Hashiriya (Volume 4): Final Chapter & Epilogue Posted! (31/7/11)

[Machate-man]

Perhaps these Bios are becoming a bit of a fad for FanFic Authors...
I dont intend on doing something like that until after the plot unfolds completely!

 

[Quinntan]

I have been waiting for ages for someone to get the reference! Obviously, I had to tone down a few aspects of the Viper, such as his love of sexual terms.

It's mad craic altogether. I actually live in the town where they filmed it.

 

[Zhu8]

wait. Doesn't Mr. Matsuda drive a S13 Q's?

 

[DK]

Chapter 3 - Monza​

Date: June 17th, 2011
Location: Milan, Italy

I'm aching from last night as we landed in Milan. I had been invited to a race in Monza.
"OK, Akiko, while you were off having fun last night, what did I miss?" I asked as we touched down.
"Uh..."

*Last night*
"STEPHEN! RAINBOW DASH AND SPONGEBOB ARE TRYING TO KILL US!!!" screamed Akiko.
"Goddamn it, Aki-chan, you're just having a bad trip."

*Back to the present*
"Stephen should really consider getting a refund..."
"It's marijuana. Do you honestly believe you could get a refund from a drug dealer?"
"His friend grows it, remember?"
I ignored her when I received a text message from Dad. It read,
"Check the long-term parking lot. You'll find an old friend."

*Some time later...*

"Whoa...my S15..."
I collapsed on its bonnet.
"I missed you SO BAD, girl!" I think I actually made out with it at some stage.
I then heard the sound of a car approaching. Instead of the usual traffic of bland Toyota sedans and people carriers, it was this:

The horn beeped. Junichi emerged from the driver's window.
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked with a giddy grin on his face.
"Damn it Junichi...I was having a moment alone with my car..."
"It's a nice looking car...shame you're only going to see my taillights at Monza!"
"You're taking part too?"
"I got my A-Licence last summer. It's just something to keep me occupied."
"How did you get the money?"
"Contract deal, how else?"
"Right...see you at Monza then!"

Date: June 19th, 2011
Location: Autodromo Nazionale Monza

I saw Junichi moping on the bonnet of his Z32.
"Junichi, what's wrong?"
Junichi pointed at a NA1 NSX.
"The guy who drives it is an absolute prick."
"Huh?"
"I saw that NSX in the parking lot of the concert hall we were at last night. The guy and his asshole friends were heckling us all night. He's an asshole DJ from France."
"What was he doing at your concert?"
Akiko showed up.
"Did you sleep well, Miyu?"
"Yeah, but I'm wondering who the jerk in the NA1 is."
"Apparently he's called DJ Azur. He has a blog where he talks trash about rock bands. You name it, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Linkin Park, even classic bands like AC/DC aren't safe. He says rock music will go the way of the dinosaurs."
He walked over to us.
"Hmm...aren't you those emo losers from last night?"
His entourage laughed.
"EMO?!"
"Anyone with purple hair streaks or dyed-red hair is an emo."
"And please tell me, where in the most anti-social of British council estates did you hear this 'theory'?"
"It is common knowledge. Rock music is dying, and this is reflected in the sad tone of your songs."
"Sad?"
"Sad as in the same way that those crappy cars are."
"How about a bet?"
"Sure, why not?"
"If either me or Junichi win, you pull down your blog. You apologise to every rock band you've written crap about. You win, we'll let you remix our songs with whatever you want. And we'll be there at the first concert, or whatever you asshole DJs call concerts, that they'll be played at."
"Miyu...I'm not sure this is a good idea..."
"You have a deal."

"A rolling start...this is less of a disadvantage than a standing one, because at least I'm up to speed."
I checked to see if my radio system with Junichi worked.

"Hmm...what to remix their songs with? Justin Bieber? Rebecca Black? Taio Cruz?"

I gunned it as I crossed the start line.

"What the hell is a Honda Accord coupe doing here?"

"WHAT THE 🤬?!" screamed the driver of the R32. "THIS IS A SKYLINE!!!"
That is what Hiroto would call a "Takeshi Nakazato" moment.

"A bit of oversteer...but I guess that's the fun thing about Silvias..."

I sneaked around the outside of a silver S15.
"*reading back of my seat* I better get in touch with these MT Autoworks guys..."

"Annoy me too much, bitch, and I'll remix your friends' songs with 'My Jeans'."

I dropped it into the gravel at Variante della Roggia.
"Rocker chicks can't drive for 🤬!" taunted DJ Azure.

I was still able to keep pressure on the leaders, though.
"Goddamn...it looks like Miyu is the only thing saving our songs from being remixed with some Soulja Boy crap!"

"It seems like Dad wants me to learn the art of counter-steering..."

"Miyu's dad must have tuned that S15 well..."

"Counter-steering in this car is fun!"

The team-mate of the R32 which I passed at the first corner was now really worried.
"GODDAMN THAT S15, IT'S SPEED JUST ISN'T NATURAL!!!"

"Heh...that S15 will surely lose against this NSX's greater cornering prowess...which is the main benefit of the MR layout."

"This stock Z32 has its limits..."

While I was fixated on Junichi's Z32's rear end, DJ Azur went for a dive down the inside.

"Kamui Kobayashi, eat your heart out!"

"What the? That can't be legal?!"
"It is, the speed bumps negate any benefit she'll receive from cutting the corner," explained a GT Association official.

"THIS IS CHEATING!" screamed DJ Azur.

I drew up alongside Junichi's Z32 along the Curva Grande.
"This is it...she'll surely pass me..." admitted Junichi.

A brief lapse in concentration caused me to wander into the gravel.
"CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP..."

"I KNEW this R32 was superior!"
Get over with it, Nakazato Clone #2.

"OH, HELL NO!!!"

I managed to outbrake the Accord and Nakazato Clone #1.

"OK, Miyu, I'm going to let you draft me," said Junichi over the radio.

"Thanks for the help, let's do it on the straight to Parabolica."

"It's like watching F1 drivers activate DRS..." said Junichi as he commented on my S15's slight oversteer.

I slammed on the brakes as we caught up to DJ Azure and Nakazato Clone #2.

"Goddammit, that GT-R driver is probably too full of himself to consider giving Miyu an easy fight."

"Damn...I was actually hoping to win this race..."

"NO!!! THE S15 IS INFERIOR TO THE R32! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!"

"Not so good without my slipstream, are you?"

"GODDAMN CHEAT!"
A GT Association official was forced to repeat what he had said to DJ Azur when I passed him on the first chicane.

"Come on, NSX, I need the satisfaction of taking down these emo punks!"

This time around, I was doing what I called "pre-emptive counter-steering".

I stuck religiously to the driving line.

"This is scary...I can't lose her, not even at full pace!"

"Hey...she was right behind me a second-"

The words got stuck in his throat as he saw a quick red flash to his right.

"You're nothing outside of my slipstream!"

"COME ON! I'M NOT LISTENING TO JUNICHI'S VOICE BEING AUTO-TUNED!"
"If I was Akiko, and she mentioned Akiko instead of me, my heart would melt at that statement."

"You can run, DJ Ass-ur, but shortcuts aren't going to help you!"

"CRAP! I can't hit the apex!"

"I'd love to see this guy begging for forgiveness from everyone that he's pissed off..."

I decided to toy with him.

"Is this what we're in? A constant tug-of-war?"

"Heh...maybe Monsieur Kawabata would sound better when he's auto-tuned."

"Goddammit, DJ Ass-ur has some crap songs!" I said as I was close enough to hear his speakers blaring with his "music".

The car spent a tiny fraction of a second pretending that it was an Evo.

"Last lap! Come on!"

"DON'T HIT MY NSX!" screamed DJ Azure.

DJ Azur applied a tiny bit of counter-steer coming out of Variante del Rettifilo.
"His rear tyres must be under some serious strain."

I decided to stretch out a decent gap, and then just relax.

"I'm catching her!"

"Gah! Damned rear tyres!"

I slammed the accelerator after Variante Ascari, which resulted in a brief drift.

"She's drifting...and she's still in front of me?!"

"Time to stop playing around..."
I slammed the accelerator one last time. DJ Azur's car shrank in the distance.

"You better have a good apology planned."

Junichi made it home in 3rd, 2.5 seconds behind DJ Azur.
"Miyu must've won, because that NSX is 2nd..."

We were sitting in the pits as DJ Azur set up the webcam on his laptop.
"I apologise for my idiotic dismissal of rock music. I am an idiot. I am only a DJ because I'm not creative enough to write my own songs, nor talented enough to sing or play an instrument. Therefore, I would like to apologise to the Foo Fighters, Green Day..."
His apology, which was on YouTube, lasted another 6 minutes as he listed all of the bands he disrespected. He finished off by deleting his blog.
"There. Are you happy that you've censored someone?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Yes," said Kamui.
"Yes," said Toshiya.
"And if you do get the wise idea of remixing our stuff, I hope you can find a lawyer."
We returned to our hotel for the night, still not sure about what we should do tomorrow.

 

[oopssorryy]

I enjoyed that chapter, down with the haters! Long live Led Zeppelin!

 

[uMadson?]

Remixed stuff rocks, as long as they're still techno, like this:



And although I'm a techno kind of guy, I consider DJ Ass-sure (like how Miyu called him) an idiot too. Respect the classics, man, because rock n' roll still rocks. 👍

 

[Daniel]

The DJ's a freaking asshole 👎 Although I do like glitch hop now and again.

Oh, and is Azure supposed to be French? If it is, there's no 'e' . Hehe, DJ Sky-Blue...

 

[alaingeronimo87]

Looks like Miyu's strawberry is back. (get it?)

 

[DK]

Chapter 4 - When In Rome...​

Location: Rome, Italy
Date: June 21st, 2011

I yawn as I enter the restaurant of our hotel in Rome. I had a long night, to say the least, and I'm sore all over.
"So," asked Junichi, "what are we doing today?"
"I'd like to see Capri. I heard there was a racing festival on," replied Akiko.
"And, it's got a great touge cour-" said Kamui just before he was interrupted by a BBC News broadcast.
# "Locals said that before the track was destroyed, a blue 70s Honda van appeared, possibly a Life Step Van. Some say that it was fortunate that the island didn't disappear like the track," said the reporter as he stood in front of a road with a long, wide and deep fissure running through it.
"Goddammit," said Toshiya. "I was planning on borrowing Jun-san's Z32."
"Toshiya-san, you are NOT borrowing my Z32! I remember when you borrowed my mom's March, and you returned it with a crapload of McDonald's packaging covering the floors!"
"Keep going," said Toshiya.
"Well, there's not much else apart from your infamous flatulence."
Damn, my legs are really aching.
"So, Miyu-chan, any plans for today?" Junichi asked.
"I got an invite to this prestigious race after winning at Monza. It's being held at midday today."
Akiko looks as if she's forgotten last night. Well, it was between consenting adults.
"Right, I'm off to test out the track. See you guys after, OK?"

*---*
A group of men, in their mid-20s, arrived at the track. They drove expensive executive saloons, and they were wearing clothes you wouldn't associate with racing drivers. They were wearing expensive shirts, expensive trousers, and expensive shoes.
Pfft. You can just as easily buy the same clothes, without the stupid label, for about a quarter of the price these douches paid.
Just listening to them talk was annoying as hell.
Are they from the most upmarket part of L.A.? It's like watching The Hills!
I looked at the plates of their cars.
OK, the cars have EU plates. So they're not American. They also all seem to have the letter "D" between two sets of numbers, and the abbreviation "IRL" under the yellow stars of the blue bit of the plate.
I decided to listen to their conversation.
"Like, you could see her, and she was, like, totally checking out my Beemer."
"Oh my God, Fintan, how, like, hot was she?"
"Well, Lorcan, she was a total babe. And I'm talking totally."
Goddammit. Rich assholes.
Their attention turns to my car.
"Hey, Oscar, like, check out that thing. What is it?"
"Which one, Fintan?"
"The red car."
"The Lambo?"
"No."
"The Aston?"
"No, the one with the black wheels! With the Asian babe next to it!"
Thanks for the compliment, moron.
"Sorry to interrupt your ignorant bullcrap, but that's a Niss-"
"OH MY GOD! LIKE, THAT IS A TOTAL NORTHSIDER PIECE OF 🤬!"
"Is it because I said Nissan?"
"Only total skobes drive Japanese cars!"
"Yeah, like, wat's de starry, bood?"
"I'm surprised that she's not, like, wearing a Nike tracksuit and a Celtic baseball cap!"
"Fine! Let's settle this! My Silvia will kick your asses!"
"I, like, had a maid from the Northside called Silvia. I managed to kick her out, after, like, accusing her of stealing or whatever?"

After handing over €3,000 (as a wager) to the officials, I set off.

"Heh...those stupid, ignorant bastards. I think I'll run the boost up to where I'm getting 350hp. That should be enough."
I didn't even care that I was starting last. All I wanted was to prove my Silvia's prowess.

"Oh dear," said the Vantage's driver, "that was jolly rotten of that chav car!"

"Oh, this is too easy! I guess the real fight will be catching up!"

The Miura's driver ranted away in Italian.
"Nice car, I wouldn't want to scratch that while racing."

"This is where your charge stops!" said the GT-R's driver. "The Silvia is far inferior to..."

"...a GT-R..."
You were saying?

"The outside?" asked the Viper's driver sarcastically. "Fat chan-"

"WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM?!"

"Mama mia, this is a Lamborghini! Why isn't it speeding away from that Silvia?"
At least he has some knowledge of cars from Japan...

"Oh, I say," exclaimed the Jaguar's driver, "Father will be most displeased with my defeat!"
What's with posh English people and posh English cars?

I feathered the throttle while I counter-steered out of Turn 5.

"Do you feel like having a drag race?" I asked the driver of the Mercedes beside me, even though he couldn't hear me.

"Oh, come on!" yelled the Mercedes' driver. "My car has much more torque than yours...probably..."
And much more weight, too.

As I passed a Corvette, I noticed the first of the posh assholes.
"Fintan, this is Lorcan. She's on my rear bumper!"
"Like, relax. She's, like, totally miles behind me."

"NOOOOOO!!!"
"Ever thought of losing a few hundred kilos, posh boy?"

On the kink into the Colosseum corner, I passed an IS-F.

"Gah! I thought this car was fast, James Bond has one! It has to be fast if he has one!"
Yeah, that's probably why people still buy 1998 Eclipses, because they were in The Fast And The Furious.

I got a brilliant exit out of Turn 5, utilising the whole racing line.

"Aaaaaand...another one bites the dust!"

"Fintan, this is Oscar, she's like, totally on my rear!"
Fintan was starting to worry.
"Just block her with the Q7."

"SUVs are crap. An Impreza or an Evo can do the job of off-roading just as well, and a VW Golf is good enough for a weekly shopping trip. SUV-drivers are massive assholes."

"OK, you aristocrat douche, there's no running from my Silvia."

In my head, I imagined a target symbol locking onto the leading BMW.

"OK, my body may be aching from last night's wrath-of-the-WBC-incurring activities, but 🤬 it, €45,000 is a 🤬-load of cash!"

"Even if she, like, catches up, I bet she can't get through my M5!"

"Puh-lease, I'm Hiroto Matsuda's sister! Do you honestly think his crazy overtaking skills won't rub off on me?"

"LIKE, JESUS CHRIST!!!"
"You can't block me now!"

"IS SHE SOME KIND OF PSYCHO?!"

"I think you need to change your pants."

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod..." said the M5's driver as he started hyperventilating.

The crowd came alive as I drifted through the final double-apex right-hander.

"I better start thinking of ways to spend that €45,000..."

Just for the hell of it, I said, "All your cash are belong to me," even though my English isn't as bad as that.

"Can I touch it?" asked Akiko as I showed her the wad of cash.
"Get your own cash wad," I taunted.
"Any plans for that cash?"
"When does your European tour finish?"
"The middle of July in Germany," answered Kamui.
"You aren't thinking of leaving, are you?" asked Akiko in a childish voice. Even the way she looked as she said it looked adorable.
"Please, get those puppy-dog eyes away from me! It's a good thing I'm not allergic to puppies!"
"Come on, at least come with us to Madrid."
"Fine, but that's it."
"Besides, I want my two favourite ladies to be with me on my birthday," said Junichi.

 

[Daniel]

👍 At any mention of a GT4 track, it gets destroyed with a sighting of a Honda. Good race as well

 

[Ryou]

Great chapter. Countach Italian Driver for the win!

 

[uMadson?]

To keep things realistic, you should have said that the whole track's been closed down and/or villagers don't want the sight of different cars skidding through the whole streets.

By the way, great chapter.

 

[Zhu8]

"SUVs are crap. An Impreza or an Evo can do the job of off-roading just as well.

So a Impreza or Evo can do this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mboMIsqLMaw

 

[alex10798]

At any mention of a GT4 track, it gets destroyed with a sighting of a Honda.

So THAT explains why Apricot Hill is absent from GT5.

"Nice day out here."
"Hey look, a Prelud-

EDIT: I read the story.
TINY ARMAGEDDON VAN!!!

 

[DK]

Chapter 5 - U Madrid, lol?​

Date: June 25th, 2011
Location: Madrid, Spain

Junichi was rubbing his wrists as we finished lunch.
"Goddammit girls, it's a good thing we don't have a concert tonight," he moaned.
I was finishing off the last of my omelette.
Kamui and Toshiya soon arrived.
"So, how's the birthday boy?" asked Kamui.
"My wrists hurt like 🤬."
"That's too bad," said Toshiya, "we were planning on having a little fun today."
"Believe me, I've already had my dose of fun. Isn't that right, girls?"
Akiko and I both nodded, and she returned to wolfing down her bacon.

After lunch, I decide to call Seiichi and Daisuke, to see how they're getting on without me.
"Mushi mushi guys, what have I missed?"
"Oh nothing...oh, Goddammit Kuro, you're massaging my feet improperly!"
"I see that you're getting revenge over your former tormentors, anyway. How's Seiichi?"
"He's on a camping trip."
"You mean he's on a 48-hour Call of Duty/Halo marathon?"
"No, he's actually gone camping. As in, up in the mountains."
"How much weight has he lost?"
"Since you left, about 8 kilos. He wants to be able to fit into a "Large" sized t-shirt by the end of August."
"Is there any way to contact him?"
"No, he said he wanted some peace and quiet, to get away from it all."
"Right, I'll see you guys when I get back. Sayonara!"
"Sayonara!"

I returned to the guys.
"So, what are we doing today?"
Kamui took out a pamphlet. "The SEAT Racing Academy. SEAT are a Spanish car manufacturer, and they've set up a street circuit here in Madrid. It's €20 per driver for a 3-lap race."
"Any prizes?"
"If you pay up €80 for a 5-lap time attack session, and you set a record time, you get entered into an "Academy Race" at a track called the Cape Ring. It's near the Portuguese coast."
"And the cars?"
"SEAT Ibizas."
"Junichi, do you want to race in this?"
"My wrists still hurt. My hands feel numb, and I had a lot of trouble getting my lunch into my mouth."

The drivers from the last race parked their cars on the grid after their "parade lap".
"Bloody hell," said one of the drivers, "those tyres felt like crap!"
Toshiya, Kamui, Akiko and I leaped over the barriers to get into the cars parked at the front.
"Goddammit, WHY IS EVERYONE PUSHING?!" asked Akiko.
Junichi sat this one out, and was happy enough to stay at the barrier near the start line. Toshiya jumped into the pole-sitting SEAT, with Akiko in 2nd, Kamui in 3rd and me in 4th.

"Goddammit! Why didn't they tell us these cars were automatics?!"

Toshiya jumped into the lead.
"These tyres don't feel so good..."

Akiko tried diving down the inside.
"Bend over, Toshiya!"

"Damn! This auto tranny is crap!"
The automatic gearbox interfered with Akiko's attempted pass.

"Whoah! This car has real bad understeer!"

"Something tells me that both Aki-chan and Miyu-chan are unused to the FF drivetrain."

"This is not like my S15 or my Sileighty at all..."

"One thing's for sure...if I were in my S15, that bump would be much harder."

"So, Miyu-chan's already caught up?" thought Kamui. "I better shake her off."

"I don't think her oil change warning light is on..."

"Wow! She didn't even need to use the corner to pass me!"

"Alright, now to catch Aki-chan and Toshiya-san!"

"Her tyres must be in a much better condition than mine..."

The tyres squealed as I entered the first hairpin.

"Whoa, Miyu's even crazier under braking than my cousin!"

"Man, this car feels like crap!"

"Gah...I have to take really wide lines in this thing..."

"The understeer is really killing the 'fun factor' of this..."

I decided that because it was the last lap, I had to go all out.

"Yeah, you remind me of my cousin A LOT."

"Damn it! Damned auto tranny! If this were a manual..."

"Running wide again, Miyu-chan?"

"Damn...whoever said racing skills aren't hereditary is talking crap."

"I have to move to the inside..."

"Damn it, Miyu-chan, we have to return these cars in one piece!"

"Gah! These tyres have no grip at all!"
"Domo origato, Toshiya-san!"

Toshiya rocked back and forth in an attempt to eke out a few precious tenths of a km/h from the car.

I pushed the accelerator as far down as possible.

"Come on..."
"Just a few more metres..."

Junichi took out his iPhone and took a picture of us going over the line.

After parking our cars on the grid, I waited eagerly for the results.
"Damn! I lost by 0.032 seconds!"
"Hey, Toshiya-san, that was a really good race. You really pushed me over those final moments!"
Toshiya chuckled. "Hey, Miyu, I want to show you something."
He led me over to his car. He walked over to the front and crouched down until the top of his head was level with the bonnet.
"Look at the tyres."
"Jeez! They're almost bald!"
"Ugly as Sarah Jessica Parker, aren't they?"
"Whoa! How did you keep it on the road?"
"I drive an EK-"
I frowned at him.
"Sorry. Junichi told me that you were in an accident with a Civic Type R EK9. As I was saying, my EK9 is good practice for driving with FFs, especially when I've worn the tyres down to their last few hundred kilometres."
"How is this car like an EK9?"
"I'm really good at adapting to other FFs, even though the EK9 is streets ahead of the Mk. 3 Ibiza."
"Mk. 3?"
"Meh, I did my research before we came out here. All of these models are the top level "1.8T Cupra" grade, but these have been modified with automatic transmissions. Aki-chan has had no experience with autos, as she drives an Altezza RS200."
As we headed back to the hotel, there were dramatic scenes unfolding thousands of miles away.

Date: June 25th, 2011
Location: Suzuka City, Japan

Michio Matsuda was underneath a Jaguar XK, changing its oil.
"Listen, Michio, I have to go," said Toru Tanaka. "It's our anniversary night, and my wife is going to be really angry with me if I'm late."
"Don't worry, Toru," said Michio, "I'll have this Jaguar purring in no time. You should expect to see it ready to go tomorrow morning."
"Okay, sayonara."
"Sayonara."
Michio heard Toru start up his R34. He returned to his duty of changing the Jaguar's oil.
Then, he heard glass being smashed. He got up, and opened up the Jaguar's boot.
"It seems every Jaguar owner plays golf..." he observed.
He picked out a 5-wood. Just as he turned around, three youths barged into the garage.
"I knew this old bastard would be here!" said the youth that Michio identified as the leader.
Two of the youths took out penknives, and the leader took out a pair of nunchuks. They launched themselves at Michio, but he easily countered, whacking them both in the stomach with the golf club. The two youths, both winded, were then hit in the back.
"Bring it on, punk," threatened Michio.
The leader ran at Michio, and was then hit in the face by the wrong end of the club.
"Who sent you?" asked Michio through gritted teeth.
"I heard you were hiring immigrants..." grunted the leader.
"That's BS. I recognise you. You sprayed the anarchist symbol on the back of Kawabata High. You're not a neo-Nazi."
"OK...I lied...but my boss has a message to pass onto your whore daughter..."
"My daughter can date whoever she wants, regardless of gender. She's over 18, she can make her own choices. What's the message?"
"She can't run from us, and neither can her bastard brother. A Captain will visit her soon."
Michio called the police, and watched the youths being dragged into a Toyota Aristo police car.
I think I should warn Miyu.

 

[uMadson?]

My nose was sniffing on Roj's story, now it's right on yours too. I smell a return.

 

[Zhu8]

My nose was sniffing on Roj's story, now it's right on yours too. I smell a return.

Can I borrow your computer by any chace?

 

[uMadson?]

Can I borrow your computer by any chace?

It runs MW2 with 15 fps on 640x480. I'm sure you won't like my PC at all.

 

[DK]

Chapter 6 - Concept-ion​

Junichi stretched out on the sun lounger.
"Hey, Jun-san," said Kamui, "look up."
"DAMN!"
"It's just a bikini, Junichi."
"Just think unsexy thoughts," advised Kamui.
Anne Widdecombe, Anne Widdecombe, Anne Widdecombe...
I sat down next to him.
Anne Widdecombe in a bikini, Anne Widdecombe in a bikini, Anne Widdecombe in a bikini...
"You just can't get enough of me, can you?" I asked.
"Gah! I'm trying to ignore you in your bikini!"
"Oh, that isn't the end of it. Aki-chan!"
Aki-chan's head rose from her lilo. "Yeah?"
"You missed a spot with the suncream."
Akiko came over. "Yeah, I think I missed a spot on your back."
"GODDAMN IT! I'M TRYING TO RELAX HERE, AND YOU TWO BABES ARE REALLY MAKING IT HARD FOR ME!"
"Hey, Aki-chan, d'you remember the time you got to race that Toyota prototype?"
"My cousin had to pull a lot of strings to arrange that, even though he had left Toyota to work for some Swiss team."
"I remember that race, do you?"

Date: July 29th, 2010
Location: Tsukuba Circuit, Shimotsuma City, Japan

Akiko was tapping her foot impatiently.
"My cousin said the car would be here by now."
"Relax."
"I can't, because I don't smoke, and I can't drink if I wanna be competitive."
"You're so lucky that you get to drive this car."
"I think I hear it now..."
A FT-86 pulled up.
"Are you Akiko Kobayashi?"
"Yep!" she said with enthusiasm.
"You don't look like much of a racing driver-"
"AHEM?!"
"Sorry. I still can't get my head around the concept of female racing drivers."
"Right, whatever. Thanks for the car."

"Hey, Aki-chan, can you hear me properly?"
"Loud and clear, Miyu-chan. I just hope I won't be the first person to ever crash an FT-86."

The FD2 sedan was left for dead as Akiko gunned it from the start line.
"WHOA! This car feels so light!"

Akiko just barely tapped the 1-series ahead.
"I better avoid the other cars...I don't want to get this car into any unnecessary scrapes..."

"The suspension's a bit bumpy...maybe this car likes it rough?"

"This drift feels really controllable!"
"Aki-chan, I can see the smoke cloud from here!"

"That Mazda seems much slower than this Eight-Six."
"That's a bit confusing, someone could think you're referring to the AE86."

"I think that's the FF model of the Celica up ahead."

Akiko lined up behind the Celica SS-I, lying in wait.

"How much is that putting out? 190? 200?"

"Whoa, Aki-chan, how does that oversteer feel?"
"Completely controllable. That being said, it's slightly annoying."

"This FT-86 seems really grippy..."

"Damn it, he had more grip on that line..."

"Whoa," said the Primera's driver, "I don't want to be the reason for the FT-86 failing crash tests."

"Careful, Aki-chan, just back off of him."

"Hang on, I think I've got something here..."

"Damn, I'm beat."

"OK, Aki-chan, the leading Skyline GTS-t is about 4 or 5 seconds up the road, you're catching it at about 2 seconds per lap!"

"Is there anything other than the Celica GT-FOUR and the GTS-t ahead of me?"
"No, just go for it!"

"Hey, Miyu, d'you know what's weird?"
"What?"
"In Initial D, there's a villain who drives a Celica called Miki."
"I suppose that Miki Watanabe is a villain."
"A smiling, damned villain?"
"Huh?"
"Meh, I felt like quoting 'Hamlet'."

"Alright, only the Skyline left!"

"Man, I've gotta buy one of those!" exclaimed the Celica's driver.

"I FREAKIN' LOVE THIS THING!"

"OK, Aki-chan, the Skyline's just ahead!"
"I can see that!"

"Damn, I've got to hold her off for 2 whole laps!"

"There's enough room for both of us, Skyline."

"Maybe if I dropped back a bit, I might be better able to deal with this guy."
"It seems very unorthodox..."
"Please, I don't submit to orthodoxy."

"OK, the back straight! That Skyline has nowhere to run!"

"I'm no cheat, I can't block her by ramming her."

"Damn...I've lost to a chick. Still, that FT-86 seems much better than my R32."

"Maybe I could use these earnings to upgrade to a GT-R?"

Akiko still had a lap left. She decided to cool down a bit.

Then again, "cooling down" for Akiko meant drifting with less ferocity.

She even did a brief drift across the finish line.

After the race, we had a chat at a nearby vending machine.
"So, how was it?"
"Really fun."
"Any feedback for Toyota?"
The Sprite can hissed as Akiko opened it. "A bit oversteery for civilian use."
"So is the Dodge Viper, the Corvette, and any Ferrari Grand Tourer..."
"But, they're not meant to be sold on a massive scale. Your average parents are not going to want their kid driving a volatile driftmobile."
"Hey, Aki-chan, that guy in the Skyline's looking at you."
"I noticed." She waved back at him. "I saw his first name at least, I think it was the same as my cousin's."
"I think I can hear the Foo Fighters from his sound system."
"He has good taste."
"He looks about our age, too."

Back to the present...
"Hey, Kamui, wasn't that the first time you met Aki-chan and Miyu?"
"Yeah, I think it was."
"I heard from my brother that you were an up-and-coming racer."
"Heh-heh, really?"
I started drying myself. I checked my phone.
5 missed calls. All from the same, unknown number.
Then it rang again.
"Who's this?" asked an English voice. It wasn't Stephen.
"Hey, you called me first, at least tell me who you are!"
"No chance, slapper! I've a little challenge for you."
"Tell me your name first!"
"You're that crazy Japanese guy's sister! The one old 'Terminator-Eye' has been talking about! The rocker emo slut!"
"Where are you?!"
"There's a little racing track, about 40 miles away from Madrid. We won't be disturbed."
The caller hung up. Then, the phone rang once more.
"Hey, Dad, isn't it really late back home?"
"I called to warn you about something."
"What?"
"These three punks tried to break into my garage last night. I took the bastards down, and now one said that there was some 'chav' - I don't know what it means, either -"
"It's a member of the British working class."
"Right. Anyway, this person was going to challenge you. I fear that gang is up and running again...under someone only referred to as 'Terminator-Eye.' I suspect it's someone who has had an artificial eye inserted, considering that person's nickname."
"Oh my God...you aren't serious, are you?"
"I've told Hiroto, he's told Nissan, and they've beefed up his security. It's like they're protecting a head of state instead of a racing driver."
"Any words of advice?"
"Don't go alone. Sayonara."
"Sayonara."
I walked back over to my friends.
"Anyone know of a racing track within 40 miles of here?" I asked.

 

[uMadson?]

The suspense is building up. I hope I win the round with my all-in bet.

 

[alaingeronimo87]

Terminator Eye? Now I remember....

 

[DK]

ATTENTION GTPers!

Now that I have your attention, I'm hiring for some upcoming chapters.

What do I need?
I'll be supplying a Ford Focus ST to whoever is able to get online at 7pm GMT on Friday 20th of May.

Can I keep it?
Sure, why not, it's a chavvy piece of crap.

What about the track?
I'll have a simple track set online by 12 midnight tonight (GMT).

If someone has already volunteered, can I still join?
You're welcome to, the addition of traffic will make this realistic. But, your PP level must be around 450. And of course, jackasses who like to ram will be kicked!

Volunteers:


Thanks in advance,
driftking18594

 

[SmittMan]

GMT isn't that UK tine I may be able to but can't guarantee it, you can still send me a request if you like, theirishman1234, can it be tuned???

 

[DK]

^ It will be tuned when I send it over.

 

[uMadson?]

Traffic? I can volunteer for cruising at the imposed speed limit in some sort of ordinary car (if I'm awake and not busy).

 

[Ryou]

Could I join as traffic too, in my MIRA, as a cameo?

 

[DK]

^ The race will take place on a circuit, not open roads. And seeing as that blue MIRA is supposedly invincinle, I'd advise that you would pick a different car, SuperGTRacer.

 

[uMadson?]

^ The race will take place on a circuit, not open roads. And seeing as that blue MIRA is supposedly invincinle, I'd advise that you would pick a different car, SuperGTRacer.

Oh, I thought it would be in the highway.

Still, can I volunteer as traffic if I can?

EDIT: Oh, and I got 4 choices:
Integra Type R (RKM sport-tuned)
Evo IX (stock, yet to be modified a teeny little bit)
Impreza GDB-F (only repainted and with changed wheels)
Evo X (with FC suspension but somehow HP went down from 330 HP to 315 HP).

 

[DK]

^ The RKM Integra would be great.

 

[uMadson?]

^ The RKM Integra would be great.

Okay, I'm in if I'm still awake. 12 pm GMT would be like 8 am here in the Philippines (if I calculated correctly). I'll just wake up early if I can.

EDIT: Just to clarify, when will we do the race?

EDIT 2: If it's time to race and PSN is still down for HK (I use an HK account), then never mind. Let's just see.