Street Racer || Yang Jungwon

°•♡•° / 59

—— Seori

The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, and I felt a mix of relief and anticipation. It had been one of those days where every minute seemed to drag, and I couldn’t wait to see Jungwon. As I packed up my things, I could already hear the excited chatter in the hallway, students buzzing about who would be picked up in what car, who was going where after school, and who would be spending the afternoon buried in homework. But none of that really mattered to me—my thoughts were entirely consumed by the fact that Jungwon would be picking me up today. And not just in any car, but in his Lamborghini, the car he raced with.

As I walked through the crowded hallway, the noise and chaos felt like a distant hum in my ears. I was too busy thinking about the moment I would step outside and see him waiting for me. But that anticipation was tempered by a sense of unease, because I knew what the sight of Jungwon’s car would mean: attention.

And attention was the last thing I wanted, especially from Jiyeon and her cronies.

Stepping out of the school building, the cool breeze greeted me, but it did little to calm the nervous flutter in my chest. There, in the usual spot, was Jungwon’s Lamborghini, sleek and black, shining under the afternoon sun. The car itself seemed to attract every gaze, and I noticed several students lingering nearby, pretending to talk among themselves but really just waiting to see who would get into the car. A couple of them were even taking pictures, probably to post on social media later with captions about how someone at their school had a boyfriend who drove a Lamborghini.

I took a deep breath and started walking toward the car, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and dread. As much as I loved being with Jungwon, I hated the attention that came with it. The stares, the whispers—it was all too much sometimes. But then I saw him, leaning casually against the car, and everything else melted away. He was wearing one of his usual black hoodies, his hair slightly tousled from the wind, and when he saw me, he smiled, that soft, warm smile that made me forget about everything else.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound casual as I reached him.

“Hey,” Jungwon replied, opening the passenger door for me. “Ready to go?”

I nodded, slipping into the car, grateful to escape the watchful eyes of my classmates. But as soon as I was inside, I caught a glimpse of someone standing a little too close for comfort—Jiyeon. She was with her group, of course, the four of them standing just a few feet away, watching us like hawks. Jiyeon’s expression was unreadable, but I could feel the weight of her gaze, the intensity of it making my skin crawl.

Jungwon noticed too, because as soon as he got into the driver’s seat, he sighed. “She’s still watching us, isn’t she?”

“Yep,” I muttered, slumping back in my seat. “I guess she just can’t help herself.”

Jungwon started the car, the engine roaring to life, and I could see the way Jiyeon’s eyes widened slightly at the sound. It was like she was drawn to the car, to the power it represented, and I knew she was probably thinking about how to use that against us somehow.

As we pulled away from the school, I glanced back one last time and saw Jiyeon whispering something to one of her friends, her eyes still locked on us. Whatever she was planning, it couldn’t be good.

“Don’t worry about her,” Jungwon said, as if reading my thoughts. He reached over and squeezed my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “She’s just jealous.”

“Maybe,” I replied, though I wasn’t entirely convinced. “But she’s up to something. I can feel it.”

Jungwon didn’t argue, but his grip on my hand tightened, a silent promise that he would be there for me, no matter what Jiyeon tried to do. And with that, I let myself relax a little, focusing instead on the road ahead and the fact that I was finally with Jungwon, away from all the prying eyes and whispers.