From Day One | JENSOO

Chapter 29

My heart thinks me a criminal.

Jisoo lied on her back and stuck a hand under her pillow. A thicker shadow of branches spread across her ceiling and she watched, the movement a much needed diversion from the phone resting on her belly. It was set to vibrate in precisely three minutes. She lifted her head an inch to look at Jennie, the sleeping girl oblivious to what Jisoo was about to do, and the guilt forced Jisoo to look away.

Unable to lie still anymore, Jisoo went to her closet for the clothes from Jinyoung. Jennie hadn't moved when Jisoo emerged from the closet and a small part of Jisoo wished Jennie would awake, would tell her not to go, but then her phone vibrated and the second thoughts are replaced with thoughts of her race and its winnings.

She pulled her hair over one shoulder, holding it close to her body and then leaned over to Jennie, pressing a light kiss to the girl's temple. Jennie continued to sleep and Jisoo crept out, flicking the hood of the sweater over her head.

*

There were more people than Jisoo had imagined; two motorcycles, but a mass of spectators. She stuck to the back and away from the crowd. As the minutes passed, another two motorcycles arrived and soon thereafter, a large black SUV. Among the people that exited the car, she saw JJ, scowling and unhappy, but didn't think much of it because his entourage was acting the opposite. JJ reminded her a little of Suho, only Suho didn't reek of turpitude like JJ. The man's aura was menacing, the kind animals would sense and retreat from. Jisoo felt it too.

Her finger hovered over the start button to the engine when behind a few parked cars a familiar face popped up. She froze, caught in a stare as she watched Chanyeol stride to JJ's group and shake a few hands. There wasn't much she could do, the motorcycles had already begun lining up and the wait was over. Her bike was by far the least flashy and least expensive, and Chanyeol had seen it almost every weekend for the past year, but maybe she'd be lucky and Chanyeol would overlook it.

She positioned her bike at the end of the line, behind a white spray painted line. The machines next to her were more powerful than hers and she knew she'd have to rely on her experience to win, because brute force wouldn't do.

The growing crowd remained docile for the most part. A few glances left and right and Jisoo saw they were mostly civilians, mostly male, in loosened ties and suits, and the rest might have passed for Jisoo's age, maybe college students.

The man she got the slip from walked down the line with an extended hand and she was the last one to give her slip. He looked through the papers, gave a thumbs up to JJ and disappeared. Jisoo flexed her fingers over the handles, clutching and releasing, trying to loosen her stiff joints. The other riders were decked out in motorcycle gear from head to toe and the rider next to her was wearing nothing but name brands. Jisoo wouldn't have been able to afford a sleeve of the guy's jacket. Her attire was casual-- simple jeans and the jacket Jennie gave her-- but it might fool the others into thinking she was inexperienced.

One by one, Chanyeol began approaching the participants. There was a short talk with each of them, he did most of the talking and when it was her turn, she put her head to the side despite the relative darkness and her helmet. He passed a careless glance over her and she thought she had gone by unnoticed but Chanyeol's expression of indifference changed into anger.

"Jisoo?" He shoved his face close to her helmet. "What the hell are you doing here?" She ignored him and kept looking in the other direction.

"I know it's you."

"You've got me mistaken for someone else."

Her voice was surprisingly low and believable, but not for Chanyeol. He knew her a bit too well. "You've got two scars on the knuckles of your right hand. Pinky and ring finger."