Author's Note: HOORAY UPDATE AFTER 3 MONTHS! It's nearing finals week and I have a chem exam tmr and I have a cold but I am distressing my brain! I wanna draw Takumi and Lana but that shall wait until next chapter Enjoy!

Recap...

Takumi was silent for a long moment, processing her words. He had buried the incident deep, telling himself it didn't matter anymore. But hearing Natsuki acknowledge it—apologize for it—felt like a weight he hadn't realized he was carrying had finally lifted.

"Thanks," he said quietly, his voice sincere. "I guess... I never expected you to say that. But I appreciate it."

Natsuki offered him a small, bittersweet smile. "You're welcome, Takumi. And about Lana... If you like her, don't let it slip away. You don't want to regret it later."

Her words hung in the air as she stood and walked toward the shoreline, leaving Takumi to sit alone with his thoughts. The waves crashed gently against the sand, and for the first time that day, Takumi felt a sense of clarity.

Continued...

Takumi sat there, staring at the ocean as Natsuki's words echoed in his mind.If you like her, don't let it slip away. You don't want to regret it later.

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair.

Did he like Lana? Was that... Was that what it was? Did he like her?

The more he repeated the question in his mind, the more he realized. He couldn't bring himself to say no. But he also didn't want to just outright admit it. I mean, he barely met her a few weeks ago. There's no way you could fall for someone in that short amount of time, right?

Man, what didheknow about feelings anyway.

Either way, the thought of her being upset with him, or worse, avoiding him completely, made his chest tighten.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Natsuki tried her best to enjoy their outing, but Takumi's distracted mood hung over them like a dark cloud. Eventually, they decided to cut the trip short. As Takumi drove back, Natsuki didn't say much, and he appreciated her giving him the space to think.

By the time Takumi returned to his usual routine the following morning, his mind was made up: he needed to make things right with Lana. He didn't know what he was going to say, but he knew he had to face her, even if it was awkward or uncomfortable.

When he walked into the gas station, his heart skipped a beat seeing her already there, chatting with Itsuki and Iketani. She looked... tired. Her hair was a little messier than usual, and there were faint shadows under her eyes. He felt another pang of guilt, realizing that he was probably the reason for her sleepless night.

"Morning," he said, his voice quieter than usual.

Lana glanced at him, her expression neutral. "Morning."

Itsuki, ever the oblivious one, lit up when he saw Takumi. "Yo, Takumi! You missed out yesterday, man. We were talking about the race all morning! You should've seen how the crowd went nuts when the Eight-Six crossed the line!"

Takumi gave a small nod, eyes glancing over at the only girl in the room. "Yeah, sounds like I did."

Lana stayed quiet, pretending to be focused on wiping down the counter. The tension between them was palpable, enough that even Iketani picked up on it. He shot them both a curious glance but didn't comment, heading outside to check on a customer's car instead.

Itsuki, sensing the awkwardness, muttered something about grabbing more supplies from the back and left them alone.

The silence between Takumi and Lana stretched on for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he stepped closer, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Lana," he began, his voice low, "Can we talk? Like... actually talk?"

She sighed, setting down the rag she was holding. "Sure. Let's go outside."

They walked out to the side of the station, where the morning sun cast long shadows across the asphalt. It was a such a nice day, it was a bit of a shame to get so serious and dampen the sun's rays.

Lana leaned against the wall, arms crossed. She didn't look angry anymore, just... tired. That somehow made it worse.

Takumi hesitated, searching for the right words. "Look, about the other night... I know I messed up. I should've told you and Itsuki about the deliveries, or... something. Anything. I was just... I don't know. I wasn't thinking."

Lana raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I noticed."

Part of her instantly regretted the bitter tone she used with him, but her pride was too big to take back at this point.

He winced but pushed through, despite the words beginning to choke him up as he went. "I mean it though. I'm sorry, for everything." His breath wobbled and he took a moment to catch it, feeling his hands grow clammy and his uniform grow uncomfortable. "For leaving you two stranded, for not explaining myself sooner. For- for making you feel like I didn't care... That was my mistake."

Her expression softened slightly, though she kept her arms crossed. "I appreciate you saying that, Takumi. I really do. But you've got to understand why I was so upset. It wasn't just about being stranded. It's about how you handled it- ordidn'thandle it. You're my friend, Takumi. Friends don't just... leave each other hanging like that."

"I know," he said quickly, his voice earnest and a little desperate. "I should've been better about it. I... I don't really know how to be a good friend sometimes. I'm not used to- this." He gestured vaguely between them, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Having someone like you around. Someone who calls me out when I screw up."

Lana blinked, caught off guard by his honesty. Her heart warmed at his mature and rather forward reply. Warmth began to rush to her cheeks.Someone like her.

"You and Itsuki... you're the closest friends I've got. We haven't even known you for long, but..." She could see that his own cheeks began to flush pink, his brown eyes soft and sincere as he owned up to his feelings. "I don't know, I guess it's like we've always been friends."

Takumi seemed rather small at the moment, even if he was barely a few inches taller than her. She couldn't help but feel like this was such a shoujo-type of moment.

For a moment, Lana didn't say anything. She just looked at him, her frustration already melted into something softer. She had to will herself to look away from those brown eyes, his gaze being too much to stare into.

It wasn'tfairhow much of a hold this boy had on her. Just the other night she was crying over him, and now she was so damn quick to fold.

Stupid Takumi. Dumb-dumb Takumi. Absolute fool, Takumi. And silly, foolish Lana.

But she figured that was another reason why they got along so well, Itsuki too. A couple of cornballs, they are.

Finally, she sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips, a blush still dusting her cheeks. "You're lucky I'm not the type to hold grudges."

Takumi's shoulders relaxed, and he let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Does that mean... we're good?"

"We're good," she said, giving him a playful nudge on the arm. The small contact caused Takumi's arm to tingle, her mere touch comforting him. "But don't let it happen again, Fujiwara. Next time, I might not be so forgiving."

He gave her a small smile, the tension finally lifting. "Got it."

As they walked back into the gas station, the morning sun unmoving and still shining as brightly, the normal rhythm of the shop felt oddly comforting. Takumi and Lana had reached some kind of unspoken understanding, a quiet resolution that hung between them like a breath held and then released.

Itsuki and Iketani, who had been waiting just inside, caught sight of the two as they reentered. Itsuki studied their faces, trying to gauge what had just happened in their brief conversation.

"Hey, guys-!"

Iketani slapped a hand over Itsuki's mouth, muffling the potentially badly timed question that his nosy self was sure to ask.

Takumi shot his senior a grateful look, not wanting to discuss something so personal during work. Things were still fresh, the tension having yet to completely dissociate. Even if Lana forgave him, Takumi felt the guilt linger in his chest.

Honestly, he was a little frustrated. It just didn't make sense to him howworked uphe was getting over Lana, over the battle against Takahashi, and just last night overall. Usually, he doesn't care so much about... well,anything. The most he'd get riled up at was when his dad was drunk or the locker room situation. And after just one night, it seemed like he was getting hit with a bunch of internal conflicts.

It just wasn't like him.

Lana walked over to the counter, her posture a little less tense now. She stole a glance at Takumi, who was clearly staring off into space. He's always been rather dreamy, but she knew that this was something else, something that had to do with last night.

She couldn't blame him, she was catching herself getting lost replaying those memories. It was strange, how many emotions she went through in the span of less than 24 hours. The two feelings that stuck with her from last night was the pride she felt when Takumi won his first battle, and the anger she felt from his ignorance.

And it's not that she was getting upset or angry again, but it just served to flood her with guilt. She realized it washer turn now to own up to how she treated Takumi.

As the morning progressed, the conversation shifted to lighter topics—mostly about the upcoming weekend, some local news, and a new customer who had stopped by to fill up his car. Itsuki was particularly enthusiastic about the small details of their customers' ride, but even his chatter couldn't shake Takumi who was still lost in thought. His focus was shifting between his work and the fleeting moments he stole to look over at Lana, syllables and words that lingered on the tip of his tongue but wouldn't spill out.

Later that afternoon, the day started to wind down, and the crowd of regulars thinned out. Takumi found himself standing by the door, staring out at the street, his mind wandering back to the conversation with Lana. He wondered if she really meant what she said. Was she giving him a second chance, or was she just being polite? He wasn't sure, but he felt like he had a lot more to learn.

Lana walked up behind him, her footsteps light. "Hey," she said softly before taking a deep, trembling breath.

Takumi's eyes widened a little as he spotted the look on her face.

Her entire face was a bright red, and she looked to the point of near tears. Her lips were wobbling, and her gaze quickly shot to the side after he met her eyes. He watched as she nervously licked her lips and let out a heavy sigh. "...I'm sorry for I acted the way I did last night. I was just... I don't know. Frustrated."

His eyebrows shot up, clearly taken aback. "Lana, you don't have to-"

"I do. You deserve an apology too, Takumi. A-and, I'm... I'm sorry. I really..." Her voice cracked, her eyes welling up with tears as her emotions quickly overwhelmed her. She kept her gaze locked on the floor, too ashamed to look him in the eye. God, she was such a crybaby.

Takumi felt himself grow panicked at her sudden crying, and he just- he didn't know what to do! One moment she was apologizing, and the next second she was in tears. He prayed his boss didn't walk in on them, otherwise he'd surely look like more of a dickhead.

"H-hey, what's the matter? It's okay, look, you don't have to feel bad. I was the one who messed up, so you had a right to be upset." He scrambled to reassure her, feeling flustered and awkward.

"No!" She practically whined, sniffling as her face continued to burn. "I- damn! Just ignore all ofthis!I start crying whenever I'm overwhelmed!"

Now he was just confused. "Huh? But you're obviously upset, right? How could I just ignore that?!"

He only found himself dumbfounded as she began laughing, tears streaming down her face all the while. "N-No! Du-Dude!I just-"

Girls are so weird!Takumi felt his face scrunch up in confusion as he stood there, watching Lana try to collect herself.

She took a moment to let her chuckles fade before coughing and wiping her eyes, face as red as pickled plums. "Listen, I really want you to know that I'm actually sorry for being... well,meanto you."

His brows were still knit together in confusion, but when she smiled, soft and genuine despite the lingering redness in her cheeks, it tugged at something in his chest.

She was really apologizing. And she meant it.

He exhaled sharply, running a hand over the back of his neck, trying to shake off the tension building there. "You weren't mean," he mumbled, his voice low, almost shy. "You were just... honest. I kinda deserved it."

Lana blinked, surprised by how earnestly he downplayed the whole thing. She let out a soft scoff, a watery smile tugging at her lips. "No, Takumi. I was being a brat. You didn't deserve that." Her voice cracked slightly at the end, and she bit her lower lip, frustrated with herself for being so emotional.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. The low hum of a car passing by was the only sound between them. Takumi shifted slightly on his feet, unsure whether he should say something or reach out to her. His fingers twitched in his pockets, restless.

Takumi fidgeted, unsure of how to handle the situation. He wasn't exactly used to dealing with emotions, especially not someone else's emotions. Lana's tears, her apology, it was all more than he had expected when he'd walked into the gas station this morning. Well, maybe he expected some tears from her. Or even anger, mostly aimed at him.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing at her as she wiped her eyes again. She looked so embarrassed, yet still trying to hold it together. The tension between them felt thicker than before, but also strangely lighter. Like a weight had been shifted from his chest, but it was still heavy on hers.

"I don't… I don't really know what to say," he mumbled, his voice cracking a little, betraying the nervousness he was trying to hide. "I mean, I- uh, I appreciate you saying sorry, but you don't have to, you know? We already talked about the whole thing, right? It's all good."

Lana gave him a quick, watery smile, but the redness still hadn't left her face. "I do, though. I... I was unfair to you. I let my frustration get the best of me, and I didn't even really give you a chance to explain yourself."

Takumi scratched the back of his neck, his usual response to feeling out of place. "I get it. I wasn't exactly... uh, the best communicator myself." His lips tugged into an unsure smile, hoping his awkward responses did at least a little to comfort her.

They were pretty much going back and forth at this point, and he wondered if they'd ever fully get past this situation. Lana knew she was dragging it out by now, and she decided they had said all that needed to be spoken of.

Lana nodded slowly, finally meeting his gaze, then exhaled a long, shaky breath. "I don't know why I just- why I start crying. It's dumb, really."

"It's not dumb," Takumi said quickly, his voice firmer than before, as if he were trying to convince both of them. "It's, uh, natural, I guess?" He felt his cheeks flush.

Lana snorted lightly at his awkward response, and despite the tears still glistening on her cheeks, she managed a small laugh. It was awkward, but that was kind of what made it better.

Yuichi stepped out for a moment cancer stick in hand, wondering where his niece and Bunta's son had run off to, especially after the way Lana was acting last night. He spotted them in the shade, and although he felt alarmed after seeing how red and teary-eyed his niece looked, it only took him a moment to relax.

His eyes softened and he took a drag from his cigarette as he watched her shoulders tremble, but not from crying. Takumi seemed flustered as Lana giggled, fist raised to her smile. They were, after all, just two kids experiencing the beginnings of puppy love.

The afternoon sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky as Takumi waved off the last customer for the day, feeling the usual calm that came with the quiet moments at the gas station. As he stepped back inside, wiping his hands on a rag, Iketani approached him, a bit of excitement in his step.

"Hey, Takumi," Iketani called out, his voice full of enthusiasm. "I've been thinking. You've got to join the Akina SpeedStars."

Takumi blinked, clearly caught off guard by the suggestion. His brows furrowed slightly, and he stopped in his tracks. "What?" he asked, unsure if he had heard his senior correctly.

"Join the team," Iketani repeated, his tone firm yet hopeful. "You've got the skills, man. You'rewaytoo good to be just driving deliveries."

Takumi felt his cheeks flush slightly, the weight of the compliment not lost on him, but it also made him uneasy. "I... I'm not a racer, Iketani," he muttered, still feeling the unfamiliar pressure of being in the spotlight. "I'm not like you guys."

Iketani raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Not a racer? Come on, man! You're already out there beating the top guys in Akina! If you're not a racer, then who really is? You're faster than anyone else up there."

Takumi shifted uncomfortably, his eyes avoiding Iketani's. "I don't know, Iketani. I'm just a regular guy driving a car. I don't really think I belong with you guys."

But before Takumi could say anything else, Lana, who had been standing nearby, overheard the conversation and stepped forward. Her smile was playful but sincere. "Congrats, Takumi," she said, her voice light with approval. "I guess it's pretty obvious that others can see how good you are behind the wheel."

Takumi glanced at her, a bit surprised by her input, and gave a small shrug. For some reason, he felt his cheeks warm at her acknowledgement despite not having the same feelings towards his abilities. "Thanks, but... I don't know. It's just driving to me."

Iketani, however, was not deterred. He stepped closer to Takumi, an excited gleam in his eyes. "No, seriously! You've got real potential, man. You're not just any driver. You're the guy that's been making heads turn, the one everyone's been talking about. If you're not a racer, then I don't know who is."

Takumi listened, gaze still avoidant and a little embarrassed. He had no idea he'd be getting so much praise just for doing the usual, as his dad instructed.

"Join us, Takumi. I know you've got what it takes." Silvia driver was insistent, knowing he struck gold with Takumi's pure talent. If he could just get Takumi on his team, he was sure that the Akina Speedstars would be known throughout Gunma. Shit, maybe even outside their region.

Lana leaned against the counter, watching the exchange between the two, her expression thoughtful. She could see how much Takumi's talent had affected Iketani and the others in the SpeedStars. They were genuinely excited to have someone like him join their ranks. But it was Takumi's decision, of course.

And if she knew one thing about Takumi, it was that he wasn't the type of guy to show off or be confident in his skills. She liked that about him, how humble and sweet he was.

Scratch that, hecouldbe bold, if he was riled up enough.

Lana fought down the... well, notpervertedgrin, but certainly a cheeky, excited grin. Takumi hadpotential, and not just in the driving sense.

Oh my god, girl! What the hell are you thinking! I'm so sorry Takumi.

Takumi hesitated, unsure how to process all of this. He had never really thought of himself as a "racer." Driving for work, driving to the store, driving home—those were just things he did. Racing, though? That was a whole different level.

Just as Takumi was about to respond, Itsuki came charging up, practically crying. "Takumi! You can't leave us hanging like this!" he wailed, wiping his eyes dramatically. "If you don't join the SpeedStars, I'm not joining either!" He gave a sniffle for effect, but his words were far from convincing.

Takumi looked over to Lana to give her alookafter Itsuki's dramatics, only to be caught off guard when he realized she was already staring at him.

Her earthy eyes were peeking at him through her lashes and her lips, a natural blush pink, were slightly agape. It was as if she was in awe or something. It reminded him of when they first met. How he caught her staring at him that time as well.

As Takumi stared at Lana now—caught off guard by her soft, admiring gaze—the memory of their first real conversation came rushing back to him. It was like being slammed with a sudden gust of cold mountain air, the same he had felt when she rolled down the windows as they went on his routinely delivery duty.

He could still see the way she'd been awkwardly sitting by herself, fiddling with her sleeves, trying to look casual but failing miserably. She'd been so obvious about staring at him that he'd initially thought she was some weird new girl who didn't know the social cues yet.

He'd barely glanced at her at first, focused on stuffing his hands into his pockets, trying to ignore the fact that he could feel her eyes boring into him from across the room. He'd only confronted her because the staring had gone on just a little too long.

"Can I help you or something?"His voice had come out flat, maybe a little annoyed, though he hadn't meant it that way.

When she'd snapped her head up to meet his eyes, he'd been startled by how wide and guilty they looked—like she'd just been caught stealing candy from a store. Her face was already tinged pink, and when she opened her mouth, the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard slipped out.

"Do- Do you know why the road crossed the chicken?"

Takumi had just stared at her. He was pretty sure he misheard her, or maybe she misheard herself. What the hell did she just say?

"Uh..."he'd muttered, genuinely dumbfounded.

He remembered the way her hands had fidgeted at her sides, her eyes darting away in sheer mortification. She had lookedsoclose to crying. It had honestly made him feel a little guilty for catching her off guard. He didn't want to make some random girl cry just because she was bad at talking to strangers.

So, he had scratched his chin, trying to lighten the mood."That sounds like something Itsuki would say to a cute girl to try to be funny."

The words had left his mouth without much thought, but the way her eyes widened slightly made him realize he probably shouldn't have saidcuteso casually. He'd felt a flush creep up his neck but quickly brushed it off.

She'd blinked, clearly confused."Um, Itsuki?"Her voice had been small, almost unsure, like she was worried she should know who that was but didn't.

"My friend, Itsuki,"Takumi clarified with a shrug, slipping his hand into his pocket."He's kind of infamous, I guess. For the wrong reasons though, not really for popularity."

When she had just stared at him, clearly struggling to follow, it had finally clicked for him. Her slightly odd accent, the way she stumbled over certain words. She wasn't from here.

"Oh, I got it."He had perked up slightly, a little proud of himself for making the connection."You're the foreign exchange student. Makes sense that you speak kinda weird."

Her face had immediately scrunched up in the most dramatic frown, and she had gasped, scandalized.

"That's rude to say, don't you think? I'm still learning, you don't have to be mean."

Takumi had blinked, momentarily taken aback by her feistiness. Most people just let his bluntness slide, but she had snapped back without hesitation. It caught him so off guard that he actually felt a pang of guilt.

"Yeah, I guess so. My bad,"he'd mumbled, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, not really used to apologizing for being tactless.

The conversation had carried on, and despite the rough start, she had been easy to talk to. They had quickly realized they were both on cleaning duty the following Monday, and she'd seemed almost eager at the mention of it, like she was actually looking forward to scrubbing desks with him.

Weirdo.

But now, looking at her again, it suddenly hit him why she had been so flustered that day—why she had been staring at him in the first place.

She had been staring at him the same way she was staring at him right now.

And damn it, if that didn't make his stomach feelweird.

Her eyes, bright and focused, were soft and curious, holding a subtle awe that she probably didn't even realize she was showing. She had looked at him like that from the start. Like she was interested. Like shelikedhim.

And now he realized he was staring right back.

He quickly blinked and looked away, his throat suddenly dry.What the hell was wrong with him?

God. His chest felt tight. He knew he had no reason to be this flustered by a girl looking at him, but hewas.

And what was worse? The more he thought about it—the way she had smiled at him, teased him, defended him—the more he realized that maybe...

He had been staring at her the same way this whole time.

...To be continued...