III

46: Tochigi's Final Race

III

The Todo School gave us five days to learn the course.

Organizing each day was as critical to the result of my race with Tachi as possible. We had to accomplish two things, convince the Todo School Keisuke would be chosen to race Tachi as well as actually ensure all our time and effort was dedicated to making sure I was ready instead.

The first two days were very important. From sundown to midnight, about 5 and a half hours total, I had to use my computer's layout of Happogahara and then test what sections actually would require the most attention.

Happogahara's road offered a medium amount of grip. On my rating system for road conditions, Happogahara scored a passing C or 70 percent grade, meaning that having better tires than Tachi gave me a small advantage. There were much worse courses offering far less grip and hazardous effects, as well as ones that had far more grip.

The steepness of the hill varied greatly in both the uphill and downhill. There were parts going in both directions where the road just completely shifted in the opposite direction of the section being used, the uphill included sudden downhill sections and the downhill sudden uphill sections. In this regard, I didn't have much of an advantage either, because after using [Observe] just once on the Demonstration EK9, I learned that Tachi's slight horsepower advantage was mitigated by my slightly better suspension.

I was impressed with how well Todo had tuned the EK9. I always liked cars that gave a lot of horsepower for an N/A, at least 220 while still being naturally aspirated of course. The EK9 produced a maximum of 260 naturally aspirated horses, as far as I could tell, the entire engine block was very strong.

In nearly every regard of our cars and the course, the cars were even. Tachi should've had a cornering advantage using an FF against my FR, but I had both tuned the FC and learned grip and drift racing so well that my cornering speed would match him completely.

Like against Sudo, we would be very even. But the scales tipped just enough in my favor that I could increase my advantages enough to win.

The only place I would be able to beat Tachi would be to accurately gauge the pace for the race and predict where switches in placements will occur. Tachi wasn't going to bother waiting for me to take the lead, it would be in his best interest to let me follow and then do his best to pull away to end the race quickly.

It was his best shot to beat me. The EK9 being tuned to race the FD instead of my FC would only give me a speed advantage great enough to close the gap completely heading towards the final section. If Tachi could beat me it would be in the first third of the race where the corners were at their sharpest and where Tachi holding the lead gave him the ability to choose the pace.

My simulation in practice meant I had to do a few things.

After two days of practice having Keisuke run at full speed with the aerodynamic upgrades disguised as better tuning was enough to convince Todo I would be choosing him instead of my FC which to them still looked stock from the outside.

First, the Todo School's decision was clear from the Gamer telling me the tuning difference from one night to another in the EK9. On the downhill and uphill, the FD's cornering speed would still be enough to give the EK9 trouble as well as the fact that Keisuke was known for increasing his pace on a dime regardless of the conditions.

He was the safer bet admittedly. Keisuke wasn't just a good driver, he was unpredictable. The FD could increase its max speed the moment Keisuke used his rhythm reading ability and had far more horsepower and traction than my FC. Not to mention that even stock, the FD outperformed my FC by a significant margin.

The course was already chosen if we chose to race the FD or the FC.

Now that I would be involved, Todo's decision about how the race would be run speaking in terms of using the course made a lot of sense. As car-wise, Keisuke would be the better choice for Happogahara, and driver-wise I was the better choice, Todo decided to remove the need for a cone dividing the entire race into a downhill and uphill because it would be just as likely that I would race Tachi as Keisuke would.

After a bit of simulation work, I realized just why a cone was even involved in the anime. In the manga and anime, it was almost assured I would choose Keisuke to race against Tachi and the 86 being there at all was seen as a bit of a formality to represent Project D in moral support. As such, Todo needed to choose the layout of the race that most favored Tachi, so that the last part was a downhill heavy run where overall the majority of the entire run favored the EK9 over the FD.

The cone was at the top of the hill making the race's last four sections Happogahara's downhill.

In doing so, he unintentionally helped the 86 gain a bit of time here and there instead with the layout of the race as well as how the cars ran. So my race against Tomoyuki Tachi this Friday was simple, we would begin at the top of the hill and race downward. With how the steepness of the hill varied so much, this made sense so as to not let the race drag on. Todo insisted that regardless of how the times and starting positions of the race were used, it had to be decided in a single downhill run.

Todo needed Tachi to win the race quickly, the longer it went on the likelihood of odd things happening increased like in any race.

There was a problem. Tachi's EK9 was so well tuned that even under the heaviest amount of stress it wouldn't malfunction in the slightest. Nothing could go wrong with the brakes, tires, gearbox, and least of all the engine which was one of the best tuned I had ever had the Gamer describe to me.

Tachi's driving was so high level and his speed and technique so advanced, that I could only use a few key moves throughout the run to beat him. I would have to overtake right before the bridge past the second checkpoint using the invisible line, dodge the bump and run attempt before the third checkpoint, and most importantly have to both guard any lines Tachi would want to take during any hairpin as well as run at my fastest.

In terms of pushing myself to my full capacity, I hadn't done so yet and I wouldn't here. My races against Kyoichi Sudo and Takumi Fujiwara were close but not quite, and this one would be no different.

The FC was so aerodynamic now and my skills attuned to the car well enough that in terms of sheer speed I would be on slightly higher ground than Tachi. But because he knew the course better the deciding factor would again be tactics. I would have to predict how he moved in each part of the course, which areas would be ideal for an overtake or to pressure my line.

Beating him would have people talking all year now, but more importantly, I would do it all with the name Red Suns having the defeat of a professional driver on it. Beating Kyoichi Sudo was close to this, but he was in fact a street racer still.

Tomoyuki Tachi on the other hand never did this really.

III

After the Red Suns had finished practicing for the night, the Todo School let Tomoyuki get a few rounds of training in.

Everyone at the Todo School simply watched quietly at how fast Tomoyuki could drive both up and downhill on Happogahara. Despite the difficulty of the course, he was so skilled that it became easy to him.

Daiki watched as the yellow EK9 flew past him at full speed on a corner. "That carbon fiber hood is just one of the many parts you've used to upgrade this whole thing chief. But I never thought anyone could be this fast on a mountain," said Daiki. "And Tomoyuki is such a good driver that he's amazing. Even for a professional. Why would he even bother with a street race like this?"

Todo tapped his cigarette. "The fact is that Tomoyuki got his pride rattled, badly. Something must've convinced him that these Takahashi brothers were so much better than your average street racer that they could actually race him. Otherwise, he wouldn't care. I haven't seen him this focused in years. He's not just doing this to blow off steam, Tomoyuki's smarter than that. He wants to beat these Red Suns, pure and simple."

Tomoyuki cleared another corner easily, his brakes screeching as the EK9 gripped the inside line and shot off accelerating from second to third gear. "Either way, Tomoyuki won't be able to lose this. Both these Rotary Brothers are just street racers, only the older one has any experience on the circuit. And when you boil it all down, driving ability comes down to how experienced you are."

"So why get rid of the cone chief?" Daiki asked. "Wouldn't doing that make it more likely that the FC is gonna race?"

"I've accounted for that. Tomoyuki's EK has the gear settings for the FD but the course favors the FC. With the chances for victory so even for them regardless of which RX-7 they choose, the FD is the only choice. Ryosuke Takahashi seems like an honest guy, but he's very crafty from what I hear. He needs every last fraction of a second possible to win this, so the FD comes out on top still." explained Todo. "Our losses back on Enna taught me one thing from how badly you two got beat. They're not just skilled, they're smart. But that doesn't excuse the fact that Tomoyuki is a professional through and through."

Daiki looked downhill knowing Tomoyuki was still on an unbeatable pace. 'Tomoyuki is probably the best driver I've ever met. Even though he's driving a great car, Tomoyuki is still so skilled that I don't see how the Takahashi Brothers can win this. But why am I on edge still? Is it because they're so unpredictable? I have no clue.'

III

It was Wednesday, two days before the rematch with the Todo School that Keisuke woke up with a bit of a toothache.

He groaned quietly, rubbing his jaw while walking out of his bedroom in the Takahashi Manor. 'Must've gotten hit harder than I thought in sparring. I give more than I take in the ring sure but it can sting.'

Keisuke's voice rang out through the hall. "Bro? Hey! Ryosuke?"

There was no response.

Keisuke knocked on the door to Ryosuke's room. Not hearing his brother's voice, Keisuke spoke before entering. "Hey man, where are you?"

Ryosuke's room was empty, Keisuke thinking quietly before leaving. 'Hard to believe he brought his girlfriend here the other night. That was kind of odd, I thought couples just rented a room in a love hotel or whatever. I guess Ryosuke having a girlfriend at all is just hard to wrap my head around in the first place anyway, the whole thing would be weird regardless.'

Keisuke went downstairs and checked the garage and the driveway. The FC was not there.

Keisuke shrugged and walked to his mailbox checking it.

He had developed a good skill to separate mail from fangirls from the mail Keisuke was actually interested in.

'Two follow-ups from Mazda's Tokyo team and another big shot pro circuit group. Both for big bro. Damnit when am I gonna get offers this sweet? I wanna keep going with the Suns first and then move on but still, all I get is crap like this.' thought Keisuke holding more fan mail he felt like throwing away.

Keisuke drove to his job in his FD wearing his bicycle store uniform walking in to see a note left for him on the desk from his manager.

'I have family business over in Honjo. It's a small day today, just a few new orders and a lower customer intake. Expect a pay bump today for the extra duties.'

Keisuke put the note away in his pocket before going outside seeing a familiar man in a bicycle pull up in front of the store holding a small package in a plastic bag.

"Thanks," Keisuke said taking the bag and handing him a 2000 Yen bill. "Keep the change."

The man nodded before tipping his cap. "This bike you guys gave me is really reliable. Great stuff."

"Appreciate it," said Keisuke. "We try our best."

He turned and pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the yellow FD behind him. "I've seen this before all over town. Great car but what does that Red Suns sticker mean? You on a racing team of some sort? Never heard of a team like that in rallies."

Keisuke chuckled. "We don't race in Gymkhana or anything official like that."

"So what. You street race?"

Keisuke kept smiling, opening the door to the bicycle shop while speaking. "Have a great day."

The delivery man chuckled while riding off. 'A street racer with such a cool ride? What a badass.'

Keisuke began to fix the bicycles he had in the backroom, making sure the gears and chains of the bikes were all in order. Small groups of girls in pairs or trios began to walk in and pretend to look at bicycles while trying to sneak looks at Keisuke.

He simply politely offered to help them with anything they needed and stayed in the shop fixing bikes, ignoring them completely.

A bell rang and Keisuke walked to the front desk. "Ishii Bicycle shop. How can I help you? Oh, hey Taki, aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I'm on my break right now actually," Takihiro said. "My S13 just came out of the shop. Was hoping to give her a test drive soon. You know, really push her."

"Aisuke can be argued as being better than Kenta nowadays. He'd be a good training partner for you," said Keisuke.

Takihiro laughed. "Even though their speeds can be similar sometimes Aisuke was always better."

"He was? I knew he was always good but Kenta's skills on the downhill were always good too. He was a karting champ."

Takihiro shook his head. "Why do you think I got a silver Nissan all those years back? Everyone knew Aisuke was the guy to beat back then, Myogi's Silver Bullet. Heck, you remember right?"

"A bit." Keisuke nodded. "But you three all are getting really similar overall in terms of speed. You drive the same sort of cars, meaning your skills can't be too far off from one another."

"Yeah, the uphill's for you, Daito, and Yakuma. The rest of us just don't have the horsepower or grip. Speaking of which, Fumihiro suggested I get an S14 or S15. Apparently, my old S13 is holding me back. Aisuke sort of agreed."

Keisuke sighed. "You know I really wish they wouldn't say stuff like that. The S13 is still a classic, forget how fast it can drift. It can use grip really well too, just like the 180 or the S14. The newer models might be flashier but that S13 of yours is the kind of car you stick with forever you know."

"I'm kind of jealous of the rest of you though. Aisuke and Kenta drive Nismo's best, and the rest of you are faster than anyone else on the uphill. And that's nothing to say of Ryosuke."

Keisuke continued to ignore the groups of young women bothering him in the bicycle store. "You're the kind of downhiller most in Gunma wish they could be Taki. You're getting better, and you're going to be great. You know how good your S13 can be dude, I promise it's gonna get even better."

Takihiro smiled. "Thanks man. But that's not why I came over here. I wanted to ask you for some advice you know. On women."

"Dating advice?" Keisuke raised an eyebrow. "Um. Why?"

Takihiro looked around the bicycle shop full of girls who obviously weren't buying anything. "I mean, you're not even doing anything and this place speaks for itself."

"Well, I don't know much about that. I only had one girlfriend back in high school and that didn't end well. And Ryosuke's so weird about dating I wouldn't ask him either. But if you want some advice though, I'd drop that haircut if I were you."

Takihiro was surprised. "Really? But I always liked wearing it long."

"Not before bro put together the Red Suns. Aisuke knew to change his car from silver to white the moment he joined the team. If you stop trying to look flashy, you can start being yourself. I don't know if that sounds dumb, but that's the best I can give you."

"Yeah, I always wondered about that," said Takihiro. "Why did Aisuke change the paint job on his 180?"

"You should ask him. I have no clue."

Takihiro checked his watch. "Thanks for the advice about women man. I'll see ya tonight on the mountain."

Keisuke had no idea where his brother could be other than at Medical School downtown or at home. He had no idea that Ryosuke was driving out to Happogahara during the daytime at that very moment.

III

Happogahara only had regular cars out on the road during the time of day I was there. But I couldn't take any chances that anyone from the Todo School had seen me in Spec III of the FC, so I had taken as much precaution as possible in that they didn't see me, sticking to roads with almost no other cars on it and as far from the Todo School's main facility as I could.

I reached the top of Happogahara's hill and entered the Abyss, taking a moment to look at my FC.

Even with the new carbon fiber hood and rear wing, the FC was still the same car I used when I became Akagi's White Comet years ago. As much as I enjoyed having Mako as my girlfriend, the impact my driving had on her hadn't changed and remained something I strove to improve every day: my driving technique on the downhill.

Before the Red Suns, all I had was this FC. No team members, no course records better than Gunma ever seen, just this car and what I was able to do with it. Even with all the new resources I had at my disposal, I still was facing the same challenge I had since day one of street racing competitively.

I was going to be racing against better and better drivers with increasingly better cars using mostly the Gamer, my technique, and the FC as my biggest tools. I would have to adhere to my simulation on today's run, if I could get the time I needed, then I would beat Tomoyuki Tachi.

I couldn't overpressure any system in the FC. These were amateur mistakes, and if I couldn't race at the speed I needed to without damaging my car, then I could forget beating Tachi, much less racing at the level I needed to in order to beat the Kanto region.

The downhill run would be simple, nothing but grip racing and the slightest amount of drift.

I opened the door to the FC. As always, I never left a detail out of how I raced, drove, or did anything. My race against Tomoyuki Tachi would be no different.

III

Ryosuke's grip racing was so fast that any nearby grass or tree branches flew in his direction instantly.

The FC's 13B-T engine hissed as the rotaries whirred. Ryosuke was accelerating down the first straight at full speed, pressing the gas and then the clutch before going into second gear.

Entering the first hairpin, Ryosuke tapped the brakes, guiding the FC quickly around the left turn using the steering to corner.

Exiting the turn, Ryosuke let the throttle fly and the FC zipped out of the turn.

As he flew down the straightaway, Ryosuke knew which technique to use when cornering again just by barely looking at the turn.

The rear of the FC flew around the right turn in a perfect power slide as the tires screeched, the Gamer marking how [Critical] the move was from how fast and how well Ryosuke executed it.

As the FC stopped sliding and faced back downhill, Ryosuke upshifted and hit the throttle, pressing the gas down hard. With how well-tuned both rotaries in the 13B-T were and how well Ryosuke was able to use them, the FC's speed was able to jump instantly.

Ryosuke's braking was also so good that he took corners at speeds again and again that only increased his confidence of being able to get the time he wanted.

His tires screeching, Ryosuke took his foot off the brake, upshifted, and hit the gas, leaving a corner at a now higher pace than before.

As he drove just off the guardrail taking the next corner, Ryosuke's shifting matched the points of his simulation exactly. Exiting the turn at full speed, Ryosuke took his foot off the accelerator to brake, downshift, and turn, using grip racing throughout the entire turn.

Clearing the guardrail by a millimeter, Ryosuke didn't let the FC slide for even a fraction of a second, instead, using all four tires to maintain control of his line and grip the inside.

As he flew down the next straight, Ryosuke applied just the right amount of throttle to remain on his pace while still being at the right speed to clear the next turn as fast as possible. The FC's tires screeched as Ryosuke hit the brakes and executed his [LV 126 Grip Run].

When he was aiming for best time, Ryosuke made no mistakes, he didn't do anything flashy. With how in tune with his car he was, and how well Ryosuke understood how both his rotaries spun, he was able to increase his pace steadily as more corners went on.

As he passed what he knew was the first section, Ryosuke upshifted in thought. 'I'm a few fractions of a second faster than I needed. I can kick it up a notch to almost the FC's fullest potential. Matsumoto and Fumihiro have done a great job with it, it seems to be able to handle more and more pressure every time I drive it.'

Knowing how responsive every part of the FC was, Ryosuke was able to increase his pace even further after a single hairpin. Ignoring how rough the rhythm and slope of Happogahara's downhill was, Ryosuke stayed focused on the task at hand: to go faster and faster until he got the time he wanted.

As the straights got longer and the turns less constant, Ryosuke kept his foot on the gas more, using pinpoint accuracy in his movements to corner perfectly. With how well he used the brakes, shifter, and steering, clearing high speed and low-speed corners on the fastest pace the course could offer was like second nature to him.

Screeching out of a left turn, Ryosuke upshifted and began accelerating. The FC's rev tachometer remained a hair below the orange line, and Ryosuke was completely calm despite how fast his downhill run was now getting.

'Even on my best days, I've never had to push the FC this hard. Regardless of the speed, I have to stay on my toes. But what is it about tonight that lets me improve so much?'

Pushing his thoughts away instantly, Ryosuke was beginning to sweat from how hard he was throttling. Ryosuke's immense amount of willpower and mental acuity let him stay focused on how fast his corners were getting.

Accelerating at full speed down a straight, Ryosuke slowly let his foot off the gas before sharply tapping the brakes and steering, completing the turn with a perfect grip run.

As the FC's traction let the car stay completely stable as Ryosuke exited the corner at full throttle, Ryosuke executed the same highly precise technique he had a few seconds prior.

On the exit of the corner, Ryosuke was almost flooring the gas. As the straight began, he slowly decreased his pressure on the throttle before braking and downshifting to begin his grip run. Now using only the steering and the gas pedal, Ryosuke's corners only got better as the run went on.

Leaving the high-speed corner section, Ryosuke flew into Happogahara's signature tunnel so fast that it echoed loudly as he went through it.

Now passing the second checkpoint, Ryosuke knew he was well ahead of the times he set for himself.

Pushing both himself and his FC very hard to get the times he needed, Ryosuke entered his stride, no longer wondering why he was doing so much better on one try.

'That's the Gamer then. It's rewarding my efforts to master the course.'

Still, he had to place a lot of pressure on the throttle and brakes, but he still retained grip in all four of his tires as he cleared hairpin after hairpin at the highest speed they would allow.

Through the looping wide hairpins following Happogahara's second checkpoint, Ryosuke let his foot off the gas a little from the sudden drop in speed the hairpins needed. However, he knew the course had a trap of sorts, as the low-speed section was followed immediately by a very high-speed section.

The hill's steepness changed instantly, and the moment the white FC left the slower corner Happogahara changed upward. The hill changed from downhill to uphill, Ryosuke was forced to apply more throttle but still use grip racing.

Even with only 240 HP, the FC gripped the ground so well that his uphill speed didn't let him lose any time at all.

Ryosuke recognized the corners as the hill's steepness returned downhill from how well he knew his simulation. 'I'm already at the third checkpoint. I'd let my foot off the gas if I wasn't still going for best time.'

The FC facing left and right as he cleared the repetitive medium turns requiring nothing but grip, Ryosuke thought quietly knowing he was about to pass the third checkpoint.

'Even at this pace. I can go much faster. Apologies FC, for what I'm about to do.'

The 13B-Ts whirred, the rotaries humming louder as Ryosuke upshifted and pressed the gas very hard. From how aerodynamic and light the car was with a carbon hood and rear wing, the FC's acceleration was instantaneous, and Ryosuke knew he was unable to place any more pressure on his beloved car.

Despite how much throttle Ryosuke was using, the FC was still completely responsive, and the brakes still worked perfectly. Tapping them lightly, Ryosuke steered with perfect cornering speed and the most precise of technique.

The FC's tires screeched and Ryosuke knew he had never gone so fast downhill on any corner. As he pushed the gas down on the exit, Ryosuke upshifted and the FC flew out of it downhill, zooming like a professional race car. His straightaway was also at his fastest ever.

Zipping down the straight, the FC's rotaries hissed and spun, Ryosuke slowly decreasing the amount of throttle needed to prepare for the left turn. At the last second, Ryosuke hit the brakes and steered to the left, completing his grip run while the FC's tires screeched.

As the corner ended, Ryosuke tapped the clutch and shifted gears as the FC accelerated.

Entering the pair of left bends before the final corners, Ryosuke stopped worrying about going faster and just focused on his braking technique. He only used the steering and gas pedal to control his grip runs, and repeated the same technique had used on prior hairpins to complete the turns.

The FC's tires screeched as Ryosuke hit the brakes, slowing down to complete the turn before hitting the clutch pedal, upshifting, and throttling. His accelerator use perfect, Ryosuke began to enter the last corners before the finish line.

Its engine humming loudly, the FC was met with a pair of sharp S hairpins that Ryosuke was able to clear with ease using more grip racing. He would accelerate at full speed down a straight before decreasing his pressure on the gas pedal and sharply tapping the brakes and downshifting, holding the inside tightly while slowing down and clearing the hairpin.

As the turn began to end, Ryosuke used the clutch pedal and gear shifter to upshift and accelerate out of the turn. He repeated this technique four times, each time not missing the best braking or accelerating point at all.

As the FC screeched out of the last of the S hairpin's, Ryosuke approached the very last corner. He stopped accelerating and hit the gas, his grip run still perfect as he slowed down and cleared the turn by going into a lower gear and steering.

Seeing the turn start to end, Ryosuke upshifted and headed towards the finish line at full speed.

When he crossed it, he had been so focused he hadn't realized the accomplishment the Gamer had recognized.

III

[You have gained +800,000 EXP!]

[You have gained +230,000 ¥!]

[You have gained +1 LV! You have increased your Driving Ability to LV 111!]

[You have increased Grip Racing to LV 124!]

[You have increased Throttle Control to LV 127!]

[You have increased Brake Control to LV 131!]

I stepped out of the FC and left the Abyss, now at the bottom of Happogahara's hill after less than a second of time in the actual world had gone by.

According to the times the Gamer listed for me, I was slightly over a second of time I needed to beat Tomoyuki Tachi, giving me plenty of room for error during the actual race.

A list of other techniques appeared as higher than LV 120 such as Steering and Shifting. I had gone up almost an entire level in a single practice run, and I realized why. The Gamer knew I was always getting much faster.

But I almost didn't realize one thing as I quickly became Akagi's White Comet over the course of a single summer, by around late July of '93. That it went beyond me enjoying racing on a mountain pass, it went beyond expressing my philosophy on racing, the fastest racer theory.

It was me connecting with this car of mine, evolving as a driver along with it. During my first days of racing, I mostly experimented with how fast the FC could be pushed while being stock. I was beginning to grow my style, learn how exactly to go down the mountain fast at all.

But after starting to get races in, I realized just why I was so much faster than everyone else. And it wasn't just because of the FC itself, it was because of how well I understood it. Finding the best points to accelerate on a hill comes down to timing the spark plug points, and just how both rotaries spun for me. Which in its essence just meant I had to connect the engine to a computer and measure how and when the engine revved and then practicing on a mountain as such to get the best efficiency from the engine.

The suspension, gearbox, and balance of the FC3S were really good, even stock, but even after improving it, the way in which B-T 1 and 2 spun was crucial to my understanding of how best to handle the FC. I had no other way of outlining this to understand it better now, but looking back, I simply read the way in which the FC responded while accelerating by reading how the rotaries reacted.

Nowadays I do a quick check on the 13B-T after every practice run and see how each part of the main engine bay was either worn down or held up. I don't have to measure these things anymore, a computer can do the job for me.

But after driving the FC so fast just now on Happogahara's downhill, I was assured that I could beat a professional driver in the name of the Red Suns, and Sakamoto, Dr. Joshima, and Shinji Inui remained my next targets. All other downhillers would be unskilled enough for the rest of the Red Suns to race.

If I had broken through level capping by always getting faster and faster after each run, then I should be ready to race them.

Defeating Tomoyuki Tachi would be the best way to finish up our first racing season. The Red Suns would be all anyone in street racing talked about for months now.

III

Keisuke closed the door to his bedroom mumbling quietly when after got back home from working at the bicycle shop. "Where was he?"

He saw the white FC approach the Takahashi Manor.

III

My younger brother approached me in our driveway as I closed the door to my FC. "Where were you man? Haven't seen you all day."

"I was practicing on Happogahara," I said honestly.

"It's broad daylight. Wouldn't there be other people on the road? And how did no one see you? Weren't the FC's new settings supposed to be kept secret from the Todo School?"

I looked around our driveway. "I wouldn't be too worried about it. I made sure everything went accordingly."

"And?"

I waved a hand to my car. "Keisuke from how well Fumihiro and Matsumoto have tuned it and the fact that I haven't been idle at all these past few weeks. I'd say I'm ready. I got a second of time over what my simulation said I needed to beat Tachi."

"But he's still a professional. Anything can go wrong."

"I agree. But I've taken every precaution necessary to make sure we win this. Don't worry Keisuke."

He sighed. "I get it. But it's our biggest race. How many times can we say we've been up against a professional driver?"

"Let me run down how the race is gonna go," I said. "Right off the line, I'll have the advantage. In order for my simulation to work, I have to let Tachi go first. My objective will have to be to remain as close as possible to observe the best I can while not being close enough to exhaust my tires."

Keisuke kept listening as I explained. "The road isn't good, but it's not bad either in terms of offering me grip. I'll have to go with medium tires made for the kind of course Happogahara offers. Nearing the first checkpoint, I will be very close to Tachi at which point I can take a line. Entering the corners right before the tunnel and the second checkpoint, I'll have to exit his sight for a split second and reappear already in front of him. It's called taking the invisible line, it's almost impossible to defend against."

"And then what happens?"

"After we pass the tunnel and begin the third section, Tachi will need a few moments to analyze my technique and look for weaknesses as I had just done to him. He will try to overtake twice, the first time just after the third checkpoint during a corner. I'll have to dodge his bump and run by going faster than he expected into the turn. The second overtake attempt will be to use the invisible line against me, which is again next to impossible to stop. My only chance to prevent this from happening is to hold my line for dear life, but I know it's gonna stick."

Keisuke nodded. "Alright. I think it doesn't sound too bad. It just got me worried we were facing a professional that's all."

"It would've worried me as well if I didn't have all the data I needed. Like always, with a computer, a proper practice run, and all necessary data on my opponent's abilities and car, I already have everything I need to make a working simulation."

Keisuke turned to his FD. "Honestly man. A part of me wishes I could've raced this guy, but since you lead the Red Suns, I guess I can't say much about it. But above all I'm just glad you took him on since it really seems you got a good handle on how to beat him."

"Thank you, little brother."

I planned to check the last corner on Happogahara's downhill for a cat. I was sure I would be on the verge of crossing the finish line, and even with a very high level [Hazard Avoidance] skill it wouldn't hurt to check.

III

That Friday night, street racers flocked to Happogahara. The Red Sun's fame only grew with each passing race, the defeat of teams starting from the Myogi Night Kids, then Team Emperor, and finally the Todo School.

Word had gotten out the Todo School had brought in a professional driver, and wanted to see the Rotary Brothers really pushed to their limits.

Kyoichi Sudo closed the door to his black Evo III as his anchor Seiji approached him behind the guardrail. "The mountain is really packed. Those damned Red Suns know how to bring a crowd don't they?"

"Can't blame them," admitted Kyoichi. "With how many people they've beaten and how they never stop challenging teams. Even something as strange as racing a professional driver wouldn't be out of the ordinary for the Red Suns."

"You're kiddin' right? Like either of the Takahashi brothers can stand up to an actual professional."

Kyoichi said nothing for a moment. "I wouldn't say they would win by a lot or maybe even in the slightest. But if they had any chance at all, Ryosuke Takahashi would have to do it. And he is anything but predictable. However, if there was a sure bet to really try and beat Tomoyuki tonight, the FC would have to race. And I'm betting that's who they're choosing."

"You sound like you know this Tachi guy then."

Kyoichi glanced at Seiji. "You could say that. He was only my senior by two years when we both attended the Todo School. Even back then he was a great driver, an incredible one. I can only imagine how much he's improved since then racing with professionals every day."

"So then, who would you say could win this?"

Kyoichi put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "I'd say there's an equal chance of victory for both the Red Suns and the Todo School tonight. Even if they drive like they normally do, the Red Suns can't change the fact that they're racing a professional."

III

The crowd cheered as Keisuke's FD led the Red Suns uphill. The only car missing from them was Ryosuke's white FC strangely.

Yakuma's Supra's engine was as loud as ever, and all the other engines on the Red Suns were humming together as they drove uphill. The green FD's 13B-REW hummed loudly as the six cars rolled uphill together in a single line, Keisuke's yellow FD, followed by Daito's FD, the white Supra, and the three cars for the downhill, a white 180SX, orange S14, and silver S13.

A racing fan in the gallery watched how fast the two FDs in the very front went past them. "Damn! Those Red Suns sure do have a lotta horsepower, they're not even pushing themselves and they're flying uphill!"

His friend chuckled. "They might look like they're all that, but they're just street racers like the rest of us at the end of the day. No matter how much money they put into their cars. And they're racing against a pro guys. And with the FC not even here, you can bet they're gonna lose!"

Keisuke led the team onto the peak where the Todo School was waiting for them. One by one, each driver parked their car and switched off the engine, each exiting.

Fumihiro was riding shotgun in Yakuma's Supra and the rest of the team, mechanics included, all assembled opposite the Todo School.

The peak was silent despite nearly thirty people from both teams total being present.

Tomoyuki Tachi was standing in front of his EK9 with the entire Todo School behind him. The Red Suns quietly stared them down as Keisuke approached Tomoyuki.

"How do you guys plan on racing without your leader?" wondered Tomoyuki. "I know there are ten minutes until the race, but he's not planning on showing up is he?"

"Just give him a second," Keisuke said.

From his tone, Tomoyuki was suspicious, turning to speak to Todo. "I don't like this. They only brought the FD and the older Takahashi brother isn't even here. What is going on?"

Todo nodded. "Even if he's just at the finish line I agree this is odd. It's not like they're forfeiting the race, they still brought a car to race against you. Just stay calm, these guys don't have anything on you Tomoyuki."

Tomoyuki quietly nodded and soon left to get dressed.

The Red Suns watched soon after as Tomoyuki emerged into their vision wearing a professional green racing uniform.

Takihiro muttered quietly. "So it is true," he said.

Aisuke nudged him. "Of course it's true."

"Then where the hell is Ryosuke?" asked Kenta. "He's never one for big dramatic entrances."

Keisuke turned when seeing a pair of headlights approach the top of the mountain, smiling as he knew what they were.

III

As I approached the Todo School with the FC at Spec III, I knew my objective to convince them Keisuke was going to race had worked completely. When I switched off the headlights to the FC, I stepped out wearing a white racing uniform similar to Tomoyuki's in that it was clearly professional.

Daiki watched as I closed the door to my FC before speaking. "You can't wear that thing! You're just a street racer!"

I turned to Tomoyuki. "I'm sorry. But I wouldn't be wearing this unless I was specifically allowed to by the people in charge of my previous races in the Gymkhana and other circuit races."

He was surprised, and I could see that he was hiding it completely as I spoke to him. "I wanted to thank you for coming tonight. It means a lot to me that you would consider a street race as something that you could develop your driving with. I think it speaks volumes as to your desire to learn and grow, not something I often see in the world of professional racing."

I raised a gloved hand and offered it to Tomoyuki. "Thank you."

He raised a gloved hand of his own and shook mine.

I returned to my FC as I watched Fumihiro approach Todo.

III

Fumihiro spoke to Todo as respectfully as always. "We need members from both sides to officiate the race and clear the course. Can you help us?"

"Absolutely," Todo said nodding to his students.

The EK9 and FC got in position as Daiki spoke to Todo. "What the hell is this? Anybody in their right mind would choose the FD. It was running faster throughout the entire week and it was actually upgraded."

"I think it should be pretty obvious by now that they planned to use the FC the entire time. Until now I bet that he kept the new parts hidden on the side waiting until the very last second to reveal them." Todo said, looking calmly at the FC. "He played us. But Tomoyuki's out there still racing for us. And I trust he can win."

Todo continued to study the FC from the outside. 'Again with the not-so-subtle messages huh? Anything we got you too right? If we got a professional-grade car then so do you. And if we got a professional driver you do too.'

Smiley muttered to Todo calmly. "But I never knew Ryosuke Takahashi raced professionally."

"Probably not as much as Tomoyuki does, but it's clear that he still has some background in it," Todo said. "Either way, nothing can rattle Tomoyuki's nerves."

Tomoyuki was staring out calmly at the road while Todo spoke. "It doesn't matter where he is or what he's doing. Tomoyuki's in his prime, and unless his engine catches fire nothing can surprise him. He might've been surprised at this but not completely shaken."

III

Fumihiro looked up from his walkie. "Alright, the course is clear!"

Tomoyuki and Ryosuke had their eyes attached to the road, their engines turned on with both their cars side by side.

"Race starts in five! Four! Three!"

Ryosuke's 13B-T and Tomoyuki's B16B revved. Both drivers were completely calm and focused, the peak completely silent despite the revving of both engines.

"Two! One! Go!"

Ryosuke's tires screeched as did Tomoyuki's. The EK9 couldn't take off faster but Ryosuke was holding back, intentionally letting the EK9 pull ahead.

Shifting into second gear, Ryosuke watched as the EK9 pulled ahead of the FC. Just the fact that he was racing a professional driver on the mountain electrified him, and he was more focused than ever flying down the first straight.

Both 13B-Ts whirred, Ryosuke keeping his eyes on the EK9's taillights as the race began.

The Todo School members at the peak cheered. "We're in the lead!"

Keisuke smiled watching them go downhill. 'Holding back at the start like always. Ryosuke never makes mistakes, it doesn't matter if this guy's a pro or not. No one can beat my brother. Go get 'im bro! This race will be yours!'

Into the first corner, Ryosuke was taking notes on every single way Tomoyuki cornered. The way he braked, turned and used professional grip racing to clear the hairpin.

Ignoring how fast he was, Ryosuke was already pushing himself very hard to keep up with Tomoyuki.

Flying out of the second turn on the course, Tomoyuki thought to himself quietly seeing Ryosuke's headlights in his sideview. 'Right off the bat he let me try and pull away but he's still there. I haven't reached full throttle yet, but when I do I gotta widen this gap.'

Tomoyuki upshifted and held the gas down the yellow EK9 and white FC zooming loudly down the mountain.

In the light left bend, Ryosuke braked and steered, watching the EK9 corner quietly, the crowd cheering as both drivers flew past them. A gap began to open up as Tomoyuki immediately began to lose Ryosuke.

Accelerating down the straight, with both engines so well-tuned, the cars had equal speed. In the turns, the FC had a slight advantage and entered the right corner just a bit faster than the EK9.

There was no frustration as he was hitting the gas harder, timing his brakes perfectly increasing his pace bit by bit as they battled downhill. The gap widened, but the FC still remained within eye sight of the EK9.

Even as Tomoyuki began to pull away, Ryosuke never lost sight of the EK9 for even a split second. The FC was going so fast downhill, in both the straights and the corners that Tomoyuki was unable to leave Ryosuke in the dust completely but still able to maintain a strong lead.

Tomoyuki tried to ignore Ryosuke's headlights that were always in his mirrors. He knew they were still there but he knew he was winning, albeit slightly.

'What do you want back there?' wondered Tomoyuki. 'Are you just holding back to mess with me? Or are you really that slow? Show me all you got!'

Ryosuke watched as Tomoyuki changed gears and used the EK9's excellent traction to remain completely stable despite his cornering speed entering a hairpin. Ryosuke's white FC held the inside well behind the EK9 both cars began to turn, their tires screeching.

Takihiro spoke into his walkie, seeing the yellow EK9 hold the slowly widening gap flying past his post. "Ryosuke's following but not by much! We might have a problem here!"

Tomoyuki noticed that every time he gained a bit of ground, Ryosuke gained just a bit more slightly giving the tradeoff in favor of the EK9. Still, his FC wasn't being lost completely, just following and letting the gap grow by almost nothing.

'How could I be holding a lead this well already and he's not gone!?' wondered Tomoyuki quietly. 'I've gotta lose this guy now or he'll be stuck in my damned rearview all night.'

In a long looping left curve, the EK9 and FC backed up as both drivers hit the brakes. Beginning their grip run, they slowed down and the distance between Ryosuke and Tomoyuki did not change.

Ryosuke began to throttle harder now, getting closer on the straight.

Tomoyuki tried to increase his cornering speed braking better and steering more efficiently but Ryosuke began to close the gap.

The FC began to pick up speed as Ryosuke increased his pace, and Tomoyuki was no fool. His instincts kicked in the moment he noticed how much stronger the FC's headlights got and how much closer the FC appeared in his side-view mirrors.

He failed to stop the FC from closing the gap, even as his EK9 began to reach its peak level of speed on the downhill. Ryosuke was drawing closer to the EK9's bumper, through every corner, his FC drew ever nearer.

His tires screeching, the FC slowed down entering a corner before flying out of it, drawing even closer on the straightaway.

'He turned the race in his favor in a single section. Fine.' thought Tomoyuki in silent fury before changing gear, braking, and steering to clear a hairpin.

Both drivers began to approach their highest speeds and now the gap was neither increasing nor decreasing.

In the last two turns before the first checkpoint, Ryosuke could tell he had made Tomoyuki notice how well he could keep up. And he knew that the sentiment was equally shared with how skilled Tomoyuki had made he could drive.

Tomoyuki didn't let any thoughts or nerves bother him, staying focused on his braking. The EK9 cornered again at a slightly slower speed than the FC but there was barely any change in distance between both cars.

Hitting the gas down the straight, both Ryosuke and Tomoyuki had very little time before needing to take their feet off the accelerator and begin to brake their speeds nearly exact when cornering.

They flew past the first checkpoint making two very loud 'zooms' and the crowd was cheering so loudly that the Todo School member had to raise his voice to be heard clearly in his walkie. "If the Red Suns had a problem before they sure don't now! It looks like they're both even, and their pace is incredible, already six seconds ahead of the course record!" he said looking at his stopwatch.

Ryosuke studied the way Tomoyuki was able to retain complete control of every part of the EK9 even from how hard he was braking and how fast his corners were. 'Between everyone I've raced, he's by far the most skilled, and how well tuned his car certainly helps. But in terms of speed, there is no margin of error. My simulation is all I have to pull off what I'm about to do.'

In the straightaways leading to the three corners before the S hairpins, Ryosuke and Tomoyuki again had completely equal speed. The EK9 and the FC had no speed difference accelerating downhill.

Happogahara's corners were no different, neither car faster than the other when entering or exiting it.

Tomoyuki was completely focused, only hitting the gas or the clutch only when the corner demanded, patiently waiting for Ryosuke to make a move for him to react to.

'Come at me.' thought Tomoyuki while braking and clearing a sharp left corner. 'Let's see if rotaries really are as good as you make it out to be.'

Ryosuke pressed the gas while leaving the corner, both cars screeching out of the turn before Tomoyuki accelerated as well. The EK9 and the FC shot out of the turn, Ryosuke suddenly increasing his speed to stay on Tomoyuki's tail, just a bit below racing at full throttle.

Tomoyuki kept his anger thoroughly suppressed seeing how close Ryosuke had gotten.

'He closed the gap entirely. I gotta keep my guard up, something tells me I'm gonna have to fend off an attack soon.'

Ryosuke was now so close that he was able to drive left and right and pressure Tomoyuki on the straight section. The EK9 was blocking, matching wherever the FC moved.

Seiji grunted, watching Ryosuke harry Tomoyuki as they appeared at the top of the straightaway. "They're going into the four hairpins now!"

Kyoichi watched calmly, watching as Ryosuke set up a very precise albeit orthodox circuit racing technique. He pulled back on the straight to make it look like he was done attacking before drawing his FC as close as possible to the EK9 while entering the first hairpin.

Entering Tomoyuki's blind spot, Ryosuke exited the corner already having a very good line and quickly passing the EK9.

By the time Tomoyuki realized what happened, the FC had passed him completely. 'Did he just do what I think he did?'

"He used the invisible line," Kyoichi muttered to himself in complete surprise. "On Tomoyuki!?"

The crowd watched as the leader of the Akagi Red Suns passed a professional driver and now held the lead against him.

In the four S hairpin turns, Ryosuke maintained his lead, the FC not losing an inch to the EK9.

Aisuke had to restrain himself from yelling as loud as he could into his walkie. "Ryosuke took a line from the EK9! He passed him and is in the lead, I swear the whole crowd here at the second checkpoint is losing their damned minds!" he said as everyone on the mountain could hear the cheers in the background.

The FC's twin rotaries hissed and spun, the engine whirring with power as Ryosuke accelerated downhill. Ryosuke now began to completely ignore Tomoyuki's presence, looking only at Happogahara's downhill.

Flying through the tunnel, both cars were going downhill so fast that they echoed loudly through it.

Leaving a tight S hairpin section Tomoyuki watched as Ryosuke held the lead very well with his FC. He wasn't able to leave the EK9 in the dust but still held a noticeable gap. Entering another corner, Tomoyuki braked, the EK9 backing up for a moment before gripping the inside line and not drawing closer at all to the FC ahead of it.

'He's not just wearing that racing uniform just for sure. That's a seasoned circuit veteran behind the wheel of that FC. But there are some really good spots for an overtake later on. For now, I have to keep up.'

Tomoyuki upshifted and hit the gas in thought while exiting the corner. 'You're giving me a good race. But it's not over!'

Through a wavy series of turns, both cars were so well-tuned and their drivers so experienced at grip racing that they cleared corners almost instantly. The white FC and yellow EK9 were slowing down and facing left and right to corner, before suddenly accelerating to do it all again on the next turn.

Everyone in the galleries were beside themselves in cheers, seeing a street racer hold the lead strongly against a veteran professional driver.

Ryosuke hit the gas as hard as he could exiting a sharp left using another grip run from third gear.

Now entering the section of the course where the mountain sharply changed into a hillclimb, Ryosuke's lead became even stronger.

'My gearbox is set up against a turbo. I'm losing time here.' thought Tomoyuki. 'With how fast he is on the downhill, I only really have two shots to pass. It isn't gonna look pretty but it's gonna work.'

Because the tuning advantage went to the FC on the uphill, Ryosuke's lead was able to widen a bit, the crowd only growing more excited.

The moment Happogahara's hill returned to being a downhill, Tomoyuki was at full throttle, and both drivers were at their peak level of speed. In the slower turns, Ryosuke lost a bit of time, the FC cornering just slower enough than the EK9 for Tomoyuki to grow closer.

'Come on! Come on!' thought Tomoyuki as he knew he was drawing slightly closer after each turn.

A member of the Todo School raised his walkie and spoke. "Their times are great but these two are really battling it out! It looked like the FC was getting ahead but now Tomoyuki's getting closer!"

Ryosuke knew the EK9's headlights were nearing his rear bumper. Even with his new rear wing and carbon fiber hood, the skills of a professional driver were enough to keep up with his full-throttle downhill technique.

Neither driver was able to consider the state of the race anymore in thought, completely dedicated to the battle. Only looking downhill and focusing on their driving.

Tomoyuki was pressing the gas as hard as Ryosuke was, but the FC and the EK9 still had equally powerful engines. In the corners, the speed difference remained the same, and the EK9 now couldn't draw closer.

The FC zoomed loudly through a corner using grip racing, the EK9 on its tail exiting just as fast.

Even with better traction and aerodynamics, the FC was equally as fast as the EK9 from how refined Tomoyuki's skills were.

The crowd was roaring with cheers behind every guardrail where people were watching the race unfold. The hiss of Ryosuke's FC and its twin rotaries were louder than the zoom of his car, standing out much more than Tomoyuki's EK9 and the roaring of the B16B.

Their cornering technique perfect, every way Tomoyuki and Ryosuke used the brakes, gear shifter, steering, and accelerator was refined down to the last fraction of a second of their driving.

The EK9 and FC's speeds immaculate in both the corners and the straightaways, Tomoyuki had gotten closer, not close enough to tail Ryosuke, but close enough to mount an attack.

As they approached the third checkpoint, Tomoyuki knew how to attack.

Tomoyuki was pushing himself as hard as he could, the EK9 was almost tailing the FC downhill.

Yakuma raised his walkie as both cars flew past the third checkpoint. "Ryosuke's in the lead but the EK9 is really close to him! These two are really fighting but I don't think either of them are winning!"

After having passed the third checkpoint, Tomoyuki was close enough to try and bump the FC lightly while in a corner to destabilize and pass him. However what happened completely shocked Tomoyuki.

The FC was able to dodge the EK9's bump and run in the middle of a corner, Ryosuke was able to kick the clutch on the corner entrance and increase his cornering speed so quickly that the FC flew into the turn and almost struck the guardrail.

Ryosuke's FC swung to the outside in a desperate attempt to dodge the bump and he recovered so fast from the corner that Tomoyuki could barely believe his eyes as he restabilized the car and prevented the EK9 from passing as it no longer held the inside.

Speechless and lost for thoughts, Tomoyuki had no clue what had just happened, slowly trying to recompose himself as Ryosuke retained the lead.

'He. He prevented my bump and run!? Not only that but he knew exactly how to recover in order to hold the lead. That's the best corner recovery I've ever seen in my life!'

Tomoyuki gripped the steering wheel, upshifting while still being close enough to stay in attacking distance of the FC.

'As unreal as that clutch kick was, even he can't prevent a pass from the invisible line. Even if he's skilled enough to pull something off that precise, I have a strong chance of passing still.'

Ryosuke knew a professional driver of Tomoyuki's caliber was very close to him, but he paid him no mind. He never checked his mirrors, instead covering as many lines as he could by maintaining his top speed.

Screeching through four wavy hairpins, the FC's top speed was so fast that even Tomoyuki was pushing himself at full throttle to keep up, always trying to stay one step ahead to plan his next move while barely keeping up.

The EK9's tires screeched when Tomoyuki hit the brakes and cornered sharply, recovering instantly from the corner as he kept up with the FC.

In the straight leading to the last series of hairpins, Tomoyuki held the gas down, drawing his EK9 as close as he possibly could to the FC in the last shot to regain the lead.

Tomoyuki went for the invisible line, going for where he was sure Ryosuke could not see him. Only when the corner began he again was blown away at how skilled Ryosuke was. As if he had practiced the move so precisely he knew exactly where the EK9 would be, he moved the FC at the very last second to where he could only estimate the EK9 was through his simulations and practice to block him.

Even with a few hairpins ahead, Tomoyuki knew he was finished. He still gave it his all but he had no more moves left, simply following Ryosuke through the corners to the finish line.

When the FC passed the finish line, Kenta leaped into the air holding his stopwatch and speaking into his walkie. "Ryosuke won! Nearly fifteen seconds ahead of the course record too! Saitama you're next!"

III

When I exited my FC I instantly walked over to Tomoyuki's EK9 as I could speak to Kenta and the others in a moment.

Tomoyuki closed the door to it and spoke. "You know in all my years of racing. Not once have I seen a guy have your kind of skills."

"Isolating your pass attempts was the easy part. The hard part was coming up with a technique fast enough to both stop you and complete the corners."

Tomoyuki chuckled. "I will say this. I'm still trying to put together how you did all that."

"Kicking the clutch and increasing your top speed entering a corner was something I had to study Keisuke's driving for. I really had to train hard to perfect that. The second block was tougher, but I have been relying on the accuracy of my simulations for some time now."

"It just all seems so impossible to me. My only explanation was that you're just skilled enough to pull off something so difficult. If I was in your position I probably would've just gotten passed, I can't get that creative with my driving."

I put my hand forward. "It was a good race."

"Agreed." Tomoyuki shook it. "You're way too skilled for the mountains. You've got to get out of street racing as soon as you can, I'm sure you can find a team with a big name and a bigger budget."

"You're not the first to tell me that, these teams you mentioned themselves have reached out to me. But I thank you for driving out here tonight."

"No problem." Tomoyuki opened the driver's side door to his EK9. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go come up with an explanation to give the chief."

As I watched Kenta ramble on about how amazing my time was, I knew I couldn't just beat Tomoyuki with pure speed. He was fast enough to contest my lead in many corners, but the ones where he was closest to beating me would be where he'd go for it.

But I couldn't blame Tachi at all for wondering how it was possible that I not only knew what technique he'd use to try and pass me but also to stop it.

The winter training season for the Red Suns was about to begin now, even as November hadn't even begun. For this year, I wasn't going to race anymore, just train and stay sharp.

III

The following night I made sure to stay as inconspicuous as possible going to the motel room I had agreed to meet Mako in. Love hotels existed for this very purpose and we both knew it, but I think we agreed silently that it would be too tacky.

We both knew how well known our relationship was, if the FC or Sileighty were anywhere near where we were going someone would have a field day in the tabloids or either through old-fashioned gossip. I loved living here, but being judgemental about how open one was about relationships, especially sexual relationships was very common. Neither of us wanted someone to know where we were tonight.

I walked up the stairs to the motel wearing a simple pair of casual clothing instead of the white formal wear I tended to wear.

I opened the door and Mako was already inside, sitting on the bed. She was wearing a pair of simple stockings and her blue dress.

I closed the door behind me. "Mako."

"Ryosuke." she laughed quietly before standing up and kissing me. "Wow, did I miss you."

I stopped kissing her for a moment before speaking. "Oh um. Sorry did I-"

Mako cleared her throat, lightly brushing her hand across my chest. "It's been a long week for both of us. Would you like to catch up after you shower?"

In Japan, it was an unspoken but very common custom to shower and clean before you made love. Only if you were very into each other or in a really big hurry did you ignore this. However, I had an idea.

"Mako, if you wouldn't mind." I cleared my throat. "Could we maybe both shower? Together I mean?"

"Um. Sure." Mako said with a smile. "I'd like that."

The motel bathroom wasn't as ugly as I thought it would be. But it wasn't pretty either, just like the rest of the motel room it would suffice. Mako began to help me undress and I did the same with her. I raised the blue material of her dress and helped her take off her stockings.

Standing in her underwear, Mako was clearly very embarrassed. I wanted to say something but she had kissed me and I was now completely naked.

Before I could do anything else she spoke. "Ryosuke, meet me in the shower please."

I was a bit surprised by this. However, she had changed but was still the same person I once met. As far as Mako had come in not being so shy, I didn't blame her at all for this. We had kissed in my room and even in a changing room in a clothing store. But we both knew this was different.

While she hadn't asked me to I kept my eyes away from her and focused on showering.

I turned the shower on with a light squeak of the water knob as I heard Mako enter the stall behind me. I didn't see her but I knew she was as naked as I was.

Mako was still embarrassed when I turned around, so I kept my eyes attached to hers.

"I'm. I'm sorry. I honestly thought I was gonna die before you got here."

"It's okay. We don't have to go through with this."

"I had been taking a pill since we started dating but this is. Still." Mako shook her head. "No. I want to do this. I just, never thought I'd actually be here."

"If I'm being honest. Neither did I."

Mako picked up a small packet of soap and began to wash me. I don't think she was expecting what I actually wanted to do, which was to make love with her inside the shower.

While she accepted me kissing her, she was really surprised at what being pressed up against each other under a hot shower felt like.

Mako moaned a little as I spoke. "You alright?"

"Yeah, it's just. Sorry, let's stop talking."

"Every part of you is beautiful. It always was Mako Sato."

Mako nodded. "Thank you."

"One last thing. Can I look at you?"

She nodded again.

After I did, I was ready for this in every way.

Mako leaned forward and we proceeded.

I don't think we said a word to each other from that point onward until we were properly finished. Mako touched me and I touched her, and I accomplished what I wanted to in the shower stall. Even after training in over 44 degree celsius conditions in my FC, I don't think I had ever felt more...warm in my entire life.

Mako was pressed up against me and I believe one of us was raising the temperature of the shower water.

I had locked lips with her for about a minute, and neither of us wanted it to end. I had raised Mako up and was supporting her as we made love against the shower wall.

By the time it was over, I had the strength to keep holding her and Mako was barely on her feet.

She smiled, panting quietly.

Mako squeaked quietly in surprise when I lifted her up and began to wash her rather passionately. I was kissing her, almost biting into her neck while using the soap available to clean both her body and mine.

By the time we were finished, we had cleaned ourselves of any sweat our previous activity in the shower stall might've created.

Either because Mako didn't see a point to or because she simply understood how this was unfolding, we just dried each other and moved directly to the bed.

While in terms of heat it was a bit less, the passion continued. And while it lasted far longer than I would've expected for both of us as we were both able to not be positioned in the same places throughout, I could tell that Mako was being drained by it harder than I was.

Near the end, Mako was atop me and had collapsed on top of me when she was finished. She rolled over next to me. Mako looked over at me and smiled, being kind enough to help me finish up.

Mako collapsed next to me and spoke sweaty and tired. "I love you," she said lying next to me.

"I love you too." I smiled.

Mako sighed. "This week was so exhausting. I had no idea tonight would be very um, relaxing afterward."

"I thought it might've," I said. "Wasn't that stressful for me."

"You beat a professional driver. That wasn't stressful?"

I shrugged. "It was a bit. But you know how I race. I strategize then I drive."

"Sorry for mentioning it but, I'm too tired to talk about racing. This was great, amazing." Mako said snuggling closer to me. "What a great idea."

"It was yours wasn't it?" I asked.

She laughed. "I wasn't talking about this. I was talking about the shower, I never would've expected that."

I could tell Mako was nodding off. "Mako?"

"Sorry. Very tired. I'd like to go again it's just." Mako was quickly falling asleep. "I."

"It's alright," I said. "I'm tired as well. I'll rest with you in a second."

Mako smiled closing her eyes. "Good night."

"Good night Mako."

As Mako quickly fell asleep on top of me. I wanted to rest with her quietly, but there was something on my mind.

I stood up and drew my trousers from the ground of the motel room, leaving Mako's bedside as she was naked beneath the sheets.

As I walked to the window of the motel room I felt the sudden urge to smoke a cigarette. While I brought a pack with me in case I'd need to after Mako and I were finished, it helped me think in a way.

However, I just stared out over the motel room parking lot in thought.

When I became Ryosuke Takahashi over three years ago, I never would've guessed I would be in a motel room with Mako Sato. I also never guessed I would actually become Ryosuke Takahashi so much so that I never referred to myself by my old name and stopped talking in the third person about him.

My old life wasn't full of hardship, but it wasn't fun either. I was going to become just like my parents. Very wealthy doctors who were rich even by Orange County standards. Of all the lives I could've been reincarnated into, for some reason this one made the most sense.

Ryosuke and I came from very similar backgrounds, we had very similar goals in life aside from the racing aspect. We were sons of very wealthy doctors on the road to become doctors like them.

Like him, I was somewhat detached from everything. I wasn't emotional or passionate about very much. But being here with Mako reminded me that the real Ryosuke Takahashi, the legend Mako Sato fell in love with watching years prior, never would've bothered with a sexual or even romantic relationship of any sort.

I was passionate about racing, I loved it, the same way I felt about a woman. To Ryosuke, mixing a woman with racing as something to be passionate about wouldn't make sense to him. He'd understand it, but just for another person.

Kaori luckily was still alive now, being engaged to Rin Hojo. It was my firm belief that losing Kaori to suicide changed Ryosuke forever, and he never felt passionate about another person again.

I was luckier than the counterpart I grew up watching as a young teenager. I knew people in this world deserved the gratitude and respect I needed to give them. While the Red Suns now were on the road to becoming the fastest in Kanto, and the fastest racer theory would be completed about a year from now, they were just one of my many accomplishments.

For now, another big one was the relationship I'd established with the girl asleep behind me. I'd connected with a person I never would have otherwise without my knowledge of her very existence.

Out of respect for her own nudity, I undressed myself and got back into bed with her. I drew her tightly to me, raised the covers over us both, and began to drift off to sleep with Mako in my arms.