Disclaimer: Usual laws apply.
Hello everyone! This is my first try on Initial D fanfic and I have to declare that my knowledge of cars, frankly speaking… sucks. It is only after watching Initial D anime that I started to know more about cars. (Man! It was a lot more complicated than I thought! lolz)
As before, all I know about cars is that they are a lump of designed metal with four wheels and an engine to keep it going. So anyone, if you know about cars and you are going to read this fanfic, please do not hesitate to lend a helping hand when I need it!
1. 'character thoughts'
2. Flashback
Chapter 1
A sophisticated young lady garbed in denim outfit watches as the last of the passengers of her flight disperses right before her eyes, out of the arrival hall of the airport.
"Are they coming… or not...?"
Aikawa Tori sighs, pouting slightly as she sweeps another gaze across the bustling hall for signs of anyone picking her up.
There are none.
Giving up, she fumbles for her PDA nestled on the inside of her russet jacket, checking on the address she is supposed to stay in Gunma.
Having done that, her leather boots begins clicking towards the direction where the cab stand is.
+First Impressions+
Takahashi Keisuke just shifted his weight on his queen-sized bed when his alarm clock goes off, causing a scowl to form on his charming face as he tries to reach for the irritating device that has been ringing at his ears every now and then since God knows what time. Toppling a couple of things on his nightstand, he finally grabs his digital clock which shows the time to be ten minutes to eleven.
"I seem to have forgotten something…" Keisuke muttered, still frowning. He has this edgy feeling that something is going to happen.
Something unpleasant… most probably.
Just then, he heard a soft knock on his door, "Keisuke-kun, are you awake?" which opened to reveal a lady in mid-forties standing by the doorway.
It is their housekeeper, Himura-obachan.
Keisuke runs his hands across his blonde tousled hair as he sits up with a yawn. "Yeah."
"So what would you like for breakfast?" The kindly obachan asked with a smile.
Keisuke rubs his sleepy eyes. "I'm not really hungry."
A disapproving look immediately surfaced from the obachan. "I insist you must eat! Look how much weight you've shed ever since Ryousuke-sama started this project on cars."
Keisuke smirked. "It's called Project D."
Himura-obachan rolls her eyes exasperatedly. "Whetther it was A, B, C or D, you MUST EAT!"
Keisuke chuckles at that. Himura-obachan never fails to nag. Although she has her own family, Keisuke long treated her as part of their family. She started taking care of them since they were way back as kids and over the years, she is like another mother to him. In fact, Keisuke feels closer to her than his biological mother, who is often away from home due to the work in the hospital. And somehow, he thinks that his aniki feels the same way as well.
"Okay! Okay!" Keisuke raised both his hands as if in surrender. "Just fix me whatever you have!"
The housekeeper smiled, as if she has scored a victory. "That's my boy! Now get your butt out of your bed and go wash up!"
"Ah! I almost forgot!" said Himura-obachan just as she is about to step out of Keisuke's bedroom.
Keisuke cocked a questioning eyebrow at that. "Hmm?"
"What do you think I should fix up for dinner? You know… since Aikawa-san will be coming. And yeah, Ryousuke-sama specifically wanted me to remind you… blah blah blah blah… …"
AI…KAWA.
Keisuke blocks out Himura-obachan's voice as the name slowly register in his mind. Suddenly…
"AIKAWA!!" spat Keisuke as he immediately jumps up from his bed and reach for his pants. He is supposed to fetch Aikawa from the airport! So that is the one thing he had forgotten! Ryousuke had 'assigned' this errand to him two nights ago and had particularly reminded him only last night about Aikawa's flight.
Suddenly, Keisuke had this bad feeling that he is going to be so damned by his aniki when he knows about this!
Keisuke gives a quick glance at his digital clock and mutters an expletive when he realizes through and through just how late he was! Aikawa's flight has already touched down over an hour ago. He is really going to be so damned… so damned-!
"Keisuke-kun! Your cell phone is ringing!" Himura-obachan interjected anxiously, seeing how distracted Keisuke is to not realize his mobile is shouting for his attention.
She was startled by Keisuke's outburst a while ago but knowing the boy, she reckons the younger Takahashi must have forgotten this important errand. She started to wonder how the boys' father, Takahashi-sama, will react to this blunder. After all, Aikawa has been one of his best friends since elementary school. Himura-obachan mentally blames herself for not asking Ryousuke earlier about Aikawa's flight arrival time, for it too, slipped her mind.
And her expression turns darker when she passes Keisuke's mobile over to him. As before his father, this young man before her has to deal with another Takahashi in the house – Ryousuke.
Keisuke grunts when he saw his aniki's number flashing critically on his mobile screen. Taking one deep breath and standing relatively still with one leg in his pants and the other out, Keisuke answers the call.
"Keisuke desu."
Himura-obachan holds her breath that instant, gripping her apron with a knowing happening.
There was a pause, meaning Ryousuke is speaking on the other line. A brief moment passed before Keisuke speaks, "No. I'm at home."
There was another discomfited pause before Keisuke speaks again, "I haven't seen Aikawa yet. I.. uh… overslept."
With that, Keisuke, in his quickest response, pries his mobile away from Ryousuke's rising voice from the other end.
Himura-obachan worries her lips. Things are always ugly when the elder Takahashi flares up, though it is a once in a blue moon ritual. But didn't they say that the stiller the water, the more destructive it is?
At that moment, the melodic ringing of the doorbell saves her mind from wondering into something worse as she instinctively scurries to the gate, while Keisuke wonders who could be at their doorstep at this time of the day. He strides towards his window and draws his curtains roughly to a side; half expecting it could be one of his classmates or anyone from Project D for the matter.
And so, his eyes dilate in surprise when he saw a rather stylish-looking girl garbed in denim outfit at their doorstep, with a red luggage beside her. He couldn't see her face, for her matching cap covered most parts of her face from the angle he's watching. But the moving of her head indicates she is surveying her surroundings, in particular – the Takahashis' manor.
"Keisuke! Are you listening?!"
Ryousuke's seemingly pissed voice snapped Keisuke back to his situation. He is still holding his mobile in his hand, which he quickly brought up to his ear. But his gaze never left the girl at their doorstep.
"Uh.. What did you say?"
At that moment, the sudden shot up of the girl's head caught Keisuke off guard, causing him to freeze by his window for approximately five seconds before faltering a few steps away from his window with an expletive, in which, Ryousuke kind of perceives it the wrong way…
+First Impressions+
Tori cocked an eyebrow, feeling both surprised and amused.
Did she just catch a naked man staring at her through his window? No. he has his boxers on. Tori corrected herself mentally. But before she can let her mind wander, there came a kindly obachan greeting her from behind the gates of the manor that Tori assumed to be the Takahashis'.
"Good morning." Tori greeted politely first. "I assume you are Mrs. Himura, the housekeeper of the Takahashis'?"
Himura-obachan looked slightly surprised before answering, "Uh.. Hai. You are…?"
Tori smiled, a smile as innocent as a kid. "I'm Aikawa T..Yuri."
Himura-obachan crinkled her brows a little at the slight hesitation of Tori's self introduction before flashing realization on her face. "Oh! Aikawa-san!"
She then quickly fumbled for the keys in her pockets, slotted into the lock and opens the gate. "Do come in!" wherein Tori obliges by the nodding of her head before pulling her luggage along with her into the manor.
A vivid polish yellow FD immediately caught her eyes at a corner, where the garage of the manor is situated. She kept her stare on the FD as she started to wonder how long it has been since she…
"My apologies for Keisuke-kun, Aikawa-san."
Tori blinks her eyes and smiled while feeling grateful for the interruption. She certainly has no intention of reminiscing the past now.
They were meant to be buried and forgotten.
"He was supposed to fetch you from the airport but he had a late night and so, he… hmm.. overslept this morning though he tries to rush over but you're already here."
"No worries." Tori said, her smile intact. "As you said, I'm already here." Tori guessed then that the naked, no, half-naked man she saw from the window just now to be Takahashi Keisuke.
They then reached the interior of the manor where, in Tori's opinion, finely decorated in modern style. There was this huge portrait-sized family photo on the wall near the stairs where the Takahashi parents were seated elegantly in front while their two suave sons stood right behind them. The one with blonde spikes particularly caught her attention, though she tries to ignore the raven-haired one.
"So… where is he now?"
As if on cue, Keisuke appeared above her at the stairs, properly attired. When he saw her, there was this slight frown on his face.
"It's kind of rude to stare at your guest, especially when she is a girl." Tori can't help but teased.
Keisuke raised an eyebrow at that, before realization hit fast across his mind. "You.. you are Aikawa?"
"Yuri." Tori countered, taking off her cap and letting her long auburn hair cascade elegantly down her shoulders. "You can call me Yuri. And that goes the same with you, Himura-obachan." Tori then winks at the housekeeper, who was glad that Aikawa was nothing she imagined her to be.
"But I thought…"
"My old man was caught up at work." Tori interjected Keisuke, who is now coming down from the stairs.
"So he sent me. Can I sit here?" Tori asked, tilting her head sideway a little to allow strands of her sleek red hair to drop forward.
Keisuke replied with a gesture that meant 'go ahead' before moving to settle himself beside her, leaning his weight forward with his forearms resting on the top of his thighs, hands clasped between his knees.
"I shall go brew some tea." Himura-obachan stated, before asking Tori, "Or have you eaten?"
"Not really." Tori replied thoughtfully. "Do you happen to have pancakes? I would love to have some right now."
Himura-obachan blinks her eyes two times in surprise. Not that they didn't have pancakes, but it was the candor of the red head that made her words stop at her mouth. Normally, anyone would just reply with a simple yes or no and wait for the asker to probe further. So Himura-obachan certainly didn't see this coming from this young girl. But then, she decides that although their guest is Japanese, she lives in the US, so it's kinda normal and usual for her to be this blunt after all.
"We do have some pancakes in the refrigerator. I shall go prepare some while you and Keisuke-kun can talk." With that, Himura-obachan doubled back to the kitchen.
When the two of them are left alone, Keisuke felt he should be the one to end the awkward silence between them.
"I'm sorry for what happened." Keisuke started, meeting Tori's gaze.
"You mean peeking at me naked through your bedroom window…?" Tori countered playfully, leaning her weight forward and resting her head on one of her hands rested on top of her thighs. "Or forgetting to fetch me from the airport?"
Keisuke stiffened and felt his cheeks almost betraying him when he decides to clear his throat. "Forgetting to fetch you from the airport of course."
"So you're not sorry for peeking at me through your window naked?" Tori countered innocently, and smirked when she saw the look on Keisuke.
"…"
'!! This girl certainly has flair with the words coming out from her mouth!!'
"That..!" Keisuke started to protest, his frown coming back.
Tori waved a hand of dismissal before standing up to admire the family portrait photo on the wall. "Why… I think you also forgot to introduce yourself."
Keisuke quickly stood up and strides right behind her, a few steps away from her. He is about to speak when his words stopped in his throat.
"Kei..suke." Tori obliviously said, her back facing Keisuke, her eyes still looking at the portrait photo. "I assume you are him?" Tori then whirls around, just in time to catch Keisuke with his mouth slightly agape.
"We've met before, remember?" Tori reminded. "Over ten years ago of course."
"Eh?" was all Keisuke could say.
"How forgetful can you be…?" Tori said, sounding as if she was disappointed. "We were in the same elementary class, remember?"
When she saw that Keisuke was still trying his very best to recall, she said, "Our fathers were crazy. They enrolled us into the same school and the same class just because they are best friends and wanted everything of theirs to be the same."
"Ah…" Keisuke answered, a lopsided smile forming at the corners of his lips when memories of them playing together runs across his mind like yesterday. "Aikawa Yuri…or Tori. I couldn't make out."
Tori froze at his words and when Keisuke saw the abrupt change in Tori's expression, he thought she looked offended.
"Uh.. I mean since you two are twins and…"
"Yeah, I understand. You're not the first one." Tori interjected with a smile, a smile that seems coerced, Keisuke thought.
"Why don't you show me to my room?" Tori suggested, when the silence becomes too hard to bear.
"Yeah right. I forgot about that as well."
Both chuckled as they made their way to the second floor, with Keisuke offering to be the bellboy.
+First Impressions+
The room looked more feminine than Tori thought it would be. And it was just the way she liked it to be. The bed was stacked at the side, decorated with a pink quilted bed cover and away from the sun, which she always hated the heat from the sun during mornings when she was sleeping the best. There was this dressing table at the other corner, where it is also situated where she likes it. The oak wardrobe fits to her taste as well. The room was simple and comfortable. In all, there was nothing she can complain about. All but one thing – Her room was beside Takahashi Ryousuke.
She could already feel the pressure coming from the other side of the wall that connects her room with the elder Takahashi, even though he is currently not around.
Tori clears her mind. She is letting her imagination running wild again, which she knows she should surpress. She passed Keisuke already, didn't she? The elder Takahashi shouldn't be much of a problem. Everything is going to be just fine. Tori assured herself.
"So, is the room to your liking?" Keisuke interrupted, leaning by the doorway as Tori strides over to the window and draws the curtains to one side.
When Tori didn't answer, his instinct tells him that she was distracted by something outside. He strides over and stands right beside her and was just in time to catch Ryousuke stepping out from his white FC.
So his aniki is back.
Tori stiffened. The white FC. An FC that looked almost… anyway, she is going to meet the legendary Takahashi Ryousuke in no time. Tori thought it's weird why she should fear him.
But she does.
"That's Ryousuke, my elder brother." Keisuke started to say. "And mind you, I had a nasty rebuke from him this morning when I told him of my blunder in fetching you."
Tori didn't say anything and just continued to stare at the charismatic tall raven-haired guy making his way into the manor. By the intense way Tori looks at Ryousuke, anyone would have thought she has a crush on him.
But for Tori herself, she knew better.
She was afraid.
+First Impressions+
Ryousuke fidgets with the keys in his hands when he felt someone staring at him from above. He looks up reflexively and sees this red-haired girl staring at him through one of the windows of the manor that most probably belongs to a bedroom. – A bedroom beside his, of course.
She looked surprised when she was caught but the expression is transient. Strands of her red hair caresses her angelic face at the command of the soft breeze that came at that moment. And for once, Ryousuke thought that looked appealing. He halted in his tracks for a brief moment, allowing Keisuke to wave at him before proceeding to step inside the manor.
+First Impressions+
"Come, let's meet my brother." Keisuke suggested, looking at Tori.
Tori looked dazed for a moment, before following Keisuke out of the room.
+First Impressions+
Ryousuke stepped in when both of them started descending the stairs. Tori was deliberately dragging her feet from behind, feeling nervous as the seconds gone by.
"Aniki!" Keisuke greeted. "Why.. You're back early today."
"Thanks to you, my younger brother." Ryousuke answered with a hint of sarcasm. Keisuke immediately sweatdropped, and tucks his hands behind his head. Ryousuke then averts his gaze at the redhead behind Keisuke, looking all shy and perhaps timid?
"Aikawa-san, I'm sorry for my brother's irresponsible behavior." Ryousuke stated.
"Hm." Was all Tori answered.
Keisuke cocked a questioning eyebrow. Is Yuri acting shy in front of his aniki? Where was her playfulness from just now?
"Do make yourself comfortable during your stay. I hope everything is going well for you?" Ryousuke continued, seeming oblivious to Tori's uneasiness.
"Hm." Tori answered again, darting her eyes nervously.
"What did father say?" Keisuke interrupted.
"You don't wanna know." Ryousuke said plainly. "It's not important now anyway."
"Ryousuke-sama! You're back early today!" Himura-obachan interjected, coming out from the kitchen with two plates of pancakes in her hands.
"Not really. I came home to see Aikawa and to fetch a document that was needed at the lab." Ryousuke answered flatly.
"Then have you eaten? I know you skipped breakfast." Himura-obachan said, after setting the pancakes at the dining table. "Perhaps you want to join Yuri-chan and Keisuke-kun for pancakes?"
Ryousuke gave it a thought. Though he was not in the mood for eating at this time of the day, he thought it would be polite of him to at least eat with the guest of their house as a welcome gesture. It wouldn't be nice of him to just shoot some words this minute and zoom off in another, wouldn't he? He is a well brought-up man after all. Not to mention, she is an important guest. He got the message when his father informed him this morning about some trivial change of plans from Aikawa. – That he was caught up at work and his daughter is representing him in the upcoming big charity event in Japan instead.
"Okay."
It was one simple reply that makes Tori's heart skipped a beat. She has expected him to decline. Because she thought he was not in the mood for eating at this time of the day. Why she thought that of him, Tori honestly doesn't have a clue.
"Yuri-chan?"
Tori snapped out of her reverie when she saw Keisuke staring at her with a confused face. Himura-obachan as well as Ryousuke was also staring at her. Ryousuke raised a slight questioning brow.
Was she feeling uncomfortable around him?
"You're uncomfortable around me." Ryousuke blurted out his thinking before he could help it.
"… Youu…'re…uh…" Tori bites her lips. 'Think of an excuse quick!' "looks stern."
Ryousuke "…"
Keisuke "…"
Himura-obachan had to suppress her laughter.
Tori emit an awkward laugh before running a nervous hand across her auburn hair. "I'm kind of awed by stern guys you see… Ha... Ha."
"…I see." Ryousuke stated, surprised at her frankness and for the first time, showing no efforts to conceal it.
He then decides that this Aikawa Yuri is one interesting girl.