Chapter 49
It might just be the blood thumping in my ears but the car feels awfully quiet. The road we are on too desolate. Up ahead a two way lane stretches on to the dark horizon, no other car in sight, behind us the single car that took the same turn off that we did.
Panic feels like a living organism in my stomach, churning and digging past tissue and muscle and flesh, right down to my nerves.
It's too quiet, the silence too deafening. I glance at the radio, half contemplating to put on a song or something and then realise how weird that would be.
"It could be nothing," Hyeon says, trying his best to remain calm. I catch him reaching for the radio as well but then he moves to adjust the rearview mirror and focuses on the dark car behind us.
I squint at it as well, but the roads are so poorly lit it's hard to make out the make and model. All I know is that it's dark and it looks bigger than ours.
Hyeon presses down on the accelerator, picking up the pace and I watch the distance between our car and the one behind grow. For a moment I feel like laughing at my own paranoia. Maybe they're just taking the same road that we are.
But then I catch the flash of their headlights and notice them moving closer and closer. They turn on their high beam and I wince, my eyes watering because of the glare.
"Why did we take this road?" I whisper, shifting around to observe our surroundings. A massive trough filled with murky water lines my side and a forest reserve surrounds us on Hyeon's side. We're trapped with no where to go but ahead.
"Shit," Hyeon curses, gripping the steering wheel hard as he increases speed. I try to take deep breaths to calm myself but my throat is so tight, it feels someone is squeezing it with their fist.
I turn behind to see the car behind us fast approaching, even though we're now going way above the speed limit. Where are the cops? Where are the other cars? Why are we on this stupid empty road?
I glance at the clock which reads 2am. No wonder there's hardly anyone driving at this hour. I try to focus on the car behind us but there is no number plate which only makes things worse and there's something latched onto the front bumper of the car, facing us.
"What the?" My eyebrows bunch together as I try to make out the metal contraption.
Our car jolts forward before I can comprehend that they've just hit us.
I fly forward, the only thing keeping me from smashing into the windshield is my seatbelt. It digs into my chest, making me heave.
Hyeon is quick to recover. He switches lanes, no oncoming traffic to worry about. He presses on the gas and we fly forward, going faster and faster.
"Come on. Come on. We're almost there," He says mostly to himself before nodding at me briefly. "Hold on, Jina."
My fingers tighten around the seatbelt holding me in place. It's not like I can do anything else but pray and hope that we make it out of this. I feel regret for the first time. I never thought we would get this far, never thought we would become a threat to anyone but this only further proves that we are right.
Dalia didn't kill herself. She was murdered and the culprit might just be in the car behind us. The thought of joining her in the afterlife paralyses me with fear. Not here, not now, not like this.
I wonder if she felt this exact same panic moments before she was pushed. Everything around me suddenly blurs, like a lens focusing on just one image and I see her standing there on her balcony.
She turns around, facing someone she trusts. She let them into her apartment after all. She's at ease, unsuspecting and the next thing she knows she's flying through the air. Wind slapping her cheeks, the grey pavement that used to look so distant now fast approaching. Did she close her eyes or were they wide open when she hit the concrete floors?
Our car swerves to the side, another hit making us lose momentum. I can see Hyeon straining on the steering wheel, his jaw so tight, the vein in his neck looks like it's about to burst open.
I watch us hurtle towards the line of trees on Hyeon's side and it's like I've been struck by a bolt of lightning. The image of Dalia crashing into cement like thunder striking me into awareness.
I must do something. I must fight. Not only for us but for her.
My senses are heightened as I focus on the interior of our car, looking for something, anything that could help.
Another strike and I'm swung to the side, the sudden movement giving me whiplash. I swallow down the pain in my neck and turn around to look for anything in the back seat or on the floor. There's nothing but an umbrella and some hiking boots.
"There might be something in the boot." Hyeon says, noticing my actions. "This car belongs to a couple who hikes."
One glance at our smashed in car boot makes me wonder what the couple will think when we return their car to them.
Or if.
There's a latch that pulls the middle seat open, leading to the boot but I can't seem to reach it. I unbuckle my seat belt even though Hyeon shouts in protest and climb to the back. We're hit again and I'm flung to the side, my back hitting the door harshly.
I don't think we'd be able to survive another hit.
I scramble over the seats, pull open the latch and dig through the damaged boot. There are some hiking tools and a large flashlight. No weapons, nothing sharp. Hope bleeds out of my every pore and now I'm certain we're going to die.
I almost give up when one look at the flashlight gives me an idea. I fiddle around with it and sure enough I am able to increase the intensity, the resultant light almost blinding.
I sit up and aim it at the driver's seat in the car behind. It's not as effective through glass so I roll down the window and focus it's harsh glare on the car behind.
My breath is lodged in my throat and I only exhale when the car slows slightly. This temporary distraction gives us just enough time to put some distance between us.
We hit the tunnel just as the sound of a gun fires and I instinctively crouch on the car floor. More gun shots but we're hurtling ahead and soon we are on the freeway, surrounded by cars on all sides.
The fear of being trailed still feels like a rope around my neck. I only relax when we park at a local police station. Hyeon and I give our statements to the officer on duty who doesn't look like he buys a single word we said about being hunted down after leaving a club launch.
We keep all things Dalia related to ourselves and the tired officer who goes by the name Noh and looks like he just joined the force, accuses us of trying to get out of a hit and run until he sees the damage to our car.
The entire trunk has been smashed in, there is no more car boot and the engine exhaust looks like it's about to break off. I gulp softly, taking in all the damage. We were so close to dying.
So close.
We leave the car behind for further investigation but there are not enough officers to escort us home safely. The officer who took our statements drops us off at a bus stop in the busiest part of Hadong, promising to be in touch. Hyeon will have to bring in the original owners tomorrow and I don't want to think about what they'd say once they see the condition of their car.
It's close to 4am now but the streets here are so busy, the crowded footpaths a balm to my nerves. We wait side by side at the bus stand but I am so buzzed, I don't think I'd be able to sleep or get any sort of rest tonight.
Hyeon's knees are shaking incessantly. He suddenly stands up and looks down at me. "I think I need a drink badly. I'll drop you off and then head to the Track."
"The Track?" I've never heard of such a place. "Won't most clubs be closed by now?"
"It's not a single place. The Track is an underground cluster of bars and clubs. Mostly for b-boys and rappers." He pauses, eyes widening. "You know what, you should check out their performances. That's what I call real rapping."
I raise my eyebrows. I've heard of rappers - the artists who write their songs and produce their own music - singing live but I've never seen them before, never heard of such places.
Hyeon starts pacing the length of the bus stand and I feel like doing the same. I'm buzzing with so much nervous energy I could burst. It's already Sunday morning and the thought of going to rehearsals tomorrow fills me with dread.
I'm severely lacking some much needed rest. I was almost killed tonight and I'm most likely going to butcher my performance tomorrow. A feeling of pure hopelessness washes over me as I recount Mr Oh's words about management using me for clout. I'm going to get kicked out anyway.
I stand up, shrugging. "You know what. Screw it. I'm coming with you."
Hyeon stills, having not expected my answer and then he smiles slowly.
The fact that he is smiling makes me grin as well. We're both alive, both escaped by the skin of our teeth and now we're going dancing.
We really are two crazy people.
It turns out the Track is located in Hadong itself. It's hardly a walk till we arrive at what looks like an office building and take the lifts to the lower ground. When the lift doors part, my mouth falls open in awe.
Sports cars are scattered throughout the area, lined by closed doors on all sides. Loud rap music blasts from the speakers but I don't recognise the artist. People stand around the cars, admiring and gawking while girls in short skirts walk around serving drinks. There are even models in bikinis dancing on top of some of the cars.
It feels like I've walked into another world.
Hyeon is completely at ease, it's as if he's been here many times before. He even greets a few people and then leads me to a door on our far left. He tugs on it and the booming music from inside matches the buzzing nerves dancing in my chest.
I follow him inside and we have to squeeze through the thicket of bodies to get to the bar. This place is so crowded, everyone's packed closely together like sardines and yet they are all somehow able to dance.
Hyeon buys two soju bottles and hands me one. I don't realise my hands are shaking until I bring the rim to my mouth, the burning liquid a much needed reprieve. Hyeon chugs down half a bottle before giving me a small smile.
"I have a confession to make," He says into my ear. "I was so scared just now. I thought I was going to wet my pants."
I laugh and nod, taking another sip. "I really thought we were going to die."
"I didn't think when I took that short cut. That was so dumb of me," Hyeon says. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," I admonish, glaring at him. We took the same route to the bar. It's not like he knew we were being followed. "You were pretty cool with the way you handled things."
Hyeon smiles gratefully. The lights from above dance in his eyes making them shine. "You too. The idea with the flash light, brilliant."
He's looking at me so earnestly, I clear my throat and turn to the two people on stage. "Who's performing?"
"That's Big Jo." Hyeon points to the tall skinny man with a head cap. "And that's Skullmaster."
I follow his hand to the short, chubby rapper who has begun to spit bars like he had been born doing it. They're both singing live, without a back track which is something most idols can't live without and I realise they sound bloody good, like a recording.
"You're in luck, Jina. These two are are about to start a rap battle and it's freestyle.
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