Chapter 38: A Blonde Altar
It was what it's infamously called, a drag race. Illegal, reckless and thrilling. And all those who participated, got exactly what they went for.
Usagi was inwardly grateful to have worn a better jacket. Hadn't Mamoru prodded that she chose to buy this over those thin cover-ups, she would've ended with something less conducive to their almost freezing rooftop weather.
The beginning of the race was situated on top of a building. Of all places, a rooftop in one of the tallest buildings of Tokyo.
"Are you feeling cold, Molly?" Usagi asked, observing how her friend grabbed her forearms as if simply folding them at the moment.
"No, I'm fine—what on earth is happening, Usa-chan?" she asked, bewildered by the chain of events while trying to mask her mounting worry.
"I don't know...but I guess we'll be watching a race."
"A race?" she echoed, much different from the interested tone found in Usagi's similar confirmation earlier.
"--Isn't it dangerous?"
"It is, actually." Hotaru answered for them, coming into conversation from behind.
He was holding a steel suitcase now with Mina clinging on his free arm.
"Are you girls comfortable?" she laughed idly, glancing at her Yakuza of a boyfriend every now and then.
"We're fine." Usagi answered with a forced grin, putting an arm around Molly's shoulders, who was startled by the gesture.
"Good." Hotaru nodded once and looked far behind them. "Come on boys, set the cameras up."
"All done, boss!" one of the men from a near crowd hollered.
"Well, I need to get going to my position." He said to the girls, "Babe," he looked at Mina, leaning down to descend on her face. Molly and Usagi looked somewhere else in unison, "are you coming with me or are you accompanying your friends?"
Mina looked at the girls and she met Usagi's gaze.
"We'll do just fine." Usagi provided the much needed reply, "Have fun." She added.
For a moment, the three girls could more than comprehend the exchange of gestures and pleasantries amongst them; mere acts for the sake of temporary peace. Mina was well aware that Usagi wasn't pleased or happy about her relationship with Hotaru.
But quite strangely, she was letting her go, letting her do things she would usually and immediately reprimand her from getting in.
Half-disappointed and half-content, Mina turned bright in a second, staring up at her adoring Hotaru who was only so handsome and adoring in her eyes.
They left Usagi and Molly alone, and the two girls could only sigh at the scenario.
"Remind me to slap her face when the opportunity arises." Usagi spoke in monotone.
"And when is that?" Molly replied, almost too ready to be obliged for the task.
"The very next moment we see her."
"Will do."
At the top of the building, a throng of aggressive youth have gathered themselves for this occasion. By comparison, Usagi and Molly's appearance paled against the short shorts and the chest-revealing tops of women who could be easily stereotyped as models or tourists, akin to the ambiance of metropolitan Tokyo. Their strappy stilettos clicked on the cement and patent boots gleamed from the moonlight. It was like a ritual of sounds and sight before something spectacular happened. The hairdos were the eccentric of the most eccentric. It felt and looked like this was the gathering of club-hoppers and Usagi and Molly were oddly stranded.
Like a sore thumb they stuck out, but at least with a similar purpose; to witness a race that was anticipated by everybody.
"Do you mind staying?" Usagi looked at Molly, worried that she was the only person who wasn't as excited.
"I'm up for it if you are." She replied, evidently showing the kindness out of needless worry.
She could only smile for the small sacrifice her friend gave. In the meantime, booze was being passed around like freebies. The race was nearing to a start. A few guys were setting up some equipment, a navigation system of some sort. Usagi could see Hotaru and Mina in the adjacent building, a connected place to where they were. Mina blended in pretty well with the tough crowd considering her unabashed readiness. She was always up for the dare. And she sure chose the most daring crowd.
After a moment, a white vast screen was unfolded before them. It functioned itself as an enormous TV. It reminded Usagi of the movie theater, only the rooftop was nothing short of a theater.
Usagi and Molly got their share of beers and grew closer to the screen as everybody had. Moments later, a man got in front of the screen and waved is hands up high. The people cheered, but Usagi and Molly were strangers to the cause. The man was bald, but he attired himself with a white shirt with explicit graphic illustration, like a ghetto wall spray-painted with faces and words so unfamiliar, you could fall short calling it trash. Yet for this person, this may very well be his own art. Usagi should know better; Mina had entered a world where beauty may not necessarily be how they interpret it. From a short distance, there were cracklings of glass, and Usagi presumed it came from the beer containers. Molly inched closer, and Usagi automatically placed an arm around her friend.
"'Evening, ladies and gents!" the man howled, to which he was warmly received by a howling and energetic crowd, "Tonight, we celebrate for two reasons: One, we have finally entered our semi-championship for this year's tournament, rounding up to our final four competitors. Second, our very own Yuki Hayate is finally entering the Formula One industry, an accomplishment all of us have been waiting for our master to achieve!"
Amidst the growing and maddening noise, Usagi hardly noticed a van being parked right behind them. There were a couple of cars parked at the rooftop from which they all settled, but the one that came just came in was an odd look to behold.
It took only a moment or two when it finally drew her attention. Everyone else who didn't join the cheering crowd were busy fixing up cables and monitors or cars and engines. The van that came in was no different from the labour it was about to show.
For a second, Usagi thought her eyes were tricking her, disbelieved by the sight of someone the least to be expected and yet hoped for. She wouldn't be in this forsaken cold place if it didn't remind her of that once nostalgic feeling she shared with somebody.
Haruka, in a way, was the epitome of the thrill in her life; the very obstacle and the very source of utmost curiosity. No one in her life had made her feel so daring.
And sadly, not Mamoru.
Usagi moved carefully away from Molly, who was surprisingly enjoying the crowd. She watched how a group of around four or five men got off the van and started busying themselves with their various equipments. Shortly after the van came, two drag cars propelled themselves toward the wide rooftop. One was stark white with stripes of black at the fenders, and the second was bold red. Their engines roared, mixing up with the rest. But there was something most peculiar about the sound of their engines that separated them from the rest. Even the cheering crowd that celebrated for Yuki was divided into two as they all turned around to witness the even more growing spectacle behind them.
And there she saw Haruka, clad in the most inconspicuous outfit the person could ever don. She was in white sneakers and black lose sweat pants, matched with gray undershirt toppled with an off-white cotton jacket. Her only winning details were the blue Addidas sports cap and a black digital wrist watch, perfect for any sports event. Although a drag race was hardly a sport, a timepiece was essentially required for records. Even spectators time the racers, especially their bets or favorites.
Standing, walking and talking, Haruka had everything to a bare minimum.
Usagi barely knew her.
Who was this person who could almost pass off as a man? Haruka was giving orders in the same voice she'd always known, but one that could easily be mistaken as a man's.
She was cordial but firm. She met with Yuki's representative and curtly spoke with him, nodding at some words and replying to what seemed like inquiries. She folded her arms while talking to him and watched carefully at the corner of her eye the movement of her colleagues.
Usagi wondered if Haruka ever saw her. A moment later, Haruka took off her cap, raking her white long fingers through her pale blonde hair. Usagi wasn't mistaken; something changed in Haruka.
From the demeanour to the aura, Usagi couldn't comprehend if what she was seeing was real.
Is it really her? Usagi asked herself, more and more dumbfounded by the minute.
She was half-waiting for Haruka to notice her, half-expecting to be ignored.
As the crowd left their positions, she saw herself almost alone, standing near the van and at a gaze's reach of Haruka.
But she never turned. She never looked. Haruka didn't even know Usagi was there.
The race was about to begin, Molly had to come over to Usagi to ask her aside.
"What's wrong, Usa-chan?"
Usagi snapped back looking all flustered.
"N-Nothing. I was… mesmerized by the cars."
Molly nodded and tugged Usagi away. She numbly followed and kept turning her face towards Haruka's direction, whose back was already facing her.
Clearly, something was going on that Usagi couldn't understand. From what she only knew, Haruka wasn't herself. Something was taking hold of her; something strong and something Usagi haven't seen.
It was a look of determination, of strength and seriousness. There was something so sure and decided about Haruka's stance, the look on her face and in all the little movements she made.
It was hard to say, but the Haruka Usagi knew didn't exist anymore. Perhaps buried from the consciousness of the person she was seeing now.
A horn blew and a row of colourful cars dashed off, down the building, down that roofless snake-like path for what seemed like 50 floors. Everyone cheered and screamed in delight. The men roared and the girls giggled with unabashed excitement.
Usagi, too, would've shared the same feeling, hadn't she been hypnotized by the apparition she thought she witnessed.
~o~ ~o~ ~o~
There was a heavy atmosphere surrounding. The students of Infinity High continued on with their schedules, unperturbed by anyone who couldn't sympathize with their energy. Such one was an Usagi Tsukino who at her best, tried to pull herself together after last night.
Molly and Usagi left the race as it ended past 1 in the morning. Victory, as expected on Usagi's part, belonged to Haruka's team. There was a lot of commotion from Hotaru and Yuki's, after being defeated from their very own home-base.
With a considerable amount of tact and speed, Haruka's racers won. It was only after the first race have ended did Usagi realize that Haruka wasn't racing for the team; she was coaching for them.
She had her phone ready at hand, talking to different people constantly. Usagi assumed they were her people stationed at some points of the route to monitor their cars. Later on, Haruka was flanked by a man whom she referred to as 'Izumo'. They seemed to be close, and more like Haruka's confidante. Usagi was sure he had to be her confidante. Haruka wouldn't look at anyone with such eyes of worry or alarm whenever the circumstance triggered her to feel that way. Izumo would tap her on the shoulder and tell her to relax. Once, she heard him say, 'you're not used to being a manager. The feeling is mutual, cuz.'.
Cuz? Cousin? They're cousins?
Usagi had never been introduced to any of Haruka's relatives, not that she expected to, but to see Haruka with a family member was rare.
All the while the race continued, Usagi contemplated if she would approach Haruka freely and try to put up a decent conversation. But Usagi wondered when would that be; in between groans and random spurts of curses?
There was no time to talk to Haruka, she thought. None at all, at least for now.
But the worse part?
She didn't notice her.
Haruka Ten'ou didn't even recognize Usagi's presence.
And maybe that was more important—an argument Usagi had been fighting on all day since last night. It was like arguing over a glass half-filled or half-empty.
Was it a good thing that Haruka didn't notice her?
Or was she now that allusive, that distant, that different from before, that she doesn't care twit if Usagi Tsukino was actually standing right beside her?
It baffled Usagi until class hours, and it was made even more difficult as she failed twice to perform her solos during rehearsals for an important upcoming opera.
Graduation was near and talent scouts were coming in and out of Infinity School almost every day. Frequently, many students land opportunities ordinary high school students wouldn't get, like a scholarship abroad, an internship, or best yet, a contract that assures good pay plus benefits. The farther from Japan the better, she heard some of the Music students say. Those who weren't picked would usually end up mastering their craft abroad, depending on their most generous parents to support their international expenditure.
Staying in Infinity was difficult enough, and actually going abroad for continued studies?
Usagi shook her head as she tried to contemplate on life's possibilities.
Studying again would prove itself expensive, unless she gets another whooping scholarship. It wasn't exactly impossible, but it wasn't easy either. An internship would be just as hard, and even if she gets lucky, she could only stay for such a short period of time. Daily expenses abroad are unaccountable. Who would sponsor her if her parents could hardly support the entire family now?
She had to make sure she could nail down her upcoming performance to prove to professors and scouts alike that she had what it takes to be taken in. She had talent, for sure, but so does a lot of hopeful others.
If she couldn't afford to pay to study more, then the next sensible career step was to be hired. The difficult part of being an artist who first underwent formal studies was what comes after; getting a job or a work that best suits your taste and preference was a rarity. Rare enough to have come from a unique school, and even rarer to be noticed by scouts representing international performing companies.
She wandered about the school hallway as she pondered on her choices. The vibration she felt on her side startled her. Her mobile was ringing, and it didn't even take a wild guess to figure out who was calling.
"Mamo-chan. I'm sorry, I didn't notice you called earlier, I just got my phone."
"It's alright," he answered, rather cheerfully, "how was the rehearsal today?"
"Not so good, actually." Usagi sighed, almost relieved someone took the time to ask, "And you?"
A hurdle of female students was rushing from behind. Usagi almost dropped her books from getting bumped.
"Work is progressing. I'm really happy about it. So…what happened at the rehearsal?"
"Long story, babe. Nothing important. I'm okay. We can talk about it when we see each other." She flinched, irritated over the mob.
"Alright then," he could sense her apprehension, but a phone-call was hardly the medium to discuss serious matters. He preferred to be close to her when Usagi was upset about something. "But I've got good news for us, babe; Chiba Enterprise is in business with Formula One. We got the groups running and I think we just got our entry to the Euroseries."
Formula What? "That's great, babe! I'm terribly glad for you. So this is the project you've been talking about."
"Yeah. I'll tell more about it when we see each other."
More female students coming from other directions were cluttering a singular path. Usagi bit her lip and halted from walking.
Masking a tired voice, she replied. "I'm excited; I'll see you soon!"
"Okay…"
"No problem!"
The girls were shouting and giggling about, and the mob was moving with a peculiar tall blonde situated in the middle like an altar being worshipped.
Unaware of what Usagi was going thru, Mamoru tried to understand. "See you in a bit—'love you."
The tall heroine wore dark shades, and even if she hadn't, Usagi knew who she was.
"Usagi?" Mamoru asked.
The mob moved right past her. So did the altar.
"Right. I love you, too. Take care."
Grateful to heavenly spirits, her footsteps didn't halt, and her eyes stared straight ahead.
It doesn't matter anymore.
And when she had turned around the curb, she didn't see, how the mob actually stopped and how the blonde altar took off her shades, just to check if who she saw wasn't an illusion.