First, let's look at the experience of Yukie Shirakawa, age 22. (Her name, as
are all the others in this article, has been changed to protect the
not-so-innocent.)
"During the era of the bubble economy, RQs were often guaranteed as much as
100,000 yen a day for appearances. Now, in some cases it's down to one-tenth
that amount," she tells Shukan Taishu. "It's become impossible for a gal to
earn a living just by working as an RQ.
"You might be propositioned by a mechanic or engineer," she says. "But it's the
drivers who really come on the strongest. They'll tell me, with a completely
straight face, 'Danger is always at our side. Wanting sex is something that's
instinctive for us.'"
Yukie claims to have declined these invitations, but as a penalty for not
rolling over she is forced to work hard at several jobs to support herself,
such as modeling.
"The shooting is done closer to where I live than the race track," she shrugs.
"But the agency and studio all take their cut, so I only get about 10,000 yen a
day."
Kyoko Satoyama, 24, is ready to confirm that what the drivers claim about
getting it on after confronting danger on the track is indeed true. In fact,
she insists there's nothing like having her, uh, accelerator floored by a
passionate driver.
"Immediately after the race, their adrenalin levels are still high," she
giggles. "They really get wild in bed."
Of course, not all the action is adjacent to the track or after a race.
"At the end of every race season, the staff, drivers and sponsors of the team I
work for arrange a weekend stay at a rural hot spring," says Yuka Ando, 23.
"But they've got anything on their minds except relaxation. They'll play
raunchy drinking games like "baseball fist" and it's common for them to insist
that I join them in the bath. If I refuse, they'll let the contract run out
without renewing it.
"On the other hand," she continues, "if I spend a night in the sack with a
sponsor or one of the team's bosses, renewal is almost a certainty. And I can
tell you, very few gals in this business are in a position to say no."
As their bloom of youth begins to fade, and younger, cuter competition
threatens to nudge them out of work, some RQs begin to search for a more stable
relationship.
"They'll take jobs as models or 'companions' at motor shows and other events,
hoping to meet well-paid account executives from ad agencies," says Yuka, who
adds that they also pass out business cards that carry pinup photos of them in
skimpy bathing suits, with their cell phone numbers printed beneath.
Should they make the acquaintance of a promising bachelor, they've been known
to employ a variety of tried-and-true techniques by which to spring their trap.
One familiar subterfuge is to surreptitiously prick a pinhole in a condom and
then, several weeks later, present their partner with a "fait accompli" that
will hopefully transform them from an eye-catching RQ to an expectant BB
(blushing bride).
Behind the race queen's fetching smiles, Shukan Taishu warns, is a race for
survival.
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