That incident left Ashley with immense trauma. The thought that his own child had tried to kill his one and only companion, the one person more precious to him than anyone else, must have been more terrifying than even falling into hell itself. For Ashley, losing Koi would mean he would have no reason to stay in this world.
"I know."
Koi said gently, pulling him into a warm embrace. Holding his large, trembling body tightly, he softly whispered.
"But we can still find another way."
At Koi's tender voice, Ashley remained silent for a while, before slowly lifting his head. Koi looked at his face, speaking with firm conviction.
"Let's think about it together, from now on."
Ashley still didn't say a word. Grayson feels emotions? Could something else possibly reflect in those eyes that had always been as steady as glass, eyes that never wavered under any circumstances...?
He still couldn’t believe it. Admitting that he was wrong wasn’t difficult for him. In fact, he could gladly accept it.
But having hope and then seeing it crumble was something else entirely. They had already gone through countless cycles of expectation and despair. Koi, as always, seemed to have embraced another new hope in his heart, but Ashley was different. He was born a pessimist, completely unlike optimistic Koi. That, too, was one of the reasons why Ashley was drawn to Koi... but...
Sighing softly, he reached the same conclusion he always did. With time, the answers would naturally reveal themselves. Whether Koi's words were right, or if they were merely futile expectations, only time would tell.
Dein Striker.
Ashley recalled the name of the man he had seen then. He hadn’t received any reports about Grayson finding a new lover, so he must still be with Dein. If that’s the case, could it be that Dein Striker...?
His mind became a tangled mess at that thought. He had gone through the trouble of being kind and giving all the trivial details about his son, and yet, he hadn’t run away?
It felt completely different from the others Grayson had claimed to have brought into his life. That was why he had even given a warning, but the man was still staying put. Why? Did he have some foolish certainty that he wouldn’t die?
He needed to find out more about this man.
Ashley thought. Even if Grayson truly started to feel emotions, how it would manifest on the surface was another matter. What if he harmed Dein Striker...?
"Ash?"
Koi called, sensing something was wrong. Ashley quickly smiled, as though nothing had happened. But even as he did so, his mind was racing with flashing warning lights.
That cannot happen. Up until now, he hadn’t trusted Grayson enough to assign bodyguards, keeping people around him to a minimum. But if Dein Striker was still near Grayson, then that changes everything. There was only one conclusion.
He needed to find a bodyguard to protect Dein Striker.
"Ugh..."
Grayson groaned, stretching his limbs. The bright sunlight filtered through his closed eyelids. Had there ever been such a refreshing morning? His lips naturally curled into a smile. It was such a strange experience, to smile without consciously lifting the corners of his mouth.
Still grinning, he rolled over on the mattress, but suddenly felt an odd sensation. With his eyes still closed, he groped around on the mattress, but there was nothing.
...Huh?
It took him a moment to realize what was happening. Then, his eyes snapped open, and he sprang upright. There was no one on the huge bed, designed for his tall frame. Only he himself was there.
"...Dein."
Grayson murmured, deep in thought. A moment later, he jumped out of the bed and ran out of the room. The first place he headed was Dein's room, which was right next door.
"Dein!"
Without knocking, Grayson burst through the door and was shocked, nearly fainting. There was no one inside the room. Not even Darling could be seen, and the feeling was as if the world was crumbling beneath him.
What happened? Was it really a dream?
His head was a mess with confusion. But the traces of intimacy on the bed were still clearly there. And the sensation of his hands on his chest, which he had been rubbing continuously, still lingered in his palms. It was impossible {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} that all of it had been a dream. Then where had they gone? Where was Dein?
Had he left?
"Dein, Dein!"
Grayson frantically ran through the house, calling out his name. Had he gotten tired of him? That must be it. It was a mistake, wasn’t it? He had clung to him so annoyingly... Dein must hate it by now, right? What should he do now? What now?
The memories from the night of their affair were fragmented and disconnected, but the one thing he was sure of was that he had slept with Dein.
I forced myself on him...
That was the only explanation. In a panic, Grayson ran down the hallway, his mind fixed only on Dein.
He had to contact the secretary team immediately. He had to find Dein. No, maybe he had gone to work? Right, he didn’t even know how many days had passed. Dein must have gone to work. Damn it, then where was Darling...!
"Dein...!"
"Why."
Just as he was shouting and running, a voice suddenly called from behind. Grayson, startled, tried to stop abruptly, but he stumbled and nearly fell.
He quickly turned around, and that’s when it hit him. Grayson froze like a statue. Through wide-open eyes, he saw Dein partially sticking out of the panel. It was the snack bar.
"Uh..."
Grayson could only utter a bewildered exclamation. What was going on? Hadn't he left? Then where was Darling...?
Soon, Grayson saw Darling sitting on Dein’s shoulder. All the strength drained from his body, and then, suddenly, Dein twisted his face in disgust. With a look of repulsion, he glanced down at Grayson’s crotch before silently walking away into the room.
"De..."
Grayson, about to call him in a panic, suddenly stopped.
Ah.
It hit him late—why Dein had given him that look. Since the moment he had bolted out of bed, he had been completely naked, not wearing even a single article of clothing.
"Got exhibitionism?"
Dein muttered irritably while flipping a fried egg.
"Why the hell are you always naked and causing trouble, huh?"
Grayson, who had hurriedly thrown on a robe, mumbled as he hunched over the bar.
"I thought you left because you were tired of me..."
Though Grayson looked completely defeated, the corners of his mouth were stretched into a wide grin. The fact that Dein was here, right in front of him, made him overjoyed. Dein, however, paid no attention to him and continued what he was doing: preparing breakfast.
He was wearing nothing but training pants, as usual. It was a typical outfit for him, but today it seemed to be the only choice. His broad chest was covered in bruises, and his nipples were swollen and battered. It seemed as if they had been touched a lot, making them larger than before. It would likely take several days for the swelling to go down.
Even the slightest breeze hurt.
The cold air briefly brushed over him, causing his nipples to sting and his chest to throb, making Dein furrow his brows. Clicking his tongue, he put the bacon and eggs on a plate. Just then, the toaster dinged, and the bread popped out. Dein picked up the two plates of food and turned, placing one in front of Grayson.
"Eat. It's yours."
Grayson, still staring at him with wide eyes and slack jaw, didn’t speak. Dein coldly said this, then placed the plate in front of him before starting to eat his own meal while standing.
Grayson continued to glance back and forth between his plate and Dein’s, still in disbelief. Dein, unconcerned, drank the tomato juice he had found in the fridge and kept eating. He roughly cut the egg with his fork, but just then, Grayson, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.
"Hey, Dein. Could you slap me across the face?"
Dein, with an emotionless face, put the egg in his mouth. And the next moment, with a loud ‘smack,’ Grayson’s neck snapped around.
