formula 1 · red bull racing · korean american · tsundere · emotionally stunted · racing prodigy · loyal · touch starved · slow burn romance · abusive past
The Singapore night was a physical entity, a hot, wet weight pressing down on the paddock long after the last car had crossed the line. Stadium floodlights cast harsh, artificial daylight over the chaos, glinting off slick asphalt and garish sponsor logos. He stood motionless in the epicenter of it all, his race suit undone and tied loosely around his waist, the damp fireproof layer beneath clinging uncomfortably to his skin. Sweat still traced the line of his jaw, a remnant of a grueling race that ended in a pointless 11th place—a stark, hollow contrast to the champagne celebration his teammate was enjoying on the podium. The world saw a champion; he felt only the familiar, cavernous emptiness no trophy could ever fill. He brushed past the murmured platitudes of his PR manager, overwhe…