fast lanes ; s, manjiro

01

01

asphalt

"Your silvia ain't shit!"

Sweet pops followed the exhaust's low crackles, an intensifying growl that seemed to ooze just as much, or even more arrogance than her driver. Fuschia-painted nails gripped the smooth leather of the steering wheel, as her free hand flicked her lighter open and brought it to the cig between her lips.  No passerby could ever see through her windshields, from the heavy tint and the cap on her head, her car was free from wandering eyes.

"Ready..."

The heart of Shibuya bustled with a cacophony of engines, with the melodious whistles and growls of life around her. Alive was the night above the vibrant glow of headlights and the fog of exhaust around a sea of only the best cars in Tokyo. Engines revved, their throaty roars electrifying the crowd of spectators gathered on the closed street.

"Set!"

With nothing less than a wave of a flag, roars erupted from the crowds of car lovers, multiple placing bets on who'd win. The bulk tipping into her hat, adamant of the assurance of money well spent; as opposed to those who foolishly believed the newcomer would manage to beat the unsubdued racing God in Shibuya. It was no bluff, and it was no exaggeration either: he was a goner. She confessed to being somewhat cocky, but where was the thrill in humility?

"Gooo~!"

The asphalt bit cruelly beneath her wheels as she hit the gas, mercilessly racing past the checkered flags that signalled the starting line. There was no better greed that could possibly rival a woman in a man's car. Her miata responded sweetly to her touch, slamming the pedals cruelly, seamlessly gliding through the gears in a symphony of mechanical grace. Her heels dug into the mat of her pedals the same way her nails dug right for the gear stick.

What happens when speed becomes a deadly dance with fate? 

She lurked in the shadow of the Nissan Silvia s15 spec-r, as she initially expected. Rich bastards made the best opponents, good racers or not.  A 5 second window between the two rivals gave a short-lived hubris to her opponent, his red and blue silvia snarling menacingly at her. Each opportunity laid itself out in front of her, and only someone like him would play immaturely like this. His reckless drifts, his sharp turns, only reckoned this a child's play, a warm up, an easy exploitation.

What was so terrifying about four wheels and a street?

It seemed as though exploitation was no longer an option, as her rival saw through it and rammed straight into her rear bumper as soon as they entered the tunnel. "Ass!" The young woman sneered, bracing for the repeated impact that knocked her Mazda slightly to the side with each crash.

"You dumb—!" Profanities failed to slip past her lips, focused on keeping her car in balance, but it proved difficult seeing as though each blow justified the threat of sending both of them careening out of control.

She honked her horn aggressively as the other car pressed her against the walls, the agonizing screech of metal against concrete enough to deafen her. She spotted a narrow side street up ahead, and without hesitation, she made the split-second decision. The ravennette swerved and veered into the tight alleyway, leaving the Silvia driver dumbfounded in his wake.