The time is here for sure
I'mma do my thing

"Is it supposed to be that hard?"

"Well, not really." Minhyuk's words weren't half as reassuring as I'd have liked them to be. "I mean, you're not really experienced in all this racing stuff, so that's okay."

"I don't see how it's okay," I muttered, shaking my head. "I was supposed to be home an hour ago."

He grinned, leaning forward flirtatiously. "Isn't it fun being a bad, bad girl?"

We were once again at the plaza, but it was daytime. After having seen the crowd that gathered here at night, filled with the hot excitement of races and other...worldly pleasures, it was slightly surprising to see the place so empty, with not even a couple of tourists hanging around.

Our knees almost touched under the table we were seated at, but my posture was ramrod straight because of the discomfort of being in a situation like this. Lee Minhyuk, as I found, was pretty similar to Kang Seulgi in some respects, most of these involving hitting on everything that breathed and walked.

"No." I deadpanned, but he leaned back with a delighted laugh, apparently undeterred. "What else is bad is that even though I've agreed to this racing thing, I've no idea how the whole thing works properly—and I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to participate without that."

"Oh, don't worry about that," He shrugged. "There are a lot of people who would be ready to tell you about this shit, maybe show you the ropes...but I think we will have to check up on the catch."

"Of course." The corner of my lips twitched. "Isn't there anyone who would do it for nothing?"

There was a pause as he inhaled for a long moment, his toned chest rising and falling under his muscle tee very obviously. "Well, you see," He bit his lip, as if unsure how to proceed, "At this place, everyone has a motive for doing bad shit. Even racing—everyone, or almost, is into something you might not want to get caught up in."

I raised an eyebrow. "Your point being?"

"You should be a little careful." He looked at me seriously. "Trust does not have the same meaning for them as it does for you, and of course, they don't really care whether you're new or not." Another moment of hesitation, another short pause. "They may want something from you you can't give them."

My eyes drifted to the opening to the street, where I had stood at a time which seemed so long ago, and a conversation I'd held with a certain redhead.

It might be just a street race for you, but it's so much more for so many.

Money? Power, fame, what else? Drugs?

Sex. A story.

What's it to you?

Forget it.

"Y/N?" I blinked as Minhyuk called out, uncertain. "You sort of zoned out for a moment there."

"Yeah, sorry." I said awkwardly, sliding my sweaty palms down my jeans in an attempt to wipe them. "You were saying?"

"Well, there are certain unspoken traditions." He pursed his lips, looking uncomfortable about the topic he was about to approach. "They...they don't care about sexuality. It's very blurred there—you could be straight and still make out with a girl." A sly smirk.

I blinked. I was pretty sure I wasn't straight. "Moving on."

He chuckled. "There are certain people you don't want to mess with—like Lee Taeyong." He raised his index finger. "The police is usually here by the fourth race, but sometimes it's early." Another finger up. "You should always stay with the right people." Another finger. "People have shit morals over there." A fourth finger raised.

I cracked a smile. "Yeah, I noticed."

Minhyuk grinned, combing his dark hair back. It was funny, how much he loved touching his impeccable hair, only to mess it up—which admittedly made it look better than it did previously.

"So, you should be good—as long as you have a car and know how to drive, it's just a matter of experience." I raised my eyebrows and he leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table. "A lot of people could teach you some tips and tricks, particularly about how best to escape the po-po."

"You did not just say that."

"I did." He smiled again. Well, he definitely loved smiling—to be honest, anyone with a smile like that would love to do it that often. "Any more questions, bad girl?"

I cringed at the tag. This elicited a snort, followed by a quirk of his lips. "Do you race, or recruit?"

"Race." He nodded, as if the question was acceptable.

"Can you race and recruit?"

A frown marred his forehead, but then he shrugged. "It's harder, because it makes it not that easy to go scot-free during searches, but it's not impossible. Most of the recruiters are tricky as hell, and pretty smart, too."

I nodded in understanding as he spoke, thinking about a certain brunet and how his hands had been nimbler than I would've expected. "Vernon is one, isn't he?"

Another smile. "You're good." He admitted. "One would think you know more about crime than you're letting on."

Allowing myself a small smile, I rested my chin in my cupped palms. "Maybe I do."

──────

"Maybe?"

I sighed, scratching the back of my head uncertainly. "I mean...probably. As in definitely."

"Hm." My dad looked at me sceptically, but didn't put down his newspaper. "You really going out for study dates not even two weeks into college?"

I smiled, hoping that it wasn't too weak. "Doesn't everyone?"

"Well, then." He sighed, and turned back to his paper. "Have fun."

Fun. On a study date.

I practically flew to the garage, the feeling of doing something against the rules making my soul soar. The drive to the bar was silent, but even then I could hear my blood sing in my veins.

"Ah, there you are." Vernon greeted me with his signature cat boy smile as I entered through the back door, swinging his jacket over his left shoulder. "Everyone's been waiting to see the star girl."

"Yeah, sure," I said breathlessly, trying to pay attention, but my eyes were already scanning the exterior for any signs of a red Stingray. "So what am I seeing today?"

"Ah, of course." He nodded, eyes dancing with mirth and playfulness. "I will be your guide for the night, and today, we will be seeing the beautiful sights of nighttime Seoul." He jerked his chin towards the stands. "If you look towards the left, you can see a beautiful neon pink Estampida. To your right is the legendary yellow Bugatti Chiron."

"You guys must be loaded." I observed, picking up my pace to catch up with him as he walked ahead of me, imitating a tour guide in all respects. "Paint jobs as flawless as that? Yikes."

"I knew you'd come around." He turned around momentarily to offer me a teasing grin. "You see that opening over there? From that part of the street, you can drive through the abandoned industrial area of downtown. Except it's not abandoned."

With a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows, Vernon theatrically spread his arms. "We get all our paint jobs done by the best and only the best. Though most of us do it ourselves." He shrugged. "Yeah. We're that good."

In spite of myself, I smiled. It was hard not to, with his dramatic expressions and light voice, like a light-fingered troublemaker.

"You can get your car modified?" I asked doubtfully, staring at the assortment of vehicles lining the start-up. "The races are going to start soon, aren't they?"

"Yes, and yes." He confirmed. We paused for a moment, watching the cars move into position. It was almost like watching a T.V. documentary. "What do you want to do today?"

"I want to know when I can start racing." I said.

"Well, someone's eager." He snorted. "I think I should introduce you to a few people first, show you the ropes. I'm your recruiter, you're my responsibility...can't have you crashing into expensive paint jobs on your first day, yeah?" He smiled sideways at my expression. "Don't worry, they're not that bad."

"I don't know about that." I tried to stop him as we moved towards the bar once again, but diagonally so that we would reach the crowd that had gathered around the front. "Minhyuk said to stay away from the old ones."

"Minhyuk needs to stop scaring you." Vernon sighed. "Honestly, you'll get used to them. They're bad, yes, but they can't do anything to you as long as you don't let them."

I hummed, but I wasn't too sure. Even though Vernon seemed like someone with experience, Minhyuk's words still rang in my mind. And of course, what Archie had said.

Archie.

I stopped short, pausing mid-stride to turn and survey the line of cars that had started setting out lengths. No red Stingray.

Before I could help it, a frustrated sigh left my lips.

"Looking for someone?" Vernon asked cheerfully, stopping beside me. I glanced at him, but he seemed oblivious, but a little curious.

"Not really." My eyes stayed on the starting line, hoping that my willpower was enough to make Taeyong's car appear out of thin air.

No such luck.

"So...you coming?" When I turned to look at him, Vernon's eyebrows were raised expectantly.

I glanced at the track once more, but he was still not there. "Yeah."

The rest of the walk was silent, owing mostly to the fact that it took not more than six seconds to get there. The people looked more like the party crowd, with glittery piercings and eyeliner.

"This is the crowd you want to know." He said lowly, bending closer. "No pressure."

"I see." I whispered back.

No one paid much attention to either of us as we walked up to them, but the place was tricky—not inside the bar, but not outside, either. The group laughed and joked around, and I caught a glimpse of Seulgi smiling sweetly at a tall brunette.

Some were broken up into groups of twos and threes, but a long figure at a table caught my attention. Taeyong.

He looked up just as my eyes landed on him, and his eyebrow arched in surprise. I guessed he didn't expect to see me there—but he held my gaze.

I looked away first.

"This is the one I was talking about." Vernon spoke just as I turned my attention to the group. "This is—"

"Y/N." I smiled thinly, nodding at him. "So...this is the party crowd, I guess."

──────

so i'm sick and my hand hurts and i had my history exam today what's good