The world seems like it's all mine.
The sky has clouds, and birds chirp in the trees.
By my side, there’s you, so lovely...
The love song of a popular singer, playing in the car with two men, felt somewhat out of place. If it had been just Dein, he would never have listened to that song. But the reason he didn’t simply turn it off was simple. It was because, if he rejected it, that damn "heart heart" would come back, and that would be even worse. At least this time, he could tolerate it since he liked the singer’s voice.
Grayson, sitting in the driver's seat, whistled occasionally, tapping the steering wheel. His mood seemed so high that it was almost unbearable. Dein, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at him and thought, "Well, whatever." He leaned the seat back, stretched his body, and closed his eyes to rest. It was still a long way to the destination.
It had been two days since Dein found out that Darling’s carrier had torn. There was no immediate need for it, but he had to be prepared just in case, so he decided to go shopping on his day off. When he stepped outside the mansion that morning, he found Grayson waiting at the entrance.
How did he manage to get the day off?
Since the fire station operated on shifts, it was rare for the staff to have the same day off. But soon, Dein realized.
He must have stolen my schedule.
By now, such things didn’t surprise him. He tried to shake Grayson off and get in the car alone. But Grayson blocked Dein’s way as he was about to get into the driver’s seat and declared:
“If you go with me, I’ll buy whatever you want.”
If Grayson hadn’t confessed that he liked Dein, Dein would have taken advantage of this opportunity and used him to the bone. However, Dein’s rule was never to take anything from someone who liked him. What if he got caught and trapped because of it?
Normally, he would have scoffed and cursed, but this time, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Dein just frowned and pinched Grayson’s nose, shaking it gently so it wouldn’t hurt.
"Didn’t I tell you not to waste money like that?"
He pushed Grayson away and tried to sit in the driver’s seat again, but Grayson grabbed him once more.
“I have rights too!”
What the hell is this nonsense? Dein frowned and glared at Grayson, who began spouting nonsensical arguments.
“Darling is your cat, and you’re mine, so obviously, Darling’s business is my business too. In other words, I’m not spending money on you, I’m spending it on Darling.”
Dein looked at his face with a cloudy gaze. Grayson seemed to realize that his argument made no sense, as his expression became awkward. Without saying anything, Dein was about to get in the car when Grayson quickly blocked his way again.
“Three hours.”
At these words, Dein hesitated, and Grayson immediately added:
“You said you’d spend three hours a day with me, right? Well, now you can go with me. It counts for a holiday too.”
Grayson’s face showed a newfound confidence, unlike earlier, with a certain certainty that this time, Dein wouldn’t push him away.
Dein, who had been staring at him silently, closed the car door without saying a word. Grayson, as if waiting for this moment, quickly ran to his car parked right behind and opened the passenger side door. Dein silently walked over and sat down, while Grayson walked around the hood and headed to the driver's seat. They began driving toward the shopping mall.
...Or so he thought.
After dozing off for a while, Dein woke up to find they were speeding through an unexpected location. It was a luxury street lined with shops that sold extremely expensive items, none of which had price tags. A place he had never imagined coming to, except for incidents like accidents or fire drills.
“What... why... what is this?”
Dein stuttered, flustered. He quickly glanced back at the driver’s seat, but Grayson was whistling nonchalantly as if nothing was wrong.
“Hey, what the hell...”
“We’re here,” Grayson replied before Dein could finish his sentence, slowing the car as it came to a complete stop at the curb.
As the car stopped, well-dressed men rushed over and opened the passenger and driver’s side doors.
“Welcome, Mr. Miller.”
“Good day.”
“You look very sharp today.”
The greetings and flattery were overwhelming, and Dein felt completely out of place. He had only exchanged pleasantries with staff at the supermarket, so this was a shock. However, Grayson seemed completely used to it, not even glancing at them as he walked straight toward the shop.
The staff holding the door for them opened it and stepped aside as Grayson approached. Dein walked into the luxury shop, which he had only seen from the outside before.
“Hello, Mr. Miller. Welcome.”
The manager greeted them with a bright smile and briefly glanced at Dein. Dein didn’t miss how quickly the manager’s eyes scanned his entire appearance. His messy red hair, cheap leather jacket, a stretched-out T-shirt, ripped old jeans, and sneakers covered in dust were all quickly assessed by the manager, who then turned his attention back to Grayson.
“It’s been a while since you last came. The item you requested is ready. Please, follow me. What would you like to drink?”
Absurdly, Grayson ordered a ridiculously sweet fruit drink, then asked Dein:
“What about you?”
Dein already had his answer prepared.
“Coffee.”
The manager smiled as he asked:
“Of course, what kind of coffee would you like? Espresso, latte, cappuccino...”
“Americano. In a mug. Full.”
“Ah... understood.”
The manager seemed a bit surprised for a moment but quickly smiled and responded. They were led inside to a lounge area. After sitting on a large, comfortable sofa, Dein crossed one leg over the other and leaned back.
The ceiling was covered with mirrors, and a luxurious chandelier hung from above, casting a dazzling light that reflected everywhere, almost blinding him. Looking down, he noticed an item taking up an entire wall. It was clear that these were the items prepared for them.
“Thank you for waiting,” the staff said with a wide smile as they set down drinks and extremely expensive-looking desserts in front of Grayson and Dein. The pastries were so small, barely one bite, and Dein wondered how much one of them cost. He picked one up and popped it into his mouth. This could probably buy a month’s worth of food for Darling...
Just as he was thinking this, the sweet fruit flavor spread in his mouth. Dein paused for a moment, then slowly chewed the pastry, reconsidering his thoughts.
It’s not like it’s my money anyway.
As he continued to eat the pastries along with his coffee, the manager returned and stood in front of them.
“Mr. Miller, are you still raising a cat? How’s Alex doing these days?”
The manager’s face, asking about daily life, seemed quite familiar with this kind of conversation. To these people, mentioning personal matters without crossing the line was second nature. When Dein thought this, Grayson answered.
“Alex is doing fine. The one raising a cat is this guy. I’m just here to watch.”
“Huh? Ah, I see.”
The manager seemed to understand and let out a surprised exclamation. He then turned his head to look at Dein with an entirely different expression than before and said:
“Then, the one buying today is him, I presume?”
“Yeah.”
Grayson answered promptly. Just as Dein was about to bring the mug to his lips, he froze mid-motion. His eyes moved first, then his head followed. Grayson, without concern for Dein’s gaze, confidently spoke to the manager.
“I’ll show you everything. He’ll be buying all of it.”
This crazy bastard?
The manager’s face brightened, and Dein stared at Grayson, pale-faced, as if he had been stabbed.
