Zero To A Hundred With You

Chapter 18: The Flag

Kara and Richard enter the hairpins and they battle it out there. Kara tries to figure out a way to get through and tries to fight Richard on the apex of the hairpins,  she tries to squeeze through the inside but fails. Kara then tried to late brakes on the second hairpin but Richard defended it well again. Alice and Sugimoto pushed through the hairpins together and began catching up to them. After exiting the hairpins, they got through the chicane and now they're on the first straights of Sector 3 and soon caught up with the leaders.

"It looks like we've caught up with them. I'm going to try overtaking them. Try and follow me if you can," Sugimoto told her.

"Alright, I'll try." Alice responds to him.

They're now in a four-car draft. Sugimoto began his plan to divide and conquer the leaders. He plans to retake the second position from Kara on the chicane that leads to the second straight of sector 3. Kara tried to overtake Richard by late braking on the chicane, but her car was blocked. As Kara slowed down, trying to avoid a collision, Sugimoto saw the opportunity to overtake her.

"There's the gap, time to commit!" Sugimoto thought to himself.

Sugimoto overtook Kara on the outside as they exited the chicane without wasting any time. Alice tried to take advantage of it as well, but Kara regained her composure and defended herself against Alice. Kara felt frustrated after letting Sugimoto pass her easily.

"What was I thinking? That was such a rookie move!" Kara muttered to herself.

The race continues into the final four laps of the race. The leaders crossed the finish line and there were overtaking opportunities for Sugimoto to overtake Richard on the long straights but he remained close behind him. Meanwhile, at the spectator stands, the trio were cheering them on.

"They're here, more effort guys!" Raani told her friend group

They began their Wotagei dance after seeing Alice's car. They managed to gather the attention of the crowd. Suddenly another person beside them joins them with the orange and white glow stick.

"Let's go, Alice and Sugimoto!" The man beside them screamed.

The girls looked towards the man with glasses and a mustache, it was the manager. He began following their moves and they got into sync. Other spectators saw and had a blast watching them dance. They even caught the attention of the commentators.

"Seems like the fans on the spectator stands are having the time of their life! Look at their moves as they swing their glowsticks." The commentator said.

Back to the race. The leaders begin approaching the hairpins and Alice notices that Kara doesn't use the traditional line and instead enters the apex by seemingly hooking her wheel on the apex before entering the hairpin.

"Kara tends to use this line to enter hairpins, maybe I should follow her and see how optimal it is." Alice muttered to herself.

 Alice decides to follow her lines into the hairpin. As the next hairpin turn was coming, Kara tried to enter the corner with the same technique but Sugimoto saw this and went to close the room and denied her entry.

"Damn it Asashi, you saw it a mile away." Kara muttered to herself.

"Better luck next time Fujiwara." Sugimoto muttered smirkingly.

Upon exiting the hairpins, Kara starts making aggressive moves to catch Sugimoto off guard and attempts to overtake him before the upcoming chicane but defends well against her. Kara is currently in aggressive mode and has begun taking fights whenever she can. Alice sees the few mistakes she's making and proceeds to study her for a future overtake.