Chapter 2
Doing the uphill in Saitama brought back a lot of memories. He nearly lost to Kyoko on this road. This road was so bumpy and uneven he couldn't get any rhythm.
Then Keisuke noticed his boost gauge. The psi was oddly low. He pulled over and parked next to the guard rail.
Keisuke cursed under his breath and opened the hood to let it cool.
As he leaned against his FD, he couldn't help but think this was a stupid idea. Why should he expect her to be here? It wasn't like she would be happy to see him.
Trying to shake off the negativity, Keisuke took a flash light and began checking the engine. Everything seemed to be in order.
"Ah crap" Keisuke complained.
He dropped his flash light which rolled under the car.
When he reached the flash light he felt something next to it. Observing it in his hand; it seemed to be a charm bracelet. There were four different charms: the Japanese rising sun, a soccer ball, scroll, and a miniature FD.
"An FD?" he practically gasped.
Keisuke couldn't really think straight as he drove down the mountain. He parked in front of a convenient store to get a drink, but only a few parking stalls down was a black FD and its owner.
They both seemed to give each other eye contact, but they both looked away. Keisuke rushed in the store to buy a drink and couldn't help but be nervous. His feet seemed to carry him toward Kyoko.
"Hey Kyoko"
She wouldn't make any eye contact with him.
"Hi… Keisuke"
"So how are you?" he asked skeptically.
"I'm fine… just on my break for work."
"I see…" Keisuke was clutching the bracelet in his pocket not sure if he should ask her about it.
"Well I should get back to work. Bye."
Kyoko rushed back into the shop and Keisuke couldn't help stare after her. She still looked cute, even in her work clothes.
Seeing as their conversation was over, Keisuke stepped into his car and went straight home. He parked in his usual spot beneath Ryosuke's balcony. He sat in his car for a long minute and pulled out the bracelet from his pocket.
It seemed to be in decent condition except the clasp was broken.
"Keisuke are you in there?"
Keisuke was startled by the sound of his brother's voice coming from the balcony.
"Yeah what's up bro?" he said as he got out of his car.
Ryosuke gave him a simple hand gesture to come upstairs; probably to talk about their meeting tomorrow. Keisuke went up to his brother's room and took his usual spot on his brother's bed.
"Tomorrow will be our meeting at 5 in the garage."
Keisuke nodded to his brother and stood up to leave when Ryosuke stopped him.
"Where did you go today Keisuke?"
'Great, he suspects something' Keisuke thought.
"Just went to Saitama, that's all."
"Ah okay then" was all Ryosuke said and he turned himself to his computer screen.
Keisuke lay across his bed still thinking about Kyoko and the bracelet that rested in his pocket.
"Hey Kyoko you can go ahead and clock out. I'll finish closing."
"Sure. Thank you." Kyoko waved her co worker goodbye.
She drove home mindlessly only thinking of Keisuke. Kyoko stopped at a red light only 3 blocks from her apartment. After it turned green, she drove through normally but she noticed a pair of headlights getting closer to her car.