#push your limit

“Iggy roped me into going to Mt. Akina tonight to hang with Cole. Wanna come?”

You shrugged, leaning back in your chair and pulling out a cigarette from the pack, “Sure. Got nothin’ better to do.”

“Cole’s picking us up at the bus station at eight,” he announced before turning around and leaving the room.

“Hmmm. This may just turn out to be an interesting night.” You mused, taking a puff of the cigarette.

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“You goin’ out this late, Tak? Y/N?” Tak’s father asked, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading. He was leaning against the window outside, a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips.

“Yeah. Iggy and I made plans to hang out for a while. Y/N is coming with us.” Tak answered, turning around to face his dad.

“You two going out at night doesn’t concern me. You getting up in the morning does.” Bunta responded.

You chuckled, a grin on your lips as you looked away from the two. Bunta had a very good point. Neither of you were really morning people, you less of one than Tak. It was tiresome and troublesome for the pair to wake up so early, but it was something that you had been doing for a while, something you didn’t have much choice in. You’d think the two of you would have gotten used to it by now.

“Don’t freak out about it, dad. You know we’ll get up.” Tak turned back around. “So, I guess we’ll see you later.” he started to walk off and you followed close behind.

“See ya, Bunta~” you grinned, folding your hands behind your head.

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“AHHHHHH! AH-AAHHHHHH!!”

“Will you please shut up for five seconds!? He’s trying to concentrate on driving!”

Tak was screaming like a little girl, clutching tightly onto you as if his life depended on it. Cole was driving with a smirk on his face. Iggy was sitting in the passenger seat, both hands clutching the handgrip above the passenger side door. He was busy yelling at Tak, thoughts of him being uncool clear through the expression on his face and the tone of his voice. You and Tak were sat in the back seat, Tak freaking out and you getting a headache because he was screaming into your ear.

Your eye twitched as said male clung to you, arms wrapped tightly around your neck. “How the hell did I get stuck with this moron?” you muttered under your breath, eyes cast towards the window. You loved the blur of the browns, the silvers, and the greens as they passed at a speed far above normal. It was one of the things in life that you adored, held close to your heart. Though, you’d never admit that to anyone else.

“Yeah, whatever! I’m trying to concentrate on staying alive!” Tak retorted, voice filled with panic.

“Chill out. Everyone feels like they’re going to toss their cookies the first time they ride with a street racer.” Cole grinned, clearly enjoying the scene in the backseat, “Hang on. We’ll take the hairpin in second.” He shifted gears and floored the gas pedal.

“AHHHHH!”

“Can’t you scream a little quieter?!”

You sighed before grinning at the two best friends. They were a trip when they were together, but you couldn’t help but notice how Iggy’s eyes were snapped shut, beads of sweat on his face. He was just as worried, he was just being quieter than Tak was.

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Tak was sitting on the ground, back leaning against the railing, slouched over and breathing heavily. The SpeedStars, Iggy, and you were standing around him, worried looks on all of your faces.

“You okay? Man, Tak, I had no idea you were gonna freak like that. I know I was pushing the car a little hard tonight but, come on!” Cole stood in front of Tak’s hunched form, hands on his sides as he leaned over the heavily breathing teen.

Iggy huffed, kneeling down to get next to Tak. “You’re a wimp! Even worse, you’re a girl!”

You growled at that statement, eyes narrowed at the moronic teenager who either didn’t notice your glare or didn’t care. You made a mental note to kick his ass about that one later.

“Don’t tell me you’re the type that spazzes out on a roller coaster!”

“I don’t think roller coasters are scary at all, okay? That has nothing to do with it. Why don’t you mind your own business?” Tak responded, having calmed down. “I don’t know, Iggy. Even if I were to try and explain it to you, I don’t think you’d get it. I have this fear.” his voice lowered, almost to a whisper.

“Huh?” Iggy cocked his head to the side confused. You listened in, leaning against a nearby street light and lighting the cigarette that hung between your lips.

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“Looks like we got a few visitors,” Cole announced, hands in his pockets as he looked over at the arriving cars.

Tak was back on his feet, acting completely normal with Iggy at his side. You stood in the back, hat pulled down over your eyes. You could smell the trouble beginning to brew and it was a fine smell indeed.

The group of cars stopped in front of the group, the doors opening to reveal their drivers. Cole stared at the team name written in red on the side of the yellow FD. The RedSuns? Those guys are the fastest team in Akagi! The door to the yellow FD opened and out stepped a blonde-haired male.

You pushed your hat up slightly with your index finger, eyes narrowed at the blonde. You knew full well who he was. Most people did if they knew anything about street racing.

The door to the white FC opened and out stepped a blue-haired male, older than the first. He nodded to the younger male who seemed to take the lead. Though, you knew he wasn’t the leader, even if he acted like he was.

“All right, listen up! We’re members of the team known as the Akagi RedSuns. Now don’t get your panties in a bunch, but we’re here to find out who’s the fastest team, or who’s the fastest driver on this mountain. We want the top dog.”

You scoffed, pulling your hat back down. ‘Cocky rich bitch.’

Cole, who stood tall and proud, spoke up, catching the attention of the RedSuns drivers. “We’re the Akina SpeedStars. You want the fastest on the mountain, you’ve found ’em. So what do you want to do about it?”

You attempted not to laugh. Cole was acting so tough, but he didn’t know who he was dealing with.

The two brothers looked at each other, smirking before turning their attention back to the group. Clearly, they were just as amused. “Chill out there, ace, no biggie. We’re just looking for a little friendly competition. To be fair, we’ll even set the meet on your course.”

The SpeedStars were shocked, confused as to why the RedSuns would agree to race on their turf when they’ve never even driven Mt. Akina before. It gave them confidence, made them feel like they stood more of a chance to win but you knew that would be their downfall. No matter what the condition, overconfidence will get them in the end. Just like karma, it’s a real bitch.

“Wow. This is going to be unbelievable.” Iggy grinned, eyes sparkling and hands clutched in front of him. Tak was looking on with a bored expression, having no real interest in what was happening around him.

“Here’s the deal,” one of the other drivers stepped forward. He looked like an advisor for the team, “We usually run only with dudes we know, but it’s gettin’ kinda stale, ya know? We thought that running against other teams would give us a new challenge. We can hang with some new drivers, maybe pick up a few tips, who knows! It might help us all polish our skills. Starting out, we’ll all run together. Then each team will pick one driver to represent. They’ll compete in both the uphill and downhill. Whoever wins, wins. What’s important is developing a bond between the two teams. So, what do you think? You boys up for it?”

“Che. Bond, my ass.” You scoffed, looking away from the group. You didn’t notice the blue-haired male staring over at you with curious eyes.

The SpeedStars were looking cautious. The deal sounded too good, after all. “I guess when he puts it that way, it makes it sorta hard to say no.”

“Yeah.” Kenji nodded in agreement.

“Cool. Then what’d you say we meet back here next Saturday at… ten o’clock?” the advisor spoke up.

“All right, we’ll be here.”

“What do you say tonight we take it easy on each other and take a few practice runs?” The blonde suggested, an air of arrogance surrounding him.

“Did ya hear that, Tak?” Iggy flipped out, holding tightly onto Tak’s plain white t-shirt. “How cool is this?!”

The RedSuns took off first.

“They’re just trying to intimidate us!” Kenji said, fist held out in front of him. “Let’s show ’em what we got.”

“Yeah!” the rest of the team agreed. Everyone got into their respective vehicles and took off, determined to show up the so-called fastest team in Akagi.

“So, now what, Cole?” Iggy asked after everyone else had taken off.

“Now I use a microscope on the dudes known as the fastest in Akagi; the Takahashi brothers.”

“The Takahashi Brothers? You mean the famous street racers who were written about in all the magazines?!” Iggy asked, shocked.

You stood at Tak’s side, listening in on their conversation. Of course, you kept your smart ass comments to yourself, even though you had a few colorful words to utter about the famous Takahashi brothers.

“That’s right. They’re also known as the Rotary brothers.” Cole hopped into his car, feeling pumped and ready to show them up.

“Hang on a sec, Cole, we’ll jump in.” Iggy reached out for the door handle but stopped when Cole spoke.

“Sorry boys, when I make a serious run I have one rule: no passengers. Wait here, I’ll come back and pick you up later.” With that said, he took off, leaving the three of you alone in the dark.

“Awww!” Iggy groaned, kneeling down and clutching his head, “Oh man! This seriously blows. We’re the only losers in the world without a rig.”

“Yeah. Hey, Iggy? What’s the big deal about street racing, anyway?”

“Huh?” he looked up at him.

“I just don’t get it. Everyone gets all flipped out about it.”

Iggy stood up, hands balled into a fist as he stared at the clueless Tak. “You hear that sound, right? Tires screeching, engines blaring, the cars so close to each other the drivers can smell each others’ armpits! Are you having a brainfart, what’s not to get amped about?”

You facepalmed, muttering under your breath about how much of an idiot he is.

Tak blinked, still confused about what his best friend was saying. “Yeah… I guess…”

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The SpeedStars had returned from their run, currently grouped together where they had previously met, earlier that night. They had been smoked by the RedSuns. Even their second-stringers were too good for the SpeedStars.

“They’re amazing. They’re just so much faster than we are.”

“I can’t believe we got schooled as bad as we did, especially on our own turf.”

“They put serious jack in their suspensions and they got power. Face it, there’s no way we can compete with the RedSuns.”

“But we can’t turn down a challenge on our own turf!”

“He’s right! We can’t back out now! We’ll be the laughing stock of the whole region!”

“Yeah, well, unless you have a better suggestion, we’re gonna get our butts kicked.”

After listening to the team’s comments, Cole finally stepped in, gaining the undivided attention of the group. “Look, it’s getting late, guys. Why don’t we all hook up tomorrow and talk about our options?”

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Cole was taking the trio home. Iggy in front, with you and Tak in the back. He was driving normally, clearly bummed out about not standing a chance against the RedSuns. It didn’t come as much of a surprise to you. You knew all about the Takahashi brothers. They wouldn’t be on a team that was easily beat, if at all.

“Street racers don’t take to losing too well. It’s a feeling that never goes away. There’s nothing worse than losing to an outsider on your own home ground. There’s an unwritten law for street racers: protect your turf.”

Iggy was really bummed, as well, unhappy about how his dream team was going to lose in such a horrid manner. You and Tak were listening closely, absorbing every word, but not really thinking about the letters that he uttered.

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The roar of the engine… the smell of the exhaust… the burning of the tires… the cheer of the crowd…

These are the sights and sounds of street racing, modern-day steel chariot gladiators who test their own limits while rocketing towards the finish line and road glory. But of all the roads in the world, none are as treacherous and challenging as the mountains of Japan, where the roads coil around the hills like a snake poised to strike. On these treacherous roads, there are only two outcomes – you either got game, or you find yourself upside down in a ditch wondering where it went wrong.

Enter Takumi Fujiwara, mild-mannered tofu delivery boy… and undisputed king of the Akina roads.

For Takumi, drifting around a 90-degree bend or slipping by an opponent with mere inches between him and a thousand-foot drop is as effortless a feat as crossing the street. Takumi and his infamous finely tuned AE eight-six not only rule the highways of Akina but other provinces, as well.

But it isn’t all wine and roses, even for a racing god, because off the road, Takumi is just a shy teenager still uncertain about his future. He has girl trouble, problematic friends, and most of all, challengers coming after his throne. Being number one only means there’s a number two with aspirations of becoming the next drift king. So for Takumi, defending his crown is a full-time job. Now if only he can find time to deliver tofu as well…

This is Initial D.

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▸Next

“What’re we gonna do about Saturday? We got the battle meeting!” Iggy asked.

“Yeah, I know. We’re hosed. Unless we find someone willing to drive for Cole.” Kenji looked down at the ground, knowing that the possibility was extremely slim.

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You and Bunta were sitting in the living room watching TV when Tak came home. Without a word, he started up the stairs. He stopped on the sixth step, suddenly remembering something important. Tak walked back down the steps and into the living room. “Before I forget, I was wondering if I could borrow the car this Sunday?”

“Sunday?” Bunta didn’t even turn to look at Tak. “Uhh, no.”

“But why not? I’ll take care of the morning deliveries before I go anywhere!”

“No, that’s not the problem. There’s a town meeting I wanted to go to this Sunday, so I need the car.”

“A town meeting? That figures.” His hand flew to his mouth and he started thinking out loud, “Now what am I supposed to do?”

“Huh?” Bunta noticed this and started laughing. “I get it. Must be a girl.”

You chuckled. “Definitely,” Tak turned red and you burst out laughing. “Right on the money, Bunta!”

“Mind your own business!” Tak looked away, cheeks still flushed a bright red, “Come on, don’t be so stubborn, just let me use it.” his eyes shifted back to his dad, but the red never left, “It’s just an old piece of crap, anyway. I’m taking it.” he shoved his hands in his pockets and started up the stairs.

“A car can’t go very far without a key, which will be on a string around my neck.” Bunta murmured, causing you to chuckle in amusement.

Tak flew back down the stairs, “That’s not fair!”

“If you want it that bad, oh.. I’ll think about it.”

“You will?” Tak smiled.

“There’s one condition.”

“What’s that?” his smile dropped.

Bunta turned serious, turning to look at his son. “There’s some clown who’s known as the fastest on Akagi. I want you to beat the hell out of him on Akina’s downhill Saturday night.”

You tilted your head to the side, glancing at the old man. ‘So this was his plan? I guess Cole got to him.’

“You want me to do… what?”

“If you do that, the car is all yours on Sunday. Tell ya what, I’ll even throw in a full tank of gas.”

“Full tank of gas? Hmmm.” His hand moved to his chin as his eyes closed in thought.

You didn’t bother looking at him as you sipped your soda. His answer was obvious.

“Well? What’s it gonna be?”

“I’m gonna need to think about it for a little bit,” Tak answered, his hand moving to the bridge of his nose as he climbed the stairs once more.

“That’s fine. Take all the time ya need.” Bunta smiled, knowing he had captured Tak’s interest.

“That’s pretty sneaky, Bunta,” you said once Tak was in his room. “Any hidden intentions I should be aware of?”

“Not really.” he responded lazily, “I want you to go with him, though. Keep him in line.”

You shrugged. “Sure. I’d love to see him beat that blonde idiot into the pavement. With a front-row seat… it’ll be lovely. I should bring some popcorn!”

Bunta chuckled before lighting up a cigarette.

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“I wonder if it’s going to be sunny tomorrow,” Tak wondered, mind elsewhere.

“Why do you bother me with such boneheaded questions? The TV said it was gonna be sunny the whole week.” Iggy answered.

The three of you were walking on the bridge that went over the street, allowing pedestrians to cross the road safely, on your way home from school.

“Why? Do you have special plans?” Iggy questioned, glancing at his best friend.

“I’m going to the beach.”

“Hmm? The beach?” he paused, before freaking out and grabbing the front of Tak’s white school shirt, “AHHHH! You’re cruisin’ to the coast to chill and you’re not taking along your best friend?!” His gaze snapped to you. “Are you going?”

“Nope,” you answered, pulling a cigarette from your pocket.

He turned deadly serious. “Wait a minute…” The seriousness was quickly lost, “You’re going with a babe, aren’t cha? Aren’t cha?!”

“Sort of.”

“Who is she?! Do I know her?! Does she hate me?! Is she fine?! Does she have a nice rack?! What does she look like?!”

“Is that all you care about?” You rolled your eyes.

Iggy looked at you in disbelief. “Duh! If she ain’t cute or have a nice rack, what’s the point?”

“You’re pathetic.”

“You’re just mad that you’re not cute!”

“The fuck you just say to me?!” You growled, grabbing for his shirt, but he ducked away, hiding behind Tak, who wasn’t even paying attention.

“She’s real cute,” Tak answered dreamily. You could practically see the lightbulb appear above Iggy’s head.

“I know… Natalie…”

Tak nodded, smiling sheepishly and scratching his cheek. “Yeah,”

“You should have fessed up man!” Iggy cried.

“I know, it just didn’t seem right to tell her that I wanted you to hang with us. Next time we go, bro, you’re comin’, kay?”

Iggy turned around, crying waterfalls.

Tak sweatdropped, “Will you knock it off?”

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You and Bunta were sitting in the living room once more, watching the Masked Singer on TV. Tak came in and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.

“So~ You gonna do it?” Bunta asked, not turning to look at his son.

“I guess, but I’m not really into it.”

“Why not? Don’t you think you can win? Just drive like you normally do. You won’t lose.”

Tak sighed, closing his eyes and grabbing his brown bangs with his hand, deep in thought. You watched him closely, waiting for him to utter the response you knew was coming. How could he turn down such an offer? “Fine.”

Bunta sent you a look before removing the key from around his neck and tossing it at him. The three of you stepped out into the cool night air.

Tak got into the driver’s seat, revving up the car as he turned the foglights on. You sat in the passenger seat, feeling relaxed.

“Do I need to take the paper cup with me today?”

You smirked at the comment Tak made.

“You don’t need that cup, you’re not carrying any tofu with ya on this run. This isn’t like your regular runs, so push it as hard as you can.”

“Don’t forget, you said a full tank of gas.”

“I know, I didn’t forget.”

“Alright then, I’m out of here.”

“Good luck. Keep each other safe.”

Tak shifted gears and took off for Mt. Akina.

You glanced at him before turning your attention toward the window. ‘This is going to be so~ interesting,’ you folded your hands behind your head, lips twitching up. ‘And I’m getting a fucking front row seat. I can’t way to see the look on that rich bitch’s face,’

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* Drifting Terms:

Braking Drift – Upon entering a corner, a driver slightly depresses the brake in order to shift the balance of grip to the front tires, therefore allowing the rear tires to slide into a drift with ease.

Clutch Kick – Depressing the clutch upon entering a corner causes the rear end of the car to kick upwards, shifting the balance of the grip to the front and allowing the driver to perform a drift by swinging the rear around in the corner.

Dirt Drop – Initiating a drift by allowing the rear tires to slide off the road and into the shoulder.

Inertia Drift – An inertia drift is initiated by feinting the car towards the outisde of a corner and quickly steering towards the inside. The resulting rebound of grip initiates a dynamic slide in the normal cornering direction.

Jump Drift – This occurs when a rear tire is bumped off the inside curb of a turn in order to lose traction in the rear, resulting in drift.

Shift Lock – When entering a corner, the driver downshifts and allows the RPM to drop. Upon releasing the clutch, the rear wheels slow due to engine braking, causing understeer.

Side Breaking (E-Brake Turns) – Pulling the E-Brake during cornering causes traction loss in the rear, resulting in oversteer. E-Brake turns are necessary to induce a drift in an FF car.

Straightaway Drifting – A high-speed drift initiated on a straight section of road in order to achieve a maximum drift angle.

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▸Next

With a shrug, you laid your head down on the wooden table, a yawn passing your lips as your eyes fluttered closed.

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“What?! All this time Tak has an Eight-Six at his place?! Is this some kind of joke, Cole?” Iggy clung to Cole’s arm, face twisted in disbelief. Tak was standing off to the side, bored, as he waited for another customer to show up at the gas station where the three worked.

You were there, as well, sitting just inside the building, drinking a soda. You didn’t actually work there, but you tended to stop by and help out when you had nothing better to do.

“Nope. No joke.”

“Tak, you bonehead!” Iggy punched Tak’s cheek, just hard enough for him to feel it. “Why did you keep this secret from me?”

“I didn’t keep it a secret,” Tak let his hand cover the cheek that had just been hit by his overexcited monkey of a friend, “I didn’t even know what it was. It says Trueno on it, I figured it was a Trueno, you say it’s an eight-six, I just read the label.”

You grinned at how annoyed Iggy was getting, how smug Cole looked, and how clueless Tak seemed.

“Why you – I oughta…” Iggy clenched his fists in front of him, teeth clenched in annoyance.

Tak held his fists up as well until Iggy moved to stand behind him, one hand cupping his mouth while the other held onto Tak’s shoulder. “Listen, old buddy, I was thinking you could do us a favor. Ask your pops if you can bag the eight-six for a bit next Saturday night.”

“What for?”

Iggy turned slightly blue, “Are you an idiot?! So we can go watch the SpeedStars and the RedSuns battle it out on Akina! That’s what for. After we watched all that go down last night, I am so stoked on street racing.”

Cole, who was listening in, nodded in the background, happy that Iggy was taking such a liking to street racing.

“Come on~ Don’t you want to watch Akagi’s fastest drivers, the Takahashi brothers?”

Tak looked at you, pulling a face. “No, not really.”

Next thing, Iggy had a hold on Tak’s throat, choking him, “What?! You loser! How can you say that!? You know how clutch this is to me?!” He released his grip, and Tak breathed in much-needed air as his best friend got on his knees, hands held together as if he was praying, “Alright, I’m begging. Let me ride in your eight-xix on Saturday night. Please~?”

“Hey, Iggy. You can propose marriage later. There’s a customer waiting.” The boss appeared, a slightly annoyed look on his face. You nearly spit out your soda from laughter.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Iggy murmured.

“Can we help you?” The pair chorused to the customer who had just pulled up. Boss let a smile come to his face at the pair, and you felt yourself doing the same. No matter how annoying they may be, it was impossible to hate them.

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“Wow. That’s the drift king. Check it out, he’s amazing!” Iggy and Cole were sitting inside the gas station during their brake, watching the drift king on TV. Both of them were only about a foot away from the TV screen, eyes glued to the king of drift. Tak was sitting farther away, reading a magazine. You were sitting on the same couch as Cole, close to Tak. You were listening to what was said but your eyes were closed, covered by your hat.

“Looks like he can control it with just the gas pedal,” Cole said in amazement.

“Hey, Tak. Don’t you wish we could go out there right now and drift just as easy as the drift king does?”

“Sure,” he answered absentmindedly.

“Check out this guy’s technique! Way cool!”

“Sure.”

“Huh?” Iggy turned around to look at Tak, annoyed. “You listening to me?”

“Sure,” he paused before looking up, blinking dumbly. “Huh?”

“You don’t got a clue what we’re talking about. I’ll bet you don’t even know what a drift is.”

“O-Of course I know what a drift is.”

Cole turned to look at him, as well. Iggy crossed his arms over his chest, “Alright, Mr. Expert, ‘splain it to me. I’m all ears.”

The boss had also entered the room and stood behind the chair that Tak sat in, taking a drag from the cigarette he held in his hand. He was looking on with a hint of amusement.

“Uhh… well… see, in a curve – ” Tak started.

“Don’t use the word ‘curve’, it’s uncool. Street racers just say corner.” Iggy corrected.

“Oh… yeah, okay then. In a corner, all you have to do is make the front tires slide along,” he held his hands up like he was turning the steering wheel. “So that the car doesn’t face the inside.”

“Heh?” Iggy and Cole looked at each other before clutching their sides with laughter. “Tak, that’s hysterical! If the front tires are sliding, that’s called understeer, which is totally wack! It’s for people with zero skillage!”

“Skillage?” you parroted with a scoff. “but Tak is the uncool one.”

Iggy scowled, sticking his tongue out at you.

“A real racer knows that a true drift isn’t in the front, bro, it’s in the rear,” Cole told him, eyes wet from laughing so hard. “That was pretty funny, Tak.”

“Yeah, you should do stand up comedy.”

Boss shook his head. “Alright, let’s get to work! We got a customer!”

“Oh, right!” Tak stood up, heading outside to greet the customer, “Welcome!” he bowed, “Right this way!”

Cole put his hat back on, following after Tak. He was shocked to see the yellow FD pull up. You had followed them out and, upon seeing the car, stood behind them, observing. Tak walked over to the driver’s side, where the blonde had rolled down the window.

“High octane. And fill it up.”

“Right,” While the gas was being automatically pumped into the car, Cole and Tak took to washing the windows of the yellow FD.

“You’ve got quite the ride there.” Cole suddenly said, gaining the attention of the blonde, who seemed to be deep in thought until he spoke.

“Huh?” his eyes shifted towards the open window, where Cole stood; he was washing the front windshield. The blonde’s eyes shifted to Cole’s S13 that sat off to the side. “I get it. I thought I’d seen that S13 somewhere before. The SpeedStars, am I right?” his finger tapped against the gear shift, “Let me ask you a question. I figure if anyone knows the answer, you should.”

Cole looked over, cautious about what the blonde would ask. Your curiosity was heightened, as well, as you moved closer to Tak, listening intently to what he said.

“Is there a ghost racer on Mt. Akina? A ghost who drives a super fast eight-six?”

Your eyes narrowed at him through the back windshield. If he was asking about the eight-six, then that meant he was gonna try and go after Tak.

“That’s weird. This guy plannin’ to fly?” Tak muttered under his breath, inspecting the wing on the back of the blonde’s FD. He hadn’t heard a word that KT had uttered.

“Sorry, dude, but I don’t know anything about ghosts around here,” Cole responded as he folded the rag he had used on the windows.

“Hmm. Okay, the part about the ghost was a joke, but there’s a black and white panda Trueno. On the outside, it’s a normal eight-six, but on the inside, this thing’s an incredible beast. You live around here, you can’t tell me you never heard of it!”

Cole remained silent.

You scowled. What was it about this blonde that pissed you off so bad? His cocky attitude? His money? His tone? Or maybe it was more simple than that. Maybe it was just because he was one of the famous Takahashi brothers.

“Alright then. If that’s the secret weapon you’re planning for this Saturday’s meet, that’s cool with me. Tell the driver of the eight-six I’ve got a message for him: I’ve never lost to the same driver two times in a row.”

“Huh?” Cole was shocked.

You smirked, glancing at Tak who remained oblivious.

“I only dropped this last time because I didn’t know the course.” he continued.

“Didn’t know the course, my fucking ass.” You scoffed, not caring that the blonde had heard you.

He glared at you before continuing. “It won’t happen again, he’s going down.” With that, the blonde took off, his tires screeching.

‘He’s already taken out one of the famous Takahashi brothers. That’s my Tak~’ you smiled proudly.

“Thanks for coming!” Tak bowed as the FD took off down the street.

Suddenly, Cole’s eyes widened as he turned around to look at Tak who looked at him confused.

You threw your arm around Tak’s shoulders, steering him back toward the station. ‘Looks like he finally figured it out.’

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The sound of Tak’s alarm clock beeping managed to wake up both Tak and yourself, despite you sleeping in the room next door. The clock read four-forty-five in the morning.

After washing your faces, both of you headed outside where Bunta was waiting. Tak got into the driver’s seat, starting up the car. You hopped into the passenger seat, letting a yawn slip past your lips. He revved up the car, turning the foglights on while Bunta grabbed a paper cup, using the water hose to fill it with water. He dumped a small amount out before heading to the driver’s side, handing the cup to Tak.

“Alright. This is the haul for today.”

“Hmm?” Tak stared at the water for a minute before looking at his father, a look of annoyance crossing his face. “You fill it a little higher every time.”

“That’s right. Just don’t spill any.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it.” Tak set the cup in the cup holder before taking off. He tackled the uphill, speed gradually increasing. As he came to the corner, he hit the brakes, shifting gears as he began to drift. His eyes moved to the water in the cup that rolled around the rim.

You smirked, pulling the hat down over your eyes. You loved it when Tak was driving because it gave you a chance to rest before you got to the hotel. As he exited the turn, the water returned to normal and his eyes returned to the road. The same happened with each turn until you both arrived at the hotel.

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“Eh? Tak! Hey, where’d ya go?!” He took off in search of his best friend, who was climbing the stairs inside the school building.

“Hey, hold up!” he hopped up to the same step Tak was on. You appeared behind them, having just turned the corner to go up the stairs. “What’s the matter with you? I know you’re a little jealous of my talent, but you don’t have to up and ditch me.”

“I’m not…”

Both of their attention trailed off as two girls came walking down the steps. From their current position, they were low enough on the stairs to get a panty shot just as the girls walked down from the top of the stairs. Being the hormonal teenagers that they were, the pair watched in amazement, as if that was the most amazing thing they had ever seen. You could see small lines of pink across Tak’s cheeks.

You rolled your eyes in annoyance at the perversion of the pair.

“You see that?” Iggy began, as the two girls disappeared around the corner.

“You some kind of a pervert or somethin’?” Tak asked, looking at Iggy.

“Huh? Of course not! What do you think I am, it should be against the law to let babes wear their skirts that short?”

You sweatdropped, “You were just doing the same thing, Tak.”

“I was not,” he muttered, looking away.

“I think the school should make a new rule that – ” he stopped mid-sentence, hitting Tak’s shoulder with his own. Both boys looked up with predatory eyes at the girl that stood at the top of the stairs. When she stopped walking, both boys looked up to see who it actually was.

“Hi, Tak, how’s it goin’?” Natalie waved her hand, a smile on her face.

“Uhhh… Natalie!” Both boys leaned back slightly, surprised to see her.

“Oh, perfect timing! I want to talk to you, come on, Tak, hurry!” She grabbed Tak’s wrist and pulled him away.

“Uhh, well, hey, I was just – !”

“That blows! Why doesn’t that kind of thing ever happen to me?!” Iggy complained.

You deadpanned at him. “Because you’re an obnoxious pervert.”

“Hey, that’s rude, Y/N!”

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“Hello? Anyone here?” Cole stepped inside the Fujiwara Tofu shop. “‘Scuse me? Anyone?”

Hearing the familiar voice, you stopped at the stairs. “Oi, Bunta! Customer,”

“Yeah, I heard ya. Gimme a minute.” Bunta responded from upstairs.

You stepped through the doorway, leaning against the wall. “‘Sup, Cole?”

“Hey, Y/N. What are you doing here?”

“I live here, fool.”

“You do?” His brow furrowed. “Are you and Tak -”

“What can I get ya?” Bunta questioned, walking in to stand a few feet in front of Cole, an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips, as it usually did.

Cole didn’t answer, looking Bunta up and down.

We exchanged a look before Bunta spoke up again. “What’re you gonna have? Hello?”

“Uhh, uhh, uhh..” Cole scanned over the items quickly before pointing to one at random. “Fried tofu, please.”

“You got it.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Listen. I uhh… My name is Cole and I’m with a street racing team called the Akina SpeedStars. I… The truth is, I heard a rumor that the fastest downhill driver on Akina is an eight-six driven by a guy who owns a tofu shop.”

“I don’t know where you heard that story, but it’s not me. ‘Fraid I can’t help ya.”

“Look, this is really important. I scoped out the whole city and I know this is the only tofu shop around with an eight-six.”

“That’s some dedication, bud.” You commented.

“Here ya go,” Bunta held out the bag of fried tofu. “Buck twenty-five.”

“Uhh, oh yeah.” Cole reached into his pocket, taking out the money.

“Bye, bye.” Bunta waved him off, turning to go back into the store, but Cole wasn’t having it.

“Look, the thing is… I’m in a bit of a jam. Come on, man! Won’t you at least hear me out?”

“I’m a little busy right now.”

“What are you talking about? I’m the only one in the joint, It’s dead in here!”

“That’s fucking rude,” you scowled, narrowing your eyes at him.

Bunta stepped back, knowing that Cole had a point. He regained his composure a few seconds later. “I admit it’s a little slow, but the kid’s right, that’s pretty rude.”

“Not a kid, old man.”

“Sorry, it’s just that I’m a little desperate.” Cole rubbed the back of his head, “Okay, listen. A team called the Akagi RedSuns challenged us to a time attack battle. The RedSuns have some drivers on their team with some serious skills. Nobody on our team can even come close to competing with them but this is our turf, our mountain, and there’s no way we’re gonna lose on it!” His fists clenched at his sides in determination.

“Your mountain?” You scoffed. “You write your name on it in sharpie or somethin’?”

“That’s something a kid would say,” Bunta sent you a look before turning back to Cole.”Okay, but what do you expect me to do about it?”

“Mr. Fujiwara, I want you to show me what it takes to tackle Mt. Akina.”

Bunta lit the cigarette that was in his mouth, exhaling smoke before speaking. “I’m sorry, but that’s impossible.”

“Anything you could show me! Even if you could make me a tenth of a second faster. I’m begging you!”

“I know how you’re feeling, son, but driving technique is not something you study for a day or two like a math test. In order to get the car to do what you want, you have to live and breathe the course twenty-four-seven. You know, when I was actively racing I was running Akina even in my dreams. Technique is something that can be neither taught nor learned. You have to find it inside yourself.”

“Huh, the old man actually said something kinda cool.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Cole sighed.

“Sorry about that. I wish I could help ya out.”

“Don’t be sorry, I’ll be back.” Cole promised before getting into his S13 and taking off.

You and Bunta exchanged a look.

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* Terminology:

Camshaft SOHC vs DOHC

The camshaft is a metal shaft with lobes on it that actuates intake and exhaust valves.

Single refers to engines that have one camshaft per cylinder head (AE85 Levin).

Double refers to engines that have two camshafts per cylinder head (AE86 Trueno).

Overhead refers to the placement of the camshaft in the engine block. Overhead cam engines have the camshafts situated above the valves while many older pushrod engines have the camshafts placed below the valves.

Single Overhead Cam (S0HC) engines only have one camshaft per cylinder head that is responsible for actuating the intake and exhaust valves. Most camshafts can only operate a total of two valves per cylinder limiting the amount of intake and exhaust gases the engine can take in and expel, thereby limiting the power the engine can make. The AE85 has a SOHC 4-cylinder engine with a total of 8 valves.

Dual Overhead Cam (DOHC) engines have two camshafts per cylinder head. One cam operates the action of the intake valves while the other operates the exhaust valves. This allows for a total of 2 intake and exhaust valves per cylinder, allowing for a higher intake and exhaust flow resulting in a higher power engine. The AE86 has a DOHC 4-cylinder engine with a total of 16 valves.

Standard Differential

A standard differential will allow both drive wheels to spin at the same speed on straightaways. However, during cornering, the outside drive wheel will spin faster than the wheel on the inside, allowing for an uneven transfer of power to the wheel.

L.S.D. – Limited Slip Differential

A mechanism that allows both drive wheels to spin at the same speed during straightaways and more importantly, during cornering. An internal clutch mechanism forces both wheels to spin at the same speed during cornering allowing for an even power transfer to both drive wheels. This has the side effect of making it easier to get a car to go into oversteer – a key component of drifting.

Muffler – A device attached to the exhaust pipe meant to reduce engine noise by using specially designed internal baffles and resonators. Most stock mufflers put performance considerations aside, in the interest of reducing noise. While smaller engines do not need a certain amount of backpressure to operate properly, most stock mufflers create too much back pressure and therefore reduce the performance capability of the engine. Aftermarket mufflers reduce the amount of backpressure on the engine and as a result, allow more noise to escape.

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