UNLIKELY MATCH | HEESEUNG

7 - The Fine Print

HEESEUNG'S POV

The woman sits across from me, sipping angrily on her coffee as if it's the only thing keeping her from losing her cool. But what the hell did she expect? This whole situation is absurd, and we're both stuck in it. If she asks me to make out act believable, I'll do it. "What the hell was that?" She hisses, glaring at me as if I've personally insulted her. Then she smiles, almost as if she's having the best time of her life, and I have to remind myself that it's all for the cameras. "You could have held my hand or something instead of going straight for the kiss."

"You said to make it convincing. Kissing tends to be pretty convincing." I shrug. It's not that big of a deal if she doesn't decide to make it one, but I guess she's not one to let things slide easily. "Okay, sure, I can be accomodating. It's not like I want to keep on kissing a woman I don't even know." I finish, the words feeling strange on my tongue. It's not every day you find yourself in a situation like this, after all.

"That woman is sitting here, and she has a boyfriend, in case you're willing to switch your preferences." I lean against my chair, staring at her. Really staring. She's beautiful, there's no denying that, with her slightly curly hair and the freckles that hide behind her makeup. She's not your typical rich girl, but the fact that she's wearing a designer dress and expensive-looking accessories doesn't escape my notice. At least she's not pretending to be something she's not. Still, her attitude grates at my nerves, but when I glance down and notice the way her foot is moving anxiously, it makes me raise my eyebrow in amusement. She's not so bold, after all. 

"If you're worried I'll hit on you, you can relax. You're not my type, darling. And whether you have a boyfriend or not is none of my fucking business." I sip on my coffee, enjoying the way her expression shifts from annoyance to surprise. 

She rolls her eyes. "Right, because you're such a gentleman. But it's good to know, because the last thing I need is some arrogant racer thinking he has a chance with me." Oh. I'm taken aback by her sharp retort, but I can't help but chuckle at her response. "Believe me, if it wasn't for my father, I wouldn't even think of spending time with someone who drives a fast car and thinks he owns the world. But I'm here now and we need to set some rules if we want this arrangement to work." I raise my eyebrow, curious to hear what she has in mind. "First of all, I'm not giving up on my relationship just for the sake of this-"

"I'm not asking you to." I interrupt her, shrugging slightly. "I might have kissed you and I apologize about that because I had no idea you have a damn boyfriend, but I'm not asking you to ditch him. Like I said, your personal life is none of my business." 

"Okay. Fair enough. That means we're not going to spend so much time together." I open my mouth to speak but she says exactly what I'm about to say. "Unless it's for public appearances or other necessary events related to this arrangement. My father is going to take care of the necessary papers so you'll just have to sign on the dotted line when required." I roll my eyes at that. Now I'm starting to be annoyed, actually, and she's not helping when she treats me like I'm the one who's at fault for this entire situation. But I bite back my frustration. There's no point in arguing about things we can't change.

"Is that it?" I ask, running a hand through my hair in a gesture of frustration. "Or are you going to hand me a whole manual on how to behave around you?"

"Don't tempt me." The way she smirks as if she knows she has the upper hand only irritates me further. "But no, that's all for now. I'm gonna leave because I have more important things to take care of than a fake marriage to worry about." Her words hit me like a slap in the face, and for a moment, I'm left speechless. More important things? Does she really think I don't have anything better to do than deal with this mess? A Grand Prix, perhaps, that I need to focus on? But before I can respond, she stands up and turns on her heels, leaving me sitting there feeling utterly frustrated and more than a little irritated. 

I watch her go, her hips moving like a hypnotic pendulum, drawing my gaze despite my best efforts to ignore her. But who does she think she is, treating me like I'm some kind of inconvenience? Of course, she has a boyfriend, and I'm not about to become the villain in their relationship drama. But that doesn't mean I have to sit back and let her call the shots either. It's a relief I won't have to meet her that often, otherwise, I know damn well this arrangement will end up a fucking disaster. 

After the meeting with Sena, her name still feels like a bitter taste on my tongue, I find myself dressed in my red racing suit, standing in the garage next to my car, ready to hit the track. The trio that makes their way towards me makes me smirk, tilting my head slightly as I fix my gloves. "Ready to lose, Lee Heeseung?" Sunghoon smiles, his tone teasing as he approaches, followed closely by Jake and Jay.

"You wish, Sunghoon." Park Sunghoon drives for Mercedes and has been a formidable competitor on the track. Unlike Junseok, he doesn't hold back when it comes to bantering with me, but it's all in good fun. The way the black and white racing suit looks on him often makes me wonder what I'd look like if I drove for Mercedes. Who knows? They might just offer me a seat next season, but I know red suits me the most, though Ferrari's pit stops are the slowest and most error-prone and it makes me want to commit me grind my teeth just thinking about it. 

Park Jay, the one with dirty blonde hair and a jawline that could cut glass, gives me a playful punch on the shoulder. "Man, it's been a while." And by a while, he means a week because that's how long it's been since our last race. Jay used to drive for Ferrari alongside me, but then he was offered a position at McLaren, something that still surprises me. The traitor didn't even hesitate before accepting the offer. I understand, though, if it wasn't for my dream of winning the Grand Prix in red, I might have considered a switch myself. But loyalty runs deep in this sport, and I've pledged mine to Ferrari.

The last guy who looks like a fuckboy from the corner of my eye is Shim Jake, the youngest among us. But don't let age fool you; I still remember that one time when he almost took the championship right out from under my nose. Jake may be young, but he's got the kind of raw talent that you can't teach, and that's exactly why Red Bull Racing Academy snapped him up before he even had a chance to graduate from karting. "I'm so ready to tear up this track and leave everyone else eating our dust."

The four of us; the racers who will be remembered in the books of motorsport history, stand on the brink of greatness as we get ready for another race. The engine roars to life as I rev it, feeling the familiar surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins. 

The race starts, the wind rushing past me as the four cars speed through the track. This is what I live for – the thrill of competition, the exhilaration of pushing myself to the edge, and the taste of victory when I cross the finish line, the checkered flag waving triumphantly above me.