Unexpected

Part 30

I'm hanging out in Alex's hotel room, along with Charles, George, and Lando. It's Wednesday night in Shanghai. Somehow the evening activity became a game of Truth or Dare. It's my turn to ask the driver to my left.

"Alex, truth or dare?"

"Um, I'll go with dare."

"You're at the official F1 press conference tomorrow, correct?"

He hesitates before answering in the affirmative.

"I dare you to wear your teammate's hat to the press conference."

"What?"

"Wear Danik's hat when you sit behind the table and answer questions," I explain.

"But it has his number on it!"

"That's the point. Fans are sure to notice."

He laughs. "Okay, but what should I say when someone asks why?"

I shrug. "Anything you want."

It becomes my turn to be asked, and Lando has a gleam in his eye. "Sochi, truth or dare."

I should make an excuse and leave, I think. But I answer dare.

"I dare you to make a video call to your husband and show him what you're doing right now."

"First, his name is Sangil. And second, that's not nice."

"You're the one who put herself in this situation," he replies.

I take my phone out and look at the time, only to realize that I can't give an excuse of waking him up, like I wanted to. He said he didn't get jealous easily. This is his time to prove it. I hold my breath as the rings go through.

"Moshi moshi, Sochi," he says when he picks up.

"Konbanwa, Sangil."

"Wait! Use English," says Lando.

"I am in Shanghai," I say.

"Yes, I know," Sangil replies in Japanese.

"My friends and I are playing a game."

"Friends? Who?" he asks. I pan the camera around the room. "And what game are you playing?" he continues, still in Japanese.

"Truth or dare," I say, first in English and then Japanese.

"I don't know that one." I quickly explain it to him. "And you calling me is part of the game, I take it?"

"Yes. I think they want you to be jealous," I say in Japanese.

He nods. "I'll have to think of something to say to them when I see them on Sunday. Something along the lines of, Keep your hands off my girl."

I laugh. The guys want to know what he said.

"Hello, Sangil," says Lando, sticking his head in the frame. "We've dared Sochi to say your name three times on the team radio this weekend."

"Do you want me to ask her something specific when she chooses truth?" butts in George.

"No! Keep your nose out of my business," I say, blushing furiously.

The guys notice my red face and start teasing me even more. The call gets chaotic. On Sangil's end, Suhyun and Sebin enter the chat at some point. By the time I hang up, I feel like I've answered several rounds of truth questions.

"Someone else go, please," I beg them.

We never do any dares that are serious (about the race, for instance), but I think the fans will be confused as to what happened to the young drivers during the 1000th Formula One race weekend.

And George does ask me how I truly feel about filming We Got Married with Sangil.

"While I've gotten used to cameras in my face or following me around, it is weird to be filmed while being romantic. I don't feel completely comfortable, or that I can be one hundred percent myself. And I don't know Sangil that well to know if he's being one hundred percent sincere or not. I've heard that most couples from the show don't speak to each other when they finish filming."

"How will you survive?" exclaims Alex. "I know you, and that will be devastating if you like him. I'm not even talking about love."

"I think, because I'm not a Korean actress or a singer, that we can stay in contact. They don't want international tensions between fans, either."

"Have you kissed?" asks Charles.

"I cannot tell you guys personal stuff unless you promise not to talk to anyone about anything."

"So that's a yes."

I stand up. "We're done here. I need my beauty sleep." I step over Alex's long legs and head out of the room.

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