DMYC Chapter 39

It was roughly an hour ago when the report came in that a pet cat was stuck in a tree. 

Dane, who usually inspected his equipment with an air of utter boredom, complete with exaggerated yawns and a visibly annoyed expression, surprisingly hopped into the truck immediately. Seeing this, Grayson followed suit.

He still couldn’t understand why he did it. He literally acted ‘without realizing it,’ and by the time he came to his senses, the truck was already moving.

No one said a word about Grayson joining the call. Their attitude clearly conveyed that they wouldn’t interfere, whatever his intentions might be, which suited Grayson just fine. Only one person was on his mind right now.

That man, Dane Striker, sat with his arms crossed, his one leg bouncing nervously. Seeing him unusually anxious as if he was really concerned about the cat, made Grayson feel strangely uneasy. 

No matter how big the fire, Dane Striker, always bored or annoyed, only ever showed a different side of himself around animals. Once, he rescued a squirrel and another time, he picked up a baby bird that had fallen from its nest and put it back. 

Grayson was used to seeing Dane’s eyes light up with genuine concern whenever he dealt with animals, only to return to their usual indifferent dullness once the task was done.

What he wasn’t used to was his own behavior that had now changed. For some reason, since that day, Grayson found himself noticing every single one of Dane’s actions. He couldn’t understand himself.

He was especially dissatisfied with the current situation. He shouldn’t be wasting his time here. He should be leaving, as he always did once a job was done. Life was too short to waste on anything other than finding his one true love.

Yet, even though it had been almost a month, Grayson was still here. Unable to comprehend his own actions, he continued to show up for every call, just like this. Or rather, he was following Dane around.

Wait, following him? Me?

As he frowned at this newfound realization, the truck arrived at the scene. As usual, Dane was the first one to get out. He put on his jacket and headed straight for the tree where the cat was trapped. 

While his colleagues set up the ladder, Dane, wearing his helmet, prepared to climb. A little distance away, a woman, presumably the cat’s owner, and some neighbors paced anxiously.

“This won’t work, there’s nowhere to prop the ladder.”

After a few attempts, DeAndre gave up and stepped back. Ezra immediately took out his radio.

“Let’s call for the ladder truck. We’ll wait until then.”

Meanwhile, the other firefighters who had come to assist mingled with the residents, making small talk. Even so, they didn’t forget to keep an eye on the cat, making sure it was okay. 

At the same time, a group of women gathered and whispered excitedly, their eyes fixed on Dane, who was chatting with his colleagues.

“Look, it’s him, right? The…”

One of them started, her voice filled with anticipation, and another nodded.

“Calendar.”

A chorus of suppressed squeals and gasps followed. They jumped up and down, covered their mouths, pumped their fists – a flurry of reactions. They frantically took out their phones to snap some photos, their excitement unwavering.

“Oh my god, I’ve never seen such a handsome man.”

“And that body… I’d give anything to go on a date with him.”

“He’s huge. Is he like, two meters tall?”

“Oh my god, my dream man came to life. I think I’m going to cry.”

“Cherry is such a good cat. All those treats I gave really paid off like this.

“I knew this day would come. Cherry is a grateful cat.”

There was no way their excited chatter could go unnoticed. Ezra, after glancing in their direction, nudged Dane with his elbow and subtly jerked his chin toward the women.

“Those women keep talking about you. Shouldn’t you at least say hi to them?”

Dane simply smiled and gave a small wave. In response, the women’s squeals tripled in volume. His colleagues, however, showed no reaction, as if this was a common occurrence. 

They chatted about baseball and entertained the children who had come to watch as they waited for the ladder truck. Dane, as if it was a given, was the first one to climb the ladder when it arrived, ascending skillfully as they watched from below.

“Good kitty, it’s okay.”

Dane spoke in a gentle voice, unimaginable until now. He approached the cat with extreme caution, as if worried about startling it. Everyone held their breath as he slowly and carefully closed the distance.

Extending his long arms, Dane slowly reached out. Just as he was about to make contact, he swiftly grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck. He swiftly scooped the cat up and expertly tucked it into his arms. The people below, who had been watching nervously, cheered and applauded loudly.

“Woohoo!”

“He did it! He did it!”

“Thank goodness! Thank you!”

“Oh, I’m so relieved… I was so worried.”

With a sense of relief, people began to talk with bright faces. Dane came down the ladder with the cat and looked for its owner.

As the teary-eyed woman took her cat and thanked him profusely, everyone placed their hands over their chests and sighed dramatically, as if deeply moved. Soon, murmurs began to spread among the onlookers.

“Um, is it okay if I ask for an autograph?”

“What? Are you really going to ask if he’s ‘Calendar Guy’?”

“No, you can’t say it like that! Be less obvious!”

“This year’s Hottest Firefighter?”

“Worse!”

As they fumbled around, unsure of what to say, a woman who had disappeared suddenly appeared and stepped forward. She held several calendars in her hand. They were all firefighter calendars, featuring Dane on the cover. She handed Dane a calendar and a pen, asking,

“Um, excuse me… c-could you sign this for me, please?”

The other women, surprised by her unexpected boldness as she was usually quiet and reserved, gasped and their eyes widened. But that wasn’t the end of it. 

When she took out her phone and asked for a photo, Dane called over a colleague, handed him the phone, and posed for a photo with her, granting her the honor of a picture together. Of course, the others couldn’t just let this incredible opportunity pass them by.

“Me too! I have one too!”

“Here, I’ve bought this calendar every year! Look!”

“Me first!”

“No, me first!”

Suddenly, everyone, having run back to their houses, was holding the same calendar. Some of them waved several fluttering pages, having seemingly torn out just the cover. In the end, the time it took for Dane to sign autographs and take pictures with everyone was far longer than the time it took to rescue the cat.

This is just ridiculous.

Grayson watched the scene unfold, arms crossed and brow furrowed. Seeing them act mechanically, as if this were a common occurrence, left him speechless. What the hell are they doing?

Tsk, he clicked his tongue in annoyance. Just then, he faintly heard what sounded like a human voice. It was almost like an auditory hallucination, masked by the boisterous chatter of the crowd.