Narration:
Even though it's not really a life-changing experience,
from certain vantage points, "entering high school"
can be said to be a new beginning.
But as to what kind of a new beginning, well,
I'm not too sure about that one.
-------but then again,
don't people say
"A good beginning is half of succeeding?"
[picture of a school building]
I'd better put up a good appearance on the first day of school anyway.
That's right--
That's what I'll do.
Narration: During the entrance ceremony I already checked,
[Pictures of the school hallway, some nondescript people standing around chatting, who show up as mere shadows in the halls. A classroom door slides open.]
Narration: There doesn't seem to be anybody particularly special, who stands out and attracts attention…This is great! This means *I'll* be the cool one in our class!
[Tatsuya stands still, stunned. The picture zooms out and we see that he's standing in the classroom staring at Rei, who's staring back at him.]
Rei [With a cold expression on his face]: What do you think you're staring at?
Tatsuya [Seems to snap out of a trance, and is very embarrassed. He's flushed and he's got his hand behind his head like our typical embarrassed Japanese male, and is sweating]: Ah, sor—sorry!
[Rei walks away as Tatsuya stands frozen, a goofy smile still plastered on his face. As Rei retreats into the background, Tatsuya's covered his mouth with both hands and has an "oh my gosh what have I doooone" look on his face.]
Tatsuya/ Freak~~~~I can't believe I actually apologized to him! On this incredibly important first day of school….[We see some random guy standing up in class to introduce himself]…I had decided early on that I'd use my actions today to ensure my "position" in class…I never thought I'd start it off acting so dorky~~~!
Random guy: I'm blahblah from blahblah [sorry guys, trying to find the Japanese names for these kanji would kill me] middle school. My hobby is to watch movies, and my favorite star is…
Tatsuya/ At first I thought I could use height to win over him, but it seems he's a little taller than me…
[Picture of Rei turning to glance at Tatsuya, who's got a hint of a surprised look on his face. There's an arrow pointing from the top of Tatsuya's head horizontally to almost the top of Rei's head, and another arrow pointing to Tatsuya that says "183 cm." Guess Tatsuya lost, haha.]
Tatsuya/ But who is this guy anyway? Did I see this person during the entrance ceremony?? [Rei's yawning, flushed, and Tatsuya glares daggers at him from behind.] And he sits in front of me…
Teacher: Okay, next student.
[Rei stands up]
Rei: I'm Kashino Rei. About me…well, at first I wanted to babble about random stuff, but to be honest, I actually have a bit of amnesia, so I'm not very clear about my own life.
[A bunch of guys are in class 1-A talking, including Tatsuya.]
Guy1: That guy Kashino…who is he anyway?
Guy2: "Amnesia"…what shit.
Guy3: What is he anyway?
Guy1,2,or3: Who knows? I've never met anyone who looks like that.
Guy1,2,or3: Me neither. You'd only have to meet a person who looks like that once, to remember him. D'you think he's into visual kei?
[note: 'visual kei' refers to jrock where the bands dress up with crazy makeup and clothes and stuff. like…xjapan used to, and some other bands…or how about shazna.]
Tatsuya [nose in the air]: Oh please, he's just a wuss.
Harumi: He is not! He's soooooo cooool!
[She's flushed, with her hands clasped.]
Harumi: He kept his past secret on purpose to be mysterious!
Guys [They all have dot eyes and "we are so bored with you" expressions]: ……..
Guy1: What and what?
Guy2: Purposely acting mysterious is cool?
Guy3: Whatever, it's just because he looks good.
Tatsuya/ What a shallow girl.
[Tatsuya starts as he notices someone walking below through the window. It's Kira, who has a sad, serious expression on her face and is clutching a huge sketchpad.]
Tatsuya [dreamy expression…awww…]: ………………..
[Nighttime. A house with lighted windows. Lit windows. Whatever. Tatsuya's sitting at his desk, cheek propped in palm, staring at what we see is his junior high yearbook. There's a closeup of Kira's picture. Tatsuya sighs.]
Tatsuya: I actually got into the same high school as her…[He lays his head down on the desk] but I still don't have the courage to tell her I like her.
[His arm hits a remote which turns the stereo on. He looks up, startled by the sound.]
Tatsuya/ This song--------!!
[Picture of Tatsuya sitting at his desk in a robe, arms crossed, pencil sticking out of his mouth, eyes squinted, brow furrowed. He's got a long bandanna tied around his head that has the equivalent to "MUST WIN" written across the forehead area in kanji. There're books spread out in front of him, and his stereo is next to him.]
Tatsuya/ That's right, last year when I was preparing for the exams, FM would play this song late at night; though I wasn't listening carefully and never was too clear about who sang it, for some reason this song made a deep impression on me. The lyrics seem to be in English, so the singer should be American or British right? I'd planned to check what song it was as soon as I finished my exams….
Tatsuya: AH, I missed the song title again! Even if I wanted to ask someone, I only know the tune…
[View of the sky and a basketball flying through the air. Tatsuya and some other guys are sitting/leaning against a chain link fence with extremely bored/down looks on their faces, their eyes slits.]
Guy: I thought life would change a lot after getting into high school, but it seems it's the same as middle school…Even these basketball contests are losing their novelty.
Tatsuya: This is boring.
Guy: Yeah, you say that, but you're actually really anticipating this, aren't you? Didn't you want to stand out? Practicing hard after school. But why is it that the person who never comes to practice still attracts the most attention?
[Rei slam dunks.]
Guy/Tatsuya: His height, his skills, plus that face…[The girls are on the sidelines, jumping and cheering, flushed] it would be weird if the girls *didn't* go crazy.
[Tatsuya, still with a bored/sad look on his face, watches Rei with the basketball.]
Tatsuya/ That's right, he's really very good-looking/cool. But…..[Tatsuya's walking down the hall, dressed in normal clothes, holding a book] Don't think all the girls belong to you.
[He notices someone outside the window—it's Kira. She's fumbling with her bag, and drops her key. It falls into the gutter. Tatsuya's eyes widen as he watches her squat next to the gutter, staring down into its depths.]
Tatsuya/ Ah, the key's fallen!
Kira: …………….[She's just squatted there staring at the gutter]
Tatsuya/ Idiot! No matter how long you stare at it, it's not gonna come back out of the gutter on its own! [He's standing at the window, this really frustrated look on his face, his hands against the glass] Hurry up and call the janitor! [He suddenly notices Rei walking along whistling, tossing a coin in the air.] !
[Rei notices Kira at the gutter.]
Rei: What's up?
Kira: !
[He squats at the gutter across from Kira and looks down.]
Rei: Is there something there?
Kira: Yeah, it's a key.
Rei: Did you lose it? [Lifts the cover] All right, I'll get it for you.
[Tatsuya watches from behind the glass, zoned out, as Rei grins and hands Kira her key.]
Rei [waving his hand in the air, smiling]: Ah, no need to thank me, no need to thank me. [View of the water faucets outside] But if it's all right, could you lend me some money? Just 1000 yen. 1000 yen is all. [a 1000yen bill] Thanks, I'll definitely return this. [pause, turning] ! Right, what's your name?
Kira [looks startled]: Aso……
Rei: A, so…….
(Okay, now Rei makes some joke about her name and grins and runs away. I don't really know how to translate it, since I have a feeling the people reworked this joke so it'd make sense in Chinese, so I won't.)
[Kira's left standing there, still startled-looking. Her back is facing the school building. Tatsuya's leaning on the windowsill. On a closer shot, we see that he's shaking, and has his jaw clenched and is biting on his lip. He's making this strange muffled noise.]
Tatsuya/ BASTARD------!!!!
Voice: Hey, does this bracelet have any special meaning?
[Closeup of Rei's bracelet.]
Voice: Cuz you wear it every day.
Rei: Not really, it's just something someone gave me.
[Harumi is leaning over Rei's desk.]
Harumi: Really---- who gave it to you?
Rei: Does it matter?
Tatsuya/ What the heck are you trying to do…?
Harumi: A girl probably gave this to you, huh?
Rei: No.
[Tatsuya's hunched over his own desk, his fists clenched.]
Tatsuya/ It should've been ME getting her key for her, it was a good opportunity for me to leave a deep impression on her mind.…[Tatsuya's fists are shaking.] I never thought that….instead….
Harumi: I heard some rumors about you…that you were shopping with an older woman in Shibuya.
Rei: Eh? How come I don't know about that?
[Tatsuya stands up suddenly, grabbing hold of Rei's shirtfront and dragging him up.]
Tatsuya: WHO TOLD YOU TO EXHORT MONEY FROM ASO?
[It seems that was just an imagination sequence from Tatsuya's overly active brain. ^_^;; He's still sitting at his desk, his hands folded in front of him, head down.]
Tatsuya/ -----if it were possible, I really would like to do that…
Harumi: This is very suspicious---
Rei: What?
[Rei looks at his bracelet]
Rei: This isn't what you think…to me, this bracelet is something full of deep memories.
Tatsuya/ But I couldn't say it. [He sighs, clasping his hands behind his head, leaning forward, head down towards desk.] Why am I such a wuss?
Tatsuya: I hate my personality.
[At a café called la Coto, at night.]
Voice [over a drink]: That makes me so mad.
Voice: I heard that Kashino person is getting a third year girl to take care of him!
Voice2: Really?
Voice3: Oh, I remember now, a while ago I think he was wearing a [insert name-brand here].
Voice2: What? Did a woman buy that for him too?
Voice: Huh. He's seriously just like a gigolo.
Voice3: Also……okay, don't tell anyone, but I saw Kashino with Nakamura from Class C coming out of a hotel in Shibuya!
[At this point, I hope you realized that I have no idea who's saying what so I'm randomly assigning voices.]
Guy1 [covering his mouth, sweating]: Ah!
[He's looking at another guy. In between the two of them is, I guess, one of their friends…only his face is just a mass of those Maruko-lines. Know what I'm saying?]
Guy2: What?
Guy1: Shit…[the other guys look up, shocked. including Tatsuya.] Hey, aren't Nakamura and Atsushi [name of the Maruko-like guy] going out?
[Flash of understanding.]
Voice: REALLY?
[The guys have left the café and are walking outside. Atsushi has his head down dejectedly, while the rest of them are either patting him on the back or looking vengeful and angry, and shaking their fists.]
Guy1: That guy has gone too far!
Tatsuya: As long as it's a girl, they're all the same to him?
Guy2: He thinks just because he's good-looking he can do whatever he wants! I say we call him out and make him explain himself!
Guy3: Yeah, let's show him what we've got.
Tatsuya [yeah, really fired up now]: Good call, let's go teach him a lesson!
Voice out of the blue: Fight!
[They're in front of a…club? Convenience store? Eh. Someplace with a door. Haha, that could be anywhere. But they're on the street in front of it, so yeah. Anyway. Tatsuya looks up, and more onlookers turn, as some guy is flung out of the door onto his back on the sidewalk. Their eyes widen as they take in the guy who's lying on the ground…and Rei, standing in the doorway, looking down at the guy with no expression on his face.]
Tatsuya/ KASHINO……!?
[A guy appears behind Rei, about to punch him.]
Tatsuya [looking alarmed]: !
[Rei turns and gets the guy right in the face with his fist. They guy falls down on the ground. The onlookers all look scared and shocked.]
Voice: Wow, he's amazing, it was four against one!
Voice2: And he beat those guys up so badly!
[Sirens blare. Rei turns, looks at the passerby, and then takes off through the crowd. Tatsuya and his friends stare in horror at the guy Rei had just punched, who's now out cold on the sidewalk.]
Tatsuya: Ohhhh man…we're lucky we didn't pick a fight with him…And he looks like such a weak good-for-nothing, too…
Atsushi: Did you just see that? If it was us, we'd be dead…
[Tatsuya is bent over, hands on knees. He suddenly notices something on the ground a distance away. On closer inspection, it's Rei's bracelet. He remembers Rei telling Harumi about it.]
*Rei: To me, this bracelet is something full of deep memories.*
[Tatsuya's eyes widen.]
[At a park.]
Voice: Tatsuya, are you sure it'll be okay? I mean, us calling him out like this?
Voice2: If we get him mad, then we're all in. And we're no match for him.
[Tatsuya kicks up his skateboard and looks stupidly confident as his friends watch with eyes that have contracted to dots.]
Tatsuya: Relax. That guy has weaknesses too!
[Closeup of dot-eyed friends.]
Tatsuya: Just you wait, today I'll definitely make him bow to us!
Guy1: Yeah, you say that, but look at your legs shaking.
[His legs really are shaking.]
Guy2: Can't blame him though, he saw what happened yesterday.
Guy3: Yeah really, he was so scared his face changed shape.
Voice: What changed shape?
[A pair of legs appear on the scene. The picture zooms out and we see it's a nonplussed Rei staring at the guys. On noticing him, Tatsuya's three friends all get the Maruko-lines and jump back in fright.]
Guys: WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Rei: Wha'd you want with me? Why'd you call me out here? Whaddya want, huh--
Tatsuya [his friends are all cowering behind him]/ Is he a cat?
Guys: Sc—scared me to death.
[Tatsuya glares determinedly at Rei.]
Tatsuya: Did you sleep with Nakamura from class C last week?
Rei: !
[The two of them are facing off in the park. Tatsuya's working himself into a fury, while Rei's just standing there with his arms crossed.]
Rei: So what if I did?
Tatsuya: Nakamura's going out with Atsushi!
Rei: So?
Tatsuya: You just messed up their relationship!
Rei: Who cares about him.
Tatsuya: You troublemaker [actually I would use a different term for this, but must be mindful of language ;D]
Rei: Oh please, the girl came to me of her own volition.
Tatsuya: Who says that just because someone comes along and invites you, you have to go with them like some kinda dog?
Rei: You're annoying, idiot.
Tatsuya: Anyway, I want you to apologize to Atsushi!
Rei [finally getting mad]: Who do you think you are! What business is any of this of yours??
Tatsuya: Of course it's my business! I started liking Aso since junior high, and then you just casually start talking to her, and exhort money from her! Did you return her 1000yen?
[Yet another figment of Tatsuya's valiant imagination. ;) Tatsuya's biting on his lower lip.]
Tatsuya/ I really wanted to say that………
[A bracelet suddenly appears in front of Rei's startled eyes. Tatsuya's holding it between thumb and index finger. Rei reaches out to grab it, but Tatsuya grabs it back.]
Rei: That's my--
Tatsuya: If you want this back, you better admit you're wrong.
Rei [still looks shocked for a moment; then crosses his arms again and looks obstinate.]: Sorry, but I didn't do anything wrong. I don't see why I have to admit I'm wrong.
Tatsuya: ! Didn't do anything wrong?! Acting innocent when you've slept with someone else's girlfriend?
Rei: So we slept together, it's not like I forced her! I mean, as long as the feeling's right, who cares who the other person is? You can do it just the same, can't you?
[Tatsuya & Co. look really shocked. Tatsuya's standing with his mouth slightly open, and his friends are standing in the background with dot eyes again.]
Rei [smoothing hair back, looking slightly troubled/annoyed]: And I mean, what's all this about apologizing. If your girl's taken by another guy, the only person you can really blame is yourself for being useless, right?
[The guy in question, Atsushi, is flushed, looking stricken.]
Rei [smiling somewhat evilly, leaning down to look Atsushi in the eye.] Anyway, you better stay away from that girl…she'll sleep with anyone as long as it's a guy. [Atsushi gets mad] And even if I tell you about this, you won't understand, will you?
[The guy loses it and lunges for Rei, trying to punch him. Tatsuya notices as the guy lunges, and cries out.]
Tatsuya: Atsushi!
[Rei dodges the punch, expression slightly surprised. At this point, all the other guys, excepting Tatsuya, join in the fray.]
Atsushi: If the sleeping lion doesn't roar, you take me for a sick cat huh! [Eh. It's a Chinese saying. Kinda like "If I don't get mad/make a stand for myself now you think you can bully me" type thing. Eh. That's the best I can do?]
Tatsuya: Hey, stop!
[Tatsuya tries to break up the fight]
Tatsuya: I told you guys to stop, do you hear me??
[Someone hits Tatsuya and he lets go of the bracelet. He reaches out, his expression worried, as the bracelet falls down the stairs toward the nearby canal.]
Tatsuya: Ah, the bracelet……!
[Rei notices the bracelet, too, and immediately takes off running. He jumps onto Tatsuya's skateboard, jumping with it over the stairway and skidding to a stop, leaping with hand outstretched towards the bracelet, which is rolling towards the edge…We watch, in slow motion, it would seem, as the bracelet falls over the edge, eluding Rei's grasp. It plops into the water. Rei watches it for a split-second before his shoes hit the ground and he dives in after it. Tatsuya & Co run toward the fence around the canal; as Tatsuya watches Rei dive desperately for the bracelet, disappearing beneath the surface again and again, something comes over him and he takes his own shoes off. He jumps over the railing into the water.]
Tatsuya [resurfacing]: What're you guys just standing there for? Hurry up and help!
Guys: !
[One by one, they climb over the fence and head into the water. Bystanders turn as they hear splashes.]
[The day has progressed; the sky is dark, the sun setting. Tatsuya stands, holding his shoes, behind a wet Rei, who's sitting there with his head down.]
Tatsuya: I'm sorry, I never thought things would end up like this…was that bracelet really that important?
[Rei stares ahead of him for a moment, and then closes his eyes.]
Rei: Forget it………
Voice: So you're going home now?
[Two fishermen are talking near the fence. One seems to be leaving.]
Fisherman1: So how was today's?
Fisherman2: Not much. Didn't really catch anything.
Fisherman1: I didn't get any fish, but I did manage to hook this--[he holds up the bracelet] it's rather pretty, I think I'll take it home and give it to my grandchild…
[Rei and Tatsuya both look up, with these aghast looks on their faces.]
Rei/Tatsuya: Wait, Mister!!
[Still nighttime; we see a building in the dark. Inside, presumably, there are lots of lockers and cabinets. Rei and Tatsuya are in a big hot tub (communal furo type thing) which has a big picture of Mt. Fuji as the wallpaper.]
Rei [grinning happily]: I didn't know your family runs a hot springs/bathhouse. I've always wanted to try out Japan hot springs.
Tatsuya: Why do you say that like you've never lived in Japan?
Rei [smiling whimsically]: Before I was 13, I lived in LA.
Tatsuya: ! What? You used to live in the US? Are you for real? So your English must be really good, huh?
Rei: I'm alright. After all, I went to a middle school there.
Tatsuya [absolutely stunned]: Hey, you didn't get that bracelet from some girl back there, did you?
Rei [surprised, then has a somewhat sober expression]: No. It's from one of my biker friends. He used to race motorcycles, but then he stopped—so he gave me his lucky protection bracelet.
Tatsuya: Oh, so it's from a motorcycle racer…Hey, you wouldn't happen to have been into motorcycle racing yourself, would you?
Rei [smiling again]: Yeah, but I had an accident last year, so now I don't do it anymore.
[Rei indicates a scar he's got on his collarbone, to Tatsuya's immense interest.]
Rei: It was a pretty serious accident. I might have died, but all that I ended up with was a broken bone……I think it was probably because of the bracelet's protection?
Tatsuya: Really--[he's smiling] so if that person gave you his bracelet, then his luck must've gone with it!
Rei [looking really sad and sober]: He died—
[Picture of a really beatup wreck of a car]
Rei: He got into a car accident—run into by a truck driver who'd fallen asleep at the wheel.
Tatsuya [also looking sad, closing his eyes after a moment]: Then it's not a protection charm anymore; it's a relic.
[Rei smiles softly.]
Rei: It's a protection charm. [shot of the window, and steam rising] I have two people's lives on me.
Tatsuya [looking down at the water]: I……before, I always misunderstood you, I thought you were an untrustworthy, uncaring, horrible person…
[As Tatsuya speaks, his eyes closed, Rei has left the hot tub and is now pushing at one of the walls.]
Rei: Hey, is there a hole here where we could peep through at the other side? Shoot, if there were only a small hole…
Tatsuya [his eyes have contracted to dots as he watches Rei]: …………[he sighs]
Tatsuya/ I guess he's still kinda horrible—
Tatsuya: It's okay if you wear my clothes, right, I think we're about the same size.
Rei: Oh, thanks.
Tatsuya/ But why do I feel like I just can't hate this guy?
Rei/Tatsuya: Hey, let's go buy some shaved ice.
[At a convenience store]
Clerk: Thank you.
[The two of them leave, talking. Out on the sidewalk, they come across some familiar faces—Tatsuya notices them first—a guy with a side of his face bandaged up, accompanied by two friends.]
Tatsuya: Ah!
Guy: Ah!
[Tatsuya remembers this guy—he's the one Rei knocked out with one punch, during the fight the other day. Simultaneously, Tatsuya and the guy both point at each other.]
Tatsuya & Guy: Aren't you—that time…
Rei [has a completely innocent, questioning expression]: Huh, you know him?
Tatsuya [freaking out, yelling]: It's not me okay! It should be you! Aren't these guys the ones you beat up so badly last time?
[Rei's eyes widen.]
Rei: ! Oh, are they them……
Guy: You bastard! Last time, you dared—
[PAA! Rei's whacked the guy upside the head with the bag of shaved ice stuff the two of them had just bought.]
Guy: !
Tatsuya [astounded]: ~~~~~~~~~~
Rei [grabbing Tatsuya by his shirt]: HURRY AND RUN!
Guy [kneeling on the ground holding his head]: You…you @#$%! DON'T RUN, YOU @#$%!
[The two boys run down some alleys and climb a chain link fence. Jumping down to the other side, they turn to taunt the other guy and his friends. The bandage guy and his friends have shocked expressions on their faces.]
Rei & Tatsuya [making faces]: HAHA………Stu~~~pid! Not satisfied? C'mon, keep chasing us!
Guy [smiling wryly]: You guys are the stupid ones.
Tatsuya and Rei: Ah?
[The two of them turn and look behind them…to find a whole gang of scary-looking men with their motorcycles.]
Tatsuya [Rei's just standing there with a startled look]: OH……it's finished—my life! [His mouth is wide open and there's a steady river of tears flowing down his cheeks]
Gang guy1: You guys are—the ones who made a pass at our brother's woman, are you?
Tatsuya [grabbing Rei by the collar and screaming]: YOU—you couldn't pick anyone but the biker gang member's girl, could you?
Rei [innocently, slightly puzzled]: When you're doing it, you don't stop to consider whose girl it is…? And these guys who call themselves a biker gang…they don't even really ride…
[Rei has a completely innocent look on his face, his eyes are shut and he's shrugging his shoulders cutely. Tatsuya's completely freaking out, his mouth wiiide open, eyes slits, sweating, and Maruko-lines galore…]
Rei: A whole load of people out on the road riding all crooked…what's so fun about that?
Tatsuya: @#$@%(@%)*#)$(!!!
Gang members: You be careful, I'm gonna beat you to a pulp! We're known in this area for being dangerous* bikers!
[*lit. "playing with our lives"]
Rei: Dangerous? You call riding on these flat, straight roads "dangerous?"
Gang members [some flicking Rei off]: AH? What are you saying? What do you know anyway? So tell us, where in all of Japan would you find a place where the road isn't straight and flat?
Rei [smiling cooly]: At the racing circuit.
Gang guy2: Ah! [points at Rei]: I remember, no wonder I felt like I've seen this guy before! He's the Kashino who won the 4-hour Suzuka endurance race!
[There's a picture of Suzuka circuit. Tatsuya looks incredibly shocked, as do all the rest of the gang.]
Tatsuya & Gang/ FOR REAL?
Gang guy3: That's right, he's that middle school kid!
Gang guy4: OMG! It really is him!
Gang guy1: How interesting.[he's unfazed, looking at Rei. Rei isn't fazed either.] I never thought I'd meet a real motorcycle racer here. At first we were gonna just beat you up, but since things've turned out this way, let's have you demonstrate some "real" bike skills for us, what do you think?
[The gang people look smug again.]
Gang guy1: So we don't know the way things work on the circuit. But on the public roads, there're traffic lights and oncoming traffic.
Gang guy3: That's right, even if you get into an accident, help won't come so quickly.
Gang guy1: So if you wouldn't mind, why don't you have a race with us? If you keep going on this road for about two blocks you'll get to a big circle, if you turn around and come back from there…of course, if you decline, your friend will suffer.
[Rei turns to look at Tatsuya, who's watching him.]
Tatsuya: !
[Rei smiles]
Rei: What about a bike? [bike indicated] 250cc eh…
Tatsuya/ Heyheyhey-------! Do I even have hope?!
Rei: So as long as I get back here first, you'll let us go, right?
Gang guy1: That's right, I'll let you and your friend go this time. But that means you'll have to get back here safely!
[Rei's smiling, loving the challenge. Tatsuya looks worried, watching him.]
Rei: OK!
Tatsuya: He wouldn't~~~~ But they're all riding 750cc bikes!
[Everyone gets on their bikes. Tatsuya's sitting with his hands tied behind him, guarded by two other gang guys.]
Tatsuya: REI.
[Rei turns and looks at him, then turns back around and smiles. Someone waves a flag, and Rei takes off fast.]
Gang guy1: !
[Rei's already leaving them behind in the dust.]
Gang guy1: F-fast! Isn't that a 250cc bike……
[Rei's taking a turn in a blur]
Gang guy: He's leaving the designated path! He's trying to escape! After him!
Gang guy1: He's already so far ahead!
[Rei's already far off in the distance. The traffic light turns yellow, and the scene turns into a blur.]
Gang guy: That guy's not even looking at the traffic light!
[Rei's face is expressionless as he continues. The light changes, and he's already gone. The other bikers go helter-skelter, all too close together. Rei's going fast—straight towards a Nikkon Diesel truck. (wow! two-page spread. love Fuyumi Souryo…her details are great) Rei does a low turn, barely veering out of the way of the truck's side. The truck driver doesn't even snap out of his doze until Rei's already zooming away.]
Gang guy1: Ah, he swerved!
[Rei's exhilarated, eyes wide. He laughs, closing his eyes for a second.]
Rei: LUCKY! [he brings his bike up on one wheel] YEAH!!!
Gang guys [watching Rei disappear into the distance]: He's gone crazy! I think…
[Back at the gang hangout, Tatsuya's sitting in a corner, still tied, while four of the gang guys sit/stand around talking. He sighs.]
Tatsuya/ My luck has run out at this point. He won't come back……
[There's the sound of an approaching engine. The gang guys all turn in surprise.]
Gang guys: !
[A headlight flashes at them, and a motorcycle comes to a VERY abrupt halt in front of them. It scares them so much that they take off running, jumping into the canal.]
Guys: WAAAAAH!
[Rei's stopped, half-smiling at Tatsuya, who's just looking at him in shock.]
Tatsuya: I didn't think you'd come back!
Rei: Aw, don't underestimate me! How could I lose to those guys? I left them in the dust!
[The silhouette of Rei is giving Tatsuya a peace sign]
Tatsuya: I didn't mean that. I meant, the person who's stuck as hostage isn't you, you could've just left me here and escaped yourself. But you still came back.
[Rei looks stunned.]
Rei: Now that you've said that, it sounds logical.
Tatsuya [annoyed]/ This guy…
[Tatsuya's expression softens, and he smiles.]
[Tatsuya and Rei are walking along the sidewalk. A car parked by the road has its radio on, and a song is playing.]
Tatsuya: Ah, forget it. As long as no one's hurt, it's all good.[hears the song] This song…they're playing this song again!
Rei [starts]: Oh. "A Horse with No Name" right.
[Tatsuya has turned to stare at Rei.]
Tatsuya: This song is called "A Horse with No Name?"
Rei: Yeah, it's by a band that was really popular in America in the 70s.
Tatsuya: What about the lyrics? How does it go?
Rei: I think it's something like…"I've been to the desert on a horse with no name/And it felt good to be out of the rain/In the desert, you can't remember your name/Because there ain't no one for to give you no name"**…
[**"A Horse with No Name," by Dewey Bunnell, Warner/Chappell Music, etc etc.]
[Tatsuya, at first just watching Rei intently, smiles to himself. The picture zooms out to encompass the surrounding neighborhood.]
Tatsuya: Oh, so that's what the song lyrics mean. Next time I'll go buy the CD.
Rei: After you buy the CD, lend it to me…Ah, shoot, I don't have a discman!
Tatsuya: You don't? In this day and age,…what kind of life have you been leading??
THE END.
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