The next morning, Yasutomo joined the starting line early, pulling up just behind Toudou.
"Toudou.." he whispered. The other turned around. "If your offer still stands, I'll take it."
"Of course it does," Toudou quirked a brow. "I couldn't refuse after Maki-chan begged me to give you another chance!"
"He what..?" blurted Yasutomo. Toudou stared.
"On the phone. You didn't know?"
"We uh.. we didn't talk, after a while…"
Toudou's eyes narrowed.
"You know, it's funny, Arakita," his tone grew cold. "Maki-chan thinks the world of you, but I've never seen you be anything but a horrible brute to everyone. God knows I've tried, but I don't understand it at all."
For once, Yasutomo had nothing to say. He merely took a deep breath, expression vacant, and when his moment came, he broke into a sprint and eventually fell in with Hakone Academy.
They advanced rapidly towards and through the mountains, Toudou and another climber drafting in rotation to throw off the pack, but their cuckoo endured, until they passed the feed zone, and a senior turned back to Yasutomo.
"Your turn to pull for us, Sohoku. Get us past the next checkpoint as fast as you can, and then you can rest your legs."
Yasutomo's brow furrowed. "You're letting me take the checkpoint..?"
"Is there a problem?" came the caustic reply. Yasutomo set his jaws.
"No problem…" he muttered as he switched with Fukutomi, who fell to the back, just behind Toudou. Yasutomo arched his back and raised his cadence, then flinched as he felt a wheel brush against his.
"I said, as fast as you can," the senior repeated. Yasutomo's eyes narrowed in disgust.
"Alright," he rose away from his saddle. "Have it your way…"
You'll regret toying with me, Hakogaku..!
As he broke into a dynamic all-out sprint, the world faded on all sides and Hakone Academy fell silent, all their energies focused on keeping up with Yasutomo's turbulent pace. In the back, Fukutomi gripped his handlebars so hard his fingers were growing numb.
What is this relentless pull… so this is the man that carried you to the front, Kinjou Shingo! I see what you meant now when you said you weren't fighting with your strength alone… you were assured by your teammate's powerful assist..!
"Arakita.. Yasutomo…" he whispered in reverie, unheard by anyone except Toudou, who glanced from his teammate to Yasutomo's back, and for the first time caught a glimpse of the raw charisma that had captivated his rival.
As for Yuusuke, he screeched like an exuberant child the moment the results of the second checkpoint were revealed and he spotted Yasutomo's name on top, yesterday's bitterness ripped from his heart as though it had been but a fleeting nightmare.
"He took the checkpoint! I knew he would, sho!" he grinned at Jin, who gave an awkward laugh and lowered his eyes, unsure if Yasutomo cared about those green sprinter tags at all, and absolutely certain Sohoku's lead was just too good to last.
As soon as Yasutomo bolted past the checkpoint, Hakone Academy's sprinters tensed in wait for him to drop as fatigue and his momentary victory sank in, but their cue never arrived. Instead, they watched in consternation and disbelief as Yasutomo ignored the gesture they had begrudgingly bestowed on him, and his own limits as a sprinter, and swerved to the left until he shadowed the railing.
Here I go, Yuusuke… Yasutomo thought with a manic grin as his mind, too, fell into a singular track, fast and furious. You want sweat and blood? I'll spill all of it!
"CATCH ME WHEN I'M DEAD, HAKOGAKU!"
"You're kidding!" cried one of the seniors. "After him! Don't let Sohoku get away!"
They kicked and surged after the renegade, dropping rider after exhausted rider on their way, but as if magnetized by the railing, Yasutomo continued to cut corners and soar ahead in growing defiance, until they entered the final slopes, and the Mountain God switched over to subdue him at last.
Sorry, Arakita… Toudou poised himself in deadly silence. No matter what tricks you pull, you're no match for me on a climb!
Up ahead, Yasutomo grabbed his last bottle and hurled it across the road, where it exploded in a brilliant splash of water and steam against the hot concrete. Toudou's eyes widened.
What are you doing?! That thing was full!
Why didn't you use it?!
Toudou twitched as he realized his own pace had slackened, but by the time he regained his speed, Yasutomo lurched over his front wheel and grabbed his lower handlebars, sinking to the front of his seat just enough for added support.
Nothing weighs me down anymore.. Noweat my sprint climb's dust!
With a frantic kick, Yasutomo burst forward along the railing, feeling lighter and lighter as his form took its toll and drained his oxygen. White blur strangled his vision, but Yasutomo glued his jaws shut and drew deep breaths through his nose to aid his failing eyes, until his strained nostrils frothed crimson and blood poured down his chin, forcing his mouth open again.
The world drowned. Rhythmic, high-pitched static filled Yasutomo's ears.
Not now..! FUCK! I can't sense them anymore!he whipped his head around, his hands shaking over his handlebars.
No, no, stay calm, Yasutomo! I'm still in the lead.. I can win this thing as long as I follow the course.. SO WHERE IS IT?!
In his desperation, he swerved to the left until he slammed into the railing, then pressed to it, grinding against the metal. Soon, faint cheering reached his ringing ears.
The crowd! I'm almost there!
I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna win, Yuusuke!
Any second now!he spurred himself as he peeled, burned, and bled over the spectators' barrier.
COME ON! HOW MUCH LONGER?!
"HOW MUCH LONGER IS THIS FUCKING COURSE?!"
"Arakita-san! The goal—"
The next moment, Yasutomo's Bianche veered like a frightened horse as his wheel grazed the left goalpost. The crowd gasped, then fell silent.
As he was thrown off balance, Yasutomo instinctively careened to the right, only to crash into the opposite barrier beyond the goal and scrape against it, then skid and collapse as his legs gave out under his plummeting road racer.
For a moment, pure white heat poured over his senses. Overhead, the loudspeakers clicked.
"In sixth place, Sohoku contestant number Seventy-Four, Arakita Yasutomo!"
Yasutomo's jaw unhinged.
Sixth place..?
Sixth place..?
But I was in the lead! I got away, so why..?
Kinjou..
Yuusuke…
This isn't what we wanted, so why..?
Why did you make me do it..?
What's the use of trying IF I'M JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH?!
The thought swelled into an echo in his head and tore through him in an excruciated howl, startling Shiraiwa into backing away from him. As Koga dragged the busted Bianche out of the way, Shiraiwa stepped closer again and took his junior's wrist, flinching as Yasutomo yanked it back.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" he screamed as pain flooded him in waves. "LEAVE ME! I WANT TO DIE!"
He tensed, then shifted to his aching knees, right hand grasping for the barrier.
"But not before I kill.. that stone-faced bastard.. for everything he put Sohoku through..!"
Yasutomo lurched to his feet and shambled forward blindly, left hand wiping at his clogged nose.
"Where are you..?!"
"Arakita!"
Toudou… Yasutomo scoffed and pushed forward. Don't you worry… Yuusuke likes you, so I won't hurt you… I want…
He bumped against something firm, yet supple enough to be human. Yasutomo swabbed his nose, sniffed the obstacle, then bared his stained teeth in triumph.
"Found you.." his bleak gaze crawled higher, not quite reaching Fukutomi's eyes.
"You need medical assistance, Arakita…" stammered Toudou to his left, his heart hammering as he tried to trace Maki-chan's boyfriend in the battered, senseless monster before them. Beside him, Fukutomi stood hypnotized, unable to move even as Yasutomo's left hand fumbled its way to his throat and tightened over his jaw, smearing it with blood.
"Hold still.." whispered Yasutomo as his trembling right hand clenched in the air. Toudou's jaw fell.
The next moment, Shiraiwa tackled Yasutomo from behind and pinned his arms to his sides, while Tomita took advantage of his confusion to grab him by the legs.
"SHI-RAI-WAAA!" Yasutomo flailed in their hold until his leg slipped free and he rammed his foot into Tomita's stomach, knocking him to the ground. "LET GO OF ME! I ALMOST HAD HIM! I'LL KILL YOU! SHIIIRAIWAAA!"
Another senior pulled up Tomita and they seized a leg each, and Toudou watched horrified as the three of them hauled a thrashing, howling Yasutomo away, nearly dropping him again on their way to the first-aid tent.
"I can't believe it.." whispered Toudou, a hand pressed to his jolting heart. "Arakita's more dead than alive, and they could just barely restrain him! He's terrifying!"
Fukutomi blinked, then wiped his jaw, staring silently at the blood on his fingers.
"Yes," he said at last. "Arakita Yasutomo.. is strong…"
While Yasutomo fought blood, tooth and nail for Sohoku's victory, Yuusuke and Jin remained in the confines of the pack. The end results reached them on the flats, and unsure what to make of them, they rode on with mixed feelings until they finally crumbled into the arms of their supportive juniors.
"Never mind that, sho," Yuusuke declined Yaniguchi's water bottle. "Where's Yasutomo?"
Teshima and Aoyagi exchanged worried glances, then pointed to the tent.
"Thanks, sho," Yuusuke turned around, to see Shiraiwa step outside, complexion sickly and his sleeves stained crimson.
"Brace yourself, Makishima," he said quietly. "It's not a pretty sight."
Yuusuke's blood ran cold.
He rushed inside and found Yasutomo on a stretcher in the back, heavily sedated and swathed in bandages. A wet compress covered his eyes, and too afraid to remove it, Yuusuke held his breath and held out his hand to Yasutomo's nose.
His nostrils quivered. Yasutomo gritted his teeth, and Yuusuke watched, heart clenched, as tears rolled down from beneath the compress.
"You finished in the top five percent, sho," Yuusuke's voice quivered as he cupped Yasutomo's cheeks. "You're my hero… I'm so proud of you, sho..!"
He tired for a kiss next, but his lips touched drained gums and viscid enamel. Yuusuke's eyes widened.
"You're dried out.. Hold on, I'll get you a drink, sho!"
He rushed to the entrance calling for Yaniguchi and promptly collided with someone, but as Yuusuke mumbled his apologies, his eyes fell on a Pocari Sweat and a paper-wrapped straw in the other's hand.
"Mind if I take these? Thanks, sho!" he snatched them and whirled around, the tent flapping closed on a baffled Toudou.
"Maki-chan?!" he stammered, and when his shock wore off, he followed Yuusuke inside to find him on a stool in the back, the wrapper still between his teeth as Yuusuke dunked the straw into the bottle. He pulled the compress off Yasutomo's eyes and lifted his head, cradled on Yuusuke's left arm, then held the bottle to his mouth.
"Yasutomo? I need you to drink this, sho."
Yasutomo's lips twitched. Yuusuke shook his head.
"No, it's not Bepsi. It's Pocari Sweat," he sighed. "I swear I'll get you a Bepsi next. Please, sho.."
With some difficulty, Yasutomo nipped down on the straw and sipped away. Every now and again he paused, his breath labored, but prevailed until nothing came but grating slurps of air. Yuusuke kissed his temple, lowered him back onto the stretcher, then rose from his seat, only to flop back the moment he noticed he wasn't alone.
"Oh, Toudou. Sorry, I didn't see you there, sho.." he scratched his head, pushing the now empty bottle onto the table beside them. "Can you do me a favor and get Yasutomo a Bepsi? A cold one, sho," he added, glancing back. Toudou stared at him speechless.
"Sure.. Maki-chan…" he mumbled as he turned around dazed, then back again, to leave the Pocari Sweat he had bought for himself on the nearest table.
Toudou soon returned with a Bepsi and another Pocari Sweat, complete with a new straw. He reached out both, but Yuusuke only took the Bepsi, recycling the straw from the empty bottle.
"Here's your Bepsi, Your Majesty," he teased, relieved at Yasutomo's garbled laughter, who sipped it slower than before, and stopped halfway.
"Enough, sho?"
Yasutomo hummed. Yuusuke kissed his temple again, then set down the bottle and lowered Yasutomo's head.
"Rest now, okay? I love you so much, sho," he put the wet compress back on, one hand stroking Yasutomo's forehead until his breathing softened and his head tipped to the side, features finally calm.
A few feet away, Toudou cleared his throat.
"You know.. it's funny, Maki-chan…" he began, voice strangled and his hands tightening around the unclaimed bottle. "Everyone at Hakone Academy looked picture perfect when we crossed the finish line. We made it without breaking a sweat, the very image of reigning champions. I have every right to be proud of placing second, and I'm certain many envy me… yet I'm insanely envious right now, Maki-chan, and of all people, I'm envious of an ugly, half-dead jerk who came in sixth place, and howled like an animal as his seniors carried him away. It's killing me, Maki-chan. I'm standing right in front of you, radiant and victorious, but you won't even look at me."
Yuusuke's eyes flickered, then trailed from Yasutomo's bruised shoulders to the blood-crusted tips of his nails. He clicked his tongue.
"Sorry, Toudou. Making second place without a scratch is impressive, but this guy just gave everything he had to get Sohoku into the top five," he brushed Yasutomo's tufts to one side. "He's my hero in broken armor. I couldn't look away from him if I tried, sho."
Toudou's eyes fell to the ground.
"Maki-chan… I have a confession to make," he continued, shoulders rigged. "Arakita was right. Our seniors never intended to pull him further than the mountains. When they realized he kept up with us, they forced him to take the sprinter checkpoint, and were going to break away the moment Arakita dropped in exhaustion, but he saw right through it and kept on sprinting, even once he turned into.. into this. It was, impressive. You can tell he's an aspiring ace."
Yuusuke burst into bitter laughter.
"This guy? He's an ace alright, an ace assistant, sho. You know why Yasutomo came here? He just wanted to help Kinjou win, then cross the finish line with me by his side, and when he realized he couldn't do either, he almost called it quits, sho."
Toudou stared at him dumbfounded. Yuusuke sighed.
"He's too nice.. Yasutomo.."
"Maki-chan," Toudou put his foot down, "Arakita almost punched Fuku and then kicked one of your seniors to the ground."
"…Your point, sho?"
"He's a menace!"
"A nice menace, sho. That's the thing, Toudou, Yasutomo's a guy who can do both, sho."
"I give up, Maki-chan! You're both weird!"
"Yeah," laughed Yuusuke. "We are, sho."
END NOTE:
As per the original, Hakone Academy took first, second, and third place, Nara Sanri Academy took fourth, and Machimiya Eikichi took fifth place. They caught up while Hakone Academy was fighting Yasutomo, and broke away together. A few others followed, but nobody dared pass bleeding, howling Yasutomo on the way to the finish line, because whenever there was a turn, he momentarily lost the barrier and swerved into the open road, startling others into staying away.
Yasutomo's tragic finish was a traumatic experience for Yaniguchi and especially Koga, who had to get close to retrieve Yasutomo's road racer. At that moment, he finally understood what Yasutomo meant by the two of them being exactly alike, and his guilt increased tenfold over bringing bad luck on the entire team when his senior was only trying to protect him from having to wreck himself as the team's reserve ace. The first-years then had another shock when Yasutomo stood up on his own, and for a moment, they both thought the same thing: that Arakita Yasutomo wasn't human.
Shiraiwa only intervened to save Yasutomo from disqualification. He then guarded his injured, catatonic junior until the others returned, during which time he lectured Yasutomo for trying to start a fight, then rambled bitterly about how terrible this Inter-high turned out to be, and finally thanked Yasutomo for sparing Koga from all this, and doing his best for Sohoku despite everything. Yasutomo hummed at his words, but didn't process them at all, and Shiraiwa never told anyone else out of shame.
Teshima later talked to Koga and said, "You once called Arakita-san weak and unfortunate, but you were wrong, Kimitaka. He's strong and extremely lucky. No one else would have survived that, not even you." Unable to refute this, Koga apologized and made up with Teshima. He later helped Kanzaki Tooji restore and upgrade Yasutomo's Bianche as a reward for sixth place, and Koga accompanied him when they eventually delivered it to Yasutomo in Yokohama.