00:30

20 Jun, 2026

On the highway, leaving Tokyo and heading north.
Nearsighted by six diopters, without glasses, sitting in the front seat.
Ahead of me, a stream of ever-changing fireworks moving at 100 km/h.

Every illuminated object turns into a fingerprint-like circle,
carrying its original neon color,
set against the darkness ahead.

Unable to make out the road or the surroundings.
Yet when all the circles steadily move toward a single point at the centre,
I know I am passing through a tunnel.

Sometimes my view suddenly broadens,
no longer confined to the windshield ahead,
but extending to both sides of me as well —
the city appears with its traffic lights and giant rectangular billboards.
Then more shapes appear in the fireworks.

The four lights mounted on the corners of an oncoming truck
merge into a single cluster while it is still far away.
Then, 
in less than a second
,
it rushes past me.
The cluster explodes,
returning to four separate corners.

When the road curves
,
some circles that had been blinking steadily 
vanish,
only to reappear 
a few seconds later.

The reflectors along the highway stretch into an endless neon coil spring,
leading toward my destination.

But where am I now?

It doesn't matter anymore.
At some point, I will close my eyes.
Through optics, memories, and imagination,
I am still seeing with my eyes closed,

So I can fall asleep now.
By the time the fireworks quietly fade,
I guess I will have arrived at my destination.

LIU