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Jungkook nervously tugs at his clothes and looks down at his reflection as he stands in front of the mirror in his room. His grey t-shirt, mostly covered by his black motorbike jacket, looks a bit tight because of his bulging muscles underneath. His brown hair is tied back in a loose bun while he is getting dressed.

Once he's finished and thinks he looks good enough and everything sits properly, he takes another breath and reaches for the blue perfume bottle placed on his desk. With a gentle grin and a shake of his head, he looks in the mirror again as he sprays on the perfume, picking up on his brittle facial expression. Jungkook can't remember the last time he was this restless. Today is the day he just is supposed to pick up the cake for his sister. Innerly, he also knows the other reason why he's acting so like he's now.

Two days ago, Jungkook left the shop with mixed feelings, but also a funny feeling in his stomach. He immediately noticed that a new kind of excitement and challenge was burning inside him; different from how he would have felt about a race. His fingertips start to tingle when he thinks of Jimin, and he hides them in his jacket pockets instead.

His eyes then stay fixed on an object in the background of his room, and he is instantly reminded of Jimin's attractive smile that is practically burned into his memory. With a quick glance at the clock in his room, he sets off, not forgetting to pocket the square package on his way to the door. It's time to pick up his sister's cake.

This time he has the feeling that time passes more quickly, which is due to the fact that the shop is only a few blocks away. Feeling a flood of nervousness in his stomach, he parks his motorbike in front of the shop and dismounts, not forgetting to take the square package with him. The door of the bakery opens with the sound of a bell, just like last time.

"Coming," a feminine voice yells from the back of the shop while Jungkook lets his eyes roam around the shop as he waits. Nothing has changed except that a certain silver-haired man is not there.

"Oh, it's you, my dear," the elder woman gleefully chirps, wiping her hands, dusted with flour on her white apron with an inscription of "Super Grandma". Jungkook can't help but chuckle with a nostalgic feeling that blossoms in his chest. 'My dear' is something his grandma had always said.

"I'm here to pick up the cake I ordered," the brown-haired man explains with red dusted cheeks as he notices her glimpse down at the package he holds before hiding it behind his back.

"I'm sure you'd like to see my grandson, but I'm afraid you'll have to settle for this old woman today." She warmly cackles, young and amused eyes. Jungkook's face flushes, embarrassed at being caught red-handed at his intention to come here.

"You still look fit and beautiful, good lady. May I ask when Jimin will be back?" Jungkook asks politely, stepping closer to the counter and as well to Jimin's grandmother.

"Tomorrow, there's something like a family matter that needs to be settled. Why do you ask?" A smile plays on her round and friendly face as she looks for the cake in the big patisserie fridge.

"I was just wondering..." Jungkook mumbles, attempting to mask the slight disappointment that floods through him, but apparently, it's not good enough to hide it from her.

"You don't have to lie to this old woman. Who should I tell, if not my rocking chair and my plants?" She jokes, and yet Jungkook knows he should be honest from the start if he wants to get off on the right foot and have Jimin's grandmother on his side.

He scratches his head sheepishly and thinks about how to form the next words.

"If I'm honest, I wanted to give him something and ask him if he would like to hang out with me," he confesses his ulterior motive for coming here.

"So, in other words, you were going to ask him out?" She inquires curiously, her lips now forming into a soft grin and immediately Jungkook's face shoots red again. His friends would tease him forever if they got to witness that.

"Ye- no," the young racer yells out, earning a hearty laugh from Jimin's grandmother. She makes the finishing touches on the cake and looks over it again to make sure everything sits perfectly, then wraps it up in a box.

"Just to reassure you: After your visit, he only raved about you." Jungkook opens his mouth to reply something. But nothing escapes his lips. "Now tell me what fine thing you are holding behind your back. It must be something valuable if you hide it like that."

"No, it's­­­-"

"Don't say no when you've taken the trouble not to turn up here empty-handed."

"Alright, but it's really nothing big." It's not like he feels pressured in telling. It's rather the feeling of shyness that overcomes him.

"It doesn't always have to be something expensive or big when it comes from the heart." Jungkook nods in understanding and clears his throat to catch his voice again. He is extremely nervous that he probably got the wrong present, but he doesn't know Jimin well enough for anything else. Defeated, he retrieves what he is hiding behind his back and now holds both packs in front of him. One bigger than the other.

"Ehm, I didn't really know what to get him, so I thought something related to baking might not be so bad, as the bakery is newly opened, from what I saw outside." Jimin's grandmother looks eagerly at the wrapped packages Jungkook holds calmly in his hands.

Her curious gaze falls on him when he stops talking. "Very thoughtful of you, don't mind me asking what's inside. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, of course."

"No, that's not it. It's uhm– a mini pop cake maker and something for Jimin. I saw that you don't have a mini pop cake maker and maybe you could sell them, since they are so modern now."

"You little charmer, you. I'm sure he'll be happy. Shall I put them aside for you? I won't do anything with the packages either, I promise. I'll give them to him when he gets back."

"That would be nice. Thank you."

"No problem." Jungkook feels a little more relaxed as he hands her the packages and sets them aside in the next room. "Moving on, your cake is done and packed. I hope your sister, was it? I hope she'll like it."

"She definitely will. It looks formidable. Thank you so much again for it being so short on notice.

"No problem. I hope she has a nice birthday and I guess I will see you again sometime soon?" Her question elicits a broad grin from Jungkook as he pays and accepts the cake. He can only hope that he can transport it on the motorbike, otherwise, he will just run home and pick up his vehicle afterwards.

"I hope so. It was nice to meet you."

* ˚ ✦

The loud roar of engines resounds through the street as Jungkook pulls up on his black and gold motorbike. One foot in his riding boot propped on the ground stabilises him with his vehicle, not to tip over. His black helmet sits firmly on his head and his favourite armour, which he wears during races, hangs open from his shoulders when he joins the group. He greets his friends with a grin and a handshake before scanning the scene and seeing the barrier and big screens. His gaze wanders over the individual racers against whom he will race tonight.

Jungkook's reputation is one of the best among them. He knows what it takes to win races. Planning ahead, studying the driving of others and above all, confidence in one's own vehicle - without that, one remains uncertain and will never reach the top.

"Hey, Jungkook. How are you? You're here to race, am I right?" The voice of - Kyung - one of his friends suddenly sounds from his left. A sharp grin grows on his counterpart's face when he sees Jungkook's raised eyebrow after he takes off his helmet.

"You know, I thought you might change your mind after I told you about the new racer," Myungdae speaks up and looks at Jungkook with a slightly challenging look.

"Wait- A new racer is racing tonight?" Kyung asks in surprise, parking his bike and then leaning against it, completely flabbergasted that he knew nothing about it.

"Seriously? You didn't know either?" Myungdae wonders with a click of his tongue against the roof of his mouth. How come they all don't know?

Kyung shakes his head considerably and blinks as he looks at Yu. "No, of course not. How could I?"

"I thought the word had gotten around, but never mind. As I told Jungkook, the word is spreading that he will be riding his bike here for the first time today. Otherwise, he has raced a few times already in Daegu."

"And no, I can't tell you what he looks like because nobody knows what he looks like," Myungdae adds before Kyung can say anything. The former leans further forward on the handlebars so that he is closer to his friends. "I think it makes it more mysterious and if you already didn't know Star Flame was going to be there, will the others know?"

Now it's Kyung's turn to click his tongue, fiddling with his red helmet in his hands. "Star Flame? Is that the name of the unknown racer?"

"Exactly." Myungdae nods, shrugging with his shoulders. "Fancy name if you ask me."

"I really would like to know if he's as good as fancy as the name sounds."

Jungkook agrees with Kyung and puts on his helmet as he sees racers getting ready at the start line. "Me too, but I guess I'll see it once the race starts." With that he zips up his jacket, puts down his protection pane and flips the motorbike stand with his riding boot, making it possible for him to drive to the start line.

"Good luck, Blue Devil." He still hears his friends shout before he lines up at the starting line with a clear mind. Because when he races against others, his name isn't Jungkook, but Blue Devil. That's how the others know him and his black, dark blue motorbike with gold shimmering wind protection that rolls through the tarred streets at night.

Excitement and anticipation shoot through his body, burning in his veins, with a fixed gaze forward. His concentration is broken by the approaching vehicle from the distance, a driver wearing black armour and a red and silver helmet, matching the red vehicle on which the driver is sitting in an upright riding position. Jungkook's focus is taken by the impressive stars design on the fire-red motorbike, resembling a galaxy. If you look closely, they seem to glow in the dark. The whole thing is underlined by the silver long travel suspensions leading to the cast-spoken wheels. It's a stark contrast to the red colour, which only emphasises the starry sky.

It is then that Jungkook realises this unknown rider can be no one else but Star Flame, who appears to be confident when they roll to the starting line, only a few candidates separate Jungkook and the racer. Not only the distance but also the black protective glass of the helmet makes it impossible for Jungkook to see who the driver is.

The unknown person's gaze remains fixed on the empty road in front of him, unconcerned by someone else's announcement that the race would start in a few seconds. Radiant engine howling can be heard by others while Jungkook focuses again on the essential and what he is best at: taking one of the winning places.

The loud voice counting down from 10 to 0 increases his adrenaline rush, leaning slightly forward on the motorcycle just before the starting gun goes off. His palms tighten around the handle and on the second he releases the clutch and begins to accelerate, shooting off into the lead. He skilfully dodges the first obstacles on the track and turns into the next street with the feeling that he is already being slowly caught up by one of the others - and indeed, for a second, he gets the opportunity in the windowpane of a shop to see that he is closely followed by two other riders.

The route leads through the outer circle of Seoul, which is known for its sharp curves and the fact that the police are rarely there. The area they pass through does not seem to be a residential area, but rather a corporate area where everyone is already off work. Jungkook would feel bad with all the noise. It's where Jungkook twists the throttle to decelerate.

After several sharp turns, the two leading racers master them with flying colours, leaving their other opponents in the dust, and steadily slow down to race out of Seoul. The previously well-built roads are replaced by rather bumpy curves where there is a risk of the bike getting stuck and flying off the track. The road goes up a hill with big curves but a steep gradient. In one of these curves, he is overtaken on the outside lane.

As the silver motorbike pulls in right next to him, the other rider jokingly raises his hand in greeting. Jungkook narrows his eyes and presses his tongue into his cheek as he turns the handle to accelerate, determined to overtake him again. The abrupt acceleration pushes Jungkook harder into the seat and the revs almost go into the red zone, but before this happens, he professionally shifts up a gear without losing speed.

Jungkook is not someone who takes a race lightly, probably none of those present now do, but there are those who arrive overconfident at the race, totally self-assured of themselves. Afterwards, there is the likely possibility that they will watch others climb to the winning places.

He is also aware of the bets, at this scene, which are placed among themselves. Jungkook is no saint, he has made bets himself, confident of the fact that he has won a few times, but one cost him almost his entire fortune. It was like a wake-up call for him and he spent months trying to recoup all the money through side jobs before he got to his main occupation that he has today.

Since then, he has been careful about what bets he makes and with whom - if he doesn't want to ride just for fun.

He sneers under his helmet as he catches up with the silver driver again and turns the handlebars towards him once more, focused on not flying off the track as he goes around the curves at breakneck speed. He is so fast that he leaned into the corner and only had to extend his arm to touch the ground. With his deft manoeuvres, he also catches up quickly on the winding track, so he is not too far behind.

However, Jungkook knows that there are still people behind him who want to overtake him, including Star Flame, so he doesn't get too carried away even though the distance between the silver racer and he has increased. He can't deny that he's curious about the newcomer, so far, he hasn't seen the red racer, but that doesn't mean anything - he can still catch up.

When Jungkook reaches the peak of the mountain, a large area of the perfectly straight road before him comes into his view. He accelerates, changes into high gear, and forces the engine to its breaking point. With less than a kilometre to go, he is determined to win the race and take home another victory.

As if Star Flame had read his mind, he catches up with every second, sneaking up as if to remain unnoticed. To his disappointment, he cannot make out the driver through the protective glass, even as he rides with him at the same level and Jungkook catches a glimpse, surprised that even up close the protective glass is so dark and makes the other unrecognisable. Earlier he thought it might have just been the distance that made it impossible.

The distraction gives Star Flame the opportunity to nod his head briefly as if to greet Jungkook, but he says nothing. Jungkook blinks, he can catch sight of the finish line from afar and he is positive to have a challenging race to the last metres with the other. Will he ever know who Star Flame really is? He is impressed by his driving skills and the control he has over his vehicle.

Jungkook also nods respectfully and with a challenging nod to the front, receives a look that rests on him longer, but Star Flame eventually acquiesces and together they rush through the empty streets, already well ahead of the others. For the last minute, it seems uncertain who would win. Both ride with such graceful confidence in the wind, engines rattling as the tyres roll to the same height against another. Motivated and driven by the spectators, Jungkook does his best to win.

Nevertheless, Star Flame manages to catch up at the last second and crosses the finish line as the winner, leaving Jungkook gaping at him in astonishment.

Jungkook curses under his helmet, even though he is intrigued by today's race. For the first time, he had such a challenge that he could hear the blood pumping in his ears and his heart starting to pound like mad at how nervous another racer made him. Jungkook squints at Star Flame, rolling his motorcycle to a safe space where others wouldn't crash into him and is about to take off his helmet when the sudden sounds of sirens can be heard. A sound that catches all their attention at once, causing them to break into a panic when proximity decreases. Jungkook licks over his lips and turns his motorbike, driving in the direction he came from. He peers back one more time. He can't risk the police catching him that could put his job at risk.

Nearby he catches the glimpse of Star Flame doing the same, however, turning to his right and taking another road. Jungkook swallows hard but follows him with curiosity. His tongue wipes over his rosy and thin lip, moistening it with anticipation blossoming in his chest. He has no idea where Star Flame is going, surely the latter has already noticed that someone is following him. Why doesn't he give the pretence?

What if he follows him into a dead end? Jungkook thinks there is something good in everyone, but at the moment he is blindly following the other through narrow alleys and over roads with hardly any traffic. Jungkook could easily be lured into a trap for all he knows. Why does he feel so drawn to the mysterious racer? Is it curiosity?

Passing residential buildings and leading off towards the mountains surrounding Seoul, Jungkook's eyes widen as the other racer pulls off the road. Without thinking twice, he follows him with a strong will to find out who he is. The other leads him further away from the city until they finally approach a viewing platform from a mountain. The silence makes the brown-haired one notice that the police sirens have gone silent and have not followed them.

Venturing glimpses of the surroundings as best he can on a moving motorbike, he sees the lights of the city shine in a completely different light from where they are while he is pretty much surrounded by darkness. He shifts down a gear as he notices the other slowing down before finally coming to a stop on what can be called a viewing platform on a small mountain. Jungkook comes to a stop beside him and parks the bike, kicking the kickstand down.

Nonplussed about what to do next, he takes off his gloves and opens his motorbike jacket, as he has become warm from the ride and has already started to sweat. How he would like to take off his helmet and just breathe in the fresh night air. His gaze lingers on the mysterious driver for a few seconds, a little irritated that he is simply staring at the view of the city. Jungkook shakes his head to distract himself and then takes off his black helmet, after all, his head thrown back as he lets his brown hair waft in the light night breeze and then runs his hand through it.

"Man, that was close," he breathes into the air and puts his helmet on the handlebars before propping himself up with both hands and just closing his eyes for a few seconds, enjoying the hum of the crickets in the grass and the silence that you don't necessarily have in Seoul. The city is always busy in the city centre, and one encounters crowds in many places. It is busy, but up here on the mountain, it is just a pleasant silence to enjoy. It makes him wonder how Star Flame knew about this viewing platform. Has the racer been here before?

His thoughts are interrupted by the said person, who slides their fingers along the zipper of his motorbike jacket and speaks for the first time that evening. The sudden soft voice and kind tone make Jungkook shudder.

"You did well against me in the race."