[Michiyuki 2-2]

[Chapter 2 "Car"-2]

"I've got 400 left, so a round trip to Morioka should be fine. Let's try opening it up on the straightaway." Thinking this, Mayu entered the tunnel on the West Road. Tonight is Friday night. I'll finish the break-in tonight and return the car to Takao tomorrow morning.

Driving the 200-kilometer one-way trip in an hour and a half, she took a short break at a convenience store in Morioka. Mayu, who left Sendai at 7:00, returned before 10:30. The trip meter count had already exceeded 1,000 kilometers. Thinking Takao would still be awake since it was before 11:00, Mayu decided not to go to Takao's house and instead went home.

"We're friends, but we're a man and a woman; it wouldn't be right to visit at this hour." That was her reasoning. When Mayu pulled her car into the shop's parking lot, her father, Noboru, was still at the shop. The sign was dark, and he was listening to a record while drinking whiskey at the dim counter.

"You're back early. Are you done already?"
Standing up and turning down the stereo volume, Noboru asked.
"Yeah, I'm done. It was a fun car; it's a bit of a shame to return it."
Mayu said, looking at her father's whiskey.
"Give me some too. A highball would be nice~"
There is no father who can win against a daughter acting spoiled. As requested, he put ice in a glass, poured whiskey, and topped it with soda water. Placing the freshly made highball in front of Mayu, Noboru said.
"Well, it's Takao-kun's car, so you have to return it."
"I suppose. For some reason, this is the first time I've thought I wanted to make a car my own."
"Huh? Was it that good of a car?"
"It's not a good car at all. The model is old... but it's fun to drive. How should I put it? It's like a slightly mischievous boy."
"You've always been like that. Your sensibilities are different from normal people."
"Because honor students are totally boring, right! Good grades, good at sports, always doing exactly what parents and teachers say..."
"Isn't that a good thing, having everything together! I can't stand kids who are just always acting out."
"But you know, Dad, those kinds of kids all look the same to me. I end up thinking, 'Oh, these kids might only be able to do the same things as everyone else even after they enter society...'"
"What's your complaint about good kids?"
"Dad, think about it! The 'good kid' that adults talk about is just a 'good kid' for someone else's convenience!"

Mayu's sharp gaze remained fixed on Noboru's eyes, not moving an inch. Noboru said as if resigned.
"Good grief, it seems I've lost again tonight. Who did you get that personality from?"
"Who do you think I got it from?"
"Probably your mother, not me."
"I think the person who chose such a mother as his wife is quite the eccentric too."
"I suppose that's true, haha."
"Haha, well, that's all for today!"
As Mayu finished the remaining highball and tried to end the conversation, Noboru stopped her.
"Hey, what happened to the talk about the car?"
"Huh? It went off the rails somewhere. I don't remember."
"Ah, this is inherited from your mother too... I'm going to sleep now." Saying that, Noboru took the record off the turntable and put it in its jacket.
"It's inherited from you! I'm going to take a shower and go to sleep too."
Mayu began preparing for a bath.

"Being able to talk freely like that is only possible because we're real father and daughter. Minoru... with Minoru, it always ended in a fight."
Fixing a large hair dryer to the desk and blowing warm air from a distance, Mayu thought a little about her ex-husband while slowly drying her long hair as if to comfort it.

Having finished the 1,000-kilometer break-in last night, Mayu drove to Takao's house after finishing breakfast.
"Morning, thanks for your hard work." Takao, who had received a message from Mayu, was waiting in his coveralls.
"It was cutting it close, sorry for being late."
"Sorry for the unreasonable request. By the way, how was this little one?" Takao asked Mayu while opening the hood.
"It was fun. It's the first time I've ever thought, 'I want this car.'"
"That's an honor~ It's my pride and joy."
After checking everything visually, Takao put the car in the garage. He lifted the car body with a garage jack and secured it with jack stands. The tires were removed, the oil was drained, and inspections of the brakes and other parts began. It was the usual, but Mayu was impressed by his efficiency.

"What's wrong?"
"I was just watching and thinking how fast you are. But why don't you use the company garage?"
"Why? Because it belongs to the company."
"It's your father's company, right? And the equipment is better there, too."
"Hahaha, it's my old man's company, but I'm just an employee."
"Even though you're the president's son?"
"That doesn't matter. I'm just an employee. There are even people who don't know I'm the president's son."
"No way."
"It's true. My old man doesn't give me special treatment. I'm the same as everyone else."
"I see..." While answering that, Mayu thought, "It's a complicated relationship..."

Mayu, still sitting on the floor, asked Takao.
"By the way, who are you lending it to? Such an important pride and joy."
"To someone I owe a debt to. Someone who took care of me back when I was acting out. He's like an older brother with a bit of an age gap."
"Huh~ So Takao had an older brother like that."
"He's going on a trip for about a week and asked me for advice on renting a car. So I asked him, 'Please drive my car.'"
"What's his name?"
"Masao-san. You don't know him, Mayu." While talking, Takao had finished most of the inspection.
"Once I put the oil in, I'm going to take it for a short run. I'll drop you off on the way, so wait a little longer."
"Yeah." Although she replied that way, Mayu didn't want to go home.

"I don't know the reason why. Maybe it's because I want to meet this 'Masao' person whom Takao calls his older brother." Perhaps because she was thinking that, the words came out before her own will.
"I'd like to meet him too~ That older brother of yours."
"That's fine, but he's not coming today. The promise is that he'll come to pick up the car tomorrow morning."
"What! The break-in was until this morning..."
"Because I needed time for the final inspection, and I also needed time to repair it if anything happened."
"Strange. This is the first time I've seen Takao be so careful. Does that mean he's that important of a person..." Thinking that, she asked Takao.
"Can I meet him if I come tomorrow?"
"The promise is 5:00 AM. That's a time a sleepyhead like Mayu can't wake up for."
"I'll wake up! I'll definitely come by 5:00! Is that okay?"
"Well, I'll keep it in mind. But I'm telling you, 5:00 is just the plan; it might be earlier," Takao said teasingly.
"If that happens, contact me, and I'll come flying over on my scooter immediately."
"Got it. But why do you want to meet Masao-san so much?"
"Just, for some reason..."

After Takao dropped her off and Mayu returned home, Noboru was making coffee at the shop.

"Welcome back, do you want some too?"
"Yeah..."
"What's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh... it's nothing."
"How about the coffee?"
"I'll have some."
Placing two coffee cups on the counter, he poured the freshly brewed drip coffee into them. After letting it flow down his throat as if to taste it, Noboru turned on the amplifier switch.

　　　--To be continued--