Mayuzumi Chihiro was not expecting his life to take a turn for the worse that day when he got off at the station. There, he had accidentally walked into a fight, and then was consequently dragged off by the girl who had been surrounded by what looked to him like members of yakuza.
"Get in." She told him as they stopped in front of a car. It was a Toyota, Mayuzumi recognised as such. And it seemed somewhat suspicious. Seeing his hesitation, the girl pointed behind him, where angry looking men were glaring their way. "Five minutes' head start."
Mayuzumi decided he would get into the car.
The girl got into the driver's seat and buckled in before casting a fleeting glance behind her. She showed slight annoyance at the men behind them, but turned on the ignition.
Mayuzumi knew exactly why he thought the car was suspicious. It was a deafening roar of the engine for someone who liked peace and quiet. The car was modded.
"Let me out." He concluded just as the girl stepped on the accelerator. He wanted to reprimand himself for not paying for attention. The girl didn't even look at him as the car flew out of the parking lot.
"Your own fault." The girl shrugged, her amber eyes flickering with amusement. She sped onto a busy road, and sighed. "Hold on tight."
Before Mayuzumi could even object, the girl changed gears and abruptly switched lanes. It was like she was trying to drift even without a corner to turn. Mayuzumi clutched onto the seat he was sitting on. She continued to speed through the traffic in the same reckless switching of lanes. A calmer part of Mayuzumi noted that she was signalling before every turn. But the stunned part of him just stared at the rapidly changing scenery around him.
"Whereabouts do you live, rich boy?" She asked all of a sudden, as they turned onto a less populated street. She had definitely drifted around that corner. Mayuzumi paused for a while, before summoning up the calm part of him. His panicked self was reasoning that he would bite his tongue if he spoke.
"To answer your question, Kyoto." Mayuzumi began. The girl changed gears and the car was pulled into a U-turn before Mayuzumi could continue his sentence.
"Be glad that I just filled up Ume's tank." The girl commented as she made the U-turn. Mayuzumi felt like he was on a rollercoaster.
"I am not a rich boy." Mayuzumi opted. The girl raised an eyebrow.
"Rakuzan's basketball team regular last year is telling me he's not a rich boy." The girl mused as she indicated to switch lanes yet again.
"You're interested in basketball?"
"Nope." The girl replied simply and passed him a cord. "The guest gets the AUX."
"What is it for?" Mayuzumi asked. He always took the train. Cars were somewhat of a foreign concept to him. The girl rolled her eyes, and pointed to the stereo system in her car.
"It's an hour drive to Kyoto." The girl said, as if that explained everything Mayuzumi wanted to know. But of course, Mayuzumi put two and two together.
"I prefer silence."
"Kinda difficult with this car." The girl laughed, but took something from her side of the door and gave it to Mayuzumi. It was an iPod. "There's stuff in there that can drown some of this car out."
"Classical?" Mayuzumi questioned. He did not think that the girl in an oversized hoodie and booty shorts would listen to classical. The girl frowned, and made another abrupt lane switch. Though, Mayuzumi observed as he began to become accustomed to the speed, she did not need to switch lanes there. She was probably annoyed.
"What about it?" She asked. Her tone was very obviously annoyed.
"Didn't expect that." Mayuzumi stated.
"Don't judge a book by it's cover." The girl said. Then, as if knowing how to annoy Mayuzumi, promptly added. "Unless it's a light novel, then definitely judge it by the cover."
"Light novels are brilliant."
"If you say so, rich boy." The nickname apparently stuck.
"Stop calling me that." The car skidded a little, and the girl quickly pressed on the car key.
"Oops, Ume doesn't seem to like our guest." The girl commented as the car stabilised. Mayuzumi looked at the girl with wide eyes. "No problems, Ume runs a little wild sometimes."
"You give your car a name?"
"Why not?" She questioned simply and looked briefly at the rear-view mirror before clicking her tongue. "Alright, we're taking a little detour." And once again, before Mayuzumi could voice his objection, the girl sped into a different lane, and then, when Mayuzumi's brain finally processed, they were on a mountain road.
Mayuzumi gave up thinking.
"Here we go." The girl stopped her car at a petrol station, shooing Mayuzumi out. "We're in Kyoto. You should know how to get home."
"You never explained why we were running." Mayuzumi commented as he stepped out of the car. The girl raised an eyebrow at him as she took the fuel nozzle.
"They wanted to recruit me, and just as I was finished saying only if they could beat me in a car race, you walked into the conversation." The girl explained.
"Recruit?"
"Yakuza." The girl replied simply, her free hand running through her haphazardly cut, short hair. It was a dyed black.
"Thank you for driving me here." Mayuzumi thanked her. She waved it off.
"They didn't beat me, and I didn't waste fuel for no reason." She shrugged. "Now off you go rich boy, I can finally have my AUX back."
"You should give light novels a chance."
"Maybe when they stop trying to attract anyone with boobs on the cover." The girl replied.
Mayuzumi closed the door behind him.
His parents were not yet home. And then he remembered.
He didn't even ask the girl for her name.
