By Zephyria 
“Too much good news is coming in all at once.”
Grayson shrugged his shoulders and gasped for breath. In an atmosphere as if he might faint, Dane narrowed his eyes and let out a wicked smile.
“Really? Then I shouldn’t tell you this news.”
“Stop it now, Dane.”
Startled for a moment, Grayson quickly shook his head.
“If I get any happier than this, I might die.”
“That would be troublesome. Alright, I won’t.”
As Dane readily backed down, an awkward silence soon followed. Grayson looked down at him with a serious expression, his brow furrowed. I thought it might be bad news, but is it really good news?
Judging by Dane’s demeanor, it seemed 99 percent certain. So what should I do?
Dane leisurely watched Grayson, who was lost in deep thought. It was clear to see how fiercely he was agonizing between his desire to hear it immediately and the need to be cautious.
“Just a little….”
Curiosity seemed to have won in the end, and Grayson opened his mouth.
“Can you tell me just a little? What is it about?”
Dane stretched his lips out long and gave a meaningful smile.
“I plan to stay here unless you tell me to leave.”
Grayson suddenly stopped all movement. To him, who seemed not to be breathing, Dane smoothly continued.
“Of course, it’s a story I shouldn’t tell if you dislike it, but….”
“No, no, no! Absolutely not!”
Before he could even finish speaking, Grayson frantically shook his head and looked back at Dane.
“Are you, really? You’re going to keep living here with me?”
“Yes.”
“If I ask you to stay, will you keep staying? Really? Even for a lifetime?”
“Well….”
Dane faltered for a moment at the last word, but he didn’t drag it out. Feeling awkward for no reason, he averted his gaze and muttered lowly.
“That wouldn’t be bad either.”
“Daaaane!”
At that moment, Grayson suddenly pulled him into a hug. He couldn’t contain his joy. The problem was that he also couldn’t contain his strength.
Crack.
Along with a chilling sound from within his body, Dane’s vision turned white. Dane turned ashen, but Grayson didn’t notice at all. Unable to push him away, he could only gasp for breath. Suddenly, he spotted a display cabinet in the distance. An empty can sitting on top of it felt like the last thing he would see in his life.
…I should get rid of that before I die.
Dane vowed to himself, gasping for breath. Unaware of his crisis, Grayson was beside himself with joy.
Dane parked his car in front of the discount store he frequented on a day when the midday sun was beating down. He closed the door of the supercar he had practically snatched from Grayson and strolled into the massive store as usual.
“Hello.”
The friendly voices of the smiling employees were familiar to him. Most people were kind to him. The reason was simple. The incredibly tall Dane Striker was an astonishingly handsome man who would make anyone sigh wherever he went. Moreover, he had a great physique, so he sometimes deliberately left his shirt buttons excessively unbuttoned. Of course, it was to hook the other person. Even when visiting places like this, his radar was always on, but this time was different. Dane was genuinely here with the sole purpose of buying something.
It felt strange to be here with such a pure intention for the first time. Dane offered a brief greeting, just enough not to be rude, and hurried towards his destination.
The move had already begun. Moving his belongings out of the house he lived in and into Grayson’s place wasn’t difficult. The furniture consisted only of a bed and a small sofa, so he had simply given them away to someone he found. Apart from a few of his clothes and his cat’s supplies, there wasn’t much else to bring. After organizing the remaining food and taking out the trash, everything was done. He had thrown away all the small items. Now, all that was left was to enter Grayson’s house.
But first, he had to buy one thing.
He entered the discount store, which he visited whenever he needed something, and slowly began to look around. This time, he wasn’t buying dog food cans but a gift for Grayson. He had never bought such a thing before, so nothing came to mind, but he figured he might find something suitable if he just looked at various items.
After circling the store three times, he finally stopped in front of a shelf displaying mugs. Of course, Grayson would have enough tableware. But the more cups, the better, and you always end up using them if you have them…
“Hmm.”
He stroked his chin and examined the cups from side to side. Dane had never bought a cup costing more than $2 before. He had always bought the cheapest cup from the display, so he had never paid attention to the design, but now that he thought of it as a gift, he found himself being unnecessarily picky.
“Damn, how can a cup cost $52?”
Dane blurted out a curse as he picked up a cup that looked different and checked the price. He quickly put it back and fell into thought again. He put the mug he had just seen out of his mind and scanned other shelves, and there was a product that caught his eye. He liked that it had a lid, and the design, which incorporated the store’s logo, wasn’t bad.
This should be excellent.
The price was also excellent. $27. If it were his own cup, he would never have bought it, but he generously accepted that this much was acceptable for a gift to Grayson. Of course, he didn’t forget to grab a $1.99 cup for himself.
After scanning the barcode and finishing the payment, he lightly greeted the employee standing at the entrance and left the store. He had felt uneasy ever since he saw the empty can on Grayson’s display cabinet, but now he felt a bit more at ease. He hummed a tune and started the car.
Chest, chest…
“Damn it.”
Dane, who had been mindlessly humming the tune that came out on its own, realized it belatedly and cursed. He irritably turned on the audio, and immediately a solemn male voice flowed out.
-Repent. All the lewd will go to hell. We must all remain chaste and pure. All of you, repent for your past deeds and be devoted to your spouse. Those who have promiscuous one-night stands, those who have relationships with multiple partners at once, all will be punished. Nothing in this world is more precious than chastity…
Dane just turned off the audio.
*
“Welcome, Dane. I’ve been waiting for you!”
As soon as he stepped into the mansion, Grayson ran down the stairs and shouted a grand welcome. Dane, with Grayson clinging to him and showering him with kisses, struggled up the stairs and began to organize the luggage he had brought. As he placed Darling’s belongings one by one and straightened his back, a familiar yet unfamiliar scene came into view. It was the room he had stayed in for several months, but also the room he had been away from for several months. It was natural to feel this way, but he also felt a sense of awkwardness. Scratching the back of his head for no reason, Dane pushed away the still-clinging Grayson and spoke.
“I’ll go get the rest, so wait.”
Actually, there wasn’t much left. The important thing was the gift for Grayson. He left Grayson with instructions to wait there and went alone to the car to retrieve the remaining items. Among them was the gift, roughly wrapped in a paper bag.
He bounded up the stairs, a few steps at a time, and returned in an instant. Grayson, who had been waiting, greeted him with delight.