Chapter 11 - K0 Line

11:14 PM - Uphill road to the K0 tunnel.

The asphalt screeched under the tires. Headlights cut through the night in discrete flashes. The trees along the roadside danced in the wind, silent witnesses to the ascent. Naomi drove at a moderate speed, not to be noticed, not to hide, just to feel. The K0 tunnel was located under an old railway bridge, in a disused industrial zone. The drivers called it "the gorge," a gut of asphalt where mistakes were paid for in crumpled metal or ruined reputations. She passed a black car. A guy with tinted glasses was half-leaning out, propped against the door. He saw her pass. "Who's that?" he said to his friend. "Never seen her. Nice ride, but too subtle." A little further up, another group watched from a trailer. "Look at that stealth style. Is that the new thing now?" "Looks like a mom on a drift run to pick up her kid." Muffled laughter. Naomi wasn't listening. She was watching the road, always straight, always calm. In the makeshift parking lot, there were about fifteen cars, exotic brands, customized engines, and above all, stares. The drivers were talking, comparing specs, placing bets a hubbub of ego and oil. A clash erupted to the left. "YOUR CAR'S A FIBERGLASS PIECE OF JUNK, OKAY?!" "SHUT UP, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A DIFFERENTIAL IS!" "HEY GUYS, CHILL OUT!" A tire was violently kicked. A rearview mirror was torn off. The tension rose until a guy in a black jacket held up a walkie-talkie. "Sponsored race, you clowns. Straighten up, or you get scratched from the list." Immediate silence. Naomi parked her car in the shadows. She cut the engine and got out. A long silence followed. Some recognized her from a detail, a silhouette, a rumor. "Isn't she the one who won in Arakawa a week ago?" "Impossible, that one didn't have a mask." "Nah, it was her. Same calm, same tires." Another one shrugged. "Pff, just another woman. She'll stall on the first turn." "Or drive like a grandma." Laughter and mockery, but not from everyone. Some remained silent because they had seen or heard, and that kind of silence weighs. Naomi walked between the cars without a word, her mask covering her lips, her eyes hidden behind her glasses. But everything about her posture said, I am ready. Not for you. For the road.

End of Chapter 11 - K0 Line