Partners in Speed - ver.2 (also Street Racers #2)

14. Yeeun

I didn't care if it was my last day around when we met. That night in particular I felt the worst I have in a long time. Since high school. Everything that happened in high school was difficult, but it turns out loneliness is way worse. Losing a life-long friendship hurt me so much more.

I was without Jungkook, and no one seemed to understand why it was so unbearable.

I put up a fight when he tossed me into the backseat of his car. Every sensible person would. My survival instincts kicked in. I saw his face, and I saw the driver's face. When he took off, I knew he was a racer.

I would have said it, but by the time I didn't have the tape over my mouth, the racer one was already gone. I was in a room, tied to a chair with three ropes – legs, arms, body – and the guy that seemed to be the leader was in front of me.

"You understand I need to kill you now?" he asked.

I understood something else. That for the first time in a while I felt something.

"Who are you?"

"I can't tell you my name."

"Even if you're about to get rid of me?"

He thought about it for at least a minute. Then said, "Yoongi."

"I'm Yeeun. And I didn't mean your name. What do you do?"

He frowned. "You've seen it yourself, right? I'm a thief. A gang leader."

"Do you kill people?"

"If I have to."

"For fun? For a living?"

"Self-defense. Why are you asking all of this?"

"I want to work with you."

He stared at me like I've lost my mind. Maybe I felt a bit like that, like I was going crazy.

But then he agreed. Whatever the reason, he agreed. At first he was a boss. Only. Gave out orders, taught me what to do. I was with him almost 24/7. Then he started paying more attention to me. Teaching me more, giving me more complicated tasks. The brain-y ones, especially. Analyzing plans, making plans, coming up with ideas.

Then he asked if I was alright.

I wasn't. Jungkook was gone. The only person I could have talked to was Dad, but he didn't understand. He couldn't understand why I didn't want to be with Jungkook and didn't want to talk to Jungkook. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Jungkook and I weren't talking.

I couldn't blame him – it's not like he witnessed every minute of our relationship – but I couldn't find the support I was looking for with him.

I found it with Yoongi. He listened. He understood. I believed we were becoming friends. One night he talked first. About his life, his struggles. We were supposed to work, but we ended up talking. He said that he hadn't had anyone to talk to in a long while.

All for all, all for one, he promised that night.

And then shit happened.

I don't want to believe him now, because of how suddenly he turned it all around, but I have a stupid feeling I should. Because of all the things before he left me there to get caught, I have a small nudge to trust him. He didn't have to trust me back then. We met by accident, he didn't have to let me work for him.

I can't tell which Yoongi – the one that let me work with him or the one that left me there all alone – is real.

So, for emotional and not only support, I take Jungkook, and we go to Yoongi's hideout. Yesterday I was heated and irrational. That's not the way to go about Yoongi.