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I somehow manage to hide my feelings after that, ending up going on multiple rides around the city with Eight and his motorbike the next few days. I knew that I had to hold back because surprisingly, whatever was between the two of us hadn't been ruined yet and I was planning on being careful from now on.

Even though I had to sneak out, it was worthy every time. The feeling of running wild on the streets at night, seeing the city from a brand new point of view, it all felt so refreshing, so different from what I had been used with. It might have been the adrenaline running through my veins when I was with him, but I knew for sure that he made me feel alive and I couldn't find this feeling anywhere else. Actually, I didn't even want to find it anywhere else.

I am only hurting myself, I know. A kiss doesn't mean he is in love with me, but that kiss was enough to cut my reasoning off. It doesn't really matter that he doesn't feel like that towards me anyway, I care about our friendship too much to let that affect me. It's not his fault I get attached so easily.

"Tell me something about the JYPs," I say silently as we walk down the hallways of the Neo Zone complex... or whatever this is.

Sunny asked me to come to the Neo Zone whenever I wanted to talk about the kidnapping, in order to analyze the next moves of the enemies... whoever they were. I knew she was trying to convince Seungkwan to let me help him with Haechan, which was honestly a bit surprising. Even though she is a bubbly person, she is scary when mad and her trust is not wasy to be gained. So the fact that she thinks I am worth her time makes me feel honoured somehow.

"What do you want to know?" THE 8 asks, glancing around discretely from time to time.

I shrug.

"I don't know, are they powerful...? Or... are they, uh... famous?" I say and Eight throws me an amused look.

I'm trying, okay? I try to say with my eyes and his smile widens for a few moments.

"They are famous because they have three top racers," he speaks carefully. "Powerful... I don't know..."

I nod slightly as we reach the door that leads to the main hallway before the bowling hall of Neo Zone. This building is seriously immense.

"However, in my opinion," he continues "they have the best racers of the arena."

I look at him confused. He glances at me, probably realizing that I would need an actual explanation for that.

"Most of us had been racing for a few months before the JYPs came," he begins "so the fact that they are among top ten alongside racers who have more experience than them really proves their worth. They are really passionate about racing."

So it's not all guns and hatred.

"Do they own a race track... like NCT?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"No, that's why I really think they deserve to own one like the arena," he adds and my eyes widen in surprise.

"So... does Coups want the arena... if he's fighting so hard to stick to his place?" I ask and the boy shakes his head once again. "Then why doesn't he let them win?"

"Because the deal is shady," he speaks, looking at me for a few moments. "That co-owning thing comes with huge costs, especially because the races at the arena are currently illegal."

I blink a few times, trying to process the information.

"What...? Wait, so... is Coups not giving up because he... wants to protect them?"

"Too much of a pretty word, but yeah, you could say so," he shrugs. "They're young and they have almost nothing, they would literally do anything to get this deal and keep it... Coups' accident is a good example."