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

LXXIII | Preparing for the End

I close my eyes, relaxing in the passenger's seat. The ride to the new arena faces the sun. It seeps in through the glass, warming my skin.

"You look like you're about to nap," Mingyu chuckles.

"Maybe I will," I respond, eyes still closed. "The race isn't for what? Another five hours? This way I won't be tired for it."

"We wouldn't want that. It's going to be exciting."

"Are you nervous?" I tilt my head toward Mingyu, barely opening my eyes to peer at him.

Mingyu shakes his head, as I figured he would. "Pfft. Why would I be nervous? I'm going to win this thing. Easy peasy."

"I can't wait to see it. Should I place a bet on you?" Through my squint, I see Mingyu's smile brighten.

"Absolutely. It'll be your first bet, right?"

"Yeah. Figures I should use it on my boyfriend." I have to force myself not to giggle with giddy excitement like a schoolgirl at acknowledging Mingyu as my boyfriend. "Should I be worried about DK scamming me?"

Mingyu hums in thought. "Nah, DK isn't into scamming people. Not usually, at least—and never friends. Hoshi and Jeonghan, however. Don't bet with them."

"Even Hoshi," I fake an offended gasp, pulling a laugh from Mingyu.

"He'd probably give you your money back afterward, but Hoshi's definitely the man to pull a prank on you."

"Can't say I'm surprised," my laugh joins Mingyu's. "How much longer till we reach the stadium?" I ask once we've settled down, and I return to bathing in the sunlight.

"According to the instruction Rosé sent us, we'll be there in five to ten minutes. " Even though he's already claimed multiple times to me that he's not worried, Mingyu's voice turns grave at the mention of the stadium.

I know it has to be stressful being thrown into a new, unsearched track. But if everyone has the same disadvantage, maybe he'll have a good chance of pulling through the rest. Of course, the hindrance is only unanimous if Rosé is telling the truth about not selling out to anybody, but I can't find myself to trust her. Though, she did reportedly turned down Jennie when she tried to gain information for Seventeen.

Finally, the woods around us start to break away as we exit into an expansive clearing, nestled in the middle of the forest. It's clear by looking at the sheer stretch of it that it's man-made. My heart briefly mourns the lost trees, however, it forgets them quickly when I catch sight of the large stadium centered in the clearing.

Sunbeams catch off the metal, shining in my eyes. It must be at least twice the size of the old arena. The parking lot is suited to fit many more than those who generally attend the races. Out of the five total racers left, three wait in parked cars along the front, likely waiting for Rosé.

Mark is, unfortunately, one of the top racers. Him, Changkyun, Ryujin, Jooheon, and, of course, Mingyu. All but Changkyun are here so far. Figures he'd be late to this.

"So, how do you plan on spending the next four-something hours?"

Mingyu pulls into the vast parking lot and slowly drives through the parking spots to reach the meet-up. "With you." He sends me a quick wink. "Probably just learning all that I can about this track, then updating Seventeen. I'll have to find somewhere that isn't bugged first, though. That's what usually happens, at least. That and guarding my baby—" Mingyu lovingly runs his hand along the steering wheel. "to make sure nobody takes her or messes with her."

"In that case, I'm sticking with my nap idea. Unless there's some way I can be helpful." Mingyu pulls the vehicle to a stop beside the other three in line.