Battle with the Boyfriend Complainant (2)
"Hey, fuck, I'm kinda sorry, bro. If I'd known ahead of time, I would've called through Jong-jin hyung and sorted this shit out nice and clean."
Lee Hyun-woo said that to Han Dae-jin. The meet spot was Dongmak Beach. The J1 Racing team members had already headed out first, and Han Dae-jin was just about to roll out himself when Lee Hyun-woo hopped into his own car. Only then did Han Dae-jin finally start his engine.
The whole drive to Dongmak, Han Dae-jin was wrapped in tension. From what he'd heard, the opponent was a veteran driver who'd put up big numbers even in the TC1600 races. Made sense—Min Hee-yeon sitting next to him was five or six years older, after all. Han Dae-jin glanced at her in the passenger seat and let out a sigh.
"What's up?" Min Hee-yeon asked.
"Just wondering if we really have to go this far."
"Be a man..." Min Hee-yeon teased half-jokingly to lighten the mood, but Han Dae-jin's worries didn't settle that easily.
After a long drive, the group finally pulled up to Dongmak. The J1 Racing crew who'd left early, along with other spectators, had already taken over the beach parking lot. Han Dae-jin barely squeezed into a spot and parked.
As he stepped out, Min Hee-yeon's boyfriend complainant grabbed her arm to drag her off. But she shook him off roughly.
"Get that fucking hand off me."
"I was so serious about you."
"And that's why you're pulling this bullshit?" Min Hee-yeon shot back, and tension rippled across Dongmak Beach in an instant.
"Here's how the battle goes. You take the lead—if I can't pass you, you win. We'll do a full round trip; first one to hit the beach wins."
The boyfriend complainant laid out surprisingly simple terms, but Han Dae-jin knew damn well it wouldn't be easy. Without a word, he climbed back into his car and fired it up.
As Han Dae-jin's Avante N and the boyfriend complainant's car peeled out together, the roar of their exhausts faded toward the hairpin at Dongmak Beach.
Right after the hairpin, Han Dae-jin was reeling from the veteran driver's ferocious assault. The guy was exploiting his mechanical LSD to the max—sharpening the nose into each corner, forcing Han Dae-jin to chase his tail. Han Dae-jin floored it to make the most of his E-LSD, but understeer was creeping in more and more.
The complainant's line was kissing the guardrails and center line alternately; Han Dae-jin was already crossing the center or missing the rails clean.
Blasting through the high-speed S-bends to the right-hander before the chicane, Han Dae-jin tapped the brakes. Downshift to second, then turn. But in that split second, the complainant glued himself to Han Dae-jin's rear.
If this keeps up, he'll pass me.
To blast the chicane with minimal braking, Han Dae-jin feathered the brakes, set his motion first, and dove into the left corner by crossing lanes. The Avante MD followed that line right away. Next was the right. But Han Dae-jin was already rattled by the MD's brutal exhaust snarling right on him.
The chicane ended, and soon Han Dae-jin and the MD reached the three-way bridge. The group slowed, turned in the nearby empty lot, and prepped for the return leg.
With Han Dae-jin in front, the trailing MD flashed its high beams. Han Dae-jin kicked up dirt and launched. The MD chased like a maniac, crossing the three-way bridge again.
Chicane again—left then right. This time, Han Dae-jin went full throttle. Eyes locked on the clipping point. Steer in. Too fast? Panic hit; he eased off. The car started to slide! Countersteer saved it, but the MD had already blown past.
Now chasing the MD, Han Dae-jin's only shot was the power section ahead. No quit in him—he dove inside on the left corner right after the chicane, pulling alongside.
"What the fuck! This crazy bastard..." The complainant yelled, his voice barely cutting through the roar.
Han Dae-jin claimed the inside line through the left, tilting the high-speed power straight into his favor. Side by side, refusing to shake, they cleared corners until the blind S-section, where oncoming cars appeared.
But Han Dae-jin stayed on the gas. The complainant freaked.
"You mad fuck! Slow down!" He honked wildly into the corner, but Han Dae-jin ignored it.
Oncoming cars two corners out. Suddenly, the complainant braked; Han Dae-jin swerved lanes to dodge the next one.
The MD's owner lost it—right as Han Dae-jin braked into the blind S, he rammed the rear bumper to unsettle him. But Han Dae-jin wasn't falling for the same trick twice. Countersteer locked it down, and he surged ahead.
"Fucking psycho..."
The MD owner lined up again at the last left before the hairpin, eyeing a block. Hairpin was right—the MD planned high corner speed to cut him off.
But then—
"Gah!"
The MD spotted an oncoming car at the hairpin, slammed brakes, and fell back. Han Dae-jin finally breathed, rolling into the beach lot. He cracked the window, threw up a fist.
Victory.
Pulling into the beach parking, J1 Racing folks gawked at Han Dae-jin in shock. Another scrape on his right rear bumper.
He climbed out to Kim Ji-hyun and Min Hee-yeon rushing him, hugging tight.
"You did it, you little shit! Fucking nailed it, my boy!" Kim Ji-hyun yelled.
"You did good..." Min Hee-yeon said, eyes glistening.
Meanwhile, the MD guy finished a grim chat with J1 Racing staff and approached Han Dae-jin. Han Dae-jin braced—time to bounce?
"You're good."
"Thanks."
"Spot open on our team if you're interested. Thinking TC1600 next year? Here's the team leader's card." The MD driver handed over the middle-aged team leader's business card from the back, who nodded politely.
Han Dae-jin took it awkwardly, mumbling thanks.
After the drama, Han Dae-jin ended up at a motel with Min Hee-yeon. They went at it like animals on the bed. Han Dae-jin pounded relentlessly into her spread legs. Sweating buckets, he flipped her on top as she straddled and ground her hips.
He groped her tits, arousal spiking. Finally, he came inside her. Min Hee-yeon wiped the leaking cum with tissue and slid off, lying beside him.
She smirked at his hands still on her chest.
"Like 'em?"
"Winning feels good."
"But this shit's addictive and illegal. I heard—wrong-way driving too? What's the point of going that far?"
"Hundreds of reasons to win, zero not to."
"Is chasing victory there really the answer?"
"For me, yeah."
"That's a delusion."
Holding her side as she spoke, Han Dae-jin pulled her close. She turned, kissed him.
"Trophies come from society. You get nothing here—circuits or streets."
"At least it gives you belief you can win."
"Nothing emptier than belief."
"Why?"
"Victory's just luck and skill."
Han Dae-jin sighed long. Luck and skill. They drifted off like that. Next morning, hangover soup at a nearby joint for breakfast. Heading home, he glanced at Min Hee-yeon, thoughts swirling. How's she taking this life? Why keep coming if she hates it?
He dropped her at her Yongin place with those questions.
"Get home safe. Hit me up if you're out tonight."
"Sayonara."
Han Dae-jin drove off. Sheet metal repair loomed again. The worry hit hard.