-Y/n's POV-

"I'll show you that my GT-R is the best of the best, and that I am the proud leader of the Night Kids. I will beat you.."

...

...

...

My mood became more serious as I walked over to the front of my car and placed my hand on the hood. Closing my eyes, I spoke to my car. "Alright, it's our first race. I pray you give me everything you're capable of. If you do that, I believe we'll win this thing."

"You talking to your car?" Nakazato asked. I opened my eyes and looked up at him.

"Ah, well. It's a little thing I like to do before I go out to practice and so I wanted to do it for the race, y'know? Gives me a little more faith."

"O...kay then? Let's just get this race over with then."

We both nodded and got into our cars. I put my hands on the wheel and took in a deep breath. To be honest, I had a good feeling about this race, but I had that sense of intimidation coming off of Nakazato. Seeing him up at the top the other night wasn't that bad, as I didn't really know that he'd challenge me at the time. That Three-Two was a real beast, much like Godzilla; A beautiful RB26 engine with a twin turbo system and the ATTESA E-TS to boot. The only thing that's tough is being able to drift in that thing. It's pretty heavy and the E-TS moves the front tires if the car starts to slide to keep things stable. Only the super skilled can truly master the drift with the Skylines. He had the Nismo front bumper which definitely helped on cooling the brakes due to the extra airflow. Since his strategy was gripping, he had to rely heavily on the brakes and the front wheels to bare the load during his cornering. This is going to be interesting.

"Alright, Alright! Everyone get ready!" Shingo walked up to the front of our cars as both Nakazato and I started up our vehicles. "This battle will be between Takeshi Nakazato of the Myogi Nightkids and Y/n L/n, a lone driver; A Three-Two versus an Impreza. Let's make this a good match!"

Everyone at the top cheered for both me and Takeshi. I was super hyped for it being my first race. It really was a different feeling, having a bunch of eyes on me as I raced rather than me just being by myself. It felt somewhat nice though, hard to explain why really...

Shingo looked at Takeshi as he nodded, then to me as I nodded before raising his hand.

"Alright! We're starting in..."

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

(Back on the Rocks / Mega NRG Man)

"FIVE..."

"FOUR..."

"THREE..."

"TWO..."

"ONE..."

"...GO!!!!" Shingo threw his hand down as I floored the gas pedal, sending my car blazing forwards down the long straightaway. I looked in my rear view to see the monster of a Skyline following behind me.

"Woah! Nakazato is going behind the Impreza!"

"That's unheard of!"

"Yeah, He normally takes the lead in his races! What's he thinking?!"

"I dunno, but whatever it is he's doing, he must have a plan." The spectators at the top all talked amongst themselves, surprised by the sudden change in Nakazato's tactics.

"Huh... Interesting, so it looked like he was trying to stay behind me in the beginning there. Was he just wanting to chase?" I thought about It a bit and grew a small grin. "My plan is working right off the start. I thought he would get in front of me. Let's see how this goes."

-Nakazato's POV-

"Alright, this is good. The plan is simple: Follow him and study his driving, pass him in the middle, then dust him before we reach the end. He may have better cornering speed and drift potential due to his better all wheel drive vehicle, but this course has more straightaways and less sharper corners. My Three-Two excels at this pass!" I watched carefully as he was about to take the first corner. I was expecting to see him go to the outside to drift into the corner, but... he didn't... Much to my surprise, he braked and hugged the guardrail, gripping the corner instead of drifting. "So he grips like I do, huh? Hmph, I can give him some credit for that..."

He exited the corner and sped up going down the next bit of straightaway with a slight curve.

We went around the next corner, him taking the turn the same way. He was slow, even though he used the gripping technique, he was slower than me when I use it. I didn't really care about it that much as it was just the beginning of the race. I knew he was probably psyching me out and going slow on purpose so he could use his gripping technique faster later and try to lose me. Though, his car's power doesn't even match mine. "My R is the baddest set of wheels on the market, even now, and I'm not going to let some Impreza best me on my home course. My best bet is to pressure him as we get to the halfway point in the race. Then, he'll likely screw up and I'll have the free chance to pass him."

The next couple corners were sharper as they were the S-Turns before the first checkpoint. He pulled to the outside line and took the turn, getting his car close to the guardrail without drifting. He turned right, then left with sloppy precision as my car was a meter behind his. It was almost sickening to watch. He would just go into the corner really slowly and try to compensate by speeding in the straightaways. I couldn't tell if he was actually bad, or if he was just messing with me. We passed through the first checkpoint and on to the next longer straightaway.

"Damn that Impreza is holding Nakazato back."

"Yeah. Why hasn't he already passed him?"

"C'mon! Knock him out already!"

(Stop Eurobeat)

-Iketani's POV-

Kenji, Itsuki, and I stood at the top of Myogi wondering how Y/n was doing. I knew Nakazato's lost a lot recently and it sounded easy to beat him, but I felt like he was planning something or making a comeback...

"Hmm? Nakazato hasn't passed him yet? Alright, thanks. Keep me posted." A team member put his walkie away.

"What's the deal?" Another one came up.

"Nakazato is practically eating a five-course meal out of the Impreza's trunk. I'm surprised he hasn't made a move and dusted the guy already."

"Damn, Nakazato's really changing the way he is doing things."

"I know. Gives me chills..." They both shivered a bit.

"You alright Iketani?" Itsuki looked up at me.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just thinkin' about the outcome of the race. I overheard the other members of the Night Kids talking to each other on the walkies. Seems they passed the first checkpoint. "

"Yeah, Nakazato did decide to stay behind the Impreza, so Y/n's plan is working right now."

"Yeah, but much like Takumi, Y/n's slightly more underpowered compared to the Three-two. And that's not even including the fact Y/n's using a gripping technique he isn't accustomed to." Kenji stated.

"What?!" Itsuki and I were surprised to hear Kenji say that.

"I've heard he's beefed it up a bit and since he got the new front bumper, his brakes cool faster on the straightaways due to more airflow." He explained further.

"Damn, alright. So what're guys thinking?" I asked them both.

"To be honest, I don't know. You're the only one who's seen him drive up and down a pass, so how do you think he'll fair?"

"I think he can beat him. If what he planned is gonna happen, then I believe he can pull a win."

"Hell yeah! GO Y/N!" Itsuki yelled.

-Y/n's POV-

He was right on my bumper. Any faster and he would smack into my trunk. This is just how I wanted my plan to go. I giggled to myself a little bit.

"Haha, I bet he's either angry at me for being bad, or questioning if I'm messing with him. All I gotta do is let him pass me soon, I also gotta make it believable." After the next checkpoint, there's a huge corner. I could turn a bit wider and let him take the inside. The next turn was a 90 degree right turn. I braked hard and gripped around the corner. "I'm sorry brakes, I know you don't like being used like this but hold on for a little bit longer okay? You got this! The fun part will come soon."

I started speaking to my brakes. I knew it really wouldn't help, but its just a thing I did. Things were good, just had to wait...

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

(Pride / Dave (De Leo))

-Nakazatos POV-

"This damned kid is getting on my last nerves! I'm pressuring him to go faster but he isn't responding to anything. I'm getting so sick and tired of this! He doesn't even care about his pride or anything. He doesn't understand what it means to be a true racer whatsoever! He doesn't know what It feels like to win a real race. Sorry to do this to you, kid, but you're going to be another spec of dust in the wind after I pass you. You love Skylines so much? I hope you enjoy seeing the back of it pull away from you, cause I'm going to show you what it means to race people for real; I'm going to show you what it means to cross the Myogi Night Kids; I'm going to show why you shouldn't mess with the number one!"

"Alright. Nakazato is going to have to make a move here. Its his best chance!" One of the spectators yelled.

"Yeah. Take him on Nakazato!!" Another one watching screamed.

"Come on!!!!!" We rolled up on the large corner and just as I predicted he screwed up and turned too wide which caused him to lose the inside for just a moment. A perfect enough time for me to get the overtake. My car was outfitted with a new Nismo front bumper, boost gauge, oil cooler, and a triple plate clutch. Ever since my loss with Fujiwara, Takahashi, and Team Emperor, I knew I had to get better, had to go back and realize who I was as a racer. I also realized that I had a GT-R and it was and still is the perfect car for me. I don't need a Three-One or a Three-Three or even a Three-Four. This baby is all I wanted in my life.

"Holy crap there he goes! He's making his move!"

"Guys, watch this shit. He's gonna pass this WRX and fast too."

"Woah, really?!"

I was coming up on the turn and I was ready. I immediately braked hard and then turned, stepping down hard on the gas pedal afterwards, sending me through the corner. "Now we're cooking with high octane! Watch me smoke you! Watch my R!!! Wa-"

I looked to my left for only just a moment to see the kid's reaction as I passed him. My eyes widened in absolute shock...

He was...

Smiling...

"What...the hell?"

He had such a calm, but coldhearted looking smile. His head was slightly facing towards the exit of the corner, but his eyes were looking right at me. I felt a chill go down my spine for just a second. I didn't know what it was, but that smile made me feel uneasy.

I then blasted forwards out of the corner, leaving the Impreza in the dust. I put the smile behind me and turned the next corner. "That's the power of my GT-R! Alright! Time to lose him completely and win this thing! My pride of being a street racer is on my back, it would suck if I were to lose this, but that shouldn't be a problem now. God I'm finally in front of him. That was a pain in my ass."

"Holy shit! Nakazato just smoked that kid!"

"Yeah! He looked like a damn bullet flying past that STI."

"Made that STI look like a chump hahahaha!"

-Y/n's POV-

I watched him pass me on the inside line through the huge corner. I couldn't help but smile with a smug look as I saw him go. "I bet he felt so relieved that I moved out of the way for him. Alright, let me give him 2 seconds to get ahead and.... Go!!" I floored the throttle and sent my car flying through the exit of the corner. I took in a deep breath and braked, then oversteered my car into a drift at the next corner while pushing the gas pedal down on the ground.

"Woah! Did you see that?!"

"What happened? I was taking a leak in the bush over there."

"You dumbass. The Impreza completely did a flip on its driving style."

"Huh?!"

"Yeah! I heard he was gripping like Nakazato the entire time until now. He just pulled off a perfect drift."

"Oh shit.... I need to tell Shingo about this!"

-Shingo's POV-

"Alright, I have good news and I have bad news." Miyahara said to me after putting his walkie away.

"What? Good and bad news? How is that possible?" I asked him.

"Which do you wanna hear?"

"Good news I guess."

"Takeshi passed the Impreza easily and there is a pretty good gap between them."

"I mean, that's good to hear. I don't know how there's a bad news to this." I shrugged as Miyahara pushed up his glasses. He gave a sigh.

"The Impreza was faking its driving style from the beginning to allow Takeshi to pass him at the second checkpoint." He explained. My eyes widened in shock.

"What?! How do you know that?!"

"I just got the people at the end of the large corner after the second check to tell me that the Imp gave Takeshi a second or two lead. Then, it went faster than it was before the corner. Afterwards, it pulled off perfect full-speed drifts at the next couple turns."

"You're not serious. He was just tricking Takeshi the entire time just to get him to get his guard down?"

"Apparently so."

"DAMNIT!" I threw my cigarette on the ground and stepped on it angrily.

(Stop Eurobeat)

-Iketani's POV-

"Seems his plan worked after all." I said to the two.

"Yesss!" Itsuki jumped and raised his fist in the air.

"Damn hes smart. He knew exactly how things were going to pan out." Kenji put his fingers to his chin.

"I think us giving him information on how Nakazato drives helped him."

"I bet it did, since everythings going exactly how he planned it."

"Hm." I perked a smile. Now all hes gotta do is pass Nakazato and win this thing."

-Y/n's POV-

I exited the corner at full speed. "Ah, damn that feels so good to drift again. Gripping is not my style at all! Just brake hard as hell and go into the drift at full speed. That's the way to run it! Now if my memory serves me well, and it always does, the sharpest turn after the halfway point is the fifth corner after the third checkpoint. I'll only get one shot for it too, but I know this pass as much as he does if not more. I can pull a win. You ready Impreza? Let's do this!" I went around the next several S-Curves and found Nakazato's headlights. "Alright there he is. Just gotta get to him and pass him."

-Nakazato's POV-

Just when I was thinking I was perfect, just when I was thinking I had this race in the bag, I saw something in my rear view mirror: Two headlights. I couldn't believe it. He was getting closer.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

(1.2.3.4. FIRE! / Dejo)

"How the... How the hell is he closing the gap!? He was slow and his technique was so sloppy. I-" My eyes widened as the realization hit me. I made a mistake. He just faked me out using some dumb technique he wasn't even used to. He drifts like all the rest. "Damnit! No wonder his technique was so bad! How could I be so stupid!!"

I took a deep breath in and tried to calm myself down but it was near impossible. If I didn't think, then this race was as good as his. Now I had to think on what he could do to pass me. What corner would he make his move? Were just about to hit the third checkpoint and he was almost on my ass. We both made the next right turn into the third checkpoint. I saw the some of the spectators holding their stopwatches, timing us.

-Y/n's POV-

"He's right in front of me, just where I want him to be. Im glad I caught up with him. I gotta make this overtake quick. I know this is a sharper turn but it's easily maneuverable at high speeds. It has to be one swift pass. I can't give him any time to block me. A half of a car length is all I need. If he tries to speed up even more, then he could understeer and hit me or the guardrail, so I'm hoping he doesn't do that." We were coming into the fifth turn and my eyes widened as I quickly went to the outside line. I had full concentration and focus into this one turn and this one turn alone. "COME ON!!!"

"Damn! the Impreza's doing a counterattack on Takeshi! He's gonna pass on the outside!"

"No way! The outside!? On a corner?!"

"Will he overtake?!"

I put my entire faith into my hands and my right foot for this moment. "1.....2....3.....4.... GOOOOO!!!!" I slammed on the gas started inching my way closer to his car, my car running at its best.

-Nakazato's POV-

I looked in my rear view and the car was gone. The Impreza was missing from my rear view mirror. Then suddenly, my eyes were met with a gleaming light as the right side mirror shined the light of the Imp's headlights. He was attacking from the outside! I had to get it in check before he gets half a car length beside me. "Damnit! Don't toy with me!" I stepped on the accelerator and gave the GT-R all it's got, but he was already half a car length ahead of me. It was over... I let off the gas a little. If I were to have kept going, I would have understeered and crashed. Damnit I wasn't even thinking! God I was outsmarted, outdriven, I couldn't really believe it. This kid played me like a damn fiddle...

"..."

"...." The crowds were speechless for several seconds before cheering.

-Shingo's POV-

I watched as Miyahara got off the walkie. His face wasn't happy, which could only mean one thing...

"Let me guess... The Impreza passed him..."

"At the fifth corner after checkpoint three to be precise." Miyahara replied as I pulled out a cigarette. I groaned a bit.

"Maybe Nakazato isn't cut out for street racing anymore. Kid's are just getting smarter nowadays." I blew out a puff of smoke. Miyahara just laughed.

"YES!!! HE WON!! HE WON!!! HAHAHA!!!!" I looked over at the loud cheering and saw that one guy and his friend who helped me out the first time I crashed when I raced Takumi. The kid who raced Takeshi must be one of his friends as well or something.

(Stop Eurobeat)

-Y/n's POV-

Nakazato and I drove back to the top of the mountain slowly to conserve our tires and keep our gas usage down. Once we got to the top. I got out of my car and stretched and boy did it feel good. I won my first race. My first real race. I think the victory stretch was so well worth it. Suddenly, Itsuki, Iketani, and Kenji walked over happily.

"Yo, you totally kicked his ass!" Itsuki fist pumped the air.

"Heheh, I'm just happy everything turned out how I planned it."

"That's good to hear. Good win by the way."

"Thanks Kenji."

"Yeah man, good work!"

"I appreciate it. You guys have phones? Mind if I exchange contact information?" I asked the three. They all looked at each other and back at me.

"Sorry man, we aren't that rich." Itsuki said with a slight shrug.

"Ah, I see. Well, next time I see you, I'll give you my number so when you guys wanna hang out, you can call me from your houses or something." I smiled happily as they all gave a nod. Suddenly, Nakazato walked over with a cig in his mouth.

"You know, this is probably the hardest I've been outsmarted in a race. You got a good mind when it comes to racing, and a good ride. How does the win feel?"

"Huh?"

"How does your first win feel?"

"It feels like... I don't know... It feels like I won the lottery almost."

"Take that to heart, kid. There'll be many more races you'll have, but never forget your first win. It'll keep you motivated for the next one. Good race." He nodded before turning away back to his car.

"So what's the plan now?" Kenji asked.

"Ah... well.... I'm going home. I'm hungry, tired, and TV Deprived."

"Yeah, I bet."

"I'll see you at the gas station tomorrow, cause I know I'm gonna need.. *yawn* need some gas."

"We'll be there."

"Alright, y'all have a good night." I walked over to my Impreza and drove home. When I got there, I went inside and locked the door. I immediately went to the kitchen to grab some water and some snacks. I sat and watched some TV before heading to bed. After the race I had, I felt a fire light in my heart. I knew after this race, my life was going to change a bit. I wanted to keep racing. I wanted to go faster. I wanted to win at all costs. After beating the number one on Myogi, my next stop was.... the number one on Usui pass. I wanted to beat whoever it was, but that would have to wait a bit... I had some Z's to catch up on...