FOREWORD: I, HashiriyaGDB, am submitting this Initial D facfic on behalf of Midnight Dorifuta, the author of this fanfic and a fellow user on the Initial D World Forums. The only things I've done to this is correct some (if not all) the typos.
All trademarks are owned by their respective owners.
Chapter 9: A Second Life and a Second Chance.
It was only a half hour since one particular Esso station in downtown Haruna closed, officially anyways, the town for the most part, asleep. But indistinct chatter could be heard from afar within the garage there, a few figures standing in the dim-lit light, surrounding a single old car. There seemed to be a tension of anticipation in the air, an eager anxiety that was almost killing.
"Alright, one more time!", a voice called out.
A starter motor then whirred for ten, 15 seconds, lazily cranking over an engine.
"Keep on it, don't cut the starter! I've got the fuel circuit."
An assortment of old parts were scattered around the car; a rear axle, a set of shocks and struts, exhaust parts... and an old engine, too. A carburaeted single overhead-cam, with its dirty air filter still attatched. The driver kept turning the engine over... and it caught! But only for a second, then died quickly.
"Give it a second", an older voice said, watching the activity over. They waited a minute or so, before getting a nod from the older gentleman, the person behind the wheel seeming to be unable to wait..
"Alright, one more time, guys. Come on!" The engine turned over and over again, until finally, it caught and kept running! Idling rery roughly, though... but it was running. A collective cheer among the group of the 5 men was raised, with an oh-so-familiar voice crying out in joy.
"AAAAAAAAAAGH! BANZAI! MY HACHI GO! MY HACHI GO IS NOW A HACHI ROKU!" It was none other than Itsuki Takeuchi, looking happier now than he ever was in his life - literally. "Oh, the 4A-GZE sounds so wonderful, doesn't it, senpai? Doesn't it remind you of the old days?" Clinging to his senior like a schoolgirl, Itsuki practically had hearts in his eyes - it was a collective effort, by all of the Speed Stars.
"Yeah...", Iketani replied, laughing nervously and scratching his chin. "We still need to tune the fuel map, but otherwise your turbo 4A-G is as good as ready. But you really need to thank Yuiichi for discovering that ad in the first place." And Itsuki did, turning to Yuiichi, bolting to him, and bowing repeatedly - about the most grateful person in the world.
"We all did it", Kenji said, chuckling. "We all pitched in our own little effort to make this work. But without your refusal to give up, Itsuki, it might never have happened. After all, you supplied us with the turbo from the old engine."
Another guy was there, as well... looking on, he gave a soft smile to his old friend, still watching the old Levin run in just the slightest bit of awe - it was the polar opposite of his reaction when his car got his new engine, and it amazed him how excited Itsuki truly was. "So... I guess you're ready to take over for me for representing the Speed Stars, eh?"
It caused Kenji and Iketani to eye each other and burst out laughing, but Itsuki walked right up to him and said, simply enough. "I might be behind you, Takumi, but I'm not as far behind as I used to be. I'm a lot closer now, and with the engine change, suspension swap, and LSD installed into my Hachi-Roku, I may one day just challenge you yet."
But something was different about the way Itsuki said it this time. Usually, he'd say it out of jealousy, but... he was dead serious, and the look in his eye hushed the humor in Iketani and Kenji's faces really quick. Takumi paused for a moment, before replying in a fashion that literally dropped both Iketani and Kenji's jaws, and widened Yuiichi's eyes considerably. "Maybe you will be able to, Itsuki. That old 85 has evolved into an incredible car... I once challenged an 86 turbo like that, after all. If you keep at it, and keep practicing Haruna in it like you have, you could become a very fast driver."
Itsuki remained silent for 15 seconds, before his eyes started watering over. "Tak... Takumi..." Almost downright sobbing, he fell onto Takumi's shoulder, overswept by emotion. "Takumi... that's the best thing you've ever said to me! You... you're serious, right!? You're not kidding around?" Looking up at Takumi with puppy eyes, the other three Esso workers, both past and present, were in total shock and disbelief. "I mean it, Itsuki", Takumi said with a warm, friendly smile. "You're just about where I was a year ago. If you keep focusing and keeping your emotions under control, you may catch up to me in a few years. Remember, I started driving at 13, not 18."
"Takumi, you're seriously not playing around?", Iketani butted in. "I thought you might have been taking complements too far, but if that's so, then I really need to be on my best game and..."
Iketani frowned a bit, turning around and looking outside the garage at his Silvia. "...but I really can't practice much more... the CA18 is complaining a little now, and it's slowly getting worse... she's on her last legs. She's served me well for the years I've been driving, but I picked her up as an old car and her age is really showing now."
"Uhm..." Takumi muttered in thought, "Isn't there also an engine upgrade for the Silvia, as well? I thought Kenji's engine had more power..."
"That's right!", Kenji replied, "The SR20! Iketani, you could become Haruna's uphill ace if you had one of those installed! Weren't you saving up money for something, anyways?"
"Well... to be honest..." Iketani admitted, in the constant rough grumble of the untuned 4A-GZE, "I was actually trying to save up to buy a naturally aspirated S14... they're getting cheap now, and I figured maybe it would be better if I got a newer an dmore reliable car, but..."
Looking at the exposed engine compartment of the Levin, still devoid of its hood, he added, "Seeing this successful project complete makes me want to upgrade my Silvia into an even better car!"
Almost just as he said that, another blue car, witha very Silvia-like nose, happened to pull into the gas station, its beautiful driver climbing back ou, looking nervous and timid, but... willing to seek the destiny that possibly awaits her.
"Hey, uhm.. guys..", she said, Iketani's face turning pale and everybody else looking awkwardly at the situation... but thank God for Itsuki and his car.
"Uhm... wait, is that Itsuki's car? Is it being worked on?" Thak God for Itsuki, indeed. An engine change was always a good ice breaker for a sticky situation. "Whoa... a 4A-G? It's now an 86?", she said, looking at the car in slight wonder. "It's amazing... it's like Fujiwara's old car!"
"Anou...", Takumi said, scratching his chin abit and moving forward from Iketani and Kenji to make himself obvious, "My old car had a 4A-GE, not a 4A-GZE... and that one's turbocharged, with the turbo from his 3AC."
"Takumi!?!?" Mako jumped back, shocked, not having noticed him there. "Uhm... I mean hi... sorry, you... you scared me..."
"It's alright...", Takumi said, with a pretty emotionless face. "Although, I'm like a fifth wheel here... they all put in the work - especially Iketani."
"H... huh? Me?", Iketani replied - Itsuki scooting over to Kenji and whispering to his ear, "You on to him?", and Kenji replying, "Oh yeah.",
"Yeah, Iketani - every time I stopped by this week, you were instructing Itsuki and helping him along. You did a large part... with your knowledge, making the Silvia even stronger is a great possibility."
"Hm? But... what's wrong with the Silvia?", Mako asked Iketani, looking him dead in the eye - her presence alone causing her to blush greatly. "I... I uhm, only came here to stop by and see you guys for the first time in over a year, but is something wrong with the Silvia?"
"Well", Iketani said, looking rather cowardly... "The car's passed 300,000 kilometers, and the engine, suspension, and transmission are all starting to show their age... the car may break soon... but! I've been saving up the whole time to get an SR20 installed with a new transmission and suspension setup! I'm going to keep my Silvia alive for a very long time!"
"Notice how conveniently Iketani changed his story?", Itsuki whispered to Kenji. "Uh huh", he replied, with a nod.
"Why.. that's great, Iketani! I... I can't wait to see an SR20 early-model S13! Even though there isn't much difference between the Zenki and Kouki, it sounds exciting, Iketani-san!", Mako said, starting to get onto a roll here.
"Yeah... say... how's Sil-Eighty doing?", Iketani asked in reply, "And where's Sayuki? Working?"
Mako shook her head a little, giggling. "Well, my Sil-Eighty's engine is also getting a little old, but I'd like somebody to rebuild it... it might not be as fast as an SR20 swap, but I love her the way she is. And I'm not an uphill driver, so power doesn't matter much."
"Well...", Iketani said, gathering up his nerve. Iketani, she's right here in front of you! This is your once in a lifetime chance to have a second shot! Don't hold back, give it everything you've got, he thought to himself, and then finished his sentance. "I could rebuild it for you, Mako, free of charge, and source HKS or Nismo parts for a good price... it may be a little bit harder since the CA18 is always in the shadow of the SR20, but-"
"Really!? You would do that!?", she asked, gleeful, and her heart pounding with joy.
"Y... yes... I own a Silvia,after all, so I'm very familiar with the CA18..."
"That sounds great, Iketani! Please call me soon so you can drive it and find out just how close it is to needing a rebuild, will you?"
"Well.. I.. uhm... of OW! course", Iketani said, coughing - having gotten a pretty nasty elbow by Itsuki, along with the dirtiest look ever.
"You still have my number, right?", she asked Iketani, and he nodded, "I have it safely tucked away. Ja matta ne, Mako-san!"
"Ja!" Mako ever so gracefully ran back to the Sil-Eighty in her running shoes, climbing in and buckling herself up, before driving off in the blue hatchback, its engine sound echoing in Iketani's mind long after it disappeared from life.
"Oi... Iketani..." Itsuki said, somehow towering over him with an expression that showed he was about 3 seconds away from slaying him alive, "You better get that engine running reaaaal smooth, senpai, or you'll be eating its turbocharger..."
Well, the good news for Iketani was, his dreams were never totally killed. The bad news was, he just put himself chin-deep in boiling water with both Itsuki and Kenji. It makes one wonder; which fate is worse? Dying from a broken heart or dying from a broken neck?
