〘CHAPTER 12〙
The morning air hung heavy with the scent of damp concrete and faded tire marks - the usual signs that the Humming Bird Crew had been here countless times before.
This cracked lot behind the old train depot had become their second home, a sanctuary of speed and sound, now eerily silent under the clouded sky.
But today felt different.
There was a weight to the air, something unspoken threading between them like a brewing storm.
June stood with his arms crossed, brow furrowed, staring at the faded paint lines that used to guide their drills.
"I just don't get it..." He muttered, his voice tinged with exhaustion.
"The last race barely ended and now this?" He sighed, rubbing his temples "Why is the organizer pushing this so hard? It's like they're trying to wear us down".
He wasn't wrong. The last race had drained them - mentally, physically and emotionally.
Jay hadn't even unpacked his gear.
None of them had.
Dom - in his usual layered jacket despite the warm breeze, dropped onto a rusted folding chair.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand across his upper lip and grimacing.
"Even my mustache feels sore" He complained, half-joking, half-serious "This is not fair~ I haven't even had a full night's rest since that mess of a final round".
Shelly leaning against a nearby lamppost with arms loosely folded, let out a soft laugh "You two act like we've just come back from war".
Her eyes sparkled with quiet mischief, she walked over to Jay, resting lightly against his arm.
"You're unusually quiet..." She said gently, tilting her head to catch his gaze "What's on your mind?".
Jay didn't respond right away.
He stared off toward the street where the sunrise struggled to pierce the clouds, the city still in its early hum.
His voice, when it came, was low and distant "Just... thinking, I didn't expect the next race to come so soon either".
He didn't say it, but the weariness in his eyes told the rest.
Jay wasn't just physically tired, something deeper gnawed at him - uncertainty.
Maybe.
Or the pressure of leading the Crew through another brutal gauntlet.
Vinny - who had been absentmindedly tossing a small rock between his hands.
"It doesn't matter how soon it is" He spoke with a calm confidence that perfectly matched his steady nature "We can't afford to fall behind! If we rest too long, someone else gets the edge. We start next week - same place, same time".
His tone left no room for argument.
He wasn't being harsh, just realistic.
That was Vinny's way - always looking ahead, planning, making sure the Crew didn't crumble under the weight of their own doubts.
There was a pause, then a collective murmur of agreement.
Even Dom - still rubbing his face like he was trying to erase his fatigue, gave a slow nod.
June groaned quietly, his voice a mix of complaint and acceptance "So we're back on the grind, huh? Guess we're signing up for more bruises and late nights".
Shelly walked by him and gave a playful pat on his shoulder "Fighting!" She chimed with a grin, her energy infectious even in the gloom.
But the mood shifted again.
Dom - always the one to ask the questions others avoided, leaned forward and asked "Wait... what are the rules this time? Is it still one-on-one qualifiers or...?".
Jay blinked, pulled from his thoughts.
He fished out his phone, scrolling through the organizer's message "No... this time, it's Crew versus Crew. The whole Crew runs together but the twist is - only one of us needs to finish first for the Crew to move to the next round".
"Whoa..." Dom said, eyes widening slightly "So... strategy matters even more now".
"It's not just about who's fastest" Vinny added "It's about coordination, pressure and timing".
June stepped forward, fists clenched at his sides, a fire returning to his eyes "Then we make it count. We can win this! We've done the impossible before".
There was a long moment of silence, then a few scattered chuckles. Heads lifted, shoulders straightened.
Even Dom cracked a grin.
Shelly clapped her hands "Now that's the spirit!".
They began to chatter again, bouncing thoughts and banter back and forth, slowly reawakening that electric pulse they all shared.
But even as laughter returned to the circle, Jay remained still.
He didn't join in the laughter, nor did he echo their cheer.
He was thinking.
About the roads ahead, the risks.
About what it meant to lead - not just to win.
His eyes met Vinny's for a split second, the two exchanged a silent understanding.
Then Jay finally spoke, just loud enough for them all to hear "Alright, let's give 'em something to remember".
〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜
"Bye, Aria!!" Terry called out, waving so enthusiastically his hand practically blurred.
His grin stretched wide across his face, eyes full of that simple, earnest joy that made him so easy to like.
Aria turned around and waved back, her pink hair catching the sunlight as it danced in the morning breeze.
"See you later, Terry!" She called, her voice light and cheerful.
As she walked away, her smile lingered, soft and thoughtful. These days, she found herself smiling more - laughing a little more, too.
Getting to know Terry had been... unexpected.
What started as a string of awkward run-ins and accidental conversations had gradually turned into something warmer, something lighter, something real.
And in many ways, it had saved her.
Because Aria used to have a different kind of heartache.
She used to like Jay Jo a lot.
No, she loved him.
Or at least, she thought she did.
It wasn't just a fleeting crush - it was the kind of quiet admiration that settled in her chest and refused to leave.
Every little thing about him fascinated her.
The way he adjusted his gloves before a race, the way he moved like he belonged on the track, the way his usually distant expression would soften around the people he cared about.
She had his photo as her phone wallpaper for over a year.
She'd go to all of his races, standing somewhere near the back, never drawing attention, just watching, holding her breath whenever he took a turn, celebrating silently when he won.
She'd memorized his habits, his likes, his Crew members' names.
All without ever getting close.
He was her world - her everything.
Until Shelly came into it.
At first, Aria didn't understand what was happening. She only noticed that Jay had started smiling more, looking up more.
Shelly was always nearby - laughing, teasing, cheering. Her presence was impossible to ignore, like sunlight breaking through a cloudy sky.
When Aria finally realized what was going on - that Jay had fallen for Shelly, she thought her heart might collapse.
Normally, anyone else in her shoes would be angry.
Or bitter - jealous.
But Aria couldn't bring herself to hate Shelly.
In fact, that was the hardest part - Shelly was everything Aria admired and everything she wasn't.
Beautiful, radiant, confident and so kind.
Too kind to hate.
"I don't have the right to hate her" Aria had whispered to herself one night, clutching her pillow as tears slipped quietly down her cheeks "She didn't do anything wrong".
And it was true.
Shelly didn't take Jay away - Jay was never hers to begin with.
So Aria made a choice, she decided to let go - to stop trying to chase something that was never meant to be hers.
It hurt, terribly at first.
But over time, she learned how to turn that pain into something softer.
She became a fan instead of a secret admirer, she stopped trying to figure out how to talk to Jay and started figuring out how to talk to herself.
How to heal - how to move forward.
And then Terry happened.
He wasn't smooth or mysterious or stoic like Jay, he was goofy. Honest, clumsy to the point of comic relief sometimes but he tried and he listened.
When he smiled at her, it wasn't from a distance - it was right there, meant only for her.
Aria had never expected someone like Terry to walk into her life.
But now that he had, she was starting to believe she deserved happiness too.
As she passed a convenience store nestled on the corner of a quiet street, the automatic doors slid open and out walked a familiar figure holding a heavy bag of groceries.
Aria blinked, startled "Shelly sunbaenim?".
The blonde turned at the sound of her name and smiled "Aria?".
Aria immediately bowed politely, her posture stiff from nervousness "Good afternoon, Shelly sunbaenim".
"You don't have to be so formal~" Shelly chuckled, shifting the bag in her arms "Want to sit for a minute?".
They took a seat at the plastic table just outside the store, the small plastic chairs creaked under them as they opened cartons of milk bought from the store.
The afternoon sun warmed their backs, the quiet hum of passing cars filled the silence between sips.
Shelly turned to her, curious "So? Where were you headed just now?".
Aria tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear, cheeks tinged pink "I... I'm going on a date with Terry".
Shelly's eyes lit up with surprise "What? Really? That's so cute! Congratulations!".
Her voice bubbled with genuine joy "How long have you two been together?".
Aria fidgeted with the straw in her milk carton, clicking it nervously "Um... we just started dating recently, it's still new".
Shelly grinned, placing a gentle hand on Aria's shoulder "Well~ I hope you two are really happy together. Terry's a good guy - maybe a little chaotic but sweet, I think he really likes you".
Aria smiled, feeling warmth in her chest "He's... different from what I expected, but he makes me laugh and he's always kind".
They sat like that for a few minutes longer, chatting about small things - the weather, the Crew, random local gossip.
But beneath the surface, Aria felt something shift.
She had dreaded the day she'd have to speak to Shelly face-to-face, she thought it would reopen old wounds.
Instead, it gave her closure.
As Shelly rose to her feet and picked up her bag again, she gave Aria a playful wink "Tell Terry he better treat you right or I'll come after him".
Aria laughed softly "I will. Thank you, sunbaenim".
"See you around, Aria~" Shelly waved before walking down the street, her golden hair catching the sun.
Aria watched her go, a quiet awe in her eyes.
"She's amazing" She thought, the admiration genuine, not tinged with envy "No wonder Jay likes her so much".
Then she smiled - not with sadness but with peace.
Her phone buzzed, she turned on and saw a message from Terry.
From Terry🥦:
"I got us a spot at the arcade! You better not beat me at racing again 😤".
Aria giggled and typed back.
To Terry🥦:
"No promises 😋".
She looked up at the sky, the blue stretching wide and open.
And for the first time in a long while, her heart felt the same.
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