What a difference one year makes... This time last year, Reina was still drifting in the doldrums of fate, every passing day another reminder that her aimless voyage couldn’t last forever. Even her birthday treats, delightful though they were, offered only a distraction from the future, always there, looming on the horizon...
But this November 17th is free from the dread that defined her in years past. Instead, as she wakes up to a cloudy morning sky, her heart races with whimsy and excitement. She’s had this day circled on her calendar for weeks now—and it’s such a joy to have something to look forward to on this day again. It should be a special day, after all...and with all the “celebrations” Reina has planned, it’s shaping up to be just that.
It just might be the best birthday ever.
“Morning, Mom!”
“Well, hey! And here I thought the birthday girl was gonna sleep in extra late.”
“I tried, believe me, but I’m just too excited. I wanna get on down there already!”
“Heehee! I know, I know. Don’t skip breakfast, though! Can’t have you running on empty now, can we?”
Sami already has the table set for her. Reina’s delighted to see pancakes on the menu this morning, but it’s the sides that really grab her attention.
“I went and got some pastries for you! Should help tide you over before dinner.”
“Oooh...!” Baked goods have always been luxuries in the house as far back as Reina can remember. If you’re gonna shell out the pretty penny these things cost in Japan, you’d better have a good reason for it.
Lucky for her, Sami views this as a very good reason.
(Ohhh, that’s delicious...!) It’s been an age since she had pain au chocolat. It’s every bit as scrumptious as she remembers.
“Where’d you get these?”
“Little patisserie by downtown. I went out and got ‘em fresh this morning!”
“How the heck did you...” She wonders how Sami slipped away without her noticing, but then, when she’s tired, Reina sleeps like a rock.
“Okay, actually, no, I can see how you did that.”
“I know my daughter pretty well by now~” So well, in fact, that she made sure to buy extras. Reina can devour just about anything in seconds flat.
“Thank you so much...!”
“My pleasure, sweetie...and you bet I’ll be making your favorite for dinner.”
With a mouth full of syrupy goodness, she can’t respond off the bat. She settles for giving her mom a big hug instead.
(Today’s gonna be great, I just know it!)
The whistling wind outside reminds Reina that the day is calling. After she finishes up her meal (and polishes off another pastry for good measure,) she puts her trusty jacket on and prepares to get to work.
“I’ll be down there in a little bit once I finish up some errands. If you need me for anything, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“I will. Thanks, Mom!”
It’s the company’s biggest day in quite some time...and as Sami watches her daughter walk out with her head held high, she sees that familiar flash of Clara’s bravado in her confident steps. A knowing smile blooms on her face.
“Yeah. She’s got this.”
***
It all lined up perfectly. With Reina’s work on the Outrunner design complete, she was able to put in her final orders a few weeks ago—and shipping be damned, she was gonna make this date work. It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Bit by bit, the pieces all fell into place; just last week, the final part washed ashore at last. Every last piece of the grand puzzle is accounted for, from the largest assemblies to the tiniest bolts. All that remains now, as a birthday present to herself, is to build the new engine—build the future with her own two hands.
Needless to say, she can’t wait. That skip in her step and that gleam in her eyes are evidence enough that she’s ready.
*DING!*
“Morning, everybody!”
Being the birthday girl, she had dibs over the choice of CDs on the speakers today. Right on cue, she hears the disc flip to her favorite old rock number. She’s a sucker for guitars, and there are plenty of heavy metal bands that grace her favorites...but it’s not the guitar that makes this band her number one. It’s the sweet, inimitable voice of Pat Benatar.
“We’re runnin’ with the shadows of the night! So baby take my hand, it’ll be alright!”
“Surrender all your dreams to me tonight—they’ll come true in the end!”
“Heh heh... Yeah. That’s the stuff.” That’s a voice she’d die for.
Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi are manning the early shift, handling one lone car in the garage. They’ll be here both to take the maintenance load off of her and help her out with the build as necessary. It’s an important job, and their expertise will prove invaluable as she works, but deep down, they both acknowledge that they’re not the stars of the show. At this point, there’s only one person on this earth who can claim to understand the mad science of Clara Jennings’ magnum opus.
Her name is Reina Aikawa.
“You about ready?” Uncle Naoto asks with a calm confidence in his eyes.
Reina nods. She matches his gaze with an aura this shop hasn’t felt in a long, long time.
“Yeah... Let’s get this done!”
It’s only fitting that the birthday girl get to open some birthday presents. Not the time of year for a tree, but the corner of the garage will have to do. With the workbench all set up and the stash ready and waiting, Reina quickly digs in and unwraps her many, many boxes. This first gift has been a long time coming...
“That’s the block?”
“Yup! It’s in this one.”
There’s nothing like getting to open a literal crate full of goodies. She can feel the anticipation building before the first part is even unboxed. She quickly gets it open and takes a gander at the pearl inside...
“There’s my baby!”
The raw Outrunner engine block, home at last. It’s their first 611 build in years—not to mention the first of the new generation. It’s familiar yet fresh all the same, sharing many parts and design cues with its ancestor, but carrying with it subtle differences that make it a beast all its own.
“Ohhh, that’s beautiful.”
“Yeah... It really is. Ichimura Foundry did an awesome job with it.”
(Cut me a nice deal too!)
Step one is just getting the thing on the workbench. The pallet helps with rolling it up to the site, but now comes the tricky part.
“Okay, you got that side?”
“Yup. One, two...!”
It takes two fully-grown adults to lift this thing up—but damned if the effort isn’t worth it. With effort, the engine makes it onto the bench...and now, its assembly can finally begin.
“Phew! Haven’t had to do that in a long, long time.”
“Yeah, good thing you’ve still got it. I might’ve had to fire you if you broke my baby.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Clara.”
“Pfft.”
They love how casual they keep it here.
“Okay! First order of business: let’s get that cam in...”
These first steps echo the engine she built for Yuzu—a different form factor, and different details here and there, but still singing those same notes. Even though it’s been years since their last full-size V8, she feels like she already knows the ins and outs of the build. She’s incredibly thankful for the experience that build gave her; it might as well have been training for when this day finally came.
“Right. Now for the crank... Made sure to get the best stuff for that one.” That’s an unavoidable premium with their engines: with the sheer amount of torque load the motor is putting the crankshaft through, it needs to be made of the very best material out there. As a consequence of being so overbuilt, though, the engine really can survive just about anything you throw at it. History can vouch for that.
“There we go...” With effort, Reina gets the crankshaft torqued in, slowly putting the puzzle together while the garage hums along around her. Every now and then, one of the boys will ask if they can bring her anything; she appreciates their help in lugging all the parts over. They’re like a well-oiled machine when they put their minds to it.
“Nice! That looks good. Just gotta test for rotation there before I move on, aaand...”
A quick test tells all: it runs like clockwork.
“Perfect. So far, so good!”
She can’t quite resist going and giving the crank another couple spins just for good measure. It’s fun playing around with a half-built engine.
“...Heehee.”
She could do this for hours if you let her.
“Okay, enough of that, though. Let’s keep going.”
Similar though this engine may be to the old Pocket, it does immediately balloon in size far beyond anything she’s built on her own. She can shove her whole hand down these bores, dark and cavernous without the pistons inside them. She wonders whether the bench is big enough for all the stuff she’ll have scattered on top of it, or if she’ll need to clean up...
“Meh, I can worry about that later.”
She doesn’t have to worry about dealing with customers at all today, thankfully. The boys have that base covered, deftly rotating in and out of the garage as a trickle of clients come strolling through the doors. A veritable who’s who of mass-market Japanese cars parade in and out of the garage like some kind of mocking procession, as if trying to taunt the shop with their lucrative business model. But they’re not fazed one bit—they know they’ve got their ace in the hole right off to the side, hard at work like always.
When the customers get that brief glimpse of her, they’re the ones who walk away fazed.
“You holding up okay over here?” They do make sure to check up on her every now and again, making sure she’s not in over her head. Uncle Naoto’s amazed with how far Reina’s gotten already.
“Yup! Doing alright so far. I think it helps that I know this thing like the back of my hand at this point.”
“Heh heh! I’ll say. After all the nights you spent cooped up in the shop hitting the books, you might as well have built it ten times over by now.”
“And another five on the computer.”
“Now where could you have gotten that from?”
Reina chuckles as she takes a break to stretch.
“Normally I’d be taking my lunch right about now, but I really don’t feel all that hungry... All those pastries must’ve really filled me up.”
“Well, usually you don’t have breakfast at all, so...”
“Okay, you can’t just call out my unhealthy habits like that.”
“Right, my mistake! What does an old fogey like me know anyway?”
“Yeah, what kinda nerd takes care of their own body? Lame, I’m tellin’ ya.”
Perhaps this was his way of subtly nudging her toward a break anyway—and perhaps she really did need it. They’ve gotten pretty good at helping her pace herself.
“In all seriousness, though, thank you both for being here for me.”
“Our pleasure! I remember doin’ the same for Clara back in the day—she had that same kind of drive to her. You got her started on something and she would not stop on her own. You had to pry her away from it so she wouldn’t zonk out on the floor later.”
“Heh heh... Yeah, that doesn’t sound familiar at all.” Reina scratches her head.
“Hopefully I’m better about that now!”
“Well, just in case you’re not, we’re ready to drag you back home if need be. You’re not missin’ your pasta dinner tonight!”
“No, sir!”
“That’s the spirit!” Uncle Naoto offers her a pat on the back—a physical reassurance that they’ve got her six. Daunting as this task may be, it’s just that little bit more manageable when you know you’ve got help if you need it.
With that, Reina gets back to work. The supporting cast keeps the customers at bay while she adds more and more parts to the growing assembly. Sami’s joined the fray now too, and to say she’s proud would be a massive understatement.
“Man! She’s really flying with the assembly, huh?”
“Yeah, we haven’t needed to help her much at all. Just the occasional extra set of hands, but outside of that, she’s got it all under control.”
“No kidding...”
Sami hasn’t seen her daughter this completely engrossed in anything since...well, since the last build, actually, but it’s still quite the occasion. And it speaks to how uniquely she’s wired: most people wouldn’t consider all this work to be a fair birthday present. Most people would see it as an excuse to escape work for a little while, maybe take a vacation, get away from it all for a fleeting moment.
But not Reina. She still has that whimsical spark in her eyes, that curiosity that makes every new build an adventure. After years and years of coasting along, she finally gets to do what she’s wanted to do her whole life—and is she ever reveling in it.
Good, Sami thinks to herself. She hopes Reina never loses that passion.
“Phew! Nice... Now for these.”
Each of the eight cylinders needs a tenant. For that, she gets to work preparing the piston assemblies—and alas, this isn’t exactly the most glamorous part of the build. Eight identical jobs does magnify the tedium somewhat.
Luckily, she’s got a shoulder or two to lean on.
“Ahhh, piston rings?”
“Yup. No way to speed this up, sadly.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that.” Sami knows just the thing to put the wind back in her sails.
“Hey, boys! You free?”
Reina briefly puts the piston down. She honestly wasn’t even paying attention to what the other two were doing, but as she looks up, she realizes they’ve just sent a sedan out of the garage, leaving their hands idle for the time being.
“Four heads are better than one, eh? We’ll each take two.”
“Aww, thanks!”
The moment lines up perfectly to let them all swoop in for help. With their efforts combined, the eight assemblies are ready to go in no time flat—and they’re just as ready to help her slam them into the engine.
“Aaand...there!”
One by one, the pistons slot in. Ten litres of unbridled power, coming together in blocks. When this thing is finished, it will be a monster of absurd proportions, putting out such dizzying numbers that you’ll wonder if it’s even legal.
But for now, it’s still just a loose collection of metal and bearings. She’s got a long way to go before it’s ready to sing.
(Gonna get there eventually, though... Just gotta keep working at it.)
Reina isn’t sure how much of the build she’ll actually get done today. If time were no object, she’d power through it in one sitting and have it done some time after dark, but that’s where her birthday comes in: she’s on a timer before she has to drop it for the day and give herself some me time. And of all the things that could try and convince her to actually stop working, her favorite food for dinner is probably one of the best.
But that’s for later, though. Right now, she’s still got plenty of daylight left—and she wants to make the most of it.
“Man, we’re flying... I think she’s ready for timing now!” It’s ready for the crane as well. This’ll be its heaviest load in quite some time—but thankfully, it’s still up for the job. That’s the nice thing about being so particular about their tools: they know how to spot a winner when they see one. They’ve been using this brand of crane for some thirty years and it’s never let ‘em down. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
“Heh heh. Almost looks kinda cute hanging from the crane like this.”
This part of the build still makes her just a bit apprehensive, but after all the time she spent obsessively researching the Outrunner’s updated timing, she likes to think she knows the score now. Nonetheless, she has the group spotting her, ready to double-check her work. Slowly, the timing system rises from the workbench and onto the suspended engine.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Okay, line that up there. You go here...” It’s a game of inches—if even. She needs the timing lined up exactly, or the engine will throw a fit at best and tear itself apart at worst. She may never grow as comfortable with the process as Clara used to be...but she’s got a long career ahead of her, and plenty of time to adjust to these intricate builds. She trusts it’ll start to click eventually.
“Just making sure, is this right?”
Sami peers over her shoulder to check...or rather, she would, if her daughter didn’t have almost a foot on her. Where did she get all that height from?
“That looks correct to me. Lemme double-check with the book you’ve got...”
It’s a strange feeling for Sami, knowing Reina is the expert now. She’s the one leading the charge; she’s the one who knows this engine best. All she can do is back her up.
“...Yeah. I don’t see any problems here. Boys?”
“Looks good to me.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Good!” That’s a load off her back.
As much as they’d love to stay and shadow her some more, another customer has entered the fray. Uncle Naoto sorties to the lobby while Old Man Takashi gets the garage door opened once more; Sami, meanwhile, takes a moment to watch her daughter at work before heading out herself.
(Time flies, doesn’t it?)
Sometimes, Sami wonders what could’ve been. If she went down the mechanical route and devoted herself to engine designs like Clara did. Would she be of more help today? Would she perhaps be the one in Reina’s shoes there, paving the way for the next generation of the auto company?
...Just as soon, though, she concludes it’s not really worth dwelling on that. The past is the past—and of all the great many paths the shop could’ve taken, this is the reality they face. This is Reina’s ship to helm now...and she’s already doing a stellar job.
This really is for the best.
“Man, I wasn’t expecting that to go so smoothly...” Reina can’t help but marvel at her pace. For the first Outrunner build, she really was expecting a lot more snags and roadblocks throughout the day—not to say she wasn’t confident in herself, but the best laid plans, and all. Outside of a couple little hitches here and there, though, the build has been going swimmingly! She feels like she’s over the hump with the timing system behind her; now that the actual mechanical rhythm of the engine is in place, she just needs to focus on the parts surrounding it.
Progressing from bare metal and bearings to gaskets and hoses gives her a real feeling of progress as she continues with the build. The engine is starting to look more and more like a finished powerplant, striking in its sheer size. Just the way she likes it.
“I might be able to start her today after all...!”
Call it gaming the system, but whatever this deadline is doing to her head, it’s working: if she gets the whole assembly finished before the little hand strikes six, she’ll be able to wheel the motor over to their test stand and give it a ceremonial first start. Needless to say, Reina is dying to hear this thing in action for the first time; it’d be the best birthday present of her life. But she’s still got a ways to go before it’s ready for action—and the boys are making sure she doesn’t use herself up too quickly.
“Damn, you’re working fast! Not cutting corners, though, are ya?”
“Hah. Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“That’s our Reina!”
There’s still a lot that needs doing, but Reina’s starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The core of the motor is just about done; she just needs to add the parts around it that supply all the air, fuel and current it needs. Lots of pumps, hoses, gaskets, the works.
“This shouldn’t be too tough...” Clara’s old book is proving an incredible help every step of the way. Despite Reina having to fill in some of the blanks herself, the treasure trove of information it provides lets her reference every little minor detail she could possibly need. She thanks her grandmother in her head... She hopes Clara knew just how big this would be when she was writing it. It’s one of the keys to this entire project.
“Aaand there!”
It’s beginning to look a lot like power. Just a few more additions to the block and it’ll be ready...and not a moment too soon!
“Alright, Reina!” Sami walks by to give her the sit-rep.
“I’m gonna take the car back up to the house and start working on dinner. It’ll be ready in just about an hour, so that’s how long you’ve got, okay? I’ll come back and pick you up.”
“Mhm! Gotcha!”
“And no staying late unless you finish this thing right at the buzzer, got it? No overtime allowed today!”
“Oh, I suppose if pasta’s on the table, then I can bring myself to stop!”
“Good! Now go kick ass!” Sami pats her on the back and takes her leave.
“Heh heh. You got it!” She hears the Road Runner fire up outside, that familiar 611 sounding off as it trundles up the hilly suburban street. In an hour’s time, it’ll return to collect its due.
So begins Reina’s final sprint of the day—an hour of power to get the Outrunner ready to roll. One last customer and one last coupe keep Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi busy...but not for long. They too are eager to hear the future of the shop come roaring to life, and after they finish their work on the car, they send it out to free their hands.
“...You think we can go ahead and lend her a hand?”
“Yeeeah, I think she deserves it.”
Reina catches them in the corner of their eye. She’s never seen them so...capricious before. She can see the giddiness in their eyes, their heads curiously craning to take the new motor in from every angle. At their core, despite their age, they’re just as obsessed as she is—and that’s quite fine by her.
“Good timing! You wanna chip in?”
“Do we!”
“Good! Here’s the rundown...”
Without missing a beat, Reina puts the two to work. She’s gotten most of the difficult parts out of the way, leaving only the routine, rehearsed parts of the build left. That gives them the perfect opportunity to get cracking as a group of three, finishing strong to end the day.
“Goes like this, right?”
“Yup! Perfect. I don’t blame you for asking, that’s new for this design.”
“Yeah, it’s not quite the same as the old one. Just little differences here and there.”
“I’m expecting it to sound pretty similar too. Maybe just a bit less lumpy? But it’ll still be a total monster, trust me.”
“Wouldn’t want it any other way.”
The sun threatens to set; the hour draws near, but Reina and the gang refuse to slow down. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to pull it off, realistically speaking, but with their help, it’s looking more and more optimistic by the minute. She might pull this off!
(I’ll have my pasta AND eat it too, thank you very much!)
In the meantime, Old Man Takashi excuses himself. The writing is on the wall that the motor will be ready for a test in time after all; he takes the liberty of getting the test stand ready in advance. It’s been quite some time since they last used it, but the old dog knows it like the back of his hand.
“There we are...!” It’s gathered a bit of dust, but a quick brushing off and it comes back nice and spiffy. He wheels it over to the waiting workbench, the anticipation building with every passing second.
(Man... This is really happening!) Within minutes, Reina and Uncle Naoto have knocked out more of the engine while he was away. In this moment, the new boss is unstoppable!
“Well, I think we’re gonna make it!”
That meal’s undoubtedly in the oven by now. Sami might even be on her way back to the shop in the trusty old Road Runner. But with a few precious minutes to spare, Reina has beaten them both to the punch. A great exhale and a proud smile adorn the scene as she stands up and marvels at her creation.
The Outrunner is finished!
“Yeah, baby!” Reina high-fives Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi, a triumphant celebration washing over the shop floor. She can’t take her eyes away from it... It’s just so beautiful!
“Oh, you beautiful, beautiful thing...!” Reina takes a moment to just walk around and take it all in. “She came out even better than I could’ve hoped... She’s gonna sound so good!”
She might as well be on Cloud Nine right now: the first of the new engines rises from the shop floor on her birthday, with a congratulatory dinner soon to follow. What more could she possibly want?
...Well, aside from one very important thing, of course. That’s coming in just a few minutes.
“Now let’s get her on the stand!”
“You got it!”
There will be some concessions to make, of course—without the cooling system fully integrated, they can’t run it for very long. They can’t do much with it at all, really, aside from hear it run. But that’s more than enough of a reward for their long day of work...and it’ll help make the wait for the car itself more bearable. However long it takes Tetsukura Chassis to finish their work, they can rest assured that there’ll be a brand-spanking-new engine waiting for them up in Sapporo.
“Okay, that should be good...” Getting the engine hooked up is a cumbersome endeavor, but Reina can autopilot through it for the most part—especially with the other two helping her. Curiously, though, before they can fire up the Outrunner, another engine comes fading into their ears... Its older cousin, as it were. Sami’s arrived just in time to watch her daughter unleash the future.
“Well, hot damn! You pulled it off!”
“Yes we did! And you’re just in time—we’re gonna fire her up and see how she sounds! Surely I’ve got enough time for that, right?”
Sami checks her watch...and while it’s about a minute past six, she can forgive her daughter for breaking the limit. Even she’s been looking forward to this.
“Haha... Oh, alright. I just took the pasta out of the oven, so you’ve got a few minutes while it cools before it’s ready to serve. Make it count, Reina!”
There are still a couple more steps to take before the engine finally breathes. As with the Silvia’s new V6, they crank it over dry to build up oil pressure, taking note of how the motor sounds as the starter motor spins it. It all checks out to their keen ears—a healthy, even crank with not a hint of compression woes. It even sounds the same as the old Road Runner does, with its high-pitched hummingbird whine.
This prelude is so good at building the tension.
“Oh, man, my hands are shaking.” Reina can barely contain herself. “I think she’s finally ready to start...!”
Sami can’t help but find her daughter adorable. She’s primed to explode just like the engine is, her passion and love for her craft plain for them all to see. This is the culmination of years and years of dreams and doubts, fighting and frustration—and not just Clara Jennings’ magnum opus, but Reina’s own as the future of the auto shop. The moment she turns that key, a new chapter in Aikawa Auto’s history, long awaited over these trying years, will finally announce itself to the world.
And it will be loud.
“Alright, everybody. Ready?”
The cast nods. Reina matches with a smile from ear to ear.
“Alright... Fire in the hole!”
*RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRMMMMMMMMMMMM!*
The instant the Outrunner’s bestial bellow hits her eardrums, Reina is overcome by a storm of emotions she can’t even begin to describe. It’s perfect. All this work, all this uncertainty, all this time spent walking her long and winding path... It was all worth it to hear this monster awaken at last.
“That’s my baby...!”
She almost wants to cry. The feeling of release is too much for her to take. All this time, she had to convince herself she was worthy of the Aikawa name while not being able to see her progress at all; she had to trust in herself to put it all together. Now, she can see it...hear it...feel it. This is the future she’s built—and it sounds like a raging dragon.
“Hats off to you, sweetie,” Sami proudly announces. “This is a damned beautiful engine you’ve built.”
“Thank you... Thank you so much...!”
Reina knows they can’t run it too long in this configuration, but she wishes she could just let it serenade her forever. For now, though, her cooler half prevails, and with a gentle flick, she lets the engine sleep. Its time will come eventually—and though the car’s body isn’t quite ready yet, she can take solace in knowing its core, its beating heart is more than ready to roll. It should make the wait just that little bit more manageable.
“Happy birthday, Reina.”
“You’ve earned it!”
“Thank you, everybody...” Now Reina can’t stop the tears at all. “Thank you so much for believing in me this whole time... I’m so happy it worked out...!”
“Aww, honey...” Sami can hear the relief in Reina’s voice. No matter the confidence she found in herself, this must have still been weighing heavy on her...
Reina feels a reassuring pair of arms wrapping around her.
“It’s everything you deserve.”
An impromptu group hug breaks out on the spot. Uncle Naoto and Old Man Takashi are so deeply proud themselves of the woman Reina’s grown up to be... A woman with the vision and the skill to see her dreams through. Where lesser people—and even lesser versions of herself—would cower and back down at such a daunting project, today’s Reina has taken it all in stride. There’s no denying that fact now; all you need to do is twist the key and listen to that new motor run, and you’ll have all the proof you’ll ever need.
Whatever happens from here on out, whatever twists and turns they run into on the long and winding road...they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Reina can make it work.
“Alright... I think it’s been long enough. Let’s treat you to a nice birthday dinner, eh?”
Reina wipes her eyes, her smile radiant.
“Yeah.”
The boys celebrate and wave her farewell as she bids the shop adieu for the day, Sami twirling the key to the Road Runner around her finger. No way she was gonna make the birthday girl walk all the way back home, of course!
“Oh, you don’t have to drive if you don’t want to!”
“I know—but I do want to. Least I can do for the girl who just built an engine!”
“Heehee. Fair enough.”
As much as she loved getting to build the new engine today, she admits she really does need a break. She all but sinks into the bench seat, her eyes struggling to keep themselves open as Sami gets herself situated.
*RRRrrrRRRRMMMM!*
“The new engine does sound a little different compared to this...but I can still hear the family resemblance. I’m sure it’ll do just fine.”
“Yeah.” She’s both proud and relieved to know she doesn’t have to rely on the old Road Runner so much anymore. All these years, she’s pushed it as far as it could go—demanded increasingly daunting jobs from it, and it gave her everything it had left. It is a fish out of water, just like her...an old car in a new world, struggling to hold on as the river of time threatens to wash it away. But like her, the car found a way through it all... Now, Reina hopes, she can give it the rest it deserves.
But first, it’s got a quick, easy drive to do.
“Let’s go.”
***
Is it fair to call this a victory lap? That’s how it feels to Reina, at any rate. She knows she has a ways to go on her grand journey, still fraught with obstacles aplenty...but for today, she sees fit to congratulate herself for getting this far. These moments are what make the whole trip worth it, after all: getting to slow down and bask in the fruits of one’s labor, together with her family. The warm, inviting heat of her home, the lights contrasting the twilight outside, the mouth-watering aroma of fresh food... It all makes her want to jump for joy.
“Yup! Still nice and warm, heh heh.” With rehearsed motions, Sami gets out the plates and silverware, all but ordering Reina to sit herself down at the table and let herself take a break. After all her work on the Outrunner, she will carry no weight in the kitchen today, however small.
“Y’know, I used to feel bad about your birthdays, honestly. You never really asked for much growing up—just your favorite foods and maybe a track day or something. These meals I make really aren’t that special, though!”
“Oh, come on! They’re special to me.” Reina knows this recipe—she can make it herself any time she wants. But there’s something about her mother’s cooking that she just can’t match, no matter how much she agonizes over the details. It just hits different when it’s being made for you.
“And you can play humble pie all you want, but that’s not gonna stop me from absolutely devouring this.”
“Well, no, you’ve got me there.”
Dinner is served. Sami sets the table, Reina eagerly eyeing her plate like a shark hunting for prey. Once Sami has joined her across the table, they both hungrily dig in...
“Mmmm-MM! Ohhh, man, that’s good!”
“I tried adding some extra stuff to the sauce this time. Turn out okay?”
“Turned out delicious!” Reina takes another bite, and the explosion of flavor all but knocks her out. She throws her head back against her chair, eyes closed and face awash with joy. She really doesn’t need much, as Sami alluded to... When she’s not tinkering with cars and engines down at the shop, it’s the simple joys in life that fill her humble heart. Good food, a warm home and the company of family... What more could she need on her birthday?
For Sami, watching her daughter’s face light up, these birthdays always make her feel like the luckiest mom in the world.
(She’s just the sweetest little girl I could’ve ever asked for...)
Reina savors every bite and gets right back up for more, scooping her way through the casserole dish until she’s taken her fair share. Sami’s recipe makes a bit much for two people, but that’s not a bad thing in Reina’s book at all—it just means she’ll have even more to eat leftover later.
“Would I be a bit too greedy in asking if there’s dessert too...?” Reina questions cutely.
“Sorry, nothing this year. Strict budgets and all that.”
“Ah. Fair point.”
“Pfft, no! Of course I got you a cake! You kidding me?”
Now that she thinks about it, though, she should’ve taken it out of the freezer sooner. It’ll need to soften up a bit before they can properly cut into it. Now’s as good a time as any to unveil it to the waiting birthday girl, though...
“The tire was a hit last year, so they styled this one like a steering wheel!”
“Aww, you shouldn’t have! This looks amazing!”
“Just gotta wait a few minutes before it’s ready to slice. You’ll manage, though, won’t you?”
“Oh, I’ll find a way. Poor, poor me.”
It’s just so nice to be in good spirits again—it makes her birthdays that much better.
“Happy birthday, Reina.”
“Thank you... It feels so nice that I’ve really earned this.”
“Oh, you didn’t need to earn it at all, silly.” Sami gives her daughter another gentle hug. “I’ll always love you no matter what, and you know that.”
“Heehee. Yeah... You too, Mom.”
“You really did knock it out of the park today, though... You said a few more months and the frame will be ready?”
“Yeah. Once Tetsukura gets the prototype up here, we can get the engine in...and then it’s on to testing. Honestly, that’s kinda the part I’m nervous about the most.”
Sami cocks her head. “How come?”
“Well, it’s just... I feel like it’s easier to build something good on paper than in practice. The engine is done, the chassis is coming along, but the real test will be driving it to see how well it holds up in the real world.”
The Road Runner—by all accounts, her measuring stick—sits pretty on the street just outside their home. She can’t help but steal a glance at it... It’s the standard she strives for.
“It’s not the Road Runner. It’s not the old 611. It’s something all new, and that means I’ve really gotta make sure it measures up. It has to be worthy of the name, y’know?”
“I just feel like I’ve gotta figure out a really thorough way to test it—to see just how good it really is.”
“Hmm...” Sami nods sagely. There’s a lot more going into the Star Rider than just its powerplant—it’s a complete reimagining of what Aikawa Auto can do. And like any piece of precision machinery, the new car will need to be forged in fire. They can’t rely on their past reputation for power and reliability to carry sales into the future. Legacy simply doesn’t cut it in the cutthroat automotive world; you have to earn your place in it, each and every day.
Sami agrees with Reina’s assessment: she’ll need to put this prototype through the wringer and back if she wants to be confident in its success.
“...Well, I think we can cross that bridge when we get there. There’s still a lot to do before it’s ready for testing—and I think you’re already heading in the right direction there with Yuzu helping out.”
“True. I just don’t know if it’ll be enough.”
“I’ll see what I can come up with, then. I might not know as much as you or Clara about building engines, but I can certainly put them through their paces.” Being in her 50s with a bad back is not about to stop her from contributing however she can.
“I’ll do some thinking—and in the meantime, I’ll talk to the guys over at Tokachi about scheduling some regular testing. You might even be able to get their staff to cook up some stuff for you.”
“Go ahead and leave that to me, alright? You just focus on the path ahead of you.”
It’s so nice to have that shoulder to lean on. Reina’s face melts into a warm smile, her mother’s words able to put her at ease in a way few other things can.
“Thank you... That would be a massive help.”
“My pleasure. Really, it’s the least I can do. I gotta start pulling my weight on the project!”
Reina chuckles. Sami’s already done so much for her.
“Now c’mon, I said no overtime today—and letting work occupy your mind counts too. You’ve got a nice, delicious cake waiting for you, so go on and eat up!”
“Heehee! Alright, alright!”
It goes without saying that the cake is delicious.
***
One more November 17th come and gone...this one on a much brighter note than the last. No longer does reality loom over Reina like a cloud, threatening her with 364 more days of tumult and tension; no longer does she feel like this one happy day is a distraction from her fate. This feels like the beginning to something even brighter... Something that will help her weather the coming winter, and come out the other side with her head held high.
“Ahhh... Thank you so much...” All that eating has made Reina a tired lass—to say nothing of the hard labor throughout the rest of the day.
“Hit the spot?”
“You have no idea.” She’s not actually sure how she’s going to make it up out of her chair.
“I’m gonna take a shower and then decompress for a bit. Might go to bed early tonight, actually—I’m whooped!”
“Go right ahead! You’ve more than earned it.”
Sami will be cleaning up for the both of them—ultimately the least she can do after the herculean effort Reina pulled in the garage today. She’s happy to support Reina in the same way that Reina herself supports everyone. And as she watches Reina slowly excuse herself from the dining room table, she’s reassured once more that it’s all worth it.
“You take it easy now, sweetie.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
And just like that, Sami is left with only her thoughts for company. The dripping water, the faint hum of the heater, the nocturnal ambiance creeping in from outside... It feels like another night already, so soon after the day’s festivities ended.
Perhaps that’s more to do with Sami, though. Now she can’t stop thinking about the future...about that observation Reina made.
(She’s still so focused on measuring up, comparing herself to the past...and maybe I can’t change that. Hell, maybe I shouldn’t. But if that’s how she feels like framing this...) Sami furrows her brow. She is the one who embodies the past... She and that beast of a car parked right outside.
(...Then I think I know something that might work.)
That will come in time. For now, there’s a long, long winter ahead of them—a test of patience before the promised hour. It gives Reina and Sami both plenty of time to think...both about the future, and the past.
That, more than anything else, will serve as the Star Rider project’s biggest test. After standing on the shoulders of giants all her life, Reina must now surpass them. Perhaps that is what she sees on her path—that final hurdle to crest on her journey to the stars.
...Perhaps that is where Sami can help her most.