211: THE END "Kuk kuk kuk, keu keu keu kuk." At his appearance of laughing continuously while his shoulders shook, Greyson blinked in bewilderment. Then Dane continued to let out meaningless laughter and said. "Isn't it too funny that I'm like this just from riding that thing?" The more he thought about it, the more absurd it was. He was a soldier who had been to battlefields. There had been countless times he had rushed into blazing fires to save people, and there had been times he had rushed in with his bare body to defuse bombs. Yet here he was in this state from a mere ride that at most just went up and down. The actual time riding it probably wasn't even 5 minutes. Greyson, who had been silently watching him shake his head as if pathetic while sighing "haa," opened his mouth. "Everyone has weak points." At those words, the laughter slowly disappeared from Dane's lips. Instead, to Dane who turned a bewildered gaze toward him, Greyson continued. "This is just a ride. You don't need to force yourself to be strong, I think it's fine if you just stay weak." Dane looked at his face without saying anything. Greyson was sincere, of course. He didn't doubt his words. Perhaps that was exactly what Greyson wanted. If that happened, Dane would stay by his side as he wished. Most certainly, above all. But… "I don't like that." At the words he bluntly put out, Greyson blinked as if flustered. At his wavering pupils as if he didn't know how to take these words, Dane brought up a faint smile. "I prefer getting strong at rides. That way, ahem, I can ride them with you." The latter part ended with a clearing of his throat as he felt embarrassed for no reason. Greyson's eyes went wide with surprise. It was obvious what he was thinking. He already guessed what words would come next. Before Greyson could ask him to hit his cheek, Dane first grabbed the back of his head and pulled him close. Their lips immediately overlapped and a sweet scent flowed into his mouth. It was Greyson's pheromone scent overflowing with joy. Haa, breath mixed with sighs could be felt on his lips. Every time saliva gathered on his tongue, his happiness seemed to spread through Dane's mouth to his whole body. And Dane became happy too. Because that was love. Dane, who slowly separated their lips, made eye contact with Greyson. Smiling with narrowed eyes, he whispered. "Is that enough?" "…Yeah." Greyson still nodded with a dazed face. He seemed to kiss well but not understand the situation. Dane lightly tapped his cheek with his fingertip and turned his head. His ears seemed to be getting hot for some reason. Should he pretend not to know and get up if Greyson spoke? Of course, he knew that wouldn't do. He had decided not to run away from this emotion, from Greyson, anymore. "Dane…" Greyson barely opened his mouth. The sun was just beginning to set. A white parabola was drawn across the reddening sky. And Greyson's words that he had barely managed to get out were soon buried in the sound of fireworks. Ah. Dane looked up at the sky in a daze. Like that time, bright light colored the entire sky brightly. Beautiful. Colorful brilliant fireworks scattered in all directions. One shot, then another. The fireworks continued to bloom toward the sky, explode, and fade gloriously. For a while, Dane sat looking up at the fireworks like that. Greyson, who had been waiting to speak to him, also hesitated and likewise turned his gaze to the sky. The fireworks continued to explode. The consecutive loud noises felt like they would make his ears go deaf. Yes, wouldn't this be enough? If it's now. After a loud "bang," Dane slowly opened his mouth. "I like you, Greyson." Greyson didn't understand the quiet voice at first. It was after two more fireworks exploded that he slowly turned his head to look at Dane. While feeling Greyson's gaze staring at him with wide eyes, Dane stubbornly continued looking only at the sky and continued speaking. "Last time you told me to break up. So today I wanted to tell you." And only then did he take his eyes off the fireworks and direct his gaze to Greyson. Making direct eye contact, Dane opened his mouth. "I love you, so let's not break up and stay together." Bang, ba-bang, bang, the sound of consecutive fireworks could be heard. People's cheers continued faintly. Even then, Greyson just looked at Dane with a blank face. Dane grinned and reached out to cover the back of Greyson's hand. At this action, Greyson was even more surprised and opened his eyes so wide they seemed like they would tear. "Stop it, idiot." Embarrassed by his reaction, Dane scolded him for no reason and gave a bitter smile. As if to soothe him, he petted his head and stopped his hand there, silently looking at Greyson. "I know my past wasn't very desirable." Dane continued quietly. Greyson held his breath and waited for his words. "I'm a lacking person in many ways, and I have many deficiencies. While living with you in the future, I might make things difficult for you in many aspects. No, it will definitely be that way." He revealed for the first time his weakest side that he had never told anyone before, that he himself had tried not to acknowledge. Meeting the unwavering gaze directed at him, Dane gave a faint smile. "I hope that when that happens, you won't give up on me." That was it. This was all Dane had prepared to say. What remained was Greyson's part. He might joyfully embrace Dane, or he might step back from the burden. He actually knew. That because he was this kind of person, no one had tried to get close to him until now. But the reason he confessed to this guy despite that was probably the same reason as when he told him about his mother. Dane's hand came down stroking Greyson's cheek. Greyson caught the hand that was about to withdraw. After looking at Dane's face for a while, he closed his eyes and buried his lips in Dane's palm. Watching this, Dane thought. Because this guy is Greyson Miller. "I never let go of what's mine." With his lips against Dane's palm, Greyson looked at him. "You gave yourself to me. So you're mine for life." At those words, Dane was momentarily flustered then let out a laugh. "I know, idiot." Dane bent his finger to pinch Greyson's cheek gently so it wouldn't hurt. Greyson smiled toward Dane. Just then, consecutive fireworks brightly colored his face. Ah, Dane remembered. The image of a man crying so much his whole face was soaked flickered before his eyes. Why couldn't I say anything then? Greyson had always, every time, come at me with his whole heart. His heart ached with belated guilt. Dane looked at Greyson and asked. "How was today? Do you think it was sufficiently successful?" When he reminded them of the purpose of coming here, a smile slowly spread across Greyson's face. Dane was once again entranced. Again a flower bloomed on his face. That brilliantly colored flower. "Of course, naturally." Greyson answered without hesitation. And he added with a smile covering his entire face. "I love Disneyland the most." Dane also slowly began to smile. He hoped his own memories would be diluted like Greyson's. That today's memories would remain forever and this place would always be revived as happiness. Bang, ba-bang, bang, the fireworks continued endlessly coloring the sky. They no longer exchanged any conversation. But the warmth of their clasped hands remained unchanged. Probably it would continue to be so in the future. No matter what happened, they would not let go of this warmth. Because this is the warmth of my happiness and love.

 210: Side story 14 "I love you." Greyson's heart was so full he had no choice but to confess. Dane, who had been about to bring the remaining piece of steak to his mouth, stopped and laughed as if incredulous. "Is that something to say suddenly while eating?" "What's wrong with it? I can say it anytime. I love you." Greyson repeated his confession as if to show him. Dane shook his head as if he was a hopeless guy, then chewed and swallowed the remaining meat in one bite. * * * "I love you." Greyson suddenly murmured. He belatedly realized he had said the same words as back then. Dane, who was driving, glanced over and chuckled as always. "I know, idiot." That was the end of it. It had been the same back then too. He didn't get the words "I love you" back from him, but it was okay. Greyson thought it was enough that Dane was going to Disneyland with him for his sake. Going to cover bad memories with good ones. It was the first time going to Disneyland since then. Just recalling the memory from last time was painful. It was still the same now. But things would be different now. Because Dane would make lots of happy memories for Greyson. "Booooobs!" Greyson sang the chorus at the top of his voice and slapped his thigh with one hand and Dane's chest with the other. Dane let it slide this time too. Along with the thought that this indulgence would be the last for today. Actually, he had bought new tools a few days ago. Of course, he planned to use them on Greyson. After playing to their heart's content at Disneyland, nighttime would be adult time. Thinking about how he would strip the excited Greyson naked, tie him up, and spank his butt, he just let the insolent hand that kept slapping his chest be. * * * "Woooow!" "Pretty, so pretty!" "Donald, over here! Donald!" Every time characters passed by, people let out cheers. Greyson was among them too. Whether they wore costume suits or makeup, he didn't discriminate and actively approached everyone to take pictures and pose, having a fun time. Of course, Dane just stood at a distance away from him, looking in another direction as if he didn't know him. However, he had no choice but to intervene when Greyson tried to fight with a child over getting candy that Winnie the Pooh was handing out first. "Do you want to fight with a kid at your age?" Dane shook his head as if it was pathetic. It wasn't just about being grown up. If they measured the height of people who came to Disneyland today, this man would definitely be in the top ten. Yet he was arguing with a child who didn't even reach his knees over just some candy. "But." Greyson said with dissatisfaction as if he had something to say too. "It was the last candy. That kid had three and I only had one." "One is enough." "You don't have any." Greyson straightened his face and widened his eyes. But even so, to Dane it was just pathetic. "I don't eat candy, so it's fine. Don't fight with kids from now on." "But…" Greyson blinked as if flustered. But Dane didn't care and sauntered away. "Look, there's Snow White over there." "Where?" Greyson's eyes lit up as if he had completely forgotten what just happened. Seeing the direction Dane pointed to, he ran off as if he had never been dejected. Watching his retreating figure, Dane shook his head and laughed. He could picture how much Ashley must have struggled taking six children around. Six is definitely too many. Looking down at children passing by holding their parents' hands, he suddenly thought. The sudden thought, however, didn't disappear easily like when it appeared, but lingered there. Dane stood there for a while, watching the passing children. Small, fragile, lovable beings. Fragile… "Dane?" At the sudden call, Dane came to his senses. When he turned his head, Greyson was coming toward him from a few steps away. He held a hot dog in each hand. "Here, eat this." "Oh, what, okay." When he received the hot dog in bewilderment, this time Greyson held out a soft drink. The two began walking with a hot dog and soft drink in each hand. The inside of the amusement park was endlessly vast. While walking along the large lake, the faces of people coming and going seemed full of happiness. There had been considerable expense buying two expensive tickets, but it was worth it. Because. "Dane, look at that!" Greyson shouted loudly and pointed upward. A sculptural structure symbolizing rides was looking down at them. In the end, Dane had no choice but to be dragged by Greyson to stand in line. Rides aren't really my thing… It couldn't be helped. Didn't he decide to accommodate Greyson as much as possible today? Dane steeled himself and reluctantly endured standing in the long line, waiting for their turn. After waiting for about 2 hours, their turn finally came. "Oh my, honey! That firefighter?" The staff member who was guiding suddenly recognized Dane and raised her voice. Next came photo time as expected. When she blew a kiss with her hand, Dane hesitated. In the past, he would have smiled and pretended to catch the kiss, but now he hesitated. Most of all, Greyson was right next to him. It would probably be better to just stay still… But there was no need to worry. Greyson, who had immediately raised his hand, snatched the transparent heart floating in the air right in front of Dane's eyes. And he grinned and pretended to press down hard on the heart in his large fist, then opened his palm. If that heart had substance, it would definitely have turned to powder and spilled on the floor. Both Dane and the staff member stared at Greyson with wide eyes. As if asking what this was about. "Get in, quickly." Before being embarrassed further, Dane quickly pushed Greyson inside. They went to the back and took seats in the narrow interior with rows divided like a theater. Soon the bar came down. The lights around them went out and a screen turned on in front of them. The stars of a famous movie series appeared and exchanged a few words. Just as he was watching without much thought, suddenly the entire space they were sitting in dropped straight down. "Uh… AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" At that moment, for the first time in his life, Dane screamed at the top of his lungs as if the world was ending. * * * Sounds of people chattering could be heard from all directions. The voices of those moving around looking for suitable spots as if a parade was about to start were also mixed in. Dane was slumped on a bench under the shade of a tree with his head tilted back and eyes closed. His face was unusually pale. His stomach wasn't good either. In fact, right after getting off the ride, he had thrown up all the hot dog and soft drink he had eaten just before riding. "Dane, Dane." At the calling voice, he had no choice but to lift his eyelids. Greyson was looking down at him with a worried face. "Drink some water." Dane took the plastic bottle he had bought and without saying anything, brought it to his mouth and emptied it all at once. Greyson took the empty bottle as if he had expected this and held out another bottle. This time Dane drank about half before putting down the remaining bottle. Am I actually alive right now? He thought with a haggard face. Every time the seat they were sitting in dropped, Dane's soul and internal organs seemed to hold hands and escape out of his mouth. Quite some time had passed since getting off the ride, but he still wasn't all there. "Ugh." "D-Dane." When he let out another pained groan, Greyson sat down next to him in panic and asked. "Are you okay? Do you feel like throwing up again? What should we do, should we go to the infirmary?" At the continuous stream of questions, Dane raised one hand to indicate his refusal. "I'm fine, I'll get better if I rest a bit." It seems like he's rested enough… Greyson was worried about him but couldn't force him to go. He had no choice but to sit next to him restlessly, when Dane, who had been blinking his half-open eyes and catching his breath for a while, suddenly chuckled.

 209: Side story 13 "Greyson sincerely wants to apologize. It's Chase who won't meet with him." At Dane's words, Joshua responded coldly. – That's the perspective of the person who did wrong, and whether to accept it or not is for this side to decide. "Right, you're correct." In the end, Dane raised both hands in surrender. "I'll think about what to give as a gift myself. Just give me some advice, please." This was the first time he had ever pleaded with someone else for something. Dane didn't cling to anything or become obsessed. Because of that, he had no reason to ask favors of anyone or cling to them. But for now, this was his only option. Joshua also knew this fact, so hearing those words, he was momentarily flustered. Going this far just for one gift? Dane Striker? If he hadn't experienced it directly, he would have thought it was a lie. But even hearing it firsthand, he couldn't believe it. Was the person he was talking to on the phone really Dane Striker? Joshua even began to wonder if this might be phishing. – …Advice? Joshua asked again as if to confirm. Dane said "yeah" as if he had been waiting. This too was a hard fact to believe. Actually, he had noticed when he first mentioned dating, but he had dismissed it thinking "no way." The other party was Dane Striker. A man who would have sex but could never become a lover. Having watched him for over 10 years, Joshua couldn't help but think that way. But he was dating? And the partner was Greyson Miller? – This is serious, right? When Joshua asked again, Dane gave the same answer this time too. "Yeah." There was no denying it anymore. They had repeated the same question and answer several times, yet Dane didn't even get annoyed. The image of Greyson crying out that he would save him while digging through the ground with his bare hands came vividly back to life before his eyes. …My head hurts. Joshua felt a migraine coming on and pressed his temple with one hand. Suddenly everything became bothersome. Thinking he should hang up quickly, he bluntly offered a solution. – Think back on what happened between you two. "What?" At Joshua's words, Dane asked back with curiosity. It was natural that he couldn't understand easily. After all, he was asking what kind of gift to give to someone he was dating, a so-called 'dating virgin.' Joshua calmly added an explanation. – I'm telling you to recall what happened between you and that bastard. There must be some special memories, so prepare a gift that can revive those. That's how you do it. And Joshua hung up without even saying goodbye. Dane looked down at the silent phone, then frowned as he searched his memory. Joshua's words made quite a bit of sense. Look back on memories. Right, not bad. He draped his neck over the sofa backrest and closed his eyes with his head tilted back. Like a counselee meeting a hypnotist, he slowly traced back his memories. From when they first met, then each thing that happened after… Boobs, boobs. Dane frowned and shook his head. Again. How did we first meet…? Venus, Venus. Dane's frown deepened even more. This time he shook his head even more vigorously. Again, again! From the beginning! Virginia, Virginia. "Damn it!" Finally, Dane suddenly shouted and bolted upright. Decent memories my ass, there's no way such things exist! What memories with that perverted bastard… …Ah. Dane, who had been breathing hard from surging anger, suddenly stopped at a memory that flashed by. In an instant, all memories disappeared and only one scene filled his mind completely. The dazzlingly bright sky, Greyson's face looking at him, the words he had said, all vividly. …Right, that's it. Only then did Dane truly understand Joshua's words. What he needed to do, as well. 6 The sky was always clear, but today it looked particularly blue. Perhaps it was just his mood. A person's mood can sometimes make even a hurricane feel like a cool breeze. Today was exactly like that. It had been a very long time since he'd had such pleasant weather. Greyson sat in the passenger seat of the car Dane was driving, humming a song and tapping his thigh with his palm to the beat. When Dane stopped the car at a traffic light, he would tap Dane's chest as if he had been waiting, but kindly substituted his own thigh for Venus while the car was moving. Of course, he never missed an opportunity when one arose, but Dane just let him be without any particular restraint. "Disneyland, I love it so much!" Greyson shouted excitedly. As he had once said, it was his favorite place. When he was very young, the whole family had gone there together to play. Unfortunately, Ashley had a hellish time trying to control the children who wandered around at will. Without any such reward, Chase and the other younger siblings were too young to remember that day. Because of that, memories of visiting such an amusement park remained only with Greyson, Nathaniel, and Stacy. And that was the last memory of the whole family going to an amusement park together. Because they had almost lost Larien in the midst of the chaos. After that, Ashley built an amusement park at home. With all the rides the children wanted installed, he thought this was enough. It was a way for the children to enjoy themselves safely without worrying about kidnapping or abduction. Nevertheless, children who weren't satisfied with that had to be taken out inevitably. One, or two, at most three was the limit they could travel together, and fortunately only Greyson, Stacy, and Larien wanted this, so Ashley could more or less fulfill the children's demands. Anyway, Greyson enjoyed this fantasy land every time and always returned with good memories. Except for just once. Thinking of that time, his excited mood settled down again. It couldn't be helped. It was the first time he had tasted such great despair in his life. …But. Greyson glanced at Dane beside him. His expressionless face driving silently made it difficult to know what he was thinking, but one thing was certain. Right now, he had decided to go to Disneyland solely for Greyson. * * * "What? Disneyland?" When Dane suddenly brought up that topic, Greyson's eyes went wide with surprise. This was the first time they had such a conversation during dinner together. To Greyson, who had stopped moving and forgotten he was tearing bread, Dane put a large piece of cut meat in his mouth and said while chewing. "Yeah, you said you liked it." "I do, but…" Greyson blinked in bewilderment. Blood was dripping from the barely cooked meat, but Dane didn't mind and brought the flesh to his mouth. Greyson watched this with hearts full in both eyes. So wild, so cool. Even while feeling the burdensome gaze, Dane continued as nonchalantly as possible. "So let's go. We don't have anything particular to do anyway." He gulped down wine like drinking beer, then put down the glass. "We should do something." Those words were about half sincere. Until now, Dane had lived saying his dream was to live leisurely for life until his mouth was worn out. He had seriously bought and scratched lottery tickets several times. They were all losers. Now he had many things to do. More precisely, many things to enjoy. There were many plans like cruises and skiing. Of course, Greyson was scheduled to stick to him like gum. At the very beginning of that glamorous schedule was Disneyland. "Bad memories should be covered with good memories." Dane said this to Greyson, who was still bewildered. At that moment, Greyson's heart began beating like crazy. His cheeks heated up and his eyes stung. What was this? To Greyson, who put both hands on his heart and breathed heavily, Dane said indifferently. "Emotion." "Huh?" When Greyson blinked and asked, Dane, who had drunk wine to wash down the meat together, looked at him. "Emotion, that's what you're feeling right now." "Ah…" Only then did Greyson let out an exclamation as if he understood. Seeing this, Dane smiled faintly while crinkling his eyes. "How is it, your current state?" Looking at his mischievous questioning face, Greyson blinked and answered. "My heart is beating like crazy." Dane made a short laughing sound. As Greyson was entranced by the refreshing sound, he said arrogantly. "That's because I'm cool." Even while thinking it was ridiculous, Greyson's heart continued to beat like crazy. It might be true. He finally admitted it. His heart was beating like this because that man was Dane Striker.

 208: Side story 12 Greyson stared intently at him and opened his mouth. "The people I hurt when I asked them to date me formed some kind of group." "They even made a group?" This bastard, just how has he been living? Dane inwardly clicked his tongue. Just when he was thinking it was fortunate he was even alive, suddenly Greyson brought up something unexpected. "Among them, there's a woman who slept with you." "Cough, ugh." Dane, who had reflexively coughed, immediately let out a scream. Greyson just silently watched him tense his whole body while grabbing his injured area. Haa, haa. Only after his rough breathing had somewhat subsided could Dane finally open his mouth with a pale face. "How, what?" "There's a woman who slept with both you and me." To his stammering question, Greyson repeated the same words as if to confirm it for him. But that wasn't the end. "Three of them." "Wait a minute…" Dane tried to say something, but Greyson was faster. He added coldly. "And one of them apparently slept with you multiple times." An awkward silence flowed. Dane felt cold sweat running down his back and frantically racked his brain. Soon he found a simple solution. "Anyway, since they also slept with you, it's fair. So that's settled." He smiled cheekily as usual, but Greyson didn't laugh. Another awkward silence arrived. Don't tell me he's going to throw a tantrum at me over past events? Dane suddenly thought. Until now, he had never been in a serious relationship, so he wasn't familiar with digging up and interrogating the past like this. Just as he was frantically rummaging through his mind for how to quickly escape this situation. "Are you really okay?" Greyson suddenly asked. At the unexpected question, Dane looked at him puzzledly. Unexpectedly, Greyson continued with a gloomy expression. "Will you be okay with just me? I… if you were to do such things with someone else in front of me again…" Greyson, who had taken a breath, added. "I don't think I could bear it." A heavy silence flowed. Dane looked at Greyson without saying anything. He had lowered his eyes and was avoiding Dane. He had clearly said he loved him, so what was this reaction? Dane couldn't help but feel bewildered. "Do you think I'd cheat on you or something?" At the quiet question, Greyson answered after a pause. "I want to believe you won't." It was an ambiguous answer that was neither here nor there. In the end, you're saying I will, you bastard. Dane's face contorted, but thinking about it, it was his own responsibility. Anyway, it was his fault for not giving Greyson trust. Because of that, Dane couldn't say anything more and just sent him away. * * * Recalling that day's conversation made him feel suffocated. He thought that was also part of the reason he was clinging to something like a gift. Anyway, he wanted to reassure Greyson. There had been no such conversations after that, and Greyson hadn't shown any particular signs either, but the heart he had once glimpsed kept making Dane look back. Damn it, what exactly should I do at times like this? He didn't like romance movies. He mainly watched B-grade zombie movies or action films, and it was the same with novels. Even when watching thrillers, if romantic parts came up, he would just skip them. It was a field he had so little interest in, yet suddenly the worst situation had popped up. While waiting for the signal, Dane tapped the steering wheel rapidly – tap tap tap – then forcibly returned his mind to the starting point. You were thinking about Greyson's gift, snap out of it. If he let his guard down even a little, his thoughts kept drifting elsewhere. Now wasn't the time for that. It was already too late. This time he was determined and focused on one thought. Greyson's gift, Greyson's gift. Soon he frowned and thought. …How do I persuade Joshua? * * * – A gift? Joshua, who had suddenly received contact, repeated what he had heard with curiosity. "Yeah." Dane continued dryly from the other end of the phone. "I have someone to give a gift to, but I've never done that kind of thing so I don't know much about it. You know well, since you've dated a lot." Joshua didn't let the word "too" slide by. – I also had human interactions, you didn't. "Yeah, yeah." Dane brushed off his words carelessly as always. Joshua wasn't particularly pleased with his attitude, but since he was originally that kind of person, it wasn't worth thinking deeply about. Anyway, he's not a bad guy, he thought as he asked again. – Who are you giving a gift to? I need to know the recipient first. As expected, the same question the firefighter guys had asked came back. Can't I just give anything? Dane thought, though he actually knew that was right. It was just embarrassing to say that fact with his own mouth again. But there was one thing that bothered him. He had casually mentioned "since you've dated a lot," yet this kind of question came back. This guy, is he more clueless than I thought? Dane had no choice but to confess honestly. "I have someone I'm dating." For a while, no sound came from the other end. Dane took the phone away from his ear and brought it back. "Hello? Hey, are you there?" – I'm here. At Joshua's answer, Dane finally leaned back against the sofa backrest again and asked. "You heard what I said, right? Why no response?" – I heard. Joshua answered briefly again. Waiting silently in the somewhat ominous atmosphere, Joshua opened his mouth. – Don't tell me it's that bastard? He wanted to play dumb and ask who "that bastard" was, but it would just be a waste of time. Joshua had gone together to rescue Greyson that day, and had directly witnessed Greyson going crazy trying to save Dane after the bomb exploded. In this situation, if Dane said he was dating someone, it was natural to deduce that the person was Greyson Miller. "Well…" Dane couldn't answer easily and trailed off. "That's how it turned out." As expected, this was all he could say. Since it was his first relationship, everything was just embarrassing and awkward. Even the confession he had just made, he could feel his face heating up the moment he said it out loud. Damn it, as he swallowed the curse inwardly, Joshua's voice came from the other end. – What the hell is this… Cold anger was embedded in his calm voice. He might be dumbfounded, or perhaps both. Dane struck first before he could pour out his words. "I'll tell you in advance, you were the one who caused this." – What bullshit are you talking about, you crazy bastard? Curses burst from Joshua's mouth. Dane gave his own excuse. "You gave me that job request, which is how I got involved with that bastard. Nothing happened before that." – Did I tell you to kidnap that bastard or to roll around with him? I knew I shouldn't have trusted you, you promiscuous bastard. And now you shamelessly ask me about gifts for that bastard? How dare you? Joshua was truly jumping mad. Since it wasn't incomprehensible, Dane obediently apologized. "Rolling around was my fault, you're right." Anyway, it was a definite fact that Chase had been harmed by Greyson and Joshua's feelings were also bad because of it. So naturally he'd be angry hearing this kind of story. Since Dane wasn't a naive child who believed honesty was always best, in this case too, he had to quickly come up with a solution.

 207: Side story 11 Soon admiration flowed out. For Dane Striker to say such things was truly wondrous. Feeling somehow embarrassed by his former colleagues' admiration, suddenly another guy asked. "What does that woman look like? It is a woman, right?" "Do you have a photo? Tell us, I'm curious what she looks like!" "Right, a photo. Show us a photo!" "Photo! Photo!" Seeing the guys waving their arms and chanting slogans, Dane felt complicated emotions. These bastards, if they saw that guy's photo, they wouldn't be able to chatter excitedly like this. Someone might even collapse from shock. Thinking of their profession where emergencies could break out at any time, he wanted to avoid dangerous situations. "I don't have a photo, sorry." When Dane shook his head and refused, boos immediately flew at him. "Boo, liar." "Boooo." The guys flipped their thumbs down and poured out boos, but of course it had no impact on Dane at all. At his appearance of crossing his arms and looking at them as if to say 'Try harder, losers,' they soon had no choice but to back down. But that didn't mean they had given up. "At least tell us this – is she pretty? Sexy?" One guy quickly stepped forward and asked. At the persistent question as if he would somehow pick up even crumbs, Dane chuckled and answered. "She's pretty, tremendously so." "She would be in your eyes, naturally." DeAndre spoke sarcastically. The other guys seemed to think the same way and laughed making whooshing sounds. Dane also said without erasing his smile. "Isn't it enough if she's pretty in my eyes?" "That's true." The guy who had asked reluctantly said. Then another guy next to him also chimed in. "If Dane is dating her, she must be an incredible beauty." "She must be glamorous. Like this." "Her voice is probably husky." It was arbitrarily pieced together, but in some ways it was interesting that it was correct. Greyson was a tremendous beauty in Dane's eyes, and his body was also very well-toned as if sculpted. "…Similar." Dane muttered as if talking to himself. Soon his former colleagues began turning their attention one by one. Dane continued speaking to them. "When he's in a good mood, he moves his ears. That's incredibly cute. Sometimes when he gets lonely because of me, he even cries, and while I feel sorry, I find it so lovable that I want to shower him with kisses. Plus he often sulks, and each time I see that guy as a puppy and I'm going crazy. Sometimes I really want to check if it's right that he doesn't have a tail. And that bastard knows he's pretty too. Sometimes when I call him pretty, he likes it and moves his ears. Cute, right? Don't you think so?" Having said that much, Dane suddenly realized the surroundings were quiet. He belatedly realized reality, but it was already too late. In the awkward atmosphere, he could only blink, when suddenly DeAndre pointed at him. "Huh? You're smiling?" At those words, Dane realized he had been smiling the whole time while talking about Greyson. But even after knowing this fact, the corners of his mouth wouldn't come down. Rather, suddenly missing Greyson, he simply wrapped up. "Right, isn't that enough now? I should get going. That guy is probably waiting." "Oh, uh… yeah, see you next time." "Take care, Dane." "Bye…" They exchanged greetings and after Dane left, they stood there blankly just staring at the closed door. "He was serious, that guy." Someone broke the silence by muttering. As if those words were a signal, other voices followed. "For Dane Striker to settle down, the world really…" "What kind of woman could it be? If they end up getting married, we'll be able to see her, right?" "Of course. I really hope the two of them get married." "Since it's the first time seeing Dane like this, they'll probably work out well." "What kind of style could it be? How about we try to guess?" At someone's suggestion, they each began naming the most beautiful woman they could think of. Of course, DeAndre was completely excluded from the group because he named Valentina. And they reached a consensus on the greatest actress of their time. The most beautiful, most talented at acting, most sexy, the greatest beauty anyone would acknowledge. It was Naomi Parker. * * * What should I do now? Dane fell into serious contemplation while driving down the road. It was astounding that so many heads were of no help at all, but there was no time to just feel frustrated. If he didn't somehow solve this problem, the stone sitting on his chest wouldn't seem to go down. Since that day, Greyson had been bringing gifts every single day. Sometimes wine glasses, sometimes limited edition sneakers, and other times even custom clothes for all three of them including Darling. Soon Dane's room was filled with miscellaneous items. Actually, Dane wasn't the type to be greedy for material things, so this situation was extremely troublesome. Most of all, he hated being in debt. Since he had decided to become lovers with Greyson, it wasn't quite right to call it debt, but it was still burdensome. "You don't need to buy this much stuff. If there's something I need, I'll tell you." Finally, Dane expressed his refusal to him. Greyson looked clearly disappointed, but if he didn't do this, someday he would die buried under the miscellaneous items that guy kept buying. After finally stopping the gift offensive, his worries returned to square one. What should I do for him? Thinking about everything Greyson had showered on him made it even more impossible to find an answer. Even if he gathered all his remaining fortune, he wouldn't be able to buy even the wing of the ugly swan sculpture made of crystal that Greyson had bought. Why does he even buy things like that? After thinking irritably, he soon returned his thoughts to the earlier point. What should I do for him? There was one more person he could ask about this. It was Joshua. He would be quite helpful since they had hung out together a lot and had many compatible aspects. Having lived with Chase Miller, his taste would have improved quite a bit, making him the perfect person to ask. Ever since Joshua had correctly guessed the price of the necklace Ezra's bear doll was wearing last time, Dane had great trust in him in that regard. However, despite this, there was a reason he hadn't contacted him first and instead went to those useless firefighter guys. * * * "You still haven't made up with your younger brother?" Around the time when his reopened wounds had somewhat healed and Dane could sit up in bed, he heard unexpected words from Greyson. Greyson nodded while sitting askew with his elbow resting on one leg and his chin propped up. "He won't meet with me. He keeps running away, that bastard." His face, deeply frowning, was full of displeasure. "For someone like Chase to treat me like a bug, it's really ridiculous. Don't you think so?" It was a tone as if asking him to take his side, but Dane's thoughts were different. Since he also knew how much this guy could upset people when he set his mind to it, he couldn't simply take Greyson's side. When Dane showed no reaction, Greyson soon looked disappointed and let his mouth droop. Seeing him like that, Dane deliberately changed the subject and asked. "What about other people? Are you finished settling all the past matters now?" "Well… I guess so." Greyson seemed to think for a moment, then suddenly frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Dane, there's something I heard while going around apologizing." "What is it?" With an ominous feeling, Dane backed away as if on guard. Though all he did was lean back more closely against the pillow.

 206: Side story 10 "No, I didn't see it. What I saw wasn't that…" He was about to speak but soon hesitated. As his mother from his dream came back to life in his mind, a corner of his heart felt warm. As he had sensed then, he never saw her again after that. Probably never would in the future either. But even thinking that, Dane's heart wasn't painful or sad. The guilt, hatred, and anguish he had always felt whenever he thought of his mother were no longer there. He simply accepted their past as it was. Thinking that perhaps he too, like other people, might be able to live normally accepting and loving others. Even my own child. At the sudden thought, he snapped back to attention. What am I suddenly thinking? A child, that's nonsense. "Dane?" At the calling voice, Dane returned to reality. When he raised his head, the other guys were looking at him curiously. Dane soon smiled nonchalantly and changed the subject. "I didn't see anything special. More than that, I have something I'm curious about – can you guys give me some advice?" "Advice?" "To us?" The guys were surprised and focused their attention on him. Feeling somewhat burdened, Dane opened his mouth. "Actually, I have something to give someone as a gift, and I want to know what you guys usually do when giving gifts." "A gift?" "What do you usually do?" The guys who had repeated Dane's words exactly seemed to think for a moment while stroking their chins, then came up with ideas one by one. "I gave my younger brother a book last time. A new book in the series that guy likes came out." "I waited in line to get the tumbler my daughter wanted. Man, she was so happy." "There was some snack that's hard to get these days. I ransacked fifteen stores for that. But after all that trouble getting it for her, she said it tasted like dog piss and threw away more than half without eating it. I still feel wronged when I think about it!" "What's dog piss taste? How do you know that?" "It's probably similar to human piss." "How do you know what human piss tastes like?" As expected, the conversation began flowing in a ridiculous direction. Dane just silently watched the pathetic sight of his former colleagues starting to chatter about useless topics. Along with the regret of having chosen the wrong people to ask. "But who's the recipient?" Just as he was sighing, someone suddenly threw out a question. At the sudden question, he unconsciously raised his head to find everyone's attention had turned to him. "Right, gifts vary depending on who the recipient is." "Come to think of it, Dane giving someone a gift – isn't this the first time?" "Well, he did bring things to our kids' birthday parties and such, but if it's not that kind of thing, it's the first time." After exchanging words here and there, they all looked at Dane with curious gazes. Their eyes were sparkling unprecedentedly. Under their threatening gazes that seemed to say they knew everything so he should confess honestly, Dane quickly raised both hands and denied it. "No, it's not that kind of thing." "It's not?" "No?" The guys grinned and flashed mischievous looks. Dane straightened his face and emphasized again. "I said it's not. Really not." "He says it's not." "What's not about it?" "What is it that's not? What, what?" They were determined to hear the inside story from Dane. I really shouldn't have come here. Dane gritted his teeth while reflecting on his deep regret. "You bastards, I'm never coming again." "That's that, but tell us now." "What happened? Whose gift is it?" "Dane only spends money on condoms or alcohol, right? But a gift? This isn't ordinary." "Of course, this is a huge incident. An enormous scoop!" Seeing the guys even high-five each other, there was nowhere left to retreat. DeAndre and several others were already blocking the door. He was completely trapped. "Haaaa." Finally, Dane sighed and declared surrender. "You guys are right." "We're riiiight?" "What is it thooough?" These bastards. At their attitude of being determined to hear an answer from Dane until the end, Dane finally spat out through gritted teeth. "I have someone I'm dating. Satisfied? Huh?" "Wooooooo!" "Waaaahhh!" "Yee-haw, yee-haw! Yee-haw!" In an instant, the guys let out cheers and ran around the room wildly. One guy even climbed on a bench and waved one arm above his head like a cowboy, pretending to ride a horse. After a commotion broke out, they finally calmed their excitement and crowded around Dane. "How did you meet? What kind of person are they?" "Since when have you been dating? You sly bastard, you've been hiding this from us all this time!" "So that's why you seemed depressed all that time without having one-night stands?" At someone's question, everyone went "ah" as if realizing something and snapped their fingers with a click. "That's it! Right, you were really strange back then, weren't you?" "It was from that time, I never would have imagined." "This bastard, it's been that long and you didn't say a word to us, then quit your job?" "Amazing. For a promiscuous guy like you to suddenly change like that. What kind of person could it be?" Everyone was thinking the same thing. Of course, the direction of their curiosity was also the same. What kind of person could have captured this playboy? Seeing fully grown, dark-complexioned men sitting around with sparkling eyes like teenage girls wanting to hear his love story, Dane was astounded but had no way to escape. Finally, he let out a frustrated breath and opened his mouth. "I just happened to get to know them." "Just happened? What do you mean just happened?" "Did you meet at a club? A one-night stand partner?" "Is it a woman? A man? Pretty? Glamorous? Sexy?" "So what happened? Why are you buying a gift? Why were you depressed back then?" He had only said one sentence, but the following questions were several times more numerous. Dane busily racked his brain on how to get out of this crisis. "First, everyone calm down, calm down." To buy time, he raised both hands and soothed them with "whoa, whoa," waiting for the guys to quiet down somewhat before opening his mouth. "I really got to know them by chance. Just passing by and getting to know them, something like that." "Does that make sense?" "It does for Dane, let's hear him out first." "You be quiet. Dane, so then?" Someone raised an objection but it was immediately dismissed. After the surroundings became quiet again, Dane spoke. "I happened to meet them a few times and asked to date… after that, it's similar to you guys. We fought, broke up, met again, and it became like that." It was an excessive abbreviation. Hungry hyenas wouldn't be satisfied with this. "That's it?" "It's too short, tell us in more detail!" Outcries immediately poured out, but Dane had already stood up from his seat. "That's enough for now, the rest next time." His former colleagues had expressions full of dissatisfaction, but his attitude was firm. Then another question flew at him. "How did you end up dating that person? Until now you just slept around like crazy but never actually dated anyone." Right, right, heads nodded here and there. It was an undeniable fact. Everyone knew how promiscuous Dane had been. He who had the principle of liking sex but never forming deep relationships was dating someone? And even preparing a gift? How did he come to have such feelings? Under their curious gazes, Dane was silent for a moment as if pondering, then opened his mouth. "Just… how should I put it." He continued after a pause as if choosing appropriate words. "When I came to my senses, I found myself thinking I liked them. I thought it wouldn't be bad to be together with this person in the future, something like that." "Ohhh…"

 205: Side story 9 "This is everything? There's not much?" Greyson, who had swept over the few items Dane was holding at a glance, asked. Dane answered indifferently with a "well." "Most of it is already here anyway…" "Right!" Just as Dane was about to say more, Greyson suddenly cut him off. To Dane, who had stopped in bewilderment, he continued excitedly. "Look at this, Dane. I replaced the bed and all the furniture with new ones!" "What?" When he checked belatedly, it was true. Was the unfamiliarity he had felt earlier because of this? To Dane, who had become somewhat dazed, Greyson continued. "This is the window remote, this is the TV remote, this is the curtain remote, this is the speaker remote…" Greyson, who had been continuously showing him items in the room one by one, suddenly walked lightly to Dane's bed. "Ta-da!" What he excitedly showed was pajamas. As he watched in confusion at the soft silk shimmering and gleaming, Greyson continued. "I bought a few gifts to commemorate you living in our house. Of course, they're all pairs." "…Pairs." When he repeated his words a beat late, Greyson nodded greatly. "I bought the same design for both of us. This is a bathrobe. This is also a pair, and these slippers are also a pair. And…" Greyson, who had been continuously taking out various things, went toward the living room and showed something that had been placed on the table. "It's a mug!" For a moment, Dane's entire body stiffened. Completely unaware of his reaction of breaking out in cold sweat behind his back, Greyson excitedly returned to Dane holding one cup in each hand. "Look at this, I put our names on them one each. You're Greyson, I'm Dane. If we drink with each other's names switched, it'll feel like an indirect kiss, right? So good! Spit in here when you drink coffee. Then it's really kissing, right? How about it? Good idea, right? Awesome, right? Huh?" Greyson kept asking him, but Dane couldn't think of what to say. The cups Greyson was holding were incomparable to what he had, even at a glance. The black porcelain had names engraved in gold, and even to Dane's eyes, who didn't know much about fonts or materials, he could tell they were tremendously expensive items. Of course, even if that weren't the case, considering the shops Greyson frequented, it would be a natural result. But still, Dane couldn't help but ask. "…How much are these?" "Huh? Well, how much were they?" Naturally, Greyson didn't know. Of course, this guy wouldn't ask about prices when buying things. Because of that, Dane changed the content of his question. "Where did you buy them?" The answer that came back was a famous luxury brand that even Dane had heard of. To Dane, who was left speechless, Greyson continued talking obliviously. "Tell me if there's anything you want. Ah, should we go together next time? We have a lot to buy for our cruise trip anyway. That's right! Let's buy matching swimwear to wear on the cruise. Everyone will know we're lovers, right? So perfect! That's exactly it!" Greyson chattered away excitedly by himself. Dane responded to his words with "yeah," "uh-huh," and such, while slyly hiding the paper bag containing the mug behind his back. Damn it, I knew this would happen. That night, Dane, who had finally managed to be alone, hurriedly looked up the cup Greyson had bought on his phone and ended up holding his head. The price written on the website was a whopping $12,300. He almost spat out a curse. Although engraving the names was free, it was no consolation at all. For this price, of course it should be free. Dane gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. On the table, that cup was still placed majestically, shining brilliantly. His $27 mug was so, so shabby in comparison. Damn it, I should have bought that $52 one earlier. Dane regretted it, but it was already too late. Even if he went and bought that mug now, the situation wouldn't change. He needed something different. Not a mug, and something more expensive. "Ugh." He ended up letting out a groan while holding his head. Suddenly, regret washed over him. I shouldn't have suggested living together. If Greyson knew he was having such thoughts just because of a gift, he would immediately throw that expensive mug to the floor and smash it to pieces. Anyway, he had made his own effort to feel good and celebrate. Dane didn't want to disappoint Greyson. "Haa." After letting out a deep sigh, he changed his mind. This was exactly when he needed the help of friends. And the person he would ask for advice was obvious. * * * "Dane, welcome!" "How have you been? You look healthy, that's a relief." "What's going on? Did you drop by on your way somewhere? Nice to see you! Come sit over here." "What do you want to drink? Should I bring you a beverage?" As soon as Dane appeared at the fire station, his former colleagues welcomed him with delight. Seeing them bustling around here and there, saying they'd bring drinks and snacks, Dane finally felt at ease. After downing half of the cold carbonated drink in the can in one go, he let out a refreshing breath and only then regained his usual composure. "I just thought of you guys and dropped by. You all seem to be doing well." At Dane's words, the guys started laughing and chattering from here and there. "Of course we're doing well. We're relieved that you seem to be doing well too." "You seemed pretty badly hurt when we went to the hospital last time, but I guess you're all better now? You've completely recovered, right?" "Everyone was surprised when you suddenly said you were quitting. Are you never coming back? So what are you doing now?" At the expected questions, Dane vaguely brushed off his answers with "well." "I should slowly think about it while spending the money I've saved. Anyway, I think I need to rest a bit." "That's true. You were excessively diligent." When one guy nodded, the other guys also agreed, continuing the conversation. "You don't have a family to support, so you can do that. It would be good to travel while you're at it." "Think slowly about what to do in the future, there's no rush." To his old colleagues who patted his shoulder encouragingly, Dane briefly answered, "Thanks." Seeing him like this, DeAndre tilted his head curiously. "You've changed a bit." "Me? In what way?" At Dane's question, the other guys also turned their attention to DeAndre. He scratched his head, flustered by the sudden focused attention. "Well, it's hard to pinpoint exactly… I'd say you've become softer. Or maybe more relaxed…" He rambled without giving a proper explanation, but the other guys who heard this seemed to understand. They exchanged glances and began speaking one by one. "That's true, I felt it too. You were always laid-back before, but it's somehow different." "You've become gentler." "Right, you used to be sharp sometimes, but that's gone." "Did you realize something after almost dying a few times? Or did you go across some river somewhere?" One guy asked jokingly. Soon the other guys also laughed and joined in. "You can't come back if you cross that river. And apparently you see some kind of light in reality." "Right, I read in a book that light envelops your body. People who survived bounced back from there." "What happened? Did you see it too? Really?" The joke turned into curiosity. Dane chuckled at seeing his old colleagues spouting nonsense just like before.