æą æ æ”ć
PROLOGUE
November 1991
It was late that evening when Umemura was taking another drive down the twisty roads of Mt. Myogi. The 8-valve Quezon engine going through its rev range as it flew down the bend, before shifting to another gear as it left the bend and accelerated towards the straightaway.
She glanced down towards the gauge cluster, and anxiously watched as the temperature gauge steadily climbed alongside the the revs. A few days prior to this run, there was an unusual feeling with how the car was running, as the engine seemed to have a harder time climbing through the rev range, and again, the temperature gauge seemed to be in a different position than usual. It didnât seem to bother her all that much, however, as she was still able to keep up with the other cars on the touge.
As she barrelled down the straight, the car slowly hit its 220kph top speed, and she began anticipating the bright reflection of the guardrail from the headlights as the road would begin to curve ahead, placing her hand on the shifter, and moving her feet into a position to downshift before the corner.
But then right before she could hit the brakes, a loud bang was heard from ahead of her, and the front wheels locked up in a loud screech. Oil splattered the windscreen and visibility was partially locked. Umemura was startled, and in a panic she had immediately and unknowingly went for the handbrake. The rear wheels cried as they locked up alongside the front. With the sudden shift in weight towards the front, the rear lifted and lost grip, and the car momentarily found itself in reverse, and back straight, then sideways, all whilst Umemura wrestled the steering wheel to keep the car straight. She released the handbrake, and the rear wheels found themselves rolling again and the car shifted its front back towards the road and hurtling towards the barrier. Once straight, she immediately slammed on the brakes to try and get the car to stop, but once again the weight shifted forwards and the car veered to the right, opposite the direction of the bend and into the guardrails.
The vehicle bounced off the guardrail with a loud bang, wrecking the front fascia and jolting Umemura about her seat. Eventually the car came to a stop next to the barrier, but Umemuraâs adrenaline rush didnât as she looked around the cabin. Everything seemed relatively intact, including her. She took off her seatbelt and opened the car door, immediately the stench of burnt oil and rubber filled her nostrils as smoke continued eminating from the hood of the silver Quezon.
âGoddamn, really?â She said as she looked down at the carâs nose. It was a wreck. The front bumper was smashed in and the right headlamp missing. The hood had latched off and was dented, and additional scratches were visible all around the car. Oil was thrown about on the fenders and smoke seeped through the gaps between the hood and the fenders, and through the area where the bumper once held on. She attempted to lift the hood up from the car, but was engulfed in even more smoke which left her coughing out loud from the strong stench of burned oil and engine fluid, and subsequently dropped the hood back where it was.
Umemura could only grieve at the sight before her. Her pride and joy, the automobile in which she had won plenty of impromptu races down this mountain, reduced to this damaged state. She could feel tears starting to form from her cheeks, and a cold shudder went down her body, but she suppressed the feeling as she sat down next to the car, sitting there for what felt like forever as she looked up at the clear night sky, the scent of the damaged engine and the nature around her eventually blending in as one bitter scent that pierced her nostrils like a sharp lance.
From the distance, she would eventually hear the fairly quiet grumbling of another engine, which steadily increased in volume as the large hunk of Australian steel went down the pass. Umemura sighed once again as the lights came into view from the end of the corner, slowly approaching before stopping ahead of her. Umemura looked at the car in front of her, not really able to make out what or who it was , then stood up from where she was sitting, before a red-headed girl hopped out of the vehicle that just stopped and spoke in a language somewhat unfamiliar to her.
âWoah, what the fuck happened here?â The girl said in English as she glanced over the wreck and noticed the girl standing next to the car. âOh, my apologiesâŠâ She said as she switched languages.
âAre you alright? What happened here?â
Umemura scratched the back of her head and sighed as she looked back at the wreck.
âWell⊠To make a long story short, the engine mustâve blown itself or something. Iâm not sure if itâs because itâs old or what, but I think the carâs totalled.â She said in a monotonous tone as she ran her hand down the rear quarter panel.
The girl approached Umemura. âJeez, are you okay though? This seemed like a fairly gnarly crash.â
âY-yeah, I think I am? Nothing seems to be hurting right now, so I assume I am indeed fine.â
âRight thenâŠâ She said as she continued walking around the site. No parts of the road itself seemed to be majorly damaged other than a few guardrails that could be described as âlightly bentâ, but the car was definitely not doing well. Signs of a blown engine were indeed there, but the chassis seemed mostly intact and relatively salvageable. She placed her hands âLooks like you could use a tow, huh?â
âThat would definitely be appreciated. Could I ask for your name, perhaps? I feel as though I owe you a lot for this. Iâm Umemura, by the way, Umemura RyuukoâŠâ Umemura observed as the other girl made her way towards the back of the vehicle, it became more obvious now to her as to what vehicle had pulled up. It was a blue pick-up truck, from a brand sheâs never heard of before, although the front reminded her somewhat of a sedan. She initially hesitated to ask, but curiosity got the better of her and she asked anyway. ââŠand if you donât mind me asking-â
âNameâs Ellie, Thomas Ellie. In case you havenât found out from my looks, Iâm a foreigner if thatâs what you were asking.â Ellie said as she took out the equipment from the back of the vehicle.
âOh, Ms. Thomas, isnât it?â
âJust call me Ellie.â She walked past Umemura and towards the nose of the damaged car, before realizing sheâd need to first maneuver the car to get the hook where it needs to be. Ellie quickly headed into the blue automobile, and adjusted the vehicle to make hooking it up to the damaged Quezon easier. It was here where Umemura noticed the vehicleâs type for the first time as the vehicle moved towards the carâs nose. âMarksmanâ, read the tailgate. Umemura had never been a car enthusiast per say, so the brand still remained unfamiliar to her. American? English? She wasnât exactly sure.
Ellie got out of the blue Marksman, and hooked up the straps onto the vehicleâs towbar, before walking over to the Quezon and reaching beneath the car to hook up the other end to strap the front axle up.
âIs the handbrake off? Oh, and make sure itâs in neutral.â Ellie asked as she began walking back.
âI donât think the handbrake is off, give me a moment.â Umemura ran over to the driverâs side door, opening in and getting in to release the handbrake, and wiggling the shifter to ensure it is in neutral, before closing the door and giving the other girl a thumbs up.
âWhat the hell are you standing there for? Get in! Iâm not leaving you at the top of the mountain in the middle of the night for Christâs sake.â Ellie yelled out the window, and Ryuuko eventually made her way into the passenger seat after nearly tripping on the straps. Once in, Ellie attempted to set off, but the Quezon initially refused to move. After a quick run-up, the car was freed and they went back down the mountain towards the nearby town, disappearing after a few bends.
ABOUT
Ryuuko Umemura (æą æ æ”ć) is more or less just another office worker in a sea filled with wageslaves in a busy Japanese metropolis, overworked and never really paid enough. As an escape from the busy and repetitive greyscales of her office job, she secretly heads out to the nearby Mt. Myogi to race alongside her buddies in her 1987 Quezon Cordova GT.
This car of hers was the car she initally drove when she started out tougeing, a 1987 Quezon Cordova GT originally painted in Racing Metallic SIlver. Having inherited it from her late grandfather in 1990 after he died not too long after he bought the car, she decided to head out to the mountains one night and encountered a pair of cars barrelling down the usually-quiet and tight mountain roads. She tried catching up to the two cars, and the thrill of driving filled her senses and she eventually found herself driving more and more up and down the touge and eventually slowly upgrading her car as she continued racing.
Initially, her car first had been running the original carâs 2.0-litre NA Quezon Dual-Cam engine, with about 130 horsepower, and later upgraded to make about 160. The engine later blew itself after Ryuuko failed to change the oil properly after every run, causing her to spin out and leaving the front fascia damaged after crashing into a barrier. Before the engine blew, a couple of other upgrades were installed such as an RM-Sport suspension kit sourced from the Philippines, lightweight bucket seats, a lightweight racing wheel, and 14-inch Minilite Magnesium wheels. She went on hiatus for a few months as she saved up to repair her car, but in the meantime spent some time with a couple of touge friends who sheâd later join forces with to become Jvniper.
Eventually, sheâd managed to source a turbocharged 1.6-litre SART Group A engine from a Suisei racecar, tuned to make roughly 260hp, mated to a SART 5-speed transaxle from a JTCC car. Other upgrades included a late-model upper front fascia and hood with fixed headlamps, a Bayside Bhozxs bodykit, 14-inch CWS Magnesium Mesh wheels on a sticky rubber compound, as well as numerous other aero bits and bobs. The car was also resprayed in a metallic maroon colour, although the hood is painted black as they ran out of red paint.
PROLOGUE
1992 December
The coarse grumble of the engine echoes throughout the mountain road in Mt. Myogi, the clunking of the gear shifts sends the wheels screaming as he catches the slide, powering out of the corner with the illuminated red needle bouncing off the rev limiter.
âAlright letâs go, time for me step it upâŠâ Kento muttering to himself, sending his long sedans flying into the adjacent corner as the hissing of the turbine whines throughout the cabin, battling the tyres for grip.
He rotated the the car, modulating the throttle as the engine roars from his excessive input mashing. Braking as he shifts the weight the outside continuing the slide, as he recorrects the car as he downshifts into 2nd. The car wails down, with the 2.5L I6 engine thundering down the relatively short straight, flying into the next hairpin.
Kento relaxed his car, as he levels the Suisei into a respectable cruise. He glanced over to the inbuilt clock inside his relatively older car, it was dark. The slight jolt into the lower revs slightly revibrates around the cabin. The subtle twilight reflections between the peaks of the mountain, surreal for the hobby Kento indulges himself with, a sort of calm. The next corner, a slight glance of the momentary reflection of another carâs taillights, the unmistakable dark red hue of another car.
âNow what do we have hereâŠâ Instinctively reaching the shifter, as he sends the car into motion, the turbos hiss. Flashing his headlights signalling to the other driver of the impromptu race. It picks off. Itâs time to duel, the raspy I4, unmistakably a hatchback.
Itâs time for him to show the true power of Suisei engineering, he smirks as the straight six thunders to life chasing the unknown red car. It was notably fast, but not as fast as him. A rally sedan proven throughout; it will never lose to such a car. The tyres squeal as he proceeds, tailing the car, âCordovaâ it said. The two cars danced despite the car being large and heavy, it was nothing to scoff powering off onto the outside of the Cordova.
The squeal of his tyres as he battles the car slightly taps the other car, as it seemingly been left in the dust, overtaking the red car in rush he pumps his fist, âI am unbeatable, I am Kami of the touge!â As he leans into his car slamming the gears as he powers off with the distinct low grumble echoing off into the distance.
Kento was gone into the dark night, it was a fine victory for him he was indeed smug without a doubt, he couldnât wait to brag to his collage classmates about this. However, the split second of distraction as he eased off, blinded by the adrenaline, as the suspension suddenly jolts up due to an uneven surface as sending the Suisei into a slideâŠ
âSHIT, SHIT SHITâŠ!â lunging to wrangle the car back from the slide. Overcorrecting the car as he attempts to slam the brakes, screeching off, bracing for impact.
The car jolted violently as the seatbelt gags his chest with the crunch of the hood, disjointed and disfigured⊠The eerily silence of the car, a hint of the grumbling idle. Taking in the situation as the indicators flash with a faint smell of the once running engine, turning it off and placing it into his wallet. The subtle moonlight that pierced through the mountain road, reflects off into his face,
âWell, thatâs bad⊠Iâm going to need a truck for thisâŠâ Sighing,
âAnd get a new hood and lights⊠new front⊠well I need to ask for more shifts at my jobâŠâ Getting out of the car in the ditch, the slight foliage slightly irritating his skin, gradually yet so nonchalantly, taking a cigarette from his Malbroo packet. The dim lighting of his lighter bounces off from the dark scenery, as he strolls to the top of the road. He squatted leaning onto his car as the freshly lit cigarette lighting his face.
The familiar raspy sounds echo from the distance, itâs the other car he thought. It realed around the corner with the intake valves, distinct for such an odd engine. The slightly orange hue of the lights flashing over his face as the driver dims the lights, signalling the indicator as it deaccelerates into the side of road. The figure stood out of the car, he barely could make out the person, the light was in his face after all.
âYo, as you can see, Iâm a bit of help.â He flicks his cig onto the ground, grinding it with his shoe. A slight smugness in his face.
âKonbanwaâŠâ It was a woman, he was aback. âWhat are you doing over there⊠and your car?â
âYeah I crashed, mind helping. I need it to be towed outâŠâ Placing his arm onto the top of his crashed Suisei Ken GTâŠ
âOh its youâŠâ She glanced at Kento proudly standing next to his crashed Suisei. âWell I canât give you a tow⊠but I do know someone who could help.â Strolling back to the red Quezon, reaching into the car. It was a walkie talkie in her hand. âEhh, we need your ute up here⊠we need someone to be towed again.â
âOh you know someone, is it a Isuzu Elf?â Intrigued, but the unfamiliar term âuteâ? "What is this âuteâ a, new truck brand? Scratching his head. The girl pauses, and turns around back towards Kento, âIt is an Australian automobile imported here, so anyways whats your name.â Directing an opening conversation.
âMy name is Kento, Tokisaki Kento, and yours?â He said replying to her. In a stiff formal reply she answered back, âMy name is Umemura Ryuuko.â As she waits for a reply from her walkie talkie, âDo you always drive that aggressively? You almost bumped off the course⊠many would find that un-sportsman like, I donât really mind, but others might.â
âAh, that, well sorry for that, I was caught up in the moment, the thrill of pushing the limit, thatâs why I do this hobby after all.â He continues, âIn future I probably should be more cool about my driving, after allâŠâ He glanced at his car, and points, âThis happens.â
âI see, I guess some people are more different than others, do you drive here often?â Still waiting for the walkie talkie to pickup⊠strange⊠Kento relaxes onto the rear bumper in a less stiff posture, âI certainly do, though Iâve been around other placesâŠâ As he was talking the slight scrapping of the car losing his balance as the car slides down suddenly.
âWoah-!â He gasps as he loses his balance as the car lost its grip from being stuck on the ledge. The 1.4-tonne automobile slowly began to slide off with an audible scraping. The girl notices this, and she instinctively acted. She drops the walkie-talkie and immediately runs towards him, reaching her hand out to him before he could slide down along with the car. âWatch out!â
The white vehicle was about halfway through, and Kento was nearly about to fall down alongside the car, but in the nick of time heâd managed to bring his arm out, and the girl managed to grab onto his hand as he had one foot left on the ridge. He felt the crumbling of the small pebbles at his foot as he clung onto the girlâs small hands. She struggled up to prevent him from dropping entirely, and with a swift pull sheâd managed to pull him away from the edge. However, the girl had lost her balance too, and as she pulled Kento whoâs balance was already lost, the two of them landed in front of one another, their eyes met and mere centimetres away from one anotherâs and they froze right there as they settled onto the cold asphalt.
For a moment Kento stared intently into the girlâs dark brown eyes, he could feel her warmth in the moment as they sat there face to face, feeling as her soft breaths landed atop one another as their adrenaline rushes have not yet cooled down from what had just happened. Kentoâs arms felt like shaking as he sat there for a while, but he couldnât move away from her gaze. The feeling of being right there before her completely intoxicated him.
The crickets, the soft rustling of the wind, the cicadas as they chirped occasionally, and the faint rumbling of other engine noises in the distance all blended in as the soft wind of the mountain pass blew the girlâs hair towards Kentoâs face.
Eventually the girl seemed to have realized the scenario before them, and slowly moved backwards.
Kento couldnât tell, but her face was flushed a slight red as she shifted backwards away from him. âU-umm, excuse meâŠâ She said as she shifted her face away from his, her cheek grazing the tip of his nose slightly as she turned her head away from him, something which got her slightly more flustered, although Kento wasnât really able to tell from the darkness.
Eventually in the distance, an engine rumbling unfamiliar to him would be audible, but he still didnât pay mind to it as he was still focused on the girlâs face as it was lightly shone on by the dim moonlight, but he would eventually snap out of it as a bright light shone on them in the distance, a light that only got closer and closer. The girl saw this and had gotten slightly flustered, and so she moved away from him and got up.
âH-hey, thereâs our tow truck.â She said as she awkwardly offered her hand towards him. He took it and stood up alongside her, and the girl approached the truck awkwardly. With a thick Aussie accent, âWhat the hell are you two love birds doing over there.â In playful manner, as Ellie slams the uteâs door catching their attention.
âItâs not like that!â A slight hint of red on her cheeks as she quickly recoils back onto her feet. Kento looking away caught up with their embarrassing situation. âYou finally got yourself a boyfriendâ Ellie smirking at Ryuuko. âI told you, its not like that you moron!!!â Pouting back at the Australian. Kento remained silent as he quickly got back up taken aback, âSo uh, who she is?â
âMy name is Ellie nice to meet you, are you her new boyfriend?â A wide smile can be seen across her face, reaching out for a handshake. He reacted quickly shaking the Aussieâs hand replying a bit flustered, âNo, Iâm not her boyfriend⊠My name is Tokisaki Kento, she was here to help me get my car outâŠâ Looking back at the Ken GT stuck in the mountain side ditch.
âAh gotcha, sorry for the little playful teasingâ Nudging his shoulder, very befitting for an Aussie sheila, in a teasing tone, âMind helping meâ Winking at him, snickering as she glances back at Ryuuko, still flustered from the incident. Reluctantly accepting the teasing as the two attached the tow onto his rear frame as the two worked on recovering the Suisei. With only the light from the two cars, the three worked to attach the tow hitch correctly, as Ellie attempts to guide the two on securing the straps.
It was time for them to jerk the car out, âMind ya helping me try sitting onto the back of the tray both of you.â Winking at the two. They reluctantly got on the back as the two braced onto the side walls of the stamp sheet metal tray. The build of the gurgling V8 definitely was a sight to behold, different from the usual arrays of diegetic sounds on the touge. The ute jerked as the wheels fought for grip, spinning slightly as Ellie masterfully, through experience, modulated her gas pedal. A loud clank from the Suisei⊠it was the hood. Kento flinched he needs a new hood, it was clean off, as it slid onto the grass. The car slowly but surely moved back onto the familiar tarmac as Ellie stuck out her thumb,
âNow you two love birds can get off!â Laughing over the Marksman V8 as it slowly decreased in revs. âAGAIN ITS NOT LIKE THAT!!!â Ryuuko was visibly flustered as she glanced over to Kento before averting her gaze once more. As the two momentarily had their eyes meet, Kento too, averting his gaze elsewhere, âYour friend is quite something Ryuuko.â As he comments towards her, getting off first, as he reaches out his hands to help her down. Visibly still embarrassed by the constant teasing.
âAlright you two I would be get going first I need to get this down to the shops, this Sedan is just as long as my ute!â Waving out of the winded down windows, as she signals good bye. The two were left there by themselves as the ute hauls the sedan slowly down the touge, as the faint rumble slowly dissipated the further it went.
âW-well⊠I suppose we should go along tooâŠâ She nudged him with her elbow, still slightly flustered whilst mumbling a couple of words to herself as she walked over to the driverâs side door of the red Quezon, Kento not really being able to make them out, however. Ryuuko opened the door to herself and hopped in, and Kento just observed as the silhouette of her figure leaned over to open the passengerâs side door. His adrenaline had calmed down, but is in now an unusual blinded trance.
âH-hey! Donât just stand there!â He heard as Ryuuko poked her head out of the window, and Kento subsequently snapped back to reality.
âO-oh! Sorry!â He said as he waddled over to the passengerâs seat, closing the door behind him and putting on the seatbelt. âThanks for the ride.â
âN-no problem.â She says as she chuckles awkwardly. Ryuuko turns the key, and the turbocharged four-cylinder roars into life like an angered hive of wasps. âHuh, itâs lost more pressure.â She says as she looks down at the boost gauge in the dashboard, but shrugs it off and sets off anyway, remembering to shut off the blinkers before setting off. The floor of the car rattled as the vehicle set off, and the engine quietly purred as she got along. She took the corners gently, not being in a rush.
âYâknow, I crashed on these roads about a year ago.â She began. âOh, what happened?â
âI was still a relatively novice racer back then, I didnât really know much about cars back then. Iâd been driving this touge almost weekly back then as an escape from the busy office life. I just knew the very basics of adjusting engine stuff and attaching bolt-on parts and all that, but maintenance was still something I never thought of much.â She paused as she downshifted before the straightaway. Kento would look at her, barely being able to get a few glimpses of her face as the reflected ambient light glimmered onto her face, the glimpses of light slowly increasing in frequency as the speed increased down the straightaway.
âBack then, I thought that as long as I changed the oil like Iâd always have, the car would still run as normal. Turns out I was wrong, and on that night the engine suddenly decided to give way. Of course, being a novice racer I wasnât exactly sure what I was supposed to do in such an event, and so I spun and pretty much wrecked the car.â She sighed as she hit the brakes, her footwork allowing the engine to purr louder as she shifted down into another gear.
âIt was this corner, it still gives me shudders when I look at it.â She says as she turns in, the car gripping the bend and making it out of the corner successfully. As Kento would look at the guardrail, it had still been unrepaired, a dent was visible in one of the guardrails, and some skidmarks were still left on the asphalt.
âWow, that mustâve been harsh.â
âMm-hmm.â
âWell, anyhow, youâre still here, and thatâs what matters.â He spoke all of a sudden. Ryuuko seemed to pause for a moment as she pondered about what Kento said, her face slowly beginning to fluster up, and her driving slowly getting distracted by her thoughts as she slowly began veering into the right lane.
âU-uh, R-Ryuu- I mean- M-Ms. Umemura?â He began to notice her driving starting to become strange, when all of a sudden a pair of bright lights started approaching from the opposite end of the corner. âM-Miss Umemura-?!â
âA-ah!!â She finally snapped back to her senses and jerked the wheel to point back towards her lane, the vehicle in the opposite lane just barely passing them by, honking loudly. Ryuuko was now highly flustered as she just realized what had happened.
âS-stop distracting me, goddamn it!!!â
ABOUT
Tokisaki Kento (æćŽ èłąäșș) is a college student who is near completing his course and does part time job working for his familyâs relatives business in by driving commercial trucks, a dichotomy to his favorite hobby, driving on the touge and push his old 80s Sedan with his close friends on their home course near Mt. Myogi. A more or less care free spirited Japanese man, who is pretty relax about his future.
After the fated crash, in 1992 with Ryuuko, he patched up his car after the crash, using zip tie to cover up the dents, with visible scratches still on the side fenders of his car from the rear to the front of the car, and as for the hood, replaced with lightweight aluminum painted in a different coat. Fog lights where also added with the RallyART fogs and regular yellow lights to help Kento light up the relatively dark hours during his touge runs
The relatively heavy car at around 1.4 tons over considering its GT origins in the early 80s as a prestigious premium sedan, stripped out to reduce weight, whilst retaining adequate comforts for himself. With his creature comforts in his car, retaining the rather old but still plushy seats of the original car. With aftermarket sun protectors at the rear, the car remained relatively stock until Kento got his hands on the car, widening the fenders, but overall remained visually stock using the GR.B Rally win at the rear to maintain its old 80s classic looks.
As for the engine, its the tried and true SKI6CAN engine, still running relatively stock parts even after the extensive modding with the larger turbocharger kit onto his car, with a new and extensive fuel pump and cooling system to push the engine at 360bhp at the crank, used as one of the teamâs uphill drivers with the high torque engine and long stable platform of the Ken GT
PROLOGUE
Stepping out of the Marksman Utility, she exclaimed in her native tongue. âWoah, what the fuck happened here?â Catching herself as she spotted a girl by the car, and proceeded to switch to Japanese, âAre you alright? What happened here?â Watching the girl regain composure, she would respond, in a rather monotonous tone as she touched her car in a fond manner.
âWell⊠To make a long story short, the engine mustâve blown itself or something. Iâm not sure if itâs because itâs old or what, but I think the carâs totalled.â
âJeez, are you okay though? This seemed like a fairly gnarly crash.â
"Y-yeah, I think I am? Nothing seems to be hurting right now, so I assume I am indeed fine.â
âRight thenâŠâ Ellie proceeded to inspect the wreak ââŠLooks like you could do with a tow, huh?â
âThat would definitely be appreciated. Could I ask for your name, perhaps? I feel as though I owe you a lot for this. Iâm Umemura, by the way, Umemura RyuukoâŠâ
Ellie took note of Umemuraâs name as she walked back to her ute to get the recovery equipment from when the ute was in Dadâs possession as a survey vehicle, Umemura continued, âand if you donât mind me askin-â
âNameâs Ellie, Thomas Ellie,â Ellie returned in a gleeful tone âŠ
âOh, Ms. Thomas, isnât it?â
âJust call me Ellieâ
A brief, loud period of V8 screaming in 1st first gear tugging a red Quezon out of the bushes later, and a car on rollers being set up behind the ute. Umemura and Ellie now sit in the rather barren interior of the Ute, carefully driving down the Mountain. Ellie first breaks the silence between the 2, âUmemura, where exactly do you want to drop off your car?â
âWhatever shop might be available, I just want to get some restâ
âUnderstandable⊠Iâll go to my usual location near the bottom of Myogiâ
December 1992
Around 11:49 PM the CB Radio by Ellieâs Bed crackled to life âEhhh, we need your ute up here⊠we need someone to be towed again.â Ellie peered over and grabbed the CB, âCopy, Coming upâ, and rushed changing into appropriate attire for winter recovery and clambered into a Ute with a new unpainted primer coloured fibreglass cowled hood, starting it up and taking off for the mountains.
12:01 AM, or so the digital clock in the dash said, Ellie pulls up to where she could see Umemuraâs car, and a skidmark into the bushes. âWonder who binned it this timeâ stepping out and was about walking to where the skidmarks led to, encountering Umemura and a soon-to-be unknown male figure walking towards her. She proceeded to announce her presence with a shit-eating grin âWhat the hell are you two love birds doing over there?â
âItâs not like that!â stammered a flustered Umemura,
âYou finally got yourself a boyfriendâ Ellie smirked back,
âI told you, itâs not like that you moron!!!â Umemura pouted back
The unknown man perked up, âSo uh, who she is?â
Elleâs redirected her attention, reaching out to him with a smile of service, âMy name is Ellie, nice to meet youâ taking another dig at Umemura âAre you his boyfriendâ
âNo, Iâm not her boyfriendâŠ" Returned the man "My name is Tokisaki Kento, she was here to help me get my car outâŠâ
âAh gotcha, sorry for the little playful teasing,â Ellie looked at the Suisei in the ditch, âMind helping me?â giving a playful wink.
On the drive back, with the Hazards on, Suisei secured onto the A-frame towbar and driving cautiously down. âGetting a sense of Deja-vu here,â as the ute pulled up to the workshop, Mechanic obviously out and about due to the racket of the utilityâs V8 under load.
âItâs a Suisei, fella named Kento flew off the road!!â Ellie shouted at the Mechanic. The Quezon pulling up behind.
ABOUT
Ellie Thomas is an expat living in Japan, a Happy go lucky type of chick whose Australian Gold foot tendencies results in the extra load in the Ute generally helping in survivability. She doesnât give 2 shucks about being fast, sheâs here for the experience and fun.
Over time, the extra modifications to the Ute include, a Bed storage system, a shoddily painted fibreglass hood, a mechanical Limited-Slip Differential, a Geartech clutch kit, a Geartech shifter kit that was supposed to go into a Suisei Tengai, a Suisei Tengai Waterpump, additional leaf springs from a Seikatsu Megacarry, and a Jettison riser intake with a 2.5-inch throttle body to complement the cowl hood.
éœäŒ è”€ć±±
PROLOGUE
December 1992
Undisclosed mountain pass
The nighttime sky, midnight hour has passed. Somewhere along the empty but winding two-lane road, a distant roar can be heard from the distance, ever so surely, it grows louder and louder. No passerby to witness, just only a sight of the road that seems to never end.
Tokai was just off from her daily nightshift, and decided to drive off to the mountain passes to chill and vent from the stress of minimum wage work. She usually drives the stretch of road all by herself, occasionally with traffic in her line of sight.However, something was off this night. As she accelerated from the blind curve, she saw a peculiar looking dark red car, certainly not civilian. Tokai gave herself some time to process in what she saw
âA tuner car, at this place and time? Surely somethingâs upâ
She dropped into second gear, revs building up and the exhaust sound intensified. It is set, the tension has risen, and there is no turning back. At a moment, Tokai has caught up to the mysterious red car. Taking her sweet sweet time to analyze the car on the straights, she was able to identify that it was an â87 Quezon.
âSo it shall, a head-on battleâ
With a brief flashing of lights from the Bradford, the battle commenced. It was clear that there was a clear difference in performance philosophy, the 1 ton Bradford with its N/A 2.5L Inline 4 outputting 265 HP can keep up with the Quezon in low and mid speed corners, but the Quezon with its lightweight construction and the turbocharged Inline 4 makes the Quezon the faster car in general. In the tight low-speed sections, it is just about neck-and-neck in performance, but as soon as the pace picks up, the Bradford is nearly left in the dust. However, for some peculiar reason, the Quezon was starting to show a performance deficit.
Flashing hazard-turning signal lights from the Quezon, the battle has halted to an abrupt end. Tokai has put on the hazard signal lights to check on the pair in the car. The two cars stopped at a convenience store, then the driver of the Quezon opened the hood to check on the engine. The car leaked with water underneath and a little bit of steam exited the engine bay. Tokai turns off the Bradford, puts on the handbrake, and gets out of the car to check on the two. As she got out, she saw the sight of a tanned middle-aged looking man, and a pale youthful woman. Immediately, she heard the bickering of the two, as if they were already married for a long time.
âHeh, lovely pair we have hereâ She said to herself from a distance.
Tokai noticed that the man was holding an empty bottle, right after the man left to presumably find water. She grabs this moment to inquire about the duo.
âGood day, nice to meet you, whatâs your name?â, Tokai said with a little smile. Facing the rather packing girl.
ââŠ. Not much, considering whatâs happening at the moment. Oh, The nameâs Ryuuko, whatâs yours?â Ryuuko says as she glances back averting her gaze away from the rather steamy engine, was it the turbos, perhaps? Tokai thought, spotting the rather warm and slight hint of glow from the distinctive shape of a turbocharger.
âT-the nameâs⊠A-Akayama⊠T-Tokai⊠Ahh, I mean, a leaky pipe and a little bit of steam, n-n-nothing too bad. Iâm no mechanic, but, eh, beats meâ She responded whilst trying to instigate small talk, as curiosity got the better of her. The almost similar air to her, was she just like her? Many thoughts circulate throughout her mind. But she kept it to herself regardless, with Ryuuko pointing towards the open engine,
âThis has been a recurring problem since I installed this turbo kit,I keep on losing boost pressure. I cannot really pin it down, but I can say one of them might be related to the housing for the intercooler.âAh it made sense, she thought, these kind of kits are fairly new after all, and Tokai herself had seen many instances of the kits with varying degrees of success, linking her past experience from other peopleâs cars,
âPerhaps the reason for the leaky pipe, also explains why your partner went ahead with an empty bottle to get some waterâ âEvidently pointing to a light leak of steam from the pipe, caught up with her small talk as she blurted out the âwordâ. She looks back up to see a very flustered and bright red faced Ryuuko,
âP-p-p-artner???!??, nonono, Itâs not like that!!!ââ As she looks away only to lock gazes with her âpartnerâ.
The man from earlier walked out of the convenience store, just as Ryuuko slowly turned her head, as she just recovered from her stuttering, pausing to process what just happened. As the two eyes meet, they stare at each other intimately. Tokai realized that what she just caused was way beyond what she originally intended to do, and felt the shock in her spine. The two faces lit up red, flustered. As Kento muttered to himself,
âAh, okâ âAs he shyly scratches the back of his head, looking away from Ryuuko.
Tokai just stood there, slightly bewildered by the whole ordeal,âOh, I didnât mean it, I am sorr-â
âJEEZ, ITâS NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL!â A flustered Ryuuko glaring at Tokai, with a hint of slight frustration.
âI am sorry, I am sorry, I didnât mean toââ An apologetic Tokai recoiled. Muddled in her brief moments of frustration, Ryuuko regained her composure. Slightly distraught from her brief outburst, apologizes for the sudden outburst.
âOh, itâs nothing, I should be the one apologizing for shouting at youâŠâ Kento walks in and interjects with a smug remark, âYeah yeah yeah, you always say that to peopleâ Ryuuko angrily lashes back at the smug Kento, âYouâŠ. shut up!â â
As she then looks at Tokai to explain, âDonât mind him, he is one to crash his own carâ Kento retaliates back to her statement, âSays the person who also binned her carâ , Kento smugly replies, as the two lock gazes, itâs one of their lover arguments? Tokai thoughtâŠâ
Tokai patiently waited before she was able to speak,âUhmâŠâ
Eventually, it was Ryuuko who noticed the poor soul that was now slowly shifting away from them. âO-oh, right! Once again, sorry about that, this guy never likes to give up on his arguments.â Kento mumbled something inaudibly, but after Ryuuko nudged him, he ended up shutting up. Ryuuko looked behind the short-haired girl, and spotted the faint silhouette of the blue Bradford, immediately recognizing it as the car that trailed behind them earlier. âI see, youâre the driver of that⊠Uhm, what vehicle is that?ââ
Upon hearing Ryuukoâs interest in her vehicle, Tokai managed to gather up some confidence. She felt a sudden glow in her eyes as finally, someone approached her about cars, something her introverted self had intensely desired deep down, and as such she puffed her chest out and began explaining.
âW-well! Itâs a 1985 Bradford Pansy Sport! British-built, but Japanese-driven!ââ She enthusiastically said.
âOh, a British car, huh? How did that even get here?â Kento wondered.â
âU-umm⊠W-well⊠ââ While Tokai was fumbling with her words, Ryuuko shoved the bottles and flashlight towards Kento and began walking over to the baby blue British sports coupe, dimly illuminated by the soft lighting of the convenience store. Itâs distinct silhouette was unlike anything that came from Japan.
Ryuuko squatted down in front of the car, and reached her arm out to it. Tokai started getting anxious as her arm slowly moved closer towards the carâs aluminum bodywork.
âU-um-!ââ
As Tokai spoke, the girlâs arm stopped in its tracks, and she turned her head up towards her. Kento crossed his arms and spoke up as well.
âYâknow Ryuuko, itâs best you donât randomly touch some random girlâs car on your first meeting.â
Ryuuko shot a menacing glare at Kento, and he immediately looked away, instead walking back over to, before she looked back at Tokai and flashed her a smile.
JUNIPER: EXTRA STAGE
December 1992
The quiet buzz of the incandescent lamps finally fell silent as the shop closed down for the night. Ryuuko stood outside below the street lamp near the parking lot, dimly lit in an orange hue as she waited for Kento who eventually came out of the shop.
âSo how much longer will it take?â Asked Ryuuko as she went ahead and intercepted the tall figure. Kento sighed and shrugged.
âA few more weeks apparently. They donât seem to have the parts in stock still, could be as a result of the holidays but Iâm not sure anymore.â
âI see. Well, letâs hop in I guess.â She yawned as she walked over to the red Quezon sitting across the quiet street. She inserted the key into the keyhole on the door, turning it made the door open with a clank, before she hopped into the car and leaning over to open the passengerâs side door to allow Kento in, which he did subsequently. Ryuuko unzipped her jacket as she sat down at the driver seat, before plugging the key into the ignition and turning it partially to first take a peek at the clock.
â11:52â It read.
Kentoâs eyes grew wide as he glanced at the clock. Ryuuko took notice of this as she flicked the ignition fully forwards, and asked him what the matter was.
âMy apartment has a curfew from 12:00 AM to 4:00 AM. No one can enter, or exit without valid reasoning.â He sighed. âSince my apartment is on the other side of town, even driving recklessly wonât get us there on time.â
âO-oh! Iâm sorry! I shouldnât have dragged you along if you actually had a curfew. What will you do now?â Worry started to seep down Ryuukoâs spine.
âIâm not sure exactly. I wonder if there are any hotels open at this time?â
They both sat there for a moment to think about how to go through this. While Kento thought about his relatives in the area, Ryuukoâs mind seemed to wander off in a certain direction, flustering herself up in the process. She had lived in the area for pretty much her entire life, and she knew that the only hotels that were open at this time were love hotels, and the only other viable option that she thought was there, was to spend the night with her at her own apartment, which doesnât have a curfew.
But Ryuuko had never invited a guy to come over to her place, ever. Kento was one of the first guys she has ever truly been acquaintances with, and so like a young girl her mind raced immediately to the copious amounts of Josei manga and romance she had read over the course of her life. She continously shook her heads as she tried to suppress these thoughts. As this was happening, Kento was running out of ideas and as he glanced over to Ryuuko, he found her face in a tint of red, and now he had gotten worried to.
âR-Ryuuko? Are you okay?â He slowly moved his hand to place it over Ryuukoâs shoulder. Upon feeling Kentoâs cold and course hand touch her bare shoulder, she immediately felt a chill go through her back as she flinched and turned her head towards Kento, her face slowly turning a full red as her senses filled the spot where they were making contact.
âW-wait a minute!!! Not too fast!!!â She yelled as she clenched her jacket, even Kento was taken aback from this sudden outburst from Ryuuko. âA-ah! S-sorry!â He immediately retracted his arm.
The two of them once again sat there awkwardly, the quiet hum of the turbocharged four-cylinder droning in the back as they thought for a moment. Eventually however, Ryuuko gulped and finally spoke up.
âH-hey⊠If you donât have a place to head to tonight⊠m-maybe you could⊠c-câŠâ Her voice began to trail off as she tried to get the words out. Kento was just barely able to make out what she was trying to say, although he wasnât exactly sure, his face started to turn red as well as certain thoughts raced around his mind. Ryuuko looked up at Kento, who awaited her to finish her words before he would jump to conclusions, and she mustered up the courage finally and asked.
â⊠do you want to c-come over to my place, f-for the n-night?â
ïŒïŒïŒ
Ryuuko lay there in bed, staring intently at Kentoâs back. She could smell his musky scent mixed in with her own shampoo as she attempted to quietly inch closer. She gulped as she felt something within her, as if her body was heating up and she found her right hand moving down to her crotch. An urge was building up in her head, and before she knew it she opened her mouth and called out to the younger guy in front of her.
âK-KentoâŠâ She whispered softly.
âY-you donât have to whisper⊠I-is there something wrong? Should I get out of bed?â
âN-no⊠b-but⊠could you turn around and face me instead?â
She heard a sigh in front of her, and eventually Kento turned around to face her. The two of them stared into one another before Ryuuko looked down into the covers. Their hands were nearly touching, and she took the opportunity to reach out for it. Her small hands were almost entirely covered by hisâ, and she felt her face heat up slightly and she looked back up at him and chuckled.
âR-Ryuuko?â He nervously asked. His heart was thumping rapidly, and he didnât know what to do in this situation. Technically, he and Ryuuko were still friends, and supposedly nothing more than that. But he knew more than that obviously, and his feelings didnât lie to him. The more he looked at her smiling face, dimly lit by the streetlights seeping in from the window, the more he felt as though he was about to melt right where he lay.
âIâve really enjoyed the time weâve spent, Kento.â She inched closer towards Kento, their legs almost intertwining with one anotherâs. They could now feel each otherâs breaths landing on each other, and Ryuukoâs face started to flush a slightly deeper red, not that Kento could see it. âIt may not seem like it, but⊠e-every time Iâm with you, I feel as though my h-heart pounds h-harder. Itâs something I canât exactly put into words.â She said as she pulled Kentoâs hand closer to her.
âI-I feel the same way too, Ryuuko.â He leaned in closer towards her face smiled back at her, together they shared a warm smile as they chuckled softly in bed.
âH-hey⊠u-umâŠâ
Once again, that feeling of warm desire travelled down Ryuukoâs body, and she couldnât help but sit up from where she laid. From Kentoâs view, her bare busty figure slowly revealed itself as she slowly unbuttoned the top of her shirt, the outdoors casting a faint rim light around her as she slowly undressed and revealed her puffy pink nipples.
âR-Ryuuko?!â
âW-wait, Kento! I-I know this seems sudden, but⊠throughout this entire night, I was holding it back. In the shower I couldnât help but just think of being with you. The first night we met on the touge, I thought you were so cool the way you didnât think too much about how you totally binned your car. K-Kento⊠p-please⊠will you do it with me tonight?â She said as her unbutton shirt continued sliding down her arms.
Kento was taken aback, he did not know that she reciprocated his feelings that much, and so he sat up, and took ahold of the girlâs shoulders. âRyuuko, say no more.â After the witty remark, he leaned in for the kiss, slowly sliding his arms down her bare shoulders and moving towards her chest. He heard Ryuuko squeal as he attempted to slip his tongue into her mouth. She eventually obliged, and their oral cavities were filled with one anotherâs tongues in an erotic binding of their mouth juices in a loverâs sweet tango. Ryuukoâs voice leaked out as she attempted to pull away from the grasp of Kentoâs lips.
It was intense however, and she was running out of breath as she made her attempts. It was too good, even for her, and her mind constantly tingled wondering where someone like him wouldâve gotten these techniques of his. Suddenly, she felt herself jolt as a course feeling began rubbing from the sides of her body, to around the shape of her chest. She wrapped her armâs around the younger guy, and pushed her body towards his, with her large bosom now pushing up towards Kentoâs own chest.
They finally pulled away from the kiss, and erotically, a single string of saliva slung between their tongues. Immediately, Ryuuko dove back into her loverâs mouth, savouring every moment they were bound with one another as they entered another passionate mouth-to-mouth meeting.
Kento wrapped his large arms around Ryuukoâs waist, slowly sliding them down her smooth body towards her pants, he slid them into her rear compartment and slowly moved his hands around. Ryuuko squealed even more as her pants slowly slid down and away from her lower area, revealing her bottom out. As her panties were pulled down from beneath her, she felt a small strand of her love juice drip out from within her wet puffy entrance as it slowly revealed itself.
Kentoâs fingers slowly made their way down towards her special area, and upon meeting the entrance of her gates, he slowly moved them in and out, utilizing her dripping juices as an easy way in. Her voice suddenly launched out as she felt his finger arrive inside of her, moving around excitedly as she tried her best to hold out, but eventually her hips gave way, and with a loud cry, she felt her entire lower body feel an unusual satisfaction sheâd never had felt before, and she sat there panting heavily, occasionally making an erotic moan as she readjusted herself.
She pushed herself away from Kento and stared into his dark eyes for another moment. She unwrapped her arms from around his neck, placing them behind her as she got up on her knees and slowly pulled down Kentoâs shorts to reveal his marvelous log, primed and ready to be bound with Ryuuko. âS-shall we?â She asked between breaths. Kento nodded and slowly Ryuukoâs hips lowered themselves onto his lap, she would moan loudly as his great thing slid right into her like a perfect fit, her insides wrapping all around Kento as she breathed heavily.
âK-KentoâŠâ
âR-RyuukoâŠâ
Kento pulled Ryuuko in for a kiss, and she subsequently began moving her hips up and down, sliding herself against him in a passionate binding ceremony that lasted throughout the night.
âI-I am?â Tokai felt her face start to slightly heat up from the compliment, and she began fiddling around with her thumbs. âI-I never really thought so⊠I havenât been driving for that long so I-Iâm not really sure if I deserve these wordsâŠâ
âHey, Ryuuko! Youâve gotta come see this!â Kento suddenly called out, and Ryuuko got up from where she was squatting, walking over to the hood of the dark red coupe and looking through the hood. Tokai went ahead and followed Ryuuko.
âLooks like Iâve found the cause of all this steam. Water pump looks like itâs leaking, and thatâs causing the engine to overheat, and consequently, the turbocharger as well. But as for the loss of boost pressure, weâre likely going to have to check it back at the shop.â He said confidently as he shone the flashlight towards the key points of the engine bay. Ryuuko looks down into the bay and sighs. âWell, thatâs probably going to be another expensive thing to repair⊠I think itâs best we call Ellie, donât want to risk the engine going poof all of a sudden.â
Ryuuko looked back at Tokai, who looked as if she was about to go already. She walked over to the passengerâs seat, and fiddling around a bit in the cabin, she came out with a piece of paper in hand, filled with some basic information.
âIt seems you have somewhere to go, but itâd be nice if we could meet again sometime!â She says as she hands over the paper.
âI-I seeâŠ! U-Um⊠!â Tokai was unable to make out the words she wanted to say, but all she could do in the moment was just bow to the older girl before her, before looking back up to see a warm smile greeting her. She felt her face fluster up slightly as she walked back to her car, occasionally glancing back to continue seeing the two bicker about as usual.
Eventually, Tokai entered refuge in her own car. Reaching to her keys, as she instinctively eases onto the clutch, twisting the key. A moment of respite, as the engine stutters with the fluctuating buildup of the ignition skirting. It refused to start, stalling as she panicaly attempting to start the car again. With the constant skirting of the ignition, the two turn around as they glance at a flustered Tokai, the two look at each other as Kento slightly snickers, before finally bursting into laughter.
âSorry, sorry, sorry!â As Kento covers his mouth in an attempt to hold back his laughing, with Ryuuko nudging him to stop laughing. âJeez! Is that all you ever do?!â
ABOUT
Akayama Tokai is a fresh college graduate who just landed a job at a generic logistics office (Makai Logistics Ltd.). She plans to venture out into the world of illegal street racing, so with her âpowersâ working for a logistics company, she was able to call her rich relative who works in Britain to procure a cheap dailable car for her (belated) graduation gift. After months of searching, her relative was able to find a mint Bradford Pansy Sport for a reasonable price.
Having waited for about half a year dealing with paperwork to get the Bradford in the Land of the Rising Sun, Tokai was able to get her hands on the car. She asked her dad if he knew any tuners around the area. Tokaiâs dad was able to point out to a colleague he knows that specializes in engine tuning. Spending about Âœ of her total savings on the car, she was able to afford a tuning package that was able to increase power output by about 50+ hp. She was also able to reduce weight by getting rid of the rear seats.
1994 KAI KS300 Turbo TR (Touge Racer)
435 bhp pushing around 1.3 metric tons - all for just $40k AMU.
Driver and car details
This extensively modified KAI KS300 Turbo will be driven by Nate West, a 22-year-old amateur racer from the West Midlands looking to break into the pro ranks. With such aftermarket mods as a lightweight interior, wider forged wheels, a more aggressive aero kit, a close-ratio gearbox, uprated brakes and suspension, and a highly tuned engine (which comes with a freer-flowing exhaust and more boost pressure than stock) it should be better-equipped to tackle the mountain passes that are often used for touge racing.
This vintage kei sized sports coupe has been brought up to date by its artistic owner, Storm Breedlove, a transplant from northern Britain whoâs just accepted a position at TEGA as an animator.
Since he wanted to live in a slightly more rural setting and commute in to work like he did back in Britain, bringing his '70 Midlands Io sprint over with him was an immediate decision. Nimble enough to make it through small Japanese streets with ease and powered by a 1.6 l motor small enough to not be hit too hard by displacement taxes, the sprint fit his needs nicely and as he found out, was a joy to throw into the curvy mountain roads of japan. Since arriving and discovering what he equates to a Japanese version of the NĂŒrburgring as his daily commute, Storm has since upgraded the Io sprint to match contemporary 1994 sports cars like the eunos roadsters he sees blitzing down the motorway. Heâs also taken to putting stickers from brands heâs used to modify the car on each of the mechanicâs doors either side of the bonnet, where he keeps all the essential tools to deal with any foibles that come up from owning a classic British sports car. He has upgraded the interior with the higher level of tech he has access to now that heâs living in Japan, fitting a premium sound system and figuring out how to heat the seats. Heâs also begun timing his commute and other trips to see how his performance modifications, like fuel injection, wider, stickier tyres, and aero bits, have made a difference. His aggression in these tests and the fervor with which he works on tinkering has given him and his car the nickname of Shiroi Ćkami (The White Wolf) among his friends at TEGA. It also comes from how they both go howling through Japanâs forests in the late evening, where there is less of a chance for his liberal use of speed to be noticed. The Io sprint may only have 130 hp, but it can top out at an aero limited 150 mph and has a 0-60 of about 7 seconds. Heâs also timed one of his frequent routes down the Hakone Turnpike at 4 minutes 46 seconds (when heâs found time to do so âuninhibitedâ).
ćă æŸæŹ
PROLOGUE
1993 January (NAGA MATSUMOTO)
At the top of the mountain, at the border between two individual towns, the crickets chirped about to the rustling of the leaves of midnight. Matsumoto stood there beneath the dim light of a nearby lamp post with an automotive magazine in his left hand, right next to a metallic green sedan, the faint silhouette of its four-door lines subtly illuminated by the orange tint of the street light, reflected by the sheen of the golden plated wheels.
He tossed the magazine onto the carâs hood, and dug into his pocket, looking for the faded and flimsy box of tobacco heâd barely finished. He took the ragged box out and pulled a stick from its faded innings, before tossing it back into the pocket of his trousers and pulling out a lighter instead, flicking the sharp metal can open and lighting the roll of paper and tobacco between his lips.
A bitter puff of smoke filled his vision. It was another one of those nights where heâd feel empty again. No matter how many drives, how much praises, how many awards, he still felt something empty sucking through the rest of his insides.He felt the bitterness of the cigarette intensify as his ears picked up the faint buzzing of a vehicle in the distance.
The smell and smoke of the cigarette still partially clouding his view, Naga heard four high-revving engines roaring up the mountain roads, occasionally seeing a glimpse of the cars coming out of the trees.
As four silhouettes zipped by him close to midnight, Naga turned and heard faint tyre screeches in the distance. After anticipating the racersâ arrival, several high-performance cars pulled up to the corner runaway area. Under the street light, Matsumoto could finally make out the shape of the cars and their drivers.
Four characters stepped outside their racers and started a muted chatter with one another.
A salarywoman driving a bright blue Bradford steps out of the group and starts questioning Matsumoto about his metallic green four-door.
âThose rims look nice. Itâs standing so low to the ground, it looks so cool! Thereâs nothing like it on the road.â Tokai exclaimed as she went around, touching the car as she saw it in the flesh for the first time. âThanks, youâre all into cars, I see.â Replying back happily, âI saw your car featured in the magazine not too long ago, it definitely stands out, too. You did so much to the car, I can tell youâve put in lots of work on the engine. I bet that car handles as well as all the cars in our group. - â The girl never seems to stop talking about the car, itâs as if she knew it inside and out. Matsumoto was pretty happy that she knew a lot about it.
Matsumoto, awkwardly scratching his head, was anticipating meeting the other members of the street racing gang. âCome on, I think youâd want to meet the other members, tooâŠâ Tokai was slightly blinded by her fangirling. Chucking his cigarette to the floor, Matsumoto walked over to the rest of the group, standing near their brightly-coloured cars.
âHello, how is it going, my name is Tokisaki Kento, and our fangirl over there seems to be all over the car, you famous or something?â Reaching out his hand to Matsumoto. âI wouldnât quite say so, but I guess my car did get featured in the magazine your friend was talking about.â Matsumoto reached out and shook his hands, âBut yeah nice to meet you, nameâs Naga Matsumoto.â
âOver there Umemura Ryuuko is a close touge-friend of mine, though she has a tendency to cook her engineâŠâ Smirking at Ryuuko, as Ellie rolls her eyes at what was going to happen. Angrily replying to his remark, âSHUT UP! You also binned your car when I wasnât even pushingâ Yet again, the two were butting heads at one another, it was quite surreal for Matsumoto, they were quite the? Couple? Not quite, he couldnt put a finger on itâŠ
âEnough, enough you twoâŠâ Interjecting herself between the two, âThe nameâs Ellie Thomas, an Australian, nice to meet you.â A rather tall foreigner, she was the one who was driving that V8 thing? Matsumoto replied, âIâm Naga Matsumoto, first time Iâm seeing a V8 on the trail, chopped too.â
âItâs called a ute, pretty common where I come from, over the pond, in the land down undaâ (Eng) â Briefly speaking in seemingly bastardised English as she points back to her blue ute with the rather race-like aero kit at the front.
âYour accent is impressive for a foreigner. Are you planning on racing it?â Pointing at the spare tyres and petrol canisters in the bed of the ute. âYeah, ya see those two arguing love birdsâ Snickering quietly, âI saved those two cars quite regularly ya know. And thanks to me, they donât have to worry about any breakdowns anytime soonâ
âSorry for causing the trouble,â as he scratches his head, with Ryuuko apologising, âYeah, thanks to him, for making fun of meâŠâ As the two momentarily look gazes again, Ellie shakes her head, face palming. âSorryâŠâ Kento pausing slightly flustered. The sudden sincere apology, caught her off guard as the two yet again, are caught up in their âaffairâ.
âI take it that the bumper scars are a trademark of the club, eh?â Chucking after the altercation between the members, Matsumoto ran his hand gently across the rear bumper of Ryuukoâs car. âI think youâll be helping me out sooner or later as well.â
âI can show you under the bonnet if youâd like.â Reaching her hand toward the bonnet release wired under the centre console. Matsumoto anticipated seeing the racerâs equipment under the bonnet. Lifting the bonnet, Ryuuko said in a muted voice âThere was once an 8-valve engine here, I blew it somewhere overâŠâ Pointing her finger at a distant corner on the mountain pass. Matsumoto noticed the new valve cover and exhaust manifold âThatâs not the case anymore, huhâ Moving out of the moonlight, a 20 Valve emblem on the matte-black engine cover lit up.
âI kinda blew that engine while practicing for a race. I was saving up for this engine for a while after that.â Lifting the tag from the engine lift point, the word âGROUP-Aâ could be made out, pressed into the metal. âYou even gave it a gigantic turbo, props.â Ryuuko blushed as the seemingly magazine-famous street racer complimented her car at every chance he got.
Kento stepped in and asked, âTokai told me that you found your car deserted at the bottom of a hillside path, or something.â Leaning on his car, Kento started once more, âI got this olâ girl from my popsâ as he pointed to the classical 80s styling, a rather long car for the touge. âItâs a 1982 Suisei Ken GT, it was quite the killer back then, It still drives like a charm. Still holds up well to this day.â Pausing to also look at the many scratches on his car, âThese bad boys are my âbattle scarsâ slightly smug.
âThose are from you binning your car Kento, not from a battle.â Ryuuko lifting her eyebrow and a slight hint of a smile from her rather calm composure. Kento laughed at the reply, they seem to be close arenât they, Matsumoto thought⊠chuckling, Kento popped the bonnet as well, âWeâve all decided to go down the turbo routeâ
Peering deeper into the engine bay, Naga spots the 5th and 6th cylinders. âAnother straight-six, love it.â Turning toward Kento Matsumoto asks him, âWhat sort of power are you making?â
â360hp last time I checked when I got the new turbo, and apparently engine wise it said 380bhp. Iâm pretty happy about this, I can send this car sending around the touge on the uphill very easily for a heavy car.â Touching the still warm engine.
Peering deeper into the Suiseiâs engine bay, Matsumoto commented, âThatâs quite some power, if youâve managed that from 2.6 litres or less Iâm actually quite embarrassed to say mine makes only 330 at the crank.â
âThough my engine is pretty laggy, from the paper graph the guy printed out. Itâs quite a big turbo I mounted. Had to get basically a new set to support the new setup.â Pointing at the beefy intercooler and intake housing, fairly messy and amateurish. âIt gets the job done. Not the prettiest setup.â
Tokai once again walked up to Matsumoto and sheepishly asked, âMind if we see under the bonnet of your car?â
Turning around, away from the group Matsumoto started walking toward the flashy four-door. All members started following him, anticipating something big.
Reaching for the two separate bonnet latches, Matsumoto commented âYou might want to lower your expectations a bit, itâs really nothing that specialâŠâ
The aluminium bonnet lifted without much effort, revealing the 2.6 litre six.
Noticing a bundle of metallic shielded tubing coming from the front bumper, Kento pointed and asked âWhatâs that supposed to do, itâs just hanging off the front bumper, right?â
Grinning slightly, Matsumoto said âOil cooler. Itâs the gold thing hanging off the bumper. This engine had problems with oil cooling even before tuning. The only annoyance in an otherwise superb engine. As you can see Iâve dealt with that in quite an⊠Agricultural fashion.â
Tokai commented on the â330â sticker hanging off the exhaust manifold âWhat does 330 mean? Is it some production number orâŠ?â
Matsumoto reaches for the pocket inside his bomber jacket and pulls out the very magazine his car was featured in. Right on the front page, written in bold was â330PS!â
Continuing, Matsumoto remarked âThe car was tuned at TR-RACING, as you probably know. All of their builds are hand-made and one-off.â
While the rest of the group was nerding out at the engine, Matsumoto stepped inside the car and yelled âClear prop!â before firing up and revving the engine.
The signature smoothness of the engine meant Matsumoto could balance a coin on its side at the top of the valve cover.
Kento pointed toward the seemingly intricately-crafted rollcage and remarked âThis girl can take quite a few screw ups by the looks of itâŠâ
Chuckling, Naga replied âYou remember Lanciaâs team in the heyday of Group B rally? The most intense battle in the history of motorsport, Lancia vs. Audi.â Kento nodded. âWell they had to have roll cages for safety regulations, but the teamâs leader deemed them too heavy. You wanna know what they did?â All of the other racers had turned to Matsumoto now. âThey made it out of bloody cardboardâŠâ
The group was stunned. Ryuuko asked âIs⊠Is that a cardboard roll cageâŠâ
Everyone but Ellie burst out laughing. An obviously very high-effort car⊠with a cardboard rollcage?
âOh thatâs a shameâ Knocking on the rollbar of the Ute, âNow this is a rollbar.â
Kento shook hands with Naga, âNice meeting you, weâd like to take you to a race some time if thatâs not a problemâŠâ
Naga replied âOh⊠sure, not like Iâve got much to do in the meantime.â
The group all headed back to their cars. The sound of four high-performance engines revving and tyres peeling was a welcome change in his otherwise mundane life.
In the rearview, Kento saw The tall racer wave to them before fading out behind the dark corner.
His early-generation digital clock now reading 00:43, Matsumoto slammed the 5-speed into gear and dropped the clutch before speeding down Mt. Haruna.
ABOUT
Heading out for a leisurely stroll up Mt. Harunaâs infamously beautiful forests and walkways, Matsumoto spots an ominous sight. Laying half-buried in the damp leaves is a 1986 Fukorami Clarin.
It looked as though other people have tread here before Matsumoto, the car was covered in graffiti and the interior was full of notes. The car had lost all its former majesty, it was now nothing more than an eyesore.
Matsumoto has always had a fascination with the brand, and more specifically this very car. It represented the finest in Japanese engineering at the time, packed with advanced features.
As an accomplished street racer, Matsumoto had a thoughtâŠ
Due to the legislations in his prefecture, Matsumoto was able to submit a request to retrieve the seemingly abandoned car. After a month or so of nobody claiming the car, Matsumoto towed the car out of the thick forest.
After a deep and thorough clean, the car turned out to be in almost impeccable condition. Everything except for the engine and rear subframe were spotless.
Matsumoto set out on mission to restore the car to its former glory.
After installing a new subframe and fixing what little rot the chassis had, the interior was stripped and light-weight replacements were fitted. The car had been taken to TR-RACING after the easy-to-install items were fitted.
The car was fitted with chassis reinforcements, an aluminium bonnet and front wings, upgraded brakes, shocks and springs as well as an upgraded variant of the carâs original 2.6 straight-six which was now tuned to produce 320bhp.
After the part upgrades, TR-RACING fitted a Suzuka bodykit to the car, topping of the build.
The car, now garnished with the JVNIPER emblem, was the fastest Clarin ever conceived. the silky-smooth 2.6 litre 6 cylinder and 5-speed manual gearbox meant the car could go from 0-60 in nearly 4.5 seconds.
The interior was left spartan, the luxurious leather and mahogany trimming was thrown to the bin in place of lightweight plastic and fibre glass. The wheels were milled from a single piece of aluminium and took 3 months to complete.
Its stratospheric sticker wouldâve surely put every other builder off, but Matsumoto was ready to pay.
After getting his car featured in a renowned Japanese tuning magazine, Matsumoto was satisfied.
1991 Hinode Carrier Super Deluxe "AHOY!"
The Story
Yokosuka, 1974
It was a bright summerâs day, a young couple and their daughter visited the Mikasa museum ship. The daughter was rather excited, running about the ship and admiring its many features. An hour later, the family left the ship. Looking back at the Mikasa, the daughter told her parents,
âI want a ship like that. Iâm gonna sail the seven seas and rule the oceans!â
Her parents laughed it off, of course. Sheâs still a child after all. But the daughter knew that she wanted to rule the seas one day, no matter the cost.
Susono, 1993
Misato (not her real name) is a nun serving at a local church on the hillsides of Susono, Japan. Some say that before she started to spread the word of God, she had been an idol, performing in several concerts. However, she left the business several years ago due to unknown reasons. Only God knows why, and only He knows if the rumours are even true.
The church where she served was a rather modest one, with a handful of pews and a confession booth. Still, the church had a decent amount of visitors, even if they were mostly old people. As the years went by, however, some of them stopped showing up. Eventually, nobody came to mass. But the old priest and Misato kept the church running, perhaps waiting for a visitor.
But just like the other regulars, the time had come for the old priest. He died of natural causes one evening with no one but Misato by his deathbed. Before he died, however, the priest gave Misato a pair of keys.
âWhen I finally return to the Father, open the cabinet in my office.â he said, âWhatâs in there is yours, please use it the way you see fit. Youâre still quite young, Misato. I appreciate all that youâve given to your church, but you should go out there and pursue your dreams.â
âDreams, huh?â Misato thought.
Misato stood in front of a wooden cabinet in the priestâs office. She inserted the key and opened the door. Misato was surprised. All this time, the priest had been living a very modest life, donating the churchâs earnings to charity and only keeping what is necessary for food and utilities. Yet the cabinet is filled to the brim with stacks of bills. Misato took one bundle out.
âGood Lord.â she thought, âTheyâre all 10,000 yen bills!â
Closing and locking the cabinet, Misato sat on the priestâs chair to collect her thoughts. The cabinet could easily contain tens of millions of yen. But what to do with all that money? On one hand, Misato wanted to give the money to charity, to help others in need. But the priestâs dying words weight heavily on her. What were her dreams? What does she want to achieve? Was it fame? Money? Well, she has that now. And then she remembered her time at the Mikasa, with its impressive guns, funnels, and hinomaru flag.
âNot even this much money can get me a ship like that!â she chuckled.
Misato was still confused on what to do with the money and so to help her decide, Misato exited the office and went towards the driveway where a car was parked, covered in tarp. She removed the tarp, revealing a 1991 Hinode Carrier Super Deluxe that one of the wealthy churchgoers (who stopped visitng just a few months after that) donated for the churchâs use. The van had a top-of-the-line 3.4l 6-cylinder engine and AWD, along with a 5-speed manual transmission and a posh interior. Just a few years ago, Misato would drive the priest and the churchgoers to religious events but the van was driven less and less as the visitors dwindled.
Misato opened the door (which, remarkably, was unlocked) and turned the ignition on for the first time in a few months before driving towards the mountains.
When Misato first signed up to serve at the church, she swore that she would dedicate her life to serving others in stark contrast to the selfish nature of her previous job. She was happy to serve God, but she felt like something was missing in her life. After a few hours of driving on the winding mountain roads, Misato decided to stop for a drink. She had expected the rest area to be empty, but that night there were a group of modified sports cars and their owners socializing.
âStreet racers, huh?â Misato thought.
Misato exited her car and walked towards the parked cars, inspecting the lot. There were many different cars, including a Quezon Laguna, Hinode MID2, Homura GT2000i SAV just to name a few. As Misato looked around, one of the drivers noticed her and called her out.
âHey!â the driver called.
Misato, having little interaction with people younger than her, jumped in shock.
âWanna join us tonight?â the driver asked, âDonât worry miss, weâre only here to have fun driving!â
âO-oh sorry b-but I have other things t-to attend to!â Misato stammered, backing off from the driver.
âCome on, miss!â the driver said, âItâs just a short drive! Itâll be fun! Besides, donât you think that your ordinary life is boring?â
Then it hit Misato. Sure, she was happy. But her life was boring! All she did was clean the church and run a few errands for the priest. She served others, but never herself. Maybe, just maybe, street racing can bring her the thrill that she needed in her life.
âYou know, actually, can I join you?â Misato asked.
âSure!â the driver replied, âCome, Iâll show you to my car.â
The driver guided Misato to his modified 1982 Hinode Capeta. It had a lip and a wing up back, and had considerably bigger and wider wheels than the Capetas that Misato normally saw. The insides were stripped and the seats were horrible. But Misato bore with it, hoping to see if street racing could satisfy her need for thrill.
And without ado, the Capeta headed towards the exit and began its run though the mountain pass. The driver and his Capeta did just about anything a normal car shouldnât: it went at speeds a few times above the limit, dove into corners, and sometimes even slid, screeching the tyres and leaving marks on the road. It was terrifying. It was nauseating. Misato couldâve died that night, but she loved it. This was it. This was the thrill that was missing from her life in the church.
The Capeta returned to the rest area and parked back at its previous spot.
âPhew!â the driver exclaimed, âThat was fun! How was it for you, miss?â
Misato was hyperventilating in excitement with a big wide grin on her and a blush on her face.
âTen years I served the Lord.â Misato said excitedly, âAnd I have never been this excited, ever.â
âWell, thatâs great to hear!â
âI thought that I should continue my life serving Him and spreading the gospel⊠But this⊠This is the way forward for me!â
Misato unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door.
âThanks for the ride, young man! I know exactly what to do with my life now!â
Misato exited the car and ran straight to the van, much to the bewilderment of the driver. And with that, Misato fiinally knew what to do with her life going forward: drive fast cross the mountain passes and conquer Japanâs roads.
Misato drove back to the church to rest for the night. The next morning, she took some of the preistâs money and drove to a local garage, intending to turn the van to a lean and mean street racing machine. The owner of the garage was bewildered by the idea and is concerned about Misatoâs lack of experience, but he believed in the idea and decided to build the car while teaching Misato how to properly handle it. Misato learned quickly and practiced almost every night. By early 1994, Misato had learned the ropes and was doing quite decently for a van on the mountain passes.
The Car
The Carrier has been modified extensively for the touge. The body panels, for instance, were replaced with fiberglass parts to reduce weight. Misato also removed the rear seats and entertainment systems from the back of the van (although she kept the radio and the speakers up front) and replaced the driverâs seat with a racing-style bucket seat.
To help move the stripped box, Misato slapped a turbo onto the 3.4l 6-cylinder engine which now produces 460hp which is sent to all four wheels. The brakes were also enlarged to help stop the car and the suspension was lowered and stiffened to help the Carrier corner better. An aerodynamic bodykit was also installed to help provide downforce. Being a van, however, the Carrier still retained its solid rear axle and body-on-frame construction which isnât particularly common for cars on the touge.
The dull-looking van was resprayed maroon, with gold accent and gold wheels. Misato also applied heart logos and AHOY! decals onto the car. When asked where the logo came from, she only said âWait another 26 yearsâ, whatever that may mean.
These upgrades were not cheap, but it was most certainly a good way to spend the money that the priest left Misato with. And of course, it brought the excitement that Misato had been missing in the past few years.
Gallery
oh yes.
Whatâs up with the JVNIPER entries? Was that a five way collaboration?
float like a butterfly sting like a Bee or smth like that idk
The Man
30-year-old Akira Aizawa has always felt like he needed more space. Between intrusive parents and teachers, never-ending expectations, and the reality of holding a well-paying job in a big city, he felt that he would live and die smothered by everything and everybody. Where other people might have envied cowboy movie protagonists because they were 'cool' or whatever, Akira only coveted their apparent ability to be left alone whenever they so desired. Western protagonists rode horses, so Akira - after getting that job that his family was pushing him towards for *all 23 years of his goddamn life* - got a steed of his own as soon as possible. It was a beat-up, base-model 1979 coupe, but hey, it'd do. First thing Akira did with the car was get in one night and drive as far out of town as possible. In the 4 hours that he sped away before realizing he'd need to turn back to make it to work the next day, he covered 220 miles, escaping not only the city, but the prefecture, too. Fast forward 5 years: Akira had learned concepts such as "drifting" and "touge", and is happier for it. Normally he'd never voluntarily join *yet another community to conform to*, but if it's a community of people who live on their own terms, then it's fine. He was also the owner of a car most unusual by Japanese standards: a 1989 Arlington Foxhound GS.The Machine
Mr. Aizawa got the Foxhound for cheap as a lightly-used car in 1990. It has a debored and destroked Japanese-special version of Arlington's V6 engine that coped better with Japanese tax regulations, displacing 3 liters. The next year, Akira found out the Arlington was launching an all-out track version of the same muscle car called the Dominator, and - as it had zero chances of ever coming to Japan - he decided to make an even better one as a project. The base GS's drivetrain was strengthened for the build and the rear seats were replaced with... well... Scaffolding. The hardest part was sourcing the engine: while Akira was able to upgrade the 3.0 for the time being, his real objective was to convince a dealer to sell him an American-spec engine. Only in 1994 did this dream become a reality, and after some tuning and a stroker crank, Akira Aizawa's car has a 5.7-liter V8 with over 400 horsepower. Yep, practicing with this thing was *not* fun.
Time's Over...
Odawara, Afternoon, 20th July 1994
âSo, we have 38 newbies that are interested in our club. No more and no less and thatâs final, is it right, Yui?â Tanaka asked to Yui while other club members which is Yanagi and Erin in Yuiâs apartment.
âYeah, those numbers are final and no more forms from others now.â Yui replied.
âGood, now we can prepare on our event or something for the recruitment at Mt.Hakone.â Tanaka said.
âWellâŠâ Yanagi added while others looked at him curiously.
âMt.Hakone is not available because there was some sort of construction work halfway up on the route. I suggest we should do Mt.Haruna and itâs pretty quiet road there too.â Yanagi said.
The groups chatters in agreement after Yanagiâs explanation. âSo, Yui. You should tell the newbies the course has changed to Mt.Haruna and as in for others, just make sure the police and civilians are out of that course, just donât end in violence or something. Looking at you, Erin.â Tanaka gave the eye at Erin.
âYeah yeah whatever, i wonât beat up a poor man trying to get through the road next time.â Erin said while crossing her arm and chewing gum.
As time passed by, the group continued discussing about the event and such untill night with each person leaving Yuiâs house as time goes on.
Submission is now closed! May expect review in a few days and such
From @Xepy and @chiefzach2018
Driver
The driver is Takahashi Rin (é«æ©ć), who works for a car importer of foreign automobiles. While Rin had much love for what was available domestically, it was those that was foreign, dominating internationally that truly captured the heart. And while professional racing was out of Rinâs reach by the time a suitable automobile was obtained, the passion for it had never diedâŠ
Details
Derived from the highly successful Zacspeed ONE race cars, the roadcar versions were always known to keep its racing soul no matter the road worthy regulations thrown at them. This Astora tuned example is no different, though it is very much more of a street tune than full on track spec. The interior has not been totally stripped back, with the rather barebones stereo still intact. What has changed is its engine, now producing 429 horsepower from its 3.0l turbo boxer-six. The aero, as wild as it looks, is factory spec equipment like the other Zacspeed ONE models of previous years. Suspension and brake tuning has been touched upon, to enhance upon its sharp handling.
Painted a striking metallic purple, its only mark of tuning is the fancy white stripe, baring the name of the tuning house where it has came: Astora.
Gallery
I just edited the post showing my entry to include a hidden spoiler about its driver and the list of mods it has been fitted with - so donât forget to click on the spoiler to find out more.
Anyway, the entry list contains a diverse and formidable list of cars - I canât wait to see which one will come out on top!
PROLOGUE
June 1993
The waves crashed and slid up the pale golden sands of the orient, and in the sky an auburn burst encircled the rising sun that now began its gradual plummet into the sea. An otherwise serene maritime chorus was drowned out by the grating ambience of car horns, untold millions of white collars and students making their daily commute home, hissing air brakes of buses, a private jet or two soaring overhead, and the hustle and bustle of the lively patrons of the bar that Albert Stingray-Liu happened to end up in at this odd hour of the afternoon. He rested his head on hands, staring down the half-full glass of shitty sake that equally stared back through the visage of his distorted reflection. Today was one of the few free days he could take solace in through his otherwise busy week, but unfortunately, it just so happened that none of his friends shared a similar gap in their schedules.
Albert quickly glanced around the bar, but to his dismay, there wasnât a single single woman in sight. Combined with the quickly-setting shamefulness of drinking in the middle of the goddamn day, he slid a couple of thousand yen to the bartender and strolled outside. A deep breath of outside air replaced the lingering taste of secondhand cigarette smoke with the smoke of leaded gasoline and the salt of the beach not fifty meters from where he stood. The contemporary funk/soul from the bar was whisked away with the seaside breeze as he started walking along the sidewalk parallel with the unusually busy seafront. As he started making his way back to where he parked his car, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Something quite bountiful, if not prodigious. Even without dedicating the full extent of his mental faculties, Albert could never forget that unmistakable shape after having seen so many unique sets all over the world.
Everything about it was perfect, from the way the rubber stretched around tightly and hugged its impossibly round, symmetric shape, and the dull sheen of its albedo and how it glistened in the dying sunlight. A smile spreading across his face, Albert walked right up to it and leaned in, feeling its smooth texture and fading grooves under his fingertips. To his surprise, they were still warm to the touch. âWho the hell ruins a perfectly good pair of rims with these bald-ass tires?â he remarks to nobody in particular. The car attached to the rims in particular was some green Fukorami landboat with an extremely gaudy bodykit and even tackier paint and trim. Given the state of the tires, he figured this thing had to be packing something impressive under the hood.
But one thing he knew for sure was that it was nowhere near as impressive as the size of the bust on the girl playing volleyball off in the distance that now caught his full attention. In the four, maybe five cumulative years heâd spent throughout Japan and the United States tallying up one-night stands and girlfriends that would last for weeks at most, Albert had never seen a bigger pair on any American woman, let alone any Japanese woman. The way they arced graceful paths in the air against their fabric restraints as she leapt up to counter a spike made his head light, pupils dilate, knees weak, palms sweaty, and scleras almost visibly bulging. Whatever remained of his manners or composure he could easily maintain 98% of the time around other women instantly went out the window after having caught a passing glimpse of this unusually stacked volleyball-smacking chick.
As Albertâs instincts slowly devolved towards that of a primateâs, he realized that she was actually looking back at him, pulling him out of his daze. Shouting, in fact, not just to anyone but to him in particular. Before he could even piece together the words coming from her mouth, the rapidly-approaching volleyball emerging from the upper periphery of his vision filled in whatever blanks were still left. âOh shit-â he choked, but it was already too late. The final vision of spherical objects embedded in his retinae were not those attached to the chest of the woman, but that of the volleyball smashing his nose into the back of his throat.
Albert was stirred to consciousness some unknown time later, his ass on the sun-kissed sands and his head resting on a pair of firm, warm thighs. The taste of iron was still strong in his mouth and his nose was throbbing with a dull pain, but after briefly recollecting the events leading up to these unusual circumstances, he could finally take notice of the four figures staring down at him from above; one was the girl with the sizeable bust, her hair loosely tied in a ponytail that fell past her face and shone dark brown. The next girl, noticeably worried, wore round-rimmed glasses that were just slightly too big for her, but looked cute. Compared to the last girl, she was quite lacking in a certain department, although Albert wasnât discriminatory when it came to that.
What caught his eye in particular was a very foreign and even more ginger girl, who was shining a penlight right in his eyes. âOw! Hey!â Albert snapped, bringing a hand in front of his face to block the blinding light. âStop shining that shit in my face!â
âWell, at least he isnât concussed,â the ginger nodded as she pocketed her flashlight. Albert rubbed his aching eyes, taking extra care to not touch his sensitive nose that was absolutely destroyed just moments ago.
âYou got hit pretty hard back there, how are you feeling?â came a fourth, deeper voice, this time from directly above Albert. Looking up, his eyes met with Kentoâs. Thatâs when he realized that the set of thighs his head was laying on wasnât belonging to any of the three girls. He was fucking laying on Kentoâs lap. His firm, warm, toned, hairy thighs that tickled the back of Albertâs neck.
âFuck!â Horrified, Albert quickly shot up and rose to his feet, brushing the sand off himself and any of Kentoâs loose leg hairs that couldâve stuck to the back of his head. âI mean, yeah, Iâm fine. Have an absolute bitch of a headache but Iâve had worse hangovers. Who threw that ball?â
The ginger was about to open her mouth, but stopped short. Everyone slowly turned and looked at the glasses-wearing girl, who after having four pairs of eyes look at her in varying stages of accusation, looked like she was either about to break down or run away in pure shame. Both the ginger and stacked girl glanced at one another, snickering, while Kento chuckled nervously and took one step back, as if to absolve himself of any responsibility regarding this unfortunate and extremely unlucky volleyball mishap.
Had it been anyone else, Albert probably wouldâve already swiftly administered a backhand to the party at fault, but something in his conscience ultimately made him think twice about bitchslapping some random girl who probably just made a honest mistake. âYou know what? Donât worry about it,â he sighed with a wave of his hand, turning to leave. Suddenly, a wave of pain returned and coursed through his entire head, causing him to freeze in his tracks and croak out a faint âmotherfâŠ!â in agony.
âMaybe you should have a seat here for a while, so you donât suddenly clock out and fall into oncoming traffic or something,â the ginger suggested. âIn any case, nobodyâs walking off a direct volleyball hit from Tokai that easily. Ellie, by the way, and thereâs Kento and Ryuuko.â
âEll⊠Ken⊠Ryuu⊠uhhh, Tokai? Albert, by the way.â His feet started to wander away from under him, and as Albert muttered their names in an attempt to commit them to memory, he realized he was starting to feel a little dizzy as well, probably from the drinks he had earlier that day.
Ellie seemed to notice even this most minute change in stability. âWant a drink?â she offered.
âOh. Just waterâs fine. Thanks.â
âTokai, maybe keep an eye on Albert for a quick sec and make sure he doesnât slip into a coma or anything, aye?â Ellie suggested, before turning away and jogging back to what appeared to be her car, a half coupe half truck affront to god that Albert had never seen before. Ryuuko stole a very slightly mischievous look towards Kento, and without any warning, kicked a bare foot full of sand right up his shorts.
âOh, you bitch!â Kento growled, pursuing Ryuuko into the water as she took off laughing, ponytail dancing behind her in sync with her strides over the hot white sands. Ellie briefly stopped by to give Albert a bottle of water before chasing after Kento and Ryuuko, leaving Albert and Tokai alone by the volleyball net.
âDoes it still hurt?â Tokai suddenly breaks the silence as Albert takes a voluminous swig of his bottle of all-natural spring water.
âLike a motherfucker.â Albert groaned and leaned back against the cold steel of the volleyball net pole, resting his outstretched arms on his knees. He sat next to Tokai on soft mounds of finely-ground minerals that crumbled underfoot.
âIâm⊠really sorry about thatâŠâ Tokai spoke after another unusual pause, her voice audibly wavering. From the corner of his eye, Albert could even see her slightly bow her head.
âNo, donât worry about it,â Albert sighed, waving it off. âIâm more surprised how you managed to completely miss and spike it all the way right in my face, though. Do the three of you come here often?â
âNot always⊠whenever our schedules are clear.â Albert couldnât just hear the tension in Tokaiâs voice. He could even see it from the way her shoulders barely scrunched up and even how the skin on her inner forearms indented against her knees as she hugged them close to her chest.
âHow do you all know each other, anyways?â Albert asked, hoping that focusing less on Tokai herself and more on the group as a whole would help.
âAh! Well, it was sort of by accident⊠Kento was doing runs in MyĆgi one night and had a minor crash. If it wasnât for Ryuuko, it wouldâve ended up a lot worse for him. Ellie is Ryuukoâs friend, and she helped pull Kentoâs car out of the ditch. And as for me⊠I happened to run into Ryuuko the other night and we drove together for a bit.â Tokaiâs posture gradually loosened and she even started to make eye contact with Albert at times, although not for long. Still a start, though.
âMountain pass runs?â Albert chuckled. âThatâs cute. I thought theyâd have cracked down on it by now. So is it more of a casual date night thing or something more serious?â
âD- date night?â
âIâm just fucking with you.â
âTo be honest⊠weâre not really experts. Kentoâs technique especially is very sloppy, and Ryuukoâs on her second engine already⊠weâre the opposite of the likes of the High Noon club. I havenât been driving for long, eitherâŠâ
âThereâs nothing wrong with that,â Albert shrugged. âBut what do you get out of it?â
ââŠâ Tokai remained silent, staring a thousand miles past the sunset and her friends that straddled the edge of the ocean.
âWas that a bit loaded? You donât have to answer that-â
âNo, i-itâs okayâŠâ said Tokai. âItâs because of them. They may not be the best, or have the nicest cars⊠theyâre far from perfect in many ways, but theyâre still my friends. I wouldnât give up anything for them. Not even for a spot on High Noon.â
âYou sure about that?â
ââŠâ
âIâm just kidding.â Albert reached up and ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to brush the sand off. âFriends? Doesnât get much cheesier than that⊠but thatâs something Iâd drink to.â
The two of them watching the sun paint an auburn and magenta canvas over the evening sky. Under the colors of the waning day, Ryuuko, Ellie, and Kento fucked about in the foamy waters that danced and coursed around their ankles, returning splashes with retaliatory splashes.
âItâs getting a bit late, isnât it⊠where do you live?â Tokai suddenly asked.
âSomewhere far enough⊠I think Iâll just crash at some low rate business hotel for the night. I really donât feel like driving back like this, nor do I want to take the train and come back and get my car tomorrow.â Albert looked at his watch and sighed. It was getting pretty late, near the closing times for most of the public transport services he would need to get home. âGodâŠâ
Albert painfully rose to his feet, carefully unfolding his knees and brushing the sand off his faded red floral shirt and ass.
âActuallyâŠâ Tokai suddenly spoke up, stopping Albert right in his tracks. âI- I do have a room for the weekend. You can stay the night if you want.â
âThatâs a really generous offer for a guy youâve just met,â Albert remarked. He turned back to look at Tokai. Usually, he would rarely reject such an offer from a woman, since the nature of these invitations almost always led to an inevitable hookup. Not this time, however. Something about her was very different from all but one of the women heâd slept with through the years. Whereas any other woman wouldâve turned up his libido to 11, Tokai was starting to awaken something different within Albert⊠along with his drive, of course, for his tastes were as varied as they were cultured.
âI canât just let you go after what happened. What if you get hurt?â Tokai sprung to her feet and stood before Albert. At her full height, she was just under Albertâs nose, from which dark, congealed streaks of blood flowed and caked the corners of his mouth and chin. âPlease.â
Albert really wasnât bothered by the fact that he got beaned right in the nose by a volleyball that might as well have been going at mach 3, but Tokai clearly was. He also didnât feel like making her feel any worse than she probably was currently. He reached into his pocket and felt the jingle of his Aerobyteâs keys, which he thankfully parked at a free spot with a generous time limit.
He sighed, as if in contemplation and weighing decisions in his mind, but heâd already made up his mind. âAh, fuck it. Why not. Where are you staying again?â
ABOUT
Albert Stingray-Liu is a Hong Kong-born, Japan-and-California-grown mechanical engineer with dreams of fast cars and fast women. After graduating from the University of Tokyo, he spent the better half of the 80s traveling between Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States, dabbling in finance, partying, and participating in questionably legal street racing rings, where he could properly exercise his engineering expertise to tune cars and fabricate custom performance parts.
Albert eventually found work with tuning company PERFORMANCE WORKS RENOWN (PWR). He purchased this 1994 Seikatsu Aerobyte Turbo NX+ brand new. With an entire tuning companyâs facilities and assets at his disposal, he used his car as a testbed for developing new products and as his own personal vehicle.
Albert started his work by lowering the Aerobyte on new sport-tuned coilovers and springs and installing magnesium racing wheels wearing 265mm section tires. He designed a new aero kit including a new front bumper, lip, side skirts, diffuser, and underbody cladding. The R30SJN-P turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 3-liter inline 6 was extensively modified to produce 370hp, a â94hpâ increase from its factory rating. Not much was removed from the interior, as it was already well-optimized in terms of weight reduction.
Although the Aerobyte is a very capable machine on paper, it still has much to prove. Albert wants to properly forge a name for himself and establish a reputation, this time in the underground street racing scene of Japan.
GALLERY
And I thought Iâve made a good introâŠlove this challenge and the creativity everyone is doing out there.
Review Part 1
Mt.Haruna Parking Lot, Afternoon, 3rd August 1994
A white Steurmann SC-300 can be seen parked at the parking lot at the nearby shop with 2 people can be seen hanging out.
âSo, where are they, babe? Weâve been waiting for 5 minutes now and theyâre supposed to come here well, like 5 minutes ago??â Tanaka said to Yui with angry tone.
âCalm down, dingus. You expect them to teleport here out of nowhere? Just wait for a bit, man. I know youâre excited for new people but take your chill pill or whateverâ Yui replied while reading a magazine while waiting for the contestant. Suddenly, roars of engine can be heard from distance meaning they have arrived.
âAh talking about good timing.â Tanaka then took a few steps towards the sound but got blocked by Yui as she threw her magazine to his face.
âIâll the honours, my dearest prince.â Yui gave the sweetest smile to Tanaka, giving a signal to Tanaka to not interrupt the greet while Tanaka gave disgusted face to her. Five of the contestants parked their car and some of the drivers greet each other.
Yui does the clap to get the crowdâs attention âAlright guys, welcome to qualification of our club and donât be nervous, weâre not werewolfs or something.â Yui said to the contestants.
âWell, she is a werewolf.â Tanaka chuckled but then got thrown pebbles by Yui. âOw, ow! Alright jeez.â
âTry to act professional.â Yui gave the look to Tanaka and Tanaka was startled by the look from her. âAnyways, Iâm Yui and that guy is Tanaka, the leader of this club. He is evaluator or whatever to see if you guys are qualified for this or not. He will sit in with you in your cars during your run to evaluate on how good your car is for our club. Without any wasting our time, we shall start now.â
@Aruna - Python Type-S
âFirst up, Python Type-S. Tanaka, you can go now.â Yui welcoming Tanaka to hop in to the car.
Tanaka and the Python driver hopped in to the car and Tanaka were certainly impressed this carâs interior.
âBare-bone, just like how i like it. Anyways, you can go to the marked starting line and do your magic now.â Tanaka asked to the Python driver.
With the car lined-up on the finish line, Yui with a handkerchief on her hand, representing the starting flag.
â3âŠ2âŠ1âŠGo!â Yui waved the handkerchief to the car and off the Python goes. Python barely does a burnout but gave a great start off the line. The small 1.0L inline 6 screams at high RPM as the car goes down the course. A few minutes later and one hillclimb later, two of them came back to the parking lot.
âAnd whatâs your verdict, Tanaka?â Yui asked to Tanaka.
âMy verdict is, this car is just godly at cornering but it lack of speed for Hakone Turnpike course. Other than great handling, the driver seems not struggling at handling the car despite itâs MR. Other than that, since itâs a bare-bone sports car, i feel okay-ish in terms of comfort in the car.â Tanaka gave the verdict to Yui while she wrote down the important notes in her notebook.
âSo, is it a yes or a no?â Yui asked.
âItâs a yes to me.â Tanaka smiled and gave a friendly bump fist to Python driver. âYou can hang out more with us or feel free to leave.â
@interior - Schnell N50 LSi
âAh great, bricks on wheelsâŠâ Tanaka looked at the car while the driver just looked at him confusedly.
âWhat if itâs a great car for touge, babe? Who knows.â Yui said to Tanaka. âNow get in there and review it as a passenger.â
Tanaka and the Schnell driver hopped in to the car and NA 4.2 V8 roars as the car starts up.
âV8, not bad.â Tanaka gave the approved look to the driver. âAlright, just drive to the starting line and Yui will give you the countdown.â Tanaka said to the driver while pointing to the starting line.
â3âŠ2âŠ1âŠGo!â Yui waved her handkerchief and the car launched with some minor wheelspin but yet another great start. The V8 roars down the course as they goes down the course.
Few minutes later, they came back to the parking lot. âSo, how was it? Whatâs your take on this?â Yui asked to Tanaka.
âFelt way more faster than Python but thatâs just obvious from the powerful V8 engine in it. It handles good around the corner but not good as Python but i felt some strangeness from this engine. It could produce more horsepower from this yet it just wanted to keep going with more horsepower. Felt fairly standard in terms of comfort for this car but i feel like thereâs better option than this car. So, donât worry you did your best, Mr.Schnell or whatever your name is! Try your luck again next time.â Tanaka said to the Schellâs driver while giving away a business card to him.
âThatâs a no thenâŠâ Yui crossed the Schnellâs driver name in her notebook.
@inf2 - Lance Mover 2800s street spec
âSo⊠whatâs a van doing here? Is he in the list?â Tanaka asked to Yui.
âLetâs see here⊠Nope, not in the list.â Yui replied.
âThen we are sorry that you had to go, youâre not in the list.â Tanaka gave a friendly tap to the driver and gave a business card to him. âYou can try your luck next time.â Tanaka gave a wink and a smile to the driver.
Binned due to the engine name didnât follow the naming convention
@BannedByAndroid - '87 Zanetti GT240 turbo âWhite Stormâ
âAnother mid-ship, eh?â Tanaka walked around the car, just to see how it looks and then he looked at the driver, it was a woman that looked familiar especially her face. Tanaka then walked to Yui to ask about the driver.
âSay⊠she looks familiar but i canât put my figure on it. You know who that is, Yui?â Tanaka asked to her curiously.
â⊠Yeah, itâs just your typical white girl? What, you like her??â Yui was about start to rant to him that she thinks heâs in love with that girl.
âW-what? No, i still love you babe. Itâs just⊠ainât that girl an undercover cop?â Tanaka said to Yui while trying to stop her to beat him up.
âUndercover cop interested on our club? Ha! Come on, you ainât that dumb. Why would a cop interested in our club?â Yui and Tanaka suddenly feel into silence after Yuiâs banter.
âYeah, i think we should be careful with that gal.â Tanaka said
âYeah, agree agreeâŠâ Yui replied while pushing Tanaka to her to begin the test. âNow go ahead and donât think do anything stupid, dearest prince.â Tanaka gave thumbs up to her while he walked to the car and gave signal to the driver that the test is about to start.
As the car lined up at the starting line, Yui raised her handkerchief and began the countdown.
â3âŠ2âŠ1âŠGo!â as she waved the handkerchief and Zanetti hops off from the starting line with great start. The turbocharged V6 gave some nice exhaust note as the car goes down the line.
One downhill and hillclimb later, the duo arrived to the parking lot.
âSo uh⊠whatâs the verdict from that cop?â Yui asked to Tanaka.
âWell for one thing, itâs a damn quick car for a cop car and it handles around the corner like a dream. And one huge problem for this car is, god do i feel like iâm riding in a Flintstones car. I feel barely any comfort in that car. Thatâs a huge no from me for this car because Python feels better than this car in terms of comfort.â
âRight and thatâs a relief that we donât accept this carâŠâ Yui crossed the driverâs name.
@conan - Mitsushita Boarilla GTi MRP
âYui, is this parked civilian car or is he interested in our club?â Tanaka asked to Yui confusingly as the car just looks like your average commuter car.
âWell, itâs in the list, babe.â Yui looked at the notebook that she wrote down all of the contestants name from the form that they gave.
âRight, donât judge the book by itâs cover. It may does well on this course.â Tanaka said it to himself while walking to the driver to start the run.
Cuts to the car at the starting line, Yui raised her handkerchief.
â3âŠ2âŠ1âŠGo!â Yui waved her handkerchief and the car launched off from the starting line and Tanaka first impression of the car was he didnât expected this car to be this fast. Like he said earlier, donât judge the book by itâs cover. The NA 1.6 L4 just loves to scream on high RPM range and Tanaka just love every moment in this car.
As the car came back after the run, Tanaka just gave an instant thumbs up to Yui.
âI know you already fell in love with the car the moment you sat in there but i must know what makes you like it?â Yui said.
âRight, first of all. So far, this car has the best handling out of all those cars. Secondly, pretty comfy for a car like this. Thirdly, can i just say we can fool the cops and other racers with this car?â Tanaka hits the roof of the car.
âAnd lastly?â Yui asked while she wrote down the notes.
âLastly, this car got in.â Tanaka replied and Yui nodded and didnât crossed the name in the list.
âRight, thatâs all 5 of them and others are still in the town, waiting for our approval. Shall we call them?â Yui asked to Tanaka.
âYeah, tell them to get ready and also tell Yanagi down there, only 5 contestants per session. Donât wanna make a huge crowd here.â Tanaka replied to Yui while grabbing a can of soda in his car and waiting for others too.
Part 1 End, Part 2 Coming Soon...
Very good writing on judgement