The fifteen minutes to the station near Kasumi's university felt simultaneously like an eternity and the blink of an eye. I pedaled hard on my bike, the cool night wind whistling past my ears, but I barely felt it. My head was full of adrenaline and a mixture of fear and excited anticipation. What was I actually doing here? When I arrived at the station square, I saw her immediately. Kasumi stood under a lamppost, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the distance. She wore a dark jacket and jeans, but now she looked different. More tense, more focused. She was waiting. For me. I carelessly leaned my bike against a rack and walked straight towards her. No more hesitation, no words. Driven by the pent-up tension and loneliness of the last few hours, by the irrepressible desire to escape this feeling of paralysis, I simply pulled her into my arms. It was a tight, almost desperate hug, as if I had to hold onto her to keep from being blown away. For a moment she stiffened in surprise, then I felt her arms wrap around me too. She returned the hug, held me tight. We just stood there, in the middle of the busy station square, the world around us seeming to blur. When I slowly pulled away, I looked into her eyes. They were unfathomable as always, but there was also a hint of warmth, perhaps surprise. "What are you doing later today?" I asked directly, my voice still sounding a bit rough. "I... I don't want to go home anymore. Not to that empty apartment." She studied me briefly, didn't ask why. A brief hesitation flickered in her eyes before she answered. "I..." "Just say it," I urged when she faltered. I didn't need excuses now, no half-truths. She took a barely perceptible breath. "There's a race tonight." A race. The word hit me like a cold shower, briefly pulling me out of my emotional turmoil. Images of the accident flashed before my inner eye. I felt a mixture of irritation and being overwhelmed. Was she serious? After everything? "The guy..." I managed to say, my throat tight. "The guy who hit me... is he involved too?" Kasumi immediately shook her head, her gaze becoming firm. "No. He's not driving anymore. Never again." Her voice left no room for doubt. A wave of relief washed over me, however irrational it was. And in that moment, I made a decision, impulsive, perhaps stupid, but irreversible. "I'm coming with you." Kasumi looked at me, startled. "What? Oka-kun, are you sure? After everything that happened... is that really a good idea?" Her concern sounded genuine, yet strangely contrasted with the fact that she was driving again at all. "I want to be here," I said firmly. "Where you are. If you're driving, then I'll just be there." I didn't want to go back to the silence of my apartment, not back to the unresolved conflicts with Hana and Emiko. I wanted to be here, with her, no matter how dangerous it was. "But what if something happens again?" she asked quietly, her eyes searching mine. "I'm not thinking about that now," I replied, and I meant it. The fear was there, but the desire to be with her was stronger. "I trust you." I paused. "I don't know exactly why. But I do." Kasumi looked at me for a long time, as if trying to decipher my words. Finally, she nodded slowly, an almost imperceptible movement. "Okay," she said softly. "But stay in the car. Promise me." "Promised." She nodded again and made a curt gesture. "Come." We walked silently to her car, parked on a side street – the yellow Honda S2000 I had seen on the hill. She unlocked it, and I sank into the passenger seat. The interior smelled faintly of oil and gasoline, mixed with a hint of her perfume. Kasumi started the engine, and the deep rumble filled the small space again. She drove off, this time faster, more purposefully than on our last drive. We left the city lights and the university district behind us, heading onto a darker road out of town, towards the mountains that loomed dimly against the night sky. "Where are we going?" I asked after a while. "To the pass," she replied, without taking her eyes off the road. "What kind of race is it?" I asked further. "A pass race. Downhill." "Is it about money again?" I asked, remembering her words from the hospital. She just gave a curt nod. "How much are you racing for?" She didn't answer that, just concentrated on the winding road, which was now getting steeper. After about twenty minutes, we turned off the main road onto a large, poorly lit parking lot at the foot of the pass. It was noticeably cooler here. Only a few cars were scattered around, most of them modified Japanese sports cars, their engines humming quietly at idle. Muffled music drifted from one of the vehicles. A small group of people stood together, smoking and talking quietly. The atmosphere was tense, expectant. Kasumi steered her Honda with a precise, sporty movement into a free spot near the group. She turned off the engine, and the sudden silence seemed almost louder than the previous rumble. I looked at her car more closely. From the outside, it looked well-maintained, but something was different. It seemed lowered, the tires wider than normal. I didn't know enough to say exactly what was modified, but I sensed it. This S2000 wasn't stock. It was built to be fast. Very fast. Kasumi turned to me before unbuckling her seatbelt. Her gaze was serious, scrutinizing. "Oka-kun, are you really, really sure? I can still call this off. No problem for me." I shook my head. The determination that had brought me here was still there, stronger than the burgeoning nervousness in the face of the gloomy scenery. "No. I want to experience this. What you talked about in the hospital." I searched for the right words. "This feeling… that it's not just about the money. The freedom, the speed. I want to feel that too. Understand." She studied me, a small crease forming between her eyebrows. "Something's different about you tonight," she said quietly. "You seem... agitated. Almost irrational." She hesitated. "I barely know you, but... this isn't just you escaping your apartment, is it?" I could feel her scrutinizing gaze, but I didn't avoid it. "Maybe I am irrational. But I'm here." She sighed softly, a barely audible sound. "Okay. But you stay put here, understand? I'll be right back." She got out, quietly closed the door, and walked with springy steps towards the group standing by the other cars. Her back was visible in the headlight beams of one of the other cars, a slender silhouette in the darkness. She spoke with a few people, gestures were exchanged. It seemed like a familiar routine. I watched her, my heart pounding irregularly. What was I doing here? Was this madness? But the thought of turning back, going back to my silent apartment, was even more unbearable. It didn't take five minutes. Kasumi detached herself from the group and came back to the car. She got in, closed the door. "It's settled," she said, buckling herself in. Her tone was now businesslike. "It's starting soon. The course marshals still need to position themselves, but we can already drive up the pass." She started the engine again. The growl of the S2000 seemed to cut through the tense silence. "Who are we actually racing against?" I asked as she slowly started rolling. She nodded her head towards another car standing somewhat apart, its headlights glowing like predatory eyes in the darkness. A deep blue Nissan Skyline GT-R, looking menacing and powerful. "See that Skyline over there? That's our opponent." Our opponent. The word echoed within me. Even though I was just a passenger, just going to be a spectator, that small word gave me an unexpected sense of belonging. For this moment, for this race, we were a team. A tiny smile stole onto my lips, and I felt some of my tension release, replaced by a new, tingling anticipation.

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