CRUEL

CRUEL|SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CRUEL

[SEASON TWO]

"And Team Hummingbird! I don't have a list of participants from you. Are you still not here?!" The Staff looked through the crowd. Looking for the Crew that still was missing. He clicked annoyed, but still didn't could see them. "If you're not here, I'm going to have to disqualify you!" He warned loud. Catch the attention of many people around him. 

"Jeez, did they drop out? We just came here just to see them." One of Tarantula said disappointed. Her friend and Leader shook their head in disbelief. "No way...they couldn't possibly drop out." She disagrees.

Juhwan sighed nervously, rubbing his newly styled green hair, eyes glancing over his shoulder. Crossing his fingers, in the hope that they would come. "Damnit, I came here to see those guys race...what's going on?" The sharing of confusion and worry was mirrored by his teammates. 

The Staff groaned angrily. Held up his wacky tacky, pushing the red button. "All right, then I'll consider them disqua-"

"Oh! There they are!" someone screamed happily, catching the attention of everyone. Their heads turned to the side. Felt like their body stiffed at the sight of them. Sweat was rolling down their Face and the air felt hot and cold at the same time. Everyone was shocked.

Team Hummingbird stood amidst the aftermath, a tableau of resilience and unyielding spirit. Their garments, once pristine, now bore the scars of their battle, tattered remnants clinging to their weary forms. (It wasn't that dramatic, her brother just had one big bruise from fighting the boar-)

With hell behind them, they faced the future with an unshakeable resolve, a phoenix (More like Hummingbirds-) reborn from the ashes, ready to spread their wings and soar to new heights.

"Sorry, we're late."

CRUEL

"The next race is the one where we need to choose a representative," Minu informed the others, relaying what the staff had told them about the upcoming race. Dom nodded in agreement, recalling the time he had been the representative himself. It had been a monumental task, carrying the weight of the entire crew on his shoulders. The pressure and stress were enough to break someone who couldn't handle it.

"I think I sh-"

"I'll do it."

All heads turned swiftly to the side, fixing their gaze on the girl who had just donned her dark purple helmet. She didn't bother to meet their wide-eyed stares or respond to their gaping mouths. June regarded her uncertainly, grappling to comprehend her statement. "Um...are you sure? This could be quite challenging," he attempted to dissuade her. But she merely shrugged nonchalantly. "Nah, don't worry. I'm going to win," she stated matter-of-factly.

Minu let out a sigh and rubbed his temple. "This won't be easy, Zou," he cautioned her, offering her a last chance to relinquish the spot to someone else. However, she rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue in annoyance at their doubt. "Quit acting like I'm weak. I am fully capable of winning this race and advancing us to the next round," she asserted firmly, placing her hand on her hip. Shelly nodded fervently, casting an irritated glance at the boys. "My woman is the best. Of course, she's going to win," the blond chimed in proudly.

"Show them what kind of monster you are," he encouraged her, delivering a thumbs-up. Her cheeks flushed, and she pressed her thin lips together, turning her gaze away in embarrassment. Her older brother chuckled at her reaction, briefly glimpsing the image of his younger sister in her. It felt like yesterday when their father had returned with a tiny girl cradled in his arms, announcing that he was now a big brother. She had been so small, so full of energy. Chasing after him, imploring him to fashion pigtails for her, begging for rounds of card games. Yet, her favorite game had always been Monster. She would impersonate a fearsome creature, and he would pretend to flee from her, the sound of her monstrous growls echoing through the house as she "hunted" him.