A light rain had been falling for hours, and the floodlights surrounding the rally circuit suspended every raindrop like thousands of shimmering shards of glass above the asphalt. The roar of finely tuned engines, the scent of hot rubber and gasoline, and the packed grandstands turned the night into the biggest race of the season.
Among dozens of drivers, only two names echoed louder than the restโJeon Jungkook and Kim Taehyung. Two rally champions whose rivalry had dominated headlines for years; every time they lined up on the starting grid, it felt as though the entire circuit existed solely to prove which one was superior.
No one knew about the secret relationship hidden behind their cold stares and formal interviews. They had never allowed the line between rivalry and their private feelings to become visible.
The race remained flawless until the final corner. The gap between them was almost nonexistent. Then, only seconds before the checkered flag, Taehyung made a movement so subtle and natural that not even the engineers noticed it, allowing Jungkook to cross the finish line first. To everyone else, it was simply a defeat. To the two of them, it was another secret that would never leave the track.