Chapter 150

Dane suddenly wanted a cigarette. Recalling that day always left a bitter taste in his mouth, as it always did.

You might be right.

Dane thought.

But did you have to hurt me that much?

Instead of smoking, he cupped his mouth and chin with one hand and slowly rubbed them. He suddenly felt a burning sensation in the corners of his eyes.

He realized that she never loved him in everything she did.

When he lived with his mother, he was miserable every moment because of that. To a child, parents are everything in the world. Who would understand the feeling of being rejected by the world?

But he, too, forgot about his mother. After waking up from her drunken stupor, she would always say she loved him and kiss him, and Dane would look at her in confusion. The mother who had hurt him so much the day before was now holding him more tenderly than anyone else in the world, whispering that he was her one and only treasure. Which one was the real her?

The one who was drunk must be the real one.

He thought so, but deep down, he wanted to believe otherwise. So, instead of trying to confirm his mother’s true feelings, he chose to say he loved her and hug her, even though his heart was filled with anxiety and distrust.

“I was just a kid, so I couldn’t help it. If I had just run away from home, I would have ended up as a member of a criminal organization or a homeless person.”

He said indifferently, regretting the cigarette.

“So, I had no choice but to stay in that house, constantly wondering what my mother’s true feelings were.”

Grayson simply waited for him to continue without saying a word, barely holding back the urge to hug him and shout that he was here, that he loved him more than anyone else in the world.

Around his thirteenth birthday, Dane Striker was making a rather precocious plan. It was a plan to get married to his girlfriend as soon as he graduated from high school and become independent. She was his first girlfriend, whom he had started dating a few years ago, and he had also shared his first kiss with her.

In the meantime, he had worked part-time during his vacations and saved some money. It was ridiculously little money to become independent, but if he saved until graduation, it would be quite a bit.

Going to the military wouldn’t be bad either…

It was the perfect place for someone in Dane’s situation. The treatment was good, and he could earn a decent amount of money, so he could set up a home in a base housing. Of course, his girlfriend’s opinion was important, so that part had to be discussed.

First of all, money.

Dane thought so and headed to a fast food restaurant quite a distance from his neighborhood as soon as class was over. In fact, considering his age, it was almost impossible to find such a part-time job. But since he had given up on studying early on, he had plenty of time to spare, so he found a place where he could work after school like this. The manager liked Dane’s work ethic and even said that he would hire him as a full-time employee after he graduated. Of course, Dane just smiled and thanked him.

“Hi, Dane. Welcome.”

The manager greeted him happily and immediately started giving him work as soon as Dane came out wearing his uniform.

“Move those buns over here, organize the patties… Oh, and the trash can in the back is full. Empty that too…”

He quickly carried out the requests that were pouring in all at once. The manager watched with satisfaction as the work was done in an instant. An employee frowned and scolded him.

“Don’t give the kid so much work, he doesn’t look well.”

“Not well? Dane?”

The manager asked in surprise. She still looked serious and said, looking at Dane.

“Look, his face is redder than usual. I think he has a fever?”

“Really? That won’t do! It’ll be a disaster if he spreads a virus!”

The employee was dumbfounded at the sight of the manager running to Dane in a panic.

“Someone’s sick, really…”

She shook her head, but just then, a customer came in. She put on a professional smile and quickly stood in front of the checkout counter.

“Welcome, what can I get you?”

Behind her, the manager looked around for Dane and soon found him outside the back door.

“Dane, Dane!”

Dane, who was emptying the trash, turned around in confusion at the urgent call. The manager was walking quickly towards him with a pale face. When he got closer, he looked at Dane’s face and body and muttered to himself.

“That’s right, his face is red like…”

“Yes?”

He frowned, not knowing what he was saying, but suddenly the manager reached out his hand. Dane, startled, flinched, and the manager quickly took his hand away after placing it on his forehead.

“What, what? You have a fever! You’re burning up, are you okay?”

“A fever?”

Dane blinked and tried to put his hand on his forehead, but stopped when he realized he had just emptied the trash. The manager then waved his hand and said with a distorted face.

“That’s enough, go home now. Don’t come to work until your fever goes down, okay?”

“Yes? But…”

Just as he was about to say that he didn’t feel sick at all, the manager stopped him.

“What if you spread a virus? I might get sued! Go back right now, hurry! Quickly!”

Because he was urged repeatedly, Dane had no choice but to leave the store as if he was being chased out. He looked back at the store in disbelief, but they closed the door right in front of his eyes as if to show him, so there was nothing more he could do.

“What…?”

He touched his forehead irritably, but only felt a slight fever and couldn’t find anything strange. He grumbled and rode his bicycle home. A cool breeze brushed against his cheeks as he rode. He felt a little sluggish.

Did I catch a cold…?

Dane vaguely recalled. His body kept getting heavier. He wanted to go home and rest as soon as possible.

He struggled to pedal and finally, when the apartment he lived in came into view, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

Hoo…

Unlike usual, he didn’t even take a shower and lay down on the sofa in the clothes he was wearing. For some reason, he didn’t want to lift a finger. I can just wake up and do it later. Just for a little while, yeah…

His thoughts stopped there. He fell into a deep sleep without even realizing it.

Dane woke up several hours later because he felt a pain as if someone was choking him.

“Cough, cough, cough.”

He managed to open his eyes, gasping for breath. In the darkness, he could see someone on top of him. Dane blinked his eyes urgently, but it was not easy to recognize who it was. All he could see in the darkness was a faint silhouette.

But in fact, he didn’t even need to see it to know. There was only one person who would come into this cheap apartment and choke Dane in his sleep.

…That can’t be.

Nevertheless, Dane denied it.

It can’t be my mother.

Tears welled up in his eyes reflexively. He wanted to remove the hand choking him, but he had no strength in his body. He slipped his hand several times as he tried to grab his mother’s arm.

Meanwhile, the choking force was enormous. As if she was pouring all her energy into choking her son, Dane could not escape from her tremendous grip.

Hic, hic, making a choking sound, the mother said to her son, who was wriggling below.

“How, how could you do this to me…”

She was sobbing. Cold teardrops fell on Dane’s face, followed by a violently shaking voice.

“How can you develop as an Omega, how can even you…”

Sniff, sniff, she burst into tears, breathing even more roughly than Dane.

“Dane, my baby. You’d be better off dead.”

Heeeee, a shrill breath like a whistle was heard. The mother leaned down and whispered in her son’s ear, who was almost out of breath.

Let’s die together.

Those were the last words Dane heard from his mother.

When Dane, who had completely lost consciousness, opened his eyes, the Awakening was over. And his mother’s life was also over.

He was just sitting on the very sofa where he had been sleeping until just now, where his mother had choked him, and just staring at his mother’s body, which was hanging from the window frame.