Chapter 3: Blackout
April 15th.
It is now few minutes past 5.00am in the morning. Asuna Kagurazaka was doing her daily job, delivering newspapers to the neighbourhood as a source of her own income, as so not to depend too much on the Konoe family that has been taking care of her most of the time since she was orphaned. Except for her, all of her classmates will still be sleeping at this time, only waking up hours later to go to Mahora by train. It was a typical morning delivering newspapers, since she's alone during that time.
It was still partially dark, and the street is eerily quiet. As Asuna reached a crossroad, she heard a car coming. Seeing that, she waited the car to pass through before she crosses the road. Only the headlights of the car are now seen, since the whole place was dark. She could not see how the car looked like. The headlights are partially blinding, due to the fact that the headlights uses both normal and HID lights together. The car approached the crossroad very quickly, and it suddenly braked. Sounds of tyre screeching are heard, and the car's rear end loses grip and went to the left. The rear end closes in to where Asuna is standing. Asuna jumped back as the rear end of the car misses her by only a meter. The car turns into the road on its right, while still maintaining the drift and right after that, the car regained grip on the rear, and moved off quickly.
"Look where you're going, you baka! Someone could get killed!" she screamed at the car, which has already disappeared by now.
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Zooming into the car, it was Shun, who was driving the Chaser. It was a typical routine, back to the days when he still had the Silvia, where he will wake up early to practice drifting. Usually after going out of the dormitory, he will find a big empty car park located next to one of the offices around the vicinity. He will then stop there, and practice drifting around the poles and the tight spaces, hoping to refine his skills. Usually after a few minutes, he will move off the car park, and drifts on the streets, before returning to the dormitory. He makes sure that he does not run into the police that was patrolling around the area, and make sure that he does not crash into the people delivering newspaper for the residents of the area. It was hard to practice drifting in Mahora City, due to the fact that mountain passes are almost non-existent. He knew about a mountain pass located on the south of Tokyo, Hakone, but he felt that he himself needs time, since he does not has the horsepower and handling for drifting, at least now. He thinks of going back to the workshop where the Silvia was modified, but it was closed down some time after the Silvia was done. He still hopes to find a good workshop that does everything at a good price, because some workshops are known to charge cutthroat prices to their customers.
Going into to the dormitory, he parked his car back at the spot where it is usually parked, that is next to Kyo's grey Skyline sedan. Seeing it was dirty, as he has not washed it since he got the car more than a week ago, he decided to take a pail of water and a cloth to wash the car. After washing the Chaser, the blue metallic paintjob of the car shined, reflecting some of the dawn sunlight that has now appeared. Seeing that his car looked as good as new, he smiled and returned to his room, to prepare for the day.
"Dude, wake up! It's already morning!" Shun screamed at Kyo, who was still sleeping and snuggling a Bibulion Pink Tulip doll on his hand. Shun smiled at him self at that, because for him it was partially childish to hold a doll like that. Kyo wakes up, looking still dazed.
"And yes, YOU
will be fetching me to school," Shun said.
"Me?" Kyo said,
still a bit blurry.
"Yes, you, since I helped you a lot these
days. Especially with you and your mangas."
"Har…what the
heck…whatever then…just wait a while…" Kyo continued to speak
in his blurry tone.
In a while, Kyo was all ready for school. His messy hair has been made into spikes, making his head like a grass field. He goes to take some bread and butter and some other things, puts them on the table. They proceed to eat the breakfast on the table, and drank some tea, which Shun made. Most of the time Shun will make tea for them, since he actually has a passion for tea, all sorts of tea from both East and West. It was his other hobby other than cars, along with books like Kyo, since both of them are in the Library Exploration Club, but they has been active in the club's activities. After they have finished with the breakfast, Kyo goes to his table, where his bag was. Taking the bag and the coat, he said,
"OK, let's go now! We don't want to be late."
In a moment, both of them are at the car park, where they put their things into the boot of the grey ER34 Skyline. They both entered the car, which is about the same size as Shun's Chaser, except that it is sportier, being a member of the Nissan Skyline family, although the top-of-the-line Skylines were the GT-R, consisting of the BNR32, BCNR33 and BNR34.
Inside, the car is mostly stock, except for the expensive Alpine audio system, even more expensive than Shun's Chaser's Pioneer system. As they start the car, Kyo puts the automatic gearshift from 'P' to 'D' to move off the car park. Most of the other cars were moving off by that time, making them take time to go out of the dormitory.
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As Sakurako walks with Misa and Madoka from the train station, the 3 girls were chatting about a few things.
"Hey, I wonder what Negi-sensei will do for today? The new term started for more than a week," Sakurako said.
"Well, we don't know anything yet though. Wonder where will we go for this year's class trip," the Misa replied, while pushing some of her long untied purple hair to the back.
"Anyway, we now officially have Negi-sensei as our teacher now. It should be quite exciting to has that 10-year old boy as our teacher for this year," the black-coloured shorthaired Madoka added.
"Yeah right, hope that Asuna gets along with him well," Misa added more.
As they walk, Sakurako heard a car with a modified exhaust coming. She stopped, and looked back. Her eyes were fixed to the incoming car, seeing that it looked something like the Chaser, but then it wasn't the blue Chaser that she sat in the other day, it was only a black Nissan Laurel with a seemingly loud engine that passed. Disappointed, she continued walking.
"What's wrong Sakurako-chan?" Misa stopped and asked, "You has been acting slightly weird since that day. Don't tell me it is…"
"…the sign of love?" Madoka retorts.
"Wow, that is a first. First, we has Incho-san getting all hyped up about Negi-sensei, and now you get hyped up about someone?" Misa adds, and continued, "Hmmm, I know you think Negi-sensei is cute. But this seems to be more than 'thinking that he is cute'. Could it be that you has…"
"…fallen in love with 'whoever-that-sent-you-back-home-in-the-rain'? Since you looked elsewhere whenever one of those loud cars passed by," Madoka said as she is trying to make Sakurako tell the truth.
"Of course not! I don't even remember that person!" Sakurako tried defending herself, "Plus I has forgotten how the car looked like! Haha!" she laughed sarcastically. "Plus, Negi-sensei is still the cutest guy around, no bet about it!"
And then a grey Skyline sedan with also a loud exhaust passed, and she did the same thing as she did to the Laurel just now.
"See, I has told you so? Tried to deny again, huh?" Madoka exclaims in excitement.
"Did I say no again just now?" "It wasn't like that! I has just taken a little interest in cars, that's all!"
"Ohhh, it seems to be because of 'him'…" Misa continued and winked at Sakurako.
"Say whatever you want, you bakas! Negi-sensei is still the cutest!"
Although she denied it, she felt that her heart beats faster when the Skyline passed. She can fell that something in the Skyline is making her heart beat faster. She shrugs it off, and the 3 girls run into Ayaka Yukihiro and Yuuna Akashi at the next moment, and joined them. After a while, a 10-year old boy, wearing suit, and carrying a staff on his back, appeared.
"Ah! Negi-kun! Good morning!" Sakurako greeted at the boy.
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The Skyline parked itself next to the other cars in the car park of the boys' senior high school, which includes the black Laurel that the girls spotted. Most of the students has drives normal sedans, or at most sport sedans like Shun's Chaser or Kyo's Skyline, which were the only ones of their kind in the car park. Coupes are a rarity, except a blue Mazda RX7 (FD3S) on the opposite. The 2 of them got out of the car, and goes to their class 2-B which is going to start. As usual, classes are boring, although Shun give his fullest concentration to the lessons, instead of Kyo who is just snoring off in a few tables away. The bell rang after some time. Before their teacher leaves the class, he said,
"Oh, class, today we're going to be having a blackout from 8.00pm to 12.00 am. So, stay in the dorms and don't get out, unless it is necessary," their teacher said.
"Oh boy, going to be getting the torch lights and those stuff after this," one of student's in the class remarked.
"Hey Shun, how's that Toyota Chaser of yours?" a student with brown hair came to Shun, who was writing some notes as the rest in the class got on with their respective activities.
"Well, not that good. Going to need more horsepower, Saniro," Shun replied.
"Oh, hehe. Good luck on that Chaser then. My FD3S RX7 can't wait long for an opponent," the student called Saniro said.
"Haha, don't you get afraid of how much attention that car gets around guys and girls?"
"Ah, no. It's a good thing anyway, great to has that as a chick magnet too," Saniro laughed and then continued, "Well, later."
It was a rush to buy the torches after school ends, as it will be very dark tonight. Everyone seems to jam up the counter.
"Hey Shun, why you didn't buy the torch lights?" Kyo asked him, while holding a bag containing the torches.
"Me? Well…I'll be going out tonight. Got a meeting with someone out there. Urgent."
"Oh, OK, I see that…guess I'll be alone tonight."
"You can always go through you collection of mangas again, baka."
"Yes, but reading back does not seem fun compared to new stuff…" "Wait, I hasn't go through your collection yet! I want to see what is so interesting inside!"
"Whatever…" "I got to go to work now, anyway. Don't worry about me, today my shift will be until about 7.30pm, so I go back myself."
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7.55pm.
Shun was at the car park of the dormitory, inside his Chaser. He was waiting for a few minutes to go before the blackout starts. The Chaser's engine is idling, while the exhaust rumbled, making echoes throughout the car park.
8.00pm.
The maintenance team shuts off the lights around Mahora. He then presses the clutch, puts the gearshift to 1st gear, and puts down the handbrake, depresses the clutch and slowly presses the accelerator to move off slowly, so not to make too much noise, since they were not supposed to go out with the blackout in effect. After he passed the entrance, he turned the car and stopped at the roadside. He then twists a lever on the right of the steering, and the normal-HID lights of the car light up. He revs the car a little, while still pressing the clutch. He releases the clutch and slams the accelerator, which causes the rear wheels to create tyre smoke, and moves off very quickly.
He then drives to the bridge as full speed. Tonight, he is going to test how fast this thing goes throughout the bridge. The bridge connects one section of Mahora to another, and it was mostly full of traffic during the day. But during the night, some people decided to turn the bridge into a gathering of the highest horsepower machines and the shortest time runs, effectively making the bridge a drag strip, with about a kilometre of the bridge is used as the race distance. Money seldom exchanges hands, as it was more about the question of pride. The sound of the Chaser echoes in the otherwise quiet night.
8.30pm
He stopped at the starting point of the bridge, taking note of one of the poles of the suspension bridge as the ending point. It was completely dark, with only the normal-HID beams lighting up the road ahead of him. Seeing that was safe, he proceeds to press the buttons of a counter that has been attached on the windshield and shuts off the air-conditioning. He wants to make sure that this opportunity is used properly. Seeing that everything was fine, with no traffic, he revs the engine of the car a few times, with the sound of the HKS Super Drager exhaust echoes around the area, although it was not the loudest and most powerful exhaust offered by HKS. He then revs the car to about 4000rpm with the gearshift in neutral. He quickly shifts to 1st gear, performed clutch dump and the car begins to move off in the straight direction in frenzy, like a horse going out of control. He then shifts through the few gears.
2nd. The car was still accelerating strongly. It becomes noisy inside, due to wind noise.
3rd. It slows down a little, but still going strong. The wind noise becomes more apparent.
4th. Power begins to taper off as it goes to the upper range. He could not reach for 5th gear. The speedometer has already reached the limit of 180km/h although it is actually faster than that.
After he reached a pole, he begins to brake very hard. It takes some distance for the heavy car to stop. After the Chaser comes to a halt, he then looks up to a counter that has been attached onto the windscreen.
It reads 14.1 seconds, and 209km/h.
"Gosh, that Wataru guy was right. I really need some more horsepower to back me up. Plus the car has been very unstable," Shun said to himself upon seeing that, "It would be hard to match up with that 360ps FD3S of Saniro's if this goes on."
He then puts the car into 1st gear and then drives off slowly, wanting to try from the opposite side. But as he reached the end, he felt something is not right. He then quickly pulls the handbrake to perform a U-turn, and drives off although he is in the wrong lane. He knows that there will be no traffic tonight, so no one will notice.
The drive was a quick one, but then he spotted something passed him. He brakes instantly and stops the Chaser, turning his head to see what it was. He could not believe his eyes, it was 2 girls dressed as maids, running after a boy riding a…flying staff. He was in total disbelief of what is happening, but decides to drive off quickly, knowing that it could be something dangerous, especially if he decides to join in to know more.
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Power supply was restored minutes before 12.00am.
The magician-in-training Negi Springfield, at the Mahora suspension bridge, defeated the vampire, Evangeline A.K. McDowell, and saved her after she almost fell into the lake.
