At 4:50 AM, before his alarm even rang, Dominik opened his eyes.
For a rookie promoted from F2 to F1, every minute was currency. In the fiercely competitive world of Formula 1, there was no room for slack. You were either hunting or being hunted.
Dominik sat up, splashing cold water on his face to force himself awake. He threw on his workout gear—a generic black compression shirt and shorts, avoiding any flashy branding—and headed down to the hotel gym.
Yesterday, a friend in the paddock had connected him with a local legend. Li Zaixian had been a contract physio for Nico Rosberg during the Korean Grand Prix years (2010-2013). Now semi-retired, he was considered the godfather of sports science in Seoul.
When Dominik stepped into the gym, the sky outside was still ink-black. The gym was quiet, smelling faintly of lemon disinfectant and rubber.
In the corner, he saw him. Li Zaixian had graying hair and deep lines etched into his face, but his posture was upright, his eyes sharp.
"You're here," Li greeted him in fluent, accented English. His voice was steady. "I'm old, I don't sleep much. I hope 5 AM isn't too early for the 'European Prince'."
There was no sarcasm, just a gentle ribbing.
Dominik bowed respectfully. "Thank you for meeting me, Mr. Li. My neck is the priority. The new 2022 cars... the porpoising is brutal. I feel like my head is going to detach at 300 kph."
Li nodded, his expression serious. "The ground effect cars. Vertical oscillation adds a new vector of strain. Come. Let's strap you in."
He pulled out a specialized neck harness. It looked like a medieval torture device. Dominik sat on the bench, and Li adjusted the straps around his forehead.
"We start light," Li said, attaching the cable to the weight stack.
"How light?"
"20kg."
Dominik braced himself. Li pulled the pin and upped it to 30kg, then 40kg.
Dominik gritted his teeth, the veins in his neck bulging as he fought the resistance. He turned his head slowly to the right, simulating the G-force of a high-speed corner. His face contorted in effort.
Beep. Beep. Beep. The timer counted down the set.
Just as Dominik was fighting through the pain barrier, the gym door pushed open.
A figure walked in. It was the pink-haired girl, Hwang Yeji.
As an idol, body management was a religion. Even with a shoot later that morning, she was here at 5 AM for cardio.
She walked in, headphones on, eyes glued to her phone. She glanced up and froze.
There, in the corner, was the guy from the Ferrari accident.
Oh no, she thought, panic rising in her chest. He found me. Is he a stalker? Is he a chaebol son coming to demand money for the bumper?
She tried to act natural, walking toward the treadmills. She stole a glance back at him.
What she saw confused her.
The guy was strapped into a strange machine, his face red, sweat pouring down his forehead, his neck muscles straining against a heavy weight. He looked like he was trying to pull the wall down with his head.
What kind of workout is that? she wondered. Is he crazy?
She quickly started the treadmill, putting her music on max volume, trying to ignore the scary Ferrari guy in the corner.
Time passed. Dominik finished his neck set, rubbing the sore muscles. He moved to the bench press. Since the hotel gym lacked a steering resistance machine, heavy bench press was the next best thing for arm strength.
He loaded the bar. He didn't notice the girl on the treadmill watching him in the mirror, her curiosity warring with her anxiety.
By 7 AM, Dominik was done. He was drenched in sweat but felt good. The soreness was a reminder that he was working while his rivals slept.
"Keep it up," Li said, packing his bag. "Don't let the G-force win."
"Thank you, Mr. Li."
Li left. Dominik grabbed his towel and turned to leave.
Suddenly, a figure blocked his path.
It was Hwang Yeji. She looked small in her oversized hoodie, her pink hair tied back. Her eyes were wide, a mix of defiance and fear.
"Excuse me," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "How much is the repair? I will pay you. Please, just tell me the amount. Don't... don't follow me."
Dominik blinked, bewildered. He wiped his face with the towel. "Follow you? I'm staying here."
"Here? In this hotel?"
"Yes. For business."
"What business?" she demanded, suspicious. "Are you looking for me?"
Dominik stared at her. He realized she had no idea who he was. To her, he was just a rich guy in a Ferrari who happened to be at her hotel gym at 5 AM.
He smiled, a polite, media-trained smile. "I assure you, I am not following you. I have work today. As for the car, don't worry about it. My insurance handles it."
He checked his watch. "I have to go. I'll see you... around."
He didn't mention the show. The producers had been strict: The identity of the 'Boss' is a secret until the reveal. If he told her they were about to spend the whole day filming together, it would ruin the surprise.
Yeji watched him walk away, still confused. He's not angry? He's not demanding millions of won? Who is he?
Dominik walked out of the gym, taking a deep breath of morning air.
That was weird, he thought. She thinks I'm stalking her. Wait until she sees me in the race suit.
He went back to his room to shower and change. He looked at the call sheet again.
Cast: Yoo Jae-suk, Kim Jong-kook...
Guest: Hwang Yeji (ITZY).
He grinned. Today was going to be interesting.
Meanwhile, Yeji finished her run, her mind racing. She returned to her room to get ready for Running Man. She had heard the special guest was some "speed expert," but she was too worried about the Ferrari guy to care.
Little did she know, the "speed expert" and the "Ferrari guy" were about to merge into one very fast problem.