Title: Skids on the Spins
Author: Luce Red
Series: Crossover of Hikaru no Go and Initial D
Disclaimer: Hikaru no Go is the work of Hotta and Obata; Initial D, Shigeno Shuichi. Characters belong to their creators and appear here for non-profit entertainment only
Type/Notes: General fic. Inspired by ramblecorner, who talked about Hikago and brought up Initial D for no reason.
Summary: Hikaru and his ramen cravings land them in the strangest places (yes, it's the same summary as Tricks and Traps)
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"Oh man, Kuwabara is going kill us for making him wait!" Shindou said, loud enough that a few people on the street looked up.
"If you hadn't insisted on eating an extra bowl of ramen, we wouldn't have missed the train," Touya said.
It had been his idea to visit Niwayama Ichiro, a retired Go pro who used to be his father's senior. The old man--nearly in his seventies now--lived in a small town at the foot of Mt. Akina. Shindou called it the boondocks, but he insisted on accompanying Touya anyway.
When Kuwabara Honinbou heard about their plans to be in Gunma Prefecture, he had invited them to visit him there, where he was staying for the summer break. The Honinbou title-holder was extraordinarily crabby, but he had taken a liking to Shindou that was expressed in challenges to games and invitations to his grandchildren's place. They were expected in about three hours.
Touya had predicted long ago that Shindou's devotion to ramen was going to get him in trouble. He just didn't expect that he'd be implicated as well. The next train would come in the evening, and by then it would be too late.
"Who would have thought the train would leave exactly on time? I mean, this is..." Shindou waved a hand at the forest in the distance, and the general lack of sky-scrappers. "The middle of nowhere!"
Touya repressed the urge to strangle Shindou, and settled for the being the problem-solving partner. This way, he got to be right. "Let's just see if we can find another way there."
"Another way?" Shindou asked. He eyed the gas station across the street, which was filled with cars. "Maybe if I could rent a car and drive..."
"No!" Touya shouted. Shindou had passed his driving test two weeks ago, and as far as Touya was concerned he had passed it by hypnotising the examiner with recitals of Go kifu, because Shindou was a menace on anything more complicated than a unicycle.
Shindou looked hurt. A corner of his lower lip stuck out.
"I mean, you don't know the roads here," Touya said, trying to be diplomatic. Shindou was the only person of his acquaintance over the age of five who could still pout convincingly. "I think they are mostly mountain roads. You aren't used to them, Shindou."
"I guess so," Shindou said. "What then? Buses?"
Touya shook his head. "Remember, we checked before? There aren't any direct buses." He thought about it, studying the cars at the gas station. "We could get a taxi..."
Shindou shuddered. "Can you imagine the fare we'll rack up? And I don't think a taxi driver would want to drive us that far."
"True."
"Maybe we could go over there," Shindou nodded at the gas station, "and ask. Maybe they'll know of another way to get to Kuwabara's place."
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The owner of the gas station had to cling to the counter because he was laughing so hard. "You want to hire a car to go where? In three hours? Are you nuts?" he asked.
Shindou frowned.
"I'll take them," another voice said.
Touya looked into the face of a young man their age, wearing a faded T-shirt and jeans, and the most placid expression he had ever seen.
The owner looked flabbergasted. "Takumi, are you sure? It's not a short journey."
'Takumi' nodded. "It won't take a while," he said. "I need to go there anyway." He turned to Touya and Shindou. "If you pay for the gas, I'll drive the two of you." His voice was soft.
Shindou looked from him to the owner. "You can get us there within three hours?" he asked. The train ran on a direct route, but the roads meandered around the mountainous region, and a journey by car normally took much longer.
'Takumi' nodded. "Yes," he said without elaboration. "I drive fast," he offered after a second.
Touya studied their driver-to-be warily. 'Takumi''s eyes seem to be slightly unfocused, as though he was contemplating something in the distance.
"All right," the owner allowed, apparently deciding not to argue. He nodded at Touya and Shindou. "It's all right," he said to them. "You can trust Takumi. Right?" he said. "Takumi?" he said more loudly when there was no answer.
'Takumi' gave a soft nod slowly. "Yes. You'll get there before dark," he said.
Shindou grinned. "That exactly what we want," he assured 'Takumi'.
Touya had a bad feeling.
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