Welcome to Your Last Race (Street Racers #3)

4. Taehyung

Fixing a timing belt in someone's car has never made me feel so calm before, yet it's the first thing I do the day after we get back from Japan and I'm relishing it. The whole winning of the Japan Race and thinking about what's next has been overwhelming, to some extent. But I know this, I know my garage, I know my job, and my mind clears.

Which is good, I need a break, because I'm not quite done thinking about those things. I need to get back into what I know, so what I don't know doesn't seem as terrifying.

The first person, outside of our circle, to mention the Japan Race was Hoseok. He called us when we were still in Japan. Then it was Yoongi with Yubin. He said he knew I'd win. We stayed in Japan for two days, so after these two calls, I turned my phone off. I wanted nothing to do with anyone who wasn't Wooshik.

On the second day, though...

The first call I got was from a number I never saved in my phone. I picked up and when I heard a guy go "Taehyung?", I was hit with so much nostalgia I was nearly gasping for air. It was Sanghoon - my late cousin's best friend. I knew that guy for years, fixed his car regularly when I was a teenager, watched his races. He and Sanghoon showed me the Japan Race, they showed me racing.

I never learned what happened with this guy – Beom – after Sanghoon's accident.

He told me about it when he called. He called because he'd watched the Japan Race and 'couldn't believe it was me so he had to make sure'. Then he told me how he quit racing for years and left the city after what happened to Sanghoon. He never owed me any explanation, or staying around, and I understood. We caught up for a bit – nothing deep, only major changes – but it was good to hear from him.

And then the phone calls flooded. Other racers from Seoul, Wooshik's friends from Daegu – Sue and Garam. Jungkook's grandma, obviously. Yeeun's dad, too. For a moment of stupidity, I thought maybe my parents or Hyun changed their minds, but then I realized I don't give a fuck about it anymore.

So, yesterday, I was nothing but the winner of the Japan Race. Today I wanted to be nothing but a busy mechanic, to be honest, but I don't think I'll ever be what I used to be. Wooshik was right, things will change now. People will be aware. Hopefully, they won't act like I'm some celebrity. I don't want to be considered one.

Though I am also curious to see how people will react.

Which is why Jungkook is already onto organizing a race at the end of the week.

The guy comes at 6 p.m., to pick up his car, and gets mildly shocked about the price. "100 000 won? For all? The last guy I went to charged five times that."

"New idea," I say, taking the bills from him. "Making this shit affordable."

"So, like, you're lowering prices on everything?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Oil exchange should be no more than 10 000 won, and you know this guy from Yangcheongu? He charges ten times that. Especially from women, which is stupid."

"He's always been quite a dick." He chuckles. "I left him my car once, to fix the brakes. I picked up the car and the side door was dented. He told me this is how it was. Can you believe that?" He huffs and reaches out to shake my hand. "Anyways, thanks for that. I'll get going."

"No problem."

He opens the door to his car, but pauses and looks back at me. He's not much older than me, maybe two years. "I swear to God I've seen your face on Twitter a couple days ago."

"On Twitter?" I chuckle.

"There are thousands of racers there, man. And I know why I recognize you. The Japan Race, isn't it?"