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

[DK]

Chapter 11 - The Master and the Molotov​

Date: July 18th, 2011
Location: Bern, Switzerland

As soon as I got out of bed, I got onto the Internet. I checked my Skype account. Seiichi and Daisuke wanted to chat.
"Hey, guys, long time no see!"
"Same here! I've lost 15 kilos since you left!"
"What are you two up to?"
"A bit of merry devilment."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Go to YouTube..."
I opened up another tab, and went to YouTube, and then returned to the Skype tab.
"And then?"
"Type in 'Smack My Bitch Up played in church'."
I did so, and proceeded to laugh my ass off.
"Thank 🤬 for smartphones! How did you do that?"
"That church was going through some stupid celibacy ceremony. I found out that their audio system was hooked up to a computer which had an Internet connection."
"You guys are totally awesome. And what if some crazed rednecks try to find where you guys are?"
"First, I doubt that they can get visas for Japan. Second, if they did get visas, they'll get thrown out within hours. And that's if they make it past our 7 proxies. Right, sayonara, Miyu-chan."
"Sayonara."
I then went onto Facebook, and got a nasty surprise. I rushed to the bathroom door.
"AKI-CHAN!!!"
Akiko was oblivious, as she was singing in the shower.
"AKI-CHAN! WHY ARE THERE PHOTOS OF US KISSING ON FACEBOOK! THERE'S ALREADY AT LEAST 30 COMMENTS ON EACH OF THEM, AND MOST OF THEM SAY, 'NICE!' OR 'I LOVE LESBIANS!', EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT ONE!"
"You ate my pizza!" she countered.
"AND YOU LEFT ME IMMOBILE FOR HOURS!"
"Right, I guess we're even then."

Downtown

"Hey, Kamui, do you see those two hot chicks over there, by the C4?"
"Those two are way out of your league, guys."
"But they're well within mine!" chuckled Akiko.
Kamui looked uncomfortable. "Guys, who do you ask where the toilets are?"
"You say, entschuldigungen Sie, wo kann man eine Abtreibung haben? Go ask that woman over there," said Akiko, pointing at an elderly nun.
Kamui approached her.
"That's wrong, Aki-chan. It's actually wo ist die Toilette?"
"How did you learn German?"
"What would the phrases 'character-themed Linguaphone programmes' and 'psychological anime' suggest to you?"
Akiko chuckled. "Grab some popcorn, Miyu. Some bad 🤬 will go down."
Kamui asked the nun. I could imagine this music playing in her head:

She started screaming, "Babymörder! Sie sind ein Babymörder! Sie müssen sterben!" repeatedly.
Kamui ran off.
"Oh dear...I'm guessing you told him to ask where someone can get an abortion?"
"There's nothing more entertaining than watching a nun flip out over someone mentioning abortion."

It was just then that Junichi showed up.

"Wow, nice Z32 Junichi!"
"Thanks! Your dad's company has tuned it well. I asked for a stable set-up, and I guess that's what I got. It's exceptional in the wet."
"Why does that matter?"
Junichi took out his phone and showed me the weather forecast.
"The Eigerring has been pretty much drenched every day for the last 2 weeks."

"Nice spoiler, I guess stability will be necessary."
"Not really. It's not that fast of a circuit."

"I'm guessing these are lightweight rims?"
"Yeah, how could you guess?"
"My dad's business partner is always talking about unsprung weight."

A train trundled past. Me and Junichi peered inside.
"Are they wearing Lederhosen?"
"Maybe there's an Oktoberfest going on nearby...alright, hop in."
"Wait, I get to come with you?"
"Sure, the rest of the guys are sightseeing. Where's Kamui-san?"
"I'll tell you on the way to the Eigerring."

Location: Eigerring, Switzerland

Junichi was not lying about the weather.
"This is better than yesterday's weather."
"What happened yesterday?"
"Not much, except an idiot in a Peugeot 106 going off at turn 2."
Junichi went to the stewards' office to get his grid position. He emerged in a completely distraught state.
"What is it?"
"I'll be last. $100,000 down the 🤬 drain!!!"
"And how long is the race?"
"3 laps."
"How long is the track? 10km? 15? 20?"
"2.4, I think."
My legs felt weak. I collapsed backwards into Junichi's arms. He had to drag me into the car.

I still feel numb and light-headed.
"Where's...Boris?"
"3rd..." said Junichi through gritted teeth.

"Эти американцы будут легко утилизировать." (These Americans will be easiy disposed of.)

Junichi inhaled deeply.
"The best I can hope for is the same situation which allowed your brother to take 2nd at Indianapolis."
"A safety car?"
"Well, that and the cars in front of Boris holding him up big time."

"BRACE YOURSELF FOR IMPACT!!!"

The soft seat soaked up most of the bump. Junichi did a banzai overtake into turn 1 on a Charger Super Bee.
"Have you been studying my brother's racing technique?"
"It's all I can do whenever you come over to the apartment on a Sunday."

The driver of the Skyline ahead dismissed Junichi.
"An FR? Ha, that will be no match for this Skyline!"

"What the hell? Whatever, you can't beat my traction out of the corners!"

"Nothing can beat good engine mapping!"
I leaned over to the centre console to try to adjust the A/C.
"Don't touch that, you might choose a different setting!"

Down into the 4th hairpin, Junichi passed a Corvette C4 without much thought.

"Was die Holle? Ich fahre ein Evo 8!" (What the hell? I'm driving an Evo 8!)

The Snoop Dogg wannabe (although he was whiter than sour cream) behind the wheel of the Silverado that Junichi easily overtook paid no attention to Junichi.

Meanwhile, Boris wasn't doing as well as he hoped.
"Черт побери! Я подумал, что это мудак будет легче догнать!" (Goddammit! I thought this asshole would be easier to overtake!)

"A 'Cuda! This guy has some nice taste, shame his car can't go around corners as well as anything Japanese."

Junichi ran wide onto the grass at the apex.
"When I was practicing here, the grassy bit actually produced a bit more grip than the track itself."
"Is that because of the rain?"
Junichi nodded in agreement.

"Wow...such a beautiful view, even in the rain..."
Junichi kept his eyes firmly on the road.
I'm doing better than I thought. Those muscle cars must be really holding Boris back.

"A Mustang...if the driver doesn't have a lead foot, he may give me a run for my money for a few corners..."

"You know, the spray isn't that bad."
"Yeah, but we don't have aerodynamic kits other than the small front lip and spoiler."

"How are you coping with the jump?"
"Pretty well, thanks to these memory foam seats."

Meanwhile...
"ARGH! Mein Chevelle!"

Another banzai overtaking move saw Junichi move into 8th.

Junichi stuck to the driest line as he crept around the outside of a ZZ-S.
"I'd really like to own one of those...it's like a Japanese Elise..."

Junichi eyed up the Esprit.
"My MR drivetrain will give me better traction than your 300ZX's FR drivetrain."

However, the rear-heavy layout also led to the Esprit having to back off, and it left Junichi a wide gap.

"Your dad's tuning company is very good at engine maps...how?"
"Well, Hiroto can't provide any data, a Nissan turbocharged FGT engine doesn't have any parallels in any road car. They do the testing themselves."

"DON'T SCRATCH MY JAGUAR!" roared the Jaguar's driver.

Junichi calmly controlled the oversteer through Berghütte corner (the 7th turn).

I'm 5th...Boris is 2nd...this is the grandstand finish every spectator desires...

"JUNICHI!!! WATCH OUT FOR THE CHEVELLE!!!"
"Huh? How did that 300ZX get into 5th?" asked the driver of the white R34.

I exhaled deeply as Junichi slipped into 3rd safely.
"3...into the Strassenbahn corner..."
I fainted. Junichi continued.

"Как он может поймать меня?" (How can he catch me?)

"ВЫ разрушили мою гонку!!!" (YOU'VE DESTROYED MY RACE!!!)

"He's passed the leader...but I have caught up."

Junichi fought with the steering wheel.
"Aki-chan's right, Miyu does look cute when she's asleep."

"The Superbird will be no problem. Boris is too conservative on overtakes."

"Excuse me, I've an Evo to catch!"

Junichi could just about make out a flash of red as Boris braked early into Berghütte.

Junichi seemed to outbrake himself into Berghütte.

"Did you really think that my plan has gone to waste?"

"В меньшей сцепление на улице!" (There's less grip on the outside!)
"The assumption that the normal racing line is the right one is just that: an assumption. In reality, once the rain comes down, the rubber floats to the surface, creating a situation just like what happens when an F1 cars goes onto 'rubber marbles'."

I woke up.
"What's happened?"
"Look behind us, Miyu!"
When I saw Boris' Evo, I fainted again.

"Crap! Oversteer!"
Junichi was forced to lift off.

"No...I..."
Junichi could hardly believe it.

"Вы должны научиться удерживать лидирующие позиции лучше!" (You must learn to hold leading positions better!)
"OK...time to do what Miyu's brother did against Chun Mei!"

Boris arrogantly left a wide space for Junichi.
"Он не посмеет сделать конце торможения..." (He won't dare to make a late braking maneuver...)

Boris was left speechless.
"Your gang has to be familiar with the work of Hiroto Matsuda!"

Junichi powered out of Strassenbahn corner.

Junichi collapsed back into his seat.

*------------*
I woke up as Junichi was cruising back to the hotel.
"Wha...what happened?"
"Oh, not much. Except that I won."
I immediately kissed him on the lips.
"Hey, I'm trying to concentrate on the road here!"
"There's more where that's coming from..."
*------------*

I groggily drag myself out of bed. Junichi was still fast asleep.
Damned phone.
"Yes?"
"Are you ready to lose?"
"No, I'm ready to win against you, Miki!"
"Well, then, meet me at midnight on the Nurburgring Nordschleife on July 28th. Oh, and one more thing...are you familiar with Shingo Shoji?"
Then he hung up.
What could he mean?

 

[VTiRoj]

Very sweet Z32, very fast by the looks of it too. Although I have a small hatred for those wheels.

And where did that C4 come from? Why is it in Switzerland?

 

[C-ZETA]

And where did that C4 come from? Why is it in Switzerland?

Probably just a bystander. Or maybe...my C4 before its makeover?

Also I could totally have used that in my story. I shall have revenge

 

[Skython]

It saddens me to see all those awesome muscle cars put to shame because of rain Great chapter anyway

 

[uMadson?]

TEH PIMPMOBILE'S BACK YO, WAITING FOR A RETURN FROM MY DEAD FANFIC.

I'm entertained by this chapter, keep it up. 👍

 

[tankuroded]

Another great chapter. Wonder if Murray Walker commentated on this one...

 

[DK]

Chapter 12: Tale of the (Gum) Tape​

Date: Unknown, possibly late July 2011
Location: Unknown

The rain was pouring down that night. It was 4:37am. Miki was wide awake. His right eye, the only surviving non-artificial eye that he had, was wide open.
It's been a long, long time...
He took out a small plastic bag from the chest pocket of his leather jacket. He placed two fingers inside, and withdrew a couple of grams of cocaine. He put his fingers up to his left nostril.
THAT'S SOME GOOD 🤬!!!
Miki did not sleep. He hasn't slept ever since he woke up in Dr. Khan's surgery in Cologne.
Stupid retard. He actually thought we'd leave his family alone.
He still felt some numbness in his left hand.
I never thought I'd survive trying to kill myself. I will never be able to forget the shame of defeat to that bastard MATSUDA!!!
At the very thought of Hiroto, Miki flew into a cocaine-fuelled rage. He smashed up numerous panels of glass - he was hiding out in a former glass warehouse. Then, he heard whimpers.
"SHUT UP YOU STUPID WHORES!!!"
Mikhail arrived.
"Mr. Watanabe, not all of these women speak English."
"Maybe they'll understand this!" He took out his handgun, a .45 Glock. He fired 6 rounds at the ceiling, producing a small hole which the rain started entering through. He then pointed the gun at Mikhail.
"Он сумасшедший. Но, он мой начальник," (He is a madman. But, he is my boss,) thought Mikhail.
"Get these sluts out of here. They're becoming a liability. I don't want to be caught this way."
Mikhail caught Miki off guard as he asked him, "And how, Mr. Watanabe, do you want to get caught?"
Miki lashed out at Mikhail. "Don't you dare undermine my abilities!"
Mikhail overpowered Miki and sent him crashing down to the floor.
"You need to calm down! NOW!"
Miki started breathing heavily and quickly.

Date: July 21st, 2011
Location: Cologne, Germany

I slammed on the brakes as I reached my hotel. Akiko is unimpressed.
"Is this it?"
"Why are you unimpressed?"
"It's just...it looks like the car of someone who wants to go around corners sideways, but will exit backwards," she said as she left for the car park.
Junichi approached the car.
"Hey, are you planning on practicing on the Nurburgring?"
"I have 6 days to practice. I have to know the track well enough to be able to do a lap in the dark."
"Have you had any practice in video games?"
"Well, sometimes, when I was bored, I would do laps of it in Gran Turismo 4 on Hiroto's PS2. My memories of the track are a bit sketchy, though. I'm sure a lap or two will jog my memory."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Toshiya and Kamui exit the car park underneath the hotel in their cars.
"Are they coming too?"
"We all are, we all want to get a few laps of the track."
I saw Akiko's MR-2 drive past.

It's all coming back. I can remember the corners. I can remember the bumps. I can remember the straights. I can remember the racing line.

Why is there a silver Integra in the middle of the road?
A lone figure in black racing overalls emerged. He took off his helmet.
Miki.
"What are you doing here?"
"The race, you dumb slut."
"That bullet really 🤬 up your brain. It's in 6 days."
"Have you researched Shingo Shoji?"
I noticed white powder around his nostrils.
"You're talking 🤬."
"Shingo is a character of Initial D. Have you read it, or is your slut brain too small to remember it?"
I remember picking up a volume of it when I was around 13. Hiroto snatched it out of my hands and cited "nudity" as the reason why. I never read much of it, just a bit of the battle between Takumi and Keisuke.
"He specialises in a special type of battle. You want to know what that is?"
Circuit? Drag race? Combined uphill and downhill?
"It's called the gum tape deathmatch. You race...with one hand taped to the wheel."
He snatched my right hand. He taped it to the wheel. He returned to his car. I watched him tape his own hand to the wheel. I tried turning the wheel. I could barely manage to turn it by 100 degrees.

 

[Skython]

Seems like something very entertaining is about to happen, pretty much one hand driving, and another one stuck to the wheel but is useless, nice 👍 Can't wait for what happens next

 

[VTiRoj]

I hope Miki has researched enough Initial D to know what happened to Shingo in his race with Takumi.

 

[DK]

Chapter 13: High Stakes​

I switched on the radio in my car.
"Guys?"
"Miyu, we were wondering why there's barely anyone here."
"That's because Miki is here! He's challenged me!"
Junichi was left speechless.
"Right, we'll get to...where's the start line?" asked Akiko.
"It's where the GP track meets the Nordschleife."
Akiko ordered, "Toshiya! Kamui! Junichi! Get to the start line!"
Then, Miki switched his channel onto mine.
"Do you what to know what the stakes are?"
"Yes."
"If I lose, nothing. If I win..."
He made vulgar hand gestures with his index fingers and left thumb. I recoiled with disgust. I felt that his artificial eye was staring through my overalls.
"...you'll be mine for 24 hours."
I threw up in my mouth.

"We'll start once the clock hits 11am."
I stared at my clock.
It's 11 already!

I gunned it immediately. Miki was forced to respond.
"BITCH! For that, I'm going to go extra hard on you tonight!"

His DC2 must be lighter, he's able to brake much later...
I almost sprained my wrist trying to turn.

I started thinking about something...

"Hiroto, what are you watching?"
"The Drift King! Man, a one-handed attack on Maze Circuit! That takes some balls.

If Tsuchiya can manage to keep a hachi-roku out of the wall or facing backwards...what's to say that I can't?

If only she was driving an automatic...then victory will be guaranteed...

This is the ultimate DC2. I remember this well...it was the car of my first loss...I will not add another...

This is good. I have him running scared if he's cutting corners.

Damn it! He didn't crash...

"YOU CAN'T RUN!!!"
This adrenaline rush...oh my God...

The right-handers were less taxing on my taped hand.

The car barely jumped as I approached Flugplatz.

A slight left-hander. This will give me a bit of a resting space.

"EAT 🤬, MIKI!!!"

Stupid slut. I have better braking capabilities...

No...

I turned the wheel slightly. I did not want to start an out-of-control swing from left to right.

You think that's rough, whore?

Focus, and calm down. I can get him.

A dust cloud? Is this really his specialty?

Sparks flew as DC2 met armco.

I had to back off as Miki crossed in front of me.
Gah...in Formula GT, you wouldn't get away with that...

Damned right turns...at least, unlike a NASCAR fan, I don't think of them as communist conspiracies.

I dug my left wheels into the sweet spot along the inside edge of the kerb to help me turn.

My wrist was throbbing. I couldn't hold it, as I needed to keep a hand free for the gear stick.

Left turns are much more forgiving than right turns in these races...

Argh! This bitch is harder to shake than I thought!

"These corners over the next minute...they will determine if I am able to make a move on the straight after Bergwerk."

I need to make a move when I'm guaranteed complete safety from a counteroffensive from Miki.

I need to back off in the right-handers...

But I couldn't turn enough...

The bump was short and sharp.
That will buff out...I hope.

🤬! He's getting away!

At this rate...the straight leading up to the GP track will be my only hope...

Bergwerk. I have a straight line speed advantage...especially in a slipstream.

Come on...Dad said this was his best tune for a Sileighty...

"I have you now, Miki!"

"Oh...what do we have here..."

"...a braking zone..."
:censored! 🤬! Double 🤬 served with a dollop of 🤬!!!"

Again, despite getting close along the short straight that followed, the braking zone allowed Miki to pull ahead...

Good...a banked left turn.
I watched Miki being slowly pulled outwards...
Now's my chance...

To be continued...

 

[Machate-man]

To be continued....?

 

[VTiRoj]

I love Miki's driving. DC2 WRC go!

 

[Skython]

This is interesting, we have a to be continued at a big moment Great chapter 👍

 

[uMadson?]

Aye, Nordschleife tales are as long as teh autobahn, I knew the to be continued sign would appear.

Sorry Miyu but I'm now having dirty thoughts about what would happen if you lose...

Anyways nice chapter. Hope what I said won't get the temper of people

 

[Skython]

Sorry Miyu but I'm now having dirty thoughts about what would happen if you lose...

Whatever goes on in your mind thankfully we'll never know

 

[DK]

Chapter 14: It's All A Blur​

The tape around my right hand was starting to annoy me. For starters, a lot of sweat was building up there.

Then, I heard static on the radio.
"Hey guys, I'm at the Karrussell now."
"Where's Miki?"
"I'm right up his tailpipe."
I switched off the radio. I needed total concentration as I saw him struggle to keep turning left. Something had to give...

...and that "something" was the lead.
Oh...clever slut...but I have a Plan B...

Where's he gone?

"I think it's time for you to be introduced to the tactics of the Waru brothers..."

He's given up. All I have to do is get this car home.

Clear blue skies...I couldn't have asked for better weather...if it was raining, I would be in the barriers by now.

Suddenly, something happened. As I was turning...

...the car began to spin...

...I was completely powerless...

...I couldn't respond...

*CRUNCH*

*SQUEAL*
"ARGH!!!"
Without a proper helmet, or a HANS device, the only thing stopping me from being a ragdoll was the seatbelt.

I was now unconscious. My body was limp.

The abused Sil80 came to a dead stop.

"Goodnight, whore...I have more in store for you."


---AT THE FINISH LINE---
"I hear an exhaust note!" yelled Akiko excitedly.
"There's only one though..."
"Maybe they have the same exhaust note..." guessed Kamui.

"NO!!!" yelled my friends in unison. They waited in vain for me to cross the line. After 3 minutes, fears started growing.
"Guys...do you think that...
"What is it, Kamui?" asked Toshiya.
"She may have had...an incident?"

Kamui dashed to his R32. He sped off, as fast as his car's 350hp would allow.

I've always wanted to test out my R32's top end speed...although I have tuned it for acceleration.

After hitting 270km/h, Kamui slammed onto the brakes. Despite only having experience of the track in video games, Kamui tackled the course as if he knew it like the proverbial back of his hand.

It's starting to cloud over...

Where...am...I...?
My vision was blurred. I was stuck in the wrecked Sil80. The thing was, I couldn't recognise it for what it once was.
What's...that...car...?

A blurry figure approached the driver's door.
"Miyu-chan...are you OK?"
"I know you...don't I?"
"I'm Kamui Iwata...I'm in your friends' band."
"Yeah...I think I know you...and I remember To...To..."
"Toshiya Nakano?"
"Aren't you the guys from...Triforced Entry?..."
"Uh-huh."
"Where am I?"
"The Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany."
"Huh?"
She's obviously suffered a real knock on the head. "It's a famous motor racing track."
"What am I doing here?"
"You were racing."
I let out a weak, delirious laugh as Kamui furiously tore the tape from my right hand.
"But...I don't race..."
"I'll give you a lift back to the rest of the guys."
As I opened the passenger's door, he stopped me as I fumbled with the seatbelt.
"I think it would be wise if you lay down on the back seat." Hopefully Miki won't check there...he has all the hallmarks of a twisted pervert.

Kamui slowly did a 3-point turn.

I need to see what happened to her.

"Right...Miyu, do you remember where you live?"
I lurched back into my seat as Kamui set off.
"Tokyo...but I'm from Suzuka City."
"Do you know who your roommates are?"
"Seiichi and Daisuke...2 computer geeks."
"Have you any brothers, sisters, etc.?"
"2 brothers...Kenji, who is...13...I think...and Hiroto...who is 25..."
"Is he married, and does he have kids?"
"He's married to Kazumi...they have 1 kid, Toru, he's about 14 months..."
"Who's your favourite racing driver?"
"I don't know about many...sorry..."
Crap. Any chick with a Formula GT driver in the family has to know of at least 40 drivers. "What about Schumacher, Vettel, Hamilton, Ichisuda, Schneider, your own brother?"
"My brother's a racing driver?"
What the hell is wrong with her?
"I know Schumacher...and Ichisuda...but who are the other guys?"
I need to get back into another home territory of hers. "What do you think of techno music?"
"Mostly crap, especially when it's autotune."
Yay. At least that part of her is still providing its regular service.

After a slow drive, we returned to the pits.
Ugh...who's the creep in the black overalls?
"Where's my prize?!" demanded Miki.
"I couldn't find her," lied Kamui with a straight face.
Akiko was typing out a text. It read:
"Miki Watanabe ist hier am Nürburgring. Senden Sie Polizisten."

You may want to translate what that German text says above.

Her phone buzzed as she received the reply. It read:
"Das ist unmöglich. Miki Watanabe ist tot. (That's impossible. Miki Watanabe is dead.)
Akiko decided to take a picture of Miki while he was unaware.
"I WON THIS RACE! THAT BITCH IS MINE!!!" screamed Miki.
"Haben dieses Bild genug Beweise?" (Does this picture have enough proof?) said her newest text.
"WHERE IS SHE?!" demanded Miki.
Kamui and Toshiya shrugged their shoulders.
"Fine...maybe..." he grabbed Akiko, and with one arm around her, he said, "...this whore will make a better substitute..."
"Get off me, you creep!" Akiko swung her legs furiously, and her left foot made contact with Miki's groin. Akiko was released from Miki's grip as he retreated to his Integra.
I've a little present for you, whore.
As Akiko ran back to her MR-2, and as Kamui positioned his Skyline ready for a quick getaway, Miki picked up a heavy piece of metal from his car - his Glock pistol. Without a witty phrase, Miki calmly fired 6 rounds, aimed at Akiko. 2 found their mark. Akiko felt her chest.
Blood. She started going into shock. Numbness. Dizziness. Kamui jumped out of his car.
"COWARD!!!" yelled Kamui as Miki scampered off in his DC2.
"Give me your keys, Aki-chan," requested Junichi.
"I...don't...have...them. They're...probably...near...my...car..."
Junichi picked up the MR-2's keys, and started up Akiko's MR-2.
"I'll get you to a hospital."
"I...don't...think...I'll...make...it..."
"Guys! Where's the medical centre?"
"Try...the...GP...pit...lane..."

*---*
Kamui knocked furiously on the doors of the medical centre in the GP complex's paddock.
"There's no-one there..."
Kamui punched in 112 into his phone.
"Do you speak English? I need an ambulance to be sent to the Nürburgring, for 2 people."
The operator asked, "Isn't there a doctor there?"
"No. The track is pretty much deserted...including the car park..."
"We can send an air ambulance."
"Thank you."
Kamui checked back on Akiko and I.
NO!
Akiko was unconscious. At this time, I was still punch-drunk. Everything sounded like I was underwater. Everything looked like that, too.
"Miyu-chan, can you hear me?"
I nodded weakly.
"You're going to need to go too. It's for your own good."
I nodded, this time less weakly, in agreement.

Special thanks to FishyJuice for his role as Miki!

 

[VTiRoj]

Poor girls.

What happened to the Sileighty though? I assume it's sabotage but did Miki mess with the brakes or the rear axle or what?

 

[Otsdarva]

Very nice, good point to leave off. Keep up the drama.

 

[uMadson?]

Poor girls.

What happened to the Sileighty though? I assume it's sabotage but did Miki mess with the brakes or the rear axle or what?

Invisible liquid is invisible.

Oi Miki Watanabe, the 🤬's happening to- *gets shot IN THE HEAD*

Now that I'm dead too, what will happen to the billionaires?

 

[yellomello]

All I can say is

 

[Korza]

Invisible liquid is invisible.

Whoa!!! I never knew that.....

 

[Skython]

Oh how pleasant














































Note the sarcasm

 

[DK]

Chapter 15: Into Exile, I Must Go​

There was a flurry of frantic activity in the A&E department. Shootings were rare in Cologne and the surrounding area. When they did happen, it was usually gang-related.
"Frau Kobayashi, can you hear me?" asked a surgeon.
No response. Just then...
"She's going into cardiac arrest!"
A nurse dashed over to the defibrillator and brought it to the surgeon.
"Here it comes...zehn tausend Volt!" (10,000 volts!)
He placed the pads on her chest and her lower abdomen. The electricity surged into her body.
No luck.
"Zwanzig tausend!" (20,000!)
Her heart started beating regularly again.

Akiko started coughing.
Where the hell am I?
She felt her body.
I could have sworn I was shot...twice...
She coughed. A tiny bit of blood was coughed up. She looked around. There was nothing, except a beach and a seemingly endless sea. She was soaked to the skin.
Please tell me this isn't heaven.
A group of figures appeared out of nowhere. All of them looked exactly like Akiko.
"Who are you guys?"
"We're you," answered the one who wore glasses.
"I'm not high, am I?"
"Nope," answered one who had a pair of drumsticks tucked into the back pocket of a pair of jeans.
"Am I drunk?"
"Nuh-uh," answered a scantily-clad one.
"Are you guys...aspects of myself?"
"That's right," said one in racing overalls.
"Let me guess...you, with the glasses are the smart one."
"Yep."
"And you, with the drumsticks, you're the musical one."
"Correct."
"And you dressed only in underwear...you're my 'wild side'...of sorts."
"That's right."
Another Akiko clone appeared.
"And you are..."
"The part of you who wants revenge." This version of Akiko was dressed in a yellow tracksuit with a black stripe running down the right side and the right trouser leg. There was a gun holster on her belt, and a katana sword, in its casing, slung across her back.
Akiko turned her attention to the last remaining clone, the one in the racing overalls.
"I guess you're another 'wild side,' the one who likes the adrenaline rush of 200km/h+."
"That's me to a T."
"What am I doing here?"
"This is limbo-"
"So, I am dead?"
"I meant 'limbo' as it was defined in Inception."
Akiko laughed in a state of disbelief.
"I'm probably hallucinating from loss of blood."
This was meant to be a thought. Instead, in a booming voice, as if it was being blasted from a surround sound system, she heard those words.
"You are not hallucinating. This may be a dream, but for an indefinite amount of time, this will be your reality."
"What do I do to pass the time?"
The smart Akiko clone stared at Akiko like this:

"There is one thing you can do..."

Everything was back in focus, but I now had a thumping headache.
"Frau Matsuda, I think I can identify what happened to you."
"Yeah?"
"According to this file, you were involved in a high speed crash about 10 weeks ago."
"I can't remember that..."
"You were unconscious for about 4 days, and discharged 2 days after waking up."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
The doctor passed me a form.
"This is the form which says that you are a holder of an IA-License from the GT Association. You are a racing driver."
"That's BS...I run errands for Shogun Games' co-founders, Seiichi Oka and Daisuke Nomura."
The doctor handed me a photo.
"This is from your Facebook page."
"How the hell did you find that?"
"Oh, your friend Junichi went to a nearby web café when you were unconscious."
"I WAS UNCONSCIOUS?!"
"Yes, today is the 15th. You had a crash yesterday."
I held my head in disbelief.
"We ran some tests while you were unconscious. You have suffered minor brain injuries. Amnesia seems to be a symptom of this. What I find shocking is...you claim to not be a racing driver."
I looked at the photo.

I know that car.
My S15, in all of its glory. It was my S15 before it had its wing or before it was re-sprayed in red. But I couldn't recognise it for what it was. All I knew was that it was a Nissan.
"OK...I may have been a racing driver...but...all of that knowledge that I might have had seems to have gone out of the window."
"That's not unusual. I suspect that the effect of the first crash was added on to by the effect of yesterday's crash. We have contacted the clean-up crew of the Nordschleife, and it appears that there was oil on the track. You may have hit the wall at around 120km/h. In a car such as the modified Nissan you were driving, I suspect that it wouldn't have been as safe as a modern racing car. Your car was what my colleague, a Nürburgring enthusiast, would consider a 'track day toy.' Obviously, taking crashes are not its forte."
"So, are you gonna give me any pills, or will I have to go through therapy?"
"No pills, no proscribed therapy. That is completely up to you."
I left the doctor's office. Junichi was waiting outside.
"Do you want to see Aki-chan?" he asked.
"What happened to her?"
"I'll show you."

No. It can't be.
Akiko was connected to a web of wires. There were electrodes all over her body. I went over to her and held her in my arms.
"Miyu-chan, be careful with those wires!" warned Kamui.
"What happened?"
"Miki Watanabe happened." explained Kamui.
"Who?"
"A criminal! He shot Aki-chan!" explained Toshiya.
"What was Aki-chan doing to get caught up with a criminal?"
"It wasn't her...it was you," said Toshiya through gritted teeth.
"Toshiya, it's hardly Miyu-chan's fault for this!"
"If it weren't for her accepting the challenge of those 'chavs,' we would not be here!"
"Guys...I've almost lost my best friend...and she's...in a coma..."
My phone rang. I answered it.
"Yes?"
"We had an arrangement, whore."
"Who are you?"
"Don't act more retarded than you actually are."
"You must have the wrong number."
"I'm looking for you, Miyu Matsuda. I had plans for you and me...24 hours of pain..."
"Go away, you psycho!"
"Perhaps you don't understand. I'm willing to ignore your attempt to flee...if you go into exile."
"What makes you think I'd accept that?"
"I'll call back in an hour, but first I want you to visit your hotel room."
I decided to leave the hospital. I returned to the hotel. On the nightstand in my hotel room, I found a rolled up piece of paper. I unrolled it. It read,
"I'm serious. Miki Watanabe."
There was a poorly Photoshopped image of me onto a pornographic image. I threw up a little in my mouth. As I unrolled the paper, a couple of bullets fell out.
He is serious. There was a rising feeling of dread inside of me.

 

[Jacob]

The tension rises!

 

[DK]

Also, just to cap things off, I've updated the character biographies!

 

[uMadson?]

This is so like Black Ops my mind is now full of ****.

 

[alaingeronimo87]

Akiko was connected to a web of wires. There were electrodes all over her body.

This reminds me of Saw....

 

[Skython]

Wow, you almost stole some ideas I had in this chapter Well, at least I know I still have my sanity... Nevermind

Great chapter anyway, it's getting creepy.

 

[DK]

Chapter 16: New Identity​

I was frozen in fear.
What have I done?
I held my head in my hands as I collapsed onto my bed. Then, my phone rang.
"So, have you found my message?"
"You...are...🤬...sick..."
"Do you know how many times I've been called that? By stupid whores from the old USSR, by those girls I went to school with...even...by my own parents..."
I was left stuck for words.
"Here's the terms of your exile: I am going to give you a week's headstart. Once that week is up, I expect you to have moved out of your apartment shared with Seiichi Oka and Daisuke Nomura in Tokyo. If my men see you in Tokyo, Nagoya or Suzuka, I will give them full permission to take you to me. Being 'dead' offers me a lot of cover from the authorities."
A tear rolled down my cheek. Why is this happening to me?
"I would advise you to leave Germany. If you're still in Germany in 3 days, my men will be after you. I would also advise you to adopt a new identity. My men will be on the hunt for a 'Miyu Matsuda,' and they're not going to give up because you've gone into exile."
"THIS IS UNFAIR!!!"
"This is life. If my men bring you to me, then the rest of your life will be spent in my service."
He then cackled evilly, and hung up. I let the phone fall onto the bed. I started frantically packing my suitcase. Within an hour, I had booked a flight back to Tokyo.

Date: 17th of July, 2011
Location: Tokyo, Japan

"It's unusually wet for July today..." I moaned. I was still tired from my flight, which went through Dubai and Shanghai.
Seiichi accompanied me to meet someone.
"So..." he asked, with a hint of awkwardness in his voice, "your S15's in storage, right?"
"Huh?"
Seiichi held his hand up against his forehead. "That red car that you used to drive..." he groaned.
"The one I think I crashed?"
"Never mind, Daisuke found a storage space for it."
"Where are we going?" I asked after I declined to accept a flyer for a strip club.
"To meet an acquaintance of mine."
Seiichi abruptly turned into a narrow alley between a sushi bar and an electronics store. The bag on his back hit the wall.
There's one bit of good news...I no longer have to inhale deeply to get through here...
"Hey, Seiichi, let's try the elevator."
"You do that, I'll use the stairs."
Wow. He really has changed since our first encounter.
"Wait a minute!" I called after Seiichi. "Which floor?"
"Follow me instead."
After a long trek up the stairs, we finally stopped at Floor 22.
"You know what, Seiichi?"
"What is it?"
"I'm starting to hate rain in July. It's hot, and yet it's wet. What's up with that?"
"Well, we're here."
Seiichi knocked on a door. It flew open, and in its entrance was a short lady, possibly in her early 70s, with a very austere look on her face.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" she barked, in a similar fashion to a high-ranking member of the armed forces.
"Hi, Kawasuda-chan. I'm here for-"
Before Seiichi could finish, the old lady yelled. "AKIRA! YOU LAZY BASTARD! A FAT MAN AND A SLEAZY-LOOKING WOMAN ARE HERE FOR YOU!!!"
A stench of rotten feet and sweat charged at me as a fat youngster, possibly around my age, approached.
"Hi...I don't get female-" he stopped himself as he take a few breaths from his inhaler, "-visitors."
Ugh. Let's see the stereotypical nerd checklist:

• Inhaler ☑
• Braces ☑
• Thick Kim Jong-il glasses ☑
• His shirt is tucked in ☑
• Pudding bowl haircut ☑
• Pocket protector in his chest pocket ☑
• Lots of pimples ☑
• Garlic breath ☑
• Trousers tucked into his socks ☑
• Stench of sweat ☑
• Pale skin ☑
• Man boobs ☑

"Let's cut to the chase. We're here on...business..."
"I get it..."
He returned to his room.
"Come on, what are you afraid of?"
"I'm sorry, I left my haz-mat gear in Germany."
I entered his room. Forget nukes...all North Korea need for a superweapon is a sample of the air from this room!
I was surrounded by wall-to-wall drawings of female anime characters in...let's just say, compromising situations.
I think I have a girl-crush on Yoko from "Gurren Lagann", I thought as I inspected one of the drawings. It's impossible not to recognise her whenever Seiichi and Daisuke watch anime...which is pretty much every day.
Seiichi opened his bag. He pulled out a thick stash of cash.
"Oh my God, Seiichi!" I whispered. "How much is in that stack?"
"Around 400,000 yen," replied Seiichi.
"Lady, gentleman, my fee, please," requested Akira.
Seiichi handed over the cash. "That's it?"
"Yeah, we only need one set."
"For whom?"
"Her," answered Seiichi, pointing at me.
"Then I must charge a premium. An extra 200,000, please."
"You con artist!"
"Please," he said, handing me over a Japanese passport, "examine this sample."
Wow. Immaculate.
"Passports for young, beautiful, Japanese women will cost extra. The 400 Gs is just for the standard passport, Japanese, any gender, born in the 1970s. The passports also come with birth certs, ID cards, drivers' licenses and high school diplomas. I can throw in a university diploma for an extra 150k, but the idea of a 20-year-old graduate is going to arouse suspicions."
"Fine, give me one fake passport, then."
"I have one..." he grunted as he thrusted his swivel chair towards his filing cabinet, "...here. For a TAKAHASHI Sakura."
I received the passport, with the ID card, license, birth cert and high school diploma all inside. In return, Seiichi prepared to hand over the 600,000 yen.
"Nuh-uh, Barracuda."
"Barracuda?"
"My code name in the HackerSquadron hacker community. If I were to reveal the remainder of my name to you, I will have to kill you by sitting on you."
"I want her to hand over the cash."
"Fine."
"Just lean forward while you're doing it."
I handed over the cash. Damned blouse. So revealing. While he was still drooling, me and Seiichi left the apartment.
"Daisuke and I will help you with your stuff," he offered.
"OK, but I'm only bringing a minimal amount of things."

Date: July 18th, 2011
Location: Tokyo Station, Japan

I had two suitcases beside me. One was filled with as many clothes as I could carry. The second was filled with essentials, including a new laptop (in case in the unlikely event that my potential pursuers were computer-savvy and could track IP addresses.) I slotted the SIM card into my new phone, a bargain-basement Nokia 6230. I had already cut myself off from the rest of the people I knew.
Mom...Dad...Kenji...Hiroto...Kazumi...Junichi...Toshiya...Kamui...Akiko...
I wiped my eyes as they threatened to flood themselves with tears. I had sent my family an e-mail, telling them I was staying in Germany for a while, around Hamburg.
A lie. The last words I will ever send my parents were...a lie...
My mental self-flagellation was interrupted as the PA system alerted me, and hundreds of other passengers, about the last chance to get aboard the 15:10 Shinkansen.
Goodbye, Tokyo. Goodbye, Miyu Matsuda.
I settled down opposite a couple of businessmen, chatting about what they'll do once they reach Nagano.

Location: Akiko's Subconscious

Her eyes darted from left to right.
Where are you, you son of a bitch?!
Akiko was reminded that her loudest thoughts were being heard by any others in the vicinity. It was like her brain had a microphone.
And then...the sound of dishes smashing against the floor. Akiko, being careful to keep her thinking voice as quiet as possible, rushed to the source of the sound. A figure stumbled between the aisles of this dark, warehouse-like space.
"It's useless! Give up!"
She turned and, in the middle of the aisle, a crouching, feeble figure approached.
"This isn't over!" scowled the figure.
"Oh, yes it is..."
Akiko thrust the blade through the figure's abdomen.
"Goodnight, prick," she said as she pulled her blade out of Miki Watanabe.
"Excellent," commented the vengeful Akiko clone. "He can hide in the dark recesses of your mind...but you have fended him off."
"Thanks...now, if you excuse me, I want to imagine Miyu, in her underwear."
"You know, this is all in your mind, right?"
"Still feels good, though. When will the perv be back?"
"Probably tomorrow night. Enjoy your night with your vision of your friend."

 

[Ryou]

Truly great latest chapters, dramatic, despair, mysteries, that's what I absolutely love in stories. This Fan fiction is definitely one of the best I've ever read. Keep up the work! 👍