Act 1: Chapter 1 | The Mysterious Driver In Yougu

Summer, 202X – Mount Yougou

The mountain stood in eerie silence under the midnight sky, bathed in silver moonlight. A cool breeze swept through the dense trees, rustling the leaves as if whispering secrets to the night. Crickets filled the air with their rhythmic song, their chorus the only sound in the stillness. The world felt frozen in time—until the sudden roar of an engine shattered the quiet.

4:45 AM.

A pair of headlights sliced through the darkness, their glow flashing against the guardrails as a panda white-and-black AE86 Trueno came hurtling down the winding roads of Mount Yougou. The distinct, throaty growl of its early-model 4A-GE engine filled the air, the modest 16-valve inline-four working hard as the tachometer needle climbed past 6,000 RPM. Though the car lacked outright power, the way it moved was mesmerizing—its driver threading it through the corners like a needle through fabric.

The tires let out a sharp squeal as the AE86 approached a tight left-hand corner. **A quick heel-toe downshift—blip the throttle, clutch in, shift to second, clutch out—**kept the engine in the powerband as the driver threw the car into a perfectly timed feint motion. The rear end lightened just enough, the weight transferring forward before the tail swung outward in a clean drift. With expert countersteer and a precise throttle balance, the car danced through the turn, its rear tires kissing the edge of the road but never stepping out of bounds.

Tap. Tap. Tap. The driver's right foot danced across the pedals in rapid succession—modulating the throttle to keep the slide controlled. Not a single wasted movement. No unnecessary corrections. Every action was deliberate.

To the outside world, this was just a ghost—a phantom that appeared every morning before dawn. No one had ever seen the driver up close. All they knew was that without fail, rain or shine, the AE86 would descend from Mount Yougou, delivering tofu to the hotels and restaurants near Lake Yougou. Some whispered that it was an old street racer still honing their craft. Others dismissed it as a myth, a story shared among car enthusiasts at gas stations, tuning shops, and ramen stands.

But the few who had tried to chase it?

They knew the truth.

This wasn't just a delivery car.

This was the fastest machine on Mount Yougou.

Afternoon – A Local Gas Station

The midday sun beat down on the small roadside gas station, heat waves rippling off the pavement. The faint smell of gasoline and burnt rubber lingered in the air, mixing with the distant aroma of fried food from a nearby convenience store. A vending machine hummed lazily beside the entrance, its neon-lit buttons flickering under the oppressive heat.

Leaning against a gas pump, March aggressively scrolled through car listings on her phone, her expression shifting between frustration and mild disgust.

"Ugh, everything's either a total rust bucket or way out of budget," she groaned.

She tilted the screen toward Collei, who stood nearby with her arms crossed, watching with mild disinterest.

"I was thinking about a Supra Twin Turbo," March continued, flicking to a listing of a JZA80 in immaculate condition. The polished red paint gleamed in the photos, its 2JZ-GTE engine looking factory-clean. "But it's crazy expensive. And it's not even registered, so that's even more Mora on top."

Collei barely reacted. "And how much is your budget?" she asked flatly.

March groaned, rubbing the back of her head. "Around 8 million Mora… maybe 10 if I really stretch it."

Collei raised an eyebrow. "And you're seriously looking at Supras with that kind of money?"

March winced. "I mean… I was hoping for a miracle deal."

She kept scrolling, eyes darting over a seemingly endless stream of overpriced project cars, hacked-together street builds, and laughably bad imports with sketchy history reports. Then, suddenly—

"Wait, check this out!" she exclaimed, practically shoving the phone into Collei's hands. "If we pool our money together, we could totally buy this—an AE86!"

Collei blinked. Her grip on the phone loosened slightly.

"I don't know, March," she muttered, handing it back. "I already have a car for deliveries."

March gasped dramatically, grabbing Collei's shoulders like she had just committed some kind of blasphemy.

"That old junker?! It might as well be heading straight for the scrapyard!" She shook her head in over-the-top disappointment. "What we need is something stylish—something that turns heads!"

Collei scratched her head, unconvinced. "March, the 86 isn't stylish. It's old, it's slow, and it doesn't even have that much power."

March huffed. "Yeah, but it's a legend! Do you know how many people would kill for a clean AE86 these days?" She gestured wildly at the phone screen. "Lightweight, balanced, perfect for touge battles—"

"You're just reciting car magazine ads."

Before their argument could escalate, a voice cut in from nearby.

"You girls have good taste."

Both turned to see Beidou leaning casually against the hood of her car—a gunmetal gray Nissan Skyline R32. The GT-R's wide stance and unmistakable quad taillights made it look like a predator lurking in the sunlit lot.

March immediately spun around, grinning. "See?! Even Beidou agrees! The AE86 is the perfect car for us!"

Beidou chuckled, arms crossed over her chest. The faint scent of engine oil and cigarette smoke clung to her jacket. "It's a solid choice," she admitted. "Lightweight, great chassis balance, rev-happy 4A-GE… And the factory LSD means it'll hold up in touge runs if you know how to drive it."

March turned back to Collei with a victorious smirk. "Told you."

Collei sighed. This wasn't a battle she was going to win.

Before she could say anything else, Beidou stretched and added, "Speaking of mountain passes, my team and I are heading up Mount Yougou tonight for some practice runs. You two should come."

March practically jumped in excitement—until reality hit her like a brick.

"Wait…" she hesitated, looking back at the listings. "We don't have a car."

Beidou, sensing the dilemma, simply grinned and tilted her head toward the R32. "I can give you a ride."

March fist-pumped the air and immediately accepted the offer. "Hell yeah!" Without waiting, she grabbed Collei's arm and yanked her along.

"C'mon, Collei! You're coming too!"

Collei barely had a choice as she was dragged toward Beidou's Skyline, reluctant but unable to refuse.

Evening – Gas Station Lot

The sun dipped below the horizon, bleeding deep shades of orange and purple across the sky. Streetlights flickered on one by one, their dull glow stretching long shadows over the cracked pavement of the gas station lot. The faint scent of spilled gasoline and hot asphalt lingered in the cooling air, mingling with the distant hum of engines from the nearby streets.

Across the lot, Beidou stood by her Skyline R32, casually spinning a keychain between her fingers. She spotted March and Collei and waved them over.

"Meet me at the bus stop at 8:00 PM sharp. Don't be late."

March flashed a thumbs-up, grinning. "Wouldn't miss it!"

Just as the girls turned to leave, a new voice cut through the air.

"I overheard your conversation."

They turned to see Lyney Snezhevich, the gas station's owner and manager, stepping out from behind the counter. Dressed in his usual dark work jacket, he wiped his hands on an old rag, his sharp eyes flicking between them.

"You headed to Yougou?" he asked, arms crossed.

Beidou nodded, smirking. "Yep. Gotta keep my skills sharp. My team's the fastest on Mount Yougou."

Lyney tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his expression. "You know… you're not the only one claiming that title."

Beidou's smirk faltered just a little. "Oh? And who else would even come close?"

Lyney took a step closer, lowering his voice just enough to make them lean in.

"Back when I was still racing," he said, "there was one driver no one could touch. Undisputed fastest on Mount Yougou. And from what I hear…" He paused, letting the tension build. "She's still out there. Every morning, before the sun even rises."

Beidou scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You're messing with me. I know every racer in this town. None of them are some kind of 'old legend.'"

Lyney's smirk widened. "You sure about that?"

He nodded toward the road, his tone shifting into something more serious.

"She doesn't race when you do. She drives at a different time—3 or 4 AM. Same route, every day. Always the same purpose. She's not out there for fun."

Beidou narrowed her eyes. "Then what the hell's she doing?"

Lyney crossed his arms. "Delivering tofu."

Beidou blinked. "…What?"

Lyney's expression didn't change. "She owns a tofu shop. Drives up and down Yougou every morning, rain or snow. She knows the road better than anyone—better than you, better than me, better than anyone who's ever tried to claim that title."

A strange chill ran down Beidou's spine.

A tofu delivery car? That sounded like bullshit. And yet… something about it unsettled her.

"You're telling me," she said slowly, "that the fastest car on Mount Yougou is some old-ass delivery car?"

Lyney simply grinned. "Believe what you want. But if you ever find yourself on that mountain at dawn… you just might see it for yourself."

Beidou didn't reply.

She just stared down the road toward Mount Yougou, the mystery of the phantom AE86 lingering in her mind.

Nightfall – Narukami Shopping Street

The streets had quieted, the usual rush of people now replaced by the soft glow of neon shop signs reflecting off the damp pavement. A faint breeze drifted through the alleys, carrying the lingering scent of grilled food from a distant vendor stand.

Outside her home, Arlecchino stood in the dim light of the porch, a cigarette between her fingers, its ember glowing faintly as she took a slow drag. In her other hand, a folded newspaper, which she skimmed through with the kind of disinterest only someone who had seen it all could have.

She didn't even have to look up when she heard the hesitant shuffle of footsteps.

"Where do you think you're going, sneaking out?"

Collei froze mid-step.

Shit.

She turned stiffly, forcing a sheepish smile, scratching the back of her head. "I've got plans with March. We're just… hanging out."

Arlecchino finally looked at her, raising an eyebrow. A knowing smirk tugged at her lips.

"Alright." She exhaled a slow stream of smoke. "But don't be late. And don't make me drag your ass out of bed tomorrow morning."

Collei nodded quickly, eager to leave before Arlecchino could change her mind.

But as she turned away, her eyes flickered toward the driveway.

There, parked in the dim glow of the streetlight, was her car.

The familiar black-and-white AE86 Trueno, its paint reflecting the soft neon hues of the city. The Watanabe wheels—silver lips, black spokes—gleamed faintly beneath the shadows.

For a moment, Collei just stared at it.

Then, shaking her head, she hurried off toward the bus station.

The deep growl of turbocharged engines rumbled through the cool night air as Beidou's Nissan Skyline R32 idled at the curb. Its iconic round taillights glowed like red embers, the rhythmic hum of the RB26DETT engine filling the quiet street. The scent of hot rubber and octane lingered in the air, a promise of the speed to come.

March stood nearby, arms crossed, practically vibrating with excitement. The second Collei jogged up, Beidou gave a short nod toward the backseat.

"Hop in. We're rolling out."

With that, the convoy set off, the Skyline leading the charge up Mount Yougou's winding roads. Right behind them, Seele's Nissan Fairlady S30Z and Pela's Toyota MR2 W20 followed closely, their headlights cutting through the darkness.

Inside the R32, Collei clung to the seatbelt like a lifeline, her knuckles white as paper. The engine's deep roar filled the cabin as Beidou threw the car into a sweeping left turn, the force pinning Collei to the door. Guardrails and treetops blurred past the window at terrifying speed.

"Did you hit your head on a book, Collei?!" March shouted over the engine noise. "You're making Beidou lose concentration!"

Collei barely turned her head, eyes wide with sheer terror. "Are you kidding me?! I'm screaming because I'm scared out of my mind!"

Beidou just grinned, completely unfazed. "Relax, newbie. You're riding with a real street racer now."

Another sharp downhill hairpin approached.

Clutch in. Third to second. A quick blip of throttle.

The instant the tires lost grip, Beidou countersteered with surgical precision, keeping the Skyline in a perfect four-wheel drift. The rear swung out, the tail of the car skimming the edge of the mountain road. The RB26 screamed, the turbos letting out a sharp psshhh as she feathered the throttle.

Collei let out another shriek, gripping the seatbelt like it was the only thing keeping her alive.

March groaned, finally losing patience. "SHUT UP ALREADY!"

Collei wasn't listening. The sheer weightlessness she felt as they danced on the edge of control was something she'd never experienced before. It was a thrill, a terrifying rush, the kind of feeling that separated racers from passengers.

For the next few minutes, the mountain echoed with the sounds of roaring engines, screaming tires… and Collei's breathless panic.

The Summit

By the time they reached the mountaintop parking lot, the night was eerily still. The glow of the city far below shimmered in the distance, the cool mountain air heavy with the smell of burnt rubber and cooling brakes.

Beidou threw the Skyline into park, stretching her arms with a smug grin.

Collei?

She stumbled out of the car, legs shaking, nearly tripping over herself as she made a beeline for the nearest gutter.

March stood behind her, arms on her hips, half amused and half concerned.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, watching Collei gasp for air. "It's like you've never been in a fast car before!"

Collei turned her head, face still pale as hell. "I like roller coasters, March. But this—this is different." She wiped her forehead, still catching her breath. "You don't understand the fear. That feeling when we're flying down those roads, barely a second from crashing and dying."

March blinked, clearly not expecting that kind of answer.

Before she could reply, Seele stepped in, offering Collei a hand.

"Come on, March. Cut her some slack. It's her first time."

March sighed, finally relenting. "Yeah, yeah. I guess you're right."

Beidou, still leaning against her Skyline, chuckled.

"If you can't handle a ride, you sure as hell won't survive a race."

Collei looked up at her, still breathing heavily.

Something about those words stuck with her.

Meanwhile, at the Gas Station…

Back in town, the gas station was dark, the neon signs flickering weakly as Lyney Snezhevich locked up for the night. Twirling his keys around his finger, he stretched, ready to head home.

Then, he heard it.

A deep, aggressive rotary growl approaching from the distance.

His head snapped up just in time to see two RX-7s—one white, the other midnight purple—fly past the gas station. Their turbos whined, the distinctive brap-brap-brap of their rotary engines slicing through the quiet streets.

Lyney narrowed his eyes, watching as their taillights disappeared toward Mount Yougou.

He smirked.

"Never seen those guys before."

He exhaled slowly, slipping his keys into his pocket.

"If they're headed up Yougou… something big is about to go down."