Street Racer || Yang Jungwon

°•♡•° / 63

—— Seori

The days seemed to blur together after that late-night encounter with Jungwon, where, once again, I found myself on the receiving end of his reckless driving—only this time, we both knew the stakes were far higher than a mere scare. I couldn't stop thinking about him, about us, about everything that felt like it was slipping through my fingers. It wasn’t just the fact that we couldn’t be together as openly as we wanted anymore; it was the suffocating feeling of being watched, monitored. My mom had become like a hawk, her eyes constantly on me, as if she could sense the moments I longed to break free and run to Jungwon.

Now, here I was, sitting in the school cafeteria, staring blankly at my untouched food. The chatter around me was distant, a low hum of voices that barely registered. Yeji was sitting across from me, texting Jake again, like she always did. Normally, I’d tease her about how inseparable they’d become, but today, I just didn’t have the energy. I couldn’t even muster a smile.

“Seori, are you even listening?” Yeji’s voice broke through my fog, pulling me back to the present. She looked up from her phone, a frown creasing her brow. “I’ve been talking to you for the past five minutes.”

I blinked, shaking my head slightly to clear my thoughts. “Sorry, I just... zoned out.”

Yeji sighed, putting her phone down for once. “You’ve been like this all week. Ever since, you know... your mom found out about you and Jungwon.”

I flinched at the mention of my mom. The memory of her face when she saw those photos still haunted me. The way her voice shook with anger, the way she looked at me like I had betrayed her. She hadn’t given me a moment’s peace since then, grounding me, checking up on me constantly, making sure I was nowhere near Jungwon. It was like I was under house arrest, and all I could do was think about how unfair it was. How unfair it all was.

“I know,” I mumbled, picking at the corner of my sandwich. “It’s just... I can’t do anything anymore. Every time I even think about sneaking out, she’s right there, watching. It’s like she knows.”

Yeji’s frown deepened. “That sucks, Seori. I can’t believe she’s being this strict. I mean, it’s not like you and Jungwon are doing anything wrong. You’re just—”

“Just?” I interrupted, my voice coming out sharper than I intended. “She doesn’t see it that way, Yeji. To her, we’re doing everything wrong. He’s older, and that’s all that matters to her. She won’t even listen when I try to explain.”

Yeji’s expression softened, and she reached across the table to squeeze my hand. “I’m sorry, Seori. I know this is hard for you. I wish there was something I could do to help.”

I smiled weakly at her. “Thanks, Yeji. You’ve already done enough by just being here.”

She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. “So... have you talked to Jungwon since that night?”

I shook my head. “No. I mean, we’ve texted a little, but it’s not the same. I can’t even sneak out to see him because my mom’s always watching.”

Yeji looked thoughtful for a moment, then grinned mischievously. “What if I helped you?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Help me?”

“Yeah! What if we come up with a plan to get you out of the house? Your mom doesn’t need to know. I can cover for you.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm, even though deep down I knew it wasn’t that simple. My mom was relentless, and if she found out I’d disobeyed her again... I didn’t even want to think about what would happen.