2: Assistance
The crowd roared its approval and disbelief as Cherry, eyes closed, swung around the corner of the S racecourse.
"It's something I've seen him do only because he's able to properly execute it with assistance," Kojiro explained to a stunned Shadow and Miya.
"This is easy!" Kaoru laughed as they raced along the abandoned mine, the track stretching out before them, full of endless skating possibilities. "Hey – I bet I can take that next corner with my eyes closed."
Kojiro rolled his eyes. "Don't be an idiot."
"I can do it. Just count the seconds to the corner."
"What happens if I get it wrong?"
"I'll live." Kaoru shot Kojiro a tiny grin over his shoulder and then closed his eyes. "Go!"
"Three," called Kojiro, his heart in his mouth. "Two. One – Kaoru-!"
Kaoru leaned into the turn, one hand grazing the ground, skateboard skidding perilously – but as Kojiro watched he righted himself, and turned to flash a look of triumph back at his friend. "I told you!"
Kojiro looked on as Cherry used the trick to dodge Adam's Love Hug with pinpoint precision, Carla's voice in his ear. 'I guess you don't need my assistance with that move anymore.'
Author's Notes: So this is an idea that only works with the dub dialogue, but - in Episode 9, when Cherry performs the move of skating around the corner with his eyes closed, Joe says that "It's something I've seen him do" - and he doesn't specify what "assistance" Cherry used to carry out the move :D Now, in the original dialogue he specifically says "AI assistance" but one, I'd already written this before I realised that and two, let's not let canon get in the way of a good fic idea xD
This one's a double (200 words) because it didn't really work without some setup and then payoff, so I actually found myself with "too many" words to play with instead of the classic drabble problem of needing to cut words out xD I made it through, somehow u_u