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. This is a fanfic. All characters except for Initial D's characters are all imaginary characters. Most of the details are fictional and any similarities are coincidence.
Seiki Academy
The music room was very occupied by the five-student council committee this morning. Sakamoto Shin sat on a couch, checking and testing his electric guitar. Kuroki Miyu was at a corner setting up her white keyboard. Ikeda Haruka and Hamasaki Asahi walked into the room with some snacks and drinks. Asahi threw himself down onto the empty sofa, relaxing himself. Haruka shook her head at her boyfriend before she took out her bass guitar for testing. The last person to entered the room was their vocalist, Fujiwara Tatsuki. She came in with a dark purple guitar case on her shoulder.
"New one?" Asahi asked after he saw the vibrant artistic guitar in the case.
Tatsuki nodded and was looking at the songs list for their graduation party in March. They were quite busy with their work outside school so they decided to have a weekly practice in school. Tatsuki distributed each of them a copy of the music sheets for the songs. They began their practice after they had all musical instruments ready.
"How do you feel about Ryosuke?" Haruka asked suddenly after a two hours practice.
"He's nice," Tatsuki replied, sipping her tea from the thermal flask.
"Just nice! Hey, Tat-Chan, can you elaborate a little more?" Shin exclaimed.
"A nice friend," Tatsuki added plainly.
"Wait! You went out on a date with him and you don't feel anything more than just a friend?" Shin was staring at his friend.
Tatsuki looked up at Shin before she said, "I'm too busy and that date was just a returned favor for sending me home."
Everyone knew how clueless and slow-minded Tatsuki could be sometimes. However, her response to Ryosuke topic was giving them a big surprise. They just realized that she never once given a thought to it. Tatsuki was puzzled, listening to her friends discussing on Ryosuke's subject. She felt a bit awkward and decided to go to the restroom to avoid the topic. She splashed some water on her face while trying to get her friends' words out of her mind. They did another round of practice before lunchtime.
Tatsuki walked out of Seiki Academy after lunch. She was on her way to her office in Shinjuku where she met with Bunta's executive officers. She had started to learn about her father's business since this summer break. FW Group staffs were familiar with her coming to the office weekly. She sat down on her father's desk and reading through the documents. She raised some questions at times which usually ended up with a discussion among the executives. She did not stay long for today when her mind was elsewhere. Ever since the race in Shomaru Pass, she wanted to drive the car more frequently.
It was a windy Saturday. Ryosuke went to Shibukawa to pick up the girl in the morning. It had been a norm to see the Akina driver and Red Suns leader going out together. Tatsuki walked to the man in white shirt with a sweater on his shoulder who was standing by his car. Ryosuke looked at the girl in creamy knitted sweater and a light champagne tulle skirt with a smile. He opened the door for her before he got into the car and drove off.
"Where are we going?" Tatsuki asked as she took off her beige face mask from her face.
"Akagi, unless you have places in mind," he said as he turned into the highway.
"So, we're going out with your team?" Tatsuki asked curiously.
"No, just two of us," he placed his hand on her before interlocking their fingers.
Tatsuki looked down at their hands with her friends' words replayed in her mind. She was not sure if this was the right thing to do. Her heart was beating very fast. She could not remember when he started to hold her hand. She lost in her deep thought until the car stopped at a small cafe near Lake Onuma.
Ryosuke brought her to Akagi Shrine after breakfast. They took a stroll around the shrine and the lake before he drove around the Akagi. Tatsuki looked at the driver, wondering what was his actual plan for today. It seemed that both of them had something occupying their minds. He brought her to the art museum in the afternoon. They spent hours in there. Ryosuke then drove her up Mount Akagi again, heading to his favorite hidden spot on the pass. The white FC slowly stopped at a small viewing area at the top of the pass. He told her that this was his favorite spot on Akagi and she was the first person that came up here with him. He held her hand as they looked at the Maebashi city below. Tatsuki agreed that the view was breathtaking.
"I'm forming a new expeditionary team next spring. It will be a small team of highly skilled people and I am inviting you to join me as a downhill driver. We will challenge the local teams in and outside Gunma... we will break their record if they have any. Unfortunately, I don't have much time for this. It's gonna be a year or a little more if I'm lucky enough..." Ryosuke suddenly told Tatsuki of what his future plans.
"Why me?" Tatsuki asked, while her eyes were fixed at the view below.
"Because you're the one who stopped my consecutive win. I need your technique. Up till now, you're driving based on your talents and senses. But soon, you will run into something like a brick wall and to overcome that, you will need more high-level racing and theories. I believe you're already realized what you were lacking of... I can help to became a faster driver so will you join me?" Ryosuke asked.
"It sounds interesting, but what made you choose me?" Tatsuki was indeed considering. Her mind was already compared circuit racing and street racing.
"I hate to say that you are like my brother, Keisuke. I mean you two are the same type of drivers. With the right theory, you will be able to breakthrough and become unbeatable. So why don't we do this together? You can take your time considering about my offer. I hope to hear a yes before the next spring," he added.
"So, this is the main reason for asking me out today," Tatsuki shook her head and mumbled to herself. "Actually, you can just talk to me this morning. Don't you think it a waste of time?"
Ryosuke looked at the girl when he heard her words faintly like she was complaining. She was looking down at the ground, mumbling to herself. She was seriously thinking about his new racing team and what to do if she wanted to join him. She already had her plans laid out for the next few years. She was uncertain if she could manage her work and this racing thingy.
"I'm asking you out because I wanted to spend more time with you, especially when you've been MIA recently. I want to spend my free time with you," Ryosuke pulled her into his embrace and whispered to her.
Tatsuki froze. It took her a long moment to push herself away from him. She walked back to the car, expressed her desire to leave. Ryosuke grabbed her hand and pinned her against his car. He looked into her eyes, reading her real feelings at this moment. Tatsuki in turn looked away. She could not meet his gaze now as she felt his dangerous aura.
"I'm not going to end this date with you like this. You're the only person I want to spend my time with, do you know what does this means?" He asked with his breath was just tickling her neck.
"I don't want to know," she said faintly.
"Where's my brave and confident Tatsuki? Do you know how cute you're looking now?" he teased with his hand caressing her cheek.
"Can I kiss you?" Ryosuke murmured as their lips were just a few millimeters away.
Tatsuki was tensed up with her heart racing and her eyes were opened wide when she felt their lips connected. He pulled away after the first taste of her sweetness, it was so enticing that he was desiring for more. His thumb was brushing gently on her lower lip. Tatsuki looked up and met with his gentle gaze. She parted her lips, wanted to say something. Ryosuke seized his chance and he pressed his lips on hers again. He deepened it with his tongue, earning a soft cry from the panic girl. Her hands were clenching his shirt tight as she allowed him to kiss. Her mind had gone blank by his dominant kiss.
Ryosuke looked at the girl who was catching her breath in his chest. She was so alluring, tempting him not to let her go.
"I like you, Tatsuki. Like you a lot," he said as his eyes were fixing on hers.
"Can you send me home now?" Tatsuki said after a long pause.
"I just realized what's love at first sight was when I first saw you on the stage. I couldn't get my eyes off you," Ryosuke confessed in his emotional voice.
"I don't want to hear anything... just send me home," Tatsuki cut his words off.
She was so confused and nervous at this moment. She knew she could not think straight if she was still with him. Being in his embrace made her feel safe and she liked it. However, there was too many things she must put her thoughts into. His sudden kiss and confession were unexpected and scaring her away. He got her message and opened the door for her before he buckled the seatbelt.
"I had a good time today, thank you," Tatsuki said in her expressionless voice. "And... I think we shouldn't see each other for a while."
Ryosuke grabbed her hand and turned her face to face him, "Why?"
"I need some time with myself to consider your expeditionary offer," Tatsuki was trying to pulled her hand out of his grasp.
"Let go off my hand. You're hurting me," she added.
"I'm sorry," he released her hand.
Tatsuki nodded and got out of the car. She walked straight into her house without turning back. She stopped behind the closed door, calming herself down. She sat down with her father in the living room. She told her father about Ryosuke's plan to form a new team. She told him that she was interested but there were things to be done before accepting his offer. Bunta chuckled at his daughter who was just left after she had done talking. The girl did not want his opinions but she just needed a listener. At the end of her conversation, he was surprised when she asked for a chauffeur from tomorrow onward. He had been thinking for some time about letting her try different cars. She could drive an alternate car to school.
Tatsuki laid on her bed with her hand on her forehead, thinking about her possibility of joining the team. She found that there were things that she must do before she made her decision. The picture of her car's damage was replayed in her memory. The feeling that she always had after each race was telling her that she was not good enough. Slowly, the picture changed to the kisses she had a few hours ago. Her fingers were lacing on her lip with the feeling still lingering on it. That was her first kiss. It felt good and she was kind of like it.
Ryosuke locked himself in his room after sending Tatsuki home, working on his "the fastest of the public roads" theory. The feeling that they would not be seeing each other was unexpected. Her response to his kisses told him otherwise. He knew that she also shared the same feelings for him. He threw his head back and staring at the ceiling. Was he too impatient today? He smiled when he thought of the kisses they shared. She did not resist and even cooperated. Her sweetness was still lingered on.
Ryosuke wondered how long was a while when he recalled what she said before she left. Her denial had a certain impact on both of them. He sighed softly and focused on his work.
The two Fujiwaras were on their way to Akina warehouse on Sunday morning. They were in their matching clothes, white tee and denim. Bunta knew that she bought a Toyota Trueno for her music video earlier. He told the girl of what he had in mind. Tatsuki refused to drive to school straightaway. She wanted to make a full use of her time while traveling. On the other hand, Bunta wanted her to have some breaks while traveling. She had a bad habit of being too engrossed with her work. He was now looking at the deep purple Hachi-Roku in front of him. He knew how this car would make heads turn if it was on the street, too flashy.
"Do you think you can change the engine to the one we have now?" she asked curiously.
Bunta gave her a small smack on her head. He knew how hard to get that engine and what he had to pay to get one. His daughter was asking for another one to put in her car. He slowly pointed at the pink Honda S2000 at a corner. Tatsuki shook her head profusely. He told her that alternated between the cars would help her understand the difference between the Trueno and newer car models. She was a kind of driver that used her senses to feel the difference between cars. He then turned around and spotted a brand-new lilac Toyota Supra in a glass room. Tatsuki saw what her father was looking at. She began regretting on her options for color. She did not want to think of how that light lilac car would catch attention when she drove out of the garage.
"I can get it set up for you," he pointed at the Supra.
"So, must I really drive that to school?" she whimpered.
"Even if you aren't joining any team, I've planned to get you to try other cars anyway. Tatsuki-Chan, do you know how much you're attached to that car? You should start trying something else, finding the car of your preference..." he continued telling his daughter about her excuses for not driving other cars.
Bunta looked at the cars she bought for her music video and others that were her birthday presents from his friends. It would be a waste if she just kept it in the garage like this, not mentioning those of his in Gunma warehouse.
Tatsuki dropped her head low after hearing what her father had just said. She stole a few glances at her father, smiling mischievously when she thought of her experience at Suzuka. She knew that he was right especially when she was so keen to join a street racing team. It would be a fun experience even though it would only last for a year. She wanted to know how much improvement she could get from Ryosuke's training.
"Ok, I got it. I'll take any cars you choose," she said after she had made up her mind.
"No chauffeur, unless it's necessary," he added.
Tatsuki agreed and followed her father walking around her garage. He told her that the mechanics who did the setting for those cars had done a great job.
"Don't you ever want to try what Ryosuke's car was like when you're behind the wheel?" Bunta asked.
"No... I never thought that I would be driving other cars. I could not imagine how I would drive something besides our house car," she replied with her fingers crossed behind.
She knew that how she started driving five years ago. She thought that it was just what she could help to lessen her father's workload. She never thought that her father was training her to become a street racer like him. She began to understand her father's ultimate intentions recently. It was not a bad idea when they could talk about cars and racing, though she was not fully understood. She was no longer shutting him off when he wanted to talk about cars. She had changed tremendously after she discovered that he did not change the dashboard instrument panels. She could not wait to see her father's face when he knew what she and Kaito were doing at this moment.
Bunta put Tatsuki in the sparkling white Mazda RX7 FC3S that was parking at the far corner in this warehouse. He instructed her to drive it to Kanagawa area. He slowly explained to her the difference between RX7 rotary engine and the Trueno engine. Their family day outings were slowly becoming her mountain driving day.
As the white Mazda RX7 drove down the streets, many were turned their heads to the gaudy car. Bunta even teased her that she should open a paintwork shop if she could not find a job. She gave the old man an annoying glare. She then thought of how her father would react when he found out about her new project with Kaito. They got out of the car at a petrol station near Nanamagari pass. Her car attracted the crowd nearby, as they walked into the convenience store. After a full tank of petrol, she drove off towards the pass. She already got used to the car and was trying if she could drive the way she did on Hachi-Roku. She began her downhill fast before going full throttle in no time. The car was difference from the FD that she drove in Suzuka. The white RX7 was speeding down the Nanamagari course at high speed, drifting through the corners to minimize the speed loss. Bunta just watched how his daughter tackled this course. He gave some advice occasionally. Tatsuki was having a great time with her father. They returned to her garage to retrieve their house car. Bunta knew that she was most likely to join the expeditionary team.
On Monday morning, Keisuke stopped by Akina, looking for Tatsuki. Tatsuki got out of her car and leaning lazily on her car. She hated talking to Keisuke as he never understood what she was saying. Keisuke was coming to persuade her to join their expedition team. Tatsuki looked at the ground and sighed. It seemed that they were pressuring her to make the decision. She had nothing to say this blonde man.
"Why? What's actually holding you back?" Keisuke asked persistently.
"You! Do you know how stressful it is when I think of becoming your teammate?" Tatsuki replied with an angry glare at him.
"Don't come here again. You're interrupting my practice and ruin my day," she got into her car and sped off.
Keisuke looked at the disappearing Hachi-Roku with a shock. He did not understand why she said that. He left the Pass after a while.
Bunta looked at his daughter who came home pulling a face. He gave Tatsuki a car key for her to drive to school. Tatsuki looked at Mercedes Benz SL500 in front of her and turned to her father with her unbelievably gaze at the owner. She asked if he was in a right mind. He seriously told her not to damage or scratch his car. She sat in the sports seat, adjusting it. She never thought that her father would allow her to drive this car. She was also very excited to be able to drive this roadster. She drove off slowly and carefully.
The white Mercedes SL500, a mountain tuned sports car with 380 horsepower, was speeding down the highway towards Tokyo. Tatsuki was now enjoying the cool breeze when the convertible top down. The responsiveness of this sports car was fun. She did not realize her liking for convertible cars. As she entered Tokyo streets, she began to caught in some traffic. The SL500 swiftly passed through the busy streets as the driver made her way to Seiki Academy. The white car then passed through the school gate before pulled over to an empty parking spot. Tatsuki got out of the car and took her bags from the boot.
Tatsuki entered the music room where her friends were waiting with breakfast on the table. She just helped herself without any eye contact with her friends. They soon commenced their practice for the day. All the songs for graduation party were recomposed and required some practice. They were very satisfied with the new rearrangement. Tatsuki proceeded to her next agenda of the day.
It had been a long busy day for Tatsuki when she had attended three meetings at different locations. She knew that she had something to do in the evening. As soon as the white sports car zoomed down the highway leading to northern Kanto, she was thinking about the rematch between herself and Sudo Kyoichi. She had quick change into a casual outfit before hopped into her Hachi-Roku. She arrived at Zyne Racing HQ in the late afternoon. It was renovated from an abandoned building on Akagi area that she acquired years ago. She stood at the rooftop, watching the sun setting with her thoughts running deep into Ryosuke's offer and her race with Kyoichi's race. Kaito called her down for dinner. He patted her shoulder, telling her to go ahead with whatever she wanted to do. They then walked into the basement where three cars were parked.
After the S2000 tested, Kaito continued to work on Toyota Supra MK4, Honda NSX and Mazda Roadster. These three cars were just had their performance upgraded and diagnostic tests done. He urged his sister to take a test drive on one of them. Tatsuki nodded and got into Mazda Roadster that had a carbon fiber GT wing at the back. Kaito had changed the canvas roof to a carbon fiber hardtop. Tatsuki was following the Supra drove by Kaito. They were on Highway 251 heading towards Akagi ski resort before turning into Akagiyama pass, the home course of Red Suns. They got back to their HQ after an hour, looking at the data on their computer. Kaito explained to Tatsuki on the test results which he was very satisfied. Tatsuki then got into the NSX with Kaito as the driver. She observed his driving style. Red Suns were alert by the unfamiliar cars racing down the Akagi Pass. Fumihiro and Keisuke were watching from the middle of the course, wondering who the driver was. They were impressed by the speed and the skills the NSX driver tackled the course. Keisuke informed his brother immediately. The two siblings were back at their HQ again.
Tatsuki told Kaito about Ryosuke's expeditionary team and her interest in joining him. Kaito thought it was a great opportunity for her. They walked around the building where Kaito showed her the different work stations and rooms. Tatsuki was very pleased with the completion of this building.
Tatsuki met with Hana, an executive director of Zyne Racing, at the driving school site. She checked out the game room where she got AT Meditech team to install their new simulator system. The siblings proceeded to their own offices, immersed in their own businesses.
Tatsuki sat in her car, watching the sun setting this evening. She finally had time for herself and took out her mobile phone.
"Moshi Kageyama, Ryosuke-San. Do you know where can I find Sudo Kyoichi?" Tatsuki called Ryosuke, asking on information about the Emperor leader.
"Irohazaka, Tochigi," he replied, knowing that she was going to have a rematch one day.
"Thank you," she said and hung up without further conversation.
Tatsuki immediately pulled out of the parking lot, heading to Tochigi. Ryosuke informed Kyoichi of Tatsuki was on her way to see him in Irohazaka. Keisuke dashed into his brother room to check on the news of Hachi-Roku seen going to Tochigi direction. Ryosuke confirmed the news but he was not going to watch it. Keisuke was a little disappointed when he did not be able to watch it.
It was a last-minute rematch battle which Tatsuki initiated. She had no idea about the course. To her surprised, she found out that Irohazaka was a one-way uphill and another road was for downhill. She drove a round on the course before she met Kyoichi. Kyoichi looked at the familiar Hachi-Roku in front of him with a disappointment. He told Tatsuki that he was not going to do the rematch unless she changed the car. Tatsuki looked up to meet his gaze and confidently told the man that this car was better than he thought. Kyoichi agreed to race with her in a chasing battle where he would be behind. He soon realized the changes in the new Hachi-Roku. Tatsuki was leading ahead of Kyoichi all the while until the third bridge, allowing no overtaking from the EVO III. He announced that she won the race and admitted that the new Hachi-Roku was a good car. Tatsuki was contented to hear his confirmation and headed home.
The news of Hachi-Roku and Kyoichi's EVO III rematch battle was spreading across Tochigi and Gunma areas. This drew attention from Bunta's longtime rival, Koshigawa Ken.
Tatsuki was on her way to school with the Mercedes Benz SL500. She did not even notice the white RX7 was just besides her on the highway. Ryosuke was surprised to see her driving the Mercedes sports car today. He followed her all the way to school. He remembered that she mentioned once that she never drove other cars besides the Hachi-Roku. It was a sudden change which puzzled him.
Tatsuki went to Sun Entertainment before lunch. She caused a big stir in the office when she wanted to reschedule her next year plan suddenly. By the time Miyu arrived, Tatsuki was already passing all her orders for them to execute. Miyu looked at the staffs with a sympathetic expression. She did not even know what happened to her friend. Tatsuki was already in the recording studio doing her work. Miyu looked at the number of songs she recorded and yet to be released. It was enough for two or three albums.
Tatsuki exited the studio after two hours. She told Miyu that she would not be doing her producer duties from now on. Miyu brought her into her office where she confronted Tatsuki of what was happening. Tatsuki calmly told Miyu about her additional plans for next year. She even told her that she would be doing whatever she could to clear most of her work before next spring.
"So, you're joining his racing team," Miyu asked.
"Most likely. I need to keep Friday and Saturday available for them," Tatsuki said.
Miyu nodded when she knew that her friend had made her final decision. There was no way to change her mind. She told Tatsuki that she must do the countdown concert and her first concert at Tokyo Dome in January. Tatsuki agreed and told her that she planned to release her second on 9th February. With the postponed world tour concert, she had more time to prepare for a better production. She added that once her studio in Akina was ready, she could just work from there. She also told Miyu on the moving of Sun Entertainment executive office to Zyne Tower at Twin Shinjuku. She planned to kept this building mainly for artists management, production and operations. Miyu agreed with her plan to separate the management office and even looking for a new production house for future expansion.
Tatsuki hurried back to Shibukawa when she received a call from her father. There was a battle challenge from the son of his longtime rival, Koshigawa Ken. Tatsuki walked down in a hoodie sweater and torn jeans, while adjusting her black face mask. She leaned against her Trueno. Bunta was telling her what she was going to face in this race. She was paying attention to his words, though she was still not understanding how could he be so sure about that. Bunta watched his daughter sped down the street.
Irohazaka Pass
The Emperor team was on the pass after they heard about the battle between Koshigawa Kai and Akina Hachi-Roku. Takahashi brothers and Kaito arrived at the parking space some time before Tatsuki. Iketani and Kenji were also coming but they were waiting at the finish line instead. Kai came up in his Toyota MR2 SW20 and waited for his opponent to arrive. Tatsuki drove her car up slowly, noticing that there were people on the pass. She pulled over the hoodie and put on her mask before she got out of the car to greet Kai. Kai looked at the driver who had her face covered with suspicious.
"I'm Koshigawa Kai," he introduced himself and offered his hand shake.
"Fujiwara Tatsuki," she said and shook his hand.
Kai immediately felt a strong aura in her. They began the battle in a short time. Tatsuki had the lead while Kai was behind. He recalled his father's advice before he left home. After witnessing how the Hachi-Roku cleared the corners, Kai knew that the driver was as good as he was. He was getting impatient and began to use the technique that his father taught as early as corner 33. The SW20 jumped through the inside corner and landed in front of Hachi-Roku. Tatsuki bewildered to see the car just jumped and landed ahead of her. She watched how the SW20 did the jump with the mentality of "if he could do it, so do I". The Hachi-Roku copied it but was not as good. She recalled what her father had told her earlier, like he was a prophet. She used the gutter run and was alongside with Kai at the second bridge. As they two went airborne, Kai landed on piles of dry leaves and spun his car, while Tatsuki managed to maneuver her car to avoid him. Kai lost his race. They had a short chat with Kai was curious about how she looked like. Tatsuki pulled her hoodie backwards and took off her mask.
"You... you're Luna," Kai stuttered when he saw her face.
Tatsuki nodded and quickly pulled over the hoodie and put back her mask. She waved goodbye and drove off, leaving Kai just stood there dumbfounded. He finally understood why she dressed that way.
Tatsuki was fully occupied with her music work and had been staying at the Akina cottage after her race on Irohazaka with Kai. At this very moment, she was having a heated conversation with her manager, Ms. Sora. Sora was very upset at her willful decision to postpone her performance to end of next year. The piano and violin performance were fixed and could not be rescheduled. Tatsuki took a deep breath before she told her manager to reschedule it to late morning instead of in the evening. She added that she must prepare the transportation for her to be at her required venue on time. Sora looked at the girl in her care, speechless when she noticed her change in her eyes. She had forgotten that the girl in front of her was also her boss. She realized her mistake immediately. She had crossed the line and intruded into her personal space. She apologized and left the house. Tatsuki was still standing with her hands behind, looking out of the window. She knew that she had caused so much inconvenience and trouble for Sun Entertainment. However, she could not turn down Ryosuke's offer. She knew that she would be regretting if she did not accept.
Two vans were driving up the Mount Akagi in the afternoon to their designated spot which had been cordoned off by the local authorities. They were busily setting up the place for their video production. Tatsuki drove up in her house car with Kaito following closely behind. The crews were shocked when they saw their artist exited the car in a new look. Tatsuki had cut her hair very short for the first time to a messy creamy blonde layered pixie haircut. She felt so light and energetic. She went to the stylist to change into her set of clothes. She came out in a white shirt and grey pants, accessorized with simple gold bracelets.
The photographer was taking the pictures of Tatsuki's boyish look. Tatsuki did the poses as requested by the photographer. It was a cooling autumn afternoon, not so much of the sun. She began her video production with her band in the middle of the park overlooking Lake Onuma. She did a solo guitar play with her diamond guitar in her hands. She changed a few outfits to do different scenes till the sunset. She also did some scenes with Kaito who had his hair dyed in midnight blue color. Her photographer could not help but snapped a few affectionate poses for them. After the wrapping up the work, Tatsuki changed into a black hoodie sweater and jeans again. She watched the crews left the mountain. She told Kaito that she had personal issues to settle tonight, asking him to leave. She sat down at the wooden bench, waiting for someone. She had been thinking for some time about another rematch race with Ryosuke. She wanted to know their differences before she gave her answer. She put on her mask, black beanie to cover her blond hair and pulled over the hoodie, covering her head and face completely.
She slowly drove down the pass to where she spotted the white RX7. She stepped out of her car and walked towards the leader. Ryosuke looked at the driver, recognizing who she was. She even smacked his hand away before he could pull away the hoodie. Her new appearance was a secret.
"I want a race with you on this course," she said in a serious tone.
The Red Suns was shocked when they heard her. Ryosuke looked at the girl who he almost could not recognize that she was the same person that he knew. She looked very different now.
"Give me a reason," Ryosuke said.
"I want to know what the real Takahashi Ryosuke is," she replied.
Ryosuke nodded and asked Fumihiro to lined up the two cars for an impromptu race. He looked at the Hachi-Roku driver in his curiosity when she did not remove the hoodie even when she was in her car. The race began after some time. Keisuke watched the two cars sped off with his brother on the lead. He was just envious of how the two were having fun tonight. Tatsuki was impressed by his skill and technique. It was convincing enough for her to join his team. The only thing that she must do was to clear and reschedule her work to suit his racing schedule. Ryosuke led her to his hidden spot after the race. He looked at the girl in front of him with questions.
"So, what's your answer?" he asked.
"I will tell you before spring," she replied.
"Why?" Ryosuke did not understand what was holding her back.
"I still have something to be done before I can give you my answer," she replied.
Tatsuki looked at him and slowly removed her mask. She took a deep breath and pulled off the beanie, revealing her current hairstyle. Ryosuke stood in stunned silence when he saw her new blond hairstyle.
Tatsuki ruffled her hair in her uneasiness when she saw his reaction. He gently rubbed her head, feeling the softness of her hair as he missed her long hair.
"It will grow and I won't cut it again, promise," she said with a smile.
"You know my dad almost disowned me when he saw it," she whined cutely.
"He did the right thing," Ryosuke replied.
"Does it really matter?" she pouted. "By the way, you must keep it a secret, ok?"
"What's the perks?" He grinned.
"Next time, I won't tell you any of my secrets," she mumbled to herself when she began to regret to share this with him.
He pulled her closer to him and said, "Why don't you just be my girlfriend exchanging for all the secrets that you want to share with me?"
Tatsuki looked up and slowly pushed herself away from him. He was dangerous and she knew that she was not ready to add another thing into her already full plate. She was already hardly had time for herself. She pulled the hoodie over her head.
"I'm not ready for any kind of relationship. Ryosuke, I'm very busy and I can't cope with that right now. Just to give you a yes to your offer, I already in a deep mess. Do you know how much I wanted to just lazing around in my bed and spend time with my dad? But I can't..." Tatsuki suddenly poured out the stress she had been facing all these times.
He did not know that he would cause such an impact on her. He pulled her into his arms and slowly stroked her back, calming her down. He felt the wetness on his shirt, knowing that she was crying. He understood that it was not the right time for both of them to talk about their feelings or relationship. She was right. He was busy with his racing and medicine course too. He would be even busier in his fourth year. He also had to choose the hospital where he would be attached for the last two years. However, he could not delve further when the girl in his arms was suddenly fainted. He put her on the seat and drove her to the nearest hospital. He also called Bunta to inform him about Tatsuki. The Red Suns members were surprised to see the white FC rocketed past them at high speed.
Ryosuke carried Tatsuki into the emergency room. He was very anxious about her condition. He stood a distance from her as the doctors and nurses attended to the unconscious girl. Bunta arrived after some time. He was relieved that his daughter was just drained. He then arranged for a VIP ward for the girl. The doctor in-charged him spoke to Bunta about Tatsuki's condition. The old doctor could not believe how her father was so negligent that allowed his daughter to exhausted herself to this extent. He left after assuring Bunta that the girl would be fine but she must stay for at least two days. Bunta thanked the doctor and sat down by her bed. He noticed that her eyes were swollen and questioned Ryosuke. Ryosuke apologized and told him what happened. Bunta knew that she had been working nonstop for the past week. He was regretted for not caring enough and paying attention to her health. He went to the living room of the ward to make some phone calls. Ryosuke sat down by her bed, holding her hand. She was sounding asleep. He brushed her stray hairs off her face.
Bunta looked at the sleeping girl on the hospital bed and the young man who was sitting by her side after he finished his calls. He asked Ryosuke where was his car and arranged someone to drive it back to his house. He sat down on the other side of the bed. He began their first conversation with Ryosuke. He wanted to know more about him. He asked about his studies and his plans for future. The older man briefly introduced himself as an entrepreneur who owned a hotel chain. He even told the young man that his daughter was not just a musician that you knew. The two men were exchanging ideas about cars and racing. Ryosuke found that Bunta was a very talented and skillful driver who was almost became a professional driver. He learned a lot from the older man.
Tatsuki woke up in the afternoon and was confused when she saw a white ceiling and sniffed at the antiseptic smell. She felt someone holding her hand while she looked at the other hand with IV drip. Bunta slowly adjusted her bed up so that she could sit comfortably. Ryosuke was just awoken by her movements. He gave her a glass of water to sip.
"Why am I here?" Tatsuki asked.
"How long didn't you sleep?" Bunta asked bluntly.
"Can I don't answer?" Tatsuki asked back, cuddled up in her bed.
Bunta smacked her forehead lightly. Tatsuki rubbed her forehead and whined. She asked her father if she could have her laptop. The two men exclaimed "NO" immediately. She looked at them with puzzlement as they were so amiable today. Bunta told his daughter that he was going to buy dinner for them.
"How do you feel?" Ryosuke asked with concern.
"A bit dizzy," she replied and complained why he sent her to the hospital.
"Do you know how worry I was when you just collapsed?" Ryosuke said in a stern voice.
"If you don't take care of yourself, I will find another driver for my new team," Ryosuke added.
"I thought you said you wanted me to join you," she said softly.
"I didn't know that you would exhaust yourself to this extent. We can talk and I will try to work around your schedule. Why are you keeping everything to yourself?" He spoke.
"You never asked about my work," she replied softly.
He rubbed her head lightly, messing up her already messy hair. She was so childish and stubborn. He knew that she would never tell him the truth. He told her that her father was a mountain road expert. She slowly understood why they were so affable out of a sudden.
Bunta came back with food and fruits. Kaito was following behind his father. He waved at the girl with smile and put the food in dinnerware. Kaito arranged Tatsuki's tray of food while Ryosuke placed on the table, adjusting the table to her bed. Tatsuki slowly ate her first meal of the day. She looked at her father and asked him to tuck in too. Bunta proposed a few days' vacation but Tatsuki declined. She explained to her father that she had work to finish. She proposed a Hokkaido ski trip in December instead. Kaito stayed with her while Bunta went home for a rest before he came back in the evening. Kaito briefed her on his progress before tucked her into bed for a nap.
To be Continued...