Part 2; Page 10
Makoto gets 2 cans of soda from the vending machine at the pit area. She gives one to Takanori and then opens up the can as she leans on her SP1.
Makoto: "The car now has 580 horsepower thanks to modest modifications."
Takanori does not reply.
Makoto: "Is something wrong?"
Takanori: "I'm fine. So, how about the suspension?"
Makoto: "Oh. Well, a friend of mine who works in RSD Tuning Shop in Tokyo installed a fully adjustable racing suspension. You felt the harsh ride, right?"
Takanori: "Yeah. Well, you can't mix comfort and precision."
Takanori consumes the contents of the soda and then Makoto goes to check the car's brakes. Then he goes inside the pit garage to think over what he suddenly felt a while ago.
Takanori: ("I felt a part of me crumbled... That sudden jolt... It instantly took my mood.")
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Meanwhile, Michiharu is laid like a vegetable on the bed in the I.C.U. room. Ben is also inside to monitor on the old man's condition.
Ben: ("How can he talk to his son like this?")
Kaido then enters the room.
Kaido: "Ben, how is he doing?"
Ben: "His lung cancer is on its final stage. All we can do now is to wait for a miracle. He's so stubborn, isn't he?"
Kaido: "But at least he can give a perfect gift for Takanori. After all, that's the only way he can make up for the lost time."
Ben: "Kaido, I'm a father too. The car is not enough; he needs to have a word with his son and explain everything. Words are very powerful."
Suddenly, Michiharu's fingers start to move. Then the two rush on his side.
Ben: "Michiharu!"
Michiharu: "Ben.... Thank you for all that you've done for me."
Ben: "Don't talk like that. You have yet to talk to your son. Save your energy for your conversation with him."
Michiharu: "Very well... Kaido, head over to Takanori's home. Bring him and my wife here."
Kaido: "Understood. I'll go out now to fetch them."
Ben: "You gotta hurry!"
Kaido gets out of the room and heads off.
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At the sunset, Takanori and Makoto have arrived in Tokyo. She drops him off at his house. Takanori waves his hand goodbye as Makoto's car drives away. When he enters the house, he calls out his mother. But he hears no response and looks all over for her. Then he sees a letter on the dining table.
"I'm at the Tokyo General Hospital. Please go there. It's urgent."
Takanori: "What the hell!?"
He hurriedly gets out and runs as fast as he can.
Takanori: "I have a really bad feeling about this. Mom did not complain of anything bad from her health..."
When he arrives at the entrance, Kaido meets him up.
Kaido: "Follow me."
Takanori: "What!? Wait, what happened to Mom?"
Kaido: "Just follow me, okay?"
Takanori reluctantly follows Kaido to the ICU room where Michiharu is. When they enter, Takanori is in a greatest shock of his life. He sees his mother weeping as Ben tries to console her. He slowly walks to Michiharu who is sleeping.
Takanori: "Dad? Dad!?"
Hearing his son's voice, Michiharu wakes up and and holds Takanori's hand.
Michiharu: "My boy... You've grown up a lot."
Tears flow from Takanori's eyes. After 15 years of abandonment, Takanori feels a lot of joy upon seeing his father.
Takanori: "Dad... I miss you."
Michiharu: "Really? I thought that you will hate me for what I've done."
Takanori: "No! I am thinking of you every single night before I sleep. I even have to call agencies around the country to seek help looking for you! I love you, Dad!"
Michiharu: "I'm really sorry... I made you and your mother's life sad. If there's only one way I can make it up to you. See the keys on the table?"
Takanori gets the keys for the R32 GT-R.
Michiharu: "That is my gift to you... I worked on it for 15 years. Now, it's a perfect machine."
Takanori: "Dad, you.."
Michiharu: "Now, I can finally rest... I hope you and your mother live a very happy life without me."
Then his heart rate stops. All of them rush on the bed.
Takanori: "Dad! Dad!"
Takanori's mother weeps and cries loudly. Then the doctors try their best to revive him, but to no avail.
Takanori looks at the car keys and then tears drop on to it.
Takanori: "I have forgiven you already, Dad. I love you very much..."
Suddenly, rain pours heavily from the sky as if the heavens show empathy.
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A few days later, at the cemetery, Takanori stares at his father's grave. Makoto approaches and lays flowers on it.
Makoto: "I'm so sorry to hear about this, Takanori. Me and my father give you sincerest condolences."
Takanori: "Makoto... Even just for a while, I managed to talk to him. That moment, I was really happy to see him. But that has to cut short. Why? Why did he have to die?"
Makoto hugs him.
Makoto: "You know, wherever your father is right now, I'm sure he's happily moved on. Because he knows you have forgiven him and you loved him so much all your life."
Then she lets go and goes on her way to her luxury sedan waiting for her.
Makoto: "Takanori... We all need to move on. I'm sure your father would be happy if you do."
Then Takanori is all alone. The wind suddenly blows strong. Then he takes out the R32's keys from his pocket.
Takanori: "Dad... Thank you. I'll surely miss you a lot."
Then he walks away as he wipes away some tears from his eyes. He briefly looks back at the his father's grave's tombstone as he walks.
Takanori: "Goodbye, Dad..."
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The next day, Takanori heads to the location where the R32 is stashed according to Kaido's directions. He arrives at a traditional home. He sees the sign that says "Kanonji Ancestral Home". It's a big residence, with a garden and even a man-made pond at the middle of the villa.
Takanori: "Such a nice place. Dad didn't take me here..."
He sees some paintings in a room at one side, and then at the other room there is a collection of Katanas in various lengths. Then he goes to the right side first to look for the car.
Takanori: "I wonder where Dad put the car?"
Then he sees a sign with a directional arrow along with the "GT-R" logo. Takanori follows the sign and when he arrived, he could not believe on what he sees right before his eyes.
Takanori: "Woah...."
He goes around the car to check the modifications that have been done.
Takanori: "I can't believe it! The R32 has turned into a race machine! This is amazing! The wide body and the huge spoiler mean that it's the real deal!"
He gets in the car. Then he looks around at the interior.
Takanori: "The interior is totally stripped out. All I see are roll cages, switches and gauges!"
Then he checks the gear lever. He sees that there are now 6 forward gears.
Takanori: "A 6-speed gearbox."
Then he shifts it to neutral. He activates all the necessary switches and then pushes the start button. The heavily-tuned RB26DETT roars as it came to life.
End of Page 10