Michael

A girl wanting to compete with me on such a track? She must be insane. My McLaren won't lose to her. I will give her a race... if that's what she so desires. One, worth her time.

"A race? Interesting." An AE86 Trueno kept beside both our cars along the road, the voice coming up on our radios.

"Now this gets even more hilarious, where in hell did you get the idea to race us in that antique?" I mocked the boy, who wound down his window to show me an Asian face.

"If you can beat the second coming of Initial D's Takumi, I'll not disturb your race."

"Hmph, your name?" I half-politely asked.

"Jay. Jay Chou."

---

Asher

"Jay. Jay Chou." Jay? An Asian? Racing us?

I've never seen an Asian street racer yet in Corona Bay! What an honour to meet one!

On the other hand, I'm really put off by Ace J's attitude.

"Do you even have manners, Ace J? Underestimating your opponent before the race with him begins?"

"What do you know, Ash?"

I kept my mouth shut. We stopped at a traffic light to restart our race.

The light was red.

We revved our car's engines....

Green. The AE86 Trueno sped off into the distance, Ace J's McLaren and my Pagani catching up to it pretty quickly. However, the unspoken rule applied - whoever was in the lead, decided the next road to take. The next turn to go for.

And the AE86, was probably meant for the tight hairpins, curves. Our cars couldn't match it.

We have to overtake it before it gets to the mountains.

"I hate to say this, but he's going to ruin our race." Ace J privately communicates with me over the in-built radio in the Huayra BC, and I replied by accelerating, overtaking Jay before the next junction, where I made a hard right and avoided the roads leading to the mountain range, keeping near to long roads so that the AE86 couldn't catch up to my Huayra's speed.

"You're one smart racer, Huayra driver!" Jay compliments, as he gets nearer to me upon a upcoming highway entrance.

"Oh no you don't!" I swerve onto the highway entrance, forcing him to follow close behind. Ace J caught up and raced alongside me.

"Clear him first, then we race each other to the finish. End line's the 5th last exit of the highway!" Ace J speeds off as I follow close behind, as we outrun Jay's AE86. However, Jay didn't seem to give up as we got further away from him, for the section near the 5th exit would give him a chance.

We had the top speed and acceleration advantage, so soon Jay was out of view. However, there was a severe traffic jam where we weren't expecting, as we were slaloming between lanes.

We spot Jay, on the other hand, aligning himself along the road shoulder and breezing past as we struggle to get by. Ace J got out of the congestion smoothly, better than I was. I was surrounded by a bunch of lane hoggers who were driving like sloths.

"Argh, I might have to go for that dinner..." I complain as I found my exit, speeding for the finish.

"I win! I beat an Ace!" Jay exclaims over the radio, as Ace J and I just sighed in disappointment.

"That was a personal race between me and my friend over here, but yeah you can say thats an achievement of yours. However... the race isn't official." Jay was shocked as we exit our cars and I, without my helmet, was known to Jay as a female racer.

"Holy shit! You were a girl all along! Nice to meet you!" He extends his hand and I take his handshake.

"Asher. Nice to meet you, Jay. Amazing car you have there," I kindly replied him.

"Oh, you still lost to me anyway, rookie. You're having that dinner with me. My treat, though." Ace J fiddles with his phone a little, and I hear my phone ring.

How did he get my number?! I see the contents of the message and realise its coordinates to a restaurant.

"See you there. Jay seems to want to talk to you." Ace J takes off in his McLaren after that.

"How did you get started out in street racing? The world out here really lacks girls like you,"Jay was really curious, but he didn't seem to want to express it. It was as if he was suppressing those feelings.

"Pretty much a childhood influenced mostly by cars. My father died early, and I never knew my mother at all because she disappeared when I was young. My father left me a legacy with cars and I continue that legacy to this day. Racing? Ah, it's my own initiative. Corona Bay is a street racer's world, after all." I explain. Talking about my parents, I could never remember much. All I know is, I am independent now and I'm glad I am. Perhaps I have succeeded in one of the challenges that has been given to me by God.

"Wow, that's cool. I got into street racing when I saw the Japanese show, 'Initial D'. The main character who I'm really like now is Takumi, who delivers tofu and is a touge racer using this trusty car," Jay pats his car gently, "the AE86 Trueno. In Japan, they call it the hachiroku."

"Hey, maybe leave our numbers in each other's phones?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, why not? I'm perfectly fine with it." I add my contact to his phone as he did mine, before we talked a little bit more about Corona Bay and the street racing culture that developed over the years.

I was interrupted after a while by a message from Ace J.

Booked the restaurant. Location already in the chat. 7pm. A little time trial for you. Don't be late. :)

Cheeky ass. Alright, alright.

"Gotta go, Jay, it was fun chatting with you," I hastily unlock the Pagani and wave goodbye to a smiling Jay, before I started racing against time to reach the restaurant Ace J sent coordinates to.

Fuck, why did he send a location thats so goddamn far?!

I floored the accelerator and swerved in and out of lanes as I quickly make my way downtown.

I swear I will get him next time, even if it costs me my life.

I pull up at the restaurant, parking outside the doors, in an empty lot right beside his McLaren. I quickly took off my jumpsuit leaving me in my casual denim jacket, white shirt and pants before getting out of the Pagani and locking it.

I walked to the entrance and was greeted by a waiter, who asked, "Hi Miss, did you make a reservation?"

"7pm, under the name of Michael Jackson," I reply, remembering Ace J's name.

"This way, please." He leads me into the restaurant, and stops me in front of a separate private dining room near the end of the restaurant.

"Here it is, Miss. Enjoy your dinner." He bows and leaves, leaving me alone.

I slowly open the door to see Michael sitting at the far end, waving at me as the table was simple and neat, a table for two.

"6.55pm. You're early by five minutes. Good one." Ace J stands up and pulls out my chair for me as I sit, before pushing it back.

"Thank you," I say, somehow grateful yet not used to this nice behaviour of his after experiencing his cocky attitude just a while ago.

"I've ordered our food already. You're not allergic to anything, right? I hope not," he asks, face showing slight concern.

"No... no allergy I know of. Anyway, I'm here for the dinner now, Ace. I'm sure you have questions? Or answers? Or... perhaps, a bit too early for me to say, a invitation to join the Aces of Corona Bay, Ace J?" Believe me, I was saying that because I was trying to not get involved with the Aces. Getting involved with one so early could mean a good or a bad thing entirely.

"Ah, the dinner is just for us to know each other better. Also, I believe you have heard the name 'Jane' many times over from certain people in the audience after our first race. Also... call me Michael, please. I'm getting really uncomfortable with being called 'Ace J'." Michael explains, before using a disappointed tone to complain about the way I called him.

"Ah fine, Michael. Ya happy? Anyway, since you mentioned Jane, let's talk about her first. I'm not into introductions. I'll need time to think of how to explain it." I fold my arms and relax on the chair as our drinks arrive. Red wine.

"You drink, right?" Michael asks.

"I'm fine. Just not too much of it is okay." I pick up the wine glass and hold it to the middle of the table.

"Cheers," we both say as we take a sip of red wine from our glasses before setting the glasses back onto the table.

"So Jane... who is she? Why do they compare me or mention her upon my gender reveal as a girl?" I start the ball rolling, getting my questions answered.

"Jane. What a name filled with memories. She was a lady to be reckoned with, Asher. If only you had seen her once. She was one of the legends on the streets. A pity she disappeared, however. We never knew where she went, after the events of that day."

"That day? Why would she disappear, anyway?" In fact, I was very curious. I had never been this curious about a person. However, Jane's disappearance really made me interested.

"She disappeared on the twenty-first day of July, 2007. She apparently had a last race before that, although we never knew what happened."

"That's... strange. Very strange. But I believe it was a great loss to the street racing world, from the way you say it."

"Indeed. A great loss, it was." The food was set on our table, and Michael avoids any more conversation as he starts eating. I decide to follow his pace and do the same.

It was a quiet dinner as we eat, and I think about Jane. What did she look like? Does she have the look of a street racing legend?

Just what kind of lady was she?

And as I continue thinking about it, I finish my food, at the same time Michael did.

"Want to go somewhere?" Michael asks, as he cleans his mouth with the napkin.

"I've got nothing on anyway, and the Pagani's yours. I'll have to follow." I reply. At this time, I regretted using his Pagani. Why did I have to accept this dude's crazy offers?

"My house it is. That way, you can park the Pagani and I'll send you back." Michael calls for the bill and settles it as I ready to leave, taking out the car key.

"Let's go," Michael stands up and dusts himself as we walk out the restaurant and into our cars. Michael's McLaren reverses out the parking lot and I follow close behind.

By now, as we legally follow the speed limits in Corona Bay while we travel to Michael's house, I wonder about what his house looked like.

Perhaps it will be like every other Ace. A bungalow, massive, huge, with parking lots enough for all the grand cars they own.

Ah shit, why am I thinking of these? I'm not interested in crashing.

I shake off any more thoughts distracting me from my driving, and continue following Michael as we started our long trip down the highway.