Chapter 75

Kwaang, again, a deafening roar echoed. Dane anxiously looked up at the direction of the smoke. As if a bomb had been detonated inside the building, a second plume of smoke was rising from the same location. People who had been working not far from the crowded street covered their mouths with handkerchiefs or outer garments and ran out. Dane immediately called the fire station.

“There are explosives, please deploy immediately. The address is…”

He quickly added a request for the Deployment of a specialized bomb disposal unit in case of additional bombs, then hung up. He was about to rush into the building immediately when.

Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm from behind. Caught off guard by the rough force, Dane stumbled and was pulled back. He turned his head, his face contorting in surprise. A man with a pale face was breathing heavily, looking down at him.

“What are you doing, are you crazy?”

Dane frowned, looking at Grayson Miller’s face. What on earth was this man doing?

“Let go.”

He tried to shake off the hand holding him, but it didn’t work. After failing to swing his arm away several times, Dane finally couldn’t hide his annoyance and spat out roughly.

“I said let go? What are you doing?”

“What do you think you’re doing!”

Grayson shouted. Dane paused, his ears ringing for a moment. This bastard? Just as he was about to open his mouth in disbelief, Grayson quickly continued.

“There are explosives, you don’t know what will happen if you go in now, what are you doing?”

His face was deathly pale, as if Dane was about to be caught in an explosion and torn to pieces right before his eyes.

Dane, who had been silently watching Grayson, opened his mouth.

“Someone has to do it.”

“Why do you have to do it, the bomb disposal experts are coming, you just have to wait…”

“I have to do it.”

Dane cut off Grayson’s words, which were pouring out in quick succession. Grayson paused for a moment.

“What?”

After a beat of silence, Dane opened his mouth in response to the question.

“I’ve handled bomb disposal too. I did it several times when I was in the military. So let go, it’s my job.”

This time, he tried to pull his hand away, but Grayson gripped his arm even tighter. Dane’s face contorted in pain, causing Grayson to hesitate, but he didn’t loosen his grip.

“Why do you have to do it?”

He couldn’t understand it at all. How could he? Even now, explosions were still going off and flames were rising, and he was going to go in there with his bare hands? Alone?

“Why do you have to be the one to do it, you could die!”

He repeated, but there was no change in Dane’s expression. Grayson was rather defeated by the gaze that simply stared at him as if asking what he was trying to say.

“Aren’t you afraid of dying?”

Dane answered calmly to the hesitant question.

“I am.”

“Then why…!”

Grayson, who was about to press him again, covered his face with his remaining hand. He had no idea what was going on. Dane, who had been silently watching his confusion, opened his mouth.

“You have a big family, right?”

“…Six siblings.”

Grayson reluctantly answered. What was the meaning of this question? Dane’s face came into his view as he pondered. A very faint smile appeared on his face, which had always seemed so nonchalant. Dane whispered to Grayson, who was staring blankly in surprise.

“I’m doing it because someone like you shouldn’t die.”

Grayson couldn’t even blink now. Dane gently removed his hand, which had stiffened as if his soul had left his body. This time, Dane let go of his hand easily and smiled. It was the first time he had seen such a peaceful smile. He added one last thing to Grayson, who was still in a daze.

“It’s okay because I’m alone.”

“Dane…”

Grayson belatedly tried to call out his name, but he had already turned away. Grayson could no longer hold back Dane, who disappeared into the building in an instant.

Explosions continued to be heard. It was impossible to tell which was the sound of a bomb exploding and which was the sound of a building collapsing. Grayson just stood there in a daze, listening to the eerie roar mixed with people’s screams.

What had happened?

He tried to recall his thoughts, but it was impossible. His mind was a jumbled mess, and he couldn’t make any proper judgments. The sky, blurred by the smoke, made the passage of time unclear. He couldn’t even tell how long he had been standing there. He was just watching. People in uniforms running around urgently, people shouting as they came and went.

…Dane Striker, who still hadn’t come out.

How could he do such a thing?

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand. He knew he could die, but he still went in? Voluntarily?

What’s more, he wasn’t even on duty. He wasn’t in a situation where he had to go in because of work, and he was risking his life like that for nothing? Why?

This was the second time he had experienced something like this. Joshua Bailey had risked his life for Grayson’s brother, Chase. Even though there were no guarantees.

But they were lovers. If they were willing to give their lives for each other, just like the love Grayson had always imagined, it was possible to accept it, even if it was a stretch. Of course, that didn’t mean he understood it.

But Dane’s case was completely different. Dane didn’t have a lover in there. He probably didn’t even know anyone in there. He was going into that building for a complete stranger? Risking his life?

That’s ridiculous, this can’t be happening…

Grayson was still confused, just standing there staring at the burning building. The black smoke turned into a huge dark cloud, covering the entire sky.

It was roughly several hours later that Dane came out of the building. He was covered in black soot and his hair was singed, and he was panting as he was helped out by another firefighter. Fortunately, he was unharmed.

“It’s a good thing there were no more bombs.”

Ezra said with a light scolding tone.

“What were you thinking, running in there? What could you do with your bare hands?”

Dane answered the obvious question nonchalantly.

“There’s an office, so I could find a box cutter or some tools, and if that doesn’t work, I can at least tell them where the bombs are, which would be helpful.”

“Stop doing dangerous things.”

Ezra slapped Dane on the back with a loud thud, then put him in the back of an ambulance and hurried back. Dane, who was left alone, coughed occasionally and drank the water given to him by the paramedics. He sat there, constantly hydrating his parched throat. He finished one bottle and was about to open the next when a shadow fell over him. Dane looked up and chuckled.

“You’re still here?”

Grayson was looking down at Dane with a blank expression. It was a very unfamiliar reaction, considering he was always grinning ridiculously. Grayson, who had been silent for a while, slowly opened his mouth to Dane, who blinked in wonder.

“…You ruined our date.”

Dane felt strange at the quiet voice, which was completely different from the rough shouting he had done earlier.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.”

He apologized readily as always, then smiled nonchalantly.

“Let’s do it again. When should we do it?”

Grayson was silent again. What was he thinking? Dane suddenly realized. Was Grayson Miller such an inscrutable man?

“…Later.”

Grayson opened his mouth after a long time.

“Later, when I want to.”

It wasn’t a difficult promise. Dane shrugged and replied.

“Whatever you want.”

Grayson stared down at Dane for a while, then turned away. He walked away, trudging. Dane stared blankly at his receding figure, then soon shifted his gaze and drank his water. The sun was setting beyond the black smoke.