‘Give me a shout when you need directions,’ he said, then stretched himself out in the seat and closed his eyes!

[FLASHBACK]

‘What do you think?’ Hwang Chansung, his co-driver, came up beside him. This would be the first time in three years that they would be racing in the same boat. Seungri just give him a shrugged.

‘Are you sure you are up for this?’ Seungri questioned, keeping his voice level and his eyes fixed on the monitor screen.

Changsung was feeling annoyed by Seungri’s question. ‘If you don’t want me in the boat with you, Seungri, then just damn well say so.’

There was a reason why Seungri had asked the question in the first place. Changsung’s emotions seems unstable today. He shown bad temper and spent the last hour snapping at anyone who speak to him and now he was snapping at Seungri. It was not the best frame of mind for him to be in control of the powerful boat.

‘In case you have forgotten, Seungri, I own half share of the company.’

Changsung’s angry tone made Seungri set his teeth together to stop him saying something he might regret. So they co-owned the company. So they shared everything together under the company’s name for the last five years.  But this would be the first time they would be driving the same boat together. This was the first time that Seungri had allow Changsung to take the seat next to him.

And why had he done that? Because the stake to win this one last race of the season is too high. His usual co-driver got a flu and Changsung  was, without question, the best man that fit the seat. So, Seungri convince himself that despite the crack in their friendship the two of them could be professional about this. But when he turn up today Changsung was not behaving his normal behavior.

‘We used to be close friend,’ Changsung said with low voice. ‘I made one small mistake and you—’

‘Sleeping with my wife was not a small mistake.’

Seungri’s icy voice sent chill to his skin. ‘She was not your wife back then.’

‘No.’ Seungri turned his head to look at him for the first time since the conversation begin.

‘You, however, were my best friend.’

Changsung tried to hold his gaze. Guilt and frustration struggle inside him for a seconds before he sighed and looked away.

‘What if I told you it never happened?’ he said abruptly. ‘What if I said I made up the whole thing to break  up you two?’

‘Why would you do that?’

‘Why would you want to throw your life away while we had a long way to go on with our career?’ Changsung hit back with frustration. ‘You still married her anyway. Do Suzy know what I said to you? You didn’t tell her, did you.’

Seungri looked back at the monitor screen, his mouth was clamping shut into a hard straight line.

‘Suzy can’t know,’ Changsung muttered, as if he was talking to himself. ‘She was too nice to me.’

‘Is there a purpose in this conversation?’ Seungri asked with irritation. ‘We have a race to attend and it’s obvious that I have no wish to discuss the past with you.’

‘OK, we have the go!’ A cue from their team manager break through the tension whirlpool around the two men. Seungri began to walk away but Changsung grabbed his arm to hold him.

‘For God’s sake, Seungri,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry if I messed things up between you and Suzy, but she has been out of your life for over three years now! Can’t we put the whole stupid incident behind us and go back to how we….?’

‘Shall I tell you why you’ve decided to drag all this up?’ Seungri turn back to him with icy look.

‘You’re in a big debt. You’re scared because you know you need me to keep that ugly truth under wraps. You heard the rumors that I am leaving the company and it’s scaring you to death because you know the mess is about to blow up in your face. And just for the record,’ he concluded, ‘your stupid attempt to apologize for what you did has come three and half years too damn late!’

Seungri tug his arm free from Changsung who stood there frozen. The truth is, he had not expected Changsung to drag these things up and it didn’t help the way he was feeling to know that back in his apartment the divorce papers from Suzy is waiting for him to find his guts to read them.

Seungri march out from the tent. His blood was boiled with anger. There were full of crowd out there but he barely heard their cheering. The image of his best friend betrayal lingers in his head.

Changsung had told him that he and Suzy had an affair before Seungri and she got married. He had to live with that image Changsung had planted it in his head ever since.

It has reflected the way he treated her. He even suspects that the baby was not his. He was not the same person he used to be and his life was turn upside down.

And Changsung was right: Suzy must not know why he treated her that way. A small voice over his wounded pride says that she must not know that her betrayal with his best friend had broken his damn stupid, gullible heart.

Changsung appeared at his side again. ‘Seungri, I need you to listen—’

‘Don’t speak to me,’ Seungri cut in harshly before Changsung could say more. ‘Focus in this race or I’ll leave the company. And the truth will come out.’

‘But you will ruin me,’ Changsung breathed hoarsely. ‘My family’s reputation will be—’

‘Precisely.’ Seungri watched Changsung go pale. He is aware of the reason behind his terror.  

Hwang’s and Lee’s name represents rich and famous. Their families shared a business relationship and they often met at charity and social events. Their families had been close as far as he could remember. …. which was the reason why Seungri had kept his rift with Chansung so low-key.

‘Hey you guys, wave to the crowd,’ their team manager prompted from behind them.

Seungri raised his hand and waved to the crowd flashing his bright smile and Changsung did the same thing. Seungri put on his helmet only to give his hands something else to do. The moment he did so he lost his own smile.

The two of them climbed into the boat’s cockpit. They strapped themselves in. Their race advisor was droning the usual information into the earpieces about wind speeds, the predicted height and length of the ocean.

They did their pre-start checks, working with the unison of two people used to knowing what the other was thinking all the time. Changsung and Seungri have been childhood friends, through puberty and adult life together. They even had swear loyalty until they grow old.

The twin engines fired, bringing roar to Seungri’s ears. They took the speedboat out towards the starting line, ready to fire up into action.

He glanced sideways at Changsung. Seungri didn’t know why he did it but the old sixth sense they used to share making him do it. Changsung had turned his head and was looking at him. There was something written in his eyes that sent vibes through Seungri’s chest.

Changsung broke the contact by turning away, then Seungri heard the low sound of Changsung’s voice through his earpiece. ‘I am sorry, my friend.’

...okay...i fell nervous about posting this chapter because 'this one' is the bombshell....i'm hunger ur comment...don't be lazy okay....XD