Realism

Ok, I just finished the one-shot. And I hope to keep it that way. Bitin. Tweaked it a bit, but nothing major.


The woman stared at the black beast silently, plotting down several simulations in her mind. This was a much tougher challenge than her normal ones, from racing or being a psychology student. Being emotionally attached to something made that certain thing a whole lot more complicated. Love definitely sucked.

The beast stopped and parked parallel to her precious RX8, her eyes stalking every moment of the way. As the driver stepped out of his car, she raised her hand as a cursory greeting, seeing him nod and smile, made her drop it.

Sudo Kyouichi didn’t know why he was here, exactly anyway. But such was his relationship with this girl, on some matters, no questions were asked. He closed the door with much care, holding the handle up to secure its locking. He let his fingers glide over his prized possession for a moment before approaching.

He tugged his jacket closer to him; glad, he had even brought one. The mountains were much cooler than the plains and valleys of Japan, especially during autumn, and of course winter. The well-built man watched her turn her head and silently suggest that they move the way she was directing, in this case it was the area where the plateau met the ravine, the cliff.

She leaned against the guardrails as she reached them. It left her with a few more seconds to think. Did she really want this?

She had been making several very rash decisions lately, most of which she was left still unsure whether to regret or not. Her decisions to help and support, her decision to be closer, but professional, her decision to be intimate, but not intimate, not in that way at least.

Kyouichi’s family was terribly worried for him when word had gotten to them that he had been in an accident, a racing accident. But apparently, he had been saved by his teammate, who had been kicked out then re-initiated quite recently. The guy named Iwaki Seiji, she’d have to keep an eye out for him; she wanted to psychoanalyze him on his reason why he saved his then enemy. Anyway, Kyouichi ended up having to stay in the hospital Ryousuke was currently taking residency at.

His family visited him, but they were worried about the confused mental state he was in. He was wondering the same thing as everybody, including her. She decided to take the job without pay since she was worried about her old friend herself, and it wouldn’t do to charge a family of family friends of something she was personally interested in herself.

There I go again, Yuzuki thought. I knew I swore off being too friendly with people for a reason.

When she got to his room, she was deeply touched and amused at his state. The man was wearing a neck brace, combined with his white bandana, which he never seemed to take off anymore, along with his platinum blond hair; he looked like a half-used cotton bud. In addition, he had that curious pensive look when he was in deep thought.

It was then when her damn feelings began to get the better of her again, and with the same man no less.

Kyouichi stopped when he was a few feet in front of his ex-girlfriend. “Yuzuki…” Her eyes seemed to awaken from her reverie of rocks and boulders at the bottom of the cliff. She seemed to study him, making him feel terribly conscious of the fact that he had been wearing the same sweatshirt for almost four days now.

“I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to come…” He nodded slowly, as if comprehension were his weak point. She scratched the top of her head before running her hand through it, a nervous habit of hers, he knew. He wanted to draw closer to her, slip his arms around her slim waist and pull her into a deep hug, of which true meaning had become undefined for both of them.

“I don’t want to waste your time, so I’ll get to the point.” She seemed to choke on her words before continuing, “It was more or less an unspoken agreement between us that after we… grew apart, we broke up.” He blushed reflexively, so it was that topic, he expected as much.

It was common knowledge in their world, the racing world, that Sudo Kyouichi of the dominant Emperor team in Tochigi and Takahashi Ryousuke of the RedSuns and Project.D, which had reached their impossible, nearly impossible, goal with only one huge pothole, were once close friends. It wasn’t common knowledge though that the Sudos, Takahashis, and Kamajis were childhood friends. After all, the gossipers could only dig so deep.

Their family lived in Tokyo at the time; their childhood was spent being the good little children they were, in school, at each other’s houses, and inevitably the track. Little Sudo Kyouichi and Kamaji Yuzuki were best friends, who soon after the Takahashis moved to Gunma, became attached. Their middle school and high school years were spent holding hands and finding ways to excel at their particular forte while helping the other with their weakness.

Many memorable memories were made. Many firsts, but the most significant first was made after the Sudo family had moved to Tochigi. The two managed to keep their relationship throughout high school, and then cars.

All of them, both Takahashi brothers, all three of the Sudo siblings, and the Kamaji twins were into cars. Why was a mystery yet to be tackled and answered by them or their parents. So when the first batch, Ryousuke, Kyouichi, Kaisuke, and Yuzuki turned eighteen, they immediately got into the obvious field of street racing.

Racing was very difficult to master. It took hours of practice (and deep wallets) so that was exactly what they sacrificed. Soon, the two men who live in the Northern Kanto region began their rivalry like never before. And as their competition intensified, like the blazing racing spirit they harnessed in their hearts, even they had to admit that they were neglecting some things, some things.

The two slightly younger ones couldn’t blame them for not keeping in contact though, for when they got their licenses, the exact same thing happened to them. The twins spent their free time burning rubber on the mountain passes nearer to their area, all the while being guided around the new world by their elder cousin, who incidentally was a very good racer.

Yuzuki bit on the inside of her cheek before she continued once more, “Neither of us were too concerned with dating or being attached, I suppose we were too busy…” She blushed; this certainly wasn’t a comfortable subject.

Kyouichi watched her expression, before sighing and moving to the stop left of her. He took her hand in his and just clutched at it. “Yuzuki.” He said letting his eyes close. “I probably know you better than anyone else, so I know what you’re trying to say.” When he opened his eyes and turned to her, she was staring at him with her inquisitive eyes.

He didn’t want to back away. Not this time. Kyouichi brought her hand to his lips as an extended kiss. He closed his eyes again and leaned his head slightly forward. He then let an understanding smile spread across his lips. “I… I still love you.”

Time stopped for both of them at that instance. The words cutting through the thick autumn air of the pass had a certain effect for the slightly younger woman. She had little problem understanding things said, certainly ones in such simple terms.

Seconds passed, and her heart began racing wildly in her heart, like the cliché of romances. If they weren't leant against the guardrail, holding them, preventing them from falling into the dark ravine, she would have jumped-hugged him in that instance. Instead, she would show him her feelings, and what she had decided to do with them.

She stood up, making the guardrail relinquish its control over her body. Yuzuki held onto his hand and tugged at it, silently urging him to stand up as well. And he did. He opened his eyes and stared down at his best friend for the most part of his life. He released her hand in favor for wrapping his arms around her in a warm and longing hug.

Her arms were pressed between their bodies; she released their grasp of each other in favor of holding them against his muscular torso. She closed her eyes and leaned against him.

“You never answered me, Yuzuki.” He said after maintaining that pose for a few minutes. One of his hands was now running its fingers through her dark black tresses. Her silence was enough of a question for him. You, know…” He said hiding his blush against the top of her hair.

“I see…” The slightly younger woman said. She was facing him, or his chest to be precise. “Well, I hope this will be enough of an answer.” She continued, letting her hands glide to his face to cup his cheeks. Yuzuki tilted her head up while he did the same in reverse. And they did what any man and woman in love would do in their position. They kissed.