Chapter 147

In the middle of the display case filled with gorgeous porcelain, sculptures, expensive plates, and other obviously precious items, there was an awkwardly empty space. It was exactly where the dog treat can that Dane had given him had been placed.

Dane just stared at the display case with his gaze fixed.

<It's the first time you've given me a gift.>

Greyson had said in a faintly trembling voice. His flushed face, his sparkling eyes that had looked at Dane as if moved.

<It's not even that expensive, so you don't need to be particularly grateful.>

His own words came back to life. What happened after that?

Greyson hadn't said anything. No, he had just opened and closed his mouth as if he couldn't find words to say. His face as he looked at Dane while preciously holding that small can in his large hands, his twitching ears.

<That was the first gift you ever gave me. No matter what you give me, it can't be exchanged for that. It was my most precious treasure.>

Greyson's face as he had cried out in frustration overlapped on top of that. With a face flushed red in a different meaning from before, he had muttered.

<My Diana...>

Dane just looked at the empty display case without saying anything. That space, so shabby and ridiculously empty among the gorgeous and famous works that filled the other compartments.

But even while thinking that, he still couldn't take his eyes away and just stayed frozen like that for a long time.

There were 6 days remaining.

25

"Boobs, boobs. Boobs, boobs."

Greyson hummed excitedly. Finally, all the committee hearings were over. With a more excited heart than ever, he headed home. Dane would be waiting today too. Today was a special day, so they had to celebrate. Because of this, he had specially prepared a huge bouquet that he had ordered. He had told them to stock up on ingredients in advance, so dinner would be prepared lavishly too. They would drink wine together and eat dessert. And then next...

"Hehehe."

Laughter spilled out naturally. Greyson raised his shoulders and increased the car's speed. When he had opened his eyes in the morning, Dane had already left for work. But the traces of being with him the night before remained clearly on the bed, so Greyson had buried his nose in the sheets with dried semen and masturbated twice.

It's certain, Dane likes me too.

He was convinced. Otherwise, there would be no reason to have sex with Greyson, right? It wasn't a rut, and there hadn't been any such incident.

Though he did kidnap my most precious thing.

Greyson briefly wrinkled his nose and then relaxed his expression. But still, to attack him so actively like that, it's not like Dane, right? Plus sleeping together. This is definitely that.

"Dane also loves me...!"

His heart was pounding so much he couldn't say the next words. Greyson gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands and took deep breaths. Haa, haa. As his shoulders moved up and down, his face suddenly appeared in the rearview mirror. Seeing his ears moving on their own, he unconsciously frowned but ignored it. Whether that thing moved or not wasn't important right now. What was important was his and Dane's future.

Only 6 days left now.

No, precisely 5 days and a few hours. Today was almost over.

It was time to have a showdown. Until the day before, he had been inwardly anxious, but now it was different. He ran eagerly with hope. He wanted to see Dane quickly. He would hug Dane, kiss him, and tell him he loved him.

Even if Dane hadn't made up his mind yet...

An ominous thought raised its head, but he was confident. Then he would have to persuade him. Until now, when Greyson was stubborn, pleaded, and begged, he eventually gave in. He might sigh, maybe even get annoyed. But anyway, as long as he stayed...

That alone would be enough.

Greyson put more force on the foot pressing the accelerator. The supercar made a terrifying sound as it raced down the road.

* * *

Dane was sitting on the sofa in his room. He was slowly stroking Darling, who was on his lap, but showed no other movement as if he was deeply lost in thought. After spending time like that for a while, he suddenly came to his senses. When he turned his head, he could see the sun was already setting.

Oh no, Dane clicked his tongue briefly and picked up Darling. After placing the cat on her favorite cushion, he turned around holding an empty mug. He was about to put away the finished cup when, just as he was about to grab the door handle, he heard a knock.

Knock knock knock, knock knock.

At the rhythmic sound, Dane hesitated but soon turned the handle and opened the door.

"Oh."

Greyson, who had been about to knock again with his hand raised in the air, stopped. Dane shifted his gaze from his surprised face to his hand and then fixed his eyes back on his face.

"What?"

At the indifferent voice, Greyson soon smiled brightly and said.

"I've prepared dinner."

"Really?"

Since it was always happening, there was nothing special about it. Dane closed the door without much comment and leisurely headed to the snack bar as usual. He had imagined a simply prepared dinner as always, but unexpectedly, Greyson grabbed his arm and pulled him.

"This way."

When Dane blinked, Greyson smiled, took his hand, and walked ahead. At his steps that seemed lighter than usual, Dane couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you plotting again?"

At Dane's question, Greyson just made a laughing sound. Anyway, Dane shook his head as if he had no choice and obediently followed him. The place Greyson headed to was the dining room on the first floor.

"Come, go in."

Greyson opened the door, stepped aside, and elegantly drew an arc with one arm. Dane, who had entered puzzled, stopped dead at the entrance.

An completely unexpected scene was spread before his eyes. Dane's eyes went wide at a dining table more splendid than the morning of his first day here.

With a three-tier cake placed in the center, on one side was a turkey that you'd only eat on Thanksgiving, and on the other side was an enormous lobster placed majestically. And the side with the turkey was full of meat dishes - chicken prepared in all kinds of ways, lamb, beef, veal, and even pork in tremendous quantities. Around the lobster were seafood - huge crabs, salmon, grilled marlin, and even sushi. There were three types of salad, and bread included pastries, loaves, muffins, and properly cut baguettes filling baskets, plus stews, soups, and all kinds of foods he had never heard of or seen.

It wasn't just the dining table. On the walls, candles stuck in gorgeous golden candlesticks burned brilliantly, a huge chandelier shone from the ceiling, and the walls were full of all kinds of decorations and flowers.

"Wh-what is this..."

Dane muttered blankly with his mouth agape. Was this a movie filming? The teapot wasn't going to suddenly start singing and dancing, was it?

He knew it was an absurd imagination. But the situation unfolding before his eyes was even more absurd. As he was watching to see when the teapot would move, Greyson suddenly came to his side and spoke.

"How is it? Is it okay? Do you like it?"

"No, well."

Dane stammered, unable to continue, and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, nothing had changed. Only then did he accept reality.

"What is all this? What's suddenly going on?"

To Dane, who was still bewildered, Greyson answered in a more excited voice than usual.

"There's a lot to celebrate today."

"What?"

Was it his birthday? When Dane hesitated, looking at the cake that caught his eye, Greyson said.

"Finally, the committee hearings are over. I'm free now!"

Along with those words, Greyson set off a birthday firecracker. With a "pop" sound, cheap paper scraps scattered in all directions. Dane, who had just been blinking, finally nodded with an "ah." Committee hearings - it would be the first time in his life experiencing such annoying business, so of course he'd be happy.

"Yeah, that's great. Congratulations."

"Thanks."

When Greyson spoke, Dane chuckled and pointed at the dining table with his thumb.

"I understand you're happy, but isn't this too much? No matter how hard you and I try, it'll be difficult to eat all this."

"Of course that's not all."

Greyson said confidently. What else now, just as Dane was shaking his head helplessly with a smile, Greyson suddenly held out something he had been hiding behind his back. Flower fragrance suddenly spread around the startled Dane. Only then did Dane realize that Greyson was holding a bouquet of enormous size. At his gaze that seemed to ask what this was, he smiled and said.

"I wanted to give it to you."

Dane, who had inadvertently received the bouquet, blinked again. Looking at his face still full of questions, Greyson scratched his cheek.

"Um, well. You've been staying with me continuously. So, um. You could say it's a token of gratitude for that."

"...What?"

Dane frowned and stared at him. Greyson, feeling his cheeks heat up for some reason, continued.

"Well, yesterday was so good too... I'm grateful to you for various things."

Don't you think we suit each other quite well?

That was the next thing he had prepared to say. And he was planning to suggest living together from now on. At the very least, to ask for an extension of the deadline. He had prepared words to persuade Dane. So many, too many.

But what came out of Greyson's mouth next was completely different from his thoughts.

"I love you, Dane."

Ah, this isn't it.

Greyson thought, but he didn't regret it. No, rather, it was ridiculous that he hadn't included these words that should naturally have been said. Something warm spreading through his chest pulled up the corners of his mouth. Greyson looked at Dane with a bright smile.

At Dane.

...At Dane, who was looking at him as if the world had collapsed.

"Dane...?"

"Ah."

When he called his name while still keeping the corners of his mouth raised, Dane let out an exclamation almost simultaneously. He buried his face in one hand as if dizzy and let out a deep sigh. An awkward silence came. The warm warmth that had been spreading through his chest until now disappeared somewhere, and an eerie air circled around his heart.

"Dane..."

"As expected, it won't work, for us."

When he opened his mouth with difficulty, Dane muttered with his face buried in one hand.

"Let's stop now."