Chapter 76

3

"Right, to the right!"

"Wait, don't go in yet!"

"Are you sure there are people inside? Has it been confirmed?"

While continuously pouring water onto the blazing flames, the firefighters shouted incessantly. Amidst the loud cries going back and forth, the person stepping forward while putting on a helmet was, as expected, Dane Striker.

"Damn, this is such a pain."

Greyson looked with a frowning face at him as he inevitably complained and grumbled. Despite talking like that, in reality, he would be the first to go into the most dangerous place.

He knew well from learning that people say things different from what they feel. Especially in Dane Striker's case, he had recently discovered this was even more true.

As expected, Dane entered the flames before even finishing putting on his mask. Looking at his back, which disappeared first, Greyson Miller thought.

As expected, I knew he would do that.

He frowned as he looked in the direction where Dane had disappeared. There had been several deployments since that day. Each time, Greyson had the same experience. Dane always went into the most dangerous place first and came out last. The situation repeated every time. Dane always volunteered for the most dangerous role as if it were natural. But what made Greyson angry was something else. The fact that all the other firefighters accepted the situation as natural. They might speak eloquently about being comrades who risk their lives together, but in reality, the person most exposed to danger was always determined to be Dane Striker—is this what they call "comrades"?

An inexplicable anger boiled up. Useless bastards...!

But Greyson also remained standing in place without moving. He simply couldn't entrust his body to those fierce flames. He just waited anxiously for Dane to come out. Hoping he would return safely, without any injuries.

"Dane!"

"Welcome back, good job!"

"Are you okay? Was there anything special inside?"

"Was it a misunderstanding after all?"

When he finally returned from the flames, everyone welcomed Dane and began asking various questions. Greyson exhaled a "whew" of relief from behind them. After briefly explaining the situation to the team leader, Dane took off his helmet and tousled his hair as if hot. It was then that his eyes met Greyson's. Seeing him still standing blankly in the same place, Dane opened his mouth.

"What, you fucking bastard."

He cursed as if it were natural, but instead of glaring as before, he raised the corners of his mouth and smirked. And then Dane immediately turned around and rushed to the next place where he was needed. Greyson could only continue to follow his back with his eyes.

"Ah, Miller."

Ezra, who happened to be passing by, called his name. When he reluctantly turned his gaze, Ezra smiled and said.

"This side is done, so could you clean up that side now? Just need to handle the remaining embers."

The tasks given to Greyson were still just trivial chores. Greyson didn't mind since he had no intention of doing more anyway. His interest was elsewhere entirely.

"Ezra."

Ezra turned his head at the call. Greyson stood in place and opened his mouth.

"I have something to ask."

"What is it?"

Ezra blinked in puzzlement. Greyson smiled at him. Just as most people do in such situations.

* * *

Sitting across from Greyson at the bar they always went to, Ezra opened his eyes wide upon receiving Greyson's gift.

"Th-this, it's not real, right?"

Seeing him stammer in surprise, Greyson said something else instead of answering.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the birthday party. I thought I should give you a gift."

"No, if you had circumstances, it couldn't be helped... But this, is it real? A real diamond?"

Ezra held the bracelet in his hand, turning it this way and that in the light, breathing heavily. As if he had never seen such an item in his life.

When asked if he could spare some time, they had come to the bar together after work. There, Greyson handed over the teddy bear and bracelet he had prepared earlier.

When Ezra first saw the teddy bear, he burst into laughter and happily accepted it, but after opening the small box the bear was holding, he gasped for breath in shock. Repeating rapid breaths as if about to have respiratory distress, he hurriedly gulped down his beer. Only after emptying the entire bottle did he seem to have the leisure to talk to the man in front of him.

"H-how c-can you g-give something s-so ex-expensive."

"It's okay, it's 49 dollars."

"What?"

Ezra, who had been stammering as if about to collapse, hesitated upon hearing Greyson's calm voice. Greyson pointed to the box with a smiling face. Only then did Ezra check the receipt that was inside. After confirming the receipt that said 49 dollars as Greyson had said, he finally stroked his chest as if relieved and laughed his usual "wahaha."

"That's more like it, I was really surprised. That's more like it, ahaha."

Ezra laughed, repeating the same words. His face showed relief along with bitterness. Just as he felt both relief and regret, Greyson said.

"Happy birthday to your daughter."

"Thank you."

After lightly raising the newly ordered beer for a toast, he brought it to his mouth. As they exchanged various meaningless small talk and the atmosphere warmed up, Greyson brought up the main point.

"What's Dane's family like?"

"Dane?"

Ezra, who repeated what Greyson had said, tilted his head.

"Well, I'm not sure. He's the type who doesn't talk about himself."

Oh no, Greyson regretted inwardly. I thought this guy would have quite a bit of information, but was I wrong?

However, he had no intention of giving up right away. There was plenty of other information that Ezra might be able to tell him.

"Do you know why he became a firefighter?"

"The salary."

Ezra answered as soon as the question dropped. "Really?" Greyson said and asked again.

"And?"

"Insurance."

This time too, Ezra readily provided an answer.

"I heard it before, he said being a firefighter is good because it provides stable and good money."

Ezra, who had provided quite definite information, soon laughed heartily.

"That's because Dane is the type who always says he hates freebies."

He thought Greyson would laugh along, but he didn't. At Greyson's reaction, looking at him with a face as expressionless as a mask, Ezra stopped laughing and blinked.

"Miller? What's wrong?"

When Ezra called his name in confusion, Greyson suddenly smiled brightly. As if nothing had happened.

"I see. Then is money what Dane likes?"

"Well, I guess so..."

After answering, Ezra stroked his chin and briefly searched his memory, then muttered as if to himself.

"And Darling, I suppose."

Greyson, who had somehow heard those words in the noisy bar, immediately frowned.

"Darling? That ugly cat?"

At Greyson's question, this time Ezra showed a surprised expression.

"You've seen Darling? How? Dane doesn't bring people home unless he's going to sleep with them..."

Soon after, he showed a half-doubting expression. Greyson immediately shook his head and denied it.

"I just happened to see it. It's definitely not like that."

Ezra looked at Greyson with narrowed eyes, as if suspicious. Greyson said seriously again.

"I'm telling you it's not, absolutely not."

The fact that Greyson had slept with Dane was known only to them. He had no intention of revealing it to anyone, and there was no reason to do so. And it was true that Greyson had never been to Dane's home.

After the repeated denials, Ezra, who had been silently staring at Greyson, suddenly withdrew his gaze.

"Well, you're not Dane's type at all anyway."

Ezra laughed as he brought the beer to his mouth. Greyson also laughed in return, but his eyes remained coldly hardened.