Chronicles Confession: Love, Laughter, and Campus Chaos

Chapter Six: Street Secrets

Sean Xiao stood at Raphaleo's garage entrance, staring at the array of scattered tools and parts. The place was a mix of chaos and precision, much like Raphaleo himself. It was fascinating and overwhelming for someone who had never stepped foot in a professional racing garage.

"Welcome to my world," Raphaleo said, walking over with a smirk. "Ready to get your hands dirty?"

Sean Xiao raised an eyebrow. "You sure you trust me with this? I can barely change a lightbulb."

Raphaleo Wang laughed, the sound echoing through the garage. "Don't worry, you're not touching anything important. Yet."

As they moved deeper into the garage, Sean Xiao couldn't help but notice the numerous trophies and photographs lining the walls. Each one told a story of Raphaleo's racing career, from his earliest days as a teenager to his current status as a rising star in the underground racing scene.

"Is this you?" Sean Xiao asked, pointing to a picture of a much younger Raphaleo holding his first trophy.

Raphaleo glanced at the photo and nodded. "Yeah, that's me. My first race win. I was fifteen."

"Wow, you look so...innocent," Sean teased, earning him a playful shove from Raphaleo.

"Trust me, I was anything but," Raphaleo replied. "My family wasn't too thrilled about it, though."

Sean's curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"

Raphaleo sighed and leaned against a workbench. "My family wanted me to follow a different path. My dad's a businessman, and he had big plans for me to take over the family business. Racing wasn't part of the plan."

"But you didn't give up," Sean noted, admiring Rephaleo's determination.

"Nope," Raphaleo Wang said with a proud grin. "I kept racing against their wishes. It caused a lot of friction, especially with my dad. He saw it as a waste of time, but for me, it was everything."

The tension between Raphaleo and his family was palpable, but Sean sensed there was more to the story. Before he could probe further, Raphaleo clapped his hands and changed the subject.

"Enough about my sob story. Let's see if you can handle a wrench."

Sean groaned. "I'm warning you, I have no idea what I'm doing."

Raphaleo handed him a wrench and pointed to a nearby car. "Don't worry, I'll guide you. Start by loosening that bolt over there."

Sean hesitated, crouched beside the car, and tried to turn the wrench. After a few failed attempts and a lot of grunting, Raphaleo laughed.

"You're doing it all wrong!" Raphaleo said, shaking his head. "Here, let me show you."

Raphaleo Wang knelt beside Sean Xiao and showed him the proper technique. As their hands brushed, Sean felt a jolt of electricity. He glanced at Raphaleo, who seemed equally affected but quickly masked it with a chuckle.

"See? Easy," Rephaleo said, standing up.

Sean managed to loosen the bolt, though it took longer than he'd like to admit. "Yeah, easy," he muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Over the next few hours, Sean Xiao stumbled through various tasks, each more complicated than the last. Raphaleo's patience and humor made the experience enjoyable, even when Sean accidentally dropped a heavy tool on his foot.

"Ow! That hurts!" Sean Xiao yelped, hopping around on one foot.

Raphaleo Wang laughed so hard that he had to lean against the car for support. "You're a natural, Sean. Really."