The Rise of Usui's Ghost

Chapter 2


Kurokawa Residence, Matsuida, Gunma Prefecture, Japan

6:18PM

As Yuzuru patiently waited for his sister to get ready, his mind continued to process the new information he had learned today. It had been a grand total of 8 years since he first left Japan, and he could clearly see how much had changed in the time he was gone.

Although New Zealand had proven to be a very enlightening experience, coupled with the knowledge he developed through the racing scene, he always found himself missing his home country. It was their mother who had been adamant to move their family back to her own home country when he was only 10 years old, and their father immediately agreed; since he was eager to see what it was like to live abroad.

Overall, Yuzuru could honestly admit that he did enjoy living there for that period of time. He learned a new language and made many friends there as well. Kakeru had taught him absolutely everything he needed to know about cars, and the first ride he ever had was through the long and winding turns of the Crown Range, in the nation's South Island with him.

For a moment, his eyes drifted to the western-style fireplace which seemed entirely out of place in Japanese architecture. He stood, and walked over to the framed pictures that lined across it entirely. He scanned the row, until he stopped after reaching the sixth one. Picking it up, he could not help but smile, albeit a bit forcefully.

It was the only photograph they had as an entire family. Both of his parents were there, smiling brightly as Kakeru, Reina, and he were embracing one another when they went on their first and only family trip to Europe. He had been only 15 at the time, but the memories they made in France were amongst his most treasured.

"All done onii-chan let's go," Said Reina as she emerged from the staircase.

Yuzuru immediately set it down and turned to his sister with a bright smile, "Alright then, have you given any thought as to where you want to go?"

"Well, normally I would have suggested Tokyo, but it's at least a two hour drive there. I don't know what do you think brother?" This time Reina spoke in English.

He chuckled, forgetting that they had made it a habit to speak English at home in order stay in practice.

"It's your choice Reina; if you want to go to Tokyo just say the word. It's your birthday after all."

She shook her head, "I think it would be best if we just go to Maebashi. It's only an hour away and we can go to that fancy European restaurant my friends recommended to me."

For some strange reason, Yuzuru had the sudden urge to pat his right back pocket and check if his wallet was there.

"European, right…"

Reina leveled a hard glare at her brother, causing him to flinch awkwardly. It surprised him to see how much she was beginning to resemble their mother. The same flowing chestnut brown hair cascading in waves coupled with her identical grey eyes would make anyone mistake her for a sister rather than a daughter.

"Don't tell me you're being cheap on me Yuzuru." There was no doubt in his mind that there was a hidden threat laced behind the sickly sweet tone of her voice.

"No, I'm not. Let's get going. Which car do you want to ride in? The FD or-"

"Kakeru-nii's FD; it's been a while since we last used it, so let's give it a proper workout." She interrupted in Japanese.

"Tonight, your wish is my command!"

"Only tonight?" She said cheekily.

He rolled his eyes at her attempt to humor herself.

Reina took a moment and spared her brother another glance and wondered how a person like him still could not have found a girlfriend. Her friends had more than often asked her if he was single and her answer had always been this: "You'd lose to his car."

'Although there have only been two exceptions up until now,' she thought to herself.

Nevertheless, whether her brother was handsome or not was absolutely no question. Girls were practically throwing themselves at his feet and he didn't even bat an eye lid. He had always been popular in high school, in both Queenstown and his transfer to Tokyo. She now understood that his obsession with cars were primarily the reason why he had very few friends, let alone the time for a relationship.

"You look good in that shirt onii-chan. It's been a while since the last time I saw you wearing it."

Yuzuru shrugged, as if to emphasize that it wasn't special.

"It's just an old rugby kit from the last world cup."

Reina smiled, "I know," She eyed the black long sleeve shirt with its simple white collar and the crest of the New Zealand national team over the left breast. "But it fits your athletic frame pretty well; very similar to Kakeru-nii."

"He gave it to me after all. But anyway, let's go otherwise it's going to get late before we even manage to leave the house."

"Ho, so you're in a rush are you?"

"Oh for god's sake Reina!"

She laughed heartily, "Just teasing, can't take a bloody joke now can you?"

'No, it's just that you know exactly how to push my buttons sometimes. But then again, you've always been that annoying and yet dependent younger sister I can always rely on.' He thought amusedly.


Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture

Despite the fact that a normal drive to Maebashi from Matsuida would normally tend to last at least a full hour, her brother's insane driving pretty much put them in the city by the time the clock struck 7. Needless to say, the car pretty much received its much anticipated 'workout'.

For almost the entire drive there, Reina couldn't help but wonder why it was that almost no police cars were chasing them for breaking the 100km/h speed limit by at least 100 more. Then again, she couldn't really complain. It only gave them more time to spend in the city.

As Reina directed Yuzuru to the street that the restaurant was on, he pulled into the parking lot and was surprised to see a Panda AE86 Trueno driving by. Other than the modified carbon fiber hood and headlights, it would have looked completely stock save for the fog lights.

'Fujiwara Tofu Shop?' Although he tried to get a better look at the driver, the car passed by and made a left turn at the intersection.

"You don't see that every day."

"Hm?" Reina asked as she folded the map.

"An Eight-Six; but it sounded different. Very high RPM range for a normal 4A-GE. Almost sounded like a race engine. Either way, it's got a wonderful sound; tuned very well too." '

'And for some odd reason it sounds very familiar,' he added as an afterthought.

The younger Kurokawa shook her head and let out an un-ladylike snort, "I don't know why I asked. Let's just get in the restaurant already. I'm really hungry."

Yuzuru rolled his eyes, "I'm starting to think I spoil you too much."

His sister grinned at the comment, "That may be onii-chan, but I love you for it."

The two siblings began to laugh at each other as they walked into the Italian restaurant.


After a hearty dinner of spaghetti with tuna and basil that proved to live up to his expectations and fresh hakuto jelly for dessert, he yawned as they took a light stroll through Maebashi Park.

The sun had already set by the time they had walked out of the restaurant, but as the warm summer breeze picked up, he couldn't help but admire the sakura trees in full bloom. It was rare to see them in May, and quite a sight to behold.

"Hey Reina, how would you like to drive on the way home?"

She froze in mid-step as soon as the words left her brother's lips. She had only driven the car a handful of times, and it was quite rare for him to ask her as well. Although she had learned how to drive by the age of 14 due to his teachings, she always felt a bit uneasy behind the wheel of the FD.

Maybe it was because it had once belonged to Kakeru, or even because it was heavily modified, but the car itself represented a great deal to the both of them. For this reason, she felt a bit apprehensive in regards to driving it. Kakeru had given him the car prior to leaving New Zealand and it held so many memories for the both of them.

Reina looked up to him, trying to discern if he was merely joking, or in fact serious. His expression however, remained entirely neutral; devoid of any mirth, only sincerity.

"Are you sure you want me to drive?"

"Absolutely," He replied.

Reina sighed, somewhat anxious and excited at the same time. She felt Yuzuru grab her hand and placed the keys in it, as if entrusting her with something valuable. To which for them, it really was.

"Ok then. Feel free to give me any advice on the way there onii-chan."

Yuzuru cocked his head to the side in confusion, "I seriously doubt that I would need to tell you how to drive the car Reina-chan. You've been driving for years; don't you have any confidence in yourself?"

"Of course I do," she pouted. "Just that it's pretty rare for you to ask me to drive it is all."

"Well get used to it," He snorted. "From now on I'm going to start making you drive anytime I can. It may not be legal in this country, but then again most of the things I do in regards to driving a car isn't strictly legal too."

"Jeez fine, but after this you better teach me how to drift properly."

The young mechanic narrowed his eyes at his sister, genuinely surprised by her last comment. Of course she knew many things about cars that a girl her age generally would not even know about, but it was only natural given that she grew up around car crazed fanatics like he and Kakeru. This however, was an entirely new development, but certainly not something he would mind doing.

"I can't promise to take you somewhere to learn today, but I will look for open roads in order for you to practice on. Is that a deal?"

"Deal," Reina replied.


While the drive back home did take much longer because Reina drove at the appropriate speed limit, he noted her to have a very light touch when it came to shifting. The smooth purr of the rotary engine as it moved up to 5th gear remained almost undisturbed after she released the clutch and lightly tapped the accelerator.

'That's good, but she's going to need to learn a variety of tricks and quirks before she manages to put the car into a drift without using the e-brake.'

He glanced down to his watch, realizing it was already a quarter past 11. 'I feel like taking a spin around Usui tonight. Maybe I'll take the other car. I've finally set it up to the way I want it, so today I'm going to see if I can race flat out with no holds barred.'

As Reina expertly guided them back to their home, slowing down after exiting the Joshin-etsu expressway at a much slower speed, he noticed several heavily modified cars parked at a nearby diner as they drove on. Among them were the EG-6 he already knew to belong to Shingo, and a sleek black R32 GT-R owned by Takeshi Nakazato, two cars he knew very well both mechanically and performance-wise. He made a mental note thank Nakazato for recommending him to Shingo.

Yuzuru sighed, noting that their two-story house finally appeared after short drive down the residential area they lived in. Practically every time he drove to the house he could only stare at it in distaste. While the surrounding area they lived in consisted of quaint and modest two story homes, their own was built in in a more contemporary style that implemented influences of modern Japanese styles and American West coast architecture. The land, in which their house stood in, covered a space which was much larger than the average ones around them.

It was excessive, and he knew it was entirely out of place in such a humble neighborhood. He had expressed his discontent to his parents over the phone about such an imposing house, but they had both waved him off. But then again, he couldn't really complain with the large garage and workspace it provided him to store all of his tools and equipment. Reina herself often thought the house was too big for just the two of them, but it did not mean they weren't thankful for it.

The door to the garage opened, as Reina eased the car in and parked it next to the other occupant, bathing the rest of the garage in a bright white light due to the FD's prominent pop-up headlights only for a moment before they retreated. She cut the engine and both exited the vehicle.

Reina yawned loudly, tossing him the keys in one fluid motion as they walked into the house.

"Hey Reina, are you sure that you don't want a gift for you birthday? I feel really bad for not getting you anything special." He asked.

Reina turned to him, waving her index finger whilst smiling at him, "I already told you no onii-chan. There isn't anything that I really want or need, and in all honesty just being able to spend time with you is enough. You've taken care of me for years since we were little. Our parents have never really been around and I've always looked up to you because of everything you've done for me. For that I will always be thankful."

Yuzuru didn't know how to respond to that, choosing to remain silent. But the crooked grin plastered on his face told her all she needed to know.

"Thanks for that, it really means a lot to me, to hear that coming from you."

The younger Kurokawa sibling chuckled at him, but yawned right afterwards, "You're very welcome, and it's time for me to go to bed. There's some homework I want to get done early tomorrow to I can have the rest of the day off. Are you coming in?"

Yuzuru shook his head, "No, I think I want to take a spin around Usui before I turn in for the night. I'll be back in less than two hours. That's a promise."

"That's fine, have fun, and goodnight."

"Goodnight Reina-chan."

With that, his sister retired for the night, and he turned around to rest his eyes on the second car in the garage, which lay under a black cover.

'Tonight's going to be a very fun night.' He thought excitedly.


Usui Pass

12:21 AM

Sayuki leaned on the front fender of Shingo's EG, her eyes scanning the several cars racing past the rest area she stood in, shaking her head ever so often when some of the drivers belonging to the Night Kids continually made amateur attempts to get through the winding left turn that led into a hard right hairpin.

She sighed, observing the well-known Skyline driven by the leader of the Night Kids pull into the parking lot. The mighty undertone made by its straight-six engine could still be heard as it sat idle before promptly being cut.

There was a sense of frustration coming off of Takeshi as he addressed his other teammates. She could only guess that he had come to Usui after hearing the reports of the silver car that had yet to show up. It was the same reason she had come after all, she really held no interest in watching the Night Kids trying to take on the mountain pass.

It was the same deal with the Akina Speed Stars; most of their drivers did not have much experience when it came to racing either uphill or downhill. There were some that did have some skill such as Iketani, but even he was still very far from the likes of Akina's Eight-Six.

Among those who displayed a very good amount of skill were both Takeshi and Shingo, but then again it was expected, since they were the team's No.1 and No.2 driver respectively.

She had to wonder if the two were actually friends. More often than not she would typically encounter them together, sharing techniques or giving each other pointers on a course. Whether it was the camaraderie they shared because they drove for the same team, or they in fact respected each other's skill she did not know. But it was pretty amusing to watch the two of them interact with one another in front of their teammates.

"I know they're not much to look at Sayuki-chan, but I'd like to think that some of our drivers can grow if they give it their all," Shingo said as he approached her.

"I can see that, and I think it's also good for them to race in different passes as well. Racers must learn that they can't grow accustomed to only one touge, otherwise they wouldn't grow and learn to adapt to different situations. After all, one mistake can cost you everything when racing on a pass."

"That's very true," Both turned to see Takeshi now among them.

Shingo narrowed his eyes at him in slight apprehension, quickly scanning the area around to see if any others of their team members were to look at them strangely, "Tch, don't come so close to me otherwise people will start to think we're friends!"

"I could say the same exact thing about you bastard!"

'Only seconds together and they're already arguing, what a bunch of idiots. Why am I even hanging out with the likes of the Night Kids?'

"Would you two do me a favor and shut up!?"

The two drivers shared startled looks, completely rendered speechless, if only for a brief moment.

"So any word of that car yet? I for one would like to verify if this rumor about it clearing C=121 through a full drift is actually true," She asked.

Takeshi shook his head, "No, not yet. I've been dying to know what that car is and who drives it, but from everyone that I've asked no one's been able to give me a straight answer." The disdain was evident in his tone. Despite his reputation as a very skilled driver and analytical approach, his temper was something that always prevented him from pushing to his limits.

His races with Akina's Eight-Six, and the Emperor's Lan-Evo squad were proof of this, even if he stubbornly refused to admit it. Thus it would be safe to assume that patience was definitely not one of his greatest virtues.

"From what I managed to gather, it was a silver hatchback, two door FR. They said it had an incredibly skilled driver behind the wheel and seemed rather light." Shingo summarized.

Takeshi slipped a cigarette to his lips and lit it, offering one to Shingo who took one and mumbled his appreciation before lighting his own.

Sayuki glared at the two in distaste of what she viewed to be a nasty habit. She moved away from the car and began to walk in the direction of the nearest vending machines, which were across the parking lot.

"Where are you going?"

She waved back at the pair nonchalantly, "I'm getting some coffee! Besides, I dislike guys who tend to smoke in my presence."

Shingo shrugged while Takeshi quickly took a drag from his cigarette and stared at it; torn between one of his vices, and the thought of appealing to Sayuki. It took all of his resolve to fight his desire to inhale more from his cigarette as he let it fall to the ground before promptly putting it out with his foot.

The driver of the red EG stared at his rival curiously, and then grinned cheekily. "Oh, what's the matter Nakazato? Still got the hots for Sayuki-chan?"

"Urusai!"

Shingo broke out laughing at the expense of the Night Kids leader, whose flustered face glared back at him.

"Anyway, I'm going for another run. More of our teammates are starting to come back in, and I prefer to drive when the pass is less crowded."

Shingo exhaled the remaining smoke from his cigarette and tossed it to the floor. "I'll join you, since I'm raring to go as well."

Sayuki took a drink from her coffee, returning to find both men getting into their cars, and looked at Nakazato's R32. 'I've ridden with Shingo long enough to know his driving style, so let's see what skills the so called leader of the Night Kids has.'

Gulping the remaining contents of her drink, she tossed it to the nearest bin and knocked on Takeshi's window. The man jumped from his seat in surprise since he had been so engrossed on his gauges to even register her.

He lowered the window and Sayuki leaned over to him; granting him a glorious view of her ample bosom. 'Wow…'

It took all of his effort to rip his eyes off such a major distraction, eventually managing to settle them on her face before she took note of where he had been blatantly staring at for the last few seconds.

"What's the matter? Did I startle you?"

"W-well yeah, a bit actually…" 'Did I just stutter?'

"You seemed pretty focused there, so sorry. Do you mind if I ride with you this time around?"

Although genuinely astonished by Sayuki's question, he quickly gathered his senses and nodded, "I don't mind at all, hop in."

"Thanks," Sayuki quickly went around and slid in the passenger side of the vehicle. She looked around curiously, noting that the R32 had quite a few modifications in the interior. Water and oil temperature gauges were among the most basic along with the necessary boost pressure gauge as well. A Nismo steering wheel stood in place of the original, BRIDE bucket seats and a roll cage in place to stiffen up the chassis.

'It's simple and yet effective; a true racing machine.' She thought to herself.

Takeshi engaged the clutch, and the shifter clicked once it was set in first gear. Lowering the e-brake, he flashed his high beams to Shingo, a sign to go ahead of him.

The red Honda took off; its audible high pitched engine revving to over 8500RPM. Takeshi followed soon after, the GT-R's twin turbos spooling furiously, providing an incredible amount of acceleration that made Sayuki lean back into her seat; clutching the radio with one hand while the other rested on the grab handle.

'What stability, you can really feel the ATTESA kicking in to provide traction!'

Sayuki braced herself for the first corner as the engine screamed on the downshift. It was immediately apparent to her how Takeshi relied on the ATTESA heavily. Following the down-shift via a flawless heel-and-toe, the car began to understeer. His control on the throttle however, countered it and pulled it out of the corner easily.

Shingo maintained his car in the lead, occasionally glancing at his rear view mirror to verify if Nakazato's black GT-R was closely following him. "Let's see what your newly tuned car can do against mine."

The roaring B16 powered Civic shot down the narrow straight, closely followed its rival. Takeshi focused on his opponent, eyes searching for any kind of opening he could use to pass. He knew that his car's superior acceleration would give him the edge most of the time when he exited a corner, but the weight of his car generally held him back when he tried challenging Shingo at the corners. Usui Pass was unforgiving, and held little to no straights. He needed to think of a plan.

As if reading his mind Sayuki intervened, "Shingo makes one crucial mistake when he's driving that I failed to point out to him earlier, so here's your chance to take advantage of it."

He remained silent, eyes on the road but nodded his head, "Shingo's problem is that he tends to use the e-brake while cornering to counteract the understeer, but he doesn't realize that it would be much better to use the throttle instead. Therefore he's cutting the power and acceleration his car would be able to achieve at the entry point of the corner. So if you somehow manage to force him to block the inside, he'll lose momentum due to understeer and you can slip past with enough room."

A hard left hairpin turn was approaching, and Takeshi glared at the EG before him, studying its movements closely to see if Sayuki was right. And true to her words, the car moved to the inside, braking slightly early than he was accustomed to. It gripped the inner lane, forcefully leaving him with just enough space to squeeze in.

"Now's the chance!" Takeshi slammed on the brakes; the engine's thundering roar increasing on the downshift, and moved closer to the open space left by Shingo.

It was at this precise moment that Shingo realized his crucial mistake when he braked early. The car's understeer made it lose traction on the front, and he was forced to open up space on the inside because of how wide the car went on the turn.

"Kuso! The damn understeer got to me!" Shingo cursed as he watched the black Skyline race past on the inside; no doubt being assisted by the car's ATTESA system, tires screeching against the asphalt.

He eased off the gas in order to let the car recover some of its traction, but groaned in frustration as Nakazato built a lead on him as soon as they got past the corner.

The torque and acceleration of his own car was no match for the 4WD but he knew that if he managed to curb the problem of his understeer and take corners more smoothly, the lighter body of his car would help him out.

Sayuki smiled to herself. Shingo had done exactly as she predicted and Takeshi managed to take the lead because of his mistake. But she knew the race was far from over, as they had yet to even reach C=121, which was considered the 3/4 mark of the course before the finish line if one took the uphill route.

The race continued, the cars moving through the turns at lighting pace.

"Status report coming in, the road is clear! No cars are coming in or out other than one close by and all other members of the Night Kids are parked in the two rest areas at both ends of the course! Only Nakazato and Shoji are racing at this point!" One of the drivers spoke through the radio.

"Gotcha," Sayuki responded. "Let me know if-"

"Hold on! There's a car coming! It just blew past us on the short straight!"

Takeshi and Sayuki exchanged staggered looks, "Can you tell me what car it was? Did you see what color it was?"

"I couldn't tell it was going too fast hold on, second checkpoint is at the bridge! Come in Sakamoto; tell us what you see."

"Hai! I can hear the tires very nearby, it should be here soon! I'd suggest you guys pick up the pace because the car is gaining on you two fast. There it is! Is that? It's silver, it's a Sileighty!"

Sayuki froze as she heard this, unable to believe that the mysterious car had revealed to be a Sileighty. But the anger she felt was even greater now that she knew that this person had the audacity to drive a Sileighty and attract so much attention after Impact Blue disbanded. It couldn't be a mere coincidence.

"Tell me where it's by! I want a full report every time he passes a checkpoint, is that understood?"

"Loud and clear; unbelievable, he drifted through the s-turn!"

Both Shingo and Takeshi lowered their speed, taking the following corners with less effort in an attempt to wait up for incoming car.

"This guy's just insane! No one in their right mind would take a corner like that! One of our guys was driving back to the rest area and the Sileighty completed a four wheel drift without even crossing the center line and just blasted past him like if he was parked!"

That statement made Shingo raise his eyebrows. The only other people he had seen do that was Akina's Eight-Six during his race and Ryosuke Takahashi on another battle, but to be able to even execute that kind of maneuver without proper experience was suicide.

He continued to eye his radio on the passenger seat ever so often, listening intently as they both drove at a much slower pace.

"Alright he just shot through the last short straight! There are five corners for you guys before you reach C=121, he's only a corner behind you start speeding up!"

"Step on it Takeshi! He's here!"

The R32 responded instantly, and Takeshi took the short uphill at full blast with the EG following close behind as a third pair of white headlights finally appeared from behind.

Shingo took a look in the mirror and saw the car instantly gaining on him, and upon closer inspection he swore he could see the car's aura thickening around it. Gunning the accelerator before shifting to 3rd gear, he managed to gain a bit of a lead before realizing that he was being passed on the outside lane right before a hard left.

"Are you out of your mind? You'll end up down the valley! Brake before it's too late!" He shouted.

But to his surprise the car did break, and he assumed the driver realized his mistake. The next thing he saw however, he knew would stay embedded in his mind for the rest of his days.

The Sileighty's loud and high pitched roar increased on the downshift, a discernible hiss escaping from its blow off valve as the car completed a beautiful drift on the outside lane; successfully blocking him from trying to retake his position due the understeer acting up again.

Shingo continued to stare at the vehicle in front of him wearily and quite shaken from what he had just witnessed.

Sayuki spared one of the side mirrors a glace, "He just passed Shingo, and he's gaining on us."

"What the hell?"

"C=121 is coming up next, be very careful cause this guy apparently knows what he's doing."

"Got it," Takeshi shifted into 4th gear, speeding up in preparation for the long and winding turn.

The Sileighty continued to press on, only two meters apart from the Skyline's rear bumper. All three cars blasted through the short banking right that led into the infamous corner, and Nakazato remained on the outisde lane, readying himself for the next corner when he spotted the Sileighty's nose squeezing in on the inside lane.

"Ugh!"

His co-pilot remained silent, and focused on the attacking car as it challenged right before the corner. She knew that the GT-R's heavy body would be its downfall, and even all the acceleration would not make up for the much lighter body of the Sileighty. This driver knew what he was doing; he was forcing Takeshi to leave room in the inside because of the induced understeer of his car. Although the ATTESA would help in keeping it stable, one wrong move, one slight ease on the throttle would make him lose control, and the other driver quickly seized the chance.

Sayuki watched the Sileighty squeeze by, the car jolting on the following downshift as all the weight shifted to the front, the rear losing traction, guiding the car into a perfect drift.

But what she saw next completely floored her, as the Sileighty continued to drift through C=121 with practiced ease. All four tires screaming abuse, sparse clouds of smoke billowing from the rear tires.

'Only Mako has managed to do this! Just how good is this guy? And who the hell is he?'

She took a moment to admire the sleek body work of the car; from the ducktail spoiler which was similar to Mako's, to the flared side skirts, and the glowing brakes that shone through its black wheels; the front bumper, only mere centimeters from the guardrail along with the gorgeous profile view of an S13's front end as it cleared the corner in dramatic fashion.

The Sileighty's sudden acceleration pulled it out before the GT-R would manage to play catch up. She continued to watch it as it grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Completely entranced by what she had seen that she even ignored just how much Nakazato had been stepping on the his beloved Three-Two.

All that was left to be seen of that ghostly silver car were its rear lights, which seemed to leave a glowing trail behind them that only lasted but a brief moment.

Eventually both Night Kids drivers slowed down completely, turned on their hazards and parked nearby. They each stepped out of their vehicles in a cold sweat, shaking from the thrill they had just experienced.

"Come in Nakazato-san, Shoji-san! What happened? We saw the Sileighty drive past us at lightning speed but there's no sight of you. Are you alright?"

Shingo grabbed his radio, and clicked the button to speak, "Shoji here, we're both fine. We just got beaten by that Sileighty. Anyone of you guys manage to get its plate number?"

No one responded but the three could hear the commotion in the background along with the shock that accompanied their teammates.

"I've memorized it," Sayuki spoke up. "No need to ask anymore, it had Gunma plates and from the way he drove, he must be a local. That should narrow it down somewhat."

Takeshi lit a cigarette; not even slightly fazed by the hard glare leveled on him as he was still stunned by what just happened.

"That's good, because I'm looking forward to finding out just who this driver is. I get the feeling we're about to experience something big soon, and I'm certainly glad I came to Usui tonight."

Shingo and Sayuki could see the smile forming on Takeshi's lips. It was quite rare to see him so laid back after losing a race. But to them it seemed as if the man had just found a new challenge, something exciting to strive for.

Shingo lit his own cigarette and leaned on his car, "The way this guy drove, and it's almost as if he has this real ghostly aura around him. It's not sinister, or dark, but more like competitive, and driven by sheer will. I can see why some were referring to it as Usui's Ghost."

'Looks like it's time to tell Mako a new challenge has arrived. I don't want to pressure her into coming home early, but soon enough she's going to start hearing rumors and I have no doubt that she would want to come back and challenge a fellow Sileighty driver on their home course.'

Sayuki couldn't help but smile inwardly, in a way, she was thankful the Sileighty appeared when it did. Because now she was sure that Impact Blue would reunite once more.


Kurokawa Residence

2:03AM

As Yuzuru returned from his run across Usui, he felt both euphoric and exhausted. It had been a long day, and was looking forward to a day of rest since it was now Sunday. He briefly wondered if it was possible to even feel that way, but shook the thought out of his head as he pulled into his house's garage.

The garage door closed behind him as he parked the car beside the white FD he had been driving the day prior and sat in his seat for a moment. The engine's low hum being the only sound filling the garage.

Today's run had proven to be the final test to see if his car was completely race worthy. After all, he had spent a full month trying to find the right suspension to get the job done. The winding twists and turns of Usui were challenging, but he now knew that it was ready. It had after all, beaten a heavily modified R32 and an equally worthy EG6. Both cars were well known FR killers and he had bested them both.

He truly hadn't expected to encounter both Shingo and Nakazato at Usui, but it provided him with the necessary challenge and a thrilling race.

Yuzuru finally cut the engine and exited the vehicle, heaved a sigh. He closed the door, waiting for the slight beep that indicated that the car had locked itself.

Walking over to the door which lead to the gekan, he turned around and grinned brightly at the beautiful sight of the silver Sileighty that stood next to an equally eye catching FD. He had finally found a car he could call his own, after spending months working and day and night on it, the Nissan was completely race worthy.

As much as he loved the FD, he immediately grew attracted to the 180SX the moment he laid eyes on it only days after returning to Japan. He had ignored them back when he used to live in New Zealand, but when he was introduced to the car by a friend; he quickly bought one of his own brand new and set about to modify it bit by bit. It was light, rear wheel drive, and when tuned correctly, delivered astonishing performance.

Ever since then, he hasn't looked back, but when he saw a blue Sileighty racing in Tokyo that had the body of a 180 and the front end of an S13 he quickly fell in love and made the swap himself. It was true perfection to his eyes, and the sight of his own Sileighty made him proud of the fact that he had undertaken such a project by himself.

Yuzuru stifled a yawn, and killed the lights of the garage before stepping back into the house. He removed his shoes at genkan and silently tip toed across the living room. The the low snores of his sister coming from the couch filled the otherwise silent living room and he chuckled, realizing that she had fallen asleep waiting for him with the television on mute.

'Jeez, what am I going to do with you?'

Inching closer, he quietly turned off the TV and set the control on the nearby stand. Cautiously, he scooped his sister up into his arms with little effort, and carried her up the stairs and to her room. Gently placing her on the bed, he grabbed the nearest blanket and covered her with it and patted her head.

"Goodnight Reina."


A/N:

Well, here's chapter 2! Happy late 4th of July!

As you can see it took me about a little over a week to get this chapter done, and I enjoyed writing every second of it despite the occasional bouts of writer's block I had in the back of my head. But as I sit here typing this right now it's literally almost 2am where I live so I'm dead tired! Be that as it may however, I will try to push myself for the weekly updates since my summer so far has been mainly unproductive and boring now that I'm heading to college.

Here's a note for those who haven't noticed, sentences in italics are generally perceived as the inner thoughts of the characters. While those in bold italics are reserved for when Yuzuru and Reina are speaking English to one another since they were after all, raised in New Zealand for a good part of their life.

Thanks to all of those who took/take the time to read my story!

SilentAssassin11