Another day.
The first Sunday of the month.
The campus felt… unusually quiet.
A calm that rarely existed in Tracen Academy.
Most Umamusume were away—scattered across Japan alongside their trainers and staff, competing in their respective races. The Osaka Hai loomed, and with it, the absence of many familiar faces.
Even the practice tracks, usually alive with pounding footsteps and determined voices, were subdued. Only the faint echoes of distant training could be heard, carried by the warm midday breeze.
At the Ritto Dormitory parking lot, however, a different kind of gathering had formed.
A handful of machines sat in quiet contrast to the silence.
Among them—
Mejiro McQueen's Highland Green Mustang Fastback.
And beside it… the unmistakable silhouette of the Porsche 917K.
Nearby were King Halo's Kyoseki Green R32 GT-R, Sirius Symboli's Ferrari F355, Tokai Teio's Bayside Blue R34 GT-R, Gold City's GT40 MkII, and Nice Nature's Gallardo Superleggera.
Even at rest, the lineup carried presence.
Power.
History.
And stories waiting to be told.
"Where is your Century?" King Halo asked, arms loosely crossed as her gaze scanned the lot.
McQueen lowered her head slightly, brushing a strand of hair aside.
"Ardan-san borrowed it," she replied calmly. "She needed it for the Hanshin Racecourse in Takarazuka."
Sirius Symboli smirked, arms crossing tighter as she leaned slightly toward the 917K.
"You didn't have to flaunt your insane collection, McQueen."
Her smirk widened.
"Or should I start calling you Steve?"
McQueen sighed, though a small smile crept in.
"Come on. I know I own cars he drove… but I'm not him."
Gold City crouched slightly, peeking into the tight cockpit of the 917K. Her brows knit together.
"…It's really cramped in here, isn't it?"
McQueen shook her head.
"Not at all. Not for my height, at least."
At the rear, Nice Nature had already dropped to one knee, carefully examining the exposed chassis and engine area. Her eyes scanned every bolt, every bracket.
"Anything modified in the engine?" she asked, tone curious but analytical.
McQueen stepped closer, folding her arms lightly.
"None at all."
She glanced down at the car.
"Everything is exactly as it was during filming for Le Mans."
Nice Nature shifted her focus to the license plate. She tapped the lower edge thoughtfully.
"Then you must have modified something… how'd you mount this?"
McQueen pointed just behind the plate.
"I had a friend get someone to fabricate a custom bracket. It wraps around the chassis bar here."
Nice blinked, impressed.
"So… no drilling?"
"Nope."
King Halo stepped forward, curiosity getting the better of her. She leaned slightly to peek inside.
"Mind if I step in?"
McQueen gestured casually.
"Go ahead."
Halo wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead before stepping carefully into the cockpit—one leg first, then the other—lowering herself into the deep seating position.
Immediately, her posture sank far lower than expected.
"…Jeez," she muttered. "This is deeper than I imagined."
McQueen knelt beside her.
"It's like that. But once you're in, it's surprisingly comfortable."
Halo nodded slowly, adjusting her position.
"Yeah… I can see that."
Her gaze shifted to the gear lever—topped with a wooden knob.
"Dogleg?"
McQueen shook her head.
"Standard H-pattern. Five-speed. Reverse included."
Halo chuckled softly.
"Classic."
She glanced up again.
"Hard to start when cold?"
McQueen smirked.
"Very."
Halo carefully lifted herself out of the cockpit, pulling one leg free, then the other.
As she straightened up, her eyes drifted toward the far end of the parking lot.
A lone car sat there.
Metallic dark red.
Low.
Sharp.
Unfamiliar.
"…Who owns that?" she asked, pointing subtly.
Nice Nature walked around to the front of the 917K, following Halo's gaze.
"…Forget who owns it," she muttered. "What is that?"
Sirius Symboli let out a short laugh.
"You all seriously don't know?"
McQueen smirked faintly.
"I do."
She turned to face them.
"That's Toyota's newest release."
A slight pause.
"The GR GT."
King Halo raised an eyebrow.
"GR… GT?"
McQueen nodded.
"That's right."
Sirius Symboli lowered her head slightly, arms still crossed.
"It's being called the successor to the Lexus LFA."
Halo let out a short laugh.
"An LFA successor? Please…"
McQueen's eyebrow twitched slightly.
"So you're saying the Lexus LFR is the real successor?"
Halo frowned.
"…The hell do you mean?"
Symboli smirked.
"The GR GT is a petrol-hybrid. 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8."
She tilted her head slightly.
"But—"
McQueen continued smoothly.
"The LFR… is fully electric."
Halo froze.
"…What?"
McQueen's smirk deepened.
"Changed your mind?"
Halo nodded immediately.
"Yep. GR GT wins."
Nice Nature raised a finger, clearly annoyed.
"…You still haven't answered my question."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Who owns it?"
Symboli chuckled, clearly enjoying the suspense.
"You'd be surprised."
Halo's expression flattened completely.
"Really? Like it's our first time being surprised."
She began counting on her fingers.
"Kaichou and her F40 in Hakone… Gold City's GT40… Daiwa Scarlet's Corvette…"
She shot Symboli a look.
"Do I need to keep going?"
Symboli laughed, raising both hands slightly in surrender.
"Alright, alright…"
She smirked.
"I'll tell you."
Sirius Symboli looked at King Halo and Nice Nature, a faint smirk forming on her lips.
"The Uma who owns it…" she began, letting the suspense hang for a second.
"…is Forever Young."
Nice Nature jumped slightly, ears flicking upright.
"Forever Young?!"
Symboli chuckled softly.
"That's right."
King Halo let out a quiet sigh, her gaze drifting toward the dormitory windows above.
"…How is she doing now that she's back?"
Symboli's expression softened, the playful tone fading.
"She's… not taking the Dubai World Cup loss too well."
Halo's ears lowered slightly.
"I heard…" she paused, choosing her words carefully, "she broke down in tears in the locker room after the race?"
Symboli nodded slowly.
"Yeah…"
She turned her gaze back to the dorm windows, eyes distant.
"Losing like that… in a race that big… it sticks with you."
There was a brief silence between them.
Then Symboli continued, voice quieter now.
"Knowing there aren't many races left for her this year… and even thinking about a three-peat in Saudi next year…"
She exhaled softly.
"She's starting to doubt herself. About racing. About everything."
Nice Nature shook her head, concern written all over her face.
"She needs something to clear her head…"
She crossed her arms, thinking.
"But what?"
Symboli suddenly chuckled, her usual confidence returning.
"I think I know exactly what she needs."
Nice Nature raised an eyebrow.
"…Huh?"
Gold City stepped in with a grin.
"The Wangan, Nice Nature."
She folded her arms, nodding once.
"The Wangan."
Nice Nature immediately facepalmed.
"…Right."
As if on cue, the dormitory doors slid open.
The group instinctively turned toward the entrance.
A familiar figure stepped out.
Forever Young.
She walked calmly down the path, hands loosely at her sides, her expression quiet… but not empty.
Her gaze eventually settled on the metallic dark red GR GT waiting at the far end of the lot.
She pressed the unlock button on her key fob.
The car responded with a soft click and a subtle flash of its lights.
As she reached for the door handle—
"Forever-san!"
Her ears perked instantly.
She turned around.
And there they were—King Halo, Nice Nature, Sirius Symboli, and Mejiro McQueen—walking toward her.
A small smile formed on her face.
"…Hey, fellas," she said softly. "Nice to see you again."
The group stopped just beside her, near the driver's side door of the GR GT.
King Halo stepped forward slightly, her tone gentler than usual.
"How are you holding up, Forever-san?"
Forever Young exhaled, shoulders rising and falling slowly.
"…Hanging in there."
There was honesty in her voice.
But also weight.
"Goin' somewhere?" Nice Nature asked, tilting her head slightly.
Forever Young nodded.
"Yeah… heading out to Yamanashi."
She glanced briefly toward the distance, as if she could already see it.
"Figured I'd go see Mount Fuji today."
Mejiro McQueen smirked subtly, glancing sideways at King Halo.
A silent exchange.
A small nod.
Halo returned it.
Then Halo turned back to Forever Young.
"Say…" she began casually, though there was intention behind it, "mind if we tag along?"
McQueen added smoothly,
"We could grab lunch together. Catch up a bit."
Forever Young blinked, clearly a little surprised.
Then she let out a soft chuckle.
"…Sure. I don't mind."
There was a shift in the atmosphere.
A small one.
But noticeable.
Then—
Nice Nature lightly bumped Gold City's tail.
Gold City glanced back.
Nature didn't say a word.
She simply gestured—subtly—toward the GR GT.
Gold City's lips curled into a knowing smirk.
She nodded once.
Then she turned back to Forever Young.
"Hey… mind if I ride with you?"
She casually hooked a thumb over her shoulder.
"My GT40's been acting up since this morning."
Forever Young hesitated.
Just for a moment.
Her eyes flicked between them.
Then she nodded.
"…Sure thing."
And just like that—
What started as a quiet, empty Sunday…
Was beginning to turn into something else entirely.
A drive.
A distraction.
Maybe even… a reset.
The group exchanged glances—silent understanding passing between them—before breaking off toward their respective cars.
Gold City veered left, heading straight for the passenger side of Forever Young's GR GT.
Forever Young reached for the flush door handle, her fingers pressing inward until the mechanism clicked. The door popped open slightly with a muted mechanical release. She pulled it open and lowered herself into the driver's seat, one leg sliding into the footwell before the other followed. The door came shut with a firm, insulated thud.
Gold City followed immediately after, opening the passenger door and slipping inside, carefully pulling her legs over the sill before shutting it securely.
Inside the GR GT, the cabin wrapped around them—modern, tight, and purpose-built.
Forever Young planted her foot on the brake pedal.
A press of the start/stop button—
The dashboard flickered to life, screens illuminating in sequence—
And then—
The twin-turbo V8 ignited.
A deep, controlled roar filled the cabin, quickly settling into a refined but menacing idle. The subtle whir of hybrid assistance systems layered faintly beneath the combustion engine's growl.
Forever Young reached for the seatbelt, pulling it across her chest and clicking it into place.
Gold City glanced sideways at her, one eyebrow slightly raised.
"Didn't know you had a taste in cars, Forever-san."
Forever Young let out a soft chuckle, her hands resting lightly on the steering wheel.
"I like grand tourers… something I can just drive without thinking too much. This one fits."
Gold City nodded slowly, eyes drifting across the dashboard, then back to the road ahead.
"You drive fast?"
Forever Young shrugged, almost casually.
"Not really… no."
Almost as if the world itself wanted to contradict her—
Engines erupted around them.
From across the lot:
The RB26DETT of King Halo's R32 barked to life—metallic, tight, and aggressive.
The sharp, high-strung note of Sirius Symboli's Ferrari F355 V8 followed—clean and exotic.
A deep, cammed rumble from an American V8 echoed—raw and uneven.
And then—
A violent, spine-tingling shriek.
The naturally aspirated V10 of Nice Nature's Gallardo exploded into life, its tone razor-sharp, almost Formula One–like as it ripped through the air.
King Halo tightened the straps of her shoulder harness, pulling them down firmly until they locked against her chest. She exhaled, steadying herself, then turned her head slightly toward the far-left side of the lot.
Her eyes landed on the GR GT.
"Time for you to free yourself from that burden…" she muttered under her breath.
Not far from her, the Fluid Motor Union exhaust on Nice Nature's Gallardo roared violently, reverberating across the dormitory walls. The sound bounced off concrete and glass, filling the entire parking area.
Nice Nature reached up, pulling her harness over her shoulders and snapping it into place with a sharp metallic click.
Sirius Symboli approached from the side, raising her voice over the noise—barely audible.
"Fucking hell, Nature! Is your car always this loud on cold start?!"
Nice Nature leaned slightly out of the window, one hand bracing against the door.
"Huh?!"
Sirius stepped closer, bending down and shouting directly toward her.
"IS IT ALWAYS THIS DAMN LOUD?!"
Nice Nature grinned and nodded.
"PRETTY MUCH! YEAH!"
Sirius let out a laugh, shaking her head as she straightened up.
"Well… you're definitely waking up half the dorm with that!"
She turned and walked back toward her F355, opening the door and sliding into the driver's seat. The door shut with a clean, mechanical snap.
Inside, she grabbed her harness and pulled it across her shoulders, locking it down. As she settled in, she glanced out toward the Gallardo, still idling loudly.
Even inside her Ferrari, the noise bled through.
She sighed.
"Unbelievable… I can still hear it in here…"
Then—
As if perfectly timed—
The Gallardo's idle dropped, smoothing out into a more stable, lower tone as it warmed.
Sirius blinked.
"…Okay. That was oddly perfect timing."
She gave a small nod.
"Not as bad once it settles."
Right on cue—
Movement.
The first car rolled out.
The GR GT.
Forever Young eased off the brake, gently feeding throttle as the car crept forward, steering smoothly toward the exit.
Inside, Gold City rested her arm lightly against the door, watching the path ahead.
Following closely behind—
The Porsche 917K.
Sirius' eyes widened as the low, wide prototype rolled past her.
"The hell, McQueen…"
The 917K moved with an almost surreal presence—low to the ground, mechanical, raw—completely out of place, yet dominating everything around it.
Behind it, King Halo's R32 began rolling, the inline-six humming as she feathered the clutch and guided the car forward.
Then came Nice Nature, the Gallardo easing out with a controlled crawl, its V10 now calmer but still unmistakably aggressive.
With the Gallardo passing by—
Sirius placed her right hand on the metal gated shifter.
She slotted it firmly into first gear.
Left foot easing off the clutch—
Right foot feathering the throttle—
The F355 began to move, smooth and precise.
She turned the wheel to the right, following the convoy out of the dormitory parking area.
One by one, the cars lined up.
A convoy of completely different machines—
Old and new.
Race-bred and road-built.
Balanced and chaotic.
All heading toward the same destination.
The open road.
And whatever waited for them beyond it.
It didn't take long before the group found themselves flowing onto the Shuto Expressway.
The transition from city streets to elevated highways was seamless—ramps curving upward, barriers tightening, and the skyline opening around them.
The convoy held formation just as they left Tracen.
Now heading southbound toward Hakozaki, before eventually cutting west toward Takaido.
The order remained unchanged:
Forever Young's GR GT led the pack—with Gold City riding shotgun.
Behind them, low and menacing, was Mejiro McQueen's Porsche 917K.
Then King Halo in her R32 GT-R.
Nice Nature's Gallardo Superleggera.
And finally, Sirius Symboli's F355 bringing up the rear.
Inside the GR GT—
Silence.
Only the soft, insulated hum of the twin-turbo hybrid V8 filtered through the cabin. The engine note was present—but distant, controlled, refined.
Gold City sat still.
Too still.
Her eyes occasionally drifted toward Forever Young.
Meanwhile, Forever Young remained focused—hands steady on the wheel, posture relaxed, eyes scanning the road ahead.
Another glance.
Another.
Another—
Forever Young's eyebrow twitched.
She exhaled.
"If you have something to say… then say it."
Gold City opened her mouth—
Paused.
Closed it again.
Thinking.
Then finally—
She sighed.
"I… I'm sorry about Dubai, Forever-san."
Silence filled the cabin again.
Forever Young's grip on the wheel tightened slightly.
"You don't have to be… it's my fault."
Her eyes stayed locked ahead.
"If I hadn't gone wide on that one turn… I might've had it."
Her lips pressed together.
"But in the end…"
"I lost to a teddy bear-loving American…"
A bitter chuckle escaped her.
"Third last year… now second…"
"And now people call me a fraud…"
Her voice dropped.
"Forever Fraud…"
Gold City immediately shook her head.
"Don't listen to that crap!"
She leaned slightly forward.
"You are who you are. You've built a legendary record—never finishing worse than third!"
Forever Young exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
Gold City glanced at her again—then reached into her coat.
She pulled out her phone.
A quick message to Sirius Symboli:
(Hey… I think it's time. Let's give her a proper Wangan run.)
A second passed.
Then a reply:
(Copy. I'll signal.)
Behind them—
Sirius Symboli's right hand tightened on the wheel.
Her left foot pressed the clutch in.
Sixth. Fifth. Fourth. Third.
Rev-match blips echoed as the revs climbed and fell precisely.
Then—
Click.
Her pop-up headlights flipped open.
Three sharp flashes of high beam.
Nice Nature saw it instantly.
A smirk spread across her face.
"Here we go…"
She flashed her lights forward—three times.
King Halo caught the signal next.
Her lips curled slightly.
She flicked her high beams toward the 917K ahead.
Inside the 917K—
McQueen smirked.
"Alright then… let's wake things up."
She pressed the clutch.
Downshift.
Second gear.
The flat-12 screamed up—6,500 RPM… 7,000… hovering… waiting.
The tach needle danced violently.
Then—
She floored it.
The rear of the 917K squirmed slightly before gripping hard.
The car lunged forward.
She snapped the wheel right—diving into the fast lane.
8,200 RPM.
Clutch in.
Third gear.
Clutch out.
Back on throttle.
The 917K shot past the GR GT like a missile.
Inside the GR GT—
Forever Young's eyes widened.
"Whoa—"
The 917K disappeared ahead.
Then—
King Halo's R32 blasted past next, flames bursting from the exhaust as she shifted.
Nice Nature followed, the Gallardo screaming as blue flames cracked from its pipes.
Then Sirius Symboli's F355 surged by—clean, sharp, precise.
Forever Young blinked.
"…So they're racing."
Gold City nodded.
"And now—it's your turn."
She leaned forward slightly.
"Go on."
She pointed ahead.
"Floor it."
Forever Young snapped toward her.
"W-What?!"
Gold City snapped right back.
"MASH YOUR RIGHT FOOT ON THE DAMN GAS!"
Startled—
Forever Young obeyed.
Her foot slammed down.
The GR GT reacted instantly.
The transmission kicked down—8th to 5th—then 4th—then 3rd.
The engine roared.
Boost built instantly.
The car surged forward violently, pinning them into their seats.
Gold City grinned.
"There you go!"
She pointed ahead.
"You want to win? Then move! Weave through traffic—don't think about anything else!"
Her voice sharpened.
"It's just you, the road, and the car!"
Forever Young glanced sideways briefly.
"Y-You actually enjoy this?!"
Gold City laughed.
"Of course! This is how you clear your head!"
Forever Young snapped her gaze back to the road.
Ahead—
Targets.
Cars to chase.
Something to focus on.
Behind them—
Nice Nature smirked.
"Atta girl…"
They approached Hakozaki Junction.
The road split ahead.
Northwest toward Takebashi.
Their route toward Yamanashi.
McQueen moved first—smoothly shifting right.
King Halo followed.
Sirius tucked in behind them.
Behind—
The GR GT and Gallardo were now side by side.
Gold City raised her hand.
"Listen carefully."
Forever Young tightened her grip.
"W-What?!"
"Wait for it…"
The corner approached rapidly.
Barriers tightening.
Speed still high.
Nice Nature braked first.
Heel-and-toe.
Fifth to fourth.
Fourth to third.
Gold City dropped her hand.
"BRAKE!"
Forever Young slammed the brake pedal.
The front dipped hard.
Weight transferred forward.
Grip increased.
They gained ground instantly.
Gold City pointed sharply.
"Inside line—hug the wall!"
Forever Young turned in.
Closer.
Closer.
The barrier rushed past just inches away.
"Now go wide!"
Forever Young unwound the wheel.
The car drifted outward.
"FLOOR IT!"
Throttle down.
The GR GT exploded forward on exit.
Gold City pumped her fist.
"YES! That's it!"
She glanced at Forever Young.
"Do that every corner. Wide entry, tight apex, strong exit—that's your line."
She continued quickly.
"For tighter turns, loosen the rear slightly—get a bit of rotation, then countersteer."
"Control the slide—not too much."
Forever Young nodded.
Focused.
Learning.
Adapting.
Fast.
Ahead—
Sirius Symboli checked her mirror.
A smirk formed.
"Let's see what you've got…"
She moved right—blocking.
But—
The GR GT snapped left.
Outer lane.
Full throttle.
It surged past her.
Effortlessly.
Sirius' eyes widened.
"W-What?!"
She stared as the GR GT pulled ahead.
"Did she just—"
Her grip tightened on the wheel.
"Did she seriously figure it out that fast?!"
Inside the GR GT.
Forever young's mind was racing.
She began to think.
"Wh.. Why is this so... Relaxing.. Racing with my friends.. My classmates."
She blinked
"Why... Why is it so...."
She smiled
"So Fun!"
Right up ahead was Now King Halo.
All left Alone.
McQueen has left her behind. A mere 2 Car Lenths.
King Halo Smiled
"That's it Forever-san. That's what you want to do."
The GR GT Slowly passed King Halo. Still Accelerating further.
King Halo Softened a little
"Now Go chase that Porsche..
She raised her hand and gestured a thumbs up.
The GR GT continued to surge further.
As they Reached Takebashi.
The GR GT was merely a car lenth ahead.
All that stood ahead now.
Was Corners
Lots of them.
McQueen continued to follow the intended route. Turning lef towards Miyakezaka.
She slammed on the brakes.
Front lefts locked up slightly.
She slowed down too much.
But to her 917K. it was the right amount, on the edge of understeer.
But it was enough for the GR GT to fully catch up
THey raced through the corner.
McQueen began to surge ahead.
She looked at her Rear view mirror.
"Damn.. I got the speed advantage. But not the Handling advantage."
"I could have taken the mustang."
She sighed
"But then i'd be left behind way before."
The Roads ahead weaved left and right.
As they raced through a wide left banked turn
The 917K Understeered.
McQueen lets off the gas.
The GR GT moved to the inside.
The GR GT passed without any hesitation.
McQueen came back on the gas.
But they reached another wide banked corner.
She lets off the gas.
The GR GT Surged further...
Then.
A Straightaway.
The GR GT slowly crept up faster and faster.
But the 917K continued to surge ahead.
Then.
They passed the sign for the Approaching junction.
Gold City raised a hand.
"The race is done Forever-san"
Forever young raised an eyebrow
"Huh?"
Gold city pointed at her signal light.
"Flash your hazzards three times and tap the brake twice. whilst moving to the slow lane. Its the Signal the race is over."
Forever young scratched the side of her head
Then nodded silently.
She turned on her hazzard lights whilst steering to the slower lane.
Then.
She tapped the brakes twice.
McQueen noticed.
Then lets off the gas. Coasting.
She tapped the brakes twice. Signalling the others in the back.
The others noticed.
And reduced their pace.
The race was over.
And the New racer was on top on her debut.
Gold City slowly clapped
"And that's that Forever-san. A Win on your first street race."
Forever young's ears snapped up.
Her mind raced to a flashback.
To Three years ago.
her debut race in Kyoto.
Where she won On debut.
With 4 lengths ahead of the next Umamusume.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Then.
A Small tear on her left eye.
She quckly lets her left hand off the wheel an quickly wiped it away.
Gold City looked at her.
Then Tilted her head slightly.
"F-Forever san? Are you okay?"
Forever Young nodded
"I'm Okay.."
She smiled
"This has got to be the best thing that's happened since dubai..."
Gold City's eyes widened.
Then.
She softened
"That's what i like to hear Forever-san."
The convoy continued on.
The roads gradually opened up, city structures giving way to wider skies and distant mountain silhouettes. Traffic thinned, the air grew cleaner, cooler.
And within an hour…
They reached a parking area overlooking Mt. Fuji.
Engines shut off one by one.
The rumbles and howls of engines faded… the sharp rasp of high-strung engines settled… until all that remained was the soft ticking of cooling metal.
Heat shimmered faintly from exhausts.
The air was noticeably colder here.
A quiet contrast to the chaos of the expressway.
On one side, Nice Nature and King Halo stood near the edge, gazing out toward the mountain.
On the other side of the viewing platform…
McQueen, Sirius Symboli, Gold City, and Forever Young stood together.
Forever Young leaned against the railing.
Both hands resting over it, fingers loosely interlocked.
She exhaled slowly.
"I… felt lost… after the Dubai race… I didn't know what to do after."
Her voice was softer now. Not broken—just tired.
"My trainer said… if it's possible… a three-peat in Saudi next year…"
She shook her head slightly.
"But… I'm skeptical about continuing to race as much as I did for the past two years…"
A pause.
Wind brushed through her hair.
"I just want to be… me… The Forever Young everyone in Tracen knows…"
Her grip tightened slightly on the railing.
"Not someone who fell off after a loss."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then—
"But…"
She closed her eyes.
"That race felt different…"
"I felt confident. I knew I was going to win…"
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"But… I went wide on that one corner…"
Her voice cracked just a little.
"A-And that sealed it…"
Sirius Symboli stepped closer, resting her arms against the railing beside her.
"And what did you feel?"
She turned her head slightly.
"Now that you're racing like us?"
Forever Young opened her eyes.
She looked at Symboli.
Then slowly pushed herself off the railing, standing upright.
"I had this… weird sensation…"
She looked up at the sky.
Clear. Vast. Endless.
"Like… the pain and stress… were just fading away…"
A small breath left her lips.
"For the first time since that Dubai race…"
She turned her head slightly.
Looking at Gold City.
"I felt… free from it."
Gold City nodded.
A small, knowing smile forming.
"That's right."
McQueen stepped forward slightly, arms crossed.
"You're not the first to feel that."
Forever Young tilted her head slightly.
"Huh?"
McQueen continued.
"You have a similar experience to Tachyon."
Forever Young's eyes widened slightly.
"Agnes Tachyon?"
McQueen nodded.
"After her injury—tendinitis—she shut herself in. Stayed in her dorm. Day after day… doing nothing but research."
"She was lost."
A brief pause.
"Then Manhattan Cafe told her to get a car."
Forever Young's voice came quietly.
"The Midnight Blue S30Z…"
McQueen gave a small nod.
"That one."
Gold City crossed her arms, picking up from there.
"Since then, she's been driving the Shuto almost every night."
"Most of the time with Cafe… sometimes with us."
She glanced out toward the horizon.
"Think of it as… an escape."
"A way to leave everything behind for a while."
Symboli nodded, now leaning back against the railing.
"And today's race day too."
"The Shuto's probably packed with Umas right now."
Forever Young looked back at them.
"Was Tachyon able to recover from it?"
Gold City nodded without hesitation.
"Yeah."
"She pulled through."
"Driving helped her—during the injury… and after."
Silence followed.
Not awkward.
Just… calm.
Forever Young slowly turned.
Her eyes drifting toward Mt. Fuji.
Majestic.
Unmoving.
Unbothered by everything below.
Then…
Her gaze shifted.
Toward her GR GT.
"I… might need to do the same thing…"
Gold City nodded.
"If it helps you mentally?"
She smirked slightly.
"Then yeah. You should."
She glanced toward the GR GT.
"That car of yours has a lot of potential too."
Forever Young looked at her.
"What should I start with?"
Gold City pushed herself off the railing and pointed toward the rear of the car.
"Start simple."
"A catback exhaust."
She smirked.
"That V8 already sounds good… but it's too quiet. Let it breathe."
She continued, more thoughtfully now.
"Suspension's already solid."
"I'd say ECU tune, intake later on… nothing too crazy yet."
She looked at the car again.
"The GR GT's still new. Not much support yet."
"So yeah… exhaust first."
Forever Young nodded slowly.
Taking it all in.
Then she turned back to Gold City.
"Gold City-san…"
Gold City looked at her.
"Yeah?"
Forever Young nodded.
"Thank you… for today."
A small smile formed.
"I really needed this."
Gold City softened slightly.
Shaking her head.
"No need to thank me."
Then—
She extended her hand.
A familiar gesture.
"Kaichou usually does this…"
She smiled.
"But I'll do it on her behalf."
"Welcome to the club."
Forever Young stared at her hand for a moment.
Just a moment.
Then—
She reached out.
And took it.
A firm handshake.
"Thank you."
Behind them, the wind carried softly across the overlook.
The engines were quiet.
The road was far behind them.
But not for long.
Because for the first time since Dubai…
Forever Young was ready to return to it.