The best part about a vacation is that you don’t need to be anywhere or do anything. Everything on your schedule is there by your choice, free from the obligations that govern your normal routine. You only do what you want...and sometimes, what you want is a good night’s rest and a relaxing day off after a high-stakes stretch on the road.
“Mmmm... Ahhh! Oh, man, I needed that.” Reina’s unruly bed hair flops about her back, her eyes still heavy as she comes to. She has no business meetings on the horizon, nor any big stretches to cover on the road—so today, both she and the Road Runner can enjoy some much-needed rest.
She can’t see squat without her glasses, but she perseveres through the blurriness to check the clock by her bed. It’s almost noon.
“Heh heh. Naughty me.”
It’s hard to overstate how much she needed to recharge her batteries. She’d been in high gear this whole time, covering close to a thousand miles in just three days with two important business meetings along the way. Shifting back down and coasting in neutral is jarring, to an extent, but more than welcome all the same. Not to say she regretted her itinerary—not at all—but now that the business half of her week is over, the pleasure half can begin. And it starts with sleeping in however late she pleases.
There’s really only one thing she was thinking about doing today, but even that can wait until tomorrow—it’s equally valid if she just lazes about and rests up for the day. She’s got another day here in Nagoya before she’s off to Hamamatsu and beyond, so it’s up to her how she spends her well-earned time.
“Hm? Wait... Did I get a text?” Unable to make out the fine print, Reina finds her glasses and slots them on. Her eyes don’t want to adjust to the light from her old phone—she has the blinds drawn, so in spite of the midday sun, her room is still nice and nocturnal.
She did indeed miss a text from earlier this morning. She was out like a light.
“Oh, it’s from Akane!”
Her phone takes a second or two to load the message. That’s just how it goes.
>Yo! Pop and I are in Nagoya today. Wanna do something together?
“Oh, perfect!”
She remembers Akane talking about her plans to hit Fuji for the Super GT weekend, but she didn’t realize they were starting their own trip so soon. Just as soon as they bid each other farewell at the car museum in Komatsu, their paths come right back together.
“It’d be fun to hit the town with her. I’ll see if she’s up for it.” She briefly swats a lock of hair off of her face before typing up her reply.
>Hey there! Sorry for the late reply, I slept in lol
>I was gonna do some clothes shopping today! Would you be interested?
She has no idea whether Akane is available at the moment—for all she knows, she could be out on her bike right now. But the offer still stands, and she’s got all day anyway.
Lucky for her, Akane’s right there to answer.
“Oh! She replied already!” One brief pause to let her response load in...
>Sure! I always hit the shops when I’m down here
“Great! That’ll be nice.” Without further ado, Reina texts Akane her itinerary and sets a time for their impromptu day out. Now all she needs to do is clean up, get dressed, and she’ll be ready to hit the town.
That “get dressed” part is what precipitates her shopping trip in the first place. As she mulls over her suitcase, her array of old, worn-out clothes emphasize how much she could use a change in wardrobe. It’s just so tricky to find something that fits her right...
She’s heard good things about some of the stores here in Nagoya. Hopefully they’ve got what she’s looking for.
“Okay. That’ll do.” The trusty Aikawa jacket helps mask the holes and frayed ends of her undershirt. Hell, from a distance, you almost can’t tell it’s falling apart!
“Well, fingers crossed I can find something newer!”
Reina opens the curtains and lets the new day in, feeling the warmth of the sun on her rejuvenated face. It’s been an age since she last got to enjoy Golden Week like this...since she had a proper vacation to wash her worries away. After everything she’s done, she can finally say she’s earned it.
“Now let’s go find me some new clothes!”
***
They say there’s no place like home—and by that same token, it can turn everything else into a wholly unique experience. Among Japan’s major cities, Sapporo stands out as a bit of an oddball, like the country’s quirky, snowfaring cousin to the north. Japanese construction and international influence both line the streets as evidence of Sapporo’s late and meteoric rise to prominence. It makes for a unique locale to visit, but for better or worse, Reina’s grown used to it as a lifelong resident.
Perhaps that’s where she finds the novelty in a city others may call a flyover. This is her first trip to the big city in years; Nagoya is roughly the same size as Sapporo, but it offers her a completely different theme and tone, the locales so familiar and yet so new. And she appreciates that these streets, while still busy this Golden Week, aren’t absolutely drowning in tourists like they might be in Tokyo or Kyoto. It lets her take it all in at her own pace.
That’s not to say Nagoya has nothing to offer on its own—far from it. When she told Akane where she was headed, the girl’s eyes lit up and a giddy grin bloomed on her face. She’s the first to arrive at the city’s massive shopping district, her motorcycle growling to a stop.
“Ooo-kay! Now we wait.” Not a bad day to be waiting outside: the sun feels amazing on her jacket, and the temperature is just right. This is her first time making the trip down to Nagoya on her trusty old bike—and though she does have to foot the bill for gas herself while her father travels separately, she doesn’t regret it one bit. There’s nothing like the freedom of cruising on two wheels.
That’s one part of the equation; now she awaits the other. The nice thing is that, given Reina drives a giant tiger, she’ll know exactly when and where she’s coming...
Or will she?
“Hey there!”
Akane, bamboozled, turns about face. Reina came from the one direction she didn’t expect: the subway station.
“Whuh— Oh! You took the train?”
“Yup! I wanted to give the old Road Runner a break after all that driving before.”
“Huh! Well, fair enough.”
(That’s actually kinda cute.)
“Yeah. I earned my break, so I figured she did too, y’know?”
(Actually, I just didn’t want it burning a hole in my wallet.) The 611 is a great many things, but a city cruiser it is not. If she doesn’t have to pay for gas today, it might make her feel a little better about shelling out for some new clothes.
She’s certainly not anxious on the train anymore, though. Those days are long gone.
“Thanks for coming with me on such short notice. I would’ve answered earlier if I weren’t out like a light!”
“Oh no no no, you’re fine! I just went out and got lunch with Pop to kill the time.”
“Like I said earlier, I always like to check this place out when I’m down here. They really have something for everybody!”
“Well, I’ll be the judge of that!” Reina lets out a wry chuckle. “I’ll just be happy if I can find something that fits me. It’s a pain in the neck finding clothes my size!”
“I can imagine.”
It’s bad enough being so tall she has to duck for some entryways. Add onto that her...generous proportions and finding the right clothes can be a nightmare.
“They used to have this store up in Sapporo that I liked, but they closed down a while ago. I’ve heard good things about a couple places here, so fingers crossed!”
“Alright! Let’s get crackin’!”
And so, Reina’s quest to find the needle in the haystack begins. Neon lights and towering plazas line the streets for blocks and blocks on end, the Golden Week fervor in full swing. Here, the stores offer everything from chic to classic, traditional to trendy, giving anyone and everyone a chance to refresh their wardrobe. Reina’s already excited just looking...even if she knows she can’t buy 90% of the clothes they have on offer. The 10% make the trip worth it.
“Man, how long has it been since I hit the town like this?”
“You don’t go shopping much in Sapporo?”
“Not really, no. I’d like to, don’t get me wrong, but ever since I started filling out, most stores just don’t have stuff that fits. And if they do, it’s pricey.”
“So where do you get your stuff, then?”
“I, uh... I don’t. You don’t wanna know how old this undershirt is—and the jacket is older than me.”
Hell, she doesn’t even wanna think about how long she’s had these pants.
“Most of the time that doesn’t matter, because I’m cooped up in the garage wearing dirty rags anyway. When I have to go out, though...that’s when it gets tricky. Usually I just throw on an old hoodie and hope for the best.”
“You don’t order online? Or, wait, no.” She catches herself with the answer. Reina nods.
“Yeah, it’s expensive getting things shipped up north. I try to shop local when I can get away with it, but that’s just not an option up there.”
“Here, though? Fair game!”
It helps that she’s built herself up a little cushion. Not having to pay for her next year of university freed up a big chunk of funds she could put toward the trip instead—and after living frugal her entire life, there’s something liberating about opening that valve just a tiny bit this week. Who knows? Maybe after today, she’ll have her wardrobe set for years more!
“Oh, this is a nice place here! They’ve got good shirts, jeans and stuff.”
“They do unisex, right? Usually I have better luck with those than women’s.”
“Oh yeah, no problem.”
This is Akane’s neighborhood. Her fashion sense is off the beaten path by choice—the denim and leather give her a style all her own, and she revels in it. She fits right in the moment she walks in the door...though all eyes are on her unusually tall friend anyway.
“They’ve got the clearance rack right up front here. I’m just gonna take a quick look...” It doesn’t take long for her to find something suitably...audacious.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Yo, this t-shirt design rocks! Really like the print here.” She’s a sucker for these punchy kinds of designs. Akane drapes it over her jacket to get an idea of the fit, and in an instant, she’s smitten. Reina, though...
*snrk*
She will never not be amused at the broken English you can find on clothes here.
“...What? Does it mean something dirty?”
“Uh... Yeah, let’s go with that.”
It’s not all for nothing, though: true to Akane’s word, Reina does find a promising pair of pants in the unisex section. The prospect of clothes that fit instantly brightens up her face.
“Heey, these aren’t half bad! Cheap too. I’ll have to hem them once I get back home, but I could totally make these work!”
“You’re not too worried about the length?”
“Nah, I always have to lengthen my pants no matter what; it’s whether they fit my hips that’s the important part. I think these have just enough room, though!”
A quick trip to the changing room confirms that these pants have got what it takes. She’ll just need to get those scandalous ankles covered up, and then she’ll be golden!
“Alright! That’s one piece of the puzzle.”
Akane, for her part, picks out a shirt with a much less absurd English pattern on it—vetted by her on-site translator.
That brings them neatly to the part of the shopping district Reina’s most interested in. She read good reviews about this internationally-minded store ahead—particularly with regard to sizing for the taller, curvier ladies in town. With luck, she might be able to ditch her worn-out shirts and shed her permanent hoodie shell. Wouldn’t that be lovely?
“Not looking for anything too fancy here. Just a nice, plain shirt that fits.” That leads Reina toward the back of the store. Even among this shop’s expanded catalog, Reina’s size makes for a tough fit, but she follows the markers toward her best bet, hoping for a miracle...
And while it takes plenty of digging, Reina finally strikes gold.
“Oooh, hang on a second. Check these out...!”
All this time, she was just looking for something that fit; she wasn’t expecting to find something that looked good too. But this shirt on the very top shelf looks to have the best of both worlds: a strong red in a comfy package. It’s a wonder how no one else has snatched it up yet... It might be a hard sell, for some reason Reina just can’t comprehend. For her, it’s perfect: it’s got enough space for her without being too floaty at the waist—and it’s nice and thick without being overbearing. This could be the one!
“I’ve gotta try this on.”
“Go for it!”
Reina excuses herself while Akane waits patiently, finding a nice shirt for herself in the meantime. Off goes her jacket, off goes her raggedy old gray shirt...
“Okay. Let’s see how this goes...” The moment of truth comes and goes like a red curtain over her eyes. The results are in...
“...Wow!”
It fits better than she expected! It’s not quite perfect—being so tall leaves a little section of her midriff open between the shirt and her pants—but it’s probably the best fit she can buy at six foot two. She’s more than happy to make that compromise. And when she puts the jacket back on...
“You know what...? I like this! I like it a lot!”
Having a strong red to contrast the black leather of the jacket adds another dimension to her look—one she really gels with. It’s so much more striking than the whites and grays she had previously... She almost feels bummed out going back to her tattered old shirt. But she doesn’t have to put up with that for much longer, because she’s finally found a winner.
“Oh, she’s out.” Akane notices the door opening. When Reina finally steps out, she’s stunned almost into silence.
“What do you think?”
“I... Holy crap! You rock that!”
“Right? I’ve always felt like I look good in red. It goes nicely with my old jacket!”
“Yeah!” Akane walks up and gets a closer look at Reina’s profile. “That really does suit you.”
“Yeah... Man. It’s so nice to like how I look.”
“You weren’t happy before?”
“Well...” Reina scratches her head. “I had a lot of growing pains, I guess is one way to put it. It took me a while to be happy with my whole look.”
Like with the train, shopping for clothes always demonstrated to Reina how much she failed to fit in—a constant reminder of who she was by nature. No amount of changing herself could ever bring her in line with everybody else...and for a time, that stung.
“For starters, this?” Reina ruffles through her hair. “This is my natural shade.”
“Wait, really? You don’t dye it?”
“Nope. And it used to be a lot more frizzy and curly too, back when I was a kid. But I got bullied a lot because of it.”
“Oh...”
“I mean, I already look pretty different from everybody else. With my hair all crazy like it used to be, my classmates said I looked like an alien. They’d grab it, yank it, drag me around... I think there was this one girl who spat in it once.”
“What the hell? That’s awful!”
“Yeah... I didn’t really realize how messed up it was back then. I remember asking my mom to get it straightened, and I was completely convinced that would make the bullying stop.”
“But I came back to school the next day, and they just kept going on me. They were still making fun of my hair because it was blonde instead of black.”
“...I think that was when I realized I didn’t have the privilege of being normal. For the longest time, I really let that control my perception of myself...but looking back on it, it really doesn’t matter at all, does it?”
“No! Absolutely not. Who cares about what you look like?”
“Exactly!”
It took Reina a long time to gain the strength to stand up against that pressure—against the hammer trying to nail her down. Breaking the mold wasn’t always a conscious choice... It started as an unpleasant reality staring back at her from through the mirror.
But over time, she learned to embrace that side of herself, and realized that this identity is what she wants for herself. It became her choice...and in turn, it became her strength.
“I’m kinda ashamed to admit it took me until just last year to realize that. Until then, I was still scared of who I am. But now that I’m more comfortable in my own skin, and now that I’ve finally gotten this little makeover...” Reina gives herself another look in the mirror.
“I really like the way I look.”
It’s just a shirt. It really doesn’t mean much in a vacuum. But to Reina, it’s another important step on her road to embracing herself. No longer does she have to hold her own wardrobe in contempt like an annoying hindrance, a reminder of how tough she has it. She’s found what’s right for her, and that’s a wonderful thing.
There’s only one of these shirts on the shelf, but Reina decides to shoot her shot at the checkout while she’s here:
“Hello! I’d love some more of these. Do you have any more in storage, by chance?”
“Boy, do we!”
The perks of treading off the beaten path: you’ve got the turf all to yourself.
***
What started out as a simple shopping trip quickly turns into a day-long excursion. Reina and Akane pass the hours together, bags of clothes slowly accumulating in their grip. Reina even manages to find a replacement for her well-worn pair of shoes—the ones at the store are too small, unsurprisingly, but the clerk hooks her up for an online order at a snazzy holiday discount. They might even be there by the time she gets home!
“That’s my wardrobe set for at least a couple years! I really wasn’t expecting to find this much stuff.”
“Me neither! I almost regret going into that one music store, but...naaaah, not really.”
“You’re gonna have plenty to listen to, huh?”
“Oh, you know it.”
The only thing left on their shopping list is a meal to cap off the day—and after getting all their steps in, the duo have really worked up an appetite. It’s an uphill battle, trying to find an open table at the crowded holes in the wall, but with perseverance, they slot right into a local pho joint and settle down for dinner. The immaculate aroma stokes their appetites even more.
“Ahhh... Feels nice to sit down after all that. And man, I’m starving.”
“Did you not eat before you came?”
“I got a quick bite at a konbini before I got here, but outside of that, nothing. I mean, usually I only eat one big meal a day anyway, so this isn’t really out of the ordinary for me.”
Akane balks. “Girl, eat! You don’t have to do that to yourself!”
“Well, no, not anymore!” Reina laughs defeatedly.
“It’ll be nice when this project’s finally done... I think it’s gonna be great. Not just for the company, but for me too.”
“Yeah. You and me both... Oh, I forgot to ask, actually: how’d it go with that guy in Gifu?”
“It went great! He’s still on the fence about some of the details, but he said he’s willing to back the project. Once I finish up the schematics for the new engine, I’ll be working with him to get a budget approved. I might be able to greenlight some materials on your end pretty soon!”
“Awesome! Sounds like you pitched lights-out!”
“Heehee! Yeah... I really, really did.”
Akane shares Reina’s excitement for the future. The Aikawa dream has become her own, and with this news, they’re both one step closer to making it a reality. When that light finally turns green, she’ll be ready to hit the ground running.
“Well, we’re as prepped as we can be on our end. You just give us the word and we’ll deliver you the best damn chassis you’ve ever had!”
“Thank you! I can’t wait to see it.”
The food graces their table, and without a shred of delay, the two of them dig in. Few things put a smile on Reina’s face quite like good food, and this pho is no exception—she eagerly slurps up the noodles and wolfs down the beef at blinding speed. Akane was wondering how Reina planned to eat that much food, even for how hungry she was...but the girl is quickly justifying her extra order.
(God damn. Guess that’s what being tall does to you.)
In short order, the both of them work through their meals, an elixir for all the fatigue they had built up throughout the day. It’s the perfect way to put a bookend on their little trip together...but as one day ends, they’re already thinking about another.
“So you’re headed to that car meet at Fuji after all?”
“Yeah. We were gonna just show up for the Super GT race on Saturday, but Pop and I took you up on that.”
“Nice! Guess it won’t be long until we see each other again...and even after that, I think we’ll be talking and meeting up a lot. Once this project kicks into high gear, I’ll want to keep in touch.”
“Fine by me! It’ll be like having a pen pal, but with a CAD project.”
“Hah! You bet.”
Reina polishes off her bowl, an excited smile on her face. She knows there’s something else waiting for her there too—some-one else.
“I get to meet up with another friend of mine there too.”
“Oh? Do tell!”
It’s been a while, hasn’t it?
“Her name’s Yuzu Tachikawa. She’s a racer I know from back up in Hokkaido—and now she’s driving in F4 this year. The schedule’s taking her to Fuji for a support race on Friday.”
“Oh, wow! Talk about connections. How’d you meet her?”
“Heehee. Well, long story...”
It’s wild to think they were total strangers not a year ago—and that the mere month or two they’ve spent on their separate paths has felt like such a long time. That enigmatic prospect turned from skeptic to supporter thanks to Reina’s charisma and diligence; now, Reina seeks to return the favor. She’s got plans for Yuzu in this big project of hers...and once she makes it to Fuji, the cogs in the machine will all come together.
“Wow... Well, I’d love to meet her! I dunno if Pop and I will be there in time for that F4 race, but if she’s sticking around for the car meet after, we can definitely swing by.”
“Great! I’d love to have the three of us all there. It’s about more than just being business partners—you guys are my friends, y’know?”
“Aww...”
Alas, time keeps marching on. As much as they’d love to stay and chat a little longer, they have to pay up, vacate their seats and put a cap on their day. By the time they emerge from the big plaza, the sun is already starting to set. The cooling wind ruffles their shopping bags, their unzipped jackets gently fluttering along. All around them, the lights are getting ready to flicker on and pierce the dark of the night...but it’s not the girls’ time anymore. They have plenty to look ahead to on the horizon.
“Well, I’d better head back pretty soon. Gotta unpack all this stuff and get ready for Hamamatsu tomorrow.”
“Yeah... You take it easy! If you ever need anything, just gimme a call.”
Reina nods. “Will do! Take care!”
“You too!”
It takes some creativity for Akane to get her bags loaded onto the bike, but with patience, she’s finally ready to go. Her DragStar rumbles off into the distance, leaving Reina by herself once more, but no less satisfied with how her day has gone. This turned out better than she could have possibly imagined.
“Man. Lots of new clothes, ate some good food...and I got to do it all with a friend. This is the life!”
The evening train pulls into the station, ready to whisk her back to her little corner in the city. It’s funny, she thinks to herself as she takes her seat on the train... It wasn’t that long ago that this would rattle her to her core. All those quizzical stares, all those silent judgments... But they just don’t matter anymore. They don’t understand who she is—her background, her motivations, her growth, her family. And they don’t have to, because they’re not the ones who call the shots on her life. They can’t stop her from being her, no matter how hard they try.
All that matters is what she thinks—and the dominant thought on her mind?
(Today was a good day.)
These next few days will offer her yet more rest and relaxation, from the sleek museums in Nagoya to the airy gardens of Hamamatsu. She won’t be left wanting for things to do, places to be, sights to add to her growing collage of memories.
But there’s one more big date circled on her calendar—one more visit with the future. The gears in her head keep on turning, even as day turns to night... She looks forward to ending her vacation with a bang. After this lull in her trip, she’ll find herself in the shadow of Japan’s most iconic mountain, where friends new and old will gather for a high-octane exhibition. This too is part of her plan for the future...
For on Friday, the three paths will cross once more.