Mizuki was leaning on the rail as she wondering about the guy he met in the bookstore the day before. She tried very hard to search her memories about him and his car, but it was in vain. Her memories were blocked and it would be painful to 'dig' it out.
Nanami walked over with a bottle of Evain for her friend, worrying when she saw that Mizuki was suddenly look so trouble. She noticed it since last night when Mizuki came home with Takumi.
"Hey! What's up?" Nanami asked, cheekily.
Mizuki turned to her friend, "Nothing much actually!"
"Nah! Liar!" Nanami pouted. "I can see that you're in some kinda trouble. What's that? Let's share!"
Mizuki sighed, "I just wondering about ... Hmm... Do you anything about my past? I don't understand why I don't remember certain things."
"Mickey, don't force yourself please. I believe that those memories are not ... beneficial to you anyway," Nanami replied.
Mizuki nodded, understandingly. "Maybe."
Mizuki was sitting on the floor next to her Honda S2000 in her garage. It was a deserted 2 storey factory which her parent's bought for her to house her cars. None of her siblings knew about this place, except for Bunta and Nanami. Both Mizuki and Nanami share this garage, as Nanami's father was the suppiler of the parts for tuning the machine. Mizuki was reading the information on the monitor as she just finished new setting on the car. On the other side of the garage, Nanami was busy checking on Toyota Celica, which Airisu left for Mizuki. Unfortunately, Mizuki only interested only in a few models which included S2000, WRX and SC430. So, Nanami was the one who had been using the Celica all these while. However, this Celica had been changed so much than before as Nanami had made it even more powerful and harder to drive than before.
"Nanami, have you checked out those parts I gave you last week?" Mizuki asked.
"Yeah! They should be send to us by next week, why?" Nanami replied and asked back. "Are you in a rush of using them?"
"Not really," Mizuki shook her head and walked over to the white Subaru WRX.
"Anyway, we're not going to race with anyone right?" Nanami commented.
Maebashi City
Mizuki looked at the map, walking towards the Maebashi University. She had made up her mind about that trouble that had been troubled her for the past few days. She hated being 'haunted' by those pop-up questions. Maybe what Nanami said was right, but she could not put her curiosity aside. She entered the main gate, slowly walking around the car park, finding the white Mazda RX-7.
Without much effort, she spotted the car near the Medical Faculty. 'Hmm, he must be a medical student. What a small world?' Mizuki thought as she waited at the bench near the car.
As soon as the class was over, Ryosuke got out of the lecturer theater with two of his good friends. He slowly walked down the corridor toward his car before bid his friends' goodbye. He stopped suddenly at a distance from his car when he saw someone was waiting for him. Mizuki got up and walked over to him.
"Hi, are you free?" Mizuki asked.
Ryosuke nodded.
"I wanna talk to you. It won't take much time," she told.
Ryosuke looked at Mizuki for a moment before he led her to his car and drove off.
Café Liloo
A few young couples were occupied the tables in the café. It was a quiet and small café in Takasaki City. It also was the place that Ryosuke would like to bring Mizuki when they were together. He looked at the girl sitting opposite to him; who was not quite comfortable to face him. Mizuki was thinking of how she should put it or start the conversation.
"Hmm… How have you been, Mizuki?" Ryosuke asked with a deep concern.
Mizuki nodded, "I'm good, thank you… I…. I… Actually, I want to know about how do you get to know me? I really can't remember anything about you and it troubles me. I wanna know who are you and how are we related?"
Ryosuke's heart sank when he heard her 'confession'. It hurt him when he heard that the girl he loved couldn't even remember him. He looked at Mizuki for a second.
"I first met you at the top of Akagi," he began the replay of his memories.
"Mount Akagi, you mean?" Mizuki asked.
He nodded and continued, while Mizuki was listening attentively.
"Why must you say sorry? What happened that … I mean it seemed that there were some problems so what is it? Is that why I chose to leave Japan? " Mizuki asked toward the end of the story.
Ryosuke paused, "Listen, Mizuki. It was my faults. I created that misunderstanding and I hurt you somehow, I knew it."
"Your faults," Mizuki repeated. "You're confusing me."
"Mizuki, I'm sorry." Ryosuke said again.
"No, please don't say anymore. I don't want to hear," Mizuki shook her head. "My head is aching now."
He moved closer to see if she was all right. Mizuki looked up at him and said, "Your eyes tell me something, but I still don't know who are you."
He nodded, " Mizuki, I'm very sorry. I really want you to know."
Mizuki was very confused; she did not know what to do. She wanted to know her past, but she seemed trouble by the past itself. They were sitting in silent for a long time. Ryosuke looked out the window, realizing that it was quite late. He offered her a lift, as he did not want her uncle to worry. They left the café. Mizuki looked out of the window as she sat in the passenger seat of FC. She was thinking about the whole conversation they engaged. Finally, she sorted her thoughts.
Mizuki got out of the car and lowered her body to the window, "Thank you for giving me a lift." She then walked toward the Tofu shop.
Takahashi's Residence
Ryosuke was concentrating on his study. Exam was coming and he had been occupied with racing for months. He needed to spend some time for his study. He was relief when he had told Mizuki what he had been wanted to tell her. However, her reaction was strange. She seemed to be too calm and it was difficult to know her thoughts. He looked at the phone, where he still used her picture as the wallpaper. Each time he looked at the picture, it reminded him of his mistakes.
Takasaki University High School
Mizuki walked toward the main gate after school with Nanami as usual. Tsugumi ran over to catch up with Mizuki.
"Fujiwara-Chan, " Tsugumi called.
Mizuki stopped and turned back, "Yes, Tsugumi-Chan"
"I just wanna tell you that my cousin will fetch you from Ikaho station," Tsugumi told Mizuki.
"Oh, Tsugumi-Chan. After some consideration, I won't be going to your place. I'm sorry," she replied and joined Nanami who was waiting at the gate.
"Why was she looking for you?" Nanami asked, curiously.
"Nothing much, she invited to her place this weekend to study," Mizuki replied.
Nanami nodded, "So are you going?"
"No…" Mizuki replied. "Aniki is here now. You'd better go. I want to go to the shopping center to get something."
Nanami nodded and walked over to the teenager boy who was waiting on the other side of the road. Mizuki strolled down the street, heading to a small department store nearby.
"Good afternoon, Mizuki," Ryosuke approached the girl who was walking down the road.
"Ah!" Mizuki exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm following you," he replied and brought her to the car.
"I'm going to the store to get something," Mizuki told the older man as she put on her seatbelt.
Ryosuke nodded and the FC soon sped down the street.
Fujiwara's Tofu Shop
Mizuki came home in the late evening after having a light dinner with Ryosuke in town. She was wondering about the guy she met, while blowing dries her hair. She felt relax, but at the same time, nervous. She then got up and decided to go for a spin. The white S2000 roared in the dark night, speeding down the quiet street in Ikaho, heading to Akina. She raced through the light traffic with her mind occupied with Ryosuke.
"Hmm… S2000?" the driver in Skyline R34 smiled. "Let me have a good look at you!"
The Skyline sped up as it turned to the Mount Akina. He sped up and tailed Mizuki's S2000. Mizuki stepped the brake a little later than usual, drifted through the first corner, without noticing that there's a car tailing her. As the Skyline got closed enough, Mizuki woke up from her thought, lifted up her eyes at the rear mirror and released her accelerator. She got no intention to race with anyone and wanted to let the Skyline passed. Since the Skyline's driver did not want to stop, Mizuki decided to pull over along the road shoulder. She watched the R34 passed her with the driver turning his head with a hard glare.
… To be Continued …