The Scumbag's Guide To Heroism novel Chapter 58

Chapter 58: 58 | Tokyo Drift and Two Left Feet

The motorcycles were open, like they’d been waiting for us. I swung my leg over one, settling into the seat. The machine had actual handlebars that tilted, a throttle you twisted, and foot pedals for brakes. The screen in front showed a selection of tracks and bikes.

Sloane mounted the other bike, looking comically small against the full-sized replica. But her expression was pure focus.

"Tokyo Drift track," she called. "Ninja 650 bikes."

"Fine by me."

We swiped our cards and made our selections. The countdown began: 3... 2... 1... GO!

I twisted the throttle and my virtual bike shot forward. The cabinet actually tilted and vibrated beneath me, creating a surprisingly immersive experience. Sloane and I were neck and neck into the first turn, but I braked later, cutting inside her line and taking the lead.

"Asshole!" she shouted over the game’s music.

"Sorry, can’t hear you back there!" I called back.

The track twisted through virtual Tokyo streets, underneath neon signs and between skyscrapers. I leaned into each turn, feeling the bike respond beneath me. The Oracle Feed activated automatically, showing me optimal racing lines and braking points that no one else could see. It wasn’t cheating. It was just... augmented pattern recognition. The kind that happened to give me a clean three-second lead by the final lap.

"Yes!" I shouted as I crossed the finish line first. "That’s what I’m talking about!"

I turned to look at Sloane, expecting to see frustration. Instead, she was already off her bike, arms crossed, tapping her foot. The speed of her dismount suggested she’d been waiting for me to finish celebrating.

"Best two out of three," she said.

"Nope." I mimicked her earlier response. "I won fair and square."

"Fine." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. The specific quality of that narrowing suggested I’d made a tactical error. "Let’s do a dance game."

My celebration died in my throat. I slowly turned toward her, feeling my smile falter. "What?"

Sloane’s expression turned smug. "You heard me, asshole."

She pointed across the arcade to a platform with arrows pointing in four directions. Above it, a massive screen displayed colorful patterns while J-pop blasted from speakers. The kind of setup that required actual coordination. The kind I did not have.

"No." I shook my head. "Absolutely not."

"What’s wrong, Lukas? Not feeling so confident anymore?" She batted her eyelashes mockingly.

"I don’t dance."

"Scared you’ll lose?"

"I know I’ll lose. That’s not the same as being scared."

"Sounds like something a scared person would say." She grabbed my wrist. "Come on. One round."

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