A Decline in Faith: Chapter 1 - Devotion

Well, I've already blogged about how we have to make a five-chapter narrative (that's the minimum, the max is supposedly ten chapters) for our quarterly English project, and after that I've already decided on putting it up on fanfiction.net for reviews from fans, now I want my only regular viewer (who is currently banned from the Internet, but I'm hoping that she'll be able to see this soon) to see it. I've already adjusted the typo pointed out by an author on the Initial D fanfiction section, so here it is. The AN version:

This is going to be all about Kyoko. I’ve seen several other Kyoko/Keisuke fics around, but they seem to focus mainly on the mister side of it. He denies her, and quite honestly going how Initial D goes, I doubt they’ll ever really get together, as in canon. But Kyoko seems like such a sweet girl, and in my opinion, she deserves a better ending as well, with a new guy. After a bit of contemplation, there’s only one guy around that would seem like an ok pairing that looks and seems right. Then again, I’m making this whole thing up.

By the way, since this is on Kyoko-focus, her friend (from the café) needs a name, as it would be extremely discomforting to constantly call her “the friend from the café”, so it shall be Mayumi (間弓), for whatever reason that may exist.

Having that said, there is nothing more to warned of.

But the thing is, I’m really making this fic for our English project; it’s supposed to be a “five-chapter narrative” but it can go over five chapters. It’s due in March, and I’d like to improve it as much as possible. So, I really hope that some of you could review and actually suggest stuff I could improve on. And since I doubt that my teacher is actually aware of Initial D, it really doesn’t matter much to me if the characters are out of character or are not in line with the actual canon. My basic concern is that the story is basically good, on an overall basis, and that the characters are acting appropriately human. Oh, and if you spot any, please report any grammatical errors.

Disclaimer: Initial D belongs to its respective owners. Shigeno Shuichi decides the real plot and we’re all just hoping he’ll change this drive-or-date philosophy of his.

A Decline in Faith
- by Dial In fita

Chapter 1 - Devotion
-_-_-_

(1)The moment I set my eyes on you, my beautiful darling, my heart fluttered and my senses practically overloaded. I felt a thrill that I can't experience anywhere else, not even racing could make me feel this fulfilled. I love you. And I gave you my heart, but now… I feel so empty inside. My darling, the man I dreamed of for so long, you don’t seem to have any plans of receiving my heart the way I wish. Still, I don’t want to give up. While I breathe, I hope.

~~~

“Kyoko.” Mayumi called out to her friend, gesticulating with her white bendy-straw, “Oi, Kyoko!”

Kyoko jumped slightly in her wooden chair, tipping her glass of iced tea over. “Eh?” She said as she deftly took to wiping the spilled drink with the provided napkin.

As the racer patted the remaining tea, her friend begun once more, “You're all spaced-out again… What’s wrong? I mean, you said you went out with him a few days ago.” Mayumi grinned widely. “Speaking of which, how did it go?”

“Well…” The FD driver stammered as she wiped the moist table.

Mayumi tilted her head slightly, “I expected that you’d be really excited today… Don’t tell me something… unfortunate happened the other day…” As uncertain her voice was, Kyoko’s face expressed an image of undefined anxiousness, her face comparable to the pink jacket she was wearing.

She stammered with her words a bit before she managed to murmur a sentence worth noting, “How can I say this, but he… dumped me.”

Mayumi stared at her for a few moments letting the quiet noise of the café reign between them. “He dumped you?” Kyoko nodded shyly, “What the heck? You just went out on your first date the other day and he dumps you?!” After receiving another nod from her shyer counterpart, Mayumi continued her rant, all the while thinking up of a plan to hook up her reluctant friend up.

After disturbing the other patrons of the café they frequented, Kyoko sighed. Her friend’s complaints only mirrored her own, which she found difficult to express on her own. “Please, don’t say those things. I still want to wait for him, I still think that regardless of what he may say, there is always hope.”

Staring at her friend, disbelief shimmering in her eyes, Mayumi flattened her hands against the wooden top and said, “Then it’s decided!” Drawing her friend’s eyes to her with the finality in her voice, she continued, “I’ll be making sure that you cheer up tonight! Whatever you want, whether racing or going to a club, or whatever. Except!” She said, cutting Kyoko off, “Staying at home for something quiet. You’ve been doing that too much; you need to get out more, Kyoko. All you do is study or work in the morning till the afternoon, and then in the evening, you go out to the touge and either race, or practice your racing.”

It was really difficult to resist such a forceful companion, especially one with a gaze that made sure that you could only nod and follow quietly. And so Kyoko did just that, contemplating a bit she remembered something she really didn’t want to miss.

“So anything up for your side? Because if you don’t have anything in mind, there is this pretty cool club… I mean, the world would be much poorer if it weren't for ladies like ourselves going out on a Saturday night.” Mayumi said resting her elbow on the table and leaning against her upturned hand cheerfully.

Kyoko pursed her lips slightly, “Well, our team leader, said that there is going to be an interesting race tonight. He said that one of the best downhillers in Saitama is going to be racing on Shomaru pass later.”

“Fine! Let’s just hope that there's a cute guy there!” Kyoko smiled, her friend’s cheerfulness was truly contagious.

~~~

Nobuhiko’s ears perked up as he heard the distinct sound of a rotary engine, only expecting one rotary driver tonight, he turned around to watch the black FD exit the final corner and park itself in the space next to his precious Altezza. He was somewhat surprised to see another girl step out of the car, but expected it to happen one day. It only took so long before a racer introduced another person into the world of so much importance to them.

“Nobuhiko,” Kyoko said plainly, “this is my friend, Orikasa Mayumi. Mayumi this is my team leader, Akiyama Nobuhiko.”

Mayumi bowed then said, “Nice to meet you.” Looking up at him, she commented to herself, I hope this isn’t the only kind of guy Kyoko hangs around during these races. Although he looks smart…

Nobuhiko did the same, “Nice to meet you too.” Giving her a quick one-over as well, he nodded before continuing, “So, Mayumi-san, how are you interested in street racing?”

Slightly stunned by the question, she paused before answering, “I wouldn’t say that I'm too interested in it. I certainly don’t intend to become a racer, no offence meant. I’d have to say that I’m just here to make sure Kyoko cheers up.”

Pushing up his glasses, in the classic geek manner, Nobuhiko glanced at Kyoko’s expression. If she has her friend here, he thought, perhaps there was some sort of incident with Takahashi Keisuke. I don’t think I’ll interfere. “Is that so? I hope Kyoko here, has filled you in on the details of the race.”

Kyoko suddenly looked up, exposing the fact that she had once again spaced-out on their conversation. Mayumi smiled good-humoredly, “Kyoko, I swear, one day you have to stop daydreaming and start acting out whatever may be going through your mind.” The racer made a slightly confused face before letting the expression fade back to her normal one.

Nobuhiko smiled at the light-hearted and somewhat one-sided exchange, “So, Kyoko, have you told your friend about the race yet?”

“Er… Not really. I’m not really familiar with those who are racing.”

“The race will be starting in a few minutes, (2)Saitou is at the starting point, he’ll call me when the race has begun. (3)Yokota, on the other hand, is waiting at the goal. My cousin, Wataru, Kyoko, I don’t think you’ve met him yet – for some strange reason - is going to race against some guy named Kudo Gouzou. Wataru drives an AE86 Levin, while Kudo drives an S14.” Nobuhiko said somewhat quickly, “I saw Kudo driving around here once and he was pretty good, somewhat on the impatient type. So, the longer Wataru can make this last, the more the odds will be in his favor.”

Once he stopped speaking, he noticed Mayumi’s confused expression. “Ok, ok, what is a Levin and an S14?”

Nobuhiko chuckled slightly, as Kyoko smiled in the sideline. “A Levin is basically a Toyota Corolla. And the S14 is the Nissan Silvia Q.” Kyoko said, with much less air than Nobuhiko.

“Right… But what’s with the AE86 thing?”

Smiling, a bit on the patronizing side, Nobuhiko said, “AE86 is the chassis code of the particular Corolla. The chassis is basically the frame of the car, so a car can have the same frame, but have different parts on it.” Seeing the confused look on Kyoko’s friend’s face, Nobuhiko decided to stop, if she wasn’t too interested then there wouldn’t be any harm if she didn’t fully understand these concepts.

The ringing of the man’s phone distracted the group’s awkward moment; Nobuhiko picked it up and nodded once after a moment. After a brief thanks, Nobuhiko disconnected the connection and said, “The race has started, we’ll see them pass by us in a few minutes.”

Kyoko nodded then asked, “Who do you think will win?”

“I’m 95% sure that Wataru will win this race. He’s much more skilled than Kudo, and this is his home course. So unless Kudo pulls something off, which is already highly unlikely, the result is very much expected.”

“Right…”

Kyoko sighed inwardly at her friend’s enthusiasm, or obvious lack of. That was to be expected anyway. She and her girl friend moved away a bit, to preserve some semblance of privacy in the company of a relative stranger – at least in Mayumi’s case.

“Ne, Kyoko, Nobuhiko-san here said that you haven't met his cousin yet, but have you heard of him?” She said this in a somewhat gossipy tone, with the accompanying action.

Kyoko nodded and faced her friend once more, “He’s one of the best racers around. You could ask Nobuhiko about him if you’re interested. They are cousins after all.”

Mayumi stared at her friend oddly, then laughed quietly so only Kyoko would see and hear it. “Of course not, silly! I already have a boyfriend. I thought maybe, you guys might be, well… compatible.” She grinned with a mischievous intonation.

The FD driver present gaped at her friend. She was about to act on this shock when the sounds of tires squealing nearby absorbed them. A black and white then gray flash soon appeared in the corner nearest to their gallery. Kyoko shut her mouth (before any dust, exhaust or - god forbid- insects got in) and carefully watched as the older cars raced by. She wasn’t nearly as analytical as her team leader, but she could tell, partly by experience, partly by instinct, that the Levin had the upper hand in more than one way.

When the cars disappeared past the next corner, only then did Mayumi recover from the shock that had her more than momentarily stunned. Nobuhiko amusedly watched her expression of awe then said; “This is probably your first experience watching a street race.”

She turned and nodded then she looked at her best friend, “I wasn’t aware that racing was so…” She trailed of, unknowing how to describe the shock and awe in her. Kyoko smiled slightly, her demeanor returning to its previous cheery state for a moment, before the reason of her “mourning” appeared in her mind once more. At least it’s a start, Mayumi thought. She watched her friend stare into the foliage in front of her.

Moments of silence ponderings in the confines of each of the persons’ mind were broken by the ringing of Nobuhiko’s phone. “Moshi?” He paused and listened, “All right. As expected. We’ll be there in a few minutes.” The cut the connection of and turned to the girls, “Wataru won. Do you want to meet him then?”

Mayumi took the chance to answer for her friend, “Yes, why not? I mean, it’s not like there’s another race… Is there?”

Chucking, he replied, “No. This was a simple battle between two racers, not teams.” He glanced at Kyoko and her air headed demeanor then continued, “You two can go ahead, I’ll pick up Saitou then head over there as well...” He waited for Kyoko to respond in one way or another, which manifested itself in a nod, before heading to his precious silver car and starting off in the direction of his teammate.

As the two girls got into the black FD, Mayumi’s smiled curled in a mischievous manner, thankfully it wasn’t noticed by her friend. Mayumi decided one thing at that moment; she would hook Kyoko up with someone who could make her happy. Whether it was this Wataru guy, or some other guy, she was going to make sure that her best friend would be happy.

“Kyoko,” when her friend replied with a quiet, “Hmm?” Mayumi continued, “these races are really fun. Exciting.” Seeing her friend smile at that remark, she knew that she had to do better than that, “You should bring me to these things more often. Although the point to this was to cheer you up. But, hey, if you bring me more often, I could point out some nice guys when they come along.”


“Mayumi…” Kyoko said, half sighing, half admonishing her friend for being so persistent, “You never tire of doing this, do you?”

Looking at her friend tiredly, “That’s because you’re not outgoing enough to do it for yourself. You may be the ace uphiller of your team or whatever, but you're usually so shy. You're cuter than I am,” Returning the look of Kyoko, she continued, “Yes you are, so more boys should be interested in you than me. But look at our picture, I have a boyfriend, whom I am very happy with, by the way, while for some reason, you don’t.” Cutting her friend off before any words could come out of her already open mouth, “You should go out more, and I mean to be on the lookout for guys, and not just for your team practices or races. And hold on to the guy you think is really worth holding on to.

When she stopped, Kyoko looked at her, “May I speak now?”

“The floor’s all yours.” Mayumi snickered for a moment, obviously catching some sort of humor in what she said.

“The thing is, Mayumi, I have found a guy that I want to hold on to. I don’t want to let go of him by going out and dating other guys. Even though Keisuke-san said no, I seriously want to wait for him.” If you would look into Kyoko’s eyes, you would see that firm determination she set aside for those things she wanted more than anything. “Plus, I don’t have the same kind of style as you do. I don’t feel comfortable going out and meeting guys, just for that purpose, much less speed dating. When you took me to one of those, I felt so out of place that I just wanted to melt into the seat.”

Kyoko’s friend stared at her quietly, ponderingly. “So you intend to wait for him, till God knows when, and put your heart on the line for your dream man?” She stated it so firmly and seriously that it came out more as a right out statement. When Kyoko nodded, Mayumi sighed, “Fine then. I can’t force you out of it, although I don’t support this kind of one-sidedness. I suppose that’s what's wrong the having an idea for your ideal man, you give your heart away way too easily.”

When Mayumi looked forward and out of the FD’s front screen, waiting for her to start her car and get to their destination, Kyoko turned her key in the ignition, causing the 13B engine to growl threateningly. Maybe it was true that the sound of a car reflected the mood of its driver, especially when the driver and the car had such a strong bond.

This wasn’t supposed to happen; Mayumi was her best friend. She was giving her advice, but the problem was Kyoko didn’t like the advice she was hearing. She stared ahead, hearing the Altezza’s engine in the distance. She decided to let it past first; after all, she could keep up with her team leader, no problem. Gripping her steering wheel tightly, she recalled a story she had read a while ago from some magazine during one of the slow hours of the auto shop she worked for.

It was about a young man who met his demise, simply because he had failed to heed the advice given to him by his father. The young man in the story felt that the advice was like bitter medicine on his tongue, but that was the thing, it was certainly a very bitter medicine to his sickness.

She engaged the clutch as she saw the Altezza exit the corner, the same corner where they first saw the 86 Levin and the S14. As he drove past them, she stepped on the accelerator and released the clutch, making a quick dash to the position right behind him.

Was the advice Mayumi giving her the bitter medicine for her own situation?

She stuck close to Nobuhiko’s bumper and piled pressure on him, letting her frustrations manifest in her driving. She cornered aggressively; that alone made Mayumi force her eyes close and grab the sides of her bucket seat, which actually surprised her. Add the g-forces forcing to them to the opposite side of the corner, via centrifugal force. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to pass her team leader on this course no matter how hard she pushed herself in the corners or in the straightaways. Shomaru pass was hardly wide enough to allow any passing, especially with a car like the Altezza ahead of her. She could hardly imagine passing him his car here even if it were parked at the side, both cars being almost too wide to fit the width of the road. So she continued with her uselessly aggressive driving.

When his brake lights came on, her quick reflexes, honed by all the racing she had participated in, reacted. Before she realized it, they were already at the end of the course. Forced to do so, she slowed down and prepared to come a complete halt. Once she did so, Mayumi seemed to finally relax her grip on the bucket seat and murmur, “I’m alive…” softly.

Internally laughing at the expense of her friend, Kyoko engaged the handbrake then turned to speak to her, “Look, Mayumi…”

Shaking her head, Kyoko’s friend cut her off, “I’m the one who should be sorry. I shouldn’t force my opinions on you. Although I think it’s perfectly alright to give advice, I think I was too forceful by forcing you into situations where you’d have to meet guys you don’t want to be involved in.” She paused a moment, “Especially now. That Takahashi thing was very recently ago.”

“Thanks…” She smiled then sighed and continued, “Well, let’s get this over with.”

They got out of the black rotary car and saw Nobuhiko watching them with a curious expression on his face. Shrugging it off, they simply walked over and let the elder man introduce the remaining participant of the race earlier.

“Kyoko, Mayumi-san, this here is my cousin.”

The young man in his early twenties with long black side bangs and lean figure smiled appropriately at the two girls. “Nice to meet you. Name’s Wataru, Akiyama Wataru.”

Footnotes:
1 – This was actually different before, but some sort of computer error came up and the text turned into gibberish, so I just change it. I may try and re-create what I wrote, but I can’t remember it anymore.
2 & 3 – These are supposedly the names of some of the members of Nobuhiko’s team. Taken from Wikipedia.