Bittersweet Memories (A Stray Kids Short Story Collection)

The Night Rider IV

     So about Jeongin slamming down on the accelerator? Correction. He tried to slam down on the accelerator. The sound of a motor should have followed.

     But nothing came.

     "I- I just refilled the tank!" Jeongin exclaimed. "What could be wrong!?"

     "Here, let me check," Hyunjin said, getting off the bike. For a guy who had never ridden a bike, he seemed to know exactly what to do. Jeongin watched him play around with the parts of the bike with awe. Hyunjin must have picked up some skills of his own during his education break.

     "Something's wrong with your motor. Not sure what," Hyunjin said. "You'd need to take it to a mechanic."

     "But... I'm broke," Jeongin said, realizing he had probably said that statement more times today than in his entire life. "I don't suppose you have a car that can take us to that address?"

     "Not currently. I'm downsizing, so I'm saving up for a new one," Hyunjin said. "But... I might know a way to get there anyway."

     "And what might that be?"

     "Come on," Hyunjin said, gesturing to Jeongin outside of the parking lot.

     Jeongin hesitated, looking back at Sunny. "Are you sure I can just leave my bike here? It just needs a mechanic?"

     "That's right. Now, do you want to come or not?"

     Not like Jeongin really had a choice. "Okay, lead the way."

     Hyunjin only led the way to the outside of the plaza, near the road. Jeongin was at a loss at what Hyunjin was doing until he saw him put his thumb out. "Hitchhiking!? THAT'S your brilliant plan!?"

     "What?" Hyunjin said with a blank look. "It's free, convenient, and the quickest way to get to our destination."

     "The quickest way to get kidnapped and left dead in an alley, you mean."

     "Relax. I know people. If the driver looks suspicious, we're out of here, okay?" Hyunjin said, his thumb still out.

     "I'm not so sure about this..." Jeongin was all for something new, but definitely not this.

     "Come on Jeongin, just yolo it. You only live once, why not take a risk once in a while?" Hyunjin said.

     Why not take a risk once in a while?

     "... okay, but you do all the talking," Jeongin said. He had his doubts about whether all of this counted as an appropriate risk but he had to start somewhere, didn't he?

     Silence for a few minutes. It was getting a bit more chilly now that it was nighttime.

     "No one is stopping," Jeongin said, folding his arms to keep himself warm.

     "Yeah. This doesn't always work. Should have clarified that before."

     "You-" Jeongin stopped himself in the nick of time before his brain-to-mouth filter broke in front of this still technically stranger.

     "Ooh, that car is pulling over!"

     On second thought, maybe it would have been better if no cars had come, because now the idea of doing the exact hitchhiking was sounding pretty daunting to Jeongin.

     Calm down, Jeongin. This is a calculated risk. What are the chances of murderers being in that car? Think about the statistics, think about the news-