The weeks had slipped by in a blur since Clorinde and Yoimiya's ferocious clash on Jakotsu Pass. Now, winter had arrived with a quiet, bone-deep finality—burying the world beneath a blanket of stillness. A brittle wind cut across the hills, whispering through leafless trees and abandoned switchbacks. It was Christmas Eve afternoon, and the gas station—normally humming with engine noise and chatter—had fallen into a rare lull.
March paced in short, agitated loops near the pumps, her boots crunching over thin patches of snow crust. Her arms were folded tightly over her chest, shoulders hunched against the biting cold.
"Collei, are you planning on going full-time here?" she asked through a breath that turned to mist as it left her lips.
Collei leaned against a nearby pump, gloved hands buried in her jacket pockets. The worn red of her jacket stood out against the grey backdrop of frost-covered asphalt. She exhaled slowly, a hint of amusement playing in her voice.
"Full-time? I don't know, March."
March grinned and gave her a playful nudge. "Come on! The two of us working full-time together would be so much fun!"
Collei blinked, caught off guard by the genuine enthusiasm in March's eyes. "You're joking, right?"
"Nope," March replied with a resolute shake of her head. "I already asked Lyney for a full-time spot starting January. Feels like the next best step going into the new year."
Collei tilted her head slightly, tapping her chin in mock contemplation. "Well… I guess it's possible. But with me joining the expedition team next year, my schedule's gonna be all over the place."
March's grin didn't fade. "That's okay. I'll hold the fort while you go climb glaciers or chase rally legends or whatever it is Ningguang's team actually does."
The conversation tapered off as the sun dipped lower behind the mountains, painting the sky in warm streaks of orange and rose gold. The wind carried the scent of snow and gasoline, and for a while, neither girl spoke. The season had changed. Everything else was about to, too.
Later that evening, Collei's AE86 hummed softly as it climbed toward Lake Yougou, its silver silhouette cutting a lonely path through the snow-dusted mountain road. The exhaust note echoed off the frosted trees—steady, confident, unmistakably hers. Snowflakes drifted lazily from the darkening sky, clinging to the corners of the windshield and melting instantly in the heat.
Amber sat in the passenger seat, her breath fogging the glass. She glanced sideways, tentative.
"So, um… do you celebrate Christmas with your dad?"
Collei kept her eyes on the road, hands light on the wheel, but her expression softened. "Every now and then we do. Mostly just something simple. Some food, maybe a movie."
Amber nodded, tucking her hands deeper into her coat sleeves. "Alright. What about next year? You planning to join Ningguang's team?"
"Yeah," Collei said after a pause, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "I already told everyone. Even Clorinde. But I made her promise not to tell Ningguang yet."
Amber blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Collei chuckled and patted her leg gently. "Don't worry. You'll see when spring comes around."
The road leveled out, revealing Lake Yougou ahead—its surface unnervingly still, a perfect mirror of the snow-covered trees and violet sky. The AE86 came to a gentle stop near the docks, its engine ticking quietly as it cooled in the icy air.
They stepped out into the winter silence, boots crunching softly on the snow-dusted planks of the pier. Snowflakes continued to fall, slow and quiet, vanishing the instant they touched the glassy water.
Amber stared across the lake, her voice low. "This has been one hell of a year."
Collei nodded, her breath clouding the air. "Yeah… it sure has."
Amber turned, eyes searching Collei's face. There was a bittersweet ache in her gaze.
"Just think about it. You had your racing debut, won multiple races, broke Ningguang's winning streak… and now look at you. Still undefeated and about to join her expedition team."
Collei looked down, flustered, a blush warming her cheeks despite the cold. "Y-Yeah… it's been a wild ride."
Amber hesitated, the words catching in her throat before she pushed them out.
"I wish I'd told you I was here… the past two and a half years."
Collei stepped closer and rested a hand on Amber's shoulder, her voice soft but firm. "Don't blame yourself. We all get caught up in life sometimes."
Amber reached out and pulled Collei into a hug, brief but heartfelt. "I'm so glad to have you, Collei. I really am."
Collei returned it just as tightly. "And I'm so glad to have you too."
Elsewhere, at a quiet rest area along Yougou Pass, Clorinde and Navia sat beside the Lancia 037, now outfitted with winter-spec tires and studded rubber for grip. Snow coated the surrounding trees in white velvet, and the daylight was fading fast, casting long shadows over the gleaming contours of the Lancia's bodywork. The car stood like a predator at rest—angular, purposeful, and ready for war.
Navia took a bite of her sandwich and gestured with it. "Think this setup will help you tackle the pass?"
Clorinde grinned, unwrapping her hamburger with the kind of precision she applied to racing lines. "We'll find out soon enough—right after we finish eating."
Her phone buzzed on the hood. She wiped her glove and picked it up.
"Hey, Ningguang. What's up?"
On the other end, Ningguang was pacing slowly in her office, arms folded behind her back. Her tone was unusually relaxed. "Clorinde, I need to ask you something."
Clorinde raised an eyebrow. "Sure thing. What's going on?"
"I've been asking around," Ningguang said, her voice tinged with quiet frustration. "I need someone experienced in tuning a rally car. Specifically, a Group B machine. No one on my current team has the expertise I need. Do you know anyone who can handle something like your Lancia?"
Clorinde's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "As it happens… I do. My partner, Navia Caspar. Her dad was a mechanic for my father back when he raced for Lancia Martini Rally. She's right here. Want to talk to her?"
Ningguang didn't hesitate. "Yes, please. Can I speak to her?"
Clorinde handed the phone over with a smile. "This one's for you."
Navia took the call, brushing crumbs off her coat. "Hello, Navia speaking."
"Hi, Ms. Caspar," Ningguang replied, her tone shifting into her usual crisp professionalism. "I understand your father was a mechanic for Clorinde's father during his rally days?"
Navia smiled. "That's right. He taught me everything about tuning and maintaining these types of cars. I've been wrenching on Group B iron since I could lift a torque wrench."
Ningguang's voice brightened. "That's perfect. How would you feel about joining my expedition team? We could really use someone with your skill set to tune Clorinde's Lancia."
Navia glanced at the car—her car, in a way—and felt the thrill of fate clicking into place. "Sounds like a deal, Ms. Ningguang."
"Wonderful. Clorinde will fill you in on the details. I'll be in touch soon."
As the call ended, Navia handed the phone back with a quiet laugh. "Looks like I'll be traveling with you."
Clorinde picked up her burger again, her grin never fading. "Sure does sound like it."
The Lancia rested behind them, silent but alive—its engine ready, its future forged, and its purpose clearer than ever.
That evening, under the soft amber glow of string lights strung across the gas station awning, the unmistakable growl of a high-compression L28 turbo echoed down the icy road before the Devil Z rumbled to a stop. Seele killed the ignition, the twin headlamps flaring once before fading. Frost clung to the car's aggressive silhouette like a second skin, its matte black paint glistening under the wintry haze. She and Pela stepped out, their boots crunching against a thin sheen of snow dusting the pavement, their breath curling in the sharp December air.
"Yo!" Seele called out, waving with that cocky, relaxed grin she always wore. "Anyone got plans tonight?"
Pela followed behind, adjusting her scarf and pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, her expression composed despite the cold. "We were thinking karaoke. There's this new spot near downtown Yougou—figured we'd hit it to ring in Christmas Eve."
Beidou, leaning lazily on the counter with a paper coffee cup in hand, barked out a laugh. "Hell yeah, now that's my kind of celebration. March, you in?"
March didn't even hesitate—her response was immediate, nearly tripping over her own boots as she spun toward the others. "Of course I'm in! You kidding? I've been dying for a night like this!" She whirled toward Collei, her gloved hands grabbing her friend's arm with mock urgency. "Come on, Collei! Say yes!"
Collei smirked faintly but shook her head. "Tempting. But I've got plans with my dad and Amber tonight."
March pouted exaggeratedly but let go. "Agh, lame. But fair. Alright, guess it's the four of us, then! Let's make it count!"
Meanwhile, across town, the Sileighty's turbocharged inline-four purred steadily as Amber cruised down the Narukami shopping street. The snow had eased into a slow, dreamy drift, and the roads were slick under her tires, but manageable. Her headlights swept across shuttered storefronts and glowing lanterns strung between eaves as she muttered to herself, frustration just barely tinged with amusement.
"C'mon, where the hell is it…" she glanced at the dash-mounted GPS, flicking her signal on and easing left at the next turn.
There—finally. The familiar silhouette of the Eight-Six, resting stoically in front of a cozy, two-story home with sloped eaves and smoke curling from the chimney. Amber let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as she parked behind it. She stepped out, stretching briefly against the cold, then popped her trunk.
Inside: a half-dozen paper bags stuffed with neatly wrapped boxes, tins of sweets, and a bottle of wine she'd debated buying three times before committing.
"Jesus, this is way too much crap…" she muttered, wrestling the last two bags into her arms.
From the porch, Arlecchino stepped out, rubbing her arms against the cold as a gust cut through the street. A cigarette dangled loosely from her lips, smoke curling skyward. Her eyes narrowed on the Sileighty.
"Huh… blue two-tone. Sileighty. No plates I recognize…" Her voice was half-amused grumble. Then her eyes widened. "Amber?"
Amber froze, blinking in the cold as she turned around with a sheepish smile. "Evenin', Ms. Arlecchino!"
"Well I'll be damned." Arlecchino stomped out the cigarette and descended the porch steps with long, confident strides. "Get over here. You look like you're hauling enough presents for a whole orphanage."
Amber laughed as she tried not to drop anything. "You're not wrong."
"Gimme some of that," Arlecchino said, already grabbing two bags from her arms with ease. "Let's get you inside before you freeze your ass off."
"Thank you so much!" Amber grinned. "I really appreciate it."
Arlecchino gave her a sideways glance, her tone softening just slightly. "You're here to see Collei?"
"Yeah. Spending Christmas Eve with her—and with you, if that's okay."
That stopped Arlecchino mid-step for just a beat. Then she nodded, lips curling into a smirk. "More than okay, kid. Come on in. House is warm, food's on the stove. She's not back yet—probably still wrapping up at the gas station."
Amber nodded gratefully, and together they stepped into the warmth of the house. The cold peeled away the moment the door shut behind them, replaced by the smells of grilled fish, simmering broth, and faint hints of ginger and garlic wafting from the kitchen.
Elsewhere, a small bell chimed softly as Collei stepped out of a quiet bookstore tucked between two izakaya joints. She clutched a wrapped copy of Engine Dynamics and Suspension Geometry: Revised Third Edition under her arm. The corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly as she glanced up at the snowflakes swirling in the night.
Back home, she turned down her street, only to slow as she spotted a familiar Sileighty tucked behind her Eight-Six.
"Huh? Wait…" she muttered, squinting at the sleek Nissan's profile. "Is that—Amber's?"
Still puzzling it over, Collei stepped into the front entrance, kicked off her shoes, and slid open the door—
"SURPRISE!!"
Confetti exploded into the air like gunfire, and both Arlecchino and Amber stood at the foot of the hallway grinning like idiots.
Collei flinched hard, instinctively grabbing the doorframe with wide eyes. "What the fuck!?" she yelped, though the grin spreading across her face betrayed her amusement.
Downtown in Yougou, the karaoke bar was buzzing—walls plastered with neon lights and speakers blasting off-key renditions of old hits. March stood center stage like it was her natural habitat, clutching the mic like a weapon of joy.
"MEEEEERRY CHRISTMAAAAAS!!" she belted into the crowd, earning a wave of laughter and applause from the patrons.
Back at the booth, Seele shook her head and nursed her cocktail. "I swear to god… how is she this hyper without a drop of alcohol?"
Beidou leaned back in her seat, chuckling hard enough to thump the table. "March doesn't need fuel. She is the fuel."
Pela adjusted her scarf, sipping at her tea with a dry smile. "You get used to it after a while. Kind of like surviving a hurricane by learning to dance in it."
All four of them cracked up as March scrolled manically through the karaoke tablet, already queuing the next song with sparkling eyes and zero hesitation.
Back at Arlecchino's house, the three women sat around the dining table as the old clock ticked steadily toward midnight. The lights from the tree cast a soft, multicolored glow over their plates, the food now half-eaten but warm and comforting.
Amber leaned back, hands behind her head. "It's been… really nice. Celebrating with you both. I missed this more than I thought."
Arlecchino, arms crossed, nodded quietly. "Yeah. It's the small shit, y'know? Moments like this… they stick with you."
Collei looked between them, her voice thoughtful. "Yeah. After everything this year… it feels good to just be here. No races. No pressure."
Laughter followed—easy, light, genuine.
When the old grandfather clock in the corner chimed twelve, no one said anything at first. Outside, snow was still falling, gentle and soundless, blanketing the night in a hushed peace.
This year had thrown everything at them—heart-pounding races, broken limits, reunions long overdue. But here, now, as the world tipped into a new year, they were still together. Still moving forward.
And somewhere, just beyond the window, the Eight-Six rested beneath the falling snow, ready for whatever came next.