ACT 10 – 10000RPM 'Not Legal Anymore'
Moments
later, Kumiko had set out on her own, after skipping work to do some
changes in her car settings secretly within one of the tuning
garages.
She had fitted and configured back the old settings, what
her GTO used to be before her battle with Fu Huo at Route F5. The
classic Neon Serpent, such immense power combined with Kumiko's
smooth flowing movement of all her vehicle's instruments were just
some of the few formulas to the mix.
I'm going to need
all the power I could handle…
The 3000GT had already been
purely stripped out of many extra features that were unnecessary for
her vehicle on the street. Surely, the GTO was not the ideal car for
almost any touge battle. But for one last time, Kumiko must overcome
the limitations of her weapon of choice.
I don't understand
how Fu Huo screwed things up. His Evo should be much more balanced
than my GTO…
There was only one explanation Kumiko
could come up with. Being with Fu Huo for quite a while, she had
hunched the exact mistake that he might have probably done during
last night's race.
Fu Huo's acquired what used to be one of
my weaknesses… He must have not been driving his best due to how
much pressure was on to him. He's already lost at F5 once. He just
badly wanted to prove that he was my standard.
Kumiko and a few staff had just finished finally testing the 3000GT on the dyno. The next step was for her to give it a test run. The SW20 would indeed be a tough opponent. If Fu Huo had only driven properly, he could have won by some chance.
Finally operational once
again, the GTO rolled its way out of the tuning garage and moved on
to the track pits. Kumiko fully accelerated, quickly sending her car
almost flying past the entry.
Let's see if I still got it…
Kumiko quickly brandished her car's real power, taking
full advantage of the twin turbine kit system, along with reduced in
additional extras similar to the Twin Turbo MR model. It was as if
her VR-4 had already been altered by Zui Hou to compare to the TT MR,
yet with more power.
It was time to test the car for
maneuverability.
The first corner was rather mild, and Kumiko
began to turn at high speed.
I'm starting to feel it again. I remember… this power. It's seemingly uncontrollable power that I eventually was able to harness as I please… It was a feeling I missed…
Kumiko visualized her line. Her
delicate throttle and braking precision was almost perfectly timed
and set up for the S curves up ahead. She steered hard, braking and
throttling, moving the steering wheel almost back and forth
sequentially.
I can see why Fu Huo would have been frustrated.
The MR2 in the hands of someone like Alex, could either be in front
of behind as he would have desired at this point.
Kumiko continued to visualize an opponent in front of her. She then evened out her actions and applied a smoother flow to her cornering. At this rate, Fu Huo would have been struggling to catch up to his opponent and would hold down the throttle aggressively, causing him to speed up and understeer. Doing this while cornering would obviously have negative results.
The GTO smoothly cruised through the corners, maintaining an ideal line with less tyre spin. In his mind, Fu would think that he's already pushing his car to the limit, yet he still can't seem to keep up, which leads him to throttle even harder and less control of his actions.
In fact, it was not entirely the car's fault. Fu Huo just wasn't ready for someone like Alex. Something else must have happened at F5. But indeed, Fu Huo still has much to learn. I guess having said that he was the only one who can defeat me really got to him and backfired. Or maybe I'm just a bad instructor? In any case, the Emperor was right about him. His mind is really connected with the way he drives. Which is probably why he was the ideal subject for KYOKO.
Without KYOKO, his mind ran wild and free, and so did his driving. His lack of concentration was one of the biggest factors that destroyed him last night. Even the most experienced drivers have little troubles in their mind that affect them negatively while driving at high speed. His car's limitations were only an excuse for his own mistakes. Now it is time for me to correct them.
Kumiko
continued on to raise hell at the Zui Hou R test track. Her settings
have been changed from a balance between grip and drift, to a more
stable platform in order to be able to fully utilize the increase in
power output that she had just upgraded back to an estimate of 355HP.
Downforce settings, tyres, and braking balance have also been altered
in order to challenge both downhill and hillclimb battles.
Regardless
of any changes, the car was still very much Kumiko.
Alex will surely be a tough opponent. Considering the MR-2's capabilities on touge, and his already finely tuned skills, it would take all the luck I can get to manage a victory. But that's a chance I'm willing to take!
Meanwhile
during daytime, Ling Luan had spent most of his time out at the city
cruising with some of his friends, as they were all off work during
that Sunday. Fellow team member, Stephen, Dreadnaught's Hokuto and
Bu Xia De's Jeni, accompanied him as they killed time together
until the afternoon.
They had parked their rather awesome machines
at the parking lot and strolled around the shopping mall like they
would during the day like normal citizens, which was much different
from their secret life during the nighttime.
After the movie,
the group had decided to catch a break at the most popular
multifunctional café in town – Koda's. The place had
almost been a home of frequent modified car visitors and other form
or shape of road racer.
Their cars; Ling's LanEvo VII RS,
Stephen's RX-7 A Spec, Hokuto's Pulsar GtiR and Jeni's Skyline
GT-R had almost decorated Maya's parking lot.
However, the
owner's MINE's Impreza WRX, nor the familiar black LanEvo V were
nowhere to be seen.
The crew stepped inside the facility and
took a seat at a nearby table.
"I've never been here before,"
said Jeni softly.
"It's the best place out there, hands down,"
said Stephen proudly.
"Not really. But I admit it's my
favourite place too," added Ling.
"Well, everybody knows Kouda
Maya. And this is her fortress now. And not a bad one at that!"
explained Hokuto, "Even though it's own by who was once the
leader of our rival team."
Ling had then momentarily taken
Jeni to the bar area, while Stephen and Hokuto further discussed some
recent events to date. However, the regulars, Minako and Fu Huo were
not present.
Maya greeted the table and prepared to take some
orders.
Stephen asked, "Maya-chan, is it true?"
"What
is?" replied Maya, handing out some menus.
"About Fu…?"
continued Stephen.
"Chuan Fu Huo? Oh, the race at Route F5
yesterday…?" interrupted Hokuto, "Do you know how it went?"
"I
heard… it was a tragedy," said Stephen.
Meanwhile,
Ling spend time with his new friend from the opposing race team,
Jeni, whom had recently reconciled with him for her deception.
"I
had fun today," claimed Jeni softly.
"Really? That's good to
hear. So, you busy tonight?" replied Ling.
"Well, now that you
mention it, I might be out at D1 tonight,"
"What's there?"
asked Ling curiously, "You racing someone again?"
"No… But
there is going to be a race, I think. I'm not sure yet,"
"You're
just going to spectate, huh. It must be worth watching then?"
"Yes…
my idol is due to compete tonight, if she decides to accept my fellow
team mate's challenge," announced Jeni.
"Your idol against
your teammate?" asked Ling Luan curiously. "So whom are you
rooting for?"
"I don't know… But it'll be a good battle
for sure…"
"So Chuan Fu Huo is not racing
anymore?" asked Hokuto, continuing the conversation at the
table.
"I highly doubt he could," said Maya, "I don't
think he should get back to it at the rate he's going. It just
showed how inexperienced he was when he crashed his car. I guess the
Sky Dragon was only legend…"
"But hey, the legend of Zui
Hou R still continues through Mark, Ling and I," announced
Stephen.
"Maybe so. Oh well. I'm over that sort of stuff. I've
retired for a reason," added Maya.
"It's a shame really,"
began Hokuto, "We've been getting word from other teams of
potential challenges and offers for Fu Huo… Looks like it wasn't
to be,"
"Speaking of Fu Huo, where is he now anyway?" asked Stephen.
It was about time for Alex to take action. He and Sly wasted no more time and finally headed on their way to the main Zui Hou R headquarters in the town area. They made their way anxiously through the city streets and traffic lights finding their way to their real target. Much to their surprise, Alex's one true opponent had already been waiting for him out the front gate.
Standing proudly in front of the empire she had sworn to defend, Kumiko was ready to intercept the incoming prey. She glared on at her enemies as they slowly arrived strolling by; valves hissing and revs squealing while then slowly began to park directly in front of her.
Alex and Sly stepped out of their vehicles to
finally greet Kumiko and predict her absolute defeat.
"I knew
you'd come back," said Kumiko in a sharp voice.
"Whoa, hey,
we haven't even got started yet," interrupted Sly.
"Let this
to me," said Alex, stepping forward from his vehicle.
Kumiko
had a fiery look on her face. I'm ready. Just bring it.
"I'm
sure you already know what I'm here for, Fukada Kumiko,"
continued Alex, "I have passed through your apprentice and now it's
time for me to go through you."
"Whatever, I'm ready to
go," accepted Kumiko without a second thought.
"So soon to
decide? I appreciate it. I want to challenge you at your own home
course of Route D1. Since you claim you are ready, how about we do it
tonight?"
Kumiko paused for a while in thought. Though the
idea did not seem to matter. The sooner the better, she wanted to end
things as soon as possible.
"You got it!" accepted Kumiko,
"Ten thirty at D1!"
"Thank you," thanked Alex politely,
"For the pride of both our teams, let us race for fun and on
another note, let's hope we both finish in one piece," laughed
Alex insultingly.
"I'll make you pay for what happened to my student!" claimed Kumiko angrily.
Without saying a word, the two Bu Xia De members slowly stepped back into their vehicles and exited the area.
Route D1 tonight? Now he tells me. I feel so insulted, even just by being thought of losing on my own home course. Oh well… I'll do my best. For Fu Huo… for Zui Hou… and for myself. The three main things that have meant the most to me in my life…
It was like a
session of counseling; Fu Huo spent the remainder of his day with his
closest friend, Minako, who he seemed to be just the one to take his
mind of most anxiety. The two had driven near the small lake near the
provincial areas of D1, where it was more quiet and peaceful than the
city.
They spent their time with less driving, more walking, with
Maya's Impreza parked along the carpark near the lake.
Fu Huo felt most comfortable with Minako around – it was like being with his Evo, making him feel right at home. She was somebody who, even no matter how stupid or dumb he would act, she would always look at him for his true self, despite his other, more mysterious and bitter side.
Minako was getting rather tired of all the racing talk. She began to feel as if the whole game is ruining their friendship, taking Fu Huo away from her bit by bit, paying more attention to his Lancer than anything else.
"Hey Fu…"
began Minako, sitting near the side of the small bridge-like
pier.
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember anything about your
parents?" she continued.
"Why are you asking this all of a
sudden?"
"You know, we haven't talked about stuff like this
too often. I feel like I don't know you anymore. Besides, you don't
always want to talk about cars, do you?"
"Yeah, I guess you're
right," replied Fu Huo, "I appreciate what you're trying to do.
You gotta know how it feels to fricken crash your most precious car…
Well, it's my only car…"
"It's just a box on four
wheels, Fu,"
Fu Huo walked over to Minako and slowly got down to side next to her. She's right. It might be a LanEvo, but it's still just a car. Perhaps there really are other things I can do besides being a street racer…
"My parents? Well… I'm not sure where to begin; I don't remember much…" explained Fu Huo. "I've never met my mother. I literally know nothing about her at all. Not even her name, nor what she even looks like,"
"Really? Do you know how she died?" asked Minako
curiously.
"Not exactly. My father told me that she died giving
birth to me," explained Fu Huo, "I was never shown a picture of
her, nothing. We actually hardly talked about her,"
"Your
father? What about him? Do you remember him much? I remember he used
to let you stay at or house because he was always busy."
"Actually,
that's what my caretakers used to say to your parents whenever they
make me sleep over your house. My father actually left a long time
ago, when I was still too young to even know what was going on… His
name was Shuo." Chuan Shuo
"Caretakers? You never
told me about them," said Minako.
"Well, they're the ones
who looked after me when I was taken in. I did not know what was
going on at the time and I just did what I was told. They said they
knew my father and that he told them to look after me," explained
Fu Huo.
"They took care of you well, didn't they?"
wondered Minako, "Do you know why your father left you?"
"Yes
they did. But I don't think they knew why my father left me,"
It
had been a while since Minako had anything disclosed from Fu. Being
friends with him for so many years, it was like she still did not
know anything about him, due to his recent revelations.
"By the
way, where did these 'caretakers' come from, anyway?" asked
Minako.
"They told me they worked for a man know as Emperor Zui
Hou. He was the one who covered everything for me, put me through
school; found me careers, and a new life. I've only actually just
met the guy recently. I never got a chance to ask him about why he
showed me all this gratitude and sent me all these caretakers.
However, there was once catch to it all – after I had reached a
certain age, I was to be entered into the automotive scene, and they
made me start driving at a very early age. That's when I realized
that I was taken in be a very large corporation… or 'empire' as
they called it, which specializes in different forms of car-related
business called Zui Hou R…"
"That's interesting. I'm
surprised I never knew all this stuff," admitted Minako.
"You
never asked, haha," teased Fu Huo, "Anyway, to this day, I still
don't know why my father handed me over to Zui Hou R."
"So
you moved out eventually?" confirmed Minako. "It's a good thing
they didn't control you entirely. At least we still saw each
other."
"Yeah, I moved out. They actually helped me with a lot
of things. They wanted me to move out eventually anyway, because
apparently they had to fund a new project that required a lot of time
and effort. But I still continued to work for them as a parts dealer,
vehicle maintenance, and some accounting. It paid decently, however,
my bank account already had a fair bit of money in there for some
reason before I even deposited. I used that, plus all the money I've
saved up from work to buy myself a Lancer Evo."
"So that's
why you loved it so much…" realized Minako.
"Yeah… that
Evo symobolizes my life. Everything I've worked to achieve is what
the Evo means to me. To further increase my profits, I used the
Lancer for street racing under Zui Hou, even though I mainly own the
car. And now… the car is broken…"
The time has come. The overall dominance between Bu Xia De and Zui Hou R was to finally be decided. Strangely, Route D1 was not as jam-packed even though their hometown heroine was due to show up. Even Bu Xia De would have wanted their victory to be seen by as many people as possible. However, a lot of the races between both factions have not been properly scheduled and severely rushed. Impatience has it's own terms and conditions.
The two heavyweights, Alex and Kumiko had taken their place on the line up with their vehicles side by side. Neither of them wasted any time for small talk. It was due for them to prove that they can let their skills speak for themselves. There were also fewer Bu Xia De staff along the area, but still sufficient enough in case of an emergency.
It was 10:25PM, revs were soaring in the middle of the night, the tides have risen and the great stench of petrol shrouded the scene. Once again, Sly had taken the role of counting down for the race.
Vrrmm! Vrrmm!
"Go!" announced Sly.
This is it. Let's hope for the best, my GT… Kumiko shot her car through take off, easily overpowering Alex's MR-2.
Huh…! The same thing Chuan Fu Huo did last night. But would she make the same mistakes? It's too early to tell. Alex kept on the throttle, accelerating his vehicle without hesitations.
Kumiko quickly glanced at her
mirror, checking her opponent's current position. Not bad. He's
managed to right on my tail even after start-up. Midship-engined cars
actually do have slighty better take off than normal rear-wheelers.
But I have no time to make assumptions about my opponent right now…
She knew Route D1's downhill like the back of her hand.
Every inch, every leaf, every angle and shadow, it appeared to be
Kumiko's night.
Alex waited patiently. His compact MR-2 was free of movement around D1's wider sections. It was almost as if he was free to overtake the GTO anytime he pleased. Just what I would expect from someone like Kumiko… Go on. Show me your true power!
The GTO flew past the next few mild corners, followed
closely by the SW20. Alex had really pushed Kumiko since the
beginning. Giving her no time to stall, Alex had a way to almost
dictate the pace of the battle itself, even though considering Kumiko
is more in favour of power.
She felt it in her body; Kumiko had
not even a split second to relax. The MR-2 just would not leave her
mirror. I must stay calm. I can't repeat the same mistakes of Fu
Huo…
Though it seemed that Alex had been holding back,
his SW20 actually already had great difficulty keeping up with the
3000GT. His manueverabilty was slightly more superior, however.
This
is what I want. This is what I've been waiting for!
The GTO
slowly, but surely was able to pull away on the straight road.
But
just like Alex's previous opponent, the GTO seemed to have been
slowing down enough during the curves allowing him to easily drift
through the sharp line and catch it.
Kumiko had not been much for drifting that night. She was dead serious in leaving her opponent behind clueless. A consecutive hairpin section was coming up. Kumiko smoothly released the throttle, slowing down a little, and then applied the throttle again just before the first turn while she held down the brake with her left foot. Her car slowed down in time to take the corner, yet power was still being distributed to the wheels enabling it to turn a little better.
Out of nowhere, the MR-2 slid sideways, positioning itself directly behind the GTO as it completed the first hairpin. Kumiko did not let this phase her mind. Setting her vehicle straight, she continued to apply the throttle, which she now pushed even harder. The MR-2 suddenly poked itself into Kumiko's view, as it drifted along the outside line at great speed. With Kumiko giving her opponent such chances like this, it would only be a matter of time until she is 'taken…
It
was already past ten o'clock in the evening; Minako and Fu Huo
remained by the lake even just after their small little picnic
earlier in the afternoon.
Fu Huo layed on his back, heading
leaning on the soft grass next to Minako, who was sitting up staring
at the lake with the Impreza parked a few meters behind them.
"Are
you sure Maya wouldn't mind us taking the car?" wondered Fu
Huo.
"We'll pick her up later. She'll just call,"
explained Minako.
Fu Huo placed his palms at the back of his head and kicked back. He had been with Minako almost the entire day. But all he could think about was the night before. At least it was a change from the usual dangerous games that he would usually compete in at around this time of the night.
"I don't feel like
going back…" muttered Fu Huo, shutting his eyes.
"Then I
guess I'll just have to leave you here," replied Minako, "You
okay walking by yourself?"
"…Yeah," said Fu Huo without a
second thought.
"Hey, I was kidding," chuckled Minako, "But
if I wasn't, would you really have let me go?"
"I dunno,"
Fu Huo knew the answer. But it just was not to come out
truthfully.
He slowly sat up and focused his eyes on Minako.
No matter what they have been through in the past or present, he
still always had some respect for her.
"Hey Mina…" he
called out softy, "Thanks,"
"For what?" replied Minako
cheerfully.
"…A lot of things," explained Fu Huo briefly,
"…you know, you're actually as good company as my Evo,"
"What's
that mean? I'm no more to you than just a car?"
"…Well,
to put it that way, I wouldn't mind riding you," laughed Fu
Huo.
Ohh! That little pervert! Minako's face had
quickly glared red. "Looks like you still haven't changed…"
"Oh,
but you're wrong," objected Fu Huo, "I have changed,"
"Doesn't
look like it to me. How so?" challenged Minako.
"…You
wouldn't understand,"
There he goes again. His usual
'you wouldn't understand' kind of line. It's his way of
trapping me into asking him about more. It's his way of trying to
get my attention…
"Okay, Fu. Maybe I wouldn't…"
They had usually often played games with each other in this manner. Always fighting for the last comment. "Thought so," said Fu Huo.
The two lay in silence for a brief moment. The air seemed just as quiet and peaceful with the moon's glow reflecting on the face of the lake.
"Fu…" began Minako, "…so have you found
someone yet?" she asked shyly.
"What do you mean?" pretended
Fu Huo in confusion.
"…You know what I mean," insisted
Minako.
Fu paused, then replied, "Maybe…"
"Really?"
asked Minako in curiousity.
"I'm not sure. To be honest, I
really don't know," explained Fu Huo.
"…I see. You mean
you're in that spot in which you don't know how you feel at the
moment?"
"…Something like that," agreed Fu Huo.
"It's
just like you. It's just like how you always like to get involved
with a woman, no matter who she is, without even having any feelings
for her whatsoever. It's rather cold and deceptive… and at the
same time, rather immature."
"Are you jealous or something?"
fired back Fu Huo, not taking any more criticism from
Minako.
"Jealous? No. If I wanted you, I would have you by now,"
replied Minako sharply.
Since when did she develop such an
ego? Who does she think she is?
"Let's drop it. You got
my answer," surrendered Fu Huo, "We've only just made up, and I
don't want to get into a fight with you again…"
"We're
not fighting, are we?" chuckled Minako as she teasingly hugged Fu
Huo, almost strangling him by the neck.
"H-hey, watch it!"
squealed Fu Huo, as Minako stacked it in front of him, taking him
down with her.
The two wrestled playfully along the grass,
giggling at each other as Minako had finally pinned down Fu.
"Ha!"
said Minako.
"I guess this is how bored we've become,"
laughed Fu Huo.
"Nah… this is how boring you've
become," teased Minako.
Fu Huo lay on the grass, turning his
head upward, catching a glimpse of Maya's Impreza.
"Hey,
Mina…" he called softly.
"Yeah?"
"Can you drift that
thing?" wondered Fu Huo.
"What thing? The car?"
"What
else?"
"What's drifting anyway?"
I can't
believe she just asked me that…
Fu Huo began to try to
explain, "Well… it's a cornering style in which the driver
manages a controlled loss of traction to be able to manipulate the
vehicle's position through a curve at a certain speed… uh… I
think…"
Minako replied in confusion, "Um… I have
absolutely no idea about what you just said,"
"Ah, fine…
well, its when you make the car skid when you turn so you can come at
some angle… uh… well I don't really know how to explain it.
It's better shown than done," Fu Huo glanced at the Impreza
again, "Wanna see?"
"Um… I don't know, Fu…"
hesitated Minako.
"Scared?" teasted Fu Huo.
"No!"
"You
think your sister would mind?"
"I don't think so. Well, I
make the car skid sometimes for fun when we go along D1…"
confessed Minako, "But I'm not too good though. Maya cracked it
at me once when I made the car spin out by accident. Good thing I
didn't damage anything… Or crash the actually car… like
somebody I know…"
she continued teasingly, as she poked her
tongue out.
The second hairpin in the chain seemed even tighter for Fukada Kumiko and her GTO, as Alex continued to tail her by sending his vehicle skidding wildly along an angle through the outside in the attempt to get right around the GTO's wide body.
It's almost as annoying to turn as a Skyline…
Kumiko did not bother to downshift, as her revs shot through
while keeping the throttle on through the turn as well as braking
with the other foot.
The best chance I have is on the
straightaway. But I know I'm going to need more than that. I'm
going to have to search a remedy for my cornering…
Alex
had worn the tyres a little more than Kumiko. Her original strategy
was to overpower the MR-2 in order to keep Alex trying to pounce at
her relentlessly by frequent skidding and eventually lose his grip
near the end of the race. The battle had been continually serenaded
by 'Game' – Ayumi Hamasaki.
Alex had been much more
underestimated than expected.
'Hora sukoshizutsu anata no
nokoshita
nukumori ga tokedashite'
Kumiko was badly in need of a back up plan. The MR-2's agility had really played a big factor against her GTO in this match up. Little did she expect that car conditions could sometimes overcome the driver's overall skills.
'zenbu kietara konna karada wa
nan no imi wo
motsu kana'
Alex's SW20 and the addition of his delicate and precise weight shifting seemed to prove a virtually invincible combination. It was apparent that Kumiko had been a little overconfident and somewhat blinded with her own pride. She thought almost endlessly of how she could pull something out of the hat for this battle.
The next hairpin seemed wider than the others. Kumiko continued to sway her car from the outside to inside gradually as she continually tapped the brake to managed her speed. Yet Alex continued to slide and drift through, taking a tighter and more precise line nearing the apex.
There was now almost a closed gap between the MR-2 and the GTO.
'Shoudou ga
kasanariatte
degechi no nai meiro ni hamaru
fui ni osou
genjitsu-tachi ga
nukedaseru michi wo sagasu'
The two
vehicles swayed themselves into the opposite direction, positioning
for the next hairpin in the chain. Both drivers could feel what was
coming. Each angle had been a closer step for Alex to steal the lead.
'Na no ni naze fushigi na kurai
kono basho wo
hanarerarenai'
Kumiko could almost feel exactly what Fu Huo had experienced during his own battle with Alex. She could be right about finding out when he cracked. At this rate, Alex would now have two victims for his trap.
'Ashita no imagoro niwa
umaku waraeru
sou maru de nanigoto mo nakatta ka no you ni'
Out of the corner's exit, the cars were now side by side. There had been no changes in their variety of movement so far. And so it was, Alex had finally jerked his vehicle to the outside just as soon as he saw the glimpse of the GTO's taillights flash and sent his car drifting right around it as Kumiko had just reached the apex.
'itsu datte sou yatte aruite kita no ni
kono
GEEMU omou you ni sousa dekinai'
In a flash, Kumiko had
then caught sight of the MR-2's taillights. It had finally been
completed. Alex had overtaken Kumiko at the last hairpin of the chain
almost effortlessly. Kumiko had been phased at how easily she had
been passed, her mood had began to spark, sending her right into
Alex's trap.
She struggled to longer maintain her focus; her
plan had been foiled so early into the race.
It was just like how
her apprentice had been dominated beforehand, now it seemed that
Kumiko was next in line…
It
was a late night; Minako and Fu Huo had taken some time off to do
some late driving across the curvy plains near the lake area to kill
some time. They were both often the kind of people who prefer to
spend most of their leisures during the night.
Fu Huo had taken
behind the wheel of Maya's Impreza WRX tuned by MINE's and began
to demonstrate a few basic cornering.
Minako watched on, sitting in the passenger's seat almost in complete boredom even to the sound of the Impreza's boxer roar. Fu Huo had soon noticed this and began to try something different.
"Are you drifting
yet?" asked Minako.
"Uh, no," replied Fu Huo, as he then
sharply pulled the e-brake of his car to make the vehicle slide
across a mild corner. "See that? That's an e-brake drift,"
"Oh,
is that all? That's pretty easy," bragged Minako, "I've done
it before. You just pull the handbrake and do a powerslide of some
sort,"
"Uh, not quite, but yeah…"
Fu Huo upped the pace, pushing the Impreza a little harder. This MINE's technology is fabulous. All the hardware, the computer, it is all sweetness. Maya really has this thing decked out!
"Let's see what this thing can do," claimed Fu Huo.
He then turned the car outward slightly at the opposite direction of the turn he was about to make, then quickly executed a hard feint drift motion right after heel-toe shifting and easily set the car sliding at an angle, positioning the car right into the exit with minimum time lost.
"Wow!" cheered Minako. "What was that?"
"Well…
I sorta drifted…" explained Fu Huo. "This is a rally style of
drifting used by sort of whipping your car from one side to the other
by suddenly turning in allowing the momentum to send the vehicle into
a skid… I think,"
"Sounds kinda… complicated," commented
Minako.
"Yeah, I'm not really good at explaining these things.
It's my instructor that does that,"
Fu Huo continued on,
and then made a quick U-turn, heading back the same way he just came
again.
As he approached the same curve at such a high speed, he
quickly punched the clutch, causing the car to rev wildly s he kept
his foot on the throttle.
"Fu! What're you doing?" called Minako.
Fu Huo then turned into the curve, as the car had managed to break traction, sending the Impreza gliding through the corner at an extreme angle.
"Is that drifting?"
wondered Minako, almost recovering from a little bit of panic.
"Uh,
yeah… I dunno what it's called though. But its basically when you
enter your car too fast for the turn, then suddenly kick in the
clutch to over-rev the car as you turn, and somehow, it gives enough
oversteer," Fu tried to explain.
"I still don't
understand," admitted Minako.
"Perhaps you'd like to give it
a try?"
The Impreza had momentarily slowed down, and then
came to a complete stop. The two had then swapped places, with Minako
now in the driver's seat.
The WRX made a U-turn once again,
going back into the same direction it was before previously.
"Now,
just like I showed you," began Fu Huo, as Minako hesitantly began
to speed up.
I don't get what such thrill there is in
this… Minako continued on, speeding up the vehicle.
She then
hesitated, and slowed the car down a little while taking the corner
at moderate speed.
"That's not it, try again," suggested Fu Huo.
The Impreza U-turned again, and went back and forth, as Minako continually kept practice on the same corner. It's more difficult than I thought…
"You'll get the hang of it some day," cheered up Fu.
Another round, Minako sent the Impreza rolling past again, slowly making slight skidding of the tyres. After a few more tries, Minako had tried different speeds of taking the curve, as Fu Huo guided her through her moves and lines.
"This is too hard," admitted Minako.
"You're
doing well," praised Fu Huo, "You'll eventually learn it over
much practice,"
"No way," said Minako pessimisticly, "I
can't seem to do it,"
"Oh well…"
The battle at Route D1 continued. Alex had now begun to take charge of the duel as Kumiko helplessly followed him behind. The harder she turned, the heavier the car felt. Kumiko had been struck hard, so easily after the consecutive hairpin curves earlier on. She began to lose a bit of focus, revving her vehicle higher and increasing her speed more and more, catching the MR-2 on the straightaway, but a little sloppier on the cornering.
Why? Why are you like
this, my GT?
Kumiko struggled a little too shoot past the
next blind turns, only to see the SW20's rear skid across the line,
sliding eventually from the inside then exited on the outside.
This is starting to get repetitive… Alex continued his pace, flinging his car through the sharp turns and gliding through the mild ones. She's failing in the same areas Chuan Fu Huo did last night…
The two supercars continued along the downhill at insane velocity, almost swiping past the bushes violently, as well as past two rather familiar vehicles.
"This
is bad…" said Ling Luan, who stood next to his LanEvo VII parked
in the tourist view area.
"I wonder what Alex did?" mentioned
Jeni, "It's such a surprise to see Kumiko behind, especially at
such a crucial time of the battle,"
"The SW20 really is a tough opponent," admitted Ling Luan, "I heard it rocks the quarter-mile too. And it's virtually perfect balanced weight distribution gives it a definite edge against Kumiko's GTO."
"Don't you believe in your own heroine?" asked
Jeni, "Has Kumiko really lost hope?"
"Kumiko is good,"
said Ling Luan, "But just like Fu Huo said, she's not
invincible,"
"Either way, whoever wins is good enough for me,"
said Jeni, "It's an awesome race,"
"Yes indeed," agreed
Ling I don't know what's going on now. Why Master Ku? You have
to win. You're the one who is meant to correct Fu Huo's mistakes.
Only you!
Kumiko could not take her angry eyes of
the MR-2's tails. Her turn-ins began to move aggressively, yet more
and more reckless.
Alex quickly glanced at his mirror. She's
getting desperate.
Utilizing the only way he could to enable
him to temporarily pull away from the GTO's power, Alex continued
to let his car flow through the corners while not pushing his tyres
harder than he already was.
I… don't wanna lose this
battle. I just don't want to lose to someone like Alex. He's
already taken out Fu Huo…
Kumiko began to helplessly follow
her opponent, closely watching him as she briefly closed the gap on
the straightaway. …Fu Huo? Wait a sec…
Her driving began to alter slightly. She eased off the throttle a little bit, moderating her speed for the next sharp corner to be taken efficiently. At this rate… this is how Fu Huo lost last night…
Kumiko exited the corner at moderate speed, and then
picked up the pace again. I can't repeat his mistake. I must
concentrate and find a way to turn this duel around!
She
patiently moved in closer to the SW20, observing Alex's movement
and flow. Kumiko strategically decided to try and mimic her
opponent's lines as closely as possible.
Alex continued on,
using his superior abilities to clean through the mild S curves ahead
followed by some wide hairpin curves.
The MR-2 swiftly drifted
sharply to the inside, gliding through the apex in a flash and then
slowly flowed back to the outside line just before the corner's
exit.
Alex had used this method to save what little is left of
his tyre grip to instead of forcing the car to stay within the inside
line, he would just let it flow right back out of the curve, ending
up around near the outside line.
Kumiko began to copy this and
used the same inside-outside line flow. Using her car's power, she
was able to plow through the corner while catching the MR-2 without
having to trigger a loss of traction. She was able to grip the turns
more fluidly, yet the power still greatly distorted her turning
ability.
However, Kumiko had been saving her tyres up to now. But
it seemed that she needed to begin to sacrifice a bit of grip in
order to bring her closer to her opponent.
He has to let his
car flow outward slowly in order to maintain his grip. However, he
needs to set his car at an angle so that he can exit at a better
position to take the corner. But in order to do that, he has to
drift…?
Alex continued to skillfully move his MR-2 in
the way of the GTO. He quickly stole the inside line, while Kumiko
did the same. The MR-2 had moved slightly to the side, yet the GTO
was still able to keep at the inside.
In an instant, Kumiko had
then noticed the flaw in Alex's line.
…I've got it.
The two vehicles exited the hairpin, as Alex continued the lead with the GTO positioned at the corner of Alex's eye, tailing him closely as 'Crazy 4 U' – Koda Kumi kicked in.
Kumiko watched on at Alex's cornering. She quickly
pulled the E-brake slightly, in order for her to copy the MR-2's
angle of drift a little more accurately. Alex continued on, flying
straight past the apex, yet this time, followed very closely by the
GTO. The MR-2 had slightly flowed to the outside slowly, yet the GTO
still had enough grip to maintain a closer line to the inside.
The
two cars shot back out of the curve, with the 3000GT a part slightly
catching the MR-2 on the side.
'sono kurayami de tsume wo
migaite wa
nerai sadamete kuchibiru ubatta'
The next corner, Alex had partially figured what Kumiko had planned. He slowled down during the turn, trying to maintain an ideal path to conserve his grip. But the GTO had overpowered the MR-2 in this same method.
'shouganai desho kakugo kimete yo!
konya wa
nagai yoru ni naru wa'
Alex knew he had to slow down in
order to block Kumiko from taking the inside line. It was not over
for him yet. But he could not tell what was the anxiety he began to
feel whenever the GTO poked itself in his view constantly.
Suddenly,
the GTO slowly moved near the outside line.
'itsumade mo
kawaranai nante
arienai keredo (crazy 4 u … ) '
The
short straightaway came up, and the GTO had now been catching up to
the SW20 portion by portion. But it was not enough, as another sharp
curve came up.
Alex tried to grip the inside yet again, in
another attempt to keep Kumiko at bay. Yet this time, Kumiko did not
fall for the bait, as she flung her car sliding around the outside
and right around the SW20 while it lost speed trying to grab the
inside.
'demo hontou wa zutto
kawaranai mama de itai
no'
The two racers were now side by side, followed by another sharp curve coming at Kumiko's side of the road. As Alex began to try and drift around the GTO, Kumiko had bravelet attempted the same, while maintaining the inside line, warding off the MR-2 almost near the outside barrier.
'Crazy for your
love!
sono te de kowareru hodo no hageshii wana!'
Alex was left with no other option but to brake in order to stop himself from moving further to the outside and hit the barrier, as he watched helplessly at the GTO slowly pulling up past him through the apex and near the exit.
'Only for you!
dakiai kuzureta mama
no
It's love game!
The 3000GT had swiftly moved back in position upon exit, as Kumiko controlled her vehicle fluidly setting her vehicle for the straight. She had finally turned the tables on Alex, utilizing the full capability of her car combined with her skill, she was able to reverse Alex's own tactic against him as she proudly chomped the high speed corners of the final section of D1.
'kagiri naku tsuzuku yozora wa
haruka kanata
yagate kuru kakekaenai kono asa'
Alex
watched helplessly at his current state, moderating his vehicle's
speed to tackle the remaining corners. He had no options left, or he
would completely ruin the tyres if he had pushed any harder.
He
could feel his defeat arriving slowly, realizing what an opponent he
had just challenged.
Kumiko proudly completed the remaining sections of her home course confidently in relief. The mighty GTO flew past the pass in all great class, as Kumiko always was.
'Crazy
for your love
sono te de dakareru tabi ni hageshiku naru
Only
for you
honki ni naru no ga kowai
The trap of love'
Kumiko ran swiftly across the street in her vehicle, sharply taking the win with exclamation. Alex tailed behind and and passed the finish just half a second after the GTO.
'kasaneau sono kuchibiru ga
furueteita
hontou no kokoro wo ima miseru wa'
And so it was done, Fukda Kumiko had finally struck the final blow on Bu Xia De, with Zui Hou R claiming it's superiority over all entities in street racing to date. At the end of the day, it had been once again, the Neon Serpent of D1 sitting at the top of the racing realm.
'Crazy for your love
sono te de kowareru hodo
no hageshii wana
Only for you
dakiai kuzureta mama no
It's
love game
kagiri naku tsuzuku yozora wa haruka kanata
yagate
kuru kakekaenai kono asa'
Moments later, the
two opponents had finally settled at the nearest tourist gallery at
the foot of the Route D1 pass.
The MR-2 had parked itself in front
of the 3000GT, just under the street lamps before the bridge.
Alex
slowly stepped out and made his way to Kumiko.
"Well done,"
congratulated Alex.
Kumiko stepped out of her car, and shook hands
with the loser.
"I apologize if I had made you feel
insulted," said Alex.
"It's okay," Kumiko cut it short,
"It was a good battle though,"
"I never doubted you for a
second, Fukada," said Alex, "But I just had to see for myself,
with my own two eyes. You delivered more than what I've asked
for…"
"I don't need to be patronized," said Kumiko,
"After all, I'm not the one that lost,"
"That's true,"
admitted Alex, taking the hit, "Through your performance last
night, I can really see why you're such an inspiration for many
female road racers out there, even males too. You know, even Reiko
admits that she admires you a little,"
"Reiko?" laughed
Kumiko.
"By the way, sorry about your student. How is he
holding up? He refused my help last night and demanded me to leave
him," wondered Alex.
"I guess that makes two of us on the
retirement list," laughed Kumiko…
Days later after the ultimate demise of Bu Xia De's Street Elite, road racing just had not seem at it's prime craze at the moment. With Kumiko the icon barely ever in full active competition anymore and Fu Huo currently without a vehicle, fewer fanatics have been around Route D1 to see the true heavyweight competitors come out and play, other than the locals, such as Honey-C, MIVEC Club, and the newly established Convertible Connection (which is a dedicated team which only sports convertibles, such as MX-5's, S2000's, MR-2's, etc.) are more frequently present.
It was another typical day for Chuan Fu
Huo, except for one major factor. His Lancer did not seem to run
properly and is rather distorted in handling and efficiency.
Public
transport was always an option. Koda's was a close fifteen-minute
walk from his apartment. But Zui Hou's tuning branch was a
different story.
Fu Huo stepped out of his door wearing dark
pants and a dark gray blazer, as he locked up and made his way out on
the street.
In a short moment, his cell phone began to beep. Fu
reached for his pocket and noticed that he had been prank called by
Kumiko.
She always had odd ways of looking after him. Instead of
wasting some phone credit, they would usually prank each other to
signal something or get their attention.
After a moment,
Kumiko's 3000GT had slowly pulled up in front of Fu Huo out of
nowhere.
Kumiko rolled down her window and called out to him,
"Hey, let's get to work man. Come on, I'll give you a
lift,"
"Thanks," it was a relief for Fu Huo. And just as he thought, Kumiko had always had a way of looking after him.
The
two had continue to drive along the city, on their way to the Zui Hou
R tuning branch in town. Fu Huo stared at the window, watching all
the other drivers in their precious little cars.
He had not said a
word, as he made himself comfortable sitting in Kumiko's GTO. It
was his turn to ride with Kumiko, just like he had given her a ride
in the legendary NA2.
"Fu Huo," began Kumiko
softly.
"Yeah?"
"Listen to me…" continued Kumiko;
"I've just had a discussion with the Emperor…"
Fu Huo knew the feeling inside him could not be good. He forgot all about what would happen if the Emperor had found out about his recent accident.
"Well… what did he say?" wondered Fu Huo.
"I
was able to cut a deal with him," explained Kumiko. "I thought
you should get a second chance…"
Second chance?
Kumiko continued, "I tried to convince the Emperor to let you have another shot. After all, he still sees some potential in you, and that you're of less use to him without a car,"
"So
what are you saying?" asked Fu Huo curiously.
"Basically, the
Emperor will allow you to have a second chance at racing again. Under
certain conditions of course," explained Kumiko further.
"Really?"
said Fu Huo surprisingly. "What are his conditions?"
Kumiko made a long pause, as she continued to drive her way around town. She calmly focused her eyes on the road, as she tried to contain her excitement.
"You don't have enough money to repair your
Evo, do you? The Emperor's deal is that he'll allow us to repair
it with Zui Hou R's resources for a certain cost,"
"Which
are?"
"Since we're gonna be fitting your car with parts
currently owned by Zui Hou R, then your Evo partially becomes
property of Zui Hou," said Kumiko.
"So basically, they'll
restore my car if they own half of it?" confirmed Fu Huo.
"Yes…
that means you can use the car for your battles whenever you wish,
but the car must stay at the base,"
"So I can't have it for
personal use?" asked Fu Huo.
"Yes," replied Kumiko, "Think
it over, ok? You don't have to decide now,"
"I appreciate
you forwarding this with the Emperor, Ku. Thanks. I'll think about
it," said Fu Huo, "So I get to use my car for battling, but I
gotta return it back to headquarters when I'm not using
it…"
"That's basically it. Besides, by the time we're finished with your car, I doubt it would be legal for everyday use anymore…"
