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

LXXIV | The Final Race

Noise thunders in the stadium. The bellowing engines echo off the steel walls, and the fans cheer mix in, louder than ever as they watch the finale.

I can barely think in this place. Everything is too damn loud. I need to tell someone from Seventeen about Kun and Bambam, but the only ones I trust to tell are S.Coups or Joshua if I'm desperate enough.

After Rosé's threat to blacklist any group who went behind her back, I'm scared to go to any other member who might pull something stupidly risky.

Joshua is here, but he's the furthest away, all the way down the row, and S.Coups can't be found. He must be with the bet collectors.

With dread, I force myself to watch the race.

It's barely started. The cars haven't even reached the first loop, though they're almost there.

All five racers are huddled together, right on top of each other. Mark is in first, pulling ahead slightly, but not enough to secure his spot. It's too difficult for me to determine who is in what position from this view.

Thankfully, a side panel on the Jumbotrons records every racer's place. As I watch, Mingyu jumps from third to second, surpassing Jooheon.

As the vehicles speed forward, the road begins to narrow as it enters the first intersection. On the loop, the road widens a bit, however it's still narrower than the opening road.

At least two of the racers will have to be pushed back—or advance forward—so a collision doesn't occur.

It's unsurprising, however, disappointing, to watch Mark drastically pull ahead as the track reaches its thinnest point. Mingyu is on his trail, just a few short meters behind.

On Mingyu's left, and half behind him, Jooheon tries to edge forward and reclaim his spot. What's available of the road barely first the two cars side by side. Changkyun is set behind Mingyu's rear, taking up the leftover space of the road beside the back of Jooheon's car, leaving Ryujin in last. She falls back, not far, but enough to not be in the claustrophobic cluster.

Finally, they cross the intersection, a component Rosé is apparently very fond of. Mingyu's and the other's cars jolt at the imbalance in height as they cross. It's not even two seconds until they've finished.

The first distance advantages start to show as the racers begin to glide through the loop. Mark flits to the inner road, rushing forward remarkably fast but still close enough for Mingyu to overtake him—Eventually. Mingyu also succeeds in driving on the inner side of the circle, just beating Jooheon to the spot. Jooheon and Changkyun ride through the middle, trying to force more speed into their car to make up for their disadvantage. Ryujin makes it along the inner edge. However, she's still holding back.

It's only a matter of seconds until they've passed that as well. Their cars jerk again as they drive over the bumpy intersection and enter the long curve of the 'normal' oval track.

With speed I haven't seen from Mingyu before, he bolts forward, closing in on Mark as he steadily increases his speed. The three drivers left in the back try to catch up, but they don't have the same speed.

As Mingyu and Mark grow further away, Ryujin stops lying back, and she jets past Changkyun and Jooheon as if they didn't exist on the same road as her. However, it's still not enough to reach Mark and Mingyu. She rides in the middle, a perfect third.

I bite the inside of my cheek, hoping that Mingyu's sudden boost isn't from some form of cheating. Thankfully, no one raises any alarms.

It's amazing to see Mingyu battling for first with Mark, and I can already picture celebrating with Mingyu once he wins—at least that's my hope; but watching the other racers fall so behind does become difficult, even if my friendship only reaches out to Changkyun.