"If you're part of the Night Riders, how did this happen?" Lester asked. "I recall your motorcycles don't have mufflers. Sometimes I hear them at night."
If people had heard the roar of the motorcycle earlier, even if they were deep in conversation, they would've noticed and moved out of the way.
"Ah, it's a long story," Yellow Hair replied with a sigh. "Some brat showed up out of nowhere, challenging the Night Riders. He said if he won, we'd have to put mufflers back on our bikes. And, well…"
He trailed off, clearly annoyed. Rosewood Town had suddenly gained this new figure, and the kid was surprisingly skilled—so much so that even Wolf, their leader, had lost to him. Though reluctant, they had to admit defeat.
Anran, who had been listening, froze. She coughed lightly, feeling a twinge of guilt, and asked, "Ahem… what does the muffler have to do with your brakes failing?"
Yellow Hair grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "You don't get it, do you? Since we had to modify the bikes anyway, we figured we might as well upgrade other parts too. I was just testing out the modifications, but I didn't expect it to mess with the brake system."
Anran was speechless. So, the accident was indirectly her fault? This wasn't the kind of karmic cycle she'd imagined. She'd done something good, yet ended up paying for it. What kind of twisted logic was this?
"Then you'd better check what's wrong with your bike," Anran said flatly. "Lucky for you… this didn't turn into a serious accident."
Yellow Hair scratched his blond hair, looking embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry about that. Let me take a look."
He rummaged through the motorcycle's storage compartment, pulling out tools and getting to work.
"Hey, could you hold this flashlight for me? The streetlight's too dim," Yellow Hair said, handing Anran a flashlight.
This guy's way too casual, Anran thought, but she silently took the flashlight and held it steady.
Yellow Hair worked quickly, soon identifying the problem—a loose screw. After tightening it, he started the engine, flipping his bangs out of his face with a grin. "Okay! Should be good now."
"Hey, Yellow Hair, you're the reason I twisted my ankle. You'd better make sure I get home safely," Anran said bluntly.
Now that the motorcycle was fixed, Anran didn't feel like being polite. Her injury wasn't as minor as she'd made it out to be—her ankle was swollen like a ball. She had no intention of limping home, and as a motorcycle enthusiast, she was curious to see how Yellow Hair's modifications performed.
Zhang Ning, however, didn't look pleased. Even if Yellow Hair hadn't meant any harm, students shouldn't associate with people like him. His bleached hair and overall appearance screamed "troublemaker." Besides, there was someone else here…
Her eyes flicked toward Lester, only to catch a fleeting red glint in his silver and violet eyes. The brief flash was enough to make her gaze go blank, her expression losing all focus.