Crime, Betrayal, and Love (A Seventeen Street Racing AU)

LIX | Trust

I feel like a creep as I watch Mingyu's hands on the wheel. He's not gripping it tightly. However, there's power in his hold as he waits for the flag to drop and the race to begin.

They're veiny with his grasp, even though they felt so soft on my leg. On his pinky finger, he wears a thick ring.

"Are you making sure I don't let go?" Mingyu laughs, side-eyeing me.

"Hmm?" He breaks my attention."

"You're staring at my hands."

"No!" I quickly avert my vision. "I was just observing the car."

"If you want to wear the helmet, you should put it on now," Mingyu says as he stretches back in his seat to look at the staff section. "The race is starting soon, and it's not easy to put one of those on once you're moving."

"What about you? Don't you need one?"

Mingyu shakes his head. "I'll be fine. Both of us will. The helmet is just to make you less tense."

Doing as he says, I pull the helmet over my head. "Well, I'm not sure how much it will help."

"Don't worry. This is as casual as street races get." Mingyu relaxed into the seat and cracked his knuckles before returning them to the wheel as if to demonstrate how unworried he was.

"So no one is going to try to sabotage you?"

"Nah. Most of our rivals aren't even in town anymore. Pretty much everyone headed to the Golden Rosé venue today. In preparation."

"Why not Seventeen?"

Mingyu shrugs. "Probably your deal with Jennie and securing the sponsorship. Also, Hoshi fucked up our hotel reservations."

"Oh," I chuckle. "Who trusted him with that?"

"Someone stupid," Mingyu sighs lightly. "But it worked well for me."

A girl in shorts and a tank top walks through the road, pausing our conversation.

I hadn't realized that the small talk with Mingyu had eased my heart, but I recognize it now as its pace fastens and stress tightens my muscles.

It's hard to believe, but I trust Mingyu. To race safely, at least. But that isn't what worries me. It's the other racers who may have a dispute with him or Seventeen.

"Hey." Mingyu's voice cuts through my anxious tension. "I'm not worried about this race. I could care less if I win or lose. I just want to give you a good night." Despite the flagger girl preparing to release the flag and signaling everyone to go, Mingyu glances at me, softly smiling. "I'll impress you with my races at the tournament."

My breath catches in my throat. There's a lot I don't know about Mingyu, but one thing has been made apparent: he's competitive and stubborn, yet he's willing to lose. All to make sure I'm not freaked out. It may not seem like a grand gesture to him or anyone else, but a sacrifice like that isn't something I'm used to.

"I trust you." The words escape me before I can think, and for what may be the first time, I don't regret them. "You can win tonight. I'll suck it up."

Mingyu breaks into a toothy grin, "Thank goodness. I didn't want to grow these newbies' egos."

He can't see my face now, not with the helmet over my head, but if he could, he'd see an unbreakable smile and a glint in my eyes, flagging an emotion I haven't felt this strongly in eight years.

Neither of us sees it, but the flag drops and the cars surrounding us burst forward, engines roaring.

Mingyu doesn't waste another second, whipping his head forward and erupting forward to catch up.