The Sun Still Rises
Caster: "Here comes Gu Eun-jae! She's diving right in! Looks like she's gunning for the win with a downhill braking move right behind the slipstream on the straight!"
Gu Eun-jae, behind the wheel of a stock car machine from a team entered in the Super Grand Prix organized by a major tire company at Yongin Circuit. She had just overtaken the car ahead right after the back straight, pulling up alongside into the corner. But her face showed more bewilderment than confidence. No pressure on the brake pedal—it just sank right in the more she pressed. At this rate, barreling into the corner would mean a massive crash. Right before the corner, her eyes caught a blue machine: Kim Ji-hoon of Blue Motorsports. She tried to stomp the brakes to the floor, but in the end...
Caster: "Oh no, what's happening with Gu Eun-jae! She collides with Blue Motorsports' Kim Ji-hoon without even slowing down! Both cars—Kim Ji-hoon and Gu Eun-jae—slam straight into the wall! They're completely wrecked! Massive damage visible on Kim Ji-hoon's driver's side..."
Commentator: "Gu Eun-jae even spins out mid-crash, goes airborne, and rolls several times. She's barely hanging on the fence separating the stands now. No idea if either driver is okay."
Caster: "And now, Blue Motorsports' Kim Ji-hyun pulls over... She can't decide whether to rush to Gu Eun-jae or Kim Ji-hoon first—she's panicking. Officials are holding her back..."
In the meantime, Gu Eun-jae finally cracked her eyes open. A hazy voice pierced through: Kim Ji-hyun's.
"Ji-hoon! Ji-hoon!!! No!!!!!!"
"Driver, calm down!"
"Let me go!!!!"
Gu Eun-jae heard it, but the crashing pain that followed kept her from moving an inch. Rescue team pulled her out. Her consciousness faded.
Gu Eun-jae woke from the dream at 5 a.m. Dawn was just breaking, and her Seongsu-dong apartment held no other life besides her own. Gasping, she scanned the bedroom. A massive framed nude photo of herself from her 40th birthday hung on one wall. Trophies from acting awards and races lined the shelves. Her racing suit hung right there in the closet.
She dragged herself up, shuffled to the kitchen, grabbed water from the fridge, chugged it, then collapsed onto the living room sofa. She lifted her left wrist and stared quietly. Knife-like scars from a few years of intense self-harm still lingered.
At the same time, Han Dae-jin and Lee Hyun-woo had just wrapped up—god knows how many times—their assault on Dongmak, parking at Dongmak Beach. Traffic was starting to pick up. Moments ago, Han Dae-jin had watched in awe as Lee Hyun-woo exploited the Avante N's traits, shoving its nose into every corner and whipping it around. The majesty of the Avante N hit him hard. A crystal-clear picture of his most realistic goal formed in his mind.
"How was it?" Lee Hyun-woo asked quietly.
"Fuck, I want one so bad..." Han Dae-jin said.
"Then buy it."
"Truth is, the Science 3rd Unit was a gift from Mom. No clue what to do with it. Ask her permission to sell...?"
Lee Hyun-woo just chuckled. "Just do it."
"Huh?"
"Man up and tell her straight."
As Lee Hyun-woo opened his mouth for more, his phone rang. His girlfriend.
"Hey babe."
"When you coming? The lawyer's been waiting forever. I'm ready to head out."
He said okay, lit a cigarette. "Time to head back?"
"Yeah. Home by 7-ish."
Lee Hyun-woo finished his smoke, told Han Dae-jin to hop in. They both climbed aboard. He queued up some Eurobeat from a JDM anime, backed out, and blasted toward Seoul. At the hairpin exit from Dongmak Beach, he wrestled the rear end with steering and throttle like it was about to snap loose. Han Dae-jin, phone battery dead, was deep in the zone instead of filming. Through the next corners, Lee Hyun-woo tightroped the lines between guardrails and center lines. Han Dae-jin just marveled in silence.
"The big bro who taught me said never hit the windings. Lines get too tight."
"Ah!"
"And one more thing! You never know what'll happen on a wind."
With that, he grazed the guardrail clipping the right-hander that appeared. Then the chicane—he braked lightly to slow, then flowed through smooth, minimizing curb use.
Back at the cafe. Kim Ji-hyun squatted smoking; Lee Hyun-woo's girl vaped beside her.
"Good?" Kim Ji-hyun asked Han Dae-jin.
"Fucking great. Gotta get an Avante N."
"Lady here's gotta bounce, so drop Hyun-woo off. Me and this dumbass are hitting McDonald's."
Lee Hyun-woo and his girl said bye and vanished. Han Dae-jin fired up the Science 3rd Unit, tailing Kim Ji-hyun's M3 to the McDonald's in Janggi.
They parked, went in, ordered randomly. Food hit the table; they demolished it.
"Sun's up—no trouble?" Han Dae-jin asked.
"A 40-year-old auntie into car meets? Who'd bitch? Dumbass."
"Honestly didn't peg you for 40."
Kim Ji-hyun smirked. "You can tell I worked at a big corp. Know my way around society."
"So why single?"
"Work, cars—too much hassle. Guys love law firm boss Kim Ji-hyun, but street-racing thug Kim Ji-hyun? Not so much."
She slurped her cola. Han Dae-jin went quiet.
"What? Like older women?"
"Honestly, that affair chick's older too."
"Don't go for aunties. You'll pop early like a premature punk when you fuck young ones."
She grabbed a hash brown.
Next evening. Han Dae-jin finally stirred, checked his phone. Kim Ji-ho called right away, as expected.
"What's up?"
"The fuck, you piece of shit—do I need a national holiday to call you?"
He flinched a bit. "N-no... Family out again?"
"Nah, all home. I'm at the convenience store grabbing shit, smoking my ass off. You perverted horndog fuck."
He cleared his throat. "Got it. So, plans tonight?"
"Put Miso to bed, crash. You got something?"
He eyed Lee Hyun-woo's message: Can you make Coffee Special at 11 tonight?
"Eh, heading out soon, might swing by."
He wrapped up, prepped to go. Hit Coffee Special first, chill, meet Hyun-woo.
Arriving, he spotted the usual crew's rides: Ilsinsa sedans, Avante Sports, wrapped Eliza, etc.
Greetings to the juniors, then inside.
"Hey, Kiwi punk! That 9THSILVER vid of yours tanked hard!"
The Cafe Owner greeted warmly. Han Dae-jin grinned, ordered an iced Americano.
Chatting with the crowd, Lee Hyun-woo rolled in. Greetings, then inside to the table with the owner and wife.
"You two look like brothers."
Awkward laughs. They reviewed each other's onboard vids, debating feedback. Lee Hyun-woo said no need to ditch the Science 3rd Unit—just swap brake calipers, suspension, pads, hoses, upsize tires to high-grip.
Han's jaw dropped.
"Not dying for an Avante N, are ya?"
"Honestly, yeah I am. But..."
"Haven't decided yet."
"Yeah."
"Wanna drive mine tonight? You know stick?"
Han blinked at the sudden pitch. "Huh? Nah, driving it myself..."
"Gotta feel it. C'mon."
Lee Hyun-woo dragged him out. Han Dae-jin, forcibly in the Avante N's seat, adjusted, fired it up smooth—clutch bite perfect, rolling out.
"Damn, good on manual," Lee Hyun-woo said from shotgun.
"Course simple: Ilsan Bridge."
He hit the main road, U-turned, accelerated into the underpass toward Ilsan Bridge.