Chapter 6

Admitting Defeat

Rei and Kira brought Mrs. Aso to their apartment in the late afternoon, they didn't say a word to one another all through out the ride back home by Tatsuya cars who was kind enough to give them a ride home while Rei and Kira rode on his motorcycle following along side of the car "I don't really like seeing Kira riding on a motorcycle" Mrs. Aso expressed while looking out the window and seeing her daughter riding behind Rei with her arms wrapped around him. "Don't worry Mrs. Aso, Kira and Rei ride their motorcycle all the time without any kind of accident" Harumi said to try and ease Mrs. Aso's worriers over her daughter "I never did like Kira on a motorcycle not even the day I first met Rei" Mrs. Aso explain remembering the time Rei brought Kira home on his Bic, finally they pulled up to the apartment building "well here is home for now" Tatsuya said as he drove into the parking spot.

Rei carried Mrs. Aso bags into the apartment while Kira and Harumi helped Mrs. Aso into the apartment, Bruce runs up to Kira's mother with his tail waging with joy while Kira's mother was surprised over the dog's kind greeting "oh hello there boy" Mrs. Aso said while petting the dog "oh that's the mut we happily call Bruce" Rei explained while standing with her bags. Mrs. Aso was so amazed at how the apartment looked it seemed like Kira and Rei had out done themselves "I'll put your things into our room Kira and I will sleep on the couch" Rei explained as he walked into the room "oh no I don't mind taking the couch" Mrs. Aso said. Kira placed her hands on her mother's arms and said "no mother the doctor told us that you need to lay low for a while", Mrs. Aso looked at Rei like she was asking for defense from him "hey she is your daughter, and she is not so innocent as we all thought she is" he said while leaning on the doorway frame. "Alright you win again" Mrs. Aso said as she was about to walk to the room by herself but Rei rushed over to her side and assisted her "I got you" he said while helping her, Rei noticed Kira's mother was still amazed at the apartment "I know Kira did all this" Rei added as they walked to the bed. Mrs. Aso laid back on the bed all relaxed "there that's better huh?" Rei asked as he lifted her feet on the bed and Kira came from behind him with a blanket in her arms "here mother" she said while she unfolded the blanket and laid it on her mother's lap, Mrs. Aso was appreciating of all the attention that was being given by her daughter and her soon-to-be-son-in-law "I'll go make you some tea" Kira offered her mother. Before she was about to walk out her mother reach out to Kira's hand and pulled her back "thank you" she said with sparkles in her eyes, Kira smiled in return for her gratitude then headed out the door to the kitchen "I'll let you have some privacy" Rei said as he was about to rise up to his feet and leave but Mrs. Aso grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her side "I also want to thank you most of all for everything you have done for my daughter" she said "I want you to know that you have my permission to call me mother or Miya " she added. Rei felt a feeling of comfort like a mother to her son, he has not felt that way since his mother passed and he loved the feeling of it "alright then Miya or mom as your son will you try and chill out for me but most of all for Kira" he asked with a pathetic face like a puppy, suddenly Bruce comes into the room and leaped onto the bed "hey leave her alone she needs her rest" he said as he was about to grab him by the collar but his mother-in-law stopped his hand "no its alright I like his company" she said in the defense of the dog. Rei stood up and looked at his new Sargent mother cuddling the dog's face like Kira would "Kira feels the exact same way you feel about the dog" he explained while smiling at her, Kira comes in with a cup of tea in her hands "here you are mom" Kira said as she walked to her and handed her the tea "thank you sweetie" she said kindly.





The couple ready to leave Mrs. Aso in her room to sleep along with Bruce who has a reputation of being protective of Kira, her friends, now her mother "good night mother" Kira said in the doorway with Rei by her side "we'll be out here if you need us, mom" Rei said, Mrs. Aso laid in her bed with Bruce next to her "good night you two" she responded as Rei closed the door. Harumi and Tatsuya had already left when Rei and Kira sat up their couch bed, they still were not muttering a word to each other about what happen at the hospital concerning Kenji "are you still going to met with Kenji?" Rei asked as he slipped out of his pants on the bed, without looking at him she responded "yes" while changing into her nightgown in front of Rei "then I won't stop you" he said. "I know you won't just like I didn't stop you from hustling for money" Kira said as she claimed into bed, Rei remembered when he worked at Snookers playing pool for money Kira didn't like it a whole lot but it was fast money. "I know you won't like me going back to work but we need the money and my work is really being bought real fast" Kira explained while she slid under the sheets, Rei thought about how Kira loves to work to support the both of them and now she wanted to take care of her mother he finally reached a conclusion as he claimed into bed along side of her. They laid on their backs staring up to the ceiling quietly "uh...you're mother said I can start calling her mom" Rei said to try and break the walls of silence that made him uncomfortable, Kira was still looking at the ceiling as she responded "I am glad that the two of you are getting along" Kira said as she rolled to her side while she is clinging onto the sheets. Rei knew that Kira wasn't going to let go of the subject that bothered her most "okay listen" he said at the same time sighed while reaching over her side arms so that he was holding her in his arms "I know how much you love to paint and I know that you are willing to work so I am willing to continue to get use to your partnership with Kenji" he said. Kira intense body began to ease off and Rei finally felt her suckling up to his chest "thank you" she whispered to him as she clung onto his hands " and I am sorry for being such a bastard the truth is that I can't stand sharing you especially to someone who is in love with you " he added to his surrender. Kira turned over so that their eyes would meet "I forgive you and let me assure you that I am not shared at all" Kira said while smiling at her handsome soon-to-be-husband "so are we at peace?" Rei asked with the same flirtatious smile "I don't know" Kira responded with a smile back to him, Rei reached over Kira to the lamp that was next to her "one way to find out" he said as he switched it off, the couple were now in the dark and all was that was heard were their quiet giggles.

The next morning Rei woke up on his belly with one arm danging on the side of the bed but as he lifted his head up he saw Bruce sitting on the floor staring straight at him on the side with his tongue dangling on the side of his snout, Rei was a bit grossed out by the sight of him "Oh that'll scare you from waking up out of a beautiful dream" he commented then heard his mother-in-law walking from out of the bedroom "Morning," she said as she passed by him to the kitchen. Rei sat up on the bed remembering that she was staying with them "morning mom" he said while rubbing his eyes. "I hope I didn't wake you" she said while moving a pan that was sitting on the burning stove, Rei quickly slipped into his pants without letting his mother-in-law see him in his boxers but after she poured some coffee into a mug she turned around and saw Rei half way in his pants. "Well you are a sight to be seen" Mrs. Aso said while standing in the kitchen with a plate in each hand, looking at Rei's beautiful body "thank you God for this gorgeous son-in-law" she added. Rei was stunned by his mother-in-law's compliment "sweet mother-in-law my..." he muttered to himself but couldn't finish his statement in her presences "I never heard you talk like that" he said loud for her to hear him while he zipped up his pants, "well I got married when I was 29 years old" she said in a witty voice with a smile so bright. Rei was glad to Mrs. Aso smiling after all the pain she had been through with her husband "it's nice to see you smile and making jokes" he said while pulling a chair to the dinning table, "yes it is...it feels like I am free at last" she expressed to him as she placed a cup coffee and a plate with pancake surrounded by scrabbled eggs.


"Thanks mom" he said as he picked a fork and knife "so where's Kira?" he asked as he sliced his pancakes to pieces he also thought about Kira telling Kenji that their relationship is strictly business and nothing could come between them at all "oh she woke up about an hour ago and left in a hurry to meet with Kenji" Mrs. Aso explained while she place herself in a chair across from him, Rei tried not to show his mother-in-law how much he resented him but most of all he knows how Kira can be weakened by Kenji's compliments. "Something wrong Rei?" his sergeant mother asked in concern for him "no it's nothing just thinking about going to see Kuga" Rei replied to her question and hoping he didn't have to tell her about how he felt about Kenji and what Kira means to him "Kuga?" Mrs. Aso asked with a curious face as she placed her coffee mug on the table "yeah Kuga, he is the manager of the WGP500, he offered me a contract in his team to go grand prix" Rei explained while he forked up a pieces of pancake and scarfed in his mouth.

Kira rode on the bus to the Kamaji Museum as she was dialing on her cell phone desperately the words that Kenji said to her at the hospital "Kira you should know the truth...I love you" Kira's eyes shut tight as those last statements echoed in her head "I never thought I would hear those words from anyone other then Rei" she thought to herself. Kira's phone ring twice until finally someone answered but she was stunned to recognizes the same British voice that she never could have forgotten "Hello?" Kenji answered the phone, "Kenji?" she asked in a shocking voice but he wasn't shocked at all he was more pleased to hear her "Kira, so good to know you still call me by my name I hope it means that you won't ask for another art dealer?" he asked in a very cheerful and delightful voice. "Well I uh I just wanted to uh" Kira felt like an ass not being able to find the right words to tell Kenji that their relationship must remain purely professional, she could hear him chuckle on the other line "Kira that is another reason why I lov-, like you so much...your struggles to finding words" he said with a little laughter in his voice. Kira knew he was about to say the word "Love" in his compliment to her but he restrained himself "Kenji we have to talk about the conditions of our relationship" Kira said with determination in her voice, trying to keep herself from stuttering again. Kenji knew how easily flattered by his compliments "I think I know what this is about" he said in a disappointing voice, Kira remembered when Shiori came to see Rei because she was still in love with him and has always been even Sei was alive "Kenji I will be at the museum in 5 minutes" Kira said then hung up quickly. As she watched the building past by through the window of the bus she wondered when did she start drawing attention the way Rei, does most of the guys she draws to herself either want to take advantage of her or the just want to know if Rei was available to date, she was also concern about not being able to sell her art work without Kenji, she reminded herself that she couldn't get done by herself because Kenji was good with negotiation.

Finally the bus stopped at it's destination which Kira knew it the museum was a cross the street from the bus stop, she got off the bus and walked straight to it "why am I nervous?" she asked herself as she got closer to the building then she saw on the corner of her right eye she saw Kenji through the window of the front door. He was standing in front of a woman around his age wearing a tight red dress with high heels, her hair was long to her shoulder raven black with bourbon blond sticks "she doesn't work here" Kira thought to herself while standing next to one of the concrete bin, she suddenly noticed Kenji's facial expression was unhappy like he was seeing someone he didn't want to see or socializes with "why is he so sad?" she wondered to herself. Kira noticed Kenji giving her a small paper that looked like a check to her eyes, the woman snatched it from his hand and slipped it into her hand bag with a very cruel smirk on her face she said one last thing to him then walked away from him. Kenji slipped his hand into his pocket with his head bent down in sadness for a while until head looked to the side and saw Kira staring at him, Kira quickly ducked behind the bin hoping he didn't see her "oh that would not be good if he saw me spying on him" she thought to herself with a hand on her pounding heart but while she was doing that she didn't realizes that Kenji was running to her.

"Kira?" he asked as he came to her, Kira gasped when she heard him call her name "oh God I am sorry" he said apologizing to Kira "I figured it was you but I wanted to make sure" he explained. Naturally Kira felt that it was her fault that she was caught by him "no I should be the one to say I am sorry for spying on you" Kira said as she finally calmed herself from the startling surprise that Kenji accidently done to her "I think I should apologizes for scaring you" he said.

Kenji waited for Kira to explain about what he confessed at the hospital the other night but Kira just stood in front of him in complete silence with her hands twined to each other behind her back and her cheeks turning red till finally he broke the silent ice "um the museum won't be opened for another hour" he explained "do you want to get something to eat?" he offered. Kira shocked her head shyly "why don't we uh go to the tracks" he offered again but Kira only stared at him with a stunned look on her face, Kenji could tell that Kira was thinking of his intension to her "it's a public place I promise you and it's the same track as the one Rei races in" he explained in a cheerful voice trying to show her that he has no intension of taking advantage of her "in fact why don't you bring Rei along?" he offered again to try show her that he was serious about wanting to patch things up between himself, Kira, and of course Rei. Kira thought about Kenji's offering long and hard, it seemed a bit odd for Kenji to offer her and her boyfriend to join him at the tracks but she considered his attempt very noble "I'll call him up" she finally said as she stepped away from him to get some privacy for herself.

Kenji and Kira drove to the same race track where she remembered meeting Kyoko and Akitaka for the first time, that was also the first time she watch Rei race on the tracks. As they pulled up into the drive way Kira was remembering when Rei was out on the track she was so inspired that she started drawing like crazy "here we are" Kenji said as he switched off his Mercedes. Kenji lead her to the garage where Kenji's team storage his car "how long have you been racing?" Kira asked as she watched him dialed the code on a pad near the garage door. "Just like Rei...since I was a boy" Kenji answered over his shoulder without looking at her, Kira was amazed at the sight of the shiny red car with black strips all over it along with 83 printed on the doors "have you seen Rei motorcycle?" Kenji asked next to her which startled her a little bit "uh yes he did but unfortunately I never got the chance to see him compete" Kira explained in a very nervous and shy tone along with her cheeks tuning red again. Kenji waited for Kira to begin her speech about remaining only friends and business partners but all Kira could do was hold her hands together behind her back "I am not taking back what I said at the hospital" Kenji said to try and break the ice. Kira's eyes widened at the thought of this handsome young man's declaration of love to her and that he wasn't sorry for what he said the other night "I know that you want to tell me to remain friends with you...but I can't do that" he said standing so close to Kira that it made her step away from him "I know that I don't know you but that day we first met was one of the best days I ever had in a long time" he added to his declaration in a tensed stern voice. Kira was so astonished by everything he was saying that she turned away from him and walked to the tool shelf "I don't know what to say" Kira said in a trembling voice almost as if she was going to cry "I do" he said in a determined voice as he approached her from behind "come back to my beach house with me" he offered with a hand on her arm to pull her around so their faces would meet each other. All she could do was bow down her head to avoid any eye contact "I can't do that" she answered in a quiet soft voice "why not because of Rei?, how do you even know if you have the exact feelings as I do? " he asked in a more soft and tender voice that Kira described as beautiful especially with the British accent. Kira finally stepped away from him "Kenji please try to understand that I love Rei and we have something that is deep" she said trying to look at him in the eye, Kenji scoffed while walking back to the race car with his hands in his pocket "does he love you?" he asked, "Yes I do" Rei said leaning the frame of the garage door with his arms crossed on his chest and his eyes staring at Kenji, Kira could tell that Rei has been standing in his spot listening to everything they were just saying.



"What makes you think I don't love her?" Rei asked in his usual threatening voice as he approached Kira's side and placed a hand on hers which was on the tool table, Kenji watched with envy "I have looked in on you Rei, I know about your disagreement with your father or should I say your uncle?" Kenji said as he stared back at Kira who was stunned to know that Kenji would snoop around Rei's records. "What's the point of all this?" Rei asked trying to keep his cool and not let go of his rage "exactly like I said back at the hospital" Kenji said as he turned his head to face both Kira and Rei "I can give her anything she wants...what can you give her?" Kenji asked, Rei felt an eagre to shut him up but he held himself back. Kira finally approached Kenji "I don't need anything more then what I have now" she said with sincerity in her voice "you say that now but later on in your life you'll feel different" Kenji said staring at her soft brown eyes "anything and everything I have can be yours if only say the word" Kenji said with his hand again on Kira's arm. She pulled away "that isn't what I want Kenji...I don't want any of that" Kira said as she removed his hand away from her arm "He's right" Rei blurted out, Kira turned to face Rei with a face of shock. "He can give you everything that I can't all because I cut off all of my ties with my old man just to strike out on my own without his help, maybe if I hadn't left him I would have been able to provide you with what ever you want and you wouldn't have to work so hard to pay for the medical bills I made" Rei expressed reminding Kira about his accident that caused a lot of stress over making money to pay the bills. "This is crazy" Kira commented out loud so both men would hear her "no it's not" Rei said in a serious voice "he has been giving you everything that I have promised to get for you" Rei added, Kira heart was bursting in her chest at the thought that Rei was doubting their relationship.

Kira pulled Rei outside the garage away from Kenji to get some privacy "how can you say all this after everything we have been through" Kira said with her voice now trembling "Rei I have chosen you and I will continue to choose you" Kira added "will you?" he asked looking into her eyes and awaiting for her to answer, Kira nodded her head "then quit your work with Kenji" he said seriously. Kira was stunned at what he was requesting "what?" she asked "quit working for Kenji" he repeated, she was astonished "I can't do that" she said.

"Why not"

"I love my work it takes me out of the house and makes me useful and...besides you said you were going to be okay with my partnership with Kenji"

"Not when I just realized that he wasn't going to break off all emotional connection with you"

Kira was now at a point that she never wished to be in...to decide wether to remain with Kenji as partners or to give it all up, she loved he experience as a business woman and an artist at work but she also loved Rei. Kira remained silent with one hand holding her arm "I had to give up race motorcycles for you Kira" Rei said in an angry voice, Kira knew he was right but she still wasn't letting go of her career opportunity "unless you are really willing to give up something for me then you let me know" Rei said in a tone that made Kira's tears over flow out of her eyes "what do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean we should take a break to rethink about our futures"

"are...you...breaking...up...with...me?"

Rei didn't answer her question only turned away from her until he finally replied "I don't know are we?" he asked as he walked to his motorcycle and living Kira standing behind with her tears flowing out like a river and as he rode off in the horizon Kenji ran to Kira's side, he didn't know wether to hold her which is what he wanted to do but he felt it was not right especially at a time like that one. Kira felt her entire body in agony the same antagonizing pain the first time she and Rei broke up due to her step father's return "why can't I run back to him?" she wondered to herself.

Meanwhile on the motorcycle Rei's thoughts were on himself "damn it, damn it, damn it!"