There’s no time quite like Golden Week. All the hustle and bustle of working life grinds to a screeching halt—and in its place, an air of festivity sweeps across the country. It provides weary students and salarymen the perfect opportunity to shed their chains and experience all Japan has to offer. Here in Sapporo, the atmosphere is plenty festive already—the holiday season coincides with flower-viewing season, the sakura finally starting to bloom in the wake of winter’s departure.
“Looks like you’re just about packed there!”
“Yup, I think I’ve got everything. Won’t be long before I’m on the road!”
Anticipation abounds in the crisp morning air. Reina’s always viewed this time of year as a symbol of change, the panorama of petals heralding fair weather and high spirits. Now, she sees something different on the horizon: a destination. She’s been searching for so long, walking blindly in pursuit of a dream, but now, the path stands long and proud before her. It’ll take everything she’s got, but she accepts the challenge with a fire in her eyes and pride in her heart. After all, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step...or, in her case, the turn of a key.
“Man, that is the fullest I’ve seen the Road Runner’s trunk in a good long while.” Old Man Takashi can’t resist a chuckle. “You sure you got everything?”
“I have been running through my checklist for the last 30 minutes. If I forgot something, I’m probably not gonna remember now.”
“Hah! Fair enough.”
A skeleton crew will keep the garage running while she’s gone—after all, there will always be cars in need of service. But it’s a job they’re happy to do; it enables Reina to do hers. She and the Road Runner are as ready as they can be for the trip: she got the car detailed inside and out, and she’s got her best fit on, looking calm and confident as she prepares to take the wheel. She’s made sure to pack plenty of Grandma Clara’s old CDs too—she’ll have plenty of time to listen to them all as she cruises along the road.
“Just call if you need anything, okay?” Sami’s finding it hard to keep her own emotions at bay. This’ll be the first time Reina’s really been away from home... Whenever they took trips in her youth, they always went as a family. Now, she’s carving her path all on her own...and with her grandmother’s old jacket draped across her shoulders.
They really do grow up so fast.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine out there, I promise.”
“Oh, I know, sweetie... I’m just having a mom moment.”
As the moment comes closer and closer, the emotions brim and bubble until they can’t contain themselves any longer. Reina, Sami, Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi all join together in a momentous group hug, seeing off the rising star with a heartfelt farewell.
“I’m so proud of you, honey...”
“Thank you, Mom...”
And so, the time has come. The morning sun lights Reina’s way, to the south out of Sapporo and onward to the center of the country. The Road Runner’s door opens with a satisfying click... The trip is about to begin.
“Drive safely! Well, as safely as you can in the ten-liter terror.”
“If you see a tunnel, check for cameras first!”
“Oh, you guys...!” Reina wipes some moisture out of her eyes. “Thank you, everybody! I’ll bring you plenty of souvenirs!”
Reina dons a confident smile. “...And I’ll bring you some good news from Kanazawa and Nagoya too. Just you wait!”
“That’s my girl!”
Finally, Reina disappears behind the big, hulking door. After a few seconds, the crowd hears the familiar buzz of the fuel pump, and then...
*RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRMMMMMM!*
All eight cylinders sing in harmony, rejuvenated and ready to conquer Honshu in style. With routine flair, she wrenches the pistol-grip shifter into first, feeling the power under her feet. The proud 611 effortlessly powers the car out of the garage and into the day—and Reina can see the gang waving her goodbye as she sets her sights to the south.
“Take care, Reinaaa!”
“Good luck out there!”
“You’ve got this, honey!”
Reina can’t hear them, and they can’t hear her...but they don’t need to. Their love for each other burns bright enough for them all to see.
“Thank you... I won’t let you down!”
The Toyohira lazily flows to the south, as it always does. The river and the seasons care nothing for the dreams and trifles of men; time just keeps marching along, and one way or another, all must respect its march and fall in line.
But today, Reina submits to the river of time no longer. She turns up onto Route 230 and blazes a trail of her own, outracing the river on her way to the future. That look in her eyes tells the tale of an embattled soul, weathered by the hardship she’s endured over these past few years...but the pressure has only made her stronger. Now, she shines brighter than she ever could before.
Journey accompanies her on the CD player. That same nostalgic sound, those same rosy memories...but it all sounds just a little different today. Run and hide, the song tells her, but it doesn’t carry that mocking undertone anymore. No more hiding in her time capsule for the heiress apparent—she’s got a date with destiny.
Keep on runnin’! Keep on hidin’!
“Keep on runnin’ awaaay!”
And she will keep on running, until the journey is done.
***
The first leg of her journey will take her to the very edge of her native Hokkaido. At the port town of Hakodate docks a ferry that will take her across the Tsugaru Strait, and onto the main Japanese island of Honshu. With just over 150 miles to cover, it will stretch the Road Runner’s fuel tank rather thin—the supercharged 611 is not at all known for its fuel economy—but Reina remains confident she can knock out this segment of the trip in no time flat. And she’ll get to enjoy some of Hokkaido’s best scenery as she goes.
“There we go. Now we’re getting to the good part...” Soon, the man-made mountains of Sapporo end, and the real wilderness begins. Route 230 snakes through the undulating expanse like a concrete river, traffic gracefully thinning to give Reina total control of the horizon ahead. She doesn’t get to drive this route very often—but even if she did, she doubts it would ever lose its luster. This place is gorgeous.
The Road Runner cruises almost effortlessly, the oversized engine making quick work of all the hills and bends. She barely even needs to give it gas at all, keeping the revs nice and low as the engine’s authoritative growl echoes off the trees. The occasional car is treated to a mechanical symphony as Reina goes cruising past, commanding their attention for those fleeting moments before she disappears into the distance.
“Ahhh... She’s cruising great! It’s been a while since I got to take a nice, long drive like this... There’s just something so relaxing about it.” A loud, mammoth V8 isn’t really what most drivers would consider relaxing, but Reina is hard-pressed to care.
Traffic picks up around the myriad onsen that dot the outskirts of Sapporo. They’ve got quite the crowd coming for Golden Week, but Reina won’t be joining them. She’s got her own plans as far as ryokan go...and you bet she’s looking forward to that. No expensive swimsuit needed!
At any rate, she turns her focus back to the road. She’s really getting into the twisties now.
“Ooh, this is a nice little switchback here!”
The rolling mountains jostle the road to and fro, up and down, giving Reina a thrilling ride as she commands the Road Runner through the narrow turns. Unlike last winter, she can take these as casual as she wants—no white-knuckle driving for her, and no risk of getting stuck wither. Turns out it’s a whole lot more satisfying this way... Whoda thunk?
“Man, this is fun! I’m gonna have to stop myself from getting too carried away... Heehee.”
Reina does manage to keep herself in check, to her credit. This is only the prelude to a much larger adventure, after all—and she has plenty of fun just being behind the wheel as is. She takes great pride in being one of the precious few who can tame this behemoth engine...and on demanding roads such as these, her aptitude shines all the brighter. She doesn’t need to be going above the speed limit to put on a show.
There’s plenty more to enjoy all around her, as the scenery opens up. Soon, the jagged corridors bid her farewell, and a panorama of distant peaks greet her as she trends south toward the coast. Mount Yotei stands tall in the distance, its peak still capped with snow. Further to the south, Lake Toya teems with boats and kayaks getting an early start to Golden Week. The water’s still mighty cold, but a warm, clear weekend like this is just too good for vacationers to pass up.
Reina remembers going out to the lake every now and then when she was growing up. Her grand-uncle and his family live nearby, and the Obon festival in August made for the perfect opportunity to go down and visit. Reina wishes she had the time to stop by, but the ferry waits for no one. Perhaps she can visit on the way back—it’s been quite some time since she last checked in.
Lake Toya passes her by in the distance, soon leaving her in the rear-view mirror as she continues her southward march. A new body of water takes its place: the sweeping Uchiura Bay, carving a circular hole in Hokkaido to form the Oshima Peninsula. Sadly, she doesn’t get to stick all that close to the water, but there’s a very good reason for that: she’s got the Hokkaido Expressway coming up to fast-track her to Hakodate. It’s a toll road, but the price of admission is more than worth it.
“There we go...” Reina takes her ticket at the booth, and from there, it’s smooth sailing around the bay. Now the 611 really gets to flex its muscles—within reason, of course!
“Perfect! Looks like southbound traffic hasn’t really picked up yet.” The opposite side of the road has plenty of vacationers traveling north to Sapporo and beyond, but not much in the direction of Hakodate. Reina reckons that most Sapporo natives with vacation on the mind would be flying or taking the train instead. She’s certainly not complaining—it gives her more of the road to herself.
Her journey continues down the isthmus of Hokkaido, the Road Runner cruising at a brisk clip and turning heads as it carves through traffic. Reina knows the game well—there’s just a little bit of give and take with the speed limits here. It’s all about reading the room...or, in this case, the road. It’s harder to bend the rules discreetly in a giant muscle car, but as it turns out, Reina’s gotten pretty good at it.
“Making good time!” Reina made sure the car’s clock was accurate to the minute before she set off. “Maybe if I get there early, I can do a little sightseeing in Hakodate too.”
The expressway follows the bay until it can follow no longer, pulling away at the coastal town of Mori as it continues on to the south. Hakodate is less than an hour away now... Unfortunately, the expressway won’t quite take her all the way there. The toll road rejoins an older route some 40 minutes outside the city. No problem, Reina thinks to herself—she’s still got plenty of time.
Reina reaches the end of the expressway, and as soon as she’s within earshot, all of the operators at the toll booths turn their heads. They’ve seen plenty of exotic cars in their time at the checkpoint, but never have they seen anything like this.
“What the...?” One lucky winner watches as the Road Runner pulls up into his lane, and he has no idea what to expect when the window comes rolling down.
“Morning~! Here you go.”
...Whatever he was expecting, it certainly wasn’t that.
“O-Oh, uh, sorry.” He was so distracted that he briefly forgot to do his job. He takes Reina’s one-way ticket and punches it into the machine to calculate her fare.
“3,200 yen, please.”
“There you are~” She mathed out the fee in advance.
“R-Right! Thank you.”
The toll arm opens to let Reina through; as thanks, Reina gives the operator a two-finger salute and a wide grin before cruising on through.
“Have a good one!”
“I... You too!”
He just barely manages to wave her goodbye before she rolls up the window and disappears from his sight, the Road Runner’s growling engine playing a tune for him as she drives into the distance. The operator, for want of an explanation, is speechless.
(Man, what the hell was that...?)
Not to say he didn’t like it—he’s left blushing in his booth.
The Road Runner’s long shadow steadily shrinks as the sun climbs higher and higher. Soon, she’ll be able to see Hakodate on the horizon...and that leaves Reina with a choice to make. She really bombed it down the expressway, and that gives her just enough time to visit a local landmark she’s always wanted to see... Now would be the perfect opportunity.
“Hmmm...”
She’ll have to make the decision quickly. The fork in the road is coming up.
“...Sure, why not? It’s a vacation!”
Reina pulls away from the coastal route into town and instead charts her course for the heart of the city. Hakodate welcomes her with a humble entourage of traffic, travelers abuzz with holiday cheer. Hakodate might not be particularly notable or famous in Japan, but it does have one thing she’s always wanted to see: the Goryokaku.
“Good, there’s plenty of signage for it. Just gotta follow this road here...”
The Goryokaku—literally Five-Pointed Fortress—is one of many regional landmarks that give Hokkaido an eclectic, multicultural flair. The traditional image of a Japanese castle doesn’t apply here; this one was built in the style of European star forts, hearkening back to Vauban’s epics. Of the two such examples in Japan, this star is the brighter one—and as luck would have it, she’s picked the perfect time to visit.
“Oh, oh! There it is!”
Golden Week lines up perfectly with peak sakura season here in Hakodate. Every year, the Goryokaku is dressed from head to toe in pink, the grass and moat blending with it to create a picturesque canvas of color. Reina finds herself a parking spot outside the fortress and gives the Road Runner a rest; it’s time she did a little adventuring on her own two feet.
“Oh, wow...” She timed it perfectly. Petals scatter in the morning breeze, lining the walkway before her and floating delicately atop the moats below. She feels like she’s walked straight into a movie, time slowing to a halt to let her take it all in.
The center of the fortress greets her with a humble park and museum, the old buildings radiating culture and intrigue. This was the seat of a short-lived breakaway state some 150 years ago, laying claim to all of Hokkaido... It makes her think about her own lineage. She doesn’t know much about the Japanese side of her family, but from what her late grandfather told her, some of his ancestors had called Hokkaido their home for as long as they could remember.
(I owe it to him to do some reading up on that...) Perhaps when she has the time, she can learn more.
For now, however, she has one more part of the fortress she’d like to visit—and it stands tall in the distance to greet her. The observation deck, a newer construction, serves as the perfect spot for a bird’s-eye view of the fortress—and when she emerges from the elevator inside, her expectations are blown clear out of the water.
(It’s beautiful...!)
No picture can do this justice. The Goryokaku shines like the very star it’s shaped after, the brilliant colors dazzling her eyes. The city skyline has plenty to offer her as well, framed by the majestic mountains in the distance. She doesn’t regret coming here one bit—this was worth the detour and so much more.
Reina feels like she could stand here for hours, just taking in the sights and admiring the beauty of the flowers below...
(...Actually, how much time do I have?)
There’s a tiny pang in her chest, worried she might have gotten lost in the moment for too long. She finds a nearby clock and checks it...
The ferry leaves port at the top of the hour. The minute hand points straight down.
(Oh shoot, I’ve only got 30 minutes! I gotta get going!)
Reina boards the elevator back down and briskly walks back through the fortress, coming out the other side to the waiting Road Runner. A few errant sakura petals adorn its windshield; she lets the car keep them as souvenirs.
“Okay, shoot... I wanted to stop for gas before getting on the ferry, but I don’t think I have time for that anymore...” Reina slots the key in the ignition, and the dashboard confirms that she’s running short on both time and fuel. Around 20 minutes remain before the ferry leaves port, and the fuel needle is uncomfortably close to empty.
“Welp... Just gotta make this work.”
The Road Runner’s eager to get going, thankfully—it starts up with its usual vigor. She’ll need it to be at the top of its game in order to reach the terminal on time. Reina thanks it with a pat on the steering wheel.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“Be good for me, okay?”
Wasting no time, Reina commands the Road Runner back into the concrete jungle. The traffic lights do their damnedest to stop her, barring her path at the most inconvenient times... Impatience creeps along Reina’s fingers as she taps the steering wheel. She knows she needs to keep her cool, though... She’ll get her chance.
“Okay, now we’re moving...” Her dawdling allowed the lunch rush to colonize the streets. Thankfully, she’s going against the grain and not with it—she can see the lines are getting pretty long on the opposite side of the road. The minutes tick down, but she can see the coast coming up on the horizon. Not much farther to the port now...and though the Road Runner is starting to complain about its empty stomach, Reina ignores the low fuel light and tells it to persevere.
“There we are!”
She can see the ferry lazily bobbing on the water, just a few minutes from departing. She made it in the nick of time!
“Right this way!” Staff help usher her toward the loading zone. She booked this trip in advance, so all she needs to do is flash them her card and she’s on her way. In truth, some of the workers thought she was joking when she said she was bringing this car; now that they’re seeing it for themselves, the dock is a mix of intrigue and befuddlement.
Nonetheless, the Road Runner slots in place with the rest of the vehicles on the ferry, the boomy interior treating passengers and crewmen alike to the ten-liter V8’s solo concerto. Feeling the heads turning, she discreetly shuts it off.
“Phew! Well, all’s well that ends well, heh.”
Precisely at the top of the hour, the ferry departs Hakodate, and for the first time in a great while, Reina bids a brief farewell to her native Hokkaido. She watches from the deck as the port shrinks into the distance; soon, only the imposing mountains remain on the horizon. The salty wind dances through her shimmering hair, the sun beaming down on her face...
She thought the lake and the fortress were majestic, but this is another contender for her best view of the day.
(I’m so glad I took the ferry... This is beautiful!)
It’s like a painting in motion, the canvas so bright and striking. The clashing blues of sea and sky look so similar, but feel so different. They combine with the mountains to make her feel so, so small...but she doesn’t feel daunted one bit by the expanse before her eyes.
No, she knows full well how big the world is—and that only makes her want to explore it more. And with the car following her on her journey, she can fulfill that childlike wanderlust and drive to her heart’s content.
There’s so much left to do, so many places to be...and she can’t wait to dive back in.
(Oh, I think that’s it over there...) Steadily, the baton is passed on the horizon as Hokkaido transitions to Honshu. The sleepy port town of Oma will soon make her acquaintance, with rugged cliffs and jagged peaks as its welcoming party. The peninsula juts out into the sea like a giant, earthen axe, forming a bay within which the city of Aomori resides. She’s heard this northern tip of Honshu is even snowier than Hokkaido...as if Sapporo winters weren’t miserable enough.
(Glad I’m driving through here in spring instead.)
Reina feels the ferry slowing down, gently contorting itself into the port at Oma like a precision puzzle piece. She can almost sense something different in the air...like it’s finally setting in, just how far she’s gone—and how far she’s yet to go.
But before she can go anywhere else, she needs to go retrieve the Road Runner. It’s been waiting patiently for her down in the hold.
The sterile, musty air just about smacks her in the face when she reaches the garage. But she won’t have to put up with it for long—she can see the hatch is already opened, letting in sunlight from outside. All that remains is to hop inside the car and pull on out...
(Good, looks like everybody else is getting here already. I won’t have to wait long to get out. Poor girl needs her snack!)
The door shuts behind her with a loud, echoing thud. She slots the key in the ignition, and the fuel needle barely moves. She briefly winces, but reasons that the car should still have enough gas to get her to a station just outside the port. She’ll just have to trust it and let it do its thing.
The crewmen motion for her to move. Here goes nothing...
“...Wait. This is an echo chamber. Is this gonna—“
*RRRrrrrRRRRRRMMMM!*
The good news: the Road Runner does indeed have enough gas in the tank. The bad news: she’s set off at least three or four alarms in the process, as the roaring engine startles the neighboring cars. A small panic ensues as other passengers fiddle with their keys to shut their vehicles up; Reina, meanwhile, tries and fails to hide her beet-red face, her eyes wide in embarrassment.
(I really should’ve waited and gone out last.)
Thankfully, the distraction subsides. Reina and the other cars trundle off the ferry and onto Honshu at last. It’s been a while for Reina, but even longer for the Road Runner—ever since Sami hung up her street racing hat, the car has been confined to Hokkaido. Reina feels like the car is almost giddy to reclaim what was once its territory...
But first: gas. Lots of it.
“No time for sightseeing, I’ve got a pump to pillage!”
After tracking down a nearby station for the first of many fill-ups on her trip, Reina gets back on the road and continues her journey, Honshu welcoming her with clear skies and open arms. True to her nature, she’s taking a road less traveled: where much of Japan’s population—and indeed, its traffic—are lined up along the Pacific coast, the chassis shop in Kanazawa faces the Sea of Japan instead. That leaves Reina with a much different picture to paint on her journey south...and she has to say, she’s looking forward to it.
If for nothing else than to have fewer cars to share the road with.
Tank full and spirits high, Reina rounds Mutsu Bay, trending south to take in the sights. Kanazawa is a bit too far for one day; instead, she’ll be shacking up in Niigata tonight, with an ETA of roughly nine hours. It’s a demanding leg of the trip for both car and driver, but Reina’s confident she can handle it. She can think of it like an endurance race, of sorts...just like mom used to drive.
“Wow, these roads are really pretty... I can’t wait until I get into the mountains proper!” The scenery here is similar, but subtly different—Hokkaido being the flattest part of Japan makes all these peaks seem so much more dramatic to her. The little pockets of civilization are broken up by rolling hills and snow-capped mountains, narrow corridors connecting city to city. It makes Japan’s many mountain passes some of the most scenic drives you’ll ever take—and Reina is eager to capitalize. The Hakkoda Mountains have been staring down at her ever since she made it on the island...and now, they’re calling her name!
“Alright...” Reina rounds a sweeping bend and breaks into the mountains. “Let’s see what these twisties are all about!”
Immediately, Reina thanks herself for taking this little detour: this road is beautiful. The Road Runner is out of its element, and the unusual choice of route is adding a good bit of time to the trip, but Reina can’t even begin to care—she’s having too much fun snaking her way through the hairpins and marveling at the picturesque pockets of nature as she breezes by. The Queen blasting on the speakers probably helps too.
Reina has to concede: it’s harder to find these roads in Hokkaido. Honshu scratches a certain itch she didn’t even know she had...and she can see now why Sami loved to make this part of the country her stomping ground. She could do this all day—and she will!
“This is perfect...! Man, I wish I could go further on one tank of gas, that’s the one thing holding me back!”
Still, she doesn’t regret the mountain pass one bit. The stops for fuel may break the flow a bit, but the sheer satisfaction makes up for it in spades. Everywhere she looks, there’s something catching her eye—and as she ascends further and further, she gets closer to the mountains’ own hidden gem: a crater lake to steal her breath.
This time, Reina does have the time to stop and stare.
“Ohhh, man...” She can already see the lake peeking between the trees as she pulls up to the observation deck. Here at the summit of Mount Ohanabe, she has an unspoiled view of the entire lake below...and it’s like she’s staring into a giant crystal mirror. Waves lazily shimmer in the sun, birds crossing between the trees... All reflected perfectly beneath the surface, like the entrance to a parallel world.
Reina has no words—only raw, unfiltered feelings. She’s stunned into silence by the beauty on display; her face tells a story that words can only hope to translate. There’s broadening your horizons, and then there’s watching your horizon stretch across the sky in ways you’ve never seen before.
“And there’s so much more left to go...”
It only makes her smile shine brighter.
Her mountaineering treats aren’t over yet, either: after scaling her slice of the Hakkodas, she now has the pleasure of getting back down. With a glint in her eye, she starts her run down to the west, coming ever closer to the Sea of Japan. There’s something visceral about coming up on a clearing and seeing a bunch of downhill switchbacks in a row—like a teaser for the thrill she’s about to have.
Maneuvering the Road Runner through the twisties is even harder than it looks, despite the slow speeds. With no power steering and a manual gearbox, she really has to work the car to get it pointed the right way...yet if you were in the passenger seat, you wouldn’t notice her breaking a sweat at all. All her years of experience with this specific car give her an uncanny ability to rein it in; she looks like she’s in complete and total control.
The car, for its part, is holding up well too. This is not its natural habitat, but it’s hanging out on the switchbacks without a complaint. The higher altitude doesn’t bother the engine at all—and even if it did, it would still have plenty of power to spare.
“This is too much fun for its own good... I’m gonna have to come down here more often!”
Alas, she does have a destination to reach. Her mountain route eventually brings her back down to sea level, the mountains giving way to a shallow plain hugging the western coast. The breadbasket city of Akita will serve as her next stop—both she and the car are in need of fuel. It’ll do just fine for a pit stop before her sprint to Niigata.
“Alright, girl, hang in there. We’ll get you some fuel once we’re in Akita!”
She can’t see the Sea of Japan yet, but she can feel the salty breeze sweeping in from the west. Her guess was right on the money: so far, the west side has been whisper quiet. With mountains all but bisecting Honshu, this sleepy corner of the country largely keeps to itself, the rugged terrain and harsher climate discouraging massive urban sprawl like you’d find on the Pacific side.
That’s not to say no one lives here at all, however...nor that there aren’t plenty of things to see. The Sea of Japan offers some of the most picturesque driving in the country—and critically for a drive, she gets so much more of it all to herself.
But first: dinner.
“There’s a pump! Just in the nick of time.” Reina finds herself on the outskirts of Akita, the Road Runner eager for a fillup. At the very least, she appreciates the opportunity to get out, stretch her legs and breathe in the fresh air. This is a charming little slice of Japan—perhaps not the most popular nor glamorous, but it reminds her of home.
One more time, the tank fills to the brim. She does get a kick out of the reactions she gets from the attendants—most of the time, they pump your gas for you. And they certainly don’t see a car like hers very often. A couple of them have struck up a conversation with her on her trip...and if the novelty of her car weren’t enough, their eyes always bug out when she says she’s from Sapporo.
After getting her stretches in, Reina pays for her gas and thanks the attendant. This one’s a bit too shy to inquire about the curious character who’s come cruising up to their pump, but he can’t stop stealing glances at the old beast as Reina slides back in.
“Hmmm...” Reina contemplates what she wants for her own dinner.
“...I’m feeling beefy today.”
*RRRRMMMMM!*
The attendant nearly jumps out of his own skin. Before his heart can even settle back down, though, Reina is off and rolling, the Road Runner disappearing like it was never even there.
“That poor guy, I think I made him jump... Heehee.”
Soon enough, Reina finds herself in the hustle and bustle of downtown Akita. Rush hour has just calmed down for the day; some of the workers slump on home, while others drink the day away at their dive of choice. Reina realizes she might have difficulty finding an open seat...but then, there’s nothing wrong with taking a little stroll to survey her options either. What’s the harm if it takes her a little extra time? It’s a vacation!
“Okay, good, there’s a spot...” The tightly-packed street does give her an opportunity to flex her parallel parking chops. She used to be scared stiff about that on her driving test, back when she was learning; she ended up inadvertently training herself to be extremely good at it. When the car you practice with is twice as long as the car you actually take the test with, you find it’s like taking the training weights off.
It shouldn’t be possible, or even legal, to fit the Road Runner in there, but logic be damned, Reina gets it done.
“Nice! Now let’s get some beef.”
Passersby, meanwhile, wonder if any of what they just saw was real.
Thankfully, Reina doesn’t have to wait too long to find an open place: after passing through a couple blocks downtown, she happens upon a restaurant by the local park and takes the last open table. The intoxicating aroma of meat on the grill immediately disarms her—after all, the quickest way to the heart is through the stomach, and is hers ever empty. The cozy atmosphere pulls her in like a hug, refusing to let go...and Reina’s more than fine with that. She’s ready to eat.
“Huh? Are you sure? That serves two, just so you know...”
“Trust me on this one. I am starving.”
Initially skeptic, the server’s confusion turns to shock as Reina proceeds to pick apart her entire order with ruthless efficiency. She eagerly wolfs down the beef, the salad, the sides; they were half-worried she was gonna start munching on the table too. After washing down her dinner with a refreshing glass of juice, Reina ponies up her tab and thanks the pub for their service.
(Well! If I’m ever in Akita again, I’ll know where to stop for food.)
In and out like a whirlwind, the lass. They don’t know the half of it.
Akita soon comes and goes—and with its departure, the sun has decided to bow out as well. Reina dons her shades as the colors start to change...and in perhaps her greatest timing yet today, she hits one of the most breathtaking parts of her drive just as the sun starts to dip below the horizon. The expressway meanders through the fields and hills south of Akita before the mountains force it right up alongside the coast—and here, wedged between dramatic cliffs and tranquil seas, Reina finds paradise.
“Whoa...”
She knew to expect views like this, but this leaves her stunned. The road takes her through sleepy fishing towns, across towering bridges, between rugged rocks piercing the sea like spears of earth. Above her, the drifting clouds clash with the setting sun in a dramatic blend of orange and white, as if the sky itself is celebrating the end of an eventful day.
She’s certain now: this was the right choice. This whole road trip is going to lift her spirits for a long, long time.
With that setting sun, Reina’s day is finally coming to a close. She’s got a couple hours of driving left, cruising southwest under cover of darkness on that last stretch toward Niigata. As much as she loves driving along, and as satisfying as this trip has been, she can’t deny that she’s been on the road for a very long time today—and she’s really looking forward to a nice, cozy bed. Her eyes are valiantly fighting to stay open, the winding expressway keeping her focus on the road. She’s proud of herself for making it this far in one day, stretching her itinerary to its absolute limit...but man, does it take a lot out of her.
*yaaawn* “Oh, man... Yeah, part of me’s wondering if it would’ve been worth it to just stop at Akita or Tsuruoka...” Not even Sami went this long in her endurance stints at Tokachi.
“I heard really good reviews about this place, though... I’m hoping it’ll be worth it.”
Niigata isn’t the most happening city in the world, but it does have its perks—she has her reasons for wanting to stop by on her way to Kanazawa. And speaking of, her massive drive today gets her ever closer: Niigata to Kanazawa is only four hours. That lets her get a good night’s sleep and still be in town by lunch—and if that goes well, she can cap off the day with a visit to Japan’s largest auto museum, just down the road from Kanazawa.
All that is for her to worry about tomorrow, though... There’s another reason why she wanted to make it here tonight—and it’s finally coming up in the distance to meet her. She can rest easy tonight: there’s a ryokan room with her name on it.
“Finally...!” Reina lets out a tremendous sigh of relief, tired in the very best of ways. When looking for places to stay, Sami gave this hotel a rave review; apparently it was one of her favorite spots back when she toured Honshu in her street racing days. She was so confident, in fact, that she was willing to split the bill to help Reina book a room—and that all but sealed the deal for her. If there’s anything Reina likes more than a ryokan, it’s a ryokan that she doesn’t have to pay full price for.
The Road Runner, plenty tired itself, pulls into the parking lot as discreetly as it can, guided by the faint streetlights overhead. The CD on deck finishes just in time. Mountains cradle her to the east, the distant downtown obscured by trees and rolling hills. At long last, Reina’s first day on the road ends.
“Rrrrrnngh... Ahhhh!” Her arms go limp after letting out a big stretch, a puff of exhaustion escaping her mouth. “I could not do that drive in a smaller car... My back is already killing me as is...”
It’ll be so nice to lie down flat again.
The soft lights of the hotel lobby greet her as she trundles inside. She can see the older lady running the desk already has her eyes on her...but she doesn’t seem curious, exactly. It’s almost like Reina’s a friend she hasn’t seen in a long, long time...
“Welcome, welcome! Would you be...?”
“Yup, Reina Aikawa! Thank you for waiting for me, I’m sorry I got in so late.”
The lady chuckles kindly. “Ohhh, no, no, not at all, you’re right on time. It’s a long way from Sapporo, after all!”
To her, hearing Reina’s name on the phone was a blast from the past. She remembers a certain enterprising street racer who would come to roost here, once upon a time... Reina brings back a whole host of memories from those simpler times.
“Now, pardon me for being a bit nosy, but did your mother happen to recommend this place to you?”
“I... She did! You remember her coming here?”
“Ohhh, yes. This old lady’s seen a lot!” She slowly works the desk to get Reina’s room key ready. “She loved coming up here to spend the night. Turned into one of our best customers at the height of her, ah, ‘business trips.’ Needless to say, you remind me a lot of her, young lady!”
“Aww, thanks...” Reina disarmingly scratches her head, her tired eyes wrinkling shut.
“Go figure, I brought her old car too.”
“Mmmhm. It’s been a long, long time since I heard that car coming in, but I could never forget that growling old thing.”
At last, the desk is all sorted out. With a chipper smile, the lady hands Reina her room key.
“You must be tired after coming all this way. You have a good night’s sleep now, okay?”
“Thank you! I’m sure I will... Oh, and is it too late for a soak, or is the onsen still open?”
“Ohh, go right ahead! We’re open plenty late.”
“Excellent!”
Reina’s tired muscles and aching bones manage to get her into her room...and the sheer temptation to just drop onto the bed and hibernate until morning is very, very strong. But Reina didn’t pick this place just for the rooms—she suspected she might be exhausted after a long day on the road, and what better way to recharge her batteries than with a nice, long soak?
“Phew... Yeah, I need a bath outright.” She doesn’t have to wait much longer, though. After shedding her clothes and getting herself all toweled up, she’s ready for the onsen. This’ll be her first onsen visit in quite some time... She used to frequent the baths back in Sapporo when she was younger, but her growing body made her incredibly self-conscious. Whether it was at school, the onsen or anywhere else in town, Reina couldn’t shake the feeling that she never really belonged with everybody else... That she was too different to share the spaces they did.
Now, though? Screw that. She lives for herself and herself alone.
“Ooooh, this feels good already...” Just walking into the open-air bath and feeling the steam wafting through the air puts her weary body at ease. The cold outside air almost tickles, contrasting the warm aura from the bath. What’s more, she’s caught the onsen at the perfect time of night: everyone else has gone to bed, giving her free reign over the entire spring. No need for modesty... She can indulge as much as she wants. With delicate steps, she makes for the bath and finally partakes...
“Ohhhh...”
Reina lets slip a meek whimper of relief as her body all but melts into the pool. All those hours of driving, all that fatigue expunged in seconds, every bone and muscle venting their exhaustion into the crisp nighttime air. She gently rests her head on the edge of the spring, her hair drifting in the water below. She feels almost weightless...and in this moment, she swears she could float here forever.
“I can’t believe how much I needed this...”
Her eyes lazily drift toward the vista outside, the humble onsen lights painting a serene picture of the horizon beyond. She’s joined by the sounds of nature, barely a whisper over the bubbling spring. The very image of peace and relaxation embraces her like a cloud, time seeming to slow to a crawl so she can appreciate every last second.
It’s exactly the change of pace she needed after her long, long day...and perhaps that’s what makes her realize just how far she’s come—physically and emotionally. This is not the self-conscious Reina who shied away from putting herself out there... This is the Reina she wants to be.
“I used to be so scared of these onsen...but why...?”
She used to be afraid of the outside world in general. Afraid to leave her little bubble where she knew she was safe from scorn. Just a few months ago, even the train was enough to make her feel out of place—like an outsider, briefly visiting the real world before hiding back inside her shell. In her eyes, her life had been an endless struggle just to justify why she looks like she does, acts like she does, thinks like she does, feels like she does...
It seems so obvious in hindsight: she was never going to find the confidence she wanted that way.
“It really was that simple... I think I was scared of myself the entire time...”
Now look at her: she’s going places she could scarcely dream of just those few months ago. She’s not afraid of what anyone thinks anymore, not constantly thinking about how to justify herself. That identity is an inextricable part of her, every bit as integral as the legacy she inherited—and at last, her faith in herself holds firm. If the world demands she justify that, then she’ll prove herself with her actions.
Actions like tearing down her mental barriers and going on this journey in her own way.
“Yeah...” Reina lets out a husky sigh, a tired smile blooming on her face. She can feel those final slivers of self-doubt washing away like ripples on the water... It feels so good to be comfortable in your own skin. Reina once barred herself from these onsen out of a pressure she magnified for herself... Now, she’s learned to stand up against it. They can stare all they want—it just means they’ll get to watch as she asserts her place in the world.
“Oof, man... If I stay in here any longer, I think I’ll actually fall asleep.” Begrudgingly, Reina pulls herself out of the water, her skin glistening in the nocturnal glow. She will finally retreat to her bed for the night, and continue her trip in the morning. There’s so much left to go...but she’s come so far already. She knows the rest will come to her in time.
Whatever the dawn brings, however she needs to prove herself, she believes in the path she walks and the person she’s become. She is Reina Aikawa—not just the daughter of a celebrated racing driver, nor just the granddaughter of a mad motoring scientist, but a girl with an unmistakable drive to reach for the stars above.
Tomorrow, she will spread her wings once more, and soar on the wind to Kanazawa.