Volume 14.
Tatsuya’s just gotten his motorcycle license. He comes around showing off his motorcycle, (he’s got a funny helmet on..hehe. and asks them to all call him this weird name like vagabond lone rider or something..hahaha) and Harumi is a bit worried that he’ll get so cocky about it that he’ll do something rash. Kira just tells her not to worry, since Tatsuya isn’t Rei. Then she remembers the scene she’d witnessed before, of Rei sitting alone in the grass watching someone learn to drive a motorcycle. Later on she has a talk with Harumi, where she tells Harumi that she thinks Rei is pushing himself too hard in giving up motorcycles. She tells Harumi that she doesn’t think it’s right, that she continues painting what she loves to paint, while Rei has given up his dreams of racing. Harumi tells Kira that even though it’s sad that Rei’s given up a dream, this might all be for the best because when she’d seen Rei race that time at Suzuka, she’d thought it was really scary...the way the motocycles sped by like bullets, going around and around the track. Harumi says that it’s horrifying to see the one you love slowly become more and more immersed in such a dangerous world.
As Harumi and Kira continue talking about dreams, Harumi suddenly remembers that one of their old classmates might just become a singer. She says that this classmate, Chika, has recorded a test tape and is going to try out to be a singer. Kira remembers Chika as being really good at karaoke. Harumi has this idea that they can have a party to encourage/congratulate Chika, and have a lot of their old school friends meet up for it.
Rei’s playing tennis with (I assume) the guy from the concert he fell asleep at. ^_^;;; It seems he’s teaching Rei how to play tennis, since Rei’s never played before, and Rei’s a really fast learner. They chat a bit, with the other guy asking Rei what sports he usually plays. Rei mentions playing raquetball and then he’s about to say “racing motorcycles” but has to change it to “playing basketball” instead. The guy invites Rei to go to his vacation home and play tennis with some of his old tennis pals, and Rei just kind of does a fake laugh type of thing. He gets a phone call from Kira, who tells him that Harumi wants to have a party for all their old school friends to get together and stuff. Tatsuya comes to pick Harumi up on his motorcycle, and the two of them head home, with Harumi calling back that she’ll give Kira a call with the times and place and details. As Kira waves goodbye to Tatsuya and Harumi, she remembers what Rei’s father’d told her about Rei’s real father dying in a racing accident. She pictures the burning car, then remembers looking at Rei’s back while he’s sitting there watching the motorcycle lesson. She remembers Harumi’s telling her about how dangerous the Suzuka races looked, and then just sits there on the steps by herself, looking upwards, deep in thought.
At the party, everyone’s really glad and incredulous to see Rei again. He’s pelted with questions about his really being the son of this big company president, and some guy who Rei’s owed money to for a long time demands it back (Rei asks him if checks are acceptable...). Harumi comments that Tatsuya’s probably going to be late, since he’ll want to show off his motorcycle. As Rei’s commenting on this, Kira watches him closely. Just then, Chika shows up, and bursts into tears. It seems that she had been about to hand in her test tape, but on the way she’d crashed into some guy who’d been carrying a similar folder as her, and they’d accidentally picked up each other’s folders. It’s already two-thirty in the afternoon, and the tapes are due at three. Harumi yells at the girl for not handing in her tape earlier, but she just says it’s because her parents forbade her to enter, saying that she’ll never become a real singer, and that it made her hesitate, but she couldn’t give up her dream so easily in the end. They open the folder and find that it’s a resume-type (maybe more like personal records) for some guy who’s applying for a job at Rei’s father’s company. Just then, Tatsuya arrives. Rei grabs Tatsuya’s motorcycle and takes off, saying that he’ll chase down Chika’s dream for her.
Rei speeds to his father’s company. When he gets there, one of the security guards tries to stop him from going in. (Then Rei takes off his helmet and the guard recognizes him, and almost has a heart attack. haha) He finds the guy, who’s arguing with the receptionist people about him really being who he says he is, and how he’s there for whatever..the research meeting or something. He gives Kira a call, telling her he’s got the tape and is going to go hand it in. (It’s only been 10 minutes since he left.) He also delivers a message for Chika: that he hopes she’ll work hard to attain her dream.
Tatsuya [panicky]: Ask him if my motorcycle is okay!!!
Kira: Ah..he’s already hung up. [Tatsuya faints]
Kira and Rei are headed home after partying with their friends all night. Kira says that Rei’s given Chika a lot of strength to chase her dream. Rei just says that maybe he didn’t care at all about Chika, but just wanted to ride a motorcycle again. He comments that ever since he was small, whenever he saw a road, he’d want to continue speeding down that road to see what lay ahead, like an idiot. He warns Kira not to tell his father he’s ridden a motorcycle again. She hugs him and says that there’s nobody better than him.
Rei’s father is surprised when Kira goes to his office to see him in the middle of the day. She asks him to allow Rei to go back to the motorcycle racing world. The two of them end up at some restaurant, where Rei’s father asks Kira whether she knows just how dangerous this would be. He reminds her that Rei’s real father died racing. Kira agrees, and says solemnly that she knows it’s very dangerous, and that whenever Rei opens the door to leave she wonders whether it will be the last time she ever sees him. However, she says that this is the life he chose to lead, without listening to anybody’s commands or advice...and that it’s this lifestyle of his that attracted her and made her fall in love with him. So once again, she asks Rei’s father to grant Rei his freedom.
Kira’s meeting up with Rei. He’s leaning against a pillar waiting for her, and she sees him and calls out. He doesn’t hear her though, and since he’s standing next to some girl who’s talking on her cell, wearing a shirt with a neckline that shows some cleavage, he can’t help but stare. Kira shows up behind him and kicks him, asking him what he’s looking at. -_-;;; He tries to convince her that she’s misunderstood, but all she says is that people don’t change very easily. Rei asks her what she just said, and she smiles and says that Rei will always be Rei, no changing.
Rei’s father is thinking about what Kira asked him. He thinks about the racing world. He goes through some memories of a time with Rei’s real father--
Takayuki: What’s so great about it anyway, the racing world?
Akihiko [smiling]: You wouldn’t understand. People who have never raced can’t understand it..the speed, the excitement. Once you try it, you can never give it up.
Takayuki [turning back to his books, smiling]: I don’t want to try it. That kind of excitement is like playing with your own life. It’s a stupid thing to do.
Akihiko [starts, then smiles sort of sadly]: I’m not like you, I’m just stupid.
Rei and his father are all dressed up again, at some business-dinnerparty. People talk about how it’s gotten popular lately to have the second generation represent their father’s companies at these sorts of parties. They look at Rei, who they’ve heard pretty good things about. This older man is talking to him, saying how his grandson told him that Rei’d done really well on some test or other..Rei replies that he must’ve been talking about his younger brother (Sei), since he’s the not-so-great older brother. While the man thinks Rei’s joking, a younger man comes along and says that Rei’s probably not joking, and that he’s heard from a friend who works in security that Rei’s been taken by the police at least XX times. Everyone’s sort of shocked and a murmur runs through the guests, when Rei merely replies that the guy is wrong, and that if one were to count the number of times Rei’s run away from the police and gotten caught again, it would be more than a hundred times. ^_^;;;; However, Rei tells the guy that he’s getting serious now, and is planning to inherit his father’s business. The guy, now accompanied with another young man, laugh at this and begin to pelt Rei with questions about the future of OAK and how he’s planning to handle certain things about the business, etc. Rei has no idea what they’re talking about, and says so. The men laugh at this, and mock Rei for not even knowing such simple things. They say that it’s for the good of the Kashino company that they say all this, because they’re sure Rei’s father doesn’t want to see his company destroyed at the hands of a good-for-nothing son. Rei, after an initial start, just smiles and thanks the guys for their concern, and explains that he’s lived his life thus far without really using his brain, which is why he doesn’t know anything. He adds, though, that being like this is better than being one of those people who likes to pick at other people’s weaknesses to get their kicks. This silences the two young men. Rei gives them both a biiiig smile, and says that because his mind is a blank slate, it will be easier to fill it with information—just like a dry sponge will absorb more water ^_^. The older man who’d been talking to Rei before has been watching this whole episode with Rei’s father, and he smiles and comments to Rei’s father (as they watch people surround Rei) that Rei is really very clever and that Rei’s father must be glad to have such a dependable person to inherit his business. At this Rei’s father remains silent.
Rei’s sitting by himself on a bench outside the building. He’s really tired. As he buries his face in his hand, he comments that this world of human interactions is really more tiring than motorcycle racing. As he’s sitting there talking to himself, he’s interrupted by his father, who asks if it’s really so painful for him to be in this world. Rei stands up, flustered (haha..he’s clinging to the planter for support) as his father wonders why he looks so scared as he’s not some teacher who’s catching Rei when he’s cutting class, and isn’t about to preach. Rei’s father tells Rei that everyone who surrounds him is either wanting to kiss up to him, or wanting to beat him down. He says that these circumstances will only get worse, and asks whether Rei really thinks he’s capable of continuing in this sort of world. He tells Rei that in the end, he won’t even have the time to say that he’s tired. Rei looks at his father, then comments that he really has no choice in the matter, and didn’t his father walk the walk himself? His father pauses, then says that Rei and Akihiko, and himself, are completely different. He says that he was brought up thinking that he would inherit the company, and so it’s basically the only thing he ever learned how to do. He explains to Rei that the reason behind his wanting Rei to quit racing motorcycles wasn’t just that he couldn’t understand the attraction, but also because Rei’s real father had died racing. He reveals that Akihiko was a racecar driver, and that he died in an accident on the track.
Father: I don’t understand. Is it really worth putting your life at stake?
Rei: It’s not putting your life at stake...it’s just wishing to go faster, and to put everything into trying. I think...Akihiko wouldn’t regret it. Because the reason he raced wasn’t a search for death. I think it was because of the excitement he felt when he raced...his doing this wasn’t for the sake of anyone else, but only for himself. Even though it led to his misfortune (demise?), I think that his living his life the way he wanted to was a sort of happiness.
Father: Thinking that having no results is okay...is unacceptable. Understand...business is a body of thousands of people. If you end everything just for your own sake, how could that be acceptable? To be a businessman, you need to have decided that you will protect your business and your employees. [pause] And you—don’t have what it takes to be the head.
[Rei freezes.]
Father: I don’t think you have what it takes to be the head of the company.
Rei: What, what does that mean?
Father: It means you can’t be the head of the company. I can’t hand OAK over to you. I’m no longer holding any hopes for you. Do whatever you want.
[Rei watches his father for a moment, then smiles a little and gets up. As he’s walking away, his father begins to speak again and he stops.]
Father: Rei. What exactly is it that made you two become like that?
Rei [turning, then smiling]: To tell you the truth, I don’t know either. [smiling more] Because I’m an idiot.
Kira’s asleep in bed. On the bedside table lies a note:
I’m going ahead to the racetrack. –Rei
At the racetrack, Rei meets up with this tech guy he’d met during the Suzuka 8hr races. They chat a bit, and Rei tells him that he’d jogged there from the hotel to warm up. The guy wonders at this, since the hotel is something like 6km from the racetrack... Rei takes a good look at the motorcycle he’s to test-drive that day...it’s an NSR500.
Kira, Akitaka, and Kyoko are headed for the racetrack. (Akitaka and Kyoko were pretty shocked that Rei’d already left.) As they’re driving there, Kira asks Kyoko for some background information about the NSR500, since she’s clueless when it comes to motorcycles (like me -_-;;). Kyoko explains some stuff which I’m way too lazy to put down here, but basically says that the NSR500 is something that every motorcyclist wants to have a chance to ride, and that Rei getting to ride one at his age is a pretty big deal.
Kira gets her first look at the Suzuka circuit. She sees Rei and calls to him, but he doesn’t hear her over the sounds of the motorcycle. As she follows Kyoko to the back, she sees a man sitting in a wheelchair, one of his arms only a stump. She then sees Rei, standing and smiling as he watches them ready the bike. As he puts on his helmet and gloves, Kira remembers Rei telling her that he wants to become a professional motorcycle racer, not just one who goes for speed. She remembers Rei asking her whether she’ll stay with him. The question echoes loudly in her mind as she watches the track.
Kyoko asks Kira why her face looks so pale. Kira, in reply, asks Kyoko whether the man they saw in the wheelchair was once a motorcycle racer. Kyoko affirms, saying that the guy had gotten in an accident and lost both legs and a forearm. He’s now beginning life anew working on the racing team, the same way Akitaka is working as the team’s coach. Kyoko tells Kira that no matter what, a racer will never regret what they’ve done...even if they lose their life... She smiles at Kira, and says it’s all their own fault for falling in love with this kind of person.
Kyoko goes off to get some drinks and Kira waits for her alone. A man comes along and starts to talk to her, thinking that she’s Kyoko’s younger sister. It turns out to be that man from the Suzuka races (remember? the one who’d been sitting behind Harumi & Co. and explaining stuff about kyoko and racing and whatnot. I believe he was a scout for somewhere? AH!!! I understand now! He’s this top guy from Honda!!! OK I get it~ -_-;;;;), and tells Kira that Rei’s record at the time was really astounding, but that unfortunately he’d been disqualified from the races. As he watches Rei driving below, he comments that Rei will probably be battling with the 500s from now on.
The people watch as Rei goes. The timer calls out 2min8sec957. They say that even though it’s Rei’s first time with a 500cc, he’ll probably try to beat 7 seconds. Kira asks the Honda guy whether this is what testing is, when Rei tests out the motorcycle (sorry this is confusing) to see if it’s up to standards, but the man just smiles and says that it’s more important to see whether the bike is up to Rei’s standards. It’s at this point that Kira recognizes him as the guy from the pictures Harumi’d shown her of Suzuka, and realizes that he works for Honda. The guy talks some more about the different types of racers, and how Rei is this one specific kind..eh, too lazy to explain. Meanwhile, Rei’s driving faster and faster; he’s broken 8 seconds and the people of the team are wondering whether he’s going to try and break 6 seconds. The tech guy, who’s timing, says that he heard Rei say he wanted to break the 5-second record. Well, not exactly, but he had asked them what the best record was and had repeated “around 5 seconds eh?” afterwards, which made them all pause. The next time Rei passes, his time is at 6.925.
The Honda guy is still watching Rei. He tells Kira (or no one in particular) that Rei’s got a good build, and has had the right environment and qualities to make him a good racer. (He also says that even though Rei’s wearing a helmet, he’ll bet that Rei’s really good-looking to boot.) He adds, however, (and this makes Kira freeze) that Rei races completely depending on feeling instead of using his head, and that this kind of racer often has a short life.
As Rei’s driving, he’s thinking to himself that he can break the record. As he's going, he’s reminding himself to stay level with the ground, and thinking ahead to all the turns and straight sections of the Suzuka circuit. He can’t see very clearly at one point, but thinks “forget it, I’ll keep going!” He feels that the motorcycle is really smooth, and he’s able to do this the way he wants to. Just then he’s startled as he hits the ground with his front tire, his center of mass thrown off, and the whole bike flies into the air. The tech guy cries out, as does Kira.
Rei lands pretty hard on his upper back/neck/head area. He’s flipping on the ground, as his motorcycle flips through the air and lands near him. Kira (and everyone else) rushes out towards Rei. He sits up, pulls off his helmet, and frustratedly yells out that he was SO close! ...and then his eyes close and he just sort of collapses...
At the hospital, the doctor informs a very worried Akitaka, Kyoko, and Kira that it was just a slight concussion and that Rei should be fine. He hasn’t suffered any serious injuries. At this, Akitaka is extremely relieved and comments that any other normal person would’ve died even if they had two heads. At this Kyoko cautions him to stop saying such things in front of Kira, Akitaka realizes what he’s done and goes off to call the rest of the team to tell them Rei’s all right. Kira wonders what’s going to happen, whether Rei’s going to continue racing even though this has happened. Kyoko just tells her that GP racers will always continue to race, as long as they’re still capable of moving. She says that the most painful thing to a racer is not being able to race at all. Just at that moment, Akitaka comes hollering over for Kyoko and Kira to hear the news—the tech guy back at the circuit tells them over the phone that though it may not be too accurate due to Rei’s accident at the end, the time he’s got for Rei’s last lap is 5.772. It’s the same as the Suzuka record! As Akitaka and Kyoko rejoice over this news and plan to get Rei to practice on the 500cc more, Kira stands by herself in the corner, a sober expression on her face.
That night at the hotel, Rei’s lying facedown on his bed, with Kira straddling his back putting bandages and medical tape on all his bruises. As she works, she tells him how frightened she was that day, her heart nearly stopping when she saw him go flying with the motorcycle. She says that Akitaka and Kyoko are a bit inhumane, since Rei is a mortal person, of flesh and blood. She asks Rei never to do such a scary thing again, then realizes what she’s just said and sighs, saying that she’s probably the one making ridiculous demands. As she’s saying that she knows racing is competing for time, Rei begins to moan. At once, Kira’s alarmed and asks Rei whether he’s feeling well. He continues to moan, covering his head with his hands, and as Kira’s panicking over what’s wrong with him, he cries out “the accelerator! it was all my letting go of the accelerator too quickly! I can’t believe I messed up at that point! AH! I’m such an idiot!!” At this outburst, Kira’s eyes get very, very cold (^_^;;) and she peels apart another sticky bandage thing. With the same cold expression, she SLAMS the bandage down on Rei’s back. Rei freezes, and then you can hear his yell from down the hall. (^_^;;;;) He sits up and asks Kira, outraged, why she slapped the bandage down so hard!? Kira just crawls under her own covers, and tells Rei to “do the rest himself.” As Kira settles down to sleep, Rei’s incredibly confused and doesn’t understand how he’ll be able to stick bandages on his own back...(ha..there are question marks emanating from the hotel)
Kira and Harumi are at a café talking. Kira tells Harumi about Rei’s incident, and how everybody was worried at first, but once they found out he was all right they were back to joking and laughing. She can’t understand the racing world, and how the racers will continue as long as they are still alive. She wonders whether she can really continue with Rei this way, and hides her face behind her clasped hands...as Harumi begins to panic, thinking Kira’s going to give up on Rei, Kira’s face pops up again, covered in smiles, and she says she’s just kidding because she loves Rei too much to give him up. ^_^
As they continue to talk, though, Kira admits that she’s really too idealistic. Harumi says that of course Kira wouldn’t give up on Rei, since she’s the one who asked Rei’s father to let him race again in the first place, but Kira just says that she didn’t really consider reality when she was saying all those really idealistic things about chasing dreams and whatnot. She says that she’s actually really frightened that whenever Rei leaves her, it will be the last time she’ll see him. Even though she says that she trusts in him, she’s still deathly afraid that he’ll leave. Harumi listens to all this with a serious face, but then smiles and says that Kira really loves Rei a lot, and that they should get married. Kira says it might not be too good of an idea, since she’s still a student, but Harumi just says it’s okay. She tells Kira that they should go register their marriage anyway. She says that even though it’s just a sheet of paper, it will give them a lot more stability. Then Harumi remembers that Kira might get in trouble at school if she gets married. Kira smiles and shakes her head, saying that she doesn’t care if she gets expelled from school. She’ll go take the college exams anyway. She says that even that idiot Rei can get serious about stuff, so of course she can’t lose to him! But she’ll feel a little bad about not being able to graduate with all her friends. As Harumi and Kira are sitting there, Harumi suddenly remembers that she’d seen Kirishima the other day. Kira asks her if she’s mistaken, but Harumi says there aren’t many people who’d get Kirishima mistaken. She says that it was around the time when Kira and Rei left for Suzuka when she’d seen Kirishima walking on the streets in a daze. This leaves Kira to think dark thoughts, wondering whether Kirishima has really left the psych hospital...
Kira calls up the police officer later. She asks him about Kirishima, whether he’s still in the hospital. The officer replies that no, Kirishima has gone home to recover. When he’s done speaking, though, there’s no response from Kira. She’s standing in the middle of a busy sidewalk, holding her phone, staring at something (or someone!) in shock.
End Volume 14.