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Alternate Tracks 2nd Story in Rivalry Series	By : kurahieiritrJIO Category: +G to L > Initial D Views: 2493 -:- 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
- 2
- 3
Author's note: I'm moving all the Rivalry Series here. I'll finish As the Smoke Clears, the 4th Story, and Driven Heart after moving this story and All for Love, 3rd story. Japanese Dialog on my profile page. 'Thoughts' Flashback 'Dream'

CHAPTER 2

Kenta led them to a quiet area away from their parking lot headquarters. Takumi waved his thanks to the small sandy-haired driver. Kenta told them to sleep well and trotted back up the trail. The nineteen-year-old dumped his heavy queen blanket under the large rock overhang Kenta had found. The spot would provide shade for the majority of the day. Smiling, Takumi spread the doubled up, thick padding on the ground. Hunkering down, he tucked it under the rock shelf to get every drop of shade.

His AE-hachi roku was stifling by ten in the morning. The heat forced Takumi to escape his car, only to bake under tree shade that became unbearable by mid-afternoon unless a stronger breeze brought tiny seconds of relief. Grateful for the cool spot that would block most of the midday heat, Takumi checked his handiwork. Rocking back onto his heels, Takumi knew he would rest longer with the cool stone face to hamper the humid heat.

A powerful arm wrapped around his waist from behind, making him jump. Takumi found himself pulled up and against Keisuke's larger torso. He had agreed to give Keisuke a chance, yet felt uncomfortable. The teen was awed by the older racer's personality. He had not considered his own disposition when he agreed to date could not shake the emotional conflict Keisuke's gender was now causing.

"Uhm, Keisuke-san?" Takumi felt the tall blond's lips connect with his nape in a soft caress.

"There's nobody here so drop the san, Takumi." One of Keisuke's hands shifted up under his shirt. The teen felt edgy about the blond's demonstrations of affection. He sincerely liked Keisuke, yet was worried about their new physical contact. Keisuke's touch sent erotic signals through his body that Takumi feared. To learn that Keisuke could arouse him bordered on an unpleasant shock because he was another man. Confusion plagued Takumi since he had no idea how to react.

"Aren't we here to rest? We have a battle this evening." Takumi tried to foil his pushy advances. Keisuke's answer was another kiss on his nape as his hot breath fanned Takumi's skin. Warmth arced from Keisuke's lips to ripple down his bumps lifted on his skin which only agitated Takumi more.

"Keisuke, we should rest for the battles this evening." Takumi repeated when Keisuke did not answer.

'You show me so much affection that it blows my mind. Every time you kiss me, I want more of your attention. Naze do I crave your touch? Isn't it wrong for two men to fall in love? Is there anything I can do to keep from losing everything I believe in if we stay together? If I continue to follow your lead, will I lose my own strength in the process? Naze does part of me desperately want this connection?'

Everything he believed before Keisuke Takahashi devastated his perceptions, was a core dilemma shaking Takumi to the foundations of his being. The elements Takumi identified as his own core seemed to be slipping away. Memory resurrected long forgotten scenes, adding fuel to Takumi's internal struggle.

'Oyaji slammed him against a wall. "Don't ever hug another boy! Do you want to be confused with a fag, Takumi?"

He had not known it was wrong to hug Itsuke when he was hurt. His third grade teacher hugged everyone that skinned a knee. He did not know it wrong for him to hug Itsuke. Takumi shook his head. He did not know what Oyaji meant, but knew it must be very bad. Oyaji's massive arm had pinned him to the wall so he could not breathe. Fear rose like bile to clog his throat. Takumi knew Oyaji was trying to think past the sake induced fog for what punishment to give him as he smelled the alcohol on hi father's breath. He refused to cry because tears would only make Oyaji angrier.'

Another memory added to Takumi's unease.

'Hate filled conversations dominated the classroom. Takumi was uncertain who said what as snatches of conversation washed over him. "Can you believe the nerve of those two?" Another person growled, "They were making out on the roof. I can't believe we had guys like that in our school." A female student spoke out from a few seats away. "That's so gross."

"Good riddance to bad people, right Tak?" Itsuke poked him in the ribs to get his attention.

"Nani, Itsuke?"

"Those fags that were caught making out on the roof. Geeze, Tak, pay attention."

"Is the punishment any different for them than for straight couples who do the same thing?"

A male classmate explained, "Duh, Fujiwara-kun. Of course the punishment's different. Gays are sick. They get expelled, and it goes on their permanent transcript so other schools know they're sick. They might infect others unless they're stopped."

Takumi looked out the window at the two young men being escorted off the school grounds. He recognized the star tennis player passing through the front gate, and frowned. 'Why's the punishment different?' Anger rose from the pit of his stomach. 'They shouldn't have been making out in public, but if they're getting expelled over public displays, naze doesn't our school expel straight couples for the same thing? That's not fair. I don't really know those two, but I have heard about the tennis player's rep. He's not sick that I can tell. I've seen him around the campus. He's always helping people, and he's an honor role student. Nani is so sick about him? I wonder whether or not you can catch gay?! If we can catch it, naze don't more of us have it? We all use the same locker rooms.' Takumi frowned and held his tongue.'

The past had nothing to do with the reality of being this close to Keisuke Takahashi as Takumi's conscience also reminded him.

'Heat darted into Takumi's groin. Mogi's smiling face morphed into Keisuke Takahashi's fierce expression. Cerulean eyes filled his mind as his pulse revved triple time. Takumi's lips remembered the unexpected kiss. When did their lips come together, much less part? Why had Keisuke kissed him? Takumi's eyes flew open as he sat up, breathing hard. He was in bed as his eyes moved around his bedroom to verify that Keisuke Takahashi was not there. His strong physical reaction to the dream embarrassed him. Takumi groaned as his erect member demanded attention. He flopped onto his back. "Nani's wrong with me?" Takumi whispered to the darkened room.'

Takumi could not squash the memory of the first erotic dream he had the night after Keisuke demanded that he join Project D, and become a professional driver. Another series of light kisses to his neck preceded a cajoling tone. "We can sleep in a little while. I just need to hold you for a little bit because I've missed you, Takumi." Keisuke's whispered words combined with the way his skin felt as Keisuke's fingers tickled along his ribs under his shirt. Takumi's body responded by getting much hotter.

'I didn't know I'd never had real affection before you kissed me. Naze did you show me how much I had missed? I didn't care about anything until you pushed me to want something more from my life, Keisuke-san.'

"I promised Ryosuke-san that I would help you, . . . stay focused, . . . when we're at battles. You have to make it into the professional racing circuit, Keisuke-s . . ."

Another kiss was delivered as Keisuke explored his neck's pulse point. "We'll rest plenty, . . . ," a light nip caught Takumi's t-shirt in a suggestive tug. Keisuke's tongue and hot breath slid along the shell of his ear as he moved his head again. A moment later Keisuke breathed in his ear, "before tonight's battles."

Keisuke's sultry tone and actions caused Takumi's awakening member to pulse in agreement with everything happening. His body's brazen answer was all the uncomfortable proof required to force Takumi to accept that he wanted the man holding him. Those persuasive lips against his nape, between velvety toned, seduction filled words turned him on. Keisuke's offered warmth sidetracked his reservations about their circumstances. The teen shivered as he felt the hot, hard press of his seducer's erection against his butt. One of Keisuke's hands slid from his ribs to fondle the front of Takumi's pants.

"K, K, K, . . . Keisuke?!" Takumi was shocked that he liked the feel of his half hard member being caressed by his new beau's hand. The teen grabbed Keisuke's hand and removed it from his rapid swelling length as he fought to breathe normally. He trapped the blond's hand at his stomach level out of a need to maintain control over the situation.

'His love is genuine and I know it. Fear of losing me made Keisuke risk his life, and damage his FD to protect me a month ago. Love made him stay with me at the hospital too. My accident made Keisuke accept that he loves me. The way I feel when I'm with Keisuke is so intense. But, how do I get past feeling like I'm doing something wrong every time he touches me? I like the way I feel, and it freaks me out. Keisuke's lips are so focused and powerful that I have to accept that he loves me. I had no idea that kisses could be so full of emotion before he showed me. Whenever he kisses me, I lose track of everything I knew about myself. Keisuke makes me feel things so intensely that I'm starting to get a bit girly around him.'

The brown haired youth had first noticed the problem two days after they began seeing each other. His discovered hangup was Keisuke's natural aggressiveness, and virile, purely male attitudes. Takumi had no idea how to react in this relationship because Keisuke's personality was so potent he felt pressured into a submissive feminine role. A few kisses, or being held, and his masculine pride stung over his meek compliance with the blond's every whim. He knew Keisuke was not trying to dominate him, yet his own reactions were causing him serious grief.

"Keisuke, you said you'd give me time to get used to us seeing each other when I started trying to teach you the water trick."

Keisuke snorted. "I know you're enjoying this. Naze deny you want me, Takumi?"

"I'm not denying anything, Keisuke. But, I can't get my mind to focus on anything else, including battles, . . . when you make me, . . . , feel like this." Takumi removed the impulse to say anything about feeling controlled.

"Hm, is that so? I'm glad I turn you on enough that you don't want to think about anything else." The breathy words against his ear sent a shiver down Takumi's arms.

"It's a lot harder to fall asleep when I can't stop, . . . , squirming because, . . . you know!" Takumi grumbled. He felt how hot his face had gone as he realized how much deeper, and raspy his voice sounded. A masculine chuckle greeted his ears, and sent another reactive quiver along Takumi's spine.

"I'm living for every chance I can get to make you squirm. Now that we're together, I can finally hold you the way I've wanted to for almost a year, Takumi." Takumi turned inside Keisuke's loose hold to tell him to slow down.

The wheat-haired man's lips captured his before Takumi could speak. His fingers found their way into Keisuke's hair as the blond's mouth side swiped his unease with a heady dose of raw, heartfelt love.

Keisuke taunted him with seductive tones, "You know I really like that expression. It makes me want to eat you." His sexy grin, along with the promise that his voice held almost made Takumi forget for a moment what they were both men. Only his very masculine pride's quick flare of resentment kept his hormones in check. He pulled back to get space between them.

'Another assault like that one will make it impossible to calm down,' Takumi thought as his body began to ache.

"You're being mean. Takumi-kun, all I want is to hold you, so naze are you running away?"

Takumi nearly stopped breathing as Keisuke's voice implied that he was serious about seducing him. "Keisuke, I'm not running. Remember, we have a battle tonight. We need to calm down."

"That happens when you really want someone, Takumi. I know very well that you have a hard-on." Keisuke stepped closer. Takumi swallowed hard, backing into the granite wall. "Want me to take care of it for you?"

The blond's purred offer conjured ideas that Takumi's body responded to with an even stronger ache in his groin. The teen found himself wishing the cold granite at his back was an icy shower to calm the fires Keisuke was igniting. Takumi knew that sleeping before the heat index peaked was impossible. He was becoming aware of this very strong, newfound weakness for contact he had not known existed within himself. It was impossible to hold his ground with the man taunting him into a make out session, and more. The needy parts of Takumi's psych hoped Keisuke would ignore his knee-jerk withdrawal.

The part of himself that could not yet accept that he was with another man gibbered for his attention. 'I'm not cut out to be with another guy. It feels creepy when my knees wobble like this. I can't let him turn me into a puddle of goo like he does every time he gets his hands on me. Keisuke's changing who I am in ways I'm not sure I want to be changed. I made a promise to Ryosuke-san to keep my new, . . . boy, . . . fr, . . .frie, . . . nd on track toward his goal of becoming a professional racer too.'

"Don't go there, Keisuke. I have to rest so I can drive this evening, or your brother will forfeit my battle this evening. I don't want to ruin Project D's reputation."

A throaty chuckle escaped Keisuke's lips as he taunted, "Thinking about things we could be doing instead of sleeping, Takumi-kun? I'll make sure you sleep really well if you want."

Takumi flushed to his toes. "You're being evil, Keisuke. We need to stay focused on tonight. We haven't been seeing each other very long either. It's a little early to be getting so intense."

"I just want time with you, Takumi. Nani's wrong with that?"

"Nothing's wrong with that. But, you've got me too horny to focus on anything but you right now!" Takumi slapped a hand over his mouth as what he said registered. The youth groaned in the early morning air as he waited to see what Keisuke would do.

'How do I stop worrying about Keisuke's expectations in this kind of situation? Keisuke's influence keeps getting stronger. I'm already fumbling for a grip on who I am. But, part of me likes this feeling, even if I'm confused about all that's happening. I need this feeling that Keisuke wants me. But, I can't handle this either, damn it!'

Takumi had already realized that men could please each other through mutual masturbation. He had a sketchy idea of how men made love based on a yaoi image he'd seen when a girl at school tripped on the stairs while reading. He prevented her tumble down the stairs, but had seen the very explicit page when he caught her. His crotch was quick to urge him to find out how it would feel to be with Keisuke in that way.

Takumi's brain, and prickly masculine pride hoped his feisty seducer would focus on the night's battles and back off. Being pushed into a girl's role was more than he could accept at the moment, and his own masculine disposition rebelled at his being so submissive. Emotional turmoil dropped Takumi's libido several degrees as his masculine pride made him wonder if Keisuke would try to dominate him in all ways. The thought of playing the girl's role helped to cool the teen's ardor.

Keisuke pulled Takumi's hand away from his face as his bigger frame molded itself to his. The blond kissed his forehead and ran a long finger along his cheek and down to his chin. "When you get embarrassed, you're so damned sexy. And, for your information, I'm very glad you're only thinking about me right now, Takumi."

"But, we have battles tonight. I can't explain to Ryosuke-san that I lost mine, or he has to forfeit because we, . . . ah, . . ." Embarrassment locked Takumi's throat.

Keisuke whispered in his ear, "I can't help wanting you. You tell me to go to sleep, or focus on tonight, but everything you're doing tells me you want me too, Takumi."

Takumi's eyes widened. He found it impossible to move as imagination conjured scenes of being intimate with this man. Takumi shivered as his body reacted to the way Keisuke enticed him into the offered embrace. The image he had seen in that girl's manga book flashed into mind as his groin pulsed with consent. His panicked mind urged him to back away.

'Damn it. Keisuke wants to pull me deeper into this and I'm clueless. I've never followed anyone's lead this much. I seem to follow Keisuke in everything. Shit! I don't even know how to make a gay relationship work. Nani am I doing?'

Keisuke had become important enough that making serious mistakes wasn't an option. Takumi looked into Keisuke's intense blue eyes. "Keisuke, your expectations are more than I know how to handle right now. I need some kind of . . . how to manual, . . . or something, . . . to tell me . . . how I'm supposed to act with you. Naze did you have to prove to me that I need you in my life?"

"I need you, Takumi, so I had to prove that you can need me too." Keisuke tapped his nose with a gentle smile. His velvet tinged voice dropped to a deeper register as he pinned Takumi to the rock wall with his closeness. "As to how to act in our relationship, It's the same rule book for all kinds of couples more or less, Takumi."

"Uhm, I, . . . that's not . . . I'm not sure how I'm supposed to be, . . . since we're both, . . . m, m, men. When I dated Mogi, I knew I was supposed to drive and buy the gasoline. I picked up the drinks we got during our trips. When Mogi wanted to go to lake Akina, or the beach, she always brought a lunch for a picnic. If she wanted to go to a burger stand, I knew it was my job to pay for her meal. You know?"

Keisuke snickered as he looked down at him. "Takumi, whatever you feel comfortable with is fine. Being my boyfriend isn't as troublesome as you think it is. I'm willing to be flexible. I know that Teru always splits the bill with his boyfriend. They each pay for their own meals, or movie tickets because that's comfortable for them. Gingo, and Tohji tend to use a switch out on who treats who system. Ryota goes with the moment's flow. The person that wants to treat does, and it's not a big deal to Ryota. Just tell me nani you want to do."

"I didn't know you knew so many people in our situation." Takumi heard his surprise mirrored in his voice.

"I told you that I have a pretty good idea of all I was getting myself into when I finally stopped fighting myself over loving you. There are a couple others in same gender relationships I'm acquainted with through Akimoto and Tohji too. Did you really think I only had Akimoto and Tohji to get information from?"

Takumi dipped his head feeling how hot his face had gone. "Uhm, well, . . . I, . . . I, uhm, . . . sort of."

Some of his current fears and doubts were linked to the idea that Keisuke's information came only from Akimoto and Tohji. Neither man lived a very stable lifestyle in Takumi's opinion. Both cheated on their lover, so Takumi had felt a need to rebel against anything they had told Keisuke.

The taller blond changed subjects."I remember the first time I saw you, Takumi. I got pissed that an adorable, spaced-out hunk toasted my winning streak, and then drove off without so much as a goodbye after crossing the finish line."

Takumi relaxed. "Is that naze you were always so mad at me, Keisuke?"

"iie."

"But, I honestly thought you hated me until I got into the wreck."

"I thought you made late entrances on purpose, so I'd never get the chance to talk to you, Takumi."

"Oyaji always got home at the last minute. I had to book it so I could make it in time for almost every battle I got conned into last year."

"Glad I was way off about your reasons for always being late." Keisuke chuckled softly as he grabbed Takumi's waist again.

Takumi relaxed against Keisuke's broader chest since he appeared to have calmed. "Um, I was glad to see you when I had battles. But, I thought I'd never become a friend of yours . . . much less, . . . something like this." Takumi's face burned as he spoke.

Keisuke chuckled. "I think I fell in love with you the night I demanded that you face Nakazato, even though you said you weren't a street racer."

"Nani?" Takumi lifted his head to look into Keisuke's eyes.

"I was blown away when you said you had nothing to prove, so you didn't see any reason to bother showing up when you hadn't accepted his challenge. I couldn't understand how you could say that." Keisuke caressed his cheek.

"Battles are fun now, but that doesn't mean I'm a great person if I win."

"Fair enough. But, you told me you hated to drive that night. I thought that you had to be jerking me around, Takumi."

"After five years of doing the same exact thing every morning, I was sick of driving Akina's course to make deliveries." Takumi frowned up at his partner's face. "Naze did you lecture me about a racer's pride if you thought I was lying to you?"

"It was the only way I'd get more chances to check out your cute ass." Keisuke gave him a leer as a hand slid across his hip and pulled him flush against his larger body. The blond slipped a hand into Takumi's back pocket and groped his butt. Takumi's arms were pinned by his partner's embrace, and his body trapped by solid stone. Squirming to break Keisuke's hold would make his wanton state even worse.

"I wanted to be around you too, Keisuke-san. But, you and Ryosuke-san are way out of my league."

"I'm not either, so quit saying that. And, drop the san from my name already, Takumi." Keisuke gave his forehead a light thump as he reprimanded him.

"Gomen that I forgot, Keisuke. You really don't get it, do you?"

"Nani?"

"To me, you have such incredible dreams, and the focus to get everything you want. You know all you have to do to reach your goals. That's naze I still feel like you're so far above me at times."

Keisuke's nostrils flared as he glared down his nose. "You have pretty awesome focus when you use it, Takumi. That's all anyone needs to make dreams come true."

"But, I never made any goals. I didn't know how to reach for a dream until you pushed me to try for one, Keisuke. "

"Stop tearing yourself down, Takumi. Sometimes I fear you're going to leave me behind because of how fast you improve. When I saw you pass oncoming traffic without missing a beat during your duct tape death match, I knew you were going to be a pro driver. I honestly wondered if you had taken the tape off for a moment." Keisuke tightened his hold on Takumi's hips which rubbed their pelvises together. Takumi felt the hot bulge in Keisuke's pants slide against his own throbbing length.

Keisuke's lips descended and kissed him. It almost worked to completely derail his thoughts, but not quite. Takumi felt Keisuke's earnest affection as their lips overlapped. He found himself answering the deep yearning transmitted through the blond's lips and tongue. Yet his thoughts and doubts would not ease. Once Keisuke let him up for air Takumi tried to explain his misgivings again. Takumi found it harder to breathe as he tried to explain his fears without causing strain. His ability to converse was fast dissolving as anxiety and lust warred for dominance in his brain. "I. . . I give my, . . . best effort. I don't always, . . . understand nani you . . . and Ryosuke-san talk about . . . I feel . . . like . . . a baka, . . . around both of you."

Keisuke's voice was firm. "You aren't a baka, Fujiwara. Knock it off. "

"But, I've learned so much, . . . from you both. I don't see how you could think, . . . I'm equal to you."

"You've got solid driving techniques. That's good enough for Aniki and me, Takumi."

"I didn't even know the difference, . . . between a carburetor . . . and an . . . injector, . . . until someone told me. Akiyama Wataru told me I had a racing engine in the hachi roku and that I needed a new tachometer so I'd stop losing so much power every time I shifted gears. I thought there was something wrong with the engine Oyaji got before he told me the truth."

"Che. Takumi, you found your weakness and are learning the mechanical side of racing since you joined Project D. That doesn't count against you anymore, so you need to accept that I'm right about you being awesome."

Keisuke caught his lower lip between his teeth and alternated the caress to shift to his upper lip in quick succession to silence him. The blond's tongue slid across his teeth as he probed for entry to Takumi's mouth. Keisuke's kiss was more persuasive than any other thing he could do to get his way. Takumi's teeth parted and Keisuke took control with intoxicating results. The blond's tongue plundered the inside of his mouth as his emotional hunger for connection poured from him and into Takumi. Shockwaves of awareness flashed through his body as Keisuke's unspoken demand for him to yield to their escalating passions got stronger. Another mental alarm clanged as his knees, and his masculine side threatened to buckle.

He pulled his head back, and away from Keisuke even though he felt lost as he pushed against the larger man's chest."I have to stop, Keisuke. I can't , . . ." Takumi whispered as he tried to get air into his lungs.

Takumi's body trembled as fear, and passion skittered through him in alternating waves. He was in a no win situation of his own naive design. He was on the verge of becoming addicted to the security that Keisuke offered. His body and soul craved Keisuke's genuine love, and touch. Still, his mind screamed that everything about this situation was wrong because of what he had learned as a child. Takumi was also very confused because he found himself following the forceful blond's lead more than was comfortable.

"Takumi, I'm pushing too far, too fast, aren't I?" Quirking an eyebrow, Keisuke asked.

Takumi took a shaky breath, finding it difficult to do more than nod. "Easy, Takumi. I'll back off." Keisuke let him go and stepped back.

"Gomen, I'm not trying, . . . to be, . . . a, a pain. . . . It's just,. . ." Takumi ran a hand through his hair as he took a deep breath with closed eyes.

"Whoa, Takumi. It's okay. I know you're trying to get used to me. I, . . . I'm getting impatient. Try not to get too pissed at me. Ok?"

"I'm not mad. I'm just, . . . just not . . . I can't, . . . deal with . . . things between us . . . getting . . . so intense, . . . yet, Keisuke." Takumi hung his head. "I'm still so damned confused about everything. Gomen na." The last came out as a strained 's guilt meter jumped as his thoughts slapped him.

'I wouldn't feel like this if you hadn't kissed me, and turned my life upside down! I can't stop panicking because I'm not sure who I'm becoming, but the minute I pull back I hate myself. I seriously can't handle this kind of r, re, relat . . . tion . . . ship.'

Keisuke answered, "Takumi, I said I'd wait for you to get used to us being together, but I'm backing you into a corner right now. You're everything to me. I forgot that you have to get used to being the love of my life."

"But, I said . . . I'd give you . . . an honest chance."

"Che. This isn't your fault. It's harder than I realized it would be to keep my hands off you once you said you'd see me. You didn't know you could even like another man until recently. I'm used to being turned on by other men, so I forgot when you responded."

Takumi stumbled to his oversized blanket, sat down, and wrapped his arms around his legs as he leaned against the wall. He felt he was wrong to panic. The youth had no idea how to fix things as he dropped his head onto his knees. "I'll work harder to get comfortable, Keisuke. Onegai, be patient with me."

"I'll try to remember that I need to keep my hands to myself more often, until you get comfortable. I know you need enough time and space to adjust to being involved with another man."

Takumi caught his hair in a fist as irritation with himself mounted. "Keisuke, I don't think, . . . space, . . . will help me adjust, . . . It's like, . . . I need to have you, . . . around me. I guess I need, . . . to get to know you. I didn't think that it would be so hard. . . . I, . . . I don't know, . . . how else to get, . . . comfortable, . . with this. My head, . . . starts d, d, demanding to know, . . . how things will turn out. . . I guess I don't know, . . . you very well, . . . or something, . . . Does that make any sense?"

Keisuke sat next to him and leaned against the granite wall. "It makes perfect sense when you want something that's going to be permanent. Don't worry. When I start to get pushy, it's fine to tell me to stop, Takumi."

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Alternate Tracks 2nd Story in Rivalry Series