Chapter 7 - Red Emblem Revival
Yuka pulled up outside the apartment, it was already late in the evening.
Kei came out from the apartment and glared at Yuka. She noticed Yukas cheeks were wet and went over to the drivers window.
Yuka
Have you been crying?
Im sorry Kei, I know Im late. Get in, Ill tell you on the way.
Alright.
Yuka headed towards the local Pizza Hut.
So whats happened, Yuka?
I found the Civic.
Thats good, right?
Yeah, but when I found it, it was completely wrecked.
Can it be fixed?
I dont know. Its at TJs right now. Hes going to let me know if he can fix it.
Oh okay. Hopefully he can fix it, I dont want to see you like this.
Me too, Kei. Me too.
They pulled up outside Pizza Hut.
Since you have the car back, we can celebrate right?
I guess so
So lets enjoy ourselves!
Meanwhile, at TJs
TJ was giving the Civic an extensive check-up, examining the damage.
Amazing, that guy did his best to kill this thing, but the body shell is still intact. Itll take a lot of work, but I think I can rebuild the front and rear frames, better than they were before.
TJ forced the bonnet open with a crowbar and checked the engine bay.
The radiator and its supports are completely crushed, but whats this
?
TJ took a close look at the engine itself, he checked around for any damage.
No way
Could it be
? Yukas going to love this if Im right
Meanwhile, at Pizza Hut
Yuka and Kei were sat at their table, digging into the large pizza they ordered.
Wow Yuka, this pizza is huge!
Yeah!
I dont think I can even finish my half in one sitting!
Really Kei? Ill eat the slices you dont want then!
Yuka! Wont you get fat?
Nope! Even if I put a little bit of weight on, I usually lose it after an afternoon of working on cars.
Oh Id give anything to do that. Every time I put on weight, it stays with me and wont go away!
Kei, youre thinner than me. Youve got a long way to go before you look remotely fat.
True
I wouldve thought youd get a lot of exercise working at the market anyway.
Well yeah, but working with clothes makes you really conscious about your weight.
Oh
That explains it. I dont really have any pressures like that at the dealership.
Dont you have to make yourself presentable to people wanting to buy a car?
Im a girl at a car dealership. Thats a guaranteed sale right there.
Really? Wow you have it easy! Maybe I should work with you!
If you can cope with having to memorise everything about every car, sure youll be fine!
I think Ill stick with clothes then
Yuka laughed and finished up her last slice of pizza. Kei still had two slices left.
Finished already?
Yeah. You going to finish those?
Maybe
Maybe?
Maybe.
Theyll get cold if you dont eat them soon.
Alright, alright. You take one and Ill take one.
Yuka grabbed a slice and Kei did the same. Yuka had the entire slice reduced to a pile of crumbs before Kei could even manage her second bite.
Eat up, Kei!
Kei finally managed to finish her slice.
Ugh
I feel so full now Yuka.
Really? After three slices?
Yuka
Are you okay?
Yeah, I just feel very full.
Really? I could go for some McDonalds right now.
Yuka giggled.
Yuka its not funny!
Okay okay Miss Grumpy Knickers. Lets get you home.
They paid the bill and walked outside to the car.
Yuka, can I ask you something?
Sure.
How long did it take you to get your licence?
Legally speaking, one day.
What?
Ill tell you on the drive home.
They got into the car and headed home.
The moment I turned seventeen, I took my driving test and passed.
Really Yuka?
Yeah.
You didnt practice beforehand?
I think youre missing the part when I said legally.
Oh! Well go on, tell me everything.
Alright. Well, my dad got me driving at the age of ten. Hed let me drive his old Hachi Roku around the block and stuff. At first he would ride with me and scold me every time I went above 10 km/h. After my fifteenth birthday, he started letting me speed a bit and even drive to the shops and back. It was only after I turned sixteen that he let me drive on my own. So the moment I went for my test a year later, it was easy!
Wow Yuka. So youve been driving for most of your life already?
Yeah.
So when did you get your first car?
The day after I got my licence. Dad forced me to buy my own car after I nearly put his Trueno into a lamp post.
How did you manage that?
I did what every new driver does. I tried to drive fast. I managed to make that old car slide, but I didnt have the skill to correct the slide. So it spun around and near missed the post.
Oh. So does your dad still have the car?
Yeah. He doesnt drive it though.
Why not?
He wants to pass it down to me when I have a child. So I can teach my child how to drive, the same way he taught me.
Well you better hurry up and have a baby then!
Kei!
Im joking! Besides, wont the car be too old by now?
Nope. He keeps it in top condition. Since Ive moved out, hes gone and turned his market stall business into a full-blown franchise. Hes driving a brand new Audi RS6 now and a modified Lamborghini for the track. Flash git.
He likes foreign cars?
Hes always liked foreign cars. Its just he couldnt afford one until now.
Oh. So where did your love of Japanese cars come from?
My mum. She had a Honda NSX. One of the original models. She was one of the first to push it past 200 MPH. She took it to all the legendary racetracks, setting lap records everywhere. None of them remain of course, although it took a few years before her records started to be beaten.
Sounds like it was a really good car. Doesnt she have it anymore?
It died when she did.
Oh Yuka, Im sorry.
No its fine. Anyway thats what triggered my love for Hondas, because it reminds me of her. I have a soft spot for Skylines too but ultimately I want an NSX like hers
They finally arrived home and went inside.
Yuka, Im going to lay down. I feel terrible.
Okay Kei. Just call me if you need something.
Thanks.
Later on
Yuka was leaning out of the apartment window, admiring her R33.
She heard a car starting up in the distance. It was loud and sounded as if it had a straight-through exhaust.
That sounds like its from TJs place. Whats he doing starting up cars at this time of night? Especially without a muffler. Hell wake everyone up.
Meanwhile, at TJs
Amazing, it started right up! Okay, its warmed up now. Lets give it a rev.
Meanwhile, at Yukas
The engine in the distance started revving. Starting out with small revs, slowly increasing with each prod of the throttle.
Wait
That sounds familiar
Could it be
?
The revs grew stronger and stronger, revving to sky-high limits before bouncing off the rev limiter. Yuka recognised the trademark Honda scream instantly. She knew it was her car.
Its good to hear from you, Civic.
Meanwhile, at TJs
I hope you heard that, Yuka. Your Civic is far from dead.
Later on
The next morning, Yuka went straight to TJs garage. TJ was working on the Civic, straightening out the front and rear frames.
TJ!
Hey, Yuka.
Wow
Youve been busy huh?
Yeah. It took a while but I managed to strip the front and rear down to the frames.
Wheres the engine?
Over there, on the hoist. Its going back in dont worry. The exhaust was destroyed but otherwise its completely undamaged.
So it was you last night? With the revving?
Oh you heard that? Haha, yeah that was me. Sounds mean without an exhaust right?
Yeah! A bit loud though.
Yuka looked around the car, noticing all the missing parts.
How long is it going to take?
Maybe a few weeks. I cant predict really. Parts are easy to come by, but Im going to have to straighten out the frames, make sure its straight, double check them, make sure all the panels fit properly
I see. TJ can I ask you something?
Sure.
Yuka handed TJ the car list that Cooper gave her a while ago.
Whats this for? Dont you already have a car from here?
Look at the second car down, the Civic.
Honda Civic Type R 97, red, 280 BHP. RKM Motorsport ex-demonstrator. Highly tuned road car.
Looks like one fast Civic.
Look at the description.
RKM Motorsport ex-demo
Yeah! I was looking on their website and saw the full specs for that Civic. Its a real monster on the track. Even the Spoon Civic EK9 failed to keep up with it.
The Spoon EK9 is an incredible car. This RKM EK9 must be insane. Are you regretting choosing the R33 over it?
No. I dont want to buy it, but I want to buy a tune-up from them.
You know how expensive these companies can be, right?
I know, but theyve got an FD2 Civic demo car and it blitzes their EK9. It blitzes pretty much everything actually.
I see. Well if you can afford it, go for it Yuka. It makes things easier if all you need me to do is repair the car and leave the tuning parts to them.
Thats the thing
I cant afford it. Well I can buy it would leave me completely broke for a few months.
Its the R33 isnt it?
Huh?
Because you have two cars, its draining your money twice as fast.
Yeah
Thats right
Maybe you should sell it, seeing as the Civic will be finished in a month or so if you include taking it to RKM.
I doubt anyone would buy it in the state its in.
I would.
Really? Are you serious?
Ive wanted to buy it from you ever since you got the Civic back.
Wow
Well
I dont know how much to sell it for, to be honest.
Do you need the money now?
Yeah, well not now but when the Civic is repaired and ready to send to them.
Ill do a little deal with you then.
Hmm?
Ill pay for the Civics tuning for you and Ill even lend you a car until the Civic is back on the road. On top of that Ill give you four million yen.
I cant really say no to that, so yes!
Alright then! Then its a deal. Shake on it?
After you wash your hands, sure!
Haha Yuka!
Meanwhile at Tokyo Used Cars
Ed sat down beside Cooper in the lunchroom.
Hey Coop.
Dont call me Coop.
Whats with the attitude?
I know what you did, Ed.
What?
Dont play dumb, youre lucky your legs arent broken yet.
Why? Because you havent broken them yet?
Its not me whos going to break them.
Then who?
Yuka found her car. Her mechanic called me up a while ago and told me everything. From the sounds of things, shes got better things to do right now than to beat the living crap out of you.
Hmph!
I know you like the girl, but youve pissed her off big time. Stealing her car and then wrecking it? Way to go. Id report you but I want you here so Yuka can give you what you deserve in front of everyone.
Ill quit this job myself then.
I didnt mean report you to the boss. In case you forgot, stealing a car is illegal.
You dont even have any evidence it was me!
Yes I do. More than enough to screw you over big time.
Dont you dare report me!
Or what? You dont have any friends, youve got very little power to do anything against me.
Oh really?!
Ed went to throw a punch at Cooper, but Cooper blocked it and punched Ed straight in the nose. Ed fell to the floor, holding his bloody nose.
Ow! You
!
Is that the best youve got? I cant wait to see what happens to you later. See you around.