Takumi wiped the sweat off his brow.The sun was beating down hard on his head, and the harsh heat was making him more lethargic than usual. There were only twenty minutes left, and then he would be off his shift at the gas station.
"Takumi, look alive!" Itsuki grabbed his friend's arm, "Buy me a soda after work."
Takumi smiled and in a good-humored manner pushed him away, "No way, you owe me from last time."
The last couple hours had been dead, and the afternoon dragged on as if in slow motion.
Itsuki leaned against a wall, beads of sweat on his forehead, "What do you wanna do tonight?"
Takumi shrugged. The vague smell of gasoline was so enveloping that he barely noticed it, but in the heat, it seemed to stand out and become more intense.
"Alright guys," Iketani walked through the entrance door and handed each boy a soda, "It's on the boss. We're free to pack up." The cans cracked open and softly fizzed as they followed him inside.
"Iketani, what are you doing tonight?" Itsuki asked as they got changed and collected their things.
"Go home, grab some dinner, the Speed Stars are going to go and practise tonight," Iketani replied absent-mindedly, "Ah, to be back in high school and spend the summers with absolute freedom and no inhibition like the two of you." He chuckled, "I bet you guys are doing the usual?"
"If you mean nothing... you would be right!" Itsuki flung himself at Takumi, to his dismay, "...We have no plans!"
Iketani laughed, "Enjoy it, it won't last forever," he threw his bag over his shoulder and waved, "Have a good night guys, I'll see you tomorrow morning."
They waved back, and Itsuki turned to Takumi, "You wanna get something to eat? Ramen or hamburgers?"
Both had finished their burgers and slowly and casually gnawed on what was left of their french fries.
"Man, I don't want to leave the air conditioning!" sighed Itsuki, as Takumi nodded and chewed another fry. He leaned over the table, "You wanna watch the Speed Stars practise tonight?
"Sure, I guess."
"You don't find it boring do you? Beneath you, oh King of the Mountain Pass?"
"Of course not! You know i don't think that. It's something to do."
"Cool, we'll go watch the guys then," he stood from his seat, "We've got a few hours before they start, let's go for a walk."
The cicadas chirped as they left the restaurant. Itsuki glanced at Takumi, "Whatcha thinking about, man?"
"Huh? Well," he put his hands in his pockets, "I was just thinking, this is our last summer in high school."
"Ah, yeah. Weird huh?" the two continued down the road, the air humid and stagnant. He paused, "We better stay friends when high school is over."
Takumi frowned, "Don't ever question that Itsuki. We're always going to be best friends."
"What do you wanna do after high school?"
"Um," Takumi paused, "I really don't know."
"You know, don't you! Don't you wanna be a racer?"
Along the sidewalk, he brushed a branch away from his face, "Well, I mean, I want to keep driving, but I don't know if I could ever go pro."
Itsuki smiled, "You could go pro man. If there's anything I believe in, its that you could be a professional racer if you wanted to."
"What about you?"
Itsuki jumped into a wide stance and gripped an imaginary steering wheel, "I'd race professionally in a second! Though I think after highschool I'll just get a full time job that i can use to support me while i master the mountain pass. Then, then we'll see!"
The sun was setting, and the sky changed to muted blues and pinks. The roads were quiet, and the boys wandered complacently off the sidewalk, kicking rocks and following the lines of the telephone wires. Itsuki threw his arm around his best bud's shoulder, and they both shared each other's quiet company as time stood still.