Keep Going Crazy Chapter 10

Aiden pressed his brow as if a headache was coming on. Watching him, Ryeoun felt twice as dumbfounded. Who was the one with the headache right now…?

“Why don’t you understand?”

“Then explain it so I can understand. What does us being teammates have to do with this situation?”

“The Grand Prix has just started.”

“I know that.”

“Helix isn’t Horizon.”

[Why are you talking nonsense out of nowhere?]

[What does ‘banging on a window’ mean?]

Ryeoun ended up facepalming.

“I’m saying you’re talking about irrelevant things. We were just discussing the connection between being teammates and this situation.”

“I am talking about that.”

“…Fine. Go on.”

His molars clenched involuntarily. Ryeoun engraved the character for ‘patience’ onto his heart and looked at Aiden.

“Helix is different from Horizon. In Horizon, which was crawling along the bottom of the Constructors—”

“Hey! Wait a second.”

But before the second character for ‘patience’ could be engraved, Ryeoun had no choice but to cut him off.

“We weren’t crawling that low. It wasn’t that bad.”

“Didn’t Horizon finish 7th last season?”

“That’s not the bottom! Did you erase 8th through 10th from your memory?”

“Do I need to look down that far? They’re not even my rivals anyway?”

[…This guy’s manners are insane.]

[Is it a habit to speak Korean whenever you want to curse?]

[Either teach me an English word that can replace ‘manners’ or shut up.]

He didn’t really feel like hiding his annoyance anymore. Aiden furrowed his brow and replied in Korean.

[And I’m not insane.]

[I mean your personality is filthy.]

[I’m not filthy.]

[…You do know Korean, right?]

[As you can see.]

[Never mind, forget it.]

Ryeoun waved his hand. It seemed like the guy didn’t fully understand the phrase ‘filthy personality.’ He wasn’t in the mood for wordplay.

“…Anyway. In Horizon, which was crawling along the bottom of the Constructors, they probably didn’t care what you did. But now it’s different. You’re Helix’s second driver, and Helix is a team aiming to win the Constructors’ Championship. Do you understand what I’m saying now?”

“No. Sorry, but I really don’t.”

This time, Aiden let out a deep sigh.

“How are you supposed to score points if you’re bringing men to your bed the night before Qualifying? If the information I have is correct, your best result is 7th, isn’t it? And only once at that?”

“….”

Something felt like it struck him right in the head. Ryeoun quietly closed his eyes and then opened them.

“So… what you’re saying is, I should be getting a good result in tomorrow’s Qualifying, so why am I going off to have sex at this hour?”

“Exactly.”

Now he understood what Aiden was saying. It meant that since Qualifying was tomorrow, having sex would prevent him from getting a good result. Because Aiden would think he wouldn’t be in peak physical condition.

Yes, to be fair, he understood the concern. Rationally. But emotionally, he couldn’t accept it.

It was ridiculous for Aiden to be making a fuss now, after acting all along as if he didn’t even consider Ryeoun a teammate. If he wanted to meddle in this sort of thing, he shouldn’t have treated Ryeoun so badly in the first place, should he?

It was Aiden Carter who hadn’t even greeted him properly, who’d ignored him in front of sponsors and the media, leaving Ryeoun’s mental state full of cracks. Did someone like him have any right to say this?

If Rowan or Alex had said this, Ryeoun would have felt sorry and embarrassed, unable to lift his head. But the person in front of him was Aiden. That fact turned his stomach.

“You’re worried that I might not score points for Helix’s Constructors’ Championship, is that it?”

“Why would I worry about you?”

“…What?”

“I’m only worried about my own title. A driver who’s never even stood on a podium can’t be allowed to ruin my Grand Prix plans.”

It was insulting on so many levels. Ryeoun genuinely felt like clutching the back of his neck and collapsing right there.

If he’d said something like, ‘As a teammate, I’m worried about your stamina, that won’t lead to a good result,’ Ryeoun could have at least tried to understand. They could have ended this conversation on a better note.

But Aiden Carter was making it crystal clear. Your existence is holding me back, so get your act together.

Wasn’t that laughable? Ryeoun let out a derisive snort. Since transferring to Helix, Ryeoun hadn’t even raced a single time yet. No results had come out, so why was Aiden beating his own drum and telling Ryeoun what to do?

“Listen, Aiden. No, Mr. Carter.”

“Yeah.”

“Let me make this clear. I have no intention of ruining the race at Helix, a team I’ve just transferred to. And I’m not such an idiot that I’d mess up Qualifying just because I had a little sex.”

“….”

‘Actually, I mess up Qualifying if I don’t have sex! What do you know?!’

Those words really rose to the tip of his tongue, but Ryeoun managed to barely hold back his outburst.

He’d never told anyone about his superstition in the past two years. He didn’t want to be found out. Whenever he met a sexual partner, Ryeoun was always careful. He had no desire to cause any trouble with matters outside of racing. He certainly never imagined he’d run smack into his teammate in front of the VIP elevator like this.

Alex’s words about Aiden being obsessed with results came to mind. Winning the World Championship and the Constructors’ Championship. He understood the obsession with that. But then shouldn’t he act differently?

Even if a distasteful and unreliable person became the second driver, instead of speaking rudely, meddling in his personal life, ignoring him, and treating him with contempt! Shouldn’t he, as the first driver, at least try to mentor him?

If not that, then at least he shouldn’t show his dislike so openly, should he? He shouldn’t be shattering his teammate’s mental state into dust like this, should he?

Ryeoun sighed inwardly and thought. If he ruined the race tomorrow, it wouldn’t be because of the sex, but because of Aiden Carter. Fatigue and stress came crashing in like waves.

Looking straight into Aiden’s glinting eyes, Ryeoun spoke to him deliberately, enunciating each word.

“I won’t ruin the race because of my personal schedule, and I have no intention of tarnishing your career. I will finish the race to the best of my ability. I understand that you don’t trust me. Because you’ve never raced with me before.”

“Jamie was a good partner.”

“So what? Do you have to tell me I’m not a good partner? Don’t talk like some pathetic guy clinging to his ex, Aiden.”

“He always scored points.”

“I know that! So, what? If you wanted to hold onto him, you should have been the one to negotiate his salary instead of letting him go to Meridian!”

Aiden frowned. Ryeoun couldn’t hold back and poured out everything he’d been keeping inside.

“I’m your new teammate. Even if you don’t like me, at least for a while, I’m the one who has to race alongside you. And surprisingly enough! I’m an adult. Whether I have sex with someone or not, I have no reason to hear that kind of talk from you.”

He understood Aiden’s doubts about his teammate’s physical condition. Aiden Carter didn’t know Han Ryeoun well, so of course he’d have plenty of concerns.

But did understanding mean he had to accept it? He didn’t think so. Especially since not even a booger-sized rapport had formed between them. And his words were just too rude to acknowledge and accept.

‘Now I know why you have no friends.’

Ryeoun harshly criticized his social skills inwardly.

Looking at the seething Ryeoun, Aiden narrowed his eyes. Because of the nearly 10cm height difference, Ryeoun had to endure Aiden’s downward gaze.

He himself had an average Korean man’s height. No, honestly, at about 180cm, he was considered fairly tall in Korea. But receiving Aiden’s gaze like this made him think, why am I only 180cm? What a stupid thought.

He felt absolutely fucking pissed.

And soon, Ryeoun had to clutch the back of his neck again because of the question that came out of Aiden’s newly opened mouth.

“Am I the weird one for talking about professionalism to a guy who has sex the night before Qualifying?”