Disclaimer: I don't own Initial D; it is one of my favorite comics. I hope that my fanfic won't offend any Initial D's fans. I have created a female Takumi instead under the name of Tatsuki; I hope you will like them.
Fujiwara Tofu Shop
Tatsuki came home to sleep after the delivery as promised her father. Actually, she was also planning to come home this morning anyway. She had completed her work and had some time to spend with her father. She was counting on how many Sunday outings she had missed since the Summer Break began. In addition, she already missed three "dates" with her father.
Tatsuki was still sounding asleep in her bed at nine o'clock in the evening. Bunta had no choice but to wake her up before she was late for her racing battle. He was very anticipating and could not help to see her expression when she knew who she was racing with. His daughter had shown how insignificant Ryosuke was to her.
Tatsuki sat up with her eyes closed when her father pulled her out of the bed. She slowly looked up at the old man in dazed. She then went into her bathroom for a thirty-minute shower. By 9.45pm, she was walking down in a black T-shirt and a black skinny denim. She looked at her father in her half wake-up mode.
"Do you remember that you have a race on Akina today?" Bunta asked, restarting her brain.
"The White Comet of Akagi who sent you some red roses, remember?" he added when he saw her puzzled face.
"You should leave now before you're late again," he put the key in her hand and pushed her out of the house.
Tatsuki got into the car slowly, still figuring out what her father was saying.
"So do you think I can win?" she asked with her foggy expression.
"Unless he's as good as me," Bunta replied.
He watched his daughter drove off the street. Tatsuki was casually driving up the Akina Pass with no sign of anxiety when she was about to be late.
Ryosuke gave his white jacket to his brother when he saw that the Hachi-Roku was making a U-Turn before lining up beside his car. He told his brother that he would retire if he lost this battle, though it was a little chance. His FC was already lining up at the starting line. He leaned against his car with his eyes closed, concentrating on his simulation in his mind.
Tatsuki slowly drove as directed towards the starting line, lining up next to the white car. She leisurely got out of the car and looked around the crowded gallery. She took her sweet time scrutinizing the familiar white sports car next to her before she saw the familiar med student. She was completely awakened at that instance. She smacked her forehead and squatted down when she realized who he was.
Keisuke was holding his laughter hard when he saw her comical reaction. Another thing that he noticed was she came up without her glasses and cap. The Red Suns members were looking at Keisuke with curiosity.
"Where's she?" Ryosuke asked when he opened his eye, expecting to meet the young driver.
Keisuke pointed down and Ryosuke found a girl was drawing on the ground and mumbling to herself. He looked up at Keisuke confused by the girl's behavior.
"Hey, Tatsuki. It's already ten plus. Don't you want to start?" Keisuke asked the girl.
Tatsuki took a few deep breaths and ran her hand through her hair before she stood up with her usual expression. She met his gaze confidently.
"Fujiwara Tatsuki. Sorry that I'm late," she introduced herself and bowed politely to apologize.
Ryosuke was startled when he heard Keisuke called her name. His heart skipped a beat. He paused for a moment before he looked at her again. He could not believe that he was racing with the girl that he had been missing since the summer break started.
"Takahashi Ryosuke. Let's talk after this," he said before getting into his car.
Tatsuki nodded. She got into her car and tied her hair into a high bun. Both drivers were focused at the road ahead. The battle began immediately with Keisuke counted down. Ryosuke let the Hachi-Roku led from the start as his usual strategy. Keisuke was looking into the road where both cars disappeared. He strongly believed that his brother would win.
"So, what's wrong with the Hachi-Roku?" Fumihiro asked.
Keisuke was laughing; as he recalled her immediate reaction when she saw Ryosuke. This girl was really funny.
"I'm not sure how both of them knew each other but... she didn't know that my brother is her opponent, Takahashi Ryosuke. I think she never thought about it until she saw Aniki, that's why she got that funny reaction..." Keisuke explained as he was smiling.
After a while, Keisuke stopped his talking when he realized who exactly Tatsuki was. The news about the new singer that just wiped out all the record stores in less than a day. She became the talk of the town since her single release. He could not help to think further what his brother would do. He knew Ryosuke was attracted to her. The Red Suns were confused by Keisuke sudden change in his expression.
The race was very competitive and excited. Tatsuki made a mistake when she went into the corner too fast, causing the FC to overtake her. She slowly regained her concentration and slowly closing the gap. She was under pressured when Ryosuke was tailing at her. And now, she was studying his racing lines and duplicated it as she tailing the white FC. However, she knew that she must overtake Ryosuke in order to win. She could not stand how her father would tease her if she lost. She recalled a technique that her father told her in one of the winter days. It should be their fate when Tatsuki overtook Ryosuke at the five consecutive turns, his tires were losing some grips and switched their positions. Tatsuki won the race with doubts and even thought that he let her passed on purpose.
She got out of the car and walked over to Ryosuke, who was standing behind. She immediately confronted him about the last section. Ryosuke chuckled at her annoyance and explained to her that he had no intention to let her passed. It was his tires were losing some grips so it just happened. Tatsuki accepted his explanation and asked if he wanted to go for dinner as she was starving. He was happy to see her open up with him. Tatsuki found a small 24-hour family restaurant nearby. Ryosuke found a cap for her before they entered the restaurant. Tatsuki then realized how careless she was to went out of the house without her usual covering. It must be her father.
"So, you're really not upset about the race?" Tatsuki asked with concerns.
"I've been thinking about it for some time. I think it's time for me to step back from the frontline," he replied.
"Why? I think you're really fast. If I were to race with you in another course, I'd never win," she sincerely said what she thought.
"So, you aren't happy with the results," he asked as he caresses her cheek.
"Never, I mean the first race was a little fun but after that, I didn't feel that I won. There are no feelings about accomplishment but I don't know how should I describe it..." Tatsuki was frowning when she thought of those races she did.
"You're really funny," he smiled. "So as a consolation, can I have a copy of your single album?"
"Definitely... No!" Tatsuki replied immediately and started her first meal of the day.
"But I can give you a set of it," she added after finished her first bite.
Ryosuke began to ask about her life for the past few weeks. Tatsuki was willing to share with him how busy she was and even told him why she was late earlier. She even told him about her new performance before her school reopened. She asked how many tickets he wanted this time so she would reserve for him. He still remembered his mother told him to get the tickets for the subsequent performance. Tatsuki was delighted when he told her that his mother was her fan. He asked if she wanted to go out tomorrow. Tatsuki shook her head and told him that Sunday was her family day so she could only go out with her father. She added that she was going to Tokyo on Monday so she could meet him at Takasaki if he wanted. Ryosuke was not sure why she changed so suddenly, but it was a good sign. As for Tatsuki, after being put in a group with nine idiots during the school trip, she found that this man was way better than them. He could be her friend as he said earlier. They were lost in their conversations and still continued until Tatsuki noticed how tiring he was. She asked him to go home and rest. She saw him drove off before she returned home as well.
Keisuke was waiting for his brother in the living room. He had been taking a glance at the clock multiple times since he came back. Ryosuke finally returned home after midnight. Keisuke was looking at his brother skeptically when he saw his brother's high-spirited expression. Ryosuke gave the younger man a smack on his head.
"I was talking with Tatsuki," Ryosuke said as he walked up to his bedroom with Keisuke in tolls.
"Just talking?" Keisuke asked.
"She was hungry so we went for dinner," he elaborated.
"So, she's Luna, right?" Keisuke was confirming his guesses.
Ryosuke nodded and looked at how nosy his brother was. He was taken aback by how precisely Keisuke was when came to his personal life. He began to wonder if he was too obvious with Luna. However, he had a deep thought when Keisuke asked who he actually liked, Luna or Tatsuki. Ryosuke never did any soul-searching and this question really caught him off-guard. He contemplated about how he felt about Luna. However, it was Tatsuki that he spent most of the time with. It started with a quiet girl that he barely noticed her presence, then slowly getting more opened up as the time went by. He liked the breakfast she prepared. He yearned for hearing her luscious voice as often as possible. He smiled when he recalled the first time, she was trying to stop him from fetching her to school. That was the longest conversation they had. Suddenly, the frustration kicked in when he thought of the first glance at her sexy picture with an idol on the front page of the newspapers. So, he had already fallen in love with her. He could not believe when he thought about his realization. He did not see it coming so fast. He was still living his life recklessly and always reminding himself of Kaori. He could not remember when was the last time Kaori appeared in his head. He did not even know that he had not seen at pubs and clubs since the last Luna's performance.
He got a long hot shower before went to bed. He was still thinking about his personal life and what should he do. Her father reminded him that she was not just any girls. If he never seen them in that continental sports car, he would think that her father was just a normal shop owner. The first step was to know more about her father. Her father should be around forties but why he was looking ten years younger when he first met him in Tokyo. He fell asleep as he laid in bed and relaxed.
Tatsuki came home quite late and she was greeted by her father, who was still waiting for her in the living room. She apologized for coming back at this hour. She told her father about the result and asked if what Ryosuke explained was true. Bunta nodded his head and slowly telling her that tire management was also a part of racing strategy. He explained to his daughter that Ryosuke must be duplicated her driving lines when he was behind and sometimes this might cause some negligence so by the time he realized, the damage was done. It was a long talk about racing that this pair had. Bunta saw the changes in her eyes and her eagerness to know more about cars. He had no plan to train his daughter to become a professional driver. He just wanted to share his passion for racing with the little girl. She should be fine if she enjoyed being a street racer. Tatsuki then asked her father about their Sunday outings and their fortnight dates that he owned her. Bunta asked her to think of where she wanted to go and what to do. Tatsuki told him that they should go for a weeklong vacation instead. She said that hiking on Mount Fuji should be fun. Bunta refused and told her not to torture an old man like him. He preferred a more relaxed vacation. Finally, she decided on beaches in southern Kanto.
Tatsuki was lazing around in bed for a few hours. She rode her bike to an herb farm which located at the base of Mt. Akina. It had been a year that she last visited this farm. There were a number of such farms and orchards around Gunma that was set up by her. She had a great time walking around the plantation. She loved the smell of the fresh herbs. She pulled her straw hat lower as the sun was getting stronger. Tatsuki went to her little hut to make lunch for herself. This was her favorite place where she could find all the fresh ingredients.
After lunch, Tatsuki went to the biggest bookstore in Takasaki to find some travel guides on beaches. She was fully disguised with cap, glasses and even a mask before she got out of the house. She was browsing through the travel section for some time.
"What are you doing here?" Ryosuke asked, standing just behind the girl.
Tatsuki jumped slightly with her heart beating fast. She was so engrossed in the book and was scared with that sudden question. Ryosuke smiled at her reaction. He did not want to go out of the house today. However, it was Keisuke who told him that he saw Tatsuki in the bookstore.
"You're creepy," she said.
"Did you find something you like?" Ryosuke asked when he saw she was holding the travel guide in her hand.
"I can't decide which is better?" she replied.
He then helped her find a book that suited her preferences. He led her out after she paid for it. Without realizing, she was already sitting in his car and did not know where were they heading to. She just took out the book and began to read. Ryosuke brought her to the usual Red Suns hang-out at a small cafe near Akagi. Keisuke was waiting with Fumihiro and Matsumoto at their usual table. They were surprised to see their leader brought a girl here.
"It's really you, huh?" Keisuke greeted the girl. "This is Matsumoto Shuichi and this is Joyu Fumihiro, Red Suns members."
"Fujiwara Tatsuki. Nice to meet you," she nodded at the two older man and sat down beside Ryosuke.
"Akina Hachi-Roku," Fumihiro reconfirmed.
"You can just call me Tatsuki. I find it weird when you call me that name," Tatsuki replied.
"The food here is good. What do you want to have?" Ryosuke asked before she took out her travel guide.
"A bowl of Miso Ramen, will do. Thanks," she replied and took out her book.
Keisuke was smiling at his brother as Ryosuke looked through the menu. He even asked his brother to order a bowl of Ramen for him too. Ryosuke returned his younger brother a fierce glare. The Red Suns were talking while Tatsuki was really concentrated on the book.
"Done! Two nights at Kugenuma Beach, another two nights at Kawaguchi," Tatsuki mumbled and smiling to herself.
Tatsuki looked at her phone and answered the call. It was Shin. He was checking with her on her schedule on Monday. Tatsuki was speaking on the phone softly but it was loud enough for Ryosuke to hear her. She told them about her family's vacation plans which earned some good laughs from Shin.
So, she was planning for her family's trip. He was amazed when she told her friend what activities she planned for her father. Ryosuke was more concerned with her plans this week. Since it was summer break for the schoolgirl like her, she should be busy going out with friends. However, he realized that her friends were also busy with work as well. This surprised him with the group of people she mixed with. At this age, they should be enjoying school and outings liked shopping. He wondered why she wanted to become a singer when she was already made a name for herself as a pianist. Keisuke asked if she could give him a copy of her single album. Tatsuki told him that he should support her by buying one or more copies. She added that she would sign her autographs for his copies.
"Do you know that you're going to make me dislike you even more?" Keisuke pouted.
"It's ok. I didn't ask you to like me anyway," Tatsuki shrugged her shoulder.
"Ok, just tucked in already," Ryosuke shook his head at the two younger persons.
Tatsuki ate her Ramen slowly and femininely. Fumihiro slowly lowered his gaze when he saw how Ryosuke was tucking her hair behind while she was eating. Both Red Suns members found that they had made the wrong choice to be here. Did they see something that they were not supposed to? It was clearly that Ryosuke must have some feelings for this girl. Furthermore, their leader seemed to show no regret or upset with his defeat last night.
Tatsuki was looking at the dessert menu and deciding what to try. She ordered an ice cream for herself and asked if anyone wanted. The guys were not interested. She told Ryosuke that she must go home now before her father got worried. Keisuke asked if she had any curfew. Tatsuki told the blonde man to be logical and used his brain a little. It would be suspicious if you were to spend a long time buying just a book. Ryosuke looked at his brother's face and smiled. He found that Tatsuki had her way of shutting Keisuke up. She really cared about her father and never wanted him to worry about her. She behaved very well both in front of and behind her father.
Ryosuke sent the girl home before he headed home too. He thought that he could hang with his team later. However, he just dropped the idea and went home to study.
Bunta saw the travel guide in Tatsuki's hand and listening to her trip itinerary. He felt that he might break some of his bones during the trip. He was just too lazy to do any sports during the trip, especially with his hyperactive daughter. If she had planned a trip of street racing in different courses, he would definitely interest. Tatsuki looked at her father suspiciously when she saw his eyes lit up with sparks in them. Bunta asked if she wanted to do a Touge trip instead. He could bring her to different passes to try out since she said Akina was not enough to satisfy her.
"Tsuki-Chan, we can stay in any hotels or Ryokan? I have a few under my chain and I can just pretend to be a mystery shopper," Bunta said to his daughter.
Tatsuki nodded, agreed to his proposed changes. It was not a bad idea anyway. She knew that her father must have been to those passes when he was younger. This would be more fun than her surfing in the sea and the old man just lying on the beach watching her.
Tatsuki caught a train to Takasaki the next morning. She then got into the awaiting white RX7 near the station exit. She made some breakfast for him too. She did not think much about the way they treated each other when they were together. She thought that it was normal for friends without comparing to her four best friends, who seldom had this special treatment. Breakfast was his remuneration for offering his ride. He dropped her off in Shinjuku before he headed towards Tokyo University Hospital for his clinical shift. Tatsuki went to her office in Sakamoto building where she met Shin. They were in a heated discussion on the new acquired building in Shibuya. After three hours meeting, they met Asahi and Miyu for lunch in Roppongi. Haruka was busy with the Yokohama project. Tatsuki then went to Sun Entertainment with Miyu after lunch. She did some recording on the new songs that she just wrote. She told Ryosuke that she would be around Roppongi in late afternoon so they decided to meet here. Tatsuki got into his car and took off her mask. She was really scared of the fans especially when her song was so popular. She still wanted to lead a normal life.
"You look terrible," Ryosuke said with concern.
"The fans are very scary. They're everywhere, at all the entrances and exits of my company. I almost did not make it to your car," she replied tiredly.
"So where do you want to go now?" he asked as he swiftly drove off into the busy street.
"Just get out of Tokyo first," she replied with her eyes closed.
In the end, they found a small western style restaurant in Saitama neighborhood for their dinner. Tatsuki did not have much appetite so she ordered some salad for herself. They did not talk much with Tatsuki looking out of the window most of the time. She seemed to enjoy watching people passing by on the street. Ryosuke slowly cut his steak into small pieces and put some on her side plate. Tatsuki looked up at him, she knew his intentions. She slowly began to eat her food.
"What's your plan for tomorrow?" Ryosuke asked.
"Same as today," she replied with her usual plain tone. "Can you drop me off at the station later? I don't think my father would be happy to see you sending me home."
Ryosuke knew from her eyes that she was aware of how her father felt about his presence. Tatsuki was smiling at his slight change of expression. She thought that his father was too protective of her and he might be misunderstood their relationship. This caused Ryosuke to notice that she just treated him as a friend and no more than that.
Tatsuki gave him two bags of her single album with autographs to the driver before she got out of the car. She told him that the bag with a purple ribbon was for his mother. Ryosuke thanked the girl and slowly sped off.
Tatsuki was happily packing her luggage for her family trip tomorrow. She had been too busy with work for the past few days. She met Ryosuke for lunch on Friday in Yanaka neighborhood. They walked around the area and visited some nearby galleries.
Bunta put their luggage in the boot of their car early the next morning. Tatsuki was wearing a simple white T-shirt with a pair of denim shorts. She looked at her father who was also in his simple tee and jeans. Her father still looked good even in this simple attire. He closed his shop house and slowly driving towards Kanagawa Prefecture.
Tatsuki was humming as she enjoying the scenery along the highway. It was her long-desired family vacation that she had been waiting for years. She was not satisfied with just a day trip every Sunday. She knew her father was busy and he had already tried his best to spend time with her. Bunta was very contented with her happiness. He would do anything to keep her smiles.
After a few hours, they arrived at one of their luxury Ryokan in Fuji Kawaguchiko. The manager was already awaiting at the entrance to receive her guests. Bunta gave the best room to his daughter. He then led her to his room for lunch before he let her rest in her room before their night activity.
Tatsuki walked out of her room in the evening after dinner and waiting at the car. Bunta gave the girl the key before he got into the passenger seat. Tatsuki pulled out of the parking lot as directed by her father. She turned into the highway leading them towards Hakone area. Bunta directed her to Tsubaki Rain pass in Yagawara. He explained to her more about street racing. Each pass had their own team and she might see them even tonight. He was not sure of the current team on Tsubaki Rain pass. The last time that he raced here was about twenty years ago. Tatsuki was curious about her father's street racing history. They reached the base after an hour. She drove up the pass at her usual speed, taking note of the road and turns. She got out of the car at the starting point to let Bunta take over. She wanted to know how her father would drive down this pass with her stopwatch in her hand. Bunta briefed her on the time attack and he wanted her to work towards his timing.
The Panda Hachi-Roku revved up at the starting point before it sped off down the road. Tatsuki was in her full attention on her father's racing line and how he was maneuvering the car around in his artistic style. The perfect Kansai drift in front the Sidewinder mechanic, Kubo Eiji and the team uphill driver, Hojo Go, had fully attracted their attention. The Sidewinders were curious about the Hachi-Roku driver. They even thought that he was another challenger from other team. Bunta drove the car to the nearest petrol station to get some refueling. Tatsuki bought some drinks and switched their places.
"Just go easy on the first round. I'll take the time for the next two before we go somewhere else," Bunta told his daughter.
Tatsuki was getting excited after her father's demonstration and trying to contain it while driving uphill. She switched her songs to Eurobeat before began her first downhill drive on Tsubaki Rain. Bunta knew that the local team was on the pass, when he cleared the corner earlier. Eiji and Go were focused on the road when they saw the Hachi-Roku drove up earlier. They knew that the car was coming down anytime soon. To their surprise, the car was fast but was not as good as the earlier lap. Eiji suspected that it was a different driver this round.
"Do you want to know the local team? They are here and watching you," Bunta casually asked the girl.
Tatsuki looked at her father with her finger pointing at her face, "Are you sure it is a good idea? With my face?"
Bunta chuckled at her response. How could he forget that she was the most mysterious and popular singer at the moment? He counted down and Tatsuki raced down the pass for the second time. The Sidewinders noticed the difference in the speed and drifting was getting better from just now.
"This guy is good," Eiji told the younger man.
"But the earlier was more competitive," Go said.
"It's interesting to see such a trainer, don't you think so?" Eiji replied. "Especially with this stock Hachi-Roku!"
They watched the car drove up and down for another round with a faster time. They were expecting it coming up again but it was long gone. They were disappointed when they knew that the car had left the pass like it never showed up. They knew that the news of this Hachi-Roku would be spreading around by tomorrow morning. They hoped that the driver would not attract his brother's attention as he had completely changed into another person.
The two Fujiwara got back to their Ryokan slightly before 4am. Tatsuki was contented with her father's guidance. She knew she must practice harder especially the new techniques.
They woke up in the late morning. Bunta was already waiting for her in the restaurant. He planned to bring her out and the girl proposed to go to the amusement park nearby. Bunta had a bad hunch about going there. He knew his daughter loved to find something extreme for him to do. He sighed at his fate. As expected, Tatsuki was aiming for the roller coaster ride. Bunta felt his life might be shortening if she still persisted on such activities. They sat on the bench after a ride. He began to wonder how did he raise up such a daredevil child. He recalled how she brought back her trophies from an X-Game competition.
"You should come with your friends and not an old man like me," Bunta groaned.
"Can I come with guy friends?" She asked mischievously.
Bunta eyes turned red immediately and the first person that came into his mind was Takahashi Ryosuke.
"You have enough friends. Shin and Asahi are enough," he replied with a stern voice.
Tatsuki noticed how her father reacted to her question. She understood his protectiveness towards her when they were only kins left. Anyway, she was not ready for any love affairs for the time being.
The news about a Panda Hachi-Roku was spreading among the Kanagawa's street racers. The locals were talking about the rumors with some even trying to find the car; as they believed that it should still be around the area.
The Fujiwaras were on their way to Nagao Pass tonight. They stopped at a pub and restaurant in Gotemba for dinner. Tatsuki was enjoying her food and the live music. It was a quiet night at Nagao Pass when they arrived at ten. Again, Bunta did a downhill demonstration before his girl had some fun. There were no local drivers on this pass tonight. Tatsuki had her few rounds of fun before going back to their ryokan.
The Fujiwara left Kawaguchiko the next afternoon. He was heading to another of their ryokans in Hakone area. Tatsuki was still asleep in the car when they arrived at the accommodation. The manager was not sure if she should wake her up; as she spoke to her male guest. The special guest that she never saw for more than ten years. Bunta took the luggage to their respective rooms and left his daughter in the car. The heat would wake her up soon. The manager of the ryokan left a staff to take care of their younger guest.
Tatsuki woke up after a while. She looked around the luxury traditional ryokan. She was keen on an onsen bath to wake her up. She had a shower before got into the open-air onsen bath in her room. It was really relaxing. She pulled out her white tee and a pair of shorts denim. She then looking for a baby blue long cardigan and a white knitted cap. She met her father at the restaurant for dinner. They strolled down the hot spring's street of Hakone after that.
The Hachi-Roku drove out of Hakone onsen area and was spotted by some local teams. Tatsuki was heading to Nanamagari Pass not far from here. She noticed the eyes of the people around the petrol station, wondering why they were looking at her car. She bought some bottled water and slowly got into her car. The local drivers were surprised when they saw a female driver instead. They began to doubt whether it was the car that the Sidewinder mentioned.
With some speculation after seeing the direction the Hachi-Roku heading, many locals were gathered at Nanamagari Pass in no time. Tatsuki put on her sunglasses to cover her face before she got out of the car and switched the place with her father.
"Dad, too many people here," she was uncertain about driving here tonight.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine. We're not here to race," Bunta comforted the girl.
He began to step on the accelerator a few times while Tatsuki counting down. The car sped off immediately. He had not driven on this pass for twenty years now. He still remembered how he used to drive on this pass. Bunta was happy to see that his timing was still as good as before. He was now enjoying his ride back to the top with his daughter in the driver seat. She turned on her choice of music before she sped down the course. Bunta gave some advice on her driving. He pointed the places that she could use to enter the corner and let her think of how to do it in a faster way. His daughter was fully concentrated in her trial run and completely ignored the crowds along the pass. However, a local guy walked over to their car.
"I'm Ikeda Ryuji from Team Spiral. Do you mind if we have some chats?" Ryuji asked the old man in the passenger seat.
"Sure," Bunta got out of the car.
Bunta then introduced himself and told the younger man that he just coming here for some rides. He had no intention of racing here as he was too old for such things. Ryuji asked about the girl in the driver seat. Bunta tapped on his shoulder and told him to leave her alone. He even added that she was still not good enough to be a street racer.
Tatsuki drove off once her father was back in. She revealed her true drifting skills in front of the locals for the last time. Ryuji was shocked when he saw her skills which not in line with the old man's words earlier. She even saw some headlights behind her and was quite annoyed. Bunta observed her improvement on driving techniques as she drove back to their accommodation. Ryuji and Eiji were following the car from a distance. They looked at the car entering the luxury ryokan in Hakone. They were wondering why the man was still driving this over ten years old car when he could afford a better car.
"We're going to Lake Ashi tomorrow so get up early," Bunta told his daughter.
Tatsuki knew that the spins at the mountain passes had caused some disturbances in the area. She even saw people looking at her when she walked out of the ryokan. They were going for the sightseeing on public transportation. She put on a beanie, sunglasses and mask. Bunta was wondering how long could she be in this disguise. Tatsuki told him that she must get used to it if not, she might not have her personal life.
Tatsuki was taking pictures of the scenery. She had taken some pictures of herself and her father. Bunta was in a short sleeve shirt and a beige Bermuda. She threw her arm over his shoulder and took that photo. He finally realized that she almost as tall as he was. She leaned against the rail of the ship while talking to her father. She then asked a man on the deck to take some pictures for her. Hojo Go looked at the girl, who was leaning against her father's shoulder before pressed on the shutter. He took a few of her pictures with her sunglasses and mask off. He found her looking familiar somehow. Tatsuki quickly put on her face mask and sunglasses before thanking him. She then led Bunta to the upper deck for some drinks.
"Hey, what are you doing in Hakone, Bunta?" an old man in his late forties called Bunta suddenly.
He recalled his son telling him about the Hachi-Roku appearance in Hakone area. He did not expect to see his previous rival in his turf after so many years. Bunta introduced his daughter to Kubo Renji. Renji was surprised that Bunta's daughter was already in high school. Time flied and they were getting old. Tatsuki left the two old man to catch up on the upper deck while she was enjoying the lake scenery on the deck.
"Are you Luna-Chan?" Hojo Go after he realized who she was.
"Can I have a picture with you?" Go asked politely.
Tatsuki nodded and stood a foot from the man while his friend, Eiji, took their picture. Go introduced Eiji to her. Tatsuki smiled and exchanged words briefly. She was standing not far from them, looking over Lake Ashi. She overheard them talking about a battle tonight on Tsubaki Rain.
Bunta walked over to his daughter with his friend. Tatsuki bid the old man goodbye and left the ship with her father. Renji slowly walked over to the Sidewinders. He told them that Bunta was his most competitive rival in his days. Also, he was the owner of the Hachi-Roku that they saw on Tsubaki Rain. Hojo Go was startled for a while.
"Ne... Dad. There's a battle on Tsubaki Rain tonight, can we go, and watch?" Tatsuki asked as they walked through the garden.
Bunta rubbed her head adoringly and agreed to go there later tonight.
To be Continued...