The thought of never showing up for the appointment had ruined part of her night. 

From the moment she put her hands on the steering wheel and drove to the highway, a good hour had went by. She wasn’t so far from the suburbs, but the hesitation was existent to the end of her fingernails.

The elderly looked at her from their balconies. Momo kept going up the stretch of the highway to exit the road a few meters away, driving nervously. The conversation she had shared with Nayeon remained in her mind, firmly clinging to the back of her thoughts as well as the events of her past. Everything was mixing up. 

What if her father found out? For years he had left the racing world to lead a much more responsible life. Momo had thanked him so many times for putting his foot down on this dangerous activity, but what was she going to do? Admit to him that his daughter was willing to take the same path? Her mother had left home for the exact same reason. How much harm was that going to do?

But the thought of the vandalized restaurant made her sick. Momo wasn’t one to let fate destroy her life. First, Hyejeong had worn her to the end, taking advantage of her patience to plant a dagger in her heart. It wasn’t a few morons who would reduce her father's efforts to dust. She made the engine purr, pressed the accelerator and to the great relief of the neighborhood annoyed by the delivery driver's round trip, she ran towards the garage.

She first passed through high-rise buildings in bad condition before finding a suburb with low buildings with a few shops. There, she slowed down when she found the garage. One of the young women she met a few nights ago, was leaning against the wall with papers in her hands. Her eyes were wrinkled because of the sun.

Nayeon.

The papers she held in her hands had lost interest. All that mattered now was the arrival of the talented driver. Momo already wanted to rip that smile off her face, the feeling of being a trophy bothered her. 

Nayeon had briefly disappeared inside to put away the documents before welcoming the delivery girl, a frown upon her face because of the shining sun - strong to celebrate the resolution of an endless wait.

 “I knew you were coming, but it took you a while.” In fact, Nayeon had spent days rummaging through Tokyo with driving freaks. She had almost lost hope, but it was soon revived. 

“Nayeon, we-” Dahyun had just left the office, wearing a sporty outfit, ready to ride in the Skyline to do some shopping. But she stopped sharp when she saw Momo leave her vehicle, wearing a sleeveless white top, perfectly imitating a selfless look.

“It's not easy to find your way here. I don't come around much.” Momo mumbled as she glanced at the neighborhood. It looked a bit like the ghetto, yet the garage was perfect, well maintained in its own way. She was almost surprised to find such a place so hidden among the very middle class, almost poor.

Nayeon wouldn't leave Momo under that blazing sun. With a wave of her hand, she invited her under the roof. Dahyun couldn’t contain her smile, she hadn’t lost hope in the recent days, but almost. Seeing the young woman again was life-saving, Nayeon became more and more irritated by the fact that time flew by and many orders were waiting to get paid. 

When Momo finally set foot in the garage, the two partners shared a glance.

“Have you thought about our proposition?” Dahyun's voice was full of apprehension. Her ears were literally pointing at the woman who was brooding all of her hopes. She was so tense that a simple noise could startle her. Momo looked down. With the keys to her car in her hands, her gaze seemed to probe her palm in search of an answer.

 Nayeon felt her patience reach limits.

 “So these are illegal races?” Momo had both feet anchored into the ground, her eyes going from the mechanic to the saleswoman. Even if she was ready to cross the line, she hid behind a facade full of confidence; a lot of doubts.

“Say it louder for the cops.” Nayeon joked. “But yes, you’ll get remunerated for this.” But the deliverywoman was still puzzled. It was hard to imagine these women in such a world, yet when she lost herself in Nayeon's eyes, she soon realized that she knew what she was talking about. That it was perhaps even innate for the mechanic to avoid normality and that she had total control over her business.

“I only drive my Subaru, but it's not ready for serious racing. Will you pay for that too, the adjustments on my car?” Meanwhile, Momo had approached the tires along the walls. It was a brand she did not know, the one that Nayeon had just acquired with a good gum.

Now that the real discussion had started, the three women appeared more relaxed around each other.

“We've already told you, all expenses are paid by ourselves.” Momo slid her fingertips against the new tires before looking at different exhaust pipes. They must have managed every penny of their expenses.

“I'd like to see what it looks like first.” Momo stood up, stretched her shoulders a little before crossing Nayeon's gaze. Meanwhile, Dahyun watched the scene, leaning over a trolley filled with equipment to repair an old collectible engine. “If it sounds too dangerous or not.”

“It's illegal, what do you expect.” Nayeon scoffed before crossing her arms. “But okay, tomorrow night we invite you to one of the organized races. See you here at 11 p.m.” Her gaze was insistent, she knew how to emphasize her words. Jeongyeon had received a similar but much more smiling speech. Nayeon knew Jeongyeon and for her, Momo was just a stranger with talent. To be honest, she even had a hidden sense of rivalry. 

“Tomorrow, 11 p.m.” Momo grabbed a candy from one of the jars reserved for customers at the entrance on a high table before leaving the garage. Even her gait annoyed Nayeon, but it was exciting. The new recruit seemed to have guts, was it a good or bad thing to have a hothead among them?

“I like her.” Suddenly spoke Dahyun after their short meeting, clapping her hands while approaching the garage entrance to watch Momo leave with her Subaru Impreza. Of course, the show was on, the engine purred and she left at the quarter turn. Nayeon kept her arms crossed, further down the street, Jihyo had stopped at a crossroads to observe them.

It didn’t go unnoticed.

“Come on, get back inside. We've got better things to do right now.” Rushed Nayeon by laying her hand against her partner's nape.

*****

The sun was fading. There was only a sunny part left in the canopy.  An orange color stained the green, the butterflies had fallen asleep and yet a young woman was still there to observe the closed cocoons. 

Her thoughts had no anchor point.

She was simply breathing life, outside of this ever-turning world.

When the world seemed too heavy for her, when all the echoes and complaints had finally settled on her shoulders, she closed her eyelids. On the rim of her eyelashes the oceans threatened to spill, but they didn’t.

With her thumb she dried a non-existent tear on her cheek before straightening her shoulders. 

Her long black hair fell along her immaculate white dress. 

“I appreciate you’re getting some fresh air, yet lately it seems to me that you don't engage yourself as much to your task as you used to.” A male voice had risen in this bubble. It was rare for her father to dare to come up to the canopy but today was an exception. Keeping her back turned, Mina uttered a few distant words.

“It's not that simple.” Her voice was punctuated by a dull frustration. She could feel the gaze of the one who had raised her, sinking between her shoulder blades so that she would bend to his commands.

“I have known you more involved.” The steps came close enough for a shiver to run through Mina's spine. Her father had put his hands against his daughter's fragile shoulders, she trembled slightly. This man wasn’t mean and he had never dared to hurt her. There was mutual trust that seemed to crack as Mina matured. "What's occupying your thoughts?" He asked with sudden empathy.

Mina remained silent.

There was nothing but silence between father and daughter. The sun was gradually vanishing, until only a fine light passed through the windows. 

The glow illuminated Mina's cheek, and her father was now gone. Leaving her alone with immeasurable pressure.

*****

Momo was late.

Nayeon was already annoyed. Something told her from the very beginning that this woman - the one she planned to recruit, was going to be very difficult to tame. There was something burning in the Momo's eyes, as if she had never learned to be aware of her surroundings. But it was completely false, if Momo had come to this point it was to save her father from misery.

“Congratulations, we might be late.” Nayeon's sharp voice made Momo already regret her choice. Dahyun would open to add that Nayeon wasn’t the best example with punctuality, but the look of the older woman convinced her to remain silent.

Dahyun was behind the wheel. Tokyo was teeming with people both on weekends and on weekdays. Still, this Tuesday was quieter than the other days. Night had fallen, people came in and out of bars. Momo was watching through the window this large anthill. A city she knew by heart now.

Kyoto had become a painful memory. 

Tokyo was her new home.

“I think tonight we'll have a real show. They managed to clear the way to Gotemba Premier Outlets.” Excited to see cars driving between stores, Dahyun was driving with sparkling eyes. The performance of that night was going to be dangerous, but worth seeing at least once.

“It seems to me that Taeyong is taking out his new car tonight. It's going to be crazy!” Dahyun blurted out, while reducing the distance between them and the race that awaited them.

“Taeyong?” Asked Momo to break her boredom. In fact, she did not care about the names of the competitors. But to better understand and especially kill time she had to make an effort.  

“A good driver who doesn't show up often, one of the only drivers who really drives without trying to kill his competitors." Dahyun's words resonated for a moment in the void. Momo realized that there was going to be no mercy, yet these notions hadn’t fully entered her brain. To believe it, she had to see it.

“People are going to battle to defeat him. He wins each time he makes an appearance.” Nayeon whispered but it caught Momo’s attention. Something seemed a little bit off but she couldn’t care less, maybe the mechanic was the type of girl born with mood swings.

You could hear the first engines purring. Suddenly, a car overshoot them from the right and into a factory a little further. Momo had guessed that this was their destination. 

There was no longer any doubt when loud music could be heard even through their window. The event was separated enough from the city to exist without creating problems. 

“Here we are. Ready to be dazzled?” Dahyun flashed her best smile before driving the Skyline to the gathering place. The factory was huge. It was formerly a very popular refinery that had ceased to operate after being ousted by its competitors. Hundreds of cars could be contained in such a large and space-filled space.

“We're not far from the Ayuzawa River here, are we?” Momo asked from memory, she had seen it somewhere at school and she came once or twice to Gotemba Premier Outlets. It seemed to her that the river wasn’t far away. 

“Exactly. It leads straight to the most interesting point of the race”. The lights were sliding on the hood of the black Skyline. The cars lined up one after the other. The beautiful world had gathered, money and drugs were exchanged without any discretion, the drivers had their boxes and many poorly dressed women rushed around their cars. “We have a spot here, perfect.”

Tonight, they had to keep an eye on the participants. Those drivers were going to become Momo's future opponents if she ended up agreeing to drive for Nayeon and Dahyun. Both partners were hoping that this competition wouldn’t be too aggressive, thus avoiding losing their new recruit.

The atmosphere of the venue was powerful. The adrenaline was starting to take possession of her body, as if in reality: Momo had always belonged to this world. The apprehension was still there, but the fear had become non-existent. The urge to take the Subaru was itching her fingertips, if only she could show them what she was capable of.

“It would be interesting to take a look at the lists. Then we take the Skyline. There's a spot overlooking the highway to Gotemba.” Nayeon was in a good mood again and looked at each of the vehicles with interest. She walked ahead. Momo took the opportunity to get closer to Dahyun. Her aura had always been sunnier than her partner's.

“Why are you doing this? The police must be aware of it, aren’t you afraid?” Momo was trying to find a conversation that would give her information about the risks she’ll be taking. Dahyun always had that same bright smile with her hands in her pockets. The music was so loud that she had to bend over so Momo could hear.

“They hardly come all the way out here to stop us. They have enough to do in town.” Dahyun pointed to a collector car, an old 1993 Subaru Legacy RS. Momo paid little attention to it, the bare minimum out of respect. “They gave up chasing after us when we're running in deserted areas. But they won’t miss you if you drive in urban areas. Jail isn’t funny, Nayeon can tell.” That's it, Dahyun lost her smile but kept looking at the blue hood, as if it was a treasure chest. Momo had no choice but to pay a little more attention to it, leaning over the blue and yellow design.

In fact, it may have been much more interesting than expected.

“And you've already been arrested?” Momo wanted to say it in a funny way, but guess what ? It wasn’t welcomed. She should have known. Dahyun looked up to give her a smile that was a bit forced. , Momo thought. She barely knew her but she couldn’t accept to make the girl sad already.

“No, not yet.” And that was it. The topic seemed to be sensitive. Momo didn't dare to dig any further. Instead, her gaze drifted to the shapeless mass of spectators.

People started to gather towards the pilots. Momo had straightened her back to observe the scene, Nayeon had totally disappeared. As if they had time to spare, Momo knew for sure she’d get scolded first.

Momo tapped Dahyun's shoulder to tell her she was going for a walk, hoping to run into Nayeon. The younger one shrugged, too busy questioning the owner about the vehicle’s customization.

Momo made her way among men and women. Many eyes were on her, after all she was beautiful. A delight for the mortals. Momo was fully aware of this, a smile stretched across her lips and the adrenaline was pumping again. A few women came to whisper things against her ear, she had almost forgotten that she had gone in search of Nayeon.

She wasn't a hunter but she just loved women and it was easy for her to get them in a snap of her fingers since years. Her looks were advantageous, her personality made them want to get stung by its power, the vibe Momo gave off was hypnotic. Nayeon would be mad to know she’s spending time exchanging some sweet words instead of focusing on the forthcoming race.

“We gotta go, stop messing around.” Speaking of the wolf, Nayeon came out of nowhere in a rush, taking Momo away from the women who were already touching her arms to check her physical condition. Of course Nayeon had to show up now to ruin all the fun.

“Okay mom.” Momo rolled her eyes. How many days would they be able to spend without starting a fight?

“We aren’t here to flirt, this isn’t a game. We are serious.”

Soon people started to run towards their car to avoid getting their spot stolen. There was only a few good locations to enjoy the show at its fullest. Dahyun had taken the wheel back in her hands, several engines purring and following each other, drifting out of the factory. 

It already had a taste of competition, the event itself gave adrenaline.

Momo had put aside her scowling face to make way for astonishment. So while she was delivering sushi until the depths of the night, there was a whole other world living at fast lane!

Everybody had a tuning car. There were prettier ones than others, more powerful than others, but the show was amazing. Dahyun drifted between the electric pylons, the wheels slid against the concrete almost too quietly. Momo was beginning to understand why her father had been fascinated by this whole atmosphere in the past. It digs into you, makes you crave for more, she already wanted to drive her Subaru and spent the whole night driving. Nayeon met Momo’s eyes through the rear-view mirror. She could read fascination on her face.

The world belonged only to them and no one else.

They made it to a secluded area. They weren’t alone but there was enough space to enjoy the race.

Together they got out from the Skyline, all eyes on the road. The highway could be seen very clearly but the main attraction was the Gotemba Premier Outlets. From their spot they could see the entrance and guess which car would reach it first and leave it first.

“Taeyong will kill it.” A girl spoke loud enough for them to hear.

“He always kills it!” Her boyfriend was over excited. Their outfits matched the old vibes from the start of the century. Gold chains, large baseball shirts and high-cut large sneakers. Momo found this hideous but tried not to judge.

“So that’s it, we watch ?” She failed looking disappointed. Somehow, she wanted to tease Nayeon.

“Watch it carefully, next time you’ll be behind the wheel. You’ll have no time to open your mouth and say like this.” This was harsh. Momo felt it but laughed it off. Dahyun also couldn’t believe how Nayeon spoke but she soon understood the reason. The pilots reached the highway from afar. The black Nissan GT-R R35 was first. Taeyong was leading the race but another car was up close.

A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

Momo followed Nayeon’s gaze and recognized the car.

( She had taken the other two vehicles by surprise in the empty intersection in the middle of the night. She drew circles around the men honking their horns. Momo was confused. The Mitsubishi precisely steered her car on the road, gained speed before proceeding on a perfect drift. )

Momo was about to say something but she couldn’t. The fight between the Nissan and the Mitsubishi was intense. Both vehicles had a clear lead over the three pursuers. The race was all about those two drivers.

“I place my bet on the Mitsubishi.” Momo smirked. Dahyun tried to avoid another sever comment from Nayeon but silence filled the gap instead.

“Taeyong wins every time, the Mitsubishi got no chance.” The boy next to them scoffed. He had his girl held close between his hands, both sitting on the hood of the car. She was wearing nothing but a bra and a skirt. Dahyun tried to smile but it was a fail attempt.

“If you say so.” She sang before looking away.

Nayeon’s feet hit the gravel, Momo could watch her back and guess how strong she was. Nayeon wasn’t about muscles but she had self-assurance and it could crush anybody ready to fight her without raising a single finger. How many times did they cross eyes for Momo to look away first? Too many already.

“I can’t believe it…” Dahyun whispered getting closer from the ditch. The first car to drive away from the Gotemba Premier Outlets was the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The car came out with a perfect drift, skimming past a wall while the Nissan came out three seconds later. Taeyong had lost his spoiler, the race must have been aggressive inside the mall.

Nayeon didn’t look surprised.

“Told you, she’d win.” Momo took out from her pockets a Twix bar to eat while watching the race. Both cars speeded down the highway to go back to the refinery. The three last pilots didn’t matter anymore. That race just signed the start of a new era. Taeyong lost! Unless something happens in the last few meters.

“Get back inside.” Nayeon was having trouble taking her eyes off the road. They had to go back down, join the duo and see what was going on. There was a kind of anger and frustration within her. She slammed the door, letting Dahyun take the wheel.

There was tension in the air, Momo could feel it because Dahyun that is never quiet had become silent.

They were among the last to arrive to celebrate, it frustrated Momo. She wanted to congratulate the winner at all costs, she had to see her face for the first time. This desire had remained in her head the whole trip. Once the engine turned down, she was the first to get out of the Skyline to join the crowd.

Nayeon leaned against the Skyline with Dahyun by her side letting the little sheep discover the joys of an after race.

“Did you know that she started running?” Dahyun shook her head, unaware of it. The Myoui’s used to be discreet but it wasn’t a complete surprise to see the daughter racing. Mina always had a thing for racing, it was a matter of time and God knows how it made Nayeon mad.

“Just don’t make a fuss about it. We had enough.” Nayeon should listen to Dahyun’s words but when she saw Momo congratulating the winner, she felt blood boiling inside her veins. Maybe it was a bad idea, she felt it coming since the moment they met.

“We should warn Momo about her.” Nayeon hissed through gritted teeth.

“And what if Mina has changed?” Dahyun wasn’t convinced herself but from what she remembered, Mina hadn’t always been the worst in town.

“People never change.” Nayeon was about to go and meet them but was stopped by Taeyong, happy to meet with an old contestant. Less than two years ago, him and Nayeon used to compete together, memories that must stay sealed inside a metallic box and thrown into the ocean.

“Hey Nayeon, it’s been a while.” They shook hands and when Nayeon looked towards the duo, both Momo and Mina had disappeared. “How are you?” She greeted him with a bitter smile. He had the worst timing.

The crowd was too loud so it was easier for the two women to chat away from loud music and screams. They arrived in front of Mina's Mitsubishi, the latter opening the trunk to check the condition of some materials. 

“I saw you a few nights ago at the crossroads. It must have been late, two or three in the morning. You did a drift and I was bewildered, the other two losers must still be repairing their car.” Momo spoke in fear that it would be too much. Mina watched with concentration the various elements that seemed to have held up. Looking at the woman concentrating and leaning over the trunk made Momo swallow her saliva. “My name is Momo, Hirai Momo. How about you?”

“Mina and it was stupid, they'd been bothering me for miles.” She closed the trunk with a soft thud. Her eyes met Momo and a silence cut their little conversation. Both had the same height, their bodies were much closer than expected and Momo’s breath smelled mint.

“Do I bother you?” Momo tried, a little bit nervous about this weird turn of events. She could simply step back but her feet refused to move. As if this bubble was warm, the sound couldn’t get in, they could relax and no anger could take place inside. If only I took some salty peanuts with me, thought Momo.

“You talk too much and ask too much.” Mina breathed with . Momo noticed and smiled. For once, they broke eye contact. The delivery woman acted like nothing was going on in the atmosphere but it was doomed. Mina knows how people work and for a second she saw curiosity inside Momo’s eyes, surprise even. She exhaled, walked around her car to reach the handle but before she got in, her dark orbs did not fail to watch Momo walk away.

When Momo reached back the Skyline, Nayeon had straighten her back. There was no doubt: those words about to come out from Nayeon’s mouth would slap her hard on the face. Momo had a mother already, an absent one but if only the mechanic could stick to her role it would avoid many fights. She slipped a hand into her long dark hair before pulling a cigarette out of its stack.

“We've been looking for you for a while to talk, and what are you doing? Flirting with the contestants?” Nayeon had such a frustrated smile on the corner of his lips that it made Momo extremely tense.

“I’ll ride for you but stop being my mom, I swear it’s ing annoying.” Momo had her index pointed towards the mechanic. “I don’t need no advice.” She whispered, detached herself from the car and walked away to smoke a bit. It’s been a while since someone gave her orders. She wanted to race, to win, to feel the adrenaline. And maybe, she hoped to meet with the Mitsubishi owner once again, the next race.

Childish dreams but she had to focus. Momo needed money to help her father, to give him what he deserved. A good sushi restaurant.

*****

Nayeon left Momo in the garage. The Japanese woman was able to take the Subaru Impreza home without exchanging a word with her future compatriots. Although they now had an oral contract, Nayeon was filled with doubts. These doubts were fueled by an inexorable fear that the new recruit's attention would be on Mina Myoui.

“I know what you're thinking, it's not worth it.” Dahyun patted the mechanic on her shoulder as she yawned, closing the metal blind in the garage after entering. Inside she had to catch some documents to update them the next day. The thud of the metal hitting the ground didn’t made Nayeon's flinch.

“She may know how to drive, but I don't want to waste my energy telling her to calm down. We know very well how these kind of drivers end up.” Looking at the low houses, she observed every point of light. A few windows here and there remained on. Inside, some had to ensure their future by working hard, just like Nayeon. Momo had to behave properly or it would create friction.

“And how do they end up?” Dahyun was already at the Skyline, hand on the handle with an interrogative look towards Nayeon. The taller woman shook her face before biting her lip. “I see.” Dahyun sighed before getting inside the vehicle. The door slammed and this time Nayeon jumped slightly. 

The question was quite different. Mina was a game changer.

A/N : Hello guys, I was a bit sick but I feel better those days. I'm sorry for the time it took! I hope you are safe, keep positive and take care. ❦