Please Tell Me There's A Part Two

Please tell me there's a part two 🙏🙏🙏

GIRLS NEED LOVE | PARK SUNGHOON

summary: you can’t seem to listen when your best friend says her older brother is off limits.

word count: 3.2k

warnings (18+): smut. fluff (if you squint lmfao). swearing. alcohol. kissing. nipple play, fingering (f. receiving).

MINORS DNI!!

A/N: back again after my usual cycle of deleting and remaking accounts here (hopefully this is my last lol). edited and remade this just in case it sounds familiar!

The summer heat was relentless tonight, a thick, suffocating blanket that clung to your skin and refused to let go. You tossed and turned beneath the light sheets, frustration building with every huff of breath.

The air was humid, making it impossible to slumber. Despite having your eyes shut for what felt like an eternity, sleep remained elusive, teasing you from just beyond reach.

You’d like to think there were other reasons besides the warmth of the summer evening that had you feeling hot and bothered. The muffled hum of cicadas outside droned on, an irritating cacophony that seeped through the walls, mingling with the soft snores of your best friend beside you.

But, it wasn’t really the noise that kept you awake—it was the swirling thoughts in your mind, each one pulling you deeper into a mixtape of memories you wished would stay buried.

Your brain, ever the tormentor, delighted in replaying moments you’d rather forget. Moments that belonged in the past, locked away and never to be revisited.

You wanted to blame the events at Jake’s party on the alcohol—specifically that cursed, yet sinfully good, cherry vodka Jay made.

It was the vodka, after all, that led you to kiss your best friend’s brother in the first place.

At least, that’s what you wanted to believe. It was the alcohol…it had to be the alcohol.

It wasn’t the fact that you had a raging crush on him for months. If anything, it was his fault. Sunghoon was the one who escaped from the party to join you. Somehow letting aimless conversation fall into enamoured glances, droning about how pretty you looked that night.

He was the one who slid his hands around your waist and pulled you closer, lips ghosting over yours and pleading to kiss you.

Passionately. Feverishly. Hungrily.

Your eyes snapped open with a frustrated sigh, the darkness of the room doing little to calm the rapid thrum of your heart as you sat up. The memory of Thursday night played vividly in your mind, leaving your chest tight and your thoughts tangled.

Since that night, you hadn’t seen much of Sunghoon, his summer job at the beach keeping him occupied while you and Sooah roamed the town, searching for anything to distract yourselves from the blistering heat.

A part of you was relieved not to see him since Thursday night. You preferred the silence over the possibility of hearing him downplay what happened, blaming it on ‘party spirit’ or the alcohol.

With a sigh, you slipped out of bed, your feet softly padding across the carpeted floor as you made your way out of the room.

Maybe a midnight snack would help ease your restless mind, you thought, as you quietly descended the stairs, the faint glow from the living room spilled onto the wooden floor signalling that you weren’t the only one awake tonight.

But, preoccupied with the sole quest to sleep, you brush it aside, entering the dimly lit kitchen and making a beeline for the fridge.

When you open the fridge you close your eyes with a sigh, the feeling of the cold breeze hitting your skin making you feel a thousand times better.

“Can’t sleep?” Sunghoon’s voice tickling the shell of your ear startles you, slightly jumping with a stifled scream. “What the hell?!” You whisper yell, “don’t sneak up on people like that!” You chide, clutching your heart in an attempt to regain your composure.

Sunghoon’s smirk grows into a smile, seemingly humoured with scaring you shitless and you roll your eyes at him. It only takes a few seconds to notice how close he is to you, swallowing thickly as your eyes scanned his appearance.

Nothing but a pair of sweatpants and white socks…great, he was shirtless.

“I don’t think I will sleep anytime soon, thanks to you.” You grumbled in response to his question, awarding yourself for not sparing another glance at his naked upper half.

“Oh come on princess, it wasn’t that bad.” You roll your eyes again before returning to the fridge, trying not to mull over the nickname he had just given you.

You could feel Sunghoon’s gaze remain fixed on you, studying you intently, until he eventually turned his attention to the fridge. You felt as though he could feel the heat radiating from your skin as he moved closer— the gentle breaths escaping his lips and teasing the hairs on your neck, causing you to shiver.

You quickly emerge from the little world of the icy machine, settling with the first thing you see to avoid being with him in such closeness—which is a simple vanilla bean yoghurt.

The tension in the air feels painfully thick and awkward, and you silently mutter prayers in hopes that he leaves the minute he finds what he’s looking for— but he doesn't.

Sunghoon emerges with an energy drink, the crisp sound of the can opening cutting through the white noise. He effortlessly leans against the marble counter, taking a slow deliberate sip of the drink, Adam's apple rising and falling as he swallows. As he pulls the can away, he casually wipes his bottom lip with his thumb, gaze locking onto you again.

Your yoghurt suddenly looks really interesting, reading the indecipherable scientific words in the ingredient list and immersing yourself in the brand's origin story, all in an effort to avoid the intense presence of the guy in front of you.

“We should talk about Thursday night.” Your heart sinks in dread. Your face begins to burn and you nervously clear your throat, “talk about what?”

“You know what Y/N.” He says, stepping closer to you. Sunghoon settles the sweaty can onto the counter, surveilling your surroundings before he lowers his voice, “So you’re just gonna pretend like you don’t remember?”

You finally glance at the guy, whose brown eyes are already boring into your soul, searching for any sort of answer in your stoic expression. You swallow thickly as you revisit Thursday night’s events for the umpteenth time and it all still feels like a dream.

The way Sunghoon kissed you in a way that left you breathless, hands gripping your waist so tight as though you’d slip away any second.

You clearly remembered it as though it were yesterday, the tingling sensation of his fingertips on your skin, the scent of his cologne filling the air, the lustrous look in his eyes when he pulled away, only to have you lean in for more.

You indeed did kiss your best friend's brother.

“Sunghoon.” You sigh, "Can't we just put it behind us? We weren't in the right state of mind,"

Sunghoon shook his head with a frustrated sigh, leaving his spot beside you and positioning himself in front of you. His hands gripped the edge of the counter on either side of you, effectively trapping you and preventing your escape.

“Y/N, both of us know that isn’t true.” Sunghoon pauses and your breath gets caught in your throat when his hand meets your cheek, his cold touch sending delightful shivers down your spine.

"Are you honestly telling me that didn't hold any meaning for you?" His voice was low, almost tinged with frustration.

You finally look away, unable to keep the nerve-wracking eye contact but Sunghoon makes a sound of disapproval, his hand swiftly moving to your chin and turning you to meet his face again.

He emits a hum, eyebrows raised and anticipating a response, and your mouth opens, but you struggle to articulate any kind of excuse.

You hate just how much you dwindle under Sunghoon’s presence, hoping that he can’t hear the hammering of your heart, along with the nervous breaths that slip past your lips whenever he looks at you.

“Well it did for me.”

“I liked it.” He shrugs, leaning in, dimples denting his cheeks with a knowing smirk when he catches the way your body reacts.

“And I’d give anything to feel those lips again” He admits desperately, voice below a whisper. You can only let out a shaky breath as Sunghoon’s thumb toys with the plump flesh of your bottom lip, slowly inching closer to him and finally closing the gap between you two.

Kissing Sunghoon feels just like the first time, an electrifying sensation coursing through your body, with your heart pounding so loudly that it could reverberate off the kitchen walls. It's like a breath of fresh air, a mixture of exhilaration, longing and relief washing over you.

You sigh, hands finding his face as he kisses back, desperately leaning into the kiss as he matches your fervour, hands slipping to your waist and pulling you closer as if there were still some distance to bridge between you. Your hands wind around his neck, fingers tangling in his dark hair, pulling his face closer as the passionate kisses gradually blend into a makeout session.

The sounds of kissing fill the room, the fridge’s hums doing nothing to drown the rather lewd sounds out. Sunghoon breaks away from you, his breathing uneven. His cheeks carry a faint blush, and his hair is a cute mess.

It takes everything in you not to gravitate back to the solace of his soft and pretty lips and you’re taken aback, nearly letting out a surprised yelp when his hands swiftly reach for the back of your thighs, effortlessly lifting you up and placing you onto the chilly surface of the marble countertop.

You’re now at eye-level and without warning, he is back on your lips, hands finding themselves under the thin material of your tank top and the cold metal of his rings against your flaming skin make your arch your back reflexively.

He pulls away, teeth softly tugging your bottom lip, with a breathy groan before he moves your jawline, sloppy open mouthed kisses travelling down your neck, sucking and nipping at the delicate skin, softly whimpering and sighing as the sensation blurred any rational thought that was left in your mind.

His hand slipped past your sternum, over your flimsy tank top and under it, brushing over your hot skin and on landing your breast, giving the flesh a soft squeeze.

Sunghoon’s lips follow suit, lips gliding over your collarbone before lifting your shirt up and attaching his lips to your nipple without warning, soft moans filling the quiet room as his tongue swipes over the erect bud.

Your fingers weaved in his soft hair, tugging on it as he moved to the other, kissing, nipping and sucking, the feeling snowballing the ache between your legs.

He finally pulled away with a ‘pop’, glancing back at your clouded state, eyebrows furrowed and bottom lip between your teeth.

“You’re so, so fucking beautiful.” Sunghoon groans, gently grabbing your face, kissing you messily. His hands glide to your hips, lips moving sloppily and hungrily against yours.

His pulls you closer to his body, legs hooked around his waist and that’s when you feel it, something hard poking the inside of your inner thigh and when you pull yourself closer, it perfectly hits your aching cunt, a dizzying wave of pleasure coursing through you, your moans being swallowed by mouth— and you can tell you’re not the only one who feels this way when you hear Sunghoon’s lewd groans.

You can't help but subconsciously roll your hips against him, grabbing at his waist and looking for some kind of friction– chasing the same feeling of pleasure that you felt before. You shamelessly moan at the lovely feeling of his clothed dick hitting you in the right spot, only making you more impatient and needy.

Sunghoon’s low moans make your stomach flip, and you want to hear more of them but he stops—pulling away from your lips and gripping your waist so tightly you're sure it would leave a bruise.

“If you keep doing that, I’ll have to fuck you on the counter.” He warns, but you can’t take it seriously, not when his voice is so breathy and raspy.

“Then do it.” You whine, begging the man to throw you onto the counter like a rag doll and fuck you into oblivion.

But he only shakes his head, hands cupping your flushed cheeks, “I still want to make you feel good.” Sunghoon presses a soft kiss on your swollen lips.

His fingers tug the waistband of your shorts, and you lift yourself up as he swiftly removes them— the warmth of your skin meeting the contrasting marble. “As much as I’d love to hear your pretty moans, try to be quiet, alright?” You nod quickly, impatient and desperate for him to just touch you already.

You suck in your stomach with a quiet gasp when his fingers trail across the smooth skin of your thighs, “So soft…” He mumbled against your lips, hands sliding to the inside of your thighs, higher…higher, until his fingers find their way to your underwear toying with its lacy hem, before reaching the place where you need him most.

You inhale sharply, almost failing to hold back a moan when he finally touches your clothed clit, fingers rubbing over the wet fabric. You’re almost embarrassed by how quickly you lean into his touch, inaudibly yearning for more.

“Fuck Hoon.” You breathe out, hands covering your mouth, muffling your needy moans as he traced over the wet spot in circular motions, whimpering every time his thumb

“You’re so wet.” Sunghoon hisses, bottom lip between his teeth as he stares at you, eyes dark and pupils slightly blown.

“Shit, is this all for me?” Sunghoon's velvety whispers against your lips seem so far away as your eyes flutter shut, “Sunghoon, please.” You manage to whimper out, hands meeting his naked chest.

“Please what?” He hums, feigning obliviousness and you groan, feeling your pride slowly wither away. “I…I need you.” You whined. “So bad.”

“Yeah?” Sunghoon coaxed and you nodded desperately, a smirk creeping onto his lips that you wished you could wipe off— if it wasn’t for the pent up sexual frustration you felt and its fate lying in his hands…literally.

He wasted no time meeting your pleas, dragging the fabric to the side as fingers slid against your slick glistening folds, hand flying to your mouth and head falling back at the newfound pleasure coursing through you.

Your other hand gripped his shoulders, nails digging into the skin of his back and earning a hiss from Sunghoon’s lips. His fingers easily slip into your hole, your arousal more than enough to let his fingers move with his ease— and you feel like you’re seeing stars.

“Fuck” A choked moan slips past your lips with a gasp, hand falling limp– overwhelmed with pleasure. “You like that baby?” Sunghoon coos, and you only hum in content, breaths coming in hitches as Sunghoon worked his fingers inside of you, pumping in and out at a satisfying and rhythmic pace.

Holding in your moans was getting harder and he could tell, watching your face contort in frustration and both pleasure, surprised your lips hadn’t started bleeding from biting too hard.

“...feels so good” You manage to let out, half lidded eyes meeting the man before you, practically enamoured by your presence. “I d-don’t think I can...fuck” You choked out. “Come on baby, I know you can take it.” Sunghoon’s words almost send you over the edge. Your head lulls forwards, mouth falling agape as strings of curses spill out of your lips.

As though he wanted to taunt you, you felt his thumb press onto your swollen clit, letting out a shocked and rather loud moan into the air. “Sunghoon-” You moaned, lips pursed together as you tried to compose yourself, but you were already falling apart.

The obscene noises of your drenched cunt and your choked moans and whimpers fill the kitchen, feeling your face grow warm. You hide your face in the crook of his neck and you hear Sunghoon chuckle, leaning back and lifting your head with fingers holding your face, “Come on baby, I wanna see your beautiful face when I make you come.”

Sunghoon could feel your legs beginning to tremble, as your walls fluttered around his fingers, chest heaving and soft moans becoming just a pitch higher.

His fingers quicken its pace, curving at an angle that seems to send you over the moon, failing to hold back your moans as he moves faster.

Afraid of another slip up, Sunghoon lips meet yours, swallowing your broken moans that can’t be helped as you near your high. An aching intense feeling begins to brew at the pit of your abdomen, driving your nails down the skin of his chest undoubtedly leaving a mark.

You cry his name out, followed by a mutter of profanities as you finally come around his fingers. “So beautiful.” He whispers, hand meeting your face as his thumb brushes the tears coating your lashes. He presses a gentle kiss on your parted lips— still a bit lightheaded to return it, slowly coming down from your high.

Sunghoon’s fingers finally slip out, a broken mewl leaving your lips at the lost feeling. He takes the liberty of cleaning his fingers with his tongue, heat rushing to your face as hums at the taste of you.

“What?” Sunghoon’s shrugs, “You taste good.” He smirks, hands finding the mess of your hair and pulling you into his lips, the kiss softer and more saccharine than the ones before.

You can still feel something poking your leg and your eyes flicker down to Sunghoon’s sweatpants, but before you can say anything, you hear the sound of a door click open upstairs and you and Sunghoon both exchange a look of alarm and horror.

The sound of Sooah’s voice sends you two in a frenzy, Sunghoon helping you slide off the counter as you pull down your shirt and scramble for your shorts.

“Y/N?” She calls out, feet pattering against the wooden stairs, as she descends to the first floor.

You both grab your long forgotten midnight snacks, settling yourself on a chair across from Sunghoon while he stands behind the counter…rightfully so.

When Sooah enters the kitchen, she thankfully doesn’t speculate anything, you two are both glued to your phones, scrolling on some sort of social media platform.

“Sooah, hey!”

“Hey…I was wondering where you went.” She smiled at you before her eyes flickered to her brother, exchanging their usual sibling formalities by grimacing at each other.

“I just came down for a snack, that's all.” You smiled, trying to conceal the mild shakiness of your voice.

Instead she moves closer to you, hands brushing your stray hairs into place, “Okay, well…I’ll see you upstairs.” And with that she leaves the kitchen.

Both of you let out sighs of relief, glancing at one another. Your face feels hot again, and you rise to your feet, a slight tremble in your thighs.

“I should…probably head back too.” You sigh, nodding your head upstairs.

“Oh! Yeah, right.”

The ceiling light highlights the rosy hue flushed on Sunghoon’s cheeks, his messy hair and plump lips, flashing you one of his pretty smiles, “I’ll see you later princess.”

As you leave the kitchen, Sunghoon fights the urge to pull you in for just one more kiss. His eyes linger until you disappear from view, and with a soft sigh, he runs his hands through his dark hair.

Now how was he going to fix his hard-on ?

TEACHER’S PET -p.sh-

▐ pairing: professor!sunghoon x star uni. student fem!reader

▐ genre: smut MDNI, professor x student, age gap(sunghoon is in mid/late 20s while reader is in early 20s), p with plot, p with feelings, angsty, fluffy, forbidden love

▐ w.c: 17.8k

-all warnings below cut-

▐ warnings: sunghoon gets kind of mean, jealously, so much feelings, profanity, a little misunderstanding, lots of kissing

▐ smut warnings: unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it), multiple sex scenes, praising, degradation, dirty talk, p in v, fingering, throat fucking, overstimulation, dom!sunghoon(but they're both freaks), usage of nicknames(baby, good girl, sir, slut, etc.), headlocks, begging, some cum eating, creampies, breeding kink, dacryphilia, cock warming, oral (m+f rec. and giving)

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You’re the perfect student in your university. Acing all of your courses with ease, even the hardest course known on campus taught by the strictest teacher, Mr. Park.

Everyone saw and knew you worked hard in order to achieve everything you’ve accomplished, seeing your dedication and sleepless nights in order to complete an assignment perfectly.

Everyone wished to be just like you one day as you set the curve.

Whether you decide to admit it or not, you’re utterly admired by students, staff, faculty members, and teachers.

Each time your name came across papers, it was given extra attention to detail and care to just see how marvelous you worked on it.

But there was one teacher who absolutely adored you the most. Admiring the way you attentively took notes during lectures, how you furrow your eyebrows and pout your lips as you studied, or when you would lightly chew on your pen when going over questions, to simply the way you would come to him to ask questions without a worry while others were scared to even approach him.

Mr. Park adored you as a hard working student.

He also adored the side of you that wasn’t seen as professional. The way your legs would unconsciously squish together when trying to understand something or how you squirmed under his gaze when it was just you and him but then secretly taking glances to him when you thought he wasn’t looking.

But he deeply cherished the side of you that would get him fired. The way you would drop to your knees in front of him to prove that you deserved the extra point you were missing to achieve the hundred percent you desperately wanted.

And he could forever relish in the way you usher kisses from him as you studied in his office while he graded papers or the way he folds your body over his desk as he pounds into you mercifully for getting the highest mark once again.

Oh Mr. Park loved his favorite student.

Sunghoon’s course was a two semester course for the minimum amount of material that was crammed in there. It was known to be the hardest course to pass which meant there were very few students who decided to take the challenge(you being one of them).

But there was no other teacher that understood the material like him, he was the top professor and you were the top student.

How you and Sunghoon began the forbidden fiasco was spontaneous but not unexpected. There was obvious tension already building in-between as he would catch you looking at him with a certain glint in your eyes before shyly looking away to focus back on the lecture.

However, his favorite was whenever he’s grading papers already feeling exhausted from giving such low marks and not enough high marks but his exhaustion would instantly fade away when he’d get to yours.

He always straightens up his posture to take a moment to properly appreciate how perfect your paper is. How you not only explained every point needed to receive full credit but even added some of your own input.

But what he loved more were the little doodles you would leave scatter on your paper to indicate your boredom after finishing.

His pen would softly trace the designs with a fond smile, a thought lingering to indulge himself in the opportunity presented to him. So he would write a simple comment alongside the doodle that caught his eyes the most.

And this time around it was a simple doodle of a house sitting on a hillside with a sunset far in the distant and flowers littering the landscape.

When you received your paper back, you’d smile at the big hundred percent in bright red ink in the corner of your paper but soon caught glimpse of your professor’s comment along your doodle.

Your smile would only get bigger seeing ‘got bored?’ next to the house doodle before glancing up to your professor who gave the faintest smile ever towards you before dropping it and continued to pass out the rest of the student’s papers.

The next time you had a paper due, you made sure to complete it with ease before writing back a response to his previous comment, hoping he would respond to it.

And once again as Sunghoon was up late at night grading papers, energy already drained, he finally made it to yours and his energy skyrocketed.

As he was grading your paper, he caught the doodle you did of yourself and a surprising response to his previous comment.

‘Yeah I am. Next time you should make these just a little harder Mr. Park’

He smirked to himself with a chuckle before nodding his head in amusement. You didn’t received an hundred percent this time around, but still received the highest mark out of everyone taking his course.

But he saw this an opportunity to tease you just a little bit.

‘Next time you should make sure to get an hundred then maybe I’ll consider it’

You made an appointment with Sunghoon during the scheduled hours to discuss the possibility of him writing a letter of recommendation for an internship you’re hoping to get into during winter break.

As you stood in front of his door, you didn’t hesitate to knock on his office door softly and you heard him mutter ‘come in’ loud enough for you to hear and when you walked in he gave you a welcoming smile.

He’s been anticipating you ever since he saw your name pop up in the long list of appointments but he wondered what you needed from him. “Good evening”

You returned his kind smile with your own, “Good evening Mr. Park”

He motioned to the chair in front of his desk which you easily took, “What can I do for you?”

“I won’t take too much of your time, I know you’re a busy professor” Sunghoon lightly chuckled in his head at your statement, he could never be too busy for you.

“I was wondering if you could possibly write me a letter of recommendation? There’s an internship I really would enjoy to attend but it requires one from a professor” You explained and you noticed how you had his full undivided attention

He nodded at every word you said before lightly clasping his hands together. “I have no issues doing so, email the information of your internship” Your smile spread across your face hearing his easy acceptance to your request but he was curious about one thing. “If I may ask, why choose to ask me for this?”

“I’m sure you’re well aware I’m not exactly the most easy going professor. And you and I both know many other professors would’ve adored to take this opportunity if you asked”

“Well that’s exactly the reason Mr. Park. You’re not easy going. If I asked another professor of mine to write one I’m sure they will gush on and on about my achievements and how wonderful of a student I am but not of me as a person and my dedication” You explained and Sunghoon felt a sense of pride in his chest but he tried push that feeling down

He shouldn’t be feeling this, you were only coming to him for a letter of recommendation. Nothing more and nothing less of that.

He gave a curt nod to your explanation before you thanked him profusely which he kindly waved off.

“I hope you’re able to have a wonderful winter break Mr. Park!” Your bright smile made his heart churn in itself but he tried so hard to shake it off

“You as well. I hope you’re able to attend your internship”

“Oh I’ll definitely get in if I have you writing my letter of recommendation” Your words weighed heavy on his shoulders and heart

It was deep into winter break and Sunghoon was roaming through the streets on Christmas eve alone. He saw how couples were smiling as they held hands, walking by simply happy to spend the holidays together.

Now he never cared for having a relationship, having his priorities lie within his work. But there were times, times like this, that made he wonder what his life would be like if he had someone.

But he wasn’t going to dwell on something that wasn’t real. He was going about his business to head back home when he suddenly heard a familiar voice he didn’t expect to hear on Christmas eve.

He turned and saw your bundled up self making your way towards him, you looked so cute under the faint store and street lights. He shook his head from that thought and gave a confused expression to which you giggled at.

You noticed how different he looked from how you usually see him during class. Instead of his usual business attire with his rimless clear glasses, his attire now fitted to the cold weather to keep him warm, his hair out of its usual style, and his glasses long discarded.

Your heart fluttered in your chest seeing how he looked under the skylit night. There was never any denying that he was a very attractive person.

“Good evening Mr. Park” You greeted when you reached him and he gave a nod, not trusting himself to speak “What are you doing out on Christmas eve by yourself?”

“I could ask you the same thing” You chuckled slightly raising your hands up in defeat at his remark to your question

“Internship finally let me out for the next two days” His eyes blinked harsher hearing your sentence, you got the internship?

You chuckled softly at his reaction as you could read him like an open book. “Your letter of recommendation worked. I was one of the first people to receive a spot, so whatever you wrote did wonders on them” His lips curled into a smile, pleased to hear that he was able to help you

“Congratulations, I’m happy to hear that”

After his congratulation, the two of you stayed in an awkward silence. Neither sure of whether to continue the conversation or cut it off at that, but before stressing over it more the smallest snowflake fell between and caught your attention.

Both of you looked to sky to see the snowfall, realizing it was going to be a white Christmas. You smiled softly as you rested your hand out to catch the falling snow.

Sunghoon shifted his gaze from the sky onto you and saw how the moonlight and snowfall painted your eyes like you held in the universe in them.

“Do you want to have dinner?” Sunghoon’s words fell from his mouth before he could even realize what he was saying

He stopped and cursed at himself under his breath for allowing his thought to slip through his mouth and when he heard silence from you, he wanted the world to swallow him whole in that moment.

But your response is what brought him back to reality, “I would like that”

“What?”

“You asked me to dinner and I said I would like that. Don’t tell me you’re backing away from your offer Mr-“

“Please call me Sunghoon when we’re outside of school grounds” He stopped you from continuing your sentence and you held back a smile and nodded your head

“Alright then Sunghoon, what do you have in mind for dinner?”

Oh he really had done it to himself now. He was doomed.

Your face crinkled as you laughed at something Sunghoon had said as you were leaving the restaurant. You expected the dinner to be awkward but instead it was like the two of you had known each other for years. Not a single ounce of tension was felt even though he was your professor and you were his student.

Sunghoon arrived to his car and he shot you a confused look when he saw you weren’t following. “What are you doing?”

“I’m sending you off, I have to get a taxi to go back to mine” You told and Sunghoon shook his head, what kind of monster would he be if he left you to take a taxi

“Nonsense, I’ll drive you. No need to waste money” He told before opening the passenger door for you and your heart stopped

“A-are you sure? I really don’t mind taking a taxi Mr-”

“Please I insist. And you were doing so good not calling me Mr. Park throughout the dinner” You nervously gulped as you unconsciously squished your thighs a little closer together hearing the hint of praise from him

Sunghoon took notice of you squishing your thighs after his words and he could feel his stomach crawling inside out as he tilted his neck to the side to knock some sense into himself. He couldn’t, he possibly couldn’t.

Oh but he could and he did.

Because here he was inside your place, in your bed, his body flushed in between your legs as he feverishly kissed you like no tomorrow.

He was only supposed to walk you to your front door to make sure you got in safely but what he didn’t expect was for you to crash your lips onto his the moment the clock struck 12.

“Merry Christmas Sunghoon” You mumbled against his lips and he didn’t remember the last time someone had genuinely wished him one

He knows he should’ve pushed you away, to tell you that this was wrong, that neither of you could do this. But he was twisted, sick, and messy in his head. He couldn’t get enough of your taste now that he got a sliver of it.

Your hold on him was something so desperate and needy that he couldn’t possibly let you go as the two of you found a feverish pace for the kiss. The snow falling over your bundle up bodies as the dim light shun above you two outside your front door.

Sunghoon’s arms were hesitant to wrap around you to bring you impossibly closer to him and you noticed. You wanted, needed, him to hold you the way you were clinging onto him.

You carefully brought his arms to hold you and he let out a soft noise when he finally felt you in his arms. It felt so right to have you there as if you were meant to be there in the first place (in his mind you were).

He could feel the lack of oxygen in him but he couldn’t care in the slightest. Your lips were like a paradise and he rather give up heaven if he had to just to keep tasting you.

“I need you Sunghoon” He stopped kissing you and pulled away to stare at you with wide eyes, not expecting to hear those words to ever leave your mouth

Your pupils were blown out wide as you stared up to him with a cloud of lust filling your eyes. His mind became hazy as it ran miles in a loop of the only rational thought holding onto dear life. He shouldn’t give in.

But the way your lips fit perfectly with his and the way you felt under his touch. He threw all his rationality out of the window, unable to say no to you when you’re willingly offering yourself so preciously to him.

His lips soon found a place on your jaw before tracing down to your neck in a haste. “Gonna have to do better than that to get my cock” You relished in his words as you knew this was the sign you’ve been longing for

You bit back your smirk and you let your body melt in his touch and kisses as your hands found their way to his hair to mess it up from its middle part.

“Then let me bring you inside” You whispered just loud enough for him to hear and Sunghoon forced himself to detach from you to allow you open the door

As you hastily tried to open the door wanting to get him inside as soon as possible, Sunghoon’s arms wrapped around you, allowing himself to get lost in the daze of you.

He kissed the side of your face not able to get enough of you as his thumbs rubbed circles on your coated body. Even though there was a multiple layers between you and his touch, you could still feel his touch burn your body.

When you finally opened the door, he quickly pushed you inside and locked the front door.

The moment he turned to face you, you grabbed him by the collar to kiss him once again. He chuckled against your lips as your hands began removing his layers. “You can start taking mine off too” You mumbled and he was quick to remove the piece of clothing that prevented him from touching your skin.

The kiss became more impatient as you guided him towards your room, neither of your lips breaking from each other. You had your hands mixed in his hair as his hands roamed over your body, trying memorize every single crevice on your body.

When you made it to your room, you knocked the door open and broke off the kiss to push him onto your bed with a pant. Sunghoon looked to you to take a moment to properly comprehend that this was actually happening.

Your eyes darting over him to burn how you had your professor sitting on your bed burned into your memory.

As your eyes found his, you slowly began to remove your shirt and Sunghoon’s eyes never left yours. You gulped as you discarded your shirt somewhere leaving you in your bra as you took off your pants.

He was trying everything in his willpower to not look anywhere else besides your eyes as you were removing your last piece of clothing. When you kicked your pants off somewhere in your room, you were now left in your undergarments only.

Sunghoon who witnessed it, couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that you, his student, his favorite student actually, was now crawling onto his lap.

He gulped as his hands unconsciously grabbed your hips as you positioned yourself right on top of him. He let out a deep groan feeling your clothed core right above his hard on.

You gasped feeling him against you, even though he was restraint through his pants, you could still his imprint. You slowly rocked your hips to rub yourself against him, letting desperate whines leave your mouth for him.

This was not how either of you expected your Christmas to go.

But nevertheless, Sunghoon couldn’t take it anymore. He flipped you onto your back and you let out a shocked squeal at how easily he did that but your mind went blank as he removed his shirt and your jaw dropped.

You knew Sunghoon had muscles, you could tell by the way his shirts would fit around him during class but you didn’t realize just how sculpted his body was. Your eyes trailed over him and you felt your heart pounding against your chest.

But you were disrupted from your thought as he dove straight into your neck to leave wet open kisses.

You moaned softly feeling his lips, his hands roaming higher up your body until they found your breast. He unclasped your bra with ease and freed your mounds before attaching his lips onto your left one, sucking and kissing your already harden nipple and having his free hand to pinch your right one.

You jolted harshly at the sensation on both of your nipples and you could feel his smirk against your body.

His tongue glided over your sensitive nipple making you whimper loudly, fingers pinching them before rubbing his thumb over it to soothe the nerves. He removed his lips from your boob, bringing his lips onto yours. You grabbed his wrist as his hands held your boobs as he flushed himself against you.

You felt the poke against your clothed core and as embarrassing as it was, you almost came right then and there.

You don’t remember the last time you ever got with someone, too focused on school (and secretly your professor) that you didn’t even have time to take care of yourself.

You rubbed yourself against his leg that laid between your legs and he grinned in the kiss as he bit your lips harshly causing you to squeal.

“Such a fucking slut. Can’t even wait for me to fuck you that you’re already rubbing your soaking pussy against me” Sunghoon grabbed your chin forcing you to look down on the leg you were grinding on and the wet patch you left behind

“Rubbing me like some bitch in heat” You whimpered at his words and you shook your head trying to prove yourself but your actions spoke other wise

All you knew were praises but hearing such belittling words from your professor only made you wetter and you desperately needed him inside of you. “Please Mr. Park plea-” But you didn’t expect him to squish your face in his hand as he forced you to look at him

His harsh lust filled gaze send a wave down to your already dripping cunt. “Call me sir”

Your throat went dry, never using such nicknames before. But you heard the sternness of his voice which only fueled you even more. “S-sir” You tested the foreign nickname on your tongue for the first time and hearing it fall from your lips went straight to his cock

Having the top student sprawled beneath him begging for him did wonders on his mind. But he wasn’t going to give in that easily.

“Come on, I know you can do better than that. I need words, what do you want me to do?” Sunghoon teased as he already knew exactly what you wanted

But something about having you beg for him riled him up. Just because it was you didn’t mean you were easily going to get what you wanted from him.

“Sir please” Your voice full of desperation, “I-I need you inside of me. Need you to feel you. Want you to fill me up with your cock, I need you” You chocked out in whines and Sunghoon smirked seeing you wither before him

“Such a good little slut” He kissed the side of your face making you squeal, and you finally heard the unbuckling his belt and your heart raced

You looked down to see him freeing his harden cock which sprung out, hitting his abdomen and your jaw dropped seeing his size. This was nothing compared to what you thought it was when you were rubbing yourself against him.

You clearly underestimated your professors size and he noticed, “Oh don’t tell me you thought I was small. Come on, give me some credit” He smirked noticing you gulping nervously as you were amazed by his size

Your hands went to admire him and he groaned when your hands wrapped around him with a daze in your eyes. He closed his eyes as you softly pumped him almost causing him to throw his head back from the sheer pleasure.

With the faintest touches, you were already sending him into an overdrive. He doesn’t know if it’s because it’s been so long since he’s last been with someone like this or if it was because his deep hidden forbidden desires were being fulfilled by the only person in his mind, you.

His eyes clamped harder when he felt your hand go lower to fiddle with his aching balls that have been waiting months to be released.

“You’re so heavy” You mumbled at the observation and you noticed his angry tip leaking precum

You knew how bad your thoughts were in that moment, but you needed him to rearrange your whole intestines.

Your hands brought him over your stomach to measure just how deep he would be inside of you and you nervously gulped seeing how far deep he would be, “I don’t know if you’re gonna fit…”

Sunghoon murmured a soft ‘fuck’ under his breath seeing just how deep he would be inside of you, he almost lost control and rammed into you to make you dumb and only think about his cock.

But he knew you were right, he didn’t even know himself if he could fit inside of you.

“Then we’ll make it fit. You’ll be a good girl and take it right? Take all of me and everything I give you?” You looked up to him with doe eyes and Sunghoon needed to ruin you as you innocently nodded your head

He hummed pleased with your nod before having his fingers play with the fabric of your panties, noticing how it clung to your wetness as he peeled them off you painfully slow.

The more you were becoming exposed to him, the more you were growing shy and when he finally removed your panties, you unconsciously covered your bare self with your hands.

Sunghoon smack his tongue against his teeth before moving your hands away to admire you in all your glory. He saw how your pussy gleamed with slick and he was captivated by you. He took a moment to appreciate you and your cheeks burned as his gaze never left your gaping cunt.

“Perfect, absolutely perfect” He mumbled to himself before holding himself in his hands, giving himself a few pumps before dragging his tip across your cunt, his precum and your arousal smearing together making the most beautiful scene in front of him.

Your hole clenched around nothing as he tapped his tip against your empty hole that begged to be filled and destroyed by him.

But you whined impatiently as he replaced his aching cock with his slender fingers. Even though, he desperately wanted to just be inside you, he knew he would split you in half and not in the good way if he didn’t prep you.

You bit your lip as you felt his fingers graze over your wetness and you looked down to see Sunghoon in a daze as he watched you coat his fingers.

You were going to say something but you gasped when you suddenly felt his finger enter you without any warning. He hissed at your tightness as he slowly pumped his finger in and out of you. Your body melted into your mattress from his finger alone.

Sunghoon soon entered a second finger, stretching you out a little more. You let out soft moans and it was like music to his ears. His fingers painfully dragged in and out as his thumb found a resting point on your clit.

The slow circles on your sensitive bud made your body jolt as the moans became louder and heavier. You felt the familiar knot in your stomach and right when it was going to snap, Sunghoon ripped his hand away.

You frustratedly whined that your close orgasm was ripped from you. Sunghoon chuckled seeing your frustrated state as small tears filled the corner of your eyes, daring to fall.

You saw as he stuck the fingers that were just inside of you inside him mouth as he hummed wildly tasting you for the first time.

“You taste so sweet baby” The endearing nickname filled your ears and mind as your frustration melted away as your heart warmed

But that didn’t last too long as it quickly overshadowed by the desperate need for him. “S-Sir p-please” You broke out in a whimper and Sunghoon cooed you as he rubbed your cheek softly

“You’ve been doing so well, I’m so proud of you baby” He tried to calm down your sniffled self as he grabbed his cock in his hand before dragging his tip across your pussy again before protruding your hole with his tip

Your mouth fell slack as you could feel him slipping in as he hissed by how tight you were. Your mind was already sent into a drunken dazed by the stretch you’ve never felt before.

He let out a broken chuckle as he saw your expression, “You’re already gone and I only gave you a taste of my tip” He continued to ease his way in, the clench making it difficult for him

“B-Big” You admitted breathlessly the moment he finally made it halfway

The two of you panted heavily feeling the undeniable pain but pleasurable stretch as Sunghoon nearly lost himself in the hold you had on his cock.

He gave you sometime to adjust as he rubbed a hand on your hips to help your shuttering and after a few moments you gave him a weak nod to keep going.

As he kept moving deeper into you, your gasp only grew louder, your hands resting on his shoulder as your fingertips dug into his shoulders.

He hissed feeling your fingertips in his shoulders but he continued to slowly push through. With each passing second, tears fell down your face and Sunghoon kissed your tears away.

“I know baby, I know. You can take it. I promise it’ll feel so good” You whimpered as you wrapped your arm around him to hold him close to your aching body

He finally bottomed out and the two of you let out a heavy shutter trying to get use to the taste the new forbidden heaven.

“You’re so pretty baby. So damn pretty” He praised you hoping it helped ease you and it did to a certain extent

The stretch was undeniably delicious and when lightly tapped his back, a sign for him to move, he smiled weakly, giving shallow thrust at first.

From his first thrust, you felt a new side of pleasure you never felt before. No one ever being able to make you feel like this till this day. You just never expected the one to show you this new world of pleasure would be your own professor.

You moaned as you held him close to you as he found a spot in the crook of your neck. The noises you tried to contain became loose in his ears when he began to pick up pace as his tip started to kiss your cervix with each thrust which you didn’t even know was possible.

“F-fuck baby. Gonna fuck you so good” He gruntled against your neck as he soon found a pace that made you fall apart on his cock

His pelvis met with your clit from the close proximity and you were seeing stars. “M-Mr- Sun-Hoo-Sir” Your mind didn’t know what to call Sunghoon in this moment

“How often did you think about your professor’s cock ramming into you? Bet you waited for the day to lure me into your bed just so that I can fuck you like the slut you are” Sunghoon spewed the brewing thoughts in his head

“E-every d-day Sung…H-hoon” You managed to moan out as the friction against your clit made you unintentionally tighten around Sunghoon’s hammering cock inside of you and the two of you were falling apart from the pleasure.

“Just like that, say my fucking name from your pretty mouth” Sunghoon pulled away from his spot on your neck to look at your sprawled body as he gripped your sides to slam his hips harsher against yours. “Nothing in that pretty head of yours but my name”

You knocked your head back as you tightly gripped your sheets, trying to hold in your sounds as best as you could but Sunghoon wouldn’t allow that. He rubbed his fingers over your swollen clit causing you to scream and cover your mouth surprised by the loud noise that left your mouth.

“Let the whole neighborhood know who’s fucking you this good. Let them hear you moan and whine like the slut you are for your professor’s cock” You were beyond the edge as his hips snapped against yours, your body jolting into the mattress with each of his thrust

And he loved the scene before him, the way your breast bounced from his harsh thrust, how your head was thrown back and your mouth was wide open with nothing but calls of his name and moans leaving it.

You arched your back sending a new shock of pleasure over you and Sunghoon’s managed to somehow go even deeper with the new angle as he held your lower back to keep your back arched as he continued to pound into you like you were his own toy.

“Clo-Close s-ir” You whined as you could feel the familiar knot forming in your stomach again. “Please! ‘m g-gonna cum”

“Then cum for me” Sunghoon voice was hot against your ringing ears and that was the push you needed before a tidal wave of pleasure crashed over you

You moaned loudly and Sunghoon groaned feeling you tightened around him from your climax and he noticed how you tried to pull away from him due to the simulation of his slipping cock in you.

You thought it was over as you panted tiredly and he slowed down his pace. But your legs were suddenly thrown over his shoulders as your body was pressed deeper into the mattress before he picked up his pace again.

You let out a loud sound, clawing at your sheets from the stimulation as your mind reeled from his brutal pace on your hole.

“We’re not done until I dump all of my cum inside you like my own personal cumdump” With the mention of the new nickname, you clamped down harder on him and he smirked feeling your reaction to his degrading words

“Oh? You like being your professor’s cumdump? You like knowing that you’ll be full of my cum so deep inside you, don’t you slut?”

“Yes yes yes” You blabbed as Sunghoon’s pace never let up as your pussy only continued to take him. “Gonna milk me for all my worth” Sunghoon groaned, feeling his own high rising

When you felt his cock twitch inside of you, you knew he was close. You clamped harder down on him wanting to stay true to his words. You were going to milk him for all his worth.

“Fuck! Tightening around me like that” Sunghoon panted as his head landed against your ear, Sunghoon’s thrust meeting your skin harshly that you swore there were would be bruising left

“Want all of it” Your voice was like a siren to him and Sunghoon knew exactly what you were referring to and he smirked proudly

“You want my cum that badly?” Your weak nods were sent straight to his ragging cock but suddenly he pulled out of you, making you feel empty

You whined loudly at the sudden emptiness, “Hoonie” The foreign nickname dragged out of your mouth and Sunghoon froze hearing it

He never knew such a nickname could make his heart flip and slowly have a power to conquer over him. He was going to need you to call him that forever.

He quickly lined himself back to your gaping hole before ramming his cock back into you with one thrust causing all air to be knocked out of you.

His pace was even more brutal as he used you like his own personal fleshlight. “H-Hoonie” You called out again and his mind was stuck on filling you up. He kept muttering soft ‘fucks’ and ‘just like that’ as he kept using your hole

But when he slowed down his pace suddenly after being so harsh and sloppy, you were going to complain before feeling such sharp thrust into you, jolting your body forwards until you felt hot spurts of his cum shoot deep inside you as Sunghoon rode out his high.

Sunghoon was telling the truth about filling you up as he gave a few more strokes inside of you to make sure his cum remained deep inside of you before painfully pulling out. He huffed, feeling the pressure of you finally releasing him and you whimpered feeling empty without him.

Sunghoon rubbed your sides as he admired your face shining in an afterglow he left you in. He smiled tiredly, planting kisses on your face. “You did so well baby, my good girl” His praises made you clench around nothing which forced his and your mix of cum to spill out of you

Sunghoon’s eyes traveled down and he was blessed that he did because he witnessed the most dazzling scene he had ever watched.

“You’re so fucking beautiful baby” He murmured as he pulled away from your sore body, creasing your inner thigh as he admired his work

You shivered feeling the sudden cold without his warmth on your body, your eyelids becoming heavy but your mouth fell open when his finger scooped around your messy cunt before sliding the mess back in.

“Don’t want to let it go to waste” Sunghoon hummed pushing his cum back deep into you, right where it was meant to be in

Now in the present time. You made your way to Sunghoon’s office, having a bounce to your steps. As you walked through the campus, many people from students to the dean of the university happily greeted you as you passed by.

You were happy to wave back to them before finally reaching the destination you wanted to be at in the first place. You softly knocked on Sunghoon’s office door and it was almost as if he knew it was you(he did).

When he gave you the all clear to enter, you opened the door to peak your head inside before bringing in the rest of your body and Sunghoon swirled in his chair to face you as you walked in. Sunghoon had his rimless clear glasses hanging from his nose, a paper in hand with his white button sleeves folded up to his forearms, the watch you gifted him as a late birthday present gleamed on his wrist under the warm dim lighting and a few of the buttons undone from his shirt.

It was near the end of the day and the university was clearing up as faculty members and students finally left after finishing another tired filled day.

But unlike you, it was no surprise that people would see you staying behind to ‘study’ when in reality 5 times out of the week, you’re finding your way to Sunghoon’s office for the ‘briefings’ the two of you had established after that blissful night on Christmas day.

“Good evening Mr. Park” You greeted him formally but as you closed the door making sure to lock it, you went over to your favorite professor desk, dropping your bag on the chair in front of his desk as you went over to give him a kiss which he happily accepted

“Hi baby” He murmured in the kiss having missed your presence even though he saw you earlier that morning for the morning lecture

But that was never enough for him, he could only discreetly glance across the lecture hall as you attentively paid attention to his lesson.

He softly placed a hand on the back of your head to keep you against his lips for a moment longer before finally pulling away.

When he pulled away, he saw the dopey grin you had and his heart swelled. You went to grab your discarded bag on the chair before dragging the lonely chair in the corner of Sunghoon’s office that he reserved just for you and grabbed your laptop and all the papers you needed.

Sunghoon adjusted his own papers to accommodate your stuff now clamoring his desk just like how he always did for you.
As you made yourself comfortable, you and Sunghoon stayed in comfortable silence as the two of you worked on your respective tasks.

This was how it usually starts whenever you came to visit your favorite professor for ‘debriefings’.

However, if it were to go further than this, it always depended on if either of you were in the mood (which was almost always) and who would initiate it first.

Sunghoon narrowed his eyes reading over a paper that made absolutely no sense, his hand slipped onto your thigh, giving a light squeeze when he saw yet another error on the paper.

You didn’t even flinch in the slightest from the squeeze, already used to it as you continued to type away on your laptop trying to submit something that was not even due until 2 weeks from now, but you always loved being ahead of the game.

You slightly tilted your head confused when you received an email but when you opened it, you silently squealed happily which caught Sunghoon’s attention.

He peeled his gaze away from the paper onto you who was smiling widely at your laptop screen. You could feel his questioning gaze and you faced him showing off your beautiful smile as you turned the laptop around for him to read the email you received.

He read the email with a stoic face but a small smile soon rose to his face when he finished. In the email it stated that you were the top student to receive the highest marks in the past semester finals.

“Congratulations baby” Your heart swelled to Sunghoon’s praise as you cheekily smiled, feeling proud of the achievement you accomplished yet again

“Last semester was a little harder so I’m surprised I placed first again” You admitted but you melted when Sunghoon soon creased your face feeling just how ultimately proud he was

“You achieved it because you deserved it, don’t ever doubt yourself” You rubbed your cheek against his hand, the smile still on your face and Sunghoon quickly put the paper in hand down and carefully pulled you onto his lap

You squeaked when you landed on his lap as he continued to crease your face as he stared at you with pure admiration. “So proud of my baby” He murmured as he planted softly kisses against your arm

You giggled the moment his mouth came to contact with your skin and you could feel his smile to your giggles, his arms snaking around your body, holding you firm on his lap.

“You deserve a reward don’t you? For such an achievement” He spoke as he looked to you and you shyly nodded your head because no matter how many times you were in this position you will still feel butterflies in your stomach

“I have to meet some deadlines this afternoon so give me a few minutes okay?” Your smile soon turned to a slight frown but you nodded your head in understanding

Sunghoon’s heart shattered seeing the frown on your face and he immediately offered something to help ease you until he could properly give you the treatment you deserve.

“Come sit on me mhm? Just to bay your aching self” You immediately perked at Sunghoon’s alternative and you were quick to start unbuckling his belt

He chuckled lowly seeing just how eager you were as you pulled your own pants down. “It’s almost as if you only work hard to get things from me” He joked, he knows it wasn’t true, you were naturally a hard worker but he liked to teased

When you pulled out his cock from his pants, you nearly salivated forgetting just how much you loved it. You saw how it softly twitched in your hand as it was slowly hardening. You smiled softly before pulling your panties to the side, you didn’t expect to need any prep because of the amount of arousal leaking out of you just by his praises alone.

You teased his growing angry tip with your hole and you slightly hisses thinking you would’ve been able to take it without prep but you overestimated yourself.

Sunghoon saw how your face contorted from the sudden stretch you thought you could handle and at first he was going to help you but as he saw you struggled to take him, he decided to let you take the lead.

His hands found their way to your hips to help steady yourself as you finally began to sink on him. Your soft gasp and whimpers and the way you clenched around him fueled Sunghoon to the moon. He tried to control himself from throwing everything off his desk to absolutely pound into you.

But he remembered he only offered you to sit on him until he finishes his work to meet his deadlines, but he was foolish to not think of his own being in this matter. He was snapped out of his thoughts when you bottomed out, you and him slightly hissing, you at the stretch and Sunghoon from the clench.

He rubbed circles on your hips. “You okay baby?” His words made you weakly nod, resting your forehand with his

He closed his eyes to be in the moment of having you in his arms, you wrapped so intimately around him. He soon found your lips with his as he gave you a loving kiss which you reciprocated with ease. You hummed happily in his kiss as your hands held the side of his face.

“I have to finish my deadline baby” Sunghoon told in between the kiss but you didn’t want to let him go just yet

“Five more minutes please” You pleaded as you pulled away and he couldn’t say no to you, he grabbed the back of your nape before brining your lips back onto his

You smiled happily in the kiss as you continued to sit on his lap, feeling his cock twitch every now, desperately wanting to move but not able to just yet.

When he pulled away from the kiss, your lips chased after his for a few more seconds and he smiled warmly at your actions.

“The quicker I finish this, the quicker I’m yours” He soothed your hips and ass that stayed pressed against him

You sighed heavily before turning around, you and him gasping at the small friction created, craving more but both of knocking yourself out of that haze.

You faced your back towards him as you poorly dragged your laptop to continue working.

Sunghoon weakly smiled before grabbing the discarded paper he was grading, before adjusting his glasses up his nose bridge as he continued reading over it.

A casual debriefing with your favorite professor.

“Today you will be working in pairs for the assignment. Choose your partner carefully” Sunghoon announced dismissing the students that were quick to mingle with one another to see who would be willingly to be their partners

You remained sitting at your seat before placing your headphones on and beginning to tap away at your keyboard having the intent to finish the assignment quickly wanting to take a nap before going on the rest of your day.

You worked alone on every group or paired assignment Sunghoon assigned as he deemed it unfair how people would only pair up with you to have the intentions of taking advantage of your intelligence to get themselves a high mark.

So Sunghoon didn’t allow others to pair up with you which bothered you at first but you soon enjoyed it as you were able to go at the pace you wanted and complete the assignment the way you wanted to.

As you happily typed away searching through the textbook with your music playing. You were too engrossed in the assignment that you were brought back to reality when you felt a faint tap on your shoulder.

You looked away from your laptop to see a guy you’ve never seen before. His mouth was moving but you couldn’t hear him, you pulled on the side of your headphone away from your ear to listen.

“Oh I was speaking to you when you had headphones in, I’m sorry” He rambled out the apology as he nervously fiddled with his fingers, you could hear the hint of some type of accent in his voice as you waved him off to not worry about it

“I’m sorry to bother you, I just saw that you were working alone and I was wondering if you would like to partner up with me” The guys shyly asked as he rubbed his nape awkwardly waiting for your response

“I’m Jake by the way, I didn’t introduce myself earlier” The said Jake guy smiled and you gave a heartfelt smile in return “And you are?“

Your eyes widen at his question, Jake didn’t know who you were. But instead of being offended as others thought you would be if people didn’t know you were, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

You were so used to people having exceptions for you and you didn’t mind them knowing that it’s how you presented yourself but it was nice to know someone who was oblivious to who you were.

You introduced yourself to Jake and he continued to give you a kind smile before asking if he could take the seat next to you. You decided to indulge in this waif of fresh air in the form of Jake just a little, you had a good feeling that he wouldn’t be using you just to get a high mark.

However, you didn’t realize the piercing gaze that shot towards you from the professor’s podium. Sunghoon gripped the side of the podium tightly that he might’ve left indents but he didn’t care.

Seeing you suddenly became all chatty with someone set something ugly in him. The way you were smiling at the guy who awfully took a seat close to you made something in him rot. Why were you smiling like that?

Yet, Sunghoon found it even more sickening that his students took notice the new pair of you and Jake. They knew Sunghoon’s rule that no one was allowed to pair up with you to provide fairness which was half true so why wasn’t he applying the rule onto Jake? He wondered that himself but he saw how you looked relaxed in his presence and he decided to let you have your little fun.

What was supposed to be a paired project that took up the whole class, was completed by you and Jake not even 30 minutes later after assigning it and that bothered Sunghoon greatly.

You were laughing at something Jake said as you were walking up to Sunghoon’s desk and when you reached it, you immediately knew something was off. Instead of raising his head to give you his undivided attention like always, he didn’t bother to look up.

He kept his gaze down at his desk that was scattered with papers and he only motioned for you lay the paper down at the corner of the desk instead of handing it to him to grade immediately.

Your stomach churned as you noticed Sunghoon was treating you differently today. He didn’t utter a single remark to you on how you finished early and only remained silent.

You stayed frozen for a moment in shock to his new behavior towards you but he didn’t seem to care in the slightest and this made your heart hurt.

Jake faintly called your name to garner your zoned attention and when you finally began peeling yourself away from his desk, Sunghoon finally called out your name.

You turned almost immediately that you hoped no one noticed. You saw Sunghoon skimming through yours and Jake’s completed paper, his grimace growing by the second.

“Please meet me in my office later to discuss your performance in my class” Sunghoon said before placing the paper back down, letting out a disappointed sigh as he adjusted his glasses

Your heart dropped. You could only aimlessly nod your head as your mind reeled with questions and worry.

“Uh do you need to see me as well Mr. Park?” Jake chimed in and Sunghoon didn’t even dare to look at Jake and shook his head

“No, this only concerns her. She is the top student and it would pain the whole university to see her slip up” Sunghoon’s words cut through you like a knife and you tried to hold back the tears that burned your eyes

You hated when you were talked down upon, especially when it came to your academics and Sunghoon knew that perfectly well.

You softly knocked on Sunghoon’s office door at the usual time for the ‘debriefings’ and he called you in with a tone that you had never heard before. You struggled to swallow down as you stepped into his office and having to be on the receiving end of Sunghoon’s harsh gaze.

It was as if your brain went into autopilot as you fell into you usual routine whenever you were in his office. You closed the door behind you, making sure it’s locked, dropping your bag on the chair in front of his desk and going over to his side to give him a kiss.

But right when you were going to kiss him, Sunghoon jerked away from you adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. You blinked unexpected by his actions as the unease started to settle in your stomach more as you stared at him as he motioned for to sit but not in your usual seat reserved for you.

Forced to sit in the seat that he made everyone else sit on. You could feel your heart crawling to your throat as your heavy steps took you to the chair in front of him, grabbing your bag before placing it on your lap.

“Do you know I asked for you here?” Sunghoon raised an eyebrow as he rested his elbow on his desk

Your eyes shifted from him and onto your lap as you fiddled with your fingers and you could hear his heavy sigh at your lack of response. “Well you should’ve checked your work before submitting it to me” He told

Your eyes widen as it finally registered in your mind. You made to triple check the work before submitting it to Sunghoon and you knew it was correct. But hearing it from his harsh tones made your eyes watered with tears as you believed his words that you were in fact slipping up.

Sunghoon noticed your demeanor dropping at his words and he wanted to ease your growing frantic self, always despising seeing you like this as he knew you took your academics very seriously, but a greater rage burned him that made him overlook you.

“You know we take academic here very serious, especially yours. Do you know how much it pained me to give you a failing grade on the assignment?” Your jaw dropped as you let out a shivered breath

You’ve never failed an assignment before so hearing that that you received your very first failing grade especially it being from Sunghoon’s class made your world crash down.

You stared at him with fear spreading across your face and you almost broke down right then and there.

“I-I failed it?” Your voice was shaky as you tried to keep your composure as you stared to Sunghoon with teary eyes

Of course you didn’t actually fail the assignment, you excelled in it like you always did. However, Sunghoon was so bothered that most of the answers weren’t in your handwriting but rather by someone else’s, your partner, Jake.

It aggravated him skimming over the paper seeing the doodles he usually loves smeared with someone else’s doodles along side yours.

There were signs of multiple tic tac toe rounds on the paper with little notes saying ‘I win’ or ‘You lose’ in your handwriting that was responded to by Jake’s writing of ‘I’ll win next round’ or ‘I’ll destroy you’.

I’ll destroy you.

Sunghoon wanted to burn the paper to atoms acting like it never existed in the first place but he couldn’t do that. He had to put the grade in for his favorite student.

“It breaks my heart to put the grade in” Sunghoon sighed but you quickly weeped in pure desperation

“Sunghoon it’ll drop my grade down, it’ll cause my overall GPA to drop! Please don’t put it in. I’ll do anything! Just please don’t put it in the grade book” Your sniffled pleas set something off in Sunghoon as he saw the tears spilling from your eyes, in his eyes you were the prettiest crier

“Anything?” Sunghoon raised an eyebrow and you quickly got up from the seat and dropped yourself down to your knees in front of him as you stared up to him with teary eyes

It wasn’t your first time being in this position, but it was the first time that you were doing this in order to avoid a failing grade. But you simply couldn’t afford it.

Sunghoon got up from his chair before crouching to meet at your level. “Aw my good girl knows just what to do” He hummed warmly as you lips quivered from held back sobs

He wiped your tears away with his thumb with a sinister look in his eye before taking place back in his chair as he manspread in front of you, waiting for you to crawl to him.

You felt humiliated having to do this but your grade was at stake and you couldn’t allow a slip up, you needed to make sure everyone was aware that you still and forever will be the top student.

As you kneeled before Sunghoon, he tried to suppress the smirk daring to grow on his face. You looked absolutely perfect before him and just like Jake’s words. “I’ll destroy you baby” He softly murmured creasing the side of your face, a sign of endearment instead of the cold stoic felling he was showing you beforehand

As you fondled with his belt and slacks in order to bring them to his mid thigh just enough for you to pull out his heavy cock that leaked with precum at the tip.

You knew what you needed to do as you began softly stroking his cock with your hands. Sunghoon groaned lowly as he watched your hands wrap around his cock before moving up and down dragging out the movements. “Better start working faster than that baby”

You replaced your hands with your mouth as dragged your tongue from the base all the way to his tip’s slit. Sunghoon threw his head back letting a rubble erupt from his chest as you began to leave feather kisses at his tip before opening your mouth to suck him.

As your mouth began to close around him, he closed his eyes forgetting just how wonderful your mouth was to him. “Damnit baby” His breathless pants continued as you bobbed your head up and down trying to find the pace that always set him on the edge

You tried to swallow him whole as you managed to bottom him out, feeling him in the back of your throat. You gagged trying to hold your place there as much as you could before ripping yourself away for air.

You panted heavily with a string of saliva connecting your lips to Sunghoon’s cock and he smirked widely at this. You gulped still trying to catch your breath before connecting your lips back onto his tip as your tongue swirled around, trying to clean him from all the precum.

You looked up to him to see him staring at you as if you were the only person left in the world. You maintained eye contact with him as you sucked, the wet noises filling his office.

Sunghoon’s mind reeled in the feeling of your mouth as he let out breathless grunts and groans as he felt your hands fondling with his aching balls as you continued to suck him for all his worth. As he was getting lost in the sensation his hands instinctively came to the top of your head as he began to buck his hips into your mouth. “You’d let me fuck your pretty mouth won’t you?”

You gagged as his cock slipped deeper into your throat, spit forming at the side of your mouth as you weakly nodded your head and that was all Sunghoon needed to use your throat.

He adjusted himself, feeling how you became pliant in his hands as he bobbed your head and down his length to meet his harsh thrust. You placed your hands on his knees, gagging loudly as tears burned your eyes more as Sunghoon continued to use your mouth for his own pleasure.

“Just like that baby, fuck. You’re so perfect for me” He groaned out, you weren’t able to respond as he continued to use your mouth and you could tell he was already close as his thrust became more frantic chasing his release

After a few more harsh thrust, his seed spilled in your throat and he groaned loudly as he pulled you away to have his cum shoot onto your face and shirt.

When Sunghoon finally came down from his high, he was breathing heavily trying to come back from the high of the mind goggling head you always give him but he saw the sight in front of him.

Your face and shirt stained with his release as you looked to him with doe eyes and he grabbed your jaw forcing you to open to see if you swallowed the little remnants you got before he pulled away.

He stroked your face lovingly as he saw that there was nothing left behind. He scooped the spurts of cum on your face with his finger and bringing it to your mouth. You knew what he wanted and you gave it him as you sucked his finger clean.

Sunghoon brought you up from your knees to bring you into a rough kiss. The kiss was reverent as his hold on you was tight. “Gonna make sure you don’t remember your name, let alone that fuckass partner of yours” Sunghoon gruff out before flipping you over his desk where student’s paper were soon scattered everywhere

Hearing his words made you realized that his behavior stemmed from unnecessary jealousy caused by Jake. You were surprised seeing just how jealous he got and it sent a wave straight down to your aching heat.

Yet, you shirked when the cold air suddenly hit your bare bottom “You soaked right through your panties” Sunghoon’s finger grazed your drenching cunt “You’re so wet… Just for me right baby?” You lambently nodded your head, losing yourself in the small friction

“All for you” You breathed out and before you realized, Sunghoon was already sinking into you. You gasped loudly at the unexpected intrusion, feeling the familiar stretch of his cock breaking you

“H-hoon!” You whimpered as you tried to get accustomed to the burn but Sunghoon didn’t listen to your pleas as he already began to move in your tight hole

“Sucking me in so good” Sunghoon chuckled as you gripped the ends of his desk feeling your body jolting from his shallow thrust “Hoonie” You strained out a moan but he was quick to send a spank to your ass

“That’s not my name- damnit no matter how many times I split you open you’re still so tight” He let out as he fully sunk in, groaning at how tight you were clenching around him

And without anytime for you catch your breath from the familiar stretch, he was already slipping in and out of you as he was soon finding a fast rhythmic pace that had you seeing stars.

The office filled with your moans and sound of skin slapping, “S-sir please faster” You whined knowing that you shouldn’t have asked for something you couldn’t handle but you were already too beyond any rational thinking

“You wanna get fucked like the slut you are? Is that why you were practically flirting with him? Just to get my attention so that I can bend you over my desk and breed your pussy?” His fingers dug into your hips as he started to pound into you with no remorse, his tip bruising your cervix and you could feel the wind knocked out of you as you became a moaning mess

“Answer me slut” He gave another smack to your ass and you groaned at the stinging sensation, trying to form any sort of coherent words

“Y-yes- Breed me” Your few words only soared Sunghoon’s pride as he wrapped his bicep around your head to press your body against his as you threw your head back, your whines filling his ears

“Cream on my cock baby, just like how you were molded to” The noise in his office were beyond obscene, the wet noises mixing in with the skin on skin and his degrading words made you dizzy

Sunghoon could tell you were close as you were clenching around him tighter and tighter until you came all over his ramming cock. You moaned loudly as he helped you ride out your high but instead of slowing down, he only continued faster.

You tried to claw at his forearms in hopes for him to slow down as you felt your knees giving out on you and if not for him holding you up by his biceps, you would’ve fallen to the ground. You were beyond overstimulated but Sunghoon didn’t care as he continued to chase his own high.

“Fucking slut wanted to get fucked so badly… Had to do anything- S-shit! Just to get my attention” Your mouth stayed opened as all noises fell from it as your mind became hazy from the overstimulation, his relentless thrust and the headlock he had you in

You were too far gone but deep down, you wouldn’t be mad if he decided to fuck you like this every time. “S-sir” You chanted out nonstop

“What was your partner’s name? Tell me” Your body kept moving with his thrust and you could feel yourself losing it, “I asked for his name slut” And you know you shouldn’t have responded, you should’ve acted oblivious but you wanted to add fuel to the blaring fire

“Ja-Ja..k-“ You couldn’t even finish saying Jake’s name as Sunghoon’s headlock tighten around you and somehow his pace only become even more animalistic than what it already was. You held back a scream as you could feel a second wave of your orgasm building up.

“Say his name again and see what the fuck happens” Sunghoon warned before letting you out of his headlock having you body fall forward onto his desk as his hand pressed against your back to keep you there as his freehand had it’s fingers immediately find their way to your swollen clit begging for attention

You squealed as he rubbed your clit before adding tight pinches causing you to only thought of him, Sunghoon, Sir, Hoon, Hoonie, your favorite professor, Mr. Park.

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as you felt your second orgasm crash over your stimulated body. “Shit baby shit, just… Ahh- a little more. Gonna breed this pussy the way it was meant to”

‘You’ll remember who can only do this to you” Sunghoon started rambling, “I’m the only one that breed your pussy this good” His thrust became sloppy and you could feel his cock twitching inside you.

And when he gave the final harsh thrust, jolting your body forward causing some papers to fall off his desk, you whimpered feeling his hot release spurt into you, painting your velvet wall all white of him.

Sunghoon gave a few more painful thrust to make sure he fucked his cum deep into you before pulling out. You whined feeling suddenly empty without him inside you.

Sunghoon saw how your mixed released dripped down your thigh and he admired the scene. How ruined you were because of him. His finger scooped up the falling cum only to shove it back into your gaping hole, you whimpered at the intrusion of his fingers but he gave pepper kisses on your back.

“Shh it’s okay” He hummed before carefully peeling your body off his desk that was now an even more of a mess

The afterglow you had could be seen from miles away and Sunghoon smiled warmly as he brought your sensitive body toward him to cradle you as he sat in his chair with you on his lap. “You did so good baby, took everything I gave you”

You relished in the praise but it soon creeped back into your mind of why this had happened in the first place. “F-fail?” Was all you could murmur and Sunghoon cooed at you before softly slipping his fingers over your body towards your overstimulated clit

Your body jolted from his fingers as you whined shaking your head, trying to peel his fingers away from your swollen bud not able take anymore but Sunghoon shook his head.

“You can give me another one baby, I know you can” You whimpered as your attempt were futile as his fingers began rubbing over the bud in a painfully slow circular motion “Let me take care of you. Then we can see if you still failed or not”

When you finally made it back home that night after being dropped off by Sunghoon who made sure to give you an extra longer of a kiss at your front door, you landed straight onto your bed, absolutely exhausted from the rounds Sunghoon had put you through.

You always forget how high his stamina is and you know unlocked another level of his stamina by ten folds that only shined when his jealousy was through the roof.

You weakly pulled out your phone to see a message wishing you a goodnight and hope that you sleep well by Sunghoon and you chuckled softly to yourself, making sure to reply to him before going to check your grade for the paired assignment that you were afraid of seeing a failing grade instead of a passing one.

But with the little energy left in your body, you sat up on your bed, immediately smiling seeing the 104 percent left by Mr. Park for the paired assignment with a single comment left by him, ‘Good job’.

Even though it was simple comment, you knew it was only directed to you and not Jake (Sunghoon heavily expressed rather negative opinions about him in the car ride to yours even though Jake did no wrong).

Your heart filled to the brim seeing not only had you received full marks on the assignment, but you also received an extra 4 points just for being such a good student, his favorite student.

Time flew by as it was soon reaching the end of the second half of the semester before going on summer break. And as time was passing, it caused an unsettling unease to rest in your heart. The ‘relationship’ you had established with Sunghoon ever since winter break only continued to blur as you didn’t know what you two even were. You knew the two of you were intimate sexually but you always became confused when it came to romantic aspect of things.

But on Sunghoon’s end he never really used words to begin with, he rather used actions to express what he was feeling for you (even if you were oblivious to them).

You didn’t realize that whenever you would complain to Sunghoon about running out of your favorite chapstick it somehow magically appeared placed at your seat with a sticky note that had written on ‘:)’ or when you felt overwhelmed about some long project that none of your other partners were working on, expecting you to do all the work, which somehow ended up with you receiving full credit while the rest of your partners received nothing.

Sunghoon loved to shower you in his affection of gift giving, ranging from something easy like flowers everyday to the latest tiffany & co. necklace and bracelet set he thought suited you the best. Whatever you could possibly think of having and wanting, he would get it for you in a flash.

But with all of his actions, it was unclear to you where his feelings lied for you.

Even though he would randomly show up at your doorstep just because he missed you and wanted to see to you which always ended up having you and him cuddle in your bed until the next morning as you both rushed to the university after sleeping past the alarms in each other’s arms.

It didn’t mean he cared about you the same way you cared about him. He could easily just be doing all of that to make sure you stick around in which he did a good job because the sheer thought of some else entering the picture and have Sunghoon leave you in the dust always kept you up at night, fear eating you from the inside out.

But your worst nightmare came true as in walked someone else, another rising star student.

She transferred last year from another prestigious university and she was known to be the top student but when she transferred, she was placed in the 5th slot of the top 5 fives students, you still remaining in the 1st slot.

It was impossible of how she didn’t hear about you. She heard praises left and right for you for simply walking by and she was curious. That’s when she realized you were the top 1 student in the entire university. That was when she was determined to achieve the top 1 spot for herself. She began in the year she transferred to bypass all of the top 3 students to secure her spot in the top 2, just below you.

When you finally heard of a rising student and how she bypassed the top 3 students in a short amount of time and was now top 2, you were impressed instead of bothered as the gap between you two was unshakeable.

But you didn’t realized how she was willing to do anything in order to take the number 1 spot from you. It was nothing personal towards you but you were the pride and joy of the university and she was simply wanted the title for herself.

So when she heard she would be sharing a class with you in the beginning of the first term, she was excited to see how both of you would perform in the hardest taught on campus by the strictest teacher Mr. Park.

She’s heard from other students taking the class that it wasn’t easy and barely anyone was able to pass it with the minimum required grade and this piqued her interest seeing how the top 1 student would succumb to the pressure in order to ensure her replacement of your high title.

But she soon realized that she was the one rather falling behind as the marks on her papers kept decreasing slowly but surely. While, you were receiving 100 percents with ease and would even receive extra credit sometimes and she was aggravated by this it.

She completely lost it when she saw the 75 percent on her paper from the paired assignment. When she glanced over to you when you received your paper only to see how you had scored a whopping 104 percent, which she didn’t know was even possible.

People congratulated you (and Jake) for being the highest mark out of the entire student body taking the course. Your wide smile as you accepted the compliments infuriated her, she wanted to wipe that smile right off your face.

And so she decided to attack the root cause, as she found herself in front of the very professor’s office that she couldn’t seem to pass with high remarks. She was hesitant on knocking, never really speaking to her professor during class especially outside of it for anything, choosing to silently struggle. She was worried Mr. Park hadn’t even paid attention to her because he had you taking his course (especially being in the same class as her).

She was living in your shadow and she was growing tired of it. She wanted to be adored by everyone just like how you were and set the curve. And hopefully talking to Mr. Park will help her achieve the little stepping stone she needed in order to determine her victory against you.

She softly knocked before overthinking anymore as she waited for a moment and that’s when she finally heard a faint ‘come in’.

Now any living being would tell you Mr. Park was undeniably attractive that it was actually sickening that someone like him existed and was teaching as a professor. She was no exception, seeing him in white button up, his jacket covering over his body as his infamous clear glasses rested perfectly on his nose bridge set an unspeakable fire in her.

“Hello Mr. Park” Her voice was unknowingly becoming smaller as his harsh gaze met her nervous ones

How you were able to approach him with such ease while everyone else struggled blew her mind but she remembered no one else was receiving 100 plus marks in his class besides you so she quickly diminished that thought.

“Good evening, I don’t believe you’ve set up an appointment or may have I missed it? Let me double check, please sit down” Sunghoon motioned to the seat in front of his desk which she accepted, she couldn’t dare tell him that she didn’t make an appointment to meet with him

She looked around his office to see it neatly done to a T expected from her professor. Her eyes caught sight of a random chair in the corner of his office. She furrowed her eyebrows but Sunghoon’s quickly brought her attention back and away from the chair.

“I don’t seem to have you down for an appointment, if you wish to discuss anything with me. Please make an appointment beforehand with the link provided in your online syllabus” Sunghoon told before brining his attention back to his work in front of him

“W-wait M-Mr. Park. I really need to talk to you, it’s important” Sunghoon stopped and placed the papers down before sighing heavily, he normally doesn’t do this but he was in a good mood since you stopped by during his lunch break just because you wanted to see him so he let it slide this one time

“This will only a one time thing. I do not excuse carelessness, if you wish to speak make an appointment on the provided schedule” Sunghoon told before motioning her to speak and she was dumb founded, all rationality left her mind

Her mind reeled as she spoke the first thing that came to her head, “Do you work out Mr. Park?” She tried to put on her best sultry voice hoping it would achieve what she wanted

Sunghoon furrowed his eyebrows and stared at her, “Excuse me?”

“Seeing the 75 on the paired assignment made me so sad and I-I just wanted to let you know that I’m willing to do anything to change my grade” She pleaded helplessly hoping that he would give into her pleas to have her grade change

He knew he was a hypocrite for his next choice of words but he didn’t need anyone else, especially when he had you. “Please remove yourself my office and I will choose to ignore such requests” Sunghoon sighed realizing what she was trying to insinuate, this wasn’t the first time someone had tried to come to him to give him whatever he ‘wanted’ in exchange to get their grade up

She pouted harshly having been denied and Sunghoon almost showed his grimace at her pout, her pout wasn’t yours. But she wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

She made her way up from the chair and Sunghoon thought she was leaving but what he didn’t expect was her to suddenly turn around and walk over to his side of the desk and drop to her knees in front of him.

He jumped back in his chair as he adjusted himself as he stared at her in shock. “What are you doing?” Sunghoon asked and she looked up to him with an attempt of doe eyes and instead of feeling aroused like she had hoped, he felt sick

He wasn’t going to do anything with anyone else. He already you and he was never going to let that go.

She put her hair into a makeshift ponytail with her hands as she blinked her eyes innocently to him as she silently was offering herself. But Sunghoon looked away from her and motioned for her to stand up “Get up” Sunghoon’s authoritative tone made her weak in her knees and she thought that he was finally caving in to her

Yet, right when she was going to stand she heard a faint knock at his office door and Sunghoon immediately recognized that knock as yours. His heart rate jumped, he took a glance towards the clock to see that you were right on time for your ‘debriefings’ and he knew this scene looked completely wrong and he couldn’t possibly have you get any wrong idea.

But Sunghoon whipped his head when she saw her shuffling under his desk and he shook his head violently as she brought a finger to her lips to shush him but he wasn’t having any of it. “I am not going to repeat myself, get up” He warned which caused her let out a loud huff which didn’t go unnoticed by you on the other side of the door,

When she was going to place the faintest kiss on his knee through his pants, he jerked his leg away before she could do so. She sadly pouted before getting up from her previous position. She had mischievous smirk on her face, believing she had won in some type of way.

She grabbed her bag from the chair as she went over to the door and right before opening it, she send a playful wink towards her professor. “Thank you again Mr. Park” She spoke as opening the door and there she saw you standing innocent and oblivious to what was happening his Sunghoon’s office

Your eyes widen in shock seeing her leave Sunghoon’s office, you never once saw her here before let alone even speak to him during class.

Her smirk grew wider seeing you before holding her head high, discreetly wiping her lips with her fingers before happily greeting you.

“Oh? What you doing here?” She innocent raised an eyebrow almost as if mocking you

“Letter recommendation” You curtly responded which was a lie, you were here for the ‘debriefings’ you and Sunghoon always had but you don’t remember him telling you that he was going to be occupied beforehand

She smiled not saying anything else as she walked past you without a goodbye. You could feel and hear the silent screams she was giving you as she left you which all lead from the very startled professor that was now in front of you at the door.

You took in his appearance, he still looked like his formal self. Still neatly dressed from head to toe, his hair still intact but that didn’t ease the unsettling pain in your chest.

“How can I help you?” Sunghoon made room for you to enter his office, trying everything in his power to remain professional

You stopped your quivering lips as you shook your head, “Nothing, I thought I needed something but I don’t need it anymore” You emptily told before turning your heel and walking away from your professor

Sunghoon was stunned as this was the first time you never stayed for the debriefings and he could feel his heart squeeze as it settled in his mind everything was far from okay. His hands turned into fist in order to prevent himself from chasing after you, not caring who would see but he needed to remind himself that he was not your boyfriend. He was just your professor, someone that you were seeing that was hopelessly head over heels for you.

Now he expected for it to be a simple misunderstanding that he could clear up with a few messages and going over to yours. But every time he tried to even reach you, you dodged him like a plague and acted like he didn’t even exist. The daily talks and messages became shorter and shorter until you were leaving him on delivered for hours on end only to see his message and not even respond.

You stopped coming for ‘debriefings’ all together and it was if nothing had ever happened between the two of you and he was slowly losing himself the more time he went without you. He knew you ways he shouldn’t but he did, neither you or him could ever forget that no matter how hard you tried.

What starting driving him to insanity were times where he saw you leaving his class without a glance towards him a the old lingering gaze shared was long forgotten as it was replaced with you staring at Jake as you laughed and smiled at something he told you.

And he knew it was highly unprofessional of him to even think this but Sunghoon felt the urge every time to throw a punch at Jake anytime he saw you two together.

Sunghoon’s biggest fear was coming true, you leaving him when he was already in too deep. He knew he had to act quickly before it was too late and he lost the only thing that mattered in his life. He needed to bring you back to him.

It was the last day of the semester right before summer break and after finishing all finals (with the highest mark as always) and completing the finals assignments needed to ensure to leave the two terms with ease and remaining in your spot as the top student in the university.

You haven’t spoken much to Sunghoon during the past few leading up till this day. You knew it was rather childish on your part but something in your head told you that Sunghoon no longer needed you as he was seeming to be fulfilled by someone else that wasn’t you(even though he never forgot about you once, always making sure to send messages to you every morning and night just in case one day you decide to finally answer him).

As you and Jake were leaving Sunghoon’s last lecture, he was starting to ask you something, “So I was wondering if you would-“ but he was interrupted by the call of your name from Sunghoon who motioned for you to stay behind.

You were going to ignore him but your body had a mind of its own as you bid goodbye to Jake easily before discreetly taking a gulp as you hadn’t spoken properly to him and he was finally taking initiative in person.

‘I-I’ll wait for you outside!” Jake told and you gave a quick wave back before making your way over to Sunghoon’s desk and when it was finally just the two of you, Sunghoon’s dark chuckle rippled throughout the empty lecture hall

“Meet me in my office at the usual time” But before you could muster any type of response to avoid him, he motioned for you to stop, “I said meet me in my office, that is final” You should’ve said no but you were weak for him as sighed in defeated before muttered under your breath

“Why don’t you ask her to meet you in your office…” Sunghoon heard your muttered and his eyebrows furrowed and his lips twitched

“Because I need you in my office” Sunghoon told before lowering his voice to make sure you could only hear him, “Now be a good girl and listen” His voice sent shivers up your spine and you frowned before muttering a small ‘whatever’ before walking away

He smirked, pleased with your reaction as he was realizing you were jealousy, a possessive jealousy you had over him laid in his heart nicely.

You softly knocked on Sunghoon’s office door as you always used do and your expected hearing his usual ‘come in’. But you were surprised to see him see opening the door for you.

You stared at him in shock as he moved to make room for you to come in. You gulped and awkwardly stepped in as it finally sunk into your mind of how long it has been since you were last in Sunghoon’s office, let alone in his presence in uh a close proximity.

But your mind filled with a distraught thought of what you thought to have happened between Sunghoon and the girl during the time that you and Sunghoon weren’t personally seeing each other outside of his lectures.

You wanted to light the whole office on fire to destroy any residue that the girl could’ve possible left behind. You hated that she was inside such a sacred place to you and what you thought was for Sunghoon too.

“Why did you want to meet with me?” You were in no mood to mess around and quickly wanted to get whatever he wanted done and over with

You saw how Sunghoon closed the door and easily locked the door and you knew you were in for it. “I’ve missed you as simple as that” He truthfully told before taking strides towards you, “How come my baby has been ignoring me?“ Sunghoon brought down the cold demeanor he shows everyone besides you, only you were the only one to ever see this side, the down right bad side of Sunghoon for you

You closed your eyes and shifted your head not wanting his words to work on you. But when you felt Sunghoon’s frame from behind goosebumps filled your body as his breath fanned over the shell of your ear with his hands finding their way to your waist. “Well? Why have you been ignoring me?”

You shivered as his words cut through you and you bit your lip to prevent yourself from speaking but the way Sunghoon’s hands carefully ran up the side of your body, his breath filling your ears, you could feel yourself melting.

“You were with her, didn’t think you wanted me anymore” When Sunghoon heard your response he stopped the running of his hands and let out a scoff, how could you have possibly think that?

“Baby you’re all I ever want. I was never with her in the first place nor would I ever even think about having someone else when I have you” Sunghoon’s voice rippled in your head as you tried to finally understand what he’s been telling you from the start

“But she was in your office” You mumbled, “She wiped her lips in front of me like a mockery. She was setting her claim on you” You huffed out feeling the anger rise in you, remembering the moment that has been haunting you nonstop

“But you already made your claim on me”

“I can only hold one and I choose to hold yours” Sunghoon turned your body to fully face him and he saw how your eyes refused to meet his causing him to smile, he lifted your head up by your chin, “Baby I’m forever yours”

You finally looked to meet his eyes and you could see nothing but sincerity in them and you could feel the warmth melt into you. “You promise?” You murmured and he nodded his head

“I promise my whole life on it” You finally allowed yourself to indulge in the very thing you’ve been longing for ever since you deprived yourself of it, you grabbed his nape before bringing his lips to crash onto yours. All tension and unease melted away in the kiss and Sunghoon engulfed you in his arms as he held your body close to his

Your and his lips worked in synchronization like they were made for each other, Sunghoon tried to pour all of emotions into that kiss as it was soon growing sloppier by the minute. “What about Jake? Always saw him with you, I was losing my mind seeing the way you were smiling at him” He gasped in the kiss before moving to plant kisses onto your cheek and neck, you hummed feeling the sensation as you shook your head

“He’s just a friend, a mere distraction from you” You responded and you could feel the way Sunghoon’s grip tightened around you before chuckling against your skin

“A friend now huh? What else happened when you weren’t talking to me?” He asked, detaching himself from you to hold your hips in his hands, you could see the familiar glint in his eyes as he stared at you like a starved man

He brought his lips to whisper in your ear, “You let him fuck your used up pussy?” The degrading words made you clench around nothing and Sunghoon could feel the way you knees slightly buckled at his words

“I got you baby don’t worry” He assured you before attaching his mouth back onto your lips before sucking on your sweet spot causing you hands to tangle in his hair

“Never” You let out a breathless moan as you could feel how he nibbled on your sweet spot before soothing it by running his tongue over it

“Good girl” He gently guided your body to have your back pressed against his desk as his breath fanning yours as he rested his forehead on yours, “I missed you so much, you don’t even understand how much I did” Sunghoon tenderly held you as he softly recaptured your lips with his

You wrapped your arms around his neck as his hands rested on your hips, “Missed you too, so much” You spoke in the kiss causing your teeth to clash together as the kiss became desperate

Sunghoon broke away from the kiss to let himself softly play with the top of your pants, “Let me take care of you baby, need to show you just how important you are to me” You nodded your head with need, letting Sunghoon bring your pants and panties down all in one shot before guiding you to sit on his desk, discarding everything on it

When he caught sight of your glistening of your lips, he almost let out a groan before allowing his fingers to spread your lips apart, “So wet for me”

“H-hoonie” The nickname that was only reserved for you to use fell from your mouth as a moan

“Gonna show you that you’re all I ever need” Sunghoon told before looking into your eyes and letting his finger slipped past your slick and into you, you gasped and threw your head down.

“Always ready for whatever I give you. You’re such a good girl” He kissed the side of your face ad he pumped his finger slowly in and out of you

You whimpered as his finger alone sent you to heights that you never reached by yourself. “You’re being so good for me, you’re the best of the best. No one ever comes close to you” Sunghoon’s praises sent your heart afloat

Sunghoon slipped another finger into you and you could feel the stretch growing as you gripped his forearm, gasping loudly as he continued to move his fingers in and out of you seeing how you coated them beautifully.

He laid your body down on his desk, as he admired how finger disappeared in your hole in need. You let your head fall back onto the desk but you immediately shot your head up when you felt the contact of Sunghoon’s tongue on your clit.

Your hands unconsciously gripped on his hair as his fingers pumped out of you as his tongue flicked over your clit before giving kisses onto it. Your moans began to loudly fill the room

“Hoonie, Hoonie, Hoonie!” You chanted his name like a prayer as he continued to bring you only what he could make you feel, a wave of pleasure washed over you as you came, forcing Sunghoon’s fingers out of you as they were covered with your release

You panted heavily trying to come back from your high and Sunghoon adored the scene in front of him. He removed his glasses to softly place them onto your panting self. When you opened your eyes in confusion, you saw how he looked at you in pure awe. You looked so beautiful in his glasses, that he made a mental note to buy you a matching pair with his.

However, you couldn’t even ask him because your body jolted when Sunghoon’s mouth came to contact with your cunt as he moaned, tasting you your sweet venom that he could get lost in.

“The sweetest thing to ever exist” He blabbed against you as he sucked harshly and letting his tongue tease your gaping hole

Your hands found their way back into his hair as he sensually ate you out to savor you. The slurps were obscene on the ears but it felt like a paradise. Sunghoon placed your legs over his shoulders in order to burry his mouth deeper in you, as he kept lapping at your cunt.

His nose finally grazing your clit without his glasses interfering and the familiar build up in your stomach soon began to rise again.

He noticed how your hole clenched around his tongue and he smirked as he gripped onto your thighs to continue to eat you like a starved man. “Cum on my tongue baby” His soft voice of encouragement made you whine as you kept letting out breathless chants of his name

His nose continued to rub over your clit and he could tell you were getting closer as your hold on his hair tightened painfully but he didn’t mind.

You felt your second orgasm shoot through you and Sunghoon hummed happily as he continued to place kisses and licks along your cunt as you rode out your high.

When he finally disconnected from you, a string of saliva connected from his lips to your cunt caused him to give a foolish smile at the sight. You panted heavily unable to open your eyes from the amount of pleasure you were in, as your head was against the desk but you could feel it being raised by Sunghoon.

You lazily opened your eyes to see how from his nose down, he was completely covered in you. Sunghoon rose to his feet and lifted your weak body from the desk up and brought his covered lips onto you.

You could taste yourself on him and you slightly grimaced but Sunghoon’s hand prevented you from pulling away.

“You taste how good and sweet you are? I could get lost in you forever” Sunghoon spoke as you desperately kissed him back

The kiss lasted longer than what either of you had intended but it was able to showcase the hidden feelings that you were too afraid to admit.

You were the first to pull away as he chased after your lips causing you to chuckle softly before stopping him. He opened his eyes to look directly at you and you felt the harsh flutter in your chest.

“The prettiest girl to ever grace the earth” He honestly told and your cheeks flushed wildly at his words he planted a soft kiss against them

He unbuckled his belt to bring his pants down mid-thigh, just enough to have his cock spring out after being held in the confinement of his pants for so long.

Sunghoon carefully spread your legs apart for him and your cunt still shined with your arousal and release as he noticed your hole clenched around nothing, begging to be filled.

He slotted himself between your legs as he smothered his tip leaking over your pussy and you gasped feeling him and your mind became dizzy from the taste of his tip alone, “I’m going to take care of you, let me do all the work baby”

His cock lined up with your entrance as he teased the tip against your gaping hole to adjust you to his size and he noticed are you were desperately trying to sink him more into you, which caused him to pull back. “Come on baby, be the good girl you are and wait”

You bit back your lip to hold back your whimper but your mouth dropped feeling Sunghoon fill you in one deep thrust.

He groaned feeling your tightness even after he prepped you, “How is it that you’re always so tight?”

“B-Big” You let out in a breath and no matter how many times you tell him that, his ego will always skyrocket from it

“I know baby but you always take everything I give you. You can handle it” Sunghoon soothed you by rubbing your thigh, letting you get adjusted to his size

As your heavy breathing subsided and you gave a weak nod as his sign that he could move, he made sure to start off slowly and drag him in and out of you.

His deep thrust was calculated to be slow and sensual as he wanted you to have it engraved in your mind that you were the only one for him.

With his deep thrust he was able to hit your sweet spot every time and you were falling apart on his cock. He noticed the daze he was putting you in as he captured your lips.

The kiss was able to speak louder than any words ever spoken between the two of you. Sunghoon thrusts in you kept repeating in the same pace and you were softly whining against his lips.

“You’re absolutely perfect” He pulled away from you place his head against the crook of your neck, his pace slowly picking up but he made sure to hit your cervix every time

“H-Ho-Hoon” You let out a broken breath but Sunghoon whispered your ear that caused your heart to quicken in its beats

“Say my name. My actual name”

“Sunghoon”

The way you breathlessly called out his name, set fireworks off in his heart. The two of you knew this simple interaction was far too intimate for just professor and student who go on dates, kiss each other senseless, lay in each others arms talking about nonsense until late in the night, and simply two people who will always get lost in each other.

“I love you” From your hazy daze, you felt a bucket of cold water splash over you as your eyes popped open hearing Sunghoon’s confession, it was the three words neither of you dared to say but seemed to mutually share

Sunghoon’s thrust continued and the twitch inside of you made your clam down on him. “Cum with me baby” His words were all you both needed as you both came together

His cum shooting deep inside you, as you coated his cock with your release. Your pleasures mixing together as it forced a white ring at the base of his cock. You whimpered as his slow thrust came to a stop as he stayed inside of you.

Both you and Sunghoon coming down from your high together as your sweat covered foreheads rested against each other as the two of you panted heavily before looking into each other’s eyes.

“My beautiful girl” The pure endearment of his words filled your already swollen heart

Sunghoon noticed even though it was faint, the moment of unease in your ease caused him to look at you with confusion. Your gaze avoided his as your mind filled with only one thought. What was now going to happen between you and him now that summer break was starting.

Will you continue to see each other after the moment shared or will the two of your take your words for granted and lose each other in the process?

“What are you thinking about baby?” He softly asked as you pulled away from your forehand to look at you as you still refused to look at him

“Look at me” He softly turned your head to face him properly as he noticed your glassy eyes, he felt his heart shatter at the scene before brining your body close to him.

He carefully creased his hand over your aching body as he remained still inside you and you shivered feeling the slightest movements inside of you. The two of you stayed in silence as he silently comforted you.

“Let’s get you cleaned up” He softly murmured as he could feel your mixed released trialing down your thigh that laid with his, you only nodded your head not trusting your voice to not break if you spoke

Sunghoon smiled daringly before carefully easing himself out of you and right when he did, more of the released gushed out of you. He chuckled at the scene at your cunt before rubbing your thigh. “We made a mess” He joked causing you to finally let out a soft chuckle

As he grabbed tissues, he began to guide them over to clean you up, making sure to not miss a spot. And when his fingers rubbed over your cunt to clean you up, you shivered as he whispered soft apologies placing butterfly kisses on it to help ease the overstimulation.

When you were all cleaned up, he grabbed your discarded panties and pants and your body too far sore and exhausted caused him to carefully guide them back onto you.

He quickly placed himself back in his pants and buckled his belt, allowing you to fully catch your breath without him crowding you.

When he noticed the daze look finally fading from your eyes, he carefully sat you upright before going to sit on his side of the desk. You turned your head confused to him but you let out a yelp when he brought you off his desk onto his lap.

He looked to you on his lap, creasing your face with such delicacy.

He pulled away to rummage through the first drawer of his desk until he finally found what he looking for. You could see the slight hesitate as his hands remained in his drawer, his eyes focused on the ticking clock in his office before finally pulling out an envelope.

You looked at him confused as he handed the envelope to you, ushering for you to open it. When you carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the paper in it, your hand almost dropped it in pure shock.

You read over the paper nonstop as you couldn’t believe what you were reading.

“Come to Italy with me” Your gaze moved from the bought plane tickets to Sunghoon who only stared at you with hopeful eyes

“I’m no longer your professor” Sunghoon motioned to the clock he was staring at before giving you the envelope that showed the time, 5pm, the university was officially closed for summer break.

“I meant it when I said I love you”

“And I finally want to properly be yours and make you mine” Sunghoon confessed the weight that laid on his heart as it finally lifted, he knew his feelings were risky, he was still a professor and you were still a student at the university just no longer each other’s as summer break started

Sunghoon knew he could likely get fired for this but if he had to choose between his job or you.

He would always choose you in a heartbeat. “Let’s spend our summer vacation in Italy together baby” You chuckled out a bright smile before hastily wrapping your arms around him nodding your head eagerly

“Yes, of course!” You agreed to his planned trip and Sunghoon held you tightly in return, pleased to know that he can finally properly make you his without a single worry

“Sunghoon” He hummed when he heard you faintly called out his name, “I love you too”

: I actually can’t believe you’re in Italy right now when you told me, your friend btw in case you forgot, that we were going to spend summer break rotting away together

: But instead, you’re soft launching your boyfriend that I didn’t even know existed until now, with his arm all wrapped around you as you show off the new tiffany & co. bracelet he got you

: I hope you know I am not forgiving you until you tell me who your mystery boyfriend is so you better fess up soon

You: :)

---

Runaway Chapter 5

Pairing: Naozumi Hiyama x fem reader oc

Genre: racing AU, enemies to lovers, sports rivalry, suspense, a whole lot of teasing, gender power games, fluff, some spice. TW: nosebleed, alcohol, light violence

Word count: 52.5k+

A/N: Apologies are in order for going mia. Had a little break away from all things technology over the summer, including my laptop, trying to get my wheels in some kind of rest mode and find my inspiration again. Going home brought some of it back, so gear up for feels, dreams and the next few chapters cause they are a lot (and my absolute faves in this series). I'll shut up now since I know you missed these two as much as I have. This one's a packed ride, figuratively and literally, and I loved writing it so much. Hope I delivered. Enjoy the mess, lovelies.

Raiko's Playlist: Hotel Room Service - Pitbull |CRUSH - Katy Perry | Hit My Heart - Benassi Bros., Dhany | Silence - Delerium, Tiesto, Sarah McLachlan | Cherry Blossom - Empire Of The Sun | What The Hell - Avril Lavigne | Focus - Ariana Grande | Man On The Run - Dash Berlin, Cerf, Mitiska, Jaren | Good Life - G-Eazy, Kehlani | 2U - David Guetta, Justin Bieber | Infinity 2008 - Guru Josh Project, Klass | Dangerous Woman - Ariana Grande | Poison - Rita Ora | Slow Motion - Trey Songz | Run Away With Me - Carly Rae Jepsen | CONTIGO - KAROL G, Tiesto | Destination Calabria - Alex Gaudino, Crystal Walters | Let Me Think About It - Ida Corr, Fedde Le Grand | Every Single Day - Benassi Bros., Dhany | Believe - Cher | Chemistry - Velvet | Release Me - Agnes | Super Bass - Nicki Minaj | Eyes Off You - Pretty Much

Previous

Fuji Highland Masters Day 1 - Friday

The rest of your free week leading up to the rally weekend rolled by as discreet as the brush of the wind moving past your shoulder. Besides the endless training and testing, things have been something sort of interesting since that day. If by interesting you could describe activities nothing short of paranormal. All attributed to a certain dark haired player's spirit, cursed and out for revenge, following you around like a ghost of reason out for your sanity. Nonstop.

For starters, Naozumi did come back for his car. When it was most convenient for him - in the middle of the week as the team garage brimmed full with Suruki Racing engineers, all hands on deck for the final tuning set-up before Fuji. The most difficult round of the cup. But why of course, he must've thought it way more important to disturb the work flow of serious people. He called you out of the blue saying he happened to be in the area, said area being the farthest suburbia from Tokyo's town center in the middle of prime time 5 pm traffic, and that he would soon come to collect his most prized possession. Though you thought that was his pride, but alas.

A little over an hour from that call, he waltzed in like he owned the place, shooting playful smirks at everything that moved in the packed garage space, specifically targeting the few female mechanics on the team busy working on the new chassis axels. They swooned over the way his custom blue leather jacket hugged his pumped up biceps, that by all means necessary he had to take off and flaunt the muscles in his extra short sleeve tee; his slicked back hair, spiky at the ends and lathered in a ton of gel that probably left the city without a hair gel supply; and how good the brown aviator shades suited him as they covered his precious eyes away from the eyes of the peasants. Still above everyone else, low and behold equal to no one. Several team polos popped a few buttons down for him as he walked around, lowering his shades down enough to wink at some of them and pocket a few post it notes with numbers and names hastily written down. Booty calls to add to his collection. All of that while you hid in a faraway corner hoping he would just spontaneously combust out of there with his car altogether.

You weren't looking forward to hitting sights again after the last time you saw him. But you were unfortunately called over to show him the way, since he specifically asked for you. Something told you he would always seek payback and irritation out of you so by all means, you had to comply. Sparing you a few playful remarks about your co-workers, that went completely ignored for the sake of your already crumbling sanity, you very politely showed him to his car at the back of the paint shop and shut his door tight as soon as he got inside, signing him to beat it before this incident too became the gossip of press in ways it shouldn't. All he gave you was a mumbled 'Thanks' as he revved his blue monster out of your garage, leaving tracks on the new flooring. One thing to bill his ass for in the near future:

Moving a little forward to the past few days, insanely weird things started happening. Weird in the sense of freaky shit that thriller movie plots were built upon. You saw Naozumi's face and heard that last conversation the day he brought his car to the garage over and over again, everywhere, like a broken record bleeding your ears dry.

It all started at the gym during one of your training days. Your arms were pushing double your weight while Tanaka spotted your back. Very ironically, that annoying conversation popped up as your muscles tried their hardest to support the weight above you. As if he was right in your trainer's place beside your head, directly saying them to you again, drowning Tanaka's counts out into those wretched, stupid words.

"Come on, a few more and we're done for the day. Twenty, twenty-one...," Tanaka spoke, counting your lifts. His voice faded into that deeper, whiskey-loving voice, throwing off your focus. "Twenty-two, twenty-three."

"One more for a distraction."

You ignored that honeyed voice speaking of sin, pushing the weights above your head with all your might.

"Another one considering you are something interesting to me."

I don't hear him, you blew a breath preparing to lift again. He's not here. He's not real. It's all in my head. My head is fucked up and it's an issue but he's not here. He's imaginary. I cooked him up.

"A third one for being a curiosity," he chuckled amusedly, the deep rumbles of his voice echoing in your mind. "My curiosity."

"SHUT UP!" you yelled, pushing the weights up in anger one last time before letting go of them behind you.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" screamed Tanaka.

Your chest rose with quick breaths, angry and violated by a fucking voice, while your training partner yelled bloody murder. Looking over to your side, you were confused as to why he was crouched on the floor, taking rapid breaths with tears running down his face. Eyes falling on the weight bar you just lifted, currently sitting with one half on the floor then the other, half-supported by its holder, you made the connection instantly. The weight bar you lifted and pushed away in imaginary fury landed on Tanaka's hand and his fingers getting caught underneath the bar holder he was leaning on. Strangled mewls escaped him as his hand turned purple and swelled bigger and bigger with each passing moment. You drove him to the hospital immediately where they iced his hand out until it deflated back to a normal size. Well, a usable size. More or less. It still looked like one of those twisty balloons you see at kids parties, just without the squeaky sounds. Your apologetic smile didn't help his swollen limb at all. And as punishment for your unprofessional behavior, and your laughter as he yelled profanities at his hand, he left you training alone for the rest of the week to recover.

Bad, very bad move. You had no way of knowing how sick and twisted this simple punishment could end up being because the horrors didn't stop there. No, no, no. Nope. Now that you were alone, with no one else to drown your rabid thoughts out, Naozumi appeared even more frequently to you, trying to drive you insane by all means possible.

He was there in spirit as you went on your usual runs up the hills circling the city. You were trying to build your stamina and clear your head. Get some fresh air in. But strangely, each stranger you passed by had jet black hair and his particular muscular build. After you ran past three people, all males, gawking at them, trying to understand if the universe was playing a sick joke on you and you were seeing things, the fourth one turned to you quite furiously with not so nice words at your address, prompting you to abandon the jog and bolt back down to your car. You haven't gone jogging since. But Tanaka didn't need to know that.

He even lingered on your occasional people watching sessions downtown. Walking through Shibuya, looking to get lost in the neon lights, you swore you heard his voice crystal clear in the tumultuous chatter of hundreds of people passing you by on the pedestrian crossings. Feet stuck to the ground, your head whipped side to side like you were chasing the whispers of a ghost out for vengeance with your last few neurons. You found no sight of him at all, but his voice remained a frequent visitor.

The worst one of them all must have been the time he popped up while you were just grocery shopping. That one was a scare pulled out of a horror movie. Shopping for your mother's cooking day, the holy Thursday before the rally weekend, you scoured your list for the remaining items seeing only the milk was left unchecked. You made your way to the cold aisles, searching through the iced foods and meat until you reached the dairy products. Opening the fridge door to pull out a bottle of milk, you closed it firmly only to jump in fright at an imaginary reflection of Naozumi, clear as the fucking day on the glazed fridge glass.

Thankfully, the store was pretty much empty so no one witnessed your high-pitched yelp as you dropped your basket, getting ready to fight a fridge door in the dairy aisle in broad daylight. You blinked in shock multiple times at the image staring right down at you, standing just a few inches away, unable to get it to leave you the fuck alone. One breath away from you, the memory of that day at the garage that gave you brain damage apparently replayed to you once more, against your wishes for it to stop. But there he was again, his face slowly leaning in, lips quirked in amusement at how easily he could toy with you by simply whispering those two damned words with such endearing playfulness, willing you to confront him about it if you had it in you. And all you could do was let him say them, as many times as it took for your fucked up subconscious to process them and get over it before you considered exorcism. Hoping he would stop playing mind games with you, giving those words over to oblivion and praying they would just stop appearing to you. But they never did. Asleep, awake, eating, drinking, training, showering, breathing, just existing, they were always there. Always a reminder that he stirred something deep within you that refused to forget about it.

"A curiosity."

"THAT'S IT. GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD DEMON!" you yelled, forehead crashing with the bark of a tree. "I WILL MAKE YOU REGRET LEARNING HOW TO PEE BEFORE I TAKE YOUR DICK OFF WITH A WHEEL-"

"JESUS CHRIST," yelled someone in shock right behind you.

You turned around and jumped with a scream, just as scared of Akira's presence as was he of your sudden explosion of loud muffled yelling, directed at the poor tree beside you. Confused eyes darted between your distressed racing suit and the bewildered look on your face, as if you've seen a ghost or something.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh, yeah," you say, cleaning yourself up a little, hands rushing to dust off random parts of your suit. "I am, yeah. Good. I'm good. How-" your voice cracked. Clearing your throat a little you gave it another try, hoping to sound more sure of yourself. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Enough to see you head bang the tree," he chuckled, a small rebellious strand of hair falling with the movement to shade his eyes. More of them followed it from under the sunglasses holding his hair back like a make-shift headband.

Looking back at the tree, you noticed your hands were still holding on tight to it. Your nails dug into its sides through the rough cracks in the bark really painfully. If it wasn't a tree, that grip alone was enough to leave indents for ugly scars in someone's skin. Now, you may or may not have imagined that was Naozumi in need of a beating. God knows, maybe some kind of violence would get rid of that annoying smirk of his and those incredibly irritating brown eyes sparkling like shiny diamonds in the sun speaking of tease or whatever. He should consider himself lucky you didn't see him yet or this poor tree could've been him.

From Akira's stand, he caught you having a bit of a moment. Dirt from the tree covered your hands from the tip of your nail to the bend of your wrist, littered in patches of sandy brown as if you went camping. Your hair fell over your face in a mess of tangled locks and cherry blossom petals knotted in between, belonging to the branches above following your little scuffle with the tree. But even with all that mess, he still thought there was not a more beautiful sight to behold beyond you.

"Is this some kind of pre-race ritual?" he asked, taking a step in your direction.

"No? No. Yes? Yes," you said more confidently. "I... was..." you trailed off looking for a good reason why you might be engaging in banging your head into a tree for a recreational activity.

"You were?" he pressed on with a knowing smile, moving to close the distance to you. Your eyes fleeted up to his and you completely gagged on what to say. He stood so close that you thought he could hear your breathing go haywire if he took just one more step closer. One too close.

Think quick, you chewed on your lip. Say something smart for once.

"I was..." His eyes darted down to your lips for the briefest second before going back to your eyes. "Doing some... quick step resistance checks," you laughed nervously, embarrassed as hell on the inside. "Just in case I happened to run into a tree mid-race or something. God forbid I do, but it's good to have a back-up plan just in case."

Quick step resistance checks? HE'S NOT THAT DUMB-

Before you turned around and ran into the rally course like a feral squirrel with a death wish, a little tilt of his head to the side in thinking told you he seemed to buy your little white lies glazed over like sweet doughnuts. He looked at the tree at your side with utmost seriousness now, taking a step closer to place his own palm flat to the tree. His eyes darted up and down its whole length, examining how the slim, sturdy bark of a tree that could barely be a race hazard was of any help in your resistance checks.

"And do these resistance checks work?" he cocked a brow inquisitively, eyes falling back on you.

"They do," you nodded briskly, small leaves and petals falling away from your hair unbeknownst to you. "They're particularly important for improving the blood flow to your head and really healthy for testing how hard your head could smack against this hard bark and still survive a deadly crash..."

As you were talking nonsense about imaginary gimmicks, his hand reached above your head to pick something up. The rest of the words coming out of your mouth stopped somewhere over the lines of incoherent mumbles as his fingers lowered in front of your face. He was holding petals - light pink petals from the cherry blossom tree you were head banging a moment ago.

A brief oh escaped your lips at the sight of the soft flowers teared to pieces. Letting go of those, his hand reached up to get the rest of the petals nestled deep in your hair before your hand could race up and take care of it. His fingers sorted through your locks, picking them out one by one until he gave you the all clear. As soon as his hands left, your own rose up checking for other petals out of instinct, running your fingers through your whole hair, scalp and lengths, until you were sure all of them fell out and you looked more like a normal person rather than someone related to mother nature.

Stepping closer, he reached up above you again. Though this time, when you looked back at him his fingers held not just a petal but a small amber twig. From the tip to its end, it was filled with cherry blossom flowers, each little pink bloom happily facing a different direction as if in greeting of all the light surrounding it with warmth. Brushing your hair behind your ear, he placed the small branch atop of it, securing it with a loose lock of hair around it so it wouldn't fall.

"You can test the durability of your head without hurting the tree," he said, his fingers working to get the branch looking like it was part of your hair. He stepped back taking you in with a small smile. "Good luck out there."

One swift nod at you making his shades fall down to shelter his eyes from the sun and he left, smile widening along the curves of his mouth the farther away he got. Your cheeks bloomed as pink as the flowers beside your ear, feeling warmer than normal at the touch. Way too warm.

Why do I keep blushing around him? you wondered, slapping your cheeks together. Not like this is the first time a guy does something nice to woo me. Maybe it is, but I don't want it to boost his pride.

You slapped your cheeks multiple times as you tracked back to the team paddock. A few feet away from entering your pen, you just had to bump into the very devil that's been haunting your life for the past week shamelessly, strolling around freely without even knowing one single shred of the nightmares he's provoked. Smirking at you in his usual way of greeting once you were in sight, he then eyed you oddly, his eyes narrowed on your face.

"Did you have a practice run through the woods?" he asked, taking in your slightly messy state. Though that wasn't his main focus of tease, his attention fell more on the small branch of flowers covering your ear. The accessory looked so girly on you that it had him do a double take.

"What are you talking about?" you asked, wondering what was his problem now. He gestured to your ear wordlessly.

The cherry blossom branch, your eyes widened. I must look like a teenage girl that likes picnics on the field for lunch and picking wildflowers for her wooden basket. This is the shit people do when they have a crush or something.

Your fingers reached up to take the flowered branch off when he stopped you. His fingers brushed over yours right next to your ear. You were so set on taking it off that you didn't notice how close you stood to each other. All it took was one stumble and it was all sealed in a kiss that had no place to happen here, with him. Not with him.

"Don't." He blinked at you, hand pulling back from yours to fall back at his side, moving away to put that leveling distance between you again, just as fast as he closed it of his own initiative.

"It looks good on you."

You blinked back at him, taken aback.

Was that a compliment? Instead of a joke or a tease like on the usual? He was capable of saying nice things too? Or was it just a quick response already hotwired on speed dial when he saw a woman and flowers in the same combo? Clueless about his intentions, the gesture still made your cheeks flush more furiously than they already were.

Turning to pass by you, his boots stopped right beside yours. Lifting his eyes up to you once more, he eyed the flowered branch, no smirk, no cocky remark of his, then he was gone, leaving you completely and utterly confused with your feet stuck to the ground once again. All it took was a few words dropping out of his mouth and that loaded look of his, and your brain short circuited on the spot.

It looks good on me?

Man what the fuck-

"Welcome to Fuji Highland Masters, the fourth game in the Seiko Cup Rally Series!" spoke the main TV presenter for the live rally broadcast show. "I'm your host Ruki Hanoda, joined here in our studio by my amazing friend and colleague, our in-house expert and former racer turned engineer, Ken Nakamura!"

"Thank you, thank you! So good to finally be back here," sighed Nakamura. "It feels like time flew by since the last round."

"It has, hasn't it? We are getting closer and closer to the packed summer rounds. The race for the champion seat is catching speed now, and the potential winner should start rising forth within the next few rounds."

"While that's true, there are several changes to be announced soon that may or may not shift the course of the current Championship standings. I hear there is a surprise round on the way, very different in format from what we're used to seeing in rally, that's set to replace one of the rounds ahead since a course is pulling out of hosting the cup," comments Nakamura. "The federation hasn't let on too much about it yet, but sources confirmed they are preparing to make an official announcement very soon."

"Surprises aside, since we can't talk about that right now," laughed Hanoda, "let's talk about the drivers running up for big points in the Driver's Championship. There's a lot of young talent pooling in this series unlike ever before."

"There sure is," chuckled Nakamura. "The old dogs in YM Works and TOP RANK have reasons to watch their backs this season."

"You're an old dog now too," teased Hanoda with a snicker. "Who would you be looking out for?"

"First off, Akira Shinkai from Sigma Academy. After just one year with the team, he knows the car like the back of his hand. He proudly holds the second game victory back in the Shimanto Round. He's stood on the podium for three consecutive matches so far and is currently placed first in the point rankings. Motorsport media considers him a beacon of hope for rally and I mean, how can you not love this guy?"

The screen switched from the studio to show images of Akira walking over to the fans sandwiched on the safety barriers of his pen, all decked in the red and black team gear from head to toe. Signing their caps and taking pictures with some of them, he wore that bright smile on his face like the trophy was already in his hands. He aimed that killer smile at a girl at the front of the crowd and she completely froze when he added a wink to the combo. Stuck in her starstruck moment, the shirt she was holding out for him to sign fell over the safety barrier. Like the gentleman he is, he walked to her spot, kneeled and picked the shirt up, signing it before he handed it right back to her with a wider smile. She gasped in utter shock at the interaction, high fiving her friend at her side in joy.

"The ladies sure do love him," chuckled Hanoda. "Look on the screen. His pen is filled with Sigma Racing gear waiting to be signed. A real gem he is. But even so, the neighboring pen is just as full for his competition."

"Love him or hate him, all eyes are undoubtedly on Spica Racing's Naozumi Hiyama," says Nakamura, lips curling at the mention of rally's finest. "He's finally stepping up from the Australian Junior category to fight the big guns. He's quite the rally star to have your eyes on, having competed in almost all rally events in the country and a good handful outside of it. Known as the man who lives on dauntless courage, he's got charisma and that old thrill for speed you rarely find these days. One look at him and you'd agree he's racing in flesh and bones."

"One of our reporters is currently in the press area for a quick interview with him. Let's watch what he's got to say on the weekend so far."

The camera panned to Naozumi, fired up to answer reporters with that one business smirk right at home on his face. Head to toe, he looked like the epitome of racing and the cameras loved him. Even though he's had previous experiences with reporters that left a sour taste in his mouth for their kind, he's never declined their attention if it happened to benefit him. Anything if it meant no more negotiation nonsense with his publicists about talking to the press.

"How's it looking out there so far, Naozumi?" asked a female reporter.

"It was a splendid stage," he spoke, his eyes ever so lightly glancing at her. "But the car lacks a bit of power since the set-up is all new and it behaves differently to the other off-road courses we've been on so far. We hope to make up for the lost points and the limited time on the clock as we go along the stages with hopefully much more power."

"Even with this year's point rankings, you are behind Sigma Racing that have been the absolute champions over the last editions of the cup," she denotes, subtly referring to his previous race mishaps that amde him fall out of the cup before. "Do you have confidence that you can take over their spot this year?"

"Of course," he answered right away, flashing her one of his cocky smirks. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be here fighting for the title."

Another reporter rushed in, pushing his mic over her before she could ask anything else. "But it definitely won't be easy to win since your opponent is Akira Shinkai," he shouted.

That one sentence was all it took to shatter the remainder of Naozumi's patience for the day, draining it below zero. Not that his levels were high before it but they were decent enough not to prowl away from the mass of cameras tha now blinked at him uncomfortably. By the looks of that smug grin and the bold glint in the reporter's eyes, he was one of those stingy tabloid journalists looking to throw him under the microscope and pick out the rotten from the good, much more busier berating him about his personal life choices rather than interviewing him about his driving.

"Shinkai doesn't drink or smoke, partying with celebrities all night long. And it seems like he even stays up late with his engineers to understand the car better, as do some of your other peers," the man adds, ignoring the warring tongue pushing through Naozumi's cheek impatiently. "Don't you think that the difference in your lifestyles in that sense is directly related to the difference of the current points?"

Naozumi simply looked at him like he's grown a head. If this wasn't belittling at its finest, courtesy of the media, he didn't know what else it could be. What this man implied was that his personal way of life came between him and his abilities as a driver. He prayed on the difference between someone who's been handed a seat at first glance and someone who's worked twice as hard for it. Just like the press to always chase the differences. They didn't care about the endless hours of training it took to become a good driver. The countless days spent trying to figure out a mid-field car and make it work like oiled all the time. They only cared about the best results, the growing fan counter, and most important of all about what happened when there were cameras present. Like now for instance. Always looking for an already burning flame to fuel, no matter who it belonged to.

While Naozumi's first instinct was to browse his inner book of smart replies, and get the fuck back in the car, the effort was a lost cause the minute the reporter opened his mouth once more. Just enough to willingly tip his whole canister of oil into a fire that was past the safety line already, catching speed in Naozumi's veins and heading his way with ire.

"There's also that fable," the reporter paused to recall, lips curling with goading. "The hare who thinks he's a genius and just played around for fun, but in the end the tortoise outsmarted him-"

Naozumi didn't let him finish that sentence. His hands wrapped around the front of the man's press vest in a split second, pulling him to eye level like he weighed nothing. He stared him down with an intensity that would make even a professional wrestler back down from a paid fight, daring him to wave his hand above the flames some more if he had it in him. The reporter paled at the slightly violent gesture, his hands falling on Naozumi's wrists with a trembling grip. He certainly did not expect the sudden shift in power, suddenly out of words or questions to ask or say at his address. Naozumi's eyes pushed him to say more, maybe the words would sound just as idiotic to him too. But the man clasped his lips shut like a fish.

"What kind of reporter are you?" growled Naozumi wild as a wolf, his eyes turning dark, piercing deep into the man's soul to see just where he found the audacity to be a natural piece of shit.

His publicist and other press officials rushed to try to get him to loosen his strong hold on the man. They couldn't make him lift a finger off his vest. That man woke pure fire rage and no one just backs up from that. Not Naozumi. The cameras moved quickly back to the studio before the audience witnessed a televised disaster, showing the commenters staring at the screen on the side with shocked expressions on their faces.

"Yeah, he's certainly a character. Moving away from these two experienced youngsters," Hanoda cleared his throat. "In terms of new and upcoming competition, what do we think of the unexpected revival of the season?" he asked, a smug smile tugging at his mouth.

"Suruki Racing coming back was probably not on anyone's calendar anywhere in the near future," spoke Nakamura, still bewildered at the news. "After an eight-year break, they're back and looking better than ever. They have the car, crafted in the home factory from scratch, running as smooth as a car that's seen dirt for way longer. They've also got a pretty solid team under the directive of the man, the legend, rally's original golden boy, Hiro Suruki."

"Aside from Hiro kickstarting his career again," spoke Hanoda, taking the words out of Nakamura's mouth, "the biggest surprise to me personally, was seeing the Robert Don Tanaka take a co-driver seat after being a personal trainer for top teams in the country for the past fifteen years. Rumor has it he refused a big gig for an overseas WRC team for a favor to his old friend. They've been buddies since their start in rally decades ago."

"Eh, let rumors be rumors," said Nakamura. "I'd refuse it too when they're doing so well in such a short amount of time. It's probably the most promising comeback we've seen so far in all my years in rally."

"They're in the points too, thanks to none other than super rookie Raiko Suruki," added Hanoda, chuckling at the play on words.

"A sight to see is this young lady," breathed Nakamura as if hit by some divinity. "She's freshly out of the homeland Junior WRC Series that earned her the spot in the cup and reigning champion of the Tokyo City Rally for the past three years. With her eight-year long karting career and the few cups she's entered and won just recently, she's got the driving resume that we used to dream of having back then. To top it all off, she's also the youngest female driver that's ever raced a Japanese rally series with her participation in the cup. Her passion for rally seems to be almost genetic."

"Now," Hanoda motioned his colleague to lean in, his voice dropping a little lower for secretive effect. "Since we're on gossip hour, another rumor has it she saved the team a horrendous loss on the Tokai Round, taking over a damaged oil filter like a professional mechanic. She did miss the first run of Day 3 but she finished on the scoreboard high enough to climb into the championship standings."

"All excellent things to hear from a competent driver that loves both the car and the game. But," Nakamura paused as your face came up on the screen, cameras zooming in on you talking with the engineers before gearing up to get in the car.

Noticing the camera crew enter the pen, you waved at them with an awkward smile before turning back to your own business. You seemed to be on top of the situation, looking over data as the mechanics explained more about the functions of the new set-up. Nakamura's comment fell through his open mouth into complete oblivion, so stolen by your charm that Hanoda had to tap his shoulder to get him to continue his point. He blinked a few times, rewiring his words back like a robot that suffered a slight malfunction.

"Does she have what it takes to complete the season?"

"That remains a mystery to unfold over the course of the cup. For one, I'm truly excited to see where she can take this brand new Suruki Racing. Hopefully not back to the scraps again," laughed Hanoda.

"Enough with the popularity chit chat. Let's get to the more practical stuff. How's the course looking?"

"Rough," breathed Nakamura with a heaviness only a racer would know. "On both the cars and their drivers. These teams have found themselves facing the fury of all rally courses, heavily seasoned into one round this early in the cup."

"That's right," agreed Hanoda with a tight-lipped smile. "It's a rough course of almost 200 kilometers in total, ranked pretty high on the difficulty scale. They will run for three days in eighteen special stages, spread across double tracks that they will attack twice across Day 1 and Day 2, and three individual separate tracks over Day 3."

"Not just that," interfered Nakamura, "but they'll be competing with their total times on a course like no other in the world. Fuji is like a snake crawling in the ground through rifted valleys, rising through the open hill mounds only to slither back down into the ground and up into the off-road terrain again. A mountain road with no curves and no breathers for the cars or the drivers at the helm. No wonder it's called 'The Rally of the Heavens' locally."

"Indeed," picked up his colleague. "This intense special features highlands of ups and downs that would scare off the average driver, having them take pauses at each scintillating turn to check for damages. But unlike the ordinary driver that lives with the fear of frequent service visits and car insurance brokers, these drivers have a bit of extra help in this round that might just prove crucial to completing the rally weekend with the car in one full piece."

A drone flew over the car paddock, giving the audience watching a bird's eye view of the park nestled atop of a hill. Since the course ran between outer hill slopes and rough terrain, the public had a better chance at seeing the action right from the screens placed around the paddock than being stationed along the course for single turns.

"The car paddock bustles with energy and they have all the reason to. This time around, changing the settings on the cars is totally permitted at any point between stages. The engineers can regulate the car set-ups after a stage, in case of pre-race mishaps, though they have a short limited time to do so since the stages are grouped quite close together."

"In this case, the team has to work quick and accurately to minimize the damage on the cars under the pressure of the clock," adds Hanoda. "Maintenance skills are necessary and team coordinating strength is the key to ruling the game."

"Raiko Suruki just started her second stage of the day," pointed out Nakamura. "Team Suruki's new set-up is looking good so far. The grip on the asphalt is top notch down the straights, much better than any other car running the course at the moment. But their new suspensions seem to have a bit of trouble adjusting to the serpentine hills of Fuji. If they want a chance at a higher placement on the scoreboard, they need to fix that issue and fast."

BANG.

You landed on the road with a trembling thud that shook the car and everything inside as you swerved down a rough hill portion. The car leaned left and right like a speed boat on high water, turning your driving messy and shaky. All your built up focus was lost from the first hazard in the race - a stupidly high jump. Trying to keep the brand new suspensions in check, with the car in a constant up and down tremor is not just difficult. It's hard as fuck. The control it takes just to keep your hands fixed to the wheel and the car on the road without skidding off into a field of wheat was something you and the team underestimated in testing. Big time. And it sure came back to bite you in the ass now.

"5 right long then another jump," paced Tanaka, thighs clamping the pace notebook as best as he could, hands holding tight onto his seatbelt.

And there I thought it would be a stroll through the hills, your nostrils flares, focusing on taking the next hill. This is the road to hell. All it's missing is some fucking flames on the side announcing your arrival to that horned dude.

"RAIKO!" wheezed Tanaka. "FUCK'S SAKE."

Taking the hill, you whizzed between the higher and lower gears and tapped the gas, accelerating on the slope up. A shrill of nausea lodged itself in your stomach as the car lifted into the air perfectly. But you hopped off the hill way too quickly with the gathered speed, smashing onto the straight dirt road with another forceful thud. Tanaka swallowed his upcoming pace notes in a choked gasp. That hop probably sent his lungs to near spontaneous combustion as it did to your already crunching stomach.

"Sorry!"

You scrambled out a quick apology before taking another tall crest rising from the ground with potholes on its upper slope that you couldn't avoid driving over. The car leaned left and right with the weight of a tank. Keeping to a higher speed as you took the jump, the suspensions pushed too hard on this landing, forcing the car to bounce up and down uncontrollably on the road, nearly swerving off it again.

"Last one. 6 right very long and a big jump."

Wide turn then another freaky jump. Awesome.

Corner already in sight, you pulled the brakes and pushed the acceleration, turning to let your rear in for a little drift. Rub a few seconds off your time. Once you were out of the turn and approaching the last jump, you slowed down to avoid a few potholes then pressed the gas flat out again before climbing the jaggy slope into the jump. Before you knew it, the wheels left the safety of ground.

You felt this one push deep down in your guts, pulse thudding muffled in your ears. The car went airborne below the big race banner stand, the ecstatic cheers of the crowd completely swallowing the mechanical tug of the clutch letting free. On your descent, you prayed to find some control at least on this landing. But all your prayers went silent as the rear lifted up into the air first and the car tipped forwards dangerously, the dusty ground becoming the only view in the windshield. Its nose hit the left side of the road hard before the back wheels could land, sending your heart pumping wild in your throat. A horrifying crunch followed as the side fenders and the front bumper scattered to flying bits and pieces before your very own eyes.

You'd be lying if you didn't think that was it for you. Where it would all end for good. But you had one more ace up your sleeve to play before the game was over.

Reacting quickly, your hands found the wheel and steered hard to the right. The leftover bumper crunched and the tires bit harshly into the road as you pushed the high speed gear back in to get the car running normally again. Scrapping a good part of your front off on the road and driving over it, the steering stopped the violent swerving of the car and you managed to get the car to stop. Slowing it down, you passed the marshals, completing the stage with a whole smoke cloud of dirt raising behind you. Among with pieces of your car left in a trail of broken parts.

Bringing the car in the pen, you parked it as fast as you could to let Tanaka out for some fresh air before he threw up in the car. His face was a mix of pale and green as he threw off his helmet, stumbling out to sit on the neat ground that wasn't moving up and down. Kate rushed to him with a bottle of water right away, patting his back softly. Pulling your helmet off as well you leaned back in your seat, taking a breather to settle your upset stomach and the rushing nausea crawling up your throat. Any longer and your stomach was going to start fist-bumping your lungs. Finishing up this stage alone was a challenge, switching so much between the gears that your organs most certainly switched places inside your body too. You weren't looking forward to driving that course again in the afternoon.

The scoreboard upfront updated to display your total track time over stage one and two combined. Your eyes rushed to it instantly ignoring the nausea.

9th place - Raiko Suruki - 4:55:32

We're not fast enough, you sighed, leaning your head back on the headrest with closed eyes. Middle of the bunch was not where you needed to be. Not after Tokai. If you wanted to keep that Top 5 spot in the Drivers' Championship, you had to give it way more. But considering that all that set the drivers apart in the first ten places was differences of tens of seconds, you had to pray for a miracle to get back on track and be faster than the current car set-up could take you.

The team gathered together around the hood when you got out, analyzing the damage on the bumper already getting replaced and browsing ideas on what to do to fix the system set-up so the car could take the aerodynamic forces better without you having to slow down and add to your track time. Sentaro and Akio argued heatedly about the height of the car while everyone else added one or two other issues into the deafening mix of angry yelling. Pulling your glove off with your teeth, you slapped it on the hood before putting two fingers in your mouth to whistle loud and clear. All shouting ceased with the noise, eyes from both your pen and outside of it now looking at you confused.

"Sorry. What do you think, Raiko?" asked Sentaro, rubbing his forehead distressed. He looked to be in dire need of a different opinion that didn't match his own or his mechanics team, all hellbent on taking the car apart again.

"Well, can I be honest?"

All heads nodded your way.

"The new suspensions don't work at all." A wave of sighs and huffs hit you as shoulders sagged downwards. "I don't know if it's the components or the entire inboard section. But they've been on the car for testing and two stages so far and they still refuse to break in when they receive the shocks from the jumps to soften the impacts."

"The new shocks are useless," sighed Sentaro, brushing away at the bags under his eyes.

A murmur of collective grunts of agreement resounded over the hood. The team tested those damn suspensions so much, calibrating the rods, the springs and the height to the point of exhaustion, but they're too rigid on the car to work properly, especially with the ridiculously high jumps on this stage alone.

"There were too many nosedives on this part of the course where I could feel the car lurch forward on the breaks. That and the stiff grip on the off-road parts feels like the car's running on boulders at barely the city speed limit," you added.

"It's too bouncy for me to give her the pace notes without busting a lung," piped in Tanaka, nursing some mineral water to get over the sickness your last run gave his insides. You patted his back in another silent apology that he waved off with a small reassuring smile, telling you not to worry about it.

"Can we get the other pack back on the car?" you asked.

The previous pack was changed before Tokai. The shocks mounted on those ones took the impacts as they should and the grip in the corners was way softer. The only disadvantage was that you would be slower and you'd fall in the middle of the scoreboard, losing some points. Not like you didn't lose enough of them today. What was a few more with a safety insurance this time around?

"We could, but they're used," said Sentaro, shaking his head, ruling out the possibility. "If they break off, you risk crashing at high speed. I don't really want to take that risk. Plus the fact that we don't have time to change the suspensions now. I can pull out the new suspensions and try to play around with the compression settings some more to balance them. But we don't have time for it until tonight."

Consider poor Tanaka in a fight with his guts for the rest of the day. There had to be some way to at least make the car run a bit firmer on the road without slowing down too much. Glancing up at the screen on the other side of the pen with the corner your bottom lip between your teeth, the service time gave them less than fifteen minutes until the third stage to make some kind of helpful change. Just then an idea popped up into your head that had the potential to work.

"What if we split them up later during the longer service break? We put the old ones on the front to take the first shock and the new ones on the back to absorb the impact. Would that work?" Sentaro tilted his head considering it. "We can work on the front springs to make them a tiny bit softer for the rest of the stages today so the front can have more flexibility to move."

"That I can do," he nodded. "Your idea is a good one that we can actually test today since you've got four more stages to get through until you're back to this one again. For now, I can dampen the compression to soften the landings a bit, but you'll have to take them with the new pack. It might just break them in better. But either way, we'll sort it out by tomorrow."

"Great," you smiled, feeling hopeful that you could save some time on the clock. "Also, the gear box has been acting funny since that nosedive earlier. Can you have a quick look at it?"

"Sure," said Sentaro, passing you a quick smile that barely curled his lips before heading off to his mobile desk. You knew that smile, the kind of pained encouragement that hung on the precipice of fatigue. He's been working overtime to make the car run smoothly and all his efforts seemed to crack with the pressure.

"Thanks," you quipped behind him more optimistic than you felt, trying to kick his spirits back up. He just sent you a thumbs up then got down to work.

"Why am I here when you're doing pretty well leading the team all by yourself?" spoke a voice from behind you.

Turning around to the driveway into the pen, you found your dad sitting on the side with his arms crossed waiting to be noticed by his very own team. You thought he was back in Tokyo taking care of recruiting more team members. Judging by his relaxed attire, much more at ease than his usual tailored arsenal made for corporative business, he's been out of the office for a good while. Nonetheless, you were happy he was finally here with the team, so you ran up to him for a quick side hug.

"Dad?!" You squeezed him tight but he squeezed you tighter making you break into a fit of giggles. "How come you're here? When did you even leave the city?"

"Well, I did a few interviews with potential factory workers to speed up manufacturing yesterday and some other boring administrative stuff. But duty hasn't called today yet. So I took a free day."

"Hope it doesn't call at all. You need some rest too," you looked up at him, rubbing his arm in sympathy. Those dark rims around his eyes were more prominent these days and his overall state of health was starting to worry you a little, though he kept telling you he was fine and never has been better.

"Rest is for the weak. How's the car doing?"

"She's alright," you smiled meekly, lightly scrunching your nose up.

That small nudge, as subtle as it was, is a gesture that didn't go unseen. He knew that little nose scrunch was a big flowy curtain hiding some kind of mess you didn't want him to know about.

"Something's wrong again, isn't it?" he blew a breath that made you frown.

He was so used to the old Suruki Racing and the horrors that never stopped coming, that his super dad-leader-driver tingle sensed issues as soon as they appeared with the new team. After Tokai, he's become more vigilant in the car checks, thing that has been stressing the engineer crew, especially Sentaro. Poor guy looked close to pulling a three week medical holiday on him every time he caught him stalking over to the team garage, and he had all the reason to with how fast the coming rounds will progress.

To balance things a bit between him and the team, you've been working with them day and night to test all the new components coming from the factory and help with installing stuff on the car to make their work and yours that much easier. Being there ended up being for your benefit after all, since you were able to feedback on issues in real time without waiting for testing days to say their word. Time effective and productive. That, and you've been able to ask Sentaro for tips regarding the set-up on your very own jewel, bonding over mechanic and technical stuff. He was quickly becoming your new favorite uncle, close to overtaking Tanaka's spot soon enough. So in true estranged niece nature, you covered for him anywhere you could, trying to get your dad off his back.

"It's nothing too major, just the new suspensions that haven't adjusted to the car yet. But they should be fine by tomorrow. We'll be losing some points today but nothing too bad that I can't catch up on."

"Better safe than sorry," he sighed, patting your shoulder. He looked like there was more he wanted to say, but one look from you telling him to cool it down had his mouth close right back up. "I'll go see what I can do over there before Sentaro blows a fuse that I'm here to breathe down his neck again."

"Okay, take it easy with him" you laughed. "And dad?"

He stopped, turning around all ears for you. You smiled wide at him yelling, "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too, lightning strike," he chuckled, smiling back wider.

The next two stages ran way better with the springs dampened and the height on the car adjusted lower, overcoming the force of the air flowing under the car way better. One of the tracks ran over an old asphalt road part of the main country lanes, going into long, low tunnels that dove deep through the bigger rocky hills. The other was a low trunk lane moving down up the rough cracks of a valley. Mostly made up of long straights and wide corners, these stages weren't as difficult as the ones you took in the morning, giving you a chance to catch up on your botched timings. By the beginning of the long break, you jumped up from ninth into seventh place. It still wasn't where you wanted to be, but two spots in such a short time following the early results of stage two was way better, changing race predictions for the whole day.

With the one hour long break in tow, it was time for extra work on the car. Most teams and their drivers went over to the food trucks to refill their stomachs, leaving the paddock almost empty. All except for your pen. Not one soul left the Suruki quarters. All hands were in position for work. The engineers went over data gathered over the four stages to make predictions on set-up changes for the leftover four. The other mechanics replaced damaged parts on the body of the car, doing an inventory of what they saw fit to stay some more and what needed immediate replacing. Plying away your racing suit for the more relaxed, loose team gear, you got your hands dirty too. Helping with the engine and oil checks. Filling up on coolant liquid and changing the air and pollen filter, clogged or filled up with dirt. Anything you could help with no matter the department it fell into.

Mid-break, while everyone was focused on their assigned tasks, the scent of food wafted in the pen all of a sudden, hitting your empty stomach like a freight train. Right when you were about to whine about who dared to break the sacred family fasting, your eyes rose from the hood to catch your father and Tanaka coming over with a ton of bags of food and drinks. The sight of food itself, all packed in foil was enough to make your stomach rumble bloody murder from inside, the team staff around you chuckling in amusement. Until their stomachs grumbled one by one and you were the one laughing.

From then on, everyone took a real break. Chucking tools back in their boxes, closing up the hood and their computers, you all walked over to the back of the paddock to camp on an open patch of green land. Tanaka even managed to get Kate out of her mobile office to enjoy some fresh air. As the hill mound curved downwards, it gave you a view of the rest of the evergreen hills around the area. The clouds covered some of the heat of the early afternoon, letting a pleasant breeze card through your hair, rustling it over your shoulders. There was something so filling about eating out in nature with the people you loved. As if the earth filled you with energy and took away your worries for a while. Playful chatter buzzed louder than the bees pollinating clumps of wildflowers. Laughter echoed around you making your heart full, much like a school trip with your colleagues would feel. It was moments like these when life stopped running, stopping her chase after time to just let it pass with the roll of the clouds. Allowing you to be in the moment. At ease.

A grunt came from your side as your father settled down beside you with two cans of sparkling soda. He opened one for you, then handed it over to you. You welcomed the sweet beverage with a smile.

"You know," he started, "I think I did one thing right in my life."

Your eyes ripped away from the scenery to settle on him. He had a look you haven't seen in ages on his face. Peace. Curious about the answer that brought him in this state, you asked, "Which is?"

"You."

"What is up with you and the compliments lately?" you giggled as you shoved your shoulder into his. "It's not like you."

"I'm just finally looking at life for what it is," he justifies, gazing down into the valley below, a million reveries floating through his eyes. "You've grown up so fast, like time just passed by in the blink of an eye and the little girl who used to run around me yelling curses at tires is now a full grown woman, still yelling curses but at a normal sized car."

"So did you," you chuckled, hitting the tip of your boot to the tip of his canopy trainers. "Though mom keeps telling me you're still as childish as ever."

"It's all lies," he shook his head denying the allegations.

You howled a laugh. "Sure it is."

"The factory headquarters called."

Of course they did, you huffed a breath. That meant he had to leave again. He was barely here for a few hours and he had to get ready and drive back on a Friday night of all times to take care of things at the firm. That sentence alone put the weight of this weekend closing in harder back up on your shoulders. As selfish as it felt, you wanted him to be here at least now and catch a race weekend from start to finish.

"Can't you just go on Monday morning?" you shrugged looking down at your soda. "It's almost the weekend."

"I wish I could, kiddo," he sighed. "But if I don't take care of it now, way more shit will pile up in the main office than I have braincells for. I won't stay too long," he tried to reassure you. "Last time I worked over the schedule, your mom drove over to run my ass back home herself," he laughed.

"Okay. You don't have to ask me for permission to go, you know," you say, playing around with the ends of the grass under your palm. "I've got things covered here."

"How the wheels have spun." You couldn't help but snort at his try at a known catchphrase. "My own daughter is sending me away," he chuckled shaking his head. "At least let me finish my can of soda. I haven't had one of these in years."

He sat with you some more, but he didn't say another word. He either felt the combo of dread and slight disappointment oozing off you or he had nothing else to say. But that silence weighed heavy on you. When he was done with his soda, he got up and walked around the team to pass his goodbyes before coming back behind you to crouch down and press his lips to the crown of your head. Your eyes fell shut relishing in the small token of affection that never failed to reassure you a little. Brushing away your hair, he held your chin to him demanding your full attention.

"If you need anything, and I mean anything, be it mechanic or otherwise, you call me right away. My line's open all weekend, day or night, for you. No worry is too small. Okay?"

"Okay, okay," you laughed, tapping his wrist to let go before you got second hand embarassment. "Go get packed up if you don't want to catch the highway traffic."

"Be safe out there, firebolt."

"You too, dad. See you back home."

His hand swiped up your chin to boop your nose as you whined at the childish gesture. Then he walked off. Watching his back retreat away, you felt like the last ounce of peace for the weekend went away with him. The minute break was over, you were back in the car, running it over the last stages of the day, starting with the rough dirt roads again. The car behaved a little better in the jumps, still landing them like it wanted to fall to pieces at every turn. But there were no more nosedives where the car tipped forwards at full speed to give you a flash of your already shortened lifespan. Whizzing through the leftover doubles, you finished the day with a smile on your face. Sacrificing the break with the team was worth it in the end, gaining you an extra spot higher on the scoreboard. There was still a long way from sixth upwards, but it was better than being below the tenth mark.

The team pulled up service overnight. Some mechanics checked the parts stock for the next two days in the parked trailers. You stayed to help Sentaro replace bits and pieces on the suspensions, making the trade off between the old and the new ones, which has been a long process for the past couple of hours. The night already set in darker and darker around the paddock, lights flickering off in most team pens. In yours, a few bulbs lit up the work table beside the mobile team trailer.

"Can you pass me the shock rod?" asked Sentaro, his voice drifting somewhere in your subconscious. No response came from his right where you stationed yourself, so he called your name again, thinking you didn't hear him. "Raiko?"

Still no hand or shock rod in sight, he turned to see you half-asleep on the chair beside him, hand under your chin keeping you from toppling over. With a sigh, he put down his tools. A small shake to your shoulder had you straighten your back like you were just exercising your eyes closed. Definitely not sleeping on the job. You rubbed your eyes of the sleep sitting on your lids, almost ready to take you away to dreamland even in the uncomfortable position you were sitting in. Glancing up, you saw Sentaro looking down at you, a small smile peeking from under his twirly mustache.

"Go get some sleep. You have a long day tomorrow."

"Are the suspensions done?"

"No, but-"

"Then I'm staying," you said determined, getting up from the chair to look in the mess of scattered tools and parts. "Is it the shock rods you asked for?"

He simply sighed, knowing you were as stubborn as your dad when it came to helping. From then on, you sat by his side watching as he handled the bits and pieces on the suspensions. Sight spinning blurry from the bright light above the work table, trying your best to stay awake. Not long after he placed the suspension down on the table, he took to cleaning up the area a little. The movement had you sober up and reach out for some tools too, putting them back in their designated places.

"Done?"

He nodded, stretching his arms above his head with a yawn. "Yeah. I'll have the boys put them on the car in the morning."

"Amazing," you smiled tiredly, holding up your palm to him for a high-five. "Great work, Sentaro. I couldn't have done this without you."

"You too, kiddo," he smiled, high fiving you back. "You didn't have to, but you stayed with us, working day and night on this thing. Your dad should be proud of you."

I hope so, you sighed, the ghost of a smile on your lips. I really do.

Fuji Highland Masters Day 2 - Saturday

You woke up early to go for a run before the tracks opened and the public flooded the wilderness with their noise pollution. Exploring the wilderness around Fuji is something that's always been on your wish list. Doing it now, during the early April spring days as everything came back to life as the cold winter thawed over was bound to be a magical experience. One you wouldn't miss even for an extra wink of sleep.

Taking off from the hotel, you took a course out of the main town area, behind the chain of hotels running along the open village lanes. The loud noise of the city got drowned out by a small serene touch of wild. The clear air was already more refreshing to breathe in, tinged with a hint of an earthy scent from the damp soil still in the air as it rained the night before.

For a few miles, all you could see was timber two-story houses and smaller cabins, spacing themselves out between small, narrow neighbouring pathways. Until you broke out into a patch of forest completely untouched by the hands of the modern world. Green conifer trees decked in long pinecones, poplars with swirly roots climbing out of the earth, and old oak trees with outgrown branches touching the ground, stood tall on the sides of a rocky trail, shadowing over the outermost layer of the forest. They covered the sky almost entirely, letting small slivers of sunlight float through their crowns to dance on the petals of wild blue and pink hydrangea bushes growing beneath them. Butterflies flew around the rays of light tinted golden, birds chirping different songs and calling out to the rest of the forest, turning the mood almost fairy-like. The temperature dropped gradually at the foot of the woods, small shivers running up and down your spine at the rush of coldness around you.

Soon enough, you exited the woods and your path lit up completely with the warmth of the early morning sun. The warm rays touched your exposed shoulder timidly at first, then ran across your face with more friendly heat, warming you right up. But it's the landscape ahead that really put a smile of adoration on your face. There was only lively green and wildlife wherever your head turned, rushing up and down the steep hills to meet the deep blue sky in the middle. The white peak of Mount Fuji rose up behind the hill in front, its rocky side completely drenched in the misty fog of the blue sky. The snowy top of the mountain appeared as a floating cloud that no wind could ever blow, be it a harsh winter gust icing up its snow trails or a hot summer breeze trying its hardest to melt it.

The sandy wheat fields growing from the edge of the dirt road turned to vivid green tea fields and rows upon rows of colorful flowers the further your eyes roamed, stretching all the way over the slopes riding upwards on the low hills like the open petals of a flower you were in the center of. From freshly budded spiky lavender to wild irises at the side of the road and a multitude of imported tulips, there were countless species of flowers in full bloom all around the place. At the edge of the road. Beneath the fields. Everywhere. Tree lines of cherry and plum blossoms grew on top of every hill, their branches stretching up to the sky, cheerfully announcing the true coming of spring. There was even a Naozumi tying up his shoelaces-

Wait a second. Naozumi? you slowed down, glancing behind to see it was really him, crouching down on the side of the road to tie his shoelaces. What is he doing here, all the way in the middle of nowhere this early?

Though you jogged past him, it didn't take him too long to clock you and run after you, settling in beside you on a slower jog. From your peripheral, you caught a tug of a relaxed smile lounging across his lips.

"Good morning," he uttered, sounding rather pleased to see you.

Wishing to keep your run peaceful, and solo, you narrowed your eyes at him before muttering back a quick, "Good morning."

Hoping he would go his own way and leave you to it was poor hoping from the start. From the moment you replied back to his greeting, he was glued to your hip like a Siamese cat. You ran together like that for a while, side by side on the same medium rhythm. He didn't say a word and neither did you. He simply glanced at you from the corner of his eye from time to time, as did you, and you both left it at that to contain the peace of the scenery more than trying to question the heavy silence hanging between you. Because that silence existed and it was one blocking boulder you'd rather not move.

The slow run part was peaceful. Up until a point where you couldn't focus on the beautiful scenes around you at all, struggling to keep your attention on the road and away from him. If you dropped a glance his way that happened to be even a second too long, you knew that your brain would start making up imaginary scary movies again and you needed none of those at the moment.

I don't see him. He's not here. Nope. I am here to admire nature, not natural jerks.

Nature. Butterflies. Grass.

I should touch some grass.

Nature, you gazed at the open tulip fields with a smile.

Butterflies, you watched as a couple of them flew around the irises on the road sitting on the flower's purple petals.

Grass. No grass on your right, but there was a whole lot of grass on your left where he was- No, no, no. Keep your focus on the nature, Raiko. Come on.

The thing with focus however, was that your attention span was cut short instantly the millisecond muscles were involved in the already scenic picture. Taut, bunchy, hard muscles. Naozumi accelerated a little, drawing in front of you by a few steps, just enough to give you a glimpse of his bare arms and the really tight grey tank top hugging his chest better than one of those wretched compression shirts could. Consider your focus all gone to shit from that moment onwards.

His arms flexed as he ran, extending taut and sinew, with all those soft veins popping up, running from the round bend of his shoulder to wrap around the inside of his bicep. Entire strokes of them rippled down the length of his bulky inner forearms, the cannons, cascading in cyan blue waves all the way down to his wrist and around his tightened fist. But those weren't the muscles calling to you. The muscles that your mouth ran dry after, watching as they contracted and moved side to side with his synced steps, were unfortunately stuck to his broad chest and his strong tall shoulders, rounding and running all the way down to his lower back and hips like hill crests your hands inched to ride over.

Worse yet, that damn top turned to a mere cloth collecting the ripples of sweat drenching his entire torso, front and back side. So you looked. Shamelessly. But when you remembered to blink and looked away you realized the big mistake you made.

Like a firecracker being set aflame, the very thoughts you tried to break away from by going on a run flooded in like a wild typhoon, reminding you of your last encounters with him and how much his cocky, know-it-all, professional playboy behaviour pissed you off. With that alone, your rage counter spiked up high to the point his current presence started to piss you off in real time.

"Can I help you?"

The anger in your step made your voice cut through your heavy breaths with a hint of annoyance you dearly hoped reached him and made him feel how unrequested his company is.

"Hmm, nope," he replied.

As soon as that left his mouth, his existence sucked out all the joy brought by the splashes of color around you entirely. All the energy you absorbed from it was gone in all but a puff of dust with that disinterested nope, just like that.

Enough is enough.

Since he didn't understand the concept of personal space, you had to make him understand. Determined to lose him, you sped up ahead of him thinking he would at least comprehend basic etiquette of a solitary jog and fall aside. The plan was good. You just forgot he had no semblance of manner or apprehension of putting distance between you when he happened to be in that teasing mood of his.

You got two steps away before he sped up too, dashing fast to reach up to you again. Fury bubbling beneath your foot soles, you took another bolt ahead. He followed suit in it with barely a pep in his step. Your mouth fell open on a dry scoff. That sprint alone got on your nerves, activating your competitive side. If he thought you were fast in driving, he surely didn't see you run.

I did track in high school, bitch.

Gearing up your already burning calves with a run on the spot that had him eye you oddly, you sprinted forth faster than you've ever ran trying to lose him. Rocks flew from under your quick steps, your nostrils flaring to control your air intake as you took all the corners you could find off the main road, bolting like the locals were on your tail with burning pitchforks. You ran and ran, the only thought in your head to get as far away from him as possible. Charging rapidly until you left the main paved lane behind completely, not once looking back to see if he followed. At one point you tired out and stopped to take a breath. Your head whipped left and right, unable to hear his steps behind or his heavy breathing beyond yours. A victorious smile broke on your face. You did lose him. You secretly wished some ancient forest entity snatched him up on the way as food or something.

But Naozumi doesn't give up from pestering someone that easily. Not when his target arrow was now pointing at you most of the time like your patience was some damn trophy he had to have in his collection. So, for once, he used his brain for a smart decoy, taking a shortcut through the mini side roads to get back to you.

Passing a small tree line as you resumed your chill jogging rhythm, he suddenly bolted up from the left falling in right beside you, scaring the crap out of you while sporting that irritating smirk of his. You took that as a fucking challenge to your already dying patience.

Gearing up your leftover energy for one more sprint, you pushed yourself to the brink of your powers on the straight road, getting several meters ahead of him again. By this point, you ran way more than your legs could take you, lungs burning the more you pushed them.

Please god, tell me I lost him this time or I'll shove flowers down his throat and make sure they grow roots.

You were so close to freedom. You had it right in the palm of your hand. Just when you came up far in front of him, he overtook you in a bolder sprint, smiling like a maniac. His head turned back to you as he was running, his prepared victory shout just on the tip of his tongue.

"I win-"

Famous last words.

He started celebrating way too early - loser's curse. As soon as that celebration shout came out of his mouth, his foot slipped on the gravel at the side of the road and he barreled down the small slope of earthy eeeds, landing on his back into the opening of a flower field. You ran up to him coming to a halt right on the edge at the top of the slope, looking down to see him nestled among clumps of small blue flowers. He blew out one from his mouth. Some of them were in his hair, others stuck to him like fresh oil paint on a canvas, all smudged on his clothes.

Sitting up with a grunt, he looked as graceful as a kid running his brand new bike through the nearest rough terrain he could find - clumsy and sort of friendly with the world around him. Definitely not as menacing as the guy that wanted to punch a reporter for throwing a fable at him in hopes of humbling him a little just yesterday.

He lifted a hand to you, wordlessly asking for your help to tow him out. You stared at his hand with a raised eyebrow.

Frankly, you debated leaving him there. A little payback for his taunting so early and disturbing your peace on the daily. Such acts shouldn't go unpunished. But karma made sure she had your back when needed, one exhibit of her almighty power already staring at you with a glint of apology in his eyes. An apology he was too proud to utter. But then again, even a small twinge of regret goes a long way with someone like him. Small progress.

Your hand extended down to him as you knelt down to reach him. You might be vengeful but when it came to helping someone that instinct grabbed you way before any shred of hate ever could. And your parents didn't raise a self-righteous animal for a daughter.

Drawing as close to the edge as you could without slipping, you lowered your arm as close to his as you could. He grabbed a hold of your hand, fingers wrapping securely around your smaller palm. Eyes meeting his in the briefest glance, you caught that loop sided smirk of his and by all instincts going in alert you should've seen it coming - the betrayal. Taking notice of his plan way too late, you tugged him up using all the force you had in you only for him to catch your forearm and draw backwards, pulling you down with him this time.

Judging by his breathy 'Oh fuck', he probably didn't expect you to roll down the slope and fall on top of him with a hard thump. The air got knocked out of you for a moment that he took to chuckle like a moron. For a second you wondered what would've happened if he just choked on that damn flower. Once you could breathe normally, as if your lungs didn't nearly spontaneously combust after a deadly race for life and freedom, and a fall that left your joints ache, you lifted your head from his chest and shot him a deadly glare that clamped his amused lips shut tight.

"Why the fuck are you laughing?" you coughed, moving to get up.

Placing your hands on the side, your palms slipped over the wet destroyed flowers, sending you falling right back into his arms, knocking your head in his jaw. You were sure he felt that one more than your head did. He deserved it after all.

Head tucked in the crook of his neck, you took a breath that let his perfume invade your senses. Overwhelming at first, the accidental whiff you took was followed by another one, more attentive, as you noticed a weird change. That citrusy scent of his turned flowery now, replaced by a much softer aroma falling sweeter than the stingy fruit notes you were used to catching as he brushed by you in passing. Was it the Fuji breeze that had this effect on him? Because you pulled back and saw his eyes catch that same softness as he gazed up at you, stuck under your body.

Your eyes fell on him and his pink lips, darting between the two as they fell open and closed again. All you could see were those brown orbs of his turning a bright amber in the bright rays of the sun as they searched your face, stopping their long race at your lips too, not at all subtle about it. Something about those pillowy pink petals outlining his mouth made your heart race. Shifting them back up the defined arched bow above them, over his tall nose, your breath caught on his eyes again. No longer dark and intimidating but warm and inviting. When your eyes dove back down to his lips, you found a smirk already taking shape on them. They smug smirk.

"You're so gullible."

He loves ruining moments, doesn't he?

Not that there was a... moment there.

"I thought you'd leave me here, stranded in the middle of nowhere with no help," he continued, watching your lips fall open lightly at his confession. His tongue peeked out to wet his bottom lip, thing that brought your eyes back to them. "Guess I was wrong."

"I should have left you here," you coughed dryly, moving away from the warmth of his chest to sit down beside him on the grass.

Turning your attention elsewhere, you gasped as you took in your running gear. It was completely ruined. Previous sunny golden with blue hues in the team colours that you chased online for months, were now full of wet grass and stamped blue flowers all over. Parts of your leggings were torn apart where small green thistles embedded in the material. As were your trainers, all brand new now a mess of green and dirt. All of it courtesy of the leprechaun sitting beside you that attracted troubles instead of pots of gold and just felt like ruining another day for you for his own pleasure.

"Last time I help you," you mumbled more to yourself as you pried off the thistles throwing them at him. The prickly buds didn't even stick to him. "I really should've left and minded my own damn business."

"Then you wouldn't have been able to see this."

"See what, my foot in your face-"

Turning around to see where he was looking at, your threat died away on a breath stolen by something else. A view unlike anything you could ever dream of.

You were looking at one of the most beautiful flower fields you've ever seen, spreading endlessly into a sea of all shades of blue. A flower that you knew all too well. All previous rage slipped out of you in a smile of recognition. The clumps closest to you were of a baby blue so bright, round petals almost pale from the blinding sun, while the others stretched into a lighter blue the further you let your eyes roam over the hill filled with them from top to bottom. The small petals reflected the hues of the sky up above as if you were swimming in a sea of all blue. The kind of peace and serenity you'd find in otherworldly dreams.

A mute wow escaped your lips. What you were looking at was pulled out of a painting hung up in a museum by some famous painter you'd never remember the name of. It didn't even feel real if you didn't touch their little petals, feeling the soft velvety surface on the edges, watching as a breeze of the wind rustled them up in a dance. The childish joy and awe this view made you feel was real. You couldn't find that kind of feeling anywhere else even if you chased seas and lands for it. Not as unique.

"You almost ran beside it," he remarked, just as stuck on the mass of flowers.

"This is..."

You were speechless. Not one word came to your mind to describe it and truly capture the essence of what it made you feel. Until Naozumi came up with the perfect one.

"Beautiful," he said, barely above a whisper.

Looking back at him, you wondered if he was talking about the flowers or something else entirely. His gaze ran behind you, so far away, further than the field could stretch and the sky could reach. A place he could not see with his eyes but somewhere he once knew, cradled in the crevices of his mind, recalling a memory lost in time. You didn't take him for a pensive person until now. Whatever got that reaction out of him must have been important to him.

Not wanting to cut him off from the one true moment of peace you got together, you picked up a few flowers and started braiding them into a crown. You braided shoot after shoot, arranging flower after flower, fingers deftly brushing over the petals. Once you were pleased with the length and your work on it, you tied it together, wrapping the green shoots around until it was a sturdy flower crown worthy of a scouts' badge or the head of a wandering princess.

"They look like cherry blossoms," spoke Naozumi, breaking out of his reverie. He had one of the flowers in his hand, propped up on his knee, twirling it each and every way as if he was examining its deeper meaning.

"They're called nemophila. Baby blue eyes," you said, smiling at the bundle of flowers laying in your lap. He looked at you, brows drawn in confusion as to how you knew about them since it wasn't a common name for a flower and you didn't look like much of a flower person.

"My mom and Kate like these. Kate likes wearing blue clothing of this exact shade," you smiled, fixing the crown a little.

"Is that for her?" he nodded at it, eyes tailing over the neat work you made of the small blooms, not one uneven shoot sticking out of it.

"She's stuck in her hotel room doing remote work," you admit, brushing the pad of your finger over another velvety petal. "I thought it would be nice to take these to her and change the bleakness of that beige desk a little."

"Give me your hand," he asked out of the blue, holding his hand out to you.

Suspicious of another semi-permanent marker incident, or worse, you hesitated. But he held his to you wide open, no tricks up his missing sleeves to be seen, waiting for your palm to sit in it like a shell waiting for its pearl to return in the comfort of its home.

Blowing a breath still unsure, you looked between his palm and those soft eyes of his once more and caved in, lowering your hand in his. He held onto the back of your palm, warmth trespassing from his territory into yours in a speedy crackle of electricity. A buzz that sent your heart fluttering. Taking the flower he plucked and studied so deep in thought, he placed it in the small of your palm, his brown eyes looking at you like he looked at the flower mere moments ago. As if your face was the center of your own microcosmic universe, holding together the petals of your very being. As small as she was, that bundle of joy was able to withstand anything the world threw at her. A catastrophic fall thunderstorm. The deadly freeze of the winter. The burning heat of the summer sun. All of it, just for it to bloom in the middle of spring for all but a fleeting moment, greeting the world with immense joy. Just like you for that matter.

In this moment, silently floating on a lost spring breeze, you understood part of why he said you were a curiosity, watching that same playfulness in his eyes turn into wonder as he gazed long at you. A wonder moving beyond any game he could try to play with you, reaching for sheer honesty. A disarming moment where you were just two people bound by nothing but the need to exist, bare to each other's eyes.

Flower safe in your hold, his thumb traced down its shoot one more time pressing doen to the foot of your wrist before it left your palm. He got up dusting his pants of the grass and the flowers that stuck to his body, holding a hand to you. You smacked it away, less violently this time.

"I am well aware of what happens when someone tries to help you up. I don't want a rematch."

He smirked down at you. "Fair enough."

He pulled his hand away but still offered it after climbing back up on the road. Unable to refuse it now since he was your only shot at being towed out in the middle of nowhere, you grabbed onto his hand and let him pull you up, clutching the small flower and the crown to your chest. One powerful tug had your feet land back on the edge of the country lane. Stumbling into him on unsteady feet, your faces were once again so close. You felt that weird spark again as his hand was still holding yours, wrists pressed into each other, passing warmth around. The longer he kept his eyes on you your grip on his arm turned rigid, clamping on it like he was your lifeline. His thumb absentmindedly stroked the side of your forearm, sending your pulse thumping all the way in your throat. You prayed he couldn't feel it. How it intensified with each breath you took. Eyes landing on your joined hands, you pulled yours a little only to feel resistance coming from him. Cautiously lifting the pads of your fingers off his arm, you let go and he finally did too.

After that, you went back to running together in a silent jog until you reached the city again. You split ways between your hotels without anything else but a glance each other's way as you turned a corner. Padding down the hallway to Kate's room to drop her flower crown, your mind kept replaying that flower exchange, twirling the little bloom between your fingers as you questioned her meaning.

What could a flower this small and unknown mean to Naozumi Hiyama? you wondered. The way he gave it to you, laying it in the palm of your hand so openly, had you think he entrusted you with something of huge importance to him. Could it be he's seen the flower before or that it meant something to someone close to him? You couldn't tell. But from the confusion on his face when you told him what its called he seemed to have no previous recollection of the flower. Whatever it was, you were determined to find out. Soon enough.

Stopping by Kate's door to knock, you noticed the door was left ajar. Why would her door be open? Just as the thought passed through your mind you heard noise and things rattling to the floor. Thinking of the worst, you pushed the door open walking in her suite.

"Kate?" you called her name but no answer came except that weird noise. You turned the wall to her desk, catching a glimpse of long hair. "I brought you flowers- WHAT THE FUCK!"

"JESUS CHRIST!"

Right as you rounded the wall to attack the intruder, you found Kate. And Tanaka. Making out like the world was ending and you didn't get the memo. If making out resembled eating someone's face off. She had him pushed into the wall beside the desk, papers and pens scattered all over the carpet. Your eyes flew up from the mess on the floor to catch her blushing furiously, hands slowly falling away from Tanaka's messed hair. You turned around before you could see any more, holding the flower crown to her behind your back.

"It's barely nine in the morning guys," you groaned, waving the crown around for her to just take it already. "You left the door open too."

"Thank you," she laughed awkwardly, taking it from your hold. "They're my favorites! See, why can she bring me flowers but you can't?" she said, a hint of anger in her voice, all directed at Tanaka.

Slipping out of their hair, you made your way to the door while she continued berating him about not showing her enough attention, avoiding getting caught in the crossfire of a lovers quarrel this early.

"I will be in my room until call time," you said, before slipping out the door, shutting it tight like it should've been in the first place.

My eyes, man, you rubbed them in hopes it would delete the image of Kate pushing Tanaka to the wall. Not even brain damage will help me forget this. Not cool, man. Not cool.

Itchy and extremely annoying. That's how your nose felt all day since you came back from your morning run. No matter how much you scratched it to the point your nose turned pink, blowing it to get rid of the liquid pooling out of your nostrils until you exhausted three packs of tissues, it just wouldn't. stop. itching. Driving with the helmet constricting fresh air from going in only made it all worse.

You got through most of the stages of the day just fine, until a sneezing fit took over you before you got in the car a few moments ago. Currently on your second to last run of the day, you struggled to breathe through your congested nose while maneuvering the car through the first corners. Each itch you couldn't scratch had you tighten your hold on the steering wheel, praying to any higher power listening to take this terror away before you made a mistake or worse, crashed the car with you and Tanaka in it.

"3 right into 6, very long," he paced you.

Tight corner in the right going into a wide one on the coming left. I feel like cutting my nose off.

Going into the first corner, you swerved the wheel quickly sending your shoulder towards the window. The movement only made your nose itch much worse. Shifting gears to take the wide corner running down a hill portion, the sudden change in pressure made it unbearable to keep the incoming sneeze in. Refusing to let it out, you squeezed your eyes shut and pinched your nostrils together, pressing your foot on the throttle a bit too hard. The car lurched forward on a sharp inhale, almost wiggling that sneeze out of you forcefully.

"Raiko, slow down."

"I'm going to sneeze."

"Don't sneeze, we're almost done."

Easier said than done. That fucker crawled down the bridge of your nose faster than you could clench your nostrils together to keep it inside. You had only two corners left. But that stupid sneeze wanted to float outside and explore the world so badly by how fast it made your nose run. Your reflex instinct had the nerves in your arm tingling to lift and brush off your nose just once, hoping it could bring you some relief, but the drift portion coming ahead had you glue your hands to the wheel.

"6 right 50, very long."

The drift portion is right up ahead.

Ah fuck.

I can't hold it in anymore.

Your foot searched for the brake quickly, fully knowing you'll lose this stage. Before you knew it, you sneezed loudly in your helmet, accidentally pressing the throttle.

Shit, shit, shit.

Moving your foot at breakneck speed you recovered the brakes but spun out right in the middle of the corner, car facing in the wrong direction, a few inches away from smashing into the high wall of dried earth at your right. The crowd at the top of the hill looked down with shocked gasps as smoke floated from under the tires from the force of the quick spin.

"Raiko? What happened?" asked Tanaka, worried about the maneuver you just pulled out of nowhere.

"I'm fine-" you got cut off by a bigger sneeze that sent your head spinning more than the car spin just did.

"Jesus. Are you okay?"

Opening your mouth to say something, it fell shut as another sneeze shook you, teeth accidentally biting into your lip. Followed by another one. And another one. No matter how hard you tried you couldn't stop the triple rounds of sneezes from coming. Once they calmed down a little, you felt warm liquid dripping down over your lips and into your mouth.

"I think my nose is bleeding."

Marshals called the truck to tow you back to the paddock since you couldn't drive at all. As soon as you were parked, you pulled off your helmet to take some fresh air only to inhale once and start sneezing again. Tanaka took you to the medical tent right away despite your endless pleas that you were fine and it was just a sneezing fit. Even though the rolling nosebleed said otherwise. The nurse on duty consulted you as he waited right beside you, nudging his bearded chin worriedly that something serious happened. After patching your nose up with tissues and giving you something to soothe the itching, the nurse came to the conclusion you had a wild case of hay fever. Explained the sneezing warcry and the hammering headache taking up a seat.

"She's inhaled way too much pollen from somewhere. It's peak allergy season too and we're in Fuji so it was bound to happen," she said, her eyes landing on you with a question. "Did you perhaps explore the field area recently?"

"I did go on a run around them this morning but I was fine until..." Wait a minute.

The field that you and Naozumi fell in was fully bloomed. Your clothes were smeared with the pollen as much as the blue flowery petals. That, and unlike him, you happened to kiss the weeds on the slope on your way down because he pulled you down. You practically did it to yourself but he was to blame way more.

"Until...," the nurse pressed on with a brow lifted, Tanaka's eyes boring into you just as curious beside her.

"I slipped and fell down in a field of flowers. I must've run my nose against the weeds on the side of it too," you sighed, deciding to keep what actually happened to yourself.

Tanaka's shoulders relaxed with your words, visibly happy it wasn't something much more serious. If he found out it was Naozumi who pulled you in, he would break his legs and cause a scandal none of you needed right now. So you zipped it shut for now.

The last stage of the day was cancelled for you. Both the nurse and your team fell in agreement that you deserved to catch up on some rest. As welcomed as it was, resting only made you stress more. Even with the upgrades installed on the car overnight, the most you managed to climb was up into sixth place, which meant having to pull in way more energy in the last three stages tomorrow to get back into Top 5. Rest was much better welcomed tomorrow afternoon after this hell round finished. But participating in the last run today was out of the question. Tanaka made sure of that with a threat to call your father, thing that would ultimately nuke the whole race weekend for you. So you obliged. Putting up a fight first. But still losing it in the end.

The nurse helped you out of your suit, left in your soaked fireproofs and sat you on a bed with a TV view so you wouldn't miss how the rest of the day went for the other teams. She didn't forget to prescribe you some allergy meds, instructing you on when to take them. Once she was gone, leaving you all by yourself in the tent, you let out a long huff to deflate your disappointment. Laying your head and your aching back on the bed let some comfort cushion you. Maybe a little break was in order after two of the longest days in rally you've ever competed in, body running on nearly not enough fuel as you ran back and forth between sleep and the paddock. Although, watching like this from the sidelines gave you a sense of missing out on things. You hoped this was the last of it, if possible for evermore.

Balancing a cold water bottle on your forehead to get rid of the migraine forming behind your eyes, you focused on getting the pain to go away. All your senses shut off for a while. You tried to relax. Filter through your multitude of thoughts. Drown out the noise from the outside world and what lay beneath it. Not really paying any attention to anything but resting. You didn't hear when he came in, but devil incarnate was sat at the door of the medical tent observing you. He was so silent, you could've missed his presence if it wasn't for your eyes landing on him on accident just as he shifted his weight to lean on the tent's frame. You haven't been in medical for long, so how long has he been standing there gazing at you with that look in his eyes?

Through the blurriness of your irritated pink eyes, you saw his brows furrow in what could only be called concern. Or constipation. Though the first option sounded more plausible. Then he opened his mouth and you wished he was actually constipated.

"You spun out from a sneeze?" he started, chuckling mid-sentence until that infuriating sound turned into maniacal laughing at your expense. Because the nice thing to do for someone you dragged into shit with your own two very idiotic hands was to laugh in their face instead of asking about their wellbeing. Very Naozumi of him.

On impulse, you threw a pillow at him. It landed right by his boots missing him just in the slightest. That pillow didn't reach him, so you hoped a much kinder gesture would - flipping him the bird with both hands. If you could manage your toes individually, you'd show him the little ones too. He took in the pillow at his feet and your middle fingers and snorted. Your head lifted off the pillow, eyes shooting very pointy screws at him. He just continued laughing, slapping his chest as he walked away.

Please don't let me see you for the rest of the day, dear Naozumi. Shifting violently in the bed, you landed back on your back with a frustrated huff. I'm feeling very murderous today.

You preoccupied yourself with analyzing your competition. Watching their runs, you noticed most cars had similar set-ups to yours. A few of them ran quite adventurously on high height, thinking their cars were jeeps, only to plunge headfirst into dangerous dives just like a jeep would. Very revolutionary. Several teams passed on the screen, until Naozumi's last turn for the day came up. Looking at the scoreboard, he's been doing pretty well on the course so far, sitting high up in third, trying to catch up to Akira in second. From what you've seen, the car's been giving him trouble in the horror hill sectors, much like yours has. Though he's been driving more recklessly, chasing after that top spot instead of prioritizing the mental of his team like you did.

The overhead helicopter camera zoomed in on him speeding through the straights of a ramped hill, leaving a rising trail of dust behind him. He got past the tight corners, forcing the gear way too hard till the car bit into the road edges. So far so good on the control front. Then he came up to the last crest preparing for a jump that led him right into a wide corner, perfect for a final drift before finishing off. The first time you saw that turn in the course, you looked at it with knees wobbling. Now, you were a little glad that was something you didn't have to put yourself through today. Especially with deathly sneezing fits.

Curious on how dauntless Naozumi would take it, you glued your eyes to the screen. He tapped in the breaks and cued the gas way too fast, flying over the crest. The nose of his car dove forwards, greedily eating up the dirt with the tip of its hood. Ouch. Then instead of taking the corner wide to the right, he cued in the gear for the drift way before the descent into the curb line. He oversteered, tires sliding off the dry tarmac into the deep ditch at the rim of the scooped up road margins. His right side smashed right into the rock wall on the side of the road, scratching the whole side of the body and paint off entirely until it stopped down at the exit of the curb. Everything stood still for a good minute. There was so much smoke coming out from under the car, a huge cloud of dust engulfing it whole especially on his side of the car. The timer on the screen stopped. Then the transmission was cut off to the presenters.

Soon enough, Naozumi was brought into medical too, settled on the bed next to yours. From what you gathered as the nurse tended to him, he came across issues with the gear box and swerved to the right so his co-driver wouldn't be the one to take the hit. The nurse pressed an ice pack against his temple telling him to rest. His eyes fell shut with a pained groan before she left, shutting the tent flaps closed. Sight falling to your left, a quick scan over his still suited body revealed a swollen bump peeking from under the ice pack, turning a light shade of green on the side of his head. He must've hit his head either in the plastic seat latches or the window. However it happened, it looked nasty. It didn't take from his annoying good looks though.

"What?" he grunted out, sensing your eyes on him.

"What happened?" you asked, curious as to what brought him in the tent as a patient this time around. His head turned to you, wincing at the rapid movement.

"I lost control of the car," he said, pressing the ice pack better on the swollen side.

"How? Did your engine fail again or was it the gearbox this time? You had a pretty good run up until that last turn."

"I just...," he starts, pausing with a sigh. "I sneezed."

Karma sure works in nice ways.

"You lost control of the car because of a sneeze?" you said, trying to mimic the amusement in his earlier remark, throwing it right back at him.

"I guess I deserved that," he breaths out, closing his eyes.

"It's all your fault."

His eyes fell back open. "What?"

"This never would've happened if you didn't pull me in that damn flower field with you."

"I'm glad I did," he smirked amused by this whole situation. "Now we can suffer together."

In the blink of an eye, you were out of your bed grabbing a pillow, stopping by his bedside to beat him up with it. You made sure each hit hurt more than the previous since he sabotaged the rest of your racing day, as well as his, but most importantly all your work and progress for a stupid, idiotic, completely unreasonable motive other than being a self-righteous jackass.

"Ow, ow, ow! Why are you hitting me?"

"How about I send you to fucking hell to see how glad you'll be when you suffer like I did-" you yelled, pushing that pillow in his face fighting against his hands that tried to get you to stop.

"Not the face! Ow. I NEED THAT, YOU PSYCHO!" His hand let go of the ice pack letting it fall splat to the floor, rushing to your waist to tickle you in hopes you'd drop your soft weapon.

"Exactly why I should carve it out and drive over it! Stop playing dirty- WHY ARE YOU TICKLING ME, YOU MOTHERFUCKER-"

"Rai? Heard you were in medical. Whoa, what's going on?"

Hand midway to smothering Naozumi with the pillow as his fingers dug into your waist to stop you, you paused, turning around to see Akira standing a few feet away from you, utterly confused as to what in the world was happening. What he was about to see was Naozumi's crime scene if the tissues shoved deep in your nostrils didn't fly out to let more blood flow out with yet another nosebleed.

He nodded to your nose. "Your nose is bleeding."

Throwing your head back, you shoved the pillow Naozumi's way once more then headed back to your pillowless bed. They were all wasted for nothing. Akira gave you some tissues to pluck up your nose as you laid back down, headache thumping harder in your skull. Naozumi leaned over the edge of the bed to fish his ice pack back.

"Are you okay?" Akira asked again. The question was obviously directed at you, but Naozumi took the courtesy to reply instead.

"Amazing, thank you for asking, though some snacks would do wonders," he said, looking at him with that annoying pest smirk of his.

"Don't mind him." You threw him a look to watch it before you tried murdering him again, unless he wanted you to succeed next time. Your attention then turned back to Akira with a soft smile. "He's just being a moron as always."

Naozumi rolled his eyes, focusing on making the bump on his head be less annoying than the upcoming conversation he was about third wheel.

"Anyways," coughed Akira, ignoring Naozumi's existence to put all his attention back on you, the reason he was here in the first place. "I heard you ended up in medical and didn't participate in the last stage for the day, so I thought something bad must've happened."

Awe, he was worried for me, you thought smiling to yourself about how caring he was. The fact that he was still suited up in his fireproofs meant he rushed over to medical as soon as his own run was over. Fidgeting with the zipper on your suit, you wracked your brain for what to say. His soft brown eyes looked at you in worry, waiting for you to tell him what happened. I can't tell him I quit the stage because of a fucking sneeze. What will he think of me then?

"I just spun out in that last corner. I geared in too soon and went into oversteer," you said with a small smile. It wasn't a total lie because that did happen when you changed between the brakes and the throttle quickly, turning the wheel too fast. Oversteering was a pretty common issue in racing to look out for too. Even though spinning out in a corner doesn't normally give you a nosebleed. Not that sneezing should give you one either. But alas.

"She sneezed," drilled in Naozumi, making you pinch your eyes shut to avoid yelling at him.

Not the time or place to be a fucking smartass, Naozumi, but thanks for your unrequested help. I'll ping you my six figure sanity bill for your continuous unsolicited help soon.

"It's okay," said Akira, trying to take some of the tension away. "Stuff like that happens sometimes. I'm just glad you're doing okay and nothing worse happened."

"Are you all done for the day?" you asked, moving the subject away from you before Naozumi spilled more unnecessary information.

"Yeah," he nodded, sitting on the edge of your bed. "I took some damage in that last jump and fell down to third, behind Tohira and Katsumi. Those old dogs are pushing hard to get their championship points back, man."

"Let them push. Their cars are past the expiration date," you joked, pulling a laugh out of him.

"Realest thing I've heard lately," he smiled back, his eyes crinkling in those little soft moon crescents you took a liking to lately. "They made so many changes in their teams, it's almost like they traded mechanics and they still suck. Their cars are still running on missing parts."

"God," you barked a laugh. "Did you see Tohira lose that rod at the start of the first stage yesterday? It was just sitting in the middle of the road with everyone's eyes on it, except Tohira who was already at the start line. The engineers rushed to pick it up before the cameras could get a good angle on it."

"I did. That was a sight for the history books," he chuckled. He smiled at you, one dimple popping out on the side of his cheek, right above that pair of moles on his chin. "You've had a rough day. I'll let you get some rest."

"Thank you," your smile tilted up. "For coming by."

"Anytime," he nodded.

Passing you another smile and a wary look Naozumi's way, he walked out leaving you alone with the devil who despite being sort of incapacitated and fresh out of a crash, still worked his mouth well enough to annoy you some more.

"Are you two dating or something?"

"What?" you narrowed your eyes at him. "No."

He went significantly silent after that question, thing that had you wonder what worked the wheels in his brain so fast in that direction in the first place. Why would he ask me that? you wondered. You literally had just a friendly conversation with Akira. Not like you batted your eyelashes at him with love hearts shooting out of your eyes in his direction. But this reverent quiet was the kind of quiet that filled the air with turbulent hops. He was plotting something again, deep in that corner of his brain where his factory carved jokes and plans of sabotage in the same budding crate, creating something that leaned more in his favor than yours.

"Why are you asking me that?" you voiced your earlier thought, trying to impend on his train of thoughts.

"No reason," he shrugged. "Why didn't you tell him what actually happened?"

"Because I don't want him to think I'm stupid, Naozumi," you replied, stating the obvious.

"You didn't want him to think of you any less, did you?" he asked, at which you found yourself nodding.

Telling Akira you crashed from a sneeze after playing ditzy in the fields would make him look at you like you were less than what he thought of you. Like you didn't take your job seriously and didn't deserve to be a professional driver. Or that was just your catastrophic overthinking driving the doom bus today. But you were better safe than sorry. Even if that meant keeping stuff away from him.

Glancing at you, he caught you zoning out far away, deep in your thoughts. He's seen that look on your face these days more than he's managed to catch you and annoy you, which was a first. You were getting serious about the cup and it made sense to put your attention into it more. But all he could think about was how that look on your face didn't suit you at all. So, he concluded that he should get on your nerves until it fell away and that murderous look was fierce and right back in your eyes.

"Someone has a little crush," he sang, annoying the shit out of you.

"I don't have a crush on him."

"I didn't say you had a crush on him specifically. You said it yourself," he smirked, making you realize you just confirmed it out loud.

"My god," you laughed dryly, blowing a breath out of frustration as your fingers massaged your temples. "Why do you like being a little shit to me so much?"

"Because I enjoy teasing you," he spoke, his voice dropping an octave in the slightest, glamoured in a tint of softness. The same softness you caught around him back on that damned field.

At that, your head fell to your left to catch him on his side looking right back at you. Something about the silence hanging between your shared gaze didn't feel as heavy as before, at the garage or in the field, or in other previous interactions with him where it all started sweet with a joke and ended sour on the foot of argument.

"You know," he started, propping an arm under his head getting more comfortable on his back, eyes falling shut as he talked. "If he really liked you, he wouldn't think you were stupid."

"You think so?" you caught yourself asking, sounding a little too hopeful.

A small smile cracked on his lips, eyes still shut tight. You couldn't anticipate any of his remarks when he played hot and cold like this. But he really drove you up the wall with this one the second it left his mouth.

"I told you that you have a big fat crush on him."

"I'm telling the nurse to sedate you."

He barked another laugh, cracking an eye open to look at you and point at your nose. "You're leaking again."

"Go the fuck to sleep or something," you growled out, stashing more tissues up your nose.

Fuji Highland Masters Day 3 - Sunday

Somewhat rested and ready to take on the last three stages, you suited up and headed over to the paddock early. Thankfully, Fuji was missing one addition to the already super packed schedule - press conferences. A good thing for your nerves, but a bad thing for your patience. The press was instead left to accost your pen whenever they felt like during the day, much like crows flocking after plastic bags in the wind, making movement around much harder. At some point they came by to get one more interview out of you to put on the Sports TV news roll, but Tanaka did not let them through at all.

Between the last engine checks and shooing them away, it was time to prepare to get in the car. You had a look at the rest of the data the mechanics pulled together with the extra free time from yesterday which was a lot. The calculations saved you time in sectors you definitely needed it. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to get you back to top five. If all variables sat in their seats and let you drive.

Focused on scaling the findings, your thoughts were ripped away by loud ruckus at the side of your paddock tent. At first, you thought it was the press looking to get run over. Looking up, you caught sight of a familiar face trying to get past a marshal. Before the conflict escalated, you decided to check it out. The long sleek ponytail, her polite tone and that smile on her face once you saw her - you knew exactly who she was. Her smile only got brighter as she saw you coming in beside the marshal.

"I have a press pass," she insisted, showing the man her pass. "I'm here for Miss Suruki. She would know who I am if you simply asked her agent."

"I'm sorry, miss. But you're not allowed in here right now," said the marshal, pointing at the race clock ticking beside him. "The team will be out on track in less than five minutes."

"Let her through," you told the marshal. He gave you a look but once he saw your racing suit he moved aside with a nod, letting her inside your pen. Her shoulders visibly relaxed as she stepped past the roll line that shut back up behind her. "You're Hina, from Daily Times, right?"

"You remember me?" she asked, her dark eyes shimmering like black diamonds, sparkling back at you just as bright as her disarming smile.

"Of course I do! You were the only reporter not out for my head back at the press conference back in Tokai," you joked, making her chuckle.

"That was my first time at a press conference. I've been assigned to rally quite recently, but I do love a good bunch of racing series... And I am rambling again," she laughed nervously. She pursed her lips shyly and held out her hand for you to shake in proper meeting manner. You couldn't help but indulge in the greeting, shaking her hand back.

"To be honest, that was my first time around these parts as well, so having a female counterpart in that sea of vipers really helped. And it's also really lovely to meet you," you smiled at her, finding her smile just as contagious as the good vibes swimming around her. "Heard you've been looking for me. Is there anything I could help you with?"

"Yes, actually. I kinda got lost in the crowd and saw your tent, so I thought of coming by to say hi!" she spoke, her ponytail swinging with the movement.

Seeing such a friendly face this early pumped you up with the kind of positive energy you missed having around. That alone prompted you to do something to conserve it for what you hoped would be long-term.

"Give me a second," you rushed out before running back to the mobile trailer. Throwing your duffel bag open you fumbled for your phone, rushing back to her with the keypad open. "Would you like to exchange phone numbers?" you asked breathlessly.

"I would love to!" she nodded, her eyes crinkling to little moon crescents. She typed out her number into the phone, handing it back to you with her name attached. Just then, Tanaka came by to pat your shoulder in sign that your turn on track was coming, meaning you had to leave Hina all alone. Although, she didn't have to be. Calling Kate over, you introduced the two and they hit it off on the spot, already chatting your ears off about their shared fashion preferences.

"I have to go now, but give me a call when you're in Tokyo so we can go out for a coffee or something."

"Noted," she nodded, lifting her fists to her chest. "Good luck out there. Will be rooting for you!"

Gearing up with your gloves and the helmet, you stepped into the car and turned the engine on with a smile on your face. Things were looking up today. You could feel that optimism coursing through you like a high.

Is it because it's Sunday that I'm getting such a good vibe today?

By noon, you were past the first two stages with flying colors. Despite the chaos of yesterday, DNF-ing a stage and not starting the last one, dropping all the way down to mid-grid in tenth place, you pushed hard and managed to pull really good timings in these two, pulling yourself up all the way back in sixth. The car is finally responding to the upgrades after Sentaro mounted the suspensions using the idea you suggested. The previous day on the course oiled the new parts in too. There was still an increased risk of breaking the old pack since they were supporting the front side and the impacts became much rougher on the off-road terrain, but you prayed they lasted until the last stage was over. Then Sentaro could set them on fire if he wished to while you clapped on the side.

The last stage of the day was a serpentine road going through a caved tunnel beneath a tall hill, followed by raw turns as the road slithered down into the paddock at the bottom of a valley, testing the endurance of the car in tight corners and your reaction time in short corners. This asphalt felt way better under the car, smooth and levelled enough to hasten the grip of the tires. Driving inside the darkened tunnel, the daylight behind you dimmed, consumed by the pitch black. Every few hundreds of meters, incandescent orange bulbs most certainly left from prehistoric times lit the way. The reduced visibility had you slow down the pace, eyes glancing often to your right to keep to the metal barrier running the length of the tunnel. You weren't sure what hazards lay below the darkness but you'd rather be careful, than careless. The low rear of the car scraped the old tarmac, sparking up behind the wheels wherever the road lifted and bumped up. Well past the halfway mark, the bulbs were completely dead. Fun times. As enveloped in warm, protective material as your nape was, icy chills ran up and down the back of your neck. Knowing the dark history of the place, especially the one of the spooky forest nearby apparently crawling with spirits of deceased people who've had worse ends, only added to your growing anxiety. You shared a terrifying look with Tanaka, the man just as spooked as you at the chilly shift in atmosphere. Then all at once, the tunnel lit up with spiky rays of burning sunlight. Soon enough you exited the tunnel in a heavy, tight turn to the left, leaving the poor spirits behind to terrorize the rest of the drivers.

"3 left into 3 right."

Medium turns. Beyond the long pine tree line sheltering the road, sunlight barely filtered through. Shadows and the mist of the deep forest brought those chills back as you swerved over the small patch of tarmac still intact. You amped the speed, lifting back the higher gear to catch up on time lost in the freaky horror tunnel. Ignoring the faded Twilight vibes of the place giving you the peculiar eebie jeebies.

"50 to 4 right into 2 right."

Slightly wide corner running into a tight turn. You badly wanted to drift this one but the car would fall apart from the force of the steering and swerve, hitting a poplar tree. Taking the loose curb without tricks, the tires skidded off the final bits of paved road surface onto a bouncy rocky trail, shaking the car with trembling power. The following rough turn shook the steering wheel under your gloved hands, fingers gripping hard on the leather casing to keep from falling off. Road aligning down the curbs, you started your descent into the valley. The woods gave way to more and more light, save for some grey clouds gathering above. Flickers of the valleys thousands of meters below hid behind the tree line, scattering away to bushes and country fields surrounded by wooden fences as you rushed past them. Glancing to your right made your heart hammer. A huge drop below the interrupted road guardline. One wrong maneuver and your car would swerve right into it, rolling down slopes and fields of wheat until it capsized with you and Tanaka inside it. Eyes back on the road, you willed yourself. Focus on the road.

"50 to 2 right and 2 left. Caution on the jump."

Another tight swerve to the right, followed by a slight jump. The road spiked then ran into a bit of a straight portion before it was nothing but a bumpy pile of rocks and potholes. Your seat wobbled with the unstable tremble of the car. That's not a good sign. Pressing your behind hard on the seat to keep it in place, you struggled changing the gears with the sharp turn, followed by another one much shorter than your lifespan. It forced your steering left and right, muscles in your arm quaking under the heavy pressure and constant vibration. Driving out of the serpentines, you climbed the high dent lifting in the road with winding speed. The car went airborne as you took off in the jump with the memory of that drop imprinted in your mind. The wobbling seat sprung up with you. Fear running haywire, you dove into it with all your force, hearing a haunting click as if it fell right back into place. Like it wasn't secured in when you left the pen. Weird. Landing briskly back on the ground, you released a breath of relief. The tires crunched on the rocky surface, bows springing the car up and down until they balanced themselves on all four wheels again. The timber woods came back to shield your eyes from the depth of the bottomless country void, letting you focus on driving. Just driving.

"Last turn. 6 left 100. Flat out."

Fifty meters left to the last corner - a wide drift portion. Let's go baby. Come to mama.

Taking the last snakes in the road, you followed the faded inner line of the lane until you hit award winning tarmac again. Reaching the last wide corner shaped like a ginormous C, protected by nothing but hard decapitated tree barks and dents on the side, you got ready. Entering the curb, your foot tapped the pedal to make the last switch between the gears, cueing in the breaks. You let all control go to the gods of drift. The car skated on the rocky asphalt smooth like it was ice, barely any bumps rocking beneath the car to throw you off the road. Smoke rose in your mirrors. A few sputters came through the gearbox too. Upon exiting the curb, you straightened the wheel to slide in right beneath the last race banner. The crowd went wild. Cheers and whistles were louder than the revvs of your engine as you completed your final run for the rally weekend. It was done. One by one the horrors ended. The weekend was all history now.

"Oh lord above, it's finally over," you mumbled finally parked, head falling on the wheel with a long ragged breath that you held in all weekend. You glanced up at the tall mound you just drove down on and you felt all those chills finally leave you in a breath of utter relief. Both for not crashing and for ending one of the most tormenting weekends of your life so far. High up there with your first ever karting run.

Once your foot stepped outside the car, you were welcomed like a warrior that saved her country from ruin. Tanaka patted your back as the team applauded your performance loud and proud. Though you didn't even know where you finished on the grid, it felt like a win that it was all finally over for both you and the team. Speech more or less prepared, you were stopped before you even got to say anything, all eyes pointed at the scoreboard. All your total times placed you in third place for Fuji so far, which could be a potential podium if no one else had a faster run than you. Knee bouncing up and down in crippling anxiety, you sat and waited until all drivers had their last run, watching the scoreboard like a hawk for any updates on the timings. You knew how much you and the team gave it this weekend. Way over three thousand percent. They deserved that podium fair and square.

After Top Rank's driver came back, the last human to race the course, an eerie silence took over the whole paddock. The crowd settled. No one blew a breath. Not one beer cup crunched. All eyes were on the screen waiting to see who won this round.

In all but a sigh, the scoreboard turned blank before names started appearing one by one. Heart thumping hard to explode in your chest, you looked for the Suruki name breathless.

1st place - Akira Shinkai - Sigma Racing

2nd place - Naozumi Hiyama - Spica Racing Factory

3rd place - Katsumi Ishibashi - Top Rank

4th place - Raiko Suruki - Suruki Racing

Almost podium, you breathed out. Almost.

The team gathered together for a big circle, each arm supporting another fellow teammate. Even Kate was pulled in the line, tucked into Tanaka's side as she held onto his waist with a soft smile. Your favorite uncles shoved you in the middle between them for the honorary speech. You cleared your throat loud on purpose making them all laugh before you even started.

"I know it's been a wild weekend. Probably our wildest yet," you chuckled. "But it's all done now. You worked your hardest, giving your all to this fabulous car and this hard-working team, without leaving any of us stranded into the nothingness of rage and despair."

"Sometimes, hard work doesn't always take you where you need to be. Or where you want it to. But it's a step forward towards something greater that awaits us somewhere in the future. Somewhere I plan on driving to at full speed with all of you by my side." You let your eyes sweep over each pair of eyes in the circle, including Hina on the outer line. There was an important pair missing, but you knew he was here in spirit. "I couldn't have done this without you all. Small or big, your help saved someone from a therapy visit," you chuckled, some following in tow. "Don't sell yourselves short on your magical abilities to heal other things, beyond patching the car up."

"Lastly, I have something you'd be far more excited for than my speech. A little birdie told me there's talks of a teambuilding trip to Okinawa," you grinned, at which amused smirks and shocked gasps alike broke onto everyone's faces. "I'll put in a word to the big guy that he better make it a five-star beach resort with an all-inclusive."

"Raiko! Raiko! Raiko!" they started chanting your name again, making you blush furiously.

"I say we chant something else," you proposed, extending a hand forward. "How about... Suruki Racing never ends. Suruki Racing always race."

"Suruki Racing never ends! Suruki Racing always race!" They all chanted, several voices a little off timing dashed over with laughter. But the spirit was there within every soul around that circle, burning strong for this amazing family you've all found a home in. A flame that you'd make sure never died out and continued living on.

After your joy-packed team moment, you got ready to finally leave this place. The hotel bed was calling to you more than your unpacked luggage and you wanted to make true by some real rest. Getting your stuff, you passed by the digital placements that were still showing on the screens around the paddock, feet stopping by one of them. Glancing up by chance, your eyes fell somewhere else on the scoreboard and you chuckled to yourself. Naozumi spent all weekend chasing after Akira like crazy only to get second place after that crash and the constant issues with his car. Second was still better than lower fourth. He was still on the podium enjoying the loud cheers of the excited crowds and the load of champagne. But you knew how bad he ran after winning it all. The hit that silver trophy must have brought to his already declining pride must feel pretty sour to quench with celebratory champagne.

Still, you watched as he climbed on that podium with his unwavering million dollar smile, charming the ladies at the front as he sprayed them with sparkling champagne. Then he placed his lips to the rim of that bottle, taking a gulp that left him dry by the looks of it, pursing his lips bitterly as he glanced at the trophy sat on the floor. Getting so close to the podium left you feeling that mad thirst for winning too. Not necessarily for first place. But to finally sit on there to bring the team back the honor it deserved for all the years of hard work. You swore you'd get them there no matter how long it took. And it was a promise you intended to keep. No matter what the road threw at you on the way.

Kate rushed over, breaking you out of your thoughts. Her arms engulfed you in her flowery scent and a sweet, bone-crushing hug, before she pushed something pink and fluffy into your arms. Cotton candy. A little childish for an encouragement gift, you thought. She must've read the look on your face, questioning her intentions.

"Champagne is for podium," she starts, instantly making your eyes roll. "And they are out of alcohol so that is the best I could do. You were almost there and it's just your second weekend here! Be proud of it," she spoke with excitement for your small but big achievements, patting your shoulder softly.

"I am," you said, munching on the top part of the cotton candy. It surely tasted sweeter than the disappointment wedged deep inside the core of your soul. Not sure when you'd get that out. "I just think I could've done better. Eh, there's a next time."

"For sure," she nodded with a sympathetic smile.

"What time are we driving back?"

"We're not," she smirked, acting like there was something she knew and you didn't. "Not until tomorrow afternoon."

You cocked a brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"We're staying in Fuji one more day!" she said excitedly. "Well, for work purposes since you're programmed to execute your penalty for that illegal street race."

Out of all times, they decided to throw me off the cliff now, when I came so close to tasting real victory. I hate corporations.

"What does this penalty presume?" you sighed, wondering what they'll have you do to pay the price for unruly behaviour. From what you knew of penalties, they were usually cash or race ban related, so you prayed it was none of those.

"A photoshoot for the Seiko Rally Cup."

"A photoshoot?" you asked, blinking at her empty. "Are they serious? I would've happily done one right away! Why did it take them this long to schedule it?"

"They thought that Fuji was a good place for it so they booked it just before the rally round started."

"If we're not leaving, then where are we shooting?"

"One of their private studios and I know you'll be excited for this one. Fuji Speedway!" she says with a grin.

Your jaw fell open.

Okay, maybe we like corporations.

"The Fuji Speedway that used to host Formula One races for decades?! The circuit at the foot of Mount Fuji, where the asphalt is so smooth that it's like a heavenly myth to get to drive on it, that same Fuji Speedway?" She nodded, her lips quirking up into a cheeky smile. "You're lying."

"I'm not," she laughed at the disbelief on your face. "They want us there at 9 am sharp tomorrow since you'll be doing individual photoshoots, then group ones, and a separate one for a well-known media outlet to promote the cup."

"Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean individual and group shoots?"

"In case you forgot, I'd like to remind you that Naozumi was part of that whole press charade."

Of course he was, you groaned internally. Trust in the universe to avoid giving you a day free of any mention or sighting of the one and only devil assigned to fuck with your head. Either he had a magnet attached to you when you weren't looking so he could follow you everywhere or he just liked to manifest ways to ruin your day in more way than one before sleeping.

"You, Naozumi and Akira will be representing not just the cup, but also the Japanese branch of the WRC in their under 25 campaign to get more people to join the rally world." That made it sound like a pity campaign. "Don't make that face. It's a pretty good opportunity to get the word out about you and the team's comeback with the media involved, as well as bringing more audiences to the cup races since we're close to mid-season. It's a win-win situation."

"Sounds good," you nodded. It didn't sound so bad, though there was one thing that threw you off. "Why is Akira getting dragged into this mess too? He's like the poster boy for exemplary behaviour."

"Well, exactly that. And they thought it would be nice to show the younger generation and the fresh talent in one big exclusive," she adds, driving the point home into your tired brain. "Since it's all about promotion and advertising nowadays, they want to really put their drivers in the spotlight. To do that, there will also be an interview segment with all three of you as well."

Great. This truly reinforces how much I hate Mondays.

"Thanks for letting me know so soon," you smiled bright at her in fake manner. From what you could tell, she's been working on this thing the whole weekend, failing to mention anything about it to you. Not even a word. "Did they swore you to secrecy or something? Why didn't you tell me, I don't know, tomorrow morning like five minutes before nine o'clock?"

"They told me not to say anything until after the round was completely over," she spoke, her smile tipping downwards in regret. "I'm sorry."

"You should be," you said, zeroing in on her with hawk eyes. "But you got me cotton candy so your sins are automatically washed away." That made her sweet smile come back. You couldn't handle her being upset at you.

Fixing your bag on your shoulder, the cotton candy stick and the last wrapped up burger you found at a nearby food van that was still open, you moved to leave for your hotel since apparently, you were stuck in town for another day. You were in dire need of a bubbling, soaking bath and a real fat ten hour sleep to be able to face tomorrow. On the foot to leave, Kate called after you once more.

"Don't you want to explore Fuji some more since we're free for the rest of the day? See the mountain or the flower fields?"

Those flower fields costed me podium.

"I think I did enough of that to last me a lifetime," you spoke with a forced smile, feeling the anger at the troublesome leprechaun that fucked your weekend from behind coming back stronger. "If you need me, you'll be able to find me sleeping like the dead in my hotel room until 8 am tomorrow. But I hope you and Tanaka have a ton of fun," you smirked.

"I'm going alone!" she shouted alarmed from behind you.

"Sure you are," you mumbled. "That's what they all say."

You took the fattest sleep known to mankind. After soaking yourself for several hours to get rid of all the grassy, muddy, disgusting smells attached to your body, you collapsed into bed and fell asleep like someone smacked a pancake pan to the back of your head. You woke up in the same position you slept in, feeling like your whole body was a steel carcass that had rust in every corner. But at least you slept all the way until Kate came by to wake you to get ready, pulling on every ounce of silence you had available until she pried your duvet away.

Arriving at the circuit, you barely set a foot out of the car before you were whisked away by a stylist crew that would become your best friends for the day. They sat you down on a chair and worked on your hair. Untangling the beast of messy bed hair you couldn't tame yourself. Working a little natural make-up on your face to get you looking more alive. To look good and feel alive this early, they were asking for quite a lot of you already. Once they were done, they got you in a pair of denim utility trousers running longer than the heel of your boots, dark in street style manner, and a plain white t-shirt. They explained that they kept the fit simple since the first shoot would be on the circuit grounds with your car. Before they took you over there, Kate all but burst through the door, shoving through the busy bodies in the small room.

"One little addition," she spoke out of breath, bringing over something wrapped in a plastic cover. She placed it in your hands, lips pursed in a small cheeky smile. "Go on, open it."

Wondering what it could possibly be, you took the hanger off and unwrapped the huge plastic foil cover to reveal a leather jacket. Tilting your head in confusion at it, you noticed familiar color hues branded beneath the folded sleeves and you rushed to unwrap it faster. Sandy golden ran over one half of the sleeves while a darker blue wrapped around the other one and the rest of the jacket. Upon reaching the front you realized it wasn't just any leather jacket. A big font spreading from left to right spelled Suruki in all plaque golden, a smaller handwritten Racing sewn below in darker blue. The shoulder pad on the left had a big 5 - your car's number - all in glinty silver. Turning it around to the back, your eyes followed even more smaller silver lines speared by golden strikes of lightning down to the bottom of the jacket, finding your name stitched in handwritten letters on top of the leather. This was your very own team leather jacket. Crafted with only you in mind.

Mouth open in shock at the sudden gift, your wide eyes reached Kate's grin at your reaction. "It's mine? It's really mine? I can keep it?!"

She chuckled with a nod, "All yours."

"We need to get these for everyone in the team," you added. Your fingers traced over the front lettering again, unable to process you were actually holding this treasure. It looked so modern yet so vintage. Right up your alley.

"We will, but now we have to go," she said, helping you wear the jacket. Her hand smoothed down the sleeves, fixing the clipped off biker-style collar before she really took a good look at you. "Looking like a real racing driver now." Your lips thinned in a small, shy smile.

"Okay, so," she started, leading you down the corridor to reach the pit entrance. "The boys are shooting a few duo photos now but should be done soon, so you can take your turn and the photographer can take some with the three of you. After that, it's time for the interview followed by the shoot for it and some promo images. And then we're finally done."

"Not a lot to do at all."

Walking out of the building and onto the circuit grounds, you saw the crew already at work behind the wired fence. The Sigma and Spica cars were parked next to each other diagonally, each nose facing the other menacingly. Much like the boys themselves. The photographer seemed to have taken on the rivalry narrative with them. The two silent enemies stood face to face, holding their helmets in one hand with steel grips. You could feel the tension all the way behind the fence, heavier than a truck. Both pairs of eyes were laced with unspoken threats and taunts, boring into one another's soul. Akira's smug smirk had Naozumi's fists balled with knuckles white. It's barely ten in the morning and someone already got them to look like they're plotting to kill each other. At least it wasn't me.

Following that close mental duel, he had them part ways with jaws and fists twitching, directing them to the hoods of their cars. You couldn't tell if the man felt it, but the air reeked of heavy undisputed conflict that simmered close to boiling and exploding. Who knew what would've happened if he didn't blow the distance whistle. Revising the lighting, he instructed them to pose to the camera the way they each wanted, to act as natural as they can be. And they surely complied.

Akira took it away almost instinctively. The shades holding his hair on the usual were missing, brown hair parted down the sides to frame his face as he pointed his chin up like a true professional model. The sun tinted his eyes in glowing embers as he looked at the camera with a gaze that reached deep into your soul, stringing parts you didn't even feel the existence of before. His body moved like he danced a graceful ballet of sorts, so delicate in technique but strikingly beautiful in form that you couldn't take your eyes off him, always anticipating what his next move would be. Words of praise fell one after the other from the photographer's mouth and the crew, prompting him to show and give way more for his private crowd.

Moving to his other muse, the man had to lower his camera for a good moment to take in the near divine appearance that sat on the hood of Spica Racing's car. Gasps echoed behind you, dragging your attention away from dazingly admiring Akira. When your eyes landed on Naozumi, your breath hitched. The cameras loved him for all but one reason - his roughness. Sitting on the car with one leg pressed to the hood's edge, his other ankle flat on top of his knee and his helmet in his lap as he faced his nemesis, he looked otherworldly. The sun lowered its glinting light on his rugged, solid appearance. A rush of wind rustled the styled spikes in his black hair, picking up speed with the rapid thump in your chest. His strong posture and his worn racing jacket draped him in the bad boy flair. So raw on the edges, just like a diamond in the rough. A hidden treasure that showed itself only to the true believer. Tracing the side of his face falling in a jaw tilt that could cut, running over the steep curve going down his thick neck, you swallowed on dry. This is a man who breaths racing and sex appeal of the explicit kind. Above his looks, that natural air of stardom hung around his shoulders like a cape of unwavering strength, shimmering golden on the face of a winner. Something he's always been fated to be.

Shortly after the boys were done, they parked your car between the two older teams, taking a few of your side profiles before directing you to the hood too. Akira and Naozumi went back to their wordless feud until you broke it. Walking through their line of sight like a wake up call, you stole their attention away from their telepathic tug of war. Those two pairs of eyes unglued from each other to follow you until you sat on the hood of your car. As you passed them up close, you had to look away to not faceplant on the ground from the intensity of their gazing. You had to ignore them, against your deepest wishes, if you wanted to get anything done for yourself. So you sat on the hood, leaning back on one hand, helmet supported by your other on your lifted knee propped against the car, shaking your hair behind to get picked up by the breeze. One look down at the ground had your eyes rise to fall right on the photographer with an intensity that made him drop his camera out if his hand. Thankful for the strap holding it around his neck, he picked the dangling tool back up and got to photographing you like he couldn't get enough. You gave him a relaxed smile, proud and confident in your powers to charm and conquer not just driving but people themselves. The crew whispered about you. You felt the males at your side trail their eyes over you too, one pair burning marks deeper than the other.

"I've never thought I'd find three muses all in one place," squealed the photographer, completely astonished by the power the three of you held together. He took several pictures of just that setting, without any further instructions added since he figured that you all did your own thing better than any of his pointers could direct you.

Not long after, two officials from the cup walked out onto the dark tarmac carrying this year's trophy. Strong beams of morning light rays dressed its gold encasing in blazing shimmering glory. Its empty, soon to be engraved nametag that will carry the honor of a driver and their team glowed the brightest. The gloved hands lowered it carefully onto a tall platform block in front of your cars before they stepped away. The photographer suggested the idea - a photo with all three of you holding onto the cup, the cars and the circuit behind - saying it would make one hell of a photo. Just imagining holding that trophy stopped your brain from functioning. But to imagine a photo of that moment existing would be nothing short of surreal.

Akira walked to it first, placing his hand right below the golden bowl, greedy for the opportunity to hold it. You stepped to it next, carefully wrapping your fingers around the middle part, seeking balance of such great power. Naozumi stalked over to it last, letting his hand slip beneath yours to hold onto the bottom, looking for grounding victory. You all gazed down into that symbol of mastery and success with all but one shared emotion swimming in your eyes - want. The thing you were all racing for, giving your body and soul, long days and endless nights. What you gave all your passion, hard work and ceaseless sacrifices for. Giving it your life. All of it for a golden moment of triumph you held in the palm of your hands for a fleeting minute. By gods if it didn't make you feel worthy enough to lift it. Worthy to rule the road as a true champion.

You've been eyeing the long straight going down into the inner track ever since you walked inside the circuit grounds, badly wishing a lap around it was included in the photoshoot. But to your growing disappointment, it wasn't. Done with the shoots outside, they called you in to prepare for the interview as soon as possible. But you still decided to go up to Tanaka and ask. Maybe, just maybe, they'd be kind enough to let you for one ride around. Some of the mechanics were present too, so it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to get the car ready. You walked up to your dear co-driver, hoping he could make some magic happen and earn back some uncle points.

"Don?" You called his nickname as you approached on tip toes, batting your eyelashes at him. He turned to you with a deep chuckle at the sweet tone that was not a normal custom for you, already catching the scent of the sugary bribery of a favor.

"What does your highness request of me?"

"What do I have to do to get a lap around the circuit with my baby?"

"I'm not sure, but I can go ask the officials and circuit keepers. Though we're quite short on time, they might let you. Sit tight and I'll be right back."

You sat by the pit, leaning on the engineer station, tapping your feet to each other to pass the time. Within a hot minute, he was back with a sad look on his face. All the hope brimming in you dissipated.

"I take it they said no?" you asked disappointingly, looking down at the perfectly carved asphalt lane you'd probably never get to drive on.

"On the contrary," he spoke, a wide grin taking over his fake sadness. At the change in tone, your eyes lifted to his with some hope surging back in your chest. "They not only allow it. They want to shoot it on camera!"

"THEY WANT TO WHAT?"

"Go get suited up, kiddo," he patted your shoulder. "Sentaro will run a few checks on the car and the guys will change the tires, then you're good to go for a warm-up lap."

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," you leaned up on your tip toes and kissed his cheek before running for the changing rooms at breakneck speed. He definitely won back those uncle points.

Gearing up as fast as you could, you ran back out to the open pit garage where a few of your team mechanics hooked up the screws on the tires. Getting in, you strapped on the belt waiting for them to be done. Heart pumping in your chest like hit by a rush of adrenaline, you tapped your fingers to the wheel impatiently until Sentaro came by your window for one last check before you drove out.

"Okay so, we changed the tires to softs and pulled out the tough rims for more mobility. Off the record, I stripped off the anti-lock brakes and disabled traction control," he winked. "Try not to break the new suspensions completely or your dad will kill us both before we even make it back to Tokyo," he added with a chuckle, tapping the hood in sign that you were ready to go.

You gasped, realizing that meant you had complete freedom on track to do whatever you wanted. Drift it. Spin it. Floor it. Complete control. Driving out of the garage, you aligned the car to the pitlane exit. Since you were co-driver-less, it was your duty to communicate with the team during the drive. You cleared your throat, checking in through the loaned comms.

"This is car number 5 at the pitlane exit waiting for release. Do you copy?"

"Copy copy," replied Sentaro. "Free for release."

"Put on something for the road."

"Coming right up."

The moment the first beats of the song played, you drove out of the pit and onto the smooth tarmac. You did a quick lap to get a look at the track outline from behind the wheel and to get the car ready for the real deal - the timed speed lap. Letting them snap some quick pictures before you smoked them like a patty on the grill. Coming out of the last corner for the long straight in front of the pit, you pulled the breaks just enough to let you gear in the throttle, smoothly whizzing past the garage like a rocket.

Time to really test this beast.

Taking the first wide corner on high speed, you forgot all about breaking and let the engine roar to life like it never did before, speedometer already rising past 120. On the second turn you could really feel the change in power. Tremors vibrated through the steering wheel way better than on a rally course since this was smooth, bumpless asphalt. The real ride began. Entering the third corner into a difficult curb bending to the left, you reined in light breaking to slow down. From your previous formation lap, you knew you'd be able to amp back the speed as you went into the next portion - the 100R - a one hundred meter corner taken at full speed with a long, fast turn leading you right into a sharp left turn for the hairpin - your drifting spot.

Naozumi just walked out of the restroom on the first floor of the paddock building. He saw everyone huddled up, watching something on the circuit with mouths open. The crowd included a really dazed Akira that plied himself to the window as if it would help him see better if his breath fogged up the glass. Getting closer to check out what caused that delirious reaction and the wave of shushed murmurs about some car running wild, he glanced ahead lifting a brow in confusion. Indeed, there was a car on the circuit, just running out of the first sector with the speed of a madman. Taking a closer look at the colors of the car, he recognized the sandy golden and the dark blue hues in an instant, eyebrows hitting his hairline.

Down in the car, you drove into the right-handed 100R corner. Slowing down on your quick ascent you hit the throttle in its apex, sliding the wheel swiftly to the right before turning in the opposite side. Angling the car sideways you drifted into the first turn. Smoke billowed from underneath the car as white as a cloud on the sky. Some of it slipped inside through the gearbox as your favorite tune filled your ears - the loud screech of the tires burning off their rubber. This was a dance you waited for so long. Your hands moved in sync on the wheel and the brakes, letting the back of the car swing wide and savage with the wave of smoke rising behind you like a fierce untamed dragon let loose from its cage.

"Is that Suruki?" asked Naozumi bewildered.

"Yep," replied Akira, clearly just as shocked.

Keeping to the racing line almost effortlessly, you let the car lose all its traction in that left corner before pulling the breaks and changing course in the opposite direction, recovering the swinging rear back in control to take the descent into the hairpin turn. The wheel slid beneath your gloves smoothly as you shifted gears, drifting more with the front of the car, scorching the whole track behind as your tires slithered over the asphalt. Thunderous like a storm, the rumble of the engine rose above the noise from the tires burning marks over ground, heard all the way up there on the first floor. You exited the slow, tight bend of the track, tapping the throttle back in to complete the sharp U-shaped turn. Energy coursed through your veins wilder than ever. You were driving with so much excitement, heart pounding wild in your chest with euphoria. As if the long rally weekend you just went through wasn't enough for you and you wanted way more adrenaline. You craved more speed. More danger. Faster thrill.

"She's crazy," laughed Naozumi, shaking his head at the pure madness he was seeing. His eyes followed your car as fast as he could, unable to fathom how that flying tin can could go so fast.

"Crazy good," piped in Akira, completely absorbed by your performance.

Climbing up another turn, you saw the wider 300R corner bending off in the distance. You needed way more speed in this one so you pressed the clutch twice to rev it up one gear higher, putting pressure on the acceleration to the fullest until you took the whole turn and let the rear wild and free once more in another insane drift right in time with the building chorus of the song. This is what you wanted to yell to the world. That music and driving created an otherworldly synergy that nothing else could. A high on life of impossible sorts.

Driving into the uphill part of the circuit, you slowed down to enter a brutal chicane to the right. Quickly veering left before turning right again, you navigated the tight snaked portion in all but a gasping breath of inner focus. Eyes on the red and white track line. Hands tightening on the shifter stick with mighty strength on each curb. Foot pushing the gas pedal to the floor hard. As soon as you exited the climbing hill, a straining left turn pushed you to slow back down into a steadier rhythm, trying to keep up the speed in the run up to your final corner. The one that needed all the speed you could get in a real race. Even if this wasn't a real race, you intended to do right by the experience and that that corner at lightning speed.

Come on, honey, your left hand gripped the brake lever. Let's show them what we're worth.

Going into the last corner, you pulled in the reins for a hard drift, smoking the rubber off your tires to the maximum, getting ready for the epic grand finale. Pedal. High gear. Let it loose. Tapping the clutch twice back into the highest gear the car could take, you pushed the gas pedal to the floor watching the speed increase on the dashboard beyond any testing round you've ever done with the car. She shook upon the command, generating breakneck speed under the hood as she came alive, shoving you into the seat.

Almost everyone upstairs rushed downstairs into the pit garage for your big finish. Sentaro and the engineers monitoring the computer on the car gasped in shock at the results coming out of it. All the testers from your inboard computer, from engine power to how the brakes behaved, all of them rising to the highest performance levels they've ever seen them reach.

Glancing down at the speedometer, you yourself were shocked at the limits you were driving through. The car shook wildly, rattling your seat and your hold on the gear levers. Your heart hammered inside your chest at how fast you were going, the numbers on the dashboard rising until they synced their counter to your wild galloping heartbeat.

190 kmph. 194. 197. 198.

The arrow on the meter kept going until it almost reached the two hundred mark. It wasn't quite there yet, but you kept going on the throttle, pressing hard for that last digit to come through. That one number could change everything the team knew about the car and its performance.

Come on, just one more. I believe in you. Please believe in me too.

The speedometer moved down a few digits making you gasp. You couldn't believe your eyes. The car surrendered to you, moving up well past the 200 kmph mark, as if it heard your small prayer for greatness. This was fucking unbelievable. You only pulled out 172 in testing, and that too was on a rough polygon terrain just outside town, in the middle of nowhere. But this is on a proper racing field. It didn't matter that the meter arrow stopped climbing higher than a few numbers. It mattered that this was a revolutionary step for the team and an unbelievable breakthrough none of you saw coming.

"DO YALL SEE THAT?" you yelled over the radio static.

"WE DO!" yelled Tanaka from somewhere in the garage. "WHAT THE FUCK, SURUKI!"

"You can slow down now," laughed Sentaro overjoyed by the data coming in. "Good job kid. Bring it home safely."

You giggled back, just as taken aback as everyone else in that garage. "Will do. Thank you!"

Slowing down as you approached the first corner once more, you went for another slower lap around the circuit just to take in the sights. The way the asphalt curved up and down with old tire tracks that made history sometime ago, still visible on the edge of the checkered lines. A breathtaking view of Mount Fuji leaning past the old sponsored logo banners. The small forest on the side, adding a touch of vivid green to the dull dark grey. Even the playful glint of the early afternoon sun rising with warmth through your visor. All of these small, beautiful details you didn't get to see while in race mode. You didn't attempt another fast run down the circuit to avoid overheating the engine after the rally rounds its been through. But when you rounded up back on the straight in front of the pit, you dove in with the tires for some smoky doughnuts in front of the garage as your people whistled and cheered you on from the fence.

Finally parked back in the pit garage, you let out a breath of content. That was a once in a lifetime experience you would repeat anytime you had the chance. Or if you happened to just take it yourself. Who knew. Unexpectedly, another surprise awaited after you got out of the car. The helmet came off your head to see Sentaro stare at his computer in absolute shock.

"You pulled a record lap."

"I did what?" your mouth fell open, feet stuck to the glazed floor. "How quick was I?"

He clicked a few buttons and pulled up the lap time of your fastest run on the garage computer screen. You read it once and had to blink twice, reading the numbers once more.

Track Time - 1:28.215

"Ten seconds away from almost surpassing the Felipe Massa driving an F1 Ferrari here just a decade ago. With almost half the engine and specs that rocket of a car had."

"Well, fuck me," mumbled a familiar voice from behind you.

Spinning around, you found Naozumi rubbing his chin wide-eyed, looking between you and the numbers as if he was looking at the second coming of Christ. That flustered look on his face was all your doing and it fueled your confidence so good. So for once in your life, you put a big smirk on your face and took the chance to be as cocky as him, speaking powerfully sure of yourself, lifting up a challenging brow.

"Still gonna call me a rookie now?"

His mouth opened to say something. You waited for a playful teasing remark or anything to keep his stance on you not belonging in the sport just once more. But his mouth just shut back tight. For once, he had absolutely nothing to say to you. Putting a smile on your face, as wide and cheery as a flower that just opened all her petals in full bloom, you walked away to gather the laurels and the thundering claps following your performance like you won the war. Or at least this one battle. Because even one win against Naozumi tasted sweet like honey.

Kate informed you that the last of the photoshoots has been scheduled at the circuit hotel's premises instead of the private studio. And where the interview would take place as well. Back in the comfort of your normal clothes, you made your way into the makeshift studio with a weight in your step, nervous for what's coming. You felt tingly from the tip of your fingers to the way your heart raced, senses buzzed at the maxxed out setting ever since the drive. But that might just be the best mood to be in for an interview.

A grey-walled conference room was turned into a fashionable studio in all but a few hours. Big enough to host a private business event, the swiveling chairs and dull couches were switched for a medium mahogany velvet couch, sat in front of a tall white backdrop getting fixed up for the final shoot. The space wasn't yet illuminated by the professional gear, the foggy weather outside naturally turning it darker and much more intimate for a heart to heart talk with a media official. In front of the couch sat a small coffee table filled with a few mugs of steaming coffee, and another armchair in the same shade, already occupied by someone. A woman.

At the sound of your steps falling near, she stood up walking the rest of the way to greet you with a warm smile. By the ashen streaks in her hair, styled in soft, brushed out brown curls falling down to her waist, she seemed to be close to middle age. You greeted her more formally with a polite smile. Her name fell to oblivion as soon as she uttered it, too focused on calming your nerves to catch it. She introduced herself as the editor in chief of a big lifestyle magazine, a name you instantly recognized to be of global tally, for which she was working within the Japanese division. Her stylish red tailored suit and killer black stiletto heels told you she must be a professional in her field. Even her makeup was striking but a la mode, sharp and elegant, much like the way she carried herself.

You got there at the set time after the lunch break, wishing to keep the punctual etiquette intact. Naozumi and Akira on the other hand, took their sweet time, arriving a good fifteen minutes later. They excused themselves and shook hands with the woman too, exchanging sweet pleasantries, before squishing you between them on the small cushioned couch that was nowhere near being a three-seater. Maybe for a pack of canned sardines.

"Thank you all for coming here today, and to your agents for making this possible," she spoke, dropping an appreciative look back at your agents sitting huddled behind her to monitor the interview. "This exclusive will be all about your start in rally, where you are now and where you might see yourselves arriving in the next couple of years. They're mostly group questions, individual and more developed depending on who is getting them, so feel free to request a turn or placate an answer whenever you feel like it."

"I know you've had a packed day, so I'll try not to keep you for too long," she added, her red lips widening along the stretch of her smile, preparing her recording device and her notebook.

You can tell she was trying to ease the tension in the room. Or more like your growing tension since this was your first official press encounter where you had to speak directly to the press after being chosen to represent the cup with two of the most fascinating people in the world of rally at the moment. If fascinating was able to describe two of the biggest PR haters in the world sitting next to you.

Akira winked at her like five times in the past two minutes, giving her that crooked smile of his that made him popular with the ladies.

Naozumi flashed her his overly confident smirk when he walked in and has been completely ignoring her existence ever since.

I am shit at taking questions even with all of Kate's preparations. You smiled meekly in her direction. They truly couldn't find a better trio to represent a national sports event.

"What drew you to a career in the world of racing?" she asked, starting with an easy one to get you going.

"Can I go first?" you asked, considerate of the two muppets lounging beside you in case they wanted to answer her first. Akira just nodded, getting more comfortable beside you. Naozumi gave you what resembled a low grunt, looking like he could care less about being present. So you took it away.

"As you may know, for me it was family driven," you started, a little unsure of where to take it in terms of origin story. "A good part of my childhood was spent taking part in different motorsport events and getting to see all kinds of cars up close. Rally, formula, moto, imports. Being in the team garage most of the time, tinkering with my own little karting kit on the side while my dad worked on the big rally cars, it didn't take long for me to wish to pursue some kind of racing further."

As you thought of your racing journey, words started flowing out of you more naturally and Kate's thumbs up helped steer you in the right direction. "Since rally has been in the family already, I went with that route, wishing to continue my father's dream as it slowly became my own."

"I had a feeling you would say that," she admits. "I take it tinkering with a car is another thing you've inherited?" she asks, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Oh, absolutely," you nodded eagerly, making her chuckle. "There's not a day I don't get my hands dirty on a car, be it mine or the team one. My own car is a custom piece I worked a lot on. Most of my teenage allowance went into buying new parts to replace its old ones, building it up almost from scratch. I also help out with the team car since I drive it and can feel the effect of upgrades first hand, so I can work with the engineers if something's off or not right away." You were getting the hang of it almost naturally now. "I've learned a lot in the garage, tuning and racing manner wise, so it's nice to be able to apply it somewhere else if needed."

"Your father must have been a huge influence in both your professional life and your side hobbies, but it's impressive to hear you took personal initiative," she spoke with a knowing smile.

"However," she interjects, "since motorsport is still not a big scene for female involvement, more so rally, did you ever feel like there were setbacks in reaching further than karting?"

"Karting isn't a complicated scene to join because it's open to anyone looking for both a competitive and fun environment to experience racing. The rally scene though, is highly competitive and hard to break into if you don't race sporadically. But it's not totally impossible," you spoke resolute, reminded of the bittersweet days where you thought you'd be stuck karting until the end of time. "Just because there wasn't much female involvement when I joined the junior series or entered rally events, it didn't mean I couldn't take part. After all, no one puts a sign on the ticket booth at the entrance saying females aren't allowed to enjoy or take part in the sport. It's all about whether they want a career in racing and if they do, they should just go for it regardless of statistics and society telling them not to. Don't let anyone else drive your own wheel," you concluded, happy with the little encouragement you could pour in.

You were aware of who read this magazine the most - teenage, young adult girls and unfulfilled women who were still looking for a chance to catch a dream - and you planned on giving them the boost they needed to reach out for those waiting dreams. They still had time to make them real if they really wanted to.

"Well said," the woman nodded, crossing her legs one over the other before leaning forward with a grin you knew all too well. The offense tactic. You didn't expect her to hide sharp teeth under that scarlet smile. "But that's not what I'm asking." Her eyes glinted fiercely at you. "What I truly want to know, as might our readers, is if you personally had any issues regarding your participation in rally?"

Thinking back to your first days in a rally car, the press element has always been there with the constant nagging for drawing blood publicly in the dirty way. As pressing and intimidating as it felt right now, in this very moment. But you couldn't go directly accusing the media of being miscellaneous with a literal body of the press sitting a few feet in front of you. That would be like calling the venomous viper a milk snake. So you steered the conversation away a little.

"The only thing I can vouch for is entering this series undercover at first, without anyone but the team and the cup officials being aware, to protect the team's image and keep that surprise effect to it," you admit, clasping your hands together, hoping that would be enough for her. But of course it wasn't. It never was, is or will be enough for them.

"You mean your father's image," she hit back instantly, as if this was a premeditated attack.

Naozumi stopped fiddling with the frame of his sunglasses at that, narrowing his dark eyes on her. He profiled her the minute he stepped foot inside the room, pinpointing exactly the kind of journalist she is just from the fake smile on her face. Thing that you most likely overlooked out of lack of experience with her kind or politeness. But he knew her type very well. She was walking a very fine line between getting quotes for her article and feeding into the little cracks of your insecurities, eager to wrap her sharp nails around their roots and wrench them out forcefully. Her kind's favorite sport. No matter how good of a person you were, she was out for your blood. Any hazard you avoided would be replaced by several others until she got you to cave in. Interestingly enough, he wanted to see how far she could take you before you exploded and handed her the key to your very being yourself. By the sound of your hissing breath, you were quite close to reaching that point.

"Your father had quite the impressive career start at such a young age. He's had significant impact on the sport during his glory days." She was simply reiterating things you could find on a google search. "Up until Suruki Racing came to life," she strikes again. You bit the inside of your cheek. "Do you think that creating the team was an asset or a deficit to his career?"

Not this shit again. You took a breath to calm the rage meter inside you that happened to get tickled a little too violently by that question. There's so many other things to ask about but it seems she's out for dirt on me and my dad just like everyone else. Classic and outdated is what this lady is.

"His career continued beyond his racing days," you argued, mirroring her crossed-leg position, back straightening like a cobra facing off another cobra to see whose venom was more poisonous. "Though he hasn't raced for a long time, he continued putting his all into it by leading a team. The most successful I've ever seen him is when he put the first Suruki Racing together and continued his dream, even if it was from the sidelines," you said, fire in your voice and steel in your words. "The team was neither an asset or a deficit to his career, not there to produce revenue or drain it. It was simply the driving force behind his passion for racing. His reason to be someone that took rallying further than the track stretched."

"A passionate man," she smirked, pleased to see you respond to her taunts. But she needed more. "Although, he's been quite private about raising you, keeping you away from the public eye for a good part of your life. Shortly after your birth, he put his all into this dream team. Was it due to the fact that he couldn't juggle both being a father and a team director that it all fell to ruin right at its peak?"

Your fist tightened on top of your knee, squeezing the denim of your jeans in pure anger until your knuckles cracked white. She couldn't be serious, directly attacking your father through you like this. Every question written by that polite impostor hand on her notebook of opinion, had nothing but gigantic seeds implanted about the team's fail record because of your dad's negligence or vice versa. It took you a while to seek out her true nature. The assured serpent slithering her way through life one magazine feature at a time. The vicious smile on her face told you she didn't give a rat's ass about pleasantries and keeping safe to the introductions and boring crap about you. She wanted to dig deep and get a reaction. But she had to dig your heart out to get one from you. Hell would froze over before you accused your father of anything he wasn't.

Avoid all questions about yours or your father's private life with a 'no comment'. Kate's rule jumped out at you now. From the looks of her head shaking rapidly side to side she wanted you to use it. But if you let this woman run her vamp heels over you now, what would other journalists do? Carve your conscience out every chance they'd get to decide that the truth should be served as a lie? Fuck no. So you chose to put her in her place as diplomatically and elegant as you could, despite everything in you screaming for sheer violence.

"He wanted me to have a normal childhood, away from the cameras and the prying eyes. The team was his everything back then and it still is now," you say, each word a declaration of your confidence in him and the team. "But he made sure I knew I was just as important while working his overalls off for the team, making all parts work as oiled."

"Just as important or in the way have similar connotations, don't you think?"

"Oh, I don't know," you chuckled dryly. "I'm not a journalist to know the difference between raising questions and feeding into assumptions."

A deep chuckle fell past Naozumi's lips at that. You really weren't going to step down from chewing this woman up classier than she tried to gobble you in big greedy bites. She blatantly ignored your defense, trying to go for another jab at your father. You made sure this one would be her last.

"The current team has been producing pretty promising results so far. A lot of cups won, a good variety of national titles, several breakthroughs in terms of engineering. But what's there to say it won't fail again?"

"Time. Time to exist, time to grow, time to just be. Life doesn't have a speed limit to run at and neither do we. Oh, and regarding priorities," you cut in before she could, "my father put his life on the line for the team back then and he will do it again, as many times as it takes for it to continue living and breathing. I will make sure to do the same."

"One more question," her eyes skimmed down fast, reading through her notes for one more nerve shattering question to ask.

"I believe that's all from me," you smiled politely, hoping she would get the point that you were done talking, unless it was about your other hobbies or interests.

"I still have a few more-"

"I think that calls about my turn," intervened Naozumi. The cocky smirk on his face made him appear a tad bit intimidating against her pushing, but the surety in his voice was enough to tame her venom down. "After all, you know we've had quite the packed day already."

"Of course," she cleared her throat, sitting back in her chair glancing at you once more before she dismissed your presence. "Please, go ahead, Mr. Hiyama."

You leaned on the backrest with a relieved breath. After that, it was mostly Naozumi and Akira completing her slippery sudoku of questions. Sitting in the middle in complete silence while they conversed was better than talking to a brick wall of a person. She asked her questions, glancing your way every so often. If she expected you to be deflated and pouting she had another thing coming. Whenever she tried to get you back in the discussion, the boys interfered, offering her another surprise answer she would rapidly scribble down in her notebook, successfully diverting her attention away from you. Intentional or not, you were grateful to them for silently guarding your back. God knows, a lot of people wanted to take a shot at it and gawk to see where their words would stab. How deep they would reach and how much they'd make you bleed.

"I think that would be it," spoke the editor, finally getting up to grab her things on her way out. "Thank you again for this opportunity," she thanked the agent team behind out of courtesy.

She shook hands with the boys and their agents. When she got to you she hesitated extending her hand, perhaps out of humiliation for stepping out of line in front of a good handful of people or her pride being walked all over by a mere rookie. Despite all that, yours still reached out with a firm smile on your face, showing her it would take more than some interview questions to scare you away from facing the press.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Suruki," she smiled, showing you her fake pearly whites, pointy sharp like cobra fangs. "Looking forward to working with you in the future."

"Likewise," you bowed your head. I hope not.

After she left, you huffed a winded breath and went back to the couch, sitting down to mull in your thoughts. That interview left you feeling miserable, taking way too much of your energy to not start off with 'Listen lady' at every word coming out of that woman's mouth. Why was everyone so hellbent on digging up the past on your father? It's not like he committed first degree murder or something like that by getting his career nuked because of circumstances that were out of his hands. Why couldn't they just leave the past be? Why did it all matter so much to these people? You shook your head at each thought, looking past your joined hands supported on your knees.

Naozumi walked over behind the couch, looking out at the dark grey rain clouds forming above the track, his back facing you. For a moment you just stood in each other's silence, listening to the fading murmurs of staff around you and the small patter of raindrops hitting the windows. Until his voice cut through the fog in your mind.

"They'll come after him no matter how much you try to stop them," he spoke, a hint of warning in his voice. "But they'll come after you too."

"Let them come."

The determination in your voice made his gaze turn to you. The look in your eyes was stormy, sharper than the edge of a knife. You were always going to try to prove them wrong, be it about you, the team or your father. That alone made him think that maybe he's got this all wrong. Maybe you had more fight in you than he's seen that night at the docks when you took the insult to your driving personally and gave it your all to prove him wrong. Maybe you were more than just a rookie. Maybe you might just save what's left in the ruins of your father's career. But out of everything you were, he thought you were right about one thing - only time would tell. If your team would burn to ashes again. If your father will continue being a living legend or become a forgotten name. If you could save them both. For now, he was even more determined to see how far you'll go even after the track ended and there would be no more road left to drive your rescue mission on.

The hair and make-up team rushed you back into the compact dressing room to get you ready for what looked like a super makeover. The table in front of you was full of scattered make-up brands, from different types of eyeliner, various brushes, and foundation packs to more than ten shades of lipstick. The outfit racks, one in each corner of the room, were decked in designer and haute couture pieces. Some still had tags of four-digit prices hanging from the sleeves. Since this was a magazine shoot, they needed you to look the styling part and they went all out in every way. All the way.

In a little under an hour, all you could smell was the sharp scent of hairspray, the sparkly glitter hanging in the air and the taste of strawberry overlaying your lips. When the make-up artist spun your chair to face the mirror, your jaw dropped to the floor like a wrecking ball. You were unrecognizable to your very own eyes. That was the same face you saw every morning in the mirror but like a thousand times more accentuated. Your eyelids had the sharpest wings ever drawn in cat eyes history, highlighted by subtle eyeshadow that made the colorful specks in your irises pop out. Falling in messy curls, your hair dropped over your shoulders softly. Hairpins shoved all the way in the back of your skull gathered a few strands behind your ears to add a little volume at the front, besides the shorter curls framing your face. To top it all off, your lips were done in a nude pink shade, appearing glossy and not that far away from your natural tone.

After sorting through heaps of different styles and textures, they finally brought out your outfit. Your lips quirked up in a smirk as you took in that wild beauty sitting on your body. An all-black leather dress with a plunging neckline, not too deep to pop a nip out or too formal to bore, stopping just above your knees. The material ran over your curves like it was meant for you, fitting like a dream. The sides had metal ringlets running for their length, held together by overlapping sheer black laces to pull the front and the back tighter, ends left to free fall below your thighs like a soft caress on your skin. Keeping the accessories light, one of the stylists hooked up a pair of sparkling diamond earrings to give the attire a subtle elegant flair, finishing up with a pair of heels that strapped around your ankles covering your foot in a crisscross pattern, giving you a lot of height to match. A classy rockstar concept very elegantly executed. Truth be told, you looked like a model ready to go out for vengeance rather than a woman starring in a high fashion magazine photoshoot.

Glancing at yourself in the mirror once more, you put a confident smile on your pink lips and walked out in the hallway heading for the studio. Your heart thumped hard against your ribcage, driving your focus in all directions, mostly on not killing your ankles. Door in sight, your nerves escalated even more. As easy as doing a magazine shoot felt the day before, the deed weighed much more heavier now. Throwing a look at the stylist that dressed you up, you saw her pass you a small nod and a smile of encouragement. Maybe this won't be so bad. Right? Taking a deep breath, your hand fell on the handle to push the door open, stepping inside the room. You blinked up and stopped in the door frame feeling the air leave your lungs in shallow breaths.

All buzzing chatter stopped when you walked in. From the photographer in the middle of the room to staff and agents scattered in all corners, all eyes raked you from head to toe. Kate herself looked both shocked and thrilled to see you so dolled up. But what caught your breath wasn't the loaded stares from well over twenty souls in the room. It was the two handsome men all suited up by the smooth velvet couch. As those two pairs of eyes ate you up shamelessly, you did the same to each one in part.

Akira wore a full suit in passional scarlet red. The whole ensemble was the main piece. The relaxed co-ord jacket, the collared shirt and the wide leg trousers fell on his body like every part was made to flatter his features. Beneath a pearly choker hanging stylishly above the open collar, you took a delicious peek at what laid beneath the three open buttons showing his well-defined chest lines. The shirt tucked in his pants and his hands sliding deep in his pockets pulled his shoulders wider than you've ever seen them. The pants ran long over the black boots on his feet, seemingly taller than he already was. And his hair, a curly mess all over the place was the cherry on top. But all details aside, that red alone made your head spin. He might as well have been a demon from hell below coming to take your soul under and you still wouldn't be able to take your eyes off him.

Gaze shifting to the other end of the couch, your racing heartbeat froze still, slowing down to a fluttering rhythm in your chest. There, sat atop the velvet armchair you found a dream dressed in dark navy blue. A fantasy of Naozumi your head hasn't played for you yet. Not until his raven eyes rose up to meet yours across the room in a piercing gaze steeling you breathless. Your eyes jumped from the way his hair was parted on the sides so softly, to the dainty silver necklace falling below his collar bones, to the smooth cut of the suit, unable to focus on just one part of him. From top to bottom, refined wool tailored to an elegant charm enveloped him in the depth of a vast deep blue sea. Hugging the breadth of his shoulders strong and tight. Streaming in a calm, smooth wave of material over the rest of his body, back and front down to his feet. A double breasted blazer with coupled rows of golden cufflinks wrapped around his waist as if worked and shaped to the muscular ridges of his body. It was the only thing covering his torso. But even that cover barely started below his exposed chest, tan and raw with packs of meaty muscle, calling to your touch. The shirt meant to be underneath was missing, or you failed to notice it was never there in the first place. Not that you complained. Knowing what hid beneath that heavy wool, hard and sculpted with strength, your fingers prickled at the memory of those rough muscles. How they called to your touch that night in Tokai, mouth-watering and deliciously sweaty with the brief touch of sex. How they stretched beneath the ironed lapels grazing them as he took a breath you took with him. How the heat pulsed just as hard between your legs now as it did then with his eyes on you, unaware of where your thoughts ran to. But the lone smirk tilting the corner of his lip had your breath twist in your chest that he knew. He knew. And he loved seeing the proof heat on your cheeks. In the tug of your teeth on your bottom lip. In the way your breath faltered. But most of all, he saw it in your eyes. Hungry. Craving for him against your better conscience.

The photographer clapped ripping you out of your breathless daze. Your eyes jumped to him in confusion. He covered his mouth in awe as he looked between the three of you with pure adoration in his eyes. This was a man who truly loved his job.

"My third muse just arrived." You shyly smiled at his compliment. "You're welcome to take your seat among the boys and we shall get started."

You had quite the audience as you made your way over to the velvet couch. Naozumi left his subtlety outside the door, undressing you with his eyes in front of everyone. His dark eyes looked more than hungry, roaming over you from top to heeled toes and reversely with every step you took until you reached the couch in the middle. Those black orbs followed a trail of their own as they drove up the length of your legs. Hastily skimming past the hem of the dress barely stopping at your thighs. Rounding in on your torso where the leather pulled tightly over your skin. Brushing over the deep neckline on your chest. All to stop at your lightly flushed cheeks. Each graze of his eyes burned hot on your skin wherever it stopped a second too long, as if branding each part of you unto his memory. More blood rushed to your cheeks as you took your place next to him, aware of his intense gaze. So you focused on Akira at your right, trying your best to ignore the chaotic flutter growing in your belly before it overwhelmed all your senses.

"You look like you're about to crash someone's wedding," you said, complimenting Akira. He gave you a cheeky smile, letting his eyes run over you a tad bit less intensely than the man at your left continued doing.

"And you look like you're about to crash a really exclusive club party," he joked. "I can't even recognize you. You look amazing." The compliment had you shy away with a smile.

Lights, camera, action and you got down to business right away. The camera flashed brighter than the lights overhead as you were positioned around the couch in various poses. Most of the shots had the boys sitting on each side of you, each doing their own thing. You had your legs crossed, chin propped on your fist, leaning forward on your elbow with a bold smirk as you faced the camera. Akira on your right faced faraway to the left, hands joined in his lap in business manner. Naozumi on your left leaned on the raised arm of the couch, fist supporting his head as he looked away to the left in thought. The next had you sat still in the middle of the couch. Akira was sat down at your feet, cross-legged, rustled hair and relaxed smirk making him look like an outlaw. You leaned back on the couch, legs still crossed, a serious smile on your face this time. Naozumi was sat behind you, hands on each side of your shoulders supporting his weight as he leaned forward above you. All three of you had your eyes at the camera, fierce and bold. They were both stuck so close to you, enclosing you in the small space. The hairs at the back of your neck prickled at the one far too close behind you. You felt the scent of his expensive perfume before he angled his lips right above your ear.

"Looking smoking hot, rookie," he spoke low only for you to hear, words barely brushing the side of your head. Close enough to make a rush of tingles climb up your spine. Turning your head to the side slightly, you replied in the same low tone, keeping your eyes on the camera and thump in your heart calm. "You don't look too bad yourself, Mr. Hiyama."

He didn't say anything more past that point, satisfied enough with your response. His hands stretched on top of the couch backrest, changing position to lean forwards a little more. The back of his palms fell behind your back, fingers mindlessly playing in your hair. They sorted through the longer ends, twirling them around and moving them aside to get to your exposed shoulders. When the rough pads of his fingers landed in direct contact with your skin, you sucked in a breath. His touch was warm, oddly relaxing and gentle as it moved on top of your spine line. Spreading out on each side of your back, his fingers ran in circles over the skin of your shoulder blades, thumbs pressing down in all the right places. They padded lightly up and down, left and right, every brush as soft as the caress of a feather. Soft, as they glided up to your nape, the touch almost toe curling. Soft, but nowhere near close to releasing the heavy tension strewn in your back. You were close to just leaning back, ignoring the rest of the people around you and the shoot completely. All to just enjoy the massage and purr like a grateful cat being stroked by its owner for being good. A soft little whimper worked its way up your throat the more you felt of his fingers. Until the reality train smacked you hard. Suddenly, like boiling water scalded your skin you saw right through his intentions. He was playing with you. Every touch was calculated strategically, not for comfort but to get you riled up. Blinking away the haze of his feigned comfort tactic, you gave him quick credit for the moment then adjusted your position. To anyone else, it simply looked like you shifted your back on the couch. You fell back with a thud with the wish to crush those meticulous hands of his. A threat to make him keep them to himself. As your back collided with his outstretched fingers, you felt them press flat to the backrest. All you heard was a low groan behind you that brought the littlest smirk to your face. But he didn't stop there. He resorted to annoying poking now, pushing and pulling lightly at the hem of your dress to have the leather strap back to your skin painfully, looking to piss you off completely. Before you could rip his hands off and ply his fingers off one by one, the photographer called for a set change. Just his luck. His hands retracted back to their place, falling into his trouser pockets and he left you alone for the remainder of the shoot. But that touch of his still lingered on your skin, the ghosts of his fingers still tracing it, raising goosebumps along your back.

Several prop changes and posing instructions later, you were tired. Of the camera shutter. The bright lights. The gawking eyes. The constant moving made uncomfortable by the leather dress that by this point stuck to your body like wrapping foil to a freshly waxed car. Especially having been seated between Naozumi and Akira who emanated heat like the central heating in the building was broken. As you posed upright, lined up together to let the expensive outfits get their own moment of promo, their bodies were so close you could literally feel their hot breaths on your face. And the photographer instructed you to get even closer. If that was physically possible when you were practically sandwiched like cured ham between two of the most solid slices of bread ever baked.

"Okay, Akira. That's good. Now let me have a few with those two only."

"Are you sure?" He sounded almost hurt. "What about me and her?"

The man took his camera to the computer crew waving him off. "We can do them after the break."

His incoming please died somewhere in his throat as he landed eyes with Naozumi's. He couldn't fight a cheeky smirk Akira's way. Ignoring their contest for whose turn is it next to hold the doll, you shifted your weight on your legs with a sigh, wondering when the shoot would finally end. After the long weekend, your little victorious lap around the circuit and that interview, you were nearing the end of your battery life faster than usual. You just wanted to go home or at least reach the hotel bed. Or any flat, cushiony surface that could offer some temporary relief to your aching joints.

Naozumi moved closer as directed, accidentally bumping his shoulder to yours which made you jump away a little. It wasn't intentional at all, it was just the exhaustion speaking. Although, he saw it as an open chance to tease you. He leaned down to your ear a little, keeping his focus on the camera.

"Someone's antsy," he whispered. You didn't need to look at him to see the playful smirk on his face.

"I'm just not exactly happy to still be here. We should've been done by now," you whispered back through gritted teeth, trying to keep a polite smile on your face.

"You can switch positions," said the photographer. He came and sat Naozumi behind you, moving you in front of him, leaving barely any space between you as you sat pressed shoulder to shoulder, skin to skin. "Now look at each other."

Craning your neck to the side, your breath got caught in your throat and you sobered right up. Naozumi was looking right at you. The camera flashes went dark, the bright studio lights disappeared and the sound of the shutter died in the thunder of your heartbeat. His presence was... overwhelming. Those dark brown orbs consumed everything around you until you felt like it was only you and him around. Sneaky and hidden, his palm encased your waist in such way that no one else could see it. Only you could feel it, pressing against the small of your back, peaking up ever so lightly on top of your hip over the leather that suddenly felt too slim and warm. Regardless of how badly his touch had your nerve endings spin in endless circles, those eyes of his drew you in like the pollen of a freshly bloomed flower drew in a hungry swarm of bees. So sweet and hypnotic that you were losing faith in your strength to withstand the Naozumi effect.

He seemed to be absorbing your presence just as much, finding it hard to take his eyes off you ever since you walked in the studio. He had a tease attack planned, the very reason why his hand was so hidden on the small of your back. But the minute he looked into those eyes of yours, glaring up at him with marvel and a glint of curiosity, his plans lost all sense of steering in the right direction, hitting a curve so dangerous that it changed all of them just like a snap of his fingers.

"How about we make a run for it?" he whispered, eyes darting between you and the crew occupied with checking the photo screens.

You snorted. "Run where?"

"Somewhere."

His eyes ran back on the moving crowd of people among staff and publicists, falling on your bag then on the shiny set of keys in the bag next to it. Turning back on you, that soft gaze turned challenging, lips quirking up in a playful grin with an idea.

"Truth or dare?"

Your eyes narrowed on him. He wanted to play games now of all times? For the sake of your growing boredom, you chose to indulge in that little game, hoping it would make the time pass by quicker or something of the sort.

"Dare."

"I dare you to steal the keys to that cherry red truck parked in the back of the parking lot."

"Kate's Chevy?" He nodded. "Why would I do that?"

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're not dying to get out of here."

He's not wrong about that.

"Miss Suruki, look up a bit more," pointed the photographer as he resumed shooting. "You're showing a bit of double chin."

Exasperated, and annoyed as fuck, you followed the instructions and tilted your chin up higher with a huff. You hated to admit it. Naozumi was right. You did inch to get out of here before you channeled some of his rage and broke something that may or may not be the photographer's camera if he commented any more about how you posed. You thought about Naozumi's proposition. It sounded like a promising plan. Truthfully, it wouldn't be that hard to steal Kate's car keys. She had a habit of forgetting where she put things in the first place so she might not suspect them going missing before her actual car went missing. What really begged the question was how you'd be able to slip past so many people with a pair of car keys that weren't yours without getting dragged back in the studio by your ears.

At the sight of your brows furrowing together, Naozumi's grin just widened more. You were considering it. Partly, but that was still considering.

Your unsure eyes fleeted back to him. "I'm gonna get in trouble."

"Isn't that the fun part?" His smirk only grew. "Come on, live a little, rookie."

One more look between him and Kate doomscrolling her phone. Another uncomfortable tug of the dress sticking to your thighs irritatingly. The light hit of Naozumi's impatient breath fanning your neck and the brush of his hand sitting way too comfortable in the small of your back. All of those brought upon your loss in this fight that you didn't really care about carrying to a win in your territory this time. Because running away with Naozumi might give you answers to some of the burning questions you've been having about him. And because that puzzle box branded with his name on it called to you to get it open. And you tore at it like a feral wildcat.

"So? Accepting the dare?" he pressed, cautious that you had a time limit to accept or refuse before the deal dissipated into thin air.

You surrendered to the game. Simply because you did want to get out of here. And for the fact that this one curiosity urged to be satisfied more than the collection you've gathered of them so far, all sitting in a mess around his torn puzzle box, unable to match any of them to the man in front of you. And as of this moment, you craved a little rebellion against the system. But you had to bargain some kind of leverage to still keep the ball in your field. And you had just the perfect idea on what to go for.

"Only if I get a truth out of you."

"Deal," he replied almost instantly.

"Deal," you replied, sealing the deal with a shared nod.

As if on cue, the photographer lowered his camera and placed it down on the screens table. "Alright everyone, take a break and we will resume in ten."

Naozumi's head dipped beside your ear in a small graze, coiling his aura around you like he was the very devil summoned out of the depths of hell to convince you to do bad things.

"I'll meet you out at the car," he whispered, pulling back to fix his eyes on yours. "Be fast."

He cut through the crowded room, grabbing his jacket from the back and his bag. Hand on the door, he threw you one more look before he slipped out of the studio without a soul noticing.

Okay so, I have ten minutes to make myself disappear like Houdini. Time to get this show rolling. But first, how does one steal something without getting spotted by literally everyone?

There were people literally everywhere you looked. Make-up crew, the stylists, some magazine staff, publicists and other team officials, all by the table filled with bags, by the dressing mirror, by the door. Someone had to notice you slipping out every way you tried to make a run for it. Trust in Naozumi to give me the hardest part in the deal.

Without a plan, you started making your way to the bag table. Your shaky steps took you close to the bag, fingers reaching for the keys. You nearly had the keys in your hand when as you got stopped by the makeup team for a quick retouch. They didn't give you the chance to refuse it. Letting them lead you to a chair, your eyes never moved away from the shiny set of keys hanging out of the side pocket inside Kate's bag. Until the person in charge of eye makeup moved your head to the other side to widen your eyeliner wing as if it wasn't longer than a crane's wing. Knee bouncing restless, they finally let you go and went on their own break. Blinking the modifications to your makeup away to get rid of the heaviness around your eyes, you glanced at the clock on the wall. Six minutes of the break went by already. You had less than four to get the fuck out the door or you'd be called a rookie until the very end of your career and lose your chance to find out one of Naozumi's secret truths. There are big things at stake.

Looking back at the bag, you saw Kate searching through it messily. Her hand accidentally brushed the keys and you watched horrified as they fell inside her bottomless pit of mysteries. You mumbled a curse. How the fuck do I get her to give me her bag? The clock was ticking quicker than your fatigued brain could work up a solid plan. Two more minutes left. Fuck. Think, Raiko. Think. Think faster.

Eyes whizzing around for ideas, you caught one of the makeup ladies leaving, holding what you assumed was her pad holder box. You nearly put her to oblivion when an idea hit you. That should work. Going up to Kate with a sheepish smile, you tapped her shoulder.

"Who are you- Oh, Rai," she smiled at you, thinking it was someone else. "What can I help you with?"

"I, uhm," you cleared your throat, trying to not make yourself sound guilty of what you were about to do. "Do you..."

"Do I what?" she asked, eyelashes batting at you to spill it out already.

"Do you have a pad or something?" you blurted out way too quickly. "I think my period just started since I... have been having weird cramps all morning. Just wanted to check in case it did."

"You mean now?!" You just nodded with a tight lipped smile. "Sure, I can have a look, though I doubt I'll have any since I didn't find time to buy another stash."

Okay. She bought it. We're moving.

"But you're lucky since I do have one left. Here," she was about to hand it to you when you stopped her, shoving her hands back in the bag.

"NO! No, no, no," you laughed nervously, trying your hardest not to look suspicious. A few people looked at you weirdly. "C-can you just give me the bag too?"

At this point she was looking at you like you've grown a head. She lifted an eyebrow very confused. "Why?"

"Because there's a bunch of people here and they don't need to see me carry around a pad in my hand. I have nowhere to stash it in this dress."

"Oh, yeah. You're right," she nodded in acknowledgment of your very false predicament. "Don't need them to shush you around more than they have already. They're not really nice people apparently."

Thank fuck, you sighed internally. One more lie and my knees would've broken down spilling all my sins from start to finish until I perished by her freshly manicured hands.

She took out her water bottle and laid the bag in your hands. You mentally gave yourself a pat on the back for the quick plan. Though it wasn't the best escape motive, it worked like a charm. If a pad could be called a lucky charm. Making your way to exit the studio and to find the "toilet", she called your name again. Stopping in your tracks, you felt beads of nervous sweat trickle down your back, knees starting to shake on the weak support of your tall uncomfortable heels.

Did she catch me? Am I dead? Oh god-

"Just make sure you're back before the break ends," she smiled. "I'll tell them to add five more minutes so you can do your business in peace."

"Oh right. The break, yeah," you barked another nervous laugh. "Thank you. You're the best."

She gave you another suspicious look but you didn't sit any longer to see it and dashed for the hallway. Clutching that baby blue designer bag to your chest like it was an armed bomb about to explode, you made your way down to the hotel's reception. Passing some people working on the shoot heading back from their cigarette breaks, you left quick smiles their way but they completely ignored your existence. Once you saw no one else coming from the front, you broke a shaky run for it, heading for the doors to the parking lot. Naozumi was already outside waiting for you, all changed out of his suit in a light blue denim jacket and jeans co-ord, most likely ogling his phone for the time knowing the break should be over soon and you weren't there yet. Rushing over to the double doors, you pushed the handles multiple times, confused as to why any of them wasn't opening. Only for Naozumi to gesture to you that you had to pull them towards you. Much like the sign on the door to your right said.

"I'm a fucking idiot, for fucks sake please open-" and they did open upon a strong pull, letting you outside where you could take a breath properly. Reminded that the break was probably over by now, extra time included, you ran the rest of the way to the car, searching Kate's bag for the keys. Once your hand touched the cold keyring set, you pulled them out and messily threw them to Naozumi mid-way to the car. He caught them, heading for the driver seat right away.

"What took you so long?"

"Just open the car and let's go. The break is over about now."

He unlocked the truck and you both got in, closing the doors swiftly. Your hands were working at lightning speed to fix the dress on you a little and the hair out of your mouth, but Naozumi stopped moving altogether. Looking at him, you saw his eyes zeroing in on Kate's bag laying in your lap.

"What?"

"Why did you take the whole bag?" he snickered, as if that bag was more important than making an escape now before anyone found out what you were up to.

"Does it matter? Let's just drive before they find us and rip our contracts to shreds before our very own eyes."

Back in the studio, the crew has been waiting for the two of you for a while now. The photographer tapped his foot impatiently, constantly checking the time on his watch, on his phone, even the one on the wall. When those extra five minutes were up and you were still not back, he marched to Kate asking her about your whereabouts. It's been a good ten minutes since you went to the bathroom, so she took off to find you, thinking you got lost or needed an extra pad.

"It doesn't take that long to ply on a pad," she mumbled, pushing open the doors to the toilets. She scoured all the stalls only to find them all empty. "Is there a different bathroom on this floor?"

Slowly losing her patience, she walked out of the restroom only to bump into Tanaka right outside the door. He went looking for Naozumi at the request of the makeup team who couldn't find him either.

"Naozumi's missing," he spoke out of breath.

Kate's head tilted in confusion. "So is Raiko."

They shared a wide-eyed look before they took off down the hallway towards the hotel reception.

"Have you driven a truck before?" you asked Naozumi, watching as he struggled to get to terms with the different gear.

"No, but it shouldn't be rocket science. It's just bigger."

"We should really get going before they find us-"

Right as the words left your mouth your eyes connected with Kate's right across the parking lot. As soon as her golden pair landed on her car, seeing you in the passenger seat and Naozumi in the driver's, she was raging. She took steps at twice the speed in those kitty heels. Your hand shot out to tap Naozumi's arm repeatedly as he fiddled with the cluster of keys rattling in the ignition.

"Naozumi," you choked out alarmed.

He waved off your hand to pull the steering wheel up to a better height. You continued slapping his arm to the point he started getting annoyed. "What is it?"

"Drive. Now."

"Hold on, give me a second."

"Naozumi we don't have a damn second," you gritted out, anxiety about to explode in your guts at how close Kate was getting. "Just fucking drive."

He finally got the car to start, pulling a few revs from the big old engine under the hood. Looking up ahead, he caught sight of your co-driver and his publicists all heading for the car angrier than he's ever made them. Then his eyes landed on Kate and he couldn't help himself from giving her a devilish smirk that made her take off running in your direction.

"NAOZUMI DRIVE NOW!"

His foot pressed the throttle so briskly that the recoil from the rush of speed pulled you hard into the passenger seat, hands shooting up to hold onto the handle above the door. The tires smoked and skidded as the car shot out of its place. Naozumi steered along the occupied parking spots, close to hitting some of them, barreling out onto the main street in front of the hotel. The rear of the car trunk was close enough to drifting into Kate and the rest of the people running after the car and knocking them down like bowling pins.

"RAIKO SURUKI I WILL KILL YOU!" yelled Kate as she took off after the car with Tanaka running after her.

Naozumi spun the wheel out onto the road connected to the main boulevard. You looked in the mirror watching how you got farther away from the parking lot, losing everyone that was on your tail. You and your superstar chauffeur on the job managed to escape. You let out a breath, falling back in the seat in relief that they didn't catch you. Not physically, but they did catch you. Kate saw you. Tanaka saw you. A bunch of strangers saw you running away with a car that wasn't yours and a man set on trouble. The realization that this was a really stupid idea hit you belatedly. You started freaking out with all the different consequences running through your head following the stupid, idiotic, very maddening thing you've just done.

"Oh my god," you breathed in a good inhale of air. "Oh god. She-She's going to kill me. Dad is going to kill me. Then mom will kill me too until they all had their rounds," you laugh dryly, hands covering your eyes.

"I think you should put your seatbelt on and calm down," suggested Naozumi, getting his clipped on.

"Calm down?! No, no, no. Do you realise I just sabotaged my own career? Again?" You pulled the seatbelt over from its hold, struggling to clip it in as you were busier freaking out, hands shaking with anxiety. "Why did I accept that dare? What the fuck is wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you," replied Naozumi, taking a hold of your seatbelt to clip it in for you. His fingers grazed your hand in the lightest touch before they flew back to sit on the gear stick.

"We're just taking a well-deserved break," he argued. "They took enough photos to make pictorials and calendars for the next three years, if we even get to race that long."

"They did take a lot of photos," you laughed nervously, taking a breath.

"A lot of them," he nodded, voice a little softer as he agreed with you so you could calm down your tits and let him focus on driving.

He took a turn on the highway, taking a left under an indicator you failed to see, presumably driving out of Fuji. Within the whole hit and run you just pulled, he failed to mention the location you were driving to.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere."

"Somewhere," you repeated with a scoff. That was all he gave you. You came with him based on a mythical location. "Do you actually know where or you just don't want me to know in case I want to alert base?"

He just grinned looking ahead. "Both."

"You're so helpful," you smiled fakely.

"Thank you. I try my best," he says, placing a hand on his heart at the sarcastic remark.

Why did I even agree to this in the first place?

It's been a little over half an hour since you ran away leaving the world in shambles. Well, your world. His was probably always in shambles. Beyond the catastrophizing, you haven't spoken one word with the person at the helm of what is presumably a stolen car that he's been driving peacefully like he was the only one in it. Although, ignoring each other for the time being might make this impromptu escapade much more delightful to endure in the long run. Who knew?

On the other hand, you were getting cooked in that leather dress. Kate's Chevy was old. The body and the interior may have been reconditioned and brought to modern standards, but it got hot like the tropics inside it during the daytime. The sun rays were so bright and warm through the windscreen that it felt like the leather seat was on fire under your already leathered bottom. Even the makeup on your face felt almost liquid, a breeze away from sliding off your face like melted ice cream. Upon one accidental look in the rearview mirror, you caught sight of your luggage right in the back seat. You completely forgot Kate hauled your stuff in the car, all ready to drive for Tokyo as soon as you were done.

Taking off those uncomfortable heels, you stretched your toes with a sigh. Then you chucked them on the floor under your seat, hoping you wouldn't have to see those feet killers anytime soon until you returned them. Unclipping your seatbelt, you rose up carefully and prepared to plant one foot in the back when Naozumi finally spoke.

"What are you doing?" he asked, glancing up at you to try and figure out just where you were headed in a rapidly moving car.

You looked at him like he didn't understand basic human needs. "I'm boiling in this dress and I'm planning to get changed in the back."

Wordlessly, he lifted the hand from the gear shifter, holding his palm open for you to take. One hand propped on your seat, the other slid in his, balancing some of your weight in it as you took a step over the armrest. Your foot barely landed on the floor behind his seat when Naozumi took a swift turn to switch lanes. You scrambled for balance as you nearly fell over him, almost tearing your dress at the seams. His hand tightened its grip around your wrist keeping you steady. Your hand flew away from your own seat to the back of his to keep you from falling over, dress magically remaining intact. Perhaps falling back in your seat instead of dangling over his head like a spider with your legs spread apart between the front and the back of the car would've been more acceptable if the dress wasn't so damn short, riding up the side of your thighs a few inches too high for your conscience. The deep cleavage dipped a few inches down too, nearly popping one out if it wasn't for your hair falling to cover it. Flashing Naozumi with your goodies up above and down below was not part of any of your plans for today. Or any day.

"Didn't know you were this adventurous," he smirked, glancing at your middle for the briefest moment before his eyes turned back on the road.

That glance alone, so short and intense, moving between your chest and your eyes made your heart race faster than the speed he was driving at. Something else pounded too, you just shoved it downhill before taking notice of it. Dazedly, you let go falling into the backseat with a thud since he let go too of your hand too, a tad bit too intentional judging by the grin spreading on his lips. You shot him a glare through the rearview mirror at which he chuckled.

"You might just be the clumsiest person I've ever met, rookie."

"And you're the most annoying prick I've ever had to deal with."

Zipping open your luggage, you sorted through the heaps of clothes until you landed on a pair of dark washed jeans and one of your old band tees. Pulling the the bag closed, you moved it over to sit behind the passenger seat. Thankful the windows were already boarded with your racing gear so no one could look inside, you made quick work of pulling your jeans on under the loose skirt. As your fingers sped to undo the zipper at the back of the dress, you only got halfway down the slider when you remembered you did have an audience. Right in the driver's seat. And his eyes were already set on you in the rearview mirror that gave him a perfect angled reflection of your torso, from neck down to the start of your waist.

"Eyes on the road, cowboy."

"They are on the road," he shrugged, eyes fleeting back down to the highway lane to put the blinkers on, acting like he didn't want to take a peek just a moment ago.

You gave him a sharp look. "You know what I mean."

"I won't look. I promise."

Still, you hesitated, fingers frozen on that damn metal zipper. The serious tone in his voice almost convinced you of that, but you needed something more. A level ground of sorts.

"How do I know you won't break it?"

He gave it a thought then replied right away.

"If I do, I give you permission to get more truths from me. One look is an extra truth to the deal." His eyes fell back on the rear view mirror. "That sound better?"

Your earlier shyness was completely gone, replaced by that bubbling ore of curiosity nestled deep within your soul. Additional truths from Naozumi for free? What if you managed to get more truths on purpose? How hard could it be to get him to look? Now you had a mission to accomplish and you chose to take it.

Curious to see how this would play out you moved ahead with the new plan. "Deal accepted," you nodded with a grin.

You went back to changing, moving around to get more comfortable in a place that gave him full access to the backseat upon just one small glance upwards. Carding a hand through your hair, you tried making it more messy, even taking away the secured pins at the back to let the hair underneath free to fall over your shoulders. Finding the back of the dress once more, your fingers resumed pulling on the zipper extra slow. So slow it didn't even make a sound as it went down the cold, long row of metal teeth stuck to your spine. Taking your sweet time until it almost reached the end of the slider.

Unable to hear any movement behind him, his eyes flew to the mirror only to catch you smirking, already onto him. He sighed in defeat.

One more truth in the bag, you cheered internally. Maybe this won't be so hard after all.

The zipper hit the bottom line of teeth on the low of your back. You moved steady, fingers catching hold of the bottom hem of the dress. You lifted it up never once taking your eyes off the mirror. He didn't look. Glancing away you rolled the leather hem in your hands and pulled it off. Before the material obstructed your view his eyes were focused on the road, jaw held in his hand to prevent him from looking up. After the dress came over your head, leaving you only in your bra and jeans, your eyes rose up to find him looking right at you.

About to declare another stolen truth for the winning streak of three in total, you lost your breath on the line of that wild gaze of his. The same one that skimmed your skin with hot fire in every trail he drew over every clothed and uncovered inch of it with those intense eyes of his. If looks could ruin, that gaze alone would be enough to rip your body to pieces like a hungry wolf. His eyes raked wildly over you from your messy hair falling in soft waves over your shoulder, driving down the lengths curling snug around your chest. Stopping to draw in a sharp breath at the dark lacy bralette covering almost everything he wasn't allowed to witness, letting just enough peaking out that he shifted in his seat with a low grunt.

He knew he was a loser the minute he agreed to that deal. Hearing the rustle behind, he knew that fucking dress was off your body and couldn't help himself from looking up into the mirror, no matter how hard he pulled on his jaw to keep his composure. Upon his eyes connecting with your half-naked reflection in the mirror, torso bare and bathed in the sunlight, he turned into a thirsty man wandering the desert. So raw and hungry for just one look at you in all your splendor, that he would give you all his hidden truths if you'd let him take as many looks as he wanted at you.

"Shirt," he grunted, coming to a red light stop.

"Shit," you muttered, throwing your t-shirt on at the speed of lightning.

"You put it on backwards," he gestured, mumbling another curse.

Pulling your hands back in through the sleeves, you moved the shirt around getting it right this time around. "How many looks was that?" you asked with a smirk, trying to rail his gears up a little.

"Just shut up and move back before we're moving again."

Doing as he said, you sauntered back in the passenger's seat without another word. Getting a pair of boots on, you laced them up all the way, then clipped your seatbelt back in, fixing your hair a little. The sun was still too bright for your eyes, burning through your brain rather than your clothes now. You searched Kate's glove box, finding her burgundy rounded sunglasses stashed in a corner.

"Do you happen to have an extra pair?" he asked, just as annoyed by the bright light.

Searching some more through the glove box, you found your own pair of aviator shades in dark green with golden framed edges. "These are mine."

He held his hand out for them. For a second you debated giving him Kate's since they looked like old lady sunglasses, but the lenses were scratched and you'd like to return Kate's car back in one piece. You moved the frames to your pair open and placed them in his palm.

"How do I look?" he asked, looking at you with a model pose. The way his lips pursed made you chuckle.

"Not as cool as me when I wear them."

"Okay, Rambo," he laughs. "Thanks for sacrificing your coolness for me."

Rolling your eyes at the comment, you turned on the radio. Searching for a station that isn't old people rock or edgy pop, in the middle of the highway where reception is static dead, you ended up on the classics post. Naozumi himself got frustrated with your constant button pushing, blowing a breath when the classic instrumentals of a random opera piece played through the speakers.

"That the best you can do?"

"If I had my phone I could play you some actual music," you retorted, resuming your ceaseless button pressing. If you had more time you would've been able to grab it on the way out of escaping.

"Like the stuff at the car show?"

"I thought you left before that."

"I was people watching."

You snorted. "More like lady scouting."

At that he grinned. "I take it you're still jealous you missed out on the fun that night with that sexy model?"

"Absolutely not," you shook your head with a dry laugh. "I'm glad that was the last time I had to hear that next to my head for a full night, just on and on without stopping. Is your dick that insatiable?"

"Stop deflecting," he said, licking his bottom lip with a scoff at that last remark. "Was the stuff at the car show yours?"

"How did you know?"

"It was good. For dancing and stuff."

"Pass me your phone," you held your hand out. He lifted a brow suspicious of your wishes with his phone. "For some actual music. Please. My ears will go deaf if they play Vivaldi's Four Seasons."

Just as you uttered the name of the famous composition, that atrocious violin jingle copyrighted for an advert started playing. Your fingers wiggled in the air waiting for him to move it before you clawed the device out of his pocket. Blowing another breath, he fished it out of his back pocket, tapped a few buttons to unlock it and handed it to you open to his music app. A huge mistake on his behalf. You now had access to everything he listened to and you started giggling at what you found on his home page.

"What's so funny?"

"Your recent listening history- Oh my, what even is your liked playlist? This is giving divorced dad on the way to the repair service. Or the scrap yard."

You literally hit a gold mine. If anything told you a lot about a person, it was the music they listened to. Naozumi here, listened to a lot of alt rock and indie with occasional iconic pop anthems here and there. That itself told you he was an emo boy at heart, even if he didn't really wear it on his sleeve.

"Give it back," he grinned, trying to take the phone away from your hands.

"Nuh-uh," you smacked his hand away. "I'm the DJ here. You're my chauffeur now."

"Your chauffeur?" he laughed. "Wow."

Quickly looking around some playlists, you queued up songs one after the other to last you for hours. As soon as the first notes of one blared through the speakers, his head started bouncing in sync with the tune, fingers tapping the leather casing on the wheel in rhythmic beats, looking pleased with what you picked. It fell right between his style and yours - pop with a twinge of edgy. The best of both worlds.

"Better?" you asked, leaning closer to him. He just looked at you through his shades, plastering a small smile on those mischievous lips of his.

"Way better."

All you could see was the long highway lanes. Forwards. On the side exits. Always going straight and diving through the edge of multiple cities without even going inside any of them. At one point, your stomach started grumbling. You pat it down to silence it. Food was one thing none of you took into consideration. Well, you would've if he mentioned the way to wherever he was taking you would take several days to reach. The more you tried to keep down the civil war going on inside your belly, the louder it got.

Naozumi drove some more until he took a diverting lane into a gas station. Did he hear my stomach grumble like a troll or something? If he did, he didn't tease you about it. Parking by the gas pump, he got off and closed the door pausing at the front of the truck. He waited for you to get off too. You waddled your way out, stretching your legs then walked into the station with him right behind you.

"Since we have nothing for the road, I thought it best to stop and do some shopping. I'll go get us water and some drinks," he said, half-turning for the aisle, waiting for you to tell him if you wanted anything in particular.

"Cool. Hope I don't find your spit in it," you joked. He gave you a look that told you he did contemplate that, then shook his head. "Then I'll go get food and snacks. Want anything?"

"Get me what you're getting yourself," he said, turning for the aisle only to crane his neck back from behind a shelf stacked up high with travel accessories. "Oh and ditto. If I find something in the food that isn't food, I will sandwich your face with it."

He was in dire need of better comebacks. "Sure, sure," you rolled your eyes at his pathetic threat.

Whizzing around the stacked aisles, you grabbed all the snacks you could find on hand. Chips, salty crackers, flavored gummies. You took the freesom to fill your hands since he was paying. Rounding around you ended up in front of the windows filled with the fresh daily's. Your mouth watered at all the food combinations, from the crispy chicken strips to the burger menu selection on the other side. Even the muffins and crème desserts underneath looked delicious. In the end, the need for food won over the sweet treats, so you picked up two footlong toasted everything paninis and made your way to the till where Naozumi was already waiting for you. He only had a few bottles of water and soda meanwhile your arms were barely holding onto everything you dropped messily on the till. He drew in a sharp breath shutting his eyes.

"Did you buy the whole available stock?"

"No. But if you're paying," your hand inched towards more finger treats at the till, "I can go back and pick up more stuff-"

"Stay put," he smacked your hand away, putting the caramel chocolates pack you managed to grab right back in its place. "And you said my dick is insatiable," he mumbled under his breath.

"We have a promotion going on," spoke the old lady scanning your items watvhing you with a sweet smile. "You bought a lot on our two plus one deals, like the water and the salty snacks. So you can get one pack of sweets of your choice for free," she added, scanning the chocolates you wanted earlier and putting them right in the bag with the sandwiches. Naozumi just grunted while you smiled at her like she saved your world.

"You look like a nice couple." She smiled sweetly at you, then shot Naozumi a cold icy stare that made you burst out laughing. "Don't upset your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," he sighed, seeing the atrocious price displayed but still tapping his card.

"She could be."

That made you choke on the very air you were breathing. Naozumi froze too, his credit card beeping on the scanner for him to slide it off as the transaction was complete.

"Is that all?" she smiled again handing you the bag.

"Yeah," coughed Naozumi. "Thank you."

"Have a nice trip!"

Thanking her awkwardly, you both walked out zoning over the parking lot. A few words from an old lady rendered both of you completely and utterly speechless. Her previous words washed over you like an induced fucked up hallucination.

"You look like a nice couple."

Me and this imp in flesh and bones? You laughed to yourself. Not a chance.

"She could be."

No, thank you, coughed Naozumi. I like my braincells and sanity intact.

Sharing an accidental look, you both shook off the earlier conversation with a violent shake of your heads. Spotting the car, you took off bolting for the driver's seat while he continued shaking his head blankly. Despite the fact that he was caught in his own argumentative thought process on why that lady was wrong to consider you and him a couple, Naozumi still beat you to it, splaying himself in front of the driver's door before you could reach it. He wasn't the one carrying the bag with food, snacks and a bunch of bottles, which gave him the unfair advantage of shoving his hands to cover the door handle as you struggled to get your fingers through. You even shoved your shoulder hard into his torso but the most that did was make him wince. The man was fucking impenetrable.

"Let me drive too!" you shouted, smacking his chest so hard that you were sure it left a handprint.

"Nope," he shook his head, arms crossing over each other. "Even if you got in the driver's seat, I'm the one with the keys and the destination. So tell me, were you going to drive back all the way to Fuji or straight to Tokyo?"

Growling at him, since arguing with Mr. Know-It-All was actually fucking pointless and braincell eroding, you stomped your way to the passenger's seat mimicking his words in his annoying voice, just a tad bit more pitchy than it actually sounds like.

"I heard that," he deadpanned.

"Good," you eyed him over the roof, wishing you could flip him the bird as well. "You were supposed to." You sat back inside with a huff.

He clipped in his seatbelt, turning the engine on. He cast a look at you, happy to see you so excited to be here. "Shall we, daddy's little princess?"

You looked him dead in the eye trying not to gag. "Just shut the fuck up and drive."

Driving for hours now, you still had absolutely no clue where Naozumi was taking you. Just that the highway scenery changed to a mountain road covered by a dense tree line, going through a dirt trek of fields and hills. The indicators didn't help your mental map much since they were mostly pointing to little villages you've never heard of ever before in your life.

The ride turned surprisingly pleasant. Despite the fiery company you've been in for the most of it. You've been throwing small insults at each other here and there that turned into playful bickering and small talk about this and that. Music, cars, even sports. The man was an open book. The Naozumi you're travelling with was nothing like the one you knew in the racing paddock. This one had a mountain of calm and relaxation in him, already in the vacation spirit judging by the relaxed smile laid on his lips. You could be just as relaxed too, if you only knew where in the world he was taking you. Browsing a few destination options, you came up with two possible places - somewhere he's never been to before (possibly getting you lost and driving shit knows where for hours), or somewhere he liked going on the occasional. The more you looked at it, the latter seemed much more plausible given his carefree persona at the moment.

Too focused on him, you failed to notice he turned right into an open plan overlooking the mountains until the wild panorama was all that surrounded the car. Parking in a spot, he unclipped his seatbelt right away and got off walking to the reddish barrier in front of the car. You followed after him stopping beside his hunched form to lean on the metal frame. One look his way and you caught him taking a good breath of fresh air inside, shoulders dropping off all the weight they seemed to carry back in Fuji, letting it all go to oblivion. Even the stressed twinge in his brows loosened. Perhaps it was this Naozumi that was his true self. Calm and at ease with himself and the world.

"Where are we?"

"Izu."

You tapped the metal, listening to the echoes. "Interesting choice for a surprise getaway."

"Have you been around these parts before?"

"No," you shook your head looking down into the valley below. "But I heard the beaches are really nice, surrounded by pure white sands all around the peninsula and the water is so clear and blue since it's open entirely to the ocean." You looked back at him. "Why?"

The smirk on his face grew as he listened to you talk about the scenery, like that is exactly where he planned to take you from the get-go.

"What now?" you asked, crossing your arms on top of the railing.

"Come on," he tilted his head mountain ward. "Take a guess on where I'm taking you."

Trying to piece together the long road you've just driven down and the fact that you were currently up in the mountains, you had a few places come to mind. If you were in Izu, then the beach was pretty close by. But it couldn't be that one specific beach. That one has been nothing but a scribble in your long growing bucket list for years. There was no way of him knowing that, so you mentally searched for a different place still around the area.

He watched your brows furrow together, chewing on your lip in thinking. In one blink, your face lit up and your eyes sparkled as if you found the answer, but then your head tilted to the side confused, shoulders sagging.

"We're up in the mountains," you stated. He nodded confirming the obvious. Your eyes focused ahead on the massive mountain spreading into multiple tall rocky peaks, cresting down into ripples of pine covered hills and valleys below the open plane. You realized you've seen that mountain before. "Is that Mount Amagi by any chance?"

"Yep. You're getting close."

"Hot close or cold close?"

"Hmm, I would say hot."

The second he said hot, your mind landed back on your travel bucket list.

"No way!" you gasped, grabbing onto his shoulders. "Are we going to Shirahama?" He nodded with another smile, glad to see you this excited. "For real, for real?"

"For real, for real," he laughed, a pleased smile on his face that he didn't ruin the surprise. You shared a gentle look before orying your hands away from him. "Thought it best to go catch some sun near an open body of water. I don't know about you, but I sure needed it after that madness in the mountains. Fuji is beautiful, but I don't want to see it again anytime soon."

"You and me both," you huffed. "Although, this view is pretty charged with sun itself," you smiled, closing your eyes to feel the mountain breeze just blow over you. The fresh air was really sent down here from the gods above. The wind played around your arms, floating up to glide through your locks, stopping to caress your face softly like a lover. Warmth danced on your face as the sunshine turned into an eternal state of mind you didn't want to step out of.

"It is a pretty view," he agreed, mumbling the words beneath a long breath. He was looking at a very different view from the mountain, sitting right beside him on the railing, more alive and breathtaking than the endless stretch of greenery or the wild flora growing on the cusp of these dormant mountains could ever be.

Something came over him, making his fingers move on autopilot to pull his phone out of his pocket to capture the moment - you - with the wind rustling your hair, the mountain in the background, eyes closed in peaceful wonder, a content smile on your face. He moved back silently, careful not to ruin your moment, as he angled your face with the mountain in the back. A breath and his finger tapped the shutter. Checking the picture just once, he pocketed the phone satisfied with the result. He wasn't one to take photos of things or people, as aesthetic or nice as they looked. But he believed that some memories were worth keeping within the layers of one. Glancing back up at you, still in your serene moment of peace, he smiled in content that this view was now his to keep. A little secret memory created just for him.

Mountain view left behind, you began the descent through the serpentines surrounding the hilltop area. Soon enough you reached the opening of the cityscape below, the blue ocean a stretch sway. Buildings and hotels peeked out between tall cliffs lining up along the stretching skyline, resembling a slice of paradise you've only seen in movies. The pictures online didn't do the place justice at all either.

"Can you hand me a sandwich?" asked Naozumi, attention fully on the curved road.

He was right on time since you were hungry too and didn't feel like eating on your own. Picking up a panini, you unwrapped it halfway and handed it to him. He took a hold of it shifting in his seat, leaning the hand with the sandwich on the rolled down window. He switched lanes, fingers nimbly moving between indicators before falling down the slope of the wheel, forearm settling back on his knee. Your sandwich stopped midway to your mouth, watching the movement as if you haven't been driving cars for as long as you could walk on your own two feet. There was just something about the way he did it, so manly and self-assured, that was too hypnotizing not to sit and observe it like a co-driver doing the same for its driver. Just more immersed in the way his hand glided over the leather casing of the wheel to take a swift turn, steering it straight before the foot of his wrist ended back on his knee to keep the wheel in place.

The traffic came to halt as the late afternoon rush hour set in. Feeling eyes on him, he found you looking at the way his hand was sitting on the wheel tapping to some song in the background. His lips quirked, about to comment on it and tease you, until his eyes fell on the mayonnaise drop hanging on the side of your cheek. He just chuckled to himself drawing your attention away from his hands.

"What?" you asked cluelessly.

"Why do you always have shit on your face?"

"For you to get your knickers in a twist about it," you huffed, rolling your eyes. "Where is it now-"

Before your hand could even stretch to find the location of the misplaced sauce, his thumb rose up to collect it rapidly, pulling it to his mouth in all but a blink. His tongue flicked out over it, licking it clean. Your mouth fell open at the gesture, appalled and in disbelief.

A comment brewed in you until a phone started ringing somewhere in the car. Naozumi shook his head that it's not his. It wasn't yours either since you left your bag at the studio in Fuji. Searching around the back you came to Kate's bag. Her phone was ringing bloody murder inside now that it caught city signal. Tanaka's name flashed on the screen for one more ring before it stopped, showing you a polaroid photo of her and her very secret boyfriend on her lock screen,and about twenty-seven missed calls, and a shitload more texts.

A mere second and the phone lit up with his name again. You shared a look with Naozumi. He nodded for you to take it. You pressed the answer call button only to be welcomed by silence - a fake silence - preparing the Kate Volcano to explode and engulf everything in burning flames and lava. You had to cook up a believable story fast. Sure enough, she gave you five seconds to pick something then her voice came through lightly satirical.

"Raiko Maria Suruki."

Not the government and the religious name. If she used your full baptized name, she was more pissed than you've ever seen her be pissed. And when she was this mad, all hell broke loose upon the world around her without one soul leaving unscathed. Truth be terribly told, you feared her more than you feared your parents. You cleared your throat before answering to appear on top of the situation, though your trembling heartbeat said something else.

"Present?" you spoke, voice a tad bit higher than you wanted it to sound. You caught a grin on Naozumi's face. He was enjoying this a whole lot.

"You better be on your way back this instant, young lady," she spoke sternly like a parole officer. "Did devil incarnate kidnap you against your will or did he somehow coerce you to do this to get out of the photoshoot deal? If that's the case I can give him over to the police so they can handle his rogue ass-"

Naozumi's ears were perked in silence, listening in the whole time. At all the accusations brought to his name, he felt compelled to take the phone from your hand to place it on speaker instead. Your eyebrows hit your hairline. Glaring at him you warned him not to do anything stupid.

"Devil incarnate speaking," spoke Naozumi, Kate's voice drawing to a bouldering halt.

"One, she's not coming back until possibly tomorrow or when she feels like it. Two, I didn't kidnap her, she actually came of her own accord. And three," he turned to you. You seemed more relaxed than he's caught you these past few days. If anything, he did you a favor by taking you away. "She looks like she's having fun to me." Your eyes fleeted up to his, softening despite your earlier warning. "Any other problems I can solve for you?"

"Naozumi Hiyama, just you wait until I get my hands on you-" He must've seen the ear-splitting yell coming so he pressed the end call button, hanging up on her and putting the device on mute. Sliding the phone inside the armrest compartment next to his, he picked his sandwich back up continuing to eat as if he didn't just wake Wrath in flesh and bones.

"Wow, you have balls."

"That's kind of the point," he turned up a smirk.

Giggles ruptured out of you one more joyous than the other. Your giggly fit turned into a full laugh consuming the breath in your lungs like you heard a really good joke. Maybe it was the situation you've found yourself in or the atrocious circumstances following it, but all you could do was laugh. He was downright insufferable in essence, but at times like these, he surprisingly turned into the funniest thing you could have around. Naozumi who couldn't give two fucks tried to give one and even that worked his way still. Unbelievable.

He watched you laugh, truly laugh it out until you clutched your stomach and the edges of your lips made a pair of rare dimples pop out. He laughed with you, the sound pulling your eyes to him. From beneath that serious jokester façade of his came a smile so genuine, it knocked your breath out before you could even take it in, rattling your heart to a flutter. The thought that he might actually be human underneath that troublesome devil attitude of his made your heart race with warmth.

"You should smile more often," you say, fiddling with your panini. If you focused on that bright, real smile, your opinion on him might just shift to places you thought it impossible to reach. Just like your pulse shifted rhythms from just looking at it.

"I don't have a lot to smile about in my life," he let on, eyes boring out onto the city skyline at nothing in particular. He searched the skyline just like he did the flower field just the other day. Like his mind ran a hundred miles a minute and stood still at the same time in a contradiction of his real self and the one he showed to the world. Though this time around, all that wind spinning in his eyes was gone and he wore a true smile. The kind where his lips pulled in like the tide reins in the sea with the changing flux. It barely reached the corners of his mouth, but it was a smile nonetheless. His own kind of smile.

"I'm sure that's not true," you argued, clearly affected by that affirmation. Or the shadow of that smile still on his lips. Or both.

He spared you one more glance then turned his lips upwards in his usual smirk, focusing back on the road ahead.

In the month you've known him, you've found yourself observing that smile of his. Sometimes accidental. Sometimes incidental. And you found that he has a wide collection of them, varying on intensity and honesty from each and every human he interacted with. The one he wore the most is the cocky smirk he showed the world and the press, letting his charm conquer the crowds, filled with secret dishonesty as he hid his heart away. The one he dressed up in front of the ladies is a sure and confident smug grin designed to keep him safe, not too close to tie a long-term bond, or too far to turn him into a societal monster unfit for human interaction. Even the self-assured grin after he crashed his car over many instances was calculated, that you wondered if he truly felt any pain or he just hid it well. You've experienced all of those, and still, many more. The playful smirk when he annoyed you to the world's end, tilted in the same smug way on his upper lip. The overconfident grin, stretching it bigger when he succeeded. The pursed, hidden smile like a Cheshire cat's when he compelled you to give in to his taunting. But none of them were as true and close to candid as the one he just gave you. This one was a unique piece in his collection. A limited find. One that happened to be just for your eyes.

Focusing back on the tropical scene on your left, you tried to calm the rattling shake in your heart. He drove some more, turning around a few resort-style hotel buildings. A giddy excitement bubbled in you with every glimpse of the light blue ocean you could catch between them. Soon enough he drove down the main street in front of the beach. One more turn and he drove over a sandy path at the foot of the beachfront, parking with the front facing the main street. As soon as the engine cut off, you threw your seatbelt off and shoved the door open, running out to the shore. Naozumi didn't even get to pull the keys out of ignition and you disappeared into thin air.

Running all the way to the shore, hair winding down your back, you stopped at the frothy foam rushing up the seams of broken waves. You arrived just in time to see the sun start his descent to set above the horizon line. Bright orange bled into strokes of red over the blue sky, spreading to reach as much of it as possible. Warm sunrays played on your face as the fireball dove towards the endless ocean until he finally sank down beneath the water line. The last figments of his light left a purple haze as a gift for his moon that would be bringing the night. Naozumi joined you on the shore, hands in his pockets as he watched the waves lap a few feet away. He saw your eyes jump all over the place, trying to take it all in with one look. Your eyes sparkled with each new detail you found. He could almost feel your frustration that you couldn't photograph the place to memory.

"Welcome to Shirahama Beach," he spoke with a chuckle. You turned to him a bit startled, unaware of just when he fell in beside you.

"It's so beautiful," you marveled, looking back out on the water. Cliffs rose all around, surrounding the coast. The white sands, now a deep beige with the sunset, stretched all the way to each end of the beach. Sapphire waves lapped eagerly at tour booted feet. Despite the loaded traffic you just drove through, you couldn't see a lot of people around. "Is it normally this empty?" you asked, eyes turning back to Naozumi.

"Well, it's barely the start of the season so most people come in the morning to explore the city and go partying in the evening. All hotels are normally fully booked once the weather is constantly warm. And the beach may be empty, but the clubs are always packed."

"They have clubs here?" your eyes were nearly bulging out as you asked.

He nodded with a smirk. "How do you feel about a drink and some real music?"

Falling in beside him, Naozumi started telling you about the club you were heading to. The main building is just an expensive high-rise hotel on the beach front. At least ten stories of guest rooms, an indoor and outdoor pool, several gyms and a restaurant. But the side building attached to it has a built-in club and bar space that was packed for most of the year, be it the weekend or a random Monday night like tonight. From how he spoke about it, he knew an awful lot about this place. True to his words, you couldn't tell where the queue in front of you began and ended. Just that it looked as long as the line down to hell must be. Naozumi cut through the waiting line, clearly not cut out for waiting, until he reached the main entrance. A pair of big, bulky bouncers controlled the flow inside and out, turning around anyone who didn't seem fit for entry. They only let in the regulars and occasional VIP clients dressed extravagantly. Seeing some of the outfits rolling inside, you looked down at your tee and jeans combo thinking you could've done better putting that tight leather trap back on. At the sight of Naozumi approaching, one of the bouncers leaned down to his height with a grin and a firm handshake, most certainly a face he knew. Tapping your boot to the faded bass tremors coming from inside, you eyed Naozumi oddly, wondering how frequently he visits these parts that he's besties with the bouncers. Changing a few words between them, the man glanced between you and Naozumi briefly. You smiled awkwardly, feeling nerves crawl up your body at how hard that man's stare was. They shook hands again, finally moving away to let you through.

Naozumi took the lead, taking you down a long hallway tinted ultraviolet. People were either talking or making out against the walls openly without a worry. Most were too inebriated to keep themselves or their smooching partner on their feet as they rushed to devour each other's faces. They looked carefree and as happy as a club visit can get someone, diving in the crook of their partner's neck with intoxicated smiles. A brief thought had you imagine Naozumi in that position with a random model but you set that scene on fire as quick as it came around. You didn't need another nightmare on your mind. Although, you and Naozumi hitting the club on a beach you've never been to before without a way back home was already a horror masterpiece in the making. The night was just getting started after all.

"I didn't take you for a club kind of guy," you whisper-shouted, keeping close behind him as you passed through the people at the front entrance. He stopped in front of two tall black doors, music getting even louder now.

"I didn't take you for a DJ either," he shouted, glancing back at you with a smirk. "Seems like we're both full of secrets."

He pushed the doors open right as the trumpets started their ascent into the famous Destination Calabria chorus and boy, the club button in your body pressed play right away. Early 2000s dance music crashed through your eardrums at full volume. The music pounded with your pulse, thrumming in your body like a jackhammer. It coursed through you with a thrill of adrenaline putting your body in motion right away even as you were just sat on the spot checking the place out.

Packed was a huge understatement. The club was flooded to the brim like an overflowing glass of water, filled with dancing bodies instead crashing into each other. The minute you set foot in the main part of the club, the mixed scent of high quality alcohol and expensive perfume hit your nostrils. Neon signs in pink or blue quotes were hung at the entrance and above the bar at the other end. Multicolored light batons dangled down from the ceiling, changing colors with the lights set beside a small stage reserved for the DJ, a pedestal on each side occupied by dancers. Naozumi sat beside you, watching as you curiously gouged out the place.

Leaning up to his ear, you shouted, "This is a thousand times better than what they play in Tokyo clubs. Are you sure we should even be here?"

"Last I checked, it's not illegal to go clubbing. Plus, it's only us here," he said, his lips falling by your ear. That affirmation did little to comfort you. You looked around the club with more unease. He dove back down to your ear with more words of conviction.

"Come on, let loose for a bit, rookie. It's not gonna hurt you if you set free to have some real fun. Let someone else spin your life for a night."

The depth of his voice reverberated in your ear over the music, echoing small ripples of shivers down your back. Both the anxious and the fun kind, mixed together. After the weekend you had, you really needed the fun to overpower the stress. But you had doubts when it came to doing anything with Naozumi in the equation.

"I hope you won't make me regret this."

He only gave you another grin. That pointy smirk on his lips alone telling enough that you were in deep shit already. His hand brushed your arm in encouragement as he leaned back down to your ear, voice so sure it almost convinced you for good.

"You won't regret this. I promise." You looked at him with a doubtful look. He's been making an awful lot of promises to you today. Not that he broke any of them. It just felt weird to find him seeking your trust.

"I'll go say hello to some old friends but I'll be right back. If you need a drink, mention my name at the bar and they'll open my tab. Try not to get lost."

Pulling back, he glanced once more at you as you nodded. In a heartbeat, he let go of your arm and made himself scarce. You followed him with your eyes for a while, until his jet black hair disappeared among the ripples of bobbing heads in the crowd completely. You pushed away the shrill of anxiety prickling your nerves and took to dancing, trying to let loose. Diving deeper into the pivoting bodies moving on their own rhythms, you landed somewhere in the middle of the atmosphere. The middle has always been the safest. Close to the DJ booth, covered by strangers, lighter than the rest of the room. The perfect place to let go.

A few songs rolled by and there was still no sight of Naozumi. A part of you told you he left to go look for a hook-up catch or do god knows where with sketchy people since they seemed more his entourage. With or without him, you let go and let your body move along to the music, humming to a beat that sounded familiar, mouthing lyrics you knew somehow. You gave it full control and let it take over you. Closing your eyes, you felt it running in your veins with a rush of energy, tingling your limbs like no other song has done before. Hypnotizing your senses to the sharp notes and motions of the instruments. Reeling your heartbeat in sync with its melody. It swayed and spun you over and over, making your hands drive along your hips, around your waist, to the back of your neck and in your hair. It moved you in a trance until the chorus hit and your eyes opened to find Naozumi, just a throw away. Too far. As if hearing your thoughts, his steps fell in closer and closer with every passing beat of your heart growing louder in your head. Too close.

Every single day, single hour I can see your face, single day Every single day, single hour I can see your face, single day

Back turning away from him, you continued dancing until rough, sure hands wound up around your middle, spinning you around to pull your body to him. You sucked in a breath at the sight of those dark eyes catching yours with such an intensity your heart quivered off beat. Synths melted into softer vocals beyond the chorus, just like you fell into his arms, bodies all but melting into one another. One figment of your fantasy after another came to life as you sunk deeper and deeper into his hold, running your hands up his the strong sides of his arms, the needs of your body louder than your rational thoughts going into override. His touch curled around your body, fingers brushing above your hips over the thin material of your shirt to pull you closer. Your body crashed into his, hip to hip and eye to eye. But it wasn't close enough. Not nearly enough. You could see it in those eyes of his, looking at you with a hunger that made your skin heat over. The need to have him close when he's been craving to have you closer.

The tempo rose steadily as he pressed you into his chest. His touch electrified all your nerves. It skimmed up your waist, rounding around your back with raw need. You moved together to the dizzying rhythm, letting the bass guide your hips side to side wherever the music wanted to move you. Be it away from his chest to link your hands together as they raised above you, your small fingers threading through his bigger ones as he leaned into you. Be it deeper into his chest, surrounded by his strong arms like a ship drifting in the ocean. You spun around, back colliding with his broad chest as he caged you back in his hold. Lifting your hands up to swing with the wave of the melody, you felt him dive low into your neck, his breath whispering things over your skin. Disarmed by his broad form towering behind you, your arms fell back down, hands rushing to grab and tangle in the hair at the nape of his neck to shift the control back in your hands. He didn't let you, his strong arms sneaking back around your waist holding control back to him. You tugged on each other's restraint back and forth until you both let go of every worry, every inhibition, every rule, every barrier placed between you. Until it was only you and him on the crowded dance floor, bodies finding synergy with the raising synths, heartbeats rising just the same.

Spinning back to him, your hands raced up the front of his chest beneath his jacket. The pounding of his heart ran steady under your palm, the hard muscle underneath his shirt warming up with your touch. In all but a blink, your fingers laced around his neck while he pulled you in closer by the small of your back, faces falling closer than a mere breath away. Close enough to lay it all to faith and do something sober you would horribly regret. But she was so far away, stressing her pants off about life, so afraid to let go for once. Music-intoxicated you didn't care about a thing. Not about the bad boy beneath your arms, swaying too drunk on the feel of him around you. Not when the gaze in his eyes promised much more, gazing into yours with fire. Not too long and they fell on your lips. A beat and he leaned in for them. A puff of his hot breath on the rim of your bottom lip. His tight grip pulling your body into him. Nose brushing the bridge of yours. So close. Closer, you begged internally.

Kiss me, you nearly breathed out. Kiss me mindless and hard.

Do you believe in life after love? I can feel something inside me say I really don't think you're strong enough, no

The sudden change in tune had him halt. Painfully close. He dropped a curse just a nail away from laying his lips on yours. You whined audibly at the lack of lips missing from yours but the music swallowed it. The more upbeat disco rhythm ruined the growing sync between you. Demolished sounded more like it. The spark of the moment was all but gone in the blink of an eye. But the buzz was still there. As you backed up, his arms slid off yours almost reluctantly, like they wanted to hold you a little while longer. Too bad your conscience reeled you away. You felt the phantom warmth of his palms like a ghost holding you gently.

"I'm gonna go get us some drinks," you coughed awkwardly, taking a step back. Your hands fell off his shoulders aching to race back to hold onto them. You fisted them at your side, trying to push the tingles and the feel of him off your fingertips.

"Want me to come with you?" he asked, looking unsure of what just happened himself.

"No!" You shook your head at him way too fast. Music changing the mood, sober you was slowly inching back into your head with countless thoughts rapidly firing one after the other making it hard to make both your mind and mouth co-operate. "I mean no. It's okay. I'll be right back." With that you dashed away to the bar at the back.

What the fuck am I doing? We danced together??? We nearly kissed?!!! I wanted him to kiss me. Mindless and hard? Jesus Christ. We were so close to doing damage to everything. My career, my sanity, my dear lips," you stopped, unconsciously touching them. Dear god, this runaway trip feels more like a curse than a blessing.

Your hands all but smacked down on top of the bar, getting the attention of a few people and the bartender. Pulling them away with an apologetic smile you waved over the man behind the bar. He smiled at you in sympathy, as if he knew the mess rolling around in your mind at the moment all too well. "What can I get you?" he asked, getting a glass ready.

"The strongest shit you've got."

Right as you said that, the reminder that you were penniless and at the mercy of Naozumi's wallet had you grimace. Inching to take the order back, you were about to tell him to leave it when someone on your right called him over. She was one of the dancers you saw on the dancing platform when you stepped in the club. Her tan skin all but shimmered. Curly long dark hair fell below her waist, draping over her pink sequin dress to match the few rebel pink streaks in her looped curls, changing shades with the neon lights above. She seemed to be a foreigner, though she had very subtle Asian features and a different air about her. Her lips drove up to the bartender's ear with what must be an order, glancing between the mixing instruments in his hand and your conflicted, slightly confused stare. He plied himself away with a knowing look directed at her, shoulders sagging with the familiarity of her words. She flashed him a sweet smile and he had to surrender to her charm. You would too if she smiled that sweetly at you. Then, her green eyes glanced up at you as she motioned you over. Your feet moved to her spot with polite intent, as she pulled a stool out for you with a friendly smile.

"Hey girl, I got you covered," she patted your arm. "I told him to put it on my tab." Her green orbs dove up and down your face, frowning at the way your brows pulled together like they've always been that tightly pinched in stress. "Rough night?" she asked, her voice floating softer over the blaring music.

"You could say that," you scratched your neck awkwardly. "Look, thank you for paying. I forgot my wallet... home." In Fuji, actually. "I'll make sure to repay you somehow."

"There's no need for that," she shook her head. "If you're having fun and get to forget about your rough night, then consider me paid. Us girls have to stick up for each other every once in a while." Her brows shot up as she pulled her hand off the stool so you could sit. "Oh my, I'm Stella by the way. Come and have a seat."

You climbed the chair and spoke with her some more, getting to know each other. She was so easy-going you might just tell her all your secrets. She went by Stella down here at the club, working as a server and occasionally filling up the dancer platforms when she felt like letting loose. Her parents were of Japanese-American descent. She's grown up around the coast for most of her childhood, courtesy of her grandparents, and moved over from the mainland once she was old enough, trying to get her family off her case. A little while later, the introductions turned your way. She was stoked to learn that you were a rally driver. More so, as soon as she found out you came with Naozumi, her lips tipped up in a knowing smirk. She let on that he's Shirahama's most regular customer, doing more miles with his car to get down here than to spend them flying somewhere else more tropical and sunny.

"He's been coming down here for a couple years now. There's no season I haven't seen him walk through the door, even if it was just in passing or to say hello to everyone." Her hands wound up around her sparkly top, leaning forward on her chin to get a better look at you. "Though, I've never seen him bring anyone with him, especially all the way from the big city."

The way she said it made it seem as though you crossed some sort of dynamic bridge with him. "Does that make me special or something?" you joked.

The way her green eyes stilled cold with the blue hue of the lights told you there was a lot she wanted to say on the topic. But before she could tell you more, your drinks came through. The bartender laid down a cocktail glass for you and one for your new friend, pouring the contents of the cocktail shaker skillfully. The liquid had an interesting peachy shade, light on top and darker at the bottom of the glass. He added a cherry and a slice of orange on the side, telling you that it was called Stella's Special. The woman in question all but glowed as he said it.

"Let me know what you think of it and be honest, even if it sucks," she says. "I've been tweaking the recipe and I'm lost on what to change."

"The whole thing," coughed the guy behind the bar. Stella glared at him with a silent warning to watch it.

She didn't let on any other information on what it contained to not spoil your first taste. A bit skeptical, you clinked the glass with hers and threw it back together, letting it burn down your throat. The first hit tasted like a mix of vodka and martini, with a tang of citrus fruits leaving a sweet aftertaste. The next had a weird consistency to both tequila and rum. Whatever it was, it kicked your system into instant relaxation. Her eyebrows lifted up waiting for your review.

"It's exactly what I needed," you sighed, having another gulp of it. "Light but really strong, fruity and smooth, surprisingly all in one. It's really good." She clapped excitedly at your comment making you giggle.

"See, I told you it's good to go," she sounded pissed turning back to the bartender. Something told you he's had to taste test the cocktail enough to puke his guts out. His upcoming sigh of defeat only confirmed that.

"It might be Stella," he deadpanned, "but I'm not selling it as long as I have a bartender license to uphold. I like my job. Active and safe from a Consumer's Protection citation."

"Whatever. Be sour that I made my own drink and you won't ever figure out how to make an original one for as long as you live. Come on," she clinked her glass to yours. "Let's have some more of these, then we can go have some fun once you have some real fuel in you!"

Naozumi was racking his mind about the moment you just had. Well, it's been a while since that scene happened but he just couldn't get it out of his head. He liked it. A tad bit too much for his own good. He didn't mean to lean down and try to kiss you. Kissing you was not a part of the plan and he hoped it wouldn't ever get there. But with your hands tangled deep in his hair and his arms around your body, he got carried away. The change of music was truly unsolicited, ruining whatever he built up in him to do. As glad as he was for the interruption, a part of him wished the DJ never played that fucking disco song. Climbed right up his extremely disliked list.

Minutes passed by and there was still no sight of you or the drinks you disappeared after. He took off to the bar, pushing through the lost drunk dancers and the couples making out, thinking you were either getting a drink or someone managed to chat you up already. Getting to the bar, he looked left and right but there was no sight of you at all. Nodding to his bartender friend in greeting he talked to him asking if anyone ordered alcohol on his line. His friend said his tab wasn't opened by anyone tonight. That left his mind blank.

Where did she go? he wondered, looking around trying to spot you in the crowd drenched in strobe lights. Blue and red flashed and his eyes landed on the dancer platforms at the side of the stage. Moving away past them, his eyes fell on the one to the right of the DJ scene where a very familiar face was getting down with one of the dancers he knew. Drawing closer to the platform, his eyes caught on the dirty boots, riding up the dark jeans and an old band tee and realized it was you. Completely shitfaced by the looks of your lascivious dance moves. The hem of your shirt was tied together to expose your navel. Your hands were deep in your hair making it a mess, hips swaying wide to the side of the stand, feet padding dangerously close to the edge. He tapped your leg to get your attention. You looked down ready to shoo whoever touched you away with a boot to the mouth until you recognized Naozumi. A wide smile broke on your face as you waved at him.

"Fun's over, rookie. Get down from there."

"You told me to let loose. That's exactly what I'm doing, so no can do," you sang, continuing to move your hips to the music, sending his existence to oblivion.

He tapped the back of your leg again and you glared at him this time. "Are you always this complicated?" he asked.

You stopped dancing and leaned down to him with a brazen smirk on your lips. Hand moving of its own accord, you grabbed onto his chin trailing your fingers under it as if you were petting a dog for being a good boy. Naozumi was far from being a good one but that wasn't something you could change. What you were in fact able to change was his pestering.

"Oh, I'm not the complicated one here, mister," you bit back, a devilish smile matching his usual one stretching your lips. Your other hand tugged on his shoulder pulling him in close, letting your lips graze the side of his ear, as you whispered, "Unlike you, I know what I want."

"And what is that?" he asked, angling you down with a fire in his eyes that made something in your belly flutter. Ignoring that weird feeling, you simply smiled bright at him, unknowingly sending his wheels spinning.

"Why fun, of course!" you say, throwing your head back with a drunken giggle. Jumping back up unsteadily on your feet, hugging your dancer friend once more. She hugged you too as you sang together to the song playing.

At this point, he had better chances letting you run out of fuel than forcibly drag you away from the platform and into the car. So he let you dance it all out until you dropped, keeping watch from the side. One song passed, then another, until about ten of them went away and you were still dancing and singing like you drank heavy shots of espresso instead of the loaded alcohol scent he caught off your breath. He gave it a few more preparing to call your curfew soon.

The music coursed through you like an energizer. At one point you weren't even sure what you were dancing to. The songs all morphed into one melody, the rumble of the constant bass rocking your body giving you one solid beat to follow until you struggled to move your limbs past a half-assed twist here and there. You didn't have to move much to feel the joy of being free of all your burning worries, letting yourself float on the wave of music, drowning the world out to hear your inner one sing. You just had to look through your blurry eyes at your new dancer friend holding most of you up, swinging you side to side, and carry on feeling the freedom.

But slowly, your energy was depleting. You ignored it as much as you could, but that bout of exhaustion you ran away from all weekend hit you all at once. And it hit you hard. The boots on your feet weighed like heavy lead every time you lifted them to take a step. It was impossible not to blink at the flashing lights like they didn't annoy you to hell and beyond. You swayed, blinking away at the lightheaded feeling gripping you with force. Stella leaned in to tell you a joke but you barely registered it before starting to laugh uncontrollably, unable to process her words past the blur of her mouth moving. Whatever she said must have been funny because you shook on your feet as you laughed and hiccupped, clutching your stomach in jolly pain. The lights spun in dotted lines all blue and too bright. Your steps backtracked, tangling over each other until you stumbled over the edge of the platform, blacking out for a moment.

Naozumi saw your knees wobble and bolted up to reach you. Strong arms wrapped around your waist and the back of your knees, holding you up as your arms wrapped around his neck out of reflex, the one thing that was still working with you. He blew a breath of relief that he got to you before you could kiss the floor and break your skull. Or something else Kate would most likely put him six feet under for.

The world around you fell to a complete blur, feeling yourself free fall to the bottom of something. Shaking away the heavy feeling weighing on your lids, you blinked multiple times to clear the fog. The force surrounding you felt cushiony, soft, weirdly safe. Your mind struggled to catch up with you as your eyes rode from the platform you just stood on to what looked like a person at your side. A familiar face spun in your field of vision like they rode a merry-go-round around you, pivoting side to side until Naozumi's serious face became clearer. His jaw looked tense up close, so close you could see his lips parted in shock and his eyes swimming with worry. You squinted, trying to figure out if you were seeing things or this was actually a really worried Naozumi you were seeing. You gaped at him for a moment, zeroing in and out of focus on him and the world around you. Then you simply giggled with a messy hiccup, smiling sweetly at him as you buried your head in the crook of his neck.

"I think that's enough fun for tonight," he spoke, fixing you in a better position in his arms. Seeing as you were completely out of it, making wide blinky eyes at him, like one of those colorful pocket-sized lizards that smiled at people before biting them, he took off through the crowd with you safely secured in his arms.

He made his way out of the club through the other entrance connected to the beach, carrying you the way back to the car. The waves lapped at the shore splashing one after the other in the dark of the night, calming to hear after the loudness of the music. So calm your eyes drifted closed, your legs swinging left and right supported by your humble transport, feeling as if you were in the sea and the waves were lulling you into a dreamless sleep. Until a smooth, deep voice with a hint of sweet alcohol broke through the silence, calling your name. It took a handful times but your attention was finally on him.

"What did you drink at the bar?" He sounded concerned, glancing at the way your lids dropped every so often.

"Your friend Stella has the prettiest green eyes I've ever seen," you say, drawing your head back on his shoulder with a drowsy smile. "She ordered her special for me."

"Of course she did," he chuckled. "You drank that atomic liquid bomb with all but a panini sandwich in your stomach?" You nodded. "How many did you even have to get this drunk?"

You lifted your hand to eye level trying to count the number of pink umbrella glasses on your fingers. You got as far as your fourth but your memory blurred beyond that point. There might have been more but you weren't that sure about it. He looked between your narrowed eyes and the struggle to keep your fingers straight as you counted beside your hand and knew the answer weighed heavily on way more than four. And even one of those was enough to send you in a coma.

"I hope they give you kids champagne on the podium."

"You think I can get podium?" you asked, eyes fixed on him, fingers tapping the rhythm of the song playing back at the club on his shoulder as a small giddy smile graced your lips.

His brown eyes flickered in the dark settling on your face. That smile of yours was a wonder to him. Now, in all the weeks he's known you, he's barely seen a real smile fall on your lips. At some point he thought you forgot all joy somewhere, locked in a briefcase with a number combination that you could collect after working your seriousness off on the job. But tonight, he finally saw it. You were smiling so much, letting all that cheer explode from deep inside you with a brightness that would put the glow of sunshine to shame. His serotonin counter broke somewhere after the third one you flashed him while wildly dancing on that platform, unaware of just how fast those drunken smiles of yours made his heart race. If you gave him any more of those, he might just pop a leg and get knee damage before he made it to the car with you.

"I think you can do whatever you put your mind to," he spoke, eyes falling over your winged eyes, sparkling in the light of the bright moon.

"You can put me down now."

He lifted a brow in doubt. "You sure you can balance your wheels?"

"I'm sure," you nodded with a tight-lipped smile, the kind children have when they're being entrusted with a big responsibility for the first time.

He obliged, letting you down from the safe hold his arms had around you. The moment your feet touched the sand, you took off your boots and so ks tucking them inside and started running along the beach, laughing at how good life felt. It hasn't felt this good in a while. Just having the lights blinking up the hills and the roiling waves of the dark sea in sight made you feel like you were floating on a cloud, away from the mundane responsibilities of life, enjoying the present like nothing else mattered. Because at times when the stress of helping the team get back on track and deliver results called, everything mattered, big or small, insignificant or trivial. But everything was too much to handle sometimes. Take for example how this weekend treated you, kicking you up and down the roads of Fuji, running over your hopes and dreams until they turned to almost unsalvageable roadkill. After all, this impromptu trip was like a distraction sent from the gods. Especially Naozumi's sweet friend with the pretty green eyes and her special liquor. That friend made your weekend much better.

Naozumi let you run away as far as you wanted. He didn't run after you. He just sat back walking beside the path of footprints you left in the sand, keeping an eye on you just in case he had to gather you up from the sand. Slowing down, you turned around running backwards through the small waves breaking at your feet, looking back at him. Once that smile of yours appeared, he felt compelled to grin back just as wide.

He thought you looked more like yourself now, in the middle of absolutely nowhere, than you did this weekend in the one place you seemed to love the most. A part of him was glad he threw that little revenge plan away back at the shoot, asking you to come with him. He could tell you were stressed out of your mind these past few days when you didn't reply to his annoying remarks at all, not even on a hard wedge of his shoulder into yours in the line to get food or an inappropriate teasing remark thrown your way, keeping that serious look with furrowed brows on your face at all times. A look that he knew too well. The independent fix-it-all, available nonstop for each and every soul, acting like all was fine to keep the stress at bay when there was a war waging inside of your own, refusing to just be indifferent and let things go when the world was running faster than you could ride it.

That same part of him was also glad that you listened to him and let loose a little tonight. You ran backwards again and stumbled falling on your back in the sand laughing. The grin on his face fell, concern replacing it again. He got ready to run to your side when you got back up to your feet like nothing happened, giving him the thumbs up that you were fine before taking off running again. Maybe you let loose a little more than he recommended. But you were laughing making him laugh to himself. He's seen you getting your hands dirty by working on cars and braiding flower crowns, and still, he felt there were more layers to you. His own curiosity wanted to pick apart at those layers one by one, until he got to the core of you.

He finally caught up with you stopping a few steps by the water. Squatting down in front of him, you made wide eyes at a coiled sea shell that washed up on the sand with a really adorable look on your face. You had that childlike wonder in your eyes as your pointer poked it, looking at it like it was some sort of magical tool. If your eyes glimmered any more at it, he thought you'd start believing everything was possible if you wanted it to be by the power of the magical sea shell. Crouching down to you to get a better look at the pursed smile on your face, he wondered where your mind ran off to again.

"What did mini you used to dream about?" he asked, looking between you and the shell.

"To see my dad happy," you replied in a heartbeat, nodding in agreement that current you wanted the same thing. "Well, mom too, obviously. And Tanaka. And Kate. And everyone! But him especially."

Your eyes moved away from the seashell, focusing on the big waves rolling out at sea, as if looking after the spark of a hope that your dream was almost done being crafted. Almost on its way to you. Almost in your hands. Almost real.

"If dad will be happy and live his life without all that worry he's been carrying around for sooooo long, then I would say that my dream came true," you said, smile turning meek on the edges. "That's all I've ever dreamed about. I want to make it come true. No matter how long it takes."

A shrill breeze blew from the sea, sending chills down your arms. You shook like a duckling with your cheeks puffed. Naozumi pulled off his denim jacket, wrapping it around you as best as he could without stepping on your precious new find. He picked up the little seashell and placed it in the front pocket of the jacket, patting down the pocket so you knew where it was in case you happened to look for it. His hand brushed a lone strand of hair away from your face, falling to your arm to rub some warmth into you.

"Come on, Dora the Explorer. Let's get back to the car before we freeze our seashells out here."

He helped you get back up on your feet and tucked you under his arm, taking you the rest of the way back to the car. The cold sand crunched under your feet, toes already on the brink of becoming mini icicles. Stopping to pull your boots back on, you held Naozumi's arm for balance, sliding your feet back in the warm comfort of your boots. Then you ran ahead of him until you reached the car's trunk. You let the latches open and the gate fall before running over to your luggage in the back clicking the keys to unlock the car. Rummaging through it, throwing clothes all over the backseat, you found your long fluffy blanket. Rounding back to the back you climbed up, with a little help from Naozumi pushing your legs up as you crawled over. Confused, he watched you lay the blanket down for most of the length of the trunk bed before sitting down holding your hand out to him with a smile. He grabbed it and you pulled on it hard with a giggle so contagious he couldn't help but laugh too as you struggled to pull him up without sliding off yourself. Finally up in the back of the car, you had a way better view of the high cliffs hugging the coastline and the dark sea splashing up on the shore. Golden bundles of yellow lights flickered from one end of the coast to the other, from little houses way up on the hills, to the bigger hotels down on the shore, mixing in with the midnight blue sky and the sea, both drenched in almost complete darkness. The waves crashed on a calmer tide and the wind blew, but not enough to make the air cold, rustling your hair in a twirl from time to time. The peace of the night made you sigh in content.

Naozumi unwrapped the lid of a water bottle handing it to you. You looked at it with a pout shaking your head. He insisted, pushing the water your way once more. You reeked of alcohol and dehydration was not a good thing to go by after a rally weekend. He's felt that on his own skin way more than he cared to remember. You whined audibly, pushing it away from you like it would do you more harm than the shit you already consumed.

"If you want to puke your guts out first thing in the morning, then be my guest."

That sentence alone made your guts roll in horrid anticipation. With a scoff, you took the bottle, drinking a good amount of it before handing it back to him. He set it aside, bringing up his knees to lean his arms over them in a brooding lean. You noticed he was doing that thing again - zoning out somewhere too far away from here. The earlier easy look in his eyes turned heavy with something he seemed unable to let go of.

"What are you so in deep thought about?"

"Nothing," he sighed.

"I think you should let loose a little too. Come on, tell me what's on your mind."

"I didn't realise this was twenty-one questions."

"Need I remind you you owe me like three truths? Now come on, spill one. I'm letting you choose the first one out of courtesy," you said, making a short curtsy, bowing your head with a hand roll. The pun had him chuckle, smiling down at the floor.

"You're welcome to start off with what's bothering you because I can practically smell something's been on your mind ever since we fell in that damn flower field two days ago."

"Oh, yeah? How come?"

"You notice things when you become a driver," you said, tapping your temple in intellectual manner, giggling as he followed in tow.

"Okay," he nodded. "One truth."

He thought long and hard about what to say. Knowing you, the other two most likely had thoughtful questions prepared.

"I...," he started, making you lean in with curious eyes. Then he sighed. "I have nothing. I don't know what to tell you."

"What are you chasing after when you drive?" you blurted out, trying to kickstart his brain a little.

"I'm not chasing after anything," he retorted, looking back at you. You had that look on your face that told him to watch the bullshit.

"I'm asking for truths, not denials. I can tell you're chasing after something important." Your eyes moved back to the sea, thinking back to what you told him a moment ago, about your dream. "We all drive for a reason or another."

You weren't wrong. He did race for something important. A motive so important and sacred to him that it haunted his waking moments more than he wanted to let it plague him.

"It doesn't matter what yours is," you shrugged. He was puzzled at the step you took back all of a sudden. Looking back at him, you searched his raven eyes and asked, "But there is one, isn't there?"

"Yeah. There is," he replied right away. "You race for your father. I race for someone too, hoping I can stop time just enough to keep them here with me longer."

Something told you that was as much as you'd get out of him for now. A reason to put your life on the line was better than living life with no meaning.

"That's good enough of a truth for me," you smiled, bumping your shoulder into his to lighten up the heavy mood falling over you.

Laying back on the blanket with a sigh, you looked up at the sky just in time to see the clouds clear a little. He laid down beside you too, trying to spot what you were looking at so absorbed. There were countless stars above you, blinking down at you. Through the faded blur in your eyes, you tried focusing on a brighter one among the many sparkling in the sky, stifling a yawn.

"Whenever I see the stars," you started, "I try looking for the brightest one to place a wish upon. There's so many of them, floating out in space with unspoken wishes." His dark orbs fell on you as bright as the stars above. "So many prayers hoping to be heard. Even more dreams waiting to come true to those who want them badly enough."

Your eyes fell on him briefly before they ran back to the star you found to land one more wish upon. "Do you think dreams come true?" you asked him.

He followed your line of sight upon a star, flashing a bright, intense fiery red - a red giant. From what he knew about them, they were stars that don't live that long, going close to end their lifespan before other celestial bodies around them. Placing a wish on them was like wishing on a shooting star, to do it quick and fast before it faded, unable to put real meaning into it, but with the peace of knowing that your wish was out there in the universe for longer than a burning second in time. He's never sat down to contemplate the universe like this but he had a lot of unspoken wishes in him. Maybe there was some magic in letting it out in the open to make your heart rest easy. Even if it's just for a while.

"I think that anything can come true if you truly want it," he said softly. "You just have to believe in it enough to make it real."

His eyes fell from the star on you to see you were fast asleep already. A deep chuckle fell past his lips. While he contemplated his limited knowledge on philosophy and the wonders of outer space, your hands tangled around his forearm pulling it closer to your chest like a child hugging their favorite stuffed plushie to sleep. Your face nuzzled in the muscled bump of his arm, trying to soak up all the warmth his bicep could offer. Your cheeks puffed up as you breathed in and out lightly, all curled around him as your battery ran out completely.

Unable to conceive what came over him, he unwrapped your hands to pull you closer into his chest, fixing his jacket around you better. Brushing your hair away from your face and down your back, he couldn't take his eyes off you, sleeping soundly in his arms. He's held a lot of women before, in more passional and less comforting ways, always to get that rush of anger out of his system, never to get attached for too long. But he's held none of them so gently as he held you. And you didn't even want him near. No woman ever made him feel this strange need to chase, hunt and taunt until he ran out of weapons and backup plans. No woman has ever refused his satisfaction as many times as you did, throwing his words right back at him every chance you got. And normally that would make him stop chasing. But not with you. That only made him think of other plans, chase after you faster, coming in way stronger than he's ever done with anyone else.

But no matter what he did, you wouldn't fall like the rest. You weren't like them. Because very oddly, none of them fit so right in his arms like you did right now. Safe, warm and not his to hold.

Thank you for reading! :) Taglist: @ellisaworld @howimeetyoukit @jonnelpunk @nadlx33333 @fancifulrealist @iamnotxevil

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John Constantine's mugshot is my roman empire

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『𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐒.』

𝒔𝒎𝒖𝒕/𝒔𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 : (m) || 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒇𝒇 : (f) 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕 : (a) || 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒖 : (s)

𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒚 {m} ─ 𝐛𝐲 @moon7jay ✙ 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆 {m} ─ 𝐛𝐲 @simpjaes ✙ 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒔 {m} ─ 𝐛𝐲 @asahicore 𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 {m} ─ 𝐛𝐲 @ncttytrack 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 {m} ─ 𝐛𝐲 @seokgyuu

𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 {m} ─ 𝐛𝐲 @yeonzzzn ✙ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 {m}{series} ─ 𝐛𝐲 @ja3yun 𝒗𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 {series} ─ 𝐛𝐲 @yeonzzzn 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 {m} ─ 𝐛𝐲 @muntitled

─ 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐰𝐨𝐧 | 𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐠 | 𝐣𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠 | 𝐣𝐚𝐞𝐲𝐮𝐧 | 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐧 | 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐨𝐨 | 𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐢 ─

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You're in love with this criminal??!

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