CRUEL

CRUEL|NINETEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CRUEL

[SEASON TWO]

Exhausted, she let out a weary sigh upon hearing the familiar voicemail notification. Turning her head toward the others, she shook it with a sense of disappointment. "He isn't answering..." she informed them, her words casting a somber mood over the group. The expressions on their faces mirrored the frustration she felt. 

 "Maybe something is up with him..." June attempted to offer a hopeful perspective, but it seemed to backfire, further dampening the atmosphere. "What the hell is with these guys? Are we doing this race or not?" Shelly's impatience broke through.

Tea couldn't help but agree with Shelly's frustration. And his own uncertainty was partially fueled by a certain boy's presence, the very boy who had just walked up to them."What is he doing here?" he muttered under his breath, a mixture of confusion and exasperation in his voice.

"Hey, is Vinny not here yet?" Minu's first words upon reaching the group indicated his concern for Vinny's absence. "No, hes not answering his phone either...did something happen to him?" he questioned the others, his worry evident. Yet, it was a concern that none of them could definitively address. Frustration etched across his features, he began rubbing his temples as if to alleviate the building tension. Their second chance at redemption seemed to be slipping through their fingers. "Damn it... he couldn't have picked a better time."

"After all that big talk. He is the one not showing up?" Minu griped, his annoyance a residual effect of the tense conversation he had shared with the red-haired boy the previous night.

"Maybe something happens on the way with his mother?"Arezou suggested, her expression darkening as she thought about the kind woman who had always greeted her with a smile and prepared the most delicious kimchi. 

"Someone should check on him..." June said worriedly. "I'll go," Tea volunteered, his readiness to help evident as he started donning his helmet. "Or maybe he just overslept. We can't risk being one rider short," Shelly countered, emphasizing the importance of the competition. Tea rolled his eyes, already preparing to mount his bike. "Arezou might be onto something. If there's a family emergency or something else, he wouldn't just skip the race. It's better if one of us checks on him," he stated, his tone firm as he addressed the others, awaiting their response.

Dom pressed his lips together, unsure if the idea was smart. The other boys share the same thought as he did.

"Let him go."

a voice chimed in unexpectedly, drawing their attention to the girl with piercings who was making another attempt to contact the missing teammate. Her gaze was sharp, her thoughts undoubtedly racing. "Vinny well being is way more important than this competition. So let tea check upon him. To stay here worried about him, just distracted us." she reasoned to the group.

"She is right." June sighed, offering a small smile to the younger boy. "Call us if something goes wrong." He warned the boy.

"Will do!" Tea responded, mounting his bike and preparing to set off. "And make sure you bring us victory!" he added before pedaling away, leaving the others to grapple with their concerns and thoughts. Soon after his departure, the event's moderator began explaining the details of the upcoming race.

"Today's race is a street rush! A Death Match between two teams. Five Riders from each Team will participate! You'll be literally riding on the streets! Unlike races on wide roads, there will be tons of variables. So participants with good cornering skills or reaction time will have the upper hand. As long as you don't deviate from the designated course, it doesn't matter which way you go. Whichever team has one of their five participants cross the finish line first wins! Now let me introduce you! The match schedule of the day!"