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Chapter 52 - The Keimobile
Night fell across Gion. Kei was sitting on the sofa in her apartment, configuring her new phone. After a couple of hours of fiddling, she finally managed to set the phone up with the contacts and media from her old phone, which was in several pieces on the table. She scrolled down her shiny new contacts list and dialled Yuka’s number.
Yuka: Hello?
Kei: Yuka!
Yuka: Kei! Hi! Your name didn’t come up, what’s up?
Kei: I got a new phone!
Yuka: Oh cool! Did your old one break or did you just feel like treating yourself?
Kei: The old one broke. Crappy Samsung…
Yuka: Oh. Yeah those don’t last too long.
Kei: Yeah… I replaced it with a nice HTC phone. I’ve never tried one before but everyone says they’re good.
Yuka: Yeah they’re pretty good, better than Samsung anyway.
Kei: Good then! So how’s the racing going? You’re coming home soon, right?
Yuka: Yeah. We’re heading out to London tomorrow. Just one race there and I’m coming back home.
Kei: Yay! Finally!
Yuka: I know, right? We’re staying at Kyoko’s place so we can save a bit on hotel fees. Maybe I can pick you up a keyring for your… Oh crap! Kei! Your driving test! How did it go?!
Kei: Hehe its fine Yuka. I know you’re busy with racing and I couldn’t call you anyway.
Yuka: Oh true. So yeah, how did it go?
Kei: I… I…
Yuka: It’s fine if you didn’t pass Kei, there’s always next time.
Kei: I love you!
Yuka: Kei! You… Oh you… So sweet, as always.
Kei: I know right? And that’s why you can’t resist me!
Yuka: Alright alright, I submit. But really, how did it go?
Kei: I passed!
Yuka: Wooo! Congrats Kei!
Kei: Hehe thanks! I pretty much did it perfectly! I got a minor penalty from exceeding the speed limit a bit but I was just following the flow of traffic!
Yuka: Yeah, don’t worry about that. So did you get your Copen yet?
Kei: I’m picking it up tomorrow, just need TJ to take me.
Yuka: Oh okay, that’s good.
Kei: I’m so stoked! I’m finally going to be able to drive on my own!
Yuka: Yeah! I can’t wait for you to take me home from the airport.
Kei: Yeah that too!
There was an awkward pause in the conversation, until Kei continued.
Kei: Oh! You were saying about a keyring?
Yuka: Oh yeah. I was thinking I could get you one of those cute keyrings where it’s a Mini Cooper but painted like the UK flag.
Kei: Oh you mean like the sort your dad used to sell? Sure I’d like one!
Yuka: I’ll try and pick one up for you then.
Kei: Yay! Anyway Yuka you probably need to sleep for your journey tomorrow so I’ll let you go now. I need to get my car insurance sorted out before I sleep.
Yuka: Oh okay then. I’ll talk to you soon! Goodnight!
Kei: Goodnight Yuka! Mwah!
Yuka: Mwah. Night!
Yuka hung up the phone. Kei laid down on the sofa and began wriggling in excitement, hugging her phone to her chest.
Kei: Ahh! My little Copen! Yuka! So exciting!
The next day, Kei went over to TJ’s garage, eager to go fetch her Copen. It was lunchtime when she arrived. TJ was sitting on the floor, working on the Atenza’s gearbox. Kei knocked on the door as she walked in.
Kei: Um…
TJ: Kei, hi. What can I do for you?
Kei: I passed my test and erm… Could you come with me to get my Copen? I mean if you’re not too busy…
TJ: Oh this gearbox? Nah it can wait. Let me wash up and I’ll drive you over to the Copen place. Oh and congratulations!
Kei: Thank you!
Later on…
Kei emerged from the sales office at Garage Kyoto Copen, swinging a set of Daihatsu keys around her fingers. She walked over to TJ, who was checking out the Copen.
Kei: Found anything?
TJ: Nope, it’s good to go. They even put fresh tyres on it, really good service here.
Kei: Yay!
TJ: So everything is sorted?
Kei: Yep! I’m even insured on it so you don’t need to drive me home.
TJ: Oh really? You’re certainly more prepared than I was back when I was in your situation. Yuka has been giving you advice it seems.
Kei: Yeah, sort of!
TJ: Well that’s good then. Is it okay if I go? Dave is panicking without me.
Kei: Yeah, you get going. I’ll be fine. Thank you TJ.
TJ: You’re welcome. Listen, if you need anything doing on the Copen, I’ll hook you up for free, okay?
Kei: Oh okay! Thank you!
TJ: Cool. I’ll see you around.
Kei: Bye!
TJ went back to his R33, fired it up and headed back home. Kei unlocked the Copen with the remote lock and got in. She slid the key into the ignition and twisted it once, turning the electrics on.
Kei: Oooh… So far so good. Here we go…
She twisted the key fully, engaging the starter motor for a brief second before the Copen’s 660cc engine fired right up.
Kei: What a nice sound, so soft and smooth. Hehe! Okay Copen, let’s go home. Go easy on me.
Later on…
Kei’s idea of driving home turned into an entire afternoon of driving. She took to the A-roads, B-roads, motorways and country lanes, enjoying the Copen’s semi-sporty handling during her first outing with it. Thanks to the Copen’s fuel economy, Kei barely wasted half a tank of fuel during the entire afternoon. She finished her first day with the Copen by parking it in the space opposite the apartment, where Yuka’s Civic used to sit.
Kei: I hope you don’t mind me stealing your parking space for now, Yuka.
Night fell across Gion. Kei was sitting on the sofa in her apartment, configuring her new phone. After a couple of hours of fiddling, she finally managed to set the phone up with the contacts and media from her old phone, which was in several pieces on the table. She scrolled down her shiny new contacts list and dialled Yuka’s number.
Yuka: Hello?
Kei: Yuka!
Yuka: Kei! Hi! Your name didn’t come up, what’s up?
Kei: I got a new phone!
Yuka: Oh cool! Did your old one break or did you just feel like treating yourself?
Kei: The old one broke. Crappy Samsung…
Yuka: Oh. Yeah those don’t last too long.
Kei: Yeah… I replaced it with a nice HTC phone. I’ve never tried one before but everyone says they’re good.
Yuka: Yeah they’re pretty good, better than Samsung anyway.
Kei: Good then! So how’s the racing going? You’re coming home soon, right?
Yuka: Yeah. We’re heading out to London tomorrow. Just one race there and I’m coming back home.
Kei: Yay! Finally!
Yuka: I know, right? We’re staying at Kyoko’s place so we can save a bit on hotel fees. Maybe I can pick you up a keyring for your… Oh crap! Kei! Your driving test! How did it go?!
Kei: Hehe its fine Yuka. I know you’re busy with racing and I couldn’t call you anyway.
Yuka: Oh true. So yeah, how did it go?
Kei: I… I…
Yuka: It’s fine if you didn’t pass Kei, there’s always next time.
Kei: I love you!
Yuka: Kei! You… Oh you… So sweet, as always.
Kei: I know right? And that’s why you can’t resist me!
Yuka: Alright alright, I submit. But really, how did it go?
Kei: I passed!
Yuka: Wooo! Congrats Kei!
Kei: Hehe thanks! I pretty much did it perfectly! I got a minor penalty from exceeding the speed limit a bit but I was just following the flow of traffic!
Yuka: Yeah, don’t worry about that. So did you get your Copen yet?
Kei: I’m picking it up tomorrow, just need TJ to take me.
Yuka: Oh okay, that’s good.
Kei: I’m so stoked! I’m finally going to be able to drive on my own!
Yuka: Yeah! I can’t wait for you to take me home from the airport.
Kei: Yeah that too!
There was an awkward pause in the conversation, until Kei continued.
Kei: Oh! You were saying about a keyring?
Yuka: Oh yeah. I was thinking I could get you one of those cute keyrings where it’s a Mini Cooper but painted like the UK flag.
Kei: Oh you mean like the sort your dad used to sell? Sure I’d like one!
Yuka: I’ll try and pick one up for you then.
Kei: Yay! Anyway Yuka you probably need to sleep for your journey tomorrow so I’ll let you go now. I need to get my car insurance sorted out before I sleep.
Yuka: Oh okay then. I’ll talk to you soon! Goodnight!
Kei: Goodnight Yuka! Mwah!
Yuka: Mwah. Night!
Yuka hung up the phone. Kei laid down on the sofa and began wriggling in excitement, hugging her phone to her chest.
Kei: Ahh! My little Copen! Yuka! So exciting!
The next day, Kei went over to TJ’s garage, eager to go fetch her Copen. It was lunchtime when she arrived. TJ was sitting on the floor, working on the Atenza’s gearbox. Kei knocked on the door as she walked in.
Kei: Um…
TJ: Kei, hi. What can I do for you?
Kei: I passed my test and erm… Could you come with me to get my Copen? I mean if you’re not too busy…
TJ: Oh this gearbox? Nah it can wait. Let me wash up and I’ll drive you over to the Copen place. Oh and congratulations!
Kei: Thank you!
Later on…
Kei emerged from the sales office at Garage Kyoto Copen, swinging a set of Daihatsu keys around her fingers. She walked over to TJ, who was checking out the Copen.
Kei: Found anything?
TJ: Nope, it’s good to go. They even put fresh tyres on it, really good service here.
Kei: Yay!
TJ: So everything is sorted?
Kei: Yep! I’m even insured on it so you don’t need to drive me home.
TJ: Oh really? You’re certainly more prepared than I was back when I was in your situation. Yuka has been giving you advice it seems.
Kei: Yeah, sort of!
TJ: Well that’s good then. Is it okay if I go? Dave is panicking without me.
Kei: Yeah, you get going. I’ll be fine. Thank you TJ.
TJ: You’re welcome. Listen, if you need anything doing on the Copen, I’ll hook you up for free, okay?
Kei: Oh okay! Thank you!
TJ: Cool. I’ll see you around.
Kei: Bye!
TJ went back to his R33, fired it up and headed back home. Kei unlocked the Copen with the remote lock and got in. She slid the key into the ignition and twisted it once, turning the electrics on.
Kei: Oooh… So far so good. Here we go…
She twisted the key fully, engaging the starter motor for a brief second before the Copen’s 660cc engine fired right up.
Kei: What a nice sound, so soft and smooth. Hehe! Okay Copen, let’s go home. Go easy on me.
Later on…
Kei’s idea of driving home turned into an entire afternoon of driving. She took to the A-roads, B-roads, motorways and country lanes, enjoying the Copen’s semi-sporty handling during her first outing with it. Thanks to the Copen’s fuel economy, Kei barely wasted half a tank of fuel during the entire afternoon. She finished her first day with the Copen by parking it in the space opposite the apartment, where Yuka’s Civic used to sit.
Kei: I hope you don’t mind me stealing your parking space for now, Yuka.