Chapter 5 – Do you like it gentle or violent?

 

Editor: Sammy

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“About that… I can go back on my own.”　　

Winston put away his phone. Just as he wanted to speak, the employees from the insurance company arrived.　　

Under the dim street lights, his figure appeared eminently beautiful yet extremely lonely.

“Let’s go.” He opened the car door for Hunter.　　

Hunter touched his ear. Alright, this trash that was him will take the prodigy’s car home.

Feeling the night breeze on his face, Hunter closed his eyes. He was quite curious about the way Winston drove; how he’d controlled the clutch and how he’d turned the steering wheel.

His driving was extremely smooth. Even when he came to a stop or made a turn, it made one feel comfortable.　　

This sort of comfort was difficult to explain.　　

“Your driving…doesn’t really feel like that of a racer’s…”　　

Winston turned to look at him, the corners of his lips curved. “Do you want to try?”　　

This was Hunter’s first time seeing such a blatant smile on this person’s face. As if a finger had reached into his body and twisted; his heart and mind seemed to have been caught in a whirlpool but Winston calmly turned away.

He silently let out a breath. Hunter finally knew why Winston never smiled in front of the camera. His slightest smile would not only shatter the camera but also drive those who saw it insane. 

“This is the city, a Ferrari can’t go that fast…” Hunter shrugged.

“Then, let’s go to a place where it can.”　　

Winston turned the steering wheel and began to race towards the suburbs. 　　

“Hey! Where are you going?”　　

“Are you afraid of me?” The other person looked at him coolly.　　

“Why would I be afraid?”　　

“Afraid that I’ll take you to some place and lock you up in a dark room where you’ll know neither night nor day. Apart from me, no one else would see you and we’ll spend all eternity for the rest of our lives.”　　

His voice was as cold as ever but beneath the ice, there seemed to be something frantically burning.　　

His face didn’t have a single hint of expression. The shallow smile from earlier seemed to have been an illusion and in its place was cruel indifference.　　

Hunter unconsciously swallowed his saliva and reached out to check the car locks.　　

“I’ve locked it. You can try jumping out but at this speed, you’d have a higher chance of dying compared to jumping from the tenth floor,” Winston calmly stated.　　

The light coming from outside began to fade and there were lesser cars on the road.

Winston looked as if he was about to commit gentle murder and Hunter was his prey.

Hunter knew that there’s no way he’d kill him… but what if Winston was actually a serial killer?　　

A few days ago, he seemed to have seen a news article reporting the death of a teenager lying on the side of the road with multiple fractures and stab wounds.　　

“Do you prefer me to be gentle or violent?” His voice was very soft as if speaking to his lover.

But like an omen of death, it was extremely dangerous.

Hunter opened his mouth, feeling a chill run down his back. This sort of chill seemed to have frozen his tongue in place, rendering him speechless.

“Why aren’t you answering me? Baby, aren’t you excited?”　　

The car continued to increase in speed. There wasn’t anyone else around and Hunter’s sense of danger heightened intensely.　　

He was currently assessing his chances of taking control of the car.　　

For example, knocking Winston out and gaining control of the steering wheel before kicking him out of the car and going home!　　

Don’t be foolish! When making a turn, the driver’s centre of gravity in addition to the weight of his helmet was about 24kg. Winston’s neck endurance was definitely high, how could he possibly knock him unconscious?

“Why aren’t you answering?” Winston’s voice was even more gentle than before.

“I… I…” Hunter struggled to answer. He wanted to say something that would calm this psychopath down but was unable to speak.　　

Fuck! He was normally fine. Why was it that at such a critical juncture, he couldn’t form any words?!　　

“What kind of handcuffs do you like?”

“…”　　

Handcuffs? What the fuck are handcuffs?!　　

“What about whips? Do you prefer them thick or thin?”　　

When Winston used his emotionless voice once more, it was like an invisible hand had gripped Hunter’s heart, causing it to sink.

Knock him out, he definitely needed to knock him out.　　

“If you don’t tell me, I won’t know how to cherish you.” Winston’s smile was wide but Hunter only felt that his head was about to explode.　　

I don’t need you to cherish me!　　

Which part of his brain had a loose screw?　　

“Why aren’t you answering?”　　

“I… feel that… your joke… isn’t funny.” Hunter had exhausted all his energy in untangling his tongue.　　

He can’t stutter. He couldn’t let the other person know he stuttered when he became nervous.　　

“Did I really scare you?”　　

The car came to a stop. Winston rested against the steering wheel and turned to gaze at Hunter.　　

The bloodlust and cruel smile from earlier disappeared. However, his eyes were still narrowed.　　

In that moment, Hunter was 100% sure that Winston was fooling with him.　　

“Of course not. I just think you’re really lame.”　　

Having calmed down, his tongue could move freely now and his voice could flow once more.　　

“You were,” Winston refuted.　　

It wasn’t an absolute tone, yet it made him feel as though his words were the truth.　　

“I wasn’t.”　　

Hunter used his most serious expression to stare at him.　　

If this bastard dared to ask him if he’d become tongue tied, he’d hit him until he lost his memories!　　

“Have you ever watched ‘The Mechanic’¹There isn’t an actual film that Winston was talking about(极速谋杀: direct translation – Speed murder), but there’s something similar called (机械师) aka the mechanic. The main protagonist is also named Hunter.?” Winston asked.

“What?”　　

“A movie?”

“Huh?”　　

“We’re here.”　　

“Where’s this?”　　

“A place where you can speed.”　　

Hunter found that he was incapable of keeping up with Winston’s thought process.

Was it his quick thinking and reaction speed that allowed him to stand at the top of the Grand Prix?　　

Hunter followed his gaze and looked out. He realised that they’d indeed arrived at a private racetrack.　　

“This is Ferrari’s practice race track in New York’s suburbs.”　　

Fuck… Big teams were too powerful!　　

Winston used a card to open the doors and they entered.　　

“Hey, are you sure about this?” Hunter was worried.　　

Winston belonged to Ferrari’s team, but he didn’t.　　

“There’s only the two of us, are you scared I’ll do something to you here?”　　

It’s here again!　　

This sort of untasteful joke was completely unlike his persona in front of the media as well as the entire F1 circle.　　

“Are you really Vann Winston?” Hunter tilted his head and asked.　　

“I am.”　　

“Then, did you know that if I were to use a voice recorder to record everything that you’d just said…”　　

“Let me know if you need it next time, I’ll bring you one.”　　

“I think that it’s better for you to remain as a silent, unsmiling sculpture.”　　

“Sure, next time.” Winston brought the car to a point marked on the race track. 　　

“Hey, are you really going to race here?”　　

“Aren’t you curious what kind of speed would cause a Ferrari to explode?”　

Hunter grabbed his head and exclaimed, “Do you know you’re really out of character right now?”　

“This is the real me.”　　

“Fine… If you don’t mind your Ferrari blowing up, I can…”　

Just as he uttered these words, Winston had already switched gears instantaneously. The engine roared loudly and the race car flew off.　　

The back of Hunter’s head nearly crashed against the headrest.　　

One F1 race was equivalent to sitting on a roller coaster fifty times.　　

Logically speaking, Hunter shouldn’t be afraid. However, Winston’s wild and untamed driving skills caused Hunter’s face to nearly be plastered against the window during a bend.　　

Now it was the other direction again. Hunter couldn’t stop himself from falling towards Winston, his head nearly pressing against the other’s shoulder.　

As if they’d entered a time travel tunnel, Hunter realised that the entire track wasn’t lit at all. They’d simply been relying on the Ferrari’s headlights and Winston’s reaction speed.　　

Without a helmet or protector, the wind forcefully crashed against Hunter’s face, making it difficult to breathe.

This method of driving wasn’t to pursue the limits of this car, but self-destruction!　　

When he glanced at the dashboard, Hunter felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest because their speed had long surpassed the stipulated limit by the company.　　

After three laps, Winston finally slowed the car down and came to a stop. Hunter was still frozen, immobile.　　

“What’re you thinking about?” The culprit was very calm.　

Hunter didn’t say anything.

He’d really thought that at the last lap, the car would skid off the track and crash into the barriers, followed by suffocation from airbags. 　　

“Don’t worry. This speed can’t possibly surpass the F1.” Winston unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to his side to face Hunter.　　

At this moment, Hunter finally understood that the steadiness of their drive, while they were in the city, was called a ‘sense of security’.　　

And the crazy pursuit of speed on the race track was called ‘madness’.　　

He couldn’t understand how a person could so easily integrate these two vastly polar traits together.　　

Winston’s hair had been messily tossed about from the wind and his collar had long torn open. His bowtie hung lazily around his exposed neckline.　　

How unruly… this was the only adjective Hunter could think of to describe him.　　

“Breathe deeply. Think about your control over your brain and extend it to your tongue. Now tell me, are you afraid?”　　

Winston’s voice was warm and calm.　　

“I’m not afraid.”　　

In his voice, Hunter seemed to have found himself.　　

“If you aren’t, then what were you thinking of?”　　

“…My hair… Is it messy?”　　

Winston’s chin tilted up and Hunter could clearly see that this person was laughing.　　

His fingers ran across Hunter’s ears and neatly rearranged his hair.　　

”It’s alright now.”　

That strange intimacy he felt earlier at the banquet had inexplicably risen up again.　　

Hunter believed that they must’ve known each other from a very long time ago. But no matter what, he couldn’t remember.　　

“Hey- you bastard. You didn’t even turn on the lights on the track! What if we had skid off?!”　　　

“I’ve driven on this track countless times.”　　

His implication was, even if he closed his eyes, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“…Fine.”　　

“The F1 tracks too.”　　

“What?”　　

“You’re too tense on the race track.”

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  There isn’t an actual film that Winston was talking about(极速谋杀: direct translation – Speed murder), but there’s something similar called (机械师) aka the mechanic. The main protagonist is also named Hunter.