Chapter 1
Kaito Ryusha
April; most parts of the world, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, this is the time of spring begins. In some parts of the world, this is also the time when the new school year begins.
In a place called Saitama Prefecture, Japan, new students, and old students are starting to wake up and go to their schools. The morning buses are very busy during this time of the year especially.
One young boy with purple eyes and messy black hair with two red bangs in the center ride onto the bus, heading to the school. He and the rest of the students on the bus get off, standing in front of his new high school's entrance gate. The gate banner says, "Saitama Taiyo Private High School."
"Hey, Kaito-kun!" Someone yelled at him.
He turned to his right and saw a young girl walking over to him.
The girl was about the same height, but maybe a few centimeters shorter than him. She has a chocolate brown eye, light brown hair with two curly pigtails, and a bit skinny. Just like the boy, she wears a school uniform, which is color orange for the jacket uniform and for girls only, a light brown skirt that matches with her hair color.
"Oh, hey Mira," he greeted friendly.
"What's with just that 'hey' sound? Aren't you surprised that we will be in the same high school together!?" She asked.
"Sorry, it just that I already heard it from my mom, anyway," he laughed.
"Oh!" She gasped. "Well, here I am then!"
She giggled. "Well, let's go inside and see around."
"Yeah!" He agreed.
The two friends and other new freshmen joined in a special tour for first-year students, sponsored by the upperclassman. The upperclassman showed them around the school, which was big like a college campus. The main building was a third-story building that is interconnected with another building behind it by an internal bridge hallway. Outside the building, there were a soccer field, tracking field, and even American football field.
Saitama Prefecture is happened to be a pretty famous place for sports, and there are many varieties of sports here as there are also many people who do and even compete in the sports, such as baseball to swimming to road racing or another name, bicycle racing.
"Wow! This place really rocks!" Mira exclaimed. "I'm so excited to learn here! Especially, the clubs here, so many varieties, yet we get to choose only one…. Hey Kaito-Kun, which club would you choose?"
"Hmmm, me?" He said as they were just behind the group of touring freshmen. "Well, I don't know…."
"Excuse me!" Mira shouted to the upperclassman.
"Hey!" Kaito yelled.
"Yes, you have a question?" The senior student asked.
"I would like to know. Does this school have a bicycle racing club?" She asked.
Kaito widened his eyes as if a lightning strike through his mind, triggering a bunch of flashbacks, which one of them showed a man lying on the road, unconscious or rather…
"Ah, yes!" The senior student remembered something. "We do have a bicycle club, but due to low members, the club will be discontinued I heard."
"Oh, I see… Thank you, anyway," Mira replied with a tint of disheartening.
She looked over over her shoulder, seeing Kaito-Kun looking down.
"Kaito-Kun?" She said.
"Huh? Oh yeah, the tour. Come on, Mira. Let's not get behind and we should also get to see our classroom alike, too, right," Kaito said as he continued in the tour.
"Kaito…." Mira thought to herself. "Hey, wait up!"
She followed him. Meanwhile, a mysterious shadow figure watched them from the corner. He smirked before he walked away in a different direction.
After the tour was over, the classes officially began, but due to that it is the first day, the school ended early for half-day. Half of the new students left home as soon as the school bell rang. The other half stayed behind and joined in the school's provided clubs.
"Huh? You're staying behind?" Kaito questioned.
"Yup!" Mira stated. "I'm thinking of joining the volleyball club."
"I see. Well, good luck with that," Kaito said as he waved goodbye.
"Um yeah, see you later…" She said as she looked at him with a bit of worry and sadness. "Maybe I should've not mentioned about the bicycle club this morning during the tour."
As he walks outside the school's main building and heading to the entrance gate, somebody else walked over to him.
"Hey, you're Kaito Ryusha, right?" He turned to his shoulder and saw the person.
The person was a tall girl in the school uniform. Her eyes were bright red, and her hair was also the same color tied to a long pony-tail style. The interesting physical features were her curvy body and C-size chest.
"Um, yeah and who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Akino Miyazaki and I'm in third-year," she introduced as she winked.
"Okay, but how did you know my name?" Kaito asked.
"Say, do you want to join the club, the bicycle race club?" She asked forwardly.
Kaito gasped as his eyes widened again. He stared at her for few seconds, but to him, it felt like if time slowed down.
"No thanks," he responded.
"Hmm?" She looked at him.
"Sorry, but I am not interested in stuff like road racing or cycling at all," he said seriously.
"Oh, I see! OK, see ya later," she said happily as she waved goodbye, which caught him off guard.
"Huh?" He replied in a confused tone. She turned around and walked away, but she didn't walk, rather she skipped away.
Later that day, Kaito thinks to himself while lying down on the bed. He thought about that senior girl, Akino. Not that he was interested in her, but what she said and her response to his denial of her offer made him curious about her.
"What was that all about?" He said before he got up and went out his bedroom.
He headed downstairs and then to the garage where the light was still on, even during this night. An elderly man was training his bicycle on a special treadmill for the bike.
"Hey Grandpa," he spoke.
"Hmmm? Oh, Kaito, what's wrong?" His grandpa noticed him. "Why are you still awake?"
"I want to ask you something," he said.
"Hmmm?" He responded.
"Do you know about the bicycle club at the high school I go to?" Kaito asked.
His grandfather stopped cycling. "Taiyo Road Race Club, correct?"
"Um, yes, that's right," he said.
"They were champions," his grandpa said.
"What!?" he gasped.
"Well, they used to be. Back in the days, but nowadays, it is the Hakone Academy who is the current champion," he explained. "Why did you ask?"
"Oh! It's nothing. I was just curious, that's all," he replied as he then went back to his bedroom.
His grandpa looked at him with a bit of curiosity and then grinned.
"I see," he said as he returned to his training, but had a different thought.
"I can see he wants to go back to cycling. The question is when he would regain his motivation," he thought.
The next day was a regular class, and Kaito with his friend, Mira sat in the class together. The bell rang, and lunchtime began.
"Mmm, mmmm! This school's sandwich sure tastes good!" Mira said with a mouthful.
"Yeah…" Kaito said as he was thinking and barely touching his own.
"Hey, what's wrong, Kaito-Kun?" she asked.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just…thinking that's all," he replied.
"Excuse me." They heard a voice and looked at a student. "Are you Kaito Ryusha from Class 1-C?"
"Yeah, that's me," Kaito answered.
"Here. This is a letter for you," said the student as he gave him the letter.
"Who is it from?" He asked.
"Sorry, but I cannot say the name. That's a promise," replied the student vaguely before he walked away.
"That was weird," Mira commented. "But, what does that letter says?"
Kaito opened the letter and read it. "It says meet me at Green Hill after school."
"Green Hill? That's the name of the hill just behind this school. I wonder who send this to you and why?" Mira said.
"Who knows, but I will find out for sure," Kaito stated.
They returned to classes and after all the classes were over, they stayed after school and went to Green Hill to the location of the mysterious meeting with the equally mysterious sender.
"Well, this is the place," Mira said as she looked around. "But, I don't see anyone else here."
"Yeah, you're right," Kaito said. The only they saw was an old, small building and a metal fence next to the door outside.
"Maybe this was some kind of prank," Mira thought aloud.
"I'm not sure…." Kaito stopped before he finished as he heard a noise of someone cycling.
"Kaito-Kun, what's wrong?" His friend asked.
"Do you hear that?" He asked.
"Hear what?" She asked, looking confused.
They turned back and stayed quiet. In few seconds, they heard something coming uphill. Suddenly, they saw three helmets closing by and then they realized three bikers rode uphill and zoomed by. They felt the strong wind when they passed, and one familiar biker eye to eye with Kaito.
The three bikers stopped cycling as they stopped their bicycle near the metal fence.
"Woah! These guys must be the school's bicycle club! But, I thought they were discontinued," Mira said.
"Who said we are discontinued?!" One of the bikers yelled, scaring Mira.
The one who yelled was a tall, young man with a medium-built body. His legs were skinny and long. His hair was blond and pompadour style, with spiky bangs behind his neck, but the color is black. His eyes were blue.
"Hee, hee, hee!" The other biker on the left from the tall one laughed. "Discontinued?! Now, that may be what the school says, but we think otherwise."
The one who laughed eerily was a shorter boy, but with a messy, long orange hair. His eyes looked like a beast with orange color. His body was skinner than the tall one.
"Well, well, gentlemen. It looks like we have few guests, just as I expected," said the middle biker.
"Hey, you're that senior!" Kaito remembered.
"Well, we meet again, Kaito Ryusha," greeted Akino.
"What?! You know her, Kaito-Kun!" Mira gasped.
"Yeah, I met her yesterday when she approached me on my way to home," he explained. "But, judging by your look, your part of the school's road race club?"
"Road race? Wait, these guys are road racer?" Mira asked.
"Actually, former road racers as the school may have declared. Hee, hee, hee!" The short one laughed.
"Hey, shut up, Noboru!" The tall one snapped. "That's what the advisor said to us, but we will restore our club to our former glory!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he replied.
"Your rudeness annoys me," the guy growled.
"Now, now, you two. Calm down," Akino stated before she looked back at Kaito. "Let me formally introduce myself again, but more directly."
"I'm Akino Miyazaki, third-year of Class 3-A and I'm the captain and climber of the Taiyo Road Race Club!"
"My name is Kaze Hayabusa, third-year of Class 3-A, ace sprinter!" Kaze introduced pridefully.
"And I'm Noboru Yamato, the second year of Class 2-B, climber. Hee, hee," Noboru said as he chuckled.
"Wait, you're the captain!?" Mira asked, looking at Akino.
Akino grinned. "I get that a lot, but yup! That's me."
Mira, who was not just surprised, but also paid attention to her big bust as she felt a bit jealous and blushing a little bit.
"I see," she replied.
"So, I take it that you're the one who wrote that letter to me?" Kaito suspected.
"Yup! I'm here to ask you again to join our club," Akino said.
"Wait? That is the reason why you asked Kaito-Kun to be here," Mira said.
"I said it to you before. I don't want to join your club!" He exclaimed.
"Of course, I know you won't change your mind that easily, but how about let's make this a deal?" She said.
"A deal? What do you mean?" He asked.
"This weekend, you and I have a little race. If you win, I will leave you alone and you don't have to join our club. However, if I win, then you HAVE to join the club? Agree?"
Kaito looked straight into her eyes, and for whatever reason, he felt a fierce pressure from her despite how casually she talks.
"Hey, why don't you leave Kaito-Kun alone!" Mira stepped forward.
"Mira!" Kaito stated.
"Don't you know that he's not interested in your little club or cycling at all! And even if he agrees with your deal, he will surely beat you anytime, any day!" She claimed.
"Ho, really?" She asked before she laughed. "Interesting! Now, that sounds fun. Then, it's settled then."
"Hee, hee, hee! Can't wait for this weekend!" Noboru laughed excitedly.
"Hmph." Kaze only huffed.
After that, Mira and Kaito walked home together as they talked about what they experienced.
"Mira, why did you just jump in like that?" He asked.
"I'm…I'm sorry, Kaito-Kun," she apologized. "I just don't like to see you being harassed and stuff."
"Well, …it doesn't matter now. This is just troublesome," he mumbled as he thinks about it.
"…But, I believe that you can win, Kaito-Kun," Mira spoke up.
"Hmm?" He looked at her.
"You're like the best cyclist I know, and even though I haven't seen you ride a bike for very long time, I know you're best and you will win the race, just like a long time ago," she said cheerfully.
He looked at her until he turned away.
"That was a long time ago, Mira. This is now, not the past," he said as he continued walking.
"Kaito-Kun…" She said softly in a worried tone.
During the night, Kaito thought to himself as he stared at his bedroom's ceiling. He thought about the past and looked up to see some trophies and awards on his bookshelf. He then got up and went downstairs to the garage.
"Hey, Grandpa," he said as his grandpa was training on the treadmill again.
"Hmm? What is it, kiddo?" He asked.
"Could you help me…with…." He tried to say the word but couldn't get it out.
"Hmm?" His grandpa looked at him. "No need to say it, kiddo. You want to ride again, don't you?"
"Huh? How did you know?" He asked.
"I can see it through you. I know this day would eventually come. So, I made sure to save this for you." His grandfather stopped training and went over to a sheet that was covering something.
He swiped the sheet away, revealing a sparkling, clean road race bicycle. It was a white and blue frame with shining new gears and even pedals.
"Grandpa, you… Is this a new bike?" He asked.
"Yup! I bought it in case someday you would need it when the time comes, and that time is here," Grandpa explained. "And, I will help you and get you back in shape."
"Grandpa…" Kaito felt a bit happy. "Thanks, Grandpa."
"Anything for you, kiddo. Now, about let's begin with the treadmill!" He declared.
Hello! My name is NewComer1 and this is my re-attempt for Yowamushi Pedal fanfiction!
To be honest, I really didn't think much about sports anime, but I know that it is very popular in Japan and it doesn't get enough praise as it is internationally than in the home country, especially this anime/manga series.
This story is mainly OC-centric, but canon characters from the anime/manga will appear, but it will be mainly focusing on the anime version of the original manga, and all those characters are belong to the rightful creator, except for any original characters I made for the purpose of plot and other reasons.
Well, I hope you all enjoy this story, and give some love and support. I am looking forward to hear any reviews or comments. Until next time, see ya later and keep pedaling!
