Chapter One

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The white FC sped down the wet roads of Akagi with a speed achievable only by the skills and technique of the man behind the wheel.

His heart pounded deep inside his chest; for once, driving had ceased to bring its usual calm but only frustrated him more. Merely a week after the conclusion of Project D, both Keisuke and Takumi had received an outpouring of sponsors, all eagerly vying for a chance to further their professional careers. His project was a great success and he was deeply happy for them. This result was the intention of Project D, to conquer the Japanese street racing teams and prove his theory for the fastest street driving method – all of which was accomplished. If so, then what was this unsettled feeling in his stomach?

The frustration floated from his head to his foot as he revved his FC higher.

---------- Flashback -----------

As he stood at the podium giving his salutatorian speech, Ryousuke could feel the eyes of the audience on him – some in admiration, others in envy. The stares didn't bother him, he had been used to the attention all of his life. His father sat with his mother and family in the second row of the audience with proud looks on their faces. Keisuke looked like he was struggling to stay awake. Ryousuke didn't blame his younger brother. He had, after all, conquered the last remaining undefeated team in Chiba less than a week earlier. It had been an endless string of well-deserved parties for the younger Takahashi since. After receiving his first sponsorship offer, he even called Kyoko to celebrate.

As Ryousuke completed his speech about dreams, ambitions, and their individual fulfillments, his mind wandered to his own dreams. Being the older son, he never had a wide variety of choices in professions. There was no question of practicing medicine; merely what type of medicine. Racing was a hobby with which his parents indulged him and Keisuke, but it was never meant to be one of his career options.

Towards the end of Project D, the racing magazines which covered their continued successes began to speculate on why Takahashi Ryousuke, the renowned driver and leader, would choose to end such a promising career without even final last battle. Most expressed a desire to watch the members of Project D race each other – mainly the FC and the Hachi-Rocku. Ryousuke himself had always made a point of avoiding such questions. He had stayed safely behind the scenes and out of the cars of Project D for a complete year, with only one near mishap. It had taken every bit of will power Ryousuke possessed to not race the Todou School's professional driver himself.

In the end, he was satisfied with his decision. Fujiwara proved himself that night in more ways than one. He not only had the skills to push a professional, circuit trained driver, but could also easily take his opponent's strategies and adapt them into his own, constantly improving his technique with every additional challenge. He was proud of Fujiwara and decided then that, under no circumstance, would he race his FC during on of Project D's battles. Racing himself would indicate that he did not have enough confidence in his drivers, therefore partially disproving his theory of street racing.

All of the articles, however, were lusting after a one-time, out of retirement battle for Ryousuke on Akagi before entering into medicine full time. The spectators wanted to see Akagi's White Comet in its full glory. Ryousuke wanted nothing less than to race once more. His main concern, however, that kept him from pursuing this was that, if he raced once more, would once more be enough?

----------- End Flashback -----------

The FC spun around the corner, missing the railing by mere centimeters. The galleries were completely empty that evening due to the heavy rain that covered almost all of Gunma. Visibility was getting worse by the minute.

"Time to go home," he sighed, rocking his car towards the outside of the turn before using the rebound of grip to throw it back into cornering position.

----------- Flashback -----------

"Aniki, now that Project D is over and successful," chirped Keisuke, downing another small cup of warm sake, "you should consider battling me just for fun."

Ryousuke bit into his pie as he contemplated his brother's words. The thought was tempting. "There is no such thing as a battle for fun. When you race, you race to improve yourself and defeat your opponent."

"We could do that."

Ryousuke raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Can you live up to your challenge?"

Keisuke only hiccupped.

Fumihiro grinned, "Right now, I think Keisuke-san can fly with his spoiler and win everyone in Asia. Even Fujiwara wouldn't stand a chance."

Keisuke perked up. "Where is Fujiwara?"

"I think he went to visit a girl. Apparently, he had a girlfriend in the university that none of us knew about," interjected Kenji. "I wonder why he didn't say anything. She must either be really cute or really bad looking for him to be so quiet about it."

Ryousuke shook his head at the men. "Sometimes, Kenji, it is best to keep you intimate feelings under the surface, where they belong."

Keisuke rolled his eyes. "Aaaaniki! You can't always be serious about everything. I know for a fact that below that exterior, there's a semblance of a human being." He waved a drunken finger at Ryousuke and then added, "Tsugumi can vouch for it also."

"She's too young to understand emotions."

"She's eighteen!"

Ryousuke sipped his sake. What she really that old? More importantly, was HE really that old? Apparently. He came to attention just in time to join in a cheer for Takumi, followed by one for Keisuke, and then one for himself.

"To the end of something great," said Keisuke, fumbling over his words, "and the beginning of something great…er."

Would it really be greater?

----------- End Flashback ----------

He didn't see the taillights until he had cleared the corner. By then, the Toyota Supra had already lost control and was spinning wildly towards the guardrail.

Ryousuke steered away on reflexes, missing the car seconds after it collided with the railing. It was then that he noticed his own car no longer responding to his steering.

"What the hell?!" he gritted his teeth as he fought the force of the steering wheel. "Turn!"

Ryousuke could feel the edges of panic beginning to creep up his spine as his view spun in slow motion through his windshield.

----------- Flashback -----------

The sun shone brightly in the car bay of the Takahashi house, illuminating the fluorescent color of Keisuke's FD.

"Keisuke-chan!" Giggled Tsugumi. "The sun makes the color of your car seem even more obnoxious than usual!" She laughed even harder as Keisuke's face turned into an annoyed scowl. Ever since the oil incident where he had wrecked his car, Keisuke had become more protective than ever of his FD.

Ryousuke and Keisuke's uncle and aunt were staying with them for an extended weekend to help the family celebrate Ryousuke's graduation from medical school. He would be the beginning of a fourth generation of doctors in their family. At times he wondered if his own father was likewise pressured into the profession. His younger uncle was a successful businessman in Hong Kong and his other a teacher at the university in Tokyo. His thoughts were disrupted by Tsugumi's prompting for them to start a badminton match in the back yard.

Graduation was a mere two days away and for the first time in his life, Ryousuke felt unsure of himself. The winning simulations that he could create for racing could not be rendered for his own life. The thought was extremely agitating.

"Will Keisuke play with you instead?"

Tsugumi made a face. "He complains to much when he loses."

Ryousuke finally gave in to the persistent tug on his sleeve and followed his cousin to the net in hoping that, if anything, physical activity would take his mind off of racing and school for at least a brief amount of time.

----------- End Flashback -----------

The back of the FC slammed into the guardrail, painfully jerking Ryousuke in his seat. The seatbelts dug into his skin as he felt the guardrail strike again. Ryousuke winced at the pain of hearing the sound of metal tearing from his car. The second blow shattered the glass on the driver's side, sending small shards cascading down the side of Ryousuke's face. The entire door followed and he could feel hot, white pain along the right side of his body. Somewhere between anger at his inability to control his vehicle and the blinding pain the impact, Ryousuke could feel his senses clouding.

The car hurled finally to the other side of the rode towards the mountain, closer and closer, until all that was left of Ryousuke's vision was covered in darkness.

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information courtesy of Initial D World

Thanks so much for reading! This is my first fanfic and I would really appreciate some feedback. I try to stay at least three chapters ahead of myself and I know that this chapter was very short, but the next ones are already finished and I assure you they are longer. Also, please forgive my inconsistencies and ignorance when it comes to cars, driving, and Japanese culture. I know I have a lot of room for improvement. I also don't know too much about cars, but I love the show and I am definitely learning with every episode I re-watch :P. Thank you and enjoy!