My teenage years were a blur of bad decisions and mistakes that I made just to feel that quick rush of adrenaline and remember that I'm alive. So alive and full of yearning for freedom, that my heart wants to burst at the seams and spill over the edges of the racing track. I found a temporary home behind the wheel and I was content with how things were going right now - days wasted at the go-kart ring with Jaemin, nights spent chasing freedom in the outskirts of Tokyo. But things can't stay the same forever, no matter how much we want them to. Life is always changing. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
My youth was starting to slip through my fingers, but I wasn't ready to become a grownup, not in the slightest.
The air held the scent of burnt tires and the go-kart ring was full of sweaty teenagers in racing suits. Some were lounging on plastic chairs on the edge of the track and drinking cold lemonade, others were racing against their friends. I was on the side as well, sitting on a stack of tires and scrolling through the phone that I stole from Mark Lee. I was supposed to give it to Baekhyun, but after seeing that video of him and his lover's attempt at a double suicide, I was no longer sure of his intentions, so I couldn't bring myself to answer his calls.
'' I don't get it. Why does Baekhyun want this phone? '' Jaemin asked and shook his head in confusion. His pink hair was tied in a low ponytail and the heat at the go-kart ring made him take off the upper part of his black racing suit and tie it around his waist. His white t-shirt was still sticking to his back with sweat and he was trying to cool himself by fanning his cheeks with his hands. '' This phone is full of shitty games and embarrassing selfies. Who still plays Angry Birds these days? Not to mention the videos of this guy's rapping. Or how he keeps getting phone calls from his mother. He gets more messages from her than his actual friend. ''
'' He does, huh? '' Jaemin's words made me realise how there was something strange about this. I wouldn't think much of Mark's friendship with his mother if he was a regular loner, but he wasn't. Back at the race when I stole his phone, his cheetah print car was surrounded by ten people that all wanted to talk to him and earn a fragment of his time. There seemed to be no real reason for him to receive so many messages from his mom instead of actual friends.
I clicked on the texts that Mark received from his 'Mommy' and my eyes slowly grew wide with shock. '' I should've known! The name was just a cover! These are actually the messages from his boss, the leader of the Yamazaki crime syndicate! Well, he might really call his boss like that, but that's none of our business... Either way, this is what we were looking for! ''
'' Wow. '' Jaemin widened his eyes at the sight of the messages where Mark's boss wrote about all kinds of things that he wanted him to do, from burying someone that was known as Rottweiler, to delivering drugs to the port of Tokyo. '' This is even more graphic than the text messages that I get from my mom when I forget to take the chicken out of the freezer. I'm too pure to even understand what half of these insults mean. ''
'' Really? My sister hates texting, so when I get in trouble, she usually just hits me with that stone-cold call me, we need to talk about something, '' I mumbled and shuddered at the memory of the last time that I received a message like that. It was right after Jaemin, Donghyuck and I ditched school for an entire day, so that we could go watch the last show of a popular traveling circus. We thought that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we couldn't afford to miss it, but Momo didn't agree with our reasoning. According to her, we didn't need to go to a circus because we were already a bunch of clowns.
'' What does the last message say? '' Jaemin asked, stretching his neck, pushing his cheek against mine and trying to see what was written on the screen.
'' If you don't come to see me tonight, you can consider yourself dead, Marker. '' I cringed and turned my head towards Jaemin, only for my nose to brush against his. The close proximity of our faces made me blush in embarrassment and quickly push him away. '' I'm scared, Jaemin. ''
He ran through his pink hair with his hand and nervously asked: '' When did he receive this? ''
'' Yesterday. A little after I stole his phone, so he hasn't seen it. ''
'' Shit, Miki... You're a murderer. ''
'' What?! I'm not! '' I snapped and shook my head in panic. I almost screamed when Mark's phone suddenly buzzed in my hand and announced that he received a message from someone called December 13th. I tried to throw the device at Jaemin, but he quickly tossed it back to me, as if it suddenly turned into a lump of hot coal. Neither one of us wanted to keep it. '' Jaemin, I think that stealing this phone might be the worst thing that I've ever done. Well, if you don't count that one time when I opened a bunch of albums in a store and purchased only the one that had the photocard that I wanted. ''
Jaemin dramatically gasped and placed a hand over his heart. '' You monster! You should be in jail for that! ''
Cue to me being done with Jaemin for the thirteenth time today.
Or is it the fourteenth time already? I'm beginning to lose count.
I was smacking the back of his head and kicking him until the stack of tires that I was using as a chair, suddenly flipped over. He smirked in triumph when I landed flat on my back, but I quickly picked myself up again and clenched my fists in a sudden wave of determination. '' I have decided! I'm going to do the right thing and return this phone to Mark! ''
'' Why did you even go through the trouble of stealing it in the first place? '' Jaemin asked and frowned in confusion. I told him that I plotted the theft with Baekhyun, but I didn't say why he needed it. Mostly because I had no idea either.
I ignored Jaemin's question and thoughtfully stroked my chin. '' But where do I find someone like Mark? ''
Jaemin frowned, clearly annoyed that I ignored him and bluntly replied: '' Where do you find someone that angered a yakuza boss? There's not a lot of option. Mark hasn't seen the text message about getting killed, so I think that we should start looking... In a graveyard? Or maybe at the bottom of the ocean? Should I get my snorkeling gear ready? ''
'' Stop saying that he's dead! I don't even want to consider that possibility! ''
'' Let's go to a race then, '' Jaemin suggested and shrugged. '' I know who Mark Lee is. He likes showing off his car and being the center of attention, so he goes to a lot of races. If he's still alive, we'll most likely find him there, right next to the finish line. ''
'' What? ''
'' I've been keeping a secret from you. ''
'' So that really was you at the race yesterday! '' I gasped and pointed at him in accusation. '' Why didn't you tell me? ''
He nervously smiled, lowered his eyes at the ground and scratched the back of his head. '' To tell you the truth? I'm pretty bad at it. ''
He wasn't wrong about that. Except that he wasn't just bad. He was horrible.
Fast forward a few hours into the future and I was sitting on the passenger seat of Jaemin's red Ferrari, holding onto my seatbelt and screaming. His hands were on to the steering wheel and his eyes were shifting from one mirror to another. Sweat was gathering on his forehead and he was trying to keep himself together until my panicked yelling finally made him snap. '' Stop screaming! I can't concentrate if you keep trying to fracture my eardrums with your high notes! ''
'' Why are you driving like we're in Mario Kart? This isn't a video game! If we get a game over, we die and stay dead! We don't get a second try at life! '' I screamed, slapped my hand against his cheek and turned his head towards the road ahead of us again. That night, the race began at an abandoned factory in the outskirts of Tokyo and led all through the city. Jaemin was competing against nine other racers and all of them were way more skilled than he was
The last of the nine cars just passed us, with the driver honking like there was no tomorrow, waving in our direction and almost peeing his pants from laughter. I managed to stop screaming and show him my middle finger just before he got on the emergency lane and sped forward.
'' Great, we're the last ones now! Why do you even race when you're so bad at it? Knitting sounds like a more appropriate hobby for you. Or becoming the president of Jeno's fan club. Which reminds me - I still don't understand how you lost that position when you are the only member of the club. ''
Jaemin gritted with his teeth in anger and started accelerating. He was switching lanes, darting between cars and almost hitting most of them. He had the courage to go fast, but his reflexes weren't good enough to speed through heavy traffic like the one in the center of Tokyo. Here, you had to have a second pair of eyes on your back and always pay attention to everything. Otherwise, it didn't take long before you caused an accident. I often read newspaper articles about horrible crashes and even deaths that happened during races like this one. Sometimes, it wasn't even the racers themselves that lost their lives, but innocent civilians that found themselves at the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Jaemin tightened his grip on the steering wheel and veins appeared on his arms. '' Going to the go-kart ring and racing against you, Jeno and Donghyuck is fun and all, but it can't compare to this. I live for this adrenaline rush. It's like a drug to me. Even more than green tea Kit Kats. A... I also have a crush on one of the flag girls. ''
'' I'm sure that you'll impress her with your incredible racing skills, '' I sarcastically murmured and rolled my eyes. I was going to clown him for his unrealistic crush, but I changed my mind when Jaemin punched my shoulder and almost crashed the Ferrari. '' I'm just kidding, okay? You'll totally get together one day. ''
Jaemin was speeding down the highway and trying to catch up with the others, when another race car appeared out of nowhere. I instantly noticed the striking green McLaren and watched it accelerate, until it was right next to us. The tinted windows made it impossible to see who was driving, but I didn't even consider that they could have something against us until they suddenly turned the steering wheel to the left and hit the side of Jaemin's Ferrari.
'' Shit! Someone is trying to send us off the road! '' The window by my side smashed into pieces and Jaemin protectively wrapped his arm around me, attempting to shield me from the flying pieces of broken glass.
My heart was beating so fast that I could hear it in my head. '' M-Maybe it was an accident- ''
Just then, the McLaren hit us for the second time.
'' Or not, '' I corrected myself and let out a nervous laugh.
Jaemin tried to escape the green race car, but he was struggling because of the traffic. Whoever was driving the McLaren, was very skilled and they were easily keeping up with us and hitting us every chance that they got. Just when the situation started to look hopeless, another race car appeared in the rearview mirror and I instantly recognized Baekhyun's blue Honda.
He is here and suddenly, I feel like everything is going to be okay.
We crossed a bridge and Jaemin drifted through a sharp turn. The McLaren was going to take that as a chance to send us flying over the railing on the side of the road and falling into certain death, but Baekhyun had other plans. He drifted through the turn just like we did, except that he was on the other side of the red Ferrari and keeping us from getting pushed off the road.
The window on Jaemin's side smashed into pieces and I caught a glimpse of Baekhyun, holding the steering wheel with one hand and switching gears with the other. There was a concentrated expression on his face and he didn't seem the slightest bit worried. After the turn, he sped past us, quickly changed lanes and hit the breaks. The green McLaren almost crashed into his Honda before the unknown driver turned the steering wheel to the right and slowed down. Both of the vehicles disappeared somewhere behind us.
I sunk back in my chair, closed my eyes and released a deep sigh. '' We're safe. ''
A moment later, we heard police sirens.
Shit.
I opened my eyes again and nervously smiled at Jaemin, who was glaring at me with a murderous expression on his face. '' I'm going to kill you, Miki. You really couldn't stay silent, huh? ''
'' How is this my fault? '' I protested, looking around and trying to figure out where the sirens were coming from, until I noticed the roadblock in front of us. The cops were stopping every car that passed them and asking the drivers for their license. '' Do you have anything illegal in your Ferrari? Otherwise, you can just slow down and show the police your driver's license. ''
'' I forgot to mention this earlier, but... '' Jaemin innocently smiled and admitted: '' I made a tiny mistake when I left the house. I accidentally took my library card instead of my driver's license. If the police stops us... We're fucked. ''
'' What?! How did you do that?! Since when do you know where the library even is? ''
'' Now it's not the time for that! I have this conversation almost daily with my mother, who thinks that I should focus more time on my studies! '' Jaemin snapped and looked at me in desperation. He usually didn't mind getting in trouble, but this was different from breaking the rules at school and ending up in detention. If he would get caught driving without his license, in a Ferrari with broken windows, the police would surely think that we stole it and take us to the nearest station.
Now that I think of it... Where did Jaemin even get this Ferrari?
His family was pretty rich, but not this rich.
What if he really did steal it?
'' What do I do, Miki? ''
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked into Jaemin's eyes, glowing in the flashing red and blue lights of police sirens. His parents often threatened to send him abroad if he won't change his rebellious ways and he knew that getting arrested would earn him a first-class ticket to China, where he would be forced to stay at his grandmother's goat farm. He already went there once, as punishment for getting a really bad report card.
The farm was in the middle of nowhere and he couldn't even get phone service unless he hiked on a nearby mountain and climbed on a tree that was on the very top of it. It was exhausting, but he still did that on most days throughout the whole summer. Sometimes even multiple times a day, depending on how long his phone battery lasted.
'' Let me do the driving from now on. You just hit the gas pedal when I tell you, okay? '' Jaemin was confused and scared but he still did what I asked. He hit the gas pedal with his foot, I reached over him, grabbed the steering wheel and turned it to the right. Tires screeched against the asphalt, we left the main road and sped down an empty alleyway. My eyes glimmered in determination. '' Let's play for real now. ''
'' The finish line is the opposite way, '' Jaemin reminded me and pointed somewhere over his shoulder.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance and hissed: '' I'm pretty sure that we've already lost by now! Let's just focus on dodging any other police roadblocks! I'm also a bit worried about running into that murderous McLaren again. ''
Jaemin and I were racing around Tokyo and dodging police roadblocks for quite a while before we stopped the car on the top level of a parking garage, where I stumbled outside, fell on my knees and leaned against my hands. My head was spinning from everything that happened that night. I didn't realise that someone followed us until I heard the sound of an engine and quickly jumped on my feet. I tried to back away and get into the damaged Ferrari again, but I was too slow.
My heart skipped a beat at the sight of a McLaren, even if it was black instead of green. Then, a familiar person stepped outside of it and my eyes grew wide in disbelief.
Jeon Jungkook, in the flesh.
His hair was messy from speeding through Tokyo with opened windows on his car and there was a smile on his lips. '' You thought that I forgot about you, huh? ''
'' That's exactly what I was hoping for, '' I admitted and took a step back.
'' Let me tell you something... There's a snitch among us and my boss put me in charge of finding them. I'm still investigating, but I'm beginning to get an idea of who could they be. First, your sister almost has everyone killed. Now, you join one of the races and the police sets up roadblocks all through Tokyo. Don't you think that's strange? One of the racers got arrested and the others barely managed to escape. There is only one way that the cops could've known about the race. Someone told them. ''
Shit, things do not sound good for Momo and I.
How am I going to convince him that we had nothing to do with it? Even I am starting to wonder if perhaps Momo is the snitch.
'' It's a coincidence. ''
'' I don't believe in coincidences, '' Jungkook bluntly replied and ran through his hair with his hand. '' My boss doesn't believe in coincidences either. There's three drug deliveries that were supposed to happen tonight, but they got called off because the police set up roadblocks on every street of Tokyo. Do you have any idea how much money you cost the Yamazaki family? ''
'' Stop looking at me like that! I'm not a snitch and my sister isn't one either! '' I snapped and clenched my fingers into fists. Just then, Mark's phone started buzzing in my pocket and blasting at full volume: '' Damn it feels good to be a gangsta- ''
Talk about the worst timing possible.
'' I would recognize that stupid ringtone anywhere. '' Jungkook's eyes were like two pools of darkness. He had his doubts before, but now, he was certain that I couldn't be trusted. '' You're coming with me. ''
'' I know that this looks bad, but... I just borrowed the phone, okay? I s-swear that I was gonna return it to him- '' I stopped myself and mentally cursed when I realised that saying that I found the phone on the ground, would be a much better and more convincing lie, but it was too late for that now.
'' I don't care, '' Jungkook interrupted me. '' You can explain that to Mark yourself. ''
Out of nowhere, something hit the back of my head and knocked me off my feet. I didn't even notice that Jungkook wasn't alone until it was too late. I landed on the ground with a loud thud, warm blood trailed down my neck and the world quickly faded into darkness.
I woke up to my body rolling down the stairs of someone's basement and landing in the middle of marihuana land. To say that I was confused would be an understatement. My head hurt like hell and in the first moments of regaining consciousness, I had no idea what happened to me or how I found myself in the middle of someone's weed laboratory.
My head felt cloudy when I slowly sat up and looked around. Hip hop was playing somewhere in the background, the air held the sweet scent of weed and there were so many plants that I couldn't even count them.
The first clear thing that I saw besides the drug, was someone's to do list, hanging on the orange brick wall. There were only three things written on it: Bury Rottweiler. Buy cat food. Raise hell.
Where the hell am I?
My gaze traveled over the tall marihuana plants and I wondered if I found myself in some kind of really weird purgatory, before I caught the distant sound of Jungkook's voice and noticed how I wasn't alone. A boy with fire red hair was sitting by my side, keeping an eye on me and simultaneously wrapping bandages around his bloodied arm. For a moment, we just stared at each other in silence, then he flashed me a smile and called over his shoulder: '' Oi! Jungkook! Mark! She's awake! I forgot what we were going to do with her! Should I prepare my shovel? ''
Shovel? Why would he need to prepare his shovel?
I was staring at the redhead in shock until Mark Lee himself, wearing an orange hazmat suit, protective glasses and breathing mask, crouched down by my side, stared directly into my eyes and ominously announced: '' You are in so much trouble, Miki. ''