A/N: It's been a really long time, and sorry for it. I... been a bit burned out with writing, aside life itself getting in the way. I needed to get my time to clear things up and relax a bit. That actually gave me time to think where I want to take this story, and... it goes pretty far to be honest. The thing is that I will have to adapt some things I had in mind, and change the amount I will be writing from now on. I simply cannot go back to weekly updates, but with longer chapters that won't be an issue. Yeah, I will be covering a lot of characters from now on, not to mention the world building that this story will require. I was skeptical about the Tofu Drift part of this, I don't know if it would make sense or feel out of place, but since I've already written the next 5 chapters, it will be required for the sake of the story flow. Anyways, thanks for sticking around this long. I will try to keep bringing more chapters until the end of the year. I have a lot of things to fix until then. :3
Oh, yeah, Juno and Tao. Hehe, I have lots of surprises for the next chapters, don't worry. Some of them are not really surprising to be fair, mostly common sense.
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"Say, I want to ask you something important. Promise you will keep it between us?"
"Huh, sure? What is it?"
"Here, as I promised, I got your driver's license, just don't ask how, it's legit. So the cops won't give you any trouble when they ask for it. Although it seems unlikely."
"Thanks? Why should I worry about cops though? I don't think I will be going around being extremely risky about my driving."
"Well... that's where we will have to... improvise."
"Huh?"
"Follow me, I will show you the car."
Durham sighed, following the taller Carnivore across the restaurant. The last day had been a rather exhausting one, not to mention incredibly frustrating. The coyote had the displeasure of finding out that Legosi, despite aware of the danger he was facing by going at the Shishigumi, decided to not use the gun that it was borrowed to him but, instead of just keeping it safe, the wolf somehow managed to misplace the weapon on the hands of a complete stranger. Except, after a lot of yelling from the coyote's part, the wolf conceded to reveal the stranger's identity, and to make matters worse, the place he currently resides. Durham left fuming, making it very clear he wanted the gun back, to which Legosi wasn't really sure how to react. There was no way that Durham would dare to visit the Black Market district in search of a weapon he shouldn't even have. If his step father finds out he lost the damn gun...
To make matters worse, it seems that Louis disappeared. How? No one knew, but it became clear that he was missing once the school's office reported that, according to the deer's father, Louis did not return earlier that summer to his house. Things were already difficult after what happened with Tem, the Drama club was hanging by a thread. Now with the main star and a strong Beastar candidate missing? It went from bad to absolute shit.
The Police was called once again, it has been an incessant day of questioning, to which the Drama members were incredibly upset and annoyed with, especially since only the members still present were bothered with the questioning. Durham saw a glimpse of his step father among the officers interrogating the members, and he didn't fail to notice that Akagi was very keen on talking with Ellen, his eyes shone with wonder and curiosity at the zebra. Durham could've sworn his heart stopped for few seconds as Akagi started asking Ellen questions about him. Ellen remained stoic much to her credit, but it surprised her immensely once Akagi revealed himself as Durham's foster parent.
Yes, he failed miserably to mention to anyone (that matters to him) that his step father is an Akita.
If the angry look on Ellen's face after Akagi left was anything to go by, Durham was pretty sure he would be screwed as soon they meet again. Which is why he's been avoiding being at the school ever since that unfortunate event. Yet, he wasn't really planning to spend the day with Fujiwara in his little restaurant so far away from school grounds. The maned wolf called Durham in regards to his license, also to instruct him on his delivery service and the vehicle he would be using for such task.
"So, how has school been treating you? Too much homework?" The slightly older Carnivore asked, a touch of humor on his voice as he reached to open an access door that Durham never noticed before, mostly because the door was hidden near the kitchen, also it was clear the door matched the wall's color as to blend in for whatever reason. The coyote shrugged.
"It's been alright, just dealing with the usual. That and my social life is all over the place."
"Ahn, it's because of that zebra girl, right? Ellen, that's her name?" He replied as he place a small key into the lock that kept the door shut. A faint click was heard as a sign that it has been unlocked.
"Yeah, it is." Durham replied curtly, his curiosity peaked at the area they were about to enter. "Huh, what is this place?"
"This? Oh, this the most important part of our business, aside the kitchen of course. It's not like my fiancee would be happy if I deemed her kitchen in any way to be of less importance. Well then, let me get the lights, make sure you're keeping your eyes half-lid, this place can get bright real quick." Fujiwara advised enthusiastically, to which Durham could only assume this is the place that they are keeping the car he was going to use.
True to his words, once the lights were on, the entire area was bathed on pure intense white, why it was so insanely bright he had no idea, at least until Durham was provided actual sunglasses to put on. He did, barely grasping the item before quickly equipping it.
"Huh... that explains why is like a constant flashlight is being shoved on my face." The coyote commented, seeing how every single wall, roof, items, and even the floor were made of white material. "Why you made it like this?"
"Oh, it's for work reasons, aside making sure I keep things clean." He replied with a nervous smile. "Not to mention my fiancee goes about me being clean with my work very seriously."
"She sounds very charming." Durham said, smirking at the implications. Fujiwara chuckled humorlessly.
"Trust me, considering of what I know of zebras, that girl you're dating is nowhere as troublesome as my fiancee is. That I can guarantee. Now... moving back to what we are here for..." He replied, making his way to the most visible object in the room, a gigantic black sheet that covered the clear outline of a vehicle. Durham wasn't sure what model it was, he could tell it looked a bit square on the edges, which implied it had nothing about aerodynamics going for it.
That would be the case, except the large protuberance on the backside revealing the obvious outline of a spoiler, which didn't make any sense. Why would a delivery car have one of those?
"Now, before we make any grand reveals, tell me, how much you know of car models?" The maned wolf asked, turning back to Durham with clear excitement on his face. The coyote shrugged.
"As far as I could be bothered to research, but nothing further back than the nineties."
"Ah, shame, I actually was hoping you would recognize this." He said, pulling back the large sheet away from the concealed car. Durham raised an eyebrow.
"Huh, that's a Toyota if I ever saw one, I don't recognize the model."
"This!" Fujiwara started, no small amount of pride in his voice. "Is my grands car! Hachi-Roku Zenki!"
Durham nodded, not sure what that was even supposed to mean, but the fact that it belonged to Fujiwara's grandfather is a huge sign of how outdated the car probably is, which also explained why the chassis of the thing looked so square, apart from the ridiculous spoiler installed and, now that the car was uncovered, he could also see the side skirts and how raised that car was when looking at the ground, which indicated elevated suspension, for whatever reason. The pattern of color was as imaginative as the room itself, mostly white with few black marks, the windows were tinted in a way that it made impossible to see inside, the lamps were incredibly square and bore looking and the dull plate number, 13-954, was clearly old, if the several scratches on it could mean anything. Aside the plate, everything else about the car seemed brand new, as if it just left the factory that same day, which was puzzling. Durham could only guess that Fujiwara has been reworking the car thoroughly.
"So... what's the history of this car?" The coyote asked, hoping to get a better idea of what was going on. Fujiwara's smile dimmed, his eyes gaining a sense of restlessness all of sudden.
"Well, this car has been in my family for... a decent amount of years, for a car that is. My grand bought him around the mid eighties, he was a big race maniac, hehe, if we can call it that. Racing was his passion, it drove him forward unlike anything else... well, that and grandma... and my dad." Fujiwara sighed, there were so many stories that went around that time, he wasn't sure he could explain everything in one go. "Grands had to drop the racing to take care of family, be more responsible and all of that. My dad was about six years old while grandpa was racing around, grandma wasn't very happy with him, making him promise he would tone down the race stuff to look more after his son. Of course, grands took that very seriously, when my dad was about thirteen grands gave him the car to drive around and improve his skills, of course grandma never knew of that."
Durham stared wide eye at the reveal. Did he just heard that right? A thirteen year old was given a car?!
"Eh, and how exactly he managed to drive around without being caught?" The coyote couldn't help but ask. Fujiwara chuckled.
"Cause he's a natural, too damn good for the shoe-box cars the Police used. Well, even to this day all the Police uses is utter trashcans. Couldn't catch anything going over two hundred in a million years. They see someone rushing past them at that speed, they don't even bother chasing."
"Sounds about right." Not exactly the answer Durham expected.
"Anyway, by the time my dad was eighteen, that was around, what? Ninety-eight? I think so... yeah, he was born in the eighties. Errr, dad got into some serious racing with the Trueno."
"Trueno?" Durham asked with mild confusion. Fujiwara chuckled.
"This is a Trueno." He replied as he pointed back at the car. "I will give you some insight about cars from the eighties later. Anyways, my dad ended up doing pretty good with the car, but... I guess a car can go far as the engine allows it." He said, a tone of sadness that made it very clear that the car back then was falling behind with the times. "We entered the new millennia, and the newer generations of cars were far above in performance, no matter how much skill you got, it gets to a point that the car simply cannot provide anymore. That being said, dad decided to abandon the Zanki, he was going to scrap it."
At this Fujiwara's fists closed, anger showing on his face at the mere idea of damaging the car somehow. Durham made a quick mental note to NOT crash the car into anything.
"Of course, grands didn't let him. He got the car back, keeping it at the shop for many years while making some maintenance on it. He... passed few years ago. The shop he owned closed, but grandma kept the car on her house, not letting my dad take it. She always said something about Takumi not giving the car the proper care it deserved."
"Sorry about your grandfather. Then... you got the car, and brought it here to... improve it?" Durham couldn't help the touch of irony, the spoiler on the thing was just looking too bizarre. Fujiwara, sensing his discomfort, merely rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, it looks weird, I know, that's what grandma said, but how could I make this thing go from zero to a hundred in four seconds without suffering from serious lack of aerodynamics? I want the thing to keep on the ground, not it to become a spaceship! Not that I had much of an option, considering it's size-
"Wait, what?! Say that again!"
"Huh, what?"
"Did you say, zero to a hundred in four seconds?!"
"Yeah, why?"
"That! That... that's what a Supra does! How can an old car from the eighties go that quick?!"
Fujiwara merely laughed at Durham's panicked expression, to which the coyote felt affronted. There was nothing funny about how ridiculous of a statement Fujiwara made, it simply wasn't possible and it was a terrible joke if he was trying to be funny.
"Well... it's a good thing you know what a Supra is... otherwise I would have a hard time explaining the car's engine. Although it's not a hundred per cent the same engine, but, huh... I got some parts of it to work together with other parts."
"Please, explain."
The wolf sighed, looking torn between explaining all the intricate details of the manufacturing of the engine, or simply coming up with some nonsense excuse. Yet, he didn't say anything, rather just pulled something out of his back pocket, and threw it at Durham without any warning. The coyote's eyes widened at the surprising move, his hand instinctively coming up to catch whatever came his way. His hands felt the soft impact of something small but sharp, his fingers closed on it quickly to not let it fall. Rotating his hand around he found himself in the possession of a very detailed set of keys.
"Why bother with that now? Don't you want to get it started? Maybe even take a ride to get the feeling of the car?"
Durham stared at the keys on his hand, conflicted about taking on a wheel so soon.
"Maybe I sho-
The coyote stopped as he felt his pocket vibrating, a warning of an incoming call pending on his mobile device. He sighed before picking the device and opening the call.
"Yes, who is i-
"Durham!" The coyote winced, his eardrum ringing due the loud scream of a very familiar voice.
"Oh, for the love of!... Stripes! No matter what you're going on about, don't yell at the phone!" The coyote replied testily. A silence fell over the other side of the line, only being broken by a more timid voice.
"Uh, oh... right, my bad. I got a bit carried away."
"I could tell, but what could've possibly gotten you on such high spirits?" He asked, pointedly ignoring Fujiwara's childish teasingly raise of eyebrows.
"Welllll, tomorrow is the Festival and the celebration of the Meteor stuff and whatnot, some symbolic thing for couples and whatever." Ellen replied, sounding like she is actually making an effort to speak those words. Durham chuckled at the plain obvious attempt she's doing to pretend she doesn't care.
"And?"
"Annnnnnnd I wanted to, you know, invite you to go somewhere after I'm done with my part of the event tomorrow."
"Huuuhh, like... go out somewhere, just the two of us?"
"That was the intention, unless you have something better to do?" She replied humorously.
Durham was surprised she was asking, it wasn't usual for Ellen to take the initiative when it came about their relationship, first kiss aside. He did had plans to go out tomorrow, although nothing had come to mind, perhaps the zebra could offer a solution he's been struggling to perceive. Suddenly filled with the desire to impress, Durham felt less reluctant on taking Fujiwara's offer.
"Ahn, sure, sounds like a great idea. Say, I will be getting to school soon. How about you meet me at the parking lot?"
"The parking lot? Uhhh, okay?" Ellen clearly sounded confused. The parking space was small and reserved for teachers and school staff. No student ever made use of such space for anything, which implied it wasn't really forbidden to enter. "Where you're at again?"
"I'm at Fujiwara's. We were discussing some technical stuff about my job. Anyway, I take the Police is no longer there?" Durham vaguely explained while switching topics right away, he wanted to make sure the zebra would get a nice surprise once he arrived at school.
"Ahn, no. They left few minutes ago, and you have some explaining to do!" She chastised, but the coyote could sense she wasn't as angry as he feared.
"Alright, alright, I will be on my way there. Love ya."
Ellen made a very audible gasp from the other side of the line, caught by surprise due his unexpected word of affection. Fujiwara chuckled audibly but the coyote simply ignored him.
"Ah, I l-love you too." She said, sounding a bit dazed. "Later."
Durham chuckled as the close the call, his eyes catching the mischievous stare of Fujiwara.
"What?" The wolf shrugged, walking past the coyote on his way to the exit.
"Nothing, just make sure to park back in before sunset. There's an automatic remote on the panel to open the garage door. Also, the car uses auto shifting, for reasons. Know how to use those?"
"Sure, I've seen plenty to know how it works. Anything else?"
Fujiwara paused at the door, looking pensive as he glanced back at the other canine.
"Yeah... never think the car is more important than someone you care. It might ruin you in the long run."
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"Ellen? What you're doing here?"
"L-Legosi?! Oh, I was just going to... the parking lot."
"Huh, the parking lot? Isn't that... why would you go there?"
"Well, Durham kinda asked me to meet him there in few minutes."
Legosi blinked, several questions formulating inside his head as to why the coyote would suggest such a shifty spot for a meeting. There was nothing really wrong with the parking lot itself, but it was an area that students would normally avoid, especially Herbivores. It is well known to most the campus that there's a small group of Carnivores that usually would hang out around that area during breaks or after classes. Despite the semester being officially over, some of those students were still going to the park to gather around. The group itself consisted mostly of Sport Club members, perhaps Durham felt that Ellen wouldn't be endangering himself if she went to a place some of his extra-class friends go to.
"What are you doing here though?" Ellen countered, looking at him with one raised eyebrow. "This isn't a place people go either, so I dunno why you're going this way."
"Erm, I... tend to wander around when I'm thinking too much." Legosi tried to explain, fumbling a bit with his words as he looked somewhat embarrassed. Ellen shrugged, looking slightly convinced.
"Sure, whatever you say. I gotta go." She replied before resuming her path.
"W-Wait! I... wanted to talk with you about something." Legosi called quickly, much to the zebra's surprise and frustration.
"What is it? Don't take too long, I don't want Durham teasing me for being late."
'Not like you wouldn't punch him if he does such' "I will walk with you, I don't really mind." The wolf offered gently.
Ellen glanced at him, looking hesitant about having the gray wolf escorting her all the way to the parking lot. She has no qualms with Legosi or anything of the sort, but she couldn't help the feel of uneasiness due being alone with such a huge Carnivore. Legosi is harmless, that much she knows, but having his imposing figure this close to her would always trigger her sense of insecurity. She tightened the hold on her purse, feeling the weight of allowing him to accompany her to be more troublesome than it should. She was thankful for using social clothes at the moment, the school's uniform always made her feel unnecessarily exposed, which would've been another factor to add whether she trusted him enough to be near her.
"Sure, but you lead the way."
Legosi blinked, confused as to why she wanted him to go first. Nevertheless he did as asked and walked past the zebra, the sound of her footsteps following after him few seconds later.
"Say, Ellen. How are you and Durham doing?" He asked slowly, his eyes locked forward as they started going up a set of stairs.
"We're doing alright, not much I can complain about, aside him talking too much at times." She replied with a chuckle. "He's a mouthful, but I really don't care much, at least I know he's being honest."
"Aye, he speaks his mind more often than not. I... like that about him, even if it hurts to listen." The wolf admitted. Durham was always causing discomfort with his opinions, but his roommates knew that some truths were better said than kept in mind.
"Maybe you're right, but I don't think we would've gotten this far if he was any different. I'm fine with the way he is, as long he doesn't push his luck with the wrong folk." Ellen replied, a frown on her face as she reminded how often Durham would antagonize the likes of Bill, which meant the coyote wasn't intimidated at all by bigger Carnivores.
"Hum... say, are you and Durham... close?" Legosi asked rather sheepishly, scratching his cheek nervously. Ellen snorted.
"Duh? Of course, we are dating, you know that."
"N-No. I mean... more... physically."
"Oh. That." The zebra suddenly felt a bit flustered as she scrambled her brain in search of an answer. "We... are. I mean... not as much as I would like, but it's not that we can't! It just takes time to get used to... being different."
Legosi nodded silently, unsure of how to react.
"Do you feel comfortable with him?"
"Ehhh, what do you mean?"
"Does... do you feel... safe?"
Legosi stopped as he reached the top of the staircase, his eyes traveling across the parking lot. Few cars were present, mostly from teachers or staff, others from visitors. Yet, no one was visible except for the usual group of Carnivores that likes to hang out at the other side of the area. Legosi could see only a few members of Sports Club talking with each other, although they were barely audible due the current distance. Yet, the wolf took notice that Ellen wasn't walking up to meet him at the top, he glanced back to see why she was holding back.
"Really? Is that what you want to ask me?! What do you want me to say, Legosi? That I'm afraid? Is that what you want to hear?!"
The scowl on her face being very noticeable, the wolf felt himself shrinking under her ferocious gaze.
"N-no! I was just-
"Quit it! I don't want to have any of this kind of conversation! It concerns you not!"
"Durham is my friend, Ellen. I'm concerned for him." The wolf retorted, feeling a bit more confident with his justification. Ellen huffed, crossing her arms defiantly as she stared up rather mockingly.
"Is that so? Then why don't you go ask him? Oh, right. You two are sort of at odds with each other. Maybe because you've been bothering him with these kind of questions too?"
"He... told you?" Legosi was slightly taken aback, he did not think that Durham would tell the zebra about their heated arguments regarding the coyote's relationship. It wasn't normal for Durham to share his problems with other people, that much Legosi had in common with him.
"Durham talks with me about almost everything, we don't hide things from each other, at least not the relevant ones." She added with a sigh. There were still some things the coyote would refuse to talk about, for reasons Ellen could not fathom. "I get you're not the most social type, but you can't just butt in into what we are trying to build here based on your own personal experiences. You're dating that bunny, Haru, right?"
"Errr, n-no. We are not... like that." The wolf replied hesitantly. Ellen blinked, surprise etched across her face.
"Wait, what?! Are you telling me you went into one of the most dangerous places in this damn town, rescued her out of there who knows how, and you're not even a thing? What?! There's no way you did it because you're just friends!" The zebra argued, looking somewhat scandalized by the event.
"Maybe... I did it because I did not want her to die." Legosi replied rather unconvincingly. "It's not like Louis woul-
Legosi quickly cut himself. A sudden spark of anger and despair at reminding himself of the deer. The following silence stretched rather awkwardly until Ellen decided to cut it.
"I... hope he's okay. I mean... the way he just disappeared. Louis wasn- is not the most charming person around, but I would not want to see him hurt. Yet, after what happened to Tem... it's hard to not expect the worst."
Legosi nodded silently, for he also shares some of that fear regarding the deer's fate. It's been almost two days and not a single mention of any sign of Louis. His disappearance would reach the news, it is inevitable considering he's the upcoming Beastar. Legosi couldn't help but feel partially guilty for him going missing. Their fight perhaps left more wounds than just physical ones, something to which the wolf was worried he would never be able to make up for.
"But don't think I will buy that 'we are friends' bullshit. I know that's not it and you're just afraid to admit it. Well, or maybe you two haven't decided what you want." Ellen added as an afterthought. "To be honest Haru is... distant. Me and Shiira have been going around trying to talk with her, but that bunny is always finding an excuse to get away. I don't really get her. Yet, that's your problem to deal with, which I would appreciate and do the same in regards to Durham. He is not a kid Legosi. He understands what he's getting into, so do I."
Legosi nodded quietly, having no more words to argue in his favor. Ellen wasn't wrong at all, it was their business to resolve. Perhaps, rather than question their decision, he should try to be more supportive. Maybe that's why Durham was so upset with him.
His thoughts were interrupted by the booming sound of something closing on the distance, his ears perked as they tried to locate the origin of the disturbance, the screech of tires echoing all around on their location made him wince a bit. Ellen, who just started to hear the same noises, reached up the stairs to his side with mild curiosity.
"What's that noi-
She quickly shut as they saw a car coming up the ramp that leads to the parking lot, the speed that the vehicle entered the ramp was anything but safe, yet it managed somehow to keep itself in the track, driving upwards rather erratically.
"What kind of idiot is that? Racing up to a school ground? Is he drunk?" The zebra commented with a derisive frown. Legosi shrugged, but his eyes widened once the car reached the parking area, coming out of the last curve far too fast to be able to maintain any sort of control. The vehicle immediately fell into an oversteering, the tires screeching furiously as it drifted sideways towards their path.
'Shit!'
Legosi didn't say anything as he quickly grabbed Ellen and pulled her away. She shouted in surprise as the wolf's arms enveloped her unexpectedly, before being pulled out of her feet backwards. In that split second that he managed to pull her away, the car went by only inches away from hitting them, finally coming to a stop a few meters afterwards right on top of the sidewalk. Huge stretched black lines covered the traveled path on the asphalt.
Ellen's eyes were extremely wide, her mouth hanging open in utter shock at what just happened. Legosi slowly let her put weight on her feet, making sure she would regain enough focus to stand on her own. His eyes quickly shifted towards the dangerous vehicle with intensity. He was about to make haste to the car and confront the driver, but he felt his heart stop as he took notice of the driver already exiting the vehicle.
'D-DURHAM?!'
Legosi stood speechless as the coyote came stumbling their way, looking extremely pale and yet embarrassed at the same time. Ellen couldn't believe her eyes once she took notice of the smaller Carnivore approaching them.
"H-Hey, are you two alright?!" He asked, the slight panic in his voice reflecting how much the coyote knew he messed up. "Shit!I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to come in like that! The car is too sensitive to any turn and that last one was rather t-
The coyote immediately shut once the zebra grabbed the collar of his shirt and, with surprising strength, lifted him from the ground until he was eye level with her.
"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US YOU MOTHERFUCKER?!" Ellen shouted at his face, to which Durham couldn't do anything but stare in utter fear. "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING DRIVING LIKE A FUCKING LUNATIC INSIDE THE GODDAMN SCHOOL?!"
"I-I-I wasn't-
"SHUT IT!"
Legosi, despite being also a bit irritated with the coyote, was getting a bit worried with the shouting and the attention they would be receiving if she kept it up.
"Elle, we should talk this somewhere else. Someone from the office will be here soon, they probably heard the commotion."
Ellen stared back at Legosi with incredulity, her hands gripping harder before letting go of Durham. The coyote fell on his butt with a painful thud. He groaned before trying to get onto his feet rather wobbly. He avoided eye contact with the zebra as he looked back at the car with the engine still running. Realizing that he would be in big trouble with the damaged he caused on the area, Durham immediately went back to the car.
"I will get this out of here and park somewhere else, we can have that talk when I get back."