Disclaimer: I don't own Initial D, Shigeno-sensei and the Kodansha Publishing Company do.

A/N: This is a 2010 revision. If you want to read the original story, please send me a PM.

Programmed Lives - First Stage

Prologue

Mere days after surviving the deathliest opponent he'd ever encountered and, in so doing, surviving a literal blast from the past, Ryosuke Takahashi tried to forget he'd ever met Rin Hojo by indulging in his favourite activity: locking himself in his room while triple-checking every piece of data he'd collected during the almost year long existence of his Project D. Living in a fickle environment, he had made it a habit to analyse everything in order to leave as little as possible for fate to decide.

He was currently looking into one of the many spreadsheets he'd created with the information regarding Takumi's AE86. The figures were most impressive, as usual: Takumi Fujiwara really knew how to push his car to its limits in a way that no one else could have ever done. Well, that wasn't entirely accurate: his father Bunta was still better but, judging by Takumi's overall improvement, the kid was awfully close to surpassing the legendary ex-racer.

That fact made Ryosuke feel concern because, although he forced himself to be impartial when it came to the management of his two drivers, Keisuke would always be his little brother. If Takumi became too good too quickly, Keisuke's chances to make it into professionalism would be put in jeopardy. Just then, speaking of the devil, he heard a knock on his door and Keisuke's voice saying:

'Aniki, are you there?'

'Yes, come in,' Ryosuke replied.

Keisuke opened the door and walked into the room in all his tall, spiky bleached hair glory.

'The old geezer wants to talk to you,' he said grabbing one of the many car magazines Ryosuke kept on a neat pile on top of his bedside table. Keisuke then sat onto the bed and started browsing it.

'Did he say what about?' Ryosuke asked, trying to mask his concern. Talking to his father, even more when he was being summoned formally, topped his personal top-ten of most hated activities.

'No idea,' Keisuke said scanning an article on a new type of supercharger.

'Alright,' Ryosuke replied, 'I better go then,' he knew that postponing it would be most unwise.

'Sure,' Keisuke said, 'can I stay here while you're gone?'

'Of course,' Ryosuke replied, 'but don't touch the computer, I'm working on something.'

Without being sure Keisuke had heard him, Ryosuke got up from his chair and walked out of his room making his way to the big studio from which his father worked in the rare occasions he was home. There, he knocked on the door and waited for his father to answer.

'Come in,' Doctor Sousuke Takahashi said.

Ryosuke opened the door and, before stepping into the room, he said:

'Good evening father. Keisuke told me you wanted to speak to me.'

'Yes, close the door and take a seat,' the man ordered him.

That was definitely not a good sign, Ryosuke thought trying to remain calm while he braced himself for one of his father's dreadful speeches. Sitting onto one of the antique armchairs the doctor had in front of his huge mahogany desk, he studied the doctor's expressions trying to guess his intentions.

'I heard from your mother that you won your race,' Sousuke said.

Ryosuke was so taken aback by his father's sudden interest in his sons' racing activities that it took him a few moments to collect himself, blank his features and with a remarkably calm voice, he said:

'Yes, we did.'

'Good,' the man said, 'even though it's just a hobby of yours, I think you should still do your best.'

At this point Ryosuke and for the first time in a long time, he felt genuinely confused and not even remotely aware of where this conversation was heading. He was so puzzled by it all that he even failed to feel offended hearing his father referring to Project D as a mere hobby of his. Thankfully, just as Ryosuke was going to open his mouth to tactfully request for an explanation, his father said:

'Your finals are approaching and I think it's due time we start considering your future.'

Ah, right. So that was the whole point of this conversation, Ryosuke thought feeling oddly relieved. This wasn't surprising at all. In fact, he had been expecting this chat for quite some time. After all, it had been he himself who had promised his father that his racing activities would come to an end the day he would graduate from medical school. For this reason, he just nodded in agreement.

'Of course,' Sousuke said looking as if he were very satisfied with himself, 'your future is pretty much decided: the day after your graduation, you'll start your residency at the Arakawa Hospital in Maebashi so we have nothing to worry about regarding your future occupation.'

'That's right,' Ryosuke said doing his best to sound enthusiastic about the idea.

'Son, there's something I need to ask you before I proceed,' the doctor said.

'Of course,' Ryosuke replied, as if he had had any say in the matter.

'Do you have any lady friend at this moment?'

Hearing that question nearly made Ryosuke fall off his chair and if he hadn't been holding onto the chair's armrests, he would probably have. Feeling his throat drying up, he cleared it before he said:

'No, I don't.'

'Brilliant,' Sousuke said with a tight smile, 'this way there won't be any messy break ups.'

'Father…'

He stopped speaking when he saw the dark blue A5 sized leather folder his father was handing him.

'What is…'

'Look inside,' the doctor ordered him.

Taking the folder in his remarkably steady hands, he opened it slowly to reveal a professionally taken picture of a girl dressed in a traditional kimono and who looked vaguely familiar to him.

'You probably remember her,' his father said reading his thoughts, 'you two used to play together when you were children. She's the daughter of your future boss and her name is Akiko.'

'Father…'

'Make yourself available for this Saturday evening,' the man interrupted him, 'she and her father will be joining us for dinner to discuss the details of your wedding.'

To be continued…