ã€ŠStar Riderã€‹


 1. The Wheels Begin to Turn

    Plumes of white fly on the wind, invading from the west to confront the setting sun. Their clash paints the sky a radiant gold, as beams of broken light cascade down upon the earth below. Soon, the rain will follow¡ªand with it will come a cold, gloomy prelude to the long winter ahead. Sapporo shivers to the beat of the wind... Another autumn come and gone.

    Just as the seasons flow, so too does the river, lazily snaking its way south and carrying the lifeblood of the land on its back. Route 230 follows closely at its side, leaving the big city behind. Here, Sapporo gives way to the natural majesty of Hokkaido, untamed and untainted even by the sprawl of the suburbs. None can tame the mighty Mount Moiwa, standing tall on the horizon west of the corridor; nor can they touch the parks and forests to the east, preserved in all their beauty. Here, harmony reigns supreme.

    ...Yet there is one garish challenger to this equilibrium of nature. A defiant box of brick and mortar, contrasting the greens and blues with a sore-thumb American red and a sea of concrete gray. Most of the locals couldn¡¯t tell you how long this place has been here, but it¡¯s been a constant in this neighborhood¡¯s memory, always in the corner of their eyes as they trundle down 230. It¡¯s like it belongs to a different world entirely... A world few know.

    But it would seem the endless river of time has left this building behind. Bold katakana spell out words no one understands. Vines crawl up the walls and drown the red bricks in green. The sprawling parking lot is devoid of customers. The building still persists in spite of the world around it¡ªor perhaps, in spite of itself. But the river just keeps flowing on.

    For a moment, the building stirs¡ªa ringtone from deep within its confines, breaking the stillness inside. Footsteps echo through the lobby as a shadowy figure approaches the front desk, her sandy locks dancing below her shoulders. She yearned for a distraction like this... Anything to take her mind off things. Anything to make her feel like she belongs. She takes a deep breath, picks up the phone and goes through the motions, just like Mom does.

    ¡°Aikawa Auto Company. How may I help you?¡±

    ¡°Evenin¡¯! Hope this isn¡¯t a bad time.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, Mr. Shimizu. Is it what I think it is?¡±

    ¡°Yeeeah, she finally gave up the ghost. Thought I could leave it for next week, but nope.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna pay to get ¡®er towed if I don¡¯t have to. You mind comin¡¯ up here and givin¡¯ ¡®er a quick check for me?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be up there in just a bit.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Actually, uh... I needed to go pick up my kid today too, but with the truck outta commission, I can¡¯t exactly do that. Could I trouble ya to pick him up and drop him off at my place on your way here? I¡¯ll pay extra.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure! I can do that.¡±

    ¡°Man, you¡¯re a lifesaver. Really appreciate it! This is why I stick to the local places¡ªya just don¡¯t get service like that with the big shops, heh. Right, see ya in a bit!¡±

    ¡°See you later.¡±

    A job. They don¡¯t take those for granted. She picks a key chain up off the front desk, dangling delicately in her hand. With a click, the front door locks tight¡ªand with it, the sign flips from Open to Closed. One last job for the day, and just in the nick of time.

    The lights in the garage flicker to life above her, revealing a proud workshop that has nonetheless lost its luster. Once upon a time, this bay would be full of cars of every kind, awaiting the services of their master mechanics. Now, all the spaces sit empty...

    Save for one.

    ¡°Alright... One more quick run tonight, girl. Let¡¯s earn some bread.¡±

    The garage slowly unfurls with a hum, the darkness beyond creeping through the open door. It punctuates the isolation of this once mighty shop¡ªan isolation she knows too well.

    In her mother¡¯s stead, she¡¯s manned this place alone more and more as of late. She inherits from her a legacy in decline, a story with no new chapters¡ªand as the years drag on, the glory days of the Aikawa Auto Company fading further and further in the rear view mirror, it¡¯s easy to write this company off as yet another casualty of Father Time¡¯s endless march.

    *Click!* *Bzzzz...*

    ...Yet within these withered walls rumbles the still-beating heart of a monster.

    *VRRRMMMMM!*

    The beast¡¯s piercing eyes bathe the lot with an antique yellow glow, its guttural growl drowning out the pitter-patter of the rain. The legacy survives in the form of the company¡¯s most precious heirloom: a snarling speed demon that howls into the night and leaves its lasting impression wherever it goes. Its custom-built V8 bellows with the force of a thousand angry lions, and as it trundles out onto the asphalt, it threatens to tear up the very ground beneath it. This is what Aikawa is: American muscle from across the pond.

    She can¡¯t help but brim with glee whenever she gets behind the wheel, evident even in her voice. To her, the car is far more than the sum of its parts¡ªit represents this shop¡¯s storied past, and everything she strives to be in the future. And in the present, behind the wheel, she feels a rush of pride as its behemoth engine thrums to life.

    This is the world few know... Maybe she can take her place in it, some day.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ***

    Up the river, what cold grips the outside feels like worlds away, masked by warm lights, hot coffee and a king¡¯s ransom of sweets. Sitting just a couple blocks from the local high school, this cozy little coffee shop is a popular study spot for students after-hours¡ªespecially this time of year, with university entrance exams looming large over them.

    Indeed, the seasons are changing.

    ¡°Phew... Okay, I think that¡¯s enough for one day.¡±

    The night is young, but his studies are not. He¡¯s had to hunker down and hit the books for quite some time now, both to avoid falling behind his peers and to make sure he lands on his feet in college. It¡¯s the next step on his journey, and one way or another, he¡¯ll take it.

    He can¡¯t help but wonder where that next step is going to take him. He¡¯s never been the type to plot his own course¡ªafter all, everyone else is doing the same thing he is, so what¡¯s the point in straying from the beaten path? He¡¯s content to just go with the flow and take life as it comes.

    It just makes him feel like he¡¯s missing out on something...but what?

    *BZZZT!*

    ¡°Oh, my phone... Who¡¯s calling me?¡± Only now does he realize how much time has gone by. It¡¯s already nearing up on closing time. No wonder his father is calling him¡ªit¡¯s about time for him to pack up and head home anyway.

    ¡°Hey, Dad.¡±

    ¡°Hey there, kiddo! So, the car¡¯s actin¡¯ up. I went and asked a friend of mine to pick you up tonight, so she¡¯ll be over there in just a bit. Her name¡¯s Aikawa.¡±

    ¡°Oh... Are you sure? I can just take the bus if I need to.¡±

    ¡°And walk the rest of the way? Nawww, save that for warmer days. Don¡¯t worry, Miss Aikawa¡¯ll take care of you. See you in a bit!¡±

    ¡°A-Alright. See you soon.¡± His father comes and goes like a whirlwind.

    He can¡¯t deny he¡¯s curious. The name seems faintly familiar, but he can¡¯t quite place where he¡¯s heard it before. It doesn¡¯t help that his dad didn¡¯t actually tell him what kind of car Miss Aikawa is going to roll up in...but, well, c¡¯est la vie. They¡¯ll find each other somehow.

    Trying not to worry too much about the details, he quickly packs up his belongings and pays for his food and drink. He¡¯s one of the last to leave for the night. Other night-owl students accompany him out the door, each bound for their own homes¡ªsome on foot, some by train. It must be convenient, he thinks.

    ¡°Brrr... I really should¡¯ve thought to bring a jacket. Or an umbrella.¡±

    An overhang above the door shields him from the rain, but leaves him to fend for himself against the cold November wind. Beneath him, the pebbly rivers at his feet threaten to freeze over, the clouds above cloaking the city in a dour gray mist. Traffic is thin, headlights ebbing and flowing behind the monochrome curtains. His sister adores this sort of weather... He¡¯s too busy shivering to appreciate it.

    He still doesn¡¯t feel like an adult yet. Despite recently turning 18, he¡¯s still relying on his old man to come pick him up from the city. Perhaps that¡¯s just a side effect of his laissez-faire approach to life¡ªa consequence of his...hesitation. Would he benefit from taking the reins a little more? Maybe that¡¯s what university is really for...

    He sighs. He might have to face some uncomfortable truths, sooner or later.

    ¡°Whoa, shoot¡ª¡° A passing truck snaps him back to reality as he darts back to avoid a splash of standing water. He scans the street for any signs of his ride, but the cars keep rolling in and out of the mist. 8:08, his phone tells him...and still, nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯m in the right spot, right? I don¡¯t know where else she could be coming from...¡±

    *RRRRRMMMMM...*

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    The wind carries a hint to his freezing ears: an imposing mechanical roar coming from the west, nothing like the cars passing by. And speaking of, he notices those, too, are thinning out as the traffic wanes further. Within seconds, this bestial roar is the only thing he hears on the road...and it¡¯s getting closer.

    ¡°What on Earth is that...? That can¡¯t be Miss Aikawa, can it?¡±

    He doesn¡¯t know why, but that¡¯s what his mind is telling him. Aikawa... Aikawa...

    ¡°H-Holy...¡±

    Blazing lights pierce through the darkness, and the veil of mist finally gives way to the cloaked car. He has no idea what to make of the bestial machine growling at him¡ªit doesn¡¯t look nor sound nor move like any car he¡¯s ever seen. It freezes him in place like a deer in its headlights, the rain shimmering off of it like some kind of mystical mirage. It commands his attention and his silence as it rolls up to the front of the shop.

    His confusion abates nothing as the car draws closer. Black tops red on a brutish American chassis, with not a blemish to be found. He makes out a badge reading Plymouth on the side, along with another emblem on the hood: Aikawa Speed Shop.

    (Aikawa...!)

    The car¡¯s mighty engine falls silent, returning the sound of the rain to his ears. He can¡¯t see the driver through the wet stained windows, so he can only watch as the door swings open. The driver gracefully exits, an umbrella unfurling above her.

    ¡°Good evening! My name is Reina Aikawa. And you would be Haruomi Shimizu, right?¡±

    Haruomi gulps to try and break the spell on his lips. ¡°E-Err, yes, that¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Pleased to meet you! I¡¯ll be taking you home tonight.¡±

    Reina Aikawa... A standard Japanese name, and she speaks the language flawlessly. Yet she doesn¡¯t look Japanese in the slightest¡ªshe¡¯s taller than him, for one. Her long blonde hair flows in the wind, gently prodded by the rain as it curls around her fluffy, well-worn hoodie. He notices her tan complexion as well; combined with the monster of a car she rode in on, he stands bewildered by the sheer novelty this character exudes.

    *Ahem!*

    He eventually manages to shove a ¡°Th-Thank you¡± out of his mouth, before taking two steps forward and awkwardly pausing. Reina steps forward to accompany him, taking him under the umbrella¡¯s wing. It takes him a beat to calculate that, since she got out of the car on the left side, the passenger side is on the right.

    ¡°Oh. Right, left-hand drive.¡±

    Reina smiles disarmingly¡ªit¡¯s not a common quirk around here. He quickly corrects himself and makes for the right side, minding what traffic remains. The car¡¯s hefty door inches open, and as he sits down inside, he feels like he¡¯s stepped right into another world. The interior serves as a stark contrast to just about every other car he¡¯s been in, from the leather bench seat to the flashy styling to the dark, imposing colors. Reina smoothly slides in beside him, the car lacking a center console to separate them; the only thing in their way is a massive gear shifter.

    ¡°Make sure to fasten your seat belt before we set off,¡± Reina advises to him...but where? It¡¯s not up by his shoulder. He searches around frantically, but he can¡¯t find¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯s down there, by your hip.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    The lack of a three-point seat belt is also new for him. He finds the primitive buckle and stretches it across his lap. Reina, meanwhile, slots the key back in the ignition. The aftermarket CD player immediately hums back to life, blasting Boston from the speakers in the back. Haruomi hardly understands a word. Reina quickly shuts it off.

    ¡°You¡¯re up by the ski center in Moiwashita, correct?¡±

    Caught him staring. ¡°O-Oh, uh, yeah. It¡¯s right on the main road, you can¡¯t miss it.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Off we go, then~¡±

    With that, Reina presses the clutch in with her left foot and pumps the gas once with her right, settling the throttle about halfway down. She grips the key and gives it a twist, and Haruomi can instantly feel the car begin to stir. A strange whinny echoes from within the engine bay like some sort of metallic hummingbird...but after a second or two, the high-pitched whine is replaced by a low, guttural growl, shaking Haruomi¡¯s very soul as the engine comes alive.

    ¡°She¡¯s a little loud, sorry.¡± She chuckles calmly.

    His heart rate finally calms down in time to watch her wield the car¡¯s pistol-grip shifter, gently coaxing the revs up. He can feel the motor rumbling through the seat beneath him, as if the behemoth engine is attempting to break free from its worldly shackles. Then, with routine precision, she clutches up to first and all that power goes straight to the wheels, rolling them out from in front of the shop and into the mist beyond. His return trip is belatedly underway¡ªin a manner he least expected.

    Welcome to the world that few know.

    ***

    The rain falls gently on the river, almost reluctant to disturb the surface of the water with its tiny little splashes...but the car cruising alongside it is anything but subtle. Reina rounds the bend and applies just the tiniest bit of throttle¡ªstill enough to get the car up to the speed limit in the blink of an eye. Passersby can¡¯t help but stop and stare, the sheer sight of it unlike anything they see in their everyday routine. It sticks out like the sorest of thumbs.

    Haruomi feels the back of the seat pushing against him. He¡¯s been down this road hundreds of times, seen this river more than he can count, but it feels so much different tonight¡ªjust being in this strange and powerful car has scrambled his senses completely. Normally, he¡¯s content to just stare out the window and daydream while in the car...but he kinda can¡¯t here. Not in a car so aggressive and audacious. He can feel all the eyes on the car as it commands their attention, their gazes piercing the windshield. He feels so seen in this thing...not that that¡¯s a bad thing, per se¡ªit¡¯ll just take him some getting used to.

    Reina feels the opposite way: in drawing all the attention to itself, the car shields her from their prying eyes, leaving her blissfully invisible behind the wheel. She prefers it that way.

    ¡°Let me know if it¡¯s too hot or cold in here¡ªthough I can¡¯t do much to cool us off beyond opening the window.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no, that¡¯d be a bit soggy. I¡¯m fine though, thanks.¡±

    ¡°No problem! Just making sure you¡¯re comfortable.¡±

    ¡°I am! Sorry if I¡¯m a bit awkward here. I just wasn¡¯t expecting your car to look and sound like this, is all.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. It¡¯s rare I see cars this old out on the streets here, especially Western ones. Sometimes you¡¯ll find a new Mustang or Camaro, but never a vintage.¡±

    Slowly but surely, his nerves are calming down. Don¡¯t get him wrong, this car is still downright terrifying, and it¡¯s almost too loud for him to hear his own thoughts, but the way she commands the beast with such ease, such instinct, is pretty calming. It¡¯s as though this is all second nature to her.

    The onslaught of power is briefly interrupted by a traffic light, which affords an enterprising Subaru a chance to get up close and personal. Alongside her at the light, the hooligan revs his engine¡ªhe wants to know if she¡¯s down for a little quarter-mile drag.

    ¡°What¡¯s his deal...?¡±

    She chuckles to herself. ¡°It happens. Sometimes people come up and ask for a race to the next light. I¡¯m flattered, but that¡¯s not my scene.¡± The light turns green and she lets him make a fool of himself.

    ¡°That said, this car certainly is built for it, heehee.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m kinda curious now. Just what sort of car is this? I made out the, uh...the ¡®ply mouth,¡¯ is that how you pronounce it?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a Plymouth Road Runner~! 1970 model, to be exact.¡± Haruomi¡¯s taken aback that she pronounced it in solid English¡ªshe had no trace of a foreign dialect before.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been driving her ever since I got my license. And a bit before then too, really.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you even get it...? Did you buy it used somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Nope, she¡¯s a hand-me-down. She¡¯s been in the family for...40 years now, I think?¡±

    ¡°Forty ye¡ª?!¡± Having grown up exclusively around contemporary Japanese makes, the number staggers him. Keeping a car around for 20 years is a stretch, but 40 is a whole new league of dedication.

    ¡°I had no idea. Has it just kept going all this time?¡±

    ¡°Mhm! It¡¯s amazing what TLC can do. They¡¯re not quite built to last this long, sure, but when you take care of them, they take care of you.¡±

    ¡°This car meant a lot to my grandma... She and my grandpa started an auto shop together, all the way back in the 50s.¡±

    And only now does he make the connection.

    ¡°...Ohhh, is that what that ¡®Aikawa Speed Shop¡¯ is?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! She bought it new straight from the factory, and then she built this engine herself from the ground up. For 25 years, this car has been the flagship over at our shop, and she¡¯s good for plenty more.¡±

    ¡°This is the kind of thing we specialize in, actually: we used to build race engines, and now we put them in street cars of all shapes and sizes¡ªplus other sporty mods.¡±

    ¡°I see...¡±

    ¡°She makes more horsepower than anything has a right to. It took me ages just to get a feel for it, the power band is so ridiculous. That¡¯s like our little party trick: people ask to drive her all the time and they can barely make it out of the parking lot...and then my five-foot mom just walks up and schools them.¡±

    ¡°Back when I was younger, she¡¯d sneak the car out to a track down in Tokachi. We¡¯re good friends with the owners there, so she got them to look the other way once or twice and I got to cruise around the circuit... And that was pretty much how I learned to drive.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Honestly, I think I¡¯d be a total liability if you put me behind the wheel of anything else. This car is hard-wired into my muscle memory.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t expecting her to open up like this... It¡¯s almost cute of her. Breaking the ice is a foreign concept¡ªand not a very popular one¡ªbut Reina¡¯s abundant passion for the family business shines through nonetheless. Something about her compels him to soften up...

    They¡¯re interrupted, however, by a very ill-timed light. Just as her hand lands on the shifter to put the car in neutral, red turns to green and forces her to speed up. Not wanting to stall the engine, she quickly orders gas back through the pipes, and the Road Runner flies through with a jerk.

    ¡°Ack, sorry! Gave her a bit too much gas there.¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re good!¡± He¡¯s practically bolted himself to the seat now. He¡¯s just amazed that she can drive stick at all¡ªthat¡¯s something you never see in cars nor drivers nowadays.

    ¡°I¡¯m still not too used to driving her around the city much... She¡¯s not ideal as a city car, I¡¯ll admit¡ªwe had to sell our daily driver to keep the lights on.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been in kinda dire straits lately, if I¡¯m being honest. We were never meant to be just a repair shop, but there¡¯s just not as much demand for our cars and engines as there used to be...¡±

    ¡°But we still wouldn¡¯t give her up for the world. Keeping this car in tip-top shape is our way of honoring her legacy...and then, maybe I can take the reins myself some day.¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    ¡°E-Er, sorry, I kinda rambled on there.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re good! It just made me think for a second.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    Haruomi takes a second to gather his thoughts. ¡°The bit about your family legacy, it just... I kinda envy that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something to work toward, I mean. I don¡¯t really know what I wanna do yet. I¡¯ve been so focused on getting into college that I haven¡¯t thought about what to do once I¡¯m there.¡± Now it¡¯s his turn to open up, which he was expecting even less. Still, he continues. ¡°I wish I had something like your family background. You sound like you already know what you want to do with your life because of it.¡±

    ¡°...I can relate, yeah. I still don¡¯t have everything figured out myself. My mom¡¯s getting ready to step down as head of the shop, but I still don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m ready to take her place.¡±

    ¡°Once you figure out what you want to do, doing it is a whole different beast. I had my grandma for help, and I¡¯ve still got my mom, but filling their shoes is no easy task. It¡¯s scary having to dive in headfirst like this; you never know where you¡¯re going to land. Especially in my case, having to figure out how to get us out of this rut...¡±

    ¡°But...they always tell me that things find a way to work out. That I have to figure out the present before I can worry about the future. If it worked for them, then...maybe it can work for you and me too.¡±

    ¡°I hope so... I guess I need to just focus on the present, like you said.¡±

    The words linger in Reina¡¯s head. It¡¯s so easy for her to say all that to him...but it¡¯s so much harder to do it herself. The family legacy gives her a sense of direction, but it doesn¡¯t make walking the path any easier¡ªand in a sense, it might even be a shackle at her feet. She wonders when, or even if, things will work out for her...

    But that¡¯s neither here nor there, she reminds herself. Like mom always says, she has to focus on the present first.

    ¡°...Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to drag down the mood.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re alright! I was the one who asked.¡±

    ¡°Thanks... Man, I wasn¡¯t expecting to open up like this. Thanks for being an ear for my troubles... Do I owe you for that?¡±

    ¡°Aww, haha. On the house.¡±

    Steel and glass give way to trees and grass, the imposing peak standing watch to the west. For all the chrome and cast iron weighing it down, the Road Runner takes the hairpin turns without so much as blinking, all eight cylinders firing in perfect harmony. Somehow, Haruomi doesn¡¯t feel quite as out of place anymore¡ªwatching Reina nimbly navigate the switchbacks puts him at ease. It¡¯s very...comforting to him.

    That describes Reina in general, really.

    ¡°Straight through here, then take a left up at that big bend.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha, thanks. Hold on a bit here...!¡± The car¡¯s sheer length does make those tight turns a bit of an ordeal¡ªshe has to slow down and drift wide for the car to clear on through, like a racing driver aiming for the apex. But, soon enough, she has the unruly beast through the bend. That¡¯s the last turn she¡¯ll make on this leg of the trip¡ªthe Shimizu household lies right ahead.

    ¡°Coming up on the right here.¡±

    The foothills stretch in front of them, forcing Reina to give the car an extra helping of gas. The Road Runner claws its way up the hill with an authoritative grunt¡ªother cars may struggle with a hill this steep, but not the American brute. As Haruomi guides Reina up the rows of houses, she brings the car to a gentle stop right outside his front door. A job well done...and done her own way.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡±

    ¡°No problem! I¡¯m glad I could help. Good luck with your exams!¡±

    ¡°You too with your shop!¡±

    Haruomi exits the otherworldly car, and crosses the road to reach his home at last. The whole trip still doesn¡¯t feel real to him, even as the engine revs assertively behind him. An exotic car with an equally unique driver at the helm, all right under his nose... He wonders how he went this long without noticing. Maybe there¡¯s something to be said for charting your own course like that¡ªfor finding something you¡¯re truly passionate about, and making it a reality no matter what others have to say. He wishes her well in that pursuit.

    As he goes to open his door, though...

    ¡°...Huh?¡± He hears the engine suddenly stop, lurching backward in the corner of his eye.

    ¡°Did she...stall it?¡±

    Reina prays that Haruomi can¡¯t see her, because her face has to be red as a tomato. She tried not to give the car too much gas like she did earlier; unfortunately, this time she gave it too little. Can¡¯t get away with that on a hill.

    ¡°Shoot, shoot, shoot! Sorry, car...!¡± Reina frantically reaches for the ignition key and tries to rouse the car back to life. A brief sputter rocks the car, followed by a long, feverish whinny. The embarrassment nearly cripples her. Sometimes the engine doesn¡¯t particularly like starting hot, and combined with her stalling it, the Road Runner is reluctant to fire back up.

    (Don¡¯t panic... Just hold it down and try again!)

    Usually a cranky Road Runner means it¡¯s running too rich. Reina gingerly spreads her right foot between the gas and the brake, her left foot occupied with the clutch. This, she hopes, will help clear some of the excess fuel from the mixture and get the car to fire back up for her. So she twists the key again...

    ¡°Come on...!¡±

    Mercifully, that adjustment does the trick. After another second or two of whirring, the hulking V8 fires back up with a disgruntled roar¡ªand though it probably scared the neighbors half to death, Reina¡¯s just happy to be back in business. She quickly shifts back into gear¡ªmaking sure to apply enough throttle this time¡ªand pulls away from Haruomi¡¯s house, heading further up the hill to complete her job for the day.

    That, belatedly, puts an end to Haruomi¡¯s day out. As he watches the Road Runner cruise off into the distance, he wonders if he¡¯s ever going to get another taste of that strange world of hers. Would he ever a reason to, really? It¡¯s her world, not his... It¡¯s strange to think of something so striking as a one-and-done deal, but perhaps it¡¯s better that way.

    He¡¯ll go back to his world, wherever that takes him...and she¡¯ll go back to hers.

    ***

    There¡¯s a certain foreboding that hangs over Reina¡¯s head whenever she travels for a job like this¡ªalmost like a knot of pressure in her stomach. Not even the brief return of Van Halen¡¯s heavy metal can dispel her nerves. As the ski lodge comes into view, she knows that she has to do the job right, whatever the client¡¯s problem may be¡ªand that if she can¡¯t figure out the mechanical maze inside that truck, then she¡¯s not even close to ready yet.

    No second-guessing. No hesitation. Just trying to fill her mother¡¯s too-big shoes.

    ¡°There she is.¡± The old-timer wraps up another day at the lodge in his tireless effort to get things ready for the season. This little hiccup chose an annoying time to strike¡ªbut at least it didn¡¯t let go on him during the ski season proper. That would¡¯ve spelled disaster.

    He¡¯s never worked with the daughter of his favorite mechanic before. Time to see how she measures up.

    ¡°Hello there! Thanks for waiting.¡± The Road Runner earns its rest¡ªthis time on level ground. She gently shuts the door behind her, feeling the cold mist on her skin. No use bringing the umbrella, she figures¡ªshe knows what kind of truck he¡¯s rocking.

    ¡°Well, good to put a face to the name! Been a while since I last saw ya¡ªthink now¡¯s the first time I¡¯m speakin¡¯ to ya as a full-fledged mechanic.¡± Mr. Shimizu extends his hand, a jolly grin on his weathered face.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Reina obliges. ¡°You flatter me a bit, though¡ªI¡¯ve still got a long way to go before I can match my mom, or my grandma.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh, don¡¯t sell yourself short. With teachers like those two, I already trust you more than any other greasemonkey in town!¡±

    ¡°Is that her old ride, actually? I haven¡¯t seen the ol¡¯ Road Runner on the road in an age.¡±

    ¡°Ah... Yeah, we¡¯ve had to take her out a lot more lately. We got that new truck only a couple years ago, but money¡¯s pretty tight, so we had to sell it off.¡±

    ¡°Well, damn, man, I woulda bought it, hah hah!¡±

    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s too much wrong with my old dinghy¡ªjust a part or two I¡¯ll have to order. Should be a pretty easy job.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s have a look and see.¡±

    Reina whips out some diagnostic tools from the Road Runner¡¯s trunk, and with that, she¡¯s ready for work. Mr. Shimizu leads her over toward a storage shed, beside which his stricken vehicle, an old Suzuki Carry mini-truck, sits sadly in wait for a helping hand. Utilitarian to a fault, these plucky little work mules dominate Japanese roads, keeping the tide of hulking pickups at bay with their convenience and efficiency. It¡¯s a shame something had to let go on Mr. Shimizu¡¯s.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s she up to?¡±

    ¡°Well, she won¡¯t start. She started actin¡¯ up about a week or two ago¡ªshe was runnin¡¯ rough whenever it rained out. Down on power and I could feel her misfirin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Was it running fine when it was dry out?¡±

    ¡°Fine-er. Still felt like somethin¡¯ was a little off.¡±

    ¡°I had her sit for a day or two ¡®cause I¡¯ve been spendin¡¯ all my time here movin¡¯ stuff around. Today I needed to go pick up some supplies, so I hopped in aaand she wouldn¡¯t go. She cranks, battery sounds fine, but no ignition.¡±

    ¡°I see... Yeah, that does sound like something broke somewhere. Probably something electrical, if I had to guess.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinkin¡¯.¡±

    Already the gears are spinning in her head, trying to draw upon what info she knows to make a diagnosis¡ªa starting point. If she can iron out where to look first, she can do this job a whole lot faster.

    Mr. Shimizu¡¯s description so far has all the hallmarks of a spark problem. If it got put away wet and won¡¯t fire back up, then...

    (That makes me think there¡¯s moisture somewhere it shouldn¡¯t be.)

    ¡°Alright. I think I know where to start looking, then.¡±

    Mr. Shimizu hands Reina the key to the Carry, and she swiftly clambers on in. The truck¡¯s miniature proportions don¡¯t make it easy for her, of course... At over six feet tall, squeezing into this thing is a tall order.

    ¡°Oof... Man, these trucks were not built for people like me.¡±

    ¡°Lemme know if there¡¯s anything you need me for.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! Hopefully this won¡¯t take me too long.¡±

    The engines on these trucks are mounted right beneath the passenger seat¡ªwhich is convenient for diagnosing problems, because she can crank the engine while staring right down at it. It¡¯s just a bit...claustrophobic.

    ¡°Okay, there we go...¡± With effort, Reina has the engine uncovered and ready for her repairs. These turbocharged 3-cylinders have a good rep for reliability, so she agrees with Mr. Shimizu that it¡¯s probably a simple problem. It¡¯s just her first solo job in a hot minute, so she tries to remember the basics...

    (An engine needs three basic things: air, fuel and spark. If it has those things, it runs.)

    Reina¡¯s first step is to check for fuel. She slots the key in the ignition and hears the fuel pump steadily tick over. That¡¯s one part of the equation solved.

    ¡°Okay, sounds like we¡¯ve got fuel. Now, do we have spark...?¡±

    Reina sets the engine up for a quick spark plug test; she eyeballs them and determines that the plugs themselves don¡¯t seem to be the culprit, looking new enough not to bother replacing them. Nonetheless, she turns the key, aaand...

    ¡°...We do not have spark. He was right, the battery sounds healthy, but still no start.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so that bolsters the moisture theory... I think there might be a short somewhere.¡±

    Water is the ultimate nemesis of the internal combustion engine. Just about any amount, anywhere, can throw the whole thing out of whack. Her hypothesis is that something in the electrical system got just a bit too wet from today¡¯s showers, and that¡¯s causing the electrical current to short out somewhere. She decides to work her way back from the spark plugs to test each part in the ignition chain.

    ¡°First up, the distributor...¡± Reina fishes around the engine some more, finding her way to the distributor¡ªthe part that sends power to each of the spark plugs. Mercifully, these engines are relatively easy to work with¡ªif this were a more modern car, she fears she¡¯d be absolutely clueless with their billions of parts and connections. An ECU guru, she is not. Yet.

    ¡°Cap first.¡± The distributor cap comes off easily enough...

    ¡°...Ooh. Yeah, that¡¯s cracked.¡± A decent-sized fault line runs right up the side of the distributor cap, along with general wear and tear throughout the ailing part. With that crack, moisture must be getting into the distributor and shorting out the electrical signal, preventing it from getting to the plugs. That would explain the lack of spark, and thus the lack of power.

    Reina can¡¯t help but don a tiny little smile as her deductive skills bear fruit.

    ¡°Well, that sucks. I don¡¯t think I have a spare on me, so I can¡¯t fix this outright. But I can at least let him know...¡±

    Mr. Shimizu bides his time, finishing up other work around the outside of the lodge as Reina suddenly makes her exit.

    ¡°How¡¯s it lookin¡¯? What¡¯d you find in there?¡±

    ¡°Well, I think I found the problem!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Hopefully it¡¯s nothin¡¯ too expensive?¡±

    ¡°Not from what I can tell, no: there¡¯s a crack in your distributor cap. All the moisture in there is shorting out the spark, so your spark plugs aren¡¯t sparking.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Yeah, that makes sense. We¡¯re gonna replace that, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Yeeeah, it¡¯s a cheap part. It¡¯s not really worth trying to fix it.¡±

    ¡°For reference, do you store the truck inside?¡±

    ¡°Nah, we don¡¯t have a garage at our house¡ªand that storage shed has a ton of crap in it, so I¡¯ve never put the truck in there.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha. I think it would help if you made space for it¡ªthat¡¯ll help keep the engine drier.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I getcha.¡±

    ¡°So, you think there¡¯s any chance we can get it running while we wait for the new part to come in?¡±

    ¡°Well... Probably not, sorry. Especially not when it¡¯s this wet outside. I can dry off the cap for you and stick it back on, but it¡¯ll just get damp again.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Mr. Shimizu furrows his brow. ¡°Maybe I can make some space for it in the shed real quick. We can put it in there so it doesn¡¯t have to sit outside. Maybe if ya dry off the cap, it¡¯ll run long enough that we can get it into the shed and park it there.¡±

    ¡°Mmm...¡± Reina figures that¡¯s a real longshot, but it¡¯s better than having to push the truck, at least. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll hit it with some spray and see how that goes.¡±

    ¡°Great. Have at it!¡±

    Reina makes a quick retreat to the Road Runner, where her secret weapon lies in the trunk. No mechanic is complete without it.

    ¡°There you are, you beautiful thing.¡±

    WD-40. God¡¯s cheat code.

    With a rag in one hand and a can of spray in the other, Reina returns to the stricken Suzuki and gets back to work. The distributor cap really, really isn¡¯t worth repairing in its state, but with a wipe down and a spritz of the water deterrent, it might just be able to move to drier ground and save them the hassle of pushing it.

    Not that the truck weighs anything anyway.

    ¡°Oookay.¡± Reina finishes her hack job and turns her attention back to the driver¡¯s seat. The key slots back into the ignition with a raggedy clunk.

    ¡°Feel like starting back up for me now?¡±

    One more time, the Carry¡¯s tired starter groans and whinnies, trying to get a response from the old three-cylinder. Reina can see it twitching and jittering beside her, begging for its spark back.

    ¡°Mmm...¡± After a few seconds of frantic whirring, the engine doesn¡¯t seem any better off yet. Reina listens intently for any sign of a spark¡ªshe knew it would be a longshot, but if she at least gets something from the engine here, she¡¯ll know there probably isn¡¯t some other issue with the truck. She keeps the key held, trying to coax the engine to respond...

    *POP!*

    ¡°Oh! She wants to, she wants to...¡±

    An intermittent splutter rocks the engine as one of the cylinders tries to fire. Reina gives the throttle a few slow pumps to try and get the revs up, feeling the Suzuki struggling mightily. It wants to fire back up, but the spark just isn¡¯t there.

    ¡°Come on, baby, you can do it...!¡± Reina thinks that if she can just get a little more spark, the heat from the electricity will help keep the moisture at bay. She can feel the engine slowly, painstakingly gaining strength¡ªcylinder two has joined the fray now. The tachometer flutters between 0 and 1, almost teasing her as it climbs up the scale at a snail¡¯s pace. She¡¯s almost got it, though. She lets off the key, holds the throttle down and crosses her fingers...

    ¡°That¡¯s it, almost there...!¡±

    *V-VRRR-POP!*

    ¡°Ack¡ª!¡±

    Alas, the engine is undone by a heavy backfire, echoing like a gunshot into the trees. Unable to hold an idle, the Suzuki calls it quits. Silence returns to the truck¡¯s interior, and Reina is left with yet more bad news to break to Mr. Shimizu: somebody¡¯s gonna have to shlep this thing into the shed.

    *sigh* ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think this is gonna work.¡±

    Thankfully, Mr. Shimizu is just about finished making space in his shed¡ªthough the sudden percussion did make him stop and poke his head out in confusion. He¡¯s greeted by Reina waving the white flag in surrender as she files out of the truck.

    ¡°No dice, huh?¡±

    *cough!* *cough!* ¡°Nope. I¡¯ll go ahead and push.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    Reina tries to hide the embarrassment on her face. She knows that the car¡¯s predicament really isn¡¯t her fault, and that it¡¯s not a surprise that it can¡¯t move under its own power, but she still feels bad for Mr. Shimizu. She wishes she could get his car back on the road, but that¡¯s just not in the cards.

    ¡°Well, you were just moving all that stuff in the shed, so this¡¯ll be my fair share...and I couldn¡¯t get the truck to run in the first place, so this is the least I can do.¡±

    Reina did not foresee today becoming an impromptu leg day¡ªand her tired body hates her for it. Thankfully, her mighty stature isn¡¯t just for show: she¡¯s got some decent muscle on her. She likes to stay fit. This is hardly the first car she¡¯s pushed, at any rate¡ªshe¡¯s been helping move cars aplenty in the garage ever since she was a kid. These mini-trucks really don¡¯t weigh much, so it doesn¡¯t take her too much effort to get the wheels turning while Mr. Shimizu steers...but here in the rain, at the end of a long, long day, the whole thing really dampens her spirits.

    ¡°Whew... There we go...¡± At last, the job is done¡ªalbeit not in the way she had hoped. The Suzuki sits safely inside the shed, waiting for its replacement part so that it can roam the roads again. Mr. Shimizu gets out and shuts the door, with a much different look on his face: where Reina feels down, he¡¯s still jolly as ever.

    ¡°Hey, c¡¯mon, what¡¯s with the long face now? You did great!¡±

    ¡°I... Thanks. I just wish I could¡¯ve done more for you.¡±

    ¡°Nahhh, don¡¯t sweat it. It¡¯s my fault in the first place for tryna put the repairs off. I could¡¯ve avoided this entirely, but nope! That¡¯s just life.¡±

    ¡°So, er... Would you like us to order a replacement part for you?¡±

    ¡°Sure, that sounds good. Man, you guys treat me too well! Here, lemme give you a little extra: your usual rate and then some.¡± Wasting no time, he hands her a generous payday in cash before even hearing her quote.

    ¡°O-Oh... Are you sure? You don¡¯t have to do that, sir!¡±

    ¡°Nah, c¡¯mon. You earned it! You did everything you could: you found the faulty part, you¡¯ve got a replacement comin¡¯ in the mail, you even picked up my kid! Don¡¯t sell yourself short, young lady¡ªyou¡¯re all I could ask for in a mechanic.¡±

    ¡°Here, go ahead and take it. I love givin¡¯ my support to the little guys anyway. I hope you guys get a nice break soon¡ªand I hope this helps just that little extra bit. I know I¡¯m not goin¡¯ anywhere else for my maintenance, hah!¡±

    Reina flushes red. She realizes she can¡¯t refuse his offer¡ªthe extra pay means a whole lot in their straits. She accepts his generosity with a bow.

    ¡°Thank you so much...!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, lass. You have a good weekend, now!¡±

    ¡°You too!¡±

    Reina bids Mr. Shimizu farewell, a strange medley of emotions swirling through her head. On one hand, she got a sizable bonus for going above and beyond for her client... On the other, his car is still broken and the stop¡¯s future is still a giant question mark. Just doing neighborhood repairs and mechanical work isn¡¯t a sustainable business model in this time and place... They¡¯re a Speed Shop. Or perhaps, were.

    Something¡¯s got to give.

    (I can at least hold my own out here... Just gotta hold out until Mom recovers from her surgery. If I can get us through the short-term until then, we might have a chance at something next year.)

    (But we have to figure something out soon... Just doing repairs isn¡¯t enough.)

    Mr. Shimizu watches as Reina packs up her tools and files back into her unusual machine. He tries and fails to stifle a chuckle. Those Aikawa girls always march to the beat of their own drum... Reina may not realize it, but she¡¯s already a lot like her role models in that sense. It¡¯s just a matter of channeling that boundless whimsy into confidence. She could really use it.

    ¡°Yeah... That girl¡¯s goin¡¯ places.¡±

    Reina lets out a heavy sigh as she props herself against the back of the Road Runner¡¯s plush bench seat. It¡¯s been a long day, between her university work in the morning and her part-time work at night... She can¡¯t wait for the weekend, for a variety of reasons. Her aching calves beg for reprieve¡ªand a hot shower sounds mighty nice right now. It¡¯s been a while since she ate too, come to think of it. She¡¯s running on empty...but she¡¯s confident that her trusty steed isn¡¯t.

    ¡°Now, you won¡¯t have any trouble starting, will you?¡±

    Reina twists the key, and the Road Runner responds with a resounding nope, the old V8 bursting to life in the way that only an Aikawa motor can. For all the tension and pressure looming large over her, the engine never fails to put her at ease. She charts a course for the shop, and rolls out into the nighttime mist.

    ***

    Another day in the books for Reina Aikawa, student-mechanic and impromptu chauffeur. The money from this job will help cushion her in the short-term...but that¡¯s about all she can do right now. The grander ambitions of the Aikawa Auto Company are on hold for the time being, their well drying up year after year. Reina, too, is uncertain about her future... Rather than soaring to the heights of her childhood dreams, she instead finds herself as a meandering cloud, drifting beneath the stars.

    How much longer will she have to tread water? How long will it be before the epiphany arrives? The future ahead of her is rough and uncertain, and the waves of time threaten to swallow her whole. She isn¡¯t the mad scientist mechanic her grandmother was, and she isn¡¯t the red line racer her mother was; she instead is a jack of all trades, master of none. Her life moves on in limbo...but at the very least, she has one constant by her side: the Road Runner. The company¡¯s crown jewel; their magnum opus in service of speed. For now, it is the rock that keeps her anchored. She can drive for as long as she needs to...until, some day, she might find the answers she seeks.

    (Just a little longer...)

    (One of these days, I¡¯ll make you proud.)

    (I¡¯m sure of it.)

 2. Spinning in Circles

    Everything has a beginning, and everything has an end. The day and the weekend both bid their farewells, a panorama of violet looming over Reina¡¯s head to the east. She and the Road Runner are far from home tonight¡ªbut this road is all too familiar to her. Not only is this where she works her part-time job on top of her work at the shop...but this site here, tucked in the Hokkaido hinterland, is a sacred place for motorheads the island over.

    ¡°And there we are.¡± The Road Runner hungrily chews up the last few miles of road enroute to Tokachi Speedway¡ªthe first and only race track on the entire island. With little fanfare, the racing season in all of Hokkaido is soon to hibernate for the winter, beginning and ending at Tokachi as it always does. The chill November air will make for a cold, slick race track¡ªa nice challenge for the series regulars who call the circuit home.

    The Road Runner lets out a brief hiccup. The fuel needle teeters on the brink after the long trip from Sapporo.

    ¡°I know, girl, I know¡­ Almost there.¡± Reina gently pats the dashboard. It has just enough gas to get all the way there on one tank, but she¡¯s cutting it pretty close. She¡¯ll have to stop at the local pump before parking at the circuit.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost not even worth it without a good daily driver¡­ A good bit of this paycheck¡¯s just gonna go to gas for the trip back home.¡±

    Being the flattest, coldest and sparsest part of Japan, Hokkaido isn¡¯t particularly attractive for circuit calendars nor developers¡ªand it would be one thing if it were close to Sapporo, but Tokachi is a three-hour trip by car, flanked on all sides by miles and miles of farmland. As far as race tracks go, Tokachi is a desolate place.

    Once upon a time, however, it did have a claim to fame: the Tokachi 24 Hours. The Japanese Le Mans. The longest endurance race on the grand touring calendar, shining a light on its little speck of land as the biggest names on the circuit dueled for its prize¡ªincluding an electrifying young woman by the name of Sami Kageyama. The Queen of Tokachi.

    Alas, nobody could justify driving that far out into the wilderness after the bubble burst. In 2009, following the track owners¡¯ bankruptcy, Tokachi was dropped from the schedule, and in the years since, the circuit has all but lost its presence.

    Like Aikawa Auto, Tokachi tries to carry on in spite of itself. Like Aikawa Auto, Tokachi¡¯s glory days are far, far behind it.

    Reina checks herself into the circuit after a quick stop for fuel, the sound of rumbling engines and the smell of burning gasoline making her feel right at home. She won¡¯t be racing out there today, nor is she a part of any racing team; instead, she moonlights as a track worker. It¡¯s a thankless job, but someone¡¯s gotta do it. As much as she wishes she could be out there tearing up the tarmac, that¡¯s just not in the cards. But the pay is alright, at least...and the track¡¯s curator always makes her feel welcome.

    ¡°Glad you could make it out, Reina! You¡¯re just in time.¡±

    ¡°Good! I know I was cutting it close a bit.¡±

    The old dog¡¯s chipper as ever. He can¡¯t see too well with those old eyes of his anymore, but that distinctive blonde always puts a smile on his face¡ªjust like old times. He remembers those golden days when Super GT and Super Endurance would roll on into town, along with the track¡¯s own hometown heroes. Though he may be long in the tooth and gray in the locks now, that nostalgia hasn¡¯t left him one bit.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re here, and that¡¯s the important thing. Y¡¯see, I was hoping you could fill in for somebody tonight.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Our old flag man¡¯s been sick for a while. He couldn¡¯t make it out tonight, so I¡¯ve been needing somebody to step up and take his place. And I was thinking it should be you.¡±

    Reina¡¯s taken aback. Being a flag man at the local track is a high honor. Her hard work and diligence over the last couple years must have struck a chord with him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve really stuck your neck out for us, even after all the stuff you¡¯re dealing with. So hey, I say it¡¯s about time we threw you a bone. Wanna start with the flag man duty tonight?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d love to! Thank you!¡± With a bow, Reina humbly accepts her new position.

    ¡°Heh. Guess I should be callin¡¯ it flag woman now.¡± He can¡¯t help but feel proud of the young lady¡ªeven if she herself has doubts about her future, he¡¯ll always remember where she came from. Surely she¡¯ll get it all figured out.

    ¡°Your mother was always good at that, makin¡¯ people rethink what women could do.¡±

    ***

    One by one, the entrants funnel in for Tokachi¡¯s final race of the year¡ªa footnote of a league that serves as a stepping stone on the long, long road to the big leagues. The field is littered with drivers of every shape and size: have-beens, never-weres, pay drivers, hobbyists just racing for the fun of it¡­

    But there¡¯s one driver who rises above them all¡ªone with the potential for a long and lucrative career. She starts on the pole tonight, as she always does...and as the lights go out and the green flag drops, she asserts her authority over the field with one smooth motion.

    Yuzu Tachikawa goes to work.

    ¡°Man, she¡¯s fast¡­!¡± By the time Reina is done waving the green flag from her perch on high, Yuzu is already commanding her machine into the first turn, leaving everyone else in the dust. She¡¯s completely dominated this season, and her performance is no mere fluke¡ªshe¡¯s one of Hokkaido¡¯s hottest racing prospects in a long, long time. You can tell by her face that she drives with a poise belying her age, her amber eyes locked onto the track like the sight of a rifle. This is exactly what¡¯s expected of her...and once she finishes this season, it¡¯s on to bigger and better things.

    (Yup¡­ Just one more race of this.) For lack of competition, Yuzu is almost bored behind the wheel. The thrill of racing for racing¡¯s sake has started to wear off; she has her sights set on the future now. Ahead of her lies the chaotic world of contracts, sponsorships, marketing¡­ Racing is not a cheap endeavor, and if she wants any shot at making it big, she¡¯ll need to spread her name as far and wide as she can. Stomping curbs in some no-name feeder series isn¡¯t going to get her anywhere in that regard¡­ She needs a new ride.

    But she knows by now not to daydream behind the wheel. Less than an hour left in this finale, and then she can pack it up and go home.

    Yuzu nimbly navigates Tokachi¡¯s tricky turns, her movements sharp and precise. She drives in the style of her childhood hero, Sami Kageyama, emulating her boldness and measured aggression to a tee. It¡¯s not a stretch to say that Kageyama inspired her to get behind the wheel in the first place¡ªwith her three class victories in the Tokachi 24 Hours, Kageyama showed to her that women can still reach the top in a man¡¯s sport. That a world of kings still has room for a Queen. Every day, every race, she follows in her footsteps, trusting in her idol and the example she set.

    The white flag waves for her, and she assertively takes it. She notices, in that split-second, that the usual flag man isn¡¯t up there tonight¡ªand that a peculiar-looking girl is up there in his stead.

    (That flag girl¡­ She looks kinda like her.) The dark skin, the blonde hair¡­ It all checks out.

    (Is that really¡­?)

    She stops herself. She can think about that later¡ªshe has a race to win. Just pace yourself, hit your marks, and the results will come to you.

    Yuzu thunders through turn one for the final time; to the surprise of no one, she¡¯s just about lapped the entire field. The checkered flag greets her at the finish line to complete her sweep of the season, her crew members in the paddock jumping for joy. Everybody at the circuit knows they¡¯ve just watched the beginning of something truly special.

    (And that, as they say, is that.)

    Night finally descends over the speedway, and with its arrival, the season comes to an abrupt and understated end. That¡¯s how Yuzu¡¯s always done things: keep moving forward as fast as possible. The season¡ªthe year¡ªmight as well be the past already; she¡¯s already got her sights set on the bigger picture, and all the opportunities that come with.

    There¡¯s just one question left nagging on her mind before she can put this league behind her: who is that flag girl?

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stick around for a bit¡­¡± Ordinarily, she would be packing her things and heading out by now¡ªher parents, after celebrating her victory with her, are waiting to take her back home to Obihiro, around 40 minutes to the north. Ironically, despite her pedigree as a racing driver, she¡¯s not actually old enough to drive on public roads yet. She¡¯d rather not make her parents wait, but¡­

    ¡°...I¡¯ll just ask if they can wait a bit for me.¡±

    Her curiosity compels her to stay behind and inquire about this mystery girl. The resemblance can¡¯t be mere coincidence¡ªand though she may be overstepping her bounds, she doesn¡¯t want to waste this chance to learn more about her childhood hero. Yuzu bides her time and waits for the track workers to congregate at the ticket office for their payday. The moment of truth arrives¡­

    ¡°Good work out there, Reina! You looked like a natural.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m just happy I didn¡¯t botch anything.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, you worry too much. Right, here¡¯s your payday¡­¡± Being the flag man comes with a nice boost to her wage. It¡¯ll cover the gas and then some; maybe Reina can treat herself to a nice meal for her birthday next week.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Reina knows she doesn¡¯t need to bow, but she does anyway.

    ¡°Not a problem. You take care now!¡±

    ¡°You too!¡±

    Reina stuffs the check in her worn-out wallet and starts her familiar walk to the parking lot, the nerves from her new shift finally wearing off. It¡¯ll be a long drive back to Sapporo, but she doesn¡¯t mind¡ªit always clears her head and takes her mind off things for a little while.

    ¡°Uh, excuse me. Sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Reina turns her head to find a petite figure gliding through the darkness to meet her. Her short raven hair blends in well with the evening haze, swaying gently as she makes her approach. Reina¡¯s been to these races enough times to know who she is: for reasons unknown yet, Yuzu Tachikawa has something to say to her.

    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re Ms. Tachikawa, right?¡±

    It feels strange to have people call her that when she¡¯s not even an adult yet. She can¡¯t wait to just get her teenage awkwardness behind her.

    ¡°Y-Yeah. I, uh, I had a question real quick, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± She struggles to get her thoughts out of her stammering mouth. Despite her cool and confident exterior, she¡¯s not the best with words¡ªespecially considering who she¡¯s talking to.

    ¡°Oh, uh, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°My name¡¯s Reina Aikawa. Pleased to meet you!¡± Reina flashes a warm smile back at the flustered racer.

    (Aikawa¡­?)

    ¡°So do you, um¡­ Do you know Sami Kageyama? You looked like her, so...¡±

    Reina blinks for a second, thrown for a bit of a loop. They don¡¯t go by her father¡¯s name anymore, but that was indeed what they called her mother at the height of her career.

    ¡°Oh, uh, I do, actually. She¡¯s my mom!¡±

    ¡°She is?!¡±

    The floodgate of emotions bursts all at once for the starstruck Yuzu. She really is talking to the daughter of her hero! She can barely even process what to process next¡ªwhat questions to ask, what connections to make, what kind of amazing possibilities this presents to her. Maybe she can actually meet Sami herself, or even ask for lessons! There¡¯s just so much to¡ª

    (Dammit, Yuzu, focus! One thing at a time!)

    ¡°H-Holy crap! I can¡¯t believe it¡­ S-Sorry, I¡¯m just a really big fan of hers.¡±

    ¡°I remember watching her every year as a kid. I wasn¡¯t old enough to see her first two wins, but I got to be there for the third one. I wish I could¡¯ve gotten her autograph back then¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that one was pretty special. I remember she was telling me she was thinking of hanging it up that year...and then she won, haha.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait to tell everybody back at school after that.¡±

    ¡°You and me both¡­¡± Seems they both remember it like it was yesterday.

    Sami Kageyama, as she was once called, made an immediate impression when the Tokachi 24 Hours began in 1994¡ªnot even having a kid a couple years prior could slow her down. The Hokkaido native made a name for herself as an ace track specialist, knowing every corner by heart. Her team won their class in both of the first two races, and though she would go on to suffer a drought at Tokachi over the following years, she persevered to notch her third and final class victory in 2002. Reina remembers every detail from that hot summer day: the crowd, the confetti, the cheers from her friends and family¡­

    Crazy how long ago that feels now.

    ¡°I just asked because I¡¯ve always wanted to meet her! Sorry for being so awkward¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay! She¡¯s mentioned you once or twice, actually. She¡¯s really excited to see what you can do next year!¡±

    ¡°She said what?!¡±

    Cloud Nine, population: Yuzu.

    ¡°U-Um, well¡­ The next time she comes down to Tokachi, I¡¯d love to talk to her. Maybe she could give me some racing pointers, or something¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to!¡± Having said that, Reina sheepishly scratches her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure when she might be back on all cylinders, though. She¡¯s been recovering from back surgery for the last couple months.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I guess it makes sense, Yuzu thinks to herself. Not even her heroes can escape the clutches of Father Time¡­

    ¡°She¡¯s...not racing anymore, is she?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not, no. She hung it up after that last Tokachi race.¡±

    ¡°What are you guys doing now, then? Do you race?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ I used to. I did a bit of karting when I was younger, but I never made it very far. I just don¡¯t have the natural talent she does¡ªand racing¡¯s a lot more expensive than it used to be. It was hard to justify the cost.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She can¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed that the Kageyama racing legacy began and ended with Sami...to the extent that even the name retired along with her. But perhaps that¡¯s being unfair to Reina¡ªnot many children live up to their champion parents in racing.

    ¡°We do have a little auto shop back in Sapporo. We actually managed to get our decals on her cars for a couple years¡ªthat¡¯s what that big Aikawa Speed Shop logo was!¡±

    ¡°Aikawa¡­ Oh, of course!¡± Yuzu facepalms. ¡°How did I never notice that?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the most obvious thing, in fairness.¡±

    ¡°Now I kinda wanna ask for a tour.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to one of these days!¡±

    As much as Reina would love to stay and chat, November brashly reminds her that the mercury is quickly dropping. The wind tickles her face enough to force a sneeze from her reddening nose.

    ¡°Just maybe not toni¡­ Ah¡­ A-choo! Brrr¡­ I¡¯m not built for the cold.¡±

    ¡°Do you have to head back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I gotta get back to Sapporo.¡±

    (Mmm¡­ I wanna talk more, but if she has to go¡­)

    ¡°Actually, if you don¡¯t mind talking some more, uh...Obihiro¡¯s on the way there. We could carpool, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Well, sure! I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! Oh, and um¡­ You can just call me Yuzu, okay?¡±

    ¡°Heehee. Sure.¡± With that, the two enterprising girls make their way to the parking lot. Yuzu smooths things over with their parents¡ªthey¡¯re actually thrilled to hear that their awkward daughter made a friend tonight. With their departure, the two of them are left to their own devices.

    Yuzu still isn¡¯t sure what to make of Reina. It¡¯s clear how much she sticks out from the crowd, just like her mother did...but she doesn¡¯t appear to be walking the same path. Not from what she can tell, anyway. If she¡¯s not a racer then, what is she¡­?

    ¡°Okay, there we are.¡±

    Yuzu can see the shadow of a car in the distance, but she can¡¯t actually make it out from here, aside from its...boxy outline. Reina isn¡¯t holding up the key to unlock it either¡­ Does it just not have central locking? What kind of car is that supposed to be?

    Finally, a nearby lightpost flickers on as it detects their approach, giving Yuzu her answer. The Road Runner is bathed in gold...and Yuzu is completely flabbergasted.

    ¡°...What the heck is that?¡± Yuzu blurts out without thinking. She covers her mouth in embarrassment immediately after. Her thoughts, however, remain unfiltered:

    (That thing¡¯s a dinosaur! What the...?!)

    ¡°Haha. Yeah, she¡¯s not your usual car. This is my mom¡¯s, actually.¡±

    ¡°Sami drives this?¡±

    ¡°Yup! This was actually the car she cut her teeth on, way back in the day. This was how she learned to race.¡±

    ¡°Really¡­?¡± At this point, Yuzu isn¡¯t sure if Reina¡¯s yanking her chain or not.

    (Well, I guess it would explain why she stuck to GT cars and not open wheelers¡­?)

    ¡°And the engine was done all at our shop too. I can pop open the hood, if you¡¯d like to take a look!¡±

    ¡°Well, uh...sure.¡±

    Yuzu has never seen one of these behemoth muscle cars in real life before, but she knows about their history. Once upon a time, these brutes were the fastest cars layman money could buy, even embarrassing prissy Ferraris and other European thoroughbreds at venues like Daytona and Le Mans.

    But that was eons ago. The muscle car¡¯s time in the sun has long since set...yet for whatever reason, Reina and her family¡¯s shop never got that memo, because she opens up the hood to reveal¡­

    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡±

    It is the single largest car engine she has ever seen¡ªan overwhelming behemoth that the engine bay struggles to contain. Displacing ten entire litres and paired with a supercharger for overkill, this is Aikawa Auto¡¯s crown jewel. The priceless heirloom they¡¯ve kept for generations, passed down from its original owner to the scion of the shop today.

    ...Why?

    ¡°This is what your shop does?¡±

    ¡°Yup! We specialize in aftermarket mods for street cars. This car here was bought new by my grandma¡ªand she designed and built the engine herself years later. The whole thing is a custom job.¡±

    Reina¡¯s grandmother may have had a few screws loose, but her parts and engines certainly didn¡¯t. She and her husband built Aikawa Auto brick by brick way back in the 50s¡ªand the quality of their work spoke for itself. She stuck out like a sore thumb, but she didn¡¯t care. She did things her way until her dying breath.

    They took Clara out of America, but they couldn¡¯t take America out of her.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize there was a market for engines like these.¡±

    ¡°Well...there used to be, at least. Before Hokkaido had race circuits like Tokachi, all they had were public roads.¡± She¡¯s not sure whether she should be admitting this out loud. ¡°So, she¡¯d take this car and race it out on the streets. Eventually she took it down to Honshu too.¡±

    ¡°She got her start in street racing?¡±

    ¡°Mhm. And she was really good at it. These engines garnered a rep for being practically indestructible¡ªthey made for perfect street racing machines. They can put in tons and tons of work and just keep on going...like this one here~¡±

    Yuzu concedes that it was probably a very formidable machine for its time¡ªand she would be right. Sami Aikawa, then a fiery upstart, was already making waves with it in Hokkaido¡¯s underground street racing scene. Everybody knew they were in for a wild, wild ride when ¡°the Yankee¡± came rolling up in her unbeatable speed demon; how she managed to wrangle the unruly beast was a mystery to them all. Those highway shootouts earned the Road Runner its time-tested nickname: the Ten-Litre Terror.

    That was the golden age of Aikawa Auto. Word of mouth and fleet of foot spread their business like wildfire among the motorheads and adrenaline junkies of the world. They had earned themselves a diehard fanbase, their shop regularly bustling with aftermarket monsters of all shapes and sizes¡ªall thanks to Clara¡¯s mechanical wizardry and Sami¡¯s tour de force.

    But nothing lasts forever, of course. Street racing went the way of the dodo in the 90s thanks to some infamous crashes and incidents¡ªand good riddance to it, in Yuzu¡¯s opinion. It was a remnant of an uncivilized time, an error to be corrected. The circuit was the next logical step, and everyone was happy to take it¡ªeven Sami, who traded in her Yankee moniker for a much more enduring one on the turns of Tokachi.

    So what about this ancient land barge keeps the Aikawa family stuck in the past¡­?

    ¡°Admittedly, there¡¯s not much demand for aftermarket stuff like this anymore¡ªespecially not for American cars here in Japan. This old girl hasn¡¯t raced in quite some time...¡±

    (Yeah, I can imagine.)

    ¡°Huh¡­¡±

    ¡°Buuut she¡¯ll still get you home! Just, as long as you don¡¯t mind the noise.¡±

    ¡°I should be fine, given the stuff I drive.¡±

    The antique hood slams shut, prompting Reina to make her way to the passenger side and unlock the door for her guest. Yuzu deftly sits herself down¡­and though she isn¡¯t a fan of 40 year-old interior design, she has to give credit where it¡¯s due: the seat is plenty comfy.

    ¡°Aaaalright,¡± Reina exhales as she files into the Road Runner, the startup process so routine that it¡¯s all in her muscle memory. Press the clutch, pump it twice, hold the throttle down¡­

    *VRRRRMMM!*

    Yuzu feels like she just got shocked in the heart.

    ¡°Wakes you up, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°For better and for worse.¡±

    Taking extra care to get the throttle just right as she shifts into first, Reina gets the hulking machine underway, the loud rumble of the Aikawa 611 echoing into the night. It¡¯s conspicuous beyond measure¡ªan outsider on the streets. Race cars are built for private circuits first, but here this thing is, masquerading as a car for public roads¡­

    (So this is what Sami really does¡­)

    (...I wonder why.)

    ***

    Soon, the humble lights of the hibernating Tokachi give way to the rural expanse of Hokkaido, the mountains gleaming faintly in the moonlight. Japan¡¯s breadbasket may be modest, but it¡¯s every bit as important as the rest of the country¡ªand, in the right places, every bit as beautiful too.

    That said, the scenery doesn¡¯t do much for Yuzu anymore¡ªshe¡¯s been up and down this road countless times, committed every last peak and trough to memory. It doesn¡¯t take her long to adjust to the guttural growl of the Road Runner¡¯s engine either. She looks over at Reina working the Plymouth¡¯s antiquated controls¡­ It¡¯s evident to her that Reina does know what she¡¯s doing¡ªshe might even have been selling herself short when talking about her racing ability earlier. But she¡¯s not doing herself any favors, Yuzu thinks to herself.

    ¡°Let me know if it¡¯s too hot or cold in here¡­ No AC, though, so I can only make it hotter unless you wanna open your window.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but thanks.¡±

    Traffic lazily flows along the road, the Road Runner mingling with more normal cars as it trudges through the countryside. It feels weird for Yuzu to be riding in Sami¡¯s old ¡°race¡± car. There¡¯s an element of nostalgia here, sure, knowing that this was the car that started it all for her hero¡­

    But the way she sees it, cars like these belong in museums, not alongside modern makes. It¡¯s like trying to jam a square peg into a round hole.

    ¡°So, um, if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    Yuzu tries to formulate her questions without sounding rude. ¡°What was it like at the auto shop when Sami was racing at Tokachi?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t remember too much about it¡ªI wasn¡¯t very old at the time. But I remember business was still booming. We still had our diehard customers from her street racing days, and all the publicity from Tokachi helped shine a light on us.¡±

    ¡°Did you ever switch from stock stuff to racing equipment?¡±

    ¡°We thought about that a lot, but I think in the end, that wasn¡¯t the scene we wanted. But funny enough, racing was how we really took off back in the 60s: there was this stock car league that wanted us to help build race-spec parts for their imported cars.¡±

    ¡°The league never got off the ground, but it did get us some valuable customers¡ªand my grandma loved working on those kinds of cars. They were simple, but really effective.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ So was it more about the racing or more about the cars for her?¡±

    ¡°The cars, I think¡­ My grandma was American, actually.¡±

    ¡°Huh, really?¡±

    ¡°Yup. She was born in American Samoa. My grandpa was Japanese; they met each other after the war, and then they settled down here to start their business.¡±

    ¡°She was probably the smartest person I¡¯ve ever known¡­ She could make anything and everything work¡ªyou gave her an engine and she just went to town. I really look up to her...and I know Mom does too.¡±

    Yuzu takes in every word, equally curious and confused. The more she hears about Aikawa Auto, the more it turns into this...anachronism. A company cruising on nostalgia for a time long gone. The world of cars is always evolving¡ªthe engineering, the racing, the circuits, everything is an exercise in human ingenuity and innovation. Every waking day is another step forward for the industry at large, pushing everyone to walk alongside it...so why did Sami just stop? Why didn¡¯t they bother to restructure their business model? Why did they cling to this pigeonholed niche of theirs?

    (Why couldn¡¯t they just get with the times?)

    ¡°It just seems kinda...weird, to me. That Sami went into racing, but the company didn¡¯t really follow her there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ We might¡¯ve been able to make it work if we switched to GT stuff¡ªmaybe if we became a parts supplier for GT teams or we struck some other partnership like that. But, well, that¡¯s just never how we¡¯ve done things. We¡¯ve never been the kind of shop to chase trends like that.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ These are just the things we like. We¡¯ve always done things our way, because that¡¯s what we enjoy doing. I think that¡¯s why Sami started to feel a bit disillusioned with Tokachi in those last few years¡­ It just wasn¡¯t what she wanted to do anymore.¡±

    ¡°Why just the same thing as always, though?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    Reina has no counter.

    ¡°S-Sorry, I just¡­¡± Yuzu wasn¡¯t trying to hurt Reina, but she can tell those words stung.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s a valid question¡­and I think you¡¯ve got a point. It¡¯s probably why we¡¯re in the situation we are now.¡±

    ¡°Sooner or later, it¡¯s gonna be up to me to answer that question¡­ I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to do it, but, well¡­¡± Reina lets out a heavy sigh. ¡°Something¡¯s gotta give.¡±

    ¡°I, um¡­ I hope it works out.¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±

    The atmosphere in the car takes an awkward turn, much to Yuzu¡¯s chagrin. It just doesn¡¯t make sense to her...and she feels like it doesn¡¯t even make sense to Reina either. So many questions and so few answers¡­

    Her saving grace is that the trip is almost over. Obihiro looms on the horizon, the largest town in the area by far. The minutes pass slow as molasses while Yuzu gives Reina directions, soft-spoken for fear of poisoning the atmosphere further. The Road Runner carefully snakes through the narrow city streets, finding its way to an unassuming little house on the outskirts of town. Her parents¡¯ car is parked outside¡ªan unassuming, utilitarian sedan, perfectly suited for its environment.

    ¡°Thanks for taking me home, Reina. And, um...sorry about earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright! We¡¯ll figure something out, I¡¯m sure.¡± Reina puts on a brave face, even if she can¡¯t put her whole heart behind her words.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my mom about maybe having a meet-up at Tokachi one of these days. I¡¯ll keep you posted!¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡­ That¡¯d be nice.¡±

    With that, Yuzu unceremoniously exits the Road Runner, stepping out into the cold evening air and watching her chauffeur pull away into the dark. She can still hear the Road Runner well after it¡¯s turned the corner, its echoing engine finding its way to her ears for miles and miles until it finally fades away.

    *sigh* ¡°Where do I even go from there¡­?¡±

    A small part of her wishes she hadn¡¯t met Reina at all¡ªall that whimsical insight into her childhood hero came at a certain price. Perhaps if she¡¯d just gone home with her parents, she could have kept that idealized image of Sami that she formed in her head, unburdened by the dire straits of their family business.

    Or maybe this is just a part of growing up. Time comes for us all, and nobody¡¯s perfect; even a legend like Sami was bound to hit a snag or two in her life. Perhaps she should take this as a learning experience¡ªwhen you¡¯re racing at breakneck speed, you don¡¯t have the time to look back at the past. You¡¯ve gotta keep your head forward, now and always.

    ...That¡¯s what she¡¯s always thought, anyway.

    (Maybe she had her reasons, and I just...don¡¯t get them yet.)

    At any rate, Yuzu has school to worry about in the morning. She retreats inside her home and resumes her life as normal¡ªlooking to the future, as she always does. Maybe when she¡¯s all grown up, and she¡¯s had her own illustrious racing career, she¡¯ll be able to see things the way her hero did.

    But for now, she¡¯s just a young lady with a bright, bright future.

    ***

    Reina was not prepared to face the harsh reality of her family business tonight. Ordinarily, the drive back to Sapporo is an opportunity to take her mind off things, to calm her spirits amid the sprawling bounty of nature. But she can¡¯t stop thinking about Yuzu¡¯s words as she maneuvers the Road Runner along the mountain roads.

    She can¡¯t just drive away from her problems forever. She thought the Road Runner would be the rock that holds her steady, keeping her afloat however long she needed...but now she¡¯s not so sure. The answers won¡¯t just come to her.

    ¡°She¡¯s right¡­ She¡¯s right, and I didn¡¯t want to admit it.¡±

    It¡¯s a lot for a college junior to think about¡ªespecially on top of all the other things she has to worry about¡ªbut, well...that¡¯s life. She¡¯s an adult now, and adults have to face difficult questions about their future. The answers they find make or break their lives, every decision a turning point that shapes the path before them. She¡¯s starting to realize that she can¡¯t rely on her past anymore¡­ As the future of the company, it¡¯s her duty to shape it.

    ...Perhaps now¡¯s not the best time to be thinking about these things¡ªit¡¯s been a long, long day as is. Reina turns the CD player on¡­ Journey. The stereotypical 80s sound, invoking all the nostalgia of the good old days.

    It fits, in a wry sort of way.

    Reina finishes her trip without another word, letting the music calm her weary head. She eventually makes it back to Sapporo¡ªonce again on fumes. After a brief stop at the local gas station, she brings the beast back to its lair: the Aikawa Auto building, now dark and devoid of activity. They¡¯ve already closed for the day.

    Reina opens the garage door, and the automated lights welcome her back inside. The Road Runner will hibernate for another night yet, kept in limbo until that next fateful decision is made. Reina can¡¯t help but see the car just a little bit differently now, along with the old brick and mortar surrounding it. She¡¯s relied on that old girl, leaned on its shoulders¡­ Now, it relies on her. She has to be the one to step up this time¡ªand she¡¯ll have to do it sooner rather than later.

    Is she ready? Only time will tell.

    ¡°Good night.¡±

    The lights flicker off. The garage door shuts. Aikawa Auto will wait one more night.

 3. Another Lap Around the Sun

    Just take things one day at a time... Sure as the sun will rise, the birds will chirp and the wind will blow, there will always be work to do to tread water. Reina knows that she can¡¯t afford to stumble over the short-term in chasing whatever greater goal she has in mind... Too much stopping to think and you might just drown. Today may be her birthday, even, but in the grand scheme of things, November 17<sup>th</sup> is just another day at the shop.

    The door to the auto shop opens with a creak, a tacky little chime announcing her arrival. Grandma loved those. She wasn¡¯t expecting the shop to be so empty today¡ªshe got out from university early, so she was sure there would be one or two people left tending to their work inside before the start of her shift. She saw their own cars out in the parking lot, so maybe she just caught them on break.

    Whatever the case, it leaves her by her lonesome in the auto shop¡ªwhich, for better and for worse, she¡¯s grown accustomed to by now. Sami is still recovering from her surgery, and beyond the two of them, Aikawa Auto is staffed by only two other full-time mechanics. One, Old Man Takashi, a longtime family friend who¡¯s stuck by the shop through thick and thin. The other, her uncle Naoto¡ªa far more virtuous man than his brother.

    Somebody¡¯s gonna have to step up one of these days.

    ¡°Right, so what have we got...?¡± She finds a note on the front desk, presumably from her uncle working the shift before her; beside it is the key to an unassuming sedan. From what the note says, a winter service is in order: oil change, fluid and filter check, tire rotation, brake check, and a new battery just to be safe¡ªcustomer states it might be on its last legs. They also give the okay to replace anything it might need, so if the car has any other problems waiting to strike in the winter, she¡¯ll be sure to nip them in the bud.

    ¡°Well, that makes things easy. This shouldn¡¯t take me too long.¡±

    Reina steps out into the parking lot, an unseasonable warmth beaming down on her from above. It was nice enough to park the Road Runner outside, even. She knows to cherish these days while she has them¡ªit always freezes over before you know it.

    The garage door opens on her command, ready for her to take the customer¡¯s wheels inside. The car itself is something she¡¯s seen thousands and thousands of times, both on the road and in the shop¡ªutilitarian to the bone, which is all most people ever need. She can¡¯t fault them for that.

    Reina unlocks the sedan and climbs aboard, having to adjust the seat down so she¡¯s not hunching her neck inside. As the customer stated, the car is indeed a little hesitant to fire up¡ªReina can hear the starter having to gather itself before the engine chuffs to life. The old four-banger itself still seems to be running perfectly fine¡ªthe brakes seem good too. Without further ado, she backs it into the garage and places it square on the lift, ready to put her expertise to work.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s start with that battery.¡±

    Reina shuts the engine off, pops the hood and takes a gander inside. True to old Japanese auto conventions, the engine bay is relatively tidy¡ªand not too over-engineered on account of its older age. That¡¯s one thing Reina never could stand: working on modern cars can be a real chore with their over-complicated designs. There¡¯s something to be said for the good old KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

    Reina locates the battery easily enough, and whips out her trusty multimeter to examine it. In this test, 12.6 volts is a passing grade; she hooks up the cables and...

    ¡°12.3. Yeah, that¡¯s not the best. Must not be charging right. How old is this battery...?¡±

    A quick check confirms her suspicions. Reina finds the date code and discovers that the battery is well past its expiration date.

    ¡°Ooh. Yeah, that¡¯s six years old, it¡¯s past time to get that replaced.¡± Go figure. Batteries have a typical lifespan of four to five years, but these cars are built to tolerate negligence. They just keep going and going and going.

    Nevertheless, Reina confirms the battery¡¯s getting a replacement. Just to make sure it¡¯s the battery and not the alternator as well, she hops back in and gives the car another start. Once more, the starter groans, finally getting the engine fired up after a couple seconds of trying. Once they get going, the four cylinders hum along without a care in the world...

    And indeed, when she gets back out to check the alternator, she reads a healthy 13.5 volts from the multimeter. It¡¯s doing its job just fine.

    ¡°Right, that takes care of that.¡±

    The rest of the engine bay seems to be in good shape¡ªthough some of the filters do look a little dirtied up, so she decides to replace those as well. The fluids all look fine, so she¡¯s through the top side of the engine in relatively short order.

    Next comes the lift.

    ¡°Alright, up we go.¡±

    The hydraulic whine echoes throughout the garage, slowly taking the car up into the air so she can get to work on its underbelly. Lifts aren¡¯t required in a mechanic¡¯s arsenal¡ªshe could just use a jack¡ªbut Reina finds theirs to be an absolute godsend. When you¡¯re as tall and...fortunate as she is, it¡¯s hard to get enough space underneath the car.

    Off go the plug and the filter, the oil splashing onto the pan below. Whoever last did this really wrenched the filter in there tight; it takes a good bit of elbow grease for Reina to get it off. Sometimes her physique does come in handy on the job.

    It¡¯s all ho-hum service work¡ªa routine increasingly common as the snow and ice come crawling closer and closer. Reina appreciates the ever-so-slight windfall of customers coming in for winterization...but all the same, it serves to remind her just how deep this hole really is. This general mechanic work started out as a suggestion from her father to bolster business; they now cling to it as their lifeline.

    ¡°Oookay. That should be it.¡±

    Time flies when you¡¯re working on cars. Before Reina knows it, she¡¯s already done. The lift gently lowers the car back down to earth, and after a quick spot-check to make sure everything looks good, she slides herself back behind the wheel. One twist of the key, one second of spirited whirring and the engine rumbles to life, back in business with a spring in its step.

    ¡°She sounds pretty good! I¡¯ll go ahead and take her for a quick jog around the block just to make sure.¡±

    It¡¯s here where her years-long diet of 40 year-old muscle cars puts a slight damper on her driving ability. The car inches forward almost like it¡¯s sleepwalking¡ªshe¡¯s too used to the Road Runner and its comical amount of torque requiring barely any gas at all. She eventually acclimates to the more understated four-banger and brings it out of the garage. One sharp left turn, and she¡¯s on the road.

    ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary so far... These things are built like tanks, so I¡¯m not expecting anything catastrophic anyway.¡±

    She has to give it to these modern cars: they really spoil you with the build quality and creature comforts. They¡¯re simple, effective commuters¡ªand for the vast majority of people, that¡¯s all they need to be. For most, transportation is a means to an end... It¡¯s not something everybody lives and breathes like she and the family do. It¡¯s not an experience.

    And she can feel that as she drives this trusty sedan around her neighborhood. It¡¯s nowhere near as fun or exciting as the Road Runner... It¡¯s boring. It¡¯s sanitized. But it¡¯s better at getting her where she needs to go. Having to sell their work horse a few months ago really hammered home how out of place the car is on modern streets... It¡¯s a square peg trying to fit in a round hole through sheer horsepower.

    It¡¯s the nail that sticks out.

    *sigh* ¡°Just gotta take it a day at a time, Reina...¡±

    Reina rounds the bend and crosses the river to start the return leg of her trip. She knows these roads like the back of her hand, but she can¡¯t help feeling a little...different as she maneuvers them in the sedan. Errant cars come and go in traffic¡ªones that look exactly like this sedan. It blends in so well to the surroundings that it might as well be invisible... She feels like everybody can see right through it. Now she¡¯s the one that sticks out.

    ...She speeds up just a little bit on her way back.

    As expected, the sedan handles the roads with not a blemish to report¡ªjust a routine, everyday drive in the old thing. It rolls its way back into the parking lot like it barely left at all. Reina parks it neatly by its lonesome, and starts running through her mental checklist for post-maintenance cleanup.

    ¡°Oookay. Just gotta let the client know their car is ready...oh, and put the seat back too.¡± She double-checks all the little motors while she¡¯s at it. Windows, mirrors, seats, they all work fine.

    ¡°That should do it, then.¡±

    Reina gets out and stretches her legs. A job well done¡ªwhen you¡¯re taking things day by day, you can¡¯t ask for much more than that. Every last job is precious, every last payday a luxury. The sooner she can get next month¡¯s bills allocated and taken care of, the sooner she can start thinking about the bigger picture again.

    The little boost does give her a cushion, though, combined with the extra pay from her work at the track. Maybe she can make it through the winter after all.

    ¡°Okay, I think he wrote down the customer¡¯s phone number on that note¡ªworse comes to worst, I can just find it, though...¡± Reina absentmindedly opens the door to the shop, finding the switch to flick the lobby lights back on...

    (Now!)

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    ¡°SURPRISE!¡±

    The chime at the door is quickly drowned out by a chorus of cheers from the employees at the shop, returned from their ¡°break¡± to surprise her. Reina¡¯s heart skips a beat¡ªnot just at the surprise itself, but at the figure in the middle of the group, wearing a wide smile and welcoming her back to the shop with a round of hearty laughter.

    ¡°Wha¡ª Mom? You¡¯re out of the house!¡±

    ¡°Of course I am, sweetie! C¡¯mon, I¡¯m old, not dead. Heh heh!¡±

    It¡¯s the first time Sami Aikawa has left the house since her back surgery¡ªand for good reason: she wasn¡¯t gonna miss the chance to give her beloved daughter a little pick-me-up. Her being house-ridden made for the perfect cover. She still looks a bit rough around the edges, her graying hair done up in a basic ponytail, but beneath the wrinkles is a smile made of gold.

    ¡°I... Oh, you guys...!¡± Reina can¡¯t properly express how she feels. Just seeing her mom back in the shop along with the other employees feels like a long-awaited respite from steering it all by herself. She loves this little family of theirs¡ªand she wouldn¡¯t trade it for anything.

    Without another word, Reina walks up and gives her mom a hug, joined by the other two as they share this tender moment.

    ¡°Happy birthday, honey.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much...!¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Thank you for filling in for me all this time. You¡¯ve really been sticking your neck out for all of us, haven¡¯t you?¡± Sami feels Reina¡¯s woes starting to melt away. She can tell the girl¡¯s needed this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think we haven¡¯t noticed how hard you¡¯ve been working. You deserve this, Reina.¡±

    They turn her attention to the gift they¡¯ve prepared for her. With a smile, the two employees head to the break room fridge to retrieve it.

    ¡°I called up the bakery, and they came up with this! Looks good, huh?¡±

    Reina¡¯s mouth immediately starts to water, her hand covering her mouth.

    ¡°Oooh...!¡±

    It¡¯s perfect: a chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream on top, styled like a big ol¡¯ racing tire. Sami knew it would be a hit.

    ¡°That looks so good...!¡±

    ¡°Thought you might like it! Not gonna lie, I¡¯m really tempted to dig in myself.¡± Sami licks her lips. ¡°Buuut I¡¯m gonna save my slice until after dinner tonight. I¡¯ll get the oven preheating once we head back home, and then your favorite dish is going in.¡±

    Reina¡¯s eyes twinkle.

    ¡°O-Oh, Mom, you didn¡¯t have to!¡±

    ¡°I know¡ªbut I wanted to!¡±

    ¡°And like I said: you¡¯ve been doing plenty on your own, while I¡¯ve just been mooching around the house for the last forever. This is the least I can do to pay you back... Truly.¡±

    ¡°As for you two...¡± Sami cheekily smiles at Old Man Takashi and Uncle Naoto, who can¡¯t wait to dig in for themselves.

    ¡°How about this: you can cut yourselves some slices now, if you cover the rest of Reina¡¯s shift for the day! I say let the birthday girl clock out early.¡±

    Naoto lets out a guffaw. ¡°You always drove a hard bargain, eh?¡±

    ¡°Drove hard is right,¡± Takashi interjects. ¡°No problem, we can cover that! You enjoy the rest of your birthday.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much, guys...¡±

    With that, Naoto and Takashi excuse themselves, eagerly carrying plates of chocolatey goodness into the break room with them. Sami boxes up the rest of cake and prepares to take it back up the road to their house, where the oven¡ªand tonight¡¯s dinner¡ªare waiting.

    ¡°Let me drive you back up there, at least¡ªyou don¡¯t have to walk all the way back home carrying that.¡±

    ¡°You wound me! A little walk or two isn¡¯t gonna kill me.¡± She jests, but in truth, she still has a visible crick in her gait. Reina can tell Sami really fought back the pain just to get here and surprise her¡ªand having to walk uphill back home does not sound like what she needs right now.

    ¡°...It will hurt, though, so yeah, maybe that¡¯s best.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go start the car.¡±

    Sami slowly makes her way out the door, following in Reina¡¯s footsteps. Reina hops in and slots the key in the ignition; the Road Runner roars to life, enjoying the sunny afternoon and eagerly awaiting its passenger.

    ¡°Mmgh... Rgh... Okay, there we go.¡± Sami has to move slowly as she twists herself onto the seat¡ªit¡¯s just how it is now.

    ¡°Heh heh... Man, it feels weird being the passenger. You don¡¯t drive me around all that much, huh?¡±

    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Last time I remember was...when you were learning to drive, I think. You needed to get all that ¡®supervised practice¡¯ before you could take your test. Not that you needed it!¡± She¡¯s been sneaking Reina out to Tokachi for ¡°practice¡± since she could first reach the pedals.

    ¡°At least it prepared me well for the parallel parking bit!¡±

    Sami chuckles. ¡°You were so paranoid about that.¡±

    Reina still does feel a little on edge whenever she drives her mom around. This is the car she made famous, after all¡ªand if she goofs up, she¡¯s sure she¡¯ll never hear the end of it.

    Sami, meanwhile, couldn¡¯t really care less about it. She¡¯s always felt like Reina puts too much pressure on herself.

    ¡°Lead the way, birthday girl!¡±

    Reina makes sure to maneuver the Road Runner as carefully as possible¡ªboth to go easy on Sami¡¯s back and to protect her precious cargo. With a rumble, the car exits the Aikawa Auto lot and makes for home.

    ¡°Feels weird driving this way up the road.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    The Aikawa household isn¡¯t too far from the shop itself¡ªwell within walking distance, albeit nestled partway up the omnipresent Mount Moiwa. Though they have a garage up there, neither it nor the driveway is actually big enough to fit the Road Runner, hence why it stays down at the shop. It used to be where they kept their daily driver instead...until hard times came a-knocking. Now it just sits empty, with Reina and Sami left to fill the void somehow.

    It¡¯s almost like her father took it with him.

    ¡°Well, uh...heh. Yeah, no parking it in the garage. You¡¯re gonna have to find a place on the street. Hey, you might finally get to put those parallel parking chops to use!¡±

    ¡°I would, if there were cars here. Looks like it¡¯s pretty empty.¡±

    ¡°Shame.¡±

    Heads turn on the streets as the Road Runner tramples the silence of the neighborhood. Within short order, though, Reina brings it to a halt, shutting the engine off and bringing an end to her day¡¯s work.

    ¡°Ahhh...!¡± There really is no place like home. The auto shop may be her habitat, but their little corner home just feels so cozy, even after all these years. It never fails to calm her down...especially when her mom¡¯s cooking her favorite dinner.

    ¡°I splurged on the real good stuff this time. It¡¯s only fair!¡±

    ¡°You spoil me~¡±

    Reina always looked forward to pasta night growing up. Even in Japan, where ingredients can get pretty pricey, those dishes are still cheap, easy and mighty filling, with plenty of leftovers to last days and days afterward. She likes the other budget staples well enough, of course¡ªhard to go wrong with rice and ramen¡ªbut something about a big casserole full of meat, cheese and pasta just sings to her stomach. She doesn¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever get tired of it.

    ¡°Here, let me go ahead and put it in the oven, you don¡¯t have to bend down for that. I¡¯ll take it out too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop it, you! Or are you just saying that ¡®cause you wanna take it out and dig in first?¡±

    ¡°...Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll allow it, then. Just this once.¡±

    Within minutes, the smell of Heaven itself takes over the kitchen. It doesn¡¯t take too long to cook, so they pull up their chairs at the dining table and content themselves with small talk while they wait for dinner to bake.

    They¡¯re still not sure what to do with that one other chair at the table... It¡¯s sobering, how much of difference a few years can make.

    ¡°Not too busy today, I take it?¡±

    ¡°No, classes were alright. And there wasn¡¯t much work to do, just a basic winter service for one car.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... Things¡¯ll pick up once it starts getting properly cold.¡±

    ¡°Mhm. Just taking it one day at a time right now. I have to make it until then first...¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t sell yourself short.¡± Sami gets up to give her daughter another hug. ¡°I know I say it a lot, but I really mean it: you¡¯re a strong, strong girl.¡±

    Reina takes a deep breath. ¡°Thank you. I just... I really don¡¯t know what to do sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re already doing all you can, sweetie.¡±

    It¡¯s one thing to take over the family business; it¡¯s another thing to inherit it under the circumstances Reina¡¯s had to deal with. All of Sami¡¯s burning questions, all her doubts, all the problems she couldn¡¯t solve... They¡¯re now Reina¡¯s burden to bear. The proverbial bubble has burst, taking the young heiress¡¯ innocence with it.

    Guilt gnaws at Sami for that. She wishes she could¡¯ve done more to make the shop a better place for her¡ªa better business. Reina shouldn¡¯t have to take on all that responsibility so soon...and yet she has. Her little girl¡¯s all grown up.

    ¡°Change doesn¡¯t happen overnight¡ªit takes a lot of time, and a lot of patience. I know it¡¯s tough, I know it seems really daunting, but you don¡¯t have to try and rush to figure everything out right this instant.¡±

    Reina¡¯s breath trembles a bit. Sami hugs her tighter.

    ¡°Life is one big marathon¡ªand if you push yourself too hard, you¡¯ll burn out before you reach the finish line. You¡¯re still young, and you¡¯ve got plenty of time...and you don¡¯t have to go it alone anymore, either. You bet I¡¯m gonna do everything I can to help you along, now that I¡¯m feeling better.¡±

    ¡°Mm...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever forget how proud I am of you. You¡¯ve been dealt a bad hand, but you¡¯ve been doing all you can in spite of it. No matter what life throws at you, you just keep on truckin¡¯.¡±

    She lowers her voice to an introspective whisper. ¡°Reminds me a lot of your grandma.¡±

    A mix of emotions weigh heavy on Reina¡¯s heart.

    ¡°I... I just hope I can fill your shoes some day.¡±

    ¡°You will. Nobody believes in you more than I do.¡±

    *BEEP!*

    ¡°Now c¡¯mon, cheer up! It¡¯s your birthday, for crying out loud!¡±

    ¡°Heehee... Yeah. Thank you.¡±

    Pasta heals all wounds. Reina nearly melts into the chair at the very first bite, her delight audible. Sami can¡¯t help but smile too¡ªfinally being able to cook for the two of them again should give Reina a much-needed break around the house. Just as the dish lifts Reina¡¯s spirits, so too does it raise hers.

    ¡°Well, I think it turned out okay, for how rusty I am!¡±

    ¡°What were you saying about selling yourself short? It¡¯s delicious!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you.¡± Sami¡¯s always been astounded at just how much that girl can eat. Suppose that¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re over six feet tall.

    ¡°Just make sure you save some room for dessert, okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Sami goes ahead and brings the cake out of the fridge so it can start thawing out. By the time they¡¯re done with the pasta, it should be ready to slice up again.

    ¡°Alllright, that should do it. Cut yourself a slice whenever you¡¯re ready!¡±

    Reina ate so much of the main course that she can barely command herself out of the chair...but she thinks she has just enough room for dessert. She takes out their big knife and gets to work, puncturing the tire and hacking off a big ol¡¯ slice.

    The anticipation builds as she makes her way back to the table. She sets it down, gets out a fork, cuts a bite, and...

    (Mmmm...!)

    It¡¯s everything she could ever want in a cake. The taste itself is excellent, but beyond the rich chocolate, the sweet ice cream and all the other touches on top...it tastes like home.

    (This is the best birthday I¡¯ve had in years...!)

    It¡¯s been such a whirlwind over the past few years that she almost forgot what this sort of thing feels like. From the passing of her grandparents, to her father¡¯s unexpected exile, to the shop¡¯s continued misfortunes... It feels like she hasn¡¯t had a normal year in forever. The cake brings her back to when two was five¡ªback to those carefree birthdays with everyone huddled around the table, watching her blow the candles...

    Just where did all the time go?

    ¡°Thank you so much, Mom... I didn¡¯t know how much I needed this...!¡±

    ¡°My pleasure, sweetie.¡± Sami clears a little crumb of cake off Reina¡¯s face. ¡°Nothing makes me happy like seeing you happy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll always be there for you¡ªeverybody at the shop too. We¡¯ll get through it together.¡±

    ¡°Mhm...¡±

    Reina smiles. In spite of the turmoil, the misfortune, everything, they¡¯re both still going. Perhaps her grandmother¡¯s stubbornness really does run in the family...

    It just might give her the strength to power through all this.

    ***

    November 17<sup>th</sup> finally comes to a close. The Road Runner retreats back into its lair, guided by Reina¡¯s steady hand. Mount Moiwa begins to swallow the sun behind it, draping the neighborhood below in shadow and ushering for the moon to start its campaign. One more day passes in limbo, one more day adrift...and while that still looms large over Reina¡¯s head, she feels a little more comfortable about her place at the company now.

    ¡°And there we go... Good night.¡±

    She knows this little reverie won¡¯t last forever. She¡¯ll wake up from the dream and face reality head-on for 364 more days. She doesn¡¯t know yet what those 364 days will bring...whether they¡¯ll be as tough and tumultuous as years past, or if the clouds might finally part ways so she can see the stars above again. It¡¯s too early to tell what that night sky will look like...

    All she knows is, the future isn¡¯t waiting for her anymore. She¡¯s all grown up now, whether she¡¯s ready to accept it or not. As she makes the walk home, the year coming full circle one more time, she understands now that this coming trip around the sun may be the most important of them all.

    (Just gotta get through this... I can¡¯t keep kicking the can down the road forever. Once we¡¯re through the winter, we¡¯ve gotta make something happen.)

    Gold turns to purple, and purple turns to black. The winter winds begin their march into Sapporo, and the legions of gray come rolling in...

 4. Clouds

    A still gloom grips the streets of Sapporo, the dark yet to fade. A blanket of white muffles the city ambience and spreads silence in its wake. It seemed like only yesterday that the sun was still warm, the days still long...but it has lost this territory. Winter has begun. Hokkaido welcomes its first proper snowstorm of the season¡ªand not at all with open arms. Reina¡¯s are tight to her waist, shivering as she walks the dark road down to the shop.

    ¡°Brrrr... This is just miserable...¡±

    It never gets better, no matter how many winters she lives through up here.

    Reina shuffles through the dark, the short trek to the shop feeling like miles as the cold pierces her old jacket. What she wouldn¡¯t give to just be bundled up at home instead, letting the snow and wind come and go before venturing outside again...

    But time marches on. University isn¡¯t waiting for her¡ªshe¡¯s coming up on the end of the semester, whether she wants to or not.

    Eventually she reaches the shop, not yet open for the morning rush. The garage door opens just a hare slower today... The cold stifles its power supply. Everything, living and not, is slow and lethargic in the face of winter¡¯s might...even the prized heirloom greeting her inside.

    ¡°We¡¯ve never had to drive her out in the winter like this... I hope she starts...¡±

    The unfortunate reality of owning a classic muscle car is that they are not, and were never meant to be daily drivers. The drag strip is their natural habitat, not the shuffle of traffic. What few articles remain from the olden days are most often garage princesses, only brought out to stretch their legs precious few times a year¡ªand their owners know why. When forced out of their element, and into the role of a regular car, their many, many flaws are exposed. The Road Runner is a brilliant machine, but a terrible commuter: loud, bulky and impractical at every turn...

    And critically on this December morning, it absolutely despises the cold.

    Reina tries to calm herself down as she unlocks the cold metal door. It almost stings to the touch. Her commute has been an increasing struggle over these last few weeks: as the mercury drops, so too does the Road Runner¡¯s energy. It¡¯s not something the garage princesses ever have to worry about, all tucked in and hibernating for the winter...but the Road Runner doesn¡¯t have that luxury anymore.

    She eases the door shut behind her. The silence is deafening. This has become an unwelcome morning ritual.

    ¡°Alright, car...¡± Reina rests her hand on the wheel and takes a deep breath. ¡°I know you¡¯re cold, but you¡¯ve gotta wake up for me, okay? We can¡¯t be late today...¡±

    The cold start problem has been solved for decades. Modern cars come equipped with onboard computers that do the delicate deed of balancing the air and fuel mixture in the engine, compensating for the imbalance caused by cold temperatures. As long as the battery has enough power, the car does the rest for you.

    But the Road Runner is an unsophisticated beast. The frigid engine needs lots of gas, lots of compression and lots of power from the battery...and with no electronic aids to take the guesswork out of the equation, it falls to Reina to get the mixture just right.

    She pulls the choke out halfway and slots the key in the ignition. The fuel pump groggily hums to life, trying to break the silence. Reina eases her left foot onto the clutch pedal, and her right onto the throttle, giving the car four pumps of gas to encourage it to start. With her fingers crossed, she twists the key...

    ¡°Please start...¡±

    The starter begins to turn, slow and lethargic, struggling to wake up the groggy V8 after spending the weekend dormant. The engine groans. The headlights flicker. It wants to fire up, but it¡¯s cold and tired... There¡¯s too much air and not enough fuel. All the engine can do is whine and whine in vain as it struggles with the cold oil and the weak battery.

    ¡°You can do it, baby, come on...¡±

    Reina knows to be patient¡ªthe engine is out of its element. She gives the car a few more seconds to try and start, before letting go of the key and letting silence reclaim the garage. She must not have the mixture right.

    (Okay, little more gas...) She has to be careful with how much she pumps the throttle. Too much gas and she floods the engine¡ªtoo much fuel, not enough air. Clearing that flood is a lengthy procedure, and she knows all too well that time is money. Erring on the side of caution, she gives the gas pedal two more ginger pumps, settling down halfway on the gas.

    She turns the key again, her nervous breaths fogging up her glasses. She can feel the car struggling... It wants more power, but the battery has nothing more to give¡ªand all it has to show for its effort is a thin, wispy cloud of white seeping out the tailpipes. She can¡¯t smell unburned fuel, at least¡ªthe telltale sign of a flooded engine¡ªso she can only assume that the car needs yet more gas. It needs all the help it can get.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do this today, car. You have to start!¡±

    Once more, the hummingbird echoes throughout the garage. The falling flakes outside taunt her just beyond her reach, the open door beckoning for her to exit...but she can¡¯t.

    ¡°Come on, come on, come onnn...¡± Impatience starts to creep into her body, making its way down to her foot. She starts pumping the pedal while the engine weakly cranks, trying to give it the encouragement it needs. Her worn pants gently rustle against the leather of the seat, legs stretching as she gives the pedal all she can muster. The occasional surge rocks the engine, signs of life trying to emerge; she has to try and capitalize on that as much as she can.

    But not yet. This attempt has gone on too long, and the battery is starting to wane. She lets off the starter again, resting herself against the back of the cold bench seat. A heavy sigh escapes her lips.

    ¡°I¡¯ve really gotta get this thing tuned for winter. There¡¯s gotta be something I can do...¡±

    For now, though, all she can do is try and try again. She gives the engine yet more pumps of gas, her old shoe creaking as it presses against the pedal. After pulling out even more choke, she twists the key again. All the lights on the dash go dark, the battery siphoning all power from the rest of the car to try and keep the starter going.

    ¡°Come on, baby...¡± She¡¯d settle for a sputter, even¡ªanything to get some combustion, some heat in the engine bay. She can feel the energy draining from the car, the headlights getting dimmer, the starter turning slower...

    But mercifully, her wish is granted in the nick of time: one of the cylinders finally manages to fire. The brief pop rattles the exhaust and shoots soot out onto the floor of the garage. A sad, weak display...but all the same, it¡¯s progress.

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s it, you can do it!¡± She pulls out the choke a little more. She does not want too much choke¡ªshe made that mistake one cold morning last week, and the result was a dead battery. With ginger steps, she pumps more and more gas into the waiting engine...

    *RRRrrrRRRrrrrRRR-PUTT! PUTT!*

    ¡°She¡¯s trying. She¡¯s really trying...¡± She¡¯s almost got the mixture down. The Road Runner tries desperately to start, intermittent surges and splutters jittering the whole car. The starter whines in peaks and valleys, the cylinders in a tug of war with the waning battery. Cold white smoke wafts from the exhaust, the tension palpable in the air.

    Reina pulls out the choke just a little bit more. The engine responds with an immediate misfire, prompting her to let go of the key and try to rev the 611. Alas, all she gets is that one brief sign of life before the engine falls silent again. A common tease.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting closer. She wants to go...¡± Her next twist of the key confirms that. The car immediately begins to buck and misfire, prompting her to pump even faster.

    ...But this turns out to be a mistake. The smell of unburned fuel assaults her nose.

    ¡°Shoot, no no no!¡± She immediately pushes the choke partway back in to try and save the mixture, holding the throttle all the way down. She gets a brief sputter as a reward, but the engine falls back on the starter just as soon.

    It¡¯s getting harder and harder not to panic. She knows she¡¯s getting close, but it¡¯s such a delicate balance to strike... She¡¯s already late, but she has to salvage what time she can.

    ¡°This time, car. You¡¯ve gotta start for me...¡± She gives the key one more twist. The seconds of dry, fruitless cranking give her a sinking feeling, as if all her progress was undone by that close call...

    But then, another splutter. A brief surge. A tease that she just might get the car to start after all.

    ¡°Oh, almost, come on, come on!¡± A couple of the cylinders are awake now, trying to convince the rest to wake up from their malaise. The tailpipes tremble, the whole car jittering in place as those thousand-plus trapped horses beg to break free. She tries to pump in sync with the engine¡¯s staccato sputters, leaning in so close that her chest is almost touching the steering wheel.

    ¡°Pleeease...!¡±

    Finally, after a long, hard-fought struggle, she can feel the engine coming alive. She keeps the key held as the starter¡¯s cadence devolves into a chaotic, staticky rev...and then:

    *VVRR

    Reina lets out a yelp of relief, her hands covering her face as she reclines against the seat. She was about a minute or two away from having to call in sick for the day¡¯s lectures...and this is the very start of the cold season.

    ¡°That was too close... Don¡¯t scare me like that, car.¡±

    The Road Runner shivers as it tries to idle, cold smoke surrounding the car¡¯s tail. It feels so...weird. The Road Runner was always this almighty, invincible thing when she was growing up; now that she¡¯s trying to daily drive it, she¡¯s exposed a vulnerable side to it that she¡¯s never seen before. The sobering reality sets in: this is the concession she has to make if she wants to daily drive this car...if she wants to be the nail that sticks out.

    ¡°Geez... First I break my arms shoveling snow yesterday, and now I just had a leg workout too. This is tiring work...¡± The engine responds to her bellyaching with a brief surge before it settles back down into its usual low idle.

    ¡°...Well, I guess it¡¯s only fair. I¡¯m making you work hard too, after all.¡± She¡¯s still proud of the old thing for beating the elements...or some of them, at any rate. That was arguably the easy part: now that she has the engine started, she has to get to uni downtown through the snow and ice. It¡¯ll be a difficult journey, but one she can¡¯t avoid.

    Maybe some music would help. Reina turns on the CD player; the last disc she had in there, a vintage Steve Miller Band album, takes it from the top and tries to calm her down.

    ¡°Okay...let¡¯s go.¡± She wrenches the car into gear, making sure to push the choke back in so the car doesn¡¯t stall later down the line. After minutes upon minutes of doing battle with the engine, she¡¯s finally ready to start her commute.

    Whether it goes uphill or downhill from here, she has no idea.

    ***

    The sun finally peeks above the horizon in a doomed attempt to reclaim Sapporo. It does little to melt the snow, its rays too weak¡ªno, the morning commuters will not have the luxury of snow-free roads on their way to work. Predictably, it¡¯s mayhem out there.

    But before Reina can even think about diving into the jungle of traffic, she has to get out of the neighborhood first. She commands the shivering car out into the morning gloom, leaving tracks in the snow as it crosses the infested parking lot. Slow and steady, she reminds herself. Like you¡¯re driving on eggshells...

    Reina eventually meanders her way through the sea of white, and pokes the Road Runner¡¯s nose out onto the open road. They haven¡¯t plowed her side street yet, and while she did get the lot cleared yesterday, yet more powder has taken its place. All four tires stand inches deep in snow. Reina looks both ways; there¡¯s nobody coming.

    (Can I get some grip here...?) She feathers the throttle, trying to use the Road Runner¡¯s monstrous torque to its advantage...but as she feared, the old tires are a poor match for the powder plaguing the pavement. She bites her lip as she hears the wheels spinning, clumps of snow thrown clear behind the car.

    (No, of course not...)

    She¡¯ll have to get a running start at it. She grabs the shifter and orders the car to retreat, finding just enough grip the way it came. It¡¯s hard to tell whether the red on her cheeks is from the cold or from the embarrassment... It¡¯s something unpleasant, at any rate.

    ¡°Come on, car, it¡¯s just the driveway. We can do this.¡± She¡¯s impatient, but she can¡¯t be angry at the old car. She¡¯s the one forcing it where it doesn¡¯t belong.

    The Road Runner backs up into its own puffs of smoke, its taillights like red, angry eyes piercing through the fog. Reina feathers the throttle to find the sweet spot¡ªshe needs all the speed she can get with however much grip she has. She angles herself so she doesn¡¯t overshoot the road and plow into the earth beyond it. Now or never, she realizes... The road¡¯s not gonna just come to her.

    ¡°Okay, here we go...¡± She feels the car shudder, the tires spin. The snow doesn¡¯t want to let go of her, but eventually, the sheer horsepower wins out. This is the most frightening that twenty miles an hour has ever been.

    ¡°Wh-Whoa...!¡± She¡¯s on the road in seconds, but now she has to get the wheels pointed straight¡ªshe¡¯s drifting toward the edge of the road she feared. She wrenches the steering wheel to the right and feathers the gas; she doesn¡¯t dare touch the brake for fear of locking up. Her heart is racing, but time is standing still¡ªshe feels like she¡¯s stuck in limbo for an eternity before the car finally responds. In the nick of time, the Road Runner finds a faint hint of grip, throwing up a spray of snow in its wake. Reina lets slip a sigh of relief... She has made it about a hundred feet from the garage. Only miles and miles to go.

    ¡°At least we¡¯re moving now. That should make things easier¡ª¡°

    She spoke too soon. She caught the stop light right as it¡¯s about to turn red. Just as soon as she got going, she has to stop again¡ªand with the momentum she¡¯s built up, stopping a two-ton car is no easy task.

    ¡°Whoa! Easy, car, easy!¡± No ABS means she has to pump the brake in an awkward rhythm, or she risks locking up the tires and plowing right into the intersection. Knuckles white, she grips the wheel and grimaces as she tries to stop in time...

    ¡°Phew! Don¡¯t scare me like that, girl...¡±

    She has mere feet to spare. She¡¯s lucky no cars were coming yet, or that could¡¯ve given her a heart attack.

    The Road Runner, discombobulated, pops and grumbles as it waits for its turn. It¡¯s still idling higher than it should¡ªthe temperature is really getting to it. Reina pays close attention to it, making sure it doesn¡¯t conk itself out.

    The legions of cars lazily pass by... She wishes it were so easy. They barely have to worry about the snow at all, with their ABS and their EFI and their traction control... Winter is an afterthought for them. She has to plan out her every move in advance: as the traffic dies down, and Reina senses the light about to turn green, she shifts back into first and tries to crawl her way up to the intersection...

    But alarmingly, she can¡¯t find any grip here either. The light turns green, and she¡¯s going nowhere fast. Tick, tock, tick.

    ¡°Shoot, not here! Come on, come onnnn...!¡±

    The Road Runner slips and slides in place, trying in vain to make the turn. All that weight up front makes it all the harder for the rear tires to plant down in the snow, anchored by its own signature engine. She feels the Road Runner¡¯s sheer torque trying to free its hulking frame, inching forward only to fall back again. All that power and nowhere to go...

    ¡°We¡¯ve gotta get going, baby, please...!¡±

    She realizes this isn¡¯t working. She¡¯ll have to back up and try another running start. Thank God there¡¯s nobody behind her, or she¡¯d be completely stuck.

    Taking care not to feed the car too much gas, Reina eases the car backward as gently as she can. Unlike last time, the snow doesn¡¯t take kindly to her retreat whatsoever; she barely gets anywhere before the tires start slipping again. She doesn¡¯t have nearly enough space yet. The front wheels peek left and right, trying to find some grip elsewhere on the road, but all Reina gets for her effort is a spray of powder up along the sides of the car. She turns her head back in dread to find one of the rear tires buried in snow, suspended helplessly in its grip.

    Immediately she tries to correct the error, working first gear like a tightrope. The right-rear tire spins uselessly in place, throwing up snow in its attempts to break free; the aftermarket limited-slip works overtime to try and feed torque to the one good tire left. She can hear the supercharger whining, as if the car¡¯s voicing its displeasure. It aches, but she has to keep going.

    ¡°You¡¯re almost free, just move up a little more! Come on, you can do it...!¡± The one good tire screams for mercy, but after getting a massive shot of torque, it finally manages to dig into the powder and find some grip underneath. The whole car groans as it lurches clear of the rut¡ªand as an act of mercy, the light turns green just in time for her second approach.

    ¡°Thank you, goodbye, I¡¯m gone!¡± Reina is beyond relieved to bid that unpaved nightmare goodbye. Route 230 is still slippery, but it¡¯s paved and what snow remains is packed down right; she takes the intersection slow and steady, giving herself a wide berth to make the turn. To the other cars on the road, it¡¯s a bizarre, anachronistic sight... It¡¯s a sore thumb in this otherwise normal morning.

    But Reina doesn¡¯t have the energy to care about how ridiculous she looks. She just wants to get downtown and get this awful commute over with.

    (Add winter tires to the list of things this car needs...) The bills keep piling up. Properly winterizing this old thing won¡¯t come cheap...but there¡¯s no avoiding it this year. She¡¯ll have to pay the piper one of these days¡ªand the way it¡¯s looking, she¡¯ll have to do it sooner rather than later.

    *sigh*

    Time keeps on slippin¡¯, slippin¡¯, slippin¡¯, into the future...

    ***

    The morning rush is in full swing. Cars aplenty criss-cross the spider¡¯s web of roads stretching all over Sapporo and beyond. The shops are about to open; work starts at the top of the hour; the early bird university classes are already in session. Reina couldn¡¯t catch the commuters napping today¡ªshe¡¯s gotta wait in line just like them, the minutes rolling by like sheets of ice, flowing on the river.

    At least she¡¯s not shivering anymore. For all the Road Runner¡¯s lack of creature comforts, it¡¯s very good at making the cabin nice and toasty. It feels extra nice on a day like this.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Serves me right... I should¡¯ve given myself more time.¡± Reina taps her finger on the steering wheel, counting the songs on the CD while she waits for the glacial dance of traffic to let her through. She¡¯s missed her first class already; she¡¯ll have to try and flag down the professor to ask what she missed.

    She prides herself on punctuality¡ªperhaps inherited from her mother. This stings.

    Eventually, the river to her right and the mountain to her left both fade into the background, rows and rows of buildings taking their place. She passes by the train station on her way... Packed today, as usual. Few are in the mood to risk the snowy roads today, preferring the comfort of public transport. Reina has to admit, if all those commuters were out on the roads instead, the traffic would be far worse than it already is.

    One more traffic light commands her to a halt. She grips the wheel just a little bit tighter as she pulses the brake, knowing how quickly things can get out of control. Mercifully, her tires find grip on the compacted snow and salt. It still drains her, knowing she has to do this pretty much every time... Her commute is a chore, but it¡¯s never been a challenge like this.

    ¡°Not much longer to go... I might still be able to get there in time for my nine o¡¯clock.¡±

    She catches a glimpse of the fuel needle. It sits just above one quarter. She should have enough to get there and back today, but she tries to ease the engine¡¯s complaints with some gentle reassurance.

    ¡°I know, baby, I know... I¡¯ll get you some gas after class today, alright?¡±

    There¡¯s a flashy Subaru lined up beside her. The contract is almost comical: the tiny, unassuming hatchback is such a better fit for the conditions that it could leave her giant machine in the powder. When the light turns green, it goes gallivanting through the intersection, while Reina is left to slowly feather her way back up to speed. Slow and steady, she reminds herself.

    ¡°At least it¡¯s always nice and comfy in here.¡± The bench seat may be hideously dangerous, but damned if it isn¡¯t comfortable. She¡¯s actually tempted to turn the heat down, despite the frigid flakes falling around her. For whatever reason, the heater just feels extra...hot today. Maybe it¡¯s the contrast with the cold snap?

    ¡°...Wait. Hold on, something¡¯s weird...¡±

    She feels the Road Runner hesitating as she applies throttle¡ªand it¡¯s not the tires slipping; the engine itself seems to have lost some of its jump. The car¡¯s warmed up now, and she remembered to push the choke back in. Reina quickly scans the gauges on the dash, her eyes wide with confusion...

    ¡°What the?!¡±

    The temperature gauge immediately screams at her. It¡¯s trudging up into the red zone, and fast. The Road Runner isn¡¯t just warmed up; it¡¯s overheating.

    ¡°Crap, I gotta stop, I gotta stop!¡±

    Immediately the traffic morphs into a cage. She needs to find a gap in the bars to break free¡ªand with the engine starting to protest, she doesn¡¯t have much time to get to safety. Her eyes frantically dart all over the road, hazard lights flashing as she scrambles to find a place to pull over and park out of harm¡¯s way. She puts the heater on full blast to buy her more time. Every second is precious.

    ¡°Come on, come on, come onnnn...!¡± She finds a sign for a parking lot ahead, and tries to navigate through the gridlock into the leftmost lane. She grimaces as she¡¯s forced to cut off an errant car to get there. The blinkers will have to do as her apology.

    Snow crunches beneath the tires as she finally pulls off the road. She can¡¯t see the lines for the parking spaces, and she doesn¡¯t care¡ªshe¡¯s in too much of a hurry. She pulls forward and shuts the car off the second she¡¯s in the spot.

    Exhausted, Reina slumps against the back of the seat, her whole body deflating. She¡¯s at a loss for words¡ªwhat was supposed to be a normal commute has turned into a mess.

    ¡°What on earth happened to you...?¡±

    The hood pops open, and Reina steps out into the frigid morning air, her coat doing little to dispel the cold. Flakes dance around her. The engine greets her with a cringe-inducing sizzle, faint wisps of smoke escaping from under the hood.

    ¡°Oh... Ohhhhh, dear.¡±

    For better or worse, she immediately finds the culprit: the upper radiator hose has a crack smack dab in the middle. Pressurized coolant spews from the open slit, foiling the engine¡¯s cooling system; it¡¯s a good thing she managed to get stopped when she did, or the hose might not be the only thing broken. The Road Runner is incapacitated until she fixes it.

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s a blown hose...¡± Reina mulls over her options. None are particularly good.

    ¡°...Shhhhhit.¡±

    All this driving in cold weather recently must have worn out the hoses. They can get brittle and crack when they cycle between hot and cold like that¡ªand she was putting them through that twice a day, at least. She didn¡¯t think they needed to be replaced all that soon...but they chose to remind her in the most dramatic way possible.

    So now what?

    ¡°Okay, is there anything I can...¡± Reina tries to find something to catch the ongoing leak so it doesn¡¯t drip onto the ground any further. The snow beneath the car is already being dyed a sickly shade of green.

    Thankfully, there¡¯s a box by the back seat¡ªa part she picked up from a supplier downtown for a repair last week. It¡¯ll have to do for now.

    She manages to slide the box underneath the car, catching the dripping coolant; she scoops up the contaminated snow for good measure. Thankfully, it doesn¡¯t look like any of it leaked onto the pavement below. Her relief only lasts for a moment, however... She needs to figure out where to go from here.

    *sigh* ¡°Well...I might as well just call in sick to school at this point. I¡¯ve gotta try and get her back to the shop. I can¡¯t just leave her here...¡±

    She¡¯s never seen the Road Runner like this before. She tried to ride as long as she could, tried to bring it with her into the future...and it just couldn¡¯t do it. She can¡¯t fit a square peg into a round hole. 40 years of baggage weigh it down at every turn¡ªand now it¡¯s all her burden to bear.

    It reminds her of the decision she has to make. Father Time¡¯s patience has run out.

    ¡°...Calm down, Reina. We¡¯ll get through this. One day at a time... I can get this fixed.¡±

    She has an idea for a quick, temporary fix. She doesn¡¯t have any of the necessary parts in the trunk, but there¡¯s an auto parts store a few blocks up the road. They should have the things she needs to make the fix¡ªand that will hopefully hold up long enough to get her back to the shop. That¡¯s the most she can do right now... Just roll with the punches, and if they knock her down, she has to find a way back up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit, okay?¡± She looks back with a dejected frown as she makes for the store.

    ¡°Just hang in there...¡±

    ***

    The brief walk to the store seems to stretch on for eternity. Every block, every street, every plodding step, Reina is hounded by the elements. They try to convince her that it¡¯s just not worth it anymore. Leave the past behind, they whisper in her ear... You wouldn¡¯t have to do all this if you weren¡¯t so weighed down. Let this be the first breath of a new era¡ªand the last gasp of the old.

    ...But Reina doesn¡¯t stop. For lack of anything better to do, she soldiers on.

    She eventually finds the auto store, having just opened for the day. She¡¯s been here plenty of times for picking up basic parts on the cheap... She¡¯s never been here like this before.

    ¡°Should be toward the back...¡±

    She needs two things for her emergency fix: an insulator to patch up the leak, and a supply of coolant to refill the radiator. She knows exactly what to get on both counts¡ªhose leaks are best patched with self-fusing silicone tape, and the radiator takes old-school antifreeze. She¡¯s beyond relieved to find both of them in stock.

    Without delay, she snatches the parts off the shelves and ponies up the cash. She doesn¡¯t want to be in here any longer than she has to be¡ªthe clock is ticking, and she¡¯s already conspicuous enough by default. She can feel their eyes following her out the door.

    The stranded Road Runner watches the other cars go by. It¡¯s a fish out of water¡ªand out of coolant. It draws the occasional stare, an amused hum from passersby...but that¡¯s all it is. It comes and goes like it was never there. All it can do is wait for its owner...

    ¡°Geez, this thing is cold...¡± And at last, she arrives. The can of antifreeze stings to the touch. She¡¯s glad to finally put it down for a second, along with the roll of tape. Time to go to work.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see how we¡¯re doing. I hope I didn¡¯t lose too much, at least...¡± She pops open the hood, but before she dives into the engine bay, she checks the underside of the stricken car. Naturally the cardboard box is sopping wet, but it¡¯s not letting any of the coolant through to the ground below, so thankfully, she doesn¡¯t have to replace it. She can leave it there while she works with the cracked hose. And on that note...

    ¡°Oof. Yeah, this thing is really worn out.¡± Radiator hoses aren¡¯t supposed to crunch like that. She can¡¯t remember how old this set of hoses is, but either age or temperature has taken its toll on it¡ªit¡¯s soft and brittle to the touch. Coolant still drips from the crack, but the engine is at least cold enough now that she can work on it safely.

    First, the tape. Reina dries off the hose as best she can, and then gets to work wrapping the leak in an obscene amount of tape. They call it Rescue Tape for a reason: it¡¯s exactly what the car doctor ordered. After tense minutes of wrapping and cutting, the leak finally seems to stop; she can see a few specks of green still dripping from other parts the coolant splashed on, but the source of the outbreak is contained, for now.

    ¡°Hopefully that¡¯ll get me back home...¡± Next comes topping off the radiator to make up for the coolant lost. You¡¯re supposed to flush the whole system whenever you change the coolant, but that¡¯s not the most feasible job in the world when you¡¯re stranded in a parking lot away from your tools. All she can do is add the antifreeze to whatever¡¯s still left in there, filling the radiator up to the neck and closing the cap shut.

    It¡¯ll have to work.

    ¡°That¡¯s about as good as I¡¯ll get it.¡± Reina surveys her handiwork. It¡¯s not that she lacks the confidence; she just knows how important the job is. Coolant is serious business¡ªand a botched radiator job can spell disaster.

    The wind is picking up. She¡¯s running out of time. Not wanting to inundate the engine bay with snow, she lowers the hood shut and leaves the rest in the Road Runner¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Okay...¡± Reina tries to calm herself as she climbs inside. She pumps twice and holds it halfway down¡ªthe usual.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, car... Can you start back up for me? I just need to get back home for today.¡±

    She slots the key in the ignition, and gives it a nervous twist. The Road Runner slowly responds, trying to recapture the heat it needs to fire back up for her. The engine pants and sputters, still exhausted from its overheated workout.

    ¡°Please, please, pleeeease...¡± Reina can feel the engine struggling to start again... Reina hopes that it¡¯s just cold and not damaged. She gives the car one more pump of gas to try and help it along, pulling the choke out ever so slightly. With that little nudge, the car finally corrals itself and grumbles to life.

    *sigh* ¡°Oh, thank God...¡± Reina lets the engine idle so it can try and thaw itself out. She pops the hood and briefly takes a look inside amidst a lull in the snow, giving the hose one more check to make sure it hasn¡¯t started leaking again... Mercifully, the tape is holding up.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make this quick.¡± Contented, she hops back inside. ¡°Just hold on a little longer for me, okay...?¡±

    At last, the Road Runner moves again. Reina watches the temperature needle like a hawk as she joins the flock of traffic, keeping the heat on full blast and babying the throttle as much as she can. At the very least, traffic going out of the city isn¡¯t nearly as cramped as traffic going in¡ªshe¡¯s one of the few cars retreating in the morning rush.

    She feels even more like a stranger when she goes against the grain¡ªnow everybody has to look at her as she drives by on the opposite side. Instead of feeling invisible, though, she feels like everybody can see through the Road Runner¡¯s facade now... She just has to hope it¡¯ll hold out a few miles more.

    One more traffic light stops Reina before the packed commercial drag will let her leave. She takes the chance to check the car¡¯s temperature...

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s right where it should be.¡± She doesn¡¯t feel the engine hesitating or sputtering either. The immediate symptoms have been treated...but she still doesn¡¯t trust the car to handle the commutes ahead. Driving with a mended radiator hose is generally not a good idea¡ªcracks breed cracks, and any fault in the hose gives the driver mere minutes to react. It pains her to admit, but the best course of action would be to sideline the Road Runner and order a replacement part. It¡¯s just not worth the risk.

    Yet another expense piling up on her back. The old car drags her down, a blessing and a burden in one.

    It at least has enough strength left to get her back home. Route 230 whisks her away from the morning rush and into the familiar suburbs, the mountain watching over her as it always does. Clouds veil its upper half in gray... The top is somewhere up there, but she can¡¯t see it anymore.

    ¡°Oh...¡± She lets out a wry chuckle as she returns to find her side road plowed. ¡°Well, at least I won¡¯t get stuck over there again.¡±

    And finally, after an exhausting morning commute, Reina returns the Road Runner home. She makes the final turn into the big, empty lot, and opens the garage door to allow the old beast inside. She gave it her all out there, as did the Road Runner...but it just wasn¡¯t meant to be today. They slink into the shop defeated.

    ¡°Hm...?¡± Uncle Naoto is heading up the midday shift by his lonesome. He cocks his head at the sight of Reina trundling back in; the company will be nice, at least.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? Did they end up closing for the day or something?¡±

    ¡°No...¡± Reina shuts the door, making for the front of the car. ¡°She blew a radiator hose. I got it patched up, but she¡¯s gonna be out of commission for a while.¡±

    ¡°Oh... Yeah, shit, that¡¯s...not great.¡±

    Naoto pauses work on the big sedan he¡¯s got on the lift, and walks over to inspect the damage. He actually appreciates the excuse to take a break¡ªtoo long working on obtuse modern cars can make him a tad cranky.

    ¡°Yeap, I don¡¯t blame you for that. Looks like she was leaking pretty good.¡± If the crack is close to the edge of the hose, you can try cutting it and refitting the hose, but he sees now that Reina didn¡¯t have that option. This was the most she could do.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like anything else is hurt, though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, once I taped it up and put new coolant in, she sounded okay. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any damage to the engine. Just a really close call...¡±

    ¡°You go up to the Autobacs or something?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I was close enough to walk.¡±

    ¡°Good call. Would¡¯ve been a bit risky trying to get back here dry.¡±

    (Man, poor girl though, walking in the snow like that...)

    Naoto puts his hands to his hips and lets out a contemplative sigh. He has to agree with her assessment: driving with this fix is just asking for more trouble.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go ahead and order a replacement. Hopefully it doesn¡¯t take too long to ship...¡±

    ¡°What¡¯ll you do in the meantime?¡±

    Reina sighs. Perhaps the time has finally come to bite the bullet.

    ¡°...I guess I¡¯ll just have to take the train for a while.¡±

    Her saving grace; her nemesis. The train runs all day, every day, rain, shine or snow. It¡¯s the perfect tool for commuters like her... It takes away all the guesswork, the responsibility of being out there on the roads.

    She¡¯s in no position to refuse. She has to just swallow her pride. This is the only way she¡¯s going to pull herself back up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to take it back into town later, anyway. I talked to one of my professors¡ªshe said I can make up a test I missed today. I¡¯ll head up there and get that done once I clean up the coolant all over the place.¡±

    ¡°You sure...? Maybe there¡¯s somebody you can carpool with or something.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anybody off the top of my head...¡± She never did find it easy fitting in. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t cost me too much if I get a monthly pass or something.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha...¡± He sighs. She¡¯s got it all figured out for today, but beyond that, she¡¯s got an uphill battle ahead of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure something out. You¡¯re a smart cookie.¡±

    ¡°Yeah...¡±

    Naoto wishes there were more he could do. He wishes Reina didn¡¯t hold herself accountable for his brother¡¯s misdeeds. It¡¯s not a fair way of looking at it.

    ¡°Well, tell you what: I¡¯ll cover you for tomorrow. You do what you gotta do, okay?¡±

    ¡°O-Oh... Are you sure? You don¡¯t have to do that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. I¡¯ll be here a while anyway¡ªgot a Nissan over there with a CVT trying to go. Shocker, I know.¡±

    Reina responds with a faint chuckle. ¡°We should just become a Nissan dealership, then we¡¯d be rich.¡±

    He smiles. At least she¡¯s still chipper enough to joke with him, just like old times.

    At any rate, he knows she can trust her with the Road Runner¡¯s repairs¡ªif anybody knows that car inside and out, it¡¯s her and her mom. He just has to do his part to help her along and lift her up as she navigates these confusing straits... Maybe some day, when she¡¯s built up the confidence she needs, she¡¯ll be the one to right his brother¡¯s wrongs.

    But that¡¯s a long ways away. For now, he¡¯s got a finicky transmission to service¡ªand she has a sick Road Runner to tend to.

    Time trundles on like molasses, the snow slowly piling up in the parking lot. Reina cleans the engine as best she can, working through all the nooks and crannies that the coolant soiled. Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing more she can do for today... They don¡¯t make the exact parts for this car in Japan, being a 40 year-old American relic. She¡¯s had to order them online, and it¡¯ll be at least a week or two before they arrive. That means, for the time being, the Road Runner will sit helplessly in the shop while it awaits its hose transfusion.

    The guilt gnaws at her... She tried to push it out of its comfort zone, and in the process, she broke it.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    She¡¯s briefly startled by Uncle Naoto¡¯s hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up, okay?¡±

    ¡°I...¡±

    ¡°These things just happen. It¡¯s not your fault or anyone else¡¯s. You got dealt a bad hand, that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re making it work as best you can.¡±

    She isn¡¯t sure how Naoto was able to sense her thinking about that, but she appreciates it nonetheless. It¡¯s just...

    (Is that all I can do...?)

    ¡°Time heals all wounds. Once that new hose gets here, the old girl will be right as rain.¡±

    She nods, trying to let his words comfort her.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m done for today anyway... I¡¯ve gotta get back to uni and get that test done.¡±

    ¡°You got this, Reina. We believe in ya.¡±

    ¡°Thank you...¡±

    With that, Reina leaves the shop behind for today. Naoto will close in her stead¡ªand the Road Runner will rest and recover. Hard to say how long it¡¯ll be before it actually roams the roads again... Something had to give, and that was what let go first.

    And yet, she gets back up to face it all again.

    ***

    After a fierce battle, the sun finally retreats from its daily campaign, unable to pierce the gray shield looming over Sapporo. The muted monochrome sky fades to black, and the city lights flicker on to fill the void left behind. The evening rush clogs the streets all over town, bumpers staring daggers at each other as they wait in line for freedom.

    And in the midst of it all, Reina¡¯s day is done at last. She steps back out into the evening chill, leaving Hokkaido University¡¯s engineering building for the night. She won¡¯t be joining the gridlock on the streets, though... Instead, she retreats underground, where the future beckons with an electric hum. Ready or not, it glides on the tracks to meet her.

    The subway epitomizes Japan¡¯s commitment to efficiency and structure. Invisible on the downtown streets, yet it cuts through the city center like a knife. Where the cars above are locked in their holding pattern, the train rushes effortlessly from station to station. You can always count on it, rain or shine, to get you where you need to go.

    This is the world Japan has built¡ªthe world everyone knows. Yet Reina has never felt like she truly belongs here.

    It¡¯s sterilized. It¡¯s soulless. But she has to respect it for what it is: for the vast majority of people, transportation is only a problem to be solved, a box to check in their daily routine. It¡¯s not lifeblood like it is for her. The trains run on time and without incident, their efficiency unmatched across the world¡ªand without that, a flood of steel beasts would drown the concrete jungle each and every day. The future needs trains more than it does cars; small wonder, then, that Aikawa Auto is in decline.

    But be that as it may, it¡¯s not the real reason why she dislikes riding the train.

    (Just find a seat and keep to yourself...) Whisper quiet. It¡¯s only polite.

    She finds an open seat, and tries her best to disappear into it. All around her are salarymen, students, shoppers...the typical crop of Japanese society. She doesn¡¯t fit in among them. Her hair, her skin, her body all defy the order¡ªand they always take notice. Their eyes train on her like cameras; some curious, some confused, some laced with a subtle scorn. ¡°Ganguro¡± comes to mind, a fashion trend viewed by some as flippant and vain¡ªdiscarding the Japanese spirit to chase gaudy Western aesthetics. But what is Reina to make of it? Japan is all she¡¯s known, but Japan doesn¡¯t know her.

    The Road Runner, perhaps through its sheer brutishness, helps her feel better about herself. It doesn¡¯t care what other people think about it; it doesn¡¯t care to fit in. It is a titanic, ten-litre terror that takes cues from no one. Ironically, Reina fits right in behind the wheel of the beast¡ªit exudes such confidence that it emboldens her to embrace herself.

    But, being a nail that stuck out, the Road Runner got hammered down. Now Reina is next. She finds herself with an ultimatum from the future: you try to swim against the tide, to stick out among the crowd, and you won¡¯t have it easy. Are you ready to make that choice?

    Or will the future have to decide for you?

    (...No. I can¡¯t let this get to me.)

    The past still means too much to her. Her family still means too much to her. To dilute the soul of the company¡ªin the vein of her father¡ªwould be tantamount to spitting on her family¡¯s legacy. She sees only a dead-end in that future. There has to be some way to translate their spirit into the future without tearing it apart. Some way to preserve the values that made them who they are...

    But how?

    (I just...don¡¯t know yet.)

    (I have to figure it out soon... I can¡¯t wait any longer.)

    The train breaches its concrete corridor and glides among the night sky. Snow tops the buildings like a blanket, the darkness overhead covered in a veil of faintly-gleaming gray. Somewhere up there in the night sky are the lofty ambitions of the auto company¡ªher dreams from brighter days. Aikawa Auto once burned like the brightest star in Sapporo... Somehow, some way, she has to recapture that light.

    It¡¯s just hard to aim for the stars when all she sees above are clouds.

    (...So where do I start?)

    A flickering flame still burns within her. A passion for all things cars; a deep respect for her family; a desire to make them proud. Those form the core of who she is.

    She must kindle that flame so that it may forge her path forward. She needs a vision, an idea, a solution for the company¡¯s problems¡ªand the confidence to see herself through. That is what she lacks, compared to her mother and grandmother...and if she wants to live up to their examples, she¡¯ll need to find the strength they held.

    The strength to stick out.

    The cold greets Reina once more as she exits the train, her breath floating on the wind. She looks up and sees the myriad clouds staring back down at her. They will part in time, as they always do...and once they unveil the sky above, she¡¯ll need to be ready to seize that opportunity, and shoot for the stars once more.

    And if the clouds refuse to lift, she¡¯ll have to find a way to punch right through them.

    (I have to start somewhere. I don¡¯t know how yet... I don¡¯t know anything yet. But I have to try. That¡¯s the only thing I can do.)

    Reina steels herself, and starts the last leg of her journey home. Past and future are about to collide...and somewhere in between, the future of Aikawa Auto will be born.

 5. The Crossroad

    Callous though the season may seem, winter is not without mercy. As the calendar inches closer and closer to the new year, and the schools release their students for a well-earned break, the holiday spirit emerges from the ice and offers a reprieve to the weary folk of Hokkaido. The festive lights offer some welcome color to contrast the depressing grays; families far and wide await the chance to come together after a long, long year. Sapporo even has a German-themed Christmas market courtesy of its sister city, Munich. It all makes the snow just a little bit brighter, the wind a little bit warmer. The magic in the air is enough to melt even the coldest of hearts.

    For a certain rising star from Obihiro, though, this winter break gives her pause...

    (Where do I go from here...?)

    Yuzu Tachikawa¡¯s mind is a maelstrom. The winter break has her in limbo¡ªan uncertain waiting room between past and future. She and her family are in town to visit family and hit the slopes¡ªthey¡¯ve always enjoyed skiing together. But she finds it hard to relax... She¡¯s caught in her own quandary: chase the future at any cost, or play the long game and let it all come to her?

    ¡°You¡¯re still hung up on all that?¡± Her father wishes she¡¯d stop worrying so much, but then, he has no room to talk. She is her father¡¯s daughter.

    ¡°Sorry, just... Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Well, I know it¡¯s easier said than done, but try to take your mind off of it, sweetie. It¡¯s your vacation! You don¡¯t have to be all business, all the time.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know.¡± She tries to reassure her parents, without much success. Her eyes eventually drift back toward the window, the Sapporo scenery rushing past them.

    If she were to go to college, Hokkaido University would be the safe option¡ªcheap, close to home and offering strong programs in the major of her choice. But is that the right call? Getting bogged down in university work may distract her from her budding racing career, especially come spring time. Her dominating performance over the past year has inked her a contract on the next step of the ladder; now, every decision becomes that much more important. If she hits her stride on the track, what need does she have for a degree?

    But then, should she really be putting all her eggs in one basket like that? There¡¯s just too much to consider...

    (Hmmm...) She envies those people who have it all figured out¡ªthey¡¯ve set their trajectory and they¡¯re ready to shoot for the stars. Yuzu feels like every second she spends paralyzed by indecision is ground she loses in her endless pursuit of the cutting edge. She knows she has the ability to do what she wants to do; it¡¯s just making up her mind.

    Her thoughts wander back to that oddball track worker she met, actually... That Aikawa girl. For all the uncertainty about her company and her future, she sounded like she knew perfectly well what she wanted to do with her life. She had a legacy to inherit, and she wanted to make good on it... That¡¯s an admirable thing. She disagrees with the Aikawa Auto way¡ªfeels a bit disillusioned with her childhood hero, even¡ªbut she wishes she had that kind of clarity herself. It¡¯d make her a lot less anxious, for certain.

    (...Come to think of it, isn¡¯t she from around here?)

    They say never meet your heroes. Visiting that shop is a risk...but she hasn¡¯t been able to take her mind off that chance encounter as of late. Perhaps it¡¯s just her nostalgia getting the better of her, but she wants to cross that off her bucket list now that she¡¯s in town. Hell, maybe Sami can offer her a fresh perspective on her dilemma.

    ¡°Actually, um...¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You know Reina? Sami Aikawa¡¯s daughter? She drove me back from¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ohhh, right! What about her?¡±

    ¡°I think they have their auto shop somewhere around here, so I was thinking maybe we could go visit? If that¡¯s alright with you.¡±

    A moment of initiative. Those don¡¯t come by all that often; Yuzu¡¯s parents are happy to indulge her.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see why not. Do you know where it is?¡±

    ¡°Lemme look it up...¡±

    Yuzu whips out her phone and gets to typing. She remembers the ¡°Speed Shop¡± part of their branding, so...

    ¡°Okay, I think this is it... Yeah. Aikawa Speed Shop. Looks like they¡¯re all the way down in the Minami Ward.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not too far.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of time anyway. Just tell me where to turn!¡±

    Their spur-of-the-moment detour points them away from the downtown exchange, darting across the outskirts of the city as they approach from the east. They cross the river, cold and silent in winter¡¯s grasp, and journey into the slumbering Minami Ward.

    Already, the sun begins to set on Sapporo. The solstice brings yet more snow in its wake, coating Mount Moiwa and all its brethren in a tall layer of white. The slopes won¡¯t be left wanting for powder, that much is certain.

    Yuzu can¡¯t really explain to herself why she made that choice. She isn¡¯t sure why her heart is pounding in her chest either¡ªcould be excitement, could be nerves... Could be any number of things. A younger her would be ecstatic, but instead, trepidation lingers in her breaths. She feels like she¡¯s about to lift the curtain on all her childhood memories for good, and find out who Sami...Aikawa really is.

    ¡°It says...take a right just before the bridge, and it¡¯s the first building on the left.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    The sprawling wilderness reclaims the landscape before them. It seems almost illogical for the auto shop to be hidden away out here in suburbia... She was expecting the building to be right in the thick of it. The more she learns about this shop, the less it all makes sense.

    But perhaps she¡¯ll get a better grasp of the picture once she¡¯s finally there.

    ¡°Here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    At last, Aikawa Speed Shop comes into view. A sore thumb in suburbia; a holdover from a bygone era, trying to resist the river of time. Perhaps this is what she should¡¯ve been expecting¡ªit looks exactly like the Road Runner does. Proud, but faded.

    ¡°Well, this is a neat-lookin¡¯ place...¡± Her father tries to look on the bright side of things: it¡¯s not every day you see something old-school like this. It takes him back to when he lived in Sapporo himself.

    Nostalgia¡¯s a powerful thing.

    The Tachikawas find a place to park¡ªnot a difficult endeavor in the big, empty lot¡ªand step out into the December air. Yuzu shuffles her way out of the back seat, almost like she¡¯s leaving her comfort zone. The front doors beckon to them like a gateway back through time...a door to another world. With nothing left to do but walk on in, Yuzu takes a deep breath and steps inside...

    *DING!*

    That tacky little chime always startles new customers.

    ¡°Just a minute!¡± A voice yells from the garage to tide them over. They don¡¯t see nor hear anyone else in the building... It¡¯s just the three of them in the lobby. This piece of motoring history lies before them, preserved in all its former glory.

    ¡°Huh... I tell you what, this is pretty neat.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not what I was expecting at all...¡±

    What strikes them off the bat is how...strange this place is. Like some kind of time capsule. As with the exterior, the lobby invokes an era lost to history¡ªit looks like it hasn¡¯t been renovated in decades. Whether it¡¯s nostalgia that preserves this place or some other unseen force, Yuzu isn¡¯t too sure...but whatever it is, she¡¯s never seen anything like it before. It¡¯s just not from her time.

    Before Yuzu can take it all in, though, the side door flies open. The shop¡¯s sole attendant makes her entrance.

    ¡°Sorry about that, I had to wrap up a job real quick. What can I do for you three?¡±

    ¡°O-Oh! Umm...¡±

    Yuzu was not prepared for Sami herself to be the one working the shop today. Her calm smile and striking features leave the young racer starstruck¡ªjust like when she took her place atop the podium at Tokachi all those years ago. Whatever script she had in her head has gone completely off the rails, almost freezing her in place.

    Luckily, her father is there to break the ice. As a fan of hers himself, he¡¯s just as excited to meet his favorite endurance legend.

    ¡°Oh, are you Sami Aikawa?¡±

    ¡°Yup! That would be me!¡±

    ¡°Toru Tachikawa. Big fan of yours!¡± Mr. Tachikawa extends his hand.

    ¡°Tachi... Ohhhh!¡± Sami reciprocates. ¡°You must be Yuzu, then! Nice to finally put a face to the name.¡±

    ¡°N-Nice to meet you!¡±

    Yuzu is paralyzed in a state of limbo¡ªtoo nervous to talk to her hero, but so bursting with excitement that she could talk ¡®til the sun goes down. She knows she needs to break the ice herself, though... She takes a deep breath, trying to keep the nerves at bay, and looks up at Sami with a childlike whimsy in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m a really big fan... You¡¯re the whole reason I got into racing. I¡¯m really happy I get to meet you in person...!¡±

    ¡°Me too! I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, and for good reason: you really tore up Tokachi this year. I can tell you¡¯re going places!¡±

    (AAAAAH!)

    ¡°Th-Thank you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted a chance to talk to you for a while now myself. It¡¯s always nice to see girls like you making waves in the racing scene¡ªthat¡¯s the sorta stuff that really keeps me going.¡±

    ¡°No kidding! I remember when Yuzu was a little kid, she was just starting to get into racing. She saw you on the TV and thought you were just the coolest thing ever! Next thing I knew, she was asking for posters of you for her birthday.¡±

    ¡°D-Dad...!¡±

    ¡°Aww, haha! I¡¯m flattered.¡±

    ¡°Incidentally, is that your trophy case over there?¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡±

    Yuzu¡¯s eyes wander behind Sami to the glass case beside the front desk. Trophies and plaques of every shape and size adorn those dusty shelves¡ªfrom Sami¡¯s racing wins to the company¡¯s own accolades from days gone by.

    ¡°We¡¯ve built up a nice collection over the years. The ones up top are from my Tokachi wins!¡±

    ¡°Oh wow...!¡±

    It feels surreal to see these for herself. She only saw one of her Tokachi wins in person, and she was but a distant bystander, watching on from within the crowd. Now that trophy sits proudly in front of her...and though time has dulled its shine, it still speaks loud and clear to her.

    That does lead the group to the rather obvious elephant in the room, though: what is Aikawa Auto, really? Sami¡¯s racing days only make up a small part of the greater whole... What is it that drives this company and family?

    ¡°I never even knew you had a shop like this until Reina told me about it...¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the family business never had much to do with my career at Tokachi. Just different market sectors, really.¡±

    ¡°I was wondering about that. You focus on classic stuff here...?¡±

    ¡°Well, not necessarily classics...¡± Sami lets slip a faint chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s more that we were around back when the ¡®classics¡¯ were new¡ªand we jumped on that bandwagon like you wouldn¡¯t believe.¡±

    ¡°You see all those pictures back there?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s our whole family history¡ªour own little wall of fame.¡±

    The pictures on the walls tell stories without words, weaving a tale between generations of maniacal motorheads. The tapestry of the Aikawa family, laid bare for her to see. Yuzu can tell how much the family legacy means to Sami... Like her daughter, it had a profound impact on who she grew up to be.

    ¡°That one photo up there...¡± Sami points Yuzu toward a forlorn photo on the corner of the wall, taken over 60 years ago. ¡°Those were my parents. That¡¯s where it all began.¡±

    The colors are faded, the details fuzzy...but she can just make out two figures in the center: a well-built Japanese man, and a young woman beside her with a bold grin and a glint in her eye. She doesn¡¯t look Japanese at all.

    That would be Sami¡¯s mother: Clara Jennings. Born in American Samoa, she had an insatiable appetite for anything and everything mechanical. Come World War II, she would take her skills to the United States Navy to serve as a Seabee¡ªalbeit as Clarence instead. Her gender wasn¡¯t much of a secret¡ªnor the fact that she wasn¡¯t even an adult¡ªbut she earned her keep with irreplaceable skill and sharpness working on the many machines of the war effort.

    ¡°Clarence¡± could not escape her judgment, however: while on a post-war assignment in Okinawa, helping to rebuild the war-torn island, she was dishonorably discharged for forging her identity. Given the choice to return home, however, she stayed in Okinawa instead¡ªshe was so struck with guilt by the state of the island that she vowed to help rebuild in any way she could, even without the Navy¡¯s blessing.

    For years, she made a meager living on the fringes of the razed city, living out of a surplus Willys MB and scrounging together whatever food she could find. She was all on her own: to the Japanese, she was just another imperialistic Yankee, and to the Americans, she was a loon with stolen valor. But though she had lost her honor, her never-say-no spirit still burned within¡ªand that caught the attention of a local contractor named Isamu Aikawa...

    They didn¡¯t understand each other at first¡ªhe had no idea how to pronounce her name when he got her application for work on a construction project. But when she rolled up in that jalopy with a palpable hunger for work, he knew he couldn¡¯t turn her down.

    As it turned out, they were a perfect match for each other with their open minds and can-do attitudes. One small picture on the wall depicts a crudely-drawn sketch of some sort of building¡ªthey would communicate to each other in pictures before they could speak each other¡¯s language. Slowly but surely, Clara and Isamu pulled themselves up and staked out new lives for themselves...and in the process, a more profound relationship had grown between them.

    ¡°So your mom was...¡±

    ¡°Yup. She always stuck out like that¡ªI think I owe a lot of my stubbornness to her.¡± She guffaws. ¡°She always marched to the beat of her own drum. I really admired that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the mechanic she was, but...I like to think I made her proud.¡±

    The next big photo was taken at their wedding in 1950, right here in Sapporo. Clara and Isamu had to fight for the respect of each other¡¯s families, but in the end, love won them over. Yuzu¡¯s intrigued to see just how closely Sami resembles her mother... Looking at the photo, she can barely even tell the difference.

    And then there¡¯s the shop; it looks barely any different on its opening day in 1957 than it does now. Clara could have put herself to work at any of the emerging Japanese car companies, but she was never one to fit the mold¡ªshe only answered to herself and her husband. They returned to Hokkaido to be closer to Isamu¡¯s family; shortly thereafter, they would buy a little plot of land on the river and lay the seeds of their legacy. He would build the company brick by brick, and she would put her engineering doctrine into practice. On May 7<sup>th</sup>, the Aikawa Auto Company was born.

    The pictures roll on into the 60s, by which Aikawa Auto had carved out a niche as one of Japan¡¯s premiere performance shops. Word of Clara¡¯s unabashed charisma and mechanical mastery spread like wildfire, her cars faster than speeding bullets. Not even the birth of her daughter could slow her down. Gearheads, tuners and racers from all corners of the country flocked to the speed shop for their automotive needs¡ªand though Americans and their cars may have been out of their element across the pond, Clara reveled in her audacity. Her engines spoke for her¡ªand they were loud.

    ¡°Huh. So that¡¯s why...¡±

    ¡°Talk about a blast from the past. I remember my pop had one of those big ol¡¯ things!¡±

    ¡°They do leave an impression, don¡¯t they?¡±

    Muscle cars were always Clara¡¯s favorite¡ªthose American beasts that solved every problem with more and more power. Though NASCAR Nippon died with a whimper, and Fuji Speedway failed in its quest to become Japan¡¯s Daytona, muscle cars found their home in the underground street racing scene, where horsepower was king and its subjects lived a quarter-mile at a time. Aikawa powerplants became invaluable commodities, and Clara¡¯s genius could turn any lumbering car into a highway star.

    The heyday of the street racers, combined with Clara¡¯s relentless drive for perfection, brought about Aikawa Auto¡¯s golden age. In this photo, dated 1985, a tarp covers a conspicuous project car, with her miming a ¡°Shhh¡± to the camera¡ªthe project was conducted in secret to avoid the prying eyes of environmental agencies. She called them ¡°the killjoys.¡±

    Her 1970 Plymouth Road Runner, once her brand-new daily driver, became her test bed. Among the upgrades: a supercharged 10-litre V8, the peak of her new engine platform; a fully reconfigured transmission; new brakes, suspension and steering; and a whole host of other tweaks and upgrades. The Road Runner ceased to be a cartoon caricature, and was reborn as a monster.

    And with its reign of terror came the new queen of the streets: Sami Aikawa. Yuzu is stunned to see all these pictures of the young dynamo from her street racing days, well before she took to Tokachi. Sami in her prime was a forced to be reckoned with¡ªthe rumors went that she would tour the Aikawa Road Runner at closed circuits by day and street clubs at night. Those racers she met in her glory days made for some of the company¡¯s most loyal customers; some of them still call her the Yankee, with her Ten-Litre Terror the enduring icon of the shop.

    But street racing was not to last¡ªand after she had her only child with playboy businessman Daigo Kageyama, she knew she couldn¡¯t go risking life and limb on the highways anymore. Come the 90s, Sami would take her skills off the street and onto the circuit...and thus began her inspiring stint at Tokachi.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Yuzu¡¯s eyes widen, taking in the memories she was too young to make; her father dons a nostalgic smile. Though she was already in her 30s, age had yet to slow Sami down¡ªshe was the class of the field throughout the 90s, cementing her legacy as the Queen of Tokachi. Curiously, she never moved on to higher leagues, despite her success; she was always a hot topic in the offseason news, but she never made the jump. She wanted to keep the time she had with her family¡ªparticularly to raise her own little rising star.

    Speaking of Reina, Yuzu can see her in a couple of these photos¡ªwith cameras becoming more commonplace, Sami was eager to capture those moments. She¡¯s in the paddock, she¡¯s driving go-karts, she¡¯s celebrating with her mom on the podium... Family always meant a lot to Sami, perhaps more than anything else in the world. There¡¯s even a picture of Reina wearing a helmet entirely too big for her...because it¡¯s meant for the smiling NASCAR driver next to her. That was from their exhibition race at Suzuka in 1997, where Sami would suit up and finish 10<sup>th</sup> among the league¡¯s brightest stars.

    Her final victory at Tokachi was the sweetest catharsis. The picture captures her on the podium, tired and haggard from the grueling race, letting out a visceral victory yell as the champagne and confetti shower her. She would go down as the ultimate track specialist; though she only ever attempted one full-time season in Super Endurance, she was synonymous with the Tokachi 24 Hours from its beginning to its end.

    Yuzu¡¯s eyes find the final photo: a family shot at Tokachi, the sun setting on her victory. Sami, Reina, Daigo, Clara and Isamu, all smiles in the evening light.

    ...That¡¯s the final photo on the wall. It¡¯s been just about a decade now. Sami lets a faint sigh slip from her nose¡ªit really did feel like that was the turning point in all this. Clara and Isamu would pass on of old age a few years after that photo...

    And then there was Daigo. A bold businessman, but a poor husband. It was Reina who unraveled his grand charade, in a cruel twist... She discovered that he was funneling company funds into startup investments across the marketplace...and, among other things, buying himself ¡°nights out¡± at local hostess clubs. The 2008 recession brought his scheme crashing down, and the family with it¡ªSami was utterly inconsolable. The memories of the divorce still sting...to say nothing of how Reina felt. In the blink of an eye, her loving papa was gone.

    Perhaps their decline was inevitable. Honshu was always the place to be, not Sapporo¡ªand their following was never more than just a niche. She raced to further their name, to evolve the company in her own way...but circuit racing just never gave her what she wanted. It was too half-hearted a departure from the company¡¯s DNA¡ªif she wanted to commit to it, then Aikawa Auto should have followed her. But she tried to balance both worlds, and she paid the price in time. She could not be both Aikawa and Kageyama.

    What was once a happy memory for her, that final picture on the wall, now torments her with thoughts of what could have been.

    ¡°I had no idea about all this...¡±

    ¡°Well, haha... I never did a very good job advertising it back in the day. While I was out at Tokachi, the shop was just humming along like it always did, doing its own thing.¡±

    ¡°They wanted to stick with what they knew?¡±

    (This girl asks good questions.)

    ¡°...Something like that, yeah.¡± A resigned smile creeps along her face.

    ¡°This has always been my home¡ªmy family. It just didn¡¯t feel right to go changing it all on a whim.¡±

    ¡°I see...¡±

    (That sounds kinda like me, actually...)

    Now Yuzu is the one torn between two paths. Perhaps, more than any racing advice, that¡¯s the insight she wants from Sami.

    ¡°I kinda had a question along those lines, if you don¡¯t mind...¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    ¡°So, I signed a contract to start racing in Formula 4 next year. I¡¯m gonna be graduating from high school too...so I¡¯ve been thinking about university.¡±

    ¡°Mhm... Kinda sounds like what Reina¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I just don¡¯t know which route to take.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve got what it takes to make it in formula, or at least somewhere in racing. It¡¯s just what I¡¯m good at. I¡¯ve never really been a bad student either, so I think I can handle university...but I don¡¯t know which is the right move.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to university just for formula to pass me by...or vice versa. If racing doesn¡¯t work out, I don¡¯t wanna have to catch up on university work for years and years. If I do both...well, I might be spreading myself too thin.¡±

    ¡°I just... I don¡¯t want to get left behind, if that makes sense.¡±

    Sami nods. It¡¯s a lot for a young girl to consider. Racing¡¯s a sink or swim enterprise¡ªif you don¡¯t hit the ground running, you¡¯re already in the dust. Sami feels like Yuzu¡¯s close to her answer, though...perhaps in the same way that Reina is.

    ¡°Well... I think your question is less about what the right choice is, and more about what you want.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°With Reina...¡± Sami almost gets a little choked up thinking about how hard her daughter is working. ¡°She¡¯s doing what she¡¯s doing because she¡¯s working toward a goal. She¡¯ll have the keys to this place one day, and she wants to do her best to prepare for that.¡±

    ¡°She could¡¯ve skipped uni and gone straight into running the place, but she felt that uni would help her learn the skills she needed. Get her closer to that goal, y¡¯know?¡±

    (Maybe that was the right choice after all...)

    ¡°So my question to you is: where do you see yourself in the future, and what do you need to do between now and then to make that goal a reality?¡±

    ¡°Mmm...¡±

    Perhaps it¡¯s simpler than she was making it out to be in her head.

    ¡°The way I see it, racing is what you really wanna do. You¡¯re dead-set on that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah...¡±

    ¡°So university shouldn¡¯t be an alternative; it should be a supplement. How does it help your racing career?¡±

    ¡°I... Hmm... Yeah, when you phrase it like that, I don¡¯t really know.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s your thing there.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re both good options, but if you only have your heart in one and not the other, then you¡¯re bound to run into some snags.¡±

    ¡°Whatever choice you make, you need to commit yourself to it¡ªwhether that¡¯s racing, university or even both. You need to be certain of yourself, and certain of your path forward. Does that make sense?¡±

    ¡°...Yeah.¡±

    The thought of forgoing college outright still seems...wrong to her. It¡¯s what she¡¯s been told to do throughout her life as a student. That¡¯s how this all works: you go to university, you get your degree, and you put that degree to use in the real world. To take a detour from the beaten path, to eschew that tried and true tradition... Is that really something she should be doing?

    She just doesn¡¯t know yet...though she doesn¡¯t have to.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to have the answer right away. You¡¯re still young, you¡¯ve got time.¡±

    ¡°Mhm... I¡¯ll think it over some more.¡±

    Her mother interjects. ¡°Well, whatever you decide to do, we¡¯ll be behind you every step of the way.¡±

    ¡°Thanks...¡±

    She¡¯s never really gone her own way like that before. Even in the racing world, her junior career has been regimented to a fault¡ªdo this, do that, go here at this time. It¡¯s what everybody else is doing. She¡¯s happy to follow along, but whether she¡¯s gotten too comfortable or too complacent in the routine, the idea of breaking from it unnerves her.

    There¡¯s a part of her that admires Sami and the auto shop, forlorn though they are, for having the audacity to buck the trend. She questioned Reina for her outlandish fixations, but when faced with the current of society pushing her down the river, she¡¯s realized that it takes an awful lot of strength to stand up and swim against it.

    And speaking of her...

    *DING!*

    ¡°Phew! Finally... I thought I was never gonna make it back.¡±

    The heiress apparent brushes off the snow clinging to her worn old jacket. She swore to herself that she¡¯d never take the Road Runner out in the snow again, but all those walks to and from the train station in the biting cold are really making her reconsider. Oh, to have her daily-driver back...

    ¡°Wait...¡± Before she can get down to business, though, she cocks her head at the guests in the lobby.

    ¡°Wha¡ª Yuzu!¡±

    ¡°Reina?¡±

    A serendipitous meeting. Reina was wondering who that car parked outside was, and now she has her answer¡ªthough had she known they were coming, she would¡¯ve gotten started on the Road Runner earlier. Now she has to explain this box she¡¯s brought with her.

    ¡°So you gave them a little tour, huh, Mom?¡±

    ¡°Yup! Pretty good segue, actually¡ªI just finished giving them the whole spiel about the front desk and the wall of fame.¡±

    ¡°Are you working today too?¡±

    (After school, at that? Man, she¡¯s a workaholic.)

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m working on our Road Runner. I¡¯ve got a new part for it here¡ªjust need to get in and install it.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Maybe Reina can give her a little insight too... There are worse ways she could spend her time¡ªand she doesn¡¯t have anywhere to be anyway.

    ¡°...Mind if I watch?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh...well, normally we don¡¯t allow people coming into the garage while we¡¯re working. What do you think though, Mom?¡±

    ¡°O-Oh, no, it¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to break the rules for me!¡±

    ¡°Mmmm...¡± Sami puts on her thinking cap.

    ¡°...Well, she hasn¡¯t killed herself out on the track yet, so meh! She can handle herself.¡±

    Sami turns to her parents. ¡°You two won¡¯t sue us if she stubs her toe, will you?¡±

    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t thinking about it until you mentioned it...¡±

    ¡°Oh, you!¡± She playfully ribs him.

    ¡°We¡¯ll treat her right, don¡¯t worry!¡± For safety¡¯s sake, though, Yuzu¡¯s parents oblige Reina¡¯s request to keep clear of the garage. Part two of the Aikawa Auto tour is for Yuzu¡¯s eyes only.

    The door slowly opens, and the garage sprawls out before her. This was where all the magic happened¡ªwhere cars new and old, big and small were transformed into speed demons under Clara¡¯s watchful eye. It¡¯s been years since any project car came rolling in, though... One of Daigo¡¯s best business decisions was having them take on general mechanic work for the neighborhood cars. It¡¯s kept them afloat, at the cost of their soul.

    So, the only remnant from the olden days sits right in the middle of the garage: the Road Runner, patiently awaiting a transplant. It¡¯s been out of action for two weeks now...but that ends today.

    ¡°Okay, put that over there...¡± Reina swiftly goes to work, getting all her parts and tools in order before she dives into the engine bay. There¡¯s another car on the lift that Sami¡¯s working on right now, so Reina will have to make do on the ground. She prefers to use that lift, whenever she gets the chance¡ªfitting underneath a car with her...speed bumps is easier said than done.

    ¡°So what¡¯s going on with the car?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m replacing the radiator hose. It got pretty worn out, so I¡¯m gonna put the new one in, flush the coolant system, and that should be all I need.¡±

    She watches with a curious tilt to her head. Yuzu doesn¡¯t know all that much about how cars and engines actually work¡ªshe just drives them. All those parts, seals, bearings, wires, all smashed under the hood and forced to work together... She admits it¡¯s pretty daunting to her. Just this little glimpse into Reina¡¯s world is enough to make her head spin.

    ¡°Okay, there¡¯s the old pipe out.¡± It nearly crumples in her hand. Now that she gets a closer look at it, it¡¯s somewhat of a miracle it lasted as long as it did¡ªand that her emergency fix held up long enough to get her home.

    ¡°Poor thing was hanging on by a thread.¡±

    ¡°You really know the car inside and out...¡±

    ¡°Heehee. Yeah, this was pretty much the first car I ever worked on. My grandma taught me most of what I know, just combing over the car when I was a kid.¡±

    It¡¯s evident to Yuzu just from watching that Reina knows her stuff. Years of studying under her family at the shop have conditioned her well¡ªand though Reina calls herself a pale imitation of her grandmother, Yuzu feels like she¡¯s not telling the full story. It takes a lot of practice to get where she is...and she¡¯s putting that training to use in her own stubborn way. She has a goal on her mind... She doesn¡¯t know how she¡¯ll reach that goal, but she¡¯s doing what she can anyway.

    Is she still stuck in the past, then? Now Yuzu¡¯s not so sure...

    ¡°Rngh... Almost...got it. There.¡± Working in tight quarters does Reina no favors, but with effort, she gets the coolant release unscrewed so her hasty helping of antifreeze can finally drain. She¡¯s relieved to have that suboptimal mix outta there at last¡ªher baby deserves only the best.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    ¡°So is it just draining for now?¡±

    ¡°Mhm. Once the old coolant is out, you add distilled water and a chemical flush to remove any traces that might still be in the pipes.¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡± Reina makes it all sound like a walk in the park¡ªwhich makes sense, given her upbringing. She could probably do this in her sleep.

    ¡°Wow. I...blinked and you were done.¡±

    ¡°Heehee! That¡¯s the nice thing about these old cars. They¡¯re so dead simple, you¡¯re in and out in minutes.¡±

    Yuzu shoots a quick glance at the other car in a lot: an unassuming sedan Sami is working on. She¡¯s been at it for a while over there...

    (Guess that¡¯s the future for you.)

    ¡°Now to fill it up...¡± Reina retrieves the spent coolant from underneath the car, and plugs the coolant release back in. In go the water and the chemical flush next, and once those work their way through the system, it¡¯ll be ready for the antifreeze at last.

    ¡°Oooo-kay! That¡¯s that.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°Next, we start her up and let her swish it for a bit.¡±

    The garage door opens, flakes gently falling just beyond the shop floor. The cold is scary for the old Road Runner, but the shop is well-heated; winter¡¯s grasp can¡¯t reach it here during the day.

    Reina feels a faint knot in her stomach as she reaches for the Road Runner¡¯s key. It¡¯s been just about two weeks since the car last ran¡ªand though the shop has it at a comfortable temperature, it may nonetheless be grumpy. Reina takes a deep breath and hopes the car can pull through in front of the crowd. She really can¡¯t afford any further embarrassment.

    ¡°Alright...¡± Reina slides her way in, the bench seat creaking beneath her. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say¡ªand two weeks away from her car has only made her want to drive it more. She gives it plenty of pumps to get the gas moving through the carb, and pulls out the choke just a bit for good measure.

    ¡°You should be feeling better now. Let¡¯s get you started, okay?¡±

    The Road Runner shudders, as if awakening from a long, long dream. The starter turns over spiritedly, the battery shaking off its cobwebs. She can feel the engine trying¡ªit wants to start for her. After a few seconds of labored whinnying, the titanic V8 starts to kick and surge, hinting at signs of life.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, come onnnn...!¡±

    She has the mixture just right this time; now the engine just needs to work up enough strength to ignite it. One little sputter rocks the car, then a second...and finally, with a roar, the engine growls to life. The Road Runner lives!

    ¡°There we go!¡±

    Hearing that V8 hum right along borders on therapeutic. Even Sami pauses her work on the other car in the shop and takes a minute to watch along. Now that the car¡¯s running (and thirstily gulping down the water,) Reina tops off the reservoir and shuts the hood at last.

    ¡°Now that it¡¯s running, I¡¯m gonna take it for a quick little drive so that the flush can work its way through the system.¡±

    ¡°Where are you gonna drive?¡±

    (Good question.)

    ¡°Hmmm... Usually I just take it around the neighborhood. You don¡¯t need to drive all that long for the chemical flush to do its job.¡±

    ¡°...Actually, you said you were in town visiting family, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re at a hotel by the university.¡± A 20-minute drive, given the traffic and weather conditions. That¡¯s more than enough time for the system to clean itself out.

    ¡°I could just drive you up there then, if you want. I don¡¯t have anywhere else to be!¡±

    ¡°Oh, um... Well, sure, that sounds okay. Thank you!¡±

    (Maybe I can talk to her a little longer on the way...)

    Her parents are happy to excuse themselves after Yuzu fills them in¡ªthey exit the lobby and retreat to their own set of wheels. It¡¯s slightly less efficient this way, but they feel it¡¯s more than worth it to let Yuzu grow her new friendship like this.

    And perhaps a little heart-to-heart with Reina will bring her closer to her answer.

    ¡°You heading out?¡±

    ¡°Yup! Gonna take Yuzu over to the hotel they¡¯re staying at.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the tour, you two.¡± Yuzu bows with respect. ¡°I¡¯m glad I came here...and I¡¯m so happy I got to meet you in person!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it! I¡¯m always happy to talk to a fan... Oh, that reminds me, before you go.¡±

    Sami scurries back into the lobby, returning moments later with a hat in her hand. She¡¯s still got some of those lying around from her Tokachi days¡ªand this one has her signature proudly plastered on the brim.

    ¡°O-Oh...!¡±

    ¡°Better late than never, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Th-Thank you! Thank you so much!¡±

    For just a moment, the stress and indecision fade from Yuzu¡¯s mind, and in its place blooms an excitement she hasn¡¯t felt in years¡ªlike being a kid at Tokachi again. The shop may be faded, her hero retired...but she¡¯s still got a little bit of magic left to share with her, in the form of a priceless little hat. It¡¯s going straight in her room when she gets back home.

    Never meet your heroes, they say...but she¡¯s relieved to know this was worth it after all.

    ***

    With the roads plowed and the cold tempered, the Road Runner manages to hold its own this time against the scourge of the elements. The temperature gauge sits right where it¡¯s supposed to, the chemical flush doing its job and the water keeping the engine at bay in the meantime. Reina¡¯s relieved beyond words that the car is finally back in business... Those two weeks of hopping trains and buses were more of a test than she let on.

    ¡°It¡¯s right off the main road.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    The evening rush has finally calmed down for the day¡ªand with it, the sun has taken its leave. The festive downtown lights are more than happy to take its place as Sapporo lies in wait for the coming holiday. Yuzu and Reina both appreciate the break...but all the same, they both have questions aplenty on their minds.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to learn about all the history when I visited... I had no idea what kind of place your shop actually is.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... It really doesn¡¯t have much to do with Mom¡¯s racing career. It¡¯s just...always been that way, really.¡±

    ¡°Mmm...¡±

    Reina hearkens back to the conversation they had last month. The question she couldn¡¯t answer. She still doesn¡¯t know how to negotiate the rocky road ahead of her...but she at least has a better understanding of why she walks in the first place. For now, maybe that¡¯ll be enough.

    ¡°...I can¡¯t deny what you said back then. It¡¯d be a lot easier to just get with the times.¡±

    ¡°We could go all-in on general mechanic work...or maybe we could be a parts supplier for an automaker. And we¡¯d probably be better off than we are now.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s something stopping you?¡±

    ¡°I mean, well...look at me.¡±

    Yuzu sees a storm of emotions in Reina¡¯s violet eyes. She sees a woman who¡¯s had to grapple with her identity from the day she was born... She sees a rebel by nature.

    ¡°I will always stick out, wherever I go. Just like my mom, and just like my grandma. But they chose to embrace that part of themselves... They did things their own way, no matter what anyone said. The company sticks out because they stuck out.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s why I look up to them so much¡ªwhy I care so much about their legacy. The shop helps me feel more comfortable in my own skin... It¡¯s my element, I guess.¡±

    Yuzu nods¡ªit¡¯s an angle she¡¯s never had to consider. She¡¯s never had any reason to break this mold she¡¯s grown into... But Reina is different. She¡¯s always been different. Whether she swims against the current or lets it carry her on its path, Reina will always be defined by her past and her heritage.

    It gives Yuzu pause. She¡¯s always chasing the future because she has no past to fall upon. She has the luxury to choose her own legacy.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re holding on to all this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah... It¡¯s who I am.¡±

    ¡°If I throw that all away... Not only would that be disrespectful to all the work my mom and grandma did, but...what is that saying about myself?¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    She wondered why Reina refused to let go...and now she has her answer.

    ¡°I want to be able to stand up on my own two feet one day... I want to be like my mom and my grandma. If I¡¯m always going to stick out, then I want to stick out on my own terms.¡±

    ¡°And I think taking over the shop, and bringing their legacy into the future, is the best way for me to do that.¡±

    When Reina puts it that way, Yuzu feels like her own path in life has been easy by comparison. All she¡¯s had to do is follow the line and climb the ladder... Reina, by contrast, walks alone on an uncertain path, working toward a goal she doesn¡¯t yet understand.

    But all the same, just walking that path takes a conviction she admires. She knows what she wants to do...even if doing it may be a very difficult thing.

    ¡°So...what do you plan to do with the shop, then?¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t know yet.¡± Reina¡¯s eyes droop. ¡°But somehow, some way, I¡¯ve gotta make it work.¡±

    ¡°All I can do for now is just keep on walking. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m getting any closer to my answer or not, but I have to at least try.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s gotta be some way... I just have to find it.¡±

    ¡°...I hope you do.¡±

    Alas, that¡¯s all the time the streets will allow them. The hotel creeps into view on the left, where the Tachikawas¡¯ car is already parked and waiting for them. In addition to visiting family, they¡¯ll be taking in the sights and sounds of Sapporo¡ªthey¡¯ve got a ski trip planned for Christmas Day tomorrow, and they already know which shrine they¡¯ll be visiting for the new year¡¯s hatsumode. Perhaps that will help Yuzu finally relax a little bit... Perhaps once she has some time to think and some time to decompress, she can take the reins with a renewed confidence next year.

    And call it naive, but she hopes Reina can too.

    ¡°Thanks for dropping me off. And...thanks for the talk.¡±

    ¡°Oh, not a problem. Hope you have a good vacation and a happy new year!¡±

    ¡°Yeah... You too.¡±

    Yuzu returns to the real world at last. She waves Reina goodbye as the Road Runner thunders off into the night, echoing off the buildings before finally fading from her ears. Her parents are waiting for her inside...but she takes a brief moment to stand out in the cold and share the night with her thoughts.

    The crossroad has come and gone. Reina has chosen her path, rocky though it may be; whether or not she¡¯ll find what she seeks at the end of it, only time will tell. Now, it¡¯s Yuzu¡¯s turn to make her decision¡ªto find the conviction her friend showed to her. Whether her future lies in racing, in university or in both, Yuzu will need to put her best foot forward and start walking. The new year is coming... May it bear fruit for them both.

    ¡°Good luck out there, Reina.¡±

 6. To Take That First Step

    The night is dark. The air is cold. The fog has yet to clear from Reina¡¯s weary eyes. Another early morning, though not by her choice¡ªher mind lost hold of her dreams, and all her tossing and turning couldn¡¯t get them back. Instead, she shakes off the morning rust and begins her Christmas day alone.

    Perhaps it¡¯s best for her to think of Christmas as just another normal day going forward. When she was growing up, she always looked forward to it¡ªthe family¡¯s American roots meant she believed in Santa Claus as a kid, and she usually got presents to keep the wool pulled over her eyes. She had no idea back then just how fragile her family really was.

    The first Christmas without her dad stung... Now, she just feels numb more than anything. She still has things to do and places to be, like any other working day at the shop. Aikawa Auto opens late today, as they traditionally do on Christmas...though there¡¯s not really a reason for that anymore. If anything, she wouldn¡¯t mind heading down to the shop just to have something to do.

    But first, a bite to eat.

    ¡°Got plenty of rice, at least... I¡¯ll heat up a bowl.¡± Credit where it¡¯s due, the stuff¡¯s cheap.

    Reina takes the chance to do her morning stretches while waiting for her breakfast to cook. She doesn¡¯t get as much exercise as she¡¯d like¡ªit¡¯s hard to find the time and energy for it in the midst of all her work.

    That and she¡¯s already carrying two weights around all day anyway. Her aching back is all too eager to remind her.

    With nothing left to do, she slumps onto her seat at the table and waits for her food...

    *BRRRRING!*

    ...Until she¡¯s nearly startled right out of her shirt.

    ¡°Whuh¡ª?!¡±

    Her heart skips a beat or three before she recognizes the disturbance to be the phone. She hastily gets up and makes for the little nook where it¡¯s hidden.

    ¡°Who the hell¡¯s calling at 7 AM...?¡±

    No caller ID on this landline¡ªshe¡¯s completely in the dark. Nonetheless, she picks up the phone and answers anyway, curiosity mixed with confusion as she brings it to her ear...

    ¡°Mornin¡¯! Sorry to bother ya. This is Mr. Shimizu.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    The ski resort manager up by Mount Moiwa. She remembers finally getting the distributor cap replaced on his Suzuki a few weeks ago. Hopefully he¡¯s not calling about something else on that old kei truck...

    ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡±

    ¡°Well, not me, but yes. Y¡¯see, I¡¯m friends with the guy who runs this ski center up in Teine.¡±

    ¡°Mhm?¡±

    ¡°We were talkin¡¯, and he¡¯s sayin¡¯ their main lift has a problem. It was workin¡¯ right yesterday, but they tried to switch it on this morning and it was givin¡¯ ¡®em trouble. They got a backup generator, but that¡¯s not workin¡¯ either!¡±

    ¡°I see...¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s lookin¡¯ for a guy who can come up and try to get their generator online so they can at least run the lift for the day. But he¡¯s callin¡¯ and callin¡¯, and everybody¡¯s either booked into next year or they¡¯re closed! He can¡¯t find anybody, and they¡¯re supposed to open at 9!¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m thinkin¡¯... You know, what about Reina? That sounds like a job for her!¡±

    (Is that so...?)

    ¡°I do have experience working with generators, actually. You said it was over in the Teine ward, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He said if they can get the backup diesel goin¡¯, then that¡¯ll literally save the day.¡±

    This has to be a contender for the strangest Christmas present she¡¯s ever gotten. Reina¡¯s eyes alight with intrigue¡ªelectric motors are out of her wheelhouse, but a diesel generator? Those are effectively car engines, just without the car. If ever there were a chance for her to prove herself, this may very well be it.

    ¡°I hate to be like this, but how much is he offering?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s desperate. If you get up there and get it fixed, I think he¡¯ll give a king¡¯s ransom. Without that lift, they can¡¯t open for the day at all; they need a hero!¡±

    Is this the first step? A golden opportunity lies in wait. A chance to buoy Aikawa Auto¡¯s short-term future, and give her the breathing room she needs to start thinking bigger. If she can pull this off, it may finally put the wind back in her sails.

    It won¡¯t be easy. The ski resort rests atop the mountains, veiled in a cloak of white. It¡¯s a long, long road to climb...but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. She just needs to put her best foot forward, and start walking.

    ¡°Alright. Tell him I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll get over there as soon as I can!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a lifesaver, Reina! Talk to you later!¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡±

    And just like that, everything changes. This may be the spark that reignites the flame. Adrenaline pumps through Reina¡¯s body as she hastily gathers her belongings and prepares to sortie for the shop.

    ¡°Who was that...?¡± Turns out the phone call woke up Sami as well. She comes trundling down the stairs still in her nightwear, struggling to keep her eyes open.

    ¡°That was Mr. Shimizu. He knows a guy who runs a different ski resort, and they need somebody to fix one of their lifts, so I¡¯m heading out!¡±

    ¡°...O-Oh!¡± Sami struggles to keep up with Reina, who¡¯s positively racing. She¡¯s got a job to do, and she doesn¡¯t want to waste another second.

    ¡°There¡¯s rice cooking over there, but I gotta get to the resort ASAP, so you can have it.¡±

    ¡°I... Alright! But¡ª¡°

    ¡°And I was gonna handle the shop today, but would you be okay covering me?¡±

    ¡°Well, sure, I can. Just be careful!¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Reina double-checks her pockets, zips up her coat and makes for the door.

    ¡°See you later! Merry Christmas!¡±

    Sami barely even has the time to wave her goodbye before the door creaks shut. Reina¡¯s silhouette steadily fades into the darkness down the street, leaving her alone with the house, the day shift and a waiting bowl of rice.

    ¡°...Heh heh.¡± Sami smiles and shakes her head. ¡°Ahhh, that girl.¡±

    She really is her grandmother¡¯s grandkid. When the chips are down and there¡¯s only one way forward, Reina hits the ground running with a sprint in her step and a glint in her eye.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s gonna be just fine.¡±

    ***

    The clouds watch from above as Reina makes for the shop. While the rest of the neighborhood enjoys their sleepy morning, Reina braves the snow and biting cold, her heart burning too hot for winter¡¯s grip to contain. The mercury is cruel today, but Reina knows she cannot fail. She must¡ªshe will find a way to get this job done.

    Her breaths hover in the air, her well-worn shoes pressing tracks in the powder. In this liminal space between moon and sun, only the streetlights are left to light her way¡ªbut they give her more than enough to work with. She knows the way to the shop by heart.

    By the time she reaches the shop, she¡¯s nearly expelled the cold from her body outright. Now all that¡¯s left is to get the Road Runner warmed up... Her heart skips a beat, but she resolves herself. The Road Runner may be frozen, left forlorn in the shop¡¯s confines...but she¡¯ll find a way to thaw it out and ignite that power hibernating within.

    ¡°Okay! Easy does it.¡± Reina has a habit of punching in the garage code wrong when she¡¯s all hyped up. She makes sure to take it slow and steady this time. The garage door takes it slow and steady this morning as well, the motor shivering as it lugs the gate upward. She¡¯s met with the Road Runner inside, dormant and cold to the touch. It needs her...

    And she will rise to the occasion.

    Reina wastes no time packing her tools in the trunk, then slotting the key into the door, unlocking the old car with a metallic clunk. It hasn¡¯t been long since she finally got it repaired¡ªand she wasn¡¯t expecting to have to drive so soon after her test run the night before. She¡¯ll be bringing it out of its element once again...but perhaps out of necessity, being backed up against the wall, she convinces herself this time will be different. The Road Runner is not some antique to be coddled... When push comes to shove, the car was built to be driven.

    She just has to get it started first.

    ¡°Okay, car... It¡¯s cold out there, but I know you can start for me. You¡¯ve got this.¡±

    Reina pushes in the clutch, pulls out the choke as far as it¡¯ll go and gives the throttle an assertive set of pumps. With the key in the ignition, she¡¯s ready to raise the grand beast from its slumber.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Her summons is met with a weak, plaintive shudder from the frozen machine, trying its hardest to obey her command. She knows how tough it is for the old engine, but she won¡¯t give up on it so easily. She delicately works the throttle, trying to get the mixture just right.

    ¡°Come on, baby... You can do it...¡± She can feel the tiniest surges pulsing from the engine, split-second sparks defying the cold. Every part of the car is fighting an uphill battle. It needs Reina to push it along as hard as she can, give it the help it so desperately needs. With measured pumps, she coaxes the car as best she can, her foot rolling over the throttle. Crumbs of snow cling to the pedal and dust the floor below as a reminder of what she¡¯s up against...but she refuses to yield.

    ¡°Okay... That was a good try.¡± Not too long, or she risks killing the battery. She has to keep her cool, ironic though it may seem. Too hasty and she¡¯ll just trip over herself.

    ¡°Couple more pumps...¡±

    The linkage squeaks beneath her feet, before the rest of the car drowns it out. Once more, that signature hummingbird starter echoes throughout the garage, straining and struggling with every turn. The headlights dim, and the dashboard with it¡ªjust turning the frozen V8 takes all of the battery¡¯s power. The engine demands more gas, more power from the fuel pump, but the tiny little part struggles to keep up. It needs Reina¡¯s help.

    ¡°She still needs more gas...¡± Reina pauses her attempt and lets the engine rest, giving the throttle even more pumps before trying again. She¡¯s already force-fed it enough gas to flood it five times over¡ªit¡¯s just that desperate for fuel when it¡¯s this cold out. It needs more energy than the air can give...but she has to make it work. She just has to.

    *RRRrrrrrRRrrrrRRrrr...*

    ¡°Come onnn...¡±

    She settles the throttle halfway down, trying to capitalize on any splutter that might emerge from the engine. Beneath her foot the throttle jitters, feeling the army of horses yearning to break free. The battery is waning, but the engine¡¯s trying so hard for her. It has to be close...

    *RRrrrrRRR-PUTT!*

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s it!¡± The engine inches closer and closer by the second, gasps of power escaping from the twin tailpipes. The cold, caged Road Runner still has a flicker of life left inside of it, and with every pump, Reina coaxes the car just that little bit more...

    *POP! RRRrrrRRRRMMM-POP!*

    Reina lets off the key, trying to rev the engine up to speed...but she comes up just short. The engine rattles for a split-second in its attempt to idle, before falling silent again. Reina doesn¡¯t have the time to be discouraged... Without hesitation, she reaches for the key and tries again.

    ¡°Almost... She wants to start.¡±

    Two more pumps of gas, then hold it halfway down. Push the choke in just a little bit for good measure. The starter struggles to get up to speed this time... It sounds like it has the wind knocked out of it. But slowly, surely, it tries to turn the behemoth engine again...

    ¡°Just a little more! Don¡¯t let me down!¡± Reina¡¯s persistence is rewarded with an immediate shudder, the engine finally getting warmer. Drifts of smoke rise from the exhaust. If she can just find a way to give it a little more encouragement...

    ¡°You¡¯re almost there, baby! Start!¡±

    Reina eases down on the throttle bit by bit, listening intently for the engine¡¯s response. Her coaxing is finally getting through: another hard splutter jolts the tach from 0 to 1, a few cylinders starting to fire in sync...

    ¡°Come on, come on, come onnnn!¡±

    Time stops as the engine tries to idle... Reina rolls her foot on the throttle, but she¡¯s not getting much of a response. The car is half-started¡ªclose, but no cigar. Unable to hold its shaky idle, the car falls silent once again...but Reina knows she¡¯s close. The mixture is almost right.

    ¡°Okay...¡± Undaunted, Reina takes a deep breath, and grips the key one more time.

    ¡°This is the one.¡±

    The instant she turns the key, she can feel the energy return to the Road Runner¡ªall her hard work and determination has finally paid off. With a monstrous roar, the frozen engine revs up and bursts to life, rattling the very walls of the garage. The tailpipes bellow with cold smoke as the car expels winter¡¯s curse, growling in triumph as the headlights power back on. Winter tried its hardest to contain the beast...but this time, winter failed. The Road Runner is back.

    ¡°YES! That¡¯s my girl!¡± Behind the wheel, Reina is all smiles. She pats the steering wheel, as if congratulating the old girl for a job well done. ¡°I knew you could do it.¡±

    She still isn¡¯t sure why she talks to the car as if it can respond to her. But it seemed to work today, so perhaps she shouldn¡¯t fix what isn¡¯t broken. Maybe the car appreciates it after all.

    Of course, this is only half the battle. Now that Reina¡¯s tamed the cold, she needs to tame its partner in crime: the snow. There¡¯s been no shortage of snow since the last time the plows came through¡ªand she can¡¯t afford to wait for their next round. Time is money.

    ¡°Time to go to work, car.¡± Reina wrenches the car into first, finally taking her left foot off the clutch. The engine feels cold, a bit sluggish, but a sluggish monster is still a monster. It rolls out of the parking lot and announces its return, its warcry echoing into the night. They can only go up from here... That¡¯s the only way you¡¯re gonna reach the stars.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this done.¡±

    ***

    It¡¯s strange to see a city of one million so quiet. The weather and the unofficial holiday prompt many to take the day off, letting nature run its course until the plows come through. Without the morning rush, downtown Sapporo is frozen in time, only the fluttering flakes left to disturb its slumber. The plume of white catches the echoes out of the air, leaving only silence in their place. There¡¯s a certain majesty to this frozen city¡ªit dazzles the eye like a snow globe, preserved in all its beauty for Reina alone to see.

    The city will eventually thaw with the rising sun, and the Christmas fervor will flood into the streets, as it always does...but for now, Reina enjoys this mystical little snapshot of her hometown. Not every day you catch a whole city napping, after all.

    ¡°So far, so good. Winter¡¯s not so tough, huh, old girl?¡± The Road Runner responds with a hearty chuff as it saunters up the street. The cold may be its nemesis, but once the engine gets going, all that power thaws it out in the blink of an eye. No waiting for minutes on end before the heater blows hot; it¡¯s already nice and toasty inside.

    The familiar sights of Sapporo pass her by like a travel brochure. Odori Park has been transformed into a sea of electric blue, glimmering in the dark to salute her on her journey. The iconic Sapporo TV Tower stands tall in the distance, dressed in gold for the holiday. 7:25, the big clock says¡ªReina has time, but she¡¯s not slowing down.

    Soon enough, the university comes to greet her as well. She¡¯s had to get used to taking the train here these past couple weeks...

    ¡°...Heh. Not today.¡±

    It does feel weird soldiering on to the north¡ªit¡¯s not a part of town she visits all that often. When your wallet shrinks, so too does your world; you need to have an excuse to turn off the beaten path, to deviate from your routine, or you¡¯re just not making financial sense.

    Of course, Reina has a very good excuse this morning.

    The downtown lights fade behind her, unfamiliar territory ahead. This part of Sapporo really doesn¡¯t stand out from the others...but it¡¯s not the city itself that has Reina¡¯s attention. It¡¯s the snow-capped mountains looming large to the west, where the city abruptly ends and the untamed wilderness begins. As she drifts closer and closer to the edge of the city, they rise taller and taller before her, as if condemning her for her arrogance. She really thinks to tame the mountain pass in an antiquated American car?

    They¡¯d like to see her try.

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s the road...¡± Reina tightens her grip on the wheel. ¡°Here we go.¡±

    Already the snow is starting to deepen. The Road Runner hesitates, kicking up drifts of powder behind it; Reina shifts down a gear to give the wheels more torque. Seems the buses and the plows haven¡¯t started up the road yet¡ªthe resort doesn¡¯t open for another hour and a half, so she¡¯ll have to beat them up the pass. The last remnants of Sapporo disappear into the rear-view mirror¡ªfrom here on out, the mountains are in control.

    The altitude rises, and the mercury drops. Naked trees line the barren path forward, offering broken glimpses at the horizon beyond. The Road Runner is a crimson intruder in this panorama of white...and the mountain does not take kindly to its disturbance.

    ¡°Whoa, easy, easy...!¡± Reina has to fight the steering wheel through the hairpin turns, the tires carving up fresh powder as they claw and scrape for traction. The mismatch is bluntly obvious: the Road Runner was never meant for roads like these. But Reina has to have faith in the car and in herself¡ªplay to its strengths, and she just might make it up.

    (I¡¯ve got lots of low-end torque, and I¡¯ve got a limited-slip for traction... If a big, lumbering bus can make it up this road, then so can I!)

    The clouds above intensify their assault on the ground below, sending more and more flakes down to try and stop her. The car has its hands full fending off all the snow, the old windshield wipers leaving streaks in their wake. Every last mile an hour is precious, but she doesn¡¯t dare go too fast¡ªwith all the tight turns and tree-lined hills surrounding her, she has to thread the needle between speed and control. She needs surgical precision and the patience of a saint.

    A long straight belies a tricky ascent. Now the mountain is getting serious; as Reina tries to put the pedal down to build up some speed, snow and gravity conspire to drag her back down. The Road Runner struggles to find its footing.

    ¡°Come on, baby, we can do this...!¡± Reina pulses the throttle, feeling the ground below for soft spots. Trails of powder shoot from the rear tires, the engine revving in frustration. The one thing she can¡¯t afford to do is stop¡ªnot here, not now.

    With effort, Reina slowly claims some ground up the straight, working her way into a long left-hander. She can see the face of a nearby mountain greeting her in the distance; she doesn¡¯t afford herself even a moment to look at it. She watches the road like a hawk in case it tries to snare her again.

    The road swing wide before tightening back up again, forcing Reina to slow down and abandon the momentum she built up. Signs warn her of a hairpin turn ahead. She¡¯s caught in a catch 22 here: carry her speed and risk the car sliding out from under her? Or slow to a halt and risk getting bogged down? She has mere seconds to mull her options...but in the end, it¡¯s the alarming guard rail at the butt-end of the hairpin that convinces her to slow down. She feathers the brake well in advance, hugging the edge of the road to prepare for a wide entry into the turn.

    Easy, she coaxes. Easy...

    ¡°Now!¡±

    She blips the brake and orders the wheels to the right...but to her dismay, the Road Runner loses its grip on the powder below, and understeers into the corner. She drifts wide of the apex and toward the runoff on the shoulder of the turn¡ªand with it, the tires trudge into even deeper snow, left by the plows the previous night.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, turnnn...!¡±

    She tries to feather the gas, working both pedals in a delicate dance, but she¡¯s already lost her speed¡ªbefore she knows it, the speedometer¡¯s already hit 0. The car¡¯s almost pointed the right way, but the snow leaps at the chance to trap her...and sure enough, a sickly whirring noise forces a grimace on her face. She¡¯s stuck.

    ¡°Shoot. Okay, what are my options?¡± She mustn¡¯t panic. There has to be a way out of this.

    Just gunning it isn¡¯t working. She tries to brute force her way out of the rut, but the tires can¡¯t find the grip¡ªshe gains inches on the road, only to lose them as gravity drags her back down. Plumes of snow cascade off the ground and into the trees behind her. She tries to turn the wheel back and forth to search for traction with the front tires...but they just keep slipping and slipping. At this rate, she¡¯ll only bury herself deeper.

    She lets off the throttle, the disgruntled engine idling. The road taunts her¡ªshe can see the other side of the turn right in front of her, but the snow grips the car like a vice.

    ¡°I might be able to rock my way out...but I can¡¯t back up too far.¡±

    Reina shifts into reverse, pulsing the throttle to feel for grip. She finds just enough to back up a few inches, using her tracks as a groove. With what momentum she scrapes together, she turns the wheel slightly to the left, and carves the tiniest runway for the tires in the deep pocket of snow. She¡¯s staring the road straight-on now. She¡¯ll have to make this count.

    ¡°Here we go...¡±

    Slowly, Reina eases down on the pedal. The Road Runner shudders in place, trying to find grip somewhere in the snow. Despite all the car¡¯s power, it can¡¯t break through the great white shield; she¡¯s forced to get as far as she can before reversing back on her runway. The clutch absolutely hates her for it...but she has to push those worries aside for now. She has to have faith the car will hold together.

    ¡°Come on, baby. Almost!¡± One more time the tires spin, desperately working against the snow and ice. Just a little further this time... A little closer to freedom. But the snow just won¡¯t relent from the tires that easily; she has to back up and give it one more go. The car whines as she reverses one more time.

    ¡°I know, car, I know...but we¡¯re almost outta this!¡±

    (If I can just get one rear tire back onto the road, I might be able to torque my way out. I¡¯ve just gotta get there...!)

    It¡¯s a game of inches, and Reina puts herself right up on the edge, pushing the car as far back as she¡¯s willing to risk it. She thinks she still has grip from here... She has to.

    Reina shifts into first one more time, her knuckles white. She grits her teeth, and pumps.

    ¡°Come onnnnn...!¡±

    The extra breathing room gives the car a little more speed this time. The front tires finally breach the tall snow, and their momentum helps carry the car most of the way out. In a split-second move, Reina steers the car to the left, trying to swing the rear of the car around so that she at least gets one tire out of the rut...

    ¡°Okay, there we go! That¡¯s one tire out, I think!¡± She pulses the gas to confirm. She¡¯s got one of the two rear tires freed at last...and that just might be her ticket out of here.

    ¡°Limited-slip, don¡¯t fail me now!¡±

    Clara probably never expected that aftermarket mod to come in handy like this. It was meant for the race track to help the Road Runner¡¯s cornering¡ªas much as a land barge¡¯s cornering can be helped, anyway. But here in the snow, it offers her a critical advantage that no ordinary muscle car can boast. As Reina bears down on the throttle, the engine¡¯s monstrous torque goes straight to the one good wheel.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, car, you can do it! Almost free...!¡± She can feel the car inching forward, desperately trying to dig itself out. She urges, coaxes as much as she can, slowly adding more and more throttle until the whole car is vibrating around her.

    This is the first time in years the Road Runner¡¯s been put through its paces. The last time Reina called upon it, it couldn¡¯t pull through for her...but this time, it resolves to get the job done right. It revs higher and higher, calling upon those thousand-plus horses to give Reina the power she needs. It won¡¯t let her down again...!

    ¡°Just a little more! Come on!¡±

    In spite of the elements, and in spite of everything holding it down, the Road Runner perseveres. The tires kick up a towering cloud of snow as the left-rear tire finally breaks free, sliding out of the rut as Reina furiously wrenches the wheel. The tires spin and scrape clumsily on the road for a heart-stopping second, but with her delicate footwork, Reina corrals the car and gets it moving once more!

    ¡°YEAH, baby! Let¡¯s go!¡± She is all too glad to leave that hairpin behind. The car trundles back up the road with a full head of steam, finally earning a chance to breathe after its struggle to break free. By her estimate, Reina is around halfway up the pass now... She¡¯s come this far. She refuses to back down now.

    ¡°Not much farther now. We¡¯ve got this, car... I¡¯m not gonna let this pass us by!¡±

    Lesson learned: the car plows like a tractor in these conditions. What little brake she applied was still too much; she¡¯ll need to do better than that on the next hairpin turn. She has a couple straight sections for breathing room, but she drives on edge, knowing the road could tighten back up on a whim. The higher she goes, the higher the stakes climb with her.

    She can tell she¡¯s getting close: little landmarks crop up in the distance as the resort creeps closer and closer. She spots one of the ski lifts peeking above the mountain tops, buildings dotting the mountain face ahead. The sun is just starting to rise in the east, seemingly emerging from the city itself as she looks on from above.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Time marches on, but so does she.

    The mountain pass commends her for her bravery...but it¡¯s not done with her yet. It has one more obstacle to throw at her before it will grant her passage. Two narrow turns, a right and a left, stand between her and the top of an oncoming hill. There¡¯s no shoulder to bail her out this time¡ªonly her and her lane, with minimal room for error.

    ¡°Okay... Have to keep the speed up this time. I¡¯m not making that mistake again!¡±

    Reina makes her approach. The tires threaten to slip, pushed to the edge of their traction, but she trusts them to pull through. The first turn comes rumbling in, and already she has her hands full. Speed is a delicate thing¡ªher feet work the throttle and brake with pinpoint precision. All those days spent flying around the track with her mom; all her days spent leaning how to push the Road Runner to its limit... This is where it all comes to a head. The low speed does this mountain climb no justice: it is perhaps the most demanding drive ever asked of the old ten-litre terror.

    And yet, it refuses to yield.

    ¡°That¡¯s one turn done...!¡± Reina can finally point the wheels straight again, ordering the car up the switchback with an assertive pump of gas. She gets a good, long look at the turn ahead...and she knows she has to nail it. She can¡¯t be too fast nor too slow; if she wants to get this lumbering beast up the hill, she¡¯ll have to negotiate the turn oh so exactly right.

    ¡°Now!¡± Reina eases off the throttle and blips the brake to keep the front under control. The same tactic as the last hairpin...but she knows better this time. She has a better feel for how much brake it needs, how much gas, how much to turn... She makes a point not to overload the car this time. Once her speed is where she wants it to be, she smoothly steers wide, applying just enough throttle to keep the rear wheels driving. Her heart skips a beat as the rear end threatens to step out from under her...but she manages to corral the car just in time. She¡¯s finally getting it to turn...!

    ¡°That¡¯s it, almost there...!¡±

    She walks a tightrope between understeer and oversteer, between spinning the tires and locking them up. The seconds drag on longer than she can stand, the car too fast and too slow all at once. The slow, arduous climb up the second turn has her on the very edge of her seat...

    But finally, the road relents. Her eyes widen to see the straight shot ahead, the final stretch to the ski resort¡ªshe¡¯s made it at last!

    ¡°YES!¡± Relief washes over Reina¡¯s sweating face. Without a doubt, this was not something she should ever have done¡ªthe Road Runner has absolutely no business being up here in the snow, unsuited and unsophisticated as it is. This square peg should not have fit in that round hole. Reina was supposed to stay down.

    But through sheer stubbornness, she braved the elements in her own eccentric way. They couldn¡¯t hammer her down this time.

    Reina¡¯s never been happier to see a parking lot in her life. It¡¯s full of snow, but she doesn¡¯t care. She finds a spot to back the Road Runner in, and gives that V8 a well-earned break. For its first serious workout in a while, it performed admirably... You can always count on an Aikawa motor.

    ¡°Now...¡± Reina gathers herself, retrieving the key and opening the door. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡±

    She¡¯s found herself in a pretty neat place. This was one of many venues used for the Winter Olympics, hosted right here in Sapporo back in 1972. Little remnants of the Games dot the landscape, from old lodges and judging houses to one of the Olympic cauldrons, standing tall atop the snow. With the sun just peeking its head over the horizon, Reina¡¯s almost tempted to stop for a moment and take in the sights to calm down after her long journey.

    Before she can even open the trunk and whip out her toolbox, though, the resort manager is already rushing down to meet her. That must be who the other car in the lot belongs to.

    ¡°Morning! You¡¯re the mechanic Mr. Shimizu mentioned to me?¡±

    ¡°That would be me! My name¡¯s Reina Aikawa. Pleased to meet you!¡±

    ¡°Kazumi Yukimori.¡± The man hastily extends his hand, and Reina obliges.

    ¡°Really appreciate you coming out on short notice like this...¡± He has to stop himself to catch his breath, the morning¡¯s toils clearly wearing him out.

    ¡°Sorry. Been running all over the place today, heh. Bit short of breath.¡±

    ¡°Not a problem! I get that.¡±

    For a moment, he was too winded (and his mind too occupied) to notice¡ªor care¡ªabout how unorthodox his mechanic is. Now that he¡¯s caught up with himself, though, he gets a closer look at her and her car...

    ¡°...Wait. The plows haven¡¯t even come through yet. How the hell did you get here so fast?¡±

    He finally notices the rim of snow clinging to the Road Runner, causing Reina to give him a cheeky grin.

    ¡°I¡ª You got all the way up the pass in that?¡±

    ¡°Yes I did!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡±

    ¡°Yes I am! I think every mechanic¡¯s a little nuts, kinda.¡±

    ¡°Well, uh, I¡¯m not complaining!¡±

    Pleasantries dealt with, the manager motions for Reina to follow him, their shoes crunching the fresh powder below. It¡¯ll be a busy, busy day on the slopes¡ªChristmas is always packed up here, but with all the fresh snow that fell the day and night before, skiers in droves are soon to ascend up the pass. He needs that lift back in order right this minute.

    ¡°Here, let¡¯s take this.¡± He directs Reina to one of their working cable systems, used to connect the two separate lodges on the mountainside. ¡°This¡¯ll take us right to the broken lift. Better than walking.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d rather not try to drive up all that.¡± Reina¡¯s happy to let the gondola do all the work for her. They file inside, and within seconds, they¡¯re whisked away into the air. That affords the manager enough time to give Reina a sitrep on the resort.

    ¡°So as you can see, we¡¯ve got a lot of different lifts here. This one connects the building at the base of the mountain to another ski center about halfway up; we¡¯ve also got a lot of lifts that go to all our side runs.¡±

    ¡°The one that¡¯s broken, though, is the one that goes to the summit.¡±

    ¡°Ooh. Yeah, that¡¯s not great.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Without that, we don¡¯t have some of our most popular runs. We can¡¯t access some of the other lifts from here, either¡ªwe have a couple you can only get to from the summit.¡±

    ¡°So how do these lifts work? Electric with diesel backup?¡±

    ¡°Yup, exactly. Our lifts have two layers of redundancy. If the electric motor goes out, the backup diesel¡¯s supposed to kick on, and that can run the lift in its place. If that goes down, we have tiny little emergency generators, but those aren¡¯t meant to run the lift for the whole day. They¡¯re only meant to cycle the lift once or twice so that anybody who¡¯s on the lift can get back off.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. Are any of the other lifts having problems, or is it just the one?¡±

    ¡°Just the one, as far as we know. All the others are running on electric right now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not sure what happened to the electric on the summit lift, but I asked my usual guy, and he said he¡¯s swamped. He won¡¯t be able to take a look at it for a few days, at least.¡±

    ¡°So for now, I¡¯m just looking to get that backup diesel online to fill the gap.¡±

    ¡°Has it given you trouble before?¡±

    ¡°The diesel¡¯s old. We run tests every so often, and it was working the last time we tested it, but we thought it might need some maintenance soon. Just bad timing.¡±

    ¡°When we tried to run it this morning, it started up, but then it stalled out right afterward. We haven¡¯t been able to get it to start back up after that.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Gotcha, gotcha...¡± That immediately gets the gears in her head turning. If it at least fired up, then she might be able to fix whatever stalled it... She doesn¡¯t have any specific replacement parts, but she might not need them if the culprit is something simple.

    ¡°Alright... I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll be able to get it running 100%, but I¡¯ll give it my best shot!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I can ask for. Thank you so much for this!¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡±

    She can see the manager¡¯s face gradually softening, the nerves fading from his weary eyes. Just having somebody out here to work on the engine for him is putting him at ease. She¡¯ll make sure his faith in her isn¡¯t misplaced.

    The lift touches down outside the ski center, the altitude already granting Reina a stunning view over Sapporo. Maybe if she gets the summit lift up and running, she¡¯ll treat herself to a view from the top as a reward.

    ¡°Right over here.¡± Reina follows close behind the manager, shivering in the brisk morning wind. A short walk brings them to the summit corridor, where the lift and its chairs stand suspended in silence. Mount Teine is far from the tallest in Hokkaido, but it¡¯s still plenty daunting from where Reina stands. In a way, by conquering the diesel engine, she¡¯ll be conquering the mountain too.

    But she can¡¯t get ahead of herself just yet. She¡¯s still got work to do.

    ¡°Okay, lemme just...¡± The manager hands her a crowded key ring. ¡°There you go. That¡¯ll get you into the engine room¡ªthe electric motor and the backup diesel are both in there. If you need anything from me, I¡¯ll be in the main building just over there; we¡¯ll have some other employees showing up soon, so you can reach out to them too. Sound good?¡±

    ¡°You got it. Talk to you in a bit!¡±

    ¡°Best of luck!¡±

    With that, the manager scurries off and leaves Reina to her devices. She¡¯s got 45 minutes before the customers come a-knockin¡¯. Time for her to show the world what she¡¯s made of.

    ¡°Aaaalright. Let¡¯s see what we¡¯re dealing with here.¡± Reina unlocks the door to the engine room and finds the light switch inside; with a click, the old lamps overhead flicker to life. Now she finally has a good look at the scene of the crime...

    ¡°Yup. This all checks out.¡± It looks every bit as cramped and claustrophobic as the generator room back at the shop. Nothing she hasn¡¯t seen before.

    Straight ahead of the door lies the electric motor, cold and silent. She might circle back to it later if she has the time, but for now, her priority is the diesel. That old thing sits dormant in the corner of the room, a short walk from the electric primary. It¡¯s not nearly as big as the one they have at the shop¡ªunderstandable, since it only needs to power the lift¡ªbut it¡¯s still quite the labyrinth under the hood. She¡¯s never worked with this specific brand of diesel before...but she¡¯s not too worried about the specifics. An engine is an engine.

    ¡°Okay. Lemme just find the panel for this...¡±

    Being an older model of generator, she finds the rather unsophisticated panel right beside the walkway. Conveniently, she also finds the owner¡¯s manual sitting on a shelf nearby. Credit where it¡¯s due, whoever does maintenance on this thing keeps the area nice and tidy. That manual will be a nice reference for if and when she gets into the nitty gritty bits, but for now, Reina just wants to see if she can replicate the behavior the manager described. She sets her toolbox down nearby, takes a deep breath, and goes to work.

    ¡°So it started, then stalled and wouldn¡¯t go again, huh...?¡±

    Reina acquaints herself with the panel. Being a diesel designed for cold temperatures, it comes with heating elements to thaw out the fuel, oil, coolant and other moving parts. Reina cycles the power on, and with it, the preheat lamp lights up to tell her the glow plugs are working their magic. Once it turns off, it¡¯s ready to start.

    ...Or try to.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see how she does.¡±

    Reina twists the switch to START, and immediately she feels the floor jitter as the big diesel starts turning. From the manager¡¯s description, it had enough heat and battery power to start once, so she doesn¡¯t expect that to be the issue...

    And indeed, the engine turns over spiritedly. The starter and the battery work in perfect harmony to crank the diesel over...but something somewhere else in the chain is sabotaging their efforts. Twenty seconds pass without so much as a sputter.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough.¡± Reina relents. ¡°So it¡¯s not a cold start issue, from what I can tell. The block heater and the glow plugs both seem to be working fine. The battery has plenty of charge too...¡±

    That¡¯s one item ticked off her checklist. Now is when the guessing game begins... The clock is ticking for her to find the fault before it starts digging into the resort¡¯s profits for the day. But Reina accepts the challenge; she won¡¯t let this sick old diesel stop her.

    That old rule echoes in her head:

    (An engine needs three things: air, fuel and spark. If it has those three things, it runs.)

    Based on the symptoms, she thinks it¡¯s unlikely the spark is the problem. The manager didn¡¯t say how well the generator ran, but if he didn¡¯t specify, then it was probably running fine before the issue cropped up. Spark plus, coil wires and other electrical components do corrode and wear down over time, but it¡¯s more of a slow burn rather than a big blast. The manager would¡¯ve noticed the generator running rough beforehand if the plugs were fouled up or the ignition coil was on the fritz.

    There is a chance something in the electrical system broke outright, like a relay somewhere or something, but unfortunately, that probably wouldn¡¯t be fixable on the spot. That said, she considers those scenarios pretty uncommon. What are common on diesel generators like these, are fuel issues.

    ¡°Now she doesn¡¯t wanna go at all... That makes me think something¡¯s up with the fuel. That tends to happen with generators, especially when they just sit around idle like these...¡±

    Any disruption in the fuel supply can spell trouble for the generator. Reina figures that¡¯s the best place to start looking. There are a lot of things that can immediately disable an engine, but few things do it quite as effectively as robbing it of its fuel.

    Reina starts with the basics. There¡¯s fuel in the tank, obviously, and while the fuel filter is rather old, it doesn¡¯t look dirty enough to give the generator any serious trouble. Those parts pass the test...and with those checks done, she moves on to the next piece of the puzzle: the fuel lines.

    ¡°Okay, what have we got here...?¡± Reina¡¯s glad she brought a flashlight. She gives the cramped compartment a thorough comb-over, like an investigator at the scene of a crime. Where did this engine go wrong...?

    ¡°...Hm?¡±

    Reina swears she saw a faint little glimmer as she ran her flashlight across the supply line. She tries to retrace her steps, scanning the hose for a potential leak...but she can¡¯t seem to find it again.

    ¡°I know I saw something...¡± If the light won¡¯t help her, she¡¯ll just have to rely on her other senses¡ªnamely, her touch. Reina shuffles herself up to the fuel line and runs it over with her hand...and right around the start of the line, close to the connection with the fuel tank, she feels something rough on her finger.

    ¡°Ohhhh...¡± X marks the spot. She shines the flashlight and finds what she was looking for: a tiny little crack right along the top of the fuel line.

    ¡°Well, hello there! I think that¡¯s our culprit.¡±

    Reina double-checks to confirm there¡¯s nothing leaking anywhere else in the fuel line, and sure enough, that¡¯s the only leak she can find. Quite the amusing coincidence that the generator ended up with the same kind of issue as the Road Runner¡ªalbeit with much different symptoms.

    ¡°I think that explains why it started and died right after: it had fuel in the lines from the last time it ran, but then it started sucking in air, and once the air bubbles got to the fuel pump, that¡¯s when the engine conked out.¡±

    ¡°This little crack must¡¯ve developed after they last ran it, then. He was right: it really was a case of bad timing.¡±

    ¡°Now how do I wanna fix this...?¡±

    Like with the Road Runner¡¯s radiator hose, it¡¯s much more sensible to replace than it is to repair¡ªespecially if you need the generator going all day long. But she does think a quick and dirty fix is feasible here: the leak is right toward the end of the line. The hose has just enough slack that she can cut off the end and reattach it, doing away with the leak entirely.

    ¡°Hah. Never pretty, but it works!¡±

    Just to be safe, she goes ahead and gives it the quick fix special: a healthy coating of insulating tape. It¡¯s an ugly fix, but it¡¯s not meant to last long¡ªshe¡¯ll be recommending the manager get a new hose immediately. They should stock this size in town.

    ¡°Okay... That stops more air from getting in. Now I just have to get all the air out.¡±

    It¡¯s an arduous process, but straightforward at the very least. Reina first needs something to clean up the mess she¡¯s about to make; she resorts to a dirty rag in her toolbox. She¡¯ll have to throw it out later, unfortunately¡ªit¡¯s about to get soaked with fuel.

    ¡°There we go...¡± Reina procedurally bleeds the lines across the fuel supply chain¡ªand sure enough, she¡¯s met with a sputtery mix of air and fuel coming out of the system. The rag below is defiled. Eventually, as she primes the engine, the air is cycled out of the system and replaced with a clean, unbroken stream of fuel. That¡¯s about as good as she¡¯ll get it; her jerry-rigged fix will have to hold up for now.

    ¡°Ooookay,¡± Reina chuffs as she stands back up. ¡°I think she¡¯s ready for another try.¡±

    She¡¯s gotten herself plenty dirty from all the work, but she thinks it¡¯ll all be worth it once she hears that engine sing. She hooks the fuel lines back up, helps herself to her feet and works her way back to the panel. One more preheat cycle, just for good measure...

    ¡°That should do it.¡± Reina blooms with confidence. ¡°Here goes nothing!¡±

    One more time, the generator stirs. All that undiluted fuel has an immediate effect on the thirsty engine: a series of sputters and half-starts rock the whole housing. It¡¯s trying its best to shake off the cold and fire back up. The seconds pass...

    ¡°Come on!¡±

    Slowly but surely, the generator grumbles back to life. A loud roar engulfs the whole room, unrefined and unsophisticated...but running nonetheless. The day is saved!

    ¡°Alright! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about! Sounds like that was all it needed.¡±

    Reina lets the minutes pass, the generator steadily heating up. Were there any leftover air in the fuel lines, it likely would¡¯ve stalled by now; Reina¡¯s confident now that she got it all out. After bringing the generator up to its usual operating speed, Reina can finally call her job done for the day.

    It took her every bit of time she had, and tested both her mechanical and her driving skills, but in the end, Reina is victorious.

    ¡°Man... That feels good. That feels so good.¡±

    Reina observes her handiwork for herself: as she exits the engine room, she can see the lifts starting to cycle through the terminal, ready to ferry customers and staff to the top of the mountain. Once she¡¯s done debriefing the manager, she might just take a ride herself.

    She doesn¡¯t have to travel far for that. The manager is already rushing his way there.

    ¡°The generator¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Up and running! There was a crack in the fuel line, so air was getting into the fuel. Stopped the whole thing dead.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you fix it?¡±

    ¡°Well, uh, ¡®fix¡¯ is a bit generous. I cut off the part of the fuel line with the leak in it¡ªand then I wrapped a whole ton of tape around it just to be safe. That¡¯s not gonna last you forever, so I¡¯d recommend ordering a replacement line ASAP.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha, gotcha...but it¡¯ll at least last for the next few days, right?¡±

    ¡°It should! If you really wanna, you can substitute a fuel line from one of the other units you¡¯ve got around here¡ªbut then, of course, you¡¯d be down a different generator.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need to do that anyway. Get a new line in there and you¡¯ll be just fine.¡±

    ¡°Can I go ahead and have you order that for me? You obviously know what you¡¯re talking about, so I¡¯m a lot more comfortable just having you do it.¡±

    ¡°Sure! And I can go ahead and install it for you later, if you want.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be lovely.¡±

    Words fail the manager to describe his thanks. Relief washes over his face in waves¡ªthe Christmas rush is already upon him, so these repairs came not a second too soon.

    ¡°Looks like we got it running just in the nick of time... We¡¯ll probably have to delay the summit runs a little bit, just to run our safety checks and get a quick groom done, but at this point, I¡¯ll take it. It could¡¯ve been a lot worse.¡±

    ¡°I really can¡¯t thank you enough for this!¡±

    ¡°Hey, no problem! Thank YOU for taking the gamble on me.¡±

    Of course, Reina is not above her base urges. She smiles innocently, not wanting to come out and say what¡¯s on her mind, but hoping the manager will get the memo anyway. Thankfully, he does.

    ¡°Well, for today¡¯s service...¡± The manager is well aware how much he really owes Reina. His usual rate wouldn¡¯t really suffice...but perhaps this will.

    ¡°Here you go.¡± He hands Reina a check...and her eyes bug out when she reads the total.

    ¡°I¡ª You¡¯re kidding!¡±

    ¡°Compared to what I would¡¯ve lost today without you, this is cheap. You¡¯ve more than earned it, in my view. Go ahead!¡±

    Reina can feel her head starting to spin. She was told the manager would be generous, but this is far beyond what she was expecting. Is it really alright for her to accept this...?

    (Gah, no! Don¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth, dummy!) If he¡¯s offering, he¡¯s offering, she reasons to herself. And as he said: she¡¯s earned this.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Reina bows deep in gratitude. ¡°This helps me out so much more than you realize.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d be happy to pay you again once you get that part ordered and installed. Maybe I¡¯ll call you over for our next maintenance run too!¡±

    ¡°Heehee. I¡¯d be happy to!¡±

    Reina has no idea what to say, what to feel, what to think at this point. Her whole day has run the gamut of emotions: joy, stress, confidence, relief... She feels like she¡¯s been waging an emotional battle inside her head all morning long...and now that the snow and dust have settled, she¡¯s left with something that¡¯s eluded her for a long, long time: hope.

    What a fitting Christmas present for the heiress apparent.

    ¡°Actually, if you wouldn¡¯t mind... We¡¯re gonna be running checks throughout the morning, just to make sure everything¡¯s holding up through peak hours. Would you mind just being on-site today, in case something crops up? I¡¯ll go ahead and pay you extra.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Well, um, sure! I don¡¯t have anywhere else to be.¡± Thank the stars for her mother.

    ¡°Man, you really are a lifesaver!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you flatter me~¡±

    Reina looks to the summit. That would be the next logical step¡ªboth for maintenance and for closure. She¡¯s unlocked the mountaintop by her own hand... All that¡¯s left to do is take that next step.

    It¡¯s funny. From here, the mountain doesn¡¯t look so tall after all.

    ***

    With the rising sun, the ski resort proudly opens for business, welcoming the flood of thrillseekers with full and open arms. After a brief delay, the summit is open at last¡ªand what a day for it! The clouds have finally decided to retreat from over Sapporo, the sun piercing through to give all an immaculate view of the city and the bay to the north. Christmas is already one of the busiest days of the year for the resort, but combined with this perfect storm of weather conditions, it¡¯ll be one of the most lucrative days on the mountain for years and years to come. And not a single customer will have any idea how it all worked out today.

    ...Well, except one, perhaps.

    ¡°Huh...?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°That... Over there, that¡¯s the Road Runner!¡±

    Most simply take a puzzled look at the old muscle car in the parking lot and carry on with their day...but not Yuzu. The Road Runner has her completely confused: how in the world did it get here? And why?

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned, yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it doing all the way out here?¡±

    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine!¡±

    Maybe the manager would know. The Tachikawas have half a mind to track him down at the resort and ask him about the curious little interloper in the lot. The perks of having well-connected parents.

    In a fortuitous coincidence, the manager finds them first.

    ¡°Oh, Tachikawa!¡± The manager is still buzzing all over the place¡ªa trademark of his fidgety tendencies. Nonetheless, he and Yuzu¡¯s father are more than happy to see each other.

    ¡°Merry Christmas! How¡¯s it going?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re doing okay, as you can see! Tons of people today, the conditions are perfect.¡±

    Mr. Tachikawa thinks of the best response to steer them in the direction of the Road Runner without sounding too awkward. If Reina or Sami is out here, then that means...

    ¡°Been pretty smooth so far?¡±

    ¡°Well, uh...had a bit of an episode earlier today, but we got it taken care of.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°The summit lift had a problem, of all things. I was scrambling to get somebody out here, but y¡¯know, being the holidays and all, everybody was booked into next decade.¡±

    ¡°But I managed to find somebody¡ªand man, she¡¯s great! I called her a couple hours ago, and she just beelined over here!¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that what that weird car was?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that was hers. I couldn¡¯t believe it!¡±

    Mr. Tachikawa stifles a chuckle.

    (Yup. That¡¯s the one.)

    ¡°She really knows her stuff. She had our backup diesel going in minutes! The summit lift¡¯s still a little backed up, but without her, we¡¯d be toast.¡±

    ¡°I might just call her for all my maintenance from now on.¡±

    ¡°Man... Sounds like you¡¯ve had an eventful morning!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it. I think I¡¯m still getting the panic out of my system. She really saved our whole operation here...¡±

    Yuzu can hardly believe what she¡¯s hearing. Reina, the greasemonkey who saved Christmas? Never in a million years did she think the Road Runner, of all cars, would be able to tame the tricky turns of the mountain pass...and yet here it is. In spite of it all, Reina persisted. She could¡¯ve done things the easy way this whole time, but she chose not to...and after their brief heart-to-heart last night, she might finally understand why.

    ...She decides to speak up.

    ¡°Where is she now, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s still checking stuff up at the summit.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    Change of plans: Yuzu¡¯s getting in line for the lift, and not a thing on this earth can stop her. Mr. Tachikawa is tempted to follow suit, but he decides against it, instead watching his daughter with a smile. This is her moment.

    ¡°Does she...know Reina?¡±

    ¡°Heh heh... You could say that.¡±

    ***

    The lift runs smooth as ever. Yuzu didn¡¯t even notice that it was just a hare louder than usual as she was standing in line¡ªthe mechanic¡¯s handiwork made all the disruption disappear. All that¡¯s left is the anticipation... Slowly, steadily climbing up the mountain, hoping she¡¯s not too late to catch her new friend...

    (Finally!)

    The summit greets her at last¡ªa familiar sight for the seasoned snowboarder, but her eyes alight with a newfound energy when she reaches the top this time. She has to take extra care not to trip over herself as she rushes off the lift. Her eyes dart back and forth across the plateau, looking for the girl who sticks out the most...

    And as she turns her attention to the mountaintop caf¨¦ just beside the lift, she finds the girl of the hour through the window.

    ¡°Huh...? Oh!¡± Reina waves on instinct.

    ¡°There she is!¡±

    The wheels of fate conspire to bring them together once again. Yuzu quickly makes for the door and joins Reina in the shop, confusion and excitement competing on her face.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were spending your Christmas here!¡±

    ¡°Well, speak for yourself!¡± Yuzu¡¯s amazed at just how much energy Reina can extract from her. She¡¯s got some kind of charisma going on.

    ¡°Well here, sit down! I¡¯m just taking a break here for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Thank you...!¡±

    The caf¨¦ has Reina to thank for being open today at all. Perched right on the summit, it¡¯s a popular spot for refreshments with a view¡ªand a nice reprieve from the biting cold outside. The clear skies today make for the perfect backdrop, sunlight beaming through the wide shop windows.

    ¡°The manager was just telling me about a mechanic who helped out today. I could barely believe it was you!¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to get the call either. I was about this close to sleeping through it.¡±

    ¡°It was his friend who called me, actually. I know the manager who runs the resort over at Mount Moiwa¡ªso only a couple blocks from our shop. We were just doing work on his old kei truck.¡±

    ¡°He heard about Teine having trouble, so he decided to call me on a whim...and, well, the rest is history.¡±

    ¡°Wow...¡± She¡¯s starting to realize just how many hoops Reina had to jump through. Getting all the way up here is one thing, but on such short notice? The girl¡¯s got guts.

    Reminds her of a certain other Aikawa...

    With the help of some snacks and a drink or two, Reina finally thaws from the cold. This unexpected coincidence really helps lift her spirits¡ªshe was expecting a lonesome Christmas, only to be met with the exact opposite. It¡¯s considered more of a couple¡¯s holiday in Japan, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with spending it with a friend in a cozy little coffee shop.

    And the Aikawas have never been ones to follow social cues anyway.

    ¡°So I take it you¡¯re headed back to the shop after this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m staying here for the day to make sure everything goes smoothly with the backup generator, but then it¡¯ll be back to business as usual.¡±

    ¡°So... Where do you think the shop goes from here?¡±

    This time, Yuzu asks not out of skepticism, but curiosity. She wants to watch Reina see her vision through...and perhaps after the day¡¯s events, she¡¯s gotten closer to her answer.

    ¡°...I think I¡¯m starting to figure that out. I¡¯m still trying to get all my thoughts in order...but I might have an idea for how to move the shop forward. My way.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a certain...idea to the old cars we love. The old things we made. And I feel like if we bring that idea into the future, then that¡¯s our ticket.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy...but I wouldn¡¯t wanna do it any other way.¡±

    Yuzu smiles¡ªnow she¡¯s really starting to sound like her mother. She¡¯s got that same spark in her eyes...

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good plan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve still got some time to think about it...and I¡¯ve got some breathing room now too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯m rooting for you. I think you¡¯ve got what it takes.¡±

    ¡°Thanks~¡±

    Reina and Yuzu leave the shop recharged and refreshed. Yuzu watches Reina get back to her work, disappearing into the shuffle. She¡¯s always doing things her way, no matter where she goes... She sticks out like that. She really is her mother¡¯s daughter...

    But that¡¯s alright, Yuzu thinks. Sticking out isn¡¯t such a bad thing after all.

    ***

    Christmas day comes to a close at last; the moon reclaims the skies over Sapporo, and night descends on the rejuvenated city. The ski resort, hot off a hectic day, lets out a yawn as it prepares to retire for the night. One by one, the lifts slow to a halt. The mountain is still once more.

    Reina too is ready to pack it up and conclude her work for the night...but the last of her impromptu duties has her back atop the mountain. The caf¨¦ has closed, the lift all but empty. For a brief moment, she has the summit to herself... A vignette suspended in time.

    ¡°Man... What a day.¡±

    Her body may be tired, her eyes weary, but her soul is the fullest it¡¯s been in years. She swells with a pride thought forgotten¡ªa purpose she¡¯s starting to fulfill. Miniscule though this step may be in the grand scheme of things, today means far more to her than just the sum of its parts.

    It gives her this feeling she can¡¯t quite explain.

    ¡°Wow...¡± As her reward, Reina treats herself to an unspoiled view of the landscape below, right against the edge of the peak. The city lights glimmer in the distance, Ishikari Bay rounding out the horizon beyond...and overhead, the clear skies open the door to a whole canvas of white on black. This is the clearest night they¡¯ve had in an age.

    In this moment, Reina feels time itself slow to a halt. Her mind runs free, darting across the landscape with the whimsy of a starstruck little girl. It¡¯s food for the soul...and some closure, at last, to this turbulent stretch of time.

    ¡°...I¡¯m gonna get there.¡±

    The stars are still so far away...but she¡¯s just a little bit closer to them now than she was at the start of her journey. Somewhere down there among all the city lights is the Aikawa Auto building...indistinguishable, lost in the shuffle. But look how far she¡¯s come. She started walking, not knowing where she was going...but at the end of the day, she made it to the mountaintop. She proved on this day that those daunting peaks can be scaled.

    And maybe, just maybe...she can go all the rest of the way.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to get Mom a souvenir while I¡¯m heading back. Maybe I¡¯ll go to that Christmas market at Odori Park...¡±

    ¡°...Yeah. I think that¡¯s a fair reward. Heehee.¡±

    She decides to take out her dinky little phone¡ªa cheap, well-worn model¡ªand snap a picture of the skyline before she heads back down. It¡¯ll be a grainy photo, unworthy of the wall of fame...but this is just the first of many memories she¡¯ll make as heiress apparent. With time, she believes she¡¯ll deliver a memory to live up to those legends from the past. She thinks she¡¯ll get there eventually...

    She knows now is her time to shoot for the stars.

 7. The Path Less Traveled

    The winds of change are blowing. With the solstice behind them, spring creeps closer and closer to Japan, eager to thaw the icy veil over Sapporo. Soon, the snow will recede, the grass will grow, and the sakura trees will bloom.

    Aikawa Auto, too, is starting to transform. The usual maintenance and winterization mask something else brewing behind the scenes... Slowly, steadily, the status quo is giving way. What becomes of this change, the heiress apparent doesn¡¯t know quite yet...but there¡¯s nowhere left to go but forward. One way or another, the company will change.

    ¡°Morning, Reina!¡± Old Man Takashi welcomes the shop¡¯s rising star.

    ¡°Morning! Looks like you¡¯re already working on that car there?¡±

    ¡°Yup, just a standard service here. We did get some emails for part orders this morning, you mind handling those for me? Never was good with that newfangled computer stuff.¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡±

    Reina¡¯s been a lot more chipper lately. Equipped with a cushion to outlast the winter, she¡¯s been able to put the company¡¯s immediate budget concerns to rest, and focus instead on more long-term projects. For the first time in an age, Aikawa Auto can look to the future again¡ªand who better to lead the charge than Reina herself?

    (I think I¡¯m getting closer... I¡¯ve got something here.)

    To aim for the future, Reina must first master the past. What was Aikawa Auto, really¡ªand what was it that brought them their fame and fortune in the golden years? The more Reina dives deep into the company¡¯s past, the more she gets the idea that it wasn¡¯t just lightning in a bottle, nor just the right product at the right time... There was something else that propelled their success back then. An underlying concept... An idea that put Aikawa Auto in a class of their own.

    If she can just distill that concept, and translate it to the modern day...

    *DING!*

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    This time, she¡¯s the one startled by the chime.

    ¡°Hey there.¡±

    ¡°Yuzu! What brings you here?¡±

    Yuzu, meanwhile, is swept up in her own changing times. She¡¯s been accepted into Hokkaido University, but she¡¯s yet to commit to the campus¡ªshe¡¯s got a lot to consider, with her rookie Formula 4 season rapidly approaching. There¡¯s a certain other wrinkle in her plans¡ªone she didn¡¯t see coming¡ªthat brings her to the shop today...

    ¡°Well, uh...long story short, I have a car now. I got my license last month, and then a friend of mine told me about this car somebody wanted to get rid of in his neighborhood. They didn¡¯t even want anything for it, I think they were gonna send it to a junkyard otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Huh, really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, one thing led to another and it just...became mine. So I was wondering if you could take a look at it and see what kind of shape it¡¯s in.¡±

    ¡°Well, sure, I can do that! Is it here in the parking lot?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I drove it here from his place. It, uh...barely made it, though.¡±

    ¡°Oh. How bad do you think it is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know the first thing about mechanics, buuut...¡± Yuzu recalls how much of a pain in the neck it was to make it here. She and her friend spent upwards of an hour just getting the car started and moving.

    ¡°...I think it¡¯s pretty bad.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get it in the garage and see what we can do.¡±

    With her curiosity piqued, Reina hollers to Takashi to open the garage door before heading out into the lot with Yuzu. It¡¯s unseasonably warm today, and thank God for that, because if she ends up having to push this thing, she¡¯d rather not do it in the snow.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, right over there.¡±

    Finally, the curtain rises over the mystery car, and Reina¡¯s eyes widen with intrigue.

    ¡°Ohhh, it¡¯s a Silvia! S...12, I think? Looks like a mid-80s model.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what my friend was saying. He knows a lot more about this stuff than I do.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not what I was expecting. These are pretty sought after... Who the heck would throw one away?¡±

    ¡°Someone¡¯s disgruntled wife, apparently.¡±

    Yuzu doesn¡¯t have all the details of the story, but from what she heard, the Silvia had a somewhat acrimonious departure with its former owner. It was his life, his dream, his baby...and, alas, his undoing. He was spending far too much on mods and upgrades for it, drawing the ire of his wife. Then, on one ill-advised mountain run, he did quite the number on the engine¡ªand his insistence on shelling out yet more cash to repair it was the straw that broke her back. She dumped it on the first willing driver she could, summed up with a sign on the window reading ¡°PLEASE JUST TAKE IT.¡±

    The sunk-cost fallacy is not to be trifled with.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t look like it has any crash damage, at least. It still looks pretty straight.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The engine, though...that¡¯s kind of a disaster.¡±

    ¡°How was it running?¡±

    ¡°I think it walked more than ran, really.¡±

    As if daring the old Silvia to prove her wrong, Yuzu opens the door and sits herself down behind the wheel to drive the car into the garage. She slots the key in the ignition and gives it a twist...

    *RRRrrrRRR-POP!*

    ¡°...Oof.¡± That sickly backfire tells Reina all she needs to know.

    Yuzu quickly tries again, her cheeks flushing red. This time, though, the car doesn¡¯t even have the decency to misfire, whining endlessly as it refuses to move. Yuzu gives up with a sigh, removing the key and releasing the parking brake so they can get to pushing. Figures that those band-aid fixes would get her to the shop and not a turn of the tires further.

    ¡°...You mind helping me push?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that was probably asking too much of it.¡±

    Thankfully, the Silvia weighs about as much as a piece of paper. With some elbow grease, Reina and Yuzu are able to heave the ailing car into the garage, where Reina can pop the hood and get to work.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got here...¡±

    The SR20, in its un-natural habitat. The turbocharged inline four might as well be JDM¡¯s bread and butter, and this offering from Nissan helped set the standard. They didn¡¯t come with this model of Silvia, though¡ªit must¡¯ve been swapped in by the owner. That lends credence to the spendthrift theory.

    Alas, this particular engine is not a good ambassador for the breed. The more Reina looks, the more she finds wrong with it¡ªthe engine bay is littered with evidence of abuse and dodgy aftermarket work. All signs point to an owner with no idea what he was doing...and a waste of a perfectly good motor.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be honest, it¡¯s a miracle this thing even got here. How far did you drive it?¡±

    ¡°Hrrmm... 20 or 30 kilometers, maybe?¡±

    ¡°I would¡¯ve expected it to blow up after 10.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it sounded like it wanted to die pretty much the entire time. I don¡¯t think the turbo was working at all¡ªand it might¡¯ve been down a cylinder too.¡±

    ¡°Some first car, huh?¡±

    Yuzu can¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re telling me.¡±

    A cursory glance confirms that the turbocharger is all but toast. There¡¯s a chance it can be salvaged on its own, but that¡¯s about where the positives end. It just keeps getting worse.

    ¡°Geez, it¡¯s like a crime scene in here...¡± Reina steadily peels back the layers of the engine, like she¡¯s performing an autopsy. Oil seeps from the broken ceiling of the engine as she lifts the valve cover off, giving her a grisly look at the head inside.

    ¡°Well, whatever the previous owner did to this thing, the engine did not like it.¡±

    ¡°That... There shouldn¡¯t be that much oil there, right?¡±

    ¡°No. No, there shouldn¡¯t. That is some awful sludge right there.¡±

    What follows is the arduous process of decoupling the cylinder head from the bare block beneath it. Reina needs to get deep into the engine to survey the extent of the damage, and for that, the head¡¯s gotta come off.

    ¡°You mind lending me a hand here? Just hold this flashlight for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±

    ¡°Great, just hold it steady there...¡± Yuzu¡¯s extra pair of hands prove handy for helping Reina with all this fiddly work. Yuzu herself feels quite out of her depth, but at the very least, she¡¯s glad she can help Reina out with what limited ability she has. It¡¯s almost relaxing, in a way.

    (Huh... I can see why she likes this. It¡¯s like puzzle pieces.)

    Time slowly marches on as more and more pieces of the engine come undone. Reina makes it all look like a walk in the park, despite the sheer complexity... That¡¯s what years and years of experience will do for you.

    ¡°Alright, stand back a bit!¡± With a heave, Reina finally removes the cylinder head, which proceeds to drip oil all over the engine and the workshop floor. That brings them to the bare pistons and bores...which, like the rest of the engine, are in truly desolate shape.

    ¡°So you said it felt like you had a cylinder down?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think it was...¡± Yuzu trails off, noticing the horrific condition of one of the pistons.

    ¡°Ohhh...¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s this one. It looks really, really bad here.¡±

    ¡°Aaaand that¡¯s a bad head gasket too. So you weren¡¯t down just one cylinder, you were effectively down two. These two cylinders here were leaking into each other.¡±

    ¡°You pretty much drove here with half a car.¡±

    ¡°...Huh.¡± She¡¯s not sure whether to be impressed that the engine still made it here or disgusted that it got this bad in the first place.

    ¡°You mind if I go ahead and lift it up? I¡¯m gonna drop the oil pan. I have a pretty decent idea what happened to this engine, but I wanna see what comes out of it first.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Go ahead, you¡¯d know better than I would.¡±

    The tires lift off the ground, the black box beneath the car waiting to be revealed. It¡¯s like they¡¯re watching it ascend to the great parking lot in the sky. Reina¡¯s almost tempted to salute the fallen car as it slowly rises on the lift...a tradition she inherited from Old Man Takashi, who himself is saluting from the other side of the garage. They do things differently here.

    ¡°Ooookay...¡± Reina quickly gets to work.

    (Man, she makes all of this look easy.)

    Never before has Reina felt this kind of...dread during a routine oil pan inspection. She can just tell there¡¯s something truly awful awaiting her on the other side of that big slab of metal...and indeed, she audibly cringes as she gets her first look. Oil, metal shavings and God only knows what else have mixed at the bottom of the pan to create an abominable slurry of mechanical malpractice.

    ¡°Yeeeah, that¡¯s not great. You see those shiny little specks in there?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Those are bits of the engine that have chipped off and mixed into the oil.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s, uh...wonderful.¡±

    Yuzu lets out a defeated chuff. She didn¡¯t think the car had that much life left in it anyway, going by her driving experience, but now Reina¡¯s confirmed it beyond a shadow of a doubt. That mess speaks for itself: this motor has all but given up the ghost.

    ¡°So man, what the hell happened to this thing?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to say for sure without knowing the full story, but...¡± Reina gives the oil pan another disgusted look.

    ¡°I think the previous owner was just driving the car way too hard. This has all the symptoms of an overheat¡ªand not just one isolated event. He was regularly pushing the engine hotter than it could handle.¡±

    ¡°Mm...¡± Yuzu¡¯s inclined to agree. From what she heard, he was a real adrenaline junkie.

    ¡°All that heat was just breaking the engine down bit by bit, and he either didn¡¯t know or didn¡¯t care. At some point, the turbo and the head gasket blew, and that ironically stopped him from doing any more damage. He¡¯s honestly lucky he didn¡¯t break it even worse¡ªhe could¡¯ve thrown a rod or dropped a valve or something, with how hot it was getting.¡±

    ¡°So the engine¡¯s pretty much toast.¡±

    ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡±

    That gets the gears in Yuzu¡¯s head turning...but she has to justify it just a little bit more.

    ¡°Are there any individual parts worth taking out?¡±

    ¡°Mmmm... I¡¯m leaning toward no? Like, the cams didn¡¯t look terrible, for example, but if the whole engine was getting exposed to crazy high temps, then every single part got worn out to some extent. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they all fail too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah...¡±

    ¡°You might be able to send this to a shop specializing in SR20s, they might be able to figure out what parts are still good and what parts aren¡¯t, but that¡¯s a bit out of my wheelhouse. Personally, I don¡¯t think this is worth fixing at all¡ªyou¡¯d pretty much have to rebuild or replace the entire engine.¡±

    It¡¯s a shame, really...but in another sense, it¡¯s exactly what Yuzu was hoping to hear. Sans engine, this car would become a total blank slate¡ªand with it would come an opportunity Yuzu¡¯s been waiting for.

    ¡°...And if I wanted to just keep the car itself, I¡¯d have to find a new engine entirely?¡±

    ¡°Yup. You could go to a junkyard, or try and find a used engine online for cheap.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ve got a plan for that.¡±

    Yuzu turns to Reina, a flare of purpose in her eyes.

    ¡°You build engines, right?¡±

    ¡°I... Hold on, you¡¯re not implying that, are you?¡±

    ¡°And if I am?¡±

    Reina¡¯s taken aback. If Yuzu¡¯s serious with this, it would be the first new engine order for the shop in years. Reina¡¯s been there for plenty of builds in the past, but she¡¯s never led the charge herself before...and yet here Yuzu is, giving her an offer she can¡¯t refuse.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that ever since I ended up with this car, if I¡¯m being honest.¡±

    ¡°I... I¡¯d be honored! Really, though, are you sure? Ordering a whole new engine isn¡¯t cheap.¡±

    ¡°Well, neither is university...and that¡¯s sorta what started my train of thought.¡±

    Yuzu knows she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth¡ªafter all, you need some amount of money to make it in the cutthroat world of racing. But she can¡¯t help thinking about the cost of things anyway...and how it all relates to her wider goal.

    ¡°There are a lot of things I still need to learn if I want to become a better racer...and engineering is a big one. For all my results, I don¡¯t know the first thing about mechanics, and I think that¡¯ll really come back to bite me if I don¡¯t get a feel for it soon.¡±

    ¡°I see...¡±

    ¡°And when I look at uni...I just don¡¯t see it doing much for me. It¡¯s a million yen per year, but the coursework doesn¡¯t seem like it would be all that useful.¡±

    ¡°This, though?¡± Yuzu motions toward the Silvia. ¡°This could help me learn about all sorts of things. I learn by doing, and having my own car to work on would be perfect.¡±

    ¡°So I don¡¯t just want to buy an engine from you¡ªI want to see how it all comes together. If I can learn more about how cars actually work, that¡¯ll do more for me than any university degree could.¡±

    That¡¯s a lot for Reina to take in all at once...and a lot for Yuzu too, really. She lets out a deep exhale, like the weight of that decision has been lifted off her chest. Reina takes a moment to gather her thoughts before finally speaking up:

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll talk it over with Mom. I can¡¯t say for certain how much you¡¯ll get to see of the full build, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to talk your ear off about how all the little parts and pieces affect performance.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll be sure to go through as much as I can when we¡¯re putting it all together.¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s not a no?¡± Yuzu was fearing the worst. She knew she was asking for a whole lot from the company¡ªespecially when she¡¯s asking to just barge into their workshop and shadow a big job like that¡ªbut Reina seems receptive to the idea, as does Takashi listening in.

    ¡°This¡¯ll be my first time actually building one of our engines myself, so this¡¯ll be just as much of a learning experience for you as it is for me.¡± It¡¯s a daunting task...but the sheer excitement of getting to cross that off her bucket list gives Reina an unavoidable smile.

    ¡°But I promise you: I¡¯ll build that thing as best as I can!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Old Man Takashi chooses his time to chip into the conversation, giving Reina a pat on the back. ¡°And you¡¯re not alone just yet¡ªyou¡¯ve got the rest of the crew to help you out if you ever get stuck.¡±

    ¡°Thank you...!¡±

    It¡¯s a deal, then¡ªtentatively. Yuzu still has some nagging hoops to jump through, questions she¡¯s yet to answer. But at the very least, her foot is in the door now.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad that idea doesn¡¯t sound completely stupid to you...¡±

    ¡°Not at all! I think that¡¯s a pretty reasonable take on things.¡±

    ¡°I feel like this was almost a practice round for when I have to justify this to my parents. I just feel...more comfortable talking about this stuff with you.¡±

    Reina can tell all that was weighing heavy on the girl¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll understand.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯ll call you back to give you the go-ahead when I work things out with them. Thank you so much!¡±

    ¡°Thank YOU for trusting us with your new engine~!¡±

    ¡°Heehee... Yeah. No problem.¡±

    You never can tell what each new day will bring. As Yuzu bids the shop farewell, getting back on the train for the ride back to Obihiro, Reina feels the pressure of what she¡¯s just done slowly mountain on top of her. This will be the first big Aikawa Auto project in years, with the potential to break them out of the doldrums...and she will be leading the charge. There¡¯s a lot at stake, both now and in the future...but unlike the financial burdens she¡¯s had to bear in the past, this pressure feels different. It feels...good.

    After all, pressure is what turns coal into diamonds.

    ¡°Oh man, she¡¯s gonna flip when she hears this...!¡± Reina makes for the front desk and picks up the phone. She¡¯s got one big call to make before she can seal the deal...

    *BRRRRING!*

    ¡°Reina! How¡¯s it going?¡±

    ¡°Funny you should ask!¡± Reina beams. Sami can practically hear her smile from the other side of the call.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got ourselves a job.¡±

    ***

    Three hours is far too long. By the time the JR train pulls into Obihiro, the sun has set on the snowy hills of Hokkaido¡ªand Yuzu has been left to scrutinize her every word from earlier in the day. For all her confidence, all her conviction, she still worries that she might be straying too far from the beaten path. What is she to do if she gets lost? Who will set her back on the straight and narrow?

    ...Is she alone?

    ¡°Okay...¡± She knows she can¡¯t hide this development from her parents...and she knows they mean well, but she can¡¯t help feeling awkward about the mere thought of bringing this up. They¡¯ve always been there to guide her¡ªand without them, she literally couldn¡¯t afford to chase this dream of hers. But will they be so easily convinced that this is a good idea?

    Alas, Yuzu concedes, there¡¯s only one way to find out.

    ¡°Welcome back! Just in time for dinner.¡± Yuzu¡¯s parents have just finished setting the table. The girl¡¯s disarmed in an instant.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°So, how¡¯d it go out there? I didn¡¯t hear you come in with the car, so...¡±

    ¡°Yeeeah, it¡¯s not great. The engine¡¯s completely shot.¡±

    Her dad clicks his tongue. ¡°Ahhh, that¡¯s a bummer. So what are you planning on doing with it, or are you still deciding?¡±

    ¡°Well, we managed to get it over to Reina¡¯s...erm, the Aikawa shop, actually. Reina took a look at it for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Well, that was nice of her.¡±

    ¡°She said the engine that¡¯s in it isn¡¯t worth fixing, but well...¡± She briefly fumbles.

    (Dammit, Yuzu, get it together!)

    ¡°...They do custom engine builds over there. She gave me a quote for putting an Aikawa engine in it.¡±

    Both her parents cock their heads. They already have questions about her plan, but they will try and reserve their judgment until she¡¯s done talking.

    ¡°From what she was telling me, it wasn¡¯t much worse than a year at Hokkaido University.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still quite expensive, of course...¡±

    ¡°I know it is, but...it just got me thinking about what I wanna do after high school. I know university is important, and I know it¡¯s a good backup plan if racing doesn¡¯t pan out, but...what would I even be going there for? Racing is all I know¡ªit¡¯s all I¡¯ve wanted to do.¡±

    ¡°With this, though...she said I could shadow her for the build. I might even be able to help out with the install a little. And I think that would give me a lot of really valuable insight into how cars work. I feel like that¡¯s something I need if I wanna become a better driver.¡±

    ¡°I see...¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t want you spending a ton of money on something I won¡¯t get much use out of, you know?¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re sure you will get use out of this car project?¡±

    ¡°More than I would out of university, yeah. I mean, I don¡¯t know anything about car mechanics. I¡¯ve learned about brake bias, suspension setups, stuff like that, but I only know the surface-level stuff.¡±

    ¡°Well, why not study that at university, then?¡±

    ¡°Because I think learning by doing just works so much better for me. I mean, you know me...¡± She sheepishly glances off to the side. ¡°I¡¯ve never been good with the hard sciences at school.¡±

    Yuzu¡¯s father ponders her pitch with a long, faint exhale. There¡¯s a lot of risk in this... A lot of variables, a lot of unknowns. And it marks a shift in Yuzu¡¯s priorities somewhat. Until now, she was almost paralyzed with indecision about university¡ªand as a result, her parents were convinced inertia would eventually nudge her into the lecture halls anyway. But something¡¯s changed...and it causes the both of them to make the same mental note:

    It¡¯s not often she makes up her mind like this.

    ¡°And well, you don¡¯t have to pay for it. I¡¯ve got that prize money, and I can do a part-time job or something...¡±

    ¡°Well, I think you¡¯ll have enough on your plate already once your racing season starts. You just worry about that, alright?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah...¡±

    Her father can¡¯t argue with one point: she¡¯s always learned by doing. He knows she has a good head on her shoulders, but some parts of school have been a struggle for her... She has trouble finding classes and projects she can really engage with¡ªthat¡¯s how she learns best. Maybe a change of scenery really is what she needs to put those brain cells through their paces... Maybe what she truly needs is something that¡¯s more relevant to her dream.

    ¡°I will say, this is a lot to take in tonight, so if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll go ahead and call the shop for some more details tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair... I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you about it before. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing...¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s alright. We¡¯re happy you feel comfortable talking with us about this.¡±

    ¡°We can tell you¡¯ve done a lot of thinking about what kind of future you want¡ªand at the end of the day, that¡¯s your choice to make, not ours. We¡¯re just here to make sure you¡¯re on the path you want.¡±

    ¡°Yeah...a-and I¡¯m not trying to say I¡¯m not thankful! I¡¯m really grateful for how much you¡¯ve helped me. I wouldn¡¯t be where I am without you...¡±

    ¡°Aww, honey... That¡¯s just what good parents do. And besides: you¡¯re all grown up now. You¡¯re an adult, and you¡¯ve got the smarts to make those decisions for yourself. If you¡¯re confident that that¡¯s the best path for you, then I think it¡¯s only fair we trust you.¡±

    ¡°And y¡¯know...you¡¯ve got finals coming up next week.¡± Her father flashes her a faint grin. ¡°If you do well on those, then I think we¡¯ll be able to work something out with your new car. How about it?¡±

    Yuzu¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°I... You mean it? Thank you...!¡±

    ¡°No problem, sweetie... Now let¡¯s eat! Don¡¯t want dinner to get cold now.¡±

    Yuzu ends her weekend relieved and resolved. For the first time, she feels like the different threads of her future are all moving in the same direction... Her direction. There¡¯s no doubt nor disagreement over who or what she wants to be anymore¡ªnot from her parents, nor from herself. She is who she is, nothing more and nothing less.

    In a few days¡¯ time, Yuzu will make good on her end of the deal¡ªand as the academic chapter of her life ends, a new one begins. A chapter with a more pointed purpose, chasing a dream on four wheels.

    So too begins a new era for Aikawa Auto: the heiress apparent is stepping up at last. Reina Aikawa¡¯s first big job begins now.

 8. A Blast From the Past

    There¡¯s something different in the air this morning. Some kind of presentiment... A je ne sais quoi. Reina can¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯s felt anything quite like it... It dances in her eyes as she unlocks the door to the shop. Dawn has yet to break over Sapporo, but her day is already in full motion.

    (Man... I¡¯m really doing this!)

    She¡¯s seen this place a thousand times before. The lobby, the front desk, the wall of fame and all the mementos therein...but it doesn¡¯t feel the same today. Her grandmother is staring down at her from the wall, as she always is¡ªthat same wide-eyed grin on her face from so many years ago. For far too long, that memory has served as an ironic contrast to the shop¡¯s misfortunes... A painful reminder of how far they¡¯ve fallen.

    But Reina doesn¡¯t feel ashamed to look at her grandmother¡¯s face anymore. Today, for the first time, she truly feels like she¡¯s following in her footsteps. Her time has finally come.

    (Alright... Here we go!)

    Light swarms the garage. The Road Runner sits stout as always; joining it is Yuzu¡¯s stricken Silvia, humbly resting at the far corner of the floor. She still hasn¡¯t gotten used to both cars greeting her in the mornings...but in time, the Silvia will fit right in.

    ¡°Morning, Reina!¡± Old Man Takashi was supposed to take the morning shift today, but he¡¯s not surprised to see Reina manning the shop anyway. She¡¯s been bouncing off the walls ever since she got the greenlight from Yuzu and her parents.

    ¡°Morning! Just getting started with the Silvia.¡±

    ¡°Not wasting any time, eh?¡±

    ¡°Nope~¡±

    Now that the check has cleared and she can officially get down to business, Reina pops the Silvia¡¯s hood open and hoists it up high to reveal the goods inside. Step one is removing the old engine from its cradle¡ªboth to pawn it off to any potential for-parts buyers, and to confirm how much space she has to work with in the engine bay.

    ¡°Ahh, been a while since we¡¯ve worked on one of these... Really takes me back.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, these were pretty common back in the day, weren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Yup. Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and all.¡± Takashi does love to reminisce.

    He and Clara go way back¡ªhe was one of her first clients, and with the help of her mechanical wizardry, he dominated his local racing scene. Before long, all of his rivals were clamoring for Aikawa powerplants of their own to try and keep up with him.

    As fate would have it, the next thing he got from Clara was a job. His employer went bust in the 90s, so he just packed his bags, moved to Sapporo, and he¡¯s been working at the shop ever since.

    ¡°We tuned up our fair share of these peppy little cars in ye olden days. They can be a bit claustrophobic, but you¡¯d be surprised how much you can cram in there.¡±

    ¡°So we can get one of our small ones in there, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, for sure. Plenty of space in there if you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    Time really does fly when you¡¯re having fun. The relative lack of regular work this morning lets Reina give her undivided attention to the Silvia¡ªand is she ever attentive. She meticulously pores over the engine bay, decoupling the engine bit by bit under Takashi¡¯s watchful eye. She hardly even notices the door chime when a customer comes in for service work...but Takashi¡¯s happy to pick up the slack for her. It¡¯s the least he can do for the heiress apparent.

    (You just keep chugging right along, Reina. You¡¯re doing exactly what you need to do.)

    With time, patience and a whole lotta elbow grease, Reina finally pulls the blown SR20 from its coffin. It really is a shame this thing was tortured to death... It¡¯d be worth a lot more than it is now, had the previous owner not turned it into a flamethrower. That said, there¡¯s always a chance some obsessed collector or restorer will come along and buy it for parts; failing that, they can always just recycle it. And if not for his antics, this opportunity never would¡¯ve come rolling her way to begin with. Fate does work in funny ways.

    ¡°Oooo-kay!¡± Reina wipes the sweat dribbling down her forehead. It¡¯s been a good while since she got down in the weeds with a car like this... It feels nice.

    ¡°I see what you mean, Takashi. There should be plenty of room here.¡±

    ¡°Yup! That there¡¯s a perfect candidate.¡±

    Takashi turns to Reina, who¡¯s already sporting a grin from cheek to cheek. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re ready for the next step. Been a long time coming, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go open that door, then.¡±

    Tucked on the second floor of the great brick building lies a door rarely opened¡ªa relic from the golden years that the tides of time couldn¡¯t reach. It is the door to Reina¡¯s dreams. Anticipation shoots up her arm as she grips the handle, her breaths nearly trembling. When the door at last opens again, Reina leaves the Aikawa Auto of the present, and steps through a gateway backward into time.

    *Click!*

    The light above lazily paints a sterile, dusty picture...but the faded grays belie the true significance of this place. Here lie the chronicles of a mad scientist: Clara Jennings.

    Among other things, she was an obsessive note-taker¡ªshe made sure everything that ran through her head eventually made its way onto paper. Designs, blueprints, experiments... Every last detail of her life¡¯s work lines the shelves across the room, framed by a single, understated work desk at the very front. If the garage floor was Clara¡¯s laboratory, then this was her library¡ªthe sum of all her automotive knowledge, preserved like a time capsule for her granddaughter to inherit.

    And there, nestled within the many manuals and technical documents, lies Clara¡¯s mechanical manifesto: the Big Book.

    ¡°Man, it¡¯s been too long since we cracked this thing open...¡± Reina has to blow the dust off the cover, letting loose a light cloud in the washed-out room.

    ¡°No better time to break that dry spell, eh?¡±

    ¡°You got that right.¡±

    There really is no overselling the importance of the Big Book. Dwarfing just about any other book Reina¡¯s ever seen, it contains everything she could possibly need to know about how to build an Aikawa engine. Every part, every measurement, every tolerance¡ªthere is not a single stone here left unturned.

    Reina remembers how she would read through this book for fun as a kid, looking at all the pretty hand-drawn illustrations and memorizing all the technical jargon throughout the pages. As she got older, she would break out the book and read along while helping Clara with her builds... Now, for the first time, she¡¯ll be the one leading the charge.

    And she¡¯ll make damn sure she does the job by the book.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see here...¡± She starts flipping through the pages in chunks to find the part she¡¯s looking for. Each of the Aikawa engine designs gets dozens if not hundreds of pages in this book, and if memory serves, the one she wants is at the very back...

    ¡°There we are: Pocket PR34. That¡¯s the one.¡±

    The Pocket¡ªa scaled-down V6 design¡ªwas one of their most popular offerings back in the day. It was the smallest engine they offered, but Clara was very deliberate with its design: it was made precisely to give small, nimble cars an extra boost of power without weighing them down too much. It was a very successful engine for that reason: it punched well above its weight, and proved itself time and time again on the streets.

    You could hardly get the V8-loving Clara to admit it, but she was damn proud of that motor.

    ¡°Sounds like you already know where to go from here.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve got a good lead, yeah. I¡¯ll just be in here taking notes for a while. Would you be okay handling any customers for the time being?¡±

    ¡°Heh heh... Look at you, taking charge.¡± The sight brings a smile to his face.

    ¡°Heehee! Well, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°It means ¡®Roger that,¡¯ boss. You just leave the basics to me; if there¡¯s anything I can do to help, feel free to let me know.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. Thank you so much, Takashi!¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Takashi bids the library farewell and returns to the present. He feels like the air about Reina has...changed, somewhat. That timid young girl he used to know has grown up into a real go-getter... All she needed was the right project. The right nudge. The opportunity, at long last, to show an eager client what she¡¯s made of.

    (Just like old times... Wherever you are, you crazy bastard, you can rest assured she¡¯s making you proud.)

    ***

    The hours steadily pass in the dingy library, undisturbed by the outside world. Reina, engrossed completely, absorbs the book like a sponge. She¡¯s no stranger to these engines, but when she was growing up, she mostly just helped assemble the acquired parts. The actual process of building the engine from start to finish is something she¡¯s never had to do on her own... Each individual component, from the largest block to the smallest bolt, first needs to be sourced and procured. Only when she has all the pieces of this elaborate jigsaw puzzle can she begin putting them together...If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    But she thinks she¡¯s up to the task. After all, she¡¯s always loved puzzles.

    When she emerges from the library, big book in hand, she immediately races to the garage floor to take inventory on all the parts they have. The front desk is getting plenty of work too: Reina already has a giant spreadsheet going, covering every last facet of the order in comprehensive detail. She works the building up and down, steadily filling in more and more of the bigger picture¡ªall while Takashi watches on with a proud smile on his face.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±

    ¡°Not bad so far! Just trying to figure out what we already have and what we need to buy. Buncha boring spreadsheet work too¡ªsome of these phone numbers in the big book are waaay out of date, so I¡¯ve gotta get them updated and then start making calls for orders.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re already gearing up for orders now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m ready! I figure I¡¯ll run the list by you and Mom though, just in case. Oh, and I might still need her to sign off on a couple things since she¡¯s our primary contact for some of these suppliers. Just official stuff.¡±

    ¡°Man... Yeah, sounds like you¡¯ve got it all figured out.¡± He can barely keep up with how fast her mind is racing...but he doesn¡¯t need to. This is her project¡ªand soon, if it isn¡¯t already, it¡¯ll be her company too.

    That logistical prowess is something Reina¡¯s never really thought about as a strength of hers, but to everyone else around her, her talent is blatantly obvious. She¡¯s just got such a knack for managing things. Even at a young age, she was obsessed with organizing, categorizing, making sure she knew every little quirk and detail of a project. Now, her skills have matured, and all those pent-up dreams and ambitions are finally being put to the test.

    ¡°Yeah... Yeah, that works. Just gotta call them up and get the ball rolling there. Lemme see here, their working hours aaare...¡± Reina finds the one tab she needs on a very busy computer screen. She¡¯s about to place an order for a big, big part.

    ¡°Good! They¡¯re still open. Time to call in an order!¡±

    There¡¯s a certain excitement, a whimsy coursing through her as she punches in the foundry¡¯s number. She¡¯s steadily knocking out more and more milestones on her long, long road to taking the reins¡ªand with each order, each part, each piece of the puzzle, she can feel herself gaining confidence. This¡¯ll be her first time talking to the foundry herself¡ªjust like mom and grandma used to do...

    ¡°Ichimura Foundry! How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°Hello! This is the Aikawa Auto Company. I¡¯m calling to put in a casting order!¡±

    ¡°...Ohhh, hello! It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it? Is this Sami?¡±

    ¡°Close¡ªI¡¯m her daughter, Reina! This is my first time heading up an engine project here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s told me about you! Nice to finally put a voice to the name!¡±

    Another old friend of Clara¡¯s. Despite setting up shop all the way down in Hamamatsu in Japan¡¯s central region, she and her foundry have been Aikawa Auto¡¯s go-to engine block supplier for decades.

    ¡°Right, so getting down to business: you¡¯ve still got our PR34 design, right?¡±

    ¡°You bet I do. Looking for a block?¡±

    ¡°Yup. We¡¯ve finally got a new engine order!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s wonderful news! Well, I¡¯ll get right to work on that, then. I should have a quote ready for you within the next couple days.¡±

    ¡°Excellent! Just out of curiosity, do you have a lead estimate for me?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re in luck. Business is pretty slow at the moment, so I can get you in pretty quick. Factoring in shipping, I can probably get it to you in, oh...six weeks? Conservative estimate.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯d be perfect!¡±

    ¡°I can probably get it to you a week or two faster with some extra motivation, though~¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s for the client to decide, of course~¡±

    ¡°Right. Can¡¯t fault me for trying!¡±

    ¡°Go ahead and send me an invoice whenever. Thank you very much!¡±

    ¡°Any time! You take care now.¡±

    ¡°You too... Yup. Bye.¡±

    And with that, one big piece falls right into place.

    ¡°Perfect...! Yes!¡± Reina fist-pumps to herself. ¡°This is really happening now... I still can¡¯t believe it!¡±

    It brings Reina no end of relief to feel so readily accepted into this world. All this time, she¡¯s been wondering how she could possibly break into it...but now, she¡¯s putting those big shoes on and filling them as best she can.

    ¡°And if her estimate is right, this¡¯ll be ready for assembly a whole lot faster than I expected... We might be able to get this build done while I¡¯m still on break!¡± She didn¡¯t plan for the timing of it all to work quite so well, but she¡¯s certainly not complaining.

    That, then, lifts her over the first major hurdle of the build. Throughout the rest of the day, she sends out calls and fills out forms, putting Yuzu¡¯s budget to good use as she secures parts big and small. In time, the pieces will all arrive at her desk...and she¡¯ll be ready to put them all together.

    Clara looks down at her from the wall...and she¡¯s smiling, just like she always is.

    ***

    At last, the day is done. Long after the sun has set, long after the customers and the other employees have come and gone, Reina shuts the shop computer down for the night and lets her eyes rest for the first time in a great while. The whole day has been a blur... She feels like she had so much and so little time to work with; so many things to do, yet stopped right up against the boundaries of her timetable. It¡¯s a strange feeling, looking forward to what the future brings for once...but Reina could certainly get used to it. It puts the wind back in her sails.

    To say nothing of her mother, who cracks a gentle smile when she spots Reina finally returning home for the night.

    ¡°Well, somebody was burning the midnight oil down there!¡±

    ¡°Uh, heh heh... Yeah. There was just so much to do!¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a bad thing at all, now is it?¡±

    ¡°Nope~¡±

    Reina breathes a sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging as her whole body decompresses. Powder falls onto the mud room carpet as she brushes straggling snowflakes off her coat. As much as she loves her job, there¡¯s nothing like coming home and unwinding after a hard day¡¯s work¡ªespecially when there¡¯s a nice, warm bed waiting for her.

    ¡°You hungry for anything, or are you just gonna hit the hay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m gonna hop in the shower, and then that¡¯ll be it for me today.¡±

    ¡°Nothing wrong with that! You¡¯ve earned it.¡± Sami herself is just finishing off a late dinner. The aroma tempts Reina, but the allure of the shower is stronger.

    Sami wasn¡¯t on the clock today; she wishes she were, but with her back still giving her trouble, she needs her off days to rest up and recover. She promises to make up for it once assembly time comes round. Perhaps Reina taking the reins early like she did was a blessing in disguise... She doesn¡¯t need to lean on her mom as much anymore.

    Not that Sami¡¯s content to just give up and let her daughter do all the work. Whether it¡¯s picking up the slack at the shop or taking care of things at home, she wants to be there however she can. It really is the least she can do.

    ¡°So, how¡¯d it go? I know you called me about that one form you needed my signature for, but it seemed like you were just humming along otherwise!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m surprised how smooth it went!¡±

    (Heh heh... I¡¯m not. That¡¯s my girl.)

    ¡°I got a good chunk of parts ordered today. There¡¯s a lot of stuff I¡¯m still waiting for email replies on, but the rest went pretty well. Assuming we don¡¯t have any big delays, we might have all the parts we need by the end of my break!¡±

    ¡°Excellent! Gotta love how quick the turnarounds are down at Ichimura.¡±

    ¡°No kidding.¡±

    Sami takes another sip of her tea. ¡°So, you feeling better about things now?¡±

    Reina isn¡¯t sure how to answer that question, if she¡¯s being honest. She really does feel more confident, more in control of things...but she almost feels like she¡¯d jinx herself if she acknowledges that fact. Like someone or something is waiting to pull the rug out from under her.

    But her feelings don¡¯t lie: there¡¯s an optimism deep down inside that she just can¡¯t deny. It feels strange...alien, even. But she has to let it in, she realizes. In order to believe in the future, you must first believe in yourself.

    ¡°...Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear.¡± Sami shuffles up out of her seat and gives Reina a big ol¡¯ hug.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got what it takes. Don¡¯t let anyone or anything tell you otherwise.¡±

    Reina melts into Sami¡¯s embrace. ¡°Thanks, Mom... Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sweetie.¡± With a pat on the back, Sami affirms to her that she¡¯s not alone. When the time comes for her to take the next step, they¡¯ll all be there for her. She guarantees it.

    For tonight, however, Reina needs her rest. Her quivering yawn echoes through the room as she finally makes for the shower, eager to wash away all her fatigue and crash into her bed for the night.

    Sami too can¡¯t help feeling drowsy after her late meal and her evening tea; she would retire early herself...but there¡¯s something keeping her eyes open and her mind occupied.

    *sigh* ¡°They grow up so fast... I didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d have to think about this so soon.¡±

    Sami takes a good, long look out the kitchen window, tea in hand. This winter seemed to fly by compared to previous years... The flakes are still falling outside, but they won¡¯t stick around much longer. Before she knew it, spring is already knocking on Sapporo¡¯s door...and with the changing seasons comes the dawn of a new era at Aikawa Auto.

    It¡¯s that bridge she¡¯s thinking about¡ªthat transition between past and future. Reina seems to know what she wants for the company...but there¡¯s a certain tension gnawing at Sami as she prepares to pass the torch. A choice she has to make...

    (Should I tell her...?)

    Aikawa Auto is not without its secrets. As the heiress apparent, Reina has every right to know...but all the same, she¡¯s already been dragged down and forced to carry the weight of all the company¡¯s prior missteps. Does Sami really have the right to place one more figment of the past upon her?

    (I feel like that¡¯s not what she needs, but...)

    ...Is it even Sami¡¯s place to hide that from her? What right does she have to make such an important choice¡ªor indeed, prevent that choice from being made¡ªwhen her time in the sun has long since set?

    After all, she was the one who couldn¡¯t capitalize on it to begin with...

    *sigh*

    Sami¡¯s wrinkled gaze narrows. The steam from her tea still dances up to her face. She takes one more long sip...and in that moment, she realizes she still has the responsibility to do what¡¯s best for Reina. That¡¯s how she should be thinking about this.

    Reina deserves to know everything. What she does with that knowledge will be her choice and hers alone.

    (...But not right now. She has other things she¡¯s focusing on.)

    (Once she¡¯s done with this project, once she¡¯s found her footing in the company...I think that¡¯s when I¡¯ll let her know. She might be able to make it work where I couldn¡¯t...)

    Her expression softens into a calm smile. It really would be in better hands with her.

    (After all, she is her grandmother¡¯s granddaughter.)

    Contented, Sami finishes her tea. Maybe she is just worrying about all this too much. She¡¯s noticed one particular thing about Reina and the way she manages the shop: she¡¯s always thinking ahead. At times, that drags her down, when the future seems bleak and hopeless; other times, however, it serves as a beacon of light that guides her way. She¡¯s always trying to figure out how to bring the company with her into the future ahead, while keeping true to herself and her identity... It¡¯s a marked departure from Sami¡¯s own way of doing things.

    Perhaps that¡¯s what the company¡¯s needed all along.

    (Yeah... I¡¯ll just leave the driving to her for now. I think she knows what she¡¯s doing.)

    At any rate, there¡¯s still plenty left to do in the meantime¡ªthat new engine won¡¯t build itself. Reina¡¯s already steering the company well, and once the wait is over, she¡¯ll be able to break new ground as the de facto boss of the shop.

    The seasons are changing...and the future is looking brighter and brighter by the day.

 9. From Aikawa With Love

    ¡°Alright... I think that¡¯s just about it.¡±

    Yuzu has beaten the sun out of bed on this lazy Saturday, waiting outside the train station for the 3-hour trip to Sapporo. Finally, after weeks and weeks of waiting, Aikawa Auto is ready to begin work on her car¡ªand they¡¯ve invited her into the shop for the shadow she wanted. Throughout the weekend, she¡¯ll be getting a close-up tour to beat any high school field trip...and in the process, she¡¯ll come one step closer to realizing her dream.

    It¡¯s funny how quickly things change... Even in the dark, she can see how much snow has melted overnight. In just one season, Yuzu¡¯s found herself in a whole new situation, far beyond anything she could have imagined. It may very well change her fortunes outright by the time the next season ends...

    Work begins at 9. Be there or be square.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ***

    It¡¯s time. All the pieces are gathered at the shop, ready to come together. The heiress apparent did her prep work well¡ªshe left no stone unturned, just like Clara would. Now, she¡¯s rewarded for her efforts: the first Aikawa engine build in years can finally begin.

    Reina can feel the anticipation in the crisp morning air¡ªthe kindling of a long-forgotten flame. If just for one project, she has bridged the gap between past and present, and given the company¡¯s core one more chance to shine. With this, she takes another step on the long, long road out of the depths...and another step toward a warmer, brighter future.

    She¡¯s close to the answer she¡¯s been looking for. She¡¯s almost certain of what makes Aikawa engines truly special now. Once she¡¯s finished building one of her own, she thinks she¡¯ll finally be there...

    And then, if the stars line up just right, she can take that magic and forge the path she¡¯s dreamed of.

    ¡°Morning, everybody!¡± Reina greets the rest of the crew, just now gathering outside the front door. It¡¯s been a great while since the shop had all hands on deck¡ªand what better day for it than this?

    ¡°Well, good morning! Somebody¡¯s up and ready to get crackin¡¯, huh?¡± Uncle Naoto¡¯s wrinkly face can¡¯t stop his smile.

    ¡°She could barely even sleep, the poor girl. Maybe I should¡¯ve read her a bedtime story like old times!¡±

    ¡°Aw, cut her some slack. I think we¡¯re all pretty excited, eh? Especially you.¡± Old Man Takashi is blooming with enthusiasm himself. It¡¯s been a long, long while since they got to do what they do best.

    ¡°Well, of course. These are exciting times.¡±

    Not to count their special guest out, of course. Right on time, she comes walking up to the lot off the local bus, giving a confident wave to Reina and the gang. Her stoic face belies a certain excitement, a certain whimsy pounding through her heart. This is the first time she¡¯s been genuinely excited for anything that isn¡¯t racing in a long, long time.

    ¡°Yuzu! Glad you could make it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for having me. I really, really appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°Not a problem. As promised, you can shadow the build however you want, and if you want to request working on something simple, just let one of us know. If a customer comes in for maintenance work, we just ask you stay out of their way. Common sense, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± The company did have her sign an agreement the prior week¡ªthey may be on the wild side, but they¡¯re not reckless.

    ¡°So the build¡¯s all ready to go?¡±

    ¡°Yup! I¡¯ve confirmed all our parts, so we shouldn¡¯t have to re-order anything. As far as I can tell, we¡¯ve got everything we need to knock this out this weekend!¡±

    ¡°Alright. Show me how it¡¯s done!¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡±

    On come the lights, wind rushing through the door as the chime announces the start of the day. The speakers hum to life with the sound of Dio echoing off the walls. Clara greets the group, as she always does...and Reina meets her grandmother¡¯s toothy grin with an equally confident smile.

    (Gonna make you proud, Grandma... Just you watch!)

    Slowly, the garage floor comes alive, and the treasure trove within is unveiled to the cast. Reina had a lot of prep work to do the night before¡ªall the parts and boxes are arranged in a nice, neat pile next to the Silvia, and she rolled out their workbench in front of the open engine bay. It was back-breaking work, but it¡¯ll all be worth it once the day is done.

    ¡°Man, that¡¯s a lotta stuff...¡± It¡¯s somehow even more complicated than Yuzu expected.

    ¡°Yup, that looks like everything!¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure it is, fingers crossed! If I called everybody here just to find out I have a wrong part, I¡¯m going to cry.¡±

    ¡°Meh, happens to the best of us. It¡¯s like a rite of passage!¡± Old Man Takashi knows that all too well from his street hooligan days.

    ¡°Well?¡± Sami looks to her daughter, the excitement palpable. She nods.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Reina responds in kind. She¡¯s ready to take that next big step.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to work!¡±

    Reina and company know the score: in order to give the heiress as much hands-on experience as possible, she¡¯ll be the one manning the workbench for most of the day. The others, meanwhile, will juggle a multitude of tasks: stripping down the car¡¯s interior, checking for electrical defects, undoing machine crimes from the previous owner, keeping tabs on the computer at the front desk¡ªnot to mention handling any customers coming in for routine maintenance throughout the day. If all goes well, they¡¯ll be humming along like a well-oiled machine in and of themselves.

    Speaking of...

    ¡°Ahhh...! Here we are!¡±

    It¡¯s Christmas in March as Reina brings the brand new engine block out of its box. Funny that this was the last part to arrive¡ªthough only by a few days. That extra ¡°motivation¡± to Ichimura wouldn¡¯t have done much.

    The wait was more than worth it¡ªit¡¯s beautiful.

    ¡°Hel-lo there! Aren¡¯t you a cutie?¡± A brand-new engine block is a wonderful thing.

    ¡°So those are the cylinders?¡±

    ¡°Yup. This is the engine block.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s...huh. It¡¯s smaller than I thought it¡¯d be.¡±

    Reina chuckles; she gets where Yuzu¡¯s coming from. Reina will never not be amused at how small engines actually are at their core. This one, their smallest model, displaces less volume inside the cylinders than a gallon jug of milk¡ªbut it produces enough power to propel a one-ton car like the Silvia over 240 kilometers an hour.

    She¡¯s got a lot of work to do to get it there, though. After generously oiling up the housings, the engine is ready for its first new roommate: the camshaft.

    ¡°Oookay. First, the cam... So, Yuzu, I¡¯ve got a job for you: you mind holding that flashlight for me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, sure.¡± Yuzu picks it up off the table and flicks it on.

    ¡°Shine it right there... Perfect!¡± The camshaft has to go through a series of slots in the block, like threading a giant steel needle. With effort, she slowly eases the part through the housing and gets it settled in place.

    ¡°So this moves all the valves, right?¡± Yuzu tried doing some research on her own before the build, but she didn¡¯t get very far. She¡¯s still rife with questions.

    ¡°...Sorry, I¡¯m gonna be asking stuff a lot.¡±

    ¡°No worries! I did too when I was learning.¡± Reina steps back to take a breather.

    ¡°You¡¯re right though, yeah. The cam opens and closes the valves. Air and fuel go in, they get ignited by the pistons and the spark plugs, and then the exhaust goes out the pipes.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    ¡°Here, you can rotate it for yourself, if you want.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Sure.¡± It¡¯s good practice to test parts for proper rotation once they¡¯re installed. With a flick of her wrist, Yuzu gets to test that for herself¡ªand sure enough, the cam and all its lobes spin along without a care in the world.

    ¡°Sooo, I¡¯m a little confused, actually.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I thought the camshaft went on top of the engine?¡±

    Reina takes a sharp breath and pauses to think. Yuzu¡¯s opened up a can of worms.

    ¡°They do most of the time. Modern engines usually put the camshaft in the cylinder head on top of the engine¡ªthat¡¯s called overhead cam. If you¡¯ve ever seen ¡®DOHC¡¯ on an engine cover, that¡¯s what that is.¡±

    Reina places her hand on the work-in-progress engine. ¡°This kind of design here is called a pushrod, and it puts the camshaft down in the engine block instead.¡±

    ¡°Actually, we have the Silvia¡¯s engine torn down right now. That¡¯d help me explain...¡±

    Reina walks Yuzu over to the back wall, where the blown-out SR20 and all of its components are splayed out on the table like some kind of forlorn platter. Yuzu does notice pretty quickly that the engine has two camshafts instead of just one.

    ¡°Overhead cams are a lot more popular in modern cars because they¡¯re generally more efficient. You get more power for the same engine displacement, and you can rev it a lot higher too.¡±

    ¡°So...why pushrod at all?¡±

    ¡°A few reasons. You can see the SR20 here has two camshafts¡ªthat¡¯s the ¡®double¡¯ in double overhead cam. That gives you more power and fuel efficiency, but it¡¯s bigger, heavier and a lot more complicated.¡±

    ¡°With a V-shaped engine like ours, you¡¯d need two camshafts per row, so we¡¯d actually need four camshafts if we wanted to use this kind of design.¡±

    ¡°With a pushrod, though? We only need the one. That makes it smaller, lighter and cheaper than if we wanted to use double overhead cams.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh...¡± Yuzu wasn¡¯t expecting that answer. As far as she was aware, Aikawa was the way it was because they had nothing else to be. She figured their engines were just...outdated. And as Reina explains, they are in some ways¡ªbut in others, they have their advantages.

    (So it¡¯s not just tradition...)

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just do a straight-four like the engine it came with, though?¡±

    ¡°We could, but the Pocket was made to fit a lot of displacement in a small form factor. A V6 has the same amount of cylinders as a straight-six, like some higher-tier Japanese engines, but it¡¯s two rows of three instead of one row of six, so it¡¯s easier to fit this one in.¡±

    ¡°Huh... Fair enough.¡± It¡¯ll be the largest engine she¡¯s ever driven, both by cylinder count and by displacement. The cars she drove for her single-seater campaign last year were restricted to 2 liters. For being that much bigger, the Pocket really isn¡¯t as gargantuan as she was expecting it to be.

    Guess there¡¯s something to be said for keeping it old-school after all.

    ¡°What¡¯s next, then?¡±

    ¡°Now it¡¯s time for the crank.¡± The crankshaft is what controls the pistons, routing the power the engine produces through to the gearbox¡ªand then to the wheels. Together with the camshaft, they act as the engine¡¯s metronome.

    Unlike the cam, the crank is just stacked directly onto the engine block, placed on top of some well-oiled bearings. All the heavy lifting works up quite a sweat, but Reina¡¯s more than equipped to handle it.

    ¡°Phew! There we are.¡±

    ¡°Man, you¡¯re strong.¡±

    ¡°The perks of being a mechanic, heh heh.¡±

    *DING!*

    The chime announces a customer coming in for maintenance.

    ¡°Oh, somebody just came in.¡±

    ¡°I got it!¡± Old man Takashi skitters off to the lobby to greet the customer; Uncle Naoto offers to take whatever job the client has for them. Soon enough, the garage door opens to a flood of morning sunlight, and yet another unassuming sedan comes trundling in. Customer states it¡¯s running a little hot... They should be able to get to the bottom of that.

    Reina can¡¯t help but smile. It¡¯s been an age since the shop was this busy, all four of their employees buzzing around like bees to get their work done. Every tacky business likes to call themselves a family...but in Reina¡¯s case, it really does feel that way.

    Still full of energy, she presses on.

    ¡°Okay, now we gotta torque these down...¡± Reina stands up and motions for Yuzu to give her some space. It¡¯s time for the trusty old torque wrench.

    Yuzu watches as Reina puts her back into it, the workbench threatening to move on its wheels as she tightens the pieces into place. Her tall stature isn¡¯t just for show¡ªshe¡¯s got strength to spare.

    ¡°Phew! That¡¯s that one.¡±

    ¡°How hard do you have to tighten them?¡±

    ¡°You gotta stick to the numbers; I have it pulled up in the book here. You see those numbers on the bottom of the page there?¡± She points to a busy page with a whole slew of measurements for the crankshaft.

    ¡°Yup, those?¡±

    ¡°Mhm. That has to match exactly. The closer you can get it, the better. That¡¯s what this torque wrench is for: it tells you exactly how much force you¡¯re applying.¡±

    Reina lets Yuzu hold the torque wrench and see for herself: there¡¯s a gauge with a needle that gives the torque measurement right in front of her hand. It¡¯s an old-school tool, but as they say: if it ain¡¯t broke, don¡¯t fix it.

    ¡°Ohhh, yeah, I see it.¡±

    ¡°Wanna try tightening this one yourself?¡±

    Yuzu¡¯s brows lift just a bit.

    ¡°...Sure, why not?¡±

    Yuzu fits the wrench onto the part and gets to pulling...and pulling...and pulling. Her momentum stalls out well before she¡¯s reached the magic number; she really has to heave to get it the rest of the way there. How Reina made this look so easy, she has no idea.

    ¡°There you go!¡±

    *huff* ¡°Is that good?¡±

    Reina gives it a quick yank to confirm. ¡°Yup, on the money.¡±

    ¡°Okay, good. You mind doing the other ones?¡±

    ¡°Heehee... Not at all.¡±

    Bit by bit, the pieces are falling into place. While Reina continues her work, Uncle Naoto is continuing his work on the customer¡¯s sedan. Yuzu¡¯s attention span briefly wanders over to him, and...

    (...What the?)

    There seems to be something quite wrong with that car, because Uncle Naoto is really getting in there. Several parts and pieces have already been disconnected or removed; it looks like he¡¯s getting ready to take the engine out of it entirely. Yuzu can¡¯t deny she¡¯s curious, but for now, she figures it¡¯s better to leave him be and let him work.

    Sami, meanwhile, has taken her lunch break early. It¡¯s nice being so close to the local bakery, among other food options. She can just waltz on over and take her pick.

    ¡°Good! Now that that¡¯s done, we can put the pistons in.¡±

    Reina lays out the pistons on the workbench¡ªsix in all, each with their own assortment of rings and connecting pieces. Yuzu¡¯s back on flashlight duty for this part of the job, and she can quickly see why this part is a lot easier with two people.

    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s gonna pop out the other side once I¡¯m done hammering it in. Lemme know when, okay?¡±

    ¡°Gotcha...¡± Sure enough, the connecting end of the piston emerges from the socket to meet her. It almost looks like some kind of tuning fork.

    ¡°There.¡±

    ¡°Okay, good. Now we just put the cap on it and connect it on the other side.¡± Yuzu quickly moves out of the way so Reina can put the cap on and secure the piston in place. One down; five to go.

    ¡°Man, this just gets more and more complicated.¡±

    ¡°Aww, it¡¯s not that bad! Hell, we¡¯ve only got six of these to do; normally, our engines have eight. If you¡¯re a European or a Lexus, you might have even more than that!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, pass for now, heh.¡±

    Slowly, Reina and Yuzu work their way through the five remaining pistons, testing and double-checking the engine all the while. Yuzu can¡¯t help but marvel at how knowledgeable Reina is with the entire process¡ªas if she¡¯s built dozens of engines already. Her actual inexperience belies her steady hand and sharp eyes... She can tell that, even if this is her first solo engine build, she¡¯s more than up to the task.

    She¡¯s not inexhaustible, though¡ªbuilding an engine is hard work. They¡¯ve been at this for quite a while already, and their rumbling stomachs are requesting they take a break. By the time Reina and Yuzu have lunch on the mind, however...

    ¡°Hey there, you two!¡±

    ¡°Oh, hey, Mom!¡±

    ¡°Miss Aikawa!¡±

    ¡°Sami¡¯s fine.¡± She¡¯s back from lunch, and she¡¯s brought a bag of extra goodies to go. ¡°I thought you two might be getting hungry, so I got you something!¡±

    ¡°Ooh...!¡± Reina knows that smell: it¡¯s from her favorite gyoza place up the road.

    ¡°Thanks, Mom!¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you!¡±

    ¡°No problem! Hard to work on an empty tank, after all! Mechanics need fuel too.¡± Sami knows Reina¡¯s quirks all too well. That girl can eat.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s coming along pretty well, so why don¡¯t you go ahead and take a pit stop?¡±

    ¡°Well, sure! There¡¯s always time for gyoza. You good with that, Yuzu?¡±

    ¡°Sure, sounds good to me.¡±

    ¡°Perfect!¡±

    The break couldn¡¯t have come at a better time: the refreshing warmth of spring gives them the perfect backdrop for lunch outside. Tiny rivers flow along the asphalt as the sun chips away at the mountain of snow in the corner of the lot. The rays feel wonderful on Reina¡¯s face... She¡¯s been begging for spring¡¯s reprieve ever since the snow first came marching in.

    Everything¡¯s just so much brighter now. She loves it.

    Reina opens up the bag and digs in. She practically melts with glee at the first bite¡ªyou really can¡¯t go wrong with gyoza.

    ¡°Ahhh, that¡¯s the good stuff!¡±

    ¡°Crazy how much time¡¯s gone by already... I mean, I get it, engine builds take a long time, but it felt like the morning just flew by. I blinked and it was noon already.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, time flies when you¡¯re having fun.¡±

    Yuzu sees the satisfaction on Reina¡¯s face. This is her element, plain and simple¡ªgetting down in the weeds with an engine build, tinkering with all the myriad parts and pieces... This is what she¡¯s always wanted to do. Between indulgent bites of gyoza, she¡¯s staring back at the work-in-progress engine sitting on the workbench inside... She really can¡¯t wait to get back in there and finish the job. She knows how important it is to take breaks¡ªespecially with a job this physically demanding¡ªbut the world of Aikawa Auto just keeps pulling her back in. It¡¯s her home. It¡¯s the world she knows.

    That drive, that passion, that purpose... Yuzu finds it a deeply admirable thing.

    ¡°Thank you again for letting me shadow you on this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no problem! Thank you for giving us this opportunity to begin with.¡±

    ¡°Between you and me, we¡¯ve really needed something like this. It does more than just buoy our finances¡ªit puts the wind back in our sails. We¡¯ve all been itching for a project like this for years and years now...and I can tell how excited Mom and everyone else is for it.¡±

    ¡°So rest assured...¡± Reina finishes off her last dumpling. ¡°We¡¯re gonna put everything we have into this engine¡ªand we¡¯re sure you¡¯re gonna love it.¡±

    That confidence draws a friendly chuckle from Yuzu. ¡°Looking forward to it.¡±

    ***

    Soon enough, Reina gets her wish, and work on the Pocket picks up right where it left off. They¡¯ve still got plenty of time over the weekend, but the sooner they can finish this engine, the sooner they can lower it into the Silvia...and the sooner Yuzu can get her first real taste of Aikawa power. Without missing a beat, Reina gathers the next set of parts for assembly¡ªand almost immediately, Yuzu¡¯s lost in the sea of steel teeth and bolts.

    ¡°Oh... That¡¯s a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yup. This is how the cam and the crank sync up.¡± Reina cups a well-greased chain in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s this chain here and a whooole lotta gears.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    For the engine to function optimally, the cam, the crank and the spark plugs all have to be in perfect sync with each other, firing exactly on the beat thousands of times per minute. If that sounds impossibly precise, it¡¯s because it is. The mechanical dance between the different parts of a car motor is a marvel of engineering design¡ªand it¡¯s all controlled by an elaborate network of gears and chains that form the timing system.

    ¡°Most modern cars will use a belt instead of a chain¡ªit just makes more sense for overhead cams, and it comes out cheaper to produce.¡±

    ¡°This is where some of the money saved from the pushrod design goes, then?¡±

    ¡°Kinda, yeah. Pushrods generally use chains anyway, because with only one cam right inside the block, you don¡¯t need much chain at all to connect it to the crank. We like to buy extra-strength ones for good measure.¡±

    ¡°They do make chains for overhead cams, but they¡¯re, uh...complicated. And expensive.¡±

    ¡°Fair point.¡±

    Reina gingerly gets to work, adding cogs to the machine bit by bit. This part doesn¡¯t test her physical strength so much as her precision¡ªeverything needs to be as exact as possible. The tiniest inaccuracy in the timing can cause misfires, power drops and all other kinds of badness.

    ¡°Line it up here... Turn it a little bit and line it up there...¡± This is the part of the build she¡¯s the least confident with, so she¡¯d rather take things nice and slow than rush the timing assembly and make a mistake somewhere. Yuzu doesn¡¯t mind, at least¡ªit gives her an extended look at how it all comes together.

    ¡°Phew! Okay, I think that should be good.¡± A quick test confirms she¡¯s installed the first couple components properly, to the best of her knowledge. There are still plenty of pieces left to assemble in the timing system, though... Reina steps back to take a quick breather, running through her checklist to make sure she didn¡¯t miss anything.

    She can see the engine¡¯s already looking pretty nice. For her first proper build, things have been going slow but steady¡ªand she couldn¡¯t ask for anything more than that.

    Sami comes in to check up on the crew, having just handled a slew of emails at the front desk. She cracks a proud smile when she sees how far Reina¡¯s come already.

    ¡°Well, this is looking pretty good so far!¡±

    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m just about done with the timing kit. Would you mind double-checking my work real quick, though? I don¡¯t usually do these, so I¡¯m not sure I did it right...¡±

    ¡°Sure, no worries. Better safe than sorry.¡±

    Sami takes a moment to inspect the timing assembly...and she can¡¯t find a single error in Reina¡¯s installation. The whole system is a multi-layered beast, but Reina¡¯s managed to tame it¡ªjust as her grandmother did so many times before.

    Seeing her at work invokes a veritable flood of those rose-tinted memories. She really does look like Clara¡ªnot just on the surface level, but in the way she tinkers, the way she double-checks, the way she scrutinizes every little detail... Contrary to the shop¡¯s unhinged reputation, her actual work is super clean.

    And she does it all with a whimsical grin and a glint in her eye.

    (Yeah... She¡¯s got this.)

    ¡°Well, Reina, I think you nailed it.¡±

    ¡°Good! That¡¯s the part I was worried about the most. Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, sweetie!¡± Sami gives her a pat on the back.

    ¡°You keep up the good work, and you won¡¯t have anything else to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Thank you...¡± Reina lets out a relieved chuckle. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot left to do. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to get it all done by the end of the day, but I¡¯m gonna give it my best shot.¡±

    ¡°Just pace yourself, y¡¯know? You¡¯ve been working nearly all day so far¡ªyou don¡¯t want to run yourself out before you get to the finish line.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know! I just can¡¯t help it... I mean, you know me. When I find something I really wanna do, I can¡¯t stop myself. This is more than just my job¡ªit¡¯s my passion. It¡¯s fun.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... Trust me, I getcha. I remember how we couldn¡¯t keep you out of the garage as a kid. You¡¯ve been wanting a big project like this for a long, long time, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh... Good. Don¡¯t ever lose that spirit, sweetie.¡±

    In response, Reina smiles. Like she was ever going to let that happen.

    With that, Sami excuses herself, and lets Reina put the finishing touches on the timing assembly before moving on. It¡¯s pretty easy to test the finished system at this stage, because the engine nearly functions as an engine now!

    ¡°Oookay, just gonna...¡± Reina tests out the system with a wrench in the pulley.

    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡±

    ¡°Now that the chain is hooked up, you can actually turn the engine now. Check this out!¡±

    Reina turns the wrench, and like a slow-mo demonstration, the pistons rhythmically turn inside the open cylinders. As it turns out, Reina¡¯s arm is good for maybe ten revolutions per minute¡ªa valiant effort.

    ¡°...You mind if I give that a try?¡±

    ¡°Knock yourself out.¡±

    Something about watching that just struck a chord inside her head, because Yuzu finds herself eager to try it out herself. She gets to twisting, and watches with a curious gaze as the whole engine slowly stirs under her command. Being the conductor of this mechanical performance is...addicting, she has to say.

    ¡°...Okay, yeah, that¡¯s pretty cool. I would do this way too much if I were a mechanic.¡±

    ¡°Right? Wait until you turn the key and it goes real fast~¡±

    There¡¯s still lots of work to do before they can get to that point, but Yuzu can see how far they come. It¡¯s already starting to look like a proper engine¡ªand after this next slew of pieces, it¡¯ll be even closer yet.

    The oil pan comes next, sitting pretty at the bottom of the engine. Reina¡¯s never seen a completely spotless one of these before¡ªand this new one is a far cry from the one in the Silvia¡¯s old motor, which makes her sad just remembering it.

    ¡°Oh, this is what catches the oil?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. This was where you had that crime scene in the Silvia¡¯s engine.¡±

    ¡°Charming.¡±

    Reina deftly handles the pan and gets it mounted onto the engine, with Yuzu offering a clutch helping hand. There are plenty of other bits and pieces to go with it, but without skipping a beat, Reina gets them all fixed on in short order. The puzzle¡¯s looking more and more complete by the hour.

    By this point, she¡¯s been at this for quite some time now¡ªand there¡¯s still a lot of work left to do. Reina can¡¯t deny she was a little bit daunted by the build at first, a nagging thread in the back of her mind suggesting she might have bitten off more than she could chew...but so far, she¡¯s proved her doubts wrong. It helps that she knows the what, the where and the why behind all the components in here¡ªit¡¯s so much easier to wrap your head around something when you know the purpose behind the parts.

    Speaking of parts: the gearbox!

    ¡°So sorry, ours only come in manual. I hope that¡¯s not a deal-breaker.¡±

    Yuzu¡¯s slightly taken aback by Reina¡¯s friendly jab; she¡¯s comfortable enough to hit back.

    ¡°...Nah. Sorry. Throw it all out.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    At least it¡¯s not a CVT.

    Yuzu certainly wasn¡¯t expecting the clutch to look like that, but now that she sees it going in, it makes a fair bit of sense. What doesn¡¯t make sense to her is how quickly Reina¡¯s getting this part of the job done. As it turns out, Reina did some extra research on the clutch specifically¡ªthe info in the big book was slightly behind the times. As a result, she¡¯s more familiar with this part of the engine than others.

    ¡°Good, that all lines up... I made a bit of an executive decision and changed a couple of the parts for this. We may be old-school, but I¡¯m definitely glad to leave old clutches behind.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, they used to be made of asbestos, for one.¡±

    Yuzu¡¯s eyes bug out. She takes that to mean this more modern clutch doesn¡¯t have asbestos in it, but just to be safe (or perhaps a bit sarcastic,) Yuzu takes a dramatic step back from the workbench.

    ¡°Hey, wait, come back!¡±

    Undaunted, Reina continues her work. The engine is steadily growing in size as more and more pieces surround the bare block...but for as much displacement as it¡¯s packing, it¡¯s really rather small. Tidy, too. Reina¡¯s work has been super clean so far.

    ¡°Oh, can you help me lift this here?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Yuzu swoops in to offer a helping hand or two.

    ¡°Right...there! Perfect.¡±

    ¡°Phew... This does work up a sweat.¡±

    Before Yuzu realizes it, they¡¯ve spent hours and hours more on the build¡ªeither Yuzu is starting to have fun herself, or time is flying without her. The sun is threatening to set; by now, Yuzu would be having dinner at her parents¡¯ place, but she won¡¯t be coming back at all tonight. She¡¯s rented a hotel nearby, and come tomorrow morning, she¡¯ll be back at the shop bright and early. Hopefully then, she¡¯ll be able to drive back to Sapporo¡ªin her own car, with her own brand-new engine.

    She can¡¯t help looking forward to it now. It¡¯s so close, she can smell it.

    ¡°Right! She¡¯s ready for the heads now.¡±

    The cylinder heads are next, of which there are two. Reina almost overestimates how heavy they are as she yanks them up onto the table¡ªshe¡¯s used to working with much bigger, heavier heads on Aikawa engines. By comparison, these are puny.

    ¡°Wow... I¡¯m just now realizing how close we are.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really coming along, eh? Once the heads go on, that¡¯ll be another big part done.¡±

    They¡¯ve already done so much, though, that Yuzu can barely fathom how there¡¯s still more to go. Reina, for her part, doesn¡¯t look all that exhausted at all... That girl¡¯s got some serious stamina¡ªand even better focus.

    ¡°Up you go...!¡± The head requires a balance of strength and precision. Thankfully, Reina¡¯s still got enough juice left in her tank to handle both the heads for both the banks. With Yuzu spotting her for backup, she gets the heads installed at last. After another round of parts, the cylinder head is ready to be covered up, forming the roof of the engine.

    ¡°Phew!¡±

    ¡°Good job!¡±

    ¡°Thank you! I¡¯m pleased to report your engine is nearly an engine now!¡±

    It¡¯s incredible how easy Reina made it all look. They started with the raw ingredients and a recipe Yuzu couldn¡¯t even begin to comprehend¡ªbut with time, patience and a heaping helping of elbow grease, Reina has transformed it into a big, punchy V6.

    She gazes proudly at all her handiwork...as well she should. For her first engine build, it¡¯s been a glowing endorsement of her abilities, and a boon beyond measure for the shop¡¯s morale. There¡¯s no denying her place in this world now¡ªand she didn¡¯t just inherit it. She didn¡¯t just get handed the keys. She worked for every single step she¡¯s taken on this road.

    She can¡¯t do this just because she¡¯s an Aikawa. She¡¯s an Aikawa because she can do this.

    ¡°Man... It really is a lot smaller than I thought it would be. I was wondering how the engine would fit at all to begin with¡ªfrom what you were saying, I thought it would be way too big for the car.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the trade-off with this kind of design. A smaller engine is more efficient with modern tech, but the parts surrounding it need to be bigger. It comes down to choosing between raw displacement or using more space to optimize a smaller engine.¡±

    ¡°I see...and you¡¯re choosing displacement?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Yuzu¡¯s still curious. There has to be some kind of reason why Aikawa would stick with this bluntly outdated design...

    ¡°...If you don¡¯t mind me asking: why?¡±

    Reina takes a moment to formulate her answer. She¡¯s never really been questioned like this before¡ªnever has she met an outsider so curious about her world. But honestly? She enjoys it. Being asked to defend her viewpoint, defend her world, makes her look at it all from a different perspective...

    And the more she thinks about it, the more she realizes: that¡¯s exactly what she needs to find the big answer she¡¯s looking for.

    ¡°...Well, a few reasons.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes people will say ¡®There¡¯s no replacement for displacement.¡¯ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s entirely true, but you do lose something when you lose displacement, and it¡¯s hard to get that back.¡±

    ¡°You can see that for yourself with the SR20 there.¡±

    Yuzu takes another look at the Silvia¡¯s former powerplant, with Reina walking over to inspect it. She had just figured the previous owner had it coming¡ªafter all, he pushed it well beyond its factory tolerances. So what is Reina getting at?

    ¡°That¡¯s a small engine, but the turbo, the DOHC, the variable timing, they all make up for the lack of raw power.¡±

    ¡°That engine can go 200 kilometers an hour, just like ours can...but it has to rev higher to do so. That¡¯s what all the tech does: it lets it work harder.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s more of a reliability thing?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. If you take both of these engines and run them at 200 kilometers an hour, our engine will hold up better than the SR20 because it¡¯s revving lower and putting less strain on itself. That¡¯s something technology struggles to replicate.¡±

    ¡°Our design is simpler and cheaper too. That was what made our engines so successful back in the day: they were cheap, they ran well, and you could run boost and thrash them all you want without them ever breaking down.¡±

    ¡°Huh... I never really thought about it that way.¡±

    So it¡¯s not that the technology is outdated, nor even unsophisticated... If anything, it was a clever answer to the need for speed back in the day. But that was then, and this is now. Japanese manufacturers have known for a long time that simple, cheap and reliable is a winning formula¡ªshe can look all around the streets for evidence of that. In the racing world, where lightness is king, engines are only getting smaller, bolstered by technological innovations that keep them going faster and faster.

    So what makes Aikawa¡¯s old brand of power and precision worth it?

    ¡°It¡¯s just... I never really saw the problem with all that new tech, in street cars or race cars. I race small engines with turbos all the time, and I never felt like they were all that unreliable. It just felt like that was the way things were supposed to be.¡±

    ¡°It seemed to me like cars and engines were only ever getting better, you know?¡±

    A valid point. Yuzu does ask very good questions, and in the moment, Reina has to take a step back and think hard about her answer. This is the future, staring her in the face. She has to step up and bat for the past¡ªor at least, her rose-tinted interpretation of it.

    She knows that would be a losing battle. Nothing and no one can beat the forward march of time. If Reina wants to be stuck in the past, the world will be happy to leave her behind, as she¡¯s come to know so well...

    ...But no. Reina¡¯s not content to just linger in the past any longer. She¡¯s got something now. Something that lets her bridge the gap between past, present and even future. This isn¡¯t like before, where Yuzu left her at a loss for words¡ªshe feels like she can back up her viewpoint now. She¡¯s got an answer...

    The answer!

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that. All those innovations do make engines more efficient, more economical and more effective for the everyday driver...in a vacuum.¡±

    ¡°But if you ask me, I think that¡¯s led to some serious problems in how modern cars are made¡ªproblems not immediately apparent, but still there nonetheless.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°As an engineer, I really respect how far cars have come. Some of the new systems they¡¯ve come up with in the last few years? Genius. They¡¯re always pushing the envelope in making cars as efficient and optimized as possible.¡±

    ¡°...But as a mechanic? I can¡¯t STAND working on newer cars. It drives me up the wall!¡±

    ¡°It...does? Really?¡±

    Yuzu raises an eyebrow. She wasn¡¯t expecting Reina to answer so...emphatically. She might have struck a nerve¡ªor perhaps opened a discussion that Reina¡¯s thought long and hard about already.

    Out of respect for the mechanic who just built her a new engine, she lets Reina speak. It might give her a new perspective she never thought to consider.

    ¡°All this added efficiency, all this added complexity is great on paper! When you first buy the car and all the parts are working as intended, it¡¯s all really nice.¡±

    ¡°But the downside of that is, engine bays are packed as tight as they can possibly be with new parts, pieces, wires, sensors... All stuff that usually works well, but when you have to get in and fix something, it¡¯s like you¡¯re sifting through a jungle! Every car needs to be serviced throughout its life, but with a lot of these new cars, I feel like maintenance is just an afterthought in their design.¡±

    ¡°I mean, look at Uncle Naoto over there! I dunno what ended up being the issue with that car, but he had to pull the whole motor for it!¡±

    Reina gestures toward the sedan, still sitting at the far end of the garage floor. It looks like Uncle Naoto is just now getting the engine slotted back in¡ªthe job took him hours and hours to finish. Reina yells across the garage to him:

    ¡°Uncle Naoto! What did that car even need?¡±

    ¡°Water pump!¡±

    ¡°A water pump! He¡¯s been working on that stupid car all day just to fix one part!¡±

    ¡°In that same amount of time, we built an engine!¡± Reina gestures to the newly-assembled Pocket for emphasis.

    (...That¡¯s a fair point.)

    ¡°Plus, car companies are making their parts more and more specialized. Now on top of the usual tools we have, we need stuff specific to each make. We have unique sets of tools just for Nissans, just for Hondas, just for Subarus...and that extends to mechanics in general. You¡¯re not just a car mechanic anymore¡ªyou¡¯re a Nissan mechanic, or a Honda mechanic, or a Subaru mechanic. They¡¯re all sorta drifting away from each other, and at the end of the day, that hurts the customer.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because if you need to jump through a bunch of extra hoops just to work on your car yourself, then you¡¯re not gonna bother. You¡¯re gonna take it to the dealership instead, and that makes them more money because they can charge you out the ass for it!¡±

    ¡°Huh. I...never really had to think about it that way.¡±

    She¡¯s describing a monopoly. The fewer shops have the wherewithal to work on modern cars, the bigger the market segment for the dealerships¡ªand the more they can charge for their services by virtue of being the only garages in town.

    Perhaps that¡¯s why Yuzu felt so discouraged, so daunted by the difficulty of learning car mechanics¡ªmaybe it really has gotten more complicated over time.

    ¡°Still... What¡¯s the problem with leaving it to the experts? Why work on your own car?¡±

    ¡°Well...maybe I¡¯m biased, but because cars really aren¡¯t as daunting as people think.¡±

    ¡°Cars are very complicated, yes¡ªbut they don¡¯t have to be impossible! Far from it. Why send your car to a dealership for basic maintenance when you can learn to do it yourself for so much cheaper? It¡¯s your car, you should be able to do what you want with it!¡±

    ¡°Hell, if you want to, you should be able to learn how to build parts, just like we did today. That¡¯s how people learn best!¡±

    Yuzu can¡¯t deny that. She really was expecting the engine build to be so much more complicated... Now, despite her inexperience, she feels like she might actually be able to follow the recipe with enough practice and shadowing. She had always thought of engines as these impossibly complicated things¡ªthat if she wanted to learn how to work with them, she would need university education at minimum. But as Reina has shown her, learning by doing is so much more effective.

    And that train of thought leads into Reina¡¯s next point.

    ¡°...But nowadays, it¡¯s harder for people to get their feet in the door. Car companies want you to do everything through the dealership, and now there are so many more hoops to jump through if you want to do it yourself.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re spending more on tools, more on parts, more on licensing, more on labor¡ªand all that extra cost eventually makes its way to you.¡±

    (To me...)

    She¡¯s gonna have to start thinking about that soon, now that she owns a car herself. She¡¯s never had to bother with dealerships or maintenance...but the more she listens to Reina, the more she sees the value in learning these things herself. If she doesn¡¯t have to turn to a dealer for every little thing¡ªif she can learn the ropes and practice herself, then she¡¯ll be getting closer to her own goal, just like that.

    ¡°...So that¡¯s why your cars are the way they are?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Reina¡¯s gaze drifts to the Road Runner¡ªan ancient, outdated, unsophisticated monster that has no place in the real world. To most, it¡¯s nothing but a relic that sooner belongs in a museum than on the streets.

    But in the world Reina knows, it means so much more than that. It lacks the hostile engineering of modern cars, the high barrier to entry they boast. Where many modern cars take all the fun out of mechanical work in their bid to monopolize service and maintenance, the Road Runner and Aikawa Auto¡¯s stock represent something different: the idea that a car is yours.

    ¡°That¡¯s something I¡¯ve always loved about our engines: they¡¯re made by mechanics, for mechanics. We make them as easy as possible to work on, and we don¡¯t try to force you to take it back to us for every little thing. We make them that way because once it leaves our shop, it¡¯s not our engine anymore¡ªit¡¯s yours.¡±

    ¡°You should be allowed to do whatever you want to it once you drive it off the lot. If you wanna take it to us for service? Sure, that¡¯s fine. But if you wanna work on it yourself, that should be your right as the car¡¯s owner.¡±

    ¡°You can even mod it too, if you want. Add a turbo, tune it up yourself, put in some aftermarket parts. Our motors are designed to take whatever you want to throw at them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what an engine should be, in my eyes¡ªit should let you do what you really want.¡±

    She turns back to the engine she built.

    ¡°And for the cherry on top, ours¡¯ll last you a long, long time.¡±

    This is it. This is the answer. Having seen both the past and the future of engineering, Reina feels like she truly understands what made Aikawa engines so timeless. It¡¯s not something immediately apparent on the showroom floor, nor on the streets, nor even on the track... No, the magic of an Aikawa car shines the brightest in the garage, where they do more than just save the customer a buck¡ªthey turn them into gearheads of their own.

    That¡¯s what she needs to translate into the future¡ªand in a fortuitous twist, now may be the best time to revive that trend. It may very well be something adrenaline junkies the nation over have been waiting for.

    (Man... Talk about a speech.)

    Yuzu lets slip a deep, wide-eyed breath. She came to the shop today expecting a crash course on the basics of automotive engineering; instead, she got an impassioned manifesto from the heiress of a shop stuck in time. It¡¯s prompted her to rethink her perspective on Reina and Aikawa Auto as a whole¡ªthis might have been the answer she said she was searching for. They may not be on the cutting edge of technology, and they may not truly be able to coexist in the world of modern cars...

    But maybe, just maybe, Reina¡¯s more forward-thinking than she gave her credit for.

    ¡°Well... Sounds like you¡¯ve been thinking about that a lot, eh?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I have.¡± Now that the nerves are catching up to her, she¡¯s a bit embarrassed to have ranted on and on like that.

    ¡°Thanks for bearing with me.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    ¡°I just... I dunno, I like it more when cars and engines are more user-friendly like this. It¡¯s so much more fun as a mechanic, y¡¯know?¡± Reina prepares to walk the walk and put the finishing touches on the engine.

    ¡°Yeah, I getcha. I can see how there would be a disconnect between what an engineer designs and what a mechanic does.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... That, and Grandma was always big on the KISS principle.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡±

    Reina turns back to Yuzu with a capricious smile. ¡°Means ¡®Keep It Simple, Stupid.¡¯¡±

    ***

    Slowly, the scenery changes around the garage. The ailing sedan is finally sent back on its way, the shop begrudgingly charging full price for their work. It¡¯s an easier pill to swallow, at least, knowing they¡¯re cooking up their specialty on the other end of the garage floor. That might not be as good for the wallet, but it¡¯s sure as hell better for the soul.

    Yuzu¡¯s early start to the day is beginning to catch up to her. As the sun takes its leave behind Mount Moiwa, she¡¯s finding it tougher and tougher to stifle the yawns. Reina, for her part, is still going¡ªthough she¡¯s not sure herself how much energy she has left.

    Finishing up another big round of pieces, though? That¡¯ll put some pep back in her step.

    ¡°Getting closer now...¡± With the engine itself mostly assembled, she next needs to focus on the pieces that connect to it¡ªpumps, intakes, wires, all the interlocking parts that fuel and regulate the motor. Reina¡¯s starting to feel like they probably won¡¯t be able to get the engine into the car tonight... There¡¯s still so much work to do, and so little time left in the day. Yuzu silently concurs.

    *yaaawn* ¡°I¡¯d love to stay for more, but I¡¯m getting tired. You mind if I go ahead and tap out for the night?¡±

    ¡°Oh, not at all! Go ahead and get some rest. If I¡¯m being honest, we probably won¡¯t get the engine in the car until tomorrow¡ªthere¡¯s still a lot of prep work to do before it can go in.¡±

    Reina takes the moment to read the room. Sami, Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi are plenty tired themselves. It¡¯s time they get some well-earned rest¡ªto say nothing of herself.

    ¡°Alright. I think this is a good enough spot to wrap up.¡± Reina calls everyone over to bring an end to the workday. It¡¯ll be the most satisfying closing shift she¡¯s ever done.

    ¡°Okay, everybody! I think that¡¯s a wrap for today. I¡¯ll go ahead and close up, so you guys get some rest!¡±

    Her declaration is met with an enthusiastic celebration from the crew. She¡¯s run this whole operation smooth as butter so far¡ªand tired though they may be, they¡¯re equally proud of all the work they¡¯ve done.

    ¡°Outstanding job, Reina!¡± Sami¡¯s right there to give her a pat on the back.

    ¡°Aww, heehee... Thanks, Mom.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for letting me shadow!¡±

    ¡°Not a problem! Thank you for taking the chance on us.¡± Reina takes off her dirty glove and shakes Yuzu¡¯s hand.

    ¡°You gonna stop by again tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°You bet. Bright and early.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a date, then!¡±

    One by one, the crew leave the shop, the humming of engines dispersing into the night. That leaves Reina by herself to close up shop... She¡¯s gotten used to being alone in the garage on these long, dark nights, but it feels a lot different this time. A lot better. She can rest easy and rest fulfilled tonight.

    ...Now if only she feels like she could actually go to sleep right now.

    ¡°...Well, now I¡¯ve hit second wind, so...now what?¡±

    The kick she got from her big back-and-forth with Yuzu still hasn¡¯t worn off. She feels like if she went to bed right now, she¡¯d just be sitting there for hours with her mind still racing until the exhaustion finally takes hold of her. There¡¯s still an itch for work that she hasn¡¯t satisfied yet... She just wants to do more. Surely there¡¯s no harm in a little overtime, right?

    ¡°...I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll hurt anybody if I do a little extra prep work. Heehee.¡±

    While her eyelids are still light and her arms aren¡¯t giving out yet, she puts herself to work just a little while longer. There¡¯s not much left to do with the engine while it¡¯s still on the crane, so she directs her attention to the car itself. While she was hard at work, the rest of the crew did a remarkable job cleaning up and stripping down the engine bay¡ªit¡¯s nearly ready for the engine already.

    She smiles. They¡¯ve really got her back.

    ¡°Well, the engine bay looks pretty far along, actually. I¡¯ll just finish the job...¡±

    Reina continues her work, sorting out wires and connections all over the engine bay. Many of the parts that feed the engine sit patiently inside¡ªsome still stock, others needing replacement on account of the previous owner¡¯s misuse. In particular, the radiator looks like it took a proper beating from how hot the old engine was running... Best to get that out of the way now before the engine¡¯s lowered in.

    ¡°Oookay... There we go.¡± Thankfully, the rest of the crew made the job easy for her by draining the fluids from the car beforehand. The dry radiator eventually comes free from the Silvia, and a brand-new replacement is ready to take its place.

    By this point, the sun has long since set. The lights in the shop are dim, the dark of the night threatening to overpower them. Reina had to shut the radio off so as not to violate any noise ordinances. Compared to the hustle and bustle earlier in the day, this feels a lot more...tranquil. She has no idea what time it is, but she doesn¡¯t really mind.

    She yawns. This might end up helping her sleep faster after all.

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s that done. Once the motor¡¯s in, we¡¯ll get it hooked up and fill the coolant.¡±

    There¡¯s not too much left in the engine bay that isn¡¯t too big a job. She¡¯s almost ready for bed, but she feels like she needs just a little more time...

    With that in mind, she sets her sights on the interior. They¡¯ll need to pull some stuff out so they can make sure all the electrical wiring is correct.

    *yaaawn* ¡°Sure, why not?¡±

    For the first time this entire build, Reina opens the door to the Silvia and settles down inside. It¡¯s a quaint, understated interior, perfectly suited to the market of the day¡ªthough perhaps not perfectly suited to her.

    ¡°Ngh. Just gotta... Ahh. There.¡± She finds the seat adjuster and slides it all the way back so her legs finally have room to stretch. It¡¯s nice that it¡¯s an old mechanical bar, so she doesn¡¯t need the key in the ignition for it¡ªit would be rather difficult to get power to the seat given there¡¯s no battery. And no engine.

    ¡°Just a quick piece or two...¡± Bit by bit, her eyelids are getting heavier. As she works through the Silvia¡¯s interior, she wonders how much she¡¯ll end up doing before calling it a night. She can feel herself sinking into the seat a little bit¡ªgetting nice and comfy, leaning back on the headrest...

    ¡°Alright...¡± She lazily puts a part on the passenger seat. ¡°Just gonna get that done, and then I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll...¡±

    ¡°...Zzz...¡±

    Lights out for the overtime worker. The instant she put her head against the seat, it was game over¡ªshe¡¯s on the fast track to Dreamland in no time flat. After countless hours of work on the engine, Reina finally gives in and retires for the night; too tired to trundle back home, she settles for the Silvia¡¯s driver seat instead of her bed. With how tired she is, she doesn¡¯t even notice the difference.

    ¡°Heehee... Tomorrow¡¯s gonna be...so much fun... Zzz...¡±

    She¡¯s so tired, in fact, that she doesn¡¯t even notice Sami groggily walking into the shop some hours later. She had been wondering what Reina was doing¡ªthough she had a sneaking suspicion that she was staying up late working herself to sleep. They never could keep her out of the garage, for better and for worse.

    (That girl... She¡¯s just like her grandmother.)

    Sami lets her sleep¡ªshe¡¯s earned it. She can handle closing up shop tonight in her stead. After taking a look back at her slumbering daughter, Sami shuts off the lights behind her.

    (Good night, Reina... You rest up now. You¡¯ve got a big day tomorrow.)

    Finally, the Aikawa family signs off for the night¡ªa moment¡¯s respite before another action-packed day tomorrow. Reina, Sami and everyone on the crew look forward to the day... They await the sweet, sweet music of a new Aikawa engine bursting into life.

    One more day, the building will wait in limbo between past and future¡ªbut only one. Tomorrow, the drought lifts at last, and a new chapter in their storied history begins.

    Tomorrow, the young master spreads her wings.

 10. Resonant Frequency

    The sun lazily peeks out over the Sapporo skyline, the city below hesitant to wake up. On this Sunday, the hustle and bustle of the city center is a whisper of its usual self, and the weary workers relish in the chance to recharge over the weekend. Once this blissful interlude ends, of course, it¡¯ll be back to the same old routine for the lot of them¡ªanother monotonous chapter in the book of their lives. Who can blame them for sleeping in?

    ¡°Good, I¡¯m right on time. Everything¡¯s set to go!¡±

    Reina, on the other hand, awoke from her hibernation with a palpable hunger for more. This isn¡¯t just any Sunday¡ªit¡¯s the next page of this new chapter, and she is eager to put pen to paper. The rest of the crew, understandably, won¡¯t be arriving until a bit later in the day...but Reina affords herself no such leniency. She got herself up and out of her makeshift bed in the nick of time, and now she¡¯s ready for work.

    *DING!*

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s her!¡±

    As luck would have it, her intern is itching to go as well. She makes for the door and welcomes her inside.

    ¡°Morning.¡±

    ¡°Good to see you! You ready to get to work?¡±

    She smiles. ¡°Am I ever.¡±

    Yuzu had to force herself to sleep. Work doesn¡¯t start until 9, but for want of closure, she tossed and turned in her hotel bed all night long. She just couldn¡¯t shut her brain off¡ªthe anticipation, the excitement was too strong for her to contain.

    Not to mention those impassioned words Reina spoke to her... Now she wants to see this through more than ever. The garage is calling their name, and while the day is still young, they don¡¯t want to waste a minute.

    Time to go to work.

    ¡°Okay! So I did do a bit of extra work after you left last night,¡± Reina concedes as they walk over to the Silvia. The engine transplant is just about ready, but there are a few more pieces of prep work to get done first.

    And of course, you can¡¯t forget the music. Reina turns the speakers on and gets the garage humming with their old-timey tunes. Deep Purple¡¯s on the menu this morning¡ªand their heavy metal sets the tone for another action-packed day.

    ¡°New radiator was the big one. The master cylinder had a leak too, but Uncle Naoto was able to get that squared away.¡±

    ¡°We also worked on the wiring, so the electrical stuff should be mostly ready. Just gotta lift the car and take care of one or two things, and then we can put the engine in!¡±

    ¡°Nice! Lead the way, then.¡±

    ¡°You got it.¡±

    With a hydraulic hum, the Silvia ascends on the hoist¡ªthis time without a drip or leak to be found! Yuzu marvels at how much tidier the car looks from below now. Reina and the crew really did a good job cleaning everything up for the new install, and from how casually Reina is approaching the next round of parts, Yuzu¡¯s more confident than ever in letting her take the reins. Now that it¡¯s up on the hoist, Reina can begin work on a desperately-needed brake job...

    ¡°Right, so the previous owner did actually take the liberty of upgrading from factory drums to disc brakes all around, but as you can see, uh...¡± Reina uncovers the first disc brake. It¡¯s not pretty.

    ¡°...They¡¯re kinda dead.¡±

    ¡°Yeeeah, I thought they were when I was driving it over here. I¡¯ve never been so scared of a car in my life.¡±

    ¡°So yeah, we¡¯re gonna replace those, and then with the new engine and transmission, we¡¯ve also got a new crossmember to put on.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    One more time, Yuzu finds herself on flashlight duty as Reina leaps into action. It¡¯s immediately apparent how routine this part is to her¡ªengines are one thing, but she¡¯s done plenty of brake rotations and replacements in her years at the shop. The Silvia and its brakes may be well-worn from all the abuse, but in short order, Reina has them looking spick and span once more.

    Like yesterday, they can both feel the time flying by. Unlike yesterday, they know for a fact they¡¯re in the home stretch. Once the new brakes are settled in, Reina swiftly puts the tires back on and whips out the crossmember, lifting the Silvia ever higher for its next big part.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯m not sure what I was expecting the underside of the engine bay to look like, but I wasn¡¯t expecting a giant hole.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no floor. You¡¯ve got the crossmember for the engine and the transmission, then the oil pan for all the oil, and that¡¯s it.¡± Reina demonstrates her point by sticking her hand up into the engine bay. Yuzu wants to follow suit, but she¡¯s too short.

    (How the hell did she end up so big...?)

    The crossmember is another quick install for Reina; after taking care of that and a few other minor components on the underbelly of the engine, they¡¯re done with the hoist for good. The Silvia descends back down to earth; bit by bit, it comes closer to completion.

    The supporting cast, meanwhile, has picked an excellent time to join in. Sami and company clock into work for the day¡ªand their eyes immediately alight at the progress they see. Not much left now!

    ¡°Morning, honey! You sleep okay?¡±

    ¡°I, uh... Heehee. Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Well, good. I didn¡¯t want to wake you up when you were already out like a light. Guess the seats in there must be pretty comfy!¡±

    (Huh...?)

    ¡°At any rate, I got the brakes and crossmember done. Just the mounts left and then the engine can go in!¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡±

    The crowd gathers to watch Reina put the finishing touches on the motor. The finished engine lies suspended on a crane, gleefully awaiting its transplant into the car. Reina works as quickly as she can¡ªboth to keep the audience from waiting too long, and to satisfy her own excitement.

    It¡¯s just now hitting her that this is really happening. It¡¯s one thing to set a goal and steadily work toward it; it¡¯s another to see the finish line on the horizon. With each mounting bracket, the smile on her face widens just that extra bit.

    ¡°Ooo-kay! Ladies and gentlemen, I think she¡¯s ready!¡±

    Reina wheels the crane over, the Pocket hovering over its new home. Conveniently, the guitar solo for Highway Star is about to begin¡ªthe timing couldn¡¯t be any better. As the distant guitar shreds, the team watches Reina lower the engine into the Silvia, the anticipation building like watching a new year¡¯s ball drop.

    (Steady, steady...!) Reina focuses, making sure every little component fits neatly inside. In contrast to her earlier work, she feels like time has slowed to a crawl¡ªthat guitar solo draws out for eternity and a day. But, undaunted, she keeps her eye on the prize...

    And with a satisfying bump, the Pocket touches down!

    ¡°There she is!¡±

    The team celebrates with arms raised. The Pocket is finally home, in its natural habitat; now, once all the other components are hooked up to it, it will burst into action and live its high-octane life at Yuzu¡¯s command.

    Not bad at all for a shop years out of practice.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s wrap this up! Not much longer until we can send her on her way. We can get this done by the end of the day, no problem!¡±

    It warms Sami¡¯s heart to see Reina take charge. She looks and sounds so natural in the role, you¡¯d think she¡¯s been the head honcho for years. She will only continue to grow as she gains confidence, gains experience... It¡¯s clear now to Sami that she made the right choice. Reina is the one.

    ¡°Roger that!¡±

    With the engine assembled and appended, the team gets to work connecting parts and pieces aplenty to complete the puzzle. Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi make quick work of the connections in the car¡¯s interior, cleaning up a mess or two while they¡¯re at it; Sami takes the heat off the rest of the team by handling customers for the day. That leaves Reina and Yuzu to pore over the engine bay and work with the others to make sure everything¡¯s hooked up right.

    ¡°I think this¡¯ll actually be the biggest engine I¡¯ve driven¡ªby displacement, at least.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they started you out with karts and then some smaller single-seaters, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Yup. It kinda makes me wonder how much different this will feel from them.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have much hands-on experience with those cars myself, but I think I can safely say this car will be very different to drive.¡±

    Reina can tell Yuzu¡¯s curious¡ªand Reina herself is raring to gush about engines as always. While the work is slow, Reina gives Yuzu a crash course.

    ¡°So, smaller engines, like the ones in the race cars you drive, they¡¯re built for high revs to offset their smaller size and lower torque. More revs, more power.¡±

    ¡°Right, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, those high rev ranges are where they work best, so they¡¯re built to shoot way up to the limiter as fast as possible.¡±

    ¡°Yup. You gotta be quick on the shifts so you¡¯re not wasting that acceleration.¡±

    ¡°With this engine, though, you¡¯re not gonna rev as hard¡ªbut you don¡¯t need to, because you¡¯ve got lots of torque at the low end instead.¡±

    ¡°For cruising along, I find it¡¯s actually really comfy¡ªyou can keep the revs nice and low because you don¡¯t need lots of revs to make your power. And then when you wanna accelerate, all that torque gives you a really sharp response.¡±

    ¡°And speaking of response: that¡¯s probably gonna be different too.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of the no turbo?¡±

    ¡°Yup¡ªthat¡¯s called naturally aspirated. Turbos are great for doing more with less, but I¡¯ve never been a fan of the turbo lag you get when you hit the gas and you¡¯re just waiting for the turbine to spin up.¡±

    ¡°Well, actually, wait, I remember you had one of those in the Road Runner, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Close, but nope. That¡¯s a supercharger. That¡¯s a turbine too, but it¡¯s a bit different.¡±

    They¡¯ve got the Road Runner sitting pretty next to the Silvia, so Reina pops the hood to better explain the difference.

    ¡°Instead of using exhaust gas to spin the turbine and make your boost, the engine itself powers the turbine with this belt here¡ªjust like it powers the AC, or the power steering.¡±

    ¡°Huh... I didn¡¯t realize there were different types¡ªI¡¯ve never seen a supercharger before. Turbos are more common, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Waaay more common. Turbos are everywhere nowadays because they¡¯re a cheap and efficient way to add power¡ªplus, small engines work better with them because the engine doesn¡¯t have to spin it directly. It¡¯s just more power for less work.¡±

    ¡°Superchargers, though? Way less efficient, but you still get a good boost and the instant throttle response. Call me old-fashioned, but that¡¯s the kinda stuff I like.¡±

    ¡°Way simpler to install too, from my experience.¡±

    Yuzu appreciates the fact that she can just pick Reina¡¯s brain for any automotive topic that piques her interest. It¡¯s like she¡¯s talking to a walking encyclopedia.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never really minded turbo lag, but then, I haven¡¯t driven much of anything else, so I don¡¯t really have a frame of reference. It¡¯s gonna be interesting to get behind the wheel.¡±

    ¡°Well, you won¡¯t have to wait long!¡±

    The build progresses smoothly into its final phase: now that all the pieces are put together, it¡¯s time to introduce the fluids. Reina adds oil and coolant to the mechanical mix¡ªand she doesn¡¯t skimp on that stuff. Only the best for her very first build.

    ¡°So is it ready to go now?¡±

    ¡°Almost! Gotta build oil pressure first. You never, ever wanna start an engine dry.¡±

    ¡°Fair point. How do you do that, then?¡±

    ¡°Just gonna crank it without the fuel pump for 30-ish seconds, and that should do the trick.¡±

    Reina has the key to the ignition, which is now wired up and ready to go. She could hop in, give it a twist and let the engine do the rest...but that¡¯s for posers. No, rather than shove herself back inside that normal-sized interior, Reina just takes a pair of screwdrivers and forces the starter into action anyway.

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡°

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t do this!¡±

    For the first time, the new engine stirs. The starter turns over spiritedly, jostling the V6 in place while Reina waits for the pressure to mount. Eventually, the starter slows its roll, grunting a bit from the added resistance; Reina nods, knowing that¡¯s a sign the pressure is coming up.

    ¡°She sounds good! Just a little longer and the pressure should be good.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    After waiting just a bit longer for good measure, Reina lets the starter rest, its metallic groan spooling back down into silence. The whole team knows what¡¯s coming next¡ªthe moment they¡¯ve been waiting for is finally here.

    ¡°Yeah... That should do it. She¡¯s ready.¡±

    Reina gives the finished Silvia one last look. To most people, to the outside world, this is an impossibly complex labyrinth of metal and wires¡ªa churning beast far beyond the layman¡¯s understanding. To tame it might as well be wielding the dark arts.

    But Reina counts herself no witch. This isn¡¯t the product of natural-born talent nor any particular predisposition...only her sheer dedication and love for her craft. Her heart swells with pride at all her hard work, a wide smile blooming on her face.

    It¡¯ll only get wider when she hears that beast roar.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Reina announces, handing the key to Yuzu. ¡°Go ahead and do the honors.¡±

    ¡°Huh...? Wait, me? I mean, I¡¯d be glad to, but why not you?¡±

    ¡°Well, why not you?¡±

    ¡°I mean, you just built this whole thing from the ground up! This was all your hard work!¡±

    ¡°It was, yeah, but at the end of the day, it¡¯s your car. Call me cheesy, but we¡¯ve always done it this way¡ªwe like watching the client start it up for the first time and take it all in.¡±

    ¡°And besides: we already know what our engines feel like. For you, this¡¯ll be all new.¡±

    Reina¡¯s grin turns ever so slightly capricious. ¡°So take this car and make it yours.¡±

    Something about this simple gesture speaks to Yuzu in a way she can¡¯t really explain. Perhaps it¡¯s just from watching the build from start to finish, or perhaps it¡¯s the sentimental value of standing in her childhood hero¡¯s garage and driving a car she worked on herself. In this moment, Yuzu starts to feel like the Aikawa-powered Silvia is more than just a car... It¡¯s something a little more personal than that.

    And she can¡¯t wait to drive it.

    ¡°Thank you...!¡±

    With pleasure, Yuzu opens the door and takes her place behind the wheel. She quickly inserts the key into the ignition, and the old dashboard hums to life. After adjusting the seat to fit her petite frame, she grips the key again and prepares to twist. The anticipation shoots through her like a bolt of lightning.

    ¡°Okay...¡± Yuzu takes a deep breath. ¡°Here goes.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Yuzu feels the starter kick into action, turning the engine briskly...but as the seconds tick by, and the dormant V6 continues to whinny, she starts to wonder why the big moment isn¡¯t actually arriving. Is she missing something?

    ¡°...Umm.¡± Yuzu lets go, the starter spinning back down. Reina lets out a nervous chuckle and hastily explains.

    ¡°It takes a bit for the fuel to move through the lines. Just pump the gas and keep going!¡±

    ¡°O-Oh! Uh, sorry.¡±

    Evidently she was missing something. Trying to stop the red from spreading across her face, Yuzu twists the key again, this time rhythmically pumping the throttle. Like last time, the engine doesn¡¯t seem to be responding at all... The seconds pass without much to show for her efforts.

    (Okay, I dunno what I¡¯m doing wrong here. Are they playing a trick on me or¡ª)

    *VVVRRRRMMMMMM!*

    ¡°Jesus¡ª!¡±

    Yuzu feels her entire body rattle like a gong. Her heart¡¯s never skipped that many beats before...nor have her eyes ever been quite this wide open. Even after the initial shock fades, she still feels a torrent of adrenaline coursing through her veins, amplified by the bestial V6 growling before her. The Silvia breathes again¡ªand what a monster it¡¯s become!

    ¡°It works...! It really works!¡±

    The team outside celebrates with a round of cheers, congratulating Reina for a job well done. Reina herself delights in the sweet, sweet sound of that V6 engine¡ªits roar is a confirmation that she did the job right.

    And seeing Yuzu¡¯s face? Priceless.

    ¡°H-Holy... That thing¡¯s a monster!¡± Yuzu briefly exits the car and marvels at the running engine from outside.

    ¡°Yup! That¡¯s Aikawa for you! It¡¯ll get you where you want to go and outrun anything you want on the way there~¡±

    Now that it¡¯s finally up and running, Reina and company put the hood back on the car and shut it tight. With the snarling V6 locked in its cage, the reawakened Silvia is complete. On the outside, it looks virtually identical to how it was before¡ªwithout the engine running, you couldn¡¯t even tell it blew a motor and had a whole different one dropped into it.

    But when you hear that engine growl, you¡¯ll know for a fact it¡¯s got something different under the hood. Something that turns heads wherever it goes.

    Something from a world once thought long gone, but still alive and kicking.

    ¡°So! Once she warms up a bit, you can put her through her paces. I¡¯d suggest taking her for a short drive around the block before you drive all the way back home, though.¡±

    ¡°Hmm... Yeah, that sounds fine. Would you mind coming along with me, though? This is my first time driving a car this...well, big. I wanna make sure I¡¯m not doing it wrong.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Sure, I don¡¯t mind. And I can give you directions while we¡¯re at it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Sounds good.¡±

    It¡¯s settled, then. Reina and Yuzu meet inside the car, the open road beyond the garage calling their names. The Silvia is finally ready to begin its new lease on life, with both driver and designer in tow. Yuzu takes a moment to familiarize herself before pushing in the clutch and getting the revs up for the shift into first...

    ¡°Is this...?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a bit much. You¡¯ll spin the tires with that much torque.¡±

    ¡°Really? If you say so...¡±

    That¡¯s the fun thing about these Pockets: on cars this light, they barely weigh you down at all, and that light weight combines with the ample torque to make...

    *VRRRMMM...!*

    ¡°Oof¡ª! Okay, yeah, that was still too much!¡±

    ¡°It does take some getting used to!¡±

    With an authoritative growl, the Silvia propels its way out of the garage and onto the open road, leaving its makeshift medical bay behind. With the sun beaming overhead, they soon disappear into the distance, the V6 echoing off the hills and buildings.

    Sami and the others can¡¯t help but watch the two of them take off, wearing a warm smile on her face. It hasn¡¯t been long since her one and only daughter had to step up and play with the bad hand she was dealt...but she¡¯s really turned it around in a spectacular way. They¡¯re not out of the woods yet¡ªand they still won¡¯t be for a while to come¡ªbut for the first time in a great while, Aikawa Auto is back on the up and up, and Reina is to thank.

    If there¡¯s anyone who can recapture the magic this company once had, anyone who can really understand what it takes to put them back on the map...it has to be her. She¡¯s done more than just inherit the Aikawa name¡ªshe¡¯s earned it.

    And that makes Sami a mighty proud mom.

    (Yeah... It¡¯s only right to tell her now. She¡¯s got what it takes.)

    (I know in my heart that girl¡¯s going places.)

    ***

    The lazy Sunday streets seem to part way when the intruder comes rolling in. Passersby can¡¯t help but stare¡ªin the sea of quiet drones and electric hums, this new car on the block sounds wholly out of place. It doesn¡¯t bear the refined rumble of a straight-six, nor the energetic whine of a turbo... No, this is a different manner of beast entirely.

    The Silvia is on the prowl.

    ¡°Just take a left here and it¡¯ll get you on the main road. You can do a circle around the neighborhood and you¡¯ll be back at the shop in a few minutes, traffic permitting.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    Yuzu isn¡¯t really sure what to make of the engine yet. She does have an ample amount of power at her disposal, especially relative to the car¡¯s weight¡ªand being used to smaller, more rev-happy engines, she finds her muscle memory is betraying her somewhat. There¡¯s a steep learning curve to these engines: whereas her single-seaters are all about keeping the revs up, this car demands her to be as smooth as possible, lest she press a mold of herself into the seat behind her.

    ...Not to say she doesn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°Okay, easy on the gas this time...¡± There¡¯s something she respects about how effortlessly the car gets up to cruising speed¡ªlike she¡¯s hardly working the engine at all. The tach needle barely budges from its idling position, but with all its low-end torque, the Silvia works up to the speed limit without breaking a sweat. She barely even needs to press down on the throttle; too much, in fact, and she¡¯ll inadvertently draw the attention of half the city.

    It is, as Reina mentioned earlier, the exact opposite of what she¡¯s used to. But it¡¯s more than just the head-to-head power, or even the tangibles altogether. She knows the single-seaters she drives are plenty quick on the draw, but there¡¯s something about this car that just feels powerful¡ªand the more she gains control of it, the more satisfying that power becomes.

    A convenient stop light gives Reina an opportunity to poll her customer.

    ¡°So? Initial thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you asked me five minutes ago, I would¡¯ve said this thing is an absolute handful.¡± She¡¯s rapidly acclimating, though¡ªthe car isn¡¯t quite as scary as it was when she first started it up.

    ¡°When I first started driving it, I felt like it¡¯d fly into a wall if I looked at it funny. I think I¡¯m getting used to it, though... For just driving around the city like this, you really don¡¯t need to drive it much at all. Just a tiny bit of throttle and it does all the work for you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t need to shift much at all.¡±

    ¡°But the fact that I still can is throwing me off. Like, I drive my dad¡¯s car sometimes, and that¡¯s just a little kei car. It can get up to highway speeds and not much else... This, though? This has so much power left to use.¡±

    ¡°Mmm-hm. Some people argue that power goes to waste on city roads with speed limits, but power isn¡¯t just about the very top. It¡¯s also about making the rev range you actually use more comfortable on the road.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a fair point...¡±

    ¡°And besides: there¡¯s nothing stopping you from launching a little at stop lights if you wanna lay down some rubber.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please, I¡¯m not like that.¡±

    ¡°Aww~¡±

    ¡°...Okay, maybe a little.¡±

    Yuzu indulges Reina just a tiny bit, using this stop light as a launch pad. She loads up the engine and smoothly shifts into first, the sheer power pressing them into the seats. They¡¯re up to the speed limit faster than she can blink¡ªand the engine did it all in one gear. Just as soon as it rocketed up to speed, it settles back down into its low-rev rhythm like nothing even happened at all.

    ¡°Does nothing faze this thing? I was JUST pushing it and now it¡¯s back down to normal.¡±

    ¡°It just likes revving low. It¡¯s a simple little engine.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, ¡®little.¡¯ Heh. And this is your smallest engine, right?¡±

    ¡°Yup! Usually we do V8s, like the one in the Road Runner. That one has about three times the displacement...and a supercharger.¡±

    ¡°This one¡¯s enough of a handful as is. How do you even control something like that?¡±

    ¡°Very, very carefully.¡±

    (This girl¡¯s something else...)

    She can¡¯t deny the appeal of it all, though. As she gets a better feel for the car, she unlocks more of the potential slumbering inside it. Getting past that initial hurdle of the precise throttle control raises her confidence and puts a smile on her face. Bit by bit, she¡¯s taming the beast...and boy, does it ever feel good.

    (Yeah... This feels nice. Really nice.)

    With that, their cruise comes to a close. Yuzu can see the auto shop just around the corner; another turn or two, and they¡¯re back in front of the lot, where the team is waiting for them. She has to admit, Reina and company did a fantastic job with the build overall¡ªthe engine lives up to its reputation in spades, and all the other new parts are perfectly dialed in. She even got to see it all happen behind the scenes... This was worth it and then some. Aikawa Auto gave her everything she could possibly have asked for.

    To say nothing of Reina and how she feels. She¡¯s riding in a car with an engine she built, and it passed its shakedown with flying colors. She saw, heard, felt all that hard work pay off in the most satisfying way possible...and she couldn¡¯t be prouder for it.

    ¡°And there we are!¡± The Silvia pulls back up to the front of the building, where the team is eager to hear what Yuzu thinks of her revamped Silvia.

    ¡°So, how¡¯d it go?¡± Sami¡¯s plenty curious to hear how the up-and-coming racer handled a car outside her comfort zone. The smile on Yuzu¡¯s face give her a hint.

    ¡°Heh heh... That¡¯s a really good engine you¡¯ve built. I¡¯m not used to cars this torque-y, but I can see the appeal. It handles city cruising like it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°It still hasn¡¯t really hit me that this is my car... Who knows how long it¡¯ll take me to get used to that. Once I get over that hump, though...I think I¡¯m gonna have a lot of fun with this thing.¡±

    ¡°You guys did an awesome job.¡±

    ¡°Why, thank you!¡±

    ¡°You put your foot down at all?¡±

    ¡°I did...once.¡± Yuzu sheepishly glances to the side. ¡°She¡¯s got plenty of power alright. It¡¯s almost a waste I don¡¯t get to put the whole rev range to use, though, y¡¯know?¡±

    Her childhood hero flashes her a knowing grin. ¡°Hah! Weeell, I can call in a favor or two with the guys at Tokachi, if you ever want your own little track day.¡±

    Yuzu¡¯s face alights. She¡¯s always down to race hard¡ªand now she has her very own car purpose-built for tearing up the tarmac. She¡¯d love to do a proper time-trial in this thing...and thanks to Sami herself, she can make that a reality.

    What a wonderful day.

    ¡°I might have to take you up on that.¡±

    Satisfied far more than her stoic face shows, Yuzu thanks the whole team once again for their work. She walks up to Reina and shakes her hand in the evening glow¡ªfrom one starry-eyed girl to another, they¡¯ve both taken big steps on the road to their dreams.

    ¡°I really, really can¡¯t thank you enough, Reina... You took this silly little idea of mine and made it work better than I ever thought it would. I mean... I still can¡¯t really believe it. This is mine now!¡±

    ¡°I should be the one thanking you! You took the chance on us, and I¡¯m really glad we delivered. Without you, we¡¯d still be coasting along without anything new to keep us busy...¡± Reina reflects for a brief moment. They came pretty close to being stuck in the past for good...but now those worries themselves are in the past. She¡¯s left them behind, and she¡¯s looking toward the future now¡ªas well she should.

    ¡°So thank you, Yuzu, from the bottom of my heart. You¡¯ve made all of us here really happy.¡±

    With that, Yuzu finally bids Sapporo and the shop farewell. After shaking hands with Sami and the rest of the team, she¡¯s ready to return home after a long, action-packed weekend. The only thing left for her to do is make the long trek home...in her own car, at her own pace. And she can¡¯t wait.

    ¡°Take care, you guys!¡±

    ¡°You too! Good luck with your formula season!¡±

    ¡°You knock ¡®em dead down at Motegi, got it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you can be sure of that!¡±

    The Aikawa Silvia triumphantly roars to life again, its driver waving out the window as she pulls out onto the open road. Reina, Sami and the rest of the team watch on...

    ¡°Man... That was really, really great.¡±

    ¡°You bet it was, sweetie... You knocked it out of the park.¡±

    Reina knows there¡¯s a long way to go from here¡ªand that this was but one step on the road. She knows she can¡¯t get complacent with this one project. She knows especially well that the weight she bears isn¡¯t truly lifted...that the company and all its faults haven¡¯t simply disappeared overnight. Someone still has to carry that on their shoulders.

    Instead, she herself is the one who¡¯s changed. She¡¯s stronger than before¡ªtaking the reins and seeing this project through has given her a tremendous boost in confidence. It gives her the strength she needs to stand up against all the inertia, all the weight bearing down on her, and find a way to keep on moving.

    She¡¯s found her answer. Soon, the time will come to see it through.

    ***

    Sapporo and the sun quietly bid Yuzu farewell. The concrete jungle will shortly give way to rolling hills and distant peaks¡ªscenery she¡¯s all too familiar with, but now, she sees it all from a different perspective. She¡¯s not looking out the window of a train this time, nor the cramped back seat of her parents¡¯ kei car. She¡¯s not bound to any of those things anymore. With her own car, at her own command, she can drive anywhere and any time she wants.

    She feels like she¡¯s finally figuring things out.

    ¡°Man... This thing really is a monster.¡± She¡¯s used to driving high-octane speed demons, but never in the company of more normal cars. She and the bestial V6 stand out¡ªand without Reina beside her to complement the car¡¯s audacious nature, she feels a touch more conspicuous as a result.

    ...She thought she would care more about that, but the more she drives, the less it registers to her. She even feels like indulging her new ride a little...within reason, of course.

    ¡°I dunno what it is, but this car just feels really satisfying.¡±

    A traffic light dares to interrupt her; she dutifully obeys, bringing the engine back down to a low rumble and waiting for the light to flip. There¡¯s only one other car here¡ªa humble, boxy little thing like so many other kei cars out on the street. Aside from him, there¡¯s no one else around...

    ¡°...Ah, what the hell.¡±

    That one car beside her is treated to an unexpected solo concert. The driver, a local high school student with a very young driver¡¯s license, nearly jumps out of his skin, his eyes bugging out as his neck cranes to his left.

    *VRRRMMM...!* *VRRRRRMMM...!*

    ¡°Wha¡ª?!¡±

    He was just heading to the store to pick up some supplies for his uncle¡ªand rack up some experience with city driving while he was at it. Instead, he¡¯s come mirror to mirror with a snarling tiger threatening to pounce. He can feel the power from inside his own car, shaking the air itself and jittering his glasses on his face.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s corrupted me a bit. This is kinda fun... Heh heh.¡±

    She brings her performance to a head, a crescendo of power as the light finally turns green. With fanfare, she rockets through the intersection and up to the speed limit, streaking off into the distance.

    All said and done, the other driver is left to wonder what on earth just happened.

    ¡°Why did that car sound...familiar? I can¡¯t quite place it...¡±

    Nonetheless, she¡¯s gone just as soon as she arrived. There¡¯s nothing left of her car in the distance, already well on its way out of the city. He has no idea what to make of either the car or his unexplained d¨¦j¨¤ vu...

    But whatever the case, he¡¯ll have quite the odd story to tell his uncle when he gets back. He¡¯s gonna remember that one.

    ***

    The light finally fades from the sky, the faint blues and purples on the horizon retreating to the west. No longer does the concrete jungle reach her¡ªshe sees it stretch thinner and thinner, until the gray fades and the green begins. Now, only the moon and stars are left to keep her company, casting their light down on the hinterland of Hokkaido. She¡¯s got the road all to herself on the three-hour drive back to Obihiro; it¡¯s just her and the car, carving a path through the night.

    Her tired eyes soften in the calm of the night. It¡¯s been a long, long weekend¡ªsatisfying, beyond a doubt, but nonetheless draining. She¡¯s ready to get some well-earned rest...and in an interesting twist, the car seems to settle down with her. Rowdy though that V6 engine may be, it¡¯s perfectly content to lay down the kilometers, unbothered by the wind around it. Contrary to Yuzu¡¯s expectations, the drive is relaxing... Therapeutic, even. The wide open road and the serene landscape surrounding let her absorb the experience of driving her new car.

    ¡°Something about this just feels...¡±

    Yuzu can¡¯t quite put her finger on it. Her father¡¯s kei car, the long, winding train... They¡¯re both utilitarian tools, built for function above all else. She understands well the need for that efficiency¡ªit¡¯s what drives the modern world.

    But for some reason she can¡¯t fully explain, the Pocket makes her feel so much different than sitting in the backseat of that kei car, or letting the train whisk her away. Something about the way this car isn¡¯t ashamed to be loud and bombastic. It expresses itself... It celebrates itself. It¡¯s indulgent unlike anything else she¡¯s ever driven¡ªnot even the race cars she drives are so boisterous in their design.

    All this time, she understood a car to be nothing more than a tool, engineered for an express purpose¡ªbe it commuting, racing, transporting goods or whatever other role they need to fill. What purpose, then, does this Aikawa-powered Silvia serve? It¡¯s not remotely a born-and-bred commuter; as a race car, it¡¯s outdated and inefficient. If it doesn¡¯t fit in at all, then what is it for...?

    ¡°...It¡¯s just different.¡±

    This car isn¡¯t trying to fit in, she realizes. It speaks for itself¡ªquite literally. It exists not as a tool, but as a celebration of everything Aikawa Auto loves about cars and engines. The point of this car is not to use it for any specific task... The point of this car is to drive it.

    And drive, she does. The car feels satisfying in a way few others do; the learning curve is steep, but the reward is a machine that makes her feel in complete, total control. When all the pretense of sensibility is thrown to the wayside, Yuzu is left with a car that demands her attention and rewards her ability. Yet she doesn¡¯t feel the least bit pressured, like she might in a race; instead, she savors every sharp turn and every long straight, letting the sweet, sweet sound serenade her through the night.

    ...When was the last time she had this much fun just driving for driving¡¯s sake?

    ¡°Oh, right, the tunnel¡¯s coming up.¡± As Yuzu drives further and further into the mountains, she happens upon a familiar stretch of road. She¡¯s been through this tunnel countless times, but never has she thought to take in all the sights...and sounds. Perhaps it¡¯s that aforementioned corruption talking, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, but she wants to indulge in the Aikawa engine¡¯s power, just a little...

    ¡°Man, I¡¯m insane for even thinking this...¡± A pang of guilt briefly strikes her...but, perhaps out of sheer anticipation, she reasons with herself in her head. There¡¯s no one else around; the tunnel is hers and hers alone, if only for one brief minute. Nobody else has to know.

    ¡°...Well, what¡¯s the harm in having a little fun?¡±

    Yuzu never understood the appeal of street racing. As far as she was concerned, it was a backward, dangerous pastime that rightfully deserved to be consigned to history.

    ...But there¡¯s a tiny little part of her now that pictures them and their cars bombing through a lonely tunnel, engines echoing off the walls, and thinks:

    (I get it now.)

    *VRRRRRRRMMMMMMMM!!*

    For one fleeting moment, she opens up the throttle and lets the Silvia sing. The Aikawa V6 eagerly casts off its chains and propels the car forward, the tach struggling to keep up. Yuzu lets the windows down, and above the whipping wind, she hears what she can only describe as a symphony of speed blasting all around her. She reaches a self-imposed speed limit, not willing to risk it any further...but she can feel there¡¯s still so much power left for the engine to give. It¡¯s goading her, daring her to floor it harder.

    (This is...!)

    She remembers how Sami got her start in street racing, before Tokachi, before Super Endurance. Was she doing this too? Is this all part of Aikawa Auto¡¯s DNA? This sound, this energy, this feeling she can¡¯t explain...

    (This is incredible!)

    Eyes wide, heart pounding, Yuzu savors every last second she can. For a brief moment, she feels something truly magical¡ªsomething that breaks the bounds of just driving. This is more than controlling a machine... It¡¯s celebrating the very sensation of driving a car. This is what it means... She¡¯s taken this car and made it hers.

    Finally, Yuzu settles the car back down as the end of the tunnel beckons. The Silvia emerges out the other side as calm and collected as it entered, the echoes long gone from her episode within the walls. Yuzu¡¯s eyes still surge with adrenaline, looking back in the mirror as it all fades away. The sound of the engine in the tunnel still echoes in her ears; she wishes it didn¡¯t have to become a memory.

    But she¡¯s beyond glad she made that memory to begin with. It helps her understand, bit by bit, just what this car really is.

    ¡°...Yeah. I really, really get it now.¡±

    Very soon, she¡¯ll be behind the wheel of a cutting-edge, purpose-built race car at Motegi. She will drive faster, corner harder, push the limits of her driving ability far beyond this little display tonight...but that does nothing to diminish the experience she¡¯s had. This has served as a reminder of what cars can really be¡ªmore than just tools, more than just measures of skill and self-worth.

    No...cars can be truly magical things. And driving them is always what she¡¯s enjoyed most.

    ¡°Heh heh... I¡¯m gonna have to ask Sami about that track day. I can¡¯t wait for it now.¡±

    And so, the seasons continue to change...

 11. I Want to Be Like You

    Spring arrives in earnest. The waxing sun drives the snow back into the mountains, freeing the grass below and painting a weary Sapporo green. Soon, pink will join the canvas as the sakura petals bloom. All about the city, anticipation lingers in the air¡ªafter the long, long winter, Hokkaido is ready to celebrate nature¡¯s blessings with holidays and festivals aplenty. Indeed, the changing seasons will bring a great many things...

    And Sami can¡¯t help but wonder what this year has in store.

    ¡°Ahhh... It always tastes better outside.¡± Her warm cup of tea tickles her face, the brisk morning breeze sifting through her hair. She¡¯s always enjoyed having her morning cup out on the patio... It gives her some time and space to herself.

    Normally she¡¯d take this time to try and clear her head¡ªmake sense of the conflicting thoughts running amok in her mind. These last few years have given her no quarter; she¡¯s agonized long and hard over how to best navigate these treacherous straits. It¡¯s forced her to rethink her perspective on both the company and her own pursuits.

    Today, though, there is no conflict, no disagreement in her heart. She knows that her time in the driver¡¯s seat is over. Whether she wanted her ride to end or not, she couldn¡¯t outrun time forever...nor could she undo the choices that led Aikawa Auto to this point. Her leadership of the company leaves a complicated legacy behind¡ªand perhaps more important than the decisions she made was the one decision she didn¡¯t.

    The new boss, the rising star, deserves to know.

    ¡°Well...no better time than now.¡±

    Sami finishes her tea and makes for the old shop down the hill. Today, past meets future.

    ***

    This lazy Saturday morning has Reina manning the shop by herself for the time being. It won¡¯t be much longer until she¡¯s back in the lecture halls, buried nose-deep in textbooks for her double major. To her, however, the school year still feels eons away¡ªher mind is occupied by a slew of burning questions. Now that the rush of Yuzu¡¯s Silvia project has worn off somewhat, Reina has to take the lessons she learned and translate them to future momentum...which is easier said than done.

    (I¡¯ve gotta get the ball rolling off of this... It can¡¯t just be a flash in the pan. That won¡¯t do us any good.)

    Reina can¡¯t deny that she¡¯s been very, very lucky these past few months. Projects and clients have fallen into her lap at the perfect times, giving her momentum and helping her build confidence...but she knows the trend isn¡¯t sustainable. At some point, the company has to start standing on its own two feet¡ªor the tides of time will take them under and drown them for good.

    What they need is a plan. Something to put them on the map in the same way that Clara did; something that taps the market niche they need. Reina knows that demand for performance products hasn¡¯t simply disappeared¡ªit¡¯s just changed, and left Aikawa Auto behind in the process. It¡¯s her job now to translate the success they found in the past, and carve out a foothold in this new market.

    It won¡¯t be easy, that¡¯s for certain...but it¡¯s the brightest path Reina sees. If she¡¯s going to reach for the stars, that will have to be how she does it.

    *DING!*

    ¡°Oh! Hey, Mom!¡±

    ¡°Morning!¡±

    Sami offers Reina a welcome reprieve from the long stretches of nothing going on today. They¡¯ll have Golden Week to contend with soon enough, but until then, the company is left to its own devices. That gives Sami as good a chance as any to share her thoughts with Reina¡ªshe¡¯s been thinking about the future plenty herself.

    ¡°Slow day?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, not a lot going on. What brings you down here, though?¡±

    ¡°What, I need a reason? You¡¯re telling me I can¡¯t visit my one and only daughter out on the job? You¡¯re so cold to me!¡±

    ¡°I... Yes, that¡¯s exactly what this is.¡±

    ¡°Always such a dictator, I swear.¡±

    Sami missed sassy Reina.

    ¡°In all seriousness, I did wanna talk to you about something. I can tell you¡¯ve had a lot on your mind as of late¡ªand I just figured I¡¯d give you my two cents to try and help.¡±

    ¡°Ah... It was that obvious, huh?¡±

    ¡°Nothing gets by me, y¡¯know~¡±

    Sami joins Reina at the front desk, her own accolades staring down at her from their decorated back wall. She¡¯s still proud of her accomplishments¡ªand the spirit of that fiery young driver still burns inside of her. But over the last few years, she¡¯s had to come to grips with some uncomfortable truths about herself... The trophies here in the shop remind her of what she had to leave behind in order to go chasing that dream.

    ¡°We¡¯ve had it pretty good lately, what with the ski lift deal and Yuzu¡¯s project...but from what I gather, you¡¯re thinking about what happens next, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If we wanna get back on the map, we need to find something more sustainable to do. I¡¯m thinking about how to market what we have so we can reach the right people.¡±

    Sami smiles. Reina¡¯s always had that analytical eye... It makes Sami curious about what she truly wants to do with the shop¡ªand with herself.

    ¡°This may sound a bit silly, but it just leads me to wonder: best-case scenario, we find a way to pull ourselves back up...what do you see yourself doing after you¡¯ve got it made? What¡¯s your dream for the future?¡±

    ¡°...Hm.¡± An angle she hasn¡¯t considered much.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to answer that. I mean, the shop kinda is my dream. I want to make it all work¡ªI want to live up to the example you and Grandma set, y¡¯know? And I¡¯m not doing it because I feel obligated to as your daughter... I¡¯m doing it because I want to.¡±

    ¡°I just wanna have fun making cars and engines¡ªand I want the shop to hit it big like it did back then, so I can do it as much as I want. That¡¯s all I need, really.¡±

    ¡°Mm...¡± Reina¡¯s dreams are a marked departure from her mother¡¯s. Sami¡¯s known this for quite some time, but hearing Reina voice her own perspective gives that last little bit of confirmation. She really does take more after Clara than Sami¡ªshe¡¯s a gearhead to her core, driven by a deep devotion to anything and everything mechanical.

    That distinction from her mother is what forms the crux of this juncture. It prompts Sami to take a deep breath and ask...

    ¡°So, what I wanna ask you is: do you feel like the shop lifts you up in reaching for that goal, or does it only weigh you down?¡±

    Reina opens her mouth, but she has no words prepared. She isn¡¯t sure what to say¡ªnor is she certain what Sami expects to hear. On a surface level, certainly, the situation she inherited wasn¡¯t great...but the shop means so much more to her than that.

    ¡°Well... I mean...¡± Reina stumbles. She feels like she has an answer in her head, but it¡¯s harder to put into words than she thought it would be.

    ¡°...No. I do feel a weight here, but I¡¯m happy to carry it.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s the least I can do to honor you and Grandma. This is a place where I can be myself¡ªnowhere else gives me that kind of comfort. Nowhere else feels like home.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just because this is the only ¡®home¡¯ I¡¯ve ever known...but I can¡¯t see myself doing anything else.¡±

    ¡°I want to be here. If that means carrying some extra weight, then...well, that¡¯s fine by me.¡±

    ¡°...You¡¯re a damn strong girl, Reina. I want you to know that.¡±

    ¡°Thank you...¡±

    Reina appreciates the vote of confidence, but she still has questions about Sami¡¯s angle. Her mom usually isn¡¯t this introspective... It makes her think there¡¯s something bigger on her mind.

    ¡°But...and I hope I¡¯m not being insensitive, but what brought this on?¡±

    ¡°Well...¡±

    Sami can¡¯t beat around the bush much longer. She takes a look at that final picture on the wall¡ªher final victory at Tokachi. This is something she¡¯s wanted¡ªneeded¡ªto get off her chest. It¡¯s been bubbling deep in her soul for quite some time now, and if it will help Reina take the helm at all, then it¡¯s worth telling her.

    ¡°...It¡¯s not just the future lately. I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about the past too. There¡¯s an elephant in the room that I¡¯ve needed to address.¡±

    She pulls up a chair, sits down, and begins...

    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought of myself as being stuck in two different worlds. I learned my mechanical chops from your grandmother, and I still hold the shop dearly...but deep down, I always had more of an interest in driving cars than building them.¡±

    ¡°When we were at our peak, it was perfect. You had the Road Runner in its prime, and I was tearing up the streets in that thing, touring circuits for time trials... That was the most I ever felt like this world was for me. Grandma Clara and I were a real good team.¡±

    A trophy gleams in the corner of her eye.

    ¡°...But then along came Tokachi.¡±

    ¡°Did you...like that more?¡±

    ¡°I loved it.¡±

    ¡°All I¡¯ve ever wanted to do is race. When Tokachi came a-knocking, I chomped at the bit and I never let go.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think about what that said about me at all¡ªand even if I did, I probably wouldn¡¯t have cared. The shop was still humming along, and I had no reason to do anything different myself.¡±

    ¡°But then...things started to change. When the company started to decline, I felt almost torn. I wanted to keep on racing, but Clara wasn¡¯t getting any younger, and the shop¡¯s prospects weren¡¯t getting any brighter either.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s when I think the rift between the two worlds started to grow... I felt obligated to take over the shop, when really, I felt more at home on the track. I think I almost resented the shop, at that point...like it was just getting in the way of what I really wanted to do.¡±

    Reina¡¯s eyes gradually widen, stunned into silence. She¡¯s never heard any of this from her mother before...nor would she ever have reached that conclusion about her. Perhaps she was just too young to read the writing on the wall back then...

    ¡°Grandma Clara and I... We had our disagreements, back in those days. She wanted me to take over and finish what she started...but I just wanted to keep on racing.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really know what I wanted to do with the shop; I didn¡¯t have an answer for the problems we were facing. I figured I could just leave it to her...but by then, she was in her 70s, and she was really starting to slow down.¡±

    ¡°Failing that, I thought I could at least have your father help navigate things, but...well...¡±

    ¡°Yeah...¡±

    Reina takes a deep breath. She feels like the rose-tinted glasses are slowly lifting from her eyes... Those childhood memories were hiding something in the margins all this time, a problem she couldn¡¯t see. Sami¡¯s hesitance to embrace her directive as the company matriarch left them drifting at sea, with no clear destination in mind. By the time she finally stepped up and took the helm, it was too late: their longtime navigator was slipping away. With Clara¡¯s eventual passing, Sami was lost.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t put all my heart into the shop like she could...so I kept coming back to Tokachi, year after year. I was already in my 40s, and racing was all I wanted to do with my life...so that¡¯s all I did. Just chasing a dream well after it slipped away.¡±

    ¡°And in the process, I ignored my mother¡¯s own dream...and my daughter¡¯s.¡±

    Reina sees the regret spreading across Sami¡¯s face. She doesn¡¯t want to blame her.

    ¡°I... Mom, no...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Reina. I¡¯ve owed you this apology for a long, long time now.¡±

    Sami¡¯s heart jitters, her hands clammy. She¡¯s always wanted to be a good role model for Reina to look up to, but the more she thinks about the past, the more she feels she¡¯s inadvertently been an obstacle for the poor girl. Things could¡¯ve been so much different if she stuck it out with Clara and her plan for the future...

    ¡°Deep down, I think I wanted to put my own dreams over the company. I wanted to be that hotshot racer soaking up the spotlight. I wanted to make a name for myself entirely on my own...but I was too scared to make the jump all the way. I still wanted to keep what I had at the shop...¡±

    ¡°...But that was never going to work. I was torn between two paths, and I just couldn¡¯t make up my mind. I took Clara for granted¡ªdidn¡¯t know what I had until she was gone.¡±

    ¡°All this could¡¯ve been avoided if I had the foresight to plan for the future. If I committed to succeeding Clara proper... Instead, you¡¯ve had to pick up the pieces I left on the floor. This shop hasn¡¯t truly had a vision in years...and that¡¯s my responsibility.¡±

    ¡°So, Reina... I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry for dealing you a bad hand... I¡¯m sorry for making this so much harder on you than it ever had to be.¡±

    ¡°M-Mom...¡±

    Reina gets up from her chair and gently hugs her mother. The two Aikawas share a silent moment together, emotions heavy in the air. Sami feels the weight of her past indecision bearing down on her...but for a brief moment, Reina¡¯s embrace helps put her back at ease.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for anything... Everybody has their regrets. You still helped me so much growing up¡ªwithout you, I might not even be here manning the shop.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just... It¡¯s just not fair to throw that all away and blame yourself for all our problems!¡±

    ¡°I know... But I felt like it was necessary to explain why the shop is the way it is...what you¡¯re really going up against. Why there¡¯s all this inertia working against you.¡±

    Reina closes her eyes, taking a moment to formulate her answer...but deep down in her heart, she already knows what she wants to say. She pulls herself back a bit and stares her mother dead in the face.

    ¡°...I¡¯ve come to accept it. This was never going to be easy for me.¡±

    Sami¡¯s breath briefly quivers. In the girl¡¯s eyes, Sami sees a fire burning bright inside of her... A spark of determination.

    She looks just like Clara.

    ¡°If I wanted my life to be easy, I could just turn my back on all of this and fit in like everyone else. Find some normal job, live a normal life and forget about everything you and Grandma did.¡±

    Reina stands tall. Her heart is burning. This is who she truly is.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want that. You and Grandma are the people I look up to the most... You weren¡¯t afraid to be yourselves. You did what you wanted to do. You carved your own path when everybody else wanted you to give up and fit in!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the kind of person I want to be... I want to be like you!¡±

    (Reina...)

    In her mother¡¯s conflicted eyes, Reina sees a woman who¡¯s forgotten her own strength. She may have made her mistakes, but Reina doesn¡¯t care about that; she cares more about the strength it took for her to chase that dream in the first place. That bright-eyed young girl saw her mother going out on the track and proving that people like her can reach the stars if they really, really try.

    That¡¯s the kind of drive that Reina wants. It¡¯s about more than just inheriting the family legacy¡ªmore than just doing right by her grandmother. It¡¯s about following in their example... Finding the strength they had, and reaching up to take her place in the world.

    ¡°I¡¯m used to having it tough... You and Grandma never had it easy either. I might not be as good a mechanic as Grandma was...and I¡¯m not the racer you are. But if I can do this, it¡¯ll prove once and for all that I deserve to be an Aikawa.¡±

    ¡°I want to EARN that name¡ªand if that means I have to work for it, then that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do!¡±

    Sami has no counter. She can only look up at her daughter, with a maelstrom of emotions swirling in her old eyes. She remembers the indecision, the doubt that gripped her in the early days¡ªand watching her struggle left Sami stricken with guilt. She started to question if it was right to throw Reina to the wolves like that...to make her climb that mountain.

    ...But climb she did. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Reina knows what she wants to be¡ªand to her, it doesn¡¯t matter how far down she starts her journey. She will reach the stars.

    (...If only I could¡¯ve had that strength back then.)

    To see Reina¡¯s determination, to hear the fire in her words... This is the true, rightful heiress to Aikawa Auto and its legacy. This is who Sami always wanted to be.

    ¡°C¡¯mere.¡± Sami stands up herself, and pulls Reina in for another hug. That speech came straight from Reina¡¯s pounding heart¡ªand as the rush wears off, she feels her trembling just the tiniest bit. Sami wraps her arms tighter, gently patting her on the back.

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve got it in you, sweetie... I believe in you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you...¡±

    Mother and daughter share the moment just a little while longer. When they finally step back, Sami knows the time has come. Reina deserves to know the company¡¯s best-kept secret... She may very well be the key to unleashing it.

    ¡°...I think it¡¯s about time you learned about Clara¡¯s last big plan, then.¡±

    Reina cocks her head. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be easier to explain if I showed you.¡±

    The memories come flooding back as Sami leads Reina up the stairs. All those nights agonizing over blueprints, all those discussions and debates in the darkest hours of the night... All left on the cutting room floor for Reina to inherit.

    Clara watches from the wall, as she always does. She sees Sami and Reina making for the second floor, and the old library within. She sees that Reina is ready to take up the mantle, and carry on in her stead...

    And once more, the stubborn old fox flashes her signature toothy smile.

    ***

    Clara¡¯s domain, the second floor, sits dormant as it has for years and years. In another time, this used to be her home away from home¡ªquite literally, in fact, as sometimes she would work herself to sleep and pick the makeshift bed upstairs over the trek back to the house. It became a running joke when Reina would wake up for school in the morning and Clara would be conspicuously absent.

    This puts it all in a different light for Reina now. The anticipation builds as they cross the hallway and reach Clara¡¯s old library...where her final experiment lay dormant for years.

    ¡°Is this what I think it is...?¡±

    ¡°Most likely.¡±

    There, in the back corner of the library where the light hesitates to reach, lies a dusty old shelf, its drawers kept under lock and number. Reina has never known what¡¯s inside¡ªand curious though she was, she never thought to peek inside. Sami had told her ages ago that it was simple miscellany, irrelevant to the rest of the library.

    But no...

    ¡°You know the combo?¡±

    ¡°I do. Clara and I were in this cabinet a whole lot.¡±

    Reina shuffles out of the way to give Sami some light to work with. She watches on, curiosity blooming on her face.

    ¡°1...1...1...7.¡±

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s...!¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± Sami cracks a bittersweet smile. ¡°Your birthday.¡±

    ¡°She really had high hopes for you... After I blew her off, she felt like you should be the one to finish this job instead.¡±

    ¡°...Thinking about it now, I can¡¯t deny she was right.¡±

    The cabinet slides open with a rusty whine. It¡¯s hard to make out the details within its dark confines, so instead, Sami reaches in and pulls the contents from the cabinet, bringing them with her to the desk at the front. She holds a heavy, massive assortment of papers, all haphazardly pressed into binders. After an age in limbo, it¡¯s all dragged back out into the light, and Reina can read its title for the very first time:

    PROJECT STAR RIDER

    99/01/27

    ¡°Whoa... What is this?¡±

    ¡°This was going to be Aikawa Auto¡¯s magnum opus.¡±

    Sami opens the binder to the first page, and immediately, Reina¡¯s eyes widen: she¡¯s met with extensive sketches for a car she doesn¡¯t recognize. The more she sees, the more she puts the pieces together and realizes what this plan entails...

    ¡°I-Is this...?!¡±

    ¡°It is.¡± Sami takes a deep breath. ¡°Grandma Clara had big plans for the shop back in the 90s. After all the work we did on cars of every shape and size, she decided she wanted to go one step further: she wanted to make her own.¡±

    ¡°These are all drafts and blueprints she worked on for years and years... She really put her heart and soul into this project. And I...¡± Sami can feel the shame weighing down on her.

    ¡°...I turned it down. I was too busy with my own life, my own dreams. We couldn¡¯t agree on where the shop needed to go in the future¡ªso instead, we just went nowhere.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how this project came to be left behind... I don¡¯t have the vision she did. Clara knew she was running out of time¡ªand that she¡¯d need someone to carry on her work past her eventual passing.¡±

    ¡°To her, there was only ever one girl for the job: you.¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Hearing the story shakes her. She always enjoyed working on cars with Clara, listening to her tall tales and high-octane stories. But to know that her grandmother had that much faith in her¡ªto know that she entrusted this to her from beyond the grave¡ªtriggers a storm of emotions she doesn¡¯t even know how to process.

    ¡°She wanted me to tell you when the time was right...when I was certain this was the path you wanted to take.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Grandma...¡± Reina takes a deep, shaky breath. It¡¯s an incredible responsibility to bear, and Reina honestly has no idea if her fledgling skills will live up to the foundation Clara set...but all the same, it gives her a path she¡¯s desperately wanted. If she can make this work...

    ¡°...Let me go ahead and read through this.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Take however long you want.¡±

    Sami opens the door back to the hall, and prepares to excuse herself. She wants this to be something Reina takes in on her own¡ªafter all, this isn¡¯t Sami¡¯s project. It¡¯s Clara¡¯s...and Clara has decided that Reina is its rightful inheritor.

    ¡°What you choose to do with the project is entirely up to you. Clara trusted you... If you think this is what you need, then you have every right to make it all yours.¡±

    ¡°And as your mom, I¡¯ll always be here to support you, every step of the way.¡±

    ¡°Thank you... I won¡¯t let you down. I promise!¡±

    ¡°I know you won¡¯t, sweetie. I believe in you.¡±

    Just like that, silence returns to the library. Reina is left to her own devices...and at once, a blinding combination of curiosity and bittersweet nostalgia pour through her head. Before her lies Clara¡¯s stillborn magnum opus¡ªa project to bring Aikawa Auto into the future, left unrealized by its original architect... But now, with her late grandmother¡¯s blessing, she has the mandate to bring it all together.

    ...She¡¯s itching to dive in.

    (This is it...! This is how I do it!)

    Wasting not another second, Reina cracks open the dusty old grimoire and absorbs every single word. This has all the signatures of her grandmother¡¯s handiwork¡ªthe contrast between comprehensive notes and haphazard addenda, the chaotic mix of Japanese and English, even the in-depth technical drawings accompanying nearly every part and piece of the build. It¡¯s equal parts addicting and confusing¡ªlike finding out your favorite author has a book you never read. The details are completely different, but the way it¡¯s all written is a dead giveaway that the same mind is behind it all...

    And compared to the Big Book, Clara¡¯s really stepped up her game. Reina didn¡¯t think it possible for her grandmother¡¯s notes to get even more meticulous, but somehow, she managed it¡ªand that makes sense, now that she thinks about it: she knew she would have to pass this all along at some point. All this was written for the purpose of sharing that vision with her... It wasn¡¯t written for just anybody.

    It was written for her.

    ¡°She was really dead set on doing this...¡± The more she combs through the pages, the deeper the rabbit hole goes. Pages upon pages devoted to meticulous research, outlining the methodology behind every single component. After getting through the introductory sections of the project, she finally reaches the main course: the engine.

    ¡°It¡¯s gotta be the 611, there¡¯s no way she¡¯d have anything else in this thing...¡±

    At first glance, she¡¯s correct: she sees the familiar platform of the Aikawa 611 staring at her in blueprint form. Codenamed the Bladerunner, it was developed all the way back in the 80s as the end-all, be-all king of the street. It¡¯s what powers the Road Runner and many of its bestial brethren¡ªand though it may be an old, outdated motor, its overwhelming power still makes it a formidable foe.

    ...But this is not the Bladerunner.

    ¡°OUTRUNNER¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    This is where the details diverge¡ªand this is where Clara¡¯s master plan unfurls before Reina¡¯s eyes. Not content to rest on her laurels with the old Mk. III, Clara set to work developing her latest and greatest engine¡ªa project so clandestine that the shop staff kept it hidden from her all this time. This motor is the sum of all her decades of automotive experience, working on cars and engines of every shape and size...and the dark magic on display is almost making Reina¡¯s head spin. The first several pages go over the differences between the third and fourth generations of the 611 platform...

    ¡°...What the hell?! That¡¯s genius!¡± It still has the body and soul of the Mk. III, but numerous updates and improvements have been made across the board; Reina didn¡¯t even think it was possible to squeeze that much more optimization out of their platform. The notes tell this story of Clara being so dissatisfied, so hungry for more, that she challenged herself to pore over every iota of this new engine.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m looking at...! How did this never make it to production?! It looks all but finished!¡±

    As Reina reads on, she finds out that the Outrunner has been in development since the 90s, constantly iterated and improved by Clara in a herculean one-woman job. No wonder she spent so many sleepless nights in the second floor¡ªthe sheer amount of work she put into this is absolutely staggering...

    And yet, as Reina soon discovers, there was still so much work left to do.

    ¡°Oh... That¡¯s why we never made it.¡±

    Toward the end of the section, the gaps in the design become more and more apparent. Either Clara was losing her edge in her final few years, or she didn¡¯t have enough time to make up her mind on a few key components, because the notes here leave some burning questions unanswered. As it stands, this puzzle is missing a few key pieces... It can¡¯t just come out of the book and onto the production floor yet.

    ...But there is potential here.

    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t expecting it to be easy.¡± Reina takes a deep breath and relaxes her eyes. ¡°If I¡¯m gonna make this work, I¡¯ll have to fill in those blanks myself.¡±

    It¡¯s a tall order¡ªan engine is a massive, meticulous machine. It demands perfect precision and an eye for both the big picture and the smallest of details. Perhaps a few months ago, Reina would conclude that the project just wasn¡¯t meant to be... Doomed by its master architect coming up just short. But now...

    ¡°...Good. That¡¯s exactly the kind of challenge I wanted.¡±

    Bit by bit, she gets a better scope of the project and its problems¡ªthe pieces she¡¯ll need to solve. She quickly realizes that cost is going to be another big hurdle here... From what she can gather in the notes, Clara intended to fund a prototype of this car entirely in-house, using cash reserves they had built up from the golden years. A plausible plan...but the world said no.

    The 90s and the turn of the millennium were a difficult time for both the company and the wider Japanese economy. Sales dried up, and their stockpile shriveled... Faced with the prospect of turning to outside help for capital, the project ground to a halt. Deflation made investors too bearish to sign on, their cash itself being a better investment than anything they could fund with it. You just couldn¡¯t convince anyone to greenlight a project like this...

    So, they didn¡¯t. Clara and Sami simply let the project be.

    Now, in the wake of a global recession and with minimal cash saved up, Reina will have her work cut out for her. She¡¯ll need a silver tongue, an airtight plan, and an investor willing to lend her their ears...and their coin.

    ¡°...I can think about how I¡¯ll do that later. I wanna get through the rest of this first.¡±

    The engine itself is only one part of this massive plan. By far the largest section of the notes cover everything surrounding it¡ªthe chassis, the body, the interior and all manner of other parts and pieces. This too is outlined in Clara¡¯s trademark detail, but Reina notices that this part of the plan is even less finished than the new engine. Seems she ran her plans through a lot of consultants, experts and close contacts...which makes sense, of course. Clara had never designed a whole car before.

    That neatly brings Reina to a series of meticulous sketches for the finished car¡ªengine, body and all. All the hypothetical pieces come together to reveal Clara¡¯s completed vision...and though it only exists on paper, it speaks to Reina in a language she knows all too well.

    ¡°That is a funky-looking thing...¡± Reina chuckles. ¡°But it¡¯s exactly how I¡¯d expect Grandma to design a car.¡±

    Critically, she finds there are actually plans for more than one configuration for the car itself¡ªeach suited for different engine displacements. Clara gave them all a theme for their tentative names: the Wind Rider as the smallest model, then the Sky Rider above it, and last, the behemoth Star Rider.

    ¡°This is wild... She¡¯s got updated Pockets and 475 Sluggers in here too!¡± Their petite V6 and midsize V8 got a makeover as well. That¡¯s a smart move on Clara¡¯s part¡ªthe V6 always sold the best out of their engine models, despite not being their specialty. Having a car sized just right for it would go a long way for the financial viability of this project...

    ¡°She really thought this through. It¡¯s a real longshot plan, but I totally see the logic behind it. I just need to get my foot in the door...¡±

    Reina¡¯s eyes are drawn next to a series of names accompanying all these sketches. These must have been contractors¡ªwithout the tools to build the car herself, Clara would have had to strike a deal with an outside company to provide the frame and chassis. It looks like several companies were in the running, but in the end, Clara did make her choice. There¡¯s one name circled in very thick pen:

    ¡°Tetsukura... This must¡¯ve been the company she wanted. Well, that makes my life a lot easier! If she was already in contact with them, I might be able to get the ball rolling again.¡±

    Reina starts taking her own notes to go with Clara¡¯s exhaustive documentation. Already the gears are turning in her head, trying to piece the project together from the fragments left behind. She¡¯s completely lost track of time now¡ªand the fact that she was supposed to be on the clock handling customers. She doesn¡¯t care. She¡¯s so totally engrossed in this that nothing else registers in her mind.

    ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯m getting close to the end here...¡± Clara¡¯s behemoth compendium nears its end. After delving into technical minutia for some interior bits and auxiliary parts, she wraps up the Star Rider project with a list of contacts and collaborators¡ªinvaluable resources for Reina as she works to reverse-engineer the project. At last, she¡¯s worked her way through the book...

    But there are still a couple pages left. After flipping through the final directory page, Reina is met with something...different.

    ¡°What is this...?¡± The chaotic notes have briefly organized themselves in paragraph format. There, at the top of the page, the introductory line catches Reina¡¯s eye:

    To My Successor¡ªYes, You!

    ¡°I... Huh...?¡± Her voice quivers. For one fleeting moment, she hears her grandmother¡¯s voice again, echoing inside her head. Clara saw this day coming; she pre-emptively wrote this for her granddaughter to discover. The closing passage of this book contains a message straight from Clara¡¯s heart. Overcome with emotion, Reina begins to read...

    Been a while, Reina! If you¡¯re reading this, it means you¡¯re ready to inherit the shop. Your mom¡¯s been watching you closely, and I told her to fill you in when the time was right.

    It also means I¡¯m dead, which is a bit of a shame. I wish I could¡¯ve worked on this together with you, but alas, your grandma¡¯s runnin¡¯ on fumes. To compensate, I poured everything I could think of into this book here¡ªand I hope it helps you, if you decide to take this on.

    I want you to know that I¡¯ve always believed in you. You¡¯ve had that love for machines ever since you opened your eyes. That¡¯s not something you only have because of us¡ªI don¡¯t believe in natural-born talent or any of that mumbo jumbo. You could¡¯ve been born to anyone else, and you would still shine just as bright.

    Watching you blossom into a wonderful, passionate young woman has been the greatest joy of my life. I will always, always treasure the time we shared¡ªand I know everyone else feels the same. Your mom and pop, and Grandpa Isamu too. We all love you, and we will always love you as long as we live. I¡¯m so incredibly thankful to have you as my granddaughter. Don¡¯t ever forget that.

    I know you can do it, Reina. Believe in yourself, and take the wheel.

    Love, Grandma Clara

    ¡°I... Grandma, I...¡±

    Reina stains the final page of the book with her tears. She can¡¯t stop herself from crying. The stillness of the library amplifies her quiet sobs...but all the same, she¡¯s not alone here. Grandma Clara will always be there to guide her¡ªher body may have passed on, but her spirit still burns bright inside the book. Reina will treasure it with her life.

    ¡°I love you... I love you too...¡± Reina croaks. For just a little while longer, she lets herself shed all this pent-up emotion, her heart heavy and her breaths trembling.

    ...Through all of this, she knows what she needs to do now. Her grandmother believes in her¡ªeveryone does. She bears a heavy weight on her shoulders, and she will walk with it bearing down on her for years and years yet...but Clara and everyone else will be there to lift her up, in body and in spirit. This is how she saves the company... This is how she earns her name as Reina Aikawa.

    ¡°...I¡¯ve gotta do it.¡± Reina wipes the last of the tears from her eyes. She puts her glasses back on, her vision clear. The future beckons...and Reina will face it with everything she has.

    ¡°I promise, Grandma... I promise, I¡¯ll make you proud!¡±

    After hours of study, Reina emerges from the library, Star Rider book in hand. She bounds down the stairs and finds Sami waiting for her, having taken up the front desk in her stead. Her mother¡¯s been thinking long and hard about how to support her¡ªshe can tell from how long Reina spent up there that her mind is already set.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for keeping that from you for so long... I had to be sure it was the right time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize one bit. I¡¯m ready for this now.¡± Reina speaks with conviction. She doesn¡¯t walk for walking¡¯s sake anymore¡ªshe has a real, tangible goal to work toward now. She will be the one to spearhead the Star Rider project...and just as Clara intended, she¡¯ll be doing it her way.

    ¡°But first: I wanna get Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi over here. I¡¯ve got a lot of things I wanna ask them¡ªand you too.¡±

    ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll be right there with you.¡±

    Reina¡¯s mind is a whirlwind. Without skipping a beat, she reclaims the front desk and punches a familiar phone number into the shop¡¯s phone. Sami takes the liberty of calling up Uncle Naoto; the other shop mainstay falls to her.

    ¡°Reina! What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some big news! Hurry over here and let¡¯s get down to business!¡±

    ¡°Sure thing!¡±

    Reina hangs up just as soon as she calls. Old Man Takashi takes a moment to register what she could¡¯ve been calling about...but once it clicks in his head, he grows a proud, knowing smile. It¡¯s finally time.

    ¡°Heh heh... Been waiting a long, long time for this.¡±

    ***

    In short order, the four-man band is assembled at the shop. To call Old Man Takashi and Uncle Naoto excited would be a severe understatement¡ªthey¡¯ve both watched Reina come into her own as the shop¡¯s head honcho. Under her leadership, Clara¡¯s old pipe dream stands a very real chance of succeeding...and though she won¡¯t be able to do it alone, they¡¯ve been waiting to lend her their aid for years now. She¡¯s finally ready, and so are they.

    As the two of them walk through the door, they¡¯re met by a confident Reina, standing tall with the old grimoire at her waist. That book might as well be the real key to the shop¡ªit¡¯s a symbol of her passion and desire to see the project through. Sami feels like the torch has finally been passed for good...and she welcomes her daughter¡¯s leadership with open arms.

    It¡¯s time to get to work.

    ¡°So! Sami pointed me toward this old book, and from there, Grandma Clara brought me up to speed. I take it you all knew too?¡±

    ¡°Bits and pieces,¡± Uncle Naoto clarifies. ¡°We were keeping things going day to day while she worked on the project in the background. From what I remember your mother telling me, she was getting close to a prototype until age caught up with her.¡±

    ¡°We sorta figured it¡¯d be best to leave her to her own devices¡ªshe always loved doing things her way.¡±

    ¡°I can tell¡ªI dunno if you¡¯ve seen the schematics in this thing, but they¡¯re downright diabolical. Did she tell you about the engine overhaul or no?¡±

    ¡°That much we did know. We were even getting in contact with fabricators for custom parts at one stage.¡±

    ¡°Good! Very good. I did find a lot of those contractors listed in the book here¡ªI¡¯m gonna work on retracing Grandma¡¯s steps first, see if we still have in-roads with any of these companies. That should save me a lot of time.¡±

    ¡°That said...there¡¯s still a lot of work left to do. She didn¡¯t get to finish any of the new engine revisions¡ªit¡¯ll be up to us to fill in the blanks.¡±

    ¡°Yeah...¡± Sami ruminates on those myriad late-night discussions she had with Clara. Her own mechanical knowledge pales in comparison to the late head honcho; she wasn¡¯t able to contribute much to the master plan.

    As far as testing goes, however...that¡¯ll be where she shines.

    ¡°It¡¯s not gonna be easy... Funding is a huge issue, and there are a lot of question marks left in the blueprints. If I¡¯m being honest, I may very well be biting off more than I can chew...¡±

    Reina takes a deep breath.

    ¡°...But I¡¯m not gonna back down. I¡¯m gonna give this project everything I have, I promise you that¡ªand I¡¯m gonna get this prototype built if it¡¯s the last thing I do!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re with you, Reina!¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah!¡±

    Sami swells with pride. Reina¡¯s really doing it now.

    ¡°So in the interim, what do you need us to do?¡±

    ¡°Good question...¡± Reina can¡¯t deny that she¡¯s constrained by time. She¡¯s got school coming up soon, and on top of her day-to-day obligations at the shop, she won¡¯t be able to simply drop everything to work on this project...

    ...Or will she?

    ¡°You know what? I don¡¯t wanna be rash, but I¡¯ve been weighing my options, and I think I¡¯m gonna take a gap year for this.¡±

    ¡°Really? Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Positive.¡± Reina¡¯s thought this through. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left for university to teach me right now. My business classes have given me some really good info on how to draft a plan and a budget; now I¡¯ve gotta put those skills to work.¡±

    Sami can¡¯t argue with that. She always had a hint of skepticism regarding Reina¡¯s choice to double major in mechanical engineering and business management...but it turns out Reina knew what she was doing all along. She knew exactly what she wanted to get out of university, and now her plan is paying off in spades.

    ¡°At some point, I wanna schedule a visit to Tetsukura Chassis too. They¡¯re the company Grandma wanted to contract for building the unibody.¡±

    ¡°Right, yeah, that makes sense. Akito Tetsukura, he¡¯s an old friend of Clara¡¯s. He and the old gang go waaay back.¡± Many of Clara¡¯s longtime friends were cut from the same cloth¡ªall thrillseekers in the market for her performance parts. Tetsukura started his own business after tinkering with his friends¡¯ souped-up street racers; he¡¯s gotten very familiar with Aikawa powerplants as a result.

    ¡°And on the funding side...¡± Old Man Takashi begins his train of thought, before quickly abandoning it. He realizes that he should¡¯ve thought twice before mentioning him...

    ¡°Yeah? I¡¯m all ears.¡±

    ¡°Er, well... I just had second thoughts about this, but I¡¯ve already blurted it out, so I can¡¯t really walk it back now.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another old acquaintance of Clara¡¯s... His name¡¯s Makoto Shibuya.¡±

    Sami and Uncle Naoto¡¯s eyes both widen.

    ¡°That¡¯s...quite the deep cut.¡±

    ¡°Should I already know that name?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. Shibuya was one of Clara¡¯s very first customers¡ªand he had a very keen business sense. After a couple years, he inked a contract to work as a distributor for Aikawa parts down in Kansai, and he was damn good at it.¡±

    ¡°...But around the time you were born, he and Clara had a big falling out.¡±

    ¡°Oh... I had no idea.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it wasn¡¯t pretty. The end result was that we lost our biggest distributor¡ªand we really struggled to get our footprint back in Osaka after that.¡±

    ¡°In some ways, we never did.¡±

    (...Well, shit, I shouldn¡¯t have opened my big, fat mouth, should I?)

    Old Man Takashi lets slip an exasperated breath. He¡¯s put himself in an awkward spot¡ªas cantankerous as Shibuya may have been back then, he¡¯s still a friend of his... The two of them came from the same neck of the woods, before either of them met Clara.

    ¡°I¡¯m still in contact with him...and I want to believe time heals all wounds. He¡¯s mellowed out a bit in his old age¡ªI know for a fact he¡¯s not the firebrand he used to be.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what he¡¯s up to now?¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure he¡¯s retired. He had a long stretch as an executive for some big car company, can¡¯t remember which one...but he¡¯s out now. If I recall, he lives somewhere down by Nagoya now.¡±

    ¡°I see... Well, you¡¯d know him better than I do. I haven¡¯t talked to him or even seen him for decades now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... It¡¯ll be a longshot, but he might be willing to hear you out. He¡¯s got business sense, and he sure as hell knows how to fund a project.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm...¡± Quickly, this project is getting more and more complicated. It¡¯s obvious to Reina that they¡¯re going to have plenty of outside parties and contractors working on this¡ªsome of whom might need a good bit of convincing before they sign on.

    ¡°...Well, it¡¯s as good a place to start as any. If you could contact him and forward him to me, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°You got it. Fair warning, though: he¡¯s the old-fashioned type. He wants to see stuff in person before he makes up his mind on anything.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m gonna need to head down there and talk to him myself?¡±

    ¡°Most likely.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite the trip... Sapporo to Nagoya¡¯s a long flight.¡±

    ¡°Mmm...¡± The prospect of flying just rubs Reina the wrong way for some reason.

    ¡°Really, if I could drive it, though...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d really rather drive all the way down there?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not still scared of flying, are ya?¡±

    ¡°I¡ª No! I just like being in control, is all.¡± Reina blushes. Despite living and breathing machines, she never did get along very well with planes. Something about not being the one controlling them as they scream through the sky at 500 miles an hour just doesn¡¯t sit right with her.

    ¡°And I hate those tiny-ass seats.¡±

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fair.¡± They don¡¯t know the pain of being over six feet tall.

    ¡°I¡¯ve needed to give the Road Runner a proper service anyway¡ªand this is as good an excuse as any to get that done.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I remember you telling me you¡¯ve always wanted to go on a road trip!¡± Now it¡¯s making sense for Sami. ¡°And if you don¡¯t have school to worry about, you¡¯ll have plenty of time for it!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I was thinking.¡±

    ¡°Anything you wanna visit on the way there? It¡¯d be a bit of a waste to drive all that way just for two business meetings. Might as well make it a proper vacation too, y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about that. I, uhh...¡± The more Reina thinks about potential stops on her trip, the more she realizes: there are a lot of places she¡¯d love to see. And she¡¯s really never had the time.

    ¡°...When was the last time I took a vacation, actually?¡±

    The crowd blinks, followed by a round of lighthearted laughter. They¡¯ve all been there¡ªit¡¯s hard to find the time to slip away when there¡¯s always work to do. Usually they can at least remember their last trip, though.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m serious! I really don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Always a workaholic, this one.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s just like her grandma.¡±

    ¡°Oh, lay off me, guys!¡± Reina joins in on the laughter.

    ¡°Seriously though: you¡¯ve earned it. I mean, you¡¯ve got Golden Week right around the corner! I think it¡¯s a perfect opportunity to relax a little and get your business done.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re gonna be down there, Fuji has that Super GT race they do that weekend. Suzuka might have something too¡ªnever hurts to look!¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, Yuzu¡¯s gonna be at Fuji, isn¡¯t she? For her F4 race.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, you¡¯re right! I might even be able to visit her down there!¡±

    ¡°Well, sounds like a plan, then!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡ªjust as long as you guys are okay with me skipping town for a week!¡±

    ¡°Aww, of course! Again: you¡¯ve earned the right to a little R&R after all that hard work.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be around to keep the lights on while you¡¯re gone. You just do what you gotta do!¡±

    Reina¡¯s face alights. She¡¯s so incredibly thankful to have her mom and the others here with her¡ªcome what may, they¡¯ve always got her back. Now she¡¯s more resolved than ever to hit the ground running and take care of business; it¡¯s the least she can do to repay them for all their help.

    ¡°Thank you...! Thank you so much!¡±

    Reina takes a deep breath... This is really happening. The future is hers to take.

    ¡°It¡¯s settled, then! Let¡¯s get this project off the ground once and for all!¡±

    ¡°YEAH!¡±

    Sami sees her daughter¡¯s shining face, her big plans for the future, and she struggles to hold her emotions back. Her little girl¡¯s all grown up now...and even with the unlucky hand she was dealt, she¡¯s still found a way to thrive here at the forlorn shop. She knows the shop is in good hands with her behind the wheel...

    And that reminds her of a promise she made herself, all those years ago.

    (Oh, that¡¯s right! There was one more thing!)

    When Reina was ready, Sami was to give her one more family heirloom. In her mother¡¯s view, she¡¯s more than earned it.

    ¡°Actually, while we¡¯re on the subject: I¡¯ve got something I want to give you, Reina.¡±

    ¡°You do? Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s back at the house. I saved it until you were ready...and I think now¡¯s finally the right time for it.¡±

    Sami picks up the keys to the old Road Runner, and starts toward the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and pick it up, yeah? I¡¯ll drive.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi watch as the Aikawas take their leave. They remember that promise too... The promise of a new era.

    ¡°Is it what I think it is...?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. Positive.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh.¡± Uncle Naoto feels the nostalgia. ¡°Yeah... I¡¯d say she deserves it now.¡±

    ***

    There¡¯s a lot of history written in the walls of this little corner house... Every brick, every plank, every drawer and cupboard a chapter in a story three generations long. Isamu and Clara hadn¡¯t expected it would last this long, but as the years wore on, and their family grew around them, it just never felt right to leave. They already had everything they needed right there at home.

    Though Isamu and Clara may be gone, their spirits live on in the form of scattered keepsakes and mementos. Isamu¡¯s well-worn rocking chair, Clara¡¯s little home office... This was their house, and it hasn¡¯t changed much at all from when they were living in it.

    Sometimes Sami can¡¯t help but feel conflicted about that. She knows it¡¯s best they move on, but like with the company, the impact her parents left can still be felt everywhere she looks. It doesn¡¯t feel right for her to go changing things to suit her own whims...

    ...But perhaps that¡¯s why Reina is the boss now. She understands.

    ¡°Right over here.¡± Reina doesn¡¯t come into her mother¡¯s room all that much. There isn¡¯t really a reason to...until today.

    ¡°There was one more thing your grandma wanted you to have. I promised her I¡¯d keep it safe here until the time was right.¡±

    There¡¯s one heirloom that¡¯s always meant more than the others¡ªa symbol of Clara¡¯s rebellious spirit, her confidence in herself. You can often see it in pictures of her from the company days, completing her frame and telling you the story of a girl who never says no.

    Now, Sami brings it out of its lonely drawer. After years tucked away, it¡¯s ready for the new head honcho.

    ¡°Is that...?!¡± She peers inside, eyes wide in surprise.

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Grandma¡¯s jacket!¡±

    She loved that old thing, and so did Sami. She wore that jacket to many of her biggest street outings. But as the years wore on, and Sami¡¯s career turned away from the open road, Sami shed the jacket for her racing uniforms¡ªand she never really went back. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to put it back on after Tokachi... She felt like it would only serve as a comparison to Clara.

    But she has a feeling it¡¯ll look a lot better on her daughter.

    ¡°I... There¡¯s no way I can take it!¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be down on yourself like that. This is what Clara always wanted... I think the only thing she wanted more was to see you wear it herself.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure...?¡± Reina really doesn¡¯t know what to say. That jacket is so synonymous with who Clara is... Does it really belong to her?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you put it on and see?¡±

    ¡°...Okay. I¡¯ll give it my best shot.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a job, you goofball!¡± She can¡¯t help but chuckle¡ªReina clearly ascribes a lot of weight to this. ¡°Just be yourself.¡±

    It still looks like it did back then...if perhaps a little weathered. The Aikawa logo on the side has faded from age, and the leather doesn¡¯t glisten quite as bright as it did back in the day, but it¡¯s still unmistakably Aikawa. Sami helps Reina put it on, and directs her to the mirror in the room...

    ¡°O-Oh...!¡±

    She likes how she looks... She really likes how she looks. The jacket doesn¡¯t fit her quite like it did Clara... Her taller frame leaves it higher up on her waist¡ªand she certainly won¡¯t be able to zip it up, either. But somehow, some way, it suits her perfectly. It covers her in a familiar shade, while leaving her colors beneath exposed.

    ¡°See? I¡¯d say it looks perfect on you, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    ¡°It does. It really does...!¡±

    Now that the nerves are wearing off, Reina feels the weight of the jacket lightening on her shoulders. It doesn¡¯t feel quite so big anymore... She¡¯s already getting used to it. It just feels so right.

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve got what it takes, sweetie... When you set your mind to something, you always find a way of getting it done.¡± Sami lays her arm across Reina¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Now you go out there and show the world what you¡¯re made of, yeah?¡±

    A beatific smile blooms on Reina¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    With that, Reina takes a fateful step on her long and winding journey. Guided by her grandmother¡¯s timeless wisdom, she charts a course in a bold new direction¡ªone that, succeed or fail, will change the fate of Aikawa Auto. She will spearhead the project from start to finish, using her mechanical chops and her business savvy to steer the company into parts unknown. Reina knows she has her work cut out for her...but she welcomes it with open arms. That only makes it all the more worth working toward.

    The broken clouds above have parted just long enough to give Reina one good shot at the stars... Now, the time has come to show the world what she¡¯s made of.

    Project Star Rider begins now.

 12. Spring Cleaning

    Today marks the first day of school across much of Sapporo, and students and staff alike are scrambling to get back in the rhythm of lectures and tests. Hokkaido University opens its doors once again, a veritable flood of undergrads descending upon its campus. They join a familiar morning rush, trains and buses surrounding. Everybody¡¯s got something to do, somewhere to be, caught in a chaotic dance as they criss-cross the crowded city streets.

    ...But not Reina. She has nowhere to be, and she reports to no one.

    *yaaawn* ¡°Ahh, the sun feels good...! So nice to finally be done with winter.¡±

    Only when Reina awakens does the gravity of her choice start to set in. This would have been her first day of school as well, and ordinarily, she would be out there in the chaos, trundling through traffic on her way to university. But she¡¯s broken from the routine¡ªput school on pause to pursue something greater. It feels strange, almost taboo to buck the trend like that...

    But all the same, it feels good to chart her own course¡ªjust like mom and grandma did.

    Lazily rolling out of bed, Reina throws on an unassuming t-shirt and a pair of shorts. An unseasonable warmth bears down on Sapporo, the mercury shooting past 70 and giving Hokkaido its first real taste of summer. Reina may have been born and raised here, but she never particularly liked winter¡ªtoo cold, too dark, too long...too hard to try and drive the Road Runner.

    But she doesn¡¯t have to worry about that anymore¡ªin fact, Aikawa Auto celebrates it. The first properly warm day of the year doubles as something of a holiday down at the shop...

    It lets them finally bring their old heirloom out of hibernation.

    ¡°Morning, Mom!¡±

    ¡°Well, there you are! You really slept in.¡± Sami finished her morning tea long ago.

    ¡°Feels good not having to wake up for school?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you have no idea.¡± Reina¡¯s not gonna miss those 8 AM lectures.

    ¡°Got a good night¡¯s sleep, and now I¡¯m ready to wake up the Road Runner too!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Just lemme know if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°Will do. See ya later!¡± Reina waves her mom goodbye for the moment. The shop¡ªand the slumbering beast inside it¡ªare calling her name.

    Rekindling the flame of that mighty V8 is a time-honored tradition at Aikawa Auto. After the cold, dark winter finally takes its leave, the warm embrace of spring lets them reawaken the Road Runner for another season of speed. This time, though, the old ritual¡¯s more important than ever: in just a couple weeks¡¯ time, it¡¯ll take to the highway and cruise down the spine of Japan, bound for the beating heart of the country.

    Reina already flutters with anticipation. She¡¯s been itching for a classic road trip for years and years now, but the time and the money were never quite right. It feels good to finally cross this off her bucket list...but first, of course, the Road Runner needs to shake off its cobwebs and rumble back to life.

    Leave it to the master mechanic to give it the touch it needs!

    ¡°Mmm... Ahhh!¡± Reina stretches her arms high, taking in every last ray of sunshine. ¡°This is the life. I can¡¯t wait to take her for a drive again...¡±

    It¡¯s actually been quite a while since she drove anything at all; not having a proper daily driver will do that. It¡¯s still perfectly possible to get around the city on public transport, but after months of trudging through the snow and darkness just to get to the bus stop, Reina¡¯s more than happy to leave that all behind.

    ¡°There we are...!¡± The shop looks quiet today, but that¡¯s alright. It gives her the place to herself. Old Man Takashi took the morning shift today¡ªand after sitting around twiddling his thumbs for a few hours, he¡¯s happy to tag out with Reina and let her take care of business for the rest of the day. He leaves the garage door wide open so Reina can walk right in...and staring proudly at her from inside is the trusty old Road Runner.

    ¡°Hel-looo~! Heehee... Been a while, huh? Sorry I had to work you so hard over the winter... I hope that break made up for it.¡±

    Reina hasn¡¯t touched the Road Runner since the end of last year, when it pulled that herculean effort to get her up the Teine pass. She brought it right back home and parked it on the spot, promising not to force it through the snow and ice for the rest of the season. After giving it a quick wash on the underside to prevent road crud from corroding the undercarriage, the car sat dormant all winter long... Now, the time has finally come to bring it back to life.

    ¡°Okay, first order of business...¡± Reina has an assortment of filters and other replacements ready to go. She needs everything spick and span for the road trip, so she¡¯s sparing no expense on maintenance. With routine precision, she gets to work freshening up the Road Runner¡¯s engine bay, discarding the worn old parts and slotting the new ones in. Now that she¡¯s got more wiggle room in her budget, she can also perform some more long-term maintenance that she had to put off before. It really tore her up, having to shelve those overdue replacements when she didn¡¯t have the cash...but thankfully, those days are behind her. Now, she can spoil the Road Runner all she wants.

    ¡°New spark plugs for you!¡± Reina makes quick work of the old ones. Working on these engines is such a cinch¡ªClara was adamant about ease of maintenance. Reina¡¯s thanking her for that decades later.

    ¡°Right, that should help her a lot. Those old ones were really gunked up... I¡¯m surprised she still ran okay.¡±

    Reina feels the need to thank the old engine for persevering through that rough stretch. She pats it on the head.

    ¡°Thanks for pulling through for me~¡±

    Reina hums along, checking replacements off the list. After finishing up topside, she gets it on the hoist and lifts it up for a tire rotation and brake replacement. The brakes especially have really needed to be changed¡ªthey worked overtime across the last couple winters. She would greatly prefer not to have them let go on her during a massive road trip, thank you very much.

    The breeze from outside feels nice. It¡¯s just so much better to have the garage door open when she¡¯s working on cars¡ªkeeps the air nice and fresh, and all that light makes it easier to see what she¡¯s doing. Also helps that it doesn¡¯t get dark at 5 PM anymore.

    ¡°Ooo-kay!¡± Reina lowers the Road Runner back down to earth. ¡°Just one or two more things, and then I think she¡¯ll be ready to roll!¡±

    The excitement builds. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say...and four months without the Road Runner¡¯s bestial roar has made her that much more eager to fire it up and take it for a spin again. Getting to work on the Pocket for Yuzu¡¯s Silvia was like a little taste, a teaser for when she can finally bring the big guns back out... She¡¯s finally getting close now.

    ¡°Phew!¡± Reina wipes the sweat off her forehead. She looks back down at her handiwork and gives a satisfied nod.

    ¡°I think that just about does it.¡± Now all that¡¯s left is to hop in, turn the key, pump the gas and coax the old car to life. She can¡¯t wait another moment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you started~!¡±

    Owing to its age, of course, and the fact that it¡¯s been sitting for months, getting the car going is no easy task, even with all Reina¡¯s TLC. The carb is bone dry, for one¡ªand getting the fuel mixture back to the right ratio is a finicky affair. The fuel itself has been sitting for a while, but it should still be fine. Reina¡¯s not too worried about replacing it, at any rate: it¡¯ll all get used up within the next couple weeks anyway.

    There¡¯s a palpable sense of relief as she touches down on the familiar bench seat. The car and its comfy interior fit her whole frame without a fuss, like it was tailor-made for her. That signature buzz greets her too when she slots in the key, welcoming her back after her long absence. The fuel pump groans beneath her... The car¡¯s as ready as it¡¯ll ever be.

    ¡°Alright, car,¡± Reina coos, pulling out the choke and pumping the throttle liberally.

    ¡°Time to wake up now.¡±

    The whole car lets out a lethargic yawn as Reina twists the key. The starter grunts as it shakes off its proverbial rust; the engine, meanwhile, sounds confused, as if unsure why it¡¯s even being asked to start. The titanic engine stirs for the first time in months...but it doesn¡¯t seem very keen on waking up just yet. The first start of the year is always a bit of a struggle¡ªand not helping this one is a very tired battery.

    ¡°Mmmm... Battery doesn¡¯t sound as good as I¡¯d want. Guess it lost some charge...¡± Reina lets the engine spin over for another second or two before letting the battery rest. As far as she can tell, the fuel still hasn¡¯t made it into the carb yet, so she prescribes more pumping to get the thirsty V8 on its feet. The engine needs a lot of fuel and a lot of compression to fire up, and without enough charge on the battery, achieving either of those becomes a whole lot tougher.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got a booster, but I don¡¯t wanna haul that out just for this...not if I don¡¯t have to, anyway.¡± Undaunted, Reina grips the key again.

    ¡°Come on, girl. You can do it.¡±

    Reina tries again, listening intently for any sign of life from the engine. At this point, she just has to let it crank over until the fuel flows through, but the battery doesn¡¯t make that easy. It¡¯s a delicate dance of unsophisticated machinery...

    *RRRrrRRRrrrrr...*

    ¡°Come onnnn...¡±

    She can hear the starter slowing down. It¡¯s hard work, spinning that monstrous engine, and the battery¡¯s having none of it. It¡¯s looking more and more like she¡¯ll have to dig out the booster or find another battery...

    *RRRrrrrrRRR-POP!*

    ¡°Oh! There we go, we¡¯re getting there!¡± Thankfully, the fuel is finally getting where it needs to go. Reina¡¯s not quite quick enough on the draw to capitalize, letting off the key after the sputter has already passed...but she¡¯s getting closer. The mix is just about right, and she should have enough battery power left for one more good try...The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Alright... This time.¡± Reina curls her hand around the key one more time. ¡°I know you wanna wake up. Gimme one more try, okay?¡±

    With measured pumps, Reina slowly twists the key and lets the Road Runner do its thing. The engine¡¯s snoring spurs her on, optimistic that she can get the car under control this time. Slowly, steadily, she works closer to that decisive spark...

    ¡°Almost there, baby, come onnn...¡±

    The engine tosses and turns in its slumber, still hesitant to wake up, but Reina gives it just the right amount of encouragement. She dials the choke back just a little to let the air in, then settles the throttle halfway down...

    ¡°Oh! Almost got it, you¡¯re so close!¡±

    *VVVRRRRMMMMMM!*

    ¡°There you go, sleepyhead! See, that wasn¡¯t so hard, was it~?¡±

    There¡¯s nothing quite like the sound of a reawakened 611, roaring through the pipes below and echoing off the walls of the garage. Reina all but swoons when she hears that sweet, sweet music¡ªshe¡¯s missed it oh so much.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Road Runner I know...¡± Now, spring has finally begun at Aikawa Auto.

    (I do need to get that battery checked, though. Wouldn¡¯t want that going out on me in the middle of the trip.)

    She can put that concern aside for the time being, though: now that the engine¡¯s started, she can run it all she wants. A quick trip around the block will suffice¡ªjust enough to stretch its legs and make sure all her fixes did the trick.

    ¡°Ready for a little walk?¡± Reina shifts into gear and sets her sights on the open road. No longer do the snow and ice threaten the Road Runner¡ªit¡¯s all warm, dry asphalt and clear blue skies above. She¡¯s got a Styx CD ready and waiting, and she¡¯s rolled the windows down for a crisp, windy back beat. The car¡¯s in its natural habitat...and so is Reina.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed this so, so much...¡±

    Everything about the Road Runner just feels right to her. The torque, the steering, the ride and suspension... By anyone else¡¯s standards, it¡¯s an unwieldy beast of a machine, but to Reina, it¡¯s just the kind of car for her. The muscle memory comes rushing back; she knows just how much pedal to give and just how much turn the tires need. It¡¯s not just that she¡¯s been through this neighborhood hundreds of times before¡ªafter all, she¡¯ll be cruising through unfamiliar territory very soon. But it won¡¯t be a problem at all, because to her, taming this monster is just second nature.

    ¡°Man, now I can just go wherever I want again. I don¡¯t have to take the bus to the store... I don¡¯t have to go all the way to the train, either...¡±

    Reina pats the wheel as she drives along. ¡°It¡¯s so good to have you back, car!¡±

    It¡¯s running so much better now too. The new parts are working perfectly, and with them, the Road Runner is happy to cruise along without a care in the world. It really didn¡¯t take that much effort either¡ªonce she had the parts all gathered, she was in and out within a couple hours. Thanks to her TLC, it¡¯s running just about like new... Battery notwithstanding.

    Rather than the usual neighborhood loop, Reina decides to take the adventurous route, cruising up the foothills of Mount Moiwa. It¡¯s not a route she takes often, and perhaps that makes it more special when she does. The trees are just starting to grow their leaves back, the last bits of snow retreating from the higher ground. The occasional break in the foliage gives her a picturesque view of the neighborhoods below, the bounties of spring on full display. These are the kinds of drives she lives for.

    ¡°She sounds really, really great. This is the best she¡¯s run in a while.¡±

    Reina passes the cable car stations that take tourists up to the top of the mountain. Passersby stop and stare at the red streak loudly charging up the road¡ªlike something straight out of a movie set. She always gets a kick out of their reactions... It means she did her job to perfection.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Reina debates whether to turn around now or go all the way up to the top. She hasn¡¯t been to the observatory in quite some time...

    ¡°...Ah, why not? I¡¯m feeling good, and so¡¯s the car!¡±

    The Road Runner takes the rest of the hill climb in stride, flexing its torque as it eagerly chews up the asphalt below. As her reward, Reina is treated to a hilltop vista with a crowd just thin enough to get a good view. It¡¯s here where Reina gets to flex her parking chops: ordinary drivers might balk at the challenge of backing this thing into a spot, with its absurd proportions, manual gearbox and lack of rear-view camera, but not Reina. She could do this in her sleep.

    ¡°There we are~¡± The beast falls silent, and everyone around the observatory is left to wonder what on earth that rumbling sound just was. Those who actually saw her are even more confused.

    The public road doesn¡¯t go all the way to the top, but Reina doesn¡¯t mind¡ªthe cable car is still plenty fun. After a short trip suspended high above the ground, Reina arrives at the very pinnacle of the mountain, a brisk breeze welcoming her with a whisper. The Sapporo skyline stretches as far as the eye can see, with barely a cloud in sight to break the view...

    ¡°It¡¯s just as pretty as I remember...¡± Reina¡¯s the type not to content herself with mere pictures. She wants to see the world with her own two eyes, broaden her horizons in a way that ink on a page or pictures on a screen just can¡¯t fully convey. She wants to experience everything this world of hers has to offer...and that¡¯s what makes her so excited for the big trip coming up. Beyond the business of it, it¡¯s something she¡¯s always wanted to do, ever since she was a kid. Every now and then, they would take trips down to race tracks, and she certainly looks back on those memories fondly...but she feels like she always took them for granted as a kid. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve got ¡®til it¡¯s gone.

    Now that she finally has the agency to take a trip for herself, to chart her own course...she appreciates the coming trip that much more. It¡¯s an opportunity she won¡¯t squander.

    ¡°Ahhh... Alright. I think I should head back now.¡± Reina disappears back into the cable car, joining a group of unassuming visitors. She doesn¡¯t fit in among them, but she doesn¡¯t mind. She¡¯ll be back in her element soon enough, and there¡¯s nothing they can do about it. Sure enough, the Road Runner is waiting for her back at the parking lot...where it seems to have attracted a small crowd of onlookers, making note of the strange contraption as they pass it on their way to the station. It doesn¡¯t fit in either¡ªjust the way Reina likes it.

    Reina whips out the key and settles herself inside, drawing a hint of attention as she shuts the door. The car¡¯s familiar buzz greets her as she slots the key in the ignition.

    ¡°That battery¡¯s not gonna give you stage fright, is it~?¡± Reina knows the battery¡¯s a bit on the weaker side...but she has faith in her girl. She pumps once, holds halfway and twists the key.

    *RRRrrrrRRRRRMMM!*

    ¡°Haha, no problem! Bad battery and she still fired right up. That¡¯s my girl!¡±

    It¡¯s amazing what TLC can do.

    With a loud fanfare, Reina emerges from the parking lot, vanishing like a mirage into the distance as she cruises back down the mountain. After sampling nature¡¯s majesty for just a little while longer, her usual neighborhood reappears ahead. On the whole, the Road Runner handled the drive perfectly, with not a hitch nor hiccup to be found... It may be 40 years old, and it may not be the most versatile set of wheels on the road, but when you take care of this old car, the car takes care of you.

    It¡¯s a relief beyond words to know she¡¯s finally made things right. Not content with just the necessary fixes, however, Reina sees fit to go above and beyond. As the shop comes back into view, Reina dons a proud smile. It¡¯s not enough to have the car running like new... She wants it to look like new too.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you back home now. I¡¯m not done spoiling you yet~¡±

    All that winter weather was not particularly friendly to the car¡¯s exterior. The two-tone paint is joined by unsightly grays clinging to the bottom edge, the windows fogged by a layer of dust. The car¡¯s deserved a nice cleaning for quite some time now¡ªand in Reina¡¯s opinion, it¡¯s all the more satisfying to do it yourself.

    Reina brings the Road Runner back home, and parks it just outside the garage where it can bask in the sun. She exits the car and lets out a big stretch, the breeze ruffling her thin white t-shirt. She looks back at the Road Runner, standing proud in the midday glow. The sun only amplifies its dust and faded colors, though... By the time she¡¯s done, she wants the car sparkling.

    ¡°You¡¯ve earned a nice, good wash, car. Enjoy~!¡±

    There¡¯s something Reina finds immensely satisfying about making a car look ten years younger. With every swipe of the pad, she can see the shine coming back on the age-old paint, bringing out its dormant hues. They do have some professional cleaning equipment at the shop, but she doesn¡¯t often get the chance to use it; this is as good an excuse as any, though. It¡¯s what the Road Runner deserves.

    ¡°Yeeeah, that¡¯s coming back beautifully!¡± Reina reaches all over the frame of the car, leaving no grimy spot uncleaned. The soap works to expunge the muck left behind from winter, leaving bubbles and streaks on the surface of the car. Being as tall as she is, she can even get the roof wiped down pretty easily¡ªthough she does have to press herself against the car a bit to reach those center spots. She gets her shirt wet in the process.

    ¡°Ooh! That¡¯s chilly.¡± Reina feels the moisture spread across the whole front of her shirt, which now clings to her chest.

    ¡°Oh, well. Won¡¯t kill me.¡±

    Steadily, Reina works her way from the top on down, working over the Road Runner¡¯s hulking hood and grill. The cool water on her shirt does feel rather refreshing¡ªworking outside in the sun like this does work up a bit of a sweat. It¡¯s almost like a beach day...sans the beach wear. Reina¡¯s gotta make do with this instead.

    (If only they made swimsuits in my size... I haven¡¯t been to the beach in years.)

    All the soap and elbow grease work wonders for the old car. The last little bits of gunk toward the bottom have finally given out, releasing the paint underneath. The windshield gets in on the spa day too, as do all the other windows. With her TLC, the car is transformed from worn-out to world-beater¡ªit even smells good!

    ¡°Okay! Now to wash it all down.¡± Cars need showers too, and this one¡¯s been long overdue. The garden hose should do just fine. She thanks herself for remembering to run it every now and then over the winter, or the pipes might¡¯ve frozen over¡ªand then she¡¯d be dealing with a massive headache right about now.

    Bits of water occasionally splash back onto her as she works over the car...but she doesn¡¯t mind. It¡¯s a nice way to beat the heat¡ªand to her, it¡¯s just plain fun. She remembers giving the Road Runner these old-fashioned washes as a kid; That was how she pitched in on first start day every year; it really made her feel like she was helping. She feels all warm and fuzzy when she thinks back on those days...

    Now, she¡¯s the one doing the first start all on her own. But she doesn¡¯t feel the least bit lonely at all, in spite of the quiet over the shop. She doesn¡¯t have to look to the others to help her find her footing anymore... She stands proud on her own two feet. That new confidence will soon be put to the ultimate test¡ªand she¡¯s more than ready for it. And she knows that, even if she falters along the way, they¡¯ve always got her back. She can still lean on them if she needs to...and they¡¯ll be happy to lift her up.

    There¡¯s no family she¡¯d rather have.

    ¡°Ahhh...! Now that is a job well done!¡±

    The old girl looks drop-dead gorgeous. All the age, all the dust, all the grime washed away. It¡¯s been far too long since the Road Runner¡¯s last proper cleaning, but Reina¡¯s glad she was finally able to give the car what it deserved. Now, it shines proudly in the sun, the remnant drops of water slowly trickling off the side. It stands out in the very best of ways¡ªa testament to how much she and the company love their flagship.

    ¡°Now to just bring it back in...¡± Reina wrings out her shirt and makes for the door, her shoes gently splashing in errant puddles along the way. At some point, she¡¯ll get the interior detailed too¡ªand she¡¯d love to order a headlight restoration kit if she works up enough cash. But for now, her work is done. All that remains is to put it away.

    ¡°Alright, car. Just one more time today.¡±

    *RRRRRRRMMM!*

    Never doubted it.

    With a low rumble, the Road Runner wheels around and backs into the open garage, taking its usual place right at the end of the row. The first start of the season is in the books¡ªand it goes down as a complete success. Reina passed the job with flying colors...and not a moment too soon.

    ¡°Not much longer now...¡± She¡¯s already looking ahead to the end of the month. It¡¯s quite the tall order to get a 40 year-old car halfway across the country and back¡ªbut if today¡¯s test drive was any evidence, she doesn¡¯t have anything to worry about. Just a new battery, some more cleaning up here and there, and the Road Runner will be good as gold.

    Reina lets the car rest once more, the engine loudly spooling down until it goes back to sleep. With a satisfying thud, she shuts the driver¡¯s side door behind her and gives the car one more good look in the light of the shop. It¡¯s exactly how it¡¯s supposed to look.

    ¡°Heehee... That¡¯s the Road Runner I know. Be good for me on the trip, okay?¡± She pats the car on the hood before returning to her shop duties for the day.

    She¡¯ll have a couple more weeks of relaxation until the big day dawns over Sapporo. The sakura are almost ready to bloom... It¡¯s only a matter of time now before the petals spread their wings and fly in the vernal wind. She¡¯ll be flying too, in her own way¡ªwith the old car as her wings, she¡¯ll set off on a trip she won¡¯t soon forget.

    The future beckons. She¡¯s more than ready.

 13. Leaving the Nest

    There¡¯s no time quite like Golden Week. All the hustle and bustle of working life grinds to a screeching halt¡ªand in its place, an air of festivity sweeps across the country. It provides weary students and salarymen the perfect opportunity to shed their chains and experience all Japan has to offer. Here in Sapporo, the atmosphere is plenty festive already¡ªthe holiday season coincides with flower-viewing season, the sakura finally starting to bloom in the wake of winter¡¯s departure.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re just about packed there!¡±

    ¡°Yup, I think I¡¯ve got everything. Won¡¯t be long before I¡¯m on the road!¡±

    Anticipation abounds in the crisp morning air. Reina¡¯s always viewed this time of year as a symbol of change, the panorama of petals heralding fair weather and high spirits. Now, she sees something different on the horizon: a destination. She¡¯s been searching for so long, walking blindly in pursuit of a dream, but now, the path stands long and proud before her. It¡¯ll take everything she¡¯s got, but she accepts the challenge with a fire in her eyes and pride in her heart. After all, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step...or, in her case, the turn of a key.

    ¡°Man, that is the fullest I¡¯ve seen the Road Runner¡¯s trunk in a good long while.¡± Old Man Takashi can¡¯t resist a chuckle. ¡°You sure you got everything?¡±

    ¡°I have been running through my checklist for the last 30 minutes. If I forgot something, I¡¯m probably not gonna remember now.¡±

    ¡°Hah! Fair enough.¡±

    A skeleton crew will keep the garage running while she¡¯s gone¡ªafter all, there will always be cars in need of service. But it¡¯s a job they¡¯re happy to do; it enables Reina to do hers. She and the Road Runner are as ready as they can be for the trip: she got the car detailed inside and out, and she¡¯s got her best fit on, looking calm and confident as she prepares to take the wheel. She¡¯s made sure to pack plenty of Grandma Clara¡¯s old CDs too¡ªshe¡¯ll have plenty of time to listen to them all as she cruises along the road.

    ¡°Just call if you need anything, okay?¡± Sami¡¯s finding it hard to keep her own emotions at bay. This¡¯ll be the first time Reina¡¯s really been away from home... Whenever they took trips in her youth, they always went as a family. Now, she¡¯s carving her path all on her own...and with her grandmother¡¯s old jacket draped across her shoulders.

    They really do grow up so fast.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine out there, I promise.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know, sweetie... I¡¯m just having a mom moment.¡±

    As the moment comes closer and closer, the emotions brim and bubble until they can¡¯t contain themselves any longer. Reina, Sami, Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi all join together in a momentous group hug, seeing off the rising star with a heartfelt farewell.

    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, honey...¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mom...¡±

    And so, the time has come. The morning sun lights Reina¡¯s way, to the south out of Sapporo and onward to the center of the country. The Road Runner¡¯s door opens with a satisfying click... The trip is about to begin.

    ¡°Drive safely! Well, as safely as you can in the ten-liter terror.¡±

    ¡°If you see a tunnel, check for cameras first!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you guys...!¡± Reina wipes some moisture out of her eyes. ¡°Thank you, everybody! I¡¯ll bring you plenty of souvenirs!¡±

    Reina dons a confident smile. ¡°...And I¡¯ll bring you some good news from Kanazawa and Nagoya too. Just you wait!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl!¡±

    Finally, Reina disappears behind the big, hulking door. After a few seconds, the crowd hears the familiar buzz of the fuel pump, and then...

    *RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRMMMMMM!*

    All eight cylinders sing in harmony, rejuvenated and ready to conquer Honshu in style. With routine flair, she wrenches the pistol-grip shifter into first, feeling the power under her feet. The proud 611 effortlessly powers the car out of the garage and into the day¡ªand Reina can see the gang waving her goodbye as she sets her sights to the south.

    ¡°Take care, Reinaaa!¡±

    ¡°Good luck out there!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this, honey!¡±

    Reina can¡¯t hear them, and they can¡¯t hear her...but they don¡¯t need to. Their love for each other burns bright enough for them all to see.

    ¡°Thank you... I won¡¯t let you down!¡±

    The Toyohira lazily flows to the south, as it always does. The river and the seasons care nothing for the dreams and trifles of men; time just keeps marching along, and one way or another, all must respect its march and fall in line.

    But today, Reina submits to the river of time no longer. She turns up onto Route 230 and blazes a trail of her own, outracing the river on her way to the future. That look in her eyes tells the tale of an embattled soul, weathered by the hardship she¡¯s endured over these past few years...but the pressure has only made her stronger. Now, she shines brighter than she ever could before.

    Journey accompanies her on the CD player. That same nostalgic sound, those same rosy memories...but it all sounds just a little different today. Run and hide, the song tells her, but it doesn¡¯t carry that mocking undertone anymore. No more hiding in her time capsule for the heiress apparent¡ªshe¡¯s got a date with destiny.

    Keep on runnin¡¯! Keep on hidin¡¯!

    ¡°Keep on runnin¡¯ awaaay!¡±

    And she will keep on running, until the journey is done.

    ***

    The first leg of her journey will take her to the very edge of her native Hokkaido. At the port town of Hakodate docks a ferry that will take her across the Tsugaru Strait, and onto the main Japanese island of Honshu. With just over 150 miles to cover, it will stretch the Road Runner¡¯s fuel tank rather thin¡ªthe supercharged 611 is not at all known for its fuel economy¡ªbut Reina remains confident she can knock out this segment of the trip in no time flat. And she¡¯ll get to enjoy some of Hokkaido¡¯s best scenery as she goes.

    ¡°There we go. Now we¡¯re getting to the good part...¡± Soon, the man-made mountains of Sapporo end, and the real wilderness begins. Route 230 snakes through the undulating expanse like a concrete river, traffic gracefully thinning to give Reina total control of the horizon ahead. She doesn¡¯t get to drive this route very often¡ªbut even if she did, she doubts it would ever lose its luster. This place is gorgeous.

    The Road Runner cruises almost effortlessly, the oversized engine making quick work of all the hills and bends. She barely even needs to give it gas at all, keeping the revs nice and low as the engine¡¯s authoritative growl echoes off the trees. The occasional car is treated to a mechanical symphony as Reina goes cruising past, commanding their attention for those fleeting moments before she disappears into the distance.

    ¡°Ahhh... She¡¯s cruising great! It¡¯s been a while since I got to take a nice, long drive like this... There¡¯s just something so relaxing about it.¡± A loud, mammoth V8 isn¡¯t really what most drivers would consider relaxing, but Reina is hard-pressed to care.

    Traffic picks up around the myriad onsen that dot the outskirts of Sapporo. They¡¯ve got quite the crowd coming for Golden Week, but Reina won¡¯t be joining them. She¡¯s got her own plans as far as ryokan go...and you bet she¡¯s looking forward to that. No expensive swimsuit needed!

    At any rate, she turns her focus back to the road. She¡¯s really getting into the twisties now.

    ¡°Ooh, this is a nice little switchback here!¡±

    The rolling mountains jostle the road to and fro, up and down, giving Reina a thrilling ride as she commands the Road Runner through the narrow turns. Unlike last winter, she can take these as casual as she wants¡ªno white-knuckle driving for her, and no risk of getting stuck wither. Turns out it¡¯s a whole lot more satisfying this way... Whoda thunk?

    ¡°Man, this is fun! I¡¯m gonna have to stop myself from getting too carried away... Heehee.¡±

    Reina does manage to keep herself in check, to her credit. This is only the prelude to a much larger adventure, after all¡ªand she has plenty of fun just being behind the wheel as is. She takes great pride in being one of the precious few who can tame this behemoth engine...and on demanding roads such as these, her aptitude shines all the brighter. She doesn¡¯t need to be going above the speed limit to put on a show.

    There¡¯s plenty more to enjoy all around her, as the scenery opens up. Soon, the jagged corridors bid her farewell, and a panorama of distant peaks greet her as she trends south toward the coast. Mount Yotei stands tall in the distance, its peak still capped with snow. Further to the south, Lake Toya teems with boats and kayaks getting an early start to Golden Week. The water¡¯s still mighty cold, but a warm, clear weekend like this is just too good for vacationers to pass up.

    Reina remembers going out to the lake every now and then when she was growing up. Her grand-uncle and his family live nearby, and the Obon festival in August made for the perfect opportunity to go down and visit. Reina wishes she had the time to stop by, but the ferry waits for no one. Perhaps she can visit on the way back¡ªit¡¯s been quite some time since she last checked in.

    Lake Toya passes her by in the distance, soon leaving her in the rear-view mirror as she continues her southward march. A new body of water takes its place: the sweeping Uchiura Bay, carving a circular hole in Hokkaido to form the Oshima Peninsula. Sadly, she doesn¡¯t get to stick all that close to the water, but there¡¯s a very good reason for that: she¡¯s got the Hokkaido Expressway coming up to fast-track her to Hakodate. It¡¯s a toll road, but the price of admission is more than worth it.

    ¡°There we go...¡± Reina takes her ticket at the booth, and from there, it¡¯s smooth sailing around the bay. Now the 611 really gets to flex its muscles¡ªwithin reason, of course!

    ¡°Perfect! Looks like southbound traffic hasn¡¯t really picked up yet.¡± The opposite side of the road has plenty of vacationers traveling north to Sapporo and beyond, but not much in the direction of Hakodate. Reina reckons that most Sapporo natives with vacation on the mind would be flying or taking the train instead. She¡¯s certainly not complaining¡ªit gives her more of the road to herself.

    Her journey continues down the isthmus of Hokkaido, the Road Runner cruising at a brisk clip and turning heads as it carves through traffic. Reina knows the game well¡ªthere¡¯s just a little bit of give and take with the speed limits here. It¡¯s all about reading the room...or, in this case, the road. It¡¯s harder to bend the rules discreetly in a giant muscle car, but as it turns out, Reina¡¯s gotten pretty good at it.

    ¡°Making good time!¡± Reina made sure the car¡¯s clock was accurate to the minute before she set off. ¡°Maybe if I get there early, I can do a little sightseeing in Hakodate too.¡±

    The expressway follows the bay until it can follow no longer, pulling away at the coastal town of Mori as it continues on to the south. Hakodate is less than an hour away now... Unfortunately, the expressway won¡¯t quite take her all the way there. The toll road rejoins an older route some 40 minutes outside the city. No problem, Reina thinks to herself¡ªshe¡¯s still got plenty of time.

    Reina reaches the end of the expressway, and as soon as she¡¯s within earshot, all of the operators at the toll booths turn their heads. They¡¯ve seen plenty of exotic cars in their time at the checkpoint, but never have they seen anything like this.

    ¡°What the...?¡± One lucky winner watches as the Road Runner pulls up into his lane, and he has no idea what to expect when the window comes rolling down.

    ¡°Morning~! Here you go.¡±

    ...Whatever he was expecting, it certainly wasn¡¯t that.

    ¡°O-Oh, uh, sorry.¡± He was so distracted that he briefly forgot to do his job. He takes Reina¡¯s one-way ticket and punches it into the machine to calculate her fare.

    ¡°3,200 yen, please.¡±

    ¡°There you are~¡± She mathed out the fee in advance.

    ¡°R-Right! Thank you.¡±

    The toll arm opens to let Reina through; as thanks, Reina gives the operator a two-finger salute and a wide grin before cruising on through.

    ¡°Have a good one!¡±

    ¡°I... You too!¡±

    He just barely manages to wave her goodbye before she rolls up the window and disappears from his sight, the Road Runner¡¯s growling engine playing a tune for him as she drives into the distance. The operator, for want of an explanation, is speechless.

    (Man, what the hell was that...?)

    Not to say he didn¡¯t like it¡ªhe¡¯s left blushing in his booth.

    The Road Runner¡¯s long shadow steadily shrinks as the sun climbs higher and higher. Soon, she¡¯ll be able to see Hakodate on the horizon...and that leaves Reina with a choice to make. She really bombed it down the expressway, and that gives her just enough time to visit a local landmark she¡¯s always wanted to see... Now would be the perfect opportunity.

    ¡°Hmmm...¡±

    She¡¯ll have to make the decision quickly. The fork in the road is coming up.

    ¡°...Sure, why not? It¡¯s a vacation!¡±

    Reina pulls away from the coastal route into town and instead charts her course for the heart of the city. Hakodate welcomes her with a humble entourage of traffic, travelers abuzz with holiday cheer. Hakodate might not be particularly notable or famous in Japan, but it does have one thing she¡¯s always wanted to see: the Goryokaku.

    ¡°Good, there¡¯s plenty of signage for it. Just gotta follow this road here...¡±

    The Goryokaku¡ªliterally Five-Pointed Fortress¡ªis one of many regional landmarks that give Hokkaido an eclectic, multicultural flair. The traditional image of a Japanese castle doesn¡¯t apply here; this one was built in the style of European star forts, hearkening back to Vauban¡¯s epics. Of the two such examples in Japan, this star is the brighter one¡ªand as luck would have it, she¡¯s picked the perfect time to visit.

    ¡°Oh, oh! There it is!¡±

    Golden Week lines up perfectly with peak sakura season here in Hakodate. Every year, the Goryokaku is dressed from head to toe in pink, the grass and moat blending with it to create a picturesque canvas of color. Reina finds herself a parking spot outside the fortress and gives the Road Runner a rest; it¡¯s time she did a little adventuring on her own two feet.

    ¡°Oh, wow...¡± She timed it perfectly. Petals scatter in the morning breeze, lining the walkway before her and floating delicately atop the moats below. She feels like she¡¯s walked straight into a movie, time slowing to a halt to let her take it all in.

    The center of the fortress greets her with a humble park and museum, the old buildings radiating culture and intrigue. This was the seat of a short-lived breakaway state some 150 years ago, laying claim to all of Hokkaido... It makes her think about her own lineage. She doesn¡¯t know much about the Japanese side of her family, but from what her late grandfather told her, some of his ancestors had called Hokkaido their home for as long as they could remember.

    (I owe it to him to do some reading up on that...) Perhaps when she has the time, she can learn more.

    For now, however, she has one more part of the fortress she¡¯d like to visit¡ªand it stands tall in the distance to greet her. The observation deck, a newer construction, serves as the perfect spot for a bird¡¯s-eye view of the fortress¡ªand when she emerges from the elevator inside, her expectations are blown clear out of the water.

    (It¡¯s beautiful...!)

    No picture can do this justice. The Goryokaku shines like the very star it¡¯s shaped after, the brilliant colors dazzling her eyes. The city skyline has plenty to offer her as well, framed by the majestic mountains in the distance. She doesn¡¯t regret coming here one bit¡ªthis was worth the detour and so much more.

    Reina feels like she could stand here for hours, just taking in the sights and admiring the beauty of the flowers below...

    (...Actually, how much time do I have?)

    There¡¯s a tiny pang in her chest, worried she might have gotten lost in the moment for too long. She finds a nearby clock and checks it...

    The ferry leaves port at the top of the hour. The minute hand points straight down.

    (Oh shoot, I¡¯ve only got 30 minutes! I gotta get going!)

    Reina boards the elevator back down and briskly walks back through the fortress, coming out the other side to the waiting Road Runner. A few errant sakura petals adorn its windshield; she lets the car keep them as souvenirs.

    ¡°Okay, shoot... I wanted to stop for gas before getting on the ferry, but I don¡¯t think I have time for that anymore...¡± Reina slots the key in the ignition, and the dashboard confirms that she¡¯s running short on both time and fuel. Around 20 minutes remain before the ferry leaves port, and the fuel needle is uncomfortably close to empty.

    ¡°Welp... Just gotta make this work.¡±

    The Road Runner¡¯s eager to get going, thankfully¡ªit starts up with its usual vigor. She¡¯ll need it to be at the top of its game in order to reach the terminal on time. Reina thanks it with a pat on the steering wheel.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Be good for me, okay?¡±

    Wasting no time, Reina commands the Road Runner back into the concrete jungle. The traffic lights do their damnedest to stop her, barring her path at the most inconvenient times... Impatience creeps along Reina¡¯s fingers as she taps the steering wheel. She knows she needs to keep her cool, though... She¡¯ll get her chance.

    ¡°Okay, now we¡¯re moving...¡± Her dawdling allowed the lunch rush to colonize the streets. Thankfully, she¡¯s going against the grain and not with it¡ªshe can see the lines are getting pretty long on the opposite side of the road. The minutes tick down, but she can see the coast coming up on the horizon. Not much farther to the port now...and though the Road Runner is starting to complain about its empty stomach, Reina ignores the low fuel light and tells it to persevere.

    ¡°There we are!¡±

    She can see the ferry lazily bobbing on the water, just a few minutes from departing. She made it in the nick of time!

    ¡°Right this way!¡± Staff help usher her toward the loading zone. She booked this trip in advance, so all she needs to do is flash them her card and she¡¯s on her way. In truth, some of the workers thought she was joking when she said she was bringing this car; now that they¡¯re seeing it for themselves, the dock is a mix of intrigue and befuddlement.

    Nonetheless, the Road Runner slots in place with the rest of the vehicles on the ferry, the boomy interior treating passengers and crewmen alike to the ten-liter V8¡¯s solo concerto. Feeling the heads turning, she discreetly shuts it off.

    ¡°Phew! Well, all¡¯s well that ends well, heh.¡±

    Precisely at the top of the hour, the ferry departs Hakodate, and for the first time in a great while, Reina bids a brief farewell to her native Hokkaido. She watches from the deck as the port shrinks into the distance; soon, only the imposing mountains remain on the horizon. The salty wind dances through her shimmering hair, the sun beaming down on her face...

    She thought the lake and the fortress were majestic, but this is another contender for her best view of the day.

    (I¡¯m so glad I took the ferry... This is beautiful!)

    It¡¯s like a painting in motion, the canvas so bright and striking. The clashing blues of sea and sky look so similar, but feel so different. They combine with the mountains to make her feel so, so small...but she doesn¡¯t feel daunted one bit by the expanse before her eyes.

    No, she knows full well how big the world is¡ªand that only makes her want to explore it more. And with the car following her on her journey, she can fulfill that childlike wanderlust and drive to her heart¡¯s content.

    There¡¯s so much left to do, so many places to be...and she can¡¯t wait to dive back in.

    (Oh, I think that¡¯s it over there...) Steadily, the baton is passed on the horizon as Hokkaido transitions to Honshu. The sleepy port town of Oma will soon make her acquaintance, with rugged cliffs and jagged peaks as its welcoming party. The peninsula juts out into the sea like a giant, earthen axe, forming a bay within which the city of Aomori resides. She¡¯s heard this northern tip of Honshu is even snowier than Hokkaido...as if Sapporo winters weren¡¯t miserable enough.

    (Glad I¡¯m driving through here in spring instead.)

    Reina feels the ferry slowing down, gently contorting itself into the port at Oma like a precision puzzle piece. She can almost sense something different in the air...like it¡¯s finally setting in, just how far she¡¯s gone¡ªand how far she¡¯s yet to go.

    But before she can go anywhere else, she needs to go retrieve the Road Runner. It¡¯s been waiting patiently for her down in the hold.

    The sterile, musty air just about smacks her in the face when she reaches the garage. But she won¡¯t have to put up with it for long¡ªshe can see the hatch is already opened, letting in sunlight from outside. All that remains is to hop inside the car and pull on out...

    (Good, looks like everybody else is getting here already. I won¡¯t have to wait long to get out. Poor girl needs her snack!)

    The door shuts behind her with a loud, echoing thud. She slots the key in the ignition, and the fuel needle barely moves. She briefly winces, but reasons that the car should still have enough gas to get her to a station just outside the port. She¡¯ll just have to trust it and let it do its thing.

    The crewmen motion for her to move. Here goes nothing...

    ¡°...Wait. This is an echo chamber. Is this gonna¡ª¡°

    *RRRrrrrRRRRRRMMMM!*

    The good news: the Road Runner does indeed have enough gas in the tank. The bad news: she¡¯s set off at least three or four alarms in the process, as the roaring engine startles the neighboring cars. A small panic ensues as other passengers fiddle with their keys to shut their vehicles up; Reina, meanwhile, tries and fails to hide her beet-red face, her eyes wide in embarrassment.

    (I really should¡¯ve waited and gone out last.)

    Thankfully, the distraction subsides. Reina and the other cars trundle off the ferry and onto Honshu at last. It¡¯s been a while for Reina, but even longer for the Road Runner¡ªever since Sami hung up her street racing hat, the car has been confined to Hokkaido. Reina feels like the car is almost giddy to reclaim what was once its territory...

    But first: gas. Lots of it.

    ¡°No time for sightseeing, I¡¯ve got a pump to pillage!¡±

    After tracking down a nearby station for the first of many fill-ups on her trip, Reina gets back on the road and continues her journey, Honshu welcoming her with clear skies and open arms. True to her nature, she¡¯s taking a road less traveled: where much of Japan¡¯s population¡ªand indeed, its traffic¡ªare lined up along the Pacific coast, the chassis shop in Kanazawa faces the Sea of Japan instead. That leaves Reina with a much different picture to paint on her journey south...and she has to say, she¡¯s looking forward to it.

    If for nothing else than to have fewer cars to share the road with.

    Tank full and spirits high, Reina rounds Mutsu Bay, trending south to take in the sights. Kanazawa is a bit too far for one day; instead, she¡¯ll be shacking up in Niigata tonight, with an ETA of roughly nine hours. It¡¯s a demanding leg of the trip for both car and driver, but Reina¡¯s confident she can handle it. She can think of it like an endurance race, of sorts...just like mom used to drive.

    ¡°Wow, these roads are really pretty... I can¡¯t wait until I get into the mountains proper!¡± The scenery here is similar, but subtly different¡ªHokkaido being the flattest part of Japan makes all these peaks seem so much more dramatic to her. The little pockets of civilization are broken up by rolling hills and snow-capped mountains, narrow corridors connecting city to city. It makes Japan¡¯s many mountain passes some of the most scenic drives you¡¯ll ever take¡ªand Reina is eager to capitalize. The Hakkoda Mountains have been staring down at her ever since she made it on the island...and now, they¡¯re calling her name!

    ¡°Alright...¡± Reina rounds a sweeping bend and breaks into the mountains. ¡°Let¡¯s see what these twisties are all about!¡±

    Immediately, Reina thanks herself for taking this little detour: this road is beautiful. The Road Runner is out of its element, and the unusual choice of route is adding a good bit of time to the trip, but Reina can¡¯t even begin to care¡ªshe¡¯s having too much fun snaking her way through the hairpins and marveling at the picturesque pockets of nature as she breezes by. The Queen blasting on the speakers probably helps too.

    Reina has to concede: it¡¯s harder to find these roads in Hokkaido. Honshu scratches a certain itch she didn¡¯t even know she had...and she can see now why Sami loved to make this part of the country her stomping ground. She could do this all day¡ªand she will!

    ¡°This is perfect...! Man, I wish I could go further on one tank of gas, that¡¯s the one thing holding me back!¡±

    Still, she doesn¡¯t regret the mountain pass one bit. The stops for fuel may break the flow a bit, but the sheer satisfaction makes up for it in spades. Everywhere she looks, there¡¯s something catching her eye¡ªand as she ascends further and further, she gets closer to the mountains¡¯ own hidden gem: a crater lake to steal her breath.

    This time, Reina does have the time to stop and stare.

    ¡°Ohhh, man...¡± She can already see the lake peeking between the trees as she pulls up to the observation deck. Here at the summit of Mount Ohanabe, she has an unspoiled view of the entire lake below...and it¡¯s like she¡¯s staring into a giant crystal mirror. Waves lazily shimmer in the sun, birds crossing between the trees... All reflected perfectly beneath the surface, like the entrance to a parallel world.

    Reina has no words¡ªonly raw, unfiltered feelings. She¡¯s stunned into silence by the beauty on display; her face tells a story that words can only hope to translate. There¡¯s broadening your horizons, and then there¡¯s watching your horizon stretch across the sky in ways you¡¯ve never seen before.

    ¡°And there¡¯s so much more left to go...¡±

    It only makes her smile shine brighter.

    Her mountaineering treats aren¡¯t over yet, either: after scaling her slice of the Hakkodas, she now has the pleasure of getting back down. With a glint in her eye, she starts her run down to the west, coming ever closer to the Sea of Japan. There¡¯s something visceral about coming up on a clearing and seeing a bunch of downhill switchbacks in a row¡ªlike a teaser for the thrill she¡¯s about to have.

    Maneuvering the Road Runner through the twisties is even harder than it looks, despite the slow speeds. With no power steering and a manual gearbox, she really has to work the car to get it pointed the right way...yet if you were in the passenger seat, you wouldn¡¯t notice her breaking a sweat at all. All her years of experience with this specific car give her an uncanny ability to rein it in; she looks like she¡¯s in complete and total control.

    The car, for its part, is holding up well too. This is not its natural habitat, but it¡¯s hanging out on the switchbacks without a complaint. The higher altitude doesn¡¯t bother the engine at all¡ªand even if it did, it would still have plenty of power to spare.

    ¡°This is too much fun for its own good... I¡¯m gonna have to come down here more often!¡±

    Alas, she does have a destination to reach. Her mountain route eventually brings her back down to sea level, the mountains giving way to a shallow plain hugging the western coast. The breadbasket city of Akita will serve as her next stop¡ªboth she and the car are in need of fuel. It¡¯ll do just fine for a pit stop before her sprint to Niigata.

    ¡°Alright, girl, hang in there. We¡¯ll get you some fuel once we¡¯re in Akita!¡±

    She can¡¯t see the Sea of Japan yet, but she can feel the salty breeze sweeping in from the west. Her guess was right on the money: so far, the west side has been whisper quiet. With mountains all but bisecting Honshu, this sleepy corner of the country largely keeps to itself, the rugged terrain and harsher climate discouraging massive urban sprawl like you¡¯d find on the Pacific side.

    That¡¯s not to say no one lives here at all, however...nor that there aren¡¯t plenty of things to see. The Sea of Japan offers some of the most picturesque driving in the country¡ªand critically for a drive, she gets so much more of it all to herself.

    But first: dinner.

    ¡°There¡¯s a pump! Just in the nick of time.¡± Reina finds herself on the outskirts of Akita, the Road Runner eager for a fillup. At the very least, she appreciates the opportunity to get out, stretch her legs and breathe in the fresh air. This is a charming little slice of Japan¡ªperhaps not the most popular nor glamorous, but it reminds her of home.

    One more time, the tank fills to the brim. She does get a kick out of the reactions she gets from the attendants¡ªmost of the time, they pump your gas for you. And they certainly don¡¯t see a car like hers very often. A couple of them have struck up a conversation with her on her trip...and if the novelty of her car weren¡¯t enough, their eyes always bug out when she says she¡¯s from Sapporo.

    After getting her stretches in, Reina pays for her gas and thanks the attendant. This one¡¯s a bit too shy to inquire about the curious character who¡¯s come cruising up to their pump, but he can¡¯t stop stealing glances at the old beast as Reina slides back in.

    ¡°Hmmm...¡± Reina contemplates what she wants for her own dinner.

    ¡°...I¡¯m feeling beefy today.¡±

    *RRRRMMMMM!*

    The attendant nearly jumps out of his own skin. Before his heart can even settle back down, though, Reina is off and rolling, the Road Runner disappearing like it was never even there.

    ¡°That poor guy, I think I made him jump... Heehee.¡±

    Soon enough, Reina finds herself in the hustle and bustle of downtown Akita. Rush hour has just calmed down for the day; some of the workers slump on home, while others drink the day away at their dive of choice. Reina realizes she might have difficulty finding an open seat...but then, there¡¯s nothing wrong with taking a little stroll to survey her options either. What¡¯s the harm if it takes her a little extra time? It¡¯s a vacation!

    ¡°Okay, good, there¡¯s a spot...¡± The tightly-packed street does give her an opportunity to flex her parallel parking chops. She used to be scared stiff about that on her driving test, back when she was learning; she ended up inadvertently training herself to be extremely good at it. When the car you practice with is twice as long as the car you actually take the test with, you find it¡¯s like taking the training weights off.

    It shouldn¡¯t be possible, or even legal, to fit the Road Runner in there, but logic be damned, Reina gets it done.

    ¡°Nice! Now let¡¯s get some beef.¡±

    Passersby, meanwhile, wonder if any of what they just saw was real.

    Thankfully, Reina doesn¡¯t have to wait too long to find an open place: after passing through a couple blocks downtown, she happens upon a restaurant by the local park and takes the last open table. The intoxicating aroma of meat on the grill immediately disarms her¡ªafter all, the quickest way to the heart is through the stomach, and is hers ever empty. The cozy atmosphere pulls her in like a hug, refusing to let go...and Reina¡¯s more than fine with that. She¡¯s ready to eat.

    ¡°Huh? Are you sure? That serves two, just so you know...¡±

    ¡°Trust me on this one. I am starving.¡±

    Initially skeptic, the server¡¯s confusion turns to shock as Reina proceeds to pick apart her entire order with ruthless efficiency. She eagerly wolfs down the beef, the salad, the sides; they were half-worried she was gonna start munching on the table too. After washing down her dinner with a refreshing glass of juice, Reina ponies up her tab and thanks the pub for their service.

    (Well! If I¡¯m ever in Akita again, I¡¯ll know where to stop for food.)

    In and out like a whirlwind, the lass. They don¡¯t know the half of it.

    Akita soon comes and goes¡ªand with its departure, the sun has decided to bow out as well. Reina dons her shades as the colors start to change...and in perhaps her greatest timing yet today, she hits one of the most breathtaking parts of her drive just as the sun starts to dip below the horizon. The expressway meanders through the fields and hills south of Akita before the mountains force it right up alongside the coast¡ªand here, wedged between dramatic cliffs and tranquil seas, Reina finds paradise.

    ¡°Whoa...¡±

    She knew to expect views like this, but this leaves her stunned. The road takes her through sleepy fishing towns, across towering bridges, between rugged rocks piercing the sea like spears of earth. Above her, the drifting clouds clash with the setting sun in a dramatic blend of orange and white, as if the sky itself is celebrating the end of an eventful day.

    She¡¯s certain now: this was the right choice. This whole road trip is going to lift her spirits for a long, long time.

    With that setting sun, Reina¡¯s day is finally coming to a close. She¡¯s got a couple hours of driving left, cruising southwest under cover of darkness on that last stretch toward Niigata. As much as she loves driving along, and as satisfying as this trip has been, she can¡¯t deny that she¡¯s been on the road for a very long time today¡ªand she¡¯s really looking forward to a nice, cozy bed. Her eyes are valiantly fighting to stay open, the winding expressway keeping her focus on the road. She¡¯s proud of herself for making it this far in one day, stretching her itinerary to its absolute limit...but man, does it take a lot out of her.

    *yaaawn* ¡°Oh, man... Yeah, part of me¡¯s wondering if it would¡¯ve been worth it to just stop at Akita or Tsuruoka...¡± Not even Sami went this long in her endurance stints at Tokachi.

    ¡°I heard really good reviews about this place, though... I¡¯m hoping it¡¯ll be worth it.¡±

    Niigata isn¡¯t the most happening city in the world, but it does have its perks¡ªshe has her reasons for wanting to stop by on her way to Kanazawa. And speaking of, her massive drive today gets her ever closer: Niigata to Kanazawa is only four hours. That lets her get a good night¡¯s sleep and still be in town by lunch¡ªand if that goes well, she can cap off the day with a visit to Japan¡¯s largest auto museum, just down the road from Kanazawa.

    All that is for her to worry about tomorrow, though... There¡¯s another reason why she wanted to make it here tonight¡ªand it¡¯s finally coming up in the distance to meet her. She can rest easy tonight: there¡¯s a ryokan room with her name on it.

    ¡°Finally...!¡± Reina lets out a tremendous sigh of relief, tired in the very best of ways. When looking for places to stay, Sami gave this hotel a rave review; apparently it was one of her favorite spots back when she toured Honshu in her street racing days. She was so confident, in fact, that she was willing to split the bill to help Reina book a room¡ªand that all but sealed the deal for her. If there¡¯s anything Reina likes more than a ryokan, it¡¯s a ryokan that she doesn¡¯t have to pay full price for.

    The Road Runner, plenty tired itself, pulls into the parking lot as discreetly as it can, guided by the faint streetlights overhead. The CD on deck finishes just in time. Mountains cradle her to the east, the distant downtown obscured by trees and rolling hills. At long last, Reina¡¯s first day on the road ends.

    ¡°Rrrrrnngh... Ahhhh!¡± Her arms go limp after letting out a big stretch, a puff of exhaustion escaping her mouth. ¡°I could not do that drive in a smaller car... My back is already killing me as is...¡±

    It¡¯ll be so nice to lie down flat again.

    The soft lights of the hotel lobby greet her as she trundles inside. She can see the older lady running the desk already has her eyes on her...but she doesn¡¯t seem curious, exactly. It¡¯s almost like Reina¡¯s a friend she hasn¡¯t seen in a long, long time...

    ¡°Welcome, welcome! Would you be...?¡±

    ¡°Yup, Reina Aikawa! Thank you for waiting for me, I¡¯m sorry I got in so late.¡±

    The lady chuckles kindly. ¡°Ohhh, no, no, not at all, you¡¯re right on time. It¡¯s a long way from Sapporo, after all!¡±

    To her, hearing Reina¡¯s name on the phone was a blast from the past. She remembers a certain enterprising street racer who would come to roost here, once upon a time... Reina brings back a whole host of memories from those simpler times.

    ¡°Now, pardon me for being a bit nosy, but did your mother happen to recommend this place to you?¡±

    ¡°I... She did! You remember her coming here?¡±

    ¡°Ohhh, yes. This old lady¡¯s seen a lot!¡± She slowly works the desk to get Reina¡¯s room key ready. ¡°She loved coming up here to spend the night. Turned into one of our best customers at the height of her, ah, ¡®business trips.¡¯ Needless to say, you remind me a lot of her, young lady!¡±

    ¡°Aww, thanks...¡± Reina disarmingly scratches her head, her tired eyes wrinkling shut.

    ¡°Go figure, I brought her old car too.¡±

    ¡°Mmmhm. It¡¯s been a long, long time since I heard that car coming in, but I could never forget that growling old thing.¡±

    At last, the desk is all sorted out. With a chipper smile, the lady hands Reina her room key.

    ¡°You must be tired after coming all this way. You have a good night¡¯s sleep now, okay?¡±

    ¡°Thank you! I¡¯m sure I will... Oh, and is it too late for a soak, or is the onsen still open?¡±

    ¡°Ohh, go right ahead! We¡¯re open plenty late.¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡±

    Reina¡¯s tired muscles and aching bones manage to get her into her room...and the sheer temptation to just drop onto the bed and hibernate until morning is very, very strong. But Reina didn¡¯t pick this place just for the rooms¡ªshe suspected she might be exhausted after a long day on the road, and what better way to recharge her batteries than with a nice, long soak?

    ¡°Phew... Yeah, I need a bath outright.¡± She doesn¡¯t have to wait much longer, though. After shedding her clothes and getting herself all toweled up, she¡¯s ready for the onsen. This¡¯ll be her first onsen visit in quite some time... She used to frequent the baths back in Sapporo when she was younger, but her growing body made her incredibly self-conscious. Whether it was at school, the onsen or anywhere else in town, Reina couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she never really belonged with everybody else... That she was too different to share the spaces they did.

    Now, though? Screw that. She lives for herself and herself alone.

    ¡°Ooooh, this feels good already...¡± Just walking into the open-air bath and feeling the steam wafting through the air puts her weary body at ease. The cold outside air almost tickles, contrasting the warm aura from the bath. What¡¯s more, she¡¯s caught the onsen at the perfect time of night: everyone else has gone to bed, giving her free reign over the entire spring. No need for modesty... She can indulge as much as she wants. With delicate steps, she makes for the bath and finally partakes...

    ¡°Ohhhh...¡±

    Reina lets slip a meek whimper of relief as her body all but melts into the pool. All those hours of driving, all that fatigue expunged in seconds, every bone and muscle venting their exhaustion into the crisp nighttime air. She gently rests her head on the edge of the spring, her hair drifting in the water below. She feels almost weightless...and in this moment, she swears she could float here forever.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how much I needed this...¡±

    Her eyes lazily drift toward the vista outside, the humble onsen lights painting a serene picture of the horizon beyond. She¡¯s joined by the sounds of nature, barely a whisper over the bubbling spring. The very image of peace and relaxation embraces her like a cloud, time seeming to slow to a crawl so she can appreciate every last second.

    It¡¯s exactly the change of pace she needed after her long, long day...and perhaps that¡¯s what makes her realize just how far she¡¯s come¡ªphysically and emotionally. This is not the self-conscious Reina who shied away from putting herself out there... This is the Reina she wants to be.

    ¡°I used to be so scared of these onsen...but why...?¡±

    She used to be afraid of the outside world in general. Afraid to leave her little bubble where she knew she was safe from scorn. Just a few months ago, even the train was enough to make her feel out of place¡ªlike an outsider, briefly visiting the real world before hiding back inside her shell. In her eyes, her life had been an endless struggle just to justify why she looks like she does, acts like she does, thinks like she does, feels like she does...

    It seems so obvious in hindsight: she was never going to find the confidence she wanted that way.

    ¡°It really was that simple... I think I was scared of myself the entire time...¡±

    Now look at her: she¡¯s going places she could scarcely dream of just those few months ago. She¡¯s not afraid of what anyone thinks anymore, not constantly thinking about how to justify herself. That identity is an inextricable part of her, every bit as integral as the legacy she inherited¡ªand at last, her faith in herself holds firm. If the world demands she justify that, then she¡¯ll prove herself with her actions.

    Actions like tearing down her mental barriers and going on this journey in her own way.

    ¡°Yeah...¡± Reina lets out a husky sigh, a tired smile blooming on her face. She can feel those final slivers of self-doubt washing away like ripples on the water... It feels so good to be comfortable in your own skin. Reina once barred herself from these onsen out of a pressure she magnified for herself... Now, she¡¯s learned to stand up against it. They can stare all they want¡ªit just means they¡¯ll get to watch as she asserts her place in the world.

    ¡°Oof, man... If I stay in here any longer, I think I¡¯ll actually fall asleep.¡± Begrudgingly, Reina pulls herself out of the water, her skin glistening in the nocturnal glow. She will finally retreat to her bed for the night, and continue her trip in the morning. There¡¯s so much left to go...but she¡¯s come so far already. She knows the rest will come to her in time.

    Whatever the dawn brings, however she needs to prove herself, she believes in the path she walks and the person she¡¯s become. She is Reina Aikawa¡ªnot just the daughter of a celebrated racing driver, nor just the granddaughter of a mad motoring scientist, but a girl with an unmistakable drive to reach for the stars above.

    Tomorrow, she will spread her wings once more, and soar on the wind to Kanazawa.

 14. Birds of a Feather

    Dawn breaks over the Sea of Japan. As the shadows retreat back to the mountains in the east, the coast comes alive with a vivacious energy. The locals wake up to fresh food in the markets and clear skies surrounding; it will take time for the inevitable wave of tourists to reach this little corner of the country, so for the moment, they have it all to themselves.

    And so, one more jubilant day of the Golden Week begins.

    ¡°Good, I beat the lunch rush. Should be a pretty quick drive!¡±

    One ¡®tourist,¡¯ of course, has beaten the lot of them here already. But she¡¯s got more on the mind than just pleasure¡ªafter all, today is just the beginning of her whirlwind tour. In Kanazawa today, then tomorrow in Gifu on the outskirts of Nagoya, Reina¡¯s keen eye and business savvy will be put to the ultimate test: a pitch to two pivotal business partners, one more jaded than the other. The Star Rider project hangs in the balance of her work today...

    But though the nerves still linger in her heart, she doesn¡¯t feel quite so powerless anymore. Perhaps that¡¯s what it means to believe in yourself.

    I¡¯m sailing away... Set an open course for the virgin sea...

    The next song comes up on the CD¡ªa classic from Styx. Reina¡¯s glad she brought so many albums on her trip; the guitars and synths keep her company on the long, long road.

    ¡®Cause I¡¯ve got to be free¡ªfree to face the life that¡¯s ahead of me...

    The melancholy piano does prompt her to reflect a bit, surrounded by a tunnel of neutral grays. She¡¯s a long, long way from home, embarking on a journey with an uncertain outcome... The future is waiting for her, but she has to get there first.

    ...But there¡¯s a light at the end of this tunnel, and there always will be. She¡¯s come too far to doubt herself now; she can only go forward. All she needs to do is trust in herself¡ªtrust in the faith everybody at home placed in her¡ªand take her best shot. The future dazzles her eyes...and in time, she knows she¡¯ll make it there.

    But we¡¯ll try, best that we can...

    ¡°Yeah...!¡±

    ...To carry on!

    The Road Runner comes roaring out of the tunnel like a shooting star, and into a slice of Hokuriku paradise. Trees sway in the salty ocean wind, ripples spreading up the steep mountain edges. The road darts in and out of the mountains as it bridges the jagged coast, taking her by land one minute and over sea the next. It¡¯s the perfect way to cap off her long road to Kanazawa...

    And just in time, the song hits its stride. That chorus just hits different here.

    Come sail away, come sail away, come sailing away with me!

    ¡°Heh heh... Maybe I will.¡±

    She knows how the song goes¡ªin time, the boat sheds its sails and blossoms into a rocket ship, charting a course to the stars. The abrupt switch to synth pads and ethereal-sounding flutes changes the atmosphere inside the car with it...just in time for another tunnel coming up.

    ¡°...Yeah. I gotta give her a good tunnel rev at least once. I can¡¯t not.¡± There¡¯s no better time, she thinks. The sense of adventure provides her the perfect backing beat as the coming darkness widens her eyes. She flicks the Road Runner¡¯s headlights on, rolls the window down and lets the music take her.

    ¡°Sing for me!¡±

    *VRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMM!*

    Reina goes sailing into the dark, the 611 in full song. Every car sharing the tunnel is treated to a performance they couldn¡¯t have seen coming¡ªsome awestruck, some perplexed, some stunned into utter silence. There¡¯s just nothing like it.

    (She¡¯s still got it...!)

    The tunnels just never last long enough. Those precious seconds of power vanish into the air just as soon as they arrive; in another few moments, the Road Runner will settle back down into its usual thrum like nothing ever happened. But it¡¯s still worth every ounce of effort, Reina thinks. That¡¯s the kinda stuff gearheads live for.

    Reina comes out the other side of the tunnel just in time for the song to revert back to its jolly chorus. There¡¯s not much seaside cruising left today¡ªshe¡¯s making good time to Kanazawa, and the road is beginning to pull away from the ocean on approach to the city. Styx will serenade her for a little while longer, but after that, she¡¯s on her own.

    She takes a deep breath, and fights her nerves with a collected smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got this.¡±

    Undaunted, Reina cruises on...

    ***

    Kanazawa is so close to everything, yet so far all the same. As the crow flies, it sits not 100 miles from Nagoya, Japan¡¯s automotive mecca...but where Nagoya and other nearby cities expanded into behemoth urban jungles, the Hokuriku region on the other side of the mountains resisted the cosmopolitan boom. The bullet train doesn¡¯t reach here yet, and the roads crossing the narrow gaps in the mountains can¡¯t bridge the divide on their own. That¡¯s not to say Hokuriku is an industrial slouch; it simply takes things at its own pace, offering an interesting blend of new growth and old-school cultural character.

    ...One firebrand in particular embodies that anachronistic blend very well.

    ¡°Ahhh...! Nothing beats a good ride.¡±

    Tetsukura Chassis is hardly a household name in this little corner of Kanazawa, but the locals can instantly recognize the deep grumble of that ¡®98 DragStar. It belongs to the scion of the shop, born and bred on these bustling streets but never sticking to the beaten path.

    No, Akane Tetsukura does things her own way.

    ¡°Sun on my back, wind through my hair... Hell yeah. Wouldn¡¯t trade this for anything.¡±

    With a faint squeak, her well-aged bike comes trundling to a halt at the light. You¡¯d expect a girl her age to ride around in something more sensible, like a Cub or a scooter¡ªor just a car, really. You wouldn¡¯t expect her to rock a fiery head of hair, either. But she¡¯s not here to just fall in line; what¡¯s the point in everyone being the same? As a vintage apologist and unabashed style nut, she salutes everything that bucks the trend, both old and new.

    ¡°Hm...?¡±

    Something else is bucking the trend here...and it¡¯s getting louder in the back of her ears. A vicious-sounding V8 that puts even her bike to shame. Everything else around her fades to a whisper, as if afraid to challenge what¡¯s coming. She turns her head to see a shadow creeping along the ground...and a two-tone monster coming up to meet her.

    ¡°Whoooa, what are YOU?¡± Akane¡¯s eyes widen as she hastily flips up her helmet visor.

    ¡°Old Dodge or something, I think? That styling is completely bonkers... I love it!¡±

    She can¡¯t decide where to look first. The car¡¯s sharp contours and aggressive stance make it a complete and total outlier, almost reveling in the fact that it doesn¡¯t belong. She¡¯s seen old cars like these at the museum, but never has she had the pleasure of meeting one on the open road. She walks her bike up just a hair to get a better look at the front grill...

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a Plymouth! Road Runner, GTX, maybe?¡±

    Whatever it is, she¡¯s loving how it looks. That front end with the oversized hood scoop screams vintage muscle¡ªand to see a genuine article some 40 years later, still kicking on the streets, brings her no end of excitement.

    ¡°All that chrome is just nuts. Heavy as hell, but man, it looks good!¡±

    The driver inside notices her ogling the car and flashes her a friendly wave, but Akane doesn¡¯t even see it¡ªshe¡¯s too distracted by the Road Runner and its quirks.

    ¡°That sound too... That¡¯s an old-timey V8 for you. It sounds like it¡¯s growling at me!¡± This car is really ticking all her boxes. Not to call her a muscle fanatic specifically, but in this sea of metallic grays and ho-hum, utilitarian cars, Akane feels like the oddballs on the road shine all the brighter to compensate. It¡¯s like a museum exhibit come to life¡ªa welcome break from the urban routine.

    ¡°Man, what a beauty...¡±

    Not content to sit in the past, however, the Road Runner reminds her that all its bluster isn¡¯t just for show. All her gawking left Akane completely oblivious to the light turning green, and before she knows it, the car is already rumbling away.

    ¡°Oh shoot, the light!¡± Akane briefly panics, and in her haste, she releases the clutch just a tad too quickly, her body jolting as the old cruiser stalls out. The red in her hair is now joined by a smattering of red on her face.

    ¡°Of all the...!¡± Akane hastily presses the start button, the discombobulated engine taking a second to gather itself before finally grumbling back to life. By the time she turns her head back up, though, the Road Runner has already left her in the dust¡ªand the cars behind her are getting impatient.

    *HONK!*

    ¡°Dammit, I know!¡±

    With a paradoxical mix of haste and caution, Akane gradually lets off the clutch this time, and manages to find first gear. The DragStar powers through the intersection at last; Akane decides to give it a little extra gas to make up for lost time...and to catch up with the old Road Runner. No exterior motives there, no, ma¡¯am.

    ¡°Heeheehee... I wanna hear that thing at speed.¡±

    The Yamaha dutifully flexes its muscle, bringing her back into the fray in pursuit of the Road Runner. Kanazawa blows by block by block, the two highway stars turning heads in their wake. In time, Akane draws even with the car again¡ªand with no traffic ahead of them, she can¡¯t resist giving her bike a little rev as a greeting.

    The Road Runner responds by nearly blowing out her eardrums.

    ¡°Holy¡ª!¡± That V8 can roar. The tiniest blip of throttle sends shock waves through Akane¡¯s body¡ªshe even swears the motorcycle wanted to fall over for a split-second. She¡¯s never heard nor felt a motor like that before... It must be tuned something fierce, Akane thinks.

    ¡°Okay, that was more than I bargained for, hah! Touch¨¦.¡±

    She wonders where that car¡¯s headed. She¡¯s never seen it around here before, so she reckons it must be from out of town; that prompts her to hang back just a little bit. The license plate will tell her whence this beauty came...

    ¡°...Sapporo?¡±

    Just as it dawns on her who this car belongs to, she sees the Road Runner pulling to the far side of the road¡ªher side. Tetsukura Chassis is just up ahead, tucked just off the highway on a narrow little side street. Reina Aikawa is in the house, and Akane is stupefied.

    ¡°THAT¡¯S her car?! I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d come all the way down here in that thing!¡±

    On one hand, she really shouldn¡¯t be surprised. She saw the schematics for the Star Rider project; she knows full well the cloth Reina¡¯s cut from. She lives and breathes cars, so even in that car at that distance, the road trip is perfectly on brand for her.

    On the other hand though, who does that?

    ¡°Well, alright then! Funny how the timing worked out: we can get right down to business!¡±

    In tandem, their drives come to a close. The Road Runner put in a flawless performance on this leg of the trip, prompting a proud smile from Reina as she pulls up to the shop. She¡¯ll make sure to give it only the best gas as a reward.

    ¡°Good girl! Took the whole drive to Kanazawa like a champ~¡±

    She¡¯s still got a long way to go¡ªand she certainly has more planned for the old car¡ªbut that can wait for later. Right now, she¡¯s gotta hold up her end of the bargain...and she gets no time to rest, as the chassis shop¡¯s bright red biker girl comes rolling in behind her. She gracefully exits the Road Runner and watches as Akane joins her at the shop.

    ¡°Like my car, huh~?¡±

    ¡°Do I! That thing¡¯s a beauty, but you really drove it all the way down here from Hokkaido?¡±

    She shrugs. ¡°It just felt like it¡¯d be fun!¡±

    ¡°Well, hey, fair enough!¡±

    Akane extends her hand and finally introduces herself. ¡°Akane Tetsukura. Nice to finally meet you in person, Reina!¡±

    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s mine!¡±

    There¡¯s something about the way Reina carries herself... Something about her unabashed confidence in herself, that will to defy conformity. But she doesn¡¯t just break the mold for the sake of it alone; Akane can tell this is who she is at her core. And she revels in it.

    (Man... She¡¯s gorgeous.)

    If their chance meeting on the road was any evidence, they¡¯re gonna get along just fine.

    ¡°Wanna head on in? Pop should be ready and waiting.¡±

    ¡°Sure! Lead the way.¡±

    Reina feels the anticipation washing over her. She¡¯s finally here...and once she walks through these doors, she¡¯ll unlock a fragment of a past long sealed. If she can make this work, if she can bring it all with her into the future...

    (You¡¯ve got this Reina... It¡¯ll all work out.)

    Time to get down to business.

    ***

    Tetsukura Chassis does not overstate itself. At first glance, it bears the same patina and plaster of any other shop in town...but there¡¯s a rich history written in the walls here. For over thirty years, Akito Tetsukura has concocted specialty frames and bodies for a variety of projects¡ªfrom parts contracts with big name brands to one-off designs for diehard adrenaline junkies. His work spans the gamut of the automotive industry; it¡¯s no surprise that he caught Clara¡¯s eye as well.

    ¡°Ooh, this is really cool...¡± Akane welcomes Reina to the shop floor, where frames and chassis aplenty line the room.

    ¡°Right? Pop really loves his sports cars.¡±

    ¡°No wonder Grandma picked you guys for the project. You really know your stuff!¡±

    One might understandably question what this shop is doing here, rather than down south with the rest of the hustle and bustle. Akito wouldn¡¯t deny that Nagoya was more lucrative when he set up shop there...but as a Kanazawa boy born and bred, he didn¡¯t want to raise his one and only daughter anywhere else. Nagoya just wasn¡¯t for him.

    It says something, then, that his customers followed him to the north when he moved his shop back home. Their loyalty speaks volumes.

    ¡°Good, there he is.¡± Her father is, as usual, glued to the shop workbench, poring over the computer screen to try and dial in a model just right. It takes a lot to break him out of his trance, but Akane knows how to get his attention: he responds well to knocking on the wall.

    ¡°Heya, Pop!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Akane! I was wondering where you were, Reina should be here any¡ª¡°

    He lifts his head up, and his voice abruptly stops.

    ¡°Moment~?¡±

    For what feels like an eternity, Akito can¡¯t find any words to say. He is overcome by memories from a bygone age¡ªwhen his old friend would visit to conduct mad science together. In Reina, Akito sees a mesmerizing blend of past and future both...

    (Well, I¡¯ll be...)

    She looks just like her.

    ¡°Reina Aikawa!¡± Finally his body leaps into action as he extends his hand for a long-awaited shake. It¡¯s so good to put a face to the name.

    ¡°Thank you for having me, Mr. Tetsukura.¡±

    ¡°Akito works just fine. Aikawas get first-name privilege here at the shop.¡±

    ¡°Well, damn, at least put up some resistance, Pop.¡±

    ¡°Says the girl who fell head over heels for my car!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± Akito¡¯s jolly guffaw echoes off the walls. ¡°See, you¡¯re fittin¡¯ right in already.¡±

    (She really does remind me of her grandma.)

    There¡¯s no real meeting room here at the company, so the shop floor will have to do. Akito¡¯s got just enough chairs for everyone.

    ¡°So I think you know more about this project¡¯s history than I do... I¡¯m only now learning about what Clara had planned. But she was in talks with you for a while, wasn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know the half of it. I¡¯m sure you sorta knew already, but your grandma and I went waaay back.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard...¡± Reina¡¯s curious to fill in those blanks.

    ¡°She¡¯s sorta what made you start your own place, wasn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Sure was. I was workin¡¯ as a designer at Nissan at the time... Always felt like I wanted to run my own shop, design my own stuff, but I was broke and the corporate gig paid well.¡±

    ¡°Then I started hearin¡¯ about these Pocket engines some folks were rockin¡¯ in their project cars. Came from some shop up north I never heard of...¡±

    ¡°Ohhh...¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that led me down the rabbit hole. Friend of a friend had a car with an Aikawa motor in it, and he had me doin¡¯ work on it. Got real familiar with how they ticked. That sorta became my side hustle, workin¡¯ on street cars outta my garage.¡±

    ¡°Eventually they got me hooked up with Clara herself, and she and I got along real well. I was on the fence about quittin¡¯ the office job, but man, she knew how to talk to people. Cut me a deal that she¡¯d help me on my feet if I opened up my own place...so I did!¡±

    Akito smiles longingly just thinking about those days. Clara really did give him the push he needed to walk his own path in life¡ªmuch like she did to her own granddaughter.

    ¡°She¡¯d ship all kinds of crazy stuff down to me for body work, suspension, all that jazz¡ªand I loved it. I had a blast workin¡¯ on the stuff she was cookin¡¯ up.¡±

    ¡°Eventually I moved back to Kanazawa, bought this new place, had a lovely little daughter...and now here we are.¡±

    For some reason she can¡¯t explain, Reina feels like she¡¯s already known Akito for years. It¡¯s like she picked up right where her grandmother left off¡ªand that twinkle in his eye is evidence enough that he sees her as Clara¡¯s successor.

    And then there¡¯s Akane... Reina feels like she has a special role to play as well.

    ¡°No wonder she picked you for the project back then¡ªyou sound like a perfect fit.¡±

    ¡°We were both lookin¡¯ forward to it. But, well...just wasn¡¯t meant to happen back then.¡± His face briefly sours with resignation. Could¡¯ve, would¡¯ve, should¡¯ve... Hindsight reveals so many what-ifs in the way things went.

    ¡°I remember there was a date in the big book Grandma left behind. Was she really working on it all the way back in the 90s?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. She¡¯d been talking about it even earlier than that¡ªwe were goin¡¯ back and forth about what it¡¯d be like to put out her own car. Just wasn¡¯t until ¡®98, ¡®99 or so that she really got serious.¡±

    Akane faintly remembers an eccentric old fox from Sapporo coming down to visit when she was little... Back then, Reina only knew that Clara was going on a lot of trips¡ªshe never knew where until now.

    ¡°While she was workin¡¯ on the motors, she sent me her mockups for the design and had me go to work. We actually got pretty far, all things considered¡ªshe even put a deposit down so I could start orderin¡¯ materials.¡±

    ¡°But it took us a whole ton of time to really get the design right¡ªshe was crazy specific about what she wanted and how it was supposed to be built.¡±

    ¡°And then she started slowin¡¯ down...¡±

    ¡°Yeah...¡±

    Her diagnosis made Clara reevaluate the entire project. She was in her 70s, and it was becoming increasingly apparent that she didn¡¯t have the time to finish her magnum opus. Akito remembers that her approach all but turned on a dime: after going full speed ahead on design and research, she put that all on pause and focused her efforts on documenting everything she knew on the project thus far.

    In hindsight, it was the most important work she ever did.

    ¡°She told me to just keep that deposit lyin¡¯ around for when the time came... I think she knew you were gonna pick up the pieces eventually.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the impression I got...¡± Reina feels it all weighing down on her heart. ¡°That huge encyclopedia is just about the best thing she could¡¯ve left for me.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea she was already paying, though. Do you still have that deposit?¡±

    ¡°You bet I do! I¡¯ve kept it tucked away, just like she asked.¡±

    ¡°I thought about investin¡¯ it somewhere, but after ¡®08? Phew! I¡¯m thankful I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you dodged a bullet there!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to have, for sure. ¡®Fraid it¡¯s not quite enough to cover a whole prototype build, though. I¡¯d give ya a discount if I could, but we still gotta buy the raw materials somehow, and what we have now doesn¡¯t add up yet.¡±

    Reina figured that was the case. There¡¯s a lot that goes into all this¡ªnot just the materials, but the labor to bring it together as well. She wouldn¡¯t want to cut Tetsukura a bad deal just to get her own ambitions off the ground...

    But if she makes things work the way she envisions, she might not have to.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take care of that as best I can. I don¡¯t have much on my end, but what I do have is a contact¡ªand after talking to him, he¡¯s willing to hear me out and let me give him my pitch. If all goes well, that might give us the budget we need.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re goin¡¯ with outside help after all?¡±

    ¡°Yeah... It¡¯d be nice if I could fund it all in-house like Clara planned, but the way things are now, that¡¯s just not in the cards anymore.¡±

    ¡°Yup... That¡¯s just how it is.¡±

    Sobering though the arrangement may be, though, Reina¡¯s determined to make it work. Akito sees that familiar spirit shining in her eyes as she dons a collected smile, confident in her new approach.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got momentum on our side, though. I¡¯ve got my pitch ready for him, and I think he¡¯s really gonna like it. There is a market out there for this kind of car¡ªall I have to do is just show him where it is.¡±

    ¡°So trust me when I say that I¡¯ll make it work. You give me the time, and I¡¯ll give you everything you need!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡±

    Reina brings a unique aura to the table¡ªa different note from Clara, but still part of the same scale. Akito feels like the project is in good hands with her behind the wheel...and if she¡¯s confident they can succeed, then so is he.

    In fact, Akito believes there¡¯s no better time than now to raise this project from the grave. There¡¯s one more bright-eyed young heiress to join her.

    ¡°I think things have a funny way of working out... You¡¯re here to carry on in Clara¡¯s stead, and I¡¯ve got my own successor too.¡± Akito wraps his arm across his daughter¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°You believe me when I say that Akane here is like a younger, brighter little me. She¡¯s got a real knack for design, and she¡¯s damn good at all the tech-y computer stuff that my old noggin just can¡¯t keep up with.¡±

    ¡°Aww, Pop! Heehee.¡±

    Reina and Akito have both seen for themselves how energetic Akane can be¡ªand with her fascination for anything and everything vintage, she gets to go as wild as she could ever want. Of all the people who could style and design the prototype, there might not be a better fit in the country than this young firebrand.

    ¡°I tell ya, this project was made for her, and she¡¯s been chompin¡¯ at the bit to work on it ever since I first told her.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s my proposition to you, Reina: you let her work on this and she¡¯ll do you right.¡±

    ¡°Well, that sounds like as good a plan as any!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    Of course, Akane¡¯s already been working on this project ever since she heard through the grapevine that it was starting back up. But sometimes, it¡¯s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

    ¡°So, want me to give you a rundown on what we¡¯ve done so far? Ever since we got the call, we¡¯ve been chipping away at your schematics.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be great, thanks!¡±

    ¡°Heh heh. You wanna take it from here, Akane? You were always better with the newfangled computer stuff.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, Pop!¡± Akane guffaws. Her old man is just steeped in his ways.

    ¡°But sure. Come on over and take a look!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Father and daughter illustrate the shop¡¯s evolving approach. In the olden days before computers and simulations were readily available, Akito did just about everything in analog. That was how they did it at Nissan, and he didn¡¯t feel the need to go fixing what wasn¡¯t broken.

    Akane has a much different perspective on things. She loves the digital world as a tool for her job, being able to craft and pre-produce anything she needs¡ªit helps a ton for cutting out the trial and error of it all. It helps drive cars ever closer to the peak of efficiency and optimization, ironing out every last imperfection with surgical accuracy.

    ...But by that same token, Akane appreciates when designers are willing to break the rules in the pursuit of a more unique purpose. Every big company wants to make the ¡°perfect¡± car, launching luxury brands and self-indulgent prototypes aplenty...but to her, they¡¯re all just inching closer and closer to that same goal¡ªand becoming the same flavor of thing in the process. In a world where seemingly every car wants to meet some nebulous measure of perfection, she appreciates a car that has no qualms about what it wants to be.

    And that brings her to the Star Rider...

    ¡°Right! So how we used to do things was, Pop would hand-draw these giant blueprints, and that was how we¡¯d design and build frames. That was originally how the prototype was gonna be built, but now that we¡¯ve got more tech and more software, we¡¯re modernizing that process to match. The main thing I¡¯ve been doing so far is digitizing the sketch and Pop¡¯s blueprints so that we all have it digital.¡±

    ¡°Right, that makes sense! I saw tons and tons of sketches in the big book Grandma left.¡±

    ¡°Yup! Those are part of it. We¡¯ve actually got copies of those on our end. Here, take a look!¡±

    Akane passes Reina a stack of well-aged papers, consisting of both Clara¡¯s original sketches and Akito¡¯s own rebuttals. They went back and forth on the design process a lot, it seems.

    ¡°Oooh...! There are way more of these than I saw in the book! Looks like they¡¯re all sorta combined in waves¡ªand these ones look like they were drawn differently. Did Akito do these ones?¡±

    ¡°Yup, yup! I remember Pop would come home real tired sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t deny it. I was burnin¡¯ the midnight oil back in the day.¡± It was very difficult to get the design exactly right¡ªthere were some principles that Clara completely refused to compromise on.

    ¡°I¡¯m too old for that now, though. All the more reason why I¡¯m happy you¡¯re pickin¡¯ up the slack now, heh heh!¡±

    ¡°Riiight, just dump all the work on your poor, college student daughter. You¡¯re just such a good dad!¡±

    ¡°Damn straight!¡±

    Without missing a beat, Akane gets to work pulling up their software. The computer fans kick into gear as the system visibly struggles to load a massive project file.

    ¡°Aaaaand...there! This is my digitization of the Star Rider! WIP, of course.¡±

    ¡°Whoa...!¡±

    It¡¯s impressive how well Akane was able to translate Clara and Akito¡¯s mockups¡ªand unlike the original blueprints, her draft has every conceivable angle covered. Meticulous to a fault, Akane¡¯s rendition of the Star Rider serves as a valuable stepping stone on the road to a proof of concept.

    ¡°It looks really close to the blueprints!¡±

    ¡°You bet it does! One look at the old blueprints and I was in love with the styling. I wanted to preserve that as much as possible.¡±

    It looks like a strange blend of old-school muscle and futuristic curves¡ªequal parts style and substance. The frame bears noticeable improvements in aerodynamics over the big, boxy designs of the 60s, but it still looks unmistakably muscular, the family resemblance omnipresent throughout. Underneath that frame is the very best chassis Tetsukura can offer¡ªthe magnum opus of Akito¡¯s designs.

    ¡°So I remember one of the things Grandma was really insistent about in the book was, she wanted the car to be as easy to maintain as possible. Tons of modern cars have really obnoxious fittings or specialty parts or other stuff that just makes servicing a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Mhm...¡± Akane nods. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll admit, it was tough getting that balance right¡ªespecially since engines themselves aren¡¯t really my wheelhouse.¡±

    ¡°Well, they are mine, so I¡¯d be happy to fill in those gaps.¡± Reina gives the 3D model a good, long look. She worked with a program like this at university herself¡ªand it gives her some ideas on how to execute

    ¡°What I wanna do is, if this is possible: I want to get a rough model of the engine itself in this car, so that we can simulate repairing and maintaining it. Y¡¯know, oil, filters, spark plugs, stuff like that.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Yeah, that... I think if I have a good reference to work with, I can see about working on that. Can¡¯t make any guarantees, that¡¯d be a tall order, but I see what you¡¯re getting at.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And if you have a rough model engine in there, that would help you figure out the balance better¡ªlike if you know what needs to be accessible where, that kinda thing. The design should keep headaches and repair costs low.¡±

    ¡°Yup, I getcha! And then once we get all that ironed out, the other two configs should be easier to work with. I haven¡¯t really done much work on those yet, but having that reference would help a lot.¡±

    Akane can¡¯t deny she feels slightly out of her depth when it comes to the mechanical nitty gritty...but that¡¯s what Reina is here for. The two of them can fill the gaps in the other¡¯s expertise¡ªand in the process, they can refine the build more and more until it finally comes time to bring it to life.

    ¡°Actually, could you do me a favor? Having this 3D mockup would be great for my pitch tomorrow, so if you could just render a few images and get that to me, that¡¯d be nice.¡±

    ¡°Oh, certainly!¡± The two exchange their emails.

    ¡°And I¡¯ve used modeling programs like this in my uni courses, so I think it might be easier if I helped you with the engine modeling instead of you doing it all yourself. I¡¯m still working on the new engine we¡¯re using for this car, but once it¡¯s done, I should be able to help out with the mockup.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be perfect. I think you trying to send me a ton of images and have us play telephone design instead would just be a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    So far, though, Reina likes the design that she sees. She does make her priorities known, but at the end of the day, this still has Clara¡¯s own handwriting written all over it¡ªand boy, does it show.

    ¡°The frame will still give it a rigid, muscle-y kinda feel, but we made sure it doesn¡¯t handle like a giant brick. We¡¯ve had this design on a number of restomods over the years, and our clients have all had really good things to say about it.¡±

    ¡°And we work with this suspension company down in Osaka. They¡¯ll get you hooked up with a really nice kit for this build.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know! I¡¯ll have to hit them up for the prototype. That does make me wonder about the logistics of a bigger production run, though... I wanna make sure you and all our other suppliers would be able to handle a higher volume. The last thing I want is for us to get orders and not be able to fill them.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s almost puttin¡¯ the cart before the horse, I¡¯d say, but yeah, if and when this gets off the ground, you¡¯ll have to answer that down the line.¡± Akito adjusts himself in his chair, her question putting him deep in thought himself.

    ¡°...I can¡¯t speak for any of the other companies you¡¯re workin¡¯ with, but when it comes to us, we¡¯d need to change a fair bit. We make our pay off low volume, high price; we¡¯re not the most equipped for big production runs.¡±

    ¡°I think we can definitely stand to go a little faster than we do now, though.¡±

    ¡°Oh, absolutely! We do get a lotta downtime here. It¡¯s just been a while since we had a real consistent workflow like that.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not out of the question?¡±

    Akito chuffs. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna commit one way or the other just yet...but I think if we hire on a few more guys and we have enough lead time, we¡¯ll be able to keep up.¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t go accidentally makin¡¯ a smash hit or anything!¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course not, perish the thought!¡±

    The plan is coming together. After scrutinizing the details, Reina and Akane are assured that they¡¯re on the same page with the design language and the overall feel of the car. They¡¯ve got time to iron out the kinks, as well¡ªit¡¯ll be months and months before they can even think about putting it together. But it¡¯s excellent to have this first step done now; it¡¯ll pay dividends by the time they¡¯re ready to kick the rest of the plan into gear.

    ¡°Well, I think that should be all for now! I¡¯ll be sure to keep in touch while I¡¯m working on the new engine¡ªand I¡¯ll let you know what happens with Mr. Shibuya too.¡±

    ¡°Excellent! Thank you so much!¡±

    ¡°Thank YOU for all your hard work!¡±

    It still hasn¡¯t really dawned on Reina that the first big leg of her trip is already done. It went so smoothly that she didn¡¯t feel stressed about it at all.

    ¡°So where¡¯re you headed after this?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good question. I was gonna head over to my hotel in Gifu...¡± Reina pulls out her phone to check the time. It¡¯s still 2 in the afternoon.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some time to kill, though. I was thinking maybe I¡¯d head over to the museum down in Komatsu.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that sounds fun! Pretty sure they¡¯re open today, yeah.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long, long time since I was last there... I¡¯ve always wanted to go back.¡±

    ...That¡¯s all Akane needs to get the gears turning in her head. It¡¯s a slow day, there¡¯s nobody else scheduled at the shop and she¡¯s wanted an excuse to take a Golden Week trip to the museum. What better way to cap off the day than by taking a tour with her new friend?

    ¡°Whaddaya say, Pop? You mind letting me skip?¡±

    ¡°Nah, go right ahead! Y¡¯know what, I¡¯ve been wantin¡¯ to head out there myself.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, you coming too?¡±

    ¡°Why not!¡± Akito¡¯s happy to see Akane making a friend so quickly. That¡¯s the tough part of standing out: by definition, you¡¯re separated from the rest of the pack. Reina changes that for the better¡ªshe speaks the girl¡¯s wavelength, and now she¡¯s given her the perfect project to sink her teeth into.

    And on top of that...

    ¡°Heehee. I see that look, Akane. You wanna take ride in the Road Runner, huh?¡±

    ¡°...Guilty as charged. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind! It¡¯s nice having someone to talk to on the way there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring up the rear, then¡ªand I¡¯ll take her back home once you two are done. Drive safe on the way there! Don¡¯t go too hog wild.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll be fine~¡±

    Akito watches Reina and Akane take their leave, playfully chatting on their way out the door. Soon enough, he hears that familiar rumble piercing through the walls...and he can imagine the massive smile Akane must have on her face. Reina¡¯s caught her hook, line and sinker¡ªrecruited the trailblazer to help her carve her own path in the world.

    ¡°I tell ya what... Reina feels a bit different from Clara. She does things in a different way.¡±

    He briefly reflects on her visit before heading out himself.

    ¡°Back then, I always felt like I was workin¡¯ for Clara...but Reina feels like I¡¯m workin¡¯ with her. I dunno if that¡¯s just ¡®cause she¡¯s younger or what, but she brings her own vibe to this.¡±

    Clara marched to the beat of her own drum¡ªand make no mistake, Reina does too. But in the latter¡¯s case, Akito feels like he¡¯s having an easier time marching along with her... She was even willing to change her tempo just a tiny bit in order to bring them under her wing.

    It¡¯s not just Reina¡¯s way or the highway... She convinces you to ride along with her, just like she did to Akane.

    ¡°...That might be what the whole thing needed all along.¡±

    ***

    It¡¯s a 45-minute drive to the museum...perhaps shorter if you don¡¯t snitch. The Road Runner joins the waltz of traffic in Kanazawa as an outsider, a splotch of red that refuses to mix. It looks more like the flashy banners and advertisements than the ho-hum cars it shares the roads with¡ªeven though it¡¯s hardly going out of its way to advertise itself at all.

    Good, Akane thinks to herself. She¡¯d take this car any day.

    ¡°Man, this thing runs real good for how old it is. You take good care of it!¡±

    ¡°Thank you! She¡¯s handled this road trip really well. Can¡¯t deny I was a little worried how it would handle the heat down here, but it¡¯s been cool enough on the trip so far.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nice being on the sea. Pretty views too, huh?¡±

    ¡°Oh, were there ever! My drive this morning was absolutely stunning.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet!¡±

    Akane has plenty to be stunned by herself... She knows from experience how difficult it can be to break the mold, but Reina does it all like it¡¯s second nature. She looks right at home behind the wheel of the Road Runner¡ªnot hanging on, not even efforted. She¡¯s not driving this car because it makes her stands out; she drives it because this is where she fits in.

    There¡¯s something about that Akane really admires.

    ¡°You make it look so easy... I don¡¯t think I could drive this thing myself. I have my hands full enough with my bike as is.¡±

    ¡°Aww, it¡¯s not too bad! She¡¯s pretty forgiving with the gears, actually¡ªjust as long as you don¡¯t money shift.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not risking that.¡±

    Akane briefly ruffles through her red hair¡ªdyed, of course. She can see Reina¡¯s colors are all natural, though.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s really cool what you do, though... I mean, I stand out just for the sake of it¡ªI dye my hair, I ride a big old bike, I go to the museum to look at classic cars... I just like being different for difference¡¯s sake. I like standing out from everybody else.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s not why you¡¯re different, is it?¡±

    ¡°...You¡¯re right. It really isn¡¯t.¡± Reina turns and gives Akane a warm smile, catching a glimpse of the sea passing them by out the window.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been different, and I always will be¡ªI never had the choice to be like everybody else. That just became more apparent as I got older.¡±

    ¡°And I did feel that pressure to fit in. I felt it all the time...but at some point, I realized that would only be lying to myself. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with fitting in, but for me, I¡¯d just be putting on a mask. Pretending to be someone I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m going to be different no matter what, I might as well be true to myself too.¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more important to me than anything else. I don¡¯t do what I do just to be different. I don¡¯t care whether I fit in or not.¡±

    ¡°This is just who I am, plain and simple.¡±

    Akane had a feeling that was the case, but hearing it straight from the source instills a newfound respect in her. It can¡¯t have been an easy thing to accept... Akane doesn¡¯t know what it was like for Reina, having to come to terms with her place in life, but from what she sees in her now, she¡¯s taking it all in stride with a confident smile. She¡¯s mastered herself.

    ¡°And if that just happens to mean I stick out...¡± Reina shifts up, commanding the engine ever faster on the open highway. ¡°Then I¡¯ll stick out all I want.¡±

    ¡°Yeah...¡±

    What does that make Akane herself, then...?

    (Man... There¡¯s no way I can compete with that.)

    All her life, Akane¡¯s listened to her friends, her classmates, her teachers, her superiors extol the virtues of fitting in, of leading a simple and unassuming life. But Akane never wanted that for herself... She wanted to break the mold and chart her own course in life, before she even figured out where to go in the first place.

    But did she ever want that for herself, or was that just a spiteful reaction to the people around her? Was she justified in making that choice?

    ¡°Hm? You good?¡± Reina can¡¯t help but notice Akane deep in thought.

    ¡°Oh, uh... Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°You sure? You looked like you were really hung up on something. I hope I didn¡¯t drag down the mood too much, sorry...¡±

    ¡°No no, you¡¯re good! It¡¯s just...¡± Akane can¡¯t stop herself before those first couple words come out. She nervously glances to the side, letting out a troubled sigh.

    ¡°It¡¯s just... No wonder you look so natural: it fits who you are to a tee.¡±

    ¡°I put in so much effort, so much time into trying to be unique, but sometimes I feel like I¡¯m just...fake. I made that my whole aesthetic without bothering to ask why¡ªlike I never had a good reason for chasing this kinda life to begin with. I just felt like it, and nothing else.¡±

    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t think you need any special reason. I think if I looked more normal, I would still want to be like this¡ªand I wouldn¡¯t need a ¡®reason¡¯ then, because that¡¯s just the kind of person I want to be.¡±

    ¡°Like you, y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°True...but what¡¯s stopping me from just being normal?¡±

    ¡°Well, you are. That¡¯s just not who you wanna be.¡±

    Is it really that simple? Akane¡¯s started to feel like she needs a better reason than that. She chose to forsake that normalcy, that world she knew so well for something else entirely... Does that not need justification?

    ¡°I know this is easy for me to say, but don¡¯t let other people stop you from living your life the way you want to. At the end of the day, what¡¯s most important is that you feel comfortable in your own skin.¡±

    ¡°If that means dressing normal and leading a normal life? Great. If that means dyeing your hair, riding a badass bike and living by your own rules? That¡¯s perfectly valid too. That¡¯s who you are, and nobody has the right to shame you for that.¡±

    ¡°So I say, don¡¯t be afraid to stand out. It¡¯s a lot more fun that way.¡±

    A simple deduction, but it¡¯s exactly what Akane needed to hear. From one rebel to another, Reina gives Akane a lesson she learned well herself.

    ¡°Yeah... Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Now cheer up, yeah? We should be getting close to the museum.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh... Yeah, true. Almost there!¡±

    It¡¯s so nice to have the answer now. Reina remembers all that inner turmoil, her struggle to find her place¡ªbut she doesn¡¯t have to worry about that any longer. She¡¯s got her sights on the future, and she¡¯s not looking back. And now, she¡¯s got Akane right there with her.

    Right on time, their next destination is coming up. The closer they get, the wider Reina¡¯s smile grows.

    ¡°Left here, and then it¡¯s straight ahead.¡±

    ¡°Good, there we go... Oh, man, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m finally here!¡±

    Perhaps it¡¯s fitting that the Motorcar Museum of Japan lies off the beaten path¡ªa tacit suggestion to get behind the wheel and drive there yourself, as the trains and buses will struggle to get you there. You¡¯re rewarded for your efforts with the country¡¯s largest general car museum, boasting makes and models from every corner of the world. The ornate construction outside belies a mechanical heart within, meticulously maintained and polished to a mirror sheen.

    Given Reina was already in the area, this little detour is a no-brainer.

    ¡°Wow, this place is huge! I knew they had a big building out here, but this is awesome.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s great. You¡¯ve really never been here before, though? I would¡¯ve thought a gearhead like you would¡¯ve made it down here once or twice, at least!¡±

    ¡°Well...¡± Reina would rather not open that can of worms and risk making her feel bad. ¡°Just never had the time for it before, really.¡±

    ¡°Fair.¡±

    ¡°No better time than now, though!¡±

    She has no idea how right she is.

    Reina, her new friend and her free-roaming museum exhibit find themselves a parking spot, with Akito inconspicuously bringing up the rear. This museum being dedicated to older cars, the Road Runner would fit right in...but alas, it won¡¯t be seeing the museum floor any time soon. She likes to drive her classics¡ªand the old Plymouth still has some pep left in its step yet.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for YEARS to come here... This is gonna be so good!¡±

    ¡°Getting excited there?¡±

    ¡°You have NO idea~¡±

    There¡¯s a certain anticipation getting ready to spill over, an enthusiasm plain to see¡ªso infectious, in fact, that Akane¡¯s getting hyped up alongside her. This has been on Reina¡¯s bucket list for a long, long time...and now, at last, the doors are open and waiting.

    ¡°Whoooa...!¡±

    It¡¯s everything she was hoping for and then some. Three whole floors of automotive history laid bare for her to see¡ªfrom the greatest land yachts to the tiniest economy compacts, and from aerodynamic 80s coupes all the way back to the very birth of the automobile. Brands big and small have their own little cities here...though you can probably hazard a guess which ones Reina¡¯s interested in the most.

    That¡¯s not to call her narrow-minded, of course¡ªshe takes her time absorbing every single sight and sound on her way through the building.

    ¡°No way, they¡¯ve got a 2000GT! I¡¯ve never seen one in person before¡ªthey look even better than I thought they would!¡±

    ¡°Ooh, got some old British cars here too, you never see these anymore!¡±

    ¡°Aww, and look at those cute little Beetles over there!¡±

    ¡°Ohh, man, I¡¯m in heaven!¡±

    Akane watches Reina gleefully take it all in like a kid in a candy shop, her eyes excitedly darting from car to car. Compared to her calm, collected demeanor from earlier in the day, she¡¯s letting her excitement run wild as if she¡¯s a completely different person...but all the same, Akane feels like this is exactly in-character for her. This is just who she is.

    ¡°Ya think she likes it, Akane?¡± Akito whispers with a hearty grin.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± She¡¯s never heard anyone else pronounce the names so well.

    Seeing all these vintage wheels on display proves it to Reina beyond a doubt: there¡¯s just nothing better than seeing it all with your own two eyes. There¡¯s no capturing the analog aura these cars exude¡ªno amount of ink on film nor pixels on a computer screen can make them breathe in living color like this. They stand proud like mechanical time capsules, commanding Reina¡¯s attention everywhere she goes.

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s the Ford section over there!¡±

    Reina turns her head, and instantly her face alights. That¡¯s not just any old Ford...

    ¡°Ohhh, and they¡¯ve got a Mustang!¡±

    Reina did not think it possible for her eyes to get any wider. Alongside the older offerings from Ford¡¯s history stands a perfectly-preserved Mach 1, clad in Dearborn blue. She may be a Plymouth girl, but she has to concede that there¡¯s no better brand for the museum than the model that kicked off the muscle car craze.

    ¡°Looks like ¡®69 or ¡®70... Man, what a nice find! I¡¯m surprised they¡¯ve got one here, they¡¯re not that common anymore.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m definitely not complaining¡ªthe styling on these just screams American!¡±

    ¡°Oh, it screams alright. I¡¯d love to take a peak under the hood, those old-school V8s are just so badass...!¡±

    This one came with Ford¡¯s more modest offering¡ªonly 6 liters of grumpy V8 power¡ªbut the aggressive styling, the behemoth front end and the sloping fastback give it the unmistakable image of a thoroughbred American bruiser.

    ¡°From what Grandma used to tell me, these things were everywhere back in the day. She would take trips to America every now and then, and there would just be Mustangs, Camaros, big V8 muscle cars all over the place.¡±

    ¡°Really? I knew they were popular, but I didn¡¯t think they actually sold that many. I mean, who could afford a giant V8 back then?¡±

    ¡°Well, they just didn¡¯t have as much stuff back then in general. No airbags, no ABS, no fuel injection, no air conditioning¡ªit was pretty much just an engine with a bunch of steel covering it. But for better or worse, that made it pretty cheap.¡±

    ¡°That was all you needed to make buyers happy back in the day.¡±

    ¡°Huh... Guess so.¡±

    Reina maneuvers her way to the side of the car, getting as close as she can and taking a peek inside. The interior radiates nostalgia.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I appreciate about that¡ªhow power didn¡¯t have to come at a premium. You could make a big, fast car without having to charge a ton for it...and that really stuck with people.¡±

    ¡°I kinda got that vibe when we were going over the Star Rider. Like, most V8s here come in big luxury sedans or something, but your car feels really stripped down in comparison.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, exactly. I feel like there¡¯s a market out there that¡¯s willing to lose a bell or whistle if it makes the car cheaper up front and cheaper to maintain. V8 doesn¡¯t have to mean expensive¡ªthere¡¯s a niche I think we can fill if we play our cards right.¡±

    ¡°All I have to do is beat the big three at their own game.¡±

    ¡°Y¡¯know, just outcompete America! No pressure!¡±

    ¡°Nahhh, not at all!¡±

    It all sounds a bit ridiculous when Reina says it out loud like that...but she wouldn¡¯t be all the way down here if she didn¡¯t think it could work. When it comes time to rest her resolve, she will hold her head high. This project has potential¡ªperhaps even more now than it did in Clara¡¯s time... She just has to believe in herself first, and the rest will follow.

    It¡¯s not quite time for that yet, though; for now, Reina has two whole floors left of the museum to gawk over.

    ¡°Oh, man, this is gonna be good...!¡±

    Akane can¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Kid at heart, or just loves what she does...?¡±

    Whatever the case, this is already the best vacation Reina¡¯s ever had.

    ***

    Time flies when you¡¯re having fun. After a spirited tour of every floor and every corner, the building is coming up on closing time. Evening rays coat the museum floor in gold, the cars glimmering with a vim belying their age. As much as Reina would love to stay just a little longer, she knows she has to bow out.

    ¡°Thank you so much for coming here with me. I had a blast!¡±

    ¡°Hey, me too! And thanks for driving me¡ªnot every day I get to ride around in a giant muscle car that¡¯s twice my age!¡±

    ¡°Heehee! Any time. I¡¯d drive you back to Kanazawa, but I¡¯ve gotta go down south instead.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve got that meeting in Gifu, right?¡± Akito will handle chauffeuring Akane back home. He had plenty of fun himself¡ªeven if the energetic girls ran circles around him.

    ¡°Yup. Got a big day tomorrow, so I wanna get in there early and get some good rest.¡±

    ¡°Well, safe travels to ya, and good luck tomorrow! You¡¯ve got me fully on board, Reina. I know you¡¯ve got this!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Reina and Akito shake hands in the evening glow.

    ¡°Oh! Just one last thing: where are you headed after that meeting?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a couple days in Nagoya, one or two in Hamamatsu, and then I¡¯m heading to this car meet they¡¯ve got on Friday at Fuji Speedway!¡±

    ¡°Oh, nice! Pop and I are going there too!¡±

    ¡°Cool! It¡¯ll be fun to see you there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Maybe we can do something in Nagoya too, since we¡¯re making some extra stops on our way to Fuji. Wanna go ahead and share numbers real quick?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Always nice to make new connections!

    ¡°Alright, thanks.¡±

    Akane isn¡¯t quite ready for the day to end¡ªthere¡¯s still so much she wants to do. But Reina¡¯s a woman on a mission, and she can¡¯t slow her roll just yet. For the moment, the sun has to set on their time together.

    ¡°Well...¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s about time I get going.¡±

    ¡°Mhm... Go knock ¡®em dead, Reina.¡± Akane bids her new friend farewell with a brief hug, sharing one more moment before their paths diverge. This isn¡¯t goodbye for long, though... Akane¡¯s already looking forward to the day they can meet up again.

    ¡°Drive safe!¡±

    ¡°You bet I will. Take care, you two!¡±

    ¡°See you later~!¡±

    And with that, her first business day is done¡ªa rousing success, to her relief. She¡¯s convinced Tetsukura Chassis to bring the Star Rider project back from the grave, and just about inked a new contract with them in the process. One more big piece of the puzzle has finally fallen into place.

    Now, as the sun comes down, and the future beckons to the south, Reina finds herself alone on her journey once more.

    ...Or does she?

    ¡°Yooo, check THIS thing out!¡±

    ¡°What even is it? Ply-mouth? It looks like it came straight out of the museum!¡±

    ¡°Kinda looks like an old Charger or something...¡±

    ¡°I mean, whatever it is, it looks bad-ASS!¡±

    As it so happens, the Road Runner has attracted a small group of curious college students who were just leaving the museum themselves. Judging by their excitement, and the Mustang cap one of them is proudly wearing, they look to be fellow fans of American muscle¡ªand they¡¯re beyond hyped to see a classic example in the wild.

    ...Why not make their day? This might be the easiest marketing opportunity in the world.

    ¡°Evening, boys!¡±

    Reina confidently slides the key in the door and unlocks it, sitting herself down on the big bench seat. The group barely has any time to register what she looks like before the door slams shut behind her.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re shitting me. The driver¡¯s a girl?¡±

    ¡°Yo, am I drunk or something? You saw that too?¡±

    They hear the fuel pump buzz to life, the realization so sudden they don¡¯t even have the time to feel excited. A pump and a half for good measure, and then...

    *RRrrRRRRRMMMM!*

    Confusion gives way to sheer shock and awe as the Road Runner bellows at the crowd. Reina looks in the rear-view mirror and sees them all jaws agape, stunned into silence by the overpowering aura the car exudes.

    She can¡¯t get enough of that reaction. It¡¯s perfect.

    The group disperses to let Reina back out of the space, awestruck all the while. Nothing they¡¯ve ever seen nor heard compares. They find themselves almost magnetically drawn to the driver¡¯s side door, eager to learn more about what kind of beast they¡¯ve encountered. Reina happily rolls the window down to oblige them.

    ¡°That¡¯s YOUR car?!¡±

    ¡°Sure is! Glad to see you like her~!¡±

    ¡°Man, they sound awesome. It¡¯s so much better in person!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that Aikawa thing, though?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my family¡¯s engine shop! We custom-made the motor for this car. I think she sounds pretty good!¡±

    Reina can¡¯t resist giving the group a little rev. Their overwhelmed reactions make her day.

    ¡°No shit?! That¡¯s awesome!¡±

    ¡°Aww, man, I¡¯ve always wanted a car like this! I¡¯ve been saving up for a Mustang for years and years.¡±

    ¡°Well, save up a little longer and we might have something for you! Actually, let me...¡±

    It¡¯s good that Reina thought to pack these¡ªshe didn¡¯t predict she¡¯d have to use them for anything, but it always helps to have them on hand.

    ¡°Here you go!¡±

    Reina passes her business card to the boy with the Mustang cap. The whole group gathers around him to read it, doing the convenient job of introducing her name for her. To them, she might as well have come straight out of a dream¡ªthis combination of character and car hardly seems real at all. But there¡¯s an authenticity to her that they just can¡¯t deny. This girl means business.

    ¡°Look out for us in the news, yeah? We¡¯ve got big plans!¡±

    ¡°Oh, ah, thank you!¡± He¡¯s almost too flustered to talk. ¡°So where are you headed after this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going down to Gifu for a little business trip. I¡¯ll be at the track day at Fuji next weekend though, if you¡¯re heading there!¡±

    ¡°Well, uh...shit, we weren¡¯t planning on it, but we might have to!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be down!¡± They wanna be wherever she¡¯s going.

    ¡°Well, see you around!¡±

    ¡°Drive safe!¡±

    With a wave and a smile, Reina bids the group farewell. Her Bad Company CD picks up right where it left off, and the setting sun prompts her to don her trusty shades. She¡¯s hundreds of miles away from home, but with one arm out the window and her finger tapping along to Run with the Pack on the steering wheel, you¡¯d never be able to tell she¡¯s out of her territory. She exudes a confidence like never before.

    ¡°Almost done for today...¡±

    It¡¯s two hours to Gifu, by which time the sun will have left her behind. Whatever tomorrow brings, Reina will have to face it head-on, with only her will and her spirit left to guide her on her path...

    *BEEP!*

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ...But if only for a moment, a new group of friends have come to ride along with her. The boys are heading home to Kyoto themselves, and they saw fit to catch up with her for a little drive together. An Impreza, a Civic and a worn old Lancer... They look so out of place beside the old Road Runner, but Reina knows these are still her people.

    ¡°Aww, thanks, guys... Heehee.¡±

    Reina knows there¡¯s probably no special reason for their joining her¡ªthey¡¯re both headed the same way, and perhaps all they wanted was to hear that Road Runner in full song, serenading them on their way back home.

    ...Yet she can¡¯t help but appreciate their company in a more symbolic way. There are people out there who enjoy these kinds of cars in the same way she does. There is a market for her brand of no-holds-barred performance. All she has to do is give them what they really want, and in turn, they¡¯ll put wind in her sails as she carries on her journey.

    And just what do they want?

    (This.)

    *VVRRRRMMMM!*

    I¡¯m runnin¡¯ with the pack!

    The trip to Gifu doesn¡¯t feel as lonely anymore. The rowdy cars jockey for position alongside her, their engines trying their hardest to roar above the Road Runner¡¯s tiger growl. Together they cruise down the highway, cutting through the mountain corridors in the fading light of the evening. Tunnels aplenty give them chances to flex their might to each other¡ªthough they all know they can¡¯t hold a candle to that 611. Reina has them all beat.

    You can¡¯t hold me down... You can¡¯t hold me back!

    ¡°Goin¡¯ my own way¡ªrunnin¡¯ with the pack!¡±

    Time and miles fly by in tandem with Reina and her not-so-bad company. Only when east and west pull the road apart do they finally part ways, with one last rev to see each other off. Reina watches as their lights gradually fade in her rear-view mirror... Brief though their trip together was, brief as her time with Akane was, she leaves them all with a satisfied smile on her face.

    ¡°Almost there now...¡± *yaaawn* ¡°I¡¯m beat... Gotta get some good rest, and then tomorrow, it¡¯s showtime.¡±

    She might not have their company tomorrow... She¡¯ll be in unfamiliar territory, faced with a daunting job to do. But today has given her a welcome confidence boost, an affirmation of this path she¡¯s chosen. She controls her own destiny now¡ªand after an age of drifting through dire straits, having that control over her path is a truly uplifting thing. It gives her the strength to keep on running.

    ¡°...Yeah. I can do this.¡±

    Now, there¡¯s a headwind blowing from the east... Time to see what she¡¯s really made of.

 15. Ive Got a Plan

    Another picturesque morning on the outskirts of Gifu. Another refreshing cup of tea, serenaded by the sounds of nature. Another day living the dream that he had so unflinchingly sought.

    (...And what of it?)

    By all accounts, Makoto Shibuya has won the game of life. The son of an accomplished industrial executive, his business acumen came to him as quickly as he could read and write. From his youth, he was raised and crafted in his father¡¯s image¡ªhis family saw in him a worthy successor to their legacy. They laid the corporate ladder before him, and ordered him to climb.

    And climb, he did. Higher and higher, using his father¡¯s connections and his own shrewd tactics to reach all the way to the top. That¡¯s all it ever was to him: a game. A dream his parents planted inside his head. Now, the shackles of life lie broken and limp at his feet¡ªhe has everything he could ever need, and total control over the rest of his days.

    ...If only that were enough to make him feel he had achieved anything at all.

    (This morning¡¯s cup is...quite fine. As it is.)

    A heavy sigh escapes his husky throat. He only ever did what was asked of him... Does that really deserve any special praise or celebration? Did it mean anything at all to his father, who saw in a vision his son¡¯s entire life?

    And what does Makoto make of himself, now that the old man is gone? There¡¯s no one left for him to succeed, no goals to achieve... He has to figure out what to do with himself now.

    But who is he, really?

    (...Perhaps I¡¯ll take a stroll before lunch.)

    He has all the time in the world, and nothing to do with it. Perhaps that desperate yearning was what made him so receptive to his old friend¡¯s invitation¡ªa chance meeting with Clara¡¯s own successor. She and her shop form the only open thread left in the tapestry of his life... Those memories from so many years ago have grown to sting in a different way.

    Might it all have turned out differently, had he not been so...?

    *BRRRING! BRRRING!*

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    That would be her. She was scheduled to arrive in Gifu yesterday¡ªhow, from so far away in a car so old, he can¡¯t begin to imagine. But she¡¯s here now...a visitor from another world.

    *CLICK!*

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    ¡°Morning, Mr. Shibuya! I made it into Gifu last night. Are we still on for later today?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all well by me. I¡¯ve confirmed the reservation.¡±

    Convenient though it would be, he recognizes that his home might be too daunting. Instead, they will do their business over food and drinks at his favorite local tavern¡ªwhich Reina appreciates, both for peace of mind and for all she can eat.

    ¡°Great! Thanks again.¡±

    ¡°My pleasure.¡±

    It¡¯s uncanny, hearing her voice. She doesn¡¯t have a hint of that gravely timbre that her grandmother did, but he can still tell she¡¯s her granddaughter. Something about the family resemblance runs deeper than he can even quantify.

    ¡°I trust you don¡¯t have any issue with the time?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I got plenty of rest, so I¡¯m good to go.¡±

    ¡°Very good.¡±

    He only has a surface-level overview of her plan...and he¡¯ll need more than just pretty words if he¡¯s to sign on after today. But out of respect, he¡¯ll give her his undivided attention.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you here, then. Take care.¡±

    ¡°Yup. See you soon!¡±

    *CLICK!*

    ¡°Now, then...¡± Makoto finishes his tea.

    ¡°I believe this might finally provide some closure.¡±

    The past has come rushing to meet him. It flies on wings of red.

    ***

    A warm breeze and a cloudless sky welcome Reina to Gifu. It¡¯s just now starting to dawn on her how far she¡¯s really come... For the first time so far on this trip, she has no travel today, no far-flung destination to reach. She¡¯s exactly where she needs to be.

    ¡°Ahhh... That breeze feels nice.¡±

    It¡¯s all oddly familiar, despite having never been... The narrow streets, the humble shops, the mountains looming in the distance. She knows she¡¯s in a city much like her own, but the subtle differences combine to paint a new picture entirely¡ªlike the same piece of music, played with different instruments.

    ¡°Right. Got my briefcase, got myself cleaned up... Should be ready to go.¡± No looking back, but don¡¯t get ahead of yourself either. In the moment, there¡¯s a job to do.

    ¡°Just gotta keep moving forward.¡±

    It¡¯s been a long, long time since she was last in proper car country. Nagoya, the beating heart of the Japanese automotive industry, lies just 20 miles to the south. Further southwest along Ise Bay takes you to the city of Suzuka, upon which the entire motoring world shines its spotlight for one frantic weekend each year.

    She¡¯ll have plenty of time to take it all in once her business here is done. The clock ticks closer and closer to her meeting with Mr. Shibuya... She knows what she has to do.

    With her head held high, Reina returns to her stalwart Road Runner. The old girl¡¯s held up better than she could have asked for, handling the endless roads with not even a hiccup on the way...

    *RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRRRMMMM!*

    ...And it¡¯s not about to stop now.

    ¡°Alright, car,¡± Reina mutters as she shifts in gear. ¡°Just a little more to go, and then we¡¯re done with the meetings.¡±

    She sets her course for a sleepy neighborhood on the edge of town.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this done.¡±

    Trepidation lingers in the air as she eases the car onto the road. It¡¯s one thing to meet with an old family friend like Akito and his daughter...but Mr. Shibuya is a whole different game. She¡¯s only had brief exchanges with him on the phone¡ªand heard nebulous stories from the gang back at the shop. His character, his outlook, his motivations are all a mystery. Whether he¡¯ll be receptive at all to what would otherwise be a pie-in-the-sky proposal is unclear... She has to bring an outsider into the world she knows.

    But, all things considered, she¡¯s about as well prepared as she can be at this point. On the backseat lies a briefcase full of all the information he could possibly want and need¡ªand even if she didn¡¯t have all those papers with her, she has the whole thing memorized from top to bottom. There¡¯s no time left to prepare, nowhere left to go...

    She¡¯s just gotta put her chin up and get it done.

    ¡°Good, traffic¡¯s still pretty light. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was gonna be like with the holidays and all.¡± Gifu, like Sapporo, magnifies her car¡¯s awkward dimensions, almost claustrophobic with its smaller streets. The Road Runner dwarfs everything else on the road, offering a ridiculous contrast whenever it lines up at stop lights. But Reina¡¯s used to that by now¡ªshe knows how to get this car places it doesn¡¯t belong.

    ¡°Almost there, I think...¡±

    From what Mr. Shibuya has told her, the tavern¡¯s regulars are mostly salarymen types, coming to drown their frustrations in sake after a long day¡¯s work. With the holidays, though, they¡¯re free from their cubicles for the time being; as a result, he expects the tavern to be quiet today. The regulars will all be catching up on sleep, spending time with their families, taking long-awaited trips to far-flung corners of the country...

    And he will judge the future of Aikawa Auto.

    With one more turn, Reina commands the Road Runner down a narrow side street, bright storefronts fighting for her attention. The V8 rumble echoes off the walls, headlights scanning like a beast on the prowl. It takes some finessing, but with patience and a deft hand on the shifter, Reina maneuvers the car through the twists and turns. Deep within the corridor lies the tavern, and Mr. Shibuya inside...

    ¡°Ooo-kay, that should be it.¡±

    As Mr. Shibuya expected, the bar is slow. The lights are still on, but gone is the omnipresent murmur and the constant clinking of glasses. He let the staff know he could reschedule if needed, but they insisted on staying open for him¡ªit¡¯s the least they can do for their most loyal customer, and his guest.

    Inside, he checks his watch: 6:55 PM. He values punctuality in his clients and business partners¡ªit demonstrates that they respect his time. If Reina knows what¡¯s good for her, she¡¯ll be arriving any second now...

    *RRRRRMMMMM...*

    ¡°...Ah.¡±

    The Road Runner. It sounds exactly like he remembered from the company¡¯s glory days. That she¡¯s brought it all this way tells him an awful lot about her...some good, some bad, but for the moment, he reserves his judgment. He respects Reina¡¯s dedication in blazing her own trail to see him...

    And for some reason he can¡¯t fully explain, the lass has him awfully curious.

    ¡°It has been an age, hasn¡¯t it...?¡±

    The hour draws near. He makes to the open entrance to welcome his guest.

    Soon enough, the Road Runner falls silent beside the tavern door. She can already smell the welcome aroma of meat, her mouth watering and her stomach rumbling...but she can¡¯t let it distract her too much. Her business takes priority. She takes a deep breath, retrieves her briefcase from the back seat and crosses the boundary between worlds.

    ¡°Mr. Shibuya?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t sure what to expect from the woman walking through that door... Somehow, she¡¯s everything and nothing like he had assumed.

    ¡°Miss Aikawa! Good to see you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for having me! Pleased to meet you!¡± Reina greets him with a bow, her golden hair spilling over her shoulders.

    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s mine. Thank you for coming all this way.¡±

    Mr. Shibuya has just enough instinct to get himself through the formalities, but in truth, he¡¯s at a loss for words. She looks so much like Clara did¡ªand the way she carries herself only strengthens her family ties. She doesn¡¯t wear the stuffy suit of a salaryman... Instead, she presents herself as is, unfiltered, untamed. She bears the pride of her family, a living testament to their decades-long legacy...

    But he feels like there¡¯s more to her than that. She¡¯s...different. How, exactly, he struggles to explain. Perhaps this plan will reveal to him who she truly is.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and get down to business, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s. Our table is right over there.¡±

    Reina dutifully obliges, following him to a table for two. The staff can¡¯t help but sneak brief glances at her¡ªbetween her imposing stature and the car she rode in on, she wields a presence unlike any other. Just who she is, and what she¡¯s doing with Mr. Shibuya, they can only speculate.

    Nonetheless, they quickly start the two off with drinks and their first portions of the night. It¡¯s not their place to question things, so long as the two remain above board.

    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Shibuya! The usual drink today?¡±

    ¡°Ah... Just some water tonight.¡±

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s just fine. And for you, ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have some orange juice, please. Gotta drive back home tonight.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha, sounds good. And what¡¯ll it be for your first plate?¡±

    Pick of the litter for the hungry lass.

    ¡°Ooh, these chicken skewers look really good!¡±

    ¡°Good choice! And still the usual appetizer for you, Mr. Shibuya?¡±

    ¡°You know me too well.¡±

    ¡°Perfect! We¡¯ll have that out for you in just a minute.¡±

    Reina can see why he likes this place¡ªit¡¯s got the right blend of casual and professional. They don¡¯t dress themselves up with fancy d¨¦cor or other platitudes; they just let the food speak for itself.

    Like her, really.

    ¡°So: before I ask for the specifics, I admit I¡¯m curious about a detail or two.¡±

    ¡°Ask away.¡±

    Mr. Shibuya takes a sip of water.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Takashi and others told you about my prior dealings with the company¡ªwith Clara. And that our split wasn¡¯t exactly on the most amicable terms.¡±

    ¡°That much I know, yes. Beyond that, though, the details get fuzzy.¡±

    ¡°Right. I see... Not to cast doubt on your proposal, but I¡¯d like to know why you would want to work with someone who has that prior history, rather than wiping the slate clean.¡±

    He affords Reina some time to craft her answer. She already knows what she wants to say.

    ¡°Well...because I don¡¯t think that matters.¡±

    ¡°Hm... If I may ask, why not?¡±

    Mr. Shibuya¡¯s eyes narrow, his gaze briefly drifting. Skeptical though his tone sounded, deep down, he wants to agree with her.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know much about what happened back then¡ªI don¡¯t think I was even born yet. I had no part in Aikawa Auto¡¯s past...but I think that¡¯s exactly what makes me suited to this project.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    Reina briefly adjusts her glasses.

    ¡°I¡¯m not just Clara¡¯s granddaughter. I¡¯m not just the next in line at Aikawa Auto. All of those things did shape me, yes, but I do what I do first and foremost because this is what suits me best. I¡¯m not just following in their footsteps; I¡¯m charting my own course now, with their help.¡±

    ¡°I still hold an immense amount of respect for the examples my mom and grandma set... I always will. But that also means I can see the past for what it is.¡±

    ¡°If I let that past control me, if I let it tie me down, then I won¡¯t ever find my way forward.¡±

    The words hit him right where it hurts. For a moment, he feels like she might know more about the past than she lets on...but no. He realizes she¡¯s speaking from her own experience. She¡¯s lived a turbulent life, but it¡¯s only made her stronger¡ªtaught her a lesson he wishes he¡¯d learned sooner himself. In some ways, he still doesn¡¯t fully understand it.

    ...Perhaps Reina can help him.

    ¡°So...why me, then?¡±

    ¡°Because of all the executives and investors I could turn to, I figured I¡¯d have the best shot with you, even with the past being what it is.¡±

    His face briefly softens. She may be right.

    ¡°Whatever caused that falling out between you and Clara, the fact is, something prompted you to build that partnership in the first place¡ªsomething you saw in her work.¡±

    ¡±I like that in a business partner: you weren¡¯t turned away by Clara being so far off the beaten path. You saw her work for what it was, and you let the quality speak for itself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m confident in my pitch because I know you¡¯ll treat it the same way. I want to prove myself with the quality of my work, just like Clara.¡±

    ¡°And if there¡¯s anybody who can hit the same notes Grandma did, it¡¯s me.¡±

    She speaks with a conviction unerring, her violet eyes piercing through his facade. She knows just as well that the company¡¯s body of work needs no introduction¡ªhe was there to watch Aikawa Auto take off and become the aftermarket juggernaut it once was. It¡¯s clear to Mr. Shibuya now that Reina isn¡¯t just coasting off nostalgia... She chose him for a very deliberate reason.

    ¡°Bold claims. I respect that.¡±

    (But can she back them up...?)

    He takes a moment to adjust himself. Her words echo in his head... One¡¯s purpose in life is a function of past, present and future¡ªand giving sole deference to the past leaves you hollow and directionless in time, like driftwood floating on the waves.

    How did she pin him so well...?

    ¡°...You¡¯re certainly right on that count: I need no introduction to Aikawa build quality. That built your grandmother a loyal following in the company¡¯s heyday.¡± And he was one of them. Bittersweet though those memories was, he can¡¯t help but yearn for that sense of...individuality he had. That was before he formally entered the corporate world¡ªbefore he became a carbon copy of his father.

    The battle in his mind is only getting fiercer.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s been quite some time since then.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right: it has. We can¡¯t rely on that old base any more.¡±

    ¡°And that leads me to perhaps the most pressing question: what market do you envision for your products in this day and age?¡±

    Reina knew this question was coming. It¡¯s a fair point: she can make the greatest car on this earth, but it won¡¯t count for much unless people want to buy it.

    Thankfully, she knows exactly what angle to take. She just has to lead him there...

    ¡°I¡¯m of the opinion that Aikawa Auto¡¯s success in the past came down to their dominance of a burgeoning market niche. Aikawa engines were simply the best choice available, and that endeared them to a very large demographic.¡±

    ¡°In today¡¯s market, however, the average buyer is spoiled for choice. Japanese automakers thrive on simple, reliable power¡ªand though your products may very well meet the same standard of quality they did in the past, they will nonetheless struggle against the plentiful options available today.¡±

    ¡°So have you changed yourself to reflect the changing market, or do you simply believe you can catch lightning in a bottle twice?¡±

    It¡¯s true. If she were to stick to that same approach from decades past, she would be sunk.

    ...So it¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s not.

    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that if I were to try and compete with the big Japanese makes, I would lose in an instant. But that demographic isn¡¯t what I¡¯m after.¡±

    ¡°Then how can you be so sure that a sustainable market for this project exists?¡±

    Reina takes a deep breath. This is her make-or-break moment.

    ¡°...Let me answer that question with another question: why do people go out of their way to buy ¡®different¡¯ cars?¡±

    Mr. Shibuya blinks.

    ¡°Why do people take on old project cars? Why do people pay extra for foreign models? Why are there these growing online subcultures for cars that break the mold?¡±

    ¡°Why is it that, no matter how much market research you do, how perfect you make a car, there¡¯s always a demographic you just can¡¯t capture?¡±

    This isn¡¯t the argument he was expecting her to make. She challenges his conventional wisdom and experience...and his better judgment is telling him to dismiss her thinking. But for now, he humors her.

    ¡°A car is more than just a tool¡ªmore than just a business. To car people, it¡¯s an expression of themselves. They make those specific choices because they know exactly what kind of car they want. That¡¯s the market I¡¯m after, and they don¡¯t behave like the rest of the consumer base does.¡±

    ¡°If basic transportation is all they need, they¡¯re more likely to buy a cheap second-hand car and save up their money to buy something they want more. When they¡¯re in the market for a newer car, they don¡¯t think: this does what I need it to do. They think: I want this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what our market has always been. We don¡¯t make the things people need¡ªwe make the things they want. I think that¡¯s the real reason behind our past success.¡±

    ¡°And you believe that if you build it, this demographic of people will come?¡±

    ¡°I do! And it¡¯s not just conjecture: I¡¯ve put my fair share of research into one particular niche. I know exactly what they want¡ªand it¡¯s something Japan just can¡¯t give them.¡±

    Now is the time. Reina seizes the initiative and brings the briefcase up onto the table, ready to reveal the treasure trove within. Mr. Shibuya watches intently as she works the padlock, every click building the anticipation further and further...The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    (Ah...)

    Finally, the fruits of her labor are unveiled. She carries with her the collective sum of all her work: technical documents, market analyses, logistics, every last iota of proof he could possibly want from her plan. And sitting at the top of the stack of papers is an analytical piece tailor-made for him and his skeptical eye. At her direction, he takes the paper and opens it to its first page...revealing a photo of a brand-new Dodge Challenger.

    She¡¯s not taking aim at the mass market at all. Instead, she has her sights on the muscle market, and she has full confidence in her plan to conquer it.

    ¡°I see... So that¡¯s the demographic you¡¯re after.¡±

    ¡°It is¡ªand I¡¯ve got a bit of a mouthful as to why.¡±

    Mr. Shibuya chuckles.

    ¡°Well, do enlighten me, then.¡±

    Reina clears her throat, taking another sip of her orange juice. She can feel the nerves and the adrenaline fighting inside her body...but she can¡¯t stop to quell the storm. She has to press the attack while he leaves himself open to suggestion.

    ¡°If you ask somebody why they want a muscle car, they won¡¯t tell you about utility or convenience. They want one because they¡¯re badass. They give people looking for big V8 power a simple, no-nonsense option, without having to pay a premium for something more upscale like a Lexus or a Mercedes.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not for everybody, and they¡¯re not designed to be. That¡¯s what people like about them: they throw all convention to the wind and give them exactly what they want.¡±

    While by no means are muscle cars mainstream in Japan, they can still work¡ªindeed, just as Skylines and Supras are hailed as JDM legends in the West, the Camaros and Mustangs of the world enjoy a cult following across the pond. There¡¯s a certain counterculture demographic drawn to the exotic, uncompromising power of American V8s...

    But USDM muscle cars face numerous problems that make owning them here a nightmare.

    ¡°The problem is, muscle just isn¡¯t cheap anymore. It¡¯s one thing in the States, but in Japan, the costs really add up¡ªand for that price, you¡¯re getting a car that arguably isn¡¯t worth it at all.¡±

    The paper conveniently provides him with a host of technical details pertaining to the ¡°big three¡± American carmakers¡ªwhich, in the wake of the 2008 recession and subsequent government bailout, have garnered a reputation for abysmal build quality. There are a great many hoops to jump through for anyone hoping to own a muscle car in Japan...but today¡¯s offerings really don¡¯t measure up, in Reina¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°For one, you¡¯re paying a lot up front for these cars. You¡¯re either paying a hefty import duty or eating the dealer markup¡ªboth of which are prohibitive for prospective buyers.¡±

    ¡°And even if you do get one, the big three are notorious for poor build quality. Once the honeymoon phase wears off and you start racking up the kilometers, you¡¯re gonna start getting repair bills. Those are expensive too¡ªparts are pricey because they¡¯re all shipped from overseas, and maintenance is a headache because there are so few licensed techs for these kinds of cars here.¡±

    ¡°These cars are just giant money sinks waiting to happen... There really is no cheap muscle car anymore.¡±

    ¡°...But there is demand for one.¡±

    She thinks back to her chance encounter with those boys at the museum. How their faces lit up when they saw her car, how they dreamed they could have one of their own... They and so many others share that secret fondness for no-holds-barred muscle. Those are the people she needs to reach.

    Those are the people who will love this car the most.

    ¡°The reason these cars aren¡¯t bigger in Japan isn¡¯t because there¡¯s no demand... I think the fact that people still jump through all those hoops to get them shows there is a market out there. The problem is that the market isn¡¯t optimized for Japan¡ªthere are muscle cars people want to buy, but none that people want to keep.¡±

    ¡°Indeed...¡±

    ¡°But what if you had an American-style muscle car that was cheaper to buy and maintain thanks to domestic assembly and parts? What if that car were still worth owning 20 or 30 years from now because the company behind it is known for its build quality?¡±

    ¡°What if you combined the American fun people want with the Japanese quality that makes it worth the asking price?¡±

    She makes it sound so much simpler than it actually is. To design, build and manufacture a car from the ground up is a behemoth undertaking, almost too difficult to put into words. At best, it¡¯s biting off more than you can chew; at worst, it¡¯s the kind of misguided project that dooms companies to extinction. And in this day and age, it¡¯s tougher than ever for new companies to break the mold.

    Ordinarily, Mr. Shibuya would shun such a reckless proposal. Even the biggest and best carmakers in the world struggle to get their new designs and platforms right¡ªa hard truth he learned all too well at Nissan.

    But there¡¯s something different about this project, a factor he might not be giving enough credit. Though this hypothetical car is nothing but a blueprint, a collection of papers floating around an office in Sapporo, its fundamental concept is stronger than most. Reina knows exactly what she wants the car to be...and if there¡¯s anyone who can replicate the mad science that put Clara on the map, it just might be her.

    ¡°...You¡¯re putting yourself in a very precarious position with this idea.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been walking a tightrope this entire time. I¡¯ve gotten pretty good at it.¡±

    ...Why does this have to be such a difficult choice?

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s hear it, then. As promised, I¡¯ll give it my attention.¡±

    ¡°And I won¡¯t disappoint!¡±

    She¡¯s settling in a little more now. With his curiosity piqued, Reina can direct his attention to her pi¨¨ce de r¨¦sistance: a complete overview of the Star Rider project, printed in full color and boasting a finely-tuned mix of precision and production. She hands him his copy of the paper, which grabs his attention with a simple passage on the title page:

    Make it yours.

    ¡°In the past, we sold our engines standalone, leaving it to the customer to use them however they wanted. I¡¯ll agree with you that that model of business isn¡¯t the most sustainable anymore, given what we make... It depends on how big that niche is in the first place. But that¡¯s where this comes in.¡±

    ¡°This car will bring new customers into the market¡ªcustomers who will see our car, with its time-tested engine and aggressive styling, and think: Damn. I want one of those. This gives us the chance to show off what we¡¯ve always been known for, in a package that so many more people can appreciate.¡±

    ¡°And with its advantages over American offerings, people who would otherwise be put off by the barrier to entry will have exactly what they¡¯re looking for.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what the Aikawa Star Rider is all about!¡±

    And speaking of that engine, that¡¯s the first thing that jumps out at him when he turns the page. He¡¯s all too familiar with the old Aikawa platform...but something is different here.

    ¡°...This is a new engine?¡±

    ¡°You bet it is! This is our fourth-generation platform. I see you¡¯ve picked up on some of the changes already.¡±

    ¡°I have. Very interesting, I must admit.¡± This new Outrunner shares the same overarching structure as the old 611, but he can see several key differences. It really is just an Aikawa powerplant brought up to modern specs.

    ¡°There¡¯s a delicate balance between keeping with the times and not fixing what isn¡¯t broken. With these, we¡¯re keeping everything that made the old engine great, just with some updates to bring it in line with modern tech.¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t realized Aikawa had been designing this... I can still see some of Clara¡¯s old handwriting all over it. Was she involved in its development?¡±

    ¡°She was. This was her last big project...and though she wasn¡¯t able to finish it, I¡¯m more than ready to pick up where she left off.¡±

    ¡°I see...¡±

    Another wrinkle in the equation. A car with Clara¡¯s genius behind it is a formidable thing indeed¡ªand he can tell that Reina fully intends to preserve her grandmother¡¯s spirit in the Star Rider¡¯s development. But he can see her own additions to the design as well, incomplete though it still is. For someone so thoroughly inexperienced with designing engines, her work passes the eye test so far...

    Color him intrigued.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be finishing development of this new platform, then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan. In terms of what I need, I won¡¯t mince words: building and testing a series of prototypes will take a significant chunk of change. But for that price, you¡¯re getting the magnum opus of Aikawa Auto¡ªand I¡¯m sure you can see the value in that, no?¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll still be selling these standalone, I presume?¡±

    ¡°You bet! When most V8s have to be imported for projects, having a new domestic motor will be huge for people who want more power. And it doesn¡¯t stop there: we¡¯ve really focused on making these engines as accessible and user-friendly as possible. They¡¯re designed for ease of maintenance and the ability to plug and play with anything you could possibly want. Boost, blowers, drag and race spec... You name it, it can take it!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we gave it the tagline, ¡®Make it yours.¡¯ They¡¯re not just engines¡ªthey¡¯re platforms for whatever you want to do with them.¡±

    She talks big¡ªas does the design. It¡¯s hard to argue with the schematics as they stand, because he knows he¡¯s looking at a quality product. He remembers looking at parts and designs just like these back when he was working with Clara.

    Back when he was himself...

    (...I mustn¡¯t let that cloud my judgment. Not yet.)

    The walls are being torn down with every word, every thought. His decades of experience at the very top echelon of the automotive world are clashing with the fleeting time in his life when he was actually happy with his job. The more he thinks about it, the more his entire career was fueled by toxic influences... Family pressure, social obligations, spite. He¡¯s been living a miserable dream all this time, and Reina is the alarm pushing him to wake up.

    So now what does he do?

    ¡°...What of this car, then? I see designs for three separate sizes.¡±

    ¡°Yup. One size doesn¡¯t really fit all, in this case¡ªmaybe you want a sportier, lightweight package with our V6, or maybe you want the biggest, beefiest drag racer. Whatever the use case, we¡¯ve got people covered with this range. I think the differences between them are big enough that it¡¯ll be worth having all three as options.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re aware that designing one car is a herculean undertaking, let alone three?¡±

    ¡°Fully. For that, we¡¯ve recruited Tetsukura Chassis in Kanazawa¡ªand trust me when I say those guys know what they¡¯re doing.¡±

    (Tetsukura?) He remembers that name. A bright-eyed young designer who made waves at Nissan before opening up his own shop. And that¡¯s not all: she¡¯s got Ichimura Foundry as the block supplier, plus a slew of other names he knows well from his executive days... Somehow, Reina¡¯s already managed to surround herself with very competent partners.

    ¡°I would indeed vouch for Tetsukura¡ªand many of these other names as well.¡±

    ¡°The base concept is still ours, but Tetsukura has really helped refine it and deliver on our vision¡ªnamely ease of maintenance. A lot of the internals were very carefully sculpted so that you can do routine jobs that much easier.¡±

    Several figures on the page illustrate that fact to him, demonstrating workflows for doing maintenance tasks in minutes that might take hours on other cars.

    ¡°And we¡¯re absolutely gonna advertise that¡ªI think people in this market will recognize the value of saving hundreds if not thousands per year on maintenance and repairs.¡±

    ¡°Without a dealer network?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. I hate this trend of maker-specific tools and sizes. We think this should be able to be serviced by anybody with the know-how to do so, without some suite of specific tools you can only get straight from the OEM.¡±

    She¡¯s very opinionated, just like her grandmother. It¡¯s hard for him to disagree, though¡ªhe knows full well how the modern game is played. Even Japanese carmakers aren¡¯t above funneling would-be garage mechanics to the dealership instead. Qualifications aside, it¡¯s a lot more lucrative for the company that way.

    Her outside perspective isn¡¯t the most financially self-centered, but she¡¯s banking on that fact endearing her car to a more savvy audience. If she can properly advertise that, then it just might work after all.

    (Logistics, assembly, even aftermarket support... This proposal is more comprehensive than I expected.) He can tell she¡¯s picking and choosing her battles. Rather than trying to dazzle him with up-front features, she¡¯s letting the engine do the talking and focusing on the logistics behind it instead... She even has an itemized breakdown of estimated costs for each prototype engine already.

    (On one hand, these are quite presumptuous details...but on the other, she¡¯s very much focusing on the right things as a project manager.)

    ¡°You¡¯re quite confident in this plan.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. Our main competitors are struggling to shake their bad rep here in Japan, and that leaves the door wide open for us. This is as big of an advantage as we¡¯ll get.¡±

    ¡°And maybe it¡¯s a bit too soon for me to say, but I can see this doing well in America too. Japanese cars are big over there now, because they¡¯re cheap, they¡¯re reliable and they can still be fun. People are getting burned by the big three all the time in America, but Toyota and Honda? Mainstays.¡±

    ¡°So having a muscle car without that stigma of unreliability and bad build quality? That¡¯ll help cover the added cost of having to import the car and parts. I think we stand a real chance of beating them at their own game¡ªand getting a foothold in an even bigger market thanks to that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a ways off, of course. Let me ask about the immediate timetable: with the budget, how soon would you deliver a prototype?¡±

    An optimistic question. Reina smiles.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to say at the moment, given staff and circumstances can always change, but if I got to work this summer?¡±

    Reina doesn¡¯t want to over-promise and under-deliver. She pauses ever so briefly before giving Mr. Shibuya his answer.

    ¡°...Two years. Give me two years and I think we can have a working prototype.¡±

    That¡¯s still a tall order¡ªand she¡¯ll absolutely have her work cut out for her. But she wants to strike while the iron is hot. She has momentum on her side, after years and years of drifting in the doldrums... Now, it¡¯s time to go somewhere with all that built-up pace.

    ¡°It helps that most of the design work is already done. Clara poured years and years of research into this car¡ªnot to mention her decades of experience designing engines. If you sign on, you¡¯re getting all that for free.¡±

    Mr. Shibuya ponders. It¡¯s difficult not to be skeptical... It¡¯s very, very difficult. The executive side of his brain is telling him to dismiss her, telling him that her far-fetched scheme isn¡¯t worth the investment...

    But is that who he is?

    ¡°...A moment, if that¡¯s alright. I need to think for a bit.¡±

    ¡°No worries! I think there¡¯s some more food coming, so we can take a break for a bit.¡±

    They¡¯ve been snacking on and off throughout the meeting; now, another sizzling platter of grilled meat comes right to their table. The staff have been curiously listening in, hearing bits and pieces of Reina¡¯s impassioned proposal. The more they hear, the more that giant car outside makes sense.

    On the outside, Mr. Shibuya is as calm and collected as always, enjoying one more skewer and washing it down with a refreshing glass of water. On the inside, however...

    (...What in the HELL am I supposed to do?)

    Reina¡¯s got his number. He doesn¡¯t know how... He¡¯s not even sure Reina¡¯s aware of the effect she¡¯s having on him. But her proposal today clashes so hard with those memories from all those years ago that he can¡¯t ignore the cognitive dissonance any longer. There¡¯s an elephant in the room that only he can see; it taunts him with his own reservations. He knows those doubts are still there... The same doubts that drove the wedge between him and Clara, and set their paths apart.

    ...It¡¯s only fair to her, he reasons with himself. If she wants to work with him, then she deserves to know why he¡¯s truly skeptical. Maybe then, she can put his doubts to rest.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask one more thing...and if you don¡¯t mind, I might end up rambling on for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Mr. Shibuya takes a deep breath. He relives the golden years in his head before sharing them with her.

    ¡°...In truth, I needed little persuasion with regard to this project¡¯s technical and logistical specifications. You¡¯ve gone above and beyond to translate Clara¡¯s work¡ªand I¡¯ve no doubt that you will continue to uphold her standard of quality.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s not the reason why I hesitate.¡± He briefly sighs. ¡°I need to know, above all else, what kind of leader you are.¡±

    Reina¡¯s eyes narrow. She isn¡¯t sure what he¡¯s getting at, but she¡¯s nonetheless curious.

    ¡°How so?¡±

    Mr. Shibuya takes a brief drink. If he were younger, he might have a smoke.

    ¡°...Your grandmother was a very headstrong woman. Though she managed to capitalize on a burgeoning market, I agree with your assessment that she never particularly cared about following the market trend¡ªand that she simply designed what suited her best, whether it had buyers or not.¡±

    ¡°Though this garnered her attention, at times she needed guidance to realize the company¡¯s true potential.¡±

    ¡°In fact, I was the one who convinced her to design the scaled-down Pocket line, which went on to become her most successful engine at the time.¡±

    He wonders if he should even be saying this...but the time for second-guessing has come and gone. His is a cautionary tale¡ªand a test of Reina¡¯s own character.

    ¡°She always had an exact vision, and convincing her to compromise was an arduous affair. Ultimately, that was what soured our working relationship, and led us our separate ways.¡±

    ¡°It was...?¡±

    ¡°She saw the writing on the wall... She knew her success in the aftermarket scene would not last forever. But she refused to change herself.¡±

    ¡°I found working with her to be difficult as the shop began to decline¡ªtoo many problems, too few solutions. In the end, our disagreements became too much to bear, and we ended our partnership to focus on our own objectives.¡±

    ¡°Try as she might, Clara could not escape the reality of her choices: she had let time pass her by, and the shop was stuck along with her.¡±

    This is the world Reina grew up in¡ªthe world of dire straits and aimless futures. It¡¯s a hard reality she¡¯s had to accept: her role model was not infallible. Clara and the shop, set in their ways, turned her world into what it is today. Convenient though it may be to blame her father as a bogeyman, his fraud was only a symptom of the real problem. One way or another, the world she knows must change.

    ¡°If you mold yourself in the shape of your grandmother, you may very well be doomed to repeat her mistakes. The potential of this project is very real¡ªbut too difficult a manager, too uncompromising in her vision, and her partners may be unable to walk by her side.¡±

    Reina takes his words in, her gaze slowly closing...

    ¡°That is why I still have my reservations. I see in you a brilliant mind, an echo of your grandmother...but I need to know one last thing.¡±

    His eyes meet hers, a solemn tension in the air. He¡¯s getting closer to his answer... It all depends on hers.

    ¡°Do you trust your collaborators to see your vision through? Do you believe in them, as they believe in you?¡±

    Reina¡¯s mind begins to contemplate the question, his words echoing in her head...but her heart beats her head to the punch. The spirit burning within her already knows the answer, and without a moment¡¯s hesitation, she answers him with complete and total confidence.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    (Ah...)

    He finally understands now: this is what sets her apart from her grandmother.

    ¡°I¡¯m not perfect. I make mistakes. I¡¯m certainly not as good of a mechanic as my grandmother was.¡±

    ¡°But you know what? I don¡¯t need to be perfect anyway. That¡¯s not the point of all this.¡±

    His eyes widen. The storm in his head is finally subsiding.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing this to earn my name as an Aikawa, and share what we do with car lovers everywhere. I could never do that on my own... Of course not.¡±

    ¡°But what I can do is surround myself with people who complement my strengths.¡±

    She thinks back to Akane: the girl who always wanted to stand out. She admires Reina¡¯s strength, her confidence, her candor... Forged after years and years of being tested by the world around her. Akane believes in her¡ªand together, they¡¯ll walk the path to the future.

    ¡°I know that I have to change the way things are, because I lived the consequences of my family¡¯s choices. That¡¯s what made me who I am today...and I tried to deny it for as long as I could, but now, I finally know what I have to do. I have the people around me to thank for that... They¡¯ve made me stronger than I ever could¡¯ve been on my own.¡±

    She thinks back to Yuzu: the girl who learned to believe in her. Reina might as well have been a stranger, an outsider at first... Someone so out of touch with reality that Yuzu struggled to relate to her. But the two of them helped each other out of their shells, strengthening their bond in the process... Now, together, they¡¯ll walk the path to the future.

    ¡°They¡¯ve already done so much for me... They showed me who I needed to be, and now, they¡¯ve helped me gain the confidence I needed to take this project on. So they¡¯ve more than earned my trust¡ªand I know beyond a doubt they believe in me.¡±

    She thinks back to her family: the ones who always believed in her. Clara¡¯s letter washed away the final vestiges of doubt left in her soul...and though she may be gone, her unfailing belief in her one and only granddaughter empowers her to carry on.

    Now, she walks the path to the future with everyone.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m working with them...and I wouldn¡¯t want it any other way.¡±

    (I...)

    Mr. Shibuya is left stunned. At long last, he understands who Reina truly is. She¡¯s not just her grandmother¡¯s living memory... She¡¯s not just the scion of a company consigned to time. She wears herself on her sleeve¡ªher thoughts, her feelings, her weaknesses, her ambitions. In doing so, she ceases to be some untouchable monolith like her grandmother was... Instead, she¡¯s a leader who surrounds herself with all the right people. This is her true strength, a power even Clara and Sami could never grasp: the power to take others under her wing and make her goals their own.

    This is the future of Aikawa Auto.

    ¡°...Thank you.¡±

    All his life, he dedicated himself to climbing the ladder, reaching the top of the world, only to be left directionless when he finally got there. Now, a ripple from his past shows him the way. Reina has given him a cause he can believe in...and though his fears and reservations may not fade overnight, she¡¯s already done a great deal to quell the tension in his head.

    She¡¯s a lot stronger than she gives herself credit for.

    ¡°It goes without saying that this is a most unorthodox project...and its success hinges on your ability to direct the people working with you.¡± Having said that, his face softens. This isn¡¯t Clara he¡¯s working with... This is someone new, a fresh face to ease his doubts. It¡¯s exactly what he¡¯s needed this entire time.

    ¡°But I see now how well you understand that role. No car is the product of one mind alone... It is the collective effort of an entire team of people.¡±

    ¡°When you complete your engine schematics, do contact me, and we can discuss the next phase of this project. There will be many more logistical hurdles yet, but I would be happy to assist you.¡±

    He takes a deep breath, his wrinkled eyes heavy with thought. It¡¯s about time he gave his final statement now... She deserves as much. Makoto has his answer.

    ¡°And if funding is still a concern...then we may be able to make an arrangement.¡±

    Those words set Reina¡¯s face alight. She strains to keep herself under control and maintain that air of professionalism, but to know she¡¯s finally succeeded, even if just for the time being, makes her heart race too fast for her to keep up.

    ¡°I... Thank you! Thank you very much!¡±

    She can only think to bow, her arms straight at her sides. She has no idea what kind of face she¡¯s making right now¡ªshe can feel her sheer emotion fighting against her stiff upper lip. She tries to keep herself cordial for just a little while longer...

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep you posted, of course. I expect I¡¯ll have the designs finished within the next couple months¡ªand we¡¯ll have made more progress on the chassis and frame design by then too.¡±

    ¡°Very good.¡±

    Makoto extends his hand. ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡±

    ¡°The feeling is mutual!¡±

    Without another moment¡¯s hesitation, Reina and Makoto shake on their unofficial agreement, rebuilding a bridge that had been out for some 20 years. It¡¯s such an odd feeling for him...like he¡¯s rediscovered a part of himself. Aikawa Auto never was the most profit-driven enterprise in the world, but he saw in them a certain authenticity, a candor that bigger companies could stand to learn from. All his executive years only stoked his nostalgia for those days further... Perhaps in some ways, he himself was stuck in the past.

    But he doesn¡¯t have to be any longer. The future is calling, and those wings of red have swept him up on a course for the stars.

    ¡°I believe that about does it, then.¡± Time flies, indeed. The sun has long since set on Gifu, their meeting having stretched well into the night. What few patrons stopped by have packed up and headed out for the night, leaving only the two of them left. A convenient time for them to finish their business... A far more productive day than either of them could have hoped for.

    ¡°We¡¯d best be going now. I believe the staff are in the mood to close early.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s about time. Let me see here...¡± Before going, Reina briefly checks the tab they racked up for their food and drink. They did eat indeed.

    ¡°Alright, want me to go ahead and cover half, or...?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry.¡± Makoto waves his hand. ¡°Consider this my first payment.¡±

    It¡¯s been a while since he smiled so earnestly. He really has turned over a new leaf.

    ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Reina¡¯s own smile briefly stuns him. In this moment, swelling with passion for her craft and her family, she is absolutely beautiful.

    ¡°Take care, then. Happy holidays!¡±

    ¡°You as well!¡±

    Mission accomplished. After a long and enlightening discussion, Reina and Makoto finally part ways. He watches as she bids him farewell, retreating back into her own little world through the narrow pub doors.

    He can¡¯t help but don a gentle smile of his own. Her infectious energy, her unfiltered love for what she does is too strong for him to resist. He knows now who Reina is and what she stands for...and in his eyes, the girl¡¯s really something special.

    He came in today a conflicted man... Tonight, he leaves resolved.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a great while since I worked on a project in this way. Compared to all my work in the C-suite, I must admit the prospect sounds quite refreshing.¡±

    (...And design by committee just isn¡¯t as fulfilling as design by heart.)

    ***

    A cool nocturne comes on the wind to congratulate Reina as she steps out into the night. At long last, her business is done... Three days of travel and two days of networking have led to the one result she needed. Makoto Shibuya has thrown his hat into the ring¡ªand with his help, this project might just get off the ground after all.

    For a fleeting moment, the sheer rush of emotion overwhelms Reina to the point that she can¡¯t even react at all. Instead, she just keeps on walking the narrow street back toward her car. Her heart is confused, her mind racing. Like a bottle of champagne, all the pent-up tension from the meeting is ready to release, replaced by unbridled joy.

    *sigh* ¡°I... Holy crap, did I really do that?¡±

    And pop, goes the cork.

    ¡°...YEHEHEEESSS! God, yes! Wooohoohoooo!¡±

    Reina literally jumps for joy, throwing all discretion to the wind. To know she did it, to know she conquered the past, to know she made the guys back home proud... She can barely find the words anymore. She¡¯s overcome with a joy so visceral, so radiant that her whole world is blooming before her eyes.

    ¡°Yes! YES! We can DO this now! We can really do this!¡± On one hand, she knew this was what she had to do¡ªand that she wouldn¡¯t accept any less. But on the other, it¡¯s such a tremendous relief to have this all behind her now. She felt the tension building for her entire trip, the uncertain future looming over her like a dark cloud above. Now, the sky is crystal clear, and she sees her path again.

    ...And now, as a reward, she can celebrate!

    ¡°Man, it feels so good...!¡± Finally, Reina can begin the vacation part of her vacation¡ªfor all her hard work, she gets the next few days of Golden Week all to herself. No cutthroat negotiations, no long-haul drives, nowhere to be but wherever her spirit carries her.

    And you bet the Road Runner is still up to the task.

    ¡°Thanks for waiting. Let¡¯s head on back to the hotel, alright?¡±

    The car¡¯s interior is refreshingly cool after all the heat and meat from the pub. The plush seat will never not be comfy... She sinks right in and lets out another satisfied sigh, the crickets giving her a mellow backing beat. She almost feels guilty about cranking the car up and disturbing the tranquility of the night...

    ...Almost.

    *RRRrrrRRRRRRMMMM!*

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± Reina pats the wheel. The old car¡¯s still up for more.

    ¡°Gimme some time, and I can give you a friend soon~¡±

    The future can be such an uplifting thing. No longer is Reina governed by fear, burden, uncertainty... She controls her own destiny, with her own two hands. She¡¯s risen up and reclaimed her future¡ªand though she still has a long, long way to go on her road to her dream, she can look forward to every new day as bringing her one step closer to the stars.

    Tomorrow is another day¡ªand you bet she¡¯s looking forward to it.

 16. Exterior Detailing

    The best part about a vacation is that you don¡¯t need to be anywhere or do anything. Everything on your schedule is there by your choice, free from the obligations that govern your normal routine. You only do what you want...and sometimes, what you want is a good night¡¯s rest and a relaxing day off after a high-stakes stretch on the road.

    ¡°Mmmm... Ahhh! Oh, man, I needed that.¡± Reina¡¯s unruly bed hair flops about her back, her eyes still heavy as she comes to. She has no business meetings on the horizon, nor any big stretches to cover on the road¡ªso today, both she and the Road Runner can enjoy some much-needed rest.

    She can¡¯t see squat without her glasses, but she perseveres through the blurriness to check the clock by her bed. It¡¯s almost noon.

    ¡°Heh heh. Naughty me.¡±

    It¡¯s hard to overstate how much she needed to recharge her batteries. She¡¯d been in high gear this whole time, covering close to a thousand miles in just three days with two important business meetings along the way. Shifting back down and coasting in neutral is jarring, to an extent, but more than welcome all the same. Not to say she regretted her itinerary¡ªnot at all¡ªbut now that the business half of her week is over, the pleasure half can begin. And it starts with sleeping in however late she pleases.

    There¡¯s really only one thing she was thinking about doing today, but even that can wait until tomorrow¡ªit¡¯s equally valid if she just lazes about and rests up for the day. She¡¯s got another day here in Nagoya before she¡¯s off to Hamamatsu and beyond, so it¡¯s up to her how she spends her well-earned time.

    ¡°Hm? Wait... Did I get a text?¡± Unable to make out the fine print, Reina finds her glasses and slots them on. Her eyes don¡¯t want to adjust to the light from her old phone¡ªshe has the blinds drawn, so in spite of the midday sun, her room is still nice and nocturnal.

    She did indeed miss a text from earlier this morning. She was out like a light.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s from Akane!¡±

    Her phone takes a second or two to load the message. That¡¯s just how it goes.

    >Yo! Pop and I are in Nagoya today. Wanna do something together?

    ¡°Oh, perfect!¡±

    She remembers Akane talking about her plans to hit Fuji for the Super GT weekend, but she didn¡¯t realize they were starting their own trip so soon. Just as soon as they bid each other farewell at the car museum in Komatsu, their paths come right back together.

    ¡°It¡¯d be fun to hit the town with her. I¡¯ll see if she¡¯s up for it.¡± She briefly swats a lock of hair off of her face before typing up her reply.

    >Hey there! Sorry for the late reply, I slept in lol

    >I was gonna do some clothes shopping today! Would you be interested?

    She has no idea whether Akane is available at the moment¡ªfor all she knows, she could be out on her bike right now. But the offer still stands, and she¡¯s got all day anyway.

    Lucky for her, Akane¡¯s right there to answer.

    ¡°Oh! She replied already!¡± One brief pause to let her response load in...

    >Sure! I always hit the shops when I¡¯m down here

    ¡°Great! That¡¯ll be nice.¡± Without further ado, Reina texts Akane her itinerary and sets a time for their impromptu day out. Now all she needs to do is clean up, get dressed, and she¡¯ll be ready to hit the town.

    That ¡°get dressed¡± part is what precipitates her shopping trip in the first place. As she mulls over her suitcase, her array of old, worn-out clothes emphasize how much she could use a change in wardrobe. It¡¯s just so tricky to find something that fits her right...

    She¡¯s heard good things about some of the stores here in Nagoya. Hopefully they¡¯ve got what she¡¯s looking for.

    ¡°Okay. That¡¯ll do.¡± The trusty Aikawa jacket helps mask the holes and frayed ends of her undershirt. Hell, from a distance, you almost can¡¯t tell it¡¯s falling apart!

    ¡°Well, fingers crossed I can find something newer!¡±

    Reina opens the curtains and lets the new day in, feeling the warmth of the sun on her rejuvenated face. It¡¯s been an age since she last got to enjoy Golden Week like this...since she had a proper vacation to wash her worries away. After everything she¡¯s done, she can finally say she¡¯s earned it.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s go find me some new clothes!¡±

    ***

    They say there¡¯s no place like home¡ªand by that same token, it can turn everything else into a wholly unique experience. Among Japan¡¯s major cities, Sapporo stands out as a bit of an oddball, like the country¡¯s quirky, snowfaring cousin to the north. Japanese construction and international influence both line the streets as evidence of Sapporo¡¯s late and meteoric rise to prominence. It makes for a unique locale to visit, but for better or worse, Reina¡¯s grown used to it as a lifelong resident.

    Perhaps that¡¯s where she finds the novelty in a city others may call a flyover. This is her first trip to the big city in years; Nagoya is roughly the same size as Sapporo, but it offers her a completely different theme and tone, the locales so familiar and yet so new. And she appreciates that these streets, while still busy this Golden Week, aren¡¯t absolutely drowning in tourists like they might be in Tokyo or Kyoto. It lets her take it all in at her own pace.

    That¡¯s not to say Nagoya has nothing to offer on its own¡ªfar from it. When she told Akane where she was headed, the girl¡¯s eyes lit up and a giddy grin bloomed on her face. She¡¯s the first to arrive at the city¡¯s massive shopping district, her motorcycle growling to a stop.

    ¡°Ooo-kay! Now we wait.¡± Not a bad day to be waiting outside: the sun feels amazing on her jacket, and the temperature is just right. This is her first time making the trip down to Nagoya on her trusty old bike¡ªand though she does have to foot the bill for gas herself while her father travels separately, she doesn¡¯t regret it one bit. There¡¯s nothing like the freedom of cruising on two wheels.

    That¡¯s one part of the equation; now she awaits the other. The nice thing is that, given Reina drives a giant tiger, she¡¯ll know exactly when and where she¡¯s coming...

    Or will she?

    ¡°Hey there!¡±

    Akane, bamboozled, turns about face. Reina came from the one direction she didn¡¯t expect: the subway station.

    ¡°Whuh¡ª Oh! You took the train?¡±

    ¡°Yup! I wanted to give the old Road Runner a break after all that driving before.¡±

    ¡°Huh! Well, fair enough.¡±

    (That¡¯s actually kinda cute.)

    ¡°Yeah. I earned my break, so I figured she did too, y¡¯know?¡±

    (Actually, I just didn¡¯t want it burning a hole in my wallet.) The 611 is a great many things, but a city cruiser it is not. If she doesn¡¯t have to pay for gas today, it might make her feel a little better about shelling out for some new clothes.

    She¡¯s certainly not anxious on the train anymore, though. Those days are long gone.

    ¡°Thanks for coming with me on such short notice. I would¡¯ve answered earlier if I weren¡¯t out like a light!¡±

    ¡°Oh no no no, you¡¯re fine! I just went out and got lunch with Pop to kill the time.¡±

    ¡°Like I said earlier, I always like to check this place out when I¡¯m down here. They really have something for everybody!¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be the judge of that!¡± Reina lets out a wry chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll just be happy if I can find something that fits me. It¡¯s a pain in the neck finding clothes my size!¡±

    ¡°I can imagine.¡±

    It¡¯s bad enough being so tall she has to duck for some entryways. Add onto that her...generous proportions and finding the right clothes can be a nightmare.

    ¡°They used to have this store up in Sapporo that I liked, but they closed down a while ago. I¡¯ve heard good things about a couple places here, so fingers crossed!¡±

    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s get crackin¡¯!¡±

    And so, Reina¡¯s quest to find the needle in the haystack begins. Neon lights and towering plazas line the streets for blocks and blocks on end, the Golden Week fervor in full swing. Here, the stores offer everything from chic to classic, traditional to trendy, giving anyone and everyone a chance to refresh their wardrobe. Reina¡¯s already excited just looking...even if she knows she can¡¯t buy 90% of the clothes they have on offer. The 10% make the trip worth it.

    ¡°Man, how long has it been since I hit the town like this?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t go shopping much in Sapporo?¡±

    ¡°Not really, no. I¡¯d like to, don¡¯t get me wrong, but ever since I started filling out, most stores just don¡¯t have stuff that fits. And if they do, it¡¯s pricey.¡±

    ¡°So where do you get your stuff, then?¡±

    ¡°I, uh... I don¡¯t. You don¡¯t wanna know how old this undershirt is¡ªand the jacket is older than me.¡±

    Hell, she doesn¡¯t even wanna think about how long she¡¯s had these pants.

    ¡°Most of the time that doesn¡¯t matter, because I¡¯m cooped up in the garage wearing dirty rags anyway. When I have to go out, though...that¡¯s when it gets tricky. Usually I just throw on an old hoodie and hope for the best.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t order online? Or, wait, no.¡± She catches herself with the answer. Reina nods.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s expensive getting things shipped up north. I try to shop local when I can get away with it, but that¡¯s just not an option up there.¡±

    ¡°Here, though? Fair game!¡±

    It helps that she¡¯s built herself up a little cushion. Not having to pay for her next year of university freed up a big chunk of funds she could put toward the trip instead¡ªand after living frugal her entire life, there¡¯s something liberating about opening that valve just a tiny bit this week. Who knows? Maybe after today, she¡¯ll have her wardrobe set for years more!

    ¡°Oh, this is a nice place here! They¡¯ve got good shirts, jeans and stuff.¡±

    ¡°They do unisex, right? Usually I have better luck with those than women¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, no problem.¡±

    This is Akane¡¯s neighborhood. Her fashion sense is off the beaten path by choice¡ªthe denim and leather give her a style all her own, and she revels in it. She fits right in the moment she walks in the door...though all eyes are on her unusually tall friend anyway.

    ¡°They¡¯ve got the clearance rack right up front here. I¡¯m just gonna take a quick look...¡± It doesn¡¯t take long for her to find something suitably...audacious.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Yo, this t-shirt design rocks! Really like the print here.¡± She¡¯s a sucker for these punchy kinds of designs. Akane drapes it over her jacket to get an idea of the fit, and in an instant, she¡¯s smitten. Reina, though...

    *snrk*

    She will never not be amused at the broken English you can find on clothes here.

    ¡°...What? Does it mean something dirty?¡±

    ¡°Uh... Yeah, let¡¯s go with that.¡±

    It¡¯s not all for nothing, though: true to Akane¡¯s word, Reina does find a promising pair of pants in the unisex section. The prospect of clothes that fit instantly brightens up her face.

    ¡°Heey, these aren¡¯t half bad! Cheap too. I¡¯ll have to hem them once I get back home, but I could totally make these work!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not too worried about the length?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I always have to lengthen my pants no matter what; it¡¯s whether they fit my hips that¡¯s the important part. I think these have just enough room, though!¡±

    A quick trip to the changing room confirms that these pants have got what it takes. She¡¯ll just need to get those scandalous ankles covered up, and then she¡¯ll be golden!

    ¡°Alright! That¡¯s one piece of the puzzle.¡±

    Akane, for her part, picks out a shirt with a much less absurd English pattern on it¡ªvetted by her on-site translator.

    That brings them neatly to the part of the shopping district Reina¡¯s most interested in. She read good reviews about this internationally-minded store ahead¡ªparticularly with regard to sizing for the taller, curvier ladies in town. With luck, she might be able to ditch her worn-out shirts and shed her permanent hoodie shell. Wouldn¡¯t that be lovely?

    ¡°Not looking for anything too fancy here. Just a nice, plain shirt that fits.¡± That leads Reina toward the back of the store. Even among this shop¡¯s expanded catalog, Reina¡¯s size makes for a tough fit, but she follows the markers toward her best bet, hoping for a miracle...

    And while it takes plenty of digging, Reina finally strikes gold.

    ¡°Oooh, hang on a second. Check these out...!¡±

    All this time, she was just looking for something that fit; she wasn¡¯t expecting to find something that looked good too. But this shirt on the very top shelf looks to have the best of both worlds: a strong red in a comfy package. It¡¯s a wonder how no one else has snatched it up yet... It might be a hard sell, for some reason Reina just can¡¯t comprehend. For her, it¡¯s perfect: it¡¯s got enough space for her without being too floaty at the waist¡ªand it¡¯s nice and thick without being overbearing. This could be the one!

    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta try this on.¡±

    ¡°Go for it!¡±

    Reina excuses herself while Akane waits patiently, finding a nice shirt for herself in the meantime. Off goes her jacket, off goes her raggedy old gray shirt...

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s see how this goes...¡± The moment of truth comes and goes like a red curtain over her eyes. The results are in...

    ¡°...Wow!¡±

    It fits better than she expected! It¡¯s not quite perfect¡ªbeing so tall leaves a little section of her midriff open between the shirt and her pants¡ªbut it¡¯s probably the best fit she can buy at six foot two. She¡¯s more than happy to make that compromise. And when she puts the jacket back on...

    ¡°You know what...? I like this! I like it a lot!¡±

    Having a strong red to contrast the black leather of the jacket adds another dimension to her look¡ªone she really gels with. It¡¯s so much more striking than the whites and grays she had previously... She almost feels bummed out going back to her tattered old shirt. But she doesn¡¯t have to put up with that for much longer, because she¡¯s finally found a winner.

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s out.¡± Akane notices the door opening. When Reina finally steps out, she¡¯s stunned almost into silence.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I... Holy crap! You rock that!¡±

    ¡°Right? I¡¯ve always felt like I look good in red. It goes nicely with my old jacket!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Akane walks up and gets a closer look at Reina¡¯s profile. ¡°That really does suit you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... Man. It¡¯s so nice to like how I look.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t happy before?¡±

    ¡°Well...¡± Reina scratches her head. ¡°I had a lot of growing pains, I guess is one way to put it. It took me a while to be happy with my whole look.¡±

    Like with the train, shopping for clothes always demonstrated to Reina how much she failed to fit in¡ªa constant reminder of who she was by nature. No amount of changing herself could ever bring her in line with everybody else...and for a time, that stung.

    ¡°For starters, this?¡± Reina ruffles through her hair. ¡°This is my natural shade.¡±

    ¡°Wait, really? You don¡¯t dye it?¡±

    ¡°Nope. And it used to be a lot more frizzy and curly too, back when I was a kid. But I got bullied a lot because of it.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡±

    ¡°I mean, I already look pretty different from everybody else. With my hair all crazy like it used to be, my classmates said I looked like an alien. They¡¯d grab it, yank it, drag me around... I think there was this one girl who spat in it once.¡±

    ¡°What the hell? That¡¯s awful!¡±

    ¡°Yeah... I didn¡¯t really realize how messed up it was back then. I remember asking my mom to get it straightened, and I was completely convinced that would make the bullying stop.¡±

    ¡°But I came back to school the next day, and they just kept going on me. They were still making fun of my hair because it was blonde instead of black.¡±

    ¡°...I think that was when I realized I didn¡¯t have the privilege of being normal. For the longest time, I really let that control my perception of myself...but looking back on it, it really doesn¡¯t matter at all, does it?¡±

    ¡°No! Absolutely not. Who cares about what you look like?¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡±

    It took Reina a long time to gain the strength to stand up against that pressure¡ªagainst the hammer trying to nail her down. Breaking the mold wasn¡¯t always a conscious choice... It started as an unpleasant reality staring back at her from through the mirror.

    But over time, she learned to embrace that side of herself, and realized that this identity is what she wants for herself. It became her choice...and in turn, it became her strength.

    ¡°I¡¯m kinda ashamed to admit it took me until just last year to realize that. Until then, I was still scared of who I am. But now that I¡¯m more comfortable in my own skin, and now that I¡¯ve finally gotten this little makeover...¡± Reina gives herself another look in the mirror.

    ¡°I really like the way I look.¡±

    It¡¯s just a shirt. It really doesn¡¯t mean much in a vacuum. But to Reina, it¡¯s another important step on her road to embracing herself. No longer does she have to hold her own wardrobe in contempt like an annoying hindrance, a reminder of how tough she has it. She¡¯s found what¡¯s right for her, and that¡¯s a wonderful thing.

    There¡¯s only one of these shirts on the shelf, but Reina decides to shoot her shot at the checkout while she¡¯s here:

    ¡°Hello! I¡¯d love some more of these. Do you have any more in storage, by chance?¡±

    ¡°Boy, do we!¡±

    The perks of treading off the beaten path: you¡¯ve got the turf all to yourself.

    ***

    What started out as a simple shopping trip quickly turns into a day-long excursion. Reina and Akane pass the hours together, bags of clothes slowly accumulating in their grip. Reina even manages to find a replacement for her well-worn pair of shoes¡ªthe ones at the store are too small, unsurprisingly, but the clerk hooks her up for an online order at a snazzy holiday discount. They might even be there by the time she gets home!

    ¡°That¡¯s my wardrobe set for at least a couple years! I really wasn¡¯t expecting to find this much stuff.¡±

    ¡°Me neither! I almost regret going into that one music store, but...naaaah, not really.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have plenty to listen to, huh?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know it.¡±

    The only thing left on their shopping list is a meal to cap off the day¡ªand after getting all their steps in, the duo have really worked up an appetite. It¡¯s an uphill battle, trying to find an open table at the crowded holes in the wall, but with perseverance, they slot right into a local pho joint and settle down for dinner. The immaculate aroma stokes their appetites even more.

    ¡°Ahhh... Feels nice to sit down after all that. And man, I¡¯m starving.¡±

    ¡°Did you not eat before you came?¡±

    ¡°I got a quick bite at a konbini before I got here, but outside of that, nothing. I mean, usually I only eat one big meal a day anyway, so this isn¡¯t really out of the ordinary for me.¡±

    Akane balks. ¡°Girl, eat! You don¡¯t have to do that to yourself!¡±

    ¡°Well, no, not anymore!¡± Reina laughs defeatedly.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be nice when this project¡¯s finally done... I think it¡¯s gonna be great. Not just for the company, but for me too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You and me both... Oh, I forgot to ask, actually: how¡¯d it go with that guy in Gifu?¡±

    ¡°It went great! He¡¯s still on the fence about some of the details, but he said he¡¯s willing to back the project. Once I finish up the schematics for the new engine, I¡¯ll be working with him to get a budget approved. I might be able to greenlight some materials on your end pretty soon!¡±

    ¡°Awesome! Sounds like you pitched lights-out!¡±

    ¡°Heehee! Yeah... I really, really did.¡±

    Akane shares Reina¡¯s excitement for the future. The Aikawa dream has become her own, and with this news, they¡¯re both one step closer to making it a reality. When that light finally turns green, she¡¯ll be ready to hit the ground running.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re as prepped as we can be on our end. You just give us the word and we¡¯ll deliver you the best damn chassis you¡¯ve ever had!¡±

    ¡°Thank you! I can¡¯t wait to see it.¡±

    The food graces their table, and without a shred of delay, the two of them dig in. Few things put a smile on Reina¡¯s face quite like good food, and this pho is no exception¡ªshe eagerly slurps up the noodles and wolfs down the beef at blinding speed. Akane was wondering how Reina planned to eat that much food, even for how hungry she was...but the girl is quickly justifying her extra order.

    (God damn. Guess that¡¯s what being tall does to you.)

    In short order, the both of them work through their meals, an elixir for all the fatigue they had built up throughout the day. It¡¯s the perfect way to put a bookend on their little trip together...but as one day ends, they¡¯re already thinking about another.

    ¡°So you¡¯re headed to that car meet at Fuji after all?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We were gonna just show up for the Super GT race on Saturday, but Pop and I took you up on that.¡±

    ¡°Nice! Guess it won¡¯t be long until we see each other again...and even after that, I think we¡¯ll be talking and meeting up a lot. Once this project kicks into high gear, I¡¯ll want to keep in touch.¡±

    ¡°Fine by me! It¡¯ll be like having a pen pal, but with a CAD project.¡±

    ¡°Hah! You bet.¡±

    Reina polishes off her bowl, an excited smile on her face. She knows there¡¯s something else waiting for her there too¡ªsome-one else.

    ¡°I get to meet up with another friend of mine there too.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Do tell!¡±

    It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Her name¡¯s Yuzu Tachikawa. She¡¯s a racer I know from back up in Hokkaido¡ªand now she¡¯s driving in F4 this year. The schedule¡¯s taking her to Fuji for a support race on Friday.¡±

    ¡°Oh, wow! Talk about connections. How¡¯d you meet her?¡±

    ¡°Heehee. Well, long story...¡±

    It¡¯s wild to think they were total strangers not a year ago¡ªand that the mere month or two they¡¯ve spent on their separate paths has felt like such a long time. That enigmatic prospect turned from skeptic to supporter thanks to Reina¡¯s charisma and diligence; now, Reina seeks to return the favor. She¡¯s got plans for Yuzu in this big project of hers...and once she makes it to Fuji, the cogs in the machine will all come together.

    ¡°Wow... Well, I¡¯d love to meet her! I dunno if Pop and I will be there in time for that F4 race, but if she¡¯s sticking around for the car meet after, we can definitely swing by.¡±

    ¡°Great! I¡¯d love to have the three of us all there. It¡¯s about more than just being business partners¡ªyou guys are my friends, y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°Aww...¡±

    Alas, time keeps marching on. As much as they¡¯d love to stay and chat a little longer, they have to pay up, vacate their seats and put a cap on their day. By the time they emerge from the big plaza, the sun is already starting to set. The cooling wind ruffles their shopping bags, their unzipped jackets gently fluttering along. All around them, the lights are getting ready to flicker on and pierce the dark of the night...but it¡¯s not the girls¡¯ time anymore. They have plenty to look ahead to on the horizon.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d better head back pretty soon. Gotta unpack all this stuff and get ready for Hamamatsu tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... You take it easy! If you ever need anything, just gimme a call.¡±

    Reina nods. ¡°Will do! Take care!¡±

    ¡°You too!¡±

    It takes some creativity for Akane to get her bags loaded onto the bike, but with patience, she¡¯s finally ready to go. Her DragStar rumbles off into the distance, leaving Reina by herself once more, but no less satisfied with how her day has gone. This turned out better than she could have possibly imagined.

    ¡°Man. Lots of new clothes, ate some good food...and I got to do it all with a friend. This is the life!¡±

    The evening train pulls into the station, ready to whisk her back to her little corner in the city. It¡¯s funny, she thinks to herself as she takes her seat on the train... It wasn¡¯t that long ago that this would rattle her to her core. All those quizzical stares, all those silent judgments... But they just don¡¯t matter anymore. They don¡¯t understand who she is¡ªher background, her motivations, her growth, her family. And they don¡¯t have to, because they¡¯re not the ones who call the shots on her life. They can¡¯t stop her from being her, no matter how hard they try.

    All that matters is what she thinks¡ªand the dominant thought on her mind?

    (Today was a good day.)

    These next few days will offer her yet more rest and relaxation, from the sleek museums in Nagoya to the airy gardens of Hamamatsu. She won¡¯t be left wanting for things to do, places to be, sights to add to her growing collage of memories.

    But there¡¯s one more big date circled on her calendar¡ªone more visit with the future. The gears in her head keep on turning, even as day turns to night... She looks forward to ending her vacation with a bang. After this lull in her trip, she¡¯ll find herself in the shadow of Japan¡¯s most iconic mountain, where friends new and old will gather for a high-octane exhibition. This too is part of her plan for the future...

    For on Friday, the three paths will cross once more.

 17. Under My Wing

    Some 50 years ago, a band of starry-eyed entrepreneurs broke ground on an ambitious new project in the foothills of Mount Fuji. Enraptured by the stock car racing they saw over in the States, they sought to bring that brand of high-speed action across the Pacific¡ªand so, their quest to build Japan¡¯s Daytona began in earnest.

    But it was not to be: just as quickly as they broke ground, their pool of funds ran dry as a desert. Only one of the oval track¡¯s high-banked turns was finished before the group ran out of steam, their vision dying with a whimper. In 1965, the team abandoned their pet project and left it in the hands of Mitsubishi, who turned it into the circuit known today as Fuji Speedway.

    If you don¡¯t know its history, you¡¯d be hard-pressed to find any evidence of its fleeting youth: the massive, mile-long front straight is countered by a labyrinth of twists and turns winding through the foothills, Japan¡¯s greatest mountain staring down from above. Now hosting cars of all shapes and sizes, from formula single-seaters to big, burly GT machines, the speedway persists reinvented as a staple of Japan¡¯s motorsport scene.

    Maybe that¡¯s why it feels so...full-circle that Reina¡¯s finally here. This is her first time visiting the speedway¡ªher first time seeing the remnants of a long-dead dream, resculpted by the river of time. Perhaps in a past life, she would be daunted by this monument to adversity sprawling before her...but instead, she looks at the big front gate with a smile. Fuji¡¯s old flame may have sputtered out, but hers will burn bright like the stars. This, she knows.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m finally here...¡± This has been on her bucket list for a long, long time. It¡¯s already worth it¡ªshe can practically hear the excitement crackling in the air. She just has one last job to do...

    ¡°And I¡¯m not too late, either. Just gotta find her.¡±

    This is the busiest weekend of the year for Fuji Speedway, and an easy opportunity for feeder series lower on the ladder to support the main event. F4 has come rolling into town, and after qualifying the previous day, the grid is set for its second round.

    The storylines are already writing themselves: a certain rookie from way up north put the field on notice after qualifying on pole in her first ever showing. She was unable to convert her blistering pace to a win, however¡ªoutdueled by a fellow rookie, a hotshot prospect from Tokyo. All eyes are on the both of them heading into Fuji, where she put her car on the second row of the grid.

    There¡¯s a strange rush she can¡¯t explain. She still has hours before the race begins, left to kill time by the paddock...but her heart has been racing ever since she woke up in the morning. It¡¯s one thing to do well in a series; it¡¯s another to have this kind of pressure placed upon her. They know what she¡¯s capable of¡ªand if she wants to keep up appearances, she has to realize that potential. It¡¯s a heavy weight for her to bear...

    ...It feels good.

    ¡°Oh, there she is! Yuzu!¡±

    The racer is broken from her introspection by a bubbly voice floating into her ears.

    ¡°Huh...? Reina!¡±

    ¡°Surprise!¡±

    Yuzu can only blink in silence, stunned briefly by Reina crashing her party. She never heard Reina was coming, nor that she was even leaving Sapporo at all. What in the world is she doing all the way down here?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here!¡±

    ¡°I had some business to do down in Gifu, so I figured I¡¯d drop by on my way back up! I signed up for that car meet too.¡±

    ¡°Well, uh... I was gonna say fair point, but you drove all the way down here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I just like driving! I¡¯m weird like that.¡±

    ¡°...Okay, fair point to that.¡±

    It¡¯s been a lot easier for her to understand ever since she realized that she and Reina both are driven by a love for the same thing. Her own car has been a bundle of fun thanks to the Aikawa V6 they slapped into it, so she knows all too well where Reina¡¯s coming from. She didn¡¯t bring it down here with her, but now she¡¯s wishing she did.

    ¡°Speaking of, how¡¯s your car been treating you? It¡¯s been a while since we last talked.¡±

    ¡°Oh, man. You did an awesome job on it. It¡¯s not the most fuel-efficient car in the world, but it just runs so good that I don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°I read up on how to do oil changes too. It¡¯s not due yet, but I think I¡¯ll give it a try myself.¡±

    ¡°Nice! It¡¯s not too bad once you get used to it.¡±

    ¡°Heehee... Yeah.¡±

    Here in this sea of lofty expectations, there¡¯s something about Reina being here that really lifts her spirits. She too sees great things in Yuzu¡¯s future...but it¡¯s born from a personal bond, something that runs deeper than just numbers and stat sheets. She believes in her, and that¡¯s a powerful thing.

    ¡°Thank you for coming here to cheer me on... It really means a lot to me. Being honest, I¡¯ve kinda been on edge a bit, but seeing you here... I dunno, I just can¡¯t explain it.¡±

    ¡°Aww, my pleasure!¡± Reina flashes her a disarming smile. ¡°And hey, the least I can do is come down and root for you after you took a gamble on me. I know you¡¯ve got this!¡±

    Yuzu can¡¯t help but return her smile. Reina just has that effect on people.

    ¡°Thank you...!¡±

    Reina takes the initiative and pulls Yuzu into a brief hug, giving her the pick-me-up she didn¡¯t know she needed. Her time is short¡ªsoon, she¡¯ll take to the track and show the crowd what she¡¯s made of.

    It means that much more to have Reina in the stands watching.

    ¡°Go tear ¡®em up out there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... I will.¡±

    Reina¡¯s words of encouragement came just in time, as her team boss is coming to usher her to her car. It¡¯s time for her to get serious.

    ¡°Good, there you are! We¡¯re just about to get started.¡± He finds Yuzu talking with her friend, and he can¡¯t help but inquire.

    ¡°Oh! She a friend of yours?¡±

    ¡°Yeah... We know each other from back home. She¡¯s helped me out a whole lot.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s better than she lets on. You¡¯re in good hands with her, sir!¡±

    Yuzu blushes. ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t gas me up like that. Now I have to win.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just too bad~¡±

    ¡°Hah! C¡¯mon now, Yuzu, I know you¡¯ve got this. All you gotta do is drive clean, and let them beat themselves.¡±

    This is a side of her that he hasn¡¯t seen. She has a reputation for being...cold. Stoic. She keeps to herself and speaks only when spoken to...or so he thought. But this girl here seems to be the Yuzu whisperer. There¡¯s more to the both of them than meets the eye...

    But that¡¯s neither here nor there. For now, the team has a race to win.

    ¡°You ready?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Reina takes her place in the stands, and Yuzu makes for the paddock to take her place behind the wheel. As her boss navigates through the crowd, he can¡¯t help but think back to that brief encounter...

    (That girl there, was she really...?)

    Whoever she was¡ªor indeed, whether she really was a certain someone¡¯s daughter¡ªhe can see her energy has rubbed off on Yuzu. She looks much more calm now, more assured of herself... It¡¯s amazing what that bond can do.

    It might just give her that last little boost she needs to reach the top.

    ***

    Steadily, the audience builds in anticipation of today¡¯s feature. A modest crowd¡ªnowhere near enough to fill out the behemoth stands at Fuji¡ªbut F4 doesn¡¯t need big crowds nor flashy production to put on a show. Every last driver on the grid is young, hungry and itching to make a name for themselves¡ªand if they want to get noticed by the teams higher up, they have to claw their way to the top of the pecking order. It¡¯s sink or swim taken to its logical extreme.

    As Yuzu suits up, dons her helmet and makes for her machine, she knows she needs a statement win. Her racecraft was sharp and precise as always, but she was putting too much strain on her tires; a late lockup cost her that top spot on the podium. She has to plan better this time, prove it was just a fluke.

    She needs to knock her new rival down a peg.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, your grid for today¡¯s event!¡±

    The tension builds on the formation lap, engines growling low and slow. The track is hot, tires warming up by the second. Yuzu has her work cut out for her, set to duel two rookies ahead of her and a sophomore beside. Every single one of them is just as hungry as her, if not more...but at the end of these 30 minutes, she has to be the one ahead of them all.

    (Stay calm, Yuzu... You¡¯ve got this.) Yuzu sees a little splotch of blonde in the crowd, sitting next to her parents. It makes her feel just a little more settled in.

    (You can do this.)

    Out go the lights, and a feisty pack of racers go screaming down the straight. Yuzu slots in on the bottom step of the podium, the row ahead of her locked in a dogfight going into turn one. Last time, she ran out front, dictating the pace of the lead pack until she used up her resources too quickly. This time, she¡¯s content to hang back and let the leaders come to her¡ªthat way, she¡¯ll have all the tire tread she needs when it matters most.

    ¡°Looks like she¡¯s riding around for now. She¡¯s trying to bait the other guys into making a mistake.¡± Reina might not be the most gifted racer herself, but she knows a thing or two about strategy. Even at this short length, the race is a game of chess¡ªtiming your attack is just as important as timing the braking zones along the way. More than just driving, more than just hitting her marks, Yuzu has to focus on when and where to go on the offensive. Until then, all she can do is bide her time.

    (Yeah... Got them right where I want them.)

    Yuzu¡¯s not pushing as hard as she can, like she was when she led the last race. She built up a huge cushion that way, and it looked like she had it all in the bag, but when her rival mounted a late charge, she didn¡¯t have the grip left to fend him off.

    She will not make that same mistake again. This time, she¡¯s the one following him, always there in the corner of his eye. The moment he falters, she¡¯ll pounce like a tiger.

    Time after time, they shoot through the tumultuous turns, the hectic back half broken up by the gargantuan front straight. Of the two racers ahead of her, one is already struggling: he¡¯s got speed in bunches, but his consistency could use some work. This isn¡¯t a qualifying session anymore, and those tires won¡¯t let you overdrive the car like you used to. A lockup going into turn one causes him to panic, almost missing his shift and forcing his car way out wide. Yuzu happily takes the position with a smooth turn round the apex, kissing him goodbye as he struggles to gather himself. One down, one to go.

    (There you are.)

    Her main rival has had his hands full already, trying to fend off the third wheel from earlier. Yuzu can tell their lap times are both falling off as their tires wear down¡ªbut where he¡¯s pushing his car at 100%, she can bridge the gap with better lines in the corners, saving precious resources. Come four laps to go, she thinks she can really make a run at him.

    (...No. Still too early.) She hesitates. In the heat of the moment, she wonders if she¡¯s too indecisive. She could very well screw herself if she waits too long¡ªit¡¯s not like you can just pass at will, even if you have the better car.

    She decides to use the next lap as a litmus test: if her tires give her that much better a run down the straight, she¡¯ll see about out-braking him into turn one. That one-mile stretch does give her plenty of time to think about it.

    (Come on...)

    Yuzu watches as the leader keeps driving his lines, hitting his marks, keeping his race clean as can be. He¡¯s composed. It¡¯s looking less and less likely she¡¯ll force him into a mistake just by trailing behind him... She has to press the attack.

    She can see he¡¯s starting to adjust his line, taking the corners just that extra bit wider to compensate for his waning grip. She may only get one shot at this: turning extra hard into the final corner will give her a better run down the straight if she hits the apex just right, but it comes at the expense of rubber. She¡¯ll have to cash in the grip she¡¯s saved up, and that transaction can¡¯t be refunded.

    ...But you gotta be bold if you wanna win.

    (Now!)

    Yuzu hugs the outside edge of the track and carves deep into the sweeping right-hander, her tires kissing the apex and cutting into her rival¡¯s lead. From just a few car lengths back, she mounts her charge down the straight, slamming her pedal to the floor. Immediately, it looks like her gamble is going to pay off: she gets a better launch off corner exit and threatens to draw alongside the leader. By the time he moves to defend, she¡¯s already opened the door on him. Three laps to go, and the two cars are side by side.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this, Yuzu!¡±

    She¡¯s faster, and she knows it, but she can¡¯t get complacent. She¡¯s running the suboptimal line going into turn one, and combined with her speed, she¡¯ll have to adjust her braking point to compensate. She cannot screw this up.

    (He¡¯s gonna try and clear me out of two. I know it.) He has the preferred line for turns one and two both, and his hope is that he can power off corner exit and clear her before they reach turn three.

    But that takes a lotta grip, and he doesn¡¯t have that much left to spend.

    (Come on, lemme see you outbrake this!)

    The two cars are locked in a game of chicken, daring the other to keep that gas pedal welded to the metal. Their engines scream at full tilt, running hot under the harsh sun above. Yuzu¡¯s mouth is dry, her heart pounding. All she can focus on are the numbers flying by on the side of the track, her hands and feet at the ready...!

    (There! Good!)

    With the surgical precision she¡¯s known for, Yuzu hits her braking point on the money, shifting down through the gears with not a moment¡¯s hesitation. For a tense moment, she watches the other car with the corner of her eye...

    And she flashes a grin when she sees him sailing ahead with a puff of smoke.

    ¡°He locked it up!¡±

    In a desperate bid to cut Yuzu off, he dives for the apex despite overshooting the corner. Alas, this only upsets his car further, the back end threatening to step out on him as he pushes his grip beyond its limit. Yuzu deftly hugs the line and sets herself up for the bend with a full head of steam. She sees him pull up alongside her to try and draft off of her, but by then, it¡¯s too late. She¡¯s won their duel.

    ¡°Yes! There you go!¡±

    Yuzu has him beat going into the left-handed turn three, stealing the racing line away from him and using her fresher tires to pull away when it counts. All he can do is mount increasingly reckless charges in the corners along the way, but his tires are having none of it. He has to check up just to corral his unruly car as Yuzu bids him farewell.

    (Now just bring it home from here!)

    She tries not to think about what she¡¯s just done¡ªit¡¯s not over until it¡¯s over, and she¡¯s not allowed to celebrate until she takes that checkered flag for herself. She has to survive for just a couple more laps out here... A couple more laps, and she¡¯ll have made her statement.

    The battle for second place behind her helps ensure her victory. The two other drivers, who started on the front row, now fight to remain on it when all is said and done. In using each other up, they widen the gap to the leader, and as she takes the white flag with a commanding lead, she can feel the excitement building in her heart.

    (Come on. Almost there...!)

    Yuzu takes the white flag unopposed. The cars behind shrink smaller and smaller from the leader¡¯s sight, but Yuzu doesn¡¯t even think about looking back. She¡¯s focused on running one more flawless lap¡ªjust hit your marks, make your shifts, drive like you¡¯ve been driving this entire time. The next time she emerges from that final complex of turns, throttle wide open down the main straight, she sees the crowd celebrating her victory on her behalf.

    And when she takes that checkered flag, she finally allows herself to join them.

    ¡°YES!¡±

    ¡°She did it! Ohhh man, that was awesome!¡±

    None of her wins have ever felt this satisfying. Until now, she was always the big fish in the small pond, her talent and skill undeniable. On this bigger stage, the playing field was reset before her eyes¡ªher achievements back home suddenly meant nothing. All that mattered was that she was here, and that she had to prove herself by beating out the competition.

    And did she ever beat them!

    ¡°I knew I was gonna do it... I knew I had to!¡±

    Yuzu lets out a triumphant exhale, her heart overrunning with adrenaline. No late-race blunder this time, no settling for second place. She grabbed everyone¡¯s attention with her pole position last time, but in the month since her miscue at Motegi, questions arose over her consistency. They weren¡¯t sure if an untested rookie could really put together a complete weekend, much less make a run at the title. Now, she sits atop the standings, and there¡¯s no doubt left in the paddock and in the stands that she means business.

    Redemption never tasted so sweet.

    ¡°That¡¯s how you do it, Yuzu!¡± Her boss is waiting at the paddock. Yuzu staggers out of her car, haggard and heaving for breath. Just 30 minutes in the hot May sun left her tired as she¡¯s ever been, but it¡¯s all worth it to climb the steps on the podium after. Her parents and her friend from back home watch as she takes her place atop the grid... The first, she hopes, of many victories to come.

    ¡°Yes... YES!¡±

    In this moment, feeling the hot sun beating down on her, running purely on adrenaline after a hard-fought victory...she thinks back to her childhood hero. That iconic picture, framed by confetti and champagne. The crowd in the distance cheering her on. Never has her lifelong dream felt closer to her grasp, the lofty heights of the racing ladder hers to scale. This is how she does it: by going out and proving who she is.

    (I¡¯m gonna make it there... I know it.)

    ***

    In the busy interlude between the race and the car meet, Yuzu finds her chance to quietly slip away and excuse herself from the paddock. She doesn¡¯t have anything left to do today, for her job is done. Tomorrow, she¡¯ll be but a spectator at the speedway, watching those sporty GT cars duke it out for hours and hours on end.

    ...But in the meantime, she¡¯s found plenty to do today. She was planning on taking the rest of the day easy, but knowing a certain friend of hers has come to town with her titanic car and its home-grown motor, she finds an excuse to return to the speedway for an unscheduled visit. A quick trip back to their hotel to clean herself off, and then she¡¯s ready.

    ¡°Japan Classics, huh...? Well, she doesn¡¯t exactly fit the bill, but it¡¯s not like her to care.¡±

    Indeed, the Japanese makes dominate the roster. Vintage Toyotas, Nissans, Mitsubishis... For the nostalgic motorhead, the meet has everything you could want. But there¡¯s no restriction at all on make, model or country of origin¡ªand that opens the door for you know who and you know what.

    ¡°...Heh. Knowing her, she might just steal the show anyway.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t able to catch Reina after the race¡ªtoo busy getting her own performance ready for the upcoming meet¡ªbut now they¡¯ve both got plenty of time. In short order, Yuzu¡¯s back on the road.

    It feels strange coming back through that big front gate... She¡¯s not here to race this time, nor is she here for business. She gets to be a spectator to a different kind of show¡ªone that proudly flaunts a different side of the motoring world. A world she¡¯s come to know, one step at a time.

    ¡°Wow... This is some serious turnout. I didn¡¯t think it was gonna be this big.¡± Yuzu and her parents eventually find an open space toward the front end of the lot. The venue is still packed, as attendees have come in flocks to show off their prized possessions. The whole back end of the lot toward the track proper is swarmed with classic cars of every shape and size, decked in chrome and outdated fittings aplenty. That front gate might as well have been a time machine¡ªit brings the group back to a bygone age.

    Every one of these cars has its own story to tell, some better aged and better traveled than others. Some of them were common sights in her parents¡¯ childhood, while others give off an exotic, unobtainable aura, their very appearance here a rarity. The owners vary as well, from young hotshots born in the wrong era to older nostalgia chasers and lifelong owners. It¡¯s equal parts humbling and heartwarming how so many different people from so many different walks of life can be brought together by a shared appreciation for these time capsules on wheels.

    ...And then, there¡¯s the one that stands out.

    ¡°Oh, I think that¡¯s it over there... Yeah. There it is.¡±

    You can always count on Aikawa to march to the beat of their own drum. Their pride and joy has joined the roster here today, but it makes no attempt to fit in. It couldn¡¯t care less what side of the Pacific it¡¯s on; it will always be unabashedly itself, as will its owner.

    To Yuzu¡¯s unsurprise, it¡¯s drawn a crowd by virtue of its sheer audacity.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s just like her, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yuzu remembers when she first laid eyes upon the beast...and it took her a while to warm up to its anachronistic appeal. But here in friendly company, the onlookers harbor none of the reservations she did. They appreciate it for what it is: a living, moving monument to a rebellious age in motoring.

    Little do they know, that era is far from dead.

    ¡°Looks like people are pretty smitten, huh?¡± Yuzu finally makes her entrance.

    ¡°Heehee! Yup. Thanks for coming!¡±

    ¡°No problem. Sorry I couldn¡¯t catch you after the race, I got held up a bit. By the time I was off the track, you were already gone.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I had to get things ready. Man, that was awesome, though! You timed your pass perfectly there!¡±

    ¡°Thank you...¡± She was expecting she¡¯d be more apprehensive around a crowd this size, really¡ªespecially now that they know she¡¯s the winner from earlier in the day. But Reina just has this way of calming her down.

    The crowd is no less enthused, though¡ªand one inquisitive eventgoer wants to learn more.

    ¡°What kinda engine does it have? They came with V8s, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you asked!¡±

    Reina will never turn down a chance to gush about the family jewel. She undoes the hood latches and hoists the cover up, giving the crowd a good, long look at the engine inside.

    ¡°They did come with V8s, but my family makes custom engine builds for cars like these. This here is our supercharged 611 design!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Whoa, what?!¡±

    All Yuzu can do is chuckle off to the side as a whole new group of people are introduced to Aikawa cars. To Reina¡¯s credit, she¡¯s cleaned the car up brilliantly: the exterior shines with hardly a blemish from its thousand-mile journey here, and the engine bay is spotless as can be. She really knows how to take care of the old girl¡ªand when you take care of your car, your car takes care of you.

    ¡°This motor¡¯s got some pretty high mileage on it, but it still runs like a dream. I drove it all the way down here from our home in Sapporo, and she handled it flawlessly!¡±

    ¡°Damn! Can I, uh... Can I hear it?¡±

    ¡°Because you asked nicely~!¡±

    It¡¯ll be interesting for Yuzu to compare and contrast. She¡¯s gotten pretty used to how her Aikawa V6 sounds, but it¡¯s little more than a yapping dachshund against the full-force 611. She watches Reina settle in, waiting for the call...

    *RRRrrrRRRRRRMMMMM!*

    (Yup. That¡¯s Aikawa, alright.)

    It¡¯s like the whole venue stopped and stared for a second. The Road Runner¡¯s war cry briefly drowns out everything else around them, only permitting the other engines once it settles down and finds its lumpy idle. Typically engines would have some kind of note at idle, but there¡¯s so much bass in the Road Runner¡¯s voice that it defies the scale. There are no words to describe it, no rave reviews¡ªjust a wide-eyed stare and a rush in their hearts.

    (Man, and I thought my car sounded mean. This thing sounds even more aggressive with the hood up.)

    After savoring the moment just a tiny bit, Reina reemerges from the car and lowers the hood back down, containing the beast just a tiny bit. Another exchange or two and the group is more than satisfied; one of them even whips out his DSLR to snap photos from every side. They got what they wanted and more!

    ¡°Glad you liked the show! Take it easy, now.¡±

    ¡°You too! Thank you!¡±

    Another satisfied bystander. Whether any of them will eventually become customers is too tricky for Reina to guess...but the attention she¡¯s getting really puts the wind in her sails. And that¡¯s not all she has planned for today... The real advertisement comes later.

    ¡°You really get a kick out of that, huh?¡±

    ¡°Can you blame me?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Yuzu knows she can¡¯t argue with that. She¡¯d have trouble resisting the temptation herself.

    ¡°So how the heck did you get all the way down here anyway? Last time I talked to you, you didn¡¯t mention anything about Fuji at all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it ended up being a spur-of-the-moment deal. I wasn¡¯t planning on coming down, but I had some business come up down in Nagoya, so I went ahead and took the trip.¡±

    ¡°What kind of business?¡±

    Reina chuckles as she adjusts her jacket. ¡°You want the long version or the short version?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got time. Hit me.¡±

    Reina didn¡¯t mention this ¡®business¡¯ either, the last time they talked. Consider Yuzu¡¯s curiosity piqued¡ªafter working with her on her Silvia, she¡¯s interested to hear about what Aikawa¡¯s cooking up next.

    ¡°Well... I¡¯m in charge of an old project at Aikawa Auto now. It was sitting in limbo for years and years after my grandma passed away, but after I finished up your Silvia, my mom decided I was ready to take it on.¡±

    ¡°Wow... That big, huh?¡±

    ¡°Even bigger than you think. We¡¯re refreshing our engine lineup¡ªand we¡¯re showing them off by putting them inside our own model line!¡±

    Yuzu didn¡¯t think Reina could still surprise her...and yet here she is, eyes wide in shock. After drifting down on their luck for who knows how long, the shop¡¯s immediately swinging for the fences? A bold strategy, to be sure¡ªand Yuzu knows Reina has a good head on her shoulders¡ªbut it¡¯s not what she was expecting out of Aikawa Auto at all.

    ...Not to say she¡¯s pessimistic. If anyone can pull that off...

    ¡°You¡¯re making an entire car?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan! My grandma did a lot of work on the schematics before she passed on. Now it¡¯s my job to finish what she started¡ªand that¡¯s what I¡¯m down here on business for. I met with the chassis supplier in Kanazawa earlier this week.¡±

    The chassis supplier, as luck would have it, is scouring the venue as they speak. A grumbly Yamaha searches the parking lot for an open space before giving up and making one on a strip of grass. While her father scans for a place to park his own car, the scion of Tetsukura Chassis immediately spies her friend.

    ¡°Oh, speak of the devil!¡±

    ¡°Heeey!¡±

    Reina waves her over, the Road Runner happily chuffing to greet her.

    ¡°That¡¯s the girl from the chassis shop. Her name¡¯s Akane Tetsukura!¡±

    ¡°Really...? I wasn¡¯t expecting her to look like that.¡± Not to sound too judgmental, but Akane isn¡¯t the first thing that comes to Yuzu¡¯s mind when she imagines a coachbuilder.

    ¡°Then again, who am I talking to, right?¡±

    ¡°Heh heh. Yeah, she¡¯s a good fit, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    The red hair, the outfit, the fiery disposition evident even at a glance... Of all the people Reina could be working with, Yuzu agrees that she¡¯s the best girl for the job.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d say you chose well.¡±

    She really does know her networking.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late! Couldn¡¯t make it in time for that F4 race, but we¡¯re all free now!¡± Akane takes her place beside the trusty old car. ¡°And is this your racer friend?¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡±

    ¡°Nice! Yuzu Tachikawa, right? Reina was telling me about you.¡± She extends her hand.

    ¡°Akane Tetsukura. Nice to meet you!¡±

    ¡°Ah! Yeah, you too.¡± She struggles at first to keep up with Akane¡¯s outgoing spirit¡ªironic for an F4 race winner. But she feels a similar energy to Reina from this girl... Perhaps even cut from the same cloth. Something about how assured she is, something about her candor. It makes her feel just a little more at ease when she reaches out to shake her hand.

    ¡°Glad I could make it. These cars here are all nuts! Did you see that one Fairlady over by the front of the lot?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t! I¡¯ll have to check it out.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a total beauty. The owner has it kitted out for race spec and everything!¡±

    ¡°Oooh!¡±

    Alright. Definitely cut from the same cloth.

    ¡°So I take it you gave Yuzu the spiel about the Star Rider project?¡±

    ¡°Yup! Actually, when I think about it, I have her to thank for jumpstarting it.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you do?¡± Yuzu cocks her head. This is the first she¡¯s hearing of it, and she¡¯s to thank?

    ¡°Yeah. I think us two working together on that Silvia really gave me a shot in the arm. I had been waiting for a project like that for years and years¡ªsomething to show that I had what it takes. Without your engine order, I might still be stuck treading water and doing ho-hum maintenance work back home.¡±

    ¡°You taking the chance on me, letting me take charge of our own project... That was the spark I needed to really get going. Once Mom saw me working on it, she knew I was ready.¡±

    ¡°The whole shop felt rejuvenated after that. One thing led to another, I learned about the Star Rider project...and well, now here I am!¡±

    These things just happen so fast... It feels like only yesterday Yuzu was working away with Reina in that garage, watching her build an entire engine piece by piece. Now, they¡¯re both well on their own paths in life¡ªdecidedly different, but still close together.

    And to think it all happened because of a chance meeting at a local race track...

    ¡°Huh. I...never thought about it that way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really coming along now. The chassis design is looking good, and back home, we¡¯re ironing out the kinks in the engine revamp. I even got some pretty optimistic news from the investor I talked to!¡±

    ¡°Wow...! Sounds like you¡¯ve been real busy, then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a good busy, though¡ªthis project was made for me.¡±

    That brings Reina neatly to her point. She knows she¡¯ll need a lot of outside help to refine the Star Rider; the more eyes on every little detail, the more polished the end result will be. She welcomes all the help she can get, from design to fabrication to assembly to testing...

    And who better to test the prototype than a rising star in the formula scene?

    ¡°There¡¯s actually something I wanted to ask you about.¡±

    ¡°There is? About the project, you mean?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Once we finish building the prototype, we¡¯ll need to test it as thoroughly as we can. It¡¯s a new car and a new engine platform¡ªso we need to iron out the kinks as best we can before it hits the market.¡±

    ¡°So if you¡¯re up for it...¡± Reina¡¯s eyes meet Yuzu¡¯s, that signature smile on her face. ¡°I want you to be our test driver.¡±

    This is how it all comes together. Yuzu¡¯s talent and appetite for racing are undeniable¡ªand after taking the chance on the shop earlier in the year, Reina¡¯s been eager to pay her back. For a little while longer, their paths will intertwine again...and Reina¡¯s sure this deal will help the Star Rider shine ever brighter.

    ¡°I... Me? I mean, I¡¯d be honored! I just...¡± Yuzu briefly fumbles. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised you¡¯re not having Sami test it instead. And you¡¯re a pretty good driver too, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Mom does know her stuff, yeah¡ªand she wants to test the car plenty herself. But I think it¡¯d be best if someone with a fresh perspective got to test it out too.¡±

    ¡°I can trust you to be honest with me. Mom and I are both used to big, beefy cars, and I think that might make us a little blind to problems with how they drive. It¡¯s not our fault, just what we¡¯re used to.¡±

    There are plenty of test drivers out there for hire¡ªsome of whom may even be faster than Yuzu¡ªbut she doesn¡¯t think she could find a better fit for the job. That¡¯s what this project is all about: to get the best people, you need to get the right people.

    ¡°I get that, yeah... I¡¯m not used to driving those. Even my Silvia is still pretty nimble with the V6 in it. Driving a huge car like that would be a whole new game for me...¡±

    Driving an Aikawa prototype at Tokachi might as well force her to throw her muscle memory out the window. The throttle control, the braking points, the racing lines... It¡¯s as drastic a departure from her lightweight formula cars as she could possibly have.

    ...But it sounds like fun.

    ¡°And you want me to drive it as hard as it¡¯ll go?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t want it to drive like an old land barge. As much as I love the old Road Runner, we¡¯ve come a long way in 40 years.¡±

    ¡°And besides: my goal isn¡¯t just to chase the past anyway...¡± Reina knows she has to keep moving forward. But she¡¯ll do it on her own terms.

    ¡°It¡¯s to make something special.¡±

    Yuzu sees that spark of determination in Reina¡¯s violet eyes. If there¡¯s anything she remembers from her childhood, from those fuzzy TV broadcasts, it¡¯s that same glint on Sami¡¯s face. That sheer force of will, carving her path to the top of the podium. Now, she¡¯s come to know that very determination runs in the family¡ªthat when an Aikawa puts her mind to it, she can move mountains and shoot for the stars.

    How can she say no?

    ¡°...Yeah. Count me in, then.¡± Yuzu returns Reina¡¯s gaze with a casual smile. She¡¯s already looking forward to this.

    ¡°Awesome! This is gonna be great¡ªI know it.¡±

    And thus, the Star Rider project gains another member. Reina, Yuzu and Akane join hands for an unwritten deal¡ªfor a passion project and a vision of the future. There¡¯s a long, long way to go before that dream becomes reality... A daunting path, with the end far out of sight. But Reina knows she doesn¡¯t have to walk that path alone; just as she will guide them, they too can lend her a hand if she ever gets lost. Together, sharing a single longshot dream, they vow to make the Star Rider the very best it can be.

    (Man... That¡¯s finally it.)

    Her final ¡°meeting¡± for the week comes to an end¡ªand Reina closes out her business trip an undefeated three for three. The friends she¡¯s made, the connections she¡¯s forged will all lift her up when she gets back home... Now, more than ever, she can see the path forward clear as day. She really can pull this crazy dream off.

    Now, there¡¯s only one thing left to do on her long, winding trip. She¡¯s come all the way to Fuji Speedway with her family¡¯s pride and joy...and from beyond that sweeping gate, the asphalt is calling her name. It¡¯s about time she showed them all what the Road Runner can really do.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s about time for me to get going,¡± Reina mentions, checking her phone for the time. ¡°They¡¯re letting some of the cars out on the track as part of the meet!¡±

    The implication is clear. Yuzu and Akane¡¯s faces alight.

    ¡°Please tell me they let you in.¡±

    ¡°You bet they did! Took a lot of convincing for them to let this car in, but I won them over in the end!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s AWESOME! You¡¯ve gotta let ¡®er rip down the front straight at least once!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s crazy enough doing that in a formula car. I can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like in a giant V8 monster twice my age!¡±

    ¡°Hah! Well, I¡¯ll be sure to put on a show!¡±

    The Road Runner is primed and ready. It¡¯s been quite some time since it last tore up the track¡ªlonger still excluding its occasional trips to Tokachi. The speedway here faintly remembers its guttural growl from days long gone...as well as a certain traveling thrillseeker who made sure to visit between secretive street races. Though Sami might not be the one behind the wheel this time, the car still shines with the same luster it had all those decades ago.

    ¡°Man... Now I really feel like Mom.¡± This is a family tradition she¡¯s happy to uphold.

    ¡°Alright, car. Let¡¯s show ¡®em what you¡¯re made of.¡±

    Yuzu and Akane watch as Reina commands the Road Runner out of its space, cruising up the lane like an apex predator on the prowl. It steals the attention of any and all in its path, eventgoers stopping and staring as it passes them by.

    They ain¡¯t seen nothing yet.

    ¡°There it is... I¡¯m really doing it...!¡± A surreal feeling sets in as the marshals beckon her up through the pit lane. All this time, she¡¯s commanded this speed demon, boasting power beyond all control...but rare are the days when she gets to fully unleash its fury. It¡¯s fitting, then, that this is her reward at the end of her long journey: a drive she won¡¯t soon forget. A chance to break the shackles over the Road Runner¡¯s engine, and let that 611 scream.

    Anticipation rising. Speed increasing. Her hand on the shifter, ready to slam it into action.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    *VRRRRRMMMMMM!*

    At long last, the venerated 611 is put through its paces once more. The other cars out on the track are instantly dwarfed by this giant, growling cruise missile working through the turns. The spotlight falls on her right out of the gate¡ªjust the way she likes it.

    ¡°This is AWESOME! Oh, man, I¡¯m so glad I got to fit this in!¡±

    In short order, she¡¯s joined by other vintage cars of all shapes and sizes, reliving their glory days together. Fittingly, the Road Runner shares little in common with these sleek, nimble classics...but it doesn¡¯t need to. Aikawa has never fallen in line. A period piece this car may be, but it¡¯s a far cry from period power¡ªthe engine still has plenty of spring in its step despite its age. It¡¯s a testament to how well they¡¯ve taken care of it...and now, it rewards Reina with a dominating drive through the sweeping speedway.

    She does make sure to play by the rules, of course¡ªshe¡¯s under extra scrutiny from the (understandably) cautious organizers. She vigilantly keeps track of her position and the other cars on the circuit...though it helps that she rarely needs to look back for anybody thinking to overtake. It helps the others that they can hear her coming from a mile away.

    ¡°Whoa, haha! Oh, this is dangerous, I¡¯m having too much fun!¡±

    There¡¯s something exhilarating about throwing this car through the twisties when it absolutely wasn¡¯t designed for them. The four-corner complex at the end of the lap gives Reina a handful, the G-forces straining her grip on the wheel. She¡¯s still not driving all that hard, but she doesn¡¯t even need to¡ªshe¡¯s having a blast anyway!

    ¡°No wonder Mom did this all the time!¡±

    Yuzu and Akane, meanwhile, are scrambling to find a good seat in the house. The view from the parking lot doesn¡¯t do the sound justice; if they want to catch the Road Runner in all its glory, they¡¯ll have to take to the stands. Under the tunnel they go in search of open seating, anticipation running hot.

    ¡°God, you can FEEL that thing every time it goes by.¡±

    ¡°It does leave an impression.¡±

    ¡°She was saying you have an Aikawa car yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. A V6... It¡¯s nothing like that. Absolutely nothing.¡± All Yuzu can do is shake her head and laugh as Reina flies by again... It turns every other engine note on the track into a plaintive little whimper.

    Yuzu gets them to the stands in short order, her knowledge of the venue coming in handy. They emerge onto the big row of seating just in time to watch Reina pass them by again, hardly pushing the car but nonetheless enjoying herself.

    One daring driver in a classic S30 challenges her to a drag down the stretch. He thinks he can take her with his souped-up straight-six¡ªafter all, his lightweight, turbocharged coupe can surely gap that garish, ten-ton limousine, right?

    Wrong.

    ¡°You sure about that~?¡± Reina gives the Road Runner a bit more throttle at the start-finish line, and her challenger gets more than he bargained for in response. He mashes the gas to try and keep up, but it¡¯s clear once he lets off to shift that he¡¯s not catching her. All in good fun, of course, but he¡¯s learned his lesson: don¡¯t judge an old land boat by its cover.

    ¡°I¡¯m almost worried I¡¯m gonna lose track of the time!¡± Sadly, all good things must come to an end: she only has about 10 minutes left of her allotted track time. She¡¯d love to drive around the track until the wheels fall off, but she has to play nice...

    ...To an extent.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta punch it at least once.¡±

    She¡¯s been trying to line it up. A few of the cars ahead went out a few minutes before she did; having already taken their checkered flags, they¡¯re due to pull into the pits at the end of this lap. Reina still has a good two or three laps left... She wants as much clean track ahead as possible¡ªboth for safety and for fun¡ªand this might be her best chance to get it.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait...!¡± Every sweeping turn, every braking zone brings her closer and closer to the launch pad. The hairpin, the 300R bend, the tricky Dunlop complex... Her eyes glimmer with excitement, her heart ready to ignite.

    The final corners come to play¡ª13th, Netz, Panasonic... Reina negotiates them as smoothly as she can to give herself the best run off the corner. She feels like the Road Runner has been wanting this too¡ªthe engine growls with glee at the slightest tap of the throttle. It¡¯s looking forward to this just as much as she is; now, it¡¯s almost time to give it what it wants.

    ¡°There she is!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s really cutting deep. Is she gonna...?¡±

    They see several cars ahead pulling off into the pit lane. The track ahead is clear as it¡¯ll ever be. For a brief moment, the Road Runner quiets down to a simmer as Reina takes the final turn, rolling off the throttle and waiting for the grip to come to her. This is the calm before the storm... The energy crackles in the air. The two of them watch with baited breath as time seems to slow, counting down the moments before pandemonium is unleashed upon the speedway.

    ¡°Aaaaand... NOW!¡±

    *VRRRRRRRRMMMMMM!*

    Everything else just...stops. All attention invariably centers on the pure, unbridled fury screaming down the front straight. From the stands to the parking lot and everywhere inbetween, heads turn, ears pucker and eyes widen in shock. Neither Yuzu nor Akane has seen nor heard anything like this before; they can only sit there, slack-jawed, as the car slices up the straight like a bolt of lightning.

    ...And then there¡¯s the driver behind the wheel.

    (GOD ALMIGHTY!) The torque is so strong, the acceleration so violent that it threatens to rip the steering wheel right out of her hands. She likes to think she¡¯s accustomed to the Road Runner¡¯s power, but she still feels like she¡¯s holding on for dear life. Every gear shift brings a moment of reprieve, like the lull between drops on a roller coaster, before the 611 comes right back up to its signature roar. She¡¯s on the ragged edge, her heart overflowing with sheer adrenaline.

    The scariest part is that she¡¯s not even at full throttle yet.

    ¡°H-Holy SHIT!¡±

    Yuzu and Akane await her at the halfway point on the straight as she rapidly approaches. This is their first time hearing the V8 in full song¡ªand they¡¯re about to be treated to the quintessential fly by sound.

    ¡°Here she comes!¡±

    Inside, Reina is so focused with keeping the car under control that she almost forgets to react. Tokachi pales in comparison to this mile-long drag¡ªindeed, this is the fastest she has ever taken the car. She shifts up into that fabled final gear, and at last, her foot goes flat to the floor. With Yuzu and Akane rushing by, she still has half the straight left... Precious few seconds that will burn themselves into her memory for the rest of her days.

    ¡°YEEAAAAHAHAAAAH!¡±

    The sheer force of the passing Road Runner hits Yuzu and Akane like a gale, almost forcing their eyes closed as they watch Reina streaking by. That sweet, sweet sound is worth every last second of anticipation... Akane howls with excitement when it graces her ears.

    ¡°That. Was. AWESOME!¡± She wishes she could just play it on repeat for the rest of her life.

    The Road Runner¡¯s war cry echoes off the stands and the paddock, careening into the woods nearby. For precious seconds more, Reina charges up the straight, bringing the 611 toward the top of its rev range. She¡¯s so laser-focused, so overtaken by adrenaline, she doesn¡¯t even think to work out how fast she¡¯s going. This is one of the few places available to her where she can even sniff the Road Runner¡¯s top speed... How fast can it really go? Not even she knows.

    ¡°Okay! That¡¯s good!¡± Alas, she won¡¯t be reaching that peak today. She¡¯s finally run out of real estate, and with a heavy foot on the brake, she ends the Road Runner¡¯s wild charge. Down she goes back through the gears, the sound of her shifts like music to everyone¡¯s ears. Unfazed as ever, the 611 emerges out the other side of the first turn like nothing even happened at all. She¡¯s still struggling to catch her breath.

    ¡°Hah! Come on, girl, at least pretend to sound tired!¡± Reina¡¯s incredulous. She doesn¡¯t even see any serious movement on the temp needle; the only sign of ¡°exhaustion¡± is the unbelievable amount of fuel it used.

    This thing just takes a lickin¡¯ and keeps on kickin¡¯.

    ¡°I am definitely gonna need new tires after this trip is done, though. Heh.¡±

    She did take her checkered flag when she came roaring by; this will be her final lap on the circuit. To cool herself and the car down after their high-octane exhibition, she takes this last tour nice and slow... She¡¯s not ready for it to end just yet, but she knows she has to keep moving forward.

    ¡°Still...¡± Reina pats the wheel for a job well done. ¡°You really went above and beyond for me. That was the most fun I¡¯ve had in a long, long time... Thank you for that~¡±

    At last, the Road Runner retreats from the circuit, and the sounds of smaller, humble cars fill the air in its place. Reina lets out an accomplished huff to try and offload all this residual adrenaline. She still has the wind knocked out of her... Short of sitting in a plane, that¡¯s the fastest she¡¯s ever gone in her life.

    And she doesn¡¯t regret it one bit.

    ¡°Ohhh, man...¡± All she can do is laugh and shake her head. ¡°Well, I hope those two enjoyed it just as much as I did. I think that¡¯s enough for me for a good while, though!¡±

    Like a dog back from a walk, the Road Runner comes strolling back into the parking lot without a care in the world. She finds Yuzu and Akane waiting for her¡ªand while the car seems nonchalant, the look on their faces betrays anything but.

    ¡°Hey there!¡± Reina waves out the window as she backs into her spot¡ªa less flashy skill, but equally impressive on a car this gargantuan. She relinquishes the key from the ignition, giving the car a well-earned break.

    ¡°Well! She sounds pretty good, eh?¡±

    ¡°Does she! And she sounded like she still had more to give.¡±

    ¡°That is absolutely overkill. Really impressive the engine holds up under that load, though.¡±

    ¡°Thanks... It¡¯s been a while since she got to stretch her legs like that.¡± Reina rests her hand on the hood. It does feel quite hot.

    ¡°That¡¯s what Aikawa Auto is about: simple, no-nonsense power. That¡¯s what the muscle car used to be back in the day¡ªand it¡¯s what we happen to like most.¡±

    ¡°By extension, that¡¯s what the Star Rider project is about too. I think I can get people to appreciate this kind of engineering in the same way I do...and it all starts with us.¡±

    Reina looks to the group. Her hair glistens in the sun, her smile radiant. And in her eyes burns that same determination that built Aikawa Auto brick by brick.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ll make a really good team. I don¡¯t want bean counters and focus groups on this project... I just want a car that comes from the heart. And I wouldn¡¯t want anybody more than you two to be here with me.¡±

    With that, she extends the group a closed fist. ¡°So let¡¯s make this the best we can, yeah?¡±

    Yuzu isn¡¯t normally one for tacky scenes like these¡ªthough Akane certainly is. In spite of their differences, Reina motivates the both of them to share her hand. They go wherever she goes.

    ¡°Hell yeah!¡±

    ¡°You got it.¡±

    *BUMP!*

    Trust is a powerful thing. For Yuzu, it¡¯s a welcome change from the heavy-handed expectation she¡¯s grown accustomed to on the track¡ªReina believes in her in a way few others do. She¡¯s more than just a prospect, more than just a business partner... She¡¯s a friend. And this project isn¡¯t just another goal to cross off on her endless career list; it¡¯s something special, and Reina believe that she¡¯ll help make it even better.

    ¡°...Thank you. Really.¡±

    For Akane, it¡¯s validation. The trailblazer trusts her, and puts her lingering insecurities to rest. She saw through that veneer of doubt, and got a good, long look at who the girl inside really is. She knew then that Akane was a perfect fit...and Akane will repay that trust with the very best work she can muster.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna rock your world with this. Just you watch!¡±

    ¡°Thank you... Thank you so much, both of you!¡±

    Reina lets slip a sigh of satisfaction. The wheels are in motion; now, all she has to do is get back home and get to work. It¡¯s a shame she has to bid the two of them farewell for now, but she knows this is just a temporary split; their paths will always remain in sight on the horizon. When they intertwine next... That¡¯s when the magic will happen.

    ¡°Well...¡± Reina checks her phone once more. It¡¯s getting rather late. ¡°I think I¡¯ve gotta start heading back now.¡±

    ¡°Is it really time already...?¡±

    ¡°It feels like just a few minutes ago we caught up again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯ll make sure to stay in touch, though. I¡¯ll keep you posted every step of the way as this project comes together!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be mad if you didn¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Drive safe on the way back, okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Reina briefly looks back at the Road Runner. It¡¯s been perfect for a thousand miles already... What¡¯s a few hundred more?

    ¡°You take care too!¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll stop by back in Sapporo when I get the chance!¡±

    ¡°Safe travels!¡±

    ¡°See you!¡±

    With a wave, Reina sees her friends off, the sun just starting to set in the distance over Mount Fuji. It¡¯s just starting to set in that her trip is nearing its end... After all these meetings, all these cities, all these memories, the only thing left for her to do is bring it all back home.

    It¡¯s a bittersweet thing, this feeling of closure...but all the same, the end of this chapter is but the beginning of another. Soon, her journey will take her into truly uncharted territory, and the comfort of familiarity will become a distant memory. She¡¯ll have to forge a brave new world with her own two hands... A world only she, her friends and her family know.

    And she welcomes it.

    ¡°Alright... Let¡¯s head on back to the hotel now, shall we?¡±

    The Road Runner¡¯s seat is still as comfy as ever. Lending barely an extra thought to her muscle memory, Reina shuts the door, slots the key in the ignition, and commands the car to life...

    *RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRrrrRRR-POP!*

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    Reina cocks her head. The 611 briefly fires, but just as soon, it trips over itself. Without the starter to help, it lets out a cough and shudders to a stop.

    Not that Reina¡¯s all too concerned; she knows the car just needs a little extra encouragement this time.

    ¡°Aww, heehee... Maybe she¡¯s a little tired after all.¡±

    This tends to happen¡ªthe 611 can get a little fussy when starting hot like this. Running ever so slightly rich, if she had to guess. Undaunted, Reina eases her foot down on the gas halfway and grips the key again, making sure not to let go too early.

    ¡°Come on, girl. Just a quick little drive back to the hotel, and then you can sleep for the night, okay?¡±

    *RRRrrrRRRrrrRRR-POP-VVVRRMM!*

    This time, she manages to coax the engine to life¡ªand she¡¯ll be sure to drive it gently on her way back to their hotel. It¡¯s the least the car deserves after how hard she thrashed it, after all.

    ¡°There we go... See, that wasn¡¯t so hard, was it~?¡±

    Quirky, for sure¡ªand perhaps unrefined. But she¡¯ll never stop loving this car of hers.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s get going. Gotta get plenty of rest before we start the drive back tomorrow.¡±

    The evening sun pans across the sky as she turns the Road Runner out of the lot, bidding Fuji Speedway farewell for now. The sound of the engine is all she needs for this brief stint on the road¡ªshe¡¯ll be going through that whole stack of CDs tomorrow anyway.

    It¡¯ll be hard not to think about tomorrow¡ªabout the future¡ªwhen she gets back to her room. But for the sake of a good night¡¯s sleep, she has to try and put it aside.

    ...Or perhaps, for all she knows, it¡¯ll help her sleep better instead. After all, she doesn¡¯t have to be scared of the future anymore. It¡¯s an open book, and she¡¯s got the pen.

    (Heehee... Tomorrow¡¯s gonna be fun.)

    As Reina puts the sun and the day behind her, the stars begin to peek out on the horizon, just barely visible against the backdrop of orange and purple. She¡¯s one step closer today, and she¡¯ll take another step tomorrow¡ªday, after day, after day, steadily walking this path she¡¯s chosen.

    She smiles. Whatever tomorrow brings, and all those days after, she¡¯ll face it all with a spring in her step and wind in her sails. One more night in dream land, out here in the shadow of Fuji...and then, she¡¯s taking those dreams home with her.

    ¡°Good night, car... You rest up now~¡±

    Come dawn, they¡¯ll both be ready.

 18. Closer to Home

    At long last, Golden Week comes to a close. The weekend offers two more days of rest and relaxation before reality sweeps back across Japan. The holiday season has truly come and gone¡ªsoon, the long summer march will begin, and it won¡¯t let up until the next public holiday more than two months away. The hot summer sun will test students and salarymen alike as they put their noses to the grindstone in their cubicles and classrooms...

    Not Reina, though. She¡¯s going her own way.

    ¡°Aaaalright! Got out nice and early. At this rate, I should be able to get through Tokyo before the lunch rush.¡±

    600 miles stand between her and the sandy shores at Honshu¡¯s northern edge¡ªa full day¡¯s drive, from dawn to dusk. She¡¯ll catch the ferry the next morning, marking her long-awaited return to Hokkaido. Sami and the gang back home have already heard from her about her negotiations with Tetsukura Chassis and Makoto Shibuya...and that only heightens their eagerness to welcome her back home. They can¡¯t wait, and neither can she.

    She wishes she could¡¯ve stayed for the Super GT race at Fuji later today, but the timing just didn¡¯t work out. She¡¯s got things to do, places to be...dreams to chase on the wind. And at any rate, she¡¯ll be getting plenty of racing action at Tokachi soon¡ªwhich, if her deal pans out, will serve as their dedicated proving ground.

    But first, she has to get back home. Cue the music!

    ¡°Oh yeah! That¡¯s the stuff!¡± There¡¯s nothing like M?tley Cr¨¹e for a road trip. Reina¡¯s always been a sucker for chugging guitars and soaring vocals¡ªit¡¯s just so much fun to listen to. With luck, it might even make outer Tokyo traffic tolerable!

    ¡°...Man, am I glad I don¡¯t live here though.¡±

    Immediately upon clearing the mountains, she¡¯s thrown right into the thick of the Tokyo sprawl. She¡¯s over 20 miles west of downtown, but the metropolis just keeps going and going as far as the eye can see... She¡¯s sure it¡¯s lovely, but just passing through is enough for her.

    ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever actually been to Tokyo...¡± All her family vacations as a kid just took her elsewhere. ¡°Maybe one of these days I can sneak in a visit... Definitely by train, though. I would not wanna drive a car through there.¡±

    Her route today takes her through the outer ring commuter town of Hachioji¡ªstill Tokyo, and still massive. Even in the morning lull, she¡¯s mixing it up with plenty of cars on the highway here, the open road choked like a busy artery. She¡¯d rather not get any closer to the urban core than this.

    ...It does feel fun watching them all stare, though.

    ¡°Probably stop for lunch around Utsunomiya or thereabout. I wouldn¡¯t want to get caught anywhere in Saitama once it¡¯s lunchtime. Blegh.¡±

    The peaking sun introduces more and more traffic on the sprawling highways¡ªweekend workers, opportunistic shoppers, families returning from trips to the mountains. It¡¯s quickly turning into a mechanical menagerie out here.

    Just a few more concrete rivers to cross, thankfully, and Reina can turn to the north, where more open roads await. Not that she has anything against Saitama or its surrounding prefecture, but it¡¯s not where she needs to be.

    ¡°There we go! Finally. Now we can get moving!¡±

    After getting a good night¡¯s sleep, the Road Runner is more than happy to stretch its legs again. The open road invites Reina to push the gas just a bit harder, settling the engine into a low rumble as it cruises up the road. With Tokyo in the rear-view mirror, she¡¯s back to driving at her own pace.

    The scenery starts to treat her again as well. It¡¯s just not as fun when you¡¯re boxed in by concrete sound barriers on both sides; now that she¡¯s started to escape the metropolis, the road ahead opens up and gives her some quaint little mountain views. It serves as a little appetizer for what¡¯s to come...

    And speaking of appetizers, this is as good a place as any to stop for some fresh food.

    ¡°Man, this brings back memories...¡± Utsunomiya was a popular stop when Reina and the family would travel. Sami always drove, and she insisted that Reina could just fly with Dad instead of being cooped up in the car for a day and a half. But Reina always hated flying; a trip with Mom in the car was so much more appealing to her. Those trips became little adventures with her in tow: they would visit museums, take scenic routes, find new favorite restaurants... Sami would even let Reina get away with riding in the front once or twice.

    It¡¯s so nice to make some new memories on the road now. It¡¯s been far too long.

    ¡°Should be able to find a nice place...¡± To some, this town of half a million is nothing to write home about¡ªjust a stepping stone on the way to the more picturesque town of Nikko. But it does have one very important thing in its corner...

    ¡°Ooooh. That looks like a winner.¡±

    Gyoza. Call her a simple girl, but that¡¯s all she needs.

    The weekend buzz has already taken the city over¡ªand for want of room, Reina resorts to the unthinkable. She pulls the Road Runner off to the side and, for the first time in actual years, performs the unenviable task of parallel parking a land barge.

    ¡°I knew this would come in handy some day! Take that, Mom!¡±

    Time itself seems to slow down as the spectacle unfolds. Every agonizing inch of room is stretched to its limit as Reina threads the needle between two gray sedans. There¡¯s only just enough room for everyone here¡ªand the Road Runner¡¯s clutch isn¡¯t too fond of this balancing act to begin with. But with time and effort, she manages to squeeze the car into the gap. The nearby cook at the counter is tempted to applaud.

    He¡¯s taken aback somewhat when he sees who¡¯s driving¡ªand when he sees she¡¯s headed right for him.

    ¡°Hello!¡±

    ¡°O-Oh! Ah, hello!¡±

    The nice thing about gyoza is that you barely need to stop for it at all¡ªmany of the shops face right out toward the street. All you have to do is park, get out and walk on up to the window. Reina¡¯s got places to be, and on top of already being one of her favorite foods, it¡¯s just the thing for a girl on the go.

    ¡°How can I help you today?¡±

    ¡°Two sets of pork gyoza and a thing of juice, please!¡±

    ¡°Well, certainly!¡±

    The other nice thing about gyoza is that it¡¯s fast. Reina barely needs to wait before her food is ready¡ªand with a quick slip of cash, her order is done and dusted.

    ¡°Thank you! Have a good one!¡±

    ¡°You too!¡±

    And just like that, Reina disappears around the corner as soon as she arrived. There¡¯s a park nearby where she can chow down and unwind before she carries on to the north. With a cute smile, Reina beelines for the bench...and the owner is left wondering whether this was real or just some crazy fever dream.

    (Who the heck...?)

    She¡¯s the most unique customer he¡¯s ever had, for sure.

    ***

    ¡°Ahhh... That¡¯s the stuff.¡± There¡¯s just nothing like the salty, meaty crunch of a dumpling. Utsunomiya¡¯s pride and joy does not disappoint; these are a far cry from her local joint back up in Sapporo. No wonder why she fell in love with this city as a kid¡ªshe¡¯d always ask to stop here on trips with Mom.

    It¡¯s so good to be back.

    ¡°Boring, my foot. This town¡¯s great!¡±

    Between refreshing glugs of juice to wash it all down, Reina chews through her double order in record time, bite after bite an explosion of flavor. She can¡¯t help but nod her head on instinct. There¡¯s this rush of power from knowing she dragged herself here. No riding along, no asking Mom to stop, no nothing. This is her treat on her terms.

    ¡°Ahhh... Heh heh heh.¡± It¡¯s the simple joys in life. Reina was hoping the town would still have hopping gyoza, and is she ever glad to have been right.

    ¡°Man, is it weird that I was looking forward to this...?¡± Indeed, this isn¡¯t what most have in mind when they think of Tochigi prefecture¡ªand now that she thinks about it, it might be just a bit silly to plan her first break based on that. For a brief moment, she waffles over the thought...but when she takes another bite and the gyoza hits her taste buds, she makes up her mind in a flash.

    ¡°...Nahhh.¡±

    Her trip, her rules.

    ¡°Mmm-MM! That¡¯s some of the best I¡¯ve ever had. Absolutely worth it!¡±

    Finally, she has had enough gyoza for one day. The bag empty and her stomach full, she¡¯s ready to get back on the road and give the Road Runner a meal of its own. For a moment, she returns to the corner of the shop cook¡¯s eye, and he can only watch dumbfounded as this apparition of a woman nonchalantly fires up her tiger. With effort, she negotiates it out of its close-quarters parking space and commands it up the road with a roar.

    He may never see her again...but he¡¯ll certainly remember her.

    ***

    Soon, the plains of Kanto start to thin. These pockets of sprawl only reach as far as the mountains will allow¡ªand when they close in, the cities are driven back and compressed into a thin, winding funnel. In the distance, two-tone green and white cover both sides of the picture, the narrow valleys between carrying the roads on their backs. Indeed, the spine of Japan is a rugged place...

    But all the same, it¡¯s beautiful.

    ¡°I could stare into this all day...¡± Reina appreciates how the views keep her company. They linger just long enough to appreciate the details, but they go by just quick enough to keep the horizon fresh and exciting. She¡¯s finally free from the chaos of the city, and she couldn¡¯t possibly be happier.

    ¡°Time flies, huh...?¡±

    It¡¯s a weird thing, this feeling on the road. For some people, the act of driving itself is innately therapeutic¡ªand when the conditions are right, they can find themselves lost in an almost meditative trance. The body goes on auto-pilot, and the mind wanders the endless sky above. There¡¯s no one to talk to, and no one to answer to... You simply go as your body and heart desires.

    Reina gets that now. She used to wonder as a kid how Sami could pull these long-distance trips without breaking a sweat...but she¡¯s amused to find she¡¯s the exact same way. Were it not for the Road Runner¡¯s need for frequent fillups, she reckons she could drive all day, all night long.

    (Car people really are a different breed, aren¡¯t they...?)

    And so, Reina continues her absentminded cruise. It¡¯s all muscle memory, really¡ªthe gentle turns, the lane changes, the little blips of throttle... She has it all down to a science. Everything else just seems to melt away for a little while...and it takes a momentary itch in her head to bring her back into the fray.

    ¡°Hmmm... It¡¯s about time for a fillup, isn¡¯t it...?¡±

    Reina moves her hand to check on the fuel gauge. The light is on.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s about that time... Alright. Let¡¯s find you a pump, okay?¡±

    She¡¯s gotten used to the cadence of her fuel stops. The Road Runner is quite the thirsty car, even on the highway¡ªit may cruise at barely over a thousand RPM, but those ten litres still chug gas like nothing else. She¡¯s learned how to stretch that mileage as far as she can, but she can only kick the can so far down the road.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be nice to stretch my legs, at least.¡±

    They do a good job peppering gas stations along the road at regular intervals; she should have enough gas to get her to the next one. She settles into the left lane, keeps her eyes peeled and prepares to disembark.

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s the sign. Should be coming up right...¡± The words come into view.

    ¡°...Here?¡±

    Closed¡ªor so the sign says. Something about unexpected maintenance. Her confusion turns to blunt disappointment, and the awkward reality of her situation begins to set in: she¡¯s in a bit of a rut now.

    ¡°Ohhh, shoot. That¡¯s not great. They probably had signs about that earlier, but I must¡¯ve driven right by them.¡±

    The next gas station on the expressway is a good 20 miles out, at least¡ªand she doesn¡¯t quite have enough gas to make it there.

    ¡°Well, uh, guess I¡¯m finding a pump somewhere else, then! Just gotta be gentle on the throttle until I get there...¡±

    She was hoping she could avoid getting into this kind of pickle¡ªand she was hoping her near miss back in Hakodate would be the worst of it. But alas, with a car this thirsty, a close shave with the gas tank was all but inevitable. Reina sighs and shakes her head, a wry chuckle escaping her mouth.

    It¡¯s just not an adventure without a little mis-adventure, now, is it?

    She doesn¡¯t have to wait long for the next step on this misadventure, thankfully. The next exit comes a few miles up the road, and Reina promptly takes it. No cars follow her off this interchange¡ªand combined with the relative lack of signage, that tells Reina all too much about where she¡¯s ended up. Once she clears the toll gate and makes it off the expressway, she finds herself in unfamiliar territory...

    ¡°Yeah, this is, uh...kinda the middle of nowhere.¡±

    There¡¯s a town a few miles out, but at this stage, every last foot is a precious commodity. All Reina can do is point the car toward civilization and hope for the best. A red light stops her at the end of the gate, but there¡¯s no one around...

    (Do I...?)

    In the time it takes her to mull over her options, though, the light turns green. Precious seconds worth of fuel already wasted.

    ¡°Ah, too late!¡± With a grunt, the Road Runner is gone.

    The drive quickly becomes an exercise in babying the throttle. The nice thing about having all this torque is that she barely needs to give the car any pedal...but, of course, that monstrous torque comes from the sheer volume of gas it needs in the first place. There¡¯s just no winning when you¡¯re trying to be economical in this thing.

    *VRRRMMM... POP!*

    ¡°I know, girl, I know...¡± Reina pats the wheel. ¡°Just get me a little further, please...¡±

    She can feel the car starting to lose power. The throttle isn¡¯t as snappy, the cylinders starving. It¡¯s starting to look more and more like she won¡¯t make it to the pump... She¡¯ll either have to gas up and coast as far as she can after the engine cuts out, or crawl as slow as she can to keep the car going longer. Neither is a particularly appetizing option...

    *PUTT!*

    ¡°Yeah, I dunno how much more she has left... Thank God I brought that jerry can in the trunk, because I think I¡¯m gonna need it.¡±

    The Road Runner tries its best to soldier on, but with the tank dwindling, more and more cylinders are starting to miss. The tach flutters, exhaust trembling. To Reina¡¯s alarm, the engine cuts out as she tries to power out of a turn.

    ¡°Ack! Not yet, car!¡± Reina hastily shifts into neutral and twists the key, only to get a brief splutter from the engine. It¡¯s just too starved...

    ¡°Come on, please...!¡±

    Reina tries again, this time pumping the throttle to try and get those last drops of fuel from the tank. For a suspenseful moment, the engine refuses to respond, the starter whinnying frantically as the cylinders look for fuel that isn¡¯t there. With patience, however, and a little pull of the choke, she manages to get the engine going again. For how long? She has no idea. She only knows she¡¯s on borrowed time.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re getting close... Just a little more.¡±

    With labored steps, the Road Runner trudges onward, trying its damnedest to make it to that elusive gas station. She reasons she has to be close by now...but she can¡¯t see it on the horizon yet, and there¡¯s a rather daunting reason for that.

    There¡¯s a hill coming up.

    ¡°Oof...¡± Reina just about resigns. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re gonna make it.¡±

    She knows she can¡¯t crawl up the hill¡ªshe has to give it gas. And she does try, putting her foot down to wring out what fuel is left in the tank...but she gets an anemic rev in response, and not much else. There¡¯s just nothing left to give the struggling engine...

    *PUTT! VRRRMMMmmm...*

    ¡°Yup. That¡¯s it.¡±

    Reina makes it to the base of the hill, and not much further. Gravity stops her in her tracks, forcing her to pull the Road Runner off to the side of the road as silence floods the cabin. Just to confirm, Reina grips the key one more time, pumping for a few seconds to see if there¡¯s anything left...

    *RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRrrrRRRrrrRRRrrr...*

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    She¡¯s out. However close she is to the station, she¡¯ll have to go the rest of the way on foot.

    A previous Reina might have been distraught. Kicking herself, perhaps, for letting such a preventable blunder derail her trip. Always struggling to prove herself, always scrutinizing every little thing she does...

    But today¡¯s Reina? Well, all she can do is laugh.

    ¡°Hahaha! Boy, you¡¯ve gone and done it now, haven¡¯t you, Reina?¡±

    She knows it will be fixed. All she needs to do is get the jerry can out of the trunk and take a little stroll to the station. This will pass, and she¡¯ll be back in her way within the hour. There are bound to be missteps on this long, long road...but she¡¯s come so far already, and she¡¯s done plenty of incredible things so far.

    She can cut herself some slack for that.

    ¡°Alright!¡± Reina hoists the trunk open and retrieves the emergency can. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit with some gas for you. Just be patient, okay?¡±

    All things considered, she¡¯s picked a pretty nice place to break down. She¡¯s far enough from the big, built-up expressway that the endless noise of cars cruising by doesn¡¯t quite reach... The sounds of the city haven¡¯t made it to her ears yet either. As she starts to climb the hill, she¡¯s met with a much different soundscape. The birds chirping, the branches rustling, the cicadas yet to arrive... It¡¯s like she¡¯s walked into a nature preserve.

    ¡°Man... What a beautiful day this turned out to be.¡±

    Something about having this panorama all to herself really puts her at ease. On this lazy Saturday, traffic is light as a feather¡ªshe hasn¡¯t even seen another car coming through this stretch of road yet. It¡¯s just her and the welcoming warmth of nature.

    And when she reaches the top of the hill...

    ¡°Ahhh...!¡±

    The view here is just magical. The trees give way to a quaint little town by the river, flanked by farmland and forest with the mountains towering in the distance. The spring luster gives it a charming atmosphere, like a painting in motion. Reina almost stops walking entirely and loses herself in the landscape, her eyes begging to wander along the sky forever...

    And to think she would¡¯ve just driven right by this place otherwise.

    ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s my station right down there... Pfft. I was that close.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Not that she minds at all. This is a big part of why she wanted to go on this trip in the first place: to make new memories and unearth hidden gems lying outside her daily routine. This might not be a super touristy hotspot, but it¡¯s humble and quaint in a way Reina can appreciate. It¡¯s like food for the soul.

    ¡°Hey, maybe the next time I do a trip like this, I¡¯ll stop here for food.¡±

    With only a downhill stretch between her and the gas station, Reina makes quick work of the road with her jerry can in tow. Thankfully, this station is open, and not afraid to show it.

    ¡°Mm?¡± Only one attendant today, things have been pretty slow. When she sees Reina coming up to the pump, her first reaction isn¡¯t the usual dumbfounded ogling, but a sigh of relief instead.

    (Thank God, something to do.) This girl coming up looks to be a few years her junior...and peculiar indeed, but that¡¯s not her place to comment. Service comes first, after all.

    ¡°Hello there! You, uh, here to fill up?¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡± Reina waves her can. ¡°I would¡¯ve stopped on the highway, but the station up the road was closed for whatever reason.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh, yeah, that¡¯s been a thing.¡± Add to that she¡¯s walking on foot, and the attendant puts two and two together, her face briefly softening out of pity.

    ¡°Hope you didn¡¯t have to walk far!¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m on the other side of that hill! My car almost got me here, but it was just a bridge too far.¡±

    ¡°Aww, poor thing.¡±

    Nonetheless, the attendant is happy to get the ball rolling for her. She takes the can and gets to work, pulling the nozzle down to fill it up five gallons high.

    ¡°So you¡¯re passing through, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m coming back from a Golden Week trip.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, gotcha. Where are you headed?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m headed back up to Sapporo!¡±

    That response makes their eyes bug out every time. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yup! It¡¯s been a long trip, but I¡¯ll be home late tomorrow-ish.¡±

    (And if that wasn¡¯t enough, just wait until you see my car.)

    ¡°Well, dang! You¡¯ve really been driving the wheels off your car, huh?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know the half of it. Heehee!¡±

    Now that the attendant gets a good look at her, the novelty is finally settling in. She¡¯s quite young to be taking a big road trip all by herself¡ªand from Sapporo, no less! Most would just fly from that far north... Just who the heck is this girl?

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s your tank!¡± Just in time, the jerry can is filled to the brim. The attendant lugs it up and hands it back to Reina, who immediately surrenders a chunk of change.

    ¡°Thank you so much! You¡¯re a lifesaver. I¡¯ll get back to my car, get filled up and then I¡¯ll be back here in a bit to fill the rest of the tank.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re leaving already? You¡¯ve gotta be tired from all that walking!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to relax for a bit, but I¡¯ve gotta get back on the road. Thanks for the offer, though!¡±

    ¡°Oh, no no no! Let me drive you back to your car. It¡¯s the least I can do!¡±

    ¡°I¡ª Really? Is that okay?¡±

    The attendant is very kind to offer, but Reina feels just a bit guilty dragging her away from her post just to lend her a hand. It¡¯s really not that far to walk anyway...

    But then, best not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Lugging this gas can up and down a hill would just be miserable.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really. I¡¯ve been dying for something to do anyway.¡±

    ¡°I would really appreciate it!¡±

    With that said, the attendant hangs up the nozzle and temporarily clocks out. She ushers Reina over to her old Honda sedan¡ªreliable and economical, if not particularly stunning. She¡¯s never thought much about her car, really; it¡¯s a means to an end, and not much else. She can tell Reina cares deeply about hers, though... She just has that air about her.

    ¡°It¡¯s good you had that jerry can. You know the ropes on road trips, eh?¡±

    ¡°Well, sorta. This is my first big trip by myself, really. I didn¡¯t wanna have to use it, but that station forced my hand!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no, not blaming you for that one!¡± Her own car fires up without a fuss.

    ¡°Does pay to be prepared, though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Compromising though her position may be, Reina isn¡¯t all that fussed about getting a hand like this. She planned for this contingency, and it all worked out just fine. She¡¯s even made an acquaintance in the process!

    ¡°Thank you again for this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no problem. Honestly, it¡¯s nice getting to meet new people. Can¡¯t say I know anybody else from Hokkaido!¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve met from this town too! If all of you are this nice, I just might stop here again.¡±

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯d be happy to have you!¡±

    It¡¯s funny, the attendant thinks to herself. This girl¡¯s about as far off the beaten path as one could possibly be, but they¡¯re already getting along just fine. Something about her just puts her at ease¡ªwhether it¡¯s her humble demeanor or her earnest passion for living life on her own terms. It¡¯s an admirable thing...and though they may never see each other again after this brief meeting, she feels like she can stand to learn a thing or two from her.

    ¡°Oh, actually, I don¡¯t think I ever asked your name!¡±

    ¡°Oh! Reina Aikawa. Nice to meet you!¡±

    ¡°Aoi Konishi. You too!¡±

    Aoi¡¯s car crests the hill at last, the Road Runner almost in sight. It¡¯s almost a shame she has to get back on the road again, actually¡ªit¡¯d be nice if she could stay here a little longer. This would be a nice place to kick back and take it easy for a bit.

    Maybe next time.

    ¡°Okay, is tha... You¡¯re kidding. THAT¡¯S your car?¡±

    ¡°Yes it is! And she¡¯s very thirsty.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can imagine!¡±

    Reina¡¯s all too happy to give Aoi the family history as they approach the waiting car. Aoi can only listen spellbound¡ªevery new thing she learns about Reina takes her profile in a completely different direction. It¡¯s a familiar song and dance for Reina, but if she¡¯s being honest, she can¡¯t get enough of it. It¡¯s so liberating not having to be self-conscious about any of this anymore!

    ¡°Alright! Just gotta get the gas in the tank, and then she¡¯ll be all set.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stick around just to make sure it works.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry~!¡±

    She¡¯s not a mechanic for nothing. There¡¯s only one thing holding the Road Runner back, and once it¡¯s taken care of, it¡¯ll be back to its normal self. The hill certainly won¡¯t beat the car twice!

    ¡°Oookay... There we go.¡± Reina gives the car the gas it pines for, making sure to get every last drop out of the jerry can. Five gallons in all¡ªand they¡¯ll be gone in a flash, but Reina¡¯s hard-pressed to care. There¡¯s just one thing left to do.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Reina coos as she slots herself back behind the wheel. ¡°Let¡¯s get you started back up, okay?¡±

    Reina pumps the throttle vigorously to get the fuel moving. It¡¯ll probably take a hot minute for the gas to make it through the pipes to the starved cylinders, but she just has to keep with it.

    *RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRrrrRRR...*

    ¡°Come on, you can do it!¡± Reina maintains her rhythm on the pedal. Slowly, surely, the gas moves on through, the cylinders waiting eagerly. The anticipation builds with Aoi watching on, wondering if the car¡¯s having some other trouble as well. But then...

    *RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRMMMMMM!*

    ¡°There we go! Welcome back!¡± It¡¯s so nice to hear that 611 at full strength again. Hypermiling just isn¡¯t its style.

    The fuel needle settles a quarter of the way up the scale¡ªlacking, but more than enough to get her to the pump and then back on the road. Soon, she can put this all behind her...and she won¡¯t need to stop again until dinner time.

    Reina flashes Aoi a thumbs up out the window...and it takes Aoi a moment to respond, because she¡¯s completely shellshocked by the racket the car is making. She thought her Honda was loud with its suspect exhaust, but this thing turns her growly sedan into a meek, purring kitten. She can¡¯t even hear Reina shouting ¡°Thank you!¡± from inside.

    (...This girl¡¯s absolutely mad.)

    Aoi watches Reina charge up the road and into the horizon, the sound of the Road Runner gradually fading behind the hill. Eventually, she can hear her own car and her own thoughts again...but her mind is blank. Words fail her. Nothing about this entire scenario has made any sense¡ªalmost like she daydreamed this whole exchange while sitting idle at the pump. But she knows it¡¯s all very real...and that Reina, for all her eccentricity, exudes a candor she can¡¯t dispute.

    This will go down as her most eventful day on the job, by far.

    ¡°Wide, wide world out there.¡±

    In time, Reina will finish her business at the gas station¡ªand grab herself a quick snack from the konbini¡ªbefore disappearing over the horizon like a big red arrow. Aoi can only chuckle as she watches her go... She could tell this story to every single one of her coworkers, but not a single one would believe her. Reina is just something that needs to be seen with one¡¯s own eyes.

    That¡¯s a real strength of hers, she¡¯s come to realize. Putting yourself out there and embracing who you are is what makes the biggest splash. It¡¯s a valuable lesson to bear in mind once this project kicks into high gear... This eccentricity will serve her well.

    ¡°Now...¡± Reina looks ahead to the highway, with a renewed vigor and her head held high.

    ¡°Let¡¯s knock out the rest of this leg.¡±

    ***

    Up and down the corridors of Japan, the travel frenzy is starting to taper off. The trains bid travelers farewell as they find their stops, the highway convoys thinning. Journeys end with the setting sun, the comforts of home calling out after a long day on the move. Soon, it¡¯ll be business as usual for all those trendy tourist towns, all those hotspots dotting the landscape¡ªand the new week will bring with it a new beginning.

    Reina too is nearing the end of her journey...and though she still has a ways to go, she can see her progress written before her: she finds herself in the midst of familiar scenery.

    ¡°Wow... I know it was just a week, but it feels like so long ago.¡±

    The Hakkodas welcome her back to Aomori after a week down south. She remembers well her episode tearing up the mountain roads... She¡¯d love to try that out again some time. Today, though, there will be no mountaineering for her and the Road Runner¡ªshe¡¯s had her fill of exercising the engine for the time being.

    She has just one more stop for food and fuel before she reaches Oma¡ªHonshu¡¯s northernmost point¡ªwhere the ferry will depart for Hokkaido the following morning. But even from the other side of the strait, something about this place already feels like home. When the mountains shrink, the coast laid bare, the rugged beauty of Japan¡¯s north reveals itself for her to see... It reminds her of that cold, hardy island she calls home.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to come by again one of these days... Aomori really is a lot like home. Maybe I¡¯ll go and pick apples in Hirosaki or something...¡±

    ...Reina stifles a chuckle as the thought crosses her mind.

    ¡°Geez, what am I thinking? My first big trip hasn¡¯t even ended, and I¡¯m already planning the next one?¡± A smile blooms on her tired face. ¡°I¡¯m just a glutton for punishment, I tell ya.¡±

    She¡¯s made good time on this leg of the trip, the Road Runner cruising like the well-oiled machine it is. After a quick stop for food and fuel just outside the port town of Hachinohe, she¡¯s back on the road again, the sun starting to dip below the horizon in time for her approach to Oma.

    ¡°About three more hours... I can handle that.¡± She tries and fails to hold back a yawn that threatens to undermine her point...but she carries on anyway. This has nothing on her big shifts back home.

    After a complicated series of interchanges and overpasses, Reina bids the toll road farewell. It¡¯s served her well on this trip, save for the one hiccup¡ªand though she¡¯s racked up quite the bill, she still vastly prefers it to flying, flaws and all. There¡¯s just nothing like being able to take the trip on your own terms, at your own pace. And the leg room? Killer.

    ¡°Alright! Not much further now.¡±

    Slower she goes up this humble highway, but time is still flying by. The moon has come out to play, peeking up from the coast and emboldened by the cloudless sky. Its dance with the sun presents a feast for her eyes as she journeys north, the horizon above caught in a whirlwind of golds, purples and midnight blues.

    There¡¯s something Reina finds innately comforting about this¡ªnot just the sunset, but the remoteness of the countryside around her. She may be a city slicker born and bred, but when she thinks about home, she ascribes an atmosphere much different to the cosmopolitan buzz of Sapporo. Hokkaido is a much calmer, much slower place... It isn¡¯t flying at a million miles an hour like the industrious heart of the country.

    No, Hokkaido is much more like this, the very northern edge of Honshu. This is what she thinks of when she thinks about home.

    ¡°Come to think of it, this is the longest I¡¯ve been away from home in a good while... Makes sense when I think about it. It¡¯s been forever since I really took a big vacation like this.¡±

    ...Reina didn¡¯t think herself the type to get homesick. Is that what this is, perhaps? The more she drives along, the closer she gets, the more at ease she feels¡ªand she¡¯s drawing blanks in trying to figure out why.

    ¡°...Maybe I¡¯ve still got some growing to do, after all.¡± Reina ponders as she drives along. For most of her life, she¡¯s been in the company of her family¡ªbe it riding in the car with Sami on long trips down south, or tinkering away in the garage with Clara. She¡¯s always had the shoulders of giants to stand on...and this is the first time she¡¯s really stepped off to chart her own course.

    That¡¯s something she¡¯ll have to think about going forward: she¡¯s not alone on this path to the stars, but there will be stretches that require her to step up and lead the charge. All this week, she¡¯s had the wind to lift her up, but she had to be the one to spread her wings and fly. No one else can do that for her.

    (...But I still did it.)

    In her view, that was the goal of this trip all along: proving to the world that she can stand up on her own two feet. Standing on the shoulders of giants is what got her here...but from here on out, it¡¯ll be her own strength that takes the company forward. It has to be.

    But she¡¯s got what it takes... This, she knows.

    ¡°Ah...!¡± At last, she can see the northern coast again. Mutsu Bay welcomes her and the Road Runner, the waxing moon shining on the water. It will soon open up into the strait that divides Honshu from Hokkaido...but for now, it¡¯s only a picturesque backdrop to end her day on the road.

    With its intrusion, the road sweeps out to the east before curving its way around the mighty waters. Here, Reina¡¯s CD conveniently stops...and she¡¯s only got one more unplayed album in stock with her. A fitting end for her journey tonight.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why Mom suggested this one... Was it really sitting in storage all this time?¡±

    Reina¡¯s heard all these songs plenty of times before, but this one band flew under her radar. From what her mother was telling her, Clara loved the band...though Sami was never as impressed with them. So was this album consigned to the dusty drawers of Clara¡¯s laboratory until the day it could be unearthed.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll get a kick out of these guys more than I did. It¡¯s an acquired taste, I guess!¡±

    Reina is certainly curious. She pulls the CD out of the glovebox, squinting to make out the faded art on the cover.

    ¡°Grand Funk Railroad... ¡®I¡¯m Your Captain.¡¯ Never heard of it.¡± Nonetheless, Reina pops the CD into the player and lets it work its magic.

    ¡°Well, if Grandma liked it, maybe I can find something in it too.¡±

    It starts with a flub. The guitarist doesn¡¯t get the opening riff quite right, and the band whispers amongst themselves before setting up for take two.

    (What kinda CD is this...?)

    The band doesn¡¯t let it get to them. They laugh it off, knowing they¡¯ll get it right this time. Funny, that.

    Sure enough, the tape rolls anew, and they fire off a classic riff with that timeless 60s flair. It¡¯s funky enough, for sure¡ªguitar, bass and drum in a groovy blend. Reina¡¯s very tempted to start tapping her finger on the wheel as she drives along.

    Everybody, listen to me, and return me, my ship!

    I¡¯m your captain, I¡¯m your captain; though I¡¯m feeling, mighty sick!

    Reina chuckles. Figures she would put the song on when she¡¯s coming up to the water.

    I¡¯ve been lost now, days uncounted, and it¡¯s months since, I¡¯ve seen home...

    Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Or am I, all alone?

    Now the resemblance is getting amusing. As the song continues, it paints a forlorn picture in her head: a captain lost at sea, sailing through unfriendly straits in a desperate bid to reach his home. This endless expanse of blue is all that¡¯s left for him to know¡ªthe notion of ¡°home,¡± the world he knew, has vanished without a trace. He¡¯s left to fend for himself here in the dark, well and truly alone.

    ...Something about this gives Reina pause. It strikes a chord she wasn¡¯t expecting. All the time she once spent on her own wayward voyage, all the turbulence she had to face... As the proverbial captain of her own ship, she led an embattled voyage on a sea where she wasn¡¯t welcome. And with Clara gone, and Sami having taken a backseat due to her own rocky health, she was left all but alone to man the helm.

    Those were awful years... Through sheer stubbornness and force of will, she was able to ride out the storm¡ªbut for days uncounted, she had no idea where her home truly was. A ship with no course, chasing a future that never was.

    (Maybe I¡¯m just reading too much into it, but...)

    She can¡¯t help it. These things are an integral part of who she is.

    Am I in my cabin dreaming, or are you really scheming, to take my ship away from me?

    You¡¯d better think about it; I just can¡¯t live without it! So please don¡¯t take my ship from me!

    Reina couldn¡¯t go on without her own ship either¡ªeven as the world itself tried to tear it down before her eyes. It was all she knew, but she didn¡¯t have the strength to accept it. She just kept hoping and hoping land would magically sprout on the horizon, and the awful nightmare at sea would come to an end...

    But it was never going to be that simple, in hindsight. No, Reina had to step up and take things in a bold new direction¡ªher direction. Standing on the shoulders of giants not as a crutch, but as a launch pad. When she spread her wings, she found a way to leave the baggage of the past behind... That was the only way she would ever reach her home again.

    I¡¯m your captain, I¡¯m your captain; though I¡¯m feeling, mighty sick!

    Everybody, listen to me, and return me, my ship!

    ¡°...Man.¡±

    It seems so obvious what the answer was in retrospect, but all the tension, all the melancholy of the past is still fresh in her mind. She can¡¯t forget the mistakes she made... They motivate her to keep her head up and look to the sky. She knows she has to keep moving forward, no matter what.

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...

    And so, the first movement of the song ends. The tempo slows to a contemplative stroll, gentle bass notes tickling her ears. She hears the sounds of seagulls, and waves lapping on the shore. The road brings her ever closer to the water¡¯s edge...and the foliage clears to the north to grant her an unspoiled view of the bay.

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...

    The lights of Noheji gradually shrink in the distance. This tiny sliver of land reaches out like an arm toward Hokkaido, dotted by fishing burgs and humble docks. She can almost taste the salt in the air, aided by the timely flute from the band. The rumble of the Road Runner¡¯s otherwise boisterous engine seems to soften just a tiny bit.

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...

    The view is perfect. With what little sunlight remains, she can see the mountains in the distance, wrapping around the bay like a giant cauldron. On the other side of the peninsula, the stars make their grand entrance, with not a cloud in the sky to block their path. And as night finally reigns, and the sky above calls out to Reina, Grandma¡¯s song begins its refrain.

    I¡¯m getting closer to my hooooome!

    Nothing else seems to matter anymore. Reina finds herself alone on the road, the music overpowering everything else. Her eyes are drawn to the sky, clear as crystal, the stars shining down on her like gems of purest white. The waves cheer her on in the corner of her eye, bringing her ever closer as she carries on. Ever closer to home...

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...

    There it is again. This time, the accompanying flute takes on a lower register, evocative, ethereal. The music is only building, brimming with something¡ªbut it isn¡¯t intensity. It isn¡¯t threatening anything. It¡¯s only bringing her closer...

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...

    Like a siren¡¯s song, Reina finds herself entranced. This isn¡¯t anything like what she expected from the album... She wasn¡¯t expecting it to match so well.

    ¡°What is this...?¡±

    All this time, she just wanted to know where home was. Where to go, what to do, how to save herself from the storm all around her. Only after months of trial and tribulation did she get that glimpse she sought. At long last, she has the answer.

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...

    The mantra carries on. To the song comes a low, pining cello, the notes drifting up and down as it tries to resolve the chord. She can hear the drums all around her, bursting with energy. She can only describe it as the musical equivalent of catharsis¡ªto have spent so long and struggled so hard in search of a single dream. To have drifted at sea, haggard and sopping wet, and to know that it was all worth it.

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...

    What is this around her now? In the dark, these streaks of light like shooting stars. Not knowing where they¡¯re going, only watching in awe as they surround her. Some streak high in the sky, ephemeral flashes doomed to fade...but others tickle the corner of her eye, as if visiting her on her journey. Guiding her...

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...

    ¡°O-Oh...!¡±

    The orchestra comes alive. A procession of soaring strings and woodwinds like whispers from the stars themselves. She sees the light alongside her, those glimmering meteors. They join her on the road as the mantra carries her on...

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...

    Reina¡¯s eyes widen, her breath quivering as the dream breaks free. A beast on four wheels so familiar, racing along the lonely road at her side. It sheds its light in streaks, but its luster refuses to die. It rumbles faster and faster, goading her to continue. Goading her ever closer...

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...

    She hears the voices echoing around her. The captain jubilant, finally sighting home, emotion overflowing in his voice. She sees too the captain of this phantom, this apparition of pure white. She speeds up to catch it¡ªto draw alongside the dream that she may finally see its face. The Road Runner is weightless.

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...!

    There is only black and white, dream and reality. She wants so desperately to catch it, inching ever closer with each and every beat from the drums. The music is cheering her on.

    Finally, she catches the ghost in her eyes. The sky is ablaze with streaks of white, as if the stars themselves are crying with joy. The fateful moment arrives, and as time itself stops for a fleeting moment, Reina turns her head to meet her.

    ¡°I-I...!¡±

    Once upon a time, Clara Jennings drove this same road. Her very first trip in the Road Runner, fresh off the import floor down in Tokyo. Round the bay, along the water... She knew from the moment she fired up its engine that it was the car for her.

    That was where so much began. The golden years, the dreams of wonder... Fate and fortune intertwined, and the same music spurred her on as she reached ever closer.

    Now, the stars align once more.

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home!

    Reina wants to cry. She knows in her heart of hearts this can¡¯t be real, knows it¡¯s nothing but a fleeting dream, but it all feels too real for her to take. This is the dream she¡¯s been chasing all this time, the example she¡¯s fought so hard to match...and here she is, racing alongside it at last.

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home!

    She wants to speak, but her body won¡¯t listen. The dream is unbound by that same vice. Reina can only watch, eyes watering, mouth agape as the dream turns her face to her. She has one last thing to say to the true successor of Aikawa Auto... To the light of her long and happy life... To her granddaughter.

    ¡°Go get ¡®em, Reina... It¡¯s your time now.¡±

    Reina doesn¡¯t want the dream to end, but it¡¯s already come true. Clara¡¯s purpose here is done¡ªshe has watched Reina prove herself to her greatest inspiration.

    Slowly, the dream fades back. Reina is outrunning the past, forging her own path ahead as Clara watches from behind. She is at peace. All she ever wanted to see with her old eyes was the day her beloved granddaughter finally surpassed her...and even if in spirit only, she is overjoyed to experience that moment at last. There¡¯s nothing left for her to do...

    And thus, the dream of the past comes to an end. It¡¯s time for the present to take its place.

    ¡°I...!¡±

    The light disperses, funneled into the Road Runner. The moment ends, and time resumes. The music finally closes, the voices fading into the distance. There are no more songs on the CD.

    I¡¯m getting closer to my home...

    At the end of the dream, Reina is left speechless, wondering if anything she just felt was real at all. She¡¯s on the road, on the water¡¯s edge, like nothing even happened... The stars still shine bright, the moon staring down at her. Everything it as it was, save for the tears in Reina¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°What...was that...?¡±

    She slows the car, staring out into the horizon with trembling breaths. Eventually, she decides she needs to stop to gather herself; with a gentle rumble, she brings the car to a stop with the bay in sight beyond her.

    The crisp night time breeze feels refreshing on her face. There¡¯s nothing left in her ears from that transcendent episode¡ªonly the growl of the engine and the lull of the waves. She takes a seat on the hood of the car, and stares out into the night.

    ¡°I... I¡¯ve never had a dream like that before... But it wasn¡¯t a dream at all, was it...?¡±

    The phantom is nowhere to be found. It¡¯s only her out here on the shore.

    ¡°...How did Grandma know that song would hit me so hard?¡±

    Perhaps it was her final gift to her¡ªher final master stroke in a far-reaching gambit... Or indeed, perhaps it was nothing more than d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Reina doesn¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever fully understand just what happened to her this night...but then, perhaps she doesn¡¯t need to. All she needs is the memory of that moment, of the dream she made her own, to light the fire in her heart.

    To bring her home.

    ¡°...Thank you, Grandma. For everything. I promise, no matter how long it takes me, how much work I have to do...¡± Reina looks up to the sky.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make your dream¡ªMY dream¡ªcome true.¡±

    When all is said and done, Reina will have covered nearly 2,000 miles in pursuit of this dream. A journey that itself marks the end of a long and lonely road...and the beginning of something far greater than herself. The sky above is clear as ever¡ªand so too is her heart. She knows what she must do.

    It is only fitting that, after all this travel, she finally comes home.

 19. The Missing Pieces

    Aikawa Auto has been very, very busy. After the return of their rising star and the good news she brought with her, the Star Rider project has continued in earnest, picking up steam with every passing day. On the surface, not much seems to have changed¡ªthe Road Runner still squats in the garage, the crew still earn their keep with maintenance and repairs, and the regulars around the neighborhood keep on coming back for more.

    But there¡¯s a certain zeal that was hitherto long absent¡ªan energy palpable in the air. One look at the right angle and you can tell the mechanics are excited about some upcoming project. You won¡¯t be able to coax much out of their tight lips, but you can just tell they¡¯re up to something.

    And it all starts with the lady at the front desk...

    ¡°Morning, Uncle Naoto!¡±

    ¡°Morning! I¡¯ll go ahead and take the garage from here. Not much on the schedule today, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Just a regular coming in for a service later today. That and the usual walk-ins should be fine for one person, but if you need backup, just lemme know.¡±

    ¡°You got it, Boss!¡±

    It¡¯s funny, really. In the span of a few short months, Reina¡¯s entire routine has been flipped on its head, the status quo changing in the blink of an eye. Gone are the lectures, the tests, the frenzied commutes at the crack of dawn. Instead, she spends most of her waking time down here at the shop, working away on the nascent Aikawa line.

    She was figuring she¡¯d take more time to adjust to all this, but as it turns out, she¡¯s more than happy to hang out here from dawn to dusk. She¡¯s gotten everything she needs out of her university coursework, and now the time has come to put it all to the test.

    ...Good. She wouldn¡¯t want it any other way.

    ¡°Okay, I think that¡¯s worth gong for. They¡¯ve got a decent supply chain there, so if we can ink a deal, that would make things a lot easier...¡±

    There¡¯s a lot of work for Reina to do off the garage floor, though¡ªand it¡¯s every bit as important as the work she does on it. In order to start work on the prototype Outrunner, she needs to put several pieces in place first, and they make for a very finicky job. Once she finishes the engine¡¯s actual design, filling in the blanks her grandmother left, she needs to vet the build as thoroughly as she can before the first part is even put together. Then comes the logistical analysis¡ªensuring that the parts will be available not just for an initial production run, but years and years after the motors roll out of the garage. It¡¯s a delicate dance between quality and cost, making sure everything goes right for both herself and the customers. After all, the first mile is just as crucial as the last.

    The new motor schematics are different enough from the previous generation that a few key parts needs refreshing. It¡¯s not as simple as just copying her homework. Adding to that, time has rendered some old suppliers suboptimal¡ªthey¡¯re either out of business or too expensive anymore to justify the partnership. Ideally, all of her parts should come from Japan, but given what she¡¯s making, that isn¡¯t always feasible. There¡¯s a lot of give and take throughout the entire process.

    It¡¯s slow going, but Reina thinks she¡¯s making progress. For over a month now, she¡¯s been tirelessly studying the schematics, making tweaks and improvements here and there. She¡¯s put some of the pieces together, trying now to figure out the rest.

    ¡°Now, how does that fit in here...?¡±

    And then there¡¯s the car¡¯s own design. Akane and her father have been doing remarkable work to iron out the design, but there¡¯s only so much they can do alone. Reina needs to keep to her word: once she finishes the engine, she needs to model it in their program to give them the best possible estimate of how the engine bay will all come together.

    She¡¯s already gotten started on the basic building blocks with the model¡ªshe doesn¡¯t need every detail perfect down to the micrometer, thankfully. But she does need to make sure that the engine in the mockup is the engine that goes in the real thing.

    *sigh* ¡°I feel like if these were just more readily available, I¡¯d feel better about jumping on them, but it¡¯s just too spotty to tell...¡± Reina reclines back in her big chair. There¡¯s a lot on the girl¡¯s mind¡ªand a lot of work still to come.

    ¡°It¡¯d be so much easier if I could just spec out a custom part and solve this whole thing, but who¡¯s gonna build them for me? And how much¡¯ll that cost?¡±

    The supply chain is a fickle beast. If manufacturing for a single part gets held up at all, then she can¡¯t build the motors, the customers can¡¯t repair them, and the whole thing becomes a pain point for all parties involved. She has to be very careful about who she chooses to do business with¡ªboth for quality and reliability.

    ¡°No, no... Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, Reina. Just take it one step at a time. Once I¡¯ve got a better idea of what it is I actually need, then I can go from there.¡±

    Daunted, but not discouraged, Reina pores over the big book one more time. It¡¯s hard to overstate just how important it is to the project¡ªit is, without a doubt, her greatest asset.

    ¡°Okay, Grandma, what were you on about here...?¡±

    Clara started her own research on some of the burning questions left in the design. She didn¡¯t get far, however... This was just a year or two before her passing, and though her decline wasn¡¯t visible in the handwriting yet, Reina can see how she was losing steam. At that point, she could barely see, let alone bury her head in books for hours and hours a day...but write she did, without relent, until her work was done.

    And most incredulously to Reina, she did it all with minimal help from the internet. She can hardly imagine doing that nowadays.

    ¡°I want to say this works, but...¡± Reina bites her lip in contemplation. ¡°It has to be crazy precise, and there¡¯s just no way to plug and play with a setup like this...¡±

    Her mad science works in theory, but it¡¯s hard to put it into practice when the design is so esoteric. Commissioning yet more specific parts is adding more cost overhead and more potential for supply line bottlenecks, but with how the design pans out, it might be a risk she can¡¯t avoid.

    ¡°Hmmm... Yeah. I think I¡¯ll have to settle for bespoke contracts for a lot of these parts. I¡¯ll make a list of candidates and go from there. I¡¯d rather order these few parts to fit than try to redesign the whole thing to a different standard.¡±

    It at least makes more sense the more Reina thinks about it. She really was getting ahead of herself.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the worst thing in the world. If they¡¯re custom parts, but they¡¯re still cheap and people can get them easily, that¡¯s a fair compromise.¡±

    ¡°And plus, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re dealing with all that many finicky parts here... The rest of the build is still turning out to be pretty modular¡ªmore than I expected, really. Outside of these little bits here and there, this shouldn¡¯t be that big a deal.¡±

    She lets out a brief chuckle. ¡°Wishful thinking, but maybe aftermarket can help with that if these are a hit with buyers. You never know!¡±

    To Reina¡¯s credit, this is where a certain skillset of hers really shines. Her logistical eye already rivals Clara¡¯s, as evidenced by the massive compendium she¡¯s got on the computer. This might as well be her answer to the big book: a collection of documents, spreadsheets and references covering everything she needs to know, all organized in a neat little system. There¡¯s a method to her madness just as there was to Clara¡¯s¡ªand as it so happens, their two approaches fit like hand in glove.

    Bit by bit, she works through parts on the to-do list, a slew of tabs opening and closing as she rifles through contract candidates. It¡¯s all just kicking the can down the road, though... She needed to do that work, but there¡¯s one very big thing that she still needs to tackle.

    ¡°Now what is this? This is the only thing I¡¯m still stumped on...¡±

    Clara was on to something when she was designing this specific setup, deep in the core of the engine, but Reina¡¯s having a hard time retracing her steps. The internet offers precious little material to reference¡ªthis came straight from the old boss¡¯ mind. She knows she¡¯ll need custom parts for it, but first, they need to be designed...and that¡¯s where Reina faces her most difficult challenge yet.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t have much to go on with this... I¡¯ve never even seen anything like it before.¡±

    Inexperience. If she had the same decades of work under her belt, she might be able to understand this a whole lot better...but her shortcomings are catching up to her.

    ¡°Hmmm...¡± Reina combs every last page of her search results, trying to get as much context as she can. Without a live example, without having put the Outrunner together before, she can only imagine how it all comes together. She learns by doing, but she just can¡¯t do it yet.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s...kinda similar, but not quite the same thing.¡±

    Another tab...

    ¡°Close... This might be the same concept, but hard to tell without actual schematics.¡±

    Yet another...

    ¡°...Gee, it would¡¯ve been nice if somebody actually responded to this thread. Way to leave me hanging, random forum from 2006.¡±

    It¡¯s looking like a wash¡ªbut not an unexpected one, as it were. If she wants to make this work, she¡¯ll have to get clever about it... She¡¯ll have to blaze her own trail.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to do my own research on this, I think...¡± Reina furrows her brow. ¡°...But I think I might be able to figure something out.¡±

    That 3D model she¡¯s been working on. It¡¯s the closest she can get to building the engine without having everything ready yet. Her struggle to visualize the specifics demands a different approach... One that lets her properly tinker with the design before it all turns to metal. For the car chassis, she doesn¡¯t need everything uber-detailed, but for her own work, it could prove to be plenty useful. Modeling the problem section might reveal the fresh perspective she¡¯s been looking for¡ªand help her iron out the design for this unusual part.

    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯m starting to like the sound of that.¡±

    It certainly won¡¯t be easy¡ªshe¡¯s no CAD veteran by any stretch¡ªbut by her own assessment, she thinks she¡¯s got what it takes. By now, she knows most of these parts like the back of her hand; the next step is translate the lines into pixels. This is what will differentiate her from Clara: where the old boss was ardent in her disdain for anything and everything digital, Reina knows full well the benefits of employing computers in her job.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Oookay.¡± Reina takes a sip of water as she waits for her file to load. Soon enough, the fab pops into view on the screen.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡±

    There¡¯s nothing that gets the gears in Reina¡¯s head turning like building something herself. Whether it¡¯s putting pieces together with her bare hands or puppeteering pixels on a computer screen, her insatiable curiosity compels her to keep on working. She knew that this would be a difficult task...but all the same, she knows herself. Once she gets the ball rolling, it¡¯s hard for her to stop.

    ¡°Oookay, start with the basics. That¡¯s you here, you go there...¡± Her screen becomes a flurry of tabs and 3D views, her mind racing at a hundred miles an hour. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that the project had to wait all these years¡ªit¡¯s allowed Reina to bring her own futuristic spin to the build. In the olden days, her grandma would have to make do with test benches and unproven measurements, confirmed only when the first prototype came together on a sweltering shop floor.

    In a way, that old approach was far more impressive than modeling it out first...but Reina feels this is so much better for her. Not only does it give her the chance to see the engine before she builds it, but the experience of seeing how everything fits together will make it that much easier once the real build comes around.

    ¡°I can deal with that part later, just focus on this for now...¡± Reina quickly loses track of how much time is flying by. Uncle Naoto is there to take the heat off of her and handle what few customers trickle in, leaving her blissfully locked away in her own little world...

    (I feel like I¡¯m forgetting something...) Something tickles the back of her mind...and when that doesn¡¯t quite work, it tickles her stomach instead.

    (Oh. Right. I forgot to take my lunch today. I¡¯ll have to get something quick once I get a minute or two.)

    She¡¯s not going to get something quick. She already knows this, and there¡¯s nothing she can do about it.

    What started as a quick exercise to try and clear up her confusion has quickly ballooned in scope: the more and more she plays around with the model, the more she feels inspired to perfect every detail.

    (I¡¯m gonna have to fab this out eventually¡ªand that¡¯ll need measurements as precise as I can get them. The more I iron it out here, the better it¡¯ll end up.)

    Her eyes narrow and strain, poring over every last nook and cranny of the virtual build. She barely even registers Uncle Naoto clocking out for the day as Old Man Takashi comes to relieve him¡ªshe auto-pilots a wave and a goodbye without even breaking focus from the task at hand. It¡¯s frightening sometimes, how much sheer focus she can dedicate to something... It¡¯s a mystery where she gets it from.

    ¡°Good, good. That¡¯s coming together...¡± For a moment, she has to lean back in her chair and rub her tired eyes. She¡¯s been at this for longer than she thought.

    ¡°...Man, where did the time go?¡±

    Not like she plans to stop, of course.

    Bit by bit, the rough model of the engine comes together¡ªfleshed out in some areas, incomplete in others, but nonetheless giving Reina valuable insight into the vision Clara had for this machine. All the while, flurries of emails fly from the building as Reina inquires for quotes and timetables. She¡¯s getting closer and closer to another important step in the process: delivering a budget to her venture investor. Once she gets that ball rolling, the physical build can well and truly begin.

    There are just one or two more hurdles to jump before she gets there...

    ¡°Almost there... I think once I figure this last little section out, I¡¯m golden.¡±

    At last, she comes to the part of the build that¡¯s stumping her. It¡¯s taken her hours of nonstop work to get to this point, the humid summer sun finally starting to set. She powers through the fatigue creeping along her face, forcing her eyes to stay open just a little while longer. The shop is closing for the day, but Reina¡¯s work is far from done¡ªand Old Man Takashi knows it.

    (Ahhh, that girl...) Watching her at work reminds him of Clara¡¯s own obsessive habits. He knows not to break her focus¡ªthis is when she does her best work. She even passed up dinner earlier... That¡¯s when he knows she¡¯s serious. She doesn¡¯t skip food for anything.

    Without a word, he takes his leave out the open garage door, shutting it behind him to close the shop. It won¡¯t do to have the chime at the front door interrupt her, after all.

    (Just make sure you take it easy, alright? It¡¯s a marathon, not a sprint.)

    With the lights still on, but her vision getting blurrier, Reina presses on to try and close out her work for the day. At this point, all the screen time is really starting to get to her... The bright panel light strains her eyes, fatigue pulsing inside her mind. As she blocks out yet another part, her tired head lands on her open palm, a sigh escaping her lips.

    ¡°Ooooof...¡± She hasn¡¯t bothered to check how late it is, but it¡¯s gotta be getting up there.

    (Did I leave this for too late...?)

    It¡¯s a frustrating conundrum: stopping now to pick it back up later means her train of thought will inevitably derail¡ªshe¡¯ll have to familiarize herself with her workflow all over again. It gives her more energy and a fresh perspective in exchange, but...

    (But I¡¯m so close... I feel like I¡¯ve almost got it.)

    It¡¯s so hard to stop. If she can just get this last part done, she can go to bed accomplished and ready to turn the page tomorrow. That would be so much more satisfying than leaving her work unfinished...

    ¡°...Phew. C¡¯mon, get a grip, Reina. Just a little bit left.¡±

    Reina rubs her eyes and lets out a cleansing yawn. She can feel a second wind coming on... This is her best chance to knock out the last big question mark before the sun sets on her day of theorizing. It¡¯s gotta be now.

    ¡°This was what she was talking about...¡± Reina zooms in on the problem section. ¡°It needs to be simple, but effective. Watertight, but easy to service. There¡¯s a way to do this, and she saw it... Now how do I find it too?¡±

    It¡¯s easier than ever to make a powerful, capable engine. The tricky part is when you want to make it intuitive. Many modern engines are feats of engineering and nightmares to work on. No matter how well built an engine is, when it goes wrong¡ªand it will inevitably go wrong¡ªit¡¯s the ease of service that extends their value well beyond their warranty. That¡¯s what makes this design difficult: she has to balance all this new tech going into the Outrunner with the same ease of service that earned Aikawa its old following.

    That¡¯s what brings her to a tiny little section of the motor, where a potential service headache needs to be thwarted. The solution definitely won¡¯t come off the shelf, or from any other standard part¡ªthis will have to be made to fit as well. It¡¯s one part of a wider labyrinth deep inside the motor...but the more Reina looks at it, the more it starts to fall into place.

    ¡°So that¡¯s there, and then that links up to the rest of it here... But then, how do you access this section here without tearing down the whole thing?¡±

    She¡¯s quizzing herself. She wants to understand this completely.

    ¡°...Wait. Is that...?¡± Her eyes narrow. She zooms in on one secluded little corner, one piece of the puzzle...

    ...And you can just about hear the lightbulb flicking on in her head.

    ¡°...Ohhhhh, THAT¡¯S how that works!¡±

    It all seems so obvious in hindsight. It¡¯s hard to overstate how much she benefits from having this example to work with. It¡¯s so much clearer now!

    ¡°Yeeeah, I see it now. That¡¯s the access there! That way you don¡¯t have to do all that extra work just to get to it. Hah!¡±

    One of the biggest missing pieces finally falls into place. She knew Clara was up to something, but she couldn¡¯t see what. Now it finally makes sense¡ªand with it, Reina can see the surrounding parts for what they are. She went along with their design and measurements, not knowing exactly why they were shaped the way they are...but now she¡¯s on the same page as her grandmother was.

    ¡°Now I see what she was getting at... She was thinking about a setup like this, but she couldn¡¯t finish off the whole layout for this bit here. Now, though...?¡± Reina lets out a mischievous chuckle as she brings her spreadsheet back up.

    ¡°Now we¡¯re cookin¡¯ with gas.¡±

    All of a sudden, her weary eyes and pounding head don¡¯t seem to bother her anymore. The next couple hours whiz by like nothing at all as Reina combs through her meticulous model. There are still a lot of minor parts left on her list, but they shouldn¡¯t prove nearly as much of a challenge. She¡¯s in the home stretch now, and it feels so liberating!

    ¡°Man... This is finally coming together.¡±

    Sometimes the onslaught of work to do makes her forget how much she¡¯s done already. It¡¯s been a long, long road over these last few months...but finally, she¡¯s moving forward again. And once she puts the finishing touches on this engine design, the next steps are crystal clear: get that budget, get those parts ordered...and get that motor built.

    She already can¡¯t wait.

    *yaaaawn* ¡°Blegh. I really ran myself out of energy figuring that out, though. I¡¯ve still got some cleanup work to do on some other sections... Do I put that off for tomorrow, or do I just power through it?¡±

    A conundrum indeed¡ªit¡¯s already coming up on ten o¡¯clock. She knows well the dangers of working tired: it can lead to sloppy, head-scratching mistakes when she comes back to the project in the morning.

    But she¡¯s on a roll now...and maybe she¡¯ll hit a second wind now that she¡¯s gotten over this big hurdle. What¡¯s a girl to do...?

    ¡°...I¡¯ll take a break for a couple minutes, see how I feel.¡±

    Reina lets out a big stretch, her eyes thankful to shut after all that time staring at the computer screen. After all that focusing, she takes a look at the world around her, confirming that time has seriously passed her by. The sun is nowhere to be seen, the familiar hum of the auto shop reduced to its nocturnal whisper.

    ¡°...I might have overdone it again.¡± No regrets, though.

    ¡°There¡¯s really not much left to do, but...ehhh. Does it really help me much at this point?¡±

    She can barely recall when Old Man Takashi left¡ªor even that he left at all¡ªbut from what she sees, he did most of the closing work for her already. It¡¯s an arrangement they¡¯re happy to keep, at any rate... After all, she went through the effort of bringing the whole project back from the dead and traveling for business on their behalf. The least they can do is pick up the slack while she¡¯s engrossed in her work.

    ...It even gives them the chance to mess around a little.

    ¡°Wait... When did this get here?¡±

    She never noticed Old Man Takashi putting this piece of paper behind the monitor at her desk...or perhaps it was someone else, really. She clearly doesn¡¯t remember. Her eyes adjust to the paper, the dim light of the lobby giving her just enough to work with...

    Good night! Don¡¯t wear yourself out too much, okay?

    Your mother thought you might¡¯ve gone and pulled an overtime shift like this, so there¡¯s pasta leftover in the fridge when you get back home. Bon appetit!

    -Ol¡¯ Takashi

    Reina blinks. She remembers now that she skipped dinner with an offhand ¡°I¡¯m good¡± earlier in the day¡ªtoo embedded in her work to pull herself away. Sami was planning on making pasta tonight anyway, but her recipe makes food for far more than just one... She¡¯ll just have to settle for reheating her plate when she gets home.

    Perhaps this is her mother¡¯s way of trying to break her daughter¡¯s habit... Her way of telling her that there¡¯s no sense in working herself to sleep like she tends to. This is still a job, at the end of the day¡ªand no matter how much you love your work, a shift is a shift, and overtime is overtime. All work and no play makes Reina a tired girl.

    ¡°...Dangit. Why am I like this?!¡± All Reina can do is laugh. She made this bed, and now she¡¯s gotta lie in it. But hey: reheated pasta is still pasta, and that¡¯s quite fine by her.

    Lesson learned, though: she shouldn¡¯t use herself up before she even sees the finish line.

    ¡°Alright, Mom, you got me. Guess that¡¯s it for today!¡± Reina can feel her body accepting the end of her work day. Her shoulders slump, her eyelids heavy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty to do tomorrow, though... Once I get the rest of the engine bits finished, I can finally get the budget to Shibuya, and THEN I can start making orders!¡±

    She knows it doesn¡¯t help to get too excited before bed time, but the walk home should calm her down a bit. And pasta always helps her sleep too!

    ¡°Heh heh heh...! Oh man, this is gonna be so good!¡±

    And so, with an empty stomach but a soul full of whimsy, Reina brings her double shift to an end. Yet another long day on this road even longer, but she doesn¡¯t feel the least bit daunted anymore... This is what she¡¯s always wanted to do. And the closer she gets to that next big step, the more her heart flutters with anticipation.

    Soon, it will come time to put her work to the test. Can her work truly stand up to the genius of Clara Jennings? Is she truly ready to dive into this uncertain future?

    (...Yeah. Not a doubt about it.)

    ***

    Tomorrow, a great many gears will turn. With the finishing touches complete on the Outrunner, the full schematic and budget breakdown can finally go on its way to Mr. Shibuya¡ªand the model for Tetsukura Chassis can proceed as planned. The details are all as accounted for as they can be, every last part hand-picked after rigorous review. The door opens to a new phase of the project...one Reina is tremendously proud to have reached.

    Over the ensuing months, a brutal waiting game will unfold, testing her patience as the build slowly takes shape. A flurry of orders, authorized by her investor, set the mechanical dance in motion; alas, it¡¯ll be quite some time before it all comes to a head. Packages upon packages in limbo across the country, slowly migrating north to her humble little outpost. The dull moments after all that fulfilling work challenge her will as summer turns to autumn...but the promise of a bright future ahead gives her the strength to keep on going.

    In time, she will take that next step. In time, she will make it.

 20. A Ride on the Wild Side

    Autumn is Reina¡¯s favorite season. There¡¯s really no better time of year¡ªwinter is too cold, summer is too hot, and spring, stuck inbetween, is much too mercurial for its own good. The falling temperatures offer a welcome reprieve from the oppressive heat and humidity, the wind brisk and refreshing on her face. Just as well, the changing scenery dazzles the eye... Reina will never get tired of all the beautiful reds and golds lining the streets high above her head.

    ¡°Ahhh...¡± The air just feels so much nicer to breathe. ¡°This is the life.¡±

    Another pleasant walk on another pleasant day. There¡¯s nowhere to go and nothing to do for the time being...and ordinarily, that would all but kill the poor girl. But if she has to be stuck twiddling her thumbs, waiting for packages from the south, there¡¯s no better time of year to spend taking things slow. She¡¯s been needing to get out more anyway...and after all those years of being cooped up in classrooms, the freedom of her new life is sweet enough all on its own.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯d better start heading back. You never know who might pop up this time of day.¡±

    Sami is covering for her back at the shop, but she¡¯ll be packing it in soon, leaving Reina to take care of the afternoon shift. Fine by her: in exchange for closing up, she gets to sleep in, and really, what more could you want?

    ¡°No more 8 AM classes for me, heh. If and when I go back to finish my degree, I am never making that mistake again. Sleeping in is just too good.¡±

    Reina rounds the familiar bend and walks the familiar stairs, the streets quiet on this unassuming workday. There¡¯s hardly a whisper to interrupt the westerly wind, its cool breath dulling the heat from the sun on high.

    Pretty soon, it¡¯ll be jacket weather¡ªand Reina can¡¯t wait for that.

    ¡°...Hm?¡±

    Just as the shop comes into view around the corner, though, something grabs her attention, her ears perking in response. A low, lumbering growl, familiar yet foreign all the same... Like the Road Runner¡¯s distant cousin. A little punchier, a little feistier...and perhaps a little smaller. But certainly not left wanting for might.

    She knows in a second who it is.

    ¡°That sounds like a certain satisfied customer!¡±

    She wasn¡¯t expecting her on this otherwise slow day¡ªand that puts a little spring in her step as she trots back toward the shop. She certainly wouldn¡¯t mind the change of pace!

    (Wonder what she¡¯s doing here...?) She imagines she¡¯ll know once she gets back.

    In time, the beast falls silent, taking its place just outside the garage door. Reina returns to find it waiting for her, along with its master. It¡¯s been a while since the two of them saw each other... Months, in fact, since their paths last crossed at Fuji. They¡¯ve each traveled long and far in that time¡ªand they can¡¯t wait to catch back up with each other.

    ¡°Yuzu!¡±

    ¡°Yo! My turn to surprise you now.¡±

    The girl¡¯s a long way from Obihiro, but she¡¯s been a lot farther this year. Compared to all the new sights and sounds she¡¯s taken in on her travels, the shop makes her feel right at home.

    ¡°Well, surprise me you did! What¡¯s the occasion?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually heading out for my next race this weekend. I figured I¡¯d stay a couple days in Sapporo first, though¡ªvisit family, stop by your shop, all that jazz.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh! Where are you headed next?¡±

    ¡°Autopolis. Too far to drive, unfortunately.¡±

    ¡°Wow. Yeah, that¡¯s a trip.¡± Autopolis, on the southern island of Kyushu, is the southernmost circuit in Japan. Can¡¯t get much further from Sapporo than that.

    ¡°Well, nice that you could drop by!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ve actually been meaning to schedule my car¡¯s first service too¡ªI¡¯ve really been racking up the kilometers on it. Would now be a good time?¡±

    Reina looks to the empty garage floor and guffaws. ¡°Pfft. Giving me an excuse to work on an Aikawa motor on a slow day? You¡¯re my hero!¡±

    ¡°Nice! I¡¯ll get her in the garage, then.¡±

    With a growl, Yuzu¡¯s Silvia stalks its way into the garage, where Reina can¡¯t wait to give the engine a thorough inspection. There¡¯s always a sentimental value to the first thing you build yourself, after all¡ªand Reina¡¯s eager to see how her handiwork has held up under the command of a rising racer.

    ¡°Okay, little more... Little more... Good!¡±

    That¡¯s as far as the Silvia needs to go, prompting the engine to fall silent. That V6 still sounds properly mean, as an Aikawa engine should; that¡¯s an encouraging sign already. Yuzu shuts the door behind her and finds that Reina¡¯s already popped the hood.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t wait, huh?¡±

    ¡°Hah. No.¡±

    It¡¯s still got a lot of its sparkle in there, just from a cursory glance. Looks like Yuzu¡¯s been taking good care of it¡ªa far cry from the previous owner.

    ¡°So, how¡¯s she been treating you?¡±

    ¡°Really good so far. I don¡¯t have any complaints.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡±

    ¡°She can be a bit of a handful sometimes¡ªand I dunno what it¡¯ll be like driving her in the winter¡ªbut so far, I¡¯ve had a lot of fun.¡±

    ¡°I think what surprised me most is how it¡¯s still really nimble. Like, it¡¯s got a giant engine for its size, but it doesn¡¯t feel all that heavy to drive.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s got a good frame underneath. These Silvias were really popular as street racers back in the day.¡±

    She can¡¯t help but draw parallels to her own project waiting in the wings. It certainly won¡¯t handle as well as a petite mountain racer, but if Tetsukura Chassis¡¯ confidence is anything to go by, it¡¯ll still have plenty to offer.

    ¡°So what¡¯ll it be for today? Just a general service?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Oh, and if you don¡¯t mind, could I watch along?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡±

    Without missing a beat, Reina gets to work. Yuzu¡¯s brought the car here both as a shadow and as a student¡ªshe¡¯s done a couple minor jobs herself, and it¡¯ll be nice to have Reina grade her work.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get in here...¡± After months and months of doing maintenance work on modern sedans and kei cars, she¡¯s so happy to have something more mechanic-friendly to work with. Not to toot her own horn, of course, but the difference is like night and day. This is her element, and she can¡¯t get enough of it.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t need an oil change yet, I don¡¯t think.¡±

    ¡°Nah, not yet. I did take a look, though, and you did it just fine, so all good there!¡±

    ¡°Good. I was reading up on stuff online and it kept making it out to be more complicated than it actually was. I almost felt like I was skipping a step or something...but nope! It runs like a charm.¡±

    ¡°Yup! Once you get the hang of it, it¡¯s hard to mess up.¡±

    Reina smiles. Yuzu¡¯s really coming into her own.

    ¡°So where have you been driving?¡±

    ¡°Well, I work part-time at Tokachi now. Passes the time when I¡¯m not out racing. Admittedly I wasn¡¯t sure at first how she was gonna handle commutes like that, but so far, she¡¯s been perfect out on the road.¡±

    ¡°Nice! That¡¯s good to hear.¡± That brings Reina back to her own former commute¡ªexcept instead of 40 minutes, her trip to Tokachi takes 3 hours. It¡¯s not for the faint of heart, nor those fed up with four wheels... Luckily, Reina and Yuzu are more than a match.

    ¡°Sometimes when I would go out to Tokachi for work, they¡¯d let me stick around after hours and drive the Road Runner out on the track a little, heehee.¡±

    ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask about that... Never did figure out how to bring it up with the manager, though.¡±

    ¡°But you want to though, don¡¯tcha?¡±

    Yuzu snickers. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    It¡¯s nice having somebody to shoot the breeze with while she¡¯s working¡ªas much as she loves her job, it can get ever so slightly lonely sometimes.

    ¡°On that note, actually: how¡¯s your season going?¡±

    ¡°Better than I could have hoped for.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, is that so? C¡¯mon, fill me in!¡±

    Yuzu¡¯s face instantly softens. She counts herself incredibly lucky to have someone as outgoing and passionate as Reina cheering her on... At this point, she¡¯s more than just a friend. She¡¯s someone she can really confide in.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t tell anybody yet, but...I might have a deal for F3 next year.¡±

    Reina¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°Are you serious? That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s set in stone yet...and it¡¯ll all depend on how well I do over the last couple races this year. But if I can hold steady, I¡¯ll be in good shape.¡±

    ¡°I racked up two more wins after Fuji, so I¡¯ve got a pretty decent cushion on second place. I just gotta keep it together, and then...¡±

    ¡°Then, you¡¯ll...well, win! Outright!¡±

    ¡°Pretty much, yeah!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome! Congrats!¡±

    ¡°Thank you...!¡± For some reason, it feels so much better hearing that from her. She knows Reina¡¯s words come from the heart¡ªnot just platitudes from cutthroat businessmen.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll try not to get in your way too much when the testing phase starts, hah!¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that! Honestly, I¡¯d love having something to do in the downtime.¡±

    Needless to say, Yuzu¡¯s pretty excited about Reina¡¯s project herself. Track-testing cars wasn¡¯t even on her radar until Reina pitched the deal to her, but the more she thinks about it, the more she realizes its potential. It¡¯d be a great way to fill in the gaps between race dates, wherever she ends up.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just my ego talking...but the fact that you came to me with that offer, it just felt really...really good.¡± Yuzu still remembers the rush she felt.

    ¡°With all my races, I¡¯m always out there fighting to prove myself. There¡¯s always that pressure. It feels good, I think I do my best racing when I¡¯m in the hot seat like that...but you already had faith in what I can do. You could¡¯ve gotten any other driver out there to test your car, but you picked me.¡±

    ¡°It really makes me feel like I¡¯ve made it, y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°Aww, heehee... I don¡¯t think I did anything special. If anything, I¡¯m happy that you believe in me too. You first took that gamble on me with the Silvia, after all; it¡¯s only fair that I have your back!¡±

    Yuzu lets out a slight chuckle. ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t sell yourself short. I mean, I don¡¯t know anybody else who¡¯s building a whole new car from the ground up and making it work.¡±

    ¡°And I don¡¯t know anybody else who¡¯s about to take an F4 crown in her rookie year!¡±

    ...It¡¯s really dawning on them now that they¡¯re both pretty special.

    ¡°Really, though, thank you. I owe you a ton.¡±

    ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll give it my best shot once testing rolls around!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you, then~!¡±

    There¡¯s plenty to be excited about here in the garage. The future is on their minds¡ªonce so daunting and difficult to define, but now more than ever, their dreams are within their reach. Yuzu can feel the change in atmosphere from when she last dropped by... The spirits are higher here, the anticipation palpable in the air. That huge stash of boxes in the corner speaks to a bright future indeed.

    It¡¯s a little funny, thinking back on it. One girl, stuck in the past out of fear for the future; the other, chasing the future at any cost. They used to be moving in the exact opposite direction, but now, their paths align.

    Yuzu smiles. It¡¯s a lot better this way.

    ¡°Okay, I think we¡¯ll go ahead and rotate the tires while we¡¯re here. Never hurts.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Up she goes?¡±

    ¡°Up she goes.¡±

    The Silvia looks so much better now as well. No longer plagued by an owner with more money than sense, the underbelly of the car is spotless. Not a leak to be found here!

    ¡°If you end up daily driving her in the winter, you¡¯ll wanna make sure to keep the underside clean. All that salt and crud can rust up the undercarriage on older cars especially.¡±

    ¡°Good to know. You said it wasn¡¯t that bad when you first looked at it though, right?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. There wasn¡¯t really any serious rust on it to begin with¡ªwhich kinda surprises me for a 25 year-old car in Hokkaido.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the previous owner brought it up from down south or something.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. This thing¡¯s had a life, for better and for worse.¡±

    As Reina continues her work, Yuzu lets her eyes wander just a little bit. She sees the Road Runner is still kicking off to the side¡ªand it looks mighty fine with all the detailing work Reina did. It takes a whole lot of work to keep a car that old all spick and span; Yuzu respects the dedication.

    In fact, that¡¯s something she¡¯s really come to admire about Reina: the fact that, in spite of all her trials and tribulations, she looks and feels completely at home here. This is everything she¡¯s ever wanted to do with her life¡ªand as she continues working away at the Silvia, her prowess on display for Yuzu to see, she appreciates the strength of character that¡¯s gotten her all this way.

    (She really is perfect for this job.)

    And as it turns out, there¡¯s more work on the way...

    ¡°Hm?¡± Reina¡¯s ears perk up. A petite hum rumbles into the lot outside, barely registering above the music playing in the garage. A kei car, her trained ear can tell. She¡¯s never been particularly fond of working on the things¡ªcompact cars make for cramped inner workings¡ªbut she can¡¯t deny the utility.

    She gets a better look from the open garage door as it finds itself a space. It¡¯s an unassuming model with not a blemish on it. That just leaves her curious about who¡¯s behind the wheel...

    ¡°Sorry, gotta step out for a sec. Need to get this customer taken care of.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no problem. I¡¯m in no rush.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Reina briefly excuses herself from the garage and back into the lobby, where her new customer is about to meet her...

    *DING!*

    ¡°Uh, hello!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    That¡¯s a face she recognizes. A fresh-faced college student whose father already knows her well. The memories from that one taxi ride in the rain are coming back to her¡ªhas it really been a year already? She wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d ever see him again...if she¡¯d ever be able to welcome him back into this little world of hers. But fate has a funny way of bringing people back together¡ªand it¡¯s conspired to drag him back into her humble little kingdom.

    ¡°Haruomi! Good to see you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Um, sorry I didn¡¯t call in advance. That¡¯s not a problem, is it?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m happy to do a walk-in. What can I help you with?¡±

    This is the young man¡¯s first time getting his car serviced on his own. Or, well, ¡°his¡± in a practical sense¡ªhis parents moved up to something roomier, leaving the kei car as his hand-me-down. They¡¯re all too happy to just leave the maintenance schedule to him.

    ¡°Well, I was just wondering if you could give my car a general service. I saw the sticker on the windshield, it says an oil change was coming up soon...so it¡¯s about time for that. Maybe you can look and see if there¡¯s anything else that needs work?¡±

    ¡°Certainly! I¡¯ll go ahead and back it into the garage, if you¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Uh, sure, if you¡¯re not busy with anything else. I just, erm...¡±

    Haru was hoping he could¡¯ve caught Reina at a slow time of the day, but as Yuzu enters stage left to join them in the lobby, he realizes there¡¯s a line¡ªand that he¡¯s gotta wait.

    ¡°I just wasn¡¯t sure how long the service would take¡ªI was hoping I could drop it off and have it ready before this evening. I¡¯ve gotta get over to my job in a bit...¡±

    ¡°Hm. Yeah, routine maintenance is around an hour and change with what we do...and I¡¯ve got another car I need to finish up first before I can get to yours.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm...¡±

    Having never taken a car in for maintenance, he had no idea how long it usually took. This threatens to derail his schedule somewhat.

    ¡°Yeah, I might see if I can come back later or something... How long are you open?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re open until 7.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right around the time my shift starts. I don¡¯t wanna bring it in right when you¡¯re closing...¡±

    He could just take the bus after dropping it off, but that wouldn¡¯t get him all the way over there¡ªand close doesn¡¯t quite cut it where he¡¯s going. He¡¯s on loan to the resort at Mount Teine for a part-time gig to prepare for the season...and today, he¡¯ll be helping out for a big, all-hands-on-deck project as the first snow nears. His uncle would normally be available to shuttle him, but he¡¯s got errands of his own today, leaving Haru to find a way up the mountain on his own.

    Figures he¡¯d pick the most awkward time to bring his car in for maintenance.

    ¡°I-If you don¡¯t think it¡¯ll work out, I can just bring my car in some other day. I¡¯m sorry, I should¡¯ve checked ahead of time!¡±

    ¡°No, no, you¡¯re good! I¡¯m just thinking... Where do you work?¡±

    ¡°Over at Mount Teine. I¡¯ve got a part-time job there.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha, gotcha...¡± The gears in Reina¡¯s head are turning fast.

    (I¡¯ve still gotta finish Yuzu¡¯s car...but what if I can call in a favor from her in the meantime?)

    One thing Mr. Shimizu really loves about Aikawa Auto is how flexible they are with their clients¡ªin his view, you just don¡¯t get service like theirs with the big name-brand garages. This is another opportunity for her to put herself a cut above the rest.

    ¡°...Hey, you wanna do me a favor, Yuzu? All he needs is a ride over to Teine, so if you could drop him off real quick, that¡¯ll solve this. He can come back and pick it up in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Me? I mean, sure, but...my car¡¯s still on the lift.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you can go ahead and take mine!¡±

    Yuzu blinks. The weight of those words stuns her, barely even registering in her head and almost making her miss the key when Reina tosses it to her. She doesn¡¯t know whether this is a product of Reina¡¯s cavalier nature or their bond with each other¡ªbut whatever the case, it leaves Yuzu nearly lost for words.

    ¡°I... Your car? You¡¯re really okay with me driving the Road Runner?¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t make me think twice about it!¡± Reina flashes a cheeky grin. ¡°It¡¯s really not that bad¡ªand besides, you¡¯ve got some experience driving Aikawa motors already. A quick little walk in the Road Runner won¡¯t hurt!¡±

    ¡°Hell, think of it as a practice run for all the Star Rider driving you¡¯ll be doing~¡±

    When she frames it that way, Yuzu can¡¯t help but laugh. This girl really does march to the beat of her own drum¡ªyou never can tell what she¡¯s gonna do next. She thinks of a solution to a problem, and then she just does it. Her initiative takes some getting used to, but she can¡¯t deny it gets things done.

    And she can¡¯t argue with her here. She¡¯s gonna have to get used to driving the full-size monsters pretty soon.

    ¡°...Heh. Well, I¡¯ll make sure to bring her back spotless.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡±

    With that, Reina turns to her client, who¡¯s equal parts confused and relieved. Just what kind of scheme did she concoct?

    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s settled, then! If you¡¯re okay with picking your car up in the morning, I can take it in now and finish it tonight.¡±

    Reina¡¯s disarming smile puts him at ease. How can he refuse?

    ¡°Well...alright! If it¡¯s not too much trouble. I think my uncle should me around to pick me up after my shift ends, so I should be able to get back home. I¡¯ll just call him real quick...¡±

    A quick call reveals he¡¯s in luck. The old man¡¯s schedule is blank after he wraps up a few loose ends tonight; the impromptu change of plans will work out after all. If anything, hearing about Reina¡¯s plan only bolsters his pride in supporting the local places.

    That just leaves Yuzu, the final cog in the plan. With a knowing grin, she retreats to the garage to awaken the Road Runner from its slumber.

    ¡°Anything I should know?¡±

    ¡°Heh heh... Just don¡¯t underestimate her and you¡¯ll be fine~¡±

    Yuzu can¡¯t deny she¡¯s excited to give the beast a whirl. Her own car is a snarling monster, punching well above its weight and giving her all the power she could possibly want in that petite package. To think that¡¯s the smallest of Aikawa Auto¡¯s offerings¡ªthat there are tiers of power above that V6 that she¡¯s yet to even fathom. What kind of lunacy can she expect with the one and only 611?

    ...Only one way to find out.

    ¡°Oh, this is weird. This is really weird.¡± She¡¯s been in this car a couple times before, but never on this side of the giant bench seat. It almost feels like she hasn¡¯t earned the right to command this monster somehow...but that¡¯s just silly. Reina herself gave her the go-ahead. All she has to do is put that key in and twist it. Make it hers.

    *RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRrrrRRRRRRRMMMMMM!*

    (GOD ALMIGHTY!)

    She feels like she has to yell her own thoughts just to hear herself, the Road Runner¡¯s roar overpowering her as it echoes off the walls. True to form, it sounds absolutely, apocalyptically mean...but there¡¯s almost an innocence to that, in a strange way. Other road cars will try to mask their mechanical face with sleek electronics and creature comforts to take all the crudeness out of the experience... But not this thing. All you get with this car is an engine, four wheels and a rush like nothing else.

    ¡°...Heh. Alright. I get you, car.¡±

    She finds Haruomi waiting for her outside, who¡¯s treated to the view of a tiger stalking him as it crawls out of the garage. To his uninitiated eye, this...thing is not a car. It is an agent of wanton mayhem, almost as if it came straight out of a movie set.

    And it¡¯s still every bit as scary the second time.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Yuzu calls out to him, having to yell over the 611¡¯s low growl. ¡°Go ahead and hop in! I¡¯ll make this quick, promise.¡±

    Whether Haru wants her to make it quick or not, Yuzu shifts into first and commands the car out of the lot just as he gets himself settled in. Reina sees the two of them off with a wave, getting a brief glimpse at what Yuzu might be like behind the wheel of the impending Star Rider... She approves of how giddy she is at the Road Runner¡¯s helm.

    ¡°Heehee... I can already tell she¡¯s gonna have lots of fun with that thing.¡±

    ***

    Sapporo shuffles one block at a time, the dance of traffic busy as ever in the evening glow. For most, the long work week is finally coming to an end¡ªbut contrary to the trend as ever, the Road Runner and its two occupants are only getting started tonight. Haru has work on the horizon, and Yuzu¡¯s miniature vacation in Sapporo is only the calm before she dives into the storm down south.

    Somehow it just feels more momentous behind the wheel of this thing.

    (Well, it is and it isn¡¯t what I was expecting.) She¡¯s grown accustomed to the Aikawa signature: tons of low-down torque and a very, very responsive throttle. But she feels like her Silvia could only have prepared her for this to a middling extent, because this feels like her Pocket on steroids. No power steering on a car this heavy makes fine maneuvers even more difficult¡ªto say nothing of how careful she needs to be on the throttle. Too much gas and they¡¯ll shoot off to Mercury.

    It¡¯s a challenge, to be sure¡ªwith a learning curve even steeper than the Silvia. But a part of Yuzu finds it...entertaining, for lack of a better term. Like it¡¯s testing her. And true to form, she will master this beast¡ªif not now, than when she reaches the twisties enroute to Teine.

    ¡°Have you really never driven this thing before?¡± Haru can¡¯t help but ask, as she¡¯s holding up a lot better than him.

    (...Maybe I don¡¯t wanna know the answer to that, actually.)

    ¡°I¡¯ve driven its little sister. Reina actually built the engine in my daily driver¡ªthough it¡¯s a much smaller version of this one.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, really? I knew her shop made engines, but I didn¡¯t know they were still doing it!¡±

    ¡°Neither did I...¡± It all feels like so long ago now, she can¡¯t help but chuckle.

    ¡°It took me a while to get used to mine. It really doesn¡¯t drive like a typical car anymore, and it¡¯s not the most practical thing in the world...but it is a lot of fun.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in anything bigger than my kei car... I can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like to drive something like this every day.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Not for the faint of heart.¡±

    Yuzu¡¯s a little astonished to hear herself opening up so quickly. She¡¯s not even with Reina anymore, but some part of her outgoing aura seems to have followed them inside the car. Or hell, maybe it¡¯s the car herself... Haru and Yuzu have both been ferried around in it before. There¡¯s still much about this thing the girl¡¯s yet to understand.

    ¡°So...Reina was saying something about you doing test driving?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yeah. Keep this on the down low, but her shop¡¯s got something really big planned. She reached out to me to test drive their new project soon.¡±

    ¡°I... Wow! I had no idea! Do you test stuff for a job, or...?¡±

    ¡°I race in formula, actually.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding!¡±

    ¡°Heh heh. ¡¯Fraid not.¡±

    There¡¯s something she finds amusing about Haru being so taken aback by her story. She doesn¡¯t even know his, but safe to say he¡¯s far, far removed from the world of steel and engines. That dinky little kei car is more than enough for him...and as she can see just by his posture in the passenger seat, the Road Runner is more than he can handle.

    He doesn¡¯t know the half of it yet, but that can wait just a little longer.

    (Y¡¯know, it kinda makes me wonder...) The last twelve months have really shifted Yuzu¡¯s perspective. She¡¯s seen firsthand Reina¡¯s dedication, her newfound confidence¡ªand she¡¯s seen what it took for her to get to this point. It certainly wasn¡¯t easy, and it certainly wasn¡¯t glamorous...but in time, Reina clawed her way out of the pit she lay in.

    But what does that look like to the uninitiated? To the casual motorist who hasn¡¯t the time nor memory for Reina¡¯s whole life story? Therein lies a greater test than any one junkie or enthusiast: winning the hearts and minds of the greater public.

    Perhaps it¡¯s not her place to ponder on that¡ªshe¡¯s just a test driver, after all¡ªbut she can¡¯t deny she¡¯s curious to hear what other people think about her, and not just people in her immediate circle of friends.

    ¡°So just out of curiosity...¡± Yuzu stares off into the distance, the car starting to drive itself.

    ¡°What do you think of her? Reina, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Reina?¡± Haru briefly hums to himself before his voice trails off, drowned out by the 611¡¯s constant bellow. He didn¡¯t end up talking to her all that much today, but from his recollection,

    (Something about her was...)

    How could be forget that chance meeting in the rain? After the fact, Haru was left wondering if anything about her was actually real or just some exhaustion-induced dream... She felt like such an aberration, a leap from the norm that he wasn¡¯t ready for. And perhaps it was just his own disorientation, but...it felt like she didn¡¯t quite know herself either. There was a tinge of resignation in her voice, a sign that she might be stuck in the past herself, just like her car that day. And when she carried on into the mist on that gloomy November night, he wondered where she was going...and whether she¡¯d ever make it there.

    But the Reina he saw today was a far cry from the old her. At the shop, she exuded a confidence fitting her rebellious exterior. She wasn¡¯t afraid to be herself, because no longer did the future scare her. Whatever happened between then and now, she seems to have found her way... At least, that¡¯s how it appears to Haru¡¯s untrained eye.

    ¡°Well, I met her last year, actually. She drove me back home in place of my uncle once.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh, is that how you know her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And I think she¡¯s kinda...different now.¡±

    That¡¯s enough to draw a rise from Yuzu¡¯s brow.

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Well... I dunno. When I first met her, she was really...humble. I think she actually apologized for telling me about herself. I didn¡¯t really understand why, though. I mean... I thought she was pretty cool.¡±

    (Interesting...)

    ¡°Now I don¡¯t get that anymore, though. She¡¯s really cool and collected... I think she¡¯s way more confident in herself.¡±

    ¡°I dunno, though. That¡¯s just what I got from her. You probably know her better than I do.¡±

    ¡°Well, I do, which is why I asked. I was just wondering what she looked like to somebody other than me.¡±

    She smiles. ¡°It¡¯s nice to know other people can see that confidence too. I think she¡¯s really got it figured out now.¡±

    ¡°When you put it like that, yeah... I guess so.¡±

    ¡°I kinda admire that, honestly... I¡¯m in uni now, but I¡¯m still not sure what I wanna do. I¡¯m just sorta working through gen ed and hoping something hits me.¡±

    Yuzu nods. Perhaps that¡¯s how she would¡¯ve ended up had she gone down that path...but it¡¯s not her place to judge.

    ¡°It must be nice to have a vision like that...y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°Mm...¡± Yuzu can¡¯t speak for Reina¡ªand she certainly can¡¯t speak from everyone. But from her own personal experience...

    ¡°I had to think about that a lot myself. I ended up skipping uni outright because I just couldn¡¯t think of anything I¡¯d actually do there. I think that served me better in the long run, even if it was a big risk.¡±

    ¡°Not telling you to drop out or anything, but you¡¯ll wanna figure that out sooner rather than later.¡±

    ¡°Maybe something with the ski resort. You could be a manager somewhere or something, doesn¡¯t have to be all that glamorous... Just something you¡¯d be happy doing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯ve been thinking about looking at managerial stuff. I¡¯m warming up to the idea of taking over my uncle¡¯s own ski lift.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like as good a plan as any. I¡¯m rooting for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you...¡±

    This brief heart-to-heart ends just in time, as the road ahead is starting to warp before their very eyes. They¡¯ve finally made it through the urban shuffle to the start of the mountain path¡ªsome nine months removed from when the Road Runner last made the trek, and nowhere near as snowy as that white-knuckle Christmas day...but still every bit as twisty. The prospect draws a smile on Yuzu¡¯s face¡ªand a concerned glance on Haru¡¯s.

    ¡°Wh-Whoa, hey¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Gotta make up for traffic. Hold on tight, yeah?¡±

    Haru has no time nor backbone to object before Yuzu brings the Road Runner right up to the speed limit¡ªand maybe a bit above it, depending on the angle. He steels himself as best he can, desperately reaching for something to hold onto. They¡¯re probably not going all that fast in the grand scheme of things, but in a two-ton monster like this, snarling and screaming with every downshift, he feels like they¡¯re throwing all caution to the wind.

    Not that he¡¯ll complain about making up the time, though...

    (Damn, I gotta make sure not to get carried away. This is way too fun.)

    It¡¯s one thing to throw a nimble JDM compact through some mountain twists and turns; it¡¯s another to do it with a car that has no business being here. The Road Runner is a fish out of water, a drag car on touge turf, but it doesn¡¯t care one bit. With Yuzu¡¯s expert footwork, delicately balancing throttle and brake, the Ten-Litre Terror carves its way up the mountain pass, striking fear and awe into all who pass by.

    Yuzu, after having to adjust at first, is reining in the beast quite well now. It¡¯s a lot more keen to cooperate when it¡¯s moving along at a brisk pace, the momentum helping to offset the lack of power steering. And with a clear, dry road beneath them, the Road Runner is a whole lot more cooperative than it was when Reina threw it up the pass.

    In fact, that makes Yuzu want to push it just a little more...

    ¡°Wait wait wait, whooooa, no!¡±

    This has to be the most ridiculous commute of his life. He¡¯s been up and down this mountain pass a fair few times now, but it always felt manageable in his quaint little kei car, even with the occasional wind gust buffeting it around. Here, though, he¡¯s on the edge of his seat¡ªand he can swear the car is on the edge of the road. To Yuzu, however, she sees a much different picture painted in the headlights: a fun, controlled cruise through the mountains of Sapporo, and a prelude to her testing tenure at Tokachi next year.

    ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t help it. This is too fun!¡±

    It¡¯s funny, she thinks to herself. Usually she has more self-restraint than this. Something about the Road Runner must really be getting to her.

    ¡°Okay, we should be almost there.¡±

    (Thank God.)

    They have just enough time to appreciate the scenery as they make their final climb¡ªand what a view it is! The setting sun casts rays of golden light onto the autumn trees, amplifying their bright reds and oranges. From their vantage point above, it¡¯s like they¡¯re staring right into a painting...and despite the high-octane antics, Haru finds himself able to appreciate the view so much more as a passenger than as a driver. For a brief moment, he lets his guard down and feels...excited? Pumped? Something alien to him as far as cars go.

    Of course, it¡¯s quickly replaced by that familiar wide-eyed alarm once they round the corner.

    ¡°Th-This turn is really tight! Be careful!¡±

    ¡°I got it, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    They say confidence kills, but clearly they¡¯ve never met Yuzu Tachikawa.

    ¡°Okay... There we go.¡± At last, she commands the Road Runner through the final turn on their way to the ski complex¡ªand as the lodge comes up ahead, Haru breathes a huge sigh of relief. This has been, without a doubt, the most stressful drive of his young adult life.

    ...So why isn¡¯t he mad? And why doesn¡¯t he regret it?

    ¡°Nice, made good time. Should help after traffic messed us up.¡±

    ¡°Th-Thank you...¡±

    After what feels like an eternity, his feet grace solid ground, and he almost collapses to the floor. His wild ride is finally over...and to be sure, it¡¯s a ride he won¡¯t forget any time soon.

    *Ahem!* ¡°Thank you, seriously, for driving me all the way out here. I really owe you and Reina. You sure you don¡¯t want a tip?¡±

    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry about it. After I cut a little loose on the twisties back there, I¡¯d say we¡¯re even, y¡¯know?¡±

    Hard to argue with that.

    ¡°And I¡¯m sure as hell gonna have more fun on the way back down.¡±

    (All that on the way up wasn¡¯t enough for you...?) At any rate, he¡¯s learned not to question them too much. The ways of petrolheads are simply beyond his understanding.

    And just like that, his second brief glimpse of that other world comes and goes in a flash and a snarl. Just as soon as he opens the door to the lodge to start his shift, he hears the Road Runner bellow to life once again, turning around and blasting its way down the mountain path. Within a minute or two, it escapes his earshot, leaving nothing to imply it was ever here at all... It will persist only in his memory.

    ¡°Man... Reina and her friends are kinda nuts.¡± He lets out a decompressing sigh.

    ¡°...But I guess that¡¯s not all bad.¡±

    It¡¯s an admirable thing to know what you want to do; it¡¯s a lesson he could stand to learn. As chaotic and even offputting as that trip was, it demonstrated to him the steadfast resolve of two young women¡ªtwo who have a crystal-clear vision in their eyes.

    It¡¯s hard to say if their paths will ever cross again. For now, he will continue his steady march through university and part-time work; sooner or later, though, he¡¯ll have to pick a path and stick to it. Reina has already made that choice for herself...and as the seasons continue to change, as the leaves on the branches give way to threats of snow and ice, her next obstacle on the long, long road grows on the horizon to meet her.

    She is more than ready for it.

 21. The Money Lap

    What a difference one year makes... This time last year, Reina was still drifting in the doldrums of fate, every passing day another reminder that her aimless voyage couldn¡¯t last forever. Even her birthday treats, delightful though they were, offered only a distraction from the future, always there, looming on the horizon...

    But this November 17<sup>th</sup> is free from the dread that defined her in years past. Instead, as she wakes up to a cloudy morning sky, her heart races with whimsy and excitement. She¡¯s had this day circled on her calendar for weeks now¡ªand it¡¯s such a joy to have something to look forward to on this day again. It should be a special day, after all...and with all the ¡°celebrations¡± Reina has planned, it¡¯s shaping up to be just that.

    It just might be the best birthday ever.

    ¡°Morning, Mom!¡±

    ¡°Well, hey! And here I thought the birthday girl was gonna sleep in extra late.¡±

    ¡°I tried, believe me, but I¡¯m just too excited. I wanna get on down there already!¡±

    ¡°Heehee! I know, I know. Don¡¯t skip breakfast, though! Can¡¯t have you running on empty now, can we?¡±

    Sami already has the table set for her. Reina¡¯s delighted to see pancakes on the menu this morning, but it¡¯s the sides that really grab her attention.

    ¡°I went and got some pastries for you! Should help tide you over before dinner.¡±

    ¡°Oooh...!¡± Baked goods have always been luxuries in the house as far back as Reina can remember. If you¡¯re gonna shell out the pretty penny these things cost in Japan, you¡¯d better have a good reason for it.

    Lucky for her, Sami views this as a very good reason.

    (Ohhh, that¡¯s delicious...!) It¡¯s been an age since she had pain au chocolat. It¡¯s every bit as scrumptious as she remembers.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you get these?¡±

    ¡°Little patisserie by downtown. I went out and got ¡®em fresh this morning!¡±

    ¡°How the heck did you...¡± She wonders how Sami slipped away without her noticing, but then, when she¡¯s tired, Reina sleeps like a rock.

    ¡°Okay, actually, no, I can see how you did that.¡±

    ¡°I know my daughter pretty well by now~¡± So well, in fact, that she made sure to buy extras. Reina can devour just about anything in seconds flat.

    ¡°Thank you so much...!¡±

    ¡°My pleasure, sweetie...and you bet I¡¯ll be making your favorite for dinner.¡±

    With a mouth full of syrupy goodness, she can¡¯t respond off the bat. She settles for giving her mom a big hug instead.

    (Today¡¯s gonna be great, I just know it!)

    The whistling wind outside reminds Reina that the day is calling. After she finishes up her meal (and polishes off another pastry for good measure,) she puts her trusty jacket on and prepares to get to work.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be down there in a little bit once I finish up some errands. If you need me for anything, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know.¡±

    ¡°I will. Thanks, Mom!¡±

    It¡¯s the company¡¯s biggest day in quite some time...and as Sami watches her daughter walk out with her head held high, she sees that familiar flash of Clara¡¯s bravado in her confident steps. A knowing smile blooms on her face.

    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s got this.¡±

    ***

    It all lined up perfectly. With Reina¡¯s work on the Outrunner design complete, she was able to put in her final orders a few weeks ago¡ªand shipping be damned, she was gonna make this date work. It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.

    Bit by bit, the pieces all fell into place; just last week, the final part washed ashore at last. Every last piece of the grand puzzle is accounted for, from the largest assemblies to the tiniest bolts. All that remains now, as a birthday present to herself, is to build the new engine¡ªbuild the future with her own two hands.

    Needless to say, she can¡¯t wait. That skip in her step and that gleam in her eyes are evidence enough that she¡¯s ready.

    *DING!*

    ¡°Morning, everybody!¡±

    Being the birthday girl, she had dibs over the choice of CDs on the speakers today. Right on cue, she hears the disc flip to her favorite old rock number. She¡¯s a sucker for guitars, and there are plenty of heavy metal bands that grace her favorites...but it¡¯s not the guitar that makes this band her number one. It¡¯s the sweet, inimitable voice of Pat Benatar.

    ¡°We¡¯re runnin¡¯ with the shadows of the night! So baby take my hand, it¡¯ll be alright!¡±

    ¡°Surrender all your dreams to me tonight¡ªthey¡¯ll come true in the end!¡±

    ¡°Heh heh... Yeah. That¡¯s the stuff.¡± That¡¯s a voice she¡¯d die for.

    Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi are manning the early shift, handling one lone car in the garage. They¡¯ll be here both to take the maintenance load off of her and help her out with the build as necessary. It¡¯s an important job, and their expertise will prove invaluable as she works, but deep down, they both acknowledge that they¡¯re not the stars of the show. At this point, there¡¯s only one person on this earth who can claim to understand the mad science of Clara Jennings¡¯ magnum opus.

    Her name is Reina Aikawa.

    ¡°You about ready?¡± Uncle Naoto asks with a calm confidence in his eyes.

    Reina nods. She matches his gaze with an aura this shop hasn¡¯t felt in a long, long time.

    ¡°Yeah... Let¡¯s get this done!¡±

    It¡¯s only fitting that the birthday girl get to open some birthday presents. Not the time of year for a tree, but the corner of the garage will have to do. With the workbench all set up and the stash ready and waiting, Reina quickly digs in and unwraps her many, many boxes. This first gift has been a long time coming...

    ¡°That¡¯s the block?¡±

    ¡°Yup! It¡¯s in this one.¡±

    There¡¯s nothing like getting to open a literal crate full of goodies. She can feel the anticipation building before the first part is even unboxed. She quickly gets it open and takes a gander at the pearl inside...

    ¡°There¡¯s my baby!¡±

    The raw Outrunner engine block, home at last. It¡¯s their first 611 build in years¡ªnot to mention the first of the new generation. It¡¯s familiar yet fresh all the same, sharing many parts and design cues with its ancestor, but carrying with it subtle differences that make it a beast all its own.

    ¡°Ohhh, that¡¯s beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... It really is. Ichimura Foundry did an awesome job with it.¡±

    (Cut me a nice deal too!)

    Step one is just getting the thing on the workbench. The pallet helps with rolling it up to the site, but now comes the tricky part.

    ¡°Okay, you got that side?¡±

    ¡°Yup. One, two...!¡±

    It takes two fully-grown adults to lift this thing up¡ªbut damned if the effort isn¡¯t worth it. With effort, the engine makes it onto the bench...and now, its assembly can finally begin.

    ¡°Phew! Haven¡¯t had to do that in a long, long time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, good thing you¡¯ve still got it. I might¡¯ve had to fire you if you broke my baby.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Clara.¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    They love how casual they keep it here.

    ¡°Okay! First order of business: let¡¯s get that cam in...¡±

    These first steps echo the engine she built for Yuzu¡ªa different form factor, and different details here and there, but still singing those same notes. Even though it¡¯s been years since their last full-size V8, she feels like she already knows the ins and outs of the build. She¡¯s incredibly thankful for the experience that build gave her; it might as well have been training for when this day finally came.

    ¡°Right. Now for the crank... Made sure to get the best stuff for that one.¡± That¡¯s an unavoidable premium with their engines: with the sheer amount of torque load the motor is putting the crankshaft through, it needs to be made of the very best material out there. As a consequence of being so overbuilt, though, the engine really can survive just about anything you throw at it. History can vouch for that.

    ¡°There we go...¡± With effort, Reina gets the crankshaft torqued in, slowly putting the puzzle together while the garage hums along around her. Every now and then, one of the boys will ask if they can bring her anything; she appreciates their help in lugging all the parts over. They¡¯re like a well-oiled machine when they put their minds to it.

    ¡°Nice! That looks good. Just gotta test for rotation there before I move on, aaand...¡±

    A quick test tells all: it runs like clockwork.

    ¡°Perfect. So far, so good!¡±

    She can¡¯t quite resist going and giving the crank another couple spins just for good measure. It¡¯s fun playing around with a half-built engine.

    ¡°...Heehee.¡±

    She could do this for hours if you let her.

    ¡°Okay, enough of that, though. Let¡¯s keep going.¡±

    Similar though this engine may be to the old Pocket, it does immediately balloon in size far beyond anything she¡¯s built on her own. She can shove her whole hand down these bores, dark and cavernous without the pistons inside them. She wonders whether the bench is big enough for all the stuff she¡¯ll have scattered on top of it, or if she¡¯ll need to clean up...

    ¡°Meh, I can worry about that later.¡±

    She doesn¡¯t have to worry about dealing with customers at all today, thankfully. The boys have that base covered, deftly rotating in and out of the garage as a trickle of clients come strolling through the doors. A veritable who¡¯s who of mass-market Japanese cars parade in and out of the garage like some kind of mocking procession, as if trying to taunt the shop with their lucrative business model. But they¡¯re not fazed one bit¡ªthey know they¡¯ve got their ace in the hole right off to the side, hard at work like always.

    When the customers get that brief glimpse of her, they¡¯re the ones who walk away fazed.

    ¡°You holding up okay over here?¡± They do make sure to check up on her every now and again, making sure she¡¯s not in over her head. Uncle Naoto¡¯s amazed with how far Reina¡¯s gotten already.

    ¡°Yup! Doing alright so far. I think it helps that I know this thing like the back of my hand at this point.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh! I¡¯ll say. After all the nights you spent cooped up in the shop hitting the books, you might as well have built it ten times over by now.¡±

    ¡°And another five on the computer.¡±

    ¡°Now where could you have gotten that from?¡±

    Reina chuckles as she takes a break to stretch.

    ¡°Normally I¡¯d be taking my lunch right about now, but I really don¡¯t feel all that hungry... All those pastries must¡¯ve really filled me up.¡±

    ¡°Well, usually you don¡¯t have breakfast at all, so...¡±

    ¡°Okay, you can¡¯t just call out my unhealthy habits like that.¡±

    ¡°Right, my mistake! What does an old fogey like me know anyway?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what kinda nerd takes care of their own body? Lame, I¡¯m tellin¡¯ ya.¡±

    Perhaps this was his way of subtly nudging her toward a break anyway¡ªand perhaps she really did need it. They¡¯ve gotten pretty good at helping her pace herself.

    ¡°In all seriousness, though, thank you both for being here for me.¡±

    ¡°Our pleasure! I remember doin¡¯ the same for Clara back in the day¡ªshe had that same kind of drive to her. You got her started on something and she would not stop on her own. You had to pry her away from it so she wouldn¡¯t zonk out on the floor later.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh... Yeah, that doesn¡¯t sound familiar at all.¡± Reina scratches her head.

    ¡°Hopefully I¡¯m better about that now!¡±

    ¡°Well, just in case you¡¯re not, we¡¯re ready to drag you back home if need be. You¡¯re not missin¡¯ your pasta dinner tonight!¡±

    ¡°No, sir!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Uncle Naoto offers her a pat on the back¡ªa physical reassurance that they¡¯ve got her six. Daunting as this task may be, it¡¯s just that little bit more manageable when you know you¡¯ve got help if you need it.

    With that, Reina gets back to work. The supporting cast keeps the customers at bay while she adds more and more parts to the growing assembly. Sami¡¯s joined the fray now too, and to say she¡¯s proud would be a massive understatement.

    ¡°Man! She¡¯s really flying with the assembly, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we haven¡¯t needed to help her much at all. Just the occasional extra set of hands, but outside of that, she¡¯s got it all under control.¡±

    ¡°No kidding...¡±

    Sami hasn¡¯t seen her daughter this completely engrossed in anything since...well, since the last build, actually, but it¡¯s still quite the occasion. And it speaks to how uniquely she¡¯s wired: most people wouldn¡¯t consider all this work to be a fair birthday present. Most people would see it as an excuse to escape work for a little while, maybe take a vacation, get away from it all for a fleeting moment.

    But not Reina. She still has that whimsical spark in her eyes, that curiosity that makes every new build an adventure. After years and years of coasting along, she finally gets to do what she¡¯s wanted to do her whole life¡ªand is she ever reveling in it.

    Good, Sami thinks to herself. She hopes Reina never loses that passion.

    ¡°Phew! Nice... Now for these.¡±

    Each of the eight cylinders needs a tenant. For that, she gets to work preparing the piston assemblies¡ªand alas, this isn¡¯t exactly the most glamorous part of the build. Eight identical jobs does magnify the tedium somewhat.

    Luckily, she¡¯s got a shoulder or two to lean on.

    ¡°Ahhh, piston rings?¡±

    ¡°Yup. No way to speed this up, sadly.¡±

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± Sami knows just the thing to put the wind back in her sails.

    ¡°Hey, boys! You free?¡±

    Reina briefly puts the piston down. She honestly wasn¡¯t even paying attention to what the other two were doing, but as she looks up, she realizes they¡¯ve just sent a sedan out of the garage, leaving their hands idle for the time being.

    ¡°Four heads are better than one, eh? We¡¯ll each take two.¡±

    ¡°Aww, thanks!¡±

    The moment lines up perfectly to let them all swoop in for help. With their efforts combined, the eight assemblies are ready to go in no time flat¡ªand they¡¯re just as ready to help her slam them into the engine.

    ¡°Aaand...there!¡±

    One by one, the pistons slot in. Ten litres of unbridled power, coming together in blocks. When this thing is finished, it will be a monster of absurd proportions, putting out such dizzying numbers that you¡¯ll wonder if it¡¯s even legal.

    But for now, it¡¯s still just a loose collection of metal and bearings. She¡¯s got a long way to go before it¡¯s ready to sing.

    (Gonna get there eventually, though... Just gotta keep working at it.)

    Reina isn¡¯t sure how much of the build she¡¯ll actually get done today. If time were no object, she¡¯d power through it in one sitting and have it done some time after dark, but that¡¯s where her birthday comes in: she¡¯s on a timer before she has to drop it for the day and give herself some me time. And of all the things that could try and convince her to actually stop working, her favorite food for dinner is probably one of the best.

    But that¡¯s for later, though. Right now, she¡¯s still got plenty of daylight left¡ªand she wants to make the most of it.

    ¡°Man, we¡¯re flying... I think she¡¯s ready for timing now!¡± It¡¯s ready for the crane as well. This¡¯ll be its heaviest load in quite some time¡ªbut thankfully, it¡¯s still up for the job. That¡¯s the nice thing about being so particular about their tools: they know how to spot a winner when they see one. They¡¯ve been using this brand of crane for some thirty years and it¡¯s never let ¡®em down. If it ain¡¯t broke, don¡¯t fix it.

    ¡°Heh heh. Almost looks kinda cute hanging from the crane like this.¡±

    This part of the build still makes her just a bit apprehensive, but after all the time she spent obsessively researching the Outrunner¡¯s updated timing, she likes to think she knows the score now. Nonetheless, she has the group spotting her, ready to double-check her work. Slowly, the timing system rises from the workbench and onto the suspended engine.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Okay, line that up there. You go here...¡± It¡¯s a game of inches¡ªif even. She needs the timing lined up exactly, or the engine will throw a fit at best and tear itself apart at worst. She may never grow as comfortable with the process as Clara used to be...but she¡¯s got a long career ahead of her, and plenty of time to adjust to these intricate builds. She trusts it¡¯ll start to click eventually.

    ¡°Just making sure, is this right?¡±

    Sami peers over her shoulder to check...or rather, she would, if her daughter didn¡¯t have almost a foot on her. Where did she get all that height from?

    ¡°That looks correct to me. Lemme double-check with the book you¡¯ve got...¡±

    It¡¯s a strange feeling for Sami, knowing Reina is the expert now. She¡¯s the one leading the charge; she¡¯s the one who knows this engine best. All she can do is back her up.

    ¡°...Yeah. I don¡¯t see any problems here. Boys?¡±

    ¡°Looks good to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± That¡¯s a load off her back.

    As much as they¡¯d love to stay and shadow her some more, another customer has entered the fray. Uncle Naoto sorties to the lobby while Old Man Takashi gets the garage door opened once more; Sami, meanwhile, takes a moment to watch her daughter at work before heading out herself.

    (Time flies, doesn¡¯t it?)

    Sometimes, Sami wonders what could¡¯ve been. If she went down the mechanical route and devoted herself to engine designs like Clara did. Would she be of more help today? Would she perhaps be the one in Reina¡¯s shoes there, paving the way for the next generation of the auto company?

    ...Just as soon, though, she concludes it¡¯s not really worth dwelling on that. The past is the past¡ªand of all the great many paths the shop could¡¯ve taken, this is the reality they face. This is Reina¡¯s ship to helm now...and she¡¯s already doing a stellar job.

    This really is for the best.

    ¡°Man, I wasn¡¯t expecting that to go so smoothly...¡± Reina can¡¯t help but marvel at her pace. For the first Outrunner build, she really was expecting a lot more snags and roadblocks throughout the day¡ªnot to say she wasn¡¯t confident in herself, but the best laid plans, and all. Outside of a couple little hitches here and there, though, the build has been going swimmingly! She feels like she¡¯s over the hump with the timing system behind her; now that the actual mechanical rhythm of the engine is in place, she just needs to focus on the parts surrounding it.

    Progressing from bare metal and bearings to gaskets and hoses gives her a real feeling of progress as she continues with the build. The engine is starting to look more and more like a finished powerplant, striking in its sheer size. Just the way she likes it.

    ¡°I might be able to start her today after all...!¡±

    Call it gaming the system, but whatever this deadline is doing to her head, it¡¯s working: if she gets the whole assembly finished before the little hand strikes six, she¡¯ll be able to wheel the motor over to their test stand and give it a ceremonial first start. Needless to say, Reina is dying to hear this thing in action for the first time; it¡¯d be the best birthday present of her life. But she¡¯s still got a ways to go before it¡¯s ready for action¡ªand the boys are making sure she doesn¡¯t use herself up too quickly.

    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re working fast! Not cutting corners, though, are ya?¡±

    ¡°Hah. Wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s our Reina!¡±

    There¡¯s still a lot that needs doing, but Reina¡¯s starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The core of the motor is just about done; she just needs to add the parts around it that supply all the air, fuel and current it needs. Lots of pumps, hoses, gaskets, the works.

    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be too tough...¡± Clara¡¯s old book is proving an incredible help every step of the way. Despite Reina having to fill in some of the blanks herself, the treasure trove of information it provides lets her reference every little minor detail she could possibly need. She thanks her grandmother in her head... She hopes Clara knew just how big this would be when she was writing it. It¡¯s one of the keys to this entire project.

    ¡°Aaand there!¡±

    It¡¯s beginning to look a lot like power. Just a few more additions to the block and it¡¯ll be ready...and not a moment too soon!

    ¡°Alright, Reina!¡± Sami walks by to give her the sit-rep.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna take the car back up to the house and start working on dinner. It¡¯ll be ready in just about an hour, so that¡¯s how long you¡¯ve got, okay? I¡¯ll come back and pick you up.¡±

    ¡°Mhm! Gotcha!¡±

    ¡°And no staying late unless you finish this thing right at the buzzer, got it? No overtime allowed today!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I suppose if pasta¡¯s on the table, then I can bring myself to stop!¡±

    ¡°Good! Now go kick ass!¡± Sami pats her on the back and takes her leave.

    ¡°Heh heh. You got it!¡± She hears the Road Runner fire up outside, that familiar 611 sounding off as it trundles up the hilly suburban street. In an hour¡¯s time, it¡¯ll return to collect its due.

    So begins Reina¡¯s final sprint of the day¡ªan hour of power to get the Outrunner ready to roll. One last customer and one last coupe keep Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi busy...but not for long. They too are eager to hear the future of the shop come roaring to life, and after they finish their work on the car, they send it out to free their hands.

    ¡°...You think we can go ahead and lend her a hand?¡±

    ¡°Yeeeah, I think she deserves it.¡±

    Reina catches them in the corner of their eye. She¡¯s never seen them so...capricious before. She can see the giddiness in their eyes, their heads curiously craning to take the new motor in from every angle. At their core, despite their age, they¡¯re just as obsessed as she is¡ªand that¡¯s quite fine by her.

    ¡°Good timing! You wanna chip in?¡±

    ¡°Do we!¡±

    ¡°Good! Here¡¯s the rundown...¡±

    Without missing a beat, Reina puts the two to work. She¡¯s gotten most of the difficult parts out of the way, leaving only the routine, rehearsed parts of the build left. That gives them the perfect opportunity to get cracking as a group of three, finishing strong to end the day.

    ¡°Goes like this, right?¡±

    ¡°Yup! Perfect. I don¡¯t blame you for asking, that¡¯s new for this design.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not quite the same as the old one. Just little differences here and there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m expecting it to sound pretty similar too. Maybe just a bit less lumpy? But it¡¯ll still be a total monster, trust me.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want it any other way.¡±

    The sun threatens to set; the hour draws near, but Reina and the gang refuse to slow down. She wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d be able to pull it off, realistically speaking, but with their help, it¡¯s looking more and more optimistic by the minute. She might pull this off!

    (I¡¯ll have my pasta AND eat it too, thank you very much!)

    In the meantime, Old Man Takashi excuses himself. The writing is on the wall that the motor will be ready for a test in time after all; he takes the liberty of getting the test stand ready in advance. It¡¯s been quite some time since they last used it, but the old dog knows it like the back of his hand.

    ¡°There we are...!¡± It¡¯s gathered a bit of dust, but a quick brushing off and it comes back nice and spiffy. He wheels it over to the waiting workbench, the anticipation building with every passing second.

    (Man... This is really happening!) Within minutes, Reina and Uncle Naoto have knocked out more of the engine while he was away. In this moment, the new boss is unstoppable!

    ¡°Well, I think we¡¯re gonna make it!¡±

    That meal¡¯s undoubtedly in the oven by now. Sami might even be on her way back to the shop in the trusty old Road Runner. But with a few precious minutes to spare, Reina has beaten them both to the punch. A great exhale and a proud smile adorn the scene as she stands up and marvels at her creation.

    The Outrunner is finished!

    ¡°Yeah, baby!¡± Reina high-fives Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi, a triumphant celebration washing over the shop floor. She can¡¯t take her eyes away from it... It¡¯s just so beautiful!

    ¡°Oh, you beautiful, beautiful thing...!¡± Reina takes a moment to just walk around and take it all in. ¡°She came out even better than I could¡¯ve hoped... She¡¯s gonna sound so good!¡±

    She might as well be on Cloud Nine right now: the first of the new engines rises from the shop floor on her birthday, with a congratulatory dinner soon to follow. What more could she possibly want?

    ...Well, aside from one very important thing, of course. That¡¯s coming in just a few minutes.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s get her on the stand!¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡±

    There will be some concessions to make, of course¡ªwithout the cooling system fully integrated, they can¡¯t run it for very long. They can¡¯t do much with it at all, really, aside from hear it run. But that¡¯s more than enough of a reward for their long day of work...and it¡¯ll help make the wait for the car itself more bearable. However long it takes Tetsukura Chassis to finish their work, they can rest assured that there¡¯ll be a brand-spanking-new engine waiting for them up in Sapporo.

    ¡°Okay, that should be good...¡± Getting the engine hooked up is a cumbersome endeavor, but Reina can autopilot through it for the most part¡ªespecially with the other two helping her. Curiously, though, before they can fire up the Outrunner, another engine comes fading into their ears... Its older cousin, as it were. Sami¡¯s arrived just in time to watch her daughter unleash the future.

    ¡°Well, hot damn! You pulled it off!¡±

    ¡°Yes we did! And you¡¯re just in time¡ªwe¡¯re gonna fire her up and see how she sounds! Surely I¡¯ve got enough time for that, right?¡±

    Sami checks her watch...and while it¡¯s about a minute past six, she can forgive her daughter for breaking the limit. Even she¡¯s been looking forward to this.

    ¡°Haha... Oh, alright. I just took the pasta out of the oven, so you¡¯ve got a few minutes while it cools before it¡¯s ready to serve. Make it count, Reina!¡±

    There are still a couple more steps to take before the engine finally breathes. As with the Silvia¡¯s new V6, they crank it over dry to build up oil pressure, taking note of how the motor sounds as the starter motor spins it. It all checks out to their keen ears¡ªa healthy, even crank with not a hint of compression woes. It even sounds the same as the old Road Runner does, with its high-pitched hummingbird whine.

    This prelude is so good at building the tension.

    ¡°Oh, man, my hands are shaking.¡± Reina can barely contain herself. ¡°I think she¡¯s finally ready to start...!¡±

    Sami can¡¯t help but find her daughter adorable. She¡¯s primed to explode just like the engine is, her passion and love for her craft plain for them all to see. This is the culmination of years and years of dreams and doubts, fighting and frustration¡ªand not just Clara Jennings¡¯ magnum opus, but Reina¡¯s own as the future of the auto shop. The moment she turns that key, a new chapter in Aikawa Auto¡¯s history, long awaited over these trying years, will finally announce itself to the world.

    And it will be loud.

    ¡°Alright, everybody. Ready?¡±

    The cast nods. Reina matches with a smile from ear to ear.

    ¡°Alright... Fire in the hole!¡±

    *RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRMMMMMMMMMMMM!*

    The instant the Outrunner¡¯s bestial bellow hits her eardrums, Reina is overcome by a storm of emotions she can¡¯t even begin to describe. It¡¯s perfect. All this work, all this uncertainty, all this time spent walking her long and winding path... It was all worth it to hear this monster awaken at last.

    ¡°That¡¯s my baby...!¡±

    She almost wants to cry. The feeling of release is too much for her to take. All this time, she had to convince herself she was worthy of the Aikawa name while not being able to see her progress at all; she had to trust in herself to put it all together. Now, she can see it...hear it...feel it. This is the future she¡¯s built¡ªand it sounds like a raging dragon.

    ¡°Hats off to you, sweetie,¡± Sami proudly announces. ¡°This is a damned beautiful engine you¡¯ve built.¡±

    ¡°Thank you... Thank you so much...!¡±

    Reina knows they can¡¯t run it too long in this configuration, but she wishes she could just let it serenade her forever. For now, though, her cooler half prevails, and with a gentle flick, she lets the engine sleep. Its time will come eventually¡ªand though the car¡¯s body isn¡¯t quite ready yet, she can take solace in knowing its core, its beating heart is more than ready to roll. It should make the wait just that little bit more manageable.

    ¡°Happy birthday, Reina.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve earned it!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, everybody...¡± Now Reina can¡¯t stop the tears at all. ¡°Thank you so much for believing in me this whole time... I¡¯m so happy it worked out...!¡±

    ¡°Aww, honey...¡± Sami can hear the relief in Reina¡¯s voice. No matter the confidence she found in herself, this must have still been weighing heavy on her...

    Reina feels a reassuring pair of arms wrapping around her.

    ¡°It¡¯s everything you deserve.¡±

    An impromptu group hug breaks out on the spot. Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi are so deeply proud themselves of the woman Reina¡¯s grown up to be... A woman with the vision and the skill to see her dreams through. Where lesser people¡ªand even lesser versions of herself¡ªwould cower and back down at such a daunting project, today¡¯s Reina has taken it all in stride. There¡¯s no denying that fact now; all you need to do is twist the key and listen to that new motor run, and you¡¯ll have all the proof you¡¯ll ever need.

    Whatever happens from here on out, whatever twists and turns they run into on the long and winding road...they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Reina can make it work.

    ¡°Alright... I think it¡¯s been long enough. Let¡¯s treat you to a nice birthday dinner, eh?¡±

    Reina wipes her eyes, her smile radiant.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The boys celebrate and wave her farewell as she bids the shop adieu for the day, Sami twirling the key to the Road Runner around her finger. No way she was gonna make the birthday girl walk all the way back home, of course!

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to drive if you don¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°I know¡ªbut I do want to. Least I can do for the girl who just built an engine!¡±

    ¡°Heehee. Fair enough.¡±

    As much as she loved getting to build the new engine today, she admits she really does need a break. She all but sinks into the bench seat, her eyes struggling to keep themselves open as Sami gets herself situated.

    *RRRrrrRRRRMMMM!*

    ¡°The new engine does sound a little different compared to this...but I can still hear the family resemblance. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll do just fine.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She¡¯s both proud and relieved to know she doesn¡¯t have to rely on the old Road Runner so much anymore. All these years, she¡¯s pushed it as far as it could go¡ªdemanded increasingly daunting jobs from it, and it gave her everything it had left. It is a fish out of water, just like her...an old car in a new world, struggling to hold on as the river of time threatens to wash it away. But like her, the car found a way through it all... Now, Reina hopes, she can give it the rest it deserves.

    But first, it¡¯s got a quick, easy drive to do.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ***

    Is it fair to call this a victory lap? That¡¯s how it feels to Reina, at any rate. She knows she has a ways to go on her grand journey, still fraught with obstacles aplenty...but for today, she sees fit to congratulate herself for getting this far. These moments are what make the whole trip worth it, after all: getting to slow down and bask in the fruits of one¡¯s labor, together with her family. The warm, inviting heat of her home, the lights contrasting the twilight outside, the mouth-watering aroma of fresh food... It all makes her want to jump for joy.

    ¡°Yup! Still nice and warm, heh heh.¡± With rehearsed motions, Sami gets out the plates and silverware, all but ordering Reina to sit herself down at the table and let herself take a break. After all her work on the Outrunner, she will carry no weight in the kitchen today, however small.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, I used to feel bad about your birthdays, honestly. You never really asked for much growing up¡ªjust your favorite foods and maybe a track day or something. These meals I make really aren¡¯t that special, though!¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on! They¡¯re special to me.¡± Reina knows this recipe¡ªshe can make it herself any time she wants. But there¡¯s something about her mother¡¯s cooking that she just can¡¯t match, no matter how much she agonizes over the details. It just hits different when it¡¯s being made for you.

    ¡°And you can play humble pie all you want, but that¡¯s not gonna stop me from absolutely devouring this.¡±

    ¡°Well, no, you¡¯ve got me there.¡±

    Dinner is served. Sami sets the table, Reina eagerly eyeing her plate like a shark hunting for prey. Once Sami has joined her across the table, they both hungrily dig in...

    ¡°Mmmm-MM! Ohhh, man, that¡¯s good!¡±

    ¡°I tried adding some extra stuff to the sauce this time. Turn out okay?¡±

    ¡°Turned out delicious!¡± Reina takes another bite, and the explosion of flavor all but knocks her out. She throws her head back against her chair, eyes closed and face awash with joy. She really doesn¡¯t need much, as Sami alluded to... When she¡¯s not tinkering with cars and engines down at the shop, it¡¯s the simple joys in life that fill her humble heart. Good food, a warm home and the company of family... What more could she need on her birthday?

    For Sami, watching her daughter¡¯s face light up, these birthdays always make her feel like the luckiest mom in the world.

    (She¡¯s just the sweetest little girl I could¡¯ve ever asked for...)

    Reina savors every bite and gets right back up for more, scooping her way through the casserole dish until she¡¯s taken her fair share. Sami¡¯s recipe makes a bit much for two people, but that¡¯s not a bad thing in Reina¡¯s book at all¡ªit just means she¡¯ll have even more to eat leftover later.

    ¡°Would I be a bit too greedy in asking if there¡¯s dessert too...?¡± Reina questions cutely.

    ¡°Sorry, nothing this year. Strict budgets and all that.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Fair point.¡±

    ¡°Pfft, no! Of course I got you a cake! You kidding me?¡±

    Now that she thinks about it, though, she should¡¯ve taken it out of the freezer sooner. It¡¯ll need to soften up a bit before they can properly cut into it. Now¡¯s as good a time as any to unveil it to the waiting birthday girl, though...

    ¡°The tire was a hit last year, so they styled this one like a steering wheel!¡±

    ¡°Aww, you shouldn¡¯t have! This looks amazing!¡±

    ¡°Just gotta wait a few minutes before it¡¯s ready to slice. You¡¯ll manage, though, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll find a way. Poor, poor me.¡±

    It¡¯s just so nice to be in good spirits again¡ªit makes her birthdays that much better.

    ¡°Happy birthday, Reina.¡±

    ¡°Thank you... It feels so nice that I¡¯ve really earned this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t need to earn it at all, silly.¡± Sami gives her daughter another gentle hug. ¡°I¡¯ll always love you no matter what, and you know that.¡±

    ¡°Heehee. Yeah... You too, Mom.¡±

    ¡°You really did knock it out of the park today, though... You said a few more months and the frame will be ready?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Once Tetsukura gets the prototype up here, we can get the engine in...and then it¡¯s on to testing. Honestly, that¡¯s kinda the part I¡¯m nervous about the most.¡±

    Sami cocks her head. ¡°How come?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just... I feel like it¡¯s easier to build something good on paper than in practice. The engine is done, the chassis is coming along, but the real test will be driving it to see how well it holds up in the real world.¡±

    The Road Runner¡ªby all accounts, her measuring stick¡ªsits pretty on the street just outside their home. She can¡¯t help but steal a glance at it... It¡¯s the standard she strives for.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the Road Runner. It¡¯s not the old 611. It¡¯s something all new, and that means I¡¯ve really gotta make sure it measures up. It has to be worthy of the name, y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°I just feel like I¡¯ve gotta figure out a really thorough way to test it¡ªto see just how good it really is.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Sami nods sagely. There¡¯s a lot more going into the Star Rider than just its powerplant¡ªit¡¯s a complete reimagining of what Aikawa Auto can do. And like any piece of precision machinery, the new car will need to be forged in fire. They can¡¯t rely on their past reputation for power and reliability to carry sales into the future. Legacy simply doesn¡¯t cut it in the cutthroat automotive world; you have to earn your place in it, each and every day.

    Sami agrees with Reina¡¯s assessment: she¡¯ll need to put this prototype through the wringer and back if she wants to be confident in its success.

    ¡°...Well, I think we can cross that bridge when we get there. There¡¯s still a lot to do before it¡¯s ready for testing¡ªand I think you¡¯re already heading in the right direction there with Yuzu helping out.¡±

    ¡°True. I just don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be enough.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can come up with, then. I might not know as much as you or Clara about building engines, but I can certainly put them through their paces.¡± Being in her 50s with a bad back is not about to stop her from contributing however she can.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do some thinking¡ªand in the meantime, I¡¯ll talk to the guys over at Tokachi about scheduling some regular testing. You might even be able to get their staff to cook up some stuff for you.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead and leave that to me, alright? You just focus on the path ahead of you.¡±

    It¡¯s so nice to have that shoulder to lean on. Reina¡¯s face melts into a warm smile, her mother¡¯s words able to put her at ease in a way few other things can.

    ¡°Thank you... That would be a massive help.¡±

    ¡°My pleasure. Really, it¡¯s the least I can do. I gotta start pulling my weight on the project!¡±

    Reina chuckles. Sami¡¯s already done so much for her.

    ¡°Now c¡¯mon, I said no overtime today¡ªand letting work occupy your mind counts too. You¡¯ve got a nice, delicious cake waiting for you, so go on and eat up!¡±

    ¡°Heehee! Alright, alright!¡±

    It goes without saying that the cake is delicious.

    ***

    One more November 17<sup>th</sup> come and gone...this one on a much brighter note than the last. No longer does reality loom over Reina like a cloud, threatening her with 364 more days of tumult and tension; no longer does she feel like this one happy day is a distraction from her fate. This feels like the beginning to something even brighter... Something that will help her weather the coming winter, and come out the other side with her head held high.

    ¡°Ahhh... Thank you so much...¡± All that eating has made Reina a tired lass¡ªto say nothing of the hard labor throughout the rest of the day.

    ¡°Hit the spot?¡±

    ¡°You have no idea.¡± She¡¯s not actually sure how she¡¯s going to make it up out of her chair.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a shower and then decompress for a bit. Might go to bed early tonight, actually¡ªI¡¯m whooped!¡±

    ¡°Go right ahead! You¡¯ve more than earned it.¡±

    Sami will be cleaning up for the both of them¡ªultimately the least she can do after the herculean effort Reina pulled in the garage today. She¡¯s happy to support Reina in the same way that Reina herself supports everyone. And as she watches Reina slowly excuse herself from the dining room table, she¡¯s reassured once more that it¡¯s all worth it.

    ¡°You take it easy now, sweetie.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡±

    And just like that, Sami is left with only her thoughts for company. The dripping water, the faint hum of the heater, the nocturnal ambiance creeping in from outside... It feels like another night already, so soon after the day¡¯s festivities ended.

    Perhaps that¡¯s more to do with Sami, though. Now she can¡¯t stop thinking about the future...about that observation Reina made.

    (She¡¯s still so focused on measuring up, comparing herself to the past...and maybe I can¡¯t change that. Hell, maybe I shouldn¡¯t. But if that¡¯s how she feels like framing this...) Sami furrows her brow. She is the one who embodies the past... She and that beast of a car parked right outside.

    (...Then I think I know something that might work.)

    That will come in time. For now, there¡¯s a long, long winter ahead of them¡ªa test of patience before the promised hour. It gives Reina and Sami both plenty of time to think...both about the future, and the past.

    That, more than anything else, will serve as the Star Rider project¡¯s biggest test. After standing on the shoulders of giants all her life, Reina must now surpass them. Perhaps that is what she sees on her path¡ªthat final hurdle to crest on her journey to the stars.

    ...Perhaps that is where Sami can help her most.

 22. Awakening

    Akane Tetsukura has never been to Sapporo. It¡¯s hard to find a reason to, especially in these waning weeks of winter, when the drab grays still cover the shivering landscape. And if the snow and ice doesn¡¯t shy visitors away, the sheer emptiness and isolation of Hokkaido deters just as well¡ªnot even the bullet train makes the island any smaller. In the end, Japan¡¯s frozen north is just too far off the beaten path, a world away from the norm.

    ...Luckily, Akane Tetsukura never cared for normalcy.

    ¡°Been a while, huh, Pop?¡±

    ¡°Never at all in this weather... I only ever came up here when it was warmer. Still, just from looking around, it¡¯s starting to come back to me.¡±

    ¡°Wonder if the shop looks any different?¡±

    ¡°Well, only one way to find out. Let¡¯s get crackin¡¯!¡±

    She¡¯s been looking forward to this for months. As soon as Reina gave her the green light, they hit the ground running with the prototype shell for the Star Rider. Months and months of blood, sweat and tears have finally led them here to Sapporo, where they will present their work to their waiting client. They¡¯ve been watching the shipment closely, and they¡¯ve just gotten word that it¡¯s finally washed ashore in Otaru, just outside Sapporo. Not much longer now before it finally reaches the shop...

    ¡°I¡¯m still surprised they opened their shop all the way up here to begin with¡ªand that they¡¯re still here, really.¡±

    ¡°I think if I remember right, Clara¡¯s husband had family in the area¡ªhe might¡¯ve been from here, originally. That¡¯s why they moved back after they got married.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense.¡± It¡¯s hard to find a place like home.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t feel like joining them, though?¡±

    ¡°Nooo, no. Gets cold enough back home as is.¡±

    ¡°And thank you for that! I¡¯d get to ride my bike what, two months a year up here?¡±

    ¡°Haha! To each their own. It worked for Clara, and that was all she needed.¡±

    It¡¯s been an age since Mr. Tetsukura last found himself on this road... The muscle memory is slowly coming back. Keep going, past the bridge, until you see the tiny little side street jutting out of the mountainside...

    ¡°Oh? Is this it?¡± Akane gets the memo when her father starts slowing down.

    ¡°Yup...¡± A nostalgic smile works across his face. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    For the very first time, Akane gets to see Aikawa Auto with her own two eyes. It¡¯s every bit as bold as Reina herself¡ªstanding out for its own sake, paying no regard to the environment around it. It doesn¡¯t fit in with any of the unassuming homes, businesses and apartment complexes in the neighborhood, and it doesn¡¯t care to. It is what it is.

    ¡°Oh, she shoveled, hah!¡±

    ¡°Talk about rollin¡¯ out the red carpet for us!¡±

    These last few months have been slow and silent for the company¡ªjust biding their time, waiting for the day when it can all come together. Though winter isn¡¯t ready to release its grip on the north yet, Akane can feel a certain warmth, an energy radiating from the shop¡¯s red brick walls...like it knows the time is nigh.

    And indeed, waiting somewhere in there is the beating heart of a monster.

    ¡°The hauler should be here in a few minutes. Let¡¯s go ahead and park off to the side.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t wanna get in the way!¡±

    Just as well they arrived when they did, because the one and only boss at the shop has been dying for something to do. Just as they park and step back out into the biting March wind, the garage door opens to welcome them to Aikawa Auto.

    ¡°Morning~!¡± Reina Aikawa greets them with a smile and a wave, trying not to let her sheer excitement for the day¡¯s itinerary erode her calm exterior.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting!¡±

    ¡°Oh, not a problem. I think it¡¯ll be more than worth it! Come on in, looks like there¡¯s still time before the trailer gets here.¡±

    Reina decided to make herself a cup of hot chocolate to help pass the time. It does wonders on a cold morning like this. Expecting company, she offers Akane and her father a cup.

    ¡°Oh man, that looks so good. Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I figured you might be cold. Hokkaido winters suck.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±

    Now that they¡¯ve settled in¡ªand now that they can feel their ears again¡ªAkane and Mr. Tetsukura can take a quick look around the garage they¡¯ve found themselves in. They feel like they¡¯ve all but stepped into a time capsule: vintage tools, parts and memorabilia line the walls, telling a story decades in the making. Both sides of the Pacific come together to create an intriguing blend, accompanied by some of America¡¯s greatest old hits playing loud and proud on the speakers.

    ¡°Gotta say, pretty nice place!¡±

    ¡°Thanks! It¡¯s seen better days, but once our project gets rolling, I wanna dedicate some time to sprucing the place up. If all goes well, we¡¯ll be pretty busy here!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet. And speaking of...¡± Akane tries to spy the treasure buried somewhere inside the garage. ¡°Mind showing me that fancy new engine you¡¯ve got?¡±

    Reina chuckles. ¡°Right this way!¡±

    Like with the old Road Runner back in the day, Reina¡¯s kept the project veiled from the public at large¡ªa surprise only to be unleashed when it¡¯s well and truly ready. That air of secrecy makes Reina feel that much more excited about the whole thing... It¡¯s just so much fun getting to work on something nobody else knows about yet.

    These two, of course, have exclusive passes, leading them at Reina¡¯s behest to a walled-off corner of the garage floor. A simple rolling chest or two and an inconspicuous layer of tarp are all they need to keep the waiting Outrunner under wraps. With a glint in her eye, Reina gets ready to raise the curtain...

    ¡°Aaalright.¡± The anticipation lingers in the air like a dense cloud of fog just waiting to lift.

    ¡°Here she is!¡±

    ¡°Whoooa!¡±

    First impressions are very positive. This is no ordinary engine¡ªnot even by bombastic V8 standards. It¡¯s Aikawa homebrew at its very finest, and Akane can see the craftsmanship evident in every last nook and cranny of the new-age 611. After seeing its crude 3D imitation all these months, finally feasting her eyes on it in person is a beautiful payoff.

    ¡°She looks awesome!¡±

    ¡°Wait until you hear how she sounds~¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll need a nice car to go with it, eh?¡±

    As if on cue, they hear the grumble of a diesel coming up the road¡ªthe transport. Now it¡¯s time for Reina¡¯s own big payoff: all the time, all the trust she put into her partnership with Tetsukura Chassis is finally bearing fruit.

    ¡°Right on time!¡±

    Veiled in tarpaulin, the only hints at the car¡¯s audacious exterior are subtle curves where the veil hugs the frame. It¡¯s made its journey incognito from the docks at Kanazawa all the way here to the Aikawa garage. Until now, it¡¯s only been spoken of in whispers...

    Very soon now, it¡¯ll speak for itself.

    ¡°Yup, there¡¯s good!¡± Reina directs the transport where it needs to go, ready to release the car from its clutches. The snow breaks for just long enough to show her a clear, unspoiled scene as it comes off the trailer, the tires crunching on a thin layer of powder beneath.

    ¡°Man, I still can¡¯t believe it... It¡¯s here! It¡¯s finally here!¡±

    ¡°And we made sure it was worth the wait!¡±

    After ponying up for the service, Reina bids the transport farewell¡ªthough the driver wishes he could¡¯ve stayed a little longer. He was dying to know what was under that tarp, in spite of the client¡¯s request to keep it all under wraps.

    But he¡¯ll know plenty in the coming months. That much is certain.

    ¡°Well...?¡± Akane expectantly turns to Reina.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Her hands shiver, one part cold and two parts excitement. She feels like the moment she unveils the beast, she¡¯ll be locked into this path, only ever looking forward until she shoots the moon or burns out trying. She¡¯s passed the point of no return now¡ªwith the car, the engine and the mandate to bring this project to life.

    ...Bring it on, she says. She¡¯s flying high no matter what.

    ¡°Here we go...!¡±

    Slowly, with all the anticipation of a lifelong dream behind her, Reina unleashes the beast.

    ¡°Oh...my...God...!¡±

    She can barely even process what she¡¯s seeing. Really, she¡¯s seen this exact thing so many times in 3D models and roughly-drawn mockups before, but to see it in the flesh, to reach out and touch it, gives her an indescribable release. It¡¯s everything the Star Rider set out to be¡ªbold, defiant, commanding attention everywhere it goes. Combining form with function in a way that¡¯ll make it a beauty for the eyes and even better for the soul.

    This is it. It¡¯s go time.

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect! Absolutely perfect! You did such an amazing job on this!¡±

    ¡°Haha! Glad you like it! Really, Pop did most of the work¡ªI¡¯m still learning the ropes with a lotta stuff.¡±

    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t sell yourself short! I never could¡¯ve done something like this myself!¡±

    ¡°Girl, you built an engine.¡±

    Reina chuckles defeatedly. ¡°Alright, fair.¡±

    ¡°Now let¡¯s get it outta the cold! Sooner we can drop that engine in, the better.¡±

    ¡°You said it!¡±

    Reina has to resist jumping inside and just ogling the interior for hours and hours on end; as validating as that would be, they have a job to do first. With effort, the team at the shop gets the full-size prototype through the open door and into the safety of the garage. They won¡¯t have any customers to bother them as they get to work on the car¡ªfor just this one day, Aikawa Auto is closed to the outside world. The garage door slowly lowers behind them...and with that, it¡¯s time for them to lock in and get busy.

    ¡°So yeah! I¡¯d say the extra time to kit it out down at our shop paid off¡ªwe don¡¯t have as much work to do here in exchange. If all goes well, it should be ready to drive by the end of the day!¡±

    ¡°Awesome! Yeah, the wait nearly killed me, but in the end, it was probably a lot more convenient than getting all those parts shipped up here instead.¡±

    ¡°Mmmhm. I think that¡¯s the best way to go about this once we hit production, really.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, for convenience¡¯s sake, it¡¯d be easier to ship the engine down to Kanazawa instead of sending everything else up here. You¡¯d just need to get good at installing the motor down there yourselves.¡±

    ¡°I think we can figure something out. We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get there.¡±

    ¡°True, true. For now, we¡¯ve gotta get this very first one on the road!¡±

    With excitement palpable in the air, Reina and Akane dive into the integration, the supporting cast coming out of the woodwork to help them out. It is, understandably, a mammoth job¡ªand they¡¯ll need all hands on deck for this one. Reina quickly wheels out the waiting 611, while Mr. Tetsukura helps direct the rest of the team through the interior and exterior connections.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got the documentation all ready, right?¡±

    ¡°Yup! Just like you asked.¡± Akane produces a stout notebook filled with the prototype¡¯s specs and assembly instructions.

    ¡°Good! That¡¯ll be a big help for when I start working on some of the supplemental stuff.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh, right, yeah, you kinda do need to make a manual for this whole thing.¡±

    ¡°I do¡ªand I¡¯ve got plans for that. But that¡¯s for waaay later.¡±

    First order of business: making sure everything is accounted for. Before the engine can go in, they need to be damn sure it¡¯s got everything it needs inside the engine bay¡ªpipes, hoses, connectors, the whole nine yards. They don¡¯t want to lift the 611 in and out any more than they need to.

    It does give them a unique opportunity to test the 611¡¯s modular focus for themselves, though. The engine is designed to be sold standalone, just as the old motors were¡ªand that means prospective buyers will be dropping them into cars of all shapes and sizes. They need to be easy to install, or it somewhat defeats the point.

    ¡°Lemme just get my list here. Check... Check... Check...¡± Reina peers into the engine bay and squints to find a component on her big list.

    ¡°Aaand...check! Okay, that¡¯s that side...¡±

    (Wow, she¡¯s really thorough...) Akane was expecting Reina¡¯s approach to be more rough and tumble, given her overall aesthetic, but she defies the expectation with an almost clinical approach to her builds. She doesn¡¯t look like an inexperienced 20-something at all¡ªrather like she¡¯s been doing this for decades already.

    Is this how Clara looked back in the day?

    (Heh heh... Oh man.) Mr. Tetsukura can¡¯t help but watch a little bit as Reina finishes her prep work.

    (That¡¯s like her alright... Clara never skipped any steps, no matter how routine it got. No complacency when she was callin¡¯ the shots.)

    Akane can¡¯t deny she¡¯s nervous throughout this setup phase. To save on shipping headaches, Reina advised them on how to prep the car as best they could before actually sending it up to her¡ªand as a consequence, they did some of the installation themselves. Reina might as well be grading her work...which, given this is Akane¡¯s first big project, is ever so slightly daunting for the greenhorn apprentice.

    But Reina assures her there¡¯s nothing to worry about. She crosses check after check off her list, and it¡¯s evident soon enough that Tetsukura has passed with flying colors.

    ¡°Perfect! That should be everything we need to drop the engine in. You guys really had it covered with your prep work!¡±

    ¡°Phew! I-I mean, of course!¡± Akane laughs off her nerves. ¡°Honestly, having that model handy was such a big help. We knew where everything needed to go, so we were more or less following your instructions. Thank YOU for being so thorough!¡±

    ¡°My pleasure!¡± Reina beams. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we finally got this motor in, then.¡±

    ¡°Lead the way!¡±

    With those words, the team¡¯s fervor suddenly stops, replaced by excited whispers as they pause their work and join Reina at the front of the car. The new-age 611 is ready on the crane, dangling over the waiting cavity in the engine bay. Reina and crew spot-check extensively to make sure it¡¯s lined up right, taking extra care in this uncharted territory to get the build just right.

    ¡°Okay, I think that¡¯s good...¡± It helps to have some friends in lower places in this game of inches¡ªlower heights, of course.

    ¡°Here we go!¡±

    Anticipation abounds as the current song on the speaker bids adieu with a typical 70s outro. Slowly fading, letting Reina focus as much as she needs. Slowly, steadily, the 611 lowers into the Star Rider, meticulous to a fault...

    ¡°So far so good... Almost there...!¡± It¡¯s a delicate game. There¡¯s no mincing words with the 611: it¡¯s a huge motor, and even with all the optimizations they¡¯ve made in the design, it¡¯s a tight fit in this engine bay. But like with parallel parking the old Road Runner, Reina¡¯s calculated approach lends herself to the task¡ªand with a guiding hand here and there, she gets the 611 past the main chokepoint under the hood. With a satisfying bump, the crane slacks, and the Outrunner has finally reached its home.

    ¡°Aaal-RIGHT!¡±

    ¡°Round of applause!¡±

    The tension is released with a chorus of clapping and cheers. Reina herself can breath a huge sigh of relief, further validated at the sight of this behemoth engine sitting pretty in her brand new car. Sami gives her a welcome pat on the back, the boys congratulating her with a salvo of high-fives. Finally, she¡¯s taken the next big step on this long, long road¡ªand just in time for the guitars to come screaming back through the speaker.

    ¡°She¡¯s finally coming together...! Now let¡¯s get it all hooked up! Home stretch now!¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡±

    Now, they can finally judge for themselves how intuitive this car is. Mechanical aficionados they may be, but every new architecture always takes some getting used to¡ªthey need time to figure out every specific car¡¯s quirks and intricacies. The rest of the team isn¡¯t as intimately familiar with the design as Reina is, so that makes for an effective test: if the design clicks for them off the bat, then it can click for the average Joe.

    With that, Reina gets to work. Now she¡¯s the one directing the team, helping them connect all the pumps, seals, fittings¡ªthe myriad connections that stabilize the car¡¯s beating heart. They can¡¯t help but work with a spring in their step, seeing how far they¡¯ve come laid plainly before them. Not much longer now, and the much-anticipated Outrunner will finally have a worthy vessel to command.

    ¡°How¡¯re you finding it, Uncle Naoto?¡±

    ¡°Well, some parts of it threw me for a loop a bit, but it worked out simple enough. It¡¯s different, but not that different.¡±

    ¡°You were able to figure it out though, at least.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, exactly. And I think with a good enough manual, it won¡¯t be that bad for other people anyway.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan!¡± Reina plans to make as much of the documentation publicly available as she can¡ªthe way she sees it, she doesn¡¯t have much to gain from going closed-source. Sure, she could charge an arm and a leg for technical documentation like some car companies do...but when it¡¯s 20 years down the road and some gearhead in their garage wants to figure out how to service this thing, it¡¯d be better to have the info public than kept under lock and key. It¡¯s just easier for everyone that way.

    As the hours roll on, Aikawa Auto reaches the time the team would normally take their lunch. For some unexplained reason, though, they don¡¯t feel like stopping their work on this particular day. Baffling, that.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    (I really don¡¯t feel all that hungry...and I don¡¯t even have a big dinner motivating me to save my appetite.) Her tendency to marathon through her work is coming back to play. From what she can see, though, everybody else on the team is afflicted with the same ailment as her¡ªall functioning workaholics, as they were.

    (Well, I¡¯m not complaining!)

    Akane certainly doesn¡¯t mind herself. She¡¯s beyond eager to hear the car in full song; all those months she and Pop spent building its shell have only amplified her excitement. For some, seeing the process behind something, being the driving force behind it, can blunt the hype when it finally comes to fruition...but not her, and not this.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go ahead and make sure the interior¡¯s all set up and ready. It should just be plug and play, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to double-check the connections.¡±

    ¡°Sure! Sounds like a plan.¡±

    Compared to the Road Runner, the Star Rider is a welcome update in terms of creature comforts. There are some things modern drivers just can¡¯t do without¡ªlike air conditioning and cruise control, for two. Akane made sure to keep things tasteful though, per Reina¡¯s philosophy¡ªeverything you need, and nothing you don¡¯t. Those giant, bloated infotainment screens and upcharged gimmick ¡°features¡± have no place here. The interior came out looking a little...spartan, as a result. Outdated, even. But they¡¯re betting that¡¯ll pay dividends when people come crawling back to analog over digital.

    ¡°Ahhh... Man, I didn¡¯t realize how tired I was.¡± It¡¯s nice to sit down on the cozy seat they picked out. Comfort is one area where they did not compromise¡ªand though few things will ever be as comfy as a bench seat on a sloshy suspension, Akane reckons they¡¯ve come pretty close with the seats in the car¡¯s interior.

    (This is comfier than I remember it being... Am I just that worn out?)

    She¡¯s had a lot on her plate these last few days. After a volley of exams at school, she had to pack her bags and hop on a flight to Sapporo, arriving in the dead of night just to pick up the car in the morning. That, of course, at the end of this massive car project that¡¯s taken up most of her time and energy for past several months. It¡¯s been a real whirlwind tour for the lass...and now that the finish line is finally in sight, she finds herself struggling to keep her eyes open.

    (Nnngh... Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be that bad if I...)

    And the moment she resigns, she¡¯s out like a light.

    She tends not to remember her dreams¡ªwhatever happens in slumberland, stays there. Instead, she only ever feels like she blinked, jumping some random amount of time in the blink of an eye...and leaving her mighty confused when she wakes up. The next thing she sees when she comes to is the same interior she fell asleep in...and a voice in the corner of her ear gently soothing her awake.

    ¡°Bwuh...?¡±

    Through the window, she hears Reina¡¯s muffled voice: ¡°Oh, that did it! She¡¯s awake now.¡±

    It¡¯s somewhat amusing for Reina to see the tables turning. In a past life, she would be the one working herself to sleep on this car, but she¡¯s figured out how to pace herself. Akane, however, still has much to learn.

    In her stupor, Akane reaches for the button to lower the window, only to remember the electronics aren¡¯t wired up yet. She settles for opening the door.

    ¡°Sorry about that... How long was I out?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that! It hasn¡¯t been too terribly long. We figured if you were tired enough to sleep through us working on the car, you probably deserved the rest.¡±

    ¡°Heh... Guilty as charged. So what is there left to do?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the neat part: we¡¯re just about done!¡±

    ¡°Wait, really?!¡±

    Miraculously, the energy returns to Akane¡¯s exhausted frame, prompting her to bolt to the open front of the car. She peers down and sees a work of pure art: the engine is completely hooked up to the car, body and soul united at last. She¡¯ll have to retract her earlier observation: they do have electronics!

    ¡°So it¡¯s ready to go!¡±

    ¡°Almost! You actually woke up at a pretty good time: we¡¯re gonna crank the motor for a bit to build the oil pressure back up.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Well, yeah, that woulda woke me up anyway.¡± Akane scratches her head. ¡°You gonna just hotwire it, or?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll leave the ceremonial key turn for later.¡±

    The team stands at the ready for Reina to command the beast. With a pair of screwdrivers (and perhaps a screw or two loose herself,) Reina bridges the connection to the starter and gets that 611 whirring. Compared to its first start all those months ago, the starter is a lot better equipped to handle a monster of this caliber, effortlessly spinning it over¡ªalbeit with no ignition. It sounds healthy as ever, as well it should; all eight pistons pump in harmony, just waiting for fresh fuel. They await the oil pressure gauge to give them a sign...

    ¡°Almost, just a bit more...¡±

    Finally, the needle rises, and the engine passes the test with flying colors. A mix of pride and whimsy blooms on Reina¡¯s face, knowing one more hurdle has been cleared; now, at long last, she can sit down in her very own car, and give the key a twist.

    ¡°Yeah... She¡¯s ready now.¡±

    By Reina¡¯s request, Mr. Tetsukura was only to give her the key once they were confident the car was ready; she didn¡¯t want to count her eggs before they hatched. Without a word, he knows the time is ripe. He produces the key from the pocket of his worn-out khakis, and tosses it to the car¡¯s new rightful owner. This time, she has the honor.

    ¡°Stand back and hold on to your hats!¡±

    Reina opens the door, and feasts her eyes on the interior for the first time. It¡¯s such a funny feeling... She knows this design intimately well, having studied it, shaped it, slaved over it all this time. She could all but picture it in her sleep...but this is no dream. The plush seat, the steering wheel, the shifter, the key... They¡¯re all real. And so too is the engine before her, just waiting for ignition.

    Gingerly, Reina finds the slot and eases the key inside. She sets it to ON, and the dashboard hums to life with an anachronistic glow, rustic in parts and futuristic in others. All gauges nominal, all systems go.

    (This feels so weird...)

    Is this how Clara felt when she finished the Road Runner, all those decades ago? To sit behind the wheel, key cold in the hand, and think: I¡¯m still not done. In spite of all the work Reina¡¯s done thus far, all the time she¡¯s poured into the Star Rider project, this doesn¡¯t give her the closure she was expecting. It¡¯s not the end of anything... It¡¯s only the beginning of something even bigger.

    But she can¡¯t back down now. She won¡¯t. She has to keep chasing that dream...and with this absolute monster at her command, she¡¯s in control now more than she ever was. Resolve courses through her hand as she starts to twist the key...

    (Let¡¯s go.)

    *RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRrrrRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMM!*

    The beast awakens. The Star Rider commands every iota of her attention, announcing its revival with a triumphant roar that lingers in every corner of the garage. The Outrunner¡¯s marriage with the Star Rider is complete¡ªand they make such sweet music together.

    Reina has no words. There¡¯s not a thought in her mind, blank, overcome by the Star Rider¡¯s authoritative aura. The dashboard stares back at her, nonchalant and unbothered by its own earth-shaking power. It finds a comfortable rev range to settle down into, and treats her to the sound of its low, throaty idle¡ªever so slightly different from its ancestor, but the family resemblance rings true in her ears.

    Yes. This is what Aikawa Auto is.

    The team around her is no less stunned, to be sure. Each and every one of them has seen the sheer effort Reina has put into every last detail of this build¡ªand now, they all have the honor of sharing in her reward. Uncle Naoto is beside himself with joy; Old Man Takashi holds back tears of pride. Mr. Tetsukura, after his own arduous campaign, feels that weight finally lifting off his shoulders after years and years in limbo.

    And as for Sami...

    (Yeah... She¡¯s ready. I¡¯ll let her know after we¡¯re done with work for the day.)

    She¡¯s already looking ahead on the road to the stars¡ªas is the lucky lady behind the wheel. Now that the car and engine are one at last, there¡¯s only one logical thing to do: break it in.

    ¡°Well, I know what I wanna do.¡± She feels the steering wheel, still cold from the elements. Today will be just a warm-up¡ªno white-knuckle racing for the car quite yet. But that¡¯s all she needs to do for now anyway: just prove that she knows how to put it all together.

    ¡°Alright!¡± Reina briefly exits to address the crowd. ¡°I¡¯m gonna take her for a test drive around the block. I can tell she¡¯s really raring to go, so I¡¯ll give her exactly what she wants.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan!¡± Akane is every bit as eager to get the car out on the road herself, which leads her to ask...

    ¡°You, uh...you mind if I come along?¡±

    ¡°Sure! I don¡¯t mind at all. I figure after I¡¯m done with it, you guys can take it out on the road too, if you want.¡±

    Sami and the others gleefully nod. They¡¯re excited to get their first taste of the brand new Aikawa Auto...but they know to wait their turn. This inaugural drive belongs to her.

    With that, Reina and Akane file into the Star Rider, bound only for a short trip¡ªbut they¡¯ll still be making a massive statement with the car out on the road. It¡¯s not registered, and it doesn¡¯t even have a plate yet, but they don¡¯t care one bit. This is their moment, and they¡¯re not wasting it.

    And besides: if push comes to shove, there¡¯s not a cop alive that can catch this car anyway.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stretch those legs, baby!¡±

    *VVRRRRMMM!*

    With a roar, the Star Rider makes its triumphant debut on the streets of Sapporo, prowling its way out of the powdered parking lot and onto the open road. They¡¯re not going far¡ªjust across the Toyohira to the nearby park, and then a leisurely cruise around the perimeter before heading back home. The car is more than up for it.

    ¡°So, first impressions, how¡¯s it feeling?¡±

    ¡°...Perfect.¡±

    The sheer contradiction almost paralyzes Reina¡¯s brain. This is a truly modern car, a leap forward in form and function. The Road Runner always felt like an old, outdated car with a supercharged heart, the frame struggling to contain the sheer power under the hood. That certainly wasn¡¯t for everyone¡ªand it¡¯s not for this car, either. The whole Star Rider feels measured, like it¡¯s in control of its own strength. She was half-expecting it to lose that character the Road Runner had, replaced by some other note behind the wheel...

    ...But no. It feels exactly the same to drive. It hasn¡¯t lost that unhinged quality at all, no matter how bespoke the engineering, how meticulous the details. She still feels like she has to respect the car, respect its power¡ªfor with one tiny tap of the gas pedal, the car can launch itself like a rocket with wanton disregard.

    ...Like, say, at a light turning green.

    ¡°Ooh, perfect time for a launch here!¡±

    ¡°WHAAGH¡ª!¡±

    In the blink of an eye, the Star Rider vanishes from the intersection like it was never there at all. The rush, the sound, the power... It dominates Reina¡¯s every sense as she careens up to cruising speed. And true to that timeless character, the moment she relents from the throttle, the Star Rider happily settles down like nothing even happened.

    ¡°Whoa! Haha! Oh man, that is PUNCHY!¡±

    ¡°W-Warn me before you do that! Jesus, haha!¡±

    ¡°Oh, oops. Sorry~¡±

    It¡¯s such a validating thing, after all this uncertainty. It¡¯s one thing to design a car. It¡¯s another thing to build it... It¡¯s yet another thing to drive it. To know that the Star Rider not only looks and sounds like the Aikawas of old, but feels like one too... It serves as an immense vote of confidence for Reina¡¯s pounding heart. Her muscle memory doesn¡¯t betray her here, like it often does when she¡¯s vetting clients¡¯ cars on the job. The shell around the 611 may be different, but the soul is the same.

    ¡°Yeah... This just feels right.¡± Reina dons a confident smile. ¡°Granted, we haven¡¯t driven her properly fast at all yet¡ªI won¡¯t have the chance to do that until Tokachi opens back up for the year¡ªso I¡¯ll need to wait to see how she really behaves under pressure.¡±

    That future still looms large over her head...but it¡¯s just a little more manageable now.

    ¡°But this... This is an encouraging sign.¡±

    It doesn¡¯t take long before Reina and Akane find themselves at the bridge, the frigid waters slowed by barriers of ice. No longer does she obey the river of time... She goes wherever she pleases.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I actually stopped to visit Makomanai Park, actually... Funny, given I live right next to it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never been, but it looks like a nice place.¡± The whole area is lined with remnants of Sapporo¡¯s olympic history, like a time capsule from a more festive age. In some sense, you could argue this whole area is frozen in time as well... Unflinching, unchanging, the capsule unopened since that winter in ¡®72.

    Perhaps that was why Reina had a love-hate relationship with it growing up. She wasn¡¯t around to watch history being made that fateful year¡ªonly left with its fading echoes in the decades following. The past was always conspiring to weigh her down like that...

    But obviously, that¡¯s not a problem anymore.

    ¡°I came through here a lot last year, back when I needed to use the train for a while. The closest station to my house is a couple blocks from the park.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh...¡± Akane doesn¡¯t connect the dots right away, but she knows how that feels nonetheless¡ªwhat with her bike being out of commission for half of the year.

    ¡°If this takes off, though...I won¡¯t ever have to take the train again.¡± Reina smiles. It¡¯s such a liberating thing, not having to be afraid of a few falling flakes anymore. The Star Rider and its fuel injection have mitigated the crippling weakness the Road Runner bears.

    ¡°This new line will be everything I need...and the cherry on top?¡±

    *VVRRRRRRRRMMMM...!*

    ¡°She handles the cold just fine.¡±

    Reina delights in the attention the car gets as they cruise along the riverside road. Here in this sea of same-y gray boxes, refrigerators with wheels, the Star Rider has the audacity to stand out like the sorest of thumbs. Some stop and stare, some cock their heads; they all hear that monstrous exhaust note echoing through the air. The car commands their attention in a way that few other things do...and to be sure, some of them do find it crude. Garish. An unnecessary display and a flippant lack of respect.

    But the Star Rider doesn¡¯t care what they think. It, like the Road Runner before it, persists.

    ¡°Heehee. I think this guy wants a closer look.¡± Reina points to a sporty Subaru sitting next to them at the light off the passenger side. In the frigid cold, the lone occupant dares to roll down the window for a better look, his eyes wide in awe. The wind threatens to knock his hat clean off his head, the snow assaulting his face, but he couldn¡¯t care less. He¡¯s never seen anything like this in all his time on the road.

    Reina decides to treat him a little. With a gentle pump of gas, she coaxes the revs up and sprints through the intersection as the light turns green. The X-pipe exhaust produces an unforgettable symphony for him, untamed in its brutality. He can hear it, feel it shaking him to his very core.

    ...Man, would he love to have one of those now.

    It really doesn¡¯t feel like she¡¯s passed all that much time on this inaugural drive, but the dashboard clock is there to remind her that it¡¯s about time she headed on back. As much as she¡¯d love to get on the highway and really open up the throttle, it just isn¡¯t the time nor place¡ªuntil it¡¯s properly licensed, the car is limited to discreet neighborhood stints and track days only. But rest assured, she will get her fill in time... She has an extensive testing regimen planned for the fledgling machine. She needs to be sure that it truly lives up to the family name.

    But first, they have to turn around and take it back home. It¡¯s done its job plenty well today.

    ¡°I keep waiting for something to go wrong, some warning light or a funny noise somewhere...but she¡¯s just purring along!¡±

    ¡°You built her damn well, is what you did.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I gotta give credit to you too. I mean, you built the part of the car we¡¯re sitting in!¡±

    ¡°And you built the part of the car that makes it actually work!¡±

    Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say.

    Back across the bridge they go, the sun already tempted to set on this gloomy winter¡¯s day. After taking their tour of Reina¡¯s backyard, gathering awestruck reactions everywhere they go, the two have had their fill. The Star Rider has passed its first of many shakedowns with flying colors¡ªand though the real test still lies in wait, she knows she¡¯s got a good base to work off of. The Star Rider is audibly unsatisfied, begging for more with its unruly revs. Reina can¡¯t wait to give it what it wants.

    ¡°Well, for a first drive, that was everything I could ask for!¡± The weight of all this still hasn¡¯t really hit Reina...or perhaps she was simply expecting it to feel so much bigger all this time. That¡¯s the funny thing about big goals: you take such small steps at a time that it¡¯s easy to lose sight of just how far you¡¯ve come. A year ago, cruising around in her very own car was downright unthinkable¡ªa pipe dream that teased her with its sheer Pollyanna vision.

    But one way or another, she made it there... It¡¯s just like her old mentors always said: she¡¯ll figure it out somehow.

    ¡°And there we are.¡±

    The Star Rider returns to a chorus of cheers from the team, eagerly awaiting the good news. With the garage door open, Reina brings the Star Rider right inside¡ªeven if it might immediately be going back out once the rest of them take it for a spin. The car will be busy just a little while longer...but Reina¡¯s job today is done. The car she built is humming right along...and she¡¯s more than earned her rest for that.

    As for Akane, she exits the car completely and utterly starstruck. The silence of the garage takes some adjustment after being in the belly of the beast on that drive...and though she may never get used to riding along in a behemoth V8 bruiser like that, she already feels like going back in for more. She can¡¯t get enough¡ªand can you blame her? It¡¯s the car she built.

    ¡°Welcome back!¡± Sami is dying to hear how it all turned out¡ªthough she can already read on Reina¡¯s face that the car is a treat to drive. She watches her daughter climb out of that wicked machine with the widest smile on her face...and in this moment, she can tell that all the hardship they endured to get to this point was absolutely worth it.

    It¡¯s enough to wipe the guilt from her face, if only for a moment.

    ¡°I love it...! I love it so much! It¡¯s such an amazing car!¡±

    ¡°Well, good! I knew you had it in you, sweetie.¡± Sami gives her daughter a big ol¡¯ hug, the rest of the team shuffling up to join them. She feels the joy emanating from Reina¡¯s heart.

    ¡°It drives different from the Road Runner, but something about it just feels so...familiar. I felt like I was right at home when I was driving it!¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to adjust at all?¡±

    ¡°Not really, no! Maybe that¡¯s what the Road Runner felt like when it was new. It just felt so...so right.¡±

    Sami gets it. When all the parts are fresh off the line, all working together in unison... That¡¯s when a car is at its best. The Road Runner, for all its storied history, is weighed down by those long 40 years. The Star Rider, by contrast, is the fresh start Aikawa Auto so desperately needed.

    It affirms to Sami that her idea just might work after all. Soon, the time will come to put it to the test.

    ¡°Thank you so much, everybody. I couldn¡¯t have done any of this without you... You all helped me get here. I owe you guys the world!¡±

    A round of cheers for her victory¡ªtheir victory. Nothing can take it away from her.

    ***

    Finally, the sun sets on one of Aikawa Auto¡¯s most momentous days¡ªand in time, the shop settles back into its usual, quiet rhythm, just as it was before. Finished with their work, Akane and her father have taken their leave, making the trip back down south for their flight home to Kanazawa. Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi have packed up and left shop as well, with their own families to tend to at home. It¡¯s just Reina and Sami left at the old building now, closing for the night just like old times... The only thing that¡¯s changed is the new tenant in their garage.

    ¡°Man...¡± Reina can¡¯t stop looking at it. So many thoughts, so many details, so many amazing feelings coursing through her mind...

    And yet still, so many unanswered questions. The drawback of always looking ahead: the hurdles of tomorrow are always staring back at her. She¡¯s made incredible strides just in putting the car together and getting it on the road...but there¡¯s still so much left to do. Beyond this uplifting wind today, she¡¯ll have to put her nose right back down to the grindstone, for an unforgiving season looms large in the distance.

    And perhaps the greatest challenge of all is the one still lingering in her head...

    (How am I gonna bring it all together?)

    Sami can tell when Reina¡¯s lost in her thoughts¡ªthat absentminded stare on her face, that stillness in her eyes. Something is weighing heavy on her...and Sami has a pretty good idea of what it is.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±

    Reina flinches slightly. ¡°Oh. You know me, it¡¯s just... Thinking about the future again. There¡¯s still a lot of work to do¡ªand I¡¯m still trying to figure out some stuff.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Sami takes a seat on the Road Runner¡¯s hood, which presents a very relevant image to Reina: her mother and her iconic car leave behind big shoes for her to fill. She¡¯s gotten this far already, but it¡¯s still not enough. She¡¯s not quite there yet.

    ¡°I have to test the daylights out of the Star Rider, really. Today was a good first step, but I can¡¯t put an Aikawa badge on that car until I know it lives up to the shop. I dunno how long it¡¯ll take me... I don¡¯t even know the best approach yet. But I have to make sure it¡¯s what an Aikawa car should be.¡±

    ¡°I get that...¡± Sami has a feeling now is the time.

    ¡°Personally, I think the past is the past. You¡¯re the future of the shop now, and whatever we got up to in the past shouldn¡¯t weigh over you. I know you¡¯ve got what it takes to make this car a hit, whether you¡¯re comparing yourself to the olden days or not.¡±

    She stands up and lets herself off the Road Runner¡¯s hood. She understands Reina¡¯s need to prove herself against the past...and she thinks she has the answer.

    ¡°But if you¡¯re still not sure whether the Star Rider measures up...then I¡¯m happy to be the judge of that.¡±

    ¡°Hm...? How do you mean?¡±

    This has been brewing in Sami¡¯s mind for a while now. She meets Reina¡¯s determined eyes with a valor of her own, weathered by age and tempered in hardship. This is the best thing she can do for her daughter. She can feel that fire from her old Tokachi days flickering back to life in her heart.

    ¡°If you want to prove yourself to the past, then, well, we¡¯re right here. The Road Runner and I are the last little leftovers from those old days at the shop. The way things were let us hold out long enough until you could take over...but now, it¡¯s time for you to move on and lead the way yourself.¡±

    ¡°So how about you and I have a little competition, head to head, to see how the Star Rider¡¯s coming along?¡±

    ¡°I... L-Like a race?¡±

    Sami nods. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. Past vs. future. It¡¯ll prove beyond a doubt whether you¡¯ve surpassed Clara and me.¡±

    Reina, initially, struggles to respond. Sami speaks to her with a conviction long forgotten, reminiscent of that fiery trailblazer she knew as a young girl. The gravity of her challenge is not lost on her: old she may be, but she¡¯s still an accomplished racer¡ªand the Road Runner is still her very favorite set of wheels. She now stands before Reina as a mountain, a gauntlet¡ªa monumental obstacle to clear at the end of her path.

    ...But she knows Sami¡¯s words ring true. If she clears it, if she defeats her...then she¡¯ll know for certain that she¡¯s got what it takes.

    ¡°I know it sounds kinda daunting.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah! I mean, I¡¯ve never been as good a racer as you...¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t need to be. That¡¯s exactly my point.¡± Sami briefly reminisces. ¡°All I do is race cars. Outside of the basics Clara taught me, that¡¯s all I know how to do. I never felt the initiative to make a car of my own... I never felt like doing something with this place. I just drive the Road Runner, old and outdated as it is, because I never got with the times.¡±

    ¡°But you were never that one-dimensional... You¡¯re the complete package. You may not be the driver I am, but you¡¯re leaps and bounds above me as a mechanic, a businesswoman, and a leader. That¡¯s what got you where you are today¡ªand the Star Rider is proof of that.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ve got a good feeling the Star Rider will be faster with you than the Road Runner with me. You get me?¡±

    Reina breathes in. That family confidence courses through her. ¡°I think so... Yeah!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Sami smiles. ¡°We¡¯ll set a date, then. Maybe some time around this fall. It doesn¡¯t have to be too soon¡ªI know you¡¯ll wanna test it plenty before then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡ªand if I¡¯m gonna be racing against you, I¡¯ll wanna turn a bunch of laps at the track myself. Tokachi, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Nowhere else.¡±

    Fitting. The track might as well be the Aikawa family¡¯s backyard... There¡¯s no better place for their showdown.

    ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll handle the Road Runner¡ªmaintenance, fixes, all that jazz. You just focus on your car, alright?¡±

    ¡°Thank you... Now I¡¯m really thankful I got Yuzu to help test it. With her help, I just might be able to beat you!¡±

    ¡°By all means, give me everything you¡¯ve got! I won¡¯t hold back on you.¡±

    Confidence blooms on Reina¡¯s face. ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡±

    Sami is equal parts excited and relieved¡ªshe can see that her gamble paid off. There¡¯s a fire in Reina¡¯s eyes, now that she has a more concrete goal to work toward. Instead of some nebulous measure of worthiness, she¡¯ll be competing with the past itself for the honor of bearing the Aikawa flag. It¡¯s not an easy goal by any stretch of the imagination...and Sami isn¡¯t planning on rolling over and letting Reina take it without a fight. But in the end, she believes in her daughter¡¯s potential¡ªthat with her vibrant young mind and unbridled passion, her ceiling is higher than Sami could ever hope to reach.

    Until that day comes, mother and daughter will steel themselves for the duel of a lifetime.

    ¡°Alright... I¡¯m gonna go ahead and pack it in for the day. Are you good with handling the rest down here?¡±

    ¡°More than happy to. Night, honey!¡±

    ¡°Night~!¡±

    With that, Reina disappears into the night, Sami left alone to finish closing the shop. Before she turns out the lights for the night, she takes one more look at her old partner in crime... The rock that kept her steady all those years.

    ¡°Well, old girl,¡± Sami coos with a calm smile, ¡°looks like you and I have one more job to do.¡±

 23. To Forge Ahead

    The more you travel the country, the more you appreciate the familiarity of home. Yuzu can¡¯t help but find the contrast amusing: when she was younger, she wanted nothing more than to spread her wings and escape the dull, plodding streets of Obihiro. Tokachi couldn¡¯t keep her anchored to the Hokkaido countryside forever; she was destined for bigger and better things.

    ...But now, as she finds herself on the familiar country road to her old stomping ground, she feels so much more at ease than her other race dates across the country. That longing for greener pastures is gone, filled in its stead by a certain nostalgia, a comfort that keeps her calm and collected. This break from the pressure of her F3 season seems to have come at the perfect time, for it lets her rest her weary head and turn to a more personal pursuit.

    One that has her excited all the same.

    ¡°Well?¡± Yuzu chuffs to herself and her trusty steed. ¡°We¡¯ve worked hard, you and I. Now it¡¯s time to play hard.¡±

    She¡¯s had this date circled on the calendar ever since she got the call. She has no idea what that Star Rider even looks like, but now that she knows Aikawa Auto plenty well, she can hazard a guess as to what they¡¯ve come up with. If it¡¯s anything like this growling beast she calls her own¡ªor indeed, anything like its older cousin¡ªthen she¡¯s in for a real treat. Throwing it around the tight turns of Tokachi will put her skills to the test in a way few other racing pursuits have...and you bet she¡¯s looking forward to it.

    ¡°And there we are.¡±

    Reina¡¯s already here, she has no doubt¡ªshe always makes a point of being punctual. As she makes her way through the gate and into the paddock, she starts to see traces of Reina¡¯s handiwork: a rented trailer sitting off to the side, assorted tools and spare parts, even a couple extra sets of tires. Coupled with a staff member or two overseeing the whole thing for safety, the whole scene instills an air of anticipation in the young hotshot. Somewhere on the track grounds, this fabled prototype is on the prowl, challenging her to tame it.

    And right on cue, the woman of the hour comes strolling up.

    ¡°Hey there! Glad you could make it.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Reina and Yuzu shake to the start of their new partnership. They can both see the excitement radiating from each other¡¯s faces¡ªand though their paths may not cross for all that long, that doesn¡¯t stop them from enjoying this little intersection while they have it.

    ¡°So the prototype¡¯s all ready to go?¡±

    ¡°Yup! It¡¯s over in stall one. You ready to suit up and get in there?¡±

    ¡°Born ready.¡±

    ¡°Good answer.¡±

    Over these last couple months, Reina has made Tokachi her second home¡ªand the track is more than happy to welcome her week in and week out. Her family history is one thing, but just putting the track to use¡ªthe WHOLE track, at that¡ªgives a much-needed morale boost for the otherwise quiet property. The old curator feels a buzz in the air like this place hasn¡¯t had in years...and that only intensifies when the star of the show comes out to play.

    ¡°And here she is.¡±

    Yuzu rounds the corner, and in an instant, her eyes widen. There it is perched in the garage, staring back at her like an apex predator. It invokes the same air as the Road Runner, but in a package all its own... Yuzu can just tell it¡¯s going to be a monster behind the wheel.

    Good.

    ¡°Well, I gotta say, for being built from the ground-up, this thing looks damn good.¡±

    ¡°Thank you~! You¡¯ve got Akane and Tetsukura Chassis to thank for the body design. The engine is all Aikawa, though¡ªall ten litres of it.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s the same engine as the Road Runner?¡±

    ¡°An updated version, yes. This was the last motor Clara Jennings worked on...and my job was to finish it. This¡¯ll be testing me just as much as it tests the car.¡±

    Yuzu smiles. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve got anything to worry about there. I will push her as hard as I can, though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I could ask for! And, well...¡± Reina trails off briefly before collecting herself. ¡°That¡¯s what I need you to do, really.¡±

    Yuzu cocks her head. ¡°Are you gonna take her racing somewhere or something?¡±

    ¡°Right here, actually. This car and I are going up against Sami herself¡ªin the old Road Runner. She challenged me to a race so that we can know once and for all if this car measures up.¡±

    Now it¡¯s Yuzu¡¯s turn to be stunned. Sami Aikawa, her childhood hero, returning to Tokachi after years away?

    ¡°...She really said that?¡±

    ¡°She did. I think she knew I was stressing about living up to her example.¡±

    ¡°I see...¡± Yuzu can¡¯t deny she¡¯s curious...and that might be an understatement. It¡¯s been years since she saw Sami out on the track in person...and though she might not have all the speed she once did, Yuzu is certain she¡¯s still a force to be reckoned with¡ªespecially behind the wheel of the family heirloom.

    For a moment, she doubts whether Reina will be able to measure up on the track...but then she remembers who she¡¯s talking to here. Reina is no stranger to that kind of adversity, to those towering mountains¡ªand yet she climbs them each and every time. Just like back at that ski resort oh so long ago...

    ¡°So you¡¯re training yourself up with this too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. After you¡¯re done with your stint, I wanna give it a try myself. If anybody knows how to coach me around Tokachi, it would be you!¡±

    Yuzu is equal parts flattered and daunted. Now she¡¯s going up against Sami, if indirectly...

    ...But this kind of pressure has a funny effect on her. It¡¯s like everything she knew is coming full-circle¡ªher hero, her role model, is now her opponent.

    She wasn¡¯t expecting this kind of closure...but slowly, steadily, she¡¯s warming up to it.

    ¡°...Man. She really knows how to frame these things, huh?¡±

    Yuzu lets out a deep breath, taking the new chapter in. It¡¯s clear this is going to be a very eventful year.

    ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll do everything I can to work up both you and the car¡ªso you¡¯d better do your part too!¡±

    ¡°You can count on that!¡±

    Resolve burns in Reina¡¯s eyes. If she wasn¡¯t already certain Yuzu was the perfect hire before, she most assuredly is now. All that¡¯s left for them now is to get to work.

    With that, Reina hands Yuzu the key, and the hotshot takes her place on the hot seat. Right away, she has to scoot the thing as far forward as it¡¯ll go... It¡¯s very obvious who was last sitting in this thing. In fact, her handiwork is all over the interior, despite being constructed elsewhere, from the old album still loaded in the CD player to the taped-on arrows denoting optimal pressures and temperatures. It¡¯s very intriguing to Yuzu, sitting in a car that¡¯s clearly still a prototype¡ªyet knowing that engine inside is more than capable.

    (ECU, probably. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need to pump it...)

    *Click!*

    *RRRrrrRRRRMMMM!*

    (Heh! She sounds good.)

    It¡¯s amazing how familiar these motors sound now. Some alien monster, this is not¡ªit¡¯s just the product of her friend¡¯s lifelong passion. All down to a science.

    ¡°Pretty nice car you¡¯ve¡ª¡° Yuzu tries to shout through the open window, but Reina¡¯s chuckle clues her in to the fact they can¡¯t hear each other. The 611¡¯s roar echoes off the garage walls like bolts of lightning, drowning out their feeble voices.

    Luckily, Reina has a solution. She points Yuzu toward a radio setup by the center console, backing herself out of the garage to give herself space to speak.

    ¡°Yuzu, copy?¡±

    ¡°Heh heh.¡± Yuzu rolls the window back up and picks up. ¡°Copy. Yeah, this is easier.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a bit feisty, as you can tell! Just a bit stir-crazy from being cooped up in the garage. Go and stretch her legs a bit, will you?¡±

    ¡°You got it.¡±

    So, the stage is set. With no one else to share the track with, Yuzu starts her drive backward up the pit lane, making for the start of the long, wide front stretch. Reina takes her place in the bird¡¯s nest atop the starting line, binoculars in hand so she doesn¡¯t miss a second of the action. Anticipation blooms in the air, the warm spring sun shimmering off the stands.

    ¡°Anything I should know?¡±

    ¡°If something goes bad, just pull over and get out. Don¡¯t try to bring it back to the pits. The insurance companies will eat us for dinner if some mechanical fault costs you a leg!¡±

    ¡°...How likely is it that something goes wrong?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m confident it¡¯ll be fine, but you never know!¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Yuzu snickers to herself. She knew what she signed up for¡ªand besides, if there¡¯s anybody she trusts to build a brutish muscle car like this, it¡¯s her.

    ¡°Okay, two laps to warm up the tires and then I¡¯m going full tilt!¡±

    With a grunt, the Star Rider begins its charge up the front straight, passing by the lines on the starting grid enroute to the green flag. Getting to hear that sweet music from above is a beautiful, beautiful thing...and to be sure, it gives Reina an immense rush of pride when she sees it firing off into turn one.

    (Go get ¡®em, Yuzu!)

    While Yuzu might have claimed the laps were to warm up the tires, in truth, she feels a need to get settled in herself. Driving this kind of car in this kind of place is disorienting, despite her experience¡ªpart of her brain is trying to tell her that she doesn¡¯t belong here. She¡¯s only ever raced petite single-seaters and club cars around this place, and now here she is in a giant, V8-powered cruise missile on wheels. She has to rethink everything she knows about the track¡ªthe grip levels, the braking points, the corner lines, all of it.

    ...Not that she doesn¡¯t like a challenge.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what this thing can do...¡±

    With white knuckles on the wheel and a hot hand on the shifter, Yuzu puts the Star Rider¡¯s handling to work on her out lap. In a way, Tokachi¡¯s uninspiring layout is actually a fair test of the car¡¯s capabilities: much of the track is comprised of tight turns broken up by flat straights, with little in the way of flowing corners. It¡¯s almost closer to a street circuit than something like Suzuka or Fuji. Every time she needs to brake and turn, she needs to brake and turn hard, and it¡¯s important that the car respond well under that stress to offset its awkward proportions.

    She¡¯ll need to go faster if she wants to really test that, though. Yuzu knows that¡ªand she can¡¯t delay the inevitable much longer. It¡¯s time for her to unleash the beast.

    ¡°Here we go...!¡±

    Finally, she¡¯s ready to pin the throttle to the floor and hear those myriad horses screaming down the straight. For all her appreciation for modern machinery, for the refined hum of sleek, petite single-seaters, she has to give credit to Reina¡¯s antiquated way of doing things: this car sounds beautiful.

    *VVVRRRRRRMMMMMMM!*

    Her first flying lap is a doozy. Trying to control all ten litres is a mammoth job, and it requires an iron grip on the steering wheel with not a moment to lose to distraction. Rain the previous day washed out much of the rubber on the track, leaving her grip a mystery. Everything else dissolves into background noise as Yuzu¡¯s very being is consumed by the Star Rider, forcing her eyes open and her heart at full tilt. It¡¯s like a roller coaster, jolting and jostling her as she brakes and cuts in deep at the turns. At these breakneck speeds, that¡¯s all she can focus on: throttle, clutch, shift, brake, wheel, markers, markers, markers...!

    ¡°Hmph! Not bad!¡± Yuzu barks through gritted teeth, the car keeping her on the edge of her seat...not that she wants out. It¡¯s been a good while since she felt so utterly challenged by the car itself¡ªnot the competitors around her, not the unfamiliarity of a new track in a new place, but the very machine she¡¯s trying to tame. It¡¯s like it¡¯s resisting her, almost, but not in a bad way... She just feels like it¡¯s testing her. Telling her she has to earn the right to push this thing as hard as it¡¯ll go.

    ...And Yuzu always likes a challenge.

    ¡°Hell yeah...! This is getting REALLY fun!¡±

    The familiar final two turns approach¡ªa snaking S that catches many a driver off their guard. They don¡¯t usually run this layout, so these corners are uncharted territory even for circuit regulars; Yuzu can¡¯t say she¡¯s too used to it either. She feels the car threatening to understeer, an inevitability with its frame and engine, but she tries to corral it as best she can by balancing the pedals going in. The result is a stylish¡ªif smoky¡ªpower dive into the left-hander, scrubbing off just enough speed to hit the apex for the turn back to the right. Controlling this car is just as much of a puzzle as is a physical toll...and that¡¯s quite alright by her.

    ¡°God, I just had that mess in the corner, but it just gets the speed right back on the straights! This thing is nuts!¡±

    Yuzu thunders down the straight once more. All that effort, all that bare-knuckle sawing on the wheel for one hot lap.

    ...And you bet your ass she wants to do it again.

    ¡°How many laps do I get?!¡± She yells into the radio.

    ¡°As many as the tires will give you!¡±

    ¡°Good enough!¡±

    It¡¯s somewhat easy to optimize a lap onboard a car with lesser power, but high downforce and grip for days. That kind of setup gives you control and consistency, enabling you to go round again and again and again in search of the perfect lap. The biases, the braking points, they¡¯re all perfectly dialed in. The only limit is your own ability.

    This is the exact opposite of that. It¡¯s a handful to drive, and it sure as hell isn¡¯t easy. She can feel milliseconds slipping away from tiny mistakes, from imperfections forced by the sheer power of the engine. She may never put down an actual perfect lap in this thing; Hell, she may not even come close. But just like those other cars, it¡¯s governed by the same core principle: the only limit is your own ability.

    This car may be far less forgiving, far more difficult to master, but that raised ceiling only amplifies the importance of Yuzu¡¯s own skill. And while ordinarily this might be derided as uncontrollable, ridiculous, a failure of a car, she can tell there is a way for her to master this monster of a machine.

    And is it ever rewarding.

    ¡°NAILED it! Yes!¡±

    She can see herself getting a better feel for the braking points with each lap, knowing how much grip she has and how hard she can push it. The car¡¯s true character starts to shine through, beyond its boisterous projection of power: this thing absolutely loves being driven on the ragged edge.

    (Crazy-ass car you¡¯ve made, Reina...but I like it!)

    The next time Yuzu comes round the final turns, she makes sure to nail the exit to get the best run down the straight that she possibly can. Reina can see her wicked grin from through the windshield.

    ¡°Looks like she¡¯s having fun!¡± Reina hits the split button on her stopwatch. Two minutes flat.

    ¡°And she¡¯s really getting settled in... Maybe she¡¯ll be able to teach me once it¡¯s my turn!¡±

    It¡¯s exactly what she was hoping to get out of this testing session. Not many drivers can stare this beast in the face and make it blink...but Yuzu? She¡¯s built different. Following in the footsteps of her childhood hero, she¡¯s taken the brutalist 611, the most monstrous engine this side of the Pacific, and made it hers.

    ¡°Whew! Okay, I think that¡¯s enough for now.¡±

    Several laps later, a sweaty Yuzu finally pulls off the track and into the pits, the engine settling back down to a low growl after screaming its lungs out. She chuckles at the car¡¯s sheer aggression, for even as she¡¯s trundling down the pit lane, the engine sounds hungry for more. She has to give the thing just the tiniest bit of throttle, feathering it delicately as she brings it slow toward the garage.

    ¡°Well! How was it out there?¡± Reina asks to Yuzu as she exits the silenced Star Rider. The volunteer crew comes out of the woodwork to inspect the car, changing its tires while they¡¯re at it.

    ¡°That felt good. I figured it was gonna be totally uncontrollable out there, honestly...and it kinda was all over the place, I won¡¯t lie. But once I figured it out, it was really satisfying to drive my times down.¡±

    Her personal best on the board is a 1:58¡ªnot bad at all for a road car, and even a bit faster than some of the small single-seaters that come to play in the summer. It¡¯s no formula ace, but for a car of its lineage, it takes to the track very, very well.

    ¡°Did it throw you off at all? Like any breaks in the handling or unpredictable moves?¡±

    ¡°Mmmm... Not, really, honestly. It was surprisingly stable once I figured out how to push it. It¡¯s just finding that sweet spot, is the tricky part.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Very little room for error... That¡¯s a lot like how the Road Runner drives.¡±

    ¡°You take it here often?¡±

    ¡°I used to! Back when I did a couple summer leagues growing up, my family would come here and they¡¯d let me throw the Road Runner around for a bit. It¡¯s been a while, though... I¡¯m kinda worried about how I¡¯m gonna do against Mom, honestly.¡±

    ¡°Just because you¡¯re out of practice?¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯m rusty.¡± Reina knows she should stop worrying about it so much, but she can¡¯t help it. She¡¯s always known her mother to be invincible on the track.

    ¡°I know how these cars drive, and I know their quirks inside and out...but putting it all together is a different beast entirely. Mom¡¯s still crazy fast... She¡¯s gotta be.¡±

    She looks to her creation. ¡°So I really need to practice hard.¡±

    Yuzu feels a deep respect for the girl. She knows from experience that pressure is a blessing and a curse¡ªit motivates you to push yourself, to be the best you can be, but all the same, it affords you no room to breathe. Reina hasn¡¯t had a moment¡¯s rest for the entire duration of this project, from the initial pitch to the construction and now to the testing phase. It¡¯s a heavy burden to bear.

    That she¡¯s still here holding her head high in spite of it all demonstrates her real strength.

    ¡°I think I wanna give it a shot myself now... Is there anything I should know that¡¯ll help me out on the track?¡±

    ¡°Well, in terms of specifics... I think you probably have a good idea of the braking marks after seeing my laps, so there¡¯s not much I can say there. I think one thing though, is: you have to be as smooth on corner entry as you can possibly stand. Be aggressive, but don¡¯t just slam the brakes¡ªand wait to cut in until you¡¯ve slowed down and you have more grip.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see how far that gets me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s kinda scary, if I¡¯m being honest, because you feel like you¡¯re gonna understeer off if you wait too long...but I think there¡¯s a balance there. I feel like I left some time on the table in the corners, so that¡¯d be the place to focus.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Now it¡¯s Reina¡¯s turn to suit up and take to the circuit¡ªthough not before adjusting her seat to accommodate her extra foot of height.

    ¡°Ahhh... Much better.¡± Right at home again.

    ¡°Okay, car... I know I¡¯m not the best driver in the world, but be nice to me, okay?¡±

    *RRrrrrrRRRRMMMM!*

    ¡°Good luck out there!¡±

    By this point, Reina is plenty familiar with how the Star Rider cruises at normal speeds. Its aggressive, go-get-¡¯em throttle response reminds her of the family heirloom, as does the feeling that it¡¯s only begrudgingly obeying the speed limit. Soon enough, though, the car will be out on the open track, where no bounds apply and there¡¯s nothing in its path to stop it. The only limit is Reina¡¯s ability.

    ¡°Okay... Let¡¯s do this!¡±

    These new tires will take some warming up before she can put in a flying lap of her own. She spends her first lap and a half at half-speed, snaking back and forth down the straight to warm up the rubber before punching the gas later. All things considered, she¡¯s got a slight advantage over Yuzu: she had to go out first on a full tank of gas and without any rubber on the track for grip. If Reina wants to be even remotely competitive against her mother, she¡¯ll have to put up some comparable laps to Yuzu here...

    (Don¡¯t slow down now, Reina... Gotta make this count!)

    She sets a benchmark for herself: two minutes. Get around the circuit in under two minutes, and that¡¯ll be a good start. She knows the car is capable of it; it just comes down to whether she is.

    (Aaand GO!)

    When she reaches the straight for the second time, she finally opens up the throttle and lets the Star Rider scream once more, rocketing down the straight almost too fast for her to react. It¡¯s been an age since she put down proper hot laps at Tokachi, and she¡¯s gotta relearn her muscle memory on the fly if she wants to break the benchmark. Immediately turn one comes flying up to meet her, and in the moment, she feels a paralyzing jolt of indecision shooting through her. Does she brake early? Late? Are her tires up to temp yet? Can she afford to go full tilt on just her first lap?

    (No! No second-guessing!)

    Perhaps not wanting to run herself out of time, Reina takes the corner conservatively, braking ahead of Yuzu¡¯s own marker to ease herself into the corner. She lands a good angle for corner exit, but it comes at the cost of speed. Track one, Reina zero.

    ¡°Not good enough...!¡±

    She tries to push herself harder through the next hard-braking corners, playing out the game of chicken as Yuzu suggested. It¡¯s all just moving so fast for her, and she¡¯s so badly out of practice that she struggles to keep up as she once did. The muscle memory is slowly, arduously coming back to her, but will it be enough to rival Yuzu¡¯s time?

    ¡°Rngh¡ª! Geez, she wasn¡¯t kidding! This thing¡¯s a handful!¡± It¡¯s challenging her in the same way that it did Yuzu¡ªdemanding her perfection if she wishes to tame it on the track. There¡¯s no room for error here, no forgiveness in the throttle, the brake nor the steering wheel. She has to drive the wheels off of it, or else she¡¯ll only drive herself mad.

    Those same two corners that foiled Yuzu have come back for another round. Reina takes a much more careful approach, slowing early and cutting in hard to set herself up for the final right-hander onto the straight. It gives her the angle she needs, but again, she lacks the speed. The Star Rider violently reclaims the speed she lost, but she knows she hasn¡¯t come anywhere close to the mark...

    *Click!*

    ¡°2:01.6.¡±

    (The corner entries are killing her...)

    Reina scoffs as she hears the number. She¡¯s gotta do better.

    ¡°Okay, take two...!¡±

    The same nerves, the same paralysis tries to creep back into Reina¡¯s hands as she grips the shifter going into turn one. She has to try and save it for later, hold it off as long as she can stand...but where¡¯s the right point to stop? She wasn¡¯t carrying as much speed as she should be, so how much should she adjust her braking point? Should she just hit the usual marker anyway and not overthink it?

    (I have to try and find the limit...!)

    Her foot burns as she hovers over the brake. It all rushes by too fast for her darting eyes, but eventually she picks a point and stops there.

    Unfortunately, she was a split-second too late.

    ¡°Urgh, shoot¡ª!¡± She¡¯s carrying just a tad too much speed, causing her tires to lock up and throw her off the apex. She takes the turn wide, having to steer well outside the optimal line to scrub off speed and give herself room to recover. She can almost hear Yuzu cringing from her post up top¡ªor at least, that¡¯s how it seems in her head.

    ¡°You¡¯re okay, you¡¯re okay! Keep going!¡± She hears Yuzu¡¯s words encouraging her on the radio. She will at least finish this lap to try and salvage the momentum she had.

    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet! Come on...!¡±

    Credit where it¡¯s due to herself: she¡¯s built one hell of a machine. She¡¯s feeling Yuzu¡¯s feedback for herself¡ªthe Star Rider is a lot more maneuverable than a car its size and weight should be. But also like Yuzu said, that power is a double-edged sword¡ªand it takes a hot hand to tame.

    Does Reina really have it in her...?

    ¡°Work with me...!¡± She can feel the wheel fighting back as she tries to corral it into the corner, her palms sweating bullets. The tires are starting to give way as well, thanks to her lockup earlier¡ªshe¡¯s trying to force the issue in the corners more, to mixed success, but she¡¯s marred by her degrading grip. This lap is shaping up to be a bit faster overall, save for her mishap in turn one, but will it be enough...?

    *Click!*

    ¡°2:01 flat!¡±

    (Still not enough...?!)

    Reina goes in for one more lap, hugging the outside edge of the straight, but it¡¯s clear almost immediately when she starts braking that the tires don¡¯t have the grip they used to. That lockup really took the wind out of their sails, forcing Reina to abandon her aggressive lines and settle for less.

    She¡¯s getting more and more used to the track now, reawakening those dormant memories, but all the same, she¡¯s having to rethink and micromanage every last detail about her drive. Every corner is unique, pushing her in a different way¡ªand putting it all together into one lap is a task that just might be too great for her.

    ¡°Gah, I can¡¯t¡ª!¡± Another lockup, this time on a sharp hairpin. She wasn¡¯t carrying as much speed into there as she should have anyway, but the embarrassment still stings. This lap isn¡¯t going to beat her personal best, she can just tell.

    *Click!*

    ¡°2:01.9!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this isn¡¯t happening right now...¡±

    Reina decides to cool down, and eases back on the throttle to start her in lap. She won¡¯t have to travel the full track to get back to the pits, at least¡ªthere¡¯s a section of track that cuts the western segment out entirely, forming the Clubman loop of the course. After a leisurely trip down the back stretch, she pulls off to the right and admits defeat.

    ¡°I¡¯m too scared... I can¡¯t push it as hard as I should.¡±

    It¡¯s hard not to beat yourself up when you have such daunting standards to match...and though Reina hasn¡¯t been broadcasting her remarks the other way on the radio, Yuzu can tell she¡¯s dejected as she pulls the car up to the garage. Perspective is a real menace like that: it¡¯s not enough to have designed and built your own car, and put up flying laps in it... Reina knows¡ªfeels¡ªthat she has to do better.

    ¡°Phew... Man, that was tough.¡± Reina takes a second to lean against the side of the car after she gets out, the crew taking a look at the tires. It¡¯s pretty apparent they need a change.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Yuzu comes around to join her. ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up over those little misses. All things considered, for no practice and not even having raced a car in years, you put up some pretty damn good laps.¡±

    ¡°I know, I gotta look at the bigger picture. It¡¯s just...hard, knowing what I¡¯m comparing myself to.¡±

    Yuzu takes a deep breath...

    ¡°...Okay. I know it¡¯s tough to get that out of your mind, but look at it this way: you¡¯ve already put up a time out there. All you have to do is beat that.¡±

    ¡°Start with that 2:01. Get a 2:00, then work your way down from there. My time, Sami¡¯s times, none of that matters right now. When you go out there on the track, it¡¯s about you. You get me?¡±

    ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡± Reina can¡¯t argue with Yuzu¡¯s line of thinking. ¡°I just have to find a way to get out of my own head...¡±

    ¡°I know...but trust me: you¡¯re already doing a lot better than you think you are. Don¡¯t let the car scare you. It¡¯s your car, so you tell it what to do.¡±

    ¡°What was it you had for that slogan: make it yours?¡±

    That helps put some light back on Reina¡¯s face, forcing a wry chuckle from her gut. ¡°Yeah... I¡¯ll see if I can get back out there and show it who¡¯s boss.¡±

    This break is doing wonders for her, at any rate. She appreciates the opportunity to calm her heart down, get some water back in her, let the crew change the tires...and it¡¯s doubly reassuring to know that Yuzu has her back like this.

    Having that shoulder to lean on... It means more than she can put into words. But she¡¯ll try:

    ¡°Thank you, honestly. You¡¯ve helped me so much all this time...¡±

    ¡°No problem... Just believe in yourself out there.¡±

    In time, the Star Rider and its would-be master are ready for another round¡ªand without fail, the 611 reports for duty once more, prowling up pit lane with a grunt. Mechanically, the car has exceeded Reina¡¯s every expectation, passing its stress test with flying colors. Now it¡¯s just her turn to pass her own exam...

    (...No. Don¡¯t think about it that way. It¡¯s just about me.)

    Just improve upon your baseline, correct your mistakes... She has a better idea now of where her marks are, how much aggression the tires can withstand. She can see this lap coming together in her head; all that remains is to make her vision a reality.

    And hey, as it turns out, she¡¯s gotten pretty good at that over this past year.

    ¡°Go get ¡®em.¡±

    ¡°Copy that!¡±

    One more time, she warms up the car in preparation for her flying laps. She¡¯s only got this one set of tires left¡ªnot counting the ones she¡¯ll put on for the drive back home. Yuzu tore her way through the first set with lap after lap of breakneck speed, and Reina put a premature end to the other set with her untimely gaffes. She has to make this one count.

    ¡°One more lap to warm up, I think... Still not up to temp yet.¡± She sees the skid mark going into turn one, almost taunting her as she passes by. But she can¡¯t let it get to her. She knows she¡¯s better than that. She has the potential to be better, go faster. All she needs to do is put her best foot forward.

    And with an assertive pump of throttle, she prepares to do just that.

    *VVVRRRMMMMMM!*

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Reina takes the green flag, Yuzu enthusiastically nodding in approval. She¡¯s set herself up for the corner pretty well this time, the long straight giving her just enough time to take it all in. It still daunts her, though, when that first corner comes a-calling. This one turn makes or breaks the entire lap...but just as she¡¯s about to tell herself to stop overthinking, she hears Yuzu¡¯s words again:

    (YOU tell it what to do!)

    As if trying to test her, strike her down, the car wobbles ever so slightly, the tires pushed to their limit as her speed climbs higher and higher. She can feel the corner ahead turning into a needle, with her as the proverbial thread. The car is challenging her once again... It won¡¯t relinquish control to her that easily, nor to anyone.

    But Reina challenges it back.

    ¡°Not this time!¡±

    She knows where to go. With her hand on the shifter and her foot hovering over the clutch, Reina times her entry as best she can. Her foot stomps hard on the brake, but as she downshifts, she threads the pedals just the tiniest bit, nipping her understeer in the bud before it can spiral out of control. All this in the blink of an eye, milliseconds behind the wheel, but Reina¡¯s sheer determination guides her through the steps, methodical in her execution. She doesn¡¯t have the time to process her moves, but she doesn¡¯t care¡ªbecause it¡¯s working!

    ¡°THAT¡¯S a good corner!¡± A cautiously optimistic smile breaks out on Reina¡¯s face as she kisses the apex with her right-side tires. Yuzu as well is ecstatic, noticing the improvement as she diamonds the corner and catapults down the stretch. She doesn¡¯t dare key up the radio for fear of distracting Reina, but she wishes she could tell her how well she did that.

    Thankfully, Reina already knows.

    ¡°Right, now this corner. Just a little later, more room for aggression here...!¡±

    The boot complex is deceptive, curling around with a sweeping right-hander that suddenly breaks hard left. Her better first turn shuffles all her marks around, the difference in speed just enough to complicate her muscle memory, but Reina corrects with a measured hand and a careful foot. She¡¯s still learning, still improving...and she can get another shot at these corners at these speeds if she really wants it. All she has to do is nail that first corner again¡ªand she can do that!

    ¡°Better! Better!¡±

    Measured aggression. Nothing absurd like her second-lap dives, just keep it clean and the pace will come to you...!

    ¡°Okay! S! No mistakes through here, just keep it simple and tidy!¡±

    Those final two turns still prove a challenge, of course¡ªperhaps the trickiest on the circuit. Reina still isn¡¯t quite sure how to approach them, and on the pace she¡¯s on, she can feel jitters creeping into her fingers. But she tells herself to stay calm, take a little time if she really needs to. This is just the first lap of many, she¡¯s kept the tires perfectly well, and she¡¯s almost at the front straight again. A conservative line through the S gets her back on the straight and narrow¡ªand she can see Yuzu smiling as she readies the stopwatch!

    *Click!*

    ¡°2:00.8!¡±

    ¡°I can do better than that...!¡±

    This is what she was missing: the hunger. The fire. The determination knowing that she hasn¡¯t yet reached her full potential...knowing that she can. It¡¯s all in her head, playing tricks on her while the Star Rider tries to throw her off like a bucking bronco. But Reina is undeterred¡ªshe knows her car better than anyone.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this again!¡±

    Turn one isn¡¯t quite as scary anymore when you have it down to a science. With rehearsed precision, she times her entry perfectly, going through the motions just like before. That sets her up nicely for the boot¡ªand now that she has this speed to use as a baseline, she can experiment with pushing the envelope more and more...

    ¡°Ooh, that was a nice corner there!¡± Yuzu, meanwhile, watches on with intrigue. The other angle to this is that Reina is the one and only daughter of her childhood hero¡ªand as far as Yuzu can see, she¡¯s absolutely inherited some of that driving talent Sami flexed in her prime. It really is a shame she never made it up past karting...but there¡¯s no point dwelling in what-ifs at this point. Right now, she¡¯s on a heater of a lap!

    ¡°Come on!¡± Reina wrestles with the steering wheel, pressuring it to obey her command. With the extra speed she¡¯s carrying, understeer becomes more and more of a threat, especially in the switchback southwest corner of the circuit. She gets a slight left bend before a sweeping turn to the right¡ªand no room for error between.

    ¡°Good, good... Yes!¡±

    It¡¯s so incredibly satisfying to nail a corner and feel the power carry you to the edge on corner exit. The rumble strips clatter beneath her feet as she uses every inch the track will give her, negotiating yet another 90-degree right. She can feel the speed, feel the improvement on every corner... She may pull this off after all!

    ¡°Just the S...!¡± This time, she comes in with even more speed than she¡¯s used to. She contemplates taking a more aggressive line, but before she can figure out where to plant the car, she runs out of time. She defaults to the tried-and-true entry, costing her precious tenths but keeping her locked right in.

    ¡°Whoa, is she gonna...?¡± Yuzu sees her coming, looking back at the stopwatch. It¡¯s too close to call on whether this will break the benchmark...!

    *Click!*

    ...

    ¡°1:59.9!¡±

    ¡°YES!¡±

    But damned if Reina¡¯s going to rest on her laurels. She knows the car can go faster than that¡ªknows that she can go faster than that. She can feel something else too, as she careens through the first couple corners...

    (I¡¯m feeling the grip better!)

    It¡¯s almost as if the Star Rider is...submitting. After all these laps on the ragged edge, it¡¯s starting to recognize her as its rightful master. She¡¯s getting a better feel for when to return to the throttle, when to power off the corner, how much grip the car has to offer her at every corner of the track. She uses this lap to experiment: can she get away with more?

    ¡°Gimme more...! Come on!¡± It doesn¡¯t feel like the wheel is fighting back as much anymore. Maybe it¡¯s just the tires hitting peak temperature, or maybe it¡¯s just the nature of the car itself. But Reina can swear she¡¯s got a sixth sense for this¡ªand it¡¯s telling her to keep going.

    *Click!*

    ¡°1:59.4!¡±

    ¡°Faster...!¡±

    Yuzu can only watch as Reina sails into turn one yet again, somehow looking even better than before. It¡¯s a perfect storm: less fuel in the tank, tires at peak performance, plenty of rubber down on the track...but that still doesn¡¯t explain Reina¡¯s meteoric rise in pace. Yuzu checks the stopwatch again, tracking her micro-splits through each of the first corners... It doesn¡¯t take her long to put two and two together: Reina is absolutely flying.

    ¡°What the hell is this lap?¡±

    Reina reaches the back stretch, knuckles white, eyes twitching, heart flooded with a surge of adrenaline. This is an insane lap, and she knows it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got this...!¡±

    The left kink into the wide right. Reina refuses to compromise on the throttle, pulsing it through the middle of the corner to try and find as much grip as she can. The moment she feels the tires bite, she works the throttle up to wide open. She almost bites off more than she can chew: the car briefly dips into the grass beyond the rumble strips, the Star Rider kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake. No harm done, though: this is still the fastest Reina¡¯s ever gone through this section.

    ¡°36... 37... Holy crap, she¡¯s way ahead!¡± Yuzu can see Reina leaving her previous time in the very dust she kicked up. Just a couple turns to go, and she¡¯ll have a monster of a time on her hands...!

    ¡°Almost...!¡±

    She can hardly talk; she barely even remembers to breathe. This lap has her on the edge of her seat, her body forced to its absolute limit. Tension builds like a geyser ready to burst. Only the final two turns stand in her way...and like her earlier date with the dirt, she almost overcooks this section as well. She can barely hold onto the wheel, flying on the very cusp of losing it all. She has to shred rubber to jerk back to the optimal line for the final right turn...and though her tires will certainly be toast after this, her reward is a lap she may never replicate again. Full throttle from here... Bring it home!

    ¡°No way...!¡±

    *VRRRRRRMMMMMMMM!*

    ...

    *Click!*

    Release. Reina finally allows herself to rest, keying up the radio as the Star Rider slows its bestial roll. She feels like she¡¯s just taken the biggest breath of her life.

    ¡°Okay...¡± *huff* ¡°That¡¯s it...for me... How¡¯d I do...?¡±

    Yuzu stares at the stopwatch, stupefied.

    ¡°...1:58.6?!¡±

    (What the hell?! She tied my time!)

    ¡°I¡ª What?! There¡¯s no way that¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying! Unless I fat-fingered it early or something, that¡¯s what you did!¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not topping that. I¡¯m coming back in!¡±

    ¡°By all means! Get your ass back down here!¡±

    Reina feels what she can only describe as some kind of high as she cruises through the east half of the course, almost like she¡¯s dreaming. Through some barbaric display of driving, she has extracted every last iota of potential out of herself. Her heart is still racing at a million beats per minute, still echoing through her head as she struggles to catch her breath...but her mind, at last, has found peace.

    Could Yuzu put up a faster lap than that? Absolutely.

    Could Sami put up a faster lap than that? Most likely, she could.

    But god damn, does she feel like she¡¯s on top of the world right now.

    ¡°Oh, man, heh heh... Look at her.¡± Yuzu catches her first glimpse of Reina post-time trial as she brings the car into the garage. The brakes squeak ever so slightly when the Star Rider comes to a stop¡ªthe only fault the car¡¯s had all day. Those will absolutely need to be replaced, along with a fresh set of tires...but Reina and Yuzu are happy to excuse that. The valuable things they¡¯ve both learned have more than made up for it.

    ¡°Oof...! I¡¯m beat. I¡¯m so beat...¡± Reina almost stumbles as she makes her way from the car, having to lean back on the silenced Star Rider for support again.

    ¡°Reina, what on Earth was that lap?¡±

    ¡°Well, hell if I know!¡± She manages a weak laugh. ¡°I just, I... I went for it!¡±

    ¡°I mean...damn, you left it all out there! Forget 1:59, you smashed that course!¡±

    ¡°Thank you...¡± *huff* ¡°Ulf... Water?¡±

    ¡°Wha... Oh! Sure, lemme get that real quick.¡±

    Reina has no idea how long it¡¯ll take for her to actually calm down¡ªnot even another refreshing bottle helps all that much. She can barely believe it even happened at all. The sheer release of all that stress is just numbing her to everything else for the time being.

    *gulp* ¡°Ahhh... Ohh, that¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think we both got a good taste of how the car drives... It practically begs to be pushed to the limit like that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... I could feel it coming to me the more I went. Something about it just really makes you drive on the edge...but I like that. That¡¯s exactly what this car is supposed to be.¡±

    ¡°Gotta agree with that.¡±

    Yuzu, for her part, is incredibly thankful for the opportunity to come out here and drive it today. She can leave for the day satisfied, knowing the Star Rider project is on the right track¡ªand that the girl in charge really does have what it takes.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s it for today?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m gonna head back home and chill out for the rest of the day... I¡¯ll be right back here soon enough, though. Got plenty of testing left to do.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you ever need me for another session, you know my number.¡±

    ¡°Thank you... Not a driver out there I¡¯d rather have.¡±

    Reina and Yuzu close the day with a firm, knowing handshake, all smiles all around. The Star Rider¡¯s inaugural track visit will go down as a resounding success, and a welcome vote of confidence for the conductor behind it all. All the nerves, all the questions festering in Reina¡¯s mind about the challenge handed down to her... Absolved, if just for a moment. There will still be many trials ahead¡ªand Sami will doubtless be practicing herself¡ªbut where once the shadow of her coming battle loomed large over her eyes, now she sees clearly with her newfound confidence. She¡¯s gotten this far already, and now, she looks up to the sky and sees her future.

    That final mountain to scale, that last peak beneath the stars, looks just a little shorter now.

 24. To Join From Afar

    When every day brings a new hurdle to leap, a new goal to reach, it¡¯s easy to forget how far you¡¯ve come already¡ªand all the same, it can lead some signs of the times to strike you. This year, Reina was not content to let the seasons leave her behind, keeping herself busy as a bee...but in the process, she ironically lost track of where all that time went. Before she knew it, spring became a distant memory, and now summer too joins it in the past. The perennial leaves are just starting to show their autumn colors, carrying with them an omen of great change... Indeed, time keeps marching on.

    Only when she stops for this fleeting moment does it really set in.

    ¡°Mmmm...¡± It starts with a groggy blink or two in bed. Normally at this time of day, she would be out and about already, either at the shop or on the long road to the track at Tokachi. She¡¯s had no shortage of work, especially over the last few weeks...

    ...But today is a peculiar day: at the behest of her mother and the rest of the Aikawa Auto crew, she has taken today off.

    *yaaawn!* ¡°Ohhh, I didn¡¯t realize how much I needed that.¡±

    She always sleeps so much better once it starts getting properly cool at night. That, combined with her massive endurance test at Tokachi yesterday, made her sleep like a rock well past her usual hours. It still doesn¡¯t feel quite right, taking today off so close to the big day, but the rest of the team insisted: today, Sami is handling business out at the track, and the two old boys are managing the shop in her stead. The Road Runner is in use as well; even if she did have business to attend to, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get very far without it.

    ¡°Man...¡± Reina cocks her head, her vision still blurry. ¡°When was the last time I had nothing to do?¡±

    She feels like she should be making up for this somehow, but then, perhaps it¡¯s best not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

    ¡°Maybe she has a point though... Won¡¯t do me any good if I show up to the race all tired.¡±

    There remains one week until the big day¡ªwhen mother and daughter will duel to decide the future of Aikawa Auto. In that time, she and Sami have been steeling themselves, practicing day in and day out as much as Tokachi will let them. The searing heat of summer has forged the two of them both...but the question of who will prevail remains as unclear as ever. Neither of them will cede an inch of ground to each other. This race has awakened a fiery, competitive spirit within them both¡ªbut at the end of the day, their family bond still burns brighter.

    Naturally, Reina still has some last-minute adjustments she wants to make. She wants to polish any and every imperfection she can find in the car before its big track date¡ªand this last weekend of testing did wonders to help her find those last few trifling faults. She¡¯s thrown just about everything and the kitchen sink at it, from limit-breaking hot laps to hours-long endurance runs, putting the prototype through the wringer without quarter nor relent. That¡¯s the best way for her to know it¡¯ll have what it takes when the big day comes.

    It¡¯s done a lot for her, as well, as she¡¯s shared test driving duties with Yuzu throughout the summer. The latter has a busy schedule herself¡ªbut that¡¯s proven to be a blessing in disguise. The more experience Reina gets out on the track, the better prepared she¡¯ll be to face Sami on the starting grid.

    That¡¯s all in the past now, of course. The buildup is written; all that remains is the future.

    ...Just not right now.

    ¡°Ahhh... There we go.¡± Reina finds her glasses after fishing for them on her nightstand. Her bedhead is, as usual, a mess¡ªand her rumbling stomach begs for breakfast. But that¡¯s the wonderful thing about today: she can take it all at her own pace and just do whatever she wants, without the pressure of timelines and schedules to hound her out of the house. Nothing to do, nowhere to be... It¡¯s almost a frightening thought, if she¡¯s being honest with herself. What is she going to do with all this time?

    ¡°...Hm. Yeah, I have no idea. Maybe when I¡¯m more awake, I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±

    *VVVRRRRMMMM...*

    ¡°Huh...?¡±

    A distant growl catches her attention, her ears puckering as she lazily looks toward her window. Whatever it is, it¡¯s not coming from an angle she can see...but something about it makes her think she really should recognize it. She wants to say it sounds like an Aikawa engine, even...

    ¡°That¡¯s...not the Road Runner...¡± She doesn¡¯t see why it would be the Star Rider either. It sounds...different. A little more shouty in the top end, not as much bass to its song. But it still sounds undeniably mean...so what is it?

    ¡°...Wait!¡±

    Suddenly, it all clicks. There¡¯s one other Aikawa motor prowling around Hokkaido¡ªone belonging to a certain open-wheel star... But that doesn¡¯t make any sense, Reina thinks to herself. Last she heard, the lass was down in Motegi for a race weekend. She wouldn¡¯t be all the way back up here so soon, would she? The big race at Tokachi isn¡¯t for another week...

    *VVRRRMMMM!*

    ...And yet here she is.

    ¡°...Okay, now I¡¯ve gotta see what this is all about.¡± Reina hastily gets herself dressed. ¡°Hope she doesn¡¯t mind my bedhead!¡±

    Seems today has decided her itinerary for her...and you know, that¡¯s not so bad after all.

    ***

    ¡°Right, here we are.¡±

    The first cat is out of the bag¡ªthat Yuzu is back in town, and she¡¯s paying Reina a surprise visit. The second is who¡¯s in the passenger seat.

    ¡°Thanks for waiting at the airport. Stupid flight just had to get held up back in Kanazawa!¡±

    ¡°No problem. I don¡¯t have anywhere else to be anyway.¡±

    They each heard about the big event well ahead of time¡ªand since they¡¯re both free from school and other obligations, they figured they might as well take the week to enjoy themselves. One thing led to another, and they coordinated their arrival with Sami to give Reina this little surprise to go with her day off... She¡¯s confident it¡¯ll pay off in the end. Reina¡¯s needed a nice break, the poor girl.

    ¡°Alright!¡± With that, Yuzu and Akane make their exit, the Silvia temporarily silenced. It¡¯s a bit odd going straight to her house instead of the shop down the road¡ªin fact, for a moment, they were convinced the garage was where she actually lived. She sure as hell seemed to be down there all the time.

    *DING!*

    ¡°Ack! Gimme a minute!¡± Reina rushes to get herself in a presentable state, her day quickly turning into an event. Just when the two guests think they might¡¯ve caught her at the wrong time, she flings the door open and greets them.

    ¡°Yo!¡±

    ¡°Morning.¡±

    ¡°Yuzu! And Akane too?! What the heck are you two doing here already?¡±

    ¡°I just flew straight back after my race on Friday, and that put me here in Sapporo anyway, so I figured I might as well pay you a visit while I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°Pop and I are taking a little vacation of our own! And we have to go through Sapporo too, so that worked out nicely for us!¡±

    ¡°Well, dangit, I would¡¯ve cleaned myself up if I knew you two were coming! I look like a wreck right now!¡±

    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t sweat it!¡± Akane¡¯s sure she¡¯s looking equally beat up after a rough day of travel.

    ¡°Your mom told us you were taking the day off, so we wanted to ask if you¡¯d be up for lunch or something. Doesn¡¯t have to be too fancy.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Reina¡¯s face never fails to light up when you mention food. On account of sleeping in so late, her stomach is getting pretty desperate... If they¡¯re offering, who is she to refuse?

    ¡°Well, I kinda was looking for something to do today¡ªthink I¡¯d have driven myself stir-crazy cooped up in the house all day. Gimme a minute to freshen up and then, sure!¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡±

    Reina invites the two of them into her humble abode, pulling out chairs for the both of them while she retreats to her room. They do find it intriguing to get a glimpse into her world like this¡ªa world not even her diehard customers know. Old furniture and picture frames tell a tale of generations lost to time...yet their legacy lives on, plain as day for Yuzu and Akane to see. The apple really doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree, does it?

    ¡°Y¡¯know, it¡¯s kinda funny. I just started out as her business partner, but now...I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh.¡± Yuzu knows how that feels. The young boss just has a way of bringing people together...even people who might not have given her a chance from first impressions alone. Perhaps even greater than her mechanical smarts and her business savvy, is her sheer, unbridled enthusiasm for what she does. It¡¯s just infectious.

    ¡°Me too, Akane. Me too.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for waiting!¡± Reina¡¯s timely re-entrance prompts the both of them to get up from their seats, ready to tackle the town.

    ¡°Anywhere in particular you wanted to go?¡±

    ¡°I know a place. My family goes there a lot when we¡¯re in town.¡±

    ¡°Nice! Lead the way, then.¡±

    Something about Yuzu taking charge is actually rather refreshing. Reina¡¯s been leading the way this whole time, making plans, drafting pitches, forging ahead on the Star Rider project. But just for one day, she gets to take a physical and metaphorical back seat as Yuzu treats her for the afternoon. It¡¯s unusual, for sure¡ªespecially on top of the strangeness that is her blue-moon off day¡ªbut Reina isn¡¯t complaining!

    ¡°And there¡¯s the old Silvia! Still treating you well?¡±

    ¡°Well as ever. She still runs like a dream.¡±

    ¡°I got d¨¦j¨¤ vu something fierce when I first saw it, but I couldn¡¯t explain why at first.¡±

    ¡°And then it hit you?¡±

    ¡°And then it hit me.¡±

    There are few things on the road today that can make Akane seem...underwhelmed by her own DragStar. A snarling Aikawa engine is one of them.

    ¡°Now I almost want one like that!¡±

    ¡°Well, if all goes well, you won¡¯t have to wait too long!¡±

    It really is crazy when you take a step back and look at the whole thing from afar. Reina has blossomed from humble mechanic to rising star, and with every passing day, the dawn of Aikawa Auto¡¯s new age draws closer and closer...

    But for now, she¡¯s just a passenger on a date for lunch with friends.

    *RRRrrrRRRRMMM!*

    ¡°You comfy enough back there?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good. You have the seat up all the way, so I¡¯ve got plenty of leg room back here.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    ¡°Sally go!¡±

    The Silvia soon joins the highway and leaves her neighborhood behind, bound for a new destination deep in the concrete spider web of Sapporo...and just like that, what Reina expected to be an uneventful day¡ªboring, even¡ªhas turned into something wildly different. Serves her right for trying to predict the future, for indeed, you can never truly tell what tomorrow will bring.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    (Man...) Reina thinks to herself.

    (I¡¯m so glad to have these two.)

    ***

    On this Sunday, the streets are abuzz with citygoers of all shapes and sizes. The weekend offers them all a reprieve from the grind, a chance to let go and enjoy themselves¡ªdoubly so for Reina, as this is her final weekend before the big day. The more she thinks about it, the more she realizes this really is for the best: it helps take her mind off of the pressure and the grind, and lets her spend valuable time with her friends instead. They¡¯ve been a massive help in getting this far, after all¡ªwhy shouldn¡¯t they be doing friend group things?

    ¡°It¡¯s still weird coming to this part of the city... I rarely have an excuse to be out here.¡±

    ¡°Really? You¡¯ve been here for...what, your whole life?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I dunno, I just...don¡¯t go places without a reason.¡±

    ¡°Well, that sounds sad. Now I¡¯m really glad we picked you up! Broaden your horizons a little bit, y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°Fair, fair!¡±

    To some extent, she envies that they can both come all the way out here to see her¡ªand a week early, at that. She extended them invitations for the big race, and she wouldn¡¯t have been offended had they chosen not to come, but they both chose to make time for her anyway. She really appreciates that.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to tour the city a little more myself. I didn¡¯t really get the chance to when I was last up here with Pop¡ªthat trip was all business.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a nice place. And the neat thing about the restaurants is that there¡¯s stuff here you can¡¯t get in Obihiro. That¡¯s why I like trying out new places whenever I¡¯m in town.¡±

    ¡°This spot is one of your favorites, though?¡±

    ¡°Yup. When in doubt, I always come back here.¡±

    Being Japan¡¯s fifth-largest city¡ªand carrying some not-so-subtle Western influence in its architecture and its cuisine¡ªthere¡¯s more variety for a foodie than you might expect. The typical Japanese fare is well represented, of course, but there are also plenty of American and European restaurants to choose from...and one German option keeps Yuzu coming back. Fittingly not far from a bridge named after Munich, this hidden gem should scratch Reina¡¯s itch for meat just fine.

    ¡°There we are. Third floor.¡±

    ¡°Oh! This looks pretty nice.¡± Reina takes the chance to stretch her still-tired arms before climbing out of the back seat. ¡°When was the last time I had German, actually? I remember liking it...¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t remember?¡±

    ¡°I... Look, come on, I gotta budget!¡±

    ¡°Girl, you gotta get out more!¡±

    ¡°With whose money?!¡±

    ¡°With ours! Let us treat you, dangit.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª No, you don¡¯t have to pay for¡ª¡°

    ¡°Overruled, 2-1. It¡¯s the least we can do to pay you back.¡±

    ¡°Not you too...!¡± After a brief pout, though, Reina admits defeat. Don¡¯t worry about it; just let the good times roll and let the company of friends make for a lasting memory.

    ¡°Thank you, though. Really.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh. No problem.¡±

    It¡¯s a quaint little place, and immediately their visit starts off on the right foot when they get a whiff of the fresh bread up front. And if Reina¡¯s appetite weren¡¯t whetted enough, the delectable aroma of meat sings a sweet, savory song to her taste buds. You can never go wrong with some good ol¡¯ bratwurst¡ªthough Reina would very much like to test that theory for herself.

    They¡¯ve come at a lull in the day¡¯s usual cadence, so they¡¯re seated and presented the menu in short order, their table right next to the window. The slender streets of Sapporo snake on the ground below them, the leaves only just beginning to turn. It¡¯s an interesting new perspective for the otherwise hermit in blonde... Outside her immediate neighborhood, she really doesn¡¯t get to see much of her own hometown.

    ¡°Man... You two are right. I really do need to get out more.¡± Reina lets out a wistful chuckle as she stares out the window. ¡°Taking that trip down to Nagoya really opened my eyes, I think: it showed me just how much I¡¯d been missing this whole time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... It¡¯s a big world out there, and pictures really don¡¯t do it justice.¡±

    ¡°Any plans for the next time you have a big break?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I have no idea when that¡¯ll even be.¡± Reina scratches her head.

    ¡°But maybe now¡¯s the time to start thinking about it... I mean, that trip was the first time I¡¯d even been off Hokkaido in years. There¡¯s so much other stuff to do, so many other places to be... I¡¯ve got a lot on my bucket list.¡±

    ¡°Anywhere specific you wanna go?¡±

    ¡°Well...¡± Something funny happens when Yuzu and Akane get Reina¡¯s gears turning. She¡¯s always had that sense of wanderlust, but living so much of her childhood in frugal mode almost permanently pushed it into the back of her mind. She hasn¡¯t has the luxury of planning the future on her own terms in...well, forever.

    But as she¡¯s achieved her dream bit by bit, that whimsical look in her eyes slowly regains its luster. Oh, the places Reina would love to go.

    ¡°...Gosh, where do I begin?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to go to an F1 race in Suzuka...or just go to Suzuka in general. A proper race date at Fuji would be lots of fun too... And Hell, I¡¯ve never been to Kyoto either¡ªor Tokyo, now that I think about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been out of the country either, actually.¡±

    ¡°Really? Not even to America?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I think we floated the idea of a trip to Daytona when I was a kid, but that never went through. If I went now, though, I think I¡¯d go somewhere else... Maybe see the Grand Canyon, or go visit some of the museums by where the Big Three are.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯ve got too many options here!¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s more like you¡¯ve got a lot of catching up to do!¡±

    ¡°Haha! Maybe, maybe.¡±

    It¡¯s a dangerous thing to get her worked up like this¡ªit¡¯s got her thinking about life in a post-Star Rider world. A world where the financial woes of the past are but a memory fading in the rear-view mirror, and where she can look to the future with head held high.

    A world she really can find some day.

    ¡°I¡¯d wanna treat my mom too... She deserves it as much as I do. All the guys at the shop, really. I¡¯m so lucky to have them there, always having my back...¡±

    Reina turns to her friends with a beatific smile. ¡°And I¡¯m lucky to have you two as well... Without you, I wouldn¡¯t be here living my crazy, weird dream here at home. You took the chance on me, as much of an outside shot as it was.¡±

    ¡°Aww, c¡¯mon... Give yourself some credit too!¡± Akane blushes.

    ¡°I really mean it, though¡ªfrom the bottom of my heart. Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for me... I¡¯ll always remember all the help I got along the way. That means the world to me.¡±

    Yuzu smiles. How the times have changed... She saw firsthand Reina¡¯s evolution into a wise and capable leader. From the sheltered doldrums she once called home, naive and directionless in her vision for the world...to this. A woman in control of her own destiny, wielding her heritage not as an anchor, but as a map. She has proven her grandmother right, after all these years: when she puts her mind to it, her smarts, savvy and impeccable spirit can make anything happen.

    ¡°Our pleasure, Reina... We¡¯ll always be there for you.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s just one little detail you got wrong, though.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Akane extends her fist for a bump. ¡°It¡¯s not just your dream anymore. You¡¯ve got us on the hype train with you.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh. Well said.¡± Yuzu offers her hand as well.

    Reina concedes. She¡¯s not the only one in her own little world anymore; she¡¯s got these two, and a host of others, working to make that dream into a reality along with her. Their world is her world.

    ¡°Well, touch¨¦!¡±

    *BUMP!*

    You know, it¡¯s friends like these that make it all worth it.

    ¡°Food should be here soon, they¡¯re usually pretty good on service.¡±

    ¡°Good, my stomach¡¯s about to mutiny!¡±

    It¡¯s almost unfair, having to wait for their meal while all this other delicious food saunters by their table, taunting and teasing them with every whiff. But, as they say, patience is a virtue¡ªand Reina¡¯s got a feeling their order is right around the corner.

    ¡°Oh, is that it? I think that¡¯s my schnitzel!¡±

    Yuzu vouched for how well they do the dish, so Reina decided to order it¡ªand upon first impressions, she thinks she made the right choice. Her mouth waters as her plate touches down on the table, with Yuzu¡¯s soup curry and Akane¡¯s hearty eisbein soon to follow. Coupled with a set of refreshing drinks, Reina and company waste no time digging in.

    ¡°Mmmm...! You weren¡¯t kidding, that IS good!¡±

    ¡°Mine too!¡±

    Yuzu knowingly nods, eagerly chowing down on her own meal. ¡°They do a good job here, don¡¯t they?¡±

    It¡¯s everything Reina could ask for. The juicy meat, the crispy breading, they¡¯ve got it all down to a science here. It almost makes her want to kick herself for not hitting up the place sooner herself¡ªYuzu seems to know more about Reina¡¯s own backyard than she does!

    ¡°I was kinda wondering if you ordered too much, but uh...you haven¡¯t have you?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Yuzu and Akane witness firsthand Reina¡¯s voracious appetite. Like her cars, it takes a lotta fuel to keep her on the move.

    ¡°Thank you so much for treating me...! You really sure you don¡¯t want to split the bill with me, though?¡±

    ¡°Nah, nah. Consider it our treat.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you can pay us back by giving us a discount on a Star Rider deposit?¡±

    ¡°Haha! You drive a hard bargain... I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    How long has it been since Reina just had a calm, pleasant day like this? It¡¯s hard for her to remember the last time her schedule was this...normal. So much tweaking, so much testing, so much relentless practice and poring over parts... There¡¯s always been something occupying her time and her mind.

    But this has reminded her of a valuable lesson: sometimes, you really do need to just take a step back and decompress. All work and no play might not make her dull, but it certainly would tire her out. Perhaps that¡¯s why the trip resonated with her so much, beyond the business of it all... It was the first time she¡¯d given herself a proper vacation in years.

    She¡¯s starting to realize again that this dream of hers, on top of raising the company up, would empower her to live her life however she chooses¡ªboth in and out of the garage. What sort of trips could she take, what flights of fancy? What other, more leisurely dreams could she turn into reality next? If she can make this all work, the possibilities are endless...and that is perhaps the true goal of it all: the freedom to live and love for herself.

    Even the freedom to take little treat days in cute, hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

    ¡°Ahhh, that was good...¡± In short order, the trio finish their meals. Reina washes her schnitzel down with a good swig, hanging out on Cloud Nine with an adorable smile on her face. She really did need this¡ªand did it ever deliver.

    ¡°That really hit the spot. Glad you two liked it!¡±

    ¡°Hey, thanks for picking this place out! Always nice to find new spots.¡±

    ¡°You said it.¡±

    Yuzu can¡¯t help but note how much more talkative she is than normal. She really doesn¡¯t know Akane that well yet, having only met her once before, but she fits in at the table just fine. Having these common interests, this shared goal, really helps bring them together.

    It makes her think about next week...

    ¡°So you don¡¯t have much left to do, do you?¡±

    ¡°Nope... I could do some more last-minute practice, but at this point, I should probably focus on resting up.¡±

    ¡°How many people are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°Not much, if I¡¯m being honest¡ªbut I don¡¯t mind that. I sent out some invitations to some of our diehard customers from back in the day, but outside of that, it¡¯s just gonna be us, our families and the guys from the shop.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that. Doesn¡¯t need to be all big and flashy¡ªjust needs to prove the point.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± That said, Reina pushes up her glasses. ¡°Trust me, though, I¡¯ll make sure it delivers. You won¡¯t regret coming.¡±

    ¡°Not like we would anyway!¡± Akane beams. ¡°A chance to see the Reina Aikawa out on the track¡ªand her mom too? Not passing that up for anything!¡±

    ¡°You flatter me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a wonderful time.¡±

    After paying for their meals¡ªand after Yuzu and Akane make doubly sure Reina didn¡¯t pitch in some yen behind their backs¡ªthe group hup to their feet and take their leave...

    Though not before buying some bread to go first.

    ¡°This is a neat loaf here! Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had it before... I wonder how good it would be for toast, or sandwiches and stuff?¡±

    ¡°What kind do you usually use?¡±

    ¡°Uhhh... I dunno, we don¡¯t usually have sandwich bread in the house. Hard to justify the purchase most of the time.¡±

    ¡°Girl, you¡¯re killing me!¡±

    This loaf, at least, Reina does manage to pay for herself.

    With that, Reina¡¯s off-day-turned-treat-day draws to a close, and she steps back out into the autumn sun with her partners in crime beside her. Stomach full, bread in hand, her nervous heart put at ease for just a little while... She can¡¯t think of a better way to have spent this lazy day.

    It¡¯s such a wonderful thing to have people looking out for you like that.

    ¡°Thank you again, you two... I know I say it so much that it probably doesn¡¯t mean anything anymore, but I mean it each and every time.¡±

    ¡°No problem, Reina.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice just being friends like this, y¡¯know? Not just business partners, but girls who get together outside work too!¡±

    ¡°And I think we¡¯ll be seeing each other plenty after the big day, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Heehee... Yeah. Not to count my eggs before they hatch, but...¡± Reina looks to the sky with a burning resolve.

    ¡°I think the future¡¯s looking pretty bright.¡±

    Seven days. Only seven days separate Reina from the mountaintop. Her final obstacle, a challenger she knows all too well... There would be no more fitting way for her to take her final steps on her ascent to the stars. Past and future will collide on the lonely surface of Tokachi Speedway¡ªand their clash will echo long throughout Reina¡¯s entire world.

    She understands there¡¯s no room for doubt anymore. She carries not just her own dream, but the dreams of others, blazing inside her heart. Her friends want to see her succeed. Her family wants to see her succeed. Her mother, having watched her blossom into the bold young woman she is, would love nothing more than to watch her one and only Reina surpass her. To pass the baton on the track they¡¯ve always called home... It would all be so fitting, wouldn¡¯t it?

    (...I¡¯ve gotta do it.)

    In spite of every obstacle Reina has faced in her tumultuous life, she has found a way to carry on. No storm, no gale, no cruel hand dealt has stopped her thus far. She has always wanted simply to be herself...and to embrace that identity, to hone her heritage as a beacon, has cultivated within her a spirit infallible. Now more than ever, Reina knows her own strength; now, she knows what she must do.

    She will prevail.

 25. To Shoot the Moon

    Somewhere in the nondescript suburbs of Tokyo, there lies a nondescript house, on a nondescript street. You would be hard-pressed to find anything even remotely unusual about it¡ªor indeed, about its backdrop. It is, with its conforming grays and uneventful design, the staple crop of the country.

    It is in this house where an unassuming couple lead their unassuming lives. There¡¯s something comforting about the mundanity of it all, the familiarity of the routine¡ªlike the wheels of a car going round, and round, and round. Whichever direction this road is taking them is too broad a question, seeking comfort instead in the predictable pattern each and every day will follow.

    That¡¯s how it¡¯s always been for them, really: living one day at a time, and leaving the future for the future to decide. It used to be a lot more eventful than this, back in their glory days...but the golden years aren¡¯t so bad either. They¡¯ve lived plenty already.

    The elder of the two begins his day as he always does: a brief walk about his neighborhood, of which he¡¯s memorized every step. Soon, the morning mail will come, and he can occupy himself with the puzzles in the daily paper and a cup of his usual tea. His partner will be waiting for him at the coffee table back home, where they can regale each other with their tales of thorough triteness.

    The fall foliage comforts him. Another season soon to change, another reliable turn on the great wheel of time...yet on this particular morning, there blows a change in the air.

    ¡°Mm...? What¡¯s this?¡±

    Their mailbox has an unexpected visitor¡ªa letter from afar, the address resonating deep within his memory. It¡¯s been quite some time... Last time he saw that old dog in person would¡¯ve been several years ago, not long before she passed on. He¡¯s been wondering what that group up north has been up to... Perhaps now is his chance to find out.

    At the table, the younger has already pulled out his chair. ¡®Younger,¡¯ of course, is only a technicality¡ªthey¡¯re both long in the tooth.

    ¡°Anything interesting in the mail today?¡±

    ¡°Well, wouldn¡¯t you know it... Take a look at this, why don¡¯tcha?¡±

    He sets the envelope down at the center of the table, and his partner delicately picks it up. His eyes narrow as he makes out the sender...

    ¡°Aikawa Auto Company... Sapporo, Japan.¡± He gently shakes the letter in his hand, before a raspy chuckle rocks his head.

    ¡°Now that brings ya back, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°We really used to be right there in that circle, huh? Just a couple¡¯a crazy kids with no thoughts of tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Seems like they¡¯re still kickin¡¯ too... You want me to read this?¡±

    ¡°If ya would. You see better¡¯n I do these days.¡±

    ¡°Well, just for you, I¡¯ll try...¡±

    A certain nostalgia courses through his fingers as he cuts the envelope open. In a past life, they were very well acquainted with Aikawa Auto¡ªand out on the winding backroads, they proved to be some of the brand¡¯s greatest ambassadors. They remember Clara, and Sami, and little Reina too...and though that life has since passed them by, curiosity compels them to open the book just one more time, and see where they are now...

    ¡°Let¡¯s see here, uhhh... Well, this is just gobbledygook here.¡±

    ¡°Think you¡¯ve got it upside down. That¡¯s their logo there, you see it?¡±

    ¡°¡¯You see better than me,¡¯ my ass, Keiichi.¡±

    Eventually, his tired hands get the letter flipped around the right way. He recognizes that logo now... It¡¯s still just as he remembers.

    *Ahem!* ¡°Now, what¡¯ve they got for us...?¡±

    Save the date!

    Aikawa Auto Company would like to invite you and all our customers from over the years to join us for a special celebration at Tokachi Speedway at the end of this month!

    We¡¯ve been hard at work building something we think you¡¯re really gonna like. Whether you¡¯re still chasing revs or you¡¯ve settled down and pulled into the pits, we think you deserve this chance to see what we¡¯ve been up to. And before you ask: no, this isn¡¯t some buyout. This isn¡¯t some half-hearted corporate imitation. It¡¯s ME¡ªand US! And we¡¯re still as crazy as ever.

    We¡¯d love to see you there, but if you don¡¯t wanna make the trip all the way up to Hokkaido, you can catch us live on broadcast as well! More info on that below.

    Cheers, and enjoy the show!

    -Reina Aikawa and the Aikawa Auto Company

    At the very bottom of the letter, below all the newfangled stream info, reads Aikawa Auto¡¯s new tagline: ¡®Make It Yours.¡¯

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned...¡±

    Both men absorb the weight of the words, stunned into a long, contemplative silence. The past has come calling, like a siren¡¯s song...but it sings not just of nostalgia, not dreams of days long gone. Signed neither by the old matriarch nor her racing-minded prot¨¦g¨¦, Reina speaks of a new age for the company¡ªone under her direction as inheritor of its legacy.

    ¡°She grew up real fast, didn¡¯t she...?¡± It feels like the last time they were up in Sapporo, Reina was barely walking... Now look at her.

    ¡°...You¡¯re thinkin¡¯ about somethin¡¯, aren¡¯tcha?¡±

    ¡°I am. Dangerous, I know, whenever I think.¡±

    Call him crazy, perhaps, but something about this blast from the past is putting a smile on his face.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been wantin¡¯ to take that vacation for a while, y¡¯know? While we¡¯re both still walkin¡¯ around, seein¡¯ fine, hearin¡¯ fine. And it¡¯s been a long, long time since either of us were up in Hokkaido, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It has...¡± He slowly nods. The smile is gradually spreading to him.

    ¡°We might not be crazy adrenaline junkies any more, but y¡¯know...I can¡¯t deny this sounds like fun. Gettin¡¯ to go up there and catch up with old friends, see what they¡¯ve been up to... It¡¯d be nice, I think.¡±

    ¡°And somethin¡¯ tells me you agree, eh?¡±

    They were always able to read each other like books. That¡¯s why they¡¯ve stuck it out this long together.

    ¡°Y¡¯know...you just might have a point there. We got money, we got energy...¡± He looks out the window to see the leaves beginning to change, as they always do.

    ¡°...And we got all the time in the world.¡±

    This year will not be like the others. Aikawa Auto sheds the comfort of the past, eschews the stagnation to don a new mantle. And everyone from the company¡¯s checkered history is invited to watch.

    They will be there.

    ***

    Tokachi. The circuit that Japan forgot, left to the mercy of the Hokkaido countryside behind a cloak of autumnal gold. If not for the withered signs and the overgrown access roads, you could barely even tell a track lay here to begin with. And yet, for want of a future, Tokachi carries on.

    There will be no massive fanfare to the main event this day...no frenzied press coverage, no sell-out crowds. The eyes of the automotive world are elsewhere, drawn to the luster of greater, more important things. This day will not be remembered beyond the humble circle of those who still call this place their home...

    But you know something? They don¡¯t mind that. They don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s recognition.

    ¡°Come on in, come on in!¡± One by one, the track manager welcomes the familiar few who have chosen to attend. Many of them longtime friends, club league regulars, customers from Aikawa Auto¡¯s glory days...and among them, two bright young stars who serve as guests of honor.

    ¡°So this is what Tokachi¡¯s like...¡± Akane can scarcely even grasp the events that led her here. It feels like only yesterday that she was a simple university student waiting for something interesting to happen at her pop¡¯s old business. Something to give her the spark she needed. Now she¡¯s come halfway across the country to watch her creation take to the track against the queen of Tokachi Speedway.

    ¡°Is it usually this quiet here?¡±

    ¡°Heh heh heh... This is the busiest it¡¯s been in years.¡±

    Yuzu finds her usual parking space, and together with Akane, they dive into the paddock. Somewhere in there, the women of the hour are getting ready¡ªand they don¡¯t want to miss their chance to give their words to Reina before she suits up and shoots for the stars. There¡¯s an excited spring in their step, an energy that compels them to walk just a little faster, leaving their parents behind. The chill wind blows at their backs. With each step, it all feels just a little bit more real... After years and years, it¡¯s finally coming together.

    They believe in her. All she has to do now is believe in herself, and drive.

    ¡°There she is!¡±

    ¡°Reina!¡±

    The duo find her at last, taking last-minute inventory as she scrutinizes the Star Rider¡¯s engine bay. Try as she might, though, she can¡¯t find a single fault anymore... There¡¯s nothing left for her to do. She has walked a thousand steps on this long and winding journey... Now, after all this time, she will put her head up and run.

    ¡°Oh! There you are!¡± Reina¡¯s face alights when she sees her friends on the way. With a wave and a smile, she welcomes them both to the main event.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re all ready, huh?¡±

    ¡°Ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡± She has to take a deep breath to try and calm herself down. ¡°Not gonna lie, I¡¯m still really nervous... My heart¡¯s already racing. I¡¯m just hoping I can settle down once we actually get going.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s weird like that, isn¡¯t it? The buildup is tougher than the real thing.¡±

    ¡°Mhm... Once you know you can¡¯t turn back anymore, it all kinda fades away.¡±

    ¡°But turning back never crossed your mind at all, did it?¡±

    Akane¡¯s right on the money, and that makes Reina grin. Perhaps a lesser Reina might have backed down, balked at the monumental task ahead of her...but this is the future of Aikawa Auto. This is what she wants.

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Good answer.¡± Akane extends her hand, which quickly evolves into a hug between two close friends. Yuzu, not wanting to be outdone, joins them arm-in-arm for one last moment of calm before Reina has to go.

    ¡°You give her the fight of her life out there, you hear me?¡±

    ¡°I will, and nothing less.¡±

    A fitting note to end their talk on¡ªthe time has almost come.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting to be that time...¡± Reina checks her phone and nods. Just a few minutes ¡®til the top of the hour.

    ¡°Go get ¡®em, Reina!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you... I¡¯ll give it everything I¡¯ve got!¡±

    The Star Rider is waiting for her. It¡¯s got a full tank of gas, a fresh set of tires and a through thrice-over from the head honcho herself. With a brief hum, the titanic V8 roars to life to greet Yuzu and Akane, before prowling down the pit lane to approach its starting spot.

    ¡°And there she goes...¡±

    ¡°She looks like a natural.¡±

    Seconds later, the Star Rider is followed by its distant ancestor¡ªthe family heirloom, driven by its most distinguished owner. Yuzu and Akane¡¯s ears perk up, heads turning as the car commands their attention. Yuzu¡¯s heart skips a beat as she catches a glimpse of the woman behind her wheel: Sami Aikawa, racing again at Tokachi for the first time in years.

    ¡°Ah...!¡± She sees the window roll down, and watches as Sami waves to them both as she passes by. The bestial growl of the V8 rings in their ears as it prowls down the pit lane in cold pursuit.

    Something about the moment summons a flood of nostalgia in Yuzu¡¯s mind... A collision of past and future, unfolding before her very eyes.

    ¡°Man... This really is happening, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°She means a lot to you, doesn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Yeah... That¡¯s my childhood right there. All those times I watched her race, trying to win year after year after year...and then she finally got it. She showed me that I can make it in racing if I really try.¡±

    ¡°Without her, I wouldn¡¯t be standing here today... I wouldn¡¯t be doing all this. I owe so much to her for making me who I am...¡±

    Yuzu shakes her head and laughs.

    ¡°And now I¡¯m cheering for her to lose.¡±

    Akane sits her arm across Yuzu¡¯s shoulders, watching mother and daughter roll their cars into the distance together.

    ¡°Between you and me...I don¡¯t think she¡¯d mind losing either, just this once.¡±

    Yuzu¡¯s face softens. ¡°...You might be right.¡±

    It really is incredible, how much this one little family has changed the both of them. With a mighty roar and a flash of light, mother and daughter have both made their mark on the world, like a comet soaring through the dark night sky. The little girl from Obihiro, eyes wide in awe; and the firebrand from Kanazawa, enamored by their spirit. They have the honor now of joining them as they pen their story...to close one long, long chapter of their history, and turn the page to start a new one.

    ¡°I think we¡¯d better get going now. We¡¯ve got our seats in the stands.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± The track curator¡¯s husky old voice booms through the old speakers, directing those watching in the stands to the two stars of the show.

    ¡°Thank you for joining us on this VERY special day here at Tokachi Speedway! This has been the Aikawa Auto Company¡¯s proving grounds for a long, long time¡ªand now, they¡¯re ready to show off their latest and greatest creation!¡±

    It¡¯s time. The first competitor makes her way out of the pit lane entrance, gently cruising up the long front straight. Her eyes briefly blur, the nerves and the excitement dueling in her heart. She shivers. Now¡¯s not the time for that indecision to sway her... There¡¯s only one way to go from here.

    ¡°Introducing the Aikawa Star Rider! A muscle monster for the modern age, boasting all the power you¡¯ve come to expect from their Sapporo garage! And behind the wheel is none other than the architect behind this new machine¡ªthe new head honcho of the company! Give it up for REIIINAAAAA AIKAWAAA!¡±

    Reina can faintly hear the applause¡ªbarely a whisper above the growl of her car. Her car. Only now does it dawn on the crowd just how much work she put into this machine...and now, she¡¯s come to put her reputation on the line. How can they not applaud the bravery of this bright-eyed young woman?

    (This is it, Reina... You can do this.)

    She takes her place on the inside of the front row, briefly shutting the car off as the track finishes their prep work. She exits the car to a salute from the crowd... Her heart skips a beat. All these people coming out to watch her... She can¡¯t fail now.

    ¡°And who will she be going up against today?¡±

    The distant challenger begins its charge. Reina turns her head, and her eyes jolt open in trepidation. It takes the breath right out of her lungs to see the Road Runner back here at Tokachi, with its rightful owner behind the wheel.

    ¡°You know her! You love her! You might have known her by a different name when she won her three class victories at the Tokachi 24 Hours, but make no mistake¡ªshe is still, and always will be, the Queen of Tokachi! SAMIIIII AIKAWAAA!¡±

    Reina hears them all applaud her mother as she cruises up alongside her. She takes her place on the outside of the front row...and she too shuts off her car, walking out to a nostalgic ovation from the crowd.

    (Just like old times... Feels good, being back here again.) Sami has been training long and hard for this day, keeping up with her daughter step for step... Now, the time has come for her to demonstrate how she earned her moniker here at the track.

    ¡°Mother and daughter are here at the track today to test the Star Rider¡¯s mettle! Will it be the Queen of Tokachi, or the rising star?! We¡¯re set to go green in just another couple minutes, so don¡¯t go anywhere, folks¡ªyou won¡¯t wanna miss a thing once these two take the flag!¡±

    10 laps. 50 kilometers. No gimmicks; no distractions. The only rule is to race with respect. Reina and Sami know the score: collective months of training, tweaking, preparing body and spirit both for this very moment... Now, it all finally comes to a head.

    ¡°Feeling fired up yet, Reina?¡± Sami looks up at her daughter with a casual smile on her face.

    ¡°I think so, yeah... Whatever it is, my heart¡¯s pounding outta my chest.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh! Good... That shows how much you want it.¡±

    Sami¡¯s nervous too. This may very well be her final showing at Tokachi¡ªand the swansong to her checkered chapter as head of the Aikawa Auto Company. There¡¯s nothing left for her to prove... No trophies to raise, no doubts to silence. Nothing left to lose anymore...

    Only a lifelong memory to make with her one and only daughter.

    ¡°Before we kick this thing off...¡± Sami begins. Reina faces her, their helmets both off, the waning sun shining down on their golden hair.

    ¡°I want you to know something.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    Sami takes a deep breath, struggling to hold back tears of pride.

    ¡°However this race ends, whichever one of us wins today...I want you to know that I am so, so proud of you.¡±

    ¡°Any time you wanted, you could¡¯ve turned your back on all of this...chose to live the easy life. With that brilliant mind of yours, you could¡¯ve forged any path you wanted... But no. You chose to be here, to do what you loved most, and you didn¡¯t let anyone or anything stop you.¡±

    ¡°Not the past, not the bad hand you were dealt... Not even me.¡±

    ¡°A-Ah...¡±

    ¡°This is exactly the sort of thing a mother lives for: to see her daughter grow up so smart, so strong, so sure of her path in life. To be standing here with you, watching you climb that mountain... Watching you reach heights I could only ever dream of.¡±

    ¡°M-Mom...¡± Reina figured this kind of speech was coming, but it still hits her like a truck. She feels every bit as honored to be here with her¡ªthe undeterred hero who helped lead her to where she is now. She wouldn¡¯t be doing all this if not for her...for her family. Seeing her mother so proud of her is exactly what makes this worth it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever forget how much I love you, Reina. No matter what happens.¡±

    *sniffle* ¡°Thank you...¡±

    ¡°Now...¡± Sami wipes the tears off her own face. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve gotten all that sappy business out of our systems... I want you to promise me you¡¯ll give this everything you¡¯ve got. I won¡¯t pull my punches out there...but I know you can do this. You have what it takes to prove yourself¡ªnot just to me, but to the whole world. I know you''re ready.¡±

    ¡°Mhm...¡± Reina collects herself. ¡°I won¡¯t just give it my all... I will win.¡±

    Sami¡¯s wrinkled face blooms into the widest smile she¡¯s had in years.

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡±

    Sami extends her hand. All that emotion runs free for a fleeting moment before that casual smile returns to Sami¡¯s face. She nods as Reina¡¯s hand locks with hers.

    Reina hesitates for just a sliver of a second, letting those last butterflies flitter into the autumn sky. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes...and nods.

    *RRRrrrRRrrrrrrRRRRMMMMMM!*

    The Road Runner comes alive once again. A remnant from the past, a crimson specter from the golden years of Aikawa Auto.

    *RRrrrrRRRMMMMMMMM!*

    The Star Rider joins in. The scion of the future, of Aikawa Auto¡¯s brave new direction. Together with its master, they seek to challenge the river of time¡ªand send a message far and wide throughout the motoring world.

    This is who we are.

    (Showtime.)

    On come the lights. In just a few moments, red will turn to green, and the race will begin. Reina and Sami both bring their cars to a simmer, engines desperate to fire off the line. The crowd lowers to a whisper, the growl of the cars silencing them, drowning out the very thoughts in their heads... The race commands their every second of attention.

    Red...

    (Show me what you¡¯ve got now, Reina...)

    Yellow...

    (Ready...)

    Green.

    ¡°GO!¡±

    The race is on. They react to the lights faster than the man in the bird¡¯s nest does; no sooner does he brandish the green flag than the two of them stomp on the gas and climb up through the gears, tearing up the track in a thunderous rampage. The combined might of thousands of steel horses command them past the line, leaving the crowd behind in the blink of an eye. And as the cars turn their exhausts to the audience, they¡¯re left with an unforgettable engine duet¡ªan ode to power, with the most booming voices they¡¯ve ever heard shaking them to their core.

    (Now! Focus!) The race has only just begun, but Reina can¡¯t afford to lose a step. Sami¡¯s still quick on the draw like a cat¡ªthis is so ingrained into her muscle memory that she could probably pull an 11-second quarter-mile in her sleep. She has the preferred line going into turn one, to boot. Reina has to keep pace with her and avoid giving up too much ground from having to brake earlier; if she lets Sami clear her, she won¡¯t have many chances to pass the Road Runner back.

    (Don¡¯t break the grip, the tires aren¡¯t up to temp yet!)

    Sami, meanwhile, widens her grin. This is going to be an interesting challenge on colder tires¡ªbut she knows this car and this track by heart.

    ¡°Come on!¡±

    It¡¯s a game of chicken as they fly toward the 90-degree turn. Reina is the one to back out first, playing it safe while her tires warm up¡ªthe last thing she wants to do is lock up and plow into the Road Runner.

    Her loss is Sami¡¯s gain. Out of the corner of her eye, Reina sees her rip the outside.

    ¡°That deep on lap one?!¡±

    Sami¡¯s not the Queen of Tokachi for nothing. Reina makes a split-second adjustment, emboldened by seeing how much grip Sami can find out on the track; she commands the Star Rider through the apex of the turn to try and keep up. The Outrunner makes its power down low, and that gives Reina a massive shot of speed as she powers off the corner¡ªbut it¡¯s not enough to keep ahead of Sami. Only enough to draw even, their noses fighting to stay ahead of each other.

    Reina can¡¯t let this get to her. She can¡¯t focus too much on what Sami is doing, or she risks distracting herself and slipping up. She tries to reset herself and focus on her own marks, running her own race to get settled in before she presses the attack.

    (She¡¯s hangin¡¯ there...) Sami¡¯s eyes dart back and forth, keeping tabs on the Star Rider¡¯s attack. That thing¡¯s deceptively nimble if it can keep up with her on the wrong line¡ªbut Reina¡¯s not pushing it as far as it can go yet. Through turn two, they remain side by side, and once again, the Star Rider¡¯s agility boosts it off the corner, but Sami¡¯s sheer aggression keeps the Road Runner¡¯s control over the racing line. A reverse S now, with a sharp right turn followed by a sweeping left. If there were a place for Reina to flex the Star Rider¡¯s handling prowess, now would be the time.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    (There she goes!)

    Sami knows where she has to brake for this¡ªbut Reina doesn¡¯t have to abide by those same rules. Even with her conservative approach, she can still shove the Star Rider deeper on the inside of the turn and power off to take the racing line. Sami can¡¯t cross her over in time on the left-hander¡ªReina takes the lead!

    ¡°Alright! Now this is getting fun!¡±

    Sami flashes a fiery smile on her face. She can feel that competitive spirit burning inside her, rekindled after being frozen in time. She pulls in close behind the Star Rider on the back straight, chasing down her prey like a tiger on the open savanna. Anyone who knows her knows what she¡¯s about to do next¡ªand this early into the race, Reina would rather play it safe instead of defending to the death.

    (She wants to try it? Good! Let her use up her tires, I¡¯ll cross her over on exit!)

    The Road Runner¡¯s authoritative howl sends shivers down the back of her neck. She¡¯s in a dogfight with her own mother, and Sami will stop at nothing to take the lead back. Her heart is still racing, her mouth hot and dry. She feels like her head is burning up. Sami¡¯s right there.

    ¡°Too early!¡±

    Sami takes advantage of an early brake from Reina, darting inside and sailing into the sharp left-hander. Before Reina can try to plug the gap, Sami¡¯s taken the racing line back, and Reina can¡¯t poke her nose in on the hairpin after to challenge her. She¡¯ll have to wait and set her up on the final two turns!

    (Overdrive the corner again, I dare you!) Reina starts to think she can use Sami¡¯s aggression to her advantage; if she can force her into making a mistake, she¡¯ll be right there to pounce on her, just as Sami herself did half a lap ago. The S would be the best place to do it¡ªthat tricky twin-turn complex that demands perfection to set up the run down the front straight. Reina knows she has a slight advantage in straight-line speed, so all she needs to do is match Sami¡¯s line...

    ¡°What the¡ª?!¡±

    How is she supposed to match that?!

    ¡°Try me!¡±

    Sami dives the Road Runner into the left-hander deeper than she has any right to. The tires audibly squeal, and for a brief moment, the left sides leap into the air as she rips the apex right off the ground. She almost carries too much speed on corner exit, forcing her right up against the edge of the track, but she keeps the Road Runner together with rehearsed precision. It¡¯s a dramatic line, but pragmatic all the same¡ªSami knows she needs to hit the corner perfectly if she wants to stay ahead.

    Reina, for the moment, backs down. She hugs the apex as well, but she gets no air; in exchange, she¡¯s able to secure a better line off the right-hander onto the front straight, while Sami drifts out wide.

    The end result, as they roar back onto the front stretch, is a dead heat: Reina has enough speed on corner exit to claw her bumper back up to Sami¡¯s quarter-panel, but Sami carries so much speed off corner exit from driving on the ragged edge that she¡¯s able to stay ahead. The crowd is already off their feet, cheering both mother and daughter as they scream across the line.

    ¡°Well, how about that, folks?! One lap later and they¡¯re the same as they started! Neither of them can break ahead!¡±

    It¡¯s becoming clear where their strengths and weaknesses lie. On paper, Reina has the advantage, with the Star Rider¡¯s better cornering and acceleration...but Sami is driving like a woman possessed, reinforced by decades of experience. They¡¯re staring each other down side by side, waiting for the other to balk...but neither wants to give an inch.

    (Later this time, later this time...!) Reina knows she can afford to take more risks now that the tires are all warmed up. Now¡¯s her chance to lean into her strength and try to build a gap on Sami¡ªand it starts with turn one.

    (NOW!)

    Reina mashes the brake and downshifts as fast as she can. She feels the tires resisting her, power steering struggling to keep up. The whole car fidgets under braking like a caged beast clawing at the bars¡ªdid she overcook it this time?

    (Well, hot damn!) As it turns out, she timed it nearly perfect. Sami hits her usual braking point for her outside line, but she¡¯s impressed to find Reina hanging right there with her, refusing to give up any ground. She makes sure to give Reina space as she drifts up wide out of the corner, the two of them door to door heading into turn two.

    (Not bad! But I¡¯m warmed up now too...!) She feels the grip coming to her. In leaping through the corners like a lion on the charge, she¡¯s warmed up her tires quicker than Reina has¡ªand that lets her pounce over and over and over again. Reina tries to keep up with her through turn two, timing her braking points better and better as she gets in the rhythm, but Sami¡¯s managed to fast-track her grip to stay just one step ahead. As they approach the back stretch, the Road Runner gets a vicious run off the corner, and forces Reina to concede out the end of the reverse S. This time it¡¯s Sami with the lead down the back straight!

    (Not over yet...!) Reina can¡¯t let this get to her. Sami is a bull seeing red, charging with reckless abandon to try and maintain her lead¡ªbecause she has to. She has to drive on the very edge of what the Road Runner is capable of just to keep up with her. If Reina wanted to play this safe, she could wait Sami out and pounce when she¡¯s tired, force her into a mistake...but she¡¯s quickly realizing that¡¯s not gonna work. It¡¯s hard to make the Queen of Tokachi blink¡ªand compared to her hours-long endurance stints from years past, these 10 laps are nothing.

    (I¡¯ve gotta find a way to get back at her!)

    Reina aims to force the issue going into the hairpin, using her superior cornering to dive inside on corner exit and push her nose in for the next big right. Sami contemplates defending for a split-second, but she sniffs out Reina¡¯s attack¡ªgirl wants the racing line, and Sami won¡¯t just give it to her.

    (Alright, I see you!) Sami leaves her plenty of space, expecting she¡¯ll use up every inch of the track¡ªand she does. Her turns are getting better and better, steadily dialing in her aggression as she tests how much braking she can get away with. In spite of her brief lead, Sami can¡¯t hold off Reina¡¯s attack forever, and the two draw side by side again.

    (Shoot...! We¡¯re gonna be side by side through the S, aren¡¯t we?!)

    Reina has no idea what to expect. That set of turns is tricky enough with the lane to herself, but now that she¡¯s locked in this dogfight with Sami, there¡¯s about to be a whole lotta give and take through the slalom onto the front stretch. Reina has to give Sami the apex for the first turn in line¡ªand hope she¡¯s still alongside to take the apex back on the second.

    (Work with me here...!) She puts everything she¡¯s got into her turns, wrestling with the car as it hurtles through the bend. Sami has to check up, unable to full-send like she usually does, but in exchange, she can dive down inside on the second turn, squeezing Reina all the way down to the curb as they both rocket through the final turn. Ultimately, with her better angle, Sami emerges victorious from the exchange.

    (I¡¯m stuck on the inside again, this isn¡¯t working!)

    Sami is driving perfectly. Reina¡¯s straight-line advantage is offset by the sheer momentum Sami carried through the corner, letting her pull away and clear Reina before they reach the stripe. Two laps down, eight to go.

    (Calm down... Calm down!) The future is slipping away, but she can¡¯t let it out of her sight. She can¡¯t give up now. Now when she¡¯s come this far!

    (I just have to figure something out... Use my grip to my advantage!)

    Left with no choice but to fall in behind Sami for the time being, Reina takes the first turn right behind her, her bumper nipping at the Road Runner¡¯s tail. Both of them can have the racing line¡ªshare it, even. But Reina won¡¯t be making any progress like this. She¡¯s on the back foot, but sooner or later, she¡¯s gotta take that leap.

    But where?

    (Gotta be three and four!)

    That¡¯s where she¡¯s been strongest so far¡ªand true to form, she¡¯s able to take that corner just a bit tighter than Sami can. As the Road Runner runs out of grip and drifts outside, Reina is able to chop down and get alongside Sami for the next corner, forcing the issue all the way down the back.

    ¡°They¡¯re neck and neck again! You¡¯re getting everything you signed up for and then some, folks, this is some spectacular racing!¡±

    Yuzu and Akane watch on through gritted teeth as Reina and Sami trade blows. They knew the Queen of Tokachi would be a tough opponent, but they were expecting a more lopsided race either one way or the other; this is just a total nail biter.

    ¡°Geez, Sami won¡¯t stay down!¡± Akane peels off her binoculars as they approach the final two turns again.

    ¡°Reina¡¯s got her hands full, Sami¡¯s just throwing it in there every single time and she keeps making it stick!¡±

    By this point, both their tires have reached optimal temperature¡ªand the grip advantage has mostly evened out. It all comes down to who can nail the turns and power off the apex. For the moment, Reina appears to hold the advantage, pulling ahead for just long enough to steal the racing line through the S. For the first time so far, she leads at the stripe on the third lap of ten¡ªbut she knows better than anyone that Sami won¡¯t take it lying down. An attack is coming.

    (Do I defend?)

    She¡¯s in an unenviable position. Give up the racing line to shut the door on Sami, or call her bluff and let her try the pass? She gives herself a time limit to decide as the corner and her braking point rapidly approach¡ªbut to her surprise, Sami¡¯s forced the issue all on her own, well before they even reach the turn.

    ¡°She¡¯s going for it!¡±

    Sami knows this track better than anyone living and breathing on this earth. If you want to beat her, you¡¯ll have to do more than just take the preferred line away from her, because she can find grip in places you wouldn¡¯t believe.

    ¡°How did¡ª?!¡± Reina watches as Sami powers through on the inside and almost clears her through turn one, ripping the Road Runner over the apex for a brief splash of air on her right-side tires. The ancient V8 howls like a banshee as the tires run wild, Sami¡¯s foot welded to the gas pedal as she viciously wrenches the wheel. Now the cards are swapped for these first few turns: Sami¡¯s on the inside, and though Reina has the line, Sami has the apex¡ªand God only knows what she can do with it.

    ¡°Hahaha! You just had to go and make this fun, didn¡¯t you?!¡±

    Sami hasn¡¯t felt this alive in years¡ªlike her body was hibernating until the moment she could be unleashed on the track once more. Eyes red, heart pounding, hands shaking as the torque threatens to rip the wheel out of her old arms. She missed this feeling oh so much since she hung it up...

    But no. That¡¯s not the only reason why she feels so energized, is it? It¡¯s Reina too. Nothing, even in her decades of racing experience, compares to the fight her daughter is giving her. Two cars, two drivers¡ªand vastly different though they are, it all cancels out to form an even match. It¡¯s everything she could ever want!

    ¡°COME ON! Come and get me!¡±

    It¡¯s such a surreal thing for Reina to experience just who Sami is behind the wheel. When the chips are down, when Sami is on the back foot¡ªwhen she knows she can¡¯t hold Reina off forever¡ªshe defends like a lion. Try as Reina might, she can¡¯t seal the deal down the back stretch, and the battle defers to the hairpin beyond it. Reina gets the apex back for the left turn going into the bend, but Sami refuses to yield, braking as late as she possibly can. Like with her heroics in turn one, she makes the move stick!

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Reina is powerless to stop Sami as she flies into the corner, and a brief wiggle on corner exit stalls her momentum. She can feel her tires are already starting to go¡ªand she¡¯s sure Sami¡¯s are as well, but you couldn¡¯t tell by the way she¡¯s driving. Where is she finding all this grip from?!

    ¡°Close! But not close enough!¡±

    Reina has to claw and scrape for ground to get back to Sami¡¯s rear bumper, but just as she threatens to make some room for herself, those last two turns come up. They¡¯ve been her Achilles¡¯ heel this whole race, and Sami knows the corners just that extra bit better than her. She flies into the apex on the left side, almost sliding the rear end of the car out as the Road Runner hangs on for dear life. It¡¯s working, though, and Reina can see Sami got a better run off corner exit because of it.

    (She¡¯s pulling away...!)

    ¡°She¡¯s still playing it too safe. She¡¯s gotta change it up!¡±

    The race is almost halfway done now, and Reina still can¡¯t find a way to make Sami crack. The Queen of Tokachi takes a brief look in her rear-view mirror, and sees Reina getting ever so slightly smaller behind her.

    ¡°You gotta WANT it, Reina!¡±

    It¡¯s not enough to just survive out here, to just keep up appearances. If Reina wants to beat Sami, she has to beat her!

    ¡°Four laps in the books, we¡¯re almost halfway done! Sami Aikawa has built up a lead of about a car length over her daughter, but can Reina claw back and take the lead?!¡±

    Something¡¯s got to give. Reina tries a lunge down the inside in turn one, but Sami calls her bluff¡ªand while Sami made the Road Runner stick when she tried that same move a lap ago, Reina doesn¡¯t have the momentum to clear up and over when she strikes back. She falls back in line and rides around for the next couple turns, the Road Runner¡¯s old taillights burned into her eyes. The back stretch welcomes her once again, giving her a brief moment to think before the next big turn.

    (What am I doing...?! I¡¯m not gonna beat her like this!)

    The long game isn¡¯t working. She can bide her time all she wants; Sami will just take advantage whenever she¡¯s not pushing at 100%. That¡¯s the lesson here... That¡¯s what she needs to do.

    (Dammit, I should know this! It¡¯s just like Yuzu said! It¡¯s just like I¡¯ve known this whole time!)

    The Star Rider is not a jack of all trades. It is not designed to win wars of attrition. It is exactly what a driver puts into it¡ªnothing more, nothing less. The true power of the car doesn¡¯t come from its higher floor... It comes from its higher ceiling.

    She¡¯s starting to get it now.

    ¡°Alright... That¡¯s how we¡¯re gonna play?!¡±

    All this time, Reina has been scared of letting loose¡ªof pushing herself too hard and burning out before she can reach the finish line. But she understands now that she¡¯s never going to beat Sami that way. She¡¯ll have to burn hotter than Sami, hotter than the Road Runner... Hotter than the very stars above.

    ¡°Bring it on!¡±

    Sami¡¯s eyes dart back to the rear-view mirror, and she sees Reina from a car length back mounting a charge at the end of the back straight. It won¡¯t be enough to get her all the way home, but it¡¯s enough to put Sami back on the defensive. She likes that.

    (Oh, she wants it alright!)

    That measured aggression, that no-holds-barred style has defined Sami her whole career. It brings her a mix of comfort and pride to know that, when the chips are down, her daughter is capable of tapping into that power as well.

    She¡¯s got five and a half more laps to figure out just how much power she has.

    (Closer...!) If ever there were a time to push, it would be now. While the tires are nice and hot, before they¡¯ve started losing the bulk of their rubber. It¡¯s time for her to show her hand at last, cast off her limiters and push herself and the car to the very brink.

    That¡¯s what it means to make it yours.

    (She¡¯s gaining!)

    Sami can feel Reina breathing down her neck as she comes to the S one more time. She nails the corner as she usually does, but she¡¯s more curious to see what Reina does behind her... Will she finally go for it? She¡¯s been taking these last two turns unnecessarily safe, and it¡¯s been killing her runs down the straight. Will she finally break through?

    ¡°Okay!¡± Reina takes a deep breath as she follows Sami into the complex. ¡°Here goes!¡±

    She doesn¡¯t think she¡¯s ever properly nailed the turns in this car. She got close with her 1:58, but she¡¯s always felt like there¡¯s more time for her to find here. It¡¯ll have to be now...!

    ¡°Rrgh! COME ON!¡±

    The tires squeal, engine screaming as she works through the gears. With one decisive motion, she commands the car to the left, feeling the wheels threatening to lose their grip and send her sliding to the outside. But through sheer force of will, teeth gritted, she orders the Star Rider to keep it together¡ªand she¡¯s rewarded with an immaculate line through the apex!

    ¡°One down!¡± No time to breathe. Get ready for the next one. She wrenches the wheel to keep the car turning, the right-side tires rumbling across the strips as she uses up every last inch the track can give her. In time, she gets to the other side of the track to line herself up for the right-handed crease, kissing the apex on a beautiful line to end her lap!

    ¡°There you go, now you¡¯re getting it!¡± It¡¯s always so satisfying to nail that corner complex at speed, pushing the car to the limit of what it can do. Now, she sees the real power of the Star Rider¡ªand it¡¯s getting bigger in the mirror.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a beautiful run!¡±

    The two cars come flying right past Yuzu and Akane in the stands, and they can hear the difference in revs. Reina¡¯s got a monster of a run down the straight!

    ¡°I think she¡¯s got her this time!¡±

    Five laps down, five to go. Reina is poised to make a charge into turn one¡ªand this time, Sami can see the writing on the wall. She won¡¯t be able to hold Reina off.

    (She¡¯ll clear me if I let her!) Sami has a decision to make¡ªthe same catch 22 she forced Reina into earlier. Shut the door, or hold the line and pressure Reina into a mistake?

    (...No. She¡¯s driving great. I can¡¯t count on her to screw it up!)

    It all comes down to when she makes her move. She¡¯s gaining more and more ground with every passing second¡ªbut her time is running out. Reina¡¯s waiting until the very last second to try the pass. But she¡¯s going to, isn¡¯t she?

    ¡°NOW! There she goes!¡±

    Sami sees Reina pull out from behind her, drifting down to the right to try and steal the apex. The braking point is quickly rushing to meet them. Sami decides to follow her and claim the turn for herself, deftly stomping on the brake...but as she multitasks her defense, she finds Reina¡¯s missing from her rear-view mirror! It was a feint!

    ¡°There!¡± Sami can block once, but she can¡¯t block twice. The Star Rider lets Reina turn harder, brake later, outmaneuver the Road Runner and force it off the outside line. Sami can only watch as Reina sails into the turn from out of the corner of her eye, unable to block her outside charge in time!

    ¡°She moved her!¡±

    ¡°Hah! Who taught you that?!¡±

    Sami used to love that move back in the day, whenever she would find herself staring up the back of a rival car. Now, though, it¡¯s Reina¡¯s turn to pull that move on her, juking her out like a matador in the ring. What¡¯s more, moving so far inside to defend has really screwed up Sami¡¯s line, forcing her to brake earlier, turn harder, sacrifice her speed.

    It all happened faster than she could react. Perhaps the Queen¡¯s grown too old for her crown after all.

    ¡°She¡¯s got me...!¡±

    Carrying all that hellacious speed into the turn lets Reina power around the Road Runner and clear it on corner exit, authoritatively taking the lead. She¡¯s not done there, either: she builds a lead in the run up to turn two, and absolutely nails it to widen the gap between her and Sami. The Road Runner can only hang on for dear life, fighting tooth and nail to stop the bleeding.

    ¡°Now we¡¯re talking...!¡± Not to say Reina has it any easier. Now she¡¯s the one who sets the pace, having to keep Sami at bay behind her. She can¡¯t afford to slip up anywhere on the track, or the Road Runner will pounce on her like the saber-toothed beast that it is.

    But if anything, this proves one critical thing to her: she can win this. She¡¯s got what it takes, and this lap proves it. Now she just has to prove it four more times...!

    ¡°Reina with a DOMINATING run to steal the lead back! Can the Queen of Tokachi answer?!¡±

    Sami finds her gap to Reina fluctuating¡ªgaining in some spots, losing elsewhere. Her tires are wearing down just that little bit faster than Reina¡¯s are, forcing her into riskier and riskier moves. She nearly locks up at the hairpin, having to walk the pedals like a tightrope to save her rubber and keep up her speed. It¡¯s becoming clearer and clearer that 100% won¡¯t be enough for her to take the race back.

    ¡°...Alright.¡± Sami¡¯s out of options. She¡¯s tired. Her body can¡¯t take this much longer.

    ...She¡¯s gonna leave it all out on the track, right here, right now.

    ¡°This is your last race, Sami... Give the crowd a good show!¡±

    For just a few minutes more, she asks her body to turn back the clock ten years. Her eyes strain and twitch, her back screaming for mercy. But she¡¯s not listening. She wants this to go down as the best damn race of her life.

    (God almighty, she¡¯s going nuts!) Reina can see drifts of dirt flying from behind the Road Runner as it scrapes the edges of the track. But she can¡¯t let that intimidate her¡ªit only pushes her to go harder herself. She has a clean, fast run through the S again, setting herself up for a solid corner exit, but Sami is keeping pace in the distance behind her. The gap is stable at two car lengths, the Road Runner clinging to the slipstream like a lifeline.

    (Four laps to go... I can do this!)

    Her heart won¡¯t stop pounding, her head burning up in her helmet. With every turn, every braking point, she pushes herself against the limit¡ªbut try as she might, she just can¡¯t shake Sami for good!

    ¡°Time is winding down, folks!¡± And so is the sun. The back stretch now drives into a panorama of golden rays, broken up by the clouds overhead. The Star Rider and the Road Runner shine together, streaking through puddles of light like comets on the run.

    Will the sun set on Sami¡¯s drive as well? Three and a half laps to find out.

    ¡°She¡¯s good...! Damn good!¡± This might be the hardest Sami¡¯s ever pushed herself in all her life. Slowly, agonizingly she claws back for track position, trying anything and everything her exhausted mind can think of to make up time. Through the S they go again, and with a bout of heroics, Sami can make up a smidgen of time...but Reina¡¯s still out of her reach.

    ¡°Coming up on three laps to go this time, and they¡¯re both still driving lights-out!¡± If anyone in the crowd wasn¡¯t already on their feet, they certainly are now. Their eyes are glued to the two comets screaming down the straightaway, each desperately fighting for any advantage they can muster.

    Reina, for her part, is holding up better than she thought she would. She knew her mother was going to give her a difficult fight¡ªand that she¡¯d have to bring her very best if she wanted to beat her. But this isn¡¯t where she expected to be. She was betting on having to come from behind and snatch victory from out of Sami¡¯s hands; instead, she¡¯s the one holding onto the lead for dear life.

    But it demonstrates to her that she can do this. She just needs to hold out, keep hitting her marks, lead the way for the past to follow...!

    ¡°Holding steady! You can do this... Whoa¡ª!¡± A rude awakening challenges her into turn one, however: her own tires are waning further. The car threatens to slide underneath her, as if she¡¯s braking on ice; she has to really work to corral the car so she doesn¡¯t overshoot the turn. The door is creaking back open. Three laps remain.

    ¡°She¡¯s having trouble...!¡± Sami watches from behind, curious to see how Reina will tackle the changing conditions. The lowering track temperature and lightening fuel load contrasts with the degrading tires, leaving grip a good guess at best for an inexperienced racer like her. But one way or another, she¡¯s gotta make it work!

    ¡°Just keep going...! It¡¯s almost done!¡±

    Reina tries to push the fatigue out of her mind. It¡¯s all in her head... She can rest when this is all said and done. No matter how much her body screams at her, how hard her head aches, she will persevere until the race is over!

    ¡°Gah! Shoot¡ª Work with me!¡± The S is only getting more and more difficult. Her full-send line betrays her, a brief wiggle forcing her off the apex and nearly off the track as momentum swings her to the right. She manages to get the Star Rider back under control, but the damage is done: Sami¡¯s gained half a car length on her!

    ¡°Come on, Reina, keep it together!¡±

    ¡°GOOO!¡±

    The crowd can barely contain themselves as they watch the race heating up. At this rate, it¡¯s gonna come down to the wire...!

    ¡°It¡¯s getting real close, folks! TWO laps to go! They¡¯ll get the white flag next time by!¡±

    Sami¡¯s getting increasingly desperate¡ªshe has to be. Her best shot is at the S, forcing Reina into another mistake; she just has to hold on and get there first. On increasingly scuffed tires, on failing energy reserves, on a past reputation that could never withstand the river of time.

    ¡°It¡¯s not...over yet!¡±

    Sami grunts, strains, calls up whatever strength she has left to chase the mountaintop. If all the action on the track weren¡¯t enough, she¡¯s waging a battle inside her own mind¡ªa battle to live the glory of her past one final time. A battle to escape the march of time, if just for one moment, and find peace in the world she¡¯s always known.

    ¡°That Road Runner has NO right to be going that fast! How the hell can Sami push it like that and not wipe out?!¡±

    She¡¯ll have one more good chance to challenge Reina¡ªthe S. Reina¡¯s lead only barely holds through the turns leading up to it. Sami knows what she has to do.

    ¡°Rrrrgh...! C¡¯mon! GOT IT!¡±

    She can feel the chassis of the car warping under the sheer might of the engine, the tires hovering off the ground as she blasts the apex. Her line forces her to the ragged edge, perhaps the best she¡¯s nailed the S all day¡ªand though Reina¡¯s made excellent through the curve as well, she¡¯s left just the tiniest gap open as she lifts ever so slightly to stabilize. The stage is set now.

    This is the Queen¡¯s final attack.

    ¡°C¡¯MON!¡±

    Sami charges up the inside, threatening to close the gap to the Star Rider. She tries to convince herself she¡¯s still got time. The crowd is on their feet.

    ¡°WHITE FLAG! Reina takes it! One more lap to go! Can she hold on?!¡±

    Yuzu, exhilarated, raises her voice.

    ¡°COME ON, REINAAAA!¡±

    It¡¯ll all come down to this final stab at turn one. Sami has just enough of a run to threaten for the apex...but Reina isn¡¯t scared of her.

    ¡°Not with your grip!¡±

    She knows her car now¡ªknows herself. Even with Sami rampaging like a bull to her right, she has faith that she can still outbrake her. She believes!

    ¡°THERE!¡±

    ¡°NOW!¡±

    One more time, the two cars thunder down into the turn, powering down through the gears in a symphony of pure, unbridled power. The crowd holds their collective breath as they wait to see who comes out of the turn ahead...

    ¡°Sami wants to take the inside on turn one¡ªand THERE SHE GOES! She¡¯s going for it on the inside of the Star Rider!¡±

    Sweat flies off Reina¡¯s face as the Star Rider jerks through the turn. Sami is right there in the corner of her eye, the Road Runner screaming in her ear, trying to drown out her own car¡¯s vicious yell. Cards are up, chips are down...!

    ¡°...It¡¯s REINA! Reina holds her off! Sami¡¯s tires are too cooked to give chase!¡±

    ¡°THAT¡¯S IT, REINA, YOU¡¯VE GOT THIS!¡±

    ¡°COME ON! BRING IT HOME!¡±

    When everything else is torn, broken, eroded away by pressure and fatigue, the two opponents are reduced to their most basic elements.

    ¡°Almost there...! COME ON!¡±

    One, the dreamer. Born and raised amid upheaval for her family¡ªher very identity¡ªand tasked with picking up the pieces to build a new future from scratch. But that wouldn¡¯t stop her¡ªnothing would. Her love for her family, and her desire to lift them up with her into the future, burns greater than any flood can extinguish.

    ¡°Rngh...!¡±

    The other, the dream. Ephemeral like a bolt of lightning, streaking across the sky. She lived and loved on her own terms, in her own way...but no matter how much she dreamed, how much she dominated out on the track, she knew she would have to wake up eventually. She sees the future slipping away from her now, bit by bit, corner by corner¡ªshe can¡¯t keep up. The final lap winds down, and Reina¡¯s lead widens out of her reach...

    And she could not possibly be happier about it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this, Reina...! Just a little more!¡±

    All pretense of competition finally fades away. Those final few turns almost a formality, Sami¡¯s vicious charges unable to close the gap. Her final attempt at the S goes sideways, literally and figuratively, as she nearly spins the Road Runner from its lack of grip. Reina nails the final two turns, as she so consistently does, and emerges at the end of the lap with sole dominion over the lead.

    ¡°...It¡¯s over.¡±

    There are few things that bring a mother joy like watching her daughter triumph over life¡¯s greatest challenges. Now, once and for all, Reina has definitive proof¡ªso strong that no one can deny it¡ªthat she has the strength to save Aikawa Auto. As Reina forges ahead, on the track and into the brave new future she will create...Sami is at peace. She has just experienced the greatest day of her life.

    ¡°You¡¯re the best daughter I could ever ask for... Get that flag! GO!¡±

    Time slows to a crawl. The flag hovers in the air. Reina sees a brave new world unfolding before her very eyes... It¡¯s finally hers for the taking.

    (I... Am I doing this?!)

    All this time, she¡¯s seen the world from the backside of two giants. Always looking up to them, always comparing herself to them... Always basking in the light of their accomplishments, then tasked to shine even brighter than them. Now, for the very first time, she has risen above them¡ªand all she sees ahead is the boundless blue sky, unobstructed by clouds and undiminished by the shadows she walked upon.

    She doesn¡¯t know how to feel yet... This is all new and strange territory for her. With this, the baton is finally passed to her¡ªand she will be the giant, carving her own path for others to follow, just as Clara and Sami did for her. She looks to the checkered flag with her head held high... The future she worked so hard for is finally taking flight.

    This is what it means to make it hers.

    ¡°And THERE SHE IS! Reina powers off the final corner and takes the checkered flag! REINA is your winner!¡±

    ¡°YES! SHE DID IIIT!¡±

    ¡°THAT is how you close out a race!¡±

    A stunned silence in the crowd quickly erupts into a chorus of cheers. Never have they been so happy to see the Queen of Tokachi dethroned, coming up within a second of her daughter¡¯s time¡ªoh so close, but not close enough. She gave it everything she had, left it all out there on the track...but so did Reina. And that¡¯s exactly what Sami wanted.

    ¡°There you have it, ladies and gentlemen! There¡¯s a new head honcho at Aikawa Auto, and her name is REINAAA AIKAWA!¡±

    Reina is so overcome with emotion that she can barely find the words in her head. Her body, her heart, her mind, her soul are all overloaded with an unending stream of catharsis, triumph, hope... It¡¯s just too much for her to take. She only just has enough energy to get the car slowed down in time to pull it into the pit lane, with Sami and the Road Runner following close behind. She shuts the engine off, and immediately the void in her ears is filled with uproarious applause from the crowd.

    ¡°I... Holy... D-Did I really just...?!¡± Her heart won¡¯t stop. She all but melts into the seat, spending what feels like an eternity just catching her breath. She can¡¯t stop the tears from flowing, the onslaught of emotion taking her over in the evening glow.

    ¡°Hey! Sorry, coming through! ¡®Scuse us!¡± Akane and Yuzu rush down the steps in the grandstands, bolting toward the pit lane to congratulate their friend. Their own hearts are about ready to burst from their chests¡ªand to be sure, neither of them will ever forget this race for as long as they live.

    Sami takes her own exit, slowly relinquishing herself from the well-worn seat of the Road Runner. Her arms and legs quiver, her head heavy and her eyes aching...but she¡¯s never felt so alive before in all her years. Not while she was on top...not while she was defending her crown all those years ago. She looks to the stands, to that weathered start-finish stripe... Tokachi has left her behind. But even with all her fatigue, she feels like a tremendous weight has been lifted off her shoulders.

    ¡°Mmm... This is how it should be.¡±

    Closure. Now, after years in limbo, this chapter of Aikawa Auto¡¯s history can finally end. To end her career for good, and to have her one and only daughter succeed her... This is right. This is how Reina saves their future.

    ¡°Reina!¡±

    *CLICK!*

    ¡°That was AWESOME! Holy shit!¡±

    ¡°Wh-Whoa, when did¡ª¡° Reina is almost too tired to react to Yuzu and Akane opening the Star Rider¡¯s door to congratulate her. Their combined might is enough to get her out of the seat, her legs struggling to carry herself; they¡¯re more than happy to pick up her slack.

    ¡°I knew you could do it. You ran an awesome race!¡±

    ¡°Thank you...! Thank you so much! Oh, God... I feel like I¡¯m gonna pass out!¡±

    ¡°Hey, lean on us if you need to! No worries!¡±

    Reina¡¯s smile shines through the exhaustion. They can both see just how much this means to her.

    ¡°It feels...SO good...to have pulled that off...!¡± Reina manages through heavy breaths. ¡°I just... I had to remind myself...what this car is... That was it all along...!¡±

    ¡°And what a car it is!¡±

    ¡°Not to toot your own horn, of course, being the one who built it.¡±

    ¡°Well no, come on! The engine¡¯s all her!¡±

    Soon enough, the Star Rider¡¯s team is joined by its fiercest competition. Sami finds the strength to make the walk over to Reina...and this time, she doesn¡¯t have any fancy speech prepared. She doesn¡¯t have any sage words of wisdom. All their thoughts and words were settled out there on the track today.

    ¡°Reina...! Come here!¡±

    She opens her arms wide for her, an ageless smile on her face. She doesn¡¯t need to say anything more.

    ¡°Mom...!¡±

    Mother and daughter embrace one more time, their hearts pounding and their bodies trembling in each other¡¯s arms. All the tension of the day, absolved at last... All the demons and doubts lingering from the company¡¯s past, banished in the light of the setting sun. No more clouds to dog the rays of gold any longer... It¡¯s just clear, picturesque skies up there, as far as the eyes can see.

    Pretty soon, once the sun has set, you¡¯ll be able to see the stars.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, another round of applause for Reina Aikawa¡ªand Sami too, and everybody else at the team for putting on this event! Let ¡®em hear how much you loved this race! I think after this, we can say it once and for all: the Aikawa Auto Company is BACK!¡±

    ¡°REINA! REINA! REINA! REINA! REINA... REINA...¡±

    ***

    To those who knew Reina Aikawa from the very start of her story¡ªto those who walked alongside her¡ªthis fateful autumn day serves as the bookend to the journey of a thousand miles. She has finally triumphed over herself and the obstacles that lay along her path...and everyone around her knows that, sure as the sun will rise, she will fulfill her dream with the wings she¡¯s earned for herself.

    But when all is said and done... When the dust settles in the wake of Reina¡¯s meteoric rise to the stars, this day will be remembered as the first of many iconic moments that define her legacy in the automotive world. The day Reina realized who she truly was, and began her journey onward and upward into the years beyond.

    It¡¯s funny, when you look back on it all. Some will say she was destined to reach the heights she did¡ªthat her fate was written in the stars from the moment she was born. Others will point to her adversity as evidence that she reached up and penned her legacy for herself, fate and the world be damned. One thing just about everyone can agree on, though, is that she¡¯s earned her place up there in the boundless night sky¡ªand that she¡¯ll rise higher and higher still.

    And so, time marches on...

 26. To Reach for the Stars

    Plumes of white fly on the wind...and again, the clash of seasons turns the sky above into a battlefield of gold and sapphire. Leaves of all warm colors laze along the Toyohira, flowing to the south as it always does, caring nothing for the world beyond its stony banks. Yet another fall season will come and go here in Japan¡¯s rugged north...and soon enough, winter will come to claim its dues.

    You would be forgiven for taking a brief glance at the box of brick and mortar, the sore American thumb sticking out from the river, and dismissing it as yet another casualty along the endless march of time. But you would be remiss indeed¡ªfor once consigned to obsolescence, the Aikawa Auto Company now stands reborn. Those bricks still look the same, the lobby just as it always was, but the heart of the company beats stronger than ever before, echoing throughout the automotive world.

    The shop is closed for the day¡ªthough not for want of work to do. They¡¯re knocking on the door of their inaugural production run, almost ready to take orders...but there¡¯s one more thing they need to do first. They need to cast their net far and wide, let the market know that Aikawa Auto means business. That day is today¡ªthe next step in Reina¡¯s far-reaching scheme to announce herself and her company for all the world to hear.

    And it starts with the familiar opening theme to a beloved television programme...

    ¡°Tonight!¡±

    Reina chuckles. She chose not to watch the episode until it aired to the public; this¡¯ll be her first time watching herself from the camera lens. The surplus CRT they hauled out from storage gives them an aged picture, but it works well enough for what they need. All these memories from that trip will remain in her heart forever¡ªand reliving them from the comfort of the shop lobby is like a victory lap for all the time and effort it took to get here.

    ¡°Man, what a difference a year or two makes, huh?¡±

    That fateful day at Tokachi set so many gears in motion. Airing the race live immediately paid dividends, as the video spread like wildfire among curious petrolheads. Suddenly everybody wanted to know who was behind this monster of a muscle car that seemingly washed up on the other side of the Pacific¡ªincluding a certain motoring programme halfway across the world.

    With the right eyes now on her, she leveraged her newfound notoriety to make an offer the programme couldn¡¯t refuse... It was all but guaranteed to be blockbuster television. The more they looked into her and her company, the more it all started to seem like some elaborate ruse¡ªas if Reina couldn¡¯t possibly be real. And yet here she was...and their overwhelming curiosity compelled them to give her a chance. The buzz surrounding tonight¡¯s episode validates her after the fact: she¡¯s played the hype game to perfection.

    It¡¯s set to be another laugher of an episode, the hosts¡¯ brand of jocular journalism endearing them to a worldwide audience. They¡¯ll cover a range of topics, from car reviews to motoring news to gimmicky challenges using wheels they picked up from dodgy newspaper listings. To some extent, though, it¡¯s all just window dressing for the main event on the docket¡ªand the programme seems to know this, because they¡¯ve given that segment top billing and kicked off the entire episode with it.

    ¡°Oh, I think that¡¯s us!¡±

    The Star Rider is not present; instead, the presenter seems to be making a point by bringing a C7 Stingray and a Toyota 86 into the studio with him. The contrast borders on absurd¡ªbut Reina grins and nods. She likes the setup the presenter¡¯s got going here.

    ¡°Now! We recently had this new Corvette on the show. A fast and flashy car, we¡¯ll concede, but still too...American. If you¡¯re gonna spend this much on a fast car, why not buy something fast and refined, like a Porsche or a Ferrari? This car¡¯s trying to put on a big suit and prance around with proper sports cars, but you can¡¯t mask the cheap vulgarity of it all.¡±

    ¡°Japanese sports cars, though... They know they won¡¯t dazzle you with their power or their styling, so they don¡¯t try. And in the case of this GT86 here, I like that quite a lot. It¡¯s not fast, it¡¯s not flashy, but it doesn¡¯t need to be¡ªit¡¯s cheap, fun and reliable in that way Japanese cars tend to be.¡±

    ¡°So, if you have form on one side of the Pacific, function on the other...¡± With that, the host turns to the camera.

    ¡°...What unholy spawn from automotive Hell would come about if you married the two?¡±

    The pre-recorded segment begins; in the programme¡¯s usual style, they open with sweeping, almost disorienting camera shots, giving brief glimpses at the star of the show before finally unleashing it to the eye. The host¡¯s voiceover layers on top of the footage.

    ¡°This is what you¡¯d get: the Aikawa Star Rider.¡±

    ¡°Built by a company I¡¯ve never heard of in a town known more for drinking than driving, this car, at first glance, appears to be a case of mistaken identity.¡± The audience watching along in the studio is conflicted. Some appreciate the eye-catching design while others consider it outdated and overdone. It certainly isn¡¯t Japanese, as the host alludes to.

    ¡°In fact, the only real hint of Japanese you¡¯ll find in this car, is on the inside. The interior is noticeably...Spartan.¡±

    The camera cuts to him sitting inside the car¡ªa better fit than he was expecting, given his impressive height.

    ¡°There¡¯s no big infotainment screen, no sat nav, no complicated climate control... This tiny little screen is all you get for the temperature, the time, the radio. That¡¯s it.¡± It¡¯s not even a screen in the typical sense, really¡ªjust a collection of seven-segments hooked up to a rudimentary computer and some basic knobs for the controls.

    The host chuckles to himself. ¡°They¡¯ve gone and lifted this out of a ten year-old Corolla!¡±

    The camera quickly leaves him behind, though, panning around the outside of the car.

    ¡°That forms a big part of Aikawa¡¯s intent here¡ªthat less is more. They¡¯ve been able to get the price as low as it is by skimping out on the extra gubbins and gimmicks you¡¯d expect from a Japanese car.¡±

    He rejoins the camera at the front of the car, ready to pop the...bonnet.

    ¡°That extends to under the bonnet as well, where you¡¯ll find suspiciously simple engineering¡ªbut again, this is an American car...¡±

    Like opening a treasure chest, he unveils the engine bay...and staring back at him is the one and only Outrunner. Reina¡¯s pride and joy. All ten litres, well and accounted for, with thousands of horses slumbering inside.

    ¡°This is a ten-litre, one thousand-horsepower V8 engine of Aikawa¡¯s own design. They claim it¡¯s the largest engine ever put into a production car...but it¡¯s not some space-age Japanese motor at all. It¡¯s a bog-standard, old-timey pushrod, just bored out to an asinine degree.¡±

    ¡°And it makes me ask...why?¡±

    That serves as the basis for the next volley of camera shots, focusing on the mechanical minutia that make up the Star Rider.

    ¡°It¡¯s all a strange mishmash of design and engineering from both sides of the Pacific¡ªa shotgun marriage that¡¯s birthed a nostalgic punk rocker with a preposterous hairdo.¡±

    The host stares back at the car, a noticeable perplexity on his face. This is the first car in a while that has truly dogged his expectations¡ªmore than your boilerplate supercar, more than experimental offerings from bigger companies. The Star Rider is a total enigma.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s got a too-big engine, a too-old interior and a too-schizophrenic body. For the life of me, I couldn¡¯t figure out why anyone would want to make this¡ªmuch less who on Earth would want to buy it.¡±

    But, with all his skepticism exhausted, the host starts to turn.

    ¡°...Until I got in and started the engine.¡±

    *RRRrrrRRRRRRMMMMMM!*

    The sound of the 611 echoes throughout the entire studio, shaking the audience to their core as if a tiger were staring them dead in the face. The mics aren¡¯t on to pick it up, but an audible gasp makes its way through the crowd as the video rolls on¡ªto say nothing of the host, as the camera lingers on a shot of him laughing in the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°In stripping the car down to its bare essentials, what you¡¯re left with is a car that is terrifyingly quick.¡± The Star Rider takes to the test track, and immediately it asserts its authority on the warm summer asphalt¡ªall while the cameras make sure to pick up every last bar of the engine¡¯s visceral howl. At this point, the host has to switch back to voiceover, as he won¡¯t be able to shout loud enough over the engine to reach the microphones.

    ¡°Naught to 60 in under three seconds. And flat out?¡±

    *RRRRMMMMMM!*

    ¡°...Well, they said they don¡¯t know. They weren¡¯t able to find a straight bit of track long enough to actually max it out. But they do know that it¡¯s somewhere in the 200s.¡±

    To be sure, the Star Rider is very fast in a straight line¡ªmore so than a car at its price point has any right to be. But the Brits aren¡¯t as interested in quarter-mile drags as their frenemies across the Atlantic, and that prompts them to put the car through its paces on their long and twisty bits.

    ¡°And you would expect all this power would make the car completely uncontrollable¡ªlike an old Viper, or...Kerry Katona, perhaps. But no!¡±

    The host is a pretty decent driver in his own right. He lights up the tires and launches the car into the turns, drifting as much as the traction control will let him. The Star Rider undergoes a live-action torture test on his command, throwing the car every which way and trying everything he can to break its composure. Yet for all his driving, all his drifting, all his unapologetic thrashing, the car holds up remarkably well¡ªengine, gearbox, suspension, everything.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, though, it is still a very unruly machine!¡± The host is visibly on edge with every drift, every rampant battle with the wheel, struggling to keep the beast under control. He teaches by example: if you want to control this thing, you need to have a damn good grip behind the wheel.

    ¡°The more I played around with it, the more its luddite conventions started to make sense. There¡¯s nothing to get in the way between you and the engine, no fancy window dressing to make the car tamer, like a Porsche or even a GT-R.¡±

    The camera cuts back to him, looking positively thrashed behind the wheel.

    ¡°The only real thing you get there is traction control¡ªwhich, and I cannot stress this enough, you should not turn off.¡±

    The instant he does, the Star Rider rips the control straight out of his undeserving arms, and his high-speed drift goes up in smoke. He comes to a rest as the music stops, facing backward on the track...but when the camera cuts back to him, he¡¯s just laughing with a finger on his temple.

    ¡°Why is this so fun?¡± He¡¯s starting to figure it out.

    ¡°It¡¯s an old-school car, to be sure,¡± his narration resumes, ¡°but it¡¯s not just some nostalgic cash grab for despondent pensioners. It¡¯s old-school with a purpose.¡±

    ¡°The interior, for instance, is cheap, but comfortable¡ªbuilt well like you¡¯d expect a Japanese car to be. The body as well¡ªit doesn¡¯t bend when you give it a thump, like the plastic arse of a Corvette.¡±

    ¡°Even the engine here,¡± he points out, with the bonnet up after a hard drive. ¡°If you take a look at this... I mean, I could service it!¡±

    ¡°I could do the oil, I could do the filters, I could to the plugs. Aikawa even gives you an exhaustively-detailed manual for fixing things yourself!¡± For emphasis, he waves the big book in his hand. Reina worked very, very hard on that¡ªeven commissioned a local artist for meticulous (and humorous) illustrations to help garage mechanics along.

    ¡°No random electrical faults, no vomiting coolant everywhere, no going to a dealership and paying 500 quid for an oil change. It¡¯s so dead simple that there¡¯s nothing to break!¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s where the Japanese DNA in the car really starts to shine.¡± The camera slows down, gentler as it follows the Star Rider on a more casual cruise up the track. ¡°If this car is even half as reliable on the road as it¡¯s proven to be on the track, then it can save you thousands in back-breaking repairs and maintenance. The more you drive it, the more Japanese it gets...¡±

    ¡°But that sound?¡± He readies his foot on the gas. ¡°Unapologetically American.¡±

    *RRRRMMMMMMMMM!*

    ¡°God almighty, that sound is good.¡± He just can¡¯t stop laughing.

    Safe to say, the team back home is more than happy with how they¡¯ve presented the car. The camerawork, the pacing, the audio, it¡¯s all top notch. And as it so happens, the Aikawa crew isn¡¯t the only watch party; all the way down in Kanazawa, the team that worked so hard to build that chassis is rightfully celebrating their reward.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe we¡¯re really watching this... We made it, Pop!¡±

    ¡°Damn straight, we did! And see, he¡¯s warmin¡¯ up to the design! If we can convert a crotchety old Brit like him, that¡¯s a win in my book!¡±

    It¡¯s hard for Akane to overstate how much this all means to her. With the Star Rider¡¯s success, she¡¯s validated her own emotions, quelled the conflict inside her head. In the end, she doesn¡¯t need to jump through hoops to justify the way she is¡ªshe doesn¡¯t owe anything to that status quo in looks, or hobbies, or even career choice. This is what¡¯s best for her, and no outside pressure can change her.

    It took a certain bespectacled trailblazer to help her realize that.

    ¡°I really owe you a lot for this, Reina... Thank you.¡±

    ***

    After another round of glamour shots and perhaps another exhaust recording or two, the car has finally said its piece. Left with little else to show, the programme takes the energy down a notch, and the host takes the chance to reflect a little on his own expectations.

    ¡°To be frank, when Aikawa sent us this car, I was expecting the worst. America¡¯s idea of blending Japanese culture with their own is like...sitting a bunch of diabetics around a grimy sushi bar in the middle of New Jersey.¡±

    ¡°But this? This is Kill Bill. Violent, confident, unhinged...and I have never been so excited by something that so desperately wants to kill me.¡±

    One final cut back to him, resting his head on the extra-tall seat.

    ¡°Now, it still doesn¡¯t have the refinement that you would get in other cars at this price point. It¡¯s not a particularly versatile car...but it¡¯s not trying to be. With other cars, you get a suite of features that¡¯ll heat your seats and make calls for you and show you all the nearest restaurants and...maybe give you a little peck on the cheek as you get out.¡±

    ¡°This is just four wheels and an engine. It is, in effect, a very expensive toy...but you know something? I don¡¯t really care. That¡¯s all this car wants to be¡ªand that¡¯s refreshing.¡±

    For many, the dream of owning a sports car¡ªand the honeymoon phase that comes with buying it¡ªmask the reality of what it¡¯s like to deal with one. The constant maintenance; the fiddly, expensive parts; the sheer headache of wrestling with the sunk-cost fallacy. The dream becomes a nightmare, and regret poisons the mind so much that one can hardly bear to even sit in it anymore. But as the weeks of testing refused to draw even a single fault or failure out of the Star Rider, the car¡¯s back-to-basics philosophy steadily won this host over.

    ¡°...It¡¯s the most fun I¡¯ve had in a while.¡±

    With a contented smile, the host drives away from the camera and into the distance, bringing the chaotic segment to an end on an introspective note. The audience really wasn¡¯t sure what to expect upon viewing it either...but they certainly know how to feel afterward. They welcome the host back to the studio with a chorus of applause, and this time, the Star Rider joins him on the stage in place of its American and Japanese contemporaries. They all knew that segment was gonna be a hit when it aired.

    ¡°Now, I had a lot to say about the Star Rider, but! It is still quite the difficult car, especially when it comes to the track. Aikawa told us they launched it to compete with newer muscle cars on the market¡ªand they were confident it could beat the new Stingray round our track. We¡¯ve got it on the board here, 1:24.6.¡± It¡¯s one of the quickest muscle cars on their power lap leaderboard¡ªand for a similar price. If it wants any legs outside of Japan, it¡¯ll have to put up a good show against its self-fashioned rival.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be the judge of that, though.¡±

    The anticipation builds. They all know what¡¯s coming.

    ¡°For that, we sent the Star Rider off to our test driver. Let¡¯s see how the Stag got on with it!¡±

    The studio¡¯s TV centerpiece comes alive, and immediately the audience is taken back to the track¡ªthis time on a dry morning with a masked driver behind the wheel of the car. The 611 is already singing as he loads up first gear, ready to fly off the line at a moment¡¯s notice. He¡¯s been itching to give this car a try for himself¡ªfor several reasons.

    *RRMMMM...!*

    ¡°And off he goes! Lots of wheel spin there, the tires really struggling to keep up with all the torque this thing makes! But it¡¯s still flying off the line!¡±

    The camera jolts around briefly, having its own issues keeping up with the car. Its deceptively nimble frame combine with the behemoth engine to propel it into the first turn at an astronomical pace.

    ¡°First corner now, and you can see how much the Stag¡¯s having to fight the car already, he¡¯s got his hands very full in there, but he keeps it together¡ªusing up all the track there, and my God, that thing sounds maniacal!¡±

    As is tradition with these power laps, they show a view of the Stag from his office¡ªalong with whatever he happens to be listening to on the radio. This time, fittingly, it¡¯s Lynyrd Skynyrd¡¯s Free Bird, and the solo¡¯s just started. The guitars egg him on as he sails into the next set of turns.

    ¡°Detroit now, this¡¯ll really bite him if he can¡¯t keep it under control, but he seems to have it sorted¡ªooh, but he¡¯s left the tail out as he powers off the corner!¡±

    The Stag can¡¯t believe how much power the car has to give, punching well above its weight compared to the cars it¡¯s marketed against. He felt under control in the Stingray, but this has him on the very edge of his seat.

    He loves that.

    ¡°This is the first time in a while I¡¯ve seen the Stag so out of sorts¡ªbut I think he likes it! He¡¯s almost having too much fun in there!¡±

    The Anchorhead is possibly the nastiest corner on the circuit. Designed to catch any over- or understeer and punish hard, the Stag makes sure to nail this corner as best he can.

    ¡°Anchorhead! Now, you¡¯d expect some understeer here, that¡¯s a very heavy engine right up at the front, and it does go wide! Can the Stag keep it together, can he hold it on the road? He does! Could¡¯ve been a lot worse, I¡¯ll bet the cameraman wanted to run for his life!¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Cutting back to the Stag behind the wheel... The solo is still going.

    ¡°Now for the straight, and this is where the Star Rider really shines, flexing that army of horses, full tilt across the speed trap...!¡±

    *RRRRRRRRR-MMMMMMMM...!*

    That¡¯s the best flyby shot they¡¯ve had in a while.

    ¡°Tyrrell now, heavy braking, trying to slow that giant cruise missile down, the car¡¯s wiggling a bit! Really wanting to break loose on him, but the Stag says no!¡±

    Just two corners left to go, and though they don¡¯t have a live timer, the audience is getting the idea that this is a whopper of a lap. The Stag is pushing the Star Rider as hard as he can, eking out every last tenth as he throws its squealing tires into the turns.

    ¡°It¡¯s looked like a pretty good lap from here, just one corner to go... Another scary line here, and again he drifts the back out coming through! The Star Rider is giving him everything it has, and he¡¯s pushing it right back! There he goes, across the line!¡±

    An enthusiastic round of applause for the Star Rider and the Stag. Keeping that monster under control is no lean feat¡ªespecially for a driver unused to having so little help from the car at that speed. But he¡¯s pretty confident in the lap he put down...and he was extra motivated to give the car all he had that day.

    ¡°I will say, it certainly looked fast, didn¡¯t it?¡± The crowd agrees with him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got the time. They said they wanted the Stingray¡ª1:24.6 to beat. The Aikawa Star Rider did it...¡±

    ¡°...in one, twenty-TWO, point two!¡±

    An excited gasp makes its way through the audience, followed by another chorus of applause. They knew the car was fast, but it¡¯s blown the Corvette out of the water!

    ¡°That is absurd! Two and a half seconds faster than the Stingray¡ªit¡¯s faster than the GT-R! It¡¯s hanging out up here in the 22s with the GTS, the NSX...and it¡¯s beat them too!¡±

    It¡¯s far and away the fastest muscle car on the leaderboard¡ªeven if its classification as such might be slightly debatable. It¡¯s not American, but does it ever have that ostentatious Yankee spirit.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d rather have this car over those, but I can¡¯t deny that is a wicked, wicked time...¡± The host can only shake his head.

    ¡°He did put in a pretty good lap there.¡±

    Not one to miss any racing action, Yuzu is watching the episode as well, from the comfort of her couch in her Obihiro home. Her parents even made popcorn.

    ¡°I wonder how fast I¡¯d have done it...¡± She¡¯s been all over the map herself lately. Her second year in F3 has seen her rise to the top echelon of the grid, breaking through to notch her first win in the series earlier this year. She¡¯s been on a tear ever since, even sweeping the two races at Motegi to put the leagues above on notice. A couple of curious Super GT outfits have been calling her name... It¡¯s looking like she¡¯ll be racing in the big leagues to start next year.

    Not bad for a girl from the sticks.

    (Time really flies, doesn¡¯t it?)

    To think she was pretty close to writing Reina off back in the day...but now look at her. She¡¯s gone and made the future hers. And as Yuzu prepares to realize her own long-awaited dream, she thanks Reina for all the opportunities she gave her over these few eventful years. Now, she has not just a bright young career ahead of her...but a lifelong friend to go with it.

    (Heh heh... What more could I want?)

    ***

    The programme would normally be gearing up for a commercial segment right now¡ªor, failing that, some break from the review to focus on something more lighthearted and jovial, bringing the other hosts in and all the chemistry that comes with. But as the viewing audience is about to learn, there¡¯s something different about tonight¡¯s episode... Something off the beaten path. Reina didn¡¯t just pitch a review of the car when she got in contact with the show... She had something else up her sleeve.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting to it now...¡± Reina¡¯s heart starts to thump out of her chest. The review was tense enough, but watching the replay of this is putting her on the edge of her seat¡ªeven though she already knows how it goes.

    She hopes it¡¯ll leave as much of an impact on the viewers as it did on her.

    ¡°Now!¡± The host welcomes the crowd and the viewers back from commercial break, letting the applause die down before starting his next segment.

    ¡°Ordinarily, this is where we¡¯d start some other segment, and where I¡¯d introduce the other two stooges...but as it so happens, Aikawa had a proposition for us.¡±

    The camera takes a turn as he walks back toward the Star Rider, still sitting pretty on the stage with him. ¡°You see, the boss of the company herself was very keen on taking the car round our track¡ªand she said she wanted to have a go...at the Stag¡¯s lap time.¡±

    He and the crowd are rightly amused.

    ¡°Naturally, we wanted to learn a little more about her first¡ªnot every day a company suit challenges our Stag to a time trial. So here she is now: Miss Reina Aikawa!¡±

    Some of the eagle-eyed spectators in the crowd were curious who that long silhouette was toward the corner of the studio¡ªand when she comes out of the shadow with a confident smile on her face, they can¡¯t help but applaud her. He debut on the international stage has her looking quintessentially her, and she wouldn¡¯t want it any other way.

    ¡°And good day to you!¡± Only the host can hear her above the crowd¡ªthough it¡¯s less the background noise and more that he has his undivided attention on her. They shake hands when she reaches center stage, and against the otherwise physically imposing host, she holds her own in a way most can¡¯t. One of the other hosts in particular is probably envious.

    ¡°Not every day you meet with someone taller than you, is it?¡±

    Reina chuckles. ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯m seeing a lot of things for the first time here.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Cause you said earlier, this is your first time abroad, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yup! I was born and raised in Japan, been there all my life.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been to America.¡±

    ¡°Nope. That¡¯s on my bucket list, though, for sure.¡±

    ¡°Right, and I mean, that¡¯s a story you hear a lot. People grow up here or in other countries, they move to LA or New York, and they become traitors.¡± He draws a laugh from the crowd, which helps ease her nerves a bit.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not the case with you, and that leads me to ask: why America? Why not cross Japanese cars with...I dunno, German or Italian? Cars that would be so much better if they just had good electronics?¡±

    Now it¡¯s Reina¡¯s turn to laugh. He really is just as advertised, the patriotic jester.

    ¡°Well...because that¡¯s just not who we are, y¡¯know? My grandma, she was born and raised in America¡ªSamoa, actually, but it was the American part. She grew up working on cars, she was a mechanic in the Navy, and then after the war, she met her husband in Japan and settled down there.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯ve always had that Japanese and American fusion, just sort of the other way around from how you typically think of it.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you talk like a ¡®Murrican?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir! Heh heh.¡± She used to get bullied for her accent in her school¡¯s English class. Those kids can take a hike.

    ¡°But yeah. That¡¯s how we got our start as a company¡ªwe liked working on big, American muscle cars because that was what my grandma liked to do. I grew up working with her on builds for customers, watching her put engines together...and I love doing it! This isn¡¯t just for the sake of a market niche; it¡¯s what I really want to do with my life.¡±

    The host nods. Ever quick on the draw, he¡¯s got more curious questions for her.

    ¡°So how much of this car, would you say, is yours? How big a hand did you have in it?¡±

    ¡°Most of it. The engine wasn¡¯t all me¡ªit was mostly my grandma¡¯s design, and I filled in the blanks here and there. But I did build it myself.¡±

    ¡°Similar story for the bodywork, except we outsourced that to some good friends, Tetsukura Chassis, they built the frame for us.¡±

    ¡°But you still got really down in there with the build?¡±

    ¡°I did, yes.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s interesting, ¡®cause you wouldn¡¯t think most big CEOs would be able to tell you what every single part on a car does. But you seem more like a mechanic who accidentally became a boss.¡±

    Reina stifles a guffaw. His assessment isn¡¯t quite accurate, but she sees his point.

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not the corporate type...but I think that¡¯s what makes our cars special. They¡¯re designed by mechanics, for mechanics¡ªand you touched on that in the review, we really try to balance reliability with all the crazy sh... The, uh.¡±

    Reina briefly forgets she¡¯s on national television and should probably tone the language down a notch. The host lets slip a good-natured laugh like an old friend.

    ¡°I get what you mean, though!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! You know.¡±

    ¡°That was one of the most astonishing things I found when we were testing it¡ªbecause it wasn¡¯t just that one shoot, we had it here for weeks and weeks, throwing everything we could at it. But it held up about as well as we could¡¯ve asked for!¡±

    ¡°Good, that¡¯s a passing grade for me!¡±

    ¡°All the more considering you built the whole damn thing yourself.¡±

    When he spells it out like that, it really does seem ridiculous...but all she can do is smile. She¡¯s proven herself to be capable and confident¡ªand not just with her words, but with the sheer quality of her craft. There¡¯s something the host can appreciate in how she still carries herself like an ordinary woman, that humility she exudes, while blazing a trail few others could ever hope to follow.

    ¡°Now, I would like to move on to the elephant on the room.¡±

    ¡°Oh boy.¡±

    ¡°You said you wanted to take your car round our track?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did! I¡¯ve been testing the car a lot myself, so I think I know it pretty well by now.¡±

    ¡°And I remember when we were talking earlier that you said your mother was a GT racer?¡±

    ¡°Yup! She was a track specialist at our local circuit, Tokachi Speedway. They used to come up and do a 24-hour race every year, and she won her class three times!¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯ve inherited any of her chops behind the wheel?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think I compare to her at all. My mom in her prime was a whole other beast.¡±

    ¡°...Buuut I think I can still give the Stag a run for his money. I¡¯ve gotten pretty good at driving my car.¡±

    The host raises his eyebrows. That confidence excites him.

    ¡°You know, he was very competitive when we told him that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know. He was really hounding me when he was showing me around the track. He was a great help, though! Showed me all the right lines to take, all that stuff.¡±

    The host vaguely points at her. ¡°You¡¯ve got that look though, you wanted to have another couple laps out there, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Reina concedes. ¡°I feel like I was just starting to get the hang of it out there!¡±

    ¡°Well, whatever time you got is the time you¡¯re stuck with.¡±

    ¡°Now: who would like to see Reina¡¯s lap?¡±

    The host gestures to the crowd, and they enthusiastically cheer back at him. They¡¯re all dying to see Reina walk the walk after talking her talk.

    ¡°Roll the tape.¡±

    Like before, the Star Rider stands ready at the starting line, engine already raring to go. Reina¡¯s had some time to get used to the track by this point, with the Stag¡¯s help, but now, she¡¯s on her own out here. She¡¯s gotta make this count.

    *RRRMMMMMMMM...!*

    ¡°And that¡¯s another very aggressive start! Not every day you have a company boss who can sell their car and drive it too¡ªand whoooa! That¡¯s a bold line round the first corner! She¡¯s not leaving any room for error there!¡±

    Taking the Stag¡¯s advice, Reina drives the Star Rider on the very ragged edge, taking a heroic line through the bend¡ªthough she didn¡¯t exactly need him to tell her to be aggressive. That was her game plan from the start.

    ¡°Heh heh heh!¡± The camera catches a capricious laugh from inside the car as Reina, satisfied with her turn, shifts up and lets the engine roar. The crowd chuckles.

    ¡°You¡¯re really committing big in these corners, but will that catch you out of line? Detroit really punishes understeer, the car¡¯s getting twitchy under braking trying to slow down in tiiime...but not a problem!¡±

    Compared to the Stag, Reina is somehow pushing even harder behind the wheel. Where the Stag really focused on getting settled down on corner entry to power off late, Reina is all but torturing her tires as she leaves her braking to the last possible second. All her time and testing with the car gives her a better idea of when and where she can brake¡ªwhile the Stag, for all his experience, didn¡¯t have nearly as much time to get used to the car.

    ¡°Now, Anchorhead is the big test, you get this wrong and it compromises your entire follow-through down the straight, are you gonna play it safe?¡±

    ¡°Heh, no.¡±

    The audience laughs as she proves her point, once again pushing the Star Rider to its very limit. It¡¯s finding grip in the most absurd of places¡ªpossibly as a consequence of all the practice laps she did earlier, getting the rubber laid down nice and thick. Whatever the case, it¡¯s working: she nails the Anchorhead, getting through the complex about as well as the Stag did¡ªand even flaring the tail out like he did.

    ¡°Now, you said you weren¡¯t at all like your mother!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡±

    ¡°Then what the bloody hell is this?!¡±

    *RRRRRRRRR-MMMMMM...!*

    The host is visibly excited to see how the lap ends, even though he¡¯s seen it plenty of times before. Just watching both her and the Stag wheel this monster around their track has been entertainment enough for a whole lifetime.

    ¡°Tyrrell now, big braking zone, scrubbing off all that speed from that massive V8, looks like about the same line as the Stag had through there¡ªooh, but you¡¯re way earlier on the throttle, and it¡¯s almost caught you out there! She¡¯s kicked up dirt on the exit!¡±

    That¡¯s the one corner Reina wishes she could have back¡ªnot that she doubts her lap on the whole. She¡¯s all smiles as she watches her replay, getting to relive her attack from angles she¡¯s never seen before. The anticipation starts to build back up as she gets closer and closer to the finish line, knowing the all-important comparison is looming around the corner. Will it be her, or the helmet?

    ¡°Coming up to the last corner now. Flying in there, pushing wide on the exit, but there¡¯s room there, you¡¯re alright!¡±

    ¡°Stag knows the track, but Reina knows the car, who will it be in the end? There she goes, across the line!¡±

    And with that, it¡¯s back to the studio¡ªalbeit not without another round of applause. The crowd has been head over heels for Reina this whole segment, her infectious personality winning them over...on top of her maniacal wheelmanship, of course.

    Reina¡¯s already on the edge of her seat. She was invested enough watching her replay, but now her heart is pounding. She¡¯s dying to know.

    ¡°You said you felt pretty good about that lap, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Could¡¯ve been better, but I¡¯ll take it!¡±

    ¡°So...where do you think you¡¯ve come?¡±

    Lots of fast cars on that leaderboard there...all test-driven by the show¡¯s truly. It¡¯s a tall enough order just matching his time, let alone beating it¡ªbut without that boast, this wouldn¡¯t be must-watch television, now, would it?

    ¡°Well, if I know what¡¯s good for me, I¡¯ll have beaten the Stingray.¡±

    A light-hearted laugh to break the tension.

    ¡°1:24.6. That would be quite a ways off from the Stag¡¯s Star Rider time, of course.¡±

    ¡°Oh, absolutely. If I had to guess...¡± Reina doesn¡¯t want to sound too cocky...though to an extent, that ship¡¯s already sailed.

    ¡°...Somewhere in the 1:22s. I think I got him down to the second, at least.¡±

    ¡°Final answer?¡±

    ¡°Hit me.¡±

    The host breaks out his marker pen.

    ¡°...Not nervous?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve just got a good poker face. I¡¯m sweating bullets.¡±

    ¡°Well after a boast like yours, I would be too! Got 200-something million people watching to see how you did.¡± The crowd is almost nervous on her behalf as well. ¡°But frankly, after a lap like that, I don¡¯t think you have anything to be ashamed of.¡±

    ¡°Now... Reina Aikawa.¡±

    She nods.

    ¡°You did it, in one...¡±

    ¡°...Good.¡±

    ¡°Twenty...¡± With painstaking anticipation, he writes down each individual digit on the Star Rider¡¯s strip of paper. He milks every second for all it¡¯s worth.

    ¡°...Two.¡±

    Reina¡¯s brows lift. The crowd lets slip an excited murmur. The camera lingers on her for just a moment longer, as she stares the host dead in the face. She¡¯s got that fiery look in her eyes again.

    ¡°...Dead.¡±

    ¡°YES!¡± On instinct, Reina pumps her fist and stands up like a rocket, a jubilant smile on her face. The crowd celebrates with her as she feels the nerves evacuating her body. She claps and lets slip a relieved laugh as the host¡¯s own face brightens up with an incredulous cheer. The sheer catharsis of having all these people cheering for you, all watching you blaze your own trail... It¡¯s just the best feeling in the world.

    ¡°1:22 dead! She¡¯s beat the Stag!¡±

    The host does the honor of placing her time on the leaderboard and removing the Stag¡¯s own effort, as Reina has demonstrated how fast the car can really go in the perfect hands. It¡¯s a monumental accomplishment, by any stretch¡ªboth in the vacuum of the show and in the wider context of bringing this car here herself, and all the challenges that entailed.

    And it was all worth it.

    ¡°I must say, that is astonishing.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± Her smile is beautiful. The cheers still haven¡¯t stopped.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, we were that close to dismissing this whole thing outright, but we decided it might be more fun to call your bluff.¡± He shakes his head. ¡°And we made the right choice there, didn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you took the gamble on me. Really happy I got to be here and do all this.¡±

    ¡°So this car¡¯s close to production, from what you were telling us earlier? When d¡¯you think we¡¯ll be seeing it on the road?¡±

    ¡°Well, if I¡¯m smart, I¡¯ll have it set up so you can put a deposit down by the time this airs. We¡¯ve still got some legal stuff to figure out as far as exporting it outside of Japan goes, lots of paperwork, so it might be a bit later until we can get it to the UK? But we¡¯re still targeting next model year, so yeah!¡±

    ¡°Well, do us a favor and hurry it up, would you?¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± He doesn¡¯t know the half of it. ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty good at taking things fast, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll say, bloody hell.¡±

    Reina couldn¡¯t have known at the time they shot all this, but the timing of this episode¡¯s eventual broadcast couldn¡¯t have come any better. The biannual Tokyo Motor Show is knocking on her door¡ªand you bet she¡¯s got a plan to make waves down there. If all goes well, she¡¯ll be able to ride the momentum from this good press all the way down south...and from there, to the very stars in the sky.

    ¡°Well, best of luck to you, and thank you so much for coming here. Ladies and gentlemen, Reina Aikawa!¡±

    Reina sees off the crowd¡ªand all the viewers watching at home¡ªwith a thankful wave and a standing ovation from the audience. They had no idea what to expect when they all filed into the building for this mystery segment...but not a single one of them regrets the experience now. How could they? Reina¡¯s stolen the show, and they all know it.

    And all the way back in Sapporo, living through that day again, Reina knows she¡¯s got something truly special on her hands.

    ¡°Now! On to the news...¡±

    The host welcomes his two partners in crime back onto the stage, and they continue on with the episode like nothing happened at all...save for the Star Rider, of course. It¡¯s still sitting there after Reina¡¯s departure, standing watch over the set¡ªcall it a projection of power to last just a little longer. A memento from Aikawa Auto, for all to see.

    The episode will come and go¡ªanother of the programme¡¯s finest, filled with gut-busting laughs and timely insight, balancing the scale as they always do...but when all is said and done, there¡¯s just one segment from the show that everyone wants to talk about.

    They¡¯ll remember that girl from Sapporo and her ridiculous car. They¡¯ll remember her for a long, long time.

    ***

    Time will pass. The seasons will change. On this relentless march, the open book will pen a new page¡ªand it will be up to you to choose what the future writes for you. You may gaze upon the book, and you may find that some passages, some paragraphs are already written in your name... You may find yourself daunted by this notion of destiny. Indeed, there are some things that life will not allow you to change...but all the same, you may not seek refuge in the past and deny the book its closure. The future must be written.

    But for all the things you cannot change, there will always be some things you can. What you write in those blank spaces matters far more than those fated letters; that is what makes you who you are. And it is the story you pen yourself that gives you what you seek.

    That is what Reina has come to know.

    *RRRrrrRRRRRRMMMMMM!*

    She¡¯s come a long way¡ªwritten a great many words in that big book. There are still so many pages left in her story, so many more days to seize...but with her patience and her determination, she has the strength to wake up every morning and keep on writing. She knows where she¡¯s going...and she knows where she wants to be.

    Today sees her on a journey, in that nostalgic old Road Runner. The Star Rider, and its two little sisters, are waiting for her down south. She¡¯s got a lot to do in the days ahead...but she doesn¡¯t mind that. Every day she wakes up living this dream, she remember all the effort she put to get here¡ªand that all the work she faces will be worth it in time.

    *CLICK!*

    A soundtrack, to accompany her on her trip. Foreigner¡ªone of her grandmother¡¯s favorite bands from back in the day. A gentle flute graces her ears... A tune she¡¯s come to know all too well.

    I stole a ride on a passing star...

    Not knowing where I was going, how near or how far...

    One more time, she leaves the nest. Her world has gotten so much bigger since the gears began to turn... From treading water in the frigid straits of Sapporo to streaking across the skies wherever her heart would take her. That freedom she so yearned for, that power to walk like Clara and Sami did... She feels it now, coursing through her veins.

    Through years of light, lands of future and past...

    Until the heavenly gates were sighted at last...

    Soon, she leaves Sapporo behind, the steely grays and the autumnal golds clashing together on the horizon ahead. She sees the future in her eyes, unbound by those chains of old. The road invites her with open arms.

    Star rider!

    (Rider! Rider!)

    Take me to the stars!

    She can¡¯t see them behind this curtain of daytime blue...but she doesn¡¯t need to. She is the one who guides her path¡ªnot fate, not time, not even Clara nor Sami. She might not know how her story ends quite yet, but with every chapter she finishes, the new one comes to her straight from the heart.

    Northern lights flashed by, and then they were gone...

    And as old stars would die, so the new ones were born...

    And indeed, there was a time when this car itself was a chain that bound her. A relic of the past, a refuge from the future... A reminder of how beautiful those golden years were. In her youth, Reina saw that gold from a rose-tinted lens¡ªtwisting the truth and warping the colors she saw in her eyes. But as she accepted the truth, found meaning in Aikawa Auto¡¯s true colors, she was able to forge ahead with an even clearer picture.

    Speed increasing, all control is in the hands of those who know!

    Will they help us grow...to one day be star riders!

    The chorus comes to salute her again, and as the highway before her stretches on into the sky, she shifts up a gear and claims the future for herself. The Road Runner sings, the wind parting, the sun shimmering on its old coat of paint. It is her comet, her chariot¡ªin the old times a painful ghost, but now charging through time like a phoenix from the ashes.

    This is who Reina Aikawa is. Dealt a bad hand, consigned to failure and obscurity, saddled with the burden of her family¡¯s checkered past...but she refused to buckle under the weight of the future. With what power she still wielded, she started writing her story, not knowing how it would end...and bit by bit, word by word, she kept on writing. Kept on driving. Kept on dreaming. She would not let the future change her, turn her into a shadow of who she wanted to be. Now, she lives that starry-eyed dream from her youth...and she will never look back.

    She was, is, and will always be, Reina Aikawa.

    Speed increasing, all control is in the hands of those who know!

    Will they help us grow...