The Asiana flight landed smoothly at Incheon International Airport. Dominik stepped onto the jet bridge, the cool Korean air hitting his face. He adjusted his backpack, feeling surprisingly fresh thanks to the first-class flatbed.
He navigated through immigration and collected his luggage. As he pushed his trolley into the arrivals hall, he spotted a wall of flashing cameras and a phalanx of reporters near the exit.
Flashes? For me? Dominik hesitated. O'Connor said this was a big show, but this feels excessive.
He pulled his cap lower, prepared to run the gauntlet. He braced himself, took a breath, and stepped forward.
Suddenly, the entire mob surged—away from him.
They sprinted toward a different gate, shouting names in Korean. Dominik stopped, feeling slightly foolish but mostly relieved. He watched as the cameras swarmed around a petite girl with cat-like eyes and a distinct streak of pink in her hair. She was assaulted by the strobe-light flashes but didn't flinch. Her expression remained cool, almost bored.
Impressive, Dominik thought. She handles the media scrum better than most drivers on the grid.
He skirted around the chaos, grateful for the anonymity. His family had forced him to take Korean lessons as a child—something about "future shipping lanes in the East Sea"—and while he resented it then, being able to read the exit signs now was a blessing.
Near the taxi stand, a middle-aged man was holding a sign with the Williams Racing logo.
Dominik walked over. "That's me."
The man's eyes lit up. He bowed enthusiastically. "Corvinus-ssi! Welcome! I am huge fan! Since F3!"
He grabbed Dominik's luggage before Dominik could protest and, to Dominik's amusement, pulled out a marker pen and a Williams cap for an autograph before even opening the car door. It turned out this driver, a local producer for the show, had volunteered specifically to pick him up.
They drove into Seoul. The city was a sprawling ocean of neon lights and skyscrapers, vibrant and awake even at night.
After checking into the hotel in Gangnam, Dominik felt restless. The jet lag was starting to creep in, but he wasn't ready to sleep. He remembered something.
He pulled out his phone and video-called Katalin.
"Mom," Dominik said when she answered. She was wearing a silk robe and a face mask that made her look like a terrifying ghost. "I'm in Seoul. Do we still have that property here?"
"Dominikó," she mumbled through the mask. "You went to Korea? Yes, of course we have it. Your father used it when negotiating the LNG contracts."
"Where is it?"
"Beg me."
Dominik sighed. "Mom, please."
"Not good enough. Say, 'Mother, you are the light of my life and the queen of the Danube.'"
Dominik looked at the ceiling of his hotel room. "Mother, you are the light of my life and the queen of the Danube. Please give me the address."
Katalin chuckled. "Sent. The code is your birthday."
Dominik hung up, shaking his head. He hailed a taxi to Hannam-dong, one of the wealthiest districts in Seoul.
The house was a sleek, modern two-story villa behind a high security gate. He punched in the code. The door clicked open.
Inside, it smelled of expensive cedar and disuse. But hanging on the wall in the entryway was a familiar red key fob.
Dominik grinned. Thanks, Dad.
He walked into the garage. There, under a dust sheet, sat a Ferrari FF—the V12 shooting brake his father bought years ago for "practicality."
Dominik adhered to the ancient law of the Corvinus family: What is Father's is mine, until he notices.
He fired up the V12. The sound reverberated off the concrete walls.
He drove out into the Seoul night. The cool air rushed through the open windows as he navigated the wide avenues along the Han River. It was a moment of pure freedom—no engineers, no data, just driving.
He stopped at a red light in the trendy Apgujeong district.
BANG.
The car jolted forward.
Dominik blinked. He put the car in Park, killed the engine, and stepped out.
A black Toyota Alphard van had buried its nose into the rear bumper of the Ferrari.
The driver of the van scrambled out, looking panicked. When he saw the Prancing Horse badge, the color drained from his face. He bowed repeatedly, apologizing in rapid Korean, then turned to shout something to the passengers in the back.
A small crowd began to gather. A foreigner in a Ferrari getting rear-ended in Apgujeong was prime gossip material.
Dominik inspected the damage. It was minor—a cracked diffuser and some paint transfer. He quickly video-called his father.
"Dad. Someone hit the FF."
Gábor Corvinus appeared on screen, sitting in his office. He glanced at the damage. "It's cosmetic. Don't make a scene. Get their insurance details and leave before people realize who you are. We don't need 'F1 Driver in Seoul Car Crash' headlines before the season starts."
Dominik nodded. He pulled his cap low.
He turned to the van driver. "It's okay. Let's just exchange numbers."
The sliding door of the Alphard opened. A girl stepped out.
Dominik paused. It was the girl from the airport. The one with the pink streak in her hair.
She bowed deeply. "I am so sorry," she said in soft, clear English. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Dominik said, sizing her up. Up close, her cat-like eyes were striking. She had a unique, fierce beauty that was very different from the standard K-Pop look.
They exchanged numbers quickly to settle the insurance later. Her name was Hwang Yeji.
Dominik got back into the Ferrari. The V12 roared to life, undamaged. He drove away, leaving the girl staring after the taillights.
Back at the hotel, Dominik saw a figure lurking near his door. He tensed, ready to call security, but his foot clipped a metal trash can in the hallway. Clang.
The figure jumped. It was a young production assistant from the show.
"Corvinus-ssi!" The PA bowed nervously, handing him a thick packet. "Script and schedule for tomorrow. Sorry to wait so late!"
Dominik took it. "Thanks."
Inside his room, he flipped through the packet.
Event: Running Man: Speed Week Special.
Location: Inje Speedium.
Vehicle: Porsche 911 GT3.
Game: The Water Cup Challenge. Guests would ride shotgun while holding a cup of water. Whoever spilled the least wins.
Dominik smirked. Drifting with passengers? Easy.
He looked at the cast list.
Yoo Jae-suk
Kim Jong-kook (The Strong One)
Song Ji-hyo (The Ace)
And the guest list:
Park Ji-hoon
Lee Jae-wook (Dominik recognized him from a drama his mother watched)
Hwang Yeji (ITZY)
Dominik paused. Hwang Yeji. The girl from the airport. The girl who rear-ended his father's Ferrari.
He laughed softly, tossing the script onto the bed.
"Small world," he muttered. "Let's see if she drives as well as she crashes."