Abandoned Airplane, Abandoned Life #36
The next day, Han Dae-jin woke up and headed down to the first-floor living room to take a quick look around the house. But that plan failed the moment Kim Ji-hyun, lounging on the living room sofa, spotted him.
She dragged him straight to the underground garage where they'd parked the car the day before. The first things that caught his eye were the Saab 9-5 race car and the Saab 9-3 race car that he'd glanced at and passed by yesterday.
But instead of those, Kim Ji-hyun showed him the Saab 9000 Aero.
"This is the Saab 9000 Aero. What do you think?"
"Somehow... it looks insanely fast."
Han Dae-jin had a gut feeling just from the cluster of gauges crammed into the 9000 Aero's dashboard. At least 300 horsepower...
"In its prime, it pushed over 400 horsepower. But we detuned it to 300 for mission protection. It was my little brother's street machine."
Han Dae-jin nodded at Kim Ji-hyun's words. Then she led him over to where the 9-5 and 9-3 race cars were parked. The dust-covered racers looked so neglected it was hard to believe they'd ever move again.
Kim Ji-hyun opened the door of the 9-5 race car for him.
Cleaner interior than expected. But what really stood out was the carbon fiber dashboard and the long shifter for operating the sequential gearbox.
"My brother couldn't fully adapt to paddle shifters, just like you. He'd keep brushing them accidentally. You know how there's that thing in AHAD tests? Like hitting the spacebar."
"Yeah."
"That's why we built it with a stick shifter from the start. 7-speed sequential. Power's around... 350 horsepower, but it'll need an overhaul. It's been sitting untouched for years since the last run."
No sooner had she finished than Han Dae-jin noticed the tire gum stuck to the worn slick tires, the ground-down brake disc surfaces, and the AP Racing calipers that looked pretty aged.
"Why Saab, of all things?" Han Dae-jin asked.
"It was the car my brother wanted to drive to the end. He saw its potential."
Han Dae-jin stared at her, still not quite getting it. Without missing a beat, she opened the door of the 9-3 race car with her name on it. The 9-3 had paddle shifters. Looking at the engines, the 9-3 gave off that typical tuned race car vibe, but something felt off about the 9-5.
"This..."
"Right. No DI. Instead of integrating DI and Motec, we fabbed a bracket and ran Honda coil packs."
Han Dae-jin didn't fully grasp it, but he could feel some tremendous energy from that engine.
"Wanna take it for a spin?" Kim Ji-hyun asked.
"Nah. I just got my KARA C license. This thing looks Super Grand Prix GTA level."
Han Dae-jin chuckled awkwardly, and Kim Ji-hyun grinned.
"Someday..."
She said that, closed all the doors and hoods, and led him back up to the first floor. After a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs and milk, Han Dae-jin got ready to leave. Kim Ji-hyun explained that her family was overseas on vacation, so only her and the house staff were home.
"See you later."
She walked him all the way out to the garage exit. As Han Dae-jin drove off, he flashed his hazard lights at her in thanks.
Back at his Osan officetel, Min Hee-yeon was crouched out front, glaring daggers as she waited. The second he got out, she stormed up and slapped him across the face.
"I told you not to do the autocross. Why'd you lie?"
Min Hee-yeon yelled, leaving Han Dae-jin speechless. Yeah, he'd told her he was going on a trip with friends, but really he'd gone autocrossing.
"Sorry..."
"Did you fuck that bitch? How many times? Why say you'd be back same day and show up now? Huh?"
Min Hee-yeon screamed, and Han Dae-jin let out a hollow laugh.
"I didn't fuck her. And I was just so tired, I crashed there."
The moment he said it, she slapped him again.
"You fucking asshole."
She followed him inside the second he opened the door.
"You eat lunch?" Han Dae-jin asked.
"No."
Min Hee-yeon snapped, flopping onto the bed. He sat beside her and looked at her. She shot him a death glare.
"Why stare like that? I like this life—what the hell do you want from me?"
"It's bad for your future, that's why I'm stopping you. You think I do it for fun?"
"Ah... but for me, this is..."
"I don't wanna hear your pretentious bullshit."
"Can't you try understanding me a little?"
"I understand you within normal limits. This is beyond that. I'm gonna fix you. I have a duty to make you a proper person."
Han Dae-jin let out a long sigh at Min Hee-yeon's words. Maybe feeling bad for unloading, she snuggled back into his arms.
"Please... don't do that."
He had no response.
"I..."
"You can find yourself without that shit. Just trust yourself a bit."
She kissed him again. After sending Min Hee-yeon off, Han Dae-jin started editing the autocross footage. While cutting, he slotted the dizzy onboard clips and Yoon Ha-rin's crash into the opening. Once editing and subtitles were done, he kicked off encoding and flopped back onto the bed.
Why the hell do I even meet that woman? Why does she cling to me?
The answer was starting to click. I can't keep getting controlled like this. I'm me. You're you. She's her.
Han Dae-jin mulled over Kim Ji-hyun's words. Encoding finished, he tweaked the thumbnail, uploaded the video, then posted the Yoon Ha-rin crash as a Shorts. Views exploded again.
3,000 subscribers. YouTube was hitting its stride for Han Dae-jin, and he even had a decent fanbase. He smirked, scrolling real-time comments.
Then Han Dae-jin spotted one from Yoon Ha-rin.
Han Dae-jin replied right away.
He pinned her comment immediately after.
That evening, Kim Ji-ho was getting hammered at a Songtan bar with her friends. She'd finally wrapped up the divorce she'd been dying for, handing custody to her ex and standing alone again. She was scraping by on savings, but she'd need a part-time gig soon.
Kim Ji-ho lit a cigarette and cracked another bottle of soju. Her friends watched with worried eyes.
"Ji-ho, ease up on the drinking."
One friend said.
"Fuck... life sucks dick. Dumped by my husband. Can't even get close to that remarriage-pushing fucker. My life's a joke... Hey, remember? Back in high school, living with that bastard and getting kicked out."
"Come on, drop it."
"Let's hit a club, fuck. Get up. Get up."
Kim Ji-ho and her friends paid up and hit the streets. They wandered Songtan until they ducked into a club popular with GIs.
Inside, they danced and partied, but Kim Ji-ho bolted to a table of black guys after bottle offers. Friends tried to stop her, but no chance.
She scored champagne and whiskey from the black GIs, chatting in broken English. Their eyes marked her as prey.
Kim Ji-ho left the club with the GIs. She clung to a buff black GI's shoulder, screaming as she piled into a car with US plates. The drunk-driving soldiers sped to a motel and hauled her in.
Kim Ji-ho stripped with them and started sucking their huge black cocks. One GI grabbed her legs, slung them over his shoulders, and ate her pussy raw. She burst out laughing like a maniac.
Legs spread wide, she gave her ass to the GI below and her pussy to the ones charging from the front. Fierce orgasms left her body shaking uncontrollably.
The next day, after the GIs bailed, Kim Ji-ho scrubbed the cum-soaked mess off in the shower, threw on her clothes, and staggered to the bus stop, chain-smoking.
That was life.