Please wait for my last two to three chapters. Enjoy!
2…
1…
GO!
"Aah! Sugoi!" Yumi exclaimed as the FC passed her at high speed. There were goosebumps all over her arm. She'd never seen Ryosuke drive that way, since he always drove safely when they were together. "Is that really Ryosuke in the FC?" She addressed the question to Keisuke, who was sitting comfortably on the bench.
"Yeah, that's my brother." There was pride in his voice. He knew that people were always awed with his aniki's abilities that surpass his own in every aspect. His brother never ceased to amaze strangers. Since his brother safely pulled away, there was no way that he would lose. "Quite amazing, huh? But he doesn't drive like this in normal circumstances. Usually, he takes it easy." There was no worry in his voice, only vehemence. He pulled out a cigarette from the box and lit it. "But this opponent of his, Shoji Shingo, is different. He's dangerous."
Dangerous . That word sent coldness to Yumi's spine and turned on the alarm in his brain. "What do you mean dangerous?" She was suddenly afraid and a little worried.
Keisuke looked at Yumi and saw the fear in her eyes. "Shingo plays it dirty. He does some alarming tricks that often send his opponent to the hospital." He thoroughly explained.
This resulted to a negative reaction on her side. "What?!?" Yumi's voice was a notch higher in the loudness scale. She was furious and her body was shaking with the intensity of the emotions she felt. "Does your brother know about this?" She became aware that people were already staring at her, but the matter must not be put aside; it was urgent. She was too upset to even care about curious meddlers. "How could you let allow him to face danger such as this? What kind of a brother are you?"
The accusation was sharp, Keisuke noticed, but he remained silent. He knew better than to cause a ruckus. He just reassured her, "Don't worry. It'll be okay."
Yumi was distraught over Keisuke's news. So that's why I felt anxious on the way here . The realization hit her that she was nervous because she felt something was up.
Kira suddenly rushed to her friend's side to offer comfort. She sensed that Yumi must be distressed and a whole lot worried about Ryosuke. They'd just been friends for a short while, but they'd grown accustomed to each other quickly. She knew that he meant much to her friend. "You have to believe in what Keisuke said, Yumi. And you have to trust Ryosuke in this." She took hold of her friend and took her away from the crowd for a breath of fresh air. Yumi, meanwhile, kept praying in her heart.
Please, oh please, let him return safely
The uphill really went well for Ryosuke. For the most part, he'd taken the lead, and the CIVIC hadn't made an appearance yet. He was driving to his limit, not caring that the car would soon lose its grip if he pushed it harder. He knew that this was his best chance to ensure a win. In other races, he'd been too cautious to drive to his limits, because none of them were in his level of difficulty. The only exception to the rule were Takumi of the SpeedStars and Kyouichi of the Emperors. In those two cases, the drivers were exceptional and truly deserving of his effort. This race, however, was very different. It wasn't the driver's skill that decided whether he should push it or not. It was the race's risks. Shoji Shingo was very well known for being a nasty driver. He does dirty jokes to win, and those weren't just harmless antics. Those were the kind that brings you to the hospital!
"One filthy bastard, I should say," Ryosuke muttered under his breath as he shifter his gear for another drift on the curve.
Ryosuke and Shingo were already going downhill. For a long while, the red CIVIC disappeared from Ryosuke's rearview mirror. Ryosuke was quickly increasing the gap between them in the straightway. However, he knew better than to rejoice this early.
"In a moment, he would return," Ryosuke whispered to himself as he shifted the car and prepared for a drift. "In the uphill, I was of advantage. But on the downhill…" He executed the drift with a perfect line, getting his rear bumper as close as 1 cm to the guardrail. "…on the downhill, I'm on the handicap." He drifted on another corner and sped up on the straightway.
The FC was nearing the finish line, with the CIVIC still far behind. People were already rejoicing for another one of the FC's victories. Even if he had one loss in his record, Ryosuke still had the most number of wins in street racing in Gunma.
"Yosha! Ryosuke-sama did it again"
"He's so cool!!!"
On the other hand, Ryosuke knew in his heart that Shingo was closing in the gap between them. Any minute now, he'd appear like a phantom . He slowed down for another curve and registered a perfect line and quick exit. On the fifth corner downhill, Ryosuke saw a momentary flash of light from behind him. "At last, the bastard returned. This won't be a satisfying win if there wasn't a good fight." He slowed down a bit and waited for the CIVIC to catch up. He flashed his warning lights as if to say, Bring it on! And then the race continued…
Shingo was not far behind now. He was only three meters behind the FC. The spectators were suddenly confused, not knowing how the CIVIC could close the wide gap between them in just a few moments.
"What the heck is happening here?"
"Does Ryosuke want to lose?"
However, Keisuke knew better than to react. He knew his brother had a plan in mind. He wouldn't let his guard down, especially to someone whom he considered as a disgrace to all street racers. But somehow, a wave of fear managed to break through his cool. He sensed danger.
Only one curve left before the finish line appeared. Shingo was already tailgating the FC. Shingo managed to close the gap on every curve, but he couldn't overtake Ryosuke. On the curve's entrance, Ryosuke and Shingo were even. Ryosuke took the inside, while Shingo took the outside. However, as the cars were exiting, the CIVIC abnormally accelerated and gained an inch of advantage. It sped up more, so it was at half a meter advantage.
"What the hell is this guy doing?" Ryosuke was baffled by his opponent's actions. What happened next took him by surprise.
As the CIVIC was clearing the curve, it accelerated and headed for the inside curve, trying to block Ryosuke's path. It was a kamikaze move, and a really stupid one. Seeing that Ryosuke would be trapped, as there was no time to shift to the outside, he stepped on the brake quite fiercely. However, his brake pads wouldn't respond as quickly as he wanted it to. His car kept moving forward until it rammed the red car that blocked his way. The impact sent the red car spiraling, the ties screeching for help. Luckily, it didn't fall into the cliff, since there were sturdy guardrails. The FC, on the other hand, suffered a few dents on the side and a major cavity on the front, where the center of the collision was located. Ryosuke managed to restart his car engine to continue the race.
The spectators at the finish line were excitedly awaiting the champion of the race. The Night Kids were obviously betting for Shingo, except for the leader - Nakezato Takeshi - who wasn't there to route for anyone. The other people sided with Ryosuke, naturally, since it was Ryosuke's home course.
"Which car would it be?"
"The Civic, no doubt."
"No! The white FC would surely win."
The bystanders held their breath as the momentary sparks from a pair of car headlights came into view. There was a distinct whirring sound, and it sounded awful; it was as if the vehicle was "limping" and not running smoothly. Some were silently wishing it were the FC, others prayed for it to be the Civic. However, what the spectators greeted was a very different vehicle.
The car was dented on all sides. It appeared to have collided head-on with a massive object. The impact must also be strikingly strong, since the cracks and cavities were deep. It seemed like the white car's handsome appearance had completely disappeared. In its place was an old-looking, cranky car.
Finally, the white FC pulled to a stop to where the other members of the Red Suns were stationed. The people there were stunned, unmoving, as if they didn't know how to act or what to do. The car door slowly opened, and the heavily bruised Takahashi Ryosuke emerged from inside. His forehead had a huge cut on it. His arms were marred with dark bruises, and his feet limped when he walked. Blood stained his white polo and khaki pants. He wobbled to where his brother was, and Yumi ran to his side to assist him.
When Ryosuke was already comfortably seated on the bench, he answered all the nagging questions from his buddies. "That bastard Shingo set me up on this." There was no anger in his voice nor was bitterness, only weariness that tugged at his whole body. "I hit him hard, but I didn't mean to. My car won't stop when I braked, though."
The paramedics rushed to his side and applied first aid on his wounds. They disinfected the wound on his forehead and wrapped it with clean gauze.
Keisuke was angered with what happened. Surely, his brother didn't expect for this to happen, since he wasn't prepared to troubleshoot it. He wanted to curse and yell at the idiot Shingo, but an ambulance at the far end caught his attention. The paramedics were hauling a heavily injured guy into the ambulance. Judging from the people's look on their faces, the injured guy must be Shingo. You goner! You deserve it for pulling something stupid as this.
On the other hand, Yumi wasn't mad at what happened. She was only relieved that nothing too bad happened to her friend. She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention,
"Are you feeling alright?" She was silently thinking that tomorrow's affair would be postponed due to this mishap. She didn't want to press him harder on the subject, knowing that he was still distressed from his recent ordeal.
Ryosuke noticed the worry on Yumi's face and suddenly regretted inviting her to come. She didn't deserve to witness something horrible as this. Instead, he made a try to lighten up the situation. "You always see me in the darnedest situations." He joked. "But I'm quite fine. You don't have to worry." Ryosuke smiled to reassure her. "It's just a couple of bruises and a cut. We can still go the beach tomorrow. I promised and I won't break it."
The last thing on Yumi's mind was how gentlemanly this guy acts in spite of his pitiful condition in bandages and arm splint.
"Wow! This place is surely amazing" Yumi and Ryosuke were strolling on the beach. In the early morning, the water was sparkling blue. The sun was also gorgeous, and it seemed that every time the sun's rays kissed the water, the sea became even more dazzling. "The last time I've been to a beach was about three years ago."
"Why is that?" Ryosuke asked incredulously. He thought that her tan was due to constant sunbathing.
"My work is too hectic. I didn't have time for relaxation." Yumi breathed in the salty air. Somehow, it felt good to her senses. From the corner of her eyes, Yumi caught Ryosuke's bright green swimming trunks. She laughed out loud in spite of the fact that she gave it to him to wear this morning, since she forgot to hand it to him last night due to the hubbub last night. "You know what? You look awfully cut in those trunks." She pointed at them and burst into another fit of joyous laughter. It seemed like she couldn't suppress it.
"Well, that's encouraging." Ryosuke drawled. He'd spent fifteen minutes trying to debate with his self whether it would be wise to put the bright stuff on or not. Quite expectedly, people stared at him with either pure distaste or mock when he got out of the dressing room cottage. However, there were still other women who preferred the bikini cut of his shorts and didn't bother with the color. They eyed him like a yummy lollipop in a candy store. "Oh well," Ryosuke managed for a comeback, "at least I don't look like I'm wearing bright warning road signs." He pointed at Yumi's equally bright and attention-seeking bathing suit with the "window" between the boobs. "Like hell, you look odd."
Yumi laughed again while commenting how well they suited each other today. They looked like a couple of Martians in swimsuits.
The swim was definitely a good exercise for Yumi's weakening physique. Years and years without enough vigorous exercise surely contributed to muscle dystrophy. Aside from its being a good exercise, the swim also made time for her to know more about Ryosuke. While having great time together, the pair also started out some casual conversations. It was good enough to be far way from the likes of "How's the weather" dialogue.
During lunch, however, the pair went to the cafeteria to taste some of the place's special treats. The menu included a lot of fish entrée - smoked, grilled, charbroiled, etc. There were also iced treats, like iced mango, iced banana, and many more. There were even food entries with peculiar names like "Mango Diaper" and "Apple Shroud". The laughed at those silly names. Yumi even commented, "What a strange way for people to try to sell their merchandise!" As for the two of them, the names wouldn't encourage them to buy the food. It sounded harsh. Who would eat diapers made of mangoes, anyway?
The scenery was too good to be true, Ryosuke commented as he strolled on the sandy beach. After a very enervating six-hour drive to Tokyo, where the nearest beach was situated, he decided that the leisure he was having at the moment was worth the long travel. Since his car was in the "hospital", he rented a car since Keisuke was too stubborn to relent and lend his FD.
The feel of the cool sand sliding between his toes was very soothing; add the sound of the crashing waves and you'd definitely feel like you're living in paradise. Yumi arrived a while later, carrying two tall glasses of cherry coke. The scorching sun was still giving them hell.
"I thought you were going to buy some Mango Diapers," Ryosuke joke after literally gulping half of his coke. "I even felt excited." Yumi just rolled her eyes at his very childlike behavior. Since they became friends, she'd been used to his immature quips like he had just now. "I'm not thrilled eating some mangoes on diapers like baby poo!" The image actually disgusted her.
The pair was lying on a towel laid on the hot sand. A big umbrella was blocking off half of the sun's rays. Looking from afar, it was easy to guess that they were having a good time. The goofy smiles on their faces were added proof.
Quite suddenly, a loud wail pierced the humdrum of the crashing waves. It came from a little girl ten feet away from where Ryosuke and Yumi were resting. Curious on what was happening, Ryosuke and Yumi turned to see the horror before them. A little girl was pointing to the water while shouting for help. Panic was evident on her innocent face, and she seemed desperate for help.
Yumi followed the girl's pointed fingers and saw a little boy fighting against the waves. From where she stood, the boy appeared to be drowning.
It seemed that Ryosuke also saw what was happening. He quickly searched for help, but he knew it would be fruitless. They were in the unpopulated part of the resort, and the lifeguards wouldn't be there for at least ten minutes. By that time, he guessed the boy would have completely drowned. Quite on instinct, Ryosuke dove in the raging water and vigorously swam to the spot where the struggling boy was. He knew he wasn't a good swimmer, but also knew that if he didn't do something he would feel guilty if anything happened to the boy.
Yumi stood aghast on the beachhead. She didn't catch a glimpse of Ryosuke diving into the water, but she saw how he faltered against the strong water current. She sensed that Ryosuke wasn't doing well, since wasn't a good swimmer. Like the little girl, she also fell into a panic. This wasn't like any of those typical ER episodes, when all she did was tend to the patient and made sure the person would live. In this situation, she had no control over things. All she could do right then was pray that they both make it, so she could treat them. For the second time since last night, she prayed hard. Oh please assist him.
Ryosuke easily found the drowning boy. Using all of the strength he could muster, he kept the boy's head above the water by holding the nape of his neck. He didn't know for sure if the boy was breathing or not, but he told himself that everything would be all right. He guessed that by the time they returned to shore, the lifeguards would already be there. Slowly, he turned on his side and did a powerful side kick while dragging the boy by his side. With the strong current and high waves in the deep part of the sea, it surely was difficult to swim. He was already panting and gasping desperately for air, since most of what he took into his mouth was salty water. He felt his legs lose its power and give in beneath him. He was still sore from last night, and his energy was quickly leaving him. He was beginning to feel the cramps on his forearms, which inhibited his arm strokes. He went into the water without proper warmup, and the heavy strokes took their toll on his muscles. When he felt he was unable to fight it anymore, he went completely still. He slowly sank into the water, bringing the boy down with him. The last coherent thought in his mind before everything went black was that, at least I was able to try to save him.
Yumi saw everything like it was being shown on a wide screen. When Ryosuke got to the boy, there was no struggling and panicking that occurred, which led her to the conclusion that the boy was unconscious. He breathed a sigh of relief as the worst of the retrieval was over. An amateur lifeguard would have a problem trying to calm a struggling boy down, how much more for someone who had no training? She continued following Ryosuke and the boy with her eyes, and a fearful gasp escaped from her mouth.
A huge wave collided with the pair and dragged them down into the water. To her horror, she saw Ryosuke go completely still. She guessed that the impact rendered him unconscious.
Yumi fell to the ground; her knees couldn't support her trembling figure any longer. She fell with her head caught in her hands. Hot tears flowed out of her eyelids and quickly adsorbed into the sand. Her mind was processing the scene she'd just seen. Ryosuke drowned. He is dead!
A minute later, three lifeguards carrying buoys with them brought two limp bodies on the hot, wet sand. The bodies looked pale and lifeless, as they lay completely still. One lifeguard quickly administered CPR on the little boy, as a wailing woman rushed to the boy's side. She appeared to be his mother. The little girl who screamed for help earlier was with her, too. She seemed to be his sister.
"Okaasaan," the little girl whimpered, "is oniichan dead?" It was an innocent question that sent the mother into tears.
When the lifeguard could not get a response from the little boy, he shook his head from side to side and bowed down. "I'm sorry. We were too late."
Yumi then arrived on the scene. She brushed off the ill-competent lifeguard and took over the CPR. Within a minute of trying, she made the boy puke out the excess water that blocked off his lungs. The mother thankfully rushed to her son and hugged him close.
Meanwhile, Ryosuke was still unconscious on the other side. She tremblingly went to his side and did the CPR she knew too well. When after five times and there was still response, the other lifeguards took Ryosuke for dead. However, Yumi still would not accept failure. She tried another round of CPR on Ryosuke and did it harder this time out of frustration and desperation. To her surprise, she heard a choking sound and felt Ryosuke move beneath her hands. She looked down on him and saw his eyes open slowly.
Yumi's first impulse was to whack him hard on the chest for making her worry like that. She'd only felt this fear last night because of him, and then he made her worry again. But instead of punching him like how he deserved it, she just hugged him to her and wept for joy. She couldn't believe how close he was at Death's door, and she had no control over it.
Ryosuke was, on the other hand, baffled by what happened. His memory was still vague, and he didn't know why he was being cried over like spilled milk.
"Hey, what happened?" He asked Yumi, who was still clutching him to her like a teddy bear. "Why are you crying?"
"You idiot!" She emphasized by shoving him lightly on the chest, "You rushed off into the water without knowing how to handle it. You weren't prepared! That big water wave hit you hard! You…" She trailed off and continued in a barely audible whisper, "you almost died."
He was touched by the concern in her voice. He didn't remember everything that happened, only that he rushed off to save the boy. Now he realized what a stupid ting he did. He was too hasty in making decisions. In an attempt to make the situation lighter, he said:
"Come on, I'm dying to try those Mango Diapers!"
That night, Ryosuke and Yumi went to the restaurant for dinner. They decided that since Ryosuke was too tired to drive and since Yumi didn't know the area well enough, staying overnight was the best choice. They rented a small cottage with two bedrooms and threw their stuff in.
Tonight, they were in a place called "The Shack". It looked like a chickie hut bar with burning torches on the entryway. It was rather exotic for a Japanese fellow.
"Hey Yumi," Ryosuke said when he finished relating everything that happened to him in the water when he finally remembered. There was a somber tone in his voice, "when I thought I was gonna die in there, I thought of how I would never have regrets for trying to save the boy's life." He went silent for a moment, and Yumi waited for him to go on. "I was also thinking about how I couldn't have made a difference in Shizuka's death. Even if I were there, I knew I couldn't have saved her. I was just useless!" There was a notable anguish in his voice that he didn't try to hide. Yumi lightly patted his hand in a reassuring gesture. He drank some of his iced cola to cool his nerves. "But when I was already there on the brink of deth, I said to myself, 'no regrets'. And then I gave in." He looked into Yumi's eyes and saw the sparkle there. He suddenly remembered the blurry part of his mind just after he closed his eyes. "But then at the back of my head, I was still fighting for survival. I knew I had to survive. I had to survive because I had to live again. I had to forget the past and live my life anew. And lastly," he touched Yumi's hand and held it tightly, "and lastly I thought about you."
It was just a friendly gesture, a kiss on Yumi's hand, which he gave her. He was truly thankful that she was there to rescue her, more so that she was a doctor. His reaction caught him by surprise, since he knew he had a "Doctor Complex". But he knew it was all because of her healing power. Every honest smile, every reassuring pat, every comforting word she gave him had helped a lot. And without even realizing it, he'd accepted his past and buried it deep where he had no access. Instead of scurrying away from the knowledge that Yumi was one of those incompetent doctors, Ryosuke just felt closer to her than ever before. He was truthfully grateful that she was his friend.
"Yumi," Ryosuke started like a choked reference to her, "I think I'm starting to like you more than just a friend."
Instead of smiling and weeping for joy over what she just heard, Yumi froze in her seat, a huge frown on her face. She wasn't looking at Ryosuke's direction, though. Her attention was caught in another foreigner walking to their table. He looked intently at Yumi, and Yumi stared back with the same intensity. Their eyes locked for a long while, and the foreigner stopped in front of their table and introduced himself.
"Hello, Miss Sydney Smith," The foreigner literally hissed out the words Miss and Smith. He sounded sarcastic, too. "What a surprise to see you here." He extended out his hand to Ryosuke and introduced himself.
"My name's Marco. Marco Keys." he shook Ryosuke's hand and continued, "I'm Miss Sydney's h-"
Marco's word was cut off by Yumi's own, "He's my head doctor back in the States." She explained to Ryosuke. Ryosuke just stared at her and waited for Marco to agree. Reluctantly, Marco nodded his head and continued, "We've been working together for almost a year now. Isn't it great?" The sarcasm was still there, but Ryosuke observed that it must have come from his drunkenness.
Yumi looked tired and wary. The last thing she wanted right now was unwanted company. Quite emphatically, she said that she was already tired.
"Ryosuke, I think it's time for us to go back to the cottage. I'm terribly tired and you need your rest from today's ordeal." She turned to Marco and gave him an icy glare before continuing, "I hope you would understand, Mr. Keys, but it's still nice to see you here." After Ryosuke paid the bill, Yumi dragged him off into the night and as far away as possible from "The Shack".
Done! Phew!
I wonder who Marco really is! Can you guess?
The plot is coming to the climax. Will you still be kind enough to bear with me in the story?
Well, let's see to that.
Cheers!