The Rise of Usui's Ghost

Chapter 30


Sadamine Pass, Saitama Prefecture

9:34PM

Shiori could hardly suppress the grin threatening to take shape on her face. The throaty growl produced by the 2ZZ-GE powering her Toyota was simply to die for, and when joined by the higher pitch generated by the black RX-7 only a few paces ahead of her, she was once again reminded of all that she nearly gave up in her self-imposed sabbatical from pass racing.

The sound both cars made, coupled with the trademark screech of tires voicing their abuse against the asphalt, and the way her blood pumped in excitement each time she tackled one of the narrow corners that defined Sadamine were so utterly satisfying for her to experience. There simply wasn't anything quite like it, and after all this time; after two years away from the one remaining love in her life, Shiori was ready to pick up where she previously left off.

"You've gotten a lot better since the last time I saw you drive Kyoko-chan," Shiori mused aloud. "But even I know that you're capable of driving at a much higher pace than this. Let's kick things up a notch, shall we?"

Kyoko spared one of her sidemirrors a glance, realizing with a certain amount of delight that her old friend and mentor had finally closed the gap between them. Because they were on the uphill run of the course, she had an advantage in terms of power and pure acceleration. Her FD already possessed a very light frame, and it was only further aided by its even weight distribution, but she knew from personal experience that the ZZW30 behind her was absolutely no slouch.

While most people considered the newer generation of the MR-2 slower and less refined when compared to the previous iteration, Shiori was one of the few she knew to have adopted the car and worked to address all its flaws. The blue Toyota behind her was a phenomenal cornering machine, and when one considered it's even lighter body, highly modified suspension and the person who drove it; Kyoko knew that it more than made up for it in the corners.

With her smile still in place and a renewed enthusiasm, the young brunette viciously tore into the high-speed section of s-turns that followed the first straightaway. Her reflexes and knowledge of the course proved more than enough for her to clear them in quick succession, and this was marked by a subtle almost nondescript change in line that Shiori immediately picked up on.

"Let's go all out then," the Saitama native declared.

Shiori gripped her steering wheel firmly, her other hand resting on her gear shifter just as she cleared the banking right hander only a few meters behind the FD in front of her. It had been a considerable amount of time since she last faced Kyoko, and since then the young woman improved drastically. Most people would have thought her pace and aggressiveness to be almost suicidal given the rhythm she dictated on such a narrow and treacherous mountain pass like Sadamine, but Shiori knew Kyoko's driving style well enough to understand that the girl had tremendous skill and an almost unparalleled sixth sense when it came to finding the grip on a surface with less usable road than even she was accustomed to.

Among the drivers she'd encountered in Saitama, she truly believed that Kyoko had the makings of a top-notch racer, driver, and mechanic. When she first took the young woman under her wing, Shiori thought her to be more of a diamond in the rough. She was still learning, growing and discovering herself two years prior. But now, she could see the confidence and determination she carried herself with. Her aura alone was both an inspiring and intoxicating sight to behold. It burned brightly, far stronger than ever before and it solidified her decision to seek her out.

The raven-haired mechanic's warm brown gaze narrowed on the FD before her, downshifting with the use of her highly experienced heel and toe in preparation of the next kink. If memory served her, immediately following the s-turns came another straightaway but this one was much shorter than the previous one.

'I'm going to need to brake at the last possible second in order to gain as much speed as I possibly can entering the corner. The only advantage I have right now is my car's direct response,' she noted.

On Sadamine's uphill, Kyoko had the clear advantage in almost every conceivable way. Her FD was specifically tuned and prepared for this sort of course and studying the car from behind painted a very clear picture as well. All Shiori had going for her was that her MR-S was lighter and therefore quicker at the corners due to the way her car was mechanically tuned. Her ability to control her car's revolutions with the use of her accelerator was her greatest boon, and she would harness her beloved ZZW30's capabilities to the best of her ability.

Just as the final corner before the upcoming straightaway approached her Shiori lightly brushed the brakes, plunging into the corner with greater speed than the one preceding it. With mere seconds before she reached the corner's apex, the veteran pass racer began a rapid series of blips on the throttle before finally flooring it as she fought her car's tendency to snap back at her with decent amount of counter steer. This enabled her to pull out of the corner with an even greater amount of speed, using the grip of all four tires to propel the car forward and gain an impulse in attempt to play catch up with the FD.

A smirk formed on the Kanagawa native's face once she realized that she had successfully closed in on the lead Kyoko had built up on her before. With her careful, almost delicate use of the throttle, she took advantage of her Naturally Aspirated 2ZZ's direct response; using all the available torque available to her through the tires to change the car's yaw. All of this was done with a single hand on the steering wheel, and it was a technique she learned after watching hours upon hours of film regarding one of her favorite Formula One drivers.

In her earlier days as a street racer, Tatsuru had mocked her for her attempt to learn such an unusual technique to incorporate into her overall driving style. But after implementing and using it successfully numerous times it became one of the many things she kept hidden away in her own little bag of tricks. After all, her friend's face when she managed to gain a lead on him at the corner's exit was a surefire way to shut him up.

'With that being said however, the fact that you managed to force me to use it this early on in our chase goes to show just how much you've grown and evolved since the last time I saw you Kyoko-chan,' she mentally praised.

Kyoko eyes widened considerably once she registered the fact that Shiori was able to close the distance between them once again. By now, the MR-S was only a few meters away and this did not sit well with her one bit. Evidently the time her friend spent away from competitive street racing had not caused her skills to dwindle by any means, and she discovered the thought excited her even more.

Yamaguchi Shiori was very well respected among those who knew her exploits; especially in Kanagawa. The prospect of facing a driver who once formed a part of one of the hallowed prefecture's infamous Lines of Defense truly fired her up, and as a result she chose to pick up the pace yet again by flooring the accelerator to gain even more speed on the straightaway. It was not a long one by any means, but it was enough for her to try and build a lead once more.

The single Garrett turbocharger fed her FD with more than enough torque and acceleration of her own to pull ahead of the blue Toyota trailing behind her. In the previous span of weeks, a loss in Sadamine even if it was against Keisuke was one too many for her, and her pride as a local would not allow a repeat of such an occurrence.

Despite her Darling's initial rejection of her, and his subsequent declaration that he would be focusing solely on Project D, his stance had softened a bit since his car was sent in for repairs. His demeanor though at times distant or outwardly aloof regarding her affections, was now tempered by a by a more contemplative and patient bearing. He stressed that he wished to truly get to know her first, and while he did not seek to be tied down by the complications a relationship normally brought in the time she spent in his company she discovered just how deep an effect Keisuke had on her as a driver and as an individual.

Whenever she was around him, Kyoko desired nothing more than to prove to him that she was worthy; that she was not a nuisance or an annoyance. She could be patient, understanding and more than willing to take the long road if he wished. More importantly however, his skill and technique behind the wheel of his FD inspired her. She too wanted to grow and achieve new things. She wished to make it to the professional stage in any way she possibly could and each battle she fought, each race she took part in was another steppingstone for her to accomplish her goals.

'I won't lose here Shiori-san. This is Sadamine. This is my home. So, you can expect a hell of a fight!'

As both cars continued their assault on the next series of corners, the distance between the two vehicles varied by only a few meters at best. Any point in time the FD had a straight available to it, Kyoko would hold no reservations of exploiting this advantage with the knowledge that the MR-S would struggle to keep up. On the corners however, it was another story entirely.

When it came down to it, Kyoko came upon the realization that Shiori was entering and exiting corners at a much faster rate than she was. The pill was a bitter one to swallow and had it been any other driver she would have considered it wholly unacceptable, but the veteran street racer behind her was the sort of driver who was able to read and predict the road ahead of her based on her movements.

The thought was scary for her to come to terms with, and it was something that even Keisuke was unable to do. It was a credit to her tenacity and undeniable expertise, and for a moment she couldn't help but admire her. This was the first time in almost two years that they faced off, and Shiori could easily match her at full throttle with no holds barred.

"You're incredible Kyoko-chan. You haven't eased up at all since I closed the gap on you, and you haven't even succumbed to the pressure," Shiori murmured.

Where most drivers would have typically begun to feel the strain after racing at such a high intensity for a more prolonged period, Kyoko simply couldn't bring herself to care. She was having the time of her life. Racing Shiori was an absolute blast, and she could only hope the raven-haired beauty was willing to go for another round. Her tires still had plenty of usable grip in them, and with all the time she spent in her home course the importance of conserving one's tires was among the first lessons she picked up as a pass racer. When paired with her experience, Kyoko developed an innate understanding of how devastatingly critical it was to favor very direct and efficient lines when it came to the hill climb.

'There's only three corners left before we reach the finish line and there's a chicane that veers slightly right before shifting back to the left. I can go at this all night if you want to Shiori-san,' Kyoko thought excitedly.

The black Mazda RX-7 continued its fervent tempo, clipping the following corner's apex with a tremendous amount of speed under Kyoko's highly skilled direction. Shiori could only help but admire the young woman's dexterity, noting that the car came mere centimeters from trading paint with the guardrail. It was a ballsy move, one that she was positive to have been utilized to scare off any challengers who thought they had what it took to take on one of the most talented drivers in the prefecture.

At the same time however, Shiori knew such an action was also a statement directed at her. Kyoko was one of the few people in the street racing community aside from Tatsuru she kept in touch with as often as she could. From the first moment she met the girl, she'd sensed something undeniably special in her. A drive, determination, and thirst to succeed that would take her far if she set her mind to it.

Seeing her now, nearly two years since their first meeting really hit home. The young new blood she first took under her wing during her brief stint in Saitama when she chose to isolate herself, was no longer bogged down by inexperience or hesitation. In her place, stood one of the finest pass racers in all of Saitama and for a moment she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to see her square off against someone like Yuzuru.

'In terms of ability I'd say it would be a very hard-fought battle. Yuzuru-kun has more experience overall, but Kyoko can match him if she drives like she does right now.'

Without a single shred of hesitation, Shiori began a rapid series of downshifts in preparation for the upcoming corner. As soon as her ZZW30 reached its entry point, she immediately began the same high frequency of stabs at the throttle she implemented before. In a way, this technique served as a pseudo traction and stability control that successfully curbed a midship's propensity to lash back at her in a moment of snap oversteer.

A delicate control of the accelerator coupled with the right amount of counter steer were essential in recovering the car's balance, and once she reached the corner's apex, she gunned the throttle once again to effectively regain momentum.

Upon the exit, the short lead the FD built on her was once again reduced to only a few meters and for a moment she could only lament that they were on the uphill instead of the downhill run. Things would have certainly been a little more interesting if that had been the case. Shiori knew that on the uphill her car would continue to struggle in its chase and that was primarily due to the numerous advantages Kyoko had over her in terms of power and outright acceleration.

Nevertheless, Shiori continued her task undaunted. The raw, almost deafening scream her beloved Toyota produced as the needle climbed all the way to 10,000RPM was something she'd missed dearly. Hearing it again sent shivers down her spine, and she shifted into fourth gear with the last series of successive corners rapidly approaching them.

Under more normal circumstances, Shiori would have probably preferred a better method of attack than the plan she currently had in mindbBut with only two corners left she ultimately decided to throw caution to the wind and challenge the FD in the upcoming chicane. It would be a good test of her abilities, not to mention a good way to get a rise out of her friend who so far had not been rattled by any of her attempts to throw her off her game.

For the first time that night, Kyoko could practically feel the aura radiating from the highly modified MR-S behind her. The grin that formed across her attractive features was difficult to ignore, and yet she couldn't help but enjoy every second of their impromptu battle. Shiori was an extremely adept and instinctual driver, often relying on her past experiences to find new and creative ways to pull a win even when the odds were stacked against her.

This alone was more than enough for Kyoko to predict that her friend had something planned out even if there were only two corners left. She would not let up now, not so close to the finish line and cut the through the first coming corner with as much precision as she possibly could.

'This race is going to be decided on the final part after this chicane,' she mused. 'I can't botch the exit now, but I'm going to have to gain as much traction and grip I possibly can to get through this chicane by using the outside lane.'

Although she disliked the prospect of opening to give her friend the necessary space and open herself up for an attack, Kyoko knew she would have little recourse but to sacrifice her mid-mid cornering speed in order to clear it a higher speed. As a result, she chose to take the outside lane.

True to form, Shiori immediately punched the throttle the moment she saw the FD yield its line to clear the first corner of the chicane. With plenty of space available on the inside lane, she quickly poked her nose in, using all the grip all four tires provided her to push through the tight bend. Despite the numerous advantages Kyoko had when compared to her ZZW30, this would be the only chance Shiori would have on the uphill and she knew it.

By the time Kyoko cleared the first part of the chicane, a different, grittier growl she knew to belong to the Toyota that was once trailing her was suddenly much closer to her. A quick glance in the direction of her sidemirrors confirmed what she previously anticipated. Shiori was no longer in any of her mirrors and try as she might, she could not keep the surprise from showing on her features.

'She's taking the inside! If I lift off the throttle for even a second, then there's no way I'll be able to keep the turbocharger spooling to produce the boost I need for the exit. I can't lose here.' the brunette realized as she exited the first of two corners remaining.

"I will not lose!" Kyoko exclaimed.

With both cars managing to clear the narrow bend, Shiori's brown gaze narrowed in concentration. Kyoko's speed and skill were a credit to her, and it would be remiss of her to not respond with her absolute best as well. The loud, piercing roar the stroked four-cylinder engine unleashed together with the strong and aggressive howl made by the 13B-REW powering the RX-7 beside her reverberated across the touge, as if echoing the thoughts of their respective owners now that they were side by side.

Both drivers shifted gears in rapid succession, moving from second to third and both watched their tachometers continue their ascent. At that precise moment nothing else mattered to them. All they had, were their technique and pride as street racers pushing them to give their absolute best.

The final corner was finally upon them, and both women sent a short glance in each other's direction. Neither would relent to the other; this much was a given. A few seconds later Shiori watched as her speedometer marked almost 130km/h all whilst drawing even closer to the last corner of Sadamine's hill climb.

Since the MR-S had now taken the inside lane, Kyoko knew that she needed to time her entrance to the final corner to perfection and it would all come down to her use of the throttle. Too much, and her rear tires would lose traction. Too little, and she would botch the exit without the necessary speed to pull ahead. She had to admit, Shiori's decision to use her car's inherent weakness against her was rather ingenious. It was a stark reminder of what Keisuke did to beat her several weeks prior; but since then, she'd grown more acutely aware of ways she could combat the weakness with her overall technique.

With only meters to spare, both drivers lightly tapped their brakes and downshifted with the aid of their well-practiced heel and toe. The sudden actions caused both vehicles to jolt slightly, initiating a weight transfer that caused both their rears to slightly lose traction for a fraction of a second before they each entered the narrow bend side by side.

A low grunt escaped Kyoko under the sway of g-forces, but she remained undeterred as she rapidly implemented the use of her left foot on the brakes with a mild maintenance on the throttle to help access the car's powerband as soon as she possibly could. The sound of tires screeching against the asphalt met her ears, but the effect was immediate.

Shiori bit her lip in frustration, tearing into the corner with clear precision. By using her car's lighter body and cornering abilities to their maximum potential along with her engine's direct response as her greatest asset, she pushed through at a lower gear to coax as much power and acceleration she possibly could from her MR-S.

"Come on girl, we can do this let's go!" the Kanagawa native chanted.

Both the Mazda and Toyota emerged from the final corner side by side once more, but Kyoko could only smile in satisfaction as her clever use of left-foot braking secured her the necessary torque and acceleration to edge out the MR-S by only a few centimeters on the exit. An audible whistle emanating from the spooling turbocharger paired with the high-pitched exhaust note of her FD filled her ears, and the smooth delivery of power it provided was more than enough to propel her towards the victory she so desperately sought.

The veteran street racer at the helm of her beloved ZZW30 was forced to watch the RX-7 ease out of the corner ahead of her with a tinge of disappointment within her. After such a hard-fought battle and strenuous attempt to outperform her opponent, she came short by mere centimeters from passing Kyoko. Were it not for the fact that Sadamine was both her friend's home course and her clear expertise on the hill climb, she knew things would have been different from the start.

A downhill run would have nullified most of the power she would have had at her disposal, and after sharing a brief word with her that was the general idea. Like any proper street racer, Shiori never liked the concept of losing and admittedly this little foray didn't really count as one in her book, but she would be willing to overlook it just this once for Kyoko.

Once they reached course's finish line Kyoko quickly began a gradual series of downshifts. She depressed the clutch, pulling the handbrake and seamlessly spun her FD in a full 180 turn before setting it in neutral and turning on her hazards. She rested her head against the steering wheel for a moment, trying to catch up with her racing heartbeat now finally able let go of the breath she was unconsciously clinging onto.

'That was close. Very close. But it was also the most fun I've had here in the last few weeks,' she admitted to herself.

Only seconds thereafter, Shiori easily replicated her actions and brought her MR-S to a halt beside her. She turned her own hazards on and gave a light chuckle as she unstrapped herself from her seat before exiting her vehicle. Kyoko too emerged from her car, looking slightly drained but satisfied from their recent battle, thus leading her to greet the older woman with a wave and a pleasant smile.

"Long time no see Shiori-san," she saluted.

"Too long," the senior mechanic acknowledged with a wry grin. "You've gotten better by the way Kyoko-chan; loads better. It's good to see you haven't let up in the year and a half since I left Saitama."

Blushing slightly at the praise, Kyoko inclined her head in deference. Shiori was easily one of the quickest and highly talented pass racers she had the benefit of knowing aside from the members of Project D, Wataru, and Iwamura Tatsuru, whom she met through Shiori. Hearing her once mentor say those words aloud filled her with a renewed sense of joy, raising her spirits in the process. As a result, the young Saitama native raised her hand, fixing her friend with a playful wink and a victory sign in a boisterous display of exuberance and pride.

"Of course! All that hard work and I finally beat you as well!" she enthusiastically declared.

For the first time in a very long time, Shiori suddenly felt her left eye twitch in annoyance. The movement was a subtle one, and with the dimly lit touge bathed by their car's headlights Kyoko would not have noticed such an action. Losing to her pupil was a bit of a sore spot, but she decided that she would humor the girl for the moment.

"You do realize that the biggest reason you managed to beat me is because this was the uphill run, right?" she felt the need to point out. "Besides this is only my second race in almost two years, and as much as I abhor saying this; I'm still a bit rusty."

Kyoko adamantly shook her head at her friend's comment. It was a weak cop out on her part at best, but willingly chose to ignore her earlier statement in the end. A full year had come and gone since the last time she ever set her eyes on Shiori, and despite her casual choice of wardrobe she couldn't help but notice that there was a different air to her compared to before.

'She seems more jovial,' she observed. 'It's like the lingering traces of sorrow and loneliness she always carried on her shoulders have been replaced by a newfound resolve.'

The woman standing before her was a stark contrast to the one she first met during her earlier days as a street racer, and in many ways, Kyoko could scarcely ignore the fact that she even looked the part as well. Clad in a pair of black skinny jeans tucked into a set of New Balance running shoes, a plain dark grey t-shirt and a cropped pale denim jacket; Shiori now cut a much more stylish and attractive figure when compared to the one she still recalled with vivid clarity.

During the short span of six months Shiori resided in Saitama nearly two years prior, she rarely ever saw the woman wear something different aside from a simple set of torn or beat up jeans and raggedy oversized t-shirts on her days off from work. Many people often avoided her as a result, preferring to give her a wide berth and simply allow her the free reign to do as she pleased so long as she completed the necessary tasks at hand.

Even amongst their fellow co-workers, Kyoko often found Shiori isolated and off in her own little world half the time. It struck her to see someone so quiet, demure, and self-effacing despite her previous track record as a former member of Sidewinder. She couldn't understand why someone so unbelievably talented, blessed with an almost unrivalled knowledge as a mechanic and tuner could appear so defeated.

Aside from their boss, no one really took the time or effort to get to know her, and it was only a few weeks after she was hired at the shop during closing hours that Shiori slowly began to open up and share some of her expertise with her when she caught her fiddling with her FD's ECU. This was the first instance she truly got to know the sort of person Yamaguchi Shiori truly was, and from then on, she took it upon herself to befriend and learn as much as she possibly could from someone with such a remarkable street-racing career.

"Excuses, excuses," she shot back with a small smile as she drew the older woman into a brief hug.

Shiori returned the embrace, breaking away a few moments later to address the brunette. "You and I both know I would still beat you on the downhill. Besides, my car isn't really tuned for hill climbs like yours is."

"I'd like to see you put that theory of yours to the test Shiori-san," Kyoko challenged with a cocky smirk.

"It ceases to be a theory once I've proven it Kyoko-chan. But enough about that, you must be wondering what I'm doing up here in Saitama after all this time am I right?"

"I'm surprised," she acknowledged. "It's been a while since I last saw you around these parts. Are things going well for you down in Yokohama Shiori-san?"

"As well as once could hope I suppose. Things in back at the shop are progressing nicely, but I felt like doing a little reminiscing and decided to pay you a visit to see how things were going for you as well. You still have that crush on the younger Takahashi?"

Kyoko's eyes widened considerably, her mouth opening in shock at her friend's brazen comment. Shiori was one of the few she consulted on the matter aside from one of her local friends residing in Saitama but hearing someone be so blunt about it was an entirely new experience for her, and equally embarrassing.

"Shiori-san?!" the younger woman protested.

A short laugh escaped the veteran street racer, her brown eyes twinkling in amusement now that Kyoko's blush was back in full swing. The poor girl's face was nearly as red as a tomato, and deep down Shiori simply couldn't resist an attempt to rattle her old protégé for old time's sake.

The woman in question raised her hands in surrender. "Relax Kyoko-chan I'm just teasing. I'm glad the kid understood what he was giving up by letting you walk away, but my advice to you is to take things slow. Get to know him better first and see if you can start off as friends. Lay on the charm little by little. I'm confident you will wear him down in the end."

Kyoko adopted a more pensive demeanor once she took in the weight of Shiori's words. The way her voice carried off with an underlying sense of nostalgia and loss were a rather odd combination to have, and while she never truly pried into her friend's personal life primarily out of respect for her, it did not take long to understand why Shiori always seemed to carry such profound sadness within her.

To this day, Kyoko could hardly even think of what it would be like if Keisuke wasn't in her life in some way, shape, or form. She adored him; far more than she would have previously dared to admit and although his rejection cut her deeply, it was a far cry from what Shiori herself experienced in the past.

All the signs were there for her to see, and if one was observant enough it would have been a simple matter to deduce just how broken the raven-haired mechanic truly was by the loss of the one person she loved and cherished with every fiber of her being.

'I can't even imagine what that's like…living every day of your life knowing that you will never see the person you love again. It's heartbreaking,' she thought to herself.

It occurred to Kyoko that Shiori rarely ever spoke of the man who once played such a large and significant part in her life. She almost never mentioned his name in her presence, preferring to teach and impart her past experiences on her and at times regale her with a few anecdotes in between. All she knew about the figure other than his first name, were the stories and exploits Shiori deemed her worthy enough to know.

Due to her responsibilities, as well as her own escapades as a street racer Kyoko rarely had much time to venture out on her own into other neighboring prefectures before. Her battle against Keisuke and the formation of the Northern Saitama Alliance was the first time she truly encountered pass racers from outside her home prefecture and it sparked an even greater interest in seeing what it would be like if she tried a hand at racing outside Saitama on her own. At the same time however, it marked a renewed interest in discovering who were the considered among the best pass racers in the Kanto region.

With Nobuhiko's aid, she was able to compile a large list of drivers and teams who were either praised or vilified for their outright speed and skills. It didn't take very long after that, to learn at least a little bit regarding a certain individual by the name of Kakeru, and his track record racing in both Gunma and Kanagawa as well as Gunma in a time span of almost four years.

'But one thing that is very important to keep in mind in all of this, is that wherever Kakeru raced, Shiori-san was often not far behind. Same goes of Tatsuru-san too,' she reminded herself before deciding to formulate a response to her mentor's earlier statement.

"That's the plan. All I want right now is to prove myself to him and carve my own path outside Saitama. I feel like I've already learned a lot in the past two years, but now I want to see what Gunma has to offer. Keisuke-san speaks highly of Kurokawa already, and I'm keen to meet him myself. That's why I'll be making the trip to Ibaraki this coming Saturday for Project D's battle against Purple Shadow."

In response to the woman's mention of Yuzuru's name Shiori's warm brown gaze flared with greater interest. A small surge of pride bubbled within her as a result, thoroughly looking forward to the prospect of watching the two interact sometime in the near future. Both were already seasoned street racers and phenomenal drivers in their own right, but a small part of her also relished the fact that Yuzuru was slowly becoming better known outside Gunma due to his work for Matsumoto Speed in addition to his recent string of victories against two members of the Night Kids of Myogi.

'And that's without even taking into consideration his time racing in Kanagawa right under my damn nose…but that's not something I need to worry about right now. First, I need to ask Kyoko-chan what I came all this way for," the Yokohama native idly mused.

"It seems like Yuzuru-kun is doing something right if even you already know who he is Kyoko-chan," she began. "I met him myself the other day and he's every bit as talented as Takahashi says he is, if not more. He's even the reason I've decided to have another go at racing again."

As soon as the words left her mouth Kyoko cocked her head to the side, raising an eyebrow as her previous interest in Kurokawa was rekindled. Hearing Keisuke heap such praise on someone only a year younger than her and both seeing and feeling his handiwork once she rode shotgun in his FD was enough for her to strengthen her resolve to meet and challenge him to a race. But hearing her mentor echo the same sentiments and commend him sent her desire to meet him into overdrive. It also wasn't difficult for her to note the familiarity with which she spoke about him.

"Now I really want to see what he's like both in and out the car," she declared. "But did he really have such an effect on you to the point he inspired you to take up street racing again?"

"Hai, if it weren't for him, I probably would have been just as lost and hopeless as I've been all these years Kyoko-chan. He's simply incredible to witness, and a true racing genius in the making. In a way he reminds me of you. You're both very emotionally based drivers but at the same time, he's incredibly insightful and isn't afraid to surrender himself to his instincts when a cautious and analytical approach aren't enough," Shiori replied.

"But there's more isn't there?" Kyoko felt the need to press on. "No normal person would have been able to drag you out of your sabbatical unless there's a real underlying reason. So why? I asked you many times to come back. I tried pushing you to rediscover the joy and euphoria of pass racing just like Tatsuru-san, but it was never enough. So, what changed now?"

Shiori smiled, her usually warm brown eyes taking on a slightly duller shade as if she were lost in the ghosts of her past. Kyoko most certainly didn't miss the how sad her friend appeared once she registered her sudden line of inquiry, but at the same time there was a certain air of protectiveness that seemed to emanate from her that truly astounded her.

"Do you remember of the person I rarely spoke of during those few months I stayed up here in Saitama?" the raven-haired mechanic asked.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with this?"

"Kakeru," she breathed before pausing slightly. "I loved Kakeru with all my heart, and I still do, to this day. It will take a very long time for me to move on from him after everything we shared, and not a day goes by where I don't think of him. I've struggled to carry on Kyoko-chan, and the scary part is that I very nearly lost my way. You saw me at my worst up here in Saitama and in all honesty your friendship was one of the few positive things I had left in my life after he passed. But to understand why Yuzuru-kun was the one to drag me out of the depths of despair you need to ask me the right question."

Kyoko regarded her mentor with confusion written across her face. Kakeru was one of the people Shiori rarely ever mentioned during their discussions. She rarely desired to revisit such a delicate topic when the wounds were obviously still very fresh for the MR-S driver, but it suddenly occurred to her that she never bothered to dig deeper and ask about him out of consideration for her friend. Sure, she had attempted to do something of her own on the side, but without his surname there wasn't much she was able to source even with someone like Nobuhiko in her corner.

"What was his full name?" she finally asked.

The beaming smile Shiori responded with confirmed that she had indeed asked the right question.

"Kurokawa Kakeru."

Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise as the final piece of the puzzle finally clicked for her. "W-wait, you mean to tell me tha-"

"Yes," Shiori swiftly cut in with a more dazzling smile spreading across her face. "He was Yuzuru-kun's biggest influence and role model. He went as far as admitting that everything in him as a pass racer began with Kakeru, and it shows. He has the same knack for setting up a car and witnessing him drive is almost like being in his presence once again. They share the same mannerisms, and in a way, he is very much his successor but even then, he's constantly evolving with each passing day. If you truly wish to challenge him on the downhill, then you will have your work cut out for you Kyoko-chan."

The brunette shuddered briefly, recovering from her initial shock as she drew in a breath. Now it all made sense. Kurokawa was an incredible talent beyond measure, but more importantly, he was also a physical link to her past no matter how distant it may have been. Seeing someone race with the same inherent style, intensity, and mannerisms would have undoubtedly had a profound effect on someone like Shiori. It was almost poetic really, but at the same time she was happy for her friend.

'Once I meet Kurokawa, I'm also going to have to thank him for pushing Shiori-san out of her funk,' she decided.

"I'll bear that in mind then. Now you've got me all fired up with the possibility of racing against him."

"You'll have to get in line. Although I'm sure Tat-chan won't mind waiting his turn. I still need to get back into the swing of things before I can formally challenge Yuzuru-kun as well. This battle with you was a good warmup," was the elder mechanic's off-hand comment.

"You call racing against me a warmup? I don't know if I should be insulted by that," Kyoko pouted with a slight glare in her direction.

"Oh, you know I'm just teasing Kyoko-chan."

"Sure you are," the RX-7 driver crossed her arms in an effort to guilt trip Shiori.

"Ah, that suddenly reminds me! I nearly forgot to even bring up the biggest reason I dropped in on you tonight. Aside from Yuzuru-kun, I've also met someone I think you'll really come to like. She's incredibly knowledgeable for her age and has the makings of a future talent with the right person's guidance."

At the sudden change in subject, Kyoko perked up. She fixed her an expectant look, nodding as a sign for her to continue. "You're speaking of her as if she's very young," was her observation.

"That's because she is," Shiori acknowledged. "She only just turned sixteen, but already possesses a tremendous understanding to the deeper nuances of pass racing and is extremely observant. She's picked up a great deal from watching her brother in action for the last five years, and while he's doing his level best to teach her whenever he has the chance, he's very busy with his responsibilities and doesn't have as much time as he would like to dedicate to her development."

"Where are you going with this? Did you come all this way to tell me that you're going to be taking on another pupil? I might just get a little jealous now," Kyoko joked.

"Just listen," Shiori chided. "While I would have been the first to take her under my wing, I don't think I'm as good a match for her. I can teach her what I can when time permits, but I think someone else would be a much better fit that I am."

"If she already has the theory down, she simply needs to learn to apply it a more practical sense. But I can't help but feel a little curious about her if she's managed to draw your attention to such a degree. What's her name?"

"Kurokawa Reina. And I would like you to mentor her in that same way I once did with you," the Yokohama native

"Eh?!" was the younger woman's eloquent response.


The Next Day…

Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture

4:57PM

Mayumi leaned against one of the pillars beside the entrance of her former high school with her arms crossed and a look of complete resignation strewn across her face. So far, the day had gone like any other in her book and business was per the usual at Suzuki Motors. Nothing was out of place and everything seemed to have fallen into the normal routine until her mother decided to give her a call.

'And that one went about as well as all the others whenever Daiki is involved,' she inwardly groaned.

Now here she was, waiting to pick up her younger brother after he finished the latest set of chores given to him by one of the teachers as a disciplinary measure after being caught sleeping in class for the umpteenth time and being an all-around smart ass when singled out for it.

In some respects, she honestly couldn't blame the boy. School wasn't necessarily for everyone, and her brother certainly didn't seem to care about history or philosophy even if he usually managed to scrape by with decent grades for the most part. Unlike her, her younger brother was never a model student. He preferred to skip classes and pass with the bare amount of effort required which for all intents and purposes would have been fine with her, but deep down she knew he was smarter than he let on.

The kid was an absolute whiz when it came to mathematics and was quite the avid reader as well. But above all else he always excelled at sports. At sixteen years of age, Isayama Daiki was already a full ten centimeters taller than she was, and very physically fit due to the amount of time he spent in training as a member of his school's boxing club.

Daiki spent hours drilling himself at school and in local gyms once classes were dismissed. And the boy was rapidly becoming known amongst his peers for his tenacity. As a boxer her brother was incredibly versatile, embodying the traits of a technical brawler and highly capable pressure fighter. His defense was considered formidable for his age, and his punching power alone was enough for him to claim a notable string of victories with at least nine knockouts to his name and not a single loss to his record.

As his older sister, Mayumi was incredibly proud of these accomplishments. She actively encouraged him to pursue his interest in boxing if he so desired, but their father was another matter entirely. For all intents and purposes Isayama Takeo was nothing short of a complete and utter asshole in every sense of the word, and just as he attempted to do with her, he was constantly trying to pressure and discourage his son from his interests.

Instead, their father often preferred to yell at the boy whenever he got into some sort of trouble and repeatedly berate him for never falling in line. It was no secret among their family members that Takeo had plans to groom Daiki to take up a career in banking, but it was obvious that the youngest member of the Isayama household had no inclinations to follow whatever schemes his father envisioned regarding him.

Once they were old enough to understand the sort of person their father was, at first, they tried to impress him. Mayumi simply couldn't begin to count the numerous attempts they made to try to coax some sort of praise or acknowledgement out of the cold and calculating fish of a man Takeo was infamous for being. But as the years progressed, and the older they grew, they quickly realized that all their father really cared about was honor, discipline and social standing.

Takeo was vain, hollow, and manipulative of others. As things stood, their parents rarely ever spoke a word to each other, and slept in separate rooms. Furthering his own career and elevating their family's status were among the few things he truly seemed to care about, and it was for this reason that she ultimately decided to move out of their home.

'But in the process, I also left my mother and little brother to live with that man by themselves.'

While their mother ultimately learned to cope with their father's difficult personality, Daiki took it upon himself to act out in his own way. In his earlier years he was a diligent student who rarely ever got into fights, often trying his level best to be at the top of his class in the hopes their father would ultimately acknowledge him but instead Takeo always seemed to find some sort of flaw or blemish in her brother's endeavors.

As a result, the Daiki she had come to know in the last few years was very different to the one she initially grew up with. Nowadays he rarely ever smiled, the few times he did was in her presence, and he had developed a reputation in school as a problem child who also happened to be an extremely talented boxer in his own right. He generally cared little for what others thought of him, preferring his actions to do the talking instead, and he was not afraid to speak his mind with a colorful choice of words in between irrespective of who he was addressing.

A small rueful smile slowly made its way across her face once she spotted her younger brother walk through the school's front gates with his ever-present scowl so proudly on display. His school uniform was left unbuttoned, revealing a t-shirt with an image of his favorite fighter underneath and a sports bag hoisted over his shoulder. To complete his roguish look, he had a small cut right below his left eye that looked a few days old, but once she caught sight of his hair, she raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I can't say blonde suits you little bro," she greeted.

Daiki stopped in his tracks, turning to his left to see his older sister grinning at him despite her off-handed comment. The way he saw it, his blonde hair was another way for him to stick it to his shitty old man, and so far, it was working.

"I don't know what you're taking about. I can pull off blonde better than you can" he argued. "But what are you doing here picking me up? Normally Mom would have been waiting for me by now and last I checked you still don't have a car."

Mayumi shook her head at the teenager's comment. She wasn't about to be baited by her brother's claim, and, he didn't look all that bad with his bleached blonde hair. Daiki was filling out nicely now that he was taking to his boxing activities with a little more zeal and his new haircut highlighted his stronger jawline as well. His normally straight hair was now more layered, with the sides nicely trimmed and a longer fringe up front that rested just above his eyebrows.

In short, her little brother was slowly growing into quite the handsome man. But his attitude, general disregard for the rules, and reputation as a delinquent scared off numerous potential suitors. Of this, she had little doubt.

"True, but she's far too busy with work as it is, and you lucked out today considering your teacher ended up calling Mom instead of our dear Father. She wasn't happy to hear you were caught skipping class on the roof or sleeping in the middle of Philosophy either. I even heard you called the woman an old hag when she smacked you over the head with a book," Mayumi calmly stated.

The blonde teenager's scowl was once again in full swing, hazel eyes narrowing in contempt. "I rarely ever sleep these days as it is. Philosophy is the only class where I can bullshit my way through everything and still pass with flying colors and besides, Tanaka-sensei is an old hag anyway. She's nearly pushing seventy and she still doesn't retire."

Mayumi's gaze softened at her brother's admission, not needing to read into the situation any further given the way their parents treated one another at home. A brief flicker of guilt stirred within her, mainly due to the way she just up and left their family home without a second thought on the fateful day shortly after graduating from high school. Leaving him along with their mother had been a tough decision for her to make, and while she was still considered underage under Japanese law, the only reason she was even able to leave home was due to their mother's support in her decision.

She reached out to her brother, dragging him into a hug much to his exasperation. He was never a clingy person by any means, preferring to maintain his self-crafted image of a tough guy but given his own fondness for his older sister, he allowed her to get away with the action for a few seconds before she broke away.

"I'm sorry for leaving you all alone Daiki-kun. You deserve better than this, and I wish I had the power to do something about it. If only I-"

"It's not your fault Nee-san," he assured her. "You had to get away from Dad and we both know what sort of plans he had for your future. He's still deluded himself into thinking that you're gonna come crawling back after you've experienced how hard the world is or some shit like that. Honestly I think he's going senile."

"I'd rather be homeless than ever go back home after that stunt he tried to pull," she growled.

"I know. But for now, all I can do is deal with it until can move out on my own like you did. So, you still haven't told me what you're doing here? Are you here to walk my happy ass home and make sure I don't get into any more trouble?"

The elder Isayama rolled her eyes at her brother's thinly disguised sarcasm. Daiki had quite the foul mouth for a sixteen-year-old, and she knew he was raised better than that, but she simply didn't have it in her to reprimand him for his language. He hung out with enough troublemakers and bad influences as it was, and she did not wish to see him lose his way in the process.

"That's the plan mom had in mind, but I'm thinking we could do things a little differently. You've got school tomorrow, right?" she asked.

"Yeah but it's only a half day since it's a Saturday. Why?" he answered with a curious glance in her direction.

"Because I was thinking you could stay over my place for the weekend at least. I'm off tomorrow and Sunday and I want to make sure you do your damn homework this time around. Besides, I don't get to hang out with my cute little brother as much as I'd like," the female mechanic teased.

Daiki groaned once at his sister's playful remark. He didn't necessarily mind spending time with her, but he certainly didn't want to spend time doing the mountain of assignments thrown at him by his teachers. Hell, the only positive he saw to all of this is that he wouldn't have to stay at home for the next two days or see his old man.

"Fine I'll stay over. But did you already bring this up with Anzu-san? I don't need her all pissed at me when I show up with you," he said.

"It'll be just fine," Mayumi beamed. "You can crash on the couch."

"Ah, the couch. Swell."

Daiki tucked his hands into his pockets and turned away from his sister, taking a few steps in the direction to the nearest bus stop. Normally he would prefer walking, but he still needed to pick up a few changes of clothes at home if he planned to stay over the weekend at her place and he did not wish to run into his father since he was usually home by seven on most nights. Before he could get any further however, Mayumi grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him from whisking off without her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Uh, the nearest bus stop? It's not like you have a car and I still need to pick up a fresh set of clothes for this weekend," he felt the need to point out.

Mayumi pocketed her cell phone after reading the last message sent to her with a grin. "We're going to hitch a ride instead."

"With who? There's no one around here and cabs aren't exactly cheap in these parts."

Just as Mayumi opened her mouth to formulate a response a very discernible hiss suddenly filled her ears followed by the familiar exhaust note of a car she'd become all the more familiar with in the last few weeks. Since Sakumo was off in Hiroshima with Reina, Yuzuru was pretty much on his own for the next few days and since he'd promised to try talk to Daiki at her behest, today was as good a day as any.

The blonde-haired student perked up at the sound. While he was not as knowledgeable about cars as his sister was, he'd gone to Akina a few times to see what all the fuss was about in the local street racing scene. Most of the drivers he saw were nothing but amateurs though, and he quickly lost interest once the driver of the infamous Trueno began racing outside of Gunma.

A series of low growls seemed to carry over from a small distance and with each passing second it grew considerably louder. For a moment Daiki couldn't help but be impressed by what he heard, it truly sounded incredible to his ears, but he'd seen enough wannabe racers in Akina to know that any car could sound great but it was the driver that ultimately made all the difference.

Not long thereafter, a highly modified Nissan with exquisite bodywork pulled up in front of them. Daiki found it incredibly difficult to look away from the vehicle, his eyes taking in and admiring how beautiful and aggressive it looked from every angle. He knew from experience that the car now parked before them was a 180SX, but what stuck him as odd was the fact that the car's front end was that of an S13 Silvia.

'I've never seen such a combination before. But it's quite the imposing sight. It even looks like it got an attitude to go with it,' he observed.

Daiki watched his sister approach the car and cocked his head to the side once a young man emerged from the driver's side. He studied the man carefully, noting that he was on the tall side and had a very lean and athletic build. A slight frown formed on his lips once he picked up on the rather small detail that the person standing before him also cut quite the handsome figure, and almost immediately his protective instincts flared regarding Mayumi.

This wasn't the first time he'd ever even seen his older sister interact with someone of the opposite sex, and many times over the years he had gone as far to make it his sworn duty to make the life of any boy she brought home, or introduced to him as a friend a living hell. It didn't matter if they were simply a classmate or a simple friend, Daiki never discriminated and at times the line blurred beyond distinction. Mayumi had always been a bit of a tomboy, and while that would have been a turn off for some guys in her age group, Daiki was also no fool when he caught a boy or classmate staring at his sister longer than he deemed appropriate.

His hazel eyes narrowed into slits once the young man approached Mayumi, and he quickly sensed a familiarity between the two that made things somewhat bemusing for him. The longer he studied the man, the more frustrating he found him, mainly because he couldn't quite place him into an appropriate category among the incredibly small list of boys his sister hung around with during her school days. On one end, he thought the brunette was the stereotypical pretty boy. But there was also a roguishness and a devil-may-care attitude to him he found compelling.

'He's a hafu as well,' Daiki realized once he got a look at the young man's foreign features.

Dressed in a simple pair of well-worn blue jeans, a set of black Adidas Sambas, and a plain grey polo, Daiki simply couldn't fight the odd wave of nostalgia that struck him once the brunette turned to face him. The moment his brown eyes met his own, there was a warm intensity he recognized within them; the sort that indicated surprise laced with small traces of recollection.

A small smile graced Yuzuru's lips once he took in Daiki's appearance. "Yare, yare; you've grown in the time I've been away Daiki. A few more years and you'll be as tall as I am."

The boxing club athlete cocked an eyebrow at the lack of an honorific attached to his name. Very few people referred to him by his given name alone, and aside from his parents or sister a small number of childhood friends could get away with such an action.

"Do I know you?" he managed to say without managing to voice his discomfort.

"I guess I should have expected such a question coming from you," the street racer chuckled. "But to be fair you were only about eight years old the last time I saw you."

"You've usually got a better memory than mine Daiki, I would have expected you to recognize him by now," Mayumi remarked.

Yuzuru bowed formally in greeting before holding his hand out. "Kurokawa Yuzuru, at your service."

Daiki froze in place, his eyes widening considerably once the penny dropped. Now it all suddenly made sense why his sister seemed to have taken a greater interest in mechanics than normal as of late. She'd even gone as far as mentioning that an old friend of theirs was back, but he didn't think it would have been Yuzuru of all people.

Hesitantly, he took the proffered hand and shook it. The contact lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough for him to feel the slightly callused feel to Yuzuru's hand and the bandage wrapped around it that spoke of a previous injury. Nevertheless, it didn't take much for him to deduce that the older teenager was involved some form of hard labor as a result and he was forced to acknowledge this.

"I'd heard an old family friend was back from abroad, but I honestly didn't pay much attention to Nee-san when she said it," he said with as much disinterest he could muster. "I didn't think it would be you though Yuzuru. What's with the killer set of wheels?"

Mayumi gave her brother a reproachful look and was sorely tempted to swat the kid for his indifference to their old childhood friend but held back once Yuzuru offered her a wink. Evidently, he wasn't put off by the lack of reaction from the younger Isayama even if the response was a rude one.

Yuzuru placed a hand on the Sileighty's roof, a challenging smirk spreading across his face. "The car is more than just for looks I assure you Daiki. I've managed to beat a Three-Two, an EG6 and a DC2 on Usui's downhill all within the last month. All three are the top drivers belonging to the Night Kids of Myogi."

"So, you're a street racer then?" the sixteen-year-old asked. This time around he could not keep the curiosity from his voice.

"Pass racer, tuner, mechanic, grease monkey; take your pick," Mayumi felt the need to interject. "But I went to his last race against the Integra, and he's a cut above most street racers in Gunma. He's even been offered a position as one of Project D's mechanics."

"Jeez laying it on thick aren't you Yumi-chan? I told you that I haven't made my decision about that yet," he said whilst scratching the back of his head in mild discomfort.

Daiki snorted. Even if Yuzuru managed to defeat the top hierarchy of one of Gunma's strongest teams, he had a hard time believing someone his sister's age was skilled enough to do it. Sure, there were rumors circling around Shibukawa that the driver of Akina's Eight-Six was extremely young, but there wasn't much for him to be able to substantiate the claims on since he rarely made the trip out to the mountain on his own.

"So, what's the plan for today?" the high school student asked in an attempt to change the subject. He didn't know if he should be thrilled to suddenly have an old childhood friend show up out of the blue, or cautious. A lot could change in eight years after all.

"I'll be dropping your sister off at her place first since it's closer, and I'll drive you over to yours so you can pick up your change of clothes. After that I'll leave you at her place," Yuzuru stated.

Mayumi glanced at her brother briefly, knowing that the boy was by no means an idiot in any sense of the word. At times he could be a loose cannon, and cursed like a sailor, but part of the reason she recruited Yuzuru in her attempts to try and reach the boy were mainly due to his reserved and withdrawn nature at times. As frustrating as she found this trait to be in her childhood friend, it was something the two shared, and she hoped he would be successful in getting a read on Daiki's current home situation and his troubles both in and out of school.

Although he would probably never admit it, Mayumi was positive that her decision to move out drove a bit of a wedge in her relationship with her younger brother. At home, the two often relied on one another greatly, and she saw this as the beginning of a growing distance between them. As a result, she resolved that if her brother would not speak to her regarding his ongoing issues and his delinquent behavior, then perhaps Yuzuru would be able to wear him down if given enough time.

The process would not be an easy one and if there was one thing she knew about the elder Kurokawa from their early days, was that he was incredibly stubborn. Once he set his mind to something, it would be terribly difficult to dissuade him from his course of action. This was yet another parallel the talented mechanic shared with Daiki, and she hoped it would be enough to bridge the gap between them.

'But knowing Daiki, he's going to try to put Yuu-chan through the wringer if he pokes and prods at him too much. That being said however, if he pisses him off enough, I get the feeling he'll take the poor kid on a spin down Akina to put the fear of God into him,' she mentally droned.

Daiki fixed a glare on his older sister that did not go unnoticed by the third member of their entourage. In the few minutes since he'd arrived it didn't take long for him to read between the lines. It was obvious the kid saw him as a threat, and in a way, he could empathize with him. Being in his presence was rather unsettling not because of his cool demeanor or unruly disposition, but because it reminded him of himself. It was like looking into a mirror in more ways than one, and everything from his stiff posture and slight scowl was a stark reminder of the brief period of two years he was slowly coming to refer to as his 'lost years'.

Yuzuru could only hope the kid wouldn't make things difficult for him but judging by his overall attitude he wasn't as receptive of his appearance as Mayumi was during their first encounter after eight years. All the signs were laid bare for him to see and while Daiki didn't have to get along with him or like him after all these years, he wasn't about to let the kid get the better of him if he tried to push his buttons.

'But if you do manage to piss me off nothing is gonna save you from a downhill run on Akina,' he mused as his smile tightened just a tad.

Despite his hesitance around Yuzuru, the fighter within him was unwilling to show it as he considered it a sign of weakness. He was genuinely curious to know what his old childhood friend had been up to all these years and resolved to ask him once he was alone with him. It had been years since he'd met someone of the Kurokawa family, and he was willing to swallow his pride for a bit to ask how Reina, Kakeru, and the rest were doing.

"Let's get going then," Daiki said with an air of finality.


Project D Gathering Ground, Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture

7:32PM

Ichinose Akio was positively flabbergasted by the most recent turn of events. Never in his wildest dreams could he have expected to have been in the company of such a talented group of drivers and mechanics for such a prolonged period of time, and now, he was one of them. As of tonight, he was officially member of Project D and one of the mechanics working directly under Ryosuke and Matsumoto's supervision.

Due to his knowledge, expertise, and experience, it seemed that his boss and the famous Takahashi Ryosuke saw something special in him. It seemed that all that hard work and loyalty as one of Matsumoto's most trusted mechanics back at the shop amounted to far more than he could have bargained for when he first signed the dotted line, and to say he was excited would be the biggest understatement of the century.

Akio was positively ecstatic to form a part of Project D. There was no simpler way of putting it and while he would have been the first to be grinning like an idiot, he was more than willing to set aside his exuberance once he read the team's general atmosphere as they made their final preparations before departure. Tsukuba was easily a two-hour drive and there was much for them to do before they arrived in Ibaraki.

Although Matsuomoto and Tomiguchi were the primary mechanics assigned to the Eight-Six and FD respectively, he would be the one to assist both when the need arose. What struck him the most, was how hands-on Ryosuke was with both his drivers and mechanics. The man was an absolute repository of knowledge and a genius in every sense of the word, but he was also logical, clever, and willing to listen to the input of others.

Not long after he arrived, Ryosuke and Matsumoto both gave him a rundown regarding the settings each vehicle had and a profile pertaining to the habits and preferences of their drivers. It wasn't the first time they did such a thing, having done something similar the night they completed the FD's shakedown at Usui. But once thing he noticed very early on, was how detailed and methodical all the data provided to him was.

By now, every single member of Project D had arrived at their designated meeting place, and since Tomiguchi, Fumihiro and Kenta were locked in their own discussion, he unconsciously found himself drawn to the Eight-Six once again. No words could even begin to describe the heaviness and almost intimidating aura the vehicle possessed when compared to his own Trueno.

The car was quite simply in a league of it's own; and he still had a difficult time coming to terms with the fact that the youngest mechanic employed at Matsumoto Speed who also happened to be his friend and co-worker was capable of taking apart and putting back together the beauty that was the 4A-G sitting under the hood of Akina's Eight-Six.

"Dear God, that engine is a work of art," he whispered to himself.

While Toyota's famous 1.6 liter four cylinder was considered one of the most durable and reliable platforms ever to be mass produced, he knew from the moment he first heard the car's exhaust note that the little motor powering the Eight-Six parked before him was by no means normal in any sense of the word. It took some serious amount of pull and balls to put a highly illegal race engine in a domestic vehicle but in his eyes, this rendered the car even more appealing.

The longer he spent studying the specs in his hand, the more difficult it became to wrap his head around the fact that Yuzuru had pretty much built the motor from the ground up at the early age of sixteen. It was almost unthinkable. Ridiculous. Unlikely. But the proof stood in front of him to witness. A standard Naturally Aspirated 4A-GE like his own took some serious time and money to build, and there wasn't much power that could be brought out from an engine with such a small displacement without buckling down and rebuilding it from the ground up with new parts.

Even then, the most he'd been able to push out of the one in his own Trueno was roughly about 215HP at the wheel and the process alone took him years to accomplish. Ultimately his father's old Kouki model ended up becoming a rather ferocious competitor on Usui's downhill and he was very much proud of this fact, but a small part of him simply couldn't help comparing his car to the one driven by their Downhill Ace.

A Group A-spec 4A-G built and tuned to produce 240HP at 11,000RPM was a stark difference to his own, and the differences did not end there either. Since it was originally developed with the intention to be used as a proper race engine, its oiling system was dry sump which only bolstered its performance in periods of sustained cornering primarily because it helped the engine avoid starving itself of oil. Akio considered this beneficial and a rather ingenious concept, especially in the case of prolonged battles.

'But it also runs on a dual carburetor setup,' he quickly reminded himself.

In a day an age where carburetors were considered a thing of the past with the introduction of electronic fuel injection, Akio was astounded by the performance and reliability exhibited by Fujiwara's Eight-Six. The twenty-valve motor was a true thoroughbred in every sense of the word, and he could only hazard a guess as to the secrets harbored within it. Getting a carburetor to work well with the ignition could be like pulling teeth at times.

Carburetors were known to be notoriously temperamental and finding the sweet spot could at times prove challenging due to changes in fuel mixture. At times the car could be running lean, on other occasions it could even be running too rich. A balance needed to be struck, and getting things right was not always simple, especially with an engine that was originally designed to be electronically fuel injected.

"I have to give you credit for this Yuzuru. There's a method to your madness, but it works," he said once he finished sorting through the sheets of data on his clipboard.

Matsumoto approached his employee and newly inducted teammate with a tense look on his face. Ryosuke and Takumi both joined their chief mechanic to stand around the Zenki model Eight-Six. Akio most certainly didn't miss the air of professionalism and calm the permeated their auras, and he knew that this was in part, due to their upcoming battle against Purple Shadow.

"Everything set on your end Ichinose-kun?" Matsumoto asked the younger mechanic.

"Hai, everything's set and good to go Tencho. I was just taking the time to admire this remarkable work of engineering. She's incredibly well put together, and I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of tweaks we can make once we get to Ibaraki to suit the course," was his response.

"We'll have you do a few laps with both Keisuke and Fujiwara-kun on the downhill as well Ichinose-kun," Ryosuke declared. "I'd like you to get a feel for the road on your own and try to observe the conditions throughout both. I have maps of Tsukuba's overall layout for you to use as well."

Akio nodded in approval. The first few runs would serve as a template to help him acclimate to their Aces and get a better read on them as drivers. On top of that, he wanted to see what sort of challenges Mt. Tsukuba would throw their way. Each time he visited a new course regardless of where it was, he often drove through them multiple times to see what he would be working with. The few occasions he did venture out of Usui he paid visits to Myogi, Akina, and Akagi as a means to test himself and his memory.

"I'll definitely put them to good use Ryosuke-san. Are all the support vans ready for departure?"

"Almost. I've having Fumihiro and Kenta complete their checklists one final time. Since the drive to Ibaraki is further when compared to our previous expeditions, I had the feeling we would need more parts and supplies. I also took the liberty of procuring more tires for each vehicle as well. Two vans were simply not enough given how tough our opponents are going to be," the team leader confessed.

"What about Kurokawa-san? Will he be joining us sometime soon?" Takumi asked.

"He will be joining us early tomorrow morning," Matsumoto declared before pausing to glance around in search of the younger Takahashi. "Where's Keisuke-san?"

"I believe he needed to grab something to eat before we departed. He should be back soon," Ryosuke smoothly returned.

"I'd like to walk the course tomorrow before it gets dark," Akio spoke up. "This will allow me to get a better read on what our drivers will be dealing with tomorrow as well. I'll share my input with Yuzuru once he arrives and compare what adjustments we can make to each car's setup once we get the necessary feedback."

"Oh, good thinking," Matsumoto smiled.

"I concur," Ryosuke added. "With each battle Project D has grown and evolved. There is still much for all of us to do to reach the next level. Both you and Kurokawa are already considered Matsumoto Speed's finest mechanics, but you are also both pass racers and have a considerable amount of knowledge and experience that will prove beneficial to us in the long run. You both have an eye for detail, and together you are also a highly formidable pair as the results speak for themselves."

A surge of pride swelled within Akio once he took in Ryosuke's words. The man known as Akagi's White Comet was not someone easily pleased, and Matsumoto had told him as much in the past but when he spoke, one could not help but appreciate his candor. In the brief period since he first encountered Takahashi Ryosuke, Akio found himself taken in by his calm and charismatic disposition. He may have been only two years his senior, but his regard and respect for his team leader was quite easily equal to what he had for his boss.

"With your aid, Project D will be able to achieve even greater things and in time I have no doubt your own skillset will grow as well. We are a team in every sense of the word, and every victory has been a hard-fought battle. My goal since our inception, has been to develop the skills of some of the best drivers and mechanics in Gunma and take them to greater heights."

"And I promise to give my absolute best to help our team and our drivers in every way I can," young man said with a formal bow.

"Splendid," Ryosuke surmised before leveling his calculating gaze on his chief mechanic. "Could you please take Ichinose-kun with you to help the rest of our team finish preparations? I want to depart by 8pm."

Matsumoto inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Will do. Let's go give them a hand Ichinose-kun."

Takumi silently watched Akio take his leave to join the rest of their group. So far, he didn't know what to make of the man but there was little reason to doubt his abilities. The few laps he did on Usui with him in his passenger seat spoke of a man who knew his stuff across the board. With only a single run on the downhill, Ichinose had been able to make a startling number of observations that Kurokawa would later build upon. The two men had an incredible knack for setting up a car, and shortly after he took his Eight-Six out for another shakedown lap the results were incredibly apparent.

'I know I've made some progress in the time since I first joined Project D. But I envy their ability to make these new adjustments appear to be so easy,' he thought.

In the past year since he began to develop an active interest in street racing, Takumi slowly came to terms with the notion that each battle he won changed him in more ways than he could have possibly imagined. He'd grown faster, smarter, developed newer skills that he didn't have before, and a newfound love for pass racing he never could have predicted.

Back in the day, he viewed driving on Akina as more of a chore forced onto him by his father's tofu deliveries. He never harbored an interest in street racing, and simply drove fast because he wanted to see how close he could get to the guardrails. It was game for him, and he would often try to get home as quickly as he possibly could once he wasn't bogged down by the tofu in the back. All he really cared about was getting back home early enough to catch some more shuteye before he had to get to school.

Now however, things were different. Under Ryosuke's guidance and the support of those who made up Project D he'd gained an even greater insight to the art of pass racing. Each opponent he faced was only faster and tougher than the last, and with their expedition to Ibaraki beginning only moments from now he simply couldn't ignore the seemingly crushing pressure that permeated the air around them. Ryosuke seemed a little more tense when compared to his usually calm and collected demeanor, and given the information provided to him regarding his opponent he could understand why.

'When I think about this upcoming battle, I don't feel calm about it either…I have this strange feeling…' he ruminated.

Ryosuke sent a casual glance in the direction of his Downhill Ace as he drew a cigarette out of his carton. Whatever the outcome of these upcoming battles, both Keisuke and Fujiwara would emerge from then a much better driver. Things for Project D were picking up, and from here on out their opponents would only be even more difficult. Part of the reason he extended an invitation to have Ichinose join Project D, was due to the man's remarkable capabilities as both a mechanic and attention to detail.

Because Ichinose was an experienced mechanic and among the best at Matsumoto Speed, his support would become a boon given that their final phase would soon be upon them. His handiwork was exemplary and even before Kurokawa's arrival at the shop his chief mechanic often sang praises regarding the young main hailing from Nagano despite having lived and worked in Gunma almost all his life.

With his cigarette lit, Ryosuke set his sights on the Eight-Six in front of him. The silence between them was not an uncomfortable one, and this allowed him a moment to sort his thoughts regarding the other person he wished to recruit to his team and his own skills as both a mechanic and driver.

Finally, after almost a full month trying to piece together Kurokawa's past and develop a profile on the young street racer, he'd managed to compile an entire dossier on his exploits in Kanagawa and even some in Saitama. Hakone, Yabitsu, Nanamagari, Nagao. What he found was nothing short of astounding, to the point many would have thought his track record beyond ludicrous given the fact that he was only between seventeen to eighteen years of age during the year and a half he raced in the neighboring prefecture.

The boy was gifted. Rightfully so, given the time and effort he spent dismantling Kanagawa's Four Lines of Defense in the short span of a few months. It was an accomplishment that only a select few were ever able to achieve and as Akagi's White Comet he was among them. Facing the Shinigami for most people was a death sentence given the man's notorious reputation for breaking the conventional rules of pass racing and his unscrupulous methods. That alone would have scared off most of his opponents and yet Kurokawa managed come out of the battle unscathed with only a small number of witnesses to corroborate the encounter in Hakone.

More importantly however, was the way he composed himself behind the wheel of the FD. Most reports spoke of the phantom RX-7 praised and vilified for its speed, ferocity and brutal efficiency even in the harshest environments and among the poorest conditions one could face. Many people spoke of Kurokawa's relentlessness, especially the few times he interacted with the locals to ask questions in his hunt for a late model Mark III Toyota Supra.

At first, it had been difficult for him to understand why he would scour an entire prefecture on the hunt for only one driver. He could scarcely make heads or tails of the situation once he heard of this, but recent conversations with Iwamura Tatsuru shortly after he discovered the startling piece of evidence sent his way by one of his many sources in Kanawaga finally gave him the answer he sought.

'I never thought he would share yet another startling similarity with me,' he mentally sighed. 'Now it all makes sense. The reason why people referred to him as Kanagawa's Kamikaze was not only because of his skill and technique as a driver; but because he each time he got into the car he drove to the death. He drove like a man with nothing left to lose, thus freeing him from his inhibitions. All he had to guide him were his instincts, nothing more.'

Ryosuke exhaled a breath of smoke with a forlorn smile on his face. While the pain of losing Kaori was no longer as strong as it once was, he too remembered his reaction once he learned of her death. The wound ran deep, and the pain was unbearable. It was part of the reason why he threw himself to pass racing with everything he had. The following year or so he would shatter numerous course records everywhere he went without a single care for the fanfare or attention it brought to him. Gymkhana, Time Attack, Drifting Events, nothing truly mattered in his eyes.

All he wanted was to be the best, and for a time he achieved the goal he so desperately sought on the touge. Street racing was his only interest; it was the reason he constantly turned down so many lucrative offers from professional teams throughout Japan even when Mazda came calling as a result of his FC's infamy across all North Kanto.

In a sense, Kurokawa reminded him greatly of himself. As surprising as it was for him to come to terms with this, Ryosuke could not ignore how much Kurokawa had changed in the time he transitioned from his FD to his Sileighty. With this switch, the young brunette displayed traits of a more analytical and strategic mind capable of an astonishing degree of adaptability that would only continue to evolve with each passing battle. Like Fujiwara, Kurokawa was a highly instinctual driver who was more than willing to using underhanded measures during a race so long as they yielded the desired result.

This spoke of an inner recklessness that both drivers appeared to have tamed in recent months, and it was why he considered the pair two sides of the very same coin. While Fujiwara was still the stronger and more unpredictable of the two, Kurokawa was not far behind in this department. He was cautious, which was remarkable for someone as young as he was, but he was not afraid of being aggressive and pushing himself past his limits when the situation called for it and in this sense the kid reminded Ryosuke of himself once more.

'His skills in the mechanical side of things are also no laughing matter,' he was quick to recall.

Indeed; all he needed as proof was the engine lying at the heart of Fujiwara's Eight-Six. Given Kurokawa's upbringing and roots through his father's illustrious rallying career it made sense for the apple to not fall far from the tree. Sakumo was very well known in the world of motorsports, and through his youth one recurring trait that his son embodied was his incredible knack for setting up any car he got his hands on.

Yuzuru seemed to have inherited this, and Ryosuke had a feeling that soon enough Reina's name would become synonymous with Gunma's top pass racers in time. Her aura alone was breathtaking to witness, and deep down he knew that in a few years it would shine as brightly as her brother's. The girl would go very far once her time to reign across their home prefecture came, and he had a feeling that she too would go on to carve out her very own legend.

'Despite all of this however, I can't ignore the fact that Kurokawa-kun will eventually seek the driver of that A70 out. It is a battle two years in the making, just like the one I have been putting off.'

While Kaori's death had been the catalyst for him, in Kurokawa's case it was the loss of the person he now assumed to have been the young man's greatest source of inspiration. In some respects, it mirrored the relationship he shared with Keisuke. As his older brother, he'd been the first to introduce him to the world of pass racing and he could still recall the first time he took him for a spin on Akagi's downhill. That night was a memorable one for him, and it sparked a change in him as well.

'But unfortunately, Kurokawa-kun will never be able to share this with him. Now I understand why he raced across Kanagawa in the search of that man… He wants an answer. He wishes for closure.'

The retired street racer sighed through his burning cigarette, pushing his thoughts away in favor of their expedition to Ibaraki. He would have plenty of time to speak to Kurokawa at length regarding his past, but now was not the time to dwell on the matter further. They still had a two-hour drive ahead of them, and with the numerous preparations he'd been absorbed with, he found little in the way of sleep.

"I believe we are almost ready to depart Fujiwara-kun. I am going to be honest with you, your next opponent will most likely be the toughest you have ever faced until now. He doesn't have a single weakness to him."

Takumi regarded his team leader with a curt nod, having come to the same conclusion on his own. "Hai, but that will not stop me from giving my all for this battle Ryosuke-san."

Ryosuke allowed a small smile to slip through his calculating expression. "I did not expect any less from you Fujiwara-kun. Just remember to be patient, you have the tools to build a strategy so that you don't lose even if seems you can't win."

With that the elder Takashi walked away, leaving his Downhill Ace bearing a look of confusion written across his face at the man's cryptic piece of advice.

"What?" was all he managed to say.


4/4/20

A/N:

Hey all, this chapter was a bit of an interesting one to write. The race between Shiori and Kyoko was rather fun to depict, and I enjoyed every moment of it. Over the last few weeks I've also begun to discover that she and Ryosuke are easily among my favorite characters to write scenes for, mainly because of how compelling and interesting they are.

In this chapter, we also meet Isayama Daiki, Mayumi's younger brother who's a bit of a hot head and as you can tell someone who isn't afraid to call someone out on their shit no matter how hypocritical it may seem to others given his own flaws. He was briefly mentioned earlier in Chapter 17, and now we have his official debut.

Yuzuru made only a brief appearance in this chapter, and this was intentional on my part because although he is the main character of this story, there is also a lot going on at the very same time he's going something else. In the manga Shigeno-sensei was great at depicting this, and it's something I noticed the anime was lacking.

That being said; the next chapters will have a lot in store for our dear Yuzuru, and I'm already excited thinking about it all. Reina as always is yet another character I absolutely adore writing scenes for and it's crazy how she's evolved from her first iteration.

Also, very big thing I want you guys to take note of, is Shiori's overall skills. While she may have theoretically "lost" on the uphill against Kyoko bear in mind that she was driving a Naturally Aspirated 2.0L four cylinder against a single turbo 13B which producers more power and acceleration overall. All she had at her disposal was her technique, her car's generally light frame and exceptional handling.

By the way incase you guys miss it, her technique and specifically her throttle control is my own personal homage to Ayrton Senna. I encourage you all to look up this driving style. He was incredibly unique and, in my opinion, the best driver to ever race in Formula One.

For now, all I can do I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. As always, leave a review since I'd really like to know your thoughts on this chapter as well as your predictions. I'm keen to see what direction you all think this is gonna go.

As things stand right now, I've been locked away at home for almost 2 weeks 'cause of this COVID-19 bullshit and it's driving me crazy since our useless governor only JUST implemented a stay at home order when he should have done so earlier! But I digress; in the span of a week I've seen my work hours cut from 40 to 15 given how bad things are going now, but at this point I'm just thankful I even have a job.

Anyways, forgive me for the long author's note but simply want to wish you guys all the best. Stay safe. Be good to one another and help others when you can. We will all get through this and hopefully sooner rather than later. Take care all.

Ja ne.

SilentAssassin11