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All For Love 3rd in Rivalry Series	By : kurahieiritrJIO Category: +G to L > Initial D Views: 2173 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Initial D, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-All For Love
- 2-AFL 2
- 3-AFL 3
- 4-AFL 4
- 5-AFL 5
- 6-AFL 6
- 7-AFL 7
- 8-AFL 8
- 9-AFL 9
- 10-AFL 10
- 11-AFl 11
- 12-AFL 12
- 13-AFL 13
- 14-AFL 14
- 15-AFL 15
- 16-AFL 16
- 17-AFL 17
- 18-AFL 18
- 19-AFL 19
- 20-AFL 20
- 21-AFL 21
- 22-AFL 22
- 23-AFL 23
- 24-AFL 24
- 25-AFL 25
- 26-AFL 26
- 27-AFL 27
- 28-AFL 28
- 29-AFL 29
- 30-AFL 30
- 31-AFL 31
- 32-AFL 32
- 33-AFL 33
- 34-AFL 34
- 35-AFL 35
- 36-AFL 36
- 37-AFL 37
- 38-AFL 38
- 39-AFL 39
- 40-AFL 40
- 41-AFL 41
- 42-AFL 42
- 43-AFL 43
- 44-AFL 44
- 45-AFL 45
- 46-AFL 46
- 47-AFL 47
- 48-AFL 48
- 49-AFL 49
- 50-AFL 50
- 10
- 11
- 12
A/N: This is temporarily an older draft of this fan fiction that I am posting here. I will revise to correct inconsistencies ASAP. Please have patience with my weird schedules that have made uploading revised chapters an ongoing hassle. The addition of previously deleted scenes in story 2 will cause temporary incongruities which will get corrected.

CHAPTER 11

Keisuke walked into the study with Itsuke, Iketani, and Kenji in tow. Itsuke wore a grin, and a duffel bag on his shoulder. Takumi smiled back, moving the stacks of papers on the hide-a-bed. Takumi was startled because he had only expected his heart's adopted brother. The sight of the other two men gave him pause.

"Hey, Tak, special delivery. Think fast." Itsuke flashed the commemorative pack at him as if he planned to toss his precious property.

The previous unease Itsuke felt had lessened since the shooting. Between Kenta, Iketani, and Kenji's influence, Itsuke had changed and matured. The dark-haired youth plopped down next to him and handed the box over. He dropped the duffel bag off his shoulder onto the carpet near his feet.

Takumi took the package with a genuine smile. "Glad you finally had time to visit, Itsuke. It's been a while, Iketani-sempai, Kenji-sempai. I'm happy to see you too."

"Long time no see, Takumi-kun." Iketani grinned at him. Kenji echoed the greeting with a smile and wave.

"We both really appreciate you loaning us the commemorative again, Itsuke. This should help Ryosuke-san figure out which cars are the best choice for this battle."

"No sweat. Anytime you need something from my collection, let me know. Uncle's sent me several magazines on American off-road too. I dug those out and brought them in case they might be helpful. My whole collection's in the duffel."

Excitement bloomed in his chest. "You're a life saver, Itsuke. I didn't know you had those. Keisuke and I have been searching everywhere online for off road driving techniques and coming up empty handed."

"You can count on me to have all kinds of car information, Tak. You should know that by now." Itsuke's chest seemed to expand with pride.

Kenji sat on the end of the bed so he would not disturb the Iron Will automotive regulations that still littered part of the surface. Iketani joined him. "We hope you don't mind that we tagged along with Itsuke-kun today. We've been worried about you both and wanted to see how you're really doing."

"I'm glad you came with Takeuchi. Fujiwara's getting sick of only having me to talk to every day." Keisuke leaned against his Otosān's large desk and chuckled as if to take the sting out of his words.

Before Takumi could reply, Iketani continued. "Akina's dull without you two tearing up the course, and arguing over how to drive that 'little demonic monster compact', Keisuke-san. We really miss that. You know?"

Kenji took up the conversation. "Iketani's right. We miss seeing the hachi roku and FD going all out on the downhill. It's a relief to see you guys are really getting better. Seeing that huge brace on your leg really drives home how lucky we are that you're both alive."

Takumi looked down at the exposed brace. He had been stuck wearing a pair of shorts while 'Kāsan Yukiko did his laundry. Iketani leaned so he could see around Kenji. "Hey, Takumi-kun, how's your leg? You haven't posted any updates on the site lately. There are rumors that you'll never race again floating around."

"It's healing really fast because of how they put the chunks of bone back together, sempai. There's some kind of special way to put spongy type stuff that has the kinds of things bones need to grow between the chunks they were able to glue together and pin back in place. The real bone grows over the spongy stuff which helps the bone regrow faster and stronger than used to be possible. I'll still have to do some intensive rehab when the brace comes off, but my legs are still the same length because Ryosuke-san told them that if they had the ability to save my leg, use it."

"How come you have to do rehab?" Kenji frowned at him.

"Fujiwara has nerve cluster fringe damage. He'll always have numb skin on his thigh. Rehabilitation will help him retrain his reflexes to compensate."

Itsuke looked uneasy. "Are you sure it won't prevent Tak from racing, Keisuke-san?"

"It shouldn't, Takeuchi. The bone's filling in at an amazing rate, and the excess scarring can be dealt with once the bone's fully fused. Akina's phantom will dominate the downhill again. So, don't worry about it."

"That's a relief." Itsuke blew out a hard breath. "You really scared me for a second."

"We have a new hobby on Akina, Takumi-kun." Kenji changed the subject.

"Nani?" Takumi tilted his head.

Iketani explained. "Watching Oyaji-san shred the corners on his way home from morning deliveries is the new Speed Stars fad. Some of us were out real late because one of Kenji's battery cables went bad. We were trying to fix it close to the five hairpins when Oyaji-san came blasting through. Oyaji-san's driving's as terrifying as it is beautiful. We couldn't stop shaking. That drift is beyond comprehension."

"That's no lie. Some of the guys make a point of being there in time to see Bunta-san whip through there every morning." Kenji added.

"Anytime Oyaji thinks I'm getting conceited, he picks me apart on Akina. I don't know if you've heard, but he kicked me out of the house because he found out about Keisuke."

"Tachibana mentioned it. He thinks Bunta-san's wrong to take things this far. He was shocked when he heard about you two, but said to tell you hello, get well, and cheer up, Takumi-kun." Iketani rubbed the back of his head as he delivered the message.

Itsuke changed the subject before Iketani became more uncomfortable. "Since you can't drive, I was thinking I could pick you up to celebrate 'Kāsan's birthday. She's been asking about you, so you've got to come see her, Tak. She'd be really happy because she misses you coming over for dinner a couple times a week."

"Uhm, I have to double check to see if I have any isha san appointments that day, Itsuke. If I don't, I'd like that. I haven't seen Benika-san in a long time. Tell Okāsan Benika that I miss her too."

"Which day, Takeuchi?" Keisuke demanded in a sharp tone.

"The thirtieth, Keisuke-san. Tak doesn't have any isha san appointments, does he?"

Keisuke visibly relaxed. "Not on that day. I was afraid you'd say the twenty sixth which would clash with family dinner plans."

"Eh? Dinner plans? How would my visiting Itsuke's family conflict with your family's plans, Keisuke? Wouldn't my being out of the way make things easier?"

"Baka, my grandparents will be furious if you don't meet them. Especially Sobo Ogino since she has to come here by train. Ojīsan and Obāsan Takahashi live here so they can come by any time, but Sobo can't."

"I don't understand, Keisuke. Your grandparents will think I'm rude if I intrude."

"You're with me, Takumi. That makes you part of my family. Ojīsan Takahashi will think we aren't serious if you don't come to my birthday dinner that he insists on hosting every year. Since we're speaking of birthdays, when's your's?" Keisuke asked almost as if it was an afterthought.

Before Takumi could recover, Itsuke jumped on him. "Geeze, Tak?! How can you be such a dweeb? How's Keisuke-san going to know the important stuff if you keep hiding everything?" Itsuke turned back to Keisuke and continued in a superior tone. "His birthday's March nineteenth. He's a Pisces cusp, Keisuke-san. That's the main reason he's always spaced out if you ask me. They say Pisces people always daydream."

Takumi snarled, "Itsuke! I wasn't hiding anything. I didn't even know Keisuke's birthday until you mentioned Benika's birthday."

"We've been focusing on doing a lot of research lately so I forgot to tell you, Fujiwara. Gomen ne for not realizing you didn't know about the dinner party yet. I'm surprised Okāsan didn't say something to be honest." Takumi glared at his boyfriend who continued to speak. "Domo for your help, Takeuchi. Now that I know Fujiwara's birthday I can let my family know."

"Not a problem. I better warn you, Tak's a total space case about important dates, Keisuke-san. I have to remind him about his birthday every year. I have to remind him of minasan's birthdays in fact. Don't be surprised if I have to call and remind him of yours too."

Takumi felt his eyebrows twitching as he snapped, "Well, sumimasen for being more concerned about work schedules and daily living than about which day makes me a year older. Aren't birthdays supposed to be a treat for little kids, Itsuke?"

Itsuke sighed as if resigned. "Your otosān never celebrates anything, Tak. My Okāsan always makes you a birthday cake, but I have to drag you to my house so you don't hide at home. If it wasn't for my family, you'd never celebrate any holidays at all."

Keisuke's tone was thoughtful as he interrupted Itsuke's tirade before it gained steam. "Fujiwara's going to learn that things are a lot different now. My family has always celebrated the more important holidays, and birthdays, so he's going to have to get used to it. He can't hide on his birthday, or any major holiday now that he's part of my family."

Iketani startled Takumi when he spoke. "Maybe so, but habits are hard to break, Keisuke-san. Takumi-kun's not someone that expects others do anything frivolous for him. Birthday parties are traditionally a big deal for little kids. So, he refuses to obligate anyone to wishing him well."

"I don't blame you for hiding at home on major holidays, Takumi-kun. There are way too many people on the streets then." Kenji offered in support.

Itsuke shot back. "Kenji-sempai, last Christmas Tak worked, but then refused to do anything fun with us once he clocked out. He turns into a hermit during every single holiday. I've known him all my life, and he always does that. I collected his chocolates from his locker and brought them to him every Valentine's Day because he always ditched school. He's lucky I'm willing to explain these things to Keisuke-san. Someone's got to make sure they understand each other."

"Itsuke, Christmas is for couples, so I had no reason to celebrate last year. I was almost broke so couldn't go out with you three at any rate. You know Valentine's Day is nothing but a major hassle. I'm not a fan of really sweet things to begin with. I have to be nice to any strange onna that decides to give me the nauseating stuff which irritates me. I always give you the damned candy since I can't stomach anything that syrupy, Itsuke."

"I think I may have to take you up on your offer, Takeuchi. I've learned as much about Fujiwara in ten minutes as he's mentioned in a year and a half." Keisuke sounded amused.

"Give me a call anytime, Keisuke-san." Itsuke answered.

"Would you two knock it off? You make it sound like I'm trying to be a jerk here." Takumi was unsettled by Itsuke's unexpected offer, and Keisuke's acceptance. The change in both men's attitudes toward each other threw Takumi off balance.

Kenji broke into the conversation. "Takumi-kun's letter is still being talked about. All three of us get asked if we're the Speed Stars you mentioned, Takumi-kun."

"A couple of people brought up the way you admitted that you love Keisuke-san, and Itsuke-kun. It seems people think you have an Onīchan complex with them both now." Iketani latched onto the new topic with visible relief.

Itsuke sighed and shook his head. "Onnas yell at me every time they find out who I am. The stuff I said at Singing Wolf-san's house is all over the streets. The ones that don't hate me are determined to know how long you and Keisuke-san have been dating, Tak. I keep my mouth shut. Some get pushy enough I have to tell them they're crazy."

"Aniki told us you defended our relationship. Domo. It took a lot of guts to support something you don't agree with, Takeuchi. I'm sure the harassment will end soon. Just ignore the bimbos, or tell them off when they snivel about Fujiwara's stats. Those are the only ways you can make them leave you alone."

"I don't hate it that you got together. I just can't wrap my head around how it happened. Kenta showed me those web-sites, so I have a better idea about this kind of thing. I'll probably always think it's weird, but I'm still a real friend."

"Gomen that we've caused you so much trouble without meaning to, Itsuke. They're probably Keisuke's fans, and think you meant to smear his reputation."

"Fujiwara, I'm sure they're your fans. I'm well aware of how many onnas are panting after a chance to catch a glimpse of you. They really piss me off because you're already taken." Keisuke's hard tone caught everyone off guard.

Takumi stared at Keisuke, wide-eyed as heat suffused his face, neck, and ears. He wondered where Keisuke's unexpected display of possessiveness came from. He realized it was triggered by his bouts of short temper. "Believe me, the onnas you claim are drooling over me are after you, and Ryosuke-san."

"Damn, you can be really thick at times." Keisuke shot back.

"I am not. You're jealous for no reason. Naze in the hell are we arguing over this? Itsuke's being harassed. Not me."

Takumi had more reasons to fear onnas chasing his boyfriend than Keisuke had to be concerned about. Keisuke's groupies were a huge mass collected over several years of heavy competition in the street racing and gymkhana scenes. Keisuke had been featured in popular magazines, so his handsome face was known. It was common knowledge that his family owned a medical clinic, and had wealth to burn. Keisuke was very good looking making him an irresistible prize.

Iketani spoke up. "Take it easy you two. We didn't mean to trouble you by mentioning the interest people have shown in your letter, Takumi-kun. We thought you would find it amusing, or a relief since people see you as defending a family member because of the way you wrote things. It was a smart move for deflecting rumors too."

Kenji entered the conversation before Takumi could reply. "Onegai, don't fight. We've kept Itsuke-kun out of trouble. We didn't mean to upset you."

"All of the things I wrote are true. I really do see minasan like I said. Keisuke has been my toughest rival, and one of the best friends I've ever had. He really does tell me to stop beating myself up all the time too. I told the truth. I also have other feelings about Keisuke that aren't anyone's business. Gomen for growling like this."

"Fujiwara's right. Gomen for our bad tempers, minasan. We've been arguing a lot. Fujiwara constantly puts too much weight on his leg. I've had to keep a close watch to make sure he doesn't do anything off limits. He's tired of it, but the minute I stop watching him, he hurts himself."

Takumi snorted. "I'm lucky if you'll let me four feet away from you to get a drink of water lately. I told you I'd restrain my habit of cleaning, and I have been, Keisuke."

"Every time I give you any more space, you do something that puts weight on your right leg. I'm making sure you don't re-break the bone, Takumi."

Kenji intervened. "Whoa. Sounds like you need a break from each other. Being cooped up in the same place for so long is enough to make anyone grumpy with the same face. We could drag Takumi-kun to a family restaurant so you can get some space if you'd like?"

"Going out won't help, sempai. I've been in a bad mood lately. I'm lucky Keisuke's willing to put up with my damned tantrums the last few days."

Iketani pointed out, "I don't see how you can be blamed for hurting a lot, Takumi-kun. The weather's been really out of whack the last three weeks. Your leg probably hurts as much as my Otosān's shoulder right now. I know Otosān only barks at us because he's in constant pain. Okāsan puts a heat compress on his shoulder, then massages it to relax the muscles. It helps him more than medications. I'm sure Keisuke-san's aware that you're hurting nonstop. That cold front that arrived last night must make things even worse."

Keisuke hummed, watching as Takumi fought to keep from squirming, and began to speak. "Domo for the tip, Iketani. I didn't consider the recent weather being the source of Fujiwara's foul mood. He hasn't said anything about aching. It makes sense that he's in continuous low grade pain. I should have thought of that on my own. It's been raining the last three weeks. Between the very warm, and cold wet days, plus this morning's cold blast, Fujiwara has a right to be ill-tempered. He should be on his pain medication."

"Forget it, Keisuke. I'm not going to sleep all the damned time just to get rid of a minor ache."

Itsuke changed subjects. "It stinks that hachi roku can't be in this battle because it lacks power, Tak. Whoever heard of such stupid rules? Your hachi roku's an awesome machine. Americans suck if they don't get that."

Keisuke answered. "Stop to think for a minute, Takeuchi. The minimum horse rule is there because of the off-road section. The car has to have enough power to help keep the wheels from getting stuck in deep sand, or mud because it takes several hours for help to arrive. The difference in strength between steel and aluminum is important when you consider the strain absorbed by the undercarriage, body frame, and chassis when driving fast on very uneven surfaces too. Most cars can't compete in this battle without heavy modifications, even from the North American hemisphere and Europe, minasan. The Iron Will Foundation is trying to keep racers alive. The Foundation isn't playing favorites for any nation. Those rules are about increased safety."

"My hachi roku's frame is older, and can't handle the strain. The frame might break if I drove it all out on the off road section, Itsuke. Keisuke and I are doing a lot of research. We found out that anodized aluminum dominates frame production in vehicles. Not many cars can be used in extensive off-road driving at high speeds, even if they are 4WD. There are a few exceptions which we're looking into. Subaru has a couple of models that are fairly close to qualifying. The three four by Nissan's another possibility, even though Keisuke hates GT-R's with a passion."

"Tubular, double, or triple ply steel with bonded honeycomb alloys can play an important role in off-road conditions, minasan. Heavier cars are usually built with thick double ply steel framework. Some even have the addition of honeycombed supports. They withstand repeated hard impacts better than even the thickest or reinforced aluminum during extensive high speed, hard landings. Tsuchia-sama confirmed that when he was here a few days ago."

"Nani? As in the Drift King, Tsuchia-sama?" Kenji yelped.

Takumi cringed as he explained. "Hai, minasan. Oyaji brought him over to see me. He heard I was hurt bad, so took time out of his schedule to see if I was all right." The trio stared at him as if they had no idea who he was.

"Fujiwara hasn't seen Tsuchia since his okāsan left when he was three-ish." Three heads swivelled to look at the blond as he spoke. "Takumi didn't know he's related to Tsuchia-sama until Tsuchia told him that his okāsan's his cousin."

"Oyaji never said anything. Tsuchia helped Oyaji get the racing engine for the hachi roku I found out. I'm realizing that I don't know about a lot of things. I wish Oyaji'd stop being so shitty. He causes me way too much grief."

Iketani began to chuckle. "That explains how Akina's phantom became the bomb. Your blood's half motor oil, Takumi-kun."

"Eh?"

"Bunta-san's the Akina downhill legend you still haven't beaten. Your okāsan's a Tsuchia. Great driving's in your blood, Takumi-kun." Kenji said in a teasing tone.

"Uhm . . . I don't want people to look at my skills based on people I'm related to. I'm not either of them. This kind of bites."

"Are you a dweeb, Tak? You're related to the Drift King. That's a dream come true for any street racer."

"Itsuke, If people find out that Tsuchia's my relative, I won't be able to go pro. People will think I only got there because of him. My skills won't matter because people will always see him in anything I do."

Kenji shook his head and pursed his lips. "I hadn't thought of it that way, Takumi-kun. But, I can see how that could become a problem. Iketani and I better keep a close watch over Itsuke until he settles down again. We'll make certain he doesn't tell anyone."

"Kenji-sempai, I'm not going to mess with Tak's chances to get into the pro's. Hey, Tak can you get me an autograph next time you see him?"

The hopeful look on his childhood friend's face made Takumi flash a bitter smile. "I have no idea if I'll ever see him again, Itsuke. He called my relationship with Keisuke an uncomfortable problem and I got mad as hell. I kind of told him off."

"Nani?"

Keisuke jumped into the conversation. "Kenta told me you're getting the hang of the water trick, Takeuchi. He said he's even trying to do it since I can't work with him right now."

Itsuke looked between them both and nodded once. "Hai, Keisuke-san. Iketani and Kenji tried it too. They gave up, unlike me. I'm officially better than both of them."

Keisuke's eyebrow quirked upward as he watched the dark-haired young man he found so irritating accept the topic change with good will. Takumi was relieved that Keisuke had saved him from having to get more detailed about Tsuchia's visit.

"We didn't give up, Itsuke. Iketani and I want to protect our interiors from mold. We have decent cars, not a crappy turbo charged 8-5, unlike someone we know." Kenji's offended quip made the rest of them chuckle.

Keisuke shook his head at the long-banged street racer. "Mold isn't a problem, Kenji. Use a blow dryer to dry your interior out if you forget towels. Towels prevent things from getting wet if you change them frequently. Store the wet towels in a heavy plastic bag until you get home. Remember to pull them out when you finish training."

"Keisuke's right. That's how we handle spill problems."

"I'm picking up heavy plastic sheeting to put in my floor board. That will keep mold down and make clean up easier. I've seen heavy rubber floor mats that weigh enough to keep the sheeting from riding up under Sylvia's pedals."

"We never thought to go that far. Let me know where you found the sheeting. I should pick up some for the FD, and hachi roku. It would make it a lot easier to clean up when I drive with a cup at least." Keisuke gave Iketani a nod of approval.

"Even if we practice driving until we stop spilling water, we'll probably never be as good as you and Takumi, Keisuke-san. But, it's great learning things from both of you."

"Practice makes perfect, Kenji. If you practice enough, all of you can learn the basics of weight shifting. The trick is to start out slow, and pick up speed as you pay attention to where the weight of the car is. If Takeuchi can get the hang of things as hyper active as he is, you can master it too."

"Hey, Keisuke-san, I'm not that hyper anymore. Iketani-sempai, tell him. You know I've been doing better."

"Itsuke's been controlling his mouth and reactions more. You'd be quite impressed with him if you saw how he's correcting his mistakes, Keisuke-san."

"Glad to hear it. But, it's still fun to give you a bad time, Takeuchi. You get such a weird look on your face that I can't resist."

Takumi huffed at his smirking boyfriend. "Keisuke! Itsuke doesn't deserve you picking on him. I know he annoys you at times, but he's my best friend so cut him some slack. Kenta's just as bad at times."

"Fair enough. But, I'm talking about Takeuchi right now. Naze can't I tease him? He's your bro, isn't he? That makes him my kid onīchan too. So, I can give him a hard time if I want to, Takumi."

"Naze do you have to . . . " Itsuke jumped between them before Takumi could complete his thought.

"It's fine, Tak. Keisuke-san doesn't hate me, so, I'm cool with it. It's kind of an honor to be teased by a rotary brother."

"Who's being a dweeb now, Itsuke?" The study erupted with fresh laughter.

"Look, Keisuke-san has the right to pick on me because I was such an ass to him, Tak. I was so psyched when he started training with you that I never thought beyond his being an awesome racer. I gave him the wrong impression."

Keisuke began to frown as he listened. "Nani are you talking about, Takeuchi? I know I got annoyed over how hyper you are, but I needed to get used to your personality. Kenta's got a few things in common with you, but he's got more self control so I handle his version of hyperactivity better. He gives me more breathing room by getting quiet more often than you do at times."

"But, you said that people always judge you by how much money your family has. It seems like I was doing that too, and didn't know it until you yelled at me, Keisuke-san."

Keisuke's expression cleared. He gave vent to a long sigh. "I didn't mean you personally, Takeuchi. I was thinking of the onnas I dated in high school and a couple years ago. Takumi isn't like that so I was trying to explain one of the reasons I love him. I learned to assume that people see me as a bank account because it's all I knew before Takumi showed up. People still throw in my face that money can make anyone a top driver. It can't buy talent, only gas. Talent has to be honed into genuine skill. Money can't buy talent."

Kenji cringed. "There's a reason for that idea though, Keisuke-san. If you can't buy gas, you can't put in the hours needed to even hone any talent into a skill. We always have to worry about gas prices. We don't often have enough funds to buy new tires, brake pads, or other parts to keep our cars in top condition."

Keisuke scratched his head as he considered Kenji's words. "Without talent and reflexes you still can't get past a certain level, even if you have a vast fortune, Kenji. I know you have a point since Kenta has that problem on occasion, but I still think talent plays a bigger role than people realize. I've beaten Ferrari and other exclusive performance machines that are out of all but the richest people's price range. They were owned by people a lot richer than my family, and every one of the drivers really sucked."

Takumi cleared his throat to get the group's attention. "Nani happened whenever we stopped for gasoline, or anything else involving my car until I got used to being part of Project D, Keisuke?"

Keisuke rolled his eyes and snorted. "You worried about changing out tires whenever you were asked if you had the right amount of grip for the battles. Aniki had to remind you that he was paying for your fuel, parts and tires. You kept asking about the cost of parts, and tires for your demonic little compact even after reminders that the bill wasn't yours. You were really uneasy whenever Aniki mentioned maintenance or upgrades, even though you knew you weren't paying for any of it."

"Exactly, Keisuke. I always had to scrimp on gas when I was a part time worker, only borrowing Oyaji's car. Having money will always be part of the way people view another driver's skill levels. I had to factor living expenses and work schedules into whether or not I could put in extra driving time to improve once I joined Project D, Keisuke. I realized how expensive it must have been for Oyaji to teach me once I learned more about mechanics. The second reason I let Oyaji push me into battling you on Akina's downhill was because a full tank of gas was on the line, and I was almost broke."

"Nani?"

"If I won, I got to use his car and got a full tank of gas so I could go farther than Akina lake. I wanted to go to the beach which is a much longer drive. Without the gas, there was no way I could drive very far. I didn't have the money to splurge."

Itsuke added, "My ryōshin only want me to pay off my 85 so I don't have to worry about a lot of bills yet. Tak got lucky because Oyaji-san gave him the hachi roku. He only had the car's taxes, insurance, and gasoline to worry about before Oyaji-san kicked him out. It was even tougher to buy gasoline to practice when I only made a hundred thousand yen a month, working part time, and had a car payment to make. I still have to stay home unless I can fill my tank to practice."

"None of us mean to insult you by saying these things, Keisuke-san. Itsuke, Kenji, and I all work full time. But, bills, and car payments do cut into our budgets pretty deep. We've watched you and Takumi-kun do run after run and can barely imagine having that kind of freedom to drive all we want."

"I didn't realize that was the reason you three sat and watched. Kenta works full time, and puts in serious training hours also. I've put fuel in his tank to make sure he gets enough training time logged. But, he usually manages that on his own. It's usually needing new tires that cause problems for his regiment. If you need help to increase your practice time, say something. I don't mind putting fuel in your tanks so you can train."

Itsuke spoke. "We don't want to do that, Keisuke-san. We like to hang out with you because we learn things by talking to you. You know about cars, and how to set them up so talking to you is fun."

"I'm offering to help because I didn't realize the problem. It takes practice to hone talent into real skill. I assumed you were being lazy which was wrong." Keisuke admitted. "Seeing Takumi's skill, when I know he isn't wealthy, really reinforced the idea that it's a lack of dedication for me."

Kenji shrugged as he spoke. "You and Takumi-kun both have rare talent and we know it. Even if we did accept the gasoline, we'll never be as capable as you two are. Anything you want to explain to us about how we can correct our weaknesses is enough for us, Keisuke-san. We'll do our best to improve whenever we can drive."

"Hm, it seems to me that we won't know who's right unless you really train. Once I start training again, I want to do a little experiment if you'll let me." Keisuke looked at Iketani and Kenji. "I'll pay for the gas, and you three practice every night for four hours at a time over a month. We'll see how much you improve during that time. If you don't improve very much, I'm correct about skills being based on talent levels more than money. If you improve a lot, then you're the ones that are right about money making the difference. Nani do you say?"

Kenji and Iketani looked at each other with wide-eyed expressions on their faces. Pride and love flashed through him as Takumi smiled at his boyfriend who winked in return while the Speed Stars were focused on each other.

Iketani was the first to speak. "I suppose it would be an interesting experiment. Since you put it that way, it seems rude to refuse, Keisuke-san."

Kenji nodded in agreement as Itsuke pumped his arm in excitement. "Cool. We'll get to train with Keisuke-san for a whole month!"

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All For Love 3rd in Rivalry Series