The sound of engines could still be heard as night falls on the Akinabalu circuit. There are a few teams left competing to get in the top 25 drivers for tomorrow's race. Sugimoto was talking with the other drivers while Alice stood in front of the television in the garage. Her eyes were glued to the screen as she saw each driver crossing the finish line, almost all of them failed to pass Sugimoto except one of Riverson Racing's drivers who got to the 15th position.
"Just a few drivers left, but Nadya and her teammate haven't set their qualifying lap yet. I hope the other driver isn't as talented as her." Alice muttered.
As she was still analyzing the grid, the manager suddenly stood beside her. Alice who wasn't aware of his presence jumped in shock.
"What the heck manager? Stop scaring people like that!" Alice said in an angered tone.
"Haha, sorry. So you're worried huh?" The manager chuckled before asking.
Alice looked to the ground slightly, knowing that the manager was right.
"If I'm being honest, I am. I can't imagine being alone out there." Alice told him.
"I understand. The thought of racing against fearsome opponents without a teammate would be hard. But everyone here believes you could do it." He told her.
"Thanks, Manager. But I wish he could still race, at least getting an extra point would be enough." Alice said.
"It would be difficult for Sugimoto to score a point. Remember, only drivers in the top 10s would score points." The manager told her.
"I know. But it would be a nice thought tho." Alice told him.
"Well, you can wish on a shooting star for that to happen. But it is a nice thought though. I'll get going, I need to check on the cars before the crew messes something up again." He chuckled slightly.
"Ah, alright. See you later." Alice said and gave a little wave.
Alice looked at the television for a few more minutes before growing a bit tired from watching all the races. She went out of the garage to get some fresh air. She looked around and saw the lights were still brightly lit at the Akinabalu circuit, and the garage area was still lively, with people still standing around. She roamed around the garage area and headed to a darker and more secluded area from the well-lit area. Then, she found a grassy field that overlooked the city and sat on it. She felt the cold air breeze hitting her face and blowing her hair.
"The air is so refreshing here. I feel so relaxed." Alice muttered to herself.
As she said that, the sound of the engines of a racing car filled the calmed atmosphere for a bit before fading away.
"Ah, I forgot there's a race here." She muttered.
She looked out to the city and looked up at the sky where she saw a few stars over her.
"I wish there was a shooting star right about now. I need a miracle to happen so Senpai can get through." Alice muttered.
She looked up and tried to search for the stars but there was light pollution so she barely see them. She slowly lay on the grass and began hoping for a shooting star to come by. After a moment, she suddenly heard a footstep behind her. She looked behind and saw Richard standing a bit far from her on the pavement. Alice flusteredly stood up and confronted him.
"R-Richard! W- What are you doing here?" She said to him.
Richard looked at her with a straight face.
"I just want to say my thanks for saving me the other day." He told her.
Alice was caught off guard when Richard was thanking her. She wasn't expecting to see this side of Richard.
