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the night was thick with a humid warmth, the kind that clung to your skin even after the sun had long disappeared. yuwon's hands gripped the steering wheel as she navigated through the maze of seoul's empty streets with practiced ease, the city stretching out in front of them like an endless playground. the faint hum of the engine vibrated under her palms, and the familiar buzz of adrenaline began to creep into her veins, each curve and turn of the road stirring something deep inside her. this was her space. this was where she felt free.
beside her, jake lounged in the passenger seat, his arm hanging casually out the window as they sped past neon lights and shadowed alleys. the wind tousled his hair, but his eyes remained locked on her with an understanding she could never escape. he knew. he always knew.
"you're driving like you've got something to prove" jake finally said, the corners of his mouth curling into a smirk. "or maybe it's because you miss this, huh? missed the feeling of being unstoppable?"
yuwon didn't respond right away, her focus sharp as she swerved around a slow-moving taxi, leaving it behind in a blur of city lights. the streets of seoul were like muscle memory, every turn, every shortcut etched into her mind from years of racing through them. this wasn't just a drive. it was muscle, heart, and instinct.
"maybe" she muttered, her voice low. "maybe i missed it."
the truth was, she had missed it. driving here felt different than japan. there, everything felt foreign, like she was trying to fit into a space that wasn't hers. here, every street corner, every sudden curve felt like home, like she could drive these roads blindfolded and still make it out unscathed. but the weight on her chest wasn't just the need for speed or the thrill of racing. it was heavier, more complicated than that.
they took a sharp left, and the car slid effortlessly into an alley that would've made anyone else's heart jump, but for her, it was second nature. the tires screeched, leaving a trace of burnt rubber on the pavement before they shot out the other side, the city opening up again in front of them. jake didn't flinch. he'd ridden with her enough times to know she had it all under control.
"you could've pulled that even sharper" he teased, his voice light but with an edge that made her glance over at him. he was watching her too closely, his eyes digging into her in that way he did when he wasn't just talking about racing.
"yeah, well, i didn't want to scare you too much" she shot back, her lips twitching into a brief grin.
but jake wasn't done. "don't deflect, yuwon."
the words hung heavy between them, the unspoken tension crawling into the space around them.
ahead, the road curved toward the edge of the city, the buildings thinning as they climbed up into the hills. yuwon pressed down on the accelerator, letting the engine roar as they ascended toward one of their secret spots, a place only they knew. a place where they could breathe, away from everything else.
