panoply;; a stray kids one-shot & short story collection

"driven to you" 🍑 {chansung}

"driven to you"

——

Han Jisung, the acclaimed artist known as J.One, tapped his manicured fingers impatiently on the plush leather seat of his opulent car. Glaring at his phone, he couldn't shake off the frustration that lingered since his long-time driver retired unexpectedly. Now, thrust into the uncharted territory of change, Jisung found himself at odds with the situation.

Enter Bang Chan, his driver's nephew, a few weeks into the job. While Chan diligently navigated the bustling city streets, the animosity brewing in the car was distinctly one-sided – fueled solely by Jisung's discontent. Unaccustomed to someone new taking charge, Jisung's scowl deepened as he continued to resist the idea of this unexpected change in his daily routine. The sleek car became a battleground of silent tension as Jisung grappled with the shift in dynamics.

Chan, a few years older and with striking curly bleach blonde hair, exuded an air of calm professionalism that contrasted with Jisung's pompous demeanor. They were both of Korean descent, but Chan had grown up abroad, adding a layer of cultural difference to their interactions. To Jisung, it just added yet another thing that they didn't have in common.

"All buckled up?" The Aussie questioned kindly from the front seat, glancing up in the rear-view mirror as he did.

Jisung huffed and snapped the seatbelt against his chest to show that he had. He averted his gaze out the window and grumbled a snotty "yup", popping the 'p'. Chan shook off the apparent belligerence with a curt nod and began their journey from the rapper's luxurious home to his music video shoot location through the mountains.

The narrow back road stretched ahead, a path framed by towering trees laden with fresh snow. The air was heavy with the hush of falling flakes, and the world seemed to have surrendered to winter's embrace. The road, once defined by tire tracks, was now obscured by a thick blanket of snow, as if nature itself had chosen to bury the path beneath its icy veil.

As Jisung reclined in the car's plush seat, his breath fogging up the window, he stared out at the landscape that was slowly transforming into a serene winter wonderland.

Flurries danced in the air, swirling in a hypnotic ballet, and the quiet crunch of snow under tires provided an almost musical backdrop. Jisung's irritation was momentarily forgotten as he watched the delicate flakes descend, catching the soft glow of the car's headlights.

But the beauty of the scene soon gave way to something more ominous. The snowflakes grew larger and heavier, and their dance turned into a frenzied whirlwind. The wind picked up, howling through the trees, and the gentle snowfall turned into a relentless onslaught. Visibility dwindled, the world outside fading into an indistinguishable white expanse.

Chan's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he peered through the windshield, squinting against the furious assault of snow. The wipers moved frantically, struggling to keep up with the accumulation on the glass. The road, once a reliable route, became a treacherous path fraught with uncertainty. Chan's knuckles turned white as he navigated the car cautiously, his heart racing with each icy twist and turn.

The blizzard's intensity escalated, the wind whipping around the car with an almost malicious force. The once serene landscape had transformed into a chaotic and unpredictable environment. Chan's brow furrowed in concentration as he strained to see through the white haze. The world outside had grown alien, unfamiliar, and the road beneath the tires became increasingly uncertain.

And then it happened—amidst the flurry of snow and the howling wind, the car's tires lost traction. The vehicle shuddered to a halt, coming to rest on a bed of snow that had concealed the road's true condition. The engine's hum was replaced by an eerie silence, the isolation of the snowy wilderness engulfing them. The blizzard had claimed its victory, trapping them in its icy grip.