Psycho Pass: All Alone With You

Drift! Chapter 3

 It was early evening in downtown Los Angeles. The storefronts along the streets were dark as the various vendors closed up shop for the night. While the sidewalks were not totally devoid of night life, it was the streets that were teeming with activity as cars worked their way around a five-mile route of connecting streets known simply as the Circuit.

"This must be that section of the strip that Rodriguez mentioned in his report," Akane said, anxiously looking out the passenger window. "So this is what young people do for fun in the evening? I would think they'd get bored after a while just going in circles."

"At least it's real," Kogami said. "I'd rather be going in circles in the real world than in a virtual one."

"I don't think Kagari would agree with you." Akane jabbed him in the ribs for his curt reply to her comment. "Kogami, that lavender Supra has driven by us three times now."

"Did you notice the driver?" Kogami sat back in the Porsche's specialized racing seat and tried his best to look bored, but his heart was pumping frantically. Being undercover was a rush, but the chance to actual street race the Porsche left him euphoric.

"Notice her because she's a pretty girl?" Akane glared at him.

"Is she pretty?" He rested his chin on his fist and stuck his elbow out the window. "I hadn't notice. I have all the pretty I need, right here." He glanced at her with a roguish grin and rubbed her thigh. "That's Tsuki. She's one of the Purgatory Patriarchs in the LAPD file."

A black RX-7 pulled up beside him on the street. Even though there was plenty of room to move ahead, the car matched BabyGirl's speed down the strip. The driver, a young Korean man, didn't seem bothered by stopping traffic behind him to stay even with the Porsche. Kogami focused on the straight ahead him, but cut his eyes to glare at the driver. When the driver grinned at him and chirped the tires in challenge, Kogami yawned in reply and continued to drive the speed limit. The RX-7's tires squealed loudly, and the car lunged forward and cut into the lane ahead of them.

"They've certainly noticed you."

"More like they've noticed the car," Kogami replied. "We're the strangers here."

Akane clasped her hands in her lap and sat back in the seat with a despondent expression on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Just worried about if I can pull this off."

"It's a little late to be thinking that, don't you think?"

"The ladies in the Vice Department were very helpful and knowledgeable. They've been going undercover for years to capture criminals. This is my first time, Kogami, and the stakes are so high."

"You've got to stop behaving like a deer in the headlights. If you look scared, you probably are scared," he said. "Act like you own whatever ground it is you're walking on. Be willing to fight over it. No matter what it takes."

"You mean think like an Enforcer?"

Kogami laughed. "Something like that."

"You never really answered Special Agent Iazzetti's question," Akane said. "How did you learn to drive like this?"

"Thought you attributed my skill to juvenile delinquency?"

"I've seen your file, Mr. Kogami," she replied, taking a stern tone with him. "I've also seen your grades."

"There's a correlation between being a delinquent and high grades?" Kogami teased. "You should check out Gino's file then."

"Kogami, just answer the question."