A/N: Okay fine! Haha. Due to a few violent reactions Mogi and Keisuke will not end up together after all. BUT they will date for some time, I'll just have them break up or something.

DISCLAIMER: I WISH I own Initial D

...

CHAPTER IX: Her First Battles

Takako nonchalantly took out the tea expecting that Shou was in the phone talking with Mogi. She looked at their direction and she frowned in anxiety at what she was seeing.

Shou was just staring at the phone.

"Shou-san…" she called getting him wince. It was disappointing that patching things up was harder than she had thought. She sighed and decided to have tea with him first.

"Tea is ready." She announced and he just nodded passively. She handed him his cup as soon as he got comfortable under the kotatsu.

"Are you alright? You look pale…"

"I am. I'm just surprised…"

"Surprised? Mogi always calls me, you know…"

"But that's not Mogi."

She batted an eyelid. "Then, who is it?"

"It's-"

RING! RING! RIIING!

Takako quickly stood up and ran to the phone.

"Hello?"

"TAKAKO!" The voice from the other line literally cried.

"I-Itsuki! What's wrong?" she asked in worry and Shou immediately stood up as he heard her. Itsuki continued explaining what was happening to Takako, and she listened intently. Her eyes went wider and her head whipped to Shou's direction.

"What happened?" he asked her feeling quite frantic for Takako.

She covered the mouthpiece before answering him. "A friend of ours got into a car accident."

"What? Is he-"

"He's in the hospital."

"Do you want me to take you there?"

"I don't want to impose on you."

"You aren't."

She nodded in thanks and went back to her conversation with Itsuki.

"We'll pick you up in 5 minutes."

"Who-" he was about to ask who she was with when she already hung up on him.

Takako's worried eyes landed at Nietzsche. "What about her-"

Ding Dong

They blinked and then looked at each other. Takako made a sigh of relief.

"Perfect timing dad!"

…

SHIBUKAWA GENERAL HOSPITAL

Turns out Itsuki was over-reacting. Iketani did get in a car accident. His car was definitely crashed. And his arm broke… but that was it.

It was an overreaction considering Itsuki was crying that he's dead.

"Don't scare us like that, Itsuki!" Takako exclaimed in her usual lethargic-like manner, but she was definitely annoyed.

"Mou, Takako-chan. I'm fine, really…" Iketani said with a sad smile. And then something seem to have popped out of his head and a depressing atmosphere suddenly came down.

"…the battle…even more humiliating…this is so sad…" he started to mutter. He entered into his own world of self-pity, completely forgetting there were other people in the room.

Takako sighed in disapproval.

'What's the big deal with races, anyway?'

…

On their way home, Shou seem to have returned to his dazed state. Even after dropping Itsuki at his house, he didn't change. There are even moments when Takako noted that he was having some sort of internal war… she wanted to ask, as a friend, but decided against it in the end. She thought he'd want some time to think… of whatever it was he was thinking.

When they had finally arrived to her home, Takako didn't go out of the car immediately. She stayed for a moment to watch Shou. When Shou finally noticed he was being watched, flinched crazily.

"I-I-What are you still doing here?" he asked realizing a little too late that it came out rudely.

"Are you alright Shou?"

"I am." He answered decisively.

"If you say so…" She shrugged.

"Good night." She then stated and went out the door.

A few steps after she paused. She was expecting the sound of an engine, after all, not an opening door.

"Takako!" Shou called making her turn to him. But before she knew it, he was already in front of her. She stepped back by instinct, but Shou's hands found themselves behind her back and he pulled her closer to him.

Her eyes widened in surprise – and it certainly didn't diminish when he placed his lips on hers.

She immediately pushed him away, which she did successfully to some degree, but he still managed to get a hold of her hips. Shou lifted his hands and placed them on her cheeks.

He let out a deep breath before placing his forehead on hers… in a way that made their eyes become closer than ever before.

"Gomen ne, Takako… I changed my mind." he muttered.

"I can't take watching you fall for someone else, after all."

*The next day*

She found herself staring at the phone, waiting for a call. She thought she must've been waiting for Mogi's, since she probably wasn't home when she called… but then, she realized she was eager to hear a male baritone voice.

She wondered why…

"I love you Takako and I'll wait for you to love me back. And not as friends." Shou stated the previous night. It was all very confusing- one moment she thought it was all going to be all right, and then she was bewildered all over again. For now she was thankful Mogi no longer loves Shou, otherwise she literally would break down.

Men are so confusing-

Riiiing!

"Moshi Moshi?" she answered the phone eagerly.

"Takako…"

"Ryosuke-san." She stated, surprised at the relief in her voice.

There was a short pause on the other line, but it stopped not long after. "I just called to… finalize the time and place…?"

"Hai. Can we meet at the park here?"

"Okay, what time?"

"Is 9 a.m. alright?"

"See you there, then… Takako."

"Hai!"

…

Ryosuke stared at the phone for a while- he wanted to talk for much longer but willed himself to wait. They'll be meeting each other the next day, anyway.

He couldn't bring himself to ask about Shou…

(Flashback)

Ryosuke frowned at the crumpled paper, but then he realized he was the one who did it. He had been torturing it these past few days in an attempt to look for excuses to call earlier.

Only 2 days left before the rendezvous, and he doesn't think calling now would be so bad-

"Ryousuke-nii…?"

It was Shou. It was definitely Shou. He knew that he already went home that morning but Shibukawa was a big place- why would he end up there in all places?

"What are you doing there?" he asked, but he managed to make it sound not as rude it really was.

"She's…Takako's my friend, Ryosuke-nii… she's the one I've been talking about." He said effectively making Ryosuke flinch. The smart, kind, and beautiful girl? The one who can't get mad at him? And if he remembered correctly… her birthday could have been today, too…

"I see… "

"Ryosuke-nii-"

"I- goodbye now, Shou. I have something to do." He lied. He just didn't want to talk to Shou-or anyone for that matter- for a while. He needed to compose himself…

He didn't like the fact that his cousin is in love with Takako… and he didn't know why.

…

Iketani Koichiro stood in front of the Tofu shop that one of his employee's friends own. It was small but bustling – thanks to Takako, Itsuki said. Without her surprisingly creative mind, her boring father would've shooed all business away.

He decided to fall in line and order something. It wasn't quick and he wondered how exactly he'll be able to talk to the old man- the old man who his boss seem to believe was the one who defeated Takahashi Keisuke's booming FD. The man definitely had an Eight-six, he saw that right beside their shop, but he simply can't help but doubt everything.

"Next." The man announced irritably, glaring at him. He instinctively looked around and noticed that everyone else was doing the same thing. He winced and hurriedly ordered.

Iketani though, as thick-skinned as he can be, started a conversation.

"Ano… what do you think of racing?" he asked as he watched the man input his tofu to its container.

"It's some sort of competition, right?" he answered stoically and handed him the plastic bag.

"Bu-"

"Next!"

"Move, jerk!"

"…"

And so he just positioned himself outside, and waited for the shop to close.

…

Ai and Takako had just returned from their walk and immediately went inside to ready dinner. She placed Ai in the living room and gave her some toys; she winced though when she noticed her father staring at her… through the newspaper…

"What?"

"What do you think of racing?"

"It's some sort of competition, right?" she answered as a-matter-of-factly.

"Right. Mind competing in one? It's tonight."

"What? No way."

"I'll raise your pay."

"You don't pay me."

"I'll give you money for Nietzsche's food for half-a-year." He offered.

At least this one made her pause. The food Shou gave was only worth approximately 2 months. He did offer buying food for Ai in the future, but naturally she refused. Shou had already done… and spent… more than enough.

And Ai's food was very expensive…

"What time?"

"10pm. You have to beat the guy up, of course. Otherwise you won't get anything."

"What?"

"You're not confident, are you?" he smugly said and then shifted his gaze at Ai. "We both know you won't spend the money you earned in the fast-food chain in anything other than that. You really don't expect me to buy food for her, right? Now that I know that little bastard Shou offered to buy her food."

She frowned at his slowly revealing black-mail. "Dad-"

"You're choice, kiddo."

"I can give you food-poisoning for all you know…"

"Oh, sure you will."Her eyes twitched at his annoying expression.

"Che."

…

They had been waiting for the Eight-six and it was already 10pm; everyone was starting to get impatient except for Ryosuke. It was not only because Ryosuke was inherently patient, but a lot of things seem to occupy his mind making time run much, much faster.

"Wait!" The leader of the other team yelled at the people who were starting to pack up. "Just five more minutes!"

Ryosuke sighed. His brother looked visibly irritated at everything. He would not tell him what happened that made him this mad, but he knew it had something to do with whoever they were waiting for.

Then his radio went on announcing that the car they were waiting for had arrived. They said it was an Eight-six…

'An Eight-six?' he thought recalling a certain encounter not too far from where he was currently standing. Images of a certain girl came flooding by itself and he reflexively covered his face with his huge hands.

"Ryosuke-san? Are you alright?" Fumihiro Hiroshi, his assistant, asked in anxiety.

"Aa…" he just answered quickly regaining his composure; he mentally sighed and gave an order for everyone to leave him alone.

"Go down and check on Keisuke."

And they all unquestioningly followed.

…

Takako scratched her head. 'Why are there so many people?' She asked in puzzlement as she looked at the galleries, who were then looking at her with equal interest.

She saw Iketani, Itsuki, and a few other people and drove there. When she stopped, they immediately flocked them excitedly but that excitement just turned them to stone as soon as they saw her.

"W-Where's your father?"

"He's at home."

"What? And you're here just to tell us he's not coming."

"Well… yes… but he sort of asked me to race and win."

Silence

"Pfft- what are you talki-"

"No. If Fujiwara sent her here, I believe she'll be able to beat him." Iketani stated pointing at a very familiar yellow car. The crowd in front of her dispersed letting the blonde boy get a glimpse of her. His eyes widened much to her puzzlement.

"But Iketani-senpai! She just turned 18!"

"You did? But-" Iketani was about to ask her what she knows but then decided to ask something else, instead.

"How long have you been driving?"

"5 years."

"WHAT! But that would mean you were d-driving since you were 13?"

"Thank you for doing the math, Itsuki." Kenji added cynically still confused at everything.

"I'm confused." He voiced out.

"Why would you father allow that?"

"Allow? He forced me to drive."

"WHAT THE HELL-"

"Hey! What's going on here?" Keisuke, who had just roused from his frozen state, intervened irritably.

"Sh-She's the one racing you."

"What? You've got to be kidding."

Takako frowned at him, making him feel weak. "Is that your car?"

"Y-Yeah, so?"

"Have you driving here early in the morning?"

"Yes..." he flinched at the recollection of a very humiliating memory. Takako stepped closer to him and stated, literally killing everyone on sight.

"Then, I defeated you once before."

…

Her statement was believable, especially with Keisuke's reaction of immediately running to his car and openly challenging the new comer. Everyone surrounding Takako dispersed before she went in to the car.

And so, the race began…

.

.

END OF CHAPTER IX

Coming Soon:

CHAPTER X: Ryosuke's White Comet

REPLIES TO READERS:

RedRosey18 - Thanks for the review~! Haha. Hope you enjoyed this one!

RenMazda- Thanks for the review! And she will find out although not very soon. XD

emerald sapphire-chan - lolz. Filled with drama? I dunno I kinda failed miserably on that with the first chaps. But I shall try my best! HAHAHA. Thanks for the review!

Celestia Capedalupo - hahah. Dunno what to reply except can't wait for the fanart! XD thanks for the review~

Ryn - Yes it will. Xd But they will go through quite a few things before they became 'permanent'. Hhihihi. Thanks for the review!

Lisia- Thanks for the review! I hope you liked this one~

Madoka - sadly I can't change those mistakes anymore. *sigh* And about Maya... haha. I won't make her an evil character, btw. so be warned! heheh Thanks for the review~! XD

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