While he kept teasing, I didn't say a word. I sat cross-legged and leaned back into a comfortable position. As I waited for Demir to finish his settings, high school flashed through my head. I used to play this game two or three hours almost every day… but since then, I hadn't touched a video game even once.
When the screen started blinking the "Race Finished" messages, I couldn't believe the laugh I heard was mine. I guess you really shouldn't underestimate the human brain's ability to adapt to any kind of disaster.
"Oh, damn! She totally buried me!"
Looks like I hadn't lost my touch after all.
I sighed and forced myself back into the moment. I was about to turn to Demir and say something smug when Rüzgar took the controller from his hand, motioned for him to scoot over, and sat down next to me.
"Will you play one round with me too?"
His eager tone was honestly unexpected. Still surprised, I nodded slowly. "Uh… sure. Why not. Do you have something in mind?"
"I'll answer one question about anything you're curious about. And you answer my question the same way. Deal?"
If he was willing to form a sentence that long, he definitely had a specific question in mind. And if it was what I suspected… I had to win this race even if it cost me my arm. I smiled, trying not to show I was tense.
"Interesting offer. Deal. Pick."
"I think you should back out while you still can, Red," Demir cut in. "I'm one thing, but you've got zero chance against Rüzgar."
I knew he was just trying to scare me for fun. Still, it only made me more keyed up. When Rüzgar finished his selection and it was my turn, I stared at the screen, undecided. Considering my experience, it felt like I only had one option.
Unlike before, when the race started this time, I focused on the road like I was actually sitting in the driver's seat. It took only a few seconds to realize Demir's warnings hadn't been just to mess with me. Keeping my confidence from cracking was getting harder.
Rüzgar's skill level was absolutely different. His maneuvers were flawless, and he was insanely careful. Even though I was right behind him, I couldn't pass him. He blocked me like he already knew every move I'd make.
By the time we reached the final stretch, I was biting my lip so hard my hands were starting to go numb. And just as the race was about to end, before I could even understand what happened, Rüzgar fell behind and my car flashed on the screen as the winner.
I stared at the screen in stunned disbelief, brows knitted, when Demir spoke.
"Did Rüzgar seriously just lose? And in car racing? I think I just witnessed a miracle."
"Congratulations, Duru," Rüzgar said. "You won."
There was definitely something fishy about this. There was no way I was the one who actually won. The only explanation was that he'd deliberately lost to me. But why would he do that? Especially when he was the one who'd suggested that weird bet.
I studied his face carefully, but I couldn't find even the smallest clue to answer the question drilling into my head.
"Thank you. I guess."
"Let's go, Duru."
I looked toward the voice. Kerem was leaning against the wall by the living room entrance, arms crossed, watching us. Unlike earlier, he didn't look amused at all. I wondered how long he'd been there… and whether he knew about the bet.
Demir was telling Kerem something about the race, but Rüzgar and I just watched each other in silence, not caring what they were saying. If he'd thrown the game on purpose, then either he'd pitied me or he wanted me to ask him something. Either way, it didn't change the outcome for me.
I stood up and forced a smile.
"I think it'll be smarter to save my one-question right for later instead of using it randomly."
"Whenever you want," he said.
I grabbed my backpack from the floor beside the couch and waved. "See you."
He responded with a small nod. I walked over to Kerem, who was waiting with Demir by the entrance. Demir was still on about the race, but instead of listening, Kerem was staring at me tensely. I was the one who'd played, so why was he the one acting stressed? That was interesting.
"That one was rushed. Let's do another round at the first chance," Demir said.
I accepted with a grin similar to his. "Sure, champ. Just pick a time when you're ready to lose."
"I think I get what Kerem sees in you. See you, Red," Demir said, winking at his friend, then laughing at me.
Before I could ask what that meant, Kerem took my hand and pulled me toward the door.
Once we got into the car, I turned to him, curious.
"What's wrong with you? You look pissed."
He drove without answering, and I waited, patient.
"What did Rüzgar say to you?"
So that was it. He must've been wondering if we'd talked about that ultra-secret thing Rüzgar was apparently involved in too. I shrugged and told the truth.
"I can honestly say he didn't say anything that required a sentence longer than three words."
Okay. I might've left out a detail or two. But since he hadn't asked directly, he clearly hadn't heard about the bet and I wanted to keep that part to myself.
"You two are weird as hell anyway," I went on. "You live behind this constant curtain of mystery. One of you loves dodging every question and switching topics to keep things vague. The other uses the most dangerous simple sentence structure I've ever seen to keep everyone on edge. And don't even get me started on the creepy tension he creates just by silently watching people with those looks. You two are literally like a psychological horror movie trailer."
As I delivered this with a serious frown, he turned to me with that irritating grin.
"Are you scared of Rüzgar?"
"Bravo, Hotshot! I just gave an explanation worthy of an essay contest, and that's the only thing you took from it?" I grumbled and looked forward again. "What do you expect me to do when he looks at me like he's asking for my last wish before I die every single time we meet? Of course I'm scared of him."
"He's dangerous if you're on the wrong side of him. But you don't need to be scared."
His words were not helpful in the slightest. I gave him a dead stare and muttered, "Thanks. I can't tell if you reassured me or scared me more."
He grinned and shook his head. "Don't overthink it. You'll get used to it."
Was it normal that such a casual line, probably said with no hidden meaning at all, could make me like it this much?
Yeah. Probably not.