Chapter 6: Those Who Fail to Learn from the Past
It was now five in the morning, and the sky was just beginning to lighten when the final two racers lined up to tackle the mountain one last time. The 86 was lined up and ready, Takumi looking as cool as ever behind the wheel, waiting for his opponent.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Eric shook his head as he saw Takumi's opponent roll up. The yellow color, the carbon-fiber spoiler and the stickers on the side made the ride unmistakable. Low murmurs began to sweep through the crowd.
"Keisuke Takahashi is lining up against that 86!"
"Wow, this is so unfair, the 86 doesn't have a prayer, KEISUKE has the kid outclassed and out-powered."
Keisuke revved his engine as he stopped at the line and the countdown began.
"10!......9!.......8!.......7!......"
"You may have beaten me once, Ghost of Akina, but I've gotten better."
"6!......5!......4!........3!......"
"I've watched you all throughout the tournament. This time, it'll be different."
"2!........1!......"
"You'll pay for the humiliation my brother suffered!"
"GO!"
The Mazda RX-7 FD Type R leapt off the line, easily blowing away Takumi in his 86. Keisuke looked up into his rear-view mirror, watching the 86 disappear from view.
"Hmph. Seems like deja-vu all over again."
Keisuke hit the corner first, followed slowly by Takumi, both drifting through. Just as before, Takumi gained ground, but Keisuke did notice something.
"He's not as fast out of the corners as he usually is. He's not gaining as much as he used to."
They both exited the corner, Keisuke again beginning to pull away until the next corner, where they both hit their stride, drifting flawlessly through, Takumi coming out better than he did last turn.
"Damn," Keisuke swore to himself, "he's picking up the rhythm; he's starting to get that same stride that he had when he beat me."
Keisuke paused in his thoughts for a moment as he hit the third corner, but this time, he gripped it, tires squealing as he brushed the rubber's grip threshold.
"Screw it, screw the tires and screw that damn 86! I'm gonna win this no matter what, and this time, he doesn't have anything to hook his tires into!"
Keisuke gripped the next corner as well, Takumi still gaining on him but not nearly as much as before.
"Good, right where you belong, sitting in my rear-view mirror. Maybe this beating will make you realize that you need to scrap that rolling heap of yours."
After a few more corners, the grip on Keisuke's tires began to give, but it seemed too little too late for Takumi.
"Only one more corner to go, the final hairpin and I cross that finish line. The 86 WILL go down!"
In the car behind him, however, Takumi was still as cool and confident as ever.
Takumi was drifting through every turn, but he still couldn't get a line that would take him past Keisuke.
"He's gotten better, much better."
Takumi hit the second to last corner, drifting through it flawlessly, but only got him inches on Keisuke.
"I think I can take him on the final hairpin."
As they both reached the hairpin, a gust of wind blew out of the east, scattering dead leaves that had been left behind after the winter's snow had melted, and as Takumi looked to the side, it revealed to him his golden road.
"Is that……yeah, it's gotta be!"
Takumi turned his attention quickly back to the road and saw Keisuke start to slow down in order to take the next turn. Takumi, a glare in his eyes, kept a lead foot on the gas and pulled up next to Keisuke on the inside.
Keisuke looked over and saw Takumi pulling up next to him, eyes wide with disbelief.
"What? Is he mad? He'll crash! There's no way he can make-"
Before Keisuke, could finish his sentence, he heard an all too familiar sound, like a thud, and then scraping.
"No…..no he couldn't, there wasn't a single one to be found on the mountain. He couldn't have, he simply COULDN'T have."
Sure enough, once Takumi passed him, he saw the 86 jump up on the right side and level out as it crossed the finish line.
"Goddamn, he did it again. He hooked another gutter, letting him turn at a speed that exceeded the tire's grip. The son of a bitch did it to me again."
Takumi kept right on driving, continuing down the mountain and onto the main roads. Keisuke stopped at the bottom, climbing out and turning to his brother, who was waiting for the winner.
"Did you see that, Ryosuke? He hooked the-"
"I know. I knew he'd do that from the second he started racing here."
Keisuke was stunned.
"You…you knew, and you didn't tell me?!"
Ryosuke nodded slowly, "Yes Keisuke, I didn't tell you because I'd hoped you'd figure it out yourself. Consider it a lesson; those who refuse to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. You have the skills to go pro with me, now you just need the mentality. I always said that if you had my brain, you'd be the perfect driver. You're skills are even better than mine, but you lack the technical knowledge. Trust me, Keisuke, in time, you'll beat the 86."
Keisuke stood silently for a moment before he spoke, "So, where's he going?"
"Airport, he's on his way back to Japan."
"What about the prize?"
"It's not like we can't find him once we get back to Gunma. Besides, something tells me he was racing for more than money tonight, something more valuable to him."
Keisuke only smirked and turned towards the rising sun.
"That what's so scary about you bro, you can look at how someone is driving and immediately tell their flaws, weaknesses, suspension, camber, just everything."
Ryosuke smiled slightly and shrugged.
"If I'd been able to read people and their cars that well, I would have beaten the 86. He's a tough one to figure out, although I must admit, I would like to see what he has under the hood of that machine of his."
"Most definitely, that's no ordinary 86. You think there's anyone on the amateur street racing circuit in Japan that could beat him on the downhill?"
"Amateur circuit? No, I think he's in a class all his own," Ryosuke stopped and looked up as a peal of thunder crashed over the mountain.
"Let's go, Ryosuke, no sense in driving on wet roads longer than we have to."
Keisuke climbed into his car and started the engine, looking at his brother.
"There's a storm coming in."
