Partners in Speed - ver.2 (also Street Racers #2)

10. Jungkook

I only meet Yeeun when we arrive at the parking lot of tonight's race. I swing my arms around her before we kiss. We've been on the phone a lot, but I've never been a fan of that.

"So?" I ask. "What is it you didn't want to tell me on the phone?"

"Guess who I met with last night," she says.

I frown. "What? Who?"

"Taehyung wanted to see me."

"Really? What did he want?"

"Apologized for the past," she says, resting her hands on my chest. "And... we had a talk. But I promised it would stay between us. I just wanted to tell you to be patient with him."

I surge in for a kiss again, ignoring the urge to pull the details out of her. "I promise I will. Let's find him now."

I haven't met him ever since the last fight. After that we only exchanged those messages. I don't expect us to be talking it through tonight. Or ever, possibly. Even though we should, if things are actually supposed to get better. I'm just assuming we're on the same page when it comes to the fight – he knows I meant what I said, and I know it wasn't easy for him.

We find Taehyung leaning against his car. He bops his head when he sees me. We shake hands when we're close enough. It has become a new normal.

"Don't you think there are way more people tonight?" he asks.

I glance around and notice, "Unfamiliar people."

"Right? The news must have gotten out. About the-" Taehyung falls silent, his eyes trained on something behind me. I take a small step to the side, to glance back, and notice the same guy from the previous race walking our way.

"What's this guy's deal?" I ask.

"I... I don't know," Taehyung mumbles, stepping from one leg to the other. I look between him and the guy. The first time I saw them together, Taehyung was panicking. The second time, at the repair shop, the situation was weird. There was this guy, another guy, and Taehyung was panicking once again, but in a different way. Not trying to run away. Rather... trying to breathe properly. But he wasn't paying attention to anything besides the other guy. Maybe that's why the one walking our way stormed out like that, which Taehyung didn't even notice until the guy was long gone.

"Is he bothering you?" I ask. I don't think Taehyung isn't capable of telling someone off, but he's acting strange around this guy. Like his brain slows down and he's not able to stand up for himself.

I wouldn't have a problem with doing so. I'm just... not sure why I care about it.

"He's... uhm..."

Just as this guy is about to reach us, the other one slips from behind Yeeun, making both her and Taehyung jump.

"Hey," he says, smiling at Taehyung, and standing right next to him.

Taehyung, very subtly, leans his way, away from the one behind me. "Hey."

"You fucking scared me, what the hell?" Yeeun says, hand over her heart.

"My bad. I was in a rush."

I glance behind me to see the guy stopped in his tracks. I'm strangely glad he's not coming any closer. I trust my intuition quite a lot, and it says there's something weird about him.

"Good timing," I say and reach my hand out to him. "Jungkook."

"Wooshik," he says. Then turns to Yeeun. "Forgive me the jump scare. I had good intentions."

"Forgiven," she says. "I'm Yeeun."

"Are you a regular here now?" Taehyung asks him.

"I wanted to see you race," Wooshik says, turning his way. They stand so close they could effortlessly kiss, and neither of them is looking away.