Drive me Wild, Rival(BL)

Chapter 130: I have to win

Alaric

​Seo-jun. Do you remember who that is?

​Nico’s words resounded in my head as I tried so hard to remember where I had heard it or why it sounded so familiar.

The word felt like a ghost scratching at the back of my mind, an itch I couldn’t scratch.

I racked my brain trying to connect the name to a face, a memory, anything, but my mind remained a total blank. There was only one person who could find out who that was.

Only one entity trapped inside my skull who had access to the secrets I had buried deep down.

​As soon as I entered the bathroom, I locked the door behind me with a harsh click. I turned around and stared directly into the mirror, pointing my finger aggressively toward the polished glass.

​"I know that you are somewhere here and you can hear me, so come out right now and speak to me!" I began.

​No response.

The empty restroom remained completely silent, the only sound being the distant, muffled roar of the stadium crowd outside.

​I began pacing the small space, the walls practically closing in on me as the frustration inside me mounted.

The adrenaline from the upcoming race was mixing with pure confusion, making my blood boil. "Come outHarold!" I yelled, my voice cracking under the weight of my own irritation.

I couldn’t handle the mind games anymore. I was losing my mind, completely losing my grip, and I needed answers right now.

​In a sudden surge of blind fury, I balled my hand into a fist and punched it directly against the mirror.

The glass didn’t shatter, but the heavy impact vibrated sharply up my arm. "Harold, come out!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, staring fiercely at my own reflection. "Tell me who the hell Seo-jun is! I don’t remember meeting him at all! Stop playing with me!"

​Suddenly, the air behind my reflection shifted.

​Harold appeared, appearing out of the tiny air as if he had been lounging there the entire time. He was floating horizontally, sleeping in thin air with his hands tucked behind his head, casually waving a single hand at me with that same smug, irritating grin on his face.

​"Who is Seo-jun?" I demanded, my breathing heavy as I glared at him through the glass.

​Harold shrugged, rolling his eyes as he tried to act completely nonchalant at first. He examined his fingernails, letting out a bored yawn that made me want to rip him out of the mirror myself.

​"Tell me!" I yelled at him, completely losing the last shred of my patience.

​"Whoa, whoa, calm down, de Villier! Stop screaming, will you?" Harold snapped back, finally sitting up in his floating position and rubbing his ears dramatically. "Is it not completely obvious who that is? It’s Nico. Nico Park."

​"I know that!" I hissed, slamming my palm against the marble sink. "I know it’s his name. But how had I met him before the grid? How do I know that name? What does it mean?"

​Harold let out a mocking chuckle, leaning forward until his face was right up against the opposite side of the glass. "You still haven’t figured it out, have you? Wow. For a top-tier driver, you are incredibly slow, Alaric. Think about it. Why is it that I am not always here when Nico is around you? What do you think? Use that big brain of yours."

​I froze, my brows furrowing into a tight line as I processed his words. The pieces were spinning in my head, but they weren’t clicking together properly. "Are you saying... are you a character based on Nico? Is that what this is?"

​Harold’s expression instantly twisted into a look of pure, dramatic disgust. "Eew! Gross, no! Absolutely not! What a horrific thought." He flapped his hand dismissively, floating back a bit. "I am a character created by both of you a long time ago. We go way back, Alaric. But I’m not the one holding the keys to the kingdom here. Nico should have more answers to it than I do and that’s why you should ask him instead of screaming at no one here.’’

​"That makes zero sense, Harold. Give me something real."

​"Seo-jun’s name should give you a hint," Harold countered, his tone turning slightly more serious as he tilted his head. "You need to remember where you had heard it before. Think about the past. Think about what those flowers reminded you of. The white blossoms. It’s all right there in your locked-up head, Alaric. Try to figure out where you have heard it.’’

​Before I could ask any more questions, before I could grab him by his stupid collar and demand the full story, Harold suddenly checked the watch on his wrist.

His grin widened into something sharp as he snapped his fingers.

​"Oops, look at the time! The race is starting, captain. Tick tock, tick tock. Time to go fast."

​He gave me a mock salute, waved his hand, and casually walked backward into the depths of the mirror, vanishing entirely into the reflection until there was nothing left but me staring at myself.

​I heaved a deep, ragged sigh, clenching my fist so hard my knuckles popped. The confusion was still eating me alive, but Harold was right about one thing—the clock was ticking. I didn’t have time to solve a childhood mystery right now. I just had to win that race. If I secured P1, if I kept my position and beat Nico, the bet would be locked in. I could ask him the questions I wanted to ask, and he would be forced to give me the truth with no exceptions.

​Turning away from the mirror, I unlocked the door and marched straight out of the restroom.

​The loud, booming race announcement was already echoing through the Suzuka loudspeakers, the crowd roaring in anticipation.

I walked through the garage, my focus locking into a deadly, sharp point. I pulled my balaclava over my head, grabbed my helmet, and climbed directly into the tight, low cockpit of my Ferrari car.

The mechanics secured my belts, the engine roared to life behind my spine with a terrifying, heavy vibration, and I drove out of the pit lane toward my position at number one on the grid.

​As I coasted down the straight to take my place at the very front, I had to drive past Nico’s car.

​I sighed heavily inside my helmet, the sound of my own breath loud against the visor. Right as my car aligned with his, our eyes met through our dark, tinted visors for a single, fleeting second.

Even with the helmets blocking our faces, the intensity between us was there.

​Nico Park was starting right behind me, ready to hunt me down the exact second the lights went out. But as I lined my Ferrari up on the grid, staring down at the empty track ahead of Turn One, my resolve hardened into steel.

I was going to win this race. I was going to defend my position with everything I had, and then I was going to make Seo-jun tell me exactly who he was.