Chapter 75

* * *

Kaboom, another loud noise echoed. Dane anxiously looked up in the direction of the smoke. Whether someone was setting off bombs inside the building, the second plume of smoke was also rising from the same building. Not far from the street where people were gathered, people who had been working there could be seen running out, covering their mouths with handkerchiefs or outer garments. Dane immediately called the fire station.

"There are explosives, deploy right away. The address is..."

After asking them to request the deployment of a specialized bomb disposal unit in preparation for any additional bombs that might be there, he immediately hung up. Then he was about to rush into the building.

Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm from behind. Caught off guard by the forceful pull, Dane staggered and was dragged away. When he turned his head, his face immediately contorted. A pale-faced man was looking down at him, breathing heavily.

"What are you doing, are you crazy?"

Dane looked at Greyson Miller's face with a frown. What on earth was this man doing?

"Let go."

He tried to shake off the hand that was holding him, but it didn't work as intended. After failing several times to swing his arm, Dane finally couldn't hide his irritation and spat out roughly.

"I said let go? What are you doing?"

"What are YOU doing!"

Greyson shouted. For a moment, Dane's ears rang, and he hesitated. This bastard? Just as he was about to open his mouth in disbelief, Greyson quickly continued.

"There are explosives, who knows what will happen if you go in now, what are you doing?"

His face was deathly pale. As if Dane might be caught in an explosion right before his eyes and be torn to pieces.

Dane, who had been silently looking at Greyson, opened his mouth.

"Someone has to do it."

"Why does it have to be you, bomb experts will come, if you just wait..."

"I have to do it."

Dane interrupted Greyson's words that were pouring out. For a moment, Greyson hesitated.

"What?"

After a beat of silence, Dane opened his mouth to the question.

"I've also handled bomb disposal. I did it several times when I was in the military. So let go, it's my job."

He tried to remove the hand once more, but Greyson gripped his arm even more tightly. Now feeling pain, Dane's face contorted, and Greyson faltered but didn't loosen his grip.

"Why do you have to do it?"

He simply couldn't understand. Wasn't it obvious? Going into that place with his bare body where explosions were still being heard and flames were rising? Alone?

"Why do you have to be the one to do it, you might die!"

He said again, but there was no change in Dane's expression. At the gaze that just looked at him as if to say "what are you trying to say," Greyson instead deflated.

"Aren't you afraid of dying?"

At the hesitant question, Dane answered calmly.

"I am."

"Then why...!"

Greyson, who was about to press him again, covered his face with his free hand and let out a "haa." He had no idea what this situation was. Dane, who had been silently watching the confused man, opened his mouth.

"You have a large family, right?"

"...Six siblings."

Greyson reluctantly answered. What was the meaning of this question? As he pondered hard, Dane's face came into his view. A very faint smile appeared on the expression that had only looked bored until now. To Greyson, who was staring blankly in surprise, Dane whispered.

"People like you shouldn't die, that's why I'm doing it."

Greyson couldn't even blink now. Dane gently removed his hand, which had become stiff as if in a trance. This time, the hand came off easily, and Dane smiled. A serene smile he had never seen before. To the dumbfounded Greyson, he finally added.

"I'm alone, so it's okay."

"Da..."

Belatedly, Greyson tried to call his name, but he had already turned away. Greyson could no longer hold back Dane, who instantly disappeared into the building.

Explosion sounds continued. It was impossible to tell which was the sound of bombs going off and which was the sound of the building collapsing. Listening to the eerie roars mixed with people's screams, Greyson just stood there in a daze.

* * *

What had happened?

He tried to gather his thoughts somehow, but it was impossible. His mind was so tangled that he couldn't make any proper judgment. The sky, hazy with smoke, made even the passage of time unclear. He couldn't even judge how long he had been standing there. He was just watching. The uniformed people rushing urgently, and the people shouting as they came and went.

...And Dane Striker, who still hadn't come out.

How could he do such a thing?

No matter how much he mulled it over, he couldn't understand. Rushing in knowing he might die? Voluntarily?

Moreover, he wasn't even on duty. It wasn't a situation where he had to go in because of work, yet he risked his life without any compensation? Why?

This was the second time he had experienced this. Joshua Bailey had once risked his life for Greyson's brother, Chase. Despite having no guarantees.

But they were lovers. If they were prepared to sacrifice even their lives for each other, exactly as Greyson had imagined love to be, it was forcibly understandable. Of course, that didn't mean he understood it.

But Dane's case this time was completely different. There was no lover of Dane's inside. Not only no lover, but probably not even an acquaintance. Going into that building for complete strangers? Risking his life?

Nonsense, this absolutely couldn't happen...

Greyson was still in confusion, just standing and looking at the building where flames were rising. The black smoke had turned into a huge dark cloud, covering the entire sky.

* * *

It was roughly several hours later when Dane came out of the building. Covered in soot all over and with singed hair, he came out gasping for breath, supported by another firefighter, but fortunately, he was fine without any injuries.

"It's fortunate there were no more bombs."

Ezra said in a lightly admonishing voice.

"What were you thinking, rushing in like that? What could you do with just your bare body?"

To the obvious question, Dane answered nonchalantly.

"Since there are offices, I could find tools like box cutters, and if nothing else, at least I could help by locating the bombs."

"Stop doing dangerous things."

Ezra hit his back with a thud, sat Dane in the back of an ambulance, and hurriedly returned. Left alone, Dane drank the water given by the paramedic, occasionally coughing. He sat there, continuously supplying moisture to his parched throat. Soon after emptying one bottle and opening the cap of the next, a shadow suddenly fell over his head. Dane looked up and smirked.

"You haven't left yet?"

Greyson was looking down at Dane with an expressionless face. Considering how he always used to grin nonsensically, it was a very unfamiliar reaction. To Dane, who was blinking with a strange feeling, Greyson, who had been silent for a while, slowly opened his mouth.

"...You ruined the date."

At the quiet voice, so different from the rough shouting earlier, Dane felt strange.

"Ah, yes. I'm sorry."

Having apologized readily as always, he immediately smiled as if nothing had happened.

"Let's do it again. When should we do it?"

Greyson fell silent again. What was he thinking? Suddenly, Dane recalled. Had Greyson Miller always been such an inscrutable man?

"...Later."

After a long while, Greyson opened his mouth.

"Later, when I want to."

It wasn't a particularly difficult promise. Dane shrugged and answered.

"As you wish."

Greyson stared down at Dane for a while and eventually turned around. Without any farewell, he walked away with heavy steps. After staring at the back that quickly receded, Dane soon shifted his gaze and gulped down the water. The sunset was falling beyond the black rising smoke.