Aikawa Auto has been very, very busy. After the return of their rising star and the good news she brought with her, the Star Rider project has continued in earnest, picking up steam with every passing day. On the surface, not much seems to have changed—the Road Runner still squats in the garage, the crew still earn their keep with maintenance and repairs, and the regulars around the neighborhood keep on coming back for more.

But there’s a certain zeal that was hitherto long absent—an energy palpable in the air. One look at the right angle and you can tell the mechanics are excited about some upcoming project. You won’t be able to coax much out of their tight lips, but you can just tell they’re up to something.

And it all starts with the lady at the front desk...

“Morning, Uncle Naoto!”

“Morning! I’ll go ahead and take the garage from here. Not much on the schedule today, I take it?”

“Nope. Just a regular coming in for a service later today. That and the usual walk-ins should be fine for one person, but if you need backup, just lemme know.”

“You got it, Boss!”

It’s funny, really. In the span of a few short months, Reina’s entire routine has been flipped on its head, the status quo changing in the blink of an eye. Gone are the lectures, the tests, the frenzied commutes at the crack of dawn. Instead, she spends most of her waking time down here at the shop, working away on the nascent Aikawa line.

She was figuring she’d take more time to adjust to all this, but as it turns out, she’s more than happy to hang out here from dawn to dusk. She’s gotten everything she needs out of her university coursework, and now the time has come to put it all to the test.

...Good. She wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Okay, I think that’s worth gong for. They’ve got a decent supply chain there, so if we can ink a deal, that would make things a lot easier...”

There’s a lot of work for Reina to do off the garage floor, though—and it’s every bit as important as the work she does on it. In order to start work on the prototype Outrunner, she needs to put several pieces in place first, and they make for a very finicky job. Once she finishes the engine’s actual design, filling in the blanks her grandmother left, she needs to vet the build as thoroughly as she can before the first part is even put together. Then comes the logistical analysis—ensuring that the parts will be available not just for an initial production run, but years and years after the motors roll out of the garage. It’s a delicate dance between quality and cost, making sure everything goes right for both herself and the customers. After all, the first mile is just as crucial as the last.

The new motor schematics are different enough from the previous generation that a few key parts needs refreshing. It’s not as simple as just copying her homework. Adding to that, time has rendered some old suppliers suboptimal—they’re either out of business or too expensive anymore to justify the partnership. Ideally, all of her parts should come from Japan, but given what she’s making, that isn’t always feasible. There’s a lot of give and take throughout the entire process.

It’s slow going, but Reina thinks she’s making progress. For over a month now, she’s been tirelessly studying the schematics, making tweaks and improvements here and there. She’s put some of the pieces together, trying now to figure out the rest.

“Now, how does that fit in here...?”

And then there’s the car’s own design. Akane and her father have been doing remarkable work to iron out the design, but there’s only so much they can do alone. Reina needs to keep to her word: once she finishes the engine, she needs to model it in their program to give them the best possible estimate of how the engine bay will all come together.

She’s already gotten started on the basic building blocks with the model—she doesn’t need every detail perfect down to the micrometer, thankfully. But she does need to make sure that the engine in the mockup is the engine that goes in the real thing.

*sigh* “I feel like if these were just more readily available, I’d feel better about jumping on them, but it’s just too spotty to tell...” Reina reclines back in her big chair. There’s a lot on the girl’s mind—and a lot of work still to come.

“It’d be so much easier if I could just spec out a custom part and solve this whole thing, but who’s gonna build them for me? And how much’ll that cost?”

The supply chain is a fickle beast. If manufacturing for a single part gets held up at all, then she can’t build the motors, the customers can’t repair them, and the whole thing becomes a pain point for all parties involved. She has to be very careful about who she chooses to do business with—both for quality and reliability.

“No, no... Don’t get ahead of yourself, Reina. Just take it one step at a time. Once I’ve got a better idea of what it is I actually need, then I can go from there.”

Daunted, but not discouraged, Reina pores over the big book one more time. It’s hard to overstate just how important it is to the project—it is, without a doubt, her greatest asset.

“Okay, Grandma, what were you on about here...?”

Clara started her own research on some of the burning questions left in the design. She didn’t get far, however... This was just a year or two before her passing, and though her decline wasn’t visible in the handwriting yet, Reina can see how she was losing steam. At that point, she could barely see, let alone bury her head in books for hours and hours a day...but write she did, without relent, until her work was done.

And most incredulously to Reina, she did it all with minimal help from the internet. She can hardly imagine doing that nowadays.

“I want to say this works, but...” Reina bites her lip in contemplation. “It has to be crazy precise, and there’s just no way to plug and play with a setup like this...”

Her mad science works in theory, but it’s hard to put it into practice when the design is so esoteric. Commissioning yet more specific parts is adding more cost overhead and more potential for supply line bottlenecks, but with how the design pans out, it might be a risk she can’t avoid.

“Hmmm... Yeah. I think I’ll have to settle for bespoke contracts for a lot of these parts. I’ll make a list of candidates and go from there. I’d rather order these few parts to fit than try to redesign the whole thing to a different standard.”

It at least makes more sense the more Reina thinks about it. She really was getting ahead of herself.

“It’s not the worst thing in the world. If they’re custom parts, but they’re still cheap and people can get them easily, that’s a fair compromise.”

“And plus, it’s not like we’re dealing with all that many finicky parts here... The rest of the build is still turning out to be pretty modular—more than I expected, really. Outside of these little bits here and there, this shouldn’t be that big a deal.”

She lets out a brief chuckle. “Wishful thinking, but maybe aftermarket can help with that if these are a hit with buyers. You never know!”

To Reina’s credit, this is where a certain skillset of hers really shines. Her logistical eye already rivals Clara’s, as evidenced by the massive compendium she’s got on the computer. This might as well be her answer to the big book: a collection of documents, spreadsheets and references covering everything she needs to know, all organized in a neat little system. There’s a method to her madness just as there was to Clara’s—and as it so happens, their two approaches fit like hand in glove.

Bit by bit, she works through parts on the to-do list, a slew of tabs opening and closing as she rifles through contract candidates. It’s all just kicking the can down the road, though... She needed to do that work, but there’s one very big thing that she still needs to tackle.

“Now what is this? This is the only thing I’m still stumped on...”

Clara was on to something when she was designing this specific setup, deep in the core of the engine, but Reina’s having a hard time retracing her steps. The internet offers precious little material to reference—this came straight from the old boss’ mind. She knows she’ll need custom parts for it, but first, they need to be designed...and that’s where Reina faces her most difficult challenge yet.

“I really don’t have much to go on with this... I’ve never even seen anything like it before.”

Inexperience. If she had the same decades of work under her belt, she might be able to understand this a whole lot better...but her shortcomings are catching up to her.

“Hmmm...” Reina combs every last page of her search results, trying to get as much context as she can. Without a live example, without having put the Outrunner together before, she can only imagine how it all comes together. She learns by doing, but she just can’t do it yet.

“No, that’s...kinda similar, but not quite the same thing.”

Another tab...

“Close... This might be the same concept, but hard to tell without actual schematics.”

Yet another...

“...Gee, it would’ve been nice if somebody actually responded to this thread. Way to leave me hanging, random forum from 2006.”

It’s looking like a wash—but not an unexpected one, as it were. If she wants to make this work, she’ll have to get clever about it... She’ll have to blaze her own trail.

“I’m gonna have to do my own research on this, I think...” Reina furrows her brow. “...But I think I might be able to figure something out.”

That 3D model she’s been working on. It’s the closest she can get to building the engine without having everything ready yet. Her struggle to visualize the specifics demands a different approach... One that lets her properly tinker with the design before it all turns to metal. For the car chassis, she doesn’t need everything uber-detailed, but for her own work, it could prove to be plenty useful. Modeling the problem section might reveal the fresh perspective she’s been looking for—and help her iron out the design for this unusual part.

“Yeah... I’m starting to like the sound of that.”

It certainly won’t be easy—she’s no CAD veteran by any stretch—but by her own assessment, she thinks she’s got what it takes. By now, she knows most of these parts like the back of her hand; the next step is translate the lines into pixels. This is what will differentiate her from Clara: where the old boss was ardent in her disdain for anything and everything digital, Reina knows full well the benefits of employing computers in her job.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Oookay.” Reina takes a sip of water as she waits for her file to load. Soon enough, the fab pops into view on the screen.

“Let’s get to work.”

There’s nothing that gets the gears in Reina’s head turning like building something herself. Whether it’s putting pieces together with her bare hands or puppeteering pixels on a computer screen, her insatiable curiosity compels her to keep on working. She knew that this would be a difficult task...but all the same, she knows herself. Once she gets the ball rolling, it’s hard for her to stop.

“Oookay, start with the basics. That’s you here, you go there...” Her screen becomes a flurry of tabs and 3D views, her mind racing at a hundred miles an hour. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that the project had to wait all these years—it’s allowed Reina to bring her own futuristic spin to the build. In the olden days, her grandma would have to make do with test benches and unproven measurements, confirmed only when the first prototype came together on a sweltering shop floor.

In a way, that old approach was far more impressive than modeling it out first...but Reina feels this is so much better for her. Not only does it give her the chance to see the engine before she builds it, but the experience of seeing how everything fits together will make it that much easier once the real build comes around.

“I can deal with that part later, just focus on this for now...” Reina quickly loses track of how much time is flying by. Uncle Naoto is there to take the heat off of her and handle what few customers trickle in, leaving her blissfully locked away in her own little world...

(I feel like I’m forgetting something...) Something tickles the back of her mind...and when that doesn’t quite work, it tickles her stomach instead.

(Oh. Right. I forgot to take my lunch today. I’ll have to get something quick once I get a minute or two.)

She’s not going to get something quick. She already knows this, and there’s nothing she can do about it.

What started as a quick exercise to try and clear up her confusion has quickly ballooned in scope: the more and more she plays around with the model, the more she feels inspired to perfect every detail.

(I’m gonna have to fab this out eventually—and that’ll need measurements as precise as I can get them. The more I iron it out here, the better it’ll end up.)

Her eyes narrow and strain, poring over every last nook and cranny of the virtual build. She barely even registers Uncle Naoto clocking out for the day as Old Man Takashi comes to relieve him—she auto-pilots a wave and a goodbye without even breaking focus from the task at hand. It’s frightening sometimes, how much sheer focus she can dedicate to something... It’s a mystery where she gets it from.

“Good, good. That’s coming together...” For a moment, she has to lean back in her chair and rub her tired eyes. She’s been at this for longer than she thought.

“...Man, where did the time go?”

Not like she plans to stop, of course.

Bit by bit, the rough model of the engine comes together—fleshed out in some areas, incomplete in others, but nonetheless giving Reina valuable insight into the vision Clara had for this machine. All the while, flurries of emails fly from the building as Reina inquires for quotes and timetables. She’s getting closer and closer to another important step in the process: delivering a budget to her venture investor. Once she gets that ball rolling, the physical build can well and truly begin.

There are just one or two more hurdles to jump before she gets there...

“Almost there... I think once I figure this last little section out, I’m golden.”

At last, she comes to the part of the build that’s stumping her. It’s taken her hours of nonstop work to get to this point, the humid summer sun finally starting to set. She powers through the fatigue creeping along her face, forcing her eyes to stay open just a little while longer. The shop is closing for the day, but Reina’s work is far from done—and Old Man Takashi knows it.

(Ahhh, that girl...) Watching her at work reminds him of Clara’s own obsessive habits. He knows not to break her focus—this is when she does her best work. She even passed up dinner earlier... That’s when he knows she’s serious. She doesn’t skip food for anything.

Without a word, he takes his leave out the open garage door, shutting it behind him to close the shop. It won’t do to have the chime at the front door interrupt her, after all.

(Just make sure you take it easy, alright? It’s a marathon, not a sprint.)

With the lights still on, but her vision getting blurrier, Reina presses on to try and close out her work for the day. At this point, all the screen time is really starting to get to her... The bright panel light strains her eyes, fatigue pulsing inside her mind. As she blocks out yet another part, her tired head lands on her open palm, a sigh escaping her lips.

“Ooooof...” She hasn’t bothered to check how late it is, but it’s gotta be getting up there.

(Did I leave this for too late...?)

It’s a frustrating conundrum: stopping now to pick it back up later means her train of thought will inevitably derail—she’ll have to familiarize herself with her workflow all over again. It gives her more energy and a fresh perspective in exchange, but...

(But I’m so close... I feel like I’ve almost got it.)

It’s so hard to stop. If she can just get this last part done, she can go to bed accomplished and ready to turn the page tomorrow. That would be so much more satisfying than leaving her work unfinished...

“...Phew. C’mon, get a grip, Reina. Just a little bit left.”

Reina rubs her eyes and lets out a cleansing yawn. She can feel a second wind coming on... This is her best chance to knock out the last big question mark before the sun sets on her day of theorizing. It’s gotta be now.

“This was what she was talking about...” Reina zooms in on the problem section. “It needs to be simple, but effective. Watertight, but easy to service. There’s a way to do this, and she saw it... Now how do I find it too?”

It’s easier than ever to make a powerful, capable engine. The tricky part is when you want to make it intuitive. Many modern engines are feats of engineering and nightmares to work on. No matter how well built an engine is, when it goes wrong—and it will inevitably go wrong—it’s the ease of service that extends their value well beyond their warranty. That’s what makes this design difficult: she has to balance all this new tech going into the Outrunner with the same ease of service that earned Aikawa its old following.

That’s what brings her to a tiny little section of the motor, where a potential service headache needs to be thwarted. The solution definitely won’t come off the shelf, or from any other standard part—this will have to be made to fit as well. It’s one part of a wider labyrinth deep inside the motor...but the more Reina looks at it, the more it starts to fall into place.

“So that’s there, and then that links up to the rest of it here... But then, how do you access this section here without tearing down the whole thing?”

She’s quizzing herself. She wants to understand this completely.

“...Wait. Is that...?” Her eyes narrow. She zooms in on one secluded little corner, one piece of the puzzle...

...And you can just about hear the lightbulb flicking on in her head.

“...Ohhhhh, THAT’S how that works!”

It all seems so obvious in hindsight. It’s hard to overstate how much she benefits from having this example to work with. It’s so much clearer now!

“Yeeeah, I see it now. That’s the access there! That way you don’t have to do all that extra work just to get to it. Hah!”

One of the biggest missing pieces finally falls into place. She knew Clara was up to something, but she couldn’t see what. Now it finally makes sense—and with it, Reina can see the surrounding parts for what they are. She went along with their design and measurements, not knowing exactly why they were shaped the way they are...but now she’s on the same page as her grandmother was.

“Now I see what she was getting at... She was thinking about a setup like this, but she couldn’t finish off the whole layout for this bit here. Now, though...?” Reina lets out a mischievous chuckle as she brings her spreadsheet back up.

“Now we’re cookin’ with gas.”

All of a sudden, her weary eyes and pounding head don’t seem to bother her anymore. The next couple hours whiz by like nothing at all as Reina combs through her meticulous model. There are still a lot of minor parts left on her list, but they shouldn’t prove nearly as much of a challenge. She’s in the home stretch now, and it feels so liberating!

“Man... This is finally coming together.”

Sometimes the onslaught of work to do makes her forget how much she’s done already. It’s been a long, long road over these last few months...but finally, she’s moving forward again. And once she puts the finishing touches on this engine design, the next steps are crystal clear: get that budget, get those parts ordered...and get that motor built.

She already can’t wait.

*yaaaawn* “Blegh. I really ran myself out of energy figuring that out, though. I’ve still got some cleanup work to do on some other sections... Do I put that off for tomorrow, or do I just power through it?”

A conundrum indeed—it’s already coming up on ten o’clock. She knows well the dangers of working tired: it can lead to sloppy, head-scratching mistakes when she comes back to the project in the morning.

But she’s on a roll now...and maybe she’ll hit a second wind now that she’s gotten over this big hurdle. What’s a girl to do...?

“...I’ll take a break for a couple minutes, see how I feel.”

Reina lets out a big stretch, her eyes thankful to shut after all that time staring at the computer screen. After all that focusing, she takes a look at the world around her, confirming that time has seriously passed her by. The sun is nowhere to be seen, the familiar hum of the auto shop reduced to its nocturnal whisper.

“...I might have overdone it again.” No regrets, though.

“There’s really not much left to do, but...ehhh. Does it really help me much at this point?”

She can barely recall when Old Man Takashi left—or even that he left at all—but from what she sees, he did most of the closing work for her already. It’s an arrangement they’re happy to keep, at any rate... After all, she went through the effort of bringing the whole project back from the dead and traveling for business on their behalf. The least they can do is pick up the slack while she’s engrossed in her work.

...It even gives them the chance to mess around a little.

“Wait... When did this get here?”

She never noticed Old Man Takashi putting this piece of paper behind the monitor at her desk...or perhaps it was someone else, really. She clearly doesn’t remember. Her eyes adjust to the paper, the dim light of the lobby giving her just enough to work with...

Good night! Don’t wear yourself out too much, okay?

Your mother thought you might’ve gone and pulled an overtime shift like this, so there’s pasta leftover in the fridge when you get back home. Bon appetit!

-Ol’ Takashi

Reina blinks. She remembers now that she skipped dinner with an offhand “I’m good” earlier in the day—too embedded in her work to pull herself away. Sami was planning on making pasta tonight anyway, but her recipe makes food for far more than just one... She’ll just have to settle for reheating her plate when she gets home.

Perhaps this is her mother’s way of trying to break her daughter’s habit... Her way of telling her that there’s no sense in working herself to sleep like she tends to. This is still a job, at the end of the day—and no matter how much you love your work, a shift is a shift, and overtime is overtime. All work and no play makes Reina a tired girl.

“...Dangit. Why am I like this?!” All Reina can do is laugh. She made this bed, and now she’s gotta lie in it. But hey: reheated pasta is still pasta, and that’s quite fine by her.

Lesson learned, though: she shouldn’t use herself up before she even sees the finish line.

“Alright, Mom, you got me. Guess that’s it for today!” Reina can feel her body accepting the end of her work day. Her shoulders slump, her eyelids heavy.

“I’ve got plenty to do tomorrow, though... Once I get the rest of the engine bits finished, I can finally get the budget to Shibuya, and THEN I can start making orders!”

She knows it doesn’t help to get too excited before bed time, but the walk home should calm her down a bit. And pasta always helps her sleep too!

“Heh heh heh...! Oh man, this is gonna be so good!”

And so, with an empty stomach but a soul full of whimsy, Reina brings her double shift to an end. Yet another long day on this road even longer, but she doesn’t feel the least bit daunted anymore... This is what she’s always wanted to do. And the closer she gets to that next big step, the more her heart flutters with anticipation.

Soon, it will come time to put her work to the test. Can her work truly stand up to the genius of Clara Jennings? Is she truly ready to dive into this uncertain future?

(...Yeah. Not a doubt about it.)

***

Tomorrow, a great many gears will turn. With the finishing touches complete on the Outrunner, the full schematic and budget breakdown can finally go on its way to Mr. Shibuya—and the model for Tetsukura Chassis can proceed as planned. The details are all as accounted for as they can be, every last part hand-picked after rigorous review. The door opens to a new phase of the project...one Reina is tremendously proud to have reached.

Over the ensuing months, a brutal waiting game will unfold, testing her patience as the build slowly takes shape. A flurry of orders, authorized by her investor, set the mechanical dance in motion; alas, it’ll be quite some time before it all comes to a head. Packages upon packages in limbo across the country, slowly migrating north to her humble little outpost. The dull moments after all that fulfilling work challenge her will as summer turns to autumn...but the promise of a bright future ahead gives her the strength to keep on going.

In time, she will take that next step. In time, she will make it.