[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 48
“Mr. Yooihyun!”
Should I have had high expectations?
With so many people around, how did I get selected?
I stared blankly at my reflection on the large screen, pulled my hat down low, and followed the guide down to the circuit.
In the pit, there were 20 people, including myself, who had won the lottery, waiting alongside the super race drivers.
“Hello. I’m car racer Kwon Juyoung. Nice to meet you, Mr. Yooihyun.”
“Nice to meet you too.”
As I arrived, the event race quickly proceeded.
The 20 participants drove, while 20 drivers took turns supporting each participant one-on-one from the passenger seat.
Although I was concerned about safety, knowing this was the real world, I learned that the safety mechanisms in this world had developed in quite an ideal way.
The organizers prioritized safety, so maximum speeds were also limited, and there was a brake in the passenger seat for the drivers to control, which eased my mind.
“No one is going to crash into me…”
On the circuit or the road, I was quite skilled behind the wheel, but others were the problem, which I doubted I was alone in thinking.
“If a dangerous situation arises, I will assist you, so don’t worry. Please get in the vehicle now.”
I took the helmet, sat in the driver’s seat, and adjusted the seat and rearview mirror accordingly.
I turned the steering wheel left and right to check the sensitivity and checked the intensity of the accelerator and brake.
“Check, check, check…”
These seemingly minor sensations and feelings were crucial in a race.
It’s essential to repeatedly and precisely perform what’s known as nano control, so knowing the sensitivity of the steering wheel and pedals is a must.
Understanding the vehicle’s characteristics would be nice, and getting familiar with these sensations would be even better, but I didn’t have time for that.
The race signal lights began to illuminate.
“Don’t push yourself too hard. Safety is the priority, so do what you can.”
Driver Kwon Juyoung, sitting in the passenger seat, added with a worried voice.
Feeling a young girl holding her own life in her hands, it was understandable.
But the signal had dropped, and the race had begun.
Vroom!!!
From now on, I’m not just a clueless girl but an F1 champion.
*
*
*
Super race car driver Kwon Juyoung.
He had lived with the nickname of perpetual last place, but he smiled as he checked his assigned participant for the event race.
It was a 19-year-old lovely high school girl who would be his charge.
“Nice to meet you.”
The pretty and charming girl seemed shy for her age, appearing to have no fear about the race.
Rather…
“Why does she look so relaxed?”
“Is it because of For One?”
“No matter what, racing in reality must be a whole different issue…”
Unlike the other participants, who showed tremendous tension, she stood there completely unfazed.
Her calmness did not change after she got into the car.
“What on earth is she?”
She seemed to have crossed the line between reality and virtual reality from too much practice in For One.
“Check, check…”
Even once in the car, the girl checked the steering wheel and pedal controls very skillfully, finishing her preparations before Kwon could guide her.
Kwon Juyoung felt a vibe emanating from her, a certain aura that he couldn’t quite place.
“Mr. Yooihyun, do you play For One?”
Typically, Kwon would ask various questions to ease the tension for regular participants before the race, but this time was different.
A pure question arising from her incongruent demeanor moved his lips.
“Of course. Who wouldn’t play For One?”
Seeing her finish the race preparations without a hint of surprise made it seem like an obvious question, and the response was the same.
“Do you have a rank…?”
“Oh, I don’t really do ranking matches…”
A bright red lie!
Kwon Juyoung stared intently at the girl, who delivered her lie without changing her expression.
“Is it really possible for someone so skilled to not do ranking matches? That doesn’t make sense… But…”
Still, until the race began, there was no way to know.
It might have become natural for her to check the settings as though she was breathing due to her extensive practice in For One.
That was separate from driving technique, so Kwon decided to set that aside.
“Real combat is different.”
Vroom!!
Soon the race was underway.
The girl and Kwon Juyoung, starting from the very back of the grid, inevitably found themselves in last place.
“Floor it!”
Kwon shouted loudly, but since the maximum speed was restricted, there was practically no chance for overtaking in a straight line.
Even at full throttle, the maximum speed was more than manageable for the participants, so everyone kept flooring the accelerator.
Therefore, if one didn’t want to fall behind, they had to accelerate fully.
The key was the corners.
No matter what the maximum speed was restricted to, one could not take a corner at that speed, so deceleration was essential.
How late one could set the corner entry point and how much they could minimize deceleration would be the only point determining the rankings in this event race.
However, that was where beginners easily made mistakes.
Timing the deceleration and measuring the distance to the corner.
That wasn’t something that could be acquired overnight, like a natural talent.
It was the result of countless experiences and efforts.
“Indeed, that’s true.”
Nodding, Kwon Juyoung called out just before entering the corner.
“Slow down! To a manageable level!”
The girl gave a small nod.
Yet, to prevent any unforeseen accidents, he issued the command early…
And whoaaa!!!
Instead of slowing down, the girl was pushing the car to its limits.
He clearly heard her say it and saw her nod…
As he noticed the speed showing no signs of decreasing, he instinctively placed his foot over the passenger brake pedal.
As the corner loomed ever closer, just when it seemed they would cross the limit…
Screech!!!
Just before that, the girl suddenly decelerated and, as if to counter that, stepped back on the pedal while sharply turning the wheel left and right.
“Ahhh!”
Kwon’s high-pitched scream accompanied the rising RPM once again.
Vrooom!!!
The car swayed significantly as the center of gravity shifted according to the steering wheel.
The force created by the abrupt change in weight balance was transferred into rotational force through the girl’s beautiful and precise control.
Squeeeeeeek!!!
Scandinavian flick.
Also known as inertia drift technique.
The vehicle came dangerously close to tipping over, yet it gracefully navigated the hairpin turn.
Crash!
The girl, firmly gripping the steering wheel, floored the accelerator again.
Suddenly regaining its balance as if nothing had happened, the car began to accelerate wildly.
“…”
Kwon Juyoung, unawares, screamed as he became completely intimidated by the girl’s calm demeanor, surpassing his own as a car racer.
Realizing how embarrassing it was, he just curled up meekly.
The first lap, which had started marvelously, turned entirely into her solo run.
Having witnessed the girl’s skill firsthand, Kwon Juyoung could only close his mouth.
She began to enjoy the race without any interruptions.
With each passing lap, as she began to adapt to the circuit and the car, her speed continued to increase.
From last place 20th to 10th, from 10th to 5th, and from 5th to 1st in just 4 laps.
“She’s amazing…”
Kwon Juyoung began to forget his prior embarrassment and fell into the dramatic situation that the girl was creating.
Dramatic cornering!
Dramatic handling!
Dramatic acceleration!
Dramatic braking!
In her driving, he couldn’t find a single flaw.
Once she reached this level, it was only natural for a car racer to have doubts.
“She drives better than me? What is going on?”
He had never heard of, seen, or imagined a girl driving better than himself, a professional racer.
As he thought about her identity, a memory flashed through Kwon Juyoung’s mind.
“There was someone like that.”
A girl he had to acknowledge as a better driver than himself.
The girl who toyed with Han Joo-hyuk, the representative for For One, during their event match.
Yooihyun.
“Yooihyun?”
As fragments of memory combined, the scattered puzzle pieces clicked into place.
With eyes wide open, Kwon Juyoung turned his stiffened neck to look at her.
“Is it possible… Is that the Yooihyun? The one who defeated Han Joo-hyuk?”
“No? No, I don’t know that person.”
The girl responded with a lie, but it was obviously transparent.
“No way! Her driving skills are undeniable!”
She may have been pretending to identity conceal, but she couldn’t hide her driving technique.
Just as clouds may hide the sun, in the end, the light will shine through.
Yooihyun’s skill was like the sun, impossible to conceal.
*
*
*
Though it had been a while, driving on the circuit, even without a Formula One race car, was quite enjoyable.
The intimidating sense of reality piercing through my skin into my heart awoke dormant cells, creating an exhilarating feeling.
“If only there were no limits…”
Even with limits, how much more fun would it be to accelerate freely?
After crossing the finish line in first place and receiving the checker flag, I felt more than just satisfaction.
As I got out of the car, people began to gather around me with cameras and microphones.
I pulled my hat down low and stood in front of them.
“Mr. Yooihyun, your skills are truly incredible. What’s the secret?”
“Have you been racing since you were young?”
“Who taught you racing?”
These were really difficult questions to answer.
If there was a secret, it was innate talent combined with effort, and I started racing after becoming an adult, never learning from anyone.
The only answer I could give was simple.
“I played For One earnestly.”
An onslaught of questions poured in, but I ignored them and quickly bolted out of the circuit.
A master displaying tremendous skill before disappearing like the wind…
“This is what romance is all about.”
As I stepped outside, the night was dark.
The wind was growing colder, so I decided it was time to head back.
I walked straight towards the car to move to the hotel I had reserved.
Beep-!
Just as I was about to open the door and get in the GT R…
“Are you Mr. Yooihyun?”
Thinking someone had recognized me, I turned to see a neatly dressed man in a navy suit, complete with a tie, perfectly suited for a tourist spot.
He seemed to have some business…
As I glared at him suspiciously, he bowed slightly and extended a business card.
“Hello. Let me introduce myself formally. I’m Lee Myung-jin, a scout for the F1 Ferrari team.”
[F1 Ferrari / Scout / Lee Myung-jin]
Muscular stallion marks, red business card, F1.
Without a doubt, it was Ferrari.