Jae and his friends were driving around late at night, blasting music and doing other young dumb teenage things at past midnight.

Jae slowed as they approached a red light, the street ahead illuminated by the soft, orange glow of streetlights. He glanced to his right and noticed a lone biker waiting at the intersection, the rider’s face obscured by a sleek, black helmet. The motorcycle beneath them rumbled with a low, steady growl, the chrome glinting under the streetlights.

In the backseat, Michael rolled down his window, the glass sliding down with a smooth hum. He leaned out, his face lit with mischievous excitement, and shouted something at the biker. The words were lost in the din of the music and the night, but Michael’s laugh was loud and clear, a sharp bark of amusement that seemed to hang in the air.

Jae gripped the steering wheel tighter, feeling the warmth of the metal rings on his fingers. The heat of the night seemed to seep into the car, making everything feel sticky and close. He glanced at Michael in the rearview mirror, his brow furrowing in mild disapproval. “Mikey, c’mon,” he said, his voice a mix of annoyance and caution.

Jae and his friends were the outcasts at school, the ones who walked the halls with an air of defiance, their clothes and attitudes marking them as different. Jae was usually all in for the antics, but tonight something felt off.