“I don’t believe you for a second! I can go by myself if I want to!” Hunter adopted an “I’ll bite you if you don’t get out” stance.
“Oh… What a pity, isn’t it, Winston?” Owen chuckled as he walked into the restroom.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Winston’s voice sounded near Hunter’s ear, chilling the air around them.
“None of your business,” Hunter shoved him aside forcefully and quickly turned to leave.
Hunter knew Winston had been watching him all along, and the feeling of being trapped made him inexplicably scared. If it were just a joke, Hunter could shamelessly turn back. But deep down, he knew he had to take this seriously. He had to resolve this. He had to figure out what had angered Winston, who had always been so tolerant of him. What should he do? Damn it! He shouldn’t have drunk that sake! That might be the stupidest thing he’d ever done. His head felt like it was about to explode! He might as well crash into the run-off area! He didn’t believe Winston would actually pry open his mouth and force him to comply!
“Hunter,” Winston’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“What!” Hunter didn’t want to turn around.
“Did I scare you?” Winston asked.
“Yeah!” Hunter finally turned around, glaring at him angrily.
Winston asking this probably meant he was starting to soften.
“But you scared me too,” Winston replied.
Hunter stood frozen. Sure enough, he must have done something “perverted” while drunk. And that was far worse than kissing or biting Winston.
Instantly, guilt flooded over him.
“Are you trying to get back at me?” Hunter asked, his nerves betraying his helplessness.
“Of course I want to get back at you. But seeing you so upset, I guess this game is over,” Winston’s voice was composed, the coldness in his tone calming Hunter’s turbulent thoughts.
“So you know?” Hunter wanted to punch him.
“I need to stop you from overthinking,” Winston put away his threatening expression, reverting to his usual demeanor.
But I’ve already started overthinking!
“Alright, how about this: if you manage to stay in the top five this time, I promise to let everything go.”
“Let everything go? What else do you want?” Hunter glared back.
This guy was playing him again… Just like when he mimicked movie lines while driving a Ferrari. Does anyone else know how good he is at acting?
“If you fall out of the top five, we’re breaking up,” Winston said before walking away.
What?
Breaking up?
Hunter felt like he had been struck by lightning.
When they weren’t yet familiar, Winston started their relationship with phrases like “I want to hit on you.”1This was translated as ‘I want to f*ck you’ by the other translator, but this one is more accurate to the raws. Although it was “very impactful” to Hunter and completely overturned his image of Winston, nonetheless… Hunter always felt a sense of superiority, believing that Winston wouldn’t say certain things to others but would to him. He saw sides of Winston that were hidden from others, whether it was arrogance or crossing boundaries.
The more Winston’s words embarrassed him, the more Hunter felt their relationship was stable. It was like a nobleman only speaking the crudest words in front of those he trusted most. Hunter thought he was special to Winston. Even if he had gotten carried away or crossed the line while drunk… why couldn’t Winston be more tolerant like he had been with those “I want to hit on you” or “I want to sleep with you” phrases before? It just wasn’t fair!
Shouldn’t such an arbitrary statement of “breaking up” come from someone as immature as him? Coming from Winston, it felt like… they really might break up! Oh God, compared to Shen Xi’s words about designing a machine to attract lightning to strike him, Winston’s words were even more suffocating.
Why did Vann Winston always have the final say?
“You aren’t really angry at me, so why say things like breaking up!” Hunter shouted out. He endured it but his eyes stung.
“How do you know I’m not angry with you?” Winston turned to look at him from close by.
“Because I kissed you and bit you. You didn’t abandon me, and you even took care of me all night.”
“No, you tortured me all night,” Winston sighed. “So, Hunter… all my tolerance towards you isn’t free.”
Hunter watched his back and rubbed his head vigorously.
So, this guy didn’t really plan to break up; he just wanted to make it difficult for him?
If it’s not free, what can you get from me?
You can be angry, hit me, give me the silent treatment… but you can’t bring up “breaking up” or use it as leverage…
You’re different to me.
I never thought of breaking up with you.
Hunter bowed his head and stood by the bathroom door for a long time.
Until Owen walked out and saw Hunter standing there. “Hey, are you okay?” Owen asked helplessly.
“None of your business!” Hunter turned around and quickly left.
“You seem like you’re about to cry, kid.”
Hunter ignored him, flipped him off, and walked away quickly.
He really didn’t want to hear Owen’s mockery!
When Hunter was feeling down, he noticed Shen Chuan and Winston standing by the track, deep in conversation. He had never seen Winston show such focused attention to anyone else before.
As Shen Xi approached Winston, her backpack half-open with snacks threatening to spill out, Winston gently pushed the snacks back in and zipped up the bag, as if he was familiar with her.
Hunter was dumbfounded. Could it be that Winston had known them for a long time?
At the end of the day’s practice, Hunter and Shen Chuan were in one car on the way back to the hotel. Unable to resist, Hunter asked, “Are you familiar with Vann Winston of the Ferrari Team?”
“We’re not close, but Shen Xi and I have a good impression of him. I sent my resume to Ferrari for a vacancy in their power unit design team. After chatting with their technical director, I met him. He invited us to watch the Silverstone race. That’s where we saw you. His advice to us then was that staying at Ferrari might bring higher pay, but all our design ideas would be restricted. On the contrary, smaller teams allow us to fully utilize our abilities.”
“So you chose Marcus’ Team?”
“No, we chose you,” Shen Chuan said with a smile.
It felt like Winston had given Shen Chuan to Marcus, or rather, had given Hunter a better race car to drive.
“But it feels strange. Every time I see Winston, it feels like I’ve known him for a long time. He doesn’t seem as difficult as the media portrays him.”
“In your opinion, what kind of person is Winston?”
“Calm, rational, knows how to maintain a proper distance, and doesn’t waste time on meaningless things,” Shen Chuan answered seriously.
“What if I told you he makes those kinds of jokes with others… would you believe it?” Hunter asked.
“What kind of jokes?”
“Dirty ones…”
“No way. I can sense his upbringing and manners in the way he speaks and acts.” Shen Chuan shook his head.
Hunter was crying on the inside… Why couldn’t it be possible? He had made such unfunny jokes many times before!
Now… Hunter even doubted… if those were really jokes.
“What about saying he’ll break up with a friend?”
“That’s even less likely. Winston gives me the impression that he doesn’t make friends easily, but once he appreciates someone and lets them into his circle… he won’t easily change his mind. If he were to break up with someone, he wouldn’t announce it to the world but would completely distance himself,” Shen Chuan said seriously, resting his chin on his hand.
“I see…”
Maybe there was still hope?
Back in the hotel room, Hunter’s nerves slowly relaxed from the free practice session. He lay on the bed curled up. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Winston’s lips approaching him.
His lips were very soft… otherwise, he wouldn’t have wanted to bite… If he really put little Hunter in there…
His warmth, his tongue…
Hunter suddenly felt a surge of blood. He cursed out loud and stormed into the bathroom.
I should’ve just let him break up the friendship!
First, get into the top five, and then enjoy it!
Wait… Are you sure that’s enjoyment? Maybe it’s a lifelong shadow!
Hunter exhaled deeply…
As cold water poured down from above, Hunter chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Vann Winston… What kind of person are you really?
He wanted to figure out why Winston was angry and what made him say “break up”?
But the more he thought about it, the less he understood.
“What are you thinking, Hunter… Maybe that guy just wants to see you upset! If you take him seriously, you’ll lose!”
This time, he was going to push Winston to unexpected places and show him who’s boss!
Everything that’s been bothering me, I’m going to throw it all back at you!
Damn it, speak up if you have something to say, solve the problem if there is one! Why are you throwing a tantrum alone there, leaving me completely puzzled?
Don’t you remember anything about bullying me?
Hunter kicked the sheets, flipped over, pulled the blanket up, and flipped over again.
——
At 9:30 in the evening, in the hotel’s rooftop sky bar, Winston held a glass of wine, staring at the refracted lights but showing no intention of drinking.
Owen sat down beside him, a black-haired girl in his arms, who obediently sat on his lap.
“It’s unusual for you to not be in your room resting at this hour.” Owen turned his face sideways, his eyes and brows filled with amusement.
Winston didn’t answer him.
Owen, however, was in high spirits, holding his companion’s waist and resting his face against her chest. He looked at Winston and said, “If I hadn’t shown up at the bathroom door, would you have dragged that brat into a stall and taken care of him?”
“But you showed up,” Winston’s voice was cold.
“Forget it. You wouldn’t. You were testing him at the bathroom door, right? As soon as he showed signs of panic, you loosened the leash to let him breathe. During the season, you wouldn’t dare do anything because racing requires intense focus. Anything that distracts Hunter could make him veer off track and endanger his life.”
Winston remained silent.
Owen chuckled, lowering his eyes to glance at Winston’s crotch. “Don’t hold back. There’s still a bit of time before the end of the season… and I’ve heard about ‘breaking up’. You’re deliberately picking on him to make him upset. You want to find out where his bottom line is. If you’ve done anything immoral to him, he won’t be able to bear leaving you. He’s a little straight guy, maybe you’ve turned him gay. You want him to figure out what’s in your head. He’ll just keep finding reasons not to lose you. Just get over yourself and go to bed when the season ends.”
Winston slightly raised his eyes and glanced at Owen. “Is your partner from the club?”
“Yeah, isn’t she pretty? My taste is at least better than Hunter’s… He’s got his eyes on Vivien Nicky, that old pro. Nicky told me that Hunter looked like a pure little straight guy that he couldn’t bear to take a bite of. If Hunter knew that we co-own the club and that all the bars he used to frequent are your businesses, what kind of expression do you think he’d have?” Owen squinted, tilting his head back slightly with anticipation.
“Take care of yourself first. I just told Ciel you are here.”
“What?” Owen was stunned.
“Who wants you to let his wife think he’s having an affair?”
“You’re retaliating!” Owen immediately stood up, pulling his companion quickly towards the exit.
“Retaliating against what?” Winston asked coolly.
“Retaliating against me taking Hunter to the club! And for seeing through the crooked things in your head!”
“Good luck, Owen. Ciel has already entered the elevator. I think if you want to leave here, you’ll have to take the stairs.”
“Vann Winston, don’t forget I’m just as vindictive as you are!”
——
The free practice session ended, and the qualifying race kicked off.
The Suzuka Circuit is renowned for its blend of high-speed and low-speed corners. Marcus’ Team, having adjusted their power unit, felt more confident than before.
Before the qualifying race, Hunter didn’t go for a smoke. Instead, he sat quietly, continuously simulating the track in his mind. He aimed to maintain his best and most precise condition until the end. He wanted to shut up Vann Winston once and for all, the guy who was ready to say “break up” at the drop of a hat!
However, Marcus began to worry.
“Our little Hunter seems a bit off today…”
“How so?” Shen Chuan asked curiously.
“He usually finds a quiet spot to smoke or play Match-3 games on his phone… He wouldn’t be like this now, seeming to be all or nothing!”
“Really?” Shen Chuan turned his head to look. “I think he seems pretty normal. F1 is inherently risky. No pain, no gain.”
The qualifying race started with Ciel and Owen leading the way, followed closely by Winston and Penny. Hunter showed aggressive momentum, setting lap times faster than in the free practice sessions, leaving Marcus startled.
“This guy is up to something!”
By the second section of qualifying, Winston’s lap times surged, surpassing Ciel, while Hunter climbed from eighth to seventh place.
“Have faith in our adjustments,” Shen Chuan reassured the nervous Marcus with a pat on the shoulder.
In the third section of the race, the top five positions kept changing, keeping the audience on edge. Ultimately, Lawrence Owen secured the pole position2the pole position is usually the best starting position on the track, with Winston in second place, closely followed by Ciel.
Hunter stood out in qualifying, securing a sixth place and ensuring an advantage in the main race.
Marcus rubbed his eyebrows, “Was it this kid’s performance or our car upgrades?”
“Both,” Shen Chuan replied.
Donald felt a sense of joy because his qualifying position was just behind Hunter’s. He no longer had to worry about when this brat might suddenly catch up.
That feeling of having your throat gripped and being unable to break free? Let his old rival, Enzo of Lotus, have a taste of that for a while.
After Hunter returned, he didn’t feel the relief he had expected. Instead, he was like a tightly wound spring—even his facial expressions made other staff members nervous.
At that moment, McGrady approached him, hesitating as if he had been pondering for a long time but was unsure how to start.
“What do you want to say?” Hunter, who had been resting with his eyes closed, asked.
Having someone hover around made him uncomfortable.
“…Just in case, can you make sure that Winston won’t continue to trouble me in this race?”
Hunter sighed and replied, “Firstly, Winston’s starting position is way ahead of yours. Unless he laps you again, there’s no chance you’ll be directly competing with him. How could he harass you off the track?”
This answer left McGrady stumped.
“Secondly, and most importantly… That guy wants to break up with me. What else can I say?”
“Break up?” McGrady looked surprised. “Why?”
“Because I can’t hold my liquor!” Bringing this up again, Hunter felt a stab of bitterness.
“That can’t be… He treats you so well, it’s almost like he worships you…” McGrady muttered under his breath.
“What did you say?” Hunter raised an eyebrow.
“Nothing. I hope you do well in this race.”
Just as McGrady was about to turn away, Hunter stopped him.
“Were you just wishing me luck?”
“Was I supposed to be cursing you?” McGrady rolled his eyes skyward.
“Well… thanks then…”
Once McGrady walked away, Hunter closed his eyes again and visualized the Suzuka Circuit in his mind.
This time, he was determined to make Winston take notice! And then, land a punch right on his face!
Before the race began, all the cars were in position.
Marcus gripped his chin in extreme tension.
The start at the Suzuka Circuit was crucial; one misstep and the advantage gained in qualifying could vanish.
Hunter’s hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel, with Winston just three positions ahead of him.
Winston, don’t let me catch up to you this time, or I’ll make sure to bite your neck off!
Hunter’s heart was ablaze; he knew he was excited, but this excitement didn’t make him lose his cool; instead, it sharpened his focus.
At the start, like a comet dragging thousands of dust particles, Owen sharply broke through everyone’s sight, with Winston closely behind him. The top five maintained their positions, smoothly entering the first turn.
Hunter held onto his position and immediately started competing with Enzo in the first bend. Shifting into fifth gear, Hunter’s maneuvers were textbook perfect. In the latter half of the corner, he slowed to 150, tailgating Enzo as they exited, leaving the seasoned veteran sweating.
Hunter kept Enzo in his sights, his determination building like a pod about to burst from within.
By the fourth lap, in the left-right-left S-curve, Hunter fully utilized the car’s braking performance. He surged past Enzo coming out of the bend, securing fifth place.
“Wow…” Marcus clenched his fist, and all the staff spontaneously applauded.
Enzo tried to regain his position, but Hunter steadily widened the gap. In the following laps, Enzo stayed close behind Hunter.
This was the first time this season that Hunter experienced the feeling of being chased by an opponent. He navigated turns with ease, accelerating out smoothly, and even displaying mature defensive driving.
Up ahead was Penny from the Renault team.
Hunter and Enzo pitted one after the other. Two laps later, Hunter began his pursuit of Penny. At the Spoon Curve3Spoon Curve = 14 on the picture
, he almost forced Penny into a mistake with a brilliant entry and strong exit, but Penny defended his position, maintaining the lead into the next corner.
After several consecutive laps, Penny was on edge. Although this was his first encounter with Hunter, he had long noticed the rising star.
In this race, the upgrades to Hunter’s suspension system provided greater stability in the bends, while enhanced power unit output allowed for more precise cornering and overtaking.
Penny’s original target was the Great White Shark Ciel ahead, but now he just wanted to shake off this deadly shadow.
Hunter pitted again, prompting Penny to pit early too. They maintained their intense duel after changing tires.
A few laps later, as if finally losing patience, Hunter delayed braking into the Degner Curve4Degner Curve = 8 on the picture.
The significant deviation in his line caused Marcus to exclaim, “Hunter! Hunter!”
But Shen Chuan beside him remained unusually calm. “He can still make it!”
After turning through the curve, Hunter accelerated out first. The audience instinctively craned their necks, watching Hunter race ahead of Penny smoothly through the Hairpin5Hairpin = 11 on the picture , boldly pulling away.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Marcus hugged Shen Chuan tightly. “That brat did it! He did it!”
Shen Chuan smiled and patted Marcus on the back. “We did it.”
The author has something to say:
Hunter: That annoying McGrady said you’re pampering me like a girl!
Winston: He got it wrong.
Hunter: I just said he got it wrong!
Winston: I’m pampering you as your man.
Hunter: …
Translator’s note:
Hi there!
I’m so excited to be working on this translation because I love this novel! I’ll try to check how previous translators translated certain words and names, but if you notice any differences or have suggestions, please let me know. Also, I might end up explaining terms that have already been explained before, but I want to make sure everything is clear and consistent. Thank you! 🥰
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