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Akaashi hugged the turn closely, pulling on the hand brake to whip his Lancer around before accelerating to the finish line. He could see the end in sight, the crowds of people cheering him on, the money that would signal the finale of his racing days. He was ready to be done, he was getting too old for racing and just wanted to have a normal life, go to bed at a decent hour, not risk being arrested several nights a week. He could reminisce about the first time getting behind the wheel, building a car of his own, having sex in that car, and the spoils of victory when he was elderly. At this time, he just wanted to cross the line. The details about his retirement could wait because he could taste victory.
Akaashi sped through the finish line and spun his car back, he could faintly hear the sounds of screams and cheering over his engine, but it was slowly drowned out by the thunderous beating of his heart. He was done. Forever. It was over. He looked around his Lancer, it had served him well for over a decade since he and his ex built it together. He would keep it, could never part with the car, it was like a child to him. Maybe he would take it out to the country and drive as fast as he could manage now and then.
He stood on a little box, it was a makeshift stand constructed out of a milk carton. The announcer handed him a small check, the amount of about ¥500,000, a small prize, but he didn’t expect much more from a local competition. “...And tonight marks the last night from our very own Akaashi-sama.” The crowd let out various sounds of lamentation. “I know, I know. But we haven’t been able to convince him to stay. Hopefully, we’ll see him around.”
Akaashi walked away, watching the younger folks around him laughing, looking at the cars lined up on display. He kept an eye on his Lancer, knowing that it tended to draw people near it now and then. People would often look at the fancier cars with bigger name brands: the Camaros or Corvettes. They were lured in by the flashiness, that was fine.
He lit a cigarette and watched the people pass by. This was the end. He couldn’t wait to have a regular sleep schedule. “You’re not really retiring, are you?”
Akaashi turned to see who was speaking to him. He immediately regretted it. “Why is it always you? What are you doing here, Bokuto? Don’t you have some fancy event to go to? No one here gives a shit about you anymore since you left us for greener pastures.” Akaashi turned back to look at the people walking about, not paying attention to him or Bokuto.
“People are starting to look at your car. Don’t you think you should go stand by it to explain everything we built to them?” Bokuto asked. Akaashi could hear the smirk.
“No, they can figure it out themselves.”
“I’m glad you’re still driving her.”
“What are you doing here?” Akaashi asked turning back around. “Did you just come here to annoy me?”
“I came here to give you an invitation to a race, next week. Here,” Bokuto held out a key, Akaashi looked at it, looked back up at Bokuto, and then took a drag from his cigarette.
“I know you’re not the brightest, but I’m retired. I’m getting too old for this shit. Keep it.”
“Too old? You’re only 34, that’s not old. And I’m a year older, so don’t make me out to be some senior citizen. Besides, you’re going to want to make an appearance for this one. The Gauntlet is a major race and not many people get an invite.”
“‘The Gauntlet?’ That sounds like the title of a bad action movie. No thanks, I’m good.”
“Don’t you want to know what the prize is before turning it down?”
“Not really.”
“¥500,000,000.” Akaashi felt his stomach drop. He couldn’t even fathom that amount of money. He thought about all the things he could do with that money. He could buy a small condo and live on a tiny island for the rest of his life. He could spend his time on a small beach, working on a book he didn’t care to publish. He could be comfortable, and not have to worry about anything anymore. “You look a little more interested now.” Bokuto’s voice sounded like a record scratch, breaking him away from his fantasies.
“Maybe I am. Why are you inviting me? You left. You became too good for us. Did you decide to bestow some charity upon me, oh great one?” Akaashi mocked.
“I came because I know you’re good… and-”
“I knew there was a fucking catch, there always is with you.”
“It’s a two-legged race.”
“So you need a partner.”
“...Yes, I do. And I was hoping-”
“No.” Akaashi cut him off.
“Come on, we could win this, think about how much money this is, it’s life-changing, Keiji.”
“Don’t you dare call me that. You’re the one who moved on. You moved on to some rich inner circle and left me behind. Now, you need my help to make yourself even richer. Did your masters stop giving you an allowance? Go away.”
“K-Akaashi, come on. We can win this. Don’t be an idiot. Your pride has always been your downfall, huh? You’re going to continue to be stubborn and talk yourself out of the largest amount of money you’ve ever seen?”
“You can go now.”
“Aka-”
“No.”
Bokuto let out a deep sigh. “Fine, but here,” he handed Akaashi the key. “In case you change your mind. I’ll send you the details.”
“Don’t bother.”
Akaashi went home that night to his empty, one-bedroom apartment. He ate, showered, and went to go to bed like he had done a million times before. As he sat on his bed, toweling his hair, his phone chimed.
Unknown:
The race is in three days at the address carved into the side of the key. If you change your mind, meet me at my apartment tomorrow to go over the strategy.
Akaashi:
How did you get this number, asshole?
Akaashi figured it was Bokuto based on the information in the text. It looked like he didn’t plan to give up.
Bokuto:
I never deleted it. See you tomorrow. 123 XYZ Street, Tokyo.
Akaashi was annoyed. He didn’t want to work with Bokuto, someone who just up and left without a word. He was tempted by money and let that dictate his behavior, leaving Akaashi behind. Could Akaashi stand to be around him? Would he even give him a chance?
Akaashi cursed himself in the morning when he showed up at Bokuto’s apartment. He knew that his ex had upgraded everything in his life once he had moved on from Akaashi and the local races, but he hadn’t realized how big a difference had grown between them.
He rode the elevator up to the top floor, he didn’t know that Bokuto lived in a penthouse apartment, but he wasn’t surprised. The doors opened and he walked into a room that was decked out with the latest furniture and technology, a giant tv on the wall, a fireplace, couches that wrapped around the room. This was a lifestyle that Akaashi would never know, and frankly, he didn’t care.
“Glad you decided to come. Welcome.” Akaashi turned to look at Bokuto, a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still wet from the shower, little droplets falling down his shoulders and chest, disappearing into the line of the towel. He was showing off. His body looked great.
“Put some clothes on, no one is impressed.”
“No? You look a little flustered right now.”
“Because I can’t stand you.”
“Right. Well, regardless, I’m glad you came. I’ll get dressed and we can discuss strategy. Have a seat, there are some snacks on the ottoman tray.”
Akaashi sat and waited for Bokuto to return. He continued to look around the apartment, taking in the gaudy decorations and unnecessary embellishments. “You like what you see?” Bokuto jumped over the back of the couch to sit next to Akaashi, he was too close.
“I was just thinking that maybe less is more.”
“Ah. come on. You like it, admit it,” Bokuto said, placing his arm around Akaashi’s shoulder. Akaashi picked it up and removed it.
“Can we look at this race? I’m not fully convinced that I even want to do this with you.”
“Trust me, you want to. Here.” Bokuto grabbed an iPad and pulled up a map on the screen. “The Gauntlet is a two-staged race so we are competing in a timed trial. The first leg is more uphill, long curves, I’ll take that one. The second one has a lot of sharp turns, I think you’d be able to handle that.”
“You’re still not able to handle tight turns? I figured you’d try to work on that since you have sponsorship, or whatever.”
“It’s not a sponsorship.”
“Well someone is paying for all this. You never told me how exactly you got your offer to move onto bigger and better things,” Akaashi looked over at Bokuto who was avoiding eye contact and staring at the map.
“Does it really matter? After this race, we can go our separate ways forever. ¥250,000,000 each will be enough for a comfortable lifestyle, don’t you think. We don’t have a ton of time to figure out how we want to run this thing. Most of these teams have been working together for years, and you and I haven’t been together… for a while.”
“Whose fault is that?”
“Listen, I know you’re pissed at me. You have every right to be upset that I left, I took off because there was money involved, but you would do the same, too, if the roles were reversed,” Bokuto said, his voice raised.
“No, I wouldn’t. That’s the difference between the two of us, Bokuto. You left in the middle of the night. You crawled out of our bed without a single word. You didn’t answer my calls or messages and then showed up to random races, a fancier car, nicer clothes, and have, ever, given me a single reason as to why you left. Is it just the money? Did I mean so little to you that you just rolled out of a bed - after we had sex, might I add - and took off? Don’t try to pretend that you give a shit about me now.”
“I did it for you, you moron. I did it all for you.” Akaashi sat back and looked at Bokuto, skeptical.
“What are you talking about?”
“The Chief, the man in charge, he made me an offer when I first joined. He gave me a lot of money to win races for him. And he told me that if I won a certain amount of money, he would extend an invitation to you as well. He said you would get to come on as a racer for our group and could win money. But he didn’t. I kept asking him when he was going to bring you on. He just would say ‘soon.’”
“And you couldn’t just tell me that?”
“Tell you that I signed a deal with some guy to try to take care of you? You would have slapped me and told me that you didn’t want me to take care of you, or didn’t need that from me, or something. You’ve got a lot of pride.”
“So… you didn’t just leave because you stopped loving me?” Akaashi asked, his voice quiet. He hated being vulnerable, but it was a question that plagued his mind since the morning he woke up to a cold bed, unaccompanied by Bokuto’s strong arms wrapped around him.
Bokuto, leaned in, “Of course not.”
Akaashi scooted away, extending the distance between them. “Okay, I’ll help you. But then I don’t want to see you anymore.”
“What?”
“You left. You may have had your reasons, but you could have told me at some point. You have some worthless pride as well.”
“Fair enough. Why don’t we look at the cars? Are you going to drive the Lancer?”
“Of course, what other car would I take?”
“One of mine? I’m going to use the M5, but you’re free to use the Corvette.”
“No. That’s stupid. Why would I drive a new car with little preparation? Let’s go. The faster we can get through all this, the sooner we can part ways.”
Bokuto and Akaashi spent the next two days preparing, checking over their cars, and talking through strategy. Bokuto knew more about some of the other drivers that would be competing, but they had no clue who Akaashi was and what he was capable of doing. Bokuto was positive they had never seen him in a race, and that would give them an advantage.
Race day came. Bokuto and Akaashi stood next to one another, waiting for instructions. It felt strange, there was no crowd, no one to cheer as he came around the corner and made the final turn. Just the other drivers.
“There’s no one here,” Akaashi whispered to Bokuto.
“Don’t worry, they’re watching. Look.” Akaashi followed Bokuto’s eyes and noticed the strategically placed cameras around the buildings. He thought it was strange, racing in a constructed course, performing for some rich people to watch. Maybe they hoped for the drivers to crash for entertainment.
“Drivers!” Akaashi looked around but didn’t see anyone. The voice was deep and loud, probably amplified by some speaker system laid out in the buildings. “Welcome to the Gauntlet. Tonight we have one of the biggest cash prizes for one of the most dangerous courses. This is a time trial in two stages, hopefully, you’ve chosen your partners well. Good luck.”
“Well, that was ominous,” Akaashi said, looking at Bokuto. Bokuto kept his eyes forward, a nervous expression on his face. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Bokuto responded, his expression changing. “Just a little anxious to get started. We got this, though. Let’s get started, you know where you need to be, right?”
“Yup, I’ll head up to my checkpoint now.”
Akaashi got into his Lancer and drove off, Bokuto in the rearview mirror, watching him take off. He had an uneasy feeling in his stomach, but he couldn’t put his finger on why. He knew the course was dangerous, Bokuto had discussed the different turns put in to mess with them and talked about how the Chief - a stupid name, Akaashi had commented - liked to be dramatic and add in extra obstacles to increase the difficulty. But it seemed like Bokuto was thinking about something else, and that didn’t sit well with Akaashi.
The race started and Akaashi could hear the sounds of engines, cars racing against one another, and some other rumbling sounds that made him feel uneasy. He waited, knowing that the first leg should only take Bokuto about eight to ten minutes, but that was according to Bokuto. He knew his leg would be a little longer, maybe fourteen minutes, maybe a little less depending on how well he could execute the turns.
He waited, his engine ready and hot. He knew Bokuto would be close and he needed to ready. He watched in the rearview mirror, waiting for the black M5 to make an appearance. Soon enough, he saw it. Akaashi placed his hand on the shifter and waited for Bokuto to pass the checkpoint, signifying his turn to take off.
“Steady…” Akaashi said to himself. “Almost… and… go.” Bokuto crossed the checkpoint and Akaashi took off. He felt the car lurch under him and move quickly through the second half of the course. He had a turn coming up immediately, he saw it approaching and prepared himself.
Akaashi gripped the hand brake and made the turn easily. He continued along the course, keeping an eye out for the other drivers. He could see some behind them, but he noticed there were fewer cars than at the beginning. He wondered if some of the drivers had crashed. But he didn’t have time to worry about that, he needed to focus on the course ahead.
There were so many tight turns right after another and it felt like his car was going to need some new brakes after this race. But he knew after the last turn he had just passed, he had a straightaway, this could be a section where others might catch up to him. But he didn’t see anyone behind him after the turns.
After about ten more minutes, he could see the end, he could see Bokuto at the end, waiting for him. But no one else. He was happy to be done, happy to see Bokuto, but he still felt like something wasn’t right. He picked up speed, racing to the end. Once he reached the end, he pulled on his hand brake and spun around, bringing the Lancer to a full stop.
Bokuto ran up to the car and opened the door quickly. “You did it, Akaashi,” he said, a huge smile plastered on his face. “You did it. We won.”
“Where are the other drivers?”
“They didn’t make it.”
“What does that mean?” Akaashi’s stomach turned.
“Their cars stalled or they crashed, I told you this course was tough. But you did it, we did it. It’s over. It’s over.” It sounded like he wasn’t talking about the race anymore.
“Are they okay?”
“Who?”
“The drivers who crashed, are they okay?”
“Yeah, they’re fine. We won.” Bokuto pulled Akaashi’s face to his and kissed him deeply. In an instant, Akaashi remembered the nights spent together, the time working on cars, the days where they refused to get out of bed and instead, would lay naked in one another’s arms. He wrapped his arms around Bokuto’s neck and pulled him closer, standing from the car, pitting their chests against one another.
Bokuto pulled away slowly, holding Akaashi’s face in his hands. He had a hint of sadness in his eyes. “So… this is goodbye then.”
Akaashi thought about it, he liked the spark between him and Bokuto. He liked the electricity he felt when they touched. But he knew that’s all they had left, a spark. He needed something more substantive, and that wasn’t Bokuto.
“How do we get paid?” Akaashi asked.
“The Cheif will wire it into your account.”
“How does he have that information?”
“I don’t want to know how he has that. But he has access to a lot of information he shouldn’t. Just let him put it in your account. You should see it by tomorrow.”
“Okay… so this is really it?”
“Yeah.”
Akaashi wasted no time saying goodbye to Bokuto. He didn’t want to prolong it, knowing that, even though he had hated him, he would be sad at the fact that he and Bokuto, a man he once loved would never see each other again. He turned a corner and headed toward his apartment, down a familiar road. He was tired and ready for bed. He pressed his foot on the brake to prepare for the turn and felt a knot in his stomach when the car continued at its pace. He stepped on the brake again, willing the car to slow. He knew the car would not make the turn on its own, not at the pace he was going.
He tried the hand brake, but to no avail. He felt himself panicking, thinking about what he could do. But as the turn came up, Akaashi lost his nerve. The car turned over itself as he tried to make the turn, and landed on the roof. Akaashi felt something warm go through his eye before his vision became black.
“Bo, another round?” the bartender asked as Bokuto set down his pint glass.
“No, I’m going to call it. I still have some boxes to unpack in the new place.”
“Okay, well make sure you come back here. It’s not often that a racing legend moves to a rinky-dink island like ours.”
“Will do.”
Bokuto hopped into his car, willing the air conditioning to turn on quicker and shield him from the humidity of the warm summer day. He decided to take a scenic road, above the cliffs, to looks out onto the ocean. He would never get over the views of Hawaii.
Out of nowhere, he felt something hit the back of his car. He looked in the rearview mirror and saw a car right on his bumper. The car bumped him again, sending the car forward. Bokuto stepped on the gas in an attempt to get out of the other car’s way, but it maintained the same pace as him. No, it started going faster.
The other car, windows tinted, pulled up alongside Bokuto’s car and made a quick turn sideways into the backside of Bokuto’s car, causing him to spin out of control. He tried to regain his handling of the car, but all he could see was the water and rock wall alternating out of his view until the car hit the side of the mountain and came to a stop.
Bokuto moved to unbuckle himself, but was unable to move his arm, he was positive it was broken. The door opened for him and he looked up into horrifying steel blue eyes, blemished with a scar that spanned from eyebrow to cheek.
Bokuto smiled and asked, “Why is it always you?”