Drift Mastery: Racing the System

Kai woke up to the faint hum of traffic in the distance, the smell of motor oil, metal, and a hint of something fried wafting in from outside.

For a moment, he forgot where he was.

Then he saw the cracked ceiling, the cluttered workbench, and the worn-out bed in the alleyway garage next to Dai's workshop.

Right.

This was his new life now.

He pushed himself up, rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes.

But as he did, something nagged at him.

The system.

He brought up the holographic menu, scanning through the details again.

---

[System Status]

- Name: Kai Damons

- Rank: Unknown

- Storyline Role: Side Character

---

Kai's eyebrows shot up.

Side character?

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he muttered.

The system didn't respond.

But now, something was clear.

He wasn't the main protagonist of NFGTH 5.

Which meant somewhere out there…

The actual main character was following the "intended" storyline.

And Kai?

He was just a random racer in the background.

His stomach twisted.

If he wasn't the protagonist, then that meant…

He wasn't supposed to win.

He was meant to lose, to be beaten, to be left behind.

But that wasn't going to happen.

Not a chance.

If the system thought he was just a side character, then he had one goal now.

He was going to break the game.

Kai stared at the glowing system menu, his mind racing.

A side character.

That's what the game saw him as.

Not the protagonist. Not the rising star of Need for Gran Touring Horizon 5.

Just some background racer meant to lose.

His fingers curled into a fist.

"Screw that."

If this world thought he was just a random NPC, then he'd prove it wrong.

He wasn't here to be beaten, left in the dust, or forgotten.

He was going to win.

And he was going to do it his way.

---

The scent of brewing coffee and burning metal filled the small garage.

Kai stepped outside, stretching, the morning sun casting a warm glow over the alleyway.

Ami sat on a stack of tires, scrolling through her phone. She looked up when she saw him.

"Finally awake, rookie?" she teased.

Kai rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well… long night."

A gruff voice called out from inside.

"If you're awake enough to talk, you're awake enough to work."

Dai walked out of the garage, wiping his hands on a rag, his grease-streaked jumpsuit showing signs of another early morning.

"Come on," he said, jerking his head toward the C5 parked outside. "You wanna carve your own path? Then we're starting with that."

Kai followed, his eyes falling on his car.

It looked just as rough as before—faded paint, worn-out tires, and a body that had seen better days.

But it had carried him through the race against Ryo.

And now?

Now it was time to turn it into a real contender.

---

Dai crossed his arms. "You got 500 credits from that race, right?"

Kai nodded.

Dai smirked. "Good. Because right now, your car is barely holding together. First thing you need?"

He turned, pointing at a set of performance tires stacked near the wall.

"Better grip."

Kai frowned. "Wait, shouldn't I upgrade the engine first?"

Dai snorted. "Kid, you could have a thousand horsepower, but if your tires can't handle it, you'll be spinning in place like an idiot."

Ami chuckled. "He's right, you know."

Kai sighed. "Alright, fine. How much?"

Dai wiped his hands. "A good set? 450 credits."

Kai groaned. "That leaves me with barely anything."

Dai shrugged. "Welcome to racing."

For the next two hours, Kai worked alongside Dai, learning how to swap out the worn-out tires for a fresh set of high-performance ones.

Dai was strict.

He didn't let Kai take shortcuts, didn't let him guess—every bolt, every adjustment had to be perfect.

But for the first time, Kai felt like he was actually building something.

Not just playing a game.

But creating his own future.

By the time they were done, Kai wiped his hands, stepping back to admire the car.

It didn't look much different.

But he knew.

It was already better.

Dai clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Good work, kid. But you're still a long way from being fast."

Kai smirked. "Then I guess I better keep working."

---

As Kai washed up, Ami leaned against the garage wall.

"You know," she said casually, "there's another race happening tonight."

Kai glanced at her. "And?"

A blue screen flickered infront of him.

[Side quest: Enter The Underground Circuit Race]

She smirked. "And you should enter."

Kai hesitated.

He'd won his first race by instinct.

But now?

Now, he knew the stakes.

If he lost…

The system wouldn't let him walk away.

But that was fine.

Because he wasn't planning to lose.

Kai exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

"Alright," he said. "I'm in."

Ami's smirk widened.

"Good. Because this time, it's not just some random street race."

She tossed him a folded paper.

Kai opened it, scanning the bold letters at the top.

"Underground Circuit – Invitation Only."

His pulse quickened.

This wasn't just about surviving anymore.

It was about proving he belonged.

And he wasn't backing down now.