Chapter 6 – Time Iketani Part I

August 15th, 1999 – 8:01 PM – Tokyo

The whine of the turbos echoed off the walls of the underground garage as Mako tightened the last bolt on her front suspension. The night before her next race, she was all nervous and focused. Iketani stood off to the side, arms folded, watching her with a mix of admiration and concern. The fluorescent lights hummed above, casting harsh shadows across the concrete floor.

"You ever think about slowing down?" he asked, his voice quiet but pointed.

She didn't look up. "Not really. Not in the mood to get lapped."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

Now she glanced up, brows pinched. "Then what did you mean?"

"I mean… it's been two months. Since we moved here, you've barely taken a day off. It's like I'm dating a ghost who only appears in the pit lane."

Mako set her wrench down with a metallic clink. "You said you supported this."

"I do. But I didn't think it meant disappearing into it completely."

She wiped her hands on a rag, irritation flashing in her eyes. "This is what it takes, Iketani. You don't just show up and win. You grind. You bleed for it. I'm finally getting noticed, and you want me to… what? Slow down for your comfort?"

"That's not what I—" He paused, and ran a hand through his hair. "I just thought we'd still have something here, you and me. Not just the dream."

She stepped back from the car, arms crossed now. "So I'm supposed to shrink myself to make you feel bigger?"

"That's not fair, Mako."

"No, what's not fair is you following me here and expecting me to change who I am just because you're still figuring it out. You wanted to come with me to Tokyo. You wanted to be with me. "This is what you wanted."

Silence dropped between them like an anvil. Somewhere in the distance, a car engine fired up and faded.

"I thought we were partners," he said finally. "Not competitors."

"I'm not racing you, Iketani. But if you feel like you're losing, maybe that's something you need to deal with."

He stared at her for a long moment. His jaw clenched, his hands shaking slightly with frustration. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out of the garage.

As Iketani walked back to his S13, he remembered a conversation he had with Ryosuke and Takumi. During that chat, Ryosuke had given him a phone number. Pulling out his flip phone, he called Ryosuke.

"Hey, Ryosuke, I need your help," Iketani said.

"About what?" Ryosuke asked.

"Something personal."

"Alright then, meet me at the Mt. Akagi Secret Facility at 1:15 AM."

"Okay, I'll be there," Iketani replied before hanging up. He then got into his S13 and drove off.

August 16th, 1999 – 1:15 AM – Mt. Akagi, Secret Facility

Iketani arrived at the facility, passed by Ryosuke's Mazda Rx-7 FC in the parking lot, and entered the main door. After looking around, Iketani found a door that said "R. Takahashi" and entered it.

The door hissed shut behind him as Iketani stepped into the cold, sterile glow of Ryosuke Takahashi's lab—part garage, part archive, part… something else entirely. It didn't look like anything from this decade, and that was the point.

Ryosuke stood in front of a massive console, fingers flying across a glowing interface that showed blueprints to something. Just then Iketani sees the Time Machine, a compact, sleek, more like a car, Iketani soon realized that the car was a Delorean that was resting in the center of the space, humming with latent energy.

"You look like you've been hit by more than just heartbreak," Ryosuke said without turning.

"I want to go back," Iketani said.

Ryosuke finally looked at him, eyes narrowing. "Back where?"

"To the day I met her. At the Kamameshi Billboard. I want to stop myself from talking to Mako."

A beat passed. Ryosuke had remote started its time circuits softly in the background.

"You do understand what you're asking right?"

"I've thought about nothing else since I left the garage."

"If you go back and stop that moment, you won't just change your relationship," Ryosuke warned. "You'll change her. Her trajectory. Yours. Maybe even others'. There are consequences."

"I don't care. I just… I can't do this. Not like this."

Ryosuke sighed and motioned toward a side panel. "Then suit up. You'll need a disguise. If your past self sees you, it could create a paradox."

Iketani hesitated. "What kind of disguise?"

Ryosuke smirked. "Ever seen Knight Rider?"

"Hell yeah, dude! I'll take it."

"Excellent! Now hop into the time machine and enter August 18th, 1998, at 3:15 PM. Set the location to the Kamameshi Billboard to avoid driving all the way back down there from Tokyo."

"Alright, thanks, Ryosuke."

"Good luck out there."

"Thanks," said Iketani as he drove off in the DeLorean and time-traveled.

August 18th, 1998 – 3:15 PM –Kamameshi Billboard

The cool mountain air wrapped around him like an old memory. Dressed in black leathers and sunglasses to prevent his face, Iketani watched the familiar scene almost unfold from a distance: Mako, trying to fix her car, just then his past version of himself pulled to a stop in his S13. Then Iketani came out of the bushes disguised and approached his past self. "Listen, man, do not talk to her; it's not worth it," he advised.

"Well, thanks for the tip, man,"replied Past Iketani. "Peace Dude," said Past Iketani "Yeah Peace"said Iketani walking away to get in the DeLorean. Past Iketani had hopped into his S13 and drove away. After that,Iketani was in the DeLorean and had set the time circuits to August 16th,1999 9:00 PM and the Location to Tokyo and time traveled.

August 16th, 1999 – 9:00 PM – Tokyo (Alternate Timeline)

Iketani returns and steps out of the Time Machine. The city was colder than he remembered. Darker. The skyline was the same, but something about the energy felt off. The circuit races were a little quieter now. The posters on the walls still displayed Mako's face, but there was something different about her. The poster read "Mako Sato," yet it depicted her with dark lipstick, dyed black hair, and eyes that seemed to warn, "Don't come close unless you want to bleed." He walked toward the sound of engines at a circuit race. As he approached, a black Sil80 screamed across the finish line, its exhaust snarling like a beast. The people in the stadium were cheering for her win while screaming "MAKO SATO!"

Just then,from the driver's seat emerged… her.

But not her.

This Mako wore black Doc Martens combat boots, a spiked choker, fishnet leggings with a black skirt, and fishnet sleeves under a ripped tank top. Her hair was dyed jet-black with streaks of red. Eyes cold. Detached. Hardened.

Iketani stood frozen.

Someone beside him nudged his arm. "New guy? Don't get in her way. That's Mako Sato Fastest circuit racer on this side of Shibuya. She'll eat you alive."

"I know," Iketani said softly.

He took a breath and started walking toward her.

She spotted him—this disguised stranger—and tilted her head with a smirk. "Nice costume. You lost, biker boy?"

He took off his sunglasses slowly. "Not lost. Just… looking for someone I used to know."

She squinted, not recognizing him.

Iketani was about to speak again but before he could say anything, the sound of another car split the air. Headlights blazed toward them.

A white FC RX-7.

Ryosuke.

The car skidded to a stop, and Ryosuke stepped out with a grim expression. "Iketani, this timeline has been compromised." "You think?" Replied Iketani. "Wait, Ryosuke how are you still the same?" "I activated a time sphere, which it prevents me from fading out of existence when a ripple effect happens."

"That makes sense, but anyways, what the hell happened to her?" Iketani asked, pointing toward Mako, who was now watching them both with suspicion.

"She never met you," Ryosuke said. "You removed the part of her life that gave her balance. That made her believe in something outside of racing."

"She's still racing."

"Yes," Ryosuke said quietly. "But not for the same reasons. And now, you've already interacted. The timeline's unstable."

Iketani looked at Mako again, and she looked back—something flickering in her eyes.

Recognition?

"Who are you?" she asked, stepping closer now.

Before he could answer, the air shimmered behind him.

A warning.

Something was wrong.

"Ryosuke," Iketani said. "I think I made a mistake."

Ryosuke didn't reply.

Because the timeline had already begun to collapse.

And Mako?

Mako was reaching for something in her jacket.

To Be Continued…

P.S I just wanted to address that Mako had only had her helmet on during the race, I had to say this to avoid questions about the safety of the circuit racing drivers. Another thing is that Mako had changed for the worse after not meeting Iketani, she had became more violent and aggressive towards other people and it just became worse to the point where she will kill anyone. And one more thing,of course I used the ending of First Stage Act 15 because that's when they first met.