I slumped back in my seat, stumped.

What the hell?

There's no logical explanation for this!

I took a deep breath.

Okay, calm down. It's not that bad, right? Just calm down and properly think.

The idle of the rotary engine I knew so well helped keep the atmosphere familiar as I stopped panicking.

Okay, now let's think this through. Out of nowhere things changed.

... That's not helping at all. So, where am I going to stay for the time being? I've got a bit of money in my wallet, but that ain't gonna last...

I know, I'll just sleep in the SA. I've done this before too, no problem for sure. I'll deal with everything else in the morning.

Feeling satisfied with the conclusion I came to, I put the car into gear and drove off, looking for a quiet place to park.

Finding a quiet alley somewhere nearby, I parked, turned off my headlights and shut off my engine. Rolling down my door's window and locking my doors, I adjusted my seat back and sat back in a comfortable position.

Trying not to think about the recent events, fatigue eventually consumed me and I managed to doze off.

--------------

I woke up to the morning sun. Opening my eyes, I realized that I had parked facing east, thus why sunlight was directly blasting down my face.

"Ugh..." I muttered as I turned my head left, shutting and shielding my eyes at the same time.

After a few moments of getting myself awake, I re-adjusted by seat to the usual driving position. Looking around and remembering the predicament I was in, I sighed.

At least I have a clear mind now.

Rolling up the right door's window and unlocking my doors, I got out of the SA. Re-locking my car and walking towards the exit of the alley, I took a good look around my surroundings.

Three quarters of the buildings were familiar, although they looked slightly newer than I remembered. The other quarter, however, were unfamiliar, but fitted in well with the rest of the buildings. Thinking about it, I realized that the buildings that I remembered all looked newer, more typical 21st century architecture.

Looking around at the people walking one the sidewalk, I approached a random middle-aged man, trying not to look or sound weird as I asked my intended question. "Hey, sorry for disturbing you. This may sound a bit strange, but can you tell me the full date today?"

The man looked at me. "Well, it's Saturday, 18th of July 1998."

What?

"U-um, thank you!" I stammered, bowing down.

"My pleasure, young man," he smiled, walking away. "Polite kid..."

1998...

I stopped bowing. "You're kidding..." I muttered. "Yesterday was July 17, so today should be July 18, nothing wrong with that. How... how did 2019 become 1998?!"

This could be just an elaborate and odd dream...

I slapped myself. I'm not dreaming.

... or I have somehow ended up exactly 21 years behind 2019.

I'm... in 1998.

Realizing the situation I was in, I had mixed feelings. On one hand, I'm now in the era I felt fitted me the most. On the other hand, however, I'm currently at a loss; my identity card and driving license, as I took out my wallet to check, were unchanged, rendering them officially invalid. That wasn't the biggest issue; what really bothered me was my lack of a job, which would mean that I was earning nothing to support myself. On top of that, I had also only brought along enough money for... three tanks of gas?

I recounted the notes in my wallet. Yes, I have enough yen for three tanks of high octane! Come to think of it, I did intentionally bring this much out because I did want to refuel the SA, but the excess amount was just because I wanted to deposit some money into the bank after.

Guess that's one thing I don't need to do anymore... I joked with myself in my head.

So, I've got enough money to last for a few days without an income. I still need a job...

So, where do I start?

I looked around and sighed, not knowing what to do.

I turned around and went back to my SA, taking the time to analyze the front license plate. It shouldn't raise any suspicions in this era, I guess. Unless they actually went to look up the plate number, of course.

Getting behind the wheel, I put the key in the ignition, pulled out the choke, gave the gas pedal a few pumps and finally turned the ignition.

The starter motor began to run. After a few seconds, the Mazda 12A sputtered to life.

"There we go."

I slowly closed the choke. I'll need to move SA somewhere else, but where? Some public parking lot?

Oh well, I thought as I moved into first gear, I'll think as I drive.

Driving out of the alley, I joined in with the post-peak morning traffic, with no real destination in mind. All the 80s and 90s cars around me, once again commonplace, was making me seriously nostalgic, and I couldn't help but smile even though they were commuter cars. As the SA was not warmed up enough yet, I made sure not to rev the rotary engine over 3000 rpm.

Driving around 1998 Shibukawa was surreal; everything's so peaceful! Well, 2019 Shibukawa is also peaceful, but for some reason I feel much calmer in this period. Maybe it was because my worries in 2019 are gone, about the death of driving and cars at the hands of self-driving and electric cars. But it was much likely that my new surroundings are actually much more peaceful to me. Either way, even with the danger of being penniless in my mind, I felt relaxed as I drove down the quiet street, accompanied by only a few cars.

Turning into another main street, I noticed a smaller street, one that only a single car could pass through. Hey, I'll check it out!

Turning left, my rear wheels squeaking, and entering, I drove slowly through, looking for any potential spots. Not long after, an empty space greeted me on my left, enough for the SA to comfortably park in.

Alright, this is it.

Setting my gears to neutral and pulling the handbrake, I got out. Locking the doors, I entered the building next to the lot, a two-storey shop selling cameras.

"Welcome!" the shopkeeper greeted as I entered. "What would you like?"

"Hello, I'm not actually here to buy something. Rather, may I ask whether that parking spot next to this shop is being occupied by someone?"

"Oh, not at all!" was the quick reply. "The new neighbors next door don't have a car and won't be buying one anytime soon, and that space has been empty for about a year now."

"May I use that spot to park my car then?"

"Of course, boy!" the middle-aged man smiled.

"Really? Thank you!" I replied, quickly bowing down. "Is there any rental fees, though?"

"Nope! Park there as much as you want, as long as you like."

"Thank you again!"

"Don't mention it!"

Returning to the SA, I quickly got in and reversed into the lot, the rear wheels squeaking through the tight corner. Pleased with my luck, I checked the fuel gauge.

The needle was just next to the "empty" bar.

Damn, I'm almost out of fuel.

I shut off my engine and got out, locking the doors after.

I looked at my SA, lovingly stroking her right fender before adjusting the fender mirror on the same side.

Now, next thing on the list.

I walked out of the street and started walking, taking the time to further admire my hometown in this era.

-------------

Everything felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time; I don't know whether I should say I'm familiar with this place or otherwise. That didn't damage my good spirits, however, as I walked down the sidewalk, only a few people passing by as it was a weekday during work hours.

"Ah, Silvia!" I commented out loud cheerfully as a S13 drove past me on the street, heading in the same direction as I am. Back in 2019, these cars have became somewhat a rarity, thus my current eagerness at seeing one.

Passing underneath a road bridge, I noticed something unfamiliar; a gas station over where there once was (or would be) an office building.

Feeling a bit hungry and realizing that I had not had breakfast yet, I turned in, hoping to buy something like a rice ball in the convenience store.

"Welcome!" a worker in blue uniform greeted me as I entered. "How may I help you?"

"I'm just here to buy something from the store, thanks for asking."

"Huh? What store?" he asked, confused.

"The store the gas station has- oh, wait..." I faltered, remembering that in this era gas stations had no convenience stores. "My apologies," I quickly bowed, "I've been seriously mistaken!"

The man laughed. "There's no store down here, sir! But if you want a drink, there's a vending machine inside!"

"Oh, there is?" I looked up. "I'll buy a drink, then. Thanks!"

"No problem. Oh, a customer!"

He ran to bow to an incoming car, likely coming in for gas.

I sighed, relieved that I avoided a potentially bad situation by blurting out too much.

Entering the office, I noticed the vending machine next to the counter. Behind said counter was a middle-aged man, smoking a cigarette. The word "Manager" was clearly visible on his badge.

"Welcome! What would you like?"

"Just a drink," I replied, pointing to the vending machine.

"I see, go ahead."

Taking out my wallet, I put in a few coins into the machine. Wait, did I put in coins that do not exist yet?!

No coin was rejected by the machine. I internally sighed in relief as I picked a can of coffee from the selections.

"Hey," I asked the , bending down to pick up the can, remembering that I still need a job, "are you hiring any new staff here?"

The manager looked at me, curious. "I am a bit short on staff these days, so yeah. What, you interested in work?"

"Yes!" I replied eagerly, standing up. "You see, I'm, uh, a bit new here, and I'm out of any income, so I really need a job to support myself!"

"You're new here, huh," he replied, smiling. "No income?"

"Nope! I don't even have a room to stay in!"

"Really?!"

"Yeah, ehehe..."

"Were you kicked out by your parents or something like that?"

"Um... you can say that. I've got no other clothes or official documents either, all I have is a small stack of cash."

"Hmm... Let me think about it first."

The man stood there, pondering my request. I took the time to open my can of coffee and start drinking.

"Full time, is it?"

"Yeah."

"Can you start work now?"

"Yes!"

"Good, you're hired."

"Really?!" I looked at him, ecstatic.

"Yep. What's your name?"

"Narahiko, Adachi Narahiko."

"Narahiko, I see. My name is Tachibana Yuichi, but you can call me 'Boss'."

"Alright, boss!"

He chuckled. "That's good. Also, at the same time, there's an unused room at the back where you can stay in, while there's a washing machine in another room. It's nothing much, but it's the best I can do."

"You're providing me a place to stay too? Thank you so much!" I happily replied, bowing.

"Don't mention it. Now, owing to your current situation, I'll give you half a month's pay first, then give you the other half once the month is over. You'll receive full pay per month, which is 1100 yen an hour and 154,000 yen a month, starting from next month, after you've settled in. Is that fine with you!"

"Of course! Thank you for accepting me!"

"You're welcome. I'll go get your new uniform and half-month salary first, wait here."

He walked into the staff area on the right, probably to his personal office.

Man, thank goodness! I finally have a job!

I finished my coffee and threw the can into the nearby bin.

A few minutes later, Mr Tachibana came out with a set of uniform and a stack of cash. "Here you go, you can start work now. Also, here are the keys to your room, you can enter from either going there," he said, pointing towards the entrance to the staff area on the right, " and going all the way to the last door, or from the back of this building, there's a clean bed at the rear. You should use the money on your clothes first, you aren't gonna wear that all the time, are you?"

"Nope," I replied, taking the items. "Thanks."

"No problem. Get going, you've got 5 minutes."

Putting the money in my pocket first then walking into the staff area, I walked all the way to the end, meeting a door on my left. I unlocked it with the keys Mr Tachibana gave me and entered, turning on the lights.

It was minimalist, but clean. A surprisingly-clean bed, complete with a mattress, and a small table with its chair was all the room had, but it was more than enough for me. Below the table was a drawer, its key hanging from the keyhole.

I checked whether the back door was locked. Confirming that it was, I checked underneath the bed, then the table. All clean.

Now all that's left is that drawer.

I slowly opened it and checked the insides, expecting a cockroach to jump onto me (I fear them). Nothing.

Boss kept this room clean even though it was unused.

Sighing in relief, I closed it, taking the key out. I quickly changed into my new uniform, not wanting to be late.

Once I was done, I reached out for my phone, placing it in the drawer and locking it. I'm not going to risk letting anyone see that. Folding my usual clothes and placing them neatly on the bed. Getting out and locking the front door, I put on and adjusted my cap, walking out of the staff area.

Mr Tachibana was back behind the counter. "Right on time! Do you know how things go in a gas station?"

I nodded, having had prior experience working in one before. Or after.

"Good! Oh, there's a customer coming in!" he said, pointing towards a car entering. "Here you go!" he added, tossing me a towel so that I could wipe the windshield of cars.

"Thanks!" I replied, running out of the office. "Welcome!"

--------------

"Thank you!" I said, bowing down to a leaving car that had just refueled.

"You can get off work now," Mr Tachibana said, stepping out as all the other workers began to leave. "I'll be handling the place until we close, go buy your clothes."

"Wait, it's over already?" I asked, surprised at how fast time went.

"Yep, your shift's 10 am to 6 pm. There's a department store just ahead, you'll be able to buy your clothes there."

"Alright boss, thanks!" I replied, jogging back to my room. Changing into my normal clothes, I walked off to the department store, waving to a smoking Mr Tachibana as I walked off.

Within half an hour, I had done my shopping, returning to the gas station with two bags of clothes, an alarm clock and a watch.

"Ah, Narahiko! I've bought dinner for you today!"

"Really? Thanks, boss!"

"You didn't even eat lunch, have you noticed?"

"Oh, that's right..." I recalled. When Mr Tachibana called me for lunch break earlier, I told him that I'll be fine, intending to find and eat a rice ball sometime later. Looks like I've lost track of time again, heh.

Putting down my stuff in my room, I came out and sat on the sofa with Mr Tachibana, quickly digging into my bento set.

"Slow down, kid," he laughed. "By the way, by any chance, are you interested in cars?"

"Oh, yes I am!" I replied, looking up.

"Really? What about the touge?"

I smiled, enthusiastic. "Yep!"

"Wow, nice! I've got a few people around that have the same interests too."

"You do?"

"Yeah! Iketani and Itsuki are in, I'll say Takumi's slowly being reeled into the group too. What about drifting?"

"Drifting? I prefer using grip, but drifting is fun too! Just that, isn't drifting ultimately more showy than effective while cornering?"

"Ohoho, a grip guy, you're different from those two. Well, you can drift for maximum cornering speed, but you're right on that it's more showy than effective. Why do you think people drift when they're racing, then?" he asked, looking up at me.

"I think it's got something to do with rhythm than physical advantage. When I dri- I mean, when someone drifts, I suppose that there's some form of rhythm that the driver has that isn't as effective as when you're using grip all the time. Grip may be faster, but drifting can be more fun, depending on the tastes of the driver of course."

I was, of course, speaking from experience; when I drift, although I may be slower or have no improved timings as compared to gripping through the corner at most, I enjoy it just as much as grip. Furthermore, there is some kind of "passionate rhythm" I feel when drifting, which is not as obvious as when I'm using grip. It does tax my tires much more, though.

"You're right, there's a certain rhythm to drifting that isn't present in grip driving, and some drivers find that more comfortable. You seem really knowledgeable, do you drive?"

"I have my license, but I'm not exactly skilled... I don't have a car, either."

"Oh? So how do you know all of this?"

"I sit with a friend while he's driving, then borrow his car for a few runs while he watches. But he... moved away," I quickly thought up as an excuse, "so I've not been able to practice since."

"I see, interesting. Do you like driving?"

"Of course!"

He smiled. "Then that's enough for you to go far. You can go far, Narahiko; you just need the proper help."

"T-thank you, boss."

"You thanked me too much for the past day!" he chuckled.

"It's a habit I guess, heheh."

--------------

It was about 9 as we finished dinner and went on chatting about cars and the touge. Hearing the sounds of engines that don't sound like they're from a normal commuter's car, I looked over the window.

"Hey, do these cars pass by often?" I asked Mr Tachibana as a few sports cars passed by the gas station. A Skyline, a Civic, a few S13s, some 180SXs...

"Amazing," was my reply as he got up too, looking at them. "Akina is lit up like a festival. Rumors about this battle between Iketani's team and Akagi's fastest team has spread all over the place."

"A battle? A team from Mount Akagi?" I asked, beginning to feel really excited.

"Yeah," he replied, lighting a cigarette.

"I want to go badly, but I'll skip. I'm beat..." I commented out loud.

So this is the mountain pass scene back in this era, the one I loved so much. Man, if I wasn't very tired right now I'd be there in a jiffy.

"I wonder who will win?" Mr Tachibana wondered out loud.

"Is Iketani racing?"

"No, he got into an accident a few days ago. Nothing serious, but he had to wear a cast, thus why he wasn't here today. His S13 is damaged, too."

"Oh, that's bad..."

"Don't worry about that, Narahiko; if Takumi decides to race..."

"What about Takumi?"

"Well, I'm good friends with his father, and since that kid's been delivering tofu for 5 years already, if he decides to go he might win."

"5 years? How old is he?"

"18."

"Wait," I thought, doing a quick calculation in my head, "he's been driving since he was 13?!"

"Apparently, if what Bunta says is true. He drives just like his father, at least when I saw him the other day."

"Amazing..."

---------------------

Soon, Mr Tachibana had to return home.

"Wait, boss!" I stopped him just as he walked out. "Can I purchase a full jerry can of high octane?"

"Hm? What for?"

"I... uh... kinda want to use it for personal stuff. Promise it isn't anything weird, I'll pay!"

He looked at me for a few moments with a raised eyebrow. "Alright, wait here."

Going back in and bringing out a jerry can, he filled it up with high octane for me, screwing the lid shut once he was done. I paid, and after making sure nothing else needed attention, he waved goodbye and driving away in his Camry.

Fast-forward to near-midnight, I was lying on my bed, looking up at the ceiling, not yet asleep.

Now's pretty late... Should I?

Sure thing!

Getting up, I picked up the jerry can, exited the building, locked the door and headed off to my SA, realizing that she wasn't parked far away.

Arriving and unlocking it, I opened the gas cap and emptied the entire can into the gas tank. "Yes, perfect. You've got fuel now."

Done with my refueling, I looked at the SA for a while, before coming to a decision.

I went back to the gas station, intending to get some sleep before I head off to Akina.

I set my alarm to 3 am.