Chapter 161

Besides...

Greyson thought indifferently. Even if he struggled to go back, Dane wouldn't be there.

That's right. Dane was gone now. The house would be empty. Like before. And he would never welcome him back again.

Then why bother struggling to go back?

He tilted his head back and looked up at the dirty ceiling. What difference would it make whether he was there or here anyway?

Of course, many things would be different. Most of all, he wouldn't have to get beaten or tormented anymore. He wouldn't get spat on or burned with cigarettes either.

Nevertheless, Greyson felt no motivation whatsoever. He didn't feel like going through the trouble of breaking the handcuffs and killing all the guys outside just to go back. After all, there would be no one at home anyway. More precisely...

Dane wouldn't be there.

He just sat there in a daze. Whew, just as Greyson had slumped his body, his eyes suddenly sparkled.

"Ah."

Is this what depression feels like?

At the sudden thought, he let out a short exclamation. That's right, this is what depression is. The feeling of not wanting to do anything and sinking to the bottom. The helplessness of feeling like his whole body was being buried in an endlessly deep sand pit. So am I depressed right now?

Having thought that far, Greyson soon let out a deep sigh.

I didn't particularly want to know this.

He frowned and then let out a short groan. Even using his facial muscles slightly to make an expression wasn't easy. His face was torn, swollen, and covered in wounds all over.

"Ptui."

Just as he spat the blood-mixed saliva that had pooled in his mouth onto the floor, he suddenly felt a presence.

Who is it?

Greyson recalled the faces of the guys who had been coming to beat him, curse at him, and mock him one by one. The figure of the worst giant among them briefly flashed before his eyes, but he soon excluded him. The footsteps were light and barely audible. If it weren't for this situation, he would have thought someone was deliberately muffling their sounds to find him.

Of course, that won't happen.

Greyson analyzed the situation coldly. Then was it the smallest and thinnest guy among the gang? But that man walked more bouncily. There was no way he would walk this quietly.

Hmm, he fell deep into thought. In the end, there was only one answer. Someone new had come. Greyson frowned and then relaxed his expression when he felt pain.

I hope they don't burn me with fire.

While kidnapping people and doing this shit, they prayed and called on God every time. As if to justify their actions. Do it moderately, you idiots. Greyson thought.

Unfortunately, his phenotype was really the worst at times like this. His wounds healed too quickly. Even though it was clearly a wound that would have an ordinary person on their deathbed, his consciousness was clear. If he escaped from here in time and received proper treatment, there probably wouldn't even be many scars left. The problem was that he had no such motivation at all.

...Here they come.

The footsteps stopped in front of the door. For some reason, he didn't readily open the door and stood there for a moment. As if checking the surroundings. Or maybe he was deliberately dragging out time to scare Greyson. Even though this side was just blinking with a bored expression.

Click...

The door opened quietly. Seeing the door that usually opened wide with great momentum opening strangely quietly, Greyson was puzzled. And after a moment, an unexpected face appeared through the open door.

"Huh."

Greyson's expression, which had been bored until then, gradually changed. What? What's going on?

Am I dreaming right now?

The tall man who made eye contact with him, who was just blinking in surprise, stopped abruptly. The man's eyes seemed to widen, then his face contorted.

"Greyson, you..."

What the hell happened, that state you're in right now.

Dane barely swallowed the rest of his words, but that didn't change the situation before his eyes. Gone was his usual neat appearance; Greyson was covered in blood and dust, swollen, bleeding, and covered in wounds. Feeling his heart break at the miserable sight, Dane hurriedly approached, when suddenly Greyson's face turned pale.

Suddenly, a chilling "snap" sound echoed through the room.

"Wh-what?"

Surprised Dane stopped right in front of him. The moment he realized it was the sound of Greyson breaking the handcuffs, he suddenly covered his face with both hands and turned his large body to the side. Dane blinked in bewilderment.

"What are you doing?"

He asked incredulously, but there was no answer. This bastard? Dane was gradually getting annoyed.

"Hey, what are you doing? Are you playing around with me right now?"

When he roughly pressed him, only then did Greyson answer while hunched over as much as possible. As if crawling in, in a very small voice.

"Because I became ugly..."

Dane said nothing. Awkward silence fell between them. Dane, who had been blinking in amazement, raised his hand with a menacing face. The next sequence was to shout "You idiot!" and smack Greyson's head, but for some reason he hesitated.

Greyson was stubbornly burying his face in both hands, hiding it completely. As if he absolutely wouldn't show his messed-up appearance. Dane, who had been silently looking down at him, quietly bent down without saying anything. Kneeling on one knee, he moved the hand he was going to hit him with behind Greyson's head. He could feel him trembling finely. Dane tilted his head to one side and slowly brought his face close to Greyson's. And he gently pressed his lips against the back of his hand that was still covering his face.

...Huh?

Greyson blinked with his face buried in his hands. At the unexpected sensation, he became confused. What is this on the back of my hand? This warm temperature and breath, could it be...

When he carefully peeked through the gap he made by spreading his fingers, Dane's face was reflected. At his two eyes blinking as if dumbfounded, Dane frowned and smiled.

"Who says you're ugly?"

His voice was unbelievably gentle. When Greyson stopped moving with his eyes wide open in surprise, Dane grabbed his arm. Even though he didn't apply any force, Greyson's hand slowly came down as if drawn by that weight. As soon as his face was revealed, Dane, who had been waiting, looked into his eyes and chuckled.

"You're so pretty like this."

Greyson's mouth opened incredulously. His long eyelashes fluttered wildly up and down.

That wasn't the end. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against Greyson's lips. What gently touched was then pressed firmly, and a wet tongue gently licked inside his mouth. It was an undeniable kiss. To Greyson, who had stopped breathing in surprise, Dane said again.

"Really pretty, my pretty one."

Light slowly settled in Greyson's eyes. As if he finally believed Dane's words, his ears could be seen flapping wildly on both sides.

Ah.

Seeing that, Dane suddenly remembered.

Adorable.

A gentle smile spread across his lips. Dane felt stronger emotions than ever before, than for anyone else. Absurdly, for a man with a bigger build than himself. The next moment, Greyson suddenly embraced him.

"Dane...!"

Despite being in such a mess, it was unbelievably strong. For a moment, Dane felt like he couldn't breathe and was flustered. But he couldn't push him away. Because Greyson was holding Dane in his arms with all his strength, repeatedly making the same confession.

"I missed, I missed you... Dane, I missed you so much. So, so much..."

"Yeah."

Dane very gently patted his back. He was worried it might hurt, but it was actually unnecessary consideration. He was already embracing Dane with his whole body.

For a while, Dane left him like that. He thought it would be a good way to reassure him since it must have been difficult, but he couldn't drag out time for long.

"Alright, let's finish the rest after we get out."

Dane carefully separated him, being careful not to let Greyson get hurt more.

"I knocked out the guys who were guarding outside, but I don't know when they'll wake up. Let's get out of here quickly, I've secured a route."

"The rest?"

To Dane, who was hurriedly trying to lead the way, Greyson suddenly asked. He realized he had given him useless hope again, but it was already too late. Instead, Dane grabbed his arm and pulled him out while bringing up a different topic.

"Why didn't you escape? You could have."

On both of Greyson's wrists, the handcuffs that had become useless dangled like accessories. When Dane glanced at them and asked, Greyson hesitated and answered.

"My arm was broken and I couldn't control my strength... I might kill someone while escaping."

He glanced at Dane and added.

"You can't kill people."

Immediately Dane's face contorted.

"Idiot, this is self-defense."

For a moment, Greyson looked down at him with a blank expression.