《Star Rider》


 1. The Wheels Begin to Turn

    Plumes of white fly on the wind, invading from the west to confront the setting sun. Their clash paints the sky a radiant gold, as beams of broken light cascade down upon the earth below. Soon, the rain will follow¡ªand with it will come a cold, gloomy prelude to the long winter ahead. Sapporo shivers to the beat of the wind... Another autumn come and gone.


    Just as the seasons flow, so too does the river, lazily snaking its way south and carrying the lifeblood of the land on its back. Route 230 follows closely at its side, leaving the big city behind. Here, Sapporo gives way to the natural majesty of Hokkaido, untamed and untainted even by the sprawl of the suburbs. None can tame the mighty Mount Moiwa, standing tall on the horizon west of the corridor; nor can they touch the parks and forests to the east, preserved in all their beauty. Here, harmony reigns supreme.


    ...Yet there is one garish challenger to this equilibrium of nature. A defiant box of brick and mortar, contrasting the greens and blues with a sore-thumb American red and a sea of concrete gray. Most of the locals couldn¡¯t tell you how long this place has been here, but it¡¯s been a constant in this neighborhood¡¯s memory, always in the corner of their eyes as they trundle down 230. It¡¯s like it belongs to a different world entirely... A world few know.


    But it would seem the endless river of time has left this building behind. Bold katakana spell out words no one understands. Vines crawl up the walls and drown the red bricks in green. The sprawling parking lot is devoid of customers. The building still persists in spite of the world around it¡ªor perhaps, in spite of itself. But the river just keeps flowing on.


    For a moment, the building stirs¡ªa ringtone from deep within its confines, breaking the stillness inside. Footsteps echo through the lobby as a shadowy figure approaches the front desk, her sandy locks dancing below her shoulders. She yearned for a distraction like this... Anything to take her mind off things. Anything to make her feel like she belongs. She takes a deep breath, picks up the phone and goes through the motions, just like Mom does.


    ¡°Aikawa Auto Company. How may I help you?¡±


    ¡°Evenin¡¯! Hope this isn¡¯t a bad time.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Mr. Shimizu. Is it what I think it is?¡±


    ¡°Yeeeah, she finally gave up the ghost. Thought I could leave it for next week, but nope.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna pay to get ¡®er towed if I don¡¯t have to. You mind comin¡¯ up here and givin¡¯ ¡®er a quick check for me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be up there in just a bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Actually, uh... I needed to go pick up my kid today too, but with the truck outta commission, I can¡¯t exactly do that. Could I trouble ya to pick him up and drop him off at my place on your way here? I¡¯ll pay extra.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure! I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Man, you¡¯re a lifesaver. Really appreciate it! This is why I stick to the local places¡ªya just don¡¯t get service like that with the big shops, heh. Right, see ya in a bit!¡±


    ¡°See you later.¡±


    A job. They don¡¯t take those for granted. She picks a key chain up off the front desk, dangling delicately in her hand. With a click, the front door locks tight¡ªand with it, the sign flips from Open to Closed. One last job for the day, and just in the nick of time.


    The lights in the garage flicker to life above her, revealing a proud workshop that has nonetheless lost its luster. Once upon a time, this bay would be full of cars of every kind, awaiting the services of their master mechanics. Now, all the spaces sit empty...


    Save for one.


    ¡°Alright... One more quick run tonight, girl. Let¡¯s earn some bread.¡±


    The garage slowly unfurls with a hum, the darkness beyond creeping through the open door. It punctuates the isolation of this once mighty shop¡ªan isolation she knows too well.


    In her mother¡¯s stead, she¡¯s manned this place alone more and more as of late. She inherits from her a legacy in decline, a story with no new chapters¡ªand as the years drag on, the glory days of the Aikawa Auto Company fading further and further in the rear view mirror, it¡¯s easy to write this company off as yet another casualty of Father Time¡¯s endless march.


    *Click!* *Bzzzz...*


    ...Yet within these withered walls rumbles the still-beating heart of a monster.


    *VRRRMMMMM!*


    The beast¡¯s piercing eyes bathe the lot with an antique yellow glow, its guttural growl drowning out the pitter-patter of the rain. The legacy survives in the form of the company¡¯s most precious heirloom: a snarling speed demon that howls into the night and leaves its lasting impression wherever it goes. Its custom-built V8 bellows with the force of a thousand angry lions, and as it trundles out onto the asphalt, it threatens to tear up the very ground beneath it. This is what Aikawa is: American muscle from across the pond.


    She can¡¯t help but brim with glee whenever she gets behind the wheel, evident even in her voice. To her, the car is far more than the sum of its parts¡ªit represents this shop¡¯s storied past, and everything she strives to be in the future. And in the present, behind the wheel, she feels a rush of pride as its behemoth engine thrums to life.


    This is the world few know... Maybe she can take her place in it, some day.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ***


    Up the river, what cold grips the outside feels like worlds away, masked by warm lights, hot coffee and a king¡¯s ransom of sweets. Sitting just a couple blocks from the local high school, this cozy little coffee shop is a popular study spot for students after-hours¡ªespecially this time of year, with university entrance exams looming large over them.


    Indeed, the seasons are changing.


    ¡°Phew... Okay, I think that¡¯s enough for one day.¡±


    The night is young, but his studies are not. He¡¯s had to hunker down and hit the books for quite some time now, both to avoid falling behind his peers and to make sure he lands on his feet in college. It¡¯s the next step on his journey, and one way or another, he¡¯ll take it.


    He can¡¯t help but wonder where that next step is going to take him. He¡¯s never been the type to plot his own course¡ªafter all, everyone else is doing the same thing he is, so what¡¯s the point in straying from the beaten path? He¡¯s content to just go with the flow and take life as it comes.


    It just makes him feel like he¡¯s missing out on something...but what?


    *BZZZT!*


    ¡°Oh, my phone... Who¡¯s calling me?¡± Only now does he realize how much time has gone by. It¡¯s already nearing up on closing time. No wonder his father is calling him¡ªit¡¯s about time for him to pack up and head home anyway.


    ¡°Hey, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Hey there, kiddo! So, the car¡¯s actin¡¯ up. I went and asked a friend of mine to pick you up tonight, so she¡¯ll be over there in just a bit. Her name¡¯s Aikawa.¡±


    ¡°Oh... Are you sure? I can just take the bus if I need to.¡±


    ¡°And walk the rest of the way? Nawww, save that for warmer days. Don¡¯t worry, Miss Aikawa¡¯ll take care of you. See you in a bit!¡±


    ¡°A-Alright. See you soon.¡± His father comes and goes like a whirlwind.


    He can¡¯t deny he¡¯s curious. The name seems faintly familiar, but he can¡¯t quite place where he¡¯s heard it before. It doesn¡¯t help that his dad didn¡¯t actually tell him what kind of car Miss Aikawa is going to roll up in...but, well, c¡¯est la vie. They¡¯ll find each other somehow.


    Trying not to worry too much about the details, he quickly packs up his belongings and pays for his food and drink. He¡¯s one of the last to leave for the night. Other night-owl students accompany him out the door, each bound for their own homes¡ªsome on foot, some by train. It must be convenient, he thinks.


    ¡°Brrr... I really should¡¯ve thought to bring a jacket. Or an umbrella.¡±


    An overhang above the door shields him from the rain, but leaves him to fend for himself against the cold November wind. Beneath him, the pebbly rivers at his feet threaten to freeze over, the clouds above cloaking the city in a dour gray mist. Traffic is thin, headlights ebbing and flowing behind the monochrome curtains. His sister adores this sort of weather... He¡¯s too busy shivering to appreciate it.


    He still doesn¡¯t feel like an adult yet. Despite recently turning 18, he¡¯s still relying on his old man to come pick him up from the city. Perhaps that¡¯s just a side effect of his laissez-faire approach to life¡ªa consequence of his...hesitation. Would he benefit from taking the reins a little more? Maybe that¡¯s what university is really for...


    He sighs. He might have to face some uncomfortable truths, sooner or later.


    ¡°Whoa, shoot¡ª¡° A passing truck snaps him back to reality as he darts back to avoid a splash of standing water. He scans the street for any signs of his ride, but the cars keep rolling in and out of the mist. 8:08, his phone tells him...and still, nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the right spot, right? I don¡¯t know where else she could be coming from...¡±


    *RRRRRMMMMM...*


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    The wind carries a hint to his freezing ears: an imposing mechanical roar coming from the west, nothing like the cars passing by. And speaking of, he notices those, too, are thinning out as the traffic wanes further. Within seconds, this bestial roar is the only thing he hears on the road...and it¡¯s getting closer.


    ¡°What on Earth is that...? That can¡¯t be Miss Aikawa, can it?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t know why, but that¡¯s what his mind is telling him. Aikawa... Aikawa...


    ¡°H-Holy...¡±


    Blazing lights pierce through the darkness, and the veil of mist finally gives way to the cloaked car. He has no idea what to make of the bestial machine growling at him¡ªit doesn¡¯t look nor sound nor move like any car he¡¯s ever seen. It freezes him in place like a deer in its headlights, the rain shimmering off of it like some kind of mystical mirage. It commands his attention and his silence as it rolls up to the front of the shop.


    His confusion abates nothing as the car draws closer. Black tops red on a brutish American chassis, with not a blemish to be found. He makes out a badge reading Plymouth on the side, along with another emblem on the hood: Aikawa Speed Shop.


    (Aikawa...!)


    The car¡¯s mighty engine falls silent, returning the sound of the rain to his ears. He can¡¯t see the driver through the wet stained windows, so he can only watch as the door swings open. The driver gracefully exits, an umbrella unfurling above her.


    ¡°Good evening! My name is Reina Aikawa. And you would be Haruomi Shimizu, right?¡±


    Haruomi gulps to try and break the spell on his lips. ¡°E-Err, yes, that¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you! I¡¯ll be taking you home tonight.¡±


    Reina Aikawa... A standard Japanese name, and she speaks the language flawlessly. Yet she doesn¡¯t look Japanese in the slightest¡ªshe¡¯s taller than him, for one. Her long blonde hair flows in the wind, gently prodded by the rain as it curls around her fluffy, well-worn hoodie. He notices her tan complexion as well; combined with the monster of a car she rode in on, he stands bewildered by the sheer novelty this character exudes.


    *Ahem!*


    He eventually manages to shove a ¡°Th-Thank you¡± out of his mouth, before taking two steps forward and awkwardly pausing. Reina steps forward to accompany him, taking him under the umbrella¡¯s wing. It takes him a beat to calculate that, since she got out of the car on the left side, the passenger side is on the right.


    ¡°Oh. Right, left-hand drive.¡±


    Reina smiles disarmingly¡ªit¡¯s not a common quirk around here. He quickly corrects himself and makes for the right side, minding what traffic remains. The car¡¯s hefty door inches open, and as he sits down inside, he feels like he¡¯s stepped right into another world. The interior serves as a stark contrast to just about every other car he¡¯s been in, from the leather bench seat to the flashy styling to the dark, imposing colors. Reina smoothly slides in beside him, the car lacking a center console to separate them; the only thing in their way is a massive gear shifter.


    ¡°Make sure to fasten your seat belt before we set off,¡± Reina advises to him...but where? It¡¯s not up by his shoulder. He searches around frantically, but he can¡¯t find¡ª


    ¡°It¡¯s down there, by your hip.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The lack of a three-point seat belt is also new for him. He finds the primitive buckle and stretches it across his lap. Reina, meanwhile, slots the key back in the ignition. The aftermarket CD player immediately hums back to life, blasting Boston from the speakers in the back. Haruomi hardly understands a word. Reina quickly shuts it off.


    ¡°You¡¯re up by the ski center in Moiwashita, correct?¡±


    Caught him staring. ¡°O-Oh, uh, yeah. It¡¯s right on the main road, you can¡¯t miss it.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Off we go, then~¡±


    With that, Reina presses the clutch in with her left foot and pumps the gas once with her right, settling the throttle about halfway down. She grips the key and gives it a twist, and Haruomi can instantly feel the car begin to stir. A strange whinny echoes from within the engine bay like some sort of metallic hummingbird...but after a second or two, the high-pitched whine is replaced by a low, guttural growl, shaking Haruomi¡¯s very soul as the engine comes alive.


    ¡°She¡¯s a little loud, sorry.¡± She chuckles calmly.


    His heart rate finally calms down in time to watch her wield the car¡¯s pistol-grip shifter, gently coaxing the revs up. He can feel the motor rumbling through the seat beneath him, as if the behemoth engine is attempting to break free from its worldly shackles. Then, with routine precision, she clutches up to first and all that power goes straight to the wheels, rolling them out from in front of the shop and into the mist beyond. His return trip is belatedly underway¡ªin a manner he least expected.


    Welcome to the world that few know.


    ***


    The rain falls gently on the river, almost reluctant to disturb the surface of the water with its tiny little splashes...but the car cruising alongside it is anything but subtle. Reina rounds the bend and applies just the tiniest bit of throttle¡ªstill enough to get the car up to the speed limit in the blink of an eye. Passersby can¡¯t help but stop and stare, the sheer sight of it unlike anything they see in their everyday routine. It sticks out like the sorest of thumbs.


    Haruomi feels the back of the seat pushing against him. He¡¯s been down this road hundreds of times, seen this river more than he can count, but it feels so much different tonight¡ªjust being in this strange and powerful car has scrambled his senses completely. Normally, he¡¯s content to just stare out the window and daydream while in the car...but he kinda can¡¯t here. Not in a car so aggressive and audacious. He can feel all the eyes on the car as it commands their attention, their gazes piercing the windshield. He feels so seen in this thing...not that that¡¯s a bad thing, per se¡ªit¡¯ll just take him some getting used to.


    Reina feels the opposite way: in drawing all the attention to itself, the car shields her from their prying eyes, leaving her blissfully invisible behind the wheel. She prefers it that way.


    ¡°Let me know if it¡¯s too hot or cold in here¡ªthough I can¡¯t do much to cool us off beyond opening the window.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no, that¡¯d be a bit soggy. I¡¯m fine though, thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem! Just making sure you¡¯re comfortable.¡±


    ¡°I am! Sorry if I¡¯m a bit awkward here. I just wasn¡¯t expecting your car to look and sound like this, is all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. It¡¯s rare I see cars this old out on the streets here, especially Western ones. Sometimes you¡¯ll find a new Mustang or Camaro, but never a vintage.¡±


    Slowly but surely, his nerves are calming down. Don¡¯t get him wrong, this car is still downright terrifying, and it¡¯s almost too loud for him to hear his own thoughts, but the way she commands the beast with such ease, such instinct, is pretty calming. It¡¯s as though this is all second nature to her.


    The onslaught of power is briefly interrupted by a traffic light, which affords an enterprising Subaru a chance to get up close and personal. Alongside her at the light, the hooligan revs his engine¡ªhe wants to know if she¡¯s down for a little quarter-mile drag.


    ¡°What¡¯s his deal...?¡±


    She chuckles to herself. ¡°It happens. Sometimes people come up and ask for a race to the next light. I¡¯m flattered, but that¡¯s not my scene.¡± The light turns green and she lets him make a fool of himself.


    ¡°That said, this car certainly is built for it, heehee.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda curious now. Just what sort of car is this? I made out the, uh...the ¡®ply mouth,¡¯ is that how you pronounce it?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a Plymouth Road Runner~! 1970 model, to be exact.¡± Haruomi¡¯s taken aback that she pronounced it in solid English¡ªshe had no trace of a foreign dialect before.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been driving her ever since I got my license. And a bit before then too, really.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you even get it...? Did you buy it used somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Nope, she¡¯s a hand-me-down. She¡¯s been in the family for...40 years now, I think?¡±


    ¡°Forty ye¡ª?!¡± Having grown up exclusively around contemporary Japanese makes, the number staggers him. Keeping a car around for 20 years is a stretch, but 40 is a whole new league of dedication.


    ¡°I had no idea. Has it just kept going all this time?¡±


    ¡°Mhm! It¡¯s amazing what TLC can do. They¡¯re not quite built to last this long, sure, but when you take care of them, they take care of you.¡±


    ¡°This car meant a lot to my grandma... She and my grandpa started an auto shop together, all the way back in the 50s.¡±


    And only now does he make the connection.


    ¡°...Ohhh, is that what that ¡®Aikawa Speed Shop¡¯ is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! She bought it new straight from the factory, and then she built this engine herself from the ground up. For 25 years, this car has been the flagship over at our shop, and she¡¯s good for plenty more.¡±


    ¡°This is the kind of thing we specialize in, actually: we used to build race engines, and now we put them in street cars of all shapes and sizes¡ªplus other sporty mods.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    ¡°She makes more horsepower than anything has a right to. It took me ages just to get a feel for it, the power band is so ridiculous. That¡¯s like our little party trick: people ask to drive her all the time and they can barely make it out of the parking lot...and then my five-foot mom just walks up and schools them.¡±


    ¡°Back when I was younger, she¡¯d sneak the car out to a track down in Tokachi. We¡¯re good friends with the owners there, so she got them to look the other way once or twice and I got to cruise around the circuit... And that was pretty much how I learned to drive.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Honestly, I think I¡¯d be a total liability if you put me behind the wheel of anything else. This car is hard-wired into my muscle memory.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t expecting her to open up like this... It¡¯s almost cute of her. Breaking the ice is a foreign concept¡ªand not a very popular one¡ªbut Reina¡¯s abundant passion for the family business shines through nonetheless. Something about her compels him to soften up...


    They¡¯re interrupted, however, by a very ill-timed light. Just as her hand lands on the shifter to put the car in neutral, red turns to green and forces her to speed up. Not wanting to stall the engine, she quickly orders gas back through the pipes, and the Road Runner flies through with a jerk.


    ¡°Ack, sorry! Gave her a bit too much gas there.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re good!¡± He¡¯s practically bolted himself to the seat now. He¡¯s just amazed that she can drive stick at all¡ªthat¡¯s something you never see in cars nor drivers nowadays.


    ¡°I¡¯m still not too used to driving her around the city much... She¡¯s not ideal as a city car, I¡¯ll admit¡ªwe had to sell our daily driver to keep the lights on.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been in kinda dire straits lately, if I¡¯m being honest. We were never meant to be just a repair shop, but there¡¯s just not as much demand for our cars and engines as there used to be...¡±


    ¡°But we still wouldn¡¯t give her up for the world. Keeping this car in tip-top shape is our way of honoring her legacy...and then, maybe I can take the reins myself some day.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°E-Er, sorry, I kinda rambled on there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good! It just made me think for a second.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    Haruomi takes a second to gather his thoughts. ¡°The bit about your family legacy, it just... I kinda envy that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something to work toward, I mean. I don¡¯t really know what I wanna do yet. I¡¯ve been so focused on getting into college that I haven¡¯t thought about what to do once I¡¯m there.¡± Now it¡¯s his turn to open up, which he was expecting even less. Still, he continues. ¡°I wish I had something like your family background. You sound like you already know what you want to do with your life because of it.¡±


    ¡°...I can relate, yeah. I still don¡¯t have everything figured out myself. My mom¡¯s getting ready to step down as head of the shop, but I still don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m ready to take her place.¡±


    ¡°Once you figure out what you want to do, doing it is a whole different beast. I had my grandma for help, and I¡¯ve still got my mom, but filling their shoes is no easy task. It¡¯s scary having to dive in headfirst like this; you never know where you¡¯re going to land. Especially in my case, having to figure out how to get us out of this rut...¡±


    ¡°But...they always tell me that things find a way to work out. That I have to figure out the present before I can worry about the future. If it worked for them, then...maybe it can work for you and me too.¡±


    ¡°I hope so... I guess I need to just focus on the present, like you said.¡±


    The words linger in Reina¡¯s head. It¡¯s so easy for her to say all that to him...but it¡¯s so much harder to do it herself. The family legacy gives her a sense of direction, but it doesn¡¯t make walking the path any easier¡ªand in a sense, it might even be a shackle at her feet. She wonders when, or even if, things will work out for her...


    But that¡¯s neither here nor there, she reminds herself. Like mom always says, she has to focus on the present first.


    ¡°...Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to drag down the mood.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re alright! I was the one who asked.¡±


    ¡°Thanks... Man, I wasn¡¯t expecting to open up like this. Thanks for being an ear for my troubles... Do I owe you for that?¡±


    ¡°Aww, haha. On the house.¡±


    Steel and glass give way to trees and grass, the imposing peak standing watch to the west. For all the chrome and cast iron weighing it down, the Road Runner takes the hairpin turns without so much as blinking, all eight cylinders firing in perfect harmony. Somehow, Haruomi doesn¡¯t feel quite as out of place anymore¡ªwatching Reina nimbly navigate the switchbacks puts him at ease. It¡¯s very...comforting to him.


    That describes Reina in general, really.


    ¡°Straight through here, then take a left up at that big bend.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha, thanks. Hold on a bit here...!¡± The car¡¯s sheer length does make those tight turns a bit of an ordeal¡ªshe has to slow down and drift wide for the car to clear on through, like a racing driver aiming for the apex. But, soon enough, she has the unruly beast through the bend. That¡¯s the last turn she¡¯ll make on this leg of the trip¡ªthe Shimizu household lies right ahead.


    ¡°Coming up on the right here.¡±


    The foothills stretch in front of them, forcing Reina to give the car an extra helping of gas. The Road Runner claws its way up the hill with an authoritative grunt¡ªother cars may struggle with a hill this steep, but not the American brute. As Haruomi guides Reina up the rows of houses, she brings the car to a gentle stop right outside his front door. A job well done...and done her own way.


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°No problem! I¡¯m glad I could help. Good luck with your exams!¡±


    ¡°You too with your shop!¡±


    Haruomi exits the otherworldly car, and crosses the road to reach his home at last. The whole trip still doesn¡¯t feel real to him, even as the engine revs assertively behind him. An exotic car with an equally unique driver at the helm, all right under his nose... He wonders how he went this long without noticing. Maybe there¡¯s something to be said for charting your own course like that¡ªfor finding something you¡¯re truly passionate about, and making it a reality no matter what others have to say. He wishes her well in that pursuit.


    As he goes to open his door, though...


    ¡°...Huh?¡± He hears the engine suddenly stop, lurching backward in the corner of his eye.


    ¡°Did she...stall it?¡±


    Reina prays that Haruomi can¡¯t see her, because her face has to be red as a tomato. She tried not to give the car too much gas like she did earlier; unfortunately, this time she gave it too little. Can¡¯t get away with that on a hill.


    ¡°Shoot, shoot, shoot! Sorry, car...!¡± Reina frantically reaches for the ignition key and tries to rouse the car back to life. A brief sputter rocks the car, followed by a long, feverish whinny. The embarrassment nearly cripples her. Sometimes the engine doesn¡¯t particularly like starting hot, and combined with her stalling it, the Road Runner is reluctant to fire back up.


    (Don¡¯t panic... Just hold it down and try again!)


    Usually a cranky Road Runner means it¡¯s running too rich. Reina gingerly spreads her right foot between the gas and the brake, her left foot occupied with the clutch. This, she hopes, will help clear some of the excess fuel from the mixture and get the car to fire back up for her. So she twists the key again...


    ¡°Come on...!¡±


    Mercifully, that adjustment does the trick. After another second or two of whirring, the hulking V8 fires back up with a disgruntled roar¡ªand though it probably scared the neighbors half to death, Reina¡¯s just happy to be back in business. She quickly shifts back into gear¡ªmaking sure to apply enough throttle this time¡ªand pulls away from Haruomi¡¯s house, heading further up the hill to complete her job for the day.


    That, belatedly, puts an end to Haruomi¡¯s day out. As he watches the Road Runner cruise off into the distance, he wonders if he¡¯s ever going to get another taste of that strange world of hers. Would he ever a reason to, really? It¡¯s her world, not his... It¡¯s strange to think of something so striking as a one-and-done deal, but perhaps it¡¯s better that way.


    He¡¯ll go back to his world, wherever that takes him...and she¡¯ll go back to hers.


    ***


    There¡¯s a certain foreboding that hangs over Reina¡¯s head whenever she travels for a job like this¡ªalmost like a knot of pressure in her stomach. Not even the brief return of Van Halen¡¯s heavy metal can dispel her nerves. As the ski lodge comes into view, she knows that she has to do the job right, whatever the client¡¯s problem may be¡ªand that if she can¡¯t figure out the mechanical maze inside that truck, then she¡¯s not even close to ready yet.


    No second-guessing. No hesitation. Just trying to fill her mother¡¯s too-big shoes.


    ¡°There she is.¡± The old-timer wraps up another day at the lodge in his tireless effort to get things ready for the season. This little hiccup chose an annoying time to strike¡ªbut at least it didn¡¯t let go on him during the ski season proper. That would¡¯ve spelled disaster.


    He¡¯s never worked with the daughter of his favorite mechanic before. Time to see how she measures up.


    ¡°Hello there! Thanks for waiting.¡± The Road Runner earns its rest¡ªthis time on level ground. She gently shuts the door behind her, feeling the cold mist on her skin. No use bringing the umbrella, she figures¡ªshe knows what kind of truck he¡¯s rocking.


    ¡°Well, good to put a face to the name! Been a while since I last saw ya¡ªthink now¡¯s the first time I¡¯m speakin¡¯ to ya as a full-fledged mechanic.¡± Mr. Shimizu extends his hand, a jolly grin on his weathered face.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Reina obliges. ¡°You flatter me a bit, though¡ªI¡¯ve still got a long way to go before I can match my mom, or my grandma.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh, don¡¯t sell yourself short. With teachers like those two, I already trust you more than any other greasemonkey in town!¡±


    ¡°Is that her old ride, actually? I haven¡¯t seen the ol¡¯ Road Runner on the road in an age.¡±


    ¡°Ah... Yeah, we¡¯ve had to take her out a lot more lately. We got that new truck only a couple years ago, but money¡¯s pretty tight, so we had to sell it off.¡±


    ¡°Well, damn, man, I woulda bought it, hah hah!¡±


    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s too much wrong with my old dinghy¡ªjust a part or two I¡¯ll have to order. Should be a pretty easy job.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s have a look and see.¡±


    Reina whips out some diagnostic tools from the Road Runner¡¯s trunk, and with that, she¡¯s ready for work. Mr. Shimizu leads her over toward a storage shed, beside which his stricken vehicle, an old Suzuki Carry mini-truck, sits sadly in wait for a helping hand. Utilitarian to a fault, these plucky little work mules dominate Japanese roads, keeping the tide of hulking pickups at bay with their convenience and efficiency. It¡¯s a shame something had to let go on Mr. Shimizu¡¯s.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s she up to?¡±


    ¡°Well, she won¡¯t start. She started actin¡¯ up about a week or two ago¡ªshe was runnin¡¯ rough whenever it rained out. Down on power and I could feel her misfirin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Was it running fine when it was dry out?¡±


    ¡°Fine-er. Still felt like somethin¡¯ was a little off.¡±


    ¡°I had her sit for a day or two ¡®cause I¡¯ve been spendin¡¯ all my time here movin¡¯ stuff around. Today I needed to go pick up some supplies, so I hopped in aaand she wouldn¡¯t go. She cranks, battery sounds fine, but no ignition.¡±


    ¡°I see... Yeah, that does sound like something broke somewhere. Probably something electrical, if I had to guess.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinkin¡¯.¡±


    Already the gears are spinning in her head, trying to draw upon what info she knows to make a diagnosis¡ªa starting point. If she can iron out where to look first, she can do this job a whole lot faster.


    Mr. Shimizu¡¯s description so far has all the hallmarks of a spark problem. If it got put away wet and won¡¯t fire back up, then...


    (That makes me think there¡¯s moisture somewhere it shouldn¡¯t be.)


    ¡°Alright. I think I know where to start looking, then.¡±


    Mr. Shimizu hands Reina the key to the Carry, and she swiftly clambers on in. The truck¡¯s miniature proportions don¡¯t make it easy for her, of course... At over six feet tall, squeezing into this thing is a tall order.


    ¡°Oof... Man, these trucks were not built for people like me.¡±


    ¡°Lemme know if there¡¯s anything you need me for.¡±


    ¡°Thanks! Hopefully this won¡¯t take me too long.¡±


    The engines on these trucks are mounted right beneath the passenger seat¡ªwhich is convenient for diagnosing problems, because she can crank the engine while staring right down at it. It¡¯s just a bit...claustrophobic.


    ¡°Okay, there we go...¡± With effort, Reina has the engine uncovered and ready for her repairs. These turbocharged 3-cylinders have a good rep for reliability, so she agrees with Mr. Shimizu that it¡¯s probably a simple problem. It¡¯s just her first solo job in a hot minute, so she tries to remember the basics...


    (An engine needs three basic things: air, fuel and spark. If it has those things, it runs.)


    Reina¡¯s first step is to check for fuel. She slots the key in the ignition and hears the fuel pump steadily tick over. That¡¯s one part of the equation solved.


    ¡°Okay, sounds like we¡¯ve got fuel. Now, do we have spark...?¡±


    Reina sets the engine up for a quick spark plug test; she eyeballs them and determines that the plugs themselves don¡¯t seem to be the culprit, looking new enough not to bother replacing them. Nonetheless, she turns the key, aaand...


    ¡°...We do not have spark. He was right, the battery sounds healthy, but still no start.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so that bolsters the moisture theory... I think there might be a short somewhere.¡±


    Water is the ultimate nemesis of the internal combustion engine. Just about any amount, anywhere, can throw the whole thing out of whack. Her hypothesis is that something in the electrical system got just a bit too wet from today¡¯s showers, and that¡¯s causing the electrical current to short out somewhere. She decides to work her way back from the spark plugs to test each part in the ignition chain.


    ¡°First up, the distributor...¡± Reina fishes around the engine some more, finding her way to the distributor¡ªthe part that sends power to each of the spark plugs. Mercifully, these engines are relatively easy to work with¡ªif this were a more modern car, she fears she¡¯d be absolutely clueless with their billions of parts and connections. An ECU guru, she is not. Yet.


    ¡°Cap first.¡± The distributor cap comes off easily enough...


    ¡°...Ooh. Yeah, that¡¯s cracked.¡± A decent-sized fault line runs right up the side of the distributor cap, along with general wear and tear throughout the ailing part. With that crack, moisture must be getting into the distributor and shorting out the electrical signal, preventing it from getting to the plugs. That would explain the lack of spark, and thus the lack of power.


    Reina can¡¯t help but don a tiny little smile as her deductive skills bear fruit.


    ¡°Well, that sucks. I don¡¯t think I have a spare on me, so I can¡¯t fix this outright. But I can at least let him know...¡±


    Mr. Shimizu bides his time, finishing up other work around the outside of the lodge as Reina suddenly makes her exit.


    ¡°How¡¯s it lookin¡¯? What¡¯d you find in there?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I found the problem!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Hopefully it¡¯s nothin¡¯ too expensive?¡±


    ¡°Not from what I can tell, no: there¡¯s a crack in your distributor cap. All the moisture in there is shorting out the spark, so your spark plugs aren¡¯t sparking.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yeah, that makes sense. We¡¯re gonna replace that, I take it?¡±


    ¡°Yeeeah, it¡¯s a cheap part. It¡¯s not really worth trying to fix it.¡±


    ¡°For reference, do you store the truck inside?¡±


    ¡°Nah, we don¡¯t have a garage at our house¡ªand that storage shed has a ton of crap in it, so I¡¯ve never put the truck in there.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha. I think it would help if you made space for it¡ªthat¡¯ll help keep the engine drier.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I getcha.¡±


    ¡°So, you think there¡¯s any chance we can get it running while we wait for the new part to come in?¡±


    ¡°Well... Probably not, sorry. Especially not when it¡¯s this wet outside. I can dry off the cap for you and stick it back on, but it¡¯ll just get damp again.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Mr. Shimizu furrows his brow. ¡°Maybe I can make some space for it in the shed real quick. We can put it in there so it doesn¡¯t have to sit outside. Maybe if ya dry off the cap, it¡¯ll run long enough that we can get it into the shed and park it there.¡±


    ¡°Mmm...¡± Reina figures that¡¯s a real longshot, but it¡¯s better than having to push the truck, at least. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll hit it with some spray and see how that goes.¡±


    ¡°Great. Have at it!¡±


    Reina makes a quick retreat to the Road Runner, where her secret weapon lies in the trunk. No mechanic is complete without it.


    ¡°There you are, you beautiful thing.¡±


    WD-40. God¡¯s cheat code.


    With a rag in one hand and a can of spray in the other, Reina returns to the stricken Suzuki and gets back to work. The distributor cap really, really isn¡¯t worth repairing in its state, but with a wipe down and a spritz of the water deterrent, it might just be able to move to drier ground and save them the hassle of pushing it.


    Not that the truck weighs anything anyway.


    ¡°Oookay.¡± Reina finishes her hack job and turns her attention back to the driver¡¯s seat. The key slots back into the ignition with a raggedy clunk.


    ¡°Feel like starting back up for me now?¡±


    One more time, the Carry¡¯s tired starter groans and whinnies, trying to get a response from the old three-cylinder. Reina can see it twitching and jittering beside her, begging for its spark back.


    ¡°Mmm...¡± After a few seconds of frantic whirring, the engine doesn¡¯t seem any better off yet. Reina listens intently for any sign of a spark¡ªshe knew it would be a longshot, but if she at least gets something from the engine here, she¡¯ll know there probably isn¡¯t some other issue with the truck. She keeps the key held, trying to coax the engine to respond...


    *POP!*


    ¡°Oh! She wants to, she wants to...¡±


    An intermittent splutter rocks the engine as one of the cylinders tries to fire. Reina gives the throttle a few slow pumps to try and get the revs up, feeling the Suzuki struggling mightily. It wants to fire back up, but the spark just isn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Come on, baby, you can do it...!¡± Reina thinks that if she can just get a little more spark, the heat from the electricity will help keep the moisture at bay. She can feel the engine slowly, painstakingly gaining strength¡ªcylinder two has joined the fray now. The tachometer flutters between 0 and 1, almost teasing her as it climbs up the scale at a snail¡¯s pace. She¡¯s almost got it, though. She lets off the key, holds the throttle down and crosses her fingers...


    ¡°That¡¯s it, almost there...!¡±


    *V-VRRR-POP!*


    ¡°Ack¡ª!¡±


    Alas, the engine is undone by a heavy backfire, echoing like a gunshot into the trees. Unable to hold an idle, the Suzuki calls it quits. Silence returns to the truck¡¯s interior, and Reina is left with yet more bad news to break to Mr. Shimizu: somebody¡¯s gonna have to shlep this thing into the shed.


    *sigh* ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think this is gonna work.¡±


    Thankfully, Mr. Shimizu is just about finished making space in his shed¡ªthough the sudden percussion did make him stop and poke his head out in confusion. He¡¯s greeted by Reina waving the white flag in surrender as she files out of the truck.


    ¡°No dice, huh?¡±


    *cough!* *cough!* ¡°Nope. I¡¯ll go ahead and push.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    Reina tries to hide the embarrassment on her face. She knows that the car¡¯s predicament really isn¡¯t her fault, and that it¡¯s not a surprise that it can¡¯t move under its own power, but she still feels bad for Mr. Shimizu. She wishes she could get his car back on the road, but that¡¯s just not in the cards.


    ¡°Well, you were just moving all that stuff in the shed, so this¡¯ll be my fair share...and I couldn¡¯t get the truck to run in the first place, so this is the least I can do.¡±


    Reina did not foresee today becoming an impromptu leg day¡ªand her tired body hates her for it. Thankfully, her mighty stature isn¡¯t just for show: she¡¯s got some decent muscle on her. She likes to stay fit. This is hardly the first car she¡¯s pushed, at any rate¡ªshe¡¯s been helping move cars aplenty in the garage ever since she was a kid. These mini-trucks really don¡¯t weigh much, so it doesn¡¯t take her too much effort to get the wheels turning while Mr. Shimizu steers...but here in the rain, at the end of a long, long day, the whole thing really dampens her spirits.


    ¡°Whew... There we go...¡± At last, the job is done¡ªalbeit not in the way she had hoped. The Suzuki sits safely inside the shed, waiting for its replacement part so that it can roam the roads again. Mr. Shimizu gets out and shuts the door, with a much different look on his face: where Reina feels down, he¡¯s still jolly as ever.


    ¡°Hey, c¡¯mon, what¡¯s with the long face now? You did great!¡±


    ¡°I... Thanks. I just wish I could¡¯ve done more for you.¡±


    ¡°Nahhh, don¡¯t sweat it. It¡¯s my fault in the first place for tryna put the repairs off. I could¡¯ve avoided this entirely, but nope! That¡¯s just life.¡±


    ¡°So, er... Would you like us to order a replacement part for you?¡±


    ¡°Sure, that sounds good. Man, you guys treat me too well! Here, lemme give you a little extra: your usual rate and then some.¡± Wasting no time, he hands her a generous payday in cash before even hearing her quote.


    ¡°O-Oh... Are you sure? You don¡¯t have to do that, sir!¡±


    ¡°Nah, c¡¯mon. You earned it! You did everything you could: you found the faulty part, you¡¯ve got a replacement comin¡¯ in the mail, you even picked up my kid! Don¡¯t sell yourself short, young lady¡ªyou¡¯re all I could ask for in a mechanic.¡±


    ¡°Here, go ahead and take it. I love givin¡¯ my support to the little guys anyway. I hope you guys get a nice break soon¡ªand I hope this helps just that little extra bit. I know I¡¯m not goin¡¯ anywhere else for my maintenance, hah!¡±


    Reina flushes red. She realizes she can¡¯t refuse his offer¡ªthe extra pay means a whole lot in their straits. She accepts his generosity with a bow.


    ¡°Thank you so much...!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, lass. You have a good weekend, now!¡±


    ¡°You too!¡±


    Reina bids Mr. Shimizu farewell, a strange medley of emotions swirling through her head. On one hand, she got a sizable bonus for going above and beyond for her client... On the other, his car is still broken and the stop¡¯s future is still a giant question mark. Just doing neighborhood repairs and mechanical work isn¡¯t a sustainable business model in this time and place... They¡¯re a Speed Shop. Or perhaps, were.


    Something¡¯s got to give.


    (I can at least hold my own out here... Just gotta hold out until Mom recovers from her surgery. If I can get us through the short-term until then, we might have a chance at something next year.)


    (But we have to figure something out soon... Just doing repairs isn¡¯t enough.)


    Mr. Shimizu watches as Reina packs up her tools and files back into her unusual machine. He tries and fails to stifle a chuckle. Those Aikawa girls always march to the beat of their own drum... Reina may not realize it, but she¡¯s already a lot like her role models in that sense. It¡¯s just a matter of channeling that boundless whimsy into confidence. She could really use it.


    ¡°Yeah... That girl¡¯s goin¡¯ places.¡±


    Reina lets out a heavy sigh as she props herself against the back of the Road Runner¡¯s plush bench seat. It¡¯s been a long day, between her university work in the morning and her part-time work at night... She can¡¯t wait for the weekend, for a variety of reasons. Her aching calves beg for reprieve¡ªand a hot shower sounds mighty nice right now. It¡¯s been a while since she ate too, come to think of it. She¡¯s running on empty...but she¡¯s confident that her trusty steed isn¡¯t.


    ¡°Now, you won¡¯t have any trouble starting, will you?¡±


    Reina twists the key, and the Road Runner responds with a resounding nope, the old V8 bursting to life in the way that only an Aikawa motor can. For all the tension and pressure looming large over her, the engine never fails to put her at ease. She charts a course for the shop, and rolls out into the nighttime mist.


    ***


    Another day in the books for Reina Aikawa, student-mechanic and impromptu chauffeur. The money from this job will help cushion her in the short-term...but that¡¯s about all she can do right now. The grander ambitions of the Aikawa Auto Company are on hold for the time being, their well drying up year after year. Reina, too, is uncertain about her future... Rather than soaring to the heights of her childhood dreams, she instead finds herself as a meandering cloud, drifting beneath the stars.


    How much longer will she have to tread water? How long will it be before the epiphany arrives? The future ahead of her is rough and uncertain, and the waves of time threaten to swallow her whole. She isn¡¯t the mad scientist mechanic her grandmother was, and she isn¡¯t the red line racer her mother was; she instead is a jack of all trades, master of none. Her life moves on in limbo...but at the very least, she has one constant by her side: the Road Runner. The company¡¯s crown jewel; their magnum opus in service of speed. For now, it is the rock that keeps her anchored. She can drive for as long as she needs to...until, some day, she might find the answers she seeks.


    (Just a little longer...)


    (One of these days, I¡¯ll make you proud.)


    (I¡¯m sure of it.)

 2. Spinning in Circles

    Everything has a beginning, and everything has an end. The day and the weekend both bid their farewells, a panorama of violet looming over Reina¡¯s head to the east. She and the Road Runner are far from home tonight¡ªbut this road is all too familiar to her. Not only is this where she works her part-time job on top of her work at the shop...but this site here, tucked in the Hokkaido hinterland, is a sacred place for motorheads the island over.


    ¡°And there we are.¡± The Road Runner hungrily chews up the last few miles of road enroute to Tokachi Speedway¡ªthe first and only race track on the entire island. With little fanfare, the racing season in all of Hokkaido is soon to hibernate for the winter, beginning and ending at Tokachi as it always does. The chill November air will make for a cold, slick race track¡ªa nice challenge for the series regulars who call the circuit home.


    The Road Runner lets out a brief hiccup. The fuel needle teeters on the brink after the long trip from Sapporo.


    ¡°I know, girl, I know¡­ Almost there.¡± Reina gently pats the dashboard. It has just enough gas to get all the way there on one tank, but she¡¯s cutting it pretty close. She¡¯ll have to stop at the local pump before parking at the circuit.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost not even worth it without a good daily driver¡­ A good bit of this paycheck¡¯s just gonna go to gas for the trip back home.¡±


    Being the flattest, coldest and sparsest part of Japan, Hokkaido isn¡¯t particularly attractive for circuit calendars nor developers¡ªand it would be one thing if it were close to Sapporo, but Tokachi is a three-hour trip by car, flanked on all sides by miles and miles of farmland. As far as race tracks go, Tokachi is a desolate place.


    Once upon a time, however, it did have a claim to fame: the Tokachi 24 Hours. The Japanese Le Mans. The longest endurance race on the grand touring calendar, shining a light on its little speck of land as the biggest names on the circuit dueled for its prize¡ªincluding an electrifying young woman by the name of Sami Kageyama. The Queen of Tokachi.


    Alas, nobody could justify driving that far out into the wilderness after the bubble burst. In 2009, following the track owners¡¯ bankruptcy, Tokachi was dropped from the schedule, and in the years since, the circuit has all but lost its presence.


    Like Aikawa Auto, Tokachi tries to carry on in spite of itself. Like Aikawa Auto, Tokachi¡¯s glory days are far, far behind it.


    Reina checks herself into the circuit after a quick stop for fuel, the sound of rumbling engines and the smell of burning gasoline making her feel right at home. She won¡¯t be racing out there today, nor is she a part of any racing team; instead, she moonlights as a track worker. It¡¯s a thankless job, but someone¡¯s gotta do it. As much as she wishes she could be out there tearing up the tarmac, that¡¯s just not in the cards. But the pay is alright, at least...and the track¡¯s curator always makes her feel welcome.


    ¡°Glad you could make it out, Reina! You¡¯re just in time.¡±


    ¡°Good! I know I was cutting it close a bit.¡±


    The old dog¡¯s chipper as ever. He can¡¯t see too well with those old eyes of his anymore, but that distinctive blonde always puts a smile on his face¡ªjust like old times. He remembers those golden days when Super GT and Super Endurance would roll on into town, along with the track¡¯s own hometown heroes. Though he may be long in the tooth and gray in the locks now, that nostalgia hasn¡¯t left him one bit.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re here, and that¡¯s the important thing. Y¡¯see, I was hoping you could fill in for somebody tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Our old flag man¡¯s been sick for a while. He couldn¡¯t make it out tonight, so I¡¯ve been needing somebody to step up and take his place. And I was thinking it should be you.¡±


    Reina¡¯s taken aback. Being a flag man at the local track is a high honor. Her hard work and diligence over the last couple years must have struck a chord with him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really stuck your neck out for us, even after all the stuff you¡¯re dealing with. So hey, I say it¡¯s about time we threw you a bone. Wanna start with the flag man duty tonight?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d love to! Thank you!¡± With a bow, Reina humbly accepts her new position.


    ¡°Heh. Guess I should be callin¡¯ it flag woman now.¡± He can¡¯t help but feel proud of the young lady¡ªeven if she herself has doubts about her future, he¡¯ll always remember where she came from. Surely she¡¯ll get it all figured out.


    ¡°Your mother was always good at that, makin¡¯ people rethink what women could do.¡±


    ***


    One by one, the entrants funnel in for Tokachi¡¯s final race of the year¡ªa footnote of a league that serves as a stepping stone on the long, long road to the big leagues. The field is littered with drivers of every shape and size: have-beens, never-weres, pay drivers, hobbyists just racing for the fun of it¡­


    But there¡¯s one driver who rises above them all¡ªone with the potential for a long and lucrative career. She starts on the pole tonight, as she always does...and as the lights go out and the green flag drops, she asserts her authority over the field with one smooth motion.


    Yuzu Tachikawa goes to work.


    ¡°Man, she¡¯s fast¡­!¡± By the time Reina is done waving the green flag from her perch on high, Yuzu is already commanding her machine into the first turn, leaving everyone else in the dust. She¡¯s completely dominated this season, and her performance is no mere fluke¡ªshe¡¯s one of Hokkaido¡¯s hottest racing prospects in a long, long time. You can tell by her face that she drives with a poise belying her age, her amber eyes locked onto the track like the sight of a rifle. This is exactly what¡¯s expected of her...and once she finishes this season, it¡¯s on to bigger and better things.


    (Yup¡­ Just one more race of this.) For lack of competition, Yuzu is almost bored behind the wheel. The thrill of racing for racing¡¯s sake has started to wear off; she has her sights set on the future now. Ahead of her lies the chaotic world of contracts, sponsorships, marketing¡­ Racing is not a cheap endeavor, and if she wants any shot at making it big, she¡¯ll need to spread her name as far and wide as she can. Stomping curbs in some no-name feeder series isn¡¯t going to get her anywhere in that regard¡­ She needs a new ride.


    But she knows by now not to daydream behind the wheel. Less than an hour left in this finale, and then she can pack it up and go home.


    Yuzu nimbly navigates Tokachi¡¯s tricky turns, her movements sharp and precise. She drives in the style of her childhood hero, Sami Kageyama, emulating her boldness and measured aggression to a tee. It¡¯s not a stretch to say that Kageyama inspired her to get behind the wheel in the first place¡ªwith her three class victories in the Tokachi 24 Hours, Kageyama showed to her that women can still reach the top in a man¡¯s sport. That a world of kings still has room for a Queen. Every day, every race, she follows in her footsteps, trusting in her idol and the example she set.


    The white flag waves for her, and she assertively takes it. She notices, in that split-second, that the usual flag man isn¡¯t up there tonight¡ªand that a peculiar-looking girl is up there in his stead.


    (That flag girl¡­ She looks kinda like her.) The dark skin, the blonde hair¡­ It all checks out.


    (Is that really¡­?)


    She stops herself. She can think about that later¡ªshe has a race to win. Just pace yourself, hit your marks, and the results will come to you.


    Yuzu thunders through turn one for the final time; to the surprise of no one, she¡¯s just about lapped the entire field. The checkered flag greets her at the finish line to complete her sweep of the season, her crew members in the paddock jumping for joy. Everybody at the circuit knows they¡¯ve just watched the beginning of something truly special.


    (And that, as they say, is that.)


    Night finally descends over the speedway, and with its arrival, the season comes to an abrupt and understated end. That¡¯s how Yuzu¡¯s always done things: keep moving forward as fast as possible. The season¡ªthe year¡ªmight as well be the past already; she¡¯s already got her sights set on the bigger picture, and all the opportunities that come with.


    There¡¯s just one question left nagging on her mind before she can put this league behind her: who is that flag girl?


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stick around for a bit¡­¡± Ordinarily, she would be packing her things and heading out by now¡ªher parents, after celebrating her victory with her, are waiting to take her back home to Obihiro, around 40 minutes to the north. Ironically, despite her pedigree as a racing driver, she¡¯s not actually old enough to drive on public roads yet. She¡¯d rather not make her parents wait, but¡­


    ¡°...I¡¯ll just ask if they can wait a bit for me.¡±


    Her curiosity compels her to stay behind and inquire about this mystery girl. The resemblance can¡¯t be mere coincidence¡ªand though she may be overstepping her bounds, she doesn¡¯t want to waste this chance to learn more about her childhood hero. Yuzu bides her time and waits for the track workers to congregate at the ticket office for their payday. The moment of truth arrives¡­


    ¡°Good work out there, Reina! You looked like a natural.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m just happy I didn¡¯t botch anything.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, you worry too much. Right, here¡¯s your payday¡­¡± Being the flag man comes with a nice boost to her wage. It¡¯ll cover the gas and then some; maybe Reina can treat herself to a nice meal for her birthday next week.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Reina knows she doesn¡¯t need to bow, but she does anyway.


    ¡°Not a problem. You take care now!¡±


    ¡°You too!¡±


    Reina stuffs the check in her worn-out wallet and starts her familiar walk to the parking lot, the nerves from her new shift finally wearing off. It¡¯ll be a long drive back to Sapporo, but she doesn¡¯t mind¡ªit always clears her head and takes her mind off things for a little while.


    ¡°Uh, excuse me. Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Reina turns her head to find a petite figure gliding through the darkness to meet her. Her short raven hair blends in well with the evening haze, swaying gently as she makes her approach. Reina¡¯s been to these races enough times to know who she is: for reasons unknown yet, Yuzu Tachikawa has something to say to her.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re Ms. Tachikawa, right?¡±


    It feels strange to have people call her that when she¡¯s not even an adult yet. She can¡¯t wait to just get her teenage awkwardness behind her.


    ¡°Y-Yeah. I, uh, I had a question real quick, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± She struggles to get her thoughts out of her stammering mouth. Despite her cool and confident exterior, she¡¯s not the best with words¡ªespecially considering who she¡¯s talking to.


    ¡°Oh, uh, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Reina Aikawa. Pleased to meet you!¡± Reina flashes a warm smile back at the flustered racer.


    (Aikawa¡­?)


    ¡°So do you, um¡­ Do you know Sami Kageyama? You looked like her, so...¡±


    Reina blinks for a second, thrown for a bit of a loop. They don¡¯t go by her father¡¯s name anymore, but that was indeed what they called her mother at the height of her career.


    ¡°Oh, uh, I do, actually. She¡¯s my mom!¡±


    ¡°She is?!¡±


    The floodgate of emotions bursts all at once for the starstruck Yuzu. She really is talking to the daughter of her hero! She can barely even process what to process next¡ªwhat questions to ask, what connections to make, what kind of amazing possibilities this presents to her. Maybe she can actually meet Sami herself, or even ask for lessons! There¡¯s just so much to¡ª


    (Dammit, Yuzu, focus! One thing at a time!)


    ¡°H-Holy crap! I can¡¯t believe it¡­ S-Sorry, I¡¯m just a really big fan of hers.¡±


    ¡°I remember watching her every year as a kid. I wasn¡¯t old enough to see her first two wins, but I got to be there for the third one. I wish I could¡¯ve gotten her autograph back then¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that one was pretty special. I remember she was telling me she was thinking of hanging it up that year...and then she won, haha.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait to tell everybody back at school after that.¡±


    ¡°You and me both¡­¡± Seems they both remember it like it was yesterday.


    Sami Kageyama, as she was once called, made an immediate impression when the Tokachi 24 Hours began in 1994¡ªnot even having a kid a couple years prior could slow her down. The Hokkaido native made a name for herself as an ace track specialist, knowing every corner by heart. Her team won their class in both of the first two races, and though she would go on to suffer a drought at Tokachi over the following years, she persevered to notch her third and final class victory in 2002. Reina remembers every detail from that hot summer day: the crowd, the confetti, the cheers from her friends and family¡­


    Crazy how long ago that feels now.


    ¡°I just asked because I¡¯ve always wanted to meet her! Sorry for being so awkward¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! She¡¯s mentioned you once or twice, actually. She¡¯s really excited to see what you can do next year!¡±


    ¡°She said what?!¡±


    Cloud Nine, population: Yuzu.


    ¡°U-Um, well¡­ The next time she comes down to Tokachi, I¡¯d love to talk to her. Maybe she could give me some racing pointers, or something¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to!¡± Having said that, Reina sheepishly scratches her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure when she might be back on all cylinders, though. She¡¯s been recovering from back surgery for the last couple months.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I guess it makes sense, Yuzu thinks to herself. Not even her heroes can escape the clutches of Father Time¡­


    ¡°She¡¯s...not racing anymore, is she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not, no. She hung it up after that last Tokachi race.¡±


    ¡°What are you guys doing now, then? Do you race?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ I used to. I did a bit of karting when I was younger, but I never made it very far. I just don¡¯t have the natural talent she does¡ªand racing¡¯s a lot more expensive than it used to be. It was hard to justify the cost.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She can¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed that the Kageyama racing legacy began and ended with Sami...to the extent that even the name retired along with her. But perhaps that¡¯s being unfair to Reina¡ªnot many children live up to their champion parents in racing.


    ¡°We do have a little auto shop back in Sapporo. We actually managed to get our decals on her cars for a couple years¡ªthat¡¯s what that big Aikawa Speed Shop logo was!¡±


    ¡°Aikawa¡­ Oh, of course!¡± Yuzu facepalms. ¡°How did I never notice that?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the most obvious thing, in fairness.¡±


    ¡°Now I kinda wanna ask for a tour.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to one of these days!¡±


    As much as Reina would love to stay and chat, November brashly reminds her that the mercury is quickly dropping. The wind tickles her face enough to force a sneeze from her reddening nose.


    ¡°Just maybe not toni¡­ Ah¡­ A-choo! Brrr¡­ I¡¯m not built for the cold.¡±


    ¡°Do you have to head back?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I gotta get back to Sapporo.¡±


    (Mmm¡­ I wanna talk more, but if she has to go¡­)


    ¡°Actually, if you don¡¯t mind talking some more, uh...Obihiro¡¯s on the way there. We could carpool, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Well, sure! I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! Oh, and um¡­ You can just call me Yuzu, okay?¡±


    ¡°Heehee. Sure.¡± With that, the two enterprising girls make their way to the parking lot. Yuzu smooths things over with their parents¡ªthey¡¯re actually thrilled to hear that their awkward daughter made a friend tonight. With their departure, the two of them are left to their own devices.


    Yuzu still isn¡¯t sure what to make of Reina. It¡¯s clear how much she sticks out from the crowd, just like her mother did...but she doesn¡¯t appear to be walking the same path. Not from what she can tell, anyway. If she¡¯s not a racer then, what is she¡­?


    ¡°Okay, there we are.¡±


    Yuzu can see the shadow of a car in the distance, but she can¡¯t actually make it out from here, aside from its...boxy outline. Reina isn¡¯t holding up the key to unlock it either¡­ Does it just not have central locking? What kind of car is that supposed to be?


    Finally, a nearby lightpost flickers on as it detects their approach, giving Yuzu her answer. The Road Runner is bathed in gold...and Yuzu is completely flabbergasted.


    ¡°...What the heck is that?¡± Yuzu blurts out without thinking. She covers her mouth in embarrassment immediately after. Her thoughts, however, remain unfiltered:


    (That thing¡¯s a dinosaur! What the...?!)


    ¡°Haha. Yeah, she¡¯s not your usual car. This is my mom¡¯s, actually.¡±


    ¡°Sami drives this?¡±


    ¡°Yup! This was actually the car she cut her teeth on, way back in the day. This was how she learned to race.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­?¡± At this point, Yuzu isn¡¯t sure if Reina¡¯s yanking her chain or not.


    (Well, I guess it would explain why she stuck to GT cars and not open wheelers¡­?)


    ¡°And the engine was done all at our shop too. I can pop open the hood, if you¡¯d like to take a look!¡±


    ¡°Well, uh...sure.¡±


    Yuzu has never seen one of these behemoth muscle cars in real life before, but she knows about their history. Once upon a time, these brutes were the fastest cars layman money could buy, even embarrassing prissy Ferraris and other European thoroughbreds at venues like Daytona and Le Mans.


    But that was eons ago. The muscle car¡¯s time in the sun has long since set...yet for whatever reason, Reina and her family¡¯s shop never got that memo, because she opens up the hood to reveal¡­


    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡±


    It is the single largest car engine she has ever seen¡ªan overwhelming behemoth that the engine bay struggles to contain. Displacing ten entire litres and paired with a supercharger for overkill, this is Aikawa Auto¡¯s crown jewel. The priceless heirloom they¡¯ve kept for generations, passed down from its original owner to the scion of the shop today.


    ...Why?


    ¡°This is what your shop does?¡±


    ¡°Yup! We specialize in aftermarket mods for street cars. This car here was bought new by my grandma¡ªand she designed and built the engine herself years later. The whole thing is a custom job.¡±


    Reina¡¯s grandmother may have had a few screws loose, but her parts and engines certainly didn¡¯t. She and her husband built Aikawa Auto brick by brick way back in the 50s¡ªand the quality of their work spoke for itself. She stuck out like a sore thumb, but she didn¡¯t care. She did things her way until her dying breath.


    They took Clara out of America, but they couldn¡¯t take America out of her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize there was a market for engines like these.¡±


    ¡°Well...there used to be, at least. Before Hokkaido had race circuits like Tokachi, all they had were public roads.¡± She¡¯s not sure whether she should be admitting this out loud. ¡°So, she¡¯d take this car and race it out on the streets. Eventually she took it down to Honshu too.¡±


    ¡°She got her start in street racing?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. And she was really good at it. These engines garnered a rep for being practically indestructible¡ªthey made for perfect street racing machines. They can put in tons and tons of work and just keep on going...like this one here~¡±


    Yuzu concedes that it was probably a very formidable machine for its time¡ªand she would be right. Sami Aikawa, then a fiery upstart, was already making waves with it in Hokkaido¡¯s underground street racing scene. Everybody knew they were in for a wild, wild ride when ¡°the Yankee¡± came rolling up in her unbeatable speed demon; how she managed to wrangle the unruly beast was a mystery to them all. Those highway shootouts earned the Road Runner its time-tested nickname: the Ten-Litre Terror.


    That was the golden age of Aikawa Auto. Word of mouth and fleet of foot spread their business like wildfire among the motorheads and adrenaline junkies of the world. They had earned themselves a diehard fanbase, their shop regularly bustling with aftermarket monsters of all shapes and sizes¡ªall thanks to Clara¡¯s mechanical wizardry and Sami¡¯s tour de force.


    But nothing lasts forever, of course. Street racing went the way of the dodo in the 90s thanks to some infamous crashes and incidents¡ªand good riddance to it, in Yuzu¡¯s opinion. It was a remnant of an uncivilized time, an error to be corrected. The circuit was the next logical step, and everyone was happy to take it¡ªeven Sami, who traded in her Yankee moniker for a much more enduring one on the turns of Tokachi.


    So what about this ancient land barge keeps the Aikawa family stuck in the past¡­?


    ¡°Admittedly, there¡¯s not much demand for aftermarket stuff like this anymore¡ªespecially not for American cars here in Japan. This old girl hasn¡¯t raced in quite some time...¡±


    (Yeah, I can imagine.)


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Buuut she¡¯ll still get you home! Just, as long as you don¡¯t mind the noise.¡±


    ¡°I should be fine, given the stuff I drive.¡±


    The antique hood slams shut, prompting Reina to make her way to the passenger side and unlock the door for her guest. Yuzu deftly sits herself down¡­and though she isn¡¯t a fan of 40 year-old interior design, she has to give credit where it¡¯s due: the seat is plenty comfy.


    ¡°Aaaalright,¡± Reina exhales as she files into the Road Runner, the startup process so routine that it¡¯s all in her muscle memory. Press the clutch, pump it twice, hold the throttle down¡­


    *VRRRRMMM!*


    Yuzu feels like she just got shocked in the heart.


    ¡°Wakes you up, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°For better and for worse.¡±


    Taking extra care to get the throttle just right as she shifts into first, Reina gets the hulking machine underway, the loud rumble of the Aikawa 611 echoing into the night. It¡¯s conspicuous beyond measure¡ªan outsider on the streets. Race cars are built for private circuits first, but here this thing is, masquerading as a car for public roads¡­


    (So this is what Sami really does¡­)


    (...I wonder why.)


    ***


    Soon, the humble lights of the hibernating Tokachi give way to the rural expanse of Hokkaido, the mountains gleaming faintly in the moonlight. Japan¡¯s breadbasket may be modest, but it¡¯s every bit as important as the rest of the country¡ªand, in the right places, every bit as beautiful too.


    That said, the scenery doesn¡¯t do much for Yuzu anymore¡ªshe¡¯s been up and down this road countless times, committed every last peak and trough to memory. It doesn¡¯t take her long to adjust to the guttural growl of the Road Runner¡¯s engine either. She looks over at Reina working the Plymouth¡¯s antiquated controls¡­ It¡¯s evident to her that Reina does know what she¡¯s doing¡ªshe might even have been selling herself short when talking about her racing ability earlier. But she¡¯s not doing herself any favors, Yuzu thinks to herself.


    ¡°Let me know if it¡¯s too hot or cold in here¡­ No AC, though, so I can only make it hotter unless you wanna open your window.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but thanks.¡±


    Traffic lazily flows along the road, the Road Runner mingling with more normal cars as it trudges through the countryside. It feels weird for Yuzu to be riding in Sami¡¯s old ¡°race¡± car. There¡¯s an element of nostalgia here, sure, knowing that this was the car that started it all for her hero¡­


    But the way she sees it, cars like these belong in museums, not alongside modern makes. It¡¯s like trying to jam a square peg into a round hole.


    ¡°So, um, if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Yuzu tries to formulate her questions without sounding rude. ¡°What was it like at the auto shop when Sami was racing at Tokachi?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t remember too much about it¡ªI wasn¡¯t very old at the time. But I remember business was still booming. We still had our diehard customers from her street racing days, and all the publicity from Tokachi helped shine a light on us.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever switch from stock stuff to racing equipment?¡±


    ¡°We thought about that a lot, but I think in the end, that wasn¡¯t the scene we wanted. But funny enough, racing was how we really took off back in the 60s: there was this stock car league that wanted us to help build race-spec parts for their imported cars.¡±


    ¡°The league never got off the ground, but it did get us some valuable customers¡ªand my grandma loved working on those kinds of cars. They were simple, but really effective.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ So was it more about the racing or more about the cars for her?¡±


    ¡°The cars, I think¡­ My grandma was American, actually.¡±


    ¡°Huh, really?¡±


    ¡°Yup. She was born in American Samoa. My grandpa was Japanese; they met each other after the war, and then they settled down here to start their business.¡±


    ¡°She was probably the smartest person I¡¯ve ever known¡­ She could make anything and everything work¡ªyou gave her an engine and she just went to town. I really look up to her...and I know Mom does too.¡±


    Yuzu takes in every word, equally curious and confused. The more she hears about Aikawa Auto, the more it turns into this...anachronism. A company cruising on nostalgia for a time long gone. The world of cars is always evolving¡ªthe engineering, the racing, the circuits, everything is an exercise in human ingenuity and innovation. Every waking day is another step forward for the industry at large, pushing everyone to walk alongside it...so why did Sami just stop? Why didn¡¯t they bother to restructure their business model? Why did they cling to this pigeonholed niche of theirs?


    (Why couldn¡¯t they just get with the times?)


    ¡°It just seems kinda...weird, to me. That Sami went into racing, but the company didn¡¯t really follow her there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ We might¡¯ve been able to make it work if we switched to GT stuff¡ªmaybe if we became a parts supplier for GT teams or we struck some other partnership like that. But, well, that¡¯s just never how we¡¯ve done things. We¡¯ve never been the kind of shop to chase trends like that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ These are just the things we like. We¡¯ve always done things our way, because that¡¯s what we enjoy doing. I think that¡¯s why Sami started to feel a bit disillusioned with Tokachi in those last few years¡­ It just wasn¡¯t what she wanted to do anymore.¡±


    ¡°Why just the same thing as always, though?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Reina has no counter.


    ¡°S-Sorry, I just¡­¡± Yuzu wasn¡¯t trying to hurt Reina, but she can tell those words stung.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s a valid question¡­and I think you¡¯ve got a point. It¡¯s probably why we¡¯re in the situation we are now.¡±


    ¡°Sooner or later, it¡¯s gonna be up to me to answer that question¡­ I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to do it, but, well¡­¡± Reina lets out a heavy sigh. ¡°Something¡¯s gotta give.¡±


    ¡°I, um¡­ I hope it works out.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    The atmosphere in the car takes an awkward turn, much to Yuzu¡¯s chagrin. It just doesn¡¯t make sense to her...and she feels like it doesn¡¯t even make sense to Reina either. So many questions and so few answers¡­


    Her saving grace is that the trip is almost over. Obihiro looms on the horizon, the largest town in the area by far. The minutes pass slow as molasses while Yuzu gives Reina directions, soft-spoken for fear of poisoning the atmosphere further. The Road Runner carefully snakes through the narrow city streets, finding its way to an unassuming little house on the outskirts of town. Her parents¡¯ car is parked outside¡ªan unassuming, utilitarian sedan, perfectly suited for its environment.


    ¡°Thanks for taking me home, Reina. And, um...sorry about earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright! We¡¯ll figure something out, I¡¯m sure.¡± Reina puts on a brave face, even if she can¡¯t put her whole heart behind her words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my mom about maybe having a meet-up at Tokachi one of these days. I¡¯ll keep you posted!¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­ That¡¯d be nice.¡±


    With that, Yuzu unceremoniously exits the Road Runner, stepping out into the cold evening air and watching her chauffeur pull away into the dark. She can still hear the Road Runner well after it¡¯s turned the corner, its echoing engine finding its way to her ears for miles and miles until it finally fades away.


    *sigh* ¡°Where do I even go from there¡­?¡±


    A small part of her wishes she hadn¡¯t met Reina at all¡ªall that whimsical insight into her childhood hero came at a certain price. Perhaps if she¡¯d just gone home with her parents, she could have kept that idealized image of Sami that she formed in her head, unburdened by the dire straits of their family business.


    Or maybe this is just a part of growing up. Time comes for us all, and nobody¡¯s perfect; even a legend like Sami was bound to hit a snag or two in her life. Perhaps she should take this as a learning experience¡ªwhen you¡¯re racing at breakneck speed, you don¡¯t have the time to look back at the past. You¡¯ve gotta keep your head forward, now and always.


    ...That¡¯s what she¡¯s always thought, anyway.


    (Maybe she had her reasons, and I just...don¡¯t get them yet.)


    At any rate, Yuzu has school to worry about in the morning. She retreats inside her home and resumes her life as normal¡ªlooking to the future, as she always does. Maybe when she¡¯s all grown up, and she¡¯s had her own illustrious racing career, she¡¯ll be able to see things the way her hero did.


    But for now, she¡¯s just a young lady with a bright, bright future.


    ***


    Reina was not prepared to face the harsh reality of her family business tonight. Ordinarily, the drive back to Sapporo is an opportunity to take her mind off things, to calm her spirits amid the sprawling bounty of nature. But she can¡¯t stop thinking about Yuzu¡¯s words as she maneuvers the Road Runner along the mountain roads.


    She can¡¯t just drive away from her problems forever. She thought the Road Runner would be the rock that holds her steady, keeping her afloat however long she needed...but now she¡¯s not so sure. The answers won¡¯t just come to her.


    ¡°She¡¯s right¡­ She¡¯s right, and I didn¡¯t want to admit it.¡±


    It¡¯s a lot for a college junior to think about¡ªespecially on top of all the other things she has to worry about¡ªbut, well...that¡¯s life. She¡¯s an adult now, and adults have to face difficult questions about their future. The answers they find make or break their lives, every decision a turning point that shapes the path before them. She¡¯s starting to realize that she can¡¯t rely on her past anymore¡­ As the future of the company, it¡¯s her duty to shape it.


    ...Perhaps now¡¯s not the best time to be thinking about these things¡ªit¡¯s been a long, long day as is. Reina turns the CD player on¡­ Journey. The stereotypical 80s sound, invoking all the nostalgia of the good old days.


    It fits, in a wry sort of way.


    Reina finishes her trip without another word, letting the music calm her weary head. She eventually makes it back to Sapporo¡ªonce again on fumes. After a brief stop at the local gas station, she brings the beast back to its lair: the Aikawa Auto building, now dark and devoid of activity. They¡¯ve already closed for the day.


    Reina opens the garage door, and the automated lights welcome her back inside. The Road Runner will hibernate for another night yet, kept in limbo until that next fateful decision is made. Reina can¡¯t help but see the car just a little bit differently now, along with the old brick and mortar surrounding it. She¡¯s relied on that old girl, leaned on its shoulders¡­ Now, it relies on her. She has to be the one to step up this time¡ªand she¡¯ll have to do it sooner rather than later.


    Is she ready? Only time will tell.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    The lights flicker off. The garage door shuts. Aikawa Auto will wait one more night.

 3. Another Lap Around the Sun

    Just take things one day at a time... Sure as the sun will rise, the birds will chirp and the wind will blow, there will always be work to do to tread water. Reina knows that she can¡¯t afford to stumble over the short-term in chasing whatever greater goal she has in mind... Too much stopping to think and you might just drown. Today may be her birthday, even, but in the grand scheme of things, November 17<sup>th</sup> is just another day at the shop.


    The door to the auto shop opens with a creak, a tacky little chime announcing her arrival. Grandma loved those. She wasn¡¯t expecting the shop to be so empty today¡ªshe got out from university early, so she was sure there would be one or two people left tending to their work inside before the start of her shift. She saw their own cars out in the parking lot, so maybe she just caught them on break.


    Whatever the case, it leaves her by her lonesome in the auto shop¡ªwhich, for better and for worse, she¡¯s grown accustomed to by now. Sami is still recovering from her surgery, and beyond the two of them, Aikawa Auto is staffed by only two other full-time mechanics. One, Old Man Takashi, a longtime family friend who¡¯s stuck by the shop through thick and thin. The other, her uncle Naoto¡ªa far more virtuous man than his brother.


    Somebody¡¯s gonna have to step up one of these days.


    ¡°Right, so what have we got...?¡± She finds a note on the front desk, presumably from her uncle working the shift before her; beside it is the key to an unassuming sedan. From what the note says, a winter service is in order: oil change, fluid and filter check, tire rotation, brake check, and a new battery just to be safe¡ªcustomer states it might be on its last legs. They also give the okay to replace anything it might need, so if the car has any other problems waiting to strike in the winter, she¡¯ll be sure to nip them in the bud.


    ¡°Well, that makes things easy. This shouldn¡¯t take me too long.¡±


    Reina steps out into the parking lot, an unseasonable warmth beaming down on her from above. It was nice enough to park the Road Runner outside, even. She knows to cherish these days while she has them¡ªit always freezes over before you know it.


    The garage door opens on her command, ready for her to take the customer¡¯s wheels inside. The car itself is something she¡¯s seen thousands and thousands of times, both on the road and in the shop¡ªutilitarian to the bone, which is all most people ever need. She can¡¯t fault them for that.


    Reina unlocks the sedan and climbs aboard, having to adjust the seat down so she¡¯s not hunching her neck inside. As the customer stated, the car is indeed a little hesitant to fire up¡ªReina can hear the starter having to gather itself before the engine chuffs to life. The old four-banger itself still seems to be running perfectly fine¡ªthe brakes seem good too. Without further ado, she backs it into the garage and places it square on the lift, ready to put her expertise to work.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s start with that battery.¡±


    Reina shuts the engine off, pops the hood and takes a gander inside. True to old Japanese auto conventions, the engine bay is relatively tidy¡ªand not too over-engineered on account of its older age. That¡¯s one thing Reina never could stand: working on modern cars can be a real chore with their over-complicated designs. There¡¯s something to be said for the good old KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid.


    Reina locates the battery easily enough, and whips out her trusty multimeter to examine it. In this test, 12.6 volts is a passing grade; she hooks up the cables and...


    ¡°12.3. Yeah, that¡¯s not the best. Must not be charging right. How old is this battery...?¡±


    A quick check confirms her suspicions. Reina finds the date code and discovers that the battery is well past its expiration date.


    ¡°Ooh. Yeah, that¡¯s six years old, it¡¯s past time to get that replaced.¡± Go figure. Batteries have a typical lifespan of four to five years, but these cars are built to tolerate negligence. They just keep going and going and going.


    Nevertheless, Reina confirms the battery¡¯s getting a replacement. Just to make sure it¡¯s the battery and not the alternator as well, she hops back in and gives the car another start. Once more, the starter groans, finally getting the engine fired up after a couple seconds of trying. Once they get going, the four cylinders hum along without a care in the world...


    And indeed, when she gets back out to check the alternator, she reads a healthy 13.5 volts from the multimeter. It¡¯s doing its job just fine.


    ¡°Right, that takes care of that.¡±


    The rest of the engine bay seems to be in good shape¡ªthough some of the filters do look a little dirtied up, so she decides to replace those as well. The fluids all look fine, so she¡¯s through the top side of the engine in relatively short order.


    Next comes the lift.


    ¡°Alright, up we go.¡±


    The hydraulic whine echoes throughout the garage, slowly taking the car up into the air so she can get to work on its underbelly. Lifts aren¡¯t required in a mechanic¡¯s arsenal¡ªshe could just use a jack¡ªbut Reina finds theirs to be an absolute godsend. When you¡¯re as tall and...fortunate as she is, it¡¯s hard to get enough space underneath the car.


    Off go the plug and the filter, the oil splashing onto the pan below. Whoever last did this really wrenched the filter in there tight; it takes a good bit of elbow grease for Reina to get it off. Sometimes her physique does come in handy on the job.


    It¡¯s all ho-hum service work¡ªa routine increasingly common as the snow and ice come crawling closer and closer. Reina appreciates the ever-so-slight windfall of customers coming in for winterization...but all the same, it serves to remind her just how deep this hole really is. This general mechanic work started out as a suggestion from her father to bolster business; they now cling to it as their lifeline.


    ¡°Oookay. That should be it.¡±


    Time flies when you¡¯re working on cars. Before Reina knows it, she¡¯s already done. The lift gently lowers the car back down to earth, and after a quick spot-check to make sure everything looks good, she slides herself back behind the wheel. One twist of the key, one second of spirited whirring and the engine rumbles to life, back in business with a spring in its step.


    ¡°She sounds pretty good! I¡¯ll go ahead and take her for a quick jog around the block just to make sure.¡±


    It¡¯s here where her years-long diet of 40 year-old muscle cars puts a slight damper on her driving ability. The car inches forward almost like it¡¯s sleepwalking¡ªshe¡¯s too used to the Road Runner and its comical amount of torque requiring barely any gas at all. She eventually acclimates to the more understated four-banger and brings it out of the garage. One sharp left turn, and she¡¯s on the road.


    ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary so far... These things are built like tanks, so I¡¯m not expecting anything catastrophic anyway.¡±


    She has to give it to these modern cars: they really spoil you with the build quality and creature comforts. They¡¯re simple, effective commuters¡ªand for the vast majority of people, that¡¯s all they need to be. For most, transportation is a means to an end... It¡¯s not something everybody lives and breathes like she and the family do. It¡¯s not an experience.


    And she can feel that as she drives this trusty sedan around her neighborhood. It¡¯s nowhere near as fun or exciting as the Road Runner... It¡¯s boring. It¡¯s sanitized. But it¡¯s better at getting her where she needs to go. Having to sell their work horse a few months ago really hammered home how out of place the car is on modern streets... It¡¯s a square peg trying to fit in a round hole through sheer horsepower.


    It¡¯s the nail that sticks out.


    *sigh* ¡°Just gotta take it a day at a time, Reina...¡±


    Reina rounds the bend and crosses the river to start the return leg of her trip. She knows these roads like the back of her hand, but she can¡¯t help feeling a little...different as she maneuvers them in the sedan. Errant cars come and go in traffic¡ªones that look exactly like this sedan. It blends in so well to the surroundings that it might as well be invisible... She feels like everybody can see right through it. Now she¡¯s the one that sticks out.


    ...She speeds up just a little bit on her way back.


    As expected, the sedan handles the roads with not a blemish to report¡ªjust a routine, everyday drive in the old thing. It rolls its way back into the parking lot like it barely left at all. Reina parks it neatly by its lonesome, and starts running through her mental checklist for post-maintenance cleanup.


    ¡°Oookay. Just gotta let the client know their car is ready...oh, and put the seat back too.¡± She double-checks all the little motors while she¡¯s at it. Windows, mirrors, seats, they all work fine.


    ¡°That should do it, then.¡±


    Reina gets out and stretches her legs. A job well done¡ªwhen you¡¯re taking things day by day, you can¡¯t ask for much more than that. Every last job is precious, every last payday a luxury. The sooner she can get next month¡¯s bills allocated and taken care of, the sooner she can start thinking about the bigger picture again.


    The little boost does give her a cushion, though, combined with the extra pay from her work at the track. Maybe she can make it through the winter after all.


    ¡°Okay, I think he wrote down the customer¡¯s phone number on that note¡ªworse comes to worst, I can just find it, though...¡± Reina absentmindedly opens the door to the shop, finding the switch to flick the lobby lights back on...


    (Now!)


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    ¡°SURPRISE!¡±


    The chime at the door is quickly drowned out by a chorus of cheers from the employees at the shop, returned from their ¡°break¡± to surprise her. Reina¡¯s heart skips a beat¡ªnot just at the surprise itself, but at the figure in the middle of the group, wearing a wide smile and welcoming her back to the shop with a round of hearty laughter.


    ¡°Wha¡ª Mom? You¡¯re out of the house!¡±


    ¡°Of course I am, sweetie! C¡¯mon, I¡¯m old, not dead. Heh heh!¡±


    It¡¯s the first time Sami Aikawa has left the house since her back surgery¡ªand for good reason: she wasn¡¯t gonna miss the chance to give her beloved daughter a little pick-me-up. Her being house-ridden made for the perfect cover. She still looks a bit rough around the edges, her graying hair done up in a basic ponytail, but beneath the wrinkles is a smile made of gold.


    ¡°I... Oh, you guys...!¡± Reina can¡¯t properly express how she feels. Just seeing her mom back in the shop along with the other employees feels like a long-awaited respite from steering it all by herself. She loves this little family of theirs¡ªand she wouldn¡¯t trade it for anything.


    Without another word, Reina walks up and gives her mom a hug, joined by the other two as they share this tender moment.


    ¡°Happy birthday, honey.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much...!¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Thank you for filling in for me all this time. You¡¯ve really been sticking your neck out for all of us, haven¡¯t you?¡± Sami feels Reina¡¯s woes starting to melt away. She can tell the girl¡¯s needed this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think we haven¡¯t noticed how hard you¡¯ve been working. You deserve this, Reina.¡±


    They turn her attention to the gift they¡¯ve prepared for her. With a smile, the two employees head to the break room fridge to retrieve it.


    ¡°I called up the bakery, and they came up with this! Looks good, huh?¡±


    Reina¡¯s mouth immediately starts to water, her hand covering her mouth.


    ¡°Oooh...!¡±


    It¡¯s perfect: a chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream on top, styled like a big ol¡¯ racing tire. Sami knew it would be a hit.


    ¡°That looks so good...!¡±


    ¡°Thought you might like it! Not gonna lie, I¡¯m really tempted to dig in myself.¡± Sami licks her lips. ¡°Buuut I¡¯m gonna save my slice until after dinner tonight. I¡¯ll get the oven preheating once we head back home, and then your favorite dish is going in.¡±


    Reina¡¯s eyes twinkle.


    ¡°O-Oh, Mom, you didn¡¯t have to!¡±


    ¡°I know¡ªbut I wanted to!¡±


    ¡°And like I said: you¡¯ve been doing plenty on your own, while I¡¯ve just been mooching around the house for the last forever. This is the least I can do to pay you back... Truly.¡±


    ¡°As for you two...¡± Sami cheekily smiles at Old Man Takashi and Uncle Naoto, who can¡¯t wait to dig in for themselves.


    ¡°How about this: you can cut yourselves some slices now, if you cover the rest of Reina¡¯s shift for the day! I say let the birthday girl clock out early.¡±


    Naoto lets out a guffaw. ¡°You always drove a hard bargain, eh?¡±


    ¡°Drove hard is right,¡± Takashi interjects. ¡°No problem, we can cover that! You enjoy the rest of your birthday.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, guys...¡±


    With that, Naoto and Takashi excuse themselves, eagerly carrying plates of chocolatey goodness into the break room with them. Sami boxes up the rest of cake and prepares to take it back up the road to their house, where the oven¡ªand tonight¡¯s dinner¡ªare waiting.


    ¡°Let me drive you back up there, at least¡ªyou don¡¯t have to walk all the way back home carrying that.¡±


    ¡°You wound me! A little walk or two isn¡¯t gonna kill me.¡± She jests, but in truth, she still has a visible crick in her gait. Reina can tell Sami really fought back the pain just to get here and surprise her¡ªand having to walk uphill back home does not sound like what she needs right now.


    ¡°...It will hurt, though, so yeah, maybe that¡¯s best.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go start the car.¡±


    Sami slowly makes her way out the door, following in Reina¡¯s footsteps. Reina hops in and slots the key in the ignition; the Road Runner roars to life, enjoying the sunny afternoon and eagerly awaiting its passenger.


    ¡°Mmgh... Rgh... Okay, there we go.¡± Sami has to move slowly as she twists herself onto the seat¡ªit¡¯s just how it is now.


    ¡°Heh heh... Man, it feels weird being the passenger. You don¡¯t drive me around all that much, huh?¡±


    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Last time I remember was...when you were learning to drive, I think. You needed to get all that ¡®supervised practice¡¯ before you could take your test. Not that you needed it!¡± She¡¯s been sneaking Reina out to Tokachi for ¡°practice¡± since she could first reach the pedals.


    ¡°At least it prepared me well for the parallel parking bit!¡±


    Sami chuckles. ¡°You were so paranoid about that.¡±


    Reina still does feel a little on edge whenever she drives her mom around. This is the car she made famous, after all¡ªand if she goofs up, she¡¯s sure she¡¯ll never hear the end of it.


    Sami, meanwhile, couldn¡¯t really care less about it. She¡¯s always felt like Reina puts too much pressure on herself.


    ¡°Lead the way, birthday girl!¡±


    Reina makes sure to maneuver the Road Runner as carefully as possible¡ªboth to go easy on Sami¡¯s back and to protect her precious cargo. With a rumble, the car exits the Aikawa Auto lot and makes for home.


    ¡°Feels weird driving this way up the road.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    The Aikawa household isn¡¯t too far from the shop itself¡ªwell within walking distance, albeit nestled partway up the omnipresent Mount Moiwa. Though they have a garage up there, neither it nor the driveway is actually big enough to fit the Road Runner, hence why it stays down at the shop. It used to be where they kept their daily driver instead...until hard times came a-knocking. Now it just sits empty, with Reina and Sami left to fill the void somehow.


    It¡¯s almost like her father took it with him.


    ¡°Well, uh...heh. Yeah, no parking it in the garage. You¡¯re gonna have to find a place on the street. Hey, you might finally get to put those parallel parking chops to use!¡±


    ¡°I would, if there were cars here. Looks like it¡¯s pretty empty.¡±


    ¡°Shame.¡±


    Heads turn on the streets as the Road Runner tramples the silence of the neighborhood. Within short order, though, Reina brings it to a halt, shutting the engine off and bringing an end to her day¡¯s work.


    ¡°Ahhh...!¡± There really is no place like home. The auto shop may be her habitat, but their little corner home just feels so cozy, even after all these years. It never fails to calm her down...especially when her mom¡¯s cooking her favorite dinner.


    ¡°I splurged on the real good stuff this time. It¡¯s only fair!¡±


    ¡°You spoil me~¡±


    Reina always looked forward to pasta night growing up. Even in Japan, where ingredients can get pretty pricey, those dishes are still cheap, easy and mighty filling, with plenty of leftovers to last days and days afterward. She likes the other budget staples well enough, of course¡ªhard to go wrong with rice and ramen¡ªbut something about a big casserole full of meat, cheese and pasta just sings to her stomach. She doesn¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever get tired of it.


    ¡°Here, let me go ahead and put it in the oven, you don¡¯t have to bend down for that. I¡¯ll take it out too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop it, you! Or are you just saying that ¡®cause you wanna take it out and dig in first?¡±


    ¡°...Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll allow it, then. Just this once.¡±


    Within minutes, the smell of Heaven itself takes over the kitchen. It doesn¡¯t take too long to cook, so they pull up their chairs at the dining table and content themselves with small talk while they wait for dinner to bake.


    They¡¯re still not sure what to do with that one other chair at the table... It¡¯s sobering, how much of difference a few years can make.


    ¡°Not too busy today, I take it?¡±


    ¡°No, classes were alright. And there wasn¡¯t much work to do, just a basic winter service for one car.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Things¡¯ll pick up once it starts getting properly cold.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. Just taking it one day at a time right now. I have to make it until then first...¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t sell yourself short.¡± Sami gets up to give her daughter another hug. ¡°I know I say it a lot, but I really mean it: you¡¯re a strong, strong girl.¡±


    Reina takes a deep breath. ¡°Thank you. I just... I really don¡¯t know what to do sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re already doing all you can, sweetie.¡±


    It¡¯s one thing to take over the family business; it¡¯s another thing to inherit it under the circumstances Reina¡¯s had to deal with. All of Sami¡¯s burning questions, all her doubts, all the problems she couldn¡¯t solve... They¡¯re now Reina¡¯s burden to bear. The proverbial bubble has burst, taking the young heiress¡¯ innocence with it.


    Guilt gnaws at Sami for that. She wishes she could¡¯ve done more to make the shop a better place for her¡ªa better business. Reina shouldn¡¯t have to take on all that responsibility so soon...and yet she has. Her little girl¡¯s all grown up.


    ¡°Change doesn¡¯t happen overnight¡ªit takes a lot of time, and a lot of patience. I know it¡¯s tough, I know it seems really daunting, but you don¡¯t have to try and rush to figure everything out right this instant.¡±


    Reina¡¯s breath trembles a bit. Sami hugs her tighter.


    ¡°Life is one big marathon¡ªand if you push yourself too hard, you¡¯ll burn out before you reach the finish line. You¡¯re still young, and you¡¯ve got plenty of time...and you don¡¯t have to go it alone anymore, either. You bet I¡¯m gonna do everything I can to help you along, now that I¡¯m feeling better.¡±


    ¡°Mm...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever forget how proud I am of you. You¡¯ve been dealt a bad hand, but you¡¯ve been doing all you can in spite of it. No matter what life throws at you, you just keep on truckin¡¯.¡±


    She lowers her voice to an introspective whisper. ¡°Reminds me a lot of your grandma.¡±


    A mix of emotions weigh heavy on Reina¡¯s heart.


    ¡°I... I just hope I can fill your shoes some day.¡±


    ¡°You will. Nobody believes in you more than I do.¡±


    *BEEP!*


    ¡°Now c¡¯mon, cheer up! It¡¯s your birthday, for crying out loud!¡±


    ¡°Heehee... Yeah. Thank you.¡±


    Pasta heals all wounds. Reina nearly melts into the chair at the very first bite, her delight audible. Sami can¡¯t help but smile too¡ªfinally being able to cook for the two of them again should give Reina a much-needed break around the house. Just as the dish lifts Reina¡¯s spirits, so too does it raise hers.


    ¡°Well, I think it turned out okay, for how rusty I am!¡±


    ¡°What were you saying about selling yourself short? It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you.¡± Sami¡¯s always been astounded at just how much that girl can eat. Suppose that¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re over six feet tall.


    ¡°Just make sure you save some room for dessert, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Sami goes ahead and brings the cake out of the fridge so it can start thawing out. By the time they¡¯re done with the pasta, it should be ready to slice up again.


    ¡°Alllright, that should do it. Cut yourself a slice whenever you¡¯re ready!¡±


    Reina ate so much of the main course that she can barely command herself out of the chair...but she thinks she has just enough room for dessert. She takes out their big knife and gets to work, puncturing the tire and hacking off a big ol¡¯ slice.


    The anticipation builds as she makes her way back to the table. She sets it down, gets out a fork, cuts a bite, and...


    (Mmmm...!)


    It¡¯s everything she could ever want in a cake. The taste itself is excellent, but beyond the rich chocolate, the sweet ice cream and all the other touches on top...it tastes like home.


    (This is the best birthday I¡¯ve had in years...!)


    It¡¯s been such a whirlwind over the past few years that she almost forgot what this sort of thing feels like. From the passing of her grandparents, to her father¡¯s unexpected exile, to the shop¡¯s continued misfortunes... It feels like she hasn¡¯t had a normal year in forever. The cake brings her back to when two was five¡ªback to those carefree birthdays with everyone huddled around the table, watching her blow the candles...


    Just where did all the time go?


    ¡°Thank you so much, Mom... I didn¡¯t know how much I needed this...!¡±


    ¡°My pleasure, sweetie.¡± Sami clears a little crumb of cake off Reina¡¯s face. ¡°Nothing makes me happy like seeing you happy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll always be there for you¡ªeverybody at the shop too. We¡¯ll get through it together.¡±


    ¡°Mhm...¡±


    Reina smiles. In spite of the turmoil, the misfortune, everything, they¡¯re both still going. Perhaps her grandmother¡¯s stubbornness really does run in the family...


    It just might give her the strength to power through all this.


    ***


    November 17<sup>th</sup> finally comes to a close. The Road Runner retreats back into its lair, guided by Reina¡¯s steady hand. Mount Moiwa begins to swallow the sun behind it, draping the neighborhood below in shadow and ushering for the moon to start its campaign. One more day passes in limbo, one more day adrift...and while that still looms large over Reina¡¯s head, she feels a little more comfortable about her place at the company now.


    ¡°And there we go... Good night.¡±


    She knows this little reverie won¡¯t last forever. She¡¯ll wake up from the dream and face reality head-on for 364 more days. She doesn¡¯t know yet what those 364 days will bring...whether they¡¯ll be as tough and tumultuous as years past, or if the clouds might finally part ways so she can see the stars above again. It¡¯s too early to tell what that night sky will look like...


    All she knows is, the future isn¡¯t waiting for her anymore. She¡¯s all grown up now, whether she¡¯s ready to accept it or not. As she makes the walk home, the year coming full circle one more time, she understands now that this coming trip around the sun may be the most important of them all.


    (Just gotta get through this... I can¡¯t keep kicking the can down the road forever. Once we¡¯re through the winter, we¡¯ve gotta make something happen.)


    Gold turns to purple, and purple turns to black. The winter winds begin their march into Sapporo, and the legions of gray come rolling in...