By Zephyria 
The fire scene was no different from what he had seen so far. Firefighters who got out of the truck at the sight of the soaring flames dispersed to find their own tasks with practiced efficiency.
Grayson quickly looked around, and seeing Dane gathering his equipment, he hurried over.
“Dane, what should I do?”
He spoke, expecting Dane to tell him what to do as he had last time, but Dane didn’t even look at him, let alone answer. Grayson could only stare blankly at Dane’s back as he turned away, an axe in one hand and a helmet in the other.
DeAndre, who had been watching them from a distance, frowned and spoke.
“What’s going on? Did those guys have a fight or something?”
Ezra glanced at them at those words, but soon returned to his own work.
“This isn’t the time to be worrying about that.”
“Oh? Oh… yeah, you’re right.”
DeAndre was embarrassed by Ezra’s unusually cold tone and hurriedly helped him with his work. But even so, an unsettling feeling remained in his heart.
Everyone at the scene had witnessed Dane’s rage last time. There had been several inspections and even the police had come. The reporters were thrilled and churned out garbage articles, and public opinion had also deteriorated. But the situation quickly turned around. It turned out that the man who had been assaulted had actually killed his wife, abandoned her body, and abused his child to death, then set fire to the house to conceal his crime.
The reason he hadn’t abandoned the child’s body was because, unlike his adult wife, the child was not old enough to leave the house on their own. He had been forced to set the fire out of a sense of crisis that neighbors would find it strange if the child suddenly disappeared. He had tried to make it look like the child had started the fire while playing with fire while he was at work, but the world was not as easy as he thought.
Once that fact was revealed, people changed their tune and showered Dane with praise, saying things like, “As expected of a firefighter, a fist of justice,” “He should have killed him back then, he’s too kind because he’s a firefighter,” “This deserves a commendation. Give our hero an award.” Thanks to this, the inspection and investigation were glossed over, and as a result, it was as if nothing had happened. However, Station Chief could not simply bury the matter.
“We need to control Dane so that something like that doesn’t happen again.”
The words of caution he gave to Wilkins spread to the other staff through him. Everyone was secretly nervous that Dane might do something dangerous again. Because of this, they were taking turns watching him, and as a result, his relationship with Grayson naturally came into view.
DeAndre, who was once again bewildered and looked back and forth between the two, hurriedly turned his attention back at Ezra’s urging.
They made such a fuss about dating or whatever, what the heck happened?
Because he usually didn’t have good feelings for Grayson, he might have welcomed this situation, but Dane’s mood was also bad, so he felt uncomfortable. He was also starting to feel some remorse for having treated Grayson Miller too harshly, so he couldn’t help but have more thoughts.
He sighed and quickly composed himself and focused on the task at hand. This is a fire scene. If you’re careless, an accident could happen.
Yes, just like right now.
“DeAndre, get out of the way…!”
Someone shouted. Soon after, DeAndre saw a large tree falling towards him and simply stopped moving.
What to do.
Grayson’s insides were burning with anxiety. No matter what he said or did, Dane wouldn’t look at him. Is this the end of everything? Why did I go so far back then? What confidence did I have?
The distance to Dane, who he thought he had gotten somewhat close to, had become even further than when he first met him. It may be irreversible now. If that happens, if everything ends like this.
What will happen to me?
The thought alone made his head spin. This was different from the feeling of ‘scared’. This unfamiliar feeling was similar to the feeling of the ground collapsing beneath his feet and falling endlessly to the bottom. His fingertips tingled and he clenched and unclenched his fists several times.
How, how can I.
It was at that moment. He saw a large tree falling towards someone.
Grayson couldn’t tell who it was. All he knew for sure was that it wasn’t Dane. But at that moment, a glimmer of hope flashed through his mind. Just like he had saved Dane’s cat someday, if I save someone again…!
“Miller, watch out!”
He heard a desperate shout. But Grayson had already lunged towards him.
It was not an altruistic act at all. It was far from saving someone or risking his life to save others. It was solely to regain Dane’s heart, only for that.
Hoping that Dane might look at him again if he did this.
Rumbling, a thunderous sound echoed all around. The burning tree narrowly brushed Grayson’s body and hit the ground. DeAndre was pale and trembling, his eyes wide with shock. He couldn’t believe it. Miller saved me? Grayson Miller, really?
“Miller! DeAndre!”
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“Oh my god, what is going on…”
Colleagues who had rushed over from all directions were talking frantically. But DeAndre was still in shock. He was immensely shocked by the two facts that he could have been crushed to death by a burning tree and that the person who saved his life was Grayson Miller.
Colleagues who forcibly pulled up DeAndre, who was still dazed and unable to speak, now showered Grayson with praise.
“Miller, that was amazing. You did something incredible!”
“I was wrong about you all this time. You really are one of us.”
“Miller, no, Grayson! You’re a hero. You’ve saved lives twice now…!”
He was praised lavishly from all directions, but not a word reached Grayson’s ears. The reason he risked his life was not to be swept away by such an atmosphere of praise. Only one thing, he wanted Dane to look at him, that was all.
Dane was not among the gathered people. He was not seen among those who patted Grayson on the shoulder and disappeared. Of course. He hadn’t even paid attention to Grayson in the first place. He was just mindlessly repeating the work he was given as if nothing had happened.
“Haa…”
Grayson let out a sigh that was close to a lament. He could see Dane standing far away and spraying water at the flames. Even though such a big commotion had occurred, he didn’t even glance over. He was just indifferently repeating the work he was given as if nothing had happened.
Grayson finally realized the true nature of the emotion he was feeling.
“Good work, Dane.”
“Goodbye, everyone worked hard today.”
After giving the standard greetings, Dane left the locker room and headed to the parking lot. He habitually moved his feet, when he suddenly saw someone standing next to his car. There was no need to check. There could only be one man that tall in this area.
Tsk, Dane clicked his tongue silently and took out his car key and pressed the button. The car’s headlights flashed briefly with a short signal sound.
“Dane.”
He opened his mouth to Dane, who was about to pass him and open the door. And Grayson Miller repeated the words he had been sick of saying over and over again.
“I’m sorry, it was my fault.”
Dane sat in the driver’s seat without any reaction. He was about to close the door when Grayson suddenly said something unexpected.
“I know you’ll never love me.”
Dane paused for a moment. When he raised his eyes, Grayson smiled, raising the corners of his mouth as he had always done.
“Is this despair?”
He didn’t ask what it felt like. A man who was happy even with the emotion of despair. Dane silently looked up at him, then quietly closed the car door. And soon the car left the parking lot and entered the road. Leaving Grayson, who was standing still as if he would be there forever, Dane quickly drove away.