After hearing this, Fujiwara Takumi decisively answered the question for him.
"Perhaps he knows this method is good, but it goes against his principles. In fact, as long as he doesn't drive in the connecting sections, he'll be fine. But these are his rights, and he will firmly defend his legal rights while bravely taking responsibility. He clearly could have gotten into a very good university, but he gave up those possibilities to pursue his dream of becoming a manga artist; it's the same logic. I think A-Yao will race with all his might... He'd rather have trouble later than force himself to do something that goes against his heart."
Takumi's description of the Chen Yao he knew to Yukinoshita Yukino was largely similar to her own perception, but far more profound.
"...Sigh, what a stubborn guy."
Yukinoshita Yukino sighed and said.
But complaints aside, Takumi could tell that Yukinoshita Yukino actually seemed a bit more at ease; she didn't seem to resent Chen Yao's stubbornness.
Fujiwara Takumi then said, "I'll go inside and call him out for you. Wait here for a moment."
"Actually, my view of him has changed a bit. I originally thought he was unconventional to the extreme, but it seems... he actually has friends to accompany him."
Yukino showed a faint smile, nodded her thanks, and spoke with emotion.
Takumi wasn't entirely clear on that point. He had known the international student Chen Yao since their third year of middle school. Because they got along so well, they used to be very close and had even fought off delinquents together. He was the kind of friend who wouldn't mind even if Itsuki accidentally smashed a potted plant that symbolized his manga dreams; one could say that besides Itsuki, Chen Yao was the person he was closest to.
Late at night, Chen Yao drove his Classmate Yukinoshita Yukino back to Chiba Prefecture.
"So you've decided to race Senior Takahashi Ryosuke on Saturday night? Do you really not intend to listen to my advice?"
"We'll see how things go after the race. If I lose, nothing happens. If I win, I'll find a way to downplay the result. I'll just do what I want to do."
"That's fine too. If Mr. Chen Yao gets expelled, my school life will be much easier."
"I know, I know. Let's leave it at that for today. Eldest Miss Yukinoshita, I'll take you back..."
With a headache, Chen Yao drove Yukinoshita Yukino back to Chiba Prefecture. It had to be said that Yukinoshita Yukino had strong initiative in the Service Club's activities, even coming all the way to Gunma Prefecture to dissuade him, though their talk ultimately ended on a sour note.
Not far away at the Fujiwara Tofu Shop, Takumi watched Chen Yao drive away. After a moment of silence, he asked his father, Fujiwara Bunta, at the entrance: "Dad, after becoming a famous racer, do other racers keep challenging you?"
"That's right..."
Fujiwara Bunta replied while tidying up the shop.
"...Does a minor driving without a license have to go to jail?"
Fujiwara Takumi continued to ask.
"No, but the father would be summoned for a lecture," Fujiwara Bunta replied simply.
"..."
Takumi fell silent. He took off his shoes and said, "I'm going to sleep."
A friend... anyone who knows this word must be a simple and straightforward creature.
~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~
Saturday night, 11:00 PM, Mount Akina road.
The weather was not cooperating; a light rain was falling, but it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the spectators drawn to this race at all.
Sports cars of various models continuously headed up the mountain. Both sides of the road were packed with spectators. The entire mountain was a line of lights, and the sound of voices never ceased.
Especially at the summit, a crowd of locals had already gathered to watch the race. Gunma Prefecture's street racing culture was quite famous in Japan.
"..."
A luxury car carrying Yukinoshita Yukino, Hachiman Hikigaya, and Yui Yuigahama arrived at the race scene. They were shocked by the sight of the mountain covered in a dense crowd of people.
"Incredible, it feels like the scene of a rally race," Hachiman Hikigaya remarked with emotion.
"Even I'm getting excited, though I'm a bit worried about whether there's a place to park..."
Shizuka Hiratsuka grew somewhat concerned. After all, the number of cars and people watching the race was countless... This Service Club operation could be described as disastrous. Yukino sighed; she had wanted to play a role and resolve this crisis, but there seemed to be no turning point. She could only look for ways to help Chen Yao after the race was over.
While Shizuka Hiratsuka went to find a parking spot after dropping them off at the starting section, the puttering sound of motorcycle engines suddenly came from the distance.
A line of high school girls in sailor uniforms arrived on motorcycles, forming a convoy to watch the race.
Wearing raincoats and riding gear, they parked their motorcycles directly in the bushes and stood right next to Yukinoshita Yukino.
"I heard Senior Chen is participating in this race. I didn't expect so many people to be watching. This is incredible. Is Senior Chen a famous racer?" Sakura Hane, wearing a red helmet, asked curiously.
Suzunoki Rin, wearing a white helmet and with blonde hair, said, "I also heard Senior Takeuchi mention it during training... but I don't see the Senior anywhere."
"I'm so looking forward to it, street racing!" Amano Ensa said excitedly, her hair curly.
Raimu-senpai, however, stood with her arms crossed, looking like she was waiting to see what would happen. After all, she was also curious about that person's skill level.
Yukinoshita Yukino and the others were stunned when they heard this group of girls on motorcycles mention Chen Yao. It seemed Chen Yao really had a lot of acquaintances.
Iketani Kouichirou, who was in charge of the venue, was also startled by the phenomenon as he stood in the rain. He estimated that over a thousand people were watching the race on the entire mountain.
Takahashi Ryosuke stood patiently in the rain. Beside him, a group of female fans who were obsessed with him screamed incessantly; it was clear he was extremely popular.
On Chen Yao's side, there was also a group of female motorcyclists cheering for him.
However, after waiting for a while, the rumored "black rain pirates" had yet to appear... Finally, a notification came through the walkie-talkie: [Attention, attention, a white car has begun to head up the mountain.]
These words undoubtedly caused the atmosphere to explode instantly. The legendary NSX had finally accepted the challenge.
Nakatomi Tsuyoshi, who was watching from the roadside, glanced at the white NSX heading up the mountain, and his gaze immediately sharpened. He recalled the nightmare of being left behind... "Has the NSX finally come out because of Takahashi Ryosuke?"
Nakatomi Tsuyoshi thought to himself with a sense of unwillingness.
"Did you see clearly what kind of car it is?"
At the summit, Iketani Kouichirou asked.
--- [I saw it clearly. It's a honda nsx, license plate 91-94.]
"91-94?" Beside him, Takeuchi Itsuki froze for a moment upon hearing this.
"What's wrong, Itsuki?" others asked curiously.
"No, it's nothing. Ahahaha..."
Takeuchi Itsuki laughed nervously.
As everyone was talking, finally, in the middle of the thunderstorm, that first-generation honda nsx appeared at the end of the darkness. Just as the rumors said, it was the legendary racing car that often appeared on dark, rainy nights to hunt down street racers... Chapter 031: A Race Between Friends Full of Wind and Rain
In the rain, the white honda nsx, guided by Iketani Kouichirou, turned around and slowly parked next to the FC.
Everyone's gaze focused on this mysterious NSX driver. When the NSX door opened, a young man wearing a black helmet stepped out.
"Hmm?"
Takahashi Ryosuke and Takahashi Keisuke, and even Yukinoshita Yukino and her group watching in the crowd, Raimu-senpai's group, and Horikita Manabu, who was also watching this scene, all felt surprised.
"Hey, why are you wearing a helmet?"
Takahashi Keisuke asked in confusion.
"..."
The young man in the helmet didn't speak. He just let the wind and rain beat against him. In the flash of lightning, he carried a silent, menacing aura.
"It's fine. It seems you've thought of a way to deal with this. I hope it's not to lose the race on purpose. Get in the car; let me see the strength of the 'Pirate'."
Takahashi Ryosuke just smiled, indicating it didn't matter. He then got into his car, signaling the official start of the race.
The person in the black helmet continued to remain silent, but he noticed something and looked back.
"Senior! Good luck!"
The group of motorcycle girls cheered him on.
Beside them, Yukinoshita Yukino, holding an umbrella, was looking at him with a look of incomprehension.
"Most likely, the driver was swapped," Hachiman Hikigaya said, having deduced a possibility.
Yukino sized the person up. Although she also had that suspicion, she felt something was not quite right.
"..."
Horikita Manabu watched this scene silently, but he didn't jump to a conclusion. If Chen Yao used a last-minute driver swap to avoid the situation, he would admit he had misjudged the man.
Just then, someone from down the mountain shouted again: [Attention, attention, an old toyota 86 is coming up. Should we pause the start?]
"...What did you say, a toyota 86?"
Itsuki was even more shocked when he heard this and asked.
"Itsuki, what's going on?" Iketani Kouichirou asked curiously.
"Senior Iketani, ask what the license plate of that car is?"
Itsuki asked a very strange question. He seemed to have a faint feeling that something was wrong.
"...I understand. Number 3, check the license plate of the toyota 86."
--- [I see it. The plate is 78-61.]
"The plate is 78-61," Iketani Kouichirou told Itsuki.
In the thunderstorm, Itsuki stood frozen. He glanced at the person wearing the black helmet and seemed to understand what was wrong.
"Isn't 78-61 A-Yao's license plate? 91-94 is Takumi's family's license plate. Why would they swap plates? Takumi, why did you..."
Just as Itsuki was caught in a premonition, the 86 slowly drove up to face the other two cars.
The person who got out of the car was Fujiwara Takumi.
The rain fell even harder. Takumi and the person in the helmet looked at each other; neither spoke... Half an hour ago, Takumi had gone to the Yokoyama house and found Chen Yao preparing to set out.
"Are you sure you want to participate in this race?" Takumi asked calmly, his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah, but I actually have a low probability of beating Takahashi Ryosuke," Chen Yao said to Takumi as he checked the tire pressure and condition.
"...Um, A-Yao, we're friends, right?"
Suddenly, Takumi asked a very strange question.
"..."
Chen Yao froze for a moment and looked at Takumi in confusion.
"Although I can feel that you treat us as friends, you're afraid of this relationship. But... I consider you a friend."
Takumi looked up at the sky and said.
"When you go to the race, just do what you want to do. But can you promise me two things? Although I'm not sure if they'll work, let's swap license plates so yours won't be remembered, and not many people will pay attention to my 86's plate. Then you wear a mask or a hood or something... If you win, take it off; if you lose, just leave immediately."
Fujiwara Takumi looked at Chen Yao and said, "I'll defend your dignity and freedom. It's your will, and it's also my own. If you consider me and Itsuki as friends in your heart, then I only ask these two things of you, okay?"
...Takumi saw that Chen Yao eventually put on the helmet, and he felt a sense of relief in his heart.
"What's with this 86? It's in the way. The race is about to start!"
"Hey, move your car out of here!"
...The surrounding crowd grew restless, constantly trying to drive Fujiwara Takumi away, but he remained motionless. Amidst the condemnation of 'ten thousand people', he didn't panic at all, standing tall between heaven and earth.
"Takumi, what are you doing here? Don't make things difficult, okay!?"
Itsuki immediately grabbed Takumi, trying hard to pull him away.
"I want to participate in the race too."
Fujiwara Takumi said to Takahashi Ryosuke.