ROAD RAGE | Jaywon

Chapter 3: Black big bike

JUNGWON

After the cafeteria chat, I headed to my final class of the day. Now, I find myself in the university parking lot, where spaces are limited. Almost every student here owns a vehicle, and securing a reserved spot requires a fee I'm unwilling to pay. Instead, I choose to arrive early to snag one of the first-come, first-served spots. Why waste money on parking?

As I pat my pocket, searching for my keys, a message tone chimes from my back left pocket. I reach for my phone and check the notification.

Haewon: Hyung, can u please pick me up? im at the mall

I sigh, recognizing the request from my younger sibling.

Jungwon: ok.

While I typed out a response to Haewon, my attention was abruptly yanked away by a sudden rush behind me. A deep, deep growl cut through the air, and I turned just in time to see a black big bike thundering past, its rider hunched low over the handlebars, carving a path through the parking lot with authoritative speed. The bike's engine roared like a beast unleashed, drowning out the silent parking lot.

I couldn't help but feel a surge of annoyance as I watched the motorcycle zoom past. 'What the hell? Does this guy have a death wish?' I scoffed under my breath. The bike cut through the parking lot, dangerously close to parked cars.

I finished composing my message to Haewon, my fingers tapping out a quick reply before slipping my phone back into my pocket. Glancing around the lot once more, I quickly reached for my keys and headed towards my car.

Jungwon: otw.

I spotted my sister Haewon standing at the front of the mall as I pulled into a parking space. She waved eagerly as soon as she saw our car, I unlocked the door with a click, my attention was momentarily caught by movement in my peripheral vision.

There she was, the woman I hate the most, my mother. A surge of conflicting emotions washed over me, anger, betrayal, and hurt intertwined with a lingering sense of longing, the remnants of shattered trust that once defined our family.

Haewon turned to face Mom and I saw her smiling. How could she smile like that after losing Dad, her husband?

Haewon settled into the shotgun seat beside me, the air between us thickened with unspoken tension. The click of the seatbelt, as I started the engine. "Thank you for picking me up, hyung," he said, then quickly rolled down the window.

"Goodbye, Mom. Thank you for today," Haewon bid his farewell. I stared out the window, refusing to acknowledge her presence. In my peripheral vision, I caught her glancing at me, her expression filled with longing and guilt.

As my mother's voice pierced the tense air inside the car, memories I had long buried come to the surface. Her once comforting tone now shred against my emotions, each word a painful reminder of the wound in our family that could never be fully healed.

"H-How are you, Jungwon?" Her voice trembled slightly. She paused, expecting a response that I couldn't bring myself to give. The sight of her smile, the same smile that haunted me since Dad's death, stir the anger and betrayal within me.

I stared fixedly out the windshield, refusing to meet her gaze, my knuckles white as I gripped the steering wheel. How could she smile after what happened? How could she act like everything was normal when our lives had been torn apart?

"Jungwon, I know that your father's death tore our family apart," she continued, her words landing like blows. My breath caught in my throat, the accusation in her words stirring a storm of resentment. She was the reason he suffered.