GTRC&D!

Chapter 265 The Day of the Decisive Battle (3)

"...Are you serious?"

Yugeon, wearing a loose gray hoodie over his school uniform, a black padded jacket tightly zipped up, and an old navy backpack slung over one shoulder, dropped the toast he had been biting onto. His younger brother, Yurang, who was following him, was about to say something, but the strange sight before him left him speechless as he stood beside his brother.

The passenger window of an unfamiliar white Morning car parked in the alley in front of their house rolled down with a clattering sound.

"Hi."

Hajin, sitting in the driver's seat with a deliberately disheveled look, waved his fingers in greeting. In the passenger seat, Taehyun, already resigned to the situation, gave a lifeless smile and waved at Yurang, saying, "Hi, Yurang." It was Yurang's first time seeing his brother's coworker since the live broadcast, and he shyly bowed his head.

Picking up the fallen toast and handing it to Yurang, Yugeon, unable to hide his bewilderment, looked over the Morning, which was much smaller than him, and asked.

"...Did our company go bankrupt or something?"

"Why? Planning to run away if it did?"

"I'm about to take the college entrance exam today. I have a family to support, you know..."

"Fortunately, it didn't go bankrupt. Now hurry up and get in."

At Hajin's urging, Yugeon, still skeptical, looked over the Morning one more time before getting into the back seat. Folding his long legs awkwardly, he finally found a comfortable position and fastened his seatbelt. Hajin checked the navigation on his phone and started the car.

As Yugeon, instinctively gripping the seatbelt tightly due to the unfamiliar sensation of Hajin's driving, looked around the car's interior, he asked.

"So, what's the deal with this car?"

"It's my mom's car. Oh, there's a lunchbox for you in that shopping bag. Make sure to take it with you later."

"Don't tell me you made it?"

"Uhh, no way. It's my mom's lunchbox."

"Oh, I see."

Contrary to Yugeon's worries, Hajin drove the Morning smoothly and skillfully through the neighborhood and merged onto the main road. The ride was grounded, but given the circumstances, it was a decent drive.

The old Morning, carrying three sturdy men, weaved through the not-so-quiet streets of Seoul on the morning of the college entrance exam. Checking the arrival time displayed on his phone, Hajin mentally organized the schedule ahead and suddenly spoke up.

"And after your exam, someone else will pick you up instead of me."

"Someone else? Who? Wook-hyung?"

"No, he's taking Eun-chan and Haru straight to the broadcasting station, so he'll be busy. You'll know when you come out. Since you'll be pressed for time after the exam, don't wander off and just wait at the school gate holding hands."

In his usual laid-back tone, Hajin smoothly changed lanes. The school where the two had their exam was just ahead, but thinking that getting out of the Morning didn't sit well with him, Hajin decided to drop them off around the corner, away from prying eyes.

"Why is it so congested here?"

"Looks like there was an accident up ahead. It's a mess."

"We won't be late, will we?"

"We're almost there. Hold on. I'll drop you off a little further ahead. There are a lot of reporters there."

With the light turning red and the cars ahead seemingly involved in an accident, a line of cars was stuck in traffic. The sight of reporters camping out near the school gate was visible even from a distance. Habitually, Hajin tapped his fingers on the steering wheel while nervously nibbling on his other fingers when someone suddenly knocked on the driver's side window.