Dare You to Doubt Me | d.r3

DARE YOU TO DOUBT ME | v

v.

there were no competitions this week. it's wednesday. maybe that's the reason why the hgc is empty except for two old cars parked near the staff entrance (that must be the cleaners and the cafeteria owner). there's also another car. quite new and well-maintained. the silver-coated is shiny like the owner just brought her BMW series to get it polished.

     daniel doesn't make any comment when he finds out that you parked your car randomly in the public parking spot in front of the hgc main building. but he follows you inside without hesitance unlike the last time he was here. because the less people in the territory, the less he has to worry about his hiding.

     "right, so this is where we do gathering. when we need all of the head teams, the coaches, their owners for some important announcement," you say, gesturing towards a foyer near the main entrance of the hgc. daniel had been here before. his brain flashes an image of you holding little adam on your hip.

     "there's a washroom over--" you point to your right, "--and you can find a cafeteria through that hallway."

     daniel follows your appointed finger, towards the said hallway on his one o'clock. as if to make a point, someone in the kitchen made a noise. a loud metal hitting the tiled floor can be heard through the entire building. daniel winces while you close your ears with your palms.

     "that must be mr. ayashi," you say once the noise die down. "he's the best cook in town but he can be pretty care less. you want to go and see upstairs?"

     "you sure? shouldn't we check up on him first?" daniel offers.

     "i--" you stutter. sure, daniel agreed to coach adam but he might not be willing to do this 100%. and if he isn't, there no need to be kind with other employees who work at the hgc. though, you don't mind showing the kitchen (the one daniel visited last time) and introduce mr. ayashi to him because that means spending more time with your favourite f1 driver a.k.a your crush. "i thought you might want to start as soon as you can so you can get home sooner."

     "oh." daniel's face falls. it's as if he realises something. "right. you're probably right."

     "so... upstairs?"

     daniel reluctantly nods his head. he silently follows you towards the grand stairs, with glass handrails, that leads to the second floor.

     there is a spot with a better view to watch the race though to get there, you will need to enter and cross a certain office room. the room that you still didn't dare to enter.

*

"daniel. this is johann," you introduce adam's kart mechanic to daniel. he's a tall man with muscles and dark hair. "johann. this is--"

     "daniel ricciardo, yeah." johann's familiarity with daniel isn't surprising neither you nor daniel himself. "yeah, you were here last week. and it's like what... a year since you disappear? how are you, man?"

    johann had offer his hand to shake with daniel. it's the common gesture between men while women usually give a light kiss on the cheek. but because it's also because of it being a common gesture that daniel doesn't look confident to shake hands with johann.

     daniel hesitates for the first few seconds. lila, adam's mother who was there with johann before you and daniel arrived, looks confused. though johann doesn't look bothered that daniel still hasn't shook his hand you don't want johann to think that daniel isn't a pleasant person to work with. you need them to get along for adam.

     you give daniel a few more seconds to... maybe to recover from being overwhelming and maybe to make him realise that he's in the real world now. either he likes it or not, he's back in the real world and he needs to have contacts with people.