Yo! This is the fifth chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I also extend my gratitude towards the person who informed me that the name was Ryosuke and not Ryouske. You helped me a lot! I double-checked on the Internet and found out that it was indeed wrong. So I have to blame the subtitles… sob! Sob!
Anyways, enjoy and voila!
Ryosuke was in the Red Suns headquarters, reading the latest issue of "PC World". His mind was totally enthralled in an article about the new software to be released next month. The software, he thought, could be another tool to improve his theory on fastest racing. While he was going through the last paragraphs of the article, the door to the quarters suddenly burst open. A tall, tanned guy with black, unsophisticated, sticky, undercut hairstyle stood on the doorway. He had on a mask of arrogance and impudence.
"Oi, Takahashi," the ruffian spat through gritted teeth. Ryosuke, on the other hand, did not even look up to see who was disturbing his privacy.
"What's the matter, Shingo?" Ryosuke continued leafing through the magazine. He didn't seem to care that the thug was giving him the menacing attitude. "Lost your underwear on the road?" There was no hint of laughter in his voice, nor was there a sign of drollness. The only presence in his voice was the indifference and distance that was already his trademark.
"Poo!" Shingo spat in rage. He was being affronted in the most demoralizing way. But he didn't try to digress and prolong his stay in the enemy's camp. "I came here to challenge you," He pointed his crooked fingers at the person in front of him, "Ryosuke, to a race on Mount Akagi on Tuesday." He turned his back on Ryosuke and faced the door before he went on boasting, "I assure you that I'm going to win this time." He left the room with a raucous laughter.
Ryosuke, meanwhile, never took his eyes off the magazine during the exchange of words. He seemed more interested on the paper than on the monster before him.
One week later >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tok tok tok. Blag! blag! blag!
A loud pounding on his door suddenly awakened Ryosuke. He was drifting on dreamland when he heard the insistent knocking.
"Aniki!" a muffled word accompanied the pounding. "Aniki, get up now!"
The voice from the other side of the door belonged to Keisuke, Ryosuke's younger brother. He sounded very impatient, like he had a very urgent message to deliver.
Ryosuke dragged his body quite unwillingly off his bed and forced his feet to walk him to the door. He looked half-asleep with his droopy eyes, but he didn't care. He wanted to take the moment to rebuke his brother for the ill he'd done. "What do you want?" Ryosuke snapped when he had managed to open the door. He looked ready to bite his brother's head off.
Keisuke was dumbstruck when the door opened. His hand was at mid-knocking, and his eyes were focused on his elder's boxer shorts. "What the hell are you wearing, Ryosuke?" He pointed to the "Betty Boop" underpants still secured around Ryosuke's waist.
The older brother was at first diffident to answer, but he had no other choice. "I couldn't find any of my new boxers in the closet, so I put on these." He slightly pushed the door to cover his rather comical boxers. "What? Did you wake me up just to ask a stupid question?" The indignation in his voice returned. He tried to shut the door on his brother's face but the younger Takahashi's hand was quick to stop it.
"Hey, no hard feelings, man." Keisuke guffawed and opened the door wider. He quickly changed the subject and became serious. "I just want to remind you that tonight is the race against Shingo." He paused and searched his brother's face for any concern but there was none. "You need to prepare for this, bro. He's dangerous. He doesn't play fair!"
Ryosuke remembered the race between Takumi and Shingo a few months before. It was a very cunning race, with Shingo almost pushing the Hachi Roku to an accident. Unluckily, Shingo was the one who ended up with a damaged car. "I know how he plays, Kei." Ryosuke finally replied. "But I already have a plan." He left the door slightly open so his brother could still hear him from inside the room. He went back inside his bedroom and pulled on a decent shirt. "Wait for me in the garage. Give me ten minutes."
"Your blurry eyes… your blurry eyes
Your blurry eyes… kokoro wa
Your blurry eyes… hanarete
Your blurry eyes… yuku "
Yumi was sitting in front of the dresser, styling her hair while listening to her L'arc-en-Ciel CD. She'd been readying herself in the past half-hour for the continuation of her date with Ryosuke today. He promised the other night to give her a detailed tour around Akagi, but yesterday's time wasn't enough. They'd been to lot of places, and the memory caused a smile to spread on her face. She didn't expect to have so much fun with that insensitive guy, but she was rewarded with amusement and a bonus - a new friend. She'd been looking forward to this morning since last night and expected to learn more about this Ryosuke. She realized that they would get along well, since they experienced the same pain. She recalled the episode in the cave. It was a appalling experience, seeing a guy breakdown like that. But then, what surprised her more was that he opened up to her and she gave him a very useful piece of advice that she'd given to herself not long ago. Acceptance . To other people, this word might have a hollow meaning. But to her, it meant everything. Acceptance is the best medicine to any pain.
Rrrriiiiiiiiinnnnngngggg
The phone suddenly rang. Yumi picked it up, guessing it was Ryosuke calling to tell her to hurry, since she was already late for fifteen minutes. "Hello," her voice was bright and cheerful.
"Can I please speak to Sydney?" Definitely not Ryosuke. He doesn't speak English to me and call me in my gaijin name. But the voice sounds familiar…
"Who's this?" She was suddenly cautious. She thought that maybe it was one of her coworkers in America, telling her to cut her vacation short. "This is Sydney." She spoke in perfect English. There was no Japanese accent in her voice now, only the foreign language mastered since childhood.
"Sydney," the voice from the other end said with gladness, "it's me, Marco." He gave a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad I found your number there."
"What do you want?" All the cheerfulness in her voice earlier was all gone. In its place were exasperation and a little desperation to end this conversation.
"I'm sorry." Marco sounded hurt, having sensed her apathy. "I didn't mean to bother you. Do you have time?" He politely asked, silently hoping she would give in to his request.
"Actually, I'm in a hurry." She said frankly. She glanced at her watch and thought of how long Ryosuke could be waiting for her now. "I have an important meeting right now." She emphasized the word, so he would get the hint. When the other end didn't answer, she put down the phone.
A second later, the phone rang again. This time, Yumi lost her cool and grabbed the phone forcefully and shouted, thinking it was Marco again, trying to set up a meeting with her.
"What the hell do you want?!?" She yelled in English. "Will you please let go of me?" She inhaled deeply to gather her self-control.
"A-ano, Yumi?"
Japanese voice . It wasn't Marco after all. "I'm sorry, who's this?" Her voice quickly became polite and apologetic.
"Yumi, this is Ryosuke."
Uh-oh . Of all the people in the world to call her at a time like this… "I'm sorry, I'm late. I'll be there right away." She was ready to put down the phone, but Ryosuke stopped her.
"Wait, Yumi. I have to tell you something." His voice was a little heavy with importance. He sounded exhausted and depressed. "I can't come with you today. I have to prepare for the race tonight." He waited for her reply, but the only sound he heard was a deep sigh. "Yumi? I'm really sorry. I -"
"Yeah, I heard you." She cut short his half-given apology. She was very much disappointed. She'd wanted this day to happen, but something more important came up. "I understand, Ryosuke." She meant what she'd said.
"Thank you for understanding." He silently smiled because she didn't get mad. "I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow. I'll even win this race for you." He joked, but she didn't laugh. He sensed that she was not in a good mood. "Daijoubu ka?"
Yumi nodded but realized he couldn't see her. "Yup. I'm sorry I yelled at you a while ago." She paused, waited for him to fill in the silence. But he didn't, so she continued, "I think you should be going now. I'll just see you at the race tonight." And she hung up the phone.
"I guess my waking up early is a waste," Yumi said to herself. She'd also wasted a lot of time just to ready herself for the date. "But I will not waste this day." She got up and headed for the front door. She went outside of the house and called for a taxi.
"The break pads are a little loose," Keisuke was inspecting his brother's car. Ryosuke seemed out of his usual focus right now, so he volunteered to check up on the vehicle. He took off the old ones, which were slightly torn, and installed a new pair. It had been only a month since his brother last installed a new pair of break pads. "Now let's check the brake fluids." He said as he finished the job and emerged from underneath the car. His clothes and face were covered with black soot and dirt. He'd been inspecting the car for any defect for the past hour.
"Ryosuke," Keisuke started slowly. He'd noticed his brother's absentmindedness since early morning, but he didn't dare ask about it. He knew his brother would only change the subject. But now he couldn't take it anymore. "what's bothering you? You're staring off in space." He wanted to know outright what was bothering him. Of his brother didn't solve it right now, he would loose concentration for the race that night.
His brother was slow to answer. He appeared to be staring at the gate and thinking deeply. "I'm wondering why she yelled on the phone, like she was quarrelling with someone." He turned his gaze to his brother, who did not comprehend what his brother had said.
"What? I don't get it." Keisuke honestly answered while wiping his hands clean with a pair of tattered cloth. "Who yelled at you?"
"I meant Yumi." He sighed and rested his chin on his palm. "When I called her this morning, she sounded annoyed and yelled. It's bothersome."
"Ah, you mean Yumi the friend of Kira?" There was a hint of laughter in his voice. "She yelled at you?" He chuckled to himself and resumed his taunting, "Did you do something bad to her yesterday?" He looked up at him expectantly.
Ryosuke suddenly turned defensive. "I didn't do anything wrong. And she yelled at me before even realizing I was calling to postpone our meeting today."
"Hmmm…." Keisuke was thinking now. He realized that his brother was serious about this, so he'd better not joke about it anymore. "Maybe someone called her before you did, and the person fought with her or something." He tapped his chin and contemplated on his answer for a short while before reassuring his brother, "That's what happened! It doesn't have anything to do with you. So cheer up and get yourself psyched up for the race tonight." He gave his brother a friendly tap on the shoulder.
"Yeah, I guess so." Ryosuke finally stood up from the chair he'd been brooding on for the past hour. His mind focused on the ugly face of Shingo and his red car. His hands itched to get to the driving wheel.
That day, Yumi decided to go shopping and went to the biggest mall in town. She thought that she didn't want to stay at home and brood over her problems inside her room. She'd better go out, forget about the worries on her mind, and have some fun. Fun she did have, since she found some very interesting merchandise at the mall. She found a pair of bra top that could be used on both sides! She was stunned to find such a thing in Japan. Who would have thought that Japanese people recycle their clothing? If they couldn't find a clean pair of bra, they could use the other side of the used one. She also found a very peculiar skirt, which was painted with the image of an underwear. If you found someone wearing it, you would think she was wearing a see-through skirt, and that you were seeing her underwear and thighs through the flimsy material. It was a hilarious idea! It could really be a fad in America .
Aside from those thought-provoking things, Yumi also found some appealing thingamajigs. She got herself a pair of loud and sexy swimsuit. It was a one-piece neon orange suit that has a peek-a-boo hole on the front, in the valley between the breasts. Aha! These would be nice on the beach… She also bought a pair of neon orange slip-on thongs to go along with the suit. Now I'm ready for the fun!
On her way to the cashier, Yumi's eyes got caught onto something very attractive. It was a neon green bikini-cut swimming trunks. She peered closely and realized that it must be the size of Ryosuke! Hmmmm….. now here's a thought . She smiled mischievously as she picked up the shorts and walked to the cash register, silently congratulating herself for such a brilliant idea. Now I have an excuse to drag him to the beach one of these days . And then remembering about the race tonight, she found it would be nice to give it to him as a victory gift for the race. Well, if he's really that popular, then there's no reason to think that he would lose tonight.
Ryosuke returned to his old self. He locked himself in his room and sat in front of the computer. He was designing a winning race for tonight's battle. He knew that this Shingo guy plays dirty, so there's no reason to play it easy on him. He investigated a little to know what type of crude tricks that Shingo does. He also found it handy that he knows the course by heart. Putting these data together, he now had a complete winning simulation. He also already knew where his opponent might do the tricks, so he could avoid them later. Now he was confident enough of a win. You'll beat me, eh? Let's see about that tonight .
He turned off the computer after three straight hours of data gathering and analyzing. He was exhausted from all the tinkering and thinking so he leaned back on his chair and let his mind relax for a while. His mind simulated the race on more time before wandering to some past memories. He suddenly remembered the date he had yesterday with Yumi. Sure, he had fun but it was more than fun for him. To him, it was also eye-opening and refreshing. It had been four years since he had a fun date… since Shizuka died . His mind pondered on Shizuka's memories - on how they used to pedal on swan boats, on how they used to eat on his favorite restaurant. But all of those were gone, caught in the wind. He wanted to relive the moments, but he realized there was no use. He already found something to get his mind off her. Yumi… I wonder what happened earlier? Was she mad because of me?
Ryosuke straightened in his chair and reached for his mobile phone. He dialed an unfamiliar number and waited for the ring.
Yumi threw herself on the sofa after closing the front door behind her. She just arrived from the mall, and she was beat. She'd roamed the mall for the past five hours, and she was ready to collapse into a peaceful sleep, when her cell phone rang.
"Bummer," Yumi muttered as she opened her eyes and pressed the talk button on her phone. A deep, husky voice greeted her,
"Hello, Yumi?" The voice sounded familiar. She already guessed it was Ryosuke.
"Yeah, Ryosuke-san." She replied, unable to hide the excitement and fatigue in her voice. "Nice to hear from you." She picked up her shopping bags and carried them to her room. She locked the door behind her and dropped on her bed. "What's up?" It was the conventional way of greeting in America, and Ryosuke wasn't used to it.
"Umm… I was just wondering what time should I pick you later for the race?" Ryosuke rambled on. It wasn't really the question he had in mind, but he couldn't find the right timing for it.
"Oh," Yumi was surprised. She'd forgotten about it. "Yeah. What time is the race again?" She asked, while her mind thought of the right wardrobe for tonight. She didn't want to look out of place, since it's her first time to watch.
"The friendship rally starts at 9 pm, but we don't have to be there. The race starts at 10."
"I see." Yumi said, unmindful of what she was saying. "I think 8 pm is alright." She managed to straighten out an answer. "I'll be ready by that time."
"Great." Ryosuke said without enthusiasm. He cleared his voice and started the real inquiry, "Ano, Yumi-chan. Did something happen this morning? You sounded really furious." He became silent as he waited for the answer. However, there was none. The only sound he heard was deep breathing coming from him.
Yumi finally sighed after a long minute of silence, "Ryosuke, it had nothing to do with you." She said it forthrightly. She'd guessed that he was worried that he did something bad to irate her. "Don't worry about it, it was nothing. Really." She suddenly changed the flow of the conversation. Her voice turned all chirpy and giddy. "Hey, Ryosuke." Yumi started, "you still owe me a date!" She sat up on her bed and suggested, "What do you say we go to the beach? I think you need to work out your tan a little. You look pale."
"I don't know," Ryosuke honestly answered. "I guess I don't have anything to do this Friday, so it's okay with me." His voice turned light, and he happy.
"It's cool, then?" She was also happy. Her plan had worked. Now, all Ryosuke has to do is win the race! She blushed as the thought of hi wearing the trunks she'd bought him entered her naughty mind.
Ryosuke and Yumi arrived on Mount Akagi at exactly 9:45. The galleries were already packed with people from different places. They all looked excited for this race. Ryosuke got out of the car and opened the door for Yumi. It was a gentleman tactic he'd learned a long time ago.
"Hey there!" A voice greeted the pair as they walked their way through the pack of people. To Yumi's surprise, it was Kira! "What took you so long?" She was with Keisuke, of course.
"We got sandwiched in the traffic downtown." Ryosuke managed a reply. He was standing close to Yumi, so all eyes were around them now. Actually, all eyes were on the foursome. It was the first time they'd seen the brothers with females by their sides during a race. For some people, it was a very rare opportunity to see their idols with dates. For other women, it was to see whether their idol's dates were measured and up to it.
Yumi was getting a little uncomfortable with the eyes that scan her being. She was getting used to it, but she still didn't like the feeling. " Ryosuke, can we go somewhere not packed like this?" Ryosuke nodded in reply and led her to the station.
Fifteen minutes later, the race was about to kick off. The two cars - Ryosuke's white FC and Shingo's red CIVIC - were already lined on the starting position. People were already cheering for Ryosuke, so loud that the sound of the revving engines was being drowned in the noise.
"T-A-K-A-H-A-S-H-I
Win this race!
R-Y-O-S-U-K-E
You're the best!"
"Ganbatte yo!"
"Ikke ikke!"
Yumi was getting dizzy all the commotion happening around her. This is much worse than the conditions inside the ER! People yelling to her ears, and it was painful. Some people were stomping on her feet, but they didn't care. She couldn't take it anymore, so she stalked off. She went to where Kira and Keisuke were. Her friends were laughing about and talking so animatedly. She walked up to them and let her presence be known.
"When will it start?" She axed with vexation in her voice.
"Uh- about in a minute." Keisuke replied after glancing at his watch. He didn't realize that his conversation with Kira took that long.
Yumi glanced at Ryosuke, who had a look of concentration on his face. He was staring straight on the road, hands on the steering wheel. But as if he'd sensed Yumi was looking at him, he glanced at her way and caught her eyes. He realized that she was a little worried, since it was her first time to see a mountain race. He smiled at her and mouthed the words - to the beach . And then the countdown started…
10…
9…
8…
7…
6…
5…
4…
3…
2…
1…
GO!
The cars accelerated, the engines screamed, and the tires screeched as the two cars battled for supremacy.
To be continued...
So how did you like it? The next chapter is a description of the race between Shingo and Ryosuke. Until then! Tata!