Chapter 20 – Won’t let you smoke

Editor: Sammy

Proofreader: Bubbles

“The time when a journalist wrote that Winston Vann will never be the king of Formula One.”

“If it’s just this, it’s not enough.” Hunter showed an expression that seemed to say ‘there’s no meaning behind this story’.

“The reporter said that Winston Vann will always be in the shadow of the Great White Shark Ciel or Owen Lawrence.”

Ciel and Owen were named ‘two heroes’ by F1 fans. They were contended as Formula One’s top racers for over a decade. 

Hunter froze.

“In fact, I didn’t feel anything because these were largely tactics used by Mercedes’ media team. But you were very indignant and really wanted to berate the reporter, when you saw him however, you couldn’t make a sound.”

Winston’s expression was so serious that Hunter was seemingly able to envision the scene.

“What happened afterwards?”

“The reporter sneered and left, so you got depressed. You told me that the words you’d wanted to curse at him were written on the back of your hand, but when you saw that guy, you still felt extremely disgusted. You showed me the back of your hand, and I said…“

“You said that you’d triumph over Ciel in this grand prix.” 

When Hunter finished saying this, he felt foolish. 

That was because the sort of mood in the scenario Winston just described made it seem like it really had happened, as if it wasn’t just his supposed ‘previous life’.

“Yes, I’ll triumph over Ciel, then wait for you on the throne.” Winston’s hands reached out and knocked on Hunter’s forehead.

Hunter awoke to his senses, but in the depths of his heart, something that could burst out at any moment was surging. 

At 5:30pm local time, racers from various teams were starting the practice session at Silverstone.

Marcus observed Hunter’s speed on a lap and touched the back of his head. “This kid’s in a good condition.”

“Hopefully he can maintain it till qualifying.”

At 8pm, the second round of practice was about to begin. Hunter stuffed his hands into his pockets and arrived at a certain small corner. Squinting his eyes, he lit a cigarette for himself.

After smoking it down to about a third, someone sat down beside him. According to the length of the other’s leg, Hunter didn’t need to look up to know who it was. 

Neither of them spoke until Hunter’s cigarette burned till midway. Only then did the person next to him finally say, “Let me have a smoke.”

The corner of Hunter’s lips hooked as he smiled. “Why don’t you bring your own!?”

Although he said that with his mouth, he still pinched the cigarette butt, passing it to the other. This time around, he had an ill-intentioned heart and deliberately pinched the mouth of the cigarette, so that Winston would have to take it with his own hands.

But who would’ve expected that Winston would overtly suck Hunter’s finger together with the cigarette butt. 

“Hey!” Hunter received a feeling of shock. 

He wanted to withdraw his fingers, but he didn’t think the other would directly bite them; furthermore, the strength wasn’t light. He could only silently watch as the man sucked in a mouthful and then pushed the cigarette butt a little with the tip of his tongue to exhale the smoke.

“You bit me!” Hunter glared at the other with his round eyes.

“Then why did you purposely pinch it from so low?” Winston cooly questioned. 

Hunter found himself speechless, it sounded like he was in the wrong… It was clear that this guy in front of him was akin to an emperor, he even needed people to serve him while smoking.

The second round of the qualifying race was about to start. Hunter and Winston stood up together by chance and walked back to their respective teams.

Marcus was a little apprehensive as he stated, “If Hunter can maintain such skills till the end, it feels like getting eighth or ninth place is still possible!”

At 10:30pm, the practice round ended.

Hunter took off his gloves and moved his wrist, he unexpectedly thought of his finger that was bitten by Winston and suddenly it felt a bit painful.

His heart was flustered as he sent a text message to the other. [You bit my finger, if my qualifying condition isn’t good, you’ll have to take full responsibility.]

He didn’t expect the other to immediately respond, so Hunter returned to his room, bathed and headed to bed, preparing to sleep. He soon realised that his phone had an unread message and opened it to see Winston’s reply. [Wait until you visit the London Eye, I’ll let you know then what’s really painful.]

“Ah?” Hunter scratched the back of his head. “What does this mean?”

Two seconds later, he suddenly recalled his chat with Winston about the London Eye and his ears instantly reddened.

Have you never thought that one day, when the championship is over, you can bring your lover to sit in the London Eye to sightsee. You can hug and you can kiss, so why would it be boring?

I understand, 30 minutes is enough to make love.

Hunter speedily keyed in his message on his phone. [Be careful, least you rot down there.]

Afterwards, a strong sense of satisfaction was brought forth in Hunter as he threw his phone aside and fell asleep.

The next morning, he grabbed his phone to check the time, and was then caught by Winston’s message. [If you suck it, it won’t rot.]

“Damn it, believe it or not, I’ll expose your text to the global media to see!” Hunter was furious.

Thinking about it again, forget it… everyone would just assume that Winston’s phone had dropped.

The notion of being unable to pull down the other even with evidence made Hunter feel indescribably distressed.

At six o’clock in the evening, the third round of practice ended and two hours later, the qualifying race began.

Hunter’s steady performance in the first half gave Marcus quite a lot of relief.

“Just like this… just like this… be a good boy…”

In the middle part of qualifying, Hunter fluctuated between seventh and eighth. 

Just when Marcus thought Hunter would take this favourable ranking, his lap speed began to plummet.

“What’s happening?” Marcus tensed up.

“There’s a problem with Hunter’s oil pump!”

“He’s driving back to the pit now!”

Marcus pressed his hands against his face and roared, “What the hell—”

In the end, Hunter’s ranking dropped down to thirteenth place. 

When he returned, everyone looked at him with eyes full of regret.

Yet McGrady adorned a gloating expression.

“That… Hunter…” Marcus wanted to console him, but it was meaningless to say anything at this point.

Hunter took off his insulated mask, scratching his sweaty hair. He asked, “Can the oil pump be repaired?” 

“It should be possible before the main race.”

“Oh, then I’ll go smoke a cigarette.” Hunter took his water bottle and drank from it as he walked outside.

No one spoke a word, the mechanics felt extremely apologetic.

“We did check on the oil pumps, but we’re clueless on how such an issue occurred…”

This was a major mistake by the mechanics that had directly affected Hunter’s results for the main race.

Everyone could feel that Hunter was in good shape this round, but it had all been wasted.

No matter who the racer was, they would still sense cold water being poured down on their heads.

Hunter, who was reaching the door, suddenly turned around and said while shrugging his shoulders, “Hey… it’s not the first time I’ve started from this position, you guys don’t have to feel like there’s nothing left to live for.”

Hunter hooked the corner of his lips and smirked, completely void of signs of discontentment. 

“Hey, we’ll support you during the main race.”

“Sure, let’s see your tyre switching speed.”

Hunter winked. Afterwards, he went to a small corner dejectedly, ah no, to smoke.

He took a deep breath before eventually exhaling.

Someone sat down next to him and Hunter resentfully mumbled with his eyes closed, “Could it be that no matter where I hide, I’ll still run into you?”

“We didn’t run into each other, I was actually looking for you.” Winston’s voice resounded.

“How was your qualifying race?”

“Pole position.”

“…Damn it!” Hunter opened his eyes, indignantly looking at the other. “I can’t be friends with you anymore! Are you here to show off or to console me?!”

　
“Neither of them.”

Hunter suddenly began to smoke hard.

“What are you smoking so fast for?”

“I won’t leave a mouthful behind for you.”

“In the future, you’ll be a regular in the pole position, so I don’t have any capital to brag about.”

“After how long? If I’m not in pole position this time around, I’ll be dead… McGrady will call me an old stutterer again.”

And they’ll drag your name into it too.

Hunter gazed at the sky in melancholy.

“Starting from an unfavourable position and rising up is your forte.” Winston’s voice was indifferent, which meant beginning at 13th wasn’t that big of a deal.

“I really wanted to be sullen and depressed for a bit, but when you say it like that, I seem to have become a god?”

Hunter smiled and took a closer look at Winston once again, feeling that this guy was really fucking sexy.

“Ah, smoke finished.”

Hunter played with his cigarette butt as he thought in his heart. There’s none left for you to smoke.

Yet who would’ve expected that Winston would unhurriedly take out an aluminum cigarette box, hooking his finger towards Hunter.

“I don’t have a lighter,” Hunter naturally answered.

Winston’s chin raised and his gaze was cold, as if implying, ’do you want to die?’.

Hunter’s lips were crooked as he felt out his lighter. Just as he was about to toss it to Winston, he didn’t see it coming that the other would just place the cigarette between his lips while sitting there.

The meaning was: Light it up for me.

Fuck! Believe it or not, I’ll burn your eyebrows off!

The stick between Winston’s lips cocked upwards as if he were implying, ‘why aren’t you lighting up the cigarette?’.

“Do you believe me when I say I’ll run a F1 car into your head?” Hunter glared as he said.

Winston’s expression remained unchanged.

This low-level provocation had no effect on him whatsoever.

Hunter had no choice but to lean over, with one hand blocking the fire, and light the cigarette. 

He then felt for his phone, initially planning to play Anipop, but he realised his phone ran out of power.

“Ah… so bored…” Who knew that just as Hunter wanted to say he was going back to listen to the bastards comparing race strategies, Winston would toss his phone to him.

“Take it and play.”

Hunter’s heart trembled. “Yo? Why do you have Anipop on your phone?”

The entire team had laughed at his lack of taste in games.

But he didn’t reckon that Winston would also play this!

Since Winston was also playing this game, then it should be that he had a super, awesome taste in games!

“I don’t play it myself, but there will be a day where you’ll install it in my phone.”

–

The author has something to say:

When frying eggs:

Hunter: I’m an expert in attacking the top from the bottom! Attacking the top from the bottom!

Winston: I’m the one who put you on top.

Hunter: …I can’t communicate with you… 

Notes:

nura: Am back… with another sporadic slow update cough cough cough…. but I hope u’ve enjoyed this chap!