Welcome to Your Last Race (Street Racers #3)

32. Yeeun

We have a roommate. Not any roommate. And Sunhee as a roommate has been nothing but a delight. In the past three days, I've realized living with someone makes it impossible not to grow closer, until you're making immense efforts. Like Jungkook.

I love him, and I understand him, but I think he's being a bit ridiculous. Sunhee's not his parents, she's not treating him like them. It's... the complete opposite. She wants to be in his life. When I observe from the side, it's obvious she cares about him caring. And she's trying. And after three days of Jungkook dodging most of her efforts, I'm growing frustrated.

But he doesn't want to talk about it. Of course he doesn't. God forbid Jungkook talk about his feelings when the situation isn't drastic and every bridge isn't falling apart. Ever since he spilled everything that happened when him and Sunhee went to see their family he's been more in his head than ever. It's worrisome, though I try not to picture the worst case scenario.

It's the morning of the race night. I'm cleaning up after Wooshik and I's late night brainstorming session – over facetime. A ton of papers with unreadable notes, and those readable that don't make any sense anyways. Jungkook is still asleep when Sunhee walks out of her room.

"Morning," she says, passing by the living room to the kitchen.

"Hey." I smile. Three days were enough to realize she's at the same time a copy and a complete opposite of Jungkook. Their eyes are identically big and round. They have the same lips. Both of them resemble more of their mother than father. Behavior wise... she's nothing like Jungkook for the most part. Chaos, a million ideas, would scream about the things she believes in while running through the city. And I love that about her a lot. She's so young, and so full of life and energy, and with so much potential, and I'm starting to resent their parents more than ever before for dimming it.

With all their similarities and differences, they are so... sibling-y. Bickering, teasing. Especially from Sunhee's side. Jungkook slips, and when he forgets to control himself (which he seems to be trying to do), he fits the older brother role so well.

It's like Sunhee's always wanted to have an older brother to piss off, but also an older brother that would break someone's spine to protect her. Jungkook immediately shuts his brother-ish moments off, but naturally, he has them. He's intuitively a great brother, but it's like he doesn't want to believe it.

I walk into the kitchen and ask, "Do you want coffee?"

Sunhee's at the table, drinking water and mindlessly staring ahead. "Sure, thank you." I get to making two coffees, but I wait for something to come after that, because there clearly is something. And then she says, "Is it really okay that I'm here?"

"Here as in Seoul or this apartment?"

"Both."

"If you're judging this by Jungkook's attitude, please don't. He's... no matter how close he is with someone, he's closed off. That's why even I don't know everything that's going through his head. But he'll deal with it. And... he won't be so broody anymore. I promise."

"I just... I feel like he's pitying me. You know... because he somehow escaped our parents. I was stuck with them. I feel like... he's agreeing to all of it... because he feels bad that I had to deal with it."

"I see why you'd think that. But let me tell you... your brother will first see a problem with himself than with anyone else. So whatever reasons he has, they most likely have nothing to do with you," I say. Everyone knows it about Jungkook. "Don't... don't give up. I can see that he cares, but... I think he's scared of that himself."

Sunhee sighs, nodding. "You know... it was my silly dream when I was in middle and high school."

"What was it?"