Chapter 187

“Wow! Congratulations!”

“Congrats, DeAndre! You finally did it!”

Amidst the cheers, the bride and groom smiled brightly and waved. A couple born within the fire station—what a joyous occasion! Especially since the other half was Valentina. DeAndre had burned with such passion for her, so while everyone congratulated him, they still found it hard to believe.

“It actually happened.”

Someone muttered while clapping, and another chimed in.

“DeAndre apparently got down on his knees and begged.”

“Just his knees? There’d be a whole line of guys willing to crawl if it meant marrying Valentina.”

“Didn’t Valentina used to dislike DeAndre?”

“DeAndre almost died that one time, and he changed a lot after that.”

“That guy, if there’s a puddle in front of Valentina, he’d probably lie down in it. Like, ‘Please, step on me, my queen.’”

Ignoring the whispers of his colleagues, Dane listlessly offered a soulless applause.

Attending other people’s weddings had happened often. Of course, weddings were a once-in-a-lifetime event only for those involved; to others, they were merely social activities to maintain relationships. After all, a wedding was just a ceremony where a loving couple announced their love to the world and vowed to spend their lives together. For Dane, it was a place where the two words furthest from his reality, ‘marriage’ and ‘love,’ were constantly thrown around, so it was only natural that he found it uninteresting.

At least until now, he had been able to alleviate the boredom by secretly enjoying himself with like-minded guests. But even that was gone now. He had hastily bought an ill-fitting ready-made suit and put it on, placing one hand in his pants pocket and lifting a champagne glass to his lips with the other. He could only hope that this tedious time would end soon.

“Valentina looks beautiful,”

Someone murmured. She had always been a beauty, but today she shone even more exceptionally. Watching Valentina, who seemed to hold all the happiness in the world, Dane silently emptied his champagne glass. As he placed the empty glass on the table, Wilkins, who was standing next to him, said,

“DeAndre looks happy, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, well.”

Dane replied, still indifferent. He wasn’t really interested. He was only here out of obligation. Wilkins misunderstood his reaction.

“Doesn’t seeing something like this make you want to get married and settle down soon?”

“Not at all.”

Dane immediately denied the probing question.

“Who knows, they might get married today and divorced tomorrow.”

“……”

“Not that I’m saying DeAndre will.”

Realizing he had made a mistake, Dane quickly added. Wilkins, who had been silent for a moment, cleared his throat.

“Being too negative isn’t good either.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

Dane apologized, but again, there was no sincerity in his voice. Wilkins, who had been quietly watching the newly married couple dance while sipping his champagne, opened his mouth.

“He seems to be living quite steadily these days.”

“Just happened that way.”

Wilkins glanced at him, who was still answering perfunctorily, and continued.

“I’m glad he seems to have come to his senses now. You can’t live so dissolutely forever.”

“That’s right.”

He had been hearing these words for almost his entire life. As Dane gave a lip-service answer, Wilkins paused for a moment before casually throwing out a suggestion.

“I was thinking of introducing you to my daughter.”

Dane, who was about to drink his champagne, stopped moving. He only rolled his eyes to the side, and Wilkins continued, his eyes fixed on the DeAndre couple.

“Well, as long as you don’t go out at night, you’re a decent guy. And you’ve corrected that bad habit now, so I was wondering if you’d like to meet her…”

“Team leader, I…”

“Ah, don’t feel pressured.”

Wilkins raised a hand to stop Dane, who was about to reply. When Dane reluctantly stopped, Wilkins spoke instead.

“I’m just saying you should meet her. Don’t think too hard about it, everyone starts that way, right? You need to have a serious relationship.”

Dane said nothing to Wilkins’ advice. He just stared at Wilkins with empty eyes, as if his soul had left his body.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m fine.”

He refused politely in a low voice. But Wilkins didn’t back down.

“Look over there, Dane.”

He pointed to DeAndre and Valentina. Their faces, smiling at each other, were full of affection.

“How good does that look? You need someone like that too. Even if it doesn’t necessarily lead to marriage, how empty is a life of just repeating one-night stands?”

Dane stared silently at the newly married couple. A perfect embodiment of happiness that no one would doubt. Full of love for each other….

A short sigh escaped his lips. Exhaling a breath full of self-mockery, he replied in a low voice.

“I can’t, I can’t.”

Wilkins looked at him, seemingly embarrassed. But Dane, with a bitter face, turned to the couple and said.

“Someone like me can’t, I’m sorry.”

“Hey……”

Wilkins was about to say more, but he saw DeAndre approaching him. Dane didn’t miss the opportunity and slipped back, moving away from them. As DeAndre spoke to Wilkins, he turned his back and quietly left the scene.

The noisy sounds slowly fade away. The surroundings are quiet. Dane stood alone and raised his head. The deep blue sky spread out emptily. He took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and slowly inhaled the smoke. Her bloodshot eyes, constantly pouring curses at him, still vividly came to mind as if it were just yesterday.

I’m hopeless. From the start.

Dane looked into the distance and exhaled a long stream of smoke. The face of a completely different man overlapped with her face. Even the bright voice that called out to him.

‘Dane, I love you.’

‘Dane, Dane.’

‘Dane…….’

“……Ha.”

He covered his eyes with the hand holding the cigarette. His fingertips tingled and a corner of his chest seemed to ache, but it must be a delusion. I wasn’t wrong.

‘Love isn’t like that.’

The image of a man soaked in tears revives. No, he had never forgotten a single moment from that day until now. Every word he said, every phrase.

It remains so vividly in my heart.

‘Love can’t be this ugly.’

Yes, you’re right.

Dane recalled with a desolate face. Love isn’t like that. So you shouldn’t love me. Because I won’t be able to make you happy.

‘Next time, don’t come even if I’m dead.’

How could someone like me love anyone? I’ll only cause others pain.

Moist eyes look at him. I’ll probably suffer, remembering that face for the rest of my life.

It was the right thing to do.

He stood in the same spot, ruminating on his thoughts.

It was the right thing to do, I did.

Very…….

Desire Me if you can

……I must have done the right thing.

Dane blankly recalled. A blurry light shone in his hazy vision. Blink, blink. He closed and opened his eyes, but the flashing light appeared and disappeared regardless.

Huh……?

Dane still recalled with half of his consciousness gone. Where am I right now……?

Somewhere, there was a tremendous noise, like a roar. Acrid smoke filled the air. The sound of something constantly burning and falling continued irregularly. He stood still for a moment, listening. As he gradually regained his senses, he began to realize reality.

Ah.

He soon realized. That he was lying down.

In the middle of a building engulfed in flames after a bomb exploded.