Chapter 26 – The challenge

“Remember Amber, FOCUS.” Victoria unnie told me before I start my engine.

I simply nodded as I pumped my fist and put my helmet. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment to gather every little bit of courage, energy and everything I’ve learned from the past few days.

FLASHBACK

“You sure have been so quiet lately Miss Amber Liu.”

It’s the usual lunch break and I’m trying to put my mind and feelings into ease as the day of the challenge is nearing.

Without looking at the girl who uttered those words, I answered, “I’m just thinking of some things.”

“You sure are overthinking things.”

“Yeah… I think so.”

I told her as I closed my eyes and inhaled the fresh air and feel the wind as it touches my skin. Are you going to find me weird if I say that just like this, I’m happy that we’re breathing the same air? That the air that touches her skin also touches mine, that I feel that somehow we’re connected and that I feel the same as her? I want to know her more, be one with her and feel her sadness, dividing it into two… multiplying her happiness into two.

Anyway these past few days I’ve been thinking a lot about the challenge. That’s the reason why I’ve been too quiet lately. I’m trying to hide my mixed feelings of excitement and fear but as the day comes near me, those feelings just get stronger and stronger that I don’t know if I’ll still be able to contain my feelings or I’ll just burst out and be a crazy man.

“Do you think the person that I like will also like me?” I asked her as I opened my eyes and observed the clouds above us.

She looked at me for a moment and in the corner of my eyes, I saw her smiled.

“Why not? I think you’re a cool person.”

I then faced her and looked deeply into her eyes and asked, “What if you’re the person I like and I confess my feelings to you? Are you going to just take my heart and throw it away? Or will you give me a chance to prove my feelings for you?”

She was surprised with my sudden question. She looked confused, maybe asking herself if I’m serious or if I’m just playing tricks with her.

Still not being able to find the answers to my question I cut her thoughts and looked up to the clouds once again and uttered, “See? It’s easy to say Soojung. It’s easy to say that that person might or will also like me. It’s hard to say the probabilities…”

“It’s hard to say the probabilities because I myself doesn’t know who that person is. How will I know the probabilities if I don’t know how she thinks?”

“What if I tell you that she thinks exactly like you?” Because it’s actually you in the first place.

She averted her head to the clouds and paused for a little while. Is she getting my hint?

“Maybe if I’m that person… I won’t say no or yes right away.”

I shot my glance at her with a perplexed expression.

“… I don’t want to close my doors right away. If, for example, a person like you confesses to me and that I know that person for a long time and know that he or she ain’t that bad, I think I’ll give that person a chance.”

END OF FLASHBACK

With a lot of things at stake, there aren’t rooms for any mistakes. I looked to the side of SNSD and found my opponent who’s wearing a hoodie. I can’t see her face because she’s already wearing her helmet.

Weird.

I wonder who she is. She’s not one of SNSD since I can see all nine of them seating on the bleachers. I hope that Jessica Jung isn’t cheating and will actually ask a pro drifter to drive against me. Besides that, she hired those three judges. I hope they aren’t biased. But according to Vic unnie, Sica is serious and professional when it comes to things like these. She’s not the type of person who’s cheap to cheat in order to win.

“Ready Amber?” Vic unnie asked me over the earpiece.

“Yep. I was born ready.”

“Alright. You can now drive towards the starting point and wait for the go signal. Relax Amber… FIGHTING!”

I drove towards the starting point and inhaled deeply, closed my eyes for a sec, and opened them as I exhaled. I looked intently at the signal.

Five red lights were lit up.

One was turned off.

Three of them are now are lit up.

I can already feel my heartbeat getting faster, pounding harder. This is it.

There are only two of them now.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

One red light…

I put my right hand on the gear stick while the other hand remained on the steering wheel.

*HONK*

I pushed the gear to the left and then forward as I stepped on the clutch. I then stepped on the gas as I released the clutch.

END OF Amber’s POV

The black awkward-looking car started to gain some speed. The nine girls and the one who’s wearing the helmet held their breaths as the car approaches the first curve.

Amber did what Donghae taught her and she was surprised with how her eyes and body reacted like drifting was a natural thing for her. Transferring the weight of the car in front and losing traction on the back, she was able to drift cleanly without losing much speed.

“Looks like she practiced a lot.” Yuri mumbled as she watched her new friend on the track.

“That car… is Donghae’s.” Jessica whispered, but loud enough for the tan girl to hear, giving her a slight pang on the chest.

“Is it?” She asked the shorter girl with a forced smile, trying to hide that awkward feeling to the girl. She’s successful anyhow, since Jessica is too focused on the ro