Chapter 6 – You can treat me as your friend first

Editor – Chubby Dragon

Proofreader: Sleepy Mango & Penguinstel

“What? But my team manager said I’m not tense enough!” Hunter raised his shoulder.

“Do you know how to shoot an arrow? If you stretch the bowstring to its limit but refuse to let go, the arrow becomes useless in the end.”

Winston opened the car door and came to Hunter’s side.

“Wait for me here, I’ll go turn on the lights on the tracks.”

“Hey, aren’t you afraid I’ll drive off with your Ferrari?”

“Take it.” Winston walked towards the control room and shrugged casually.

“Ah… How could I forget… With his identity, a Ferrari sports car must simply be like buying a child’s toy.”

Wait a minute. He was originally from the Ferrari’s team. Perhaps, he didn’t even need to pay for this car.

Thinking of this, Hunter’s heart began to ache.

“Aiya, aiya. Hanging around this person isn’t healthy, it’ll affect my PH balance¹Since Hunter is jealous, resulting in him eating vinegar(which is acidic), so his PH value gets affected.”

He only heard a click from a distance and the originally dark sports car roared to life, with its beams flashing.

Hunter instinctively raised his hands to block the bright headlights and turned away. Someone walked towards him, helping him block out the blinding lights.

“Winston…”

“You drive.”

“What?”

“You don’t need to care about anything else, just drive until it explodes.”

“Until it explodes? This is your car!” Hunter stared at him with wide eyes.

“That’s right. This is my car. So, you don’t have to worry.”

Hunter looked into his eyes, searching for a trace of humour in his ‘cold joke’.

But Winston was serious.

Suddenly, Hunter grew excited.

“You don’t have to worry.” These were your words. Don’t regret it when I destroy your car.

Hunter took the driver seat while Winston rode shotgun. Before he could even finish buckling the seatbelt, the racecar had already shot forward.

Although this practice run could not be compared, in any way, to the difficulty of steering during an F1 race; stepping on the accelerator and controlling the gear with his goal to surpass the limits filled Hunter’s with immense satisfaction.

Flying through yet another bend, he continued to pick up speed. The wind crashing against them seemed to converge into a point of condensing into a solid barrier and bumping them around, yet it was left behind.

The tracks and tire treads were practically burning up. Hunter found himself actually looking forward to the moment he broke past the limits.

However, with a sudden ‘bang’, the tyre exploded and the car swerved heavily to the side until it came to a forced stop.

Hunter’s hands continued to grip the steering wheel as if he hadn’t recovered from his illusion earlier.

By the side, Winston sat in silence.

“…It seems to be smoking?” Hunter looked at him.

“Yeah.”

Under the bright moonlight, Winston’s side profile appeared like a cold and sharp cliff. Hunter couldn’t guess what he was thinking.

“It really exploded…”

“I saw.”

“I can compensate you…” Although his yearly pay couldn’t even be compared to a fraction of Winston’s, he could… still, afford at least a Ferrari.

“No need. I’m thinking that we would probably need to call someone to take us back to the city.”

“Oh. What about the Ferrari?”

“Just leave it to the workers here.”

“Don’t you need to drive?”

“I still have three others,” Winstone replied calmly and took out his mobile to dial a number.

Hunter blinked and blurted out, “Just how big is your garage?!”

Winston had already contacted his manager and the other person was rushing over now.

After hanging up, he turned to look at Hunter, stroking his chin.

“Do you want to see?”

“Sure!”

A whole row of Ferraris, how marvellous!

“Once you go in, I probably won’t let you out.”

“What?”

“Do you know where your bad habit that crops up during the F1 race, lies?”

Hunter looked into the other’s eyes; they were extremely peaceful but distant as if reaching past Hunter and stretching into the faraway space.

“Must release the tension…”

“That’s right. Remember what you felt today, and when you go on the tracks, follow your heart.”

Hunter stared at him with uncertainty and narrowed his eyes, observing him from every angle.

After nearly a minute, Hunter could finally no longer bear it and asked, “Why?”

“Hmm?”

“You called out my name when we were inside the bathroom during the Spain Championships. Otherwise… I probably would’ve been beaten by McGrady to the point where even my mother wouldn’t be able to recognise me.”

“I heard you were still beaten in the end. But your crimes were unforgivable.”

“Unforgivable? My crimes were unforgivable?!”

“Am I wrong?”

Winston refuted him coolly, causing Hunter to remember what he had done. It seemed… he had… indeed done something unforgivable.

“Fine. Let’s put that matter aside. During the auction, you even bought my baseball cap.”

“That’s something your father left for you. Even if you don’t like it, you wouldn’t wish for others to treat it like a piece of garbage.”

Hunter froze, “How… did you know my father left it?”

“I guessed.”

“You guessed?” Hunter had an expression that seemed to say ‘do you think I’m a fool?’

“Yeah.” Winston returned with an expression of, ‘It’s just like that.’

“Fine… What about now? No one is going to care about how many points I’ll get during the F1. I know there are many people who like to watch others be more miserable than themselves in this world. That’s why most of the F1 racers will be happy if I stay at the bottom. What about you? You knew my shortcomings… and even sacrificed your own Ferrari to tutor me. Why?” Hunter looked at him with a complicated gaze.

Please speak the truth.

Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep.

“Number one, you are the only person capable of becoming my rival in the future.”

Hunter looked at him in disbelief: How was that even possible! You’re destined to become a love-hate nemesis with the ‘Great-white Shark’ Ciel on the race track. Don’t drag me under with these big names!

“Number two, I want to fuck you.”

This joke was too fucking cold… If that’s true, I’ll resign from F1.

“Number three, I want to be your friend. Which do you think is the truth?”

Hunter’s tense emotions slowly began to relax. When he returned to his senses, a small burst of satisfaction inexplicably swelled up in his heart.

After going through so much trouble, buying his baseball cap, and bringing him to the race track, scaring him until he became tongue-tied… Was this all to gain his attention? This made others speechless.

“Number three, you want to be my friend!”

Hunter grinned.

“Wrong. Except for number three, they are all true.”

“Please, I beg you to stop talking nonsense so seriously!” Hunter tilted his head and looked at the other person, feeling that the Winston who had spent such a large effort to get closer to him was rather cute, “You actually wanted to be my friend! I can understand! When a person is too outstanding, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good thing. But why didn’t you make friends with the Great-White Shark Ciel instead? You guys are the same! Ah, I understand. A person as amazing as you needs to stand beside a trash like me in order to show your radiance!”

Hunter certainly had a great imagination.

Winston turned away, his expression growing cold.

“What I want, isn’t to be your friend.”

“…” Hunter stared at him for a long time before frowning, asking doubtfully, “You don’t want to be my friend… Is it because you want to be my good friend?”

Indeed… A genius’s train of thought was too different from a normal person. In order to deepen his impression, he had even jumped straight from a ‘friend’ to a ‘good friend’. Vann Winston was truly working very hard.

“Fine. If I say my motive is to bed you, you would probably run away crying and refuse to see me again.”

“Hah?” Hunter’s brain was about to explode.

What was this about running away, crying? And refuse to see him again?

And please, stop using that sort of expression to say these words!

“So, you can treat me as your friend first.”

Winston’s expression was very cold, and he made no effort to conceal his anger in front of Hunter.

After two seconds of silence, Hunter suddenly rubbed his stomach and laughed, “I say… Fine. I’m the one who wants to be your friend, you don’t. I understand you don’t want me to be too much of a failure as an F1 racer and reluctantly helped me out.”

I’ll let you have your way since you’re Vann Winston!

Just take it as if I’m the one who begged you to become friends!

“You’ll never be a failure. In the near future, you’ll become an outstanding racer,” Winston said.

Although such words of consolation sounded like a box full of candies and all these candies belonged to others, at that moment, Hunter felt immensely grateful.

“What a pity, I won’t be participating in the next match in Canada. I ranked right after the top 15 in the last three matches consecutively. So, Marcus is considering letting Luke replace me.”

Originally, Hunter wasn’t feeling too sad over this missed opportunity since he didn’t really qualify for it.

But now, he suddenly felt a sense of pity.

Probably because this sports car had died for nothing.

“Just be ready to go up at any time. In the next competition, you’ll obtain the points you deserve.”

Hunter lowered his head, laughing, “This sort of unconventional consolation is unlike you. But, thank you.”

“If you think I’m trying to console you, can I ask if I can fuck you?”

Winston’s expression wasn’t flippant.

His gaze and expression seemed to tell Hunter that he was serious.

But Hunter laughed, “Fuck your head! Why don’t you fuck an oreo²The phrase here is a play on words. The author uses 泡 to say Fuck. But it also stands for soaking. So Hunter is telling him to soak his oreo in milk. Doesn’t make much sense literally since it’s meant to be a pun! You actually want to make friends with your crappy skills? You’re lucky you met me, Evan Hunter. Otherwise, your beautiful face would have already been beaten into a pig’s head!”

What about wanting to fuck him. This was the most ridiculous thing Hunter had ever heard.

How many times had they even met?

Fine, fine. Since they were friends, it must mean that there was something that had made this cold and aloof man acknowledge him.

Compared to those lousy pick-up lines as a first impression, Hunter was certain his interaction with Winston could be considered a “relatively” normal beginning.

“Hey, how are you? I’m Evan Hunter, thank you for reluctantly agreeing to be my friend. In the future, let’s drive together and smoke together. When I turn 21, we can also drink together but we can’t sleep with the same woman together.”

Hunter extended a hand towards Winston.

Anyway, regardless of race car, cigarettes, or alcohol, Winston probably had it better than him. If they shared, he wouldn’t lose anything.

Maybe it’s the same for women?

Hunter regretted the words he’d said at the end. Please let me have the women.

Winston didn’t reply, but he shook Hunter’s hand.

He’d already thought this through, this rascal really went through so much trouble just to become friends!

“No matter how large a race team is, or how many people are behind you. Once you’re on the track, every single decision, every turn and your speed is decided by yourself. I know you’re actually very lonely.” Hunter laughed as he looked at the other.

Winston didn’t have any reaction, but simply looked him in the eye.

This made Hunter feel satisfied.

Because he knew Winston had listened to him seriously.

“Because I’m the same.”

Even if I’m not as outstanding as you.

At this time, a helpless voice came from a distance.

“Ah— My Winston! What have you done! Did you come here just to destroy a car in the middle of the night?”

That was a plump, middle-aged woman nearing her forties with her hair messily bunched up. She had clearly rushed over in a hurry.

“This is…” When the woman came before Hunter, her eyes narrowed.

“I’m Evan Hunter… A member of Marcus’ team.” Hunter looked at Winston doubtfully.

“What are you doing here?”

Hunter thought for a moment and didn’t know how to answer.

“I brought him here,” Winston replied.

“You… Why?”

Winston ignored his assistant’s doubtful gaze and turned to Hunter, “Let’s go, I’ll send you back.”

“Huh, oh.”

—

The author has something to say:

When frying eggs:

A stunned assistant: My god! You actually brought him to the Ferrari race track!

Winston: Because I want to fuck him.

A helpless assistant: But you don’t have to destroy a Ferrari!

Winston: Because I want to fuck him.

A confused assistant: Then don’t call me in the middle of the night. Such a big track with silence and dim light, just fuck him!

Winston: Because I want to fuck him more than once.

An enlightened assistant: Oh! So you said you want to be his friend so that you can tease him anytime you want? Poor Hunter is still enduring for the sake of a non-existent reason. Wait until he gets used to you, you can do whatever you want.

A few days later, Hunter held his chest in disbelief: My best friend teases me every day. I only thought that was his weird fetish and I never judge my friends’ strange taste… But I never thought he really wanted to fuck me!

Fat melon³Fat melon is referring to the author of the novel, Jiao Tang Dong Gua (焦糖冬瓜): Although little Winston has endured a great deal and resisted the urge to gobble him up, little Hunter is a sharp racer with incredible reaction speed. If he really used force, it would end up terrible and leave them full of wounds. Moreover, little Winston’s goal is – more than once! If they play friendship, he can tease little Hunter every day, otherwise, he’d definitely run away in fright. Then, he wouldn’t be able to tease Hunter any more.

• 1
  Since Hunter is jealous, resulting in him eating vinegar(which is acidic), so his PH value gets affected
• 2
  The phrase here is a play on words. The author uses 泡 to say Fuck. But it also stands for soaking. So Hunter is telling him to soak his oreo in milk. Doesn’t make much sense literally since it’s meant to be a pun
• 3
  Fat melon is referring to the author of the novel, Jiao Tang Dong Gua (焦糖冬瓜)