"Wow, today was crazy again."
One of the guys, after finishing work and taking off his dirty clothes, sighed and said, "Phew." Since they had been called out again today, everyone looked a mess. In a hurry to take a shower and head home, they all rushed to strip off their clothes and head to the showers, but Deandre paused and looked at Dane.
"Dane, are you going to wash up here today?"
At those words, Dane, who was about to take off his T-shirt, froze. Everyone’s attention shifted to him.
"What’s up? What’s going on?"
"Dane, what about Dane?"
Between the clueless guys pushing their faces into the conversation, Deandre spoke up.
"You know, Dane, he didn’t wash up and just went home for a while. But today... is it different? Are you washing up here again?"
His last words were directed at Dane. Dane slowly let go of the hem of his shirt as the other guys nodded and started chatting.
"Now that you mention it, that’s true. It was kind of strange."
"Dane used to wash up everywhere, every corner, because of Darling."
"Yeah, Darling, right? Didn’t he say that cat shouldn’t drink the leftover ash?"
"So, why didn’t you wash up and just went home?"
"I don’t know. Me neither. Dane, why?"
Not enjoying the unwanted attention, Dane slowly closed the cabinet door. After slipping his wallet into his pocket, he started walking out, but Deandre called after him again.
"Hey, what’s this? You’re just leaving?"
"Didn’t you say you were going to wash up here?"
"Dane, where are you going? Dane!"
The others chimed in as well. Dane stopped, turned around, and looked at them. With everyone looking confused, he replied, still expressionless.
"Mind your business."
Without saying anything further, he turned and walked off, leaving the others staring after him with puzzled expressions. However, unlike his calm appearance, Dane’s heart was pounding madly as he strode toward the car.
Damn it, that son of a bitch.
There was still a lingering pain in his chest. Although the bitterness and discomfort had long faded, the mark from that bastard refused to go away. It was nothing like a rough one-night stand. Who the hell does that to someone after just one night?
Because of that, he had been taking showers at home after work, avoiding showering at the facility. Fortunately, his large house had several bathrooms, so he could clean off all the dust and ash before meeting Darling in his room.
Even though he had been forced to drag his dirty body around for a while, he could manage to cover it up now. That’s why he had planned to shower and leave as usual, but Deandre’s lack of awareness had ruined it.
"Sigh."
He shook his head with a sigh. Today, Grayson had been dragged to a committee meeting, so there was some leisure time. Back then, when Dane explained the situation, public opinion had easily reversed, surprising Grayson. Dane smiled and said:
〈That’s the image I’ve built up over time.〉
At once, Grayson grimaced. With a look that said, "That’s not an image of sincerity, though," Dane had responded:
〈I never do anything that would cause me to lose out.〉
Grayson was left speechless, but something good had come from that incident. Since Dane’s house had burned down, Grayson had temporarily offered him a place to stay. Dane’s colleagues praised Grayson once more, vowing never to make such rash judgments again. As a result, it became natural for them to commute together. Thanks to that, Grayson’s claim that they were dating turned out to be nothing more than a joke. The three-hour restriction was also forgotten, as Grayson had kept his word. Though, the endless texts kept coming.
After sending a quick text, Dane arrived home and, as usual, headed straight for the outdoor shower. The shower next to the pool was designed to wash off quickly before swimming, but Dane was using it for a different purpose.
"Uh?"
After washing every corner of his body as usual and tossing his dirty clothes into the laundry basket, he stepped outside, only to freeze. From a distance, a dog was standing there, staring at him.
What...?
He paused for a moment, then suddenly realized.
"Alex?"
When he called the name, the dog perked up its ears and reacted. As expected. Dane had known about the dog since he had moved here but had never actually seen it, so it took him a moment to recognize it.
"So you're Alex, huh? Hello."
The dog, once known for its ferocity due to its breed, was now surprisingly calm due to old age. Of course, it still bared its teeth and showed no aggression, but as it stood at a distance, alert, Dane felt a strange urge to get closer to it.
Now, let’s see... what’s around?
Since he owned a dog, there had to be treats or toys somewhere. The problem was, where in this large house were they?
Dane quickly turned around and headed inside. After giving Darling a kiss to show he had just come back and feeding it, he ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) went back outside.
His next destination was Grayson’s room. He thought that perhaps there was a toy lying around in there, but the room was spotless, not even a speck of dust or anything that resembled a toy.
No Frisbee... not even that?
Hmm, scratching his chin, he noticed something on a shelf.
"Ah."
He muttered in surprise and immediately made his way toward it. As expected, it was the dog treat can he had once given to Grayson.
What’s this? Did he forget to give it?
Well, whatever, this works. Dane thought as he grabbed the can and lightly tossed it into the air, catching it again. Whistling, he went back outside and found Alex still standing in the same spot.
"Come on, come on."
He made a clicking sound with his tongue and crouched down to beckon Alex. Seeing the dog standing still, watching him from a distance, Dane extended his hand, waving it slightly.
When Alex spotted the can, it moved a little. With a smirk on his face, Dane slowly peeled the lid off. With a crisp sound, the lid popped off, and Alex sprinted toward him with surprising speed.
"Chest, chest. Chest, chest."
Grayson was tapping the steering wheel in rhythm, excitedly singing along.
"Chaaaaaest!"
He slammed the wheel with a bang, then smiled contentedly and hummed along. He was in such a good mood, even after attending a committee meeting and heading home. The reason was simple: Dane would be waiting for him at home. As soon as he got back, he planned to bury his face in Venus and get some comfort. Since Dane had sent him a point earlier, he knew everything was fine. Of course!
"Chaaaaaest!"
Repeating the chorus once more, he smiled contentedly when he saw the mansion come into view. Skillfully cornering the car, he parked and got out quickly. By now, Dane would be inside, probably with Darling...
"Uh."
Just as he was about to enter the house, he stopped in his tracks. Unexpectedly, Dane was outside by the pool. If he had planned to swim, he would have been in swimwear or shorts, but instead, he was wearing his usual worn-out tracksuit and a stretched-out old T-shirt.
Curious, but happy, Grayson walked toward him and spotted the dog in front of Dane.
Ah, Alex.
Now, everything clicked. Knowing Dane’s love for animals, it was no surprise he was paying attention to the dog.
Grayson smiled and walked over with light steps, about to call out to Dane. But just as he was about to say his name, he froze.
Dane looked at the elderly dog eating its snack with a soft smile. Despite its rough appearance, seeing the dog wagging its tail while eating the treat made it appear cuter. Gently petting its head, Dane suddenly thought.
One week left...
Three months had passed faster than expected. With all the incidents happening, it felt even quicker. Anyway, there wasn’t much time left now.
He pondered the events that had passed, then moved his hand again. Lost in thought, he suddenly felt a presence. Turning his head, he saw a familiar face just a few steps away.
"Uh..."
He was about to ask, "Did you come?" when Grayson froze, his face turning pale, his whole body shaking in fear.
Surprised by the unexpected reaction, Dane quickly stood up.
"What’s..."
"AAAAHHHHH!!!"
Grayson, turning pale, grabbed his head with both hands and screamed in horror.
