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..." Her voice wavered slightly, but she pushed through it. "If you... if you like her... don't be stupid about it, okay?" Her smile was meant to be playful, but her voice cracked slightly, betraying the faint sting beneath it. "You'll regret it if you let it slip away."

She didn't wait for him to respond. She stood abruptly, brushing invisible dust from her thighs as she turned toward the shoreline. She didn't want him to see the way her eyes stung.

The waves continued their steady rhythm, crashing softly against the rocks. Takumi remained where he was, staring at the spot where Natsuki had been moments before. Her words lingered, echoing in his head. And for the first time, he let himself acknowledge the small, growing warmth he felt whenever he thought about Lana.

And it scared him.

Continued...

Takumi sat on the beach, staring at the waves as Natsuki's words replayed in his head. You'll regret it if you let it slip away.

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

Did he like Lana? Was that what this was?

The more he asked himself, the harder it became to deny. He couldn't bring himself to say no. But he also didn't want to just... admit it. He barely knew her. They'd only met a few weeks ago. There was no way you could fall for someone that fast, right?

Man... what do I even know about feelings anyway?

But still, the thought of her being upset with him—or worse, avoiding him altogether—made his chest feel tight.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Natsuki did her best to enjoy their outing, but Takumi's distracted mood weighed over them like a low-hanging cloud. Eventually, they cut the trip short. Natsuki didn't say much during the drive back, and Takumi quietly appreciated her giving him the space to think.

By the time he returned to his usual routine the next morning, his mind was made up: he had to make things right with Lana. He didn't know exactly what he was going to say, but he knew he had to face her—even if it was awkward, even if she was still upset.

When he walked into the gas station, his pulse quickened slightly when he saw her already there, chatting with Itsuki and Iketani.

She looked... tired. Her hair was a little messier than usual, and there were faint shadows beneath her eyes. He felt a sharp pang of guilt, realizing he was probably the reason for her restless night.

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

Lana glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "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, barely processing what he was saying. His eyes kept flickering over to Lana. "Yeah... sounds like I did."

She stayed quiet, pretending to be focused on wiping down the counter, but he could feel the distance between them. Even Iketani seemed to pick up on the tension, shooting them a curious glance before heading outside to check on a customer's car.

Itsuki, sensing the shift in the room, awkwardly cleared his throat. "Uh... I'm gonna grab some stuff from the back," he muttered, making a quick exit and leaving the two of them alone.

The silence that followed was heavy. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Takumi's hands stayed shoved deep in his pockets as he stood there, trying to muster the courage to speak.

Finally, he stepped a little closer. "Lana," he started, his voice low and uncertain, "Can we talk? Like... actually talk?"

Her hands stilled against the counter. She stared at the rag in her grip for a second before finally setting it down. Without a word, she nodded toward the door.

"Let's go outside."

The early morning sun was warm, casting long shadows across the asphalt. It was almost annoyingly nice out—the kind of weather that made you want to do anything but have a serious conversation.

Lana leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. She didn't look mad anymore. Just... tired. That somehow made it worse.

Takumi rubbed the back of his neck, exhaling slowly. "Look... about the other night..." he began, the words coming out stiff. "I know I screwed up. I should've told you guys about the deliveries. Or—" He winced slightly, frustration with himself creeping into his voice. "I dunno. Something. I wasn't thinking."

Lana arched a brow slightly. "Yeah. I noticed."

Her tone was flat, but he still felt the sting of it.

He swallowed hard and pushed on. "I mean it, though. I'm sorry. For all of it." His voice was a little hoarse, and he had to pause to steady it. "For leaving you guys stranded, for not explaining anything, and... for making you feel like I didn't care." His throat tightened slightly. "That was my mistake."

Lana's expression softened slightly, but she kept her arms crossed. She wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily.

"I appreciate you saying that, Takumi. I really do. But you have to understand why I was so pissed." She leveled him with a look, her voice steady but firm. "It wasn't just about being stranded. It was about how you handled it—or, rather, didn't. You're my friend. Friends don't just... leave each other hanging like that."

"I know," he cut in quickly, his voice almost pleading. "I get it. And... you're right." His hands flexed slightly in his pockets, anxious and restless. "I should've been better about it. I just... I don't really know how to be a good friend sometimes." His voice lowered slightly, as though he was admitting it more to himself than to her.

There was a pause. Then, before he could think better of it, he glanced at her and added, almost clumsily, "I'm not used to... this. Y'know. Having someone like you around."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Someone like me?"

Takumi's face flushed, and he immediately fumbled to clarify, the words tumbling out too fast. "I just mean- you're... you're different." He winced slightly at how that sounded. "I mean, you actually call me out on my crap. You... you make me wanna do better. I'm just not used to that."

Lana blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. She expected him to be apologetic, sure—but this? She hadn't expected this.

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't fair how 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.

Her arms dropped slightly, the tension in her shoulders easing. She let out a slow breath. "Takumi..." she started softly, her voice almost hesitant. She studied his face—the faint crease of his brow, the uncertainty in his eyes. He looked so genuinely uncomfortable, but not because he was trying to excuse himself. It was the raw awkwardness of someone laying their feelings bare for the first time.

She bit the inside of her cheek lightly before exhaling through her nose. "You... really are bad at this," she muttered with a half-smile.

Takumi's shoulders relaxed, and he let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. His lip twitched slightly at her words, internally agreeing with her. He really was bad at this whole owning-up-to-your-mistakes thing. "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 how worked up he was getting over Lana, over the battle against Takahashi, and just the other 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 the...recent events.

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 two days. The two feelings that stuck with her from the other 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 was her 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 of this! 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, mean to 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're way too 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, he could be bold, if he was riled up enough.

Lana fought down the... well, not perverted grin, but certainly a cheeky, excited grin. Takumi had potential, 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 a look after 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 looked so close 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 said cute so 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 feel weird.

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 she liked him.

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 he was.

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...