The sound of racing cars echoed in the distance. Hot air filled the entire space.
The hallway fell silent.
The fight had stopped, and Mok and Ren stared at each other.
Bruises covered Ren's face. Meanwhile, Mok only had a few marks on his shoulder, though his lip had turned red.
"This piece of shit. I want to kill him. Not even my father has ever hit me." Ren brushed his fingers over his face while trying to hide the pain.
Seeing Mok standing without any visible injuries only made his anger burn even more.
Ren suddenly tried to charge at Mok from the floor, but his teammates quickly restrained him.
Mok wasn't backing down either. He still looked ready to swing again.
Kaen immediately stepped between them.
"That's enough. If this continues, things will become a much bigger problem…"
Kaen tried to grab Mok's arm, but Mok stepped toward Ren again. His eyes had already turned dangerously cold.
Kaen quickly rushed forward and held him from the front.
Clash—
"Shit, I can't calm him down alone. This kid is strong… is he some kind of athlete?"
At first, the K9 trainees had been thrilled when Mok landed the first punch on Ren. But now the situation had become serious. Both Ren and Mok were injured. Even if the wounds weren't life-threatening, injuries were still injuries.
The trainees' expressions gradually turned stiff.
"Sky, call Oat. Tell him to get here quickly," Kaen said, his voice strained.
"Khrap, I'll call him."
Sky immediately pulled out his phone and tried contacting Oat. "Phi Kaen, he's not answering."
"Then send him a text…"
"Shit. Only another thug can handle a thug. What are we supposed to do now?"
Sky hurriedly typed a message--
"Brother, there's a problem. A fight broke out. Hurry and come here." After sending it, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Sky, did you reach Oat?"
"No…"
"Hey, kid… Samy called you Mok, right?" Kaen tried to speak calmly. "Listen, Ren is an influential person. Let's settle this peacefully, okay?"
"Didn't he hear a single word I said? Whatever… I'm exhausted. Shit, this tiring middle-aged life."
Another trainee stepped forward to help restrain Mok.
Meanwhile, Ren still refused to let things go and continued provoking him.
Mok remained silent, but the fury in his expression said otherwise.
"You jerk! Just wait, I'll ruin this whole damn place!"
One of the Shadow Gears members stepped forward—
"Ren, that's enough. Let's leave."
"Shut up. Who's the one paying here? Me." Ren shot his own teammate with a contemptuous glare.
Mok gave a faint smirk while Kaen continued holding him back.
"Just try it…"
Ren froze. "What?"
Mok brushed his messy hair back slowly.
Clack—
He threw his glasses onto the floor.
"Try it, you trash. All you do is bark."
"What did you say? Do you have a death wish?"
Furious, Ren shoved his teammates aside and rushed toward Mok.
Kaen, who had been standing in front of Mok, was suddenly pushed aside as Mok stepped forward himself, ready to take the hit.
Sky squeezed his eyes shut in fear.
The others were stunned too.
Slap—
Sky instantly opened his eyes and turned toward Mok, thinking Mok had been the one slapped. "Phi Kao…"
Kao stood there with damp hair falling over his face. A red mark had already formed on his cheek. His cold gaze settled on Ren, who still looked enraged.
"What the hell? Why is he looking at me like I'm the one at fault?"
Then Kao's attention shifted to Mok, and the anger in his expression immediately turned into worry.
But the moment Mok noticed the redness on Kao's cheek, fear rushed through him instead.
"It's because of me. Kao got hurt. What did you do, Mok…"
As soon as Kao saw Mok's injuries, the concern in his eyes deepened even further.
"You… Kao, are you okay?"
"I'm okay, Phi Kaen."
Kaen gave a small nod, but his attention soon shifted toward Mok.
Mok lowered his gaze to the floor.
Seeing that reaction, Kaen finally began to understand. "Where did that hot-blooded young man go? Is this Kao's magic or something?"
Kao stepped closer and lightly tapped Mok's shoulder. "Mok, are you okay? Let me see."
He carefully tried to turn Mok toward him, but Mok still refused.
"Let me see, Mok," Kao repeated in a gentler voice.
After a moment, Mok finally turned his face slightly. The area had already turned red.
"Thankfully, it wasn't bleeding badly."
Kao checked him carefully from head to toe.
"Your shoulder is bruised too. It must hurt. You can tell me if it's painful."
Hearing that, Mok lifted his eyes toward Kao.
"Idiot! You're the one who got hurt more. Look at your face. Then why are you checking me instead?"
"Mok… why did you do this?"
Mok remained silent.
"Is he hurt so badly that he can't even speak?" Kao's fingers brushed lightly across Mok's face once more.
Meanwhile, Kaen and the others watched in disbelief.
"Phi Kaen… can I ask what's going on?" one of them whispered, staring at how unusually caring Kao was toward Mok.
"Is this normal? Phi Kao is kind and caring, but..."
With a pout, Sky complained, "He didn't even hug me when I won the race yesterday. He's showing favoritism. I'm getting jealous."
Seeing this, Kaen smiled and brushed Sky's hair.
Watching everything unfold, Ren's expression darkened. "How can they ignore me?"
Then an idea suddenly crossed his mind.
"That's it… Fools. I'll crush all of them."
"Let's settle this through a race!" Ren shouted.
"We're racers, so let's decide it on the track."
He pointed directly at Kao. "You'll race against me. If you win, I'll apologize and never come here again. But if you lose, you and that nerd will kneel on the floor and apologize to me properly."
"Shit, I almost laughed. Ren, are you a fool?"
Kaen shook his head inwardly.
Meanwhile, the K9 trainees exchanged strange looks.
Until now, they had felt partly responsible for the fight breaking out. But after hearing Ren's challenge, they suddenly started feeling bad for him instead.
"I think Phi Ren is a complete idiot, isn't he?" Sky glanced at his friends and quietly hummed in agreement.
"This jerk— he's doing it again." Mok nearly snapped once more, but Kao quickly pulled him back with one arm wrapped around him.
"Mok, calm down."
Mok's breathing stayed uneven from anger.
"Please, calm down."
"Khrap…" Like a child, Mok finally calmed down.
Kao's expression softened, his eyes still on Mok.
And then, from behind—
Gulp...
"Wow! Now I feel refreshed." Samy finished an entire bottle of water before tossing it aside.
"How about changing the winning conditions?"
Everyone turned toward her.
"If we lose, we'll agree to your terms, just like you said, but…"
"If we win, starting tomorrow, you guys will pay double just to enter this place. And for friendly matches, it'll be triple. Also, not this main racing area—"
She pointed into the distance.
"Use that abandoned ground over there instead. We were planning to rebuild it anyway. Good heavens, imagine if we hadn't."
The entire place fell silent.
"And if we win, all your gears will belong to us." Samy curled her lips into a grin. "Lastly, you'll apologize to everyone here. No need to kneel, but—"
Crack.
She crushed the empty water bottle. "I'm not as kind as I look."
"That crazy woman." Kaen stared at her in disbelief.
Sky covered his mouth while the others whispered among themselves.
"If she gets the chance, she'll probably sell us too."
"Scary."
"I can literally see money shining in her eyes."
"Don't you know her nickname?"
"What?"
"Gambler. She's addicted to it. Why do you think someone as talented as her would retire from racing?"
"Why?" Sky asked curiously.
"She sold almost everything just to gamble."
"But isn't that illegal—"
"Kids." Kaen cut them off with a warning stare. "Be quiet."
"Don't let her hear you. She'll tear you apart."
Ren suddenly laughed loudly. "It's just money. My allowance alone is enough for that." Confidence dripped from his voice. "I accept the terms."
The members of Shadow Gears immediately panicked.
"Ren, why are you agreeing? We can't give away our gears—"
"Shut up. Do you really think I'll lose?"
Ren's eyes pierced toward Kao before shifting to Mok.
"But don't forget this. I'm Ren. I never forget things, kid."
"Bingo. That fool fell for it." Samy hid her smile.
"You think this is only about money? No, dear. It's been a long time since I wanted to crush you. I only tolerated things because of the friendly match agreement between our groups. But you came here and walked right into it yourself, so don't blame me later."
Sky and the others suddenly shivered.
"I feel cold…" Sky checked his phone.
"Shit. It says today is even hotter."
Kao's eyes moved toward Ren. "Then let's do it."
"Kaen, Samy, let me get ready."
"Khrap," both answered at the same time.
"Mok… come with me." Kao grabbed Mok's wrist and pulled him away while the others stayed behind.
His steps were quick.
Meanwhile, Mok frowned slightly. "It hurts… He's holding my wrist too tightly. Is he angry at me?"
" I forgot my place… Who am I to him? Just a junior who returned his lost pin."
"Just because he was kind to me, I… I took advantage of that kindness. Still… I regret not hitting that jerk harder."
Behind them, Mok's broken glasses still remained on the floor.
Ren stepped on them hard and clenched his teeth.
The players' locker room was just ahead.
Kao entered first and finally let go of Mok's wrist.
Silence filled the room.
Drip… Drop…
The sound of water falling from the sink broke the quiet atmosphere.
"Sorry, I…" Mok shut his eyes and stopped himself from speaking further.
Kao's hand moved through Mok's hair before sliding gently to the back of his neck, making Mok slowly open his eyes again.
"Why did you do that, Mok? Do you know how dangerous that was?"
Kao searched his face quietly, and Mok met his gaze without backing away.
"So you wanted me to do nothing?" Mok asked softly. "He said you buy everything with money. He kept insulting you…"
Kao fell silent again.
"How can you stay so calm? Aren't you even a little angry?"
Kao gave a slow nod. "Did he really fight because of me?"
His fingers lightly brushed against Mok's split lip. "It's my fault… I treated him the same way as everyone else."
Mok grabbed the edge of Kao's shirt, making Kao snap out of his thoughts.
Kao let out a sigh.
"Mok, do you know why racing clubs arrange friendly matches with different groups?"
"Isn't it for training?"
"No. Connections."
Mok looked confused.
"But K9 is already famous, so—"
"No matter how famous a group becomes, everything can collapse in a single day." Kao's voice remained calm. "No matter what rumors people spread or what others say, the one still standing at the end becomes the strongest. That's how this world works."
His gaze lowered slightly. "Compared to them, K9 is still just a kid learning how to walk. That's why sometimes we pretend not to see certain things."
"Did I say too much? Did I hurt him again?"
Worry flickered across Kao's face.
His tone softened. "I know you acted like that because you were angry but you can't be reckless. What if something had happened to you?"
Then he rested his forehead against Mok's shoulder.
"You're driving me crazy…" he murmured quietly.
"What?"
Kao lifted his head and looked at him helplessly. "What am I supposed to do with you?"
After that, he walked toward the first aid area.
Mok silently followed behind.
His attention wandered around the locker room.
The place was divided into four sections—
Near the entrance was a cooling area for racers. Further inside was the resting space, followed by a simple treatment section for injuries and first aid. Beyond that was the actual locker room, where racers kept their suits and equipment inside personal lockers.
Kao picked up the first aid kit and turned toward Mok. "Don't just stand there. Come here."
Mok walked over quietly.
Just before Kao could begin, Kaen's voice echoed from outside.
"Kao, are you ready yet?"
"I'll do it myself," Mok said, trying to take the first aid kit away from him. "Go get ready."
Kao hesitated. "Won't it hurt more if he does it himself?"
"Kao…" Mok called softly.
Kao flicked his forehead lightly. "I'm your senior. Call me Phi."
"No."
"You're really stubborn, Mok."
Mok turned his face away with annoyance and let out a quiet hum.
"Really… now he's acting like a child."
Kao stepped closer and gently covered Mok's eyes with his fingers.
"They're beautiful."
Mok looked startled and stared at Kao, whose fingertips still rested near his eyes.
"Why are you hiding such beautiful eyes?"
Mok unconsciously held his breath. "I didn't…"
Kao slowly leaned closer.
Warm breath brushed against Mok's skin before Kao's soft lips gently pressed against his eyelids.
The room fell silent, except for their heartbeats.
Kao's lips slowly moved closer to Mok.
Their breathing grew uneven as they remained frozen in front of each other.
***
Bonus— K9 Family (Part 1)
"Samy noona, the camera's rolling!"
"Wait, wait— Sky, fix my hair first." Samy quickly pulled her hair forward and glanced at the camera with satisfaction. "Okay. You can introduce yourself after me."
Sky narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "But Samy noona, you have to be honest this time—"
Before he could finish, Samy shoved him aside.
"Ahem. Hello everyone, I'm Samy. I'm thirty-four years old and officially retired from racing two years ago. Former bike racer, professional heart-stealer, and living legend." She flipped her hair dramatically. "Ah, I'm getting off-topic again."
"Currently, I work as K9's manager and also Kao's secretary. Around here, everyone calls me Queen Samy." She proudly pointed at herself. "But my international fans know me as Veloce… because I'm as fast as lightning."
Sky's voice immediately came from behind the camera. "Noona, nobody calls you that."
"Be quiet."
Samy cleared her throat and continued like nothing happened.
"My favorite food? I eat almost everything unless it's spoiled or bitter. Health is always my top priority." She nodded seriously before suddenly smiling again. "And when I'm in a bad mood, people tend to avoid me for some reason. Honestly, I don't know why. I've never bitten anyone before."
She paused.
"...But I have considered murder. Just joking! Hahaha—"
The camera shook slightly.
"Well, I only have one bad habit." Samy crossed her arms proudly. "I like spending money. A lot of money. But that's normal for a genius, right?"
Silence.
Samy blinked.
Something felt wrong.
Slowly, she walked closer to the camera.
"...Wait."
Her smile twitched.
"Why isn't the recording light on?"
A loud gasp echoed through the room.
"SKY!"
Outside, hurried footsteps rang through the hallway.
"You idiot! Just wait until I catch you—!"
The camera tilted sideways violently before the screen went black.
Meanwhile, the abandoned camera silently prayed for survival.
To be continued...