Welcome to Your Last Race (Street Racers #3)

14. Wooshik

Ten seconds after I open the door, Jungkook is emptying our fridge.

"He's eating like a pig nowadays. Don't mind him," Yeeun says.

"I'm healing," Jungkook says, gasping at the leftover dumplings. He gives Yeeun puppy eyes.

She heaves a sigh and looks at me. "Give me a frying pan."

"Since when are you a housewife?" I chuckle, but give her the pan.

"Since she's not letting me do anything," Jungkook says, sitting at the table.

Seeing him, I suddenly remember that black eye Hyoshin had on the last race. Also the fact that he didn't even come close to us.

"You did it, right?" I ask Jungkook. Of course he did it.

He looks at me, eyebrows raised. "Did what?"

"Hyoshin."

The way he smiles is enough for an answer. "I couldn't imagine not punching him at least once, okay?" Then, because we're already on the topic, he asks, "Do you think it's a good time for a surprise?"

They've come to see Taehyung, after we've decided staying on the side, silently waiting to see what happens next, is the last thing any of us should be doing.

Yeeun moves around my kitchen swifter than I do. "We can't stay on the side now," she says.

"No matter what he says, it'll be better if you're around," I say, setting out plates and chopsticks for them.

There's a lot more food in the fridge than usual, anyways. Taehyung keeps eating less and less every day, and refuses even if I ask him to. I'm really not hungry.

"Have you noticed how fast everything is going to shit?" Yeeun asks, turned sideways; the dumplings sizzle as she sets them in the hot oil.

"This whole race is moving in a speed of fucking light," Jungkook says. "And only leaves damage. Who cares we're winning if everything is fucked up?"

Yeeun sighs. "Let's look at the bright side, though. It gave us Sue."

"I knew you're gonna like her," I say.

"I love her. She's hilarious. And her sense of fashion? Immaculate."

"And I have yet to meet her," Jungkook says.

"Except that she's terrified of you." I chuckle. "You're giving off this scary aura."

Jungkook scoffs. "I'm almost the most relaxed I've ever been. She has nothing to be worried about."

"Almost the most relaxed?" Yeeun asks, and now she's flipping the dumplings.

Jungkook leans back, arms crossed on his chest. "You know. This whole... thing with Taehyung."

I draw a deep breath. "Yeah..."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Yeeun asks, pulling off her therapist-best-friend gentle voice.

Whether I want to or not, I feel like I have to. They should know. "You know how the race was supposed to become huge? For everyone to know about it?" When they nod, I say, "I'm done with that. It was a bad idea from the beginning."

"What do you mean?" Yeeun asks.

"He did say he wanted it. And I thought it would be good. But... now I feel like it's too overwhelming. With so much shit happening."

"If that makes you feel better," Jungkook says, "his name was quite big even before that."

"What do you mean?" I ask.