These were all young individuals possessing delicate skin; the pests drove straight into whatever spot was easy to harvest.

Beneath the cap, Asher’s tensed brows relaxed downward, his morning nap proceeding with absolute peace.

Meanwhile, tiny pink bumps surfaced across Sebastian's cold, pale skin.

It felt a bit itchy.

Tilting his head to look at Asher, he slid into deep thought for three seconds. Squinting his narrow eyes, he snapped an exceptionally sharp twig off the bushes sitting next to the bench, before delivering a sharp puncture to the inflatable pillow.

The exact fraction of a second the cushion deflated, he executed a swift swap—sliding his own thigh straight underneath to take its place.

In his sleep, Asher seemed to pick up on something being slightly amiss, yet he refrained from letting his thoughts drift too far. Turning his body, the hand originally resting beneath his neck instinctively wrapped around Sebastian’s leg.

His fingertips brushed past the base of the thigh. The hand Sebastian used to shield Asher's ears froze for a fraction of a second, his narrow eyes half-squinting, before he finally let out a slow, deliberate breath after a long while.

He had originally calculated that since he was shielding a certain someone from a catastrophic plague of pests, he should naturally claim a trace of beauty back from his frame in return; it was perfectly fair.

Except as he harvested this beauty, he had accidentally trapped half of his own system inside.

He had consistently deemed his own self-restraint to be excellent, yet recently, he simply couldn't hold his ground against a certain someone's constant allure delivered without a shred of self-awareness.

If he hadn't comprehended Asher's pure straight-Alpha nature to the absolute core, he would have begun to suspect that this person's level of play was exceptionally advanced.

But it was fine. Counting the days, the date for reaching adulthood wasn't far off after all.

Sebastian shielded Asher’s ear with one hand, utilizing a finger of his other hand to tap rhythmically against the back of the bench, his eyes cast down as he calculated something.

The members of the Beta and Omega brackets were out executing their morning run, while the members of the Alpha bracket weaponized the time to rest up. An occasional spectator lacking situational awareness was effortlessly blocked by Elliot without a trace, leaving no one to disturb them.

Asher’s sleep turned out to be remarkably solid this once.

When he woke up, the moment he opened his eyes, he caught sight of the inflatable pillow's catastrophic corpse resting on the ground, before slanting his head to stare blankly at the thigh supporting his head.

Asking with total guilt: "Uh... did I execute another wave of disgraceful acts after drifting off?"

Asher's sleeping posture was far from excellent—a secret known across the universe since childhood, so he possessed an excellent spirit for self-reflection regarding this front.

Sebastian put on a deadpan face. "Nothing, really. Don't blame yourself. The inflatable pillow Mason delivered lacked solid quality; it suddenly leaked on its own."

Presumably, once the cushion deflated and he was stripped of a pillow, the discomfort drove him to crawl straight onto the man's leg instead.

Asher sat upright. Snatching the cap resting nearby, he slapped it onto his head, blocking a trace of his face slightly. "With me sleeping for this long, your leg must be completely numb, right? Why the hell didn't you call me to wake up?"

"Nothing, really. Acceptable enough. I also caught a brief nap myself."

Sebastian’s expression and tone remained as flat and serene as usual, as if absolutely nothing had occurred.

This only fueled Asher’s embarrassment further, holding absolute conviction that he had behaved exactly like he did during his mating heat two nights ago—utilizing his hazy consciousness to blindly claim a personal benefit off the man. Slanting his gaze out from the corners of his eyes, he stole a glance downward beneath his cap brim.

His line of sight was blocked, allowing him to only view a segment of Sebastian's arm resting naturally against his thigh.

Slender, lean, and toned, a collection of tiny red bumps surfacing across the pale, clear skin.

Asher lifted his cap brim slightly, looking toward the near distance.

The Omega bracket only required a 1.5-kilometer morning run, so they had wrapped it up early to head to the cafeteria for breakfast, returning to the training field one after another.

Standing up abruptly, he paced toward the Omega bracket, leaving Sebastian with a line of instruction: "Stay right here, do not wander around."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "What's this, are you going to purchase a few oranges for me?"

The corner of Asher's mouth pulled into a slight smile. Refraining from turning his head, he gestured a perfect 'OK' sign behind his back.

Then, managing his appearance as he walked, he packed away the sallow daze he displayed upon waking, replacing it with a loose, cold, fierce aura as he drove straight into the crowd of Omegas.

In an instant, the Omegas held their breath, clenching their hands tightly. While indulging a beautiful dream where Asher would pace right before them to state, 'Omega, you have captured my absolute attention,' their eyes simultaneously locked onto him with total intensity—resolving to see exactly which lucky little fox spirit he was tracking down.

The lucky little fox spirit named Milo was carrying a massive plastic bag packed with bread and milk, bouncing over toward Asher. "Ash! You finally came to track me down! Do you have any idea? Ever since Sebastian transferred here, you rarely come to find me! I originally assumed I had lost my favored status!"

Asher’s gaze shifted away slightly. "How could that be? Can he be compared against you?"

Milo clutched the massive bag of breakfast, nodding his head like a chicken pecking rice with total delight.

Amazing. Although he had recently succumbed to Sebastian's devastating looks, and spent every day on the forum cheering for Sebastian, he still loved his Ash most after all—and his Ash loved him most in return. Truly excellent.

Reflecting further, he felt a bit moved. "So, Ash, what exactly are you looking for me for?"

Asher dropped his gaze onto the plastic bag in Milo's hand.

Milo caught the signal instantly. "Ah! This breakfast was originally purchased for you and Elliot, alongside Mason and Caleb. I estimated that the training intensity for the Alpha bracket was far too devastating, leaving you too exhausted to head to the cafeteria. How on earth are you going to handle the four-hundred-meter obstacle race later?"

With that, he hooked the loops of the bag straight onto Asher's finger.

Then, recalling something else, he fished a carton of milk and a small bag of bread back out from the plastic bag, lowering his voice to a whisper: "This portion is for Eugene. I'll deliver it to him in a bit. I caught sight of him yesterday being too frugal to purchase anything, merely chewing on a coarse corn bun. How on earth can his body handle that?"

His volume was exceptionally light, thoroughly terrified of anyone else catching the words, his tone a wave of well-intentioned complaint.

Asher reached out his hand to ruffle Milo’s head of short curls. "Compliant."

The surrounding Omegas felt their heartbeats flatline instantly.

Even Milo himself was utterly dumbfounded. He had enjoyed an excellent relationship with Ash in the past, yet Ash had never executed any physical contact against him. Now, he was actually executing a head-ruffle kill against him!!!

Could it be that his Ash had finally gained a romantic awakening—beholding his gentle, virtuous, sweet, and endearing nature, and preparing to launch a definitive attack against him?!

Whimper, so shy. He felt a bit buoyant.

Having experienced a mating heat once, Asher had managed to drag a sliver of his gender consciousness back, looking upon the fact that he was an Omega with an upstanding view and treating Milo strictly as a member of the same gender.

Consequently, regarding Milo’s vibrant internal drama, he remained completely oblivious. Holding the bag, he asked another question: "I recall your blood type is remarkably attractive to pests?"

"Mm!"

Sure enough, his Ash prioritized him this heavily, committing even the tiniest details to memory.

"Then you must have brought a massive horde of mosquito repellent, floral water, and ointment for smoothing out bumps?"

"Mm..."

The trajectory felt slightly amiss.

"Can you lend me a few?"

"Oh, sure."

Milo possessed absolute zero awareness regarding what was about to transpire. Pacing over to where his luggage sat, he fished through his backpack, opening it to retrieve a colossal cosmetics bag packed completely to the brim with repellent and itch-relief items.

"Ash, which model do you want?"

Asher squatted down, evaluating the collection of bottles and containers for a brief moment, failing to comprehend an Omega's meticulous lifestyle in the slightest. Then, extending his hand, he extracted the absolute smallest bottle from the mix.

Milo: "Heh, Ash, no need to be polite with me. This is merely a sample model, it's not—"

Asher stuffed the sample bottle straight back into Milo’s arms.

Then, encircling that cosmetics bag with a single arm, he stood fully upright. "Leaving one for you. I’ll take the remainder for now; whatever model turns out unsuitable, I’ll deliver it straight back to you later."

"No... it's more than enough."

By the time Milo completed his sentence, Asher had already paced a far distance away.

Lowering his head to look at the sample bottle resting in his hand, he lifted his head once more to track his Ash's silhouette. Piercing past Ash's side profile, his gaze landed securely onto the man who sat on the long bench, offering a soft smile as he waited for his Ash.

...

Didn't we strike an agreement that 'he cannot be compared against me'?

What kind of absolute lack of comparison is this supposed to be???

Hell, Alphas truly are all faithless predators.

Several Omegas who habitually enjoyed decent relations with Milo snapped back to their senses, leaning close to whisper in low voices, "Milo, you truly treat Ash exceptionally well. Speak the truth, do you harbor romantic feelings for Ash? True enough, Ash is handsome, Alpha, boasts stellar grades, and his family is exceptionally wealthy. But you treat him too well; launching an unrequited chase like this will never secure an Alpha."

Milo found it hilarious. "I have zero intention of chasing Ash; don't let your thoughts drift off target. You deem that I treat Ash too well simply because you lack the awareness of exactly how well Ash treats me."

Although they were infatuated, the surrounding Omegas retained a sliver of rationality, harboring deep skepticism toward this line: "Ash’s temper... could actually treat someone well?"

Milo nodded his head with total seriousness. "There are many matters you lack awareness of, which is why you merely deem Ash to be Alpha and handsome. But in truth, Ash isn't merely skilled at acting flashy; he is truly excellent—excellent to an extent that completely crosses your imagination."

"Then exactly how excellent must he be?"

"Probably... as excellent as the sun itself."

Milo looked toward the morning sun that had completely broken past the horizon in the east.

Asher would forever and always remain his absolute best friend, because this person had once arrived like the sun—bringing warmth and brilliant light to drench those anxious, terrified days of his past life.

He also possessed the awareness that this exact sun had likely once streamed into another person's lonely, dark years.

Therefore, even if that faithless predator named Asher had completely swindled every single bottle of his bug repellent away just to hand it to another faithless predator, he could completely find it in his heart to forgive him.

:)

True forgiveness, not a single fraction of anger present.