Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 93: The Ice Track

Nathan stared at the slippery road, occasionally groaning, anxious and worried that the car would skid.

But Zane repeatedly reassured him that the car had been modified for winter weather, especially the tires.

"I don’t understand why you guys are racing in winter like this," said Nathan.

"It’s the challenge."

While summer racing is often defined by the scream of tires on hot asphalt and the pursuit of raw top speeds, winter racing transforms the sport into a high-stakes game of physics and finesse.

The change in environment necessitates a total shift in equipment, summer "slicks" become useless, replaced by performance winter tires with deep sipes and soft compounds, or even specialized "ice studs" that bite into the frozen surface like claws.

The venue shifts from public highways to secluded industrial parks, frozen lakes, or plowed backroads, where the lack of traffic and the presence of natural barriers like snowbanks provide a different kind of safety, and a different kind of danger.

For many, the appeal of winter racing is that it levels the playing field. A high-horsepower supercar can easily be defeated by a low-powered, well-balanced hatchback with the right tires and a driver who understands weight transfer. It turns a contest of "who has the most money" into a contest of "who has the most skill."

"You want to know how this car will be a ghost? Watch."

Zane flicked the wheel slightly to the left on a patch of visible black ice. For a terrifying second, Nathan felt the car disconnect from the earth, the rear end swinging out in a smooth, sickening arc.

"SHIT!" he yelled.

His heart hammered against his ribs, but before he could even gasp, Zane caught the slide with a surgical counter-steer and a punch of the throttle.

The studded tires clawed at the ice, the sound like a thousand tiny needles stitching them back to the road.

"See?" Zane whispered, a manic glint in his eyes.

"Damn! It’s dangerous!" Nathan felt his heart still hadn’t settled back into place. It was pounding wildly.

Zane just chuckled softly.

They turned off the main road, bouncing over a frozen dirt path that led toward the old riverbank industrial park. The towering silhouettes of rusted grain silos and abandoned warehouses loomed like giants against the snowy sky.

As they rounded the final warehouse, the scene opened up.

It was a hidden world. A massive, flat expanse of asphalt, normally used for shipping containers, had been transformed into a shimmering sheet of white and gray. A dozen sets of headlights cut through the falling snow, crisscrossing like spotlights at a movie premiere.

"We’re here," Zane said, his voice dropping into a focused, low register.

He pulled into a line of idling cars. To their left, a heavily modified red car was purging steam from its hood. To their right, an old black car with its bumper ripped off was spinning its rear tires, creating a localized blizzard.

The atmosphere was electric, thick with the scent of burnt rubber and wood smoke. It felt like a secret society, a kingdom of ice.

Nathan looked at the row of predatory machines and then at Zane. "You’re actually going to race them? On this?"

"Yes. Just see me later," said Zane, parking his car.

Nathan stared at the crowd of people surrounding each car, making the place noisy. He saw several young men walking toward them.

Seeing their streetwise appearance, Nathan felt a little uneasy.

"Get out. I’ll introduce you to my friends," said Zane.

As Zane stepped out of the car, the "lazy student" Nathan knew vanished. Zane stood taller, his shoulders back.

"Yo! Zane’s here!" a voice shouted over the rumble of a revving engine.

The young men quickly surrounded Zane. Nathan got out cautiously. He looked around awkwardly, even though he tried to appear normal.

Suddenly, he felt his chest burning. His stomach began to churn. He sighed, taking a deep breath. He shouldn’t have drunk that cappuccino, considering the condition of his stomach. But he had been careful to drink only half of it.

Unexpectedly, his stomach was still complaining. His chest felt hot. He hoped he could hold it in until the event was over.

"Thought you were grounded, man!"

Nathan looked at a tall young man patting Zane on the shoulder.

They greeted Zane with high-fives and respectful shoulder bumps. He wasn’t the bored kid. In Nathan’s eyes, he was a technical lead who looked so cool.

Then the group stopped talking. Their eyes shifted to Nathan, who was standing awkwardly by the car door in his sensible winter jacket. The atmosphere chilled instantly.

"Who’s he?" a guy with grease-stained hands asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Zane slung an arm around Nathan’s shoulder, a gesture of protection that surprised them both. "He’s Nathan, my guest. And he’s with me. Find a place for him to sit."

Nathan looked pale. He couldn’t smile, making the people in front of him stare as if he were a spoiled and unfriendly child.

"ZANE!" Suddenly, a tall young man with a pale white face and blond hair walked quickly through the crowd with a big smile.

"I thought you weren’t coming tonight! Gosh, how long can I stand not seeing you?" The young man hugged Zane casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Nathan stared unfocused, his stomach growing hotter. He felt nauseous and dizzy. His stomach hurt.

Zane pushed the young man away slightly, his face red, staring at Nathan, who didn’t seem to react. But he saw that expression as a negative thing.

"Shit, you make me can’t breathe," Zane said, softly but pointedly.

The young man seemed used to it, and the others just chuckled.

"Dylan, stop it, God, you’re making us all sick," said the tall young man.

The young man named Dylan didn’t care. He was still smiling broadly even though he was no longer hugging Zane.

"You have to win. I already told them I’ll spend the night with you if you win," said Dylan.

Zane stared at Dylan for a long time, intensely. "How many times have I said I don’t want to be involved with you anymore? Don’t you understand?"

Dylan smiled sweetly. "You told me you would reconsider us after the final test. I’m really sorry for what happened before, but you know, I love you with all my heart."

Nathan now stared at Dylan when he heard his words. Dylan, Zane’s lover?

He stared at the figure more intently now, noticing how charming his face was, shining as if the light of the world surrounded him. He then looked at Zane, who looked just as charming, he didn’t know since when.

The two of them looked perfect together. He looked away, his face pale. "Damn it!" he cursed, holding back the pain.

Zane looked at Dylan, surprised to hear the young man’s words. He looked at Nathan, saw the boy looking away, and felt his chest pounding uncomfortably.

He looked at Dylan. "In your dreams. I never want to stay with you. If you can’t take a hint, I’ll tell you clearly, I’m not interested in you."

Dylan fell silent immediately, his smile fading. He stared intently at Zane, searching for a lie.

Not only Dylan, Zane’s words made everyone fall silent. Nathan looked at Dylan with pity, but at that moment he really wanted to go home.

The tall young man next to Zane immediately broke the ice. "Get away, Dylan. You heard what Zane said. Don’t come back!"

Dylan grabbed Zane’s hand. "What? Are you serious? I already apologized, can’t you see my sincerity?"

Zane pushed the young man’s hand away. "You’re nothing more than a co-star. And don’t talk as if you know the meaning of sincerity. Damn it!"

Dylan was stunned. The thing was, Zane had been avoiding him for several months since the last incident, and now the boy was talking, but his words were so hurtful. It was something he never expected.

"Damn! I’m not here to see drama. Get out of here, Dylan! Prepare your man’s car!" said one of the young men, looking annoyed.

Zane pulled Nathan’s hand toward the side of the arena, feeling the boy’s cold hand.

Zane looked at Nathan, who was pale. "Are you okay?"

Nathan looked down, trying not to vomit. His stomach hurt badly. He looked at Zane and shook his head, he didn’t want to disrupt the event.

It was better for him to go home alone later.

Zane looked worried. But in his mind, Nathan felt uncomfortable because of Dylan.

"I’m sorry. I don’t have any relationship with him," said Zane, not knowing why he had to explain it.

Nathan was also surprised, because he felt he didn’t need to know about it. But his silence was misinterpreted by Zane, who was quite confident that Nathan had feelings for him.

Dylan stared at the figure who had been the center of his attention all this time. And that figure was now paying so much attention to a young man with charming, handsome silver hair and beautiful, soothing blue eyes.

Zane looked very serious about making Nathan comfortable where he was. Dylan clenched his fists, his chest feeling very tight. He had never seen Zane care about anyone in a romantic context.

Not only Dylan, but all his friends could see how different Zane looked tonight. Usually, the boy came and focused on racing. Right now, he didn’t care about preparing his car. He was focused on Nathan.

"Little boss seems to be falling in love," one of them giggled.