A few days later

Mako wrapped her arms around herself and shivered as she walked out of the bank into the cold drizzly morning. She half-ran, half-walked back to the warmth of her car, and as soon as she got in she reached into her purse.

After reading her account balance book, she smiled with satisfaction. That money for college was coming along nicely. She now had enough for a year and a half full-time, even with repairs and maintenance she'd had to make on the SilEighty. Thankfully, it still hadn't needed any major repairs, and she hoped it would stay that way.

Right after high school, she and her parents had struck an agreement that they would pay part of her college tuition, and she would pay the rest. And so for the last two years, her schedule had been awkward at times. A class or two some days of the week with a partial day of work, full days of work on her days off from school, and driving, of course, in the late evenings and at any time on Sundays.

Sometimes it made for nights of little sleep. Quite a few days she had worked overtime. Which meant, on those days, only enough time for one or two quick spins down Usui; followed by arriving home with barely enough energy to take a shower, and collapsing into bed. But she had gotten good grades and kept improving her driving, so it was worth it.

She had worked as a bus fare collector and a cleaning lady at a hotel before starting work at the gift shop, which so far had paid the best money. Maybe she could be a typist next, with a computer skills class under her belt; but for now the gift shop was a good deal, only a short drive from her home.

I've done pretty well so far, said Mako to herself. The only thing I need is a social life. But where's the time, she added with a small chuckle.

She did have enough time right now to do some quick shopping, and she parallel-parked the SilEighty along the street in front of a large department store. Once inside, she pushed her way through a crowd of housewives and their children into the women's apparel department. Wow, that's a cool sweater, she thought as she picked up a periwinkle-blue cardigan with three-quarter sleeves. Her face fell, however, as soon as she saw the price tag. 15,000 yen for this little bitty sweater?! No, thank you… She made a beeline for the clearance racks.

If only Sayuki didn't have to work today, she said to herself in the fitting room. Shopping alone for clothes is not much fun.

A little while later, several articles of clothing slung over her arm, she rode the escalator down to the basement, to the automotive department. Now I really wish Sayuki were here, she thought as she strolled down the tire aisle. We'll be needing some new tires pretty soon, but I just don't know how to pick the parts out, and what to look for, like she can…

Mako took a step backward-and promptly collided with another body. "Oof!" she said as she stepped away and turned around. "Oops, I'm sorry…"

"Quite all right," said a deep voice. Mako shivered. That voice was so familiar… She raised her eyes and froze. Ryousuke.

"Mako? Satou Mako?"

Mako gulped. What's he doing here? She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"It's you, right?" he said.

The Usui driver was paralyzed. Stiff, upright and nearly unable to breathe. Say something, dammit! her brain screamed. Say something before he walks away! She swallowed a huge lump in her throat before a tinny, pallid "Y… yes?" came out.

"It's a surprise bumping into you," he said, smiling.

Mako blushed furiously. Stop that, she admonished herself. He's the picture of calm and cool, and what are you doing? Acting like a bumbling fool. Say something else. Say something else…

"And… and… and I'm surprised to see you," she stammered, after a long moment.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"What? No, I'm… I'm just shopping," said Mako, finally feeling brave enough to give the Redsuns driver a little smile. She gestured to the clothes on her arm.

"I see," said Ryousuke. "Where's your partner?"

"Sayuki?" Mako fought down another blush and took a deep breath. "She's at work. She's a lifeguard at the pool downtown… you know, that big indoor pool off the main street?" She then bit her tongue. Quit babbling. "What are you doing in Matsuida anyway?"

"I'm riding in Keisuke's car. We're on our way back from Myougi and we hit a nail or something in the road. Keisuke's out of tire sealant, so I'm buying more," he said, showing her the can. "He really needs to be more prepared for emergencies like this. Anyway, this should last us until we get back home and get him a new tire."

At the mention of Keisuke's name, Mako blushed furiously once again, a hot swoop of humiliation lancing through her. She gazed downward again and squeezed her eyes shut, wanting more than anything to make herself invisible so Ryousuke would ignore her and walk away.

The Red Sun did not, however, walk away. "You know, you did well the other day."

"Noididn't." Mako spit the words out in a jumble.

"What?"

"No," said Mako, collecting herself and opening her eyes. "I didn't. I lost."

"True," said Ryousuke, leaning back and frowning thoughtfully. "He's really improved. More than I thought before. But you gave him a real run for his money," he continued. "You were ahead of him until the very end."

The Usui driver swallowed another lump in her throat. Please, don't remind me again how I blew it…

"Keisuke's always been a natural at racing," said Ryousuke, still going on. "That's not always a good thing. You don't have as much incentive to work at it. Now, my brother practices all the time, but that's because he likes it and he really wants to do it. He really didn't want to run Usui. I'm glad I stood my ground and made him do it."

Hot and cold sensations flared deep within Mako's chest as she digested what Ryousuke had said to her. So he did think well of her driving skills as well… Stop hoping so much. You're just hoping he thinks well of you personally too. You as a racer and you as a person, those are two completely different things. Besides, he's polite and probably says things like that to everybody…

"What?" said the FC driver.

Mako realized she had been talking to herself aloud. She tried unsuccessfully to stifle yet another blush.

"I don't say it to just anybody," said Ryousuke, just the slightest trace of annoyance in his voice. "I really do mean it when I say you're a good driver."

"You mean… you mean it?"

"Absolutely. I don't give praise unless I mean it."

Great. Now you've irritated him. Best to get out now and save what little face you have left. However, Mako was getting better at ignoring her harsh inner voice, and she merely said, "Where is Keisuke?"

"He's on the second floor playing Dance Dance Revolution," said Ryousuke, grinning. "In the electronics department. I told him we could split up and get back together."

Mako thought her heart would stop. It was not often that the formidable Ryousuke smiled that brightly. And not in front of another racer, definitely. People say he's cold? He's not, he's got his fair share of charm. In fact, he's quite charming… and dare I say it, sexy? Especially this close-up.… Stop it. You're getting waaaaaay ahead of yourself here.

"…Coffee. You like coffee?" she heard herself say. ACK! No, no, no… shut up already!

"What?" asked Ryousuke.

Dear God. What should I say next? thought Mako, now in a semi-panic. 'Ever heard of the English Roasterie'? No, too corny. 'It just so happens that I have a gift certificate for this great new coffee place'? No… too slick, too smooth, and too Sayuki. Sayuki's tricks don't work for you. Hell… she doesn't even like the English Roasterie…

"Do you want to… have a cup of coffee… with me?" she finally said, grateful that she had, at last, gotten some good control over her voice. She knew that she was still blushing, and she had blushed way too many times already, but right now, she didn't care.

"Not right now," she heard Ryousuke say. Oh… so he's got a girlfriend. I might have guessed… "But, I'll be all right with taking a raincheck," he finished. He smiled again… and for the second time that day, Mako thought she was going to go into uncontrollable fibrillation.

She simply could not think of what to say to that. So… maybe he doesn't? At last, she let a soft "Thank you," escape her lips.

"You're welcome." And with that, Ryousuke turned around and strode away. Mako watched him, long legs and hips swinging gracefully, and sighed from deep within.

He's so amazing, and I'm so unworthy…

*~*~*~*

Ryousuke shook his head as he stepped off the escalator on the second floor. The poor girl had been almost… scared of him. Why should she be? She was a racer, like himself, after all. He didn't know her very well, but he did know that she ought to have felt more at ease in the company of another racer.

Still, she had to have been feeling pretty insecure after her loss to his younger brother. He was still the better driver of the two Takahashis, and a loss to the one slightly worse couldn't be good for her racer's ego. But was Keisuke really slightly worse anymore? He had once told Keisuke that he might one day surpass him… was that day arriving sooner than he'd thought? He had been in retirement, except for the race against Sudou Kyouichi, and he had to be getting out of practice… just a little bit… Still, she's got some potential there. Not quite there yet-- she's almost as lacking in confidence as the Night Kids' leader-but if she keeps on practicing, she could some day be a real asset to your project. Maybe.

He stepped into the video game section and his ears picked up the English lyrics: "My daddy would go crazy/If he knew what his baby was/Spendin' his life doin'…" He stopped at the sight of Keisuke flailing and jumping on top of a platform, a small group of children applauding and whooping. Ryousuke glanced up at the video screen. 'I WANNA BE A TOY-- DEAD OR ALIVE', he read.

"Keisuke," he said, sharply.

"Not now, Aniki, I'm got finished yet!" Keisuke grimaced as he made a wrong step.

"I'm finished. Come on, let's go." Ryousuke reached over and turned off the power.

"Aniki--!"

"I've got your sealant. We'd better get back home."

"Ohhh, okay," grumbled Keisuke, he and the children wearing identical expressions of disappointment. He clambered down off the platform and joined his brother. "I thought you would've been up sooner?"

"I had a nice chat with a friend," said Ryousuke.

"Since when do you have friends in Matsuida?" said the younger Takahashi, frowning. "Too many Night Kids here…"

*~*~*~*

"So, you see why we only want to use two cars," said Ryousuke to the other Red Suns.

"Three?" asked Keisuke.

"Right. Three. But the third one-my FC-should be used only for emergencies. So for all practical purposes, we'll use only two cars-your FD and Takumi's 86. Not only to save on fuel, but to be more consistent in the eyes of the opposing teams."

"All right," said Keisuke, lighting a cigarette.

"What, don't I get to drive?" Kenta piped up.

"Not yet."

"But why not?"

"You've got a long way to go before your skills are up to snuff," said Ryousuke matter-of-factly. Kenta hung his head dejectedly.

"But that doesn't mean, we won't need you," the FC driver quickly added. "We need all of you as backup in case of an emergency. And another reason, Kenta, that you need to wait is, I won't be able to tell until your skills are better, which driving style yours is most like-Keisuke's, or Takumi's. It's very important to choose the right style for the course we're running."

Ryousuke thought Kenta seemed to brighten up a little at that.

*~*~*~*

"Do you remember what you said to me?" said Takumi.

"What?"

" 'Don't chain yourself to this small stage. There's a vast world out there for you to explore.' Did you mean just in racing?"

Ryousuke turned and placed his hands on Takumi's sides. "What do you think?"

Takumi couldn't tear his eyes away from Ryousuke's brightly shining ones, or the small smile on his lips.

"You meant… ?"

"Exactly." The FC driver kissed him. "Baka, I thought you would've figured it out then."

"I think I did. I just… wasn't sure."

"I've always been sure," said Ryousuke, pulling Takumi closer for another kiss. "It's been three months already. Can you believe it?"

"No. Has it really been that long?"

"Yes. From our race-my losing one-till now. Tell me, though, if I had beaten you, would we still be together?"

"… I don't know," said Takumi after a long pause.

"I don't know either. That's odd," said Ryousuke, frowning.

Takumi didn't know how to answer.

"But I do know why I'm with you," continued the FC driver, his smile reappearing.

"My… my racing?" stammered Takumi.

"Yes, but more… much more than that," said Ryousuke as he pulled his lover into yet another kiss, this one deeper than before.

"You know… my parents… and Tsugumi… will be out of the house tonight, and Keisuke… goes out about midnight or so," Ryousuke murmured between kisses. "We can swim, use the hot tub… have the place all to ourselves."

Takumi didn't answer. He merely slung his arms around Ryousuke's neck and pressed the full length of his body against his lover's.

*~*~*~*

"Mako--! What are you doing?!" Sayuki gripped the door handle in one hand and her seat in the other, hanging on for dear life.

What was with her partner tonight? Even on a straight road, Mako's driving would be considered reckless… but here she was, taking the curves of Usui at speeds she'd never attempted before. Mako never took her eyes off the road, but there seemed to be a clouded, almost… dreamy look to them. As if she were paying close attention, and at the same time not paying attention at all.

Which was why Sayuki felt almost panicked. She never felt this out-of-control during a practice run, unable to stop herself from sliding side-to-side from the excessive centrifugal force.

"Ahh!" she cried as a particularly sharp turn pressed her hard into the passenger-side door. "Watch it!"

Mako's face remained inscrutable.

"Aren't you listening to me?" Sayuki's voice became more shrill through the next curve. "Watch it! Not 160-not now!"

Mako ignored her, pushing the accelerator not just to 160, but to 170 and beyond. Sayuki gripped her footholds even harder, thanking her deity that she had just seen that ramen restaurant billboard whiz by… that meant the run was almost over…

Finally, they got to the foot of the mountain pass, and Sayuki, whose eyes had been squeezed shut, opened them with a start. And as she looked at her co-driver, she promptly gave another start.

Mako was sitting in the driver's seat, a giddily happy expression on her face.

"What in God's name are you smiling at?" Sayuki demanded. "You could have killed us. Why didn't you listen to me?"

"Oh, we weren't in any danger," said Mako.

"Not in any danger? How can you say that? I couldn't stay still." Sayuki unbuckled her seatbelt as she said, "Just what have you been smoking?"
"175 kilometers and perfect cornering," said Mako, bubbling. "How about that?"

"How about that? It's a death wish. Look, I didn't say you had to copy that hachiroku kid-"

"I talked to him."

"--Just watch him. But he doesn't have a passenger with him when he drives. You know how hard that stuff is on me?"

"Sayuki," said Mako, more firmly. "I talked to him."

"You talked to whom?"

"Guess!"

One look at Mako's almost goofy expression told Sayuki everything she needed to know.

"So where did you meet Ryousuke?"

"At the Shinjuku."

"What was he doing in Matsuida?"

"Something about a punctured tire on the way back from Myougi. But Sayuki… I talked to him! I did what you said to do, and I feel great!" She paused before adding, "Sorry I drove like a maniac, it's just that I feel so good."

"Well, congratulations!" said Sayuki, now happy herself. "Was he nice to you?"

"Oh, he was very nice. I was feeling awfully nervous, though. I hope I didn't flub it up too much."

"Well, who cares, he knows who you are now, right?" Sayuki reached over to hug her friend. "And you lived to tell the tale."

Mako could only giggle at that.

"Hey, you really got some killer speed back there. Just save it for the race course, okay? I don't think my stomach could take it for every practice run."

*~*~*~*

A/N: If anyone who happens to live in Matsuida reads this, please let me know. I don't know if there is a Shinjuku in Matsuida; however, it is one of Japan's largest department stores. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2072.html