Chapter 41

“The Drift Queen of Nanamagari”

--2 Days later--

---Hakone Town---

---Kanagawa Prefecture---

[A Certain Teahouse up on the mountains]

2:30PM

‘Enjoy!’

The English speaking waitress said as she served another scrumptious plate of mochi and a refill of their namesake, their signature non- alcoholic sweet rice wine.

This is her sixth serving of mochi and she has two more lined up from the menu.

Her only wish now is that the person she is meeting keeps on being late.

Sadly midway through her mochi, the person arrived. Greeting her mid bite, leaving her in a bittersweet state of bliss and despair as this might be her last plate before leaving. She is a relatively young woman with a pure demeanor. Her stunning red hair tied in a messy bun behind her, but instead of making her look lousy, it heightened her strange appeal. Completing her ensemble with a plain pair of frameless glasses and plain looking thrift store clothing.

Living up to her reputation as an unremarkable woman.

‘Heh some things never change eh Val?’ The woman said, greeting Val whilst she munches on her mochi, looking annoyed that she had arrived before she could finish her snacks. Val kept her eyes on the woman who sat across from her as she swallowed her food, taking a swig from her drink before replying in retaliation.

‘I heard you got married, Gloria. Though what for? I’m pretty sure you can’t have children now.’ She snarkily replied. The woman, Gloria, on the other hand looked like she popped a vein on her forehead.

‘Not that old…’ She sneers. ‘Anywho why’d you bring me all the way here?’

‘That! I didn’t know you were his apprentice before. How the heck did that happen?’ Val questioned as she finished another plate of mochi, calling the waitress to order for more.

‘Yeah i’ll have the same one.’ Gloria responds as the waitress asks her order, glaring back at Val for intentionally leaving her out of her next round of food.

‘Well?’

‘Still that fucking rude brat from back then.’ Gloria sighed as Val raised an eyebrow in reply. ‘Anywho, I knew him from my father, back when he was still a legitimate businessman, running tuner garages for different car enthusiasts back in the day. Sadly our relationship ended when he had to switch to a different means of business.’

‘Illegal means…’

‘Yeah.’

A brief silence emanates between the two as their feelings settle down, carried away by the cool mountain breeze that gently raced around their surroundings. And just as the breeze had settled, Val opened up her troubles.

‘You knew?’

‘...’

‘That explains it.’

She leans back with her arms crossed as she reminisces about the past she had with Gloria as she starts to piece together things that had flown by her head back in those days.

‘No wonder you kept taunting me. You wanted me to come back.’ Val realized as she looked at Gloria, who now wore a gentle smile on her face.

‘I wanted to race the person who replaced me. But you kept losing, so I made you my rival. You and Lorna.’

‘Heh. I get ya… Afterall you wouldn’t want your replacement to be substandard.’ Val replies, in her mind a thought of a certain someone flashed within her memories.

--

‘Oho…. So the student has finally become a teacher?’

‘So it seems…’

--

The two of them continued to reminisce of past battles as they both caught up with each other’s lives. With Val and Lorna leaving to pursue their lives outside of Mr. Asia’s grasp and Gloria finally living a quiet lifestyle, away from her racing club and into a domestic lifestyle as a wife to her husband and is already expecting a child. Which greatly surprises Val.

‘Really? At your age?’

‘I’m just thirty two Val. I’m not menopausal.’ Gloria replied, annoyed.

‘Sorry, it’s just my image of you back then. You felt like you were leagues away from us two. It felt like you have already came back from hell and is just fucking around with us mortals--

You know… That kind of seniority…’ Val describes. ‘The only person who had given me that kind of vibe was Mr. Asia. So forgive me if I thought you were around that same age.’

Right after Gloria heard Val’s voice, her eyes widened as she remembered something.

‘Wanna know a secret?’

She whispers as Val leans in curiosity.

‘Technically he was the same age back then.’ She said, as Val knots her brow, confused.

‘What? He’s clearly pushing his 70’s now whaddya mean??’

‘That’s not his real age Val…

Remember the man is rich. And with today’s technology he can choose to look a certain way for the sake of a certain “image”.’

Val looks back during those days and starts to realize the things she thought were normal, and finally sees things from a different light. She also remembers something that Lorna had told her long ago. About Mr. Asia being older than he looked.

‘Don’t you find it odd that he looks like a thirty something when he dyes his grey hair back to black?’ Gloria eggs her on while Val was lost in her thoughts. The very words awakened her back to reality, just in time for the arrival of her seventh plate of mochi.

‘I really didn’t care much about his stuff back then, but yeah, in hindsight it was odd.’ Val replies as the waitress refills her “Amazake”.

‘Anywho, now that you’re married I guess no one can call you that title of yours since you’re no longer “Miss Gloria Leading”.’

‘Oh the “Misleading Queen of Hakone”?’ Gloria replies, sighing as her thoughts get filled with another round of nostalgia. ‘Well it’s not gonna be Mrs.Leading that’s for sure.’ She adds, giving Val a cocky smirk.

‘Then again my husband’s last name seems to be a pun in itself…’

‘Wait what?!’ Val responds excitedly. ‘What’s your last name now? I wanna hear!’

Gloria shyly bows her head as she utters under her breath:

‘Karisuma…’

As soon as Val hears, the cogs in her mind start turning, and it keeps turning until a minute later when the bell finally rings in her mind.

‘Gloria Charisma?! Holy shit wait!...’ She suddenly explodes as Gloria tucks into herself in shame as Val nearly gets kicked out for her sudden outburst.

‘Charismatic Glory! Oh my gosh… shit… sorry. But my goodness you should go back with that title, I think it’d be epic.’ Val continued.

Gloria smiled meekly as she caressed her tummy, feeling the small bump of life that resides within before turning her gaze back at Val.

--

‘It would be nice to come back but Val, I have a strong reason why I accepted this meeting.’

--

She said as she continued to caress her belly, to which Val instantly recognized the reason why.

--

‘I guess this meeting will settle a lot of questions for the both of us. So please, let me prove to you my worth.

For this one last time.’

--

Val declares her intent. Formally bowing on her knees in front of Gloria.

And then, as if the heavens were listening. The sky darkened and the rain clouds started to envelope the area.

Gloria nods to accept, just as the first drops of rain start hitting the asphalt.

…

…

‘We start after the first bend. First to reach the soba shop at the bottom wins.’ Gloria shouts through the window of her car as she rolls out her gunmetal gray R34 from the parking area. For people who don’t know much about cars, it would seem that Gloria has the same make and model as the one that Val used to drive but upon closer inspection, it is vastly different.

‘I'll never get tired of that rear end.’ Val told herself as Gloria drove in front of her while they exited. Knowing what the car really is made Val even more surprised when Mr. Asia quickly made the connection to Gloria. As she had specifically told him of a gray R34 when it was, in actuality, an older model. An R32.

Originally dubbed,

As Godzilla.

The model that made the GTR name synonymous with domination.

The car that drove in front is an R32 GTR with an R34 front end. A front end conversion. Not much is known why said conversion was made by Gloria but since most of their group are women who pride themselves in drifting around in four wheel drive cars, a fact that made said cars more difficult to drift, mistakes were more likely to be made. Which is why it’s not a surprise if the reason for such a conversion was because of a practice crash back in her drifting days. Back then it was considered to be a mark of shame if one crashed their car heavily into the barriers but Gloria wore her scars like a medal, even naming her car: “Super Bee”

‘Too bad I don’t have “Pinku” here.’ Val muttered to herself as they drove steadily towards the start. Remembering those times where they’d battle the whole evening to settle the score, the names “Super Bee” and “Pinku” would draw in crowds in the hundreds just to see them duke it out in the roads of Hakone.

So far their battle tally was 35 to 34 in favor of Val.

But as they had agreed back then, the victor would only be crowned once a gap between wins was formed.

During those times a gap of three wins was agreed but since both have decided this to be their last battle, the winner of this contest would be the deciding factor.

If Val wins, she creates a two win gap, securing her victory.

If Gloria wins, she ties the tally and since the leader failed to create a gap.

The one chasing secures the victory.

Another factor is also considered in this race.

Val was not racing with her usual car.

Granted the car that she is currently using has the same four wheel drive layout. It is still a car she was not used to driving, and thus her win will solidify her superiority against the other driver, outdriving them with unfamiliar equipment.

And to make it worse. Val is driving a rental Mitsubishi Evo IX.

Bone stock.

But in this weather where car performance is nullified and driver skill is king.

This race is dead equal.

…

…

As Gloria approached the first bend just after the Teahouse. She steps on the throttle. Immediately the differences between their cars have shown through as she pulls ahead with the power of her engine. Val had expected this difference as she had seen and raced against the car and driver in front of her. But even if her car’s current performance, overall, is overshadowed by the equipment of her opponent, she still considers herself to be at an advantage.

Because Gloria has never battled her with this car.

And thus old tactics might not work.

She had noticed this long before she and Gloria had met on this particular trip as she had gone around the fabled roads of Japan to battle with old rivals before meeting Mr. Asia. At first she thought she would lose and was just playing around the idea and nostalgia of racing former opponents but for some strange reason she found a sort of affinity with this rental car and thus, got to grips with it quickly.

For some reason she found that it drives similar to the GTR that Mr. Asia had locked up but with its own little quirks.

Quirks that she had used over and over to defeat the other rivals she visited.

Today was no different.

--

It was a long drag race from the first bend and the first challenge was fast approaching ahead. Two consecutive downhill hairpins that followed another long straight. She gauges the distance Gloria had gained as she grits her teeth seeing that she was just barely out of reach. A welcome surprise, confirming that her opponent had not dulled from years of inactivity, but the dilemma for her is this was going to be more difficult than she had planned.

Gloria gently slowed down for the hairpin and maneuvered her car neatly through the first turn, devoid of any corrections. This allowed Val to close the gap significantly as she stepped on the brakes meters later than Gloria had, as she threw the car around the corner with a beautifully executed drift. The gap had now lessened to half as Val can see clearly the taillights of the car in front.

The next hairpin was no different for Gloria as she had allowed Val to close the gap to what it was before the start, and as they exit the first set of hairpins, they are now once again nose to tail.

The next section was the long run towards the actual “Nanamagari” section of the road.

It is a long and narrow corridor with slight bends taken at full speed, but since the rain had started to pour, both of them would need to slow down in some of those bends, and because of the speed difference between their cars, Gloria would have to slow down more than Val would.

Which leads to one of the quirks Val discovered with this car.

Its weight.

Or rather how the weight felt.

The modified GTR weighed less than the EVO IX she was driving but the weight distribution of the car felt much better than the GTR that even with the extra 100 pounds of weight she was able to keep her foot down in corners where she can see Gloria tap on her brakes, thus keeping the gap between them from increasing at a rapid pace.

But even with the advantage of that quirk, the power difference allowed Gloria to extend the gap to two car lengths ahead of her as they navigated the final right hand bend on the approach to the “Nanamagari”.

And much to Val’s surprise Gloria made a rare mistake.

She had carried too much speed through the right hander , prompting her to slow down more than she intended, and with the effects of the slippery road, making her kill her momentum going towards the next section.

The ensuing mistake allowed Val to close the gap rapidly at the approach, so much that she pulled her car aside to attempt an overtake, right as they reached the braking point of the first hairpin.

This is the official start of Hakone Nanamagari.

Thirteen tortuous turns.

Seven left.

Six right.

And all without points of rest in between.

It was a test of who can drive the fastest down a steep and narrow mountain path. And whatever style a driver chooses. Whether grip of drift,

The smoothest driver wins.

--

None of the two were holding back.

Gloria finally decides to show her cards.

She was just taking it easy on the first set of hairpins, taking it slowly but surely to save her tires for this section, and she was right to do so as she engages the brakes at last possible moment, throwing caution to the wind as the rear tires lost their grip spectacularly while she brute forces the car to slide at almost a 90 degree angle.

Intentionally blocking Val’s path with her GTR’s body.

But Val didn’t fall for the trick as she kept her foot down a fraction longer than Gloria did before she stomped on the brakes herself, answering her drift.

Both were able to barely slow down in time as they rubbed fenders going into the first hairpin, with Gloria hanging on to the lead.

Once again a short shoot towards the next hairpin offered little rest for the two of them as they approached the next corner side by side. Val decides not to fight her this time and brakes earlier than Gloria did as she drifts beautifully around the corner in front of her. But because Gloria was taking a tighter line around the hairpin with Val pinning her on the inside lane, her car naturally slid wide on the corner exit. A move that Val anticipated.

Val didn’t drift the corner this time and entered from a wide angle, neatly maneuvering her car around the hairpin without any loss of grip and when she saw Gloria sliding wide to regain control and grip on her rear tires, Val, with her smooth turn in, had tons of grip on her tires amidst the wet asphalt, allowing her to accelerate earlier.

Overtaking Gloria.

But the advantage she gained was minimal and Gloria was able to close the gap to her bumper as they ran nose to tail approaching the next hairpin. This time, however, the straight was too short to make any advances as the two of them slid smoothly around it, but Gloria took a risk and punched the throttle earlier than Val dared.

In difficult weather like the ones they were experiencing, it is only natural to be cautious on the matter of acceleration. After all, if one was too greedy to accelerate, they were at risk of losing control and spinning out.

Gloria was well aware of this, but her trust in herself and in her car gave her the confidence to be greedy and as she did so she launched her front bumper alongside Val and in reaction, forcing her to take evasive maneuver, killing her EVO’s momentum.

Once again they were side by side on the short shoot.

This time the roles were reversed. Val was on the tighter inside line while Gloria was on the outside. Val anticipates Gloria to do the same trick she had done before and decides to brake early to counter it, but it seems that her opponent wasn’t thinking the same.

Gloria shot ahead ridiculously quickly that one would think she was attempting to drive straight into the ravine but as if the gods were altering the laws of physics. Gloria threw her car immediately sideways the moment she shot past Val and continued on drifting at a ridiculous angle which had her on the edge, anticipating on whether or not Gloria was going to lose it and spin, but for some miraculous reason her car kept its nose straight as they both navigated the corner safely.

‘She wasn’t called drift queen for nothing.’ She thought as she lined herself up behind Gloria. And as they exited the corner, Val suddenly remembered what the corner was and realized her mistake. ‘Too early’ She thought.

Although she had driven on the road days before this race it wasn’t enough for her to remember the finer details of the mountain pass. And as she immediately recalled, that corner was wider than most of the hairpins they had gone through and she simply misjudged it, slowing her car more than what was required.

‘Fuck.’

The short shoot that followed was longer than the others before them as Gloria gained a clear car length as a result of Val’s misjudgement. Val quickly delves deep into her memories to make a map of the upcoming corners. If her memory serves her right, this section where the trees were few and the ravine in full view marks the “well maintained” portion of the road. Which meant that the following corners were not as harsh as they ought to be.

With the map clearly in mind Val felt a surge of confidence within her as she started taking small risks while approaching the next set of corners.

Her goal now was to close the gap before a corner that she called “The Crossover”

It was the corner that signaled the point of no return. As any attempt to overtake after that point would be either “heroic” or borderline “suicidal”

She attempted to take another peek of securing an overtake over Gloria but she deliberately kept her car behind as she could not afford to be ahead before that corner. All she could do now was to steadily pressure Gloria into making a monumental mistake to render it impossible for her to take back the position once they reached that pivotal point.

As they reached the penultimate hairpin turn Val decides to pull a dive bomb into the corner and force Gloria into a panic, the same way she had done a few corners before that granted her the lead. But it seems that she was tougher than she anticipated, closing the door without a care for the state of their vehicles as they almost shed side mirrors when their fenders touched.

Gloria was defending like her life was at stake.

This was not the mindset of a would-be mother.

This was a person on the last legs of their life, clinging on to whatever glory that can be gained. Like an esteemed warrior fighting to the death for the sake of their king.

It’s as if she was asking her.

‘Is this your resolve?’

Taunting the little girl that she still saw her as.

This enraged Valentina Fe.

She knows Gloria has no idea what her accomplishments were after their parting, She felt like whatever those were, it meant nothing in terms of their relationship.

That it was meaningless.

All her hard work to become a person independent of ‘Him’.

All the blood sweat and tears, the risks, the sleepless nights.

All of them were meaningless to her.

‘If you can’t defeat me now. You’re still that chuunibyou that thinks she’s a race car driver.’

‘Heh..’

--

The Crossover approaches.

It has the steepest downhill approach out of any of the corners in “Nanamagari” And it also was the most difficult, as the braking zone also curved away from the direction of the hairpin.

A steep curving approach into a diminishing radius corner.

If done incorrectly, it would most likely result in a crash.

Val was close enough to make an attack but Gloria held her line, hogging the center of the road, nullifying any attempts to overtake.

She looks to the outside and sees herself getting squeezed into the face of the mountain.

She looks to the inside and sees herself being forced into the barriers.

There was no move left.

Except for one.

They approached the braking point and the pair stepped on the brakes simultaneously, shifting their cars into a drift facing the opposite direction before swinging the rear around to face the hairpin and as if they were in a coordinated dance together, flicking both of their cars into a beautiful drift under the downpour as they entered the corner, sliding under the road above to clear “The Crossover”. But just before the exit Val stepped on the throttle a fraction earlier than she should have, sliding the rear of her car a bit more than what was required. And with the both of them sliding within inches from each other, the resulting jolt propelled her to nudge the side of Gloria’s GTR.

Destroying the balance of the other car whilst using the impact to stabilize her own

Launching herself well ahead of Gloria

With this, Val had secured the lead, as Gloria struggled to regain her grip and was now fuming in rage behind her.

This was the end of the “easier part” of Nanamagari. This next section starts with a longer than usual short shoot before the “broken roads” portion of the route. A narrow and impossible tight section of the road which consists of the final four corners of Nanamagari.

Most people would say that it’s impossible to drift here as the condition of the roads were broken and peeled. Most people would say it is pointless to race here, as the width of the road was narrow, even for normal driving standards it was still difficult to navigate.

But when two people were in a state of life and death. All these warnings meant nothing.

--

She swerves left. Blocked

Swerves right. Blocked.

All the while she made sure the spray coming off her tires was hitting her windshield to blind her attack. But this wasn’t enough to kill her spirits.

Gloria played along and kept her car steady behind Val, but years of driving along this road gave her a particular advantage.

Even when blinded, she has methods to “see”.

She looks to the side, focusing particularly on the guardrails opposite of her, waiting for it to end.

Finally after a few moments the guardrail ends and quickly disappears from her vision. She has a rule for this through the years of driving down this mountain:

On a dry day you count to two, on a rainy day you count just after one, on a race you wait for your enemy.

And just as the rails had ended she swerved left, catching Val unaware as both kept their foot on the gas while they faced the tight corner ahead. At this point time seemed to stop.

Both Val and Gloria were side by side upon corner entry and both of them were waiting for one or the other to brake. Val herself wasn’t aware that Gloria has a rule about approaching the corner but since she knew that the road becomes impossible to race on afterwards, she wasn’t keen on losing a braking battle against her as this might be what decides who wins and who loses.

--

Another quirk that Val has discovered about this car is that it is a bone stock car.

A factory issued, unmodified machine.

Which, compared to her opponents who were modified internally as well as externally, is a plain looking car. And on narrow roads such as the ones she was racing now, a plain car is not exactly at a disadvantage.

With her opponents having installed body kits and rear wings that, in theory, might improve grip. It also made their cars wider and longer in comparison to hers as sometimes the rear wings in other cars extend way farther than the rear bumper.

This was another quirk that she used as an advantage.

She herself had driven a car that was filled to the brim with performance parts and bodykits and though she did not notice it when she drove them, when she drove a factory stock car like the one she was driving at the moment, it suddenly felt smaller to her, even if the car was only an inch or two narrower because of the lack of a bodykit, the narrower feel made her think that she could squeeze at any gap she was faced with. And now, knowing she was facing a standstill between who can brake the latest, she found some hope.

--

The corner ahead was a double apex corner and in the middle of it, is another crossover with the cars being forced to navigate underneath a short “tunnel” that can barely fit two cars inside of it.

With this embedded in her mind, Val had let go.

--

Gloria was waiting.

And waiting.

But the moment never came.

She was getting close to the threshold of what was safe and thinking about all the risks she was about to take, she smiled, and stepped on the brakes.

However, what happened next was not as she expected.

Usually once one of them slows the other follows suit, immediately.

But Val kept going for another meter before wildly steering into a drift. She looks at her opponent whom she thought had misjudged the corner. All of her four tires were locked up and the car was drifting into an angle straddling the line between spinning and drifting. At the same time the car was veering straight into the inside mound of dirt that partly makes up the walls of the tunnel.

For a moment Gloria braced herself for an accident but just as when Val was about to hit the mound, all four tires kicked into spinning. At this point her car was now at an angle that was squarely across the road and to Gloria’s surprise, whether Val was doing it through sheer instinct or marvelous skill, she was using the power of the four wheel drive to slow the car down and control her slide.

‘A four wheel drift.’

She thought; as she watches the spectacle in front of her unfold with Val expertly entering the tunnel sideways, the car barely fitting through the gap, tapping the wall slightly with her rear bumper, kicking the car back straight again as she disappears behind the corner ahead.

It was a move that most of the members of her group were trying to perfect. The very move that prompted her to convert her front end into a widely available R34 front end after crashing violently in this very same corner.

And to see Val pull this move off on what she assumes as her first try, had left her astonished.

Right then and there, without even reaching the soba shop at the bottom of the route;

The race had ended.

--

--

--

--

Two cars roll into a parking lot beside a small house near the road.

One was as pristine as a maiden's white dress and another was as gray as the stormy clouds that hung above. These two cars park themselves besides each other as the doors open almost simultaneously, with both their operators stepping out onto the graveled ground.

‘Want some soba? My treat.’ Said one of the operators.

‘Yeah, sure. So polite, I wonder why?’ Said the other.

The two smiled, relieved, for some reason the two looked like they had finally reunited after a long time, after taking down a huge sturdy wall that separated them. One wonders why such a reunion might have happened.

Nonetheless, they walked together with a spring in their step as they disappeared behind the doors of the soba shop.

…

…

‘Time sure flies fast.’ Val said as she popped a cigarette on her lips, lighting it after a hearty meal. The sun was already setting and the rain had gone away. The only noise that can be heard by their ears was the chirping of the crickets in the trees that surround them.

‘Yeah… well it’s been fun catching up, so… no wonder it flew by.’ Gloria said as she sidesteps a few inches away from Val.

‘Oh shit! Sorry I forgot…’ Val quickly fans away the smoke from her cigarette and kills the embers, throwing it on a waste bin nearby. ‘I’m not used to having someone pregnant near me.’

‘It’s okay.’ Gloria meekly smiled. ‘I also need to remind myself that I’m carrying a new life from time to time. It really does make you aware. Of your body and your own way of living.’

Val looks back at her with an expression of awe on her face. This was far from the woman she knew back then, as she was starting to see a glimpse of her becoming a mother.

‘Is this really the same person who was drifting like a hooligan a few moments ago?’ She asked teasingly.

Gloria answers with a loud laugh as she herself saw her own duality.

‘Yeah… weird isn’t it.’ She replied.

‘But I couldn’t help it. That run… was indeed my last.’

‘...’

‘...’

‘You really are throwing out your gloves.’ Val spoke. Ending the short silence.

‘I am. It’s my promise.’ Gloria answered proudly. ‘It’s my promise both to my husband and our child.’

Gloria looks at Val and gives her a soft smile. She takes a deep breath and exhales with a heavy but satisfied look on her face, before reaching into her pocket and throwing what she had retrieved towards Val.

Val catches it. Taking one look at it as she raises an eyebrow before throwing it back to Gloria.

‘I already told you, my answer is no.’

‘I’m not giving you a choice Val.’

‘I don’t know what to do with it anyways.’

‘Oh I’m pretty sure a use for it will come up.’

‘Gloria…’

Val looks at the woman who stood beside her and sees the satisfied look on her face. Knowing how this person is, Val had no choice but to accept her resolve. But with such an event happening, a troublesome worry had popped up from the back of her mind.

‘Listen, I know you want me to take care of it but there’s this one problem that I’m--’

‘I know Val. I know Mr. Asia. And since he was the one who brought us here at this very moment he’s likely keeping watch.’ Gloria responds.

‘Well if you knew then you know if you try anything it’s just gonna end up being taken by him. Besides he might see it as a butchered car, best case scenario is him dismantling it for parts!’

‘Val.’ Gloria interjects. ‘I know. Don’t worry. Just promise me you’ll take care of her.’ She said as she looked at Val with slight tears in her eyes.

Val could only sympathize as she sighs, finally accepting the burden of her former rival.

‘Screw it!’ She said as she hops over to Gloria's side to give her a tight hug. Knowing well that this might be the last time they’ll ever meet, as they are about to go on their separate paths. Paths that have no likelihood of ever crossing. That is, until Val herself decides to let go of the wheel.

‘Sorry Val…’ Gloria answers as her tears slowly begin to flow. ‘Our meeting here has been both a blessing and a curse for me.

On one end I got to drive with my all once again and on the other, since it was him that found me, it kinda destroyed my farewell plans for “Super Bee”.’

Val pulls back smiling meekly after hearing what she had to say, she feels a little regret that she’d ruin something for her own selfish request but, as if Gloria read her mind, flicks her finger on Val’s forehead. ‘I know what you’re thinking, you idiot.’ She said whilst wiping her tears.

‘I was planning on running here alone on my last day with this car before I sold it off.’ Gloria said. ‘Don’t you think it’s lonely?’

Val nods in agreement as she slowly loosens her grip from her embrace. ‘Yeah… I guess.’

‘So with this meeting I get to run in anger with my trusty partner for one last time, settle an old score and pass the torch to someone more worthy than I was. Plus I know my partner here will be in good hands. Yes?’ Gloria continued.

‘Yes she is, Gloria. I promise.’ Val meekly smiled as Gloria extended her hand towards her.

‘It’s a promise then.’ She said as Val reached back to shake her hand.

And with that, the day had ended as quickly as it began. Two paths have crossed that night and have now permanently parted. And as she drives the long journey back to her hotel in the middle of the bustling city her mind wanders back to people she has met during this trip, and the many paths she has parted with.

All because of one question.

As she remembers the words from Mr.Asia.

--

Is it because… the quality overseas… Did not match your expectations?

--

She grips the wheel tighter as she remembers her sole selfish reason why she went on this trip in the first place. On why she was forced to finally end all of her unfinished business from the past, on why she had to sever all of those ties permanently.

After all, if she never bothered then she wouldn't have known that the people of her past have already moved on. And although the skills were definitely there and she was granted an experience that quenched her selfish thirst, the price that she had to pay was knowing she was the only one left.

She was alone.

She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but she was now starting to understand why Mr. Asia was the way he is. For he himself was “alone” the only one with the passion still burning inside him when all of the others have faded away. Which is exactly what had just happened to her. And no matter how many young souls she manages to meet and train and nurture. She was never going to feel the same feeling of camaraderie that she had used to feel when she was surrounded by people of the same age and same mindset. And she would forever be the one who had to level herself to relate.

For sure she had her dream of racing in the bag, and all she needed now was to let it grow. But since she’s the one who stands above this new kingdom that she was about to build, she can only lead it.

She can never enjoy it as one of its people.

And with that in her mind, she found herself deeper in her loneliness. Just as she thought she would find peace by going back to her roots,

She found the opposite.

And now, with a heavy but satisfied heart;

She resolves herself to come home.