exhilarating | mark lee

one

Different eye-catching neon signs filled the busy streets of Seoul and the sidewalks were occupied by locals and tourists alike.

The winter night was then interrupted by the booming sound of a car engine that caught the attention of people, quickly turning their heads to the source of the sound.

A red blur sped down the road, startling the people on the sidewalk. The red car was then followed by multiple black SUVs trying to match its speed.

Pushing the limit, the driver of the red car then continued to skillfully maneuver around the alleys and streets of Seoul.

She glanced at her rearview mirror, a groan escaping her mouth when the cars tailing her were gaining ground and they looked like they weren't giving up any time soon.

A smirk tugged on her lips as she saw the stoplight ahead flashing yellow light. As soon as the stoplight flickered to a red color, she shifted her handbrake, avoiding the cars coming from the other direction by merely an inch.

The cars coming from the other way panicked and pressed their breaks almost immediately, the sound of car horns deafening nearby citizens.

The girl glanced back at her rearview mirror, flinching when she saw the chaos that she ensued. Fortunately the mishap she caused blocked the road, successfully blocking the black cars tailing her earlier too.

She took a sharp right turn and entered the parking complex to her left.

Letting out a sigh of relief, she parked the red car, discarded the keys, and exited the vehicle, examining her surroundings to make sure there weren't any people loitering around.

The girl didn't have to worry about cameras or CCTVs since she scouted the place earlier just to make sure, you can't be too certain with these things.

She entered another car, this time a silver one, and left the parking lot.

• • •

The student glanced at the clock for what seemed like the hundredth time, counting the seconds before the bell rings.

There were only a couple more weeks before the end of the school year and a month or two before the final examinations.

She tapped her pen on the desk, blocking out whatever the professor, Mr. Kim, was discussing calculus. Something she told herself she might regret later, but at the moment she couldn't care less.

45 minutes to freedom, she thought as she let out a sigh, shifting her attention to the equations scribbled on the whiteboard.

A knock on the door resonated throughout the classroom, gaining the attention of the class. A black-haired boy opened the door.

"What is it you need Han?" The professor inquired, not at all happy at the disruption.

"I need to excuse Kang Chaerin sir," the boy started with a smile, "She is needed by the student council,"

Mr. Kim nodded at him and gestured to the female student that she was free to leave. The girl nodded, trying to keep an indifferent expression, hiding the fact that she was ecstatic that she was allowed to leave his class.