[CONTENTID1]re:coil[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter 16[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

The sun had set, and in a few hours, the next race would begin. Soojin was ready, intending to get closer to Eunwoo. While she had succeeded in placing a tracking device on him, it hadn’t led the agents to his safe house yet. Eunwoo had spent the night in various bars and stayed at a hotel, presumably with a woman. He must have partied through the night—this type of behavior suited a man like him, in Soojin’s opinion. It was cliché and prompted her to dislike him a little more. He had unintentionally made their job harder, and this left  Soojin with no choice but to take part in the next race—she hoped to steal Eunwoo’s attention afterward. The agents needed to find his safe house at all costs, and then, they would contact the local police and bust the place together. This was their plan so far.

Adrenaline coursed through Soojin’s veins at the idea of taking part in another reckless street race—on one hand, she adored driving and loved fast cars, on the other hand, these races were not safe since anything was allowed to come in first. Even if she didn’t plan on winning this time, it still could get dangerous. Once she was on the road, she would be on her own.

Soojin propped up her chin on her hand, sitting opposite Baekhyun at the table in their hotel room. It was bathed in warm light and had a cozy atmosphere that clashed with her mood. Her deep sigh didn’t stay unnoticed by her partner who was busy checking his equipment. He put his gun down and glanced at her.

“What’s bothering you?”

“The race, Eunwoo, everything,” she muttered. Her finger traced circles on the table. “I just want to get this over with. If everything had gone according to plan, we would already know where the safe house is.”

“It’s unfortunate, but unexpected changes often occur during missions. We got a plan B, so it’s not that bad.”

“What if that fails too?”

“He’s shown interest in you, hasn’t he? If you follow his instructions tonight and lose on purpose, he might contact you again,” Baekhyun said. Displeasure tugged at the corners of his lips, just enough for Soojin to notice. She wondered if he was averse to the idea of sending her right into their target’s arms without further precautions.

“I hope he does.”

Baekhyun looked at his gun to avoid her stare, reassembling it after he had cleaned it. “What do you think of him?”

“He’s an arrogant prick who thinks every woman falls on her knees at the idea of sleeping with him,” she grumbled, glaring at the ceiling and thus missing Baekhyun’s grin.

“Let me guess, you’re not one of these women.”

“Tch, no! The only thing he gets from me is a kick in his crown jewels…”

“Ouch,” Baekhyun snorted. “Feisty kitten.”

“Baekhyun.” She rolled her eyes. “Drop the nickname.”

“Why? You are feisty,” he smirked and winked at her, showing his flirty side. “It’s one of the reasons why I love you.”

A blush exploded on her cheeks, effectively distracting her from her worries about the mission. She wondered how he could be so nonchalant about his confessions of love. He kept bringing his feelings up in conversation when she least expected it, and it never failed to make her heart soar.

“You keep reminding me.”

“Because I’m hoping that one day, you’ll say it back,” he smiled.

“One day, huh…?” she mumbled and observed him. The dark clothes he wore would help him blend in later during the race. He and the others would stay nearby, waiting in another car until Soojin would be finished. Afterward, they would follow her in case Eunwoo ended up contacting her. Although Baekhyun’s demeanor was lighthearted, Soojin knew that it was a façade; a mask he had put on to calm her. She was getting better at reading him. Years ago, she wouldn’t have noticed it, but now she did. Deep down he was worried about her, even if he didn’t show it. Perhaps she should try to distract him as well.

“What if I say it back after the mission? I told you I would give you an answer once it’s over,” she nonchalantly added and caught him off guard as intended.

“So you will become my girlfriend after the mission?”

“Maybe.”

“Ah, your favorite word again,” he rolled his eyes and grinned. “You’re just teasing me, aren’t you, Soo?”

“You’ll have to see for yourself, Baekhyun.”

When Soojin got into her car that evening, she once again became Park Eunji, the ambitious young woman with a passion for illegal street racing. Soojin’s usual elegant clothes were exchanged for a miniskirt in black and a neon-colored top that showed her belly. Her hair was decorated with a few colorful hairpins—none of these things suited her taste, but it was exactly what Eunji would enjoy wearing.

Soojin hadn’t missed the stares she had received from her team members, especially Baekhyun. He had looked like it took quite some restraint to keep his hands to himself. Frankly, this had amused her a little. As she the engine of her Dodge, she made eye contact with Taemin who sat behind the wheel in the car next to hers. She briefly nodded at him and drove off while he followed at a distance. The second car was not as flashy as hers—it was a simple old Kia, nothing noteworthy, but it would do the job.

Soojin followed Mark’s and Taeyong’s instructions over her earpiece. With their help, it was easy to find the starting point of tonight’s race despite the maze of unfamiliar streets she found herself in. Soojin and her team were in the middle of an industrial quarter. Except for the street lamps, everything was dark as nobody worked here during this time. As she turned left and entered another street, the loud bass of music welcomed her. Many people had gathered to party and get drunk before the race, and her rivals already stood in line with their cars, swarmed by the crowd. When she appeared, the crowd parted like water and let her pass through. Countless curious eyes tried to peek through her windows and get a glimpse of the mysterious new driver who was rumored to be a woman. However, it was hard to see through the tinted glass. She was grateful for this since she didn’t want any pictures taken of her face—she was undercover and not keen on leaving traces of herself in public, much less on social media.

While she waited for the race to begin, the crowd only seemed to grow. Most of the people she saw were too young to be involved with Eunwoo and his gang. These illegal events posed an ideal opportunity for Eunwoo’s people to sell drugs. Another reason why he needed to be caught. They would catch him and everyone involved soon—a huge network of criminals would go down all at once. Her fingers drummed on the steering wheel, eyes wandering to the six other cars next to hers. They had been tuned and decorated with vinyl, fancy rims, and rear spoilers.

After about ten minutes of waiting, at exactly eleven PM, a familiar-looking man appeared and told the crowd to make space—the race was about to begin. People scrambled to get a spot with a good view and within minutes, the road was clear.

“Are you ready?” Soojin said, receiving a short confirmation from Mark and Taeyong.

“Good luck,” Baekhyun added.

“Thanks. It’s a good thing I don’t need to win this time,” she mumbled, concentratedly looking at the person in charge. He stood next to the road and held up a gun, pulling the trigger. The loud bang was her sign to push down the gas pedal. Her right hand flew to the gear shift and she shot off into the night along with the other cars.

The purr of the engine was music to her ears as she accelerated and stayed in the slipstream of the green Porsche in front of her. Although she had no pressure to come in first this time, she didn’t want to be left in the dust either, so Soojin always stayed on the other racer’s tail. They followed a route that had been chosen prior to this and she had memorized it, so she knew the twists, turns, and dangers that lay ahead. While the drivers in front of her were quite aggressive, trying to force each other off the road, she was careful to avoid such maneuvers.

“The next curve is very sharp. Turn right,” Mark warned as it was coming up, and Soojin drifted past it, the car sliding over the asphalt. She never lost control and sped up as soon as the road straightened. The red lights of the cars in front of her were close—there was no need to accelerate anymore. They soon left the town behind. The road ahead was dark and led into a forest—Soojin took a deep breath, knowing that this part of the route contained a few risky sections. All she had to do was keep up with the others’ speed; she didn’t have to pass them.

“Three cars have appeared behind you. They’re not participating in the race, but they seem to be following you,” Taeyong shouted into his headset. She heard Mark cursing and glanced in the rearview mirror to confirm what he had told her. The cars were black and had tinted windows. She couldn’t make out the drivers, but they were indeed pursuing her. She scowled and accelerated, but they copied her, one of the cars tailgating her.

Her Dodge was pushed roughly, and she was forced to countersteer. “! Guys, I think something’s wrong,” she yelled when the car directly behind her bumped into her again. Her Dodge swerved, but she managed to keep it under control. Beads of sweat formed on her brow as she gripped the steering wheel tighter. The road ahead was dark—she had been left behind. The other participants were no longer in sight. She couldn’t even see their lights. Suddenly, one of her pursuers pulled up next to her, crashing into her.

“Careful!” Taeyong shouted.

“Is it a trap?” Mark yelled in alarm as he watched the camera footage on his laptop.

Soojin countersteered again, desperately fighting to keep the car on the road. She was going over a hundred km/h at the moment and at this speed, even the smallest movement of the steering wheel could make the car shoot off the road. However, slowing down wasn’t an option since her pursuers were hostile and about to surround her. Maybe one of the other participants had sent them after her since she had scored first place last time? Perhaps they wanted to take their new rival out?

“Soojin, what’s going on?” Baekhyun’s voice shouted in her ear. “Abandon the race if it gets too dangero