Yet Another Race Story! A Story in 30 Parts
- Thread starter Rykon Zero
- 271 comments
- 34,301 views
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
Yep. David is me with slightly impaired driving, Tatsuya is me trying to imitate the AI, Jason is B-Spec on 2 with overtake on, and Kyoko is B-Spec on 5 with overtake on. Since Tatsuya hasn't actually raced yet, when Kyoko improves, I'll change her to me being more cautious than usual.
- 14,045
- Ireland
- driftking18594
- CiaranGTR94
Which chapter did Jason race in? I don't think I remember him racing. As for Kyoko, do you think you'll ever drive as her instead of B-Spec Bob?
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
Jason has not raced in the posted chapters, but he will get some time near or during the 20's. And yes, as of chapter 17, I'll be racing as Kyoko.
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
Chapter 15: Trouble arises
"Where the heck are we, anyway?"
"Erm, I have no idea, honestly."
I let Jason drive. I really shouldn't have. He has the sense of direction of a drunk frat boy on LSD. We're now out in some random part of the city, and I don't know how to get back.
"Why didn't you let me drive?"
"Because you can't help but dive straight into the nearest sand pit."
"Hey, I don't do that any more."
"Anything recognizable, you two?"
"I remember seeing this in a movie once."
"Shut up Jason, you're the one who got us into this situation. Kyoko? Tatsuya?"
I looked to the back seats, where Kyoko and Tatsuya were sitting. I had given them a map in hopes of them finding directions.
"This doesn't look right."
"I think you're holding it upside down."
"I still don't recognize this map."
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"Yes?"
"That's Kyoto."
"Oh."
"Oh."
"What the hell?! That's another reason I brought you along, Kyoko. We men have no sense of direction."
"Then why didn't you let me drive?"
"You didn't ask."
"And Jason did?"
"He practically strangled me until I complied with his demands."
"I thought you were manly."
"I don't like being strangled."
"Hey, I think I know where we are now!"
"Really? I didn't believe you the last two times you said that."
"This is the Base's back yard, right?"
Well I'll be. It is. That's another thing we can count on, Jason's random onslaughts of idiocy delivering us to victory.
"How did we get from the outskirts of Tokyo to the other side of Tokyo without seeing a single landmark and arriving sooner than if we drove normally?"
"This van has some magical abilities. One is flipping ta-"
"SHH!"
We still hadn't told Kyoko we halved the ground defense capabilities of Japan in one hour. I don't think we will, unless we're drunk.
"Well, anyway, I know the way to my house from here, I'll drive."
"Ooookay. Jason, back seat."
Jason switched seats with Kyoko, and I had to keep myself from laughing as Kyoko had to adjust the seat and mirrors several clicks.
"It's not my fault you're so tall."
After another 30 minutes, we found ourselves at a large house.
"Here we are. I asked my brother to bring out the car to show you guys."
I didn't see it, but after a quick look, I saw a man, right about my age, leaning gently on a small car.
"There you are, Takeshi. This your car?"
"It is, yes."
"You never talked about it at the party."
"You never asked."
"Fair enough. What have you done to it?"
"It's originally a simple 2000 Q's, but I've modified it to make a little more than 200 hp. I've made it slightly lighter, given it a stiffer suspension, and gave it stickier tires."
"It seems like a bit much, but I think it'll be fine for the races."
"I've actually down-tuned it a bit. If you need, you can put a restrictor plate to nullify the effects of the NA tuning, or set the ECU chip to setting 1 to remove its effects."
"Are you expecting me to race?"
"Well, yeah, you did enter the series. My sister's a bit strange, so don't let her do all the work, if she lets you down, even if you don't care, she will. Don't let her do anything above her level."
"Don't worry, I won't. Thank you for the car."
"Take care of her, too. I'd like my first car back in one piece."
"She's your first?"
"Yep. Don't you feel some compassion for your first car?"
"Nope. a Cadillac DeVille. It was in the worst condition a car could ever possibly be and still work, so I ran it to the ground until I could buy a better car."
"Wow. That car sounds like a pile."
"Yeah. Always worked, never enjoyed it though."
"Well, here's the keys. Don't let Kyoko drive it off of the track. It's rather... Temperamental when not racing."
"My dad had a car like that."
Wait, what? Did he now...?
Oww, my head...
"Anyway, thank you. I'll spend tomorrow testing the car out."
"Treat her well."
"I'll treat her like my own car.
We said our farewells, and we left. I followed the other three in the S13 to hopefully get to know it a bit better.
Wow. Just wow. He wasn't kidding when he said temperamental. The steering rack was changed, and now it's a lot tighter. Not to mention heavy. He'd also emptied out this car, there was no AC or anything, except for some rubber floor pads, a radio, and a fan hooked up to the cigarette lighter. I saw the stickier tires, and while they didn't feel any different here, they'd probably be different on track. The suspension was also stiffer, but it still had enough give to not be uncomfortable. But the really noticeable part was the engine. This thing was peaky. It made 200 hp on a 2.0, naturally aspirated, so naturally the torque band's going to resemble a ramp more than a hill. This thing was nigh undrivable on the road, but I could already tell it was a racer's dream. This was filled with some expensive kit, and a person like that would need to make serious money to afford all of this. I wonder what he does.
I told the guys to wait up at the Base, while I took a little more time to get used to this car.
This was a familiar route to me, the same section of SS Route 5 that made up the race track I drove on a few chapters back. There was a bit of traffic, but nothing I couldn't handle.
I overtook them all in short order, and continued on my path. This car's heavy steering was difficult to drive with, but on the track it was precise and strong. The suspension did its job beautifully, it was just stiff enough to keep the car from rolling excessively, and soft enough to be comfortable and to conform to the road. It hardly understeered, and the oversteer was in sparing amounts. This is an awesome car, inside and out.
I set some really fast laps, and after a short time, I thought it wise to head home. But there was a car in my way.
A man stepped out of the Skyline, and walked up to meet me.
"David Johnson?"
"That's me."
"I'm here to challenge you to a race."
"Erm, can I have a name?"
This man's voice was familiar. Where did I hear it before?
"The name is not important. Tomorrow, I want to see you at Tsukuba Circuit. I've got everything lined up for you, you just need to show up and race. Got it?"
"What makes you so sure I'll show up to race?"
"You're not the kind of man to back away from a challenge."
He was right, I felt like I had an obligation to race against this man.
"I've booked the track for a day, spend it carefully."
The man walked back to his Skyline and drove off. I had a bad feeling about this. I knew I heard the voice from somewhere, but I still don't know where. I've seen that text color before. But another thing, I didn't feel hostility from the man, it was more like... Irritation? I don't know. But tomorrow, at Tsukuba, I know I'll be racing against a powerful opponent. I might not win tomorrow. That much is certain.
I drove back to the Base to consult my team. Hopefully I'll have some answers.
"You've never been to Tsukuba, have you?"
"No, but I've seen it in games. It's a pretty simple track."
"Yeah, but you shouldn't underestimate it, it's still got some depth to it."
"Really, where?"
"Here is a map of the track."
"The three hairpins pose as excellent overtaking places, as well as that third gear corner after the second hairpin. The long curve after that can pose as another overtaking place, if you get a high corner exit speed. A very difficult place is the last corner, the long sweeper. If you apex too early, you can go flying off at the home straight, and if you apex too late, you don't get a good corner exit. Luckily for you, there's a hairpin at the end, your favorite overtaking situation."
He's right, I love overtaking on hairpins. For some reason, it's where most people's techniques fall apart.
"And here, after the first hairpin, there are these two corners. If someone goes too wide, you might be able to find an opening here, but you're setting yourself up badly for the next hairpin. See how complex this track is?"
"Yeah, I do."
"What kind of car did you say he drove?"
"Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R."
"Awesome, awesome car. You've only driven against the R33, but the R34's a complete monster in comparison. The ATTESA-ETS system was totally overhauled for the R34, and as such, it's got the maneuverability of a rear-wheel-drive, and the huge grip of the all-wheel-drives. It's been said to be the best AWD car ever made, able to tackle any situation with grace and ease. It's a bit heavy, but the completely underrated RB26DETT, said to have 276 hp, actually has closer to 350."
"So? I've beaten cars with that much power."
"You don't get it. This car was banned from most motorsport because it won too much. If it's in the hands of someone remotely skilled, you're doomed. Of course, what I really want to know, is how you'd do in a Skyline. If you have a game breaker car in the hands of a game breaker driver, then..."
"Um, guys, I just saw the weather report."
"So? Anything important?"
"It's going to be raining at Tsukuba tomorrow."
"So?"
"Oh god no."
Wait. The Skyline is AWD, and all I have are RWD. That Skyline's going to have the overwhelming advantage here, coupled with how good it is.
"Is it raining gently?"
"Nope. It'll be raining hard tomorrow. The track will be soaked."
Oh balls.
"And you're racing against a Skyline? Dude, you are so boned."
Uh-oh. This might not end favorably at all.
======
End of chapter 15! Will David be victorious?! I don't know, because I haven't raced yet, but I'm not very hopeful for my victory.
Well, actually, I did race it. Be ready for some heart pounding action!
Last edited:
- 398
- Indiana, US
- Tonystew42
End of chapter 16? Did he get his 🤬 kicked too hard to go into enough details for a whole chapter? Good story btw. 👍
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
Hehe... Typo...
Sadly, it is not. I was thinking of having a cameo somewhere, though.
Sadly, it is not. I was thinking of having a cameo somewhere, though.
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
Then I think it shall be that.
"Not good."
"Yeah, I think he'd have been fine on the normal track, but this one is covered in water. The lap times he's putting up are slow to say the least. He's having to fight understeer and oversteer at the same time. If he had any practice with a front drive or all-wheel-drive, he'd probably be doing better here."
"Yeah, he's a good driver, but he needs more experience fighting understeer. He's also not very good in low friction situations. I'm thinking now, he should have gone for something with AWD. He just... Needed more time."
"Do you think he'll win?"
"Not a chance."
======
"Damn it! Not again!"
I slid off of the track for the 35th time today. We arrived here at 8:00, and it's 1:00 now. I've been practicing this whole time, and it's all for naught. I can't get this car to turn. It was so great on other tracks, but here, now, it's displaying some serious understeer. No matter what I do, I end up understeering off the track. When I don't, I end up spinning my wheels at the corner exit. I had the odds stacked against me before, but this time, I have no odds. If that man can drive a car, he's got this race in the bag.
======
"Are you sure this is the best course of action?"
"I'm very sure. David has gotten fairly arrogant about his skills, admittedly with good reason. But he needs refinement, and ability with other types of cars. I don't think he'll peel away from his precious rear drives until he gets a serious wake up call."
======
"He doesn't have his international licenses yet, and those truly test his skills. I think, after this, we'll need to have him agree to getting his IB and IA licenses."
"If he goes and returns victorious, what do you say we get him a present. I'll find him a good front drive, you find him an AWD."
"Sure thing. We'll even do this series for him. I know what he wants to do, why he's doing this series. He's going to get a car to replace the Silvia we bought. That's fine, we can do that. But before all of that, we need to see how this race pans out."
======
It's 2:00. I did yet more laps, but it still hasn't done anything. The race is going to be starting soon, I need to change these tires. I pulled into the pit area.
"I need to change the tires."
"Wore them out?"
"No, I just want a fresh set for this race."
Don't you think you're going to win?"
"Honestly, no. I don't stand a chance."
The faces my friends gave me showed only agreement. Even my best friends, the ones who believe in me most, don't think I stand a chance. I'd normally be depressed, but I've already resigned to my fate. I can only turn forward to the future, and hope for the best. After I changed the tires, I gave my friends a smile, put on my helmet, and drove out to meet the man in the Skyline.
"Are you ready?"
"I'm ready. I hope you have some tissue paper in that car of yours, you might need it when you lose."
"Hah!"
It was all a bluff. Indignation is no replacement for skill, but it still helps to put a brave face on in the most dire of times. We did a slow lap around the track, and when we got back to the home stretch, the race was on.
I made the mistake of going sideways 46 times. On the first corner, this was not a good start.
I made the mistake of understeering 74 times.
I made the mistake of cutting the corner wrong 27 times.
I made the mistake of spinning my wheels and mis-shifting 83 times.
I made the mistake of clipping the final apex wrong 32 times.
I made the mistake of entering an unbeatable race... Never.
My reckless abandon mode would be fatal here. If it were still in it's original form. I've been training myself and my reckless abandon mode for several days now. I've honed it to a point of me being simple incredibly brave. I still have no sense of self preservation, but I can tell when I'm in danger. I'm using logic instead of instinct in this mode, and my personality comes out full force when I release it. Just. Like. Now.
I called it reckless abandon mode, because I had no fear of death when I was in it. I got put in the hospital four times when I was younger because of it. I was afraid of it. But I was not afraid any more, so I tuned it. I changed it. I evolved it into a new mode.
Unbreakable Will Mode.
I will catch up. I will not fail at this. I will catch up, because I have no choice. I will make it. I. Will. Win.
I will not fail. I will not falter. I will stop at nothing to win.
I cannot lose. I give myself no choice. I can only win.
"He told me to be careful on hairpins, but what do I have to wor- wait, I haven't lost him yet?"
"How did he... Not only did I not lose him, but he closed the gap so quickly?! But how..."
I will win. I will win. I. Will. Win.
Heh. Looks like I couldn't win after all. My vision's going a bit dim, this unbreakable will mode takes a lot out of me... Just hold on David. Get around this corner, and you'll be fine.
Good. Now just put your foot on the brake, and go to sleep. My duty is now over.
"I don't believe it. He almost won, with such huge odds against him. This is why Andrea wanted to teach him. He's got true ability. I'd like to let the record books show this passage in time and say, "David Johnson's first, and only, loss.""
======
"He lost."
"Yeah."
"It's not really surprising now. Where's Jason gone?"
======
"He lost."
"Yes, but this is the turning point. Will he relinquish his skill and go back to his mundane day job, or will he become inspired, and search for his own true ability?"
======
I tried my best, but still lost. What should I do?
>Give up! You can't amount to anything now that you've lost!
>Don't give up! Every racer loses some time or another!
======
"Of course, in his mind, he has three options. Drop out, take it in stride, or the one we want..."
======
I choose... Neither. I tried my best. It wasn't enough. I'll make it so my best... Is always enough. That GT-R made it so easily around that track. I want that power. I will get that ability.
======
"Hey, his car is stopping in the middle of the road. Is he okay?"
"His head is tipped forward, we should check it out."
======
I feel sad. I lost. But I won't take it in stride. My father never gave up, he raced with all he had. He never even gave up when he saved my life all those years back. I will never lose again. Ever.
I opened my eyes. The bright light made me wince.
"Hey, he's waking up!"
"Dude, you okay?"
Where was I? Fluorescent lights? White walls? Oh. A hospital. Why am I here?
"David, you blacked out when you finished the race, then you slipped into a coma. You've been out for two days."
"Heh. Was I? I was just thinking about what I'll do, now that I've lost."
"What do you mean, thinking?! You passed out! The doctors said you were fine, but what if you passed out on a corner?! This is no laughing matter!"
"I didn't pass out. My brain couldn't handle the pressure."
"What?"
"Long story. Anyway, I wouldn't have passed out then, I had control of when I passed out."
"That makes no sense, but we're glad you're fine."
"Yeah, I'm just like new. But this still doesn't make up for me losing the race. There's something I need to do."
"Well, we had a bit of an idea..."
"I'm going to the license center and get my international licenses."
"Go to the licen- wait, really?"
"Yes. I lost because I didn't know how to drive. I need to learn to drive on AWD and FWD. I'll go ahead and do that after I'm done with the 90's series."
"Um, don't worry about that. We all agreed that we'd do the 90's series for you if you went to take the international license tests."
"So you guys had the same idea as me? Heh. Good. You guys know why I was doing the races in the first place, right?"
"Yeah, to get money to upgrade your car and to get Ken Matsumoto a new car. Don't worry, we'll figure it out."
"Good. I can leave it all in your hands?"
"We got it covered, don't worry."
I got up and went to get dressed.
======
"I can't believe Andrea had all this planned out."
"He's a smart man. I'm not sure why he's doing this, but it's not for a bad reason."
"This Andrea person sounds like a jerk."
"I'm ready to go, guys! If I've lost two days, then the next 90's race is tomorrow. I'll go to the local GT license center and do a bunch of these tests. When I come back, I expect my friends to have a 100% victory record here."
"Don't worry about it. We'll take care of it. Just do what you need."
"Thank you guys."
"I thought you'd want to finish up with your favorite car, so I went ahead and brought your MR2 for you."
"Wow, thanks."
I haven't driven that car in a while now. It'll be nice.
"We'll win the races, you just get the licenses. In, let's say, a week, let's meet up in Tokyo. You should be done by then."
"Okay. See you then!"
After I checked out at the hospital, I walked out to my car. It looked like they had washed my MR2, it was gleaming in the sun. I'd be away at the license test center for a week. I'll have to put in my best effort here, I'd hate for my friends to call me a slacker.
I started up the MR2 and basked in the familiar noise of its 4A-GE, before I drove out of the parking lot. I wonder if my friends really can win? Bah, of course they can. Tatsuya is an okay driver, Jason was taught by me when we were younger, and Kyoko could race almost anything, anywhere. I don't have to worry about them.
======
"Oh, wait, I forgot to turn off the gas."
"You idiot!"
======
This race was the end of a legend. That much is sure. I can no longer claim ever victorious. But it is the start of a new legend; David, the man who lost only once.
======
End of chapter 16. We're almost at the end of the official Japan arc, but we'll still be sticking around for a bit until we head off to our new destination.
BONUS: Character Profiles
David Johnson:
Age: 22
Birthday: March 15
A tall, handsome man, very smart. He never had to study in school, and this lead to a level of arrogance, one that has not slacked at all since he started racing. Even though he's got a large ego, he's very kind and caring, and will take every opportunity to help a person in need. His father appears to have a mysterious past, what happened to him, and why can't David remember his true past?
Jason Venturi:
Age: 22
Birthday: August 8
Almost as tall as David, French/German. An aloof and goofy man, he makes jokes all the time. Nonetheless, he is a nice person to hang out with, and he cares about people's well being, even to the point of being a nuisance. Jason was trained in racing by David himself, and though Jason is the slowest racer of the bunch, his early training gave him the second highest potential. What will become of him?
Tatsuya Imahara:
Age: 24
Birthday: January 21
A smart and well read man. He is regularly the brains of the group, and acts as the informer. A serious, but kind person, he's very stern to people so they change their ways. He can speak three languages, English, Japanese, and French, and has an unhealthy addiction to bacon. His mother was a racing driver, until she had to retire on maternity leave. She taught Tatsuya how to drive, and now, he's the third fastest on the team.
Kyoko Kakujima:
Age: 20
Birthday: November 16
A beautiful girl, raised in a racing environment. Her father was a prolific street racer, until an accident paralyzed him from the waist down. This made him overprotective of his children, and was against their racing, until Kyoko entered the GT association. Kyoko is smarter than average, can cook reasonably well, is good at sports, and is the second fastest driver in the group, thanks to Takeshi's specialized training.
Chapter 16: End of a Legend
"Not good."
"Yeah, I think he'd have been fine on the normal track, but this one is covered in water. The lap times he's putting up are slow to say the least. He's having to fight understeer and oversteer at the same time. If he had any practice with a front drive or all-wheel-drive, he'd probably be doing better here."
"Yeah, he's a good driver, but he needs more experience fighting understeer. He's also not very good in low friction situations. I'm thinking now, he should have gone for something with AWD. He just... Needed more time."
"Do you think he'll win?"
"Not a chance."
======
"Damn it! Not again!"
I slid off of the track for the 35th time today. We arrived here at 8:00, and it's 1:00 now. I've been practicing this whole time, and it's all for naught. I can't get this car to turn. It was so great on other tracks, but here, now, it's displaying some serious understeer. No matter what I do, I end up understeering off the track. When I don't, I end up spinning my wheels at the corner exit. I had the odds stacked against me before, but this time, I have no odds. If that man can drive a car, he's got this race in the bag.
======
"Are you sure this is the best course of action?"
"I'm very sure. David has gotten fairly arrogant about his skills, admittedly with good reason. But he needs refinement, and ability with other types of cars. I don't think he'll peel away from his precious rear drives until he gets a serious wake up call."
======
"He doesn't have his international licenses yet, and those truly test his skills. I think, after this, we'll need to have him agree to getting his IB and IA licenses."
"If he goes and returns victorious, what do you say we get him a present. I'll find him a good front drive, you find him an AWD."
"Sure thing. We'll even do this series for him. I know what he wants to do, why he's doing this series. He's going to get a car to replace the Silvia we bought. That's fine, we can do that. But before all of that, we need to see how this race pans out."
======
It's 2:00. I did yet more laps, but it still hasn't done anything. The race is going to be starting soon, I need to change these tires. I pulled into the pit area.
"I need to change the tires."
"Wore them out?"
"No, I just want a fresh set for this race."
Don't you think you're going to win?"
"Honestly, no. I don't stand a chance."
The faces my friends gave me showed only agreement. Even my best friends, the ones who believe in me most, don't think I stand a chance. I'd normally be depressed, but I've already resigned to my fate. I can only turn forward to the future, and hope for the best. After I changed the tires, I gave my friends a smile, put on my helmet, and drove out to meet the man in the Skyline.
"Are you ready?"
"I'm ready. I hope you have some tissue paper in that car of yours, you might need it when you lose."
"Hah!"
It was all a bluff. Indignation is no replacement for skill, but it still helps to put a brave face on in the most dire of times. We did a slow lap around the track, and when we got back to the home stretch, the race was on.
I made the mistake of going sideways 46 times. On the first corner, this was not a good start.
I made the mistake of understeering 74 times.
I made the mistake of cutting the corner wrong 27 times.
I made the mistake of spinning my wheels and mis-shifting 83 times.
I made the mistake of clipping the final apex wrong 32 times.
I made the mistake of entering an unbeatable race... Never.
My reckless abandon mode would be fatal here. If it were still in it's original form. I've been training myself and my reckless abandon mode for several days now. I've honed it to a point of me being simple incredibly brave. I still have no sense of self preservation, but I can tell when I'm in danger. I'm using logic instead of instinct in this mode, and my personality comes out full force when I release it. Just. Like. Now.
I called it reckless abandon mode, because I had no fear of death when I was in it. I got put in the hospital four times when I was younger because of it. I was afraid of it. But I was not afraid any more, so I tuned it. I changed it. I evolved it into a new mode.
Unbreakable Will Mode.
I will catch up. I will not fail at this. I will catch up, because I have no choice. I will make it. I. Will. Win.
I will not fail. I will not falter. I will stop at nothing to win.
I cannot lose. I give myself no choice. I can only win.
"He told me to be careful on hairpins, but what do I have to wor- wait, I haven't lost him yet?"
"How did he... Not only did I not lose him, but he closed the gap so quickly?! But how..."
I will win. I will win. I. Will. Win.
Heh. Looks like I couldn't win after all. My vision's going a bit dim, this unbreakable will mode takes a lot out of me... Just hold on David. Get around this corner, and you'll be fine.
Good. Now just put your foot on the brake, and go to sleep. My duty is now over.
"I don't believe it. He almost won, with such huge odds against him. This is why Andrea wanted to teach him. He's got true ability. I'd like to let the record books show this passage in time and say, "David Johnson's first, and only, loss.""
======
"He lost."
"Yeah."
"It's not really surprising now. Where's Jason gone?"
======
"He lost."
"Yes, but this is the turning point. Will he relinquish his skill and go back to his mundane day job, or will he become inspired, and search for his own true ability?"
======
I tried my best, but still lost. What should I do?
>Give up! You can't amount to anything now that you've lost!
>Don't give up! Every racer loses some time or another!
======
"Of course, in his mind, he has three options. Drop out, take it in stride, or the one we want..."
======
I choose... Neither. I tried my best. It wasn't enough. I'll make it so my best... Is always enough. That GT-R made it so easily around that track. I want that power. I will get that ability.
======
"Hey, his car is stopping in the middle of the road. Is he okay?"
"His head is tipped forward, we should check it out."
======
I feel sad. I lost. But I won't take it in stride. My father never gave up, he raced with all he had. He never even gave up when he saved my life all those years back. I will never lose again. Ever.
I opened my eyes. The bright light made me wince.
"Hey, he's waking up!"
"Dude, you okay?"
Where was I? Fluorescent lights? White walls? Oh. A hospital. Why am I here?
"David, you blacked out when you finished the race, then you slipped into a coma. You've been out for two days."
"Heh. Was I? I was just thinking about what I'll do, now that I've lost."
"What do you mean, thinking?! You passed out! The doctors said you were fine, but what if you passed out on a corner?! This is no laughing matter!"
"I didn't pass out. My brain couldn't handle the pressure."
"What?"
"Long story. Anyway, I wouldn't have passed out then, I had control of when I passed out."
"That makes no sense, but we're glad you're fine."
"Yeah, I'm just like new. But this still doesn't make up for me losing the race. There's something I need to do."
"Well, we had a bit of an idea..."
"I'm going to the license center and get my international licenses."
"Go to the licen- wait, really?"
"Yes. I lost because I didn't know how to drive. I need to learn to drive on AWD and FWD. I'll go ahead and do that after I'm done with the 90's series."
"Um, don't worry about that. We all agreed that we'd do the 90's series for you if you went to take the international license tests."
"So you guys had the same idea as me? Heh. Good. You guys know why I was doing the races in the first place, right?"
"Yeah, to get money to upgrade your car and to get Ken Matsumoto a new car. Don't worry, we'll figure it out."
"Good. I can leave it all in your hands?"
"We got it covered, don't worry."
I got up and went to get dressed.
======
"I can't believe Andrea had all this planned out."
"He's a smart man. I'm not sure why he's doing this, but it's not for a bad reason."
"This Andrea person sounds like a jerk."
"I'm ready to go, guys! If I've lost two days, then the next 90's race is tomorrow. I'll go to the local GT license center and do a bunch of these tests. When I come back, I expect my friends to have a 100% victory record here."
"Don't worry about it. We'll take care of it. Just do what you need."
"Thank you guys."
"I thought you'd want to finish up with your favorite car, so I went ahead and brought your MR2 for you."
"Wow, thanks."
I haven't driven that car in a while now. It'll be nice.
"We'll win the races, you just get the licenses. In, let's say, a week, let's meet up in Tokyo. You should be done by then."
"Okay. See you then!"
After I checked out at the hospital, I walked out to my car. It looked like they had washed my MR2, it was gleaming in the sun. I'd be away at the license test center for a week. I'll have to put in my best effort here, I'd hate for my friends to call me a slacker.
I started up the MR2 and basked in the familiar noise of its 4A-GE, before I drove out of the parking lot. I wonder if my friends really can win? Bah, of course they can. Tatsuya is an okay driver, Jason was taught by me when we were younger, and Kyoko could race almost anything, anywhere. I don't have to worry about them.
======
"Oh, wait, I forgot to turn off the gas."
"You idiot!"
======
This race was the end of a legend. That much is sure. I can no longer claim ever victorious. But it is the start of a new legend; David, the man who lost only once.
======
End of chapter 16. We're almost at the end of the official Japan arc, but we'll still be sticking around for a bit until we head off to our new destination.
BONUS: Character Profiles
David Johnson:
Age: 22
Birthday: March 15
A tall, handsome man, very smart. He never had to study in school, and this lead to a level of arrogance, one that has not slacked at all since he started racing. Even though he's got a large ego, he's very kind and caring, and will take every opportunity to help a person in need. His father appears to have a mysterious past, what happened to him, and why can't David remember his true past?
Jason Venturi:
Age: 22
Birthday: August 8
Almost as tall as David, French/German. An aloof and goofy man, he makes jokes all the time. Nonetheless, he is a nice person to hang out with, and he cares about people's well being, even to the point of being a nuisance. Jason was trained in racing by David himself, and though Jason is the slowest racer of the bunch, his early training gave him the second highest potential. What will become of him?
Tatsuya Imahara:
Age: 24
Birthday: January 21
A smart and well read man. He is regularly the brains of the group, and acts as the informer. A serious, but kind person, he's very stern to people so they change their ways. He can speak three languages, English, Japanese, and French, and has an unhealthy addiction to bacon. His mother was a racing driver, until she had to retire on maternity leave. She taught Tatsuya how to drive, and now, he's the third fastest on the team.
Kyoko Kakujima:
Age: 20
Birthday: November 16
A beautiful girl, raised in a racing environment. Her father was a prolific street racer, until an accident paralyzed him from the waist down. This made him overprotective of his children, and was against their racing, until Kyoko entered the GT association. Kyoko is smarter than average, can cook reasonably well, is good at sports, and is the second fastest driver in the group, thanks to Takeshi's specialized training.
- 3,903
- St.Pete, FL
- NotThePrez
- NotThePrez
Good chapter! I like how you made the pictures darker as David started to go out. It was kinda sad, but you can't win forever. Looking forward to seeing what happens next!
Last edited:
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
You kidding me? A Supra wouldn't have put up a fighting chance. I almost caught the Skyline as is.
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
I was going for that sort of vibe. Thank you.
And yes, I'll work on a side story of David's time at the license center. For some reason, I feel like having the test instructor be an extremely hot woman. And, it might just be in Switzerland.
By the way, I'll fill that in during the Weekend. It'll be a two part, how about that?
Chapter 17: David, Assured Victor
It's been a week since David and us went our separate ways. We completed the 90's cup, and we had our fair share of scary moments, yet we still came up on top. This whole time, I've been training in a very careful way, and I've taken what I've seen of David's driving style, and applied it to mine. I'm nowhere near as fast, but I'm a lot faster than before.
Well, when we won the series, we got a prize car, and we only thought it fit to give it to Ken. It was a black Nismo 400R, more than enough to give to him. When we rolled up with the Life Step van, he had a really funny look on his face, then Tatsuya drove up in the 400R. Ken couldn't believe we would just give him such a better car, but he took it in the end. He looked so happy, it made me realize how David feels when he always does these selfless things.
After we did that, Tatsuya and I did what we said we would, and bought David a present. We were driving to the meeting point we had designated. It was in Tokyo, on R246. The first place we met. That's nice. But I bought my car from a guy in the mountains, and I had to pick it up from there.
It's a Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborg ZR. It's a 97 model, so it's not that old, but it was really heavily tuned by the dude who owned it. It makes 200 hp naturally aspirated, has a really nifty aftermarket suspension, it weighs exactly 1000 kilos, and it's got a really cool differential. It took me a bit of time to get used to it, but this car is really good. It is almost at the point of wheelspin in second, but it doesn't. Turn in is sharp, corner exits are fast, and the car is really predictable. Throttle on, understeer, throttle off, oversteer. In second, it really handles the hairpins well, barely understeering, and exiting the corner FAST. I got this car cheap too, so I was really pleased with myself. I really had a lot of fun driving this car, but I'm almost at the destination already, and I'd like to see what Tatsuya bought.
"Is that..."
"A 22B?"
"Yeah."
"Yes, it is."
"How the hell did you get your hands on a 22B?!"
"I actually found it looking through a catalog."
"Whatever. Is it stock?"
"Nope. It's got a new suspension, new diffs, bigger turbo, and that's about it. It makes 350 hp, but I'd really like a wider gearbox."
"What's wrong with it?"
"Subaru originally gave it a close ratio gearbox, which is fine, but it tops out at 145 mph. That's kind of annoying, especially when it has all that power."
"How did you get to 145 mph?"
"I took the Wangan."
"Oh dear."
"So, yeah. It handles okay, lots of understeer, but it's so fast, it makes you think it's understeering more than it really is, when in fact you're just going waaaaay to fast."
"Ah, I see. Is Jason here yet?"
"I think I hear him coming. So, you got David a Mirage?"
"Yeah, it's got an awesome suspension, retooled engine, new diff, lighter, all that stuff. It's fast."
"Hey guys, what's up?"
"Got the cars."
"Ah, a Mirage, and... Is that the 22B from Autotrader?"
"Yeah. I bought it for a bargain, too."
"What... Is that?"
"It's my Cappuccino. I've been doing a few races here and there, and I've been pouring money into it for a while now. It's got almost a hundred horses now, and it's good in the corners."
"Wow. I didn't know you actually did anything to it."
"Yeah, when I have the chance."
"So, you were conspiring with Andrea for that whole race, weren't you?"
"Yeah, I was. He said he'd be able to make David a safer driver, so I went with it."
"Who was the man in the Skyline?"
"He never told me. He did say he's related to someone we know."
"Someone we know? Huh."
"Is David here yet?"
"No, he should be here soon, though."
Just as he said that, a blue MR2 went racing by. It slowed down, gunned it, then spun around to face us.
"Did y'all have a good time?"
"What's with that accent?"
======
Hah, my friends.
"Nothing, thought I'd use it."
"So, did your training go well?"
"Very well. Person there said I was the fastest driver they'd met, so we just worked on refining and smoothing my style."
"Did it work?"
"Beat every single of the records at the track by over a second. I now have my IB and IA licenses. I actually more than qualified when I got there, but that'd be defeating the purpose."
"Great work! We finished the 90's series, and got a Nismo 400R!"
"That's perfect! We should give it to Ken."
"Already did. He was very, very happy."
"Good. That's how it should be. So, you guys bought new cars?"
"Yeah, we did."
"Looks like a Mirage and... Is that the 22B from Autotrader?"
"Yeah, it is, we were just talking about that."
"Well, looks like you guys will have a lot of fun in your new cars."
"They're..."
"Not for us."
Not for them?
"We bought these cars as a gift for you. For completing your license tests."
What.
"What."
The cars in front of me were awesome. One was a Mitsubishi Mirage, with aftermarket rims and suspension, and the second, oh gods, was an Impreza 22B!
"Why did you do this?!"
"We all know you're a fast driver, but you were always right about to crash. We wanted to make sure your driving was fast, but also careful. This is your present for walking the path of safety."
"Th...Thanks, guys."
"We've also booked a track day at Suzuka Circuit. You can race all day there, if you want."
"Wow, cool! On the way over, I got that new differential for the MR2, so I'll be able to test that out too!"
I was nearly overcome with emotion. These friends of mine... I am so glad they are my friends.
"Let's go after we have lunch, I'm hungry. It's on me."
We ate at a small corner cafe, where we were served by young girls in maid outfits. Jason took an unhealthy attraction to them.
"I want a maid..."
After we finished up, we all decided to head up to Suzuka. Suzuka Circuit is a very long, and difficult track. Spoon curve is notorious for being difficult, and it's said Apricot Hill Raceway and Midfield Raceway were both designed after it, when the GT association couldn't get Suzuka under it's belt. We pulled into an empty pit garage, and parked out cars.
"It'll take a little time to put on the differential, so you guys go ahead and race."
"Nah, we all got some practice, so we'll just help you with the diff."
"Cool, thanks!"
We got the old diff off and the new one on in short time, thanks to Tatsuya already having done it before. I fired up the car, and after making sure everything was in working order and dumping the ballast, Jason crawled in the car with me.
"I wanted to see how much better you've gotten."
"Very well."
I pulled out of the pits and started to drive.
This was a track day, so there were other cars on the track. I waited for a few to go by until I went all out.
Ahh, the old crispness of the steering was still here, but the horrendous oversteer was gone. I could now safely push the car to the limits of adhesion, and I wouldn't have to worry about dying. I basked in the wonderful new handling, and after I had almost completed a lap, I had caught up to a pack of drivers.
"Wow, you really have improved. Good work."
Overtaking them was easy, Just smoothly slip into a hole in their defense, and use the higher cornering speed to perform a slingshot overtake.
"Umm, maybe improved a bit much?"
The Vectra was a cinch to pass, and the only thing left in the distance was a familiar sight. An MG TF, one I recognized from a few chapters ago.
Half a lap went by, I passed him, ect.. You really shouldn't expect any less after I trained so much. At the end of the lap, I pulled into the pits, and after I sat for a moment to think about the awesome new handling, then got out.
"You really have improved. Your steering is much smoother, throttle control is better, even your base technique has improved tenfold. You could probably beat that Skyline now."
"Nope, he was a master class, he wasn't even trying in that race. I just surprised him at the end, I think."
"Yeah, what happened at the end there, anyway? Did you get hit? The doctors said you were fine."
"I've been training the "Reckless Abandon mode.""
"You've been doing WHAT? Do you know how dangerous that is?!"
"That's why I turned it into something else."
"Something else? What do you mean?"
"It is now called "Unbreakeable Will mode". I have different mental abilities. I first noticed it during Andrea's race, and I've honed it. I turn all of my mental power into physics processing mode. It basically overclocks my brain and gets rid of instinct, instead relying on logic and thought."
"That's... Interesting. Is it any safer?"
"I keep a little bit of instinct going as a precaution, but on the whole, it's a lot safer. It lets me analyze the situation, figure out a plan of attack, and lets me go as fast as I need. Which I do."
"That's deep. So, which car do you want to try? The MMC or the 22B?"
"I'll go with the Mirage."
I hopped in the car, and Kyoko got in the passenger's side.
"I'd like to see this for myself."
She handed me the keys, I turned the car on, and headed out on the track. There was a new set of racers out, I'd say a bit more than the performance of the Mirage.
This was a completely different beast from ANYTHING they had at the test center. Under throttle, it understeered as usual, but off, it oversteered beautifully, and under braking, it pointed where I wanted it to go. I had considered FWDs inferior prior to the license tests, and after, I still would have picked a RWD 9 times out of 10. But now, now I was changing my mind. It felt light, it felt smooth, and it felt fast. I overtook a Taurus SHO like it was nothing, and my next task was a Lotus Elise.
It took me a while to track down the Elise. By the time I got to the end of the final straight, I had overtaken the Elise, and I kept it behind me while I tried to set a record time. I couldn't do the record for this session, because some fool brought in a Subaru Legacy and a Silvia 240RS, but I broke the record for FWDs.
I finally pulled into the pits. Kyoko got out, vaguely shaking.
"You have really gotten better. I've been improving, but you're on a different level. My god!"
"That is a very good car. Nice looking too. Thanks, Kyoko!"
"Ah, um..." She blushed bright red. "Thank you."
Tatsuya held out his hand to Jason, and Jason very reluctantly gave Tatsuya some money.
"Told you so."
"Man, I hate you."
"My turn, David. Care to take out the 22B?"
"Do I care to take out the 22B? Is water wet?"
"Sweet."
He threw me the keys, and I got in the car. Tatsuya got in as well, but had put on a helmet.
"It handles well, but it's got a natural disposition to understeer, and it happens to not oversteer off throttle. You can't use your old style in this car."
"Don't worry, I've got plenty of experience with understeer now."
"It's also got a ridiculously close gearbox. You will have to be shifting constantly. Also-"
"Don't worry, I'll figure it out."
I drove out of the pits again, one last time.
The pack this time appeared to be made up of AWD monsters. All of them were easy pickings. It took me only until Spoon when I overtook the leader, oddly enough, a 22b.
"Alright, this car has a bigger turbo, new diffs, new suspension, and a VDC controller. I noticed that the car understeered, which was annoying, and the transmission was too short, which was also annoying."
"Yeah, I have to constantly change gear. The car is fast, but I don't really like it, admittedly."
It understeered constantly. Throttle, neutral, and braking were all just different forms of understeer. I'd have to fix this if I wanted to like this car. Maybe twiddling with the VDC would work. I drove a few laps and set the track record for the day. I managed to pull off a good lap at the end, then I pulled into the pits. Everyone was packing up, and I got out of the car.
"We going home?"
"Yep. Get ready."
And so we packed up. We left in a caravan again, and after a few hours of driving, we made it back to the Base.
"Good day. Thank you guys, again."
"No problem. It's pretty late now, so we should get ready for bed."
Yeah, it was late. We did a lot today. I'm more glad than anything that we got our party back together again. I get the feeling we're unstoppable now.
======
"He's improved. Monumentally."
"How good is he?"
"Better than me. Way better."
"In just a week? Not possible."
"Yeah. At this point in time, I think even you would have difficulty, unless you brought out your Renault."
"So, he's that good already? I think I might test him. For the time being, ask him to a rematch. I think he'll agree."
======
End of chapter 17. The Japan arc is drawing to a close. Expect the finale to be awesome beyond recognition. And no, the story is not over, just the whole "Keeping in Japan" thing.
Haha! The image uploading thing went without a hitch! That's weird. GTP Will probably crash RIIIGHT as I post this.
And yes, I'll work on a side story of David's time at the license center. For some reason, I feel like having the test instructor be an extremely hot woman. And, it might just be in Switzerland.
By the way, I'll fill that in during the Weekend. It'll be a two part, how about that?
Chapter 17: David, Assured Victor
It's been a week since David and us went our separate ways. We completed the 90's cup, and we had our fair share of scary moments, yet we still came up on top. This whole time, I've been training in a very careful way, and I've taken what I've seen of David's driving style, and applied it to mine. I'm nowhere near as fast, but I'm a lot faster than before.
Well, when we won the series, we got a prize car, and we only thought it fit to give it to Ken. It was a black Nismo 400R, more than enough to give to him. When we rolled up with the Life Step van, he had a really funny look on his face, then Tatsuya drove up in the 400R. Ken couldn't believe we would just give him such a better car, but he took it in the end. He looked so happy, it made me realize how David feels when he always does these selfless things.
After we did that, Tatsuya and I did what we said we would, and bought David a present. We were driving to the meeting point we had designated. It was in Tokyo, on R246. The first place we met. That's nice. But I bought my car from a guy in the mountains, and I had to pick it up from there.
It's a Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborg ZR. It's a 97 model, so it's not that old, but it was really heavily tuned by the dude who owned it. It makes 200 hp naturally aspirated, has a really nifty aftermarket suspension, it weighs exactly 1000 kilos, and it's got a really cool differential. It took me a bit of time to get used to it, but this car is really good. It is almost at the point of wheelspin in second, but it doesn't. Turn in is sharp, corner exits are fast, and the car is really predictable. Throttle on, understeer, throttle off, oversteer. In second, it really handles the hairpins well, barely understeering, and exiting the corner FAST. I got this car cheap too, so I was really pleased with myself. I really had a lot of fun driving this car, but I'm almost at the destination already, and I'd like to see what Tatsuya bought.
"Is that..."
"A 22B?"
"Yeah."
"Yes, it is."
"How the hell did you get your hands on a 22B?!"
"I actually found it looking through a catalog."
"Whatever. Is it stock?"
"Nope. It's got a new suspension, new diffs, bigger turbo, and that's about it. It makes 350 hp, but I'd really like a wider gearbox."
"What's wrong with it?"
"Subaru originally gave it a close ratio gearbox, which is fine, but it tops out at 145 mph. That's kind of annoying, especially when it has all that power."
"How did you get to 145 mph?"
"I took the Wangan."
"Oh dear."
"So, yeah. It handles okay, lots of understeer, but it's so fast, it makes you think it's understeering more than it really is, when in fact you're just going waaaaay to fast."
"Ah, I see. Is Jason here yet?"
"I think I hear him coming. So, you got David a Mirage?"
"Yeah, it's got an awesome suspension, retooled engine, new diff, lighter, all that stuff. It's fast."
"Hey guys, what's up?"
"Got the cars."
"Ah, a Mirage, and... Is that the 22B from Autotrader?"
"Yeah. I bought it for a bargain, too."
"What... Is that?"
"It's my Cappuccino. I've been doing a few races here and there, and I've been pouring money into it for a while now. It's got almost a hundred horses now, and it's good in the corners."
"Wow. I didn't know you actually did anything to it."
"Yeah, when I have the chance."
"So, you were conspiring with Andrea for that whole race, weren't you?"
"Yeah, I was. He said he'd be able to make David a safer driver, so I went with it."
"Who was the man in the Skyline?"
"He never told me. He did say he's related to someone we know."
"Someone we know? Huh."
"Is David here yet?"
"No, he should be here soon, though."
Just as he said that, a blue MR2 went racing by. It slowed down, gunned it, then spun around to face us.
"Did y'all have a good time?"
"What's with that accent?"
======
Hah, my friends.
"Nothing, thought I'd use it."
"So, did your training go well?"
"Very well. Person there said I was the fastest driver they'd met, so we just worked on refining and smoothing my style."
"Did it work?"
"Beat every single of the records at the track by over a second. I now have my IB and IA licenses. I actually more than qualified when I got there, but that'd be defeating the purpose."
"Great work! We finished the 90's series, and got a Nismo 400R!"
"That's perfect! We should give it to Ken."
"Already did. He was very, very happy."
"Good. That's how it should be. So, you guys bought new cars?"
"Yeah, we did."
"Looks like a Mirage and... Is that the 22B from Autotrader?"
"Yeah, it is, we were just talking about that."
"Well, looks like you guys will have a lot of fun in your new cars."
"They're..."
"Not for us."
Not for them?
"We bought these cars as a gift for you. For completing your license tests."
What.
"What."
The cars in front of me were awesome. One was a Mitsubishi Mirage, with aftermarket rims and suspension, and the second, oh gods, was an Impreza 22B!
"Why did you do this?!"
"We all know you're a fast driver, but you were always right about to crash. We wanted to make sure your driving was fast, but also careful. This is your present for walking the path of safety."
"Th...Thanks, guys."
"We've also booked a track day at Suzuka Circuit. You can race all day there, if you want."
"Wow, cool! On the way over, I got that new differential for the MR2, so I'll be able to test that out too!"
I was nearly overcome with emotion. These friends of mine... I am so glad they are my friends.
"Let's go after we have lunch, I'm hungry. It's on me."
We ate at a small corner cafe, where we were served by young girls in maid outfits. Jason took an unhealthy attraction to them.
"I want a maid..."
After we finished up, we all decided to head up to Suzuka. Suzuka Circuit is a very long, and difficult track. Spoon curve is notorious for being difficult, and it's said Apricot Hill Raceway and Midfield Raceway were both designed after it, when the GT association couldn't get Suzuka under it's belt. We pulled into an empty pit garage, and parked out cars.
"It'll take a little time to put on the differential, so you guys go ahead and race."
"Nah, we all got some practice, so we'll just help you with the diff."
"Cool, thanks!"
We got the old diff off and the new one on in short time, thanks to Tatsuya already having done it before. I fired up the car, and after making sure everything was in working order and dumping the ballast, Jason crawled in the car with me.
"I wanted to see how much better you've gotten."
"Very well."
I pulled out of the pits and started to drive.
This was a track day, so there were other cars on the track. I waited for a few to go by until I went all out.
Ahh, the old crispness of the steering was still here, but the horrendous oversteer was gone. I could now safely push the car to the limits of adhesion, and I wouldn't have to worry about dying. I basked in the wonderful new handling, and after I had almost completed a lap, I had caught up to a pack of drivers.
"Wow, you really have improved. Good work."
Overtaking them was easy, Just smoothly slip into a hole in their defense, and use the higher cornering speed to perform a slingshot overtake.
"Umm, maybe improved a bit much?"
The Vectra was a cinch to pass, and the only thing left in the distance was a familiar sight. An MG TF, one I recognized from a few chapters ago.
Half a lap went by, I passed him, ect.. You really shouldn't expect any less after I trained so much. At the end of the lap, I pulled into the pits, and after I sat for a moment to think about the awesome new handling, then got out.
"You really have improved. Your steering is much smoother, throttle control is better, even your base technique has improved tenfold. You could probably beat that Skyline now."
"Nope, he was a master class, he wasn't even trying in that race. I just surprised him at the end, I think."
"Yeah, what happened at the end there, anyway? Did you get hit? The doctors said you were fine."
"I've been training the "Reckless Abandon mode.""
"You've been doing WHAT? Do you know how dangerous that is?!"
"That's why I turned it into something else."
"Something else? What do you mean?"
"It is now called "Unbreakeable Will mode". I have different mental abilities. I first noticed it during Andrea's race, and I've honed it. I turn all of my mental power into physics processing mode. It basically overclocks my brain and gets rid of instinct, instead relying on logic and thought."
"That's... Interesting. Is it any safer?"
"I keep a little bit of instinct going as a precaution, but on the whole, it's a lot safer. It lets me analyze the situation, figure out a plan of attack, and lets me go as fast as I need. Which I do."
"That's deep. So, which car do you want to try? The MMC or the 22B?"
"I'll go with the Mirage."
I hopped in the car, and Kyoko got in the passenger's side.
"I'd like to see this for myself."
She handed me the keys, I turned the car on, and headed out on the track. There was a new set of racers out, I'd say a bit more than the performance of the Mirage.
This was a completely different beast from ANYTHING they had at the test center. Under throttle, it understeered as usual, but off, it oversteered beautifully, and under braking, it pointed where I wanted it to go. I had considered FWDs inferior prior to the license tests, and after, I still would have picked a RWD 9 times out of 10. But now, now I was changing my mind. It felt light, it felt smooth, and it felt fast. I overtook a Taurus SHO like it was nothing, and my next task was a Lotus Elise.
It took me a while to track down the Elise. By the time I got to the end of the final straight, I had overtaken the Elise, and I kept it behind me while I tried to set a record time. I couldn't do the record for this session, because some fool brought in a Subaru Legacy and a Silvia 240RS, but I broke the record for FWDs.
I finally pulled into the pits. Kyoko got out, vaguely shaking.
"You have really gotten better. I've been improving, but you're on a different level. My god!"
"That is a very good car. Nice looking too. Thanks, Kyoko!"
"Ah, um..." She blushed bright red. "Thank you."
Tatsuya held out his hand to Jason, and Jason very reluctantly gave Tatsuya some money.
"Told you so."
"Man, I hate you."
"My turn, David. Care to take out the 22B?"
"Do I care to take out the 22B? Is water wet?"
"Sweet."
He threw me the keys, and I got in the car. Tatsuya got in as well, but had put on a helmet.
"It handles well, but it's got a natural disposition to understeer, and it happens to not oversteer off throttle. You can't use your old style in this car."
"Don't worry, I've got plenty of experience with understeer now."
"It's also got a ridiculously close gearbox. You will have to be shifting constantly. Also-"
"Don't worry, I'll figure it out."
I drove out of the pits again, one last time.
The pack this time appeared to be made up of AWD monsters. All of them were easy pickings. It took me only until Spoon when I overtook the leader, oddly enough, a 22b.
"Alright, this car has a bigger turbo, new diffs, new suspension, and a VDC controller. I noticed that the car understeered, which was annoying, and the transmission was too short, which was also annoying."
"Yeah, I have to constantly change gear. The car is fast, but I don't really like it, admittedly."
It understeered constantly. Throttle, neutral, and braking were all just different forms of understeer. I'd have to fix this if I wanted to like this car. Maybe twiddling with the VDC would work. I drove a few laps and set the track record for the day. I managed to pull off a good lap at the end, then I pulled into the pits. Everyone was packing up, and I got out of the car.
"We going home?"
"Yep. Get ready."
And so we packed up. We left in a caravan again, and after a few hours of driving, we made it back to the Base.
"Good day. Thank you guys, again."
"No problem. It's pretty late now, so we should get ready for bed."
Yeah, it was late. We did a lot today. I'm more glad than anything that we got our party back together again. I get the feeling we're unstoppable now.
======
"He's improved. Monumentally."
"How good is he?"
"Better than me. Way better."
"In just a week? Not possible."
"Yeah. At this point in time, I think even you would have difficulty, unless you brought out your Renault."
"So, he's that good already? I think I might test him. For the time being, ask him to a rematch. I think he'll agree."
======
End of chapter 17. The Japan arc is drawing to a close. Expect the finale to be awesome beyond recognition. And no, the story is not over, just the whole "Keeping in Japan" thing.
Haha! The image uploading thing went without a hitch! That's weird. GTP Will probably crash RIIIGHT as I post this.
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
I'll be away for a day or two, cleaning up a house, so there won't be a chapter from me in all likelihood for a few days. Enjoy this one while you can.
When I got back to home, I was planning to apply for the beginner races again, and finish those off. I've gotten all of the cars I need for this, I have an MR, though it's not nearly fast enough, I have a front drive, I have an AWD, and I have a RWD. I thought I'd apply for the FWD challenge first. But that comes later, and I need to talk to my friends again.
"So, I was planning on heading back to America to finish off the Beginner Races."
"That's fine. But what are we going to do about Kyoko?"
"I told my mother and father about what we were doing, that I was in a makeshift race team, and both of them lectured me about safety, but by the end, they said that as long as I was in safe hands, they'd be okay with me heading to a different country. My brother did have to tell them what you guys were like, though. My parents finally gave me the go ahead."
"So, when we leave, you'll be coming with us?"
"Yep, that's the case."
"Wow, cool. Three of us are based out of Washington, so maybe we could find you a place to stay."
"Could you? That'd be great!"
"The house a few doors down on my street is renting out, I think. I can ask to have you stay there."
"That would be great! Thanks!"
"So, when should we leave? I was thinking tomorrow night, we could have enough time for you to say goodbye to your family, and then we could hop on a direct flight. I've got a plane, we have enough room for your car, so we won't have to worry about it."
"You've got a lot of things planned out. I think I'll spend tomorrow with my family. Where should we meet up?"
"Meet up here. I'll drive the cars over there tomorrow, then we can shuttle over. Okay?"
"Okay, that works."
"Me, I'm going to go practice and tune the Subaru a bit, it understeers a bit much."
"Okay, drive safely."
I hopped into the 22B and started it. The exhaust note was very different from the MR2, it sounded deeper and more growly. Arrrr. Considering this scene is supposed to happen at night, I went back to good old SS Route 5.
I pulled to the side of the road, adjusted the VDC controller, and drove back on.
The car handled much better now. Less understeer, more oversteer. The gearbox was still annoying, but I could make do. The car still had a natural tendency to understeer, I could have this sorted out if I got a new suspension. I did a few laps to get the feel of the car again, and concentrated on my worst subject, smoothness.
Coming up to the tunnel gave a feeling of Deja Vu. There, parked in front of the tunnel, was a gray/green Nissan Skyline.
I slowed down, parked then got out of the car. A very familiar man got out.
"So, I heard you got your international licenses."
"How did you hear that?"
"A little bird flew by."
"I see. What is your business this time?"
"Do you want a rematch?"
Uh, what?
"You shocked me back there, how you managed to catch up to me. I'd like to see what you can do now."
"Okay, what place?"
"Tomorrow, Tsukuba. It's raining again, so bring your best car."
"Good. I'd like to show off my new skills. I hope you bring a tissue box this time."
"You and your tissue box. I'll see you there."
He got back into his car and drove off. I Hate that man. I don't know why, but I just do. Tomorrow, I am going to crush him utterly.
I drove home again, and talked to my friends.
"Every time you go out to train at night, you get challenged. I think you should stay home now."
"Yeah, but this time, I not only want to win, but I want to crush him. I hope you don't mind me doing so."
"Meh. Same place, same time?"
"I guess, didn't ask the time. I'll just head over at the same time. Can you and Jason send the cars down?"
"I think we can manage. I'll tap into the race cams to see how you do."
"Thanks. Looks like I'll be doing this alone, then."
"Don't fail. Good luck."
I don't need that luck. That Skyline is going to be crushed and beaten. It will be an ex-Skyline when I'm done with it. For the time being, I need my rest.
I woke up early in the morning. Everyone else was asleep, so I quickly wrote a note that I left. It was pretty obvious I'd choose the Subaru, and I drove away in that. It was only 7 AM when I arrived, but the man was already there.
"Good morning!"
"Good morning. Care for some coffee?"
"Eh. Why not?"
He poured me a hot cup of coffee. It seemed like it had a slightly tea-like taste to it.
"I put a little tea in it."
"Not bad."
"So, are you wondering why I asked you to a rematch?"
"Yeah, I was wondering that. It's always worried me when someone challenges me out of nowhere, and it worries me even more when someone wants a rematch when they won."
"Well, I heard actually, that you had improved a bit. I wanted to see by how much."
"Who told you?"
"Can't tell you just yet."
"Whatever. When's the race? When I beat you, I expect an answer."
"The race is whenever you want."
I took advantage of this time, and promptly went out on the track.
The Subaru handled well here. It surprised me. Only accounting for the greatly decreased traction, the Subaru sported some beautiful characteristics. The transmission I had complained about only seemed natural here; I had more torque to pull out of corners, and the gears were closer, so I could use the same gears that I would normally. The understeer, while still present, was completely abolished when taking a slower route. It was replaced with gentle oversteer that only served to point the car in the correct direction. The problems I had in the Silvia were gone, traction was fine, handling was fine, it all was fine. Could I win this race? How could I not? About ten laps later, I pulled into the pits. A phone was ringing, so I picked it up.
"Hallo, Dies ist mein handy. Ich habe nicht mein handy verloren."*
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Nothing. That you, Tatsuya?"
"Yeah. Jason was watching the webcams of your practice session. Did you do some offroad driving during your license tests?"
"Uh, yeah. Why?"
"Your driving was incredible. You managed to pull a record time in the rain. During the last race, the Skyline didn't get within a second of your lap time. Great work, we're rooting for you!"
"Thanks! I'll see you later."
I hung up the phone. That discrepancy of lap times was most likely the Skyline driver holding back. I hope. I walked over to the pit lane where the Skyline was. The driver was sitting on a couch, watching something on a laptop.
"He pulled a record time."
"That's no good. You really have to try your best here."
"Yeah, but the 22B has as much power with less weight!"
"With an inferior drive system. Just, figure something out. If you really need it, break out your other car. Oh crap, he's right behind you."
The driver quickly closed the laptop lid, but not fast enough that I couldn't recognize Andrea's face in a web-chat window.
"Oh, come on. Really? I thought I was just here for a race."
"You are. Andrea's just a good friend of mine."
"So, he's the one who told you? Is he still online?"
The Skyline driver popped the lid again, to show Andrea's face once more.
"Andrea, can you see me?"
"Yes, I can."
I gave him the finger.
"Come on, let's go race."
"I'll get ready. Meet me on the track."
I walked out, and climbed into my 22B. I revved up the engine, then drove to the back straight. I was waiting for the Skyline to come around, and when I finally heard an engine, this came up in my rear mirror.
"THAT IS NOT A SKYLINE!!!"
"Hey boy, up for a good race?"
"What the 🤬 happened to your Skyline?!"
"Huh? Oh dear. My Skyline appears to have turned into a 650 hp Gran Touring supercar capable of 200+ miles an hour! How could this have happened? Oh well, the race must go on."
"The race can go in your ass."
He drove past me. I'm pretty sure that this is unfair in anyone's eyes. I am angry. Boy, am I angry. I will own his behind and his car. I will take that SLR and shove it so far up his-
"You gonna start, or what?"
Whoops. I was so concentrated on the anatomical impossibilites I wanted to bestow on this man, that I forgot to start the race.
Oh look. He seems to have built up a lead. I wonder why that is? Could it be the 300 hp advantage? NAAAAAAAAH.
Huh. By the Dunlop Corner, I had managed to shorten that lead. Maybe I'm not so outclassed?
Out of the last hairpin, I managed to pull out into the lead.
Briefly.
Then again. Since my car was lighter, I was able to outbrake the SLR, then using the perfect line, I got a faster corner exit, and cemented my lead.
Which only grew.
I had this one in the bag. Two laps later, I crossed the line a full second in front of the SLR and it's stupid driver. I hate you.
I pulled into the pits, followed closely by the SLR. I got out of the car and walked up to the SLR. The driver got out and turned toward me.
"Looks like my best trump card couldn't win."
"Damn straight it didn't win. What were you trying to pull?"
"I was trying to win. The Skyline wouldn't have put up anything resembling a fight, so I had to use my best trump card and my best abilities. Looks like my son's tales were right. You are one of the best."
"Your son...?"
A small boy, about 12 or thirteen, walked into the pit.
"Hello, Mr. Johnson! I can't believe you beat my dad! He's the best racer ever!"
"Oh, don't say that. I'm only one of the best."
"That's where I heard your voice from! Chapter 9!"
"That's me."
"So you were a racer? I had no idea."
"Yes, yes I am."
"Mr. Johnson, I forgot to bring my camera this time, so I couldn't get you any pictures..."
"Oh, don't worry. I'll be able to take home the video of what happened here."
"Cool!"
"Now run along, Joseph. I need to speak with David."
Joseph ran out of the room.
"I really couldn't believe it. You managed to go from expert rank all the way to master and above in just one week. You show enormous potential. Good work on that."
"Your son."
"What about him?"
"He said that you didn't want him to do photography, you wanted him to go into a more stable career. Why is that, when you race?"
"Early in his life, I knew he didn't want to become a racer, he showed no interest in it. I was worried about his well-being, what he'd do in life, if he didn't take advantage of his born racer genes. He turned to photography. My father, long ago, didn't want me to race, but that reluctance just made my passion for racing even more. What I'm doing here is the same thing."
"How could you?"
"What?"
"He thinks you hate his choice. You need to tell him you want him to go with photography, or he will never trust completely in his choice."
"...You're right. I'll go tell him now. Good race."
He ran out the door, but I didn't even notice. That simple sentence I said earlier triggered me remembering a long lost memory.
======
"But dad, I really want to be a fireman!"
"But you showed so much interest in becoming a racer like your dad! Are you sure you want to be a fireman?"
"Yeah, I want to help people in need, I want to drive a big red truck, I want to have a cool little dog!"
"You know, that's not all you do. You're in constant danger of death in that job."
"But it's what I want."
"*sigh* You're my son, and I know I can't change your choice. So, for now, what do you say we go out for some ice cream?"
"Cool! Can you take me out on that really cool street this time?"
"I thought you didn't want to become a racer."
"...Well, maybe on the side."
"Hah, that's my son."
======
"Oh, wait, forgot to tell you my name. Jacob Chevalier. Nice to meet you."
I was shaken out of the trance.
"Oh, yeah. I told you I'd get your name."
"You did, didn't you?"
He walked out again, at a jog. I got in my car, drove out of the pit, and upon passing Jacob and Joseph, I honked my horn. This was a successful race. It wasn't long when I got a call on my cellphone.
"How the hell did you manage to pull that off?"
"Beating the SLR? It was heavier and had worse traction. It could turn corners faster, but I could leave them faster."
"You are a god among men. Great work. We finished putting away the cars and our luggage, and we picked up Kyoko. Go ahead and come down to the airport."
"Well, that's fine, but I thought we should do one last thing in Japan. I've heard there's a bunch of really good racers showing up today at Suzuka, and I thought we should watch the race as a last hurrah."
"...Fine idea. Bring the 22B back, we'll take the Life Step there. Hold on, Kyoko wants to talk to you."
"Hey, I saw what you did! I can't believe you managed to pull that one off!"
"It was actually pretty easy, I was surprised."
"Well, when you get here, I have a present for you."
"IT'S A BURGER KING TOY!"
"Shut up, Jason! Anyway, see you when you get here."
I hung up the phone. I was on my way to the airport to deposit the 22B, then we could go watch a race with some of Japan's finest. This will be a nice finale in Japan, that'll be sweet.
======
Next chapter is the finale of the Japan arc! It'll be a nice relaxing end to all this commotion, cheating, and time skipping. On the other hand, it'll be a cameo too.
*Hello, this is my cellphone. I have not lost my cellphone.
Chapter 18: Reiteration of Game Breaker
When I got back to home, I was planning to apply for the beginner races again, and finish those off. I've gotten all of the cars I need for this, I have an MR, though it's not nearly fast enough, I have a front drive, I have an AWD, and I have a RWD. I thought I'd apply for the FWD challenge first. But that comes later, and I need to talk to my friends again.
"So, I was planning on heading back to America to finish off the Beginner Races."
"That's fine. But what are we going to do about Kyoko?"
"I told my mother and father about what we were doing, that I was in a makeshift race team, and both of them lectured me about safety, but by the end, they said that as long as I was in safe hands, they'd be okay with me heading to a different country. My brother did have to tell them what you guys were like, though. My parents finally gave me the go ahead."
"So, when we leave, you'll be coming with us?"
"Yep, that's the case."
"Wow, cool. Three of us are based out of Washington, so maybe we could find you a place to stay."
"Could you? That'd be great!"
"The house a few doors down on my street is renting out, I think. I can ask to have you stay there."
"That would be great! Thanks!"
"So, when should we leave? I was thinking tomorrow night, we could have enough time for you to say goodbye to your family, and then we could hop on a direct flight. I've got a plane, we have enough room for your car, so we won't have to worry about it."
"You've got a lot of things planned out. I think I'll spend tomorrow with my family. Where should we meet up?"
"Meet up here. I'll drive the cars over there tomorrow, then we can shuttle over. Okay?"
"Okay, that works."
"Me, I'm going to go practice and tune the Subaru a bit, it understeers a bit much."
"Okay, drive safely."
I hopped into the 22B and started it. The exhaust note was very different from the MR2, it sounded deeper and more growly. Arrrr. Considering this scene is supposed to happen at night, I went back to good old SS Route 5.
I pulled to the side of the road, adjusted the VDC controller, and drove back on.
The car handled much better now. Less understeer, more oversteer. The gearbox was still annoying, but I could make do. The car still had a natural tendency to understeer, I could have this sorted out if I got a new suspension. I did a few laps to get the feel of the car again, and concentrated on my worst subject, smoothness.
Coming up to the tunnel gave a feeling of Deja Vu. There, parked in front of the tunnel, was a gray/green Nissan Skyline.
I slowed down, parked then got out of the car. A very familiar man got out.
"So, I heard you got your international licenses."
"How did you hear that?"
"A little bird flew by."
"I see. What is your business this time?"
"Do you want a rematch?"
Uh, what?
"You shocked me back there, how you managed to catch up to me. I'd like to see what you can do now."
"Okay, what place?"
"Tomorrow, Tsukuba. It's raining again, so bring your best car."
"Good. I'd like to show off my new skills. I hope you bring a tissue box this time."
"You and your tissue box. I'll see you there."
He got back into his car and drove off. I Hate that man. I don't know why, but I just do. Tomorrow, I am going to crush him utterly.
I drove home again, and talked to my friends.
"Every time you go out to train at night, you get challenged. I think you should stay home now."
"Yeah, but this time, I not only want to win, but I want to crush him. I hope you don't mind me doing so."
"Meh. Same place, same time?"
"I guess, didn't ask the time. I'll just head over at the same time. Can you and Jason send the cars down?"
"I think we can manage. I'll tap into the race cams to see how you do."
"Thanks. Looks like I'll be doing this alone, then."
"Don't fail. Good luck."
I don't need that luck. That Skyline is going to be crushed and beaten. It will be an ex-Skyline when I'm done with it. For the time being, I need my rest.
I woke up early in the morning. Everyone else was asleep, so I quickly wrote a note that I left. It was pretty obvious I'd choose the Subaru, and I drove away in that. It was only 7 AM when I arrived, but the man was already there.
"Good morning!"
"Good morning. Care for some coffee?"
"Eh. Why not?"
He poured me a hot cup of coffee. It seemed like it had a slightly tea-like taste to it.
"I put a little tea in it."
"Not bad."
"So, are you wondering why I asked you to a rematch?"
"Yeah, I was wondering that. It's always worried me when someone challenges me out of nowhere, and it worries me even more when someone wants a rematch when they won."
"Well, I heard actually, that you had improved a bit. I wanted to see by how much."
"Who told you?"
"Can't tell you just yet."
"Whatever. When's the race? When I beat you, I expect an answer."
"The race is whenever you want."
I took advantage of this time, and promptly went out on the track.
The Subaru handled well here. It surprised me. Only accounting for the greatly decreased traction, the Subaru sported some beautiful characteristics. The transmission I had complained about only seemed natural here; I had more torque to pull out of corners, and the gears were closer, so I could use the same gears that I would normally. The understeer, while still present, was completely abolished when taking a slower route. It was replaced with gentle oversteer that only served to point the car in the correct direction. The problems I had in the Silvia were gone, traction was fine, handling was fine, it all was fine. Could I win this race? How could I not? About ten laps later, I pulled into the pits. A phone was ringing, so I picked it up.
"Hallo, Dies ist mein handy. Ich habe nicht mein handy verloren."*
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Nothing. That you, Tatsuya?"
"Yeah. Jason was watching the webcams of your practice session. Did you do some offroad driving during your license tests?"
"Uh, yeah. Why?"
"Your driving was incredible. You managed to pull a record time in the rain. During the last race, the Skyline didn't get within a second of your lap time. Great work, we're rooting for you!"
"Thanks! I'll see you later."
I hung up the phone. That discrepancy of lap times was most likely the Skyline driver holding back. I hope. I walked over to the pit lane where the Skyline was. The driver was sitting on a couch, watching something on a laptop.
"He pulled a record time."
"That's no good. You really have to try your best here."
"Yeah, but the 22B has as much power with less weight!"
"With an inferior drive system. Just, figure something out. If you really need it, break out your other car. Oh crap, he's right behind you."
The driver quickly closed the laptop lid, but not fast enough that I couldn't recognize Andrea's face in a web-chat window.
"Oh, come on. Really? I thought I was just here for a race."
"You are. Andrea's just a good friend of mine."
"So, he's the one who told you? Is he still online?"
The Skyline driver popped the lid again, to show Andrea's face once more.
"Andrea, can you see me?"
"Yes, I can."
I gave him the finger.
"Come on, let's go race."
"I'll get ready. Meet me on the track."
I walked out, and climbed into my 22B. I revved up the engine, then drove to the back straight. I was waiting for the Skyline to come around, and when I finally heard an engine, this came up in my rear mirror.
"THAT IS NOT A SKYLINE!!!"
"Hey boy, up for a good race?"
"What the 🤬 happened to your Skyline?!"
"Huh? Oh dear. My Skyline appears to have turned into a 650 hp Gran Touring supercar capable of 200+ miles an hour! How could this have happened? Oh well, the race must go on."
"The race can go in your ass."
He drove past me. I'm pretty sure that this is unfair in anyone's eyes. I am angry. Boy, am I angry. I will own his behind and his car. I will take that SLR and shove it so far up his-
"You gonna start, or what?"
Whoops. I was so concentrated on the anatomical impossibilites I wanted to bestow on this man, that I forgot to start the race.
Oh look. He seems to have built up a lead. I wonder why that is? Could it be the 300 hp advantage? NAAAAAAAAH.
Huh. By the Dunlop Corner, I had managed to shorten that lead. Maybe I'm not so outclassed?
Out of the last hairpin, I managed to pull out into the lead.
Briefly.
Then again. Since my car was lighter, I was able to outbrake the SLR, then using the perfect line, I got a faster corner exit, and cemented my lead.
Which only grew.
I had this one in the bag. Two laps later, I crossed the line a full second in front of the SLR and it's stupid driver. I hate you.
I pulled into the pits, followed closely by the SLR. I got out of the car and walked up to the SLR. The driver got out and turned toward me.
"Looks like my best trump card couldn't win."
"Damn straight it didn't win. What were you trying to pull?"
"I was trying to win. The Skyline wouldn't have put up anything resembling a fight, so I had to use my best trump card and my best abilities. Looks like my son's tales were right. You are one of the best."
"Your son...?"
A small boy, about 12 or thirteen, walked into the pit.
"Hello, Mr. Johnson! I can't believe you beat my dad! He's the best racer ever!"
"Oh, don't say that. I'm only one of the best."
"That's where I heard your voice from! Chapter 9!"
"That's me."
"So you were a racer? I had no idea."
"Yes, yes I am."
"Mr. Johnson, I forgot to bring my camera this time, so I couldn't get you any pictures..."
"Oh, don't worry. I'll be able to take home the video of what happened here."
"Cool!"
"Now run along, Joseph. I need to speak with David."
Joseph ran out of the room.
"I really couldn't believe it. You managed to go from expert rank all the way to master and above in just one week. You show enormous potential. Good work on that."
"Your son."
"What about him?"
"He said that you didn't want him to do photography, you wanted him to go into a more stable career. Why is that, when you race?"
"Early in his life, I knew he didn't want to become a racer, he showed no interest in it. I was worried about his well-being, what he'd do in life, if he didn't take advantage of his born racer genes. He turned to photography. My father, long ago, didn't want me to race, but that reluctance just made my passion for racing even more. What I'm doing here is the same thing."
"How could you?"
"What?"
"He thinks you hate his choice. You need to tell him you want him to go with photography, or he will never trust completely in his choice."
"...You're right. I'll go tell him now. Good race."
He ran out the door, but I didn't even notice. That simple sentence I said earlier triggered me remembering a long lost memory.
======
"But dad, I really want to be a fireman!"
"But you showed so much interest in becoming a racer like your dad! Are you sure you want to be a fireman?"
"Yeah, I want to help people in need, I want to drive a big red truck, I want to have a cool little dog!"
"You know, that's not all you do. You're in constant danger of death in that job."
"But it's what I want."
"*sigh* You're my son, and I know I can't change your choice. So, for now, what do you say we go out for some ice cream?"
"Cool! Can you take me out on that really cool street this time?"
"I thought you didn't want to become a racer."
"...Well, maybe on the side."
"Hah, that's my son."
======
"Oh, wait, forgot to tell you my name. Jacob Chevalier. Nice to meet you."
I was shaken out of the trance.
"Oh, yeah. I told you I'd get your name."
"You did, didn't you?"
He walked out again, at a jog. I got in my car, drove out of the pit, and upon passing Jacob and Joseph, I honked my horn. This was a successful race. It wasn't long when I got a call on my cellphone.
"How the hell did you manage to pull that off?"
"Beating the SLR? It was heavier and had worse traction. It could turn corners faster, but I could leave them faster."
"You are a god among men. Great work. We finished putting away the cars and our luggage, and we picked up Kyoko. Go ahead and come down to the airport."
"Well, that's fine, but I thought we should do one last thing in Japan. I've heard there's a bunch of really good racers showing up today at Suzuka, and I thought we should watch the race as a last hurrah."
"...Fine idea. Bring the 22B back, we'll take the Life Step there. Hold on, Kyoko wants to talk to you."
"Hey, I saw what you did! I can't believe you managed to pull that one off!"
"It was actually pretty easy, I was surprised."
"Well, when you get here, I have a present for you."
"IT'S A BURGER KING TOY!"
"Shut up, Jason! Anyway, see you when you get here."
I hung up the phone. I was on my way to the airport to deposit the 22B, then we could go watch a race with some of Japan's finest. This will be a nice finale in Japan, that'll be sweet.
======
Next chapter is the finale of the Japan arc! It'll be a nice relaxing end to all this commotion, cheating, and time skipping. On the other hand, it'll be a cameo too.
*Hello, this is my cellphone. I have not lost my cellphone.
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
I wanted Jacob to bring out an LMP, but I couldn't quite keep up. THAT would have been unfair.
So, yeah. I'll be going home on Sunday, I'll spend that time getting a chapter written, then on Monday, your regularly scheduled YARS will resume.
So, yeah. I'll be going home on Sunday, I'll spend that time getting a chapter written, then on Monday, your regularly scheduled YARS will resume.
- 2,007
- Los Angeles
- GTP_DrivingPark
- Finetales
This is awesome!
Someone really should get all the race report story authors together and get them to make a REALLY BIG MEGA STORY with all of them in it! Characters from Red-Zone and its sequel, this, and all the other ones! Yeah! David could go up to the Red-Zone guy and call him a ricer 'cause he has a Civic!
Sorry, my brain went on a tangent...💡
Someone really should get all the race report story authors together and get them to make a REALLY BIG MEGA STORY with all of them in it! Characters from Red-Zone and its sequel, this, and all the other ones! Yeah! David could go up to the Red-Zone guy and call him a ricer 'cause he has a Civic!
Sorry, my brain went on a tangent...💡
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
I can't possibly imagine that would end well, because David's supposed to be THE best racer in the world. Almost unrivaled, but that comes later.
Anyway, the next chapter will be up tomorrow, And about 8 hours later for you Dubliners. I had a lot of work to do over the summer, and I am woefully underprepared for writing.
EDIT: Got it done anyway. It's kind of short, and the ending bit is rather spoilery, but I think it's fine.
Anyway, the next chapter will be up tomorrow, And about 8 hours later for you Dubliners. I had a lot of work to do over the summer, and I am woefully underprepared for writing.
EDIT: Got it done anyway. It's kind of short, and the ending bit is rather spoilery, but I think it's fine.
Last edited:
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
Finished the new chapter. It's kind of bad, I wasn't really feeling it this time.
Chapter 19: Farewell to Japan
"WOAHAHAHAHAAAA!"
"AHAHAHA! DIDN'T WE SAY NEVER AGAIN?!"
"OH YEAH, BUT THIS WAS TOO GOOD! TOO GOOD!"
"Man, after you told me you were behind the Kyoto to Shinjuku Terror Line, I just had to try it myself!"
"How did you manage to combo helicopters, man?!"
"Yeah, you saw those choppers flying overhead, and bam! You went for them!"
"Hah, yeah. Oh look, we're already here. Aircraft explosions throw you pretty far, don't they?"
Well, on our trip back to Suzuka Circuit for our last hurrah, the three men decided to spill the beans about our exploits early into our trip. Kyoko wanted to have a piece of that pie, and, well, she saw a squadron of helicopters flying ahead, she found a ramp, and well, I'd rather not say. I took out the police force, Jason took out the tanks, and Tatsuya took out the coal plants. It seems Kyoko wanted to further destroy Japan's defense force, and took out the helicopters. I'd rather not elaborate any more on this front, though. You readers might persuade the writer to have us get caught. Anyway, Tatsuya was telling me about this new driver on the grid, apparently, he's one of the only people to blast on the scene like me. I hear he's pretty good. I'd like to see this guy in action.
We parked in a very convoluted system, but we got off pretty lucky, since we brought such a small car. We had managed to get most of the aircraft parts out of the grill and we washed off the aviation fuel before we arrived, so there was no problem there. We climbed out of the car, and after making sure no one recognized us from the incident, we walked into the grandstands. We sat down in a nice area, we could clearly see the race cam footage.
"I'll go get some food and stuff. Anyone want anything?"
"I'll have some popcorn and a coke."
"Same."
"Same, but throw in an AK-47."
"Will do."
I walked out of the grandstands, and to an concessions dealer. I bought a few cokes and popcorn, an AK, and some cotton candy. As I started to walk back, I heard a familiar sound. I looked out to the parking lot to see a Honda Integra. It wasn't yellow, like that one I saw during the first few races I did, but I could tell this was the same car. It seemed the driver had repainted it. The driver got out of the car, and I saw a young man, no older than me, with really spiky hair. I remember this guy giving me trouble back in Seattle, back when I first felt that weird boost. He walked over to the passenger side door, opened it, then helped out a young woman, a little younger than him. Seemed like either his sister or girlfriend. I noticed I was staring, and after shaking myself loose, I walked back to the stands. After depositing a few items at their designated targets, I sat down with my coke and cotton candy to watch the races. None of them were very spectacular. All of them were fairly close races, but nothing to get edge-on your seat about. Then, Tatsuya spoke up.
"Alright. Up next is the driver you should look out for. He belongs to a racing team one of my friends runs. He said he's a very gifted young man."
"More gifted than me?"
"I think the writers would get into a fight about who's better."
"Who's the writers?"
"No one."
"No one."
I looked back to the track. I could just barely make out the field, so I turned to a race cam. This is what I saw.
"The guy you should pay attention to is at the back. He's driving the furthest back Skyline."
I noticed two cars on the grid were old muscle cars. I understand how cool those things are, but stock, they stand no chance against any rice rockets. Then I noticed that the rice-rockets were all AWD monsters, only one of which wasn't a Skyline. I heard the GT association was full of skylines, but this is ridiculous. The timer counted down to zero, and the cars left the grid.
By the first corner, our guy had already overtaken the muscle cars. Not that amazing, honestly, but I probably wouldn't have done any better.
But a badly timed stab of the brake by the silver R34 gave our guy the time and space to stage a smooth overtake.
Then, a corner turned too wide by the gray R33 gave the R32 enough space to stage another overtake.
"This guy is good. He's got about the same amount of experience as Kyoko, right?"
"Yeah, He's been racing since he was younger, but he also had a lot more motivation, in the form of rivalries."
He had only one remaining racer left to go. A white Subaru Impreza. The Scooby's line was fine, but the driving was just slow. After a short battle on the S-curves, the R32 finally found a hole in the defense, and shot out on to one of the back straights.
Really, incredible driving. Smooth, yet precise, and aggressive, but not overly reckless. A driver's almost ideal style. He gets my commendation. By the end of the second lap, he's built up such a huge lead, it's hard to see the other drivers when he crosses the finish line. This is not just curb stomping, this is curb stomping of my level. I am amazed. They stood no chance.
"Say, what was this guy's name?"
"Hiroto. Hiroto Matsuda."
Hiroto, eh? I'd love to race against that guy, but I get the distinct feeling that after I leave this track, I'll never see him again.
"An excellent race. I've only seen a First Lap Finisher that fast from David here."
"Yeah, did you see how much he won by? I'm not sure if I've even won by that huge a margin."
"Yeah, once. doesn't really count though."
After the race, I tried to find Matsuda, but to no avail. It seemed he had more important business to attend to. We walked out to the parking lot again, as I saw the young man with Salvador Dali hair help his acquaintance into the Integra. The young woman looked kind of sickly, but I paid it no mind. We got into the life step, and after a few hours driving, we arrived at the airport. We saw a news report on the continuation of the Terror Line. Kyoko started to panic, and we had to tell her to calm down, or she really would get caught. It didn't seem to work, so I bought her an ice cream, and that seemed to do the trick. We hopped on our plane after the Life Step got loaded, and the plane took off.
"That was a nice finale. Curb stomping done by someone else."
"Yeah."
I sat back, and closed my eyes. I was still pretty tired, it's hard to maintain a cameo for that long.
======
"So, he beat you even when you got in your McLaren?"
"Yeah. I know for a fact the McLaren is a faster car around that track, wheelspin notwithstanding. That boy... He does not just have a few months racing experience. He's not only got the genes, but he's got some training behind him."
"Yeah, he does have the genes. His father was Daniel Fuhrmann."
"Fuhrmann? L. Tracer? Wow, he really has the genes."
"And funny you should mention the experience. I'll need to give you a little back story on this."
"Erm, okay."
"After Daniel fell off the grid, no one could trace him, because he had changed his name. After I looked under Daniel Johnson, I found him."
"Wow, really? What happened?!"
"He married a young woman, then had a child in Seattle. He was born in New York, which is why no one could find him, they were looking in the wrong area. He settled down from his racing career, but he still had a few misdemeanors, mainly speeding. The tickets were billed on a RUF BTR, silver. I looked deeper yet, and the car had been modified to about 500 hp. The BTR itself is a dangerous car, but when tuned to 500 hp, it's a complete monster, unlike anything you've ever seen. Even my Renault wold be safer to drive."
"So, he's a great driver, we all knew that. What's your point?"
"I found this picture."
"Ah, is this is car? That looks like Motorland. When was this photo taken?"
"It was taken in 1993. That's the interesting part. Can you make out the driver?"
"Yeah, he's sitting there on the right. Why?"
"That's where the strange things start."
"What do you mean?"
"The BTR in question was specifically left hand drive."
"So, was the photo flipped? No, the track looks right, but how..."
"Look even closer at the driver's seat."
"I... Can see something there. Like a small person."
"A very small person. I checked the date, it was 17 years ago. That means David, Daniel's son, was 5 at the time."
"What... No. That's not possible. I started racing at a young age, 14, but that's ridiculous..."
Why had David not told me about this yet? Does he feel this is his secret? Or, maybe, can he not... Remember?
======
"Daddy, that was scary."
"You just started driving, of course it's scary. But you're a good driver already!"
"Really? Do you think I'll be as good as you one day?"
"You'll be better, trust me."
======
A farewell to Japan, and an interesting insight into David's past. Anyone care to guess what happen?
I'm very sorry for me saying something wrong in the cameo. I wa a bit tired when I wrote this yesterday.
But thank you, driftking. I hope you don't mind if I steal your setup for the 22B.
Chapter 19: Farewell to Japan
"WOAHAHAHAHAAAA!"
"AHAHAHA! DIDN'T WE SAY NEVER AGAIN?!"
"OH YEAH, BUT THIS WAS TOO GOOD! TOO GOOD!"
"Man, after you told me you were behind the Kyoto to Shinjuku Terror Line, I just had to try it myself!"
"How did you manage to combo helicopters, man?!"
"Yeah, you saw those choppers flying overhead, and bam! You went for them!"
"Hah, yeah. Oh look, we're already here. Aircraft explosions throw you pretty far, don't they?"
Well, on our trip back to Suzuka Circuit for our last hurrah, the three men decided to spill the beans about our exploits early into our trip. Kyoko wanted to have a piece of that pie, and, well, she saw a squadron of helicopters flying ahead, she found a ramp, and well, I'd rather not say. I took out the police force, Jason took out the tanks, and Tatsuya took out the coal plants. It seems Kyoko wanted to further destroy Japan's defense force, and took out the helicopters. I'd rather not elaborate any more on this front, though. You readers might persuade the writer to have us get caught. Anyway, Tatsuya was telling me about this new driver on the grid, apparently, he's one of the only people to blast on the scene like me. I hear he's pretty good. I'd like to see this guy in action.
We parked in a very convoluted system, but we got off pretty lucky, since we brought such a small car. We had managed to get most of the aircraft parts out of the grill and we washed off the aviation fuel before we arrived, so there was no problem there. We climbed out of the car, and after making sure no one recognized us from the incident, we walked into the grandstands. We sat down in a nice area, we could clearly see the race cam footage.
"I'll go get some food and stuff. Anyone want anything?"
"I'll have some popcorn and a coke."
"Same."
"Same, but throw in an AK-47."
"Will do."
I walked out of the grandstands, and to an concessions dealer. I bought a few cokes and popcorn, an AK, and some cotton candy. As I started to walk back, I heard a familiar sound. I looked out to the parking lot to see a Honda Integra. It wasn't yellow, like that one I saw during the first few races I did, but I could tell this was the same car. It seemed the driver had repainted it. The driver got out of the car, and I saw a young man, no older than me, with really spiky hair. I remember this guy giving me trouble back in Seattle, back when I first felt that weird boost. He walked over to the passenger side door, opened it, then helped out a young woman, a little younger than him. Seemed like either his sister or girlfriend. I noticed I was staring, and after shaking myself loose, I walked back to the stands. After depositing a few items at their designated targets, I sat down with my coke and cotton candy to watch the races. None of them were very spectacular. All of them were fairly close races, but nothing to get edge-on your seat about. Then, Tatsuya spoke up.
"Alright. Up next is the driver you should look out for. He belongs to a racing team one of my friends runs. He said he's a very gifted young man."
"More gifted than me?"
"I think the writers would get into a fight about who's better."
"Who's the writers?"
"No one."
"No one."
I looked back to the track. I could just barely make out the field, so I turned to a race cam. This is what I saw.
"The guy you should pay attention to is at the back. He's driving the furthest back Skyline."
I noticed two cars on the grid were old muscle cars. I understand how cool those things are, but stock, they stand no chance against any rice rockets. Then I noticed that the rice-rockets were all AWD monsters, only one of which wasn't a Skyline. I heard the GT association was full of skylines, but this is ridiculous. The timer counted down to zero, and the cars left the grid.
By the first corner, our guy had already overtaken the muscle cars. Not that amazing, honestly, but I probably wouldn't have done any better.
But a badly timed stab of the brake by the silver R34 gave our guy the time and space to stage a smooth overtake.
Then, a corner turned too wide by the gray R33 gave the R32 enough space to stage another overtake.
"This guy is good. He's got about the same amount of experience as Kyoko, right?"
"Yeah, He's been racing since he was younger, but he also had a lot more motivation, in the form of rivalries."
He had only one remaining racer left to go. A white Subaru Impreza. The Scooby's line was fine, but the driving was just slow. After a short battle on the S-curves, the R32 finally found a hole in the defense, and shot out on to one of the back straights.
Really, incredible driving. Smooth, yet precise, and aggressive, but not overly reckless. A driver's almost ideal style. He gets my commendation. By the end of the second lap, he's built up such a huge lead, it's hard to see the other drivers when he crosses the finish line. This is not just curb stomping, this is curb stomping of my level. I am amazed. They stood no chance.
"Say, what was this guy's name?"
"Hiroto. Hiroto Matsuda."
Hiroto, eh? I'd love to race against that guy, but I get the distinct feeling that after I leave this track, I'll never see him again.
"An excellent race. I've only seen a First Lap Finisher that fast from David here."
"Yeah, did you see how much he won by? I'm not sure if I've even won by that huge a margin."
"Yeah, once. doesn't really count though."
After the race, I tried to find Matsuda, but to no avail. It seemed he had more important business to attend to. We walked out to the parking lot again, as I saw the young man with Salvador Dali hair help his acquaintance into the Integra. The young woman looked kind of sickly, but I paid it no mind. We got into the life step, and after a few hours driving, we arrived at the airport. We saw a news report on the continuation of the Terror Line. Kyoko started to panic, and we had to tell her to calm down, or she really would get caught. It didn't seem to work, so I bought her an ice cream, and that seemed to do the trick. We hopped on our plane after the Life Step got loaded, and the plane took off.
"That was a nice finale. Curb stomping done by someone else."
"Yeah."
I sat back, and closed my eyes. I was still pretty tired, it's hard to maintain a cameo for that long.
======
"So, he beat you even when you got in your McLaren?"
"Yeah. I know for a fact the McLaren is a faster car around that track, wheelspin notwithstanding. That boy... He does not just have a few months racing experience. He's not only got the genes, but he's got some training behind him."
"Yeah, he does have the genes. His father was Daniel Fuhrmann."
"Fuhrmann? L. Tracer? Wow, he really has the genes."
"And funny you should mention the experience. I'll need to give you a little back story on this."
"Erm, okay."
"After Daniel fell off the grid, no one could trace him, because he had changed his name. After I looked under Daniel Johnson, I found him."
"Wow, really? What happened?!"
"He married a young woman, then had a child in Seattle. He was born in New York, which is why no one could find him, they were looking in the wrong area. He settled down from his racing career, but he still had a few misdemeanors, mainly speeding. The tickets were billed on a RUF BTR, silver. I looked deeper yet, and the car had been modified to about 500 hp. The BTR itself is a dangerous car, but when tuned to 500 hp, it's a complete monster, unlike anything you've ever seen. Even my Renault wold be safer to drive."
"So, he's a great driver, we all knew that. What's your point?"
"I found this picture."
"Ah, is this is car? That looks like Motorland. When was this photo taken?"
"It was taken in 1993. That's the interesting part. Can you make out the driver?"
"Yeah, he's sitting there on the right. Why?"
"That's where the strange things start."
"What do you mean?"
"The BTR in question was specifically left hand drive."
"So, was the photo flipped? No, the track looks right, but how..."
"Look even closer at the driver's seat."
"I... Can see something there. Like a small person."
"A very small person. I checked the date, it was 17 years ago. That means David, Daniel's son, was 5 at the time."
"What... No. That's not possible. I started racing at a young age, 14, but that's ridiculous..."
Why had David not told me about this yet? Does he feel this is his secret? Or, maybe, can he not... Remember?
======
"Daddy, that was scary."
"You just started driving, of course it's scary. But you're a good driver already!"
"Really? Do you think I'll be as good as you one day?"
"You'll be better, trust me."
======
A farewell to Japan, and an interesting insight into David's past. Anyone care to guess what happen?
I'm very sorry for me saying something wrong in the cameo. I wa a bit tired when I wrote this yesterday.
But thank you, driftking. I hope you don't mind if I steal your setup for the 22B.
- 3,903
- St.Pete, FL
- NotThePrez
- NotThePrez
Wow, I didn't know Japanese grandstands sold AK-47's. Learn Something new everyday! 
Good chapter, Stig! 👍
Good chapter, Stig! 👍
- 5,481
- Seattle, WA
- RykonZero
Yeah, weird, isn't it?
Thanks. I didn't think so, but I'll try making up for it in chapter 20.
Thanks. I didn't think so, but I'll try making up for it in chapter 20.
- 2,007
- Los Angeles
- GTP_DrivingPark
- Finetales
I feel like the last outing in Armageddon Van should've been a bit more, erm...explosive. Although I did like the Indestructo Tank (I think that's what it's called)-esque plane/helicopter comboing. 
It was a nice chapter though!
Although I did like the Indestructo Tank (I think that's what it's called)-esque plane/helicopter comboing. It was a nice chapter though!
- 125
Nice chapter, i lol'd at the ak47 part
