Kei: What kind of goal is that! Idiot!
Nicky: They’ll be so confused
Nicky: And it would be so funny
[Ari has been added to the chat]
Denny: Lee, you can’t keep cracking under pressure like this.
Jesse: omgggggg
Max: Hyung needs to know!
Ari: I need to know what?
Nicky: I’ll tell you when I finish leaking this video of Namgyu
Kei: Insane! Goodnight!
Jiyeon: i think
Jiyeon: that this might be the longest night of my life
Kazu: YOU’RE THE ONE LEAKING THE VIDEOS??????
26
Thestickerwashuge,with a font to match, and printed on vinyl so offensively neon that it left an afterimage every time Eunjae blinked.PLEASE BE PATIENT, it read.STUDENT DRIVER. Denny slapped this warning onto the bumper of his SUV with the air of someone performing a crucial civic duty. Then he tossed the keys to Eunjae and said, “Let's go. Ten points if you don’t terrorize any pedestrians today.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Max exclaimed, advancing down the driveway in his pajamas. “You can see that from space!”
“Good. Even aliens deserve to know that rank amateurs are on the road. Communication saves lives.” He lowered his sunglasses. “And why are you here? Need something?”
Eunjae knew better than to respond if their manager asked this question. It wasn't meant to be answered because you absolutely didn't need anything. If you needed it, Denny would've gotten it to you already, along with an instructionmanual and concise verbal directions for its use. And if the sunglasses came down half an inch? The wisest course was to turn tail and run.
He figured Max knew better, too. They'd been under Denny's watchful eye for months now. And maybe Max was aware, but awareness didn't stop him from declaring that he did, in fact, need something. He pointed to the bumper sticker and said, “Take this off before he gets bullied. Nobody likes a student driver.”
“They don't have to like him. They just have to avoid him. So get back in the house and enjoy your day off, yeah? Have some breakfast. Get online and order some age-appropriate sleepwear.”
Max didn't budge. He didn't even respond to the comment about his garish cartoon pajamas. “Hyung, are you really letting him do this to you? You don't have to. I'll just grab that stupid thing and go.”
Chuckling, Denny urged him to try it and lose a hand. Eunjae hastened to intervene before his brother could take the dare, since he'd never known Max to not take the dare, and he'd never known Denny to not deliver on a promise. “It's okay,” he said. “I mean, I am a student driver.”
“Incredible. A statement founded on logic.” Denny pushed the sunglasses back into position. “Go inside. I got a text from Miss Lim’s manager. Someone’s coming by with that stuff in about an hour, give or take. We’re heading out and I won't be around to handle it for you. Play nice.” Those last two words were punctuated by the passenger door slamming shut, a signal that there would be no further discussion.
Hearing the message loud and clear, Eunjae hustled to take his spot behind the wheel. “Hazel sent him something?”
“Clothes. She wants them in coordinating outfits during that wedding weekend in Japan.”
“Don't you think we should stay, then? What if Max throws everything into the fountain?”
Another door slammed. His brother claimed the back seat and buckled himself in. “No way am I staying here. Find the gas pedal, hyung. Get me the hell away from this place.”
For a moment, the car shook as though an earthquake had ripped through the valley. It wasn’t an earthquake, though. It was just Denny. “You're scared of her,” he said to Max, laughing, “and it's fair, ‘cause I've seen Hazel's knife work. That's two of you being sensible for a change. Less than five minutes apart, too. Somebody pinch me.”
“I’m not scared of her! I just don't want to see her. You never know with Hazel. She said it'd be someone else bringing that stuff, but I wouldn't put it past her to show up anyway. I’ll pass. It’s bad enough that she’s coming to the wedding.”
More of Denny’s explosive laughter. “Fine, I won’t kick you out. Can't blame you for prioritizing survival. But you won't make a single noise the whole time Ryan’s driving, yeah? Not one word. This is a distraction-free learning environment.”
