FRIDAY, JULY 199Y, 2 years before 199X
SETTING - SCHOOL
The room was quiet. Yuuna did not have much time left. She had trained for countless weeks and even months, all for this moment. Check your work, check it again, and check again for the third time. The fate of the world lies in her hands. One small mistake and-
“Time’s up!” the invigilator announced, “Please stop working and pass your worksheets to the front.”
Yuuna complied, putting down your pen and passing her paper to the front of the class. The exams are finally over. After months of stress and suffering, Yuuna is finally free to enjoy her summer holiday. Yuuna breathed a sigh of relief as she headed down to the shoe locker, talking with her friends along the way. Once she got down, one of Yuuna’s classmates hit her on her shoulder. Yuuna looked behind to see who it was.
“Hey, Kyoko!” Yuuna said, “Congrats on finishing the test!”
“Of course!” Kyoko, Yuuna’s gyaru friend, said, “Those tests were all like nothing! Say, you’re free tonight, right? Let’s go up to the mountains!”
“The mountains?” Yuuna asked, “Sure, that would be nice and relaxing!”
“Great! Let’s meet up at the station at 9PM, then. Don’t be late!”
“Hold on, why are we going so late at night?”
“Well…”
Kyoko bent her knees and stretched forth her arms, as though she was gripping something circular in front of her.
“Vroom, vroom!” Kyoko said as she steered the invisible object, “We’re racing up in the mountains!”
“Hold on, you can drive?” Yuuna retorted, “We’re not even 18 yet!”
“Of course I’m not driving there myself! Mitaka-senpai will pick us up in his super-cool Hinode Garuda!”
“Mita-who?”
“You should come! Besides, there are plenty of boys up there. Single, and ready to mingle~”
Yuuna was taken aback, blushing slightly.
“Wh-hey! You know I’m not into that kind of stuff! I am not in the market for letting a boy live in my head rent-free!”
“Yeah yeah, that’s what they all say. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t be late!”
Kyoko dashed away, waving at the still-blushing Yuuna.
“T-that rascal!” Yuuna thought.
—
FRIDAY NIGHT, JULY 199Y
SETTING - MOTOHARA RAILWAY STATION
It was a Friday night, and Yuuna was waiting in front of the station. The average high schooler would either be home or on their way home at this time to avoid getting a mouthful from their worried parents. Yuuna told her parents that she was going to stay over at Kyoko’s place, so she also brought a bag carrying a change of clothes. Yuuna knew nothing about “street racing” apart from the occasional modified car passing by her, or manga like Yoroshiku Mechadoc and/or Shakotan Boogie which the boys read sometimes. Yuuna looked at a nearby clock.
“It’s 21:15.” Yuuna thought, “Where on Earth is she?”
Stations in other cities would still be bustling at this time. In Motohara, however, it was practically deserted, save for a few taxis and a handful of people getting off from their long commute from the capital. The relative silence was quickly broken by the sound of a loud exhaust. Yuuna looked around, and saw a lowered and modified coupe at the red light.
“That must be the Garuda Kyoko was talking about!” Yuuna thought, having recognized the car from Abunai Keisatsu (which her father liked to watch on TV).
Yuuna waved her hands in the air, trying to get the attention of the Garuda. Once the light turned green, the Garuda made its way to the station and stopped next to Yuuna. She could hear the deep bass from whatever music that was being played inside the car.
“Hey, Yuuna!” Kyoko called, exiting the car and folding the front passenger seat, “Come on in!”
Yuuna made her way inside the car. The back seats were nice and comfortable, but as Kyoko returned and put her seat in place it became a little cramped.
Kyoko closed the door, rolled the window back up, and fastened her seatbelt.
“Yuuna, this is Mitaka-senpai.” Kyoko said, “Mitaka-senpai, this is my friend, Utoda.”
“Nice to meet you, Utoda-san.” Mitaka said.
“Likewise.” Yuuna replied somewhat nervously.
“First time going to Nakagawa Pass at this hour?”
“Y-yes.”
“Don’t worry about anything, Yuuna!” Kyoko affirmed, “We’re gonna have a lot of fun! Besides, Mitaka-senpai is a very skilled driver. You can rest assured that you will be safe and sound!”
“Shall we go then, Kyoko?”
“Let’s go!”
Mitaka threw the car in gear and accelerated out of the station. Yuuna was shocked at the sudden movement and held on for dear life as the Garuda sped its way up Nakagawa Pass.
—
FRIDAY NIGHT, JULY 199Y
SETTING - NAKAGAWA PASS
Nakagawa Pass was quite crowded that night. Not only because it was a Saturday night, but also because school is out for the many high schoolers that frequent the mountain road.
Amidst the revving engines and squealing tyres, a lone Hinode Garuda slid through the tight corners carrying three passengers.
“This is so fun!” Kyoko said excitedly, “You’re the best driver there is, senpai!”
“Hmph!” Mitaka said, “This is only a fraction of my true power!”
“Oh, senpai!” Kyoko said, “Don’t be so corny!”
The two laughed away, all while Yuuna had accepted her fate at the back seat. She believed that she could die any time soon and it didn’t help that, for very obvious reasons, she was a third wheel witnessing something she shouldn’t be seeing.
“Lord help me…” Yuuna thought, “I shouldn’t have come…”
After what seemed like an eternity, the Garuda finally slowed down. Yuuna looked out the window, finding out that they had stopped at some sort of rest area filled with other modified cars and their owners socializing.
“Yuuna, we’re here!” Kyoko said.
“Y-yes.” Yuuna replied, recovering from that traumatic experience.
“Are you alright, Yuuna?” Kyoko asked, concerned.
“You look rather pale, Utoda-san.” Mitaka said, worried about Yuuna.
“Ahaha, don’t worry about me. I just need some fresh air.”
“Well, alright then. Come out and have some fun!”
Kyoko folded the front passenger seat to let Yuuna out. Immediately, they were greeted by Mitaka and Kyoko’s friends greeting each other. Yuuna introduced herself to them and made some small talk, but she was still not convinced about the whole street racing gig.
“Alright guys, let’s go for a run!” Mitaka said.
“Let’s go!”
“You coming with us, Yuuna?”
“No thanks, Kyoko.” Yuuna replied, “Maybe on the next run.”
“Ehhhh???” Kyoko said, “Alright then, suit yourself.”
Kyoko, Mitaka and their group got into their cars, leaving Yuuna behind. Yuuna may be an extrovert, but even she needs a break after having her life flash before her eyes earlier. Yuuna, with nothing better to do, walked over to a vending machine and got herself a can of juice. Right as she opened the can, however, two men approached her.
“Hey, cutie!” One of them called, “I’ve never seen you around. Wanna go for a drive?”
“Ah, not right now…” Yuuna replied, “I don’t feel like it at the moment.”
“It’s alright, young lady.” the second man reassured, “We can just go for a calming drive. Just a cruise in our Kaizen FC24.”
Yuuna looked past the two men. It was a lowered compact executive sedan with large wheels and a very long exhaust pipe. Yuuna had her doubts about Mitaka’s car but the Teutonic sedan looked much dodgier.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m just tired right now-”
“Oh, we know a place where you can be ‘relieved’, if you catch my drift.”
“Excuse me, boys.” an unknown female voice behind the two men said.
The two men turned around and were shocked, revealing a somewhat tall and mature woman with reddish-brown hair, smoking a cigarette that smelled of cloves.
“Y-Yagami-sensei!” one of the men called, “W-what are you doing here?!?”.
“Ah, you’re one of my patients’ sons!” the woman said, “You know, if you keep this up I might just spill the beans on what you did just now. They won’t exactly be pleased when they hear that their son is trying to shack up a young, innocent girl now, won’t they?”
“W-we’re just showing her around, sensei.” the man said, trying to laugh it off.
“Oh, how courteous of you.” the woman said, “But like she said, she doesn’t want to be with you at the moment. Now, scram!”
“W-were very sorry!” the two men exclaimed, bowing apologetically before making a run for their car.
“Goddamn, kids these days…”
“Uhh, ma’am?”
“Ah, sorry about that, kid.” the woman said, “I just can’t stand seeing boys like that.”
“Oh, no! I’m supposed to be the one thanking you. T-thank you for getting those guys away from me!”
“Don’t mention it. What’s a girl like you doing up here, anyway? Did your man stand you up?”
“No, that’s not the case! I’m just a little carsick, that’s all…”
“I see…”
The two stood silent for a moment. The woman smoked the last of her cigarette before throwing it onto the tarmac and extinguishing it with her shoe.
“Wanna go for a ride?” the woman asked, “My car is that white Hinode back there.”
Yuuna looked at the white Hinode. It was small and it had awkward proportions, at least compared to most cars that she had seen. Unlike other cars in the area, it looked clean and sterile, like a hospital room. Yuuna was still tired, but refusing the woman’s request just wouldn’t sit right with her. Besides, she was a woman so Yuuna felt like she could trust her.
“S-sure, ma’am!” Yuuna replied, “Show me the way!”
“Alright, follow me.”
—
The Hinode MID2, as the woman called it, was loud and buzzy. The woman explained to Yuuna that the engine was behind the passenger cabin, and that such a layout provided many benefits to the way the car drove. Yuuna was nervous, but there was something about the woman that gave off a calming aura.
“Alright, young lady.” the woman said, “Are you ready?”
“Anytime you are.” Yuuna replied.
“Alright then, here we go.”
The woman put the car into gear and pulled out onto the road. The woman accelerated gradually before entering the first corner at considerable speed. Yuuna was scared at first, yet despite traversing the corners much faster than the Hinode did, Yuuna was calm by the third corner. She looked over at the woman. She was calm, focused on her driving. Her movements looked clean and precise. The loud engine seemed to harmonize with the rest of the car and nothing felt out of place. Yuuna didn’t dare to converse with the woman lest she mess up her rhythm. The car made its way to the bottom of the mountain, passing other cars, before turning around and making its way back uphill.
“Are you alright there, young lady?” the woman asked.
“O-oh!” Yuuna stammered, “No, I’m fine!”
“I see. I thought you’d be one of those talkative types, but you’ve been quieter than a hallway at night.”
“I… usually talk a lot. Not in situations like this, though. Please pretend like I’m not here, ma’am!”
“O-kay?”
After a few minutes, the MID2 reached the rest area at the top of the mountain, and Kyoko and her friends were back. Riding with this woman truly was an experience that Yuuna didn’t really know how to put into words.
“That was… amazing, ma’am.” Yuuna said.
“Why, thank you!” the woman said, “Oh, the name’s Yagami by the way. Yagami Yumi. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier.
“Ah, Yagami-san! Very nice to meet you, my name is Utoda. Utoda Yuuna.”
“Utoda-chan, huh?” Yagami said, “You should come to Nakagawa Pass more often. And preferably with someone else so bastards like those boys earlier won’t harrass you!”
“I will, Yagami-san. When do you usually come here?”
“During the weekends or whenever I’m free, I suppose. Though I can get quite busy sometimes, so…"
“Ah, Yuuna!” Kyoko exclaimed, “There you are! We’ve been looking all over for you!”
Yuuna looked at the direction of Kyoko’s voice. She has returned from her run with Mitaka and the other street racers who are now standing around and chatting by a vending machine.
“Ah, Kyoko!” Yuuna said, “Sorry, I went for a ride earlier.”
“With Yagami-san, huh?" Kyoko replied, looking at Yagami, "Must be quite an experience. She’s one of the best drivers up here!”
“I-I can tell…”
“Oh, stop with the flattery.” Yagami said, laughing it off. Anyway, shouldn’t you kids be going home at this time? It’s 2AM, you guys are long overdue for some sleep!”
“Yes, we’re about to head back home, actually.” Kyoko said, “Anyway, thanks for giving Yuuna a ride. She might not have enjoyed her time up here otherwise. Let’s go, Yuuna!”
“Ah, yes!” Yuuna replied, “Thank you very much, Yagami-san!”
“No worries, Utoda-chan!” Yagami replied, “Come back here anytime!”
Yuuna, Kyoko, and Mitaka returned to the Garuda and drove down the mountain.
“Man, that was really fun.” Yuuna said, “I’m beat!”
“See, I told you it would be fun!” Kyoko said.
“I’m glad that you had a good time.” Mitaka added.
“Thanks, guys.” Yuuna said, “Although… Kyoko?”
“Yes?”
“May I stay over at your place tonight?”
“Wait, you’re not going home, Yuuna?”
“I told my parents that I was staying over at your place tonight. So can I stay, pretty please?”
“Hmm… Well, I’m not going home tonight either, Yuuna.”
“Wait, what?”
“I’m staying over at Mitaka’s place. I mean, if you don’t mind and he doesn’t mind…”
“Well, I don’t really mind, Utoda-chan.” Mitaka said, “I’m always happy to help Kyoko’s friends around.”
“Oi, don’t just ditch me like that!” Kyoko replied, “Anyway, are you cool with staying at a boy’s place tonight?”
“Well…” Yuuna said, “I guess I don’t have a choice…”
“Alright then, it’s settled!” Kyoko said, "Let’s hit the convenience store and head to your place!”
“Alright, let’s go!”
—
NOVEMBER 199X (PRESENT DAY)
SETTING - TOMB OF JESUS CHRIST
It was 1.45AM. Yumi and Yuuna have just finished practice runs up and down Nakagawa Pass and are now taking a break at the summit, at the tomb of Jesus Christ. Staring at the starry night sky, Yumi took a Gudang Gula Mild kretek cigarette out from her pocket and lit it, taking a puff of that clovey, carcinogenic goodness.
“Hey, Utoda?” Yumi asked.
Yuuna was unresponsive, looking at the beautiful, unadulterated night sky.
“Utoda?” Yumi asked again, “Ground Control to Major Utoda…”
Yuuna was still unresponsive, seemingly stuck in her own world.
“OI, YUUNA!” Yumi exclaimed.
“Y-Yagami-san!” Yuuna replied in shock.
“Jesus, I’ve called you three times in a row! What were you daydreaming about?”
“Oh, it’s nothing, Yagami-san. Just something that happened a long time ago.”
“Good grief… Anyway, are you good for another run? These ECLIPSE fellas are gonna be tough to beat.”
“I know. They’ve got a Kaufmann rally car, a Nanahoshi that’s kind of like your car, and an EFI Komi! EFI! Does that mean that all other cars including our own are still carbureted?”
“Utoda, with your car being modified to THAT extent you should know the answer to that question.”
“Of course I know, haha! I was just messing with you. Anyway, we should go practice at the Shiromine Line. And once we reach the top, we’ll eat at the ramen restaurant with the beautiful aunt!”
“Utoda, it’s 2AM. No way in hell would that place be open right now, much less by the time we get to Shiromine. But if you win the next race, I’ll treat you to their House Special Tonkotsu Ramen.”
“Yes, please! I’ll do my best!”
“That’s the spirit!”
“Yes! In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Now let’s go, Yagami-san!”
Yumi threw her almost-finished kretek to the ground and extinguished it with her shoe, and the duo quickly made their way to their cars, ready for another round of practice. The race against ECLIPSE will most certainly be a difficult one…
—
