Crush Overtake Love

People who dream of romance are generally capricious. And the man sitting next to Brian Levin was the most romantic, the most romantically inclined, and at the same time, the most capricious man among all the people he knew, whose heart could change several times per second.The man, Rose, was in the worst mood, as gloomy as the sky that wouldn’t be surprising if a hurricane suddenly came.“Boss, we’ve received a call from Motrix Primo.”Maximilian Rosenberg. The world called him by the nickname Rose.“The meeting with Citroën was positive. It seems Citroën is much more interested in Motrix Primo than in Wellington Industries. If it gets under Wellington Industries, Citroën will surely be fragmented, leaving only the name. So, from the perspective of the Primo Group, there’s a request for you…”And Brian, who clearly distinguishes between personal and professional matters, called Rose “Boss.” He was younger than Brian but was the CEO of Doodle Investments.“…Are you listening?”Rose was listening to Brian with one ear and letting it go out the other. He was too busy holding back tears while holding a tablet.“Boss?”Brian knew very well what Rose was watching without even checking. It was a romance drama featuring noble men and women in Regency-era costumes. Rose’s shoulders were intermittently shaking, deeply moved by the scene where they fall in love, forgetting their status and even each other’s identity.On this day, marking the 339th viewing of the Bridgerton series, Rose knew the tragic developments that followed. The lovers, who should be nothing but happy, would suffer nightly pain as if stabbed by a knife because of that love, crying themselves to sleep.“Haah…”Unable to bear the rising sorrow, Rose finally paused the playback.“Why do trials always come to couples who should be happy?”“…Please, at least pretend to listen when someone is talking.”“Love is really like a Rafflesia…”Brian puzzled over the word he heard but couldn’t understand it at all.“…Why do you think that?”Rose answered immediately, like someone waiting eagerly for Brian’s question.“It seduces and then devours you. It would be agonizing, melting bones and organs. You know it will kill you if you fall into it, but you can’t refuse or escape. So, if this isn’t love, what is?”“…”“Why that expression?”“It’s nothing, Boss. You should experience such love too.”“Thanks for the kind words after so long, Brian.”For Brian, who had a partner from prom, built a happy home with his childhood friend, and raised a daughter and a son who he loved dearly, the metaphor was incomprehensible. But sometimes, a bonus approved by a boss could shatter truths believed over a lifetime.“So, what were we talking about?”“Oh, Motrix Primo and Citroën had a meeting.”“Did they sign the acquisition contract?”“Not yet, but it’s positive.”Rose grimaced at the speculative response.“Give me only the facts, Brian?”“You told me to report as things develop until a few days ago.”“That’s when I had time to spare. Now, I’m, sniff, busy.”Rose pointed to his tablet as if to say, “Can’t you see?”‘Even now, you look plenty free!’Brian managed to keep his mouth shut with patience honed over more than ten years.“Yes, I’ll report later…”Because that scene where the two fall in love was Rose’s favorite part. Brian dared not say anything about what his boss enjoyed.Rose, regaining his composure, said,“Haah… It’s truly romantic. Love is beautiful, painful, and sublime.”Brian listened half-heartedly, focusing on his tablet and getting back to work. Nodding to such nonsense while looking at the boss’s face would leave a stain on his excellent record as COO and chief secretary of Doodle Investments.Nevertheless, Brian often forgot what he had to do or say whenever he faced Rose. Not because he had personal feelings or anything similar, but simply because there were people who made you speechless just by being there, and at the top of that list was undoubtedly his boss.Rose had an unrealistically beautiful appearance, as if one might stop breathing at any moment. His eyes were red from holding back tears, creating a poignant atmosphere with his pale skin. His blue eyes, akin to the most beautiful seas of the Mediterranean, were deeply captivating. Along with his soft, golden hair that seemed to fall apart at a touch, his beauty was undoubtedly crafted by Venus herself.However, Rose knew how to use his beauty but chose not to. Despite living with numerous paparazzi since childhood, he never became an actor, nor did he become a model leveraging his excellent physique. Even with such a beautiful face, he rarely smiled. Rose was one of America’s most famous celebrities without needing to.So, who exactly is Maximilian Rosenberg?Brian Levin, known to be Rose’s closest confidant, could write a 2,000-page critique on what kind of person his boss is. By his standards, Rose was like this:One. Rose was an ardent fan of Harlequin romance, especially the Bridgerton series.“Brian, call Netflix. It’s been two months since we went to the premiere. When is the next season coming out?”He watched each season of the Bridgerton series at least 100 times, without skipping, from start to finish. The spin-off side story, which still made him cry every time, he had watched over 300 times.“Then maybe the boss shouldn’t have given feedback for 11 hours and 47 minutes back then.”Two. Rose was a man who, since childhood, invested a fortune in the OTT industry—not just that—to realize his unrealistic dream of playing all the media in the world just by lying in bed or sitting in a chair and using a remote control.“I was just sharing my thoughts for a better work. And that’s their job, isn’t it? Isn’t it wonderful how content creators can give dreams and hopes to so many people with just one piece of content? They shouldn’t make people feel betrayed.”Three. So, Rose was rich.Calling him just rich would be an understatement. Rose’s wealth fluctuated by the second, grew by the minute, and ballooned during dividend seasons. This was thanks to owning stocks in numerous companies. However, because the amount of stocks had become too vast for personal management, Rose ended up with the CEO title, which he didn’t even want.Rose was an investor blessed with extraordinary luck. Before others even noticed, he filled his portfolio with Series A stocks or undervalued blue-chip stocks, being a fierce angel investor. He didn’t formally study investment or seek out future businesses to invest in; it was all driven by his desires.All his investments were almost acts driven by his whims. He wanted to ride cars powered by clean energy because he hated exhaust fumes, wanted to watch all the movies in the world from his bed, needed a device that worked with just one monitor because laptops were too heavy, wanted to drink lots of healthy carbonated drinks, and desired coffee of the same quality anywhere in the world…He even bought a lot of that cryptocurrency because he thought it was fun when he heard you could buy pizza with electronic data scraps, and as usual, Brian, who didn’t understand Rose, had to suffer in despair five years later.If I can produce results, I won’t care. Just don’t give up. Rose invested vast sums where his desires aligned with the company’s goals, and by doing so, he proved his choices by making it onto the Forbes list of the world’s richest people at the youngest age in the Top 50.Rose was always like this, and his luck was of this kind. It was a sort of tidal wave that no one understood, not even Rose himself intended, but it converged around him.With the pocket money he amassed by charming adults, Rose started dabbling in stocks and investments at six, hired a competent trader at seven, a tax advisor for himself at seven, and by thirteen, he employed a financial manager and asset management specialist in sequence. At nineteen, he founded Doodle Investments to manage his rapidly growing wealth.In short, Doodle Investments was essentially a corporate investment firm established purely to manage Rose’s personal assets. Thus, to date, Maximilian Rosenberg remains the only client of Doodle Investments.Doodle Investment.Dynamic, Opportunity, Oriented, Development, Leading, Equity. Dynamic opportunity-oriented development in accordance with the rapid changes of our society…The founding philosophy and the company name, chosen after nights of brainstorming and deep consideration by Doodle Investments’ employees, led by Brian, to make the silly name not look silly, are meanings only Rose himself does not understand.Anyway, the point is that Johann chose the name ‘Doodle.’When he chose this name, Rose was searching on a famous search engine for something like “a company name that would make anyone laugh.” The name Doodle was more appealing to him because it was similar to the name of the search engine company he was using.“Oh, by the way, Greenpeace contacted us. They’re starting a new campaign.”“Again…?”Brian was shocked. These environmental groups, which Brian called “madmen” or “loan sharks,” had a wretched habit of contacting Rose directly, bypassing Brian. It was all because of social media.“It’s a campaign to protect the pink dolphins of the Amazon River. The slogan is ‘Sorry to humanity, to our eternal friend, the pink dolphin.’ It’s very moving.”In simpler terms, it was a request for campaign donations.“How much should we send?”“Send a million dollars.”Brian, who had to think for a moment about how much was sent for the last ‘Save the Penguins, Protect the Home for Penguins to Return to’ campaign, said,“…With that amount, how about doing an interview on eco-friendliness? The executives at Motrix Primo would love it.”Motrix Primo and Wellington Industries were in a bidding war to acquire the classic car brand Citroën. Motrix Primo had made a small request to Rose, their major shareholder and celebrity, to “show off driving a Citroën.”Citroën, known as history’s most beautiful car with its lavish and radical design, was a car that suited Rose well. Combining this with the positive news of Rose donating a large sum to Greenpeace for environmental protection…“Why should I do something they’d like?”“Because Motrix Primo got involved in the Citroën acquisition because of you?”“Did I?”“You did.”Rose wanted to acquire Citroën and used Motrix Primo as a front. To be precise, it wasn’t that Rose needed the Citroën brand; he just wanted to spoil Wellington’s plans. Of course, he also gave Motrix Primo the pretext of ‘acquiring a premium brand like Citroën to increase company value.’“But Brian Levin, I’m going to be very, very, very, very busy for a while.”“…Yes, I’ll reject everything on my end.”Rose was the man who put noble obligation into practice in this era. His good deeds could not be hidden just because he didn’t give an interview. The amount on the check Rose sent to Greenpeace would be known to people across America by some coincidental means a few days later, even though he had no plans to publicize it. By stating he wouldn’t do an interview, he would avoid getting protest emails from Motrix Primo and Greenpeace.Having completed this scenario, Brian Levin began writing an email to Greenpeace with a satisfied look.On the way from the airport to the heart of Manhattan where Rose’s penthouse is located, the sleek black sedan gliding down the avenue was the Signity R9R, a new model from Motrix Primo unveiled at a motor show Rose attended a few days prior.The Signity, famous for its powerful battery performance, excellent ride quality, and sleek design reminiscent of a sports car, was Rose’s favorite brand, especially since it was an electric car that didn’t emit exhaust fumes.When the specs of Motrix Primo’s ambitious Signity R9 were announced:“I’ll have to put in a personal order as a major shareholder.”Rose spoke from where he was sprawled on the sofa.“The seat should be tailored to my height. Ideally, one where I can fully lie down. It doesn’t need to completely isolate the front and back seats, but it would be nice if it could. I’d like a screen installed on the car’s ceiling if it doesn’t interfere with driving. Oh, and blackout curtains. Sound system should be top-notch, obviously.”“Understood.”So far, this was somewhat normal, Brian nodded in response. But Rose’s requests continued.“Oh, can you add a microwave to pop popcorn in the car? After all, both the electric car and the microwave use electricity.”“…”“And make the body bulletproof. So that if that bastard from Wellington fires a missile at it, it can withstand it. You know he’s friends with that crazy guy from Russia, right?”With resignation, Brian dutifully responded according to his role.“I’ll try to convey the boss’s wishes as best I can…”Not all of Rose’s demands could be met, but by incorporating as much as possible, a decent premium version of the car was born.From a purely capitalist perspective, Motrix Primo couldn’t make just one such incredible car, so they released a limited edition of 300 R9Rs called the “Rose Premium Edition.” Each car had gold numbering engraved inside, handwritten by Rose. The car Rose was driving had number 1.The Rose Premium Edition sold out its 300 units because it was ordered by Rose and because he was driving it.This was why Rose had to attend Motrix Primo’s new car unveiling in Germany over the last few days, dressed in a fine custom suit, and take some photos with the car.Of course, for those photos, Rose took a plane for the first time in a year. He was a man who rarely left New York, earning him the mocking nickname “The Broadway Closet Ghost.”“Anyway, planes don’t provide enough personal space.”Rose grumbled, the man who didn’t buy a private jet for environmental reasons. Brian wanted to argue, ‘First class would provide more than enough!’ but he held back.Rose’s complaints about this schedule continued.“And the reporters are a problem too. I told them not to use flash, but not a single one listened. My skin feels ruined. From tomorrow, I need to get regular treatments. Oh, and I need to exercise. I haven’t done it for four days. If Kevin finds out, he’ll try to kill me. So, I’ll be very busy for a while. Got it?”Brian quickly pulled out his phone with business contacts and started typing messages at a brisk pace.❮Lily⠇Dear Lily, did you rest well these past few days? You can come back to work from tomorrow. Just to let you know, you might want to cancel any vacation plans. You’ll be busy for a while…I figured as much 🙁❮Kevin⠇Kevin, it’s me, Brian. The boss is back. This schedule was pretty tight. So, don’t mention the schedule of the last few days to the boss, and please come to work from tomorrow.What? Our boss didn’t exercise properly for days? Muscle loss in that beautiful body? Understood, starting tomorrow with a special program…“Why no answer, Brian?”“I understand that you plan to stay at home for about two months.”“Good.”Rose turned off his tablet with a satisfied look. No matter how entertaining something was, it wasn’t as satisfying as watching it in the comfort of his home. And considering the more interesting stories to come, waiting a bit now was a reasonable choice.Today, the journey home seemed particularly long to Rose. Looking out the window, he saw quite a few cars around. Then, a peculiar car caught his eye.It was a Porsche painted in a bizarre color that should be called fluorescent purple, moving very slowly along the lane.“That Porsche is out for a walk.”The sleek, smooth Porsche 911, which looked like it had cognac instead of oil in its engine, was staggering, then suddenly straightened up but moved very slowly. Because of this, the Porsche quickly fell far behind the Signity.“Report that. The driver looks like a druggie.”Rose spoke while staring at the Porsche. Brian, who was writing an email, asked after a while, “Where?” but by then, the Porsche was out of sight.Contrary to Rose’s concerns, the Porsche driver wasn’t a druggie. There was just a minor dispute happening inside the car.“If you borrow someone else’s car, drive properly!”“If I borrow your car twice, I’ll get castrated!”“Oh, okay. Nicholas Hayward. If you get castrated, we won’t be brothers anymore, will we? What do we do? That’s a big problem.”“Johann, are you out of your mind? How can you do this unless you’re insane? The scar from when I got hit by you with a wrench, huh? It’s still here!”Nicholas, holding the steering wheel with one hand, ruffled his hair with the other to show Johann the white scar. The location was precise, and because of this, the car shook from side to side.Seven-year-old Johann had injured fourteen-year-old Nicholas with a wrench and promised to serve him as a brother for life… and as life went on, Nicholas indeed became Johann’s legal brother.The older brother, Nicholas, shouted at his younger brother, Johann.“You might be American by nationality, but you’re Korean in spirit! Isn’t that a nation of Confucianism? Does being older mean everything?”“Yeah, I’m sorry. I was wrong, bro.”Nicholas was speechless at Johann’s immediate, sincere apology. Johann was genuinely sorry.“Okay, I get it…”Long-time friends and legal brothers knew how to fight quickly and reconcile even faster. At the same time, the Porsche, which had been driving erratically, managed to get back into its lane.“What are you going to do about it?”Johann was nonchalant despite Nicholas’s concern.“What can I do? I’ll have to beg Scrooge.”“What if you get hit again for talking about installments?”“…”Johann’s face darkened once more.Johann Hayward was an IndyCar Series driver for an independent team called ‘Phoenix Racing’ without a sponsor. The IndyCar Series is one of the premier motor sports events in the United States, often referred to as America’s F1.Johann had won the Indianapolis 500, known simply as Indy 500, two weeks prior. However, in the next race, which was held in Nashville’s Music City Circuit yesterday, he retired. It wasn’t because of a mistake; there was an accident ahead of him.Backmarkers, who were a lap behind, were trying desperately not to finish last. The two at the rear were battling wheel-to-wheel and spun out at a corner, blocking the track. Johann, who was in the lead, managed to slow down quickly to avoid the accident, but the car behind him couldn’t do the same and crashed into Johann’s car.The car was damaged beyond the ability to race, resulting in Johann’s race outcome as DNF – Did Not Finish, retired.One of the qualifications a motorsport athlete needs, particularly in a sport where immense amounts of money are involved, is the ability to secure personal sponsors for repair costs in such situations. Unfortunately, Johann was severely lacking in this area.This was also why Johann came back from Nashville a day late.Money.In other words, a sponsor to fund his races properly.“Now tell me, what happened?”“Don’t ask.”“You got into trouble again, didn’t you?”“…”“You really did?!”The evening after the Nashville race, Johann had a business meeting with a solid-looking businessman in his 40s who expressed interest in sponsoring him. Even from the start, it was unsettling because it was a company unrelated to racing. However, IT companies or beer companies sponsoring races wasn’t unheard of, so he thought it might be a personal fan.And then, Johann ended up flipping the table during dinner.“Why, did he say his daughter is a fan again? Wants to meet you?”“So, he claims to be my fan himself.”“Great, that’s really good news!”“Yeah, Nicky. I thought so at first…”But Johann was an incredibly unlucky man.“But, Nicky, this guy says he’s my fan. And then he says he’s bi.”“…Huh?”“He’s married and has two kids. But he told me to rest assured because he has a partner too. I thought I might have heard wrong or gone mad. Do you understand what he’s saying?”“…”“Why would someone claiming to be a fan start talking about an affair right off the bat? Is it something to brag about to CEOs? Or is there some rule in this industry I don’t know about? Like, to become a sponsor, you have to disclose your sexual preferences and sex practices, or something like that? Otherwise, there’s no way someone could do this to me.”Johann’s heartfelt lamentation made Nicholas’s hands sweaty on the steering wheel.“Johann.”“First of all, he said he’s my fan. If you see the face of someone genuinely cheering for you, you might stutter or something. I get it. I wanted to believe that, so I sat there at first.”“And then?”“Then that fucking bastard!”Startled by the sudden shout, Nicholas almost hit the brakes. The car jolted roughly, but Johann was fine.“He says he gets excited when someone watches him have sex! He said I don’t have to do anything, just be there! He invited me to his villa in Switzerland to watch him get beaten by his partner. Isn’t that insane?”Johann, who grew up American, was not naive, but being Korean in spirit, he wasn’t promiscuous either. He was just an ordinary twenty-one-year-old man. Such an event was beyond his comprehension.“…But, Johann, he didn’t ask you to hit him.”When Nicholas protested in a weak voice, Johann glared at him.“So, you think that’s a good thing?”“No, it’s just… I mean, he didn’t ask you to hit him…”Nicholas had chosen his words carefully to comfort his younger brother, but Johann’s eyes gleamed with a fiery intensity.Johann was already out of his mind.“Well said. Then, Nicky, will you go instead of me?”“Why is the conversation going that way? Did he want me, or Johann Hayward?”“I don’t know, damn it! He just needs someone there! You’re also a Hayward!”“So, if I go there, will money come out or what?”“You’re the older brother, aren’t you! Can’t you do that much for me?”“What have you ever done for me?”Because of Johann shouting angrily and Nicholas not backing down, the Porsche swayed left and right again.“Really can’t do it?”“…Could you?”“Yeah.”Although he had acted out of frustration, Johann had no intention of sending Nicholas in his place. He was just venting because the situation was so unbelievable.Why were there no decent people among those who wanted to sponsor him? This was the biggest question Johann had these days.Sponsor. Johann desperately needed a genuine sponsor. Not just anyone who called themselves a sponsor. What Johann wanted was a normal, sane sponsor who didn’t demand sex as payment. A sponsor who would be satisfied with having their logo on Johann’s helmet for corporate promotion.Whether or not future sponsors liked motorsport was not particularly important. He didn’t even hope they would recognize his talent.He would be grateful if their requests were simply to have dinner with Johann Hayward, watch a race together, or go to a club together. If push came to shove, he could even pour drinks. He was confident he could clap enthusiastically while listening to boring stories beside them. Johann was that desperate at the moment.The inability to secure sponsors had always been one of the issues plaguing Johann Hayward. The sponsor problem had been a hindrance since his days in the lower F2 league, which even led him to race in the IndyCar Series instead of F1. Even though he was American, the motorsport world, considered the domain of the elite, was quite harsh on an Asian man with black hair and eyes.“I thought IndyCar would be better.”A light silence fell inside the car at Johann’s grumble.But the reality didn’t change. Johann’s car had to be repaired before the next race, and a hefty repair bill was expected for his wrecked car. Without a major sponsor, a team was as good as a beggar in this world. Even Johann couldn’t ignore the situation.“It’ll work out.”That was all the comfort Nicholas could offer.“Yeah, I think so too.”Just as the Porsche, which had been staggering and leaving a bizarre trail during their nonsensical argument, returned to normal trajectory, the road situation changed.At some point, all the cars around them had turned into Starlight GT 800s. Nicholas looked around, intrigued.“Is there some event going on today?”“Just focus on driving.”“Is my driving that bad?”“Hmm…”Should he be honest or offer some brotherly flattery? Johann didn’t realize that the mere act of pondering this was already problematic.“I see.”“No, it’s as comfortable as riding a cloud to heaven.”“Would you believe that if you were in my shoes?”Nicholas exploded at the absurdity.“I’m serious. It feels like we’re about to reach heaven?”“Heaven, my ass! That sounds like we’re going to die together!”Johann can drive well. However, Nicholas couldn’t. Since childhood, Johann had been in the cockpit with his hands on the steering wheel, while Nicholas, after getting hit with a wrench by Johann, had been confined to his room studying.When Johann sighed for the tenth time looking at the speedometer of the Porsche, which was moving at a maddeningly slow pace:“Stop sighing. I might just floor it.”“Oh, go for it.”“Really floor it?”“…Yeah. Go for it.”The idea of someone driving a Porsche at a top speed of 50 km/h flooring it was rather welcome. Johann cheered Nicholas on, urging him to go faster. Anyone could see that the Porsche was being driven very safely, almost too slow, causing a road congestion.Objectively, Johann’s Porsche was not a good fit for Nicholas to drive. The ride was too smooth, the acceleration was low, and the ride quality wasn’t great due to its typical sports car characteristics. This type of car was preferred by people like Johann.For Johann, driving meant being pressed down by G-forces that made his vision red, hearing the deafening exhaust sound, maintaining the car’s balance with his shaking body and head, and flooring it to reach speeds close to 350 km/h.Maybe that’s why; stable driving on public roads felt to Johann like he was in a game rather than reality. It was so comfortable that it was boring to the point of sleepiness, despite him never falling asleep or closing his eyes in a car in his life.This was why Johann never drove on regular roads despite owning a well-tuned modern sports car, and it was also why Nicholas borrowed Johann’s Porsche the most.However, in return, Johann saw a lot. The numerous cars passing on the road, the condition of the broad highway, strange drivers…“How many Starlights are there?”There were at least twenty Starlight GT 800s, painted in flashy colors not even for sale, fitted with all sorts of parts, and tuned to their owners’ whims.Starlight, a flagship product of Wellington Industries, but a car Johann would never drive in his lifetime.“Doesn’t this seem weird? Why are they all Starlights…”“Why are the rear wings attached like that? They’re completely ignoring aerodynamics. What’s that on the back? Are they trying to mimic a variable chassis? Do they think they’re transforming robots or something?”“I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying. But Johann, this… ”Nicholas trailed off with a sense of foreboding.“Yeah, looks like they’re street racing.”Johann quickly caught on to why they had gathered. There wasn’t much for tuned Starlights to do other than gather for a street race. The timing was the only surprising thing.Street racing meant racing on roads where it’s not allowed, which is illegal everywhere in the world. But there are always crazy people who want to show off their —shitty— driving skills and their —dog-like— tuned cars, and New York was no exception.“Why, in the middle of New York, at this time?”“Well, there are overconfident drivers everywhere…”“Let’s avoid them.”Nicholas said with determination.“Can we avoid them?”“We’ve got to drive slowly with all our might…”Nicholas drove as slowly as he could, in the way he knew best, thinking that if they let all the Starlights pass and followed from a distance, there’d be no trouble.Taking advantage of Nicholas driving, Johann quickly called 911 to report the current situation. The notoriously slow New York police just repeated, “Understood, we’ll check it out,” like parrots.Hmm, there shouldn’t be any trouble.The purpose of street racing varies each time. If it’s a race where the first one in wins, that would be fortunate. What was today’s street racing for? Several Starlights were stirring up trouble on the road, recklessly picking fights with any car in sight. “Reckless driving” didn’t even begin to describe it.This is the problem with street racing. It drags unrelated cars into the race, turning them into victims.Tense, Nicholas muttered gloomily.“I think I was wrong. Look over there, one car is already trapped.”Where Nicholas pointed, there was a black sedan, tightly surrounded by multiple Starlights, driving precariously.The Starlights drove like a mafia. The car in front would suddenly brake, the ones behind would honk their horns incessantly, and those beside would drive dangerously close to the lane, threatening others.Johann pressed his face against the window with the curiosity of someone who had found something interesting.“What’s that?”“Johann, Johann. What if I get trapped like that?”“That car looks like a Signity…”If Johann’s eyes weren’t deceiving him, the logo on the car was definitely that of Motrix Primo’s Signity. But it was subtly different from the Signity R9 Johann knew.Johann’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the car he had never seen before. This wasn’t just a shoddy body that could be made by mere tuning. The lines reflected by the mirror on the car’s ceiling, the patterns on the wheels, the shapes of the lights, the material of the door handles, and above all, the subtle curve of the hood were different from what Johann knew.That meant it was a car Johann didn’t know.“Weird. It can’t be.”Of course, such a car doesn’t exist in the world.“Johann! They must be crazy. They’re slamming on the brakes in front of us!”“It’s not tuning, what could it be…”If it were an unreleased new car undergoing performance tests, they would have covered it with black cloth or wrapped it to completely hide its appearance. If not, it could be a specially ordered custom car. Such vehicles are often made by private orders and aren’t shown publicly. If someone is driving such a car, they’re certainly not an ordinary person.Ah, come to think of it, he seemed to have read an article a few days ago about Motrix Primo holding a motor show in Germany. He just hadn’t had the chance to watch the video because of the race…But could someone drive a car that was unveiled at a motor show so soon? Is it someone with enough money to make the impossible possible, or perhaps a Motrix Primo representative? Just as Johann’s thoughts were nearing the truth:“Aaah!”“Nicky!”At that moment, to avoid a Starlight that suddenly cut in front, Nicholas slammed on the brakes. With incredible reflexes, Johann quickly turned his body to avoid hitting his head, but Nicholas was gasping in shock.The Starlight, as if mocking them, alternately hit the brakes long and short. The bright red brake lights seemed to convey something in Morse code, but Johann, of course, didn’t understand, nor did Nicholas seem to. That was fine. A mockery that isn’t understood isn’t a mockery.“Johann, what should I do?”“What can you do, we’re driving slowly with all our might.”While it was frustrating to let aggressive and threatening drivers pass, with Nicholas at the wheel, there was nothing Johann could do.“No, Johann. Don’t you see that black car over there? What if I get trapped like that! Will I be the only one hurt? You’ll get hurt too!”At that level, wouldn’t he have snatched the steering wheel already? Johann suggested while thinking this.“Then do you want to escape?”“…Huh? Yeah! Is there a way?”Nicholas nodded vigorously, looking at Johann like he was a savior.“Then from now on, do exactly as I say.”Johann ordered his brother in a cheerful voice.“Now!”“…Uh?”“Right! Push it harder! Floor it!”Nicholas tried to merge to the right and then to the left as Johann instructed. The Porsche Johann was in was known for its short 0-60 time. So, he also fully pressed the accelerator…“Nicky. Are you stepping on it…?”It was too slow, Johann grumbled.“I’m stepping on it, with all my might!”“That’s not the right side. Now, to the left! No, too late! Ah… Nicky, you should’ve merged right away.”“Johann, please tell me one second earlier. This isn’t a steering wheel. I don’t have your driving talent!”“Go now!”“Argh!”“Oh, missed again.”Johann clicked his tongue and scolded Nicky for his pitiful driving skills.“No, Nicky. How did you even get your license? It’s amazing you’ve never had an accident driving all this time.”“I, you, know, nothing! Aaah!”“Why scream while driving? You’re just scared.”“Am I the kind of person who would floor it with my eyes rolling back like you?”In the end, Johann’s car driven by Nicholas failed to escape safely. There’s a limit to driving by verbal instructions. Johann didn’t have the time to kindly explain to Nicholas, who kept repeating “Why? Why?”Or rather, Johann didn’t know how to explain. Explaining “why that moment was necessary” was beyond Johann, who drove by instinct. He only knew by intuition that merging at that moment would allow for an overtake.“Ah, that guy drives really well.”Nicholas spoke like he was complaining, but Johann listened with one ear and let it out the other. “Good” or “bad” driving was a judgment for ordinary drivers. In the world of racers where fear doesn’t exist, and they risk their lives, these people were equals.“Aaah!”Finally, the passing Starlights rolled down their windows and pointed at Johann’s Porsche.To summarize their mockery:‘Porsche that’s too slow, if you’re going to drive like that, keep it in the bedroom or get out.’Something like that.In other words, they were mocking the Signity and the Porsche on the road as being in the same boat.And surprisingly, Johann was spurred into action by their mockery.“Do they even know who they’re messing with…?”