Sudden Namsan Fortress Battle Challenge (2)
"Alright, let's do it this way. Namsan Fortress is too narrow for two cars to start side by side, so we'll go one after the other, switch positions at the bottom, and climb back up. On the way back up, the one who entered from the bottom goes out first."
The Exose and Chilgongi crew's rep laid out the rules like that, challenging Han Dae-jin, Kim Ji-hyun, and Jin Na-hee as their representatives. Han Dae-jin was a bit thrown off, but when Jin Na-hee and Kim Ji-hyun nodded from behind him, he accepted the battle.
"So, who wants to go first?"
the Exose-Chilgongi rep asked.
"I'll take it," Jin Na-hee stepped up.
Jin Na-hee's Z35. It was a sedan, but it had a proper LSD, rear wing, and front splitter setup—not to mention engine and transmission oil coolers as bonuses. Jin Na-hee went first, playing rock-paper-scissors with the Exose-Chilgongi rep to decide starting position. She got pole.
A little flustered by the sudden battle, Jin Na-hee settled into the bucket seat she'd swapped in. She buckled the six-point harness, slipped on her gloves, and pulled out of the parking lot first, positioning at the bus stop ahead.
Their guy rolled up in a red Exose. It had a rear wing too, squared on 18-inch 265 tires—a classic circuit beast.
A crowd soon swarmed the bus stop. Moments later, with engines roaring, the two cars blasted off at Jin Na-hee's three horn blasts.
Jin Na-hee needed a moment to reconnect with the Z35 she hadn't driven in a while. Tires had cooled during the wait, so she worried about sliding into the first corner.
As the tunnel loomed, both cars hammered the accelerator. The first right-hander—edged only by curbs—hit, and Jin Na-hee left-braked into a deep trail brake to the apex.
Her entry was impressive, but the Exose hung tough at a scary pace.
They blasted through steep downhill flickers, then a left into the high-speed stretch. Speed camera. Jin Na-hee U-turned to dodge it; so did the Exose.
Into the right, Jin Na-hee danced the centerline through the blind S-bends. Same for the Exose.
Before the hairpin, a banked right sweeper appeared. Both grazed the shoulder, nailing the line. The following left sweeper too—entry speeds around 150 kph.
First right hairpin: Jin Na-hee full-braked. The Exose matched, discs glowing red-hot. She dove deep, right tires kissing the manhole cover inside; theirs pushed wide.
Left hairpin next. Jin Na-hee countered a twitchy rear with steer and throttle amid the weight shift.
Then left flick to another right hairpin. She clipped the centerline briefly before attacking the inside. The Exose came aggressive, brushing branches.
Following left: Jin Na-hee slid a hair, and the Exose closed in.
Chicane city. As Jin Na-hee crossed lanes, an uphill car appeared opposite. She held her line—giving the Exose breathing room.
Downhill S's led to a deep left. As she slowed, the Exose dove opposite, blocking her apex for the pass. Jin Na-hee gritted her teeth, wrestled the wheel, and yielded.
Right after, the Exose nosed ahead, claiming the inside. Disaster.
Down to the base. Four lanes opened; both power-slid the turn. Exose ahead, Jin Na-hee behind, as planned.
Hill climb kicked in, and the Exose unleashed hell, toying with her BQ engine.
Jin Na-hee wrung every NA pony, threading the right uphill, but the Exose seemed way stronger.
"Damn... that acceleration screams at least Stage 2 map. Hairpins are my only shot..."
She chased, but gaps grew with every apex.
Meanwhile, back at the rotary lot.
"Bro, Stage 2's 500 horses."
"No way a stock BQ keeps up."
"That BQ tuned? Looked slammed outside."
"Sounds NA. Turbo would've barked different."
The crew predicted doom while Kim Ji-hyun and Han Dae-jin exchanged loaded glances.
"Dae-jin."
"Yeah."
"Want me to drive?"
"Nah. I'll do it. My battle, my drive."
"Don't want you embarrassed."
"Gotta risk it."
Han Dae-jin gloved up quietly, fired the engine, and idled. Kim Ji-hyun fretted inside.
Lamma exhaust growled from the tunnel first.
Han Dae-jin waited at rotary; their second was some 2.0 or 2.5 Chilgongi mystery.
The Lamma roar swelled. Exose crushed Jin Na-hee by a mile—obvious quick.
Her BQ purred in late. Kim Ji-hyun's face fell.
Exose hit rotary; Chilgongi blasted off. BQ arrived; Han Dae-jin tire-squealed after.
"Sis? You sent Dae-jin?"
Jin Na-hee, climbing out late, gawked at Kim Ji-hyun.
"He insisted."
"We're fucked. Shit... sorry, sis..."
Jin Na-hee bowed apologies, lit a smoke.
Han Dae-jin ignored the unseen Chilgongi, fixating on Kim Ji-hyun's gravity-drop demo from before.
Just this aggressive, and I won't die.
He scorched corners, hunting. U-turned the camera; uphill traffic whooshed by.
Soon, Chilgongi's tail in the downhill. Han Dae-jin kissed the shoulder on the right drop-slope, then floored it.
Pre-hairpin left: deeper than usual, over centerline. Full brake into hairpin—discs scorching, ABS teasing before release, easing out.
Chilgongi's ass right there. Next left: Han Dae-jin S-attacked like a rally god, full throttle.
Rear twitched; instant full counter—saved.
Chilgongi edged away. But next right hairpin: caught.
Post-hairpin right-angle: Chilgongi crept; Han Dae-jin flicked left-angle over centerline, quick.
Glued to tail through chicane—deeper opposite dive, then inside reclaim.
High-speed sweepers: plotting the pass. But power deficit bit as Chilgongi sensed danger, sliding to pace up and flex torque.
"Roughly 2.5 turbo, low 300s... even so..."
Deep left ahead: Han Dae-jin pulled opposite, alongside entry.
"What the—crazy fucker!"
Chilgongi braked sharp at the pinch; Han Dae-jin apexed inside, flung outside, then cleared the right ahead.
Base mouth: side-brake turn-in first. Chilgongi U-turned late.
Owner overpaced, chasing. Same corner as his pass—right uphill now. Excess speed, wrong angle: spin.
Han Dae-jin glimpsed the smoke, smirked.
Moments later.
Han Dae-jin burst from the tunnel first. Window down, fist pumped—Kim Ji-hyun and Jin Na-hee cheered wild.
Chilgongi-Exose reps approached the women, bitter.
"Boss man's quick, yeah. Call it a draw? You lost round one."
"We won the final finish, no?"
Kim Ji-hyun shot back. Rep bowed out; they bailed as Han Dae-jin rolled in.
"That guy spun back there."
"No crash?"
"Didn't bin it."
Han Dae-jin caught his breath.
"Back to the classroom. Na-hee, come. Whiskey on me."
Kim Ji-hyun hopped shotgun in the Avante N. Jin Na-hee fired the Z35.
A brutal win.