Partners In Speed - ver. 1 (Street Racers #2)

33: Taehyung

July, next year

Every day I wonder if my life can get any better than it is.

Living in a new apartment with my boyfriend (also known as my soulmate) and a puppy Poodle named Boogie.

Joined business with my best friend – after a lot of evening conversations on Jungkook's heavenly couch, watching Yeeun and Wooshik bond over card games, we decided to work together. He found a replacement for his position in the store, and we now work together in the car repair shop. Less work for each, more clients, better money, more freedom - setting our own schedules, racing around the country whenever we feel like that.

And this, racing whenever I feel like that. That's one of the biggest, and best, parts of my life, but not all of it. I do whatever I want now. Whether it's holding my boyfriend's hand in public, taking up painting classes, spending the whole day at home with Boogie - if I want it, I do it.

I wonder, and I do believe it can get better than this. But for as long as I'm happy, I don't bother trying to make it better.

Yesterday, on Saturday, I won the infamous old Dodge Charger. Sundays are days the four of us – me, Yeeun, Jungkook, Wooshik, spend together almost every week. Racing each other, fixing the cars we won or doing any other thing that comes to our minds. My social circle isn't big, but it's perfect. Enough to make up for all the people I've never had.

"One year and the engine is done," I say, standing on one side of the opened hood. Whoever had this car before pushed it to the edge.

"Let's put a new one in," Jungkook says, on the other side of the car. "We can take the engine from the Maserati and put in here."

I chuckle, wiping my face with the shirt I took of the moment I opened the door to the garage. This July's incredibly hot and the AC is broken, so working half-naked is the only option. "Do you think it will handle a Maserati engine?"

"We have to see."

"The clutch needs work, too," I says. "It's hard to switch the gears above three. I'd it exchange it before anything. And the starter, too."

Jungkook tilts his head, steps back. "Can we paint it white? That green is jarring?"

"I wanted black."

"Half and half, then?" he says, and we agree with a high-five.

I've always wanted to upgrade that car, but upgrading it with a friend is even better. Every day I'm just enjoying my life more and more, and I care less and less. Whatever people would say about it, about me or my life, it wouldn't bother me at all. Not anymore.

Jungkook chuckles. "Do you think it will handle nitro?"

"I'll make it handle nitro," I say. There is a lot of work to be done, before this car can get nitro and not fall apart in three seconds, but it will be worth it.

From the back, sitting on a counter with Wooshik, Yeeun says, "And they were so hot for this." She takes a sip of the iced coffee they are sharing, no one bothered to help. They've always preferred to watch their half-naked, sweaty boyfriends.

Jungkook looks at her, laughing.

"Like, I know what they are doing, but I'd rather sit here and watch," Wooshik says. Obviously.

I point at him. "You can watch, but not Jungkook." Considering Jungkook is now hitting the gym more often and has tattoos, I feel justified saying this.

"I'm only watching you," Wooshik says, smiling. Over a year and I'm still giggling whenever he says something like this, or does something slightly flustering.

They call it honeymoon phase, and I hope it lasts for a long time.

"So am I," Yeeun says. Jokes about me and Yeeun are a daily reoccurrence, and Jungkook is the only target for them.

He crosses his arms on his chest. "Excuse me?"

Her smile grows, straw between her lips. "You know I'm kidding."

Our relationships are stable and secure. Everyone has their eyes set on the right person, and it's hard to change it. Within our circle or outside of it – attractive people come and go, and we are all too serious to be fucking around. But playing around like that is our thing.

He steps back, eyes narrowed, and points between Yeeun and Wooshik. "Then why are you sitting on Taehyung's side?"

"Because I have a better view on you like that," she says, drawing an invisible line.

Jungkook falls silent, convinced, and his smile is nowhere near innocent.

"Stop doing that." I throw a dirty towel at him.

He catches it against his arm, chuckling. "Doing what?"

"I know that look, and no blowjobs are allowed in this garage."

His eyes grow, and he throws the towel back at me. "You mean you are gate-keeping your garage for that purpose, because I refuse to believe you didn't have your dick sucked here." He shakes his head and turns to Wooshik.

"You're right," Wooshik says. I have no allies in here anymore.

I point at him, laughing. "Unfair." Then I point between Yeeun and Jungkook. "You have no rights to speak after you fucked on my backseat."

The way they look proud because of this is outrageous. But also not surprising at all. Rotating our cars for purely sexual purposes, without the others knowing, isn't anything new. Maybe we are overly comfortable at this point.

But there is more pros of it than cons. And I wouldn't trade my life as it is now for anything.

I cherish everything, and everyone, that I have, and everything I have and will become. And everything I am now.

I am happy, and it's all I've ever wanted to be.