Harumi stared at the flat tire.
The tire stared back.
— …okay — she said, way too confident for someone who had never done this before. — I know how to change a tire.
Izumi raised an eyebrow.
— Do you know, or do you think you know?
— I know… how to learn.
Step one: Google.
Harumi angrily typed:
"how to change car tire easy fast urgent"
She read.
Blink.
Frowned.
— This is written in another language.
— It's English — Izumi said.
— IMPOSSIBLE.
Step two: video.
— Videos are easier — Harumi declared.
Play.
An extremely calm man appeared.
"First, loosen the lug nuts—"
— Uh-huh — Harumi nodded like she totally understood.
"—then position the jack—"
— Mhm.
"—lift the car—"
— Easy.
Harumi closed the video.
— SUPER simple.
— You didn't even watch half of it — Izumi warned.
— I got the concept already.
Step three: entire life of the car dumped outside.
— WHY is there so much stuff in here?! — Izumi yelled, pulling out a bag. — IS THIS A BROKEN UMBRELLA?!
— Emotional emergency.
— AND THIS?!
— A memory.
— OF WHAT?!
— No idea.
After everything had been thrown into the back of the car, finally:
Spare tire.
Tools.
Step four: the bolt.
THE CURSED BOLT.
Harumi tried turning it.
Nothing.
Tried harder.
Nothing.
— …this thing is glued on.
— It's not — Izumi replied. — It just takes strength.
Harumi climbed onto the wrench.
Literally.
— Harumi — Izumi started.
— SHHH.
She jumped.
NOTHING.
Deep breath.
— Okay.
One HUGE KICK.
CLACK.
— IT MOVED.
— You kicked it like a horse — Izumi commented.
— It worked.
Step five: the jack.
— Now we just lift the car.
She turned it.
Nothing.
Turned it the other way.
Nothing.
— I think it's feeling lazy — Harumi muttered.
Izumi tried.
— This thing is stuck.
Both of them turning.
Nothing.
— This jack doesn't want to work — Izumi concluded.
— Neither do I, but I still do — Harumi replied.
After a lot of yelling at inanimate objects, the jack finally started opening!
— WE DID IT!! — Harumi celebrated.
Silence.
— …Harumi.
— WHAT?!
Both of them looked.
Then looked at the ground.
— We… — Izumi started.
— …didn't put the jack under the car — Harumi finished.
A respectful silence.
— Let's pretend that never happened.
Back to square one.
They put the jack under the car and then started lifting it.
Step six: removing the tire.
— Now we just pull it off — Harumi said.
She pulled.
Nothing.
— It's stuck.
— It's not — Izumi replied. — I dunno… kick the sides or something.
— Gently?
— With rage.
Harumi took a deep breath.
One HUGE KICK.
Then another.
Then another.
— THIS IS A BATTLE — Harumi shouted.
Finally—
The tire DROPPED OFF.
— IT'S OFF!! — Izumi celebrated.
— I HAVE WON.
They put on the spare tire.
Harumi stopped.
Looked.
Squinted.
— …Izumi.
— What?
— This tire is worse than the other one.
Izumi looked.
— A little bit.
— It's balder.
— But it exists.
— True.
Final bolts.
Car back on the ground.
Tools put away.
Chaos organized.
The two stood there in silence, staring at the finished masterpiece.
— It worked — Harumi said.
— Technically — Izumi agreed.
— Let's leave before the car notices.
They got in.
The car started.
— See? — Harumi smiled proudly. — Everything's under control.
Izumi buckled her seatbelt.
— I'm going to pretend I believe that.
And so, against every law of mechanics and common sense, they continued the trip—
with a highly questionable tire, damaged dignity,
and a story that would definitely be told for years.