2

We welcome passion, for the mind is briefly let off duty.
Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

Z

Of all the places I thought I'd end up that day, speeding down the freeway sitting in a blue and orange Nissan Silvia S15 next to one of DK's friends was not one of them. It probably would have been a good idea to ask why DK was making me go to the races, but I chose to worry about that later and filled the drive with a conversation about the car. I grilled him like an excited kid that had just been told they were going to Disney World. I tried to keep the excitement under wraps of course, but I needed new ideas for my Mazda and this was a perfect way to get them.

"How did you get into cars?" Han cut in before I could ask another question about the new, bigger turbo he had just installed.

"My dad." I answered flatly. That was not the way I wanted the conversation to turn. I was happy as a kid at Christmas when cars were mentioned, but I wasn't quite ready to talk about anything else with him. He seemed okay; unlike most of D's crew he was calm and mature. He was also a lot better looking then most of them with his tan skin and full lips.

He didn't ask anything else after my tone changed. Awkwardness set in quickly after that. I started to squirm in the black leather seats as I watched the other cars flash by. His dark eyes kept flicking over to me as pulled off the freeway onto my street.

"Up on the right? " He asked, as we got close to my building. I gave a quiet "yeah" in response. We made it through the gilded lobby and into the elevator in complete silence.

It was killing me to be this quiet, but I couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't lead into more personal question. I couldn't just start firing questions about the Silvia again, because that obviously annoyed him. Luckily he spoke so I didn't have to think of anything.

"How'd you wind up in Tokyo? Dad a business man?"

"No, I took a break from school to travel a little. Came here and just couldn't leave." He raised an eyebrow at my response. It didn't really fit, but that was the closest to the truth I could get.
The elevator dinged at my floor and I let a breath I didn't realize I had been holding out. Han raised one dark eyebrow at me as I all but scurried out of the elevator.

It probably doesn't make a lot of sense why I magically got so nervous. But most people haven't seen the parts of Tokyo I have. My deal with Kamata was that he let my gambling-addict uncle live, and I give him part of the money I make driving for him. If I asked for help or tried to skip town, then he's still make his money off of me, but I'd be working as prostitute. After that threat, personal questions kind of scared me.

I led him down the carpeted hall to into my two bedroom apartment. Its last owner was the man whose job my dad was supposed to take. It wasn't much to look at really. It had no color in it; everything was painted grey with black modern furniture spread out across the dark mahogany floor. The back wall of my living room was floor to ceiling windows. That was the main feature of the place.

"If your dad's not a business man, what does he do?" Han asked as he started looking around.

"He past away three months ago, but he left me a few things." Han gave a thoughtful nod in response as he followed me into my bedroom where I put on some music to get rid of the silence.

-Boy did he ever leave me a few things.- I thought bitterly as I started flipping through shirts in my closet. I didn't have a lot of things. I hated shopping, so if I bought something, it was out of pure necessity.

"You really need some color in this place." Han remarked. I poked my head out of my closet to see him sprawled on my bed, which was also done in black and white.

"I wanted to paint this room red, but it's hard make it look right. That color shows every crooked brush stroke." I found a tank top that might be okay for the races and pulled it out.

Han hummed in response and started looking around some more. I quickly discarded the top in my hand and started to look for something else.

"What do they even wear at the races anyway?" I asked in frustration. I didn't have a decent shirt anywhere. I'd have to go shopping again.

"Not much. Have you really never gone?" I looked back to see him flipping through a cigar box filled with old pictures that I had tossed in a bag with a few other sentimental things before the Yakuza grabbed me. I sighed at his blatant nosiness.

"I have, but they were a lot different." I gave up on the shirts and went to look at dresses.
"How different?"

"Well, they were drag races, of course." He nodded his head without looking up from a picture. "I was also in a small town, so it was just a big group of friends and a couple of others that came to race. The cars we had weren't nearly as expensive, and we didn't have the racer chasers or cliques that Tokyo does."

I gave up on the dresses and moved onto the few skirts I owned. I wasn't good at being girly, but every dress I owned was a sundress that looked like I was going to a garden party with the Queen. With my connections, I needed something a little more bad ass.

"Who's Camaro is this?" Han held up a picture of my black '69 Camaro. I was smiling clinging to my brother's back like a monkey beside it. I had obviously jumped off the hood to surprise him. He was in his Army uniform and was laughing at my stunt.

"Mine. My quinceanera present. " I finally found a cut off denim skirt that would work. I went back to flipping through the limited selection of tops.

"Who's the guy?"

"My brother, Brent. Our best friend took that right before Brent went to Afghanistan." Han looked at me with his dark eyes and closed the box and set it back where it was.

"Find something?" He asked as he slid off my comforter.

"I can't find a shirt." I sighed in exasperation. Yep, this was definitely going to mean shopping. Han walked over and started looking at what I had, I slid off to the side to let him look.

"Why'd DK ask you to take me to the races?" I blurted as I started to shift my weight nervously. I should have been asking that from the beginning.

"He said something about not trusting you there alone. " He glanced at me before pulling out a black shirt. " I assumed you were some new guy that was working for him that just got off the plane."

"Not quite" I muttered with a raised eyebrow.

"Why doesn't he trust you anyway?" He found a black tank that had lace on the back and handed to me.

"I have a habit of hotwiring things." I said blankly. And it scares him because I work for the real Yakuza.

"I never would have guessed that one, kid" Han said with a chuckle.

"My unlikely-ness is my alibi" I joked with a smile. "I'm gonna take a quick shower. How much time I got?"

"You have a while." Han said as he stretched and walked back over to my bed. I couldn't help but be a little distracted by how built he looked. "Take your time."

Even though he said I had time, I hurried through my shower. I hated to leave someone I didn't know unsupervised in my house. I wrapped a towel around myself and started on my makeup in the mirror. I was really a little plain. The only thing that made me stand out was my huge brown cow eyes. I actually spent a lot of time with my eyeliner are dark shadow. I just brushed my hair out so it would dry straight.

I checked the time on my phone to see that twenty five minutes had passed. -I can't believe I let him wander around for that long. I gotta remember to see if he stole anything.-

I threw everything on and started to look for Han. I found him in the hall with a drink in his hand looking at a picture of my brother. His folded flag was sitting on a table underneath it.

"He was there six months. Roadside bomb." Han turned to look at me.

"How close were their deaths?"

"A month." I pushed past him into the kitchen to start working on supper.

"I'm sorry. Is that why you left?"

"Yeah. In a small town people never let you forget. All I needed was to get away for a while." That was the actually the only thing I said that night that wasn't a lie. I just wish my way out had been a little different.

Z
Three hours later and I was standing in front of my Mazda doing last minute checks. Han had brought me back to my garage to get my car and then showed me the way to the parking garage. I wasn't prepared for amount of people and cars crammed into the building.

I was glad I let Han pick out what I had on. I hated the short skirt and lace back tank but at least I fit in a little bit. He also made me wear the only pair of heels I had, which were five inch stilettos. I had gotten them in case I ever had to wear them to a Yakuza party, but they had never been out of the box. I was a little ticked off over that one.

"I've been looking for you. I hoped you wouldn't be alone." DK walked up beside me.

"I've been good." I retorted.

"Have you seen anything you liked?"

"You want the Rx-8 back." It finally hit me. I was about to win my own car. I hated to part with the Mazda after I had put so much work into rebuilding it, but at least I would own the car I won. Not owing him anything would be great, but it stung that I had done all that work for nothing.

"I had a race set up for a Z. The driver's good, but that shouldn't be an issue for you."

"I want a Corvette or a newer Rx-8." I spat a little to forcefully. The fact he was taking the car back without warning pissed me off.

"Of course you do." He rolled his eyes. I spent six months in Juvie because I stole a Corvette from a businessman in Atlanta. At least I chose someone who could afford it. "I'm glad I sent Han. You look almost presentable." He sneered before stalking away to set up the race.

At least I'm not dressed like I'm about to go dancing at a gay bar. I mentally sneered back. No straight man wore shirts as tight as his. Or wore that much Dolce and Gabbana.

I turned back to my car just in time to see Han across the level. He was swarmed by tall, skinny women that had to be models. A black guy in a baggy sweat shirt and do-rag was standing nearby selling a pair of shoes to one of the women and talking to Han. He caught my eye and gave me a little wink and a smirk. I nodded back and quickly dove back under the hood to hide my blush.

Z

Half an hour later DK walked up to my window with his faithful dog in tow. I had been done with the Mazda was sitting on the hood people watching when he came and got me for the race. His flat face was entirely too close to me as he fixed my safety harness that had gotten tangled when I tried to fix it with nervous fingers.

"It's just around the top levels of the garage. You win, you keep it." He said simply before pulling himself out of the car and going to stand by Neela. She gave me a small, encouraging smile. I intentionally didn't look to see what Morimoto did.

I checked out the car beside me. It was a sleek black with neon green streaked through it. I could tell from the engine sound that it had way more than stock under the hood and it would come down to the drifting. The skinny Japanese guy driving had a smug look that said he thought he had already won.

I smirked to myself as the butterflies started doing flips in my stomach. The girl that was going to start the race stepped between us. I felt the adrenaline build as she pointed to the two equally under dressed skanks on either side. All nervousness left as I excitedly waited for her hands to drop.

The second they did I was off. I felt my organs rearrange from the initial force of the engine pushing me backwards. The first turn came up quick, but I was ready. I swung myself around it smoothly and started to accelerate towards the next one.

Every stressed thought I had had been left at the starting line. I didn't even have to think as I moved through the levels. This was the way racing was supposed to be; just me and the car, kicking the other dude's ass. My opponent was actually a lot better than I thought and was even ahead of me at one point. I ended that quickly by aggressively drifted beside him until he messed up enough for me to pass.

All too soon I was drifting the ramp and it was over. I pulled in front of the cheering crowd and let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. The race really cleared my head and for once I felt happy.
I stepped out with a huge grin on my face only to get bear hugged by a screaming Morimoto. Neela gave me a quick hug and a congratulations, then DK stepped up.

"Good job. I was told to tell you that you have a week off to make adjustments" He leaned down to whisper in my ear so close it probably looked like he was kissing me. He pulled back and I was surprised to see him actually smiling instead of his notorious smirk.

I grabbed my phone and walked over to take the keys to my new ride. I was getting jostled by the crowd as they cheered and congratulated me. I happened to catch a good look at Han's smirk as he stood beside the black guy who looked a little stunned. He gave me a nod that showed his approval. I didn't think it was possible, but my smile got just a little wider.